Why do you write?

When someone asks me this question there is immediately a tornado of thoughts and images that swirl around in my mind. I can see images of scenes I have read from my own list of favorite books...scenes that I am still in love with and could almost recite verbatim. I can reach out and touch the character I've created in my  mind as I console a broken heart or help her up after she's been knocked down.

I feel the tragedies I write.

If they stay inside me, they will eat me alive. If I keep them in, I would be cheating someone out of living that story as they turn the pages of one of my novels. Sometimes living someone else's story for a moment can bring enlightenment to your own life that  you wouldn't have gathered anywhere else.

I wasn't an avid reader until I was an adult. I was a gifted student and did well in school and I am sad to say, I got by with Cliff's Notes and movies. Maybe no one challenged me as much as they should have. I hated reading when someone ELSE was choosing what I would bury my nose in. So, I read the mini-version, watched the movie, wrote the paper or took the test and then filed it away in "things I will never need to revisit."

I have always been a storyteller. I have lived my whole life with people begging me to "tell that story again!" And with each re-telling, I add more and more glitz and glam...which is why no one ever gets tired of hearing that same story...it's not always exactly the same. I love to hold people's attention while at the same time I don't enjoy being the center of attention. My stories allow me to entertain while drawing attention to something other than myself. The attention goes to the characters within the stories I am telling.

When I write, things I've lived through, longed for, loved and hated make their way into my books. Call it cheap therapy, but sometimes when I hand my own experiences to the characters in my books I can translate them in a way I could not if I was simply looking at them from my own point of view. Looking at the same heartache and pain through someone else's eyes brings a world of different insights and I love that.

In addition to that, I can change the outcome as I see fit. In my latest novel that's making its rounds, IN TOO DEEP, there is a scene that I would give my left arm to go back in time and have play out in real life. Since I have not yet discovered time travel, I watched it play out moment by moment as I wrote it and now I can revisit it over and over and over as many times as I want to see that fist meet that jaw!

So, why do I write?
I write for the same reason people do drugs...it fills a void in my soul!

So, peace out writer peeps! It's time for me to go fill a void!

 

Writers love winter...

I'm actually NOT a fan of winter. I hate to be cold. I hate to be wet. I don't like wind. I can't stand to play in the snow. Why? Have you not been paying attention?

Playing in the snow = cold, wet, wind = Grumpy Writer

But, what I do like about winter is being forced to stay inside during blizzards and snow squalls. A fire in the fireplace makes everything a little cozier. My favorite fleece blanket from my BFF and a cup of something hot makes a winter day complete perfection!

Christmas is 22 days away and the thermometer is climbing past 65 as I type. I love sunny, warm days but something in me wishes it was gray and snowy outside so I could sit curled up with my Hot Toddy and my laptop. Inspiration is induced when I am ridiculously comfortable.

Comfort for me is the sum of soft sweats, no bra (sorry if that's TMI), cozy slippers, warm fuzzy blanket, steaming cup of yumminess and my current WIP. I had this beauty last week during the big Nor'easter  that came to the East coast. I have about six chapters to finish tweaking and polishing and the sun is making me feel guilty for copping a squat on the couch. But I tell myself, this is my equivalent to a desk job...just without the dress code, boring meetings and a boss. Not a bad set up.

My current yet-to-be-requested novel is a New Adult novel: In Too Deep

I am in love with this story. Gracie and Noah couldn't be more opposite but when they cross paths the summer between their freshman and sophomore year of college there are fireworks...literally. Noah puts aside his bad boy ways when he unexpectedly falls for Gracie who is beautiful and sweet but probably way too naive to date Noah and stay that way. But their picture perfect love that stuns Noah's friends and scares Gracie's, is headed for turmoil. When Noah is initiated to Sigma Chi, the hottest fraternity on the campus of The University of Tennessee, something within Noah rears its ugly head and he becomes emotionally abusive and Gracie takes it blow by blow waiting for "her Noah" to come back.

As Gracie's sanity is threatened, Jake, Noah's former roommate and Gracie's best friend, can no longer sit on the sidelines and watch. But will Jake's devotion to his best friend show a broken Gracie that she is worth so much more or will his devotion turn into unexpected love? A love triangle like you have never known with the gore of violent heartbreak and the beauty of a fairy tale all in one book.

Emotional abuse leaves wounds no one sees, but true love will walk beside you as you heal.

I hope you will fall in love with this story as it is very close to my own heart.
So, put the shades down, pretend it's snowing (even if you hate winter like I do), find your best snuggly blanket and follow a journey that will bring Gracie, Noah, Jake and their collegiate friends to life.

I am currently participating in PitchWars and am  looking forward to December 12th when the announcement of which of over 30 published authors and PitchWars mentors choose the one author they want to help adjust and polish their finished manuscripts and ready them for awaiting agents. I am so excited to even be participating but am obviously crossing my fingers and toes (and I am double jointed so I can cross each twice - well, almost) that one of my three chosen mentors believes in Gracie and her survival as much as I do.

I want to publicly thank Summer Heacock, Elizabeth Prats and Shelley Watters for taking time out of their own writing to be coaches for all of the many entrants and for being awesome enough to be chosen by moi.

Stay tuned, there are more contests coming up the pike and I am revved and ready to go with another manuscript, my YA WIP. I will fill you in on a dark soul named M, yes...just M, in another post. She's a very complicated soul that needs her own post. She'd never share space with a goody two shoes, virgin geek like Gracie.

Stick around. I'd love to meet you so introduce yourself.
Find me on Twitter @flowermonkeyz
Peace.

These are a few of my FAVORITE THINGS...

So many things play into WHAT I write and what I DRAW... inspiration is everywhere! If I wrote in my notebook EVERY time a story line, character or new concept idea came to mind, I would NEVER get off my office chair! (Not that that would be a bad thing!)

I try to jot down everything that I like enough to spend a lot of time on...sometimes it is in a journal/notebook/sketchbook, sometimes it's in the driveway in sidewalk chalk. Sometimes it's on slips of paper or napkins that I stuff in my purse and then tape into my journal/notebook/sketchbook.

I had a writer professor who would say, "One could NEVER write every story that came to mind...no one lives that long!" This struck me as it made me realize how "in tune" we need to be with our creative side. ANYTHING and EVERYTHING can become a story...but only the author can select JUST THE RIGHT ONE and make that story her own!

So, no more procrastinating! I have 500 words to cut out of my newest manuscript and a book dummy to create! Back to the drawing board...LITERALLY!

While I write - you can peek at what keeps my muse happy...


Painted baby fingers.


Slinkies.

Grumpy toddlers.

Simple nature.

My Sunday morning (BreakAway 56) tweens.

Funny PRANK cakes I have made.

My student's projects.

Heavenly Amish-made desserts.

My countryside surroundings.

And, of course, sidewalk chalk!

Peace.

SCBWI Eastern PA Fall Philly Conference 2009

There is nothing more inspiring for a children's writer than walking into a room filled with writers, artists, editors, agents and lots and lots of children's books hot off the press.

This was my 3rd year at the conference and my 1st year as a volunteer. The conference is held on a Saturday in the fall at a country club within 30 minutes from my house.

This year because I scheduled the manuscript critiques and portfolio reviews, I was invited to spend Friday evening at a dinner that SCBWI Easter PA puts on for its faculty. So, Friday night I sat down with my volunteer partners and some very influential people in the children's writing world.

Scott Treimel/agent STNY
Alexandra Penfold/editor Paula Wiseman Books
Noa Wheeler/editor Henry Holt
Timothy Travaglini/editor GP Putnam Sons
Wendy Mays & Janice Onken/art reps WendyLynn & Co
David Wiesner/ Author/Illustrator
Debbie Dadey/ Author
Lee Harper/ Author/Illustrator
Catherine Gilbert Murdock/ Author

The weekend was amazing!

I had sent my newest project BENNY KEPT BOUNCING to a faculty member prior to the conference along with the other manuscripts I received from many amazing authors. We met @ 10am and and chatted about revisions. I will be sending my revised manuscript in the form of a book dummy within the next month.

Later in the day I had a wonderful meeting with Wendy Mays and Janice Onken. We sat overlooking a sunny day on the golf course and pages through my portfolio. They had a special love for one of my characters. The funny thing is, this particular character is the one I doodle ALL THE TIME.

Being trained as an art teacher has one major draw back; in my training I did not have the course time to focus on a specific style, therefore I have never been sure of what my "style" is. In speaking to Wendy and Janice I had one of those "forest for the trees" moments. We were talking about the Macy-Sue character that they were so enamoured by and I commented that I love that character, too but I almost felt like it was cheating because that "style" (hmmm, did I actually HAVE a distinct style?) comes so naturally to me. I described it as, "Those kinds of characters just seem to slow out of me and onto the paper."

Wendy looked at me and said with a grin, something along the lines of, Well, then you do, in fact have a style!

I caught up with the faculty member who critqued my manuscript and we quickly chatted about the book dummy. I revealed the style that Wendy and Janice preferred. So, it looks like I will be sending the new and improved BENNY in the book dummy. That new Benny flowed from my hand and onto a lined piece of paper yesterday during my daughter's gymnastic class.

So, nose to the grindstone. Lots of refining. Even more cutting and polishing. That much closer to touching a child's life through my gifts!

Peace.