Oh geeez

Since I'm done with the Nook editing, I decided to take the first four chapters (including the prologue) to work with me today. These are the pages that I need to tighten up because they'll be the first ones any agent/publisher reads and should be the strongest. I started editing and BOOM... look what happens! (And this is edit number 6 or something). I'm not feeling discouraged--well, maybe a tad. I just have to wonder if it'll ever be perfect to me. At some point I'm going to have to stop picking at it and be satisfied. I refuse to believe that it might not happen. After work I went to Target to read the first paragraphs of some of the YA books on the shelf and there are a mix of openings: dramatic, action-packed, detailed. It didn't really help me very much. At any rate, I've decided that this edit I'm working on (about 50 pages away from the middle) will be the last one. I really need to start writing something else and too much editing can destroy a story. I want to pick up the speed of the first four chapters, so I may look at trimming some of it out, and I may re-post here for some feedback (if anyone's willing to give it).

All right, let me get back to entering another chapter of Nook edits. Sixteen chapters down, twenty-four to go. My page count is still under 500 pages, but it slips back up a little. So far I've cut out 2,000 words (give or take). An old tip for final drafts is to trim about 10%. That means I'll need to cut 16,000 words. I'm really note sure if that's going to be possible, but my goal is to cut the fat (and a lot of the fat may be in the beginning). We'll see. Tyra Bank's book was well over 500 pages, but then she's a celebrity and I'm sure publishing houses were willing to gamble a bit more. Has anyone read that book yet? I've got it on hold at the library--I'm curious, but my expectations are somewhat low. We'll see.

Updates!

I like updating my blog, but I'm not sure if I'm feeling this background. Thoughts?

In the past two days I've probably edited about 25-30 pages of SURRENDER. Yay! I need to start thinking of a new titles because this one worked well when I still had the original ending. But since I removed the last 100 pages, it kinda fails. Just something else I need to work on/think about. It feels good to be back in a groove. I just hope that I can keep it up!

And then a year passes...

Today is the year mark of when I began SURRENDER. I'm not finished, sadly. I did finish my Nook edits today though, but now I just have to put them in to the computer. I'm having a hard time finding a rhythm to my editing. I used to come home and set up shop on the downstairs computer for a few hours. Now I can't really do that because the computer I was using belonged to my brother-in-law and my personal computer sucks... it takes about 20 minutes for it to really get going and I don't have the patience for that. I'm looking into a new laptop, but that's taking forever too. Ugh. The stupid hurricane really threw me off and that was like a month ago. There's no excuse. Wait... can I blame the new fall TV?! :)

I never did finish MISFIT. I didn't even read beyond what I wrote about last time. In fact, I haven't read much of anything lately. This isn't much of a blog post, but there you have it.

After the earthquake (oh, and hurricane)

So, the past two weeks have been a little bonkers for me. First we were hit with an earthquake (well, we felt the tremors of an earthquake that hit some place in Virginia) at the beginning of the week and ended the week with Hurricane Irene, which knocked out our power for 5.5 days. I'm used to blackouts like this (I used to live in New Hampshire where one winter we had an ice storm and lost power for at least 4 days, and the next winter we had a wind storm that knocked out power for 3 days), but by the end of the week I was ready to pull my hair out. Reading by candlelight is very 1800s, but it can get extremely boring. No wonder they sat around and sang to each other! And besides, I can only go so long with out a full hot shower (instead I had the equivalent of cold sponge baths. NOT fun)... not to mention I was running out of clean clothes.

So, I spent the long Labor Day weekend enjoying the splendors of electricity. The most exciting thing I did was watch the 8 episodes of Vampire Diaries that I had saved to our DVR. I don't know why I held off so long! This was a great season (lots of death, betrayal, and cliffhangers). Actually, I'm glad that I saved them up because there's nothing worse than waiting an entire week for the next episode. I'm also glad I stuck with the series because at first I didn't like the actress who plays Elena (I'm used to her now and she's getting better). I'll never get enough of Ian Somerhalder (drooooool!). But here's my question to all VD fans out there. Are the books similar to the show? Are they worth reading? I started with the show and now I'm worried that if I read the books I'll be disappointed one way or the other. Ooo, I just saw that the new season of VD starts next week (even better!).

Needless to say, the last few weeks have been horrible for my editing. I've managed to edit on my Nook (which is progress), but I really need to get these edits into the computer. I need to find a rhythm again. What I really need is a laptop. I did start hand-writing ARABELLE WILD (the short novella that I was working on earlier this year) while the power was out. I may try to finish that one by hand and then type it all up later (again, it's progress). I also read several books: THE SEASON (a YA, regency England novel; it was decent), DIE FOR ME (a YA, zombie/dead immortals novel; it was decent too), and THE GODDESS TEST (a YA, Greek mythology retelling; it was good). I have not finished SUPERNATURALLY and I might not. I made it halfway through and I feel like nothing's really happening--there's not really a plot that I can see. I gave it to my sister to read and she finished it and basically said that it didn't get much better. This is kind of a let down since I liked PARANORMALCY so much. I may give it a chance... I don't know (I'll still read Kirsten White's stuff, but I might have to get it from the library).

I'm currently reading: MISFIT by Jon Skovron. I almost stopped reading this one because the story is told in present tense (Janie says this. Janie takes her socks off) and feels a little awkward. I'm so rooted in past tense writing/reading that I actually really don't like it. But then I skimmed ahead and saw that there are some past tense sections, which is weird, and now, looking at it from a writer's POV, I want to see if Skovron can pull it off. Still... the present tense really bothers me. (Here's one reviewer who thought the same thing about the tense switches). We'll see how far I get in this one. There are a few books (I found them while browsing at Barnes and Noble) that I need to get my hands on: POSSESS and WILDEFIRE. I need to wait until the library has them (or until I have enough money to buy random books). I did buy THE FALLEN: END OF DAYS by Sniegoski. He's one of my favorite authors in the "fallen angels" genre. Side note: the actor who plays "Stefan" on VD also played the lead role in "The Fallen" TV miniseries.

That's all the news from me for now!

So much for blogging twice a week...

I'm not sure what to blame my lack of posting on. I like to think that it's because I have nothing new to say, but that's not a good thing to admit. I could blame it on the full time job, but then I spend a good chunk of time after work surfing the internet. I guess maybe it's a mixture of a lot of things. And sadly, the biggest one is that I just don't have anything to write about. I should think up some more craft notes. Sigh.

I've been reading a steady amount of good fiction lately. I'm currently reading the second book in the PARANORMALCY series by Kiersten White. I was really into the characters she introduced in the first book. I'm about halfway through SUPERNATURALLY and I'm still a fan, but at this point I like the first book better. I do love the cover art for these books, very pretty. I also finished STARCROSSED by Josephine Angelini (at Sammy's recommendation). Another pretty cover (but is that another model-y blond I see?!) and a really unique and fun story. I definitely kept turning the pages, which is always a good thing. And I have to admit that I like a good Greek mythology retelling. I don't know enough about Greek mythology though (even the PERCY JACKSON series by Rick Riordan makes me feel dumb). I should probably put Edith Hamilton back on my to-read list (and take a little trip back through time to sophomore year, or was it junior year... who knows).

I often wonder what might be the next "new" thing in the fiction world? The next new trend in writing? Here are the subcategories (applied to YA and general fiction) that I can think of:

1. Certainly angels and demons have had their time (and better be a space on the shelf for my novel SURRENDER... I'm all about thinking positively).
2. Vamps and werewolves are doing well.
   
3. Witches and wizards, naturally, have a great showing.
4. Popular/mean/rich/A-list/wannabe socialites have a space (the Gossip Girl-like books are definitely not my thing).
5. Faeries have a good showing (my favorite authors here are Holly Black and Aprilynne Pike).
6. Ghosts? (I haven't read any).
7. Apocalyptical and futuristic!!! Can't forget these stories. You know: HUNGER GAMES and UGLIES and MATCHED.
   

Let's see... so what hasn't been done (or at least not done well or often)? Fairytale re-tellings? Aliens? I don't think we'll ever run out of things to write about, but the novelty may end one day. And then what? It's kinda like the TV show Bones or CSI. I bet those writers have to constantly think up new ways to disgust the audience. I will admit that there were a few episodes of both of these shows this past season that left me cringing, so they're obviously doing their job. I guess there's still some glimmer of hope.

And what would a post be without an update on my editing. I've taken to reading chapters out loud. Ever done this fellow writers out there? It's a great way to catch things that your eyes have become used to (especially after 4-5 read through-edits). I hope that in reading out loud I'm making the sentences stronger and reaching the final stages. I know for sure that this is going to be the last edit I do on this novel (at least until an agent or editor tells me otherwise). I'm growing sick of it, which may be a good sign that I'm nearing the end. Plus, I'm super excited to start on new things and to finish my novella so I can share that with you guys. And maybe even edit Es and Moo. I should turn those into Ebooks for my Nook and maybe I'll get more editing done that way. Here's hoping.

Oh Es and Moo... I have such big plans for you.

Agents and Blurbs

So, it's been a busy weekend for me. I spent most of Saturday reading bios for about 50 possible agents who represent YA writers. It was a completely overwhelming process because it just reminds me that so many people out there are trying to do what I'm doing. It's almost like going into a bookstore and seeing rows and rows and rows of paranormal/fantasy/supernatural YA. I wonder to myself "will I fit in here?" or "can I make the team?" or "will I be picked last (if at all)?" Plus, I have to look at agents who represent other things. I won't always write YA. My Es and Moo series isn't YA, so I need to make sure that any agent that I work with also represents adult fiction, chick lit, etc. This is all too overwhelming, which is why I'm taking this whole process one step at a time. I created my agent list yesterday now I'll let that simmer while I start on the fourth edit of "Surrender." This should be the final edit before I start sending letters out. Right now I'm trying to tighten up sentences and reduce the word count.

I also woke up with a possible "hook," which I scribbled down on the pad that I keep by my bed. I've never had much use for this pad, but I was glad to have it 'cause I'm not entirely sure what triggered this idea. I suppose in a way it's not really a hook (I think it's too long). It's probably better to call it a summary or a book jacket blurb (there's a technical name there that I can't remember). Anyway, here it is (with a little tweaking since my early-morning brain likes to think in incomplete sentence):

SURRENDER

"Within a few months of returning to Falls, sixteen-year-old Evelyn Black is “awakened” to a supernatural world where those who know what she will become hold onto a mysterious, and irritating, silence. Left to discover the truth with time, Evelyn’s dysfunctional life tailspins into complete chaos. As her seventeenth birthday approaches, finding normalcy is impossible. Her body starts to change and her best friend’s mom tries to kill her. Evelyn has never felt more alone in her life, but she has friends from very high and dangerously low places. Friends who guide and protect her, ignoring the consequences of their actions, and remain at her side when she is reborn and tasked to be a guardian of the Fallen. "

I think it could have strong potential, but like the agent thing I'm going to let it simmer. It's probably a bit stronger than what I've shared in the past (part of a query letter draft). As always, feel free to make suggestions or comments about the blurb/hook.

I'm also not entirely sure if the title still works with the changes that I've made in this last edit. Basically, I still have a lot to do before this thing is ready to be sent out, including making the first 10 pages shine, writing a synopsis (not even sure where to start there!), and finalizing the query letter. I'd love to have a letter out by September 1st, but we'll see. I don't want to rush any more than I already am. So this is where I am at the moment. I should be editing now, but I like to waste a good 45mins-1hour of time messing around on the internet. Procrastination is my friend.

Freakout Moment

A few nights ago, I started reading the third book to the "Fallen" series by Lauren Kate ("Passion") and I had to put it down after 10 pages. Not because it was bad (I like the series so far) but because I had a few "oh my god, this is like mine!" moments. Of course, "Passion" is nothing like the series I'm writing, but since they're both in the supernatural fallen angel/angel/demon realm, the undertones feel similar to me. And, to be really honest, if it was becoming more like my novel, I didn't want to find out. The last thing I want after the last nine months of hardcore editing is to learn that my story's "been done." Ugh... that would be devastating. It wouldn't be the end of the world, but I'd become less unique and maybe get a few "hey you copied this!" to which I would punch that person in the face because plagiarism is no joke and to be accused of it is like blasphemy for a writer (a REAL writer). So yeah, I won't be finishing Lauren Kate's series until I've got mine done. This has never happened to me before, and it makes me sad because I love a good paranormal/fantasy novel.

Luckily I've got some backup books to read. Right now I'm on "My Jane Austen Summer" by Cindy Jones. I love anything Jane Austen-y and I really would love to go to England and see the country manors and everything else a uber-Jane Austen fan would want to do. So, I'm charmed by stories with characters who go overseas for a summer and play dress up and fall in love, etc. This story follows "Mansfield Park," which is probably my second favorite Austen story. After that I'm going to start "Starcrossed" by Josephine Angelini (I got it Sammy!). I have one more library book waiting, which at the moment I can't remember the name of. Something about a girl who dies and starts going to dead school and thinks about killing her still-living boyfriend so he can join her. Eh. That one was a random library grab, so I may toss it out. I feel like I haven't been reading very much lately. Editing really is all consuming for me (luckily I only have about 50 pages left, plus another quick edit). In other reading news, I finished "Graveminder." I thought it was a good read (I wished there was a little less focus on her fear of commitment and more on the mystery of her future and of the dead). I'm curious about her "Wicked Lovely" series, but not enough to grab it now. I'll put it on my waiting list.

Summer movies have been a little disappointing so far, with the exception of "Harry Potter." I saw "Captain America" and wasn't that blown away. I can't wait to see "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" (the previews look awesome), "The Help," and maybe "Friends with Benefits" and "Crazy Stupid Love." Honestly though, where are all the major action movies? Is December (Mission Impossible and Sherlock Holmes) becoming the new summer?