Amazed by Teens

My novel is considered young adult, which means I wrote it with teens in mind. That can't be done if you have no understanding of or relationships with teens. I taught highschool math for a while at a tutoring center, and I loved it because I love math AND because I love working with teenagers!

My students ranged from kids who were struggling in a particular subject, to kids trying to get ahead of their grade, to kids prepping for the SAT. It was loads of fun getting to know them and seeing them grow academically. But since I taught mostly math, I didn't discuss reading or writing with too many of my students.

Now that I've been writing, I'm getting to see that side of teens. I've had some amazing conversations with teens in my homeschool group about books. I've been reading blogs by teens who are book addicts and aspiring authors. I am completely amazed by the number of teens who want to become writers!

When I was in high school, most of my friends were avid readers, but I couldn't name a single one who wanted to write. Much less any who were actively writing a book. Now maybe they were like me, keeping the desire a secret, locked away in their heart for "some day." But they certainly weren't telling people, much less posting blogs about it and letting the world read samples of their writing.

I am just so PROUD that the next generation is getting a grip early in their lives on what they wan to do. And the self-confidence they show, and the ambition...it's awesome! There will be a day, in the not so distant future, that MY KIDS may be reading books published by those same teen authors I'm getting to know. That is the coolest thought :).

Going, going...but never gone.

The Absent Willow Review publishes their next issue in just a couple of days. Which means "Willing Blood" will be moved to the archives. You'll still be able to locate it at this url: http://absentwillowreview.com/archives/willing-blood.

And of course, there are links here on my blog and on my site (www.findingangel.com) to all my online writing.

I'm hoping to post very soon about upcoming stories. Mindflights has accepted a fantasy short of mine ("The Artist") but I'm not sure when they have it slotted for. Another story will be appearing in Einstein's Pocket Watch next month, although this one is totally mainstream (sorry fantasy fans).

I've got several others under consideration right now...impatiently awaiting those replies....

I'll keep ya posted.

No post...

Just a video. Can't get enough of this song lately....

The Un-creative Process

Are you a plotter or a pantzer? Do you outline your stories and then write them, or do you just sit down and write whatever comes to mind?

I do both. For short stories, I usually get hit by an idea and sit in front of the computer until it has purged from my system. It may come in pieces (like my story "Willing Blood"--that one is over 4000 words long), or it may come out all at once. Either way, I just keep my ending in mind, and write whatever pops into my head until I reach there, without jotting down so much as one note ahead of time. Then I edit, send it off to a few writer friends, and edit some more before submitting it.

My novel writing is completely different. It's a strange mash of plotting and pantzing. There are days I pace around my house, or in the garage if the kids are playing outside, purposely trying to plot out events in the story. I don't go in order, though. I work on a character's motivation, or details of some scene way into the story. It tends to be "big picture" plotting.

In the meantime, I jot things down (on whatever paper happens to be handy) as they come to me: scene ideas, specific lines I want a character to say, certain details I need to weave in, etc. They go into a bin on my desk, where I transfer them to index cards. Yeah, I actually use the process I learned in highschool! I write all the specifics on index cards, then lay those out on a table top and put them in order.

That is where my title "the un-creative process" comes in. Outlining is tedious for me. But, at least I can do it when I'm not feeling particularly creative, and I still feel like I'm accomplishing something. And it's absolutely necessary for me! My plots get pretty complex, and I have to weave things in at just the right time, offering clues here and there, exposing the mystery little by little. Ah, it's fun, but maddening at times :).

So, what about you? Plotter, pantzer, or hybrid?

Late night plotting

Well, I got back from camping yesterday. I've been so wiped out today I could barely see straight. I did a lot of nothing most of the day.

My friend, Shawna Williams, on the other hand, has been working her little tail off on her second book because...drum roll, please...she signed a contract with Desert Breeze Publishing to publish her first book, No Other, as an ebook in May 2010. Needless to say, I'm super-excited. She's pretty happy, too :P.

I've been a little jealous--not that she's getting published, because (a)she deserves it and (b)I know we're in completely different genres, so epubbing is a good option for her but not for me. What I've been jealous of is the way the chapters were just flowing out of her as she finished the first book and now has started on the second one.

When I wrote Finding Angel, I became like a woman possessed. I thought of nothing else, plotted in my sleep, in the line at the grocery store, walking the dog, cooking dinner...you get the idea. I had the whole first draft done in three months. Then I began the editing/revising/rewriting process, which took a good year. While waiting on my readers to critique, I started my second book, Seeking Unseen. I was in no hurry, because I hadn't even finished revising Finding Angel.

Well, now I need to be working on Seeking Unseen like crazy, but I hit a speed bump. Or two. The story kind of stalled out. I worked on short stories and essays while I let it simmer in the background, but I was getting a bit frustrated. Wondering if some subconscious fear was holding me back. Or if I just wasn't meant to get another book out of me. All kinds of worries--and excuses--swirled around inside my brain.

But tonight I seem to have jumped at least one speed bump! I got a bunch of plotting done, and tied some scenes together in such a way that the path to the end of the book is coming into focus. Ah, it feels SOOOOOO good!

Story

"Story."

That's the title of a book by author Steven James. I'm only half-way through, but it is affecting me so much I'm reviewing it now, so you can get yourself a copy sooner! It is a collection of poems and essays Steven James has written about the Bible, about Jesus as a person, savior, friend. It is beautiful, haunting, joyful, enlightening...

I bought this because I love Steven James' novels, and really had no idea what to expect. I am so glad I took the chance. And because the individual pieces are short, I'm reading the book sort of as a devotional.

Steven James isn't afraid to talk about the things we are afraid of, and the nitty-gritty truths of the Bible. His writing is real.

Get a copy. Really. Story, by Steven James.

On a different note, in my other devotional (Our Daily Bread by RBC) was this poem. It really hit home for me:

The journeys that we take in life,
Though unexpected they may be,
If we commit to follow Christ,
His work through us the world will see.

As I'm struggling with the hope to someday see my novel published, these words just jumped off the page at me. My life has been a strange journey, with experiences that seemed completely unconnected. But as I wrote Finding Angel, I found myself drawing on all of those seemingly unrelated experiences, and they just meshed. I never expected to become a writer, and most certainly never expected to be able to use my experiences in such a way. But, I'm committing to follow Christ in this. And what He does with it...well, I guess we'll just see. But I've never found Him to be wasteful of our work for Him.

The "Official" Announcement

The Absent Willow Review sent out their newsletter today, and the announcement that "Willing Blood" won the Editor's Choice Award was right there on the front page! I wanted to post a link to it, but it's a pdf. You can sign up for their newsletter here, though. And you can see the abbreviated announcement on their site here.

OK, so that's the last post about that story. Promise. I'm just so excited :).