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By: Christina Farley,
on 10/25/2012
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So you’ve written the story of your dreams. You’ve stamped your soul’s signature onto it. With all your heart, you believe it’s publishable, unique and marketable. It just has one itsy problem.
It’s a big fat mess.
Yep. That’s me with my latest WIP. It’s a new series that’s been rattling around in my brain for about five years. While GILDED was on submission I decided to write the impossibly complicated story.It has earned the fond name of THE BEAST. You might have heard me refer to this in previous blog posts and on Twitter. Let me tell you, that book practically killed me. And I’m not finished with it. I don’t even know if it will sell. But I truly believe the story is stronger because of the process I put it through. If you have a story like mine and you’re willing to not give up on it even though it’s a big fat mess, then here are some steps that might help you.
1. Ask yourself if you’re committed to the story. Are you willing to do anything for it? This includes major rewrites, structural, plot, or overarching changes in the main character’s internal conflicts? If you can answer yes to all of these things, then keep reading. If not, forget your story and write a new one. 2. Okay, so now that you’re committed, you need to write a query, synopsis, and a detailed outline. The query will tell you the central issue your story will face. The synopsis will give you an idea of flow of the story, and the outline will show where your plot holes are located, among other things. 3. Study your query, synopsis, and outline. Personally, I like to also use a plotting grid. See the one attached that I made up using a traditional one with my own personal tweaks. (Don't worry, I plan on vlogging more on this plot grid later) Find where your weaknesses are. Number them from biggest issues to smallest issues. Tackle each one step at a time. 4. Now send it to two or three critique partners who will tell you if it’s awful or not. When they send back their notes, take them seriously. If more than one person is saying the same thing, you should strongly consider changing what they say is the problem. I find that my critique partners are right 99.9% of the time. 5. At this point I print out their suggestions and highlight them in various colors. An example is: character issues, I highlighted in blue, plot is in green, internal conflict with main character in purple. I’m a visual person and right away I can see where the central problems are lying in. 6. From there, I brainstorm ways to fix my problems using a flow map. Something like this. 7. Don't be worried about trying multiple versions. In THE BEAST, all three of my crit partners didn’t like the opening. It was too slow, but they didn’t know how to solve it. They all gave me suggestion though. What I found after looking at my color scheme of highlighting that most of my issues stemmed back to my main character’s internal conflict. It wasn’t strong enough and therefore those opening chapters reflected that. So I decided to write three different versions of chapters 1-3. It was hard work, but I think I got closer to solving the problem. Hopefully, you’ll be able to fix the problem without writing three different versions. 8. Mission accomplished! You’ve now finished another draft of your beloved manuscript. You read it and it’s all fixed. Yay! Go celebrate! But this was not the way it went with me. I felt I still had problems. I didn’t know what they were but something was still not right. 9. Try, try again. So…. If this happens, write a new query, synopsis and outline (or plot grid). Then pull out your old versions and compare the two. What changes did you make? How did these changes improve your story? Can you take it to another level? 10. Get More Feedback. If you’re like me, I decided I needed more feedback from my crit buddies. I resent it to two of the girls and they took another look at it. While they were looking at it, I didn’t even think about the manuscript. Instead, I took a break and started writing another book. I think sometimes, stepping away from a project helps you get a clearer picture of that project later on. 11. Take a Break! After a few months break I took on the new suggestions that my crit partners gave me. I reread the manuscript with fresh eyes and made the changes I felt were needed. 12. Send it off! A couple of weeks ago, I sent THE BEAST to my agent. Last week the two of us chatted. It's still not submission ready, but it's closer. He had great ideas of how to fix my biggest problems. I've been playing around with some different scenarios and seeing which angle will work best. I'll let you know what happens!Ultimately, the key to revision is the ability to adapt and be open to change. If you can do those two things, you have a chance to slay THE BEAST before it kills you.Any revision tips that you have?
By: Christina Farley,
on 10/22/2012
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I've been tagged by Justina Ireland, author of upcoming VENGEANCE BOUND, and Tara Gallina.I'm supposed to answer all kinds of questions about the book I'm working on. I'm actually working on two other projects, one a sequel to GILDED, and another is a dystopic fantasy. Even though I'm over-the-moon excited about these two projects, they're still in the secret stages where only the Brilliant Ones (my crit partners) and my ninja agent know details.I thought you might want to hear a little more about GILDED because this baby is coming out to the world next November (Yes! My editor gave me a release month). What's the working title of your book?GILDED (Crossing fingers I get to keep the title)Where did you come up with the idea for your book?I love mythology. While living in Korea, I was teaching Greek mythology to my students. I thought it would be fun to learn more about mythology of the country I was living at. When I came across the myth of Hameosu and Princess Yuhwa, I was hooked. I knew I was going to write their story.What genre does your book fall under?Mythological paranormal Which actors would you play the movie rendition?For Jae, I'd choose Song Hye Kyo because of her look.This is how Jae looks most of the time (ticked off, thanks to Haemosu)But when she's around Marc, the world changes:For Marc, it would have to be William Moseley.What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?About a 16-year old Korean-American girl who discovers an ancient Korean god has been kidnapping the first-born daughters of her family for generations. And she's next. If you're interested in a pictorial idea of GILDED, you can check out my Pinterest page here.What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?Um.... there really isn't much out there in YA. The closest would be the Percy Jackson books. I'm anxiously waiting to read Amanda Sun's INK. From its blurb, it might be the closest YA out there in similarity.Who or what inspired you to write this book?Living in Korea absolutely inspired GILDED. I wrote what I saw, heard, smelled and lived. Most of the scenes were recreations of stuff that actually happened to me. Like the ski scene. So me.What else about this book might pique a reader's interest?If you like books with: tough fighter girls, romance, lots of action, dragons, portals, fantasy and mythology then you'll like GILDED. Now who to torture next? *rubs hands deviously*Andrea Mack!
By: Christina Farley,
on 10/22/2012
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The day has come to announce the winners of my EPIC book deal contest. First of all, thank you to everyone who tweeted, blogged and Facebooked the contest. You guys are so amazing. If I could give you a hug I would.
Thanks to Rafflecopter, it tallied up the totals and determined winners for me.
Here they are:
Writer's Pack: Joy McCullough
Reader's Pack: Jude Griffin
Traveler's Pack: Jaime Heller
Email me your address at farley dot christinaL at gmail dot com
Congratulations!!!
By: Christina Farley,
on 10/18/2012
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The other day, I was sitting on the sidelines watching my son's soccer practice. On the field behind me a football coach was yelling at his players, saying, "If you're not sweating, you're not working hard enough!"My first thought was, “Man, I’m glad you’re not my boys’ coach.” But that line bothered me for the rest of the day. Was he right? Will working hard make them better players? My thoughts turned to writing. If I worked harder, wrote more, would that make me a better writer? The conclusion I came to was ‘yes’ and ‘no’. Yes, in that the more you do something, your craft is developed. But at the same time, if you’re doing it wrong, it’s like banging your head against the wall. It can hurt your craft and frustrate you. How can we as writers be smart in our craft?
1. Write as often as you can. I work a full time and part time job. I’m a mom and I’m taking classes. Time is more valuable than gold. But if I want to write, I just have to suck it up and sit down and write. That means I might only have an hour a day. But the reality is, the more I write, the better I get.
2. Read. When you read, study the way the author has constructed the story. Pick one or two elements that you feel are lacking in your book such as plot, character arcs, or conflicts within a scene. Focus on those two elements as you read and see how that author has developed them. Write down notes in your journal at what worked and what didn’t. Read another book and do the same thing. I find I learn so much by reading other author’s books. 3. Find critique partners who know their stuff. These people don’t have to be writers. Sometimes your best critiquers are actually readers that have the eye for when a character isn’t being true to themselves or the plot is sagging. Trust them. Listen to them. 4. Attend writing conferences. Develop your craft by learning from experts. Your focus might change over the years, but there will always be new ways to develop yourself as a writer. You will never be too accomplished of a writer to not learn.
5. Try something new. One of the best ways to stretch yourself at anything is to break out of your box. If you have this fabulous new idea of a book you’d love to write, but you think it will be too hard to accomplish, that means you need to write it. It may end up taking you many drafts and many years, but you’ll be a better writer by challenging yourself.
6. Get online and know what’s going on in the market. If you’re reading this right now, you are already doing this point. I learn so much from other bloggers on what’s happening in the market as well as ideas to make myself a better writer.
What about you? What are smart ways that you make the most of your writing time?
After I announced my book deal, I joined The Lucky 13s which is a group of children and YA writers who are debuting in 2013. I'm really excited to be a part of a group of authors who are going through the same ups and downs as I am.Today is my first post on The Lucky 13s blog. All week long on the Luckys we're interviewing members from the Class of 2012 as well as talking about characterization. My post is about Creating Three Dimensional Characters. I hope you'll stop by and say 'hi'!
Over at the MiGs, I wrote a post called After the Book Deal- The First 3 Months, which will end up being a series on things you can do after you get your book deal. The whole process can be daunting and you might wonder, where do I begin? Hopefully this series, After the Book Deal, can help you navigate your way through it.
Every day we as writers face fears.
Fear of rejection, fear of reviews, fear you'll never land an agent or editor, fear that your next book won't sell, fear your agent or editor won't approve those edits.
The list is endless. But the only way to overcome those fears is to face them. While I was in Europe this summer, I filmed this short vlog with tips on how to face those fears.
Do you have any tips that you'd like to share?
This weekend has been overwhelming. I've been blown away by the well-wishes on Facebook and Twitter, the emails and blog posts. It's moments like these that all the years of late-night writing, tears over rejections and fighting self-doubt become worth it.
I'm so excited to celebrate my book deal with you that I'm giving away three prize packs. I know some of you are readers, some are writers and some are travelers, so I've created a pack for each of you.
Writer's Pack- Critique of your first 10 pages by me
- $25 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card- your choice!
- $10 Starbuck's gift card
- Journal and writing pens
- Query critique from my writing partner, Kate Fall, who has just opened her own editing business
Reader's Pack- Copies of my writing partner's books: autographed copy of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE by Beth Revis, I'M BORED illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi, and a preordered copy of PROPHECY by Ellen Oh
- A Samjokgo amulet (or some spell it as Samjogo)- this represents strength and was considered the most powerful symbol in Korea during the Koguryo Kingdom. This amulet has a big role in my book!
Traveler's Pack- Traveler's journal and writing pens
- "Woman On the Go" traveler kit
- Kindle or Nook (your choice!) versions of these great YA books: TEN by Gretchen McNeil and DEFIANCE by C.J Redwine.
Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to win! a Rafflecopter giveaway
Finally, finally I can scream from my rooftop that I've got a book deal! I've been keeping this little secret for a hundred years now. (Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration).I am so pleased to announce that my young adult paranormal, GILDED, sold to Amazon Children's Publishing (formally Marshall Cavendish)!Here's the blurb from Publisher's Marketplace:Christina Farley's GILDED, in which a 16-year-old Korean-American girl with a black belt and a deadly proclivity with steel-tipped arrows discovers an ancient Korean god has been kidnapping the first-born daughters of her family for generations, to Miriam Frank at Amazon Children's, in a nice deal, for publication in Fall 2013, by Jeff Ourvan at Jennifer Lyons Literary Agency (world). | |
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I know you're waiting for all the gossip on how it happened. So...Let's rewind back to January, when on Martin Luther King's birthday I got this stop-your-heart kind of email from Margery Cuyler, Publisher of Marshall Cavendish, saying she loved my book and was taking it to acquisitions. (Wow!!!!! She loved my book!!!!!!) For the next week I was on pins and needles. Waiting, staring at my phone, waiting and staring at my phone some more. Then I got the call from Jeff, my agent. THE CALL. It was during my school day and I'm not allowed to answer my phone so he sent me a quick email first. Amazon Children's had offered to buy my book. Squee! Somehow I got through the school day. I have no idea what I told my students or if I even taught the math lesson correctly. All I know is that I had this huge smile plastered across my face. As soon as I herded my students out the door, I was dialing Jeff to talk about all the juicy details.
Signing my contract
I am just so thankful to my agent who knew how to navigate through the whole submitting maze because the next few months after that were a bit insane. And he put up with my bizarre emails that looked something like this:!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(I know, who sends crazy emails like that?)Yes, he's totally a black belt in agenting.I am thrilled to be working with my editor, Miriam Frank, who said she fell head-over-heels in love with GILDED (I can't help but love her already). Below you will find a short video I made that highlights my journey in writing this book. If you have read my blog over the years, these pictures will be familiar to you. Most of the pictures my husband or myself took while living in Korea.Thanks as always to my crit buds who have endured emails and reading too many versions of this manuscript among others: Casey McCormick, Beth Revis, Larissa Hardesty, Ellen Oh and the amazing girls from the MiGs!I hope you will stop by later this week to celebrate with me because I'm holding an EPIC contest giving away books, critiques, gift cards, and jewelry based on GILDED.
By: Christina Farley,
on 9/24/2012
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I'm finally announcing my contest winners. I got a bit distracted last week with Open House at school, Grandparents Day and finishing my latest manuscript which I aptly named THE BEAST (that's its nickname).
I am happy to say that my poor agent now has it and now he gets to face THE BEAST. *laughing deviously* Although, if anyone can deal with monsters or impossible manuscripts, it's my agent.
ANYWAY! (yeah, my critique partners won't let me ramble in my stories so I get to torture here)
The winners are:
Kelly Polark for DEVIANTS by Maureen McGowen
and Stina Lindenblatt for I'M BORED by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi.
Email me your address. My email is farley dot christinaL at gmail dot com.
Woohoo! I still have my review and contest for SANCTUM by Sarah Fine coming up and a stack of autograph books that I've been meaning to do a giveaway with. Soon!
I am thrilled to have my critique partner from the MiGs, Debbie Ridpath Ohi, chatting with us here at Chocolate for Inspiration. I've known Debbie for a number of years and I've had the chance to read her middle grade and picture books. She is incredibly talented and I can't wait to see all of other projects come out to the light of day over the next few years.Now for the interview!
Me: There is so much fun and humor in your illustrations. What springboards you to come up with these creative ideas?
Debbie: Thanks, Christy! I draw a lot, just for the fun of it, and I think that helps a great deal. If I only drew for work-related projects, I suspect my illustrations would tighten up and lose much of the energy that people seem to like. So I try to sketch and doodle digitally and on paper as much as I can. I admit it was an adjustment at first. Once I started working on I'M BORED, my doodling went way down at first because I figured I needed to put the time into workstuff instead…but then I found this had a negative influence on my workstuff. Once I started drawing for fun again on the side, things got better again.Now I'm thinking I should starting doing more of the same for my writing as well. I used to keep a private daily journal, just for random thoughts, and I think I'll start it up again.
Me: How do you look at a story from an illustrator's perspective?
Debbie: That's an interesting question, mainly because I've always looked at stories visually when I'm reading. However, working on I'M BORED as well as my new picture book project for Simon & Schuster BFYR has certainly started me thinking a lot more about the picture book reader experience. There are so many aspiring picture book writers and illustrators out there who think that it's just a matter of writing the story and then adding pictures. It's so much more, however. Writing picture books is HARD. Or rather, writing a good picture book that stands out in the marketplace and is appealing to young people (rather than grown-ups who are used to the classic type of picture books from the past) is hard. Those who illustrate as well as write have a definite advantage when it comes to creating picture books because/we can't help but think of how the text and illustrations can function as one unit AS we write the story. I'm always asking myself, "How can I show this in the illustrations instead of in the text? What can I add in the illustrations that will enhance the story?"
It's a challenging but ultimately immensely satisfying process. Me: And the most important question, what's your favorite chocolate?
Debbie: Good quality dark chocolate.A fellow chocolate lover! Yay! Thank you so much Debbie for hanging out with us!
Stalk Debbie at:Twitter: @inkyelbows
Blog: DebbieOhi.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/inkygirlDebbie and Simon and Schuster have also offered to give away a copy of I'M BORED! Just comment in the section below. Get an extra entry for tweeting, blogging or mentioning this interview on Facebook. Just let me know in the comments section!Contest open internationally until Sept. 19th.
Today's highlighted book is DEVIANTS by Maureen McGowan published by Amazon Children's Publishing. I received the ARC in the mail late last week and as soon as I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The style and action-packed pace made it impossible to set aside. The release date is Oct. 30th! Here's the blurb from Amazon:In a post-apocalyptic world, where the earth is buried by asteroid dust that’s mutated the DNA of some humans, orphaned, sixteen-year-old Glory must hide and protect her younger brother. If their Deviant abilities are discovered, they’ll be expunged—kicked out of the dome to be tortured and killed by the Shredders. Glory would give anything to get rid of her unique ability to kill with her emotions, especially when Cal, the boy she’s always liked, becomes a spy for the authorities. But when her brother is discovered, and she learns their father, who was expunged for killing their mother, is still alive, she must escape the domed city that’s been her entire world. Outside in the ruins, they’re pursued by the authorities and by sadistic, scab-covered Shredders who are addicted to the lethal-to-humans dust now covering the planet. Glory’s quests to transport herself and her brother to safety make up the thrilling and fascinating first volume of The Dust Chronicles.What I love about this book: I really fell in love with the main character, Glory. She's tough and knows how to kick butt, yet at the same time she's thoughtful and sacrificial. Glory is willing to do just about anything to keep her brother hidden. Because of this, she is drawn into a whole new world that she never knew existed. What is unique about this book? I loved the angle that McGowan brought in at the end of the book which leads into book 2. Of course I can't ruin the ending but I thought it was unique and something I hadn't seen in dystopian literature that I've read. At the same time I was slightly annoyed because now I'll have to wait for book 2 to be released before I get to find out what happens next! What's up with cliffhanger McGowan? I think she's trying to torture us.Why should you read it? The writing was just flawless. As a writer myself, I'm a tough critic when it comes to style and the right mix of well, everything. McGowan knows how to tell a fast-paced story without allowing the writing to suffer. And excellent world building!My favorite line:"I've tried to be a good person, to do the right thing, but I am not a good person."Stalk Maureen at her blog or Twitter: @MaureenMcGowanI'm also giving away my ARC of DEVIANTS! It's simple. Leave a comment below. Tweet it and tell me you did so and get an extra entry.
Last week was a big week for Cory Jackson with the release of IF I LIE. So many great books coming out this fall!Here's the blurb of IF I LIE:Cheater. Traitor. Slut. Quinn’s done the unthinkable: she kissed a guy who is not Carey, her boyfriend. And she got caught. Shunned by everyone she knows, Quinn loses her friends, her reputation, and her identity. Because Carey’s not just any guy—he’s a Marine who’s serving overseas, and beloved by everyone in their small, military town. But Quinn didn’t cheat. She could clear her name, but that would mean revealing secrets she’s vowed to keep—secrets that aren’t hers to share. So she stays silent, and waits for Carey to come home. Then Carey goes MIA, and Quinn must decide how far she’ll go to protect her boyfriend…and her promise.
Check out Cory's website here.Over at the YA Rebels we all talked about a time when we lied or withheld the truth in celebration of the release of IF I LIE. This was actually my last vlog with the YA Rebels as a guest poster. I had a lot of fun vlogging with them!You can check out my vlog here where I talk about how I lie every day.
A big happy book birthday to I'M BORED written by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by my critique partner from the MiGs, Debbie Ridpath Ohi! I'm just so excited for Debbie. She is incredibly talented and has great things in store for her in the future, including two more picture books that she will write/and or illustrate through Simon and Schuster!Over at the MiGs we are celebrating the book birthday of I'M BORED all week long. Each day we're chatting about being bored or something related to the book. For every comment made, you can enter to win you very own copy of I'M BORED!Check it all out here.Also, check out I'M BORED in the wild. You can submit pics too!
By: Christina Farley,
on 8/23/2012
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This is a really exciting time for the MiGs because Susan Laidlaw's cover for INFIDEL IN PARADISE was released! We are all plastering her cover everywhere because we're so thrilled for her.
Check it out:
Isn't it awesome? I love it's exotic flair and the lovely designs.If you're interested in more details on Susan, you can check her out on her agency's website here. Susan has also agreed to do an interview on my blog so more on that soon.Add it to your Goodreads to read list!Here's the blurb from Amazon where you can now pre-order a copy:Set in Pakistan, this is the story of a teen girl living with her mother and siblings in a diplomatic compound. As if getting used to another new country and set of customs and friends isn't enough, she must cope with an increasingly tense political situation that becomes dangerous with alarming speed. Her life and those of her sister and brother depend on her resourcefulness and the unexpected help of an enigmatic Muslim classmate.
By: Christina Farley,
on 8/22/2012
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This week on the YA Rebels we answered questions from our comments section. So in the vlog below I answered my questions and almost spilled my big news! I'm hoping to share my news with you all soon...
Today is my first day back at school. I'm always a little nervous on this day, wondering who will be in my class and if we'll all get along. Spending six hours a day with twenty people in one room all year long can be a great year or a very bad year depending on the mix of people!In thinking about the beginning of the year, I'm reminded of the picture book, RUBY'S WISH by Shirin Yim Bridges. In thisstory, Bridges retells the journey of how her grandmother became one of the first woman to attend university in China.I love Ruby's determination and love for learning that shines through in these pages. And Sophie Blackall does such a striking job with the illustrations, pulling out that common theme of the color red, which is Ruby's favorite color. When I read this story to my students, I also tie it into family history and what life was like for our grandparents and where our grandparents came from. A great link for activities to support this is here.
You're never too old to learn a new language. Here's a link to create flash cards to learn Chinese. And have you ever wondered what your name would look like in Chinese? Check out this link.If you look to the left, you'll see my name in Chinese. Pretty cool, huh? Now if only I could write it that well.
By: Christina Farley,
on 8/15/2012
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This week on the Rebels our topic was a bookshelf tour. Which made me wonder what kind of books would be on your shelves. My books are just about everywhere around the house and I've got lots of shelves. Both of my boys each have their own big bookshelf too that's full of books. It's kind of insane. And then I've got tons of books in my classroom. I'm probably keeping the book industry afloat all by myself. (slight exaggeration)
And speaking of bookshelves and getting your books on the shelves, check out this interesting article.
Do you organize your books in any particular way?
By: Christina Farley,
on 8/12/2012
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I'm so excited to announce my winner for the Hunger Games movie contest!
The winner of the movie poster, lanyard, and movie companion book goes to:
Send me your address so I can mail you the stuff! My email address is farley dot christinaL at gmail dot com.
By: Christina Farley,
on 8/10/2012
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Today I was supposed to post about the Ascendio Conference but then my hubby surprised me with a hot air balloon ride. (!!!!!!!!) It was soooo romantic!
We woke up at 4:15 am and headed over to the touristy section (which normal Floridians avoid like the plague) and loaded up into vans. The company we used was Orlando Balloon Rides. They took us to this beautiful open field, which is also a hang glider community.After they unloaded the balloons and spread them out, they fired up the tanks and away we went!We floated over the Green Swamp, which is actually quite close to our house. The sun was rising right over Disney World as we floated up. I was amazed how the air smelled. So fresh and crisp and green. And whenever the gas wasn't blasting into the balloon, the air would just silently whoosh around us. I've never experienced that kind of silence before, even on top of mountain peaks.Below we spotted deer, hawks, sand hill cranes, herds of wild boar, and lots of cows. Our operator called them summer cows. Some are white, some are black. *grin*Then we landed in the middle of nowhere. We packed up the balloon as a group, avoiding the cow gifts scattered about. The craziest part was this kid blitzed out of the woods on his four-wheeler to say hi. He was looking for his dog apparently, but I was so distracted by the wild boar strapped to the front of his four-wheeler I could hardly concentrate what he had to say. Especially when the boar squealed!Then we jumped into the balloon basket on the truck and drove out to the main road (which took nearly a half an hour on sand roads and pastures). The champagne toast and breakfast made the morning absolutely perfect.
There is just something about holding a new, shiny book in your hands. I think it's because every book has a different feel, a different mood. When I went to make my vlog for YA Rebels, I decided to take a closer look at book covers and their designs. It amazed me how each book had its own distinctive look.
Some book covers have raised lettering, others with font that fits with the time period of the text, some have specific paper that fits with the storyline, while others even have reversible covers.
I also think it's fun to check out the people who bring those covers to life. A famous illustrator for the cover design of Percy Jackson series is John Rocco. Then there are photographers who do amazing work such as Aurora Crowley who did the photography for SHATTER ME by Taherah Mafi. Check out an interview here with Aurora.
I also have a Pinterest page here that shows all the covers that I really like.
I suppose it's because I'm a visual person that I love how books come out. Someday I'm sure ebooks will have their own cool additions brought to them. I can't wait to see what will come out of those in the future.
Check out my vlog on the books that I choose to highlight.
What are your favorite covers and why?
It's always so fun to do contests. It's actually one of the things that I love about having a blog is that I can give back to all the people who take the time to read Chocolate for Inspiration.
Thank you to everyone who entered the CAMP giveaway and I hope you enjoyed the interview by Elaine Wolf.
And the winner is....
Don't forget, you still have five more days to enter my Hunger Games Contest here to win a movie size poster, the movie companion book and a lanyard.I just got the ARC of LIAR & SPY by Rebecca Stead in the mail so I'll be reviewing that and giving that middle grade away soon. Plus I have four autographed books from four AMAZING authors that I met at the Ascendio conference I went to this summer. I plan to have that ready for you this Friday. And tomorrow, it's Wednesday so I'll post my vlog for the YARebels. We get to choose our topic this week. Can you guess my topic?Exciting times!Okay, gotta go and write. I still haven't written my quota for today...
On the YA Rebels today, I talk about SUPERPOWERS. Of course this was a hard question because we were only allowed to choose one! So I broke down some of the superhero categories and looked at my favorite YA books with heroines/hereos with superpowers to help me out.
One of the parts about writing fantasy is that I can give my heroines or heroes cool powers. I think that's why it's so hard for me not to write fantasy. I hate being confined to the real world. If only we all could do the same things as our characters, right? Although, I'm not very nice to my characters and bad things happen to them. Very bad things.
So.... maybe not.
Also, I wrote a post over at the MiGs talking about how to write characters with superpowers. Check it out!
How about you? What would your superpower be?
By: Christina Farley,
on 7/31/2012
Blog:
Chocolate for Inspiration
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Hey guys! Because I'm a huge Hunger Games fan, I'm giving away:
1. Hunger Games Movie Companion book
2. Hunger Games Lanyard
3. Hunger Games Movie Poster
Check out this vlog to see the prizes!
Fill in this form by August 12th to WIN.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Plus, you have until Friday, August 3rd to enter to win an autographed copy of CAMP by Elaine Wolf. Click here.
During the SCBWI conference in Orlando, FL, I also attended the Young Adult workshop. This was led by Noa Wheeler, editor for Henry Holt, and Nancy Werlin, bestselling author of numerous books including Extraordinary. These two ladies did an excellent job exploring ways to tackle issues we face as young adult authors.Noa Wheeler talked about how to deepen our characters by asking questions about them. One of the best questions she asked was “Is my character active?” She says we should be asking ourselves this question all through the book. She also had us create 100 questions for our characters. I was really excited after I finished because these questions helped me build a more three dimensional character for my current WIP. In the afternoon, Noa discussed how to write a flap copy and gave us specific examples from the books she’s edited. She said that usually the assistant editor writes these for the books, but they are a great exercise to find what the big issues of our stories are about.Nancy is currently revising the third book that will come after Extraordinary. She broke down the revision process she is undertaking right now which I found fascinating in how she tackled her revisions. She also explained how she used the feedback from her critique partners to write another revision.Overall, I came away with some new ways to revise and a stack of answered questions I hadn’t known about my main character. Have you ever interviewed your characters? Did you find that helpful and if so, which questions did you find to be the most helpful?
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Ooh, I love your one-sentence synopsis. Killer!
I am looking forward to Gilded out in the world. Thanks for a little sneak peek.
Oh I love the sound of this story. Can hardly wait!!!
Good for you! I so enjoy reading other writers details but don't like sharing my own.
Talli- thank you!
Vijaya- You're welcmome.
kim- Yay! That makes me happy.
Barbara- I know what you mean. It's hard to share details.
And *I* can't wait for GILDED!!! High five!
This sounds incredible, Christina! As an Asian-o-phile, I can't wait to read it. Have you heard of Stormdancer, by Jay Kristoff?
Amanda- High give back at you girl!
Matthew- No, I haven't heard of Stormdancer. Sounds awesome. I must go check it out. Thanks!
I'll be looking forward to the release of Gilded! It's so true that the very early stages of a WIP are too new and tender to share.
Your book sounds terrific! I love the fact that you actually lived in Korea, so all the details will be authentic. Great post! :-)