Writing update!

So, I started querying last week! I was feeling down about things and needed to take my mind off life, so I sat down and wrote about ten drafts of my query letter before it was just right, then found five agents and sent my letters out.

I received my first rejection today, but I'm not really that upset about it because my book would just BARELY fit within the type of books that they normally represent, so it was a really long shot. I'm going to polish my letter a bit and send a couple more letters out this week.

After I finished my letters, I made an author page on facebook. It might be too soon, but I want to keep everything in the same place, and since no one reads this blog or checks their email, that's the best way to do it.

I also started working on the outline for Project #2!! Right now I'm just doing the outlines and character bios (in a notebook, by hand, as I do), but I'm hoping to start the first draft this week! I've already written bits and pieces of this book. It's been my back-burner project since 2010, but I've been working the idea in my head for so long that I feel like it's time to get it all out. I won't be posting any details about it any time soon, except maybe the occasional teaser quote.

Book Update

Starting my third draft tonight (9/13/14). Might've made a contact, so even though my readers haven't had time to return my second draft I'm starting the third. I'll change what I need to when I get there.

Book Update

So I started writing again on Monday. But then I found out that my great-grandma passed away at the age of 94, and I was totally blindsided and now I don't really want to do anything. I've edited a few things for friends, and I've gone back over what I wrote the other day, but I haven't written a word since Monday.
I know I will get back into the swing of things. I will find that motivation again. But for now, my heart just won't let me.
I miss my great-grandma terribly. The last time I talked to her, we had an amazing conversation about her childhood and being young adult in the 40's, and she told me secrets and we laughed and it was really just great to connect with her the way I did. The last words we said to each other were "I love you, see you soon".
I just miss her.
My sisters are having a really hard time with her death. Especially my youngest sister. When my Papa passed away in 2007, she was too young to really get it. But now she does. And it hit her really hard. I wish I could be there for her. But I can't even bring myself to call because I can't deal with those emotions over the phone. I just can't. Hearing my dad cry is hard enough, and I've heard that so many times. Hearing Tay cry would just break me. It would tear me to pieces.
Anyway.
That's my update for now.
I'll be making changes to this blog, adding pages and such, over the next few weeks, as well as really getting a hold on my review format. But for a bit, I might not post anything.
Not sure.

Book Review: Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult [SPOILERS]

My Rating: ★★★½ 

Plot: Willow O'Keeffe is born with  osteogenesis imperfecta ("brittle bone disease"), and spends the first years of her life casted, splinted, and essentially broken. When the family decides to take a trip to Disney World together, Willow trips and falls and has another break. However, since they are in an unfamiliar hospital, the doctors do not have her records and must assume her breaks are signs of abuse, and her parents are arrested. Once the facts are all cleared up, the girls were reunited with their parents, but their father, Sean, was furious. He got a lawyer, with the intention of suing the hospital for the way they were treated. However, the lawyer told him that they were acting well within their rights and that there wasn't a case there-- but there might be a case somewhere else. A case that would change the way people looked at their family forever. A case that would mean that Charlotte would have to basically say that she wished her daughter had never been born.

Pros:

• It was a page-turner. I found myself unable to stop reading (I even accidentally took a forty-five minute lunch break, when I was only supposed to take thirty minutes) because I got so caught up in the story.
• It was written like they were all telling the story to Willow. I liked that.
• I could relate to the characters. Maybe not in the medical sense, but I Charlotte and Sean's marriage was very realistically written, the little disputes about money and the small habits they had with each other. All of it. And Amelia. Oh my goodness I just wanted to hug her and say "shhh bb it'll be ok, just come here shhh" and not like in a creepy way, I just really wanted to make her feel better.
• It shows the underlying problems in a family with an already big problem. The things no one sees. The things people don't really want to see. All of the casseroles that NO ONE is going to eat.
• As always, the story lines and multiple points of few gave the story a lot of variance while still showing connections in the journeys along the way.
• There are so many good quotes in this book. So many.

Cons:

• I basically knew Willow was going to die from page one. Well, ok, from whenever I found out she was sick. 1) the cover showed a girl DROWING IN THE POND, and 2) I knew the trial was going to be this HUGE fiasco all for nothing. She had to die. It only made sense for Picoult's method of storytelling.
• It was really anti-climactic and then it exploded. Like ok cool they won the trial (of course), and then the last page punched you in the face. Some readers might like that, but the ending really just didn't do it for me. Especially because I predicted the outcome.

Favorite Quote(s):

•  “When you love someone, you say their name different. Like it's safe inside your mouth.” 
• “I always hated when my scars started to fade, because as long as I could still see them, I knew why I was hurting.” 
• “Maybe you had to leave in order to really miss a place; maybe you had to travel to figure out how beloved your starting point was.” 
• “There are kinds of pain that you can't speak out loud.” 

My Thoughts: This was a good book, if you like tear-jerkers. I will admit that I cried a few times while reading this book. Babies in pain is such a sad subject. I really liked the lawyer's side-story, even with the sad ending to her journey to find her birth-parents. Overall, it was a good book. I think maybe the reason I rated it so low was because 1) it was predictable and 2) it just ended the way it did. I know that Picoult does this with her books. I know. I get that. But ugh. RIGHT IN THE FEELS.

Links

Goodreads

Amazon
B&N
Book Depository
Jodi Picoult

Book Review: Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn [SPOILERS]

My Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Plot: On a warm summer morning in North Carthage, Missouri, it is Nick and Amy Dunne's fifth wedding anniversary. Presents are being wrapped and reservations are being made when Nick's clever and beautiful wife disappears from their rented McMansion on the Mississippi River. Husband-of-the-Year Nick isn't doing himself any favors with cringe-worthy daydreams about the slope and shape of his wife's head, but passages from Amy's diary reveal the alpha-girl perfectionist could have put anyone dangerously on edge. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media--as well as Amy's fiercely doting parents--the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior. Nick is oddly evasive, and he's definitely bitter--but is he really a killer? [click the link above to read more]

My Thoughts: [WARNING: Contains Spoilers!] This book was a trip. I wrote predictions along the way: Amy's parents did it... Nick did it... Amy ran away. I had no idea that my final prediction was the correct one. When I finished the first act of the book, I actually had to go back and reread a few pages because it just didn't make sense that she would disappear on her own. As I got to know Amy-- Real Amy, not Diary Amy-- I was sickly fascinated by the fact that someone could be that twisted. Once I found out that Amy was alive and very much okay, I couldn't put the book down. I wanted to know why she ran, and I wanted to know how Nick was going to react when she inevitability came home. I honestly thought Nick was going to kill her because everyone already thought he did anyway. I was totally blindsided by the ending. I cannot imagine having to live with someone that insane for the rest of my life, and Nick is totally trapped with Amy forever. That is just crazy. 

I really, really enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait to see the movie when it comes out. I might even (dare I say it?) watch it in theaters. The book was that good. If you haven't read Gone Girl, you should read it. Now!

This book was recommended to me by Fatma over at the3gryffindors.tumblr.com

Book Update

I haven't worked on my book except a few paragraphs here and there since I started my official rewrite. I just have no motivation and I can't find my voice and I can't do anything while Bryce is around. It's a bummer but I'm really not in a hurry. But I do at least need to write my new chapters soon so I can send it back to a couple of readers for another round of proofreading. I like that one of my readers is a professional proofreader because some of the things that I didn't catch, she caught, and some things that other people suggested weren't things that she suggested and I trust her judgement over the others'.
But yeah.
I'll get to is sooner or later I suppose.

Book Reviews!

Once again, I find myself behind on my book reviews. I'll catch up soon. Also, I've began writing my second draft! I officially started writing it on Sunday, July 13. But things are chaotic and messy right now so I'm not getting much of anything done.
Will catch up soon.

Book Update

I've completely edited my first draft, and now I'm on to writing my second draft. A lot of it will be copying and pasting, so I'll have a hard time keep track of my progress. I'm just going to take it chapter by chapter according to my new outline. I'm hoping that changing certain scenes doesn't completely ruin my story.

Book update

So last night I sent my book over to Staples to get it printed and coil-bound, and I'm going to red-pen it to death and keep it. I get to pick it up on Friday, and I am so excited. I've never printed a finished product like this, even a dinky proofread draft. I think I'm going to do this with every draft. 
And I came up with a maybe-title: "How Real". But I don't really like it. But the book needed a title besides [Working Title], so I snagged a line of dialog and made it my title. 
I should have all of my new outlines and character bios done by the time I pick this up on Friday, and I'll be ready to proofread and start my second draft! I tried formatting my manuscript, but I have no idea how to make the page numbers work, so I gave up and I'll just try again once I'm actually ready to print it and ship it to someone.
I feel pretty confident about this book, but I'm trying to not get my hopes up.

Book update

So, I finished my book on June 10. I sent it out to seven or eight people. I've received feedback (no edit included) from two of those people, plus an edited document from two more people, and a handful of "I'll get to it soon, I promise" from everyone else. I'm not upset about this, because I wasn't really expecting anyone to read it, and the proofread versions I've received were super helpful, as was the feedback from the people who didn't edit it.
Today, July 8, I am starting my revision. I'm writing out my outline, my bios, my chapter summaries, all of that, on paper first, so I can have a hard copy of it to reference when I don't want to constantly go back and forth between word documents. Eventually I will put all of this into a second draft notes document like I had for my first draft. On Friday (or Saturday, depending on how I feel after our walk home from the library), I'm going to print out my first draft and red-pen it to death. Then I'm going to start from scratch and retype the whole thing using my proofread copies, my red-penned copy, and my new notes. I'm completely changing the timeline and I'm moving some things around. I really want this draft to be basically seamless.
I think I might start posting my writing updates here instead of on the tumblr that I made, that way my reviews and my writing are all in one spot, and whenever I update it, people will get the notification to their email instead of having to go to a blog to check. Yupp.
I am so stoke to start writing again!

Poetry Assignment 3/2/2014

This week's assignment was about things I remember. It could cover any time in my life, dream, reality, whatever. As long as every line began with "I remember". It didn't have to rhyme or flow well, but I did the best I could with both of those anyways. Here ya go.

I Remember

I remember long walks in the evening, with lilacs in full bloom
I remember the smell of kindergarten, tempera paint all over the room
I remember that mom loves white heart candies at Valentine’s Day; she gets them every year
I remember making gifts by hand, their recipients grinning ear to ear

I remember the first boy I kissed. We’re still friends to this day
I remember the first girl I kissed. We don’t talk, but it’s better that way
I remember the handwriting of all my friends, in second grade, fifth grade, ninth
I remember the names and faces of all of my teachers, even the ones I didn’t like

I remember my first Potter books; he’s a part of me that will never die
I remember my first Disneyland trip; I was twenty years old and I cried
I remember my first library book; many followed as I got older
I remember when my books fit in one bag, and now I’m a book hoarder

I remember when I was pregnant; I grew bigger every day
I remember when he was a newborn, and how I’d hoped he’d stay that way
I remember the little things; his freckles, his smile, his touch, his frown

I remember as much as I can, as long as I write it down

Progress!

I wrote 2700ish words yesterday, bringing my word count up to 14352. I tried to write a bit more last night but once Brent went to bed Bryce refused to let me near the computer. I'm nearing a part that I've already written, I just need to rewrite it and edit it to fit the timeline of my story. This will be a huge leap in my word count and it'll be about a day's worth of writing already written out, so that's nice. I just hope I can make it for so I don't have to scrap it. I have it written into my outline, but sometimes it doesn't work out that way. 

I finally feel like I'm making progress in my story though! That's a good feeling. The beginning was just weighing me down. In my original draft, I just did a quick summary of the events leading up to the scene I have to rewrite, and those events are going to cover three chapters now. It's crazy. 

Writing update!

I just hit 10k words, and I've still got a fair bit of writing to do today. I feel like the beginning is going to be so horribly bumpy, but once I make it past there, I can bust out the middle and the ending, and go back and smooth out the wrinkles and inconsistencies.
I can't believe I'm actually at 10k though. I thought I'd never make it there...
And I'm less than two full chapters in.

Dear Future Reader,

I'm sorry about what I'm going to put Nara through. I really am. Don't hate me. 

-Renae

Poetry Assignment 2/14/2014

This was a repetition exercise. I needed to have repetition in the way lines start and flow, as well as the rhyme scheme. It's so cheesy that it actually kind of makes me sick, but whatever.

I am a mom; my son is my life
I am a woman, and I am a wife

I’m the kisser of knees, and the maker of beds

I’m the reader of bedtime stories, in a pile to be read

I am a writer; words are my art

I am dramatic, and I take things to heart

I’m the drinker of coffee, and the lover of pages

I’m the champion of naps; I can sleep for ages

I am a cuddler; I love to snuggle

I am a student, and I’ve learned to juggle

I’m the giver of hugs and the fixer of toys

I’m the mom who does what she can for her boys

Poetry Assignment 1/25/2014

I was told to list 45-60 words that resonate with m; words I can say with conviction and feel in my heart. Then I needed to take at least seven of those words and write sentences with them, showing what they mean to me and how I relate to them. After that, I needed to write a few lines of poetry using one or more of those sentences or ideas. Poetry is not my thing, but I'm working at it slowly.

List of words: 
books coffee read peaceful alone learning teaching growing motherhood laughter closeness family
holiday longing writing together surrounded chaos beautiful wonderful memories happy mountains love
life time changes crazy habits anxiety summer daydream childhood energy husband musical tired
distractions marriage words friend delight bookshelves pages trust comfort nature remember
knowledge introvert

Seven words and sentences: 
1) The pages of my books are what an oversized sweater would be to most people—they keep me
warm, they keep me safe, and they give me the comfort that no human interaction could ever satisfy.
2) I can talk to customer after customer at work without a problem, but the anxiety that overcomes me
every time my phone rings is crippling and sickening.
3) Motherhood is a lifestyle, not a curse; it is a blessing, not a job.
4) I wish coffee gave me as much energy as a three minute nap gives my son.
5) I’m tired of being so tired; I can sleep for 12 hours and feel like I never went to bed.
6) As an introvert, I don’t crave human interaction; but that doesn’t mean that I like to be alone.
7) My family are my friends, and my friends are my family; genetics don’t mean anything when it comes
to the people you love.

Lines of poetry: 
The pages of my books are what an oversized sweater
Would be to most people—
They keep me warm
They keep me safe
They give me the comfort that no human interaction could ever satisfy
I treasure the written word
As if it were so delicate that one day
It might just disappear

Writing: My Second Unpaid Job

I guess it's not really fair to call either of my "unpaid jobs" by that name.
The first is being a mother. It's a round-the-clock-gig, no matter how early I have to get up the next day for work. Thankfully, I have a loving husband who takes over baby duty the night before my alarm is set for the ungodly hour of 5am, so sometimes I actually get more than three hours of solid sleep. It's nice. But being a mother is not a job. I love being a mom. I love spending time with my kid (most of the time), and I wouldn't change a thing. (Except maybe a few extra hours of sleep, and less biting while nursing, but those are small things to ask for, right?)
Second, I do not get paid to write. At least not yet. It's been a dream of mine to publish something-- anything-- just to get my name out there. Maybe some day I'll be on some bestselling list, even if it's not as well-known as the New York Times bestsellers. But I do want to publish.
For the past two days, I've sat in a kitchen chair that doubles as a computer chair until I can afford a replacement, for about six hours each day, writing, outlining, and researching. As I type this, my feet and buttcheeks are numb. My wrists ache from the typing and the awkward angle at which I am forced to do so. My eyes feel like sandpaper.
But it's worth it.
 I'm writing. I'm finally writing, after a long period of writer's block, and it feels good.
I finished the beginning of my story tonight. I hate beginnings. They suck. They're horrible to write. But I did it.
3721 words down today,
5871 words total.
I’m going to bed.