Saturday Sketch 2.9

So, I've decided to do the insane. I am officially rewriting Void in first person. Yes, you read that right. I am redoing an ENTIRE BOOK in first person. I opened the document yesterday and was happy with what I found, but I still didn't think it was as good as it could be. Coral Starfall, the magic-less MC born to wizards, just keeps whispering to me that she would prefer to speak for herself.

I'm going to let her. And I really think the MS might be better for it. The story needs her emotions, her unique perspective, her words. Mine aren't doing the job.

In honor of my insanity, I have drawn Luke Abbot, the absolutely perfect, albeit cocky, quarterback/genius (who has plenty of secrets himself). He is one of my favorite characters. Why? Because he's a real boy—so cute, and totally OBNOXIOUS.

A Better Comparison, I Think

If you know me, you know I've been querying for...well, over a year. I hate even saying it. That's a long time to get rejected, you know? Let me point out that I've queried several projects, though. I haven't spent a whole year beating my head against a wall for one book.

During this year, I've read a lot of things comparing the Query War to dating. And while that works, I don't think it's quite accurate. For one, I'm pretty sure it's easier to get a boyfriend/girlfriend than it is to get an agent.

So, I propose a NEW comparison. (Are you ready for my brilliance?)

Querying is like trying to get into the popular crowd in high school.

Oh yes, that makes more sense, doesn't it? And also accounts for the sheer brutality and indifference of the process. I shall illustrate, but please note that this is the scenario if things go well. At any step you could get shot down—and hard.

Step 1: Try To "Fit In"
So, you're the new geek at school. Your clothes (MS) say NOOB all over them. People can tell from a mile away that you do not belong here. The popular crowd? Yeah, they laugh at you. You are going to need a whole new set of clothes (revisions), a hair and makeup update (query), some awesome talents (synopsis), and (of course) some serious confidence (um, confidence). On top of all that, you must retain some of your individuality, otherwise you will be labeled a WANNABEE (i.e. the kiss of death).

Step 2: Get A Popular Person To Notice You
It doesn't have to be the heavy hitters. The popular crowd has its levels of awesomeness as well. You just have to get one of the lower minions (agents) to think you're cool enough to take on an "initiation." So you sit next to them in class and make casual conversation (query)—play into their interests, etc. Act COOL, not like a bumbling idiot/stalker.

Step 3: Initiation
OMG, Hannah from third period (moderately popular cheerleader) invited you to a "cool kid" party (partial)! First off, take deep breaths. You gotta be your best here. Wear an outfit that says cool, but also has you written all over it. This is like first impression times ten—they're going to be testing you out. Either they'll decide right here that you have potential to be in their group, or they'll send you packing.

Step 4: Slumber Party
Holy crap—you were awesome at the party! You were chill. You rocked your purple patent peep toes (Hannah LOVED them!). And you even got a few other popular kids saying "hi" to you in the halls at school (more requests). But Hannah thinks you're, like, totally BFF material. She's taking it to the next level—slumber party (full)! Now you're going to have to be even better, ready to spill some juicy secrets, and show them all that you really belong with the "in" crowd.

Step 5: BFF Status Accomplished
Once again, you did your thang at the slumber party! They LOVED your secrets and laughed at all the funny stories you told. Hannah is totally your BFF (agent), and she thinks that the more popular people (editors) she knows should know you too! Especially Tiffany, the head cheerleader, because you guys would, like, so get along. Hannah says your are coming to Tiffany's bday party at her parents' CABIN. Whoa, big league now.

Step 6: Queen Bee Approval
This is it. If Tiffany likes you, you'll officially be in the cool crowd (published). If not, well, Hannah will probably still be nice to you, but it's just not going to happen, you know? Nothing personal...kind of. Now you have to be super awesome—"A" game, "A+" game even. And yet you still need to be you, somehow. So you rally your courage, stick close to Hannah, and have a blast at the cabin. Question is, will Tiffany approve? You've come so far! Oh, the torture.

Too Sad To Read

Have you ever read a book that engrosses you so much in the characters' lives that you can't sleep because you're worried sick about them? Well, I officially have. It's so sad (I'm not sure it's intended to be sad, but it is to me) that I'm not even sure I can finish it because it's turning me into a mess!

I bawled over it last night before bed, and then I woke up at 3 a.m. because my stomach ached with worry over FICTIONAL CHARACTERS. I tried to get back to sleep, but that was just a joke. So I got up and read more. And then cried more. And maybe slept an hour more. I made it a little over 100 pages in before I had to flip to the back to read the ending, just to soothe the pain and see if it turned out happy in anyway . Not really happy. Just doable.

I'm not sure if I can finish it or not, though it is a good book. I have always been a sensitive person. Things just effect me—they fester in my over active brain that never turns off. That's why I can't watch horror movies; I will freak myself out for weeks. That's why I barely watch the news; every awful story breaks my heart. And that's why I usually don't read sad books! I just didn't realize this one would effect me this way.

Okay, and now I'm sure you're dying to know what book has caused all this lack of sleep and intense amount of stress. Well, it's SLAM by Nick Hornby. Not sure if it's supposed to be making me feel like this, but it is. This would be such a hard thing to go through, and it just breaks my heart.

With querying and such, I'm not sure I should be making myself more depressed. Heh.

A Character Study: Amy Sato

Um, hey guys. Natalie doesn't know what the heck she's doing now (yeah, sooo lost without me and Tosh), so I thought I'd step in and save her from another not-so-awesome post.

Lot's of people say I'm a pretty cool person (no, I didn't even pay them! weird, huh). So I thought I could tell you a little about why I think they think that.

First off, I'm positive it has something to do with the fact that I'm HOT. Well, if by "hot" you mean really short and average looking. But I do clean up nice, though I'm not really into "cleaning up." No, I mean, I like to be clean! I just...yeah, you get it, right?

I'm also so bad at the flute that I scare small creatures. That makes me awesome because I'm like your own personal security system. A little poodle chasing you? I could totally scare it away with my lack of flute skills. (And if worse comes to worse [as in the dog is deaf], I guess I could karate chop it.)

Other than that, I'm not too sure why people like me so much. I'm so sarcastic people can't tell when I'm being serious or not (except Tosh, who always gets me, teehee). And I'm a total GEEK and a half. So geeky my own mother is embarrassed to go out in public with me...not even going there. I like all the stuff girls aren't supposed to like—comics, video games, pigging out, D&D, and kicking the crap out of evil ninj...I mean, "bad guys."

I guess that's it for now, nice meeting all you blog people...oh wait. SIGH. Tosh would like to point out that I am, in fact, extremely hot and very funny. He thinks I'm totally underrating myself right now, but I'm sticking with what I said. (Um, is he cute or what? So, so cute.)

How Do You Know?

I'm waxing philosophical today. Lots of people write. Like, tons. And there are so many people out there who think they are publishable. As we all saw on Nathan Brandsford's blog, most writers think they are above the curve. And even if they don't, they still write. Lots of people also talk about why they write—the drive, that's who they are, they love it, they want to be published, etc. But I have a different question, though it seems to be in a similar vein.

How do you know you have writing skills?

Really, with so many styles and genres and so-called tastes out there, how do any of us know if we are good writers or not? We all think we're capable of writing a good book. What's the measuring stick you use on yourself?

Do you base your skill level on other people's opinions? Like, since your critique group or family like your work, you have faith that you have some talent. Or do those four stars on Amazon deem you as a four star writer?

Is this why we all seek publication? Is that was finally deems you as a skilled writer? But then so many people complain that published work is "sub par." Seems a tad contradictory.

Or do you base your level of skill on how accurate your punctuation and grammar is? The better you are at the technical stuff, the better the book? I'm not so sure.

Maybe it's something less tangible? Like the ability to observe life, to imagine, to make sense of all the nonsense and put it in words that makes a good writer. The ability to entertain, perhaps?

I personally claim to have some skill in writing, but I have no idea why I think that. All I know is that I love to write and I get better everyday. Maybe someday I'll figure out why I think I'm any good.

First Person

Can we all agree that writing in first person is hard? Okay, thanks. I don't feel like a loser now for stressing over it so much.

I try to avoid first person at all costs. I've only attempted it one other time, and it was quite the disaster. It's such a challenge to capture the voice of another person without going over the top. Not only that, but the character you are writing has to be strong/unique enough to stand up to that form of writing.

Then there's the whole issue of how limited you are when you have a single perspective to speak from. You must stick with what your MC knows and thinks and sees and hears. You can't switch, you can't soften the opinions or feelings. It's all out there. Raw. It must be authentic, or it won't work.

But with Relax, I'm A Ninja, I knew it had to be in first person. And that scared the crap out of me. Either it was going to be a disaster, or be the best thing I've written yet. (I like to think it's AWESOME.)

Well, I've run the gauntlet. Written in Tosh for 85,000 words. And I must say that I appreciate the art of first person so much more. It definitely has its challenges and limitations, but beautiful things can come out that you might never see in third person.

Writing as Tosh, I felt like I knew him more than any of my other characters. Not that I don't know my other ones well, but having him tell the story showed me so much more about his thoughts and feelings than I would have learned if I was the one talking. And I think that's what makes this book so cool.

I have enjoyed learning and discovering with him, and I really hope that I get the chance to visit him and Amy in the future. I miss them already. (Yes, I miss fictional characters. It's like I sent my babies to college.)

Sunday OK Song

Ingrid Michaelson is my current favorite singer. I posted one of her songs last week, but I just have to post another because I love so many of them. Her voice is gorgeous and unique, her lyrics fun and thoughtful.

Hope you all have a lovely day. I have a lot of editing on ninjas, but I've been pleased so far at how clean it's been. This might be the first book that won't get any extra chapters! Wee!

Without further ado, Be OK by Ingrid:

Saturday Sketch 2.8 (Ninja Celebration)

This is how I feel right now—bouncing off the walls happy. I finished Relax, I'm A Ninja last night! Most of the time I feel sad when I finish a book, but this time I'm just giddy. I'm so proud of this story, of my MC Tosh. What can I say? Ninjas ROCK!

So, in honor of being done, I present to you one of my favorite moments in the book. This takes place on Amy's first day of ninja school.

Excerpt from Chapter 5:

Writing Action Scenes

Seems like I can't write a book without throwing in at least one fight scene. Okay, Evergreen is my only book that doesn't have a single fist fight. But other than that, I have written at least one extended action sequence in every project. And ninjas? An abundance of action scenes.

You know what? Action is HARD to write. I get nervous just thinking about it. Maybe some people would say action doesn't have much merit or doesn't take skill, but let me just say it takes a lot of work to write a good action sequence. I have deep respect for those that execute it well.

See, action requires that you paint a visual picture of combat in words. Not an easy task AT ALL! It is so easy to under or over describe the scene. Under describing leaves the reader feeling gypped, while over describing screws with pacing and can leave the reader majorly confused.

I'm not sure if I walk the tightrope well, but I've learned a few things. Thought I'd pass them on.

1. You don't need big words.
When I first started researching combat so I could write about it, I assumed I needed to use really technical language. Turned out the more "technical" I got, the less people understood or the more nit-picky they got about me using the term wrong! People want to use their imaginations, and they build the scene well enough from "he swung his sword at me, and I blocked."

2. Position gets weird fast
If you're constantly trying to explain that your MC is approximately twenty paces from the enemy, and then three feet, but then they do a flip and now they are further away and suddenly closer...yeah. Readers spend too much time visualizing that and it hurts. "He charged me" is plenty.

3. Half the fight isn't about the fight
Huh? Yeah, a lot of the tension that comes in the fight is what the MC is thinking about it. What are they fighting for? Are they happy to win? Scared to kill for the first time? Who are they protecting? This part is actually what makes the battle compelling.

Happy Things

The dread pirate Sara tagged me, so I get to come up with 6 things that I haven't told you about that make me happy. Let's face it, I've already told you guys way too much about me (from my orange belt to my daily bowl of ice cream to a certain oreo incident), but I'm sure you want to know more. I am infinitely fascinating...

1. Blankets make me crazy happy.
Seriously, getting to pile on quilts and fuzzy blankets is the only thing that gets me through winter. I love to cuddle up on the couch with about five blankets and laptop or a book. I think it might be genetic, too, because both of my children like them as well. Ben has THREE blankets (or beedees, as he calls them) that he must cart around the house at all times.

2. Food=Joy
Going out to eat, cooking, even just the thought of eating makes me happy. There isn't much that's more enjoyable to me. You'd think I'd be 500 pounds by now the way I moon over food. (Thank goodness having gestational diabetes TWICE has taught me moderation.) Nick always asks what I want for my birthday, and I am just fine with a nice dinner. Food (and books) is the best gift.

3. Namaste, etc.
Doing yoga puts me at a happy sort of peace. During, it's challenging and yet relaxing at the same time. Cleansing. And after, I feel lighter and happier and balanced. It's my answer to query stress—any stress, really.

4. Beautiful, Weird, Colorful Shoes!
There's something about awesome shoes that gets me giddy. I have lime green tennis shoes and bright red embroidered flats. Teal suede wedges. Black patent leather sling backs. Bronze t-strap peep toes. And yes, I'm on the look out for the PERFECT PURPLE SHOE. I could be wearing the ugliest clothes on the planet, but if I had cute shoes I'd be fine (okay, mostly fine).

5. Final Fantasy Games
The Final Fantasy series of video games makes my heart sing. I get butterflies. Final Fantasy VII was the first RPG I played all the way through because I loved the story. And it was the first time I realized that a video game could be BEAUTIFUL. I secretly wish I had time to play them still. I've had my hands on all of them except #1 and FF X2.

6. Email
Sigh, it's true. Getting email makes me so, so happy. I love when stuff pops up in my box. I feel strangely important. I feel like I haven't been forgotten in my house with my two little kids. Someone out there sent me EMAIL! Weee!

Ninja Query

I should be finishing Relax, I'm A Ninja this week, and for some reason I wanted to start writing the query for this book today. I figured if I got a good start now, I could refine it as I work through edits and such.

UPDATE: Revision
Toshiro Ito is a pro at secrets—that's what ninjas do best. He thought no one did it better until he discovered a ninja in the unlikeliest place: a cheerleader's bedroom. Spying on super hot Courtney Petersen was supposed to provide a peek at her bra strap. Instead, Tosh finds his neck at the edge of her blade.

When teenagers start turning up dead around the city, Tosh is certain Courtney's somehow involved. But she isn't exactly interested in spilling information. After several failed attempts to break Courtney, Tosh enlists Amy Sato (new ninja recruit and his best friend's crush) to help. They are determined to make her talk—not an easy task when their covers are role-playing, calculator-toting, uber nerds and Courtney can use her meathead boyfriend as a shield.

After they have a run-in with the murderer and no luck with Courtney, Tosh worries he and Amy are next on the list. Together they decode the strange events, and Amy's charm steals his heart in the process. Who knew their first kiss would unlock not only Courtney's secrets, but those of an ancient ninja battle raging around them? All he wanted was a girlfriend.

I hope you will consider Relax, I’m A Ninja, a YA novel finished at 80,000 words.


So here it is. Feel free to offer your assistance if you see something that doesn't make sense.

Toshiro Ito keeps secrets—that's what ninjas do best. He just doesn't realize how deceptive other ninjas are until he discovers one in the unlikeliest place: a cheerleader's bedroom. Getting dared to spy on super hot Courtney Petersen wasn't supposed to provide more than a peek at her bra strap. Instead, Tosh finds his neck at the edge of her blade. Clearly there's more going on in San Francisco than he knew about.

When a mysterious ninja nearly murders Tosh's friend and teenagers start turning up dead around the city, he's certain Courtney’s somehow involved. But she isn't exactly interested in spilling what she knows about the murderer. Tosh determines to make her talk—not an easy task when his cover is a role-playing, calculator-toting, uber nerd and Courtney can use her meathead boyfriend to fight her battles.

After several failed attempts at breaking Courtney, Tosh enlists Amy Sato (new Clan recruit and his best friend's crush) to help. He expects Amy to decode the strange events they've witnessed, but never guessed her charm would steal his heart in the process. Who knew his first real kiss would unlock not only Courtney's secrets and the identity of the murderer, but those of an ancient ninja battle now raging around them? All he wanted was a girlfriend.

I hope you will consider Relax, I’m A Ninja, a YA novel finished at 80,000 words.

The Orange Belt

Well, some of you asked for this. Here goes. (The little bitty voice of sanity in my head is telling me not to post this, but like I ever listen.)

Guess what I found in my closet last night? Yup. THE ORANGE BELT. I still have it! And it's more beautiful than I remembered. So neon...so, so orange. And I'm strangely proud that it still fits!

I have a bit of a love affair with orange. Lots of people don't seem to like the color, but it makes me happy on so many levels. It can be warm and bright like a glass of OJ in the morning. Or it can be deep and inviting like pumpkin pie. And let's not forget zany like road cones! There's an orange for every occasion.

So in 9th or 10th grade I found this belt, and I HAD to have it so I could wear orange all the time. I'm guessing I've worn this thing for 20% of my life at this point, since I wore it for a good chunk of college as well. I remember forgetting it on my honeymoon and being devastated. Nick let me wear his belt, but it just wasn't the same. Sigh. My mom is pretty positive that it even made it into some of my engagement photos, so I'll have to look.

It's quite the fashion statement, no? And I thought I'd provide a close up so you can get the full effect of my insanity. Who knows? Maybe I'll have to whip it out for special occasions. Oh, like today! Happy inauguration day, all!

Someone (or Something) Is Following Me

When I woke up this morning, something was different. I heard a soft breathing behind me. I turned—nothing. Weird. So I got up and went to the bathroom, still feeling like something strange was going on. I gasped when I looked in the mirror. I could have sworn I saw two reflections for a second...nah, morning eyes.

But then I went to put my contacts in, and they're already gone. I could have sworn I was still blind as a bat, but I double checked my reflection. Blurry. I grabbed my glasses. I heard thumps on the stairs—wasn't Nick already down there with Ben? My heart stopped. Someone (or something) was in my house. And they stole my contacts.

I didn't want to, but I knew I had to find out what was going on. So I grabbed the sharpest thing I could find (scissors) and bounded down the stairs as I let out a war cry.

When I got to the bottom of the stairs, I froze. I (or someone who looks a lot like me) was sitting on the couch, laptop in lap.

She (or me?) looked up at me and smiled my smile. "Hey, great blog. Mind if I follow you?"

"Um, no? Go ahead." I could always use a few followers, even if they looked a lot like me.

"Thanks."

"Who are you?" Dare I even ask? I dared.

One of her (or my?) eyes flashed red and her smile grew. "I'm you, but better."

I nodded, deciding I better just go get breakfast and accept that joking about being a cyborg had finally sent me over the edge of reality. Hey, at least I got another blog follower out of it.

Weekend Media Blitz—With Cyborgs

After a busy day at the dinosaur museum yesterday, I just didn't have the energy to draw. So we're going to have a big old party up in here today! I'm nearing the end of Relax, I'm a Ninja, so in traditional fashion my brain is running ahead to my next idea Cyborgs, Inc.

So, introducing Danielle (Danie), my tragically organic MC:

A Little Piece:
"Mom, please! Everyone else has one!" She insisted that I stay organic until eighteen. Seriously, I didn't see the point. I had friends implanted with internal dictionaries at seven. Do you know how much it sucks to actually have to memorize spelling?

"We've been through this a hundred times," she said. "Kids these days don't appreciate their enhancements. You need to experience organic life so you can use your additions prudently when you get them."

"This is so not fair! Your own soldiers get fitted with flamethrowers at fourteen!" We had been through this a hundred times. And I never won (I didn't have Mom's enhanced logic program, so it wasn't even a fair fight.)

I could see her getting mad, but then her face went blank and she smiled. "It is fair. You will understand in time."

I cursed to myself, balling my fists and wishing I could shut off my frustration like she could. That's what happened when your mom was in the military. Every MP was fitted with an "emotional switch." That way errors in judgment were impossible. Greater good always came first, and I came second. So I was a sixteen-year-old girl who couldn't even enjoy a real fight with her cyborg mom.

And the song that inspired some serious daydreaming about this idea. Lady In Spain by Ingrid Michaelson:

High School Me

In high school:

• I thought most everything was black and white. Now, lots of things seem more gray than anything else.

• I was sure I'd be doing art for video games after college.

• I was terrified of boys, and yet madly in love with them at the same time.

• I LOVED anime.

• I wore an orange belt pretty much every day.

• I wrote a book (never finished) that was kinda like Sailor Moon, but not.

• I carried a sketchbook everywhere and drew instead of taking notes.

• I started a pop tart club.

• I was blunt, too blunt, and probably hurt a lot of people's feelings.

• I was prejudice against popular people.

• I was sure I'd marry someone tall, dark, and handsome. (Instead, I married someone tall, blond, and HOT.)

• I was pretty and didn't know it.

• I was a drama techie, mostly painted the sets.

• I never thought I'd write so many books.

Back In The Trenches

Duck!

*A flaming manuscript from a rogue agent bomber nearly hits Natalie, but she dodges with her panther-like reflexes*

So I'm back in the query trenches—forgot what a smelly place it was. Did NO ONE clean up in here over the holidays? Sheesh. There are moldy, abandoned manuscripts all over the place! The query machine guns are in desperate need of repair.

*Suddenly the air is filled with white confetti. Natalie plucks a few shards from the air—shredded query letters. Pushing back tears, she peeks her head over the trench. It's silent. Too silent.*

With my new query and shiny revised MS, I thought it was time to put on my uniform and fight the good fight again. Here I am, seventy queries in on Allure. Thirty more to one hundred, which is when I may consider waving the white flag on this project.

I'm in an interesting place now—it seems the war has completely desensitized me. The rejection is but a worthless torture tool, and even the taunting with partials is but a blip on my radar. I feel like a seasoned soldier now, strong and indifferent. Not sure that's a good thing, but it is what it is.

Well, You Asked...Or Didn't

Wow, thank you for asking questions, everyone! I fully expected to be writing my own today. And these are way better than what I was coming up with. This was fun, hope you enjoy the answers. I'm sure you tossed in your sleep in anticipation.

sraasch said...Serious question: What inspired "Relax, I'm a Ninja"?

Honestly, this one is kind of hard to pinpoint. I've always loved martial arts and such, so I started joking around on the blog that I was a ninja. Then, no joke, I saw these Flair buttons on Facebook that had that phrase "Relax, I'm A Ninja." I just thought that was so funny—I decided I had to do some book about a ninja kid. Toshiro's voice almost immediately popped into my head. He started telling me about how people think ninjas run around in black garb, but they're really a lot smarter than that. Kiersten told me to write the first paragraph for Nathan Brandsford's contest (okay, okay, I'll admit there was only a first paragraph when I entered!), and it kinda took off from there.

Not-serious question: If you could be a season, which season would you be and why?

I think I'd have to say Autumn. So many fun things happen in Autumn. And if I was the season, I'd like to watch kids run to their first day of school, see the parents rejoice, smile at all the Halloween costumes, smell the yummy apple pies, and laugh at the leaf pile jumping contests.

Kiersten said...Can you please make up some questions?

Um, sure. But just for you!

What deodorant do you use? Dove, gotta love soft armpits.

What do you eat for breakfast? Usually cereal, lately I've had no appetite and have been going for a glass of OJ and a multi-vitamin.

How well do you sing? As long as the song doesn't go too high, I'm a freaking rock star:P

lotusgirl said...What is your favorite animal?

Pet-wise, I do love cats. I had two (Calvin & Hobbes) growing up and they were great. In theory, dogs are great, too, but I know I'd struggle with the extra "maintenance" they require. Just any old animal? I think horses are beautiful. My little sister rides, and I'm so jealous.

What is your ideal place to write?

Anywhere there aren't kids! What? Impossible? Oh yeah. Um...I usually sit on the couch with my laptop, which I enjoy, or in my bed when I need a change of scenery. If I'm being totally unrealistic, I'd say a house in New Zealand overlooking a forest. With a waterfall somewhere, cuz those are cool.

Never Settle said...Q #1:Would you be willing to play a game of chubby bunny with some of your cult members? Oh, wait. I'm sorry. Kiersten has the cult. You just have regular old followers. ;) So, would ya?

You know, I've never played this game! I'm not a fan of marshmallow or stuffing a lot of stuff in my mouth. Devastating, I know.

Q #2:How many miny tootsie rolls can you smush into your mouth at once?(I can fit 27.)

I have no clue. I am also not a fan of tootsie rolls. A brown, chewy log? Yeah, no thanks. But if I HAD to guess, I'd say like 24. That sounds reasonable.

Kasie West said...Are you more parts ninja or cyborg? Or are you relatively equal in both areas?

Hmm, excellent question. I would actually say I'm more cyborg. Hello? I just hit 55k in ninjas...didn't I JUST finish Sealed? Yeah, I'm wired to write, etc. The ninja training came after that (to defend my allies in the Query War). So technically, I would say I'm a cyborg with some ninja skills.

Renee Collins said...If your books were people, and you HAD to marry only one of them, which one would you marry?

Oh. My. Gosh. Why are you doing this to me, Ren? This hurts. Okay, here goes, I'm going to say that I would marry Void. Why? It really boils down to the message of this book. Coral Starfall is born to a wizarding family, but has no magic. Instead of moping or sitting back and letting people tell her she's damaged, she takes control of her life, goes out on her own, and stays true to what she loves (technology, which is banned in the wizarding communities). She meets a beautiful, flawed boy. And instead of thinking she can change him into prince charming, she realizes that everyone has flaws and she needs to decide which ones she can live with. I'd want to "marry" a book that sends that kind of message.

When thinking/daydreaming about your books, what do you think about? Do you envision future scenes? Work out current plot problems? Dream about your characters in wacky/outlandish situations that will never show up in the story?

Mostly my daydreams about books come in "dialogue form." I'll get key conversations and they'll build up in my head, pushing me to get to that point in the book so they just SHUT UP. Furture scenes will often come (as dialogue), but plot usually unfolds for me as I write, not daydream. They never show up in weird places that don't go in the story...don't know why, that sounds fun.

Whirlochre said...Who could you beat in a bo stick fight?

Man, who could I NOT beat? I'd say anyone but Chuck Norris and...um...Chris Brown I could totally beat in a bo stick fight.

Kiersten said...Does your brain ever, ever turn off?

Unfortunately, no. Not even when I'm sleeping. I have wild dreams every night. I don't think I've had a second of blank thought in years and years. Just saying that makes me tired. I'd take a nap, but well, it wouldn't help.

Do you intend on writing every story worth writing and leaving the rest of us with nothing left to do?

Not intentionally, though it may happen anyway. You can petition my cybernetic programmer if you have any more complaints. They might consider redjusting my chip.

Do you have crushes on your love interests/male leads while you are writing them? (I love Renee's question about marrying one of your books, btw...)

Ha, I'm not sure. Maybe? I do love them, but in my head they belong to their girl, if that makes sense. Keira and Rune, Coral and Luke, Lily and Tuck, Adrie and Ren, Tosh and Amy...they just go together. I could never imagine interferring, though I do "fall in love" with them as I write. Maybe more in a creative way than a crush way.

If you could pick anyone to direct the movie of any ONE of your books, which book would you pick and who would you want to direct?

Um, I don't really know directors, so I don't have a great answer for this one. I think of all my books, I'd love to see Allure on screen. Just for the pure fact that I'd want to see my dragons as "tangible" entities (that would take millions in CG to get right, heh). And if anyone could do that right, I guess I'd say Peter Jackson, as long as he got WETA to help.

Lady Glamis said...Is that picture of you and your hubby (profile pic) at the Castle Theater?

Nope.

Do you ever get jealous of others' writings? Especially in your own genre?

YES. I'm wildly jealous of Kiersten's WIP Paranormalcy. (Don't worry, I've already told her several times.) It's deliciously awesome, and I'm jealous I didn't come up with it because I can't daydream about it. I just have to sit here and wait for her to write and blow my mind away. As for published books, sometimes I'm jealous I didn't come up with an idea because I think I could have executed it better. But only a little jealous. I really do have a lot of ideas of my own...

What Do You Want To Know?

Okay, I'm drawing a big fat blank on posts lately. I think this is mostly tied to my writing frenzy. Hopefully I'll have something to say after I finish Relax, I'm A Ninja.

So I'm totally copying Kiersten and opening a Q&A session. You have questions for me? Ask away! If not, I'll probably make some up...you don't want to see that. I know you don't.

Worst Dance Story

Alright, cough them up, people. I've got some serious high school drama up in here, and I'm just cringing for poor ninja Tosh. In honor of his pain, I ask you to relive it with us.

Give me your worst school dance story. Let's have some laughs.

Here's mine:

Setting: Eighth Grade Night Dance—My first dance ever.
MC: Natalie, a terribly shy 14 yr old finally deemed old enough to attend dances
Status of MC: Single, nervous, and dressed in Cinderella blue

Plot: Natalie goes with her friends to the dance, though she could have gone with this guy (but she didn't believe his friend when he asked for him AND she would have been too scared anyway). She stands in line with said friends for pictures, gotta capture the "moment," right? While in line for pictures, this super nerd from her band (he plays the TUBA, omg!) approaches her and asks her to dance.

Natalie is shocked (maybe even petrified), but agrees to dance with super nerd after she's out of the picture line. Problem is, she doesn't want to dance with this guy. Her stomach is turning; she goes into panic mode. She can't dance with him! What if he LIKES her? He looked all googly-eyed and excited. Natalie doesn't like him! Ahhhhh!

So what does Natalie do? She hides. Under tables (no joke). In the girls' bathroom. Behind big crowds of people. She doesn't dance with super nerd, or any one else for that matter. She just HIDES. Her friends think she's crazy; she's just relieved she made it out of there "alive" (aka: not dancing with super nerd).

Eleven years later, Natalie still feels guilty for the possible mental/emotional damage caused to poor super nerd. One dance? Really, would it have been so bad? Sigh. Probably not.

Sunday Island Song

I think I've mentioned a few times that I have a little Polynesian in me (grandmother from New Zealand, etc.), so I thought I'd share one of my favorite Hawaiian songs of all time. I actually danced this at my wedding, but I didn't do it anywhere near as well as this beautiful woman.

Eo Mai by Keali'i Reichel:


I thought you might be interested in the English translation as well. It's a truly beautiful song, as are all of his songs.

The sighing waters of Kahualoa
Hold back that driven current
O my love, answer me

Restrain those waters
Surging wellsprings, stirring the heart
Glide on those waters as they sparkle
O my love, acknowledge me

Then, release the torrent
Waters of passion, burning the skin
Indulge until you are satiated
O my beloved, respond to me

(Source: E Ô Mai CD by Keali`i Reichel, Copyright 1997, Punahele Productions, Inc.)

Saturday Sketch 2.7

Alrighty, this is Amy Sato from Relax, I'm A Ninja. She is one of my favorite characters ever, and a major part of the book. Can you believe I'm already 45k words in? I can't (okay, I kinda can...I have problems). I should finish within two weeks...wee!

Just So You Know

Nunchaku (nunchucks) are illegal in California. Thank goodness they aren't a particularly useful ninjutsu weapon.

Gotta love research, huh.

Things I've Learned From Tosh

I'm plowing through Relax, I'm A Ninja. And I must say I've learned quite a bit about boys from writing Toshiro. (Or maybe this is just about him. Either way, it's been very entertaining.)

1. Boys really are terrified of rejection, and they tend to over think just as much as girls (just about different things).

2. Boys notice different things. Not what people are wearing, but how they are shaped. Shoes are never on the radar. Details fall by the wayside unless girls are involved...or video games.

3. If there is nothing to do, they will find something...anything.

4. If there is a way to make it a competition, they will. Just because.

5. They rarely ever say what they actually think.

6. It doesn't matter how good the food is, as long as there's plenty of it.

7. They stick with their friends no matter what.

When Your Sister Is Also Lazy...

I've been thinking a lot about my childhood, so bear with me here. This might be a bit of a theme...or I might actually think of something cool to post. Who knows? It could happen.

My love of Oreo cookies started young. And like most kids, I liked that cavity-inducing cream center better than the actual cookie part. If I had it my way, Oreo would have just dumped those brittle chocolate outsides and sold that cream by the pound.

And in this mindset, I sat in my favorite orange chair with the entire pack of Oreos to watch afternoon cartoons. I inspected the first cookie, my mouth watering at the sight of the sweet cream peeking between the black cookies. I made a snap decision—forget the cookies. I pulled that baby apart, licked out all the cream, and sighed. So. Good.

But then I had these two cookie halves. There was no way I was going to ruin the cream taste with those...but if my mom saw them, she'd get on my case for not eating the whole thing! I could get up and throw them in the trash...but then I'd miss discovering who, in fact, was chasing Scooby Doo in that ghost costume. It was a dilemma, I tell you.

And then I saw the answer. I knew it wasn't right, but it would prevent my mom from seeing the now TEN creamless cookies I held in my lap and I wouldn't have to get up.

So I stuffed the cookies under the chair cushion. And I kept stuffing them until the pack was gone and I was high on Oreo creamy goodness.

Weeks went by. I waited for my parents to confront me about the cookies under the chair. Guilt built up as I realized I'd gotten away with my dark deed. Only when my parents decided to sell that chair at a yard sale did they discover the dozens of Oreo cookie corpses under the cushion.

"Natalie! Do you know how these got here?" my mom asked. My shame hit hard. I couldn't bear to admit that it was me.

"Mark did it."

My mom didn't even question me. She just sighed and started cleaning up all the cookies. I carried the shame for a long time after that, letting my brother take the heat. I finally came clean at about eighteen—talk about a weight lifted off my shoulders. Whew.

What Happens When You Have A Crazy Sister

I was in the mood to climb, not abnormal for me at eight years old. So I headed out early one summer morning to the BIG tree. We're talking one HUGE tree, and the only challenge left for me in the neighborhood.

I pulled myself up using the thick knot in the trunk, determined to climb as high as I could. But about half way up, I discovered a glob of sap with a red tinge. It looked kinda like blood.

"Natalie?" my brother called from below. I smiled—an oh so clever idea brewing.

"Come up! I found something!"

He started climbing while I built up some tears and panic. This was going to be good. I could totally trick him.

"What's wrong?" He noticed my fake sorrow. I was off to a good start.

"Look! The tree is bleeding. It's DYING!" I said as woefully as I could.

He inspected the sap, which totally looked like tree blood to me. I'd gotten that into my role. Hey, the trees really could be bleeding—I'd seen Fern Gully. Then he scrunched up his face and shook his head. "Nuh-uh. That's sap."

Okay, maybe this wasn't going to be as easy as I thought. I'd forgotten my brother was pretty jaded even at six. I had to stick to my story; he'd cave eventually.

"Since when is sap red?" I put my hand on the tree and closed my eyes, doing my best impression of someone who could "feel" tree spirits. "Can't you feel it? It's in pain! It's crying!"

"Nuh-uh." My brother folded his arms.

I sighed. "Here, close your eyes."

I took his hand and put in right on the "blood." I could tell he thought I was crazy, but he closed his eyes. I totally had him. "Do you feel it's spirit? It's sad! We have to help."

My brother concentrated hard, trying to feel whatever I claimed. Finally he opened his eyes and looked at me, worried. "Do you think water would help?"

"Yeah, go get some!" I exclaim.

My brother climbed out of the tree, off to get a bucket of water to save the tree. I continued climbing as high as I could, all the while smiling about my superb acting abilities.

(Yes, my over active imagination isn't a new thing.)

Spick And Span

My dragons have officially been soaped, soaked, scrubbed, and wrung out. Allure is so shiny it's blinding me, so I'm going to have to close it and just hope that my best effort is enough. I worked HARD on this revision, and I am proud of where the manuscript is at now.

I still can't get over how much I've grown as I writer this year. It was such a good experience to bring Allure up to par with my current work. It not only gave me confidence in my writing, but in my revision skills. Both have improved.

Now from some pralines and cream ice cream...yum.

Sunday Dance Song

Chris Brown is one amazing kid. I don't think he's even twenty yet and he is soooo talented. He's got a lot of great songs, but today I'm going to have to go with Forever. (The embedding is disabled for the video, but the link works) I feel like dancing!

/bootay shake (just for you, Cindy)

/cartwheel

/pulls out my hula moves

Saturday Sketch 2.6 (Honest Tag)

I got tagged by Cindy for a 10 honest things about me deal. So I thought I draw it for my sketch!



1. No matter how much I say I'm okay with never being published, it's a TOTAL lie. I want to see my work in print.

2. Little torn pieces of paper gross me out, especially little torn pieces of toilet paper or tissue. And if they're wet, I may get really close to barfing.

3. When I saw my future husband in flip flops for the first time, I said to myself, "Oh my gosh, I could never marry a guy with feet that ugly." (And I ate my words nine months later.)

4. I once wore a big Chinese hat to school just to see what people would say.

5. Sometimes I bawl my eyes out because no one notices me (thankfully this happens less now than it used to).

6. I actually do think I'm pretty.

7. Sometimes what I dream literally happens.

8. I've tried sushi about ten times (because I really really want to like it), but I gag every time and things get ugly. And yet I will try it again because I want to be cool and eat sushi!

9. I play a level 80 draenei shaman in World of Warcraft.

10. I had no idea how to dress my figure until I watched a What Not To Wear marathon after I had my first baby.

She Did WHAT?

Okay, I'm just so excited over Relax, I'm A Ninja that I can't help but share a little more. (That and I'm swamped with Allure revisions and can't think of an awesome post.) This is an excerpt from chapter two:

Allure

After an in depth discussion with my placeholder agent (aka my BFF Kiersten), we decided that Blood Dragon needed a title makeover to go along with my spit shine polish edit.

See, I couldn't think of anything else to name the manuscript when I finished, and I just figured titles don't matter that much when you query. They always get changed, don't they? (Um, can we say Forks?)

But my placeholder agent (aka my BFF Kiersten) made a great point about what Blood Dragon implied. It sounds a little epic fantasy, doesn't it? And Keira's story is so not epic fantasy. It's uber chic urban fantasy. We decided maybe people were getting the wrong idea about my little dragons. Maybe when they read the partial it didn't match with the tone of the query and title (also why I rewrote the query).

So I found a title I'm happy with, one that actually fits the book much better.

Allure.

With the temptation of eating gems, her forbidden crush on Rune, and the enticing power that comes with being a black dragon, Keira definitely faces many alluring and potentially deadly choices in her life.

I am excited about these changes. They have pumped me up for a new round of query war. Look out agents—I'm coming for you!