Hello, writer. Waiting for something? Here's a little mooood music for you.

 So. There is WAITING. Lots of it. At every stage of this being-a-writer thing. Waiting on a query? A partial? A full? Out on submission to publishers? We all have to deal with it. So read this little post and, if you're lucky, you may not check your email for an entire three minutes.


I came across this photograph in one of those stream of consciousness rambling internet searches that lead you to all sorts of fascinating things but also pull you into a magical time suck vortex that wastes your life like the Mirror of Erised.

I love it, and if I ever get a room of my own I shall have it on the wall. It happens to be called Waiting for the Believers.

Waiting for the Believers, Allan Bruce Zee

Here's a link to the photographer's site.  I've been looking at this often. I hope you like it as much as I do.


And here's a song I've been listening to every day. It's called Patience. I have a little. I'd like a lot more. And yes, I like Take That now. I'm not sure when that happened.

You can also make waiting your bitch by USING it - to do what you do, which is write, right?

I WON! I WON! Wait, what did I win? Stuff I learned from NaNoWriMo

So I took it down to the wire and finished today. 50k. 30 days. And here's my stats page where you can see my very steady progress. 

Stuff I learned from my first NaNo:

1. I can up my expectation of myself and meet it. It won't kill me.

I'm always setting myself targets - usually 1k a day when it comes to word count. NaNo calls for more, and just the knowledge that it did had me saying things like 'I've only written 1500 words today'. That would have been a good writing day before this month. Now I know that I don't always have to push myself this hard, but I also know that I can.

2. I can write all sorts of scenes that might not need to go in the book but still serve a purpose. 

I tend to write short YA contemporary novels. So when I got to 42k for NaNo, I'd finished the planned story. But since I wanted to win (because I just did), I wrote all sorts of scenes linked with the story - an alternate ending I'd been considering, a collection of flashbacks, a stack of scenes that I couldn't decide whether or not to include. And I'm so glad I did! I already know that a lot of them will go into the book and it will be better for it. Even the ones I'm not so sure about helped me think more about my mc and the other characters. I wouldn't have bothered writing any of these scenes without NaNo.

3. If I plan a novel in great detail beforehand, I never get stuck. 

This is another first for me. I pantsed the novel my agent signed me on (and then edited extensively). But I knew I wouldn't be able to write 50k in 30 days without a plan, so this time I made one. And what's more, I really enjoyed doing it. It was invaluable and it was fun. Bonus. I don't know yet if it will mean less revision afterwards, but I'm thinking that it will.
 

I've never had a problem writing through to the end without editing, but I know for those of you who do, NaNo is a big deal in that way. So how about you? Did you 'win'? Did you get something more useful out of it than the win? Did you figure something out about writing you hadn't figured out before? Do you now get to reward yourself with the second season of Vampire Diaries??

I just signed up for NaNoWriMo! Who wants to tell my husband?

It's official! I just signed up! I'm excited!

It's my first time! I won't use this many exclamation marks in the manuscript!

I've got a blurb for the book I want to write and I've been a-planning and a-plotting. The rest of October is going to be frowning-and-being-serious-about-scenes time. So I won't be pantsing, just writing what I've planned. I'm Ruth Lauren Steven (original, I know) on there if you want to find me.

So, who's done it before? Who's doing it this year? Do I need writing buddies? Do I need valium? Give me your tips, hints, seasoned advice for a newbie NaNo-er. Should I pace myself, or run at it like a demonic maniac? All advice welcome!

Nice things going on in the publishing world : )

So my friend, the fabulous agent Gemma Cooper has accepted a position at the fabulous Bent Agency! Good news for all concerned and good news for you too, since you can now query her there!

Here's the post making the announcement where Gemma gives a full list of what she's looking to acquire. Exciting! Look how many exclamation marks I used!

Other inneresting stuff: I'm trying to finish the first draft of this YA contemp I'm writing by the end of this month. I'm considering a pepperoni and cheese sandwich for lunch. Harper are accepting unagented submissions for a short time next month.

Here's where you can find Harper Voyager guidelines for digital submission

And here are some of the details I took straight from their site.

Keen to become a Harper Voyager author? Here’s your chance to join the imprint that publishes some of the biggest names in fantastic fiction—George R. R. Martin, Kim Harrison, Raymond E. Feist, Robin Hobb, Richard Kadrey, Sara Douglass, Peter V. Brett and Kylie Chan—to name but a few.

For the first time in over a decade, Harper Voyager are opening the doors to unsolicited submissions in order to seek new authors with fresh voices, strong storytelling abilities, original ideas and compelling storylines. So, if you believe your manuscript has these qualities, then we want to read it!

We’re seeking all kinds of adult and young adult speculative fiction for digital publication, but particularly epic fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, horror, dystopia and supernatural. For more idea of the type of books we love to read and publish, check out our authors and their titles at www.harpervoyagerbooks.com

Submissions for digital originals will be open for a limited two-week period from 1^st to the 14^th of October, 2012.

Worth a look!

Where's Ruth?

I am still here! Just a little busy this month. There's been some of this:

also some of this:

There is evil plotting going on (characters must suffer and be forced into awful situations), and the less evil kind where there will be writing competitions with nice agenty prizes!

Now if you'll excuse me, I have fictional teenagers to torture.

Books you need! By people I know!

Yes, this post is a shamless plug of books written by my friends. But if their blog posts, emails and general awesomeness are anything to go by, and I think they are, then you're going to want to purchase them when they come out. In fact you're probably going to want to purchase extra copies to give to everyone you know. Unless you don't love your friends. And I refuse to believe that about you. So here are the Goodreads listings and blurbs so you can prevent me from thinking you don't really love your mom/best friend/nephew/kids that much after all.

First up:

The Witch Hunter's Bible by Michelle Krys
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I get to star this one because I already read it. In fact, I read it twice, and some parts of it more than that. AND IT KEEPS GETTING BETTER.

Here's the blurb: A snarky sixteen-year-old cheerleader is forced into a centuries-old war between witches and sorcerers only to uncover the first of many dark truths about her life.

Add it to Goodreads now! Write it in permanent marker on your head so you don't forget to buy it when it comes out!

Next up:


The Silo by Amy Christine Parker

I haven't had the pleasure of reading this yet, but I WANT IT.

Here's the blurb: Follows a teenage girl named Lyla who has been living in a religious cult after the disappearance of her sister. While her parents are hopelessly under the sway of the group’s leader, Pioneer, Lyla is drawn into a dangerous situation when she begins to question Pioneer’s prophecy about the impending apocalypse.

Probably best if you tattoo the title onto someone you see on a regular basis lest you forget to get this book. 


  Reboot by Amy Tintera


I haven't got my hands on this one yet either, but have you seen this blurb? *excited clapping*

Two teens who have "rebooted" after dying must work together to rescue their kind from enslavement and end up falling in love in the process.

Film rights were simultaneously optioned to Fox 2000 with Chernin Entertainment and Lane Shefter Bishop at Vast Entertainment producing, by Lucy Stille at Paradigm on behalf of Lane Shefter Bishop and Emmanuelle Morgen.

Next time you redecorate a room in your house, paint the title on one of the walls until this comes out and you buy it. 


Last but by no means least:



Beware the Wild by Natalie C. Parker

This one is by another Greenhouser : )

Natalie C Parker's BEWARE THE WILD, pitched as Twin Peaks meets The Village, in which a claustrophobic Louisiana town is dominated by its sinister, encroaching swamp, which swallows up a boy who is instantly forgotten by everyone except his sister, and replaced by a mysterious girl from the past who is intent on taking over his family and his life.

You are now bewitched by all the allure, but before you succumb completely, hire a PA for the sole purpose of taking you to the bookstore on the appropriate release date. 




*reserves the right to more fangirling when the covers come out*
*reserves the right to post enthusiastic reviews on publication of the above books*

Which came first - the query or the book?

Cute. This is before the little fella tried to figure out which way round was best.

 I've done it both ways - book then pitch, and pitch then book (although I'm yet to complete that second way - at the moment I have two pitches written that are bookless).

Here's what I found: When I wrote my first pitch there was anguish and rending of garments and so on. I'd written the book (it was a bit rubbish) and there was no way I could make the story fit into the Query Shark formula (side note: some people can break the rules and get results with queries. I'm not one of those people, so I follow the formula). My book just didn't want to be constrained that way because it was just too...

It was just too rubbish is what it was. It took a long time to write a decent query for that book because the book itself didn't have great stakes.

Book 2's query took a similarly long time, but for different reasons. Namely these: I'd spent so long writing my book, it had so many great things in it that NEEDED to be in that query and there was no way 250 words was enough. (It can be hard to see the core of the story - especially if you've pantsed it in the first place.)

In short, despite the fact that my query for Book 2 worked, it was DIFFICULT to write.

Here's the good bit: More recently, Ive been writing the pitch first. And it's been a complete revelation.

Mind. Blown.

One advantage of doing it this way round is that you don't get bogged down with uneccessary detail or tempted to make mention of that incredible sub plot you have going on. The idea comes out pure. And although it might need a little flavour injecting into it later on when you've nailed down the characters and the setting, you'll have the core plot ready made.

I'm also hoping it will keep me on track when I come to actually write the book. I know what the main thrust of the plot is, so I can (theoretically) make sure I'm always writing towards it (and bypassing that scene at the sewage plant that seemed like a good idea at the time in favour of something that matters and isn't gross).

Plus I know that the plot is big enough, that the stakes are high, and that the choices these charatcers are going to have to make are WHOA (this is a technical writerly term I'm sure you're all familiar with). 

Not convinced? How about this: Do it this way round and you won't waste any time writing a book that isn't going to fly. You won't feel pressure to do your wonderful book justice and gnash your teeth over the pitch, because you haven't written said wonderful book yet. Stress-free query writing!

Yes, I googled 'book coming out of an egg'. Not sure what I was expecting.

So what do you think? Have you tried this? Did it work for you?

The one where there's even more news from Christmas in July and it is also awesome

Remember this fantastic entry to Christmas in July? Of course you do, because SING TO THE WIND by Jaye Robin Brown is great and you know it is : D

She got three well deserved full requests from Christmas in July plus much agent interest from querying. You can check out Jaye's story on her blog wherein there is much encouragement and also stats.

And for those of you following the progress of #midlifecrisis, mainly manifested on the top of my head, here's the latest colour:

Yes, it's orange. No, it wasn't meant to be. Adding #bleachfail to #midlifecrisis.

The one where there's news from Christmas in July and it's awesome

This is a post for the people out there in the query trenches, whether you're revelling in it or hating it out there. I always kinda liked it myself. It made me someone who was doing something positive about grabbing hold of the whole writing life thing. But I know that some of you think it's about as much fun as a room full of rakes. So here's some cool news. You know, because this could be right around the corner for you too.

It's been about four weeks since the Christmas in July contest, and in that time, four of the fifteen people whose work went up on my blog have signed with agents.

This is cool. Very cool. It's cool for them, but it's also cool for you because this is how it happens. One day you don't have an agent and the next, you...do.

And here's the post on Linda McLaren's blog where she tells you that she's now signed with Judith Engracia! I couldn't be happier for them both. Linda's THE SOUND CATCHERS caught plenty of agent eye, and I can't wait to read the whole story.

The one where I have a birthday and get all insecure and philosophical an' shit

Ok, I confess, my actual birthday was in the middle of our Christmas in July competition, so I didn't post about it then, and now I'm trying a little re-celebration to combat #midlifecrisis. Bear with me, I'll explain.

I'm not a vain lady. I've horrified those girls that work behind the make-up counter in Boots by admitting I wash my face with soap (the shame of it! - apparently) and don't bother with any of that 3-step program business (which in any case sounds suspiciously like I'm recovering from something if you ask me). I'm not a big fan of mirrors, and I loathe cameras.

But last month, when I turned 36 and was more pushing-40 than mid-30s (at least in my head), something happened. For the first time, I'm concerned about my age. Now obviously this is pointless. In reality, I'm not really that old. I'm not really that different than I was at 35, or 34. And I've been going grey since I was 18. Time passes and ain't nothing I can do about it.

So what changed? Why do I suddenly feel like manic panic hair dye in pillar box red is the answer? Hey, brain, what's with the #midlifecrisis??

And the conclusion I've come to is this: I'm starting at the bottom (and I know this is a relative term) of a business - the writing business - and there are women out there that are ten years younger than me and have five published books under their belts.

And it feels like I'm always in that position - at the bottom. I've had a lot of jobs over the years, and there's not one of them I was ever in long enough to feel proficient, like I'd earned respect because I knew what I was doing. I took jobs that fit in with the children, and by the time I decided I wanted to be a teacher, I'd just had boy3. I qualified, taught for a year and then got pregnant with Girl.

I chose to do that, and a very fine thing it was too, but then my life got hi-jacked by writing, or whatever it was that happened to me a little over two years ago. So with four children and a new obsession, I stopped teaching to be a full-time mom and secret trier-at-being-a-writer.



Here are a few pictures before I draw a conclusion that I wasn't intending to draw when I started writing this post.

The presents that my lovely family bought me for said 36th birthday.

The birthday books I bought with the money my MIL and FIL gave me.

Boy2, husband and boy3 out with me for birthday lunch.

Girl, who likes to sit with me.

So...this is what I have achieved in the 36 years I've had so far. It's...not too shabby after all? Don't get me wrong, I'm extremely proud of my children. It's not like this is a new realisation for me. But it's a lot harder to be proud of myself.

Two years ago I'd just finished the first draft of my first (terrible) attempt at writing a novel. And now I have an agent (yes I still link to this every chance I get. Don't look at me that way.) which means that one day my book might be a actual book, and even if it isn't, my next book might be an actual book. That. is. so. cool.  

I didn't start this post with a GO ME! intention at all. Honestly, it was going to be a bit of whinging that I wouldn't have pressed publish on. But I kind of feel better now. I kind of feel like I need to remember what I have done and shut up about the parts of this writing thing that I haven't got to yet.
I guess this is the power of writing.

Now will someone please slap me?

Red hair.

Cheaper than a Ferrari.

Books I loved that you should probably read

Christmas in July took up ALL THE POSTS and so I haven't had chance to foist my opinions about good books on you for a while. Here are my favourites since last I made noise about what you should be reading.


Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great, hard-won relationship between the two mc's, fantastic world-building, excellent story. I find myself reluctant to buy into books that aren't standalones, but I loved this one and it had a satisfying ending. Bring on the sequel. (And thanks to Michelle for making me read this!)


Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan


Sci-fi! My agent recommended this one to me. It's a great example of using every opportunity to block your mc from achieving their goal to make a tense story. Another one where I will definitely be looking for the sequel.



Just Listen by Sarah Dessen


The first Dessen book I've read. I went out and bought The Truth about Forever when I finished this. I liked the intricacies of the relationships between all the characters here. This is why contemp rocks.




Torn by Cat Clarke


This is one of those thought-provoking books that made me squirm. You know what's coming, but not how it happens and you CAN'T LOOK AWAY. If you haven't read this or Clarke's first book, Entangled, you need to.



A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Heart. Broken.

This is a must read.




Any recommendations for me?

Crux by Julie Reece

Why am I telling you about this book, you ask? Well here's why: Julie Reece is a writer I met on Scribophile and one of the nicest ladies I've ever met online. I read the first couple of chapters of this book on that site and I couldn't have been happier for Julie when J. Taylor Publishing picked it up. It's on my tbr on Goodreads (I'm getting round to it, Julie, I swear!) Ok, enough from me, over to Crux and Julie Reece!

She should have run. Now, she’ll have to fight.

Eighteen year old Birdie may be homeless, but she’s surviving, that is until a mysterious guy throws money in the air like a crazy game show host and she grabs some with the idea she’ll be able to buy dinner that night.

In that singular moment, unassuming Birdie becomes the girl in everyone’s viewfinder. Thugs want to kill her. Money-guy wants to recruit her. The very hot, very rich and very out of her league Grey Mathews wants to save her.

Birdie, though, wants nothing to do with any of them until she realizes fate didn’t bring them all together.

Her heritage did.

Now, with only twenty-one days left, she’s got to decide whether to follow in the footsteps of those before her or risk her life for people she’s only just met.

 Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.

I struggled with multiple learning disabilities, did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher) I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.

Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess... or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn't want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.

Then I thought I’d write one down…

Hooked, I’ve been writing ever since. I write historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, adventure, and young adult romances. I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle. Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!


Did I mention Julie is a lovely person? Well, she is, so if you want to follow her on Twitter, Facebook, or check out her blog then I won't stop you!

#XmasinJuly resulted in 39 requests for 16 manuscripts!

First of all, a big thank you to all the wonderful agents that took part!

It's been an interesting and exciting few weeks for Michelle and me. I've read some standout queries and pages, and it was fascinating to get a tiny insight into the slushpile aspect of agenting. So thank you all for being brave enough to send your work to us. It takes balls.

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll have seen my stats tweets. I'd love to be able to say I used my mad maths/ICT skills to make the following charts, but that would be a big lie because I don't have any. Instead I need to thank Heather Hawke, Deanna Romito and Elaine Vickers who all worked hard so that I didn't have to. Excellent.

Also, shamefaced apologies to Elaine since I gave her the wrong total number of entries (hey, I never said I could count). Also, I have no idea how to make the pdf she sent me appear on my blog despite mashing the keyboard with my paws for quite some time.

The total number number of entries was, in fact, 351.

Adult (96)
YA (201)
MG (38)
PB (16)

Heather made this.

Deanna made this.

So there you have it. The official findings of the slush are that lots of people write YA and I'm a bit of an idiot.

Other stats include 20 requests for 8 manuscripts out of my 15 entrants, and 19 requests for 8 manuscripts out of Michelle's 15 for a total of 39 requests for 16 manuscripts (someone check that).

I hope they ALL turn into massive success stories!

Both Michelle and I had blogger glitches that meant one of our entries wasn't visible for some of the time. Rest assured we were both aware of this and made sure the agents were too. 

Last, but by no means least, you might have noticed that I had to redact two of the entries on my blog : D

This is because L.L. McKinney's COVETED has been snapped up by an agent, and Linda McLaren's THE SOUND CATCHERS is in the process!!

I couldn't be happier that we'll all get to read those incredible stories. It makes me want to break out the...

Yeeeaaahhhhh!

Both of these talented ladies have agreed to do a guest post about signing with their agents, so look out for those in the coming weeks!

All in all, Christmas in July has been awsesome, and we will DEFINITELY be doing something similar in the future.

One last request before I declare the entries open for comments: this isn't a critique round, it's simply an opportunity for you to let these authors know how much you like their work. In this situation, it's like my mom says - if you haven't got anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all :)

Let the requests come in!

Below are fifteen of the thirty winning entries for Christmas in July! (The other fifteen winners can be found over at Michelle Krys's blog).

Agents will be dropping by to make requests all week, beginning today. We respectfully ask that no one else comment on the entries until after July 25^th. Beginning July 26^th, or sooner if all the agents have made their requests, feel free comment away (bearing in mind the sandwich rule of criticism), and to congratulate the (hopefully) lucky authors.

Agents, there is no limit to the number of requests each manuscript can receive. So if you see that an entry already has a request for a full, please feel free to make a similar request of your own. We won’t mind! Requests can be made directly in the comment box for that entry.

Entrants, please remember to send off any material requested by Judith Engracia and Lucy Carson as soon as possible after they’re made (though, really, this rule should apply to all of the agent’s requests, as we all know authors shouldn’t query until they’re absolutely ready for an agent to view their completed manuscript as they stand, right?)  

As a reminder, the participating agents are:

Adriann Ranta of Wolf Literary Services

Julia Churchill of The Greenhouse Literary Agency

Stephen Barr of Writers House

Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst & Associates

Judith Engracia of Liza Dawson Associates Literary Agency

Carly Watters of P.S. Literary Agency

Becky Vinter of Fine Print Literary Management

Melissa Sarver of The Elizabeth Kaplan Literary Agency

Molly Jaffa of Folio Literary Management

Lucy Carson of The Friedrich Literary Agency

And so it begins!  

#1 SPECTACLE (YA contemporary)

Dear Agents,

Doug Stelley plays a Questling level 48 elf, can find calculus derivatives in his sleep, and is infatuated with Deanna Hanemann, the hottest girl at Crestview High. When he misreads her signals, Doug asks Deanna to the prom – and gets shot down. His best friend Cameron thinks he’s crazy, but Doug refuses to believe he isn’t good enough for her. Unexpected help comes when Doug meets swagged-out Kalani James, a famous rapper with a knack for writing hit songs and ignoring texts from underwear models. When Doug gets him to the hospital after a head injury, Kalani tries to thank him with money, but Doug has a different request. He wants Kalani to teach him how to get girls.

Kalani reluctantly agrees, and with a superstar rapper tweaking his every move, Doug launches his steady rise up the high school hierarchy towards Deanna. But leaving the nerd life won’t be easy. Cameron thinks he’s a sellout, and his classmates act more like fans than real friends. On top of that, a cute underclassman catches Doug’s eye, and she happens to play a level 59 wizard.

But when Kalani loses his manager, it looks like game over for both his music career and Doug’s plan. Doug soon figures out a way to help his famous friend, but doing so will send his new reputation back to level one.

SPECTACLE is a contemporary YA novel complete at 61,000 words. Thank you for your time and consideration.

Sincerely,

Chase Baldwin

 “Remember, the Questling character exhibition is this weekend.” Cameron was talking, but I wasn’t listening. I had one headphone in as I scanned the halls. I knew she’d be coming this way soon; we had first hour calculus together. “We have to be sharp because those shadow dwarf pansies win it every year and it pisses me off.”

The door at the end of the hallway opened and she appeared. Deanna Hanemann – blond, tight clothes, dancer’s legs; she’d make the hottest elven princess ever.

 “Later man.” I had to get to class before her to stake out my spot. When the girl in question was a dime then you had to be strategic. Every guy knew that.

 I plugged in my other headphone. “The Spectacle” by Kalani James blared in my head, the latest rap song about how great it was to have tons of girlfriends – something I’d never know about. But it was catchy and it boosted my confidence, and I needed every bit I could get.

 My self-esteem could easily be represented on a standard graph with an x and y-axis. On any given day, it could be plotted around negative one thousand, give or take a few. Today, however, I felt somewhere in the positive numbers because I was equipped with the perfect thing to say to Deanna.

 I was the first person to make it into the classroom, as usual. Being tardy messed up a perfect attendance record, and I’d come too far to blow it now.

 Deanna was usually the last person to make it in. My guess was there was just a ton of people she had to talk to every morning.

 I heard her before I saw her. Deanna Hanemann appeared in the doorway, smiling at one of her friends down the hall as she finished her conversation. She walked toward her usual desk. The one right in front of mine.

 I quickly averted my eyes. She sat down, her back to me like a slender wall. Her blonde hair spilled down past her shoulders and I caught a whiff of whatever girly shampoo she used.

 I’d liked her since freshman year. Now that we were seniors, my chance to do anything about it was running out.

 Prom was the last big school event.

 Problem was, I’d never even been on a date.

 “Hey.”

 She half-turned her head toward me. “Oh, hey Doug.” She flashed a polite smile.

 “Have a good weekend?”

 “Um, yeah, it was good, I guess. Pretty normal.”

 I’d hoped to hold out a little longer, but it seemed like now was the time to pull out the big guns.

 “I heard Steven Henbury was being weird at Nathan’s party.”

 She turned to face me entirely, swinging her crossed legs around as far as the desk chair would allow. I had struck gold.