The Rach Writes Inaugural Writers' Platform-Building Crusade!

Okay. So, this is, in short, an amazing new thing that was just started by fellow blogger Rachael Harrie not too long ago. It's exactly what the title says--an inaugural writers' platform-building crusade!

It goes a little something like this...

We all want followers/need followers (we can't let our astounding blogs go unread, now can we?), but so many of us, including but not limited to (that sounds so professional, does it not?) aspiring writers, published writers, people in the writing business, beginner bloggers, etc. It's a sad thing to know that many of these blogs do go unread for weeks, months, possibly even years.

Because of that, Rachael began the Crusade. :) And, already because of it, I've gained four followers in less than a day (thanks to all you who journeyed here to my blog!). So if that doesn't convince you to become a fellow Crusader, I don't know what will. :)

Here's the post about it, straight from Rachael's blog. Check it out!

Before I go, please note that there are a few conditions (good ones, of course) to becoming a Crusader:

1. Write about the Crusade on your blog and link back to Rachael's post.
2. Encourage your followers to come to Rachael's blog (and follow!).
3. Just generally spread the word about it (Facebook, Twitter, etc.).
4. Have fun gaining/meeting new bloggers out there!

So, that's it. Definitely go head on over to Rachael's blog and discover more about the Crusade, and be sure to return here as well and/or follow if you're interested in hearing about my journey to publication and moreover simply what I have to say. :)

Write on!

Outlining vs. Jumping Right In

Hey everyone. :) Today's post is going to be about the ways of writing your novel, with focus on outlines and simply leaping right in.

So, I'll simply start if off with this: I hate outlines. Always have, probably always will. Why? Well...to be honest, I'm not too sure. But I hate them. Sometimes I feel like they pressure me into creating a story I truly don't want to write; why would I plot a whole story out if I know I'm already limiting my creative juices, in a sense? This is not at all to offend anyone in favor of outlines; trust me, I've tried them and have heard a handful of reasons why authors should use them, such as:

1. They help you stay on task.
2. You already know the beginning, middle, and end, so you know where your story's going.

And, yeah. That's all I've got. Don't get me wrong--these reasons are certainly valid. But, being an outline-opposer, I can't see many reasons why you should, in fact, use them. But hey, we're all different. And I did say that I probably will always hate them. So, maybe you guys can sway me in the comments if you feel I'm totally idiotic concerning my writing ways. =]

Now, how I write. Well, guys and gals...

I wing it.

Seriously. I sit down, idea in head, fingers on keys, and start typing. I see where the story goes, where my characters lead me, what roads I'll take with my adventure. It's more fun to me when I have nothing to already base my story off of; simply diving right in gives me, at least, more freedom.

This post is definitely biased; not denying it in the least. Yes, there's definitely some little moments where I have to sit down for a while and figure out how certain situations are going to pan out, why certain things have happened, how characters became who they are... But still, I'm a jump-right-in-and-just-start-writing kind of guy.

So, those are two particular ways of writing. How about you guys? Agree? Disagree? I'm totally for constructive responses, so give me what you've got!

Until then, write on! (I had to yank that little ending for posts from a friend of mine, whose blog, All Writing Allowed, is a great little writing blog for anyone in need of some advice, opinions, and fun!)

Bran Hambric: The Specter Key TRAILER!

BRAN HAMBRIC: THE SPECTER KEY // Buy or read a preview at http://bit.ly/BUYBHTSK

In an earlier post, I blogged about the sequel to a book series that I'm REALLY excited about. The book series is the Bran Hambric series, and is written by blogger/YouTube phenom Kaleb Nation. You may know him as the guy behind twilightguy.com, the hilarious website in which Kaleb himself reads and blogs about his journey of reading the entire Twilight saga. It's quite hilarious, to say the least.

Now, onto Bran Hambric. The first novel, BRAN HAMBRIC: THE FARFIELD CURSE, takes place in an alternate world and, more specifically, in a city named Dunce, where magic is outlawed. Our main character is fourteen-year-old Bran, who was taken in by a bizarre family named the Wilomases after he was discovered in a locked bank vault at age six. He soon discovers he possesses magical abilities, and that his mother's former masters are after him, attempting to get him to finish the job his mother started. It's a wild adventure, with some interesting characters and some truly funny moments! All in all, a great read that anyone of any age would find entertaining!

Now, for the randomness (well, not that random)...

Do you think it's possible for your first story to be your first? I mean it in this sense: J.K. Rowling got the idea for Harry Potter on a train ride, and it just stuck with her. Stephenie Meyer had a dream about Edward and Bella for TWILIGHT, and it stuck with her. Christopher Paolini loves fantasies, and one day started to plot out/write a novel titled ERAGON. Kaleb Nation randomly imagined a boy and a banker on a roof, waiting for a burglar to come, one March night...

So, my point is, is there a such thing as a story that must be written? Because, honestly, sometimes I find myself questioning the very story that slammed into my head, wondering if it's simply a pipe dream story, so-to-speak, or if I was truly meant to have this random idea plow into my brain.

I tend to overthink things, so honestly, I don't know. But I do know that I'll keep querying, and querying, and querying...

But, if I find myself seventy-years-old and still querying this story of mine seemingly zillions of years from now, I'll then put it away.

It'll probably be then, however, that an agent scoops me up. :)

Leave your thoughts below (and remember to check out Bran Hambric!)!

Until next time, happy writing!

Me, The Slacker

Yes, I admit, I've been slacking with the blog. And I apologize.

It's been quite some time since my last blog post, the one about "voice" in writing (which was met with quite a few amazingly nice comments; you guys all made me smile!). And now I find myself sitting here, realizing I should be updating my blog a little more than I have been since I began blogging seemingly yesterday.

Today, my post is going to be about my dog. :) I felt the need to introduce you all to her...

Her name's Ruby, and she's literally the best dog on the planet (well, maybe I'm a little biased; I'm pretty sure everyone says that about their respective pets)! :) She's a Bichon Frise and is five years old, being an October-born dog! She's SO cute, and is occasionally garbed in scarves (the picture may be a pretty good giveaway) and little bandanas.

Hmmm. What else? Well, for one, she thinks she's a human. Like, literally. She lays her head on the pillows of the couch and the bed when she sleeps (again, the picture is a pretty good reference) =D and always wants to go for a ride in the car. (Well, doesn't every dog like to do that???) ;)

Also, I've found that some dogs go terribly crazy during thunderstorms; not Ruby. She just trots around, totally oblivious to the fact that crazy, electric bolts of...um...craziness (my vocabulary's left my brain for some unexplainable reason; it's temporary, I'm certain) are shooting around in the sky. It's actually pretty funny. :)

So, I think that about wraps up the little section about Ruby. No, wait. One more thing (if you've gotten this far in this insanely pointless post)...

She's OBSESSED with her dog treats. Like, every-five-seconds-you-look-and-she's-back-again-begging-for-another obsessed. The vets have said she's a little overweight and to cut down on the treats, too. That's how obsessed she is. (How can I resist her dog face, though? You're right. I can't.) =]

What else, what else...

Oh, yeah. On srjohannes's blog Market My Words (one of my absolute favorite blogs EVER), srjohanness herself (aka Shelli), is hosting an agent contest with the fantastic Sarah LaPolla from Curtis Brown, Ltd. The contest won't be held until tomorrow at 9amEST, but you should still definitely check it out. (Hint hint: the contest involves a paragraph pitch of no more than four sentences.)

In short, an amazing oppurtunity that shouldn't, by any means, be missed! I'm entering, too! :) And don't worry if Sarah doesn't represent the book you're writing; Shelli constantly hosts agent contests with various agents, so you just need to keep checking to see which agent is up and, if you're lucky, it may be the agent for you!

So, I suppose that ends my slacking/apology/dog/writing post. Certainly more to come (I'm not leaving you guys when you constantly make my day)! =)

Until then, happy writing!

Voice, Voice, Voice...

Voice. For any writers out there (which I believe I can safely assume is everyone reading this), this word probably haunts you. In your sleep. On your computer. In your head.

So, what is voice??? Well, it's the fancy little noise that comes out of our mouth when you and I talk...duh!

Well, yeah. But, to agents, editors, and everyone else in the book business, it's SO much more than that.

I've been reading A LOT about voice lately, and I've come to find it's not really something you can just master. It's something you yourself have to grow and develop, blossom and create. And while it might not always be easy, it certainly pays off in the end.

A good way to tell if particular authors have good voice in their work is by simply reading something random and attempting to figure out who the author is. If you can guess the author right off the bat, chances are it's because you're familiar with the voice they use in their work. If you can't tell who the author is, (granted, this experiment only works if you've read multiple novels by a single author, so you come to know their voice), chances are the voice of their character, of their manuscript, of them as an author, didn't come through.

There's no need to worry, though. If you're just starting, have been writing for years and years, or are even in the middle, it's okay if your voice doesn't come through right away.

You're probably asking yourself, "Well, how in the world do I know if the voice in my manuscript is coming through?" While there's not really a hard and fast answer to this question, you can most definitely find out by joining critique groups, sending out queries (if your work is done, of course), and perhaps venturing to writers' conferences and meeting agents and editors. If you're able to pitch your work to them, they may give you advice on your voice.

So, that's my little lesson for today, though I'm sure all of you already knew all about voice. :) Now, onto the random stuff............

I started reading MOCKINGJAY!!! It's fantastic, and barreling toward what I'm sure will be a spectacular finale to THE HUNGER GAMES! (I'll do a post about the entire trilogy once I finish it. And, because I'm opposed to spoilers, it'll be a completely SPOILER-FREE post.) =]

Hmmm. What else? Ah, yes. I'm still reading THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (though MOCKINGJAY kinda shoved it aside for a little bit). And it's still totally captivating, and amazing, and stunning, and glorious...

And yep, still querying. Still researching agents, still reading blogs, still doing what I love to do, which of course is WRITE! :)

So, that ends my post for today. Let me think of a clever question to end with (I love reading all of the answers and responses from you guys!)...

Oh, I got it. (Warning: this question has NOTHING to do with writing.) Are any of you guys tired with this whole "3D era" we're going through? Honestly, it seems like EVERY. SINGLE. MOVIE that's come out in the past or is coming out has been in 3D.

Leave your thoughts below!

PageToFame, Girl With Dragon Tattoo, and More TV

Hey guys. :)

So, I admit, I haven't really had anything to blog about, which is most definitely why I haven't posted since, well...my last post. But thankfully, that's changed. At least for today.

First and foremost, I wanted to bring up a fantastic website I've blogged about just once (I think): WEbook! And, on WEbook, is PageToFame, something I've utilized four times now, and something that I really think will help me (and possibly you, too!) with my novel.

WEbook, if you're wondering, is a website where writers, readers, or anyone else, really, can post work, receive feedback on said work, give feedback on others' work, participate in writing competitions, obtain help (like what to do when you have writer's block), and much more. It's home to the PageToFame competition, where you post your first page of either a "Short" (short story, poem, etc.), or a novel. For me, I'm a full-length novel writer, so I've posted the first page of my main story in addition to another story that's in development (your whole book doesn't have to be done to do this). From there, others with accounts on the site can rate your first pages on a scale from 1 to 5, 1 obviously being the lowest (lousy) and 5 being the highest (heavenly). There are 3 rounds, and if you receive good enough ratings, your 1st page is elevated to round 2, where you post your first 5 pages, and lastly, round 3, where you post the first 50 pages. Best part is, participating literary agents read your work each time you're elevated!

Phew. That was a big block of words. :)

Anyway, here's the link: http://http//www.webook.com/

So, that's that. Now, onto something veeeeeery interesting...

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson!

I just started this one today, and must say I'm completely sucked in! I've heard amazing things about this thriller, and have learned the U.S. is coming out with the theatrical version in the next year or so (already insanely excited)! In fact, a huge character in the novel, Lisbeth Salander, has been chosen to be played by Rooney Mara. (The Swedish films had Salander played by Noomi Rapace.) So, I simply wanted to say I started it (anyone already read it?). I'll definitely be checking out the movie when it flies into theaters!

Movies relate to TV, and for my last little discussion, I wanted to talk about a very favorite show of mine... (Nice transitional sentence, right?)

Saturday Night Live!

This show... What can be said??? It's amazing, hilarious, has a mind-blowing cast... Did I mention hilarious? I did? Oh well. Hilarious, hilarious, hilarious...

I'm pretty sure you've all seen and/or heard of this show, but still... I just wanted to bring it up because I just watched a reran episode a few days ago, and I was completely laughing out loud!

Ah, the joys of television... =D

Well, I'd say that's it for now. Nothing new with the novel. Oh wait, there is some news, actually. I got another rejection from a query I sent over a month ago. It was sad, but I'm totally fine with it. :) Rejection #30, I believe...

So, that's it for now!

Thoughts on TV =)

So, I got to thinking today... Why is it that so many people are attracted to shows like The Real World and Jersey Shore on MTV? Yeah, I admit, I really, really enjoy watching The Real World, but honestly, why? It's almost like a waste of time, watching strangers live in a house together, with tons of drama, alcohol, violence, cops, etc... But even I can't stop watching it.

I simply decided to blog a little about what's swirling around in my head, for no particular reason. Do any of you guys have favorite shows on TV? I wouldn't really say The Real World is a favorite of mine; I only felt like blogging about it because I watched the newest episode a few nights ago. :)

Hmmm. And, as the TV's flipped on right now as I type this, The Hills is on. MTV seems to be popular. ;)

In book news, I've been mulling over the first few chapters of my novel, just wondering if they're, for lack of a better word, good enough. So, I've been testing myself by writing some fake little first chapters, just to see what could possibly work should I receive a critique or just feel that the first chapter or two needs a rewrite. It's actually easier than I thought, because, as any writers out there know, writing is definitely NOT an easy thing to do, by any means.

Hopefully I soon receive a partial request from an agent. Thankfully, I had my query critiqued, and I think it's totally amazing right now. So, we'll see...

So, favorite shows??? For me, it's all over the place. I LOVE Discovery Channel (especially Shark Week, which is sadly coming to an end tomorrow), Travel Channel (Samantha Brown, anyone?), and Full House. C'mon, who doesn't like Full House?

Well, that's it for now. I think I'll watch the final days of Shark Week :( and maybe do a little more test rewrites. :D