Lots of Questions

So LT Elliot sent me a shout out a while back … with a whole bunch of questions attached. There was way more thinking involved in answering these questions than I expected! I must be getting rusty in my old age or something.

I've been trying to limit the lengths of my posts, keep to the "above the fold" mentality, but I thought this one warranted the inches it takes up!

Anyway, hope you find some amusement and get to know me a little better.

1. What's the last thing you wrote? What's the first thing you wrote that you still have?
We’re talking real writing? ‘Cause I just scribbled a check out for the kidlet’s preschool a minute ago…

The last writerly thing … I’m currently in the midst of 3 different wips, 2 YA paranormals and 1 YA contemp fic that are all in the very wip stages (like I haven’t touched any for about 3 weeks and counting now).

The first thing I wrote that I still have- a MG/YA about a girl who was a secret rockstar. (I was 12.) Oh, and yeah, I know exactly what you’re thinking that sounds like.

2. Write poetry?
Not by choice.

3. Angsty poetry?
Angst I can do. Not so much the poetry part.

4. Favorite genre of writing?
YA Contemporary Fic … currently trying my hand at paranormal. We’ll see how it pans out.

5. Most annoying character you've ever created?
I don’t know… Have a couple I just dislike, but they aren’t so much annoying.

6. Best Plot you've ever created?
I’m sorta thinking my plot idea at 12 was good. You know, if only I’d gone to Disney first.

7. Coolest Plot twist you've ever created?
I don’t know if I have 1 specific example. Have whole series of sub-plots that I always find interesting after I go back to read.

8. How often do you get writer's block?
If we count specific instances, I’d say not often, it’s just the length of time it lingers can suck pretty majorly.

9. Write fan fiction?
Nope.

10. Do you type or write by hand?
Both. By hand keeps me from going back to edit everything I typed last time. Helps me to keep moving on the story.

11. Do you save everything you write?
Yes.

12. Do you ever go back to an idea after you've abandoned it?
I don’t think I ever truly abandon ideas… they just get filed away for future use. I can only have so many wips at any point, even I have to draw the line somewhere.

13. What's your favorite thing you've ever written?
I don’t have one. I know, lame answer, but I love all of them in their own special way. You know, sort of like family.

14. What's everyone else's favorite story that you've written?
You’d have to ask them. Seriously. I have no idea.

15. Ever written romance or angsty teen drama?
Angsty teen drama … ah, the story of my (writing) life. I LOVE it!! Emotions and decisions are so amplified during teenagerdom, there is never a loss for things to happen.

16. What's your favorite setting for your characters?
Currently it is a fictional set of towns that most of my recent projects have centered around.

17. How many writing projects are you working on right now?
Writing only? So I’m guessing this means new writing stuff, because I’m working on writing 3. Revising 2.

18. Have you ever won an award for your writing?
Unless the creative arts Reflections program in grade school counts, uh, nope.

19. What are your five favorite words?
None specifically. Just words I overuse in my rough drafts, but none of those are my favorites.

20. What character have you created that is most like yourself?
Reagan.

21. Where do you get ideas for your characters?
People I know. Places I’ve been. Commercials. Music. Random phrases. Anywhere. Everywhere.

22. Do you ever write based on your dreams?
Minimally. I don’t have anything entirely based on a dream, but a scene here or there sometimes.

23. Do you favor happy endings?
I simply favor closure. I’m usually good with an ending that stays true to a story. And sometimes an ending shouldn’t be happy to be authentic. As much as that sucks, sometimes it is the way it should be.

24. Are you concerned with spelling and grammar as you write?
I’m generally pretty good about spelling and grammar as I go. I try to fix what the system catches as I go so I don’t have to worry about it later.

25. Does music help you write?
Yes. I’ve had whole manuscripts that came to me because of 1 line I heard in a song.

26. Quote something you've written. Whatever pops into your head.
“Standing just beyond the bar, I watch the old people dance for a bit before Mom appears beside me and hands me her drink. She and Dad head onto the dance floor.
I’ve gone from daughter to furniture—a side table, holding drinks.”

So it appears this is one of those lists that's been going around and I've seen it on a lot of blogs already, so I'm opting out of the "pick 3 bloggers to tag" because, well, the writerly community on here is actually a much smaller world than a lot of peeps realize and most of you have already been tagged! If you haven't, well, I guess it's your turn!

Thursday Thought: A 2nd (or 3rd, 4th, 5th...) Opinion

I've spent some time over the last few months trying get more involved with the online writing community. De-lurk, as it were. I no longer just read blogs, tweets and forums, I comment, rally and conversate. My "circle o' writing peeps" I know has grown and I am grateful for that, though I've found my one lacking point.

This is where I am reaching out to you out there for suggestions / direction, whatever that may be.

I don't even know where to start beyond asking you guys for help. I'm looking for crit buddies/beta readers. I know there are a lot of websites out there and I've been poking around and trying to see if there is anything that looks worth trying out. (Have signed up for Critique Circle, etc.)

So how did you guys end up in your crit groups? With your crit buddies? Any advice?

To Query or Not To Query (aka: 1st person POV vs 3rd person POV)

For the last several days, er, weeks is more like it, I have been working on my query letter. I've come to the decision that anyone can write a book. Whether it is a good book is another story, but lo, anyone can write a book. The kicker is, how good of a query letter writer are you?

Me? Well, this is my 2nd go around on the writing a query for a novel thing. My first query I don't think I put enough effort behind, I was possibly just too excited for the whole thought. Countless rejections later (actually 13 to be exact), I have found that perhaps I jumped the gun a bit in the beginning.

So now, new novel, new query. I'm currently on version 13 of this query. And I'm still not sure I feel "good." (Definition of "good" in this case is "like this is absolutely, positively the best query letter I've written for this novel.") Here is my dilemma: 1st person vs 3rd person.

When I started drafting letters, I wrote a query letter in 3rd person, as is customary. Feedback I received: it's a little weak (with suggestions on how to improve). I wrote a query letter in 1st person, despite reading a lot of advice against that. Feedback I received: stronger, "it had a voice" (still with suggestions on how to improve). The comment about it having a voice really stuck with me, because I know that is what a lot of agents look for.

In a fit of uncertainty, I posted a hybrid of my 1st/3rd person query here. The comments, though there were only 2 to date, have given me fantastic insight into how the query reads on both the 1st person POV and the 3rd person POV sections. (I have to say, the reference to Sarah Dessen is going into my scrapbook of feedback because I am a huge fan!)

So as the saying goes, I'm heading back to the drawing board, er, notepad and pen, er, computer keyboard. It's a lot easier to delete, cut & paste and it doesn't make my hand hurt as much.

What about you? Thoughts on 1st person vs 3rd person POV, in queries and in general?