Which Austen Heroine Are You?

We're still on our blog break, but I just had to share this!

Take the quiz (link is below) and then come back and tell me which Austen heroine you are. It will seriously make my day (and I need some fun today, because I am currently power cleaning my apartment from top to bottom). I find this stuff so entirely fascinating. Really. I'm a nerd like that.

Take the Quiz here!

For the record, it's scary how accurate the full description of Elizabeth is for me. But I'm not complaining. Intelligent, witty, and tremendously attractive? I'll take it!

~Lydia

Blog Break

This blog is on hiatus until May 1. In the meantime you can still reach me through twitter and email. I will also be at WriteOnCon Monday April 25.

What will I be doing with this blog-free time? Cleaning house, catching up on reading, and writing. Mostly writing, though. Trying to finish the first draft of my WIP before a new writerly workload starts in May. Details on that will be posted later.

Until then, happy writing!
~Lydia

Hannah Takes Over Tuesday Tunes In April - Week Two

Today Hannah talks about her books, from BREAK to GONE, GONE, GONE. This video is actually really insightful for those of us who have yet to land a book deal. And since this is Hannah, it is also awesomely fun.

Again, there is a *language warning*, but not nearly as much as last week's vid. Don't be scared.




Still plenty of time to enter to win a free copy of Invincible Summer!
Click HERE for details.

Lydia's Writing Journal, Entry #15: Ergh

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Just realized a(nother) major thing I have to change in this WIP, which will require (even more) extensive rewrites. I keep moving backwards, never forward, with this novel. It feels like it will never be done.

Ergh.

~Lydia

P.S. Apologies to my beta readers. The next time you see this story, you might not even recognize it.

Winner of the BREAK Give-Away Contest

I had more fun reading those entries than I should have. *grins*

It's Saturday, and I'm sure we're all busy, so let's get right to the point. These were all well-written, cringe-worthy, and each had their own touch of humor, but only one person can win. That person is...

Dot Hutchison

Dot's entry had me laughing and involuntarily saying, "oh!" "ah!" "eegghh!" through the whole thing. It reads like a comedy of errors. And this line pretty much sealed it for me:

She heard the snick of the release, but the shaft is stuck (something I hope I never hear again in ANY context), so she braces herself and starts tugging on it.

Yeah. That pretty much sealed it for me.

Congratulations, Dot!

Please email your shipping address to lydiasharp4sff (at) yahoo (dot) com

Have a great weekend everyone!

~Lydia

The Epic BREAK/INVINCIBLE SUMMER Give-Away! Phase Two: INVINCIBLE SUMMER

***THIS CONTEST IS OFFICIALLY CLOSED***


Phase One: BREAK is officially closed. Thank you to everyone who entered! I will be announcing the winner sometime over the weekend.

Invincible Summer will be unleashed in 10 days. I'm having a hard time staying in my seat long enough to type this post. Too much excitable energy.

Just look at that cover. *drools*

Noah’s happier than I’ve seen him in months. So I’d be an awful brother to get in the way of that. It’s not like I have some relationship with Melinda. It was just a kiss. Am I going to ruin Noah’s happiness because of a kiss?

Across four sun-kissed, drama-drenched summers at his family’s beach house, Chase is falling in love, falling in lust, and trying to keep his life from falling apart. But some girls are addictive....

Not your typical beach read.

What will the winner of Phase Two receive?

• A free copy of Hannah's highly anticipated novel, Invincible Summer (not an ARC)

• A scrumptiously huge Break/Invincible Summer bookmark signed by Hannah

• An Invincible Summer magnet, also signed by Hannah (yanno... so you can see that delicious bikini model every time you go to your fridge. It's the gift that keeps on giving)

RULES:

These are slightly different from the Break give-away. Please read CAREFULLY. 

1. In 300(ish) words or less, tell me your most embarrassing swimming pool/ water slide/ beach experience and/or epic swimsuit malfunction. This must be a real life experience, not something you just made up to win a free book. You do not have to be the one who experienced this. It could be your sister. Your friend. A stranger you happened to catch sight of while tanning. Whatever, as long as it really happened.

SEND YOUR ENTRY VIA EMAIL TO:
lydiasharp4sff (at) yahoo (dot) com

This is so no one is unduly ridiculed on the Internet because of their embarrassing story. I will discuss with the winner whether or not they will allow their winning entry to be posted here on the blog once the contest has closed.

2. This is NOT a writing contest. Entries are NOT going to be judged on technical merit, just content. So don't stress over punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc.

3. You may only enter once. One entry per person. If I receive any duplicate entries, neither one will be considered.

4. Comments to this post do NOT count as an entry.

5. Humor will get you everywhere. Making me shout, "OMG I AM SO GLAD THAT WASN'T ME!" will get you even further.

6. Contest is open NOW thru Friday, April 15 at midnight EST. Winner will be announced within a day or two after the contest has closed.

7. Contest is open to residents of the continental United States ONLY. And I hate that, too. Honest. But shipping costs are brutal.

8. Show some Hannah love:

• Enter this contest and invite others to do so as well. Tweet it. Blog it. FB it. Train a monkey to sing about it. Whatever your pleasure.

• Follow the Invincible Summer blog and join the school of Magic Gay Fish. Hannah is currently blogging an Invincible Summer playlist. Very cool. You should check it out.

• Follow Hannah on twitter. She is very down-to-earth, her avatar is gorgeous, and she has a 99.99% reply rate to @ mentions. (not official stats)

•  Add INVINCIBLE SUMMER to your GoodReads shelf, and request it at your local library.

Aside from #8, all rules are subject to change at any time, but most likely will not be changed. I just have to say that to cover my you-know-what.

Happy writing, and HELLO SUMMER!
~Lydia

Quotable Quotes

Dear Agent:

I am seeking representation for my novel, [INSERT AWESOME TITLE HERE], which is complete at XX,000 words.

Don't start with this. It's not the most enticing part of your query letter. It's the housekeeping part: the word count, that it's finished. Put it at the end. And you can leave out that you want me to consider this. Of course you do. 

I want you to keep breathing, and have a long and happy life, but I don't start my letter to you with that.

~literary agent, Janet Reid, quoted from Query Shark

What I Learned From Watching Sucker Punch

Two days left to enter the BREAK give-away contest! Click HERE for details.
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If you have not seen Sucker Punch yet, don't worry. This post will not reveal any spoilers. But I am kind of wondering why you haven't gone to see it yet. It is one of those movies that is worth seeing in the theater. Kinda like how Avatar was. Definite eye candy.

I actually learned SO much from watching this movie (and at the same time was highly entertained) that if I go into too much detail on each point, this post will be a mile long. I'm going to be as succinct as possible. If you would like further explanation on something, feel free to ask in the comments, and I'll do my best to answer.

What I Learned From Watching Sucker Punch:

1. There is no OFF switch in the writerly part of your brain. Once you start taking fiction writing and storytelling seriously, you can no longer read a novel or short story, or watch a movie or TV show without simultaneously analyzing every part of it. And this auto-analysis often continues long after you've finished reading or viewing.

2. Every character, no matter how major or minor, must assist in the forward movement of the plot.

3. Every character, no matter how major or minor, must be a clearly defined character, both inwardly and outwardly.

4. Nicknames are much easier to remember than full names. Sucker Punch features Baby Doll, Rocket, Blondie, Amber, and Sweet Pea. There is also Madam Gorski, Blue, and The High Roller.

Aside: I have always been a supporter of this, even before I realized it myself. In my very first novel the main character is nicknamed Cricket. In my current WIP, many characters go by a shortened version of their name, which makes it snappier and easier to remember--Rocklyn is Rocky, Candace is Candy, Jasmine is Jazz, etc. I also have a group of characters in a yet-to-be-written YA sci-fi novel that are all nicknamed--you never know they're real, birth-given names. They are Razor, Moth, Jukebox, Squid, and T-Back.

5. No matter how creative your concept, imagery, characters, combat scenes, etc, you must have a clear motivational drive from the beginning. A good goal/ motivation can be defined in a just a few words, or even just one word.

In Sucker Punch that word is freedom. The entire movie revolves around the girls' goal of escaping the asylum. It is then emphasized with a clear quest. "You will need to find five items..."

6. You must have an underlying message for it to be worth your audience's time. Even light-hearted comedies have an underlying message. Any story worth telling must be really worth telling.

7. Not everything must be seen. You will notice, in that movie, that you never actually see Baby Doll's dance. Why? Because it isn't necessary. What is necessary, however, is how her dance affects certain other characters, which enables the plot to move forward. And we very clearly see that in the movie, multiple times.

Analyze everything you show and everything you don't show in your story. Some things are better left to the imagination.

8. Start with a clear inciting incident.

9. The following set-up is both quick and active.

10. The true meat of the story begins at the catalyst.


There are many more things I learned from watching this movie, but that is all I'm going to list here. If I go any further I will have to reveal details of the story.

Has anyone seen this movie yet? Did I miss any points on how to craft a good story (that don't give away anything about the movie)?

Happy writing,
~Lydia

Hannah Takes Over Tuesday Tunes In April - Week One

Thanks for the story entries we got so far! Still a few days left to enter and win a free copy of BREAK by Hannah Moskowitz and a signed bookmark. Click HERE for details.
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In lieu of Tuesday Tunes this month I'm sharing some of my favorite Hannah Moskowitz (aka Tuesday) vids for YA Rebels. In today's vid, Hannah takes on GoodReads.

Also, this is Hannah, so... *language warning*

Lydia's Writing Journal, Entry #14: Control Issues

Still plenty of room for entries to win a free copy of BREAK by Hannah Moskowitz and a signed bookmark! Click HERE for details.
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This is a weekly feature in which I share a day in my writing life from the week before.
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Thursday, March 31, 2011

There are things we can control and there are things we cannot control. Sometimes the things we can control feel like they are things we cannot control. And sometimes we think we can control things that will never be within our control.

Writing a novel... this is something we can control. It may feel out of control at times. It may feel out of control all the time. But really, it isn't.

Control. If you read that word enough times, it doesn't seem like a real word anymore. It loses its meaning.

Words are just words. We string them together into stories and this requires a lot of time, effort, and skill. It is us--you--who does the work. Nothing appears on the screen without you typing it first.

This isn't magic. No one twirls a wand and *poof* they're on a book tour.

If I find something wrong with my work, it is I who must fix it. If I don't know how to fix it, it is I who must do the research/ exercises/ whatever to figure out how. No one is going to do any of this for me. It is I who must stand on my own feet.

It's easy to say, "I can't do it. This is too much."

Say this instead:

I am in control of my own words. I am in control of my own stories. I am in control of my own career. I am in control of how I spend my own time. I am in control of how I present myself to others. I am in control of everything I do as a writer, and everything I choose not to do. I am in control of my own goals and whether or not I reach them.

I make my own decisions.

I take responsibility for my own actions.

I will accept both my failures and successes with dignity and grace.

Anything less would be to admit I have no control over myself. I am stronger than that. I am in control.

No magic wand required, you already have the power inside you. What will you do with it?

xoxo,
Lydia

Saturday Special: YA Contemp Is NOT Dead and Never Will Be

How do I know? Well, first, I take my head out of the internet BS for a day and go to a bookstore. Or even the library. Look at what's on the shelf.

YA is split almost evenly between fantasy/sci-fi and contemp.

So why does contemp get so little attention compared to fantasy? My guess is because fantasy is more like candy, and the internet loves candy. So does the film industry.

Fantasy has more eye-catching book covers. Fantasy has more high concept plots.

But if you also watch the daily publishing deals-- books that are being sold to editors now; they aren't on the shelves yet-- you'll see that contemp is still selling. A lot. More than dystopian, or steampunk, or any other branch of sci-fi.

Yet those sub-genres are getting buckets of attention dumped on them almost as much as fantasy is, and I believe the reasons for this are the same as I mentioned above for fantasy.

I agree that fantasy and sci-fi are entertaining reads and play an important role in getting teens to read more, but there are real teens out there dealing with real problems, and that's where contemp steps in.

If a sixteen y/o girl goes to her school counselor seeking advice, do you think he/she is going to suggest reading about ghosts, vampires, werewolves, or fairies? Not likely.

(Aside: I am in no way bashing sci-fi & fantasy here. I read it. I write it. I am even published in it. Lydia = not a hater.)

Yes, there are core life lessons at the heart of even the most fantastical stories, but when you need to be blatantly obvious about something, you need clarity that is only found in a real world setting with realistic characters. Stuff you would encounter in your average "day in the life of [fill in the blank]."

How often are rape issues addressed in fantasy and sci-fi? Quite a bit, actually. Yet what is the first book you think of when you see the word rape? Is it not Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson?

Why? Because it presents a situation a girl could find herself in right here, right now. When a girl reads that book she doesn't have to stretch her imagination too far to see herself in those shoes. She can easily connect. The point is made, without any distracting fluff. Books like Speak have the ability to help teens with real issues they are facing in the real world. Today.

If they can't get through today, they might not feel tomorrow is worth seeing.

And there is more than just rape to deal with. There are family issues-- divorce, sibling rivalry, parental abandonment, etc. There are drug issues. There are death and grieving issues. There are thoughts of suicide issues. There are mental health issues. There are bullying issues. There are academic achievement issues. There are monetary issues. There are finding your place in the world/ discovering your purpose issues. Their are religious issues, and questioning of faith. There are self-esteem issues. And on and on and on...

Any one of these things can feel overwhelmingly huge when you're a teenager. It can feel like you're trapped beneath it. Pinned, arms flailing, with no hand reaching out to help you escape.

This is why, as a writer of YA contemp, I don't worry about the YA contemp market supposedly dying. Not one bit. And I hate seeing this questioned every time a group of aspiring YA authors gets together. It's equivalent to wedging a shard of glass under my fingernail. Just think about it for a minute before you open your mouth (and maybe even do some simple research, like walking into a bookstore and actually looking at every title in the YA section). As long as there are real teens living in the real world, there will always be a need for these types of stories.

Period.

The Epic BREAK/INVINCIBLE SUMMER Give-Away! Phase One: BREAK

***THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED***


I swear this is not an April Fool's joke. I've been waiting for April 2011 with possibly nearly equal amounts of anticipation as Hannah.

Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but seriously. I love Hannah and her books. Her sophomore novel, Invincible Summer, will be unleashed on April 19, and she deserves nothing less than epic in the few weeks left before then.

When I say "sophomore novel" I mean her second published novel. She has actually written... I lost count. Let's just say she has written more novels before her 20th birthday than most people will write in their lifetime.

First things first, if you don't know who this Hannah person is that I'm talking about, you are automatically disqualified. (not really, because, I mean, how would I know that unless you told me, and why would you tell me if you know that means disqualification? be sensible, people).

This is Hannah. She is awesome. Everyone wave and say, "Hi, Awesome Hannah!"

If this was IRL, she would totally say hi and wave back.

Now, on to the really good stuff.

Hannah's debut novel (debut, as in, first published novel), BREAK, will knock your effing socks off. I think I cracked a rib just from being in the same room with it. By the time I finished reading, I was in a full-body cast.

So, if that scares you, don't enter this contest. Because in PHASE ONE of our EPIC GIVE-AWAY, a free copy of BREAK is up for grabs.

Jonah is on a mission to break every bone in his body. Everyone knows that broken bones grow back stronger than they were before. And Jonah wants to be stronger—needs to be stronger—because everything around him is falling apart. Breaking, and then healing, is Jonah’s only way to cope with the stresses of home, girls, and the world on his shoulders.

When Jonah's self-destructive spiral accelerates and he hits rock bottom, will he find true strength or surrender to his breaking point?

"[F]or those with a taste for the macabre and an aversion to the sentimental, it’s hard not to be taken in by the book’s strong central relationships....[Break] is like a one-man Fight Club, and it could find nearly as many ardent followers" —Booklist, starred review

Also, I have signed bookmarks. I've seen a lot of promo bookmarks in my time, and these... these are amazing. They're BIG, for starters. They demand attention. You could probably fight off zombies with them, or guide-in aircraft on a runway. For serious.

On one side of these epically huge bookmarks is BREAK. On the other side is INVINCIBLE SUMMER. The BREAK side is signed by Hannah. In silver. (Maybe she even used molten silver, I don't know. She said her first edition was printed on gold pages.)

Repeating for emphasis and clarity: WINNER OF THIS PHASE RECEIVES BOTH A FREE COPY OF BREAK AND A SIGNED BOOKMARK.

But! I can't just toss these precious treasures at some random person. You must work for it.

RULES:

1. In the comments section of THIS POST, in 300(ish) words or less, tell me your best broken bone story. This must be a real life experience, not something you just made up to win a free book. You do not have to be the one who broke a bone. It could be your sister. Your friend. Your dog. Whatever, as long as it really happened.

2. This is NOT a writing contest. Entries are NOT going to be judged on technical merit, just content. So don't stress over punctuation, spelling, grammar, etc.

3. You may only enter once. One entry per person. If I see any duplicate entries in the comments, neither one will be considered. Comments and entries are two different things. You may comment as much as you like.

4. Entries posted as "Anonymous" will NOT be considered. I have to know you're a real person with a real email address.

5. Humor will get you everywhere. Making me physically cringe will get you even further. For a good example of what makes me cringe, read the first few pages of BREAK on Amazon.

6. Contest is open NOW thru Thursday, April 7 at midnight EST. Winner will be announced within a day or two after the contest has closed.

7. Contest is open to residents of the continental United States ONLY. And I hate that, too. Honest. But shipping costs are brutal.

8. Show some Hannah love:

• Enter this contest and invite others to do so as well. Tweet it. Blog it. FB it. Wear a sandwich board on a street corner and shout about it through a megaphone. Whatever your pleasure.

• Follow the Invincible Summer blog and join the school of Magic Gay Fish. Hannah is currently blogging an Invincible Summer playlist. Very cool. You should check it out.

• Follow Hannah on twitter. She is very down to earth, humorous (or humerus, whichever) and has a 99.99% reply rate to @ mentions. (not official stats)

•  Add BREAK and INVINCIBLE SUMMER to your GoodReads shelf.

Aside from #8, all rules are subject to change at any time, but most likely will not be changed. I just have to say that to cover my you-know-what.

And remember, if you don't win this one, there is still a PHASE TWO coming. Winner of Phase One is still eligible for Phase Two.

Happy writing,
~Lydia