The Newbie Novelist

THE END OF A YEAR PART 2: Does your novel pass the checklist?

2010-12-29T21:38:00.004-05:00

An Illustration

"Please, Aslan! Am I not to know?"

"To know what would have happened, child?" said Aslan. "No, Nobody is ever told that."

"Oh dear," said Lucy.

"But anyone can find out what will happen," said Aslan. "If you go back to the others now, and wake them up; and tell them you have seen me again; and that you must all get up at once and follow me-- what will happen? There is only one way of finding out. . . "

"But they won't belive me!" said Lucy.

"It doesn't matter," said Aslan.

"Oh dear, oh dear," said Lucy. "And I thought I was so pleased at finding you again. And I thought you'd let me stay. And I thought you'd come roaring in and frighten all the enemies away-- like last time. And now everything is going to be horrid."

"It is hard for you, little one," said Aslan. "But things never happen the same way twice. It has been hard for us all in Narnia before now."

Lucy buried her head in his mane to hide from his face. But there must have been magic in his mane. She could feel lion-strength going into her. Quite suddenly she sat up.

"I'm sorry, Aslan," she said. "I'm ready now."

-Prince Caspian Chp 10, pp. 137-138

Facing the Fear

The would-haves. The what-ifs. They get us every time. And like Lucy Pevensie, at the end of 2010, I found myself asking God, "What would have happened?" What if I did decide to take the plunge, start the new year with a new novel, new plot? Would people think I was a quitter? What about my students? I had spent an entire semester telling my creative writing classes how I was writing a novel. Was I supposed to just waltz in January 3rd and shout "Surprise! Change of plans folks!"

Mostly, I was afraid of what my parents and close friends would say, "Typical, Amanda. She never sticks with anything." (I realize now this was just the fear talking, but roll with me people).

I vacillated between just finishing my novel- hammering out those last ten chapters, then tossing the manuscript in a drawer and saying whatever- at least it was practice and it would never see the light of day; and trying to figure out some way to salvage my little novel that could.

I spent the day before Christmas Eve shopping with my mother- and talking her ear off about my plot problems. Bless her heart. I ended the day with some great last-minute gifts, and a "solid" feeling in my heart that I should keep what was working in my novel: my cast of elementals, and throw out the rest. In mom's words, "If you know what the people like, then give it to them." (This "throw out the rest" was VERY scary, because it was everything I had been working on up until this point: everything that had been workshopped. But, at the same time, it was freeing.)

Finding out What Will Happen...

I am not sure exactly why I brought my writing journal to the candlelight Christmas Eve service. Surely, the family was there for. . . you know- the celebration of Baby Jesus. But, as a dutiful writer, I felt like I should take my journal everywhere. You never know when you might need it.

On the drive to church I sat in the car thinking about a fresh way to approach my story, and decided on completely ditching Cora as the main character and instead using one of the elementals- a sylph. I had really liked her character, she is an air elemental who is afraid of heights, and I hadn't gotten a chance to write about her in the old manuscript. So now- I had my protagonist. She needed a love interest- for which I chose Fino- the salamander (fire elemental)- since he was EVERYONE's favorite character. The next thing I knew, we were in the parking lot at church.

I literally walked through the front doors, sat down, and started writing. The orchestra played all the great Christmas songs. The praise team sang. People were baptized. I kept writing. We stood up. We sat down. I kept writing. My dad leaned over and asked my mother what in the world I was taking notes on. She said she didn't have a clue. I didn't stop writing until it was time for us to light our candles and sing Silent Night.

And that was it. That was my Christmas present. A brand new novel. Completely plotted out. (Just about). Writers out there- do you want to know HOW I know that this idea is 10,000 times more workable than my old novel idea? Here's a checklist. (Old idea I had to FIGHT to get it to fit in these four points. New idea, fits like a glove).

The "You're On the Right Track" Check List

1. Can you summarize what your main character wants and what is at stake if she doesn't get what she wants in a sentence? (In my writing classes we do the "Somebody-Wanted-But-So." Somebody: is your protagonist, Wanted: tell us what she wants more than anything, But: what is standing in the way (include what's at stake if she doesn't get what she wants), So: what is your protag's plan?)

2. Can you fit your novel's plot into the 8 point Plot Outline as mentioned in Weronika Janczuk's blog posts from Death of a Novel: Part 1? This should be a good fit, not something that you are constantly wrestling over. If your plot begins to feel in any way forced or contrived to you- it will feel that way for your readers too. They can sniff out a deus ex machina whether it happens in the ending or somewhere in the middle.

3. Does your novel have both public and private stakes? If your protagonist doesn't do _________ or achieve__________ or whatever, something needs to happen that is personal for her, and the public should be affected. Now, we aren't talking WORLDWIDE public- unless you want to be. But, for your novel to have some spark to it, we have to believe that your protagonist is linked to the outside world. Our actions have consequences that affect ourselves and those around us. How far you want that circle of influence to spread is up to you.

4. Do your novel's stakes include a timeline? Even if your characters aren't racing to stop a ticking bomb, your novel needs to have some time element. Time helps drive the conflict. Without conflict, there is no plot. Take the fabulous 80s movie The Breakfast Club. The whole movie spans the length of a Saturday detention. But what they do in that time frame. . . ah! There's the genius: running around, goofing off. Trying not to get caught. Pulling pranks. Learning life lessons. And then there's the question that hangs in the air at the end, "When this is over, when we get out- will we be friends, or will we go back to ignoring each other?" In a sense, the detention is the ticking bomb. Because when detention ends, their lives will change, one way or another.

This new year promises to be exciting. I have outlined, plotted, and researched in seven days what it took me MONTHS to do earlier. At this rate, I should start writing the first week or so of January. I don't say this to boast, only that when it works- it works. Will there be days ahead when I don't want to write? Definitely. Will there be rejection and pain and hardship? Of course. But what 2010 taught me was to trust myself, in my abilities as a writer. I know good writing when I read it in others' works, and I know when my writing mechanically falls short. For me, stopping in the middle of my novel, taking a fresh approach with a new protagonist and plot was the right decision.

"What you want is practice, practice, practice. . . I feel every time I write a page either of prose or of verse, with real effort, even if it's thrown into the fire next minute, I am so much further on." C. S. Lewis

Like Lucy, I feel the lion-strength again, and I say: "I'm ready now!"

The END OF A YEAR- THE DEATH OF A NOVEL PART 1: Or Learning How to Listen

2010-12-28T12:54:00.002-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Since I started this blog around August 2010, I haven't posted much about the novel I am working on. There's good reason for that... It's complicated.

"Oh, you mean there are fabulous plot twists, backstories that come back to haunt characters at the most inopportune moments, and stakes that soar into the stratosphere?"

No. Not that kind of complicated.... Well, I mean sort of.

I started writing my first novel around November 2009 and ended said novel in Feb 2010 after 5 chapters. It started with a fabulous idea, but the plot lagged, I had no idea what I was doing with pacing, so I scrapped it.

I took a break to read tons of YA, and scoured the blogosphere at night about writing and publishing. I read at least half of my "Books Read in 2010" listed on the sidebar during this "break." I recommend this kind of a break to EVERY writer. A time when you aren't stressed about word count, or goals, or anything. Just take some time to learn- soak in the information that you need to grow. If you really suck writing action scenes, then pick up some awesome action books and ANNOTATE those suckers! See what the pros are doing- what makes their writing wonderful? What makes you keep going back to the books you love? Have a hard time finding the balance with backstory/worldbuilding and real-time story line? Use two colors of highlighters and color-code the first chapter HUNGER GAMES! Collins is the master of dropping in just enough to let us know what's happened, but keeps us in the present. (sorry, teacher moment)

Novel number two, ELEMENTALS, started forming in April 2010. This was THE ONE, the BIG MAMMA JAMMA novel that would get me published and make me an "honest" writer. Here are the highlights:

1. Like a good student of Stephen King's ON WRITING- I started with characters in mind. That's good. Except, now what? I didn't have a plot. Nothing. Just really cool characters. I knew I wanted to write Urban Fantasy. I knew I didn't want vampires or werewolves, or witches, and I knew I didn't really want to touch faeries because Holly Black did them so well, and so many other people are doing faeries right now... So I chose the elementals: Undines, Sylphs, Gnomes, Salamanders... and elves. (I know, I know about the elves, but trust me.)

2. I got a crit partner. ALSO GOOD! But you see, she had already been working on her novel for 7 months, and was way ahead of me. I just had a vague idea about a girl who is attacked while on a field trip to the Renaissance Faire and some elementals save her. But, my crit partner wanted to start right away, so I started writing my first chapter to show her. SHE LOVED IT! She wanted more. There was no more. So I became a pantser. AND I HATED IT! (type A personality showing through)

3. I wrote 5 chapters with pretty much no idea where the story was going at all. Just the MC being drug around and told things. The only thing that kept my story afloat was the witty banter of interesting characters. Yes, we can all see where this is going. But I loved this story. I knew it could really take off- if I could only figure it out. I didn't want to be a quitter. I wanted to actually finish a novel. And query it and everything. Even if I got 10,000 rejections, at least I would have finished a novel.

"A plot, a plot, my country for a plot"

4. Thank goodness for summer break! June-Aug 2010 was the Summer of Plotting. While I was tucked away in the mountains with my family, I poured over my story. I thought, and thought, and THOUGHT. But still- to bastardize the Bard, "The Plot's the thing!" To compensate, I crafted CRAZY COMPLEX back stories and intricate twists with secondary characters. I worked ten times harder than I needed to, and it was obvious. Then, with only four days of our vacation left, I had a light bulb moment, and came up with enough plot to get me through the climax and the "almost end."

5. In August I participated in WriteOnCon which I have blogged about earlier. Seriously, the BEST thing I have done to help my writing career. I posted the first part of my chp 1 online for total strangers to read, and it was the fourth most viewed and commented on post! What an ego boost. My little story did have potential. (Even though it was a rough draft). The other best thing? I Read Weronika Janczuk's WriteOnCon post 1, post 2, and post 3 on how to outline your novel based on Donald Maas's WRITING THE BREAKOUT NOVEL (which I bought and thoroughly annotated), and THE FIRE IN FICTION. (Which I just bought and am annotating now). Then, I commenced to writing and fitting my plot in its shiny new outline.

6. Sept-Dec 2010 Was all about trying to find the balance of teaching 11th grade (which was old-hat for me by now), two classes of creative writing, sponsoring the Literary Magazine, AND coming home to work on my baby: ELEMENTALS. (My students and I decided this title must go). I wrote half the novel, over 30,000 words: the most I have ever written in my life. I even crafted a luscious back story for our villain, so sympathetic, so tender- you would weep for him. No wonder he is so twisted now.

I formed THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY TEEN BETA READERS: a select group of teens from my writing classes to read my chapters and give their "YA" opinion on my drafts. The consensus: their favorite characters hands down were Fino- the salamander, and Dagny the best friend. Not my main characters. (But these two were my faves to write as well- they were just... more exciting).

7. CHRISTMAS BREAK 2010- THE DEATH OF A NOVEL: As soon as school got out for the holidays, I started typing. I vowed to FINISH this novel by DECEMBER 31. I could do it. On the weekends, my daily word count is 2K; I've hammered out a 3K word chapter on a good day. I kept telling myself that in BIRD BY BIRD, Anne Lamott says your first drafts are "shitty." Don't look back- just keep writing. Revision is for later. But the little voices in my head kept saying, "But this is really bad. The plot is gimmicky. Why would your antagonist do this? Why does your main character have to go through all these hoops?"

So I stopped writing, and I listened to the voices in my head. The inner critic. Because there is a time when we have to turn them off, trust ourselves and keep going. And then there is a time when we have to trust IN ourselves enough to listen to what our experience is telling us. And I realized, I was holding on to this novel too hard. I was trying to make it fit. It was a square peg in a round hole, or any other literary device you want to add here. Don't get me wrong, YES there are times, AS IN ALL THINGS IN LIFE, where we have to stick with it- keep going, through thick and thin. But here, with my story, it was just too hard, too contrived. I was trying too much- and it was showing in the writing.

(mini disclaimer: this is the part where I talk a teensy bit about my faith) ;-)

The prayer went something like this: "AAAAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHA HELP!" Amen. Then, I asked God what in the world I was supposed to do. I was terrified of failure. I had worked SO long- a whole year on a project. (Something I had never done before EVER). But in the end, it's all about trust. Do I trust Him with just one novel? Just one story? Or, do I trust Him with my entire writing career? I didn't want to just throw in the towel when things got tough. I needed GUIDANCE...

Part 2 tomorrow!

ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Epic Contest of Epic! Giveaways, Swag, AND MORE!

2010-12-15T15:54:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh!!!!! I am completely fangirling over the amazingly talented Beth Revis and her EPIC CONTEST OF EPIC!!!!! Here are the facts:

1. Beth Revis is a 2011 debut author. Her book, ACROSS THE UNIVERSE promises nothing less than hours of AWESOMESAUCE reading pleasure.

2. She is having an EPIC CONTEST OF EPIC during the month of December featuring 100 PRIZES!!!

3. Go to her website to find out all the details!

4. In order to qualify for the "BIG HUGE AMAZING GRAND PRIZE" you have to fan the facebook page, blog about the book, or pre-order ACROSS THE UNIVERSE from any online book sellers, or your favorite indy book store.

5. You should DO THIS NOW, because this book is as good as the hype! (I have it from very trusted sources). Plus, Kiersten White, author of super spunky PARANORMALCY blurbed AtU, so you know... it's gonna be great.

6. The competitive side of me really doesn't want anyone else to enter this contest so I can win, but since it is the Season of Giving, I am being generous in telling you about this contest!

So, there you go! Have fun, and enjoy all the exclamation points I used in this post.

FREE BOOKS?? Could it GET any more magical?

2010-11-24T20:39:00.001-05:00

Image by brewbooks via Flickr

Hey guys, so check out my bud Caitlin Darrell over at her blog Caitlin Darrell: A (Sort-of) Life. She is having a contest that ends NOVEMBER 30TH where the winners get vouchers for FREE BOOKS OF YOUR CHOICE from the Book Depository. All you have to do to enter is follow her blog, tweet about it, blog about it, or any combination therein. It's awesome, as is she! So what are you waiting for?

2011 Debut Author Challenge

2010-11-24T19:50:00.002-05:00

Want to get geared up for some AWESOME books dropping in 2011? Then join me in The Story Siren's 2011 Debut Author Challenge! All you have to do is pick from her groovy list of books that are coming out in 2011, and commit to reading at least 12 in one year. That's a book a month people. Easy! Especially if you're like me and inhale books!

So, what's on my list? Check it out!

Covers unavailable:

1. Lisa and Laura Roecker: LIAR SOCIETY

2. Myra McEntire: HOURGLASS

3. Michelle Hodkin: THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER

What's on your list?

AUTHOR SKYPE SUCCESS: Or how Dianne Salerni rocked our socks

2010-10-21T17:51:00.001-04:00

"In mid-nineteenth century America, mysterious knocking noises haunt Maggie and Kate Fox, two teenage girls who become famous for their apparent ability to communicate with the dead.

Do the sisters have a supernatural gift -- or is it a hoax?"

On Tuesday, author Dianne Salerni, who wrote the CAPTIVATING novel WE HEAR THE DEAD, skyped with my high school creative writing classes. It was a RESOUNDING SUCCESS! Check out her blog about the experience here.

I met Dianne through a fabulous, free online writing conference this past August: WriteOnCon. (I have blogged about it's awesomeness before). This marks the first time that our school has ever skyped with an author- and now that we know how easy it is to set up, I can't wait to book more!

Dianne talked about how she got interested in the Fox sisters' story- how she researched, the primary sources she used while writing (Hooray Primary Sources!), and her journey through self publishing and then on to publishing with Sourcebooks. She also tempted us with eerie facts about her newest manuscript CAGED GRAVES about... what else? Caged graves!! Totally spooky right?

My students had wonderful questions for her ranging from how she stays focused while balancing a full time job/family life, to dealing with writer's block, to naming characters and finding a favorite writing spot. Her best advice? "Never give up. Never stop writing, and never throw anything away." Well said Mrs. Salerni, well said.

So everyone- GO READ THIS BOOK NOW! It is a riveting read about how two young girls inadvertently started the Spiritualism movement in America. I didn't realize the historical scope of this novel until I came across social reformer Frederick Douglass, abolitionist and suffragette Amy Post, and New York Tribune editor Horace Greeley, all people who interacted with the Fox sisters in real life! Of course, no story would be complete without a love interest. Find out if the dashing Elisha Kane of Arctic Exploration fame gets the girl! Salerni's storytelling doesn't disappoint.

ALSO: if you are a teacher, I HIGHLY recommend skyping with Dianne. The students had a blast, and it was really very easy! Email her, I know she'd love to hear from you!

*I had cool pictures, but then I realized that they were all of my students, and for privacy reasons I couldn't post them on my personal blog. So- just imagine 2 classes of teenagers sitting in a media center- watching Dianne Salerni on the big screen projector- and using a Britney Spears microphone to ask her questions.

** yes, the students had a little too much fun trying to actually wear the microphone rather than just hold it while they were talking to her. It was entertaining.

I HAVE A PITCH- to be revised...

2010-10-21T17:19:00.000-04:00

Yes, I know that I originally posted the pitch to my current work in progress, ELEMENTALS, here- but I am revising it. I attended a webinar with the lovely agent Kristen Nelson of Nelson Literary Agency and she had quite a few FABULOUS comments about my pitch.

I promise that when I finish revising my pitch- I will repost the original, the one I sent to Kristen (including her comments) and the NEW pitch so everyone can hopefully learn as much from this experience as I did!

Road Trip Wednesday with the YA Highway

2010-09-15T20:27:00.006-04:00

The YA Highway is an awesome blog comprised of authors from all over the world. Every week they host Road Trip Wednesday: asking a question for bloggers to respond to and link back to their blog. This week's question is

If you could travel back to any historical era for research purposes, which would you choose?

My answer: I pick TWO SWEEPING ERAS-
Regency England and Victorian England, because I am obsessed with these time periods. (And here's where I go all nerd-girl on you). If I had a million dollars and didn't have to chase down old college transcripts, I would go to The University of Oxford and get my Masters in Victorian Literature. Just for the love of learning.

a bit of light reading

Because I read books like this for fun. *side note: I actually almost did apply to Oxford a few years back, until I saw the OUT OF COUNTRY FEES! Yikes. I am still paying off my undergrad student loans- ten years after the fact!

Jane Austen- the woman, the legend

So if I had my magical time machine, first I'd go chill with this chick, my home girl Jane.

(She holds me in high esteem because of my dazzling wit). We would sit in the garden and gossip about the latest parties. I would remark how I love the style of these dresses, one really can hide a multitude of sins beneath the fabric! And then we'd get down to brass tacks. I'd ask her how she does it. A woman. Writing. On her own. A single woman at that- never married. Because that's what I really am interested in. By the end of her short life, she had garnered respect and praise from a few male authors of her time; praise for being a worthy writer, not just a "woman novelist." Jane Austen paved the way for countless generations of women writers after her.

Charlotte Bronte, chillin with a book

Next, I would hop in my time machine and travel to Victorian England, to visit Charlotte Bronte. (Yes, I know she spells her name using an umlaut over the last e, but I can't figure out how to do that here- so, sorry).

Ah the Victorians. So much going on. The religious fervor. The feminism. The industrial revolution and abject poverty. Again, a single lady. A woman author. I would love to pick her brain, to spend a month with her. What a brilliant intellectual. Jane Eyre is a book I can read again and again, and each time I glean some new meaning. Her opinions on a woman's power, worth, and autonomy were scandalously revolutionary for her day. I LOVE IT. And then there are her ideas on faith. Read this, and see if it does not hold true still today. Especially today:
"Conventionality is not morality. Self-righteousness is not religion. To attack the first is not to assail the last. To pluck the mask from the face of the Pharisee, is not to lift an impious hand to the Crown of Thorns. These things and deeds are diametrically opposed: they are as distinct as is vice from virtue. Men too often confound them: they should not be confounded: appearance should not be mistaken for truth; narrow human doctrines, that only tend to elate and magnify a few, should not be substituted for the world-redeeming creed of Christ. There is — I repeat it — a difference; and it is a good, and not a bad action to mark broadly and clearly the line of separation between them."

–Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre, preface to the second edition (1847)

quote taken from here
I especially like the part about the narrow minded doctines! Preach it sister!

Currently, I am writing an Urban Fantasy. But perhaps later in my writing career I will try my hand at a historical fiction piece. I certainly do love this time period enough, and there were many fabulous, strong women to use as inspiration. Hmmm.... perhaps I will think on this further. Thanks YA Highway for the prompt!

So, where would you travel for research?

I Gotta Feeling (Writers Mix Spoof)

2010-08-30T22:31:00.002-04:00

This is a HILARIOUS video by writer Jen Hayley. You can see more of her by visiting her website here. Jen is a member of the vlogging group YA Rebels

And the Award Goes To:

2010-08-28T19:26:00.007-04:00

Answer: Share the Love
Question: What is?

A. A bumper sticker adage plastered to the fender of a VW bus.

B. Something your mother warned you about when she recalled those days of wanderlust and a man named Paul...

C. What led to the demise of Henry VIII

D. What I get to do as a recipient of the "ONE LOVELY BLOG" Award

*If you answered A-C, I applaud your imagination. We should be friends. Let's have tea shall we?

So, I get to pass on this award to FIFTEEN blogs that I have NEWLY discovered, that I think are lovely, (or as Eliza Doolittle says, loverly). Again, a shout out to Virgin Sheets, the blog of Lisa M. Potts: she is the woman who granted me this fabulous award to begin with. *bravo Lisa!*

And the award goes to:
1. The English Teacher's Friend- the blog component of an INVALUABLE resource for teachers. You should check it out. Oh, and did I mention Tamara is my crit partner? Yeah she's pretty much DA BOMB!

The Founders of WriteOnCon:
2. Literary Rambles- A forum for all things children's literature, hosted by Casey McCormick (a plethora of information!)

3. Elana Johnson- YA author of AWESOME! Her dystopian novel, POSESSION, will be published Summer 2011!

4.Totally the Bomb- YA fiction writer Jamie Harrington

5. Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe- MG fantasy writer Shannon Messenger

6. Lisa and Laura Write Lisa and Laura Roecker's LIAR SOCIETY will be published in Spring 2011!

7. Jen Stayrook- writer, web designer, and all around awesome!

Other Super Cool People:
8. Words and Wardances- author Jodi Meadow's blog- watch for her debut novel ERIN INCARNATE, first in the NEWSOUL TRILOGY in 2011!

9. Corrine Jackson- author Corrine Jackson- this chick knows her stuff!

10. In High Spirits- Dianne Salerni, author of WE HEAR THE DEAD- super cool!

11. Caitlin Darrell- writerly friend I met before WriteOnCon- turns out this Chickie From Down Under can turn a phrase or two! She's gonna be a "one-to-watch" I'm callin' it!

12. The Green Kind Community- My friend Stephanie Dazo's blog about local sustainable living in central Florida.

13. Robin Mellom- her YA novel DITCHED will be published in March 2012- it's being pitched as the teen version of The Hangover! AWESOME!

14. Ink Crush- another Aussie book blogger and aspiring writer who was one of the first to find my shiny new blog. (The Newbie Novelist gets much love in Australia!) Plus, she's a fellow woman of faith- what's not to love?

15. YA Highway- okay, so yeah, this is a group blog and they have already received the One Lovely Blog award. But YA Highway is awesome, and I want to give them the award again. So sue me. Seriously folks, you should check it out. Lots of fabulousness to be had on that stretch of road...

Whew, that took a LOT of time. And now I have to go back and notify these people and actually give them their award! For everyone else out there, I love you, I really do. And if I was cool enough to make my own little square picture with writing, I would make my own award and give it out- because I have some pretty nifty, neat-o ideas of my own, and there are TONS more people who deserve some recognition.

Until then, thanks again and keep writing!

My first blog award, and an ANECDOTE!

2010-08-23T21:10:00.001-04:00

A wonderful thank you goes out to the illustrious blogger Lisa M. Potts over at Virgin Sheets for giving me my very first BLOG AWARD! How fabulous! How tremendous! *snacks on tea and crumpets, inspired by the lovely pictures on the "One Lovely Blog" award*

As a bonus, I get to pass this award on to 15 other blogs that I have recently discovered! (see below)

Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.
Pay it forward to fifteen other blogs you have newly discovered.
Contact those blog owners and let them know they've been chosen.

Now, as you all know, this is the beginning of school for me and I am a little swamped, so check back tomorrow for my list of blogs that I have deemed "LOVELY" enough to get this snazzy award.

Before I go, I will leave you with an ANECDOTE OF AWESOME:

At the high school where I teach, our administration decided to have the second period class count as a sort of "homeroom" this year. Since our mascot is the wolf, we are to call it our "Wolf Den" and our students in second period are our "Wolf Pups." We will go over things like dress code, code of conduct, business-y type things in second period. I told my students that I was now their "Wolf Mom," and that this was a bit like Scouts, only... not. (Second period is one of my creative writing classes, I have to add). While I was explaining this, one student jumped up and said, "Can't we rename this? Like instead of the Wolf Den, can't we be the Wolf Assassins?" Another student in the corner piped up, "Yeah, or just drop the wolf and be The Assassins, and you could be Mom Assassin!"

And that is how I became the MOM ASSASSIN on my first day of school. This is going to be a great year. I can feel it.

Mom Assassin

Bring me your tired, your poor, your teachers...

2010-08-17T21:46:00.003-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

How many hours have YOU wasted trying to create the perfect lesson? You know the drill. The school board is breathing down your neck with new regulations and mandates. Your lesson templates MUST match the brand new benchmarks that are only slightly different from last year, but are numbered as such that you cannot copy and paste them AT ALL. The state achievement test scores have been raised, and now it seems that the fate of the WORLD AS WE KNOW IT rests on your ability to get your students to pass that test!

With all the red tape, political agendas, and paper trail BUSY WORK, even an idealist like me can get sucked into the quagmire of Educational Cynicism. But, I'm here to tell you folks, THERE IS HOPE. THERE IS A SOLUTION. (And I'm not even getting paid to say any of this).

If you are a secondary teacher of Language Arts or Creative Writing, you CAN'T AFFORD NOT to visit the English Teacher's Friend. Because "It's about your time."

The website, English Teacher's Friend, is run by Tamara Doehring.* I first learned about Tamara when she came to lead a workshop with our English Department. It was PHENOMENAL, the best workshop I have EVER BEEN TO. When she left, we all stood around asking our department chair, "Why did it take us 8 years to get her to our school? Where was she when I was a first year teacher?"

This website is the most VALUABLE resource I have come across in my near decade of teaching. My parents, who have a combined total of EIGHTY years teaching experience (yikes!), also think the material offered on the ETF is the "highest caliber they have seen in quite some time." **

The site offers free lesson plans that are truly geared to ACTUAL LEARNING, HIGHER ORDER THINKING, and not just slapdash, busy work assignments. It also has videos, book recommendations, workshops, the list continues, you just need to check it out for yourself.

Additionally, premium membership starts at just $10/month and includes lessons custom tailored TO YOUR NEEDS! Just email Tamara and tell her what you are working on, she's your own assistant! (THIS IS WORTH IT MY FRIENDS!) Premium members may also write up a wish list of items they would like for their classroom, and then Tamara matches your requests with her sponsors. JACKPOT!

Seriously, the English Teacher's Friend is a gold mine for teachers, and I just had to share it with all my bloggy friends. I know that many of you are writers and not teachers, but you might have friends who could benefit from this. I speak as a woman who has a life thanks to this website; enough of a life, that I can take some time for myself and start writing my novel WHILE I am still teaching! You can also follow the ETF on twitter, and on facebook.

That being said, this is preplanning week, so you won't see many updates from me: I am busy getting my room ready. I am very excited, my principal moved me back to 11th grade again, (which I have taught for many years) so it's like coming home. Our creative writing elective has grown- we now offer Creative Writing I/II in two different periods instead of just one, AND we are expanding our literary magazine. Last year it was only published online, but this year we will publish an online and print version. There is MUCH to do this year.

Thanks for sticking with me through my rambling post. You all are fantastic, I'm glad I made such wonderful friends at WriteOnCon!

* Tamara is my crit partner for my current WIP, Elementals, and she is made of a substance greater than awesome. She pushes me, and encourages me, and is the voice of sanity when I want to jump off a cliff. She gets me. She is also working on a novel, and when it is published (because it is subsequently made of awesome) you will be drawn to it like a moth to a flame! #predictionsthatcometrue

**my parents are elementary school teachers (dad 5th grade, mom 2nd grade), but they can attest to ETF offering HIGH QUALITY lessons, and it significantly decreased my C.B.O.B.S (crabbiness brought on by stress)

Impromptu Puppy Photo Shoot during WriteOnCon: Oh the unbearable cuteness!

2010-08-10T20:45:00.001-04:00

"What? You still don't know about WriteOnCon?"

If you have not stopped by and gleaned words of wisdom from the WriteOnCon virtuosos, then stop staring at my adorable puppy and click here now to get up to speed.

Okay. Now that is taken care of, we can get down to business. While I was reading all the awesome posts and watching the hilarious and highly informative vlogs available on the WriteOnCon website; my Japanese Chin, Dandi, decided to jump into my chair and look cute. Well, I couldn't resist. I had to cover her up in sheets, and then when she actually started falling asleep...
THE IMPROMPTU PUPPY PHOTO SHOOT happened. Don't worry. I went right back to participating in the live chats and such later.

So, for your viewing pleasure- here are some pictures of The Writing Master- because she enjoys WriteOnCon so much! AND SO SHOULD YOU!

my little yoda

The Awesomeness of WriteOnCon! A FREE online conference: ACT NOW!

2010-08-07T13:37:00.003-04:00

logo copyright writeoncon 2010

TUES, AUG 10-THURS, AUG 12

http://writeoncon.com/

It's FREE!

It's ONLINE, from the comfort of your OWN HOME! (read- you can wear your jammies)

It features a PANEL OF AWESOMENESS:

1. Founded by these writerly ladies: Jamie Harrington, Elana Johnson, Casey McCormick, Shannon Messenger, Lisa and Laura Roecker, and Jennifer Stayrook

2. PARTICIPATING AGENTS/EDITORS: Michelle Andelman, Regina Brooks, Catherine Drayton, Natalie M. Fischer, Mandy Hubbard,

Weronika Janczuk, Mary Kole, Jennifer Laughran, Kendra Levin, Steven Malk, Mark McVeigh, Martha Mihalick, Molly O'Neill, Kathleen Ortiz, Anica Rissi, Holly Root, Elana Roth, Joanna Stampfel-Volpe, Kate Schafer Testerman, Suzie Townsend

3. THE AUTHORS/ILLUSTRATORS: Josh Berk, Tera Lynn Childs, Rosemary Clement-Moore, Kimberly Derting, Lindsay Eland, Jennifer Fosberry, Risa Green, Rachel Hawkins, P.J. Hoover, Shelli Johannes-Wells, Julia Karr, Jody Keplinger, Lindsey Leavitt, Tom Leveen, J.S. Lewis, Cynthea Liu, Jodi Meadows, Shelley Moore Thomas, Aprilynne Pike, Janette Rallison, Lisa Schroeder, Crystal Stranaghan, Tiffany Strelitz Haber, Stasia Ward Kehoe, Daisy Whitney, Suzanne Young, J.H. Everett, Bob Singer, Alice and Martin Provensen, Andrew Mitchell, JR Johnson, Marilyn Scott-Waters, Lauren Becker, Linda Gerber, Denise Jaden, Lee Bantle,

4. FAQ

5. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

I am BEYOND excited about this opportunity! Check out the schedule of events for Tuesday! WOO HOOO! Help me get the word out and tell all your writing friends about this FABULOUS opportunity. What a great way to get some valuable information, connect with people in the industry- and all from the comfort of our homes! FOR FREE! AND BEFORE PRE-PLANNING! (for you teachers out there!)

I'll be looking for you on the message boards!

Author Jodi Meadows: Six things Stargate:SG1 taught me about writing

2010-08-01T14:57:00.001-04:00

Witty and TRUE! Click on the link below to see Jodi Meadow's original post from her live journal.

Six things Stargate: SG1 taught me about writing

info from: jodimeadows.com
Meadows' THE NEWSOUL TRILOGY, beginning with ERIN INCARNATE, will be published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. ERIN ASUNDER and ERIN ETERNAL will follow.Read about the deal here.

Authors, Authors Everywhere. . .

2010-07-29T16:13:00.000-04:00

So, I'm freaking out just a little. But in a good way.

First, let me say that I've only had the blog up and running for about five days, and already everything is starting to snowball. Maybe it's because I am throwing myself out there and interacting on everyone else's fabulous blogs. Maybe it's because I know that school is looming on the horizon, and I am desperately trying to squeeze in as much "me time" as I can before I start goose-stepping to the man. (That was harsh, it was a bit harsh wasn't it? Sorry, I'm as bad on the kids when it comes to summer vacation).

Anyways... BIG NEWS!

1. I have already lined up a speaker for TEACH IN this year for my classes. The fabulous Tim Anderson of Bloody Disgusting fame and producer of the award winning horror short 2:22. (And yes, I knew him when we were just super cool drama club kids in high school together. Ahh memories)

2. THE illustrious Holly Black retweeted my White Cat book review and now all is right in the world. *fangirl giggles*

3. CHECK OUT The Coldwater High eZine. It is a newsblog of the Hush Hush fansite Fallenarchangel.com. Sarah Rees Brennan (who wrote Demon's Lexicon- the book I am currently reading) is this week's featured author. They opened the interview for a Q&A panel, I hopped on the comment section, asked the good authoress some questions, AND SHE ANSWERED ME!!!!! Long story short- she does SKYPE INTERVIEWS- so there's another author I'm going to try to line up for my creative writing classes this year. It's a great interview; read all her answers, but my questions (which pertain to publishing and such) are all the way at the bottom of the post.

Oh blogging world- now I know why people can get sucked into you. You are so fun, so seductive. You lure us in with your clicky links and scrolling widgets. I can see now that I will definitely have to give myself "regular blogging hours" or I will never get my manuscript finished and ready for queries. Which reminds me. . . I need to write a post about time management, and how my novel is going, that's on my list. . . AAGGHHH!

WHITE CAT by Holly Black: A Book Review

2010-07-29T02:12:00.003-04:00

can't wait to get it signed by the author!

What happens when a New York Times Best Selling Author leaves behind the dangers of the Unseelie Court and instead turns to a life of crime? Another best seller is born.

The first in Holly Black's latest Curse Worker trilogy, White Cat is not your average magician-with-wands-and-spells story. But then again, Black is not your average author.

"Cassel comes from a family of curse workers- people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all criminals. Many become mobsters and con artists. But not Cassel. He hasn't got magic, so he's an outsider; the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail-- he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago."

Black breathes life into her characters and soul into their actions. I plowed through White Cat. Cassel is such a compelling protagonist, he gets under your skin-- in the best kind of way. More than once, I stopped reading and asked myself, "how does she know SO much about con-artists and mob bosses?" But I already knew the answer: Black had done her research, and it shows. Trust me you will not be disappointed!

So if you like your magic a bit more on the dark side, keep it in the family and check out Holly Black's White Cat.

Cassandra Clare, me, Holly Black

I'm Published!

2010-07-28T18:02:00.005-04:00

No, it's not my writing- yet, but my photography is featured in the September issue of Romantic Homes Magazine!

notice my name: photography by Amanda Burford!!

the craft for the "make it" section

My neighbor is an insanely creative, thrifty, and wonderfully crafty woman. A while back she approached me and said that she had written to Romantic Homes about a craft that she was doing, and they wanted to feature it in their magazine! The problem was she needed a photographer. . . Well, I just so happen to be one, and TADA! here you have it! My name and my pics in print!

Check out Carol's blog

The Polkadot Closet

and her online store

I know this has nothing to do with writing, newbies. . . but what the hey? I'M PUBLISHED!

Let's start at the beginning... ARE YOU READING?

2010-07-23T23:39:00.005-04:00

Image via Wikipedia

Okay, so pretty much every author out there will tell you that reading is key. It's like the mother-lode. It's the magic pill that everyone is trying to find. The one that, if taken on a daily basis, promises a life rich in knowledge and all that other warm fuzzy goodness AND it makes you a better writer. I'm here to say it's true.

"No one but a reader ever became a writer. We write by the light of every book we ever read or had read to us." Richard Peck

I stand by this quote one million percent, because it is one million percent true. Newbies, if you are not reading something right now- FOR FUN, FOR YOURSELF- then stop right now, go out and find something to read.

Don't feel bad if you aren't reading for pleasure. I was there. I remember. When I was in college, I got sucked into a world where I read stuff "for school." Then, because I did broadcasting production, I was in the studio ALL the time, and I was busy. There was no time to read for fun. It was COLLEGE.

After college, I became an ADULT- and my reading "for fun" turned into a lot of nonfiction reading. Which was good, I was reading across genres. (More on this in a moment). But it wasn't until I had taught high school for FIVE YEARS, and I had settled into a "routine" that I felt comfortable with, that I realized I was missing something terribly. I missed reading- for pleasure: curling up with a good book, not because I was going to give a test on it next week, but because I wanted to read it.

When I rediscovered my passion for reading the novels that I enjoyed, I rediscovered my passion for writing. The quality of my writing increased. My vocabulary improved. Unknowingly, we mimic what we read. We grow. We are challenged.

If you are trying to write something now, a novel, a short story, some poetry, but you aren't reading for pleasure- you are CHEATING YOURSELF.

The reading serves many purposes:

1. It stimulates your mind. It gets you outside of your head. Right now, you focus so much on your world, your story. Sometimes you need to get outside of all of that. Give yourself some room to breathe, then creative juices will flow!

2. It helps you to see what GOOD writing looks like. C.S. Lewis said, "Don't read books, read authors."

Find someone you like, someone whose style you admire and then read the heck out of them. Read every single thing they have ever written. Get a feel for how they form phrases, how they describe images. Are they known for their powerful characters? Their rich dialogue? Crafty plot twists? You will soak up all this goodness, and it will show up in your writing. Not as plagiarism- that is something else entirely- but as a support around which you can sculpt your own story. Don't worry about copying, we aren't setting out to copy people- that's not what I am saying. Just read. Read, read, read, read. Focus on their words and don't worry about your writing at all. That will come in time.

3. You will see what BAD writing looks like. Reading widely also lets you see what DOESN'T work. Yes, even bad writers (in your opinion) get published. (And some good writers don't get published. Publishing is a business and it's not for everyone- more on that later too!) In teaching we say that one NON-Example is worth three Examples.

If you understand what something is NOT, then it is easier to identify what it IS. Got it?

4. You will see what is popular in your genre/ what is out there and what has already been done. Okay, this is a tricky one. Even WAY BACK IN BIBLE TIMES King Solomon said, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again, there is nothing new under the sun." Yikes! So, if there was nothing new way back then, there certainly isn't anything new now! There will ALWAYS be stories about ghosts, and vampires, and magic, and witches, and demons, and love, and drugs, and sex, and families, etc. The ONLY difference is YOU. What is your angle? What is your take on the situation? If everyone is telling a story about vampire/werewolf love triangles, then how can you make your story fresh? Who says you even have to have vampires and werewolves? Remember newbies, if you are planning on getting your story published- it is a LONG road- we're talking at LEAST a year or two down the line, so think ahead of the curve. The latest trend will be on the decline. And while I'm on this soap box, don't write for trends. PLEASE don't write for trends. Write the story that's in your heart. The one you want to hear, it will fit where it needs to. If it is original, if it is yours, it can stand anywhere.

So, as my students would say, "Are we straight?" YOU'VE GOTTA READ! And reading those books on how to be a better writer DOESN'T COUNT! If you are already reading something for fun GOOD FOR YOU! *blows trumpet and throws confetti on your head* If you are not- GO OUT AND START READING SOMETHING NOW! Take some time off of your writing to just read. Your WIP* isn't going to go anywhere. Just breathe, and take the time to remember why you fell in love with the written word in the first place. I guarantee, you'll be better for it!

*WIP=work in progress

Welcome all Newbies!

2010-07-21T00:28:00.006-04:00

Newbie: (noun) a newcomer or novice

For ten months out of the year, I wake up before the sun, drive twenty minutes on toll roads, and then spend the day convincing one hundred and fifty teenagers that being literate is still a valuable skill in today's society. But at night, I turn into THE NEWBIE NOVELIST; an occupational transformation that extends well into the summer months. This year, I began working on my first novel, and (at the constant begging of my students), decided to blog about the experience.

At first, the blog was only going to be about my writing process. But then some colleagues wanted me to post different writing prompts that I used in class for novel writing/plotting, and I got to thinking about all the different YA authors I personally liked and used in the classroom, so here's the deal. . .

What will The Newbie Novelist offer?

Tips on how to incorporate the time for writing into YOUR own life- whatever you are doing, right now- (and how I succeed in doing that with my life, depending on the day!)
Advice for new writers, regardless of genre.
Lesson plans (yes, I will actually share my creative writing lesson plans- maybe even the benchmarks if you play nice)
Lists of popular Young Adult authors- links to their blogs/websites- book reviews
Lists of writing websites/blogs etc.
Tips on query letter writing/publishing info (but only when I get to that stage!)
Author interviews (hopefully!)

The Newbie Novelist is designed to be a resource. It's for people who have always wanted to write a novel but never knew how or where to start; for people who have an idea of what they want to write, but don't know how they would ever find the time to do it; for people who have always wanted to write but never thought they could; for people who are already writing and need to know someone else is going through the same agony and bliss they are; and for people who are searching for ways to teach others to write. *

So, thanks for stopping by!
-Amanda

*yes, I realize I just wrote a paragraph using a ton of semicolons, but it's late now, and my brain is foggy, and the rules of grammar are slowly sliding out the window as my bed is calling to me. I will proof this tomorrow. Or maybe not. Maybe I am the only one who cares about the semicolons and their usage.