Twisted Tuesday: REWRITING, Step 3

So it's official. I completed my rewrite.
Totally.
In full.
All done.
Finished.
Tout est fait. I typed: THE END.

Just over 76,000 words, successfully incorporating an added plot twist, upped the unique voice element, axed characters, a change from past tense to present tense, a few personalized descriptives enhancing character development, and new possibilities for book II and III.

Yeah, I'm pretty psyched. Now, I'll be looking over beta reads and edits, and have one amazing author friends (waves at AE) yet to read, but I'm on the homestretch, readying to send my baby out into the great beyond and excited to start work on both my MG fantasies and picture books.

That's my ROW80 PROGRESS report.  Please take a gander over to my ROW80 motivation partners and encourage them in their writing progress: Susan's PROGRESS, Margo's PROGRESS, C.Lee's PROGRESS.

I have more to say about completing my REwrite, but I did promise to continue the discussion on REwriting from where we left off last week. So here goes:

In STEP 1, we examined our reasons for choosing to REwrite instead of REvising. STEP 2, we chatted about breaking the process of rewriting into scenes, and I introduced my index card method. If you haven't read them you may need to because this post is simply moving forward with the next steps in the process. Feel free to take a peek. We'll wait.

So, moving on to STEP 3.

SPLIT SCREEN:

4. I already have a new document opened which I've entitled Workspace: 'Title of Book', and cut and pasted the existing scene into that blank space. Now, I open up another blank document and start the scene from scratch, always having the old scene there as a reference--aka SPLIT SCREEN. Yes, I know there are programs out there to do such things, but this is easy, right in front of me, and I won't have to convert any material to a Word doc. when it's time to submit to an agent, publisher, or editor. 


I want to note that starting the scene from scratch means physically writing a new opening line with new intrigue, pulling the reader into the scene & chapter. This also helps me switch gears to a new mindset for where I want this REwrite to take the audience.


5. After I've written maybe the first two 'ish' paragraphs, I start referencing the index cards I've developed--the ones with the important elements from the original draft I know must be in the scene as well as the index cards of new info I want to weave throughout the scene, chapter, and eventually the story.


6. As I utilize my index card notes, I'm constantly referencing my document labeled Workspace: 'Title of Book.' Sometimes I find a dialog tag or descriptive that seems perfect for where I am in the scene. Waste not want not, right? By doing this, I'm also analyzing myself as a writer. I see where I've been and watch myself edit my own material, giving it life in a more consistent and concise way.

7. Then, I layer voice and description and elements to enhance the scene just as I did when filling out my simple index cards.

Next time, I'll refer to #6 above more specifically. How through this complete manuscript REwrite I've seen myself grow through dialog. J

I've also decided to slow down on blogging so I can get these beta reads and edits completed. I'll keep posting on Tuesdays and probably sporadically. My best as always and tapping fingers and feet....

Writing Middle Grade vs. Other Genres

I'd like to welcome back MG Author Kari Lee Townsend, who's been gracious enough to share with us her thoughts on writing middle grade as opposed to another genre.

What it’s like to write Middle Grade books versus Cozy Mysteries

 

Thanks so much for having me, Sheri. It’s great to be here. A big hello to all you folks in bloggerville J I’m here today to talk to you all about what it’s like to write middle grade books opposed to cozy mysteries.

For any of you who don’t already know, I am an author of two very different series. I write the Samantha Granger Experiment books about a teenage girl who touches a meteor and then takes on the powers of her cell phone, becoming a techno superhero called Digital Diva as she tries to find a way to reverse her “uniqueness.” I also write the Fortune Teller Cozy Mystery books about a fortune-teller in a small upstate NY town who uses her psychic gifts to work with the local detective to solve murder mysteries.

Both of my series are “tame” and appropriate for all ages and have fun, quirky characters, but the structures are different. When I’m in adult mystery land, the pace is slower and the focus is on solving the mystery. The books usually take place in a small town with a lot of fun colorful characters and an amateur sleuth playing detective. While with middle grade, the pace has to be much faster, filled with lots of action and adventure.

I am an at home mom of four children (3 boys and 1 diva). Their ages range from 8-16 which has really been a huge help to me writing wise. The biggest challenge for me has been in keeping the language authentic. My adult books have to sound like adult books, which let’s face it, is a lot easier for me since I am an adult J Where the middle grade books can be tricky. You have to be careful not to talk down to kids. They are a lot smarter than most people give them credit for. At the same time, you don’t want your characters sounding like an adult trying too hard to sound like a kid by using slang that will be outdated in a nano-second anyway.

Some of the best things I did to really get a feel for how kids talk and act is to watch Disney and Nickelodeon movies and TV series. Really listen to not only what the kids say, but how they say it. Many times I will read something in a MG book and think the piece of dialogue is a perfectly acceptable and correct piece of dialogue, but not at all something a kid of MG age would say. When in doubt, I ask my kids.

Really put yourself in the mindset of a 10-13 year old and carefully look at each sentence you write. Remember, it’s not just the dialogue we’re talking about. If you are in a kid’s point of view, then even the introspection, descriptions, analogies, etc. would all be from his or her pov. They wouldn’t describe the scene the same way an adult would. Save that for when an adult character is speaking in the book.

Lastly, don’t be too hard on yourself. It’s easy to slip up and think and talk and describe things like an adult because that’s what we are. Just make sure when you edit you look closely for those things. Ask yourself honestly, “Does this really sound like something a kid would say or do or think?” And then get a great critique partner to help you spot when something doesn’t sound quite right. Also, choose some kids from your target audience who read a lot and have them read it for you as beta readers.

Trust me, kids are totally honest and have no trouble pointing out your lamo parts that no kid would ever say or do...or at least mine don’t J

Good luck to you all. Happy reading and writing. To find out more about me and all my books, go to my website. www.karileetownsend.com

Thanks, Kari, for sharing your wisdom with us. And to top it off, she's offering up a First Five Page Critique of any MG or YA manuscript to one lucky Alleywalker!!

TO ENTER: simply leave Kari a comment below of why you enjoy writing either MG, YA, or both. Don't forget to leave your email addy. A winner will be chosen by Random.org and announced June 7th. There's plenty of time to enter, so tell all your friends. No extras necessary, but if you share via social media, just let me know in your comment with the link and I'll give a +1 for each, +5 for a blog post, +3 for sidebar. And yes, for this one you must be a follower. 

Thank you!! Have a safe and enjoyable Memorial Day Weekend! See you on Tuesday for PART 3 of the process of REwriting as I report on Progress.

Twisted Tuesday: Examining REWRITING, Step 2

Last Twisted Tuesday, we explored the methods used in organizing time, material, and brain power when tackling a full manuscript rewrite. STEP1 talked about finding good critique partners or betas, and examining your reasons for REwriting instead of REvising.

Let's move forward and chat about blowing through a stump in the middle of a scene. Has a stump ever rooted up in the middle of your writing garden?

Scenario: You've decided a particular scene still has value for your rewrite, but a new purpose must be found for it. You have the old scene jostling around in your head, probably memorized to death. Now you have ideas that must be incorporated into that scene to integrate new plot threads, character development, voice, etc...

Break the scene down into smaller parts. In order to do a well-grounded rewrite, seeing the elements which made the initial scene work can be helpful. Sometimes it uncovers a hidden hole you hadn't noticed or will show you choices, aka roads, you hadn't thought of before. It will also help you chop those stumps that are keeping you from your writing goals.

Clear Clutter. This is my method and I know there are tons of writing programs out there that probably do a better job, but I'm simple and I like tangible things.

1. I make a brief physical list of new elements I'm sure need incorporation into the scene. Usually I do this on an index card. Like I said--brief. Giving myself too many stipulations drowns my creativity.

2. Then I open a new document, calling it Workspace: 'Title of Book', and cut and paste the existing scene onto the blank screen.

3. Now's where the rewriting fun begins. I read through, and using a new index card, I begin listing any existing element I'm sure I want to use in my rewrite. Basically, I'm creating a new outline for this one scene. Once I feel the structural elements (library, front desk, outside, car...) are there, I order them on as many index cards as I need. (ex: start at front desk of library, fight happens, rush outside, jump into car...)

I do this process as many times as I feel necessary to layer voice, emotions, back story, descriptions, gestures, and you name it. This may seem tedious, but it breaks down the elements of a good story, giving it eyes to become a great story.

We'll continue this next time, showing the Split Screen and how the index cards become a full scene.

My ROW80 PROGRESS is brief, today.

I've had my own stumps to overcome. One chapter wasn't merely a rewrite but a totally new creation, needed to move a new plot twist forward. The first half of the scene went like a charm. But once I got neck-high in the dialog, I realized I needed to decide what information I wanted to give the reader now and what facts needed to wait. *sigh*

Yes, this will be another Twisted Tuesday post. But for now, I've finally entered ACT III  #doingmajorcartwheels  for an equivalent of just over 9,100 words. I figure I have approximately 10-11,000 more to rewrite and then look over my critique partners edits.

Now, for my ROW80 motivation partners progress: Susan's PROGRESS, Margo's PROGRESS, C.Lee's PROGRESS.

GRAFFITI WALL: Kelly Hashway, Picture Book Author of MAY THE BEST DOG WIN!

The GRAFFITI WALL is excited to have our very first Picture Book Author share her writing splats with us!! Plus, she's offering up SWAG & a PB Critique!! Mother, wife, and writer of all that encompasses children's literature--YA, MG, & Picture Books--she's also a supportive critique partner and active member of YAlitchat, offering her suggestions and guidance to other writers.

KELLY HASHWAY

Young Adult, Middle Grade, & Picture Book Author

You're a children's author, in all three realms: young adult, middle grade, and picture books. What made you turn to writing picture books?

I have a four-year-old daughter who has always loved books. So for the past four years, I've spend a good portion of my day reading picture books. I couldn't help but fall in love with them. The first time I even thought about writing for this age group was when my daughter asked me to read her a story about Santa and the Easter Bunny. I didn't know of any, so I wrote one. It was actually a short story and I had it published. But I loved writing for the age group so much that I decided to try picture books next.

Once you wrote your picture book, May The Best Dog Win, what was your next step?

Revise, revise, and revise some more! I gave the story to some trusted individuals to pick apart and the manuscript was much better for it. Then I started submitting to publishers and worked my way through the slush.
 
What is the process of publication for a picture book once a publisher makes you an offer?

You wouldn't believe how much editing goes into a picture book. Every word counts and every scene needs to be able to work with the illustrations. I went through rounds of edits and then more after the illustrator drafted the drawings. And then a few more after that. It was crazy, but in a good way. I'm very happy with the end result.

Did you work personally with the illustrator?

Not really. She and I have talked via email, but she took my writing and brought it to life pretty much on her own. And I couldn't be happier with the way she did it.
 
I can't agree more. The book is so colorful and energetic.


Do you have a method for mapping out a picture book?

I try to picture the book's layout in my mind. I make sure I have enough scenes and that I don't rely completely on the text. It's really a fifty-fifty between the author and illustrator so you have to give up some control, which isn't always easy to do.
 
What was your inspiration for writing May the Best Dog Win? Did you brainstorm?

One of my many many quirks is that I vacuum everyday. My huge German shepherd is afraid of the vacuum. She sniffs it, gets in its way, and then dashes out of the room. Two seconds later she's back doing it all over again. It made me wonder if she thought the vacuum was a strange looking dog. May the Best Dog Win evolved from there as I brainstormed how a vacuum could be viewed as a dog.

Signature Alleyway question: you're going into space with only food, your cat Gomer, and a character from a book. Which character would you bring with you? 

Kate Weatherall from The Mysterious Benedict Society. She always carries around that bucket with helpful things in it. She is allowed to have the bucket in space, right?

You're agent is the fabulous Lauren Hammond (ADA Management). How's it working with an agent?

Lauren's amazing! I'm so lucky to have her on my side. Working with an agent is great because you have someone championing your book. I know Lauren believes in me and my book, and that's such a great feeling. She calms me down when I'm stressing, and she keeps me up-to-date on everything that's going on with my work.

Best advice ever given you that you'd like to pass on.

I was recently at my regional SCBWI conference and Donna Gephart talked about never giving up because you never know when you're on the one-yard line. You may be closer than you think to achieving your goals. Imagine where we'd be today if great writers quit on that one-yard line.


Could we have anymore supportive of an author friend in Kelly?? Awesome.

For more Kelly and Dash, visit Kelly on her WEBSITE, Facebook, Twitter, & Dash's Facebook Page. And even better, support them both on Freado.

Kelly is offer up 2 giveaways: 

~  a SWAG packet: May the Best Dog Win t-shirt, a doggie bag including a pencil, bookmark, bracelet, magnet, sticker, and candy.

~ a PB critique.

ENTER below.

PROMing IT 2!!

Before I get to my post, I must announce the winner of Kari Lee Townsend's SIGNED copy of her MG hit, The Samantha Granger Experiment: FUSED. Sorry I'm late, but being sick for three weeks has thrown me for a loop.

The WINNER is: TRACY!! chosen by random.org.

!!CONGRATS!!

Being a children's writer in all three realms of young adult, middle grade, and picture books affords me the right to be silly. Serious and sincere. Then there's wacky and gullible, snarky and frank. And of course a wee little bit ornery. Teeny years through those awkward tween years and into teen years are a rollercoaster ride. Remember??

Do you?? Because it's okay to remember, to reminisce, even when all those memories aren't the brightest. They make you who you are and ultimately are part of what makes you the writer you are. Don't shy from it.

Today, I'm highlighting writing for a Young Adult audience focusing on high school traditions, specifically the PROM. Coincidently, I wrote a bit about this subject over on Oasis for YA on Wednesday, namely PROMing IT!! 1. I briefly explored the importance of embracing your personal experiences and using them. Whether you went to your prom or multiple proms, or didn't attend, whether you thought the prom was the most fantastic night of your life or the most idiotic way to spend a perfectly good Saturday, you DID have an experience. A YA experience.

Josh & Erica

Utilize those emotions, those scenes and smells, tastes and sounds. Remember your annoyance with the chick who wouldn't stop crying because it was senior year or the stupid jocks who came to the dance drunk. In one shape or form you can incorporate these, mix and match, tweak and shake-up some fantastic YA scenes for your young adult stories.

This past weekend, my husband and I hosted a prom dinner for our oldest son, his date, and their friends. Talk about your young adult material. Awesome stuff. They laughed and joked and did completely normal stuff. After dinner the six girls slipped into their dresses in our bedroom and the guys got all handsome in Josh's room.

They headed off to the PROM, making memories and growing with each moment...just as the scenes in our YA stories need to built. After the PROM, Josh and Erica came back to the house, snacked on some leftover dinner and dessert, and headed off to a party. Each scene was as natural as our YA stories must read.

We (or most of us) are adults, but we were teens at one point. Don't abandon that past. Use it. Now go write an explosive YA scene.


Any PROM memories you've tweaked or utilized while writing YA?     

Twisted Tuesday: Examining REWRITING, Step 1

Writing partners are critical to a writer's inner and outer growth, confidence, and stride. Even more so when a writer is in the trenches of a WIP.

In deciding to completely rewrite my current YA novel, I had to examine all the elements of the story as well as my reasons or motivation for REwriting my manuscript. I also needed to develop a process to follow as I did the rewrite. It's almost starting over, but not really from scratch.

Today, I'm going to explore the first steps I took and share them with you.

STEP 1 was to decide if I should do a total rewrite or a total revision. I've written on the topic of REwrite vs. REvision, if you're interested.

For me, I needed to dissect what about my story sparked the agents who'd been interested during my first go-around. Any of you can do this, whether you've had perspective interest or not. Find a few good beta readers and let them have at the manuscript. Ask what struck them about the story and where, if ever, they felt disconnected with characters, storyline, back story, voice, or your prose. Don't necessarily worry about grammar and such at this point.

I'd been told the writing was good and all said agents were in agreement that the voice was strong and the story as unique as they've read, which all seemed to be excited about. So why not sign me? After chatting with a few more experienced author friends (they are gems; find some - GA, AE, LM, Roza), I realized it was probably the reorganizing of the story an agent might need to guide me through, getting the book marketable-ready for publishing houses.

So, I broke down each chapter, scene by scene, and examined every nook and cranny. While doing so, I brainstormed, let my mind go where it wanted to. I discovered by adding an extra plot-twist to the story I could combine certain elements and eliminate some characters and scenes. Sounds like more writing yet thinning out the story? Not really.

I started seeing the story through the scenes. Forest through the trees. My mind had been so focused on the main story plot and character arcs that I'd missed shorter routes the characters could take to achieve the same means. I'm not talking about shortening the story, but about writing a concise story as a whole. It must be done piece by piece = scene by scene.

You can have 8,000 scenes (wouldn't recommend it, but you could), and as along as each sentence, paragraph, and scene are written with forward momentum sometime meaning letting the characters take a shorter route from point A to point B, you're golden. The reader will keep wanting more. That's the point, isn't it? Of course, there are always exceptions to this. They're may be a valid reason for you to write an extra five scenes to move a character from one place to another. Just make sure every twist, pivot, and curve has a purpose.

This process takes time, so be patient with yourself.

My PROGRESS for the ROW80 slowed down a bit this week due to my being sick and having to host my oldest's prom dinner. (I'll blog about it on Friday. So bring your prom  or not-prom memories.) I was able to write almost 5,000 words. With adding this extra plot-twist, I came to the point last Thursday where I knew an important decision needed to be made but I just couldn't make it. STEP 2 in Examining REWRITING will be the slump in the middle of a scene.

Please take a peek at the three lovelies who are in this ROW80 with me, who never give up, and without whose accountability I wouldn't be as far as I am in my REwrite.

Susan's PROGRESS
Margo's PROGRESS
C.Lee's PROGRESS

LINKY: Head over to Stina's blog and congratulate her on reaching 500 followers!! ENTER her contest/giveaway, too!!

Laughing It Up Writer!! Blogfest!!

Today, we celebrate all that makes a writer silly. I'm supposed to post a quote, story, joke, or anything in said 'silly-writer-realm' to encourage, move, and yes, even amaze you.

One just to make you ponder why we write: ** There was once a young man who, in his youth, professed his desire to become a great writer. When asked to define great, he said, "I want to write stuff that the whole world will read, stuff that people will react to on a truly emotional level, stuff that will make them scream, cry, howl in pain and anger!"

He now works for Microsoft writing error messages.

This one should move you to cheering on our focus as writers: ** A screenwriter comes home to a burned down house. His sobbing and slightly-singed wife is standing outside. “What happened, honey?” the man asks.

“Oh, John, it was terrible,” she weeps. “I was cooking, the phone rang. It was your agent. Because I was on the phone, I didn’t notice the stove was on fire. It went up in second. Everything is gone. I nearly didn’t make it out of the house. Poor Fluffy is--”

“Wait, wait. Back up a minute,” The man says. “My agent called?”


Yeah, and finally we see a REAL outlined draft: ** How many screenwriters does it take to change a light bulb? Answer:  Ten

1st draft.   Hero changes light bulb.
2nd draft.  Villain changes light bulb.
3rd draft.  Hero stops villain from changing light bulb. Villain falls to death.
4th draft.  Lose the light bulb.
5th draft.  Light bulb back in.  Fluorescent instead of  tungsten.
6th draft.  Villain breaks bulb, uses it to kill hero's  mentor.
7th draft.  Fluorescent not working.  Back to tungsten.
8th draft.  Hero forces villain to eat light bulb.
9th draft.  Hero laments loss of light bulb. Doesn't change it.
10th draft.  Hero changes light bulb.

RELATE ANY??? :)

NEED MORE LAUGHTER?? Take a PEEK at the other participants. What better day to laugh about all it takes to be us than Monday??

Do you have something writerly related and silly to share???

WRITER Down & Shout-outs

I had a post prepared for you with awesome links and all!! But with the Blogger mishap, this morning, somehow my post vanished. *sheds a tear or two*

Human Links of Help

I'm down for the count. Think I've been hit by a bus. Maybe it was an elephant. Or a herd of dinosaurs. Anyhoot, I won't be blogging today. So sorry. I have sever  bronchitis and the medication my doctor put me on yesterday will hopefully prevent it from morphing into pneumonia. REST is what I've been forced into. The laptop is under lock and key, so shhhh.... don't tell I stole it. :)

Blogger might have lost my original links, but I've found a few others I've hoarded that are great.

The World According to Maggie - where Maggie Shiefvater talks about REVISIONS.

Peace Corps Writers - How to write a novel in 100 days!!

Margo writes about Love Story Plots.

This is just a fun one: Shape Collage for your most precious photos!!

Have a fantastic weekend!! Don't forget to ENTER to WIN Kari's Signed copy of her MG smash - The Samantha Granger Experiement: FUSED.

REwriting Vs. REvisions

You're a writer. You have an idea. Then another. Before you know it, you have too many ideas to keep track of. So you need to outline or write a mini-synopsis or even splatter your thoughts on index cards.

Then comes scenes which breed chapters and complete Act I, II, and then II. You're at the Climax or Black Moment *wink, Stina* Then the wrap-up, until finally you write the two most precious words: THE END.

When I finished my first manuscript (which is technically my second, I just can't think of my first ms attempt as anything but yuck...) I was elated. Awe is probably a better way to put it. I really did it. From start to finish. I had characters, a plot, sub-plots, and scenes that moved a real story forward. There were even people that read it and were impressed. I remember thinking, "Geez...really??"

Then I met other writers, ones more experienced than me. They read. They critiqued. They guided me to the knowledge that writing the script was ONLY step one. Now I was like, "Geez...really??" But down deep, I knew I wasn't finished yet.

So I took all their advice, edits, and suggestions and did what every serious novelist does--I started to revise.

According to Dictionary.com, a REVISION is: a corrected or new version of a book, article, etc... So during revisions of a manuscript, the writer corrects errors in grammar, syntax, mood, voice and so on. He/she also might discover inconsistencies within the story which need fixing. Writing another paragraph or tightening up some prose can sometimes fix those aliments. What's most important to note here is that the story or theme remains the same. Basically, revising takes what you've already created and makes it shine and sparkle to the point where it's irresistible to an agent, editor, or publisher. 


Now rewriting is a bit different. REWRITING (same source) is: to write in a different manner or form. One will find revising within rewriting but not the opposite. If you REwrite, you REwrite and change/alter a part of the story. Rewriting can be as dramatic as completely axing a manuscript or article and starting over or cutting out parts and re-creating those. Character development (including backstory, emotional gauges, physical appears and basic arc), main plot, and sub-plots can all be recreated, which can alter the original idea of the story itself creating a totally new tale.

During the ROW80, I've been REwriting my YA manuscript. After wonderful advice and interest--and two months waffling about what I should do--I decided to weave in another plotline, giving depth and adding mystery to the tale. It's also given me a deeper insight into my characters, which is making me a better character arc writer.

I completely REwrote the first four chapters--every word, altering some backstory which changed my MCs perception of her life at the beginning of the story and in turn is changing her character arc throughout Act I, II, & surely will in Act III. Then slowly and methodically, I've REvised scenes that still worked in moving the story forward, while REwriting others, intensifying action and mystery as well as my characters inner growth. Then there are scenes I've been writing brand-spanking new. Can you see how I'm applying these two terms?

Since last Tuesday, I've REvised or REwritten 8 chapters for an approximate total of 18,500 words. I'm excited, because I should be entering Act III by next week.

Please visit these other lovely ladies who are joining me in all this REvision and REwriting.

Susan's PROGRESS
Margo's PROGRESS
C.Lee's PROGRESS

AND I've highlighted a new YA book over on Oasis for YA!!

Can you answer my question. Can you see how I'm applying the differences between REvising and REwriting? Have you done the same?

Don't forget to enter my Signed MG book giveaway!!

GRAFFITI WALL: Kari Lee Townsend, Author of The Samantha Granger Experiment: FUSED

The GRAFFITI WALL is back with a fangtastic Middle Grade BANG and on a Shannon Whitney Messenger MMGM to boot. I've linked up with Shannon O'Donnell, Sherrie Peterson, Natalie Aguirre, and Barbara Watson  to celebrate Middle Grade Literature. Check out their MG posts which include interviews, reviews, and giveaways, today!!

I'm thrilled to welcome an amazing adult/middle grade writer whose serious persistence in this business has finally paid off. There just might be a silver screen production of her MG story...too cool!! She's here to share her journey in life and writing with us, plus offer up a SIGNED copy of her book to one lucky Alleywalker!!

Kari Lee Townsend

Author of The Samantha Granger Experiment: FUSED

& TEMPEST IN THE TEA LEAVES: A Fortune Teller Mystery 

Welcome, Kari!! Awesome to have you here.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
I have always written poetry, then progressed to short stories, and finally when I was 20 I took a year off from college to save for my wedding. I wrote on an old Brother typewriter, but never finished a book, and then gave it up until the birth of my oldest child in 1994. I stayed home with him and needed an outlet. It didn't take me long to become hooked, it just took me forever to sell :-)

What made you want to write middle grade literature?
I didn't necessarily want to write middle grade literature. I was just so desperate to sell that I was willing to try anything, but then I discovered I really loved it. I never knew I would enjoy writing action/adventure scenes so much. You never know what you might enjoy doing or be good at unless you are open to trying new things.

That last sentence is very profound and great advice all writers need to keep in mind.


Did you have any favorite MG characters growing up?
I always loved Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. That's probably why I enjoy writing my adult cozy mysteries so much.

Do you have a system of formulating your ideas? Basically: outliner or pantser?
I used to be a pantser, but have become a plotter out of necessity. I really like using screenwriters tips and the three act structure. I am such a visual writer that I love using a big display board to put my index cards on for all three acts. It really lets me see my book as a whole. I tend to plot the major points like setup, midpoint, black moment, and resolution, but a lot of the other sections I plot as I go along. So I guess I'm still a little of both.

Two Signature Alleyway questions: Cookies or cake?
Definitely cookies! I have an insane sweet tooth that I'm trying to get better about :-) Soda or water?
I should say water...but for me it's soda for sure. Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke...I switch them up as I get bored.

Are you a night-owl writer or a daylight writer?
I have four kids so my day starts early. Make lunches and get everyone off to school. Then it's time to work out in the morning and take care of any errands/cleaning/ promotion, etc. When my kids were little I wrote during naptime and still can't seem to get out of the habit, so my best time creatively speaking is in the afternoon. Then once my kids are home, it's running around like crazy time. By eight PM I am fried. That's hubby and TV time, then bed by ten.


What is the one writing advice you don't think you could have lived without?
Do your homework. And I mean homework on all fronts. Know the market. What's out there, what's doing well, etc. Then pick something in that genre that's unique and hasn't been done. You can be a fabulous writer, but if your story isn't unique enough, then it won't sell. Yet you can be just a good writer, but if you have that amazing hook or concept, chances are an editor will pick it up.


That is so interesting. I've thought about that, as I'm sure many Alleywalkers have. Thanks for mentioning it.

Give us a brief peek into your road to publication.
It took me 14 years to sell, 3 of which were with my agent. I made all the newbie mistakes. Spending years insisting my baby of a first book sell, then finally moving on to other books. Going to conferences, entering contests, etc. When I won a contest at the New Jersey RWA Conference, I met my agent there and eventually signed with her on that book. It was only after signing with her, that I realized I had to give her more. If I didn't give her stories, how could she sell me? I went on a writing frenzy, paying attention to every trend out there, trying new things and seeing if it was something I could do. My agent ended up getting me a 3 book deal off just a partial for The Samantha Granger Experiment. Book one Fused is out now. Then just 5 months later she got me another 3 book deal off another partial for a cozy mystery series called The Fortune Teller Mystery Series. Book one Tempest in the Tea Leaves comes out in August.

Did you ever feel like giving up?
When I talked to an editor on the phone and was so close and he said he wanted my series, then the deal fell through at the last minute, I thought I can't do this anymore. Then, just 48 hours later, another editor at the same house said I love her writing style. What else does she have? We gave her another one of my stories and she bought it. That was The Samantha Granger Experiment. If I had given up, I never would have known what was just around the corner. Writing isn't just something we do. It's who we are. This business is hard. You have to work your butt off, want it badly, and never give up.

MY REVIEW

The Samantha Granger Experiment: FUSED was released in November 2010. What was that day like for you?
I planned to do a few driveby signings at my local bookstores and was so excited. My CP even took the day off to go with me. The problem was the books weren't on the shelves for almost a whole week at one book store chain, and it took two weeks to get them into the other book store chain. That was so disappointing, however, the day they finally arrived was amazing. Walking into one of the big book stores and seeing my book on the shelf is an experience I will never forget. I don't think that feeling will EVER get old.

What's next for Samantha Granger?
Fused is out now and has been adapted to a screenplay by a Hollywood director. It is being discussed at various studios as we speak, so cross your fingers and stay tuned. Book two is done, but the date it will be released is to be determined. Meanwhile, Tempest in the Tea Leaves will be out in August, and I am currently working on Corpse in the Crystal Ball.

Tell us your hopes and dreams for your future writing adventures and the publishing industry as a whole.
The publishing industry is changing, but that doesn't mean books will go away. We just have to be open to new formats and new possibilities. I plan to learn and grow as much as I can because this is my dream, and I'm not going away anytime soon. Thanks so much for having me. Good luck to you all, and I hope to see  you on the shelves someday soon :-)


Kari is wonderful and has such a bright future. Feel free to visit her Website or Blog. Want to win a SIGNED copy of The Samantha Granger Experiment: FUSED??? Leave a comment below with your email addy. A winner will be chosen by Random.org and announced May 17th. *giveaway is with the US* Tell all your friends. No extras necessary, but if you share via social media, just let me know in your comment with the link and I'll give +1 for each, +5 for a blog post, +3 for sidebar. Good luck!!

MOTHER'S DAY Awarded

This weekend welcomes a special holiday, Mother's Day. I don't know about you, but my norm MD Day consists of rushing to ready the kids for Church (with my older ones, now it's bellowing "GET UP!"), make a big meal, clean up, do the whole dessert thing with the parents x2, and maybe sit for five minutes. Oh, and can't forget some sports on TV. :)

That's what mothers do ~ We do whatever is needed. 

If you've been a mother for any length of time then you know it's like being compelled ~ there are few self thoughts.


*Haha...and the vamps think they're all that.*

All is focused on those placed in our care. We can't help it.

And if you're a writing mother, you put the same coddling, care, and caress into each story you write and each character you create. You are a mover. A motivator. Whether a sweet picture book story or a lengthy novel, you inspire and teach.

You are a true hero to your families and the publishing world.

To our agent, editor, or publisher moms, the influence and dedication you have for your writers/clients and love of the written word is also appreciated. This is for you, too.

I give each of you this AWARD. You deserve it on so many levels. Thank you for being my writing/blogging friend and sharing in my journey towards publication. Take this award and place it proudly on your blog. If you don't have a blog just yet, save it for your website that will promote your inevitable book sales!!

Just smile.

Here's a few motherly memories from my seventeen + years as a mother.

~ 3yr old son drops his draws in the middle of the parking lot. My face pales. I yell, "Jake!" He says, "I'm peeing, hold on."

~ While making a craft using beads with my 4yr old daughter, she decides to sniff a bead to see if it smells. Yup, we're off to the emergency room with a bead stuck up her nose. (REALLY!)

~ 12yr old son (1st week of junior high) walks up our front porch with the innards of his knee literally dangling  down to his calf and says, "Um...something's wrong." Then looks down at his knee and completely freaks out. Yes, another emergency room visit.

~ 2 1/2yr old son, ATTEMPTS to go to the bathroom by himself. Well, his little arms aren't quite long enough to properly reach all the way around his skinny body. He wipes once. And yes, gets it all over that hand. Instead of asking for help, he uses the other hand which becomes covered, too. So he decides to wipe it on his chest to clean his hands.

Logical, right?? *to a 2yr old*

Needless to say, his finale is to paint the entire white, porcelian toilet in what looks like brown mud (ooh, it was so not mud!) as well as the walls, door--knob and all--and his whole body. When I found him, this writer-mother SERIOUSLY had no words.

Won't you share one memory of being a mom with me?? If you're a father, lets here one about your mom or wife.

UNEXPECTED Progress

Those who visited the Alleyway yesterday know I took the last few days off to participate in a few dance shows and to recover from the exhausting weekend. Missed it? Interested? Scroll below. :) However, being gone for three days has left me with a mountain of emails and to-do's, so I might be a bit scarce this week. TY for understanding.

I wasn't available to give the A-Z Challenge the proper adeu! *Waves, eyes glaze over and a tear trickles down my check* I enjoyed the challenge far more than I thought I would. Giving me a letter to focus my ideas on helped to collect my thoughts more readily and write more concisely. *HOTHEADS!!* 

Before I move on to my Tuesday Progress Report, I must give a huge shout-out to Author Elizabeth Mueller for giving me this:

Too cool!! I'm sure lots of you received it, too. *Round of Applause!*

Just as helpful as the alphabet challenge was for me, so now is the ROW80. Setting goals is important; something I'm constantly pointing out to my kids. And joint-pledging with three other writers has made it that more pleasant and meaningful. Not to mention, I've gained an amazing new CP out of it. :)

Goal #1 ~ I am making serious strides in my rewrite of MARKED BEAUTY. I've even reposted my brand new opening on a separate page.

I'm in the middle of Act II, threading in a new plot twist and discovering even more about my two main leads but also, myself--THE WRITER. I've come leaps and bounds in communicating my thoughts more concisely and recognizing my errors in my first completed manuscript of MB--probably the reasons the three agents in January who pursued the manuscript eventually passed. Editing and structure of ideas. Collectively, each mentioned that I could write and the story was quite unique. I think it was the amount of restructuring and the time it would take which gave them pause.

I've been very sensitive to that, careful what, where, and when I feed the reader back story or internal thought information. I've spread it out, giving crumbs through dialog and ponderings from secondary characters, and even at a few points a piece of a character's internal revelation in hopes to reveal it all at the climax.

I mentioned yesterday that I've had great progress. But I've also had some unexpected interest in my rewrite from one on the original agents who passed. Once I complete my rewrite, said agent would like to take a look at it. *Another round of applause!* But those claps aren't for me. They are for you and all who've stuck by my side in spite of the last few months when I was less than a blossoming flower of enthusiasm. Thank you. I am determined not to disappoint. :)

Goal 2 & 3 ~ Basically, I'm putting plotting and outlining my other three stories on the back burner because of the interest in my rewrite. As far as my picture books, I haven't worked on them but I've been lead to an amazing PB critique group who I can't wait to start working with.

Please take a peek at the three lovelies who are in this ROW80 with me.

Susan's PROGRESS
Margo's PROGRESS
C.Lee's PROGRESS

Do you have WIP PROGRESS to share? 

The Renaissance of Writing: Part 2

I had an amazing weekend. As most of you know, I'm a former dancer who still takes adult lessons and dances with the most amazing group of ladies ~ my dancing angels, the Monday Night Hotties.

My daughter Kate & ME

We are woman ranging in ages from 23 to 61, from all walks of life and occupations. There's nurses and massage therapists--yes, for those inevitable boo-boos we incur as we age and it becomes a bit more difficult to 'hit our marks'. *winks and grins*

 Medical/legal transcriptionists, who are there with advice (see previous sentence.) Then, we have educators and even a US Senator's assistant to keep us in line. Waitresses, office clerks, secretaries, writers (well, just me), and more add to the mix...as well as daughters, mothers, wives, grandmothers, and friends.   

Being backstage brought many different post ideas to mind, ways in which we can explore our writing from choreography to music choice to line selection and configuration. But for today ~ (seeing how I am totally spent and will have to spend most of today recovering) ~ I'd like to encourage you to think about what extra-curricular activities enhance you as a person: THE WRITER. What other parts of your life have molded you to be a better writer and given you more to offer within your stories and your character's lives.

I started PART 1 of this thought over on Oasis for YA, this morning, and encourage you to comment here as well as to take a gander over there and answer that question. Inquire minds want to know. :)

*I will be taking today off from blogging and concentrate on resting. I'll also try and rewrite my next chapter of MARKED BEAUTY, which I've been dying to share with you all but have waited until the A-Z challenge was over. I have so much to tell you. :)*