Calm waters and creative waves

Calm day at the beach at the end of 2013. With the calm waters, comes clarity. After my last meeting with my critique partner, I've made a decision on my middle grade novel. The holidays took me off course into a new "cea"  of creativity. A first draft to an ocean-life inspired picture book and an outline for another. You never know what those tides will bring in. It was a nice break from my endless editing, and I even got out my drawing pad! Now the deadline wave for submissions is about to crash. Gotta kick-out to catch that wave.

Made-up Words Swaying like Seaweed

My middle grade novel revision is completed-almost. My made-up words are swaying like seaweed-back and forth with the tide. I have two worlds in my book, human and anamorphic. My critique partner says to keep the the made-up words in the anamorphic world . I've gotten great advice from Laura Backes, Co-founder of  Children's Book Insider (CBI). From the sentences I submitted, she said they worked assuming the world is not realistic. If your a children's book writer, I highly recommend subscribing to CBI online; they offer a treasure trove of information!

My dilemma is the worlds co-exist. They're not separate like in Harry Potter. More world building? Axe some of the made-up words? Or all? Back and forth, back and forth until the water becomes still.

Ocean of Revision

Lost at sea- Cea of revising, reading and organizing and I'm finally back. Happy Hallows Eve! 

SCBWI OC Editors Day is always a great event. This time I got a critique on my MG along with my one page synopsis which I had to further edit due to the double space request-Arghh! Joanna Cardenas, assistant editor for Viking Children's Books, gave me a lot to work with. She gave a great presentation as well. Kate Bryzozowski, assist.editor of Thomas Dunne Books, gave a worthy piece of information on series: include a short synopsis for book 2 & 3. This means I'll have to map it out and that's like being tossed into a riptide for an organic, right-brain writer. Something to work on after I've sailed across the ocean of revision. My latest challenge: sending some fringe characters to their watery grave.  

 

YA Summer Reads and Mine Adrift

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin is a YA that I finished last week. A paranormal genre that had moments of Carrie in it, but with mystery and intrigue. It definitely drove home the idea of your thoughts become reality so, careful what you think, especially in Mara's case! Loved her "love interest," Noah-intelligent, sweet with a few secrets of his own. I was disappointed by the ending because it wasn't the end. It's a trilogy.

The other YA was the infamous 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher. A brilliantly woven story: a string of characters, a suicide, tapes, and a POV that goes from Clay to Hannah, the dead girl. I'm someone who has to re-record my voicemail message several times before I get it right. When it came to Hannah's recordings, it was flawless. I had to suspend reality there along with her being so calculative. If she lived, she could have created a challenging, devious, teen version of the game, Clue. Jay Asher truly drove home how destructive rumors can be-I hope teens continue to read this book.
As for my YA, still adrift on chapter three, but I'll be swimming out to it soon.

Our Planet and Writing

A profound statement and photo to match that I discovered on my FB feed this morning. It truly resonates with me, and therefore, is showing up in my books- my first picture book, my MG and even my YA. I can't avoid the deep pain I feel with how we are treating our planet. I also read about an oil pipeline that carries 309,000 barrels a day in Ecuador burst after a landslide, and the oil is on it way to pollute the Amazon. When will it end? No wonder dystopian novels have been so popular. I'm ready for a little Utopia. How about you?

A Snorkling Break

The last two weeks I've been pelted with waves of information: researching agents, going over the SCBWI Blog on the last conference, logging on to the WriteOnCon conference, and reading the five critiques I recently received. Definitely time to swim away from my computer. Yesterday was the day! Ideal conditions for snorkeling at my favorite beach (pictured above). Snorkling is always a magical experience-the graceful movement of the kelp, the bright orange Girabaldi fish darting in and out the seaweed, purple starfish clinging to the rocks, and an occasional Bat Ray cruising across the sandy floor. Refreshed and inspired, this morning I dive back into revising.

Still Water

I sailed into to chapter three of my young adult book and then, the wind died. I can't go forward until I go back. My paddles await while ideas wash around in my head. I like what I've written, but I feel I need to get to the magical part sooner. While my YA floats in still water, I dive back into my middle grade novel. A recent critique triggered a wake of ideas and one is happily anchored in place. The submission current has taken me. I'm being pulled through the research. This is where I'll be until a few submissions are completed, unless a strong gail comes in from the east.