Archive for November, 2009

So, I decided to keep my old blog up as a place for crazy writing musings. On Thursday, yes I was a busy bee, I posted a blog devoted to a little character development. Check it out here.

What’s on my iPod : Final Moment by Veer Union.

Happy Turkey Day everyone in the US. I thought I just might participate in Thursday Thirteen with thirteen things I’m thankful for related to writing and my MS BROKEN. And so in no particular order, just how they pop in my head :

1.) Awesome beta readers and critique partners. Without you, I would have never gotten my rough draft in shape.

2.) The Foo Fighters and Evanescence. Without their music, writing BROKEN would have been a lot different. And because the Muse insists that “The Pretender” is his theme song.

3.) Romance Divas Forum. Because you Divas rock with support, knowledge, and humor.

4.) My kids and parents for understanding (some of the time) how crazy this undertaking is.

5.) My friends for reading the MS and liking it. I know you guys were just saying that, but hey, thanks anyway.

6.) #askagent and #yalitchat for connecting unpublished writers with agents, publishers and published authors and getting invaluable information to us.

7.) Twilight (I know) because if I hadn’t read the book at a time in my life that made the book have more meaning to me, I would have never realized there was a market for young adult and written BROKEN.

8.) My laptop. Where would I be without you. I can’t function without you.

9.) Diana Gabaldon for writing Outlander. If I had never read that book and the others that followed, I would never had decided I wanted to be a published writer in the first place.

10.) Coffee. OMG. I need you, I want you, I dedicate an entire Madonna song to you – Justify My Love. And Starbucks because of the special little place I hold for you in my heart. I am thankful for White Chocolate Mocha Latte, Peppermint Mocha Latte, and Pumpkin Spice Latte. And for the quiet moments I sat and worked on BROKEN in your store.

11.) The Muse incarnate. With your physical pictures I try to develop a more well-rounded characters. And you’re just too sexy to look at or ignore.

 12.) Sticky notes. You are a godsend. So many used on my plotboard. In fact, I had the widget on my old laptop and for over 6 months it said on there “Angels a new story.” Yep, that was the seed that got water and grew and flowered into BROKEN.

13.) For the patience and the ability to write stories that people enjoy.

That’s All……

What’s on my iPod : Slow Poison by The Bravery

Well, I’m so excited that two of my fellow YA writers are recently agented. Bria Quinlan just signed with Kim at Book Ends Literary Agency, and R F Long just signed with Colleen Lindsay. YAY, girls!!

Catch up with Bria on her blog here.

and RF Long here.

What’s on my iPod – Glycerine by Bush

I caught a thread on Romance Divas that was talking about fan fiction. After I noticed my seven year old had take a piece of paper and written his own story using Anakin and the Jedis, it got me thinking. I’ve written my fair share of fan fiction.  I just realized that the first thing I wrote as fan fiction used the characters from The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. But when the intial wave of renewed interest in the original Star Wars film hit, I found myself writing an entire new story that revolved around the beloved characters. I’d devoured Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy and wanted to create my own characters in his post-Palpatine universe. Actually, I just wanted Luke to have a romantic leading lady. I never considered what I wrote in my free time between classes as anything more than strictly for my enjoyment. Community boards and forums were just taking off back in those days. But those online communities, that’s where the fan fiction was brewing.

I am willing to admit that it was writing fan fiction for myself that sparked my desire to join this crazy writer’s life. In college, I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, and of course, fell in love with her hero, Jamie Fraser. I have entire notebooks filled with fan fiction devoted to that red-headed Scotsman. In waiting for the next book in the series and failing to find anything that came close to the love story, I decided to write my own historical romance – which is still sitting in about four notebooks and few computer files to be rewritten and finished. But it was the start. The little light switched flipped on, and I’ve been writing and working toward publication ever since. Basically, I went from writing just for me to wanting to write something to share with everyone. 

Today, there are hundreds of sites devoted to fan fiction – Twilight probably having the largest. And I will again admit I have a few pages of my own Edward fantasy. Someone on Romance Divas said that fan fic was a great way to get the juices flowing because you don’t have to worry about developing a character or a setting. I agree with her. And I think it is a great way to work on the fundamentals of story crafting - plot, theme, conflict, arcs, ect.

So, what do you think about the huge mass of fan fiction out there today? Did you start writing fan fiction? What did you cut your writing teeth on?

You can check out Star Wars fan fic here – http://www.theforce.net/fanfiction/

Here is a great place for Outsiders fan fiction – http://www.fanfiction.net/book/Outsiders/

And of course, one of a gazillion Twilight devoted fan fiction sites – http://www.twilighted.net/

Or you can just got to www.fanfiction.net and type in what you’re looking for.

I personally haven’t reviewed all the posts on the sites, and some may contain more mature content.

Once a month, a bunch of authors get together and post excerpts from published books, contracted work or works in progress, and link to each other. You don’t have to be published to participate–just an writer with an excerpt you’d like to share. For more info on how to participate, head over to the Excerpt Monday site! or click on the banner above.

This month I thought I would post a scene that inevitably ended on the “cutting room floor.”  It’s from BROKEN, and it’s a scene the morning after a big revelation that was rewritten. Caleb has brought Sarah lunch since she’s in her dorm room recouperating. What with New Moon’s release just days away, this is a little homage to Twilight. So, if you don’t like Twilight or sparkly vampires, feel free to skip to the next excerpt, but if you do leave a post. 

**Disclaimer : this scene was cut, so it never saw fine tune editing.

         “Ah, you are an angel,” I teased, smiling at the brown bag.

         “What would make you say that?”  His eyes narrowed and his body stiffened.

          “Because you brought food, silly.”

          We rode up to the third floor and walked back to my room without saying another word.  I thought for sure he would at least ask how my head was doing. Instead, we sat down on my bed and devoured the breakfast burritos he’d brought. Once he was done, finishing before me as usual, his eyes began to wander about my room. I watched in horror as he processed everything about my messy half. Finally, his eyes came to rest on the poster hanging above my bed.

          “You like that movie?” He asked with the child like tilt to his head.

          I shrugged. “I liked the books better. It’s about forbidden love, like a modern Romeo and Juliet.”

         “And that intrigues you? Forbidden love, I mean?”

          “It makes it exciting.”

          “You find him exciting because he’s all wrong for the heroine because of his desire to kill her, or put her in harm’s way?”

          My mouth dropped. “You’ve read the books?”

          His eyes darted between the poster and my small library on the top shelf of my desk. “I’ve read tons of things. When you can’t sleep–”

          “You don’t sleep?”

          His mouth twisted in a smirk. “Don’t get delusional ideas. I’m not a vampire. I can sleep; I just choose not to.”

         “I wasn’t thinking that at all.” Though, it was a possibility in my ever changing theories about who he really was. It would definitely explain his sudden appearance just before the display would have crushed me and the splintered two by fours.

          His eyes sparkled, catching the mid-day sun pouring in the window. “You didn’t answer my question.”

          I shrugged. “I don’t think he puts Bella in danger. I think she does that all by herself. He’s always protecting her, maybe a little overprotective. But I think what is so appealing about him is his self-restraint, and most of all, he falls in love with her from the moment he first sees her.”

          “He’s willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to be with her. He tempts his true nature and defies the laws that govern his kind. To me, that’s what makes their love story such a compelling one.”

          I’d expected Caleb to make a snide comment, or at the very least, to roll his eyes. But his words sank into my mind and a chill shimmied up my spine.

          I glanced up at him from the corner of my eye. “You make it sound like you identify with Edward.”

          He snorted. “Maybe.”

         “And how are you like him?”

         “I am most certainly not a vampire–”

         “You already said that, and since you’re not sparkling like a disco ball, I believe you.” I laughed as the sun drenched his fair skin and turned it a golden, milky color.

           This time he did roll his eyes. “They’re creatures of fiction. I have no desire to drain you of your blood. And I’m not seventeen.”

          I crossed my arms over my chest. “Then you are most like him in that you are breaking rules – to be with me? What rules are you breaking, Caleb?”

         He clenched his jaw and swiveled off the bed. In our brief time together, I’d come to realize that one of two things occurred when I asked more about him. He either let the hard mask fall back into place, or he simply disappeared. He didn’t grow cold, but turned his back to me as he absorbed my tiny living space. He fingers brushed over the titles of the books on my desk, the small stack of CD’s, and my research I’d left out. Before I could even think to grab the notes or the opening paragraph I’d written, he was pushing aside the papers with his fore finger.

          As he whipped around, that hard edged mask slipped completely down, and his eyes smoldered, dangerous. “What’s this?”

          “My research paper.”

          “Your research paper is on the murder of Christabell White?”

           I didn’t like the way he said her name with such familiarity. I took a deep breath and let it rattle out between my pressed lips. “Yes. I’m intrigued by local legends, and it’s one that fascinates me.”

          He balled his hands into fists. “You’re fascinated by the murder of an innocent woman?”

          “I’m not fascinated by the murder. I want to find the truth of what really happened.”  I squared my shoulders in defense.

           In a flash, he took one step and his nose came within an inch of mine. He breathed hard, and his heated words lashed across my face. “Some things are best left in the past.”

          Before I could answer, he stormed out of my room leaving a trail of scattered notebook papers drifting to the floor. I flounced back against the bed and sighed, damn his stubborn self conceited attitude. My head pounded again, and this time, it had nothing to do with the contusion I’d sustained the night before.

“Links to other Excerpt Monday writers
Note: I have not personally screened these excerpts. Please heed the ratings and be aware that the links may contain material that is not typical of my site.

So, to kick it off, your hosts:

Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)

and

Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG13)

Joining us this week:

Jane Bled, Yaoi/M-M Erotica/Vampire/Paranormal/Horror (PG 13)
Danie Ford, YA Urban Fantasy (PG 13)
Heather S Ingemar, Dark Fantasy (PG13)
Babette James, Fantasy Romance (PG13)
Cynthia Justlin, Contemporary Romance (PG 13)
Kaige, Historical Romance (PG 13)
Julia Knight, Fantasy Romance (PG 13)
Jeannie Lin, Historical paranormal romance (PG 13)
R.F Long, Fantasy (PG13)
Shawntelle Madison, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)
Debbie Mumford, Fantasy (PG 13)
Bria Quinlan, Rom Com (PG13)
Megan S, Paranormal (PG 13)
Rosalind Stone, Women’s Fiction (PG 13)
Jo Lynne Valerie, Paranormal Romance (PG 13)

Kendal Ashby, YA (R)
Jax Cassidy, Contemporary (R)
Inez Kelley, Romantic Comedy (R)
Aislinn Kerry, Fantasy (R)
Jeanne St. James, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)
Cherrie Lynn, Paranormal Romance (R)
Jeanette Murray, Romantic Comedy (R)
Christa Paige, Paranormal (R)
Michelle Picard, Fantasy Romance (R)
Mary Quast, Contemporary Romance (R)
Alexia Reed, Urban Fantasy (R)
Zora Stout, Contemporary Erotic Romance (R)

Sara Brookes, Erotic Sci Fi (NC 17)
Emily Ryan-Davis, Romance (NC 17)
Ella Drake, Historical Paranormal Romance (NC 17)
Angeleque Ford, Erotic Dark Urban Fantasy (NC17)
J.W. Hankins, Dark Fiction (NC 17)
Annie Nicholas, Paranormal Romance (NC 17)
Kim Knox, Erotic SF Romance (NC17)
Michelle Polaris, Erotic Futuristic Romance (NC 17)
Bryl R. Tyne, Contemporary M/M (NC 17)

Just a little forward notice that next Monday is once again Excerpt Monday. Off to find a great little piece to present….