Category: Musings

Weekly MEME

Rachel Simon, aka Intern Awesome, created the MEME below. And, because we are just too cute for words, we both answered the questions and posted them on our blogs the same day! I know! We’re wearing matching jumpers too. Check out Rachel’s here.

1. What was the first thing you wrote?

The first thing I remember writing was this story about a kidnapped girl. You can read more about this masterpiece in my Long Bio here.

2. What was the last thing you wrote?

Last night, I added three pages to my WIP.

3. Are you a pantser or a plotter?

I plan out a lot of the story in my head and then write a little summary. As I get more ideas, I’ll add them to my summary so I don’t forget them. But I don’t outline. I HATE outlines.

4. What is your favorite genre to write in?

Contemporary YA. I like calling it realistic fiction, though, as that’s what it was called when I was a teen. My favorite authors were Norma Klein and Norma Fox Mazer.

5. What is your favorite genre to read?

Realistic fiction, YA or adult.

6. Who is your favorite author? Why?

I like many but I have to go with the Normas from number 4. What they did for teen literature was invaluable. I think their style was beautiful and the themes groundbreaking.

7. What is/are your favorite book(s)?

There are so many, so I will list a few and then add when more pop into my head.

THE BOOK THIEF

DREAMLAND

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS

JANE EYRE

THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE

8. What is the hardest thing for you to write?

If we’re talking strictly genre, I’m going with fantasy, especially high concept fantasy.

9. Does music influence your writing?

Nope. In fact, and I’m probably in the minority, but listening to music while writing distracts me. Music does influence my characters, though. I like thinking about what they may be listening to.

10. Do you have a playlist for your current (or past) work, and what songs/artists are on it? If you do not, what *would* be on it?

I really should create one for my book, but I just don’t think in these terms when I write. I like music, I like songs and have favorite artists, but that’s about it.

A Friday Meme

I saw the word “meme” (rhymes with “dream”) a few months ago while doing research for an article on blogs. Could not figure out what on earth it was. Just in case I’m not the last person on the planet to have no clue, the definition according to Wiki is “a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person.” Um, Ok. But this is really broad and not exactly helpful to me. Yes, it’s a contagious idea, but the memes I had in mind and seen were like surveys that helped people get to know each other. So that’s what my weekly (but I won’t post them on the same day each week) meme will be. If you have good meme ideas, send them over. Would love to do them!

I found today’s meme on http://www.friday5.org


1. What are the titles of the last three books you read all of?

DAIRY QUEEN, THE YEAR OF SECRET ASSIGNMENTS, THE OFF SEASON


2. What are the titles of between three and five magazines you subscribe to or used to subscribe to?

WRITER’S DIGEST and the SCBWI journal are the only magazines I subscribe to now, but I used to have WAY too many. Let’s see if I can remember a few. Ok, at random–SELF, GLAMOUR, PARENTS


3. What’s on your night table?

An alarm clock, REVIVING OPHELIA (because I still think I’m going to read it some day even though it’s been there for two years), and my night guard


4. What are the three best things that happened to you in the past seven days?

I made a yummy meatloaf, started exercising again, laughed a lot with my DS


5. What was your senior yearbook quote, and what would your yearbook quote be this year if there were such a thing?

My yearbook didn’t do the quote thing, but we did have a Senior Will where we could have quotes. I don’t remember what mine was. Probably something about moving on. Who knows? Right now? Hmm…. How about “Focus on the happy.” I like it. Don’t always do it but like it.

The Unresolution Post

I don’t like New Year’s resolutions. Never have. The only reason I ever made them at all was to please English teachers who loved making this a journal entry because they ran out of all other ideas. I don’t blame them. I get it. When I taught, I was totally burnt out by winter vacation too. After high school, I made resolutions because everyone else was. To others, this whole resolution thing seemed so meaningful and inspirational, like it would make them better people to accomplish these things. Which would have been OK, if that’s what resolutions really did. But most people I knew made resolutions just to break them. They’d even say–after eating a whole tub of ice cream a week after their “must diet” resolution, or running an hour late after vowing to be more punctual–“Oh well. Who keeps these anyway?” And then, instead of hopping back on the treadmill or setting their alarm clock, they’d give up until the following year when they’d “really try to do it this time” only to scrap the whole resolution list three days later.

So I don’t do New Year’s resolutions. Maybe it’s the phrase, implying it’s for that year only, that bugs me. Maybe it’s the association I’ve made with it. Maybe it’s the deal with so many people failing at their resolutions, expecting others to fail too, that rubs me the wrong way. I hate failing at stuff (which is another entry altogether). Whatever it is, I will not make “resolutions.” I do, however, make “goals.” These can be accomplished this year, next, whenever. They’re flexible and no one brags about breaking their goals. Below are some professional and personal ones. What are yours?


Professional Goals:

1. Write down the marketing plan for INCONVENIENT that has been in my head for months. Write down a little each day/week, so it’s not overwhelming. Try not to get all nauseous each time I hear the word “marketing.”

2. Update this blog 1-2 times a week at least. Continue to make it all I envision with fantastic author interviews, a place for writerly talk and support and more. (Want a hint of what’s to come? Here are some awesome interviews I have lined up: Fellow ABLAer Jay Asher, Terrific Tenner Josh Berk, Awesome Fluxian A.S. King, Fab Agent Jennifer Laughran, and more!!)

3. Give my intern Rachel Simon more work to do so she can create a fantabulous resume! 🙂

4. Finish MG by summer 2010 so Fab Agent above can read it, love it, and sell it

5. And more….I figure I’ll leave this open and just add as things come into my head


Personal Goals:

1. Chill more. Obsess less.

2. Get back into exercising as it helps calm me and makes me less antsy and, therefore, makes it easier to do Personal Goal #1.

3. Be more confident and less neurotic.

4. Learn to say “thank you” when people give me a compliment, rather than variations of  “Thanks, but it’s not really that good” or “Thanks, but I think these jeans make me look fat.”

5. Surround myself with positive people.

6. If I believe in something, own it, and stop worrying about what others think.

7. Continue having fun with my family, journaling for my son, enjoying the little things, and just being, living, laughing. As Sheryl Crow sang, “If it makes you happy, it can’t be that bad.” Focus on all that makes me happy.

So What Do You Think?

A friend of mine recently told me I need to stop caring about what others think. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard this, but it’s the first time in a long time so it’s been on my mind. Hmm….I guess I’m caring about what she said too. The irony. I’m not going to deny it. It’s totally true, but is that also totally bad? And doesn’t EVERYONE care about what others think?

What? You’re saying you don’t? Really? Not at all? Like if you just redesigned your whole living room–fancy paints, new furniture, the works–and then someone comes over and tells you she hates it (this actually happened to my parents once and they weren’t amused), the comment is just going to roll off your back? I’m not saying you have to heed what the rude one says or let the words simmer, but can you really just brush the words aside completely, not let them irk you for even one second? If so, I’m impressed. And would love to chat.

However, for those of you who can’t let those comments slide or worse– not only do they not slide, but they come to a halt and then ruminate in your heads for days only to pop up at inopportune moments–have you wondered why? When did it start? My first incident happened in sixth grade. I was friends with a bunch of girls who stopped talking to me because my socks didn’t match my shirt. True, pathetic story. Later, this would be called The Mean Girl syndrome, but then it just sucked. And, P.S., those of you growing up today where the trend–in suburban NJ anyway–is to PURPOSELY wear socks that don’t match, count your blessings. Up until then, I did not care if my socks matched, if my clothes were styling. My favorite shirt was cream-colored with a purple unicorn on it and a gazillion sparkles. A total trendsetter, I know! But after that sock thing, I started to care. My parents didn’t believe in fads so I continued to wear the clothes I had, but now I didn’t like them as much (except for the unicorn–that was one awesome shirt).

In high school, some of this didn’t matter anymore. There were so many groups, clothes were the least of my problems. But then there were grades, and the people in my classes were uber competitive (perish the thought you got a 4 instead of a 5 on your AP exam). And when that got old, people liked to make up rumors. Ah, high school, good times!

But this all typical teenage stuff, right? When you’re young, aren’t you expected to care about what people say. Even in my 20s, I was told that was normal, that when I would get older, I’d care less. So, I’m older now. I care less. Progress made. Yet, here I am in a profession where caring about what people think is constant. I must be a masochist.

I guess the question becomes how much caring is OK. To what extent? My friend’s comment had nothing to do with writing, by the way, but eventually it will. Reviews of my books will be out and I can’t just look at the good ones. Although I know some people who are planning to do just that. Others, who plan on staying under the covers and look at neither good nor bad commentary. I guess that’s an option too.

I could take a cue from my parents and be happy with my metaphorical living room. I could deflect the negative comment each time someone gives me a positive one (e.g. Yes, we love our couches too. Would you believe someone actually thought they were tasteless?). In practice, this would go: “Why thank you for loving my book! Would you believe someone hated it? Not that I care or anything….”

I recently read an article that said you stop caring about what people think at fifty. Fifty, huh? Only 17 years away. Maybe I’ll put away all the negative comments until then. Not let myself focus on them. And when I turn 50 I’ll just read them and laugh.



Calling All Control Freaks!

I used to be a control freak. It served me well when I was a teacher. Helped keep me organized. I found out lots of teachers were control freaks so I was in good company. The funny thing is that I didn’t realize how much this was a part of me until it was gone. My family warned me that it was going to be tough for me when I had my son. “Can’t be all about you and how you want things anymore,” my brother-in-law constantly told me while I was pregnant. “Yeah, yeah. I know,” I always said, but a part of me did worry about that. And then my Kiddo was born and the control thing was the least of my problems. I was amazed how easy it was to switch all my attention to Kiddo and away from me, how easy it was to give up control of my life for what was better for him. As he grew older, I realized how the rest of my world functioned on the assumption that moms needs some room for dallying. I would rush to get to our Mommy and Me music, library or gym classes on time only to discover nothing started until 10 minutes after the “start” time. I got into that groove. I stopped (and still do) and watched mowers and blowers and dump trucks. But now, the flexible schedule has started to affect my writing. Now, Kiddo is almost 2.5 years old and I need some of my old freakishness back.

It’s not that I’m totally UNproductive. It’s just that I could be more. I would LIKE to be more. I could go on and say how hard it is to write when Kiddo’s naps are short these days and that I would rather watch GLEE when I finally put him to bed than pick up a pen or open my laptop (I open it to play Bejeweled Blitz but I have yet to find a way to spin this as a productive activity). But I’m not alone in this. Lots of writers have kids. My friends and husband tell me that I’ll have lots of time to write more when Kiddo is older but that’s not useful to me. I highly doubt my agent is going to wait until Kiddo starts first grade to see a draft of my next book. Yeah, she said she wouldn’t rush me, but I think waiting 4 years is a bit much. 🙂 I know, too, I can ask her for a deadline but then I might not make it and as I wrote in my first post, I have NOT missed a deadline. Ever. I’m not going to start. So I need to find a way to write more. I figure my fave shows are going on a hiatus for a bit now so perfect timing! But there’s another obstacle I’ve learned about two days ago.

My husband is an actuary (does stuff with numbers, statistics, lots and lots of big bad math–and, no, he doesn’t figure out when people die) and has nine exams he has to take. He has completed seven, which is huge, but we have been putting off the last two because it was hard to study with an infant/young toddler. A few days ago he found out he really needs to take the last two–like right now–before some major exam stuff is changed. If you don’t know about actuarial exams, I don’t want to take away your innocence. I will only say that they’re super scary–like fangs, claws, fur–and they kidnap my hubby during the study period. In the past–in my cute control freak days–I would help keep him on track with his studying. He’d ASK me to even. We would make up a study plan and I’d be his little cheerleader and nag. Now, I have my own motivation problems. I need someone to make a schedule for ME.

Can any of you help? Can you be the Monica to my Rachel and control my writing life? Yes, you control freaks out there get to play puppet master! Anyone want to make me a plan? Give me tips on how to get my inner control freak back? All ideas welcome!! I have an MG to write, another YA idea I want to do, a WIP, and a January project. I need to sell stuff so I can get my kid a pony (or a Thomas the Train train set, whatever). Thanks!




Welcome Post

Since most of you have never met me, I thought I’d start by sharing three things about me that may give you a glimpse into my writing world. 1) I procrastinate. 2) I have never missed a deadline. 3) I obsess. The procrastinating and obsessing go together and they both connect with being a perfectionist. My dad thinks the perfectionist part of me is a good thing (probably because he can say I get that from him), but it can drive me crazy. This website is a classic example. It took me forever to finally launch this thing (OK, not forever, just like 2 months) and it was through no fault of my awesome web designer (Hi, John! You rock!). Nope, it all came down to me worrying about my first blog post (it’s awesome so far, isn’t it?), what text to put on my home page (oh gosh, I wish I was kidding), and how to arrange my bios. Totally ridiculous, I know. But I wanted to get it just right (which is what, exactly?). It’s not like these things can’t be changed or won’t be. It’s not like someone will look at the text on my home page or bio, think this is the height of my writing talent, and refuse to buy my book (or so I tell myself). And yet, I obsess anyway. Some of you reading this are drawn even more to me now, right? You find my neurosis adorable, don’t you? But, just in case, it’s repelling you, let me show you how this connects with my writing.

I can’t say these are my favorite traits about me, but they have helped at times. One example is revisions. There is definitely such a thing as too much revising, but I have yet to cross over to that dark side. I have enough of a feel of my characters, setting, and plot to know when to stop, to know whether cutting that extra scene or adding a new one is one revision too many. And even when that little voice is hammering at my brain and asking if maybe spicing things up with an alien is the way to go, I know enough to tell it to be quiet. The perfectionism is handy, however, when it comes to adding details–when my lazy side is the one that wants to dominate. There are many times I have wanted to just leave my MCs in their parkas when a bikini would have been more appropriate or insert a dead/deadbeat mom or dad because writing in another character was more than I could handle that day. So those days when I try to convince myself that a parka in July is perfect, chic, totally smokin’, I’m thankful for the part of me that knows better and won’t allow it.

I’ve talked to other writers and have been told I’m not special. We all obsess, we all are neurotic, we all want the story to be completely perfect. Most of them have never missed a deadline either, so what’s the harm, right? I have also learned strategies that lower my freak-out factor and that make my quirks work for me. That’s kind of where this blog comes in. I want it  to be a lot of things: a place to interview other writers and people in the business (e.g. editors, agents, publishers, etc.), a place where I can share what I learned and chat about everything from the writing process to how Panera’s sandwiches inspire me, and a place for other writers to share their WIP and get advice and encouragement on anything from an idea to a poem to a chapter. I hope you’ll keep dropping by and maybe share some of your own oh so lovable quirks as well.