(They Just Keep) Moving the Line

Is it blog chain time again? Why yes, yes it is and I am already a day late in posting this but who's really counting - amiright?

Anywho, let's get things started with this question from the always amazing Cole:

How do you define success? Is it getting published, making the New York Times list, or just finishing a novel?

The moment I read this question, a song from the TV show SMASH (If you haven't seen it, it's about making a musical about Marilyn Monroe. The show is now cancelled and was often terrible, but I have a weakness for musicals and am sad to see it go.) called: "(They Just Keep) Moving the Line".

Three weeks from today - on June 11th - my debut novel will be published. 

Six years ago I started writing with the end goal of just finishing a novel. 

Then I moved the line. 

I wanted to find an agent and get published. 

I finally reached that line with my third novel. It was all I'd ever wanted and it still wasn't enough. 

Now I want great reviews, everyone in the world to buy my book, and to sell another book and another book and another book and... well you get the idea here. 

Making the New York Times list would be HUGE - blind-blowingly HUGE. Buuuut, yeah - even then I'd STILL want more. 

If I were JK Rowling or Stephen King, I think I'd even then keep on wanting more. I don't know exactly what that more would be - maybe something like having someone from five hundred years into the future come in a time machine to tell me that my books are printed on gold because they are considered that precious to people of the future (although, to be honest, if they were printed on toilet paper, I'd probably still fist pump and say "YES! Still in print!"). 

The thing is that humans are wired for wanting the same way that Wile E Coyote's can't help but chase the Roadrunner. And yes, sometimes, the publishing journey can hurt a little bit - but I haven't yet fallen off a cliff, so in that way, I guess I'm still better off than that poor old coyote.

Meep. Meep.

That's it from me, as always, to keep following this blog chain, go check out Sandra's blog next.

(Don't) Play it Again, Sam

It's not only a new month (Yay for May!) but it is also time for a new blog chain. Today Christine is kicking things off with this question:

What are your "go-to" scenes or phrases? You know, the ones you have to remind yourself NOT to use too frequently? What do you do to keep yourself from being overly reliant on them?          

Oh, this question is so perfectly timed since I was just last week finished working on the first round of revisions for my next book and WOW it was very clear to me that I am still way too reliant on certain words.

Specifically JUST and THOUGH.

Just is a junk word that is almost never necessary. AND YET, I love it so. It just (see that there?) adds a little dash of something extra that I love. Sometimes (as in the previous sentence) I will replace it with a 'simply', but it's never as satisfying as a just.

Though, though, is such a lovely transition word. To my ear, it is more invisible than 'however' or the incredibly similar, yet not quite as pleasing 'although'. I just(!) love it.   

So those are my two big crutch words. I also have a punctuation crutch - the dash. Sometimes a comma would be better or a semi-colon (which I doubt I will ever feel completely confident in using), and yet I still reach for - the dash.

As for Christine's final question - how do I kick the habit? That's a question I'm still trying to figure out. Even when I try to be aware and kick these bad habits in the first draft - they somehow sneak in when I am distracted by the larger problems of plotting and characterization. I guess the only really good solution is CTRL+F aka search and destroy.

I've confessed my literary sins, now it's time for the rest of the blog chain to 'fess up, starting with Sandra tomorrow.

Class of 2K13 Blog Post

I have a new blog post over at the Class of 2K13 site today, discussing: Language, Sex, Violence, (generic) Lucky Charms, and ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE. You can find it here. 

Can You Take It?

How have two weeks passed already? It doesn't seem possible, but it must be true, because it is time for another blog chain. Today Alyson is kicking things off with this question:

Have you developed thick skin as a writer? How do you handle having your work critiqued? Do you love revising? Hate it?

This is a wonderfully timely question, because RIGHT NOW (not right this exact minute, at this exact minute I am writing this blog post) I am working on my first round of editorial revisions for my book that will be coming out next year.

When I received the editorial letter from my wonderful editor, Erica Sussman at HarperTeen, I had the exact same reaction as did with the letter for ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE. And that was, "Wow. She is good."

I didn't feel hurt or upset or anything like that at all. This is no doubt because - once again - Erica is so wonderful and really good at saying, "This character is so great, BUT..." and then going on to list the things that need to be changed. The end result was that I didn't feel attacked, but rather like she and I were on the same team and had the same goal of trying to make my book be the best that it could possibly be.

And for me that was a really awesome and even empowering position, because (and I think most writers feel this way at some point, or at all points) after grinding my teeth through a first draft and then finishing it up and cleaning it up and sending it out - I was so close to it that I couldn't see the difference between what was total crap and what was golden.

I should also mention that besides my brilliant editor, I also get feedback throughout the terrible first drafting stage from my wonderful crit partner (and the creator of this topic) - Alyson. Her critique style is actually really similar to my editor's in that she makes sure to mention what is working, while also being totally straight-forward about the things that are stinking like last week's trash.

So I don't know if I've developed a thick skin, so much as I've been extremely lucky in finding really super people who give me the best critiques and notes ever.

Those are my thoughts for this blog chain, but this is only the start of it! Keep following along by checking out Sandra's blog tomorrow!

Giveaways and Excerpts

If you are interested in getting a sneak peak at what hides behind the beautiful cover of ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE, then you are in luck.

Last week Blythe Harris of Finding Bliss In Books celebrated her blogoversary with eight days of giveaways.  She also invited a bunch of debut authors to join in the fun and among them was... me! My contribution was an exclusive excerpt from ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE. Blythe is also giving away an ARC and some very cool ALP swag. You have 31 days left to check it out - not only how to win a copy of ALP, but a bunch of other amazing debut novels.

And speaking of giveaways, don't forget to that HarperTeen is giving away 25 copies of ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE though Goodreads. You have until May 11th to enter that one.

Also, I recently did an interview with the BloggerGirlz that you can find here. 

And finally, this past Saturday I was part of the Lucky 13s #bookblitz on Twitter. For anyone who missed it, random numbers were tweeted and the Lucky 13s responded with a line from that page number. If you want to check out the random quotes from ALP you can find them on my Twitter feed or my author page on facebook. 

The Non-Fiction Report

It's time for another blog chain and that's no joke (yep, that's it for my obligatory nod to April Fools Day - a holiday that I kind of hate). Sandra is kicking of the chain with this question:

We all know it's important to read fiction if you want to write fiction, but what about reading non-fiction? How much non-fiction do you read? What kinds of non-fiction books do you read, and why? Has reading non-fiction influenced your fiction writing style?

Okay, so this question makes me feel a little guilty, because my non-fiction reading has been nearly non-existent lately. Memoirs (more on the creative end of non-fiction, I know) used to be a large part of my to-be-read pile, but the last one I read was Jeannette Walls' THE GLASS CASTLE. I've also really enjoyed Jon Krakauer's INTO THIN AIR and INTO THE WILD and Michael Pollan's THE OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA, and have been meaning to read one of Malcolm Gladwell's books that look to be in a similar vein. But I haven't yet.

The reason I haven't been reading more non-fiction isn't due to lack of interest, but rather lack of time. I squeeze reading in during doctor's appointments and at the end of the day in the space between climbing into bed and turning of the lights (although, this is actually a terrible time for me to read, because I inevitably get sucked into my book and hours pass before the lights go out and then I am very cranky the next morning).

Still, I feel that non-fiction is important and while I may not have time for a book, I do get some into my word diet in other ways. 

Number one is through the news. I listen to the news on NPR and follow a lot of their online coverage as well - like this recent story through Planet Money about the surprising rise of disability. I get my local paper on the weekend. And everyday The New York Times is kind enough to send me an email with a listing of their top stories. I tend to read the human interest stories and political stories that feel important like last weeks Supreme Court hearings.

Number two is through NPR podcasts (yes, I know, I do love me some NPR). I download This American Life, RadioLab, and Pop Culture Happy Hour onto my iPod and then listen during my commute to work or the grocery store or wherever. Yes, I do often end up sitting in my car, long after I've reached my destination because I want to keep listening, but that is a small price to pay.

And number three is...

Okay, I don't have a number three. Or I didn't, but now I do - I am putting Outliers: The Story of Success onto my 'want to read' list. It's there and I am going to read it... one of these days...

How do the rest of the blog-chainers get their non-fiction fix? You'll have to keep following the chain to find out, and that means checking out Sandra's blog tomorrow.

I am back with another blog chain topic and this time Michelle is asking the questions:

What elements in your favorite genre make it your favorite? For instance, if your favorite genre is romance, what elements do you like in a romance story? A tortured hero? A spunky heroine? Steamy love scenes? Sweet romance? If your fave genre is sci-fi, what elements do you love the most (the characters, the science, the possibilities?), etc?

Young adult novels have become my favorite genre for one reason: VARIETY.

You can have romance, adventure, mystery, sci-fi, fantasy... You name it, YA has it.

But the thing that I like the very very best about this is the ability to mash up all these different sub-genres and make something that doesn't fit into just one of those categories, but straddles several of them.

This fits me, not just as a reader who likes to keep things fresh so I don't get into a reading rut, but even more so as a writer. It frees me up to not worry about how my story will fit within predefined parameters, and it lets me take my stories wherever I want them to go - no matter how crazy that place may seem.

ANOTHER LITTLE PIECE checks so many different genre boxes: horror, paranormal, mystery, romance - there's even a little poetry thrown in there. HarperTeen is marketing it as 'literary horror'. But at the end of the day, it still sits beneath the young adult umbrella... and that is a wonderful and diverse and exciting place to be right now.

If you've been paying attention then you probably already know that this is only the beginning of this blog chain. To keep following it, you'll want to check out Sandra's blog tomorrow.