Inked

Hello Perfection? It's Jen Calling. I'd Like My Sanity Back Please

2014-01-24T08:46:00.000-05:00

You know what's great? That moment when you sit down at your computer (or maybe go old school with a pen and paper) and start writing that absolutely, perfect idea and the angels sing and chorus because perfection is spreading out from your fingers like-

Oh what's that? I couldn't hear you over the sound of my daydream.

The above is pretty much what my non-writer friends seem to think book writing is about. Ha, I tell them, hahahahahahahaha. Yeah right. Problem is, somewhere along the way I fell into the trap that there's actually a perfect idea out there and that until I find it I don't really have to finish novels or stay attached to any other idea. Because once my perfect idea comes along, well, then everything will be dandy. First ever novel completed? Done. Having absolutely no writer's block the whole time? Totally done. The words being so awesome I barely need to rewrite? Absolutely.

Back in the day I was just a bit...uninformed shall we say?

Because that's the thing. There is absolutely no perfect idea. It doesn't exist. Oh don't get me wrong, there are ideas that are way better than others and some that are going to seem beautiful to writers because they just give us giddy butterflies. But, none of them are perfect. Frankly, waiting around for that perfect idea is kind of worthless. What do you do in that time? How many projects are dropped for the seemingly perfect idea that came along and turned out not to be perfect?

As a matter of fact, that's what I'm going through right now. I've got the idea, but it's the first chapter that's deciding to kick my butt. Nothing seems "right". I must have rewritten it...five times at least, and it's only been a few weeks. In fact, I'm so caught up in the perfection aspect of the first chapter I haven't even made it to 1k yet.

In short, I kind of suck. But I'm also in a great position to give advice. *Claps hands* See, what an author needs to realize is even if they don't think their idea is perfect, even if they think an idea's lame and there's a shiny, better idea just waiting for them, well, the thing is, someone's going to find your story perfect.

Really.

There is at least one person out there who will find that story perfect. And I know, there's the whole "write for yourself" thing and that is important, but you know what else is? Knowing that out there, just like that soulmate some people think exist, there's a person who's eagerly awaiting a book like yours. So write that book, and smile at the rough edges and imperfections, because those are what make up the beauty of the book.

Keep on writing on,

Jen

Oh...I've Been Impaled.

2014-01-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

+1 if you get the Frozen reference. Anyone else see that movie, because the writer in me went absolutely gaga over it. Multi-dimsensional villains (who I was rooting for, dangit!) princesses/queens who are more like real eighteen- and twenty-one-year-old girls, and OLAF. So if you haven't seen it yet, it gets two thumbs up. It'd get more if I had more thumbs.

But segueing into my topic for today, I've chosen one of my favorite Olaf quotes. Yes, an adorable little snowman with no concept of melting while he chases summer talks about being run through with an icicle. I nearly fell out of my chair laughing. Hannah can attest.

All things Disney aside, as there hasn't been too much violence since The Hunchback of Notre Dame (which still scares me even though I saw it yesterday), I feel like something about humankind's innate ability to destroy itself needs to be said:

Violence=/=strength.

Especially in the YA genre, it seems like for anyone to be considered a strong character they need to be able to slice a man's head off or kill a dozen men without blinking. The idea that violence makes a strong character just needs to go. It's almost as bad as the idea that wearing large, thick-framed glasses makes you a hipster.

Am I say no violence? Of course not. Violence, as I mentioned before, is part of our nature. Whether it's protecting those dear to us, fighting those who threaten us, or killing those who have taken things from us, humans are pretty good at figuring out how to make other humans hurt. And especially in some genres, like dystopian, fantasy, or science fiction, violence is necessary. The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones just wouldn't be the same without the constant death and dying.

But there are many different types of strength. I mean, I could probably knock you out, but physical strength isn't really my thing. But I will make you hurt in an intellectual smack down like no other. My strength lies in my brain. I'd be the fighter who would go for the solar plexus (muscle beneath the ribcage) instead of the face because I know some physiology and know that a jab to the solar plexus causes a body to automatically collapse, and the face generally just pisses the other guy off. Physical strength is the most predominant in YA literature, but there's intellectual, emotional, moral, and many more types of strength.

I mean, just look at Divergent. Tris needed to become a badass fighter and able to kill on sight just for anyone to take her seriously. Half of the popular female characters nowadays are either sleazy or badass, and I think we can all agree that girls are definitely more shades of human than that, as are men. Not to mention that considering violence strength is what causes gang violence and a lot of male aggression, as boys are taught to 'be a man' by being aggressive and 'strong'. But that's a psychology lesson I don't need to teach.

So if you're a writer, please do me this favor: make characters 'strong' without making them cutthroat. One or two is okay, but a whole cast of badasses is pretty unrealistic (usually) and not everyone is cut out to fight. Make them ruthless and cunning, make them scary smart, make them able to take any sort of obstacle and turn it right back around at their opponent. Violence should be used more like a garnish on a steak instead of serving violence with a side of blood and gore. Don't make it a crutch for your plot or a character, use it tastefully so you don't overwhelm the flavor of the book.

And if you're a reader, let the industry know that you expect more than some sweaty badasses swapping one-liners as they systematically murder dozens of people. You're the ones we're all listening to, the ones that make the cogs in the machine work. Use your business as your voice that you want strength in different forms. Because there's more to the world than violence and cruelty.

Live long and prosper,
Brie

Happy New Characters-I Mean Year!

2013-12-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

"We wish you a merry Christmas and a happy new year!"

I think I'm going to make it a thing that I'll start off my posts with song lyrics of some kind. Because there are some really cool songs out there with lyrics that just inspire me. Some will come from songs I listen to all the time and find relevant to the post. Some will be from songs I've just heard of. Some will be completely random and have nothing to do with the post, but they sound cool and I go with it.

Speaking of going with it, I figured I'd make my first post about how to go with your characters.

As the writer of your novel (or short story or poem or whatever you are writing) you have the power to create the characters and give them personality. You can make them look the way you want them to look, talk the way you want them to talk, and have the same little habits that you saw that person at the mall do. But, and I know this from experience, your characters will change while you write. Even if you try not to. You can say at the beginning that your antagonist (the villain of the story 99% of the time) is going to be heartless and cruel and that he will love no one and he'll kick puppies when he's not destroying villages. But over the course of the story (which is easier to say than novel/short story/poem), maybe he'll become more 'human'. Maybe he'll fall in love or you'll add that he has a daughter or granddaughter (Catching Fire movie, anyone?) or he'll decide that puppies are too cute to keep kicking. And then he'll still be your antagonist, but he won't be the same antagonist you started with. So you might have to change the outcome of the story. Or you might not, depending on how much he changes. So here are some tips for what to do when your characters start to change without your permission:

1. THEY ARE STILL YOUR CHARACTER. Sticking with the antagonist, even though they are definitely not the only type of character that can change, if your bad guy suddenly decides that he wants to get married, let him get married. It doesn't matter if everything about them changes, from how they look to their name, they are still that character you came up with and they always will be.

2. IF YOUR CHARACTER WANTS TO CHANGE, LET THEM. Say that your villain (let's call him Bob) wants to dye his hair from blonde to black so he looks creepier. Let him. See where the black hair takes you in the story. Maybe him having black hair will make your protagonist (the hero) think that maybe Bob is their father or brother or creepy uncle. Maybe this could lead to some little plot twist you wanted to add but never really thought about.

3. IF THEY TRY TO CHANGE AND YOU HONESTLY DON'T WANT THEM TO, YOU CAN CHANGE THEM BACK. Yes, it would be very hard to dye Bob's hair back to blonde after the black dye has sunk in, but it's still possible. Just get it bleached. I'll use the example of one of my main characters in Fabricate, Derrick. Without spoiling anything, he used to be this old-fashioned, country-lookin' guy with dark brown eyes who was an all around good guy. Then, he wanted to be the bad guy and turn against Risa halfway through the trilogy. Maybe he'd join the antagonist. But then I decided that I liked him better as the good guy, so I made him mostly good with a dark side he doesn't want anyone to know about.

4. THE ENDING OF THE STORY CAN STAY THE SAME. Just because something about Bob changed doesn't mean that the ending of the story has to change. Bob can still get shoved off a cliff into a tent of man-eating zombies.

5. OR IT COULD CHANGE DRAMATICALLY. Or Bob could end up winning, taking over the world, and killing your protagonist. Just because the character changes doesn't mean the whole story has to change. But maybe you want it to change.

You control the story. The characters could change up until the day you send the complete edited manuscript to the publishing company that will publish your story. But you can still control the outcome of your story.

Thanks for reading this! I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and that next year will be filled with awesomeness and plenty of writing around! Drink some champagne for me (if you're allowed to)!

Jessie

The Elusive Pitch Writing Process

2013-12-28T14:25:00.000-05:00

Ah pitch writing. It's a necessary evil. For some, it's the last thing they do when they decide to write; they'd rather be immersed in the story, knee deep in a fantasy of their own creation. For others, like me, it's the first thing they do when they get an idea. I absolutely need to write the pitch because that's my touchstone, my point of direction.

Over the years, I've tried really honing those skills and I like to think I've gone from incoherent chaos to something more streamlined. Anyway, it was a while ago I was asked by someone for pitch writing advice, and I detailed for her the steps I follow to write out a pitch. Today, with the new year nearly upon us and lots of new ideas that will need writing, I figured I'd share.

Note: These tips won't work for everyone but at the very least it's going to get you thinking which is always the goal.

Note Two: The idea I use for an example is a very old idea of mine, one that sadly never really did come to fruition. Still had a nice pitch though. Right, back to the actual post...

1. Start with a firm idea in your head.

2. Get a first sentence. This first sentence does not need to be part of the pitch. For my example, I had the sentence "Mina becomes a servant of Saint Rowan dealing in bones and spirits but longs to be free." This is a simple summary, a directional sentence for me to refer to.

3. Aim for around 3-4 short paragraphs for your pitch.

4. The first paragraph I write must do a few things.

Introduce the main character
Introduce who they are/background on their character/plot depending.
Get them to the present day of the story

For example, the first paragraph (which is separated into two lines ) is this "In the nation of Os Ari, darkness and demons feast on the souls of humans, destroying the nation and creating war within it. In a village on the outskirts of the darkness, a girl makes a deal to save her own life."

And the second paragraph "Mina is something much more than human but much less than otherworldly. She is a girl that deals in shadows and spirits, that curses and heals. She may be a solider for Os Ari, but she serves only the Saints."

As you can see I introduce the MC and the background.

5. The second (or third paragraph if you've split up the first paragraph into two parts, which is what I did) must introduce the conflict of the novel. But be sure not to just give it all away. This is a delicate balance that can take time to figure out. There's a line between mysterious and being too vague and giving information and not info dumping. I wish I had magical advice on how to achieve this, but really it's all trial and error. Again using the same example:

"It is a deadly secret she harbours. Magic, Saint serving, is outlawed in the nation and when Mina is found out she is sure she'll be put to death and finally meet her maker. What she doesn't expect is the Prince of Os Ari saving her life and then striking his own deal with her."

The conflict has been introduced as you can see. Mina's magic has been found out but instead of being killed, she's suddenly got a deal on the table by none other than the Prince of the nation. This also gives the reader insight into where the real meat of the book is going to be.

6. Lastly the last paragraph (third or fourth) must wrap everything up in a tight little bow. Like an essay it needs to summarize the pitch and ask the questions that are cropping up based on your character's conflict and who you have made them out to be in that first paragraph.

"He thinks she can help save the nation. She thinks it's a longshot. But she owes him her freedom and for Mina, no debt is left unpaid. Even if that means becoming a monster herself."

I wouldn't use more than a max of five sentences for that final paragraph. Make it short and snappy. And absolutely make sure that last line grips readers in and makes them want to know what is going to happen.

My last line asks the question, will Mina truly give in to that darkness in her heart? Is there any hope of stopping her? You want the reader to ask those questions at the end of your pitch so they'll read it in search of those answers.

So that's really it. Hopefully this is a helpful guide and gets you in that pitch writing mood!

Happy Holidays,

Jen

Writing Style: With Panache

2013-12-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

One of the many things that I've noticed about the writing industry - and the conception of a writer's talent in general - is the critique of their style. But before I get too deep into this post, there's one question I have to answer first: What is 'style', exactly?

Technically speaking, a writer's style is kind of like their trademark. It's the specific way a novel, poem, or other piece of literature is written. It's very easy to spot in poetry, with the breaking up of lines and isolation of important words. It's harder in prose, but if you look, you can see how an author writes. Are their lines flowy, do they spend time describing their surroundings or talking about nature instead of the action, are they generally specific about what their characters or subjects look like, or do they leave that up to you?

And what seems to be a common misconception is that a writer is only good if their writing is almost poetry- flowing lines, deep meanings interwoven into vague passages that allude to several things at once and if it isn't just like one of the classics you read in high school or college, it's literary trash.

That's probably the most horrendously wrong and slanderous conception I've ever heard. Really, you're judging the quality of a piece on whether it's flowy or not? I've read prose so purple I'm surprised it's not part of a Baltimore Ravens jersey or something, it says nothing but it says it beautifully. The beauty of a piece isn't necessarily the value. Are those qualities nice? Absolutely. In fact, James Joyce is a champ at that kind of writing, as is Thoreau and a couple other staple authors you'd find in a high school or college curriculum. But it's not the only way to write. The author's style has to match the piece they're writing. I mean, can you imagine if The Hunger Games, Divergent, Harry Potter, or other bombshell literary pieces were written like that? No one would have read through the second book of Harry Potter because the audience would get bored (a seven-year-old reading about how beautiful the grounds were? Please.) and in the case of the others, the style doesn't match. Katniss wouldn't be marveling at how absolutely like the tragedy of Julius Caesar her story was, and Tris would most definitely not even bat an eyelash considering the grace with which her combat opponent moved. That's not how their stories work.

What should define a writer's worth, at least in my opinion, is how a writer's style enhances their story. It should complement it, make the reader jump right into the pages with the protagonist and take on the ride with them. That feeling, that 'oh my gosh, that just happened. Oh wait. It didn't, really' sensation is what marks a brilliant writer. J.K. Rowling's prose is by no means illustrious. But she wrote the Harry Potter series for children, for goodness sakes. It was meant to connect with the child, to take them on this magical adventure with the Golden Trio and teach them some things about life along the way. Most people I know still have that nostalgic love for the books well into their late teens and twenties. The books certainly aren't for us, anymore. But the mark of a good writer is the impact their style has on the reader.

Let me explain a little further.

Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games) and Veronica Roth (Divergent) have a similar style when they write their dystopians. Short. Punchy. Emotive. There aren't many passages describing the setting unless Tris is on a zipline zooming over Chicago or Katniss is looking for a place to sleep in the arena. They're far more concerned with their own safety, the actions of others, the implications those actions have on them. In their world, the setting doesn't matter so much as whether the guy next to them has a weapon or the people leading them have their heads in the right place. It may seem like low-level reading because the sentences are relatively simple and the words aren't high-powered SAT vocabulary, but so what?

When Peeta ran into the arena wall and his heart stopped, mine did. When Tris initially jumped from the roof into the Dauntless pit, I felt my own fear of heights spring up and paralyze my chest. I stopped breathing for a couple seconds. That is the mark of good writing.

And more than that, an author's style changes. There will always be similar elements to it, but with each new story, the style has to alter. Collins does it between her fantasy books and The Hunger Games. Rowling between Harry Potter and The Vacancy. In fact, that was my main challenge with my current work, because I'm actually more intelligent than my protagonist. I mean, don't get me wrong, she's cleverer than I'll ever be, but she went to a trade school, she barely had formal education like I've been privileged to have. So her style of thought and therefore my writing style can't be constantly perceiving all these settings that don't matter to her, or the fact that elements of her world come from the world I've studied. How would she know about these? She never learned. But what she does know is what's in front of her. She thinks in fragments, logically, and she highlights on important aspects of the world around her. I've never had a character like her before, the rest have all been educated to some degree and never in a world so dystopian or dangerous as hers. My style had to change from some flowing descriptions and tons of inner thought to more dialogue, more analysis of what others said. But I don't think she could be written another way. I can see it in the writing of the other lovely ladies here, they're all writing differently. But they tell their stories in the best style for the story. I've wanted to smack certain ones for killing off characters I love or for writing such a heartless dialogue exchange. They're not all writing Joyce-like run-ons with allusions enough to fill half a page with footnotes, but they make their stories come alive.

In short, don't judge a writer by his or her style. It could be short fragments all the way or long run-ons until the cows come home. Their writing does, however, need panache: lots of energy and style, their own style that works. Style isn't the indicator of good literature, it's part of what makes literature good. When different combinations of twenty-six letters make you cry, make you want to throw a book at a wall, that's good literature. That's good style.

Go forth and conquer,
Brie

The Night Before . . .

2013-12-24T17:40:00.001-05:00

Alas, we have finally reached the day commonly known as Christmas Eve - though, in some places, it already is Christmas. And Christmas Eve is just one of the many eves some people may celebrate during the year, with New Year's Eve being another common one. Technically, there could be an eve happening every day!

Now, what exactly IS an eve?

eve

ēv/
noun1.
the day or period of time immediately before an event or occasion.

"on the eve of her departure he gave her a little parcel"

synonyms:

day before, evening before, night before;

"the eve of the election"

period (just) before

So there is the exact definition of 'eve'!

One eve less commonly known that I celebrate each year is NaNoWriMo Eve, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

It was the night before NaNoWriMo,

and all through the house,

CHAOS CHAOS CHAOS

as writers drove themselves to the edge of insanity

while trying to figure out their last minute plots.

I'd say that sums it up pretty accurately.

What other eves do YOU celebrate? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Writing Challenge #1

Write a scene where your protagonist is anxiously preparing for a huge event occurring the following day. What last minute preparations must they make? Are they nervous about seeing anyone in particular at said event? How do they feel about attending this event?

Writing Challenge #2

Your protagonist is on winter break. Their mother sends them to go pick up some gift wrapping supplies. At some point during the errand, your protagonist witnesses a chilling sight that no one else noticed. What did they see? How do they react? Why did nobody else notice?

And since it is the night before Christmas, and we are in the infamous season of snow (or sunshine, depending on where you live!), I shall not hesitate to recommend some lovely books relating to the holidays, snow, and/or winter in general!

FAR FROM YOU, by Lisa Shroeder
LET IT SNOW, by John Green, Maureen Johnson, & Lauren Myracle
THE SIGHT, by David Clement-Davies
SHIVER, by Maggie Stiefvater
LIFE AS WE KNEW IT, by Susan Beth Pfeffer
TRAPPED, by Michael Northrop
IF I STAY, by Gayle Forman
AFTER THE SNOW, by SD Crockett

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays to you all!

-Kristin

Characters: Details, Details, Details

2013-12-21T00:01:00.000-05:00

There's a lot of debate over what really makes a book what it is. Is it the plot? Setting? Narrative? Do the author's words just come alive and sound like poetry? It's all a possibility, and it's my own humble opinion that every writer--and even reader--has their own idea and preferences about what makes a good book.

In my opinion, it's the characters.

From their names down to their quirkiest little personality trait, I love characters. I love knowing what they look like, what they sound like. How do they talk? What's their personality like? Most of all, my favorite thing to do is look at a handful of characters put in the same situation, and figuring out not only how they react, but why they react differently.

I'll be getting into some of that in later posts (it's more than likely). Something that I think is probably the most important, though, is for a writer to be able to keep their characters straight. Some things are simple: hair color and eye color, for instance; and heaven knows you should be able to keep their names straight. But when you get down to things like: which leg do they limp on, which arm is their tattoo, what does their scar look like and at what age did they get it? These are the smaller things that you might mention once, and then not again in specific until later in the novel, when you sit at your computer with a completely stymied look on your face, and your roommate asks you what's wrong and they don't understand your problem when you explain it (okay, maybe this is just me).

So the million dollar question: what's the best way to keep your details straight?

There's lots of methods. I've heard of index cards and tried those once, and all you have to do is type "character sheet" into Google to get five pagers that you just have to fill in with the right information (and believe me, those things have EVERYTHING). None of those ever worked for me, though, so I designed my own process, and all you need is an excel spreadsheet.

So now you've got a completely blank spreadsheet, and let the fun begin. The first row will be your categories; each column with something different. Typically, having the first and last names, age, gender (it might be obvious to you, but I enjoy having it just because), hair color and style, eye color, other identifying physical traits. These are the basics that I suggest to everyone. After that, things get sketchy and awesome at the same time, because you can tailor it to your own book and genre. If you have a series of shapeshifters, you can have a column that tells you what they can shift into, and another for what they look like. Do they have scars? Add a column. Need to know who they're related to? Add a column. There's infinite things you can do, here, and it all depends on what you need to know about your characters.

You have your columns, and now all you have to do is fill them in. Each row is a new character, with different details than the ones before and after. Not every column has to be filled right away; start with what you know. Personally, there's things about certain characters that I don't know until the moment I'm writing it; once I write it, I go to my spreadsheet and fill it in. Sometimes you just have side characters; my advice here is to include them, but you don't have to have everything filled out.

So here's an example: my current WIP is called The Hollow Men. Currently, there's thirty-three characters I need to keep tabs on. About three-quarters of them are side characters, or maybe I want to keep an eye on them for a later date. Here are my categories:

First Name
Last Name
Age
Gender
Hair
Eye
Other (physical)
Current City
Past City
Special
Family
Other

Looks like a lot? It's not. It's just the main details I need to keep my characters straight. Most of them are fairly universal; "special" includes any special roles I want to remember, such as a doctor or a tech specialist. "Current City" refers to where they live, now, and "Past City" helps me remember where they're from. "Other" is details that don't fit anywhere else, but don't actually warrant another, full, column (for example, if somebody has OCD, or a secret, or there's a piece of their history that might be useful).

Like I said, every writer and every novel is different; these categories are simply what fits my book at the current moment, for those little details that I want to remember.

Something else you can consider is color-coordinating things, or separating characters out. Currently, I tend to put black bars (just fill a row with black) between characters to distinguish them into different groups: antagonists, side characters, and Delta (a rebellion group). Some characters have red behind them to distinguish them as dead (but I still want to know things about them).

In the end, mine looks like this:

Yours will (hopefully) look different, once you figure out how you want to arrange things.

Like I said before, everybody's different. I know people who keep their information in notebooks, index cards, or who use those character sheets. The most important thing is to do what feels organized and right to you; it's right next to the importance of making sure a tattoo doesn't jump around your character's body because you think you remember where you put it, but you're not quite sure. This is my own way of keeping my details straight, so they're right at my fingertips every time I need them, and it's easy for me to navigate.

Good luck, and happy holidays!

Love Always,

Rae

Introductions and Conducting Research.

2013-12-20T13:53:00.000-05:00

Hey everyone! This is Sareh. Since I got too busy to make the schedule, I'm posting out of my specific day. But anyways, before I get on with my topic, here's a little bit about me.

I'm an undergraduate major at a university you've probably never heard of, who is constantly explaining what her major is. I spend my free time writing novels (I've finished two and am hoping to query one in the summer!), playing music, chatting with friends, playing a violin, and generally being crazy. You'll find me in the history club, drawing, painting, shooting a bow, engaging in random sword fights on campus, singing, taking photos (some of which you can see here on my DevianART page), listening to music, making jewelry, blogging here and here, playing badminton, working at her two jobs on campus, and some how managing to do my homework!

I read a lot as well, mostly in the same genres that I write. Fantasy and Science fiction are my main genres, although I also write romance, dystopian, paranormal, urban fantasy, historical fiction, and sometimes contemporary fiction.

Onto Victory! Research style!
If you've ever actually tried to get a good grade on research papers in school, you'll know that research takes a lot of work. If you've been to college yet, you'll understand that research in high school is barely anything compared to doing it in college. If you happened to pick an enjoyable topic, you might have even enjoyed doing research. But if you're like most people, research is boring!

But not here! Not on my watch! I'm here today to give you some tips on researching for your novels, stories, or even that research paper you need to do.

Step 0
First of all, we must realize a couple of things before we even get into researching. First of all, here, you are researching most likely for stories. Which means that a) you can use whatever source you want, b) you can use as little or as many sources as you want. Secondly, researching for stories doesn't only apply for historical fiction or non-fiction.

Step 1
Decide on a topic. Start broad for the very first step. 1920s? Cats? Rabbits? Native Americans before the French came? Then, what's your focus? Are you researching the culture of the 1920s? Are you trying to find out how people greeted each other in the Renaissance? Why do cats purr?

Step 2
Gather your resources and make a list of every site/book/article/etc you use. You may not have to include a bibliography in your book, but its a good idea in case you need to come back to a source and in case you ever do need to produce a list, you have one.

Don't be afraid to look for lots of different sources. Use magazines, your local library, a neighbor's library collection, call up that old professor you used to kinda be friends with, use google, really cool looking websites, sketchy-ish websites, TV, movies, music, youtube, wikipedia, maps, scholarly sources, peer reviewed journals, books, etc.

Now this is also the point in time where I'd like to encourage you to check your facts. Remember that no matter where you get your information from, it may not always be correct, up-to-date, or credible. Peer reviewed journals and scholarly sources and books probably have the most credible sources. Now if you're writing pure fantasy or something where you can make everything up (but say, you're still basing your culture off of the Ming Dynasty), you don't always have to check your facts, because of course, you can make everything up. But if you're writing say, historical fiction, contemporary fiction, science fiction (and not like "fluffy" science fiction, but hard science fiction that uses a lot of science), you'll want to check your facts.

Yeah, as a fiction author, you have some leeway, depending on your genre, but remember that you don't want to look like that stupid author who said that TV was invented in the 1500s (unless you're writing some fictional world that mixes 1500s with modern day technology). And the more credible your research, the more believable your story will be.

Step 3
Scourer your selected sources for any relevant research or enlist the help of friends or librarians or whoever. Take a sheet of paper, a pen, a laptop, note cards, or whatever and write down the information you want. Make sure to list the source, page number (if possible or title of article, just something to identify the source and where in it you got the information from), and tuck it away for later when you need it.

The reason you want to do this is so that you always know where you got your information from. Even if its something someone told you, write it down. You never know when you might need it, or need to know where you got it from.

Step 4
Figure out what exact information you want to use and where you want to use it in your story. Remember that you don't have to use everything you find, but the more you know, the richer your story will be.

Also remember to never directly copy and paste something you found into your story unless you're prepared to cite it and make a works cited page (and honestly, who wants to take the time to do that in a story?). Don't even paraphrase! Any time you use direct information, make sure to put it in your own words, make it original. I cannot stress enough how much you DO NOT want to be caught stealing someone else's work or words or whatever (and yes, paraphrasing can be considered stealing too, so be careful). In fact, don't even THINK about stealing someone else's work!

Step 5
Most importantly, even if you enjoy research or not, remember to try and have fun! Research can lead you to some very interesting new ideas you never knew, give you a broader understanding of a subject, enrich your story, and even give you a new story idea or a plot twist!

Important things to remember:

DON'T.EVER.STEAL. Always give credit where its due.
You don't have to use everything you find. The more you know, the better.
You can use as many sources as you want, or as little.
You can use as much of a source or as little as you want.
Don't be afraid to use different types of sources and different mediums.
Research isn't so big or scary once you get down to it.
Every story can use a bit of research here and there.
Keep lists of what sources you use.

Love,

Sareh

Story Boarding: A Map of Your Novel

2013-12-16T12:00:00.000-05:00

Okay. First post! Well... Excluding the post where I talk about myself and how cool I think I am. Anyway, this post will be about the magical concept of story boarding. I do this for a lot of my novels. It helps me figure out where I'd like to go and gives me a skeleton to possibly rehash later in a rewrite.

Before I begin, I'd like to express to those reading that this is not mandatory to start your novel. You can free write it and figure out where to go from there--more power to you if you write this way. Also, if you plot out your novel this way, it does not have to be set in stone--if one of your characters decides they're pretty damn important or this sub plot grows in importance, go with it.

Now let's begin shall we?

First, I get a basic idea of what I want my novel to be. My method is similar to the Snowflake Method in how it starts but after that I take my own deviation--what this post is actually about: story boarding. This is the basic summary found inside the book with all the technical and legal jargon. It should be short, simple and vague. I'll use Cerulean's because it's the most recent novel I've worked on:

A mystic must gather the remaining elemental warriors to stop a death god.

This will be used later to figure out the full synopsis--what's found on the inside flap of a hard cover's dust jacket or on the back cover of the paperback--so save it for later.

Next get out your note cards--or whatever you plan on writing the plot of your novel on. I normally cut up my cards into two by three inch (about five by seven and a half centimeter) rectangles. One four by six note card will make about four.

There are two reasons why I have them so small. First, I have really big hand writing and it helps me to write smaller. The smaller I write the events on the cards, the more I can fit onto the card. Second, I have a pretty big bulletin board. The smaller the card, the more of the story I can put onto the board and the easier it is for me to transport it.

Now that you've got a few cards. Let's start! The first two cards I fill out are the beginning of the novel and the end. Why? It's simple really: where the novel will start and where you want it to end. This way, you know a head of time where the novel will finish. For the sake of consistency, I'll use Cerulean again (note: for anti-spoiler, I've removed names):

Card One:
- Villain attacks monastery
- Valerio and Monks escape
- Villain captures Xue/Shalin

Card 'End:'
- X resumes rule, marries Y
- Z and A recreate monastery
- B and C start new order
- D --> New King's guard

Like the summary above, this should be short and simple. I write names just to help me know who's the major player(s). And, if I don't have names for a certain character, I use a key word. For example, Rom, the villain, didn't have a set in stone name until after I started writing the first draft of the Guardian Heir (where he was originally named 'Gernask' before changing to Rom about two or three chapters into Cerulean) and I referred to him as villain in the first few cards--also I didn't have the story completely plotted out before I started writing.

From there, stick to the important things. BIG plot items: introducing a new character, deaths, battles, travels, twists, etc. Keep it big and keep it vague. Hold onto the little, more precise stuff for when you're writing. If you want something to happen a certain way and it isn't big, write it down elsewhere and save it for later. Maybe you'll have inspiration in another direction and your original plan will change.

For example: Two of my major characters have been wrongfully sent to prison and they need to be broken out of said prison. I had something really big planned--and plotted on the cards--as to how they would get out that would involve a few characters and introduce a major player from the original draft. Sadly, that plan I had never ended up happening. I spent a lot of time and space trying to figure out how they were going to escape only to write down that they escaped a different way. The major player shows herself a few times within the chapter and another character proved they needed a slightly bigger role.

A few things to keep in mind, if multiple ideas spread over a lot of cards, keep them together by marking somewhere that they go with card(s) X, Y and Z. For example, I usually put an 'advised chapter' on the back and mark in the lower right hand corner 'card X of Y.'

On the topic of keeping things together, the 'advised chapter' is more of a rough idea. It should not set in stone. If you think some of your cards could work as one chapter or a card that can work split into two chapters even though their not marked as such, write down somewhere that they're combined. I have a card that I use as a 'table of contents' that has chapter titles and what advised chapters they work with:

0. Prolouge
1. Chance Meetings
2. Nemudx (2&3)
...
14. Nemudx Broken (21&22)
15. A King's Funeral (23&24.1)
16. Final Battle (24.2&25)
17. Epilogue

If you haven't already guessed, the parentheses are the 'advised chapters.' I combined a lot of them and, due to the combining, I had to tie almost all of the 'confirmed chapters' to 'advised chapters.' At chapters fifteen and sixteen, I marked '24.1' and '24.2.' That was an indication where I split the advised chapter twenty-four.

To summarise:

Short summary similar to the Snowflake Method
Start from the beginning and end
Keep it short, vague and stick to the big stuff
Save the small stuff for when you write
Use markings to keep certain cards together
Have a table of contents to use for notes

I hope this helps anyone out there! Happy writing!

Love always,

Ali

P.S. If you want to read Cerulean, the first few chapters are available to read here.

Writing: A Progression

2013-12-08T03:00:00.000-05:00

I couldn't decide what I wanted to write about in this initial post, and honestly, I'm writing this about fifteen minutes before it's due to hit the blog because I'm that much of a procrastinator when I don't have any idea what to go on.

But, I figured I might as well just share an overall philosophy on writing. Now, I don't have any fancy quotes from Dr. Suess, or Jane Eyre for you. Just a raw philosophy that I've come up with over the last few years since I started this process of writing.

When you start out writing, you have little to no direction. Or at least, I didn't. I just had an idea. Granted, it was an idea about teens with superpowers getting chased by a non-descript government unit for really nothing more than the sake of having action in the story, but it was an idea. And so I wrote it. I had no idea of whether or not I started in the right or wrong place, and I had little to no idea where it should end either. I just stopped when I got bored, or there grew to be "too many words". (Which at the time lent itself to mean anything over 60,000--and that idea has been tossed for a long while.)

However, there's something about doing that--writing for yourself and throwing caution to the wind that has a sort of artistic beauty.

Now, everyone says that your first project is going to be a bunch of shit. We've all heard it. And if you haven't, get used to seeing the phrase and understanding that when people say no one's going to want to buy your first idea, they're probably right.

But no one tells you that your sixth or seventh or thirtieth idea might be shit. No one tells you that it doesn't immediately get better, that writing is not an instantaneous gratification. There is no "submit" button at the end of a Word Document to magically turn your word-vomit of a draft into a brilliant slice of literature.

No, that takes practice.

Malcolm Gladwell refers to the 10,000-hour rule: where it takes 10,000 hours of solid practice, nearly a year and two months of non-stop practice to master something.

Sometimes I'd like to think I've logged all those hours with the written word in the last six years. But there are days where I doubt it.

Others say that you have to log over a million words before you find your "voice". Well, I don't believe that one either because voices change. All the time. We switch from personality to personality, character to character as we grow as writers. My first cast wouldn't be the same if I rewrote them today, and I'm not sure I want to try. I don't want to take away the raw voice they had originally. Because it was part of a learning process.

So over the years, and over numerous waves of this "Artist" or "Creative's" condition where nothing is ever good enough, or I feel like I'm getting nowhere at all no matter how many hours I spend or how many words I log, I've learned something: writing is a process.

It's not something you can quite pin down and replicate over and over again. Not if you want to be good. Mediocre, sure. There are recycled stories everywhere. But if you want to be really good at what you do--J.K. Rowling and C. S. Lewis good--you're going to have to work at it.

Because the first idea isn't going to be the one that sells millions and millions of copies. I wonder sometimes how many drafts Rowling went through before she ended up with something that even remotely resembled today's Harry Potter. I'd like to think that number is large--because if it isn't that's just more evidence that she's secretly from the future and there's been a ripple in the time stream continuum.

But that's also the beauty of writing. Is that you have the capability to keep writing. Even if it's the same concept over and over again, the same core ideas or main themes that somehow end up finding their way into your work, you can continuously go back to it, revise it, explore the words you built all over again. And thought it's frustrating to hear "no" or "fix this" or "I wish there was more of..." when you're damned sure you got it right this time around, you can still change things.

And that, I guess is what I love about writing. Is that nothing's ever truly finished. It's a growing thing, a living work. My characters--even the abandoned ones--are never forgotten. There's not a day where I don't draw from my experiences with past shots, and I guess that's my philosophy when it comes to my work:

I write because I know I'm in control, and that I can go back and fix the problems I might not see today some other time. I write because I have a story and a point I'd like to get across, an emotion that needs to come out. I write because the books at Barnes and Noble simply aren't interesting anymore. They're not complex enough for me, so I give it a shot for myself. I write because on a blank sheet of paper anything can happen, and I can make anything not happen. I get to play god for a little while, and sometimes, that's nice.

Writing is a tool to get away from the world, to share something with others, and it really shouldn't be about anything more than that.

A Late Introduction

2013-12-07T03:00:00.000-05:00

photo credit //

Howdy, I'm Laura. As you can tell by the picture, I'm a ginger with the wit and attitude to go along with it. Sometimes. I'm a human popsicle located in Death Row City, Texas (not the actual town name) and apparently do not like smiling, at least if you look at that picture.

Obviously, I'm a writer. In middle school, I wrote numerous ideas but I never followed through with any of them. That all changed in eighth grade when I wrote a book and actually finished it. Ten minutes after I finished it, I started the sequel because I didn't know what else to do.

That book, The Assassin, would later go on to become an inkpop top pick. That was three years ago (I was seventeen, so needless to say I feel old).

I love crime stories and chick-lit books. Janet Evanovich and Meg Cabot always top my favorite authors list.

Since I'm in college, most of my books don't come with me, but I have a lot. There's also my nook that has about 200 books, so I've got a lot of books.

In regards to mine, I write New Adult books, a jump I only made at the beginning of the year. I'll be self-publishing The Assassin in Summer 2014, but I've got a few other story ideas in my head. including nine sequels for The Assassin.

Besides writing, I'm a photographer, blogger and a singer. I love country music, Castle, and the smell of fresh air in a bedroom.

Emily's Intro and NaNoWriMo Blues.

2013-12-06T16:40:00.001-05:00

Hola peeps of the interwebz,

My name is Emily, I’m a YA author of two finished first drafts and multiple strewn ideas that probably shan’t ever see the light of day. But I won’t make this an intro post because unless you’re an interesting person (which I don’t think I am), they are super lame. So….

NaNoWriMo. Let’s talk about that, shall we? Now, I promise you that I have an actual legit reason for talking about NaNo outside of November. It’s the sixth day of December. This means that you’ve had a whole six days away from your NaNoNovel. (Or if you’re super awesome like me *giggles* and finished early than you’ve had longer.) But seriously, this is our sixth day of finishing—or at least finishing 50K words of—our novels. Do you feel fantastic? Do you feel totally badass and awesome?

Well I’m here to tell you that you’re not—no, just kidding. I’m totally here to tell you how freaking fantastic that is. You wrote fifty thousand words in a month. Top banana. Honestly, feel proud of yourself. You’re fantastic. Marvelous. Brilliant. Prodigious!

But I won’t glorify you any longer. It’s time to get to the heart of this post:

NaNoWriMo blues. I didn’t think there was such a thing, actually. When I finished at the 50K mark, I did a jig, shut my computer, and became best friends with my bed again; but there is such a thing. Maybe not for you who are still celebrating by dancing around in your underwear or gorging yourself with cake and presents (which, I’ll be honest, I did on my birthday two days ago.), but for your book, this time is hell. Think about it. If someone gave you their blood and sweat—or in this case, our brains and social life—and then totally just abandoned you because the time was up, you’d feel sad too.

So, the time for dancing and eating is done. It is time for you to face what you’ve been avoiding. Pick that book up and kiss it. Love it. Hug it. Then rip it apart. No, not literally. We like to keep our manuscripts in one piece here. But now it’s time to read over the words pressed and squeezed out of your noggin, and admit they could be better. Then start rewriting.

Open a new and white and clean doc and make a sort of outline of your novel. Pick your favorite scene and start there. Rewrite it. Make it clip and clean and beautiful. Then go from there. For me, I’ve decided that draft number two was going to be written backwards. I’ll start at the end (lol.) and end at the start (Gosh! My humor never fails to amaze me.) And it’s working. I’m falling in love with the novel yet again. And once I finish draft number two, I’ll know my characters even more at the start than I did when I began the novel the first time.

Does that make sense? Who cares! You peeps are obviously brilliant if you’re reading this, so you can sort it out anyway.

What I’m really trying to get at is that you need to find a way to fall in love with your novel again. And, as the creator and master of that book, you can do it however the hell you want! You are powerful. You control their life. Their world. Who dies and who lives. You can do whatever you want. ABUSE THAT. USE THAT. DO IT. You can.

So, go pick up your novel and show it some new and improved love. Don’t let you novel get the NaNo blues—that’s just not nice.

Now what are you waiting for? Get to it.

Allons-y; let’s go.

Your most highly esteemed and brilliant author friend, who is obviously the coolest and most fantastic shiz since sliced bread,

Emily.

Ps. Nice to meet you *bows out*

It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Freak Heat Wave in December! Oh Wait. Nope, Just Me.

2013-12-04T19:07:00.002-05:00

Yeah, the whole 'Introducing' thing was getting a little stale, and it's just who I am to be that weird. So...yeah. Anyways.

Hello everyone! My name's Brianne, but everyone calls me Brie. Yes, like the cheese. And, as I'm sure you're wondering, yes, I do actually love Brie cheese. I'm a high school senior in central Ohio planning to pursue English with a Creative Writing emphasis and Biology in college, and hopefully go on some adventures. I was supposed to post a little earlier, so sorry for keeping you guys waiting. When I'm not in class, I'm usually either writing or researching things that would definitely put me on the FBI Watch Lists. I usually have answers to questions no one would ever ask and questions no one would ever want to answer.

My bread and butter is Young Adult literature in the dystopian and science fiction genres. I love it because it's not just about relationships, or just about a person's coming of age. It's this delightful chaos that includes all of them mashed up together, relationships and societal values and the human condition and political ideas. But then again, of course I think it's awesome - I write in it, don't I?

My current pride and joy is a sci-fi dystopian novel still going strong at about 135,000 words. Halp. Hopefully I can finish it by the beginning of this next year - it turns one December 18th! I'm kind of weird when it comes to writing, though, because when something captures my imagination, I'll run with it as far as it'll take me. I'm like that with a lot of things, I'm really curious. I'm that person who walks through the park or stares out the window on car trips just looking out at things because they're cool. I also do a lot of people-watching, because people are interesting. Not to mention it helps with character development.

When I'm not writing, I'm generally reading. I was pretty much Hermione Granger as a child. Most of my friends were books and the ones who weren't were constantly wondering what I found so interesting in these stacks of paper. I knew all of my media center specialists and they'd always be recommending books for me. It explains my pale complexion; I spent all my time with my books. And if I'm not reading, what do I do, you ask? I love music, both playing and listening to it. I'm a repeat offender when it comes to running around the house belting out my favorite song at the top of my lungs.

I'll generally be posting about the dystopian genre, character development, and other technical things about writing that I feel can be used and abused. You'll also see me get a little heated over things like the social trends in the industry (here's looking at you, Twilight) and about what I think books that are becoming popular now are doing right...and perhaps not so right.

You can find me on Facebook here.

Introduction: Jessie Kelley

2013-11-28T21:07:00.001-05:00

Hello everyone! If you are insane, you have found your leader! If you're sane, we will soon convert you.

My name is Jessie K., sometimes referred to as teh Queen of Torture. I'm a teenage girl with ambitious, rebellious, and stubborn tendencies, just like the main character of my current novel, Revolutionary, Victoria Schmidt. I've been a writer since second grade, when I wrote a short story about a dead firefly and his mourning family. I'm a good ole Southern girl with 'old-fashioned' values. Yes, I have a southern accent. Yes, it is awesome. Yes, I got weird looks when I went to Chicago over the summer. I played volleyball for seven years, I've been dancing for three years, and I'm in a government mock trial program.

I own about seven hundred plus books, which gives me my own little private library. I got so many that they're stacked around my room and lining my couch. I've read all but maybe fifty of them, and I just haven't gotten around to them yet.

For writing, my favorite things to write about are realistic fiction, dystopian, romance, and adventure, all young adult books. I have a complete first draft of two novels, Dark Beauty, which I've given up on because of the enormous amount of plot holes and boring-ness, and Fabricate, which I am working on a second draft of with the hopes that someday, the first book of the Fabricate trilogy can be published. But for now, my main projects are Revolutionary, The Blue Umbrella, and Maid in Russia.

When I'm not writing, you can probably find me either on my couch reading a new (or old) book, at the dance studio working on routines, or at my desk doing schoolwork.

I'm going to be blogging about how to write things you don't know. My best example is one I have to deal with: never been kissed but your characters want to. What to do? Well, besides looking at an embarrassing amount of WikiHow pages, check her for some help on the days I'll be posting.

For more about me, click here.

Presenting: Rae

2013-11-26T03:00:00.000-05:00

Everyone else was using 'Introduction' or 'Intro' . . . I thought I'd switch things up a bit.

*coughs* Moving on.

The name's Rae. Most people call me . . . well, Rae; it's a nickname, and it can't get much shorter than that. As of today, I am a 19 year old college student at New Mexico State University, and for some reason I was ambitious enough to shoot for a double major in Creative Writing and Computer Science. When I'm not making a fool out of myself in front of my roommate, I tend to shut myself up in my room with music, movies, and my laptop, and people won't see me for hours at a time.

I like to dream, and I like to do things that make me happy. Life doesn't have an appeal to me if I'm somewhere I don't want to be, which is why I'm doing everything possible to get myself out of my current state and into somewhere new. The only thing I've ever wanted since I started writing in 2008 is to share my characters and stories with the world; becoming published one day would be a dream come true.

As of yesterday, I have three completed novels under my belt; the most recent is currently my pride and glory. I write clever little mixes of dystopia, science fiction (bio-mechanical engineering, anyone?), and occasionally throw in a post-apocalyptic world where anything is possible; each of these genres are aimed at young adults. Anything I post on this lovely little blog will more than likely have to do with characters and the psychology of how they work, how to work with inspiration, and what to do when you have absolutely no idea what to do with your life.

When I'm not writing, I tend to imagine myself somewhere . . . else. Wonderland is my fantasy, and while I don't believe I'd survive the Hunger Games after the first day, I like to believe that I'd have a considerable amount of skill in surviving the zombie apocalypse.

Maybe.

(A girl can dream, right?).

If you'd like to stay more up-to-date on what's really happening in my writing, you can visit my Facebook page with one little click right about . . . here.

Introducing Kristin

2013-11-22T17:50:00.002-05:00

Hello, World! The name's Kristin, and I am a sixteen year old writer from the Land of Maple Syrup (AKA Canada). Don't be fooled, though; writing isn't the only thing I do. In addition to penning fictitious YA novels, short stories, and poems, I am also currently balancing high school and a drama production (Alice in Wonderland, anyone?) Soon a part time job may also be thrown into that mix, as I am taking a training course tomorrow to hopefully become an assistant ski instructor!

Aside from writing, I also enjoy reading, acting, skiing, camping, hiking, and exploring (those last three I prefer to do in the Rocky Mountains). Oh, and I should probably throw eating, sleeping, and breathing in there as well!

Some of my favourites -
Books: Blood Red Road, Beautiful Creatures, The Sight, Looking For Alaska, The Hunger Games, Watership Down.
Bands/Music Artists: Pierce the Veil, All Time Low, VersaEmerge, Ellie Goulding, Foxes, Tonight Alive, Sleeping With Sirens.
TV Shows: Once Upon A Time, Criminal Minds, The Walking Dead.

On top of all that, I also have a cat. And a weird one, at that.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kristin-Breitkreutz/281656168569562?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vulturetastic
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/soaringoverstars

Another fun fact: I suck at technology.

Introduction: Amber

2013-11-20T21:25:00.000-05:00

Greetings everyone! The name's Amber Elzinga. Elzinga is my maiden name and while I have often thought of taking on my married name for my writing career, Elzinga just has a unique flare to it that I can't ignore and it's just stuck with me. I'm currently twenty-two years old and happily married to my best friend. We are expecting our first child at the end of January but I get the feeling that the silly little munchkin will want to come sooner than that. He's an incredibly active baby and I wouldn't be surprised if that triggered labor in December or early January, not that I will be complaining since I sure know I can't wait to meet the little one! Who knows though. Anything could happen. I just hope everything turns out okay no matter what does happen.

In my spare time, all writing aside, I like pinning up a storm on Pinterest, watching Netflix with the husband, playing on my PlayStation 3, sometimes watching my husband play on his PlayStation 3, reading, and dreaming of how life might be like once the new addition to our family has arrived. I foresee many sleepless nights ahead of me and in case you are wondering, I am currently twenty-nine weeks pregnant but tomorrow (the 21st) I will be 30 weeks pregnant.

When it comes to my writing, however, that is a slightly sketchy topic which bums me out but I'm trying. I have several stories in the progress including several rewrites and new ideas are coming to me everyday. Writing can be a bit of a challenge for me which again bums me out but I try to stay positive regardless. I always seem to lack the inspiration or perhaps the drive to write. I fully believe that I am in a funk with my writing and I can only hope I get out of the funk soon. Maybe having this baby might help. Perhaps that there is wishful thinking but a girl can wish, right?

You can find my Facebook page here!

Intros To Inked: Jennifer

2013-11-18T08:45:00.000-05:00

*Waves from behind computer screen while sipping tea*

Why hello there. Welcome to the complete madness that is writers blogging. Because sharing our madness with the world is quite important.

I'm Jennifer, though I prefer to be called Jen, a twenty something girl who if all goes well will finish her schooling by working in a library as a library technician with a bachelor's in English.

But let us move on to better things. Let's see...I seem to be a masochist because I enjoy falling in love with fictional characters who continue to break my heart. I'm an optimistic type who curses too much, though I've been taking to saying "fudge sticks" lately. I like to insert random French words into my conversations sometimes because French is an amazing language non? Oh. I'm also an eternal procrastinator. I'll do things...just on my own time.

If there's two things I can't live without it's music and reading. It helps greatly to escape from the real world and hone my procrastination skills. I can't do anything about my homework while I'm hanging out in Narnia listening to Imagine Dragons can I?

Ah yes now for the très important part: writing. I write YA fantasy mostly, currently I'm writing something called The Lion's Roar. I'm hopeful that it will be my first ever completed novel. Though I've been taking writing seriously since I was seventeen, completing a novel has eluded me. I've written a lot of words but I haven't written a lot of words for a single novel.

Now for what to expect on the blog, I'm going to be blogging about pretty much any sort of writing topic that pops into my head. That could be anything from inspiration blocks to grammar issues. And since I'm nose deep in TLR (short from is handy isn't it?) that's going to be the main basis for examples.

Now make sure you don't get lost in the maze of creativity, and one last thing...shall I refill that tea for you?

Introduction, by Jelsa

2013-11-16T03:00:00.000-05:00

No, I'm not writing a book called Introduction. Sorry to disappoint. I suppose I am introducing myself though, so hello writing and non-writing world! Some know me by other names, but my personal preference is Jelsa. Call me Jellyfish, Jelly Belly, Jelly (which happens to be my shipping name with my boyfriend), or any other creative nickname that you can think of for me, as long as it's not demeaning or rude.
I'm a fifth of a century old, and have been writing fiction ever since around age 14. I've written 40 novels, have 5 in progress, and many more short stories and poems floating around as well. Counting just the novels I've written, I just hit 1.8 million words of fiction written ever since I started this wonderful journey.

Lately, I've been trying to take previous works I've written and get them ready for the public. I'm in the querying process with a novel and considering starting it with one I've recently finished. My posts will probably consist of me talking about my strengths: psychology in fiction writing, dialogue, grammar, and how to write realistic, yet intriguing and entertaining general fiction. In case you can't tell from my picture, I'm Asian-American, so I may also write some posts on what it's like growing up as one to better help you guys write about us.

Other interesting things I've done in my life: I made a 100x100 multiplication chart when I was in the seventh grade, I play piano, violin, and guitar like a stereotypical Asian and have the ability to semi-play about 5 other instruments, I've only ever dated long-distance (apart from visits) and this is my first and only relationship, and I plan to adopt as many kids as my house can hold when I'm old enough to. Why do you guys care? I have no idea. You can decide that for yourselves.

Find my Facebook page here and my Wattpad page here.

(P.S. One of my favorite things as an author is when people tell them I made them cry. Yes, I'm one of those writers.)

Ali: An Introduction

2013-11-12T15:21:00.000-05:00

Hello all, I'm Alicyn but, to spare you the trouble of having to pronounce that, just call me Ali. I'm a twenty-one-year-old former college student--it's hard paying of of pocket on your own--turned full time lifeguard in Wisconsin. I'm currently living in a small apartment across town from my parents with a lovable gentleman who cheers me and my writing on and a regally-named black cat who seems to be good luck. In my spare time not writing, I knit, play vidja games and stick my nose in library books to inhale their literary genius.

I've been writing since my early years of middle school when my fifth grade teacher enthused that I should continue writing this dark mystery about who shot my character and the rest is--as they say--history. I've tried many genres yet I feel most at home writing fantasy and paranormal fiction. After eleven years of writing countless stories that would eventually collect virtual dust, I finished the first draft of my first novel, the Guardian Heir, which I'll start the rewrite in a few days (November 5th). I've also got a few other books I'm circling through while working on tGH: Cerulean (its 'sequel'), the Black Cat Curse and Blood Moon--all four of them I'd like to get published eventually. I spent most of my writing career writing young adult but now I'm trying to venture into new adult.

I'll mostly be blogging about books I've read and what I've learned on my magnificent--and not so magnificent--journey in writing. My day(s) for blogging are Tuesdays so keep an eye out for me. ;)

Edit: I forgot to leave something very important!

I've got my own little blog! Feel free to check it out!

White Rabbit Incarnate: Sabryna M. Brooks

2013-11-07T18:32:00.002-05:00

I'm late! I'm seriously late! Dear me, I was supposed to introduce myself yesterday. I'm the Wenesday girl, or at least one of them, so keep a lookout for my posts.

Despite my lateness, I've got to introduce myself nontheless so without further ado...

Hello there! The name's Sabryna (M.) Brooks. I'm a seventeen (soon to be eighteen) year old highschool student from Ontario, Canada. It would appear that I'm one of Inked's writers, which is pretty great if you ask me. I live in a small city. I've got a dog, a hamster and two cats that I love to call my own (the cutest one being Trouble).

I, unlike most people, didn't grow up on Harry Potter. Instead I grew up reading Stephen King novels and Edgar Allen Poe. Well, that and a ton of French children's books.

Oh yeah! I should mention that I'm bilingual. I'm fluent in both French and English, but I'm also working on my Spanish speaking, too.

I'd like to say that I'm mainly a poet. I love poetry and I've published quite a few in various anthologies. However, I'm also working on my novels. I take much longer when writing one of them so it's no surprise that I've yet to fully finish one.

As an author, I write science-fiction, dystopian, horror, fantasy and historical fiction. I'm working on a great number of collaborations with some awesome people, too.

Finally, I usually like to ramble. I'm one of those people who talk to talk. So, with that said I believe I've finished introducing myself. If you want to get to know me a bit more than what I've just divulged then you may as well check me out here!

I guess that's all I've got!

Ciao.

Intros to Inked: Hannah

2013-10-26T03:00:00.000-04:00

It's official, Inked is up and ready for blogging. So if you're new, welcome to our site. Mainly we're about reading and writing, but who knows what could be talked about here.

However, I believe some introductions are in order before we launch into some philosophical discussion on which point of view draws the reader in best.

I'm Hannah Hunt. I'm a nineteen year old college student from Ohio, and one of the Admins for Inked. I live in the city for school but back home I've got two Border Collies and a cat who looks like McGonagall's animagus. I grew up on Harry Potter like the majority of my generation, and I love to read science fiction/fantasy stories.

I have been writing since 2008 when we were asked to read a book for class and I thought it was awful and that I could totally write something better if this is what was being published--as an eighth grader. So I popped open a Word Document and started typing. I haven't exactly stopped since.

I write dystopian and science fiction/fantasy aimed at young adults, and am working on getting one of my science fiction manuscripts ready for publication. When I'm not writing you can find me trolling the internet for grammar errors, watching BBC's Sherlock or ABC's Once Upon A Time, or traveling. If writing doesn't work out, I plan to become an animator at Pixar and help make happy little movies for everyone.

There are a lot of things I could blog about for Inked, books I've read, what I've learned about writing, etc. I'll probably blog about both on Saturdays, but expect them to all be science fiction or fantasy related, as I don't do as much paranormal or general fiction reading.

If you'd like to find out more about me or what I write, please click here.