Job Searching, Writing, and Sometimes Revision

Page two of my own ELEVEN revision notes.
(Picture intentionally blurry!)

Hello everybody!

As you may or may not know, I recently moved to California. I came out here to follow my dreams and to become a big name! (Just kidding. I moved here because I needed to get out of Illinois and my sister lives here with my brother-in-law.)

I thought I was ready for the real world when I was still in school, but now that I'm in it, I'm pretty much falling apart. Okay, well, I wouldn't say that, but I am stressed! I've applied to so many jobs, I've lost count! Because of all the time I've been working on applying to jobs, my writing has taken a back seat. Now, that doesn't meant I've stopped writing! I am definitely still writing! It's just not as much as I'd like to be.

I recently beta-ed my second Nano book to a friend. When I got it back, I had SEVEN single-spaced pages of revision notes. That's not including all the comments actually made ON the manuscript. After reading through them, I agreed with almost all of the notes/suggests/please-change-this-now's. So that's what I've been working on. It's not going to be done as fast as I had originally hoped, but it's coming along.

What's nice, and interesting, about another person looking at your work is, it bring a whole new light to your story. I realized things about my characters I wasn't even aware of. I fixed melodramatic story elements, that originally, I thought were perfect.

For instance, the ending of my manuscript ended in a HUGE way. In fact, it was the original thing I thought up in my mind that my story was based around. (Let's say it involves a crash and public transportation.) It was melodramatic and over the top, but it was the first thing I had ever thought up for this story.

When my friend read it, the only note she put was "Are you serious?" and I knew, deep down, that it was no longer right for the story I was trying to tell. Yes, my entire story grew around this incident, but there was something I hadn't noticed. My story had outgrown it. My story was so much more than that incident now.

So I cut it.

And my story has never looked better.

Sexism in YA

Just a funny sign.

So I know that sexism, along with homophobia and racism, is still a thing and turns up pretty much everywhere (as seen on the ad I have posted above). It's sad really that things like this are still around and people must be told WHY they're being racist, or WHY they're being sexist, and so on.

That's why I believe it's good to write strong female and LGBT characters along with characters who are not white, as they are predominant in most YA writing. I think it's a good thing for people to know that you don't have to be a straight, white, male to accomplish something and be a hero.

Nowadays it seems that these types of books are coming out. They empower all people instead of putting them down and making them feel like they are less because of how they were born. However, there are books that still come out today that just blatantly surprise me on how sexist characters can be. I will not name book titles, as I don't want to skew any views on a book before someone else has read it, but seriously author I will not name, what is wrong with you?

I have talked to my sister about a book in particular and while the character is very sweet to his girlfriend, at least in her opinion, he still says sexist things to her pretty much constantly. And although I'm still reading this book, she has informed me that the other male characters are all pretty much like that. To top off this cherry sundae of stereotypes, the female character is the typical teenage emotional girl that makes bad decisions.

The book I'm working on has a female lead who I believe is strong willed. She may make bad decisions, but that's not because she's a girl, it's because she's human. She's lost someone close to her, and that would make anyone kind of lose it. Now that I'm realizing this kind of thing in other stories, I wonder if my female character is just a stock character.

I want her to stand strong and not be a character that when read you roll your eyes and say "Why is she in this book and not in a high school drama book?"

Ugh, I guess I'll just have to wait and see what my beta readers have to say.

Anything like this in YA anger you?

Minecraft and Living in Your Own World!

Hello all! As you can see above I do enjoy playing some Minecraft. In fact, I've been doing it quite a bit while reading at the same time. It's a skill I've learned that not many can posses ;). One thing that I find really fun about Minecraft is that I can create things that I'm writing in my story. Buildings, areas, etc. I read on absolutewrite that apparently a lot of people build their characters and what not on Sims, which I ALSO love, but I have yet to try that! It's really fun to be able to walk through a place that I've only made in my head. Seeing it also comes in handy when writing. It's just a really fun way to help my writing, and be a distraction when I need it! I think it'd be really awesome to do it in Second Life, but I don't have that either.

Anyway, I've been editing my WIP progress lately and it's turning out a lot better than I expected! I've added on about twelve pages and I'm not even half way through. The best part is that this is just my first read through so that I can change it from past to present. In case I didn't say specify in my my old post about past or present, I'm going with present. The story just reads so much better now that I've made the decision and I'm really happy with how it's turning out.

On a different note, I'm going to be applying to Grad school soon, EEK! I'm really nervous about this and my sister keeps telling me I need to work on my writing sample, which I know I do, but it's a really scary thought! I can't believe that it's coming so soon! My senior year of college is going to go by so fast I won't know what hit me. Before long, I'll know whether or not I'm in an MFA program and my entire life is going to change. I'm just a wee bit stressed here!

What's going on with your life out there? Inform me! Distract me! I like hearing from others! =]

Long time, no see!

Oh, hey!

I know it's been a long time since I've posted, but please, don't start sharpening the pitchforks and gathering the townsfolk! I have a legitimate reason! I recently moved into my apartment with my boyfriend! Moving is not easy, as I'm sure a lot of you know. It took a lot out of us and the reason why I have not been updating is because we are still without internet. I will be getting it on Wednesday though and I plan to go back to every Friday posting as before.

Because I have not had internet, or cable for that matter, I have managed to get quite a bit of reading done. I finished three books in four days! I mean, it wasn't like I was reading some super intellectual, heavy stuff, but reading is reading. And I managed to edit a chapter of my WIP in those four days so that was nice also. I am very excited about all the stuff I will be talking about coming up so make sure you check in on Friday, and possibly on Wednesday depending on what the Road Trip Wednesday is.

How have all of you out there been doing? Swell I hope!

Exhausted like a... kitten?

picture owned by Ella Mullins

So I've picked this picture for two reasons. One: I LOVE cats. Who doesn't? Look at it! Sleeping there! Two: This is how I feel right now. I would like to apologize for not posting yesterday, but as most of you know, I'm sure, sometimes life throws your curve balls. It's really not anything to do with writing or such so I'll just go ahead and jump back into the groove of this blog!

I'm very excited to say I've been asked to read at the open mic on campus for the literary magazine that is going to be publishing me in May. I plan on reading a poem, which is nerve wracking, because I don't consider myself a poet. But it's an adventure!... right?

Another thing is, I've never read my work in front of a group of people before, so this ought to be interesting. I will either stutter, vomit, or cry. Possibly all three, you never know! I'm also not sure if I want to read something I've already written or something new. They don't want me to read what I'm getting published because they want me to read that at the release party! So many readings, so little time!

Besides all that news, I'm about 10k into editing my WIP! I want it to be ready to be sent out to beta's within a month of two. We'll see if that actually happens! I'm very determined to get it done though because I want to start querying to some agents soon!

How is everyone else's writing/editing going?

Revision Hell

picture by photosteve101

Hey all!

I know it's technically Saturday because it's past midnight, but I'm doing it!

I have been busy the last few days trying to revise and work on my story. I've been going over some beta comments, which have been EXTREMELY helpful, and I've been going back through and changing it all from past to present! The story definitely flows better now that it is in present and I'm really excited to have it all done!

I've even come up with some new scenes to add in, something I told myself I didn't think I'd be able to do, and I'm very excited about them! Have to keep them under wraps for now though, because I'm not sure how they'll turn out, so who knows, I may not even keep them! Revising is a fun and scary time for my writing, but I'm trudging through it!

I'm really excited to just have a finished manuscript (and I say finished lightly as I know if it ever gets picked up it will be changed again). I mean I guess I have a finished one, but not a polished one! Okay, now I'm rambling.

In other words, I'm having one of my good friends recommission my cover, and yes I understand that if I get picked up they'll make their own cover, but it's just fun and exciting to have a cover! I know I have a past cover, and you can see it in THIS blog post, and I appreciate every minute that was put into making it, but I feel like it no longer fits my story, as I have changed it and somewhat matured it.

Another dilemma I've been facing lately is the name of my novel. I originally named it Divided We Fall, and I also feel it has outgrown this name. Now I'm faced with trying to think of something that will do it justice.

Anyone out there have suggestions on book title brainstorming?

Past or Present Revisions

Hello all! I know it's been a while since I have updated my blog and I have decided something. Now if I've promised this before, which I may have (I have a terrible memory), call me out on it! Because I'm not sure how often is too often to blog and how long is too long to wait, I'll be posting a new blog on Friday's afternoons. That way you know when to look for it and you'll know that I haven't given up on writing!

Now it's time for the real subject of this post. I've been reading a couple of different books lately that I've won off of goodreads and have been thinking about what I'm writing. My manuscript, as it stands, is written in past tense, however, upon thinking more in depth about it, I wonder if my story should be in past tense.

I know a lot of people don't like present tense because blah, blah, blah, etc. However, the story that my book is telling is a story that isn't one the main character would want to look back and retell, which is basically what past tense is, it's a retelling of the story. I also have some scenes in my book that I feel would be more dramatic, intimate, and sad in present tense.

I have gone on the absolutewrite forums and talked to some people who have helped me come up with the idea to rewrite some chapters in present and see how they turn out. As of right now I'm not sure how I feel about it. I know the chapter I rewrote, the first, is not my favorite chapter in the book, so that may also have something to do with how I feel about it.

Alas, I sit here and stare at my book and basically have... well... look like this...

picture owned by this guy

I feel guilty almost for just letting my story sit as it is right now so I'm trying to work on revising it, but with my brain laughing at me, screaming nonsense, it's hard to decide what I want to do with it. This is the future of my book and manuscript in my hands and I'm just juggling it right now!

Questions, comments, concerns? Please tell me your opinion.

Happiness Is A Warm Pen

Hello all!

Late Thursday night, and Friday morning, were both just full of awesome things for me. Thursday night I finished the first draft of my work in progress, which I have mentioned before. I am very excited to be able to say I've written a novel all the way through. I know it has a lot of work and it will take a long time, but that doesn't mean I didn't finish.

Then on Friday morning, while brushing my teeth, I opened an email that basically led to this GIF.

My happy dance. (Also my best friend reacted the same as Amy Poehler.)
Picture own ed by SNL.

My school's undergraduate literary magazine, Grassroots, emailed me to inform me that they are going to be publishing one of my short stories and a poem! I was in shock at first, then the rest of the day I was Tina Fey. This will be the first time I will ever be published and that's, just, pretty exciting, haha. There's no other feeling like being told that your work is being selected to be published.

This really set the wheels in motion for me and I have fallen back in love with my writing. A little thing that bothered me was, I had JUST edited the short story they chose a few days before so now I feel like they don't have what was really meant to be seen! But that's okay! Happy dance^^^!!

So, because I'm happy, I am going to post another excerpt for Divided We Fall. I would like to remind people that everything posted is subject to be changed, and most likely will! Enjoy!

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          Then something caught my eye. Five stories up I saw her, standing in a floor length window that was on the far side of her office. Helen stood, arms crossed, staring down at us. I couldn't see what expression she was making, but her stance looked guarded, almost angry. As I stared at her, the ground started to shake. I grabbed onto Winnie and the violent jerks beneath us continued. I heard yells and screams from the other side of the wall, telling me we weren't that far away from other people.

          “Fi, what's going on?” Winnie whimpered. He his voice cracked with fear. I felt Adler as he wrapped his arms around us, trying to protect us.

          “Just hold onto me, okay? I won't let anything happen to you.” I looked up at Adler who looked just as confused as I felt. Behind him on the wall the chimeras ran back and forth frantically while the harpies batted their wings as if they were about to take flight. Some of the looser bricks began to fall off the wall, crumbling as it hit the grass below. Then it stopped. The ground stopped trembling and there was no more screams. I turned to look up at Helen but she was gone.

          “What is she?” Adler asked to no one in particular.

          I gazed at the window. “I don't know.

Sickness Blues

picture by t0msk

Hello all! I would like to apologize for it being so long since my last post. I wish I could say something cool, like I was out on a spy mission, or on some fancy Christmas-time vacation. However, the truth is, I was sick. I have noticed that a lot of people have been cropping up sick lately, as always, and this year it got me!

It was terrible and full of coughing, sore throat, and congestion. The whole she-bang. I was secretly waiting for someone to sing me soft-kitty, but alas, it did not happen. However, I have been severely drugged up for about a week and a half and am now feeling much better.

Since my recovery, only a couple of days, I have banged out page upon page in Divided We Fall (my work in progress). I'm really happy with where the story was going and I'm really excited about the section I am writing.

I will admit, through the month of December I kept coming up with excuses, and I did have finals, but I could have been writing some of the time. I'm just happy that with the New Year will come new opportunities. One of my New Years resolutions is to write more everyday. (Yes, I know this is broad. If you have suggestions about a more specific one, comment and let me know.)

I am interested in everyone out there's New Years resolutions (writing and non-writing ones alike). So comment below and let me know! What is it about the New Year that inspires you?

I know this was a short post, but I just wanted to let everyone know I am back and I'm sorry for being gone for so long! I will be posting again within a few days, promise! Make sure you come back and read, and comment below people! I like the comments!

Keep writing!

End of a Road, Beginning of Another

Photo by amanky

Even though NaNo is over, and it was a tough road, we have to keep going. We writers need to find a new road to work on, or go back and fill in those over looked potholes!

I'd like to say I would like to apologize for this being late! But on the plus side, NaNo is over for all of you participating! You either achieved word count or not, there is no going back. All of you that tried are winners though, just remember that!

I got my word count, a day early, might I add! ;) Anyway, I promised that I would give an explanation about what my novel is about and an excerpt. So here it goes.

BY THE WAY! This is a rough draft, I have not yet even looked back over it. So if it is terrible, or has lots of punctuation and spelling mistakes, ignore those. This is just for a fun read!

Synopsis: Fiona wants nothing more than to live her life with her sister after her mother died and her father went missing. However, late one night a group of cloaked figures come and kidnap her from their remote cabin home. Fiona, wanting to hold on to the last shred of the family she has, goes on a journey across the wilderness that is left after the War that is plagued with vampires, harpies, mermaids, and things she's never even heard of. As Fiona goes searching for her sister, she starts to learn things about her father that she doesn't want to believe. Along the journey things around her start to happen that she can't explain. As her friends seem to start to turn against her, she has to decide who she will remain loyal with and who she has to leave behind.

Excerpt:

            I started to take a step forward, glass crunching under my foot. I stopped as a wolf rounded the corner. I quickly shrank against the wall. “It's a werewolf.” I started breathing heavily, thinking about my encounter with the werewolf I had run into in the forest. “These bullets won't do anything,” I said, starting to panic. Adler stepped out in front of me. “Adler don't!' I hissed, trying to reach out for him.

           He whistled, causing the werewolf to snap its head up to look at him. It growled and bent its front legs, ready to pounce. It jumped at him. I screamed and ran forward right as Adler put up his arm and a loud bang went off. The bullet hit the werewolf right between the eyes. The force of it blew it back a few feet. It immediately shifted back to a human. The boy looked like he could only be fifteen or sixteen.

           I ran over to Adler who was standing with his arm to his side. “How did you know it was a silver bullet?”

          Adler smirked. “Rhett told me.”

          Little tingles ran down my arms. I punched his arm as hard as I could but he didn't flinch. “You couldn't have told me?”

          He shrugged and gave me an innocent looking smile. “I was going to, but I figured, first one, I had to have a little fun with you.”

          I rolled my eyes. “Winnie, come on.” I nodded my head in the direction we had to go. We got to the broken window and I peered out. Some of the buildings were on fire. I didn't understand how at first until I saw some people running around, throwing bottles with flaming rags stuffed into them at buildings.

          “What the hell are they doing?” Adler asked as he looked over my shoulder.

          “They must be with the werewolves. Come on.” I turned the corner and started running in the other direction of the people with the fire.

          “Fi, what if they get Rhett's book store.” I stopped suddenly. I couldn't just leave Rhett to die. I closed my eyes, trying to decide what to do when I found myself turning around and running towards the people with the flaming bottles.

          “Hey! You!” I started screaming and waving my arms, trying to get their attention. They all looked at me once and smiled. They started running towards me and I stopped, feeling the two boys on either side of me. Mid run they jumped and shifted, turning into werewolves. “Adler get ready!” I screamed, holding the hand gun with two hands, aiming it at one of them. “Come on,” I whispered. I needed them to get close enough so I wouldn't miss. There were only three. Hopefully I could take down two, or Adler could.

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So that was my excerpt. Let me know what you think about it. What I could change and what not. Any feedback is appreciated!!

I hope all of you writers out there keep up! (And keep up on reading my blog in the upcoming months!)