My Muse Can Beat Up Your Muse

Quickie

2012-02-25T12:30:00.000-05:00

Home again. Unfortunately, I brought some sinus issues back with me and temporarily left my voice in Georgia. (Pretty sure it's under Rhonda's couch.) I'll continue the road to publication posts in just a few days.

In the meantime, congrats and best of luck to everyone who made it through to the second round in the 2012 ABNA Contest!

Eight-Legged Company

2012-02-20T15:06:00.002-05:00

I've been visiting friends in Georgia for several weeks, and tomorrow I'm heading home to Florida. While I've been here, I've been working on a new manuscript, known for now as the Underbed project. I'm currently revising the (very) rough draft. I've been describing it as Alice in Wonderland meets How to Train Your Dragon, but it's evolved a bit beyond that concept. More on Underbed soon.

One of my Underbed characters, Sling, is a girl with an...affinity for spiders. It seems fitting that my friend's tarantulas, Tiny and Slippers, have been my writing buddies while I've been here. That's Tiny in the pic.

Tiny and Slippers also kept me company (always from the safe confines of their cages) while I was revising Spookygirl here last summer. Should Spookygirl become a series, I have plans for a Tiny cameo in a future installment.

And now I need to pack. And pout. I like it here. Not at all ready to go.

The Road to Publication: Part Five

2012-02-20T11:33:00.004-05:00

[This is part 5 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

If there's one thing a writer dreads hearing from a publisher, it's probably this: "We should consider changing the title."

OH NOES. Really? But it's my baby's name! It's perfect!

Nah, I was expecting it. I've read enough about other writers' experiences to know how common title changes are. You may think your title is a glowing example of literary perfection, but you're probably not as experienced with book marketing as your publisher. What you really want is a title that sells your book.

Julie was concerned about Spookygirl because it's a name used by other characters to tease Violet. I countered that Violet kind of likes the name. Instead of letting it insult her, she steps up and owns it. Julie also wanted the title to focus more on Violet's paranormal communication and investigation abilities. If we stuck with Spookygirl, we'd need to add something to it.

One thing we considered was using some version of the first chapter's title: Death, High School, and Other Necessary Evils. I liked that as a chapter title, but as a book title it seemed a little long and clunky. Other variations we tossed around included:

Spookygirl: Paranormal Investigator
Spookygirl: Ghost Hunter
Spookygirl: R.I.P.
Spookygirl: Death and High School
Death and High School (and Other Necessary Evils)
I'll Talk to You When You're Dead
I'll Talk to You When You're Dead (Maybe)

We finally settled on Spookygirl: Paranormal Investigator. It felt like a nice compromise all around – the focus on paranormal investigation was there, but I got to keep Spookygirl. The final cover design (which I expect I'll see sometime soon, yay!) will reflect the updated title.

Wouldn't mind using I'll Talk to You When You're Dead (Maybe) for another book in the future, though . . .

Up next: The devil's in the details.

Anxiety Priorities

2012-02-16T12:11:00.000-05:00

Spent yesterday evening at a downtown Augusta bar with some friends. It was karaoke night.

I sang.

It was terrifying. I was more nervous last night than I was at the awards breakfast last June.

There's probably something wrong with that. Anxiety priorities, anyone? My issues with stage fright go all the way back to a botched solo during a fourth grade play, so getting up on stage and making it all the way through a song . . .

Yeah, I'm pretty pleased with myself today.

I don't know how well I did, but at least I'm pretty sure my performance topped Bridget Jones's. However, I wouldn't mind a pair of sparkly tinsel antennae like hers to wear during my next number. Because yeah, I might just do it again sometime. Someone hide the Journey tracks before I can get to 'em!

(No, I didn't bust out with "Don't Stop Believing" last night. I sang Train's "Hey, Soul Sister.")

The Road to Publication: Part Four

2012-02-14T11:00:00.000-05:00

[This is part 4 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

Here’s an odd thing: I have a book coming out in a few months, yet I’m still not entirely sure how traditional publishing typically works. The ABNA timeline forces things to progress at a faster pace. Had I gotten my contract the normal way, I'd probably be looking at a 2013 release date instead of August 2012.

Not that I’m complaining. I’d much rather see Spookygirl on shelves this year than next.

A few days after I got home from Seattle, I had my first official phone conversation with the VP and Publisher of Dutton Children’s Books, Julie Strauss-Gabel. My publisher. MY PUBLISHER. Yeah, still not tired of saying that. Julie would also be acting as my editor. MY EDITOR. Not tired of that one, either.

Julie and I talked about the upcoming editing process (including the slightly unorthodox timeline caused by the ABNA rules), and she gave me an overview of what she liked best about Spookygirl, and what she felt needed work.

I’d been waiting for that feedback with a mix of excitement and dread. No one loves criticism, no matter how constructive it might be. Negative feedback can sting, especially when it’s about a project you’ve coaxed and cradled and worked on for years. It’s like someone telling you your baby is ugly.

. . . Only you know what? It’s not like that at all. Constructive criticism is indispensable, and learning to handle it is essential for anyone who wants to publish. It’s about your work, not you. There’s no need to take it personally.

Character sketch: Violet's pet poltergeist likes squeaky dog toys.

Besides, what I heard from Julie was overwhelmingly positive. Sure, some elements needed major tinkering – the resolution of the locker room storyline would shift four or five times over the next few months. Both the first and last scenes changed. We focused a little more on the paranormal investigation angle, and a little less on the more typical fish-out-of-water high school elements. I gained a Henry and lost a Sandy. Timmy became Tim (a change he’d no doubt appreciate).

Most importantly, Violet grew as a character. She became stronger and gained a new focus. I love that. I feel like every single revision strengthened her story, and that makes me incredibly happy.

Up next: What’s in a title?

Between Insanity and Eccentricity

2012-02-11T14:42:00.001-05:00

Unless you're troubled by a little language (like my family that time I yelled at the neighbors after a hurricane because they'd set up their generator too near my window and I was tired of the fumes), this post over at Terrible Minds may amuse you: 25 Reasons that Writers are Bug-F*ck Nuts.

Authors have a lot of leeway when it comes to wacky behavior. Sometimes the only divider between insanity and eccentricity is a publishing contract, and I think I'm going to enjoy finally being over here on the eccentric side. Talking out loud to my characters is now a legitimate creative exercise instead of just another reason to consider medication. Sweet.

Take a Moment, Thank a Muse

2012-02-10T15:19:00.000-05:00

I should really be blogging less and revising the new project more, but I can't let today go by without getting a little mushy about muses. It is, after all, Muse Appreciation Day, an international event founded by yours truly and celebrated by at least three other people in the world. Major stuff.

The original Muses, of course, were the goddesses in Greek mythology who inspired artistic creativity. However, I use the term in a broader sense.

Wherever your creative inspiration comes from, take a moment to acknowledge it today. Do your characters babble incessantly in your head, keeping you up at night until you put down their stories on paper?

Or maybe you define the idea of a muse on a more abstract level. If approached in certain ways, writing and other forms of creative expression can take on a spiritual aspect. When a story simply must be written, you'll feel it all the way through to your soul. Where do those ideas, those sparks come from?

However you define the idea of a muse, if you have one, thank it today. Give it a big metaphorical hug. Or an actual hug, if you prefer. Let it know how much you love it.

(And to my own muse: Happy 10th Muse-iversary, you big Irish brute. You're the best muse a writer-girl could ask for. Thank you for your patience; someday I'll show your story to the world.)

The Road to Publication: Part Three

2012-02-10T11:15:00.002-05:00

[This is part 3 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

The Seattle trip was fantastic – Thom Kephart of Amazon could not have done a better job keeping everything organized. My fellow finalists and I (along with our guests, and representatives from Amazon, CreateSpace, and Penguin) were treated to a fantastic dinner at the Purple Café and Wine Bar. And my mother and I – both total newbies to the city – had plenty of time for sightseeing and doing the whole tourist thing.

(Yes, we saw the Space Needle. No, we did not go up to the top.)

But you didn’t come to this blog for touristy stuff, right?

To be honest, my memory of the awards breakfast is somewhat of a blur. We were shuttled over to Amazon’s headquarters, where we mingled over breakfast for a little while. Well, we were supposed to mingle over breakfast. I was way too nervous even for coffee. I’m pretty sure all six of us were dying to hear the news no matter what it was.

Photo courtesy of Thom Kephart

The awards ceremony started with opening remarks from Thom. Then, one by one, each finalist was invited up to give a short speech and read an excerpt.

(Memo to future finalists: Feel free to be creative with the excerpt you read. Choose whatever bit of your manuscript you feel like sharing. I thought sticking with the beginning of my story would be safest, but once I realized most of the other finalists hadn’t done that, I wished I’d chosen differently. I would've loved to read a little of Violet's faux séance, or her interaction with the jocks and Dead Dirk.)

Then it was time for the winners to be announced. I seriously barely remember any of it; I heard my name, and I was given my award, and I shook hands with people, and I couldn’t stop smiling, and I tried my best not to pass out. Photos were taken. My contract was explained to me. I texted people and announced the news on Facebook.

I didn’t stop shaking for hours. I’m shaking again now, just from remembering.

I keep a mental list of my five best days ever. June 13, 2011 is at the top of the list now – better than sneaking onto the seaQuest set back in 1994, better than scaring Hugh Jackman with a My Little Pony. Best. Day. Ever.

Up next: So what happens after the contest?

Local Legends: The Haunted Pillar

2012-02-10T11:08:00.000-05:00

I'm visiting one of my bestest friends, Rhonda, in Augusta, Georgia. Rhonda and I are fans of all things spooky, so we sought out the Haunted Pillar, a piece of Augusta mythology.

The pillar's legend depends on who's telling it. The link above has a few interpretations; the version I hear usually combines those into the tale of a progressive preacher who cursed the pillar of a slave market to punish those involved in the selling of slaves. Anyone who touches the pillar is supposed to be struck dead.

We didn't just touch it. We hugged it. We're awesome like that. That was over a week ago, and we're both still alive, so I'm thinking we might have escaped the curse. Since this isn't even really the original pillar, that makes sense. Then again, none of the legends include a time limit, so I guess it eventually comes true for everyone . . .

The Road to Publication: Part Two

2012-02-08T09:51:00.001-05:00

[This is part 2 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

Where’d we leave off? Big news, squeals, and a scared kitty. In an instant I went from wondering if I’d ever publish a book to having a one-in-three chance at a contract with a Penguin imprint.

And I had a trip to plan.

My parents have always been among my biggest supporters. Dad has some health issues that make travel difficult, so I decided to ask my mom to go to Seattle with me. Once I stopped squealing, I called her at work and delivered the news, and she started squealing – which was ever so slightly awkward, since I wasn’t allowed to go public with the news until the official announcement was made the following week. Shhh!

If the earlier ABNA rounds were a mix of fun and fretting, the final round took that to an entirely new level. The winners, after all, are chosen by a public vote. ABNA is sometimes called “American Idol for writers,” and the last round makes that comparison especially apt. So yeah, I campaigned. I encouraged friends, family, and customers to download Spookygirl’s excerpt and cast a vote in my direction – and to spread the word as well.

The positive response to Spookygirl during this round was overwhelming and staggering – not only from people who knew me, but from total strangers as well. Having so many people connect with Violet’s story was nothing short of amazing.

The voting period closed, and then I was able to breathe – well, sort of. I knew I wouldn’t really relax until after the winners were announced.

Up next: Seattle and the big announcement

The Road to Publication: Part One

2012-02-07T10:09:00.000-05:00

[This is part 1 of a summary of Spookygirl’s journey toward publication. Use the Progress tag to access all related entries.]

So! As I’ve said before, I’m a pretty awful blogger. I’m a quiet person; I don’t like searching for things to say just for the sake of saying something. However, with the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award contest underway, now’s as good as time as any to talk about my experience with the 2011 contest and what's happened since.

Best of luck to those participating this year! And thank you to Cara Bertrand for nudging me to get going with this. ;)

So anyway, that contest-thingie last year . . . I admit it – I entered on a whim. I had a little experience with the contest; in 2009 I entered another manuscript and made it through the pitch round. I don’t even remember how I found out the 2011 contest was accepting entries; I just know I had a surgery scheduled a few days before the end of the entry period, so I tossed together my entry quickly and didn’t think too much of it. Spookygirl itself was ready to go; I wrote it in 2007, revised it in 2008, and shopped it around (unsuccessfully, obviously) to literary agents after that. My pitch was a revised version of my query letter; my excerpt was my first chapter. I tossed up my entry, fussed with it a little, and didn’t think too much of it for a while.

When I made it past the pitch round, I didn’t even bother telling anyone. I'd gotten that far before, after all. I decided to wait and see what happened.

Making it through to the quarter-finals was a little more exciting. I was playing hooky from work the day the announcement was made; I had lunch with a friend, and then she and I browsed the closing sale at our local Borders. (I picked up the first four Dexter novels.) Before I left the parking lot, I checked my email on my phone and started squealing when I found out I’d made the cut. My reaction when I made it through to the semi-finals was more of the same – crazypants squealing. Reading the positive reviews along the way from Amazon Vine reviewers and Publishers Weekly prompted even more squeals.

(Yeah, I squeal a lot. And squeak. And squee.)

Then came the day the finalists would be announced. I didn’t think for a second I’d actually make it that far . . . but I kept my phone by my side all morning, just in case.

It rang.

I don’t like phones. I rarely talk on them. I never answer them. But that day I answered. I was a finalist, and I’d be traveling to Amazon’s Seattle headquarters for the announcement of the winners.

There was more squealing. It was loud enough to send my cat racing to the closet, where she hid for the rest of the day.

Up next: The final round

I know, I know.

2011-09-26T10:51:00.000-04:00

I'm a terrible blogger. Always have been.

I plan on doing a series of posts about ABNA and Spookygirl's progress; I'm just waiting until I have a little more info (like whether Spookygirl will still be called Spookygirl once everything's finalized!). The publishing industry operates at its own unique pace.

Also, August through January is my busy season over at Mint Conspiracy. At the moment I'm trying to put together something resembling a winter collection while still keeping the Halloween spookies and everyday monsters in stock.

So... Soon, I promise! ABNA recaps, publication progress. They're on the list.

I do have a little Spookygirl content to share. Freelance writer Rosy Moorhead recently interviewed me for her blog. Here's the link!

Drive-By Post

2011-06-18T13:29:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to toss out a quick thank you to Lindsay Grant and nanowrimo.org for the congratulations! I might never have written Spookygirl without NaNoWriMo.

Got a murmur of a story in your head? Are there characters tugging on your sleeve? Remember, November's only 135 days away...

ABNA Gets Spooky!

2011-06-15T16:38:00.000-04:00

It's official -- Spookygirl is the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award winner in the Young Adult Fiction category!

To everyone who voted during the final round...

To everyone who helped spread the word...

To everyone who kept their fingers crossed for Violet (and for me)...

And to everyone who has already pre-ordered the book...

Thank you!

I deeply appreciate your support, and I couldn't be prouder of my spooky little girl.

Thank You!

2011-06-02T23:20:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to post a quick but sincere thank you to everyone who voted for Spookygirl and helped spread the word. I appreciate your support so very, very much. Now, as a very wise friend recently suggested to me, it's time to trust the universe. Amazon and Penguin will announce the ABNA winners June 13 -- let's see what that day brings!

NaNoWriMo Gets Spooky

2011-05-26T10:47:00.000-04:00

If you're a writer, you've probably heard of National Novel Writing Month. Maybe you've even participated -- posted on the forums, gone to local write-ins, and written an entire 50,000-word book in thirty days.

I love NaNoWriMo. Why? Without it, Spookygirl might not exist. Spookygirl was my 2008 NaNo project. Or was it 2007? Yep, just checked my records. I've been giving out the wrong year all this time. When you've NaNo'd as many times as I have, sometimes the years get a little fuzzy. I wrote my first NaNo novel in 2003, and I've participated every November since then. I even have my very own mascot -- remind me to post a pic of NaNoMonKey sometime. The only year I didn't reach my goal was 2010, and that's only because I landed in the hospital for a week with appendicitis. Yeah, yeah. Excuses.

NaNoWriMo is a fantastic program, especially if you have a story in your head but lack the compulsive determination to get it down on paper. Check out the site for all the details -- and if you haven't given it a try in the past, consider joining in the fun this November. Hey, if I can finish 50K words while also keeping up with the monsters during one of the busiest months of the retail year, so can you! I already have this year's story brewing in my brain...

Big ABNA News!

2011-05-25T08:53:00.000-04:00

I'm a finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award competition! The winner in each of the two categories will be decided by popular vote, so please go to the ABNA page and vote for Spookygirl by Jill Baguchinsky in the Young Adult Fiction category. Violet and I would both appreciate your support!

(I found out on the 16th. Do you know how hard it is to keep a secret like that for over a week?? I thought I'd burst before the official announcement!)

Also, Violet's new domain, RileyIslandParanormal.com, is up and running. It'll be some time before the site has real content, but feel free to visit if you're curious.

Franklin's New Gig

2011-05-03T12:07:00.000-04:00

Back in 2009, Blood Blade and Thruster Magazine published a zombie-comedy story of mine called "Fresh." Fresh is about a down-on-his-luck undead actor's attempts to avoid decay and keep his agent. Franklin made a living as an extra in zombie movies and supplemented his income with roles in (mostly local) commercials, and when he'd accidentally snap off a finger (which is an all-too-common problem for animated corpses), he'd reattach it with spackle.

Imagine my surprise when I saw this Honda Civic commercial a few weeks ago:

Watch for the shots of the zombie. It's like my Franklin finally got a gig in a national ad. He even snaps off a finger at one point -- get the spackle!

Yipes, Stripes

2011-05-02T12:11:00.000-04:00

Stocked some new Striped Somethings at Mint Conspiracy this morning!

Aren't the colors gorgeous? This kind of brightness makes me smile.

Spooky is the New Normal

2011-04-28T09:46:00.000-04:00

Spookygirl is in the ABNA semifinals! It received a Publishers Weekly review as part of the contest, and I am totally wowed by the reviewer's take:

Sparkling with a light and humorous touch, this paranormal YA novel skillfully balances entertainment and substance. Violet Addison has just moved in with her dad above his funeral home in Florida. While some think it's freaky, it doesn't bother her -- she's comfortable with the dead. So comfortable, in fact, that she's perfectly happy to have conversations with the ghosts that hang around the house. What does bother her, however, is starting at a new school for her sophomore year and knowing that rumors will soon surface about her dad killing her mom during their last paranormal investigation. Violet knows that can't be true, even though she's never had a chance to ask her mom's ghost herself. But once school starts there's a bigger issue: a possible hellgate in the girls' locker room. "I couldn't very well explain that I needed to transfer out of gym because the locker room is full of vile, dripping evil," Violet notes. As she digs through her mom's old ghost-hunting equipment so she can investigate the malevolent force in the showers, Violet finds the unfinished report on her mom's fatal investigation. Hoping for answers and maybe some closure, Violet decides to finish her mom's write-up, never realizing how much danger she's about to uncover. Written in a clean and natural style, this novel manages to be both poignant and fun. Solid pacing and well-developed characters support a fresh take on this genre that will appeal on many levels.

Violet herself isn't too sure what to make of the word "sparkling" -- no self-respecting spookygirl wants to be sparkly. I'm trying to convince her it's a compliment.

Small Persons with Wings

2011-04-22T13:05:00.000-04:00

Recently got a treat in the mail from Rebecca Enzor of Sticky Note Stories! I won a contest she held on her blog, and the prize was a galley of Small Persons with Wings by Ellen Booraem. Thanks so much, Rebecca! I look forward to reading it.

(Notice how the galley cover matches my lip gloss. That's always a good sign.)

Amazon.com Editorial Reviews: Spookygirl

2011-04-20T12:42:00.000-04:00

The Amazon editorial reviews that got Spookygirl into the ABNA quarter-finals:

This is an extremely polished and professional piece of writing! Even without being remotely interested in the paranormal, and not being a big YA fan, I want to read more. The author has captured the voice of the narrator, has a knack for a dialog, a strong sense of humor (that never becomes ponderous) and the ability to shift from witty (controlling [Buster]) to poignant (her dread of school and the cliques) almost effortlessly. In fact, I'm astonished that the author hasn't been published yet, based on the caliber of this excerpt. Oh yeah, and it ended with a GREAT hook. If I don't get to read the rest of this, I will be tremendously disappointed!

-------

I really, really, really loved it. I would kill to have the rest of this manuscript in my hands. I am dying to know more about Violet and her life. In a time when Paranormal YA books are plenty, it is so easy to read similarities between them This one stands out as original and refreshingly different. I thought the writing was engaging and I was into this story from the very start. My only regret is not knowing what happens next!! This looks to be a fun book and I can see it turning into a terrific series!

------

Thank you, Amazon editors and Vine reviewers! I appreciate your comments, and I'm glad you enjoyed getting to know Violet. :D

Step Up

2011-04-13T11:51:00.000-04:00

Do not challenge Mickey Mouse to a dance off. You will be schooled.

Spookygirl: The Basics

2011-04-10T12:25:00.000-04:00

Get the first chapter of Spookygirl as a free Kindle download on Amazon.

The populars at Palmetto High call sophomore Violet Addison "Spookygirl," and it's not hard to see why. As if living with her funeral director father in a tiny apartment above his mortuary weren't enough to make her a social outcast, there's a rumor going around that Violet can talk to the dead. Unfortunately, that rumor's true. Violet's not interested in crossing anyone over; she's as cool and impatient with the deceased as she is with the living. The dead can be incredible pests, though, and despite her reluctance to help the spirits who seek her out, soon she's reuniting a ghost jock with his goth girlfriend and investigating a hellgate in the girls' locker room. Each experience puts her closer to discovering the truth behind the paranormal investigation that resulted in her mother's death.

Along the way, Violet begins to recognize that real people with interesting secrets hide behind the high school stereotypes she assigns her classmates and teachers. She needs all the allies she can find -- after all, surviving high school is tough enough without a bunch of dead people spooking around.

Ghostbusters meets a gothed-up Glee in this mix of high school drama and supernatural snark. Although Violet deals with heavy issues -- the difficulty of being different and not fitting in among one's peers, the reality of death, the loss of a family member -- she does so with a sharp, dark sense of humor that keeps her narrative engaging and relatable for young readers.

Spookygirl is a 53,000-word young adult novel. Although it is slated as the first volume of the Riley Island Paranormal series, it stands on its own as a complete story.

Looking for more info on Spookygirl? Contact me at mintconspiracy (at) gmail-dot-com.

Just one of those test posts.

2011-04-10T11:56:00.001-04:00

Nothing to see here, pardon the dust, etc.