Pshhhh….did you hear about our Ready. Set. WRITE! Giveaway? **The Writer’s Care Package Giveaway is open to Ready. Set. WRITE! participants only, but it’s open internationally!!!** It will be open through 11:59pm EST on July 23rd when one winner will be selected to win a surprise package of writing-related goodies from all five of us. That means you’re getting packages from 5 different places, 3 different countries! ☺
The winner will be announced on our blogs in our What’s Up Wednesday posts on July 24th.
If you´re participating in Ready. Set. Write!, don´t hesitate to add the link to your What´s Up Wednesday post on Jaime´s blog here. From there, you can also discover new blogs and encourage other writers! What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a way to keep in touch in just four headings…
What I love about this trilogy? The perfect mix of family dynamics, heartbreak, hope, love, siblings, kisses, beach…While I was reading, the back of my throat burned, I held my breath and I fell all the emotions rushing through me. When this happens, I know I have found a story that will stay with me for a long time.
What I’m Writing
I did it! I revised one chapter! Actually I revised a bit more than one chapter but I’m so happy to get back into the swings of things. Sometimes this revising feels like deleting way too many words but at the same time I’m glad I upped the tension and I feel like the story is flowing much better that way.
My goal for next week?
Revise 6 chapters. Yes. You read correctly 😛 Hubby is going on business trip Saturday morning which means I can use the entire weekend to revise. And I will. Hold me to it!
What else I´ve been up to
My parents and my mother-in-law visited this weekend…which means we spent some time walking around, discovering new places or enjoying old ones and ate a lot of wonderful yummy food.
The last picture is a door behind a fortress from the 17th century…
What inspires me right now
The encouraging comments you posted on my blog last week when I felt bad about not writing. Thank you!
The time I got to spend with my family, reminding myself to slow down and to enjoy those moments.
Reading novels that remind me how I wish people could get lost in a story I create.
Sign up here for Ready Set Write!:
I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂
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*Waves* *Smiles* We have a giveaway going on and it’s quite amazing, just scroll down to access the Rafflecopter link.
If you´re participating in Ready. Set. Write!, don´t hesitate to add the link to your What´s Up Wednesday post on Jaime´s blog here. From there, you can also discover new blogs and encourage other writers! What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a way to keep in touch in just four headings…
What I´m reading
I beta read an awesome manuscript. Yes for beta reading! And I’ve started THE SUMMER I TURNED PRETTY. I’m in dire need to Summer books…set at the beach 🙂
What I’m Writing
I have a confession to make. And it pains me to say it but I didn’t write anything. Well I did but it was for work…I feel like the most-awful-host-of-any-writing-intensive ever. No, really. Ever.
Basically I was too caught up at work and my writing time became extra working time…I know excuses excuses 😦
This week, I will get back to it – I will revise at least one chapter.
What else I´ve been up to
This weekend I attended an amazing concert (thanks again hubby!). I danced and sang so loud I almost lost my voice. It was just a great moment and will stay in my mind as a wonderful memory to look back to.
The hubby before the concert started
Zaz – love her!The crowd as the evening started to settle…and people started to dance…
What inspires me right now
Smiles.
People working toward their dreams.
Dreams.
And it’s GIVEAWAY TIME
We’re approaching the midpoint of Ready. Set. WRITE! which means it’s time for an awesome giveaway! **The Writer’s Care Package Giveaway is open to Ready. Set. WRITE! participants only, but it’s open internationally!!!**
It starts today and will be open through 11:59pm EST on July 23rd when one winner will be selected to win a surprise package of writing-related goodies from all five of us. ☺
The winner will be announced on our blogs in our What’s Up Wednesday posts on July 24th.
For those of you on Twitter, we created a list of writers who are doing Ready.Set.Write!, if you´re not on the list just tweet me and I´ll add you. Oh and don´t forget to subsribe 🙂
Of course, you can still join us for this wonderful and flexible Summer intensive, see all the details here. If you´re participating, don´t hesitate to add the link to your What´s Up Wednesday post on Jaime´s blog here. From there, you can also discover new blogs and encourage other writers!
What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a way to keep in touch in just four headings…
What I´m reading
I’m almost done reading CODE NAME VERITY…and I have a weird feeling, like I put up a wall between myself and this book, because I know I didn’t want to cry and to let myself go. It’s strange and I can’t explain it. I’m reading very slowly and it’s like I’m not emerging myself in the story but not because I am not ‘feeling’…just because I don’t want to feel ‘too’ much. Yeah. Weird and strange. So I will re-read this book most likely in the Fall. Don’t get me wrong, my heart pounded while reading and I gasped and I shook my head at the horrors humans are capable of and loved the love humans are capable of but I still know it could have affected me more if I had let it happen…
So anyways…on an happier note, I am super duper excited to dive into Ghenet’s revised manuscript. I’ve read it once already and LOVED it so beta-ing it is really something I’m looking forward to.
What I’m Writing
I revised my Chapter 9: YAY! And…started revising my chapter 10 but there won’t be any pageant scenes…the pageant scene will need to come later. I love love love when my characters take me unknown places…
Here’s a short excerpt from my chapter 10 (remember it’s non edited, you’re the first ones to read those words!)
Mama frowns and smoothes the bed sheet before sitting down on the edge close to me. “I know you’re angry but you were little, you don’t remember how hard it was on you, on all of us.”
I blow air in my cheeks and expel it forcefully. “Of course I remember. I remember the bruises on your face. I remember leaving in the middle of the night. I remember Nana coloring your hair and crying as she cut mine. I remember much more than what you think. You know what else I remember?”
Her eyes widen and she shakes her head.
My chest constricts as if my entire squad was standing on it. “I remember walking into that Seven Eleven with him. Seeing both Laura and Mona. Laughing. And then whispering as they looked at him. He gave them a smile, crouched down to me and asked me to choose which one looked like a princess.”
“I know you remember that.” She sighs and glances away.
My head sinks deeper into my pillow and I close my eyes. “But do you know I remember the smell of the hot dogs on the counter? The slight perfume of Mona as she picked up something for me because I couldn’t reach it and he was too busy planning how he would kill her, her voice as she told me I reminded her of her little sister.” I pause, open my eyes and rub the back of my neck. “I saw what he did to her.”
“What?” Mama cries out.
My goals for next week?
Finish revising chapter 10
Revise chapter 11
Revise chapter 12
What else I´ve been up to
I’m currently in Riga for a business trip and the city is beautiful!
Beautiful Riga
What inspires me right now
Others. Have you seen the incredible website launched by a bunch of amazing ladies? The YA Buccaneers sounds like it’s going to be wonderful to “hang out” with…
Going outside and feeling the sun.
My husband.
Oh and if you want to join Ready. Set. Write!, you can still sign up and check out who’s participating below! And if you are posting an update today, don’t forget to put your link onto Jaime’s website
Sign up here:
I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂
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Welcome to What´s Up Wednesday and to the third update (WOW already third!) of Ready. Set. WRITE!
For those of you on Twitter, we created a list of writers who are doing Ready.Set.Write!, if you´re not on the list just tweet me and I´ll add you. Oh and don´t forget to subsribe 🙂
Of course, you can still join us for this wonderful and flexible Summer intensive, see all the details here. If you´re participating, don´t hesitate to add the link to your What´s Up Wednesday post on Jaime´s blog here. From there, you can also discover new blogs and encourage other writers!
What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a way to keep in touch in just four headings…
What I´m reading
I’m still reading CODE NAME VERITY…Let me tell you something, I know this book will break my heart. I stopped halfway through and had to put it down…I know this book will affect me and I got scared a bit. So for a few days I read some NA contemporary romance novels.
I needed some time. I’ve picked it up again and am deep into the story again. So much that I know this time I won’t let my fear of getting my heart broken stop me.
What I’m Writing
Before I update you on my writing, I wanted to mention some exciting opportunity: if your want your first page critiqued by teens, check out this post over at YA Confidential. I´ve done it and it was VERY helpful!
I didn’t achieve my goals. Work got very very busy last week. But over the weekend, I picked up the pace and managed to achieve:
Reread chapters 1 & 7
Revised Chapter 8 AND introduced a major change during that particular revision.
After sending random tweets to Alex, this happened:
I´m killing off a character tomorrow morning. And writing a kissing scene. #ReadySetWrite How about you?
I’m ALWAYS super scared of sharing non-edited/non-CPed/non beta-ed snippets but I also LOVE it 😛 So here is another snippet of my story, part of the Chapter 8 I revised last week.
The car closes in on us. It´s too small. There´s not enough air, my lungs hurt, my right hand reaches for the handle.
“Are you okay?” Malik´s voice comes from far away.
I crack the door open and stumble out of the car. Leaning against the trunk, my skin prickles as the wind pounds on, merciless. I close my eyes and concentrate on the noise and startle when Malik´s hands fall on my shoulders.
“Breathe, Erin. Breathe in and out. In and out.” He sounds so calm and his hands so warm. Droplets of rain fall on me and I open my eyes. My shoulders feel heavy and my mind feels like it´s been run over twice or three times since this morning.
My grandmother was run over. A wall bigger than the Chinese wall stands inside my chest, constricting everything. My Nana´s gone. She´s really gone. And my father…Thoughts rush in, unfiltered.
Shit. My breathing accelerates again.
“Pshhhh. You´re okay.” Malik doesn´t sound like I´m freaking him out which distracts me. Mama totally lost it the first time I had a panic attack and even Kelsey called 911 when I told her I couldn´t breathe properly.
Usually biting my nails until I bleed is enough to ground me, but there are times like now where I totally lose control.
“I can´t breathe,” I mutter the obvious.
“Of course you can. You´re hyperventilating and your carbon dioxide is going through the roof. Simply breathe in through your nose and breathe out through your mouth.” He pauses. “Let´s do a few steps.”
“How do you know?” I gasp.
“My mom. She had a rough patch with anxiety when my dad lost his job a few years back.”
My fingers slowly stop tingling and I bring my coat closer to my body. The rain falls harder and I face the sky, drinking in the feeling of being alive.
Malik takes my hand in his and pulls me toward the tiny visitor center. It´s close since we´re off season but we can hide under there, right where the maps stand. He doesn´t let go when we fall on the bench that´s right by the entrance.
My goals for this week are more manageable I think:
Revise chapter 9: Introduce more depth to one character, bring on more tension and creepiness.
Revise chapter 10: Pageant scene – new threat.
Write down how I want to change one a later subplot to make it even more believable.
What else I´ve been up to
Work. Work. Work. And spent a lovely weekend with my dear hubby.
Oh and watching LOTS of GLEE. We just started watching the show so I’m on season 1 – but we really enjoy it. (yes the Chemical Engineer also loves it :-))
That…and my hubby surprised me on Sunday by getting us tickets for a concert. Have you heard of Zaz? One of her songs reminds me of JUST ONE DAY – at least when both protagonists thought it was “just” one day…
Before returning to your regular What´s Up Wednesday programming, please find below a Ready. Set. Write! public announcement.
Ready.Set.Write! started last week and woah! we were blown away by the response we got. You guys rock! For those of you on Twitter, we created a list of writers who are doing Ready.Set.Write!, if you´re not on the list just tweet me and I´ll add you. Oh and don´t forget to subsribe 🙂
Of course, you can still join us for this wonderful and flexible Summer intensive, see all the details here. Oh and if you´re participating, don´t hesitate to add the link to your What´s Up Wednesday post on Jaime´s blog here. From there, you can also discover new blogs and encourage other writers!
*Blog fades*
Welcome to What´s Up Wednesday…The Second Ready. Set. Write! edition
What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a way to keep in touch in just four headings…
What I´m reading
CODE NAME VERITY by Elizabeth Wein – so many of my blogger/writer friends have recommended this book and I understand why. It´s a slow read for me at the moment, not only because my brain is in revision mode but also because I know more tragedy is bound to happen. And…I am very impressed with the way Elizabeth wrote the story.
What I’m Writing
I am pleased to report that I achieved my goals for last week. I have a revision plan, I finished rereading my novel, I added comments to the document and I revised more than one chapter. Actually, I did even more! I revised three chapters and I am finding ways to raise the stakes while “explaining/showing” more of why my character is where she is at the moment. I am LOVING it.
And Ready.Set.Write! really pushed me in getting my butt in the chair every morning at 5am. I know that revising in the train doesn´t work as well, simply because I need more time to revise.
My little notebook
My motto this weekSpent a lot of time with my Chapter 7
And…I revised my chapter one. Again. This little snippet comes from that revision round.
Kelsey´s eyes dart from me to Malik. I need to say something. He can´t dig up the truth. If the media knows where we´re hiding, they´ll be back faster than the birds in that Hitchcock movie Kelsey and I watched twice already.
They´ll pick at us until we have no brains left.
No matter how hard Mama and my grandparents tried to shield me, paparazzi had gotten pictures of me. Most of them come from the day I testified against my father. I was six years old, tears were running down my face. The lawyer and counselor were pulling me toward the court. People stood on the sidelines and screamed we should die too. The room smelled like old tobacco. My father watched me as I walked up to my seat. Watched me as I told the jury what I´d seen. Watched me as I repeated his words. And he smiled when I glanced his way. His Daddy-loves-you smile but then his index finger ran across his neck.
I inhale and exhale, focusing on Malik, his smile, his eyes.
Revision goals for this week:
– Finish revising Chapter 1.
– Take another look at Chapter 7.
– And…change subplot…
– Add one pageant scene.
What else I´ve been up to
I´ve been spending some time playing the piano and I am still organizing our new apartment…
Some of the music I´m currently playing
What inspires me right now
You. All of you.
And….being very very very very happy for a writer friend. Very. Happy. Really, the type of happy where I could actually smile despite the train being one hour late after a long day at work and the scorching heat.
This writer friend inspires me to believe and to work even harder.
Plus, I´m simply so happy for her. Did I mention that? 🙂
I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂
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Today is an extra special What’s Up Wednesday…as it’s also the post where I’m setting my goals for Ready. Set. Write! (you can still sign up if you want to, just click here)
What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. It´s a way to keep in touch in just four headings…
What I´m reading
Well. Right now I’m reading GUILTY. My YA romantic suspense novel. (more explanations below(
What I’m Writing
Disclaimer: I’ve been procrastinating when it comes to the revision of GUILTY. It’s like I’m standing in front of a mountain and I really want to climb but I’m afraid to fall on my butt and break all my bones (dramatic I know).
It’s funny because I know the story is good, I know my writing is good (for a first draft) and I want to make it better, I want to make it amazing…I’m just scared.
Goal for the summer: Send off my manuscript to my CPs aka finish this revision. Add the layers I need to add, up the tension, up the stakes, make the romance more sizzling and the story even more dramatic.
Goal for this week: finalize the actual revision plan, finish re-reading it, add comments and nice colors into the document and revise one chapter.
Oh and if you’re wondering about what GUILTY is about, check out this post (and please note I officially suck at blurbing my own novel).
What else I´ve been up to
I’m currently in Finland…on a business trip until tomorrow…
I was interviewed by the lovely ladies over at DiversifYA...I’m talking about being European and I do mention food somewhere in there.
Otherwise, I enjoyed a lovely weekend with my husband, including an impromptu lunch date.
And….we got a piano! Even though it’s a digital one, the sound is great and it’s pretty and I can finally play again! So happy!
What inspires me right now
The amazing response we got for Ready. Set. Write!
It’s really amazing and humbling and exciting and did I mention amazing?
You can still sign up and check out who’s participating below!
Sign up here:
I can’t wait to check all your posts and see what you’ve been up to 🙂
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The lovely Juliana tagged me in a fun writing game (and you should check out the snippet of her NA contemporary romance she shared).
Here are the rules: “Search the words “moment,” “forever,” “time,” or the like in your writing, pick your favorite chunk, post on your blog, and tag others!”
Here´s an excerpt of GUILTY, my not-yet-revised-so-please-bear-it-in-mind-as-you-read-this novel 🙂
(and don´t forget on Tuesday, you´ll be able to sign up for Ready. Set. Write!)
“Funny, I thought you argued with me you would never ever participate in this beauty contest.” Malik falls on the chair next to mine. His camera is around his neck and as always he holds a notepad.
“And I thought you said you´d never ever cover this event for the newspaper.”
His hand covers his heart and he grimaces. “Touché. María was supposed to but she´s out sick. I had to sacrifice myself.” He glances around and smiles. “Not that I´m complaining about being backstage with all of you girls.” His dimple shows. And my stomach runs down to my ankles as my eyes lock on his lips. The only time we kissed, they tasted like beer and Cheetos.
My cell vibrates and Malik turns his attention back to me. “You´re not going to get that?”
My heart pounds. “Stupid Twitter and Facebook notifications,” I mutter as my fingers dig into my tiny purse. Without reading the news alert, I click my cell phone back to sleep. My face flames up and I cross my fingers he can´t tell I´m lying to his face.
Did I mention this is still a draft? *glances around nervously*.
I´m tagging a few friends…Kip, Sara, Alex and Jessica S. But you´re all invited to join the fun, if you decide to share a snippet, just come back and let me know in the comments 🙂
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What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. Here´s what Jaime said about it:
WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY
It’s similar in some respects to the Currently… post, but it’s been whittled down to only four headings to make it quicker and more manageable on a weekly basis. You’re invited to join us if you’re looking for something to blog about, a way to let your blog friends know what’s been going on with you.
What I´m reading
I finished reading STOLEN last week and I need to write a review of this book. Between the setting, the characters, the plot, the way the sentences are structured, the voice and the emotions, I have a lot to say…And as Katy wrote yesterday, it´s really important to prop the books we love, especially those that may not have had tons of marketing behind them. She said it much more eloquently than me here.
Yesterday I started FAKING IT by Cora Carmack. And…I read the entire book. This was made possible by my wonderful husband who told me “You need to take it easy tonight”. Full review to come on that book too 🙂
What I’m Writing
I´m re-reading my first draft and leaving comments to myself (trying to be nice to First Draft Me) so I can be ready to revise as of next week.
In case you haven´t seen it, we have a fun Summer Writing Intensive planned (Alison has the best ideas :-))…All details by clicking on the lovely button created by Erin. You´ll be able to sign up next week. Yay!
What else I´ve been up to
Planning our next vacation. Going to visit family and we´re going to spend a week in Tuscany, by the beach…Exciting!
I´ve also had a small mole removed yesterday (that´s why hubby told me to rest, I do have a big bandade on my jaw :P). This isn´t my first one removed and it won´t be my last. So far, none came back as malignant, some were “active”. And this is my time to please remind you to go get your skin checked regularly. It´s important.
What inspires me right now
Christa wrote a wonderful and honest post (which let´s face it, she always does) on life as a writer: The Things They Don´t Tell You. It´s another one of those posts that I´m bookmarking to come back to when I feel the need to remind myself I´m not alone.
This news! Nikki was part of my team during Pitch Wars and I´m so excited for her!
Writing is a lonely process but it doesn’t always have to be…And if you’re looking for motivation and encouragement along the Summer breeze to type those words away (or in my case, delete words, think about words, type some words and try to find ways to raise the stake…), we have something for you!
Once upon time, a wonderful writer and friend named Alison (no really she’s great and the voice in her book is amazing, you don’t believe me check her first 250 words here!) sent an email out to a few of us asking if we’d be interested in co-hosting a Summer Writing Intensive. The goals are individual, so no pressure because I know sometimes for me revising a sentence into something that makes me pause and go “wow did I write that?” can be as rewarding as drafting an entire chapter 🙂
And really, who doesn’t need some cheering along the way?
Alison Miller, Katy Upperman, Erin Funk, Jaime Morrow, and I are hosting the summer writing intensive Ready. Set. WRITE! and we’d LOVE for you to join us! We plan to kick off a summer of writing Tuesday June 11th and write, write, write for 2 months! We’ll update weekly on what we’ve been writing and our new goals for the week. Care to join us in our writing bliss?!
You can even grab this awesome button (created by Erin).
So what is this exactly?
Purpose: for drafting/revising/writing novels, flash fiction or short stories—whatever! As long as we’re writing!
What we’ll do:
set weekly goals (or monthly or overall goals). Again—whatever works!
update weekly on What’s Up Wednesday (in the What I’m Writing section). We’ll share what we’ve accomplished and set goals for the new week. We can also include a snippet or just gush about our stories. 🙂
Don’t know about What’s Up Wednesday? Check it out here and here. And here
We’ll also be hosting occasional drafting/revising parties on Twitter, providing lots of support for each other, and…AND sponsoring a giveaway!
Oh and if you don’t know where to find these amazing ladies on Twitter, here they are (simply click on their name – we really need to convince Erin to get on Twitter :P)
Ready. Set. WRITE! will kick off Tuesday June 11th with sign-ups on our blogs. We’ll set our first goals on June 12th‘s edition of What’s Up Wednesday and update each other every Wednesday!
In the meantime, decide what you want to write/revise. Set your goals! Write a little. Or a lot.
Spread the word!
And be prepared to Ready. Set. WRITE!
Found this post interesting? Don't hesitate to share it.
What´s up Wednesday is the brainchild of Jaime and Erin. Here´s what Jaime said about it:
WHAT’S UP WEDNESDAY
It’s similar in some respects to the Currently… post, but it’s been whittled down to only four headings to make it quicker and more manageable on a weekly basis. You’re invited to join us if you’re looking for something to blog about, a way to let your blog friends know what’s been going on with you.
What I´m reading
I may have gone on a book binge while in the US and while contemplating which book I should read first, I remembered a review of STOLEN by Katy so I started it last night. It was hard to put down and I cannot wait to hop on the train to start it up again.
What I’m Writing
Not much.
I need to revise my story and find my groove again. I´m excited and scared at the same time.
What else I´ve been up to
I’m starting to work out again and I have a GREAT incentive. I just started watching VERONICA MARS and it’s going to be my workout companion…
Well…if my cat lets me workout.
My cat clearly didn’t want me to do crunches.
What inspires me right now
This.
Eleanor Roosevelt “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” One day I will get published #beautifuldream
Elodie Nowodazkij 