Motivation Monday

"Avoid having your ego so close to your position that when your position falls, your ego goes with it."
- Colin Powell

My Entry for Susanna Leonard Hill’s 2nd Annual Holiday Contest!!!

The 2nd Annual Holiday Contest!!!

The Contest:  Write a children's holiday story beginning with any version of "Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh."  You may use that actual opening, or you may change it to any similar version "[Verb of your choice]ing through the [any substance you choose] in a [conveyance of any kind]."  For example, "Dashing through the sand in a two-wheeled donkey cart" or "Sloshing through the swamp in a green and white canoe" or "Flying through the air in a striped hot air balloon..."  You get the idea, I'm sure :)  But "Dashing through the snow in a one horse open sleigh" is completely acceptable too - whatever works for you :)  Your story may be poetry or prose, silly or serious or sweet,  religious or not, based on Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or whatever you celebrate, but is not to exceed 350 words. For full contest rules, click here.

Dashing Through the Cosmos

By Erika Bushman

348 words

Dashing through the cosmos in a Warpton 2000 pod,

Over the colorful nebulas and through the Milky Way.

Traveling at the speed of light, Dono sped toward a green planet, third from a sun.

He had heard about a silly tradition of giving gifts and wanted to see how it was done.

It was dark when he approached a building lined with lights. Frozen water crystals swirled in the air as his pod gently landed on the building top.  Looking for a way in, he found a square portal made of bricks. The portal was a tight fit especially around his middle but Dono was determined. What was all the hype about?

His feet hit something solid and Dono exited the portal with a huff. He brushed the dark powder off of his red and white fur to behold a beautiful sight.  Glittery round balls and sparkling lights covered a green conical shaped plant.  Underneath the plant were brightly colored objects.  

With wonder and awe, Dono sat down and admired the sight.  He almost knocked over a hollow cylinder filled with a white liquid.  Licking a drop off his finger, he eyes widened. It was delicious!  Next to the cylinder were two warm disks with brown spots.  He took a bite. "Wonderful!" he thought as he washed it down with the creamy liquid.  He was really starting to like this planet. 

As he munched on the disks, he noticed little statues made with the likeness of the beings occupying this planet. Several large beings and animals stood around a smaller one. Everyone was gazing at the little one with expressions of excitement, joy, adoration and humility. Dono's heart warmed. He did like it here. 

He opened his bag and placed some items in the tubes hung from the entry portal.  Giving to these kind beings made him feel good!

He packed up his bag. Putting a finger to his nose, he beamed up to his pod.

With his heart warm and his belly full, Dono had one simple thought, "No wonder people from this planet loved this night!" 

Goals - And not the kind you hang dirty laundry on

Admit it.  You've bought at least 1 piece of exercise equipment only to have it become an indoor laundry line.  We've all been there, some more recently than others.  There's no doubt that the upcoming months are known to both inspire and depress.  Goals flourish from the regret we have over not accomplishing something the previous year and we are determined to get it right in the upcoming year.  It's natural to want to finish something you started - but it's also important to realize why your goal was never attained.  Was the goal attainable?  Realistic? Meaningful?  All of these things can cause goals to wither away.



So how does one come up with good writing goals?  Here's a total unrelated way to remember how to set your goals; M.A.M.A. (yes I work for a company that suffers from Acronym-alitis - it's an awful, itchy, and rather annoying disease involving the inability to call things by their rightful names)

Make it a Measurable goal:  Say you want to lose weight, well great, good for you. But that's not really a goal.  Same with writing.  Do you want to be a good writer, a novelist, an editor, or NY Times Best Selling author (see I will always find a way to bombard you with my life's ambition!) You have to be specific with your goals; "I want to lose 30lbs by June 1st." or "I want to find a literary agent that loves my work as much as I do this year."  You aren't saying how you are going to do it (that comes later when assigning short-term goals) you are simply stating a measurable goal.

Make it Attainable: Say you want to right a book this year.  Is it possible?  Yes.  But how do you go about it?  Do you have six hours a day, seven days a week to write?  No?  (Come on who doesn't have that much time????  Oh, wait - I don't either.)  So really, how much time do you have?  Break your goal up into something that is measurable - like "I want to write 2 chapters a month."  or "I want to finish my book by April 30th and finish all edits by October 1st."  If you start out saying "I want to be a published author by December 1st" you are setting yourself up for failure - I'm not being mean, I'm just being realistic - I'm fairly certain it takes at least a year and half with edits and printing.  Give yourself something worth fighting for - and in order for you to want to fight for it you have to know you stand a chance at winning.

Make it Meaningful:  Any goal worth having has to mean something to you, or you won't even try. Writing is no different.  What is it about writing that draws you to it?  The freedom of being your own boss, the adventure in creating characters and places others haven't, the excitement in knowing that you could one day be the reason kids want to read?  Whatever your motivation is, use it. Make every word, chapter, book count.

Make yourself Accountable: You can tell yourself you want to write a book anytime, anywhere (even on a random blog) BUT there's something about telling others what you're doing that takes your goal to a new level.  No one wants to fail and yet when you tell others that you are a pre-published author it makes you want to work that much harder - because SOMEDAY you will be able to take that word "pre-" and bury it forever!  So tell a friend, your spouse, your kids, your boss, your neighbors, or even the world :)

So here's to a year of worthwhile, attainable, non-laundry line writing goals!

Motivation Monday

"You cannot make yourself feel somehting you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings."

What's in a character?

Characters are like recipes, you add a little too much of something and they fall flat.  Of course, it can go the other way as well.  If your character is too boring or mundane, no one will care.  What's worse, you won't care - and as an author you HAVE to care.  Characters are our children, we raise them from the pages we write, we nurture their faults and even their thoughts, hoping to make them someone everyone wants to love, hate, and more importantly, remember.

So what makes a character worth remembering?  Looks, thoughtfulness, sincerity, attitude, familiarity?

One of my new favorite series, Beautiful Creatures, is being turned into a movie that comes out in February.  And let me  tell you, if there's one thing they better get right is the characters.  Beautiful Creatures was so brilliantly written that it made you feel as if you lived in the south - no, that's not even right - it made you feel as if you were raised in the south.

 

But there's one character that I can't wait to see on the big screen - Amma.  Let me tell you, Amma is the kind of woman you'd expect from a book set in the south.  Everything about her, especially the way she interacts with the main character reminds not only him, but you the reader, that she is in charge - and if you were to forget that, well all she'd have to do is grab hold of "the menace", her wooden spoon and the menace would gladly remind you who was in charge.

It's the simplest of things that makes Amma a character that I, and other readers, learned to love. The way she cooked when she was upset, the way she looked at the main character when she was about to come unglued on him, everything about her made you think she was real.

This is what we, as authors, have to do.  We have to breath life into people that don't even exist.  We have to give them personalities, hobbies, annoyances, habits - we have to give them life.

And then....

We have to make sure their life story is worth telling.

 

Are you ready to be published?

So your manuscript is finally ready! You've spent months if not years writing, numerous critiques and millions of hours revising.  It's finally done and ready to go to a publisher or literary agent. But is it really ready? How do you know if your writing can make it in the literary world?

Rachelle Gardner, a literary agent at Book and Such, has a few suggestions. 

I just copied and pasted main content of the blog post below. For the full article and comments, please click here. The comments on this blog post are informative too!

How Do You Know if Your Work is Any Good?

Blogger: Rachelle Gardner

A question from a reader on Facebook:

I’ll ask the question that’s been asked a hundred thousand times by writers perhaps at all levels. Outside of selling, how do you know that your work is actually good? You may pitch a book, and it might be good but might not be what an agent likes. So how do you validate that what you are doing is good?

Always a good question! And a tough one. Here are some thoughts:

First, there’s the definition of “good.”

Art and entertainment are completely subjective. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. While there are certain standards by which many of us agree to judge worthiness, it’s still not even close to being objective. Organizations routinely give awards to books that would bore the heck out of most  readers. Meanwhile, other groups give awards to books that the literary types deem “trash.” All kinds of books become bestsellers—from the most intelligent, scholarly masterpieces to more easily accessible stories that attract readers for reasons other than literary excellence.

The question is, what kind of “good” are you shooting for? The “good” that wins literary awards and gets starred reviews in PW? The “good” that attracts readers and leaves them wanting more of your work? Some combination?

Whatever the answer, you’re shooting for a murky target. You won’t find a solid working definition of “good.”

Second, what kind of validation are you looking for?

The question above said, “how do you validate that what you are doing is good?” We’re all looking for validation, but your task is to try and understand what YOU will find validating. A few friends loving your work? An agent taking you on? A major publisher signing you? Or maybe none of those things will happen but you’ll self-publish. Can validation come in the form of thousands of copies sold and lots of positive reviews from readers? You might not know until you’re further along this journey and have some experience with different avenues of getting your work out there.

But let’s get back to the crux of the question: How do you know if your work is any good—by anybody’s standards?

You know your work is good in two ways:

1) Your own gut feeling.

You have to train your gut, however, by reading and writing, and reading more, and writing more. Reading books in your genre, reading books on craft, identifying how you can make your writing better. Putting manuscripts away for a few months and coming back to them later to re-evaluate them with a fresh eye. You will never be objective about your own work, but you can train yourself to assess your work more and more accurately.

2) Outside feedback from others.

In the end, there’s no substitute for getting other people’s eyes on your work. This is why critique partners and beta readers are so popular. It’s also why authors hire editors, consultants, book mentors and book doctors. At some point, you might want the input of someone whose “gut” is more seasoned than yours or your critique partners’.

But still…how do you know when your work is ready to send out?

Nobody can answer this definitively. A combination of your gut and some outside feedback is where you start… then it’s trial and error. Sometimes you just have to send it (or press “publish” if you’re self-publishing) and see what happens.

So glad she mentioned that gut feeling. Sometimes you just know when you know! 

Happy writing!

Motivation Monday

"Joint undertakings stand a better chance when they benefit both sides."
- Euripedes

Pitch Wars! Finished Manuscript contest

So another author posted this and I couldn't help but want to share (Yes, I will except hate mail for waiting too long to post this - the deadline is tomorrow.....) But I think it is a great contest and anyone who has a finished manuscript should jump on this... like tonight or tomorrow - by 8pm EST!!

Here’s the deets…

The teams will consist of 1 agented author or industry intern or editor (coaches) and 1 aspiring author.

November 26: The coaches (listed on the linky below) will post on their blogs what genre/category they want to coach. They’ll be very specific genres. Aspiring writers will hop around and decide which coaches best fit their manuscripts.

November 26 through December 5 at 8PM EST: Aspiring writers will submit 3 “applications” to their top choices for coaches to the contest email (brendadrakecontests@gmail.com). That means, participants will send three separate emails to the contest email addressing each with one of their three top choices for coach.

December 5 through December 10: Coaches will read the applications and pick teammates.The coaches don’t have to pick from their applications. If a coach passes on an application, it is then up for grabs and another coach, if they haven’t connected to their applicants, can snatch it after notifying the applicant and if the applicant chooses the coach.

December 12: Teams will be announced. On the announcement post there will be instructions on how the winners must send their work.

December 12 through January 16: Each coach will read their teammate’s manuscript and give general notes on any issues they find. The coach will help their teammate get his or her pitches ready for the agent round.

Note: The material for the agent round will be a 3 sentence pitch and the first 250 words of your manuscript. Coaches will read manuscripts and query letters only once and give notes. It is up to the writer to use the notes from their coaches to get the manuscript and query letter in as best shape as they can to send to requesting agents. The coaches will critique the three sentence pitch and first 250 words. The coaches will read them as many times as they deem necessary. In no way will writers expect the coaches to read the manuscript and query letter more than once or the pitches more than twice.

January 20: Coaches will submit shined pitches to the contest email.

January 23 and 24: Agents will read and make requests on the pitches they like (it is likely that not all participants will get requests).

January 25: We’ll announce the team with the most requests and who will take home the winning prizes (an amazon gift card for each).

This is open to finished manuscripts only.

You may only enter one manuscript.

Only the genres requested by each coach will be considered for the contest.

Formatting…

Subject line: Pitch Wars Application: Coach Name you want to apply for: Title
(Example: Pitch Wars Application: Brenda Drake: GONE WITH THE WIND)

Name: Your Name

Genre: The genre of your manuscript

Word Count: The word count of your manuscript

Query letter here (embedded in email). Single spaced. No indentions. A space between each paragraph.

First five pages of the manuscript here (embedded in email). Single spaced. No indentions. A space between each paragraph.

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““

REMINDER: You can send an application for up to 3 coaches.

1.	Brenda (MG)	12.	Gina (YA & NA)	23.	Summer (Adult & NA)
2.	Erica (YA & NA)	13.	Fiona McLaren (YA & NA)	24.	Lindsay (YA)
3.	Cupid (YA)	14.	Michelle (YA)	25.	Deana (YA)
4.	Krista (MG)	15.	Elizabeth P. (YA & NA)	26.	Lori (YA)
5.	Monica (YA)	16.	Tina (Adult)	27.	Rebecca (Adult & NA)
6.	Shelley (Adult & NA)	17.	Andrea (YA)	28.	John (YA)
7.	Dee (MG)	18.	Nazarea (Adult & NA)	29.	Elizabeth B. (YA)
8.	Marieke (YA)	19.	Heidi (MG)	30.	Stacey (YA)
9.	Sharon (YA & NA)	20.	Kimberly (YA)	31.	Heather M. (YA)
10.	Dahlia (YA & NA)	21.	Heather (YA & NA)
11.	Jennifer (MG)	22.	Molly (YA)

The Game of Risk

I don't know a single person who would describe me as a "wild child" or a risk taker.  (I'm just boring that way!) I want to grow old and grey, see my kids graduate college, heck I even want to live to see the Arizona Cardinals win a Superbowl.  (See this is as risky as I get, dissing my husband's favorite team on a blog he doesn't read!)

So when a colleague of mine (of whom I've never met in person, but talk to almost daily) asked why I don't self-publish, my reply came spewing out of my mouth before I even realized I said it.  Going traditional vs. self-publishing is a personal decision.  To me publishing is a game.  The strategy is simple, you can either wait for the coach to approach you to play or you can jump right into the ring and start fighting.

For some the learning comes from fighting.  I am just not that way.  I want to watch my competition, I want to learn from their mistakes and, most importantly, I want the coach to tell me I am ready to fight.  I want him to believe me.



The risk, of course, in going the traditional route is that I may never be published.  I may never see my book(s) sitting on the shelves at Barnes & Noble, I may never hear the words, "I want to publish your book" - and as strange as it is, I'm okay with that.  Not to say that I don't want to hear those words, because believe me, I WANT TO!

But I am okay with risking not being published for the satisfaction of knowing that there's someone out there who WANTS to publish my work.

Because I'm just risky that way :)

Motivation Monday

"Make voyages! Attempt them! There's nothing else."
- Tennessee Williams

Fools Rush In

Confessional time: I've been a fool.  No one knows this more than my poor sister-in-law (aka the luckless soul who has read every version of every book I've ever written)  Each and every time I finish a book, I give her some ridiculously short and unrealistic time frame to read it and tell me what she thinks.  Bless her sweet soul.  (Love your guts, Melissa) 

SO I am going to try something new!!!  (No she didn't threaten me, beat me over the head with a hammer, or burn every word I've ever written) I came up with this one all on my own!!  

I haven't had/made time to write lately, and while in my semi-induced writing lull I realized something - I ALWAYS rush into finishing my books.  I don't know what it is, the idea that I'm finally done or the notion that some agent is out there waiting to reject it.  Whoever or whatever is driving my delusional dream has got to learn to use the brakes.   

I have got to learn to use the brakes!

SO, rather than rush into my latest YA book (about a small town that is cursed) I am giving myself a year to finish it!  Yes!  I said a year.  Here's my thinking.  Great, amazing, (already published)  authors say it shouldn't take more than 3 months to write a book.  Cool.  Happy for you.  But I can't hold myself to the same standards.  I work full time, have a husband, three growing, active, and time-devouring boys, a house.... the list could go on, but I think you get the point.  If one day I am blessed enough to say my job is being an author, THEN I will think about holding myself to the 3 month concept, but for now, I need to slow down, let the ideas simmer, and write when I have time.  

I need to finish what I've started and re-visit it weeks later, I need to polish and buff my ideas until what I have left is truly remarkable.  

And more than anything I need to make sure I give my family and friends adequate time to read my books (before one day my sister-in-law writes an ironically realistic novel about an annoying family member who wrote too many books, who goes missing, and is found at the bottom of some deserted lake tied to a concrete covered laptop) 

Motivation Monday

"Every child is an artist.  The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up."
- Pablo Picasso

Bruised rib cages, writing ideas, and a nap....

I can hear it now...the silent scrawling of my admittance form being filled out at the local looney farm.  In the mean time let me explain, no really, trust me bruised ribs, writing, and a nap all fit, harmoniously, in this scattered brain of mine.  

Late Saturday afternoon my twins were "horsing" around, and in an effort to keep this post about writing and not my crazy boys, I will just say that "horsing" around apparently involves Twister like moves and the notion that knees are harder than rib cages.  Needless to say it was an interesting night.  By Sunday morning it was obvious his ribs weren't cracked just well bruised.  

By Sunday afternoon he (the bruised twin) was tired (hard night and pain medicine) so I agreed to take a nap with him.  (Honestly, he didn't need to go and bruise his ribs if all he wanted to do was take a nap, but whatever.)  We decided to read and low and behold what was on my bookshelf? (ok,so there's about 30 books on my bookshelf and 20 more stacked, crawling up the wall, BUT that's besides the point) 

Harry Potter.  

Yep, I am a huge Harry Potter fan and I keep it on my bookshelf next to my bed.  (Nerd or no nerd, if I could help as many reluctant readers as Harry Potter my life's ambition would be fulfilled!) So I started reading to him.  We read all about that strange and mysterious day and the secret the Dursley's didn't want anyone to uncover and then......

Viola! 

An idea hit me!  Now this is not the first time Harry Potter has invoked an idea, but it was something that hadn't happened in awhile.  I smiled as I kept reading and, as most things go in my life, the idea started to dissolve into my hectic life.  My son wasn't tired anymore, lunch needed to be made, and there was laundry to do.  

And here's where the nap really comes into play.

Later I decided to go lay down anyway (after all the other fun stuff was done, of course) and as soon as I closed my eyes, the idea came back.  I know I was asleep for a little while, but mostly I just lay there letting the idea run its course.  

I've been asked several time where my ideas come from.  I suppose I don't really take notice when my ideas do come, so my answer is usually pretty lame.  Most of the time my answer is "Um.  I don't really know" or "I just thought of it".  So now you know, ideas come from life and the small, crazy moment in them, that's what makes books real.  And who knows, someday maybe you'll be reading one of my books and be able to tell people that the books's idea started on a strange and mysterious day in the Moxley household that involved a bruised rib cage, writing, and a nap!     

  

There's a new favorite in the house!

My little wee ones absolutely love The Gingerbread Man: Loose in the School by Laura Murray. It's a quirky, cute tale of a Gingerbread Man created and baked by a classroom but heaven forbid left him alone during recess. The bewildered Gingerbread Man runs "trying to find, the children who made me and left me behind." My boys love the adventures and mishaps the Gingerbread Man runs, rolls and slides into. They beg to have this fun story read over and over and the book cover is already showing signs of love and wear.

The pre-published author in me wonders how this great story came to be. Who is Laura Murray and what is her publishing story? Her story is a classic one! Laura Murray is a teacher, wife and mom. While pursuing her teaching degree, she took a children's literature class and was inspired to write. Several years, a hubby and kids later, she joined SCBWI and started some "serious" writing. She worked on The Gingerbread Man manuscript for 2 years and through 50 drafts. (I wish we knew how many times her story was rejected too.) Through her hard work and perseverance, the literary world has  scored another amazing story. I wonder how many times she had to tell herself to just keep going and move forward! I wonder how many times it will be for me..... or you!

To read more about Laura Murray, click here to go to her website.

She has several tabs for writers with helpful tips!
Thank you Laura!

Motivation Monday

"So divinely is the world organized that every one of us, in our place and time, is in balance with everything else."
- Johann Wofgang von Goethe

Perspective

Today was a rough day at work.  I came home in a grumpy mood topped with a killer headache.  Much to my surprise (and delight) my kids were cleaning the house and my husband was cooking dinner. Their thoughtfulness started to melt away my stresses and I felt a little better.  By the time I was changing into my signature (and by signature I mean habitual) outfit of jeans and a hooded sweatshirt, I thought alright, it's Monday, the day sucked lemons, but hey, I don't have to cook!!!

And then...

Yep.  Sitting on the counter - not 1 BUT 2 (yes, I said 2!!!) rejection letters.  Ugh. All of my family's good deeds were trampled on by 2 pieces of lowly mail.  My headache came back and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep.

But I didn't.  I couldn't walk away from a clean house and warm meal :) After eating my sweetly prepared dinner and running my white glove across the mantel (just kidding) my phone rang and it was my sister.  (Who, by the way, just got married - whooohoooo!!!  Congrats Sissy-Poo!)  We were talking about the wedding, and jobs, and husbands when she mentioned a friend who lived on the East Coast dealing with Hurricane Sandy.  With all my insignificant, little woes I had totally forgotten about the millions of people that were already without power and who were worrying about, not only their livelihoods, but their lives.



I've never been in and/or near a hurricane but I can imagine that there would be so much to think about and plan for, that things like rejection letters seem trivial.  Where I was worried about a book never getting published, others were forced to think of what to take with them when they left their homes, should they leave, could they afford to leave?  What will things be like when the storm is over?  Will I still have a job, a car, a home?

By the time this is posted Hurricane Sandy will be fizzling out somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean (hopefully well before this is posted) and most East Coasters will have the answers to all their questions (I pray they are good answers) - and I will still have 2 rejection letters - but I will have something else....

Perspective.

And sometimes, that's all it takes to not care about rejections.

Motivation Monday

"The best mirror is an old friend."
- George Herbert

Inspiration in failing

In our household there are four seasons; winter, spring, summer, and football.  With three boys and a die hard football fan for a husband there really isn't a day of the week that isn't dedicated to football.

So as I sat thinking of a post for this week I caught myself listening to a game they were watching.  With as much effort as it takes to be a professional athlete I couldn't help but relate sports to writing.  For anyone who knows me, I am always comparing writing to random things - I suppose it's my coping mechanism - to remind myself that what I am attempting to do is no different than the thousands of little boys (like my twins) who dream that one day they will play in the NFL.

And just as I tell my boys, I have to tell myself, that with a lot hard work, practice, and a WHOLE lot of determination anything is possible. So that was what I went in search of today - inspirational sports stories.  I realize that there are probably hundreds, if not thousands of stories out there but I love this one.

I am not a big basketball fan, however, I have always admired Michael Jordan.  I remember watching him play in awe, I had never seen anyone jump so far and so high before!  He was one of those players that could make anyone fall in love with the sport by just watching him play.

When you think of it isn't that what every writer strives to do?  To make people fall in love with reading?  To think that something you wrote could help someone find the wonder, the mystery, the excitement in books!

But if we give up on our dreams we can never achieve that.  If we dwell on our rejections then we may never know our successes!

Below is a link to a blog of several success stories and I couldn't help but post Micheal Jordan's story.  He knows his failures - and he knows that in order to succeed, you have to fail.  You have to learn and grow from them.  

Michael Jordan: Most people wouldn't believe that a man often lauded as the best basketball player of all time was actually cut from his high school basketball team. Luckily, Jordan didn't let this setback stop him from playing the game and he has stated, "I have missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I have lost almost 300 games. On 26 occasions I have been entrusted to take the game winning shot, and I missed. I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."



And in honor of Michael Jordan, I may just have to take my next book submission photo in white and red, and of course, with my tongue hanging out!

Celebrating the success of Evertaster

Back in May, On the Literary Rebound interviewed author Adam Sidwell on his debut book Evertaster. A adventurous, laugh out loud tale of a picky eater. Not your usual protagonist but don't quit reading....

Since it's release, Evertaster has become the #1 Children's mystery novel on Amazon Children's book best seller list!

Adam Sidwell and his brother, Jarom, are spreading the "sweet" word about Adam's culinary Indiana Jones adventure by visiting schools in California, Utah and hopefully soon Oregon (fingers crossed!).

Here is the KSL Good Morning interview with Adam and Jarom about their book tour:

We are so excited for Adam and the overall response to Evertaster...and it's just starting! Congratulations Adam and we wish you continued success! Personally I can't wait to see the movie!



Check out Evertaster's Facebook page for more info, contests and book trailer!

Motivation Monday

"We are all something, but none of us are everything."
- Blaise Pascal

Motivation Monday

"Every day brings a chance for you to draw in a breath, kick off your shoes, and dance."
- Oprah Winfrey

What it takes to be an author

I'll be upfront.  This is not a lame attempt at the world's shortest blog, nor am I joking around.

What does it take to be an author?

1) an idea


2) a computer, paper and pen, even a typewriter would suffice


and finally, the most important step of all

3) the notion that you can do anything you put your mind to - even writing a book

Motivation Monday

"Human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives."
- William James

Celebrating the success of Lisa Ard

What could be better than crisp autumn days, tree hues of pale yellow to fiery red, apple cider, pumpkin  patches and... a book launch?!

Toni and I went the book launch of Lisa Ard's new book Saving Halloween.

The launch was fun, festive and intimate gathering of family and friends. The atmosphere was all party! Cheery halloween decorations, spooky cakes and lots of costumes! The event commenced with Lisa reading of the prolong (which has a unexpected and very pleasant twist). Books sales, signings and pictures with Lisa were the norm of the rest of the party. Lisa had a great idea to take her book cover and cut out the inside of the picture frame for photo ops. How could we resist!

The best costumes winners were awarded an illustration of the Saving Halloween characters which the illustrator, Christopher Adams, was there as well.

Oh yay a perfect fall day!

Can't wait to finish reading my current as I can start reading Saving Halloween. This was taken from the party favor bookmarks:

A spellbinding tale of outcasts who find acceptance, a girl who discovers the true meaning of family, and characters who are not always what they seem.

To learn more about Lisa Ard, see the pictures from the book launch and order her books, check out her website: http://www.authorlisaard.com

Motivation Monday

"We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while others judge us by what we have already done."
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

How to start a novel - just write it!

I like to think of this blog topic as my sidekick, my go-to girl when my mind is as blank as my computer screen.  I have to admit I am in a writing lull these days and I need this post as much as anyone else.  I have finished editing my latest YA and find myself deliriously indecisive. Do I go back and work on my first book, a MG fantasy; re-visit my second book, another YA, (which is bound to leave me abandoning writing all together) or start something new?

So what have I decided?  Nothing.  Absolutely nada!  So, in a lame attempt to divert my attention from my own writing debacle, I went in search of inspiration and found my last blog (that sounds a lot more vain than I intend) How to Start a Novel and How to Start a Novel; the then what?  and decided that this blog was exactly what I need.

I just need to write.  Period.  Not only is it the answer to "how to start a novel", it's the answer to my latest problem - I just need to write.  No excuses.  

Writing isn't about whipping out the perfect novel in a matter of weeks; immediately followed by a week long stint in the hospital after succumbing to a caffeine induced coma. A novel is a collection of words and sentences that stir emotions and deliver you to worlds you can't escape - don't want to escape.  That's why we write; we want to take people to our worlds, to have them fall in love with our characters.  Plain and simple, we want to inspire, even a single person to read - then, then we have accomplished something.

And to do that - we must write.

Do you feel like I just took you on a ride on a Ferris wheel? But Toni, we've been over this - we just need to write, we go it!! But how?  How do you sit down and write a book???

Really, I see two options: 1) force you in front of your computer and tie you to a chair, while yelling demeaning words that lack encouragement and class, or 2) list some advice I have tricked myself into believing and/or found on the internet (either way they MUST be true - my imagination is bound to be as trustworthy as the internet!)

So here we go with option #2:

* Find your place - is a cafe, a library, your room - it doesn't matter just find a place that inspires you to be creative.
*Clear your mind - if you have a million things on your "to-do" list your mind is more likely to wonder a millions different directions.
* Set a date with your novel - come up with a specific time to write and use it wisely - don't cheat on your novel by checking your emails or updating your facebook status - just write.
* Surround yourself with things that will seduce your creativity - for me it's scented candles, my ipod, jeans, a hooded sweatshirt, and fuzzy slippers - I am a creature of habit and comfort - and all about good smells, what can I say!)
* Write anything.  Ray Bradbury gave some advice in a keynote speech, one of which he said
"Just type any old thing that comes into your head. He recommends “word association” to break down any creative blockages, since “you don’t know what’s in you until you test it.”

*And finally:


Be surprised.  Write one page a day and see what happens....surprise yourself and surprise the world.

:)

Motivation Monday

"As long as you keep a person down, some part of you has to be down there to hold him down, so it means you cannot soar as you otherwise might."
- Marian Anderson

Interview with Lisa Ard

On the Literary Rebound is please to introduce Lisa Ard. Lisa is an amazingly talented up and coming author based out of Portland, Oregon. She is author of the Dream Seeker series which the second installment was just released along with Lisa's Saving Halloween. We are excited to have a chance to talk to Lisa about Saving Halloween which is the recipient of this year's Kay Snow Award for Young Readers. Lisa is a fun and interesting person and no doubt her books will follow suit!

1. Can you tell us a little bit about your new book Saving Halloween?

I like to describe Saving Halloween as Matilda meets the Munsters. (the book blurb on my website might be added here). It's really a tribute to one of my favorite authors - Roald Dahl. He was the best at creating terrible parents we love to hate. In Saving Halloween Anne's parents are busy with their careers, seeing Anne as another item checked off on their to-do list. Anne needs a friend. She needs family. She finds both in the mysterious Spavento family.

2. Where did you find your idea or inspiration?

Hard to believe but my inspiration for the story came from one word: grimoire. I read it somewhere and had to look it up. It means spellbook. That started everything.

3. Who is your favorite character? Is the character based on a real life experience?

My favorite character is a hard one. I love them all. But I suppose I'm very fond of Signora Spavento, the mama. She bustles about her kitchen whipping up bewitching cookies. She never has enough time, except when it comes to her child. And she sees a child left on her doorstep as a gift. There's more than a bit of me in the signora.

4. Can you tell us about your challenges getting your book published?

I sent the manuscript to a couple agents and one publisher. I had a personal response from the publisher, so although it was rejected, I felt like that was a milestone. I had a nice critique from an agent, who then left her agency. By this point I had such particular ideas about how I wanted the book to look, that I decided to self-publish. I hired an illustrator and an editor. This gave me the freedom to guide the cover design and interior illustrations, the fonts, the back copy, etc. It was a wonderful project and I'm very happy with the results.

5. What words of advice would you give aspiring writers?

Keep at it and surround yourself with others. join a critique group. Join the SCBWI or other writing organization. These groups and people should lift you up in your efforts, help you improve and give you the courage to keep on. If not, then find another.

Thank you Lisa and congratulations!

To read more about Lisa, see samples of the Dream Seeker series and Saving Halloween and order her books, please visit her website:
www.authorlisaard.com

Motivation Monday

"All growth is a leap in the dark, a spontaneous, unpremeditated act without benefit of experience."
- Henry Miller

Doubt: The creativity cannibal

Doubt is a darkness that can deteriorate years of work in a matter of seconds.  It creeps into our minds and, often times, starts breeding negativity that nibbles away at our creativity. This is a subject that I talk about a lot, simply because no one is immune to it, and honestly, I battle with it all the time.  But alas, it seems I am not alone!

Author Elana Johnson recently blogged about eliminating doubt.  I love Elana's blog and I love this post so much I wanted to share.  Elana was at a professional development seminar where a performance psychologist discussed doubt.  (I am not pasting the story here because I encourage everyone to click on the link and read Elana's take on it!!)

But I will say this - the advice Elana shared is one I think we can all use. Here's just a little bit of the story.  The performance psychologist Elana was listening to use to call a time out when a match wasn't going very well,  and would make the athletes say three things they were doing right - and if they started to complain he'd threaten to forfeit the match  unless they complied.

It made me think.

It's human nature to be competitive, no one wants to forfeit... at least I don't think they do, and yet that's what happens when we allow doubt to sneak into our heads.  We are forfeiting!  We are essentially throwing in the towel.

When I get done with a book and have read it for the upteen-millionth time, doubt invariably finds a home in my head.  I start to doubt my abilities, my book, my characters - everything.  But here's the fun part - now I have a way to fight back.    

I will not forfeit!

Try it some time - it doesn't even have to be with writing.  But when doubt starts encroaching on your life remind yourself of 3 three things you are doing right!

As long as you are breathing, forfeiting is not an option.

Motivation Monday

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."
- Martin Luther

Write it on your heart

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Everything we do in life is a direct result of a choice.  We have unlimited freedoms and yet the one we seem to take for granted is attitude.  Our attitude about the world, others, even ourselves is a CHOICE.  Yes, I said it's a choice.  We make choices every second of every day; where to live, who to be friends with, who to smile at, to believe in ourselves, to read a book, to write a blog, to scold our children - we even chose to live.  

Buried deep within those choices is our attitude.  How easy is it to chose to be bitter, to hold the world accountable for our short comings, our disappointments, our failures.   It's far easier to blame others than to look deep inside and understand that we are looking at it all wrong.  That no one is to blame for our attitude - it, as dark as it sometimes, resides within us.  

And so you ask, what does attitude have to do with Ralph Waldo Emerson?  

Read the quote above a few times.  How do you feel when you read it?  Do you feel inspired, irritated?   Now read it out loud.  Again.  Now read every word by itself.  

But why, Toni, why do we have to read this darn quote over and over again?  

Because I am betting you were looking at it all wrong, just like I was.  When I first read it I laughed out loud and said, "Yah, that's easier SAID than done."  Just like most of you I don't wake up all cheery and bubbly, ready to face the world, thinking that "today is the best day - ever!"  But when I re-read the quote something clicked. 

The quote isn't "Say it in your heart that every day is the best day in the year."  It says WRITE it ON your heart.  Tattoo it on your heart - make it permanent - know that every day is the best day, don't think about it, don't say it - etch it until it becomes part of you. 

Change your attitude.

Change your outlook, and who knows maybe today will be the best day of the year!

Motivation Monday

"Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year."
- Ralph Waldo Emerson

How to start a novel - The then what?

Like any true procrastinator, I went back over our previous blogs, not in search of inspiration, but in search of an excuse - I was in true PRO-CRAST-IN-NATING form.  It's actually kind of fun to look back at all that Erika and I have done.  In less than six months we have accomplished:

# of hits: +2300
# of posts: +70
# of rejections: +10 (and always counting....sort of)
# of parties: 1

And what I have learned from all this is.....

We need to have more parties!

Anyway.....so while I was PRO-CRAST-IN-NATING, I came across a blog I did on starting a novel.  It's something that comes up a lot.  Writing is daunting in itself and then when you actually sit down and get the first few scenes out of your head and on paper (or screen) - well that's when the real confusion starts.  Then what do you do?  Where does the story go?  How do you organize your thoughts?

Hence, How to Start a Novel - Part 2 - the then what?

Organization is a huge part of writing.  Remember back in the day when your English teachers turned into ruler-smacking, red ink totting Nazi's?  Opening paragraph, three supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.  Well writing a book is kinda like that - without the ruler or the red ink.  The freedom comes from being an adult, trying, failing, and trying again, and finally - understanding what works best for you.

Here are 3 ideas on how to get organized.  (I've tried them all and suggest trying them on different projects to see what works best - or perhaps there's something else that works better for you - who knows!)

Note - Cards: I've seen this suggested a lot, most recently at WriteOnCon with Author Katy Longshore.  When I tried this, my note cards weren't as detailed as Ms. Longshore suggests, yet still helpful.  I have a lot of flashback woven into my story and having different colored note cards helped me know where I had too many flashbacks and where I was lacking.  Noting characters and places, etc. like Ms. Longshore suggests could help you see where you use a supporting character too much/ not enough, etc.

Outline: Think back to High School and you'll know what to use for an outline.  I feel like these are self explanatory, so I won't say too much about them.  They can be anywhere from 1 page to several and can be as detailed as you want them to be.  An outline could be done for the book as a whole, or even specific characters, scenes - anything.

Synopsis:  (The "S" word of the literary world) Ask most pre-published authors for a synopsis and watch the squirm in their seat, let out a heavy sigh, and then act as if they're invisible. As much as I fought the whole synopsis thing, I have found that they are actually quite helpful.  A synopsis is a lot like a glorified outline, query letter, note cards, and jacket cover all rolled into one. The most helpful thing, for me any way, when writing a synopsis is to remember you are pitching your book.  The whole point of a book jacket is to get the potential reader intrigued enough to buy your book - the same can be said for a synopsis.

There are literally hundreds of resources out there for us - websites and books - use them.

Here's few, in case you don't know where to start:

Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Renni Browne and Dave King

Literary Rambles Blog (If you aren't already following this blog, you should!  Especially when you are ready to query agents!!)

Well, hopefully something helps/makes sense!

Best of luck!

Toni