Wattpad

I'm on Wattpad. Check out my works in progress. Works that may never see the light of day otherwise. I uploaded The Witch of the Woods a start of a story I've been working on for a while. I'm excited to share a part of it.
I'll be uploading Gravity: A Sanctuary Novel (Book 2) in parts on Wattpad first, so if you can't wait for the ebook, read it on Wattpad as I write and edit. One big difference from book 1 to book 2 is the POV change. I've change the book 2 to first person. I will eventually release a first person Pull.
You can go to my Wattpad profile HERE.

ZZZZZzzzz

Writing is my passion. How many people find their passion in life? I do bounce from one entertaining hobby to another like my father, but I find the one thing I can't stop doing is writing. It's what I want to do when I'm at work, when I'm in the shower, when I' not at home. All of the time.
The problem is time.
I don't have enough of it.
The majority of my time I'm at work.
I'm tired.
Maybe it's Holiday time and it's me whining, but all I want to do lately is sleep and watch Netflix. Even coffee isn't giving the extra push to write something as small as this blog. I'm barely awake. A week ago I finished my first draft. I think I maybe feeling like I need a vacation from writing. I should allow my mind to rest for the new year before I start my query letter, revisions on book one and the start of my craft revisions on book two. (Book two through four are written but not revised to a readable state.)
I should rest.

I know the moment I have the spurt of energy I'll be at my desk, on my iPhone, or my Nook to jot my brains out. I should really rest.

To Do List:

• Research Query Letter examples
• Research Literary agents in my genre (Crossover teen, sci-fi, paranormal romance, speculative)
• Buy more coffee (something different, I get tired of drinking the same kind after a while)
• Start Craft revision on Book two
• Review results from beta readers/proof readers.
• Make more copies of book one for beta readers
• Listen to Blink 182 new EP
• Laundry
• Laundry
• laundry
• Coffee... ZZZZzzzzz

Thanks mom.

Picture courtesy of Nelly Smith

I opened my e-mail today and my mom has taken a picture of my first draft. As you can see she also placed it in a binder for easy reading. Don't worry, she didn't destroy it; it's only her copy. She's one of my beta readers.
Hey, I know what you're thinkin: Why on earth would you have your own mother read this? Of course she'll love it. You know how many authors have their mother read their work. Like all of them. I don't actually have proof of that. She has a great eye for detail and loves a good story. If it's not a good story she'll tell me. No, she'll probably love it anyway.
Along with my mom, I have other beta readers in mind. My sister, my aunt, my mom's friend... Seriously is your whole family gonna read it? I'm also looking outside of my immediate family. There are beta reading groups and critique groups I'm considering. The more the merrier. I need people who like paranormal romance and people who don't. People who don't read that stuff are excellent at spotting things like the pace of the story, boring dialogue, character dynamics and plot assessment. People who like that genre can tell me how they feel about my characters, it they "do it" for them. We're talking about Romance remember?

Check out this blog on the definition of paranormal romance!

Okay, What next?

My character, Red, writes with an ink pen. He logs his work in leather bound journals. He has quite the library since he's over a hundred years old. I made him my age plus a hundred.

I've completed my first book and while my beta readers read my first draft, I will begin my research on query letters. I wondered the internet for hours yesterday and found its not as easy as it sounds. For those of you who don't know what a query letter is, it's a letter introducing your book to either a publishing house or , in my case, a literary agent. I chose literary agent because they do the heavy lifting. As far as heavy lifting goes, no thanks. I've got a bad back. Not funny... sorry.
My letter will include a hook line of my novel, the second paragraph is the synopsis and the third my bio. It has to be one page or else the agent will simply disregard and move on to the next letter. I need to make my letter golden. I still need to research some more, but in the man time I will write out my synopsis. I'll be sure to post what I come up with.

The Hook: A long ass sentence reeling in the agent in before she decides to take her lunch break early. It has to be exiting and pull her in; make her want to put my letter in the yes pile. It's like the blurt you read on the back cover of a book that introduces the character, conflict and the story line. This part has to be as tight as possible. Thank god i work at a book story.

Kind of like a movie trailer with the guy with the deep voice... in a world where nobody loves you,
a garbage man named Jackson is the your only hope--from man-eating  giant inspects. Can Jackson overcome his fear of these nine legged creatures before his limps are eaten away from a deadly spider virus?.. something like that or nothing like that. Idiot!

In a world where an author has no clue how to write a query letter--the internet is her only hope for that she will one day become... a published writer. (maybe not that cheesy and dramatic but you get the idea).

The Synopsis: The synopsis will then clarify the hook with more detail like reading the inside jacket of a book or the part kids copy to turn in a book report. Yeah... I was one of those people. For shame... I have to let the agent know this book is a historical paranormal romance sci-fi musical fiction category. It's actually paranormal romance... about 79,200 words! Ole!

The Biography:
Any thing related to writing like contests, published work, awards--you know stuff I havn't done. They don't need to know I'm a self taught knitter or I hunter children for fun on the weekends. It has to be writing related and so far I only have two. This blog and joining a critique group. I'm not even sure if that counts. More research. More coffee.

With all the internet surfing I'm happy I can have distance from my work. After reading this first book like a thousand times, I probably missed somethings. That's why there's beta readers! They'll point out what I failed to see because my eyes glaze over every time I read it. I''ll need this time to plan my letter and create my hit list literary agent list.
I read in a couple of places I have to send like five out at a time and wait and then send another five. It's like fishing, someones got to bite. But first I must have the best bait.. I mean letter.

Hey, maybe it will be a good thing down the line. Whatever that means...

As a writer, maybe I should start a blog. At first, I told myself I don't need one. I think now I still don't need one. I don't usually base anything on what I need. I go with what I feel like doing. Right now, I feel like letting people look over my shoulder as I write my stories. Let a little of myself out like toddler with his pants down. Look Mom, no willy!
My writing is precious to me. They reveal so much about me. The inner workings of an introverts mind and the weaknesses and strengths of my heart are so vulnerable for public eye. But hey, I'm feeling generous. Lucky you! If I show you mine, will you actually look at it? My thoughts not my willy, you pervs. (I don't have a willy.)

This is a big step for me.
Writing this blog is already hard. I never tell anyone anything about myself. I bet by the end of this blog you're learned nearly nothing about me. I'm covering my computer screen after I've invited you to peek. How unfair.
Does this mean I've failed already? Can I really illustrate in words the vivid mini movies that come about in my head every waking moment of my day? Can I trasfer my day dreams that will eventually be a novel? I sure hope so or the stories I've already written are just words on a white screen. I hope I can translate better here than I do in person. I'm the typical shy violet, laughing at the jokes I don't get. Singing to my own little tune while you describe your troubled relationship. Conversations with me consist of you talking and me complimenting your smile; anything to hit the ball away from my side of the court. People who know me, simply don't. People who want to get to know me won't. That's the truth. I know a lot of people say that and you can pretty much say that about anyone. Who really knows anyone? I hope this will help you get to know me.
I'll let you in.
I'll let you look over my shoulder as I write out my dark secrets, my fantasies and the weird randomness that is Mandy. You might as well read this while you wait for the laundry to dry or your while you wait for your mocha latte. While you do that, I'll frantically rack my brain for material that seems to have slipped my mind when I sat in this chair to write this blog, cursing my head off because I can't find my saved work. Crap! Did I spell plethera correctly.
(No.)
CRAP! Where's the online dictionary link I saved. I don't remember the icon. Did I erase it by accident! AAhrg! (Who spells 'arg' wrong?)
Why do I call myself a writer? because even a three year old can spell arg correctly. Right?
(what is wrong with me.)
This a big step for me. (I said that already.)
Thank you. (I'm welcome.)
Where was I...
My writing desk is where my thoughtful universe culminate into the aspects of my writing. I want to share that with you. My characters are me. That in itself is scary. My fictional stories are just another place I love to escape to. My head is in the clouds most of the time. So I might be eating lunch, but I'm actually making love to my lover. I know that's creepy if you actually know me, but don't worry I have other characters. I can be a cat prowling the alleys behind an antique shop. That's not crazy right?
(Crazy is the writer who wrote a murder scene and loved every second of it. Readers take note.)

Can I really commit to this? I hope for the readers sake.
(I can)
Thank you me.
(I'm welcome. If I can write a six book series in two years, five starting points to new stories, and a plethora of character profiles than you can write one blog.)
YES!

(Yes indeed.)