No NANOWRIMO for me this year

If my lack of posting is any indication, things are moving a little behind around here. I have a lot of things monopolizing my time like work and family. Okay, so I shouldn't begrudge the time family takes and I am thankful for my job, but I'm still having "balance" issues nonetheless.

I spent the month of October working on a new manuscript. One that just seemed to jump in front of me and annoy me, so I had to write it out to settle it down!  It is a new direction for me, not YA, and I am enjoying trying something new.

So this dry run in October answered an important question for me. Should I try NANOWRIMO 2011? After getting about 19,000 words written in October and not wanting to stop and try a new MS--the answer was no. There's still a lot of "new" with this MS and if I were to participate in Nano according to the rules, I would need to start a new book.

Just not the "write" time for me this year! I am feeling a little left out when I see all the twitter and facebook posts about Nanowrimo, but maybe next year! And even thought I'm not participating, I am still writing.

Good luck to all who are attempting this marathon! Let us know in December how it turns out!

My Brownie Recipe

Since I am branching out to other topics that I love, I thought I would start with one of my favorites:  Food.  I don't really consider myself a "foodie." While I do love an episode of Top Chef, I am not what you would consider much of technician in the kitchen. I am more of a negotiator.  I love comfort food, have a vicious sweet tooth, and my most used kitchen device is probably my can opener.

But cooking and baking still holds a lot of meaning for me.  There are so many of my memories that center around the taste, smell, and preparation of food. One of my most prized possessions is a binder full of recipes that my Nana typed straight out of her recipe box.  She gave all her grand-daughters copies of that binder for Christmas a few years ago. Oh, to look through those pages and picture the dishes at a family holiday or church potluck.  I love how some things are just called "Church Salad" or "Papa's Favorite Cake."

So one of my earliest memories of cooking came sneaking up on me this week.  When I was in elementary and Jr. High, I used to tag-along with my older sister when she went to these, like, Home Ec parties during the summer. I am sure this event had some specific name, but I don't remember it now.  What I do remember was that the Home Economics teacher . . . Oh, wait. When I say "Home Ec", I am referring to the cooking/sewing class that was taught in my tiny school. In the days before political correctness and Title 9 (all good things, just a different time), all the girls took Home Ec and the boys took Ag. Just the way we were raised and I don't regret it for a second.

Anyway, so the Home Ec teacher would open the huge kitchen/lab/sewing room/living room in our tiny school and they would have this Home Ec class during the summer. You could go up there and use the school's monster, heavy-duty sewing machines and learn to cook a few things. The class was really for my sister, but I loved that kind of stuff, so I went too.

One of the first things I learned to make were Brownies. (I must capitalize out of reverence.)  I somewhere still have the 3x5 index card with my elementary handwriting outlining this recipe, but I don't need it anymore since I've had it memorized for a while. (Not an amazing feat, I can also recite the prologue to Romeo and Juliet as well!)

The sweet-tooth kicked in this week, and so I baked some Brownies. Yum!

And so I share with you, My Brownie Recipe.  Much loved and widely tested. I always think about that first batch in the Home Ec room. They remind me of simpler times, my mom, my sisters, and now my kids who love them too. I hope you enjoy.

Brownies

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 cups flour

3-4 Tablespoons Cocoa

pinch of salt

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 cup melted oleo or butter

1/2 cup pecans (optional)

Mix eggs and sugar together. Add the flour, cocoa, and salt. Then add oleo and vanilla. Mix well. Stir in pecans if needed. Bake in a greased 13 x 9 pan for 35 minutes or until barely done.

Change of Heart

Ever since I started this blog, I have struggled for things to say. I felt pressure to have a blog because I want to be a writer. The blog was also handy to repost things to get entered into contests and such. I can't even count the number of times when I open up a new post and then I just stare at the screen. I find myself wanting to talk about my kids or my dogs or my cousins who inexplicably own a airplane or my brownie recipe or about my Nana who is losing her battle with Alzheimer's or . . . Well, you can see, the list goes on and on.

Then I straighten up, put my fingers to the keyboard and think: Write! This is a dang writing blog!

And nothing . . .

So the other day, to avoid the pressure of an empty blog post, I did what any self-respecting writer would do--I snuck over to twitter. In my feed, someone had posted a link to this article by Kristen Lamb.

"Eureka!" I screamed!

In her article she says this:

"Many writers start out hot and heavy for blogging. Then, about a month in, they hate their life, their blog and want to punch a fluffy kitten in the face. Why?

They aren’t blogging to create a brand. Our name is our brand. WE are our brand. The following on our blogs should be a following for US. We don’t need a writing blog, we need an US blog. I have blogged about being addicted to Febreeze. Does that teach you guys anything about writing or social media? No, because I don’t have a writing blog. I have a Kristen Lamb’s Blog.

An US blog doesn’t mean we talk about ourselves. Since when has talking about ourselves non-stop ever been a good plan for making friends? No, rather, an US blog takes our interests and connects with others on mutual ground."

So here we go.

I am changing what I write about.

I will keep the ideas of characterization, dramatic tension, and plot points in Scrivener, where they belong. Because that's what was happening anyway. If I wanted to write about writing, I needed to just go write the dang book!

So this blog will now be about me and hopefully my readers.
Here are some of the topics to look forward to:
Brownies
Parades
The Squash Plant that "might" take over my backyard

The ideas are endless. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Writing Warm Up

I keep coming to my blog, opening up a new post, and then I sit here and stare at the screen. I am having blog-writers-block. Ironically, I can open Scrivener, switch to full screen mode (which blacks out everything but the "page" and off I go. I worry about it some, but I guess it's okay to have writer's block on my blog if things are working in my manuscript. (Well, sorta working . . . it is just a first draft after all!)

So my only idea for a blog post today is to tell you about Scrivener. I could go on and on, but I will just tell you my four favorite things and then send you to a link where they say it better.

1. Full-Screen Mode where all you see is the page on a black background (or any background you choose). It keeps me from surfing around on Itunes or checking my email.

2. Name Generator. Very cool feature that prevents me from getting on the internet or looking in magazines to find names. And I keep working.

3. The Cork Board. You can switch to a view where all your chapters show up looking like index cards on a cork board. Makes me feel very organized and it looks much, much better than the pile of sticky notes, papers, napkins, receipts, and crayons that are actually sitting next to me.

4. FREE Trial. That's how I ended up buying it. I tried it free and I loved it. They also offer a discount for teachers, makes me feel the love!

So go to Scrivener get your free trial copy and generate names. You won't regret it!

Back in action!

April seems to be the month when I catch the writing bug. In April 2008, I was on the fourth straight day of standardized testing, my best friend was sequestered at home while she endured chemo, and I couldn't grade papers due to testing rules. Locked in my classroom with kids I didn't know, I started my first book. I watched those teenagers and realized how much I liked telling their stories. I started to make up scenarios about the very students sitting in my room. It wasn't hard. I didn't know too much about them, so my ideas weren't terribly tainted with reality. It was all fiction in my head, and I loved it.

I came home from school that day and started scribbling the ideas on a legal pad. I think I wrote about 5,000 words those first couple of days. The story just came pouring out. My first two "real" characters, Anna and Daniel were born. Not nearly as messy as real babies. And I was hooked.

But eventually the ideas slow down. Eventually my family demands to be fed. All productivity slows or even stops.

Those characters are never far away. They talk to me in the shower. They show up in my dreams. I hear kids at the mall make comments, and I think "Anna would say that."

Last week I got to attend a conference in San Antonio and hear Will Hobbs speak. His stories are fun and adventuresome, very different from my teenage love drama, but he said a few things that really stuck with me.

One: He started writing and eight short years later, he was published. It's great to hear a real publishing story. Not the I-wrote-a-book-in-my-sleep-and-publishers-threw-money-at-me story.

Two: One of his characters is based on a former student, he even named her. I will keep making up stories for those kids I see in my room every day. I love them too much not to!

So, off I go. The ideas are here and I must be a good hostess.

Birthday Wishes

My facebook wall in ON FIRE with birthday wishes which just reminds me that I am one year older and still "under-published." I have been writing for about two and a half years, which I know is a mere minute in the publishing world, but I would sure like to speed things up a bit. Each passing year moves me a little farther away from my teenage sensibilities and angst and moves me one year closer to having more to do. What if I run out of time to write? What if this dang book never comes together? What if I do get published and a bunch of teenagers keep wondering who the old lady is who is signing books? I know, I know, I'm getting ahead of myself, but it just a reflective day. So for my birthday, I wish for these things for my writing life:

I wish to always love writing.

I wish to always love young adult books.

I wish to find time to write AND be a good mom.

I wish to write something that gets noticed.

I wish to create characters who mean as much to me as the teens I am writing for.

It's almost time!

November is almost here and that means one thing--National Novel Writing Month! Let the madness begin!

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/312950

Speaking up for SPEAK

Several years ago I did a unit of Literature Circles with a group of students. The process of Lit Circles has students choose novels and the students who read the same novel work their way through the book together. The few years that I have done this, I usually choose a book and read with a group as well.

One year, I chose to read the novel Speak with a group. That year the group happened to be all girls--there were three of them, and I made member number four.

I remember talking about how sassy Melinda was, how we loved how she nicknamed her teachers, and that we ached for her lonely situation. One of the girls in the group was very artistic and made wonderful art pieces to go along with the book.

I got to "the scene" before the girls did, so I knew what was coming, but I was unprepared for their reaction. They had read that part on their own, and then we were to have a discussion. I remember that day as the girls sat kind of quietly for a while, we didn't really know what to say. Then one of girls looked up at the rest of us and there were tears streaming down her face. We all froze; we all knew what she was trying to say. One of the other girls reached over and grabbed her hand. I knew if she wanted to talk, she would, and I did the only thing I could think of--I read the next part to them. I wanted desperately to show them that Melinda was okay, that she was able to overcome what happened to her. I remember looking up to see those hands clasped together as I read to them. It still chokes me up to this day. A few days later, the girl came up to my desk during class, her copy of Speak in her hands, and asked to go see the counselor. She seemed like a weight had been removed from her shoulders. She never told us her story, she didn't need to, Melinda told it for us.

The power of this novel speaks volumes. Students and teens must have a chance to read this book. Taking this book away from students or calling it "soft porn" is the same ignorance that took Melinda's voice away. We must continue letting this story get to students and the world.
I had the good fortune of meeting Laurie Halse Anderson a few years ago. I wanted to tell her this story of my student, but just got choked up instead. That's the power of this book. It speaks for us--for all of us.

For more information about Laurie Halse Anderson or the article that is misleading people about her book, please visit her blog and please SPEAK up for her book.

"The Twitter"

I know that I am years behind when it comes to this, but I finally got me a "Genu-wine" Twitter account. And now I am totally lost.

**Random Thought: I love the movie trailer where Betty White says, "I'm also on the Twitter." Adding the "the" just cracks me up.

So, I am asking for Twitter Tutorials. Can anyone help me out?

Like,
What does the # mean?
How do I find people to follow?
How do you make heads or tails of your homepage with all those random quotes?
How do you find stuff about writing?

I may be better off just reading Jane Friedman's Best Tweets for Writers once a week . . .

My New Best Friend

I have an aging, temperamental laptop. I am forever trying to prolong its life and double/triple back things up. My gmail account is becoming littered with files that I have sent and resent to myself just so that I have a backup copy somewhere.

Then I found a new site that is saving so much time and is literally saving my writing. Dropbox is awesome. It offers an easy way to backup files, sync files, and share files. And I love that I can save things on my laptop and still be able to get to them on other computers--like my reliable, tech supported school computer! Best part--it's free.

No more emailing files. No more worries. My new best friend.

Secret

Yesterday I read six submissions from my critique group, commented on three on them, worked on an outline for my own book, blogged a little, caught up on the Verla Kay boards, and reread a MS that I wrote a couple of years ago. It was one of the most productive "writing" days that I have had in a while. School starts here in a week and I went back to work on Thursday, so this is usually one of the busiest times of the year for me. I surprised myself by being so productive. What was the secret of my productive day? No, I didn't hire a babysitter, the dogs were still running wild in the house, and everyone got fed. One change made the difference--I turned off the darned TV! This is not something that is easy for me. I like the "noise" around me, but man, I sure got a lot done!

Let's see if I can be productive again today.

Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.

Dear Neglected Blog,
I know you have been sitting idle for quite a while, and I understand that you may be feeling lost and alone. I apologize for not getting over here to post more things. I could go on and on with excuses about writers block, or messy houses, or dirty laundry. I could blame your neglect on my kids wanting meals or my dogs needing water, but I won't. I take full responsibility for your neglect. What can I do to make it right?

Okay, okay. I will try to think of more things to write, more information to share, and more pictures to post. I can't promise that you will never be neglected again, but I will do my best to pay more attention to your needs. At least until I get into another book.

Your friend,
Aimee

Using Screenwriting Techniques for Novels

I have given in to temptation and started working on a new idea. I am not going to go so far as to say I am writing a new book, because, well, no writing is happening yet. And we leave tomorrow to take my son to a place to help with his developmental issues, so I don't want a book to take over my life as we embark on this important journey for him.

The thing is--the idea has become a nag. Nag, nag, nag. It's like when your ears get stopped up after flying and you can't really think of much else but relieving that tension. So, here I go.

To get started, I know I want to use a three-act structure, similar to a screenplay. I headed out on the trusty ol' internet, and found a great source from the master himself--Syd Field. I have read The Foundations of Screenwriting and studied the makings of a screenplay. Many people recommend using this structure for novels, and since I write books for teens, and teens watch lots of movies, I think this is the best route to go.

On Syd Field's website, he explains the Three-Act Paradigm (in a great slideshow nonetheless), and even offers some exercises to help a writer work with the paradigm. It is a great resource and inspiration.

Funny Author!

I met Amy Kathleen Ryan at the Rocky Mountain SCBWI confernce last year. She is smart, witty, and engaging. I don't know this Sparks guys she speaks of (disclaimer: yes, I do, but still think she is way better!), but I never met him and didn't laugh at any of his videos--so she gets to be on my blog, not him.

Enjoy!!

Weekends Off?

I've been trying to get caught up on some of my blog reading over the last few days, and I am glad that some people take the weekends off--it is helping me get caught up.

I got to thinking that the weekends typically signal high-gear for my writing. There is too much with all the work, kids, and television during the week for me to do much with my writing. But there is something about my favorite purple coffee mug and a Saturday morning that just gets all the gears turning in my head.

So here's what I do on the weekends to get caught up.

Critiques--some of them are long overdue, but it helps me get to work on my own stuff.

Read--sometimes novels, sometimes books on writing. This week: The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman

Reading Blogs--looking for advice, tips, inspiration

Think--(today it was out by the pool, most days it is in the shower) I think about my characters and my plot points and my ending/resolution . . . or starting a new book

Facebook--ok, this really isn't helpful at all, but I can't seem to stay away. I like to justify going to check things since I have writer friends there.

Oh, and sometimes I write!

I wasted enough time today. Tomorrow I crack open Word and get to work. Have a great weekend!

Influence

Things have been a little quiet around here. School has hit the busy testing/research time of year, we had lots of rain, and my kids and dogs all have spring fever. So while I may not have had a chance to blog, edit, or write, I have been thinking and reading. I finished two books over the last couple of weeks that have influenced me to try something to help my own WIP.

The two books, When It Happens and Two-Way Street both have two points of view--alternating chapters with the girl and the boy. I have always been a little skeptical of multiple points of view--it can feel like head-hopping, but it worked well in both of these books. One of the strongest elements that contributed to the clarity of the narrator were that the chapter headings made it clear who it was that was talking.

These two books got me thinking that I needed to get to know my characters better by writing as if I were them. I don't think the multiple point of views will work for this WIP, but I am off to write some chapters from Daniel's point of view as a writing exercise. My editing has reached a crossroads where I really have to deepen my book and up the stakes--and who better to tell me what to do than the characters I created.

Great Advice

I have been trying all week to post a few things, but I have had trouble logging in . . .

But it is working today, so I wanted to link to a great post over at the Writer's Digest Blog about the best writing advice on the internet. I love a good piece of advice!

Some of the articles have helped me with a couple of breakthroughs this week. Hopefully I can make a little progress on things today.

Brick Walls

I guess I have hit a brick wall of sorts. I have totally stalled out on the opening of my book. I am on like draft 47 of "The First Five." The first five pages are sheer torture and they are getting the best of me. On top of that, I am really looking at restructuring some of the plot points that come later in the book, and fleshing out the characters, and changing the ending, blah . . . blah . . . blah . . .

So, the struggle continues. I have opened the documents the past several nights, and all I do is stare at them, go read an article, stare at the pages some more, read a few pages from a book, stare at the computer screen some more. I have one idea, and one idea only to get over this block, this brick wall.

Start another book.

*sigh*

I keep coming back to this idea, but I don't know if it is a way to work out with some planning/plotting/character practice or if it is just one more excuse to get away from the pages that aren't changing . . .

We shall see!

WOW!!

I posted a few days ago about a contest that Suzette Saxton and Bethany Wiggins were having on their blog--Shooting Stars.

Well, I got a message tonight that I should check back because they drew the winners.

OMG.

I won.

Suzie Townsend from Fine Print Literary Management will be reading and critiquing the first 40 pages of my book.

A real agent reading my book.

I screamed a little.

What a good day! I'll be updating about my journey. I can't wait to see what advice she will have. I have some work to do . . .

Corey Haim on the Brain

When I was younger, my mom didn't allow us to hang posters on our wall. I know it is a rite of passage to do that, but I totally understood where she was coming from because our old house had this intricate wooden panelling that wouldn't hold a thumbtack--it was nearly impossible to get a tack into the panelling. (Sorry, Mom, I did try a few times. . .) As a compromise, she allowed us to hang some stuff on our closet door. My sisters had lots of pictures they put up, and I chose one. It was a picture of Corey Haim that I got out of one of those "Teen Beat" kind of magazines. I chose it because I loved him, and it was similar to this:



My teenage self cried a little when the news of Corey Haim's death came in this week and it got my thinking about what life was like in the days of Corey Haim posters on my wall. I remember thinking about what I would say to him if I met him, I envisioned myself opposite to him in movies--y'know, normal teenage girl stuff. (At least I hope that is normal!) And I got to thinking about my book, because well, I am always thinking about my book, and I thought about falling in love with people we have never met. It was like those daydreams allowed me to experience "practice" feelings before they really happened. I think that is what a lot of young adult books do for teens now. They give them a chance to have "safe" vicarious feelings without the risk of real broken hearts or even real rejection.

I am still glad I got to live in a world that had a Corey Haim.