Plotting and Scheming

So now that school is finally out for the summer I started working on my bright shiny new idea. It’s been banging around in my head for quite some time, but I haven’t allowed myself to officially start because I knew that would become my focus and I had to much work to do before the school year was over. Let's just say I knew better. You know how you get tunnel vision when working on a new project…it’s not a good combo when you have other obligations.

But I finally started. Saturday I had the house to myself and was able to knock out the first couple of chapters. Then more and more ideas began to surface. So many that it became impossible to keep going until I stopped and jotted them down.

Now as most of you know I am a self proclaimed pantser through and though. But I have to say, it’s kind of nice to have a loose outline of where my story is going. Nothing set in stone…more of a skeleton of possibilities. I’ve been able to relax about it by telling myself that I can change whatever I want when I get there.

My problem now is that I’ve started writing out of order. I’ll get excited about an idea and just run with it. There is a beginning and then bits and pieces here and there. I feel like I'm all over the place, but for now I'm going with the flow. We'll see where I end up.

Have any of you ever gone with your gut and pieced your story together later? Have I lost my mind, or does this all come together in the end? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren. Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library. You can find more information on how to participate in the In My Mailbox meme by visiting The Story Siren

This week in my mailbox...

Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Goodreads Description:
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.


But I Love Him by Amanda Grace (Pseudonym), Mandy Hubbard


Goodreads Description:

Tonight was so much worse than anything before it. Tonight he didn't stop after the first slap.

At the beginning of senior year, Ann was a smiling, straight-A student and track star with friends and a future. Then she met a haunted young man named Connor. Only she can heal his emotional scars; only he could make her feel so loved — and needed. Ann can't recall the pivotal moment it all changed, when she surrendered everything to be with him, but by graduation, her life has become a dangerous high wire act. Just one mistake could trigger Connor's rage, a senseless storm of cruel words and violence damaging everything — and everyone — in its path.

This evocative slideshow of flashbacks reveals a heartbreaking story of love gone terribly wrong.

It is a good thing school is almost out because I have been dying to read these two little jewels!

Feel free to share what's in your mailbox...I'd hate to miss the opportunity to add to my already out of control TBR pile!

To Prologue Or Not To Prologue...

It seems to be an ongoing debate...do I write a prologue? Is it needed. Does it help set the stage for my story or is it nothing more than an indulgent way to start off my novel with flair?

The answer to this question? I honestly have no idea. But I'll let you in on a little secret. I always write a prologue. Gasp! I know...they seem to be so Tabu. We don't dare speak of them. But inevitably I write one. And every single time I end up deleting it. Every. Single. Time.

So I've come to the conclusion that for me it's an exercise that helps get me started. Even if it never sees the light of day. So I do write a prologue, but it's basically just for me, if that makes any sense at all.

Still not certain about prologues? Check out this amazing post I found last night when I was procrastinating...I mean writing this very post. Super amazing lit agent Sarah Lapolla with Curtis Brown Ltd. gives some valuable insight into her thoughts on prologues. Check it out here.

So what's your take on the growing debate? Do you prologue?

A-Z Challenge...Y

Today Y=Your order is on its way! I love those e-mails. You know the ones I'm talking about...you go a little nuts ordering books one day and then sit back anxiously awaiting their arrival. Then you get word that they are on their way. And then you wait, vowing not to attack the mailman when you see him carrying one of those small brown boxes.

So here is what's heading my way:

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Illusionsby Aprilynne Pike

Bite Club (Morganville Vampires #10) by Rachel Caine

Chime by Franny Billingsley

Like I said...I went a little nuts, but what can I say? They had a good sale! So what books have you ordered or purchased lately? Are you chomping at the bit to read them like me?

W=Writer's Insanity

Do you have it?

Check out the signs below and if you can nod and smile with even just one, well then I'm sorry my friend. You've got it. You've got it bad.

How will you fare? Read on and find out:

10. You leave the house in such a spastic hurry for work that you're not sure you're wearing matching shoes. (This is due in large part to taking that extra few minutes out of your morning routine to finish that chapter you've been dying to get down on paper.)

9. You opt for a ponytail and slap on the make-up in order to buy yourself more writing time.

8. Mac and Cheese/Hamburger Helper become gourmet meals at home.

7. You start referring to your characters like they are real life people.

6. Caffeine becomes its own food group.

5. Sleep becomes highly overrated. That's what the weekends are for right?

4. You can carry on an entire conversation by yourself.

3. In the car on the way to work you get an idea out of the clear blue sky, have no paper so you write on your arm with your lipstick because you also have no pen. (Do not even judge me it only happened once!)

2. Non-writers often look at you like you're speaking another language when you talk about your manuscript or even your favorite books.

1. Last but certainly not least...Someone can be talking to you and you hear nothing. Not a darn word because you have dialogue running through your head and you secretly want to get to a quiet corner to write it down.

So how did you fare? Did I leave anything out that you our willing to share? Come on spill, you know you want to!

A-Z Challenge...Voice

We've all heard it. We've all read it on countless blogs posted by agents and editors, that key ingredient that pulls a manuscript out of the slushpile and separates itself from all the others.

What is it you ask? Voice.

Simple right? Not exactly. You see though voice is the key to making or breaking a story, it's also the toughest to grasp. I know it's a constant thorn in my side. There's no clear cut way to add voice to your work and no two authors utilize it in the same way. Think of it as your very own fingerprint in the writing world. Which is a good thing. It's like people, if we were all alike this world would be a very boring place.

So how do you find your voice? There is no sure-fire way...but here are a few tips that have helped me.

1. Read-read whatever you can get your hands on. Read the genre you write in. Read outside of your genre. Give yourself the knowledge of what's out there and how your favorite authors use their voice. Then think of your own. It's essential to know what's been done in order to set yourself apart from it.

2. Write-write whatever you're passionate about. Write what you love. Don't lend yourself to writing trends or whatever you think is the "it" topic of the moment. I've found that if I'm not one hundred percent in love with what I'm working on my voice falls flat.

3. Personality-let your personality show. Ultimately that's what voice is. Your own personality shining through your characters. Personality adds the spice and flavor to your writing so don't hold back.

4. Don't be afraid to rake risks!- Writers can't be afraid to put themselves out there. Be terrified, afraid...but then tell yourself this: If you don't try how will you ever know what potential you possess?

Still uncertain? That's okay. Voice is one of those elusive traits that one person will love and another...not so much. This is a subjective business after all.

Here are a few questions to ponder the next time those creative juices start to flow.
*Am I enthusiastic about my topic?
*Does this writing sound like me?
*How do I want my readers to feel?
*Will my story hold a readers attention? Will they want to hear more?

Now its your turn. How do you find your voice? I'd love to know!

A-Z Challenge...Under Pressure

Writers put themselves under an immense amount of pressure. Usually before they even sit down to write. So how does this factor in when you are under a deadline, going through revisions or even completing a first draft?

The truth is it doesn't. So what do you do when inspiration remains evasive? Do you sit there gaping at the screen, pondering what deity in the universe is laughing heartily at your expense? Not quite. The next step is really quite simple.

Take a break. It's okay, trust me. Procrastination is one thing. It's a whole other post if you want to get down to it. But accepting the fact that you may need a break is something entirely different. There's no shame in admitting that your mind needs a rest. Is it hard? Absolutely.

Here are a few ideas:

Take a walk- You'd be surprised how effective even a short walk can be. No I don't take them late at night, but I do like to walk right after work and I've found that the ideas tend to come more readily. I've even run straight into the house to jot some down.

Watch a little TV- TV always relaxes me and allows my mind to wander. Usually I keep my trusty little notepad with me and if ideas come, I can write them down during the commercials.

Read a good book- Reading a good book always gets me in the mood to write. I love getting inspired by the words of other writers, seeing what they have achieved. It also reminds me why I do what I do.

Shopping- Retail therapy is always a great motivator for me...oops, its research, that's the party line that I feed my husband. Research for current trends is my reasoning for spending hours at the mall. I know this sounds like a crazy way to get inspiration, but I never claimed that my methods made sense.

Starbucks- When all else fails make a Starbucks run. Or sit and stay a while. Something about sitting and working in those places gets the creativity going for me. Okay so we all knew I would throw in Starbucks. It's pretty much a given for me.

Bottom line...when your mind gets all tangled in the web of craziness that we as writers all like to weave, relieve a bit of the pressure by doing something for yourself to relax. The ideas will return.

Okay, now it's your turn. When your thoughts go by the wayside, how do you get them fired up and sparking again?