Post Traumatic Critique Retreat Disorder.

Robin, Ilima, Me, Taryn, Katie
We are enjoying a dinner at a Winery from my novel.

These amazing writers are my critique partners. We met less than one year ago at WIFYR. Since our amazing class with this lady, we have emailed each other nearly every day. That's right, every day. I don't know what I did before these girls made my inbox implode. We have written hundreds of thousands of words together. We all wrote NaNo together. We've argued over each other's first pages, first chapters and characters' flaws. We have fallen in love with each other's love interests. Right now, I have an ongoing crush on Theron, now Kai, Lancelot and Blue. And as soon as I start Robin's NaNo, I'm sure there will be another.

We've cried in front of each other. Talked on the phone. And tweeted (did I say that right?). I was so happy when every one of these gals answered my invitation for a Writing Retreat with a resounding YES.

We spent this last weekend writing, eating chocolate, talking way too much about fictional characters and caring too much about made up stories.

And we just get it.
We understand what it means to be an artist and a writer.
We know what it means to dream.
We love something we can't stop, even if we tried.

So, I'm toasting my friends with a blackberry Italian soda with a little cream and lots of ice. Thank you for coming and imagining with me.


And, no, I can't tell you the name of the winery. We don't want another Forks on our hands, do we now. Jeesh.

Disneyland.

I spent the last few days at Disneyland. And while many people can't stand the place with its people, commercialism and, well, people. I LOVE IT.

Here's why:

It occurred to me, while I was there, that Disneyland is all about stories. It is a park based entirely on stories. Some are classics like Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, Alice & Wonderland and some are newer stories like Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Toy Story. Many of the themed rides even tell a story. There's an inciting incident, rising action and a resolution. I LOVE that adults can act like kids again and kids can act like exhausted brats. I love that I hear this on a regular basis, "You're going to have fun whether you like it or not!" I love that parents suddenly have more energy than their children and I also love that you can eat cotton candy and ginormous corn dogs.

What would it be like to have your story turned into an experience? Does it cheapen it, or does it honor it by exposing it to the masses. I'm not sure, but what I do know is that any exposure to a much forgotten classic like The Wind in the Willows is a GOOD thing.

Having said all that, I am glad to be home and back to, at least, pretending to write.

What vacations do you like? Crazy or peaceful.

More Distractions.

So, apparently having a blog and perusing the interwebz isn't enough distraction for me. While I've managed to stay away from--what is sure to be insanely addicting for me--facebook, I am now officially tweeting (did I say that right? Gah, I feel like an old woman).

I kept feeling like I was missing something and--come to find out--I was. A whole world of witty 140 character length gems of philosophical isms. I signed up and then promptly spent the next few hours getting completely immersed in the lifestyle of fellow tweeters. Who knew that John Green reads Moby Dick in his spare time? Who has spare time?

Do you all tweet? And if so, can I follow you? As long as you sprinkle writing advice in with what you're having for lunch...I'll be happy.

What's your take? Is twitter wonderful or all encompassing, addicting, life-consuming: like crack.

Also, I'm considering these. Aren't they ADORABLE!

Day Off.

The quilt of scraps I made for my daughters' bed.
It took six months. Literally.

Hello friends. I just wanted everyone to know that I will not be writing today. Sometimes we have to take the day off. Instead, I'll be starting a new quilt (Fridays are sewing days round here). I am almost as excited for that as I am to start a new novel.

In fact, it strikes me that noveling and quiltmaking have some similarities. For example, I get really excited to write a new novel. The idea is shiny and big and bursting to get on the page. Then, it gets boring and I think about leaving it in my closet for awhile. I have to force myself to keep writing until I finally finish it.

Here's the process with the quilt: find new fabric and design idea. So excited. Cut and sew together top. Still love it. Now time to quilt (bringing the top, middle batting, and back together) SUCKS. It's sort of like revisions. Finally finish quilting. Bind. Binding's not so bad, it's at the end, you can see the product of your work and it's satisfying to get it done.

Me, binding. Oh, how I love binding!
Binding must be like the final copy edits, maybe?

So...instead of noveling today, I'm starting a new quilt novel. I'm making a quilt for my sister (king size, which is comparable to writing a fantasy trilogy) it'll take me forever. I'm hoping to finish it in June.

Here's the new fabric for my quilt. Isn't it pretty?

What hobbies do you have that remind you of writing?

When Fiction Becomes a Game.

I made this shirt yesterday:

I'm going to wear it to my daughter's school where they are reenacting The Hunger Games. That's right, you heard me. Except, I don't think they're killing anyone.

They all read the book, they got split into districts, they had a reaping, interviews and the kids who aren't tributes are stylists and mentors. Oh yeah, and they are getting sponsors from the seventh and eighth graders.

I know. Awesome.

I'll let you know how it goes. My daughter is in District 10 (they excluded District 12 for obv. reasons) and is a stylist. She wishes she was tribute, of course. But we've spent the week sewing faux leather vests and making black and white cow-patterned skull caps. I think Cinna would be proud.

Happy Hunger Games!

Also, I wonder if when Suzanne Collins wrote this book she ever thought that people would care enough about it to work an entire curriculum around it. I love it when people get nerdy about characters from books!

Denouement

My cousin was here visiting this week and he asked me how my book was going. I tried to explain to him that I was working on the denouement.

I said: “You know, I’ve written the climax already. It’s just the stuff that comes after the climax, the denouement,” only I don’t know how to say denouement so it sounded like I was a ninth grader on the first day of French class. Or a white-tennis-shoed-very-American-tourist bouncing around Paris and butchering the language. And to drive in the fact that I didn’t know how to pronounce denouement, I repeated it like three times.

Each time I said it differently.

My nine-year-old son was working on some legos on the couch. I was unaware he was even listening to the conversation. Without even looking up, he explained to my cousin, “Falling action, resolution.”

What the what?

Me, sitting on the rocking chair, mouth agape. “Yes,” I finally said. “Like that.”

In my defense, I work with words all day long. I’m constantly in word overload. I find myself tripping over the most common everyday words. Words like of or because. I’m thinking about bringing my son around with me everywhere. I can just punch him in the shoulder when I need a word.

Do you have this problem too?

Also, how long should a denouement/falling action/resolution be? When is it too long? When is it too short? Thoughts?

Also, I’m proud of my son because he doesn’t exactly fit into the public education box at school. His teachers wanted to retain him in kindergarten, first and second grade. You can read about it here.

Clearly, they were wrong. He’s a genius!

Also, how do you pronounce denouement?

Worlds Collide.

So. I’ve been having an existential breakdown slash breakthrough while you have all been doing productive things like write books and stuff. Here’s the thing, I have written two manuscripts. One of my goals this year is to query. So I became consumed with re-writing my first manuscript, again, in order to get it agent ready. I have re-written this MS many times now. And I still feel like I’m s-t-r-u-g-g-l-i-n-g to get the right pacing, plot, dialogue, voice…you get the idea.

But, I love this MS. It’s full of exciting characters, ideas and plot. And it’s Science Fiction. So uber exciting, you know with space ships and physics and mind-bending imponderables. A whole universe to build and explore.

But, again with the but, I have this other MS that I wrote for NaNo and I also love it. It’s contemporary and sweet and safe, and, well, ME. Here’s the thing, many other people love this one too. And when more than one of my Betas texted me in the middle of the night to say she had stayed up to finish it…I had a moment of clarity.

*I think *

Maybe I need to give my first MS a break. A well-deserved break. Maybe it’s too complex for a first novel. Maybe I need to change the POV again. Maybe I need to tweak the plot. Maybe I need to build a better world/universe. Or, maybe I need to take what’s working and focus on that. Maybe I need to build my NaNo and go from there.

What do you think? Have you ever shelved, top-drawered, back-burnered a book? I feel like I’m letting someone die. My husband says I can always go back to it, but can I? Will I?

What’s your experience?

*A call out to the Universe for help.*

It doesn't help that I'm reading this right now.