Holiday Hiatus

... not that I've posted much in the past two weeks, but since I'm off on holiday on Saturday and probably won't have time for another post until then, I'm taking a blogging break until at least October.

Actually, I've been taking a good long writing break. From any kind of writing, period. Life and stuff - like preparations for the holiday, it's unbelievable what you have to think of for just two weeks - have kept me too busy. But I'm definitely taking a notebook with me to Cornwall, where I'll be backpacking with my brother. Oh, the stories we'll tell when we get back...

It's going to be interesting, to say the least. Neither my brother or I have ever been backpacking, let alone done much camping. I think I hold the record between the two of us with about six days of camping. And now here we are, with nothing planned except the flights to London and back, and a reservation at a B&B in St. Austell for the first night. (We thought it better to ease into this backpacking experience without doing the camping thing on our first night. :-))

So there, that'll be my new writing/blogging/scribbling fodder, probably for months after we get back.*

By the way, if you want an example of an amazing blog by an aspiring author (whose debut YA dystopian will be on sale in November), check out Grab a Pen. 23-year-old Tahereh Mafi is funny, authentic, energetic, interesting - she had a hoarde of followers on her blog before even nabbing a publishing deal. Just from reading the blog I can't wait to get my hands on her book, Shatter Me.




*If we get back - we might decide to become permanent extras for the Rosamunde Pilcher movies that are always filmed there, or fall in love with some picturesque little fisherman's village we'll never want to leave again. Or be lynched by said fishermen for insisting on installing this new-fangled thing called interweb or world wide net or some such in our little cottage that we'll rent from the old man in his beat-up hat with his rusty boat. I bet you can't at all tell what sights I expect to see on this trip...

 

Putting My Query On The Blog

The incomparable Janet Reid wrote an interesting post on her blog about how she nowadays sometimes does click on links or visits websites of aspiring authors looking for an agent, and how it is a good idea for said author to always be prepared for this possibility.

Since, in such instances, she's on the lookout for information on the book(s) - a query, first pages, an overview of the world building, whatever - it's a good idea for the author to make such information easily accessible on his/her website or blog. Else, that amazing chance is over and done with quicker than you can say 'Aww, maaaan!' and jab your ever-scribbling pen into your aorta.

So I'm listening to her advice and putting the query for my first novel, Magic Under Fire, and a description of my work-in-progress, Dream Raider, on this blog, in a hopefully easy-to-find way.

If you can't find it quickly, would you be so kind as to let me know?

Thanks! :-)

MAGIC UNDER FIRE

As a half-blood jinn, Thalestra Ford can play with fire without getting burned. Problem is, the heat can come from many different directions.

Direction Number 1: Iblis, the most powerful jinn in existence, a.k.a. Daddy Dearest. He makes an appearance after twenty-five years of radio silence, commanding Thalestra to track down his missing rival ASAP. Typical.

Direction Number 2: Lucien, said rival, a rather unconventional jinn. Tracking him down is a piece of cake, but the idiot has gotten himself captured by humans and the paparazzi have caught wind of this sensational news. When Thalestra breaks him free he shows his gratitude by declaring her his mate. Hard luck for him she won’t bind herself to another jinn. Ever. No matter how intriguing or persuasive he may be.

Direction Number 3: Agent Dean, Mr. Ambitious. Of all the human factions (scientists, paparazzi, religious fanatics) now hot on their tails, the newly appointed head of the Paranormal Activities Division is definitely the biggest threat to Thalestra’s and Lucien’s unhindered bickering-ever-after. Well, unless you count...

Direction Number 4: The magi High Lords. They enforce one strict law, the breaking of which is punishable by death: Never ever alert humans to the fact that magic and its wielders are real.

Oops.

97.500 words
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Elevator Pitching - Useful Advice Links

Two weeks ago, I posted about researching all things elevator-pitch to get ready for the Frankfurt Bookfair. So far I've only managed to scrounge together and peruse some useful links - so much to be learned! This weekend I hope to go through them once more and compile the advice to something I'll apply to my pitch in October.


Posts on pitching by Rachelle Gardner.

Posts on pitching by Jessica Faust.

Posts on pitching by Scott Eagan.

More Thoughts On Conflict

Earlier this month I posted a list of possible conflicts, as assembled by Chuck Wendig. Now, Scott Eagan also has some advice on conflict, the - as he calls it - most frequently screwed up story element.

Apparently, what agents and editors see most to mess up the conflict, are three scenarios:

1) The conflict is too easy .
I've frequently started new projects, only to find out that there isn't much meat to the conflict. This isn't only boring for a reader, but also for me as the writer. Where no conflict, there no interest. I usually break these off pretty early on.

2) The conflict is impossible (works only for James Bond ;-D).
I've also managed to write myself into a corner and couldn't come up with a solution that wasn't deus-ex-machina type or needed some drastic actions from my characters that wouldn't have fit either them or the story. When that happens, I go back to the key point where the impossibility is introduced, and try to fix it there. Sometimes, a lot of revision is necessary. Some such projects I haven't finished because it'd be too much effort.

3) The conflict would never happen.

I don't think I've fallen victim to this scenario yet. But I definitely recognize the other two, and voilá - Revelation of the Day.

Flash Fiction Challenge - Dreamscape

Haley Whitehall has another flash fiction challenge up on her blog, the theme of which is dreams. This time I went quite a bit over the suggested 500 words. I'll tell you why at the end...

Thanks Haley, this was fun. Great theme!

Dreamscape

by Pia Newman

(593 words) 

I am running, leaping, spinning through a dank and foggy forest. Snarls ride the air in front of me; my sole purpose is to reach them, eliminate them. They are chasing that which I must protect. I catch glimpses of four-legged shapes leaping through the forest. Their claws send up sparks in the soggy underbrush.
Hellhounds, a whisper of knowledge provides me with a label. I feel detached, confused. I have a purpose, but nothing else, nothing. Questions are raising their heads like a waking many-headed monster, the first of which is: What do I protect?
Me, the whisper says.
>Who are you?<
Isabelle. Please help me.
>Why?<
Because they want to eat me. You are the only one who can help me.
>Who am I?<
My protector.
>Yes, but who am I? What is my name? What is my history?<
Oh… I’m not sure yet.
>When will you know?<
When I see you. Hurry.  
Now I have a personal agenda behind my general purpose: Find Isabelle. Save her. Learn who I am.
I run faster, legs pumping. Dead branches slap my face and arms. I have no idea how I will fend off the hellhounds, but I know that I can.
>How do I know this?<
Because I know.
>How do you know?<
Because you are my protector.
>Aaaargh!<
The trees give way to a clearing, in the middle of which stands a large, craggy rock. Isabelle - I know it's her - stands on the rock in her night-gown, swinging a thick branch, beating off the hellhounds as they try to jump onto the rock with her. She sees me emerging from the trees, looks at me. She has the body of a young girl, but the face of a wise old lady.
Eden. You are Eden, she says without moving her lips.
Yes, of course. I am Eden. I'm an elf, of the Ash Tribe. Beautiful, independent and fierce, one of Pearson’s best growers and warriors. My favourite weapon is the shortsword.
I feel two of them crossing my back diagonally. I’m sure they weren’t there before but now I reach behind me and draw them. This is how I will fend off the hellhounds.
One of them suddenly sprouts wings and takes off. Isabelle watches it fly at her, the look on her face changing from panic to absolute horror.
This is a dream! The drugs aren’t helping. I'm dreaming!
The hellhounds become unfocused. They forget Isabelle and turn toward me. Their eyes burn red.
>How can you be dreaming when I am not?<
Because this is my dream and you are in it. I created you. And now I’m waking up.
Somehow, I know this is bad. 
>Will I cease to be?<
No. You will become reality.
>I prefer that idea to not existing.<
But you will be incomplete and they will hunt you. I’m sorry. The drugs were supposed to prevent this… Try to blend in. Trust no one if you want to survive.
Bright light blinks across the sky, like an eye opening to daylight.
I’m awake…
My body burns in the bright light. Sound roars in my ears, accompanied by my scream. Then focus returns to my senses. I’m still standing on the clearing, holding the shortswords, a sea of hellhounds before me, the large rock sprawling in the background. But the sky is blue, the rock is empty, and there are gigantic silver towers looming above the trees.
The dreamer has left her dreamscape, yet the dream manifests in her waking world.
I have become a dream that survives in reality…


Do you think I could have cut this down to 500 words? I didn't want to cut more or I felt like this would be purely confusing.

Post Nr. 100, Publishing News and Fun

Virtual bubbly all around! I just realized this is the 100th post on my blog since the first in September. Kinda cool. Time flies. So, apparently, do my fingers over the keyboard.

The New York Times published an article about a survey that shows publishing is changing though alive and well, contrary to current beliefs.
Very uplifting.

Also, here's a hilarious and to the point tid-bit of fun: Try Not to Sound Like a Writer, pilfered from Rachelle Gardner's blog.