Jump to the Middle

I'm trying something new(!).

After some discussions with Jenny and Siobhan about the progress I am and am not making with my WIP, they both suggested I stop writing sequentially and just pick a scene in the middle that I'm excited about it and write it.

WHAT? I said. How do I write a scene without knowing how my characters got there?

JUST TRY IT, they said. It frees you up. It shows you where you're going, and helps you figure out how to get there. And it keeps you from writing boring little scenes that only serve to get your characters from point A to point B.

So I'm trying it. I'm sitting here now writing a scene that's going to happen about 70% of the way through the book and, unbelievably, it's going okay. The writing feels fun and loose, like it does when you start a completely new project and aren't hampered by the hows and whys yet.

Anyone else write this way? I'm diggin' it!

*caroline hickey

The Wisdom of Vizzini

I've seen and read The Princess Bride about a thousand times. When Inigo botches up killing the Man in Black, he remembers that his boss Vizzini always said that when a job goes wrong, you go back to the beginning (or, in the book, "Fool fool, back to the beginning is the rule!"). Is this good advice for a writer as well?

I'm about a quarter of the way through the second draft of my WIP and I've hit a major snafu. So I've decided to go back to the beginning AGAIN (this is actually the 4th beginning, not the 3rd) and change a few major details to make the drama/tension more intense and more immediate.

In some ways, I fear that is my way of procrastinating writing through the draft. In fact, I would likely advise a friend to just keep pushing through to the end and then go back to fix the intro. But I can't make myself do it!

Eek. What do you think? Am I procrastinating, or since this is such a major change would it be better to get the beginning right?


*caroline hickey

Apps Wanted!

I love my iPhone and it's quickly become my desk-on-the-go. My home office is in our attic and since I spend most days in the family room or kitchen with Bridget (two floors down!) or out and about, I use my iPhone for email, calendar, surfing, etc.

I'd like to find some apps that might be helpful for my writing. Someone told me about a dictation app, so that if I get an idea for my WIP I can just make a voice memo to myself. Anyone know of that one? Or does anyone have any other apps they can recommend?

Since I'm writing in little fits and spurts these days, I need to make the most of the time I have!


*caroline hickey

Scammers

I was answering some messages on MySpace yesterday and I saw an ad for a children's lit agency on my page. It caught my eye, as I'm pretty sure real agencies a) don't advertise, and b) wouldn't advertise on myspace!

So I clicked through and checked it out and it's called the Writers Literary Children's Agency and has a long song and dance about how legit they are and blah blah, but no actual bios of who the "agents" are, or their experience, or their authors.

I checked Preditors and Editors and of course they are strongly not recommended and considered a fraud. What I'm wondering, though, is what are they doing? They say they don't charge to read mss, and only make money if they sell something. But they don't seem to have sold anything and yet still pay to advertise.

Anyone know anything about these weird scam agencies? If they don't charge reading fees, why then do they bother?

*caroline hickey

Two Roads Diverged in a Yellow Wood...

I am really stuck between two mss. One is a fun early middle grade, and the other is an angsty tween. One is zippy and plotty, and one is voicey and moody. I like them both. I think they both have potential. But diddling back and forth between the two of them every week or so is not helping me to make any progress. It's helping me to procrastinate! For me to write well, I need to fully invest myself in one of them, and for the life of me I can't decide which.

So what do I do? Let my writing group decide? My agent? Flip a coin? I've been asking my gut to tell me but it's got commitment issues.

Help me!

*caroline hickey

And the Oscar Goes to...

Yesterday the DC Kidlit Book Club met to discuss the ALA winners announced last week. One of our members, Susan Kusel, is a children's librarian and was in Denver at the conference so she shared with us the reactions of the audience as the winners were announced.

Similar to our awards discussion last year, there was a lot of disagreement about whether the "right" books got the big awards or were relegated to the position of Honor books. Particularly in the Caldecott category, where A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever was favored over The House in the Night. In the Printz category, Nation was highly praised as perhaps a smidge more Printz-y than Jellicoe Road. And in the Newbery category, we were (not surprisingly) all in agreement that The Graveyard Book was an excellent choice.

I still haven't read all the of the winners and honor books but that is my mission for the next few weeks. In March, our group meets again to discuss the Cybils winners which will be announced on the 14th. I love awards season!

*caroline hickey

PS- The darling baby in the picture is, sadly, not mine, but Amber Lough's son Henry. He is 10 weeks old. Fabulous, isn't he?

The 30-Minute Writer

I'm currently revising my WIP during Bridget's 30-40 minute nap every morning. It's going all right: I have good ideas about where I want to take the book, and I'm making teeny tiny bites of progress each day. But having only a half an hour or so to write means that I can't sit down at my laptop and diddle around online for awhile to get my brain warmed up (which I used to looooove to do). I've got to get crackin' as soon as my butt hits the seat!

So, here are some tips I've found to warm up for brilliant writing in just five minutes:

*Find a song that captures the mood and tone of the book or main character. Listen to the song as you make your tea and get ready to sit down and type. (For my WIP, I've chosen "Realize" by Colbie Caillat. It's filled with longing. My MC is also filled with longing.)

*Close your eyes and picture your main character. Imagine her doing something, even if it's just brushing her teeth. Imagine her talking to her best friend for a minute. Listen to their voices. Picture them in your setting. Transfer the MC's voice into your head.

*Upon starting up your computer, IMMEDIATELY open your Word doc. Do not check your email, not even for a second. Do not scan the news headlines. Do not check your blog (sorry Longstockings). Open your Word doc and skim the last two pages you wrote. Then put those fingers on the keyboard and TYPE LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT!!


If you have more tips, please send them. I'm hoping to get through this revision before spring. Eeeek.

*caroline hickey