To Prologue or Not To Prologue?

Hello again, everyone! I'd imagine, while reading this, some of you are curious where I've been the past weeks. In earnest, it's quite a long story, but things just seemed to pile all up and crash together, making for a very hectic few weeks and basically zero time to blog. But hey, that's life. :) I hopped around every so often, reading other bloggers' blogs and simply checking up on mine. And now, finally, I'm jumping back in, ready to put this blog of mine into drive and slam on the pedal. =) Hopefully, you guys are all willing to jump back on, rev your engines, and get ready to ride too! (Not sure why I'm using the car metaphor so much...?)

So, moving right along...

There are a lot of things I've been wanting to gush about on here--I've probably started to forget some, but they'll return--so I suppose I'll just have to take things one at a time. With that, I wanted to discuss prologues...

Frankly, I don't know whether or not to write one, and if I do...is it really necessary? I understand prologues serve the purpose of explaining something indelibly important to the novel, hence the fact they're at the very beginning, but still... I often find myself reading some that I feel are entirely unnecessary, ones which, after I finish the book, I flip back to and ask "Why the heck are you here???"

Hmmm.

So, any opinions on the matter? Like 'em? Hate 'em? Can't even write 'em? (I try...but then I realize there really is no point, no matter what I'm writing.) I've seen quite a few posts about it from agents and industry peeps in my days of perusing blogs, blogs, and more blogs, and more often than not, they say you really, truly, totally need to look at your prologue/preface (is there a difference?...because I truly don't know) and ask yourself if it's critical to the opening and the novel as a whole. For if it's not, it better pack up and head out before it lands in front of an agent who probably won't be too happy about it, since odds are they have hundreds of other queries to read.

Now, let's take a big breath. :) Gosh, publishing is tough.

Random fact: I started a new novel! And this one's a first for me. For one, it's literary, not commercial. Two, it's first person (99.9% of the time I do third). And three--the weirdest one of all--it's romance. Something I've never written, and something I most certainly never intended to write. Yet there's something about it... I keep writing and writing. I continue to dive back into it and think of more and more things. I hope it goes somewhere. :)

So, that's it. I better be back here in the next week or so (I really need to make myself a schedule, like so many diligent bloggers do), typing up another post. I apologize for leaving so abruptly, as if I'd fallen off the face of the planet. I'm here! I promise.

Now let's dance!

Write on!

Can't Smile Enough :)

I'm SO SO SO completely ecstatic to see I've surpassed 100 followers, most of whom are fantastic Crusaders! You guys are amazingly amazing; I'm coming as fast as I can to all of your blogs to say hi and introduce myself (and follow, of course)! :)

I guess all I'm trying to say is welcome, new followers! I hope each and every one of you enjoy all my blog has to offer, and that we all grow as friends and authors as our journeys move forward!

Also, I'd like to give a special shout-out to my fellow group 8 Crusaders/buddies (ironically, there are 8 of you!). I'm extremely excited to get to know you all, and can't wait to see where this Crusade goes!

So, you could say I'm pretty pysched!

Calling All Crusaders!

Yes. It's that time again.

Rachael Harrie, glorious blogger, created the one and only Writers' Platform-Building Crusade months and months ago. And, as of February 4th, the 2nd Crusade has kicked off!

What is it, you ask? Well, it's a way for us bloggers (those of us on the book journey, whether we're aspiring authors, industry peeps, published authors, or new or established bloggers) to make a name for ourselves in the blogosphere, so-to-speak, and hopefully gain some more followers and make awesome new friends, all while helping the other Crusaders build their platform and grow as bloggers and writers as well.

I'm a Crusader, and I ask you to join as well. You'll love it! Click here to check out the official post from Rachael's blog explaining it much better than me, and also to (hopefully) become a Crusader!

Well, what are you waiting for? :)

The Elusive Writer's Block

Yes, I have a pretty bad case of writer's block at the moment. Is it angering? Of course. But we can deal with it. Heck, it happens to all of us, whether we like it or not.

For me, I deal with it by taking a walk, or watching TV. Sometimes, I even play Minesweeper on my computer. (If you don't know what Minesweeper is, I'd say you're missing out--then again, I think I have a slight addiction, so I'm probably a little biased.) Oddly enough, that game somehow gets me back to my stories, and helps my ideas flow. It's weird.

Occasionally, I'll simply read, and get lost in another story; that sometimes helps me deal with the writer's block, too.

So, what helps you get untangled from the inevitable phenomena called writer's block? Reading? Walking? Watching TV? Playing Minesweeper? (Maybe I'm alone on that one.) I'd love to hear your thoughts! (Maybe some of you will give me some new ways to deal with it!) :)

Thirteen Reasons Why = AMAZING

So I just finished Jay Asher's Thirteen Reasons Why, and let me tell you...WOW! I seriously couldn't stop reading; it most definitely got my pulse racing and my head spinning.

Before I go any further, I'll try to do a quick little summary of the plot for those of you who haven't heard of it...

There's this high schooler, Clay, who comes home one day from school to find seven cassette tapes lying on his front porch; on the tapes is the voice of Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush, who committed suicide very recently. He listens to the tapes, discovering there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Even crazier, he discovers he himself is one of the reasons.

It's totally enthralling, and a page-turner that's not just a "page-turner" for the sake of being put on a cover so people will buy a book. It's totally heartbreaking and does have a lasting impression (though I did just finish it an hour ago, so I can't really judge its "lasting" impression, I suppose), but I just know it will linger in my head. I had gotten it a few months ago, and for some time it had sat lined up with all my other "to read" novels on my shelf; when I was cleaning, I had to take all the books off to dust, and I cracked open the first page, started reading, and...well, here I am, writing about how great it was. So, I meant to read it, just...not now. I'm glad I did, though. :)

(I wasn't able to get an autographed copy, though that would've been amazing!)

So, that's all. :) I'm sure many of you have heard of it and probably read it, but I still just needed to blab about how great it was (because, honestly, how can you resist that plot and the mystery of it all?). Five out of five stars, no question. Mr. Asher is a fine writer.

I'm still trucking onward with my other books (both the readings and the writings), and I'll keep you guys posted if I have some breakthrough with anything or something magical happens (not yet querying, though, so I can't imagine anything yet). ;)

Any of you finish great books recently? Have any of you read Thirteen Reasons Why? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Why Taylor Swift's Songs Are Like Good Writing

Okay, so maybe all of you don't agree with that statement. But after having just been in a little fight about whether or not Taylor Swift can sing and the statement that all her songs revolve around boys and falling in love and breaking up and feeling cheated and etc., I kinda got to thinking... I think so many people resonate with her songs because they're real. Relatable. Her songs aren't like the crazy other songs out there, where half the time you don't really know what they're singing about but you just sing along anyway because it's catchy (guilty). Don't get me wrong--there are still tons of other songs out there that are just as easy to understand, as understandable as Taylor's; I'm only using her as my example because I was just defending her and I like her. :)

As writers, we're always striving to make our stories, our characters as real as possible, as believable as can be. That way, our stories will stay in readers' heads and make them truly think about what they've just read long after they've turned that last page. We try to strike them in the gut, reach out and make them feel while they're reading.

Yes, I'm a guy, and I think Taylor Swift's songs are fantastic. I feel like she's speaking directly from her heart when she sings (not to get all sappy or anything), and that really makes me smile and lets me know she pours her soul into all of her written works.

That's what we, as writers, must continue to do. Put as much passion into our works as we can, because once we have, it'll truly begin to shine like it was meant to. I wholeheartedly believe that.

Food for thought, I guess. :) What do you think?

Back In The Swing Of Things...

So, it's 2011. Can you even believe that??? I mean, honestly, I just felt like I was partying for 2010. Time baffles me...

It's time to turn on our brains, get off the couch, and head back into reality, whether we want to or not. There's always that difficulty that comes with heading back into the world, yet at the same time that feeling of happiness since we're actually beginning to accomplish things during the days that seemed to have fallen to the wayside as the holidays barged right on in.

I know in my last post I said I had time to write, and, well...I lied. I thought I'd have time, but I guess I was a teeny bit overzealous... Sure, I wrote a tad, but nothing significant. However, now that the new year has begun, I'm very happy to say that I (along with hopefully everyone else that had to drag themselves right back into the swings of things at the close of the holidays) will have more time to write...at least once things slip back into their usual routine, which, for my family, takes a good few days. There's always that little bit of craziness as everyone struggles to board the insane, always-moving thing called life--especially after the holidays.

I'm incredibly excited for 2011; a fresh year, a clean slate, a perfect oppurtunity to sharpen our writing craft, read read and read, and simply enjoy ourselves on our authorly journeys. As of right now, there's not much happening with me, just the usual dillydally and procrastination of things to do and the yearning to go back to the holiday greatness and the joy that another year is upon us and the excitement that comes with it...

Okay, I need to breathe.

In book news, I recently started reading Brenna Yovanoff's THE REPLACEMENT, which, so far, is amazing (the cover is one of those rare covers I just have to keep looking at because it's just so cool!). Already I can tell I'm going to totally love it. :)

Now, with each new year comes new books. I'm already amassing a list of what I'm terribly excited for. Here are the 2011 books I just can't wait to get my hands on:

• DESIRES OF THE DEAD by Kimberly Derting
• WILDEFIRE by Karsten Knight
• UNEARTHLY by Cynthia Hand (wouldn't ya know, it comes out TOMORROW!)
• WITCH EYES by Scott Tracey

So, any of you guys ready to jump back into the chaos of normal life? Picked up any good books lately? Immensely excited for upcoming novels of 2011? Leave me your thoughts, and Happy New Years!