This Writer’s Space: K. A. Last
Posted: March 5, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: aussie-owned, inspiration, this writer's space, writing 1 Comment
Today’s This Writer’s Space is brought to you by fabulous indie author K. A. Last! Take it away, Kim!
Where I Write
When I first started writing I would write anywhere I could. My laptop wandered around the house with me, and usually ended up wherever the kids happened to be. I also used to write a lot in my rocker-recliner, but I find my legs get sore having the computer on my lap for so long.
Now my kids are in school, I can sit down in the peace and quiet, in one place, and get my brain working better. I wish I had an office—which I actually do—that I could devote solely to writing, but I prefer to write at the dining room table. The office is great, and I have a fab desktop PC in there which I love, but I use it mainly for my graphic design work, admin tasks, promotional time etc. The dining room table works better for me because I have more room to spread out. As you can see from the pic, it’s a mess (and usually is). I’ve been getting ready for a signing event on the Gold Coast which is happening in less than three weeks (eeek!), so there are stacks of books and swag everywhere. I’m also more inspired at the dining room table because I don’t feel like I’m locked away in a cave. There’s air flow, light and space around me.
After saying all that, sometimes I do write in the office, like I am now, if the table needs to be used for something like, I don’t know—eating!
Where I’m Inspired
I’m inspired at all different times, in a lot of different places, and in many different ways. Mostly though, I’m inspired inside my head. That sounds a little weird, but it doesn’t matter where I am, or what I’m doing, for me to get inspired. My hubby often gets annoyed with me because I have the ability to switch off just like that, even mid-conversation. I end up inside my head, thinking through a scene or creating a new character, and then I have clicking fingers in front of my face.
If I was to pick a place where most of the inspiration happens, I’d have to say inside my car. I work two days a week—in Sydney. The traffic is horrendous, which means I have anywhere up to three (sometimes more) hours of thinking time on the drive to and from work. Music really aids my inspiration. All of my books have a theme song, and a playlist, and every time I hear particular songs, they remind me of my characters, their actions, and even particular scenes.
To Be Read
Okay, this is a bit of a sore spot in my house. Hubby can’t believe—or understand—why I have so many books. I love books, especially pretty ones. I love all the pretty covers. About a third of my books I’ve bought because I loved the cover. I’m a graphic designer; I have to have the pretty covers.
There are so many books I want to read that I don’t have a ‘next on the list’ list. I’m an eclectic reader. I basically pick up whatever I feel like at the time, and I have a lot to choose from.
The shelves on the left side of the photo are all books I haven’t read. Yep, and they are double stacked. The ones on the right side are the books I have read, also some of them double stacked. As you can see though, the unread books far outweigh the read ones. Don’t even get me started on the number of books on my iPad. I have a panic attack just thinking about it.
If by any chance you don’t have too much on your TBR, I’d love you to check out my YA Paranormal Romance series. I also have a standalone lower YA fantasy adventure. Come by my Facebook page or tweet me if you want to know more.
K x
K. A. Last was born in Subiaco, Western Australia, and moved to Sydney with her parents and older brother when she was eight. Artistic and creative by nature, she studied Graphic Design and graduated with an Advanced Diploma. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she concentrated on her career before settling into family life. Blessed with a vivid imagination, she began writing to let off creative steam, and fell in love with it. She now resides in a peaceful, leafy suburb north of Sydney with her husband, their two children, and a rabbit named Twitch.
You can find her at her website, or on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or on Amazon.
This Writer’s Space: Jennifer Anderson
Posted: February 26, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, this writer's space, Turquoise Morning Press, writing 8 Comments
Is this thing on *taps microphone*…*loud feedback* *covers ears*. Good! Hey, I’m Jennifer Anderson, author of the Honey Creek Royalty series, Spider and My Brother’s Wedding. *waves*
Where I Write
Back when I was a newbie, thinking writing would solve all my problems, I wrote wherever my butt would fit (I don’t actually have a big butt!). Usually, you’d see me plopped between my two children at the kitchen counter while they did their homework.
Then, the best thing ever happened. Ice Princess was picked up by Turquoise Morning Press! Overjoyed and high on writing accomplishment, I was determined to have a place of my very own. So I turned our playroom into a writing room/kid TV room. I cleaned out the toys, added a desk (an old one stored in our basement) and decorated it with all the funny things I could find. I had baskets, cup of pens, my red laptop and an assortment of Angry Birds (my son’s contribution).
Life was good. Great! TMP picked up Prince Charming, Queen Mean and King of the Lake, all from that very special spot.
Then I found out I was pregnant with my third kid (with an eight-year difference with middle kid). And about seven months later, gone was my desk (the curb), my Angry Birds (my son’s room), my baskets (storage) and even my red laptop shot craps. I tried setting up shop in the living room with a TV tray and my baby glider, since I’d be nursing every few hours (she was a pig) but alas, that never felt right either.
Now I’m saddled with a new laptop (plain black) and I’ve returned to the kitchen counter. Instead of my kids flanking my sides, I’m joined by a high chair, baby snacks and a countertop littered with everything imaginable.
But I don’t let this stop me. I have a submission at Swoon Reads, one waiting to be edited and one in the works.
Where I’m Inspired
Where do I find my inspiration? Actually, even though I have an amazeballs view, I find the one spot that is sure to conjure up a plot bunny is tightly snug beneath my covers in bed!
And more often than not, I have to jump from a plot dreaming stupor to find a piece of paper (often an old stray receipt) and jot down my idea.
To Be Read
My taste in books run all over the place. But a must is a HEA (Cass: that’s a happily ever after, if you’re not up on your TLAs, or three letter acronyms). I’m in the middle of several series and with 13 books some of them, I’m not in any rush. There are also books that I think I’ve read and forgotten to review! What can I say, mom of three!
You can tell me if I’m successful or not at my countertop writing and check out my latest, My Brother’s Wedding (contemporary romance) or Spider (YA suspense). I’d also love to hear what you think of my Swoon Reads submission, Need To Know. A New Adult fiction that involves a summer hunt, a hot guy on the side of the road and a bestie with an unusual name.
I’m always around to chat on Twitter. Thanks for listening to me ramble and I wish you luck on your writing endeavors!
Author Bio: Mommy, wife, cat owner, review coordinator for Turquoise Morning Press and author. Needless to say, my plate is full. I call the Midwest my home and that’s where I find inspiration. I didn’t grow up wanting to be an author but knew I needed to do something creative. After many years of moving from one job to the next and not finding happiness, I set pen to paper and began work on a young adult novel that will never see the light of day. And that’s okay.
This Writer’s Space: a new blog series
Posted: February 19, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, this writer's space, writing Leave a comment
Today I’m launching a new weekly blog series, where I ask writers (published or unpublished) to show us photos of three things: where they write, where they are inspired, and their to-be-read pile—with a few words on each, and including an author biography and any links they want to include.
The reason for the idea is simple; I’m a self-confessed stickybeak. And here’s an example—my writer’s space!
Where I Write
I promised myself that, when I downsized my house last year, the one thing I’d get myself would be a proper study. Our new townhouse is two storeys, which gives me the advantage of being on a different floor to the television! (Yes, I did clean up some old receipts and things before I took the photo.) Having two monitors feels decidedly decadent. Theoretically it’s so I can have a reference page such as wiki up while I’m drafting but, let’s be honest, that right-hand monitor is usually home to Twitter.
The most important things in this photo other than the PC (and photos of my son) are that little red notebook, where I write ideas and sometimes scenes, and the notepad beside it, where I keep track of scheduled blog posts.
Where I’m Inspired
A more honest photo would be of my shower, but ain’t nobody needs to see that! Besides, I love my bathroom. I find the drumming of warm water on my head helps my mind to drift, and tackle any problems at hand. No wonder my water bill is so high… 😉
To Be Read
This photo hasn’t changed much since the last time I took a photo of these shelves. Except now my Kindle is front and centre, because the next few books I plan on reading (Immagica by K.A. Last, The Problem With Crazy by Lauren McKellar and Gifted by Ingrid Alexandra) and my current read (Forget Me Not by Stacey Nash) are all on there. How very 21st century of me!
I haven’t included a bio of me because it feels a little weird given this is my blog… But hopefully you get the idea. It’s not meant to be massively onerous—although if you want to write half a page on each photo, feel free!
If you’re interested in taking part, drop me an email at cassandrapage01[at]gmail[dot]com.
A day in the life of Lisa Swallow
Posted: February 12, 2014 Filed under: On Books | Tags: guest post, writing 3 Comments
Today’s guest post is part of the From Australia With Love blog tour, and is by urban fantasy and romance author, Lisa Swallow! Lisa sent me this post ages ago and due to internet woes and my general inability to find my way out of a wet paper bag, I have failed to post it till now. I’M SORRY AGAIN, LISA! (On the bright side, it’s a day in her life from several weeks ago–it’s practically like travelling in a TARDIS. Right? Right?)
There’s also a giveaway as part of the tour, which you can enter HERE!
Today is: Monday
I woke up at: Eight am
What I ate for breakfast: Yoghurt.
Most interesting thing I did today: Organised a cover for my new book!
Least interesting thing I did today: Grocery shopping
No one knows…: I wrote part of Soul Ties without realising there was a bush fire nearby. I didn’t realise how close it was getting until I was told to evacuate. I thought I could smell burning!
My pets are: Tilly, the Weimaraner who never barks, and Twinkle, the cat who thinks she has a magic never-emptying food bowl, thanks to my daughter.
When I’m bored, I tend to: Wonder how I found time to get bored.
For lunch, I had: Tuna salad
My current mood is: Tired but happy
I worked on/for: Summer Sky (Blue Phoenix #1), my new contemporary romance.
My biggest pet peeve is: Lost apostrophes! I have opened a Home for Lost Apostrophes. I rescue them from apple’s and sometimes boy’s.
When I drive, people think: Why has that woman got a family of zombie stickers on her back windscreen?
I get easily distracted by: The internet. I have to disconnect from our wifi when I’m writing.
Dinner was: Vegetable curry and rice
My favourite movie so far this year: Catching Fire
In my spare time, I like to: Read!!
When I need to get into the writing mood, and I’m struggling to, I: Start cleaning. Funny how the need to write suddenly appears then…
I decided to be an author because: The voices wouldn’t stop 🙂
About Lisa:
Lisa is an author of new adult romance and writes both paranormal and contemporary, often with a side of snark. In between running a business, looking after her family and writing, Lisa sometimes finds spare time to do other things. This often involves swapping her book worlds for gaming worlds. She even leaves the house occasionally. Lisa is originally from the UK but moved to Australia in 2001 and now lives in Perth in Western Australia with her husband, three children and dog.
Her latest release is Finding Evan, the sequel to new adult contemporary romance Because of Lucy. Fated Souls, the prequel to the urban fantasy series Soul Ties, is due for release soon. She is currently working on Summer Sky, a contemporary romance.
You can find her on Facebook, Twitter, her website or Goodreads.
Researching your setting
Posted: February 11, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: guest post, research, self-publishing, writing Leave a comment
Today’s guest post is part of the From Australia With Love blog tour, and is by YA urban fantasy and fantasy author, K. A. Last! There’s also a giveaway as part of the tour, which you can enter HERE!
Fall For Me, the first book in the Tate Chronicles, is set in Australia. It’s all fictional, but the places are based on real towns. Writing about them was easy, because I’d been there, and seen what they were like with my own eyes. When it came to writing Sacrifice, I was a little out of my comfort zone. I wanted to tell the story of how Grace and Seth got to where they are in Fall For Me, but to do that I had to go back to England in the 1600s. Yikes! I’ve never been to England, and obviously not in the 1600s.
That is where the research came in.
My knowledge of England was limited to what little I soaked up in school, what I’ve seen on TV, and perhaps what people have told me during social discussions. In short, it didn’t add up to much. So, I devoured everything I could about the English countryside, the people, the castles, events of 1642 and so on. My eyes went blurry from scouring through web article after article, until I was confident I knew enough to sound like I knew what I was talking about. I even learnt a few things along the way.
Nothing can beat visiting a place and seeing it with your own eyes, but just because you haven’t been somewhere doesn’t mean you can’t write about it. Even though I have never been to England, I thought I did a pretty good job of building a convincing setting based on the research I’d done. At the end of the day, I write fiction. My stories are my interpretation of all sorts of factors melded together, and they draw from all different types of resources and research.
A great example of writing about somewhere you’ve never been is Heaven. Things such as religious beliefs, what we’ve seen in movies, or read in books, will influence our own personal depiction of the afterlife. In Sacrifice, my two MCs are angels, so Heaven plays a pretty big role in their lives. My Heaven research consisted mainly of staring at paintings and artworks for a long time. This made me happy, and really excited to write about Heaven. I love art, and I found so many pieces inspirational.
When Sacrifice was close to release, I had someone tell me that my depiction of Heaven was the most ridiculous she’d ever read. I took it with a grain of salt, because who is to say I’m wrong? Then I had three other people tell me it was fresh, and new, and one even said it was “the best description of the great above I’ve ever read”.
Research is an important step in the writing of any book, but we have to remember that some things can’t be researched as thoroughly as others. In the end, when we build the worlds within out stories, we have to go with what we think works best.
SACRIFICE IS FREE AT iBOOKS UNTIL FEBRUARY 19th
Title: Sacrifice – A Fall For Me Prequel (The Tate Chronicles #0.5)
Author: K. A. Last
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: May 24th 2013
Number of pages: Paperback – 114
Word Count: 23,000
Formats available: eBook and paperback
Cover Artist: KILA Designs
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/jBk-qTPc91c
Purchase Link Amazon eBook: http://amzn.to/11ipsxG
Purchase Link Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/13k7QG3
Purchase Link iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sacrifice-fall-for-me-prequel/id694910275?mt=11
Book Blurb:
Seth’s heart is breaking. He knows his decision will hurt the one person he keeps breathing for, but he can’t take it anymore. He can’t be near Grace knowing she will always be just out of reach.
Grace is oblivious to Seth’s turmoil. She loves him unconditionally, but not in the way he wants. They both know that in Heaven physical love is forbidden, and to break the rules is to defy everything they’ve ever been taught.
When Grace and Seth are sent on a mission to save a young mother and her unborn child, Grace must face the fact that Seth won’t be returning home. She doesn’t understand Seth’s decision and hates him for it. But what neither of them realise is how big a part that single decision will play in shaping their entire future.
What would you sacrifice for the one you love?
About the author:
K. A. Last was born in Subiaco, Western Australia, and moved to Sydney with her parents and older brother when she was eight. Artistic and creative by nature, she studied Graphic Design and graduated with an Advanced Diploma. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she concentrated on her career before settling into family life. Blessed with a vivid imagination, she began writing to let off creative steam, and fell in love with it. K. A. Last is currently studying her Bachelor of Arts at Charles Sturt University, with a major in English, and minors in Children’s Literature, Art History, and Visual Culture. She resides in a peaceful, leafy suburb north of Sydney with her husband, their two children, a rabbit named Twitch, and a guinea pig called Squeak.
You can find her at her website, or on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads or Amazon.
The (Publishing) Secret
Posted: February 2, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, writing 1 CommentThis is a guest post by Mary Elizabeth Summer, YA author.
Meet Mary
As an aspiring writer, I always wanted authors who had battled their way into the temple of traditional publishing and come back out the other side to tell me what the secret formula was, what diamond of creative wisdom they wrenched from the stone jaws of the mummy’s tomb. I wanted a guaranteed, proven path from point A to point Z so that I could unlock the same treasures.
Having now gone in myself and come out knowing that the more I learn, the more I find I don’t know, I can honestly tell you that the secret to unlocking traditional publishing is this:
There is no secret.
It’s not about who you know. It’s not about your age or experience. It’s not about how long you’ve been fighting to get there. It’s not about your platform. It’s not about the market. It’s not about the numbers. It’s not about the words, even. It’s not about any one particular thing. There are as many exceptions as there are rules.
For example, I got my dream agent through a query contest at Cupid’s Literary Connection. I actually hardly queried at all. But my editorial submission process was fairly normal. It took months of anxious nail chewing and several rejections before I got my book deal. On the other hand, one of my friends took many agonizing months getting an agent to turn around and sell her book in less than a month on submission. Another one of my friends got a book deal through an e-book first imprint without any agent help at all. Every story is different.
But even as I write this, I realize I’m lying to you. There is one thing all of us have in common:
We don’t give up.
Even when we get there and discover that the treasure is going to take an enormous amount of work to haul out. We still get discouraged, we still rejected, we still worry that we’re not good enough, not committed enough, not savvy enough to navigate the capricious market. We get scathing reviews, we get passed up for awards, we get bad news, and we still have to paste on a smile when our well-meaning friends ask us how it’s going.
But we don’t give up. So maybe that’s the secret. Sheer stubborn will power to make the dream come true. Hold onto that, and no matter what your path, you’ll get there.
Author Bio:
Mary Elizabeth Summer contributes to the delinquency of minors by writing books about unruly teenagers with criminal leanings. She has a BA in creative writing from Wells College, and her philosophy on life is “you can never go wrong with sriracha sauce”. She lives in Portland Oregon with her partner, their daughter, and their evil overlor—er, cat. TRUST ME, I’M LYING is her debut novel. Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr
What not to say to your editor
Posted: January 31, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: editing, writing 16 CommentsBefore I start ranting here — because this is a ranty post — yesterday I appeared as a guest at Stacey Nash’s blog as part of the From Australia With Love tour. There’s a (rather tongue-in-cheek) interview with Isla from Isla’s Inheritance and an excerpt too. You know, if you’re curious.
Yesterday when I got in to work a colleague greeted me very loudly. My boss immediately appeared from her office and started making small talk. Then she asked me if I could pop into her office before I read my emails.
Uh oh.
For those of you that aren’t aware, in my day job I edit technical documents. They are often long and very boring, written by subject matter experts whose areas of expertise seldom include more than passing English language skills. Mostly I love it, but sometimes writers are, quite frankly, a pain in the ass. And I say this as a writer who loves writers.
Well, most of them.
My supervisor wanted to warn me out about a passive aggressive email that came in yesterday while I was on leave, before I saw it and started screeching profanities. To paraphrase, the author of a document I edited last week had observed that he’d “gone through the laborious process of going through the enormous number of suggested edits” before going on to tell me he hadn’t done a bunch of them.
This same writer has previously told me that anyone “with an adult level of reading” would understand what he meant by a certain phrase, after I explained that I’d misread it.
Never mind the fact that some of my edits were basic things like turning fragments into full sentences and pointing out missing information, or that some of the missing information would have been damaging to the organisation I work for if it hadn’t been added.
Needless to say, he didn’t say thank you either.
Excuse me while I put my ranty pants on. (And note that when I say “you” below I don’t mean you you … unless you’d also send the above sort of email. In which case I totally mean you.)
At the risk of stating the obvious, taking this tone with your editor is not helpful. It comes across as prima donna-ish, like you think you’re above the editing process. If you do think this, here’s a newsflash: no one is above the editing process. I’m a professional editor who draws a pretty good salary for what I do. I have what I like to think are very high levels of English grammar skills (although now I’ve said that I’m just waiting for someone to spot a typo in this post!), and I am not above the editing process.
This is why I bend over backwards to do what my editor asks me. Because I figure if she’s asking me a question then I haven’t made myself clear enough, and if she misreads something so will readers. The same goes for the questions my beta readers ask.
Not to mention the fact that everyone makes typos, and it’s almost impossible to proofread your own work.
If you get rage-inducing feedback from an editor, agent, crit partner or your mother, WALK AWAY FROM THE KEYBOARD. Take a breath. Think about it. Don’t drive angry, and above all when you reply thank them for their time even if you want to strangle them. (If you have an agent and the editor’s suggestions are unacceptable, let them go back and be the bad guy.)
To do anything else is unprofessional. And, as agent Laura Zats blogged last week, “There’s always another author. There’s always another book.”
Memory in Fiction
Posted: January 30, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: aussie-owned, contests, guest post, small presses, writing, young adult 5 Comments
Today’s guest post is part of the From Australia With Love blog tour, and is by the FANTABULOUS YA sci-fi author, Stacey Nash! There’s also a giveaway as part of the tour, which you can enter HERE!
Memory is an important part of life. It shapes who were are, where we came from, and even where we are headed in life. Losing one’s memory is probably one of the most horrifying things that can happen to a person as it strips them of all sense of identity. Actually it’s probably more horrifying for their loved ones than the actual person in question.
My upcoming YA release FORGET ME NOT centers around memory loss. The theme of memory is one that runs through the whole four-book series; it’s even featured in all of the titles. For me as a writer, memory was a tricky thing to deal with, but I made use of a few writing techniques.
Flashbacks
A flashback is a memory. You know when you’re sitting in class / at work chewing on you pen and staring not at what’s in front of you but at the image in your mind of that cute guy you had a date with last night, while you play over all the details. That’s a flashback.
Flashbacks are a useful tool for writers, whether there are memory loss issues in the story or not. It’s something that can be used to show an event that happened in the past. (Read: backstory.) I think it’s important to be careful though, because flashbacks can turn into info dumps if not written well and, hence, slow the story down. My general rule is keep it short. A 200 word excerpt is enough; otherwise the reader will get bored and the flashback loses its impact. Some flashbacks are written like the character is watching them happen, and other are written as if the character is remembering them.
Here’s an example of a flashback.
The sight of it brings back so many memories. The only time I ever saw my parents fight… Mom shouted so loud I covered my ears, and Dad responded in a low emotionless voice. Young and scared, I hid in the curtains while she screamed. Her last words were punctuated by her yanking the pendant off and tossing it across the room. Dad scooped it up, crossed the room in long strides and pulled her to him. His fingers traced the edge of her face before he kissed her. He lowered the pendant over her head, and the angry lines on her face melted into a smile. It’s not exactly a good memory, but it was her.
(©2014, Stacey Nash, Forget Me Not)
Dreams
I think we all know what dreams are, so I’m just going to jump right in. I used dream sequences on several occasions throughout the books, with the character either having a flashback through a dream or having a dream that had an obvious meaning of something that did happen in the past. They’re a little trickier to use than flashbacks, but boy they read well when they’re done right. I think the big thing to remember is the dream needs to fit the character and the story. If you plop a dream in that is too abstract you’ll wind up confusing readers. It needs to be simple, short, and reflect what’s already happened in the story. Basically, the dream needs to feel like a dream.
Here’s an example of a dream combined with a flashback, so that the dream was like a memory but it wasn’t quite right. That’s because there’s some foreshadowing there too. 😉
A soft rap sounds on my door, but I ignore it. I need to finish Mom’s letter. My gaze burns into the last sheet of paper, but for the life of me I can’t remember what’s happened this past year to tell her.
The rap sounds again, only this time it’s louder, more insistent.
“Not now, Dad.”
He doesn’t stop, just knocks and knocks and knocks.
Dear Mom
My concentration pounds, then shatters. Argh. I can’t do this.
I can’t even think.
My pen, poised over the paper, refuses to move. I push against it, trying to guide the nib into an M, but it’s like the nib is glued to the page.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Heart pounding, ears ringing, the dampness of sweat cakes my whole body.
Knock.
My eyes spring open. It’s dark.
Knock, knock.
My heart beats in time with the knocks, a rapid, thudding beat.
Knock, knock, knock.
(©2014, Stacey Nash, Forget Me Not)
Other ways of dealing with memory
There are lots of other ways to deal with memory in fiction. Déjàvu is probably the method I used the most. It’s also the most subtle. Then there’s inner dialogue; almost like flashbacks but shorter, just a sentence here, a thought there. Reminiscing through dialogue is another method; multiple characters having a conversation about the past.
No matter which writing technique is used for dealing with memory, I think the trick is not to overuse any one. For me, that was really tricky when there were multiple characters…ah, no. I won’t spoil it – read the book and you’ll see. 😉
About Forget Me Not
Since her mother vanished nine years ago, Anamae and her father have shared a quiet life. But when Anamae discovers a brooch identical to her mother’s favorite pendant, she unknowingly invites a slew of trouble into their world. When the brooch and the pendant are worn together they’re no longer pretty pieces of jewelry — they’re part of a highly developed technology capable of cloaking the human form. Triggering the jewelry’s power attracts the attention of a secret society determined to confiscate the device — and silence everyone who is aware of its existence. Anamae knows too much, and now she’s Enemy Number One.
She’s forced to leave her father behind when she’s taken in by a group determined to keep her safe. Here Anamae searches for answers about this hidden world. With her father kidnapped and her own life on the line, Anamae must decide if saving her dad is worth risking her new friends’ lives. No matter what she does, somebody is going to get hurt.
Releasing February 17th from Entranced Publishing. Add it to your Goodreads TBR now!
About Stacey
Stacey Nash writes adventure filled stories for Young Adults in the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres. When her head isn’t stuck in a fictional world, she calls the Hunter Valley of New South Wales home. It is an area nestled between mountains and vineyards, full of history and culture that all comes together to create an abundance of writing inspiration. Stacey loves nothing more than spending her days writing when inspiration strikes.
Her debut novel, Forget Me Not releases 17 February 2014 from Entranced Publishing and its sequel Remember Me releases in August 2014.
Website || Twitter || Facebook Page || Pinterest
Beginnings: starting in the right place
Posted: January 6, 2014 Filed under: On the Isla's Inheritance trilogy, On writing | Tags: editing, Isla's Inheritance, writing 4 Comments
Starting your journey… Source
One bit of advice you’ll often hear from agents and various other book people—such as PitchWars mentors and other competition judges—is to make sure your book starts in the right place. I’m basically giving you that same message, but thought I’d do it with an example.
The inciting event—the first big, life-changing incident that triggers the plot—in Isla’s Inheritance happens at a Halloween party. That event is in the first chapter of the novel, and always was…but the first draft of that chapter started with Isla and her cousin Sarah receiving the party invitation and sorting out costumes. I’m still fond of that scene, because it sets up the relationship between the two characters, and Sarah is a lot of fun to write. But it wasn’t the best place. Isla thinking about whether she had time to get her homework done before the party wasn’t exactly the sort of thing that hooked the reader.
In my defence, it was my first novel, and I learned by making the mistake. :p
The fact my opening sucked bugged me all through drafting the book, so after I’d finished and taken the time to get a bit of distance from the writing, I went back again. (The distance is crucial. As I said, I was fond of the costume-choosing scene, which meant I needed to take the time to see it for what it was.) I cut the first part, and started the scene instead with the two girls and Sarah’s older brother, Ryan, arriving at the party. That’s better, I thought!
That was the version of the book I started querying. I entered it in PitchWars at the end of 2012, and the feedback I got from mentors really shook me. I was still starting in the wrong place, damnit! Again, I was still taking time to establish the characters. I had Sarah and Isla giggle over an old school crush. Dance. I thought I was setting the scene, but it was still slow.
I went back and amputated even more from the scene. By this point I’d probably removed around 2000 words. Now it starts with Isla, at the party, meeting Dominic—her eventual boyfriend—and getting invited to participate in a séance. Sarah doesn’t even appear until the end of the chapter.
Whether that ends up being the perfect starting point for the book will ultimately be decided by my editor at Turquoise Morning Press, and—if she is happy with it—by the reader. But it is far, far better than where I began.
If you’re getting told your book starts too slowly, have a look at what you’re trying to show the reader in your opening scene. For example, say you start with your character jogging, thinking about their life (apparently this is a very common beginning, as is staring into a mirror). You want the reader to see upfront that your main character is a physical creature who has problems that need pondering. Instead, why not start with the manifestation of the problems. You can always have the character jog later, or mention the athletics trophies being knocked to the ground during a zombie attack—that sort of thing.
Obviously there are exceptions to every rule. (For example, if your character is doing a marathon and they rupture their Achilles tendon in the first page, or get hit by a car, because the rest of the story is about their healing journey.)
I’d like to think I’ve learned this lesson now. I’ve started three other novels, and all of them have a much quicker beginning to the plot. But I learned it the hard way. Avoid my mistake, grasshopper!
In case you missed it, check out my latest advice post over at Aussie Owned and Read… Querying agents and publishers: a glossary.
New year’s resolutions: 2014 edition
Posted: December 31, 2013 Filed under: On the Isla's Inheritance trilogy, On the Lucid Dreaming duology | Tags: new year's resolutions, writing 8 Comments
I did alright with my 2013 resolutions. They were all successes except for the “get more exercise” one — because in the course of attempting that, I tore my Achilles tendon at the gym in May. As it turns out they take FOREVER to heal. Curses!
Anyway, here are my resolutions for 2014. You could just as equally call this post “writing goals” because that’s what they are.
1. Celebrate the launch of Isla’s Inheritance in October (or thereabouts). Convince as many of you as possible to buy it.
2. Finish writing and editing the third book in Isla’s trilogy, so it’s ready to go to Turquoise Morning Press when they ask for it. (My goal is to write a minimum of 2000 words a week. I know that may not seem like much, but I’m time poor. This is why I write so slowly.)
3. Find a home for Lucid Dreaming, whether that be via the agent/traditional press route or the small press route.
4. Start writing something else. Possibly a sequel to Lucid Dreaming, although there’s that Steampunk I’ve been thinking about for aaaages.
5. Read. I’ll set my Goodreads target to 40 again, see how it goes.
What about you? Do you do the resolution thing? Or, even if you don’t, do you have 2014 goals?
Cassandra Page 