Woah There Stranger!

Image

I know, I know, it's been aaaaages since I posted, but I've been going through a lot lately. At least school will be out in two weeks, so I should be returning to the blogsphere soon! 

I've managed to do some writing and my "Secret File" (haven't chosen a name yet) is almost completed. The goal was 50,000 words and I'm only 48 words away from that goal, but I still have two chapters to write so it'll be a little longer. Maybe 55,000 words, which is fine for a romance novel. What I'm so proud of in this manuscript is that it's packed with voice! I've never written something with so much voice before. Yay for progressing ^.^

But yeah, I'm genre hopping! So far I've been set on YA, but then I finished an MG manuscript, and now I'm into adult romance. I don't know where I land but I suppose there's nothing that forces me to stick to just one genre. There are always pen names ^.^

I was planning on publishing this Secret File on Amazon for $2.99, but my buddy Rachael Harrie has been encouraging me to query. I suppose I have nothing to lose by doing that first. 

I've also been stuck by a huge decision: to write in English or Icelandic. I always write much more fluently in English and I'd like to publish my work in English, but the Icelandic market is sooooo much easier to break into. So I've come to the decision to try to publish at least one Icelandic and one English book every year (self-publish via Amazon or through a publisher if I get lucky) and a load has been hurled off my shoulder after that decision. 

Of course I'll write a lot more, because writing a first manuscript really doesn't take that long, but I think it's better to be modest to begin with. Besides, not everything I'll write will be publishable (yeah right! No, seriously...). 

Anyone else with such robust ambition? ^.^

The Second Crusade!

I hope all of you made it onto Rach's list of Crusaders this year (or this part of the year - I think there's another crusade later in the year). Last fall there were 50 Crusaders, but I have it from a reliable source that there are 200 Crusaders this year! Rach sure will have her hands full.

What is the Crusade? It's the "Writer's Platform-Building Crusade", where the purpose is to introduce blogging writers to one another and get them to communicate (and follow each other). There are loads of fun challenges and I made a lot of great buddies in the last Crusade. 

Unfortunately the application time has closed (so sorry for being late with this - I'll post earlier next time to give you heads up!), but I just wanted to congratulate Rach on her success and say to the other Crusaders: Can't wait to get to know you all!

Interview: Rachael Harrie

I'm back from the holidays - a day late, to be exact, but the whole Christmas/New Year celebration is a big deal over here (it doesn't end until next Thursday). Things should go back to normal within the next days...or I hope they will.

I took an interview with the famous Rachael Harrie before Christmas, but decided to make it my first post of the new year! Who's Rachael Harrie? Remember the Platform-Building Crusade? Well, Rach was the mastermind behind it, rounding up a group of fellow writer-bloggers to befriend and get to know each other. There'll be another crusade in 2011!

When I first met Rach, she looked like this:

But then she looked like this:

Not much different, right?

A select few of you would also know her as this:

(Seriously, that bunny is even named :Rach: in our crit forum)

Anyway, I asked Pigmy-Puff Rach some (mostly) writing related questions:

Question 1 - If you had a million dollars, what would you spend it on? 
Ooh, that's a tough one. I really, really like choc-coated honeycomb (*chortles*). More seriously, I'd probably buy my dream house somewhere near the beach, take a few really good writing courses, upgrade my computer, and buy a room full of books to read when I wasn't writing. Oh, and I'd need a few people to help me around the house, so I could write full-time. Plus a bit of travel here and there. Research purposes, of course! 
(See? We writers always think about writing when we get questions like these. Marieke did too, in my last interview) 

Question 2 - What are you working on (genre, age group, main story plot - if it can be revealed)? 
My current WIP is a Young Adult Horror novel titled FROM THE OTHER SIDE. The logline is:

When seventeen-year-old Verity is murdered by the boy she loves, she becomes a ghost whose ability to burn her victims seems purpose-made for her mission of vengeance. However, the search for her killer and an increasing body-count stretch Verity’s sanity to the limits, and unless she finds a way to regain control more innocent people will die, including the one person with the power to save her from herself. 
(I'm reading this draft and I can tell you, people, it WILL be published some day soon!) 

Question 3 - What do you eat/drink while writing? 
I try not to eat while I'm writing. I find it distracts me and I also tend to eat too much if I'm not paying attention! I usually make myself a cup of tea when I sit down to write, but other than that I just drink water. A bit boring much? 
(Nah, not boring. When I wrote my first draft of BoB, I ate chocolate each day. I even brought out popcorn for the really exciting parts of the story. It didn't do me much good, though having the popcorn might have popped-things up a little . I just drink water today - club soda, mostly) 


Is there anything else you'd like to add?  Yep, I hear there’s a massive contest and some awesomely amazing giveaways coming soon. If you want a head start check back on Tuesday, January 4 to find out how you can collect your first points ;)


Really? Well that should be interesting!


Thank you, Rachael for this. Marieke interviewed me and put it up on her blog yesterday. Check it out of you're curious about moi, or Marieke, who is awesome as well (as Rachael! You thought I meant me, right?).

Interview: Marieke

Marieke, the one who is plotting with the falcon.

I took an interview with the Medieval Mastermind: Marieke (you know, the girl with the whip?). She's a fellow writer with sarcastic humour and lives, according to her, "Somewhere, not far from nowhere." 

Anywho, Marieke has been hosting her "How To" on her blog every other Thursday over the past months, taking interviews with impressive figures, like Elana Johnson (How to write an awesome query letter), Jackson Pearce (How to research a historical novel), and Kathleen Ortiz (How to read slush), just to mention a few.

1. If you had a million dollars, what would you spend it on?

So much! *grin* I'd travel around the world, see all the places I've wanted to see, write and write more. I would spend money on my favorite charities too - or at least I hope I would! 

Oh, and one thing more? Buy LOADS of books. And then probably a house to, you know, make a library out of it :P 

(That's basically what I would do, too. Great masterminds think alike.)

2. What are you working on (genre, age group, main story plot - if it can be revealed)?

I'm currently revising Loving Adeline - now retitled WICK - my literary YA, with a touch of magical realism. 

Jaime, my MC, is an aspie. Her world consists of colors and Secret Garden references, but what she really wants is understanding. And to be able to escape the grief that haunts her home after her father died. 

Things happen, as they always do. I'm not yet going to share the entire plot, because mystery is a good thing. ;) (Also, I want to finish revisions first, just to keep things in the right order.) 

Let's just say it's a story about grief, love, art, imagination, and - in the end - the choice between understanding the world and living in it. 

(That sounds wonderful and new. I don't believe I have read such a story. I love the Secret Garden and can't wait to read this one.)

3. What do you eat/drink while writing?

Coffee! Sugar! Especially when I'm writing late at night, but to be honest I don't have special brain food or drinks. Or maybe I should say it depends on whatever I fancy at that moment. Iced lattes is always a safe choice! 

(It's what I've been saying! I can't write late at night because I don't drink coffee.)

Is there anything else you'd like to add? 

Yes. Something is coming... 

(Hmmm...)

Thank you, Marieke, for that. 

But Marieke isn't the only one being interviewed. Yours truly is being interviewed by cute little Rachael Harrie, who is becoming yet another impressive writer on the blogsphere. It will be later today, but I thought I'd mention it now because I'm crawling through day...oh I've lost the count...of exam studying.

The Rach Writes Inaugural Writers’ Platform-Building Crusade

Crusade

That's a mouthful! But brilliant!

I'm cheating today since I won't write a post about writing. Well, I suppose this has to do with getting published in one way or another. I'm introducing my friend's Rachael Harrie's Crusade to help bloggers build their online platform. I joined the Crusade only two days ago and I've already gotten five new followers - some very nice people whom I'm excited to get to know better. Rachael still hasn't compiled the list so that we can go crazy and follow our fellow Crusaders, which means that people are already excited and are following commenters.

Why is it important to gather followers? Even though online presence isn't a requirement to get a fiction published (it is important for non-fiction), numbers are numbers, and if you have thousands of followers, it could tip the scale in your favour when you query an agent with a good story idea and a good story.

Will all those people read your blog? Probably not all of them, but many will, if you're interactive in turn and read their blogs. This is an opportunity to make more friends. There are so many cool people out there, and they all seem to be gathering in the Crusade ;)

I've copied and pasted Rach's requirements to join:

Let’s work it like this:

1. Follow along with my site if you don’t already (I want to build my online platform too of course) :)
2. Become a Crusader by leaving a comment to this post (include your blogging name and a link to your blog)
3. Write about the Crusade on your blog and link back to this post
4. Encourage your followers to come to Rach Writes… and join up (it will help them too!)
5. Tweet about the Crusade, including a link to this post (http://bit.ly/9kMySK) and #WPBC1. Encourage re-tweets. I'm @RachaelHarrie if you want to follow me in the Twitterverse too
6. Pop it on Facebook
7. Generally, spread the word…

I’ll publish a list of all the Crusaders on Rach Writes..., and I’ll update the list as people join in on future Crusades.

---

That's it! I encourage all my readers to join this project. It's an amazing concept and Rachael is just the person to pull it off.

Goal for the day: Finish writing my MG!!!