Tag: writing

WriterRecharge

#WriterRecharge Update Two!: Drafting, revising and jogging..

Elodie

Writer Recharge

If you want to learn more about #WriterRecharge, just click here. The short story: brainchild of Sara Biren, it´s a way to keep motivated during the month of February.  Your hosts and cheerleaders: Katy Upperman, Alison Miller, Liz Parker,  Sara Biren and me. Every Monday in February, update your progress via your blog or twitter. Link your blog posts at Sara’s Monday posts. And throughout the month, don´t forget to use the hashtag to connect with other writers, have writing parties, and cheer one another on!

How did I do during my second week?

I´m still amazed by the on-going support: THANK YOU! I haven´t done as much as I wished this week. As most of you know, I announced my self-publishing adventure…I I took a bit of time to work on my Facebook page and made sure to reply to all amazing comments on my little blog, on Facebook, on Twitter or per email. Really, I´m so grateful!

So, here´s what I did:

  • Revised 1 a chapter of my YA thriller: DADDY´S LITTLE GIRL (a bit less than planned but progress nonetheless)
  • Wrote 1000 words in my new YA contemporary: ALWAYS SECOND BEST (not as many as what I wanted. But I did do some planning which will help.)
  • Worked out two times (I had planned three. Doh!)
  • Wrote or revised 4 days during the week (yay!)

Here´s an excerpt of ALWAYS SECOND BEST. It´s in drafting mode, i.e. not yet edited. It´s the companion novel from ONE, TWO, THREE…and will come out in October 2014.

“I´m so happy you´re here! I´m trying something new and you need to taste it!”

I shrug off my coat and she eyes me up and down. “Actually, I´ll give you two, you look too skinny.”

I shake my head. While I pay attention to what I eat, that´s another thing playing against me: I don´t have the typical ballerina body. I´m slim but not that thin and I´ve got boobs. “One will be fine, Nonna.”

“Two.” She frowns. “I saw a movie on Lifetime the other day about a ballerina who was throwing up everything she ate. You don´t do that, right?” She takes my face between her hands. “Because you are beautiful. Bellissima.”

It´s hard to articulate, when she holds my face like this, so I mumble. “I don´t.”

My Nonna´s addicted to Lifetime movies. My Nonno used to say he came fourth in her heart. “First, the bambini. Then, the movies from that channel she loves, third the restaurant and forth…me.”

I believe he always came first.

“Come.” She pulls me into the kitchen and my mouth gapes open. There´s a guy there. In my kingdom. Sunday morning´s my time with Nonna.

“You need to meet Lorenzo. His cannelloni are to die for.” Nonna winks at me. She´s either matchmaking me to yet another Italian American or he really is a good cook. Nonna only winks for love or for food.

What are my goals for this week?

  • Revise one chapter of my YA thriller
  • Write 3000  words in my YA contemporary ALWAYS SECOND BEST
  • Work out 3 times  (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday)
  • Write or revise 4 days this week

Can’t wait to cheer you on! 🙂

WriterRecharge

Drafting, revising and working out…#WriterRecharge Update One!

Elodie

Writer Recharge

If you want to learn more about #WriterRecharge, just click here. The short story: brainchild of Sara Biren, it´s a way to keep motivated during the month of February.  Your hosts and cheerleaders: Katy Upperman, Alison Miller, Liz Parker,  Sara Biren and me. Every Monday in February, update your progress via your blog or twitter. Link your blog posts at Sara’s Monday posts. And throughout the month, don´t forget to use the hashtag to connect with other writers, have writing parties, and cheer one another on!

How did I do during my first week?

Honestly, WriterRecharge kept me motivated. Waking up to tweets of people encouraging one another is pretty awesome and did push me. So, THANK YOU!

  • Revised 1 and 1/2 chapters of my YA thriller: DADDY´S LITTLE GIRL (a bit less than planned but progress nonetheless)
  • Wrote 1500 words in my new YA contemporary: ALWAYS SECOND BEST (yay! new words!)
  • Worked out three times (I had planned two so :-))
  • Wrote or revised 5 days during the week (yay!)

What are my goals for this week?

  • Revise two chapter of my YA thriller
  • Write 2000  words in my YA contemporary
  • Work out 3 times this week (Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday)
  • Write or revise 4 days this week

Can’t wait to cheer you on! 🙂

revising, What´s Up Wednesday

What´s Up Wednesday? The “So many awesome books out” edition…

Elodie

WUW Winter Holly 1

What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up. Should you wish to join, make sure to leave a link to your What’s Up Wednesday post in the widget on Jaime´s blog.

What I´m reading

I’m halfway through THE PIPER’S SON by Melina Marchetta and I fell hard for this book.
“She misses him more now than when he was away”
― Melina Marchetta, The Piper’s Son
Award-winning author Melina Marchetta reopens the story of the group of friends from her acclaimed novel Saving Francesca – but five years have passed, and now it’s Thomas Mackee who needs saving. After his favorite uncle was blown to bits on his way to work in a foreign city, Tom watched his family implode. He quit school and turned his back on his music and everyone that mattered, including the girl he can’t forget. Shooting for oblivion, he’s hit rock bottom, forced to live with his single, pregnant aunt, work at the Union pub with his former friends, and reckon with his grieving, alcoholic father. Tom’s in no shape to mend what’s broken. But what if no one else is either? An unflinching look at family, forgiveness, and the fierce inner workings of love and friendship, The Piper’s Son redefines what it means to go home again.

What I’m Writing

Thanks #WriterRecharge (more info here if you want to join), I’ve been quite productive these past days:
  • I have 1000 words of my new WiP ALWAYS SECOND BEST and I’m in love with the characters already
  • I revised one chapter of DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL.
  • And on Sunday, I finished a round of revision for ONE TWO THREE, and sent it off to a certain someone 🙂

What else I´ve been up to

  • So many things. Some of which I still cannot say. I thought I might be able to announce it on Friday but it looks like it’s going to be next week. Stay tuned.
  • I’ve helped celebrating the launch of ALIENATED by Melissa Landers yesterday and you can still win a NOOK here 🙂

What inspires me right now

My friends who also happen to be writers 🙂 and who I have been pestering with emails these past two weeks. Thank you! ❤

#WriterRecharge  which comes really at a perfect moment of time.

And then…the release of Rebecca’s book!

And the release of Erin Bowman’s novella STOLEN...and Melissa’s ALIENATED.

This oh-so-honest blog post by Dahlia about how she “does it all” and putting a bit of perspective into that very particular concept.

I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂

WriterRecharge

Join us for a month of #WriterRecharge!

Elodie

Writer Recharge

January is in the books and you’ve had to deal with:

a) polar vortices
b) ice storms
c) mountains of snow
d) gray skies and general malaise
e) all of the above

We thought our writer friends might be in need of a little boost. A jump start, if you will. A recharge.

We’d like to invite you to join us for Writer Recharge 2014, a month-long motivational challenge similar to last summer’s Ready. Set. Write! So many of us benefited from setting goals, connecting with other writers, and social media-based accountability. So, hey, let’s do it again! Whether you’re delighting next to the crackling fireplace of a Shiny New Idea with a warm cup of tea and a sleepy puppy at your feet or spinning out on the ice-covered roads of revisions in an attempt to avoid the snow-packed ditch, we want to write with you! What do you want to accomplish this month? Hit a daily word count? Revise a certain number of pages or chapters each week? Complete a draft by the end of the month? Let’s get this party started!

Writer Recharge 2014

Your hosts and cheerleaders: Katy Upperman, Alison Miller, Liz Parker, Elodie Nowodazkij, and Sara Biren

The timeline:

  • First week of February: Post your goals for the month on your blog, website, or Twitter. Use the hashtag #WriterRecharge. Link your blog post at http://www.sarabiren.com/2014/02/writer-recharge-challenge.html
  • Every Monday in February: Update your progress via your blog or twitter. Link your blog posts at Sara’s Monday posts.
  • Throughout the month: Use the hashtag to connect with other writers, have writing parties, and cheer one another on!
  • February 28: Post your final update via your blog or twitter.
  • Anyone who uses the hashtag or links their blog posts will be entered to win one of 5 query or 3-chapter critiques.

Sound easy enough? Set your goals and get started! We’ll see YOU at #WriterRecharge.

My goals for the month?

  • Follow a writing schedule (I need to write 5 days a week)
  • Revise 8 chapters of my YA thriller DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL (two chapters a week)
  • Write 10 000 of a new YA contemporary romance (companion of ONE TWO THREE) called ALWAYS SECOND BEST (I need to update my projects’ page very soon).
  • I need to work out at least twice a week. How is this writing related you may ask? Well…my word for 2014 is balance and making sure I get some exercise in will help me with my balance and thus, with my writing. 🙂

Can’t wait to cheer you on! 🙂

revising, What´s Up Wednesday

What´s Up Wednesday? The “I can’t wait to tell you” edition…

Elodie

WUW Winter Holly 1

What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up. Should you wish to join, make sure to leave a link to your What’s Up Wednesday post in the widget on Jaime´s blog.

What I´m reading

I just started SAVING FRANCESCA by Melina Marchetta. Her book JELLICOE ROAD is one of my favorites (Really, pick it up if you haven´t already read it)
Francesca is stuck at St. Sebastians, a boys’ school that’s pretends it’s coed by giving the girls their own bathroom. Her only female companions are an ultra-feminist, a rumored slut, and an an impossibly dorky accordion player. The boys are no better, from Thomas who specializes in musical burping to Will, the perpetually frowning, smug moron that Francesca can’t seem to stop thinking about.Then there’s Francesca’s mother, who always thinks she knows what’s best for Francesca—until she is suddenly stricken with acute depression, leaving Francesca lost, alone, and without an inkling who she really is. Simultaneously humorous, poignant, and impossible to put down, this is the story of a girl who must summon the strength to save her family, her social life and—hardest of all—herself.

What I’m Writing

I’ve been looking again at ONE TWO THREE, writing a new story and revising DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL.
So busy busy.
Here´s an excerpt – I just added it so it´s not yet edited – from ONE TWO THREE (my YA contemporary romance)

My pointes show wear and tear of the years I’ve used them and no matter how much I scrub, there’s one smudge that doesn’t want to go away. Memories flash back when I slip them on: my father handing me  a bouquet of lilies after each of my recitals, the crew from the School of Performing Arts sneaking out to get ice cream, the summers I spent here with my best friend Becca and my Nana, the hours at the barre, my piano lessons. Everything’s gone. 

The pain in my knee is latent, reminding me of what I lost, but I clench my teeth and face the bench using it as my own personal barre.  I slowly bend my knees, keeping them over my toes. Grounding my heels on the floor, I stretch down as much as I can but I don´t make it past a demi-plié.  I warm up for ten minutes, losing myself in the familiar movements. Maybe the doctors got it wrong, maybe I´ll be able to dance on stage again. The stars reflect on the water,  it could be the perfect backdrop for a production of the Swan Lake.

I try a grand jeté, but my foot isn’t angled properly, my knee isn’t used to carrying all my weight. Instead of gracefully landing with my left leg still in the air, I fall on my ass. Air leaves my lungs and the tears I’ve been fighting fall steadily on my face. 

What else I´ve been up to

I redesigned my website…and have been working on a few things behind the scenes.
I cannot wait to let you all know what those are.
Stay tuned.
Oh and my hubby decided to grill shashlik in T-shit in January, as one does (they were yummy!)
2014-01-19_1390149825

What inspires me right now

I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂

revising, What´s Up Wednesday

What´s Up Wednesday? The first edition of 2014

Elodie

WUW Winter Holly 1

What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up. Should you wish to join, make sure to leave a link to your What’s Up Wednesday post in the widget on Jaime´s blog.

What I´m reading

 I am reading two wonderful books at the moment:
One about to be published this year.

The writing is gorgeous and the story captivating. I´m half-way through the story and have a hard time putting it down.

In parallel, I´m beta-reading an AMAZING YA novel by Jen Malone. I cannot tell you how much I´m enjoying the story. Loving it! (and you guys she has an MG coming out during the summer – it sounds great!)

What I’m Writing

I have the feeling I´ve been revising for months. Oh, wait. I have 🙂 My goal is to finish revising in January but this new twist I introduced requires major rewriting. I really think it´s making my story much stronger, so I need to power through!
Here´s a little bit I´m not sure I´ll keep but which gives a bit more insight into Erin´s past.

My shoulders slouch. I remember how everything changed after I testified. The way my best friend Summer was no longer allowed to play with me. We had promised to be BFFs and Summer snuck around to meet me but when her parents found out, she got into so much trouble that she stopped talking to me. One morning, some kids threw chewing gum in my hair and they taunted Summer to do it too. Tears sprung to her eyes but she did take the bubblegum from her mouth and in one swift movement it landed in my ponytail.  I sobbed in the corner after class, trying to get the bits out with the help of the teacher who apologized over and over again for not seeing anything. Summer passed by me without saying a word.  Mama had to cut  my hair super short that night. I don’t want that for my little brother.

What else I´ve been up to

I spent the holiday season at home in France and at my in-laws in the south of Germany, enjoying family time and celebrating my husband´s birthday.
For Christmas, I received my first slow cooker and I have been enjoying some yummy meals out of it.
2014-01-03_1388759395
 

What inspires me right now

My word for 2014: Balance.

and everyone else´s goals and resolutions and thoughts about the new year. So. Much. Inspiration. ❤

I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂

writing

My word for 2014 is…

Elodie

BALANCE

Source: Sarah Janes Studio Website Credit: Sarah Janes

When I looked back at my resolutions and goals for 2013, I realized that as always many were left in the dust and many are still dear to my heart (like spending more care-free moments with my hubby aka without the blackberry, doing more sports, baking and cooking more…).

On the 1st of January last year, I wrote as one of my goals:

Finding more of a balance. Work has been insane last year. And while I don´t think it will slow down in 2013, I need to find better ways to deal with it. Especially since my hubby will probably travel more and his schedule will get even busier.

I was right in the sense that work didn’t slow down and that my hubby was even busier. But that balance idea kind of didn’t happen and I yearn for it.  Part of it is to make sure I make the time to do the things that are important to me. Another element is to let go of the things I cannot control and of the negative talk (–> this one is really tough). You know the one I am talking about: “I should have had, I shouldn’t have had, it shouldn’t be, it will never…”

While I don’t have the magic recipe for it, I do have some goals which I hope will help in this regard:

  • Dedicate more time to the people important to me (including me)
  • Jog with my hubby at least once a week (yes it means waking up at 4.45 am but I do feel more serene after it)
  • Workout another time during the week
  • Revise DADDY’S LITTLE ANGEL (it should go to my dear and lovely CPs by beginning of February)
  • Query DADDY’S LITTLE ANGEL
  • Start a new project
  • Writing down every night 3 things that made me smile
  • Finally use Google Hangout to chat with some of the friends I made online
  • Join RWA
  • Read 50 books (I even started a Goodreads challenge :-))
  • Take more pictures

What are you looking forward to in 2014?

revising, What´s Up Wednesday

What´s Up Wednesday? The busy bee edition…

Elodie

WUW Winter Holly 1

What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up. Should you wish to join, make sure to leave a link to your What’s Up Wednesday post in the widget on Jaime´s blog.

What I´m reading

 Well…I forgot my Kindle and to bring a book with me today. Which means of course that I have to go to the bookstore to buy one during my lunch break. Because as my husband correctly pointed out (he knows me well), not having a book with me is dramatic.

What I’m Writing

 Revising. Revising. Revising.

What else I´ve been up to

Working a lot. I was in the US last week for Thanksgiving. It was wonderful! but work is taking a LOT of my time right now.

What inspires me right now

Dahlia had her cover reveal. You can check it out here and even enter to win an ARC.

Rebecca is the sweetest and agreed to sign a copy of her book for my niece when it comes out. You can pre-order your book here.

And the mentors of Pitch Wars selected their mentees, did you know that Erin has been chosen as an alternate? You should definitely go and congratulate her…

I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂

revising, What´s Up Wednesday

What´s Up Wednesday? The Thanksgiving edition…

Elodie

What´s Up Wednesday

What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a weekly meme geared toward readers and writers, allowing us to touch base with blog friends and let them know what’s up. Should you wish to join, make sure to leave a link to your What’s Up Wednesday post in the widget on Jaime´s blog.

I´m switching it up today because I need to finish getting ready for our trip to the USA. We´re leaving today for Maryland…where we´ll spend Thanksgiving 🙂 It´s been forever since we spent Thanksgiving in the US and I´m very excited. I´m responsible for the mashed potatoes (garlic red and sweet).

In the plane I might try to revise. I won´t be ready for Pitch Wars but…I got a breakthrough…

And then…this also made me feel better.

I´m so thankful for my husband, my family, my friends and all of you. Writing can be lonely but it definitely doesn´t like it thanks to you!

I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂

Query, revising, writing

What I learned last year from #Pitchwars

Elodie

If you are on Twitter, you may have noticed the hashtag #PitchWars popping up on your feed. In the words of the amazing Brenda:

Pitch Wars is a contest where published/agented authors, editors, or interns choose one writer each, read their entire manuscript, and offer suggestions to shine it up for agents. The mentors critique the writer’s pitch to get it ready for the agent round. Mentors also pick two alternates each in case their writer drops out of the contest. A special alternate showcase is held on some of the mentors’ blogs and the mentors will critique the alternates’ pitches. (…)

  • Simple truth: if you don´t try, you most likely won´t succeed

Last year, I hesitated and hesitated and hesitated before entering the contest.  I had started querying and I was getting some positive answers but overall I was not 100% sure of my manuscript – basically I had queried a tad too early. Gathering up some hidden courage, I tweeted what my book was about. And I got some positive answers both from mentors but also from other participants.

I ended up being selected by the truly wonderful Dahlia as an alternate. The very talented Ghenet was her first pick and the lovely Nikki Urang was her other alternate. (by the way Nikki is getting published next year, you should totally add her book to Goodreads).

  • Contests are subjective

Contests are subjective. Not everyone gets chosen. It´s basically like querying, it depends on a lot of factors. Dahlia ended up posting why she chose the people she did (her full post “This is my brain on Pitch Wars” is very enlightening, so yep you should totally read it)

ONE TWO THREE by Elodie Nowodazkij: Something must’ve been in the air the day I made my final selections, because I ended up with not one but two dance-themed manuscripts, which still makes me laugh because I know nothing about dance. However, I’m a big sucker for characters who are really passionate about their hobbies (…) For me, what was actually the biggest hook was a totally personal thing – Elodie’s MC, Natalya, comes from a Russian family, and having minored in Russian Studies in college, I happen to love when Russian culture plays into a story. Every agent and editor is going to have his or her sweet spots, and that’s one of mine!

Social media bonus: Elodie had actually tweeted about her ms at some point before Pitch Wars, and holy cow did her tweet about its premise stick in my brain. When you’re actually staring at your inbox hoping a certain something will pop into it, it’s a very good sign!  (…)

And just like querying, you won´t know unless you take the plunge. The waters may be cold and the waves may be crushing you but they recede after awhile, leaving you ready to start anew.

  • My manuscript got stronger

Dahlia also went the extra mile and polished more than just my pitch. She read pages and gave me very very detailed feedback. Feedback that ended up making my manuscript so much stronger. I also got feedback from a ninja mentor (aka Danielle Ellison) which took the time to tell me what was working and what wasn’t.

  • Meeting new people/reading amazing stories

A team spirit developed. People cheered on the sidelines. Connections were made. I ended up reading some amazing books.

This year, there are more mentors, even more agents participating. I may try to enter DADDY´S LITTLE ANGEL (if I´m ready) but even if I don´t, I know I´ll encourage others and I´ll cheer for them.

If you have a manuscript ready to query but you still feel like an extra pair of eyes will help you out – I say, check it out!