Check Out Emily!!!

And me too, I guess. :)

I'm making a guest appearance over at Emily R. King's blog. Check it out by clicking here.

These pics are actually from last year's Princess Half Marathon.
But it gives you the general idea. :)

And, I apologize that I won't be making the rounds to visit all your lovely blogs for the first half of this week. I just ran a half marathon in Florida yesterday and I plan on passing out by the pool until I get back to 'lovely' Wisconsin on Wednesday morning.

Where do I begin?

Can I just say, I love drugs.

Now before you get all 'no she didn't!' on me. I'm talking about medicine. Particularly Mucinex D. I felt like crap this morning and of course when that happens you call up your mom. And she recommended something which works like magic. Feeling SO much better now.

And I was slightly worried because I'm running a half marathon on Sunday. If my head is in a cloud and I can't breathe through my nose, who knows where I'd end up along the 13 miles.

Anyways. Enough of that. What I'd really like to leave you with before I jet off to sunny Florida tomorrow is this idea that I came across in a post this week.

Where should you start your story?

We've heard that you want to put the reader into the action. Hook them right away. Grab them by the seat of their pants and drag them through the dirt. (Who wouldn't want to do that? haha).

I agree with this concept. I'd rather not read a whole life history while the main character is flossing in front of the mirror before heading off to their normal high school day. But the post I read (which for the life of me I can't remember where I read it) made a good distinction.

Make sure that first scene is the moment and place where your character's life will never be the same again.


I think the distinction of scene is very important. If we're thrown into an action right away, without even the slight investment into the characters involved, why would we care?

Its incredibly difficult to write a scene in which we fall for the characters as well as start the story rolling all within the first few pages of a book. But if done right, our readers will be holding on for dear life.

Obviously, my opinion isn't law or anything, so I'm curious...

Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? Do you find that your manuscripts follow this 'rule'?

How does that make you feel?

No, no, no silly. Get off the coach. Today we're talking about what our characters feel. (I guess if you really want to stay on the couch you can. I like hearing about you too! Feel free to leave it in the comments. I always answer ;))

I'm fairly good at showing instead of telling. At least most of the time. When it comes to scenery and action, the words tend to flow. I can get better. Will get better. All my writing can get better. But in the grand scheme of my writing, scenery/action showing is a step above others.

What I find I need work on is showing my character's feelings. (Thank you CPs!!) I think the reason why there are some areas that lack feeling is because I hoped that by showing the crap out of what was going on it would instill the emotions in the reader that the characters were feeling so I wouldn't have to actually type them onto the page. (Not out of laziness, just because it was my style, my voice.)

However, that's not what the reader wants, in most cases. They want to know that the character is feeling the same things they are. (Or, more importantly, perhaps they're not.) That they can get in the character's head and understand why they do what they do, what they're thinking.

Now, mind you, there are many expressed feelings in my MS. It is not void of feeling. But there definitely isn't enough.

It sounds so simple as I sit here and write this post, but clearly its something I overlooked and am thankful I have those who point it out and help me become a better writer. I am able to do it, to take their note that says 'but what does he FEEL here?' and add words which should have been there all along. I just need that helpful nudge to point it out.

And once I've got a fairly good handle on this, some other issue will creep up. Stick around CPs. I'm gonna need ya. ;)

What's your area(s) that you struggle with when writing your MS? (This is where we get to sit on the couch instead of our characters. :))

I grant you unlimited wishes. Yes, I am that powerful. What would you wish for?

I'm in limbo. I've got some fulls out for FRACTION OF STONE. Promising leads. Slowly querying.

I realize its uber difficult to land an agent though, so while of course I hope agents swoop down and whisk me into publishing land, I can't control their entrance.

What I can control is my writing. I figure the more writing I do, the better I get and the more chances I have of flying through the air and landing on a bookshelf.

So that's what I'm going to do. Write another book.

For my next idea, I need your help. It's simple really. I promise. Just answer this question.


You have unlimited wishes. What would you wish for?


Now, before we get all 'World Peace' with this I want you to really think. They can be petty, funny, special, weird, small, large, profound. Anything.

Maybe you'd like Elvis to come back.

Maybe you'd like calories not to exist.

Maybe you wish the world was all one country.

Maybe you wish you knew your mother/father/siblings, etc.

Maybe you wish for love.

Maybe you'd like world peace.

Maybe you really wish there was a Pink Peanut M&M.

So give me all you got. Rub the lantern and have anything granted. What would it be?

Seek New Horizons

Happy Hump Day Ya'll! :)

I have a super sort post for you, since you were all so kind to read through my extremely LONG kissy post yesterday. Thanks again to Cassie and Hope for hosting the Is it Getting Hot in Here Blogfest! And thanks to all YOU who stopped by to read mine.

I was at the gym and just as the elliptical said 'done' I read the last page of my Self Magazine. Now, this is amazing in two ways. Not only was the timing perfect, but I was actually at the gym. Haha. That's always something to be proud of.

Anyho...on the very last page of February's issue was a page titled 'A Moment for Yourself'. Here is what it says:

Once upon a time, we believed the world was flat - that beyond a certain point, there would be nowhere to go. And though we now know the world is round, we still fear falling off imaginary edges, too often thinking there's only so far we can stretch, so hard we can push. The most dangerous limits are those in our own head. When you feel you're at your edge, look again. You can go farther.

As my legs wound down on my exercise machine I thought...this is so perfect. No matter how many rejections, or how tired I feel, or how many people say I can't, the only person that ever prevents me from doing anything is myself. 

So then I jumped off my elliptical and went to a group fitness class. After all, I'm the only person standing between myself and a bikini ready body. ;)

Is it Getting Hot in Here?? I hope so! :)

First and foremost, I need to pass out the congrats to all of those who made it past the bouncers for the Cupid Contest!!! Special congrats goes to three CPs, Cassie, Theresa and Jen!! SO excited for them and for all of you who made it. Can't wait to see it go down next week!

And now, for the main event. Is it Getting Hot In Here Blogfest hosted by Miss Hope and Miss Cassie. You can follow their names to their lovely blogs. :)

For those of you who read about Akara and Rydan from FRACTION OF STONE in the I'm Hearing Voices Blogfest last week and would like more...you're going to be disappointed. Sorry. This 'kissy scene' is from my YA Contemporary, ALL SHE NEEDS IS LOVE. I'll give you a hint *whispers* Emma and Sam like each other :). haha. And Gigi is a seven year old that has latched onto eighteen year old Emma for her friendship.

“Emma, I’m going to finish what we started on the field at Homecoming. Before Courtney interrupted us,” Sam breathes as he leans in. There’s still time. I can pull away.

            

Hell no. I don’t want to pull away. I want this.

            

His lips find mine. Very soft. One kiss. He pulls away letting his lips hover over mine and I share in his breath. My heart sends blood rushing to my cheeks, my head. I’m dizzy with thoughts, with feelings. No consequences. Just Sam. His arms move to my sides, stopping at my waist.

            

“Oh god,” I whine retreating to the other end of the couch, the vision of Jack touching me, feeling me, jumping to the forefront of my mind. Don’t let it, I tell myself. But I can’t help it. I’m shaking all over again. But this is Sam. He doesn’t want to hurt me. I want him to kiss me, hold me. My body doesn’t seem to care.

           

“Emma?” he stays where he is, his eyes pinched together in confusion, worry.

            

“It’s him,” I whisper, moving my hand to my waist. If I could cut that part off me without killing myself I would.

            

“Oh Emma.” He holds a hand out but doesn’t make a move. I close my eyes, trying to wipe away his face, the pain, the feelings. When I open my eyes I lose my breath. There are tears in Sam’s eyes.

            

No. I won’t let Jack hurt him, and I won’t let him get to me anymore. I can get past this. I’m in control of my life, my choices. I close my eyes one more time and pretend to punch Jack right between the eyes.

           

I crawl across the couch towards Sam, who backs away a little when I reach him.

            

“No Emma. I don’t want to hurt you. I don’t want to force you to live those memories again.” He shakes his head, putting his hands out to the sides.

            

I reach forward and grasp my hands around his. “He’s gone,” I whisper, placing his hands on both sides of my waist. And though Jack threatens to surface again, I must have dealt him a good blow, because he doesn’t rear his ugly head.

            

I leave Sam’s hands on my waist and reach for the sides of his head, pulling him to me, crossing the distance between his lips and mine. I kiss him with an earnest I didn’t even know I had. My fingers entwine in his hair, determined never to let go. His mouth moves against mine, carefully at first then with an earnest which exceeds mine.

            

His hands move from my waist to my back. The little force he applies is enough for me to move forward and melt into him. I get up on my knees so I can kiss him more, better. My hands feeling every muscle in his back, feeling every movement he makes.

            

He releases and I try to catch my breath, stealing his to fill my lungs.

            

“Well that was nice,” Sam whispers. “I wasn’t sure if you…”

           

I don’t let him finish, forcing my lips back on his. He pushes me onto my back, the soft cushions beneath me so different than the twigs and stones that ripped at my back during the assault. I’ve never felt this good. Ever. I never want it to end. Why did I try to prevent this? We can do this forever for all I care.

            

A knock at the door causes us to shoot up, panting for breath.

           

“Who is it?” I manage while taking in Sam’s expectant grin. I have every plan of telling the person on the other side of the door to go away. I’m not finished with him yet.   

            

“It’s me silly!” Gigi, my seven year old friend, yells so the whole diner downstairs can hear. “I was thinking that maybe we could do something.”

My head sinks as does my resolve to tell the person behind the door to go away. I could never tell Gigi to leave.

            

“Can we pick this up later?” I whisper, my faces inches away from Sam’s.

            

“I would really like that.” He nods, the same smile on his face. He leans in and gives me a long, deep, breath stealing kiss. The room spins when I get up to open the door.

            

“Emma! Are you gonna let me in or not?” Gigi yells, pounding so hard I might not even need to open it for her.

            

“I’m coming! I’m coming!” I respond, throwing one last flirtatious smile at Sam before pulling open the door. “How you doing kiddo?”

            

Her blue eyes gleam up at me and she throws all her weight into my arms. I complete the hug. For whatever reason I have no issues giving this pint sized cutie affection.

            
She pulls away and walks into the apartment. “You hair is really messy Emma.”

For a wee bit of fun: I got tagged! :)

Hello friends!

How is the weekend going?

I got tagged to answer 11 questions by Ms. Kyra Lennon over at Write Here, Write Now and I got tagged by Ms. Elizabeth Seckman at Use Your Words. You guys should go check them out. I just met them through Angie and Cassie's blogfest. They've got super nice blogs.

Since I got tagged in two (and I actually wrote this up before I got tagged in Elizabeth's) I'm just going to answer one set of questions. I hope that's okay.

So...the idea behind the tag is this (stolen from Kyra's blog):
The idea of this, is that it's a "getting to know you" quiz, so I will answer the questions Kyra set me, then I have to post 11 new questions, and tag another 11 people to answer those. No pressure, just a bit of fun! :D


With that, here are my 11 questions:

1. If there was only one food you could eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Oh man. I love Sushi, but I think after a while I would get sick of it. I think I have to go with pizza. I could eat pizza for every meal, many times a week. Or cheesecake...hmmm...

2. What was your favourite TV show as a child?
How young is child? I guess the first favorite shows I can remember are Wishbone, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago and Aladdin (the TV show on the Disney Channel). I'm totally cheating by not picking just one. :)

3. What movie do you dislike, that everyone else seems to love?
Wow. Ummm...Anchorman. After he kicked the dog off the bridge, that was it. I love dogs. :(

4. What was the first record/cassette/CD you ever bought?
The first one I was ever given was a Spice Girls cassette tape. We still have it. Somewhere...

5. What songs would be on the soundtrack of your life?
All of them! Haha. But seriously, I'm a radio. I'm always singing or humming and I can never predict what station I'll be on.

6. If you could excel at one thing, what would it be?
Being a good person. I know that sounds totally fluffy but its true. I figure if I can master that, other things will fall in line in life.

7. If you could choose your own first name, what would you choose?
Kmoney. Haha. Okay, probably not. No, I really like my name so I don't think I would change it.

8. Can you remember the first story you ever wrote? If so, what was it about?
Yes, actually because I only just finished it last July. Which is crazy to think that so much has happened in such little time. Though when I go back and read SACRIFICE, I can see why it didn't make it very far in the finding an agent process.

9. What is your favourite snack?
Cheesecake. Is this a snack? More a dessert I guess. So then dark chocolate.

10. Do you have any pets, and what do you have?
Yes! My baby is a Shiba Inu Mix. This lovely gal pictured here. She's eight or nine now. Not really sure. I adopted her a year ago and though I am incredibly biased I think she's the best dog eva! :)

11. Who or what inspires you?
I think weather/scenery inspires me most in my writing.






So now I have to pick 11 people to tag and 11 questions they must answer...
To pick who to tag I'm just going to grab the last 11 people who commented on my blog. I find this is a very 'fair' way to do this as I feel bad if I just pick people randomly. I love you all! haha


The last 11 people to comment were (and don't feel obligated to do this. It's just for fun if you so choose):
Clarissa Draper
Theresa Paolo
Jackie Felger
Christa Desir
Lady Bluestocking
Jess Stork
Queendasheena
kmckendry
Tara Tyler
Justin Parente
Sarah Ahiers


And because I liked the questions Kyra answered, I'm stealing those :)
1. If you could travel back in time, what period would you most like to see? 
2. What is your favorite tree?
3. Do you prefer the sandy beach or a cabin in the mountains?
4. Which celebrity do you most resemble and why?
5. Fill in the blank. I would never ______________________. 
6. Coffee or Tea? 
7. A date with Brad Pitt or jumping out of a plane?
8. If you could donate $1,000,000 to any charity, which would it be? 
9. What is a place you've never been, but would like to visit?
10. What is your favorite sweet? 
11. Who do you admire most (anyone alive or dead)?  

No!! I don't want it to be over!!! Hearing Voices...The Last Installment!!

A HUGE thank you to Angie and Cassie for running an awesome blogfest. I can't believe this is it. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading everyone's entries and am SO excited to have many more friends to follow. Though its the end of the blogfest, its not the end of our writing journey! (How cheesy is THAT. Oh well :))

So for this last one we're supposed to:

Emotion Flash Fiction: Emotion is the engine of a story. Pick an emotion and in a flash fiction piece of 250 words MAKE us feel it! We want to connect with your character. This will be a challenge in 250 words.

The emotion I decided to go for is DESPERATION. I think this is an emotion. And that is totally what is going on in this scene from my YA Fantasy, FRACTION OF STONE.

We find our friends Kara and Rydan surrounded. Will they escape?

             Kara swiped her magic along the mountainside, shrieking at the pain and enormous power flowing from her palm. There was a crash followed by a moan and then rock poured from the sky.

            Men and horses trampled each other in an attempt to escape the manmade avalanche. Rydan sprinted to Kara’s side and ripped her from the man’s grasp, so weak she fell into his arms. Stone rolled out in waves. He took a few strides but the attempt to outrun the rock was futile. At the last second he bent over Kara, fell to the ground and raised his hand, encasing them in a bubble.

            It was the worst feeling, being buried alive. Knowing hundreds of pounds of rock stood between fresh air and where they lay. Stone hitting stone became quieter as the pile mounted, the space grew darker and then not a sound remained.

            “Kara,” Rydan moaned, feeling as though he held the weight of the mountain on his shoulders. “Kara!”

            The smallest of light illuminated her face. Her eyes fluttered and she jerked at his close proximity, scanning the small circle holding back a mountain.

            “Do something!” he screamed. 

            She bore into his eyes, as if searching for a solution, then stuck her palms out on either side of his head. He didn’t want to ask her to use her power, he could tell she had nothing left and whatever she did next could kill her. But if she did nothing, they would die.

            Kara gave him one last look as his sweat dripped onto her face. Her eyes slowly closed and she pushed out with her arms.

I'm Hearing Voice: Dialogue Introduction

Ready for part two of the I’m Hearing Voices Blogfest?

I am!

Here again are two characters from my YA Fantasy, querying manuscript, FRACTION OF STONE. Take it away Kara and Tristan!

Tristan: Whoa, this is a lot of people! Do you think they’re really interested in learning about us? …. Kara?

Kara: What? Oh, sorry. I guess they are.

Per Christina's request I've added pictures. Just add
a smile to this guy and this is Tristan.

Tristan: Okay, then. Feel free to walk with us. We’re kind of on a long journey and can’t stop. I’m Tristan. I live with my grandmother in our destroyed, crumbling village. Our village was once bustling with magic wielders and a bunch of other neat things but the other two tribes demolished everything, including everyone except my grandmother and I.

Kara: And me and Rydan.

There aren't any two headed dragons in my story.
But this is a pretty good idea of Kara.

Tristan: That is true. We’re wicked lucky too because the world would be in serious trouble if these two weren’t still around to save humanity’s sorry asses.

Kara: Forgive him for his language. The tattoos, piercings and extreme amount of energy can be a little overwhelming at first, but he can be a pretty funny, nice guy.

Tristan: Aw! Really? You think I’m funny?

Kara: Sure.

Tristan: That’s probably the nicest thing you’ve ever said about me.

Kara: I said you were nice too.

Tristan: Yeah, that was nice of you.

Kara: …

Tristan: Forgive Kara. She doesn’t really say much. We’ve been traveling together for weeks. Usually it’s just Rydan and I that do all the talking.

Kara: I talk.

Tristan: Yeah. Okay.

Kara: I do. I just don’t have as much to say.

Tristan: Then why don’t you tell everyone a little bit about yourself?

Kara: Maybe we can save that for later…

Tristan: Kara!

Kara: What? Hey…what’s that on your foot?

Tristan: Oh gross! How is it possible to step in animal feces both in the book as well as during an interview!? This is completely not fair…

I'm Hearing Voices: Rydan on the Couch

Yay! It's finally here!

Thanks to the spectacular ladies, Angie and Cassie, over at Live to Write...Edit When Necessary and Reading, Writing and Lovin' it we have the I'm Hearing Voices Blogfest this week!

I can't wait to pop around and read everyone's!

The character I forced on the couch is Rydan from my manuscript, FRACTION OF STONE. I picked Rydan because...well...some of my CPs have a tinsy bit of a crush on him so I thought it would be fun to drill him for some answers.

This is Rydan. Well, its sorta Rydan. Rydan's distant cousin is Flynn Ryder from the Disney Movie Tangled. (Not really but after Cassie read my manuscript she sent me this picture and I was like...why is Rydan animated? I haven't seen Tangled so it was a little creepy that the person I described as Rydan looked a lot like a recent Disney Character.)



And see! He's waiting to answer our questions. Okay, he's seated in a chair, not a couch. But the concept still holds.



Me: Alrighty. How goes it Rydan?


Rydan: Where's the other girl? I thought they said a pretty girl was going to interview me?


Me: Ouch. Thanks for that.


Rydan: Well, not that you're not cute...for someone else. It's just...the other...Weren't we going to do an interview?


Me: *clears throat* Okay. First question. What is your biggest vulnerability? Do others know or is it a secret?


Rydan: Hmmm. That's a tough one. I don't think I really have any vulnerabilities. I'm only one of two people left in the world that can wield magic. Kara's the other and she's not very good at it. Though Kara would probably tell you I trust too much. That I believe too much in humanity and the good they can do, even if they haven't showed it in awhile. But Kara has gone through some tough stuff, so her view on the world is a little skewed.


Me: Ooo, what kind of stuff?


Rydan: Its not really my place to say. And good luck getting anything out of her. *laughs under breath*


Me: Well, she did turn down my invitation to sit on the couch, so that probably explains it. Okay, next question. What do people believe about you that is false?


Rydan: Well, right now, the whole world is out to kill me because they are afraid of the magic I can wield. It's really foolish because they're trying to kill the only two people who can save them and their world. *Runs hand through hair.* Sometimes I find it difficult to defend the world when Kara suggests we shouldn't save it. But there's got to be some good people left to save, right?


Me: I'm not from your world Rydan so unfortunately I can't help you with an answer. Sounds like a tough problem though.


Rydan: Yeah. Well...

Me: How about the next question? What would your best friend say is your fatal flaw? Why?


Rydan: *Laughs nervously* Funny you should mention best friends. All my old friends are now my enemies, so they think I have a ton of fatal flaws. I guess my closest friends now are Kara and Tristan. Tristan is a bit weird, what with all the piercings, tattoos and all, but he's a good guy. What would he say is my flaw? Probably that I'm a bit too cocky or confident. But you can't be too confident, can you?


Me: I'm not sure I can...Rydan...Rydan! Will you please put the sword away! You're going to poke someone's eye out!


Rydan: Oh Kelley. I'm very good with a sword. Best in all of Tarmack. You need not worry.


Me: What is your most redeeming quality?


Rydan: What? Oh, yeah. The interview. *Sheathes sword* My good looks? *winks* 


Me: *Rolls eyes*


Rydan: I'm kidding! I'm kidding! I think someone would say my most redeeming quality is my optimism. I always try to keep the mood up, look at things half full.


Me: So do I. I guess we have something in common. Who would have thought? *clears throat* Last question. What do you want most and what will you do to get it?


Rydan: Whoa. That's a deep question. Well. I want the word not to end. Because even though Kara thinks it deserves to I believe there is still hope. So I'm going to do everything in my power to save it. Especially since after I save the world, the Tarmack people will call me a hero again. I'll be treated like a prince. It will be as if none of this fugitive stuff ever happened.

Me: Well, good luck with that. 


Rydan: Thank you. Have you seen Kara? She's getting better at magic but doesn't know enough yet. I don't want them to hurt her again. Not that I care for her in that way or anything. But I want her to be safe...


Me: Haven't seen her.


Rydan: Okay, well thanks. I've got to run.

One word results and Are you characters 'good enough' people?

Wasn't our one word description fun? Let's see what we all came up with, shall we?

In one word describe: What this crazy online community gives you.
Support (9)
Smiles
Optimismus (haha, T. Drecker)
Relationships
Resources
Friendships (6) (Sometimes described as Fantabulous :))
Together
Connection (3)
Nurture
Meetingnewpeople (Martin...haha :))
Motivation
Knowledge
Contests (This isn't cold Sharon. :) And you are the contest queen!)
Passion
Fun (2)
Community
Mental Health (This is great Lindsay :))
Keepingitreal (Candy, great 'word' :))
Fellowship (Ooo, like this word Joel)
Camaraderie 


What fantastic words! I'd like to point out that all of you who blog, THIS is what you give people. Isn't that awesome? Every time you write, read, or comment on someone's blog, you are doing these things for someone. Talk about having a positive impact.


And onto today's topic!
So I have been thinking about character traits, specifically having to do with characters in MS but this can also  pertain to those writing them. 


In one of my manuscripts my MC Emma, is a 'good enough' personality type. She tries on an article of clothing or looks at a college and if she likes it, then the decision is made. She has no desire to keep looking. If something makes her happy, she accepts it and doesn't wonder if there's something better our there. What she's found is good enough.


In a different manuscript my MC Akara is not this way, or at least is far more thorough in some aspects in her life.  If she finds something that is pretty close to perfect she questions whether there's something else out there that's better. It's tough for her to 'settle'.


I have discovered that most of my characters that I've written are 'good enough' personalities. And guess what? This is totally me. 100%. If I like something, I get it and never consider something better might exist, because what I have is great. Now my mother on the other hand, she must try out EVERYTHING in order to satiate her curiosity and to ensure her that she has the best, the most perfect. 


Which brings me to my question. Are you a 'good enough' personality? Or are you someone who can't just settle. You must make sure that you are 100% certain about your decision.


And since polls are fun I thought I'd include one. Feel free to comment below as well. Do you find that your characters usually fall into one of these? Is it the same as yours?

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