Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet

LOVED IT!

If you enjoy historical novels - this one is for you! It was formatted like "Water for Elephants" in the fact that there are chapters from the OLDER main character's perspective and chapters from the YOUNGER main character's perspective.

The book takes a look into the way Asian-Americans were treated during World War II in the U.S. Set in the Seattle area, the story gave me new insight into the local landscape. I had no idea the Puyallup fairgrounds were used to house Japanese-Americans.

The story also gives great insight into the relationship between parents and children. Parents want the best for their children, but often times, children don't see this until many years later, and also, often times the way parents go about trying to do the best for their children... they screw it up.

A great book for everyone of all ages.
 
Read more about it on GOODREADS.  And, while you're there, send me a friend request! It's a fun website if you love books.
 
What's the best book you've read lately?

What I brought home from the Writers Conference...

Well, I brought home a terrible chest cold! Blech. So, I spent most of the day Monday in an airplane, and I've spent the last two days coughing. I'm trying to shake it off, but it is hanging on tight.

However, there were more benefitial things I brought home from the conference as well. :) I will have a few more posts in days to come, but today, I thought I'd list some of the most valuable things I brought home from the conference.

1. A better understanding of the relationship between agent and author. I know it's been said a million times that an author shouldn't be so anxious to get published that they just jump at the first agent offer that comes their way. Now granted, some of those relationships go on to work out beautifully. However, after attending this conference, I wonder how I could have ever imagined an agent/author relationship WITHOUT meeting the agent first. This was probably the hugest thing I brought back from the conference with me, an understanding that I need to "click" with the agent.

2. Writer relationships. I am so excited to followup with some of the new friendships I made with other writers at this conference. It's interesting how we are naturally drawn to like-minded people. But frankly, I was really impressed with the out-going friendly nature of the writers at the conference.

3. Vision. I've said before that sometimes this journey feels like I'm putting together a jigsaw puzzle, but the pieces and the picture keep changing. It can be frustrating. However, after this conference, I feel like I can *almost* grasp the vision. Getting published the traditional route takes more than great writing and more than a great concept. It takes: a great concept that fits within an identifiable genre written extremely well queried with a fantastic letter to the right agent on the right day in the right time frame for the concept to be accepted by and editor for a publisher's list that has space for that idea now.

Finally. I think I get it. (Please don't tell me I'm wrong. Just let me live in my cold-medicine-cloud-induced-fantasy-world for a day or two.)

Check back tomorrow for notes from more conference classes.

What the best thing you've brought back from a writers conference?

Writers Conference: Pitching, Real-Time Queries, and Critique Appointments

Deep Breath. Ha.

Since this was my first experience at a writers conference, I had no idea what to expect from these one-on-one appointments with agents; however, I had several goals in mind.

Goals:
1. Speak less and listen more
2. Don't be defensive about my writing
3. Smile and breathe

This goals served me very well during each of my appointments.

I highly recommend taking advantage of any opportunity to meet one-on-one with agents. This was a very valuable experience for me.

Day One (Pre-Conference Travel Day)

Okay, I know you've been sitting on the edge of your seat hoping to hear the details of this writers conference... so here you go:

Day One: Travel Day. Luggage Lost. Bummer.

So, if you see my luggage sitting in a baggage claim near you - please grab it and get it to me asap. I need my hair products. Seriously! And clean socks. :)

Good news? I met my critique partner Melissa Dean in person! YAY ME!! I like her even MORE now! So, we talked about the agents we're pitching to, and we talked about our projects, and we talked about our characters. SO FUN!

If you're luggage was lost what would you miss the MOST?! Seriously, it's the hair products (*my* shampoo, conditioner, mousse, paste, and hairspray) that I'm missing, but only because I actually packed an extra pair of clean undies in my carry-on. HAHA.

And... I'm off!

YAY! Heading out tomorrow for South Carolina for my first writer's conference. PLUS, I will get to meet one of my fabulous critique partners in person, Melissa. Double YAY!

Finished a significant revision of THE EDUCATION OF THIA. It felt like a massive group effort, but I'm really pleased with the current version. Hopefully, agents will be as well.

Took my mom to the doctor for the results of her bone marrow biopsy and the doctor basically said she was miraculously (sp? - I'm too tired to get that one!) healed. Her red blood count is back to normal and there is no cancer in her bone marrow (there was the last time it was checked, fourteen years ago!). So, the doctor has ordered more tests to see if all of her cancer is gone. Weird! She's had stage four lymphoma for fourteen years, but she has eaten very organically and even eats raw garlic daily. So, I'm still doing a head-shake on that one. It certainly wasn't the news my brother and I were prepared for.

So, now I'm off to get an agent and maybe even learn how to become a better writer. :)

See you when I get back next week!

While I'm gone, feel free to discuss writing topics amongst yourselves in the comments area!! HA.

Change the Ending?

The last three (non-agent) people to read the full ms for THE EDUCATION OF THIA have all agreed that the ending needs to be changed. I liked the ending. Didn't want to change it.

But my pal Natalie asked me today, "Do you want to leave your readers frustrated?" I had to think about it. She spoke again before I answered, and said, "Just because you're frustrated doesn't mean you should leave your readers frustrated."

Okay. Fair point. But I said to her, ***spoiler alert*** "But the bad guy wasn't caught in real life. Why should he be caught in the book, just to make everyone happy?"

Natalie, my straight talking pal, replied, "Margo, the attack at the end didn't happen in real life either. Why did you write that?"

Finally, I got it. She was right. I added quite a few things to the ms to make it more dramatic (real life can be so stinking boring sometimes). So, if I could do that, I *suppose* I could change the ending to create more resolution for my readers. HOWEVER, if I do that, I am DEFINITELY adding an "Author's Note" to the end of the ms explaining the major things I altered for the novel. Maybe. Probably. Ack.

An agent rejection my query today. I sent her a query letter, fifteen pages, and a synopsis. Her personalized rejection said that THE EDUCATION OF THIA wasn't fresh enough to stand out.

Just keep writing. Just keep writing. Just keep writing.

Do you think books should always have a pretty bow at the end? Why or why not?

First Ever Writer's Conference!

A week from now, I will be attending my first writer's conference! YAY!

I have three one-on-one appointments scheduled with agents to discuss my current project: THE EDUCATION OF THIA

click here to read a description and the first chapter

Have you attended a writer's conference? What was the most helpful part of the conference? Any advice for the new girl?

Money Making Opportunities

Another job offer just came my way. I should be excited. Right?

No.

Because the only job offer I want is from an agent and a publisher. I want to be a traditionally published author. I don't need a six-figure offer. I'd be happy with a much smaller advance enabling me to do what I really want to do: write.

But, I was just offered a job that has huge money making potential. Working full-time (maybe more). If I accepted it, I would need to quit my other fourteen-gazillion part-time jobs and it would cut into my mom-time with my teenagers.

And it would cut into my writing time.

Yesterday, I received another rejection on a full manuscript. She said she just didn't love it as much as she hoped she would.

Do you work full-time? When do you find time to write? Do you have kids, work full-time, and write? How do you balance it?

Invest your time in people...??

Hey - blog silence the last several days. I was out of town, enjoying a fantastic retreat in McCall, Idaho.

I'm an observer of human nature (as previously mentioned). So, of course, all weekend I observed people's body language, word choice, and actions. I often wonder what makes people tick, but I also wonder what makes one person generous and another selfish.

Between these thoughts and thoughts about taking my mother in tomorrow for her bone marrow biopsy, are more thoughts (ha). I am pondering the people in my life. Here are the questions I'm asking:

1. Who are the people in my life that I'd miss and I'd be sad if they died tomorrow?
2. Who are the people that I give the most time/energy to in my life?
3. Does the second list match the first list?

So, today (as soon as I'm done with this post) I'm going to:
1. Make a list of the most important people in my life. (for example: Rachel Thompson)
2. Think of something kind I can do for each person. (for example: take Rachel a jar of salsa, maybe with a bag of tortilla chips)
3. Post this list in a visible place so that I can remember to acknowledge these people in my life.

Recently I heard a speaker comment, "Being grateful but not saying thanks is like wrapping a Christmas present but never giving it."  We need to let the important people in our lives know how we feel about them.

**stepping off soap box now**

Who is someone important in your life? What act of kindness can you do for them today?

Attitude is Everything

The way we look at life greatly influences the quality of our life. I think as a writer, I'm always looking at the life around me and analyzing it. Probably over-analyzing. I just find it all so stinkin' interesting.

So... my mom's health is not getting better. She's fought a valiant battle against stage four lymphoma for fourteen years. It's a miracle (and a lot of hard work on her part) that she's had these last fourteen years. She eats raw garlic, eats organically (is that a word?), and does yoga. But, her health is taking a turn now. The doctor has decided she needs another bone marrow biopsy.

I think her doctor told her something that she isn't telling me. Why do I think this? Because of my mom's tone of voice... and because my mom wants me to come over to her house and review the paperwork for her financials, funeral, and what-not.

What does this have to do with attitude and analyzing life?

Let me tell you:

I worked at Quilt Crossing today selling Berninas and two things struck me as ?coincidence?...

1. A sweet sweet little old lady (maybe 75-85 years old) came in to have her $8500 machine serviced. She told me how she viewed the machine as a gift from her mother who'd passed in 2004. This lady told me how she'd struggled financially her whole life and "made-do" with an inexpensive basic machine, but when her mother passed and left her quite a bit of money, she decided to treat herself to this machine. So, everytime she uses it, she feels closer to her mother. She started to cry just retelling the situation. She made me cry. We hugged. She's a lovely woman with a great attitude.

2. A bitter adult daughter (maybe 50 years old) brought in her 80 year old mother who needed a new sewing machine because she dropped hers and it busted. I asked the mother what type of sewing she liked to do, and the daughter seemed offended that I would ask her mother and not her. The daughter tried to answer for her mother. Based on the mother's answers, I showed her an entry level machine that does automatic buttonholes. The daughter had a fit when she saw the $2000 price tag and said there's no way they were spending that much money. So, I showed them the $149 machine. The daughter was short and belitting toward her mother. The mother physically shrunk. I felt so badly for her.

A lot goes into our lives. Many different variables, trials, and blessings, but how do we react? Or better yet, ACT.

My fifteen-year-old son said the other day, "I want to be a man of ACTION, not REaction."

Attitude is everything.

Reading Fiction to Improve Writing

I'm a true believer that writers should be reading... a lot! I've been so busy with life lately, I haven't been able to read as much as I'd like to, but what I have read lately has been inspiring as far as writing goes.

For example:

From Scott Westerfeld's THE LAST DAYS:
"Though her long arms were thin and wiry, her muscles were almost as defined as mine...Her movements were slow and pointy, articulated in the wrong spots. I couldn't take my eyes off her: it was like watching a stick insect walk along a branch" (page 78).

Now... while this breaks a couple of "rules" that aspiring writers are *told* to follow, notice what it does very well: describe.

While this is not my favorite book of all times, I did find several passages that I HAD to mark - because of the writing.

Here's another (a simple sentence, and it I felt compelled to mark it):
"I couldn't remember why being miserable had seemed so important" (page 91).

Another thing I learned from reading this book:
Repeated phrases can get pretty annoying. I understand Westerfeld was probably trying to create separate identities for the characters, but by the fifth time a phrase, such as: "That was kind of lateral" (page 98), came along, I found it very irritating.

Anyhow, taking a break to read a book in between revisions could be a very helpful and insightful process. Mark pages while you're reading, because if you're anything like me, you'll forget the inspiration by the time you reach the end of the book.

Revision-Fried

Story ideas come to me all the time... really.  The problem is, I don't have enough hours in the day to sit and write them out.  Plus, one of my critique partners tells me I should NOT start writing the next book. She thinks I've got a winner with THE EDUCATION OF THIA, and she wants me to keep working on revisions so I can snag an agent with this one.

So... okay. But, my brain feels revision-fried-out. And, I haven't written a word (other than this blog, emails, and ebay postings) in a couple of weeks now. Fried. Short-circuited.

I need to climb back on the revision wagon. Any advice? Any chocolate (as motivation)?

It's easy to write in my head. I do that all the time.

And, let me tell you - I'm awesome...in my head.

Revision. Polishing. I like doing it - the first three times through the ms.

I. Need. Motivation.

Got any? Share some? What do you do to motivate yourself or to find more hours in the day? Let me know!

A Big Rat, A Princess, and A Fairy

A short pudgy boy held his long slender gray tail and struggled to fit through the swinging doors of the high school entrance, but he made it and didn't even drop his math book in the process. He smiled and wiggled his whiskers at a princess dressed in a flowing butter colored gown. She didn't even notice him. Instead, she laughed loudly with her friends and waved her wand in the air.

The rat waddled away alone.

But, the princess' head did turn and she stopped talking momentarily when a tall brown-haired boy bumped into her. He apologized and explained he didn't see her because he needed to reach an itch between his wings. She offered to help. He turned, and the princess gently scratched underneath and then in between his translucent sky blue fairy wings. His body posture relaxed as the princess reached just the right spot. He thanked her and fluttered off to his next class. The princess smiled and caught up to her friends.

...

It's been "Spirit Week" at my kids' high school this week. And, the above story is mostly true. It was the scene I witnessed yesterday when I dropped my son off to school. He chose not to dress up yesterday, but a lot of kids did dress up in a "fairy tale" costume of sorts. Ha. It was pretty funny. I might have to figure out either a way to incorporate the scene into my work in progress or use it as a starting point for a fun fantasy. HA. Could you imagine? Monday was "neon" day; Tuesday was "hat" day; Wednesday was "fairy tale" day; Thursday "sports" day; and I don't know what tomorrow is, because I only take it one day at a time watching my daughter dress up and fully participate. My boys aren't as interested (with the exception of hat day).

Did your high school (or your kids') ever have dress up days like this?

What if you were blind?

If you were blind, would you still care about wearing brand name clothes and putting mascara on every day?  How much time each day do we spend on primping (ourselves, our houses, our cars, our children, etc.) with the INTENT of fitting in (or standing out) with society's standards?  Do you think it's important to put on make up and iron your shirt? Yah, yah, you can "say" you do it to make YOURself feel better... but is that really the reason? If you were blind, would you still do these things to make yourself feel better?  I wonder.

Also, if you're a writer, have you ever thought about how your book will be received by a blind person? Yes. Silly. They do read! Books are a great pleasure for the blind, just as they are for the sighted. My son has finally found a love for books. He's visually impaired. But, now he's listening to books through the Talking Book Service.

http://libraries.idaho.gov/landing/talking-book-service

And... I've been thinking about visual impairments a LOT lately.  Today, I read a blog post over on Lisa and Laura Write about line edits. They said their characters repeat a lot of the same actions in their writing. And, so then I wondered, how would my descriptions be received by a blind person? Do I describe the setting and the actions with enough detail to paint a vivid picture for the blind? Should that even be a consideration? Because, don't we want to paint the most vivid pictures for ANYone and EVERYone?

Of course! But, none-the-less... it makes me stop and wonder. During my next revision session, I'm going to imagine the story being read out loud to a blind person and see if my writing is good enough.

What do you think? Am I just a crazy person? Or do you think we spend too much time as a society on primping when we could be doing something more worthwhile with our time? Have you ever considered how your writing will be received by a blind person?

Do you remember?

Whether you're writing YA or another genre, do you remember what *it* felt like? *IT* could be anything. So many great stories make us FEEL. They evoke emotions in the very core of us as a reader; emotions like fear, joy, love, anxiety, etc.  As writers, we need to remember (or imagine) how circumstances caused us to feel and then translate that into words. Can you do that?

For example, today my sixteen-year-old son drove me around for the first time EVER! Okay, now as an adult, that was a pretty interesting experience, but as an AUTHOR, it was an amazing experience. Why? Because it was his first time driving a stick-shift.

Do you remember what THAT felt like? We can laugh about it now, but put yourself back into the shoes of the teenager stalling the car in the middle of the intersection for the first time. Talk about emotional! Then, don't just feel the emotions, but go further. Same intersection, and you stalled again! And again! Panic? Fear? Anxiety?

Did your heart race? Throat tighten? Stomach sour? Teeth clench? Describe it. Show it. But, first, remember it.

What was your most emotional (or one of the top ten) moments of your teenage years? Can you still remember it vividly? Why?

Always Writing!

I'd really prefer to stay home in my pajamas today and write...but... I need to shower, get dressed, and head to work (selling Berninas today!).

However, I am always writing. In my head.

Right now, I'm considering the advice of two agents. One said my m.c. was "too babyish" and the other said the "tone was too adult." Okay. Let's take one at a time.

Main character too babyish: This feels like a whack upside the head (in a good? way, maybe?) because I *thought* I utilized techniques to show Thia as a strong character who makes bad (naive) choices. So, as I approach another revision, my eyes will be wide open to places where she came across "too babyish" because that was never my intent. I kept a notebook next to me while writing, and I used it to employ concepts from Donald Maass' book "The Fire in Fiction." But now, as I flip through the character pages, I have pages detailing Seth (the brother), Josh (one antagonist), Janie (the best friend), and Mike (the main antagonist); actually, there are several pages devoted to Mike.  Maybe I did let parts of Thia's character fall through the cracks. I'm going to go back through Maass' book and use his character building concepts solely on my m.c. during this revision.

So, while I'm at work today selling Bernina sewing machines, I'm going to be running through the ms in my head thinking of ways her character may have fallen short. I'm always writing!

I even dream about my characters and plot lines. ha.

How about you? Are you always writing? Where's the "strangest" place you've worked on your ms? What's the best character building tip you have to share?

to MFA or not to MFA ... that's today's question

I'm trying to decide if I should enroll in an MFA program (Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing).  If time and money were not an issue, I would simply enroll. However, I've got three teenagers who not only eat up all my money, but also eat up all my time. Love them...and they are my main focus right now.

However, I told myself a year and a half ago that if I didn't have an agent by now...I would enroll in an MFA program.

What to do?

Interestingly enough...as I've been contemplating this decision, I've come across a lot of blogs and magazine articles that point toward: NO don't do it.  Comments like, MFA programs only focus on literary achievement and not commercial publication; or MFA doesn't mean anything in a query letter to an agent; or MFA programs only focus on publishing short stories not how to get an agent; and so forth.

Opinions? Do you have an MFA? Are you going to pursue one? At a local university or online? Do you think it will help in the publishing process?

What to post?

WOW! The last several days have been a whirlwind! So, what should I post about today?

Should I tell you about the speaker I listened to on Saturday? How she described the heart breaking scene she witnessed as her brother's arms and legs were chopped off with a machette because he refused to join the rebel forces in her African town? Or how she waited in a line of girls and women to be raped and mutilated? She watched them torture her sister and was spared herself at the last possible moment when opposing forces came into the village. What a soul wrenching story. She now lives in the U.S. and speaks to groups of women about "HOPE." What an amazing woman. There is a DVD available with her story on it. I plan to purchase it (haven't had a chance yet...I've been so busy) and show it to my family.  She even retells how her sister broke one pencil into tiny bits so that each child in her small classroom could have a pencil to write with. I know, I am so wasteful. I will think twice before throwing things away. We are so spoiled and blessed to live in this country.  Buy her DVD here.

Or should I tell you about how my mother nearly collapsed in church on Sunday? Sheesh. She sat on the same pew as the rest of my family. I happen to glance her direction and saw her slowly droop forward. I swapped seats with my daugher, who had sat in between us, and touched my mom on the arm. She raised her eyebrows to look at me. Sadly, I know what she looks like when she's about to drop, and I recognized the signs. I told her I was taking her home, and she objected at first. But, then she began to droop again, and she conceeded. I took her out and drove her home. While I was getting her settled into bed, she said, "I wanted to just lay down on the pew for a minute, but I thought you'd get mad at me." Oh. My. Gosh. Well, she's doing much better now. She over did her physical activities Saturday and has been paying the price since.

Or should I tell you how my husband rearranged a TON of furniture in the house, and now it is all in total and utter disarray?  I figured if I have to go through everything and reorganize and clean out...I should just put some of it on eBay. Right? Well, so...Monday, I put my first six things up on eBay. Tuesday, I got an email saying it's illegal to sell a bear skin, so they pulled it from the eBay listings. Great. So, I asked around, and a friend told me it's illegal to even have a bear skin in your possession unless you have the original tags issued to harvest the bear in the first place. Harvest. You mean KILL? Sheesh. So, I could get arrested for having a bear in a box. Nice!

Or should I tell you about...well...the rest of my crazy event filled days?

Ha.

What's the craziest most significant thing that's happened to you in the last few days?

Cinnamon Roll French Toast

I won't be writing today (well, except for this post)... instead I will be enjoying the day with a friend (yes, I actually have ONE!).

First, we will go to breakfast at a little hole-in-the-wall cafe.

This cafe, always jam packed with people, makes the most delicious sugar-induced-coma-causing Cinnamon Roll French Toast.

They make the cinnamon roll from scratch (huge), and then they slice it, dip it into egg batter, and cook it up on the grill.

Oh. My. Heavenly. Food.

YUM!!

......

After the sugar high has been ignited, we will go shopping (maybe for a couch, maybe for nothing).

When the sugar high wears off, we will go to PF Changs for lettuce wraps. Can I tell you - I've never had one? Can you assure me they will be just as mouth watering as the breakfast?

Hmm.

We'll see.

Then we are going to see the new movie, "Easy-A."

Looks funny.

Hope it delivers.

.......

I'm certain we'll be hungry after the movie, so we plan to have an AMAZING sandwich from a restaurant that slow-roasts its own meat (go figure) and bakes its own bread (YAY!).

I love their sandwiches, but they're in downtown Boise, and I live in Nampa.

So, I haven't been there in a year.

To finish off the day, we are going to "Time Out for Women" because, clearly after a fun filled day, we will need a "time-out" - - right?

Ha.

.......

See ya later.

What are you going to do today? What's your idea of a great escape day?

Query Magic (or skill?)

Okay. So, one of my critique partners (shout out to Shannon) sent a query for critique to the A.MAZ.ING. Elana Johnson. I read the before and after versions, and could NOT click fast enough to get myself over to Elana's website.

Here's how it works:
Click Here to go to Elana's website.
Then download her book, From the Query to the Call, for $10.
With the purchase of the book, you then get to send Elana your query.
She critiques it and sends it back to you.

My critique pal sent her revised query out and lightning fast got a request for a full from a top-notch agent!

Wanna read my before and after queries?  Here ya go:

Before:

Thirteen-year-old Cynthia Reid (Thia) falls in love with an internet predator. Of course she doesn’t know Mike is a predator. She just wants a boyfriend, and her over-protective parents won’t let her date until sixteen. So, hooking up with a boy during an online game seems like the perfect solution…until Thia’s mom catches her emailing innocent pictures. Then she loses her computer for weeks. When Thia finally gets it back, she learns that Mike attempted suicide in her absence.


Out of fear and guilt, Thia gives Mike her cell phone number, because she doesn’t want to be responsible for his death. The burden becomes too heavy to bear, but she doesn’t know who to trust. She knows Mike would never lie to her, because he loves her, and she chooses to believe him over her friends and her parents. As her online relationship with Mike intensifies, Thia’s real world begins to crumble. Her friendships shatter, her lies come more easily, and her relationship with her parents teeters on the brink.

Thia’s life spins out of control when her mom calls the police after discovering text messages from Mike on Thia’s phone. But even after Thia is shown evidence of who Mike really is, she stills chooses to believe Mike…until he shows up on her doorstep as a forty-five-year-old man.

Inspired by actual events, The Education of Thia is a 62,000 word young adult novel.

This is a multiple submission, and three agents are currently reviewing the full manuscript. Thank you for your time and consideration.

After:
 
Thirteen-year-old Cynthia Reid desperately wants a boyfriend but her parents won’t let her date until she’s sixteen—so she turn to the Internet, where she finds Mike. When Thia’s mom catches her hooking up with Mike during an online game, and then finds out she’s been emailing him innocent pictures, Thia loses her computer. When she finally gets it back, she learns that Mike attempted suicide in her absence.


She’s convinced Mike loves her, and would never lie to her, but as her online relationship intensifies, Thia’s real world begins to crumble. Her friendships shatter, her lies come more easily, and her relationship with her parents teeters on the brink.

When Thia’s mom finds text messages from Mike on Thia’s phone, she digs for answers. Even when Thia is shown evidence of who Mike really is, she doesn’t believe her mom—until Mike shows up on her doorstep.

He’s a forty-five-year-old man.

......
So... what do you think? Which one do you like better? I vote for Elana's version, and I can't hardly wait to send it out. I've had to use massive amounts of will power to not send it... but I really want to make a few additional revisions to the ms before I send it. I don't want to "waste" any full requests!!

Go visit Elana's website and buy her book! Purely amazing critique.

Write On Con - - Amazing!

WriteOnCon (link on the lower right of this blog) is an amazing resource for writers. A.MAZ.ING! Check them out, and while you're there - (go today) - sign up for all the super cool prizes they're giving away, everything from critiques to books. YAY. Prizes = Good.

Also, check out the separate prizes on:
Elana Johnson's website
Shannon Messenger
Jamie Harrington
Casey McCormick
Lisa & Laura

What does this mean?

Okay... so yesterday, I burned the tip of my finger because I had to iron a "no ironing necessary" shirt.  The label on this shirt says to not put it in the dryer, but instead, take it from the washer, twist it into a rope and let it dry. This results in fun crinkly wrinkles all over the shirt. If you'd like to see a close up of the shirt visit the Lane Bryant website (link below). But, see here's the problem. Yesterday, I was selling Bernina sewing machines, and I didn't want customers to think I was too lazy to iron my shirt. Seriously. Now, give me some credit... I didn't iron the whole thing. I only ironed the collar, the cuffs, and the pocket flaps.  But still. Do you think it's wrong to wear a shirt all wrinkly?

Lane Bryant's website

Jaded? or Guarded? or Concerned?

Saturday, I received another request for a full manuscript from an agent. YAY! Right? Then why am I not jumping up and down for joy?

Have I become jaded already from the number of rejections I've received (but... I've *only* received one rejection on a full... so far).

Or am I guarded because of the rejection I received on the full ms. Does a rejection on a full mean the writing isn't good enough and I should stop sending queries and revise and improve more? Or does it just mean the one agent didn't like it? Oh my.

Or am I concerned because what if this agent likes it, really really likes it? And she offers me representation? Then what? I've worked so long and hard to get an agent... do I know what to do if one actually offers me representation? Should I start researching and planning for THAT big event?

Or do I just have a chemical imbalance... a mental disorder... hormone swing?

Ack. This waiting. Not knowing. Hoping. Revising. Writing. Hoping. And not knowing is taking its psychotic toll on me today.

Maybe I should just go take a shower and then go sell some Bernina sewing machine at Quilt Crossing today.

What do you think? Do I need to be medicated?

Food Descriptions in Manifested

My daughter arrived home from school just now and sliced right into that delicious blueberry thing I bought last night. As she licked her lips, I continued to work on my ms, Manifested. Strangely enough, one of the characters in the ms jumped forward and described how he wanted his breakfast cooked.

I had to stop and chuckle (yes, really, I chuckle!) as I thought about how many food scenes there are in this ms! Ha. I love food.

And, so, yes... I've decided to rewrite Manifested... Doing everything I can to make it more marketable. So, I've decided to change the entire ms to third person and modify the chapter formats. It's been a fun and interesting process so far.  I love writing maybe more than I love food. Maybe. Let me think about it for awhile...

Maybe sugar wasn't a good choice for breakfast?

So, last night there was an employee meeting at the Quilt Crossing. We have a dinner buffet during these meetings, and these ladies KNOW how to cook. YUM! Me? Not so much. When I learned I needed to bring a side dish or dessert, I thought, crap. So what did I do? Stopped at the store on the way and bought an $8 muffin-blueberry-almond-icingtopped-bundtcake-thing.

I took the plastic cover off before I set it on the table, so it would look homemade. Several people told me I was wasting my time. Go figure.

Anyhow, when I finally got a taste of it last night, I thought, Oh. My. Yum. And, I hoped hoped hoped nobody would want any because it was "store bought." Fine. By. Me. 

Hardly any was eaten. YAY!

So, I brought it home, and did not let myself have anymore last night. Talk about self-control.

But, I had dreams about it! Mmm.Hmm.

As soon as I got the kids out the door for school, guess what I did? Yup. That's right. Cut myself a BIG ol' piece and sat down and ate it. Most of it. I kinda feel a little woosey (is that a word) from it. I think I might have a sugar buzz.

Does that means I'm going to have a sugar crash in 30 minutes? I hope NOT. Because I've got a book to write/revise today. I have goals to accomplish.  Maybe not in 30 minutes. I think I feel a crash coming already. I can hear my bed calling me... Margo. Margo. Margo.

I. Will. Fight. The. Urge.

What did you have for breakfast? Healthy? Not Healthy? Jealous of my cake?

Finding Your Voice

Many writers discuss the topic of "voice." Many agents say they will only sign a writer with a strong "voice."

What is "voice" and how do you get it?  Well, the answer to that is quite vague, and you could spend days blog hopping and researching to find a "maybe" kind of answer.  However, after reading one issue of Glimmer Train from cover to cover, I understand much better what "voice" is. And, I think I'll start reading the next issue right away, because I've learned more about voice from this one issue than I have from any other form of reading or research I've done on the topic.

While I was impressed, confused, and moved by the first story in the issue, I was even more influenced as I went from one story to the next. The stories in this issue each have an obvious and distinct voice. It's been a great lesson to read one story and immediately go into the next story and see, read, feel, the distinct change in voice. Amazingly, Glimmer Train provides not only a great demonstration of voice, but it also gives examples of impressive language, word choices and sentences, which leaves the reader considering the images long after setting the story down.

If you want to read great stories, buy a copy. If you want to improve your writing craft, buy a copy. :)

http://www.glimmertrain.com/issue74spring.html

Straighten Up!

Did your parents ever tell you to "Straighten up!" ... ??  Mine must have, because those words easily come to mind. heh, heh ((insert awkward smile here))

Anyhoo... received some GREAT "legal" advice regarding my previous post. (Uh, yah, the one I just deleted - so don't go looking for it.)

I'm so silly... it didn't occur to me that the whole world could read my blog. (OF COURSE IT DID! I just pretended not to care.)

So, if you're an avid follower of this blog (which I know you are) - I thought I'd let you know why a couple of posts disappeared. Now, you know. I don't really want to get sued. ((insert sincere but kinda fake smile here))

A big thanks to the kind soul who gave me great advice via email. Remind me - and when my book gets published, I'll send you a signed copy! :) FOR REALS!

'Cause we all know it WILL happen.

If I straighten up!

Sneak Peak

Hey - would you like to read the first chapter of The Education of Thia? (Say YES!) Visit my website (link below) and click on the Novels tab and then the tab for The Education of Thia. There you'll find the first chapter! Be sure to come back here and leave your critiques!

Click here to visit Margo's website!

Hang in there!

Be of good cheer. Do not think of today's failures, but of the success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will find joy in overcoming obstacles. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost.

Helen Keller

Who should follow the rules?

Yah, Yah... I know... RULES. Who makes the rules, and why should they be followed? Well, that's a huge discussion, and today, I'm only going to tackle part of it.

This weekend, I read the "Hunger Games" trilogy (check out my reviews on Goodreads by clicking on the box in the lower left of this blog).  While I found the stories absolutely captivating, I was distracted and pulled out of the moment many times by the "rules" that were broken. Now, I understand that if you are a best-selling author, the rules may no longer apply, but it was still distracting!  And, frankly, frustrating. I've been told and read many times that debut authors must follow the rules as much as possible in order to get that first book published. However, there are conflicting opinions that argue we should simply read the best-sellers and follow their examples in how to write a great book. Ack. Which is it?


According to Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, "Very nearly the only time you need [thinker attritubtions] is when you're writing from an extremely distant point of view..." (page 124).

And yet, in Catching Fire, which is written in a very close first-person point-of-view, Collins constantly uses thinker attributions and italics. "I can't do it, I think. I'm not that good" (page 30).

Another broken rule that constantly distracted me in the trilogy was the use of dialogue tags.  Again, according to Self-Editing for Fiction Writers, "Name before the noun ("Renni said") rather than the other way around ("said Renni")" (page 95).

And yet... throughout the trilogy this "rule" was broken. "...says Octavia...says Venia..." (page 48, Catching Fire).

So, while I loved the trilogy (read it in three days) I was frustrated by the grammar.

What do you think? Are "rules" meant to be followed? Only by debut authors? Or not at all?

Check it out - - I'm a Guest Host!

Today, I am "Guest Host" on Christi Corbett's blog!

Check it out:
Christi Corbett's Blog

Techniques that look effortless

So... I took my daughter to the hairdresser for her fourteenth birthday. She got her hair cut and colored. Then the hairdresser styled her long locks in a super cool way. I watched carefully as she wrapped my daughter's hair around the outside of the curling iron. I asked why she was doing that instead of the usual way of using a curling iron.

"Because this is how Taylor Swift does it," the hairdresser replied. My eyes must've widened in obvious surprise, because she asked, "What? Are you not a Taylor Swift fan?"

"Taylor Swift is great," I quickly answered, as the hairdresser held my daughter's hair hostage with a burning iron (jk). "I'm just impressed (surprised) that you know how Taylor does her hair." I tried to smile politely.

She smiled back and continued curling my daughter's hair. It looked AMAZING when she was finished. And, it looked so easy to duplicate. Ha.

So, fast forward to last night. My daughter and I discussed her many hair options for picture day (today). She smiled and asked if I'd help her do the Taylor Swift hair-do.

"Sure, piece of cake!" I said. "Wake me up at 6:00a.m. and that will give us forty-five minutes. More than enough time to make your hair gorgeous!" Agreed on our strategy, my daughter headed off to bed.

Morning came extra early today as I heard my daughter bustling around at 5:30a.m. getting showered and ready for the day. At 6:10, she knocked on my door.  I blew out her hair, just like the hairdresser did. I wrapped her hair around the outside of the iron, just like the hairdresser did. And... well... the results were not the same. I could not figure out what I was doing differently. But, it certainly did not look like Taylor Swift's hair.

So, we decided to straighten it. Which took longer. Which caused her to miss the bus. Which caused me to happily drive her to school.

For some reason, I'm not sure she appreciated me singing happily along to the radio in the car. Of course, I changed the words to one of Phil Collins songs. Ha. I sang, "I'm happy to go to Columbia... to get my picture taken... I'm gonna smile big and show my pretty expensive teeth... I'm happy to go to Columbia..."

Yah. Well. I'm not Taylor Swift's hairdresser either.

But, it made me think. Often times I read a book and think about how awesome the writing is and how the author makes it look so easy. Surely, just by observing it I should be able to duplicate the process... right? Not. Professionals know tricks, techniques, and methods for creating something amazing that looks effortless.  Only through hard work and practice will we be able to achieve the same level of talent.

I need to call my hairdresser and ask her for lessons.

Writer's Conference

Since starting this adventure called writing, I've considered attending a conference. But... there are so many to choose from. And... are they really worth the massive amounts of cash involved?

Well, my pal, Melissa, did all the research for me (thanks) and picked a great one that features a lot of agent one-on-one-face-time. So... I took the plunge and registered! YAY!

Here's the link for the South Carolina Writers Workshop: http://myscww.org/conference/index.php

Seems crazy to travel from Idaho to South Carolina for my first conference, but Melissa will be there (YAY!) and I was able to get my airline ticket for only $60 (WOW!).

So, let me know if you plan to attend the conference as well... and we'll say "hey" to each other! :)

Thanks Holly and Shannon!

So... as you know, I have a block when it comes to writing query letters. I've done a ton of research, and understand the concept and construction, but knowing and doing are two different things.

Here's what paid off for me:
1. I had a critique partner read the ms and then read my query attempt. Having read the entire ms, she was able to give great feedback and advice for improving the letter. THANKS SHANNON!

2. Holly made a comment on a previous post suggesting that I should pretend to give the pitch verbally in person, and then transfer those words to paper. THANKS HOLLY!

3. Then, my "research" has taught me that you need to introduce the mc, problem, solution, complication, complication, complication, etc. to structure the query.

4. I put these three things together, and received a request for a full manuscript! YAY!

Here's my query letter:

Dear [Agent's Name],

Thirteen-year-old Cynthia Reid (Thia) falls in love with an internet predator. Of course she doesn’t know Mike is a predator. She just wants a boyfriend, and her over-protective parents won’t let her date until sixteen. So, hooking up with a boy during an online game seems like the perfect solution… until Thia’s mom catches her emailing innocent pictures. Then she loses her computer for weeks. When Thia finally gets it back, she learns that Mike attempted suicide in her absence.


Out of fear and guilt, Thia gives Mike her cell phone number, because she doesn’t want to be responsible for his death. The burden becomes too heavy to bear, but she doesn’t know who to trust. She knows Mike would never lie to her, because he loves her, and she chooses to believe him over her friends and her parents. As her online relationship with Mike intensifies, Thia’s real world begins to crumble. Her friendships shatter, her lies come more easily, and her relationship with her parents teeters on the brink.

Thia’s life spins out of control when her mom calls the police after discovering text messages from Mike on Thia’s phone. But even after Thia is shown evidence of who Mike really is, she stills chooses to believe Mike… until he shows up on her doorstep as a forty-five-year-old man.

Inspired by actual events, The Education of Thia is a 62,000 word young adult novel.

This is a multiple submission, and four agents are currently reviewing the full manuscript. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,
Margo Kelly

Are people born mean?

Nah. I don't think so! But, I often wonder what happened to a person to make them so MEAN!?

Saturday, at Quilt Crossing in Boise (I sell Bernina sewing machines), I thought I would be nice (ha - sometimes requires effort on my part). I told a couple of the ladies working they could go take their lunch breaks, and I'd cover the registers. So, multi-tasking (my first mistake), I cut fabric, answered questions, rang up sales, and tried to smile and be nice to everyone...

I had cut a piece of fabric for one lady and started her sale in the computer. She walked off to look at more fabric, so I thought I could quickly ring up a sale for a customer who patiently waited. As I'm doing that, the other lady stomps toward the front door. I asked her if she still wanted the fabric I'd already cut for her. She turned and told me how I was to slow for her and she didn't have all day to wait for me. She huffed and stormed out the door.

For some reason that really flustered me. Usually, I don't allow people to upset me so much. But, when I am working for someone else, I feel like I can't necessarily say the things I would normally if it was just me on my own time. This lady was MEAN! And I wanted to tell her to not bother coming back. Stinker. But, I bit my tongue and let her stomp away.

Afterward, the other employees looked at her name (it was in the computer for the sale I'd started for her) and they said, "Oh, no!" They went on to tell me that this lady would be calling the owner of the store to tell her how awful I was... because she's done it before to them. She's a repeat offender.

Whatever.

People like that need to be hit upside the head. Or be given free counseling. Something.

So, I wonder, what happened to her to make her so mean?

Why are mean people mean?

Do they just need a hug? Or a serious whack?

Amazing resource for kidlit writers

If you haven't seen this yet - go now. Oh my. Amazing information.

http://writeoncon.com/

Performance Anxiety

Truth. I currently suffer from performance anxiety.

I can stand up and speak in front of thousands of people, on the spot, with no preparation, and love every minute.

But, for some reason I lack the polished ability to write a stinkin' query letter. ACK.

Yes, I've studied the topic. Yes, I've written a gazillion versions for BOTH of my manuscripts. But, I just can't seem to hit the nail on the head.

Today, in the attempt to study the topic even MORE, I came across an uplifting post:
http://www.sarahjanefreymann.com/perfect_pitch.html

I like the idea.

What I liked most was her suggestion:
"It’s authenticity. By authenticity I mean the assurance and dignity that comes from being genuinely knowledgeable and truly intimate with the subject you are writing about; that you’ve immersed yourself in it; that you’ve walked the walk so you can talk the talk (or write the write). This authenticity makes me feel as if a book had to be written. Not just because the author would love to be published, but also because the author has something of importance to say, something to add to the world."

So, back to the drawing board. I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.

Are query letters easy for you to write? If so, wanna write mine?

Thought for the day (I have them sometimes)

When you are employed by someone else, you are limited by their expectations of you. When you are employed by yourself, you are only limited by the expectations you can imagine.

This profound thought is brought to you by MARGO KELLY.

Value of a bear...

We were going to sell a bear skin in a garage sale this weekend for $65, but then I thought maybe I should google the going price for bears. HA. I found a website that is selling a smaller bear skin for $1600. Yup. So, we've decided we'd be happy with $800. Wanna buy our bear skin? We even brushed his fur tonight before taking the photo. hahaha. Kinda creepy, really.

Cough, Cough

I went to Education Week last week at BYU-Idaho in Rexburg (I'm 41 years-old and I've never been to Rexburg before, ha), and I came home with a bad chest cold. Maybe it's pneumonia. Hack. Cough. Gag.

I went with my fifteen-year-old son, his sixteen-year-old friend, and the friend's mother. So, two moms and two boys. We stayed in the dorms together. I haven't slept on the top bunk in ... well EVER! Maybe once I slept on a top bunk at girls' camp... but I think even then it was a lower bunk. Holy Hannah. Climbing up and coming down that sucker, I think my life flashed before my eyes.

The classes were great and the company was fun. There were youth classes the boys could have attended, but no... they went to classes about Hebrew words and how to study Isaiah. A couple of brainiac scriptorians.

Me? I went to classes on how to raise teenagers. Ha. (Yah, I went to other classes as well.) 

I took my book club book with me to read in my free time. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. It was a white and black experience going from classes about Jesus Christ to reading a book with so much sadistic behavior in it. I had to skip many passages in the book, because it was too awful, too cruel.

I would not recommend that book to anyone. The violence against women was horrifying. A friend told me the book was originally called, Men who Hate Women. Well, if that had been the title, I would never have even picked up the book in the first place. Bummer.

Anyhow, enough soapbox. I'm going to go cough and write today. I may need to disinfect my keyboard afterward.

Have a great day!

Time to write a synopsis... BLECH!

I think in a perfect world, agents would simply want to read the entire manuscript - not a query - not a synopsis - but the MANUSCRIPT!

But, then in a perfect world, I would also get to be a size six  four, get to eat cake for breakfast, pizza for lunch, and ice cream for dinner.

Ahh... yes...

(pause for the daydream)

BUT NO - -

A query letter and synopsis are required if you want to entice an agent to read the whole story.

That's where I am today.

But, luckily for me, there are awesome bloggers who post tips to make my life easier. Check it out:

http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-write-synopsis.html

Thanks Elana, will you be my friend? Or maybe write my synopsis for me? At least?

Wanna read the first chapter?

Yesterday, I finished a revision of The Education of Thia. (YAY!)

I would LOVE to share the first chapter with you - - but I need your help first!  Help me get my Facebook "fans" up to 250 (currently 229), and I will post the first chapter for you to read. :-D

If you are not currently a FB fan, you can simply click below on the FB box in the lower right hand side of this blog.  Tell your friends! Help a gal out!

Thanks...
:-)
I hope you like the story...

Pillars of the Earth

Did you read "Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett? Did you like it?

I know people who LOVED it and people who HATED it. Not very many people had a middle of the road attitude about the book (at least not that I know personally!).

Now the book is a series on television!

Today, when I was supposed to be revising my WIP, I accidentally watched the first episode:

http://www.starz.com/originals/thepillarsoftheearth/screeningroom#/episode-101-anarchy/

Have you watched the series? What's your opinion? hahaha... (evil laugh, because I know what happens to the bad guy in the end...)

The book is always better than the movie/series/whatever.

Is email going away?

As many of you know, my current work-in-progress is about a teenage girl who falls prey to an internet predator.

I was revising a chapter yesterday that dealt with the use of email, and I decided to put some research time into the process.  And... I found an interesting statistic.

Only 11% of teenagers use email on a daily basis.

click here to see more about the end of email

According to the above website, fastcompany.com: "If you want to know what people like us will do tomorrow, you look at what teenagers are doing today," Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg told the audience at Nielsen's Consumer 360 conference. And according to Sandberg, only 11% of teens email daily--clearly, a huge generational drop. Instead, they are increasingly turning to SMS and social networks for communication. "E-mail--I can't imagine life without it--is probably going away," she said.

So... I put some serious thought into it, and I don't know if email will ever go away (fax machines are still around), but she's right about the teenagers. My teenagers don't check their email every day. They check Facebook and their cell phones. Hmm.

What do you think? Do you think email is going to disappear? Replaced by cell phone and social networks?

Creating Order from Chaos

Yesterday, I read an interesting article in the June issue of Woman's Day magazine.

Click here to read the article online.

One part of the article read, "One great way to give yourself a mood boost is to tackle an untidy area one step at a time. Get rid of some things you don't use (you probably don't need eight glass vases that came with floral arrangements). Chuck broken things" (Woman's Day, June 2010, page 16).

Then... I received a very helpful critique of the first chapter of The Education of Thia. (From my fabulous new critique partner Christi!!)

Click here to read a description of the story!

One part of the critique read, "I wonder why you use this? ... Clarify or dump it."

Ha. Perfect.

So, I plan to give myself a mood boost today and tackle one untidy area at a time. Ha. Chapter by chapter, line by line, word by word, I will tidy up my manuscript and make it the best thing ever! Well... besides chocolate and sex and love and ... okay, maybe I'll just make it the best possible story it can be!

Off to work.

But, first, let me know what chaotic thing in your life you plan to eliminate, or improve, today?

Funny...

Uh, what happened to the last seven days? Blinked. And they were gone. Scary. Man. Scary.

But, here's a funny... check it out: http://slushpilehell.tumblr.com/page/1

Ping Pong

I was in a business class a few years ago where the instructor spoke of communicating with his son (using it to compare to employees and finding a way to motivate them). The instructor referred to his method of communication as ping pong.

He would ask his son a question. His son would give a general answer, and then the dad would ask, "And then what?" or "Why?" or "How come?" And the son would give another answer, and the dad would ask again, "And then what?" or "Why?" or "How come?" The dad would continue this method of ping-pong with his son until he really got to the meat of the situation.

I tried it in business with people I was attempting to motivate, to find the root of their "blocks" to success. It worked. It was weird, but cool.

So, then the other day, I read this great article in Writer's Digest (July/Aug 2010, page 70). The article was called "Upping the Ante" by Victoria Lynn Schmidt. The first sub-heading was "Identify Character Motivation."   The article goes on to discuss why your characters are doing what they're doing. And, it made me think of the ping-pong method.

So, I sat down with my main character, and I asked her, "What are you doing?" She answered. (I know, I'm a little crazy.) Then I asked her, "Why do you want to do that?" She answered. I asked, "So, why does that matter?" She answered. I asked, "How is that going to bring you pleasure?" "What difference is that going to make?" etc.

I learned some interesting things regarding my character's motivation.

Have a ping-pong conversation with your main character and see what happens.

My amazing critique partner...

Not only can she write - she can also sing! WOW! This video gave me serious chills. Just like when I read her scenes about LEO in her awesome book!! :) check out her blog, also:   http://www.melissaddean.com/

Maybe done?

"All who have meditated on the art of governing mankind have been convinced that the fate of empires depends on the education of youth." — Aristotle

I have just been blowing through my writing. It's felt so great! I think I may have finished my first draft this morning! It seems odd to me, because if you would've asked me two days ago, I would've told you I have a long way to go yet. But, then yesterday, my characters made unexpected choices and the story took an unexpected turn.  So, today, I just typed the last page!! OH MY GOSH!

So... I think I'll go eat a bagel.

And, then start at page one and do a little REVISING!

Visually impaired teens in the Treasure Valley have life-changing summer | Local News | Idaho Statesman

My super cute son is in the newspaper today! Check it out:

Visually impaired teens in the Treasure Valley have life-changing summer Local News Idaho Statesman

The police are involved!

Oh my... I haven't worked on my current work-in-progress for six weeks... YES! Really! Six weeks. I've been super busy starting a new job and finishing up girls' camp and just getting used to the summer schedule with kids home and kids at volleyball and kids on youth trips and kids in summer programs. OH MY. {deep breath}

So, I knew I had today to get back at it. But... I had trouble deciding if I should just flat out pick up where I left off and continue writing, or if I should read through (not revise, just read) what I've alread written. Due to the fact that I have a compulsive personality, I had to read from the beginning.

Well... I just finished reading all 167 pages and I'm astonished that I could walk away from the writing at such a crucial moment in the story! The police are involved, the main character is in BIG trouble, the bad guy is lurking, and the mom is TICKED OFF!

I feel a little wound up now! Like I was reading an interesting story, it just got to the good part, and someone yanked the book out of my hands!

HA! I want to know what's going to happen next. What will the police do? What will my main character do? And what will the bad guy do? EEK!

But, I can't just turn the page and find out. I need to write the page first.

So, I'm back to work.

I hope you will enjoy "The Education of Thia" (when you can buy it off a book shelf at your favorite book store!!!) as much as I have.

Teenagers vs. Adults

Throughout my life, I've heard adults make the comment, "Just wait until they're teenagers." And to this day, so many adults make negative comments about kids being in those teenage years. Why is it such a dreaded time period?

Yeah, yeah, I know... teenagers are going through hormonal changes, body changes, social changes, and trying to figure out who they are... So? This still doesn't explain to me why so many adults fear this time period and why so many teenagers resent adults at the same time.

I have three teenagers and I think they're great. I work with teenagers at church... and I think they're great.

But maybe the real problem rests with the communication skills between the two groups. Maybe.

Last week at Girls' Camp I heard one young lady tell a friend, "I hate all adults. They can't be trusted. They say one thing to us and then turn around and lie about it to someone else."  I've been thinking about that comment and wondering how can I influence her to know that not all adults behave this way? Is it possible to even convince her of this? Are her own thoughts clouding her judgement or does she have factual experience that has led her to this belief?

Then my sixteen-year-old son came home to visit for a few hours yesterday (he's spending seven weeks in the local college dorms participating in a summer work program). He was frustrated because despite his attempts to communicate intelligently with the adult in charge of the program, the adult keeps shutting him down saying things like, "This is not open for discussion." and/or "The door is closed on this topic, don't bring it up again."

So, based on these two examples, I think adults are to blame. Yup. At least with these two instances. With the young woman, clearly her trust in adults has been violated. Whether only in her perception or in reality, her trust has been violated. With my son, the adult in charge is treating him like a small child. He is not. He is intelligent and will be moving out of the house in less than two years.

As adults, we need to impower these teenagers to be able to function and live responsibly on their own.

I think adults need to take more responsibility here and stop blaming it on the teenagers.

"Education...is a painful, continual and difficult work to be done in kindness, by watching, by warning,... by praise, but above all -- by example." — John Ruskin

Listening to teenagers

So... you think you want to write a book for young adults, huh?  Many agents say when they receive sample pages, they skip ahead to the first lines of dialogue. Many writers struggle with realistic dialogue - especially teenage dialogue.

To make things more challenging, teenage boys converse much differently than teenage girls. Truth! ha.

Girls are SO dramatic, in actions and in words.  Boys, on the other hand, can be very flat. Ah, yes... both are the stereotypes, but stereotypes exist for a reason.

Here's a conversation that occured between my son and another teenage boy yesterday. We were moving Mitchell into the dorms of a local university for a summer work program sponsored by the Idaho Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Mitchell leaned against the wall while he balanced a paper plate in one hand and a potato chip in the other.  He surveyed the group of boys and girls mingling and eating. Mitchell popped the potato chip into his mouth as a guy about his own age, maybe a year or two older, approached him and asked, "So what's your vision problem?"

Mitchell finished chewing and answered, "I can't see out of this eye." He used his thumb to indicate his right eye.

"Oh," the other boy nodded his head and squinted. "Cool." Then he shook his head and corrected, "I don't mean cool you're blind. I mean cool."

"Yah," Mitchell smiled. Both boys laughed. "How 'bout you?" Mitchell asked.  The other boy went on to explain how his right eye didn't work at all and he had no peripheal vision with his left eye.

... Could you imagine two bubbly outgoing girls having this same conversation? Maybe. Maybe not.

Lucky me, I get to spend this entire week observing and listening to girls aged twelve to eighteen. I'm in charge of thirty girls at girls' camp. YAY. (exclamation point intentionally left off... jk)  I plan to listen carefully and observe their interactions. I may even take a couple of notes. Then I plan to write lots when I get back into town.

I do have a book to finish.

Back to work!

Oh, by the way, have you heard any great dialogue between teens lately? Do share.

What does the setting say about your character?

I remember watching an episode of Oprah many years ago. An idea was suggested that I've never forgotten. The guest on the show told everyone to picture the room in their house that embarrassed them the most - the room that if anyone walked in to it unexpectedly, would cause you to be mortified. Well, to be honest, I pictured my master bathroom. It's the last room of my house to ever get cleaned. (TMI?)

Anyway, the guest went on to suggest that this one room says a lot about you. The feelings you have about this room say a lot about you. And, the fact that this room is the way it is, says a lot about you. Why is that room a disaster? Or why does that room cause you stress? These ideas have made me think and analyze myself.

Today in my writing, I plan to take ideas from a chapter in "The Fire in the Fiction" by Donald Maass and apply it to some revisions. The chapter from his book happens to be "The World of the Novel" - - which discusses the setting in your book.  As I re-read highlighted passages, I was reminded of the Oprah episode.

Maass writes, "The trick ... is to discover in your setting what is unique for your characters. ...make them grapple with it as surely as they grapple with the main problem and their enemies. ...it is the combination of setting details and the emotions attached to them that, together, make a place a living thing" (pages 82-83).

So... I'm off to discover which room of the house embarrasses my characters the most and why. I can't guarantee these passages will make it into the final draft, but who knows? Maybe this revision will be part of a new masterpiece! ha.

Oh my gosh!

Okay, a huge shout-out to moms who work jobs outside the home. I don't know how you do it in addition to all the other responsibilities required of moms!

I was offered a job selling Bernina sewing machines - and I said, "Sure!"

Last week was my first week... now granted I'm not working full-time, because I want to write full-time. However, to get trained, I need to work more hours. So, Thursday of last week was my first day. I had either the flu or serious food poisoning on Wednesday and was down for the count. Great. Couldn't call in sick to my first day of work... so I sucked it up and went in to work eight hours Thursday. Did great. Came home and crashed. Worked eight hours Friday. Came home and prepped a Stampin' Up! class, and then taught a SU! class Saturday. Came home and crashed.

Writing? Who has time to be a writer? Oh my gosh.

So, I thought I'd get up early, get chores done, and get 2000 words written before heading out to work today. Well... I need to leave in twenty minutes. Do you think I can get 2000 words written in twenty minutes?

This job thing is interferring with my writing thing.

Contest Deadline Today! Hurry and enter!

Here's another quick and easy contest, but hurry, the deadline is today!

http://www.guidetoliteraryagents.com/blog/CategoryView,category,Contests.aspx

I can eat cookies for breakfast, if I want to!

Interestingly enough, as an adult, I can choose to eat cookies (homemade chocolate chip cookies) for breakfast, if I want to!  Now, granted, eating cookies for breakfast might not necessarily be the healthiest choice, but none-the-less, it's a choice I can make.

Another choice I can make as an adult, is not to explain myself. I remember many many years ago, little neighborhood kids were playing with my kids inside our house, the commotion was grinding on my nerves (I'm so NOT a patient mother), and I wanted the neighbor kids to GO HOME! But, I let the commotion continue thinking, what excuse can I give the kids for sending them home? Then it occurred to me. I'm the adult. It's my house. I can send them home if I want to, with no excuses. So, I went to the kids and told them it was time for them to go home. Of course, they whined and asked why. I said, "Because I said so."  Ha. I remembered as I kid, I hated that answer from an adult. Ha. But, now I know it's absolutely okay to say - to anyone. Don't want to go to the movies with the annoying person who chatters all the way through it? Just say no thank you. When they whine and ask why? Just say, "Because I don't want to." We don't have to give excuses. And guess what? If the friend is offended and never asks you to the movies again... what's lost?

Anyhow. I need to be a writer. That way, when things get on my nerves, I can rewrite the scene. When a character annoys me, I can eliminate them from the script. When I make an unpopular choice, I can say the characters in the story did it (ha). When I'm craving a certain food, I can describe it and have my characters eat it all they want.

What I did over the weekend

This is just one 15"x15" block of a nine block quilt. A crazy amount of embroidery and piecing make up this quilt. But, when I saw it - I instantly fell in love with it. I bought the instructions and supplies and was promised by the seller that the packet contained complete instructions. Right. Well, I had to google applique techniques and then I had to google instructions for a blanket stitch. Not to mention, the fabric in the kit does not match the fabric pictured in the instructions! Sheesh.

Talk about buying a book because of its cover and then being disappointed with the contents!  Never-the-less, I've come up with a strategy and I'm back to enjoying the quilting process.

But it makes me think... when we write a query letter for our manuscripts, what are we promising? When an agent then reads are manuscript, are they thinking "What the heck?" Or are we delivering exactly what we advertised in our query letter? The two need to match up. No bait and switch. 

I've promised myself, I must finish my first draft of my current WIP before I go back and rework the query for my first ms. It's been motivating to write more and write faster on my WIP.  But I still keep thinking about my first ms... I'm determined to get it published... but I need to re-work a few things first!

New contest - Go VOTE!

Great contest on Melissa Marr's website. Check it out and vote for my short story, "Fire Opals!"

 Click here to view and vote for short stories!

"The human brain moves faster...

"The human brain moves faster than any author's fingers can type" (Donald Maass).

Ha. I was reading The Fire in Fiction by Maass this morning while walking on the treadmill and I loved this quote. It makes me laugh now as I type - why? Because apparently it is a challenge for me to use a highligher while walking on the treadmill. HA ha. You should see the yellow squiggle line across the page from trying to highlight this sentence.

Anyhoo... The point of the quote is to cut the unnecessary words from your manuscript. Cut the stuff people don't want to read (an "important" person said that one, but I can't remember who it was).

Sometimes as writers we think all of our words are important, but they're not. The trick is to keep our voice and say the important things with the least amount of words possible.

So, with that, I'll stop typing.

Day at the spa...

Mmm, Hmm. We all need one. If I could figure out how to get pictures off my new cell phone - I'd show you my pretty toes. Oh well... use your imagination (but imagine my feet skinnier than they actually are).

[Sidenote: did you know you can find pictures of anything via google? Crazy. These are not my toes. But totally how I picture my toes in my head. In fact, my toes are fatter.]

While at the spa getting a pedicure, I sat and thought about characters. The more I write the more I think about writing. I meet people, watch people, talk to people, and think to myself: you need to be a character in my book.

I've even stopped and typed notes into my cell phone (uh, oh! that reminds me... I need to get those notes off my old cell phone! I'd better write another note...). I write reminders of what these larger than life characters said and did. For example, one day I was driving down the road and a guy in an old beat up pickup truck swerved a bit. I thought, what the heck is he doing? And then, he spat out the window. Ew. He must be chewing tabacco and spitting. Ick. Mental note, stay out of his spit-zone. But then, we stopped at the stop light. He was next to me. I had to look. He was brushing his teeth! REALLY! He had a toothbrush in one hand and picked up a water bottle with the other. Rinsed and spat out the window again. Huh. Light turned green. He drove on, still brushing his teeth.

I could tell you about the red-neck dad in Cabella's (camping & hunting store) with two little toddlers in tow and a baby in the shopping cart and what he explained to them about his truck. (Lots of trucks in Idaho)

I could tell you about the optometrist who spoke so fast I could hardly keep up. He kept waving his hands and asking, "Do you know what I mean? Do you know what I mean?" I'm pretty sure he meant he had to much coffee to drink that day. HA.

Anyhow... I enjoyed my day at the spa... but I had trouble focusing. I had a physical need to write.