Thursday Night Write

Editing Corner; Stage Direction

I meant to post this yesterday for Thursday Night Write.

Whoops!

This week’s editing corner focuses on something my agent likes to call “stage direction.” I thought he’d coined the term just for me (after working with him for over five years, this remains a challenge), but since I’ve been freelance editing, I’ve realized I’m not the only one who does it.

In short, stage direction is over-explaining the movements of your characters. Literary blocking, you might say.

I think the reason it’s been a challenge for me is because I see everything I’m writing as if its a movie. In fact, I’ve said before that I often feel that I’m channeling a story more than creating it, as if the story already exists out there and I’m just writing what I see in my mind.

As a writer, it’s a gift to see things this way. It enables one to create a rich atmosphere and and an immersive visual experience for the reader.

But it can also be distracting, forcing the reader to stop reading as they try to visualize every move of a character’s hand, every lift of the eyebrows, every smirk. Just as bad, it can mire your pacing, eliminating the momentum that is critical to a swiftly-moving story that pulls the reader through it in one smooth motion.

Dialog scenes, in particular, are a huge danger zone. You want to keep things moving as they would in real life, where we don’t stop to think about (or notice someone else) touching our hair, biting our lip, or putting a hand in our pocket.

Here’s a small example from an older manuscript of mine. At the time I wrote it, I was already aware of my stage direction problem. Even so, there are things I’d cut if I went back to edit it now.

“Here ya go.” Sarah pushed the steaming cup of tea toward me with a sympathetic smile. “Don’t work too hard.”

I thanked her, dropping a dollar in the tip jar. I was at the end of the counter when she called after me. “Tell your mom I hope she feels better.”

I came to a sudden stop. “What do you mean?”

She looked surprised. “She stayed home sick today. Didn’t you know?”

I shook my head. “I left early this morning.”

I stood there for a minute, fighting the alarm that slithered through my veins. I must have looked worried, because Sarah came down to the end of the counter.

“Hey,” she said, shaking me out of my thoughts. “I’m sure it’s nothing. I think I heard Helga mention a cold.”

“Yeah, but… she’s never sick.” It was true. In all the years my mom had owned the Depot, she had never missed a day of work. Not one. It didn’t matter if Helga, the store manager and my mom’s best friend, was on duty and my mom was so sick she could barely get out of bed. She was always here.

Sarah laughed a little. “Everyone gets sick sometime.”

I sighed, trying to feel relieved. “You’re right. Thanks, Sarah.”

If I were to go back and edit it now, this is what I’d do;

“Here ya go.” Sarah pushed the steaming cup of tea toward me. “Don’t work too hard.”

I thanked her, dropping a dollar in the tip jar. I was at the end of the counter when she called after me. “Tell your mom I hope she feels better.”

I came to a sudden stop. “What do you mean?”

“She stayed home sick today. Didn’t you know?”

“I left early this morning.”

I stood there for a minute, fighting the alarm that slithered through my veins. I must have looked worried, because Sarah came down to the end of the counter.

“Hey, I’m sure it’s nothing. I think I heard Helga mention a cold.”

“But… she’s never sick.” It was true. In all the years my mom had owned the Depot, she had never missed a day of work. Not one.

“Everyone gets sick sometime,” Sarah said.

“You’re right,” I sighed. “Thanks, Sarah.”

Truth? Even now, I’m cringing removing some of the stage direction. People won’t be able to see it the way I do! They won’t be as immersed in the scene!

IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

But let’s be honest; the second version is cleaner. It moves faster. The dialog isn’t bogged down in a bunch of minutia that doesn’t add to the story. It’s an extremely small change, from an editing standpoint. But it makes a HUGE difference when applied to an entire manuscript.

So when editing your own work, remember; you’re not blocking a play. It’s not your job to lay out every movement. That’s the job of the reader – to take what you write and see it their way.

And if you ever need a reminder, here’s something funny to help you remember (hint; there is an overabundance of stage direction in this song about a guy who’s girlfriend is breaking up with him).

I’m entirely booked for full manuscript edits for October (a rare month in between writing projects), but I do have some slots left for three-chapter plus query letter critiques. Even a small-scale critique like this one can mean a big improvement if the suggestions are applied to an entire manuscript. Email me at prophecypress@aol.com for details!

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Holding the Door

Ever since last week’s Democratic National Convention, I’ve had a piece of Michelle Obama’s speech stuck in my head.

And no. This post isn’t about politics.

Michelle said (I’m paraphrasing) that when we are given the privilege of walking through the door of opportunity, we are obligated not to slam it shut once we’re over the threshold, but to hold it open for those behind us. She was, of course, referring to her belief (and the belief of Barack Obama and many in the Democratic party) that when one uses the infrastructure that is in place in our country to attain success, we must then insure that others have the same opportunity.

And it got me thinking.

I promised myself two things when I sold the Prophecy of the Sisters Trilogy in 2007.

1) I would speak at school and libraries for free whenever possible to encourage young people to stay true to themselves and to reach for their dreams. And,

2) I would help other aspiring-to-publication writers whenever possible.

I like to think I’ve met these goals. And while it’s gotten harder to help all the people I would like to help (requests for blurbs, reading for friends, and other types of assistance have to be balanced against my need to market and promote my own work, not to mention the requirements of singe motherhood), I still try very hard to do whatever I can to help other writers. It can mean offering up swag for a giveaway on their blog, attending an event on my dime, reading and offering critique, giving a blurb, picking up the phone to give advice or feedback. My assistance isn’t dependent on friendship. It isn’t dependent on whether or not I think a book will be “big” enough to give me some promotional value. In fact, I’m probably more likely to help books that may be under-served or under-promoted, those hidden, under-the-radar gems that are like happening upon a wonderful, surprise discovery.

I like to think I’m paying it forward for the people who have reached out to me along the way, like Ellen Hopkins and Tamora Pearce, two writers who embody that generosity of spirit. Both reach out regularly to newcomers, demonstrating every day what it means to hold the door open behind them.

I’ve heard some writers express the belief that since they had to go through so much difficulty in their publication journey, it’s only fair that everyone else should trudge the same path. I guess I can understand that argument, even if I don’t agree with it. For me, it’s like saying if you’re great-grandfather had to trudge uphill to school with no shoes in the snow, you should have to do the same, because it’s not fair for you to benefit from thing he didn’t have.

But I like to think that holding the door open advances the publishing climate, even if just a little. I like to think that we can be allies instead of competitors, that we can grow through collective wisdom, that we can forgive mistakes made in an increasingly volatile, uncertain and very public industry.

I myself have made a few. I even asked a couple well-known writers to which I was NOT acquainted for a blurb before Prophecy of the Sisters came out. Yes, I realize now that it was a faux pas. But at the time, it made perfect sense to my marketing brain. In business (which is my background), it’s expected that you will network wherever possible, that you request help and introductions and offer to do so in return. It isn’t always necessary to be well acquainted with your ally in the business world. It took me awhile to realize how very different publishing is.

How very PERSONAL.

And I like that it is. I like that we get to know one another on tour and at events. That we can commiserate over drinks about circumstances that are truly unique to this industry. I like that there are places online where we can go to safely vent to one another.

But there is a fine line between personal and exclusionary, and those words by Michelle Obama resonated with me, a reminder to hold the door open. To smile as people step through and wish them safe and happy passage.

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05/17/12 Life , Thursday Night Write # Life, Thursday Night Write

Meet My Amazing Assistant!

Most of you probably know that my daughter, Rebekah, is my personal and professional assistant. I always feel like she gets a raw deal. Like because she’s my daughter, people think, “Oh, riiiight. Your ‘personal assistant’.”

But it’s legit. And so is she (that’s her desk, at left).

I pay her for the job because it’s a lot of work, and then sometimes, it’s NO work at all, which also means no money. Now that she’s graduating, Rebekah is expanding her clientele by offering up her services to other writers who need virtual assistants, so I thought tonight would be a good time to post an interview with her and profess my gratitude for all she does.

It’s Thursday Night Write, after all, and having an assistant makes it easier for me to focus on writing, because really, all the other stuff is a full time job in and of itself. When I really need to buckle down and focus, I can do it only because I can send an email to Rebekah with a list of things I done. She answers email, fields awkward questions (believe it or not, the most frequent ones I get are about my religious affiliation… O_o), runs contests (something she does for-hire as well and has done for a couple other writers), calculates entries, packs prizes, files all my receipts and contracts, gathers tax records, tweets from the @prophecypress account, scours the internet for just the right gift and/or just the right swag, designs all my ads, bookmarks, bookplates, magnets, and postcards and then orders them, and keeps me up to date on market trends, YA books I should read, etc., etc., etc.

Basically, I’d be lost without her.

So even though she’s my daughter, I can say with absolute confidence that if you’re a writer and you need a little help, even temporary help, Rebekah is the one for the job. As the daughter of an author, she understands the privacy imperative, understands how important is to be gracious in correspondence (because it’s your reputation on the line), understands how to handle sticky situations with grace. She can multi-task tons of jobs at once but she can also step in when things get hairy (like during a launch month or contest) and lend a hand and then step out when you don’t need her.

If you’re looking for a little help, just drop her a line at rebekahzinkva@aol.com for a price list.

In the meantime, get to know her better here!

<3

What kinds of things do you do as a virtual assistant?

Lots of things! I design promotional material (bookplates, bookmarks, postcards, magnets, etc.), answer emails, forward interview questions, tally contests and pick a winner (via random number generator), organize the office, keep an inventory list, keep a mailing and email address list, and keep track of log-in info for different websites.

What are some of the things you enjoy most about the job?

I love working with my mom. She is prompt and gives good deadlines. I like organizing things as well, which is very important for this job, along with time management. But I think my most favorite thing of all is being able to work at home in my pajamas at any time of the day or night. 😉

What are some of the biggest challenges?

I think the biggest challenge is juggling everything, keeping it all straight and organized. We have over 500 addresses, and when we do postcard promotion, I have to count on the addresses being up-to-date so I can hand-address them. Near launch time, there’s always a lot of giveaways, which means emails and going back and forth with the wonderful fans, plus packaging and shipping giveaway items.

Favorite snack while working?

Everything? But if I have to limit it, probably some sort of non-chocolate candy, like jelly beans (Flav-Reds <3). And tea. Tea is essential.

As a virtual assistant, you’re subject to private correspondence and sensitive information. How do you handle that?

As the daughter of someone in the public eye, I understand firsthand the critical nature of the information I have. It’s a scary thing to give someone access to your log-ins, emails, financials, etc. The main reason my mom hired me is because she was worried about giving that information to an outside party. Seeing her worry about stuff like that has made it easy to empathize with people in the public eye and the delicate balance they have to maintain to do their job while sometimes seeking outside help for day-to-day tasks.

How do you deal with rude or aggressive people?

I really try to give people the benefit of the doubt. I’m always nice, but if someone continually harasses my mom or is repeatedly rude, I find a firm but professional way to put an end to it. 😉

Do you have a standard response to handle emails when Michelle is under deadline and can’t respond? If so, what is it?

I do! It varies depending on the request, but in general, it goes a little something like this:

Hello so-and-so,

Thank you so much for your support! Unfortunately, Ms. Zink is under deadline and will not be able to respond to your request. I’m sorry for any inconvenience, but let me know if there’s anything I can do to help. <3

All the best,
Rebekah Z.
Personal Assistant

What is one of the strangest requests/emails you’ve ever gotten?

We had a reader who desperately wanted to be pen pals with my mom, so I sent her a nice reply saying Michelle wasn’t able to oblige due to time and work. She sent me a reply informing me that she and I would be pen pals instead. She even told me to come up with questions to ask her and told me we would talk a lot that summer because she would be really bored.

Work-related pet peeve?

Not having an organized To Do list. I’m hyper-organized, but during times when there is a lot going on, I really need a straightforward list of what to do and when to have everything completed.

You’ll be going to college in the Fall. How do you expect that to impact your work as a virtual assistant?

I don’t. As a virtual assistant, I work mostly from my computer. Since I have juggled school (including college and AP classes) and work in the past, it will be no different with the onslaught of college work. I complete my work on time because that’s just the type of person I am!

What is the best and worst thing about working with your mom?

The best thing: I have the greatest relationship with my her. We get along great the majority of the time, and I love working with her.

The worst thing: Because of the familial tie, there are some situations where neither of us treat the other as employer/employee. Although we both try, there are times when I have to refrain from acting like her child and act like an employee. It’s hard to keep the balance between daughter and worker, mother and boss.

A secret about Michelle no one probably knows (come on, dish!);

Hmmm…. Her middle name is Lee. She doesn’t really like it, but I think it works for her.

<3

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05/03/12 Thursday Night Write , Writing # Thursday Night Write, Writing

Inspiration; Mistress or Dominatrix?

Do I have your attention?

Lol!

Don’t worry; this is totally a PG-rated (okay, maybe PG-13) post. But last week, when Rebekah and I decided to watch a documentary titled Cracking the Mayan Code, I got to thinking about inspiration, and since it’s Thursday, I thought it would be a good topic for Thursday Night Write.

You’re probably asking; what does a dominatrix have to do with Mayan hieroglyphs?

Stay with me. I’m getting there.

So, we’re watching this documentary, and honestly, I just needed something to space out to. My brain was on overload from a series of hardcore (wow, I’m really taking it to the mat with this dominatrix thing, right?!) deadlines that started in January and won’t let up until fall. We don’t watch TV unless we can stream a show from Netflix, and even then, we typically watch one show from beginning to end in 45-minute increments and only ine episode a night Mon-Thurs. But that night, I was just fried.

My typical thought process on inspiration goes like this; make your own. Sure, sometimes I get inspired by stuff. But it’s random and fickle and totally unreliable when you need a stream of ideas steady enough to make a living in a business that trades depends on them.

Basically, I wasn’t expecting inspiration when I sat down to watch Cracking the Mayan Code. But as I sat there, half letting my mind wander and half watching, I remembered how much I love ancient cultures. I thought about the Ancient Near East class I’d taken when I was a teenager, and how awesome it would be to set a YA book in that time and place. I thought about all the epigraphers and cryptographers who’d worked to decipher the Mayan alphabet and how fascinating history is and how we never know where the next big discovery will come from or what it will lead to. I thought about the awe-inspiring Mayan construction and the lush jungles surrounding the temples and the people that historians agree were war-like, violent, and aggressive.

And even though I didn’t come away with an IDEA, I was inspired.

It reminded me that sometimes, being a hardass, even with yourself, can be a bad thing. How many times have I wracked my brain to come up with an idea or a solution to a writing problem, only to find the answer while I sat on the bleachers watching Andrew and Caroline run track? Or driving to the grocery store? Or watching a (totally unrelated) movie?

At the same time, I HAVE finished books and found inspiration and worked through roadblocks in my writing by pushing myself — forcing myself — through them. By working every day. By treating this job like the very real job that it is, logging hours and hours at my desk, fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Then again, “sheer force of will” is a saying my mother uses often when talking about me.

There’s no easy answer. Sometimes we need to push, and sometimes we need to take a step back. Sometimes we need to hold our feet to the fire, and sometimes we need to drop them into a cool river and say, “Ahhhhh.”

I guess the trick is knowing when to rely on the dominatrix — and when to light the candles and cue the music.

See what I did there? Inspiration, dominatrix, Mayan glyphs, even my mother! I got it all in!

What about you? How do you find inspiration — not just for writing, but for everything?!

<3

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01/26/12 A Temptation of Angels , Thursday Night Write # A Temptation of Angels, Thursday Night Write

Meet Helen Cartwright!

I’m super excited tonight to introduce you to Helen Cartwright, A TEMPTATION OF ANGEL’s main character and heroine extraordinaire.

Helen has long, light-brown hair and unusual blue-violet eyes that play an important part in the story. Mostly, when I picture Helen, I see her like this;

Or this but with longer hair (that’s actress Elizabeth Olsen, by the way);

Carefully sheltered by her parents until their death, Helen is an innocent on the night they’re murdered. When she meets up with brothers, Griffin and Darius, she’s forced to confront the reality of what she is — and what they all are. As she works with the brothers to unravel the mystery of who’s trying to kill them and why, she learns that she knows more than she thinks she knows and has been unwittingly trained all her life to assume the role that is hers.

All that said, Helen isn’t a warrior in the traditional sense. Her strength isn’t physical, and she admits that she’s not a creature of physicality but one of strategy and mental acuity. This was important to me in terms of character development, because while I’m the biggest advocate of strong female characters, I believe there are many kinds of strength, and it’s important to show women being strong in all kinds of ways. As a matter of self-defense, Helen has to learn to wield the weapons of the Keepers, but it doesn’t come naturally to her and it’s not something she ever truly excels at. Her contributions are more academic!

But what I love most about Helen is her humanity. She’s not perfect, and she really struggles with her inability to grieve her parents and the possibility of forgiving someone something that, really, would be unforgivable in any of our worlds.

Forgiveness is a big theme in the book, and I think Helen illustrates that struggle with real authenticity. It’s a big thing for me personally, because I’m always struggling with the issue of self-love and self-forgiveness. Forgiving others is easy for me! But seeing myself in all my flawed humanity and still being able to love myself, forgive myself, well… that’s a lot tougher. I really wanted to explore that with Helen, and I was surprised how quickly she took on a life of her own and how thoroughly she asserted her will.

I hope you enjoy getting to know Helen in A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS! Here’s a little sneak peek for Teaser Thursday (it’s not much, but I’m trying to keep from giving you guys anything overly spoilery!);

Helen held the thick parchment between her fingers. For
the moment, her father was there, sitting next to her, telling
her in a firm voice that everything would be all right.

But soon his voice faded. Helen’s eyelids grew heavy, and
she put the cameo and the letter back in the box with the
currency. She kept out only the photograph, holding it to her
chest as she allowed her head to sink into the pillows. She
willed herself to weep, for isn’t that what any normal person
would do? Wouldn’t a normal girl weep for the loss of her
parents? Her home? Everything she had ever known?

In the end, it didn’t matter. It was now obvious that she was
far from normal. The absent tears seemed only to prove the
point. She clutched the photograph as she fell into sleep.

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01/12/12 Thursday Night Write , Writing # Thursday Night Write, Writing

Thursday Night Write 1/12/2012 – Open Mic

Wow… That’s a lot of “12s”!

It’s been awhile since we’ve done Open Mic, and since I know a lot of you have started writing again now that the holidays are over, I thought this would be a good time to open up the floor.

So share your original poem, song, short story, script, or novel excerpt of no more than 300 words for comment. And don’t forget; if you post a piece of your own, you have to comment at least one other piece. Writers of all ages and levels of experience are welcome. Don’t be shy!

One more thing; If you haven’t been getting status updates from me on Facebook, there’s a reason! I’ve officially switched my Facebook account from a Profile to a Page. There aren’t a lot of differences, but there is one; If you don’t have your account set to see updates from Pages in your Feed, you’ll no longer see mine. This includes links to special features on the blog, contests and giveaways, and my random updates about movies, life, and take-out.

To see if you’re receiving updates from my Page and/or to change the Settings;

From your home page, hover your mouse to the left of the left side News Feed menu.
Select Edit.
A list of people, apps, Pages, and groups you’ve hidden or unsubscribed from will appear in a pop-up box. Click the X next to each one you’d like to remove from this list. Removing someone or something from your list of hidden stories means those stories can appear in your News Feed again.
Click Save.

Easy! And I hope you’ll all continue to follow my updates on the Facebook Page because that really is where I post EVERYTHING, including all of the upcoming giveaways and contests for A TEMPTATION OF ANGELS.

And if you’re not already following my on Facebook, you can do so here.

Hope you are all well!

<3

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12/08/11 Thursday Night Write , Writing # Thursday Night Write, Writing

Thursday Night Write – Progressive Story #1

I thought it would be fun to try a progressive story for Thursday Night Write.

So here’s the deal; I’ll post the first sentence. You guys jump in with one of your own to follow whichever sentence was posted last in the comments. Try to have your post ready to copy and paste so we don’t get too many cross-posts.

When it’s all done, I’ll post the results! Fun, right?!

Here goes;

It wasn’t the shadows that worried him but the light flickering at the edge of the trees.

Now someone hurry and post the first follow-up sentence!

<3

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12/01/11 Thursday Night Write , Writing # Thursday Night Write, Writing

Thursday Night Write – What Works, What Doesn’t?

Are you guys as relieved as I am that November’s over? Good God… What a month.

I know many of you did NaNo and are probably exhausted! Since I wrote 75,000 words in the month of November, finishing my 2013 book the night before my deadline, I can honestly say I know how you feel.

Writing 50,000 words in a month isn’t that unusual for me, but I have to say, 75,000 while being a single mother to four kids PLUS a holiday was really, really tough. I figured this might be a good time for all of us to share what worked for us and what didn’t.

So here’s my list! Share yours in the comments!

What worked;

Keeping a schedule – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I live and die by my schedule when I’m on deadline. This past month I wrote from 8am – 11am, again from 4pm-5pm, and again from 7pm-9pm, seven days a week. I tried not to answer the phone or be on the internet during these hours or do anything else that could distract me. Mac Freedom was my friend when I used it.

Take advantage of little bits of time – I usually need to be in the zone to write and won’t even bother trying to squeeze in words when I only have half an hour, but I just couldn’t afford to think that way this past month. I left my laptop in my office upstairs rather than bring it downstairs, and when I had even an unexpected 30 minute block of time, I forced myself to go up and write. These little bursts added exponentially to my overall word count.

Build in time for the necessities – My schedule allowed me to still do yoga (most days), have 45 minutes for lunch in which I read a book by myself, have an hour for tea with my daughters after school, make dinner and eat it with my kids, and still watch one episode of Doctor Who or something with them at the end of the night. This time was essential to my sanity and my need to feel like I was still being a good mother to my children.

Build in time for fun stuff – I knew I wouldn’t be able to do much writing on Thanksgiving, so I doubled up on my word count the day before and the day after. It was nice to feel like I could take that one day and not be too worried about losing momentum.

Taking care of myself – I mostly managed to do this (see my mention of sleep below!) and it made a huge difference. I made a point to take my vitamins every day, try to get in yoga and/or meditation, get enough sleep (after my initial fail), eat well, and keep stress at bay. I gave myself permission to let a lot of little things go and tried to be Zen. It all made me feel much more equipped to go hard on the writing.

Take advantage of every minute for other tasks – I wrote postcards to my readers while my tea boiled, paid bills while dinner cooked, plotted my next writing burst while I drove the kids around, and cleaned my bathroom when I was stuck on my manuscript (because it’s next to my office, I was still forced to stay in my work space). Other things had to be put off, but I managed to do a lot of little things that helped me feel at least a little bit in control of my life during this time.

Total Immersion – In some ways, I liked being forced to write this book in a big frenzied jag. Ironically, I think I did some of my best writing, and I attribute it to the total immersion forced by the deadline.

What didn’t work;

Access to the internet – Yes, I used Mac Freedom, but not nearly enough. The internet, as always, was my enemy. I wish I’d used MF more. I probably would have gotten more done in less time.

Blogging – Looking back, I would have been less stressed if I’d just been honest with you guys at the beginning of the month and said I wouldn’t be blogging or anything. The truth is, I hate to be out of touch for too long. But there were many night that I scrambled to come up with a blog post or poll or catch up on Twitter/Facebook. I should have spared myself the stress.

Waiting until the last minute to start – I should have started this project LONG before I did. In my defense, my editor and I hadn’t agreed on what it would be until mid-August. Then, I was expecting notes on another project, so I waited. It seemed silly to start a book and have to stop a week later to work on revisions for another one. I made this excuse to myself all through September, too, then finally got the notes in October. That meant I spent most of October working on those and didn’t really dig into the 2013 book until the first of November. From now on, I’m going to work five days a week on my normal schedule, no matter what, unless I’m on vacation. If I don’t have one project to work on, I’ll start another, even if it means stopping a few days later. Even a 10,000 word head start on my 2013 book would have helped when I got down to the wire.

Not getting enough sleep – Let me say first that I usually get 5-6 hours sleep a night. Then I try to take a short nap in the afternoon and that gets me through. At the beginning of the month, I experimented with staying up to write until 1am or 2am. I love to write at night and I do some of my best writing at night, but this schedule only allowed for about 4 hours of sleep and left me so wiped the next day that I LOST time in the end. I finally realized that getting enough sleep was vital. Once I figured this out, I stopped writing at 9pm every night, went to bed by 11pm, and was much more equipped to work hard the next day.

So these are my basic for surviving a super-stressful writing jag! What are yours?

<3

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11/17/11 Thursday Night Write , Writing # Thursday Night Write, Writing

Thursday Night Write – Open Mic

Since I’m under a super tight deadline for my next book and heading out with my posse to the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn, I thought it would be a good week to do Open Mic.

We haven’t done it in FOREVER!

So how about it NaNoers and all you other writers? Post an excerpt of your original writing — no more than 300 words — for comment. Don’t forget to comment at least one other entry if you post something of your own.

Hope you guys are meeting your word count and having fun!

<3

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11/10/11 Thursday Night Write , Writing # Thursday Night Write, Writing

Thursday Night Write – Revising Tip

I know a lot of you are doing NaNoWriMo right now. Revising is probably the furthest thing from your mind!

But I just came off a hardcore revision and tried something new that really helped me. Thought I’d share it.

Basically, I broke this book into thirds. Then I focused on making the first third as airtight as possible before moving onto the next third and so on. It was a challenge to avoid thinking ahead to the rest of it, but I found that isolating a smaller portion of the book at one time helped me to focus on that piece more intently. Everything just seemed more… manageable. When all three pieces were done, I felt like I remembered more of the detail about each piece and was therefore able to see the whole with more clarity.

It made a huge difference to me and also reminded me how much a change of strategy can help. Sometimes the things you’ve been doing one way for so long just need to be tweaked, yanno?

What about you guys? Do you have any revisions strategies that help you get through a major rewrite? If so, please share!

And happy writing!

<3

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10/27/11 Music , Thursday Night Write # Music, Thursday Night Write

Thursday Night Write – Music That Inspires You

So I was super excited yesterday to unveil the Prophecy of the Sisters Original Score now available on Itunes and Amazon. I thought it would be a great topic for TNW, because music is such a huge factor in my writing and my life.

I discovered a long time ago that writing to music really helped set the mood for my writing. Film scores, in particular, are very atmospheric and typically don’t have lyrics (I know some people can write to lyrics, but I can’t), so I’ve long been a fan if using them while I write.

One of the very first things I do when I start a new project is to choose a score that fits the mood I’m trying to create in my new book. Sometimes it takes awhile, but I’ve learned that it’s better to take the time to find the right music in the very beginning. Then I’m set!

Following are my favorite scores for writing. Share yours in the Comments!

Batman Begins – a quiet but very emotional, tense score by Hans Zimmer. He’s the man.

The Dark Knight – Zimmer used Batman Begins as a jumping off point for this one, but TDK is WAY darker and more edgy. It’s got some truly disturbing sounds and sequences. one of the most inventive film scores of all time.

The Village- quiet with a lot of classical violin. I wrote Prophecy of the Sisters to this one.

The Lord of the Rings (all) – sweeping, epic fantasyesque music. I used these to write Guardian of the Gate. Great for a high fantasy-type setting.

Legion – questionable movie but the soundtrack’s good for setting the mood in a dark urban fantasy. Plus, there’s some chanting. I like chanting.

Batman Arkham Asylum – yes, this is a video game score, but the line between film and video game music has really blurred with lots of highly-regarded film score composers now making music for video games. This is one of the game scores that most closely resembles a film score.

The Ring – creepy but not intrusive. I admit that I sometimes look over my shoulder when writing to this one. It’s the score I chose for the book I’m writing now.

What about you? What kind of music, if any, do you like to have in the background when you write?

<3

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10/20/11 Thursday Night Write # Thursday Night Write

The New Thursday Night Write

Before I get to the changes in TNW, I want to post the winners of the Katie Klein ebook giveaway.

The winners are;

Sarah Dowlin

Kendall

Liz Reinhardt

Jose Antonio

Congrats, you guys! Email prophecypress@aol.com with “Katie Klein Winner” in the Subject line to claim your prize. Please let us know which of Katie’s books you’d like and in which format.

So I’ve been thinking about revamping or eliminating Thursday Night Write for awhile now. Back when I was able to comment every entry, we sometimes had 50 or more pieces. But eventually, I couldn’t keep up with it, and as my participation fell off so did everyone else’s.

After informally polling my TNW “regulars” the consensus seems to be that everyone loves TNW and doesn’t want to see it end, but they just don’t always have time to post something.

Ayla suggested we keep Thursday Night Write, but mix up the actual writing entries with other writing-related posts, which I think it’s a great idea!

So from now on, Thursdays will be devoted to writing in some form or another. It might be something simple like an inspiring quote or something more detailed liked writing tips. It could be an opinion piece or an interview with an author or bookseller. And every now and then, I’ll continue to throw in prompts or Open Mics so you still get a chance to flex your writing muscle for everyone on the site.

This week, I thought we’d start by talking about writing projects we want to try. Most of the writers I know suffer from an overload of ideas.

Too many ideas, not enough time.

I’m definitely in that category. Writing is one way that I can be daring, and I love to try writing new things in new genres (even if I can’t sell them all) just to see if I CAN.

So I’ll start by listing the projects I’d like to try and you guys do the same in comments, okay?

Here goes;

An adult thriller – in process

An adult mystery/thriller series with a recurring character – have something in mind for next year

A Middle Grade novel – have something in mind for next year

A high fantasy – I’m nowhere with this idea, but I’d love to try it!

A screenplay – Kenneth and I are developing something but I don’t know when I’ll be able to write it

What about you guys? What are some of the writing projects you’ve always wanted to take a crack at?

<3

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10/13/11 Thursday Night Write , Writing # Thursday Night Write, Writing

Thursday Night Write 10/13/2011

It’s Thursday and time for another edition of Thursday Night Write.

This week’s TNW is Open Mic, which means you can post an excerpt of your original poem, short story, song, or novel for comment. Just make sure your entry is no longer than 300 words and remember to leave a comment for at least one other participant if you play.

Writers of all ages and experience are welcome!

And speaking of TNW, I wanted to ask you guys how you’re feeling about it. I’ve been hosting it for almost two years, and while I love reading your entries, I’ve noticed participation is falling off a bit. Back when I was able to comment, we sometimes had 75-100 entries, but as my own participation had unavoidably dwindled (I always read the entries but can’t comment anymore), so has everyone else’s.

So let me know what you think in the Comments section, okay? I’d be happy to continue hosting it if there’s interest. If not, we’ll come up with something else that’s fun for Thursdays on the blog.

😉

Happy writing!

<3

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10/06/11 Contests & Giveaway , Thursday Night Write , Writing # Contests & Giveaways, Thursday Night Write, Writing

Thursday Night Write 10/6/2011 + Library Giveaway Winners!

Tonight’s prompt is inspired by the season. And kissing.

😀

But before we get to the TNW rules, I want to announce the winners of the Library Giveaway. I know I said I would give out five sets of the Prophecy Trilogy to five UA and/or Canadian libraries chosen at random, but I’ve made a command decision to give sets of the book to ALL the libraries that were entered.

Our kids need books! And I don’t mess around when it come to kids and books.

It isn’t exactly an Oprah-sized giveaway (I’d do it if I could!), but it’s something I can do.

So if you were a librarian or someone who entered on behalf of of a library, please contact prophecypress@aol.com with “Library Winner” in the Subject line. Include the name and address of the library getting the books and a name to whom I can address the package.

Each library will get one complete set of the Prophecy Trilogy. We have two different editions of the first book; the original hardcover (it doesn’t match the other two, but it’s a hardcover so it might be more durable) and the paperback you’re all familiar with. Please specify in your email which edition of the first book you’d like sent to your library in addition to your copies of Guardian of the Gate and Circle of Fire.

I did choose five additional winners from those of you who helped to spread the word about the giveaway. Each of the following Twitter users will receive the Prophecy book of their choice;

@SarahDowlin

@CarolOates

@ramen_addict

@amethystmoon21

@sonnetess

Congrats to all! Email your choice of Prophecy book and your mailing address to prophecypress@aol.com with “Library Winner” in the Subject line.

Rules for the prompt and Thursday Night Write are as follows; use the above prompt to write whatever comes to mind, giving yourself no more than 30 minutes (no cheating!). Then post no more than 500 words of it for comment. If you leave a piece, you have to comment someone else’s piece. Thems the rules!
This is a great way to get the creative juices flowing. Having only 30 minutes doesn’t give you time to overthink, and sometimes that’s just what we writers need to shake things loose. Writers of all ages and experience are welcome to play.

Happy writing! <3

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09/29/11 Thursday Night Write , Writing # Thursday Night Write, Writing

Thursday Night Write 9/29/2011 – Open Mic

Since we’ve been down for a couple of weeks, I thought it wold be nice to make our first TNW back an Open Mic.

That way you can fill us all in on what you’ve been up to.

You know the rules; post for comment your original song, short story, poem, or novel excerpt of no more than 300 words. If you post something of your own, you have to comment at least one other entry. This way everyone gets a little feedback. You can post anytime between now and Sunday night at Midnight EST, but the earlier you post, the better your chances of getting comments.

I read all the entries but don’t have time to comment them anymore. I’m sorry! At this point, it’s most important for me to write new books for you guys.

😉

I do love reading your work, though, and really enjoy seeing your writing progress. And I know for a fact LOTS of people visit the blog to read the TNW entries, so even if you’re not getting tons of comments, you ARE getting lots of exposure.

Happy writing!

<3

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Editing Corner; Stage Direction

Holding the Door

Meet My Amazing Assistant!

Inspiration; Mistress or Dominatrix?

Meet Helen Cartwright!

Thursday Night Write 1/12/2012 – Open Mic

Thursday Night Write – Progressive Story #1

Thursday Night Write – What Works, What Doesn’t?

Thursday Night Write – Open Mic

Thursday Night Write – Revising Tip

Thursday Night Write – Music That Inspires You

The New Thursday Night Write

Thursday Night Write 10/13/2011

Thursday Night Write 10/6/2011 + Library Giveaway Winners!

Thursday Night Write 9/29/2011 – Open Mic

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