Monday Musings

I decided to start off my first Monday Musings back to kind of fill everyone in on what I've been up to.

Whoa. It's been awhile.

In 2009 I started on this journey of writing and getting published. I queried agents and even got a few nibbles.

In 2011 I had my first child and everything kind of went a little lopsided. I didn't know what I was doing with parenting and trying to balance all things books. Luckily I met an author named GP Ching who turned me on to self-publishing and in December 2011 my first YA book was self-published.

Yeah...it didn't do so hot.

I was ready to give up. It took months before I even got close to making what I put into it. I didn't even know why I started writing YA and there was a lot of fighting with my husband and crying and wondering where I went wrong.

So August of 2012 I self-published my New Adult novel, My Paper Heart, and all of a sudden my luck turned around.

Since then I've put out A LOT of books ranging from Young Adult to New Adult to even one erotica. EEP.

But somewhere along the way I got lost. I found myself drowning in a numbers game in which I was obsessed with ranking and making lists. I spent too much time on social media and not enough time living my life.

After years of depression, a second child, and a move across the country (okay and a lot of pushing and prodding) I decided not to be a crazy woman and start writing for me.

How are things going now?

Meh...it's okay I guess? There are days I have my ups and days I have my downs.

So, how are you doing? Are you writing? Blogging? Reading?

I'mmmmm back

I feel like it's been forever since I've posted and I've missed blogging.

LIKE SUPER MISSED IT.

I don't even know if anyone is reading this.

ARE YOU READING THIS?

Well if you are, I wanted to let you know that there is more coming and even a weekly schedule!


Monday - Magan's Musings. I'll talk about all things. It could be books. It could be publishing. Any number of things really.

Wednesday - Weight Watchers Wednesday. Sorry if you don't want to hear about my weight loss journey, but if you do, here is where I'll talk about my journey to getting fit.

Writerly Wednesday- When not talking about weight loss, I'll also share sneak previews of my writings and talk about all things books!

Fangirl Friday - I'll go back to my old fangirl interviews and this is where I'll recap new releases and all things books.

There will also be random other posts (book reviews, new releases from my friends, etc), but this will kind of give you an idea.

STAY TUNED FOR MORE.

The madness of Mondays

Okay, so my posts have been very sporadiac and I apologize for that. I'm eight months pregnant and trying to finish edits on THE ONLY EXCEPTION so I can get this puppy out into the world.

I have promised that EARCs of The Only Exception will be out by March 18th. That is still set to stay on track, so be looking out for those. Also, if you haven't signed up for it and are interested, Supagurl is doing my blog tour for the month of April.

Sign up Here

I will also be doing a book blitz for the release with Xpresso Tours (Will post when those sign-ups go up). Both will include awesome prizes including gift cards, book marks, and signed books from some awesome authors.

Where else am I? Well, there are two giveaways going on for my Ebooks with #IndiegirlMarch and #Indielicious. You should check them both out.

Other than that, my posting this month and next month will be spotty. With being this pregnant, having a toddler, and working on a book I don't have much free time. I'll try and post as much as I can and keep you updated but if there is radio silence for awhile. I may have died. You should probably check on me.

So what are you up to? Do you have a mad Monday today?

New Adult: We aren't YA with a sex drive

(Photo source)


So there was recently a special on Dateline on the New Adult genre. I didn't see the special and I'm glad I didn't because I heard that the term was used over and over again that New Adult is "Sexed up YA" or "YA with erotic tendencies."

GAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

This is what New Adult authors have to deal with as a stigma, that they write New Adult just so their books can have sex in them.

No. That's not the case.

New Adult is not just "sexed up YA." Actually the best definition of New Adult I've seen is from author Kristan Hoffman on Writer's Digest

I'm not as eloquent as Kristan, but here is my short answer to what I believe New Adult is:

That period of life known as "the college years" and "post grad" in which we are trying to find ourselves and navigate from being under our parent's thumb to being on our own.

Now the long of it and why I write New Adult (hint: not just for the smex)

In 2009, I was graduating college and after finding young adult books I was wondering where the books were for my age group? Answer? There wasn't really any. So I had this idea to use my own experience of almost failing out of college (Libby fails out, I got my grades up and had a professor that believed in me and wrote me a letter to help me stay in school) and applying it to a manuscript.

I wrote what it was like to be that nineteen year old girl. How relationships are never about first kisses anymore. How it's hard to keep up with classes and a social life and to deal with not having your parents or someone to keep you in check when you go too far. This was My Paper Heart and I loved it. Agents loved it when I queried but I was told over and over that a college aged protag would be hard to sell.

And then it's the same familiar story that I shelved the manuscript after my agent shelved me and waited. Fast forward to 2012 and out came books like Beautiful Disaster, Easy, and The Wild Ones. These books exploded onto the book scene, made the NY Times Best Seller list, and were getting six figure print and movie deals. This was when New Adult was shoved into the public's eye like Lindsay Lohan after a weekend bender. And when something is new and gets in the hands of some hungry people, it can get turned into something ugly.

In short, New Adult is not this sexed up genre that Dateline made it out to be. It's about a period of life that yeah is going to be more sexually charged than a fifteen year old's, but it's no sexed up Nancy Drew. If Nancy Drew was twenty in her books, what else would those pearls be used for? Food for thought.

Monday Musings: Want to help with book three?

One of the great things about reviewes (even when they are critical) is that I can see what people loved or hated in the first book and then take that into account when writing sequels.

I read a review that said they were dissapointed in Gavin's role in the first book, this leads to him having a MUCH larger role in the third book. (muahahahahaha)

Several reviews have said that they want more Jen, so now only does she appear more in book 3, but now she will have her own novella to go with the series!

There are so many other things that I look to readers and reviewers for, but now instead of hiding behind the bushes and creeping I'm asking you all directly:  What do YOU want to see happen in the third book? I do promise that all the characters (that I didn't kill atleast) from book 1 & 2 make an apperance in the third book, but what do you want to see?

What do you want from me?

What do you want from me?

Okay...now to close this out with a little Adam.

Monday Musings: Sometimes I stare at hot men

Isn't it a lovely Monday?

Okay maybe it's a lousy Monday and it's raining out or there is a drought and your water bill is higher than the Empire State Building. Either way I'm still going to talk to you about my muses and today it is all about the boys.

In How to Break up with an Alien and Alien Book 3 (Title reveal to come soon, I'm holding out, bwahahahaahaha), Ace interacts alot mor with the human world. One of the important things I have to think about is how someone from another planet would look at different things like football games or coffee houses. So for some "research" I decided to watch movies and TV shows with other men that are displaced.



 Let's start out with Keanu Reeves in Bill & Ted's excellent adventure. To complete a project for school two dudes travel back in time and bring back famous people throughout history. I'm not sure how 'hard' Keanu actually had to act in this role, but his reactions to different people made me laugh out loud. At first it was just the little things, like the fact that I mispronounced 'Socrates' for almost an entire year after seeing this movie since I thought it was the right pronounciation or how Keanu just stared at every single new person he met wide-eyed like they may possibly beat him in his fluffy head. Then I started to notice his body language to different objects and people in the past, how he would lean his body back slightly when he was aprehensive about approaching someone or how he would nod profusely when he actually had no idea what the other person was saying. By watching his body language I was able to gauge a bit on how Ace might react to something like pork chop sandwiches and still think it was impossible to eat a pig out of foil.

 Then of course there is Hugh Jackman in Kate and Leopold. How would someone distinguished from the past deal with modern day society? I love me some Hugh Jackman, especially his sideburns in Wolverine, so any excuse to watch him dressed up like an English noble is a good one for me. Ace has been around Earth for a few decades and when he actually did interact with humans, it was the 1940's a definite different way of life. So I watched how a man from the past interacted with a future world, using different languages, bowing, and just looking so good in a suit. Mmmm men in vests...

Which leads me to my other favorite alien...

 Yes! You are correct the vested man is Joseph Gordon Levitt and he started his career as an alien on the TV show 3rd Rock from the Sun!  JGL is the ultimate in playing a displaced character, he did it throughout his years as a confused, long-haired teen in 3rd Rock and then cut the hair and rocked a vest to play a dream entering hottie in Inception. If you want a laugh you can watch himi and his family with their reactions to life on Earth and dating humans OR you could just watch him wearing a vest in inception...your call.

What males do you use for inspiration? Did you know JGL was an alien?

Let's just fall in love again

Let's pretend baby, that you just met me. I've never seen you before.

Oh Jason Castro, your beautiful dreadlocks and striking blue eyes *ahem* Okay enough about Jason Castro, this really isn't about him...though it should be...he is pretty.

AHEM

Okay, this is about falling in love with your story.

I had a WIP that I started before How to Date an Alien was published called Spliced. I hadn't worked on it awhile because I was busy with How to Date an Alien and then How To Break Up With an Alien. Since Book 2 is done and Book 3 is really moving along, I decided to pick up Spliced again.

And let me tell you it's like falling in love with the story all over again.

It feels like we haven't seen eachother and now I'm catching up with an old friend. As I write these characters I can't help but fall in love with them over again. Like Jason says, "It' so easy we don't need to pretend."

I don't need to pretend I just met these characters, I can fall in love with them all over again just from that little break. With writing an outline I know exactlly what is going to happen to them, but even with an idea these characters still surprise me and keep me on the edge of my seat.

I do love Ace and Alex, but Pacey and Rowen are so giving them a run for their money. I know, of course, the same thing is going to happen when book three comes around, but until then I'm just going to keep falling in love with these characters again and again.

Do you fall in love with your characters over and over again? How do you come back to an old WIP?  And no...unfortunatley none of the characters in Spliced or the alien books look like Jason *lesigh* I guess I will have to write a book for him too, don't tell Mr. Lambert!

Monday Musings: Character Chemistry

I don't want you all to get too excited and start sending me flowers and edible arrangements, but tomorrow is my two year wedding anniversary.

It seems like only yesterday (even thought it was five years ago) that I met my husband. And for some reason we still have that chemistry. He still likes to cuddle when we sleep at night and I still love to get dressed up for him or try out a new recipe.

It's like this when we write characters or read them. We want to see that initial spark, that initial chemistry, and then see how it expands throughout the novel (or the series).

There are so many couples in literature that have that *spark* that can continue on through novel after novel even after the initial flame has died down.

Some of my favorites include:

Sookie and Bill- The Sookie Stackhouse Series
I'm not going to give away any spoilers for the books, but even though Sookie has met many different men throughout this series, Bill is the one that always seems to still make her heart flutter even if it's not clearly written.

Noah and Allie - The Notebook
I'm not a fan of the movie, but Nicholas Sparks does a beautiful job in the novel weaving the story of two people whose love can transcend time and place.

Kate and Taylor - My Sister's Keeper
I'm ashamed to say I have not read the book yet (the movie made me cry so much I had to wait to read it), but I loved the chemistry of the two cancer patients brought together because of their shared medical condition, but then ultimatley went beyond that.

Okay, you got me, most of these are adult novels. So you have any favorites that spark your interest? What makes that character chemistry work for you?

Pop culture references in writing

I know, I know I always say that I HATE when pop culture references are made in books. With that said, one would also notice that my books do contain alot of pop culture reference.



It was brought to my attention by one of my critique partners *ahemKelseyKetchahem* that I do note some things that aren't exactlly relevant to everyone.  Now I could tell you all to google them, or I could just show you some of them now.



The Graduate



 Are you trying to Seduce me Mrs. Robinson? This classic line was uttered in this film that was made WAY before I was born, but I'm always a sucker for Dustin Hoffman. If you haven't seen the movie you should probably rent it,  you may actually get scenes in a few more modern movies (ala the pounding on the glass while the wedding of someone else is going on downstairs).



James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause- Seriously, the epitome of cool. Even if you don't know who he is, you've seen his picture. The black leather jacket, blonde hair, smiling as he leans over the car door. Okay, so maybe you all don't know who he is, but here is a fact. James Dean starred in the movie Rebel without a Cause and shortly after lost his life in a deadly car crash. Forever he will be immortalized as the car driving rebel without a cause.

Marlon Brando- Before Marlon Brando was The GodFather with grapes stuffed in his mouth he was the beautiful bad boy in A Streetcar Named Desire. When people scream, 'STELLA,' that is his famous scene from that movie. Learned something knew didn't you?



Office and a Gentleman- I like Richard Geere, he is in the same league as Dustin Hoffman for me. He did this movie 'An officer and a Gentleman.' He was the gentleman. One of the most iconic scenes in the movie is when he is standing in the rain and says "I've got nowhere else to goooooooo." My college roommate used to say that to me all the time and I loved her for it.

Any other references that make absolutely no sense to you any my books? Any old Hollywood movies that you love? Anyone see Tootsie?

Doing your research pays off

Sorry I haven't been posting as regularly.  Starting a new job is a little time consuming and I haven't really had any good writing news lately, so it's been kind of hard to talk about it.

But today I'm finally going to talk!  (And YES, I am relating to something with Olivia).

On the 15th the pediatrician gave me the go-ahead to start giving Olivia baby cereal.  I was so excited that I went to Wal-mart right after the appointment and picked up two differant kinds of cereal, bibs, spoons, and bowls.  I came home and put Olivia in her bumbo with her bib on, mixed the cereal up and she screamed.  There was no way she was going to eat it.

I was upset.  My husband tried to take pictures and record it, but all we got was a screaming baby.

So then I decided to try again, but before trying I did some research on the best way to get your baby to eat cereal.  I scoped out differant forums and Googled differant things, so by Wednesday I was ready to try again. 

Olivia was less grumpy because she didn't just have shots and after playing with the spoon with her for thirty minutes, when she went into her high chair this happened.

Research pays off!


What does this have to do with writing?

Uh...

No, seriously, it has a lot to do with writing.

We research to write elements of our story,

We research to find the right agents to query

What else do we research?  What happens if you don't research?  (Well for one you end up with a lot of rejections...or alot of wasted baby cereal)

Day One : Breaking the addiction

I have an addiction that I have been hiding from everyone, including my husband. But today I am finally going to break the addiction.

Blog readers, I am highly addicted to Diet soft drinks.

You laugh, but I'm totally not joking.  Every day that I come into work I usually get a Diet Mountain Dew in the morning and sometimes a Diet Pepsi in the afternoon and, if I go out for dinner, I get another Diet doft drink.

Sure there are people that drink a whole lot more than me, but I'm starting to feel like I can't live without it.  Case in point, I gave in and bought a can of Diet Pepsi this morning.

I'M WEAK.

So, bloggers, I need you to keep me accountable.  I need your help in breaking this Diet soft drink addiction.

Any addiction tips?  Why do diet soft drinks have to be SO good?

Monday Musings

Ladies and Gentleman, I am trying to write my first short story.

Okay, so I lied...

This is actually one of many short stories (the others were written for Creative Writing classes in college and high school), but we won't talk about those...

Especially since one was about a girl 'accidently' killing her boyfriend and the other was about a girl who was meeting a guy on the internet that turned out to be her dad.

Yeah...not weird at all...

Well, anywhoo my RWA goal for the month is to write and finish this short story so I can bring it into the next meeting and I want to get it turned in for submission by October first.

So I get an awesome idea, figure out the plot, know EXACTLLY how I want to end it, but there is one problem...

I have no idea where to begin!

Does this ever happen to you?

It takes place in a coffee shop, maybe I should go to one and just hang out and inspiration will come?

Suggestions? Musings?

Hey Jealousy

I hate to admit it, but I need to.

I am a very jealous person.

I don’t know if it has something to do with my low self-esteem and comparing myself to others, or if it’s just the Social Media culture of my generation that has put all the world’s braggings out there for everyone to see.

Every time someone gets an agent or book deal – I get jealous

Every time someone gets more comments on a picture of their new baby on Facebook – I get jealous

Every time someone gets more comments on their blog than me – I get jealous.

Jealousy is such an ugly thing and I really hate it, but it’s SO hard to hide that green eyed monster.  Sometimes we all just have to stop, put down the computer, and just be thankful for what we have.  I’m not saying that Social Media is making this whole jealousy thing worse, or that I’m narcissistic whenever something that I think people should be envious of happens.  But I do think sometimes it’s best just to step away from it all and then really look at what you have.  We have to stop looking at what we don’t have or what we really want and look at all the things that we have accomplished.

I have finished two manuscripts

I have a beautiful daughter and loving husband

I have a great job that pays the bills so that I can continue writing

These are what we should all focus on instead of the jealous aspects of our lives.  And slowly…I need to learn to practice what I preach.

Do you get jealous?  How do you deal with jealousy?

Hi Ho, Hi Ho It's off to work I go

So...my daughter is 2 months old now, which means that I have to go back to work *sad face*

It was hard to keep up with writing, reviewing, and this blog while staring at this cute face all day, but hopefully I can get some time on my lunch hour to get time in for everything.  If I don't...er...I'll just randomly post pictures of Olivia on the blog and you can all stare and go 'awwwww' how is that?

Okay, no seriously.  Working on a new project and I have three reviews to get posted this summer, so really I will do that.

Now the real question...how the heck do all of you with so much on your plate find the time to get everything done?  Tips are always appreciated!

The Olivia Method

I sit at home with a 5 and a half week old all day, so how do I find any time to write or even to come up with ideas for my WIP?  The answer to that is the Olivia Method (patent pending...okay actually I'm too cheap to get a patent, so you can use this method for yourself!)

So how does this work?  How do I manage to have 3 WIP going at once and how do I even get the ideas?  Sleep deprivation and random daytime TV is a good way to come up with ideas, but here is how I put them in motion.

A sounding board-  Sometimes Olivia just likes to hear my voice, but how much do you really have to talk about with an infant?  This last week I started talking out loud to hear about ideas for my WIP.  By saying the ideas out loud I figured out what it actually sounded like and if the ideas actually made sense.  Olivia doesn't talk back (she does make 'Ah-goo' sounds and cries sometimes), but when she'll give me a concerned look it makes me re-think the idea or even come up with another idea.

Example:  I gave Olivia the idea for one of my WIP then she gave me her trademark 'concerned' look and I realized that I had no idea how it would end or even where the book would go.  By saying it out loud and thinking about it, I finally came up with an idea how to eventually wrap up the story and have series potential.

Late night feedings- Okay, so not everyone is going to wake up in the middle of the night to feed a child, but sometimes we all have those dreams that are so vivid they can spark an idea.  I'm able to get up after these dreams and ponder this idea.  Since I'm up for about half an hour, not doing anything but feeding Olivia, I have a lot of time to think about these dreams or even just think on ideas that I currently have.

How can you use this?:  When I do have these ideas in the middle of the night, I now try and take notes on my Ipad or write them down.  You may not get up in the middle of the night to write down your idea, but it could help to have a notebook by your bed to write down that idea and even take some down time to think about that idea the next day.

Write when you can- I used to have SO much time to write and edit.  Now I'm constantly playing with Olivia or feeding her or napping with her.  I've now learned to make the most of the time that I have to write.  Now I take those notes and ideas and plug them into my WIP. I don't have the time to have writer's block and even if I think an idea might not work, I plug it in anyways to get something written down while Olivia is entertained my her play mat for 10 minutes or Daddy has taken her for a little while to play.

Make reasonable goals- Just like with Olivia, I have to set reasonable writing goals.  I make little weekly goals of things I want to accomplish with her (i.e. have her sleep through the night, wean her off of supplementing, getting her in her crib, etc).  I can't expect to get all of these goals accomplished at once and neither should someone in their writing.  I've realized that I can't plug out an entire novel in a week and I should expect to accomplish my Olivia goals in a week either.  Things take time.  I've been making little writing goals and it helps to keep me writing, while still having time for my duaghter.

Have you used others to help with your writing goals?  Have you used any of the Olivia Method?  How the heck do mom's ever find time to write?

Monday Musings

Still here and trying to get a little inspiration for my Dystopian project, so here is a little visual inspiration to get me going...and hopefully it will inspire some of your projects as well :)  (Note:  All photos are from Flickr)

Love don't come easy

Yes, it's a cheesy song and, yes, I've been gone for awhile.  But in celebration of yesterday being mother's day (and my return to try and blog again) I thought I would share with everyone something that I've learned from my daughter....the things that you love don't come easy.

In October of 2009 I left work very sick and found out that I had Polycystic ovary syndrome.  My gynecologist put me on medication and told me that I might have trouble conceiving.  I was engaged and was devastated that after getting married that I could possibly not have children.  I could have given up at that point, wallowed in my own self pity and started looking at adopting, but I didn't.  Instead I lost weight, took medication and did what I needed to do increase my chances of having a child (even though I thought they were slim.)

And then low and behold I did get pregnant.  Yeah...those people that say shows like Teen Mom are making people want to get pregnant, all of these teen girls need to just hang out with a pregnant woman before they decide they want a child fashion accessory.  I was tired, nauseous, and the size of a small house-- I just wanted the baby out of me and then she came.

I love my daughter, but the first two weeks of motherhood are HARD.  You're sore, tired, and both you and baby are getting used to each other so nothing comes easy...I honestly didn't think I could do it.

But now my daughter is almost a month old and we're both still alive, so it's definitely a plus.

What does this have to do with writing?  Or anything really?  Well the other day I got an answer back from an agent that has had my manuscript for awhile.  She said my writing was good, but the story was just too light for her.  I could have cried, I could have said it was time to give up, but then my wise husband said something.  "The more that you work for something the more that you appreciate it."

Which is SO true!  I had to work to have our daughter, I had to work hard those first few weeks of her life, and I've been working SO hard to get published the past two years.  If you really love something then you'll work for it.  Publication may not come easy, but if you love something then it's worth working for.

What hasn't come easy for you?  What makes you want to push farther?  Doesn't my daughter look like she is innocent in that picture?  (She actually cried her entire newborn photo session...those two weeks can kill you.)  And have you entered my contest for a signed copy of The Ghost and the Goth?  (Ends Friday!)

Monday Musings

I thought with HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN being on submission that I should probably start working on another project.  Yes, I would love for my alien novel to be a trilogy, but you really shouldn't start on the other parts of a trilogy unless book one sells, so now I need a shiny new idea.  The problem?

I CAN'T THINK OF A SHINY NEW IDEA.

The first full manuscript I completed came to me in a dream, well the initial idea that threw it into my head and wouldn't let go.  My second full manuscript came with an idea from a friend.  How to Date an Alien...that one just sort of came to me when I realized the lack of science fiction and aliens at the time I began writing (note: this was Spring of 2010 that I had the original idea.)

So how do I come up with something new?  I had this great idea, it was brilliant!  My critique partners loved it, I loved it, and then my husband pointed out that it was a book that had already been written..grrrr.  I've thought about taking my women's fiction manuscript (see: writing) and making it YA with some fantasy elements, but that one is coming a little bit slower than I had imagined.  So now I need to find me some inspiration...

How do you come up with ideas for your new WIP?  Have you ever taken a manuscript and changed genres and age groups?  Are you tired of hearing me talk?

The senses

  Since HTDA is finished I've gone back to my "for fun" novel called IMPERFECT about a Colorado Pizzeria employee and a snowboarding gold medalist.  But when I start a new novel there are a few things that I like to do as I open that new word document.  I have to stimulate my senses...

Sight:  Visual inspirations are very important for us writers.  Since our readers can't actually "see" what we see, we have to descibe it so that they will be able to see those same things that we picture.  For a contemporary novel, I like to google the place that I've set my novel in and look at some of the houses, restaurants, and other locations in that area.  I may have  made up the actual town, but it's usuall based in fact.

Hearing:  I've heard it many differant ways:  some writers need complete silence to write, some like the hustle and bustle of noises around a coffee shop, and some like to plug into their own playlist.  Personally I like to have a playlist.  Certain lyrics can invoke a whole new scene for me and helps me get lost in the WIP.  (Yes, Glambert was my inspiration for my alien and Jason Castro is my inspiration for my snowboarder.  Don't judge)

Taste:  This is one that you think, how the heck am I supposed to do this when characters don't really eat in literature?  I'm actually going to use an example from Lauren Myracle's novel SHINE to show how you can describe something that makes you feel like you can really taste it:  She brought me a glass of bright yellow lemonade so fakely sweet it made my teeth hurt.  I could literally imagine the color and taste of that lemonade just from that one sentence and try do the same in my own writing.

Smell:  Smell can be something good to your character, like when describing thier love interest's cologne or the hair wax in a dreadlocked snowboarder.  Of course smell isn't always good.  When describing an evil troll in a fantasy you may describe his terrible teeth and the way when he breathed on you it smelled like rotting flesh reaking from his mouth.  Sometimes I will burn candles just to evoke a sense of smell or I'll just search for products around my house that I like and describe that smell (yes...I'm that weird).

Touch:  This is one of the most important senses to writer.  If you write romance, you want to know how the character's skin feels against eachother and if you write action scenes you want to know what it feels like when the characters are fighting.  How do you do this?  Sometimes you have to watch movies to get a visual of what it looks and sounds like when characters do something like fight or fly a ship, or you can just go back to your own experiences and imagine that first time you held hands with your significant other.

How do you evoke the five senses in your writing?  Do you have any tips or tricks/

The stroller that almost killed me

A few months ago my husband and I went to Babies R Us to register for our first child.  We tried out EVERY single travel system at the store until I found one that I loved...this one.

Cute, right?  Well we didn't get it at our bigger shower, so we decided to take back some of our duplicate things and pick up this travel system on our way home.  We get to Babies R Us and there it is MY travel system.  Only when we looked on the shelf...none were left.  So we found a sale's clerk and she said that they had discountinued the stroller, but we could have the floor model.

Neither my husband, nor I wanted the floor model, so we picked out another one, one that we thought was better with an MP3 hook up and jogging style wheels.  A guy went to the back, brought it out for us, and we were so excited.  Of course we should have looked at the box before we got home because once we opened the box we realized that it was NOT the stroller we picked out at the store.

My husband said, "It's fine, let's put it together and see what we think."  But it wasn't the same...to me I had really wanted that three wheeled stroller.  I wanted it, just like I thought I didn't want anything else than my first choice stroller.  I got upset, so my husband just looked at me and said, "I really like it, are you willing to compromise for me?  I don't want to have to pack it up and take it back."

As Tim said those words, it made me think about writing.  When I started HOW TO DATE AN ALIEN, I had this grand idea and wrote the first chapter that I proudly brought to my RWA meeting.  That was the first time I ever got a critique from Best selling author Jade Lee.  I actually cried when she tore my first chapter to shreds, but I knew she was right and wrote another new beginning.

Like my new stroller, I was excited to have that new beginning and bring it to my RWA group, too bad that new beginning didn't go over as well as I wanted it to.  It was good, but it just wasn't up to snuff. 

Then, like the third stroller, I had to learn to compromise.  I took what they said and injected into the new manuscript, but still kept the beginning that I really liked.  Life is really all about compromise after all.  If your agent or editor tells you that something should be changed on your manuscript, but you don't exactlly agree, then you still have to take what they say into consideration.  You may not love that they don't think that makes sense to your story, but when you really look at it and are willing to compromise, you may just find that you love it just as much.  (Note:  After playing with the new stroller for a little while now I've realized that it is just as good as the other two, if not better.  AND there is nothing funnier than hearing my husband say, "Look, we can put this down and coo at her.  We can say 'COO, COO, COO."  I don't think he knows what cooing is...")  (Note, note:  AND I do LOVE my first chapter of How to Date an Alien, so it should all work out.)

I hope this made sense to everyone...maybe it didn't?

What have you had to compromise on(writing related or not)?  Was it worth it?  Would you make your husband pack up a stroller and take it back?