Big news!

To those of you who have stood beside me and believed in me and cheered me on in my writing journey, today I have some exciting news. I am thrilled to announce that I've signed a contract with Evernight Teen to publish my book, Emerald Bound!

The book will be released as an ebook and print on demand this fall. I am so excited to be joining the Evernight Teen family. They have been very easy to work with and respond quickly whenever I have questions. Evernight Teen will be the perfect home for my book.

I'd like to share a little bit about my journey and how I got to this point, because I always enjoy reading this information from other authors.

Emerald Bound is the second book I queried. My first was an upmarket women's fiction. It had a lot of heart and I loved writing it, but it was my first attempt and the writing just wasn't strong enough.

But I didn't know that. I thought my book was the best thing ever and believed everyone else would agree. (Ha!)

After a few months of querying and entering contests with no interest at all, I found and joined a local writing critique group--The Fairfield Scribes. Though joining was a major step out of my comfort zone, it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The Scribes did not shy away from telling me exactly why my first book was not good enough. The Scribes also got me hooked on Diet Coke. (Hey, I needed something to keep me going during our weekly meetings, which often went late into the night).

I soaked up their advice, learned from it, and got to work on Emerald Bound, which is a YA fairytale retelling of The Princess and the Pea.

I began querying Emerald Bound in March of 2014, almost a year and a half ago. Right at the beginning, I entered Brenda Drake's Pitch Madness contest and was accepted onto Summer and Dee's Team Fizzee. I received several requests for partials and fulls from the contest, and so much wonderful feedback, but ultimately all of the agents passed. The feedback I received, however, was positive, and encouraging enough to keep me querying.

And querying.

And waiting.

And querying some more.   

Writers, you know how it is.

I received several requests for full and partial manuscripts. Summer happened and I spent a lot of time playing with my kids and trying not to focus on the manuscripts I had out to agents. Once the kids went back to school in the fall, I started working on another, unrelated manuscript. Every other weekend or so, I'd send out a couple of queries for Emerald Bound.

I heard about Evernight Teen in an interview I read by one of their authors and I decided I wanted to query them. They have a 'No Simultaneous Submissions' policy so I had to wait long enough to hear back on all the manuscripts and queries I had out before submitting to them. I queried them on May 22, 2015. Twenty-six days later, I had a letter in my inbox stating that they would be happy to publish my story!

For those who are interested, here are my query stats on Emerald Bound:

Number of queries: 73
Partial requests: 9
Full requests: 6
No response: 24

So the moral of this story, I guess, is to learn how to take feedback.

And to drink more Diet Coke.

Thank you to everyone who believed in me and kept me going. Thanks to my husband, who takes care of our kids for hours and hours every single Thursday night so I can go to Scribes. And thanks to the Scribes, who all hold very big pieces of my heart. I can't wait to see where our journeys take us.

The Dream Squasher

I'm a pessimist by nature. I think a lot of people are. I prefer to call it being practical, but let's face it, the end result is the same. I am a dream squasher.

Most of the dreams I squash are my own. I've been doing it to myself my whole life without even realizing it. It was all in the name of practicality. No, I won't major in music even though I'm really good at it and I enjoy doing it. There's no career there unless you're freakishly good. And of course I can't pursue writing either because, well, what are the odds of ever getting anything published? 

So I majored in Speech Pathology. And I loved it, I really did. I loved it because it was interesting. And also because it was practical. And safe. I knew that if I got a degree in Speech Pathology, I'd be able to get a good, well-paying job pretty much anywhere I'd want. And when I was in college, getting a well-paying job was all I considered. Because my inner pessimist had been busy squashing my dreams, all in the name of practicality.

Luckily, the one dream I didn't squash for myself was that of becoming a mother. I now have five kids, and watching my children dream has taught me one very important lesson: Dreams are good. Dreams are essential, even.

And dreams are worth fighting for. 

Watching my kids dream big is hard for me. My first impulse is to always be the voice of reason, the person saying  

No, I really don't think you can build a ten-story clubhouse-slash-ninja training center with an underground tunnel to our neighbors house in our backyard.

Or  

No, I really don't think you're going to make a gajillion dollars selling magic potions you brewed in our kitchen.

And, okay, maybe those things needed to be said.

But now that my kids are getting older, they have different dreams. Dreams that they actually have a shot at reaching, even if the odds are stacked against them. My natural impulse when they share these dreams is to be the voice of reason. The person saying That's a beautiful dream, but don't be disappointed if it doesn't come true. My only aim in saying something like that is to soften the blow if whatever they're dreaming of doesn't happen.

But to them, it must sound as if I don't believe in them. When you look at it in that light, trying to soften the blow for my kids by telling them they might not succeed is unforgivable. How dare I come along, with my dream squashing tendencies, and tell them to not even try?

I can't do that. It's my job, as a mother, to give life to my kids' dreams. To be the one telling them they can do it.

And maybe, since I'm learning how to do that for them, I can learn how to do it for myself as well. So here's to dreams. And to going after them no matter how far out of reach they might seem. Thank you to my kids for teaching me that it's never too late to dream.

Your Writing Fingerprint

Good news! Since I've last blogged, I've had two short stories published, in two different online ezines. The first is called Footprints in the Snow and was published in Bewildering Stories back in December. You can find it here.

The second short story is called Little Soldier, and was published in The WiFiles. You can read it here.

So I am now officially a published author, if not a paid published author!

I first got serious about writing, with the goal of publication, about two-and-a-half years ago. Since that time, I've studied numerous books on craft and read zillions of blog posts. I've attended writing conferences, talked with other writers, and studied what literary agents are saying. And, of course, I've written and written and written. I've done it all with the goal of learning as much as I can about writing and how to do it well.

As invaluable as all this information has been, I've learned that finding your own writing method is not as easy as simply picking the one tried and true method that works best for you.

A writer's method is like a fingerprint--unique to you and only you. Figuring out your own writing method is a journey. It's the journey. It's a matter of trying as many different methods and techniques as you can, taking the pieces that work for you, and then blending them with your own unique style to create something totally new. 

Finding what works best takes time. After lots of trial and error, I think I've finally found my method. It's made up of bits and pieces I've gleaned from others, as well as bits and pieces from me. The greatest part is that there's always more to learn. When I find something new that works, I add it to what I already have. Like tools in my little writers' toolbox. 

I'm so grateful for all the little bumps that have gotten me to where I am today. I know there's so much farther to go on this journey and I'm excited to see where the road will lead me.

Zombie Stories

I belong to an awesome writing group. They're my friends, my critics, my supporters, and all sorts of other great things. I've grown so much as a writer because of these people. So I'm excited to announce that we've published an anthology together.

An anthology of zombie stories, which you can find here.

Now would be a good time to admit that I'm actually afraid of zombies, and I never, ever thought I'd be writing a story about them. But here we are. I really enjoyed stepping out of my comfort zone and out of my genre to write this.

I have two stories in the anthology. The first is called "Are You My Mombie?" and is a zombified version of the children's book "Are You My Mother?" My second story is called "The Zombie Code" and explores what happens when a zombie breaks the unwritten (and well-hid from the humans) code of honor of its people.

My son made the following video to help promote the book:

Happy Halloween and happy reading!

Picasso and Writing Groups

I recently returned from a trip to Paris. While there, we saw famous landmarks, beautiful buildings, and tons of artwork. We also learned a lot. We did a few guided tours and of course had our handy Rick Steve's guidebook (can I just say that Rick Steve is amazing?). One thing that kept jumping out at me during our visit was the fact that famous artists had support groups. 

Montmartre is a neighborhood built on Paris' only hill and topped by a church built to honor the martyr Saint Denis. (The story goes that after he was beheaded, he picked up his head and carried it several miles while continuing to preach). In Montmartre, we visited the home of the artist Pablo Picasso. You know him as the great mover and shaker of Cubism. Picasso lived in a little apartment with several other artists. They painted together, frequented the same cafes and clubs, talked about art, learned from each other, and supported each other. I found it very refreshing to think about these struggling artists celebrating each others' successes and cheering each other on.

As our trip through Paris continued, we encountered numerous stories of struggling artists relying on one another for support.

The impressionist Monet was friends with Renoir, Sisley, and Bazille. Together, they pushed the boundaries and started a new movement. One of Monet's earliest works, a painting of a sunset, was criticized by in-the-know critics as being "only an impression of a sunset" (hence the name Impressionism). The fact that Monet and his friends were pushing the boundaries together probably gave them the courage to continue doing what they loved even though the public didn't appreciate it.

The sculptor Rodin, creator of the statue "The Thinker", studied and learned by visiting the Louvre and sketching copies of works by Rafael and DaVinci, among others. One of his greatest works, The Gates of Hell, was commissioned for a church that was never finished. So the piece was left unfinished as well, after he'd spent a decade working on it. (The Thinker was actually a part of the Gates of Hell, and was meant to be Dante, sitting at the top and surveying what he'd written about).

Contrast these stories of artists supporting and learning from each other with the life of Van Gogh, father of the Expressionist movement. Van Gogh didn't get along well with others. He was roommates with the artist Gauguin briefly, until the arguments between them escalated. A sword and throwing stuff was involved. Van Gogh eventually committed suicide, having sold only one painting during his entire life. But he is now hailed as one of the greatest painters of all time.

Hopefully you know where I'm going with this. As writers, it is so easy to get caught up in our own little worlds where we work so hard to create something beautiful and fall equally hard when the public doesn't get it. When this happens--when the public is saying our art is merely an impression of art--having a support network is crucial to our sanity. I can't tell you how many times my writer friends have encouraged me when I felt like giving up or made me laugh on a day full of rejection.

Don't give in to the temptation to stay in your comfort zone, leaning on the excuse that you're an introvert so it's okay. It's not okay. Get outside yourself. Meet people who share your passion. Learn from them. Support them. And lean on them.

Learn from the examples of Picasso and Monet. As artists, we need each other. Having a support network makes us better writers and better human beings.

Sunset by Claude Monet

All Voice and No Heart

Emotionally connecting your reader to your characters is the single most important thing you can do as a writer. Or so I've heard. But what about voice? Plot? Structure? Pacing? They're all super important, right? So why such a fuss over emotional connection? And what does that even mean for the writer? Doesn't the emotional connection happen between the reader and the character? Won't it develop naturally as the reader finds things in common with the characters?

This is what I believed until recently. I was reading a book with a great premise, an engaging plot, and a fun character. But as the story progressed, I had trouble connecting with her. I didn't care about her. But it wasn't because she wasn't well written, or I didn't sympathize with the problems she was going through. I did. And the voice was spot-on, funny, in fact. I saw bits of myself in her.

But every time I felt myself being drawn in to her story, she'd do something or say something or think something that seemed a bit off from what the person I'd built in my head so far would do, say, or think. And every time, the emotional connection I was beginning to feel shattered and I found myself starting from scratch, trying to figure out who this character really was.

I began to wonder if the author even knew.

This is when things clicked for me. Did I know everything about my characters, even the stuff that would never show up on the page? Did I really know what had shaped them and what would drive them in the future? I've gotten the "I had trouble connecting" note in the past and have struggled to understand what that really meant. 

But as soon as I realized what bugged me about the book I was currently reading, I thought about my own characters. Sure, I'd done character sketches during the planning phase of my novel, but they were only a few paragraphs, if that. They contained facts, not deep emotional, driving forces in my characters' lives. I hadn't stopped to explore what would happen when the pressure came on. Specifically, pressure that was not the result of anything that would happen in my book. By exploring various scenarios, even if they weren't ones I wanted to use in my story, something important would be revealed about my characters. I needed to know how my character would react in these situations, and why. Also, I needed to know exactly why my character wanted the things she wanted, even if she didn't know herself.

The trouble with putting so much emphasis on voice is that your writing will be all voice and no heart. Obviously voice is important. We all know that. But the heart is what will connect a reader to a character on a deeper level. And the heart is revealed in glimpses. Nuances. A glance here. A comment there. As the author, you can only offer these glimpses if you know what's really driving your character and what's at the heart of her actions. Everything she does, thinks, and says has to be consistent with who she is or it won't ring true for the reader.

Discovering the heart of a character is what keeps a reader engaged and digging for clues that will help them know the person they first connected with through voice. To create this kind of experience for your reader, you, as the author have to know your character inside and out before writing even the first word of their story.

So does this mean all is lost if you've already started writing a character you don't know? Of course not. But get to know them. Dig deep. And then re-read what you've already written. Anytime your character does (or says or thinks) something that feels even slightly off, fix it. Even if it means big changes. Don't think the reader won't notice. Readers know when something is off, even if they can't put their finger on exactly what. 

Finding the Perfect CP

Two years ago, I was desperate for a few critique partners (CPs). I was madly in love with the novel I'd written, and didn't understand why it kept getting rejected. My feedback at the time was coming from friends and family members, some of whom were well-read in my genre and others who just liked to read. They offered suggestions and much-needed encouragement, and I was so grateful to have them in my corner.

But I realized I needed feedback from other writers--ones who had faced the same writerly issues and would be brutally honest with me. Something in my novel wasn't working and I needed practiced eyes to help me see what.

The problem was, I had no idea how to find a CP. I'd heard other writers talking about the special connection they had with their CPs and I have to admit, I was jealous. (Think, high school nobody hearing the popular girls gush over their perfect boyfriends and wondering why she didn't have one.) So I signed up for a manuscript review session with an agent at a writers' conference, thinking she held the magic key for decoding my manuscript flaws.

The agent I met with was helpful, but at the end I was still unclear as to what, exactly, I needed to do to "fix" my story. As our session ended, she asked me if I had some good CPs.

"No!" I was so glad she'd brought that up. Hopefully she could direct me to the secret society that handed out perfect CPs. "I've had trouble finding a local group." I waited for her to work her agent-y magic.

"Well," she replied instead, "you should really try to find some. I think they could help you out."

I walked away in a bit of a daze, wondering why my fifty dollars hadn't summoned a fairy godmother. I'll spare you the details of my subsequent internet stalking (ahem) research, and share with you some things I have since learned regarding the art of finding a CP.

It never hurts to ask. 
One of the first critiquing groups I found was a local writing group that met once a week and had some great reviews. Their website said they were not accepting new members, but mentioned you could submit an application in the event that a spot opened up. Their group description looked like a perfect fit for me, but because they said they were full, I moved on.

I signed up for a different group. After two meetings, I could tell it wasn't what I was looking for. Another group I joined disbanded without ever scheduling a meeting. Every time I went back to the drawing board, I saw that first group I'd looked at and wished I could join them.

In an impulsive moment of bravery, I filled out an application and hit submit. They responded quickly and asked me for a writing sample. They invited me to a meeting and, suddenly, a week later, I was in! They had been full at one time, but several members had moved and nobody remembered to take down the line stating that the group was full.

So, if you find a group you want to join, JUST ASK! The worst they can do is say 'no'. And, as a writer, if you have issues with 'no' then you have bigger problems than finding a CP.

Your CPs do not have to live in your area
Duh, right? Critiques can be emailed just as easily as they can be printed and brought to a meeting. But for some reason, it took me a long time to realize this. The fact that there was a shortage of local groups in my not-so-big town, led me to believe I'd have to go it alone until I realized I could turn to the incredibly supportive and talented online writing community.

Not all CPs are created equal
Finding a CP is a lot like dating. You have to like your CP. You have to get along well. And you have to have a certain chemistry. Finding this is not easy. When you're looking for new CPs, swap a one-chapter critique. Mention your critiquing style (do you focus on overall plot, are you a great editor, good with dialogue, etc.) and whether you tend to be brutally honest or sugar-coat your feedback. (As a side-note, I believe sugar-coating does more harm than good. You can be encouraging without being afraid to point out what's not working). It is also helpful to establish the time frame for the critique. Do you expect to swap back that same day or is anytime over the next week acceptable?

The one-chapter swap is your chance to see if you connect with the other person's writing, an important thing since you'll be reading a lot of it. Also, do you have suggestions to offer? Feedback that would improve the writing even if you like it? In your critique, make sure you mention things the author did well, in addition to things that need improvement. This is not where you give false praise. Pick out something that was really done well and mention it. Hearing what works in addition to what doesn't, helps an author when writing future scenes. And, of course, don't be afraid to point out what needs attention and offer suggestions for possible fixes.

When you receive feedback on your chapter, read through it and decide whether the notes are helpful and comprehensive enough for your liking. If you want to continue critiquing with that person, let them know. But don't hesitate to break it off if you don't think you'd be a good match. Saying something like "I don't think we'd be a good fit in the long term" is perfectly acceptable. You want CPs that will give you the type of feedback you're looking for, otherwise it will be a waste of time for both of you.

Don't shy away from CPs who write in other genres than you
I write for young adults. But my CPs write adult fantasy, sci fi, horror, and everything in between. The fact that we write in different genres enhances our appreciation of each others' work, rather than diminishing it.

Don't take on more than you can handle
For every critique you receive, be ready to give one out. Critiquing takes time. Don't take on more CPs than you can reasonably give regular critiques to just because you want more opinions on your own work. Critiquing is a partnership and you should expect to give as much as, or more than, you take. By doing so, you will build meaningful, longstanding relationships.


Here are some places to find CPs:

Meetup. Search for writing groups in your area and find one that matches what you're looking for. If you can't find one, consider starting your own. This is where I found the writing group that has helped me take my writing to the next level. They are brutally honest and I love it!

Twitter. Yes, twitter. It's a great way to connect with other writers. I found several CPs through the hashtag #CPMatch. Scrolling through the #amwriting feed is also a good place to find like-minded writers to connect with. Additionally, twitter is where I learned about contests. Which leads me to...

Contests. Participating in writing contests also puts you in touch with other writers. Your competitors make great future CPs. Contests like Pitch Madness and Pitch Wars, hosted by Brenda Drake, and The Writers Voice and Blind Speed Dating, hosted by the anonymous Cupid are just a few examples. 

How About We CP. A tumblr run by the fabulous Jessica Sinsheimer with the express purpose of making CP matches.

Writers Conferences. This is one of the best places to meet other writers. It's easy to tell if you get along with someone when meeting them in person, but you won't really know if they'll work as a CP until you swap writing samples. When you attend a conference, get out of your comfort zone and talk to other writers. Ask if they'd be interested in swapping critiques. Then trade cards and follow up. Just be prepared. It may be harder to "break up" after swapping a sample critique since you met them in person rather than online.

If you write SciFi, Fantasy, or Horror, the SFF Online Writing Workshop is a great resource.

There are tons of other ways to find CPs, but these are the ones I've used personally. There's no right way to do it, and everyone seems to have a different story. For those of you who already have one, how did you find your CP?