Archive for the 'Writer Moment' Category

April 7, 2010 | Life in General,Road Trip Wednesday,The 4-1-1 on Me,Writer Moment

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival”, where YA Highway‘s contributors post a weekly writing or reading-related question and answer it in on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

You’re more than welcome to participate! Just answer the question on your own blog, and leave a link to it in their comments.

Topic #24: Say something nice about the publishing industry

I love the fact that traditional publishing isn’t the end-all, be-all. For so long, the worth of a true writer hinged on whether you had an agent and a book deal through a major publishing house. Now, we have options. We can self-publish, we can e-publish, we can podcast…the possibilities are endless.

It’s all about choices.

Since authors don’t write novels the same way, it stands to reason that we shouldn’t have to publish them in the same way.

Just sayin’.

Technorati Tags: Road Trip Wednesday, YA Highway

April 1, 2010 | Dance Jam Productions,Draven Atreides,Draven Atreides, Teenage Informant Series,Life in General,Secrets and Kisses,Sunday Scribblings,The 4-1-1 on Me,Writer Moment

Today’s word of the day is brought to you by Sunday Scribblings: Alchemy

So, I looked up the word.

Seriously.

I’ve heard of it, but have never ever heard anyone use it in a sentence. LOL. It’s such an old-fashioned word. Who would even use it in today’s society? So I looked it up and liked the second definition:

a power or process of transforming something common into something special

I would use this definition to describe what I do. I transform something common into something special. Miz Rinda Elliott, I think this needs to be on a shirt.

The Writer’s Alchemy: We transform something common into something special.

You make it, I’ll buy it.

When I was young, I used to talk to myself. I used to have long, in-depth conversations. No, I didn’t have an imaginary friend. No, no one ever answered back. And no, the conversations were never two-sided. I don’t remember what the conversations were about, but I bet they were damn good. It all starts with an active imagination.

My first book, Secrets and Kisses, is a twist on one of my favorite 80′s TV shows, 21 JUMP STREET.

My second book, Dance Jam Productions, is 50% reoccurring dream and 50% real-life. Once I wrote it, I stopped having the dream.

The main character from my YA series, Draven Atreides, Teenage Informant, is based off of my then 16-yr-old-now-20-yr-old niece.

Writers are a unique breed of people who utilize our own brand of alchemy. We take bits and pieces of this and that and Poof! Voila! Abracadabra! a full-length novel appears once the smoke clears.

Yeah. I’m diggin’ it.

Technorati Tags: Sunday Scribblings, Rinda Elliott, Secrets and Kisses, 21 JUMP STREET, Dance Jam Productions

March 31, 2010 | Life in General,Road Trip Wednesday,SARK-ism,The 4-1-1 on Me,Writer Moment

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival”, where YA Highway‘s contributors post a weekly writing or reading-related question and answer it in on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

You’re more than welcome to participate! Just answer the question on your own blog, and leave a link to it in their comments.

Topic #22: What would you do if writing made you rich?

Boy, have I waited for a question like this. I would do two things:

1) Travel the U.S. and stay in the more interesting places for a month at a time, soaking up the atmosphere and being inspired to write more.

2) Find me a white-washed Magic Cottage a la SARK that clings to the side of a mountain with a view of the sea. Preferably in Greece. Or Italy. Or the Caribbean islands…

Technorati Tags: Road Trip Wednesday, YA Highway, Magic Cottage, SARK, Greece, Caribbean

March 10, 2010 | Reading is FUNdamental,Sunday Scribblings,The 4-1-1 on Me,Writer Moment

Today’s word of the day is brought to you by Sunday Scribblings: Fluent

I’m fluent in adult romance books. LOL.

Seriously.

Bookshelf in my office taken a few years ago

I’ve been reading them since about my sophomore year in high school, starting with the Loveswept imprint. Wow. That was so long ago and that line is now defunct.

Then I switched to Silhouette Special Edition, Silhouette Desire, Harlequin Superromance, and Harlequin Temptation. By this point, I was reading 2 books a day, sometimes 3 if I stayed up late. I was at the library nearly every weekend. I barely graduated from high school I read so much.

Then I discovered Harlequin Blaze and never looked back. I’ve since ditched all the other lines and have stuck with this one. I use my Barnes and Noble Preferred Reader card once a month to read these.

Then I discovered other authors like Alison Kent, Jill Shalvis, Donna Kauffman, Susan Mallery, Lori Foster, Sandra Hill, and Carly Phillips. I’ve also taken to reading some erotica, too. Although I probably shouldn’t admit that seeing as how I write YA.

Some people are addicted to drugs, alcohol, caffeine or even chocolate.

Reading adult romance books is my addiction. Yes, I even go through withdrawals when I have nothing to read. No, I don’t plan on getting help for it.

EVER.

I think that I’m so fluent in adult romance that I could write one.

I plan to. Someday.

Technorati Tags: Sunday Scribblings, Loveswept, Silhouette Special Edition, Silhouette Desire, Harlequin Superromance, Harlequin Temptation, Harlequin Blaze, Alison Kent, Jill Shalvis, Donna Kauffman, Susan Mallery, Lori Foster, Sandra Hill, Carly Phillips

February 17, 2010 | Life in General,Road Trip Wednesday,The 4-1-1 on Me,Writer Moment

Road Trip Wednesday is a “Blog Carnival”, where YA Highway‘s contributors post a weekly writing or reading-related question and answer it in on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody’s unique take on the topic.

You’re more than welcome to participate! Just answer the question on your own blog, and leave a link to it in their comments.

Topic #17: Where’s your favorite place to read and/or write?

My favorite place to read is under the covers in bed. Even when it’s over 100 degrees outside, we keep the house cool enough to where I can still get under the covers. I’m sure Mr. Maul hates it when I disappear in there. He thinks I’m being antisocial or something. Nope. I just love to read and that’s where I’m most comfortable. It’s like a Linus blanket. I love lying on my side, holding that book in my hand and getting lost in some love story. The whole lying-in-bed-thing is actually a carry-over habit when I was living at home. I had everything I needed in my room and since my parents did their own thing up front, it was a very nice comfort zone. I just got used to reading in bed. Even more so after my sister moved out.

And, as much as I’d love to write in bed, that rarely happens unless I’m trying to make deadline. I have a little lap desk with a cup holder and bendy light-thing attached. I have a laptop but have never set it on my lap. LOL. Go figure. I handwrite my novels first and then go back and type them up. I need a flat surface to do that, so I do all that in my office. I handwrite first because I do the majority of my writing at work. I get two 15 min breaks and an hr lunch. My laptop takes a few minutes to boot up, so by the time I open my document and try to get into the story, my break is nearly over; a notebook is quicker. I can just take it outside, flip it open and Bam! I’m in and I can get started right away. When you’re short on time, notebooks are the best way to go.

So, what about you? Where’s your favorite place to read and/or write?

Technorati Tags: Road Trip Wednesday, YA Highway