Monday's Muse ~ ThirtyBY30

While surfing the web last week, I found a blogger who made a list of things to do before she turned 30. For the past 5 months, I've been happily ignoring the fact that I'm turning 30 this year. And while it's been fun, I realize I might be better off embracing 30 instead of letting it sneak up on me.

So here it is, my Thirty by 30 list. I've got until October 19th to achieve successdom.
(New mg word. Feel free to use it.)









1) Find the right agent (or at least know I gave the query process my ALL)  Holla! :)

2) Lose those last 20 pounds (Yeah, not even close. Maybe next year?)

3) Grow my own tomatoes In containers, no less! And they were DE-LICIOUS.

4) Embrace my inner decorator and whip this house into shape I've done about all I can without breaking the bank. And I love the new changes. I actually enjoy being in my bedroom and kitchen now. I call that an accomplishment.

5) Overcome my fear of talking on the telephone Think I'm back in the saddle. Yeehaw!

6) Find and acquire the perfect office chair After trying several, I've concluded that the perfect chair for me is the same one I've been using all along. Only not broken.

7) Paint bedroom (again) with a color I finally like The paint can says "putty," but it's really just beige.

8) Start a separate savings account for our trip across the pond Hey, 25 bucks is a start!

9) Make cameo silhouettes of the whole fam, frame and display! Well I learned how at least! The framing and displaying parts might take me a while.

10) Purge house of junk: give it away or sell on Craig's List

11) Road trip to TN for the birth of bff's second baby! We had a blast. Welcome baby Iris to the world!

12) Finish painting my desk (Didn't get to it. But I did paint my entire bedroom. Does that count?)

13) Write to all my Compassion kids and send updated photos

14) Find the perfect pair of jeans They were Wranglers. Surprising, eh? And a pair of Express, which always fits the curves quite nicely.

15) Heal my back completely Although I'm sure it'll rear its ugly head at some point again, I haven't had a bit of trouble in months AND I've been able to sit on the floor. PTL!

16) Learn how to make sushi Click here to see my California rolls!

17) Take a scuba diving class (Didn't get the date reserved in time. But it'll make for a great winter activity! Michigan winters are pretty depressing.)

18) Form a new nighttime face wash routine (I fear my teenage skin won't be around much longer. Eeep!) This one was surprisingly easy.

19) Purchase another piece of original art

20) Have another "perfect day" with Nicholette Although it wasn't like our original perfect day, I did manage to spend some time with her during our visit South. And every day with her is perfect in my book.

21) Plan a massive We're Turning 30 bash with my girls So far it includes Chicago, Brick's Pizza, a bed and breakfast, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

22) Make a pot of soup I actually love (I'm talkin' lick-the-bowl-clean-love) It was my mom's Baked Potato Soup, lactose-free. YUM! I also made a black bean soup that came in at a close second.

23) Pay off credit card (Sadly, no. But we're oh so close!)

24) Go through another devotional

25) Read at least 10 books from my TBR list Done! #10 was MOCKINJAY

26) Read at least 5 books from my lifetime TBR list (Not even close. I will get to those classics, I swear!)

27) Start a screenplay Done and done. And I'm having a blast with it!

28) Get a mani/pedi Took my mom out for a little spa treatment.

29) Stop being so timid about my novel. Own it! I'm getting there. I'm leaps and bounds ahead of where I was, so I call it a success.

30) Accept turning 30 with grace and excitement for things to come I'm excited, but I'm not sure I'm accepting it with grace. More like tears and denial.

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So there it is. Think I can accomplish it all?

What exactly is a "standalone" novel?

We've heard it a thousand times: if you're a debut author, your first book (even if it's the first in a series) must stand alone.

But what exactly does that mean?

Many aspiring authors across the web are stumped by the "standalone" definition, and, until last week, I wasn't 100% sure what it meant either.

Does it simply mean no cliffhangers? Does it mean ALL plot threads must be tied up nice and tidy at the end? Does it mean I have to reintroduce my characters in each book like in Sweet Valley Twins? Does it mean agents and publishers aren't looking for multiple book deals anymore?

When agents or publishers say they want a novel that stands on its own, it appears they are shunning sequels, trilogies, and the like. But this is obviously not the case, since series books are still being sold left and right.

Writers of series books, please don't fret. The following information might shed some light.

During the Twitter chat #askegmont last Friday hosted by Egmont USA, I found a great definition of "standalone." The basic format of a novel that stands on its own is comprised of two basic principles:


1) The ending does not include a glaring cliffhanger.
For example, if your heroine realizes in the first half of the book that only she can save her people from an army of evil were-platypi who seek to destroy her planet, then by gum the book better not end with an evil were-platypus warlord about to suck her brains out.

In other words, if you feel you have to write "to be continued" at the end of your novel, it probably has a cliffhanger ending.


2) The novel gives the reader an overall sense of satisfaction at the end.
That means your beta readers shouldn't be saying, "What the heck?!" or "Where's the rest?" when they finish your manuscript.

It's more than all right if they say, "I can't wait to read more!" because you want your readers to fall in love with your world and characters so much that they long to visit again and hang out with your hero/heroine. But if they have Christmas-list-length questions after reading it, then you haven't given your reader a satisfying ending.

Do you see the difference?

If it's going to take three books for your heroine to defeat the were-platypi (or platypuses for all you scientists out there) and save her planet from destruction, that's totally fine, but give her something to accomplish in each book.

Let's say your heroine doesn't know her entire planet is at stake in the first book. Perhaps her first feat is to vanquish the were-platypus warlord who has infiltrated her city. The book ends after she slays the warlord. Her city may be in ruins, but it can be rebuilt. Her people have hope, and they live to fight another day.

Good right? The reader can let out that huge breath they've been holding and say, "Phew. That's a relief. Great book!"

But then, what's this? The evil were-platypus warlord was only the beginning? What happens when news of his demise reaches his home planet in the 2nd dimension? You better believe there's an even more evil were-platypus warlord out there, an overlord for that matter, and he plans to flood the heroine's planet in droves, seeking revenge and fulfillment of his initial scheme.

Fans of the first book will most likely want to see what happens next because the plot just got a whole lot bigger.

You followin' me?

Now, this doesn't mean you have to tie up ALL plot threads in the first book. And yes, some readers may still have questions about the threads you decide to leave loose, but as long as they feel satisfied overall, those questions should be of minor importance.

For instance, after the first Harry Potter book, you may wonder if Voldemort will come back or what Harry's next year at Hogwart's will be like. You hope you'll get to follow along during his second year. But overall, you're glad Harry, Ron, and Hermione figured out the mystery and riddles regarding the Sorcerer's Stone, and you're satisfied Voldemort can't use that particular type of magic to re-manifest into human form. Maybe he'll find another way, but we'll just have to wait and see. For now, all is well for Harry, who has not only saved the day, but has found a "family" who loves him and a place to belong.

Those plot threads that haven't been completely tied up? They serve to excite the reader, not frustrate them.

So what should you do if your manuscript ends with a dreaded "to be continued" clause?

More about that in my next post.

Dun dun DUN!

Also, thanks to @cjredwine, I had were-platypi on the brain. You know you can't wait to read about evil, space-age, 2nd dimension were-platypi overlords...

Monday's Muse -- Try Something Different

In my effort to come up with a Monday's Muse post, I took a moment to comb my brain for recent inspiration. I've spent most of my time researching lately, because I'm working on a contemporary novel with a real location, real back story, etc. I've found a wealth of information online, even a treasure trove of videos that put me right in the thick of things.

I could write a post about the wonders of the Internet and YouTube, but it's kind of a tired subject.

We all know with a little digging we can find what we're looking for online. (And we all have search histories that would make an FBI agent blush...then start tapping our phone lines. Like this guy:



So I was at a loss.

Then I had a conversation with one of my friend ninjas who stepped up to a short story writing challenge. You can read the first part of said short story here. (And you should. Naow.)

We chatted about her choice of tense and how playing around with craft can really get your muse juices flowing -- even tipping off some areas you may have neglected in previous works, like lack of sensory description in third person POV perhaps.

So on this glorious Monday of all Mondays (the Ides meet Daylight Savings Time), I ask you: Which new writing techniques have you tackled recently? Have they made an impact on your future work?

The Haps

I have a hodgepodge of little things rattling around in my brain today, so I thought I'd plaster them on your computer screen. Sound good?

1) The winner of our Conference Story Contest was Vicarious Writing Girl! Congrats! Turns out, her male genitalia story pleased our guest judge the most. (I bet that got your attention.) But you all had great entries. Thanks for sharing your stories with us! (We'll be kicking off another contest soon, so stay tuned!)

2) I need to go into rehab. I have AEU disorder. (Addictive Exclamation Use) But at least I don't use as many as country singer and twittering fool Blake Shelton. Holy smokes. He needs AEU therapy. Now.

3) I've sent out a few more queries. I think I'm getting the hang of the sending part. The jury's still out on whether or not the interesting an agent part has been mastered. I tweaked my first sentence a bit for the latest batch. Every now and then you gotta change up the bait, right? Well, unless you're using night crawlers, because let's face it, fish always bite for worms. All those fancy lures? Ha. Nothing compares to all natural...

Sorry.

I forgot you don't care about fishing.

I do, though. See? ------->

:)

4) Okay, enough with the embarrassing photos.

5) As you can probably guess from the photo, I grew up in the boondocks. My dad was in a southern rock/country band, and I went with him to almost every show. I sang my share of Dixie Chicks, Shania Twain, oh, and even some Joan Jett! (No, seriously.) So country music (especially bluegrass) is in my blood. But it's been a while since I've found a mainstream country album I wanted to plunk the pennies down for.

Until yesterday.

OMGosh, if you haven't heard Lady Antebellum's newest single, "American Honey," go NOAW. You can listen for free, yo. Soooooo good. Love Hillary Scott's voice. *melts* It's songs like this that get my plot juices flowing. You get character, mood, plot, color, depth, intensity -- all in one tidy package. (Their song "Need You Now" is pretty awesome, too!)

6) I squished my 5-page synopsis in my fist and a 2-pager leaked out. That's right! I now have one of each. And they rock, if I do say so myself. I could possibly be the only one who feels that way, but hey. It helped fuel my good mood, which has trickled over into today. You can't buy that kind of high.

7) SUNSHINE! I've missed you! Michiganders don't see you too often, but when you come 'round, we all squeal like little girls.

8) This coffee I'm sipping is way too strong. Blech.

9) I'm gonna make a new pot.

10) Finished fixing all the formatting errors in my manuscript. Bah! I downloaded Word's free trial for their 2010 Beta version on my new laptop, and somehow all my formatting didn't transfer. But all is well now. It's polished extra sparkly and ready to go. That also makes me supremely happy.

11) I still lack in the MS Word magic wand skillz category, though. Maybe someday I'll take the time to actually learn how to use and understand all the strange symbols.

12) Nah. ;-)

13) I'm extremely lucky and thankful to have such amazing friend ninjas. Confidence has always been an issue with me, but having fellow fiction writers in my sphere (which I've never had before - not even one) who know what it's like to talk to yourself while you do dishes (and perhaps even make yourself cry for dramatic effect, just to see if it works in the scene), is so freeing. Now that I'm building this network of kindred spirits, I have more confidence in other areas in my life. All because my core is being fed on a daily basis. I thought writing was a solitary endeavor. How wrong I was! And how happy I am to be wrong.

In this instance, at least.

That's all for me today, folks. How's your week been?

Last Call

Last call for contest entries today! Tomorrow we announce the winner of our Conference Story Contest, where one lucky winner will get to pick out a journal of their choice from our totally radical designs! Like these:



Enter here before midnight tonight: Win a FREE Writer's Journal

Also, since hubs and I were writing ideas for a few short film pitches this morning, I'll leave you with my favorite clip from Bolt, which hubs and I recited several times during our brainstorming process. There was laughter. And Aliens.

Hollah back!