Debbie Maxwell Allen, of Writing While the Rice Boils did a little question meme for the week, and I figured since I was on a roll with memes/hops that I doing one more fun one couldn't hurt! (I swear, I'll be back to normal posting days as of Monday, but it's a holiday week, so hopefully you'll forgive me?)
1. What is the name of your book?
Lonely Hollow: Synthesis
2. Where did the idea for your book come from?
I had a dream about a couple of kids suddenly being able to fly. While that particular scene/ability never shows up in the book, that was the dream that spawned my idea of kids who begin to develop certain abilities/powers, and have no adults to consult about it.
3. In what genre would you classify your book?
It's post-apocalyptic fantasy.
4. If you had to pick actors to play your characters in a movie rendition, who would you choose?
Kieran, my main male character, would be Steven Strait, as seen in Sky High as Warren Peace.
Zane would be a mix between Emilio Estevez in Breakfast Club (personality) and Jensen Ackles (appearance).
Justin would be a young Patrick Dempsey, curly hair and all.
I haven't found the perfect person for Samara, but the closest I've gotten is Nina Dobrev of Vampire Diaries.
5. Give us a one sentence synopsis of your book.
Sixteen years after a virus sweeps the globe, several teens in a mountain village begin to discover new powers within themselves as they search for the answers to their origins and fight to keep their village safe from invaders.
6. Is your book already published?
No. I'm still editing it.
7. How long did it take you to write your book?
It took less than a year to write it, but has taken a couple years to edit it, as I've entered a couple contests to get critiques and used those to continue editing.
8. What other books within your genre would you compare it to? Or, readers of which books would enjoy yours?
Probably things like Hunger Games, The Uglies, The Max series by James Patterson, etc.
9. Who or what inspired you to write this book?
I had been holding it in my head for a long time, but the spark that got me writing was my first Pikes Peak Writers Conference. I left that conference and immediately began writing notes, figuring out characters, etc. When the next NaNo came by, I decided to more thoroughly invest in it and set my own goal of 30,000 words, which I believe I made, and that helped me continue writing it.
10. Tell us anything that might pique our interest in your book.
This book combines a post-apocalyptic theme (though not necessarily a dystopian one) with super human powers and an exciting journey.
***
I got to this later than I'd hoped, so there are only a few hours left until it closes, but it's a fun one to do if you just want to post a bit about your novel. If you do it, even if the linky is closed, give Debbie a shout-out at her blog (link in first paragraph), so she can check it out!
Friday, November 2, 2012
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Scare Me Blogfest & Links
Hello, and welcome to another blogfest for the week! I just can't help myself; I love Halloween!
This one is presented by Scifi Media.
Let's set the scene.
Spring, 1984.
Evening has fallen. The sky is dark, lit by stars.
My mother and a six-year old me walk out of the theater my mom manages. Her shift is done; time to head home and grab some dinner, go to bed.
As we're driving, leaving the capital city to head out to my grandmother's farm about twenty minutes away, headlights sweep over us, falling in behind our brown Dodge station wagon. Just another person heading home, tired, hungry, ready to retire for the evening.
Right?
Couldn't be more wrong.
The car follows us out of the city, into the boonies, endless landscape in the darkness. No one else around.
The headlights grow larger and larger in the rear view until they disappear from view, seconds before our car is bumped. The other car, also a station wagon, though a different brand, does not stop, but pulls up beside us, tries to hit us again.
My mother recognizes the driver. She knew him as a teenager; he's the younger brother of her childhood friend. A boy they picked on, in that big sister kind of way. Now a man, and one who has something that has short circuited in his brain. A man with murder on his mind.
His eyes are crazed, expression angry, desperate, hungry. A bushy beard covers his chin and cheeks, a thin mustache on his top lip. His hair is closely cropped, light.
My mother steps on the gas, afraid, running not just for her life, but for mine.
She pulls ahead, manages to leave him behind as he briefly loses control. She knows these roads; he doesn't.
The chase lasts for what feels like an hour, but is realistically probably just minutes. We round a curve, another, and we are out of sight of his headlights. My mother shoots up a long gravel drive, leading to a farmhouse in the tree-covered distance. She drives between some trees, shuts off our lights.
Waits.
Breathing so hard.
Heart pounding.
Headlights pass in a frenzy, gravel spraying from the road. The car keeps going.
Safe.
But another woman is not so safe. That night, a young woman dies, brutalized, strangled. Another young woman escapes with her life after being struck by a station wagon. The frightening man within it asks her to come out, check out the damage. She refuses, says they can drive to a nearby gas station and check in a public place. He flees, finds that other young woman who is not so lucky.
He's caught, ultimately goes to prison to serve two life sentences, convicted in two murders. He admits to another in 2007. One long unsolved.
How was he caught? After killing his last victim and dumping her body in a nearby river, he slid off the road into a ditch and had to be pulled out by a tow truck driver. Multiple reports talk about a man in a station wagon menacing them, hanging around places women disappeared or were threatened. The ditch he slid into? Near the area where the last victim's car was found. He took the sentences willingly, waived his right to a jury trial.
So that's my story. It's not a ghost story, no.
But it could have been.
**This is a true story, but I have avoided names, locations and exact dates. This man will come up for parole for the first time in 2024. I have no interest in being found because I let slip a connection online.
Now that I've shared my scary story with you, here are some links! (There's just really no good transitions here...how about...Speaking of pure terror, here are some scarily good links! No? Well, I tried.)
Blog Fests/Hops/Workshops:
Operation Agent Ink, run by Ink in the Book, is a workshop from November to February. It's intended to get you ready for submitting to an agent and help you know what agents want what.
Want to meet other nosy writers and share a little about your WIP? Debbie at Writing While the Rice Boils has a fun, simple set of questions to help you share with others. Closes November 2.
Tara Tyler and her friend Vikki are hosting the I'm Thankful for my Readers Blog Hop in November. Say thanks to your readers and be entered to win prizes!
Giveaways:
Becky at Lazy Low-Cal Lifestyle is giving away wheat germ. All you have to do is write a quick poem about wheat germ.
Publishing News & Accepting Submissions:
White Cat Publications is starting a new mystery themed magazine, to premiere in June. They will also be open for submissions for their other publications soon.
Mitzi Szereto is seeking short story submissions for an anthology entitled The Darker Edge of Desire.
Other:
Did you know there is a branch of NaNoWriMo for younger writers? There is! Want your kids or students to get to experience a little bit of NaNo? Check out how it works.
Have a Happy Halloween and STAY SAFE, everyone! My thoughts out to those on the east coast, who have a long road to recovery ahead of them.
Are you trick-or-treating? Going to a party? Have a scary story to share? Or maybe just want to share your favorite scary book or movie?
May you find your Muse.
This one is presented by Scifi Media.
Let's set the scene.
Spring, 1984.
Evening has fallen. The sky is dark, lit by stars.
My mother and a six-year old me walk out of the theater my mom manages. Her shift is done; time to head home and grab some dinner, go to bed.
As we're driving, leaving the capital city to head out to my grandmother's farm about twenty minutes away, headlights sweep over us, falling in behind our brown Dodge station wagon. Just another person heading home, tired, hungry, ready to retire for the evening.
Right?
Couldn't be more wrong.
The car follows us out of the city, into the boonies, endless landscape in the darkness. No one else around.
The headlights grow larger and larger in the rear view until they disappear from view, seconds before our car is bumped. The other car, also a station wagon, though a different brand, does not stop, but pulls up beside us, tries to hit us again.
My mother recognizes the driver. She knew him as a teenager; he's the younger brother of her childhood friend. A boy they picked on, in that big sister kind of way. Now a man, and one who has something that has short circuited in his brain. A man with murder on his mind.
His eyes are crazed, expression angry, desperate, hungry. A bushy beard covers his chin and cheeks, a thin mustache on his top lip. His hair is closely cropped, light.
My mother steps on the gas, afraid, running not just for her life, but for mine.
She pulls ahead, manages to leave him behind as he briefly loses control. She knows these roads; he doesn't.
The chase lasts for what feels like an hour, but is realistically probably just minutes. We round a curve, another, and we are out of sight of his headlights. My mother shoots up a long gravel drive, leading to a farmhouse in the tree-covered distance. She drives between some trees, shuts off our lights.
Waits.
Breathing so hard.
Heart pounding.
Headlights pass in a frenzy, gravel spraying from the road. The car keeps going.
Safe.
But another woman is not so safe. That night, a young woman dies, brutalized, strangled. Another young woman escapes with her life after being struck by a station wagon. The frightening man within it asks her to come out, check out the damage. She refuses, says they can drive to a nearby gas station and check in a public place. He flees, finds that other young woman who is not so lucky.
He's caught, ultimately goes to prison to serve two life sentences, convicted in two murders. He admits to another in 2007. One long unsolved.
How was he caught? After killing his last victim and dumping her body in a nearby river, he slid off the road into a ditch and had to be pulled out by a tow truck driver. Multiple reports talk about a man in a station wagon menacing them, hanging around places women disappeared or were threatened. The ditch he slid into? Near the area where the last victim's car was found. He took the sentences willingly, waived his right to a jury trial.
So that's my story. It's not a ghost story, no.
But it could have been.
**This is a true story, but I have avoided names, locations and exact dates. This man will come up for parole for the first time in 2024. I have no interest in being found because I let slip a connection online.
Now that I've shared my scary story with you, here are some links! (There's just really no good transitions here...how about...Speaking of pure terror, here are some scarily good links! No? Well, I tried.)
Blog Fests/Hops/Workshops:
Operation Agent Ink, run by Ink in the Book, is a workshop from November to February. It's intended to get you ready for submitting to an agent and help you know what agents want what.
Want to meet other nosy writers and share a little about your WIP? Debbie at Writing While the Rice Boils has a fun, simple set of questions to help you share with others. Closes November 2.
Tara Tyler and her friend Vikki are hosting the I'm Thankful for my Readers Blog Hop in November. Say thanks to your readers and be entered to win prizes!
Giveaways:
Becky at Lazy Low-Cal Lifestyle is giving away wheat germ. All you have to do is write a quick poem about wheat germ.
Publishing News & Accepting Submissions:
White Cat Publications is starting a new mystery themed magazine, to premiere in June. They will also be open for submissions for their other publications soon.
Mitzi Szereto is seeking short story submissions for an anthology entitled The Darker Edge of Desire.
Other:
Did you know there is a branch of NaNoWriMo for younger writers? There is! Want your kids or students to get to experience a little bit of NaNo? Check out how it works.
Have a Happy Halloween and STAY SAFE, everyone! My thoughts out to those on the east coast, who have a long road to recovery ahead of them.
Are you trick-or-treating? Going to a party? Have a scary story to share? Or maybe just want to share your favorite scary book or movie?
May you find your Muse.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
The Year I Turned 18 Blogfest
In celebration of Cally Jackson's release of her "New Adult" novel The Big Smoke, she's hosting a blogfest: The Year I Turned 18 Blogfest, to be exact. She's asked us to talk about the year we turned 18 (or for those who are younger, what you hope/think might happen the year you turn 18).
The year I turned 18 was a big one. It usually is, I'm betting. For me, though, it was the year I got married, the year I truly discovered what living away from my parents was, the year I graduated high school, the year I discovered the plans I'd had in the works for years wouldn't come to be, the year I moved out of state and the year I discovered just how much I loved my "home" state of Colorado.
I turned 18 in November of my senior year. At that time I was finishing out my last semester of high school (I chose to graduate early) and working at a movie theater in concession, box office and usher/projection. Had I gotten the letter that I had all my credits sooner, I would have skipped senior year altogether. Instead, I'd chosen to take a heavy load, intending to go on to college and, ultimately, medical school.
Not only was I attending high school and working tons of overtime (oh yes, tons, but it was good money), but I was somehow fitting in a relationship with my [then] future husband. He had worked at the theater, too, but had multiple jobs and quit to keep those that made the better money (construction and sales, at that time). I can't quite figure out how we had time to see each other, but we did. And on days when we couldn't, I'd go outside to find a note (or multiple notes, as he typically just had a pad of small pieces of paper in his truck) tucked under the windshield. He'd stick them there if he happened to drive by the theater on his way somewhere. If he had extra time he'd come in and visit me, but if not, he let me know he was thinking of me. You know, in a day and time when we didn't all have cell phones, so you had to actually be creative about staying in contact with people. Those days.
On Christmas morning he proposed. My parents had invited him out to our newly annual Christmas Eve dinner at Red Lobster. He snuck them a glance at my ring, but my mom didn't realize it was intended as an engagement ring. So Christmas morning rolled around and he came to celebrate with us. He had certain plans, but my mom looked around when all was done and asked, "Where's that other present? The one you showed us last night?"
Cue my horrified boyfriend trying to signal for her to stop there. I knew something was up, but passed it off to relieve the situation. A little while later we went downstairs (my room was in the basement) and he proposed, quite unromantically (I don't care if that's a real word!). It didn't matter, though. I said yes, and he then went up and asked my parents' permission for my hand. It was in reverse, but he wanted to show them that respect while making sure I'd accept first...
A month later, my dad accepted a job in Oregon (we were living in Colorado Springs). They had to move before the school year was out. Jeff and I decided to move out into an apartment and speed along the process. All kinds of excited, we looked around until we found one we thought we could afford (I believe it was a whopping $385 per month for a one-bedroom in the ghetto). My mom had to co-sign with us for the apartment, but we secured it. I sold off some things for extra cash (making my dad very unhappy, as I sold off a beautiful cabinet that was part of my antique bedroom set...I didn't know they were antiques!). I sold off my ornate wooden toy chest, which I'd been using as file storage (I loved to write even then) and a "sofa" with pillows. Our furniture consisted of a hand-me-down loveseat from my parents, a beanbag, end tables made of crates, a glass-topped coffee table Jeff made, my little TV with the built-in VHS player, a lamp my parents had given us, some dishes we bought at a going-out-of-business sale, two bookshelves and an entertainment center Jeff had made and my groovy antique bedroom set, which filled the entire bedroom. At least we had room to open the door!
Life was good. Well, it seemed that way, despite the fact that we were both always working, four jobs between us, and still not making ends meet. My friends were still in high school, I was living clear across the city, and I was always working, so their lives went on as normal and I stopped getting invitations to go out. Hey, someone tells you they can't every time you try, you eventually stop extending the invite. Despite everything, we were very happy, where we wanted to be.
Luckily, I had savings, and that money got us through our six months of rent and bills, senior prom and graduation (I was afraid I'd regret not having done each...pretty sure I wouldn't have). In July, we packed up a small U-haul and the back of our '76 Chevy Blazer (man, I loved that behemoth), our tiny schizophrenic orange tabby, Malecai, tucked neatly into his single level cat tree, our stuff packed on top and around it. Despite his favorite spot being underneath the brake pedal and one of the retread tires on the U-haul blowing up on us, we made it safely to Oregon, where we were married in a lush, privately owned park on the Grand Ronde reservation. Surrounded by trees and a stream, a hummingbird even hovered behind us as we were being married. Sounds perfect, doesn't it? The crazy stuff that went down at my wedding would make a post of its own, so we'll skip that and pretend it was a movie-perfect wedding. Can you hear the sweeping wedding music?
The remainder of my 18th year was spent finding a place to live in Oregon. We ended up moving about two hours away from my parents, closer to where we were married. I managed a theater and hubby did the electrical in mobile homes that were being built in addition to delivering pizzas for both Dominos and Pizza Hut. We got a second cat: sweet, beautiful Maija. She was the foil to Malecai, and calmed him down some, never afraid to put him in his place. I started taking a mail-in writing course through Longridge, writing in the middle of the night once I got off work.
My 18th year came to a quiet, albeit busy, close. Despite the fact that we were always working, I remember it fondly. We seized every moment we could, always trying to enjoy our time off when it came around.
Don't forget to check out Cally's book, The Big Smoke.
Heard of The Big Smoke? How was your 18th year? Would you consider it an overall positive year or a negative one? Mixed?
May you find your Muse.
The year I turned 18 was a big one. It usually is, I'm betting. For me, though, it was the year I got married, the year I truly discovered what living away from my parents was, the year I graduated high school, the year I discovered the plans I'd had in the works for years wouldn't come to be, the year I moved out of state and the year I discovered just how much I loved my "home" state of Colorado.
I turned 18 in November of my senior year. At that time I was finishing out my last semester of high school (I chose to graduate early) and working at a movie theater in concession, box office and usher/projection. Had I gotten the letter that I had all my credits sooner, I would have skipped senior year altogether. Instead, I'd chosen to take a heavy load, intending to go on to college and, ultimately, medical school.
Not only was I attending high school and working tons of overtime (oh yes, tons, but it was good money), but I was somehow fitting in a relationship with my [then] future husband. He had worked at the theater, too, but had multiple jobs and quit to keep those that made the better money (construction and sales, at that time). I can't quite figure out how we had time to see each other, but we did. And on days when we couldn't, I'd go outside to find a note (or multiple notes, as he typically just had a pad of small pieces of paper in his truck) tucked under the windshield. He'd stick them there if he happened to drive by the theater on his way somewhere. If he had extra time he'd come in and visit me, but if not, he let me know he was thinking of me. You know, in a day and time when we didn't all have cell phones, so you had to actually be creative about staying in contact with people. Those days.
 |
| My senior pictures (the only pic from back then I have on my computer). Dang, I was scrawny. |
On Christmas morning he proposed. My parents had invited him out to our newly annual Christmas Eve dinner at Red Lobster. He snuck them a glance at my ring, but my mom didn't realize it was intended as an engagement ring. So Christmas morning rolled around and he came to celebrate with us. He had certain plans, but my mom looked around when all was done and asked, "Where's that other present? The one you showed us last night?"
Cue my horrified boyfriend trying to signal for her to stop there. I knew something was up, but passed it off to relieve the situation. A little while later we went downstairs (my room was in the basement) and he proposed, quite unromantically (I don't care if that's a real word!). It didn't matter, though. I said yes, and he then went up and asked my parents' permission for my hand. It was in reverse, but he wanted to show them that respect while making sure I'd accept first...
A month later, my dad accepted a job in Oregon (we were living in Colorado Springs). They had to move before the school year was out. Jeff and I decided to move out into an apartment and speed along the process. All kinds of excited, we looked around until we found one we thought we could afford (I believe it was a whopping $385 per month for a one-bedroom in the ghetto). My mom had to co-sign with us for the apartment, but we secured it. I sold off some things for extra cash (making my dad very unhappy, as I sold off a beautiful cabinet that was part of my antique bedroom set...I didn't know they were antiques!). I sold off my ornate wooden toy chest, which I'd been using as file storage (I loved to write even then) and a "sofa" with pillows. Our furniture consisted of a hand-me-down loveseat from my parents, a beanbag, end tables made of crates, a glass-topped coffee table Jeff made, my little TV with the built-in VHS player, a lamp my parents had given us, some dishes we bought at a going-out-of-business sale, two bookshelves and an entertainment center Jeff had made and my groovy antique bedroom set, which filled the entire bedroom. At least we had room to open the door!
Life was good. Well, it seemed that way, despite the fact that we were both always working, four jobs between us, and still not making ends meet. My friends were still in high school, I was living clear across the city, and I was always working, so their lives went on as normal and I stopped getting invitations to go out. Hey, someone tells you they can't every time you try, you eventually stop extending the invite. Despite everything, we were very happy, where we wanted to be.
Luckily, I had savings, and that money got us through our six months of rent and bills, senior prom and graduation (I was afraid I'd regret not having done each...pretty sure I wouldn't have). In July, we packed up a small U-haul and the back of our '76 Chevy Blazer (man, I loved that behemoth), our tiny schizophrenic orange tabby, Malecai, tucked neatly into his single level cat tree, our stuff packed on top and around it. Despite his favorite spot being underneath the brake pedal and one of the retread tires on the U-haul blowing up on us, we made it safely to Oregon, where we were married in a lush, privately owned park on the Grand Ronde reservation. Surrounded by trees and a stream, a hummingbird even hovered behind us as we were being married. Sounds perfect, doesn't it? The crazy stuff that went down at my wedding would make a post of its own, so we'll skip that and pretend it was a movie-perfect wedding. Can you hear the sweeping wedding music?
 |
| Malecai and Maija a couple years ago (obviously not when they were kittens) |
The remainder of my 18th year was spent finding a place to live in Oregon. We ended up moving about two hours away from my parents, closer to where we were married. I managed a theater and hubby did the electrical in mobile homes that were being built in addition to delivering pizzas for both Dominos and Pizza Hut. We got a second cat: sweet, beautiful Maija. She was the foil to Malecai, and calmed him down some, never afraid to put him in his place. I started taking a mail-in writing course through Longridge, writing in the middle of the night once I got off work.
My 18th year came to a quiet, albeit busy, close. Despite the fact that we were always working, I remember it fondly. We seized every moment we could, always trying to enjoy our time off when it came around.
Don't forget to check out Cally's book, The Big Smoke.
Heard of The Big Smoke? How was your 18th year? Would you consider it an overall positive year or a negative one? Mixed?
May you find your Muse.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Monstrous Monday Blog Hop - GOG Monster
Tim Brannan is hosting the Monstrous Monday Blog Hop today, which asks us to post about a monster. Before I jump in with my monster, I'd like to mention that I'm guest posting over on the Potomac Review today: http://potomacreview.wordpress.com/.
Now...onto the monsters!
I chose a monster who opens my current WIP, one you've likely never heard of: The GOG Monster.
"GOG" stands for Garden of the Gods, the Colorado Springs location of this particular beastie. GOG is a sasquatch-like monster, often sighted by teens who have snuck into Garden of the Gods after hours to have some drinks or get some jollies. He is said to have glowing red or yellow (or reddish-yellow) eyes and red fur (the better to blend in with the red sandstone surrounding him). He is about 8 feet tall and ever so shaggy. A real knuckle dragger, they say.
There have been no reports of him harming anyone. Indeed, perhaps he is just a sentry, guarding what was once sacred ground to the Utes who lived in the foothills in this area. It may not be so sacred anymore, but what's a big furry monster to do when his only job is removed? Perhaps insure that drunken kids don't graffiti the ancient walls and structures within the park. Yes, I think that may just be it.
What's your local beastie? Any monsters in your books? Are you participating in this blog hop? If so, what did you write about? Leave me a link!
May you find your Muse.
Now...onto the monsters!
I chose a monster who opens my current WIP, one you've likely never heard of: The GOG Monster.
"GOG" stands for Garden of the Gods, the Colorado Springs location of this particular beastie. GOG is a sasquatch-like monster, often sighted by teens who have snuck into Garden of the Gods after hours to have some drinks or get some jollies. He is said to have glowing red or yellow (or reddish-yellow) eyes and red fur (the better to blend in with the red sandstone surrounding him). He is about 8 feet tall and ever so shaggy. A real knuckle dragger, they say.
There have been no reports of him harming anyone. Indeed, perhaps he is just a sentry, guarding what was once sacred ground to the Utes who lived in the foothills in this area. It may not be so sacred anymore, but what's a big furry monster to do when his only job is removed? Perhaps insure that drunken kids don't graffiti the ancient walls and structures within the park. Yes, I think that may just be it.
What's your local beastie? Any monsters in your books? Are you participating in this blog hop? If so, what did you write about? Leave me a link!
May you find your Muse.
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Here, Pretty Bird & Links
I went hiking with my kiddos and nephew on Friday before heading up to Denver for Mile Hi Con. We went to Seven Falls, famed for its 7 waterfalls, but also the number of steps to climb to the top of the falls. Well, the steps go to the top of the falls that are close together, but then you have the option of hiking to the topmost one, called Midnight Falls.
I'm going to share our trip in bits and pieces for the next couple Wednesdays. Today, the beautiful Steller's Jay, aka the Mountain Jay. These guys are omnivores, though they mostly eat seeds and plant life. I was so excited to catch one of these guys! And he cooperated so nicely.
Link Time!
Contests:
Monkey Puzzle Press is holding their 4th Annual Flash Fiction Contest. $10 entry fee. $300 first prize. All entries considered for publication. Submission deadline November 15.
Open for Submissions:
Vine Leaves Literary Journal currently has an open submission window until November 30. They take prose, poetry, artwork, photography, and reviews. Pays $5.
Blog Fests:
Andrew Leon, Alex J. Cavanaugh and Matthew McNish are hosting the Oh, How I Miss You Blog Fest on November 16. Join to spotlight bloggers you miss, who haven't been posting often, and those you would miss.
Cally Jackson is hosting The Year I Turned 18 Blog Fest from October 29 to November 2. Post what you'd like about the year you turned 18.
Writing Retreats & Workshops:
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers is offering their first annual writing retreat directly following The Colorado Gold Conference. It will occur September 22-26. The most awesome part? Kristen Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency will be there, presenting a workshop and offering critiques. Kristen Nelson is on my short list of agents I'd love to have, so if you're interested, snatch this up!
Registration is currently being accepted for Big Sur Writing Workshops in December and March.
Of Interest:
Michelle Roberts wrote "Creativity Closely Entwined with Mental Illness" for BBC Health News.
Matt Petronzio posted "10 Inspiring Social Networks for Writers" on Mashable.
Anything to share? Think you'll participate in either of the blog fests? Have you submitted anything lately? Ever seen a steller's jay? How about a blue jay?
May you find your Muse.
I'm going to share our trip in bits and pieces for the next couple Wednesdays. Today, the beautiful Steller's Jay, aka the Mountain Jay. These guys are omnivores, though they mostly eat seeds and plant life. I was so excited to catch one of these guys! And he cooperated so nicely.
Link Time!
Contests:
Monkey Puzzle Press is holding their 4th Annual Flash Fiction Contest. $10 entry fee. $300 first prize. All entries considered for publication. Submission deadline November 15.
Open for Submissions:
Vine Leaves Literary Journal currently has an open submission window until November 30. They take prose, poetry, artwork, photography, and reviews. Pays $5.
Blog Fests:
Andrew Leon, Alex J. Cavanaugh and Matthew McNish are hosting the Oh, How I Miss You Blog Fest on November 16. Join to spotlight bloggers you miss, who haven't been posting often, and those you would miss.
Cally Jackson is hosting The Year I Turned 18 Blog Fest from October 29 to November 2. Post what you'd like about the year you turned 18.
Writing Retreats & Workshops:
Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers is offering their first annual writing retreat directly following The Colorado Gold Conference. It will occur September 22-26. The most awesome part? Kristen Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency will be there, presenting a workshop and offering critiques. Kristen Nelson is on my short list of agents I'd love to have, so if you're interested, snatch this up!
Registration is currently being accepted for Big Sur Writing Workshops in December and March.
Of Interest:
Michelle Roberts wrote "Creativity Closely Entwined with Mental Illness" for BBC Health News.
Matt Petronzio posted "10 Inspiring Social Networks for Writers" on Mashable.
Anything to share? Think you'll participate in either of the blog fests? Have you submitted anything lately? Ever seen a steller's jay? How about a blue jay?
May you find your Muse.
Monday, October 22, 2012
Mile Hi Con Highlights - Day 1
Well hello, and Happy Monday!
First, my presentation went well. I wasn't very nervous, which I found to be true at Author Fest once I got up in front of everyone, too. Funny that I worry more before that date, but not actually when I'm in front and presenting. There was a good showing and great questions! We didn't get through everything, but it was more important that the attendees understand what we had already gone over than that I got through every little thing I'd been asked to talk about.
Friday, I took my kids and my nephew to Seven Falls, a set of waterfalls in Cheyenne Canyon, so I'm looking forward to sharing those photos on Wednesday. I headed up to my first day of Mile Hi Con later that afternoon, having walked up an insane number of steps, then hiked up the side of a canyon. In other words, I was already exhausted, but happily so, and excited.
When I walked in, I was completely out of my element. I had to ask directions to the Con at the front desk (it was on the 2nd floor). I went up the stairs only to wander around amongst all the tables with no idea where I was supposed to check in. It took asking two different people (who were each very nice and helpful) before I got to the correct desk and got my groovy badge and program. I had fun gawking at all the various types of costumes those moving around me had on. I saw Star Trek costumes of all different types, steampunk outfits, furries, elves, Dresden (!), etc.
Happily, I was joined by a friend, and she showed me where to go from there. The first program we attended was "Writing the Holy Trilogy," featuring the always fabulous Carol Berg, Warren Hammond, Catherine Cooke Montrose, the sweet and supportive Jeanne Stein, and Peter J. Wacks. They discussed a little about the difference between a series and a trilogy (a series tends to be like a set of TV episodes, where it's the same characters, but there is a stand alone tale in each book, while a trilogy is usually a story arc that takes three books to tell the tale). Some had the entire trilogy planned out from the beginning, but others stated that wasn't necessary, and that you could take the story piece by piece.
Someone in the audience asked whether book length mattered, whether each book in a trilogy should be long. Otherwise, the implication was that shorter books in a trilogy should maybe just be combined into big book. The overall perception of the panel was that novel length didn't matter, and that it depended on how the writer wanted to break down their story. An interesting tidbit: Carol Berg tends to have a natural word count of 175,000 or so words in a book, while Jeanne Stein averages more like 75-80,000 words. And both are okay.
It was discussed that publishers have classically (in recent years) preferred shorter novels so as to fit them better on shelves and save ink and paper costs, but e-books are changing that. Now, length doesn't matter.
They each passed along some tricks of the trade.
Wacks: If things stall out during writing, injure or kill a character.
Berg: Jots down notes, timeline, glossary or terms, magic of the world, etc. Rarely starts with a full world, but has an idea of aspects of it (Carol is known around these parts as an expert at world building).
Hammond: He sketches out some notes, like a flow chart. Basically, where the story begins and ends, and a couple of plot points. Starts from there.
Stein: Her books usually start with an idea, which she gets from TV, the news, eavesdropping, anything. She sketches out her protagonist first and how they will be involved with the story idea.
Montrose: Thinks of the worlds first, sketches them, fulling imagines them. Eventually, a character wanders through, and she goes from there. Tolkien is a major inspiration for her.
A useful audience question and the responses: Is it a mistake to finish all the books in your trilogy before the first one has been picked up by a publishing house? It was overall agreed that it was actually good to have the trilogy done. Writing under deadline is hard, and can cramp your creativity. Yes, you will likely have to go back and edit it, but it's worth it to have the entire story done for yourself, if for no one else.
Someone pointed out that it would be an issue to have the first book picked up, but not the next ones in the trilogy, to which Carol Berg said that's not true anymore. The ease of self-publishing means that you could put out the rest of your trilogy on your own if there was an audience for your first book. We have that ability now.
Final points from the panel:
Wacks: Finds he has the best luck with building the roles first. However, you should find the way that works best for you and stick with it.
Stein: Build your story any way you want, but stick to the rules you create. She also said to write. Don't say you WANT to write. Write.
Hammond: "In writing, the tortoise wins." The person that grabs 15 minutes here or there, but continues grabbing those moments, is the one that typically gets finished and gets published. Finish, then sell. Don't write to sell.
Montrose: Get feedback. Learn to share your work.
Berg: Don't sett out to write a trilogy. Don't think it has to be three and make it that way. Set out to write a good story, one you enjoy and want to write. Write what you would enjoy reading. Also, don't over-constrain your world. As in, don't figure out every single little rule and bit of makeup of that world, or you may write yourself into a corner in future books. Part of the fun in writing an ongoing trilogy or series is to keep developing that world, and leaving it open allows you to do that.
That was a phenomenal panel, in case you couldn't tell from my "brief" summary. We next went to "CJ Henderson Presents 'Abuse an Author'." The authors we got to abuse--ask questions of on any theme--were Stephen Graham Jones, Mario Acevedo, Melinda Snodgrass, James Van Pelt and the moderator, CJ Henderson. There were some interesting questions asked (ex: "Which of the worlds you've created would you want to live in and not want to live in?" "What book do you wish you'd written?" "Can you still be surprised by your work?").
We grabbed a bite to eat (all I'd had since my big hike was half a peanut butter sandwich and some water). Pretty sure I should be humiliated by the pure vacuuming of food I did, but I was too hungry to care. I had ketchup all over my fingers and even (yes, I'm admitting this) found some on my shirt later. That's how hungry I was. In my defense, I'd burned five billion calories earlier that day, with just a cereal bar and half sandwich standing between health and wasting away, and it was 8:30pm by the time I got any food. Thank goodness the hotel bar was open and serving food!
The third thing we attended was "Hipster Readings...with Bongos," a reading with a little extra bongo flavor. While one guy played the bongos (not sure of his name), the following authors read from their work: Mario Acevedo, Betsy Dornbusch, Jason Heller, Stephen Graham Jones, j.a. kazimer, and Cherie Priest. I must say, I'm not a big fan of sitting and listening to someone read (I prefer to read on my own), but this was enjoyable, kept me engaged and was a fun way to spend an hour. Also, it made me want to buy books by every single reader (of course, I already have books from three of them...).
The last thing we attended before I hopped in my car to head back home and get some final work done on my presentation was "The Love & Sex Lives of the Victorians," billed as a pajama panel. There were a couple folks there in their pajamas, as well as one fella' who passed out partway through it. Yep, he was in the front row and fell asleep. Despite that fact, it was a fascinating panel. They knew their stuff about sex, sensuality and women's rights/privileges in that era. I do love history, and the history of sexuality is full of interesting and unexpected information, such as the barriers crossed in Victorian porn that we'd consider foul and disturbing now, despite thinking they were so uptight. How about the belief that keeping your wife pregnant every other year would save a man from his own sins in wanting to have sex all the time (because, after all, we all know women don't like sex when pregnant...whoops). Is it true what they say about the true reason for the popularity of fainting couches? I'm going to let you look that one up on your own.
I'll hit on Saturday's highlights in a separate post.
What do you think of the panels? Anything of interest to you?
First, my presentation went well. I wasn't very nervous, which I found to be true at Author Fest once I got up in front of everyone, too. Funny that I worry more before that date, but not actually when I'm in front and presenting. There was a good showing and great questions! We didn't get through everything, but it was more important that the attendees understand what we had already gone over than that I got through every little thing I'd been asked to talk about.
Friday, I took my kids and my nephew to Seven Falls, a set of waterfalls in Cheyenne Canyon, so I'm looking forward to sharing those photos on Wednesday. I headed up to my first day of Mile Hi Con later that afternoon, having walked up an insane number of steps, then hiked up the side of a canyon. In other words, I was already exhausted, but happily so, and excited.
When I walked in, I was completely out of my element. I had to ask directions to the Con at the front desk (it was on the 2nd floor). I went up the stairs only to wander around amongst all the tables with no idea where I was supposed to check in. It took asking two different people (who were each very nice and helpful) before I got to the correct desk and got my groovy badge and program. I had fun gawking at all the various types of costumes those moving around me had on. I saw Star Trek costumes of all different types, steampunk outfits, furries, elves, Dresden (!), etc.
Happily, I was joined by a friend, and she showed me where to go from there. The first program we attended was "Writing the Holy Trilogy," featuring the always fabulous Carol Berg, Warren Hammond, Catherine Cooke Montrose, the sweet and supportive Jeanne Stein, and Peter J. Wacks. They discussed a little about the difference between a series and a trilogy (a series tends to be like a set of TV episodes, where it's the same characters, but there is a stand alone tale in each book, while a trilogy is usually a story arc that takes three books to tell the tale). Some had the entire trilogy planned out from the beginning, but others stated that wasn't necessary, and that you could take the story piece by piece.
Someone in the audience asked whether book length mattered, whether each book in a trilogy should be long. Otherwise, the implication was that shorter books in a trilogy should maybe just be combined into big book. The overall perception of the panel was that novel length didn't matter, and that it depended on how the writer wanted to break down their story. An interesting tidbit: Carol Berg tends to have a natural word count of 175,000 or so words in a book, while Jeanne Stein averages more like 75-80,000 words. And both are okay.
It was discussed that publishers have classically (in recent years) preferred shorter novels so as to fit them better on shelves and save ink and paper costs, but e-books are changing that. Now, length doesn't matter.
They each passed along some tricks of the trade.
Wacks: If things stall out during writing, injure or kill a character.
Berg: Jots down notes, timeline, glossary or terms, magic of the world, etc. Rarely starts with a full world, but has an idea of aspects of it (Carol is known around these parts as an expert at world building).
Hammond: He sketches out some notes, like a flow chart. Basically, where the story begins and ends, and a couple of plot points. Starts from there.
Stein: Her books usually start with an idea, which she gets from TV, the news, eavesdropping, anything. She sketches out her protagonist first and how they will be involved with the story idea.
Montrose: Thinks of the worlds first, sketches them, fulling imagines them. Eventually, a character wanders through, and she goes from there. Tolkien is a major inspiration for her.
A useful audience question and the responses: Is it a mistake to finish all the books in your trilogy before the first one has been picked up by a publishing house? It was overall agreed that it was actually good to have the trilogy done. Writing under deadline is hard, and can cramp your creativity. Yes, you will likely have to go back and edit it, but it's worth it to have the entire story done for yourself, if for no one else.
Someone pointed out that it would be an issue to have the first book picked up, but not the next ones in the trilogy, to which Carol Berg said that's not true anymore. The ease of self-publishing means that you could put out the rest of your trilogy on your own if there was an audience for your first book. We have that ability now.
Final points from the panel:
Wacks: Finds he has the best luck with building the roles first. However, you should find the way that works best for you and stick with it.
Stein: Build your story any way you want, but stick to the rules you create. She also said to write. Don't say you WANT to write. Write.
Hammond: "In writing, the tortoise wins." The person that grabs 15 minutes here or there, but continues grabbing those moments, is the one that typically gets finished and gets published. Finish, then sell. Don't write to sell.
Montrose: Get feedback. Learn to share your work.
Berg: Don't sett out to write a trilogy. Don't think it has to be three and make it that way. Set out to write a good story, one you enjoy and want to write. Write what you would enjoy reading. Also, don't over-constrain your world. As in, don't figure out every single little rule and bit of makeup of that world, or you may write yourself into a corner in future books. Part of the fun in writing an ongoing trilogy or series is to keep developing that world, and leaving it open allows you to do that.
That was a phenomenal panel, in case you couldn't tell from my "brief" summary. We next went to "CJ Henderson Presents 'Abuse an Author'." The authors we got to abuse--ask questions of on any theme--were Stephen Graham Jones, Mario Acevedo, Melinda Snodgrass, James Van Pelt and the moderator, CJ Henderson. There were some interesting questions asked (ex: "Which of the worlds you've created would you want to live in and not want to live in?" "What book do you wish you'd written?" "Can you still be surprised by your work?").
We grabbed a bite to eat (all I'd had since my big hike was half a peanut butter sandwich and some water). Pretty sure I should be humiliated by the pure vacuuming of food I did, but I was too hungry to care. I had ketchup all over my fingers and even (yes, I'm admitting this) found some on my shirt later. That's how hungry I was. In my defense, I'd burned five billion calories earlier that day, with just a cereal bar and half sandwich standing between health and wasting away, and it was 8:30pm by the time I got any food. Thank goodness the hotel bar was open and serving food!
The third thing we attended was "Hipster Readings...with Bongos," a reading with a little extra bongo flavor. While one guy played the bongos (not sure of his name), the following authors read from their work: Mario Acevedo, Betsy Dornbusch, Jason Heller, Stephen Graham Jones, j.a. kazimer, and Cherie Priest. I must say, I'm not a big fan of sitting and listening to someone read (I prefer to read on my own), but this was enjoyable, kept me engaged and was a fun way to spend an hour. Also, it made me want to buy books by every single reader (of course, I already have books from three of them...).
The last thing we attended before I hopped in my car to head back home and get some final work done on my presentation was "The Love & Sex Lives of the Victorians," billed as a pajama panel. There were a couple folks there in their pajamas, as well as one fella' who passed out partway through it. Yep, he was in the front row and fell asleep. Despite that fact, it was a fascinating panel. They knew their stuff about sex, sensuality and women's rights/privileges in that era. I do love history, and the history of sexuality is full of interesting and unexpected information, such as the barriers crossed in Victorian porn that we'd consider foul and disturbing now, despite thinking they were so uptight. How about the belief that keeping your wife pregnant every other year would save a man from his own sins in wanting to have sex all the time (because, after all, we all know women don't like sex when pregnant...whoops). Is it true what they say about the true reason for the popularity of fainting couches? I'm going to let you look that one up on your own.
I'll hit on Saturday's highlights in a separate post.
What do you think of the panels? Anything of interest to you?
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
[Mostly] Wordless Wednesday - Sunset on the Peak & Links
My second presentation is this Saturday, so I've been busy working on that. Due to my limited time and powers of concentration on anything other than said presentation, I'm bringing you just one photo (but lots of links!) Last week, while taking photos of my daughter's final soccer game of the season, I got a photo of a lovely sunset over Pikes Peak.
I'll be catching up on comments and visiting next week, if not this weekend. Looking forward to seeing what everyone has been doing this past week!
Now for some links.
Workshop/Presentation/Conference:
I'll be presenting A Beginner's Guide to Social Media for the Professional Woman this Saturday, October 20, at 11:30 a.m. at the Blue Sage Cafe. $18 entry includes a scrumptious gourmet lunch.
T.L. McCallan is presenting a free workshop entitled Becoming an Author: the Journey to Publication. It can be viewed as a webinar.
Where can you get a writer's conference, a cruise and Charlaine Harris as the keynote speaker? The 2013 Fun in the Sun Conference will be January 24 to 28th, setting sail out of Ft. Lauderdale.
Contests & Giveaways:
Think there aren't enough game shows for authors? What? There aren't any? Well, now you can participate in America's Next Author, the first social writing contest, with a $5000 prize.
Jamie at Mithril Wisdom is having a birthday giveaway of two great books. Free and easy to enter! Happy Belated Birthday, Jamie!
Howlin' Wolf Records and Jason Comerford are putting on 13 Days of Chills, featuring 13 interesting writeups about horror film scores. You can be entered in great giveaways just by commenting on the posts. Check out the remaining schedule and read up!
Accepting Submissions:
Static Movement is accepting submissions for short stories and poetry in fantasy, science fiction and horror. Non-paying market. E-zine.
Sanitarium is accepting submissions for horror-themed short stories. Not paying this round, but you get free copies. Future publications will be paid per word.
Other:
Neil Gaiman talks about All Hallows Read, where it is suggested you give away a horror-themed book to someone on Halloween.
Apex Magazine is doing a subscription drive with the goal of gaining 250 subscribers to their e-magazine. They're giving away great prizes as incentive, and the subscription is reasonably priced.
Want to know what not to do when writing analogies? Cheezburger posted this list of Really Bad Analogies Written by High School Students.
Buzz Feed presents 34 Facts About Halloween Movies That Will Blow Your Mind. Who was considered for the role of Jack in The Shining? Who was considered too crazy? What was Scream's original title?
Anything to share? Seen any good sunsets lately? Have you entered any contests or submitted this month?
May you find your Muse.
I'll be catching up on comments and visiting next week, if not this weekend. Looking forward to seeing what everyone has been doing this past week!
Now for some links.
Workshop/Presentation/Conference:
I'll be presenting A Beginner's Guide to Social Media for the Professional Woman this Saturday, October 20, at 11:30 a.m. at the Blue Sage Cafe. $18 entry includes a scrumptious gourmet lunch.
T.L. McCallan is presenting a free workshop entitled Becoming an Author: the Journey to Publication. It can be viewed as a webinar.
Where can you get a writer's conference, a cruise and Charlaine Harris as the keynote speaker? The 2013 Fun in the Sun Conference will be January 24 to 28th, setting sail out of Ft. Lauderdale.
Contests & Giveaways:
Think there aren't enough game shows for authors? What? There aren't any? Well, now you can participate in America's Next Author, the first social writing contest, with a $5000 prize.
Jamie at Mithril Wisdom is having a birthday giveaway of two great books. Free and easy to enter! Happy Belated Birthday, Jamie!
Howlin' Wolf Records and Jason Comerford are putting on 13 Days of Chills, featuring 13 interesting writeups about horror film scores. You can be entered in great giveaways just by commenting on the posts. Check out the remaining schedule and read up!
Accepting Submissions:
Static Movement is accepting submissions for short stories and poetry in fantasy, science fiction and horror. Non-paying market. E-zine.
Sanitarium is accepting submissions for horror-themed short stories. Not paying this round, but you get free copies. Future publications will be paid per word.
Other:
Neil Gaiman talks about All Hallows Read, where it is suggested you give away a horror-themed book to someone on Halloween.
Apex Magazine is doing a subscription drive with the goal of gaining 250 subscribers to their e-magazine. They're giving away great prizes as incentive, and the subscription is reasonably priced.
Want to know what not to do when writing analogies? Cheezburger posted this list of Really Bad Analogies Written by High School Students.
Buzz Feed presents 34 Facts About Halloween Movies That Will Blow Your Mind. Who was considered for the role of Jack in The Shining? Who was considered too crazy? What was Scream's original title?
Anything to share? Seen any good sunsets lately? Have you entered any contests or submitted this month?
May you find your Muse.
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