Publisher: CONTRACT time!

Hello all,

It's another overcast day here in Seattle, but I have some EXCITING news! I met with my agent for dinner last night in Corvallis (yes, I know. I was visiting for 6 hours strictly on business and didn't think it'd be prudent to tell ALL of my friends that i was in town. But I'll be back to visit very soon, I promise!)

Anyway, she told me that she's finished the final read-through and she'll draw up a contract within the next few days! But that's not even the most exciting part! One of my best friends, who is also a beta-readers and a bridesmaid, was there to pick me up from dinner, and after I'd told my agent about her impressive beta-reading skills, she hired her on the spot and bought her a brand new kindle ten minutes later from the OfficeMax next door!

Needless to say, we're BOTH ecstatic! But it gets even better! Even though my agent told me last night that my book probably won't hit shelves for another year or so, it's for a very good reason. As soon as I sign the contract, she'll send my manuscript to New York so it has a shot at a big-name publisher, an e-book deal, and possibly even a movie!

I'm playing with the big boys now!

Onward and Upward,

How to write a book.

Hello all,

I've had a few people ask me the question "So how do you write a book?" and they usually follow it up with "especially when you've got a wedding to plan and a business to run and work 40 hours a week at a coffee shop?"

I'll save the time management bit for another post. You must learn how to write well before you can learn to write fast.

To write a good book, you must do 3 things.

1. Identify your ideal environment

If you aren't comfortable when you write, your book won't be comfortable to read. It'll feel and sound just as strained as you were when you wrote it. Therefore, choosing your environment wisely is very important. Some authors write best laying on the sofa while typing on their laptop. Others can't focus unless they're sitting in a coffee shop with a pen and notebook handy. Some need music, others need complete silence.

Decide for yourself whether you're more productive sitting by a lake or at the library, or on a bench in a public park.

Don't be afraid to leave your laptop at home if you feel too distracted by the internet. Bring headphones or don't, eat while you write or don't, but always write in the environment that's best for you.

2. Know your style: Planner or Surfer?

Do you prefer to list out every single thing you have to get done in a day? Or do you wake up when you need to and see what happens? Personally, I like to plan out the entire plot, begin writing the story, and deviate from the plan as I feel necessary. If you're a planner like me, you may need to list out an outline, scene by scene, noting the most important event in the scene and nothing else (i.e. the reason why you're including this scene in your story at all). There's a tendency to over-plan or include too much detail in your outline. Resist this. It'll spark the urge to write the details in your story.

If you're a surfer, and you prefer to go wherever the turns of the story take you, begin with a simple concept (Like: A young man in a futuristic world finds out he can jump through time dimensions, or a young model gets attacked by a dog and the doctor treating her is the only one who has ever loved her for more than her looks). Then, just start writing. You don't have to start at the beginning. Pick a scene that fits your mood at the time: sad, angry, confused, embarrassed, frustrated, accomplished, etc. and then write with reckless abandon.

3. Become your characters.

As a writer, I encourage you to write, and write unceasingly. When you're not writing, think about writing, play out scenes in your head and talk to yourself in the voices of your characters.

Experience their feelings. If you allow yourself to fall in love with their love interests, so will your readers. If you let yourself hate their enemies, you will inadvertently make their enemies hate-able. To write a convincing story, you must be convinced yourself.

Onward & Upward,

So WHAT's my cover photo all about?

Hello all,

You've probably noticed a few blog changes (All of them good). It's now super easy to subscribe (just enter your email to the left). I've also added a "Like" button, and a "Follow" button (Feel free to take advantage of those).

A few of you have been asking about my Facebook cover photo. The one that says "Hospes" across it with a little girl standing next to it. It's a preview of the title of my upcoming book and sequel! The first book is called "Somnis" (which means "Dreams" in Latin), and its sequel is called "Hospes (which means "Guest" and "Host").

I'm 10,000 words into Somnis, and I'm loving the story so far (it's so hard to put it down when I have three midterms to study for, but hey.) I can't tell you very much about it yet (agent's orders), but I can tell you it's about a little girl named Peregrine Aoki (pictured in the cover photo) who discovers that the town she just moved to has a very dark secret, and so does her mother. I hope you're all as excited as I am!

Agent Update:

So initially my agent wanted to send The Middle of the Sidewalk to a small publisher in Corvallis. However, she thinks this book could win some substantial literary awards, so she wants to send it to larger publishers in New York! She is currently reading it through one final time before we'll meet with a group of editors. Then they'll review it, and we'll be ready to send it off to the Big Apple in no time! I've already chosen an illustrator for the front cover and planned out a few giveaways (get excited, everyone).

Lastly, thank you ALL for your continued likes and comments on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Blogger. I couldn't do it without you.

Onward and Upward,

FINALLY: The Publisher Finished Critiquing the New Ending!

Hello all,

Just when I was starting to get discouraged about being 2,600 words behind in April NaNoWriMo, I got a call from the publisher.

Now, before I say what she thought of it, I want to tell you why I've posted this in a blog and not on my Facebook page. I can't tell you how important it is to get my name out there before I release my first book. If you'd like to support me, the best way to do that is to read my blog, leave a comment or a like or a tweet, or even become a blog subscriber (Just enter your email on the right). I greatly appreciate your continued support on Facebook (61 likes already?? That's phenomenal!). Every 'like,' 'share,' 'comment,' and 'tag' is extremely helpful, so thank you so much!

Now, for the results. The publisher read the new ending to The Middle of the Sidewalk, and she said she loved it! She wants to re-read it immediately, editing for minor errors and consistency discrepancies. I asked her if she thought she'd have it read before I graduated, and she said "Oh, i wouldn't make you wait that long. You've been very patient with me." Hopefully that means that in the next few weeks or so, my precious manuscript will be ready for the next stage in the process!

Onward & Upward,

Breakfast with a Publisher!

Hello all,

I was in Corvallis yesterday (oh how I've missed it!) where I met the publisher for breakfast at the Broken Yolk on 3rd street. I have bad news, good news, and AMAZING news pertaining to that conversation:

Bad news: She hasn't read my manuscript yet because she's been sick with the flu and allergic reactions.

Good news: Although she hasn't read it yet, she's taking a vacation to the tropics this weekend so she can finish it. She said she just can't wait any longer.

AMAZING news: She's going to send my manuscript to four professional editors in New York! (NEW YORK!) The publishing capital of the world! I can't overstate how excited I am!

She said she can't stress enough that I should be promoting myself as an author and telling everyone about my book The Middle of the Sidewalk (you can read the first 400 words here). As always, I appreciate your support and encouragement. If you'd like to help me out a bit, feel free to like and share my author's Facebook page here (It would help a TON!)

Thank you so much everyone. I love you all.

Onward & Upward,

All about my newest book!

Hello all,

I know it's been quite a long while, but I've hit a burst of literary inspiration! (Funny how being cooped up all day in leu of a blizzard, and being faced with nothing but accounting homework will do that to you). I'm SO excited to announce that I've completely mapped out my new trilogy, Mimbio (Meaning, I've written down every detail in chronological order, scene by scene, 25 pages of it!). Now all I have to do is write it, which believe it or not is the easy part!

I'm extra excited for this piece for many reasons:

1. It's my very first sci-fi/fantasy/futuristic book.
2. It's got a believable love-triangle in it, and I LOVE its resolution.
3. The heroine has dreadlocks. 'Nuff said.
4. This story involves Latin, history, adventure, romance, mystery, and even a bit of philosophy, but if you're now thinking "DaVinci Code," you're gravely mistaken.
5. In the style of one of my favorite movie producers (Shyamalan), THERE'S A TWIST!!!!

I know I've been gone for a long time blogging-wise, so here's an update for you: I haven't heard much from the publisher lately regarding the status of The Middle of the Sidewalk, but I'm going to meet her in person for the first time in mid-March over coffee, so hopefully we'll discuss her review then. I'm so excited about this next book that I'm feeling physically nauseous!

...which probably isn't healthy...

...in fact, it probably means I should go have some tea and a nap or something.

Take care, everyone. And thank you for reading the ramblings in my little corner of the internet.

Onward and Upward,

Publisher's Review!

Hello all,

SO...The publisher finished reading my book "The Middle of the Sidewalk," and she sent me an email asking me to call her. Here's what she had to say:

"I think this book could win you some awards."

"This has the potential to become a classic."

"This story is a gem! It's so beautifully written."

"You're a literary genius. You've got such talent."

I will DEFINITELY publish this book!"

"Except...one problem...

...You completely botched the ending."

This isn't as devastating as it sounds. I'll admit it, the ending is the hardest for me to write. But it's also the easiest part to fix. She asked me to re-write the last 15,000 words (which is more promising than the complete re-write she asked for with my first book "The Sons of Luther"). That said, it's [partially] back to the drawing board, but it shouldn't take me very long (I'll probably be done before New Year's).

All in all, I'm SUPER ecstatic, mostly because she capped off the conversation with this:

"If you can create an ending as good as the rest of the book, It could be a bestseller. How soon can you get this back to me? I hope to have your book out as a summer read before you graduate."

Onward and Upward,