Don’t Fight Yourself

I’ve written five full drafts. I’ve a chapter plus of eight others stories (minimum, these stories have a first chapter, but most have more like half a book).

Confession: I’m a plot jumper. I want to write all of them, all the time.

I’ve fought myself for years with words like, “Buckle down. Finish what you start. No one else writes like this.” The great thing is. . . I do finish drafts. I finish edit rounds. I may be fighting myself the whole time, or barely noticing because I’m swept up in the evolution of a story I love. That voice in my head, the one that sounds something like a drill sergeant, is silly. I don’t have a deadline, not yet. I should be enjoying the swept-up-ness, especially since I’ve had one of my better revelations.

Revelation: I write better when I’m not fighting those plot-jumping impulses.

In fact, I came up with a system most people would rightly think is bananas, BUT I love it like I love following my plot-jumping impulses. I put this symbol ([]) in my draft. I place it where I leave off, and then I jump to the next thing (albeit, the next thing might be coming back to that very same symbol/draft and editing/ writing two more chapters). I can even rally myself straight through a draft this way. The things is, I just try to remember that writing is an adventure–one with fun and inspiration and creativity. Maybe a machete.

I won’t lie and pretend I never have a rough time writing. I’m a perfectionist hoarding her words from rejection.

But if I can give some advice after years of fighting myself, it would be this: Don’t. Don’t fight yourself. Now, this isn’t a carte blanche moment where I encourage everyone to procrastinate, or indulge in habits you don’t feel serve you. However, I am saying our writing methods can be weird; no one probably writes exactly like you. Embrace that about yourself. Don’t keep imposing advice on yourself that doesn’t work. Don’t let the voice win. Really, what I’m trying to say is listen to yourself. Be kind. Rewind? Just kidding. Sometimes I cannot stop myself.

Okay creatives, I’ll write it one last time. Don’t. Fight. Yourself.

 

Burnout: The Beast of Apathy

This topic is near and dear to my heart. I work for 40-45 hours a week, doing a thought intensive lawyer job. Then I write 5-7 hours every week. I have CPs, animals, a really cute toddler (who cries if you play on your phone in front of him). He does not like to be phubbed (phone snubbed).

I still make time to clean my house, hang out with husband, and to hang out with my friends. Life is a go-go-go scenario (with meditation and yoga and enough sleep and a semi-descent diet). All that to basically say that orchestrating my ideal level of balance is a trial by fire scenario, and dear friends, I’ve failed and flown alike.

For me, burnout creates an apathetic monster who lets part of her life slide, and the only way out of the troubled burnout land, for me, has been time. Slowly rearranging priorities and backing off the intensity in which I do things. Watching kitten videos and buzzfead. Reading cheesy romance novels (this is not a dig. cheese is my favorite food.). Reading wickedly awesome romance novels. Watching re-runs of my favorite tv shows (oh, the Magicians/ Brooklyn Nine-Nine). Watching my favorite movies, too. But these are my solutions. Because there’s no such canned solution to fix this. Not that fits all, not 100%. It’s about knowing yourself, and following your bliss, or whatever.

Sometimes you need to talk about it with someone. Sometimes you don’t. But for the love of all that is GOOD and DECENT, listen to yourself.

This has been a PSA for writers, doers, and livers (that reads weird; keep’n it!). Brought to you by: The Girl Who Recently Got Too Close To Burnout.

Midnight Blue by L.J. Shen

◊◊◊◊◊♥♥♥♥♥
(On a scale of 1-5 hearts)

Title: MIDNIGHT BLUE
Author: l.J. Shen
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Blue-L-J-Shen-ebook/dp/B0793DH5TP/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1517234209&sr=8-1&keywords=midnight+blue

I love this trope (wikipedia says a trope is a “commonly recurring literary devices”, like aliens/ bad boy & good girl/ etc.) Rockstar meets normal girl. I could read that plot a thousand times, like my undying love for vampires and werewolves. (Undying love? See what I did there?) Not to mention there are Dual POVs (points of view). Another bonus is this is on Amazon’s kindle unlimited. $9ish for all the books you can read a month, as long as that book is listed as kindle unlimited.

The book itself centers around a reckless rockstar, who needs a babysitter. Meet Indie, the girl who could use the $300,000 of babysitting money. She’s smart. She’s basically a bad ass main character–I imagine if she were a fantasy character and wielded a sword she could defeat a thousand foes with one hand behind her back.

Though really. If you like this trope, and a smart, stand-up-for herself type main character. . . you’re going to love this.

Non- Romance Plot – ♥♥♥♥♥ The rock scene and romance are the tip of the iceberg. There’s press spin, and family drama. So, I really enjoyed the depth added to one of my favorite tropes.

Tension- ♥♥♥♥

Pacing-♥♥♥♥

Voice-♥♥♥♥♥ It’s poetic and approachable. My favorite combination. If you like the first couple of pages, the awesomeness doesn’t drop off. And the male POV is spectacularly multi-faceted.

Writing-♥♥♥♥♥ The one draw back to this trope. . . I don’t always love the writing (or the voice really), but this fits me perfectly. I truly love the writing.

MC (Main Character)-♥♥♥♥♥ I’ve already told you. The best.

Hero?-♥♥♥♥ Oh, Alex. When I mentioned he’s multi-faceted, I simply meant he could vary from being a complete a hole, to charming, to genuine and wonderful. Albeit the a hole part of him is alive and kicking most of the book. . . he’s been hurt (not a wonderful excuse). But the character grows, and grows on you, if given the chance.

Other Characters-♥♥♥♥♥ This is done so nicely. There is depth to the other characters, and they aren’t just props to the Indie and Alex show.

ROMANCE-♥♥♥♥♥ I’m not ruining this for you. It’s hot. It’s full of will they/ won’t they. It’s dramatic as all get out, and I love it.

All and all, this book is cute, and so well written. I know I will be reading this again. Oh, and buying it to add to my library!

◊◊◊◊◊♥♥♥♥♥

Inspiration Post- The inspired idea.
The System Post-The rules of the road.

Unleashing Mr. Darcy by Teri Wilson

◊◊◊◊◊♥♥♥♥♥ (On a scale of 1-5 hearts)

Title: UNLEASHING MR. DARCY
Author: Teri Wilson
Link to buy: https://www.amazon.com/Unleashing-Mr-Darcy-Teri-Wilson/dp/037377835X   

This dual POV (point of view= more than one character tells the story) book is a retelling of Pride and Prejudice in modern day London and with dog shows. It’s one of my favorite go tos. I read it once a year. It’s full of banter and intense attraction. I also think it’s my Pride and Prejudice obsession, mixing with my romance obsession. If you like all the preceding things and dog shows (even a tiny bit), or hell, if you just like dogs, this book is probably something you would like.

Non- Romance Plot – ♥♥♥♥♥ She killed it. (This is the opener for my fake example of plot, but so fitting for this story.) The dog show. Do I like to endlessly watch dog shows in real life? Not really. But I do love dogs. So I found the related world to be cool and interesting.
 
Tension- ♥♥♥♥

Pacing-♥♥♥♥

Voice-♥♥♥♥♥ I think this might be why I read this book, over and over. Modern Day Elizabeth? Yes, please.

Writing-♥♥♥♥♥ I didn’t re-write, edit as I went. If I can stop my writer self from nit-picking, then the writing has to be A level. And this so is.

MC (Main Character)-♥♥♥♥♥

Hero?-♥♥♥♥♥ Perfection. He is perfection. It’s that simple.

Other Characters-♥♥♥♥♥ Sue–the other dog owner–is lovely. The characters all work so well, and I’m here for it.

ROMANCE-♥♥♥♥ It’s near perfect. They do have the best banter, and Darcy’s point of view–just swoon. It’s the swoon.

Like I said in the beginning, if you like dual POVs, Pride and Prejudice retellings, and dogs, then this story is for you.

◊◊◊◊◊♥♥♥♥♥

 

 

Inspiration Post- The inspired idea.
The System Post-The rules of the road.

The System

This will be a work in progress.

As I writer, I don’t believe in *having to* be perfect on the first try. Not after the fifty-eleven-million edits of my novels. Is there a sentence that survives from the first draft? Probably. But then again. . . all writers experience THE FIGHT. You know, THE FIGHT. The struggle with that one terrible, nearly un-fix-able sentence (or paragraph, or chapter) for five hours (weeks too, I’m looking at you Follow That Kiss ending chapter).

All that is to say, I’m going to use a system I like, but one that may evolve into a better a system over time. My crystal ball is too clear at the moment. She (yes, she) refuses my request to scan the future of this system. So, alas, I shall give you my best effort, and as always, I’m open to suggestions.

Ready? For my best effort, most beautifully analytic and creative system in my head? Good. Me too.

*Side note* ~ I stole this from how I provide feedback to my CPs (critique partners). ALSO, these categories are a bit self explanatory, but it won’t hurt you to understand what my brain is thinking. I don’t think it will hurt you. Meh.

Example

◊◊◊◊◊♥♥♥♥♥ (On a scale of 1-5 hearts)

Title: THE BEST ROMANCE ALIVE
Author: Made-Up Melissa
Link to buy: http://www.made-upmelissa.com (But in real life, this will be an amazon link.)

Plot describes the main events of the book.
Plot (other than romance)- ♥♥♥♥♥ She killed it. The bunny and duck scene are indescribable (well, rather I don’t want to ruin it for you). You’ll just have to read it, but damn. That waterfall accident? Yikes. READ IT.

Tension describes the drama. Are you interested in reading the book tonight, forgoing sleep? If yes, there’s probably a good amount of tension in it.
Tension- ♥♥♥ There was a scene or two that was borderline boring.

Pacing describes how fast the plot is moving. Too fast? Too slow? Just right, I hope so.
Pacing-♥♥♥ Same issue as tension.

Voice describes the word choice and how well the character’s uniqueness comes through. I like voices to have a poetic quality.
Voice-♥♥♥♥ There are several lines in this book I’ve highlighted and stored away. So I can read them again and again. Melissa is too cool, you guys.

Grammar/usage describes the writing itself.
Grammar/ Usage-♥♥♥♥ very few, if any mistakes. This lady is seriously good.

MC describes the main character. This is a hard category. Sometimes I like the unlikable, but in the situation, I’ll probably better explain.
MC (Main Character)-♥♥♥♥♥ She’s pretty bomb. She punched at least two people in this book, and blew the hero’s. . . mind.

The hero describes the love interest. He won’t always be the hero. And this category might not be relevant if his point of view is included in the book (in the scenario, he’d be a main character too).
Hero?-♥♥♥♥♥ Perfection. He is perfection. It’s that simple.

Other characters are anyone besides the main characters. Some books will not have many, others may have too many. I’ll take this into account in my review.
Other Characters-♥♥♥♥♥ I’m fairly sure the best friend needs to be my best friend.

Romance describes my favorite thing. I’ll spend the most time here.
ROMANCE-♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ b/c it was sooooo hot. So explicit, for anyone who doesn’t love so explicit. So tooth-ache sweet. So perfect. It’s the best romance alive.

Then I’ll end with a wrap up.

◊◊◊◊◊♥♥♥♥♥

You guys. I can’t wait to start reviewing. This is going to be the super fun.

Cover Reveal and Squeals!

Today I am revealing the cover for THE HEARTBEAT HYPOTHESIS by Lindsey Frydman!

ABOUT THE HEARTBEAT HYPOTHESIS

Audra Madison simply wanted to walk in the shoes of Emily Cavanaugh, a free-spirited teenager who died too young. After all, Audra wasn’t supposed to be here.

Thanks to Emily, Audra has a second chance at life. She’s doing all the things that seemed impossible just two years ago: Go to college. Date. Stargaze in the Rocky Mountains. Maybe get a tattoo. You know, live.

Jake Cavanaugh, a photographer with mysterious, brooding gray eyes, agrees to help chronicle her newfound experiences. She makes him laugh, one of the only people who can these days. As they delve into each other’s pasts – and secrets – the closer they become.

But she’s guarded and feels like she can’t trust anyone, including herself.

And he’s struggling with the fact that his beloved sister’s heart beats inside her.

THE HEARTBEAT HYPOTHESIS RELEASES MARCH 20, 2017

PREORDER: Amazon

ABOUT LINDSEY FRYDMAN

Lindsey has been writing since she was nine years old, when she discovered the awesomeness that is Harriet the Spy. Her books always include a romance, though sometimes there’s an added sci-fi or magical realism twist. She lives in Columbus, Ohio (where the weather is never quite right). Her BFA in Photography and Graphic Design has granted her a wide assortment of creative knowledge that serves as inspiration (and not much else). When she’s not crafting YA and NA stories, you’ll likely find her spending waaay too much time on Pinterest, playing a video game, singing show-tunes, or performing in a burlesque show—because she enjoys giving her introversion a worthy adversary. (Plus, it’s the closest to Broadway she’ll ever get.) Lindsey was a proud 2016 Pitch Wars Mentee and thoroughly adores being a part of the wonderful writing community. THE HEARTBEAT HYPOTHESIS is her debut novel.

CONNECT WITH LINDSEY:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter

Make sure to sign up for Lindsey’s newsletter to get the first sneak peek at THE HEARTBEAT HYPOTHESIS!

The Awakening Series by Jeanie Gray

I’m a romance addict. I’m also a fantasy/ paranormal addict. Seriously, I read one book in the vein of either each week. I fly through so many different books that some of them blur together. Luckily, some stand out. Those I want to treasure, but instead, I consume like the bag of Doritos *cough* er–I mean oatmeal because I’m pregnant and oatmeal is healthy–I had for breakfast.

I want to be in the habit of reviewing the books that standout. I’ve shared that reviewing isn’t my favorite thing. I think it might be leftover from my English major. A phobia about creating a never ending theory that’s damn near improvable and requires about sixteen books to almost back up the text. This isn’t that. So I’ll keep pushing myself to review.

The Awakening Series is one of the standouts. I don’t like to spoil, but I do like to highlight. So read with that in mind. I won’t tell you how it ends, but I will give away hunks of plot.

Firstly, there are vampires. There are well done, unique quality vampires. I love me a vampire. I’m sorry. I know it’s considered ” basically unsellable” in the publishing circle, but you can’t convince me that I won’t want to read a hundred more. *Twilight lookalikes need not apply, even though I read all four books. Once was enough.*

Book 1: This first book deals with many plot points, such as the main character’s (Lily Frank) fiance–who is a whole new level of boring predictability, her mother’s death, the “murderer”, betrayal, action, and a vampire. There’s a little bit of dual point of view (which I’m a sucker for). There are also some side antics with a best friend, and then there’s the unwavering douche bag who her father would prefer her to marry. It’s got the right amount of drama, definitely consent with the romance, the ballsy-brainy heroine, and  empathy/ outrage to share with the heroine. I love it. I read it in no time flat. It’s not long. OH, and it’s free. Did I mention the first is free? It’s free. Why not take the chance? Especially if you’re a romance or fantasy addict like myself.

Book 2: The second book deals with a whole new world of plot points. It’s the world of vampires, and it is awesome. There’s the blooming romance, more dual point of view, and the unique vampire aspects too. There are missing memories. There is even more action. There are new characters. There is suspicion (near constant), death, secrets, and more than one betrayal. I know this review is more vague than the last book’s review, but I’m not giving the good parts away. There are some majorly good parts. You’ll just have to read it to find out!

Book 3: The last in the series is a good closing book. It jumps in time by about 40 years, and  the journey is more than learning about the world. It’s an emotional development. You watch the heroine heal, embrace some change. There’s even vampire politics that are actually interesting. I really enjoyed this book too, but there’s something special about the romance in this book. I think because there’s some taboo, and Ms. Gray does it right. It isn’t gratuitous, and I could not be more appreciative of her approach. If you like the first and second book, by this point you should understand you’ll like this one. I would say this is probably my favorite of the three, and I’m glad I read this series (inside of a week . . . yeah, I mean that thing about consuming.).

Overall, this series is great. Come on, it has vampires/ romance/ fantasy, and I’m glad I’ve had the opportunity to read it. I love finding romance that doesn’t disappoint me, and this definitely doesn’t disappoint.

 

FicFest 2016

FicFest is a new contest. There are mentor teams. There’s an impressive list of agents. There’s also been some awesome live chats on twitter.

The rules for the contest are very specific. If you’re interested, I suggest reading the rules at least twice.

The cool thing about this contest is: you don’t submit to specific teams. The teams sort through our submissions and pick based on interest. Not that I haven’t read the team’s for my age category. I have. I mention this because I always stress about who to submit to. Am I making the right choice? Most of the time, I’m unsure. I debate down to the wire. I won’t have that with this contest, and I’m EXCITED about it.

I’ll be submitting my fantasy novel. I really enjoy entering contests (pitch2pub was fantastic). I love meeting people on twitter and the genuineness of the writing community. Contests have really opened my eyes to how writers interact as a community, and with each one, I feel more and more impressed. I seriously can’t wait. My email has been ready for weeks (minus the address so I don’t accidentally send).

If you’ve a complete draft, consider entering. It should be fun regardless of the result; the writing community engagement will be worth it.

 

The Next Project: What’s The Hold Up?

In the last posts , I discuss querying and rejection. What’s next after sending off the queries? And why is it so damn hard to start what’s next? There’s no doubt my writing abilities have improved, but when I receive a rejection–even when being super rational–I wonder whether my writing failed me. Am I not good enough? Will I ever be good enough?  Now, take all those emotions (from the unruly self-loathing to the normal self-doubt) and put them on top of starting a new project, sprucing up an old project. A new project has it’s own pitfalls and rewards, like when I’m full of despair sludging through a saggy middle or when I’m ecstatic a scene finally became my bitch instead of the other way around.  How can I focus on this new project when the other project is up in the air? Can I put in the effort and time from the project before it?

Does it matter?

Rejection + a new project can shake even the most confident writers. I’ve at least read about seasoned writers having trouble with new projects. Nova Ren Suma (one of my favorites) wrote a very heartfelt blog post about writing fears in relation to a new project. I really connected to it, and it’s worth a read. New projects are tough, and even if I have a bad-ass idea and first draft, it isn’t easy for me. I don’t think there’s a magic incantation that allows you to move forward. (If there is, please share.) I move forward the best way I know how (mostly keeping my writing routine), and hopefully the next project folds into the next project more easily.

So what I know is: the hold up is me. In the land of patience–which is where I’ve stuck the world of writing on my worldview map–I want to rush when it’s not possible. I want to produce and burn and create, but my mind, probably lots of people’s minds, doesn’t work that way. So here’s my official reminder: I’ve worked through rough patches before, and I can do it again. I need to forgive myself. I’m only human.

 

 

 

Rejection & What It Means To Me

Part of the writer life is rejection. No human being accepts and likes rejection from the jump (okay, that’s a blanket statement, but what five year old wants to be told no?). Yet, we experience rejection throughout our lives, probably daily.

Since I’m querying, I know more rejection will come. BUT. . . I’ve sent out two queries before last week, both of which were rejected. I’ve entered contests, both of which I didn’t win.

So far I learned (the abbreviated version):

• Subjectivity. It’s alive and kicking, and you have to rationalize with yourself about it. Do you want help from someone who doesn’t love your writing style or story? I don’t. That’s like asking me to work on a math thesis. I will dislike you for it, and as hellbent on being a perfectionist as I am, I will lose patience and probably do a sub-par job. Math is not my thing, just like fantasy or romance can be someone else’s math.
• Are you ready? Ha. This one is a hard one for me, but luckily I have some of the world’s best CPs. No, seriously. I forced my CP Lindsey into answering this question for me. It went something like: throw document at her, run away and pretend she doesn’t have it, and get it back with a green-light answer. Keep in mind, I didn’t ask her to look until I was almost certain. As certain as I could be. Does that mean the document is perfect? I tried, but I think most writers usually edit published works in their own heads. So, things can always improve.
• Hope vs. Despair. I want to hope my novel will land in the lap of the perfect agent, but I don’t want to build myself up and watch my agent hopes turn to ash. Agent hunting can be a true test of self-worth. I remind myself that failure to find an agent doesn’t means my writing isn’t worthy of reaching the public, and nor do I think it should stop me from self-publishing. But balancing hope, skepticism, despair, and about a thousand other emotions is hard.

I’m not excited about more rejection, but I won’t let it stop me from writing and pressing on. If you search, you can find hundreds of writing journey stories. They are all different. They are all intensely personal. (More blanket statements 🙂 ) Rejection is part of this life, and I’m not going to let the fear of it dictate the path ahead. I need to remember what I’ve learned. Agent viewpoints and likes are subjective. I’ve worked my ass off to create an MS I think is ready to kick out of the nest. And I need to remain balanced. Hopefully, I’ll keep learning too, but in the meantime, I’ll handle what life/ rejection/ writing throws at me.