Variant Giveaway to Celebrate Writing Season

As you might have noticed, it’s November—my most favorite month of the year.

Goodbye farming, and hello writing season! I celebrated by attending an awesome writers retreat by Park City, with twenty other writers including Lisa Mangum, Kirk Shaw, Annette Lyon, Danyelle Ferguson, Ali Cross, C.K. Bryant, and many others from Authors Incognito that I'm grateful to call friends.  

Imagine 4 days in a condo/cabin by Park City, Utah, where everyone has a quiet nook of their own to plug in and write. There were enough of us there that we only had to help with one meal for the whole time. Can you imagine? Meals done, quiet time, no kids, almost no calls, and house full of people who shared your same passion for writing. After months of busting my rear on the farm, it was exactly what I needed. We also had prizes for word count sprints, early birds and night owls.

If you ever have the chance to go to a retreat, do it. You deserve it.

To celebrate writing season, I’m giving away 2 copies of Variant by Robinson Wells, a hot new YA dystopian that has been heralded as having the best YA twist since Enders Game. Also, Publishers Weekly has named Variant as one of the best books of 2011. That’s some high praise, my friends.

You can read the synopsis and some of its great reviews on goodreads here.

There are a couple of other great reasons why I chose to give Variant away. Bottom line: it’s an excellent book from a deserving author. If you’ve ever thought of buying it, today is a good day.

TO ENTER the Variant giveaway:

Follow my blog and leave a comment with your email like myemail AT wherever DOT com so spammers don’t find you.

If you would like to tweet or Facebook about the Book Bomb or this post, then you win good Karma and my appreciation for passing it on. J

I'll draw a winner on November 20th!

So, to all you crazy nanowrimoers out there, good luck! (and don’t forget to occasionally do boring things like eat, sleep, speak to your family, and bathe.) To everyone else, may you have a very excellent writing season. I know I will.

Practicing Your Pitch

I'm very excited to go to Storymakers this weekend and meet all the wonderful writers, authors, editors, and agents! Last year I got several books signed by James Dashner, Jessica Day George, and David Farland.  This year I'm bringing two great YA novels (The Hourglass Door, and The Golden Spiral) in the hopes that Lisa Mangum will sign them!

I learned so much last year that I decided to be brave this year and sign up for a pitch with an editor there.


In a valiant effort to NOT look like an idiot during the pitch, I've been researching everything I can find on what to do. My favorite website help for struggling would-be authors is Pitch University. I love, love, LOVE the lesson that says "don't memorize it" because my memorized speech was flat and mechanical.

So, if you are as crazy as I am and have signed up for a pitch, I wish you the best of luck.

I promise to take good notes to share with all of you again this year.

Cross your fingers for me!

P.S. Don't forget that you have a couple days left to put your name in to win DEPTH OF DECEIT by Betty Briggs. Just leave a comment HERE to enter. Giveaway ends May 10th.

Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 6 (Final)

We are visiting with my friend, Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly, a writer in Cairo, Egypt. You can read part one of this interview here.

What is your goal as a writer and as a citizen of Egypt?

My goal has always been to revolutionize the arts in Egypt, because I’ve always felt like people have lost interest in art around here, I wish I can revive that. My goal is to change the way people look at Egyptian writers who write in English, it’s not like they look down on them or anything, it’s just that they do not take them or their writing seriously. And at the same time, I think that the standards of books that’d been published in the past two years have had very low standards in comparison to the international market, the reason is that the authors are poor writers and poor editors at the same time. Writing is not easy, especially if English is not your first language, but this does not refute the fact that they shouldn’t pay more attention to their craft.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

Thank you for having me here, I’m really glad that people around the world paid attention to this historic event. I wish I could’ve answered your questions better, but I’m still recovering from the shock of it all.

One more thing, please do not take things for granted, never let anyone silence your thoughts, fight for your freedom and give peace a chance.

Thank you for sharing your insights with us, Ahmed. We may be half a world away, but our hearts are with you and your country. I think we all hope for a world where freedom applies to every man, woman, and child, and where religion is no longer used as an excuse for violence. I loved the pictures where Muslims and Christians stood side by side. It gives me hope.

Take care and good luck. May this new freedom you enjoy be a part of your life, always.
 
You can follow Ahmed @ANadarGretly on twitter. Have a question for Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly? Please comment.
Please join me in thanking him.

Egytpian Revolution--A View From the Inside, Part 5

We are visiting with my friend, Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly, a writer from Cairo, Egypt. You can read part one of this interview here.

Who is now in control of Egypt?


The Armed-Forces are in charge right now, they’ll stay in charge along with a transitional government until the presidential elections in about six months.

How do you feel about the military?

I respect and trust the military. You see, there’s this relationship between the military and the people, the military is the most respectable sector in all of Egypt, and people just love them. The Armed-Forces even sends everyone text messages every now and then. Do you get the connection between the people and the military? It’s just wonderful.

What is next for your people?

We’re in a state of recovery right now, trying to shack off the past government. I personally see a bright future for all Egyptians. People are cleaning the streets, painting pavements and other projects are being made to push this country forward, to re-build our country and make it a better place. You should see it; the youth of Egypt are cleaning their country, such a beautiful sight.

Do you think it’s fair to have free and fair elections there, or do you think there will be the same problem of ballot stuffing on Election Day like there used to be?

I think the next election will be the fairest election in the history of mankind, but that’s just me, I’m very optimistic.

Do you feel that you have greater freedom now than before?

Of course I do, freedom is in the air. No corruption, no dictatorship, it’s the New Egypt Mrs. Swore.

How do you feel these changes will affect you as a writer?

Well, I’m currently overloading on inspiration, but it’s like I still cannot fully comprehend what happened, and at the same time I feel like I cannot put my infinite thoughts into mere words. The thing is that the market will feast on this revolution, songs, movies, and books, which I’m not sure is a good thing or not. I think if I’m ever going to write a novel about this revolution, it’s going to be like 3-5 years from now. But I like the atmosphere, there’s this creative sense in the air all around Cairo which is something new over here, artists of all kinds are working really hard to create something relevant. I think this is not just a political revolution, I think it’s also an evolution of the mind.

Do you read many books that are from popular writers here? Do you have a favorite genre or author?

Well, I started with horror and thrillers. Stephen King and Thomas Harris taught me a lot, ‘Silence Of The Lambs’ is one of my favorite novels of all time. In my point of view, I think Hannibal Lecter is one of the most well written characters in modern fiction.

Lately, I’ve been getting into the beat generation. Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg and others are just mind blowing. I’m changing my voice from horror fiction to like a narrative, dream-like voice. I took that Goodreads 50 books challenge at the beginning of the year. So far, I’ve read ‘Big Sur’ by Kerouac, and I’m currently reading ‘The Girl Who Played With Fire’ by Stieg Larsson, which I’m really enjoying.

A new section of Ahmed's interview will post everyday this week. Only one post left! Tomorrow's question:
What is your goal as a writer and as a citizen of Egypt?

Have a question for Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly? Please comment.
You can follow Ahmed on Twitter @ANaderGretly

Egyptian Revolution--A View From the Inside, part 4

We are visiting with my friend, Ahmed Nadar Al-Gretly, an Egyptian writer from Cairo, Egypt. You can read part one of the interview here.

What was it like for you when the “pro-Mubarak” supporters attacked the protesters?


I was baffled actually. I couldn’t understand what was going on, I kept asking myself, were these people hired? Did someone pay them money to do this? But I knew that this was an effort made by the previous government to divide the unity that held this revolution together. They tried to create a sort of a civil war between Egyptians. It saddened me to see my people being attacked by others of the same country, the same blood.

How did you feel after Mubarak made his last speech? And after Omar Suleiman announced that Mubarak had stepped down as president?

Mubarak’s last speech was highly depressing and badly written; I didn’t even hear the rest of it. We all waited for that speech and everyone expected him to step down that evening, but the speech itself was a slap in the face, it was very disrespectful to the minds and hearts of the Egyptian people. He was talking as if he didn’t care about this country, for example, he said “Your martyrs” when he was talking about the people who lost their lives in the protests, the use of the word ‘Your’ instead of ‘Our’ meant that he himself didn’t really care, it meant that he did not relate to these brave martyrs.

Now Suleiman’s (the vice president appointed on the 29th of January) speech –which lasted less than a minute, that was something else. I wasn’t home when they aired it on national television. I came down to park my car in the garage, and when I came out of the car, I heard something that sounded like a scream, but then after that, the screams turned into cheers of joy and I knew it. I rushed up stairs and heard the words that made Egypt cry tears of joy.

“President Mubarak has resigned from his role as president of Egypt…”

If you want me to sum up all these emotions in one word…I felt euphoric.

In your mind, what was the greatest factor in making this revolution a success?

It was the force; I’m not talking about Star Wars. I’m talking about faith. Faith gave people the power to go on and not back down; it was the fuel that kept their fire glowing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not like “Hey, we’re gonna keep praying and eventually, God will prevail.” It’s more of “We’re gonna work, we’re gonna fight, we’re gonna do the best we can and God will protect us because we have faith that we are on the right path”

People had faith in the higher power; they knew that God was on their side, and that they were fighting for a good cause. That –in my point of view was the greatest factor in making this revolution a success. Did you see that photograph where Muslims were praying, surrounded my Christians who stood as a human shield to protect them? Did you ever see that before anywhere in the world? That’s who we are Mrs. Swore.

A new section of Ahmed's interview will post everyday this week.

Tomorrow's question: Who is now in control of Egypt? How do you feel about the military?
Have a question for Ahmed Nader Al-Gretly? Please comment.
You can follow Ahmed on Twitter @ANaderGretly

Come, young grasshopper, let's be Ninjas!

Editing? You are not alone. My friend, Ali Cross, has declared this month to be Ninja Novel Revising Month.

Many of us bust our butts during NaNoWriMo and enjoy the friendly competition and encouragement…but then what?

First off, congratulate yourself for having written something because "You can't edit a blank page." — Jodi Picoult

I can hear the whining already, I hate editing, wa wa wa. No. Stop it. Editing is the refiner’s fire where you sift impurities and plain old crap out of your writing.

I struggled with editing until my good friend, Renee Miller took the time to go through my first novel with me. A light bulb went off in my brain and I realized that while editing is hard, and sometimes painful, it’s doable and even—dare I say it—fun!

If you don’t know how to edit, spend a few days and research. Highlight all the ly’s, that’s, and just’s in your WIP and stand back as the screen explodes with a case of the unnecessary-word-pox. Watch for was, were, could and all those other sneaky passives.

Most of the time you can find a more active way of saying what needs said. And all that pretty prose, you favorite bits that are beautiful but add nothing to the plot? Put them straight in the crosshairs of your delete button and pull the trigger. Like Stephen King says, sometimes you have to “kill your darlings” to make the book worth reading.

My goal is to finish COLORLESS by the end of March and have it ready for readers.

What’s your goal? Want to be a Ninja too? You can. Check out these other Ninjas.

The Writer's Conference was Superb!

The LDS Storymaker’s Conference in Provo, UT, was a fabulous experience that I highly recommend. As a writer, my skills improved from all the information, and as a person, my confidence in my newfound profession increased ten-fold.


I will share some of the awesome writing tips I learned there, so this will be the first of a series of blogs where I share notes, ideas, and even visits with such authors as James Dashner, author of The 13th reality series and the NY Best Seller, The Maze Runner. I am tickled to say that he is a charming, cool guy who puts on no airs of grandeur, but rather makes everyone around him feel at ease and confident.

So, a huge, HUGE thank you to the LDS StoryMakers for a job well done! You can be sure that I’ll be back again next year.

Avoid the Ticking Clock Mentality

One of the biggest things I have learned through writing and editing my novel, Coyote Dreams, over the last two years is that a good story is worth the time it takes to polish it. Writing the first draft was an exhilarating adventure. I thrilled at each new twist that unfolded on my screen. Typing 'The End' was a big moment, worthy of the happy dance. However, I've since discovered that writing those two powerful words is somewhat of an oxymoron, since finishing a first draft is actually just the beginning of all the real work.

First, I read it over and made what edits/corrections I could see. Then I sent it out to several readers who sent it back full of enough red marks that I feared its wounds might be fatal. I made the needed edits again and sent it out for a second read. Thankfully I've been blessed with some readers who have a very good eye and were willing to teach me how to be a better writer. These are the edits I'm just now finishing. Huge thanks to Renee Miller and Rita & TJ Webb for this one. Don't know them? Well, you should:
http://www.reneeamiller.blogspot.com/
http://afantasyfiction.blogspot.com/

Soon, I'll send it out for one last read with a new set of readers to get their input. Perfecting my synopsis and query letter will be the focus while I wait. When I get those last reads back, I'll fix whatever I missed (and ignore whatever suggestions I don't agree with).

My goal is to be done by the end of April and research which agent to send my work to. It would be a wasted stamp to send my YA novel to someone who specializes in, say, romance. There is a love triangle in my book, but it’s a first kiss, not the whole she-bang.

I hope to get my first letter back from agents by the end of June. I know most will probably be rejection letters because everyone gets them. I think the key to keeping up moral is to have a plan on what to do with them. I'm going to follow Steven King's lead and spear the things on a nail.

While I wait for someone to accept my manuscript, I'll resume work my next story, Firebug, work on the farm over the summer, and begin the whole process again.

If I had been impatient and thrown my story out there before taking the time to polish it, then rejections would have been guaranteed, and the time invested, wasted.

The time was well spent. When Coyote Dreams goes out, I'll know that it is a story worth reading.