Sierra Godfrey

Wedding China!

2012-02-01T08:09:00.000-08:00

Aha! Here's my participation in the Wedding China Blogfest. (You can still join even if you can't post today, you know.) My pattern is Wedgwood India, and I rarely use it. But after I wrote about it a few weeks ago, I must say I've been using it for my morning brekkers (well, the one after the baby is napping and I can relax), and here is a picture with actual tea occurrence. Of course I only drink PG Tips which is a strong British tea and will give you heart palpitations if you leave the bag in the water more than 30 seconds, pretty much. It's delish.

I don't know why I chose this pattern except that I felt pressured, like others did, I imagine, to register for china. I'm not sorry I did although we never use it. I'm interested in what it says about us that we register and get wedding china, love it, but never use it, and therefore it sits packed away or in some dusty cabinet. Gone are the days when we have formal dining sessions with the best china every time--or anyway, for non-aristocracy those days are gone. (Maybe the Queen uses her Queen china every day. Probably several different patterns.) What does that say about our society?

I love books about this kind of usage but don't know of many. There was a good one by Kate Morton called the House at Riverton that sort of does an upstairs/downstairs thing from the servant's point of view. Of course I love the Downton Abbey series. Know of any other books that sumptuously feature lavish dinner parties and a host of servants?

Quick Query Responses

2012-01-30T02:30:00.000-08:00

Hey! Hey!! How come only one person (well, two including moi) is signed up to show off that little used wedding china in my completely, totally, incredibly un-frivolous and fascinating wedding china blogfest? Get in there! Don't make us look sad and lonely! I shall be very upset if I have to feel sad and lonely.

Last Thursday on Twitter, two agents (Sara Megibow and Ann Collette) looked at queries, and then tweeted their first reactions. It offered a fascinating view into what and why agents reject or ask to see more--on a speed round basis. I've copied them for you here so you can see.

Sara Megibow
Sara Megibow of Nelson Lit did 10 queries in 10 Tweets, with the hashtag #10queriesIn10tweets.

Her first tweet started with:
I have high hopes - we've seen some great queries so far this January! *dives in* #10queriesIn10tweets

#1 = pass. Poor writing. The opening pitch paragraph was one long run-on sentence.

#2 = pass. Some interesting elements, but strung together awkwardly. Awkward query means awkward writing in book.

#3 = pass. Again, weak writing. Long awkward paragraphs that aren't succinct and don't clearly explain the story.

#4 = pass. We dont represent nonfiction. Kristin repped one memoir (won the CO Book Award) Memoir maybe/other nonfic no

#5 = pass. Too generic. The pitch reads like this (NOT quoting here): the hero has many adventures.

#6 = pass. Writer claims this book defies genre. If bookstores can't shelve/market it, then publishers can't sell it.

#7 = ACCEPT! Not the most unique concept, but very solid writing (writing wins every time). Young adult paranormal.

#8 = pass. One of those rare cases where I pass entirely based on concept. Brutal (disgusting) and violent. Not for me.

#9 = pass. Cancer story. I've seen a lot of these. TONS of heart, but not well enough written to stand out. #sad

#10 = pass. Self pubbed trilogy wants agent to shop to NY. I don't do this (someday maybe). Other agents might.

Ann Collette
Ann Collette of the Rees Agency did 12 queries. Her request rate was the same.

#1 Vague statements, cliches, a saccharine tone, and no writing sample all added up to something I knew wouldn't suit my edgy taste. Pass.

#2: Mystery. Author's trying too hard to pull off a tough guy voice, but it backfires. Instead, it reads artificial and overworked. Pass.

#3:Mystery.The first few sentences reveal this is a new author who has yet to learn how to show vs tell. Leaden prose sinks this query.Pass.

#4: Mystery. Author made mistake by starting query w/ generic statements; hook came too late. Writing sample confirmed lack of focus. Pass.

#5. Cozy Mystery. A careless quality to the prose (same words used repeatedly in the first paragraph) signals sloppy editing. Pass

#6: Horror. Author tries hard to be mysterious, but is vague & confusing. He doesn't understand what to hold back & what to reveal. Pass.

Not sure what happened to #7. Sorry.

#8:Thriller. Arrogant protagonist is alienating. Arrogance can be compelling, but when it starts a book, it's not engaging for readers.Pass.

#9: Horror. Query contains misused words -- author clearly doesn't understand what they really mean. There's no need to read further. Pass.

#10: Family saga riddled w/ random capitalization, misused apostrophes, awkward description, and characters that you can't tell apart. Pass.

#11: Impact of an arresting first line diluted by sloppy, repetitive language in rest of query; no sample inc & I won't ask for one. Pass.

#12:Women's fiction.Told right away character must undergo major surgery, but I need to care about her before this can have any impact.Pass.

And her final tweet on the matter: Even though Today's Twelve is done, we just opened a query where the text of each paragraph was a different color. NEVER, EVER DO THIS!

Wedding China Blogfest!

2012-01-25T02:30:00.000-08:00

Last week I mentioned how much I'm enjoying Downton Abbey-- sneaking away to watch the first season on my Kindle Fire. Probably one of the reasons I love the show is because of how rich the filming is. It's a feast for the eyes of richness. Every time they show that amazing inner courtyard thing in the house, I stare. I check out the details of all the rooms, especially the servants' kitchen. Ever noticed all the wonderful copper molds on the walls? The well-scrubbed prep counter? The old skirt sink?

I also mentioned that in one episode, I caught sight of a gravy boat in my wedding china pattern. This prompted some interesting comments from you guys, on the post and emailed, regarding wedding china. Most of us register for it, but do we ever use it? I'm guessing not. Mine spends its life stored away in my buffet, wishing to be used but rarely being hauled out. (Although I do use my crystal wineglasses. t's Waterford and I freaking love it.)

So I propose a wedding china blogfest, so we can finally give that gorgeous stuff its chance to shine. On Wednesday, February 1, post a picture of your china on your blog and tell us about it. Tell us:

The pattern and the brand
How often you use it
Any special stories about it

So sign up for the fest below and let's do a wedding china circuit!

All About Web Space for Authors

2012-01-23T02:30:00.000-08:00

Today I'm over at Roni Loren's Fiction Groupie blog for my monthly column on women's fiction or marketing. Come join me there!I'm talking about Web Space for Authors.

Google Reader Roundup

2012-01-20T09:49:00.000-08:00

My gravy boat, the very same used in the show.

Just a quick and dirty GRR this week. But here's an interesting tidbit: last night I was watching episode 6 of season 1 of Downton Abbey--on my Kindle Fire (I am in love with this show, it is scrumptious in every way) and there's a scene where the kitchen staff is preparing the dinner and they're taking up plates and things and one of the things they take up is a gravy boat--in my wedding china pattern! Yes! Same one! Bit of a problem there in that my wedding pattern probably wasn't available in 1914, but hey. Still. (It's Wedgewood.) Perhaps a more troubling question is why I have a wedding pattern at all since such things seem a tad outdated. Well, look. They aren't. And to prove how lovely fine china can be, I'm having my tea this morning using my china. So pppbbbbbtttt. (I realize I'm razzing myself, actually.)

Now.

Chuck Wendig gives us 25 things Writers Should Start Doing. As always with Chuck, it's no-nonsense and right on. I have one to add: make shorter lists. Short attention spans, you know.

Meghan Ward has a fun post on not being too digitally connected: how not to be an iphoney.

Suzanne Johnson writes on Roni Loren's Fictiongroupie blog about her writing process-- from draft to done.

Jody Hedlund tells a way to get discovered by ereaders. Quite frankly, I've been waiting for a post like this, because for all the world changing into ebooks--even I read pretty much exclusively that way anymore--I haven't a clue how authors would find readers.

A post after my own heart: Janice Hardy tells us how plotting can be helped by playing video games.

The Other You

2012-01-18T02:30:00.000-08:00

It isn't often I come across other Sierra Godfreys (fellow blogger Sierra Gardener comes close). Well, thank goodness for Google alerts! If for not that wondrous service, I might never have found this You Tube video of myself singing some song called Lotus Flower Bomb.

Alas, there were no explosions, as promised in the song title. I felt a bit cheated.

This isn't actually me, of course. For one thing, this singing and teenage (I think) Sierra Godfrey is cute, whereas I more closely resemble a gargoyle. For another, I would never in million years post such a thing on You Tube. (That's only because back when I was a teenager, there was no You Tube. I shudder to think how I would have misused the tinterweb when I was a teenager. As it was, when I was a teen we had to dial up--dial up!--and sometimes wait in a queue for entry onto an archaic bulletin board service that was decorated with ASCII text drawings. It's the equivalent of hiking twenty miles through the snow to get to school.)

Mr. Sierra pointed out that perhaps young flower bomb chanteuse Sierra Godfrey has Googled herself and my blog and site has come up. In which case, we sort of know each other now. Sort of. (She was going, "Holy zombie kittens. THAT came before ME?" to which my reply must be a rather devious-looking arched eyebrow and a "Quite. Quite.")

Have you ever run across other versions of yourself in this manner? Tell me about it. Also, be careful--because I just read an article yesterday about how employers are searching applicants' social media pages (mainly, Facebook and Twitter) and in some cases where you've cleverly put up deflector shields of privacy, demanding your username and password. (In that case, you must run from the employer. Do not stop at Go or collect $200.) Moral of the story: you could be denied a job because some teenager with your name posted a You Tube video and it did not involve exploding lotus flowers despite the name, thereby making you look like a liar.

Fantasy and sci-fi: what are your favorites?

2012-01-16T02:30:00.000-08:00

I've been a reader forever, and it remains my most favorite thing to do. I love stories, I love characters, I love being delighted by them all. A well-told story delights me like nothing else.

As a writer, I write women's fiction, mostly because I like reading the genre and I like the room it affords for expressing stories and feelings about women and their journeys. I would say that in general, my reading habits run mostly toward women's fic. That isn't to say I don't enjoy a wide variety of other genres, though.

Probably the genre I've read the least is fantasy and sci fi. There are many reasons for this--but they might all boil down to that I'm worried they'll be silly or overdone. And if the characters have unpronounceable names like Ghuufaxychixyxylp then I'm not reading it. I'm slightly afraid I'll become a Dungeons and Dragons player and howl at the moon (not as a werewolf, you understand, just as one of those people who gets carried away with fantasy). But I have read (and enjoyed!) mainstream things, like:

The Lord of the Rings books
Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality series (really liked the concept of those books)
The Game of Thrones series (amazingly, all of them)

There might be others but I am having a massive brain and writing block this weekend and seriously, this post nearly didn't even happen because I couldn't pull anything out of my ass--like, I stared at the blank post for a long time tonight.

What I'm hoping is that you'll tell me what your least read genre has been. And also, if you've read a lot of fantasy or sci-fi, you'll tell me what's good and why I shouldn't be afraid of it.

Google Reader Roundup

2012-01-13T02:30:00.000-08:00

It's back! The Google Reader Roundup!

Roni Loren, whose debut book Crash Into You was released last week (congrats!) talked about when it's appropriate--and not--for an author to interact with reviewers/readers.

Grammar ABCs: G is for gerund

After my own design heart, here's the 10 best book covers of 2011.

How to make a book trailer, from Emily Danforth. Bookmark this. When I make my book trailer some day, I'm going to hire ASkars to star in it and smooch me in bed. Without a lot of clothes on. He will want to do the shoot for free, of course, because it's me.

Jody Hedlund tells us how to make friends without them feeling used when it comes to helping us toward publication.

Fabulous article in HuffPo about the limitations of genre. Is Literary Fiction A Sham?: Alternative Ways To Classify Books.

Via my uncle Vince, this delightful short about what books do at night when we're not around: in the night bookstore.

A fascinating post by Jody Hedlund on how authors can get their books into bookstores.

Janice Hardy discusses where to start stories.

Guest Blogging Etiquette 101 from Roni Loren...a must read.

A really great post from Carrie Heim Binas on the hard work it takes to write--or, as she more eloquently put it, blood on the page.

The other blogging Sierra, Sierra Gardener, presents a simple, three-step guide to writing good book reviews.

Blog Spam and How to Spot It

2012-01-11T02:30:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I talked about how Google rankings can be gamed--which is why it would be inappropriate for an editor or agent or publishing professional to rely solely on such things to determine an author's worth. Today I'm going to show you one of the ways to up a Google ranking--and not in a good way.

If you're a regular blogger, then you've probably gotten your share of spam on your blog--maybe even emailed to you. These are emails disguised as interest in what you do. On my design blog (which is tied to my freelance business), I regularly get comments from spammers like this:

"Admiring the persistence you put into your site and in depth information you provide. It’s good to come across a blog every once in a while that isn’t the same outdated rehashed information. Wonderful read! I’ve bookmarked your site and I’m including your RSS feeds to my Google account. My site is [redacted]."

This is total BS, of course. It's a fake comment intended only to build back links to their site in order to puff up their SEO reports. For the most part, it's easy to recognize spammers because of their consistently poor grasp of grammar and off-topic comments. But spammers are smart enough to know they're slightly stupid. And they've taken measures to address that. Now spammers try to be personal and friendly and trick you into thinking they're really reading when they are not.

When I uninstalled the Intense Debate comment system from my blog---I was really bummed to do this because it meant losing all of your wonderful comments for over a year, but Intense Debate took a dump and prevented several of you from commenting, and then it prevented me from deleting spam. That was the last straw. So it had to go. The spam that did it was the one from some printing guy that said this on the post about author web sites:

"I am actually thinking of getting my business cards done. It´s essential for Pro bloggers, I should say. Would love to win this. I´m a follower of our blog."

Kay, it's not "our" blog, and there's nothing to win. And note the crazy apostrophes. Then the guy used a different name (but same email address--duh) to post a follow up comment thusly:

"Stopping by your blog helped me to get what I was looking for. I found your site in google. And I will be back next time, thank you."

Right. Delete. Delete.

This spam disguised as friendliness and compliments is fairly easy to spot. But it gets more insidious, I'm afraid. And here's where I really want to warn you.

I received an email from someone off the blog. This means an actual human stopped, looked around for my contact info, and wrote me this email (even if it's a template email):

Hi,
[extra space that indicates she pasted from a template, redacted]
Just wanted to drop you a note expressing my appreciation for your blog. As a blogger and freelance writer myself, I’m always excited to come across a blog that’s both a pleasurable read and an informative resource. [so far so good, I'm thinking, and even rather flattered.]
[extra spaces redacted]
Although I blog mostly for [redacted], I absolutely love writing guest posts that interest me. I have been reviewing your site and what look like your most popular posts and think I have some twists to those that your readers would like. I’m happy to provide you with content that you can use as you see fit and only ask for link back to my site [redacted] so that the readers can find out more about me and hopefully will subscribe to my blog.

Below you can find some of my recent published Guest posts:
[8 links redacted]

Thank you for your time!
[redacted]

So this person was really nice. And it sounded totally above board, right? The kicker here is the lack of specifics, like the really vague "I have been reviewing your site and what look like your most popular posts and think I have some twists to those that your readers would like." And then, of course, the link back to her site which is not writing-related at all. Nor would it be of remote interest to you.

So I wrote her back. I asked what the "twists to those posts that my readers would like" would be. And she replied saying they would be "5 strange things writers should watch out for" except they weren't strange and were pretty basic items. Maybe freshmen in high school might find them useful. In short, not appropriate for my blog, and definitely not appropriate for my readers. I'm not going to heap ridicule on the lady and name them or her.

So what was this lady doing?

Mike Chen, my Atmosphere Websites partner, insists she is from something called a "content farm" that basically has people do "guest posts" and write real articles with links back to their site to up their SEO rankings. I couldn't believe anyone actually puts man power into that because it sounds so trivial, and does it really result in actual sales at all? Who knows.

The amount of both comment spam and email spam I'm getting these days has increased--and I can't believe it has anything to do with how popular my blog is. Turns out it isn't. It's because I'm a smaller blog and these guys think their links are more likely to make it in. Insidious!

Anyway, to sum up:

Watch for grammar and typos as a giveaway that the complimentary comment is spam
Watch for odd spaces or backward apostrophes--backward apostrophes are a sure sign of a user from another country
If anyone leaves a link to anything that is not writing related, delete it, even if it's benign like "Nice list, some inspiring and laterally thought up designs in there. I do agree that it was a bit long, especially with duplicate examples." No.
Watch out for vague praise and any request in which the giveback is a link to their site--unless it's writing related, obviously. And even then, what exactly are they giving you?

Keep it strong, people. Our blogs are not fodder for building links back to other people's crappy business web sites.

I totally used a Mormon ad for discipline

2012-01-09T02:30:00.000-08:00

My 5 year old son, the whippersnapper, has been doing that thing kids do when they reach a certain age of awareness...and no, I'm not talking about messing around with his business (he's already discovered that). I'm talking lying.

The whipsnap has begun outright lying when asked if he's done something. Now, I should know better than to ask--especially when I can tell he's lying. But sometimes I genuinely don't know what happened--even if he lies about it. Example: is that water on the couch pillow, or did you wipe your nose on it?

It struck me the other day that I no longer trust the whipsnap because he lies almost every time he tells me something. It wasn't a good feeling, but it was true--I have lost trust in him. I've tried threatening that I always know when he's lying. I've tried explaining that owning up to something you did is easier and faster. I've tried changing my language to not use the word "lie" and focus on the positive ("Why don't you go back and use soap this time" vs. "Did you use soap? Don't lie about not using soap.")

Nothing worked. Until I remembered that awesome ad from the 1980s from the Mormons, or Church of Latter day Saints (LDS) as they like to be called. Do you remember the one? It's about the boy playing ball and he breaks a neighbor's window, and it's Mr. Robinson and he goes "Whooo broke my window?" and they sing a magnificent and rather catchy song about telling the truth and how it's so much better. It starred Alfonso Ribeiro (who must have been highly impressed by the experience since he went on to play Carlton Banks with such squeaky clean aplomb). Remember? Here:

So, I told the whipsnap the story of a boy playing ball. I made it all dramatic, and made Mr. Robinson quite upset, and even spoke the lines of the song. The whippersnapper was enthralled. I had his attention. I described the boy coming forward and saying, "I broke your window with my ball, and I've come to confess." And then how the boy still had to pay for the window, but he felt better inside, and Mr. Robinson was so happy that the boy told the truth. Turns out, those LDS folks knew what they were doing with that. It was hugely effective, and made a big impression on the whipsnap--without even having seen the ad!

Later, when I asked him if he'd used soap when washing his hands (he hadn't, he'd been in the bathroom 2 seconds), he automatically said "yes." I reminded him how the boy who broke the window felt better for telling the truth and the whipsnap said, "No, I didn't use soap." I praised him for telling me, and then directed him to use soap.

God, this childrearing business is tiring and difficult. Good thing there are old Mormon church ads as parenting aids out there. I'm just wondering how the Schoolhouse rock "I'm Just a Bill" ad will translate?

Setup vs Catalyst

2012-01-04T02:30:00.000-08:00

My mother and stepfather, who are bibliophiles, have a massive amount of books, and whenever we visit I am drawn to the shelves. Last time I visited, the suggestion that I look into PG Wodehouse was made. So I picked up one at random (there were tons, like are of every author in that house). I am not unfamiliar with PG Wodehouse, who is most famous for the Jeeves series. My mother read him a lot when I was young, and I've read some his short stories, which were witty and enjoyable. But never a novel. I picked up A Damsel in Distress and flipped it open. It began like this:

Inasmuch as the scene of this story is that historic pile, Belpher Castle, in the county of Hampshire, it would be an agreeable task to open it with a leisurely description of the place, followed by some notes on the history of the Earls of Marshmoreton, who have owned it since the fifteenth century.

Immediately I closed the book. A leisurely description of the place! With notes on the history of some earls! Nooooo! I remarked to my mother that this opening line was very off-putting, and the reply was that I obviously didn't know good literature. Well, that's BS--and opening with that kind of malarkey is no way to begin a novel and pull in a reader. That's pretty clear.

But neither I, nor my mother or stepfather, knew that the rest of the passage actually negates that first line, and the story does open with some action rather than the dreaded "leisurely description." Such is Wodehouse's wit that he continues,

Unfortunately, in these days of rush and hurry, a novelist works at a disadvantage. He must leap into the middle of his tale with as little delay as he would employ in boarding a moving tramcar. He must get off the mark with the smooth swiftness of a jackrabbit surprised while lunching. Otherwise, people throw him aside and go out to picture palaces.

Exactly. (And how much do you love the term "picture palace"? I'm guessing that means movie theatre.)

If you've ever read Les Edgarton's book Hooked, which is about how to write catchy fiction today, then you know Les suggests the very same thing--that you must "get off the mark with the smooth swiftness of a jackrabbit surprised while lunching."

Note that PG Wodehouse makes this clear, but then takes his time getting to his action by dint of this kind of opening. You might wonder what the point is in noting that his readers need action or else they'll throw him aside (as I did) and go out to picture palaces, when in fact by mentioning it, he slowed down the story. Since Wodehouse was no dummy, my guess is that he knew that readers, while wanting action off the bat, don't want explosive action.

That is, we want to be drawn in. We want some setup. In Save the Cat, author Blake Snyder says we need an opening image and a setup before the catalyst. We need a little time to become acclimated in the new world before the explosion occurs.

That said, the action should still be clear. The jackrabbit should still be off and running. It just shouldn't be exploding right yet.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you want some setup in your openings when your read--or do you want your catalyst right up front? How do you write them? Any examples?

And by the way, I'm totally going to read the rest of A Damsel in Distress. Update: for those of you who have Kindles, A Damsel in Distress is free. Yes. Check it.

Crash Into You Release!

2012-01-03T10:11:00.000-08:00

I bring you a rare and special Tuesday post to celebrate someone who has been a generous and giving friend to me, and I'm so thrilled for her. Today, Roni Loren's debut novel, Crash Into You, was released. Crash is erotic fiction and while I'm not usually a connoisseur of that genre (not that anything's wrong with it all, in fact some spice is where it's at some days, you know?), Roni is a really great writer so I know the book will be good. I knew this way back before she wrote Crash. So buy it. Celebrate this girl. There is a reason she's got over 1600 Google followers on her blog, Fiction Groupie.

It's cause she's good.

And if you take a picture of yourself with the book while making a Blue Steel face, you'll be entered to win a gift cert. Note that when *I* publish, I'm going to have people choose between saying "Um, earth to Marcus I was making' a joke" or screaming "Orange Mocha Frappacino!" in their pictures because that scene involves ASkars. :)

Here's my Blue Steel face. Admittedly, there was a camera/operator mishap. The actual Blue Steel face has me looking like a gargoyle. It would break the blog to post it.

Unexpected Things Make Good Scene Endings

2012-01-02T02:30:00.000-08:00

Do you watch the HBO show True Blood? You should, and not just so you can feast your eyes on Alexander Skarsgard, whom I manage to go on about here on the blog just about weekly. The show is a master at the cliffhanger. Each episode ends on such a "ahh!" moment that you're left going, "Nooooooo!" when the credits roll. Would that we could do that with our scenes in our novels.

Last week I talked about not having your characters saying "I love you," a nugget I took from James Scott Bell's book The Art of War for Writers. That book is full of short, pithy, and very helpful writing tidbits. And here's another. James (probably not Jimbo) suggests that when you're stuck on how to end a scene, make a list of 10 things you think reader would not expect to have happen, and 10 things they would expect. Ideally, one out of all those will jump out at you as being the right ending. You may have to twist things around to get there--hang on and I'll explain.

I thought about one particular chapter in my long-suffering* WIP in which my protagonist meets her love interest. The love interest departs the scene, and then my protag meets a friend and they talk in a garden. It's a fairly boring scene, mostly because it's informational, and the most exciting thing--the love interest bit--has already happened after the first page of the chapter. My protag and her friend talking at the end of the chapter makes for booooring reading, especially because I didn't know how to end it. Example:

"Um, sure, yeah, let's meet for coffee later."
"Okay."

Awful. So, I made a list. I am abbreviating it to 5 here so you get the idea.

Expected things
1. The girls talk and make arrangements to meet for coffee.
2. The girls agree that the day has some nice weather.
3. The girls pick their nails and look around.
4. The girls talk about the hot love interest from the beginning of the chapter.
5. The girls hint at some family problems, but don't really get into it because they just met.

All of these suck. Let's look at the unexpected things.

Unexpected things
1. The girls gets eaten by a T-Rex that jumps out of the bushes.
2. The girls spontaneously combust.
3. A jet airplane lands on the lawn, clipping off the girls' feet.
4. The mean aunt of the protag finds the girls in the garden and yells at them.
5. The love interest, previously not introduced in the scene, interrupts the girls' tete a tete and then leaves with an innuendo.

I think you can see where I'm going with this. By switching around the events of the chapter and shortening the utilitarian garden conversation scene, I've got a much more interesting thing happening-- the love interest arrives, is met, and provides some interesting conversation for the main character to think about. Plus, it's not expected that these girls talking would be interrupted by someone very interesting.

Although, obviously, what should happen is theyspontaneously combust.

What do you think? Have you tried this?

* it suffers directly because having two small kids, one of them a baby who doesn't like to sleep, takes a toll on writing time. 18 and they're out, 18 and they're out.

10 Things About Sierra and 2011

2011-12-30T02:30:00.000-08:00

Every year as my last post of the year I do one called 10 things abut me in this year. You can read the ones for 2010 here and 2009 here. Obviously, those posts are of more interest to me than you, but if you're interested, you're sweet.

This year was kind of a mega year for me. I had a huge amount of change, and I go into 2012 with a lot of excitement.

1. I had another baby.
This was a huge one, and so it tops the list, because the resulting lack of sleep over the past 8 months has been really, really, really hard. And not just hard--but kind of mentally ruinous. The silver lining is I'm too tired to care. But the best part is all the fabulous guest posts for this blog:

Mistakes we make with middles by Janice Hardy
The name game by Linda Grimes (from whence the name Rainbow Puppy evolved)
How I met my critique partners by Julie Dao
Every no brings you closer to a yes by Kristen Lippert-Martin, who also had a baby this year
Eliminating passive voice by Mike Chen
On settling in for the long haul by Lt. Ccyyxx
8 ways blogging has improved my life by Anne Allen
And last and least, the Importance of a literary nemesis by my nemesis, Simon C Larter

2. I started a new career.
Last year on December 31, I was laid off from my job at 7 month preggers. (Yeah, it's been a year of massive changes!) So I did what any completely unhireable person would do besides filing for unemployment and biting my nails to the quick over whether I'd still have health insurance so I could deliver my baby without racking up a $24,000 hospital bill. (That was what my 5 year old son cost in 2006; Rainbow Puppy, the baby, actually cost only $12,000. I didn't have an epidural--not by choice!--so it cut the bill in half. Can you believe that?) I embarked on a dream I'd had for years but was way too chicken to try it: I began freelancing. I freelance technical writing and copywriting, and graphic design...which leads me to #3.

Some of my actual work

3. I discovered I'm a graphic designer.
Who knew? Well, I should have known. I do have an art degree. But somehow, I thought you had to have a graphic design degree to be able to do it, or you had to be on intimate I-was-with-you-back-when-you-were-in-release-2 Adobe Illustrator terms. Turns out, I actually had all the skills...and while I still freelance writing jobs, I do more graphic design jobs. Clients started asking me to do things like make logos for them. And then I got asked to do web design (and started Atmosphere Websites with my Wordpress build partner, Mike Chen.) Turns out, I could! And I love it!

4. I started lots of blogs.
I started a food blog, mostly to keep track of recipes I liked for my own reference, and I started a blog attached with my freelance business, called The Elements, which focuses on design, marketing, and usability. Then, I realized I had to pare down--what with no sleep and no time and all (pared down to just this blog and The Elements). I kind of reached a blogging plateau. I also uninstalled the Intense Debates commenting system from this blog--losing hundreds of comments--because it stopped letting people comment.

5. I began writing a monthly column on Roni Loren's blog Fiction Groupie.
This was exciting for me. Lots of people read Roni's blog, and my fellow columnists (we're actually just guest posters with a due date, but I like to use a schmancier word because it makes me feel...well, schmancy) are all published authors. So that makes me tremendously grateful to be included in such good company. So far, I've written on the All is Lost plot moment, Is it chick lit or women's fiction? with agent Sara Megibow answering some questions, and Creating strong female characters.

6. I started and then ended a literary magazine.
Remember Small Tales? It began with the greatest of intentions, at possibly the worst time. I was able to form an editorial board and get a blog up about it, but that's where the fun stopped. Man, running that kind of thing takes a ton of work--and that's before you start accepting submissions! Ultimately, we folded the magazine before it started because a) I was having a baby, b) another member was having a baby and c) none of us had the time to devote to it. As time went on, it became clear our passion for the project was dropping, as well. It remains one of my greatest disappointments that I couldn't see the project through--especially because I'm one of those people who sees pretty much everything through. But without a passionate love for the project, it wasn't going to survive.

7. I made tremendous progress on my WIP, and also very little.
I technically typed "Finis" in January, but have been revising ever since. Usually I don't revise a whole year, but there's the aforementioned baby interruption. And also, I did something I've never done before. I stopped and looked very, very carefully at the structure and the story of the WIP. And then I read the most amazing book I've ever read-- Save the Cat by Blake Snyder, which pretty much changed everything for me. It was a pleasure to realize I'd done most things right, and an even greater pleasure to correct minor niggling things thanks to the book.

8. I began to get rid of plastics.
This post I did about reusing sparked by an eye-opening anti-plastics posts by my friend Meghan Ward, kicked off a huge changed in my household. We are much more aware of the plastics we use with food and toys. I ditched all of my plastic containers in favor of glass ones. I got reusable snack bags. I save plastic bags and take them to a special recycling center in my area rather than throw them away to sit forever in a landfill, leaching poisons into the ground.

9. I got shingles.
Yeah. The old person's disease. Turns out, people in their thirties can get them. Here's how they work: if you have had the chicken pox, then the virus never goes away. It lives in your nerve root, like a parasitic little bastard, and sits there until one day when you slam your son's finger in the bedroom door and the entire nail comes off and you have to go to the emergency room, and you're shaking so hard because you did this, and also your baby is in pain, and you've never been to the ER before and everything about it sucks. Also, your immune system happens to be low, and you haven't slept in 7 months. It's a perfect storm. And voila! Shingles! They went away after 2 weeks. And they sucked.

10. I discovered that I'm not as socially retarded as I thought I was.
Look, it's been a while since I had to go make new friends. So when the whippersnapper started Kindergarten this year, I was sure I'd alienate the other moms somehow. I'm not a warm, chatty person to people I don't know--I'm not that person who can chat up anyone, anywhere. But it turned out that I met some wonderful women and made some friends after all. It's been really nice. I have some more letting go to do (like asking them to hang out more), but I'm on my way. I couldn't believe it.

There you have it. Happy new year! Let's kick 2012 in the rump!

I just called to say....

2011-12-28T02:30:00.000-08:00

I was reading James Scott Bell's The Art of War for Writers (a great book for reading on the pot...but don't tell Mr. Bell please) and came across this gem: you should try to avoid having characters say "I love you." James (can I call him Jim, perhaps?) says your characters should show they love each other rather than every saying it.

Immediately my mind scanned my WIP, which I've been revising for many moons now. Let's see...dee dee dee...yep, oh man, shoot. Right there. Look:

“Ihave to go,” she said. ....
He stepped forward to pull her against him again. “I love you."
“Ilove you, too,” she said, meeting his lips. And she did love him. Marryinghim might not be the worst thing in the world.

GAH! This is disgusting! This is terrible dialogue and they sound so wooden. He tells her he loves her to stop her from leaving, and she falls for it and volleys it right back like it's nothing. So I changed it to:

“Ihave to go,” she said. ....
He pulled her against him again. She met his lips and reveled in the chill that danced across her neck as he wound his hand through her hair. Marrying him might not be the worst thing in the world.

To me, this is better because now there's a question as to whether he loves her, and there's opportunity for her to find out whether he does or not. Now, she's thinking about what his status is, and that works for the story well.

Then I skittered ahead to the next questionable part-- the climactic event when my two lovebirds, apart for so long and after overcoming numerous obstacles, have finally met without hindrance. And, oh gross, it's just as bad. My male lead says:

“Andanyway,” he said, “this is not really his moment. It’s ours. And barring anyfurther ridiculously stupid interruptions, I’d like to tell you finally howvery, very much I find myself in love with you.”

Ugh! There's no mystery to that! I've just told you everything. Story over. Close the book! It's just boring to read. Not to mention melodramatic. When I removed it, things got much better, fast. Check it:

“Andanyway,” he said, “this is not really his moment. It’s ours. And I want to behere with you.”

Then lots of smooching and other fluttery action happens, which demonstrates the characters' growing awareness of their feelings, and realizations of each other's feelings. It just worked so much better. If it didn't work better, well then I guess I would be saying "Ha! Ha, James - Jim - Scott Bell!" but you know that totally wouldn't happen, because that guy is a writing advice genius.

Think about it: isn't it way nicer when your loved one does something to demonstrate how much he or she loves you, rather than just saying it? Mr. Sierra, for example, listens to me. Listens to me! I know because he remembers things I say even when I don't. There are so many nice, loving, considerate things he does for me. He's a great demonstrator of love, but he doesn't say it a lot.

So, agree, disagree? Do your love interests say the words?

You guys are just awful!

2011-12-26T02:30:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas yesterday, if you celebrate it. We all have the flu and I've lost my voice completely but I think you'll see from the below that I have a voice when it counts.

Last week, Tawna Fenske said this in one of her blog posts:
"Oh, and thanks to the more than dozen readers who emailed yesterday to alert me that my Wednesday blog failed to post, or to inquire if I had dropped dead following an all-night orgy involving Daniel Craig, George Clooney, and Lyle Lovett."

Immediately, I sunk into a spiky pit of depression, its maws of grey sadness pulsating and sick (and not just because Tawna included Lyle Lovett in her all night orgy fantasy). You see, *I* have never received any emails of concern from readers when I fail to post a blog post. Not one single person ever paused to email me and ask if Alexander Skarsgard has whisked me away to a private island for a weekend of nonstop romping involving raspberries, chocolate, and several pieces of Tiffany diamond jewelry strewn rather haphazardly across my person--that is, they became askew after the vigorous ministrations and love-filled gestures from Alexander to moi. Of course, Alexander decided that the weekend was far too short--it always is, isn't it?--and booked us into the place (pure luxury by the way, but one of those clever places built to look like a hut so that you think you're being all primitive when in fact you never see so much as a gnat during your entire stay) for a month.

Alex also let me sleep for several nights on end. He's so great. :)

About six days into the stay (which Alexander soon extends into three months because he can't get enough of me--he would have done six except he's got a filming schedule to stick to, you know), Joesph Fiennes arrives in a creaky old motorboat that's seen better days, operated by a toothless guide who initially eyes the luxury hut with a large dollop of disgust but soon changes his expression to one of joy when he catches sight of the pure love Alexander has for moi. Joseph is half-mad with grief and outrage that Alexander has stolen me away, and the two nearly come to blows when I interject and explain to Joseph, not without some regret, that while I will always love him, Alexander just wins out. I do hate myself a tiny bit when a placated Alexander disappears into the all-stainless steel, marble countertop kitchen that has hosted some of our romps to make a mojito for me, because I whisper to Joseph that I'll see him again. I can't possibly stay away when faced with that face and those eyes, can I? No! No one would blame me either. Joseph, who shares the empathetic heart Alexander has, can't bear to be the means by which my moral fibre disintegrates, so he protests and sadly returns to the boat to hear promises from the toothless guide that he should not fear, for the careful man who plans wins, and if Joseph plays his cards right, he'll have his tropical-romp-six-month-love-nest day with me in the end. Joseph smiles sadly as Alexander returns with my mojito and runs the back of one finger along my jaw bone, returning my attention to him--not difficult since he isn't wearing a shirt (why would he?) and Joseph is--and the guide shoves off in dark waters while I remain behind, wrapped in the golden ASkars embrace.

Not a single person has emailed me about that. I'm terribly hurt!

Google Reader Roundup

2011-12-23T02:30:00.000-08:00

Meghan Ward has an excellent post on 8 ways to help someone in need. Meghan also had a really important post on models and sexual abuse--with some pretty heavy but good discussion in the comments. Kudos to Meghan for addressing this topic and also putting her own painful past out there for the greater good.

Reflections on Reading blog lists the top 5 contemporary romances of the year.

Roni Loren guest posts at Anne Allen's blog with excellent points on why it doesn't matter which method of publishing you pursue-- because it isn't a competition.

Agent Meredith Barnes has a great post on how to read what your beta readers are saying. I'm bookmarking this one.

Jody Hedlund has three pieces of advice for writing tighter.

Janice Hardy has a fun post on how kids' games can make revision fun.

The lovely Julie Dao is having a massive book giveaway on her blog--enter by January 8.

And finally, James Scott Bell has a fantastic post on why you should be thankful you're a writer.

Books I read this year

2011-12-21T02:00:00.000-08:00

This week there have been loads of very thoughtful posts in the writerly blogosphere, like Meghan Ward's 8 ways to help someone or....well, I'm sure there were more. Like serious, proper posts.

In keeping with the usual traditional of this blog, this post isn't one of those.

Instead, I thought I'd talk yet again about myself. (You know, in keeping with tradition.) So this will be about the books I've read this year, which Goodreads makes it easy to report using their stats tool. (I love Goodreads because I would never remember what I'd read otherwise.) Because I gave birth to my second baby, Rainbow Puppy, my reading was augmented by many nights in the nursing chair--a huge bonus in my book--but still Goodreads said I've read a mere 25 books this year --and I read 25 books in 2010 too. This was greatly disappointing, as I like to complete with myself. At least I didn't do a books-I-read-in-2010-post, so I'm still winning against myself. (I'm kind of a super lame Charlie Sheen.)

So here are some of the books I particularly enjoyed this year:

This Burns My Heart by Samuel Park
The entire Game of Thrones series (or more accurately Song of Fire and Ice)
One Day by David Nicholls
The Hunger Games trilogy
Skipping a Beat by Sarak Pekkanen
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
Jumpstart the World by Catherine Ryan Hyde (I specifically read this because there was such outcry against it, so I was pleased to support the book--plus it was fabulous)
Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Minding Frankie by Maeve Binchy
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
The Distant Hours by Kate Morton
Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriageby Elizabeth Gilbert
The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill
The three Save the Cat books by Blake Snyder (I so need to do a post about these, seriously)

I'm currently reading The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown, which is fabulous. So I'm going to hurry up and finish it so I can be at 26 books, thereby totally smashing my last-year-self into the ground, ha HA!

What book or books have you read this year that you loved? Let me know so I can add it to my list!

Some holiday season whimsy

2011-12-19T01:30:00.000-08:00

Really?

Sometime when I wasn't looking, Restoration Hardware --that store full of nice, "old" looking and generally heavy objets, overhauled itself into a "job creator" supplier of high end furniture and accoutrements. I shall explain. Remember when they sold fun little stocking stuffers like hand warmers and whoopee cushions? Remember when their stuff was really nice and you might even find yourself affording some of it, here and there?

The other day I heard a thunk on the doorstep and looked outside to see the mailman scurrying away. Rubbing my hands in anticipatory glee over an unexpected package--was it someone sending an early Christmas gift? A belated birthday present? A forgotten online order? From the sound of it, it was books. Lots of them. In hardback.

When I opened the door, I found a 1.5 inch thick Restoration Hardware catalog, so big that it wouldn't fit through our mail slot (which generally takes small packages). "Fall 2011 Sourcebook" it called itself, rather pretentiously, as though I would be inspired by all their room setups. This monochromatic catalog had articles, but by people I don't know, and on topics I don't care about. But the second page too my breath away.

INTRODUCING
BIRDCAGE CHANDELIERS

I laughed. Honestly, bird cage chandeliers? Hung from 3-inch thick weathered marine rope? But they were--huge massive cockatiel cages trapping a pretty chandelier. For just $2195 for a small one, and only $2995 for the extra large.

So listen. If you're finding yourself stressed this holiday season, or stuck in your writing, take a moment to celebrate that some people are completely insane--both the company that sells birdcage chandeliers for $2995 and the people that buy them. (Of course, apologies if you are one of them.)

What's the most ridiculous thing you've seen for sale this season?

Gift Buying Solved

2011-12-14T02:46:00.000-08:00

The last two weeks before Christmas generally cause lots of panic in my house as we scramble to fulfill our gift giving obligations. Fear sets in and our eyes go wide like dinner plates as we contemplate the ratio of time, money, and number of gifts still to think up and get. Buying gifts for people is hard. But I have a plan this year. And I thought I'd better share it with you in case you are currently experiencing similar gift-buying paralysis. Below is a list of books I am either giving, or thinking about giving.

General Fiction

This Burns My Heart by Samuel Park. I raved about this book already, and Sam was gracious about giving an interview here. It's a beautiful story and I really enjoyed it. Plus, Sam knows how to write a great opening line. I'm giving this book to a few family members.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. MAN what a great book. It's about magic, and love, and a totally rad circus that I would love to visit, if it existed. I love this book because I was convinced to buy it through the power of social media, and it it paid off.

The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill. My mother is totally into this British mystery author so I immediately pooh-poohed him (even though I actually really like British mystery authors, and Scottish detective novelists). That was before I read this book, which was fantastic. Great, fast read about a wrongly convicted man's plan for revenge.

Middle Grade and Teens

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead was just a fantastic, wonderful, and truly delightful read, even for adults. Surprising and fresh, with a lovely time travel twist. It sparked the very first 5 star review series here on the blog.

Treehouses of the World by Pete Nelson. Look, teens are hard to buy for. But when I saw this book I was immediately intrigued. The pictures are fabulous, and who doesn't wish they had or could build an amazing treetop retreat? Recalcitrant teen boy relatives are getting this from me this year. Word to the wise: Amazon sells this for $24.95 but I believe I paid $12.99 at Barnes and Noble (in-store).

Kids

Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel. I haven't actually read this yet but the title alone assures me I will love it--and so will my 5 year old. It's about, well, a bad kitty at Christmas. I mean, listen to this: "Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the city, not a creature was stirring...Except for BAD KITTY." DONE. Love it!

The Underwater Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta. All the alphabet books by author Pallotta are great, but we love this one in particular. It's just fantastic. The art is great and the short text is funny, for both kids and adults. Best of all? When I went to an aquarium with my whippersnapper, he recognized a ton of sea creatures because of this book.

Animal Masks: 15 Punch out Faces. Can't recommend this one enough. We have it and it's a great gift at $12.95. It comes with brightly colored, quite large animal masks you punch out (and keep in a handy folder at the back). Mask elastic is even provided. Best of all? Both the baby and the cats gave quite a start when I put on the fox mask and stared at them.

Sharing is NOT Caring

2011-12-12T02:40:00.000-08:00

Last week I was walking home from

dropping off the whippersnapper at school. I had Rainbow Puppy in a baby pack, wearing him in front of me, and I entered a crosswalk. This car comes shooting down to the stop sign at the crosswalk, and rolls right through while I'm still in the crosswalk--in fact, barely half way across.

I turned and give the driver A Look.

The driver stopped the car, just past the crosswalk. She rolled down her window and asked,"Do you want to share about that?"

Oooh. I bleeping HATE it when people talk like that. Did I want to share my feelings, as though we were in group therapy and not me nearly being hit in a crosswalk by a driver who couldn't stop at a stop sign? Did I want to communicate my anger, and presumably talk about it in a rational way? Did I want to share like it was show and tell day in Kindergarten?

You bet I did.

"Yes, I want to share," I said. "Why don't you not go through crosswalks while people with babies are still in them?"

She didn't miss a beat. "I can tell by the look on your face that you're not happy with that. Would it make you feel better if I waited here til you're on the sidewalk?" This last was delivered in a SUPER patronizing tone, as though I was the asshole.

"No," I said. "What would make me feel better is if you actually stopped at stop signs, especially when people with babies are in the crosswalks."

She smiled a frosty little smile. I could tell she was trying to do one of those happy-bright-positive things, but it wasn't working because of the way she'd opened with the confrontational inquiry as to whether I wanted to share. And she'd probably ruined any possibility of any goodnaturedness when she'd chosen to roll through the crosswalk with me still in it. She said, "I'm sorry you felt angry. I'll try to remember to stop."

"That would be great," I said. "Have a nice day."

None of the above was said with any sincerity. We were two mean bitches, angry at each other and full of morning vigor. Although she was clearly in the wrong, and she was condescending and rude when she had no place to be, I was mad and righteous about it.

When she drove off, I was still angry. I didn't expect to be nearly run over and then confronted about it. She probably didn't expect (or like) being called out on bad behavior, and chose to confront me about it rather than apologize and move on.

Man, what a way to begin the holiday season!

We're all rushing these days and especially now up til Christmas. Here are a few reminders on navigating the season:

Please, please take a moment to slow down. Hurrying causes accidents.
Be courteous. Say you're sorry when you bump or transgress, and say excuse me.
When someone else pushes or bumps, try to restrain yourself from lashing out. Move on.
Have a hot cup of coffee and be glad you're alive and (I hope) healthy.
Don't ask people if they want to share. It's gross and smarmy.

Have a good week. And for goodness' sake don't ask people to share.

Google Reader Roundup - Not!

2011-12-07T10:24:00.000-08:00

I have some easy Friday goodness for you (and me) today. Also, I decorated this post too at the bottom.

Decoration!

Why Author Websites DO Matter

2011-12-07T02:07:00.000-08:00

On Monday I moaned about not knowing what makes a blog worth reading. This is all in connection to connecting with other writers and, someday, readers. This week, Anne Allen has a great post on how to blog, and it had a few points I responded to in her comments. But it seemed to have gotten lost in the ether, so I'm going to reproduce it here because I believe passionately in what I said. (This post is not meant as an argument with Anne--I just wanted to clarify some points.)

So, two important things about writers and websites and online presence:

Getting your name out there is Good; Relying only on Google rankings is Bad
Anne noted that, "The point is to get your name out there where the Google spiders can find you," and then quoted a publishing acquisitions editor who said this: "I don't read the query (sorry aspiring writers!) I look for two things: genre and word count. I then Google the author. I'm looking for the number of times the writer's name appears on the Internet. I'm searching for a website or any attempt to build a platform.”

Ha ha! "Sorry aspiring writers!" Wow.

Here's some news for you: The "number of times the writer's name appears on the Internet" can be fixed and faked. As I said in my lost ranty comment, you can FAKE THIS STUFF and so it all comes back to popularity contest. Several sneaky people have approached me to put links to them on my blog. At first I was all, "why on earth are you asking me? My blog isn't anything!" And then I realized that's the point (which was depressing). "Nothing" blogs are more likely not to care about linking back to you--and back links "up" your search rankings.

This is an echo of the perfidy of Klout rankings and how fake those are--which I discussed a few weeks ago.

I don't deny at all that a blog or the start of a social presence is important, however. Anne is right that you want Google to find you. But just remember that the metrics associated with such thing are unreliable--so if people only use those to see whether someone is a viable commodity or not, there's something sadly missing.

Having an author website accomplishes more than you think it is does
Second thing in Anne's post that I responded to:

That’s why a website you have to pay somebody to update for you isn’t as useful. People want to connect with you—not your web designer. The difference between a website and a blog is the difference between putting an ad in the Yellow Pages or personally giving somebody your phone number. Blogs are friendly. And if you have a blog, you don’t need an expensive website. Here’s what Nathan Bransford said about formal websites:

"The thing about author websites is pretty simple, in my mind. They're expensive. Are they worth the return on investment? I don't know. I can't think of a time I've ever bought a book based on a visit to an author's website. But I have definitely bought books based on author blogs. I know I may not be the average reader, but I still have a hard time seeing how it's worth the investment unless the website is really spectacular."

This set of commentary was a little confusing. I wasn't sure if Anne and Nathan meant you should never pay someone to update a website for you (totally agree!) or not pay someone to design a formal website for you. Most websites you pay a designer to do for you are updated by you. If you're a big time author and can't handle updating your site or are too busy, there is still huge value in having the website. But I don't think Anne and Nathan were addressing big time authors with PR teams at their disposal. I shall explain below.

First, full disclosure: I design web sites for authors and other small businesses. Design only--clients update their owns sites, as they should. You definitely don't want to pay someone oodles of money for a formal website. But if you have no design skills and no clue on where to start for a website, but you know enough to know that a website that looks like a llama vomited all over the screen is going to harm you, then hire someone. It's possible to do it cheap. We offer it cheap.

Know that a blog is a social media tool, and appropriately fits into a website. Here's what you do with both:

Use your blog to engage in discussion with people
Use your formal website to inform and market to people

This goes for all businesses, not just authors. People visit websites primarily to verify that you are who you say you are. In other words, they want to see that you're real, legit, and worth buying into. In a world where there are way too many choices, that's really important. And then you use your social media tools (blog, Facebook, Twitter, whatever) to engage directly with those people.

I also discussed this in a post a while back called Author Websites: Not Just for Pubbed Authors, but I guess Anne and Nathan didn't see that post. :)

I welcome discussion about this. Thoughts about the Google rankings? The author website? One of the commenters on Anne's post said "Whew, I won't worry about a website for me then!" I hope I've clearly outlined here that a website does matter, and it does communicate other things than a blog does. But it's important to note that for the writer just starting out, you don't necessarily need a website yet. I always recommend getting your own domain name early, however.

Traits of a good blog - and do I match up?

2011-12-05T02:16:00.000-08:00

I've been blogging for a few years now, and I have a horrible confession to make: I have never understood what makes a good blog. Other than great content, that is. There are differing opinions on the metrics of blog success--comments, followers, link backs--but what makes a blog good to read? (Note that when I speak of blogging, I mean writers who blog, published or unpublished.) Humor? Excellent writing advice? When I thought about it, I came up with the following traits of blogs I love reading:

1. I always learn something. Be it plot, characters, or finding ways not to use the word "because," I love writing craft blog posts. Blogs that consistently offer fresh takes on craft are always popular. Note that craft posts coming from unpublished writers are usually not taken as well--not by me--but in general. There are some notable exceptions to this.

2. Humor. I love a bit of silly, and bloggers who consistently offer humor are always visited in my list.

3. Honesty. Showing me a piece of who you are is actually really important when I thought about it. Everyone is human but no one likes to admit it--when you do it for us, we all feel better about our own struggles.

I'm sure there are more traits of interesting blogs, but these were the strongest for me. And also, I haven't slept in a long time--my 7 month old baby, Rainbow Puppy, is such a horrible sleeper at night that we usually only get about 4 hours of sleep tops a night now, so I kind of move through life listing to the right like a boat with a leak. So that was all the deep thinking I could do on that.

And like all shallow thinkers, I then turned the three good blogging traits onto myself. Did I do all three? Let's take a look. Because honestly, in the four years I've been blogging, I kind of thought I was doing a good job but actually I think I've been a little full of myself. Like, I've been righteous about what I post. What an ass I've been, actually! Check it:

- Do I teach something in my posts? Ha ha ha ha! Who cares what I have to say? Who am I? Well, sometimes my instructional posts are good (I was the only one surveyed though), but it's kind of hard to get over the fact that apart from having 15 years of experience as a professional technical writer, I'm not a professional fiction writer (yet). So me giving writing advice is not wonderful. Especially when I do like I'm an authority. Sheesh. Gross.

-Am I humorous? We all know the dangers of believing yourself funny. I crack myself up a lot, but as Mr. Sierra is constantly pointing out, I'm the only one laughing. Hey, at least I'm having a good time, right?

- Am I honest? At first I said yes to this. But actually, I realized I hide behind quasi-instructional posts that nobody comments on because I'm too...I don't know. Shy, embarrassed, afraid to be honest? I realized I rarely tell the truth about myself through posts. Here is the truth: I am a high strung mother of two young boys, just launched into a wonderful new career I never thought possible before of a freelance graphic designer (and it's working!), and I started writing fiction seriously four years ago. That's nice but it's not honesty. Here's the honesty: I don't sleep at night (4 hours tops) thanks to baby, and I'm exhausted and annoyed and I worry a lot. I swear a lot. I am frustrated that my mind is 85% oatmeal from it and that my current WIP is at least 6 months behind where I thought it would be because of the non-sleeping, and also, I'm sassy and sarcastic and caustic and no one likes that. I'm tired and I make a lot of mistakes. A lot. Sometimes I care, sometimes I don't. I hate it when people think badly of me. I can't stand it. I'm introverted. When talking with people, I almost always assign them a higher status in the conversation whether it's warranted or not. I don't know why that is. My rear end is wide but I sure as hell am not going to the gym. I'll walk but that's it.

I think when I can reveal my total failings as a human in my posts, then there will be some honesty (and since I touched on them above, I figure I'm good for a few months, right?). I don't tend to reveal my failings, but those are what really make blog posts good. Like writing failings. I never say what I've done wrong, only what I've done right. And that makes for boooooooorrring reading.

I don't know. I'm burned out on blogging. I'm tired of writing posts that I feel like I have to write. I want to write posts that *I* want to write. I'm just not sure what those are yet.

What do you think? What makes a blog worth reading?

Google Reader Roundup

2011-12-02T02:09:00.000-08:00

Kristen Lippert-Martin wonders if you reach that point when you bail on a novel or keep going, and what is that point?

FANTASTIC post from Meghan Ward on her own experiences about working as a fashion model in Paris.

Agent Scott Eagan has a timely reminder for us to watch what we say when we're vying for representation or deals.

And Scott Eagan again has a post on whether the holidays are a good time to submit to agents and editors.

Nathan Bransford has interesting e-reader poll results for several years running--it's neat (and not surprising) to see how the answers have changed.

Jody Hedlund has 6 fantastic tips to help make the learning of fiction writing easier.

Non-sequitor queen Diane Henders makes us laugh with musings on how fun it would be to alter reality with our minds. With Barbie. And celebrity affairs.

Jordan Dane at the Kill Zone tells us how to write what we fear for a change.

And then don't miss Joe Moore's post about the elements of a great ending.

If you missed it, I guest blogged on Roni Loren's blog this week about that important All Is Lost moment in your plot. Check it out.

Roni Loren talks about what she did to help be a more productive and fast writer.

And finally, because I simply couldn't stop looking at my own post, I'll mention it again: I talked about where to find inspiration for writing your male love interest...except it was a thinly disguised post showing pictures of a hot actor. My bad.

Lead Love Interest Inspiration

2011-11-30T02:36:00.000-08:00

Mr. Sierra and I have been watching the entire True Blood series from Netflix and loving it. I especially have been loving Alexander Skarsgard, or Eric Northman on the show. It's gotten to the point where I'm despairing, because we only have two more episodes to watch of Series 3 and must wait for series 4 to be released on DVD.

"What will I do without my Eric fix?" I asked my friend/colleague Mike Chen, who is a primary source of my knowledge.

"Um, earth to Sierra," he said. "You'll have to rent Zoolander." (Link is to deleted scene in Zoolander with Meekus, still with his Swedish accent before he got it Americanized.)

No problem because ASkars, as Roni Loren and I like to refer to him, is HOT in that movie too. And if I'm really desperate, there's always the Lady Gaga Papparazzi video in which he's smoking yummo as well. AND kisses Gaga all up and down exactly the way you would like to be....mmm, this blog is getting a bit steamy.

ASkars and his hotness is very inspiring when it comes to writing a lead male love interest character. And watching him do his hot thing as Eric is really, really nice. He's got these gorgeous, muscular man hands and a really nice broad chest that you would beg to wrapped up in. He's sensual as Eric, too, so he provides lots of ways to describe a good love scene. My only problem is making sure that my male leads don't all resemble Nordic Vikings now.

The tinternets are full of great links and pictures for male character inspiration. One particular resources is Roni Loren's Boyfriend of the Week series on her author blog. (Incidentally, she's "done" ASkars here) If you need inspiration as to your male lead, her BOTW series is a treasure trove. She's has 31 guys listed. Go check them out.

And here's a link to the Melancholia trailer, in which ASkars plays Kirsten Dunst's husband. Oh, Kirsten. You lucky little minx.

That Important All is Lost Plot Point

2011-11-28T02:33:00.000-08:00

Today I'm guest blogging over at Roni Loren's blog, Fiction Groupie on that important All Is Lost plot moment-- you know the one right after the midpoint of your story, when your character is kicked down low and you keep kicking her? Yes! Go read it if you're unclear.

How Low Can You Go? The Important All is Lost Moment

Google Reader Roundup

2011-11-25T02:22:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. I didn't, because I have shingles. Yeah, the older person's disease. As a result, I had to sit home alone while Mr. Sierra took the whippersnapper to the big family Thanksgiving do. (Rainbow Puppy went to bed early.) So I sat on the couch and wrote.

And my God, I was thankful for it!

Even if I did starve a bit and find myself forced (forced) to eat a few Trader Joe's Halloween Jo-Jos.

Anne Allen reports a gap in Amazon review power with the older age set, and gives some guidelines to reviewing for Amazon.

Jessica Faust at Bookends fields a question about long book lengths...is it too long? how to cut down? You decide.

Kristen Lamb talks about scene structuring, part of her novel structure series.

On the heels of my post on Monday that stated you cannot possibly interact meaningfully with thousands of followers, Jane Friedman wonders whether she's doing just that with her thousands of Facebook friends. (Answer from me is no.)

Bloggy friend Tahereh Mafi's highly anticipated novel, Shatter Me, is out and Tahareh was interviewed by Entertainment Weekly (she's big time, folks). I am including the link to the article because of the last line in it--Tahereh knows exactly how to hook a reader and her last line is the one that made me want to read the book more than anything. Check it out. See how she uses that tease so subtly, so well, and so engagingly.

Meghan Ward wonders if you're blogging to the right audience. I wondered if the right audience matters in her comments.

What not to blog about and what crosses the line when it comes to social media, from Kill Zone's Clare Langley-Hawthorne.

Jody Hedlund tells us how to build a blog following from the ground up.

Janice Hardy hosts guest blogger Elle Strauss on writing a query or pitch in four easy steps. I especially loved the identification of the hook.

Kristan Hoffman on what really matters for this Thanksgiving week (via Meghan Ward). Or, in other words, Kristan helps remind us about connecting with other authors and books.

Meghan Ward reminds us about the importance of sitting on the floor. We all need to, no matter in reality with our kids, or metaphorically.

Jody Hedlund schools us in restraint. Well-timed!

A hilarious collection of writing maladies cleverly written by Nathan Bransford.

And finally, I really love this list of things Tawna Fenske is thankful she was wrong about--with a wonderful last item on the list, which almost made her whole post as satisfying as a good romance novel.

Success as an Anonymous Blogger

2011-11-22T02:53:00.000-08:00

So on Monday I posted about how Klout scores matter to publishers and agents, to the dismay of writers who just want to concentrate on producing a great novel. Everyone in the comments (thank you for commenting and discussing!) seemed to agree that a) Klout doesn't matter and b) social media is about being social rather than numbers. I was heartened!

And yet, numbers do matter--and it turns out, they matter even when you're anonymous.

Also on Monday, The Intern's identity and bookdeal was announced on PW and her blog. (HUGE congrats, Intern!) The Intern has been blogging a long time, and always made it clear she was writing and publishing a book(s). I'm sure I'm not alone when I wondered how having an anonymous blog that had a huge following, hit count, and comment rate helped your book sales when you didn't say who you were.

Turns out it didn't matter. Here's the PW announcement:

In a six-figure, two-book pre-empt, Molly O’Neill at HarperCollins’s Katherine Tegen Books bought North American rights to Hilary Smith’s YA debut, Midnight at the Radio Temple. Laura Rennert at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency handled the auction for O’Neill and said the novel, which is scheduled for summer 2013, is a coming-of-age story about a teenage musician who uncovers shocking family secrets during “an unforgettable summer of love and chaos, music and madness.” Smith was behind the now-defunct anonymous publishing blog, The Intern (www.internspills.blogspot.com), in which she chronicled toiling away as an unpaid laborer in the editorial department at a nameless publishing house; the blog became something of an industry phenomenon in 2009, drawing, at its height, 10,000 visits per month.

Congrats to The Intern/Hilary Smith! And congrats to her for using her blog popularity after all to her advantage. Maybe it is as simple as unmasking yourself to your legion of followers--in fact, how cool was that? We all wondered who she was and what her book was, and now we know. And we all paid attention when she revealed herself because we wondered.

What do you think? A depressing sign that matters number, a clever and successful marketing ploy, or....?

Why querying isn't a popularity contest

2011-11-21T02:59:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Meghan Ward posted about the whole Klout thing, and how it became an unhealthy tool, and she stopped using it. Her post was partly inspired by a post from agent Rachelle Gardener, who suggested that agents care about your Klout score--and that you should include it in your query. (To be fair, Rachelle also said Twitter numbers and Facebook fans in the same sentence. She wasn't necessarily referring to unpublished writers, although that wasn't clear.)

But the notion of including social media following numbers in our queries annoyed me. Because most of those stats are a popularity game. You can fix those numbers if you pay people or trick them into following you (not to mention the overriding fact that having huge numbers of followers does not indicate a great social media presence, because you aren't able to actually keep up with 60,000 different people). The idea that what can essentially be tricking or paying for your popularity might make a difference in representation seemed unfair.

Then last week, John Scalzi has a great post on "de-Koutifying," or the process of ditching the morally questionable Klout.

Scalzi said,

In other words Klout exists to turn the entire Internet into a high school cafeteria, in which everyone is defined by the table at which they sit. And there you are, standing in the middle of the room with your lunch tray, looking for a seat, hoping to ingratiate yourself with the cool kids, trying desperately not to get funneled to the table in the corner where the kids with scoliosis braces and D&D manuals sit.

And,

I clicked over to Klout’s “perks” section not long ago — “perks” being the freebie things the service wants you to market for them — and rather than being presented with a selection of perks available to me, I was presented a list of perks I wasn’t qualified for, because apparently I wasn’t smart and pretty and popular enough for them, although Klout seemed to suggest that maybe if I did my hair a little differently, or wore some nicer shoes (or dragged more people into their service, making myself more influential in the process) maybe one day I could get the cool perks.

No, no, no! Klout, No! If I had a virtual rolled up newspaper, I'd bap you on your nose! This is shameless and gross marketing, and as Scalzi says, "At which point I decided that Klout was actually being run by dicks..."

But let's get back to the whole popularity thing in queries. I understand where agents are coming from when they say they look at such numbers like Klout scores and blog vistors, I do. They're saying they want a marketable client, one that is attractive to readers. I get that! And of course agents want that!

But when it's a fixable score, we have problems. And as Scalzi says, Klout's scoring criteria is highly suspect.

In my opinion (and you can take this from my 15 years of experience in marketing and not as a writer who uses social media), here are the reasonable parts of social media for an unpublished, querying writer:

Twitter. If you have huge amounts of Twitter followers and you're an unpublished writer, then you should be a celerity or a successful business person. Otherwise, you should interact with as many other tweeters as possible, but not be focused on gathering followers. Followers come when you interact genuinely with others.

Facebook. I don't make my personal Facebook page public and I've stopped using a "public" one because it's against Facebook's rules. I could set up a fan page, but this might be just me---asking people to be my fan at this point is kind of crunchy. I'll save it for when I have news that needs following. Bottom line: have a Facebook page for more intimate connections (by "intimate" I mean photos rather than having affairs, gutter mind!), but don't do it unless you're comfortable with sharing your private info. Have a fan page instead if you feel ready to do so.

Blogging. Huge numbers of followers don't always result in tons of comments, but I would say that in general, the more followers you have, the more successful your blog. And yet, I also think longevity and content and frequency of posting are also equally important metrics. (Maybe I'm just saying that in my defense since I don't have a million followers, but I don't think my blog is a complete failure, either.) Bottom line: work hard on your blog. Interact with followers. Build your content. I think it matters.

Here's the sad fact of all this, though. Rachelle Gardener was right when she said publishers care about numbers. Of course they do! Numbers are what they deal with! But I also think that if you work at the outlets that do matter, you'll get there. Klout is not one of those outlets, not with questionable score metrics and "opportunities" to increase the score.

Thoughts? Do you have a Klout account? How do you use it? What social media outlets do you think are important for querying writers?

Google Reader Roundup

2011-11-18T09:06:00.000-08:00

Carrie Heim Binas gives us the inspiring fail quote from Samuel Beckett.

Rachelle Gardener answers the question of whether age matters for writers (young or old).

John Scalzi has a great post (via Anne Allen) on de-Koutifying, or the process of ditching the morally questionable Klout. This post follows on Meghan Ward's great post about Klout losing clout. I have a longer reaction to this on Monday.

Kristen Lippert-Martin tells us how "you can live quite happily without your dreams ever coming true, but you can’t live happily without pursuing your dream at all."

Bookends' Jessica Faust weighs in on what constitutes women's fiction.

Yay! Congrats to Roni Loren for another two books sold!

Kristan Hoffman's blog crashed when a post of hers appeared all over the tinterwebs--by agents and highly read bloggers. Go see what the hubaloo is about!

Jody Hedlund tells us why every story needs a zombie. (Yeah!)

Janice Hardy's plot points Friday addresses character goals.

4 Things to Do with Comments

2011-11-16T02:14:00.000-08:00

On Monday I talked about the launch of my new website design + build business, Atmosphere Websites, and I said I would talk about why I think migrating to an all Wordpress web site ultimatley strated making sense for me--and I think the reasons for it are good for writers--but I'm totally not going to talk about that today.

Monday I was bummed to have to uninstall Intense Debates, my comment system, which meant losing over a year's worth of great discussion and making all my back posts look really pitifully silent. :( But Intense Debates had stopped working for a lot of people. I don't know what it was and I felt like there was little I could do, so it had to be emptied. The nice thing about Intense Debates was that it had threaded comments, so you could reply to a specific comment and thus actually generate a discussion--which is what social media is all about. I also liked that you were emailed when I replied to a comment, which meant that you would know for sure that I saw, read, and replied on a comment.

Comments on blogs are funny things. Bloggers covet them; they're the holy grail of blogging success in my opinion. Sure, 100 comments on a post could mean you have a lot of spam or people just going "great, yeah" so that their voice is logged, but 100 comments typically means you have great content that moved people enough to stop what they are doing and comment. And that is not a small thing.

The subject of getting comments is mysterious and I don't understand it at all. I suspect that commenting on lots of people's blogs means they'll come comment on yours. And, of course, have good content and you'll get comments. I mean, I don't know. I've never really known the answer to that. (If you know, please comment and tell me.)

But here's what I do know: how to act properly as a blogger when it comes to comments:

1. Read all your comments. Both Blogger and Wordpress have settings that allow you to be notified by email if someone leaves a comment. For goodness' sake, check that setting! Getting emails when you get a comment ensures you'll read them.

2. Reply when possible. You may not have time to reply immediately, and maybe the commenter will never check for a reply, but do it anyway. It's gracious. And it's nice. And it's social.

3. When you get a dissenting comment, rise above it. It's a great pity that I lost Intense Debates because one a post a few weeks ago I got a super flamey comment left by someone who apparently had not actually read the post and who accused me and all my readers and other commenters of not understanding grammar or marketing, which was funny because he used poor grammar throughout the comment. A thousand pithy and rather sassy retorts went through my mind, but in the end I left it and let its stupidity speak for itself. And besides, I didn't want to get into a public argument with someone who didn't get it.

In another example, someone (a reader who may recognize herself) once left a comment about a post that was critical. Not bad critical, but critical. I could have been a bitch about it but that wouldn't have served any purposes. I thanked her for the comment and said I'd think about her points. (Which I did.) And I think that resonated with her. (She said it did.)

4. Don't expect. Treat all your comments like what they are--people, taking time out of their day to interact with you and leave their thoughts. They're gifts. Don't get complacent. Love the one or two you get. :) I do.

Do you have any to add?

Author Websites: Not Just for Pubbed Authors

2011-11-13T02:24:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday! Today I'm super excited to announce the official launch of my because my Wordpress website design and build business, Atmosphere Websites with business colleague (and trusted critique partner) Mike Chen. I design and Mike builds, and together we offer packages for small businesses, babies, artists, musicians, weddings, and authors.

So naturally I thought I'd talk a bit about author web sites. There has been much said on the subject of having a web site--by me in these posts, and also Roni Loren covers this topic really well. Last year I did a post about why I think unpublished writers should have web sites. Now seems like a good time to repeat those reasons:

A website shows you're serious and professional about what you're doing. Going to the trouble and expense of a web site means you're putting stock in the long term. Designing, publishing, and maintaining web sites is not easy and requires work and/or funds to put into it.

A website offers a window into who you are and what you write.Your blog can do this, too, but with the day to day ramblings, it's sometimes hard to keep that introductory information topmost. Your web site serves as your virtual business card.

A website can be static until you score that book deal. Then, you'll need it. And you might not have time to launch a whole branding effort, so having one in place sets you up for when your site needs to kick into gear and work for you.

At the very least, reserve your domain name now.

Looking long term, I've become convinced that it's better to have a web site that hosts your blog in addition to your web content. Roni Loren and I have had this discussion many times--it's best to host your blog on your own server space, but what if you started out with a Blogger or free Wordpress blog? How do you migrate all that stuff (not to mention readers) to your website? How do you integrate a blog on it?

On Wednesday, I'll be answering these questions and telling you why after many years with Blogger, I have become convinced that it's time to migrate my blog over to my website. It isn't an easy decision, and Blogger has been good to me. But even so, it's time. Come back Wednesay and I'll tell you why.

In the meantime, questions or thoughts on unpublished writer websites? Wordpress? The awesomeness that is Atmosphere Websites?

Google Reader Roundup

2011-11-11T02:08:00.000-08:00

Kristen Lippert-Martin tells us why it's so important to create likeable characters, with a great story that will make you hide your laser pointers when she comes near.

Roni Loren hosts a great guest post called A Polishing It Till It Shines Checklist from Mia Marlowe.

BookEnds outlines the stages of an edit.

Read why agent Scott Eagan is against NaNo.

Jody Hedlund tells how to market our books without feeling icky (a great post).

Really interesting post on the whole Klout situation and how it affects your standing as a writer (or not)--an update of sorts from Meghan Ward.

At Writer Unboxed, Jane Friedman wonders if her advice about self publishing has caused writers to eschew responsibility for their work. (A question I have wondered frequently myself)

Romantic Elements: Humor

2011-11-09T02:50:00.000-08:00

The other morning, someone tried to call collect to me on my cell. It was very odd. The message said, "This call has been prepaid by credit or debit card. From..." and the a robotic voice came on that said "jhsbdfiuhdfhv facility."

I refused the call, of course. I mean, I couldn't hear where it was from-- except that it was from a mysterious facility!

I struck me immediately after that it was probably Mr. Sierra, calling from jail. I called his cell phone, but worryingly, it went directly to voice mail. So obviously he was calling me on his one phone call via the pay phone. I don't know the rules of jail calls, so I figured they would probably let him try again in an hour or so. He should have called the house phone first anyway. Silly!

I figured that it was probably best for him to stay the night and learn his lesson. No schmancy bail bonds for him. I sent him a text asking if he was in jail calling me collect on the off chance he'd be able to see it. About an hour later, he replied with, "I'm not in jail. My girlfriend bailed me out."

And that right there is why we have a great marriage. No, not because he has a girlfriend (he doesn't, that I know of), but because he never missed a beat of my neurosis or the opportunity for humor.

This is the kind of thing I try to capture when I write two romantic characters. Inside jokes and genuinely funny exchanges of the intimate variety make me curl my toes with awww. You know it does you, too.

What kinds of things do you write into your romantic pairs? What makes you go "mmmm" with satisfaction?

Neighbors as future characters

2011-11-07T02:38:00.000-08:00

Psst...my comment system, Intense Debate, has taken another dump on my blog. Several of you have reported you can't leave comments. I'm sorry, not the least of why because I love comments and also it must be hugely frustrating not to be able to leave one, and if it doesn't get fixed soon I'm going to uninstall again. Grrr. Please let me know if you're still having trouble -- tweet to me or drop me a line (sierra [at] sierragodfrey.com).

We have some really great neighbors on our street. It's a nice mix of long time residents and newer families who've moved in. My next-door neighbors have been in their house 40 years and they're dears. They refer to e-mail as “the stuff that comes through the Internet.” But they're dears, even their two massive, Cujo-lookalike pitbulls that they keep in their backyard. The pitbulls aren't dears, but their barking helps ward of burglars, and we benefit from the close-proximity barking in that respect. Silver lining.

Anyway, in our area there has been a spate of earthquakes lately (and all over the country). Like, two 4.0s in a single day, and then lots of other smaller but still uncomfortable aftershocks. We live near the Hayward Fault and they say (whoever “they” is; I like to think it’s city officials, but this somehow rarely seems to be the case) that it blows every 140 years. Okay, blows is a bit…explosive. What I mean, is, 6.0 or higher earthquake. And we’re like five years overdue or something. So many of us are rightly turning our attention to earthquake preparedness. (In fact my friend Meghan Ward is going to have an AWESOME earthquake preparedness post for you very soon if not today!--will update with link when she posts it) And none more so than my neighbors.

The other day one of their fugly pit bulls was barking repeatedly. I opened the door all set to give the dog a piece of my mind* . But the dog was only barking because my neighbor was out there doing weird things to his trashcan.

“What are you doing?” I asked over the fence. “What’s all that noise about?”

My neighbor gave me a weird smile, kind a cross between the Joker and a Jack-O-Lantern.

“Preparing for an earthquake!”

I looked pointedly at the barking dog.

“He gets excited when I clean,” my neighbor said. “I’m cleaning out our trash cans.”

“For an earthquake?” I asked.

“Yes. Shoring up our earthquake kits,” he said. “How’s the baby doing?”

“He’s trying to take his nap,” I said, hoping my point was made.

“Great, great! Okay, I’m nearly done here. Two big earthquakes in one day, you know.”

“I know,” I said. “Do you guys have lots of water stored?”

“Oh yes,” he said. “Tons.”

I wasn’t sure whether he stored the water in garbage bins or not. But I decided he would be a good source in the event of a disaster, so I nodded and thanked him and filed his weirdness away for my future gain.

My neighbor is clearly one of those quirky characters that I love putting in stories. And the incident, complete with the maniacal grin and strange use of garbage cans as the earthquake kit (I don't know where they're going to put their garbage now) made the whole exchange one of those crazy ones that you kind of just have to put in a story.

*Last summer and fall when I was pregnant with Rainbow Puppy, those bastard dogs would bark their heads off at 4 a.m. My neighbors were very sorry about it, especially after I played the pregnant-insomnia guilt card, but explained they didn't hear it because their bedroom is on other other side of the house. I had to resort to screaming obscenities out the window at the dogs in the middle of the night, and it worked. I called them by name, that might have helped. So telling them to shut up when they bark is something that generally works for me.

Also, there is a high fence between our yards, which quite frankly makes me bold.

Google Reader Roundup- Not

2011-11-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

So yesterday we took our first trip to the emergency room for my 5 year old whippersnapper. His finger got caught in the bedroom door and took the entire nail off. There was blood and screaming and shock, and he spent a very tough three hours in the emergency room with wonderful and patient doctors who were kind and innovative. It was awful. He's doing great now--he's a strong, brave boy. I am also doing well, or at least better.

But I definitely don't have a Google Reader Roundup for you today. I do have a story from the ER though. While we were waiting to be seen, a guy walks in talking loudly on his cell phone to a friend. (I know it was a friend because he called him "dog" a lot. Either his friend or he was having a little convo with his super-intelligent and dexterous golden retriever.) He also had the most massive iPad I've ever seen. Like, easily the size of a flat screen TV.

He said, "I have to go dog cause I'm at the hospital. I got shot."

Then I noticed his bicep was streaming blood. The security guards rounded on him then, and the registration clerk asked him what happened. He said "Oh yeah, I got shot in my arm and in my leg." Then a police officer materialized magically and asked him what happened.

"I don't know," he said, although I'm certain he did. "I was walking down the street and someone started shooting at me. I was on the freeway and someone was shooting."

Yeah.

They ushered him in and then the security did a lock down on the ER which really didn't do much for my already rattled state of mind.

That guy, though. I'm almost certain he'll be making an appearance in a story sometime soon :)

Happy Friday!

Interview with Samuel Park

2011-10-31T02:25:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited today to welcome Samuel Park to my blog, author of This Burns My Heart. I've known Sam in the bloggy sense for a long time and recently read his beautiful novel. I was swept away by the lush details and elegant storytelling. Sam has created a truly gorgeous story, and I hope you all read it. A bit about the book:

In postwar South Korea, a country torn between past and present, we meet audacious, beautiful, and strong Soo-Ja Choi. On the eve of marriage to her weak, timid fiance, Soo-Ja falls in love with a young medical student. But out of duty to her family and her culture she turns him away, choosing instead a world that leaves her trapped by suffocating customs. Soo-Ja struggles to find happiness in a loveless marriage and to carve out a successful future for her only daughter. Forced by tradition to move in with her in-laws, she must navigate the dangers of a cruel household and pay the price of choosing the wrong husband. Meanwhile, the man she truly loves remains a lurking shadow in her life, reminding her constantly of the love she could have had.

And now, Samuel!

What kinds of questions did you set out to explore with Soo-Ja? (Beyond the question of "what if?")
Sam: Hi Sierra, thanks so much for having me on your blog! To answer your question, I wanted to explore father-daughter relationships. I'd always been fascinated by my grandfather's relationship to my mother, and how much the dynamic between them molded their personality. My mother's a very strong, independent person, and I think a lot of it had to do with my grandfather holding her in such high esteem as a child and teenager--very much the opposite of the norms in Korea at the time, which favored the oldest male son. But over the course of writing the book, I moved further and further away from this, so that the heroine's father is now only a secondary character. Ultimately, the initial premise wasn't what the book ended up being about. The book ended up becoming much more about Soo-Ja's relationship with her daughter.

How long did it take you to write and revise this book?
Sam: It took me about eight months to write the first draft. When I finished it, however, there were two glaring problems: in the second half of the book, the relationship between Soo-Ja and Yul didn't have enough "heat"; and Soo-Ja was a bit of a remote character, whose emotions were inaccessible for the reader. So I basically spent a year revising the book, describing Soo-Ja's emotions in more detail, and adding more scenes between Yul and her (about half of the scenes where they interact, like when they reunite in his hotel room, or when they wander around on their own through the streets of Seoul, were added at this stage).

One of the things I loved about the book was Soo-Ja's love for Korea. There is an opportunity for her and her family to immigrate--but far from the usual story of America being a better way of life, for Soo-Ja it isn't. This was refreshingly different, I felt. Can you talk a bit about the immigration theme for you?
Sam: A lot of that had to do with the structure of the book. The book, in terms of how I thought about it, was about a woman who loses her child twice and gets her back. So it's about going into this foreign world, and Soo-Ja is a bit like a classic hero from Homer or Virgil who has to fight the monsters to regain her daughter. Ultimately, once she regains her child, she has to go back home. The first time, she brings her daughter back from the streets of Pusan; the second time, she rescues her daughter from the even more tempting lure of California. But in both cases, the homecoming was an essential part of the journey, and so I knew Soo-Ja couldn't stay in Los Angeles; she had to bring her daughter home.

How was the agent and publication search for you with this book?

Sam: I sent out a lot of queries in the beginning, and got a few requests for partials, and whole manuscripts. It was an incredibly frustrating time, the first time I really doubted the quality of the manuscript. What I learned from the process is that it's a bit like matchmaking--and you need to get Nos from all the wrong people before you get to the person who's perfect for you. When I finally found Lisa, I got an instantly good vibe from her, and I especially liked the fact that she had a lot of notes for me, and I'm an obsessive reviser. A fun tidbit is that I asked her not to tell me when she submitted the manuscript; I didn't want to be on pins and needles waiting for the editors' responses. So when she called with news, it was a genuine surprise.

How has your life changed since the publication of This Burns My Heart?
Sam: People talk about how publishing a book won't change your life; how the writing life is not glamorous; how it can be even a letdown. That is all bullshit. Utter, complete bullshit. I roll my eyes when I hear that. Because it has *completely* changed my life. Having unfulfilled potential was an albatross around my neck; I felt completely frustrated that I had not achieved what I thought I could achieve. So when the book finally came out, and there it was--this tangible accomplishment--I could let out a sigh of relief. I hate when authors talk about how unglamorous it is--lies! I love seeing my book in an airport bookshop; I love flying to New York to meet my editor. Not being published felt like being stuck in a bad case of unrequited love; when the book came out, it felt like my lover was finally accepting me, embracing me. It became a two-way relationship, finally getting back as much as I was used to giving.
[Sierra's note: best answer ever! Thanks for being so honest here. I fully look forward to this feeling as well.]

Anything you would have done differently, either with the story or the journey to publication?
Sam: I might've let go of control a little earlier. My editor had to wrestle the manuscript out of my hands--I kept wanting to revise more. I also spent a lot of time emailing my publicist and marketing specialist to make suggestions, when in fact they had already covered all the bases. I think I worried unnecessarily, in the beginning.

What's next for you?

Sam: I'm working on my next novel. I tend to use my work as an opportunity to learn more about a subject, so I've been doing a lot of research and note-taking. Thank you so much for the wonderful questions! An honor to be a part of your blog. :)

Thank you, Sam, for taking the time. It is an utter thrill for me to hear from you after enjoying your book so much.

You can buy This Burns My Heart from:
Barnes and Noble
Indiebound
Simon & Schuster
Amazon

Visit Sam's website and blog here.

Google Reader Roundup

2011-10-28T02:33:00.000-07:00

I'm going to toot my own horn (tooooooot!) and give a link to my guest post at Roni Loren's blog this week on Chick Lit vs. Women's Fiction...in which I interview Roni's agent Sara Megibow. I've heard lots of positive feedback from this post so it's been great.

Ooh! Ooh! Edit! Posters for the Hunger Games movie have been released. Check it here to see Woody Harrelson as Haymitch (hmmm.), and the rest of the cast here.

Meredith Barnes gives us the conference 101.

Bookends' Jessica Faust wrote about the "archaic" query (don't get excited; she's saying why it isn't), and then Scott Eagan added his .02 to bring home the importance of a quick tool that sells you.

Janet Reid points out one of the mistakes publishers are making with the pricing of ebooks.

Rachelle Gardener tells us why a no is merely a no.A helpful post for those of you (oh whatevers, all of us!) who take rejections personally.

Mike Chen uses One Day to tell us how to go beyond show-not-tell by showing character judgement.

More NaNo prep from master plot meister Janice Hardy, who talks about beginnings.

John Gilstrap at the Kill Zone talks about how it is to "write fat."

And in other NaNo prep, Alexandra Sokoloff gives us another epic post on the elements of Act 2 (part 1). (These NaNo prep posts are great for general craft, not just NaNo.)

Chick Lit vs. Women's Fiction

2011-10-24T02:27:00.000-07:00

Today I'm guest posting as part of my regular monthly column over at Roni Loren's Fiction Groupie blog--and my post is about the differences between chick lit and women's fiction.

I asked agent Sara Megibow some questions about it and she provided some surprising information.

Go read!

Google Reader Roundup

2011-10-21T02:50:00.000-07:00

Deana Knippling on designing your own covers.

Roni Loren Monday Columnist Suzanne Johnson has a really fabulous (GO READ IT NOW!) post on character names and how not to screw them up.

Unbelievably fabulous interview with editor Alan Rinzler and agent Andy Cross by Meghan Ward-- long, but so fantastic and funny and insightful. Meghan has also transcribed it so you can read it.

(Another GO READ NOW post. But when you have time to read a longer post.)

Kathryn Lilley at the Kill Zone has a great post about creating a vision of your writing future.

Catherine Ryan Howard (not to be confused with author Catherine Ryan Hyde) hosts guest poster/editor fabulosososoityso, Victoria Mixon, who talks creating the unique story.

Bookends explains what platform is.

Jody Hedlund tells us 4 ways to add action to our story. (Or caffeine, as she cutely says.)

Janice Hardy explains how to write the pitch line. A great post.

Roni Loren, who pretty much kills with all her blog posts, discusses whether you can divulge too much as an author online.

The Subtleties of Friendship

2011-10-17T02:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes real life isn't as good as a novel.

I have a friend with whom I share many similarities, including small children, sense of humor, parenting ideals. We mesh well-- so well that she could easily be one of my closest friends. We've shared intimate confidences, and some pretty big life events together.

But.

Something changed over the past few months. She pulled away and I was left going, "huh?" I don't want to go into too much here, but let's just say we don't talk nearly as often now--or at all, in fact, and our friendship seems to exist in a sort of suspended hiatus state. In lieu of any instance I can think of where I've offended her, I can only assume my company isn't as wonderful as I like to think it is. My resulting wounded feelings prevent me from asking her what's going on in the event that nothing's going on, and then it'll become a thing where it wasn't one (except it is) and I'll end up looking crazy. So I'm waiting and seeing. (And feeling hurt.) You can think what you want about that tactic, but just remember that there is, of course, much more to the story that isn't appropriate to go into here. Just know that this is the course of action that seems best at this point for me.

In novels, I love reading about strong female friendships where the friends never stop talking to one another for no apparent reason, who support each other always, and who are always there for each other. There isn't ever any drama, and neither party drifts off when there's a solid friendship in place. In short, the friends are reliable and true.

Good stories show such friendships weathering tests, like when one friend disagrees with the other and lets her know it, or when one hurts the other. But they always work through and get past it, because they're great friends -- and usually good people. In real life, nuances of behavior sometimes prevent solutions, or maybe one of the friends is selfish and lets the friendship go a bit (this is not in reference my story above). Friendships require careful care and watering, and in real life sometimes we can't or won't do that, and the friendship suffers sometimes irreversible damage.

Maeve Binchy and Rosamunde Pilcher are two authors who wrote epic sagas with enduring friendships in them. I'm very close to brain dead right now (Rainbow Puppy is teething and up frequently at night again) so I can't conjure any other examples to mind. But I want to hear your favorite fictional friendships. And of course, whether you find friendships in novels to be deliciously lovely escapes from our real-life entanglements?

Google Reader Roundup

2011-10-14T02:18:00.000-07:00

This week the writer blogosphere heated up a bit with several posts about why blogging is good for writers--including one from yours truly (5 Reasons Why Blogging Works for Writers). Anne Allen presented a summary of several other previous posts and ideas (with some additional info). Then Roni Loren had an especially well-said one on blogging and the pressure on writers. I will now take credit for her post since she and I had several epic emails back and forth on the subject. And don't miss Jody Hedlund's post on the same subject, either.

Janice Hardy has a great post that asks if your second line is as good as your first, and then discusses its use.

Lynnette Labelle provides writing advice from an editor.

Nice things you can do for other writers from the Working Writers and Bloggers blog.

GalleyCat's grammar PSA: stop abusing the word "literally." I actually saw someone post on Facebook last weekend that their heart literally exploded when they saw someone's picture and I thought, "Wow, how amazing that you could continue to Facebook after your heart had exploded! Well played, Mark Zuckerburg, well played."

Bookends Lit shows us why attitude matters in queries.

Agent Scott Eagen revisits a topic he's mentioned before--and one that makes me think every time. It's the difference between knowing and understanding.

Meghan Ward interviews NYT bestselling author Julia Scheers, whose new book has just been released. Comment by October 17 and win a copy of the book A Thousand Lives!

For those of you with sons (I have two), this video via Janet Reid on books your sons will want to read is great.

James Scott Bell talks about writer bios.

Jody Hedlund does a fabulous guest post at Roni Loren's blog about how no sex doesn't necessarily mean no tension.

Alexandra Sokoloff gives us Nanowrimo prep with story structure 101.

A visual guide to ampersands (LOVE this).

Diane Henders, who is the funniest raunchiest Canadian you'd ever meet, has a funny post on why she's actually a Neanderthal.

In a week filled with tributes to Steve Jobs, Mike Chen takes issue with something Jobs said, and he does it well-- it's about story, and whether it can be told through the medium of video games.

Tawna Fenske has fun with her spam folder.

5 Reasons Why Blogging Works for Writers

2011-10-12T02:25:00.000-07:00

There’s been a lot of discussion about blogging for writers. Anne Allen summed up the whole thing in her post last Sunday, which mentions Roni Loren’s post "Is blogging dead" and also Meghan Ward’s numbers post “Is blogging a waste of time?” post.

I don’t know if anyone else said this, but I have a huge problem with the notion that high visitor numbers is the only way to get you published. That completely belies talent, fantastic stories, and worst of all, makes things a popularity contest rather than relying on actual merit. It reminds me of hiring managers who only look at resumes from candidates from top schools rather than anyone with the right experience.

Blogging for writers builds community with other writers and it often serves as an outlet for our profusion of words.

But does blogging sell books? This is the real question that I believe people are asking when they wonder if blogging is a waste of time. The answer is, blogging probably doesn’t sell books--not at the level of numbers that publishers need. But on the other hand, if you don’t blog, or stake a toe-hold for yourself in cyberland, then you are missing out on someone finding you. You have no idea what percentage of people not finding you may be, but why take the chance when social media tools are free?

For most of us, blogging isn’t going to be our ticket to the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list. But here’s what I think having a blog and a Twitter account can do for the average writer:

1. Introduce you to other writers, with whom you can build relationships. These others writers might buy your book later on, or help publicize your book. Maybe the publicity doesn’t result in millions of sales, but you don't spend a dollar doing it! Or, the other writers might later recommend you to their agents, which is basically the golden ticket in querying.

2. Provide a place for you to showcase your writing and personality. Agents read writer blogs, and I know for a fact at least two unpubbed writers who have been solicited by agents after the agents read their blogs. As my writing pal and business colleague, Mike Chen, says, "I think the blog is just an area to show agents and pubs that you understand the industry, are involved, and have a strong writing style."

3. Provide an outlet for you to share your experiences. There’s so much information out there on craft and publishing, and things are changing fast. Blogs help us make sense of it all--I know I use mine as a way to sort through some of the issues I come across in my own writing.

4. Make you someone. You never know what will make your blog explode with popularity, which could lead to many doors being opened for you. Or it could lead to business. I met Mike Chen through blogging. Now we work together on many freelance projects, including author web sites. This has resulted in money in our pockets.

5. Spread your word. For published writers, you might not write what most of your followers want to read, but having a dedicated and popular blog can only help rather than hurt. And again I stress that it's a free publicity tool.

What do you think? What's your take on the whole issue?

Creativity is connecting things

2011-10-10T02:05:00.000-07:00

“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That’s because they were able to connect experiences they’ve had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they’ve had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people."

- Steve Jobs

I am not an Apple fan per se; that is I don't identify with them and I don't own an iPhone (but I do have an iPod). But with the untimely passing of Steve Jobs, there are lots of examples of his legacy going around, and this one is particularly wonderful. It applies well to both design and writing.

Certainly as I continue writing and get better, and continue reading with a critical eye, I keep adding on what I already know. I also add new tricks I learn either by reading or critique. And sometimes, I do feel downright guilty--like a mimic, like I haven't come up with anything original at all--only watched and studied and mimicked others and applied what they've done in my own way.

But I do like his last line, that we think about it more. I think that's true.

What do you think? Does this quote resonate with you?

Google Reader Roundup

2011-10-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

Huffpo's list of banned books in prisons.

What is this bookish thing? Usually I resist such mass collection, but in this case I wasn't able to resist. I signed up. I don't know.

Roni Loren hits every nail on the head and then pounds it in with this excellent post on self promotion, blogs, and how to do it. Required reading, peeps.

If you ever wondered what Kristen Lippert-Martin sounds like, you're in luck. I know I've always wondered. Here she is announcing the winner of her awesome YA contest. And here's winner#2!

Nathan Bransford reminds us not to be jerks--with a helpful guide on how to tell if you're being one.

Top 5 query letter mistakes from an intriguingly-named Buried in the Slushpile's Buried Editor.

Tawna Fenske tells us her pet peeves in writing contest entries.

4 Writer Afflictions

2011-10-05T02:29:00.000-07:00

Everyone knows we writers are slightly insane. And yes, if we sit our butts in our chairs all day and write, we have it pretty good, even though what's really going on is a whole host of afflictions to suffer from.

1. Tendonitis.
You get this from sitting with your laptop on your lap in a completely horrid position, not ergonomic at all, and you don't care because you need to keep writing. But your arm and wrist aches when you're done for the day.
Solution: Get new arms. Or, try changing your position from time to time. Yes, this means not lying in bed while typing, I know.

2. Teeth grinding and jaw clenching.
Seems like lots of us do this and I think I know why: we're frustrated but instead of going for a good power walk, we just grit our teeth. Ouch! I actually have headaches most days from this activity.
Solution: Write full time. It is completely frustrating thinking of great plot points and not being able to drop life and go write.

3. Too many cats.
You're guilty of this and you know it. Cats are furry and quiet (for the most part) and don't require walks. They're excellent writing buddies.
Solution: well, it isn't to get a dog--that's a problem too. Why do you need a solution for this?!

4. Depression.
It's funny how many of us have suffered at some point in varying degrees from depression. I think the why is obvious: we are sensitive and we think too much.
Solution: drugs, or Lolcats, or good therapy.

What afflictions do you suffer from? Tell me!

3 Ways to Avoid Repeating Words

2011-10-03T02:10:00.000-07:00

I was perusing a magazine this weekend and came across this funny Old Spice ad:

Oh dear. Funny, yes, but the copy? You can click the image to enlarge, but here's what it says: "Somewhere in there there's a man in there." Woah! Who forgot to edit that ? And if it was edited, then oh God why? Sounds like whoever wrote that (and, um, edited it, too) forgot the rule of writing that says it sucks to have the same words repeated. Nay, not only sucks--but makes for some crappy, eye-stumbling wordage.

Repeating words too close together (in the same paragraph or sentence) is something I've been called on many times--even recently, so this ad really caught my eye--sadly, for all the wrong reasons. Repeating words is one of those editing things that happens when your eye starts glazing over from reading the same bit of prose repeatedly. Here are some tricks for remedying the problem:

1. Read your story aloud.
This is time-consuming and noisy, but definitely affords you a way of looking at your prose by listening to it. Maybe your ears will tell you what your eyes can't: your words are repetitive.

2. Rest your manuscript.
Perhaps the most annoying thing to do of all is make yourself set your manuscript down for weeks before looking at it again. But truly, how else will you see that you repeated "mangled dog-chum" four times on a page without the refreshed eyes of a six-week vacation?

3. Be careful with the fancy words.
Basically a variation on killing your darlings, you know damn well when you're using words that aren't alll that common--even when they're common. I shall explain. I'm currently reading The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill (a freaking fantastic read, by the way) and he has this paragraph where something is described as "grisly." Grisly is a great word, and not uncommon, but you want to use it with care--you want to use it to show something poarticularly gross, like a decapitated body, especially one your character might have been involved with. Hill used grisly to describe just that, but on the next page at the start of a new chapter, used the word again in a different, lighter context. Say what you want for clever connections, but it didn't work for me. Grisly is one of those words that carries particular emphasis and you want to be careful with ones like that.

I've given three ways to remedy these things. For a great list on all the ways we repeat words in stories, see this post from the Self Editing blog.

Can you think of any more ways to catch these little buggars? Does this problem plague you? I want to hear about it.

Google Reader Roundup

2011-09-30T02:26:00.000-07:00

Thank you for all your birthday wishes this week--definitely made me all giddy inside. I like to think you were encouraged by the complete and total hotness that is Joseph Fiennes, but if it was just me--then I'm flattered. Thank you. (But you can love Joseph too. I do.)

Miriam Forster talks about the editorial letter.

My business and critique partner Mike Chen has a great post on jacket copy like queries, with a great example of one that totally made me want to read it.

From Roni Loren, a great discussion on brand with 5 ways to protect your brand.

Agent Kristin Nelson talks about what stinks up opening pages.

Best-ever punctuation note and comics from Tawna Fenske.

Chuck Sambuchino guest posts on Rachelle Gardener's blog with the worst storyline every contest.

Making memorable minor characters from Jody Hedlund.

Janice Hardy talks about using scriptwriting to fix problems in a scene.

Kathleen Pickering at The Kill Zone talks about hooks.

Meghan Ward debates whether blogging is a waste of time for writers.

What We Do for Work

2011-09-28T02:49:00.000-07:00

Back when I had my whippersnapper five years ago, I knew I was going to have to go back to work when he was three months old. This crushed my spirit in many ways, and I really enjoyed every second of my maternity leave. I remember really envying --like I was green--the moms I met who got to stay home with their babies. Especially those for whom it was a choice. Such is the life in a two parent working family.

But now, things have changed. I work from home as a freelance writer and designer. It's everything I ever wanted and I just love it. And it lets me stay home with Rainbow Puppy, which is huge. Even better, it really defines who I am much better.

One of the things I learned along the way in writing fiction is that your character's profession says a lot about them. If your character is a mortician, that might say something about him or her -- or might, in a nice twist, not. I find I love knowing what people do. The funny thing is I no longer envy the "Oh I don't work" line from other moms because I get to stay home too (even though I work). I kind of get the best of both worlds. Some people may think asking what they do for work is a superficial thing, a question with the underlying intention of determining how much money someone has. But we know there's much more to that.

Knowing that a profession matters for your character, I find that if my character doesn't have a job, that's a problem. I'm not talking about unemployed because times are hard or because he or she is independently wealthy-- I mean no job. It's almost like not having a face.

What kind of importance do you attach to your character's jobs? And what do you do for work? I really want to know.

Sunglasses

2011-09-26T02:01:00.000-07:00

I've got these really obnoxious sunglasses. They're not my fault, though.

What happened is that my cousin is an optometrist, and he carries all kinds of designer frames. And because there was a family discount involved, I felt obligated to act as though I were a rich person and purchase exceedingly bourgeois sunglasses. I went straight for some really gross Dior frames with a big huge "D" on the sides. But before you puke, let me explain. The "D" had buckles on them. See? (The pair below is not quite my pair but it shows the D with the buckle, which mine has.)

You can't fault me for buckles.

Although these frames are huge and so heavy that they actually make my ears hurt after a while of wearing them, they're wonderfully dark, which provides relief for my light-sensitive eyes and cover for staring at you-- you can't see my eyes behind them. They are prescription, and they do have extra dark anti-glare stuff. Anyway, they're disgusting.

So when I saw my friend Meghan Ward's super cute very nice sunglasses made by ProDesign, I knew I'd found the ones--ones that could finally replace the hideous Dior ones. And it turns out my cousin carries those frames. I sent Meghan, who is fashionable (she does, after all, have a memoir about the fashion industry), the following email:

Hey, my cousin who is an optometrist carries ProDesign....he wants to know your specific model.  I promise I am not trying to be like you -- I just really really loved those sunglasses.

And Meghan replied that the next time she got out of bed she'd check and let me know. Out of bed!
Meghan has two small children! She never even goes to bed!

Okay, okay. I realize I was being stalkery and weird. But the sunglasses are really nice.

This reminded me of when you read a really good book and you start thinking in the voice of the writer and of course you start writing like him or her too, until you realize that you cannot do this, that you have to write with your voice, even if your voice sounds like a howler monkey in comparison. There are so many authors who write so distinctively that I know I've done this with.

But at the same time, I've also taken bits and pieces of the best of them and melded them into my overall voice over time. Do you do this? What happens when you come across a really fantastic bit of writing with a wonderful voice--do you start trying to emulate?

Mind you, this is nothing like sunglasses.

And Meghan did finally reveal the model number. I have an appointment to try them on very soon.
This past weekend when I saw her, I admired her glasses yet again and promised to make good on my threat to get that pair. She tried to pass her pair off as beat up and crooked as though to show they don't hold up very well, but we know. They're great and I'm totally getting them.

P.S. Make sure to have a look at yesterday's post.

Happy Birthday!

2011-09-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

...to me!

Thank you, Joseph Fiennes. What a nice surprise!

Google Reader Roundup

2011-09-23T02:32:00.000-07:00

WTF is this!? (via @Clairelegrand)

Does studying rejection letters hinder you? Write it Sideways discusses.

Roni Loren ponders whether blogging is dead. There's a great discussion in the comments on this too.

John Gilstrap has a great post on the baggage we bring to the reading experience.

Meghan Ward gives us 20 great places to publish personal essays.

A VERY good lesson about backing up blogs and blogs getting hacked (scary) from Julie Dao

Suzanne Johnson at Roni Loren's blog defines the sub-genres of fantasy for us. It's good stuff peeps.

Kicking People in the Head

2011-09-21T02:42:00.000-07:00

Wow.

So I've been carefully rewriting my first chapter of my WIP for a very very long time now, and finally, finally, I made myself let it go and I sent it to a trusted beta reader. She sent it back with many comments, and some of them included this: why aren't you letting your character explode?

My character, you see, was repressing everything and not expressing her displeasure with the disruption to her world in the first chapter.

When I got the comments, I thought, well, I can't have her beat the guy with a frying pan, can I? She'd be arrested! He'd have her arrested for aggravated assault! She can't do that--she'd have an anger management problem! People who hit or kick or punch others in the neck have anger problems and can't be trusted to handle stressful situations like rational adults, with a calm approach to problem solving.

Whatever. This is fiction. So I made myself write that she kicks him.

It felt great!!

I had forgotten this lesson that letting go is important, that letting the words flow is good. That having fun is the best part of writing!

I guess the problem came about because I secretly want to kick a lot of people in the head, but that indicates an anger management issue, and I'd be arrested for aggravated assault.

What kinds of lessons have you forgotten and rediscovered along the way? I want to hear them!

Interrogation

2011-09-19T02:04:00.000-07:00

I am fond of saying "don't question me," but actually like every other self-absorbed person, I like to be asked questions, except when the questioner is dressed in Kevlar and I’m in a small room without windows and the questions come fast and hard and concern where I was and what I was doing on a certain date and time.

So I asked Twitter to please question me, and here's what happened:

@JenntheAmazing asked: Favorite animal to use for an assault on Normandy?
Me: Perhaps a bunch of black widow spiders? Oh no wait-- Gila monsters! They have deadly secretions on their skin full of bacteria. Yes. Perfect for Normandy invasions.

@AmaliaTD asked: who is your favorite muppet?
Me: I have always enjoyed Beaker, but I admire the passion of Animal.

@AmaliaTD asked: which is your favorite Muppet movie?
Me: I have to go old-school The Muppet Movie from 1979. I love the older style muppets with Jim Henson's actual voice.

This led to finding this most fabulous rendition of the Muppet Show theme song by You Tube darlings OK Go.

@BaronBlitz (a long time family friend) asked: Would you rather be known as Supreme Overlord Sierra or Sierra Mistress of the Lark.
Me: Supreme Overlord Sierra, of course.

@Dawn_Alexander asked, What is the one thing you have always wanted to do, but never have?
Me: When I was 22 I went off to Europe except I didn't stay long, despite my mom saying she would give me money to stay. I wish I had done that, I had nothing else going on. I was just out of college. The world was my oyster.

@BaronBlitz asked: If you had a death ray that could strike anyone in the World, do you think you'd actually use it?
Me: Yes.

@TaherehMafi asked: WHERE ART THOU ROMEO?
Me: In the pages in my fiction :)

So, winning question --
Readers (and God you're nice for reading this silly blog!), what's the one thing you would have done? Also, do you have any questions for me? Ask! I'll answer anything!

Google Reader Roundup

2011-09-16T02:43:00.000-07:00

There were so many good blog posts out there this week and I'm bummed I didn't get a chance to read them all--I barely had time to read these, but here were the ones that were particularly good reading for me this week in my Reader.

Agent Jessica Alvarez at Bookends gives some nice details about what she's looking for.

Scott Eagan, who always tells it bluntly, uses the Bloom's Taxonomy model to illustrate a writer's learning trajectory. It's really interesting, and his commentary is, too. I thought about this post all week.

GalleyCat gives a convincing (as if we needed convincing) reason why you should not use the "irregardless" (which I shall not dignify by calling a word).

Kristen Lamb talks about people bots and the dangers of becoming one in social media. By the way, Kristen says exactly what I say: social media is actually for engaging with others...not just throwing yourself out there and doing the least amount of work possible.

For the gamers: a fascinating infographic on the evolution of video game controllers--this is also a good picture on corporate marketing as well.

Kristen Lippert-Martin is holding a delicious (like Life cereal delicious!) contest on her blog for YA writers. Win an agent critique.

Bob Mayer opines that the real gatekeepers in publishing are now authors.

The Guardian reports that author Joanna Trollope is going to rewrite Jane Austen books.

WOAH! What happened here? Agent Joanna Stampfel-Volpe writes about how two authors wrote an article detailing how they were offered representation if they removed a gay character from their novel-- except that it isn't true.

Ooh! Ooh! I love these kinds of posts. Jody Hedlund gives us 3 ways to determine if your writing is crap. Yes! Tell it like it is, Jody!

My fabulous fellow Monday columnist over at Roni Loren's blog is Ashley March this week, and she has a great post on whether your voice fits your genre.

Meghan Ward interviews Gerard Jones, who talks about finding your story.

Scott Eagan again on how if you can't say what your story is about, you probably don't have one.

Twitter and blogs and selling books

2011-09-14T02:39:00.000-07:00

I get People magazine. There, I've admitted it. It's my guilty pleasure. (And, as it happens, my mother's too--in fact, I got my subscription for her birthday, except she doesn't want it coming to her house out of some snooty form of embarrassment, so she gets the issues after I'm done reading them. In this way, her birthday present has managed to benefit me hugely.)

And apart from Star Tracks (you know you like them too), I like People's book section. Why wouldn't I? A week or two ago, I saw a review for The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and it said so very little about the book except that it was "magical" that I had zero clue what it was about and therefore zero compulsion to read it. How sad. Now maybe the reviewer was stunned by the brilliance of the book (I am not being sarcastic; many reviews are coming in with a similar sentiment), or else the reviewer didn't have time to read it and gave a half-assed review.

Here's part of what the People review says:
"...the author entices her audience to suspend disbelief and rewards its members with captivating pleasure."

and

"...in this dark and extravagantly imagined debut, the effect echoes that of a magic trick: The confusion is part of the seduction."

What? It goes on like this--pretty words that told me nothing. The only actual hint as to what the book's about is this: "The plot follows the separate and then intertwining lives of Celia and Marco, both forced to spend their lives pitting their unusual talents against each other in a cruel competition."

That's it! That's a logline and not a very good one! And I was like, well, you haven't told me anything, and I don't know who or what Celia and Marco are nor why I should care about them, so pass.

It was a sucky review and I was not swayed. Until last night on Twitter.

Jan O'Hara, who writes at Writer Unboxed, re-tweeted this by author Brunonia Barry (whom I didn't know of until last night either, and whose book The Map of True Places also looks pretty good!):

"Erin Morgenstern's book,"The Night Circus," goes on sale today. I LOVE THIS BOOK! If you read only one book for the rest of the year, it should be this one!"

To which I responded (to Jan):
"I saw this write up in People last week and couldn't understand at all what it was about. Only that it was "magical."

Jan replied to me: "I didn't see the People write-up. Have you had a chance to read The Night Circus yet? Special book!"

I said: "No, I haven't--it looked interesting but then People didn't say what it was about, just that it was magical. What is it like?"

Jan: "Amazing craft. It's cross genre - historical romantic fantasy. Did you see my interview with @erinmorgenstern on WU?

Here's the link to Part I, if you're interested. Contains an exerpt and links, etc. ow.ly/6kKtD @erinmorgenstern"

Now at this point, I went to go read the article. And I was instantly hooked on The Night Circus. The Writer Unboxed has this review from Brunonia Barry herself: "Dark as soot and bright as sparks,’ The Night Circus still holds me willingly captive in a world of almost unbearable beauty. This is a love story on a grand scale: it creates, it destroys, it ultimately transcends. Take a bow, Erin Morgenstern. This is one of the best books I have ever read.”

But what's it about? The Writer Unboxed article states this up front and also gives a quick excerpt. It was a sure way to tell me what the book was about and hook me. And I am hooked! The Night Circus is released today, and I'll be reading it.

Here's what Writer Unboxed says (but you should just go read the article for yourself because it's also an interview with Erin Morgenstern):

At its heart, The Night Circus is a genre-bending tale of duelling magicians. “…Celia and Marco… have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead…”

So-- lesson here? Post. Read. Tweet. It sells books, and I am the living proof of that. Popular magazines (i.e. traditional marketing media)? Hmm. Not so much.

Me: @jan_ohara Thanks Jan. This is SO MUCH better than people. I'm hooked. Thanks!

The Night Circus book trailer
Erin Morgenstern's web site
The Night Circus at Indiebound
The Night Circus at Amazon
The Night Circus on iBookstore

Happy Endings

2011-09-12T02:24:00.000-07:00

One of the tenets I hold for myself in my writing is that I always want a happy ending in my stories. So when I recently finished reading One Day by David Nicholls, the film version of which is out in theatres now starring Anne Hathaway, I took it hard. I won't spoil it here except to say the ending is not happy, but it is handled very well, with additional material that sort of makes the whole theme of the book come together. The film has remained true to the book--a decision many fans of the book disliked.

This EW article about One Day--which reveals the ending by the way--has oodles of comments from readers who were super pissed off at the ending in the book for not being happy, going so far as to call the author "lazy" and the plot "contrived." Many commenters said they threw the book across the room when they got to the shocking bit. I actually think the readers were just angry, hence calling the author lazy and making comments on the plot, neither of which were true.

Unhappy endings are hard to take. As a reader, you question the author, you question the story, you question everything. Maybe that's what you want readers to do. Maybe you want readers to think and react more than just a momentary "ah that was nice" and then close the cover, which is what might happen with the standard happy ending. Many One Day readers noted in the comments section of that EW article that they threw the book across the room when they go to the shocking bit. Others said the book was a giant waste of time because of the ending. A waste of time! Mein Gott! What is the point of reading at all if not to meet new characters in new places, experiencing new things? Who cares where they end up when the cover closes?

Turns out, readers care. The vitriol of the commenters about One Day both in that EW article and on Goodreads is pretty severe. What do you think? Is the happy ending better to do, even if it's safe?

Google Reader Roundup

2011-09-09T02:22:00.000-07:00

Meghan Ward gives us the 10 steps required to be a self-pubbed superstar, and for once, the steps don't shy away from the fact that it takes hard work.

Jane Friedman asks if rejection has turned us into someone we're not.

The always optimistic TH Mafi tells us it's okay to write a bad book (and why).

Author Julia Glass tells us how she went from not-quite yes to finally yes (and bestseller).

On Goodreads, check out the stats of which books sell the most in which media outlet, like mentions on NPR, etc. Really fascinating.

Roni Loren presents the 4 types of bloggers in terms of building a following.

Alan Rinzler gives us new ways to sell short stories.

Love this infographic on what makes someone leave a web site.

Agent Jenny Bent discusses successful author social media.

Social Media PSA

2011-09-07T02:49:00.000-07:00

Yesterday on the Huffington Post, Laura E. Kelly, a person described as a "social media author consultant and editor" suggested that Amazon's Kindle's new social media feature was going to make the lives of authors much harder. The new feature allows readers to ask questions of authors right from the book, and the question would go to the author's twitter or Amazon page.

Presumably, suggested Kelly, authors would be completely drowned and distracted by this new and, she seemed to fear, completely unnecessary method of reader-author connection.

This article really baffled me, especially since Kelly is credited as a social media author and consultant. If what I'm reading is the case and the article wasn't satire (if it was, then I guess the joke fell flat), it seems that Kelly thinks the new feature is going to really overwhelm authors, even those who are already "dutifully tending their blogs, their Facebook page(s), LinkedIn profiles and Twitter feeds."

Let me say this nice and loud:

Social media is for engaging with others!

So guess what? This new feature enables that! Kelly takes the point of view that this is going to be a real nuisance. She says the "social pressure will mount." Then the "time pressure will escalate." Then finally, your head will combust with the "inevitable irritation with your readers."

Hang on. Looks like we need a quick reminder-poo.

Social media is for engaging with others!

Kelly then notes, "The majority of authors probably won't have to deal with any of this. How many people are reading their books anyway (and then feeling moved to reach out to the author)? The writers who need to worry most, of course, are the successful ones. Authors with a following. Authors whose readers crave two-way interaction with their literary heroes. Authors who have annual deadlines for delivering books and no spare time."

Listen, if you're a super successful author with a following and deadlines and lots of other magical sparkly things, then you probably have someone working for you to handle your social media connections.

And if you don't, then maybe--just maybe--you're one of those authors who actually gets the point of social media and uses it accordingly--to connect and engage with other people. Talk with them. Share ideas. Actually reply to their tweets. Answer their emails. Engage with them.

And when things get crunchy time-wise, you scale back, just like you have to do with everything else in life.

Sheesh.

That Place You Go

2011-09-05T02:03:00.000-07:00

About 15 years ago, I lived in a place that had really gorgeous walking trails. The development was built up against Federally protected wildlife areas and gorgeous hills and open space for miles around surrounded a residential community. It was essentially a massive cul-de-sac, with no through passage.

I absolutely loved my walks there. I did about a 3.5 mile loop with some nice hills built in. This is it, pictured at right. Always I felt restored by the hills and blue, blue sky. Always I got a high from the endorphins of a good hard walk. I planned my future on these walks, I worked through issues, I thought about life, love, and who I was. These walks were my religion, and maybe it was no coincidence that I also did a lot of thinking about God and what God is and means to me on those walks.

I moved away from that area for good six years ago, but I'm only about a 15 minute freeway ride away. I go back. I haven't been back in the six years I've lived away until recently. After I had Rainbow Puppy, I started going back to walk off the maternity poundage.

It's still the most gorgeous walk I've ever had. I know this is weird since it's through what is essentially a tract housing estate, but the houses are really nice and most of the loop is actual trail. Anyway, on a recent walk I was surprised that I keep coming back to that walk and that area all these years later. It really does something for me (besides providing quiet time in which to plan my world domination). Nowadays, large swaths of the walk are devoted to thinking up stories and working out the kinks in my plots.

I'm really lucky to have this place and I'm guessing no matter where I live, I'll keep coming back to it.

What about you? Do you have a great thinking spot where you can just be, and work stuff out, and most important, let your mind relax so it can tell awesome stories? Leave a comment and tell me!

Google Reader Roundup

2011-09-02T02:52:00.000-07:00

For my male readers, SuperHero nation has red flags for female characters written by men.

Writers in the Storm discuss plot vs. character.

Don't mind if I do: my guest post at Roni Loren's blog on creating strong female characters.

Nathan Bransford has a great post pondering the questions of our publishing future and how publishers will handle epubbing. Nathan takes the time to answer some possibilities, which is good because I don't see potential answers often given or pondered.

Julie Musil presents 10 things not to do when building characters.

Carrie Heim Binas reminds us that spending time getting better as writers is more important than publication.

Kristen Lamb tells us the secret to selling books.

Roni Loren...ha ha!...not Roni, it's the video...well, listen, Roni has a good post on blogging being her morning pages, but it's the extra bonus horrid Dirty Dancing disgusting grody deleted love scene that still has me cringing. Go. Read. Watch.

Bookends gets and answers a great question about the limitations of common knowledge--you know, when you make a reference to something you think (hope) should be common knowledge, like Blue Steel :).

Great post from Jody Hedlund on the three factors that influence how much a book gets/needs editing.

Janice Hardy has a knockout post of opening hook diagnostics--as in, she examines some and dissects them.

4 Ways to Look at Your Whole Story

2011-08-31T02:40:00.000-07:00

I recently finished a book and was thumbing through the back where it has the reading group discussion questions. I never really read those--I mean, honestly, I paid my dues in school, I don't need to answer any stinkin' essay questions anymore. But even so, I find that I often skim these questions, especially if I really liked the book.

So today when I was working on the revisions in my WIP, I thought about those discussion questions. I think I read somewhere once that authors have to actually write those. I shuddered with horror at having to come up with discussion questions for my own book--but then I reconsidered. Turns out, they're a great exercise for knowing your characters or plot elements or symbolism better.

And they're just one of the following four things I do to see the bigger picture in my story better:

1. Write your own discussion questions.
I was wondering about the importance of one of my characters, a kind of formal old aunt of my heroine's. So I wrote, "What does [aunt] represent to [herione]? How does [aunt] help or hinder [herione] in her [quest]?"

Naturally, I came up with my own answer, and that really helped me clarify the role of this character. It also helped enhance her place in the overall story.

2. Write your query first.
Lots of people say to do this and I couldn't agree more. A query describes your plot, the characters, and what's at stake. These are the basics of your whole story! I've always told myself that if I have trouble naming those elements, then I have trouble with my plot.

3. Write a quick and dirty synopsis.
Oh, not the dreaded synopsis! But yes--and this one's for you. Just freeform write everything that happens in the book, starting from the beginning. If you're writing an 85,000 word novel, then keeping track of all the events can be like herding cats. Write it down and see the forest for the trees. When I did this, I found myself adding in several elements that I wanted to highlight in the story, which hadn't been there.

4. Save your first chapter for last.
This is one I learned the hard way. I write a crappy first chapter when I start a story--because I know that only after I've finished the whole story will I be able to go back and rewrite it and have it foreshadow the rest of the book. And it really has to fit in with the ending in so many ways. And by the time you've written your whole book, you'll have a really good understanding of your character's flaws and desires, which can be hinted at in the first chapter.

Do you have any to add?

Strong female characters

2011-08-29T02:40:00.000-07:00

Today I'm guest blogging over at Roni Loren's fabulous blog, Fiction Groupie, as part of my monthly guest column for her. Today's post is about strong female characters and how to write them.

Please join me there today!

(Yes, that's mean being all "riveting" over there in that picture. Sorry. For the pun.)

Google Reader Roundup

2011-08-26T01:30:00.000-07:00

HUGE news for erights in publishing as reported by Joe Konrath.

Roni Loren's weekly author guest column this week has author Joan Swann talking about the nuance of suspense.

Anne Allen suggests the book tour may be on its way out.

Jody Hedlunds discusses how she outlines before she writes.

From HuffPo, what NOT to do when you get a literary agent.

Why writers should let readers fill in the blanks, from KM Weiland.

From Hubspot by way of Jane Friedman, tips on mastering LinkedIn.

Meghan Ward posts about plagiarism vs. copyright infringement--and shares a very scary personal tale. If you think it can't happen to you, read Meghan's tale. A piece of her actual memory has been plagiarized and published. Where does that leave her?

I've got a spanikopita recipe on the Making MissChef blog this week-- six ingredients and six steps! So easy.

Tawna Fenske wonders if you've ever left a book you're reading unfinished.

Roni Loren holds our hand through being a published author and gives us 5 tips on being naked in front of an audience.

Mike Chen has part 2 of the roundup from the talk agent Laura Bradford gave our local chapter of RWA--on professionalism. Good stuff.

4 things not to do on your blog

2011-08-24T02:13:00.000-07:00

I am so sleepy and tired from being up repeatedly with Rainbow Puppy that I cannot plan a blog post for you today. Instead I have a nice picture for you. I hope it suffices.

Never do this.

If you're going on vacation, or your baby really is a little sleep demon like mine, or you have a ton of kids and they won't give you a moment's peace, or a barrel of monkeys just tipped over and are running rampant all over your kitchen like ants Toy Story-style, don't say so.

Blog readers don't care! And like as not, they'll skip right over your excuses and your apologies and click away.

Know what? Here's three other things readers don't care about:

1. How difficult it is for you to keep up with comments. When you complain that it's really hard for you to answer comments, readers don't have a lot of sympathy. It's kind of the blogging equivalent of saying "I'm so gorgeous that I can't seem to get people to stop staring at me!" If you really honestly can't get to all your comments, then just mention that you do read them and appreciate them. But not that you can't possibly keep up with the admiration.

2. Your blogging schedule. We all know it's important to keep--and stick to-- a blogging schedule. But when you post your schedule and it's complex and varied, readers aren't going to really remember it. They read your blog as part of their day. Blog about chickens on Monday and childhood scars on Wednesday, or vice versa. No one cares. We read your blog because we like you.
That being said, there's nothing wrong with posting your schedule--just don't expect people to remember it.

3. Your failure to think of blog posts. Everyone who blogs regularly has had to figure out what to blog about when the well runs dry. So once in a while you have to pull out the story about how your four year old stepped in cat puke and then told you about it as he wiped his foot off on another part of the carpet, thereby creating more mess, except you can't see where he wiped his foot off, so now you have no idea where he wiped cat puke on the carpet and no idea where to clean. This happened to me yesterday. It's a better thing to post than "I can't think of a post today."

The bottom line here is, readers don't care how hard things are for you. They don't want to hear you whine and they definitely don't want to hear how hard it is to keep up with your adoring commenters. They want you to consistently deliver quality posts, and when you can't then do one of the following:

Call in guest posters.
Run old posts in re-run style. I had to do this in the weeks following Rainbow Puppy's birth.
Write posts when you have the inspiration, and then schedule them for the future. I anticipated being completely brain dead after I had Rainbow Puppy (and I was right and in fact still am-- guess what? He's screaming in his crib as I write this right now, he does this every night now and also wakes about every hour and I really can't take it anymore) so I baked and froze seven weeks' worth of posts for you, all scheduled ahead of time.
Be short and professional. Just simply say, "I'm closing shop for the next three weeks." Don't explain why-- again, no one really cares about your upcoming monkey head transplant.

Anything to add? Thoughts about when bloggers do this? Do you care as a reader?

Housekeeping

2011-08-22T02:02:00.000-07:00

I have a couple of nice blog announcements.

Announcements
First, fabulous romance author Roni Loren has asked me to write a regular guest post on her blog every 5th Monday of the month (when there is one), and she claims it is not at all because I made a big stink of not being asked to guest post for anyone. (In fact, Roni politely pointed out that I had guest posted for her before.)

I'm delighted to join Julie Cross, Ashley March, Suzanne Johnson (who did last week, and it was fabulous), and Joan Swan.It's really quite an honor to be asked to do a regular post for Roni, and I'm really excited. I'm going to be blogging about women's fiction and marketing.

Second, I've started another blog. I know. I know. I can barely brush my own teeth somedays, and yet another blog? But yes. This one is quite different from this, my writing blog (which is my main blog, or "home" as I like to think of it), and my design and usability blog. This new one is a food blog. I'm a terribly unconfident cook and it turns out that after a lot of practice, some of my recipes aren't so bad after all. So, the launch of Making MissChef has occurred, and it's got several really tasty ones up there already. I hope you'll come over and check some of them out.

Thoughts on Blog Space
Lastly, I've been thinking a lot about blogs lately. Specifically, how authors evolve with them. You start out writing your blog as an unpublished writer, and when you get the agent and book deal, you suddenly need to step back and think about your strategy because your blog has become very much part of your brand. The aforementioned Roni Loren had a fantastic post about this recently that I've been thinking about ever since. Roni herself is in transition as to how to deal with her very popular Fiction Groupie blog, and also her author blog.

Migrating to a more permanent blog from a free service, like blogspot or Wordpress, is a big decision. It's a good idea to have your posts, especially if you're going to be blogging for years, on your own web space. Springing for your own domain name and web space will be a monthly fee, but if you're serious about publishing, you might want to do it. For writers already agented and have book deals, it's a must. I asked the question back in April what writers think they might do with their blogs when published. It's a question with answers I'm still interested in.

My friend Mike Chen and I provide the service of design and set up for web sites with a Wordpress integrated theme, making updating the site and blogging really easy. There's a fee, but we're pretty affordable--especially considering what other designers and builders cost.

It's something I need to think about too because I use this free Blogger space for my blog, but I also pay for web space. Why not integrate my blog with my site? Well, yes. I might. But there's the problem of having people update their links and finding me there. It might be a necessary move.

Because I think long-term blog consideration is an interesting question as sites and tools evolve, I'm interested in where you stand on it. Do you have your own web site? Do you also have a free blog space, like at Blogger or Wordpress? How do you think you'd treat the two when you're published? For those of you already with web spaces, what are your plans?

Google Reader Roundup

2011-08-19T02:29:00.000-07:00

Roni Loren kicks off her inaugural Monday columns by guest bloggers (I have a column every 5th Monday of the month!) with Suzanne Johnson with a fantastic post on deep characters for plot-first writers.

Anne Allen has a recap of publishing trends and what they may mean. I'm not sure I agree 100% with all of Anne's assessment but no matter what, she gets you thinking about the larger picture of publishing and its future.

Meghan Ward discusses what happens when a family member doesn't want you to publish your book. Meghan's sister asked her not to publish her book. It's a very weird thing to have happen. What would you do?

The Everybody Needs a Little Romance blog asks whether you read the acknowledgements and dedications page.

Meredith Barnes talks about QR codes as they relate to book publishing. This is super interesting. I've posted before about the neatness and usefulness of QR codes, and since then I've noticed tons of magazine ads using them. That being said, I rarely get out my phone and click them anymore. I think they're best used when on the go.

For those of you wondering whether to submit to agents in the summer or not, Bookends has an answer.

From agent Kathleen Ortiz, another good query crafting post.

An incredibly eye-opening post (in more ways than one!) from Jenn LeBlanc on Roni Loren's blog about Jenn's alternative and very unique idea to book publishing. Check it out. Jenn is doing what I bet many other people eventually do, too. Epubbing has made it easy to.

Be Kind to your Writer-footed Friends

2011-08-17T01:34:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I attended my first ever RWA (Romance Writers of America) chapter meeting. I also met my friend Mike Chen, who came to ascertain what we all already know -- that he writes women's fiction. Mike and I had a ton of fun and enjoyed swearing like a couple of sailors, but in general, it was really nice to spend a Saturday morning talking and thinking about writing.

RWA is a great organization--and as far as writer's organizations, one of the very best. It offers a load of support from professional growth to getting your manuscript and writing skill up to snuff. The meeting we went to also featured a very good speaker, agent Laura Bradford from Bradford Lit. Laura was not at all what I expected...she was nice, and personable, and made you feel like you wanted her as your agent. For some reason I thought she might be a chompy scary lady, but that just goes to show how little I remember that agents, along with every other type of profession (insert lawyer joke here), are people too.

Laura spoke on writerly professionalism. She spoke about not being a naughty blogger, and how everything you do as an author is pretty much public, and how one should reign oneself in. She talked about how a little kindness goes a long way. I had a lot of thoughts as she spoke, all of them naturally good blog fodder, so you'll probably be getting these over time. But today, let's talk about kindness.

I posted before about one aspect of writer kindness--being a mentor to others. But just being gracious is a really good thing to do whether you're published or unpublished. As Laura pointed out, the writing world is a small fishbowl and you'll meet people again and again. This is so true of the online world, too. A while ago, maybe a few years, I entered an online contest that was open to comments from anyone who wanted to read. The submission was the first page, I think. Anyway, mine was shredded by a great many people, but none so nastily as one particular writer who used her own name to sign her posts. Maybe my page deserved it, and it certainly could have been better, but it wasn't hideous, not pus-spouting-boil-on-your-neck hideous. Anyway, I remembered this writer. She writes in my genre, in fact. And more interesting, she kept popping up on my radar over the years since. In fact, she's in one of my groups that I participate in. Now she's agented. That's good--I'm glad for her. But that sure was really crappy back then, and I haven't forgotten it.

Being kind to people doesn't just mean not trashing their work and signing with your own name. It means engaging with people, answering their emails no matter how inane or rambly. (Roni Loren can attest to some of my rambly emails and with all she's got going on, she appears to read them all. In fairness, I read her rambly emails, too.) It means not shutting people out or thinking you're too good to talk to them, no matter where you are in your career and where they are. It means extending a hand where you can.

In particular, social media gives us the opportunity to be kind by engaging with others. (Reminder: engaging with others is all social media is.) And on the flip side of that coin, it's easy to be mean because it's easy to hide behind the anonymity of your computer monitor. One of the football forums I used to frequent called this being a "PC hardman" (there were lots of guys there who would take shots at others because they were anonymous).

What kindnessses have writers shown you, or you them? What unkindnesses have you experienced? The comments are a form of therapy, you know.

Baby Sleep and Writing

2011-08-15T02:29:00.000-07:00

So Rainbow Puppy is three months old now. He's a darling baby and he and his older brother, the whippersnapper, get along swimmingly. I recognize I'm lucky in that. Rainbow Puppy doesn't have colic (like his brother did) and he's a very sweet boy who smiles and laughs a lot.

But he sleeps like a little demon.

I don't have any problems getting him to sleep (except sometimes), but he won't stay asleep when he's in his crib. He'll sleep fine in a swing and in my bed, but if he wakes up and finds himself in his crib, it's like someone stabbed him with a pitchfork. He won't tolerate it at all, even though his sheets are super cute and have piggies and kitties on them, and he has an equally cute bumper with cows and pigs and dogs and kitties. (You're not supposed to have bumpers on cribs these days, I know. I'll remove it once he starts moving.)

I really have no idea what to do except let him scream in his crib. It's a total battle of wills, and I have a feeling I'm going to lose. I desperately want him out of my damn bed, but I also want to sleep. It's very stressful.

The end result of his will against mine is that I am exhausted and my energy level for working on my WIP is greatly reduced and tends to comes in fits and starts (rather like his sleep). It's just a challenge right now. I just got done getting over the complete brain death that resulted from pregnancy.

It's always something, isn't it? We always have some calamity in our lives that could keep us from writing. When Rainbow Puppy is finally sleeping better (please God soon please I'll be your best friend), he'll probably start the teething hell. Then it'll be nightmares. It's always something.

Despite all this, I'm still writing. I do it because I want to, because it's my me-time, but most of all I do it because I refuse to stop.

What kinds of things have you had going on in your life that made you slow down your writing? Did you write anyway? Feel free to whine. Whining in the comments is always allowed.

Google Reader Roundup

2011-08-12T01:42:00.000-07:00

Short one this week darlings, because I forgot all about the GRR (See Kristen Lippert-Martin's post, listed below, for why).

Anne Allen hosts author Samuel Park with his 10 tips on editing your WIP.

Rachelle Gardener tells us about questionable practices from agents you should be aware of.

Kristen Lippert-Martin explains in perfect detail why many kids are difficult. I would wager that 4 month old babies (one of which I happen to have) are largely the culprit rather than so many kids, but I hate it when I do that thing where I speak on things about which I have no idea--like having four kids--and here I am doing it. Anyway go read it. KLM is just funny and delightful as always.

You might want to read this about Linked In advertising -- and how they automatically check a box for you saying yes to it. The post comes with instructions for unchecking it. I did it. I was really annoyed to see that indeed the box was auto-checked.

Meghan Ward has a great interview with Penguin publicist Holly Watson.

Roni Loren had a great post on 10 blogging things she'd have done differently if she could do it over again, with a special announcement about yours truly being one of her brand new awesome guest columnists once a month. Oh, I'll mention this again. You'd better believe it.

And Roni again with a helpful post on the dreaded synopsis with 5 tips. For what it's worth, I actually quite love the synopsis because I like seeing my big picture plot.

Genre Crossing

2011-08-10T02:17:00.000-07:00

Most of you know I write women's fiction. I love writing it and I love reading it. I don't see a change for me in that department. When I first starting blogging and discovering the world of other writer blogs, I was really surprised at how many other writers say they write in (sometimes wildly) different genres because I couldn't ever see myself writing in another genre, especially not YA, which I didn't understand (but which I like reading), and certainly not sci fi or fantasy.

And while women's fic still holds the biggest draw for me because it offers the most enriching experience of exploration and discovery for me personally, I've changed my mind a bit about other genres. Partly this is because when I started getting a few storied under my belt and began understanding plot and structure and story, it was like creativity starting bursting everywhere. I find myself asking "what if..?" and "how about..." when I consider other worlds and genres.

Most of these idea seedlings won't ever come to pass, because as we know, writing a full-length novel that is properly plotted with the correct depth of characters is incredibly hard work. I don't know if I'd want to spend the time on something that isn't women's fiction unless it was a sure shot, and somewhat related to what I write already. Probably a realistic one is women's fic with paranormal elements (think ghosts or psychic events-- not mythical creatures).

Do you write in different genres? Do you have a favorite? Tell me about it--I like to hear how other writers handle this.

Using Social Media for Action

2011-08-08T02:57:00.000-07:00

If your father went missing, would you have any idea what to do in order to keep the story in the media?

I don't think I would. Or, I didn't anyway.

Recently, the father of a close friend went missing on a fishing expedition in Mexico. You may have heard about this. Twenty seven Americans were on the boat, which capsized, and all but eight people made it to shore or were picked up. One died. Seven are still missing, including our friend's father.

The friend and her husband, who is one of Mr. Sierra's closest friends, were advised by the media to use social media as a way to garner attention and notice, and to remain in the public eye. I'm not sure if our friends were given advice on what this might include.

On the day after the news broke, which I regard as the first day of action after the accident, my friend asked me how to start a blog, and I told her. They started one. Then, they started a Twitter account. After this first day, my friend posted on Facebook: "thanks to all of your blogging and Twitter efforts, local politicians have heard us and are taking action!"

This wasn't true.

The social media ball had begun rolling, but it was quite small. There was zero chance that a few blog posts and tweets had gotten politico attention after one day.

But in the following days, momentum gathered. Mainly, this was through Facebook. Our friends set up a Facebook page in addition to the blog and Twitter account, and then set up a petition to sign at Causes.com or care2.com. The "likes" on the Facebook page grew each day from the double digits to the thousands. The daily re-posts from people on their Facebook pages was great to see. People were commenting, sharing, and liking-- and it really paid off.

Local congresspeople actually did take notice, partly because our friends repeatedly gave us information on how to write and call the congresspeople. The congresspeople wrote letters, and the effort started reaching awesome milestones: the Mexican government, which initially said it wouldn't extend the search past the standard 48 hours, extended it to 92 hours, and then after that it extended it again. The Navy and the Coast Guard got involved. Newspapers picked up the story and carried it to other newspapers across the country. My friends' family held a press conference. News reports did stories on it. In our local papers, including the biggest (San Francisco Chronicle), our friends were repeatedly pictured and best yet--the blog they had set up was mentioned repeatedly.

The end result of all this is that many, many people have heard about this and want to help. My friends have been offered support and help in incredible ways. All because of the powerful speed and sharing capabilities of social media. My friends have called their effort Find Our Fathers.

To review, let's go over what you should do in a case like this.

What to Do

Start a blog. Update it every day.
Blast it your news all over Facebook as much as possible--and repeatedly.
Start a Facebook page that repeats what the blog says.
Start a dedicated Twitter account and tweet all your blog posts and related news stories.
Set up petitions at sites like care2.com.
Start a web site that collects contact info from all the other sources.

There's much more, of course--tactics like giving people a form letter to copy and paste to send to their local and state officials, and giving out email addresses and phone numbers of those we need to contact. I also think it's wise to tell people exactly what you need--tell them what to write, who to write it to, what the goal is, what to tweet, etc.

Unfortunately, this story does not have a good ending.

My friend's father has not been found, nor have the other six missing men, and the US Department of Defense has declined to send a dive team in on the taxpayer's dime to see if the missing men went down with the boat. My friends now are raising money to fund a dive. They think their fathers went down with the boat--but there have been no bodies and without a dive, we'll never know.

I would end this post here, but there are a few very important things to say at this juncture. And that brings me to:

What not to do
As days went on, the husband became exhausted and frustrated, grieving and hoping and preparing for the worst case scenario--two weeks is a long time to be lost at sea or on an uninhabited island. He posted lists of those who had signed the petition, thus shaming and guilting those who hadn't and mentioned rather testily that if people wanted to help, then they should get off their butts and read the posts. He posted lists of names who had contributed via Paypal, even before the family had indicated what the donation was for. He posted names of those who had offered prayers to the family and left several people off. It was all rather unseemly. (Ultimately, he can be forgiven. His grief and anger has been unbearable-- in the days following the accident, the wife's grandmother died [mother to the missing father] and then the husband's mother died. It's been a really, really, really shitty summer for our friends.)

Nevertheless, you don't want to do anything that would drive people away from supporting. So, let's review what not to do when seeking support for action:

Do not shame or guilt people into doing something.
Do not publicly call out those who have given without their permission.
Do not assume that everyone else is living your daily reality -- this is a sensitive point on which the bereaved and distraught can understandably find difficulty, but very important nonetheless. As awful as it sounds, people need to be reminded of your reality.
Do not fail to make it clear what everyone should strive for -- what or whom you are petitioning and what donations will support.

If you're interested in helping or learning more, here's the info:
www.findourfathers.com
Find Our Fathers blog
FoF on Twitter
FoF Facebook page

If you have any questions, please e-mail me.

Google Reader Roundup

2011-08-05T02:42:00.000-07:00

Claire Legrand, who is darling, tells us how to keep focused. With extremely amusing pictures.

Roni Loren gives us tips on how to tell whether we're writing fluff on our blogs. This post was inspired by a great post last week from Michal Hyatt who had some good points on the matter (link in her post).

Galley Cat amuses us by asking online bots the Marcel Proust questions.

Great advice from Game of Thrones series author George RR Martin, as reported by agent Kristen Nelson.

A fabulous mega collection of links on marketing your book, from Rachelle Gardener. Bookmark this one for sure.

Tips on staying organized during the revision process from Janice Hardy.

Congrats to Tawna Fenske, whose book Making Waves was finally released, after what seems like years of waiting (for us, not her, although I'm sure for her as well). Yay Tawna!

Eric at Pimp my Novel gives us thoughts on the publishing of tomorrow.

Amusing post on HuffPo on alternate book titles with a letter missing -- as collected on Twitter.

A writer asks other writers what they know of the mag Glimmer Train...answers are kind of sad (for Glimmer Train).

Allison Winn Scotch has a great article on parenting as a competitive sport, in HuffPo. It's a human and honest note that I hope parents who do try to be better than everyone else (which is a classic sign of insecurity or guilt over their own parenting abilities) read.

Jenny Bent does another "How I got my agent" post, but this one highlights hard work--not just lucky breaks.

On characters actually living life-- a good point and reminder, from Bookends.

Agent Kathleen Ortiz is open to queries again, but she's no longer accepting women's fic.

The highlight of Janet Reid's day was also mine--a mariachi band serenading a beluga whale, whose hearing is supposedly extreme. Watch. Love.

Reuse. Resist Packaging. Eat well.

2011-08-03T02:22:00.000-07:00

My mother has been preaching to me for years--and living by good example-- about reducing, using less plastic, not wasting as much. It's sunk in, mostly. And recently I was all fired up by my friend Meghan Ward's epic post on plastics, which gives us well-researched reasons why plastics are awful, and then does what I absolutely love people to do--gives us suggestions for improvement.

I wanted to give a few ideas on what I do to combat the use and effect of plastics in my family:

I talk to my whippersnapper about plastics and what's in them.
I never use plastic water bottles if I can help it; I always bring a Klean Kanteen bottle for both me and the whipsnap when we go out.
I buy glass bottle milk-- Strauss is a fantastic brand. Also this reduces milk carton waste.
I use my own grocery bags and if I forget them, I insist on brown bags.
I switched to glass food containers and ditched my Rubbermaid plastic.
And thanks to Tweeting about this subject, I got these fabulous reusable sandwich bags recommended to me, and I purchased them.
I buy some foods in bulk and keep them in jars. Good ones are: rice, oatmeal, pasta, corn meal.
Purchase stuff with less packaging-- and notice when stuff has plastic packaging (and grimace accordingly).
I compost my scrap food in this very attractive ceramic compost bin. Our garbage service includes an every-other-week "green" bin for yard waste, but it also takes compost, so even if you don't have a compost bin, you might check if your city takes it in yard waste.

You'll get comments. My cousin was recently visiting and I love her dearly, but she was like "Oh!" when she saw my glass milk bottle. She assumed it's special milk, and more expensive. It actually isn't much more expensive--although you do need to put a deposit on the bottle, you get that back when you return it the next visit to the store. And I'm not tossing some damn crap in the trash when I'm done drinking it. She also commented on the glass jars in my cabinet full of bulk items like rice and oatmeal.

This brings me to food.

There is no shortage of reports on what pesticides and hormones in our food does to us. It makes our kids mature faster, it causes cancer. And even if you're sitting there going "Those reports aren't true," then let me ask you this: Do you honestly think that you're better off eating something with chemicals in it?

If so, go right ahead.

I like to give myself and more importantly, my kids, the best chances possible. Dairy products and meat are the ones to most be concerned about. You can check this link to see which produce is best to buy organic and which isn't--but again, I like to eat stuff without chemicals if possible. Root veggies are terrible because they absorb pesticides in the ground.

Even though people have given me huge pushback for it, I buy my meat and dairy organic always, and produce when possible. I search out stores that let me buy in bulk and have really good fresh items. I love Trader Joe's dearly, but they don't do fresh very well and they use an incredible amount of plastic packaging. My friend Kathleen mentioned when were talking about this that grocery stores with butchers and bulk items and brands like Strauss are far away from her. And this is true-- there's going to be lots of places in the country where this stuff is hard to find. But if you insist on it, for yourself and your kids, then it doesn't become much of an effort.

That's all.

How to know when you’ve arrived

2011-08-01T02:37:00.000-07:00

You know you're considered a blogger/writer/smarty pants person when people ask you to write guest posts for them.

I've never been asked me to guest blog for anyone--no, stop, I’m not trolling for requests, nor trying to make my bloggy friends feel bad. Nor am I looking for sympathy or praise or "you'll get theres." It just is.

I think it says you haven't quite arrived.

I've spent a lot of time on my blog over the past year or so. I used to blog an insane 5 days a week, in fact. I know agents take into account a writer's social media presence with particular emphasis on their blog when considering them as a client. Some agents even approach writers based on their blogs. (I know two people who have had this happen.) That's one of the reasons I've labored on this blog. I've thought long and hard on what makes a successful writer blog. I've watched other successful blogs for what seems to make them tick. (And in several cases, I noticed that I was posting the exact same information as more successful blogs and getting a fraction of the response in the comments.)

The blogs I enjoy reading contain consistently useful advice on writing, or are funny and a delight to read. The best are have all three characteristics. I'm not sure I've managed to hit any of those marks. No, please, let's not pretend otherwise. We're being very honest here.

One of the interesting things to note is that if you have an agent, or are published, you are seen as imminently more interesting than you were before you got an agent or were published. In fact, your readership and comment rate goes sky high when you get an agent. My friend Meghan Ward once remarked that no one wants to hear from someone who hasn't been there yet--but that doesn't take into account her own blog, which dispenses sage advice, nor, say, Roni Loren, whose blog has long dispensed great advice to wonderful response. Way before she got an agent.

So what I'm wondering is:

What importance does blogging have for you in the scheme of your writing and future career? Is having a successful blog important to you?
If you haven't produced useful information about writing and/or aren't a delightful wit, what do you think you're giving readers when you blog? Does a strong readership matter to you? Do lots of comments on your posts matter?
Do you strive to make your blog interesting to fellow writers?

I sometimes wonder if maybe I'm just a massive bitch and it comes through in my blog posts. I kind of suspect I am and it does, but that's a post for another day.

Google Reader Roundup

2011-07-29T02:43:00.000-07:00

Bit of a short one this week, but that just means you can fit them all in!

In case you missed it, Anne Allen has some very exciting news about her career. Congratulations, Anne!

We've all seen our share of dingbat queries, but this one posted by agent Scott Eagan takes the cake. The writer is looking for an agent but doesn't have work to submit, and suggests the agent will come meet her in person in her city.

From Women's Fiction Writers, The three P's of women's fiction: passion, persistence, and patience.

Roni Loren discusses what readers actually want from author blogs.

Tawna Fenske manages to find the connection to rejection in her dog's new boyfriend. As usual, Tawna is astute in her analogies, and can be counted upon to throw in a little glorious grossness (this time in the form of butt-licking).

Kristen Lippert-Martin gives us strange(r) behavior and how it affects our later stories. Nothing new there. :)

Bookends' guest blogger Sheila Connolly on embracing e-publishing from a traditional background.

Lather, rinse, repeat

2011-07-27T02:41:00.000-07:00

When I drive to my mother in law's house, there are a series of stop signs and turns. Like, an abnormal amount. It's a well-planned residential neighborhood. And I always use my turn signal at each stop and turn, except one.

Without fail, I never manage to use to turn signal on the final turn.

I don't know why this is. I have even planned ahead and tried to program myself into doing it, only to suddenly develop a crippling paralysis in my turn-signal lever fingers. No matter what I do, I simply cannot put on my turn signal on the final turn. It's like the Groundhog Day of street turns. I didn't even notice I was doing this until one day when I was playing the Turn Signal Game, in which you consciously try to use your turn signal at every opportunity. (I realize this isn't really a game, nor does it remotely hold any actual excitement or fun. But I like to play little games.)

It reminded me that I am a creature of habit, and clearly I do things over and over. I recently found a summary for an older novel I wrote--one that, sadly, has not seen the light of day because of its grievous plot issues. And while I think I've come far since that novel and learned much, I still think the idea of the story is good, and may revisit to rewrite it.

So imagine my surprise in finding that the summary mentions the character's inner problem as being the exact same one as in my current WIP. That is to say, I've gone and managed to write the same problem with different characters and different stories.

I once read Anne Tyler say that she keeps writing the same story over and over, just in different ways--and she always thinks readers will call her out on it, but they don't. That always stayed with me. I think I do that, too. I guess I want to keep exploring different aspects of character emotions.

Some of the themes I tend to return to over and over again are: character taking off and escaping whatever it is that hurt her to some other locale, betrayal, finding oneself, and character growing strong after being weak.

Do you do this? Do you find yourself exploring the same themes over and over? If you don't think you do, give it some thought. Do some of your favorite authors do this?

Will Clark and young adult writing

2011-07-25T02:36:00.000-07:00

When I was 14 I was, shall we say, greatly enamored of a baseball player. I won't say which one. Okay, fine, it was Will Clark, who played for the San Francisco Giants from 1986-1993 and had a swing like a dream. I was not to blame for this. When I was 12, my dad took me to my first professional league baseball game--the Giants, of course, and I recall them winning against St. Louis with some outrageous score like 22-2. This kind of display made me into an instant baseball fan--how could it not? And at that game, Will Clark was on display in all his young glory. I, a pubescent tween, could hardly be helped for taking an instant liking to him. Probably, I was in between adoring actors or musicians. Will appeared at just the right time.

I did the best I could to sustain my adoration even though my mom and I moved to the east coast. I got Will's baseball cards, I had posters of him, I scoured the newspapers eagerly for reports. Because of my distance from the Bay Area, this took a certain amount of effort. (You Internet kids have all the fun nowadays.) When my mother suggested that I would grow out of this fixation, I insisted I would not--and probably spent a year or two more than necessary remaining devoted, just to prove a point. When my dad met Will and got his autograph for me, I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw his real signature. I was in raptures.

I totally had this figure.

There was only one thing to be done. I had to write.

Writing, of course, is how I handled all my early emotions--pouring out hopes and dreams and fantasies and scenarios and possibilities into stories. When I was 14, I wrote stories of me and Will, and our married life together, and our eventual six children. At no point in my life have I actually wanted six children, but in these stories I was somehow unable to avoid making them with my fabulous husband Will. Will is eleven years older than me, but I never minded; in my stories I think I even mentioned how plenty of couples have such age gaps, and as age gaps go, that wasn't a bad one.

I filled reams of Mead notebooks with these stories, and, in a fit of madness, passed them to my friends to read. It was ridiculous, but my friends not only read them, but said they liked them. This was their undoing, because it only spurred me on more. At one point, a friend told her mother all about my stories and her mother asked me if I would like her to show them to her publishing friend. Cringing in horror, I said no. But perhaps I would think about it later.

Ah, were it that easy.

So there's this web site for young adults called Inkpop, run by HarperCollins. Fair disclosure: HarperCollins asked me to look at Inkpop. I did, and all I could think of was: I sure wish I had this when I was a kid. I could have uploaded my stories there, had them commented on, maybe grown as a writer. (Maybe Will would have seen them and known instantly that I was the one for him.) Instead, it took me years to see that those early stories about me and Will Clark were evidence of a writing bug that I could never shake. Maybe if I had let stories like that--if not about me and Will, but about anything else--take flight, I would have grown more as a writer earlier on. I might have learned more about the craft earlier. I could have grown my armadillo hide earlier on--you know the one that takes years to grow as a writer?

Inkpop follows in the steps of Authonomy in that every month, five of the top-voted projects are reviewed by HarperCollins editors. But while that's certainly a fantastic aim of the site, it's not what I see as the main benefit--I see the ability to read and comment on other work by young adults as a valuable learning tool. Forums for young writers also encourage a young community.

Sure, young writers can join sites like Authonomy, but as I was looking through Inkpop's bright, user-friendly interface, I found myself glad that there's a moderated site specifically for young people. And the quality is pretty dang good, jugding by the excerpts from the current top 5 fiction projects. The site also has poetry and short story sections, too. And of course, the banner ads running throughout the site are for young adult novels, so the whole thing caters to their world of reading and writing, and I have to say I love it.

So, what ever happened to my Will Clark paraphernalia and stories? I eventually destroyed the stories in a fit of embarrassment of what I'd written--and as I recall, that was quite a process considering I had to tear them out of spiral bound notebooks and then hand-shred the pages with scissors. None of those newfangled personal shredders back then, no.

Incidentally, Will left the Giants and finished his career with the evil Cardinals. He's now back with the Giants--working in their front office, which means he represents the club at various events. And, as you can see from his picture, he's...um...matured.

Yeah, these kids have it easy these days. All they need to do it hit the delete key when it comes to embarrassing material. But then again, maybe they'll upload it to Inkpop and find out that instead of people laughing, they're getting reviewed by big house editors.

Google Reader Roundup

2011-07-22T02:47:00.000-07:00

Bit of a short one for you this week-- because I was both working on a cool freelance writing gig and also doing some super mega trombone awesome edits in my WIP.

Via Travener comes The Price of Typos at the New Your Times. (Congrats Trav, first time in the Roundup I think.)

Anne Allen hosts guest blogger author Kim Wright with a really fantastic and positive post on publishing three different ways--positive, because it actually tells us some options in this confusing publishing landscape.

Agent Scott Eagan says very vociferously why we shouldn't throw in the towel-- that self-publishing is not an easy fix. Great post.

Agent Jenny Bent's post of an account of her client Jennifer Archer on selling not one but three first novels in different genres.

Meghan Ward posts a follow up of her grown-up debate with Roni Loren last week on the speed of writing and publishing books, with some thoughts about bestselling vs. bestwriting.

Writing a quality medical scene from Author Wendy S. Marcus, guest blogging for Roni Loren.

Jane Friedman mentions a great experiment by a group of authors on Scribd--and how successful they were with it.

Mia Hayson defines professionalism, garnished with one of her signature quirky graphics.

And finally, if you missed it, I posted the real e-mail exchange between me and a Nigerian money scammer (I form rejected him), and as a result someone on Twitter alerted me to this hilarious site, the 419 Eater, which is a whole collection of scam-baiting.

What Passes for Writer Humor

2011-07-20T02:24:00.000-07:00

July 1, 2011
To: Sierra
From: "Money Gram"
Subject: We just sent you US$9000.00

Dear Beneficiary

Be informed that your part-payment of (US$300,000.00) from International Monetary Fund Unit (IMF) has been approved to transfer via our department of Money Gram, Meanwhile your urgent respond is highly needed with the re-confirmation of your details where and how to receive your funds in our office such as:
Your Name:.....
Country:......
State and
City.......
Address..........
Telephone Number............
Age...........
Sex.........
Occupation.........

Also the payment of US$9000.00 has already been made through Money Gram for you to pick it up, but due to the instruction we received from International Monetary Fund Unit (IMF), You are required to pay sum of(US$210.00) to activate your payment files and also to ensure you are the right person to receive the fund. Upon reception of the Activation fee, you can pick up the first transfer of US$9000.00

REFF :# 738-018-43
Senders Name: Anthony Chukwuemeka
Text Question:Honest
Answer: Trust

Call all or email me once you picked up this $9,000 USD today.

You can easily get back to us via email or telephone# for more details while the amount you will be confirming daily is (US$9000.00) starting from the day we receive the Activation fee. You are to use the name below to send the Activation Fee via Money Gram and send payment details to
this E-mail: moneygram1978@hotmail.com

RECEIVER NAME.......Igharo Deco
COUNTRY......................VICTORIA, ISLAND, LAGOS NIGERIA
TEXT QUESTION..........GOOD
ANSWER.................GOD
SENDER NAME..............
REFF NUMBER.............

We are looking forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.
Rev.Collins Moore
Tel: +234-80-7434-8850
Email: moneygram1978@hotmail.com
Manager Money Gram
Nigeria

July 1, 2011
To: "Money Gram"
From: Sierra
Subject: Re: We just sent you US$9000.00

Dear. Reverend Collins,

I was intrigued by your premise and would like to read more. Please send the first 50 pages pasted into the body of the e-mail (no attachments, please), and a three-page synopsis.

Best,
Sierra

July 7, 2011
To: "Money Gram"
From: Sierra
Subject: Re: Re: We just sent you US$9000.00

Dear. Reverend Collins,

I eagerly await your submission. Please send pages!

-Sierra

July 7, 2011
To: Sierra
From: "Money Gram"

Subject: Attention: (Sierra)

Attention: (Sierra)

Please be informed that the funds are coming directly from the International Money Funds branch in west Africa. It is a Grand Donation from the I.M.F to support individuals financially due to the global and financial economic meltdown. Your email address was selected globally as one of the beneficiaries this year and we are only to pay beneficiaries once they meet their financial obligations. Because you did not pick up the funds on time we decided to placed hold on it until you were notified about the payment sent to you.
In regards to your mail that was received in this office and was noted, We recieved the mail you sent to us for the transfer our fund valued at USD$ 300,000.00.

instalmental daily transfer of USD$9,000.00 per day. Note that we will be transfering the fund to you $9,000.00 per day as the Money Gram protocol restricts us from making transfer of fund more than USD $9000 per day from Africa. You will not be able to pick this payment up because it has been put on hold by The payment supervisor. In accordance to the new rules and regulations of all the Money Gram world-wide, You are required to pay sum of(US$200.00) to activate your payment files and also to ensure you are the right person to receive the fund. Only Upon reception of the Activation fee, you can be able to pick up the first transfer of US$9000.00. Bear it in mind that the fee is not negotiable and we can not release the transfer to you today if you did not send the required fee. Be informed that the fee cover for the transfer of all your fund and not just this first transfer meaning that you will not be required to pay any fee again for the rest of the transfer.

You are advised to go to the nearest Money Gram Transfer agent around you and send the fee of $205Usd immediately because the fee is the only delay for your fund to be released as the fund is presently on our system. Do send me your phone number in your next mail for oral directions.

Below is the information you will use to send us the fee of $205 USD Via Money Gram to our account officer Igharo Deco.

RECEIVER NAME.......Igharo Deco

COUNTRY......................NIGERIA

ADDRESS: VICTORIA, ISLAND LAGOS
TEXT QUESTION..........GOOD
ANSWER.................GOD
SENDER NAME..............
REFERENCE.............

Once you send the money, send the payment information immediately for easy pick-up and your transfer shall be released in two hours after confirmation of the payment. We await to recieve the payment information. BE ADVISED ACCORDINGLY.
Note : Incorrect payment information can lead to penalties, confiscation or delay of your Funds.

Rev. Collins Moore.
Phone Number: Tel: +234-8074-34-8850

7/8/11
To: "Money Gram"
From: Sierra
Subject: Re: Attention: (Sierra)

Dear Rev. Moore,

Thank you for the opportunity to sample your work. I'm afraid I wasn't enthusiastic enough to ask for more. I might add that what you sent was essentially the same material as the first time, but centered, bolded, and with different font color. You may want to consult a book on plot--and run spell check.

Good luck in your search for representation.

Sierra

Penguin Book Covers

2011-07-18T02:53:00.000-07:00

Oh, gollys. You know how much I love both design and writing. So imagine how happy I was when I saw this new book: Penguin 75: Designers, Authors, Commentary (the Good, the Bad . . .)

This is a just-released book (as in, July 6, 2011) that celebrates Penguin's 75th anniversary with a discussion of 75 covers that "that represent the best of what Penguin has produced over the course of the last decade." (Read: may not be the most intriguing cover design, but probably has a good story behind it.)

Got me thinking about great book covers. I've mentioned before how much I love this edition of The Portable Dorthy Parker (published, perhaps not uncoincidentally, by Penguin). In fact, I actually bought this particular one because of the cover. It's heavy, matte paper stock which already I love, but it has amusing cartoons in the inner flaps. It smells good, too. If ever there was a reason to buy paper vs. electronic, this is it.

I'm also a sucker for any letterpress covers. Letterpress printing is where the letters are pressed into the paper to create a raised feel. This is often paired with beautiful paper, like thick, sumptuous water color paper, which also has a wonderful texture. And smells good. Here's an example from a San Francisco letterpress printer.

Were you ever struck by a book cover? (As in, in love, not as in the book cover actually struck you. If it did strike you, I would suggest that you get rid of the book. It's possessed, and situations like that never turn out well, it is well known. Hey, did you ever see that TV show back in the 90s about a girl and guy cousin team who had to track down all of these cursed items that their crazy uncle sold out of a shop that he'd gotten in a deal with the devil? That was a great show. What the heck was that? I used to watch it all the time.)

Anyway, tell me which book cover!

(This post is cross-posted over at Don't Leave Me This Way, my design and web usability blog.)

Google Reader Roundup

2011-07-15T03:34:00.000-07:00

Jane Friedman tells us about the most important marketing acronym: WIIFM (what's in it for me?).

The 18th Annual Self-Published Book Awards Winners.

Interesting audio post from Toronto University professor Keith Oatley, who explores whether fiction 'improves our social understanding.' (audio)

Roger Ebert blasts the abomination of the watered-down Gatsby.

GalleyCat asks what's the most beautiful word in the English language?

Vancouver online newspaper talks about how genre fiction is doing well with ebooks.

Initial Thoughts on Google + from Kristen Lamb. And more typically (and wonderfully) snarky thoughts from Chuck Wendig.

AWESOME 360 view of inside the space shuttle Atlantis.

The Review Review gives us The Submitter's Dilemma: Choosing the Right Literary Magazine for Your Work.

My fellow RWA women's fic SIG member Keith Cronin (and, strangely, an online associate in a former technical writing life -- small world) talks about what it's like to be a man writing women's fic.

Roni Loren had a very thought-provoking post on the speed in which it takes to complete a novel per year. That post sparked a healthy and interesting debate with my friend Meghan Ward, who felt that too speedy could be hazardous.

And speaking of Meghan Ward, here is her epic epic post on the perils of plastics. Please read this. After I read it on Wednesday, I went out and bought glass food storage containers (Pyrex), I bought mesh produce bags, and I bought resuable sandwhich bags. And this week for a birthday party for a two year old, we put his presents in a $1.75 kid's reusbale shopping bag instead of one of those expensive gift bags that cost $6--they sell these AWESOME bags at Toys R Us.

Via Meredith Barnes, whom I secretly want to marry, comes this interesting post on the literary agent as the self-publishing consultant.

And finally, Mike Chen read Keith Cronin's guest post above and then mused on whether he really writes women's fiction or not. (He totally does.)

Saying goodbye...to characters

2011-07-13T01:55:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I went for my 6-week postpartum check up with my OB. I know from prior experience that this final visit is a little bittersweet. This won't come as news to those of you who have given birth, but you go to the OB a lot when you're preggers.

At first you go every month or so, then as you get closer to your due date you go more often. When you're right up against your due date, you go every week. (And more often if there are any issues.) Apart from the rather casual and familiar level you reach with your OB by the end (on account of having him/her up in your business every week; likely this is more often than your own husband at the last part of your pregnancy), you form attachments to the staff. The staff begins to just call you by your first name and you see each other so often that you just start communicating by smiles and head-nods, and perhaps toss a "Hopefully I won't see you next week because I'll have delivered by then!" Followed by much jovial laughter.

Anyway, at the last post-partum check up, you see the staff for the last time likely for a year until your next pap smear, barring any untoward gynecological issues in the meantime. And it's kind of sad. After all, you had gotten to know these people. You saw them every week. You might, in a fit of kindness, have brought them cookies. (I didn't, but nicer people might have. Then again, I can't imagine any pregnant woman wanting to share cookies with anyone, so maybe this doesn't happen.) And so it was with me.

“Goodbye,” I told the very nice receptionist. (She’s not really a receptionist, she’s a medical worker but I don’t know the proper word for a medical worker who sits at the front desk. She was so nice, I never had to say my name to her, she knew me on site.) “Take care,” I added, not a little wistfully.

"OK, see you in a year then,” she said, smiling, and then she turned back to her work. Coldly, almost. And there I was, thinking we were all great friends. Let’s face it, they knew all my intimate details--heck, some of them had seen those details up close. But anyway the visit came to an end and I had to go. I’m not sure what I thought would happen: I knew the appointments would stop sometime. I just wasn’t ready for it to be so abrupt. I felt like I needed a little weaning.

It struck me that this is what happens when you finish a story or a novel--reading or writing it. You form attachments to the characters, deep ones. You get to really know them. You follow them through the hard times to the good. You were there when they were innocent or selfish or stupid, and you were there when they grew and admitted they had been selfish. You cheered when they got what they wanted. You watched them walk slowly away, off into the sunset.

It breaks your heart a little to go.

If you're like me, you want to keep walking with them. Sometimes when I finish reading a book with particularly strong characters, I actually feel frustrated that it's over, as though the back cover was preventing me from going on with them. Sometimes (don't tell anyone about this one) I even dream about the characters. Probably the most recent character that I felt this way about was Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games series. While Katniss was given a future via an epilogue, she was so strong and I felt had more to offer that I definitely was sorry to see her go.

I've certainly felt this way with characters I've both read and written. The ones I've written are the ones I return to, to rewrite into a better story. Does this happen to you? What are some of the characters you've had a hard time saying goodbye to?

Serial Commas

2011-07-11T02:54:00.000-07:00

Woah! Woah! No!

The Oxford Style Guide has made a stand, drawn a line in the dirt, and called the comma out.
It no longer supports the use of the serial comma. The serial comma is also--rather presumptively if you ask me--called the Oxford comma.

The serial comma is the comma used after "and" thusly: The Oxford Style Guide has made a stand, drawn a line in the dirt, and called the comma out.

The OSG wants to do this: The Oxford Style Guide has made a stand, drawn a line in the dirt and called the comma out.

Okay. Oxford can do what it wants. Doesn't mean it's right. I've always felt the serial comma is best to use because it makes clear that you're listing three things. Otherwise, it could be like this:

They say a reason for the region’s hollowed-out faith is a pervasive theology that departs from traditional Biblical interpretation on issues such as the divinity of Jesus, the exclusivity of Christianity as a path to salvation and homosexuality.

(emphasis mine)

In the example above, which is a real one as well as a fantastic one (source), the lack of the serial comma implies that Christianity is a path to salvation and homosexuality. Which it may very well be, although I don't think that's what the author meant.

I believe publishers of fiction (in the US, certainly) follow the Chicago Manual of Style, which says to use the serial comma. In journalism, the AP Style Guide is followed, which does not use the serial comma, to their great detriment as evidenced above.

But hey, don't take my word for it (although you totally should). See what Grammar Girl has to say-- she uses just as convincing an example, if rather slightly less amusing.

Bottom line-- the serial comma provides clarity. I'm not sure why you wouldn't want to be clear to your reader, but if you favor confusion, then hey.

Google Reader Roundup

2011-07-08T02:56:00.000-07:00

Scott Tracy tells us why it's hard to be a writer.

Novel Publishing Groups says how many spaces we need after a period (hint: it's just one, but they tell you why).

Jane Friedman at There Are No Rules put together this list of really good links about self pubbing. This is great because now I don't have to go looking for them. (Kind of like my Roundup, yes?)

Keith Cronin guest posts at Natalia Sylvester's blog on tricking the muse to work for us.

Bob Mayer discusses indi publishing success in a chaotic environment.

A mid year assessment on social networks-- fascinating stuff. The big three (Twitter, Facebook, You Tube) are still big, but FB's chunk of the pie is only just bigger. Just.

Tess Hardwick discusses "genre" discrimination with women's fiction.

Muppets and Game of Thrones? I'm in.

Advice to Writers has a beautiful quote about the word "very." I removed it from my WIP as a result. I'm very glad. :)

How an agent can kill your career from Janet Kobobel Grant.

Are you addicted to finding a literary agent? Nina Badzin discusses.

Moving forward with Twitter from @extremelyaverage (a very funny guy).

Derek Haines tells us why self-publishing is an easy way to make a fool of yourself. Fantastic post.

If Hemingway had written Toto's Africa. Love it. From McSweeney's.

From HuffPo, the most WTF unofficial Harry Potter merchandise.

You'll love this interview with 95-year old Beverly Clearly on her life writing as a young mother to her thoughts on the internet.

Meredith Barnes tells us the difference between Facebook pages and profiles--and which one is better for authors.

Happy weekending!

Strollers and Writing Envy

2011-07-06T02:28:00.000-07:00

When I had my whippersnapper five years ago, I discovered that having the right kind of stroller is essential to your image as a hip and clever mommy. You should, ideally, spring for the $1000 Bugaboo stroller, but in case you're on a budget, you can opt for the $450 BOB or the less expensive but still respectably elitist Maclaren ($230).

I had none of those*.

* In full disclosure, I now have a BOB. BUT! Wait! Before you go in disgust! I bought a returned BOB from REI and it was only a 2009 model and not the exceedingly more lovely and updated 2011 model, and it was a third of the price. So I feel like I cheated the stroller system and anyway the front kick panel is scuffed up, so I only have a scuffed 2009 passe BOB. Okay? Please stay.

But back then, I wished I did have one of those strollers. I seethed with green-eyed envy when I went power-walking with other mommies around a lake where everyone (except me) had one of those strollers and/or a purebred dog. I felt insecure because I didn't have one of those clearly superior strollers. I felt like my modest Baby Jogger stroller, which I broke after a just few weeks of owning, was the embarrassing dinner guest who gets drunk and farts and then falls asleep face-first in his food at a dinner party full of strollers.

I felt like a lesser mom because of it.

Let's not dwell on how outrageously bourgeois it is to want an expensive stroller that moves like a cloud puff. Let's not delve into how my stroller envy clearly showed my deep-rooted insecurities about not being the best. I mean, whatevers.

Instead, let's agree that sometimes, wanting what others have is normal. You know, like wanting that agent or that book deal that you just watched your good friend get. And sometimes, your book isn't going to be as wonderful or marketable as your friend's book. Sometimes you'll get nothing but rejections--nasty ones, too--while your friend gets a 7-book contract the day after sending a single badly-written query out, one that started with a rhetorical question and misspelled the agent's name. And even also sometimes, your sad little one-book deal that led to a book that sold three copies, all of which were purchased by your elderly aunt, and which now even the remainder piles don't want-- that isn't going to be the million-copy-selling book that your friend wrote, which led to instant billionaire status for her.

Sometimes, you're just not going to have the Bugaboo stroller.

And that's okay.

Because the next time, you'll get one.

Happy 4th

2011-07-04T02:50:00.000-07:00

If you are in the US, then you are probably off celebrating your long holiday weekend. If you are one of my UK readers, or other readers outwith the US, I say welcome and thanks for reading the blog.

Here's a muttering kitten to make your fourth of July a good one:

Google Reader Roundup

2011-07-01T02:17:00.000-07:00

A list of 23 questions to consider when thinking about your plot, from Brooklyn Arden.

Anne Allen gives us a lot to think about in the changing publishing landscape in her post, Are agents an endangered species?

Check out the search results for "query" -- over 2000 helpful blog posts on the subject, courtesy of Elizabeth Craig.

Bookends tells us what a published writer's life is like through author Ellery Adams.

Vicki Motter at Navigating the Slush Pile has some sage three-pile advice for us regarding rejections.

Rachelle Gardener tells us whether self-pubbing will hurt our chances, but you'll want to be careful how you present that in a query (from Query Shark).

Meredith Barnes tells us why it's better to wait before rushing straight into self pubbing...with some reality thrown in.

Bookends' weekly query workshop.

Very informative post from Rachelle Gardner tells us what publishers do to market books. Take note of her list; you can adapt it to your own marketing plan when you self-publish.

Jody Hedlund gives us 6 good reasons to have an agent, which is timely in the wake of lots of questions this week on whether agents are still relevant.

Tawna Fenske demonstrates very clearly why social media matters for authors. Please take note of her story. Tawna has done everything right with her blog--and it will absolutely result (already has in fact) in sales.

Happy fourth of July, lovies!

Re-run: Wednesday Word Sangfroid

2011-06-29T03:29:00.000-07:00

Last September, I did a Wednesday Word for sangfroid. I thought I would run it again, just to put my wedding-day self back on the blog. Am I vain or what?

When I was about 16, my mother and I left Massachusetts, where we'd lived for three years, and drove across Canada with a car load of our stuff and our surly cat back to California where we plopped back down with a sigh of relief. Well, I did anyway. I'm a Californian girl at heart and always have been, although now as an adult I have an appreciation for Massachusetts.

For some reason, my new high school in California wouldn't let me start on the first day of school even though we arrived in town a month before. They made me start on the second or third day, which meant that I had to enter every class as the new girl and disrupt everything while I handed my pass to the teacher and she or he wrote me into their book and then directed me to one of the last empty seats. In other words: a ton of attention drawn to me.

I hated this because a few years earlier we had arrived back in the US from our time living in Greece. We landed in West Virginia of all places (my mother had family there and it was easy), and let me tell you: the West Virginian kids were not at all pleased to see this little flashy girl come in from Athens. The teachers all thought it was great of course and asked me allllll about Greece in front of the class, no doubt hoping to use it as a teaching lesson, but the only thing I got was daily threats to be beaten up for being "preppy." (Because, as everyone knows, arriving from Athens means you're preppy. Or something.) It wasn't a good time.

Then, as years later in California in my junior year of high school, I quaked with fear having to draw so much attention to myself. So imagine my surprise when in that Californian school I entered my US History class and a girl named Anita invited me to work on a project with her. I said yes. I said that I'd been really nervous having to come into class a few days late. She said, "Really? Cause you looked totally confident and together."

This was huge news to me. Apparently, I had some kind of sangfroid outer shell. It means coolness or composure, especially under strain or stress. At first I thought that this unknown sangfroid ability was just a fluke, that maybe Anita hadn't seen me shaking or anything because she was sitting too far back. But as time went on (and we became very good friends), I came to believe her-- that I had some kind of confidence or coolness that I could exude. I mean, hey, it's better than sweat-stains in your arm pits, isn't it? And it wasn't all good, this ability. Sometimes it left me looking cold and uppity.

I don't actually know if I've been sangfroid in other stressful periods of my life. I do know that I didn't quite manage it on my wedding day when I walked down the aisle. My lips were quivering because I knew all eyes were on me, and let me tell you--I was not sangfroid about it. I pursed my lips and clamped them shut so no one could see me shaking, but that didn't look so cool-- as you can see in the picture. Also, a family friend told me that he spoke to me right outside the church before we went in to walk down the aisle and all I did was stare at him like a deer in the headlights, but I have absolutely no recollection of that.

(In the picture, yes, it looks like a coy little expression doesn't it, but it is not, NO it is not, it is me pursing my lips to keep them from trembling from nerves!)

Even so, I don't know whether Anita, who is still a dear friend today, knows what effect her words had on me back then on my first day in a new school in a new town when she extended kindness and friendship to me, allowing me to think I'd been sangfroid even if I'd been a mass of nerves inside.

Bonus: In contrast to walking down the aisle, here I am being accosted by a lion on my wedding day and I'm totally sangfroid about it. (Yes I have blurred out Mr. Sierra and covered his head with an arrow ~~because I didn't ask him if he would like to be put on the web~~ to protect his privacy.)

Did you know this word? Tell me about it in the comments.

Cookie recipe winners

2011-06-28T12:41:00.000-07:00

I know! An unscheduled Tuesday post! But I totes forgot to announce the winner of my very special wonderful awesome really-very-nice-indeed chocolate chip cookie recipe. Thanks for checking out and following my design and usability blog, Don't Leave Me This Way (which you should totally take a look at, it's really quite interesting if I do say so myself, even if saying so is rather obnoxious).

So I couldn't really pick a winner so here are the lucky recipients of the recipe, which by the way I designed all special and pretty for you:

Julie Dao
Linda Grimes
Susan Swiderski
Kristen Lippert-Martin (who may need me to feed her)

Susan, can you please email me? I don't have your email addy.

Plot is Like...

2011-06-27T00:18:00.000-07:00

I love visuals. Here is one for you that particularly works for me:

The beginning of the novel:
You are shooting a bow and arrow. You want to shoot the target. The target is what you want.

The middle of the novel:
You aim. You shoot.
The arrow might fall along the way. You might have to reshoot.

The end of the novel:
The arrow hits the target. Or not. If it doesn't, it affects you. If it does hit it, it also affects you.

Thoughts? Does this work for you?

Google Reader Roundup

2011-06-24T02:51:00.000-07:00

First of all, I would like to re-announce the launch of my new design blog, Don't Leave Me This Way, a blog about usability and design and blogs and web sites. I've got a beautiful graph up there now for your designy pleasure. And, as promised, I'm giving away my super excellent chocolate chip recipe to people who follow that blog--winners announced on Monday.

I don't normally lead off the Roundup with my own post, so forgive me for being obnoxious...but yesterday I did a post about finding a writing mentor. I really loved writing that post because I got to shout out to some of my mentors. And, the author who sparked the whole idea, Sarah Pekkanen, dropped by to comment on it all.

Anne Allen hosts mystery writer (and stand-up gal) Elizabeth S. Craig, who gives us 17 tips on how to blog.

Martha Alderson has a wonderful series on writing and structure and plot--truly excellent. I started watching the videos some time ago but she hadn't finished them at the time; now there are 27 of them. Her agent Jill Corcoran has them all in a convenient list for us.

Lynn Price, the editorial director for Behler Publications, talks about publishers looking for new voices and what that means.

I really liked this story of how author Robin O'Bryant got her agent, from her agent Jenny Bent. There are a lot of background similarities between myself and Robin. Except Robin is damn funny, and you can tell that by her story.

Hollah! Bookends welcomes a new agent, Lauren Ruth, and she's open to submissions.

Janet Reid sets us straight on whether we should include certain accolades for our book in our query letters.

James Scott Bell, whose writing books I admire so much, gives us an updated 10 commandments for writers.

Meghan Ward interviews Ethan Nosowsky, editor-at-large for Graywolf Press, on the future of publishing and author promotion and lots of other interesting things.

Roni Loren channels James Scott Bell again with a great post on the key ingredient to a solid plot from Bell's Plot & Structure (which is my all-time favorite writing book).

I absolutely LOVE Mia Hayson's list of 15 ways to end your manuscript. And she always has cute custom graphics.

The Lt. has a great discussion on the phenomenon of Amanda Hocking-- giving us much to ponder. Plus he uses bold for emphasis, which I love.

Roni Loren discusses convenient contrivances, and contrives to give us a convenient list of things to avoid conveniently contriving.

Nathan Bransford gives us five openings to avoid using.

Bookends has a really neat discussion of whether word count matters in ebooks.

Agent Kristen Nelson reports on cultural zeitgeists, showing up in story lines. I always love these posts because I like checking to make sure my plot lines aren't in them.

I love this post from Janice Hardy on better queries through movie trailers. I've long been fascinated by the ease with which movies seem to convey plots-- and trailers are supposed to entice you to view, just as queries are supposed to entice people to read.

Linda Grimes gives us sour camel balls gum. Only Linda, peeps. Safe for work.

And finally, Meghan Ward gave a great guest post for me last week on the Hunger Games. This week, I see my uncle Vince has picked up The Hunger Games and loved it as well--here's his reaction.

4 Tips to Getting a Writing Mentor

2011-06-22T02:53:00.000-07:00

I recently read Skipping a Beat by Sarah Pekkanen. In Ms. Pekkanen's acknowledgements page, she said that she'd received wonderful mentoring from Jennifer Weiner, and that in return for the mentoring, Jennifer had told her to mentor another writer. To pay it forward. It really got me thinking about my own writerly mentors.

You see, I've been on the receiving end of incredible generosity from other writers, all of whom are published and/or agented. The mentoring I've received from these writers since I started writing novels and blogging and studying the craft and living and breathing stories has made me a very, very lucky girl. The luckiest. What? What's that, you say? I've been lucky, yet I'm not yet published or agented -- the two things that are shangri-las for us writers? Yes, indeed. Here are some of the delicious snacks you get from (more) established writers:

They can critique your query or first pages -- or whole manuscript-- with a much more practiced eye than you can bring
They can encourage you because they've been where you are, and lived to tell you that not only does it get better, but it gets successful
They might refer you to their agents, which is a huge leg up in the slushpile experience

One of the things I am most pleased about with each of my writing mentors is that I've never met any of them. Face to face, that is. All of them I've met as a result of social media-- which is yet again a reminder of how enriching the online writing and publishing community can be. I consider this community essential in the development of a savvy writer's career.

So, let's get to the good stuff - how do you get a writing mentor?
Good thing you asked. It really all comes down to relationship-building. Here's how I did it:

1. Blog. I got to be friendly with certain bloggers early on-- I supported their blogs, and they supported mine. A foundation was established. With those I really clicked with, I have developed a deeper connection -- through off-line dialogue like email. Roni Loren is a great example of this, and she and I click on a lot of levels, from blogging to writing to mothering. Roni has been a big supporter of mine, and I know I am thrilled for all her success. And she's really given me both great help and opportunities.

2. Tweet. Some people I met through Twitter, and some I knew through blogging and tweeting, and both played into the building of the relationship. Quick little dashed bits of conversation are fun, helpful, and sometimes leads to questions or answers from people--and sometimes more, like offers to read your dreck. Two authors who really get tweeting--as in, they engage with their followers and have real conversations--helped me out hugely. All because that personal connection was made through Twitter.

3. Ask for interviews. I no longer remember what led me to ask Janice Hardy if I could interview her for her debut book release, The Shifter, in 2009. Probably I saw that her book was being released, and I thought, hey, I'd like to interview her about it. Janice kindly consented even though my blog at the time was only read by my mom and people googling silverfish. But then a year later when Janice's second book, Blue Fire, came out, she asked me if we could do another one. Of course I was delighted because I had all kinds of new questions about the second book experience. And our offline email exchanges were richer. I asked questions. Ultimately, Janice offered me some critiques and help. And since then, she's given me two very awesome guests posts-- one on inciting incidents, a very popular post, and her latest on middles. Janice has been such a great guest to the blog that she has her own tag here on the blog. Kind of like her own toothbrush at my house. And I consider her one of my writing mentors because of the help and opportunities she gave me off line...all as a result of our first interview.

4. Appreciate the help you get. Sometimes it seems like saying thank you is a dying art these days. I know I've offered help to writers before and gotten no thanks. That's okay--I don't offer help just to get thanks. But I didn't offer again. The people who took time out of their busy schedules--their busy actually-writing-a-book-that-will-be-published schedules -- these people deserved my heartfelt thanks at the very least. You need to really, really thank those people--and then support them hugely when their books are published. I'll never forget the psychological support Kristen Lippert-Martin gave me when I had some down days in the querying process. A few days after her baby was born (and mine was yet to be), she took the time to give me one of the best pep talks ever-- and then I had my baby and couldn't believe she'd taken the time to write what she did--because then I understand just how very much of a sacrifice it was to take the time and write me when she could be sleeping or eating or taking a shower--all things that you can no longer do at all when you have a newborn. Kristen has been a great mentor to me in many ways, and I hope I always make it clear to her how much I appreciate it. (In case I haven't, she'll know now.) And the aforementioned Janice Hardy-- I once delayed thanking her for something and she e-mailed me asking if what she'd given me was okay, and the shame I felt could have been bottled and sold. Eu de Shame.

Finally, the important thing to remember is...
If writers have been generous to you, you should pay it forward and be generous to other writers, whether you're published or not. When you're agented or published I think this matters most, because even though you put on your pants the same way unpublished or unagented writers do, you get more respect for having won an agent or book deal. It's just the way of the world.

Have you been mentored by anyone? Has it helped?
As for me, I'm off to go e-mail or tweet to Sarah Pekkanen and see if I can add her to my mentor menagerie.

Parenting Trick for Writers #1

2011-06-20T02:26:00.000-07:00

With summer coming, those of you who are parents with kids who are not in year-round school suddenly have lots of kid on your hands. And because you are likely a writer or creative type if you're reading this, that means less time for you to write in your accustomed solitary fashion without someone whining and demanding snacks every half hour. (I am talking about your kids, here, not you.)

But I have solutions, ones that will occupy or creatively satiate your kids so that you can retreat to your cave and write more.

It's this fantastic set of measuring cups shaped like babushkas (or, matryoshkas as they are called on the box), called M-Cups. These awesome measuring cups are perfect for kids to play with and measure with and help bake yummy sugary snacks with you, which as we all know is what keeps writers going. What's not to love about these measuring cups? Baking with your kids is one of the best things you can possibly do because it teaches little kids cause and effect and mixing and amounts, and it allows you and big kids to bond, and it results in lovely foodstuffs. It's a win-win situation.

These are made by Fred & Friends and here they are on Amazon. Also, if you search on Amazon for Fred & Friends, they have a ton more awesome products like this 2-carat ring cup and these pick your nose paper cups.

Contest!
To go with your new M-Cups measuring cups, or whatever, and because I love you so much, I am going to award two lucky beasts the recipe to my fabulous chocolate chip cookie recipe. My uncle, whose nickname is Cook, short for Cookie, and with good reason since he is quite the cookie connoisseur (I swear I'm not making it up about his name), even agrees my chocolate chip cookies are some of the best ever. What you have to do is go follow my new blog on design and usability, called Don't Leave Me This Way. That's a reference to the awesome song (I prefer the Jimmy Somerville/Communards version, I mean really what's not to love about Jimmy Somerville?) and also a reference to all the bad design out there that blows our heads up and could so easily be fixed. On that blog, I post about design issues and how you can solve them-- be it on a web site, customer service, or elsewise.

Anyway, go sign up as a follower on that blog between now, Monday, June 20, 2011, and Friday, June 24, 2011, and I'll award two random followers my lovely chocolate chip cookie recipe in a pretty PDF. Winners will be announced here on Monday, June 27.

Important note: I have not been approached by Fred & Friends nor have I been sent for free these M-Cups, no, I bought some myself for my whippersnapper and loved them and thought I would blog about them. But no, I have not been given them for free or am otherwise being paid for this post. Although Fred & Friends is more than welcome to email me (sierra [at] sierragodfrey.com) and we can discuss it.

Google Reader Roundup Re-run

2011-06-17T02:33:00.000-07:00

This GRR originally ran on January 8, 2010. Sorry to be back on re-run today but I'm really exhausted.

Five things to do before querying from Jody Hedlund. One interesting thing she said that stuck out at me was that she sees writers move from word count and book to book without increasing skills. I don't know how that happens. Do you?

Another awesome "how did I get here?" story from published author Jennifer Stanley.

Check this Janet Reid link if you write YA fiction, she has an agent recommendation.

Janet Reid again, on what agents are thinking about when they read your book. I've been curious about a list like this for a long time, actually.

Via Colleen Lindsay, Del Rey editorial director Betsy Mitchell lists her rejections for 2009 and she rejected them.

Things are changing for me in 2010 (more about that in weeks to come) and so this post by Meghan Ward on balance in life particularly struck a chord.

Again Meghan Ward has a fab and extensive list of writers conferences and residencies--great read. (Also, I apologize to Meghan for misspelling her name as Megan at times. Sorry! Sorry!)

And last but never least is Roni at Fiction Groupie on standing out.