Inkfever

Warning, warning! Crisis Incoming!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 29 May 2012 03:14:00 +0000

So, I'm having a crisis here. The next part of LAOS is nearly ready to go up - only, in a way, it's been ready to go up before I even started this venture. Because you see, the version you guys are reading is not the original version. I have about 5k worth of story that I wrote a year or so ago, and it's different, and I'm frustrated.

See, in the original version, instead of getting a Ping Pong ball in an improbably-placed cup, Chris puts his hand through a desk. Much more exciting, makes the point much more clearly, and is just... more fun. Only problem is, no matter how many impossible things these guys can do, even the LAOS can't actually put their hand through a desk. *sigh*

So I'm rewriting that section to the Ping Pong ball event - only, as I said, it's frustrating me. The original had a spark that this version is just... missing. *more sighs*

I'm stuck. On the one hand, I think you guys would like the original a lot more (I do). On the other hand... It's really truly not plausible, and I wanted LAOS to remain at least theoretically possible. And as one beta-reader pointed out, if they can phaze through solids by manipulating atomic structure, there is technically no limit to what they can do - and magic (scientifically explained or not) without limits is not great fiction.

What do I do???

Linkabet Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 22 May 2012 23:31:00 +0000

Haven't done a linky post for a while, and I'm currently hunting through my archives of starrred/favourited posts in preparation for teaching creative writing again next semester - this time I'm going to be ORGANISED and have BOOKLETS! Woohoo!

So anyway, a few fun things I've found around the nets of late:

How To Secretly Work On Your Novel While At Your Day Job - priceless information for those of us who aren't lucky enough to be able to lock everyone out of the house and write all day (includes a section fo SAHMs)

What My Job Is... - Yeah, I have to say I agree with Liana on this one: sure writers need to work at representing reality, but I don't think that means they're bound and required to reflect the crappy parts of life just because it happens.

And speaking of The Job, editing. (Yeah, that was an awkward segue. The Minion is crying because He's Not Tired, Mum, No He's Not!, so you'll have to forgive my brain). But anyway, Maggie Stiefvater managed to convince a whole bunch of published authors to dissect some pages from their own novels to provide some excellent insight into the editing process.

For something a little more lighthearted, Ilona Andrews has collected all the various incarnations of rules for mystery writers. Some of the historical ones are somewhat o.0.

Also in the o.0 realm, Jim C. Hines did a follow-up to his January post about female cover poses on Posing Like a Man. Also amusing, and equally illuminating.

And now that you've had fun with those links (don't tell me you didn't at least consider trying one of those poses), something a little heavier. The King Of Elfland's Second Cousin has done a marvellous job of differentiating between voice and style. It's a long one, but worthwhile.

In order to make it through, it might be useful to know How To Be As Energetic As Your Kids.

And of course, no post is complete without the obligatory tasty food - and for that, I shall just direct you to my Pinterest board O:)

Any exciting links you guys have found of late that I need to read?

Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

May 2012, HarperCollins

544 pages, Hardcover
Personal copy

YA Dystopian
Violence, kissing, betrayal and a hearty dose of guilt

Summary from HarperCollins:

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Amy's Thoughts:
**Some mild, general Divergent spoilers**
Picking up right where Divergent left off, Insurgent explores what Tris will do now that war has erupted. As far as she knows, almost everyone she loved is dead - some by her own hand, something that she can never forgive herself for. Plagued by doubt and overwhelming guilt, Tris has to decide if there is anything worth living for after all. And of course, we all know what Tobias thinks about that :D

Look, you all know I loved Divergent. Insurgent is even better. I really like this trend that I'm seeing of YA trilogies/series getting stronger and stronger as they progress. Roth really steps things up here in terms of stakes and plot twists, but most importantly (for me), she really digs deep into the psychology of the characters to create compelling motivation and character growth that feels so real, it's like you know the people involved. If you fell in love with Tris and Four in Divergent, you'll really never want to leave them after Insurgent.

Speaking of love, I have to say I really admire the way that Ms Roth dealt with Tris and Tobias's relationship in this book. Without spoilerising, suffice to say it is real, and difficult, and an exceptionally honest portrayal of love that you don't often find in mainstream fiction. Well done Roth.

Of course, being book 2 of 3, Insurgent ends on a cliffhanger that had me literally screaming at it (ask Boyo, the husbandical one) and I CANNOT BELIEVE I now have to wait AN ENTIRE YEAR for the conclusion. Urgh. Want.

In terms of the bad, there are a few copyediting/continuity errors that have crept in (Ms Roth apologises), but only in one instance did it jolt me out of the story, and it still wasn't a biggie - I flipped back a few pages to double check, went "Huh, must be a mistake", and kept reading.

Final Conclusion:
LOVE. THIS. BOOK. Mostly for Tris's character arc - her growth and development, and the sensitive way that Roth handles it.

More:
Find Ms Roth on her website and on Twitter.

L.A.O.S.: A Serial Novel-Thing

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 06 May 2012 23:36:00 +0000

Guys, GUYS! I am SO EXCITED about this announcement! I'm so excited I don't even know what to say! But nonetheless, I should say something, because if I don't then you won't know what I'm squeeing about, and that would just be awkward. So I guess I will just get to the point, which is that starting Friday, Inkfever will be home to a brand new, hopefully shiny, serialised novel!

No doubt you are now gripped with pressing questions (which are talented, in that they can press while gripping) such as, "What is this marvel of which you speak?", "How often can we expect this delight?", and, "What on earth possessed you to do this mad thing, you mad, mad person?" I shall now endeavour to answer these questions satisfactorily, and hopefully in a manner that will excite your... excitement. Incite excitement? Blah. Something like that.

1) This marvel is L.A.O.S., which stands for the League of Absolutely Ordinary Superheroes. They are a group of teens who have no superpowers (bwa ha ha) and their motto is saving the world through science. Superheroes + science = #FUNWIN!

2) I'd love to feed you chunks of gorgeously tasty LAOS, dripping with delectable delight, twice a week. However, I think we all know that's not going to happen, given my history with blogging. So I'm going to be aiming for once a week, but as always, I reserve the right to be completely and utterly erratic in my posting. Ha. As if you didn't see that coming.

3) Um, yeah, about that. This is pretty much me forcing myself to have a 'just for fun' project the only way I possibly can - i.e. in public. Because if I try to write something 'just for fun' by myself, it INEVITABLY ends up a Real Project, For Serious, Like Proper, because my brain is secretly plotting against me and wants to spaz me out. It likes plotting. And if I start writing just for fun stories by myself, it gets carried away with the plotting, and before we know it the just for fun short story is the beginning of a ten-part series with 900 years of prehistory, fifty-three main characters and seventy-nine continents, and I'm stalled out because all of a sudden I Got Stuck. (I wonder why? *sigh*)

But see, if I am drafting in public, then I can't care about it too much, because if I do, I will totally and utterly freak out over the fact that YOU GUYS HELLO I WILL BE DRAFTING PUBLICALLY, and mistakes Will Be Made (and capital letters Abused). So the only solution is to do it, and not care, and then I will have fun.

If that sounds twisty and insane, that's because it is, and I am. Hai.

Bonus) LAOS will run in episodes and series. Five episodes per series, about 20k per episode. No idea how many series (until I get bored, and you do to?), but five would be fun, because then the whole thing would have Balance and Symmetry (and I swear, I have been away from the English teaching for too long, because that's like the third word I've had to double check the spelling on so far in this post o.0). See above, re ten-part series-es with 900 years of history. And yes, there will be a way for you all to participate if you want to, and I plan to release each episode as an ebook (edited, ha!) as they are completed.

So. HURRAH!, and see you Friday :o)

The Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 04 May 2012 12:23:00 +0000

May 2012, Rhemalda Publishing

320 pages, Paperback & eBook
Review copy

Young adult contemporary suspence
kissing, closed-curtain sex

Summary from Rhemalda:

When Naomi Jensen is kidnapped, it takes her parents two days to realize she’s missing. Escape isn’t high on her list of priorities when all she has to return to is an abusive boyfriend and parents who never paid much attention to her. For the first time in her life she’s part of a family—even if it is a family of criminals. But she’s still a captive. In a desperate attempt to regain some control in her life, Naomi embarks on a dangerous plan to make one of her kidnappers think she’s falling in love with him. The plan works too well, and when faced with the chance to escape, Naomi isn’t sure she wants to take it.

Amy's Thoughts:
I had the privilege of reading this book in draft form many years ago, and I had the most wonderful experience when I read the completed version recently. You know how you tend to remember books you like holistically, as general impressions of what was good, and so on? And sometimes, when you pick them up again years later, they're not quite as good as you remember, and you realise you'd forgotten all the flaws. But sometimes, you pick them up, and they are exactly as great as you remembered. That's how I felt about The Breakaway. I know it's changed since the early-ish draft I read, and I can even point to the places where it's changed - but the overall story, the essence of the book, is exactly how I remembered it, and it's wonderful.

Michelle explores an issue not often explored in YA literature - Stockholm Syndrome - and does so thoughtfully and sensitively. The MC Naomi grows up in the course of this novel, and I love how real her journey is; she isn't some fictional hero full of verve and courage and strength, she's just an ordinary girl - and I mean a real ordinary girl, not as in "Oh look at me, I'm so ordinary and average, even though really I have no flaws at all and am actually just a Mary Sue, written so that you can fill my blanks in with your own personality and pretend you are me." I'm not a fan of that kind of story; can you tell? O:)

For all that this is categorised as suspense, it is, like much of Michelle's writing, a very quiet sort of suspense. It's not a high-pace heart-pounder; it's thoughtful, and intelligent, and the suspense is elegantly done, revolving around Naomi's mental state and decision making rather than chases and physical danger. If you like real MCs who have real, mixed up emotions and can't always bring themselves to be strong, and if you like intelligent stories about intelligent people, and if you like thoughtful stories about real issues - with a smattering of romance, of course - then this is very much the book for you.

Final Conclusion:
This is a smooth, effortless read and a really interesting exploration of a topic that doesn't see much attention in YA usually - a fantastic book.

You can pick up a copy of The Breakaway at Amazon or from the publisher's website. Find Michelle Davidson Argyle on her website, and view the trailer for The Breakaway here.

Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She loves the seasons, but late summer and early fall are her favorites. She adores chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in whatever time she can grab between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She believes a simple life is the best life.

Being A Parent Makes You Weird

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 02:27:00 +0000

Or, at least worry/exalt over weird things. My kid pooed yesterday! Woohoo! Look, he burped on his own! Huzzah! o.0

My current exaltation? I'm sitting here watching him fall asleep, and he's chewing on his mitten. This, dear readers, is a GREAT THING. Why? Because he usually sucks on a dummy (pacifier), which was fine until it got to the point where he'd wake up when it fell out. That is not so fun. So, the fact that he can now munch his fingers to go to sleep (he's pro at munching them when awake, I assure you :P) means when he drifts off to sleep, there will (hopefully, in theory, much crossing of fingers and hair and limbs) be no rude awakening when they fall out of his mouth. And then we can all rest easy, and Mummy can get her edits done. *happy sigh*

/random.

Do You Hate Spoilers And Reread Books?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:38:00 +0000

I read a really great post today by Michelle over at The Innocent Flower about endings, and it reminded me of something I read somewhere ages ago (no clue where, sorry): if finding out how the story ends is so important, why do we reread?

It's an interesting question, I think, and not one I'd considered prior to reading whatever it was that I read. As Michelle says, a lot of people, myself included, tend to make a big deal when someone 'ruins' or 'spoils' the ending of a story for us - though some people, like my mum, can't start a book unless they've flipped to the end first to see how the story will wrap up. And I confess, a couple of times I've flipped back just to make sure a beloved character actually makes it to the end O:) :D

But why is that we make such a fuss about not knowing the ending? Hands up how many people have ever reread a book because they loved it? My hand goes up about a million times :D (Just check out 'July' for each year in my list of books I've read ;)) But when we reread, the ending is already spoiled - so why bother reading the book if we already know what's happened? Obviously, there is a lot more to reading a book than simply wanting to find out how the story ends. I know for me, it's often that I want to spend more time with the characters, or in the world - or some particular event is just so cool and so well-motivated (in terms of the author building up to it etc) that I just want to relive the experience. Books are cool like that: have an experience you love, and you're free to hit rewind and replay the experience as often as you like!

I'd be really interested to explore whether this reaction differs between people of different reading habits; do people who reread books often have a higher tolerance for endings being spoiled? And do people who rarely reread hate it when endings are spoiled? Do people who read LOTS have a higher or lower tolerance? And is there actually any correlation here at all, or am I just searching for that mythical Theory of Everything?

Interesting ideas. Let me know your thoughts (and whether or not you hate endings being spoiled, and whether or not you reread lots! :D).

A Proper Meme

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 00:02:00 +0000

For once, a meme that actually has the potential to be insightful:

"Comment to this post and I will list seven things I want you to talk about. They might make sense or they might be totally random. Then post that list, with your commentary, to your journal. Other people can get lists from you, and the meme merrily perpetuates itself."

I got my list of seven things from Ada Hoffman, critique partner and TOC buddy from Ride the Moon :o) Here goes...

Animals

I am a HUGE animal person; always have been. Growing up, stuffed animals were my favourite toys. I hated dolls, and had so many stuffed animals on my bed at one point that I actually twisted my neck while sleeping, and was banned from keeping more than one toy on my bed at a time after that O:) The animals had to parade across the dinner table to taste my soup in order to induce me to eat it, and my favourite toy, a grey elephant named Heidi, had a trunk that was exactly right for wiping away tears.

In fiction, I love stories where the MC has some sort of connection to animals - telepathy, shape-shifting, that sort of thing. And yet, bizarrely, I have a super strong avoidance reaction to animal films (the real life kind, not animated or talking animals). I don't like drama as a film genre anyway (too emotional, I find it hard to disengage and if the film ends sadly I will often quite literally cry for more than fifteen minutes afterwards, or at the very least be in a flat, depressive mood for a while) and a lot of animal films trend towards drama.

As for real life animals, it's probably pretty telling that the only three items on my bucket list are to do with animals: swim with dolphins, and see tigers and wolves in the wild (obviously not together :P). We've had pets as long as I can remember; mostly dogs, but a few birds, rabbits, guinea pigs and fish thrown in there. I guess for me animals are somehow tied to respect for nature and empathy. I love the idea of connecting with animals, of being a team with them (horse riding is extremely attractive for this reason) - and in part I think this is my mum's fault, particularly that time when I was in year two (or thereabouts) and was stomping on the ants, and she stomped (gently) on my toes and asked how I liked it... :D

Australia

Well, this is where I live, obviously. And I like living here, though being the kind of person I am, I would probably prefer to live wherever it was that I had grown up. That said, I think Australia is awesome in that it has a lot of the advantages of first world living without some of the drawbacks. We certainly experience societal problems, but on the whole they seem to be more moderated than other first world nations.

Australians have a pretty laidback approach to life - which is not to say that we don't get stressed or have ambitions, but rather that there is an underlying sense of humour and self-depreciation to everything. Like, even in formal situations we're not as prescriptively formal as, say, the UK, and we laugh at ourselves (genuinely, without malice) a lot more than the USA (both as individuals and as a country). And although we are FIERCELY proud to be Australian, having an Aussie flag up in your yard or house is slightly suspect, a little too fanatical for absolute comfort.

Seriously. Like it or not, our history is the convicts, and that has shaped our ethos to quite a large degree. You don't rat on people, you watch each other's backs, you laugh and poke fun at each other and never take yourself seriously, and there's a certain sense of solidarity nicely evidenced, I think, in our high schools which are NO WHERE NEAR the shark pit that US high schools are made out to be. (Well, I'm sure we have some like that, but on the whole they're pretty good).

And in addition to all of that, we have sunshine that will fry even the most determined olive complexion, more spiders and snakes that will kill you than that won't, marsupials that look cute and cuddly but can attack without provocation and poison you in 80 different ways, octopuses that can kill you, sharks that will eat you... And we are, for some reason, proud of all of this.

Clothing

Well, this one seems rather random and I'm not sure I have much to say. And of course, having said that, a huge rant has come to mind, relating to exploitation and costs and the like. See, the thing is, people go oh, to make the world a better place, we should stop spending money on frivolous things, ergo I will buy cheap clothing and not spend so much money on it. The problem is, it costs the same amount to make a cheap shirt as it does an expensive shirt, and that cost is more than the $5 Ms Hypothetical just shelled out for it. Yes, some expensive shirts are expensive because the company marks them WAY up (think big brand names); but cheap shirts are cheap because the people making them aren't being paid more than a couple of crumbs that will, in no way, be sufficient to either look after their family or allow them to get out of the poverty cycle.

If we're really global-community-conscious, we should be looking for nationally-made clothes that, while they cost more than the cheap shirts, also cost less than the big brand names, and ensure that the people making them were paid fairly for their time (or find a company that makes clothes overseas but pays their workers fairly). Of course, the argument against this is that all those overseas workers have to be paid somehow, and if we stop buying the product they're making, we're depriving them of the chance to earn any wages. True, but things have to become worse before than can get better, I believe. I'm not a fan of putting thousands of people already below the poverty line out of work, but I do believe that we HAVE to send a message to big companies that we won't tolerate them treating their workers like this. And if you're that concerned about making sure the overseas workers still have a job, go pay them direct. They'll still make the shirt for you, and they'll get a hell of a lot more money direct from you than from their employer :P

This is SUCH a complex issue with no easy answers. But other things that I think it pays to be aware of that can really help - hanging onto your clothes to get the most wear out of them, shopping at outlets for nationally made products (Rivers here in Aus has fantastic sales with $5 shirts every now and then, plus they make really comfy shoes!), and shopping at secondhand stores.

Personally, the overwhelming majority of my clothes fall into one of three categories: 1) Old. I've owned a lot of my clothes since high school (10 years plus now), and most for at least 5+ years (excluding work wear I went out and bought when I started work 2 years ago).

2) Free. These are both new and secondhand items that family have given me, lots of as-new secondhand mostly from my step-mum and step-mum-in-law, and new from Boyo's father, who owns a small clothing store. (Aside: had the opportunity to shop with him a couple of times at the wholesale outlets, and nearly died at how much retailers mark things up - 3 times, on average: once to cover the cost, once to cover additional costs like wages and shop electricity and rent, and once for profit)

3) Bought from outlets. Mostly at places like DFO, so yes, I'm paying for cheap labour here as much as the next person. But also from the aforementioned Rivers store.

Maybe I'll make it a new goal to try the secondhand stores first... :)

Mental health

Wow, this is a relevant one. I haven't really mentioned it anywhere in public, not because I'm ashamed or whatevs, but just because I don't tend to go into really personal stuff on Teh Netz, but I was diagnosed with postnatal depression when Minion was 3.5 weeks old. I've subsequently been seeing a psych, and as I suspected, she confirmed that it's not postnatal so much as a consequent of the really crappy health issues I've been dealing with for the last three years.

My body way overreacts to yeast (or yeast thinks I'm the perfect host, or whatever), to the point where I can't eat it or I get yeast overgrowth infections - and one of the side effects of a serious yeast overgrowth is depression. In 2010, before we figured out that I was sensitive to yeast, I crashed big time. When people told me that having a baby would make me tired, I pretty much laughed - because tired as I knew I'd be, I knew that back in '10 I'd gotten to the point where I was literally incapable of becoming any tireder. I was right, though of course that didn't help prevent a little sleep-deprivation-induced depression this time o.O :)

That period of my life was scary and reassuring all at once, actually. It really knocked me around in the sense that it almost destroyed my self confidence; I used to think I was a pretty strong person, but even now, two years on from the worst of it, I still feel washed out and weak. I hate that. But I'm also beginning to get enough distance from it to realise that it can be reassuring, too: despite the depression and the feeling sometimes that it would just be easier to end it all and then it would just go away, I didn't, and I knew even at the time that those ideas weren't me, they were the depression, and that I would never actually do that. It showed that I'm strong enough to pull myself through something like that almost alone, because pretty much no one except my husband realised how bad it was.

And the diet I had to be on to get rid of the yeast was killer - a maximum of 1 serving of grains a day, no more than 1/2 cup of fruit, absolutely zero yeast or sugar in any form (except the 1/2 cup fruit), no condiments or additives, and only pure dairy products (i.e. pure sour cream, unsweetened yogurt, 100% butter, and regular milk). vegetables, nuts and eggs were pretty much the only thing I was allowed without restraint, and it is HARD to stay full on that kind of diet, especially when you're getting stomach cramps, nausea and other fun stuff from yeast die-off, and your blood sugar crashes in such a way that takes you from not-hungry to cannot-move in less than 5 minutes. And I stuck to the diet, and I beat the yeast. I did it. Dude, that took willpower.

So excuse me if I sound a little like maybe I'm bragging here, but this is honestly the first time I've sat down and shown myself just exactly how strong this little episode proves I am. So, thank you to Ada for adding in this topic and allowing me a little catharsis O:) :D

(Also, why is 'mental health' such a scary term? Why is there still such a stigma against diseases and illnesses of the mind? Why does getting depression make you 'weak', whereas getting the flu just means you were 'unlucky' or whatever? #societyfail, IMO.)

Motherhood

Holy crap, is parenthood simultaneously the most terrifying and the most normal thing to ever happen to someone or what? I never realised until I had Minion myself that all those jokes that go "Who are these kids and why are they calling me Mum?" are ACTUALLY SERIOUS. I am exactly the same person I was a few months ago - and yet now I have this new 'Mum' label to wear with my collection. Having a kid completely changes everything, and changes not a thing, all at the same time. In fact, if I had to sum up motherhood in a single word, it would be 'paradoxes'. You suddenly become a living, walking, breathing paradox - you love the Minion and never want to leave him, but you can't stand having it in your arms for one. more. second. coz he's been on your lap all day; you're so amazingly happy, and so sad; you can't wait to go back to work, and you don't ever want to stop being a SAHM; you want him to wake up so you can play, but you want him to sleep so you can have an hour to yourself; you have company all day and you still feel lonely; you want to be productive but you just want to sit and do nothing.

Honestly, there haven't really been any surprises; my baby sister is 11 years younger than me and our parents separated when she was 3, so small people, can do. The most helpful thing in the whole experience, though, was a book my dad bought me: French Children Don't Throw Food. In the Anglo world, we tend to freak out about EVERYTHING - Am I doing this right? Will this hurt their development? How can I help them advance quickly? French parenting seems to be a lot more laidback, which is how I am usually when the anxiety doesn't take control, so it was really helpful to be reminded to basically just chill B-)

And yes, we are both (hub & I) enjoying the parenting thing, and planning how far apart we want Minion and his next sibling to be O:)

Quilting

Ha, I have NO IDEA how Ada came up with this as a topic, because I'm pretty sure I've never discussed quilting in public before, but AWESOME. My mum started quilting around the time baby sister was born. She made a quilt for myself and my middle sister, and the one for baby sister is still in pieces. I was 11, and decided I'd make a mini-quilt for baby sister's basinette, which I did, hurrahz. A few years later when I graduated from high school (year 10), I got everyone in the year to sign calico hearts for me, which I was going to put onto a quilt. Ten years later, after collecting fabric off and on, I pulled them out to start working on it - and because I can't do anything by halves, started two other quilts at the same time. Only, I took some of the stuff away for Christmas and managed to lose all the hearts :( I am, if you'll pardon the pun, heartbroken, but neither of the houses I stayed out ever found the hearts, and while I cherish the hope that they are tucked away somewhere in a random pile of fabric, I'm yet to find them. Thus the (hopefully temporary) end of quilting.

More recently, handbags have become my thing. The house is full of unfinished projects that my attention span is too short for, but handbags seem pretty perfect because they are small and relatively quick to make - plus I can do my own designs and play with pretty fabric. I have WAY too much fabric collected in the back room right now o.O :D

I still have my quilt that Mum made me; I use it on awkward nights when it's too hot for a doona but too cold for just a sheet, and I love it. One of the three quilts that are in pieces in my wardrobe is going to be specifically a snuggle quilt, one that I can drag around the house and snuggle in to without worrying about ruining it. Quilts. #win. :o)

Superheroes

Ah ha ha. I suspect this one is on the list because Ada knows a little about my Speshul Sekrit Project that will be revealed shortly to all of you (and which, if you are savvy and read the blog and actually care enough to think about it, is pretty easily figured out :P). But yes, superheroes. It has occured to me recently that I really love superhero fiction - which makes the fact that I've never read any of the traditional superhero comics like Batman or Superman or Spiderman or or or a little ironic.

I don't know what it is, exactly - I like secret identities, I like the social justice aspect that's usually a part of it, I like that the good guys win, I like that they have superpowers because frankly, that's just cool. I like superhero teams, especially, because I like teams of any kind, both in fiction and real life. I like that it's fun, and safe (because good always wins), but that it deals with serious stuff in life as well - even if you have superpowers, you can't save everyone, and you're still human. I like that despite their superpowers, superheroes are still just human, just people trying to change the world for the better - which is what I'd like to do. Maybe I like superheroes so much because in secret, I wish I was one. Never really thought about it much before. (Must now ponder what my superpower would be...)

So, thus concludeth my seven topics meme response. I hope it was vaguely interesting :o) And remember, if you want to join in, let me know in the comments and I'll give you your own list of seven things! :D

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 00:04:00 +0000

So, continuing with the theme of serialised novels, today I have author Krista Ball here to discuss her latest project, Collaborator. Collaborator is a serialised novel, with partial chapters posted to her blog at random; it's a great little sci fi story, and I encourage any of you who like the genre to hop over and give it a go. Krista is also the author of a whole bunch of other great books, which you can find here :)

1) Why did you decide to write Collaborator as a serial in the first place?

I'd been wanting to write that story for ages, but never felt my writing skills were at the point where I could do it justice. I'd made a few failed attempts, but I lacked both the skill and confidence to pull it off. So, it kept getting back burnered. Then, finally, I'd decided that I needed to work on something new. I'm in the midst of some major contracted projects and I needed an outlet. So, I thought the web serial would be a good way to do that.

2) How frequently did you post chapters, and why did you choose that interval?

I post whenever the hell I feel like it. My serial isn't about driving traffic to my blog. Mine is a reward to my readers, who are getting to read a future novel a year in advance as I write it. I'm really busy with writing, so this really has to remain a treat and fun. Or else, it would just become yet another thing that I'm forced/obligated/must do.

3) What was the best bit about writing as a serial?

I'm not under contract to write it! So I can write it whenever I want.

4) What was the worst?

See point #3.

5) How freaked out did you get about the inability to go back and change stuff, and how did you cope with that?

As this will eventually be bundled into an ebook and self-published, it will need to edited after the fact. So small things might change. Also, I'm going into it knowing how it will go. I have an outline for the series (this is part of a much larger series), so I'm confident that I know where I'm going.

6) How different is the final release version to the serial chapter-at-a-time version?

I think there won't be a huge difference. There'll be some clean up, better setting explanation, but overall I think this is going up fairly clean and organized.

7) And most importantly, did anyone threaten to scalp you because the chapters were 'obviously written in a rush' or any other variant thereon?

Not really, since I've tried to only put things up when I'm happy with them. Generally folks point out when I've made proofreading errors and, in science fiction, that can really mess up the meaning of stuff when doing technobabble! It is frustrating to put up a chapter, see 20 people read it within an hour of posting...and the only comment is "you have two spelling mistakes." You just want to clobber people!

Basically, this is a terrifying thing to choose to do. WAS IT WORTH IT and WHY?

Oh yeah. I'm having fun. Like I said, I have a very busy year. Lots of stress. It's really important that I *do not* make this on a schedule or anything. Else, it will make it just another commitment and I have plenty of those already.

Thanks so much for your time, Krista! And remember, everyone: you can follow the adventure right here on Krista's website :)

Review: Even Villains Fall In Love by Liana Brooks

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 01:09:00 +0000

April 2012, Breathless Press

eBook
Personal copy

Science Fiction Romance (Superhero fiction)
Kisses, caresses, off-screen sex, quadriplets who want their Mummy NOW

Summary from Breathless Press:

If you believe the rumors you know that Doctor Charm, the wickedly sexy super villain, retired in shame seven years ago after his last fight with the superhero Zephyr Girl. The fact that the charming Evan Smith - father of four and husband of the too-beautiful-to-be-real Tabitha - bears a resemblance to the defeated Doctor is pure coincidence. And, please, ignore the minions.

Everything is perfect in the Smith household until Tabitha announces her return to work as a superhero. Evan was hoping to keep her distracted until after he rigged the 2012 presidential election, but – genius that he is – Evan has a backup plan. In his basement lab Evan has a machine whose sole purpose is keeping Tabitha hungry for him.

But children and labs don’t mix. The machine is broken, and Tabitha storms out, claiming she no longer knows him. World domination takes a back seat to meeting his daughters’ demands to get Mommy back right now. This time his genius isn’t going to be enough – he’s going to need both his evil alter-ego and the blooming super abilities of his children to save his wife. But even his most charming self might not be enough to save their marriage.

Amy's Thoughts:
Those of you that follow me on Twitter will probably not be surprised by my adoration of this book. Not only is it my twinny's debut (SO EXCITING), I helped out with the betaing and proofreading of this one, so it's completely amazing to have seen it go from a casual summer joke to Real Live Proper Book. YAY!

EVFiL is a fun, quirky story about the super villain who married the superhero. He's hot, she's gorgeous, and it was just the kind of scandal the world needed :D Only now they have four kids, Evan's plan to take over the world via the US presidential elections is falling behind schedule - and his wife decides she wants to go back to superheroing. Seriously, is this not the most awesome set up? But of course, everything goes wrong, and Evan has to decide between ruling the free world, and getting his wife back - and, of course, everything is not as it seems >:)

So, reasons why you should read this book:
1) It's funny.
2) If you like anything in the superhero genre, you will probably like this.
3) It's SO nice to have a romance novel(la) based on a married couple for a change. Romance does not end with a wedding, people!
4) It's funny.
5) I helped proofread it.

O:)

Excerpt:
Maria rolled her eyes. "We won't get hurt, Daddy. You'll protect us. You never got hurt as a super villain, did you?"
"Um..."
"See? We'll be safe."
Delila raised her hand.
"Yes?"
"Can we have costumes?"
He was blindsided with nowhere to run. "Sure. I'll have a minion get right on that. You do realize that if I let you near a fight, your mother will kill me? She will skin me alive. Literally. This is a very bad idea."
"Mommy doesn't like you leaving us alone either," Maria said.
"Minions don't count," Angela added.

Final Conclusion:
If you enjoy lighthearted romance, real family dynamics, and a bit of superhero magic on the side, this is definitely the book for you. It's funny, it's quirky, and I really can't wait to read the next in the series :D

Find Liana Brooks on her website, or see the publisher's page for Even Villains Fall In Love.

Liana Brooks was born in San Diego, California. Years later she was disappointed to learn that The Shire was not some place she could move to, nor was Rider of Rohan an acceptable career choice. Studying marine biology so she could play with sharks seemed to be the only alternative. After college Liana settled down to work as a full-time author and mother because logical career progression is something that happens to other people. When she grows up, Liana wants to be an Evil Overlord and take over the world.

In the meantime, she writes sci-fi and SFR in between trips to the beach. She can be found wearing colorful socks on the Emerald Coast, or online at www.lianabrooks.com.

The Whys and Wherefores of Serials

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 05:13:00 +0000

Today I have the most wonderful Danyelle Leafty, author of The Fairy Godmother Dilemma series, here to talk about serial novels. Why? Nothing, no reason at all, and certainly nothing to do with this or this. O:)

Dani wrote Catspell last year as a serial novel. It was released on her website, two chapters a week, and subscribers got either an ebook or hardcopy at the end, depending on their level of subscription. I thought it might be interesting to look at the idea of a serial novel from an author's point of view; serials used to be quite common (it was how Dickens wrote many of his stories, for example) and although these days people read serialised webcomics and the like, there aren't many serialised novels around. Which is a shame, because they can be loads of fun!

1) Why did you decide to write Catspell as a serial in the first place?

Publishing is changing its face right now, and it's anybody's guess how it will look a couple of years from now. The reason I chose to write CATSPELL as a serial, was because I wanted to do something different. Something outside the box. I'm always up for learning new things and improving my craft, and it seemed like something I might enjoy doing. :)

2) How frequently did you post chapters, and why did you choose that interval?

I posted two chapters a week. I chose to do this because I can write quickly and it would have taken a little over half a year to release the whole thing if I'd gone any slower. CATSPELL has sequels, and I didn't want to have to wait that long to move forward with this series.

3) What was the best bit about writing as a serial?

The most rewarding thing about writing CATSPELL as a serial--besides people being willing to take a risk on me--was proving to myself that I could do it. Also, all of the things I learned along the way that I wouldn't have learned otherwise.

4) What was the worst?

The worst thing was probably the workload. It was a pain to edit and format two chapters a week on top of everything else I was doing. #multitasking

5) How freaked out did you get about the inability to go back and change stuff, and how did you cope with that?

I wasn't really all that freaked out. I've spent a couple of years getting to know how my personal writing process worked, and feel pretty comfortable with it. And even though I know how I work, I'm still actively learning more things and different techniques to see if anything sticks.

My writing process is kind of different from how a lot of other authors describe their own. The best way I can describe it is that my sub-conscious is the one doing all the heavy lifting while my conscious mind makes sure I hit the right keys when I type. My drafts now, after years of honing my craft, come out fairly clean. In general, I'm a single draft writer, so writing a serial wasn't that scary for me.

This doesn't mean that I don't have to fix grammar and punctuation and awkward sentences and weave threads a little tighter in places. What it means is that I don't have to do anything major to my drafts to make them acceptable. I wasn't always this way, and I have to be very careful and analytical with my work, because sometimes a story *does* creep in that needs more than one draft. I have to be able to tell the difference and have confidence in my decision.

What really freaked me out was realizing that people would actually read my story. >.< So while I had confidence in the story itself, setting it free was terrifying. Kind of like speaking in public. ;-)

6) How different is the final release version to the serial chapter-at-a-time version?

Because of how I write, and how the story came out, the final version was very close to the original version. O:) Again, no major plot re-workings. Mostly just making sure everything gelled together and was cleaned up.

7) And most importantly, did anyone threaten to scalp you because the chapters were 'obviously written in a rush' or any other variant thereon?

*grin* Not that I know of. My natural writing rhythm clips along at a decent pace. (About 2k a day, 6 days a week.) I finished the novel long before it had fully been released.

Basically, this is a terrifying thing to choose to do. WAS IT WORTH IT and WHY?

It was definitely worth it. I learned a lot about myself, my writing, and the business part of being an author. Some of the things I did will change when I release another serial, and some of them will remain the same. Doing this gave me the confidence that I *could* do something different, public, and on a time limit, and do it well. :)

Thanks so much for agreeing to answer my questions, Dani :) Everyone else, don't forget to check out Dani's awesome blog, website, and book :o)

Research or Lie?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:18:00 +0000

"A writer that delves into topics he doesn’t know has three choices, research, be vague, or learn to lie convincingly. The art of writing fiction is not so much being right, it is convincing the reader he is right, or entertaining him at a level where he simply doesn’t care."

I read the above quote in a writing forum recently, and it made me stop and think - especially since it was on a thread about the alternate history genre and the importance of research in stories. I read this and stopped, because ultimately, I think it's right. I DO think research is important, especially for a really convincing alternate history... But I'm also a perfectionist. That has an impact on many areas of my life, but it's particularly obvious in writing, and is the reason I stay away from writing historicals or alternate historicals.

Why? Because I'll never know enough. This is what my mind is convinced of, anyway. No matter how much research I do, no matter how many books I read, I'll still never know enough to present another time period convincingly. Which is rubbish, I know, but the thought is strong enough that, as I said, I shy away from writing in the history genres.

I'm having this problem with Jesscapades, too. Jessc is set in England and I've had suggestions from some readers that the setting needs to be more specific, less vague and handwavey. Pick a real location already, they say.

Except if I do that, I'll need to research the location, investigate climates and weather patterns, learn the history, study the neighbourhoods, find some locals and quiz them on the atmosphere, the habits of the population, figure out which area my MC is most likely to live in and where she would go to work and why... And it's so. much. work.

I've tried the vague route; obviously that didn't work. I've tried the research-the-heck-out-of-it route too, spending hours with google maps, browsing everything from real estate websites to online fast food menus. In the end, all I got was frustrated, and even after those many hours, I'm no closer to knowing where Jess might live or any of it.

So I guess the next option is option 3: learn to lie convincingly. Because ultimately, the final sentence is right - readers read to be entertained, not for the veracity of the setting. So I can quit stressing over the fact that Coventry, UK doesn't have a warehouse exactly like the one I need for Jesscapades; really, it's my story, and I'm allowed to plonk a warehouse down where I need one if I need to. And perhaps the issue the betas had is not so much that I need to pick a real world location, but more that I need to make the sense of setting sharper, clearer and more detailed - make the world of the story come alive.

Do you have a preference for recognisable, real world settings over 'vague' real world settings? I'm curious, because a few of my stories take place in actual places in my head, but I'm not sure whether or not to make that obvious in the text, or whether to leave it ambiguous... What do you think??

Villain: Wanted

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 04:24:00 +0000

So, I'm writing this awesome story called L.A.O.S., which stands for the League of Absolutely Ordinary Superheroes. It's about a bunch of teens who use their super-high IQs and knowledge of scientific theory to be superheroes and save the world (L.A.O.S.: Saving the World Through Science! #ftw). I'm planning on making this a serial; each 'episode' is slated at about 15k, and there will be 6 total. The eps will be released about a month apart, and at the end will be collated into one pretty, shiny volume. *pats the imaginary volume*

So far, so good.

Only one problem: I need a villain. So, throw some ideas at me: volunteer your name, pick a superpower the villain should have, tell me what his goal in life might be - anything you like, no matter how random. And when I finally finish the stories and publish them, you'll get a mention in the acknowledgements, and a free ARC of each episode ;) :)

The League of Absolutely Ordinary Superheroes

When your IQ is so far off the scale that scientists are lining up to create new tests to measure it with and Mensa is knocking on your door, there are only two ways to go in life. You can embrace your nerdly glory and live a life condemned to exist on the fringes, without any real human contact, or you can pretend. Or you can be an arrogant jerk like Greg, but he’s practically an entire category to himself no matter which way you slice it.

Like any other normal teenager, I just wanted to belong. Okay, yeah, at first it was frustrating that the rest of the class would take hours to understand what I’d figured out in the first three seconds, but that was pretty quickly surmounted and easily dealt with: I just ignored school altogether. My real education happened in my spare time anyway; school was just somewhere I had to be, with people who I desperately wanted to like me.

They didn’t, of course. I mean, to begin with they accepted me and all, but there was always this vague sense of unease, like they knew I was hiding something, but couldn’t figure out what. And then bloody Mr Hangley had to perform what was tantamount to abuse on that poor, unsuspecting formula, and I couldn’t help myself: before I knew what I was doing, I’d opened my big gob and corrected him, and once the words started they just kept pouring out, a torrent I’d been hiding inside for so many years that when they finally spilled over, they flooded everyone within a five mile radius.

Maybe. Actually, I can only vouch for the fact that they drowned my classmates, and very nearly Mr Hangley, who stood staring at me like I’d grown horns and started tap-dancing naked on the desk. Which, thinking back, may have been the smarter thing to do.

After that, there was no going back.

Megan cornered me right after class, fists on hips and eyes flashing. “What was that, then?” she demanded.

I did my best to shrink, to blend back into the crowd – but the crowd was no longer there. Instead, guys I’d just half an hour ago called mates were edging away from me, pointing and whispering, and I stood out like I’d always known I’d one day have to, raw and naked and alone. So, eloquently, I shrugged and tried to pretend like I had no idea what she was talking about. Like lecturing your maths teacher on the subtleties of [stuff] was normal.

“I’m serious,” she said, tossing her hair. Man, you do not want to get Megan riled up. I swear, she’s part terrier or something, because once she’s latched onto something she does not let go, and she is scary. “What was up with that?”

“With what?” I snapped, shoving midgety year sevens aside so I could stomp away. Sure, that’s right, I thought. It’s not enough that my cover’s blown and I’m back to being Chris-fit again, bloody brunette Barbie has to come and rub it in, just to make sure I got the point.

Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:59:00 +0000

Well, winner, I suppose O:) Diane, you've won the copy of Holly Lisle's Create-a-Plot Clinic! Woohoo! I love this book, and I hope you enjoy it too. Contact me and I'll send you your copy.

Breastfeeding is Offensive

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 04:56:00 +0000

This.

Love it.

Grab-and-Go @ Cobbett&Paws

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 00:48:00 +0000

New post about my latest sewing adventure over at Cobbett&Paws :)

Need Plot?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 05:41:00 +0000

I meant to post the other day to let you all know, but now I'm glad I held off until today. (Cryptic enough? :P) Why? Because I just realised today I have something for a giveaway! Read to the end for details... :o)

Anyway, I've mentioned it a couple of times, but now I have an end date for you: the LAST day you will be able to sign up for How To Think Sideways (12 month version) is MARCH 31. After that, it WILL be available on other platforms (Holly is transferring all her stuff to kindle, nook, etc etc) BUT I will NOT be able to offer you the 20% rebate after March 31. So if you've been thinking of joining and want a no-questions-asked 20% discount off the total price, NOW is the time to do it. The 12 month version has all the same content as the 6 month, but delivered at a slower pace. The price is $37.95/month, and that price is going to increase when it heads to other platforms. Remember, you can drop out at ANY time and you'll receive a refund for any month you're part way through, so you really only have to commit to... well, potentially nothing, if you dropped out in the first month and that was refunded. But let's assume the maximum you're committing to is $37.95 less the 20% which is $30.36.

How to Revise Your Novel and How To Think Sideways (6 month version) are also going the same way, but I think there's a little more leeway on the timeframe there.

Holly's website-based shop is also closing, and it currently has a HUGE SALE on! 25 - 30% off everything, from what I can see, and again, if you buy through my link and send me your receipt, you'll get a no-questions-asked 20% rebate of what you paid.

And if you've been wanting to test out some of Holly's non-fic work but have been holding off, I have good news! It seems I have a spare copy of the Create-a-Plot Clinic (version 2)! Yay! This is my second favourite of all her short courses (favourite is How To Write Page Turning Scenes), so I'm excited to discover I have a copy to give away :o) To enter, just leave a note in the comments saying you're interested. And note that I've turned the captcha off, so leaving a comment should be easier ;)

Yay!

PS All links in this post are affiliate links and are good for the 20% rebate ;)

Another Shopping Expedition @ Cobbett&Paws

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 03:21:00 +0000

New post over at Cobbett&Paws about my shopping mission, wherein I totally failed to buy the black denim I went for and come home with a host of other stuff instead. *facepalm*

Also, SHARKS.

A Random Assortment of Updates

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:40:00 +0000

*waves* Hi-hello! How goes things? Long time no see (as always, sigh). At least the New Minion is a passable excuse for not blogging, right? RIGHT? O:)

So, I have a random assortment of updates today - which, considering the title of this post, is shocking, no? Mostly, it is non-writingish. There has not been much writing in the 6 weeks since New Minion's birth, although the last week has been more productive in that regard - and I finally, FINALLY figured out where/how to start Jesscapades. Really, I feel like I ought to plow on and finish the current draft (I have 52,000 words, give or take, and it's about 2/3 done), but I can't help but think I'm writing throw-away words when I work on it... So I may decide to just go back to the beginning and start over again. We shall see.

It's funny, though. If you've been hanging around the writing world for long enough, you'll know that sooner or later every writing how-to translates to - 'but everyone does things their own way'. There's no one right way to write - and yet, much and all as I know that, I feel like going back and starting from the beginning of Jesscapades is the 'wrong' thing to do, because so many of the pros say that you should never go back, only go forward. Stupid of me to let something like that hang me up - I mean seriously, isn't it better to go back to the beginning and rewrite, even though I haven't finished the end, than to NOT WRITE ANYTHING AT ALL?? Dude. Seriously.

Unfortunately, my brain is a very all-or-nothing place, something that manifests everywhere from hobbies to housework. I hate vacuuming (which I always try to spell vaccuming or vacumming!), for example, because I have this horrible, lingering feeling that unless I've moved every single piece of furniture and vacuumed under it, the job ISN'T DONE PROPERLY. And I LOATHE not being able to do things properly. Hence, house ends up unvacuumed because the Inky, she has neither the time nor the muscles to move every bit of furniture every single time. *sigh*

I suspect this is somewhat of a serious character flaw, one which I am Working To Overcome. To that end, 2012 has been dubbed the Year of Finishing Things, in which I must finish all projects that I start, or finish old projects. None of this bad-habitty, start-a-project-all-excited, reach-critical-mass, freak-out-and-run-away business.

I have already finished one lovely shiny project early this year: The Chair. Those of you with exceptional memories may remember that I mentioned DH & I were reupholstering our old lounge. Well, we did it, and here is the shinyfish result (well, nearly; I apparently don't have a pic of it TOTALLY finished, which is sad, because OBVIOUSLY it looks better with arms and a seat cushion):

I've started another rather major undertaking: making bags. It combines too many things I love not to do: pretty fabric, textures, colours, designing stuff, useful things (BAGS, HELLO!), Etsy, and hopefully, enough extra cash to enable my return to work in July to be part time rather than full time O:) (yes, that was a slightly shameless plug...) Because I am Amy and can never have enough blogs that I rarely update, I've started another one! This time to deal with all my fabricking adventures. Do follow if you're interested in that sort of thing, and unless anyone here screams loudly to the contrary, I'll post here when I have something new over there. So head on over and find out why my shop is called Cobbett&Paws... :)

Finally, in the list of random updates, the Dog Book, she is nearly done. FINALLY. This was only supposed to be finished, you know, LAST OCTOBER. *sigh* Oh well. Better late than never.

And speaking of dogs, you totally have to watch this video I stumbled on today. CANINES FOR THE WIN. We all knew they were superheros in disguise.

What are you guys working on at the moment? Do you have something you're having trouble finishing? I know, I'll make a Finishing Club 2012 badge, and we can all pledge to finish something this year, bwa ha >:) To the year of finishing! Hurrahs!

Guest Post: I Was Supposed To Be A Scientist!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 01:14:00 +0000

Today I'd like to welcome Liana Brooks to the blog. As those of you who hang out on twitter probably know, Liana is my twin (separated by an ocean and a couple of years O;)) - so I'm extremely excited to be able to announce that her debut novella, Even Villains Fall In Love, is about to be released! (April 4, Breathless Press). A round of applause, if you please!

And yes, I'm the one that knows how to use a comma ;)

I never meant to be a writer. Truth be told, I failed a writing class in my first year of high school. I spent a year in remedial English being politely beaten over the head with the definition of a noun.

Yet, somehow, I found myself writing in my spare time. Scribbling out scenes for fun and amusement. I shared my work with friends in high school, talked about the books I would write if I had time in college, and forced myself to try and edit a novel after I graduated. Because I was amazing. No one had books like me!

I wasn't a writer, of course, I was just a magical being with plot prowess instead of fairy dust. I knew that if I wanted to be an author (which of course I didn't - I was going to be a scientist because I'm serious and studious like that) people would trip over themselves to read my work. Really, that half-finished hand-written novel in my desk was my nest egg. All I needed to do was open a window and whisper that I, Liana Brooks, had written a novel and money was going to fall from the clouds like rain.

Please don't die laughing...

Everything was sunshine and roses until I received my first critique from my online critique group. Unsure of which novel was best I'd posted my favorite scene, from the middle of a book. I did edit first! If you call hitting spell check editing...

They didn't get my genius!

I was flabbergasted. Then suspicious. Then a little ashamed. Then properly mortified. I couldn't even use a comma correctly. I couldn't use adverbs correctly! I didn't have a clue how to communicate in my native language! (Although, I'd like to point out, I had the grammar and spelling correct for the Latin portions of the text. I can communicate in some languages. Just not living ones.)

Maybe I should have quit there. I could have found a better hobby - you know, one I was good at. I could have gotten a real job, one with a paycheck every two weeks. But instead I found myself huddled in the Slacker's Corner, a tiny place of the internet where a few lost souls curled up under cyber-blankets to talk about bad days, chocolate, families, and books.

For a group called Slackers we really weren't - everyone was busy with something, and we all were writing something. Scribbling. Imagining. Dreaming. Learning.

What a beautiful word! Learning... some of us were gifted at plotting, some of us actually knew how to use that frakkin comma. And what we knew, we shared. We encouraged each other.

After several years of writing and abandoning projects I wrote one just for fun, just to make the Slackers laugh. With a little encouragement (and a lot of editing because the comma is still a mystery to me) I sent my story off to a publisher. Rejections came, and bounced off my iron-plated ego. Then came acceptance.

I had a panic attack and ran straight to the Slackers.

Through all the ups and downs, they were there. Perfect friends, always encouraging, always helpful, always willing to look past my flaws.

My first novella is EVEN VILLAINS FALL IN LOVE, and the only reason you will get to read it is because the Slackers encouraged me. I'm happy to say I gave something back, and I'm not the only Slacker with a book or play out this year.

I guess it goes to show, a label is only a word. Call them Slackers, call them Villains, call them what you will, at the end of the day they are still a person and capable of doing anything. Even falling in love.

Liana Brooks was born in San Diego, California. Years later she was disappointed to learn that The Shire was not some place she could move to, nor was Rider of Rohan an acceptable career choice. Studying marine biology so she could play with sharks seemed to be the only alternative. After college Liana settled down to work as a full-time author and mother because logical career progression is something that happens to other people. When she grows up, Liana wants to be an Evil Overlord and take over the world.

In the meantime, she writes sci-fi and SFR in between trips to the beach. She can be found wearing colorful socks on the Emerald Coast, or online at www.lianabrooks.com.

Ride The Moon!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Laurens) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 06:45:00 +0000

Forgot to mention yesterday, but the Ride the Moon anthology is now available! I am so proud to be included in an anthology with such high calibre authors. Much squeefulness indeed. (See list of contributors here).

Werewolves and Vampires aren’t the only frightening creatures

birthed by the Moon…

For thousands of years, the Moon has inspired stories and legends about heroic animals, violent deities, and criminal humans. In modern times, those tales have been overshadowed by vampires and werewolves. It’s time for the Moon and her denizens to take back the night.

Follow us down a twisting path of fantasy and science fiction and rediscover the magic of the Moon. From Mermaids that collect souls to lunar colonies on the brink of disaster, inside these pages you will find out which lunar gods still walk among us and what new breed of monster you should be fearful of.

Ride the Moon contains 19 speculative fiction tales that showcase the breathed of writing styles from around the globe.

My story, Cherry Blossoms, is one that had been percolating in the back of my mind for quite some time. I got the basics of the idea a couple of years ago when I did Holly Lisle's How To Think Sideways course - images of cherry blossoms atop a bundle of letters on a doorstep, a man who'd gone beyond death, and the woman who tried to follow him. But for years, that's all I had - until I got the chance to submit to this anthology and the moon theme gave me the missing ingredient I needed :D You'll have to buy the anthology if you want to see how the story came together ;) But here's how it all begins...

Ambrose sits alone in utter darkness, no one but fear for company as he prepares for the culmination of his ambitions. It’s been years since he felt fear; it’s been years since he felt anything. That was one of the demands of the quest: let nothing distract him from his single-mindedness, not love, not hatred, not regret, not fear. So in a way, it’s nice to feel again, even if it does set his teeth on edge and send his pulse racing.

There’s no reason for the fear, of course. He knows the potion will work. Years of research and millions of dollars have ensured that. But the moisture that should coat his tongue and throat still slicks his palms and forehead instead. Ambrose scrubs his hands on his bare thighs; his grip must be firm, sure. The timing of this experiment is so crucial to its success; the merest half-millisecond hesitation caused by a slip of the knife would be disastrous – and he doesn’t want to die.

Which is entirely the point. He sits here, naked and alone in the dark of night in a house nobody wanted on a rug nobody loved because he is about to reach the pinnacle of his ambitions, and finally, at last, escape the clutches of death forever. Shame he has to die to do it.

The anthology is available from Tyche Books directly, and you can also find it on Amazon and B&N or request it at local bookstores. Also, The King of Elfland's Second Cousin gave it a very nice review, which is very happyful.

Winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Laurens) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 02:14:00 +0000

Sorry it's taken me overlong to announce the winners of the contests. Life has been a little crazy the last three weeks, what with our new addition and all...

But anyway, without further ado, here are the winners (by random draw) of the various giveaways:

The 100 Followers Giveaway: Angela Ackerman - one copy of The Replacement shall be winging its way towards you shortly (unless you changed your mind and wanted a different book)

The Newsletter Subscribers Giveaway: Andrea Clunes - one copy of Divergent

The Fairytale Trap: ALSO Andrea Clunes! See the power of the random generator :)

So, girls, contact me asap (see link at the top of the blog if all else fails) and I'll get your prizes out to you as soon as I can.

Thanks to everyone for entering :)

I apologize for not being able to dress myself

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Laurens) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 23:43:00 +0000

Today, to round off the unofficial series of guest posts on creativity, I've invited Krista D. Ball to the blog. Krista is an awesome writer, and we just happen to be TOC buddies in the upcoming Ride the Moon anthology, which is of course tremendously exciting. For me, anyway O:) Go check out her website for some great stories.

Most of the authors I know are incredibly talented. For example, Billie Milholland paints, writes, and does general crafty things. Susan J. Forest writes award-winning short fiction and paints beautiful landscapes.

Me? I need help matching my clothes.

When the kindergarten kids were expressively painting their cats and elephants, I was still working with basic stick figures. I've never actually moved past that stage. I managed to successfully do one splatter painting called "Artist Killed By Sniper" but it generally gets me odd looks; it's currently buried in a box.

Music? Nah, I can't carry a tune. Sew? Please. I don't even know how to use a sewing machine, let alone attach a button. I do crochet, but I can't move past the beginner patterns and even those are often too difficult for me. I used to do cross stitch, and would spend more time pulling apart the pattern than putting it together.

And, yes, I need help matching my clothes.

I have two stores that I shop at and the store people know me now. I go in and say what I need (i.e. I need an outfit to wear at a readercon). They will then go and pick me out an entire outfit: pants, shirt, sweater, scarf, jewelry, socks. The sales staff will tell me if it works or not and I buy the entire set. I then only wear that entire set together until I'm comfortable to switch it up.

I really have no idea what matches, looks good, or is in "good taste."

I've had several bosses over the years that have nitpicked at how I dress. My white socks clash with my grey pants. My brown dress hose clashes with my black shirt. My blue shirt doesn't match my dark jeans. My make up clashes with my eye colour. My hair doesn't match my face. My glasses don't match my eye colour. I can go on. I've come to realize that it really was me, not them. I have no taste.

Oh, I'm sure I am still creative. But outside of books, I'm really not sure that statement applies. So the next time you see a photo of me, remember: someone else dressed me.

According to her mother, Krista D. Ball tells lies for a living. She is the author of several short stories, novellas, and novels. Krista incorporates as much historical information into her fiction as possible, mostly to justify her B.A. in British History.

Krista enjoys all aspects of the writing and publishing world, and has been a magazine intern, co-edited four RPG books, self-published several short stories and a novella series, and has been a slush reader for a small Canadian press. She has also written a non-fiction blogging guide and is currently writing a non-fiction historical book for authors called, "What Kings Ate and Wizards Drank."

Whenever she gets annoyed, she blows something up in her fiction. Regular readers of her work have commented that she is annoyed a lot.

When Less is More

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Laurens) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:33:00 +0000

Less is more. I’ve heard some people twist this maxim to ‘more is more’. Granted, that works in some situations, and the whole ‘less is more’ idea obviously has its limits: some food is better than no food! And some words on a page definitely give the reader the idea of the story better than no words. You can definitely have too little.

But you can also have too much. I’m referring, here, to the idea of overwriting – something which I was guilty of as an inexperienced writer for far too many years, partially because no one could tell me what they actually meant when they said I had overwritten something (not even my university creative writing lecturer!). It took a few years of practice, lots of critiquing, and the revisiting of some of my old university notes to figure out what they really meant.

Here’s the thing: when I sit down to write, I often have a pretty specific idea in my head of what everything looks like – where things are in relation to each other, colours, general interaction of characters and setting, and so forth. Obviously, the entire point of writing is to try to convey that mental image to the people who will read my story, and that’s what learning to write is about – learning how best to perform telepathy and transfer the image from my head to yours. Writing really is magical :)

Like all good magic, though, there’s a catch: your head isn’t a blank slate waiting for me to throw stuff at. Readers come to everything they read with their own perceptions, backgrounds, and associations – both for concepts and individual words. I do this activity in my creative writing class at school where I read out the description of a room and ask all the students to draw it. Of course, every drawing I get is different; some drew it from different perspectives, some interpreted my words in different ways – and of course, they all fill in the gaps differently.

Because here’s the other thing: no matter how detailed I am in my description, I will always leave gaps. Something about the quality of the light, or the exact proportions of the objects, or the precise shade or tone, or the temperature, or smell, or the feel of the carpet on my feet – something will always slip through my description, and the students will always have to fill in some gaps.

The students, of course, are like readers. Reader Response Theory posits that readers derive their own meaning from texts using multiple layers as clues – the phonetic layer, where we figure out the meaning of each sound, the orthographic layer, where we figure out what sounds the squiggles on the page represent, the semantic layer where we figure out what words as a whole mean, and so on and so forth. There is always going to be some fundamental similarity of meaning that all readers will have in common – Hamlet is after all not a muffin, as my university lecturer would say – but there will also be differences (sometimes slight, sometimes significant) in the way that readers perceive a story that will mean that they have different interpretations of it.

This is a good thing! I don’t know about you, but I find the most boring stories are the ones where everything is served up to me, where I don’t have to exercise my imagination or engage on any meaningful level in order to get through it. Gaps are good – gaps engage the reader and give them some work to do. Of course, as I said at the beginning, some food is better than none, and you don’t want to lapse into obscurity so that the reader has no clue what you’re talking about – that will generally make me throw down a book just as quickly as if the writer had swamped me with every single detail. It’s all about the balance: not overwriting (too few gaps) and not underwriting (too many gaps).

For me, writing is most of all about being conscious of the words you use. Maybe not in draft-mode, but at least at the final-edit stage, I have to go through and check my word usage, and make sure that every word is the best one for that moment, that it all means what I intend it to. But being a conscious writer means more than that – it also means being conscious of the gaps you leave in your work. There will always be gaps – and there should be – but they should be gaps that you have chosen.

How do you choose where to leave the gaps? Significance. Does it really matter that your protagonist is wearing a red shirt? Sometimes, yes. If, for example, he’s about to be sacrificially shot so the rest of the team can get away, sure, the fact that he has a red shirt might be symbolic. Ditto if you’re wanting to subtly foreshadow his part in an upcoming murder, or that he will die soon, or whatever. Or even if it’s just because he’s going to spill some tomato sauce on himself and it will be pretty critical to the plot that it doesn’t show up. If it’s just red because, then maybe not so much.

The key point is critical to the plot. Significant detail. Does it really matter if the reader misses this particular detail? If not, leave it out. The words that remain will be that much stronger, that much tighter, and the core of your meaning that much clearer if you do.

Blog Tour + Giveaways!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy Laurens) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 02:36:00 +0000

Hi there! Just a quick reminder that while I've been off busy spawning a minion:

...the giveaways are still active, regardless of what they might say in-post. See here and here, and please! Encourage people to enter! Share and spread the word!

Also, belatedly, I am part of a blog tour! Random Writing Rants is a week-ish long blog hop that we are actually nearly at the end of (sigh), but it's never too late to join the fun! My post, called "When Less is More", will be up HERE TOMORROW.

Check out the rest of the contributors, starting here with Chrystalla Thoma's rant about hopping :)

9 Febr: A. Merc Rustad – On Voice

10 Febr: Marie Dees – Building a Novel from Nothing

11 Febr: Krista D. Ball – Avoiding the Heroine Stupid Juice

12 Febr: Marion Sipe – Rant on Stereotypes, Cliches and Tropes

13 Febr: Ada Hoffmann – On Blundering

14 Febr: Amy Laurens – When Less is More