Writing Fiction is Tricky...

I had a young girl ask me the other day, what the "hardest thing about writing fiction is." I looked her square in the eye and said "for you to believe it."

Fiction writers make great liars. I mean, we make stuff up, and convince people it can happen. It's called Suspension of Disbelief.

Let's say you go to a movie. It's about a boy who believes he can fly. He struggles. You watch him struggle. You meet his friends. The boy is likeable, and you find yourself starting to care. You want him to fly. So, about three-fourths through the movie, when he DOES fly, you aren't going to stand up with your hands on your hips in protest, screaming "this movie sucks! No one can REALLY fly!" Nope. You will be fine with the defiance of Natural Laws. You will Suspend Your Disbelief, because you are enjoying the story, and watching it unfold.

This is the Golden Egg of Fiction writing. The target. The point. The Whole Reason We Do It. I want you to submerge yourself in my fictional world. I want you to fall in love with my characters. (And hate some of them, too.) I want you to become emotionally invested, so that when something magical or unrealistic happens, you simply accept it as part of the story, and move on. Take the Harry Potter series, for example. We fell in love with Harry and his world. So when Harry actually got on a broomstick and flew around, we believed it. We believed it could happen, because we were lost in the story. And we loved every minute of it.

The tricky part is, toeing the line between what is real, and what isn't. This is why Historical fiction can be a challenge. We didn't live 500 years ago, but if I do my research right, I can make it seem like the reader is really in...say, Tudor-era England, living and breathing. It's very real, to the reader. But if I don't do my research right, well, it can be disastrous. (i.e. having Henry VIII pick a cell phone out of his pocket and texting Anne Boleyn for a booty call would be...jarring.)

 Readers are smart. They know when something is "off." They jump up and down and scream when we go against our own canon in a series. We have to temper the fantasy with realism. (Or is it realism, with fantasy?) We have to craft a world with one foot in reality, for it to work.

And then, if we're lucky, they believe.

Tricky, very tricky.

You Gotta Love This...

HA HA HA!!!

Why I Obsessively Save While Writing...

A friend of mine, who is also a writer, recently lost an entire novella on accident. In a stroke of luck, her husband, who happens to be an IT guy, saved the day for her. Definitely a lucky lady.

I had a similar experience in my 20's. I was writing a novel, and for a month solid had suffered from the most stubborn case of Writer's Block, ever. I mean, for almost two months I. Got. Nothing.

Then, miraculously, the floodgates opened. I started writing one evening, and the words flowed like milk and honey out of my cobwebbed brain. Everything came out in a rush, and it was some of the best writing I'd ever done. And I was mentally patting myself on the back every paragraph or so. It was AWESOME.

After two hours of pounding away on the keyboard, the air around me felt magical. I had written some serious awesomeness. Feeling a bit drained, I ran to the kitchen for a small snack. (We writers do that, no matter what we say. Eating while writing provides the same release as eating popcorn in front of a movie. :-)

Anyway, as I trudged back to my computer with my glass of milk and handful of cookies, I realized the computer was off. Why? To this day I will never know. Power spike? Outage flicker?

I dropped my cookies and milk, screaming NOOOOOOOOO! and powered up my computer, frantically chewing my nails as I did so, staring at the screen, beads of sweat forming on my brow. Why was I so freaked out?

I HADN'T SAVED. 

Autosave wasn't something I had the foresight to program my computer to do at the time (It was the early 90's, computers were simply not as fabulous as today), and for some reason, I had been so distracted by my amazing bout of writing, I had not thought to save before I rose from my desk.

It booted back up. Windows loaded. I clicked on Word.

IT WAS GONE. ALL OF IT. All I had was the same story I had hours before, with no additions. The amazing 3K I had typed was lost. GONZO.

I screamed, I cried, I knashed my teeth. I hurriedly sat down and tried to duplicate what I had written the last couple hours, but it just wasn't the same. I never got those chapters back.

Since then, I am an obsessive fan of the "Save" button. I save after I pause in my typing. I save anytime I make the tiniest edit. When I conclude a writing session, I save it all, and just for good measure, I save again. Two days a week I back up my entire document files onto a 32-gig flash drive, and keep it in my handbag in case the house burns down while I'm out. And every few weeks I update the 32-gig flashdrive I have attached to my car keys in case my handbag burns down at the same time my house burns down.

I have learned my lesson. Let my experience be one to you. Enable your Autosave option. Hit the Save button. BACK UP YOUR FILES REGULARLY.

Life will be so much happier if you do.

Let the (Writing) Games Begin!!

I am writing a new novel. I have outlined it, start-to-finish, and I have a clear road map to write, but I'm in full research mode.

It's been tedious work, but the reward has been huge. I now have a composition notebook (with tabs) where I can look up all the references I need if I'm writing somewhere offline and need to look something up. It's all "organized" into one space. Now I just need to WRITE the durn thing! Research usually precludes the writing, because I can't write until I have all the facts. I guess that's just the way I'm wired. 

Can I say I LOVE Google for research? I will by typing along, caught up in the atmosphere, but then I will hit a snag where I'm not sure the direction I'm taking is historically accurate. I pop onto Google, do a quick fact-check, and back to the story I go! LOVE IT.

I have a lot of writing goals this year. Write this novel, edit it and submit it, then I need to edit two other novels and submit them to agents. I have a few mainstream novels I have written that I'd like to see on bookshelves as well, but obviously that depends on whether a butterfly flaps its wings in Cairo or a dog barks in Namibia more than four times...right? (It seems there is no formula these days, agents are so unpredictable!) We will see what happens as 2013 plays out! I definitely have hope.

Back to researching! Well, after the 958476 things I have to do today. Maybe tonight... 

To NaNo or Not To NaNo...

...that is the question. I honestly don't know. NaNo is National Novel Writing Month. Writers sign up online and make a commitment to write an entire novel (or a good chunk of one) during the entire month of November. Thirty days; 50,000 words.

I am not new to NaNo. I did it before, in 2008. I'm not going to lie, with four young children and 8079574 things on my plate, eeking out 2000+ words a day nearly killed me. But I did it. I did it and I was proud of it. (Granted, the novel was crap and it took two months of editing to get it in any sort of decent shape, but I FINISHED NaNo!)

Am contemplating doing it this year. At this point I have only a couple of days to decide. I could write a sequel to UNEARTHED. (I have had many people request a sequel, so it's tempting!) I also have an idea for a different YA novel.

Decisions, decisions. And so little time to make up my mind!

Irony.

Yes, today I am pondering on the ironies of life. In particular, about writing. Not irony in writing, but ABOUT it. As in, the most recent irony I've experienced: It seems that whenever I'm swamped, and have zero time to even devote to anything other than all the stuff I have to do, I really really REALLY itch to write. I dream about stories. I wake up in the middle of the night and jot stuff down on the pad I keep on my nightstand. I stare morosely at my computer and think "Nope, I have to make 6 dozen cookies for this event" or "No--I have to wash and fold eight loads of laundry, walk the dog, do the dishes, run 98860386 errands, etc. etc. etc..

BUT, (and this is a big but) I have found that when I actually have TIME to sit down and write, I have no desire to do it.

What is UP with that?

Am I a defective writer?  Why would I squander valuable writing time on other things?

Does anyone else experience this?

Lightning Bolts or Trickling Streams?

Courtesy of ClipartPal.com

I am wondering how other writers get their inspiration. Mine has often come to me in two forms: Lightning bolts--when I am either A) in the shower or B) doing something mundane like driving a carload of screaming kids to Taekwondo practice, and the entire story comes to me all at once, and I have to runrunrun to write it all out before the muse disappears with a laugh. Then there are Trickling streams, where I might just get the idea of the story, and as I ponder the possibilities it comes out S-L-O-W-L-Y as I write it.

I actually prefer the former, because I am a planner when it comes to writing. I am, by nature, NOT a "pantser" or "write-by-the-seat-of-your-pants" type person. Making it up as I go along has worked for me in the past, but I don't normally go that route. I like lightning bolts. :-D

I am only writing this because I got a SERIOUS lightning bolt last night. So much so, afterwards I was laying in bed with Hubby at 12:30 a.m., talking about the plot, the title, bouncing ideas off of him (bless him) etc.. I guess he puts up with a lot from me, and my bursts of creative energy. Even in the early hours of the morning, which is what makes him awesome. But in my defense, he'd gone to bed only 15 minutes before, having just finished watching an hours-long Olympics coverage marathon. So I don't feel that bad!

Let's see if this "lightning bolt" produces anything! One can hope! (Am I being cryptic?)

Your Book Stinks...but it's PRETTY!!!

I had a massively freakish dream last night. I guess when you couple new book release anxiety with a lot of time on Pinterest, you get a dream like mine. I dreamed someone gave me a negative book review, only they did it with vinyl lettering...and put it on individual beveled wood plaques and strung them together with fancy ribbon and mounted the whole thing on a wall.

In my dream I thought--what a pretty row of plaques...and then I read the review of my book. For some reason they had bolded the vinyl word "VAPID." Huh? Am I just a tad anxious???

:-P

'Cause I'm a WRITER!

Yeah. I totally ordered this for myself on Etsy. LOVE it!

It's made up of vintage typewriter keys. *swoon*

I Love When I See This Kind of Stuff:

It's been #1 a few times, now. Thank you, everyone, for your amazing support!

XOXO,

Lara

I Knew This Day Would Come...

Finally! The release date for my YA novel, UNEARTHED, is today!
There's a feeling of satisfaction one gets, holding their own book in their hands, I have to admit. But that is only a fraction of the process. Now I have to worry about selling, reaching the audience as best I can, bad vs good reviews, etc. etc.

If I had things my way, I'd just sit in my office and churn out books, and let the Tooth Fairy deal with the rest. Or would I call her the Marketing/Publicity/Book Promotion Fairy? That would be nice to have, as well. Then I could stay in my office and never come out, and write and write. ;-)

Alas, that's not how things work. The book is out, I have work to do, but I'm also writing again. My kids literally live at Taekwondo class these days, so I get some writing time in--whether it's longhand or on the Alphasmart Neo--I get to squeeze it in. I'm working on a fun fairy tale right now, and doing what I love to do most--make stuff up.

Happy Writing!

Oh, and if you feel so inclined, you can purchase my book here or here or here.

A Little Excitement...

You gotta love days like today.  Especially when I get this in the mail!

Hahahahahahahhahhaha!!!!!

(This was a guest post I wrote in 2009 for my good friend Devon Ellington, on her blog Ink In My Coffee. A tad self-righteous, now that I re-read it, but funny how things can change!)

A Little Levity, Please...

You remember being a teenager, don’t you? I know, it’s “been a while.” It’s been a while for me, too. But I remember being bogged down with schoolwork, experiencing “friend drama” (as most teens do) participating in extracurricular activities, etc. etc. etc.

And what was my escape from the craziness of my angst-filled teen years?
 
A good read. I loved getting lost in a good book. The Sweet Valley High series was a favorite. Or the whimsical “Secret Garden.” And who can forget the “Choose Your Own Adventure” Series? Or Trixie Belden? Little House on the Prairie Books, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory—the list goes on. All whimsical, light, magical, romantic. All good escape reading.
Cut to today, and what are teens calling those books?

Corny.

And what is the average teen reading for escape value?
Books about vampires. Books about abused teens finding other abused teens to commiserate with. Books about suicide and death, and teen pregnancy. Books that are dark, gritty, and “edgy.”
This is escape reading? Just scanning the synopses of the books in the YA section of any bookstore gives me chills. For example, why would someone consider the gritty tale of a homeless kid, fending for themselves on the streets and abusing drugs an escape read?

Call me old fashioned, but I think today’s YA books are too dark, too violent, too gory, too sexy. Kids are forced to grow up quickly enough as it is. Their lives are chaotic, fast-moving and pressure-laden. The teenage years are depressing enough, we don’t need depressing books on top of everything else.
I am left wondering: when did “happy books” become gauche? The books that made you smile, or laugh, or sigh in contentment? Case in point, I had a friend critique a query of mine, where I gave a teaser on my fairy story. Her critique was that my query made the story sound too “light” and I needed to add in the fact that the Fairies drank blood, so it would seem “darker and edgier” for potential agents. Because “darker and edgier” is in right now. I was surprised, but she was right.

This too, shall pass. I have faith. One day, the “Brady Bunch” endings won’t be scoffed at. Mirth and Light will be back. Teens will return to escape reading that truly gives one an “escape” from the doldrums of Life.

But I’m not holding my breath.

Cover Art For My Book "Unearthed" Released!!

**DRUMROLL PLEASE**

I'm thrilled to present the cover for my novel, Unearthed! The book will be released July 10th, 2012! I'm pretty darn excited about it!
  
Here is an overview:
 Matt's spent years resenting his father and the church, but a once-in-a-lifetime archaeology trip forces Matt to face more than he bargained for as he and his father unearth a city that's been lost for centuries. This thrilling adventure is bursting with laugh out loud humor, a touch of romance, and more than a little mystery. A fun read for the whole family!


It is available for preorder now at Amazon.com and Barnes &Noble.com, and lots of other online sites!

YA Time Travel?

Time Travel is a HUGELY popular thing in Adult fiction and Romance novels. So much so, I am wondering why it hasn't crossed over into YA and Middle Grade.

Am I crazy? Am I missing something?

Everything in the bookstores (virtual and brick) nowadays is supernatural creatures and dystopian societies. Dark, gritty, graphic. These are the books I see. What if someone happened to write a book that was dark, gritty and graphic, and contained Time Travel?

Teens and twenty-somethings still love good escape reads. I don't believe they don't for one second. Why else would they read? I would think they'd eat up a good Time Travel novel as long as it had the appropriate "dark" elements.

In my opinion, Vampires and Werewolves are overdone. Witches are overdone. Dystopian tales are overdone. Time Travel is fresh and new. Time Travel needs a chance! It's unexplored territory. Historical fiction is fine, but to have an urban fantasy with Time Travel? I would so be in.

Now to get an AGENT to feel that way...that's another matter...

;-)

The Post-Novel Completion Void.

I'm experiencing a loss. I've been living in this world of mine, and the lives of my characters, for the last month solid, as I completed my YA urban fantasy and edited it. Edits are complete, I'm now shipping it off to my CP and Beta reader, and I feel a sort of...void. It feels weird to not sit down at the computer and pull up the story. It feels weird to not submerse myself in my heroine's world any more.

Time to write the sequel! ;-)

I suppose I should start it, since it's fresh in my mind, and the story will continue linearly, but I think I need to take a small break. For about a week. Then I will sharpen the pencils, dust off the keyboard, and pick up again. For now, I'll just have to occupy my spare time with other things.

It's funny, I get attached to my characters like they're real people sometimes. I care about them. They are, after all, my kids. I have to help them along the way, help them grow. Some of them are malleable, some of them are broken, and I can't fix them, so I don't try. I just let them be. But I like them all the same. And I miss them when our time together is over.

I wonder if I'll last the week?

In Defense of Pantsing. (Yes, Really!)

Let me start by saying I have never been a fan of Pantsing, or "seat-of-your-pants" writing. It makes no sense to me. Not only that, but the likelihood of running into the dreaded Writer’s Block multiplies when you Pants write. Granted, most novels I begin I write in “Pants mode,” and once I’ve written the first chapter or so, out comes the trusty pen and paper and I outline the rest. Because I'm a Plotter. From start to finish, and I make notes along the way on all the characters. So, by the time I write it out, I am sure of the What, Why, When, Where and How.

I surprised myself this weekend. As in, I made a startling realization. I’m sure all other writers know this, but I am somewhat new to the “Ah-ha Moment” party, so forgive me if this is old news.

Pantsing might actually be better than Plotting. At least, for ME.

Why do I make this claim? Because with any novel I’ve ever written, I’ve always plotted it out, and I stay with that plot, and there it is. Because I’m sort of a control freak when it comes to my writing. I am The Boss.

I’m currently writing a novel, and I will be honest, I have no idea how it’s going to turn out. It’s simply coming out of my brain, one sentence at a time, and I don’t have a plot. I’m simply watching it unfold as I go. I already have 52K on it, and I’m enjoying the process immensely, to my surprise.

BUT, since I’m monstrously insecure about having no firm plot, I gave what I had so far to a friend, for her honest opinion. And she liked it. A lot. And one of her comments was that it didn’t have the usual “info dumps” in it that a lot of books have.

And I realized, to my joy, there wouldn’t be. Because the backstory and motivations for everything are coming out as I write, and being revealed slowly, because even I don’t know what they are.

So, when I “Pants” write—does that mean I’m a better writer? Because I’m relinquishing control and essentially letting the characters dictate how things unfold—I info-dump less and the story is actually superior to what I usually write? I will admit, I’ve been surprised by some of the twists and turns my characters have taken. And if the end result is entertaining, even better, right?

So, there you have it. An argument for Pantsing! I wonder if other writers feel this way...

I Wrote.

Yesterday was a fluke. I won't lie. I promised myself writing would be a "treat" for me, once I got this whole house unpacked.

Then, yesterday happened. Got Hubby off to NYC for the week. Went to church. Came back home, assessed all the stuff I need to do this week, and told myself:

"You deserve the day off from unpacking."

And I did just that. I did exactly what I wanted to do, which was NOT unpack. I took a Sunday nap, (love those!) and when I woke up, I came down to the office and sat in front of my computer. Pulled up the story I was working on before we moved. Read some. Got lost in it. Started typing. And typing. And when I looked up a few hours later, it was dinnertime, and I'd written all the words out that had been locked up in my head for so many weeks.

I was reluctant to make dinner. But my boys (bless them for giving me space so I could write) were hungry. We had dinner. We hung out. They went to bed. I sat back at the computer.

I edited the scene I just wrote, until it felt right. It was midnight before I was ready for bed.

Unfortunately for me, I woke up this morning in the world of my characters. I am no longer estranged with them. I want to tell their story. They WANT me to tell their story. But I have to unpack. I gave myself a day, and now, it's back to business. But next week, when my self-imposed deadline expires and the house is unpacked, I WILL write more. I will get back on the computer and keep the story going.

It's good to be back.

I'm Moving!!

No, not the blog, but my family is moving to a new house about ten minutes away. This blog will be on hiatus until the 3rd week of July, because until then, I will be packing instead of writing!

And I might have an announcement for you all when I return! ;-)

Stay Tuned!

And It Begins...

Is this movie going to be a bit "much" for my 13-year old? Hmmmm....