If you were reading any of my tweets or viewing my Instagram pictures this past weekend, you know that I was hard at work integrating a new plot twist into my novel.

The ending of my current novel project has always haunted me. I’ve revised it several times and it never felt right. A couple of weeks ago I had an A-ha Moment and figured out how it could work — but it involved a huge plot twist that I would have to incorporate throughout the whole novel. Even though I knew it would cause me headaches and some rewriting, it was the right thing to do. It just felt right. A kind of writer’s intuition.

At this point, I had all of my scenes in chapters, so I revisited the spreadsheet of my novel and plugged away at incorporating elements of the new plot twist, which included moving scenes around, writing scene revision notes, and creating a list of new scenes.

But I found myself juggling papers and switching back and forth with my computer screen. It was making me batty so I decided that I would create a plot grid on the wall in my office.

I got the idea from Christina Farley. She has a fabulous blog post and YouTube video on how she creates her plot grid. There are many ways to do one. The main benefit is viewing your whole novel at a glance.

Being a plot chick, my grid is based on the 3-Act structure. I love author Alexandra Sokoloff’s Story Element Checklist, which uses screenwriting structure and tailors it to novels. But even if you just break your story down into 3 parts — beginning, middle, and end — that will work as well.

Here’s a quick summary of my plot grid:

Now I can see at a glance how to better work in my plot twist and change things around if needed. It also lets me see my characters and settings to determine if the frequency works too. There are many ways to utilize a plot grid.

One of the things I want to improve on this year is to read more books. Having a stack of books is always a good problem to have wouldn’t you say? :)

Here are some recent and upcoming releases that I’ve added to my 2013 Winter To-Be-Read (TBR) list:

Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt
Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (2/5/2013)
Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys (2/15/2013)
Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell (2/26/20103)

How about you? What books are you looking forward to reading during the cold months?

This post is part of a series on the blog where I share some of the nuggets of wisdom and inspiration — related to writing and/or life — that I find steeped in the pages of novels that I’ve read.

It’s been many years since I’ve read The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I remember the movie vaguely. I’ve been listening to the audiobook narrated by the fabulous Claire Danes. She does an excellent job portraying Offred.

There was a quote about betrayal that resonated because of my current novel project — since betrayal is one of the major themes. But during my Tuesday morning commute, I heard one that spoke more to me personally and I wanted to share it with you.

The quote has a different context — fighting against the Republic of Gilead — but I believe it can also be transferred to any kind of resistance you may be fighting in your life.

From Offred, the narrator of the novel The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood:

“I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather, no shadow unless there is also light.”

As most of you who read the blog, you know how much I love writing inspiration. Here are few Tumblr and Pinterest favorites that I follow:

Tumblr

• Amanda on Writing
• Inspired to Write
• Why I Write
• Writing Quotes
• Writing Problems

Pinterest

• My Writing Inspiration Board
• Writer’s Relief – Writing Inspiration Board
• D.D. Falvo – The Writer Inside Board
• miepchen – I am A Storyteller Board
• Amanda Patterson – Literary Quotes Board

What are some of your favorite Tumblrs? What are some of your favorites on Pinterest? I would love to discover some new ones. :)

Another year has dawned upon us. It’s 2013 and a new start.

For those of you who have been following my blog for awhile, you know that I have a core set four words that I use to center my life. But I think for 2013, I’m going to also focus on a specific set of words to help me reach my goals.

• Balance. I will be on a high-profile software project for most of the year. When I first found out, I wasn’t that happy about it. I knew it would only mean less time for writing. So instead of me being resentful, I will use this opportunity to implement balance and find a place for writing in my life. My goal is to find that balance until I decide on a job that can better complement my writing.
• Focus. Guess what I learned in 2012? Multitasking is a myth. So I want to try to focus on one thing at a time. Prioritize and learn to give my true attention to the task in front of me. It won’t be easy but I think I will get more accomplished this way.
• Depth. I was very happy when I finished my novel project last year. A miracle considering my limited time. My goal was to start the submission process, but in my heart I know the novel still isn’t ready. So before I can truly move on to the next project, I need to add more depth to this novel. The good news is that I know what must be done.
• Forgiveness. This is the most important word of all. Even with all the preparation and good intentions, things will fall apart this year. I plan to forgive myself when things don’t work out instead of beating myself up when things slip. I will forgive myself because I’m only human and I’m doing the best that I can with what I have.

The year is new and limitless. Anything can happen. What are your plans for 2013?

Blog Hiatus: This is my last post for 2012 and I’ll be returning on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2013. But you can always chat with me on Twitter. For those of you who celebrate during this time of year, have a fabulous holiday season. I hope all of you have a safe and happy New Year!

Whew, 2012 was such a *busy* year. I didn’t get as much reading done as I wanted. I still have so much to read on my Kindle plus I have many books stacked in a TBR pile. I’m looking forward to spending my December nights by the fireplace getting lost in novels.

Fortunately, I did read some great books this year. These are just a few of my favorites that I wanted to share with you.

Favorite Fiction Picks

A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
This is Not a Test by Courntey Summers

Favorite Craft Picks

Ignore Everybody by Hugh MacLeod
The Plot Whisperer by Martha Alderson
Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon
Story Engineering by Larry Brooks
Wired for Story by Lisa Cron
Writing 21st Century Fiction by Donald Maass

What were some of your favorite reads in 2012?

This post is part of a series on the blog where I share some of the nuggets of wisdom and inspiration — related to writing and/or life — that I find steeped in the pages of novels that I’ve read.

This past Thanksgiving weekend, I had the chance to touch base with family and loved ones. We all had lots to be thankful for and I loved hearing about all of the blessings but something troubled me. I also heard about things that could have gone better — things that slipped through cracks or maybe plans that didn’t turn out well. Plaintive whispers of disappointment. This is why when I was reading this novel over the long weekend that this quote stood out for me.

For those family members and loved ones, do NOT give up. Keep trying.

From Karou, one of the main characters in the YA fantasy novel by Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor:

“A dream dirty and bruised is better than no dream at all.”

I’ve packed my bags and I’m on my way to the family compound. :) I’m so looking forward to spending time with family and loved ones and RELAXING.

That’s the key word: RELAX.

It’s been a very busy few weeks and I’m so excited to put my feet up on the ottoman and read some of the books on my TBR list. No Black Friday shopping for me.

For those of you in the United States, you already know we have an upcoming special holiday. THANKSGIVING! I loooooooovvvvve this holiday. With the huge extended family I have there is always some serious yummy food to eat.

This year we decided to go house hopping to visit the relatives so we’re keeping it low key but here’s what on our menu — southern style:

• Turkey
• Cornbread dressing
• Collard Greens
• Creamed Corn
• Potato Salad
• Squash Casserole
• Deviled Eggs
• Sweet Potato Souffle

So that’s what we’re eating tomorrow. I can’t wait!

I hope all of you have (or had) a fabulous Thanksgiving. Remember all of the things you are thankful for and be grateful and blessed. :)

Also pace yourself with all the good food — use small plates! — and take a walk after dinner too. Ha, ha.

Today I’m the feature on the fabulous series Wednesday Writer’s Workspace. I love reading this series on The Writing Nut blog. Nutschell always has excellent posts on the writing process and other peeks into her life.

So if you want to see what my writing workspace looks like and who some of my favorite authors are, you can go over and visit Nutschell’s blog.

This post is part of a series on the blog where I share some of the nuggets of wisdom and inspiration — related to writing and/or life — that I find steeped in the pages of novels that I’ve read.

I’ve been thinking a lot about life paths. I feel like I’m at a crossroads and my next choice will be an important one. This is one of the reasons I love this quote from this phenomenal author.

From Gordy the class genius to Junior the protagonist in YA novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie:

“If you’re good at it, and you love it, and it helps you navigate the river of the world, then it can’t be wrong.”

I recently came across a craft book Rivet Your Reads with Deep Point of View by Jill Elizabeth Nelson.

You know when you’re reading a phenomenal book where you are inside that character and being in the moment? There is no shield between you and the character’s thoughts, fears, and motivations. You are in that character’s world. You are that character. For me, that’s reading a book that has deep POV.

It doesn’t usually start off that way. At least for me. I usually have to fix this issue in my revisions. It’s almost like “showing vs. telling” in a way. You don’t want to explain what your POV character feels, sees or thinks because it puts a barrier between the character and the reader.

During my revision phases, some of the things I look for are the following:

• I felt
• I saw
• I thought
• I watched
• I wondered

I always try and tackle these phrases and find a way to make them more in the moment. Less of me as an author telling the reader what my character observed or did and just try to put the moment in her own words.

In the book, the author has some great examples and exercises on how to create a deeper POV. So if you are looking to make your work stronger or just need a refresher course, you should check out this book.

Writer friends, what ways have your made your POV deeper? What kind of resources did you use? I would love recommendations any other blog links, articles or books. :)

So I made it safely to Rome, Italy after a few minor mishaps (cancelled flight, leaky airplane ceiling, etc.) but the beauty of the city has made up for all of it.

Ha, so far I haven’t read any of my paperbacks. But I must say that being around all this history, culture, and art is very inspiring to me.

Here is a picture I took of one of my favorite fountains in the Piazza Navona. I don’t know the name at the top of my head but it’s fabulous.

I’m still keeping my word about the gelato and pasta! Eating like a piglet but walking it off.

Love from Rome! :)

This post is later than usual because I’ve been working long hours at my software geek job and packing for my trip to Italy! :)

We leave on Friday and will be gone all next week! I’m so excited! I’ve been working so hard lately at the day job that I’m going to relish this time away in Rome. I’m going to stuff my face with as much gelato, bread, and pasta it can hold. It won’t count if I walk it all off right? Right? Ha, ha.

I’ll be posting pics on both Instagram and Twitter. Just follow me at KarenMusings.

One of the things I’m most excited about is the reading I’ll be able to do while traveling to Europe. This is what I dislike most about 2012: Not. Enough. Reading.

I have a good chunk of e-books on my Kindle, but my good writer friend, Anne Leone, told me that I should also take some paperbacks with me for those times when electronics can’t be used. So I found two dark fabulous reads. This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers and Shade’s Children by Garth Nix. Here is a pic I posted on Instagram of my paperback spoils:

I must admit, I haven’t done any pleasure reading in a while. I sometimes wonder as writers if that’s even possible any more?

What about you guys? When you go on vacation do you take books? Do you usually read something in the same genre that you write? Or do you tend to go for a guilty pleasure? Or are you like me and tend to read novels that are bloody and dark?

One of my favorite craft authors, Elizabeth Lyon, has an excellent book about revision titled Manuscript Makeover. It’s a great addition to your writer’s toolkit to use as a reference.

The author breaks down the definition of a scene:

“Scenes are based on forward-moving action. They operate to get the story launched, to put the characters into situations where they must overcome obstacles and move toward commitment to a life-changing quest. Scenes also contain sounds, smells, temperatures, touch-sensations, and visuals.”

The author gives examples of common scene problems. Here are just a few:

• No clear scene goal
• Minor stakes
• Obstacles and opposition absent
• Opposition too quickly overcome
• Same or too similar locations
• Change, setback or twist missing
• Too much thought, not enough action

One of the things I like to do is take one of my favorite novels and dissect scenes. I use the following formula:

scene = [character] + [goal] + [opposition] + [goal outcome] + [change]

Sometimes it’s easier to see it in another writer’s work before you can go apply it in your own work.

So if you find that your chapters tend to lose steam or you struggling in your middle, revisit your scene structure and try to identify the basic parts using the formula above. Filling in any missing parts may help you to strengthen that scene and your novel.

Recently I read a blog post by author Nova Ren Suma. She’s the author of one of my 2011 favorite books, Imaginary Girls. On her blog, she has a Turning Points series, which just spotlighted author Patty Blount.

Patty was talking about the dark side of writing — the doubts we writers can have — but what struck me most about her guest post was when she said people always asked her the question a lot of us get: “When did you first start writing?” when it’s really the wrong question to ask a writer.

The real question should be “When did you first begin to trust your writing?”

That spoke volumes to me. Trust your writing. It takes a lot to do this. I know that we all have been there. It takes a lot of courage to put words on paper. To put down your passion in ink. It’s not a small thing.

But how do you know if you have started to trust your writing? What if you think you’re still not ready to dive into the world of critiques, reviews, rejections, and most scary — high praise?

Here are three basic ways for me:

Trust Your Writing Has Value. You had a desire to put your thoughts on paper. Everyone has value. So what you write also has value. You are the only writer in the Universe who can write this particular story. No one else can do it. Know that is your purpose and it is important.

Trust the Writing Process. You have to believe that with every false start, every revision, every sacrifice you make in order to write will pay off. Writing is a muscle and the more you write, the better you become. Know in the process of hard work, your writing will bloom into something special.

Trust Your Writing Will Find Its Place. You have to believe that your writing — your novel — will find its rightful place in the world. A place where it connects to readers. In the meantime, provide your writing a loving and supportive home in your heart.

Writer friends, are in a place where you trust your writing? How did you get there? I would love to hear from you. :)

Yesterday, NPR posted the results of the Best Ever Teen Fiction Poll. It’s interesting to see how certain YA books fared in this complied 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels list.

Of course since it’s a poll, it’s entirely subjective. I didn’t participate, but I did find some of my favorites on the NPR list.

I’ve read SO many books over the years. I actually keep an inventory of books and I have compiled over 500 books. Maybe I should compile my own 100 top favorite list?

Writer friends, did any of your favorites make the list?

I’m back! :)

For us down here in the Atlanta area, the kids are going back to school. If that seems early, don’t worry — they have been out since early May. Believe me, it IS time.

I really appreciate the book recommendations. :) I didn’t get as much reading in as I wanted during my break and although I didn’t finish writing all my new scenes for July, I did make some great progress, which I will continue for the rest of the summer. It’s getting close!

I posted the following picture on Instagram.

It’s a stack of craft books that I used during this revision round. I’ll be sharing some gems I found in these books this month. One of the books I referenced was Story Engineering by Larry Brooks. It’s a great writing craft book.

In the book, the author talks about a character’s internal conflict, which he calls an “internal demon”:

“[...] an internal demon [...] hinders that character’s ability to make the best possible decisions under pressure. An inner drive, weakness, belief system, or kink that makes him weak, that tempts, diverts, and seduces, that blinds him to the truth, that summons skewed values and warps his ability to see more clearly.”

In my novel project, there is one scene where my main character makes a choice very out of character. Something that I don’t necessarily agree should happen. The consequences of her actions are catastrophic. But when I read this passage, I knew that bubbling under the surface — the reason for her choice — was her internal demons. In actuality, her actions were not out of character because of her “dark side” and it was the only way to move the story forward. The problem was that I had not exposed the internal demons as much as I should so that the reader could see it too.

As a reader, I love reading flawed characters. No one likes a perfect person — they don’t exist in real life and they shouldn’t exist in fiction.

Writer friends, have you fully explored the “internal demons” of your characters?

This post is a recurring series on the blog that shares some of my Saturday Shopping excursions. Just meant to be fun and show my beauty addict side. :)

For those of you who follow me on Twitter, you know how I share with you the fabulous things I buy and some of my beauty staples. I use the hashtag #SaturdayShopping. I figured I would also share with my blog readers as well. :)

I start back my regular weekly blogging schedule on Wednesday, August 1st. See you then. :)

Health Finds


The NutriBullet. Much cheaper than a Vitamix to make yummy green smoothies.

Shoe Finds


This is a great nude shoe for dark brown ladies. Love the faux texture.


Not a big fan of zebra print but this shoe is too cute.


They say men don’t like wedges. Who cares? This wedge is fabulous.


Like the scallop shape and the color of this shoe. Another one with faux texture.


This shoe is great for a retro look. Great with a skirt, red belt and crisp white shirt.

Beauty Finds


Had to stock up on my Tarte lip gloss. Amused is my favorite summer shade.


Absolutely love my Clairsonic Mia brush. It’s like getting a facial every time I wash my face

Finally got Aveda Brillant Pomade. Then the lovely woman gave me tea and a fabulous hand massage.

Yummy Finds


Mellow Mushroom Philosopher’s Pie pizza. Olive oil and garlic base with grilled streak, portobello mushrooms, kalamata olives, artichoke hearts, provolone, feta, and mozzarella cheese. So good!

So I’m counting down until my well-deserved vacation starting this weekend in Hawaii! I’ll also be working on my novel at a writer’s retreat with the lovely Heather McCorkle. So excited about all the things I will get accomplished next week. :)

So being the beauty addict that I am, I decided to do something different with my hair for the trip and the early summer. Something I haven’t done in maybe 10 years — I got braids — specifically Senegalese twists. They took 7 hours to install — nope, that’s not a typo — 7 hours with two Nigerian women working on my head.

Here’s the end result:

Here’s a close up. Little shiny and intricate ropes like a work of art:

How did I spend my time at the braid shop? I thought I was going to read Insurgent by Veronica Roth but then I was introduced to the world of Nigerian movies — also known as Nollywood.

I was totally sucked into the drama, comedy, and interesting characters. It definitely made my 7 hours go by in a pleasant way. Here are some Nollywood film-making tips that can be easily applied to novels:

Emphatic heroine. In the movies I watched the lead character was truly someone you could relate to easily and found yourself hoping she would get to her goal.

Well rounded villains. Most of the “bad guys” in these movies usually had goals of their own and specific reasons for acting they way they did.

Drama, drama, drama. With these movies, there was never a dull moment. Always something happening. No belly button musing going on at all!

Unique setting. A lot of the movies were shot in various locations in West Africa and it opened me up to a different culture and exposed me to new surroundings.

On Monday, I asked my Nigerian co-worker if she had any DVDs that I could borrow for my plane trip. Ha, ha. I’m glad that I got my first taste of Nollywood.

Writer friends, what are your favorite international movies? Do you find the storytelling different? Have you learned anything new that you can put in your writing?

Aloha! :)

Hawaii is so gorgeous and sunny. So glad that I’m here on vacation and taking time out to relax. So needed for me.

I’m also focusing back on the novel as well. I hope to get some good stuff done down here. So far so good!

If you want to see any Hawaiian highilights and pictures, you can follow me (KarenMusings) on Twitter or Instagram.

Okay ya’ll, my goal was to talk about the lovely writer’s retreat that I had with Heather McCorkle and Kathy McCullough last week. It was supposed to be about our format and what we focused on during critiques. Blah, blah, blah.

Ha, that post content never materialized. I’m still recovering from jet lag and the fact that I have three software releases this month — including the big kahuna FBI Sex Offender project — it all just makes me want to go take a nap. So I figured I would share some pics! :)

If you follow me on Instagram and Twitter, you saw some of the lovely goodness that is Hawaii. But here are some picture collages that I wanted to share with you.

Sigh. Sweet memories now that I’m back in the real world.

All in all, I had a great time relaxing and got of lot of traction and ideas for the novel to go into the final stretch before submission. So the best of both worlds! So definitely “Mahalo” — Thank you so much Hawaii!

The summer vacation season is starting. Where are ya’ll going this summer?

Revision.

*Enter your reaction this the word here*

I must say for me, revision is much easier than facing the blank page during the draft phase. However, it can be just as frustrating. Especially when you know what you want to convey but the words don’t want to cooperate with you.

Know that feeling?

*Nod your head*

I think sometimes when we read “finished” work — work that seems so “effortless” that we can forget the hours and energy it takes to make a novel’s world breathe life. When the words disappear into your mind and create emotions and images. It’s magic because you don’t even see the words, you see the novel’s world instead. Alive and fascinating.

News flash: This doesn’t happen the first time out the gate, honey. :)

Revision is where you create the magic.

This is why during my writing retreat, I was so happy to gather ideas and suggestions to make my novel stronger — especially the ending. I’m still torn about what to do but I’m getting closer to my final decision.

One of the craft books I took with me was The Plot Whisperer by Martha Alderson. This fabulous book is dog-eared with several underlined passages. I just love this book. And I’m very excited that The Plot Whisperer Workbook is coming out in August.

Last night, I was reading some of my Plot Whisperer notes and came across this gem from the author:

“Appreciate that the right words do not always come out the first time. You cannot always convey what you imagine for your story the first, second, third, or even fourth try. Writing is a process. Get the words down. Later you can go back and be brilliant.”

So for those of you who are the revision phase like me, rejoice! Your magic is happening right now. You are in the process of being brilliant. Keep revising! :)

Last week, I was reading a NY Times collection of essays, Is Fiction Changing, for Better or Worse?

Summertime is the high season for reading books. But if you’re a book nerd like me, you read all year long. There has always been conversations about the quality of fiction — whether it’s getting more “light and fluffy” or “deliberately raunchy” in adult and young-adult fiction.

I loved what Jane Smiley had to say in her essay, Fiction is An Exercise in Empathy:

“A work may only attract, never coerce. To read fiction is to do something voluntary and free, to exercise choice over and over each time the reader picks up a story or a novel.”

“Reading fiction is and always was practice in empathy — learning to see the world through often quite alien perspectives, learning to understand how other people’s points of view reflect their experiences.”

I think this is why when a reader reads a work that speaks to them — and they can empathize with the character — it strikes a chord. The character’s emotions become the reader’s emotions. The character’s experiences become the reader’s experiences. This may not happen with every book that you read. As individuals, we are all different. And different books strike different chords.

This is why I believe that if you feel strongly about your own novel — and are authentic with the emotions and experiences — there will be specific readers that will enjoy your work.

So do I believe fiction is getting worse? Not so much for me as a reader. I still find novels that speak to me with emphatic characters and experiences. Fluffy and raunchy are relative. As readers, we are not to judge. Reading is a choice. Novels are not meant to please everyone. And you get to choose what you like and what you don’t like.

Every book has its own readers.

What do you think? Do you still find books that you love? Or do you think fiction is getting worse?

Last week when I was in my public library, I came across this fabulous book: Ignore Everybody and 39 Other Keys to Creativity by Hugh MacLeod.

I ended up checking it out. I loved the author’s tips on making a living as a creative person.

Here are the specific keys that spoke to me:

Key #3 – Put the hours in.

“Doing anything worthwhile takes forever. Ninety percent of what separates successful people and failed people is time, effort, and stamina.”

Key #7 – Everyone is born creative.

“If you try to make something just to fit your uninformed view of some hypothetical market, you will fail. If you make something special and powerful and honest and true, you will succeed.”

Key #25 – Don’t worry about inspiration.

“If you’re looking at a blank piece of paper and nothing comes to you, then go do something else. Writer’s block is just a symptom of feeling like you have nothing to say, combined with the rather weird idea that you should feel the need to say something.”

This book is based on the author’s very popular blog post, How to Be Creative, which can be downloaded for free in this nicely designed PDF. I highly recommend that you check it out. :)

Do ya’ll have of list of key things or manifesto that help you live your life as a creative person?

For those of you in the United States, I hope that ya’ll are having a fabulous holiday! :)

I’m taking my annual July sabbatical from blogging. I’m continuing my revision and look forward to getting this novel out into the submission world later this year. :)

I also hope to get some reading done as well. In the comments, leave me some book suggestions if you have any!

I hope that everyone continues to have a fantastic summer and I will see ya’ll on August 1st.

Happy Writing!