Mystery Agent Contest at Operation Awesome!

Coming up on Monday!!! Don't miss it. Our awesome mystery agent will be accepting 50 entries. You need to have a 25 word pitch ready :) While our MA does have a preference for adult fiction, YA is also accepted. All genres but especially mystery, thriller, paranormal, romance, and suspense. Only pitch FINISHED novels :) So don't forget to head to Operation Awesome bright and early Monday morning!! (May 2)

Friday Funnies

Only dull people are brilliant at breakfast. 

~Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband

I always pass on good advice. It is the only thing to do with it. It is never of any use to oneself.

~Oscar Wilde, An Ideal Husband

Playing with Fear

I'm over on the OA today discussing fears. I was going through some old Blog Chain posts recently and came across one whose topic has been on my mind a lot lately. I'm currently in the process of rewriting the first novel I ever wrote. One thing I've needed to do is add a little more depth to my characters...make their hopes and fears more tangible, more a part of them and who they are, and above all, stay consistent to their inner selves.

It got me thinking about the subject of fear and how I bring that to my characters. Fears are funny, I think. When it comes right down to it, all fears are internal. You may have a very good reason to fear something, (like fearing fast moving vehicles after being in a car accident), but the fear you feel is still based in your head.

I had a nightmare once, when I was in my mid teens. I was in my room and a blinding white light was shining through my window - like someone had focused a spotlight on it. There was a man standing in my room, but he was made of shadow - black and sort of hazy. No features, just a black outline though it was solid. And red eyes.

I've slept with a nightlight ever since. To this day. Even though I KNOW it was just a dream and there is nothing to fear...especially twenty years later.

I also fear spiders, ghosts, enclosed spaces, heights and losing my loved ones. All of those fears are totally irrational, justified but unfixable, or unavoidable. I'm huge compared to a spider. I step on it and it dies. But I'll run if one is big enough. I generally stay out of my basement at night and never EVER watch or read ghost stories...esp at night (not even Ghostbusters - though one of my lovely crit partners writes very creepy stories so I've had to relax the ban a bit...I still only crit her stuff during the day though :D ). I avoid enclosed spaces and heights if at all possible and go to my happy place and breath deeply if I can't (no amount of exposing myself to such places has cured these fears). And I'm going to lose people I love. I already have. And I will again. Yet I fear it.

I put these same fears into my characters. Sure I give them a real monster to fight- that's always fun. :) But those internal fears...now those are intense battles. I like to watch my characters conquer their fears. Sometimes it takes more than one try, but there is nothing more rewarding than beating a fear...even if it's only temporary.

One of my fave quotes about fear is: Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. 

~Ambrose Redmoon 

I actually first heard that quote while watching The Princess Diaries :) But it's so true. I may fear a lot of things - but I can be courageous, no matter how bad my boots are shaking, when I need to be :)

And I try to bring this to my characters. My current MC is terrified of losing control of her life. She goes to great lengths to be able to be queen of her world. So, when I need to amp up some conflict or torture her a bit, I play on those fears. I take away her control of the situation and watch what happens. Whenever I am writing with her, I try to keep her innermost fears in mind, because those are the things that ultimately drive her to do what she does.

What are you afraid of? Do you bring your experience of fear to your characters? What are characters most afraid of?

Michelle Gets Into Picture Books :)

All right, so on Monday, I mentioned that I had some fun picture book news. Wellll, here it is :D

With a file full of picture book manuscripts and a very talented, and surprisingly willing, friend, Toni Wilson, who agreed to illustrate for me, I will soon release my first picture book. I am self-publishing it; first as an ebook with a print version to follow this summer. The first book will be ready in just a couple weeks (and I will be having a Picture Book Party to celebrate :D ).

And, making it's debut.....my cover :)

(the size requirements for the e-version made it necessary to add the large blue border. The print version will be more squarely shaped, without the large blue border on top and bottom)

I am publishing my picture books under the name Michelle Raynor :) I decided to publish these books myself for several reasons.

1. I wanted to see if I could do it.

2. I wanted to control how things looked. Going through a traditional publisher, I would have had little to no say over the illustrations, which is a hard thing to consider when the illustrations are such a major part of the book.

3. Breaking into the PB business is even harder than getting a novel out there - and the same goes for PB illustrators. These books don't make agents much money, so very few represent them. And while there are several publishers who accept manuscripts (and art submissions) it's just a tough nut to crack.

4. I recently purchased a Nook. My kids LOVE to look at picture books on them. But finding a cute, decent quality epicture book for under $7 is dang near impossible. The books I've found around the $4 range are those early readers I can buy at the grocery store for $1. And yes, I read the article on Amanda Hocking right around this time. Now, I have no illusions about making it rich, but...with all my manuscripts and a good friend who can draw...I figured it wouldn't hurt to start putting my books out there, for a price that even a picky mother like me could afford :)

And so, I did some research, found a company I can publish through who will distribute my books to all the major ebook retailers, found a company for the print versions who will also distribute (at minimal cost), and away we went :D Toni and I will be working on several more books together, and I am also working with another very talented friend, putting words to her beautiful pictures.

This whole process has been absolutely amazing and more fun than I could have imagined. Creating a picture book is such a unique and all-around fun process, made even more so because it's one I can share with my children. They are my guinea pigs, my soundboards, my inspiration, and in many cases my co-authors :) No matter how this journey ends, it has been a wonderful experience and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Stay tuned for more info on the upcoming Picture Book Party! We'll have some fun things and of course lots of prizes going on :D

*Update in response to Stephanie's question :D* The book will be available on all ereaders, as well as in html form and as a pdf. If you have any sort of ereader (Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iPad, iPhone, etc), a computer or any other means of digitally viewing something, you should be able to download the book. And a print version (which will include color pages for your kiddies) will be available this summer :)

I Just Never Learn :)

So I learned a little something this weekend. Well, I shouldn't say I learned it, as this is something I already knew. In fact, it's something I've written about on here, frequently. But, apparently, sometimes I need a little reminder. There are a few versions of this little lesson:

You never know what will happen if you don't try.
The only true failure is not trying at all.
Just go for it.

I've written about, and followed, various forms of this many times. Most notably when I had a little idea for a non-fiction book and sent it out with zero expectations of anything ever happening with it. And here I am now, with a copy of it sitting right next to me :) I should have learned this lesson once and for all back then. But nope :D

On Wednesday last week, my neighbor told me he'd seen an ad on Craigslist for something I've wanted my whole life. And the lady who had the item just wanted to trade for it. Anything useful. Now, this item is very expensive. Something I probably would never be able to afford. Even in the old and kind of beat up state that hers was in, the deal was just too good to be true.

So I dismissed it, thinking someone else was going to get there first or offer something better. It took me four days before I finally said "oh what do I have to lose" and emailed her with the best offer I could come up with.

I had zero expectations. It had been too long. I knew it was gone or that someone else had snatched it up already. Good thing I decided to put that lesson I'd thought I'd learned into practice :D Let me introduce you to my new "baby" :

To get it I traded.... a $200 TV - BEST. DEAL. EVER. :)

Now, of course, a piano isn't writing related. But the lesson involved is.

I've seen so many people dragging their feet over edits, or querying, because they fear that someone else out there has already beat them to the punch. Someone else might have offered the agent something better. Someone else may have already snapped up that last spot in an agent contest. What if the editor has already gotten a better offer?

Well...you'll never know till you try. And in not trying, you might just lose out on the deal of a lifetime. :)

Has anyone else ever had this happen? Have you ever talked yourself out of doing something because you "knew" someone else was going to get what you wanted...only to give in and win in the end?

Happy Monday!

One of the hazards of taking a week off is completely forgetting about blog posting once you get back :D

Well, I had an amazing week and am feeling rested and ready to dive into all my projects. I have some lofty goals :D so we'll see how much I can get accomplished :D

Annnnd, I will have some exciting picture book related funness to share shortly, so stay tuned!

How did everyone fare in my absence? Are books getting written? Queries getting sent? Rejections getting burned? ;-) I hope everyone is well and being productive! :D

I am on cleaning duty today (my house is a mess!) but will be back on the writing brigade bright and early tomorrow morning :)

Unplugging for a Week :)

Due to the big 10 anniversary thingy :D I'm going to be MIA for a few days. Since I have a few things I need to finish up before I go, I'm going to take an unplugged week this week.

But! I will be back on Monday with all our regularly scheduled goodies :)

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter weekend and has a week full of progress and success! :)

 

(ha! look at the expression on his face :D too hilarious :D)