2011...What a year!

We're having a New Year's Eve party at our house and getting ready for tonight's festivities has got me thinking about the year that was 2011.

It was a great year. A great year in my writing life. A great year in my family life. I'm a little sad to see this year go.

Thinking back over the year - this was a big year for change.

In my writing life:

I didn't start writing THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING until Feburary of this year. In fact, on New Year's Eve last year, this story was just a few stray thoughts that had started to grow in my mind.

I didn't start this blog until August.

I didn't have a twitter account or a Facebook page until November.

In my family life:

My two older boys are growing and muturing and fast becoming young men. Well, there are moments (okay, a lot of moments) when they aren't so mature - they are boys after all - but you get what I'm saying!

My baby moved from diapers to big boy pants - and any of you with young kids knows what a Hallelujah moment that is! He also started K3 in August and was one of the only kids that didn't cry on the first day of school. (Is it really sad that part of me wished he did!)

2011 was so awesome that I’ve got really high hopes for 2012. I’ll be starting revisions soon which is scary and exciting at the same time. I’ll get to meet my agent, my editor and several of the Lucky 13 authors in NYC in January. I’ve started the sequel to Rules and 2012 will be the year to see what that book will ultimately become. And maybe even a few other ideas are growing.

So goodbye 2011 – I really loved ya! And hello 2012 – you’re looking pretty nice yourself.

And one last thought…After today – I can say my book comes out next year!! How cool is that!

Have a very SAFE and very WONDERFUL  New Year!

Character Interviews are hard

Today I posted my first blog post at the Lucky 13s. The topic was character interview and it was much harder than I thought it would be. I wrote these characters, so therefore it should be really easy to "interview" them.

Right?

Not so much.

Mainly because there is so much I didn't want to give away.

If you want to check it out, click here. I hope you enjoy a little glimpse into the world of THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING.

Things I Learned in New York

First, let me say, my trip to New York City was incredible! We covered more ground (on foot by the way) than I thought was humanly possible and ate the most incredible food – my favorite stop was probably the little bakery in Little Italy. Oh, cannoli!

Yes. These were all mine. Don't judge me.

 

So this is what I learned on my trip to New York:

1.      I am not wired for marathon shopping. There were nine of us in our group – 4 of them being 13 year old girls. And they like to shop. For many hours. In a row. I knew I was out of my league when we walked into a store and I immediately looked for a chair.

2.      The world is a small place. Besides the nine of us – two other families that go to our school stayed at our hotel (I knew they would be there but it was still strange running into them). We met a very eccentric woman in the elevator that lives two miles from my house and I ran into a family whose son is friends with my oldest walking through Times Square. On our last day, I bumped into a woman in Dylan’s Candy Bar whose daughters I have photographed numerous times. That’s insane to me.

3.      I love Broadway shows. We saw Wicked, Mama Mia and the Rockettes. We might have embarrassed the girls by singing and dancing in our seats during Mama Mia but we didn’t care.

4.      Fifteen seconds on TV is really exciting. We got up early and made our way to GMA where Sam Champion actually interviewed the girls on air. I think I was a giddy about it as they were.

5.      Can’t wait to go back in January for the SCBWI Winter conference!

Outside GMA. The girls stayed up until 2am making that sign. I know - it's awesome.

Really bad iPhone pic outside of Mama Mia.

It’s always good coming home, though. And as much as I loved hanging with all those girls – I really missed my boys.

And actions speak louder than words. I guess this is my youngest son's way of telling me he wasn't going to be left behind next time.

Baby Boy with his favorite pillow and favorite blanket in my empty suitcase.

The main difference between traveling with girls vs. boys – the amount of time it takes everyone to get ready to leave the room.  

Braiding hair before a night on the town. You would think mulit-tasking like this would speed things up.
It doesn't.

Watch out NYC...here I come!

This year is the SCBWI 13th Annual Winter's Conference in NYC! And since I joined the Lucky 13s blog and will be debuting in 2013 - I took that as a sign to attend. But what's equally exciting is that I will (finally) meet - in person - my fab agent, Sarah Davies and my awesome editor Emily Meehan while I'm there! Woo hoo!

But I'll also be in the Big Apple this weekend! A group of friends are taking their daughters to celebrate turning 13! Yes, another sign - I must go too! "But wait," you say, "you don't have a 13 yr old daughter. Or any daughter for that matter. All you talk about are those boys!"

I know - and that's the beauty of it. I'm going as the "Favorite Aunt!" I get all the fun of watching these girls experience New York, shopping with them, attending some shows (Wicked, Mama Mia and the Rockettes!) with them  - with none of the responsibility! The trips my hubby and sons plan consist of camping out in some remote wilderness place where war has to be waged against all the bugs and wildlife in order to get a decent night's sleep. But this is a trip with shopping - and other females. I can't resist.

If any of you have ever been - I'd love any recommendations: things to do, places to eat, anything that's a must for New York...

Lucky 13s, Geaux Saints and social media discoveries

It's been a busy week! First, and most exciting, I've joined The Lucky 13s blog! It's a blog for children's and young adult authors debuting in 2013. You should seriously check it out - the up-coming books all look fantastic over there! And there's a new post today - an interview with Leanna Renee Hieber, author of DARKER STILL: A NOVEL OF MAGIC MOST FOUL.

This past weekend, Hubby and I took our two oldest sons to New Orleans. It was a fantasy weekend for Louisiana sports lovers with LSU beating Bama and the Saints beating the Bucs. We watched the LSU game in a small restaurant/pub. I felt a little sorry for the lone table of Bama fans in the back corner. But the real reason for the trip was we had tickets for the Saints game. Needless to say, my kids were in heaven.

Look how great our seats were!! Six rows from the field!

Oldest son and middle son just before the game started

And for my social media discoveries - I'm starting to get the hang of it. For those of you that don't know me - I'm a little late to the game but making up for lost time. I'm now on twitter. It was a little overwhelming at first - my phone was making noises every few minutes but I've got an easy rhythm now. So come visit me - I'd love to hear from you.

I have news...

Every writer dreams of the day they will make THE ANNOUNCEMENT.

Well...brace yourself!

From Publisher's Marketplace:

Ashley Elston’s THE RULES FOR DISAPPEARING, about a girl who, desperate to escape the Witness Protection program and discover what really happened the day that ruined her family’s lives, breaks her minders’ ultimate rule by falling for a boy and embarking with him on a perilous journey to outwit both cops and criminals, to Emily Meehan at Disney-Hyperion Children’s, in a good deal, in a pre-empt, in a two-book deal, for publication in Winter 2013,by Sarah Davies at the Greenhouse Literary Agency (NA).

*squees, jumps  up and down and generally acts a little crazy*

This has been in the works for the last week and the hardest thing in the world to keep quiet about. Needless to say, there's been lots of celebrating, tears, more celebrating, more tears... you get the picture.

First, I'd think to thank my incredible, fabulous, super-agent Sarah Davies. From my first conversation with Sarah, even though it was probably a tad difficult to understand each other with her proper British accent and my slow southern drawl, I knew I was in good hands.

And many, many thanks to Emily Meehan at Disney-Hyperion Children’s. I’m thrilled RULES found a home with her. I’m so excited about working with Emily and the entire Disney-Hyperion group.

Also thanks to all my family and friends for all their support and encouragement. And thanks to the readers of this blog. This is a great community and I’m so happy to be a part of it.  

Thriller Time

I love Halloween – the costumes, the candy, carved pumpkins, spooky decorations. Oh, and did I mention the candy? But today is really exciting. This year my oldest son is in middle school and will be able to participate in the Thriller dance. Yes, the entire middle school does a zombie dance to Michael Jackson’s Thriller at a special Halloween pep rally. So last night we shredded one of my husband’s white undershirts and got the face paint and fake blood ready to take to school.

Michael Jackson in the music video Thriller

The best part is: when I was the same age, I was learning the same dance. I was 11 when the video was released and my friends and I spent HOURS mastering every step. Watching him do the same thing is awesome. I hope I just don’t embarrass him if I bust a move in the back of the Gym. I may not can help myself.   

Location, location, location

I use real locations when I write. It's not a conscious decision, nor do I think of it as a hard and fast rule. It’s just what works for me. One day I could write a story set in some really cool fantasy setting that was created solely from my imagination, but for now, I find my stories in the quaint little towns that embody the southern charm that is Louisiana.

Now, don’t get me wrong – I’ll plop a restaurant or school or anything else I need where one really doesn’t exist but I strive to show the natural appeal of these neat little places. The photographer in me loves to have actual images to refer to when writing descriptions. I use maps, and Google driving directions if my characters have to visit another location. I try to incorporate local customs or food if at all possible. If you’ve never been to Louisiana – the food alone is worth the visit!



Crawfish and corn - Yum!

My husband knows this about me and is currently trying to talk me in to writing a story set in Costa Rica. And of course, we’ll have to travel there for “research” and then the trip will be a write-off, right? Not sure Uncle Sam will agree with that but it’s fun to talk about.

Actually, I’m thinking more about a "girls’ trip to New York" story. Shopping and plays on Broadway. Maybe a museum visit or two. Out on the town every night. 

I’ll definitely need to research that.

The 80s are calling...they want their hair back.

I almost hate to admit this…but I had my 20^th high school year reunion last weekend. Yes, 20 years. And honestly, I don’t know where all the time went because in my mind’s eye – I’m still 26.

But this is what I learned at my reunion (and I don’t do Facebook or anything like that nor do I live in the town where I graduated so most people were a surprise to me!):

1.      It really feels like you just left. Or for me anyway. There were a few girls I’d gone to school with from kindergarten to Senior year but haven’t seen them since. And I swear we picked up right where we left off.

2.     The guys have a lot less hair now – and some of them on purpose. Many a shaved head last Saturday night.

3.     My hubby is a super good sport! He listened to hours of “Remember when…” without any complaint. He really deserves a prize.

4.     High school nick-names stick. Quite a few guys probably wish that was not the case!! (You know who you are!)

5.     No matter how cute you want to look – 4 inch heels are a bad idea. Very bad.

And now for a really bad 80s pics:

Yes, that is a giant bow across my chest. My mother made me take this pic right before my date picked me up for prom my junior year. I look thrilled, right. And what's even worse is my hair looks the exact same! Maybe time for a new do.

Wandering around the Web

There are some really amazing people on the Internet. I’d love to share a few sites that you might not know about:

That Flighty Temptress – Blog by Kat Brauer. Kat is awesome. I found her blog earlier in the year after I finished the first draft of my manuscript. She was doing something really cool – a critique for a donation to her charity. You can find out all about it here. So I thought – why not? I need a critique and would love to help out a good charity at the same time. Win-Win, right? Her critique was spot on and helped me immensely. Love what she does!

The Intern – Blog by unknown intern in the publishing business. Now, Intern has been out of the country for a while – I think India – but she’s due back any day. It’s worth going through her archives – she has a ridiculous amount of information on the publishing business and one of the funniest sites I’ve ever read. Go snoop around over there – totally worth it.

Simply Nerdy Book Reviews – a blog that reviews young adult books by a young adult. She’s 15, I think. And this is why I love it! I stumbled across this site not long ago. Leah gives an honest opinion on some of the latest YA books out there.

There’s tons more, I know – not to mention the agent sites that are really helpful with everything from writing to revising to querying. These are just a few that I found really helpful. Enjoy!

100 Sentences

How well do you know your characters? It’s a good question. My first answer was: Pretty good since I’m the one that created them! But there’s more to it than that. I ran across this post by Mary Kole, agent with Andrea Brown Literary. The first part of it really caught my eye.

This is just a piece of the article:

 Brainstorms and Tips

This works best with a character or a setting that’s giving you difficulty. Concentrate on  this place or this person and write 100 declarative sentences about her, him or it. Sounds simple, right? Well, it really calls into question how well you know what you’re writing about.

And so to prove to myself that I really know my characters – I took the challenge with the main character of my new WIP in mind. 

The first twenty sentences were a piece of cake.

By the time I got to sixty-five, I didn’t think there was anything else to say about her.

Mary warned me it would be hard, and it was, but I finished– and it was totally worth it. Through this exercise I learned so many things about her. And even though some of the sentences were - Her favorite dessert is Bananas Foster - it was important for me to know that she’s not a single scoop of vanilla ice cream in a cup kind of girl. No, she likes her desserts with a little flair. She likes a dessert that you have to ignite. And through this list making process, several other aspects of her personality showed themselves.

The entire post by Mary is great and has some really awesome tips. I’m moving on to the “Reading Aloud” exercise. I’m sure my family’s gonna love me after that one!   

And since all this talk of Bananas Foster has my mouth watering - I want to share this recipe from the website for Brennan's Restaurant (one of the best places to eat in New Orleans):

This is the actual Bananas Foster recipe from the original source and creator of this dessert: Brennan's Restaurant. In 1951, Chef Paul created Bananas Foster. The scrumptious dessert was named for Richard Foster, who served with Owen on the New Orleans Crime Commission. Richard Foster was a frequent customer of Brennan's and a very good friend of Owen.

BANANAS FOSTER

• ¼ cup (½ stick) butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ cup banana liqueur
• 4 bananas, cut in half
  lengthwise, then halved
• ¼ cup dark rum
• 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
  
  Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.

To plot, or not to plot

Funny how certain topics seem to be in the air. I’ve been thinking a lot about plotting the last few days and noticed several other blogs are chatting about it as well. Or maybe I’m just noticing it more since I have plot on the brain.

I’m a pantser. For my non-writing friends reading this – A pantser is someone who writes off the hip, no real planning involved. This does not surprise you about me, I know.  

In everything I do, I’m a pantser. I follow recipes half-heartily. I stroll down grocery aisles without a list. I wander around the gym, picking machines randomly. But I’m thinking about converting. I can hear the gasps now. And yes, I could do it. Probably. Well, maybe.

Okay, so to start acting more plottier (I know, not a real word) – I’ll make a list of the pros and cons:

Pros:

1.      It’ll make revision time shorter – I won’t write 10,000 words of backstory before realizing where the real story starts

2.      It’ll show my agent what the next manuscript is about – I can say, “See, I was worth the risk. Look at all these glorious ideas all neat and in order!!”

3.      Well, that’s all I have right now but I like things in threes so okay. Moving on.

Cons:

1.      Plotting is super scary to me – I have to actually know what’s going to happen before it happens. This seems like a no-brainer but that’s not how my brainer works. (I know, not a real word either)

2.      My characters are a mystery to me – and they like it that way.

3.      What’s the fun in knowing what’s gonna happen, anyway?

Well, that did nothing for me.

But I’m still going to try it. Hopefully, I can find a happy middle ground like hating broccoli but eating it covered in cheese because I know it’s good for me.

    

Brides, babies and all around cuteness!

I love pictures. And as you may notice a trend with this blog – I think a good visual aid is helpful in getting a point across.

I haven’t been a photographer for hire for the last several years. It was a hard decision to make, closing my photography business, but something had to give. Three kids, a very un-glamorous (I know, not a real word) day job of keeping books for hubby’s landscaping company and writing. I still take portraits of family and friends as a gift and that seems to satisfy that part of me.

And truthfully - taking pictures and writing are eerily similar pursuits. They both tell a story.

Now for visiual aid examples!

Love - My oldest (as in time, not age...she would kill me if I didn't clarify this!) friend that got married this past summer. 



They got married on this rock overlooking the Arkansas River. Awesome view!



New beginnings - My youngest on the day after he was born.

Look at those lips! Super kissable!

Mischief - These two are planning something. It's probably about how fast they can jump in that bayou before I catch them.



And they would do it, too.



A great writer creates stunning visuals in the reader’s head through words alone -weaving stories that grow into beautiful images. A story of love, or new beginnings or even creating a little mischief. This is my goal. What's yours?

Time Management

Summer was busy - all three kids at home with various activities: basketball camp, VBS, golf lessons… And yet, it was super productive for me in terms of writing. I finished the revisions on my manuscript, got my query just right and started the hunt to find an agent. When the offers started coming in, it was the week before school started. My house was full of kids (it seems they all have friends over when the really big things happen!) so I sat in my car to take calls from prospective agents. It was the only place where I could actually hear the other person on the phone.

And now everyone is back in school. Even my youngest goes to preschool every morning, staying until 2 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. And my house is quiet. Really quiet. For many hours in a row.

I have tons of time to write. Uninterrupted time. And I’ve got several new stories percolating around – each one trying to flesh themself out. But what am I doing? Not writing. I’m cleaning out the 3 year olds closet and pulling out fall decorations to spruce up my mantle and organizing my pantry and… anything other than writing.

It’s too quiet. I need the noise. I need the time constraints – like only being able to write while the 3 year old naps and the older boys are away at some activity.

Don’t get me wrong, I am getting some writing done. But inevitably, when I sit down at the computer, I notice the clock and realize 3 year old has to be picked up in thirty minutes…   

250 words

It takes you weeks months years, but you finish your manuscript. You double and triple check all 70,000 - 80,000 words of it. You send it to critique partners and hold your breath while you read their comments. Okay, not so bad – just need to revise the whole thing! And you do one, maybe two revisions. You can recite the first chapter from memory. You dream about your characters at night. You’ve done everything you can do - it’s finally ready to go out in the world.

And then you start writing the Query Letter.

You’ve heard of this thing but how hard could it be. I mean, you’ve already written 70,000 words – what’s another 250?

It’s the 250 words that will sum up the essence of your carefully crafted baby. It will be informative but not boring. It will be fresh! And exciting! It will entice an agent to request the full immediately!

It will be the hardest 250 words you ever write.    

There are entire websites dedicated to helping you get it right. (Great posts here, here and here) You read every Query Shark post and make a pact with yourself that you won’t make those mistakes. Or wind up here. You scour agent’s websites looking for their pet peeves and hope to find a fun fact to throw in that shows you really did your research.

But there comes a time when you just have to go with your gut. The query letter that got the attention of my agent broke a few of the hard and fast rules. I wrote it from my protagonist’s point-of-view. My query gave the protagonist’s backstory leading up to where the manuscript starts but doesn’t mention what happens next. Two big no-no’s.

But it worked. My query did its job. Sarah requested a partial, then a week later asked for the full. The offer for representation came a day later. Within a few days, I had four offers! (If you really want to know what that feels like, check out this)

My best advice - query widely. An awesome query is not awesome to every agent. Make a list of agents you love. Do your research. Send out a personalized, well-crafted email per the guidelines of each individual agent. 

And then get ready for the fun part...The Wait! (and you thought writing the query was hard!)   

Boy vs Girl

Anytime a new idea pops in my head, I always think, “Should this story be from a girl’s point of view or a boy’s?” Obviously, a girl’s perspective comes naturally. I was once a teenage girl myself. On the flip side, I’m surrounded by hubby and three sons so everything around me screams BOY! My oldest son is eleven and you would think after all these years I would have some insight as to what goes through a boy’s mind.

And then this happens:

They’re covered in mud, if you're wondering what's all over them. That is oldest son, middle son and a cousin. It’s incredible how often my boys show up at the back door looking just like this. And no amount of time spent with them makes me understand why this happens. Or why they love doing it so much.

So I end up sticking with what I know. Which is writing about girls who don’t always understand why boys do what they do.

The Unexpected

When we go on vacation, I always have a plan for family pictures. I spend a ridiculous amount of time picking out our clothes, making sure we’re not too matchy-matchy and generally making everyone in my family crazy. We leave for the beach and among the sunscreen and sand buckets is a bag of perfectly thought out clothing and all my camera gear. I get everyone dressed and plead for them to cooperate with promises of candy and ice cream. Anything to make sure everyone gets to the beach without a mysterious stain appearing on their shirt. Chaos ensues even though my bribes now include new video games and trips to Disney World. I get a few shots, telling myself they’ll look better when I get them on the computer, and we head back to the condo. Exhausted. But when I get home and look at all the images on the SD card, I’m surprised. I have an incredible image of my boys. It’s perfect! (to me at least which is all that really matters) Here it is:

But wait, you say. “Where are the cute outfits?”

Exactly. This shot was taken as we were walking to the beach. To play. The boys were ahead of me and I asked them to turn around. They stopped. I clicked. No primping, no fussing about the shirt being itchy, the shorts looking dorky. And it’s my favorite picture.

And this is how it usually works out with my writing. I can clean my desk so everything is neat and in its place. I can make elaborate outlines and think for hours on the perfect name for my main character. But it’s when I just sit and write when things really start to work. When I’m writing just for me.  

Whole New World

When you get to be (cough, cough) years old, you’re bound to experience a few changes in your life. I got married. I gave birth to not one, not two but three baby boys. (Thankfully not at the same time!) I took a terrifying step early in my married life, leaving a safe nine to five job to open a small photography studio specializing in brides and babies.

And now, I’m a writer.

Well, I’ve always been a writer, just never said it out loud. Goofy little short stories and poems in high school and several novels started in college that for one reason or another never made it past chapter two. I’ve spent a ridiculous number of hours hunched over my keyboard, late at night and in the spare moments that my boys were otherwise occupied, but it was something I kept to myself.

I was the silent stalker on every writer’s blog looking for advice and then every agent’s website and twitter page searching for some sign that they wanted what I’d written. 

I’m one of the few people left in the world that’s not on Facebook. Or Twitter. Or any other social media. 

But this week something changed. I got an agent. And a pretty fantastic one at that. I signed with Sarah Davies with Greenhouse Literary and I could not be more excited.

And so now *deep breath*, I’m ready to enter this wonderful, scary, exciting, new world.

Now, let the fun begin…