The most convoluted way to handle your editorial revisions

Okay, first off – it’s been awhile. I almost feel like I need to introduce myself again. It’s been a little crazy around our house – school, sports, and oh yeah…I got my editorial letter! Woo hoo!

I didn’t know exactly what to expect before I got it and I already had a few changes of my own that I wanted to make so it was with nervous anticipation that I clicked open the email from my editor, Emily Meehan.

I read through her notes about five different times and they were good, really good but I was at a loss at how to start tackling the issues she had listed on six neatly typed pages.  

So I created the most convoluted system to revise your novel. Note: you will need to make a trip to an office supply store, a teacher supply store and the liquor store.

Here’s a picture to help explain what I did:

As you can see, I’ve got a lot of stuff going on. When I broke my editorial letter down - I had 26 items that needed fixin’. Yes, I’m from the South, we say fixin’. So each item got a note card and I jotted a few notes about how I would make these changes. Each note card then got its own cute colored-coded sticker. (I picked smileys, pushpins and stars but go with whatever works for you!)

I read my manuscript again. If I can across a part of the story that had anything to do with one of my 26 items – I put the corresponding sticker on that page, then noted the page number where that item appears in the manuscript on the back of the card.

Are you ready for a drink yet?

When my manuscript was full of stickers and the backside of my cards covered in page numbers, I went to the computer and started revising.

After all revisions were made, I printed another copy and did one final run through – you know, to see if there were one or two things that needed cleaning up.

Here’s a picture of what that looked like:

In my defense, 90% of these were type-o's

Now am I 100% sure that there is a better way to do this – YES! But what I needed, especially after being knee deep in Book 2, was to re -familiarize myself with Book 1. And this process did it for me. And I found some patterns that allowed me to fix two problems with one solution. Not sure if I would have seen it like that if I wouldn’t have done it this way.

But no matter how crazy my method – I’m done. That is until round 2…

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde have taken over my office

There are two very different uses for my office at home. There is the writing side (really just a small corner I’ve carved out for myself) and the small business side. My husband and I own a commercial lawn and landscaping company and I get the horrible soul-sucking important job of keeping the books. You know: invoicing customers, creating job bids, billing, etc… And while I know it’s a really, really important part of the business – It. Is. Not. Fun.

At all.

Just to show how I feel about these two vastly different jobs I do – here is my writing desk:

And here is my business desk:

Yeah, I know. You see my writing side is warm and pleasant. Inviting, really. I’ve got my scene notes on the wall, Coke Zero in my favorite “Medieval Times” cup with a straw (can’t write without this), and my favorite lip gloss. (And for those of you who really know me – I may have cleaned my area just a little for this picture. But I had a point to make!)

On the other side, it’s chaos. Granted, it is controlled chaos - I do know where everything is and what’s due and when. Promise. But there’s no love over there. It is a necessity that I do that job. No one cares about your business like you do.

And then I realized a part of writing is like that. The not so fun parts you really don’t want to do but are essential in order to get that shiny fabulous finished product.

So I’m embracing my two sided office. And I may even clean that other side up. Tomorrow.  

January...a recap

I know, I've been a very bad blogger. Not that I was ever a good one but January was crazy!

So here’s my month in a nutshell:

I ♥ outlines! I’ve spent most of the month learning to be a plotter. I know… I feel sorry for me, too. But what I’ve learned is putting that work in on the front side should (And that’s a BIG should) make less work on the back side. I read the book SAVE THE CAT! and loved it. It’s geared towards screenplays but easily adapts to novels. When it came to plotting – the thought I hated the most was it would take all the fun out of discovering the story. But I’m finding my characters still have their own ideas of what they think should happen. And yes, I’m speaking about them as if they really exist and actually have a say so in regards to what will happen to them. But the outline is keeping them in line. So if my MC wants to be a little more rebellious than I anticipated – that’s cool but it doesn’t change the ultimate path she’s on. And I have to say, I love her a little more for trying to throw me off.

Major love for the SCBWI Winter conference! 1,100 people gathered together – all talking about children’s books is incredible. I’ve been to conferences for writing and photography before but none compared to this. My agent, Sarah Davies, was there and the highlight of the conference – for me – was finally meeting her in person. Sarah gave a talk about YA thrillers that was really great. Of course, it didn’t hurt that she mentioned me and my book to a room full of people!

"The Fonz" speaking at the SCBWI Winter conference!
There were three screens like this across the room. People tell me he really was there but I have to take their word for it.

Meeting Lucky 13ers in person = awesome. Just wish there would have been more time. And pictures! There's always next year...

NYC gets better with every visit! Four friends – not writers but sight-seers – came with me to NYC. This is what I learned: five women in a hotel room meant for two is doable. And the rooms at the Hyatt Grand Central appear larger in pictures than in person. But we had a blast. Every surface of our room was covered with hair products and we had clothes hanging from door knobs to light fixtures but I wouldn’t have done it any other way.

Christa, Katie, Jennifer, Christy and me walking through Central Park. Really cold but really beuatiful!And to insure no one mistakes us for locals - there's the map.

Drinks with Sarah Davies and my editor, Emily Meehan, was icing on the cake! I can’t even describe how awesome both women are. And how great it feels knowing they are on my side. We talked about books, and writing, and kids, and everything else. It was amazing and the absolute perfect way to end the trip.

     

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.

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.  

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.

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…   

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.