Writing is Like...

... getting a slab of granite and being handed a chisel, and then uncovering David.

Writing is like being thrown a jumble of 85,000 words and being told that if you arrange them just so, they will have the power to make people laugh, cry, and remember how true love feels.

Writing is like snow. One flake is a beginning. A million flakes are a winter wonderland.

Writing is like running. You start out slow. And it hurts. But the more you do it, the swifter you become. The stronger you get.

When I was a teenager I finally admitted to myself that magic doesn't exist. As an adult, I know better. Writing is... magic.

What is writing like for you?

--Bethany

Originally posted 12/15/09

The Moments That Make Us

Just so you know, for the next week, in preparation for Thanksgiving and being barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen A LOT, I'm going to post a week's worth of old but awesome posts. Even though it isn't next week yet, we'll start with this one, written by my amazing blog partner and sister, Suzette Saxton. Enjoy!

XO, Bethany

There are things in life that we have no control over that leave their mark - death of a loved one comes to mind - and then there are those subtle things that make just as big an impression.



Take opera. My exposure to it consisted of Pretty Woman, when Edward Lewis (played by Richard Gere) said, "People's reactions to opera the first time they see it is very dramatic; they either love it or they hate it. If they love it, they will always love it. If they don't, they may learn to appreciate it, but it will never become part of their soul." I made a point of listening to a smattering of opera after that - nothing happened. I figured I was one of those who would never have it in my soul. Many years later I bought a collection of classical music, and tacked on at the end, almost as an afterthought, was a very short opera piece by Puccini. I was so stunned by its beauty I found myself crying. That one piece unlocked a window in my soul, and I have loved opera ever since.


Another involves Flaming June, a painting I think you all know I love, as I use it as my Google icon. (Sweet Cynde even sent me Flaming June emery boards!) On a recent trip to the museum I found myself face-to-face with an original 4x4 inch oil study that was part of the planning stage for Flaming June. To see the actual brushstrokes of Lord Fredrick Leighton ... I stood riveted to the spot as a long line of patrons accumulated behind me. When one of them finally cleared his throat, I gave up my place and moved to the back of the line to await another turn.

Other life-altering moments that come to mind include a recent camping trip I took with my children, The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, and sunsets in general, which never fail to spur spiritual growth. This past weekend I swam in a million-year-old crater pool. Once I got used to the fact that I was floating atop 65 feet of water, the experience was profound.


I want to know about those subtle, life-shaping moments that make you who you are.

Suzy

Originally posted 10/10/09

Lili St. Crow's Strange Angels, a Book Review

Don't you love sitting down and finding a book that you love right from the beginning? One that makes you semi-neglect your kids (not that this is good!) and totally neglect your laundry? Well, this is one of 'em.

Strange Angels

by

Lili St. Crow

Sixteen-year-old Dru Anderson has grown up traveling the country with her demon-hunter father. When he tries to tackle a powerful sucker named Sergej in the Dakotas, he is turned into a zombie. After stopping him from killing her, Dru must save herself when she, too, becomes Sergej's target.

What I liked about this book: This book made my heart speed up, made me jump at the smallest sounds, and made me temporarily scared of the dark. And, call me old fashioned, but there was no teen sex--I found that kinda refreshing.

The Main Character: Dru is awesome. She NEVER needs a guy to jump in and save her butt. At the same time, she's so down-to-earth and normal, her character is believable--even when she's battling a flaming hound.

The Side Character: Graves. He was awesome! Totally your average, dorky guy that melts your heart just by being himself.

What Made This Book Unique: The author's take on the supernatural was so creative, so engrossing, it sent shivers down my spine.

For more book love from these awesome fellow writers/Bookanistas, check out:

Shannon Messenger is awestruck by THE MARBURY LENS and giving away a signed hardcover

Carolina Valdez Miller is spreading picture book love for CHICKEN BUTT!

Megan Miranda is captivated by MATCHED

Myra McEntire is wowed by A VISITOR'S GUIDE TO MYSTIC FALLS

Elana Johnson is in love with PERILOUS

Christine Fonseca is amazed by DESIRES OF THE DEAD

Beth Revis is blown away by DEMONGLASS

Lisa and Laura Roecker share a YA review from an actual YA: a "Guestanista Review" on THE REPLACEMENT

Short and Sweet

Remember a few posts ago I talked about how short query letters are the way to go (strictly my opinion, of course)? Well, my agent, Marlene Stringer, recently posted this on Twitter:

I'm seeing a lot of Qs with way too much backstory/setup.
twitter.com/MarleneStringer/status/3115953286025216

So it's not just me. You've got to remember when writing your query, leave just enough of a taste of that short and sweet to leave them wanting a little bit more. Skip the main meal and to straight to the dessert, the very best part! And hook 'em with that!

A Short Post and a Recipe

So I had another writEr momEnt the other day.

Every fall I make Butternut Squash Soup (with squash I grow in my garden). It is the best.

Now, I pulled out my big binder of recipes (which are totally unorganized) and started going through them in search of the butternut recipe. But after a moment or two, I paused. On the back of each recipe was a page of a former draft of one of many manuscripts I'd written. And by reading each edited-slashed-to-pieces manuscript page, I could tell what year I'd printed the recipe.

Total walk down memory lane.

How do you recycle edited-slashed-to-pieces manuscript pages?

And BTW, here's a link to the recipe.

Black Hole Sun Book Review

The black is back, guys, as I write another book review post linked with the Bookanistas, a fabulous group of some of the most awesome fellow bloggers/writers in the universe. (See below for the links.)

Black Hole Sun

by

David Macinnis Gill

"Durango is the 16-year-old chief of a team of mercenaries who eke out a living on Mars by earning meager commissions for their dangerous work. Their current job, and the main thrust of this high-energy, action-filled, science-fiction romp, is to protect South Pole miners from the Dræu, a cannibalistic group who are after the miners' treasure." (From Amazon)

What I liked about this book: I liked everything about this book. From the first paragraph, I was sucked into the action. The voice is amazing. I was laughing throughout. There's never a dull moment!

The Plot: The author doesn't tell you what things in this world mean, just writes them in and lets you figure 'em out. And it was refreshing! No info-dump.

The Characters: The MC was smart. REALLY smart. Without being the least bit cocky about it. And he was hot!

The other thing: The author made up his own language for swearing. It was really nice. A refreshing break from having to read the f-word five times per page.

For more fantabulous reviews, check out the other bookanistas:

Elana Johnson marvels over The Mockingbirds

Lisa and Laura Roecker dish about The Love Goddess' Cooking School

Christine Fonseca is nostalgic over books she loved growing up

Shannon Messenger is excited about the Ninth Ward

Megan Miranda adores The Adoration of Jenna Fox

Myra McEntire raves about NetGalley

Kirsten Hubbard considers the good, the bad and the ugly impact of reviews

Jamie Harrington is thrilled about The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball

The Other Stuff

So we talked about query pitches. I said a three sentence hook is ideal. A lot of you gasped.

WHAT??? So short!?!?

But think about it. Short catches attention (see above photo). If you get a short email, or see a short blog post, aren't you a lot more likely to sit down and give it 60 seconds of your time?

YEP.

So short is good. (But you can do long, too.) Think about this, though. You're a great writer. So it should be a piece of cake to sell your book in three sentences, right? Because writing is your thing?

RIGHT.

There are a few more thing you need to put with your query.

1. Name and contact info

2. Genre (you know... Urban Fantasy, Romantic Comedy, Horror...)

3. Word count (because no one will want to read a 300,000 word manuscript)

4. Any other info the agent specifically asks for (sometimes they want to know a little bit about you, or if you have writing experience, or if you went to school, are previously published...)

5. A sample of your writing, in the body of the email, right below the query (NO ATTACHMENTS!) (Try 2-5 pages, even if they don't ask for it... trust me)

AND if you have any more questions, may I please direct you to the Query Ninja herself... Elana Johnson. She blogs about this stuff all the time and she's 100 times more awesome at it than me. And she's funnier!