Disclaimer: My family, like everyone was present during this post. Everyone was also talking at one time about everything. So, I hardly know what this says or if it even makes sense. Just go see Fiona. For me, for Addie. And thank you.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
First Victim
Today, you can catch me, the first victim of the: Yeah but would you date me, Wednesday? Actually, you can catch my character, Addie Heaton over at Fiona Claire's Blog. Please stop by, read a few lines and leave a comment or two. And then, if you're game, send us your first chapter. Let us get to know your character, see if he or she is datable, lovable. Feedback is always beneficial. Comment away.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Yeah, but Would You Date Me?
(Match.com for your main character)
Your manuscript is complete. You’ve got a killer plot. Your pacing is fabulous. The dialogue is pithy, yet realistic, the setting great, and the story is a completely imaginative idea. But your MC's voice sucks!
That means you’re out of the game.
“I’m much more likely to keep reading if I know from that perfectly-executed first page that this character is someone who interests me, someone whose story I’d like to get lost in.”
– Holly Root, Waxman Literary
“We must admit a fondness for novels with memorable characters and a unique voice.”
– Josh Adams, Adams Literary
“What I look for is a strong voice that immediately sweeps me away, a strong sense of character.”
– Danielle Chiotti, Upstart Crow
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we’ve heard/read it a million times. They wanna fall in love with your main character. If they don’t, your in-box will have more rejections than Viagra ads.
So, how do you find out if your MC is boring as cardboard, or someone the whole world would want to date? More importantly, if your MC’s voice isn’t quite right, how do you fix it?
You come to the party!
The first and third Wednesday of every month, Tammy and Fiona are throwing a MC speed dating party. First Wednesday on Tammy’s blog (http://tcmckeewriter.
Starting today, we’re accepting submissions of up to 2000 words. We’ll post the first submission next Wednesday, July 18th for helpful comments. So send us something. Hurry! Who knows? We might even help you meet your dream agent/date.
Submissions to: eponamacroi at yahoo dot ie AND tmckee34 at gmail dot com
Monday, July 9, 2012
The Devil Made me do It!
Allow me to set the stage. This one is long but trust me, it's worth it. It's the fourth of July. Yes. I'm way late in writing this but its taken me this long to stop staring into space completely dumbfounded. My family had a cookout. Same as the rest of America or most of it. BUT mine was way better. I promise.
My aunt Er...Gladys heard I'd been writing a "story." She welcomed me with cake and a warm smile. I should have seen it coming. My mother had gossiped to the family. I was writing a book. Not just any book but one of those "devil worshiping" books.
"They're called paranormal romance's, aunt Gladys, and it has nothing to do with the devil."
"That's what you think. You don't hear him whispering to you like he did that lady over in England that wrote that trash about Harry Potter."
"J.K. Rowlings did not write trash. She wrote fiction. I can assure you there was no whispers coming from the devil. Harry Potter was just a story. It's make believe," I argued.
Her eyes narrowed. "Are you saying the devil is make believe?"
"No. I'm saying he wasn't a part of Harry Potter."
At this point my uncle started messing with the grill. There was fire potential and I won't lie. I got a little nervous. Witches were once burned at the stake. I wasn't ruling anything out.
"The devil's a part of everything. That is what's wrong with the world. All you writers, them actors and actresses, running around talking about paranormal things. It's not of God. They're trying to keep him out of everything. It's going to be the death of us all."
"I'm sure it will, aunt Gladys."
"Don't you worry though, honey. We are going to pray for you and you can keep on writing. We will love you anyway. The lord will chase that devil away."
"That he will, aunt Gladys."
"Now, tell me. Have you heard anything about when that next movie's coming out for Twilight? What's it called, Breaking Dawn?"
Mouth dropped.
"Um...yes aunt Gladys. I think it comes out in like November."
"Oh good. I can't wait to see it. I hope this ones better than the last one. It was gross."
"Aunt Gladys?"
"Hum?"
"You do know that Twilight is a paranormal romance, right?"
"No its' not. It's a love story."
"But there are vampires and werewolves," I said, totally stunned.
"Yes honey, but that's not in real life. I checked. They're not real. You do know that don't you? Oh dear. That devil's got you believing in vampires and werewolves. Who made these deviled eggs? They're to die for," she said eyeing one she'd harpooned with a tiny fork.
I ate cake.
Mouth, currently still agape.
My aunt Er...Gladys heard I'd been writing a "story." She welcomed me with cake and a warm smile. I should have seen it coming. My mother had gossiped to the family. I was writing a book. Not just any book but one of those "devil worshiping" books.
"They're called paranormal romance's, aunt Gladys, and it has nothing to do with the devil."
"That's what you think. You don't hear him whispering to you like he did that lady over in England that wrote that trash about Harry Potter."
"J.K. Rowlings did not write trash. She wrote fiction. I can assure you there was no whispers coming from the devil. Harry Potter was just a story. It's make believe," I argued.
Her eyes narrowed. "Are you saying the devil is make believe?"
"No. I'm saying he wasn't a part of Harry Potter."
At this point my uncle started messing with the grill. There was fire potential and I won't lie. I got a little nervous. Witches were once burned at the stake. I wasn't ruling anything out.
"The devil's a part of everything. That is what's wrong with the world. All you writers, them actors and actresses, running around talking about paranormal things. It's not of God. They're trying to keep him out of everything. It's going to be the death of us all."
"I'm sure it will, aunt Gladys."
"Don't you worry though, honey. We are going to pray for you and you can keep on writing. We will love you anyway. The lord will chase that devil away."
"That he will, aunt Gladys."
"Now, tell me. Have you heard anything about when that next movie's coming out for Twilight? What's it called, Breaking Dawn?"
Mouth dropped.
"Um...yes aunt Gladys. I think it comes out in like November."
"Oh good. I can't wait to see it. I hope this ones better than the last one. It was gross."
"Aunt Gladys?"
"Hum?"
"You do know that Twilight is a paranormal romance, right?"
"No its' not. It's a love story."
"But there are vampires and werewolves," I said, totally stunned.
"Yes honey, but that's not in real life. I checked. They're not real. You do know that don't you? Oh dear. That devil's got you believing in vampires and werewolves. Who made these deviled eggs? They're to die for," she said eyeing one she'd harpooned with a tiny fork.
I ate cake.
Mouth, currently still agape.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Hiding Out
Oh my gosh. I have just gained a whole new respect for people who live in Tornado regions. Our state was hit with the worst wind storm I've ever experienced on Friday night. I'd say it came out of nowhere but the hubs claims it came out Chicago. Definitely somewhere.
I was at the grocery store, minding my own business. Wait. That's a lie. I was actually watching in dismay as this guy who'd spent way too much time at the gym, curled an avocado. Embarrassing. Anyhoo, I walk out of the grocery store and the entire street goes dark, like all of it. That was new. I'd seen power outages before but nothing like this. On my way home, I dodged fallen trees, and power lines. Scary! Later, I learned the wind reached excesses of 80 miles an hour. We still have no electricity at our house (now abandoned). We're at a hotel. Yep, that's us. Roughing it. Hey, it was like 101 inside the house this morning. I know the settlers lived without AC and refrigeration but that was long ago. On the cool side, I stood in the breakfast line this morning and watched (mouth agape) as a waffle machine oozed out enough batter for the waffle iron. Icksville. I opted for cereal.
Joking aside, so far the storm has killed 13 people. There's no feeling like feeling helpless against mother nature and her furry. My family was very lucky. It could have been worse and it certainly was for a lot of people. Please keep the residents of West Virginia, and my home state, Virginia, in your thoughts and prayers this week. If you happen to be one of those people affected by the storm, just shout if you need anything. The one great thing that has come from all this, is seeing people helping each other. I wish it didn't take moments of crisis for acts of kindness, but these days, sometimes it does. Thanks for stopping by.
I was at the grocery store, minding my own business. Wait. That's a lie. I was actually watching in dismay as this guy who'd spent way too much time at the gym, curled an avocado. Embarrassing. Anyhoo, I walk out of the grocery store and the entire street goes dark, like all of it. That was new. I'd seen power outages before but nothing like this. On my way home, I dodged fallen trees, and power lines. Scary! Later, I learned the wind reached excesses of 80 miles an hour. We still have no electricity at our house (now abandoned). We're at a hotel. Yep, that's us. Roughing it. Hey, it was like 101 inside the house this morning. I know the settlers lived without AC and refrigeration but that was long ago. On the cool side, I stood in the breakfast line this morning and watched (mouth agape) as a waffle machine oozed out enough batter for the waffle iron. Icksville. I opted for cereal.
Joking aside, so far the storm has killed 13 people. There's no feeling like feeling helpless against mother nature and her furry. My family was very lucky. It could have been worse and it certainly was for a lot of people. Please keep the residents of West Virginia, and my home state, Virginia, in your thoughts and prayers this week. If you happen to be one of those people affected by the storm, just shout if you need anything. The one great thing that has come from all this, is seeing people helping each other. I wish it didn't take moments of crisis for acts of kindness, but these days, sometimes it does. Thanks for stopping by.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Done...NOT
I reached a milestone in my writing last week, finishing an entire re-write. It was so exciting. I've been receiving some awesome, way helpful feedback from my critique partners. Who could live without them?
So, in the midst of fixing my screw ups, I decided to send my MS to my Kindle. I read late at night when the house is quiet and everyone including the dog is asleep. What a perfect way to see it from the readers perspective. And I had to grab a notebook. I've found so many inconsistencies and mistakes. Nothing to warrant another re-write, thank God. But just a few things here and there that I missed when I was looking at it on the computer. So, I'm back to search and destroy. If you haven't done this and you have a tablet or an e-reader, do it. It's totally worth it.
So, in the midst of fixing my screw ups, I decided to send my MS to my Kindle. I read late at night when the house is quiet and everyone including the dog is asleep. What a perfect way to see it from the readers perspective. And I had to grab a notebook. I've found so many inconsistencies and mistakes. Nothing to warrant another re-write, thank God. But just a few things here and there that I missed when I was looking at it on the computer. So, I'm back to search and destroy. If you haven't done this and you have a tablet or an e-reader, do it. It's totally worth it.
Monday, June 18, 2012
The Morning After
Happy Monday, people! There's nothing like spending an entire weekend writing. Admittedly, I should have checked my email, scrubbed a toilet or three, mopped an incredibly disgraceful kitchen floor, and changed out of my pajamas, but hey, I just wasn't feeling it. For anyone who emailed me and wasn't answered promptly. You have my apologies. I did come out of my cave long enough to take my Dad to dinner last night. No worries. I did change out of my pajamas long enough to do that. I hope you and the Dad's in your life had a wonderful day.
It felt nice to spend time with my Dad and my characters. I'm nearing the end of my current WIP and I'm a little nervous. I'm wondering if I can make it what I want it to be, ya know, that awesome ending I so desire. I know. Me and everybody else. My story isn't going to be told in just one potential book. There will be a part two. So, now I'm trying to figure out how to end part one. I read series books a lot and I love them. Some have those cliffhangers at the end that just abruptly stop, leaving you slamming your head into the pillow, cursing the publishing giants who take like a gazillion freaking years to put out the next book. Are they trying to give me a brain aneurysm? Then there's those books that end discreetly, leaving a few doors open, offering up an ending that could be the real end. But sometimes they stand alone so well, I don't even know there is a second book until I happen upon it. Not real good. Guess I'll figure it out as I go or the story will do that for me, right? In the meantime, what's your favorite ending? Are you a, to be continued kind of reader or do you prefer a little closure? Do tell.
It felt nice to spend time with my Dad and my characters. I'm nearing the end of my current WIP and I'm a little nervous. I'm wondering if I can make it what I want it to be, ya know, that awesome ending I so desire. I know. Me and everybody else. My story isn't going to be told in just one potential book. There will be a part two. So, now I'm trying to figure out how to end part one. I read series books a lot and I love them. Some have those cliffhangers at the end that just abruptly stop, leaving you slamming your head into the pillow, cursing the publishing giants who take like a gazillion freaking years to put out the next book. Are they trying to give me a brain aneurysm? Then there's those books that end discreetly, leaving a few doors open, offering up an ending that could be the real end. But sometimes they stand alone so well, I don't even know there is a second book until I happen upon it. Not real good. Guess I'll figure it out as I go or the story will do that for me, right? In the meantime, what's your favorite ending? Are you a, to be continued kind of reader or do you prefer a little closure? Do tell.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Ever feel like this?
I found this little guy last night. He was just hanging out on the front door during a thunderstorm. Instantly, I felt a connection. We've all been there, sort of. Ya know, feeling like every door is closed off, barely offering a hint of an opening, and wondering if we just take that leap or not. Pretty scary stuff. Then I thought, well, maybe he's not stuck, or scared, or wondering if he should slide back down to the porch and lay low. No, maybe this little guy has had enough of laying low and he's just feeling adventurous. Then again, maybe he's just a creepy stalker frog. Are there laws against that sort of thing? Then my daughter told me to stop talking to the frog. There's nothing to figure out. He's just a frog, stuck to the front door. It's not a sign or a message. She can say whatever she wants but I think I had a moment there with little frog dude. It made me think about where I am with my writing. I know, kind of a stretch isn't it? Anymore, everything makes me think of my writing. I'm weird like that. But I think each of us can picture an agent on the other side of that door, scratching his or her head, while thinking, WOW, now that is determination. Right before they call the police. Don't go to this extreme.
Are you on the porch, the door? Who's face are you in? There are so many stages to writing. As I told my good friend Mary Waibel last night. When I picture my WIP, I picture it in training pants, the little plastic ones, with little words all over them. But its a stage we all have to go through so I'm okay with that. So where are you? Are you like my little frog dude here? Or are you laying low on the porch, wondering if and when you might take that leap?
Disclose.
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