Word!

Words. I love the sound of them, the look of them, the sense of them, the power of them, the allure of them...

I love words.

Abominable.
Blunder.
Conformation.
Denouement.
Embellishment.
Frivolity.
Grumble.
Hullabaloo.
Ignominy.
Juxtapose.
Knave.
Loiter.
Mishmash.
Nimble.
Obtuse.
Paroxysm.
Quaff.
Rampage.
Scion.
Tenacity.
Undercurrent.
Vagabond.
Waft.
Xenophobe.
Yokel.
Zealotry.

Awesome!

Char

If We Know This To Be True...

V is for verify.

I hate when I read a book and something jumps out that is blatantly false. I'm not talking about fantasy worlds (but even the laws of physics has to apply), but I read and something I know is not true. Kind of like saying the main highway through my town is Route 66. Wrong. In central New Jersey, there are several main routes depending on where you live: routes 287, 22, 78, 80. Even in fiction, you have to verify certain aspects in order for the story to be believed.

One of the criticisms about Blonde OPS was that one person found parts unbelievable. Natalie and I researched--and all of the hacks are possible. Like TV shows and responsible writers, we're not going to give you the exact information to hack into someone's life and steal their identity or disable their car. (If you want to do that, do your own research, we're not aiding and abetting you.)

It's the same with the security around the First Lady. In Blonde OPS, there's a threat against her. I did extensive research on what types of guns the Secret Service carries, special precautions they take, even about the cars they drive. Not all of it shows up, but I've done enough so that the scenario is possible, but most likely not probable. (Because vampires, werewolves, and magic are sooooo real...) As a matter of fact, I've gotten little messages saying my browser was closed for security reasons (courtesy of the FBI. Not only was I researching the Secret Service, protection of the First Lady, firearms, and how to pick digital locks, I was also doing some research for a middle grade book on bomb detection dogs. See how this looks?).

We know (and I think history will side with me on this even though I don't have concrete evidence) that Abraham Lincoln was not a vampire hunter. But--his mother died, he was president, there was a Civil War, etc. So, even if you make it a fictional town, scenario, or alternate history, some basic things have to be true.

Or I'm just not believing it.

Char

Ugly Is As Ugly Does...

Do you love 'ugly' characters? Maybe they are/aren't physically ugly, but are unattractive in their personalities?

Sometimes I love those.

I thought Severus Snape (Harry Potter series by J K Rowling) was an ugly (mean) character- but deliciously so because Dumbledore was so nice and thoughtful and helpful.... yada. It's nice to have a contrast because humanity is a sea of contrasts. (And in the end he proved himself a beautiful person.)

Ever watch the TV show Hannibal? He's a refined, well groomed, attractive doctor who hides a horrific penchant for murder and cannibalism. Outside = pretty, inside = nightmares. I do not find him attractive in any way because he really scares me.

I think it's the hidden 'ugly' that is the most terrifying...

Char

Time... Waits For No One

Does anyone really know what time it is?
Does anybody really care?

That's an old Chicago song (I can't for the life of me find who wrote it, but I give you, whoever you are, the credit).

Time--can't touch it, see it, taste it, hear it.

But you can waste it, spend it, enjoy it, find it, use it, run out of it, have plenty of it. Time defines our lives.

When people ask me how I 'find' the time to write, be a mom and wife, take care of the home, volunteer at my church, work in my garden, and accomplish a number of other things, I tell them, "I don't waste time." If I'm sitting at fencing practice with the youngest, I bring my laptop and edit. If I'm going to be waiting at the doctor's office, I bring a book. Working in the garden, I formulate new stories or work out kinks in current ones. Swimming laps, I mentally go over my to-do list.

It's almost as if I 'feel' every second. I think of how much I could, or should, do. But I have my moments of just sitting by the pool, and with cool drink in hand, enjoying a summer read. Sometimes, you need to slow things down and just be in that moment.

And that's all the time I have-

Char

That's Hot! No, I Mean Cool. Or Is It Bad?

In generic terms, they all mean good. They're slang, of course, but they've come to be accepted in general English use.

The problem with slang is that it's ever evolving. (I'm still not sure what 'phat' means...). The other day someone on Twitter asked, "Is 'badassery' a word?" I replied she should check out the Oxford English Dictionary, the bible of the English language.

Yep, badassery is a word.

She was thrilled because now she is justified in using the word (wonder if it'll make the copyeditor's cuts...) and it's obviously recognized enough that people should know the meaning. This is one of the few which I think is self explanatory. 'Phat' is not.

Slang- love it or hate it, it's unavoidable.

'Fo' shizzle.'

Char

Critic's Choice...

Reviews. No one gets glowing ones all the time. Some get none. It's the bane of artists that someone else, who may appreciate creativity, may not be creators themselves, or simply just don't 'get it' yet they get to judge us.

But, we all pass on reviews of everything around us.

(I'm known to be a bit critical.)

Don't like a lot of the Nobel/Pulitzer prize winning books--too stuffy.

Don't like VW cars--undependable and too cramped.

Don't like rum raisin ice cream--just yuck.

Don't like pretentious people--you're not that great.

Don't like the NY Giants (ex-Long Island girl, went to 2 NY colleges)--get your own stadium or change to NJ Giants.

It's in our nature.

But it shouldn't be in our nature to let critics or reviews discourage us from our art. So, VOYA hated Sirenz, didn't even look at Sirenz Back In Fashion. I have author friends who got lousy reviews, but their books sold well. Maybe critics will love Blonde OPS, maybe not.(So far, so good.)

No matter what, someone else's opinion is out of my control, but creating my art isn't--and they can't say anything to stop me.

Char

How Many....

Words in a young adult novel?

Depends. Anywhere from 50,000 to over 100,000.

How many pages in a middle grade book?

Depends. Anywhere from 60 to 200.

The right 'quantity' of words, pages, or chapters for a book vary. Some people write shorter novels, some longer. Some have their agents/editors cut/expand them.

I've been on both sides: too long, too short. I'm just as confused about how long my story should be so I simply write it. I don't worry that it's too short, because someone will say "I need more backstory about how these characters met..." or whatever. Or that someone in power will say "It's too long, cut out chapters 6-8..." or whatever.

In publishing, it's always hard to quantify the right quantity.

Char