Yes I'm A Geek!

And I stayed up way to late, but I got this...

Five of My Favorite Things: Plotting

This week it's all about plotting and ideas for me. Here are five of my favorite plotting resources...



1. TV Tropes. This page should come with a warning. It will suck time away from your life. But it's fun.

2. Mind-mapping is an invaluable tool for developing and expanding on your ideas. Bubbl.us allows you to create, save, and print your own right on the web. It's simple, very easy to use, and free.

3. Martha Alderson, aka The Plot Whisper has a series of videos on her Youtube channel that walk you through step-by-step on planning and plotting a novel.

4. Randy Ingermanson teaches the Snowflake Method, a detailed plan which not only helps you plot your novel but write the 'dreaded synopsis' as well.

5. Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass. This book is packed with valuable advice.

So what are some resources you like to use while plotting?

Throwing Spaghetti at the Wall...

When my husband and I were newlyweds, one of our biggest disagreements was on how to cook spaghetti. I grew up with a mother who broke the noodles in half before cooking. He grew up with one who didn't. Somehow during our 'discussion', he also informed me I needed to throw a noodle at the wall to see if it was completely cooked.

At the time, I had never heard this. And no, I didn't try it that night (or any night since), and I can't say I believe my mother-in-law has either.

But I've certainly felt like I've been throwing spaghetti at the wall. Especially this week.

Right now I'm in the beginning stages of my next project. I've written a few random scenes, brainstormed various plot lines, and have several pages filled with notes and drawings.

But mostly I've been throwing noodles at the wall, one by one, in hopes that one of them will stick.

Another one...

Wohoo another giveaway!

Today Elana Johnson is giving away a signed ARC for THE FUTURE OF US by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. Check it out before 10 p.m. mountain time here.

I cannot wait to read this book. It's all about 1996, America Online, and seeing into the future. Check it out on Goodreads.

On a side note, I met my husband in 1995 on the lesser known but similar service called Prodigy. So a trip back to 1996 sounds fun. I can't wait for November 21st.

Today's Awesome Giveaway

Elana Johnson is giving away a signed ARC of Maggie's Stiefvater's Forever.



Head over here to enter. Hurry, the contest ends at 10 p.m. mountain time.

And if you haven't read Shiver or Linger yet, the first two books in Maggie's wickedly addictive Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy, then you need to go here and here. Now.

Mommy's Writing Again...

If you haven't heard of Gennifer Albin yet, you will soon. I found her journey from unagented writer to book deal both amazing and inspirational. You can read about it on her blog. Her debut novel, Crewel, is due out next fall, and I can't wait to read it.

And today I read on her blog she is now offering support for writing mothers via her blog called WrAHM (Write at Home Mothers). Yea! How awesome is that?

For me. Very awesome.

Since I was a little girl, there are only two jobs I've dreamed of having. Mom and Writer. I got the first when my oldest daughter was born thirteen years ago and again when her little sister followed seven years later. I've been achieving the second since I started treating writing like a profession, and forcing myself to sit down every night pounding out page after page on my keyboard.

Unfortunately for me, I don't get paid to do either. So, I also hold down a full-time day job.

How does one chase their dreams, pay the bills, and still be there for your kids? (And keep up with the housework?)

I don't know...but here are 5 things that have been (so far) working for me.

1. Having your spouse 'on board'. My husband cooks dinner every night. He keeps the kids busy while I work. He helps with homework, runs errands, and solves sibling fights. He's researched agents and editors, offered feedback, and been my number one fan. He even cleans on occasion.

2. Including the kids. This one may work for me because my girls are older (13 and 6), but I try to include them in my projects. My 13-year-old loves to beta read, and I'm always asking her for feedback on ideas I have. She will be the first to tell me something is "boring" or "stupid" or "hmm..interesting." My 6-year-old has set up a writing desk next to mine and loves to write alongside me. When she isn't working on her latest princess/fairy story, she is scavenging for office supplies from my desk. She loves office supplies (last Christmas she asked her grandparents for a gift card to OfficeMax).


3. Multitasking. My girls love when I watch one of their favorite shows with them. Their current favorite is Big Time Rush. I can squeeze in 30 minutes on my elliptical while watching this show with them. And both of my kids are involved in various evening activities throughout the week. Using the time I spend around waiting for them to read blogs via my phone or critique somebody else's work is invaluable.

4. Quality over Quantity. Being a writer in pursuit of publication requires putting in the time. Butt in chair. Fingers on keyboard. Day after day. Night after Night. This means time I could be spending with my daughters is spent in other worlds with people that live only in my head. I don't have the quantity to give, so I focus on the quality. When I'm with them, I focus on "being in the moment." My writing, my characters, my latest plot problems cease to exist. I allot time throughout the week for just them. For example, every Saturday morning we go out to breakfast. Although sometimes another friend or family member will join us, the best times happen when it's just us three - talking, reflecting on the week,...hanging out. And at the end of the day, I always remind them of the four little words that will stop my fingers moving across the keyboard faster than any case of writer's block. I need you, mom.

5. To Live by Example. When the guilt starts getting to me and my to-do list becomes overwhelming, I try to remind myself I am leading by example. I want my daughters to work hard in life. I want them to chase after their dreams, no matter how big or small. I hope they see it's never too late to be who you want to be. I want them to believe in themselves. I want them to know anything is possible. That they matter.

Being a writer is hard.... Being a mother is hard.....

Can one do both? Can I do both?

Some days I think, wow, I'm juggling it all. Other days the balls all come crashing to the ground and I'm tempted to give up. Then there are those days where both worlds collide in complete harmony, and your daughter looks up at you and says, "You'll always be my favorite author, mommy."

Those are the days I think, yes, you can have it all.

So if you're both mom and writer, what do you do to balance both worlds?

Goodbye Harry...

I know everybody is talking, writing, watching, reading, sleeping, eating, and anxiously awaiting the final film of the beloved Harry Potter series. And being one who does not like to be left out, I thought I'd take this moment to add my own thoughts to the billions of blog posts out there on the subject.

Unlike the majority, Harry Potter did not define my childhood. It wasn't even part of my childhood. I was well into adulthood before I could tell you who the Dursleys were or the real name of he-who-shall-not-be-named.



My first encounter with the boy with the lightning scar came when my oldest daughter was barely one. I had a seasonal job at a local bookstore over the holidays, and at the time the Prisoner of Azkeban had recently been released. The book was flying off the shelves as the holidays approached and several co-workers praised the series (even the adults were devouring them they claimed).

But I wasn't interested. At the time my bookshelves sagged with the weight of Debbie Macomber, Nora Roberts, Jude Deveraux, and Linda Howard. Since the moment I had traded my children's books for the thick romances my mom read, I hadn't looked back. I didn't think I could look back.

But then my little girl grew up and several years later wanted to read the Harry Potter books herself. Being a responsible parent I listened to all the conflicting controversies surrounding the series. They were too dark. They would encourage kids to dabble in witchcraft. Being a responsible adult, I decided I needed to read the books and judge for myself. So I did.



I picked up the first book in October of 2007, and I set down the last one just 8 days later. During the week I read the series, the laundry piled up, the dishes filled the sink, and dinner was always something microwaveable. I couldn't put the books down.

And so my love affair with the Harry Potter series began.

For many, this week is an end of an era. It's a bittersweet goodbye to the books and movies they have grown up with over the better part of the last decade. Many are sad.

I will be seeing the last movie on Friday with the daughter that persuaded me to pick up that first book. We are highly anticipating the movie, but when the credits roll, I'm not sure I'll be shedding any tears that Harry Potter has finally come to an end.

Maybe it's because I didn't grow up with the Harry Potter franchise. Maybe it's because I only discovered the wizarding world four years ago, rather than fourteen. Maybe it's because I know the DVD will probably be out in time for Christmas.


Or maybe it's because deep in the crystal ball I see myself, a few years from now, picking up that first book. This time it's my youngest daughter at my side.

And once again, I will ride the Hogwart's Express.

Music to My Ears

I'm not one for putting myself 'out there'.

It's easy to talk about wanting to write. A little harder to actually sit down and start writing. Even harder to commit to it day after day until you reach the end. But to take that leap and send your writing out into the world...

Harder than harder than hard..

In the past few weeks I've started this blog, I'm attempting twitter, and I even sent out my first query letters. I can't even begin to describe the sick, nauseous feeling I get everytime I press "send", or the way my heart drops when my phone "pings" to let me know I have a new e-mail.

Getting through this past week has required a lot of wine, chocolate and....music

Here are 3 songs that I've been listening to this week:

One: I have 2 daughters who love this TV show. And when my daughters love something, they watch it a lot. And I hear the same music over and over again. Like when they loved Barney, I could sing "I love you" with the best of them, and when they loved the Wiggles I pranced around the house singing "Don't Bite your Friends."

These days the songs that get lodged in my head are a little more boy bandish, such as "Worldwide", "Famous", and this one...





Two: Hello 80s. Cheesy Hair. Cheesy Clothes. Cheesy Video. Love the lyrics.




Three: If my life had a theme song, this would be it.



As much as I love these songs, they're getting a little overplayed. I could use some new suggestions. What songs motivate you to keep going despite all odds?

Dreams. Determination. Doubt.

Today I will be sending off my first query letter....

It's been 8 months of writing and polishing manuscript #3.

It's been 2 1/2 years of studying the craft, reading the message boards, the books, the advice from every 'so-called' expert I could get my hands on.

It's been a lifetime of dreaming about this day.

I know that the odds are against me.  I know that I very well could receive hundreds of rejections for this novel.  That I may never get even a request.

I know that no matter what, tomorrow I need to wake up and start Book #4.

I know all that.  And I'm doing it anyways. And I'm scared out of my mind.

I must be crazy.  Certifiable.