I Can't Hear You

Hi. Hello. How are ya. Hey. Wazup? Hey y'all. Howdy. Hola!

Can you guess what this week's topic is?

It's about being repetitive. Or redundant. Or ... something else entirely!

It's about VOICE.

In writing terms, voice is like the author's signature on each page of their work. Voice, or tone, is their style, their rhythm, their prose. It is a reflection of that author's persona. It is what makes their work unique.

Another way to illustrate this would be to use music: you know how you can hear a band like U2 and instantly identify their sound and know that it's The Edge and Bono and Cher? Some bands are harder to identify based on their sound, oftentimes because they are trying to duplicate what has made another band successful. Tone can be imitated, but when you think about it, every bestselling band/author has their own sound/voice.

Voice isn't something that can be taught, nor is there a formula for developing voice. It is what is inside you and it is your job as an author to transpose that bit of yourself onto the page. But! The characters can't be an extension of you. And the plot can't be based on your real life, unless you are writing nonfiction. Can you see why voice is a tricky bugger to nail down? It's you: but it's a fictional you.

Do you wonder why I'm dumping all this writing info on you? Because something Devree wrote in the comment thread last week got me thinking: she mentioned laughing at the Laffy Taffy jokes and I realized I have never heard the sound of Devree's voice. And JazznJenna. And Didi. And other random passers-by. That's the way of the internet: we spend a lot of time reading and getting to know other people, but we don't often get to hear them speak. (Unless they are into vlogging, which bless them for doing that, but don't count on me ever being so brave.)

If you haven't heard me speak, you at least know my voice. It's all over my blog. In fact, I would prefer to type rather than speak because when I talk my words come out all up mixed. My voice is very much in the Wilder Times series. In fact, when I wrote the very first page of book one, I sang the Hallelujah chorus because I could finally hear my own voice on a page. What does that say about me that it took writing for teens to find my voice? It says grow up Lori, that's what it says. I'm hoping that The Reign of Trees is still my voice, but just more mature. That is a little scary jumping genres and worrying about losing that tone that flows so naturally. (BTW, a cover reveal and release dates are coming soon! Yippee!)

What you wouldn't know about reading my voice is this: I'm often described as "soft spoken." (Except my kids would never say that about me, but we're not going there!) I was once told I should practice lowering the tone of my voice so I would sound more professional. Does that mean I sound ditzy? Sometimes when I answer the phone, people ask me if my mom is home. That doesn't happen so much anymore, probably because they can hear the grey hairs on my head. (Teen #2 pointed one out to me today, thank you very much.) I love that my voice sounds a lot like my sisters, and like some of my nieces too. (Again, I'm fascinated with genetics. It's so cool how families can sound alike.)

I love when I read everyone's comments because I can hear little bits of your voice. But would you do us all a favor? Would you describe your voice? What do you sound like? Is your voice like others in your family? How about this: do you speak the dialect of your area? Yes, I'll admit, I might sound a bit Montana-ish, but I've lived here my whole life so it's unavoidable! Last night someone asked me if I was Canadian, but I'm thinking (hoping) that was because I ordered gravy with fries and it wasn't related to my voice.

Yeehaw!

And how about this: what does your laugh sound like? I know that's hard to describe. Mine would be a whinny-snort-cackle cackle. (I don't know how to describe it really, since it seems like no two laughs are ever the same. But I have been known to snort before. Yup. I'm awesome.)

OK! I've talked about myself for long enough (yet again!); now it's your turn! Describe what makes your voice YOU!

Oh, and it's the last week of September (how'd that happen?) so come back Thursday for the monthly winner!

What to Expect When You're Not Expecting

Do you know what today is? What? You don't know? How could you forget? I'm so insulted!

It's my blogiversary! Yes, one year ago, BlogAway went live to a crowd of thousands of people eagerly awaiting a chance to read another blog. My first post was about time management, and unfortunately, I have not learned how to manage my time any better. But you know what? Writing this blog has not been a drain on my time, as I worried it would be. I worried that it would be a chore to write, but instead, it has become something I look forward to doing every week. That was unexpected!

I did not expect that we would have such a tight-knit community here at BlogAway, but it has been amazing! I have loved finding old friends, making new ones, and learning deep-dark secrets about people I've known my entire life. I am humbled that you guys take time to read my blog and participate in the conversation; I know how precious your time is. You guys are the best blog friends a gal could have. Thank you!

There are a lot of things about this past year that have been unexpected. I did not expect that I would jump genres and write a historical romance.

I didn't expect that I would change my writing strategy either, as I normally write a book scene by scene and then piece the scenes together like a puzzle. This time, I simply opened a document, entitled it "1" and then wrote the entire thing start to finish. I did not take a bunch of notes. I did not write an outline. I did not think about a scene for several days before I actually wrote it. I just sat down and let it flow. I just finished my first edit of "The Reign of Trees," and I half-expected it to be crap, but it wasn't! I actually like it! Hallelujah!

I've always wanted to try my hand at screenwriting, but I did not expect I would do it this year. I'm currently working on this:

It's a bit of a romantic comedy, a bit of a chaotic(funny?) family drama, with a little bit of a music, and a whole lot of MONTANA, filmed mockumentary style. I know I have a better chance of winning American Idol (I would sound a lot like this singing on TV) than I have seeing my name listed under "Written By" on the small screen, but since I'm certifiably crazy, I continue to work on it nonetheless. I actually laugh out-loud as I think of some of the scenes, further proof that I am insane.

And speaking of insane, last summer, the guys bought the Insanity videos and I thought they were nuts. Why would you want to do a work-out that would give you a heart attack and make you sweat like a 500 pound man sitting in a sauna?

But guess who has stuck with it for an entire year? Moi! I love Insanity so much I ditched the gym. Yes, it still kicks my butt every single time, but no heart attacks. Also, directly related to Insanity: I've come to crave Titan protein shakes. I never expected that either.

We've also added to our zoo this year: we got ten new chickens and one new dog. I don't know that I can say that something good will come from these unexpected additions though, especially since the new dog has taste-tested a few of the birds. 

How about you? What unexpected things have come into your life in the past year or two? Have you come to love the unexpected things?

To Read Or Not To Read; That Is Not The Question

Hello Blogawayamily. (That word combo doesn't quiet work, does it?) Today is your lucky day! Do you know why it's your lucky day? Because you don't have to listen to me yak! Yay! We are honored to have a guest post by our own faithful follower Nicole Jessop.  She's the gal who leaves the very first comment about 80% of the time. She gets a star for promptness, and one for loyalty, and one for wittiness, and one for .... K, you get the idea: I like this gal A LOT. She also happened to marry a super cool dude. So give her your undivided attention as she tells you about a topic that is near to all our hearts--books! Make sure you leave a comment since she has an awesome prize in store! Take it away Nicole!

Ever since I can remember, I have loved to read. I remember only being 5 or so and being so frustrated with my 3 year old brother that he had no desire to learn how to write his name, even though I had traced it out perfectly for him to copy, or to look at my very basic dictionary. My grandma use to always tease me as an elementary student for having to have something to read while I was eating breakfast (or any meal but my books were forbidden at dinner) because I was just like my grandpa and my dad. Even today, it doesn’t matter what is in front of me – a magazine I got in my mailbox at school, the news on my phone, just random bits of newspaper, or cereal boxes – I need something to read while I eat.

I think that’s what led to my decision to be a teacher along with loving to work with kids. I want to be able to help kids realize their passion for reading, to discover whole new worlds and to fall so in love with a character or a book that they can relate to the character and empathize with them. Steve always makes fun of me when we watch Harry Potter (or even as we read it) for crying every time loved characters die. Just the other day as we were reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, I began crying when a character died *no spoilers here*. He looked at me and said, “How many times have you read this book and seen this movie?” I responded that it didn’t make it any less sad no matter how many times we read it.

As we have made our way through the series, it’s been so fun to see how he has grown to like reading more. He’s never been one to sit down and read and when I was kid, if given the choice, that’s all I ever would have done. The other night he told me he was one of those kids that would read but then decided he would rather be outside in the real world. Being the ever-faithful Potterhead I responded, “Just because it’s happening in my head, doesn’t mean it isn’t real.” Now, let’s all say it together: “touché.”

One of my all-time favorite books as a kid was Purple, Green and Yellow by Robert Munsch. Here’s the book summary from Amazon: “Brigid is on the trail of the ultimate felt marker. At first, she's satisfied to be drawing wonderful pictures. But soon she must have the markers that wash off with water. Then she needs the markers that smell. But she's happiest when she gets the super-indelible-never-comes-off-till-you're-dead markers. She draws brighter-than-real lemons and roses and then goes too far: Brigid draws on herself. Nothing will remove the color, so Brigid reaches deep into the box of markers, finds the people-colored marker, and covers up all the other colors. She looks better than before, too good to be true.”

Hilarious. I don’t know why I haven’t bought it yet. Some other loved favorites were Encyclopedia Brown, Babysitter’s Club, Bailey School Kids, and Boys against Girls. Unfortunately, my Mom ended up giving away or selling most of my books, so I’m in the process of finding my most loved ones and collecting them all again. I’ve also discovered many new children’s books through my college years that have become favorites. You’re never too old for a children’s book.

Have you ever had a book that just touched you or that you read a hundred times and it never got old or stopped being funny? What was your favorite book as a child?

Yo Ho, It's a Writer's Life for Me

Have you ever thought about this: why does everyone always ask kids what they want to be when they grow up? I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up until about five years ago. Luckily, I still have awhile before I grow up.

As a child, I always wanted to be a princess, of course. But then I realized you couldn't just become a princess one day so I changed my dream occupation. What is the default career for a girl who can't be a princess? An interior designer, naturally. Through my early teen years, I thought for certain that would be the job for me. But when I took art in high school and got a D- on my drawing of a stick figure, I thought that career choice was out of the question. I never even considered interior design in college because I let my self-doubt consume me. Sad. I could have had my own show on HGTV. (I hear they give those shows out to any blonde who does interior design. And any handyman who has nice biceps.)

Even at college-age, I didn't know what I wanted to be. My major was "undecided." A guidance counselor should have told me "undecided" meant varied interests, which is a key trait for a writer, but I don't ever remember "author" being mentioned as a career choice. (That's probably because it's not the wisest career choice, since most authors have to keep a day job for many years into their careers.) It wasn't until after I became a stay-at-home mom that I wanted to write a book; it took me five years to complete it. But writing was an in-the-closet hobby for a long time. About five years ago, I got really serious about writing and made the transition from hobby to career (and from sane to insane).

I used the "glow" filter on this pic, because it is symbolic of how writers view the world. Writers take away the blah of daily life (the wrinkles and sun-spots). Have you ever read a book where the main character did dishes for an hour? Or spent an entire afternoon cleaning a closet? No! A good author skips the mundane and makes everything "glow." Good analogy, eh? OK, so I just used "glow" because it makes me pretty like Glamour Shots. (Yes, click on that if you need a good laugh.) However, I must disclose that I never look like that when I am writing, but you don't want to see a picture of me without my hair combed and without make-up on. (It would give you nightmares!) I also don't get dressed when I write. Wait! I didn't mean it like that. Unlike other people, I'm not entirely comfortable wearing just a paper towel. I stay in my jammies for as long as possible. That is one of the perks of the job.

It took me a really long time to know what I was going to be when I grew up. How about you? Did you know since you were kid what you would study in college? What job you would have? What hobbies would fill your time? Or have you figured things out as you go?

Also, do you have any predictions what your kids will be when they grow up? We think we will have a Coast Guard Swimmer in our family, since we have one boy who has been swimming in halfway frozen puddles since he was two. But then again: do any parents ever correctly predict what their kids will be?

What say ye? (And good thing I'm really not a pirate. Can you imagine how hard it would be to type with a hook?)

My Not-So-Sane Life

Do you remember that time I wrote a book in three and a half-months? Wasn't that awesome?

Wait, you guys don't know about that, do you? Well, let me tell you: I JUST FINISHED WRITING ANOTHER BOOK! (If you couldn't tell, that is what it looks like when I jump for joy and do the happy dance.)

Do you remember back in November when I went full-steam ahead working on Purgatory, which is book three of Wilder Times? I got a lot done in November and December and then ... and then ... I stopped working on it. (I just heard a big NOOOO! being yelled all across the internet. Or not.) On Christmas Eve, of all days, a new book idea started growing in my brain, and as I went about preparing for Christmas, I got the book entirely plotted. As soon as Christmas break was over, I sat down and began to write, feeling at first like I was cheating on Ben Wilder. This book took awhile for me to break into a good stride, since it's a different genre--wait, it's an entirely different century! This book is a historical romance (of course it's a romance. What else did you think I would write?) set at the dawn of Renaissance--but once I figured out how to do the waltz rather than hip hop, I started writing at breakneck speed. I thought it would be an easy, short little book, possibly even a novella, but it ended up being around 100,000 words. All written since the first of January! That's a record for me. 

But ... it's not done-done. This is probably the roughest 1st draft I've ever done (hence the speed) and it will need a lot of grooming before it's even ready for my alpha reader. Do you want to know what it's about? Well, since I am all fizzled-out on words, let me show you instead: 

 It is set in a castle (or two or three)

 And is about one of these (a princess, not a Barbie)

And has a couple of these guys (princes, not Ken or Juan)

This is happening between two neighboring countries

And there's a bunch of these (like Montana! Weird how that happened.)  

The current working title for the book is this: 

You like?

So since my fingers have been glued to my computer since the New Year, you might be wondering what the rest of my life has been like. Let me tell you, it isn't very glamorous. Here's the past three months by the numbers:

1. Number of times the entire house (top to bottom) has been cleaned: exactly 2 times.

2. Number of gourmet meals I have cooked for my family: 0 (oh wait, that's nothing new)

2. Number of meals from scratch I have cooked for my family: about 6

3. Pounds of almonds I have eaten: at least 8. Not joking. The squirrel in my tree outside says he's very impressed with how well I can pack nuts away. I think that's a compliment. 

4. Cases of Diet Coke I've gone through: What? I don't drink copious amounts of Diet Coke. Why'd you even bring that up? 

5. Number of times I've listened to songs by Josh Groban: 100,052. You might be thinking that this is an instance where there can be too much of a good thing, but let me tell you: there is no such thing as too much Josh Groban. I bet he saw a jump in his Rhapsody royalties since January-- that was all me. Glad to know I can help an artist etch out a living.

And after all that time sitting at the computer, my posterior now looks like this:

Did you read about this lady man last fall? One of the most bizarre-o news stories I have read. Ever.  

So tell me: what have you been up to lately? What have I missed out there in the real world? Anyone maybe have a baby who I've only held once? Anyone finish their first year of college? Anyone getting ready for Iron-Woman or something? Have you guys seen any good movies/read any good books? Tell me what your life is like: I need some sanity!

And ... I have a game for you. I will give you four items, and you need to guess which ONE is NOT true. I will tell you the answer on Thursday. Bonus points if you pick right. (Bonus points for what? I don't know, just bonus points, OK?)

 In the coming months, I am going to:

1. Finish writing Purgatory

2. Write a sitcom

3. Run for political office 

4. Go on an overnight hike in the Bob Marshall Wilderness

Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful

OK, that's not really me saying that, even though people tell me I look like Kim Kardiashian all the time. You don't think so? Maybe you better take another look at my profile pic. Anyway, do you remember the Pantene Commercials from the 80's? (If you say no, it's because you are too young to remember, and if that's the case pfft to you!) I never understood those commercials. "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful?" My answer was always "I don't hate you because your beautiful, I hate you because you are snotty."

Well now that I'm older and wiser, I understand! It makes sense! Society, as a whole, tends to hate people who are beautiful. We covet them. Especially when you add riches in to the mix. That's why stories of rich, famous people falling from grace are so sought after by tabloids. How often do you see headlines like, "Guess who's got cellulite?"   or "Look who needs Botox!" We (society, per se) love it when we see imperfections in others. I know all you lovely Blogaway readers are above this type of pettiness, but sometimes, deep down in your heart, might you possibly get jealous of another because they might be achieving a greater success than you?

This happens a lot in the publishing industry. An author gets an amazing book deal, and there's always backlash from people who would like the same kind of deal. They say things like, "s/he's not even a very good writer. I write better than that." You see it in other professions when someone receives a promotion and others think it was undeserved.  Basically, what it boils down to is that people have a hard time being gracious when they are feeling unsuccessful and when someone else achieves that level of success.

Not that I've been on the bad end of this and had to endure snide remarks, it's just something that I've been thinking about. We should all be proud of our own accomplishments and a little less resentful of others. How do we do this? By acknowledging our talents and actually letting our talents shine. Since we were all raised properly and taught to be humble and unassuming, oftentimes when we get compliments, we shrug them off. Yes, that is the polite thing to do. But sometimes, doesn't it feel nice to revel in the sunshine?

Well, here's your chance to do just that. It is time to toot your own horn. What are you good at? What have you achieved recently that you are proud of? What attribute do you have that makes others envious? Go ahead, toot, toot toot!

Oh, do I have to be the first to go? OK, I'm creative. I'm witty. I can type fast. There. Now it's your turn. TOOT!

One Lump of Sugar Or Two?

If there is one thing I've learned about life, it's this: being negative is easy, and being positive is hard. Profound, I know.

Being positive is something I struggle with. It is so easy to notice little nuisances in just about everything, and the more we notice them, the harder it becomes to see the good. This happens with how we view people in the world around us. It happens with work and government and the weather and ... I could go on and on and on. On my good days, I am able to fake positivity in my interactions with others. But what people don't know is that in my head, I hear nothing but negative, negative, negative.

One of my great faults is that I'm a negative thinker. So my inner chatter sounds a lot like this: "I can never do this." "This will never end. Ever. I'm stuck doing ______ for the rest of my life." "What did I say that for? I'm an idiot." "What did I do that for? I am an idiot." "Why am I writing this? I am an idiot."  I think you get the drift. (Wow that is so 80's. I'm an OLD idiot.)

In order to overcome negative chatter, one must first recognize that the problem exists. So this is just like AA: I am declaring that I have a problem. I should feel better already! (Kinda feel awkward right now, how 'bout you?) Then the next step is to surround yourself with positivity. (That's why you guys are here!) And then the next, next step is to practice positivity. Allow me to demonstrate:

1. If, by chance, your children don't go out for any sports this winter because they want to ski, so you take the plunge and purchase season ski passes, and then for some strange reason it decides not to snow, instead of complaining about it, you should say, "I am saving so much money by not having to drive to the Mountain every weekend. AND how lucky that we get to spend so much more family time together in our crowded house with absolutely nothing to do. OK, bad example. I will try again. Even though we haven't gone skiing much, we have seen the sun this winter. Priceless!

2. If, also by chance, you haven't had much time to write, instead of kicking yourself for not meeting your goals, you can say "It is so nice to take a break from eating almonds."

3. If you happen to be having a huge acne breakout on your chin, instead of saying, "Ack, I look like such a geek," you can say, "I am so lucky to have acne. People might mistake me for a teenager."

(I couldn't use a picture from the web. DISGUSTING. Don't do an image search for acne. Don't do it. I said don't!)

So are you ready to practice? Tell me a few troublesome spots in your life, but instead of saying it with negativity, say it with positive power!

AND ... try this one on for size: if your name happens to be Martha Stewart, and you've just found out that your career is over, how do you put a positive spin on that one? Use your creativity and tell me how you would add sugar to that news. Here's what I would say, "Think of all the money I'll save not having to drive to the studio." Or, "It looks like I'll have some days where I don't have to comb my hair."

Kay, now you try!

Daydream Believer

Welcome back! I missed you guys. And welcome 2012. It's so nice to meet you, even though you will be the last year we ever know (or so they say).

Did y'all enjoy your holidays? I came up with a new word to describe my holidays. LAZETASTIC! One week, I was so extremely busy that I didn't even have time to comb my hair, and the very next week, I had days we didn't even have to leave the house, hence, I again didn't comb my hair. It was fantastic to be so lazy.

Here's what my hair looked like by the end of the holidays:
 

Anyone know of a good conditioner?

Are you guys excited for a new year? I am, because this is what is going to happen in 2012:
 
1. The Killers are going to release a new album. And it's going to rock. (No actual release date or word if they are actually recording, but I'm counting on them to give me music to write to. Come on Brandon, don't disappoint me!)

2. The Wilder Times series is going to make it on the Amazon Best Sellers list. How is this going to happen? Because of you, my friends! All my awesome friends will tell all their awesome friends to read my (awesome) books, and they tell their awesome friends, who tell their awesome friends ... and you get the picture. So thanks for helping me sell thousands of copies. You guys are great! (Hey, who all got e-readers for Christmas? I'm loving mine!)

 

 3. Also,  another writing-related prediction, I will publish two more books this year. ( But I have to write them first. Holy ambitious!)

(You know that's not my writing, because I would never use such a cliche. Nor would I use anything but a mechanical pencil. Or a computer.)

 4. I'm going to go on a vacation. A real vacation, where I actually leave the house (I'm fully aware that I'll have to comb my hair). Somewhere warm and sunny.

 

I may even take the family along. And if that's the case, this would be the picture I need to use:

(I can buy mouse ears and cover my hair if we go there, so it's a win win for everyone.) 

Of course, #4 is contingent upon #2 (not that #2, gross! The #2 on this list). But hey, no pressure. Don't feel like you have to go out and buy 10 copies of my books and hand them out on the street corner. I'll survive if I can't go on a vacation, especially since this is our last year on earth. 

#5. This guy is going to win the election.

So what are your predictions for 2012? And it's okay to be overly optimistic (#2 again), because what's the point in being awake if you can't daydream?

National Something or Other

It's November.

Stop and think about that for a second. Do you have any feelings about that statement?

No? Nothing? Me either.

I've decided that November is a nothing month. No offense November, but you don't have much to offer. The once-beautiful fall leaves now litter the brown, dying earth. It's cold, but there's no snow to play in. And we're already thinking way past November anyhow, thanks to the over-commercialization of Christmas. I know November's not completely wasted ... there is that lovely day we currently call Thanksgiving, but I'm sure the name will eventually get changed to The Day to Gorge and Store Up Energy for Black Friday. Besides, it's hard to get excited for a day that makes your pants too tight.

So someone out there in the writing world decided that since November is the great month of nothingness, all writers should make good use of that extra time and write a novel. Hence, November was declared National Novel Writing Month. And then it was hence decided that name was too long, so therefore it became NaNoWriMo.

The challenge is to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days. For those of you who don't count the words on every page of a book you are reading, that's a short novel: less than 200 pages in a pocket-book format. I tend to write loooonger books. Catalyst is roughly 150,000 words. So, while I am participating in NaNoWriMo (for the first time!) I'm not doing it to complete a novel. I'm doing it to get a great start on Purgatory. There's a little progress bar over in the sidebar for you to see if I make my 50,000 word goal. Also directly related, (but not available in the sidebar) do you think I'll eat 50,000 pounds of nuts to match the word count? It's a definite possibility.

I'm a little stressed about the time factor, as my calendar seems to be filling up quickly (especially since I just found I have jury duty! Oi!) but I'm ready for the challenge. I'm stocked up on macaroni and cheese and ramen for dinners for the next month, so the children won't starve. And I'll buy extra underwear so I can avoid doing laundry until Dec. 1st. I'm all set!

Since you guys probably won't want to participate in NaNoWriMo with me, let's just declare November the Do Something You Love to Do Month (or DoSoYoLoDoMo for short). But here's the requirements:

1. It should be something challenging, yet rewarding
2. It should be something you've been wanting to do for awhile, but haven't had time.
3. It shouldn't be expensive.
4. It shouldn't be illegal.

Do you accept the challenge? What are you going to do this month? Make a quilt? Cook a gourmet meal? Learn how to scuba-dive? Run a marathon? Clean out the fridge? Set a goal and then tell us about it. Please! Let's accomplish something together!

Name That ...

Every time we suffer through a long winter here in the Flathead, a strange phenomena occurs the following fall: we have a baby boom. This fall, practically everyone is having a baby. Yes, it was a looong winter. No, I'm not announcing anything (thank goodness). While the new little munchkins are exceedingly cute and snuggable, I'm glad to give them a squeeze and then hand them back to their mothers. I don't miss the sleepless nights, the endless poopy diapers, and having my body turn into a dairy. I also don't miss having to name the little squirts. That's a daunting task. What if you name them something they eventually hate? What if people make fun of them? What if everyone else decides to name their kiddo that exact same thing? Or the problem we have--what if the boy name you use becomes a popular girl's name? Sigh.

But even though my child-bearing days are over, I still don't get out of the name dilemma. As a writer, I have to give careful consideration to each character's name. I have to avoid strange spellings, similar sounding names, even using too many names that start with the same letter. And as I'm learning, writing a series is a whole new ballgame. I might mention a character only once and give him an average name like Mike and than forget and call someone else Mike in the next book.

It's kind of strange how some names come out of the air without really attaching a real person to that name. And then later, you realize that you've used names from half of your extended family and most of the children in the 6th grade class.  For me, it's never intentional to name a character after a real person--unless I'm trying to serve a vendetta. (Beauregard  was such a big jerk when he dumped me just before prom, so in my next book, my villain will be named Bequregard. Ha ha ha! Revenge is mine!) However, I do feel like I'm running out of names. Pretty soon all my characters are just going to be called Bob. Even the girls. Unless! Maybe you can help!

Share your favorite names with me. Do you have any old family names that you would like to revive? How about names that are really edgy but you were too afraid to use them? How about a name that you've just always loved, but never used? Do share! And not only will one random commenter win a weekly prize, you might just see your suggested names used in a future book. How seriously awesome!

(Notice I said name(s). Anyone leaving just one name will be branded as greedy. Unless you plan on having as many kids as the Duggar's, you should have plenty names to share. And guess what! I could even use last names. If you've heard a really cool last name, share that too.)

And don't forget!!! I'm giving away five copies of my new book. All you have to do is click here and give me your name and contact info. You get bonus entries if you do extra things to help promote my book. It's a win win situation!

Well, I Never!

So hi. How are ya?

Just in case you are curious about my writing process, I thought I'd tell you just a bit.

I'm a scene writer. I form a scene in my head; including location, time of day, body position, etc, and then I add in the conversation. I go over the dialogue thousands of times in my head. And then I sit down to write it. I can spend weeks thinking about the same scene before it finally makes its way on to paper, and I typically can't think of more than one scene at a time. Once the scene is written, I number it (I do a entire outline beforehand so I know how many scenes I will have) and then I save the document. I keep writing this way, one scene at a time until the book is done. BUT. I do not write the scenes in order. That's the fun part. I have to piece everything together like a puzzle.

Why am I telling you all this? Just because I wanted to share something with you about book one in the Wilder Times Series. I started writing it back in 2009 and one of the very first scenes I wrote was the "I Have Never" scene. Even though I've written dozens more scenes for the trilogy since then, the "I Have Never" scene remains one of my favorites.  Not because it's anything poignant or pivotal, but just because it's fun. And because of the budding romance. (I am such a hopeless romantic!) If you don't know the scene I am talking about, get thee over to Amazon and start reading.

Have you guys ever played the "I Have Never" game? Would you want to play it today? It's very simple. All you have to do is try to trump the other players by saying something that you've never done before, but you are pretty sure that the rest of the world has done. You want to drop some jaws.

Here's my "I Have Nevers"

I have never ... had a manicure

I have never ... flown overseas
I have never ... eaten lobster (or crab or clams or pretty much anything else that belongs in water and not on a plate)
I have never ... been pulled over by a cop (knock on wood)

So how about you? What have You Never?

Play along for your chance to win (and for some darn good entertainment as well.)

Say What?

There's a list of about a million things that a writer is NOT supposed to do in a novel. One of those things is to avoid cliches (like the plague). Well have you ever stopped to think about cliches? Some of them don't make any sense--at all! For example:

Diving in with both feet. Isn't the definition of "dive" to plunge headfirst? So when we say to "dive in with both feet," wouldn't that essentially mean to do things backwards?

Walking on eggshells. If you're walking on eggSHELLS, the eggs have already been broken, right? So what's the problem? The damage has already been done.

Cute as a bug in a rug--Um ... this is self-explanatory. Bug's aren't cute, especially when they're in your house.

The apple of my eye. Someone got their anatomy wrong with this one. Shouldn't they say, "you're the apple of my throat?" That's much more endearing!

Then there's the cliches that did make sense at one time, but are no longer relevant. Like:

Getting your cart before your horse. Shouldn't we change it to "You're getting your camper before your SUV?"

Sounds like a broken record. Should be "Sounds like a corrupted MP3."

Easy as Pie. That has the connotation of making something from scratch. Not easy. We should say "Easy as Costco."

Have you ever stopped to think about some of the nonsensical things that we say? So here's your assignment: *Share a silly cliche with us.  *OR, if you would rather, update an old cliche. *OR, make one up that is entirely your own. My favorite one is from author Nathan Bransford. He said that authors shouldn't get so obsessed with avoiding cliches that they try to reinvent the hovercraft. Ha! 

This week's prize is extra special--it's been donated by someone from our community. I'm so excited! I want to win it ... so you don't mind if I play along too, do you? ;)

And make sure you read our special commercial post from our sponsor (Me!).

Real, not real

School's out this week, which means that summer is here. Which means that there is more time for reading. I can't wait to read at the lake. At the park. In the car on long road trips. Pretty much anywhere and everywhere!

Last summer, this was my favorite read: 

There was this one thing that happened to one character (I'm being very careful to make this a spoiler-free post!) that I thought was intriguing. So someone was having problems separating fact from fallacy, and s/he would ask "Real or not real?" The bad guys in this book were so adroit at creating falsehoods that in some cases, it was impossible to know what was real and what was fictional.

We're not so far different here in our "real" world, are we? People are so amazingly talented that sometimes it's hard to tell what has been fabricated. For example:

And I'm not talking about Sarah Palin being amazing and talented, (although she is) I'm talking about the picture being a fake. The photoshoppers are so skilled that oftentimes we are duped.

Then there times when crafting reality falls short. Like when some plastic surgeons just aren't as good as the rest.
Exhibit A:

 

Exhibit B:

Exhibit C:

Where am I headed with this? Well ... reading, of course! Sometimes you pick up a book that just doesn't do it for you. Typically, it's because the writer is like a bad plastic surgeon: their reality is too forced, making it obvious that "work" has been done. On the other hand, a good writer is invisible to the reader, making the story so seamless that the reader forgets there is an author pulling the strings.

I love getting lost in a book--when it seems so REAL that you laugh and cry right along with the characters. You know the author is good at their craft when you can't stop thinking about the book and the characters long after you set the book down.

So tell me--what books have done that to you? Which talented author can carry you away into a forged reality?

For me, I would have to say J.K. Rowling. I'm not much of a fantasy fan, but her world was REAL. I sobbed for days when ...(don't worry, like I said, this is a spoiler-free post). Now that's good writing!

Leave me a comment about your favorite book/author and one lucky winner will get a prize related to this post. So if you like to read, you're going to want to play along! Hint Hint.

I never knew!

You all remembered to come back today, right?

So I guess I shocked a few people with my book debut last week. Turns out that not a lot of people knew why my eyes are always bloodshot and why I'm in a daze half the time. You would think that since writing is such a huge part of my life, I'd  be more eager to talk about it. But, it is slightly uncomfortable to tell people that you have conversations with imaginary people. And not only do you hear "voices", you also know what your imaginary friends look like, down to how they dress. You even know about their annoying little character traits, like if they blink too much or speak before thinking (which character in my book am I referring to?).

See, you would be worried about me if you knew how much time I spend with my imaginary friends, but when I'm able to show you the finished result, it's somehow okay. I love this quote by E.L. Doctorow, "Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia." Phew, I'm not crazy!

So, since I'm so exposed right now, I thought I'd share something else about myself that you might not know. I have a fetish for office supplies. Paper, folders, binders, cutesy paperclips, sticky notes, mechanical pencils ... oh mechanical pencils, how I love thee!  These are items I always have to talk myself out of buying when shopping. Because, really, I don't need them. I hate paperwork! Which is what makes this so ironic. I have never worked in an office and I hope to never work in an office. In fact, I would much rather work in the State Penitentiary doing pedicures than work in an office. 

Wait, I take that back. I would work in this office:

Anyone know if they are hiring?

So now it's your turn to share. Tell us something about yourself that others might not know. And since we're a new community around here, that should be pretty easy. It doesn't need to be anything too revealing--and definitely nothing embarrassing. Just, ya know, something fun. Like maybe you've watched the entire season of "My So Called Life" five times in just as many months. That's just a random example. I totally didn't do that.*

You have until 9 pm MST on Weds to post your comment. (Yes, I extended the window. Say thank you, Ms. H.) Prize winner will be announced Thursday. 

*Ok, so maybe I did. Or maybe I've watched it more times than that. But who's counting?