Happy 2014 and WIP news

Happy New Year! It's the year I've been counting down to since 1996 - and one I never thought would really arrive - and here we are. The year my oldest graduates from high school. *blinks rapidly* How did I get so old?



Anyway, in between teaching, hockey, volleyball, Battle of the Books, more hockey, house cleaning, shopping, and general life stuff, I managed to finish a draft of a WIP that's totally out of my comfort zone. It's a fantasy with dystopian elements...and a lot of fun. One thing I've noticed about YA lately is there's very little sense of humor involved. Everyone takes themselves so seriously.





Which I get is a teen thing but c'mon. If there's one time in life when you need a sense of humor, it's when you're a teenager.



Anyway, I'm almost to the point where I need a reader. I realize probably nobody is left reading these posts out there but if there is someone who has some time to be a first reader, please message me. The blurb is under 'WIPs in my life' if you're interested.

 I'm open to swapping pages and I do hereby swear to be less like this:




And more like this:



when I'm critiquing. (This is actually my one-and-only New Years' resolution, in response to the many critters who never speak to me again after receiving my crits.)

Have a great winter/spring!

Fact or Fiction Bloghop coming up!

Can you tell a great story, one that's so good, it's hard to tell if it's fact or fiction?
Next month, Emily King and I are hosting a bloghop where you'll share your favorite summer memory - whether it be hilarious, a comedy of errors, sweet-as-pie, adventurous or the kind of story you're glad to have over - as well as one that's pure fiction. Everyone else's job? To spot the fact from fiction. The writer who fools the most commentors wins the prize.

Confused? Let me break it into bullet points. (I love me some bullet points.)

• Monday, Sept. 3: Post one summer story, true or false, it doesn't matter but it should be under 500 words.
• Tuesday: Sept. 4: Hop to other participating blogs to check out your competition.
• Wedesday, Sept. 5: Post your other summer story. If Monday's was your truth, have Wed. be your fiction story. Or vice versa. (Again, under 500 words.)
• Thursday, Sept. 6: Hop to other participating blogs. Decide which one is true and which is false and put your vote in the comments of each entry.
• Friday, Sept. 7: Your reveal. Tell us which story is true and which is false.
•  Late Friday or early Saturday, Sept. 8: PRIZES!!! Emily and I are giving away FOUR total - two grand prizes for the stories that fool the most commentors; and two critiques for the runners up in each category. The PRIZES will be a book of your choice from lists Emily and I have compiled. My list will be Best Fall Fiction Reads, which I've previewed via ARCs and that come out starting next week. Emily's got a list of nonfiction books she's putting together.
• In other words, I'll be awarding the writer who fools the most with his/her fiction - meaning most people thought it was true -  and Emily will be awarding the writer who fools the most with his/her nonfiction. The critiques will go to the runners up in each category.  Make sense?

No, the stories you share do not have to happen this summer. Reach back into your childhood for the best one as long as one of your stories is absolutely true. You're on the honor system here but we trust ya. ;)
Sound like fun? Sign up in the linky below. (It's working now! :) Then check back the third week of August. I'll be interviewing Sarah Rees Brennan, author of The Demon's Lexicon and Team Human, as well her newest release, UNSPOKEN, coming out next month (one of my faves). Then I'll post the list of hot fall fiction I recommend, which the fiction bloghop winner will choose from as his/her prize. Emily will post her nonfiction picks around the same time.

Questions? Post them in the comments. And we hope you'll join us next month!

Contest and critique winners!

Tricia has read all the entries and narrowed down her choices. Remember - as she says below - requesting more pages reflects her own personal taste and not always your writing skills. Think of yourself browsing in a library to put yourself in her (or any agent's) shoes.

 AND keep reading below. I'm offering up two free MS critiques PLUS another free premium subscription to QueryTracker, chosen by Random.org...so if you didn't get a request, there may still be something free for you.

Take it away, Tricia!

I'd like to see full manuscripts from:

Cassie Mae, HOW TO DATE A NERD
Angelica R. Jackson, SPIRITS FROM THE VASTY DEEP
Melanie Stanford, DAZE AND KNIGHTS
Christopher S. Ledbetter, THE SKY THRONE

I'd like to see the first 50 pages from:

Jenny Kaczorowski, THE ALTERAE
Enchanting Editor, BALLAD KEEPER
Sara, THE GIRL IN THE MIRROR
Krista V. THE REGENERATED MAN AND ME
andimjulie, THE SYMPTOMS OF OUR SHADOWS
Hope Roberson, MY PROTECTOR: THE CALLING
Tristina Wright, THE GIRL WITH THE PORCELAIN WINGS

Please send the requested material as a Word attachment (.doc only) to tricia@emliterary.com with the subject "Requested Material."

And a little note from me for everyone:

I so enjoyed every single query and first 250 words that I read. There is so much talent included here. I found it difficult to choose (which is why I chose more than one of each), so please don't take not being picked personally. Me not picking your query only means that I didn't connect with it as much as I'd like. I wish you all much luck and can't wait to see great things from all of you in the future!

Thanks for taking part in the contest. What a treat!

Congratulations to the winners and the runner-ups, and to everyone for taking part!

Full MS critiques from Melodie offered to:

CONFESSIONS OF A TEENAGE CYBORG - by MarcyKate

THE CURIOUS WORLD OF WATSON & CRICK - by Jen Hilt

Ladies, if you'd like to take me up on this offer, email me at rewrighter (at) gmail (dot) com. It can be the MS mentioned or another WIP.

Finally, the QueryTracker premium membership goes to:

Ladonna Watkins!

Congratulations all and thanks so much for participating.

Bright beginnings

Happy 2012, everyone! I hope you have big plans for New Year's Eve. My own include a game night with two of our three kids, eating the last of the Christmas cookies, and falling asleep in front of a movie while cuddling with hubsy. *yawn* I probably won't make it to midnight. Yup, I am Officially Old. :)

Next week, stop by on Monday to critique a few loglines and first 250 words of selected adult entries that didn't make it into the Baker's Dozen auction hosted at Miss Snark's First Victim. Not many have sent me entries yet, but I know those that do appreciate whatever feedback you share. And you're welcome to send your logline/first 250 even if you've never heard of Authoress. The more, the merrier!

On Friday, I talk with the lovely Rebecca Hamilton, whose novel, The Forever Girl, debuts next month as a print and e-book through her new imprint, Immortal Ink Publishing. Rebecca is also the acquisition editor for the company, which will start taking queries in May. She'll have a very cool giveaway you won't want to miss. (She's also just done a fantabulous blog makeover - definitely worth a click. I swear she's some kind of cyber-genius.)

In the meantime, I raise my nonalcoholic-apple-cranberry-spritzer to you! L'Chaim!

Writing in twos, with Lindsay and Trisha

I'm so excited to be talking with writing partners Lindsay Currie and Trisha Leaver this week.
The whole idea of writing in twos is really intriguing, possibly because to me, the idea of finding someone compatible writing-wise sounds trickier than finding a husband/partner! Seriously, that is letting someone waaayyy into your psyche.

According to Lindsay, the two met in a critique group, got bored and presto! wrote a novel. Okay, it took a leeetle longer than that. But the bored part is true; that's what made them bounce ideas off each other. Trisha wrote the first chapter, sent it to Lindsay who wrote the next and presto-for-real-this-time: SILO was born. Hmmm....*eyes critique group speculatively* talk about working smarter not harder.
Anyhoo, they buffed SILO (a dystopian YA) so it shined, sent it off and got six offers before signing with Ginger Clark of Curtis Brown.
And they're super eager to tell you what's wrong critique either your query OR the first three chapters of your MS. To enter, please follow this blog and/or tweet about the contest, then let us know about it in the comments. Comments close Monday, Aug. 28.
Without further ado, heeerree are Lindsay and Trisha!

Describe how the writing process works for you two. Is one of you the plotter, the other a descriptor, etc?

Lindsay: Ah, yes. SILO was written with the amazing Trisha Leaver from beginning to end. Neither one of us are plotters and I can’t imagine us trying to write that way. We had a strong beginning and a vague idea of where we wanted to the ms to end, but we let our characters lead the way through the middle.We actually alternated writing chapters - she would write one and pass it to me for editing and then I’d write the next and pass it back to her. It was a fantastic process, but not one that would work for everyone. Trisha and I have very similar writing styles and shared a common vision for the novel, so we meshed very well together.

Trisha: Yeah . . . so not a plotter. I have a mental whiteboard that I use to keep track of my characters and plot threads, but to most people it would look like a giant mess of color-coded scribbles.

At least your scribbles stay in your head. Mine are all over my house.


2. What are the advantages of writing with a partner?

Lindsay: Well, for one it’s fun! I had a blast writing SILO with Trisha and sharing the road to signing with an agent was much easier with a partner-in-crime – someone who completely understands the waiting and the fears because they are literally wading through it with you.When it comes to writing, it’s nice to have someone else to finish a scene when you’re stuck or flesh out a plot-line that you might otherwise leave a hole in. It’s a very symbiotic relationship.

There were plenty of times when I got stuck and had to ship off barely a couple of hundred words to her, rather than a whole chapter, because I hit a wall. Fortunately, if you work well with someone, these moments aren’t a problem because it’s a give and take relationship. Sometimes you give and others you take . . . but in a good writing partnership, neither of you keeps track.

Now I just need to get her to Chicago – we’d be a whirlwind if we were writing together in the same city


Trisha: Knowing that there is somebody, who is mostly impartial, filtering though my often dark and insane plot ideas to find the one that will actually work. That and you never get stuck. When your muse decides to call it quits, there is somebody else there to pick it up.

Oh and there is absolutely no reason why Lindsay can’t fly here to see me!! I do live Cape Cod – summer vacation capital of the East Coast!

Ummm....I have to go with Trisha on this one. I used to live in the Midwest and there are two words for summer there: Hot. Humid. Cape Cod on the other hand, if you can put up with the crowds, has: Ocean. Sand. (Notice how I'm not mentioning Alaska. That wouldn't be fair to either place. ;)


3. The disadvantages? (yeah, be honest. I'm sure you each know them already! :)

Lindsay: Quite honestly, I’m drawing a bit of a blank here. The only thing I could potentially categorize as a disadvantage is that you are always writing to impress. When you’re writing solo, you’ve got only yourself to satisfy in that first draft, but when you are going chapter for chapter with a writing partner, in a way you are writing to impress, hoping they like what you wrote. It keeps you at the top of your game. So, from that angle, it’s honestly more of an advantage than anything.

Trisha: Disadvantages? Sure, I could see how there possibly could be some -- different voices, different writing styles, different ideas of how the story should unfold. Those were all concerns I tossed around before I jumped into this relationship. But to be completely honest, they haven’t come up. Lindsay has a remarkably similar voice and work habits. Plus we both share an affinity for exploring the darker, more desperate side of human nature.

4. How did you work through the revision process?

Lindsay: Multiple phone calls and Skype conversations a day along with copious amounts of wine. Okay, just kidding – there’s more to it than that, though there was a lot of wine and chatting involved in our revisions.

Revisions were based primarily on our own gut reaction as well as the reactions/feedback of our CP’s. We were lucky to have a very talented group of writers reading SILO as we wrote it, catching small glitches before they had a chance to take root.

Trisha: Pretty much copious amounts of wine, although I am sure Lindsay made good use of the mute button on her phone as I screamed and cursed my way through revising some of the more difficult scenes.

Oooh, wine and revision. They even sound like they go together, don't they? Especially if you put an 'h' in wine. *giggle*

5. It's hard enough for one writer to know when a MS is ready for querying. How did you two decide?

Lindsay: I think this was really a matter of us feeling satisfied with it personally. Once we got the reaction from our CP’s that we wanted, and we felt comfortable that the manuscript was as complete and polished as we could make it, we began sending out queries.


Trisha: When it is ready you just know. Then you take a risk and send it out. As my mom would say: you can’t learn how to swim if you never get your butt in the pool!

You heard her, people! Substitute 'read' for 'swim' and 'chair' for 'pool'...oh, never mind. Stop by tomorrow to learn the rest of this daring duo's writing secrets. Who knows - they may rub off on you. Especially if you win one of the critiques!

Interview with Taryn and Kate of Teen Eyes

I found a reference to Teen Eyes at Authoress's website and was instantly hooked. Taryn and Kate, two book-hungry/edit worthy teens are offering their services to kidlit authors for extremely reasonable prices. So I hopped on over to Taryn's page and lo and behold, they were launching their service with a contest. Great idea, thought I, entering my pitch and also asking for an interview-pretty-please.
Despite being crazy/super busy with the start of a new school year, the young ladies graciously acquiesced. They're open for business, folks, so after you discover their wondrousness, head over to their site and have a look-see. Ask your questions in the comments OR, if you're very brave,
post your query. Taryn and Kate may have questions about it to help out the process!

1. So you're 18 and you want to critique. Please explain from whence this crazy notion came.
In other words, tell us about yourself.

Taryn: Well, I've always loved books, writing, reading, whatever. As I became more involved in the writer blogosphere, I noticed how many adults wanted to know What Teens Liked. They'd ask me to read their manuscripts, and since I loved reading, I acquiesced. After the Help Write Now auction during which some teens and I gave a teen critique, I realized people were willing to pay for such a service. Since it's something I love, I thought Teen Eyes would be the best way to help out (and get money for my book-buying addiction, lol).

Kate: Like Taryn, I’ve always loved books and reading and writing and blog-stalking. Teen Eyes actually started out as two separate companies....I created my own critique service because I felt like older writers might benefit from a teen’s perspective on their YA novel. Taryn and I ended up combining our companies, and thus Teen Eyes was born.

2. You're majoring in creative writing with an eye to being employed in publishing. What made you choose this career field?

Taryn: Same as the above--I love, love, love books. Being involved in the whole journey is a really exciting option. Interestingly, I've always pictured my main career as a swim coach, but I keep that info away from my writing-centered blog.

Kate: I’m not majoring in creative writing, as the university I’m attending this fall only has a regular English major. I’ve thought about being an editor...it’s a position I’m sure I would enjoy, but I find it rather difficult to switch from editing to writing on a daily basis.

Speaking as a former English major...nah, don't want to rain on your parades. It's all good!

3. How many books do you read a week?
Taryn: Oh gosh. It totally depends on the week. One week in the end of July, I read 16. Too many. Usually it's around 5-8, depending on what I have around, plus a couple manuscripts.

Kate: Not nearly as many as Taryn.

I was with Taryn on the 5-8 books a week but 16 is a lot. Seriously. *jealous of Taryn's amount of free time*

4. Fav authors, genres, etc?
Taryn: All time favorite book is ENDER'S GAME. I also love A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY, and ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER, MISS PEREGRINE'S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN, and all sorts of stuff. If I had to pick one genre to read forever, it would be mysteries.

Kate: I pretty much love all genres. Some of my favorites would have to be HIS DARK MATERIALS, THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY, MILES FROM ORDINARY, CORALINE, and (like Taryn) MISS PEREGRINE’S HOME FOR PECULIAR CHILDREN.

I saw Miss Peregrine's while shopping for bargains at Borders. Looked spooky!

5. *taps chin and looks earnest* So what really makes you tick reading-wise? Are you a character girl? All about the action? Or *blinks eyes rapidly* are you into romance?
Taryn: I like action and a mystery. I used to not notice characters at all, but as I've started critiquing, that has changed. Still, I read more for the plot.

Kate: I think I focus equally on action and character. I love books that are high-concept in terms of plot but still character-driven (THE BARTIMAEUS TRILOGY is a perfect example of this). Although I love a good romance, sappy and/or unrealistic love affairs are a big turnoff.

Ooh, good reader mix between you two: one for plot, one for action/character.

6. What are your reading pet peeves? Or what will you NOT read, ever, no matter how cool the book jacket?
Taryn: I'll never say never! I hate lazy characters, or whiny characters, or characters who can't get over a boy. OMG MOVE ON. There have been two books I put down this year, two very acclaimed books. One for the lack of action (in a YA!) and one because I couldn't connect with the voice. Soooo, I don't really have pet peeve :) OH! I also hate vampires. Other than TWILIGHT (Which I read only because I had to see what the fuss was about), I've only read one vampire book, and that didn't count because she turned back into a human at the beginning.

Kate: Honestly, I don’t really like books set in outer-space, or any “hard” sci-fi for that matter. Like Taryn I’ll never say never, but I’m just not a fan of books with tons of science-y gadgets and whatnot. Also like Taryn (can you see why we get along?), I can’t stand a female heroine whose life centers around a guy. It’s hard for me to respect a character who has such an unhealthy emotional dependence on another person.

Preach it, sister! What is up with all these clingy, guy-crazy heroines? That is so last century.

7. What kind of stories do you want to see in YA?
Taryn: More mysteries and thrillers! YA is heading that way, though, so yay. I'm also still on the dystopian bandwagon. Dystopian offers a way to take an issue today, intensify it, and then explore consequences. I'd also like stronger characters, and less romance. Guys, every book does not need a love interest.

Kate: I agree, more mysteries and thrillers! There’s a lot of it on TV and I think it’s starting to carry over into commercial literature. In addition, I’d love to see more historical fantasy/historical magical realism, particularly set in countries we don’t often see (someplace in Africa or South America, for instance).

Oh, you are girls after my own heart! Not just sayin' that bc my latest WIP is a mystery.


Join us tomorrow for more about Teen Eyes, their credentials and tips for surviving on a deserted island with just a monkey and a ball! Hey, you never know what life's going to throw at you...

Interview with Becky Wallace part two, crit giveaway continues...

Yesterday, aspiring author Becky Wallace filled us in on her revision process and query stats. Today she's sharing about snagging her agent. She's willing to give away one, 10 page critique. To join in on the random drawing, please do three things: be a follower of this blog and post a link to this post either on Twitter or your own blog. Then in the comments, include your name, genre, title and email.

What made you choose to query Jennifer Laughran?
I did a lot of research about agents. I read blogs, comments, interviews, stalked client lists, and finally bought a Publisher’s Marketplace subscription. If you’ve read Jenn’s blog (literaticat.blogspot.com), you’ll notice her truly awesome/hysterically funny personality. Then you’ll look at her sidebar and realize how incredible her clients are. I was flattered that she would even consider me.

And if we’re being completely honest (and that’s the sort of girl I am) her sales record was freaking phenomenal for my genre. Jenn is agent-rockstar-extraordinaire and she was excited about my book! How could I not pick her?


Tell us about The Call.
Imagine sprinting through the Everglades at noon. It’s humid, the air is close, trees with twisted limbs and draped with moss snag your hair, and you’re pretty sure an alligator is stalking you. But you keep running because something totally life-changing is waiting for you in the next clearing. Yeah…that’s how I felt when Jenn called. Sweat literally dripped off my body (I know…eww). I was pumped full of adrenalin and terrified at the same time. What if she doesn’t like me? What if I say something stupid? What if I can’t think of any questions to ask? What if I can’t remember what my book is about?

I was shaky and stupid throughout the entire conversation. Even though I had a list of questions, I could barely read what I’d written. The words, “I’m-on-the-phone-with-an-agent-and-she-wants-to-represent-my-book-Is-this-for-real?” kept cycling through my head.

Honestly, it’s a good thing I didn’t go into cardiac arrest. I hope I sounded a little bit professional. A little. Maybe.

Ooh, I totally get sweaty when I’m nervous, too. I’m not a fan of sticky so the Everglades image made me wince. I’m guessing the elation set in after the phone call…

And now what? Are you on submission yet? If so, how many versions of your MS did you write? And how long did that take?

Yes, I’m on submission now. I think it’s been ten whole days. And it’s every bit as awful as querying. Maybe worse. I’m trying not to get my hopes up.

See the thing that no one tells you that even if you have an agent (even an agent-rockstar-extraordinaire) your book may still not sell. An author I totally love and respect has had five excellent books on sub and none of them ever got picked up. She’s had an agent for four years and just sold her first novel. That’s my new biggest fear (well…that and my completely unreasonable fear of the ocean because sharks live there).

So after my six initial drafts, I rewrote SIC following Jenn’s notes. It was the hardest revision because it was the most severe. I removed four characters (one that was practically my true character love), added one new character, changed the villain completely, and rewrote the ending.

I was on a pretty tight deadline to get it done—not one Jenn gave me. When I got her revision notes, I was seventeen days from my due date with my third baby. I wanted my book finished and sent to her before Critter No. 3 joined us. And somehow I managed to get it done.

Nothing like an impending baby to get your groove on. Smart woman to push thru…haha, a little pun there…*snort*

Most important thing ever to share with the agentless-but-hopefuls?

Can I give more than one important thing? Please? Okay, good.

1. Find a good critique partner. This person needs to be completely honest with you—someone who is liberal with criticism and light on praise. Someone who will poke holes in your plot, tell you when your characters are blah, and when your imagery fails to do its job. This person will become one of your best friends and assets. You may not like your crit partners all the time, but you will love them for the ways they make you better.

2. Put on some armor. This is a tough industry and it’s so, so easy to give up when someone tells you that your work sucks. And it will happen. Don’t quit. Toughen up.

3. Realize that everyone is better than you at something. Every time I read Cassandre Clare, John Greene, Kiersten White, or any of a dozen other authors, I think, “Holy crap. I suck so bad. Why can’t I produce those images or make my readers laugh or have such an awesome voice.” But you have something—you can do something that other writers can’t. Find that something and WORK IT. Then work on your weak areas.

4. Go with your gut. Although other people’s opinions are important, sometimes you just have to stick with your instincts. I don’t even want to think about the hours I poured into writing and rewriting my query letter when the original letter would have done the job. The same thing goes for your story. At the end of the day it’s your work. You need to be able to live with your final product. If you aren’t proud of it, you won’t stick with it. And you need a story you’re going to stick to.

I especially like this last one. You are a class act, Becky, and may The Book Deal be soon!
So post away, ducklings mine, and perhaps you’ll be the next of Becky’s critters to snag an agent.

Upcoming interviews

It is gorgeous here in Alaska today, folks. For those of you swelting away in the Lower 48, you have my sympathies. I'm shoving my writing sked to later tonight and heading to the lake with the kiddies but before I go, I wanted to share two awesome writers who've agreed to put up with answer my intellectually stimulating and personally invasive questions.

First up next week will be The Query Goblin, aka, JJ DeBenedictis. Send her any and all queries here and she'll rip them to shreds with her helpful advice. Seriously, she's extremely gentle and always has useful suggestions.

Then I'll be finding out how Becky Wallace landed her agent. She hooked the lovely Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary *jealous* and is willing to share her experiences despite being crazy busy.

So do check in next week and in the meantime, check out these ladies' most perspicacious blogs.