Whoo! Whoot! Friday Update!!!

Oh, I do love Fridays!!!! And this one even better than most because next week is TURKEY week, which means not only do I get to stuff my face on Thursday, I only have to work THREE DAYS!!

*cartwheels*

It's been two whole weeks since I started blogging again and now I've FINALLY got stuff to update you on. *claps* So let's get movin'.

1. NaNo. My progress is good. I'm on track, almost up to 30K and moving right along. I am, however, having serious doubts about whether or not I can finish. I mean, next week I'll be taking off four days for Thanksgiving to spend with the fam. ACK! Not to mention my plot is careening wildly out of control. I'm a panster, so my fault, I guess. *sigh* And ...  ah that's that.

2. Uh ... um ... for those of you who won cool stuff from my contest in ahem, May, believe it or not, I have the stuff packed not-so-neatly away in my office. It is the last room from my move to be put together and I don't know when I'll have to time to dig for your stuff. Nonetheless, know that I do still have the items and one day I will actually mail them out to all of you.

3. I wanted to say a HUGE CONGRATS to fellow blogger, Taherah Mafi. Her book SHATTER ME was released this past Wednesday. And according to Amazon, it's kicking butt and taking names. YEAH!

4. Wow ... well, I thought I had more to say. Guess NaNo has sucked me dry!!!

I will only be blogging two days next week cuz of turkey day! Do any of you have special plans? Black Friday (or Thursday) shopping perhaps? If you're doing NaNo, does the holiday mess you up?

Have a great weekend everyone.

~JD

Buy String Bridge and Instantly Get The Soundtrack For FREE!!!!

Today is THE day to help Jessica Bell's debut, STRING BRIDGE, hit the bestseller list on Amazon, and receive the all-original soundtrack, Melody Hill: On the Other Side, written and performed by the author herself, for free!

All you have to do is
purchase the book today (paperback, or eBook), November 11th, and then email the receipt to:

jessica.carmen.bell(at)gmail(dot)com

She will
then email you a link to download the album at no extra cost!

To purchase the paperback:

Amazon USA

To purchase the eBook:

Amazon USA

Amazon UK

To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit iTunes.

If you are
not familiar with String Bridge,
check out the book trailer:

Rave Reviews for String Bridge:

“Jessica Bell’s STRING BRIDGE strummed the fret of my
veins, thrummed my blood into a mad rush, played me taut until the final page,yet with echoes still reverberating. A rhythmic debut with metrical tones of heavied dark, fleeting prisms of light, and finally, a burst of joy—just as with any good song, my hopeful heartbeat kept tempo with Bell’s narrative.” ~ Kathryn Magendie, author of Sweetie and Publishing Editor of Rose & Thorn Journal

“Poet and
musician Jessica Bell's debut novel String Bridge is a rich exploration of desire, guilt, and the difficult balancing act of the modern woman. The writing is lyrical throughout, seamlessly integrating setting, character and plot in a musical structure that
allows the reader to identify with Melody's growing insecurity as her world begins to unravel … String Bridge is a powerful debut from a promising writer, full of music, metaphor, and just a hint of magic.” ~ Magdalena Ball, author of Repulsion
Thrust and Sleep Before Evening

“Jessica Bell is a brilliant writer of great skill and depth. She doesn't pull back from the difficult
scenes, from conflict, pain, intensity. She puts it all out there, no holds
barred, no holding back. She knows how to craft a scene, how to develop
character, how to create suspense. This is an absolutely brilliant debut novel.
I look forward to reading her next novel, and next and next.” ~ Karen Jones
Gowen, author of Farm Girl, Uncut Diamonds and House of Diamonds

Connect with Jessica:

String Bridge: http://www.stringbridge.com/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jessica_bell

Website: http://www.jessicacbell.com/

Blog: http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell

Publisher: http://www.luckypress.com/

Please TWEET and/or FACEBOOK this post using #StringBridge!

The bad side of NaNoWriMo

This is my first year doing NaNaWriMo. I have to say that it has been a wonderful tool for getting me off my rump and making me write. Deadlines and expectations tend to do that to people. Of course, now I'm totally stressed out because I'm concerned about finishing. I'm terribly competitive (even with just myself and when I have a goal, I need to meet it).

But enough about me. Apparently there are some issues with NaNo. Ones I wasn't totally aware of until I joined the huge group of writers participating.

According to what I've learned this is the purpose of NaNo:

Write blindly. Write without cause. Just write. Quality doesn't matter, just get those words down on paper, peeps!

Now, does anyone see a problem with that?

Well, when I started, I didn't see a problem with it because I'm realistic. I know that end of my thirty days of mad-dash writing, I'm going to have a hot mess of a story that will take me months to finish completely (finish, edit, fix plots holes, characters, etc).

In this instance, I will call myself "experienced" in the world of writing.  (ONLY in this instance--lol).  Before diving head first into NaNo, I researched, I developed a plot, and I outlined. Okay, I didn't outline because I'm totally a panster. But the point is, I PLANNED. And I STILL know I will have a hot mess when I'm done. A hot mess that will need work.

This knowledge and work I know I have coming to me in the end of this mad-dash of writing separates me from some of the NaNo writers. According to what I've read, some people actually QUERY the the book they wrote for NaNo in December. IN DECEMBER!!

*scratches head*
*laughs*

Really? People do that?

WHY??

Scott Eagan, literary agent, did a post on this Monday. Find out what he had to say about those December queries for NaNo books here. The comments are great, too. Make sure to check it out.

I think NaNo is a good tool for getting us off our butts and writing again. People like me, who haven't written in a year, need that extra push to get something done. However, when completing NaNo, it's important that you be realistic. Understand that the book you write in November will be in no way, shape, or form, ready for querying in December. Honestly, if you query that book, you are doing a disservice to yourself and you are irritating agents around the globe. Just don't.

~JD

Short descriptions—with impact. Country Music Does It Right!

As a writer, it’s all-too important to nail those descriptions. I’m not one for wordiness (although my first draft would say otherwise—lol), so short descriptions, one with serious impact, suck me right in.


When I was listening to the radio over the weekend (I’m a huge country music fan), I realize how right they get it. Now, I also noticed that music (of pretty much any kind) uses A LOT of similes. I for one, am a huge fan of similes. I read once that you’re only supposed to use one or two well-placed ones in a ms. I disagree. Similes can have a great effect when used correctly. So, use away!

To show you how well country music does it, I’ve chosen two recent hit songs that give you just the right amount of umph—in three minutes or less. Since I’m a romance gal, I’ve picked two artists (a male and female), both of whom are speaking about the opposite sex.

First up, Taylor Swift with her recent smash hit, Sparks Fly. (I’m only giving you tid-bits here—not full songs). Here goes:

The way you move is like a full on rainstorm (simile!)
And I’m a house of cards (simile!)
You’re the kind of reckless that should send me running (Can everyone picture a guy like that, or what?)
But I kinda know I won’t get that far (the reckless kind have that affect).
And you stood there in front of me, just close enough to touch. (Oooh … ahhh).
Close enough to hope you couldn’t see what I was thinking of (Wouldn’t that suck? Or maybe not?)
Drop everything now, meeting me in the pouring rain (*shivers*)
Kiss me on the sidewalk, take away the pain
‘Cause I see sparks fly whenever you smile (simile! Well, sort of)
I’m captivated by you, baby like a fireworks show … (simile!)

With this simple section of the song, you know A LOT about the man. And you know a lot about the girl, too. (Hopeless romantic, anyone?)



Now a guy’s perspective. Hunter Hayes with Storm Warning. I LOVE this one:

She rolled in from the west in a summer sundress
Hotter than the heat in July (simile!)
With her windblown hair, it just wasn’t fair
The way she was blowing my mind
Have you ever noticed
Every hurricane gets its name from a girl like this
She’s a CAT Five kind (simile!)
Keeps you up at night
Hangin’ on the edge of kiss (awe!)

She’s a beautiful mess
The kind you love to love
But what happens next
I got a feeling when the sun comes up
I’m gonna wish I had a storm warning
I’m gonna wish I had a sign
I’m gonna wish I had a little heads up
Little lee-way, little more time
Some kind of a radar system—locked on love
I’ve a feeling by the time night finds the morning
I’m gonna wish I had a storm warning.

Ah, a storm warning for the kind of love that comes and sucks you off your feet, smacks you in the face few times, and leaves you reeling cuz’ you never saw it coming! And the woman is on fire! Again, with just a few shorts phrases, we picture a girl with the destructible beauty of a storm, someone who changes your life when you least expect it.

So … you see? Country music (and most music for that matter) takes descriptions seriously. They have to. They’ve got less than three minutes and five hundred words to make you feel something. To tell you a story.

Take a page from the song lyrics handbook. Descriptions: short, sweet, and to the point. But with MASSIVE impact. And similes aren’t all bad.

Can any of you think of a song that does this? Any really good ones that show how words can be put together for a fabulous line that draws you in and doesn’t let go? And if you hate similes, I don’t want to know.
~JD

Whoot! Whoot! Friday Update! Well ... SORTA.

H E L L O * P E E P S

I've been back for less than a week so I really don't have anything to update you on. However, I wanted to keep my three-day-a-week blogging going so I had to come up with something to entertain you, right?

ENTER Lenora Good!!

She's a blogger friend and the other day she sent me the COOLEST EMAIL EVER. Well, it's pretty close to the coolest thing ever. It's a wonderful ode on "how to write good".

Enjoy:

HOW TO WRITE GOOD

by Frank L. Visco

My several years in the word game have learnt me several rules:
1.Avoid alliteration. Always.

2.Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.

3.Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)

4.Employ the vernacular.

5.Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.

6.Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.

7.It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.

8.Contractions aren't necessary.

9.Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.

10.One should never generalize.

11.Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."

12.Comparisons are as bad as cliches.

13.Don't be redundant; don't use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.

14.Profanity sucks.

15.Be more or less specific.

16.Understatement is always best.

17.Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.

18.One-word sentences? Eliminate.

19.Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.

20.The passive voice is to be avoided.

21.Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.

22.Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.

23.Who needs rhetorical questions?


BWAHAHAHAHA!!!! LOVE IT!!

Now go out and have a freakin' fantabulous weekend! If you're doing NaNo ... Write! Write! Write!
And write even if you're not!

My NaNo word count total: 8,111

~JD

HELLO NaNo!

That's right, JD is participating in her first ever Nano.

* shakes in my shoes *

Seriously, this is a big deal to me. For two reasons:

1. I haven't written anything NEW since LAST DECEMBER. Granted, there have been a few ideas I've jotted down here and there and a page or two of a story, but I haven't started, plotted, or finished ANYTHING is almost a whole year!

Can you believe that? Well, believe it. I've been in quiet the rut and I've been trying to figure out how to dig myself out. I hadn't found that story that I felt. You know? I need to have the "it" feeling. And I just haven't gotten it.

I'd been bouncing some ideas around, but nothing had truly latched on. Well, something did about a month ago, but I had to give that up for complicated reasons. So ... back in the rut I went. I'd been bouncing some ideas of my critter, Sarah, and she convinced me two of my ideas were worth putting on paper. And because she had set some outrageous goals for herself between now and the end of the year, I felt like I needed some, too. So here we are. Ready to write this new idea for NaNo.

2. Out of the two ideas I had, I chose the one that is a new genre for me. *GASP*

Every writer needs a challenge now and again and since I'm jumping in with both feet (without a lifesaver), I figured to go all out or go home.  And that's what I'm doing. I will probably kick myself in the butt for it later (trust me, the butt kicking actually started yesterday with a mild breakdown), but in the end, it will work out. Everything I write--no matter if it lands me an agent or not--makes me a better writer. And that's all I can hope for.

Yesterday was the first day of NaNo and I started! Day one down!

My one day word count total: 4168

*wipes brow*

Only 45832 to go!

~JD