I Won NaNo!!

Yippee!! I finished 50,000 words in 30 days!! Go me.

Now only another 30,000 words or so to go and the novel will be done. ;-)

Still, it's important to celebrate one's small successes.

The Queen of Multiple Drafts

Um, that would be me. Unfortunately. And I’m not talking about three or four drafts. No, I’m talking more in the realm of ten or twelve or even—when working on a problem child of a manuscript—fifteen.

This kind of embarrasses me. I feel like a kid who has to keep taking a test over and over again until I manage to pass.

So, in an attempt to embrace my flaws and convert them into strengths (hey, I make my characters do it, seems only fair I should give it a try) I remind myself that writing isn’t a test, and there’s no finish line until I say so. So I’m beginning to take a perverse pride in these multiple drafts. (Perverse being the key word.) After all, they’re part of the quirky, wonderful, frustrating process that got me here…

So take heart if you’re not getting it right the first time. There are many (okay, at least one—moi) who rewrite ad nauseam.

My drafting process goes something like this:

First draft – Nailing the voice. This is critical for me because I refuse to write an entire book in the wrong voice. (Although I once did an entire mss alternating between 1st and 3rd POV because I couldn’t decide which one to use and that way would only have to rewrite half the book when I finally did make up my mind. See quirky, frustrating process reference above.) Sometimes this comes immediately and sometimes it can take up to a dozen tries, but I’m only working with the first twenty pages or so, which keeps it from being too painful.

Second draft – Dialog. In fact, this draft tends to look like a radio screenplay, nothing but dialog and an occasional physical action or quick paragraph of narrative. This is because my characters reveal themselves to me through their dialog. (Which is basically a polite way of saying I’m one of those writers who hears voices.) Entire conversations often come alive on the page, which is one of the very cool things about writing.

Third draft – Blocking. This is where I place these disembodied talkers into the physical world around them.

Fourth – Eleventh draft – Structure. This is the draft where I make sure I have an actual plot. I dissect everything that isn’t working and rebuild it using some sort of structure. I check for conflict and dramatic tension, make sure that every scene relates to the plot and moves the story forward. Check for cause and effect—that my characters’ actions are driving the plot and it’s not a string of pearls. Depending on how organic this story is, this can take one to umpteen drafts. Although, I do work in acts. By breaking my mss down into acts it’s much easier to manage. At least for me. Consequently, the first half of the manuscript may have fifteen drafts, but the last act only three or four, because I’ve gotten so much worked out by then.

Twelfth draft – Polishing. This is where I pay close attention to the language, making sure it’s as tight and evocative as I can make it. Also where I check for grammar gaffes, typos, etc.

It's pretty easy to see why I'm so very envious of those of you who can get it right in three. That is SO not me. Never will be, I’m afraid.

As Promised - Sneak Preview - Coming in Spring 2007!

Theodosia Throckmorton has her hands full at the Museum of Legends and Antiquities in London. Her father may be head curator, but it is Theo—and only Theo—who is able to see all the black magic and ancient curses that still cling to the artifacts in the museum...

For the Cow Girl in All of Us

With my sons being 17 and 20, I don’t really have much occasion to read picture books anymore, but I did want to give a shout out to one picture book I’ve discovered that is a true delight and will tickle anyone who ever dreamed of being a cowboy or cowgirl.

Buckamoo Girls written by Ellen A. Kelley is an uproarious rollick of a ride where the playful illustrations perfectly match the author’s clever rhyme and concept. It’s a great reminder that even the most humble of creatures have dreams and aspirations, albeit sometimes hilarious ones. So if you ever wanted to be a cow girl, or know a little cowpoke, I highly recommend this book.

Anansi Pays Me a Visit

We didn’t have to decorate our house for Halloween. Since the lost tribe of Anansi seems to have settled their little arachnid selves on our front porch, there simply wasn’t any need.

I ignored it when my 6’5” son kept coming inside with cobwebs in his hair. After all, he’s so tall, it’s to be expected. I also ignored it when my 6’2” son began shuddering and ducking whenever he came into the house. After all, he’s almost an adult. Surely it’s time for him to get used to spiders.

But when the UPS girl began looking nervously at the ceiling of our front porch, I knew it was time to take action.

Thank goodness for shop vacs, that’s all I can say. Our front porch is now free of all fly and moth carcasses and tangled spider webs. There are five giant Anansis running free, however. I would like to pretend it’s because I’m altruistic that way, but the truth is, they were just too big to fit in the shop vac nozzle. (Eewwww!)

Feeling a Little Lonely?

Geez. Who knew it was going to take me an entire month to write and give a three minute presentation!

J-u-s-t kidding!! I've actually been very busy working on my next book, THEODOSIA THROCKMORTON AND THE SERPENTS OF CHAOS. It comes out in May of 2007, which means I've been up to my ears in galley proofing and second pass pages and designing a new website for the book; all sorts of good stuff.

Even so, I shouldn't have abandoned you all for an entire month. Bad me.

However, as compensation for this neglectful act, I'm going to share with you an amazing new blog by an amazing writer so that the next time I don't get a blog entry up soon enough, you'll have someplace else entertaining to go. (And the truth is, she is much more entertaining than I am. She is F-U-N-N-Y!!)

http://maryhershey.livejournal.com

Mary is my writing buddy. We started out together lo those many (and no, I'm not tellin' exactly how many) years ago. We met in a writing class and hooked up as critique partners, and have been riding out the ups and downs of the writing life together ever since. She writes hilarious middle grade fiction, and she is a personal coach who specializes in coaching writers. She only posts once or twice a week, but her entries are Pure Gold. Funny and oh-so-wise. Go check her out. You'll be glad you did, I promise!

Coming soon! A sneak peek at my upcoming book cover!

Where Creativity and Technology Meet

I’m giving a short (as in three minutes) talk tomorrow and the topic is on how technology has most impacted your creative process.

Boy, let me count the ways! Because there are tons.

1. Putting me in touch with the vast community of other writers out there.

I have met some of my closest and dearest writing buddies through online writing forums and e-groups. We talk writing craft like lunatics, wrestling with plot, pov, pacing, character, conflict, pretty much any aspect of craft or the writing process you can name. And in the act of wallowing in all these different processes, my own becomes richer, I get to try new things, and even if they don’t work in the long run, they almost always jiggle something loose or spark an aha! moment, which makes them worth their weight in gold.

2. The World of Publishing at my fingertips

Never before has information on agents and editors and different publishing houses been so plentiful. If there’s an agent or editor you’re interested in, chances are you can find out much about him or her through the internet; who they represent or publish, what types of books they like, which conferences they’ll be attending. Some are very accessible and will often offer advice on how to make your work stand out or what common problems they see with first novels, offering you a chance to do some much needed polishing before submitting your work. Being closely in touch with the industry fuels my creativity in a big way, reminds me I’m part of this amazing process of getting books in front of readers.

3. Research

Okay, first I have to confess right up front that I’m a major research geek. But the truth is, there are books I couldn’t have written if not for the internet and the research I had access to. The most striking example of this is my May 2007 book, Theodosia Throckmorton and the Serpents of Chaos. This book takes place in Edwardian London, a place I certainly have never been. It also jaunts off to Egypt at the turn of the century, another place (and time) I have yet to visit. The beauty of the internet is that I found everything I needed to research this book, from maps of London around the turn of the century, to diagrams of the layout of pharaoh’s tombs in the Valley of the Kings, information on Egyptian gods and goddesses, archaeology, to the logistics of Edwardian life, such as transportation, lighting, and even the political climate. I was like a kid in a candy shop!

4. Connecting with my readers

The internet allows writers to connect with their readers like never before. From websites and email to blogs, writers have all sorts of way to communicate with their audience. I adore hearing from my readers, knowing what they thought about a book, even the parts that weren’t their favorite and I love having even more ways to connect with them. (But I don’t have to convince you guys, do I!)

Hah! It just occurred to me; the question was, What ways has technology impacted your creativity? Notice how I kind equated technology with the internet!

Pretty obvious which technology has had the greatest impact on me!

Why I Write For Boys

While I've always been driven to write, I caught a compulsion to write books for boys when my own two were growing up. I can so clearly remember when they'd finally mastered reading and were so excited to dive into the world of Books. Except there were so few stories that engaged them. Having been read to for years, they wanted action and excitement and adventure! Not the simple school/best friend/slice of life stories that were written at their reading level. In fact, that's how The Forging of the Blade was conceived, an action-packed, Tolkienesque adventure for emerging readers with third grade level reading skills.

The funny thing was, reviewers didn't get that book. At. All. But just about every elementary school teacher or librarian I talked to most emphatically did. And it was the Texas Librarians (TLA) who really gave that book a chance to find it's audience when they nominated it to the Bluebonnet list. (Have I said how much I HEART librarians!!)

When I wrote Werewolf Rising, I wanted to explore boys' puberty experience a bit. I'd watched my sons and their friends get hit by this wallop called male adolescence, and watched them struggle to make sense of all the emotions and sensations flooding their bodies, and I was struck by what an incredible transition it was. How much they were truly transformed. And I wanted to come up with a concrete, physical manifestation of that change, and thus lycanthians were born.

My own puberty experience, and that of my women friends, seemed more gradual somehow. Maybe simply because estrogen is a kinder, gentler hormone than testosterone, I don't know.

I was also struck by how much guys seemed to crave mentors. How much they loved being around men. They seemed to need that contact with older male role models in a way that was much different than girls. Probably because both tended to be around women more in their younger lives, so boys had more role modeling to catch up on, which was further fueled by the testosterone wave.

But here's a funny little thing about writing. You're not always writing about what you think you're writing about. At least, I'm not. I really thought the primary theme of Werewolf Rising was going to be control; learning to control new, unfamiliar urges. Instead, it really turned out to be about bigotry.

Who's Who In Lycanthian Society

Okay, due to popular demand, I'm going to try and identify who everyone is here in the collage.
(If you click on the collage, you can see it super-sized.)

Left Column, top to bottom
Ranger (black wolf)
Luna (white wolf - no she didn't have pups in the book, but she looks exactly like this)
Nuri (the class clown of wolves)
Bottom Two Wolves (subplot cut)

Middle Left Column,
Ranger again, this time howling at the moon
Sterling, Luc's grandfather
Kennet, Luc's father
Teague, pack's bard
Rolfe and Wiley

Middle Column
Luc
Snarling Wolf - general wolf picture
Playing Wolves - general wolf picture

Middle Right Column
Suki
Kevin, a half human, half Lycanthian who's subplot got cut. (He was mentored by into the pack by Luc's dad.)
Wanda, another half human half Lycanthian who's subplot got cut. (Unable to control herself, she keeps seeking humans out, even though it puts her in great danger
Wolf pup Keir (both pictures of black pup)
Wolf pups Kana and Zola

Right Column
Ulric, pack's Alpha
Sasha, Ulric's mate and pack priestess
Wolf pup Zola

Writing on the Fly - Part Two

Five more ideas for when you only have a few moments to write...

Write about what the next scene has to accomplish; what the scene goals are, what the source of conflict might be, what your heroine needs to do, or what clues have to be revealed.

Do some character journaling of what the POV character will be feeling in the next scene. How will the actions of the upcoming scene make her feel? How will those emotions manifest themselves physically? You can also do this for a scene you’ve already written but want to deepen.

Do some character journaling to try and identify your characters internal wounds; what emotional scars does she bear and how do those influence her perceptions of herself and how she interacts with the world.

Write descriptions. If you know you have a new, unusual setting coming up, or want to create an eerie atmosphere, try just writing that description. Since descriptions aren’t usually in the heat of the moment of a scene, you can write them separately, then weave them in later.

Do lists of twenty. If you have a plot twist you need to come up with, brainstorm a list of twenty possibilities. Need a character flaw? Brainstorm a list of twenty. Perhaps you’re looking for a deep, dark incident in your character’s past that motivates their current actions; brainstorm a list of twenty.

The great thing about a list of twenty is that the first 5 or 6 ideas will be fairly common, and the last few will most likely be wild or over the top, just because you were really having to stretch to come up with twenty. But somewhere between numbers 7 and 15 probably lie a really good, unique plot twist or character trait.