Book then Movie or Movie then Book?

"The book was so much better than the movie." Aren't you tired of saying that? Sometimes I watch the movie first, then read the book. You hard-core bookies are probably disgusted at the mere thought of this. Last night I watched "The Fault in Our Stars." I intended to read it awhile ago, but when I read the inside flap and the first page, I put it down. I wasn't up for a downer book-my experience with loved ones dying from "C" was not exactly uplifting. My boyfriend had the same reaction to the movie that I had to the book, but he still watched it with me, and we both loved it. Shaileen Woodley's performance as Hazel along with the writing & direction is what earned it a two thumbs up. I'm looking forward to reading John Green's book, and hopefully discovering some nuances that were left out.

I know I'll offend the die-hard "Hobbit" fans with this one: I read the book before the movies and for me, the movies were above and beyond the book. Sorry, Tolkien and awesome, Jackson! This of course, was out of the norm for me. Usually it's loved the movie but love the book more. Movie then Book- I dare you to try it.

Submission Sunday Morning

 My Submission Sunday Morning with my cat, Jaspurr. My flow was interrupted by a client, but I did eventually email it. Last Sunday morning I was interviewed on Spoken Word/Spoken Song live on our local podcast radio station. The hour flew by talking about my children's book writing process, our local book store and library, along with Shakespeare and Astrology. It was a blast! Here's the link if you'd like to check it out.  http://kx.onelaguna.com/podcast/spokenwordspokensongspodcast/1.27.2015.2000
Went into rewrites last Wednesday after receiving critiques on my first five lines of my YA novel on Miss Snark's First Victim blog. I critiqued as well. Needless to say, it was helpful. It's amazing how much or little can come across in those first five sentences, don't you think?

Land-Locked Period Over

Holidays, work, family & some drama had me land-locked, but it's officially over. Thank God-Goddess for Miss Snark's First Victim Secret Agent Contest last week that got me wading in my Cea of Writing again with critiques for those who got picked by the bot. It was nice to read the agent's critiques, especially when it coincided with mine. Now, I'm up to my gills (Yes, I'm a fish) with rewrites for my YA and line edits for my MG. The chapter I added to my MG novel has been haunting me since I laid it to rest. And tonight's the night I resurrect it for revisions. I plan to set sail three more submissions by the end of the weekend. 

I did contact the assistant editor (will not reveal house) after three months had passed, thinking my submission was sucked into the cyber black hole. I received a prompt email back from him/her that it hadn't and that he /she has not had a chance to read it yet. Needless to say, I was pleased with the news! Other good news: I was asked to do an interview on a local radio show this Sunday on my process of writing children's books . Stay tuned for next week's blog! 

Contest~Twitter~Submissions

I'm happy to say that the six winners I critiqued from the Baker's Dozen Contest got bid on by agents-most received a full manuscript request. Congrats! Out of the thirty-five YA & MG winners, 27 were YA and only 9 were MG and approx. 85% were Sci-Fi or Fantasy which made sense since these are the Authoress' favored genres. Whether it be agent, editor or writer, everyone has their sweet spot. It would of been nice to have seen more MGs on the winner list. Maybe next year, if she decides to run the contest again. Along with kicking me in gear to get my pitch down for my MG, the Baker's Dozen Contest got me to sign up on Twitter. Though I failed to follow the contest live, I now have a twitter presence. I'm up to seven tweets-Woo-Hoo and I have one submission sent.

Baker's Dozen Contest Over and Agent Submissions Begin

My logline and my first two hundred and fifty words of my MG was ready to be submitted for the Baker's Dozen Contest on Tues. the 4th. I got online at 8am that morning and found myself copy/paste challenged on the blog form. When I figured that out, I found myself revising. Ugh! Clock ticking...I finally finished and hit the  submit button and...nothing. I was too late. The cut off number was 150 manuscripts. I had another chance on Thursday to make it in the next batch of 150, and this time, I took in account the three hours ahead submission time. I had everything completed a few minutes before six and at 6am, I hit "submit" and I got in, which made me feel like a winner. Hey, for me, being functional at 5:45am deserved the blue ribbon!
Friday the 21st I found out I wasn't part of the thirty-five manuscripts that were chosen for the agent auction block. I wasn't that disappointed. I got a critique out of it, I dove into revisions on my pitch and my first page for both my YA and MG, and I got  to be a part of an online writer's community. I look forward to seeing the winners posted and critiquing some of them. It's always a gift to see other writer's work. Our imaginations and experiences are so diverse which makes it exciting and fun.
I'm preparing to submit to the agents from SCBWI OC's Agents Day October's conference and I'll research the agents from the Baker's Dozen Contest list and perhaps submit to a few of them as well. I'm happy to say all my major revisions are completed, though the chapter I added will need to be reworked. Now, if I could only bake a pie : )

Butterflies and Feathers-YA signs

I love signs and reading into them. Synchronicity of life awakens when you pay attention to them. Animal Wise by Ted Andrews is my main reference book. It gives the behavior of various animals, birds, bugs and sea life and what they mean/symbolize. While snorkeling last week, I observed for the first time a moray eel disappearing into the sea grass. Moray eels form symbiotic relationships with certain kinds of shrimp. The eel swimming into my life may mean an unusual symbiotic relationship is on the horizon and like the eel, I must be observant to recognize this opportunity. I'll let you know how that unfolds.

Butterflies and feathers were the signs that the protagonist paid attention to in these novels that I meant to blog about awhile ago. Love in the Time of Global Warming by Frances Lia Block has Penelope's decisions confirmed by the presence of butterflies. After an earthquake and tsunami hits southern California, leaving Penelope alone in her waterlogged house, a butterfly(transformation) leads her on a Homer influenced odyssey. I loved the characters she hooked up with a long the way and the relationship that evolved with the transsexual. But the giants and antagonist added a sci-fi/super hero-villain vibe that I couldn't connect to. The biological father revealed, fell short. "I am your father," might as well be a Star Wars copy right. Because of the well-defined characters and relationships and signs, I'd definitely read the sequel, if there's one.

The feather was a sign that kept reappearing for Cameron in Going Bovine by Libba Bray. This YA has one of the best first lines I've read. I'll admit it took me several pages before I realized Cameron was a boy, probably because he uses so many words.Women use twice as many words than men do. (something I learned late in life ). Besides the brilliant first line, I loved the irony. The fast food joint that Cameron works at, a Buddha Burger in Texas, had me laughing. Cameron is diagnosed with mad cow disease and so, the odyssey here, begins. It's basically Wizard of Oz goes YA complete with teen angst and sarcasm with a punk rock angel to soften the edges. Libba is an amazing weaver of story. At this point, Going Bovine is YA classic- a must read.

Remember: when you follow the signs, like Penelope, Cameron and me, magic happens.

Sea of Agents-Part II

I should have posted this yesterday, but I decided my hands needed a break; Saturday was a no-computer day. This other opportunity is coming up fast to have a chance of landing an agent."Miss Snark's First Victim" is a writer's blog; the bloggerette (feminine for blogger :) goes by Authoress. Through her love and devotion to writing and fellow writers, she has created an awesome community. The Baker's Dozen is a contest she has ran for the past two years, and I'm experiencing it for the first time. For the contest, you submit your pitch/logline and your first 250 words from a completed work. Wait a minute, there's an end to revisions? Then she and a fellow author read over the submissions and choose 35 winners in the YA/MG category out of 300. There's also a NA/Adult category this year. The winners are posted for twenty-two agents to bid on. You may end up getting a request for a partial or full manuscript, and perhaps, land an agent.

In the month leading up to the contest, Authoress has posted success stories, the list of agents, authors and editors involved, and she has ran three rounds of logline critiques. The last round, my logline was randomly picked. Yes, it was exciting! Holly Bodger, a published YA author, critiqued it along with a few fellow writers. It was helpful and I spent two days in rewrites/edits. I highly recommend becoming a follower of Miss Snark's First Victim. Click on the Baker's Dozen Guidelines, and read everything before entering the contest. It starts this week and for a nominal fee of $15, it's way worth a try!

In the sea of agents, we must swim through various waterways to increase our chances of catching the right one.