How do you handle revisions? Do you revise as you’re writing, or do you wait until you’ve gone through beta readers and crit partners to revise? How soon after you finish do you begin your revisions?”

This is such a timely topic for me right now. I just finished the first draft of my MG and am still working on the first draft of my YA and doing copyedits on INCONVENIENT. So it’s revisions galore! I usually revise once the first draft is done. At one point, I made the mistake of giving people pages to read very early in a project’s development, and it completely threw me off course because it conflicted with my writing process. As I’ve said in the past, I detest outlining. I get a story, characters’ voices, and conflicts. If something is not clicking, I brainstorm with my crit partners (and anyone else who cares to listen) by talking/writing out my issues with the story. Once I smooth out the kinks, I begin writing. The more I write, the more the characters come to life. I may think I know where a character’s personality is headed but fifty pages in, I can be proven wrong. Basically, I work out my novel as I write. So when I sent out those early twenty pages, I didn’t fully know where the story was headed or the nuances of each character and I got many conflicting views and didn’t know where to start. I never did finish that project and won’t. I know better now.

If I’m truly stumped, I wait until I finish the first fifty pages before soliciting outside opinions. With the MG, I went back and forth with my readers about problems I was having before actually giving them the pages to read. Once I finished the first draft, I reread the pages, made notes of what was working and what wasn’t, compiled a list of questions and sent to my readers. With the YA I’m working on, I sent to readers after the first 50+ pages because while I knew where I wanted the story to go and had a clear vision of each character, I was out of ideas of how to get from point A to point B. After getting feedback, I put the manuscript aside for two months, and after finishing another project finally see what I need to do. Now, I’m going to write and no one will see it until I’m completely finished. I’m really energized about it again, but wish me luck anyway.

Share your revision process and be sure to check out Eric’s excellent post from yesterday.

So, about two weeks ago, we noticed a leak coming from our ceiling. Was it the AC, the roof, the house fan? What a fun mystery to solve! (Not!) Our landscapers thought they saw a hole in our roof, but the guy I was trying to talk to spoke Spanish and while I took Spanish for five years and knew it well enough to find my friend’s missing umbrella on a college spring break trip to Cancun, years of no use, left me speaking a dialect that was far from Spanish. Therefore, I am not convinced we really understood each other and he knew what I was asking. I think I gave him a good laugh, though.

Anyway, the roofers came and while they found a few tiny spaces that required patches, they found no hole. The ceiling continued to leak. Our carpets continued to get wet. The house began to smell. A lot. Now, those of you with toddlers, know that the house can be filled with a number of smells at any given time so for a while it wasn’t obvious why the house smelled. However, after emptying the trash a number of times and making sure no traces of poopy pull ups remained, the house still stunk.

We called the AC people. They said our AC pan (or something like that) was rusted out. The whole system needed to be replaced. They asked why we were still running the AC. Didn’t we know that’s why it was still leaking? Um, no. And then they said, “Well, the damage is already done so you may as well run it if you need to.” Uh, ok.

Then, the insurance sent someone to assess the damage. They told us something was growing. They covered the whole place in plastic wrap while wearing protective space outfits. Took off a part of our ceiling in the rec room (that part was fine by me because I always hated that ceiling anyway–it has that bumpy popcorn like look), stripped the carpets. Of course there was no air by this point anymore. We had to leave our house. Moved in with my parents. Luckily, Little Guy turned 3 last Saturday so he had a whole bunch of new toys to play with while at my parents’ house.

Eventually, the mold (or whatever it was) was killed and the AC was fixed. But that was all finally finished just yesterday so we’re still at my parents and hoping to move back tomorrow. Hubby was at our place tonight taking out staples from the floor and loose nails and sharp things and putting furniture back.

I was supposed to be finishing copy edits and working on other projects but that hasn’t happened so back to all that by Friday. A few pluses of this whole experience (aside from the loss of that yucky ceiling):

1. Being back at my parents’ house has been nice. We all have gotten more tolerant of each other as we’ve grown older and their advice bothers me far less than it did when I was a teen. I was even able to tell my dad when to back off (very nicely of course) and he didn’t get all huffy.

2. LG has been sleeping much better here. Don’t know what that’s about, but I’ll take it.

3. Speaking of sleeping, the little bed LG sleeps in is upstairs and there’s a pull out in that room but too small for Hubby and me to sleep in comfortably so Hubby has been sleeping downstairs on a big pull out and LG and I have been in a room upstairs. Can I just say I totally get the two bed thing? I think people have two beds to hold a marriage together. No wonder all those couples in those ’50s sitcoms were so happy! I was able to fall asleep without anyone’s snoring leaving me tossing and turning and since LG comes into our bed in the middle of the night and proceeds to toss and turn, kicking us with his feet and draping his legs over Hubby’s face and mine, just him and me in the bed let both of us sleep. I wouldn’t want separate bedrooms on a permanent bases, but I think when Hubby and I need extra sleep our pull out couch will be getting some use.

http://vimeo.com/13197120

Below is ARC on top of the hill behind Alyssa’s house:

Here it is behind Glenfair’s local hangout, CVS. Notice how it’s straddling the rail, like one of the cool kids:

Here it is running the paths of Dunkerhook Park–the location for Alyssa’s retreat and cross-country meet:

Here it is beside the waterfall where Keith and Alyssa had their first kiss:

My ARC taking a spin on the mall carousel:

And because my ARC is so spunky and adventurous, here it is (courtesy of my awesome nephew) going down the falls:

I have 4 places that I write, but I wouldn’t call any of them special. But they’re more important than special; they’re functional. And that’s all I need these days.

The first place is the local library, but I haven’t been there all summer because its hours got reduced due to lack of funding. When I did go there, there was a room in the back that was my favorite writing spot. There was no door but it had plugs for my laptop and a desk and it was quiet. Perfection.

The second place is the library in the next town over. It opened a whole hour before the library in my town, and while there was no separate room, there was this section all the way in the back that reminded me of a little greenhouse. Big windows provided light and there was a variety of plants around. When my son goes back to school in the fall, I’ll be at this library again which is around the corner from his school–another bonus.

The third place I write, and it’s probably where I have written the most, is the local Panera. There’s internet service, food, coffee (mucho coffee), and plugs. It’s always open, and I only have to remember to bring a sweater in the summer since they turn down the temps to iceberg levels.

My house is the fourth place. And I don’t even write in an office, just the family room on the couch. I only write here at night or when my son is in camp. If he’s home, it has to be one of the 3 places above. I tried writing home once while my husband watched the almost 3 year old. It involved a lot of crying and banging on the office door. And that was just from my husband. :-p

Before I was a mom, I liked writing in the office, sometimes in a park to break things up. Now, it’s more anyplace I can. Anytime I can. There’s no “best” time because anytime I get a free moment, that’s the best.

But if we’re talking ideal place to write, like my dream place? It would be a house on the beach or log cabin, hands down. I’ve completed drafts in these environments and was so productive. The quiet and atmosphere was so inspiring and taking a break to hike through paths or walk/jog amidst waves keeps my creativity flowing.

For more writing space inspiration, check out Christine’s post from yesterday and Sarah’s post tomorrow.

Coming up on my blog this week: Tuesday–another blog chain (my writing space); Wednesday–pics of my ARC lounging about in actual INCONVENIENT settings; Friday–thoughts on ALBATROSS by Josie Bloss (preview–terrific, thought-provoking book). Stay tuned!

He asks, “From where do you get your inspiration for stories?  Give me the oddest, coolest, things that have inspired you.”

I wish I had a spunky little fairy who perched herself on my shoulder and whispered ideas in my ear. Maybe it would be better if she shouted because it sometimes requires a few takes before I notice an idea that’s been there all along. She could also fly and fetch me little cups of espresso (she’d be too tiny to carry mugs) and use her magical sparkly dust to create pages while I slept. The possibilities….

What was the question? Right, a muse. Don’t really have one. In fact, I don’t have a specific method wherein I get ideas either. I wish I did because it would save me gobs of time working on stories that have no promise.

Ideas are everywhere. INCONVENIENT came to me after finishing a 360 page adult novel. It wasn’t working and my readers and I had trouble figuring out why. The pacing was off but the characters were there. The writing was good but something about the story didn’t click. Ok, LOTS of things didn’t click. Then, I saw that the section that was my favorite and my readers’ favorite was the one with a teenage MC. I didn’t think of writing YA before that (had nothing against it, just not an idea I had at the time). So, I thought of revamping the novel and making all characters teens. Then I thought of doing the story from just the teenage girl’s POV. Yep, this is where a fairy would have REALLY helped. She would have just told me to bury the manuscript, be thankful I found a salvation point, and start anew with a YA. I got there eventually, but it took a while.

The MG I just finished came from watching my husband and son play. I was thinking about what a good dad he was and all the things he and Little Guy would do one day. And things took off from there. There’s more to it but being that my agent hasn’t even read it yet, I don’t want to give anything away.

Other ideas come to me from just everyday happenings. I think it’s that way for most if not all writers. One novel plot came from bird watching with my son. The YA WIP I’m working on stemmed from the summers I spent at bungalow colonies with my grandparents. Another idea that’s currently in my head–about a girl who is manic depressive–came from issues I’ve had with depression.

Reading this over, I guess I do have a pattern. My stories start in truth–even if from a small element. They come from the world around me, the things I observe, the encounters I have–and then they take on a life of their own. I suppose the world is my muse. What’s yours?

For more muse talk, check out Christine’s post from yesterday and, tomorrow, mosey on to Sarah’s blog.

THE

1. THE DEATHDAY LETTER is out today, which is very exciting! What are you thinking? 
Right now I’m pretty much hoping my head doesn’t explode. It’s all out of my hands at this point. The Deathday Letter was a pretty personal book for me. I love Ollie and Shane and Veronica, and I hope that everyone else loves them too.

2. What is your writing process? Did you always write this way or was it a trial and error thing?
Mostly I’m a pantser. I get bored with ideas really quickly, so once I get that initial idea, I need to get a first draft out as quickly as I can. I usually go from idea to finished first draft in about 4-8 weeks. After that, it’s all about the revisions.

3. Who is your favorite DDL character and why?
You know, Ollie’s my hero for so many reasons, but I just love Shane Grimsley to pieces. There’s never a dull moment around him. He’s totally brainy and he never backs down from a challenge. Plus, he’s pretty hilarious.

4. If you could host any game show, which would it be?
I’d want to host one of those crazy Japanese game shows where they make the contestants do all kinds of whacko stuff.

5. Have you thought about casting for DDL? Or even if it was a book on CD, who would you love to read the parts? Dream casting?
Okay. That’s pretty easy. I’d go with Aaron Johnson for Ollie (but he has to have the same hair he had in the movie Kick-Ass). I’d go with Malcolm David Kelley for Shane (Walt from Lost…so long as he tells us where the Polar bears came from). And I’d go with Ellen Paige for Ronnie. She’s got just the right mix of sexy and goofy.

6. What has been the most difficult and the most rewarding aspect of the publication process?
The most difficult part has been losing all my stress weight! Seriously, I think it’s the waiting. Publishing is slow, so sometimes it can seem like nothing is happening. That’s hard to cope with. The most rewarding has definitely been all the friends I’ve made. Meeting amazing people like you has made this whole thing that much more incredible.

7. Has finishing and revising DDL changed the way you approach your current WIPs?
I tried to change my approach. I tried to become someone who outlined and did synopses, but it didn’t work out for me. I’m a dive in kind of guy. I have a tendency to over-think things, which can be a total momentum killer for me.

8. How did you overcome the second book blues/anxiety?
With a baseball bat. That’s a tough question. I mean, I wrote a second book before Deathday even sold, but it wasn’t right for YA. I struggled for a long time after that. I’d say that NaNoWriMo was a big turning point for me. I wrote a middle grade book in 18 days. The book is still a wreck but it helped show me that if I just kept my head down and worked, that I could do it.

9. What would you do on your Death Day? 
I would eat. I would eat until I puked, then I’d eat some more. Then I’d gather up all my friends and go party in New York. I’d get up on a stage and sing badly, I’d kiss as many people as I could, I’d make sure to give everything I owned to people in need, and I’d drive a race car really fast. There aren’t too many things in my life that I haven’t done that I regretted. The things is that we’re all dying. Maybe we’ve got more time than Ollie did, but every second spent watching TV or sitting in traffic or slaving away at jobs we hate is one second we’ve wasted. Carpe Mortediem! Seize the Deathday!

10. What’s next for you?
I’m not sure if I’m supposed to say, but the project I’m most excited about right now is kind of a romance. Except, you know, bloodier and with a really cool mystery at the center.

I’ll add the disclaimer that it’s not a one size fits all thing.You’ll run across methods that work beautifully in someone else’s book but makes yours look fugly. Or, like that sweater that always made your sibling look hot but looked gross on you until you added pearls, it’s a matter of adopting a method to work with your talents.

When I taught middle school, I told my students to start their stories/essays in one of 3 ways: description, dialogue, or startling fact. I think this advice can apply to novels as well.

Let’s start with description. You’re probably thinking that’s a great way to lose readers, and you’re right if you spend the first three pages writing heavy detail about a brown coffee table or living room. Heck, if you put this kind of detail even halfway through the book, I’ll skim it and move on to a juicier part, but that’s just me.

One of my favorite books, THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE, by Audrey Niffenegger, began with description. I love the poetry of the writing and how, from the start, Niffenegger’s words let us know something monumental is about to happen.

First paragraph:

Clare: The library is cool and smells like carpet cleaner, although all I can see is marble. I sign the visitors’ log Clare Abshire, 11:15 10-26-91 Special Collections. I have never been in the Newberry Library before and now that I’ve gotten past the dark, foreboding entrance, I am excited. I have a sort of Christmas-morning sense of the library as a big box full of beautiful books.

What I love about these lines is that Niffenegger utilizes the senses to draw us in. The details Clare sees and the way she presents them to us, really paint Clare’s character without us knowing anything about her. There is something child-like about her here and endearing, especially when she compares the library to “a big box of beautiful books.”

2. Dialogue–I have heard mixed thoughts on opening a book this way. Some balk at this method because we “hear” words without knowing right away who is saying them or anything about the speaker. But, if the words are alluring, we’re hooked, and then the writer can provide further details to flesh out the missing parts (e.g. setting, etc.).

David Levithan’s WIDE AWAKE begins:

“I can’t believe there’s going to be a gay Jewish president.”
As my mother said this, she looked at my father, who was still staring at the screen. They were shocked, barely comprehending.
Me?
I sat there and beamed.

I love the opening line here, and was pulled in immediately. I didn’t even care who was talking because the line was so surprising. The few lines above are the whole first chapter, but already we get a sense of the narrator. These lines are succinct, and the MC’s optimism/happiness of the moment comes through clearly.

3. Startling Fact–When I taught English and creative writing, this was often my students’ favorite way to open a story. It allowed them to bring out the most crazy, lavish line they could find and present it unapologetically. Sometimes, this is where they would begin and then create a story around the surprising detail. When I’m stuck on a character or chapter, I try to think of the most surprising element of that character and think how it would fit as a chapter opening. At the least, it helps rejuvenate a stalled writing process.

GOING BOVINE by Libba Bray is currently on my to-read list. When I hear a lot about a book, those first pages make me nervous because I really want to like them. I was hesitant to open this but am glad I did. The first page completely pulled me in, and it’s also a perfect example of a startling fact opening.

The best day of my life happened when I was five and almost died at Disney World.
I’m sixteen now, so you can imagine that’s left me with quite a few days of major suckage.

Dying at Disney World is definitely not ideal, but the MC says this was his best day. Really? And it was all downhill from there? Right away, Bray has me, and I can’t wait to read this book.

How about you? What are some of your favorite ways to start stories? Which books did you feel hooked you from the start? How did they do it?