Conference!

Campus of the Florida Christian Writers Conference

Hey everyone! :D I know it's been a little while since my last post, but I've been super busy with editing and the conference I attended.

I've been going to this particular conference for four years now and doing so has improved my writing dramatically. I highly recommend going to a conference. I'll tell you more about attending conferences in a moment, but first I have some big news.

At the conference I had the opportunity to pitch to agents and three out of three I pitched to want to see my book! :D So in less than a month I'm going to be sending full manuscripts and proposals to these three agents! I'm totally psyched! But even if these don't work out, at least I know that some people are interested in my work.

Writers conferences are amazing. I've yet to branch out from the Florida Christian Writers Conference, but I plan on it. Here are four things I have to point out about conferences:

1.) Community - One of the coolest things about writers conferences is that everyone there is a writer! I've made instant friends with dozens of people and some of them have become my best friends. You may have another fellow writer living thirty minutes away from you and not even know it! Sometimes it's tough to keep in contact with those friends after leaving the conference, but Facebook is a great way to do that. Make a group for your writer friends. It's awesome to have a group of buddies to help you brainstorm, critique and grow as a writer.

Teen Track of 2013 taught by Bryan Davis.
I'm the one doing the funky Ninja pose

2.) Networking - At conferences you can meet a lot of professionals by just walking up and talking to them, sitting in on their classes or sitting with them during meals. My connections to publishers, editors, and authors have really helped me. I've even had an author tell her agent to look for me at the conference! Career aside, it's really cool to be able to know published authors. They do book signings. ;)

Friend (Left), Author Steven James
 (Middle), Me (Right)

3.) Hands-on Professional Teaching - You get to go to classes taught by professionals in the industry and talk to them after classes. It's a really neat opportunity to be able to learn from professionals directly. Blog posts are cool to learn from, but it's really awesome to be there and meet them personally.

4.) Publishing and Agents Opportunities - You can set appointments to speak one-on-one to agents, authors and publishers. You can get advice from authors or critique on your book and pitch to agents and publishers. I know an author that got published that way and that's what I did to get three permissions to send. :D

If you're a writer and you haven't been to a writers conference, I totally recommend you do. It's an awesome opportunity. :) Keep an eye out for more posts and thanks for reading! :)

Have you ever been to a conference? Did you have a cool experience there?

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)

Roadmapping Your Tales

So next week I am off to the Florida Christian Writers Conference to learn lots, see some old friends. and hopefully get an agent. *crosses fingers* So excited and a little nervous... 

First of all I finished that drawing of Lenerys that was requested some...months ago... I hope you like it, Curious. :)

For the last two months or so I've been reading tons of blog posts and going over old conference notes so I can absorb as much information as I can for prepping for the upcoming conference I'm attending.

My brain was in serious pain with information overload, but I did learn a lot. During massive writer intake, one thing that occurred to me is five questions to ask yourself at the beginning of your book and throughout writing it so you can keep track of your story without having to outline everything or just riding on the seat of your pants.

Don't get me wrong. I know both stated methods are successful, but I find outlining too restraining and pantsing too wild so I'm a planster (panster/plotter) which is a hybrid of the two. I wish I'd known about these kind of questions at the beginning of my writing journey. It would have saved me a lot of time and writer's block. So I hope you can use these questions as a road map for your fantastical tale in the making.

On to those questions... I call them the Four Ws and an H Questions. :)

1.) Who's going on this books journey? - Who are your characters? Who is the main character? Secondary characters? Your villain? How are they all important to the book? Sometimes it's hard to remember all of these so write them down. Make profiles for them. They're just like people just not real. ;)

2.) Where are they? - Are they on planet Niffnee? Earth? A fantastical world of swords and knights of your creation? Do they change location in the book?

3.) When are they doing this? - The future where hamsters have become the dominant race? Victorian Age England? (Heh heh there's my name) Modern day?

So those are the fun ones. You probably already know those and thought about them while doing chores or during walks. I know I do with mine. ;)

4.) What are their goals? - This one always tripped me up when I started out writing. I'd think of these crazy events and cool characters, but then they wouldn't have a goal to tie them together. The characters have to have something to drive them on.

Do the characters have to save the hamsters from making the humans run on hamster wheels to make power? Or does your female character just want be reunited with her true love? Lets go deeper... Do they have personal sub-goals? Do they want to better themselves? Do they want to get that job, but a bigger goal interrupts that?

5.) How are they going to reach their goal? - This is the tough part, but it also is the funnest and this question you'll probably ask yourself the most from chapter to chapter. How are they going to stop the hamsters? How is the female main character going to reunite with her true love? What events in your story are going to drive her/him towards that goal? And what events are going to stop them? You gotta make the road a little rocky. ;)


You may think these are duh questions, but when you get caught up in your story you forget them sometimes and end up deleting a bunch of characters and fluff chapters that slow down your story. An author once told me that "Everything in your story has to be important. Every chapter and every sentence." Make every sentence count in your book to make it an awesome journey not just for you or your characters, but for those eager readers. :)

Using these five questions can help you know where you're going in your story while still giving you the freedom to let the book grow on its own. Asking them to myself has been helping me. I hope they help you! Thanks for reading! :D

What tricks do you use for roadmap your tales? Do these help? Are you a plotter, panster, or a planster?

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Liebster Award!

A big thank you to Sarah over at Inklined Writers for nominating me for the Liebster Award!  :) 

The Liebster award is a tag where bloggers nominate other bloggers they like with 200 followers or less. Any type of blog can be nominated. It's a way to get to know new bloggers and to network with them. Here's how it works:

1. List 11 facts about yourself.

2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger who nominated you left.

3. Ask 11 new questions for those who you nominate.

4. Choose 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate.

5. Go to each blogger's page and let them know about the award.

6. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.  (I didn't realize this rule until after I wrote the above intro.)

My 11 facts:

1. I can do a pretty good Scottish accent. I British guy said it was, "Quite good." XD

2. I've been playing piano for twelve years.

3. I've been to Paris, France.

4. As a child, I liked my vegetables and didn't like candy.

5. I used to Fence... like with a sword.

6. I won first place for a Jack Sparrow scarecrow at a fair once.

7. I used to have goats and chickens before I moved.

8. I've been writing since I was 11.

9. I've met authors Bryan Davis, Jill Williamson, and Jerry B. Jenkins in person.

10. I used to live in Miami, Florida.

11. Once I drank tea tree oil... Never do it.

Sarah's 11 Questions:

1. If you could go to one concert for free, who would you see? Taylor Swift

2. If jelly stopped existing, how would you make a PB&J with something else as the J? I don't like PB&J. :P

3. If you could go any one place, where would you go? Narnia ^ ^'

4. What, if any, channels are you subscribed to on Youtube? A lot including the Piano Guys and Lindsey Stomp, and Mark Crilley :)

5. Chemistry or Physics? Chemistry.

6. Do you play in instrument? If so, what? Piano. :)

7. What's your favorite breakfast cereal? I don't like cereal, but I like Cinnamon Toast crunch without milk. XD

8. How do you like your eggs cooked?  (If you're a vegetarian, how do you like your tofu cooked?) Fried, but I don't like eggs much either lol.

9. Do you listen to music while you blog? Yep, I'm listening to "Dirty Paws" by Of Monsters and Men right now. :)

10. What was the title of your first blog post? Interview with Bryce

11. Why did you start blogging?  I started my blog to build a platform for myself to help my chances of getting accepted by an editor or agent, but I find it as a good accountability experience and the encouragement from my readers is great. :)

Alright now for my 11 questions:

1. What's your TV series?

2. Favorite superhero?

3. If you could have any pet whether it is mythical or real, what would it be?

4. If you could live in the world of a book or movie, which one? 

5. Favorite music artist?

6. What is your favorite scent?

7. Hunger Games or Twilight?

8. Motorcycle or car?

9. Favorite cookie?

10. What is a quirk about yourself?

11. Do you have a favorite blog?

I hereby nominate:

1. Allison at Allison Rides (English Style!) 

2. Bethany at The Ramblings of a Young Author 

3. Leah K. Oxendine at Filmmakers of the Next Generation

4. Rosie at Writings of Rosie

5. Lily Jenness at Lily's Notes in the Margins

6. Giselle Abreu at Mesmerizing Writing

7. Caitlin Hensley at The Inhuman Chronicles Paranormal Legacy

8. Jonathan Maiocco at Jon M. Music

9. S. Alex Martin at Get It Write Tonight

10. Anna Schaeffer at Anna Schaeffer For His Glory

11. Heather Manning at My Writing Desk.

Have you ever done the Liebster Award before? What are some interesting facts about you? Try answering some of these questions in the comments. ^ ^

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)

Interview with Elasa and Silanoc (Starbloods)

Elasa (Starbloods)

Silanoc (Starbloods)

Hey, everyone! Sorry it's been so long. I've had busy holidays and I've been preparing for a book proposal next month and I entered a contest. *crosses fingers* I'm writing like crazy and next month I'm editing until I leave for the conference I'm pitching at. I'm not sure if I'm going to get accepted, but I'm going to try. :) Anyway... on to the interview with two characters from my fantasy series Starblood!

Me:

*turns in chair, looks at Silanoc and Elasa* Hello, you two.

Elasa:

Hello.

Silanoc: 

Good day.

Me:

Tell the readers a little about yourselves.

Silanoc:

You can go first, Elasa.

Elasa:

I am a Lady of Cyf Em Ibre Nymain, the southern province of our realm. I have many pets and my blood-bonded wolpertinger, Icha. We made her stay home because she fights with Tori's cat.

 Me:

And what's a wolpertinger?

Elasa:

A winged rabbit with horn, teeth and claws. I believe there a picture of one in the gallery.  *looks down* My papa gave her to me. 

Me:

Can you tell us about your father?

Silanoc:

*rests his hand on Elasa's hand* Our father passed into the next world a few years back. For my sister's sake, I request that we move along in the conversation. 

Elasa:

*winces, hands flinches*

Me:

Are you all right, Elasa?

Silanoc:

*removes his hand from hers, holds her hand in his* Your hand is burned. Should we go back and seek a physicians attention?

Elasa:

*smiles at him* I'm fine. Worry not.

Silanoc:

*nods, kisses her knuckle, rests her hand back down on her lap* 

Elasa:

Your turn, Silanoc.

Silanoc:

Yes.  *straightens in his chair* I'm the Lord of Cyf em Ibre Nymain. For a fraction of my younger years, I lived with the natives of our neighboring country in the north.

Me:

Really? What was that like?

Lessy:

*walks in, has a scab on a bald patch on her head, rubs her head against my leg*

Me:

*bends down slightly, pets her*

Silanoc:

It was a very good experience.

Elasa:

*looks at Lessy, reaches hands down close to the ground*

Lessy:

*trots over to her*

Elasa:

*picks her up, pets her*

Me:

*looks at Silanoc* In your country, is there any competition for the throne?

Silanoc:

I am currently next in line for it. *motions to Elasa* My sister is second and my uncle third, since Prince Huchedar declined his right.

Elasa:

*looks at Lessy's head, hand glows, rests it on Lessy's head*

Silanoc:

*glances at Elasa* I forgot to mention we are Star Bloods. We have supernatural abilities hereditary from our race.

Elasa: 

*inhales, exhales slowly, lifts hand*

Lessy:

*wound is healed, jumps out of Elasa's arms, shakes ruffling her fur, sits down, licks her back*

Elasa:

*smiles at her*

Me:

What is a Starblood?

Silanoc:

We are half human half Star.

Me:

Interesting. Well I hope you all enjoyed that interview! If you want to ask Silanoc and Elasa any questions please do so in the comments below. ^ ^ Your comments are very encouraging to me. :) Thank you for the support. You can check out more about Elasa's book in current projects, her book's Pinterest board, pictures I've drawn for the book on deviantART and fan art on my Facebook page. Oh and I am seriously working on the drawing of Lenerys.

See?

It's unfinished, but it's a working progress. Anyway... I will be out with another interview soon! Hopefully sooner than last time. -_- Thanks for reading! :D

You May Also Like:

Interview with Sybra (Starbloods) & Pro (Subsapien)

Interview with Rouyn, Sybra & Meldar (Starbloods)

Interview with Sybra (Starbloods)

Interview with Meldar (Starbloods)

Interview with Rouyn (Starbloods)

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)

From Lemons to Book Experiences

Hey, readers! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Life swooped in an sapped up my time and writer's block didn't help either. -_- I am still working on that dragon drawing by the way too. Just been busy. But anyway...

Happy Holidays! 

I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving and I hope you have Merry Christmas! 

Now to the blog post...

So earlier this month and last month I had three consecutive trips across two states and last night I was thinking on what to post about today. On my trips, I had several new experiences some people could take as bad. I thought of what my writing friends and I like to do when we get bad experiences: think of them like book experiences. It's writer optimism I guess. XD 

Here's a few for example:

Book Experience Number 1 - My friend and I were sparring and she accidentally whacked me straight in the face while I was wearing Airsoft glasses and stunned me. For all your writer's reading this the world swims, you feel dizzy and you sit/fall down and the glasses cut my face on my nose and my eyebrow. Despite it making a mark on my face and hurting a little bit, I count it as a good book experience for fist fights in my books. :)

Book Experience Number 2 - So I've never ridden a skateboard and I decided to try it. Well... I went flying and landed on my behind. It hurt, but... I can use that experience how to accurately portray what if would be like having your feet swept out from under you. It feels like your feet go out and next thing you know you're on the ground with your palms scraped and your hindquarters sore and you feel it the next day. :\ But I would not take back the experience. :)

Book Experience Number 3 - Horseback riding. Some of your may already know this experience, but I haven't ridden a horse in a while and on one my trips I did. Four things I took from it: After you're done your butt is freaking sore; while you canter it's really bumpy and squeeze with your knees to stabilize yourself; you can feel the horses breathing with your legs on his/her sides (which feels really cool); and horses are very smart. The one I road took good care of me and knew the way pretty well. I just had to keep him from wandering. :)

When life gives you lemons make them into book experiences! Even the ones that really hurt can be book experiences too. I hope you enjoyed this blog post and I will post more soon! Keep an eye out for a new character interview with Rouyn and Sybra! Thanks for reading! :)

What are some lemons you could turn into book experiences?

Interview with Sybra (Starbloods) & Pro (Subsapien)

Sybra (Starbloods)

Me:

Hey everyone! I'm finally back with another interview! Sorry it's been a while. It was crazy last month! :P Since I've seen some people like Sybra, I thought you all would like to see another interview with her. Sybra is from my fantasy series Starbloods and Pro is from my science fiction series Subsapien.

Pro:

*crosses arms* What about me?

Me:

*looks at her* I thought you would be a good person to interview too, since you also seem popular. 

Pro:

I seem?

Me:

Anyway... A reader named "Curious" had a question for Sybra. The reader asks, "What are male nymphs like?"

Sybra:

Oh. We don't have males in our race. Just females.

Pro:

*narrows eyes* How do you-?

Me:

Let's try to keep this interview PG.

Sybra:

We don't need a second person to reproduce. When it's time our bodies fertilize themselves.

Pro:

Okay... This conversation isn't awkward at all. 

Sybra:

It isn't awkward. It's just natural.

Pro:

It's still awkward.

Me:

Well, we can move on then. What are you all's favorite things to do?

Pro:
Sports.

Sybra:
Spending time with my dragon and helping heal others.

Pro:
*lifts eyebrow* Helping heal others?

Sybra:
*nods* Yes. I'm a healer at my abbey. We help heal other races that come there or go out to them using dragons.

Pro:
Huh. *widens eyes* Wait... you have dragons?

Sybra:
*smiles, nods*

Pro:
How is that even possible? They're not real.

Sybra:
They are real. I see them every day at home. I could doubt the reality of you having a mechanical arm, but that's real.

Pro:
Touche. *looks at her metal arm*

Bryce:
*walks in* Are you all doing another interview?

Lessy:
*walks in behind Bryce, rubs against his leg*

Me:
*frowns* Yes and you're interrupting it again.

Bryce:
*looks at Sybra* Whoa. What up with the blue girl?

Sybra:
I'm a nymph, thank you. They are gray and purple variations of my race just like you have darker and lighter versions of your race.

Bryce:
*squints* Uh huh. *looks at me* Seriously, how do you think up these weirdos?

Me:
*shrugs* And you're one of those weirdos. What do you need?

Bryce:
Your cat is following me everywhere. She won't leave me alone.
*swishes cheetah tail*

Lessy:
*falls down on her side, paws at his ankle*

Me:
*glances at his tail* I wonder why? But I'll take her. *stands up, picks up Lessy*

Lessy:
Mraa...

Me:
*sits back down with Lessy in my lap, pets her* One more question: What's your favorite kind of jewelry?

Pro:
I like lots of necklaces and bracelets, but for earrings just studs.

Bryce:
Ugh... Girl junk. *leaves*

Sybra:
*smiles* I like my cartilage piercings and arm bands. 

Me:

Well that's all I've got for today. If you all have any questions for Pro and Sybra, comment. :) I will be back with another interview soon! You can check out more about Pro's book in current projects, her book's Pinterest board and Sybra's book's Pinterest board, pictures I've drawn for the books on deviantART and fan art on my Facebook page. The dragon drawing is still in process. Had a little delay when my little cousin scribbled on part of it. -_- Thanks for reading! :D

Pro (Subsapien)

You May Also Like:

Interview with Rouyn, Sybra & Meldar (Starbloods)

Interview with Sybra (Starbloods)

Interview with Meldar (Starbloods)

Interview with Rouyn (Starbloods)

Interview with Bryce... Again (Subsapien)

If you liked this post, come back every Saturday for more writing advice, character interviews, book reviews and more! On Sundays I have Soundtrack Sundays where I post a new score piece, Tuesdays are Tea Tuesdays with tea reviews, Wednesdays I have Wonderful Word Wednesdays where I post a new vocabulary word, and Fridays are Fan Fridays where I post tags and other goodies. To help support my dream to be an author follow this blog, like me on Facebook, watch me on deviantART, and follow me on Pinterest and Twitter. If you want to know more about my books check out them out here. Thank you! :)