A Little Dversion

Balancing Your Day and Your Life

2012-02-23T23:10:00.001-05:00

Life can get crazy, and the internet can make it worse. So many obligations, appointments, and responsibilities in both places. It's hard to keep balance. I've found that my best, most fulfilling days are when I manage to satisfy each of these aspects of my life (even if it's in a small way): my body, my soul, my career, my creativity, my responsibilities, and my relationships with others. Responsibilities include things like feeding the pets, doing the chores, and work obligations - especially if your day job isn't your chosen career. The others are pretty self-explanatory.

I just found this awesome pie chart from Colorado State University's website which is exactly what I outlined, but with different terms. There are even six of them! (I actually didn't know about the pie chart before I started this post, which is pretty neat.)

Here are mine for today:

For my body, I showered and ate activia yogurt. Small, I know, but it counts!
For my soul, I thanked God/prayed and listened to KLove on the radio.
For my career, I joined the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, queried another agent and updated the portfolio on my website.
For my responsibilities, I worked my day job, and had a business meeting.
For my relationships with others, I visited with my sister, and played Minecraft with my nephew.
For my creativity, I updated my portfolio, and then I played Minecraft by myself. (hush, it counts!)

This list didn't include Twitter, Facebook and Blogger, but I'm sure you could count those under Responsibilities or Career.

How about you? What'd you do for your body, soul, career, responsibilities, relationships, and creativity today?

Are You Guilty of Writing No-Nos?

2012-02-22T14:46:00.000-05:00

Writing no-nos. We've all heard them - mostly when we commit a particularly heinous one and a crit partner points it out. There are a lot, but I'm only going to list a few, along with the confession that I've broken every one of them.

Don't use a prologue and an epilogue. People don't read those.
Don't start out by describing the weather. It's boring and will lose the reader's interest.
Don't start the story with the protagonist in her bedroom. That is also boring.
Don't include dream sequences. There are better ways to advance the plot.
Don't include flashbacks if you can help it. There are better ways to relay information.

First, the prologue and epilogue. Whether you can use it seems to depend on what the current publishing trend is. Some years they'll tell you not to use them, and some years it's okay. How to know? My personal suggestion is to keep them short, or simply turn them into another chapter. People might not like to wade through a long prologue if they feel it really has no bearing on the story itself. So, if you want to keep it in there, make sure it has.

Second, the weather. The weather itself shouldn't be the focus of your attention, unless it plays a very big part in the plot of your story. As for weather being boring, I've seen amazing writers describe it wonderfully and not bore me at all. It helped to set the scene. (Just don't begin your book with "It was a dark and stormy night" unless it's a parody.)

Third, starting the story in a bedroom. I don't see what's wrong with this, personally. I know so many books start in the middle of the action, but I don't care about the action or the protagonist without first being introduced to her - however you manage that. I'm old-fashioned, and I like the plot structure formula.

Fourth, dream sequences. This one is a particular favorite of mine. I broke this one good and hard in my YA Victorian fantasy novel. I'd agree with this no-no, except when it comes to supernatural/paranormal or fantasy writing. Those can pretty much do whatever they want, as long as it works. But it has to work. Readers don't like watching the protagonist dream about doing something, they want her to actually do it! Action speaks louder than words, right? So your words need to relay some pretty exciting action.

And here's where I say fantasy and supernatural are different. In a fantasy novel, a dream can be a real place, and the actions taken there just as real as they would be in the waking world of the protagonist. Mine are. Think of Nightmare on Elm Street. Did the characters die any less just because Freddy killed them in their dreams? Nope.

Last but not least, flashbacks. I only did this once in my book - well, twice if you count the prologue. (See, that's why it's a prologue. It doesn't fit the sequence of the novel, so it stands alone and has to be separated. But it's still needful for the plot of the book.) Flashbacks are tricky things, but they can work in the plot of a novel. For instance, if a character encounters something that triggers the memory of a traumatic event, there would be a flashback. It would make sense, and I'd expect it.

There are exceptions to every rule, and only you can tell when to toss the no-nos out the window and just write. Trust your gut, hone your craft, and if you want to break rules, break them good and hard! (a la Granny Weatherwax) As long as your rule-breaking serves a purpose and improves the story, mind.

Are there any writing no-nos you're guilty of? What do you think of breaking writing rules?

I Heart YA: Offbeat and Unpretty Heroines

2012-02-21T20:19:00.000-05:00

Yep, you all get two posts today because I didn't post on Monday - whee! Today over at Suze's I Heart YA bloghop, the question is: How do you take your female protagonists? (next week is about male protags, so you might want to check it out too)

My answer: Offbeat! I like the protags that don't fit in, aren't always pretty (in the traditional sense), and somehow have a keen sense of what's going on when others don't. These girls have a good head on their shoulders, a plan in their pocket, and a fire in their eyes. Sometimes they have to stir that fire a bit to get it going, but once it is, stand back!

An excellent example of these qualities is Tiffany Aching from Terry Pratchett's series that begins with The Wee Free Men. This girl is so kick-butt her weapon of choice is a frying pan! She's a young witch who wears very unwitchlike clothes, and boots that are far too big for her. Since brunettes in stories never become princesses, Tiffany is perfectly content with being the witch. After all, it's the witch who knows the most... even if she might end up cooked in her own oven at the end.

http://shop.microartstudio.com/

Of all the female protags I've read recently, Tiffany has the best sidekicks - the Nac Mac Feegle (AKA "the accused", violent kilted smurfs with claymores). They are the Wee Free Men spoken of in the first book, who for some reason have taken a liking to one stubborn, determined girl from the Chalk. And it's a good thing that they did.

Tiffany even has a miniature of herself! Not to mention cosplayers and fanart. Go Tiffany!

Next in my offbeat heroine lineup: Mosca Mye from Frances Hardinge's Fly By Night series. Born with a very inauspicious name in a world where names create your destiny, Mosca has to claw and scrape, lie and steal, for the right to life. Her only friends in a world 'determined to swat her' (Mosca is named after the god who keeps flies out of jars and butter churns) are a smooth-talking con-man and a homicidal goose.

Mosca doesn't have magic, but what she does have is just as dangerous in her world - the ability to read and write. Guilds hold all the power in the Shattered Realm and the power over the printed word is governed by the Stationers. They don't take kindly to scrawny little girls with nosy tendencies usurping their power.

I love both of these series so much I can't even tell you! Both the heroines are spunky, offbeat characters with good heads on their shoulders. Interestingly enough, both of the heroines are also preteens. (I hope that doesn't mean girls lose all their common sense when they become teenagers.)

And what lineup like this would be complete without Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series? I know she's already been mentioned in this blog hop, but I have to mention her again. She might be know-it-all, and she might be a bit bossy, but she's a witch who knows a thing or two about common sense. Not to mention, Hermione is unpretty. She had buck teeth and frizzy hair - until they put her in the movies. I'm glad she at least kept her frizzy hair for awhile.

Hermione is constantly helping out her male counterparts with all the knowledge she possesses. She's one book-worm who's not at all the stereotype we normally think of. Rock on, Hermione!

That's all the offbeat, awesome YA ladies I can think of for now. What about you? What female protagonists are your favorites?

Dear Dream Agent

2012-02-21T19:17:00.000-05:00

I love adventure stories with an offbeat, independent female protagonist who has good common sense. I love imaginative new worlds and world-changing events. I also love magic, monsters, fae (like the Tuatha De Danann from Celtic lore), ghosts, witches and innate special abilities. I love J.K. Rowling, Terry Pratchett, Frances Hardinge, and Neil Gaiman. I love nearly every kind of tea, and I'm beginning to think there isn't an asian country out there whose food I won't eat!

I can't wait to meet you. I hope that when I query you it will be love at first sight. I hope that you will love my story and its illustrations as much as I do. I hope that you will see how hard I worked to reach out to you, to get my novel in the best shape. I hope that you will understand my insanity and my perfectionism - because I rewrite my query every time I send it out, which I think is just a little bit crazy. I always think I can make it better. Always. I hope that tells you something about me. ... Perhaps that I should have my word-processing privileges revoked.

I hope my query is exactly what you're looking for. I know you won't turn me away if it isn't perfect. It's the story you're interested in. You're looking for one that's magical and shadowy, one that's interesting and a little mysterious. One that makes you chuckle a little in places. One that's set in a long-past time period with gaslight ambiance. One with a curious, odd-looking female protagonist who has a penchant for invisible men in blue jackets.

You believe, like I do, that illustrations aren't just for graphic novels and children's books. When I show you mine, you'll love them. You'll promise to help me find a publisher who believes in both my talents - writing and illustration. You'll have me sign a contract for a series - which I've already begun to write. We'll land a wonderful deal with a big publisher, and we'll live happily ever after.

At least, that's what I hope will happen. Until then, I'll keep querying, praying, and looking for you. Because I know you're out there, and I know you're looking for me too.

Attention: Frustrated Post Ahead!

2012-02-16T13:17:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: This post is a twisted little ball of angst. Proceed with caution.

I've read that people don't like angry, sad, or less than happy blog posts. But when you're deadly serious about publishing, when you've sweated it out, revised the life out of your MS, pulled late nights querying, braved contest after contest in the hope that you'll catch the eye of an agent, you can't always be cheerful.

This month has been a difficult one. I've received a couple rejections, no biggie. I've launched into another read-through and revision of my novel, and so far the edits are very minor. It's made me wonder if I should even bother, but I'm bothering.

I've received suggestions from beta readers on how to make my MS 'better'. The suggestions would require me to rewrite 3/4 of my novel. But it has got me to thinking. What if only a handful of people really like my novel the way it is? What if it would be more 'marketable' if my MC was twelve years old instead of seventeen, and facing boarding school and an evil stepmother instead of an arranged marriage and a wicked cousin? The book wouldn't be my book, but maybe it would be 'more like Harry Potter'. It wouldn't reach the audience I had originally intended, but maybe it would be more appealing to a wider audience. It wouldn't be so 'girly'. But what's wrong with a book aimed at girls, with an MC who doesn't fit the mold of a typical teenager?

The form rejections don't help either. I've tried researching each and every agent, but when the only hint of what they're looking for is that they represent YA, the possibility of rejection is great. I'm considering the buck-shot approach, to hit as many agents who rep YA or illustrated MG as possible. Maybe if I query enough agents I can find one who reps a book like mine.

What do you do when people suggest you change your book drastically to make it more appealing? What do you do when you just can't find the right agent, and reading writer success stories only makes you depressed?

Happy V-Day from BJ

2012-02-13T23:11:00.001-05:00

What I want for Valentine's Day this year: Anything that dies or can be eaten, so it doesn't take up space in my house. ( I'm a practical gift-receiver.)

Here's my V-Day card to you :

That funny feeling in your stomach? - yep, it's nausea.

From BJ's perspective, Valentine's Day is the grossest holiday ever. Pink and red hearts everywhere? Fat babies with wings? Flowers? Candy? Love songs? It's enough to put him off beetles for a month! (or at least until all the pink and red, and flying babies are gone.)

For those who don't think V-Day is as repulsive as Beetlejuice does, here are a few sweet motivations I made:

And my favorite:

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

[Edit] If you want more Valentine's inspiration, you can read my post about Love Stories HERE. (I might not like the 'pink aisle' at bookstores, but I won't turn down an enchanting, well-developed adventure/romance!)

Adventures With You - Love Stories

2012-02-09T17:01:00.001-05:00


(Because it's not one without you)

First off, I'd like to say: Holy cow, I have 70 followers, wow! Thanks to everyone who has read and commented on this blog! You all make me so happy! ^_^

I usually don't do Thursday blog posts, but I might not post tomorrow, so I thought I'd leave you all with this for the weekend:

LOVE

You knew I'd weigh in on it eventually - love and romance in books. I've ranted a bit about how I'm not big into romance as a main plot. Like Miss Cole, I must be 'dead inside' because I avoid romance novels like the plague.

It goes sort of like this: (as illustrated on the right)

I enter a bookstore, I begin browsing,

I see the 'pink aisle' as I like to call it.

I make a nasty face and veer far away from it, seeking refuge in the science fiction/fantasy aisle or the manga.

(Sometimes I think my inner child is a six-year-old boy.)

I need to clarify that I don't hate love in books! I've read a few novels where romance is a key element, but I don't seek out romance as the primary element.

I think there should be a place for romance in a novel, but like real life, it isn't a central focus. There are often bigger things that demand our attention and time. And to me, that just makes the romance even more precious.

I like romance to be something that happens organically in the story, that grows like a seed and doesn't just force its way into the protagonist's life. Also, I'm not going to get invested in a romance between characters I know very little about. An author needs to take time to develop the characters before the romance, in my opinion. To woo the reader before the protagonist woos her love interest. Get us invested. Once I know them, then I'll care more about what happens to them, including who they fall in love with. Only then can I decide "He's totally her type!" or "I can see why he fell for her."

http://readinganything.blogspot.com/

I like sweet love stories between friends who become more. I like unexpected love stories where a couple is thrown together and then realize they're falling for each other. I like epic "I'll change the world for you" love stories. (Yes, I'd love a guy to walk up to a girl with an "I have reordered time" speech, but only if it makes sense.) I like love as a great and driving force in a character's life, but only after I know why the character feels that love.

I liked the developing relationships in The Hunger Games. They felt real and believable, but I didn't like the crazy-making love triangle that consumed Katniss' mind in the second book Catching Fire. The characters still need to remember the bigger picture. Love is a great catalyst, but it has to lead to something. It becomes a selfish thing when the protagonist wants to keep her love interest at all costs, but doesn't want to help make a world in which he can be safe, doesn't want to save anyone else but him.

www.alicia-logic.com

Love isn't stagnant. It doesn't stand still. It motivates. It drives. It makes a character strive to be better than they are.

It also doesn't die.

How many of us have lost loved ones and stop loving them because they're gone? None. In fact, sometimes the death of our loved one only makes us love them more, and remember them more fondly. Then they become immortal in a way, and love transcends into that driving force I mentioned. We carry it with us and it continues to inspire and motivate us years after the loved one has left this world.

And if a love interest dies in a story, pining for him makes sense. But eventually I'd like to see the protagonist continue on in memory of him. To keep going because that's what he would've wanted. Nothing brings tears to my eyes more than the protagonist making a grand gesture in memory of her lost lover who died in their struggle for a better world.

That's the kind of love I like to read about - love that's bigger than life and death. And when the characters express it, the expression can be as simple as a touch or as profound as saving the world.

One of my favorite love songs

What about you? What's your favorite love story?

RTW: Your Dream is My Wish!

2012-02-08T14:27:00.000-05:00

Today's Roadtrip Wednesday topic over at YA Highway is

What SNI (Super New Idea) were you psyched to work on, but discovered it was too close to something already done?

I've had this happen, but it wasn't until later on did I discover (with more than a few heavy sighs) that a character design I thought I dreamed up, had already been dreamed up before... by Neil Gaiman.

Speaking of dreams. Here's the character:
Dream or Morpheus from Gaiman's
Sandman comics.
I also need to state that these comics have been around since 1989, and I didn't create my character
until almost ten years later.
Somehow in all that time, even if I read comics (most of which I got from my older brother) I hadn't run across Sandman before.

Here is my character:

Jakin the Wishmaster from a series of short stories I wrote in high school. Jakin was originally dressed all in black like Morpheus, but when I discovered just how much they resemble each other, I redesigned Jakin's clothes.

I still prefer him in black.

You might wonder what inspired my character since I hadn't discovered Sandman yet.

The Goblin King!

"Well, of course!" I hear you saying. "It all makes sense now!"

I love that movie, and the first short story I wrote with my Wishmaster patterned very closely to Labyrinth. It was about a spoiled teenage girl who made a wish and the Wishmaster showed up and whisked her away to a magical wish kingdom. Of course, all her wishes turned out to be horrible mockeries of what she really wanted.

This story laid the groundwork for other fantasy stories I'd write in the future. It still has a special place in my heart since it was my first epic fantasy story. Maybe in time I'll rework that story and turn it into a YA novel, as a tribute to my favorite 80s movie.

Now that I look at them together, my Wishmaster doesn't really resemble Morpheus as much as I thought he did....

What about you? What idea were you stoked to write and realized someone else already wrote it?

I Heart YA: Debut Authors of 2011 Spotlight

2012-02-07T13:54:00.000-05:00

Today's I Heart YA prompt is

Which 2011 debut author do you think deserves a spotlight?

There are a lot of books published last year that I still want to get my hands on. But the two I would have to spotlight are:

The Night Circus

by Erin Morgenstern

and

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

by Ransom Riggs

I haven't finished reading The Night Circus and I'm already thinking it'll make a great movie. I'm hoping the story will fulfill all my expectations of it, though. This book seems written with a movie in mind. It's non-linear and full of characters that would be stronger in movie format than a novel. Plus, the plot - a game between two powerful illusionists using their young wards as players under the tents of a spectacular dreamlike circus - just screams film. In addition, there's a love story. So, there you go.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is inventive and impressive. The story is built around a collection of authentic old photographs that the author owns himself or has borrowed for the novel. It's a novel about exactly what the title says, told from the first-person perspective of a teenage boy who finds out he's more peculiar than he realized. Set this in two time periods - present day and WWII Europe - and you have a pretty epic situation. There are also monsters. Real monsters that eat you if you encounter them.

All I can say is, I hope this has a sequel.

So, there are my two debut authors for 2011. I'm curious to see what everyone else picks.

Zombie Apocalypse! Forest of Hands and Teeth Review

2012-02-06T19:23:00.000-05:00

I finally read The Forest of Hands and Teeth, a post-apocalyptic YA by Carrie Ryan. It was the title that drew my attention first. It conjured all sorts of great creepy images and impressions that piqued my curiosity and convinced me to read it. But I have to say, it fell short of what I expected it to be. There are a few spoilers in the middle of this review, but you'll probably see them coming.

The title alone should tell you this book is about zombies. It's also a romance. I didn't know this when I first started reading the book, but it soon became apparent. I don't usually read romances, or books about zombies, but I'd started it and I wasn't going to stop until I'd finished it.

One more thing. This book is written in first person, present-tense. Not a fan. It also skips around into past tense when the MC is remembering anything. Also not a fan.

As I was reading, I found out that this book is basically a narrative of the MC's experiences. It's as if you're being read a running diary of her experiences. You are in her head constantly, and if that's not a pleasant experience for you (which it isn't for me) then you might not like this book.

As I was being narrated to, I began to wonder how many pages the MC's dialogue would take up. I came to the conclusion that in the first 100 pages, her dialogue would take up about 2. I began to think perhaps the author wasn't able to switch back to dialogue-mode after narrating for so long, or perhaps she'd decided to make the MC mute. When the MC took a vow of silence, my suspicions were nearly founded. With everyone talking to her, explaining things for her and answering for her, the MC became a very passive character. It's only in the second half of the book that I see more dialogue from her.

Dialogue aside, I didn't like the language in this book very much. I suppose it fit the tone of the book - what with the danger of zombies lurking to eat you and all. But I felt it was a bit over-dramatic and needlessly aggressive. Words like 'roar', 'claw', 'thrust' and 'tangle' kept turning up - but not in correlation with any zombie attacks. These words were used to describe the interactions of the main group of characters with one another. The MC tangled her legs in her skirt at least twice, and once she tangled them in bedsheets, clawed across the ground to reach her man, and roared at her brother. A few times people were thrusting their hands into their hair. Almost every touch was forceful, regardless of whether it really needed to be.

The trouble with the aggressive and over-dramatic language was that sometimes it left me confused. I had to reread a paragraph where the MC took hold of a "burning metal" lever, wondering why she was about to sear her hand off. Then I realized the author had mentioned "harsh sunlight" a few sentences before, and that's why the metal was hot. Because of the choice of words, I was expecting fire or electricity, not sunshine.

As the book continued, I kept getting unfortunate images of soap opera couples whenever the MC and love interest spoke (mostly because her name was Mary). Nearly every description of love included craving or need, whether the couple was in an intimate situation or not. And when she ran to meet him, tripped and clawed her way toward him (when nothing was chasing her), I nearly put the book away. This, mingled with the language of the book, made me think "Is this why I've been avoiding romance novels? Is this what they sound like?"

There was at least once instance in the book where I felt the romance completely took over the action, becoming impractical and ridiculous (and making me say "What??" in a very loud voice at the page). The MC and her love interest were sheltering inside a big house, surrounded by zombies. They had been traveling for days and were thirsty and hungry. They had not explored the house. When they were alone in the bedroom, he turned to her and said "Tell me a story, Mary." This was followed by them cuddling on the bed. (Romance apparently trumps food and water)

I read halfway through the book and got bored with the zombie apocalypse. I was tempted to stop reading, but I thought that perhaps the end would make it all worthwhile. But it didn't. The end wasn't very satisfying. (I recently discovered that this book has a sequel entitled The Dead-Tossed Waves, which I don't intend to read, but which explains why this book ended the way it did.)

That said, I have some positive things to say about this book. It's a book you can read fast. (I read it in two days.) It's not overburdened with heavy description, but it does narrate. For those of you who like zombies and romance, it has both of those things. I'm also sure that not everyone is as picky as I am about dramatic language.

So, if you feel like reading The Forest of Hands and Teeth, pick a weekend. Then if you stay up late reading you don't have any obligations in the morning. And if you do read it, I'd love to hear your opinion on it.

When to Let Go

2012-02-03T15:38:00.000-05:00

visualphotos.com

Perhaps it was listening to Coldplay. Perhaps it was the stress of contests, polishing up my query, and considering the prospect of more rejections. I've been thinking a lot about the rocky road to publication. So I have a question for everyone.

How does a writer decide to set aside a novel that isn't working?

Don't worry, I'm not considering giving up on my own novel. I still very much believe in it. But I read this moving article by the author of Cracked Up to Be and Fall for Anything, Courtney Summers (if the article doesn't touch you, you must be made of wood.), and I had the thought: it's such a difficult thing to finally admit to yourself that something you created isn't working, and you should shelve it and move on to something else. This author had to face that realization more times than I could have handled, but she kept on trying and eventually she got published!

To me, it would be like the stages of grief to let go of a manuscript I had believed in. For some writers it isn't an option to give up on a manuscript. They would simply self-publish if traditional publication failed them. It all depends on the writer and their attitude toward publication.

How would you handle it? Would you accept it as a part of the business and realize it was time to try something else? Would you mourn it for awhile and then plunge onward? Or would you choose to self-publish?

Insecure Writers - Green-Eyed Motivator

2012-02-01T15:36:00.000-05:00

ENVY. We've all been there. From the "I wish I'd thought of that!" to the "If that crap can get published, I know mine can!" We've all felt envy, but how many of us have used it as a motivational tool? I read a couple articles that suggest it could be a very power one, if you know how to use it right.

"Use envy?" I hear you ask. "But envy's a nasty, horrible, negative emotion that we can't even admit to having, or we would be shunned by all our friends and no one would ever buy our books!" Not so. The writer of the article Why Envy Motivates Us suggests there are two kinds of envy: benign and malignant. The article goes on to state:

We tend to feel malicious envy towards another person if we think their success is undeserved. This is the type that makes us want to strike out at the other person and bring them down a peg or two. However when another's success feels deserved to us, we tend to feel a benign envy: one that isn't destructive but instead motivates.

Sound familiar? "If that crap can get published, I know mine can!" is malignant envy, the destructive kind. You might think it's good that you'll show them by getting published, but often emotion isn't enough to motivate. "I wish I'd thought of that" can actually be more motivational. Use it as a challenge. So, they thought of something good? So what? Analyze their idea, figure out what made it so successful for them. Then use their strategy for yourself. As the writer of Competition Getting You Down? Why Envy is Your Biggest Motivator states:

Whenever you come upon something great that you wish you’d done yourself, you have two choices. Live in the small minded world of jealousy and resentment, or be the phoenix and evolve. When you skulk around in the places where others shine, you’re like that cockroach scavenging for a crumb. People step on cockroaches. What you should be doing is taking notes. Why not use someone else’s great idea as a springboard for your own creation?

Instead of shriveling up with resentment, we can use the success of others to inspire our own. I've experienced both types of envy in my life - the benign and the malignant. Thankfully, a lot of the envy has been benign and it has motivated me.

My decision to attend The Savannah College of Art and Design was inspired by benign envy. I knew a SCAD student and she always seemed to have more fun, more interesting projects, and more enthusiasm for her major than I did. I had gotten burnt out, jaded, and disgusted with college. I was sick of the whole thing, and ready to give up, but when I spoke to her, I realized I wanted what she had. I wasn't out for the count yet. I just needed a different setting, new challenges, and brighter opportunities. I wanted SCAD. But I hadn't even realized it was an option before. When I discovered it was, there was no stopping me.

Ariel, Me, and Celly eating outside O-House

With my family supporting me, I put together a portfolio, gathered financial resources, and applied. I was accepted in one try, and by the end of the following year, I had become a SCAD student. I moved to Savannah where I lived for two years, having the time of my life. I learned from professional illustrators, completed awesome projects, and met amazingly talented and wonderful people who became lifelong friends. I felt creative and alive again. I felt like I was truly where I was meant to be. And most of all, I appreciated it more because of how hard I worked to get there.

I used my envy of my friend's situation to catapult myself out of my own discouragement and into better circumstances. Since my years at SCAD, I've realized I can do anything I put my mind to. Sometimes it just takes another person presenting me with the challenge that says "I did this. Can you?" I've always been competitive, so the motivator for me is rising to those unspoken challenges and beating them.

Have you ever used envy as a motivator? What's yours?

I Heart YA: Are you a Nibbler or a Devourer?

2012-01-31T17:22:00.000-05:00

I'm talking about books, of course. The topic for Suze Reese's I Heart YA bloghop today asks this question: Are you a nibbler or a devourer? Or does it depend? And what's the worse thing you've blown off for the sake of a book?

My answer would have to be Sleep! I'm a notorious night-reader. In fact, that's when I prefer to do most creative things, including read. During the day, the sunshine beckons me to errands and chores and other active things. But as soon as the sun goes down, I feel like writing, reading, drawing - all those things I tend to put off during the day because life won't make time for it.

When a book pulls me in and won't let me go, I'm a devourer. I prefer it. Even when I lose sleep and have to force myself to put that bookmark in, I read until I can't read anymore.

I can also be a nibbler. Nibbling is nice, but sometimes nibbling just isn't enough. It's not satisfying. I like to make big meals of my books.

Right now I'm nibbling Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters, and devouring Ransom Riggs' Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. Part of the reason for this is that Miss Peregrine's is due at the library sooner. The other part is that Terry Pratchett isn't as fast-paced at this point in the book. It's rolling and descriptive and fun and wonderful. It's meant to be savored.

I love books like Pratchett's. I want to write a book like Pratchett's. While I love fast-paced books sometimes, I also think that reading should be as enjoyable as a walk in the park. It doesn't have to be all flaming arrows and hailstorms that make you run (or read) for your life. So much recent YA is like that, or feels it has to be. Where's the literary fiction? And more importantly, where are the agents who rep wonderful, engaging, multi-layer books like Pratchett's?

Oops! The question for today isn't literary vs. commercial fiction. But I think that plays a large part in the way I read books. Commercial fiction is easy to munch your way though, but it doesn't fill you up, whereas literary fiction should be savored and stays with you longer.

What about you? Do you nibble or devour? Are there any books you savor like fine wine?

Contests and Kreativ Blogger Award

2012-01-30T20:26:00.000-05:00

I have a lot of great things to share. So here goes. I'm participating in two contests this week (thanks to Rachel for telling me about them). The first is here: QueryTracker Agent Contest and ends at 9am tomorrow. You need the first 100 words of your manuscript, and a one-sentence logline.

The second contest is coming up later this week and is hosted by Cupid's Literary Connection. You need the first 250 words of your manuscript and a query letter. Good luck to anyone who enter!

And now - On to the award! Francesca over at Zap's Lobster Tank was sweet enough to give me this award and now I get to pass it on to six other people.

The Rules:
1. link back to the one who gave you this award
2. share 10 random facts about yourself
3. pass the award on to 6 other people

Here are my 10 random facts:

1. I refuse to use videogame tutorials until I'm stuck and frustrated and have tried everything I know.
2. I stir my ice cream up into a sort of creamy soup before eating it - unless it's in a cone or a shake.
3. I like post-apocalyptic and dystopian videogames, but dystopian and post-apoc novels can bore me.
4. I never fantasize about dating television characters - except maybe the Doctor because he's a mad man with a box.
5. When I find out a novel is written in first-person perspective, I immediately like it less and it has to prove itself to me.
6. Adventure and comedy are more appealing to me than romance.
7. If I lived in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, I'd be a fire bender. Earth would be my second choice... because it rocks!
8. You remind me of the babe. ...The babe with the power.
9. I trained myself to like mushrooms, because they're cute and smell of soil.
10. My favorite animals are the kind that kill other animals for food.

The six other bloggers I'm passing this on to are:

1. Sarah from The Strangest Situation
2. Suze Reese
3. Yael Itamar
4. Rachel Pudelek (who blogged about those wonderful contests)
5. Cara from CP Slayer
6. Skye from Write or Die Trying

Have fun checking out their blogs! And enjoy the contests!

What I Thought of Catching Fire

2012-01-29T00:54:00.055-05:00

Before I go ahead, I must warn you, this post includes spoilers. I don't like mixing big fat spoiler alert warnings in with the rest of the text, so tread with care as you read.

Like most people who read The Hunger Games, the blood-boiling, heart-pounding first novel in this series by Suzanne Collins, I had been eagerly awaiting the sequel. Catching Fire came and I dove right into it. It didn't take long before I was asking myself what was going to happen. What big nasty thing was going to face Katniss that could possibly be worse than nearly losing her life in the first Hunger Games?

Katniss, the female protagonist, was touring the districts with her pretend boyfriend Peeta (he bakes bread). Things were bad. Unrest in the districts, people getting shot, surges of Capitol Peacekeepers into Katniss' own district to make things uncomfortable. So, that was all pretty bad, but not bad enough. (Also, does anyone out there besides me think of Farscape when you read the word Peacekeeper?)

Then I found out what she could face that would be worse than the first Hunger Games. A second Hunger Games! (Actually, it's called a Quarter Quell, but nevermind that.)

Even if I thought it was pushing it to expect readers to get excited about another trip to the arena, I got curious to see what dangers the author would dream up for Katniss this time. And there were dangers. (In fact, at one point a scene got so bloody that I felt dizzy reading it and had to stop.) People died faster and in worse ways, the tension between the characters was higher, and the stakes were higher too. But for some reason, it just didn't resonate with me the way the plot in the first book did. I wish the author had chosen another way for us to get invested in this book, rather than throw Katniss in the arena again.

And that brings me back to Katniss herself, and why she bothered me in this book. I don't know if I could say she has grown since the last book. It felt more like she backslid. She managed in the first Hunger Games to be cool and strategic, but all this upheaval in the second book has left her confused, torn, changeable, selfish, and self-deprecating. She also seems to have lost all genuine belief in herself since The Hunger Games. Even when she realizes what she represents to the districts, it feels shallow. Throughout the book she's finding reasons why she's not good enough for either of the boys pursuing her, why her plans are worthless, or why she's going to fail. This is why I stopped being so invested in her by the time she got to the arena, and why I became so much more invested in everyone around her.

I wanted so badly to be free of Katniss' perspective so I could actually see what was going on. I lost interest in the love triangle and became more interested in the uprising that Katniss seemed clueless about. This book did give me hope in the possibility that her shackled world could be freed, but it shackled me to Katniss in the process. It was a strong reminder to me why I find first-person perspective so frustrating, limiting, and difficult to get through.

In wrapping this up, there's one last thing I really want to know. Why did the author choose to equip Finnick with a trident? It felt archaic, and very 'sea-god' to me. So, what about a harpoon? Are harpoons just not cool?

Finnick: I carry a harpoon now. Harpoons are cool.

10 Clues You're a Writer

2012-01-27T22:29:00.000-05:00

I found this at Skye's blog Write or Die Trying, and she found them somewhere else, but I have to credit her. I love the things that keep popping up on her blog!

Here are the questions, with my answers. You can post yours in the comments or in your blog and link back. And definitely visit Skye's and link there too.

You would rather talk to the voices in your head than the person sitting next to you. Well, with some people, yes. Though I'm awesome and nobody better ever prefer their cerebral tenants to me.
You know the library's phone number, but not your work number. I have the library number saved in my smartphone. *sheepish*
Some of the letters on your keyboard are completely worn off. Yes. I no longer have an 'L' and my 'M' isn't too far behind.
You have a favorite pen that no one else can touch. I hoard ballpoint pens with blue ink. Specifically blue Bic Roundstick.
Books are your favorite scent. Books. Smell. Awesome. Definitely one of my favorite scents - except when they're from the library and borrowed by a smoker.
If you could meet anyone in the world, it would be your favorite author. Either that or Tim Burton. Or Gerald Brom. On second thought... he's kind of scary.
You eat macaroni and cheese for a week because you spent all of your money at the bookstore. At the bookstore or art supply shop. I can't pass up an art supply sale.
Your/you're errors drive you crazy. You're/your and there/their. Come on, people! It's not that hard!
You named your laptop. Desktop. ...it's called the Ego Machine.
You would rather write than go out. Write or read, game, draw. Yep. I'm a nesting geek, alright.

A fun fact about me and keyboards: I go through them fast because of all the chatting and writing I do (plus my online job where I correspond with my bosses through email). When I'm typing to someone I'm annoyed with, the sound of my typing gets louder and louder. My family has commented that they always know I'm disagreeing with someone online when I type furiously and strike my last key with a loud "clack!" That would be me, making my point, and often there's a guy on the other end of that conversation.

Do you have any typing/writing quirks?

Open for Banner Commissions!

2012-01-27T18:02:00.003-05:00

So, I've been holding off on this announcement for awhile, but today I feel I can finally reveal it. I've been working on a blog banner for Karina Fabian from Fabianspace, and I'm proud to finally be able to show it to you. This is the draft before the final edit, and once she has it up on her own blog, I'll post the banner after its final edit. (The edit is small, so this is pretty close to how the banner will actually look on her blog.) Pardon the ugly preview ribbon.

Click to see the actual size of the banner which is 1000 x 200 and 77.1KB

Karina commissioned a custom banner, with various elements from her writing. My custom banners start with either a stock photo or digital background and I add illustrated elements. Hers are a spaceship, dragon, zombie and catholic item (which ended up being a rosary). I thought it would be interesting to have all these things floating in space, since her writing is sci-fi and fantasy. I referenced covers of her books for most of these.

The main title font in her banner is one I downloaded and customized for her. I'm careful to use fonts and stock photos that are royalty-free. I work mainly digitally in Photoschop CS5 on a Wacom tablet, but I can also work traditionally with pen and ink, colored pencils, and watercolor.

My custom banners range in price from $70-$90, depending how much detail and time is put into them. Karina's was $70. A banner with a finely-detailed character portrait, or a digitally-painted landscape would run $80-$90. These can be any size, but I recommend larger ones like Karina's so that I can get more detail in, and you can get more for your money.

If you're interested in a custom banner from me, send an email to donellelacy@gmail.com with "banner commission" in the subject. I believe in lots of communication, and working closely with clients to understand their vision and produce something that will blow them away. (I also have a lot of fun in the process.)

Bounteous Blazing Book Jackets, Batman!

2012-01-26T16:52:00.000-05:00

I have an absolutely wonderful problem! Strange way to start a post, I know. But here it is. *draws a breath and blurts* All the books I ordered from the library came in at the same time! (Approximately a dozen books.) Half of these books are on a waiting list, so I have three weeks to read them. The other half I can renew. But, man! I have two bags of books I've been drooling over all to myself for 3-6 weeks!

The left-hand pile of books has to go back in three weeks. Those books include Catching Fire, The Scorpio Races, The Night Circus, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, and The Forest of Hands and Teeth.

The right-hand pile I can keep longer and renew. Those books include The Insider's Guide to Getting an Agent, Well-Witched, Prophecy of the Sisters, Witches Abroad, and Fly Trap.

(the cat sniffing the books is Squirrel, my little curious tabby)

It's like Christmas! There's at least one Terry Pratchett in there, and Fly Trap is the continued adventures of Miss Mosca Mye and her homicidal goose, Saracen. Not to mention, Well-Witched is another book by Mosca's author Frances Hardinge who I'm really beginning to like.

So, while I'm going to have to read pretty much non-stop (when I'm not working) for three weeks, it's the best problem I've had in a long time! If you could die from too many books, then I would die happy! I walked out of the library, carrying my heavy bags and trying not to grin like an idiot. It was a great rainy-day treat.

What's your library haul this week? Or what books are you reading? Do you have a similar wonderful problem?

Boogey Boogey! Who's your favorite YA monster?

2012-01-24T15:42:00.001-05:00

This is my first I Heart YA bloghop post! Yay! I really like Suze Reese's idea for a bloghop, and I hope it gets lots of attention. (Hint hint - go give her bloghop attention!)

The topic this week is: Who's your Freak?
(Which means, which paranormal creature in YA is your favorite.)

With all the vampires, werewolves, witches, ghouls, zombies and whatnot that have overrun YA in the past handful of years, you knew this question was coming. So, what 'team' are you on? The decaying undead, the sparkling undead, the hairy beasts or the cackling magicals? OR, you could even come up with your own! Does your book have some new supernatural creature that plans to make a splash in the YA market?

I have a confession... mine does. With Twilight and others like it sucking the popularity out of the vampire market (horrible pun fully intended), agents aren't as keen to sink their teeth into YA vampire novels as they used to be. Werewolves broke out with Shiver and are still pretty popular, but again, agents are divided on the hairy beast issue. I think YA's ready for a new kind of creature.

And that creature is Boogeymen! Or Boogeyman, as the case may be. In my YA novel series, I put a new spin on the old classic nursery tale of the Boogeyman. No longer is he just a nasty Bogey, jumping out of closets and snatching children from under the bed. Lividia's Boogey in my novel Lividia: A Shadow Story is gentle and mysterious, and fiercely loyal to his seventeen-year-old 'child' Lividia.

In my series, Boogeymen can transform into things, manipulate shadow, and travel through the Veil between the human world and the world of dreams (or the world of the fae). Boogeymen can dreamwalk, pass through any shadowy surface, and inspire their children to creativity. They also guard them from anything that tries to harm them.

Did I mention adults can't see Boogeymen? Imagine having an invisible friend who can chase away nightmares, and get revenge on that horrible girl who always embarrasses you in front of the guy you like. It also doesn't hurt that Lividia's Boogeyman is rather cute himself.

Of course my story wouldn't be complete without a villain. And I couldn't resist tossing evil Boogeymen in there as well, so I created the most evil (and wickedly handsome) Boogeyman I could imagine. If you want to know more about him, I guess I'll have to get on querying some more, huh?

Do you have a favorite supernatural creature?

{Really cool item: That picture came from an announcement of Dreamworks' up-coming movie Me and My Shadow. Check out the article here.} If shadows are coming into their own in movies, something tells me my book is right on time.

What am I Waiting For?

2012-01-23T23:49:00.000-05:00

Woe is me! Actually, no. But I have had a bit of a rollercoaster day. You know the kind - where you get an up, then a down, then an up, then two downs simultaneously. Then you bring yourself up because you're really sick of the downs and refuse to think about them any more tonight. So there, rollercoaster!

Anyway, on to the topic of this entry!

I asked myself this question today: What am I waiting for? I always feel like I'm waiting for a force outside myself to tell me what to do, for circumstances to be just right. It would say "Now you will write. And it will be awesome. Then you will query, and that will be awesome too." and I would do it, because the force told me to.

But here's the thing. There is no force besides me. Family and friends can help, but I always convince myself that I need to do something else instead, no matter how many people tell me to write. (apparently I'm stubborn in a self-sabotaging way.)

Encouragement from other writers, from beta readers, and from family is great, don't get me wrong. But it's really always up to me. Myself. No one else. No one else is going to write that book for me. And I don't want them to. (Second book, by the way. I've already written the first one.)

Someone said that writing is a lonely business, and they're right. (or 'write', haha) When you finally decide to sit down at the keys and look your manuscript dead in the eyes and tell it "I am writing you!" it's just you and your words. Everything else is a distraction or a reason to procrastinate, again.

But here's something encouraging. When you emerge from that little cocoon of self-inflicted solitude, you'll have a higher word count and a greater sense of accomplishment. And then you can brag to your writer friends, tell your family, do those things that were competing for your attention while you wrote.

It won't hurt you to give your writing a few minutes of your time, no matter how many things are on your to-do list. They will always be there when you're done. - (hah, I just realized yesterday I told you to use your free time for play and tonight I'm telling you to use your time for writing! Really, it's all a balancing act. And I needed to give myself a good kick in the pants.)

My MS is waiting with open arms for me to work on it again. So, go give yours some love too.

Free Time! Play Time!

2012-01-22T22:51:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited! At the moment I'm mentally running around my house waving my arms in the air. And you know why? I have a couple hours of time before bed and I'm in a great mood. I think the mood is why, but the hours definitely help.

The trouble with free time is that I don't know how to fill it. And when I finally figure out the best possible way, then it's over. Has that happened to you? I get so excited. I grab my 'To Do' list and then I think "uh oh, this will take more than a couple hours". So, I eliminate the things on the list that will take too long and try to do the other things. The eliminating takes time too, of course. In the end, guess what I decide to do? Something that wasn't even on the list!

And tonight, I think it's going to be Alice: Madness Returns. Unless it's retitling my novel again. One of those.

I just remembered something. About two handfuls of Brach's Classic Flavors conversation hearts. I suspect that may also be a reason why I'm mentally bouncing off the walls.

What do you fill your free time with? And don't say handfuls of candy hearts. I've had way too much of them for one night - or maybe forever. Barf.

My Deep Happy

2012-01-20T23:04:00.002-05:00

technorati.com

Have you ever been in the middle of a task and thought all the while that you were doing it, "I love this. I want to do this for as long as I live. This satisfies me like nothing else can. When I do this, I feel productive and happy." I felt like that today. I feel like that every time I illustrate - either digitally or with pen and ink. Writing is something I do for myself, but art I can do for anyone - me, you, that guy sitting next to you, the woman in the other room.

It's fun, it's creative, it's interesting, it's beautiful. It's one of the things that define me. I paddle out into it, sketching and exploring, and before I know it, I'm deep into hours of drawing and design. I emerge from it feeling alive, triumphant, productive, and wonderful. ...Also, pretty hungry. (did I mention I forget to eat when I'm working on a project?)

What activity makes you feel like this? And if you haven't found one yet, what activity do you desperately want to try?

Dear Blog

2012-01-19T23:59:00.001-05:00

I love you. I want to tell you everything - from how I saved the day helping my sister pirate my wireless internet from her house (two houses away), to how I am so eager to query my face wants to explode and I can't because I need to line-edit first, but... who are those people watching us? And why do I suddenly feel pressure to be entertaining?

icanhazcheezburger.com

A Very Non-Political Video

2012-01-18T18:07:00.000-05:00

First off, this isn't a post about SOPA and PIPA, because I get angry thinking about it, and blogging about it will only make this a rant post. (If you don't know what SOPA and PIPA are, I'd like to know what internet rock you've been living under.) But I do have a video to make everyone feel better after we've protested, petitioned, and processed the scary ideas about government censoring the internet. It is scary. But the video is funny, and we could all use a break from scary. If you listen close, there are words like "freedom", "pray", and "revolution" in it. So, it could kinda be political... maybe. If you squint.

MYAAH!

Inspired Tuesdays: Is that Really My Voice?

2012-01-17T17:05:00.000-05:00

Do you hear voices? If you're a writer, that usually means your characters or plot are talking to you. Not that you're crazy. (Well, I hope that you're not.)You also should 'hear' another voice. Your writing voice.

natethegreat.blogspot.com

This Inspired Tuesday is about 'writer voice'. I'll have to admit, this confuses the heck out of me sometimes. (It's a lot like 'illustrative style' which I heard a lot at SCAD.) When I went looking for the big secret behind writer voice, I found out there wasn't one. My writing (and illustration) already has a voice, and a style. Writer voice is just a writer's writing style, and the best way for them to connect with readers.

My writer voice is different on my blog than in my novels. For one thing, my current YA novel series is Victorian fantasy and I try to use words that herald back to that time. (Using a word like 'herald' is a pretty good example of writer voice.) My blog is more my everyday voice. This is closer to the way I talk to friends and family.

Doing a Google search for 'writer voice', I discovered this article on the blog Quips and Tips for Successful Writers. I thought it explained writer voice very well, and even gave some tips on improving it. If anyone is still confused about what writer voice is, check that article out. It's very helpful.

The article states that writer voice is hindered by bad writing, but good writing doesn't automatically give your writing a voice. It is a tool to help you strengthen that voice. So, how do you know if you have a voice?

Voice is when readers feel like an author is speaking directly to them. They can hear the storyteller in their heads as they turn the pages. They can feel the personality of the writer seeping through. They feel connected because, after reading that book, they feel like they know the author.

What's your take on writer voice? Do you like yours? Do you have some tips for writers who are still searching?

Pitch Contest !

2012-01-16T14:20:00.000-05:00

I've entered the pitch contest for Ammi-Joan Paquette over at Brenda Drake's blog. I haven't won one of these yet, but I still have hope. This contest ends tomorrow at 8am (Jan. 17), so anyone still interested in pitching to Ammi should dash over and post!

Ammi-Joan Paquette is from the Erin Murphy Literary Agency located in Flagstaff, Arizona. It is one of the leading children's book agencies in the US, and it looks like a pretty fun agency to be repped by. I don't know how I didn't know about this agency before! I certainly knew about Ammi-Joan Paquette! Her book Nowhere Girl is one I've most often seen on shelves and what made her name memorable for me. I also think it's a great asset that this agent is also a writer.

I'm not posting my entry for the pitch contest here, but I did post it on Brenda's blog. If you want to read it, follow the link at the top and find me in the growing list!

Inspired Fridays? Character Name and Personality

2012-01-13T14:35:00.000-05:00

Boogey Music by Donelle Lacy

This is a bit of an odd post, since Fridays are usually reserved for Good Fridays posts and Tuesdays are 'Inspired', but I've decided to mix things up. I also have a secret weapon to share with you further in this post that should help you completely flesh out your characters.

To start, let's talk Character Names. Sometimes characters name themselves. I love when that happens. Other times you need a little help from a name generator or a baby name book. I usually name my characters through brainstorming, and combining names I already know with odd letters and sounds.

Here are two sites that can help you name your characters:

Behindthename gives you real names from various cultures,
and Seventhsanctum is a name generator for world-building. You can name characters, realms, abilities and many other things. (some of these are pretty silly, but hopefully they'll spark your imagination to take over and lead you to something great.)

Now I'd like to move on to Character Personalities. This is a trickier topic. In a character development class at SCAD, the professor gave us a list of questions (in the form of a large Word document) we had to answer about our main character - and really our secondary characters too. This list included the character's appearance, motivation, favorite food, political stance, hopes, and fears - lots of things I don't always think about when I first sit down to design a new character.

I've decided to share this list with you. I uploaded it to Google docs, so if you have any trouble downloading it, let me know. Also, don't let the list intimidate you. Much of what's on it can be developed as you write your character, but for those of you who prefer to completely outline a character before you write, here you are. I guarantee that if you manage to fill this list out - or even fill some of it out - you'll be on your way to really knowing your character.

A little tip about creating a character's personality: Start with a personality you already know - a character from a movie, book, video game, anime, a person you know in real life, and build on it. Edit it and expand on it. Use yourself - your own fears, hopes and dreams, your anxieties, and divide those among your characters.

I like to start with a 'type'. It might seem flat, but it's a foundation. I ask myself "Do I want my MC to be timid or bold? Prideful, sensitive, wild or reserved?" Once I have her type, I launch into polishing it up, rounding her out and giving her layers. My favorite characters are those who surprise me, who are flawed and quirky and sometimes let their desires or fears get the better of them.

Every character is driven by a force. You simply have to figure out what that force is. Is it fear, love, hate, revenge, justice? Is she seeking something?

Margo Kelly is doing a brilliant blog series about character development and she offered these three questions for us to answer:

1. What lie does your character believe?
2. What will your character avoid at any cost?
3. What does your character know that no one else does?

I love how compelling these questions are. I hope this information helps with your character development, and wish you wonderful writing!

Roadtrip: You? Who ARE You?

2012-01-11T12:13:00.004-05:00

It's the 112th Roadtrip Wednesday! I've missed this blog hop and I'm glad to participate again.

This Week's Topic:

If you couldn't use your own name, what would your pseudonym or penname be?

Believe it or not, one of the first questions I asked an agent, when I met one in person, was do I need a pseudonym? Looking back on it, it doesn't seem like such an important question, but to a brand new writer who's always had her name mispronounced or misspelled in school, I really wanted to know.

My full name is Donelle Renee Lacy. I share the same initials as my deceased father. DRL. I was even named after him (Donald Lacy - Don L, get it?). I love my initials, but for years I didn't particularly love my name. I was always confused with the Danielles in my class in high school. One teacher even called me Donella because he didn't know how to pronounce it. I didn't hate my name, but I just thought if it was a little less like Danielle or Denelle, then it might be easier.

What this agent told me was no. Absolutely not. She said that my name was unique and fit my genre (Victorian YA fantasy) very well. Since then I have googled myself and discovered that (mostly due to the internet presence I've been creating) I'm the only Donelle Lacy there is. The first page of Google is filled with me! - the second one too. (not to brag, seriously, but it's pretty cool!)

Being an avid lover of character creating and naming, I still toy with the idea of a pseudonym for myself. I haven't decided if I'll call myself D. R. Lacy (a little more androgynous), Donelle R. Lacy (in tribute to my father with that same initial) or Donelle Renee Lacy when I publish. But I'm not worried now. Talking to that agent really put those concerns about creating a completely new identity for myself to rest. I can be proud of my name online in forums, chatrooms, and the blogosphere.

As someone who hid behind false identities for years in chat roleplay, I can tell you this is an anxious and exciting new world for me. I'm sometimes worried "What if I say something really stupid or off-hand to someone and they remember my name forever as that girl who said ____?" I'm still not quite up to using my real name in certain chatrooms yet, but I'm getting there.

What about you? Are you proud of your given name? Do you have a pseudonym?

Inspired Tuesdays - The Birth of Your Character

2012-01-10T22:44:00.004-05:00

The muse must be drifting around the blogosphere dropping the topic of character development, because it's turned up in at least two of the blogs I watch, and now it's turning up in mine. I'll have to say, I love this topic! It's one of my favorite parts of writing/story-telling. There are so many wonderful suggestions, tips and techniques that you can get very happily distracted going through them all. And now I get to share with you mine! This is an Inspired Tuesdays topic (which is probably going to turn into a mini-series of blog posts all about character development.)

If you'd like to see the two blog entries that really inspired this topic, they are: CRAFT: Character Development Part II by Margo Kelly, and Some Thoughts on Naming Characters by Kirsten Hubbard at YA Highway.

Now, on to the topic! Most of you know when you create a character, you name it, you give it a personality, you drop it into your story and build a plot around it. But, what happens before all of that? First you have to get that crazy, brilliant, amazing idea that gives birth to your character. That idea can be a creeping, misty imagining or it can be a blazing supernova of inspiration, but however it comes, once it's there you have to see it to fruition.

How do you get that idea? What first inspires that lightbulb to pop over your head and spread that 'eureka!' grin over your face?

There really isn't a formula for getting the idea that births your character. You simply have to be aware. Observe, read, watch movies or tv, browse the internet for something interesting - anything that will get the creative juices flowing. And always be ready for when that idea plops down to make a cozy, accepting place for it.

I got the idea that inspired my MC Lividia through tabletop gaming... that failed. I'm a gamer girl, and in college some years back I was about to participate in a campaign of Whitewolf's Changeling: The Dreaming. Then it all just fell apart. I was very disappointed. I had outlined my character, her personality, what she looked like, etc, but I couldn't use her. I knew she had a story to tell. I knew she was special. When I finally took the steps many years later to adapt her and make her the main protagonist of my first novel, it was like she'd finally gotten the voice she'd wanted all these years. She finally got to live her story. She was happy and I was happy because it turned into an awesome book (which I am currently looking for representation for).

What crazy, brilliant, amazing idea brought about your character's birth?

A Love Song to My Manuscript

2012-01-09T12:37:00.004-05:00

In my last post I explained my revision method. And now I have an update. I didn't revise long, and I didn't revise hard, but I did revise! And it went very well. Then I reached a spot where I knew if I changed the scene, it would impact the rest of the book. So, now I'm stuck again until I get up the courage to either change that scene (and thereby change the rest of the book) or leave it alone and not worry about it.

As I paused in my revisions, I talked with Zakgirl (this girl continues to be my biggest cheerleader and I'm glad for it!) in chat about my MS and my next book. After bathing in her glowing compliments of my first novel, I decided to revisit my second and get past the scene that had me stuck. I rewrote the scene and loved it so much more after that! I finished the first chapter, and now I'm ready to leap head-first into the meat of the book and get my MC to her first destination. It's so exciting and this novel series is so close to my heart!

Hearing readers tell me how much they love my book makes me love it more myself. Then rereading makes me fall in love all over again, and want to share it with more people, spreading that love all over the place.

This is why I love my book: It's about a female protagonist who struggles against both Victorian expectations of her and otherworldly creatures in her first book. She uncovers shocking family secrets, and mysteries about her mother that not even her father is willing to tell her. She discovers new truths about herself, inner strength, and abilities beyond her imagination. She reunites with a guardian who she'd lost by 'growing up', but who has never ceased to watch over and care about her. (potential love interest? I won't say just yet!) All of this is wrapped up in shadows, old books, faerie legend and the ghosts of the past that haunt the present. Lividia doesn't just have to save herself in this book. She has to save her whole family. Like any teenager with a seemingly impossible task, she is unsure, afraid, and seeks answers anywhere she can find them.

There is magic in this book - old magic, like incantations, cleverness and cold iron. There is frustration, not knowing who to trust and what to reveal. There is family you wish you didn't have, but they're all you've got. And Lividia... Lividia is wonderful and pensive and hopeful, and carries in her heart the reason she must be the one to save them, and the reason The Strawman, The Sandman (and probably a few women too) want to kill her.

A love song to my manuscript:

Do you love your manuscript? What do you love most about it?

MS Revision is GO!

2012-01-07T13:40:00.006-05:00

I've been thinking about it for a long time, revising my 76,786 word manuscript. I'm a pantser (which means I write without outlines, and meander my way into brilliance as I go) but this means I have to edit what I've written afterward for consistency and cohesiveness. I also edit like mad as I write. Can't help it. Then I edit a chapter set (1-3 chapters or so) when I finish it. And so on, until I'm finished with the novel. After I've finished, I'm loathe to go back into that vast pile of words and polish it again. (I'm sure you can understand why.)

But! After querying some at the end of last year and facing more queries this year, I think it's time I took another look at my beloved first novel. I'm taking suggestions and critiques into account as I read through, and hopefully I can improve it.

To tell you the truth, I don't think there's anything wrong with my novel. I think the edits and revisions I'll have to make will be minor, tweaks here and there, some clarifying or adding details. I just get daunted by the word count.

Here is my revision method.

1. To get myself inspired I do something very active before sitting down to revise. In this case it was dance around my dining room like a whirling dervish, listening to oldies... like this one:

2. Then I make sure the cats are fed, the family otherwise occupied, and any other distractions removed. My distractions include: cat demanding to be played with, family calling or dropping by, errands demanding to be run, belly demanding food, Facebook demanding I chat on it. You get the picture.

3. I break out the Word file, and turn off any distracting music (or tune into something more peaceful) and start my read-through. I also have to have a drink and a snack of choice around so that I don't need to keep getting up when I get the munchies. (It's good to take bathroom breaks before you start.)

Are you daunted by revising? Do you have a revision method? What are your distractions?

Positive Resolutions: A Good Fridays Post

2012-01-06T00:05:00.006-05:00

For all the new followers from the Insecure Writers blog hop, hi there and welcome! I didn't get around to nearly as many blogs as I wanted on Wednesday. The list isn't going anywhere, though.

Good Fridays is a weekly spot on my blog where I mention one or two good things about that week. This week, in keeping with New Year tradition, it's resolutions.

I feel very positive about this year. I have already gotten a good start at my resolutions. And just to pump myself up and see if I can manage it, here they are, in no particular order:

Sell things on Ebay to declutter my house and get money for better things (already started, woo!)
Finish the second novel in my Lividia series
Finish the illustrations for the first novel
Finish the ball-jointed doll I started making 5 years ago (life happened, major procrastination followed)
Make her some hair and clothes
Finally buy my second bjd (reward for years of waiting for the 'right' time to buy her)
Gain more blog followers *grins sheepishly*
Aquire an agent
Get better at piano

That's my list for now. What about yours?

Insecure Writers - Confession and Encouragement

2012-01-04T10:52:00.006-05:00

This is my first Insecure Writers Support Group post. I've been trying to think of some confession, or some burst of encouragement I can offer for my first time in this blog hop. Instead of choosing, I'll give you both.

Confession: I am not a writer. At least I didn't start out being a writer. I'm a storyteller. I'm a world-builder. I'm an artist (and not in the snooty way, but in the printed out on paper kind of way.)

Very often, because I share my mind with all these things, I don't feel like I fit into any specific category. When I was in grad school, I felt a bit out-of-place among fellow illustrators, because I also like comics and anime. I fit in with the Sequential artists at SCAD because I'm also a gamer, science fiction and fantasy fan, occasional cosplayer, and a ball-jointed doll enthusiast. In other words, a big geek!

I don't regret my choice to be an Illustration major, just as now I don't regret being a writer who plans to illustrate her own novels. I just have trouble finding agents who rep author/illustrators. It only means I have to work harder, search more carefully, and make the right connections. And pray. A lot.

That brings me to the Encouragement part. Even though I might feel like I should take the easier road (write something popular, easy to rep, without pictures) it wouldn't make me happy. In the long run, happiness is what's important. Success is good, but happiness is better. I'll keep searching for that right agent who reps author/illustrators, who loves my style just the way it is. I'll keep believing, and eventually it will happen (maybe this year!).

Anyone in the same boat as me, or just a writer who feels like their style is a bit out-of-place in today's sparkly vampiric dystopian market, needs to just hang in there. Work at it. It'll come. And in the meantime, feel free to share any agent recommendations, cause I need them!

Inspired Tuesdays: Inspiring Jobs

2012-01-03T12:44:00.004-05:00

This Inspired Tuesday pretty much snuck up on me. I was in the middle of my 'car job' and I realized it was Tuesday, so I'm taking a break to write this. Sometimes I wonder if anyone reads blogs on Tuesdays, since so many do the Monday, Wednesday, Friday blogging schedule. But here it is!

Inspired Tuesdays is a kind of weekly meme about what inspires you/me/everyone who's creative to do the creative things we love to do.

This week's topic is: Inspiring Jobs. Have you ever had, or currently have, a job that inspires you to be creative, produce a piece of work you're very proud of, or just really look forward to getting up in the morning?

I've had a handful of various jobs on my journey into adulthood, and as an adult, I've still not found that 'perfect job' for me. I want a career, but it's not easy to become a professional illustrator/author/character designer, etc. Breaking into the creative field is like trying to puncture a rubber wall with a letter opener, and freelance can't always guarantee you a steady income. I have bills to pay and things to buy, so I have another job.

I advertise for a new company that works with car dealerships to help them sell their cars online. I never thought I'd be in advertising and I never thought I'd sell cars, but here I am and I'm not half bad. So, while this job isn't in my field, it's helping me learn advertising, which I think every writer and artist should know. It's also letting me exercise my general cleverness and creative problem-solving.

You'll have many jobs in your search for the career of your dreams, but what matters is that you get the most out of each job you take. They can do more than simply pay your bills. They can help you learn about yourself. And who knows? The job you take to pay your bills could become the career of your dreams!

New Year's Christmas Extravaganza!

2012-01-01T22:57:00.005-05:00

Must be the New Year. My stats say I've have no comments ever and no activity. (I love clean slates, don't you?) Happy New Year!

As for what I've been doing for the past week or so, I've been up to my eyeballs in family plans. We had a wonderful simple Christmas last weekend. My mom, younger sister and I cooked a meal together and spent a cozy evening playing Scene It. Then the week exploded. We did two gift-giving sessions with my older sister's family, one for the kids and one for grownups. Saturday we bustled around preparing for the trip to the city, and the gift-giving session with my brother's new family. New Year's Eve we were still wrapping presents for the little ones. And today we traveled an hour and a half there and back to see them.

Seeing them was great. We ate, we unwrapped, we watched them unwrap. And I made my new five-year-old niece tickled all over with a box of sparkly hairclips and my 1995 holiday barbie. There's nothing like a big glittery dress on a fluffy-haired doll to make a girl who wants to be a princess think she's in heaven.

After the food was eaten, the Veggie Tales movie watched, the gifts unwrapped, and the seven children herded down to the play room, there was a great Fruit Ninja battle. Many fruits met their untimely end and a wonderful time was had by all.

That was my New Year's Day/Late Christmas. Hope you all had a great one too!

Inspired Tuesdays: Wintry Blog Brushes

2011-12-27T15:43:00.005-05:00

Inspired Tuesdays are a weekly spot on my blog about the things that inspire me to create. As you might notice, I now have a very wintry-looking blog. Yay! My blog's look needed a revamp, so I turned it blue and black striped. Then I thought it needed something more (since it was already such a wintry shade of blue) so I found these wonderful snowflake brushes from Meldir on Deviantart. If any of you use Photoshop 7 or higher, definitely download these brushes! They rock!

I also improved my blog banner/header, removing the nasty white pixels around the edges, putting a nice blue stroke around it, and including my blog title. Now it's Tim-Burtonish and wintry!

I had a good Christmas. I taught Sunday School, picked up my Christmas treat bag, then went home to help make Christmas lunch. The rest of the day was spent with family and the gift that keeps on giving - a nasty headcold. I'm still stewing in the symptoms of that little 'gift', but spiffing up my blog makes me feel better. Hope you all had a Merry Christmas too!

Pizza and Free Puppies

2011-12-20T23:34:00.004-05:00

There's no Inspired Tuesday post this week. But I did want to welcome all my new followers and say thanks for the comments! Blogs aren't very social things, but I wish they were. Comments feel like a one-way street and posting can seem like sticking a page of your journal up on a bulletin board, surrounded and often covered up by fliers for pizza delivery or free puppies. How can you compete with pizza and free puppies?

With the holidays coming up, I might disappear for awhile. Half my family is going out-of-state to visit in-laws, and I won't see them until after Christmas. We're planning to get together New Year's Day with the new members of the clan.

This year I've gained five new nieces and nephews, plus a sister-in-law. I already had two nephews and a brother-in-law, two sisters, a brother, and a mom. Wrangling all those people isn't an easy task. Neither is finding a date when everyone is free. (Here's hoping everyone else's holiday family-wrangling goes smoothly!)

For all my friendly followers and commenters, here's a bit of my odd music taste! These songs make me happy. Hope you like them too.

A Taste of Wrath and Envy

2011-12-17T02:55:00.007-05:00

Tis the season for Full Metal Alchemist fanart. Meet my two favorite homunculi Envy and Wrath. (they're even red and green!) Click the images for a bigger view of each. For those not familiar with FMA, Wrath is on the top of the lefthand card and Envy is on the top of the right. (I flipped them so you could see Envy better.) I used artistic license a bit here, since Wrath's hair isn't really red, and his face isn't really that scary. Also, as far as I know, Envy doesn't have a tongue that long, but it fit the concept.

What are your favorite homunculi? Or if you're not an FMA fan, the Seven Deadly Sins?

Deja Vu Blogfest - Lividia Story Teaser

2011-12-16T13:10:00.003-05:00

It's time for the Deja Vu blogfest! This blogfest is all about reposting an old post that you feel is worthy of a larger audience.

I chose for my post a teaser of the novel I'm currently submitting to agents. I call it Lividia: A Shadow Story. It's a YA historical fantasy with dark nursery rhyme and fairytale elements, and plenty of shadows. It's the story of a Victorian girl who reawakens to herself and a world only she can see. I'm so excited over this book and the series that it's given rise to for me, that I had to share it - again!

(Nox Arcana's Lullaby played through many of Lividia's night-time scenes.)

Chapter One: The Man in the Dream

Lividia lay awake, gazing at the ceiling past the posts of her bed, and wondering what secrets her mother never told her. At seventeen, she had learned to live without her, learned to be a proper young lady, with proper goals and dreams. But there was always something there, an uncertainty that plagued upon her mind.

With fingers folded atop an old gothic novel, Lividia pondered for hours, until the wick of her candle had burnt down, and the wax was filling the dish. The shadows cast were long and gaping, engulfing most of the room, except for the halo of light around her side of the bed. Within that vast amount of shadow something stirred, but Lividia didn’t notice, for she had fallen asleep.

In her dream there was a corridor, a set of stairs, a carpet, and then a room – her room. Finally, she was looking upon herself in her own bed as she saw herself sleeping. She wasn’t alone in the room. Beside her bed was a figure, just a little taller than she was. What skin she saw was so pale in the light that it looked white. Only a face, and gray, fingerless gloves, but she could tell it was a man. He was dressed in a dark blue jacket with a high collar and loose bowtie. Shadows consumed the lower half of him, making it too dark to see.

(To be continued...)

Dare to Dream

2011-12-15T22:52:00.002-05:00

I haven't had a lot of time online for a couple days, and wasn't able to participate in this week's Roadtrip Wednesday (which looked like fun), so I thought I'd get on for a quick inspiring entry tonight.

With Christmas fast approaching, family feels closer than ever before, and the new year is sparkling ahead (or looming ahead, in some cases). What is on your mind this time of year? Getting through the holidays? Taking that trip to visit in-laws? Making your list of New Year's resolutions?

I have a ton of things on my mind. The energy in the air makes me want to get out, but the crowds of people make me want to run back home again. (I'm so torn!) I'm thinking of a new job, but the one I have is just now starting to take off. I want to freelance illustrate, but I also need time to work on my second book and get an agent for the first one. It's like candy-colored chaos in my head!

The approaching New Year feels like a new beginning to me, and it didn't used to. I was always a little wary of it, unsure of what lay ahead. But this year I have resolutions to spare, plans I haven't even thought of, and goals that dangle like a carrot, waiting for me to come get them.

What are your plans, and aspirations for this New Year? How about for the holidays? (Survival is always a good answer.)

Inspired Tuesdays: Starry-Ebooks

2011-12-13T11:26:00.009-05:00

It's time for another Inspired Tuesday! Inspired Tuesdays are all about inspiration, what inspires us, what motivates us to do what we do. I love these installments.

Last night I met a writer in a chatroom who heavily inspired this particular post. She told me she was going to self-publish and, as I was cringing and asking her if that's what she really wanted, she told me why. It made me really take a harder look at the self-pub ebook phenomenon. That's what this Inspired Tuesday's post is about.

Before I start, I'd like to clarify that this post is about ebook publication, not self-publishing printed books. Ebooks have become a huge phenomenon, providing another means for writers to get their work to readers in our tech-happy society. This electronic book craze is scaring the crud out of agents and publishing companies, because they no longer have the keys to the kingdom. It should also offer new authors hope that maybe 'no' from an agent (or a hundred) isn't the final word in their writing career.

I started out very wary of ebooks. Worried how they would affect my chances at traditional publishing, worried how I would promote my books, worried I wouldn't get any money out of it if my book didn't do well. There are no advances in self-pub, but you do get royalties. In this article at How to Write a Book Now Self-Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing the money issues are outlined pretty well. Sort of a "publishing ebooks for dummies".

A lot of my concerns about self-publishing ebooks was grounded in my ignorance of what it is and how it worked. Other writers who shared my fears probably did for the same reason. We saw it as a backup option if you tried and failed at traditional publishing, or we saw it as a means for a 'quick and easy' author title. In some cases, that's just what it is, but not all cases. The Seduction of Self-Publishing, over at Terrible Minds has a litmus test to see if self-publication is right for you. If you're considering self-pubbing an ebook, I highly recommend reading that first.

At one end of the spectrum you have writers (and publishers) who don't take ebooks seriously and who don't see it as 'real' publishing, and at the other end you have writers who laud ebooks as the best thing since sliced bread. They say self-publishing is the new 'it' thing and that ebooks will pave the road to glamor and success. They paint a pretty picture, but it's really paved with a lot of hard work, money spent on advertising your ebook, and methods to get your book edited professionally before you hit the big bucks. And some writers never do.

A number of ebook-published writers make enough royalties on their sales to get by, or to add a secondary income to their household, but I haven't heard of many who hit the bigtime. In the article How I Became a Best-Selling Author one ebook-published writer recounts her success, and how she did hit the bigtime. After reading her story, I can nod and say "yes, that was the perfect path for her." But it isn't the perfect path for everyone.

A big lesson I've learned from my venture into YA publishing, is that you have to know your audience. You have to know who you're writing to. Are you writing to adults, or children? What about teenagers? Do you know how to reach them? Do you know what type of materials they read, or how they access those materials?

A lot of teens still get their books from brick-and-mortar bookstores or their local library. They ask for the latest YA sensation for Christmas or their birthdays and it shows up with a ribbon around it. Most of the time, it isn't an ebook. But with the popularity of Kindles, Nooks, and Ipads, this is changing fast. (Readers may be familiar with the story of YA author Amanda Hocking who exploded ebook sales and went on to sign with St. Martin's Press this year.)

That's why I suggest writers (especially those of YA) do some research. Find out where your readers go to find the stories they love, and then decide how you want to publish your book. It would be crazy for a coloring-book artist to publish ebooks, just as it would be crazy for Darcie Chan to continue getting nowhere with traditional publishing.

I've decided to go down the traditional publishing path. I love the thrill of querying, even when I get rejections, the security of working with a team of people all trained to do a specific job, preventing me from having to do all the work myself. It's a lot of work to write a book and illustrate it, let alone get it out there and publicize it. And if someone else is distributing it, publicizing it is not such a problem.

I'd love to see it on shelves and say "I made that", including the illustrations on the book jacket. And I'm fully prepared to fight tooth and nail to get as much creative freedom as I can, and find an agent who agrees with me. If I didn't want all of that, I'd definitely consider the ebook route.

All you have to do is reach your readers, whether that is with ebooks or traditional publishing. Find the information you need to make your dream happen, and never sell yourself short. I wish you luck in whatever approach you choose!

Who-nouncements and Christmastime Fangirling

2011-12-12T18:31:00.005-05:00

My Doctor Who fanart Chasing Starlight will be featured in the fanzine The Terrible Zodin at the end of this month, accompanying reviews of the new season with the 11th Doctor. I felt pretty honored when they asked if they could use it. I also have to give props to Leslie McMurtry for her nonprofit work as editor of the fanzine. It takes a pretty diehard fan to work without pay!

You can help encourage The Terrible Zodin by dropping by their blog and checking out the 'zine. Fellow Whovians might also want to follow them.

Don't forget the Doctor Who Christmas special The Doctor, The Widow and the Wardrobe at 7pm EST on Christmas Day. You can read more and watch the prequel at BBC.com. I've been chomping at the bit for this one. *twitches and foams at the mouth* December 25th can't come soon enough!

image courtesy tigtog at tumblr

Boogie Down!

2011-12-08T23:18:00.007-05:00

I just sent six queries out tonight and I'm floating! It's such an incredible rush to write a query you're proud of and take that plunge. And when I plunge, I plunge big. I don't think I could get a better high if I hang-glided off the top of the Empire State building! (and that wouldn't be a high anyway, that'd be pure terror!)

Pardon me while I go dance around my dining room. Feel free to join me.

Roadtrip: Only if my book had leopard spots

2011-12-07T13:35:00.009-05:00

I haven't done a Roadtrip Wednesday in weeks! And I'm glad I chose today to jump back in!

This week's Roadtrip Wednesday Topic:

How far would you go to get published?

Would you:

1.) Jump on the trend train?
2.) Switch to a well-selling genre?
3.) Do minor revisions requested to sign with an agent?
4.) Do major revisions requested by an editor?
(This next one I'm adding because it's one I've tangled with a lot.)
5.) Eliminate the illustrations or let house illustrators do them?

When I first saw this topic, I thought "Wow, does that mean the guy in the fuzzy hat, gold teeth, and walking stick is my agent?" Then I read the sections and I understood a little better.

Rather than just being petulant and giving you a big fat "No!" I'll break it down into what is "no", what is "yes" and what is "it depends". ("It depends" seems to be a very popular answer for these.)

#1 - No. I have a problem with trends, just because they are trends. Most of the time I get so sick of them that I couldn't imagine writing something for them. I'm either ahead of trends, or behind them, and that is fine with me. If it turns out that this book series I'm working on is part of a trend in the future, then WOO-HOO! But just know I didn't do it intentionally.

#2 - Maybe. I write YA. And right now it just so happens to be a well-selling genre. But if it wasn't, I'd base my decision on what I like to read. If I like to read it, chances are someone else does and that means there'd be a market for it somewhere.

#3 - Minor revisions? Oh, heck yes. In fact, I'd expect them. What worries me is this next bit.

#4 - Major revisions from an editor. I live in fear of this one. I'm currently unpublished, but everyone tells me this will happen. They say editors like to rip your MS apart and make it into a totally different story. I think that's a bit extreme. (and possibly not altogether true.) I would fight that with every last breath.

Here's an exception: if an editor asked me to alter plot, and I felt it actually helped in the long run (long run being the fact this is going to be a series). I would probably agree to that.

#5 - NO! (I knew I'd get that petulant "no" in here somewhere.) Never ever, ever. And I'll tell you why.

My current MS - I LOVE this story. It's the first in a YA Victorian fantasy series I've been thinking about for a very long time. It has slightly odd, underdog, fish-out-of-water characters. It has dark nursery-rhyme and fairytale elements. It also has illustrations, done by me - chapter headers and a few internal full-pagers. I also plan to do the cover. And I will too.

I have my MFA in Illustration, and I've been drawing longer than I've been writing. Therefore, I am skilled enough to illustrate my own books and anyone else's books who wants me. So, of course I'd have trouble with someone telling me I had to toss out the illustrations I'd worked so hard on.

This is my book, and to take out the illustrations would remove a wonderful element of the story. (For the full rant on that, check out this post.)

To wrap it all up, I wouldn't change my story just to be trendy, just to make the best-seller list. Sure, it would be nice if I made the list. But, I'd rather create something that would trend only in a niche market of those who would really appreciate it.

How about you? How far would you go to sell your book?

Inspired Tuesdays: You

2011-12-06T00:14:00.004-05:00

Sometimes it's very hard to get yourself inspired. When the things you love to do don't turn out the way you want, when people don't make you feel validated at all, you just have to validate yourself. Tell yourself that you rock. Play the songs that make you feel like the success you know you are - before the world has found out about you.

Think of it like a big secret. You're the only one in the world who knows it, but soon everyone will. Soon, you'll be so busy you'll have to apologize to the blogging world for being away on tour, working on your next book, talking to your agent/editor/publisher. Sorry, you'll say. I love all of you, but I'm so busy lately! I promise I'll see you at my next book signing!

You won't have the time to check your twitter or email as often. You won't have time to sign into Facebook and spend hours chatting to your friends. Your dream will have arrived, and you'll be embracing it with open arms saying "Where have you been all my life?"

You won't have to wait anymore. Just think of it. This is the last year you'll have this much free time - to worry over queries, to suffer through rejections, to tweet to fellow writers about your #fridayreads, to painstakingly assemble the perfect playlist for that manuscript you're working on.

Enjoy your time, and enjoy every agonizing minute that you're still unpublished. Because we both know it's only a matter of time before you are.

Have an Inspired Tuesday!

(This is a heartfelt message to you amazing aspiring authors, myself included.)

If You've Got the Notion...

2011-12-04T21:33:00.005-05:00

Mondays are usually very busy for me, so I'm dropping a quick entry tonight. I love December and all the potential it holds, and I'm revved up by all the energy in the air. Like I told a friend of mine, in small towns where it feels like just you and maybe ten other people, December shopping makes it seem like those ten people have multiplied by hundreds. And they're all out - on backroads, on highways, in the stores. Everywhere!

I've been feeling some pressure lately to get myself a blogging schedule, to improve my posts if there's something I'm missing that people want to read. I don't want to end up like those holiday shoppers - the ones who hyperventilate when the last popular toy is gone and they don't know if they can find another one by Christmas. I want to enjoy the season with my family and remember what's important. (And it's not all the presents.)

Blogging is supposed to be fun. And I am determined to make it fun again. So, what I want to know is, do you like this blog the way it is? Would you like to see something more from it? More book reviews, more writing information, more art posts? Now's the time for constructive criticism!

Here's some oldschool for you (and my song to blogging)

Introducing Lividia

2011-11-30T22:43:00.002-05:00

I decided to take a break from a larger illustration I'm working on to show you a piece of it. I wanted to introduce you to Lividia Blackwell, the main character of my YA Victorian fantasy series. Her first book (which I call Lividia: A Shadow Story) is finished, the second in progress.

This is Lividia.

Lividia Blackwell is the only daughter of Samuel and Elira Blackwell. Her hair is very dark and her eyes are very light. They are gray-blue and always look a little sad. She has the appearance of someone who has seen what no one else can see. And she has.

Lividia is seventeen, tall, and very thin. She is so pale that when she wears white she startles people. She has a habit of exploring her large stone house when everyone else has gone to bed. She also has a habit of finding out secrets. Lividia has always been good at finding things - especially things that no one wants found.

Lividia's personality is like a jewelry box with a secret compartment. Beneath what you expect to find is always something more. She's thoughtful, curious, and observant. She is brave but doesn't realized just how brave she is. Her temper flares brighter over an injustice done to a loved one than to herself. If she is faced with a problem, she considers it from all angles before diving into it. She is only frightened by what she can't rationalize. And it's what she can't rationalize that draws her.

Lividia is most comfortable curled up in a chair in her father's library, reading Frankenstein. She doesn't mind library dust, since she doesn't trust rooms that are too clean. They remind her of museums.

Lividia's favorite color is emerald green. Blue is her second favorite. She admires purple on other people, but thinks it makes her look like a giant bruise. Red is completely out of the question. (It is also her cousin Nephenia's favorite color, but I'll talk about her later.)

Lividia's favorite animal is actually an arachnid. She's fascinated by spiders. She always has been and she assumes she always will be. They're terribly dangerous for something so delicate, and they are good at sewing. That's why she admires them.

Lividia is a late bloomer. She might be seventeen, but she resents the pressure society and her father has put upon her to grow up. Most of her interest in young men is confined to the heroes in her books. She isn't impressed by money or power. If she were to pick a match for herself, she would want just that. A match. A friend and a companion. Someone with whom she could share her dreams, her thoughts, and her day.

Lividia's mother wasn't human, but Lividia doesn't know just how different she is yet. My first book is the story of her discovery and the path it leads her down.

I really like Lividia so far and I hope you do too. You'll be reading about her as soon as I can get this book published!

The music I listen to the most when writing Lividia is Delirium. Here are two of their songs.

Yay, blog candy!

2011-11-29T23:38:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Bailey at Over Yonder for giving me the Liebster award!
This award is meant to draw attention to blogs that deserve more attention. If you're curious about the name, Bailey shared that liebster is German for "favorite" or "dearest." Sweet, huh?

After you receive this award you:

1. Post this award on your blog.
2. Thank and link to the person who gave it to you.
3. Pass it on to five bloggers who have less than 200 followers.
4. Comment on those five people's blogs to share the good news.

Here are my five:

Cara M. at CP Slayer - so much love!
Zakgirl at Zakgirl On - as nice in chat as she is on her blog!
Skye at Write or Die Trying - this girl should have more followers!
Mara at Now Motivated - brand new blogger. Go make her feel welcome!
Arianna Sterling - been around the blog a few times, but this one's new to her.

Enjoy reading over these new blogs, folks! And keep passing the love around!

Inspired Tuesdays: Where Do You Get Ideas?

2011-11-29T13:07:00.003-05:00

I broke my blogging fast to post an Inspired Tuesdays question. Inspired Tuesdays is a blog prompt. You can answer it in comments or link to your own blog post. Don't forget to check back here every Tuesday for a new prompt!

This week's question: Where do you get your ideas?
No, I don't mean what you read, or what you watch. I mean location.

Mine is the bathroom. Specifically, the shower.

(check out this terrifying shower curtain. I wouldn't sleep for weeks!)

It's the one place in my house where I have nothing to do but think. No one can interrupt a shower - well, they can try but it's usually not very effective. There's no information to absorb but bubbles and steam. There're no cats to feed or children to chase after. It's a perfect place to let ideas flow.

The only problem with bathing brainstorming is that if you get an idea, you often lose it before you're dry enough to write it down. When I googled shower brainstorming, I found this, and think it's a great concept:

It can be found on the gadget page of NeatNewStuff.com. What a practical little gadget for writers!

Well, that's the end of this Inspired Tuesdays. Where do you get ideas? What makes that place special? Don't forget to leave a comment.

Deja Vu and Other News

2011-11-27T22:00:00.003-05:00

So, this blog hop landed right in my lap, thanks to Bailey at Over Yonder getting it from Colin who got it from the lovely people who started it. (Isn't it great how the blogosphere works?) I'd been thinking about this very thing lately - a chance to repost an old blog post that I don't think got enough attention. It saves me having to write a new post, and it gives me a chance to meet a whole bunch of new people. It also gives me some exposure, which is nice. Never underestimate exposure. If you get a chance, check it out. It's made of win.

Now, on to the 'other news'. I've tried before (unsuccessfully) to cut back my blogging, but instead I became a blog addict. I don't have it organized, I blog on whims, and my followers never know when I'm going to blog. I pretty much break all the blogging rules I've read. (I'll make a post about that sometime. Should be fun.)

I'm trying to work on getting organized, but I've always had a problem with it. They say artists are innately disorganized, but that could just be a myth. So, in effort to get organized, I'm trying to cut back on blogging yet again. It might make it easier on my followers too, since you'll know what to expect and when to expect it. (more or less)

I appreciate all of you. I'll have to do some kind of contest in the future to reward you guys. I'm still thankful my introduction to the blogging world has gone so well. So, here's me signing off until I get a better schedule. (which means I'll probably pop up later this week with a post or two. ...Boy, this isn't going to be easy.)

Don't Tell Me 'No'

2011-11-24T22:06:00.005-05:00

It's been awhile since my Dance Mix for Rejection and this post is along the same lines. I attended Writers Chatroom last night, and left with new passion and new fire for what I do.

In case you're new to this blog, I'm an illustrator who writes novels. Sometimes I don't feel like I belong completely in either group because of that. I haven't met many other author/illustrators, but I know they're out there, so I know I'm not alone. I also know they are up against a big wall in the publishing industry: house illustrators. I've been told many times that publishers don't want author/illustrators because they have their own illustrators. I've been told this so much, I get tired of hearing it. I've been told this so much, I don't care anymore.

I have a confession: I don't like being told 'no'. I'm not talking "No, you can't have that doll for Christmas". The kind of 'no' I mean is "No, you can't do that/have that/be that because it's hard/only for people who aren't you". When I hear "No, you can't illustrate your own novels" I feel defeated before I even try. I might as well just give up sending my queries now. I might as well hang up my pens and ink. I get defensive, I get passionate, I get ticked off. I feel as though those people telling me 'no' don't believe in me, don't think I'm worth it, and don't understand how good I am at what I do.

I understand when something has been in place for so long that people are loathe to change it. But that doesn't mean it can't be changed. That doesn't mean that the right connections, the right persistence, the right drive, the right query at the right time can't make a difference. From what I've seen and experienced, the publishing industry is all about the right connections, and the right query at the right time to the right person. I believe in that right time, and myself. I also believe in God, and above all, I know He has a right plan for my life. Who's to say this isn't it?

The people I admire have written books that launched vast franchises, illustrated comics that changed the industry, designed characters for movies, games or television that no one will ever forget, and no one can tell them now that they can't do it. No one would have the nerve to tell Neil Gaiman or Tim Burton they couldn't do something. And once upon a time, those men were unpublished, and underappreciated. We all start somewhere. Stephen King, J.K. Rowling, Stephenie Meyer, the list goes on.

Writers and artists need to be careful who they're talking to when they try to give a 'wake up' call to one of their peers. Even if you mean well, you might be building a wall of "no" and "can't" with your advice that should never be built. Let them face 'no' when the rejections start pouring in. Let them hear "can't" from someone else's lips, but not yours. There are enough naysayers out there without adding to the noise. They need your encouragement, not your negativity.

I first decided to include a few illustrations and chapter headers in my YA novel because an agent suggested it. Not a fellow writer, not myself, but an agent. She told me that agents are starting to want author/illustrators now. They like a package. That was only a few years ago. Since then I've grown my confidence to the point that I won't accept anything less than that dream. If I have to work hard, if I have to go through a mountain of rejections, I will see that dream fulfilled. I will not accept 'no'.

I've just started querying this year. Just started on the path that will lead me to publication. I don't need to hear 'no' this early. And neither does any other new writer. So save your 'no's and 'can't's unless you're saying "No! You can't give up!" Be a motivator, not a demotivator.

Here's a motivational song for ya.

Inspired Tuesdays: My Literary Hero

2011-11-22T00:14:00.007-05:00

I don't usually do prompts, but I got a great idea for one today and I'm testing it out. I have Good Fridays already, but perhaps there should be something at the beginning of the week. So, this is a trial run for something I want to make a regular thing: something that crosses the bounds of both writing and illustration. I'm calling it Inspired Tuesdays. The point of Inspired Tuesdays is to explore what inspires writers and artists to create. What influences us, keeps us going, and makes us excited to do what we do?

The song for today is "You're The Inspiration" by Chicago. Here are the questions:

What literary character left the biggest impression on you and your writing? (and)
What writer/artist influenced your style and inspired you to follow the path you're on?

You can answer both, or just one. Leave your answers in the comments or link to your own blog post. Here are mine.

My literary hero is Alice. She's brave, curious, logical, and is filled with awe and wonder. That's mostly because she is still a child. I haven't been affected by any other heroine in the same way (though Heidi runs a close second). I love child protagonists because they aren't confused by hormones, or any other complications that growing up bestows. They don't have to prove themselves to anyone but themselves. They have an entirely different set of expectations - from the world and from themselves. In a way, they see the world a lot clearer, and once they understand something, they simply accept it. They believe in things without having mountains of proof. They're not afraid of asking questions or exploring. The world is forever new to them, and the people in it - no matter how mundane - are frightening, or amazing, or miraculous. Any world to a child can be a wonderland!

And now, moving on to my artistic influences. My creative godfathers are Yoshitaka Amano, Gerald Brom, Jim Henson, and Wendy Pini.

Ever since I did a report on Amano in college, I've admired the man. I played games he did character design for (Final Fantasy). I watched anime he illustrated (Vampire Hunter D). And I wanted to pattern my career after his. His inks are elegant and amazing, and his colored work has so much detail I'd lose my mind to try it myself. It's like a faerie world in every illustration!

Brom. There's so much I could say about him, but his art speaks for itself. Dark, textured, sexy, creepy, magical, haunting, and fantastic (among other words). He makes redheads hotter than they could ever be in real life. I love his skill with skintone, his way with leather and fabric, and his warm, burnt, rusty palette. Yes, sir, your art is win. So much win.

And now Jim Henson. What can I say? I loved Farscape, I loved Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, and the Muppets. There didn't seem to be anything this man couldn't do. He'll be a classic forever.

Wendy Pini. When I was little - so little my brother had to screen my comic books for me - I discovered Elfquest. If any of you remember Elfquest, you'll recall it was an adventure of a band of elves who had large anime eyes, but western comic bodies, and lived in an alternative universe. This was because Wendy was influenced by anime (which I'd later learn when I got older and researched her). But her drawing style made such a mark on me that it's followed me through most of my life. Her characters were playful and fun (and reminded me a good deal of Peter Pan. Especially Skywise). I'm not sure if my love of pointy-eared men started with her, but it very well could have.

So, there are my inspirations for this Tuesday. What are yours?

Can Haz Thanksgiving?

2011-11-21T17:15:00.008-05:00

Monday is a day to catch up on emails, read and comment on others' blogs, and generally get myself geared up for the week. This week, everyone's posting thankful blogs and running around like turkeys with their heads cut off. I myself should be posting car ads. (I hope my bosses aren't reading this.) But instead I was thinking of the last leg of this year, and getting hopeful and geared up about that.

I have no more Doctor Who episodes to watch until the Christmas special. I might wither away in my fangirling, but I can focus on my own writing and my own projects for awhile. So that's good.

Here are 11 things I'm thankful for this year:
1. That God always brings something good out of something bad.
2. That I have such a wonderful and supportive family.
3. That I have a job.
4. That I didn't continue doing Nanowrimo.
5. That I've started the second book in my Lividia series.
6. That I still have over a month to prepare for next year.
7. That I've learned how to query, and weathered through my first rejections.
8. That I've made some good writer friends - and will make more before the end of this year.
9. That I'm already building a fanbase. (yes, I know who you are, and I think you're wonderful.)
10. That I read and loved a new book series besides Harry Potter. (Hunger Games is one, the Tiffany Aching series is the other)
11. That they revived Doctor Who in 2005, and it's still going. (Geronimo!)

And some of the things I want for next year are:
1. To land an agent who really believes in my book and gets along with me splendidly.
2. For both of us to charm a publisher and get a publication date announced. (people have been waiting to hear about this, and I'd like to finally have something to tell them)
3. To decide whether or not to teach college.
4. To get a lot better at piano.
5. For Mr. Moffat to make River Song likable or else get rid of her. (I just had to throw that in there.)

Since my cat insists upon demanding attention every time I'm at the computer, I decided to make a lolcat of him. (after I gave him the satisfaction of playing with him, of course)

Beware. He still has all his claws.

What are you thankful for this year? What are you looking forward to for next year?

Fight For You - Good Fridays

2011-11-18T12:09:00.006-05:00

In case you don't know yet, Good Fridays are when I highlight a few things that I'm thankful for during the week. Things that are good (hence the title). I just realized I haven't written a Good Fridays post since October 15th. The week before I found out about Pip. When I think about her I still feel like this:

In fact, the last conversation we had was about Doctor Who. But, like the Doctor, I regenerated... sort of. I'm still regenerating. So today what I'm thankful for is Pip. And this is the story:

I met Pippa Jameson in a chatroom on MSN when I used to do online roleplay. (If you want to know about that, I'll tell you in another post.) This was many years ago. It's hard to believe I've known Pip that long.

It began with just character interaction, but after awhile we were chatting on MSN messenger (this lets you know how long ago it was). We became great friends, and I'll tell you why. Pip balanced me.

If you've ever met someone who is sunlight to your fire, then you'll understand what I mean. We had enough in common that we got along well and could share interests. But we were different enough to influence each other (in good ways and bad). She got to see the worst of me, and, I like to think, the best of me also.

(Pip sees all!)

Whenever she was online, we'd RP or just chat. She was always the first to know about late-night schemes and ideas I had. Since she lived in New Zealand, I'd stay up late just to talk to her. She was always supportive, and took my rotten mood's in stride. Anytime she had a problem or someone was giving her trouble, I'd put my avenging angel wings on and threaten to kick its butt. This seemed to help, even if I couldn't kick anything since I was on the other side of the world.

Pip and I created a lot of things. And those things live on - most of them inside my head. Whether in character, or as ourselves, I'd fight for Pip.

Do you have a friend who is sunlight to your fire, the peanut butter to your celery, the apple to your sauce?

In Your Face!

2011-11-17T11:39:00.004-05:00

(courtesy link here)

So, Monday (or Tuesday, I forget which) I checked my email and found an agent's rejection of my Lividia manuscript. It was a constructive (I use the term loosely) criticism. This was one of the agents I had hoped would like my book, but after I had looked into her further, I really had my doubts about her. I didn't think I'd want to sign with her even if she offered, and so part of me is glad that she rejected my book.

Back to that. The gut-punch that's had me miserable for a couple days. She said my characters were one-dimensional 'caricatures', and that my MC is too passive to get invested in. She picked on my character development (which I take great pride in). And she picked on a choice I made for my MC to actually make her cool-headed and patient. Not passive. My MC is Victorian. Did I mention that? She's used to the world of women being a more quiet, subdued place to live - at least in front of men. She's not passive. She's trying to find her footing with all the changes going on in herself and her world. She's not a typical Victorian girl, but she's in a typical Victorian environment. Believe me when I say, this isn't easy to develop.

So many 'Victorian' novels today are modern takes on the ideas of Victorian life. They're full of references to Dickens or popular people of the time to try to make it seem Victorian, but the characters and the language aren't Victorian. In my book, I try to set a tone that feels Victorian. (The agent said I did a good job of this.)

So, back to the point. My characters. This agent is the only person who's made this comment to me so far, in all the years I've created and written characters. From one person, it shouldn't mean much, but it hurts because it's an agent. I broached this topic in Writers Chatroom the other night and everyone offered me advice. At first, most of the advice assumed the agent was right. This ticked me off. They hadn't read my book. They didn't know. But since she's an agent, she must know, right? (Yea, I'm not going to get into that right now.)

One of the many people who offered support and encouragement was Zakgirl. She told me to send her some pages to read and she'd tell me her opinion. So, I sent pages. And what she sent back confirmed what I'd known all along. That my book rocks. That my MC isn't passive and boring. That I am a god among writers! (okay, maybe not that last bit so much)

Zakgirl had some suggestions about active/passive voice, some suggestions about clarifying one or two little spots, but that's about it. (Booyah) Thanks, Zakgirl!

People assume that an MS often needs a ton of editing, a lot of help from a whole team of people to get to the 'good' stage, because, after all, no one can possibly produce a great story all on their own, right? You need a critique group, a mountain of beta readers and editors all toiling away so your manuscript is decent enough to hit shelves. (Popular myth, be prepared to be blown away.)

So when they read my book, I feel happily vindicated that yes, I do know how to write, and yes, it is awesome. Those little words "I love your story!" ring pleasantly around my head and I say, "HAH! In your FACE all you who doubted me (including myself)!"

It's important to remember, when you get a rejection that hits you right in your own backyard, that it is only one person's opinion. Sure, an agent's opinion means more because she knows the business, but she's still only one agent. There are hundreds of other agents out there who might love it just the way it is. And most of all, you must believe in your story! Don't let rejections take that away from you!

Now, pardon me. *does dance of vindication all over her house*

End of Time Rant - Doctor Who

2011-11-16T16:06:00.004-05:00

Well, I can't hold this back any longer. It took me watching a lot of episodes, but I finally got to The End of Time episode in the 10th Doctor's last season. That is very important. Remember that. It was David Tennant (and Davies' entire team)'s last season. And they wanted everyone to know it. They kept reminding you all through the second part of that episode by tugging on your heartstrings and dropping lines like Tennant saying another man would be walking around instead of him. Or that Ood saying "This song is ending, but the story goes on forever." In fact, that last bit from the Ood was the only part of The End of Time that wasn't heart-wrenching hopelessness over losing the 10th Doctor.

So, plowing on! There are spoilers if you haven't seen The End of Time. And if you have, and you have opinions, go ahead and share them. Because I'm about to share mine.

I've really liked Russel T. Davies' work and David Tennant as the 10th Doctor. I liked a lot of the epicness of it all. And we're talking EPIC. Huge space battles, the Doctor as a god - he threw the Devil into a black hole, for goodness sake! The Devil! Davies was big on displays of high emotion, brushes with death, big danger. Oh yes. It was lots of fun.

In retrospect, the display from the 10th Doctor before he saved Wilfred from the irradiated booth was spot-on for his character. But I still didn't like it. I expected the Doctor to be better than that. Less selfish. After all, he knew he'd regenerate. Sure, he'd be another version of himself, but he wouldn't be dead. I expected the Doctor to be a little better than, say, me in a situation like that. I would've probably gotten upset and thrown a timelord-sized babyfit too. And cried, I would've cried. And I would've said "It's not fair!" (oh wait, so did the Doctor)

So, on to the death - oops - regeneration. It reminded me of when I used to write angsty fanfiction. Davies was determined to make this Doctor and his time on the show memorable. And he did. The Doctor visited all the human companions and friends he'd made earlier in the series, giving us a taste of what we were going to miss now that Davies' team of writers isn't going to be around anymore. (I really hope some of them show up again, but I'm trying not to be upset if they don't.)

We got to see handsome, broody, melancholy David Tennant stagger through the snow into the Tardis and sob one last line before he exploded all that regeneration energy all over the place. "I don't wanna go." (See the "I don't wanna go" Really? review.) Here I wanted to smack the writers. It was a cheap shot, aimed directly at the hearts of the David Tennant angsty Doctor fans. It hit me too, but I was already getting tired of the angst by now. I wanted a break from it. I wanted the Doctor to be fun and goofy and weird. I wanted him to be more like the 9th Doctor was.

And along came Matt Smith. Oh yes. If I wanted goofy and fun, I got it. And I was glad for it. It was like I'd just put down a particularly tear-soaked copy of a YA novel and wanted some Terry Pratchett to clear my palette.

Now that I think about it, David Tennant's Doctor was the Timelord of Angst ever since he came on the series. He started out half-dead (due to 9's regeneration), and needed to be watched over and taken care of until he had his strength back. He stormed through his four seasons on the show with tears, rage, and all that sexy sarcasm. Then he ended with a huge bang that set the Tardis on fire, sending it crashing to earth in a smoldering heap. Talk about a drama queen. ...and yes, I loved him. And so did all the female geeks who ever swooned over a bad boy with a tear in his eye. We wanted to hold him and tell him it would be alright. We wanted to ruffle our fingers in his 'sticky-up' hair. We wanted to be Rose. (Well, some of us did.)

Russel T. Davies pushed all our buttons. All the way through what one reviewer called an "epic space opera" Davies built his Doctor up so that when it came time to end it, we'd all be crying like babies. And that's the way it's done. As a writer, I can appreciate it, but as a viewer it made me angry and I want to kick his entire team in the shins.

The End of Time made it out to be the end of the Doctor. They might as well have had a sign that said "Stop watching now. Your favorite is gone. You won't like the other guy. Trust us." That's
what bothered me the most. How hard the transition felt. How jarring. However, now that I've seen 10's regeneration, I feel closure. Like a quick jab of a space syringe, pumping a soothing syrup of Matt Smith into my veins. Sometimes I think about 10 and feel that angsty lump rise in my throat, and then I remember the show's still going. This isn't the end of the Doctor.

"You have to leave!"
"I can't go."

Yep. That's right. Stay Matt Smith. Stay as long as you can.

Award Thanks and Wacky Music

2011-11-16T12:55:00.007-05:00

First off, thanks to Zap over at Zap's Lobster Tank for giving me the One Lovely Blog award. I appreciate awards, but I always run into the same problem. Finding the required number of people to pass the award on to. I'm so new to the blogosphere that I don't follow many blogs yet. I'm trying to rectify that. So, I'll have to hold off on passing the award on to 15 people for now.

And now for the Wednesday update: This week I have two family birthdays and other things going on. It's raining and I don't feel like doing much. So here's a weird little, wacky video for you.

First Chapter finished!

2011-11-14T16:39:00.005-05:00

Forest of Stone. Sound epic enough? (epic is my new favorite word) That's the title of the first chapter of Lividia Blackwell's second book. With a word count of 3,073, I consider it finished. So ends the first hurdle in my new journey. Series books always feel like journeys - both reading and writing. Wonderful journeys. And if they're really good you don't want them to end. For example: Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and Sherlock Holmes on BBC. (Why are my favorites always british?)

So I can't wait to see what happens in the next chapter of Lividia's new story. I wish I was more of a plotter so I could say what comes between now and the next bit of great action I have planned, but I haven't the foggiest. I'll just have to see where the story takes me.

If you want to know some hints about the chapter (since it's a long time from publication) they are: glowing fish, big cave, and hidden monsters.

Attack of the Leaf Pile

2011-11-12T22:46:00.006-05:00

This is what I do when I'm not writing. This is the kind of thing that inspires writing. My nephews, a big, open Saturday and the last of the November leaves.

Boys infinity, leaf pile 0.

Hope you all had a great Saturday too.

11.11.11 - Chasing Starlight

2011-11-11T18:55:00.006-05:00

Far away
This ship has taken me far away
Far away from the memories
Of the people who care if I live or die
Starlight
I will be chasing a starlight
Until the end of my life
I don't know if it's worth it anymore

My 11/11/11 project: The Eleventh Doctor (my favorite Doctor)

Three glorious hours of painting his face and arranging stars behind him. And the fez. I had to include the fez. (Star stock came from here.)

Closeup:

Inspired by:

Change of Plans

2011-11-10T14:06:00.003-05:00

I've known I was easily distracted for a long time. I've known I try to do too many things at once and don't realize it until I'm up to my knees in it. I've known I can't trick myself into goals I don't believe in. I've known my priorities don't always revolve around what I should be doing. Technically, because I signed up on the website, I'm supposed to be doing NaNoWriMo, but I haven't been writing on my story for over a week. And I'm just now getting used to the idea that that's okay. I know exactly what I want this story to be. And the other night in Writers Chatroom I got a confirmation. I got 'permission' to stop doing Nano.

I don't like starting something and not finishing it. But I'm going to finish this story. I'm just going to finish it like I finished the first one: lovingly, with research if need be, with development, with time. I'm going to spend quality time with it, like I do my nephews, like I do with my sisters. That feels right.

I don't know if I'll reach the Nano goal this month or not. I'm not saying I'm dropping out yet, either. I just know I don't have to speed through this story.

I probably didn't realize what all Nano was when I signed up. Sure, I got the basic "you need to reach the goal of 50k in 30 days". But I've heard of all the ways people pad their stories out to reach that goal, how people panic or people feel like failures for not reaching it. I was starting to feel like a failure myself. It stopped being fun, and it did it in less than two weeks.

I launched into Nano with only an idea, and not a very well-developed one. (I decided to do Nano the day before it started.) But my new idea was so new that I hadn't had time to get to know it, and it didn't have as much draw for me. The MS I started in October did, though, and my MC kept calling to me to keep her adventures going. I'm querying her first book to agents. Really that's what I should still be doing - building my query list, sending out emails so I can get replies before the end of the year. I technically don't have time for Nano.

Nano is magnetic because of so many people, so much peer pressure. But you shouldn't do Nano because everyone else is doing it. You should do Nano because you want to challenge yourself, you want to finish the novel you've never made time for, you want to see if you can really write that much in a month. Whatever your reason, make it a good one because it's what'll sustain you when the going gets hard.

You shouldn't do Nano if you know it'll get in the way of other things that are more important. To all those who are still doing it, good for you! Have fun and get as much out of the experience as you can! To any who have realized they can't do it this year after all, don't feel like a failure. I don't.

This is such a pretty song with some really beautiful lyrics. Great for my mood right now:

I am Doom! - Roadtrip Wednesday

2011-11-09T11:22:00.008-05:00

It's time again for another Roadtrip Wednesday!

This week's topic: What are your writing and publishing superpowers?

I told myself I wouldn't do any more of these until I got further on my Nano, but I can't resist - especially when so many other people are doing it.

"Only Doom dares to dream! All others serve!"
Why Doctor Doom? Uh... I have a thing for world-domination.
(edit) Okay, it's because I like things big, I like things brilliant, and I like things MINE.

And now, my superpowers!

1. Character creation/development: From the character design, to the personality, I put a lot into making great characters. Sometimes my supporting characters will turn out great unintentionally and become an integral part of my story. But, I love it so much, I can get obsessed and it'll become my kryptonite.

2. Pantsing brilliance: No other way to explain this than just my subconscious is brilliant even when my conscious is a little dull. As I write, I watch plot tie itself together, strands that I'd almost forgotten about miraculously connecting themselves later in the story. I don't even know how this happens, but I'm glad it does!

3. Chapter titles: These are a lot of fun, and addictive. They only stumble me once in awhile.

4. Finally, my not-so-secret weapon: Illustration. If I have a problem describing a character or don't have a handle on what he/she is like, I just pull out my sketchbook. A few sketch pages later, I usually know the character much better. Or I'll keep at it until I do.

My kryptonite:

1. Deadlines: Ugh. Death. Dismemberment. I have a hard time sticking to them. I have a hard time self-imposing them and typically can't reach them because I just can't trick myself into thinking they matter. It has to be a party outside myself - a higher authority - that imposes them on me so I feel like there are consequences to not reaching them.

2. Book Titles: It's the pressure that this is the ultimate label for my manuscript, the word or words that everyone will know and speak once it hits shelves. A bad title can sink a book. Just like bad cover art can. I can't screw that up. Thinking about book titles, and especially series titles kills me a little inside.

3. Synopsis: I can throw together a pretty, polished, professional query letter... until it comes to the synopsis. There are so many ways a writer can pitch their book - for instance, mine could focus on the faerie aspect, or the boogeyman aspect, or just Lividia herself and her Victorian life. It all depends on the impression you want to give people about your book. It took me a very long time, and a handful of queries under my belt before I managed to get anything I really liked in this department.

What about you? What're your writerly superpowers? What's your writer kryptonite?

Spoilers: a River Song Rant

2011-11-08T17:32:00.003-05:00

First off, I haven't seen season 6 (or what is dubbed season six if you only count the last three incarnations of the Doctor). So, no spoilers please. If you haven't seen season 5, then here there be spoilers!

Second, there are some who like River Song and some who don't. If I had to pick, I'd be in the second category. And I will tell you why.

It isn't that I don't like her because she's the Doctor's future wife. (Although that does bug me just a little bit because I haven't gotten used to the idea.) It's that I don't like her. I don't like her attitude, I don't like her personality. I don't like how she makes the Doctor look like a bewildered schoolboy suddenly stripped of any authority he had. Sure, she admires him openly to others. Sure, she takes actions to help him, to keep him alive, to save his friends, etc. But she seems arrogant, and smug. It's almost as if she were created as Time Lord 2.0 designed to show the Doctor up.

When River came along in the fifth season, I found her origins very interesting. I even loved the idea that a woman with those abilities who'd time-hopped to find him, to help him, was going to eventually be by his side, someone for him to love and get to keep for awhile. He's always losing people that I thought it was a nice touch. It seemed like the writers understood fan sympathy for the Doctor and that they wanted him to be happy.

I'm not from the "She can't have him because I want him!" camp either. I liked the idea of the Doctor finally having someone of his own. But... not her. The way they wrote this lady gets under my skin every episode she's in. I keep thinking I might've seen her somewhere else and established a dislike for her before she was ever in Doctor Who. (possibly ER)

I especially dislike her with the latest Doctor Matt Smith. She fit better with the David Tennant incarnation of the Doctor - although she stumbled him too. Some actors have chemistry and some don't. River and the 11th Doctor feel off to me. He has more chemistry with Amy Pond than he does with his own wife. And because of the age difference between the actors - or maybe it's the boyish nature the current Doctor conveys - she always comes across as more a mother figure than an equal to the Doctor, in my opinion. So, paired with an almost innocent, wide-eyed, (and slightly bumbling) Matt Smith, it gives the impression of cougar and prey. When they kiss I find myself cringing, and I've never cringed over any Doctor Who smooches before.

The concept of the Doctor's wife feels like it was fed to us in hopes we'd eventually accept it, because we have no choice. It seems like the dreamchild of someone's fanfiction that somehow made it on television. We had time to get to know and grow to like all the other Doctor's companions, but suddenly there she is, thrust upon us, and wearing her relationship to the Doctor like a button on her chest. (of course, he's just as confused about all this as we are.)

I'd have a much easier time accepting it if it wasn't for River herself. A different actress would make it a lot more palatable for me. I'd enjoy the show a lot better then, and not keep wanting to boot her into the black hole from "The Impossible Planet".

And that's the end of my River Song rant. This blog will resume it's regularly scheduled writing and Nano-related program.

This week is New

2011-11-07T13:09:00.004-05:00

I've needed time. Last week was the start of NaNoWriMo and the work on my house. I hardly had time to think, let alone focus. I did the obligatory things like work and daily activities. But creative things mean you have to stop normal thought processes and open yourself up to write, and to feel. When I feel, I'm sad. I miss Pip. Everyone's clamoring about word count and the world is moving on... fast. Holidays are coming. It's really an awful time to lose someone. You don't get the time you need to mourn them, to miss them. Something else is waiting to steal your time away.

I've debated posting this because I worried people didn't want to hear about 'sad' things in my blog. I already posted how devastated I was when my *incredibly* good friend died October 22. People already know about it, but I can't just move on that easily. She's going to show up in blog posts sometimes. And that's okay.

I've realized after the fact that she'd become a huge part of me. That's why my world felt shattered when she died. It didn't seem like her to die. It didn't feel right. But we're never really ready for it. If it had been another year more or fifty, I couldn't imagine a world without Pip.

I continue to pray for her family. And I want to thank them. I felt so fictional and useless when I got that news. I was only an online friend, like a character from our RP sessions. I didn't think anyone knew about me from Pip's 'real' life. But they let me know that they knew about me, that they were touched by the blog post I wrote about her. They liked the song I picked for her. They even used my words in her eulogy. And that... that was the greatest thing I could've imagined. I felt real in her life then. I felt like I could reach across the oceans and give something back. I'm happy I got to make that contribution, and that they thought enough of me to let me. I feel honored, and touched.

Thanks, Pip's family. You're just wonderful people.

Joining the Rebellion

2011-11-04T12:04:00.004-04:00

This week has been crazy for me. I already mentioned in my Wednesday post that we've had little mini reconstructions happening in our house. Like walls, ceilings, and floors replaced or reinforced. Only one of each, but it's still a big deal. The workers did a great job and it's been exciting watching rooms change before your eyes, but it stresses you out and throws off your schedule. We got a new fridge and a new hot water heater, so there's been major appliance moving going on too.

The work invaded our space this entire week. I and my family had to keep finding a different room to take refuge in until they were done. But eventually they were finished. And now we can relax... after we clean. There's plaster dust all over the upstairs, I have sheets to wash and floors to mop. I also have a lot of things to move back into the rooms they worked on. The living room needs to function as a living space again.

Needless to say, this has cost me valuable writing time. After a day of all this, and trying to keep on top of my job, I am too tired. So, I'm thinking now is the time to become a Nano rebel. I'm behind in the novel I started (1,218 words, which I'm pantsing), but I have a perfectly good second Lividia novel I've been neglecting that is far more interesting to me right now. I might even tackle both of them when things settle down.

I don't intend to 'win' Nano, but I think I need to start fresh, and start next week instead. Here's to everyone who's doing their own thing in Nano!

The Doctor's Invincible Hoedown

2011-11-02T19:01:00.006-04:00

I'm horribly busy. Nano has started. Workmen are still in and out of my house, family around all the time (brother's visiting tonight) and I'm trying to catch time during the day to do my online job, and write. But! During my break, I thought I'd show you all my favorite Doctor Who fanvids from youtube. Here they are, in three categories.

Fun
Fight - The Stereophones(11)
Everybody Loves Me - One Republic (10) (This fits so well because he's most people's favorite)
No You Girls - Franz Ferdinand (9, 10, 11, companions)
Rocketeer - Far East Movement (10, 11, Amy, Rose, Donna)
Pretty Fly (for a white guy) - Offspring (9, 10, 11)
White and Nerdy - Weird Al Yankovic (10)
Tik Tok - Keisha (11) (the only way I can stand this song)
Dropped - Phantom Planet (9, 10, 11)
Let it Rock - Kevin Rudolph (11)
E.T. - Katy Perry (9, 10, 11, companions)
Love Today - Mika (10, 11)
Hoedown Throwdown - Miley Cyrus (10) (don't ask)

Epic
His Name is 'The Doctor'
Invincible - Ok Go (9,10,11)
New Divide - Linkin Park (10)
Live and Let Die - Paul McCartney (10)
Dream On - Aerosmith (9,10,11 and older doctor cameos)
I'm Still Here - Goo Goo Dolls (10)
Holding Out For a Hero - Jennifer Saunders (11, Amy)
Written in the Stars - Tinie Tempah (all doctors)

Sweet
I'd Come For You - Nickelback (9,10, Rose)
The Call - Regina Spektor (9,10, Rose)

Can you guess who my favorite Doctor is? (If you can't, then click here.) Also, I want to own that tardis cookie jar!

Tricks and Treats!

2011-10-31T21:43:00.009-04:00

This is Halloween! This is Halloween! The last day of October, the day before All Saints Day, and Nanowrimo. Whichever you're celebrating, I hope you enjoy it.

As for me, Halloween wouldn't be complete without carving my yearly jack-o-lantern. I picked out a big, fat pumpkin a few weeks ago and it's been sitting on my porch, faceless, since. So, tonight I carved it. And lit it, so it can do its duty and frighten nasty spooks away. (I'm not really afraid of nasty spooks, but I find the lore surrounding jack-o-lanterns pretty fascinating.)

My day has been filled with work, moving things, and staying out of the way of workmen who were tearing up my floors and ceilings (and replacing them with new ones). It's been a long day.

So, now that the tricks are over, it's time for some treats. First off, thanks to Bailey over at Over Yonder for giving me the Versatile Blogger Award! (methinks she must've seen the Doctor Who fanart, mixed with the playlists, the writing tips, and the bloghop entries.) Here're the bloggers I chose to pass the award on to:

I picked Erin and Laura over at
A** Over Teacup.
Just the title of their blog alone made me curious. As did their subtitle "Well, after this I should think nothing of falling down stairs..." *big Alice in Wonderland fan*

I might've dropped the ball a bit. (but with people tearing up my floor, I think I might be excused) When I find more bloggers to award, I'll make another post, but for now, on to the seven random facts!

1. I love seasonal candies. And right now I'm scarfing down candy corn. (that's right, my precious)
2. I approach life from a 'buffet' perspective. I want to have a little bit of everything and mix it together. (like music and art, sketching and blogging, traditional and offbeat)
3. I'm fascinated by the ocean and the creatures living in it,
but I'm frightened to death of drowning... and I can't swim.
4. Ever since elementary school, when I have chili I want to have a peanut butter sandwich with it.
5. I love words like 'rather', 'shall', 'methinks' and 'possibly' and incorporate them in everyday conversation whenever I get the chance.
6. I own a black cat with no tail and one white whisker that everyone wants to pull out. (he was born without a tail. the whisker he grew on his own)
7. If I go too long without drawing something, when I finally do, I'll end up drawing into the wee hours, and the next morning after I wake up.

Allons-yyyyyyy!

2011-10-28T21:48:00.008-04:00

This is what happens when you watch too much Doctor Who and cross it with the covers for Conan the Barbarian. ->

Fanart was bound to happen. Epic fanart with epic poses.

It'll be even more epic when I put an army of daleks behind the Doctor. (muahahahaha!)

Here's some Led Zeppelin to go with it. (This song is 10 minutes, so you don't have to listen to all of it. Unless you love Led Zeppelin.)

A day in the Tangled Forest

2011-10-26T20:43:00.003-04:00

Today I felt better than I have since I got the news about Pip. Today I actually felt like getting out of the house. My younger sister and I cleared away vines and dead branches from the forest that my backyard has become. We have a sprawling horizontal tree that fell during an ice storm and it lived, growing upward, ever since. As time passed and no one touched it, smaller trees sprang up around its branches and trunk, a rosebush nearly took over beneath it, and this snarl of a grapevine has almost consumed the rest. We hacked and chopped at the tangled forest until we'd managed to clear a way under the tree. Then we worked on freeing it from the vine, which was no small task.

I sat in a fallen tree under a perfect, gray autumn sky, watching leaves blow by in a wind that smelled of rain... and it was glorious. Anytime you get to climb trees when you're over thirty, it's a good day.

I still feel sad, and I'm going to feel sad for a long time when I think of her - my Pip, my friend who was so silly and kind and creative. But today I felt permission to keep going.

Roadtrip Wednesday: October Hunger

2011-10-26T11:41:00.005-04:00

Roadtrip Wednesday # 102: What was the best book you read in October?

This is no contest. Ever since I read this book, no book after it holds a candle. Last month it was Terry Pratchett's Wintersmith, and this month it's...

That's right. It pulled me in too. Hard. In my September post Don't Diss Dystopian I asked blog readers to recommend a dystopian YA that would change my mind about dystopian novels. And everyone recommended this book. I'd already heard of it online and by word of mouth, but I hadn't read it. I promised to do a review after reading it, but things kept coming up to postpone that review. Now YA Highway has given me a wide open door. I also promised to link to the blogs of those who recommended this book to me, and there were a few. You'll see those links at the end of the review. Here goes!

I found Hunger Games to be a thrilling read. Its set in a bleak future where the government controls life and sustenance for twelve districts, keeping them under a rigid thumb. But in the midst of starvation and hardship, there is Katniss. A determined, spirited girl, hardened by the grim, survivalist lifestyle thrust upon her at a young age. She wasn't always my favorite of female protagonists, but she certainly was her own. Her voice never wavered, and her perspective carried the book along at a spurring clip.

At first I was unsure about diving into a reality where pre-teens and teenagers fight to the death for a protected life for their families. It's a barbaric thought, but one that makes sense in Katniss' world. That's the thing about dystopian books, and one reason I am wary of them. They're just so doggone bleak, so negative, so gray and dismal. The worlds in them are like ashes in a firepit that've gone cold, but this book brought a hot little ember of hope to those ashes.

Yes, fire analogies. They kept cropping up in the book. Katniss, was, after all, "the girl who was on fire". I'm not spoiling it anymore than that. I thought the fire references were a nice touch, and they highlighted the theme of passion, life, and survival that was Katniss' story.

Because this story was like Gladiator, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, and a very spirited round of paintball, it kept a good pace from the beginning. (Did I mention it was also a reality tv show?) The story didn't lag anywhere, even in the first chapters where Katniss was describing her life and current circumstances. I also didn't hate the first-person perspective, because Katniss wasn't a personality that grated on my nerves. She wasn't gorgeous, she was tough, she had flaws, she had a thick skin, she was vulnerable, she was human enough to be someone you might know.

The only wish I have regarding Hunger Games is that I wish didn't know before reading that there was a second (or third) book. Not knowing could've really ramped up the read for me. I love surprises, twist endings, brushes with death. This book definitely had some great brushes with death. I loved not knowing how she would get out of the situations she was in, or how bad it would get before it got better. But since there was a second book, I wasn't as fearful for her safety as I could've been.

That said, I'm glad Hunger Games is a trilogy, and look forward to reading the next book - especially if it delivers as much excitement as this one did. Unfortunately, it's so popular that I have a long wait before my library gets hold of it. Hoping I get it soon!

Thanks to the friends who recommended this book: Dana Strange, and Rachel Pudelek. Check out their blogs! Especially Rachel's Treasure Hunt of YA book reviews.

I can't wait to see the other Highwayers' Best Books of October. I'm always looking for more recommendations.

Goodbye, My Pip

2011-10-24T23:56:00.007-04:00

I found out through Facebook that a close online friend of mine died Saturday. At first I thought it was a joke, but after I'd read all the way back to Saturday I knew something was wrong. Every one of her Facebook friends had written on her wall. When I checked her Deviantart page, the comments were there also. I held on for awhile, hoping it was a joke. Then I finally let it sink in, and it was hard to swallow. I felt guilty. I felt if I had only prayed harder, done more. But there wasn't much I could do from the other side of the planet. I still don't even know what happened.

It feels unreal. Pip was a creative partner, a roleplay partner, and a friend. We built worlds together, we constructed characters, we talked about our goals, our hopes and dreams. She always had a light, optimistic attitude and a sense of humor that couldn't fail. Even if she was feeling sick, she stayed upbeat.

When I was a grouchy cow, she could placate me. She'd listen to me rant, she'd take my side. Her characters became my characters' better halves. She was sweet and she was funny. She was a designer, a dreamer, a believer in things that other people couldn't see. She was a believer in me.

She was only twenty-seven years old.

Autumn Birds by Pippa Jameson

I still can't believe that I won't talk to her anymore. I won't hear her stories, see her drawings, laugh at her silly comments. She never read my novel. She was waiting for it to be published. And now she'll never get to read it.

I wish I had gotten to meet her in person. I wish I had been able to say goodbye.

Today, I heard this song for the first time, and it feels like it was for Pip.

Goodbye Pippa Jameson. I will miss you very much, and I won't forget the creativity and warmth you shared with me.

Oct. 7, 1984 - Oct. 22, 2011

Watch Out For the Boogeyman!

2011-10-24T16:00:00.021-04:00

At last it's time for Monsterfest! Here's an entry close to my heart and shuddering in the dark recesses of my inner child's mind:

The Boogeyman

The Boogeyman is a character of mythic proportions in nursery stories, the most feared of any other childhood monster. He hides in our closets, under our beds, even in our dreams. He embodies our fear of the dark, our fear of strangers, and our fear of things grabbing our ankles when we get out of bed at night. And just because we don't see him doesn't mean he isn't there.

The term 'boogeyman' is derived from bogeyman or bogey. They are monsters created by adults to frighten children into behaving, and all cultures have them. Sometimes they are male, and sometimes they are female, but they are always nasty. The manner in which the bogey behaves changes depending on the story and the culture telling it. Sometimes he tickles children while they sleep, and other times he scratches at windows or doors to frighten them. In all stories, the Boogeyman is a malicious creature bent on punishing children who disobey their parents or refuse to sleep.

The Boogeyman is known by different names all over the world, including Sack Man, Bag Man, Uncle Gunnysack, Bubak, Cuco, Babau, and Butzemann. The list of bogey-like creatures is long and can be found here.

The Boogeyman has no specific appearance, but the strongest representation is a hooded man who carries a sack on his back in which to stuff misbehaving children. What he does with the children after he stuffs them in his bag varies. Some stories say he eats them, and others say he simply locks them away.

"Here comes the Bogeyman" by Francisco de Goya

Appearances of The Boogeyman in popular American culture.

One of the scariest depictions of the Boogeyman in film (at least in animated terms) appeared in the episodes of The Real Ghostbusters entitled "The Boogieman Cometh" and "The Boogieman Is Back". (This episode freaked me out) This version of the Boogeyman looked like a goblin Steven Tyler with pale blue skin, a horribly oversized head, spiky blue hair, ruby lips, sharp teeth, a stubbly chin, pointy ears, yellow eyes and goat legs. He wore a bowtie and a coat with long tails.

In "The Boogieman Cometh" Egon revealed that being frightened by the Boogieman as a child was the reason he began studying the paranormal. Since the Boogieman wasn't a ghost, the ghostbusters couldn't capture him, and had to increase the power of their beams to drive him back to his realm. In order to defeat the Boogieman for good (or for now) the ghostbusters lay a trap for him in a bedroom with Ray as bait. They set a ghost bomb which exploded, sealing him in his realm.

A more recent Boogeyman concept we all recognize is Oogie Boogie from The Nightmare Before Christmas, a 1993 stop-motion film by Tim Burton (and one of my favorites). The character of Oogie Boogie is a singing, dancing boogeyman who lives in Halloween Town. With the help of his ghoulish trick-or-treaters Lock, Shock and Barrel, Oogie kidnaps Santa Claus and proceeds to torture him in this song. This movie couldn't have had a better villain than the boogeyman, even if Oogie Boogie is actually just a potato sack filled with creepy crawlies, animated by magic.

Sony Pictures produced the movie Boogeyman in 2005 about a young man who is plagued by the Boogeyman even into adulthood. He eventually faces up to his childhood fears in order to save those he loves. There are some creepy scenes where the Boogeyman snatches people by way of closets, underneath beds, and other dark places, but all in all, the movie isn't very scary.

Boogeyman gave rise to two sequels which I haven't seen: Boogeyman 2 in 2008, and Boogeyman 3 in 2009. These went straight to video, but had a short theater run in some countries.

Possibly my favorite literary and film representation of a Boogeyman are the Boggarts from the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. In familiar Boogeyman fashion, these creatures have no form of their own, but take the form of what their beholder fears the most. In the stories, Hogwarts students faced Boggarts as a training exercise in Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Their key to defeating them was the Riddikulus charm which would make the Boggart look ridiculous instead of frightening.

Boggarts are said to live in small, dark places like wardrobes, closets, cupboards or under beds.

A WWE wrestler (Martin Wright) with the ringname The Boogeyman terrorized other wrestlers in horror movie style from 2005 (during the same year as Boogeyman the movie) to the present. He wears red demonic face paint, chants nursery rhymes, and carries a heavy staff and an oversized clock which he smashes over his own head. Probably his most disgusting tactic in the ring is a mouthful of nightcrawlers which he spits at, or into the mouths of, other wrestlers. His catchphrase is "I'm the Boogeyman and I'm coming to getcha!"

I've been fascinated with, and frightened by, the Boogeyman concept ever since I was a child. So, I wrote a novel with a different kind of Boogeyman. In my story, Boogeymen is the title given to a race of invisible guardians of children. Invisible friends. Most Boogeymen are protective, gentle beings, but once in awhile you get one who goes rogue. These are the Boogeymen of old nursery rhymes, jumping out of closets, lurking under beds, and frightening children and adults alike. They're the reason Boogeymen are called Boogeymen.

This is a concept sketch of my main character Lividia's own Boogeyman.

Hope everyone had as much fun with Monsterfest as I did! I'm looking forward to more spooky blogfests in the future! (I fully intend to visit your blogs once this hectic weekend is over. There are a ton of great monsters I haven't gotten to read about yet.)

Priorities

2011-10-22T13:58:00.003-04:00

After assessing this upcoming week, I've decided I'll have to cut back on blogging. I might come on late, post at weird hours, or pick only a few days a week to blog. Once I decide what works for me, I'll let you know.

Today I'm working on a gorgeous space-themed banner for the wonderful Karina Fabian over at Fabianspace. I also plan to put together a page to showcase banners, buttons and other web graphics I create. I'm open for commissions. I'll also put the prices up online when I get the chance.

Besides blogging and banners, I'll be posting for Monsterfest 2011 this week, so stay tuned for Boogeyman information, images and fun facts.

We're a week from Nano, and I'm still not sure if I'll be participating. I will write something during November. I have Lividia's second novel started and my brand-new monstrous novel idea. I also have illustrations left to do for my first book and more querying.

I have a lot on my plate. Feel free to comment and visit, wander around and check out my helpful links. I'll reply to comments and visit blogs when I can.

The Temptation of NaNo

2011-10-20T22:21:00.003-04:00

Okay, so I've said that I don't usually post twice in one day, but this can't wait. With all the NaNoWriMo talk floating around I couldn't help but be taken in just a little by it. In years past I've been stubborn and stalwart against doing NaNo, and I'll tell you why. I simply won't not edit. There. I said it. I have a horrible time not tweaking a sentence or a paragraph that I don't feel comfortable with yet.

I'm a pantser and I edit as I write rather than do a series of big, fat edits at the end of the manuscript. Editing in pieces is just much easier for me. Long hard jobs are too daunting, especially if they're creative. (I have a hard time working on an illustration for more than a few hours, also.) Plus, if I know an edit could change the outcome of the rest of the book, I'd rather do it now than have to rewrite many chapters. To me it's like trying to build a house without nails. It's going to fall down in the end.

I've looked over NaNo in the past and never seen anywhere that it says I'm not allowed to edit as I go. But when I run into people promoting NaNo in chatrooms, on forums, etc, I keep hearing "silence your inner editor". This is why I've been so against it all this time. I have to edit. It's my thing. Don't judge me!!! - But I can also produce word count. At least I'm pretty sure I can. So, I'm thinking of doing NaNo my own way, with minor editing.

If anyone has done NaNo with minor or major editing and still managed to meet their word count at the end of the month, I'd love to hear those stories. But here is the reason that I am so tempted by NaNo this year.

I have this story. It's one of those instances where I was listening to a song ("Monster" by Lady Gaga... don't judge me) and I just began to get ideas. The story is like a combination of Dracula and Beauty and the Beast. Typically I don't write romance and I don't write about vampires. But this won't be about a vampire. Just a monster. Two monsters, actually. Maybe three.

Basic plotline: Girl has two monstrous men in her life. One is a monster outwardly, and one is a monster inwardly. Monster #1 is her friend and Monster #2 is her fiance. There is a castle involved, and all the fun of the girl finding out Monster #2 really is a monster. There is a tentative love triangle, there is the whole "I can change him" novelty, there is a fun scary part where the monster (I won't tell you which one) tries to eat the girl. Then I wrap it up with an ending I'm still trying to work out.

This story's been eating away (pun fully intended) at my mind all day and if I do decide to do NaNo I can't wait to start on it. So... whatta ya think?

Okay, Now Spill! - Interviewing Your Character

2011-10-20T11:51:00.007-04:00

First off, I'd like to mention I'm participating in Monsterfest 2011, a month-long bloghop for October. My monster topic is The Boogeyman (who's also a character in my novel). If you like researching, writing about, being scared of, and generally appreciating monsters, you should check it out!

Last night in Writers Chatroom we discussed character development, and there were a lot of great tips and suggestions. This morning I found a post over at The Blood-Red Pencil about guess what? Character development. It's a hot topic, and a topic I love to death, so that's what I'm writing about today.

The way I usually develop my characters is simply to write them. I discover them as they tell me their story. But when I need to know more than they're giving me, I look for guides like the one by Jodie Renner from The Blood-Red Pencil. In fact, I think I'm going to try hers with characters from the series I'm working on now.

Character development is not always so easy, though. How do you develop a character you've written who just isn't revealing himself to you? The ladies and gents from Writers Chatroom suggested interviewing the character. Asking him personal questions such as What's your biggest fear? If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? What do you like most about yourself? Where would you go for your dream vacation?

I came up with those myself, but you could ask your character anything you wanted. You could ask him as an interrogator, a reporter, a therapist (one of my faves). You could even give him an open mic session where he could say or do whatever he wanted. I'm not sure what some of my rowdier characters (see my illustration) would do if I asked them to perform for me, though. I imagine some of the quieter ones might even get stage fright. What would yours do?

I'd love to see some of your character interviews. I might post one or two of my own once I get the time to interview someone.

Here are two songs that I felt fit this topic pretty well. Living in a Dream by Finger Eleven and Secrets by One Republic. Enjoy!

Roadtrip: A Whole New World

2011-10-19T10:39:00.009-04:00

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic: What's your #1 reason for writing?

To make it short, I want to share.

To me, good writing communicates ideas and feelings well enough that people can experience them with you. It's basically bringing others into your cerebral space. Just for awhile, you share the same universe.

Have you ever seen what fans are like when they start talking about a book or a movie they love? They forget everything else. For a little while they share the same passions, joys, interests. Even if they argue, they're still part of the same club, and they belong, whether they differ or not.

I write to open up my head, dump out the denizens onto paper, and make people fall in love with them as much as I do. More than people knowing me, I want people to know them. I want them to know that world that I see, and to see it too. I want to create something new - a place where only I've been - and then take them there.

Magic carpet ride, anyone?

Pretties - YA Playlist

2011-10-18T12:55:00.019-04:00

Since I'm reading a lot of YA lately, including Uglies by Scott Westerfield, I've decided to share some pretties. All of these artists have three things in common - youth, looks, and the attitude of popular YA books. Some songs are in english and some aren't. I decided this was a good excuse to share a bit of my favorite K-pop along with some bands you might already know.

We Are Golden - Mika

Dance Forever - Allstar Weekend

Glad You Came - The Wanted

Lightning - The Wanted

What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction

Koe Wo Kikasete - Big Bang

Ugly - 2NE1

Ring Ding Dong - Shinee

Crazy - SE7EN

Eat You Up - BoA

I Don't Care - 2NE1

If you don't know what K-pop is, you can check out the Wiki article. The reason I added K-pop to the YA playlist is because in South Korea girl groups and boy bands are huge and they've been huge for a long time. And we all know boy bands have always been popular with teen girls. According to Seventeen Magazine, boy bands are coming back to the US by way of the UK and popular reality shows - and don't forget Nickelodeon. Who knows? They might end up being big here again. (I can already hear some of you screaming "Noooooo!")

What I love about K-pop (besides the overabundance of cute) is the fresh, youthful attitude the groups have. Much like American boy bands from the '90's. Most of the videos are focused on having fun and showing off the artist's dance skills rather than promoting sex or drugs. (I wonder if some American singers can dance to save their lives.)

One last note: If Big Bang ever had a concert close enough or affordable enough, I would be on the next bus... or flight.

Big Fat Monday Update

2011-10-17T19:24:00.007-04:00

First off, thanks to all my new followers and welcome! I've had a really busy weekend - family visits, moving furniture, cleaning house, general errand-running. It's only Monday, but it's felt more like a Friday, and I'm already behind in the work that actually pays. (I do online advertising for mymobilecars.com .)

I've started three of the four books I got from the library, trying to find the next one that I won't want to put down. The lineup in order of interest: The Body Finder, The Graveyard Book, Uglies. I haven't started Tithe yet. Unfortunately, the book I read before them was The Hunger Games (which I still need to post a review for), and it's a tough act to follow.

The books disappointed me a little. You have to be in the right mood for The Graveyard Book but the writing is good, and Uglies is a little fluffy, but maybe it'll improve as I read further. A few chapters into The Body Finder and I'm already thinking of how the author could've made it more exciting. That's what inspired me to dive back into my own second novel manuscript today, and boy, did it feel good!

I just wish it didn't take reading dissatisfaction to inspire me to write, but I needed that push to jump back in. I wrote my first short fantasy story because I couldn't find what I wanted to read in high school. Necessity is the mother of invention, as they say. So, boredom must be the mother of creativity.

What inspires you to write after a long hiatus? Do you self-motivate or do you need a good sharp prod in the posterior? I'm a horrible self-motivator, so I have to jump on inspiration when it hits.

Just when I was...

2011-10-15T00:16:00.005-04:00

tempted to say "Pay it Forward" can shove it up. Then I realized that's just fatigue and achy feet talking. Well, partly.

Today I attempted the blogfest, got a few blogs visited, and then was descended upon by wonderful, supportive family. They were being wonderful and supportive, helping me carry large ungainly furniture out of my house, helping clean, helping entertain, and distract. In other words, they helped my Friday be pretty great. However, that left little time for blogfesting.

I ended up coming home at a quarter past nine, thoroughly worn out from a nephew's school festival, with the same exact comments and views on my blog that I had before I left the house. I knew I'd blown it, at least with the blogfest. I had still had a pretty awesome Friday, though.

So, I guess that's my Good Friday piece right there. Things didn't go as planned, but they still turned out great. I'm annoyed I couldn't make a bigger blogfest splash than I did, but hey, tomorrow's Saturday. Who knows? I might actually get time to visit a few more blogs!

And in case you've just tuned in, Good Fridays are my weekly highlight of one or two things that made my Friday especially good. Sometimes they're movies, sometimes they're books, sometimes they're what I bought at the supermarket. Today, it's that I failed miserably at blogfest, but I spent a great day with my family.

Pay It Forward Blogfest

2011-10-14T14:52:00.007-04:00

This is my first blog hop and it's very exciting! I just wish that I wasn't having such a busy Friday. I'll try to get to as many blogs on the list as I can, while taking breaks for a Fall Festival with my sis and nephew, food, online work, and possibly another query letter. (For now, I'll stop editing this blog post and get back to the hop.)

Here's a little about me so you know whose blog you stumbled upon. I'm an illustrator, writer, world builder, character designer, website tinkerer, fantasy reader, and cat lover. I'm a grownup who still likes make-believe, dress-up, dolls, and many types of gaming. In my blog I talk about a mix of things to do with writing, illustration, personal experiences, triumphs, and sometimes discouragements. Have a look around and tell your friends!

I'm number 252 on the blog hop list, but if you do manage to get to me, here are three blogs you might not know about:

1. Muddy Colors - An Illustration Collective (some very amazing images and the people who make them)

2. Dawn Brazil's Brilliant Babbles About Books - A blog haven for writers and readers. (This lady rocks)

3. FabianSpace - Karina Fabian's blog. Catholic writer of science fiction and zombies. (Nuns in space? She's got it!)

Thanks for visiting!

See the complete blogroll here!

Roadtrip: The Journey So Far

2011-10-12T13:03:00.008-04:00

Happy 100th Roadtrip, YA Highway!

This Week's Topic: What has your writing road trip looked like so far? Excitement? Traffic Jams and detours? Where are you going next?

I was so excited when I saw this topic for the 100th Roadtrip Wednesday. It's perfect.

I have a lot behind me on my writing journey, but a lot ahead too. This has been a year of incredible growth and learning for me. I learned how to type queries that catch an agents attention, found some great resources for writers, found a great writer's chatroom, met some wonderful, supportive people, and discovered YA Highway. I've been blogging more this year, learning the industry lingo, doing research into the writing field. I created a Facebook fan page, a Twitter account, a Tumblr account, built this blog, and completely revamped my website.

This year, I sent my first novel out into the world, endured the grueling process of awaiting a response, as well as the heartbreak of my first emotionally-invested rejection. That five-month wait for the response got me in gear to send out more queries, to research more agents. It set the fire under me that I really needed. And it paid off.

My rejection email came with a referral to another agent. A week later, I received a response to a query from a wonderful agent requesting part of my manuscript. Two great things came from something not-so-great. I had been discouraged, but I was far from out.

The friends I made at Writers Chatroom encouraged me, supported me, and my family was always behind me. I'm still waiting for the offer of representation, but along the way, I've been learning, absorbing, and growing. I believe in my book. I know it's good enough for publication, and I can't wait to see it on shelves, sporting my cover illustrations.

I wouldn't have gotten this far if there hadn't been a beginning. And the beginning came as subtly and innocently as a new hobby. I have always had stories in me. I've been a reader since I was a child, and even now I devour books like potato chips.

I began life drawing on any surface I could find and working with modeling clay. The stories I created remained in my head until Junior High when they began to take shape on paper. I wrote poetry and short stories, I created characters. By high school my stories were growing longer, developing series potential, but I still loved character design the best. Back then I didn't even know what it was called, but I loved it.

Along my journey, I illustrated for my older sister who writes picture books, and I continued writing my own stories. I didn't even know what age group I was aiming for. I just wrote. I wrote stories I would want to read myself. Stories about original races, unique creatures, strong female characters, and dark fantasy lands.

I went to college and then grad school in pursuit of a career in illustration. Throughout college, my favorite source of entertainment and creative expression was online chat roleplay. Real-time stories unfolding between writing partners, in any setting or time period you could imagine. I did this for nearly a decade, developing worlds and characters, improving my skills. But it was only for fun. A nice break from projects and deadlines, a way to socialize with online friends.

At the end of my two years at SCAD, I finally decided to write something bigger than a series of short stories. I wanted to use my text roleplay experience with world-building and character creation to write something that was all my own. I had already drawn the characters for this novel as early as 2003, but the thought of a novel was daunting.

When I broke my novel down into three chapters at a time and worked at it steadily, I discovered I definitely had enough words in me for a novel. Maybe even two or three. With a little encouragement from family, I decided I could create a series. The more I thought about it, the more I liked it.

So now the first book is finished and the second started. Lividia's story keeps growing, ideas coming to me from so many directions that I have to keep a little notebook to write them down. This has been one of my dreams for a long time, and I'm glad to have started the journey!

fact-tids about me:
- pantser
- worldbuilder
- character designer
- illustrator
- royal procrastinator
- fantasy and sci-fi lover
- disorganized do-gooder
- villain fancier and anti-hero lauder
- addicted to quirk and strong female heroines

What has your writing journey been like?

Halloween Traditions

2011-10-11T20:20:00.007-04:00

What I love about Halloween are the jack-o-lanterns, pumpkins, colors, parties, candy, costumes, and fun/scary movies.

When I was a little girl, my family didn't celebrate Halloween like the rest. I and my younger sister got candy, but we didn't go trick-or-treating. I didn't miss the trick-or-treating, but I do love dressing up. Any chance I get, any time of the year, I dress up. Since I've grown up, I don't have as many opportunities for costuming, but when I get them, I definitely take advantage of them.

My Halloween traditions also include watching movies. These are some of my favorites:

What Halloween traditions from when you were a kid do you still keep?