New site: Writers Support 4U!!

Over the last month or so, I've read many posts and chatted with a few of you about life, writing, and blogging. What purpose does blogging hold?

When I started Writers' Ally, it was at the advisement of my 1st official CP, Marcy. Originally, it was to chronicle my writing journey with her but soon it became more. And with more, my ideas grew and changed and so did the purpose for the Alleyway. I wanted it to become a place where authors, illustrators, and publishing gurus could share their experiences both in life and writing, letting others know they are not alone. And I'm thankful for Writers' Ally's evolution. She'll be open for a long time; however...

{It took me forever to decide how to write this post. Finally, I decided to just be me.}

As time moves forward and I continue to grow as a writer, I find the act of balancing daily life and writing more difficult. This doesn't mean one has to give, only that it's time to reevaluate, restructure.

As the mother of four growing children, who now span three separate schools, life has gotten more complicated. My writing/creation time has been chopped into bits here and snippets there. I'm eternally grateful for each of you and every new writing opportunity that has found its way to me over the last few months. Doors have been opening and I need to take every advantage of them. The final polishing on MARKED BEAUTY needs to be done as does plunging into the querying world, finishing a 1st draft of my MG series, and sending out a few picture books. So, I've decided to take a step back from blogging for the summer.

Do you remember this POST, where I praised ROW80 and talked about the difference between a Support writing group and CPs? Some of you indicated you'd be interested in joining a Writing Group, who's sole purpose is to support each other, giving shout-outs throughout the week on FB or twitter and sharing updates/successes on WIPs, even writing a weekly post to include personal writing/life goals.

Well, I--along with C.Lee McKenzie, Margo Berendsen, & Susan Kaye Quinn--have created a group called SUPPORT WRITERS 4U! on Facebook. If I haven't already invited you, head on over and click to be a member. LOVE, love, love to have you. The more support we all share the smoother our roads to publication and beyond will be. Feel free to take the little logo I created and post it on your blogs with a link. Thank you in advance!!

So, I want to leave you with this thought for the summer.

"I've always been a writer, even when the words didn't hit the page." This quote is from Cher Green, who was interviewed over on Surrounded by Books. It got me thinking about what's lead me up to this point in my writing journey. So often, over the last three years, I've been down on myself, feeling like I should have started writing again years ago. "Look how much time I've wasted. Look what I could have been doing."

But really, every event in my life prior to making the commitment to become a professional novelist/writer/word nark is part of my writing journey. I wouldn't be creating the worlds and characters I am now without my life before the writing thoughts. This is MY journey, and I must embrace it and be thankful for it. Accepting that truth is empowering.

And YOU have your writing road, too. Though different than mine, it's yours and only yours. There is no right or wrong, no special way to become the next hit author.

You must accept your path for what it is, embrace it, and hone your craft, loving what you do. You must live life, letting each and every moment mold and caress you, and you will become all you can be.

I will miss you over the next month and a half. I'll return the second week of August but to blog sporadically for that month. Don't forget to become a part of Writers Support 4 U! We'll stay in touch throughout the summer and beyond, supporting and cheering each other on! Our twitter hashtag is #WS4U.


Here's a smaller logo:

Happy Summer Alleywalkers!! Don't forget to wear SUNSCREEN!!


(WINNERS: a copy of Christine Fonseca's book 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids goes to ~ Ingrid Dallal Fratz!! & a First Five Page Critique goes to ~ Nicole Zoltack!! Congrats!)

Book Spotlight: FLIP & ROW80 Progress

Title: Flip
Author: Martyn Bedford
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Release Date: April 2011
Pages: 272


I'd like to thank the publisher for providing me with an ARC of this book to review.


Favorite Line/Passage: Alex dried himself clumsily, shaking so much he dropped the towel. His legs were hairier and more muscular, too, he noticed. When he went to pee, he had the next shock. Two shocks at once: a) pubes; b) size. No. No way. It'd be like holding another boy's thing for him while he peed. He did it sitting down, like a girl, hurriedly brushed his teeth and left the bathroom as quickly as he could so that he wouldn't have to look at himself in the mirror any longer.


Description: One December night, 14-year-old Alex goes to  bed. He wakes up to  find himself in the wrong bedroom, in an unfamiliar house, in a different part of the country, and it's the middle of June. Six months have disappeared overnight. The family at the breakfast table are total strangers.
And when he looks in the mirror, another boy's face stares back at him. A boy named Flip. Unless Alex finds out what's happened and how to get back to his own life,  he may be trapped forever inside a body that belongs to someone else.  

NIGHTSTAND WORTHY + 1

My Splats: Flip is a story for the soul-searcher ~ anyone who's ever pondered what it's really like to me, myself, and I. And if the chance to be someone else presented itself, should and/or would you take it? It's a tale about courage and growth, finding one's true self and the layer beneath the daily grind to fit in and survive. 


The narration is engaging and thought-provoking, even charming at points, as the reader is introduced to fourteen-year-old Alex, who suddenly finds himself in another teenage boy's body that is nothing like his own. Said body belongs to a boy named Phillip or better known as Flip, who is more handsome, more muscular, more athletic, and definitely more popular--especially with the girls.


What teen wouldn't want to be a little more than average without doing the work him/herself?


Alex is likable from the first mention of his name. He's average ~ a teen in attitude, attire, and carefree spirit. He also has an honest quality about him that shines through. He's a thinker, a planner, a rational character. I enjoyed how Alex began questioning himself as Alex yet must react to his surroundings as Flip. Alex as Flip is thrown into a few scenarios that are unfamiliar to him, such as being on the lacrosse team and uh-hum, girls--which adds a spice of humor to the tale. 


The more the reader learns about Alex, watching him act and react to his situation, the more personal the story becomes. The reader empathizes with Alex and questions, "What would I do? What would I feel?" 


He'd love to go home, but that means leaving this body which just helped him get his first kiss. And how's he supposed to return to his body anyway? In trying to figure out Flip and what to do, Alex discovers himself and an inner strength he didn't know he had, which will be shortchanged if he doesn't find a way to flip back. As the story comes to its climax, Alex realizes how to flip the switch and maybe change back. But that could mean hurting the only person during this whole fiasco he's yet to meet ~ Phillip aka Flip. Can he do it?


The teen years are all about discovering who we are and who we want to be. But it's also about self-acceptance. Would we truly change who we are if given the chance? What would it mean if the me others knew was gone? 


There you have it. My review.


As far as my ROW80 Progress report, I'd like to elaborate more in my post on Friday. But why then don't you take a gander over to peek at what my wonderful Support Partners have been up to:  C.Lee McKenzie, Susan Kaye Quinn, & Margo Berendsen.

Writing Partners ~ Support Team

So today is my last official ROW80 Progress check in. It's been a fantastic 80 days of setting goals, writing, and connecting with other writers. The official ROW80 was comprised of a boatload of writers, which was great. But I was blessed to connect a bit more personally with three lovely ladies--my Support Team.

We've been cheering and checking in with each other on Twitter, Facebook, and our weekly posts. It's given me a deeper sense of community as well as accountability. Setting goals and having someone to report to has been motivating. If I didn't meet a goal, that was okay. I was surprised the weight a simple tweet from my support team, telling me I could meet my goal or congratulating me when I did, carried. A tweet of encouragement can go a long way. *wink*

It's all about support, building that foundation of confidence and belief.

I found it quite different from working with critique partners. Where Critique Partners edit, discuss, and guide our physical manuscripts, Support Partners are solely to encourage and create a positive atmosphere, keeping us focused on our writing goals. That's not saying CPs don't embrace the same encouraging attitude that Support Partners do because they do.

As for the writing goals I set back in April, I'm pleased to say I've had wonderful progress and success.

GOAL #1 ~ to complete a full REwrite of my YA Paranormal Romance, MARKED BEAUTY. And I have. I'm currently fine tuning the manuscript per amazing CP suggestions and edits.

GOAL #2 ~ to edit my three picture books. I've finished one and am still working on the other, hoping to find them a publishable home soon. (THX Kelly!)

GOAL #3 ~ to continue developing and outlining my two MG projects and other YA novel. Not as much progress here as I'd like, but I have refined goals and plots for all three projects.

All-in-all, creating a Support Team has done wonders for me. My fabulous support team consists of C.Lee McKenzie, Susan Kaye Quinn, & Margo Berendsen, and we've decided to keep tabs on each other, checking in from time to time. I have yet to develop our badge but I'm hoping to soon. We'd love to have others participate. The more the merrier and the more support to go around. MORE TO COME ON THIS. I'll keep you posted.

If you think you'd be interested, let me know in the comments and I'll start a list on another page. :)

Twisted Tuesday: REWRITING, Step 3

So it's official. I completed my rewrite.
Totally.
In full.
All done.
Finished.
Tout est fait. I typed: THE END.

Just over 76,000 words, successfully incorporating an added plot twist, upped the unique voice element, axed characters, a change from past tense to present tense, a few personalized descriptives enhancing character development, and new possibilities for book II and III.

Yeah, I'm pretty psyched. Now, I'll be looking over beta reads and edits, and have one amazing author friends (waves at AE) yet to read, but I'm on the homestretch, readying to send my baby out into the great beyond and excited to start work on both my MG fantasies and picture books.

That's my ROW80 PROGRESS report.  Please take a gander over to my ROW80 motivation partners and encourage them in their writing progress: Susan's PROGRESS, Margo's PROGRESS, C.Lee's PROGRESS.

I have more to say about completing my REwrite, but I did promise to continue the discussion on REwriting from where we left off last week. So here goes:

In STEP 1, we examined our reasons for choosing to REwrite instead of REvising. STEP 2, we chatted about breaking the process of rewriting into scenes, and I introduced my index card method. If you haven't read them you may need to because this post is simply moving forward with the next steps in the process. Feel free to take a peek. We'll wait.

So, moving on to STEP 3.

SPLIT SCREEN:

4. I already have a new document opened which I've entitled Workspace: 'Title of Book', and cut and pasted the existing scene into that blank space. Now, I open up another blank document and start the scene from scratch, always having the old scene there as a reference--aka SPLIT SCREEN. Yes, I know there are programs out there to do such things, but this is easy, right in front of me, and I won't have to convert any material to a Word doc. when it's time to submit to an agent, publisher, or editor. 


I want to note that starting the scene from scratch means physically writing a new opening line with new intrigue, pulling the reader into the scene & chapter. This also helps me switch gears to a new mindset for where I want this REwrite to take the audience.


5. After I've written maybe the first two 'ish' paragraphs, I start referencing the index cards I've developed--the ones with the important elements from the original draft I know must be in the scene as well as the index cards of new info I want to weave throughout the scene, chapter, and eventually the story.


6. As I utilize my index card notes, I'm constantly referencing my document labeled Workspace: 'Title of Book.' Sometimes I find a dialog tag or descriptive that seems perfect for where I am in the scene. Waste not want not, right? By doing this, I'm also analyzing myself as a writer. I see where I've been and watch myself edit my own material, giving it life in a more consistent and concise way.

7. Then, I layer voice and description and elements to enhance the scene just as I did when filling out my simple index cards.

Next time, I'll refer to #6 above more specifically. How through this complete manuscript REwrite I've seen myself grow through dialog. J

I've also decided to slow down on blogging so I can get these beta reads and edits completed. I'll keep posting on Tuesdays and probably sporadically. My best as always and tapping fingers and feet....

Twisted Tuesday: Examining REWRITING, Step 2

Last Twisted Tuesday, we explored the methods used in organizing time, material, and brain power when tackling a full manuscript rewrite. STEP1 talked about finding good critique partners or betas, and examining your reasons for REwriting instead of REvising.

Let's move forward and chat about blowing through a stump in the middle of a scene. Has a stump ever rooted up in the middle of your writing garden?

Scenario: You've decided a particular scene still has value for your rewrite, but a new purpose must be found for it. You have the old scene jostling around in your head, probably memorized to death. Now you have ideas that must be incorporated into that scene to integrate new plot threads, character development, voice, etc...

Break the scene down into smaller parts. In order to do a well-grounded rewrite, seeing the elements which made the initial scene work can be helpful. Sometimes it uncovers a hidden hole you hadn't noticed or will show you choices, aka roads, you hadn't thought of before. It will also help you chop those stumps that are keeping you from your writing goals.

Clear Clutter. This is my method and I know there are tons of writing programs out there that probably do a better job, but I'm simple and I like tangible things.

1. I make a brief physical list of new elements I'm sure need incorporation into the scene. Usually I do this on an index card. Like I said--brief. Giving myself too many stipulations drowns my creativity.

2. Then I open a new document, calling it Workspace: 'Title of Book', and cut and paste the existing scene onto the blank screen.

3. Now's where the rewriting fun begins. I read through, and using a new index card, I begin listing any existing element I'm sure I want to use in my rewrite. Basically, I'm creating a new outline for this one scene. Once I feel the structural elements (library, front desk, outside, car...) are there, I order them on as many index cards as I need. (ex: start at front desk of library, fight happens, rush outside, jump into car...)

I do this process as many times as I feel necessary to layer voice, emotions, back story, descriptions, gestures, and you name it. This may seem tedious, but it breaks down the elements of a good story, giving it eyes to become a great story.

We'll continue this next time, showing the Split Screen and how the index cards become a full scene.

My ROW80 PROGRESS is brief, today.

I've had my own stumps to overcome. One chapter wasn't merely a rewrite but a totally new creation, needed to move a new plot twist forward. The first half of the scene went like a charm. But once I got neck-high in the dialog, I realized I needed to decide what information I wanted to give the reader now and what facts needed to wait. *sigh*

Yes, this will be another Twisted Tuesday post. But for now, I've finally entered ACT III  #doingmajorcartwheels  for an equivalent of just over 9,100 words. I figure I have approximately 10-11,000 more to rewrite and then look over my critique partners edits.

Now, for my ROW80 motivation partners progress: Susan's PROGRESS, Margo's PROGRESS, C.Lee's PROGRESS.

P ~ PROGRESS & PICTURE Books

Despite having two topics to intrigue you with today, I Promise to keep it brief.

PROGRESS ~ "a movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage." *according to dictionary.com*


While highlighting the letter J, I intro-d ROW80, which I'm using to help me juggle my writing life. But it also a vehicle, fueling my Progress. So here's my Tuesday check-in.


Goal #1 ~ Finally wrote my breakthrough chapter introducing my main male MC. The dude is way complex, which lead to a week or so of struggles trying to weave in his back story. The reader needs this knowledge now in order to understand his position, desire of goals, and conflict in finding the girl, Ana--main female MC. Now, I'm ready to move forward, continuing to rewrite from past to present tense and threading a new plot twist to the end. :)

Goal #2 ~ Yeah, working on the 3rd draft of my picture book SWITCHING DAYZZZ.... just didn't happen. *See goal #1*

Goal #3 ~ Didn't do much with actual outlining of my MG series or my next YA novel, but my brain was on fire with plotting. So there's a bit of progress there. YAY!

I've been keeping in touch with my wonderful new crit partner, Susan from Ink Spells. Check out her PROGRESS, too. She's a gem. And then there's Margo, over on Writing at High Altitude, who's helping us keep on task.

One final thought about Goal #2 ~ PICTURE BOOKS. I write in three areas: young adult, middle grade, and picture books. For me, writing picture books is just natural. I have four children and for years have created stories off the cuff to get them to sleep or to keep them quiet in the car. It never occured to me that I should actually write them down until I participated in Tara Lazar's PiBoIdMo 2010. It was fantastic and totally revved me up to write PBs.

I'm making progress with a few stories and if you're interested you can take a peek at two of them HERE.

No matter where you are on your writing journey, never forget each new day brings new PROGRESS. I believe in you. 


What progress have you had recently??


Teeny splat: My kids are on spring break so I might not be able to blog all that much. Will miss you, but make sure to come back tomorrow. I'm hosting a giveaway of your choice!)