On Rejection

I've seem to be getting a lot of rejections lately, which is part of the whole process - so I felt like it was time that I put my own thoughts out there about rejection.

Rejection doesn't necessarily mean that my stories are bad - it doesn't mean that about anyone's writing.  Rejection does mean that you should take a harder look at your story.

Is your introduction gripping?  Absolutely gripping?  Do you pick up the book and suddenly need to turn the page to figure out what happens next?  If not - what have other books done to catch your attention?

I'll never forget the opening the The Outsiders, where there was an intense excerpt at the beginning of the book.  That excerpt, taken out of context, sucked me completely in.  I needed to read about him walking out of the dark light of the movie theatres, because I had to know what happened next - I needed to know what made Ponyboy get to that point in the novel.

Is your grammar correct?  Some people will see the typos there/their/they're and immediately get turned off.  Here's the thing:  It matters.  If you don't have great grammar or spelling, no problem - ask one of your friends to help out!  Surely there is someone you know that won't mind beta reading your books.  Heck, I can beta read if we trade beta reading!

What is your style like?  Look at the writing your desired agent represents.  Are they completely left-field whereas your style is right-field?  They probably won't represent someone that doesn't resonate with them.  Try picking up one or two books that the agent has represented and read them.  Check out the style and see if it is something that you like.  You need an agent to like your work, but you also need to like the agent's work.

Know your audience.  While using some larger vocabulary is good, make sure that your readers don't get lost in needing a dictionary by their side.  YA literature can still be smart, sophisticated, while being fast-paced and smooth.  Take the novel Bunnicula, for example.  The language isn't dumbed down, but it certainly only uses enough words to make you learn, not to make you read the dictionary in tandem with the book.

How is your pacing?  Finally, once all of that is done, you should step back and look at the pacing of your novel.  Do you have parts where it is just explanation?  Just dialogue?  Just action?  Is there any way to mix them into the same scene so that you don't have blocks of explanation?  Does your evil-doer go on a two-page long tirade?  Yes, a two-page long monologue is probably a little too long, especially if you are writing for YA.

Should you reflect on your writing every time you receive a rejection?  It's not a bad idea to read it over and make minor changes.  Your writing is only going to get better over time, especially if you can be your own worst critic.  And if you get advice and suggestions from people, don't take it personally, but take it to heart.  They are only trying to help - no matter how critical they are.  Continue to work on it, no matter how many rejections you receive.

I've seen so many people decide to quit writing just because they aren't getting noticed.  Do I even need to mention how poor some famous artists were?  Do we need to discuss the poverty of painters, writers, and true artists over the years?  No, I don't think we do.  Just because you aren't getting sold doesn't mean you aren't good.  It just means it wasn't good timing or the right style.  And if you think you are good enough, grab some beta readers, hire a good cover artist, get an editor, and self-publish.

But never, ever give up.

Lucky Number 7

1000th.monkey tagged "Whoever wants to do this" so I figured, in celebration of just finishing my WIP (Woo, Rioss is finally done at 65,000 words... editing to begin soon).

Don't forget about my giveaway!  (Ends March 31)

According to the rules:

Go to page 77 of your current MS
Go to line 7
Copy down the next 7 lines - sentences or paragraphs - and post them as they're written.
No cheating/tweaking/polishing/rewriting

And here are the seven lines from Rioss.  I'm a little disappointed that none of them included dialogue, but for a rough draft, the passage isn't too bad:

     As if this was no big deal that we were stuck in here together. But remembering the bloodlust that I felt last night, what I felt towards him… it was the darkest, purest form of rage that boiled inside me. I couldn’t help to think that Marc probably had that too. We were, are, natural enemies. Everything in my body told me to run away, to attack, to kill, to hide, everything all at once. The instincts shot through my body, and I only managed to keep them under control because of her.

     I forced myself to return the smile, though I had no idea what they were talking about.

1000th.monkey's did come with questions, so here I go!

When did you start blogging and why? 

I've had a lot of "blogs" over the years.  From livejournal to myspace, they were all ways for me to tell stories.  I even have an old journal that I can't even remember where it is hosted that was dedicated to my high school writing.  But this blog was started on August 8, 2011 with my short story "Kasha."  I definitely started this as a motivation tool.  If I met some cool people who encouraged me to write, then it was 100% worth my time.

If you could do anything tomorrow, what would you do?  

Take the day off.  I really want to edit my pieces that I've finished.

Describe your happy place.

Star Island.  I can totally show you:  Picture here  I took that photo last summer when my husband and I traveled out to Star Island.  We did it days before we got married (and I got a vicious sunburn).  I wanted him to see it before we got married, since I did a lot of growing up on the island.  :)

What was your first happy memory? 

I guess the silliest memory I have was when me and my second grade friends were running around and pretending we were in the Animaniacs show.  

What was the scariest thing you've ever done? 
Sat in a graveyard way late at night.  I have an awesome ghost story about that night, but it was kind of horrific when it was happening.

Where is the strangest place you ever had an idea for a story? 

I usually get ideas in my car - by talking to myself.  I have conversations like "Would you rather - and why?  What if someone chose the other route?  What if this happened?"  And eventually, a concept comes out of it.  Sometimes I think I'm crazy, but other times I realize that this is just the way I work.

Where do you write? 

Anywhere I can, but usually on a computer at a desk (I pretty much only exclusively use desktops).  I have an AlphaSmart that could bring me anywhere.  When it is warm outside, sometimes I'll sit in the backyard and click away on that.

If you just won a ticket to anywhere in the world and you had to take me, where would you take me and why?

1000th.monkey, hmmmrrmmmm...  Well, seeing as how I've been to Europe already and am going to Hawaii soon, I'd have to say I would totally force you to go snowboarding with me.  Let's do the Alps ;)  And why?  Because I really want to snowboard - and regardless of whether you like it or not, it is bound to be beautiful.

I am also supposed to tag seven people, but most people I know have already done this.

Though I don't think that Crystal Licata has done this yet (so I'm calling you out).  If anyone else wants to do it, please feel free - I'd love to read yours!

Bunnicula - Reading Challenge

Don't forget to check out my giveaway!

For March's The Books that Made Me Love Reading Challenge, I read Bunnicula.  I haven't picked up this book since the fourth grade, and even then I was reading it for a challenge.  But I actually loved it so much, that I became determined to read the rest of the books in the challenge.  I must have holed-up in the backroom for ages.  When I finished my math early (and believe me, I finished early.  I was a math whiz even though I hated it), I was able to sit in my teacher's huge massive walk in closet with a blanket and read.  Talk about a Neverending Story kind of moment.  My childhood mind was delighted.

New Cover

What I thought then:
I always felt bad for the bunny, even though he did scare me a little bit.  Because Chester was right on some level - what if vegetables weren't enough for the little herbivore?  What if he decided he needed something more than tomatoes and carrots.

What I think now:

Old Cover

So steak versus stake didn't actually register with me when I was younger.  I thought Chester was actually trying to stake the bunny - but just wasn't strong enough. I almost cried when I was little because I was imagining the scene so horrid.  But now, I think it is hugely funny, because Chester makes the same steak vs stake mistake that I made all those years ago.  It's still a very cute story, but the cover has since gotten a lot more horrifying. 

I mean - just look at the new cover!  Giant bunny, horrible red eyes, huge shadow looming behind him.  He looks downright menacing.  The old cover, he looks cute, a little scary, but mostly cute.  And the new font!  The new font is enough to make my nine year old self crawl under the covers and cry.

Regardless, I still adore this book.  This was definitely a good March read.  April's read is going to be All the Money in the World by Bill Brittain.

Life Update

Don't forget to check out my giveaway!

I was inspired by 1000th.monkey to do an update on just my life (and goals, I suppose).

My husband and I are gearing up for our Honeymoon! On April 21st, I know it is still awhile away, we will be leaving for a bit. Destination: Hawaii. I’m pretty excited about it. Neither my husband or I have ever been, and it is about time that we go on a proper vacation. We’ve saved for so long (we got married in July last year), just so that we could take this trip without worry about going into debt.

And it’s finally right around the corner!

In the meantime, we both really want to fix up our yard. We came to the conclusion that we can’t purchase chickens… And I wanted to own my own chickens – so much! But you have to have their coop 20’ away from your own house AND 35’ away from the neighbors. While I don’t think anyone would report us, we still don’t have enough proper room for them. Maybe someday, when we get a bigger yard…

We finally sat down and did our taxes – yay refund! Which is awesome since we’ll be able to fix the car and get new tires.

I got a new job. I’m now working as a Communications Editor. It is actually the perfect position for me. It is enough creative work that makes my mind move every day, and enough logical work that I am focused. I actually am in love with this position.  And something additional amazing?  My cohort at Adorning Schemes also got a position at the same company, different department!

In other news, we are planning a trip down to San Diego to visit a good friend and finally see the city. I’ve never been to any other major city in California, so I’m really excited to go urban-exploring. Also, we’re trying to plan a mini-vacation for my birthday (the 25th!  It's my "golden birthday"). We are thinking of just spending one night cozy-ed away in a hotel and seeing Charlie Brown Farms the next day (which is ridiculously kitschy, but should be really fun).

As far as writerly things go, I posted a recent update on that as well, but here's another one. Rioss passed the 50k mark. I’ve made a plan for myself, which seems easy enough. Once Rioss is done (compliments to WIP500 for helping me through this), I will edit at least a chapter a day of Ruhe, then Soul Therapy, then come back to Rioss. I’ll find beta readers for Ruhe, and then secondary readers as well. Same goes for Soul Therapy.

If anyone wants to volunteer. I’m not looking for you to “rate” my writing – but I am looking for honest and critical feedback. They are all YA stories, so if you aren’t interested in YA, you probably shouldn’t volunteer ;)

I know what 1000th.monkey is up to, but what about the rest of you? It is actually rare that I see updates from the blogs that I follow – and I’m curious to see how everyone else is doing.

The Unanswerable

Don't forget to check out my March Giveaway!  Ends March 31st!

A new excerpt from a new project The Unanswerable.  I really really need to stop coming up with new projects and focus on my old ones.  This may be the last excerpt from this for awhile, but hey, it's fun stuff.  Also, my idea for a cover is below as well.  Fun times :)  I love designing, it's a really good way to pass the time.

Here's a project update (you can look at my WIP bar on the left hand side too!):

• Rioss - just passed the 43k mark.  Working towards 70k, then onto editing and possibly book two.  Though, I might pause on book two and go back to it a bit later.
• Ruhe - I really need to finish editing this piece.  Someone kick me in the butt until I get this done, please?  This is on the back-burner, as I focus on Soul Therapy.
• Soul Therapy - currently in two contests.  Waiting for the finalist announcement on Brenda Drake's blog, and waiting for the Amazon Breakout Novel Contest quarter finalist list.  Still need to do some serious editing here too, but it's still written.
• The Unanswerable - new project, post-apocalyptic story.  See below for cover concept and an excerpt!  Just started the brainstorming process.  Possibly an adult novel.
• Kingdom of Obsession - put on hold
• Good Criminal Heart- put on hold
• 2042 - put on hold

Dark clouds rolled across the sky in the abandoned town. The windows were boarded up in the small convenience store that we took shelter in, but the windows were shattered. It was going to be a long night.

Alisha came up behind me, running her fingers along my back. She nestled herself into the crook in my shoulder. “What’s going to happen?”

I sighed and looked at her. Her eyes refracted the darkness of the sky, I could see the clouds rolling over her eyes. A lightning bolt shot down from the sky in the direction we had come from. We had gotten out just in time. Thunder shook the air and a cold gust of wind picked up.

“We go inside, for now. We wait.” I turned and walked in the door. We had found a lot of supplies from an Army Surplus store only a few blocks away. Most people had taken all they could carry. We were probably the last of the crowd heading south. We hadn’t seen anyone yet, but since there were no cars and no food left, we had to assume we weren’t the only survivors.

She shut the door and locked the latch. The whole place smelled of rotten wood. The whole town was like this, but the convenience store had the most solid roof. We weren’t far from the city, far from the explosions. That’s why almost everything was destroyed. Everything had collapsed.

Alisha settled down on her sleeping bag and hugged her knees, burying her face in her hands. She sobbed slightly. I squeezed my eyes shut. If I ignored her for long enough, she would get over it. She would come out of it.

But as another wave of thunder ran over us, shaking the whole building, her wailing only increased. I sighed. Verity would have my head if she knew I was letting a girl cry like this. I couldn’t, I wouldn’t… for her.

I sat down next to Alisha, and she immediately curled her body into mine. As tears rolled down her face, the rain started to pound the side of the store. Little sprays of water got inside the cracks in the boarded up windows and shot onto the floor.

“I just can’t believe they are all gone… my mum…” I didn’t want her to continue. I didn’t want to hear it. I wanted to grieve just as much as Alisha did, but we had to get out, we had to survive. I couldn’t stop to think about her, not yet. “My dad, Adam…” She took several shaky breaths before letting another wave of hysteria creep into her. She shook and pounded on my chest with her fist. “Why us? Why me? Why you? Why now?!”

I grabbed her wrists and pulled her face close to mine. I could smell the salt of her tears, I could taste the cherry gloss that she had applied to her lips. “Stop asking. It is us, it is me and you, and there is no other reason. You understand?”

She nodded a little, her dark brown hair fell into her face. She sat up and looked down at the floor, refusing to look at me again. I leaned my head against the wall with a thud.

“I don’t want to blame you, Alisha… but I do.” I closed my eyes. I didn’t want to look at her, because I needed to say this. I needed to tell her otherwise it was going to eat me up. “If I didn’t help you… I might have been able-“

Her hand touched my cheek. I opened my eyes, and she was an inch from my face. “I’m sorry, Matthew. I’m so so sorry.” Tears welled in the corner of her eyes. “I was so scared… and…” She sat back on her heels. “I’m grateful you did. I don’t mean to seem like I’m not. I’m still scared.” She shook her head.

I took her hand and grit my teeth. It was easier than crying, to feel my teeth pressed so hard against each other that they might shatter out of my skull. I loosened my jaw for a moment and said, “It’s us now, okay? It’s just us, and we both have to learn to live with that. No more whys. I can’t deal with any more whys.”