ANWA Conference Report on Linda Mullineaux’s class:

The Critical Skill of Self Editing-Focusing on what agents and editors really care about

I consider myself one of the luckiest authors at the conference. Not only was it fabulous—from amazing classes and presenters to the food, but I got to “hang out” with my editor, Linda Mullineaux from Walnut Springs Press. 

Linda says we look like sisters except she's the short one. LOL

Even though I’m published, I have so much to learn, and attending Linda’s class was informative and fun. Here is what her class was all about:

First of all, Linda says, “Take time writing your book; make it as perfect as you can.” She says it’s important to know your target audience, know your word count, and know what your publisher/agent accepts.

Walnut Springs Press

Now that you’ve done all the hard work, you hit the send key on your email with your manuscript attached. Now what? First of all, breathe a sigh of relief and go work on something else. If after a few days you haven’t heard from them, it’s okay to ask if the manuscript was received. Then be patient. After some time has passed, it’s okay to “bother” the agent or editor By “bother” Linda means, a quick email saying, “I hate to bother you, but have you had a chance to look at my manuscript?” But DON’T bother the editor every day! Agents and editors want to know that you are not going to be a high maintenance author. Be patient, the process takes time.

Linda says that often the plot is not the problem, but it’s often the mechanics of the story. Editors have so many books to make decisions on that to have a great story and poor writing makes an editor reject the book. An editor wants to know “How much work will it take to get it in publishable form?” If it’s going to take too much time, then the editor will pass it over for one that is going to take less editing. If there are too many mistakes it’s likely to be rejected.

When contacting a publisher make sure to include a cover letter and synopsis, not a chapter by chapter, but tell the story. If an editor or agent sends you back suggestions to fix it, take this as a very good sign that your story is publishable, but that you will need to look at it again for syntax, grammar, punctuation, etc. This is where a critique group is crucial, but make sure they are going to be honest and helpful.

Here are some other tips on being the best writer and creating the best book you can:

·         Take your time writing. Make it as perfect as you can.

·         Let others read it and give you feedback—no not your mom, she thinks everything is brilliant.

·         The best way to be a great writer is to read—especially the classics.

·         Let it sit for at least a month. Write something else, think about something else.

·         Phillip Cosby “When in doubt, delete.”

·         As a writer you are not being fair if you’re not being honest.

·         In dialogue, less is more.

·         On setting—Don’t make it sound like a travel brochure.

·         Make sure your characters want something on every page.

·         Have a strong voice.

Some of the types of errors that Linda sees a lot of are as follows:

·         Punctuation and minor grammar issues

·         Overwriting

·         Syntax or logistical errors

·         Unvaried sentence structures

·         Dangling modifiers

The last thing you should have when contacting an editor or agent is a marketing plan. This is the nuts and bolts of what you are going to do to promote your book. Have a blog that is content driven, not just an advertisement for your book. Have a social presence on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Find other ways to be creative in promoting your book.

Just me, chillin' between classes

I've Been Tagged By Diane Gillette

1.  Where is your favorite writing spot and why? 

I have this fabulous roll top desk in my bedroom. My laptop occupies the place of prestige there. But if I could, and I lived by the beach or a stream in the mountains that's where I'd write. There is just something about the sound of water that is soooooo inspiring.
2.  What author/book first made you want to write?  

I've always loved to write--ever since I was a preschooler and saw my mother's handwriting, that's what I wanted to do. When I started school and discovered that my mother's handwriting was actually words I knew I wanted to create words as well. But the first actual book that made me want to write was probably Paddington the Bear. I wanted to create my own stories.
3.  If you could no longer write, what would your creative outlet be?

Paint or draw. There are so many artists in my family. It's something I've never explored. But some day!!!! 
4.  Music or silence when you write?  

Music inspires me...but when I'm actually in the throes of drafting...silence.
5.  What is your writing goal for 2012?  

To finish drafting at least three of the novels I'm 3/4 of the way through.
6.  What pushes you out of your writing comfort zone?  

Revising. I hate going back and looking at what I thought was pure brilliance to discover that it's...well, not brilliant.
7.  Where do you go when you need to escape for a while?  

I love to take a drive up to the mountains for the day or even a couple of days, but if I can only get away for a short while, I love to go to Jamba Juice and get a Chocolate Moo'd (And if you've never had one or heard of it, it's a chocolate smoothie! DELISH!
8.  Which series are you eagerly anticipating the newest release for? (If you aren't addicted to any series right now, then what new book by a favorite author are you waiting for?)  

I loved the Fablehaven series by Branden Mull so I'm waiting for him to finish his Beyonders series. I haven't read the first one for good reason--it's a cliff hanger and I hate not being able to pick up the next book. I don't like waiting...I'm very impatient.
9.  What's your favorite online resource for writers?  

Blogs! I love checking out what other writers have to say about writing. That's why this campaign is going to be such a blessing.
10.  Do you read any literary magazines? If so, which ones? 

No, mostly I read what I write and maybe a book or two on writing.
11.  What's something that made you smile today?   

Finding that I have been tagged!

Here are my questions:

1. What is your first memory of writing or reading?

2. If you could be a character in a book, which one and why?

3. An unexpected package has just arrived for you. What do you hope is inside?

4. Which would you rather lose your hearing or your vision? Why?

5. If you could travel to anywhere in the world where would you go? What would you do?

6. If you could be a bug, which one would you choose?

7. When you're in your writing "zone" do you like to snack? If so what's your favorite?

8. Where is your favorite place to write?

9. What is one thing you would change about yesterday. 

10. You've been given a million dollars. What is the first thing you would do with it? (You can't put it in the bank)

11. If you were give three wishes what you wish for? (No wishing for more wishes. One other warning, be careful what you wish for. It didn't turn out so well for the fisherman's wife.)

And now for my tags--

Theresa Sneed (She's not on this list, but she's my bffaeae)

Melissa 
Yvie Gonya

September's gone-HELLO October

Wow, September is almost GONE! Where did it go? Let's see, book launch, editing, birthday parties, family, and not necessarily in that order. 


Here are some highlights of the month:

My precious daughter turned 19.
Can you believe it? I remember when I prayed so hard for a girl after having so many boys. She is such a blessing to me.

Agatha and her Grandma Navarro

And my adorable Philippino grandbaby turned one year old.

 She is so beautiful.

Daddy Andrew, Agatha and Mommy Rose

While those events were something to shout about, (I'm not going to lie),the funnest part  of September was my book launch for Identity!

Me, Sarah, Lori

Sarah posed as the main character. It's rather uncanny that she looks an awful lot like the girl with amnesia, huh?

Theresa Sneed and me

Theresa Sneed and I signed 73 books between the two of us. I won't tell you who signed more, because it's not about the competition, right? **wink, wink

 Theresa and I signing books. 

This line goes almost to the back of the store!

Look at the crowd! It was steady like this for two hours! Wow, I mean wow!
So where did the month go? It was gobbled up in lots of fun things.
What does October have in store?
I have a couple of book signings set up. And a writing challenge.
My dear friend Tristi Pinkston has organized a writing challenge for October. If  you're interested you can go to her blog and get the details. My writing goal for October is to finish editing my Book of Mormon novel, Soulfire. Click here if you'd like a sneak preview about the book. Hopefully will be released by early 2012.

Painting by Walter Rane

So what's your October goal?

Who Inspires You?

When I was a little girl my mom wrote. Letters. Lists. Notes. I found poems in my grandmother's purse on little snippets of paper, the backs of envelopes, where ever the fancy struck. When I went to elementary school my teacher gave us writing prompts. I loved them! In high school I had a creative writing teacher, Mrs. Dow. She loved everything I wrote and told me that my work would one day be published if I was persistent. She even suggested a couple of literary magazines to submit my poetry to. Back then, I was too chicken to even consider such a thing. I still have all those poems, paragraphs and writings from her class and treasure her comments. The second is Mrs. Moses. One class I'll never forget is her lesson on clauses. Really, clauses. It was this magical aha moment for me. My writing would never be the same. I went home and wrote a really long short story filled with complex/compound sentences. I brought it in to show Mrs. Moses when I was finished some week or so later. She was so impressed that I didn't have to take her final and used my sentences to generate the test. This amazing teacher said to me, "I hope you will always keep writing. You have a gift."

When I was the ripe old age of 22 my husband send me off to the library a couple times a week so that I could spend my evenings writing my first full length novel (by hand, mind you). I would bring my pages home, read them to him and then my sister would type them up on an old fashioned electric typewriter.

When I wrote my second novel, I sent pages of Soulfire, via email, to my mother. That was back when juno was the rage. Mom called me after reading one of my scenes. She was crying. Talk about inspiring. Everything I wrote was amazing to her. You have to love moms, right? They are  what keep us going.

My daughter inspired me to write Identity. She gave me the idea. Hubby and I often spent our Friday night dates just discussing my works in progress and he is a great sounding board. Sometimes I take him on plot walks with me, just so he can vocalize back to me what I'm trying to work through.

My high school teachers are long since gone, my mom has passed on, but my dear husband continues to be my inspiration.

Tell me about who inspires you in your writing.

Flashes of Inspiration

Last night I was lying in bed thinking about my newest work in progress. I haven't really been stuck, but did get off track a bit with it. I spent all day yesterday trying to figure out where I needed to go before I hit the part where all seems lost. You know, every happy-ever-after story has that toward the end. My how-is-the-main-character-going-to-get-out-of-this? happened way too soon. 


I realized I still had to fill in more story. But I didn't want it to just be scenes that were random. It needed to show the development of the characters. By the time we get to the all-seems-lost part, I want it to be gut wrenching. I want you to be so invested in the main character that you feel for him. Even if you didn't like him in the beginning. And his love interest? Yeah, I want you to be so worried about her that you'll keep turning pages.

So back to last night. I've crawled into bed, snuggled down into the covers, flipped my long hair where it's not bugging me, when all of a sudden, BAM! I'm wide awake thinking about a scene. So I grab my pen and notebook and start writing, in long hand, because hubby is sleeping and I don't want to wake him with the clickitty-click of my laptop. (He can sleep through my pen scratching, but not the keyboard. Go figure). After over 800 words, I know I've got a pretty good roughed out scene.

I turn off the light, snuggle back down...you get the picture, when I get hit with an idea for a whole new story. I really do not have enough lifetimes to write everything going on in my head.

Elevator Pitch Contest with YAtopia

Bree Ogden, of "YAtopia, the Teen Lit Haven" is offering a pitch contest for your current finished manuscript. Here is what she's looking for:

ANY children's/middle grade/YA/graphic novel genres.

You can visit YAtopia by clicking here to enter.

I'm entering my story Mystic's Tale for consideration.

Good luck to all entrants!