A Little Bit Of Everything

WriteOnCon 2011 is coming...

2011-08-15T15:28:00.004+02:00

Yes, that's right!

What is WriteOnCon, you ask? It's a FREE online conference for writers. Yes, that means you can attend in your own home, wearing your pyjamas and still network and chat with industry pros and fellow writers. There will be blog posts on relevant topics, query and pitch critiques, awesome vlogs, live forum events (all I say is NINJA AGENTS) and so on. All in all, it will be one awesome event - especially for those, who otherwise do not have the opportunity to attend conferences. Interested? You can find the full schedule of events, here.

I will be hanging out in the forums and trying to do my best to keep things organised and fun for everyone.

If you haven't participated in WriteOnCon 2010, don't fret! You can still read up on the awesome content. The WriteOnCon gals have put a list together that you can see here. One of the blogs that resonated with me the most and that I found myself rereading over the year was Molly O'Neill's piece 'Give Yourself Permission'.

Now I'm off to stock up on caffeine and sugar to get through the madness of the next three days.

Hope to see you there!

First Impressions.

2011-03-04T17:34:00.004+01:00

Dianne Salerni and Marcy Hatch have a new feature on their blogs, where they critique the first page of a piece you submit to them. I was fortunate enough to be able to grab a spot and my first page is up today! Thank you, you two. =)

If you're interested to get a critique yourself, I heard they still have spots open for April. So what are you waiting for? Submit!

The page I sent in, is from my new YA paranormal WIP. Feel free to leave a critique yourself. I LOVE feedback.

Click the picture to go to Dianne's blog, then use her link to get to Marcy. :D

Picture Credit.

Lovely Book Covers: March 2011 Edition

2011-03-03T00:37:00.000+01:00

So, in the last weeks a few pretty amazing book covers were revealed. I thought I'd share my excitement about them. ;-) So without further ado...

[Click the title to be lead to the Goodreads page for further information and links to preorder, click the book cover to see it in bigger. :D ]

Vanish by Sophie Jordan
Expected publication: September 6th 2011 by HarperTeen

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to fflee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

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I've already been in awe of the cover of the first book in the series, but this is even MORE gorgeous. I really enjoyed Firelight, and I can't wait to get my hands on this book!

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Possess by Gretchen McNeil
Expected publication: August 23rd 2011 by Balzer + Bray

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her overprotective mom, by the hunky son of the police officer who got her father killed, and by the eerie voices which she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Turns out the voices are demons--the Biblical kind, not the Buffy kind--and Bridget possesses the rare ability to banish them.

San Francisco's senior exorcist and his newly assigned partner from the Vatican enlist Bridget's help with increasingly bizarre and dangerous cases of demonic possession. But when one of Bridget's oldest friends turns up dead in a ritualistic sacrifice that mirrors her father's murder, Bridget realizes she can't trust anyone. An interview with her father's murderer reveals a link between Bridget and the Emim: a race of part-demons intent on raising their forefathers to the earth in human form. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the Emim's plan before someone else close to her winds up dead, or worse--the human vessel for a Demon King.

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I've been following Gretchen since she started out with the YA Rebels and she is such a fun person. Seriously, you should check out their videos in the link above. This cover is so awesomely creeptastic and seems perfect for the premise! I'm excited to read this book.

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Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs
Expected publication: October 4th 2011 by Katherine Tegen Books

New series, in which triplet descendants of Medusa learn they are destined to guard the door between the world of monsters and the world of men – pitched as a mythological Charmed.

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This is my newest find. The cover is beautiful and though we don't know a whole lot about the contents of the book, the little pitch we get from Goodreads makes me ridiculously excited. I mean... a mythological Charmed?! So much win! I am a huge Charmed fangirl and I'm looking forward to see if this book can fill the hole the ending of the TV series left in my heart!

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Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison
Expected publication: October 11th 2011 by EgmontUSA

A modern retelling of the German legend "Tristan and Isolde", "Tris and Izzy", is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until-- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school.

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It looks so dreamy and romantic. And the story sounds awesome as well!

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The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
Expected publication: November 15th 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry (Simon & Schuster)

A romantic fantasy novel set in a dystopic, war-torn world, in which a teenage girl realizes that she may be the key to saving her country.

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I've loved The Bodyfinder, and this cover is fabulous!

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Lastly, there's a series being reissued that's very dear to my heart. I think it was one of the first English supernatural series that I read in its original version (meaning not translated into German). It was first published ten years ago (!!!) and it's such a great story, that also inspired me to start writing my own stuff. If you love witches, intrigue, soulmates and a mystery that spans over several generations... this series is for you! The series has 15 books in all, but is reissued in bind ups of 3 books each, so there'll be 5 books. Aren't they pretty? I kind of want the new bind up, though I have the original version. *gg*

Sweep Series by Cate Tiernan

Morgan Rowlands never thought she was anything other than a typical sixteen-year-old girl. But when she meets Cal, a captivatingly handsome coven leader, she makes a discover that turns her whole world upside down: she is a witch, descended from an ancient and powerful line. And so is Cal. Their connection is immediate and unbreakable; Cal teases out Morgan's power, her love, her magick. But Morgan discovers too soon that her powers are strong-almost too powerful to control. And she begins to suspect that Cal may be keeping secrets from her . . . secrets that could destroy them both.

For more info to all the volumes: #1, #2, #3, #4, #5.

Marchin' On

2011-03-02T14:21:00.006+01:00

So... my February was a bit of a roller coaster ride. O.o Between deadlines from uni and exams and stuff happening, it was all quite crazy and incredibly busy. BUT. I'm back. Last week I spent in England with my dear writing sister, Bec, and it was fabulous! We had a mini road trip. We saw Stonehenge and went to Brighton (OMG, the Royal Pavillion is AMAZING). We ate way too many Costa Coffee triple chocolate muffins and traumatised her boyfriend with our random fits of giggles. On Saturday, we had a #geekydayinlondon with @LizUK and @kazmahoney. Which was awesome. Meeting fellow writers is always such an inspiration. ~~I also bought a lot of books.~~ They forced me to buy a lot of books. Honest. It's not my fault. Uhm...

Proof of my crazy book buying spree.

Anyway... I'm in the middle of my spring break. No uni for three more weeks, before the craziness begins again. Which means... loads of writing and revising time. I hope to get a lot of stuff done in those weeks. Get my revised draft of my mermaid novel critiqued and punch it into shape so I can... QUERY IT. I'm nervously excited about this. I'm sure I'll find a way to talk myself out of it again, so everyone who hears me do that has my full permission to slap me.... virtually.

Me in front of Stonehenge! Squeee.

Stuff to come this month: A post about new book covers I'm excited about, an excerpt from something I'm working on and... maybe a giveaway? :-o

Happy March, everyone!

♫ Currently listening to: Stay by Hurts
♥ Currently reading: My Love Lies Bleeding by Alyxandra Harvey

2011 Resolutions

2011-01-20T20:11:00.004+01:00

I'm behind, but finally, my 2011 resolutions! If I post them later, maybe my determination to go through with all of them will last longer? Ha, a girl can dream. ;-)

Writerly resolutions for the first half of 2011:
- Finish edits on my UF adult novel, Under The Surface.
- Query said novel once it's as good as it can be.
- Complete my witchy, carnivale-y YA novel.
- Write a short story.

Personal resolutions:
- Read at least 60 books over the course of the year.
- Read all the books in my 2011 Debut Author list!
- Continue eating healthily and exercising, so I can shed 10 more pounds.
- Post two blog posts per week.
- Have fun.

Let's see how that goes. ;-) So what about you guys? How are your resolutions going?

The End of 2010

2010-12-30T23:31:00.004+01:00

I hope everyone had great holidays! Mine were fun and relaxing and filled with many food comas. And of course endless Donkey Kong Returns marathons on the Wii.

So... tomorrow is the last day of 2010. I can hardly believe how fast the year whizzed by. At the start of this year, I made a resolution post and I thought it would be fun to see what I managed to keep and with what I failed. A new resolution post will follow in the next week, once I figured out what they are. *g*

Credit: weheartit.com

My resolutions for 2010:

Writing
~~# Edit Angel book #1/ Find a damn name!~~ I did. Then I shelved it, because I realised it was a practice novel.
~~# Get the guts to submit something. The worst thing that can happen is a lot of rejections!~~ I didn't. But... I'm well on my way towards it. 2011 will be the year of querying. I hope.
~~# Outline and write angel book #2.~~ Didn't happen. See above.
~~# Figure out the adult story that's been attacking me since November.~~ I DID. And I wrote it! Currently in heavy edits.
~~# Poke Phoebe to see what we're doing with our collab! =D~~ We plotted and finished it! YAY.
~~# Blog twice a week.~~ Spectacular fail. Something to think about for 2011.

Personal
~~# Continue to eat more healthily & work out = drop more pounds.~~ I did! Didn't drop as much as I would have wished for, but keeping my weight is a success.
~~# Pass all my modules in uni, so I can change to my other course!~~ I DID. Applications for the new course are sent out. Now I just have to wait and see if they'll take me. *fingers crossed*
~~# Read at least 30 books this year.~~ I can't believe I thought this would be hard at the start of the year. I surpassed the goal! As of today I read 57 books this year. Very proud of myself and I want to make it more than that in 2011.

As with every year, 2010 had its highs and lows. I visited old friends, made a bunch new writing friends online (thanks for your support guys! :D )... And now I can't wait to see what 2011 will bring. :D

Friday Rambling

2010-12-10T19:06:00.004+01:00

"Forgive me father, for I have sinned."

*clears throat* No, this is not a religious post. Nor am I catholic. But I need to confess!

I finished my zero draft of Under The Surface last week (Cue chair dancing *dances*). I say zero draft, because instead of a last line it has "...". I say zero draft, because the second and third to last chapters consist of. "[FILL IN A SCENE THAT MAKES SENSE AND TIES UP ALL LOOSE ENDS. STAT. Oh, and btw, that political conflict? You might want to find a solution that is satisfying. Kthxbye.]".

Uhm... yeah.

Even though the story is out there... it is ugly. Like a giant, smudgy pencil sketch with all kinds of wrong lines, before the artists moves in with pretty colours to make it all shiny. And y'know... fill in the blanks. Cause those gaping plot holes (*cough*A new character showing up 200 pages in that's the MCs BFF, but was never mentioned before *cough*) that could swallow an entire dimension, won't fix themselves.

So... I've been revising. I have my notebook with what needs to be fixed and I have the print out of my dear novel. I've been waiting for this part of the work process FOREVER. I like making a novel prettier and seeing if the character motivation works, if it has good pacing and structure... though sometimes I doubt myself and wonder if I'm not making it more of a disaster. Gah.

But yes, the confession I wanted to make? I've been cheating on UtS. You see, there's this other, shiny idea in my head and it won't let me go. I've been swatting it away, dutifully making notes so that I wouldn't forget my ideas and telling it it has to wait til 2011, by which time I hope to have these revisions over with. But this shiny idea is persistent (Disclaimer: Shiny Idea Syndrome ™can lead to adultery on previous projects) and so this morning instead of working on revisions, I WROTE WORDS. Which was so not my plan. But I like those words and they're good words. And the story has spark and wit and voice!

Dilemma.

I think I'll have to set myself an 'edit so many pages and then you get to work on the other novel' deadline, because it won't shut up. Yeah... that's what I'll do.

Thanks for listening.

NaNo, Snow & Procrastination

2010-11-29T13:47:00.004+01:00

We have snooooooooooooooooooooooooow! YAY. Proof:

I'm excited. I love walking my dog in the snow and it makes winter just more fun. I hate the miserable inbetween weather. I'd rather have it frosty like this.

Tomorrow is the official end of NaNo 2010. I didn't make the 50k this year, but it was unmistakeably clear from the middle of the month that this year, NaNo was not for me. I'm stuck in a part of the manuscript that needs a lot of thinking and planning ahead and not mindlessly typing away. I'm about 7k short of finishing this draft of Under The Surface and even though I didn't meet my goal of more words, I'm happy with what I accomplished. There's just one problem. I'm blocking myself from writing the end. It's silly. I don't know if it's about not wanting to let go (hell, there's so many revisions that I have already planned, it's not like I will stop writing in that world any time soon, if anything I'll dive in even more intensely) or finishing or what, but it's driving me a little mad.

Add to that the fact that I have a lot of work to do for university and I wish I'd be Christmas already. *gg* Speaking of which, I should get back to work! But not without leaving you with a quote from the book 'The War of Art' by Steven Pressfield, recommended to me by author Karen Mahoney. The book talks about the internal obstacles we put in our way, blocking ourselves off from creative success. It's a great read and it describes my current situation perfectly.

The danger is greatest when the finish line is in sight. At this point, Resistance knows we're about to beat it. It hits the panic button. It marshals one last assault and slams us with everything it's got. The professional must be alert for this counterattack.
Be wary at the end. (Pressfield, pg. 18)

2011 YA Debut Author Challenge

2010-11-21T16:23:00.004+01:00

2011 is nearly here! (What a scary thought, it feels like 2010 just started. Eek!) Which means that it's almost time for the 2011 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. What is this challenge, you ask? By signing up, you vow to read at least twelve Young Adult or Middle Grade books by authors making their debut in 2011. I didn't participate in 2010, mostly because I only found out about it in summer and didn't want to jump in so late. But this time I'm participating!

For more information go here, and if you want to sign up yourself, go here.

As for the books I will be reading (sorted by release date):

A widget with clickable links in the sidebar ------>

1. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
2. XVI by Julia Karr
3. Across The Universe by Beth Revis
4. Other Words For Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal
5. Vesper by Jeff Sampson

6. The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
7. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

8. Clarity by Kim Harrington
9. Wither by Lauren DeStefano
10. Entwined by Heather Dixon

11. Memento Nora by Angie Smibert

12. Divergent by Veronica Roth
13. Tempest Rising by Tracy Deebs
14. Awaken by Katie Kacyinsky

15. Possession by Elana Johnson

16. Wildefire by Karsten Knight

17. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

I'm almost sure there will be more, but these are the ones I will definitely read. :D

On the 7th day...

2010-11-07T22:09:00.002+01:00

Soooooooooooo... I'm not as far ahead in NaNo as I'd like to be. In fact, I'm very much behind still. But, I've been writing every day, which is a small victory and that counts, right?

Originally I had planned to write a post about all the controversy about NaNo and the discussions that have made me a bit mad this week, but uni is sucking the life out of me. I'm stressing myself over the million and one projects I have to complete (Who had the idea to do this many modules in a semester? Oh right, that was me). Stressing doesn't make one very productive. Much the opposite. I should just take the hint and do it instead of panicking over it, but sometimes it's not that easy. Sometimes panicking is required. Yes, it's silly. I'll get over it, I promise.

In the spirit of NaNo, here's a quote I came across today, that I really loved - and absolutely agree with. It's about the beauty of discovery in a new story and that sometimes you learn a lot along the way... aka Revisions are key to good writing.

I hope everyone's NaNo is going well! =) Hang in there.

"It would be nice, I suppose, to begin at the perfect point in the story, in the perfect way, using the perfect voice to present exactly the desired scene. Unfortunately, you have no choice but to be wholly clueless about all of this. The rightness of things is generally revealed in retrospect, and you’re unlikely to know in advance what is right and wrong in a story that has not yet been written." -- Stephen Koch

Three For Tuesday

2010-11-02T23:05:00.004+01:00

1. NaNo is going so-so. I am writing daily, but not as much as I'd like. I hope that on the weekend I will be able to catch up, but at the moment I just get home from uni so exhausted, that I can't get that many more words out anymore. I think I'm coming down with a cold of some kind. BE GONE, evil! *chases after it with vitamins*

2. November doesn't only mean NaNoWriMo, it also means the release month of Matched by Ally Condie. I've only heard good things about this book and I've been looking forward to it what seems like FOREVER. So I can't wait to read it once it's released on November 30th. If you're at all into the dystopian genre, I think it's a must have. As usual, click the picture to go to Goodreads for more info.

3. The 7th Dear Lucky Agent Contest: Young Adult is currently happening here. You can enter the first 150-200 words of your finished YA manuscript until tomorrow. The judge is Tamar Rydzinski of the Laura Dail Literary Agency and in case you win, you will receive a critique of the first 10 pages of your work by the agent judge AND a free one-year subscription to WritersMarket.com. So what are you waiting for? Go enter!

A write-up of my London adventures (including the most useless superhero power known to man) will come soon, I promise!

NaNo-Rebel

2010-10-31T22:39:00.002+01:00

I just got back from London! I'll post about my adventures later this week. Right now, I want to talk about NaNo.

I finally decided what to write (though it was pretty hard to figure that out). My more rational brain finally won in deciding to finish one story, before I start a new one (#goodideas). I will be a NaNo rebel this year and instead of starting a completely new book, I'll finish my mermaid story first, then hopefully mid-November I will start another story to finish off the rest of the 50k.

So, yes. Just a status update one short hour before NaNoWriMo 2010 officially begins. I hope everyone has a great start. :D

10k Dare

2010-10-08T17:15:00.008+02:00

I may be a little crazy.

I have a lot to write before NaNo AND I want to get into the habit of writing a certain amount of words every day again. So... this morning I thought "It'd be so cool if you could write 10k this weekend...". Which then turned into a dare, spurred on by people on email and twitter cheering me on. So... I will write 10k this weekend. Starting... NOW! I'll update this post with my progress.

If you want to join in, please do! :D

Updates:

Friday, 22:32. Wrote while being distracted by chatting and twitter feeds. One chapter down. Don't think I'll get any more done today, so this shall be the word count of the night:

Saturday, 13:52. After two hours, I have an additional 1.074. I did some plotting in that time, too. And a lot of distracting internet things. And food. Now I have a headache and am gonna walk the dog to try and get rid of it.

Saturday, 23:59. There was a lot of procrastinating. A LOT. But... the chapter is done. WOOT. Finally. This was a hard one, mostly random information to piece things together. Onto the next. Only 679 more words. :(

Sunday, 00:48. Quick session of 876 words before bed. Woo! Not all hope is lost for my goal. :D

Sunday, 23:32. Eh, maybe my goal was too high or I didn't apply myself enough. My end wordcount is half what I planned to write, BUT I still wrote more than I would have, hadn't I had the goal. So that is a win situation. :D

Happy October!

2010-10-01T16:36:00.008+02:00

It's October... I'm still in awe how fast time passed. But... nontheless, it's autumn and that's one of my favourite seasons. We've been doing a lot of harvesting (Apples! Nuts!). Cooking seasonal dishes, etc. The weather here is still really erratic, one day it's warm and humid, the other rainy and cold. The leaves are just beginning to turn and while I looooove the colours and the walks with my dog, I will not love getting rid of all the leaves in our garden. *gg* Here's what else is happening in October:

1. Uni starts again. Summer is over and I have to go back to my lectures. Honestly, I'm not really looking forward to it. This is my fourth semester and I put a LOT of modules in there so my last two will be a little more lax. What I am looking forward to is applying for the new program I'll hopefully start in spring. *fingers crossed*

2. NaNoWriMo!!! Yes, it's the month before NaNoWriMo. Which means stocking up on things you'll need in November, deciding on an idea you want to write about, possibly doing some light plotting. I cannot wait for it to start. The community is amazing, the writing sprints on twitter are FUN and if you've never tried it, I dare you to take the jump and do it. *nudges*

And if that wouldn't have convinced you. ;-) Holly Black, John Green and Lemony Snicket are pep-talkers this year. The site was updated last night, so it's all shiny for the coming month. Also, NaNoWriMo winners receive a 50% off gift certificate for the new Scrivener 2.0 for Mac and Scrivener 1.0 for Windows, which will come out at the start of 2011. The beta version for Scrivener for Windows will be released at the end of October (woop!) and I might try it out for my NaNo writing.
I already updated my profile and in case you're looking for writing buddies, you can find me here.

3. Frankfurt Book Fair. Next weekend is the Frankfurt Book Fair and I've been pondering to go. Maggie Stiefvater will be signing on one afternoon. If I go, be sure to expect a blog post about it. I was there once a few years ago and it's OVERWHELMING. Especially for a book lover like me. I adored it. :D

4. London. I'll be in London this month for a few days of musical marathon madness (MMM). I'll be seeing the last matinee of Avenue Q and the last show of Sister Act before they close (:() and a lot more shows along the way, cause me and my best friend are a little crazy. *g* We'll also be doing lots of plotting for a possible new writing project and/or NaNo. I can't wait!

5. Exciting releases. There's two book releases I'm very much looking forward to this month. The first is Alpha by Rachel Vincent, the last book in the Shifters series. I started the series way back when the first one was released and I've been dying to read it since I finished Shift. It was officially out in the US yesterday and it shipped this morning (eeeeeee!), which means I should have it on monday. Another book I've been anticipating very much and which has a lot of buzz in the online community is Nightshade by Andrea Cremer (Out on October 19th!).

Click on the book covers to go to
Goodreads for more info!

Spontaneous Inspiration

2010-09-29T17:34:00.004+02:00

I have these really random moments, usually when I'm emerged deeply in the middle of another manuscript, where inspiration strikes and the first sentence of a new project leaps into my mind completely out of the blue. It's usually in first person. It often happens in the shower, or right before I go to sleep. Today, it happened on my daily walk with my dog. She has to wear a little black shoe over her foot at the moment, because she cut her paw open on something and while racing through the muddy fields like a mad person (I need to take a picture or video of this, it's crazy for a basset hound with her stature to be able to run like this) the shoe nearly came off. So I bent down and pulled it back up. When I straightened up and wiped the mud from my hand on my jeans, it hit me. One sentence came to mind, quickly followed by a second one. So of course I scrambled to get my phone out of my pocket and write it down, in case I forgot it before I got home.

"Dried mud tugged on my skin as I flexed my cold fingers. The brown coated both of my hands, dulling the vibrant purple on my fingernails."

via wehearit

I have no idea what the sentence means. I have NO freaking idea whose story it is. I just have these two sentences and the faint glimmer of an idea that it's a teenage girl and that she's in really deep trouble.

It's funny how my mind works sometimes.

Tag Galore.

2010-09-22T21:07:00.005+02:00

I'm behind, but I've been tagged twice, so here it goes! :D

First tag comes from Erica at Elevator Musings.

List ten things that you like (not love) and pass it on to ten people. Because I don't want to tag anyone that doesn't want to do it, I'll say, anyone that reads this and wants to do it, can. ;-)
First of all, it's really hard to think of things that I just like, I'm very good with the loving, the liking is harder. *g* Here it goes.

1. I like cookies. Especially when there's chocolate involved in said cookies.
2. I like writing to-do-lists. I love crossing things off.
3. I like singing in the car. Loudly. People stare when I stop at a red light, but I don't care.
4. I like rain, but not when I have to go outside and walk in it.
5. I like iced coffee. Yum.
6. I really really really like inspirational quotes about writing or life. I have a little silver notebook where I write them down when I come across one on the net or elswhere.
7. I like uneven numbers. They're prettier than even ones. Especially 3, 5 and 7.
8. I like the spark of a new idea, but I love it when I'm so inspired to put it on paper in a way it feels like it's coming alive.
9. I like paper back books, for me they're much easier to read than their chunky hard back brothers and sisters.
10. I like sleep. Ugh, who am I kidding? I LOVE sleep.

via weheartit.com

The second tag is from the lovely ladies over at Coffey. Tea. And Literary.

1. If you could have a superpower, what would you have? Why?

Teleportation. Hands down. How cool would it be to be in London or New York for a musical for a night and then just blink back home in the matter of a second? Or to go to Italy for dinner on a whim. Or to visit any other place int he world, without the stress of travel and costs. It would make research for books even more efficient than google maps. *g* Telekinesis is a close second, that'd be a neat power. Or freezing time. Ahhh, there's so many awesome powers.

2. Who is your style icon?

I don't think I have one. I buy the clothes that jump out at me and that I like, but I don't really dress after a special style.

3. What is your favorite quote?

It's really hard for me to narrow it down, because I have a lot, but my favourite right this minute after leafing through my notebook is:

Fairytales are more than true; not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten. ~ G.K. Chesterton

4. What is the best compliment you've ever received?
I once got a compliment on my cooking where a friend called me a great catch. That was really sweet.

5. What playlist/cd is on your ipod/cd player right now?

I have a summer playlist and a playlist for the novel I'm currently writing that's been on a lot. It contains a bunch of songs from Sara Bareilles' Kaleidoscope Heart, Anna Nalick, Sheryl Crow, Marit Larsen, Carolina Liar, Sarah McLachlan, Bonnie McKee.... and so on. :D

6. Are you a night owl or a morning person?

Total night owl. Sometimes I wish I could be a morning person, because I hear people get more things done when they get up early in the morning, but I'd rather sit til the middle of the night. Which sorta collides with the getting up early for uni part.

7. Do you prefer dogs or cats?

I don't think I prefer either. I have both and they both have their advantages and disadvantages. I love both equally. :D

8. What is the meaning behind your blog name?

I have a lot of interests, so it's always been hard for me to focus on one, especially when it comes to choosing a job. I want to be everything. *g* Thankfully, being a writer let's me live the lives of others for a little while and jump into a role that isn't mine, which satisifies my curiosity and makes me able to do research on all kinds of subjects. :D So... A Little Bit of Everything! This also could be applied to my relationship with food, but don't tell anyone. ;-)

So don't ask me how to get started, it's all Uncharted...

2010-08-05T11:09:00.006+02:00

I've been a little obsessed with a song from Sara Bareilles' forthcoming album Kaleidoscope Heart (such a beautiful imaginery!), that comes out in a month on September 7th. She performed the song Live on VH1 and like so many of her songs the lyrics/music/her voice spoke to me. I can't stop listening to it and IMO it can be applied very well to writing. So this is what I'll do today. Bear with me.

No words
But tears won't make any room for more
And it don't hurt like anything I've ever felt before
This is no broken heart
No familiar scars
This territory goes uncharted

A new draft or maybe you're in the middle of a book, you have no idea where to start or how to go on, but if you pressure yourself nothing good will come of it, because you'll block yourself off the words. You finished your last book and thought the next one would be the same, that writing would get easier now that you've finished something, but it's a whole different experience.

Just me, in a room sunk down in a house in a town
And I don't breathe
Though I never meant to let it get away from me
And now I've too much to hold
Everybody has to get their hands on gold
And I want uncharted

You're alone and maybe due to the issues you're having, you tried to reach out, read how-tos on writing, but now you're overwhelmed with all the information out there*. Everybody else already seems to be successful, someone wrote the EXACT same, totally brilliant novel you were planning to. They have a book deal, you don't. *cue depression* And everything just SUCKS.

Each day I'm counting up the minutes till I get alone
Cos I can't stay in the middle of it all
It's nobody's fault but I'm so low
Never knew how much I didn't know
Oh, everything is uncharted

You really want to write and it's YOUR thing. You know it deep down, but it's so hard. You love it and during the day job or your activities at home all you can think about is your characters and new plot ideas. But once you sit down at night to do it, it's like there's this big fat block inside of your head and what you were looking forward to all day becomes dreadful. You feel like your writing sucks.

I know I'm getting nowhere when I only sit and stare like
I'm going down
Follow if you wanna or just hang around
Like you'll show me where to go
I'm already out of foolproof ideas
So don't ask me how to get started
It's all uncharted

But you know that when you just think about it and stare at the empty pages/word document all you do is drive yourself crazy. So you have to dive in, no matter what and be it all by yourself. No one can show you where to go. There's no plan, no foolproof way of knowing when or how you'll come out at the other end. It's all uncharted.

Jumpstart my kaleidoscope heart
Love to watch the colors fade
They may not make sense but they sure as hell made me
I won't go as a passenger, no
Waiting for the roads to be laid
Though I may be going down
I'll take in flame over burning out

The bridge! (My favourite part of the song.) Let your imagination and the words flow. Just write something, ignore the doubts. Maybe it doesn't make sense at first, but it'll get there. It's a part of you and as long as it remains true to yourself it'll be good. You're not going to sit and watch the world pass you by, you're going to take the lead and be the person that makes the change. And even if what you're doing isn't good, it's better to let this idea go up in flame and end so you can do something new, than to watch it slowly and painfully burn out. (Wow, I should be ashamed for this bad metaphor. *g*)

Compare where you are to where you wanna be
And you'll get nowhere

Don't think of that BIG goal at the end of the road. Think of the now, make tiny goals that you can reach and eventually, you'll get to the big one. But looking at the huge, unattainable one will only freeze you and get you nowhere.

I'm going down
Follow if you wanna or just hang around
Like you'll show me where to go
I'm already out of foolproof ideas
So don't ask me how to get started
It's all uncharted**

Conclusion: Your journey is your own. NO ONE will have the same as you. Don't compare. Just trust the words. Trust yourself. Trust that deep inside of yourself there's something that'll make it happen. And WRITE. Write like hell - it doesn't matter if it sucks. It can be polished into a beautiful diamond later. Just get started.

P.S.: I want to be able to play the piano like she can.

* This isn't to say that you shouldn't read blog posts of other authors, agents, editors and so on. They're great. I learn a lot from other people in the blogosphere, but don't obsess over every piece of advice. Try it and see what works for you. Not everything out there works for everyone in the same way. There's no hidden, secret formula.

**Disclaimer: The lyrics belong to Ms Bareilles, this is just me interpreting them in my very own way. I'm sure they can mean something different to everyone. That's the beauty of music.

10 Random Things On A Tuesday

2010-08-03T12:00:00.008+02:00

1. The smell of Herbal Essence shampoo makes me smile.

2. I am back on track with writing a chapter a day and it feels sooo good. It makes me feel fulfilled and balanced and whole. Where I was blocked before, I feel like there's this endless supply of words and ideas inside of me now.

3. A new draft of a WIP makes me feel like I could do anything - I am a little afraid of the editing part, where I have to be critical. I sent my inner editor on vacation - scuba diving in the deepest part of ocean - but I'll have to allow her to come back at some point.

4. I'm also back to exercising daily and eating super healthily, which might help in the feeling balanced department.

5. I love the feeling of a warm summer rain on my skin.

6. I'm a clutz, but we knew that.

7. I'm currently procrastinating.

8. Summer vacations are awesome.

9. I really really want to go to the beach, feel my toes dig into the sand, smell the salt in the air... alas, I don't think this'll happen this year. Let's hope for the beach in 2011!

10. Books make me happy. ♥

Pretty Bookcovers 2011 YA Edition - WOW Super Edition

2010-07-28T20:37:00.012+02:00

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine .

People who know me probably know that I have a ~~slight~~ massive obsession with books. My Goodreads TBR list alone has 50 books on there at the moment - and I could add more. One thing that makes me look at a book is its cover. Now we all know not to judge a book by its cover, but aren't we all a little superficial? Sure, I've gone wrong and really disliked a book that had a GORGEOUS cover and I've LOVED books with covers that I wouldn't have originally picked up, but that were referred to me. But a cover is the first impression you get of a book... and my my my, I'm getting a lot of GOOD first impressions from books coming out in the first quarter of 2011 so far. So because I want to share my obsession and encourage others to be as obsessive as me, I thought I'd share some of the books on my TBR list, that impressed me with their cover and their blurb. They're sorted by release date and if you click on the title/author name you get to the Goodreads page. :D

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Published: January 4th 2011 by HarperTeen

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees. . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deciet, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

~ *~ *~*~

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney
Published: February 1st 2011 by Flux

FREAK. That’s what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna’s own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

Kaz is also very awesome in person. You can find her little place on the interwebs over here.

~ *~ *~*~

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Published: February 15th 2011 by HarperCollins / Katherine Tegen Books

This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

~ *~ *~*~

Steel by Carrie Vaughn
Published: March 15th 2011 by HarperTeen

When Jill, a competitive high school fencer, goes with her family on vacation to the Bahamas, she is magically transported to an early eighteenth century pirate ship in the middle of the ocean.

~ *~ *~*~

Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Published: March 22nd 2011 by Simon & Schuster

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out. When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home. But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

Photograph by Ali Smith

~ *~ *~*~

Sooo, what are you looking forward to?

What's going on with me?

2010-07-23T13:02:00.005+02:00

Just a quick update. :D

Uni is out for summer, which doesn't mean that the work ends here. They're evil enough to let us write exams, do seminars and put together massive papers in our spare time. Thankfully the exam and seminar part is over, but I'm still working on papers. I handed one in this week, another one is due on monday (cue a lot of freaking, because I'm not even halfway done yet!) and the third one is due sometime in August. I hope to have it done by the end of next week though, so I can concentrate on fun things!

Last weekend I was in London to meet up with my best friend and writing partner and also to attend Authonomy's first Writer's Workshop held at the Harper Collins HQ in Hammersmith, London. It was pretty damn awesome. I didn't expect THAT many people to come and it was great to get together with so many writers and just chat and see what they're working on. Strangely enough nearly none of them were writing in my genre, but it was still great to exchange stories. The talks were interesting and funny and the workshops were good too. If there's ever another event, I might just go again. ;-) It's convenient that it's so close to home and just a short flight away, but one day I am hoping to attend one of the big ones over in the US. RWA is next week and I've been interested in that since I started writing. We'll see what happens.

While we went shopping and exploring by day, we saw three shows at night. First it was Phantom of the Opera, which was amazing and scary. The Raoul we had during our show was really good, but IMO the Christine/Phantom didn't portray the love story believably enough. It just didn't seem plausible for them to be in love. The second one was Wicked, which I saw for the second time. After seeing it last year with my ultimate cast (Kerry Ellis, Dianne Pilkington and Oliver Tompsett) this one had a hard time to compete, but I found myself really liking the new cast after all. Wicked is one of these musicals that you can see a million times and never get bored of it, because it's just that awesome. And the last show we saw was the comedy '39 Steps', which was so unbelievably hilarious. I LOVED it. If you're in London, go see it!

While there we also did a bunch of plotting on a book focussing on witches. We mostly did it while waiting for our food to arrive in the restaurants we ate at. Time well spent! *g*

I also read the two Hunger Games books last week and if you haven't read them yet... GO OUT AND BUY THE BOOKS NOW! I cannot wait for Mockingjay to come out in August. Suzanne Collins has a way of webbing the plot together and writing (writing where she makes me LOVE first person present tense, which rarely happens!) that draws me into a story much like J.K. Rowling did with Harry Potter. It's magical.

Anyway, that's what's been going on with me. Back to work I go!

Every book is different...

2010-07-01T19:33:00.007+02:00

I read a LOT of blogs. There are many many writers/agents/editors out there with massive amounts of wisdom about the craft and the business side of publishing and I feel like I've learned a LOT from getting that glimpse into their processes and thoughts. One thing that's been mentioned a lot lately, is that the writing process for every book is different. I wish I could link you to the posts I've read that mentioned it, but my google reader is failing me and I'm procrastinating as it is. :-P

I didn't believe it, which surprises me, after all every person is different, every animal is different... why not every book? Well, I guess to an extent I did believe things would be different, but I thought that once you found your writing method, you would stick to it and that'd be your way to work. Like a cake recipe. You don't put the flour in before you've whisked the butter, sugar and eggs together. You just don't. Boy, was I wrong.

With my first book, the angel YA, things came to me in order. And when I wrote, I had ideas for what a scene would look like, it was VERY visual with all the little details of the scenery/situation around my character. So in the end, it was very description heavy and I had to add dialogue in the edits. That was okay for me, because I'm still practicing to write dialogue (It didn't feel like my strong suit back then).

Now with my adult UF (tentatively titled Sea Princess) things are DIFFERENT. First of all... when scenes come to me, they are out of order. I have never ever written a book out of order. It's like connect the dots. You have a scene in the middle and one in the end, but are only at the start and you have to work your way towards that little part goal. It's... different. But also kinda cool. It feels a bit messy to my ocd mind, but I think I can work with it.

The second thing is... instead of scenes, dialogue pops into my head. Stuff my hero and heroine say. Arguments and little funny quips invade my head out of the middle of nowhere and I scramble for my notebook to write them down. That never happened to me. And after writing a few chapters of this book, I realised that it's much much more dialogue heavy than my last one. And the dialogue actually sounds NATURAL to me, which rocks.

So, yes. Every book is different. I can't wait to discover what writing my next book will be like... when I've finished SP. ;-)

Also, I'm not sure if you've heard about it, but a couple of amazing authors have put together an online convention for kid lit writers. Yes, all with actual agent panels, lectures, webinars, live streaming and critiques. And guess what... it's ALL for FREE. For more details check it out here.

'In The Zone'

2010-06-22T21:15:00.004+02:00

I have these moments – few and far between - where I'm 'in the zone'.
It's a zone between waking and dreaming. Daydreaming. I transport myself into the world of my characters.

It’s a powerful place. And it’s a fragile place. It’s a place where the words come alive on the page and dance. They show off their many facets, while remaining in perfect rhythm with each other. When you’re in the zone there is no doubt. There’s no wondering why. There's no miserable editor pointing out your faults. There’s just me, my characters and their adventures. Things make sense the way they spill onto the page.

Sceneries and emotions burst into life. It’s like in my mind’s eye the things I’m writing about are a little more vivid and my heart thumps in the same beat of that of my hero or heroine. It’s like I’m there. It’s a little bit like meditation. And when I read it and the scene is just right, a huge goofy Cheshire cat like grin forms on my face.

I've been in that zone last week for one chapter, that at the moment is probably one of the favourite chapters I have ever written. It's for my mermaid/burlesque dancer adult UF book, of which I have four chapters now. Ironically the idea for the chapter that came to me was from the middle of the book. I NEVER write out of order, but the idea was pestering me so strongly that I couldn't ignore it, so I wrote it down and I'm so glad I did. Even making notes about it and writing it later, might not have worked like this did.

Which totally, totally breaks my plan to work on a YA during the summer. I can’t stop thinking about the adult story. 80% of my waking moments are focused on my book and the next scenes. I’m in love with the story and I’m passionate about these characters. I want to find out more about them and I want to figure out how their story ends. I’m loving every second of this.

The only problem? Uni is almost out for summer and I have 6 modules with different exams. 2 are out of the way (Phew!) but the rest aren't getting done by themselves. I'm just carving out an hour per day to work on my book, while yearning for summer... and then there's this other story that jumped me. But that's the theme for another blog post. ;-)

Playing catch-up

2010-06-09T21:31:00.005+02:00

So, I have been bad and haven't blogged nearly as much as I wanted to. I had the posts in my head, but the time? Not so much. I give you permission to slap me. Gently. I already have a small migraine from the impossible temperatures here in good ole Germany. 32°C (that'd be 90°F) with major humidity. So this is the big catch up.

1. Uni assignments are kicking my butt. I have so much group work this semester it's not funny and the groups are anything BUT reliable. For some reason I tend to end up in groups, where I always have to do all the work and the others do little to nothing. Uni ends July 2nd though and after a hell of an exam week after that, I'll have some papers to complete and hand in, before I'm free for the summer. Woot!

2. I'm participating in Kaz's Summer Camp for writers in the hopes that some peer pressure will keep me from falling into the summer hole. A bunch of people signed up and I'm sure it'll be fun!

3. Dog #1 and #2 had surgery two weeks ago. Both on the same day. I was a nervous wreck for all of the day and barely able to function, but both pulled through and are healthy and bouncy. One of them a little too bouncy. *g* I swear she's not a Basset, she's actually an overactive terrier. The only thing she does have from a Basset is the complete and utter stubbornness and the look, that makes you want to do her every bidding.

4. I won the auction over at Do The Write Thing for Nashville for Lindsay Eland's item and got her book Scones and Sensibilty today in the post. Yay! I can't wait to read it. I've also had a lovely email correspondance with Lindsay and she critiqued the first chapter of my witch/carnival story. She asked all the right questions and I can't wait to do a little editing to improve the chapter. Thanks, Lindsay!

5. I recently started watching White Collar and I really love it. I have no idea how that show went past me for all that time. O.o I've loved Matt Bomer since I've seen him on Tru Calling a long time ago and he's brilliant in this one too. It's a bit of a mix between Castle and Prison Break and I can't wait to watch more. :D

6. Pretty Little Liars started last night in the US. While I have never read the book series, I did enjoy the premiere of the TV show a LOT. It helps that it has Holly Marie ~~Combs~~ Donoho (Charmed fans, represent!), Lucy Hale and Ashley Benson. The other girls are pretty awesome as well and I can't wait to see more. I think it'll be one of my new guilty pleasure teen TV shows. *g*

7. Last but not least, I have a link to Maureen Johnson's manifesto about the internet. Definitely something to read and live by!

The next post shall be a little more inspirational and substantial.

Waiting on Wednesday #3

2010-06-09T17:31:00.005+02:00

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

I've learned about this book in the aftermath of BEA. A bunch of blogs were abuzz with good reviews about it and let's face it, not only is the cover kick ass, but the premise is pretty damn awesome as well!

Matched by Allie Condy
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile an Imprint of Penguin USA
Release Date: November 30th, 2010

In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die.

Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate. So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion.

Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.

You can find Ally's website and blog over at www.allysoncondie.com.

Coincidentially an ARC of Matched (and one of the DUFF by Kody Keplinger) is given away by Jen Haley over on her blog. So if you wanna try your luck at reading it before November, head on over there!

Bits and Pieces

2010-05-08T14:00:00.004+02:00

I've been a little scatterbrained this week - actually a constant state of mind, so who am I kidding *g* - due to projects at uni, birthday parties, etc...

This post will be short, because I'm supposed to be doing some productive things (portfolios for uni, or you know that writing thing), but after going to bed late after my birthday party last night and getting up even later this morning, my motivation is sorely lacking. I blame it on all the overeating yesterday and the wine. I might have eaten half my body weight in mousse au chocolat (white and brown, yummy!). But you're only 25 once in your life and my day was filled with laughter and cooking and family and it was amazing. =) Thanks to everyone who congratulated me!
Speaking of motivation, a little exercise might be a good idea as well to get it all off my hips again. Heh.

The good news is that I wrote around 2k in my WIP this week. It still has to be typed up, because I wrote it by hand during my commute, but it's THERE. Which is a wonder in itself, because I'm constantly pulled back and forth between revisions for my last book and the new WIP that wants to come out. I wish I could just put an end to the last book, but it's screaming for me to be made better and better and let out into the world and it's scary. Very scary. Not to mention that I have no idea when the first book is actually good ENOUGH, because there always seems to be something that needs to be fixed. So mind body and soul are fighting one huge war, which is freezing my ability to let the freedom of a new first draft roll over me. How do you go from editing mode, where you nitpick everything to going back to writing a first draft and letting yourself suck? If anyone's got the answer, please comment, before I drive myself crazy over this!

And last but not least, I'd like to direct your attention to this: Do The Write Thing for Nashville. As you may - or may not - know Nashville, Tennessee received a record amount of rain on May 1st and 2nd, causing the city to flood. The city is drowning and the inhabitants need all the help they can get. The above link leads to a blog - organised by three lovely authors - on which authors, literary agents, editors and a whole bunch of awesome publishing folk are donating things to be auctioned off. All money raised goes to Flood Relief. The awesome things that are being offered? Query and manuscript critiques, signed books, phone calls and so on. Run there, don't walk!

Just finishing to catch up on the blogs I subscribe to, so if you get random comments on posts that are actually a week old, that'd be me! LOL

What inspires me?

2010-04-28T16:04:00.008+02:00

Inspired by Victoria Schwab's post and her YA Rebels video about what inspires her, I was inspired to write about what inspires me. Confused yet? hehe

Many writers when asked what inspires them respond with 'everything' and I think in a way that's true. I've always been pretty observant and perceptive of others and the world around me, so sometimes I only need a little nudge to get the creative gears in my brain working. Inspiration can come in many forms. It could be a scene I see in front of my eyes, or a character trait. It can be a name, or just a face and sometimes even a piece of plot. Like Victoria said, it's my job to put these puzzle pieces together into a coherent story... or rather stories. My brain is far from linear. At any given day I could come up with a bunch of little things that don't even fit together at all. At least at first sight. So they get written down in one of the notebooks I have lying around everywhere and revisited later.

But that's what comes after the inspiration. What actually sparks it?

I'm a very visual person, so pictures play a huge part in it. I go to sites like weheartit, deviantart or flickr and just browse or search for a certain theme. I also have actor images for my main cast (most of the time, sometimes I just can't find the person that fits what's in my head). Of course that can turn into a major time suck and doesn't help my procrastination, but that's the theme for another post. *g*

by kirsten.michelle @flickr

Can't you just imagine the pack of werewolves racing past, crashing through the forest and leaving their rail in the untouched snow before they disappear into the mist?

Another source of inspiration for me are songs. Not just the music, but especially the lyrics. Often they tell stories and I can use my interpretation of them to spin my own story from them. My last inspiration was from the song Flying Machine by Everly. It's a beautiful song that sparked the idea for a YA science fiction/space cowboyish thingie. Not going into detail, cause I'm not that far with it yet, but that's just one of many songs that brought me ideas.

So distant you wander
You've lost your way it seems
Pretending you're happy
Nobody else believes
You're ever going to come down
From your flying machine
Flying Machine by Everly

Sadly I can only use music in my plotting and planning stages or when I let my mind wander. Otherwise, it kills my focus. When I have music on, I'm focussed on the melody and the lyrics and I'm enjoying it and I can't tune it out enough to concentrate on my story.

This is by no means all I get inspired by, but if I would continue, this post would be much too long.

I get inspired by people in real life - those I know, and the ones I don't know. I get inspired by TV shows and movies and books. I get inspired by myths and folklore and dreams. I get inspired by nature, by fears, pain and failure. I could go on... I think writing schools your brain to look for inspiration everywhere.

Ultimate place of inspiration? The shower. Really. I think I can safely say that that's the single most amazing place to come up with great ideas, simply because your mind wanders and there's nothing else to do.

Waiting on Wednesday #2

2010-04-28T11:55:00.004+02:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly post to share what upcoming books you can't wait for.

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: May 18th, 2010

Book #5 in the Vampire Academy Series.
More info on the series and Richelle can be found here.

Two races of vampires walk our world. The Moroi are alive and wield elemental magical, while the Strigoi are undead and evil--feeding on the innocent to survive. Rose Hathaway--a half-vampire with poor impulse control--is training to be a bodyguard for a Moroi princess. Learning to decapitate and stake is hard enough, but Rose's real danger may lie in an illicit romance with one of her instructors...

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
----- Those who haven't read the other books, should probably skip over this part! -----

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong…

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and he's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he's silenced her...forever.

Off to see 99 red balloons?

2010-04-22T22:11:00.003+02:00

A quick friday ~~five~~ four on a thursday to update things on here!

1. Nena. I saw Nena in concert last night. Yes, she's the one that sang 99 red balloons in the 80s. Yes, I normally wouldn't have gone to her concert. However the parent's of a friend are stuck in Turkey due to the ash cloud from Eyjafjallajökull (totally googled this and copy/pasted *coughs*) and they had the tickets. Obviously they couldn't attend, so we went instead. It was fun! I didn't expect it to be so good, but Nena is a great entertainer. Some songs were not really my cup of tea, but others were really good and I was amazed by the chemistry of the whole band, probably helped by the fact that two of the background singers were her kids.

The only bad thing about the whole experience was a woman in front of me, dancing the whole 2 hours and 20 minutes with her hands raised above her head, paying no mind to who was behind her. I'm happy she was excited and totally into it, but she made the experience a little less fun for the people behind her.

2. Raika She's our dog of 11 years. We had a blood test done, because she might have to have surgery, however during the test, they found some very bad liver values. So added to the heart sonography, she'll get a liver one done on monday. I hope it's not serious. It would kill us - especially my dad - if something happened to her.

3. Books. I've been reading a lot lately. The commuting and reading before bed makes me speed through books. I've read sixteen books for fun already this year and I'm loving it. It certainly is helping my TBR pile. :-P The last two books I read were The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan and Beastly by Alex Flinn. The Demon's Lexicon was amazing. I was captured from the very first page on and could empathise REALLY well with the MC. He's a guy and a bit of an anti-hero, but there's something about him that made me immediately jump to his defenses every time something came up. The book is action packed, incredibly sarcastic with great chemistry between the characters and a twist at the end I didn't see coming in a million years. I'm still in awe of that story crafting. SO good!

Beastly was a book I picked up after I stumbled across the film that's out this fall, based on this book. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast with the beast as the main POV and since I love BatB and fairytales in general, I had to have it. I didn't regret buying it. It's a really beautiful love story, with all the things you want to get out of a fairytale - mysterious witches, friendship, good vs. bad, all told from a more modern point of view. In parts it made me cry - which is always a good thing and made up for the sometimes slightly creepy stalkerish character of the beast. But who can blame a desperate guy? ;-)

4. Weekend. I'm spending the weekend in a cottage in the beautiful Sauerland. No internet. The phone reception is really crap, but it's usually quite fun. =) Maybe I'll even get some writing done.

And that's it for me, see you sunday!

Waiting on Wednesday #1

2010-04-14T15:27:00.005+02:00

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly post to share what upcoming books you can't wait for. And because my first WOW is something special, we're starting with SUPERHEROES!

Shades of Grey by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge
Publisher: Ballantine Spectra
Release Date: June 22nd, 2010

AFTER THE FALL OF NIGHT

Jet and Iridium—best friends turned bitter enemies—teamed up to foil the evil plans of the rogue superhero known as Night, but in defeating him they inadvertently destroyed the secret Corp-Co transmitter whose frequency kept the metapowered heroes of the Squadron in line. Now these heroes have turned against New Chicago, ransacking the city they once protected.

Even worse, the powerful antisuperhero group known as Everyman has taken advantage of the chaos to fan the flames of prejudice against all superpowered men and women. Just when New Chicago needs them most, Jet and the small band of heroes who have remained on the right side of the law find themselves the targets of suspicion and outright hatred.

Things aren’t going much better for Iridium. When she springs her father, a notorious supervillain, from prison to help her fight the marauding ex-superheroes, she finds that Corp-Co still has some nasty tricks up its sleeve.

But when the most dangerous man alive, the sociopath known as Doctor Hypnotic, suddenly surfaces, Jet and Iridium will once again be called upon to set aside their differences. Yet in the process, deeply buried secrets will come to light that will change everything the former best friends think they know about each other and themselves.

Shades of Grey is book #2 in the Icarus Project series. What do you MEAN you haven't read Black and White, yet?! It's awesome. GO! Get it right now. Shoo!

More info on the series can be found here.

Bar Scene Blog Fest

2010-04-11T11:30:00.003+02:00

Blog fests are a set of posts, where the participants posts an in character post to a certain theme on a certain date. You can choose which character you're using to write the post, use a scene from your WIP and in general have free creative reign, as long as you go with the theme! I found out about blog fests only this week, but reading up on them made me want to participate in one really badly! So, here is my first blog fest post, hosted by the lovely Tara over here. At the link you can also find links to the other participants blogs, if you're interested in reading more bar scenes. Also, here is a neat list of upcoming blog fests, in case anyone is interested in participating in one. =) So, without further ado, my bar scene!

Baxter tensed as he felt the muzzle of the gun against his back. The glass of bourbon he had been about to lift to his lips paused in midair and he went entirely still. Under normal circumstances, he would have heard him coming, but he was worn out, sore and had thought that this bar would be safe for once. His mistake.

“Lift your hands in the air and turn around. Slowly.”

Already the possibilities of how to get out of this without getting shot were whirling through his mind. Pulling the gun in his waistband or the knife sheathed in his wristband would take too much time. He had to rely on brute force. He set the glass down and lifted his hands slowly.

“Turn around.” The impatience of the attacker resounded in his ears and helped him pinpoint exactly where he was standing. It was probably a demon with a grudge of some kind. Vampires had much less style than that and humans were pretty damn clueless.

Baxter sidestepped the gun and swung around with his arms still raised over his head; his elbow impacted with the attacker’s nose. The hit caused him to put pressure on the trigger and a bullet collided with the wall behind the bar, sending glass shards and liquor spraying everywhere as bottles burst. Before he could turn and use the gun on Baxter, he grabbed it, pulled hard and knocked it forward full force against the forehead of the attacker. He fell to the floor like a ragdoll.

Try not to lead attention to yourself, why don’t you?

Pissed off, he eyed the unconscious guy on the ground. He was a demon, parts of his face covered with intricate blue tattoos. He didn’t remember that cult. He killed too many during his hunting business to be sure who exactly it was, but he was sure that if it was a planned attack, he would find out soon. Vampires were his forte, fuelled by the hate of being half-vampire himself.

But that didn’t mean he couldn’t kick some demon ass every once in a while.

He heard movement behind him and turned slowly to look over his shoulder. The other people inside the bar started to either get worried and scared, or aggressive themselves. A couple of them got up and pulled blades. He’d walked into a demon bar? Great.

Seeing more and more get up, made him realize that he was severely outnumbered. He had a gun now, but the sore spot in his shoulder where a knife had stabbed his flesh mere hours ago, was appealing to his survival instinct and was overruling the irrational part of his brain that was always up for a fight. He stepped back and grabbed his glass or bourbon, then gulped it down in one go. He smacked it back down on the counter then saluted the ones approaching him.

“Nice meeting you.” And with that he was out of the bar, back in his car and on the road.

Procrastination, Uni, Inner Editors, Ideas....

2010-04-07T13:02:00.007+02:00

This post marks my first post over here at blogspot. I felt like I needed a new home and a little bit of a fresh start, but I'll still cross post stuff over at my LJ for my LJ friends. =) I hope the pretty, new layout will prompt me to be a little better about my updates.

Lately I've been doing a hell of a lot of procrastination when it comes to writing. I've gotten everything else done, started the yard work, cleaned balconies, went on spring cleaning sprees in the house, done a bunch of cooking, etc., but every time I try to sit down and write or edit, something inside of me freezes. It's driving me MAD. I want to write, but that pesky inner editor is always doubtful, always there to tell me I suck and at times it's drowning out my own thoughts. I think it's because of the edits on my angels book. I had to evaluate every sentence and every word to see what to keep and now I'm stuck in that mindset. I need to learn to allow myself to write crap again, and it's a little bit of an adjustment, especially because I haven't finished the edits yet either. I won't give up though, cause we all know that a blank page can't be fixed. *g*I'm determined to have this book as good as it can be.

While I am in the writing blues - or however you might call it! - I've definitely not been lacking in the idea department. Three new ideas for character's and their stories jumped me and every day I ponder them, their worlds become more intricate and want to be written more badly. My head is starting to get a little crowded! I've been putting them on the backburner, but once I'm done with the angels revisions, I will have to pick one to write. Which will be an almost impossible task in itself, because right now they all feel awesome and shiny and exciting.

Uni started this week, and I've had two of my modules so far. I had no idea I'd selected a module on diversity, but I think it'll be interesting. If anything, the lecturer seems really good, so we'll see how things'll turn out. I'm STILL waiting for a grade in one of my modules from last semester, and while I thought patience was my strong suit, waiting for quite this long, is slowly starting to make me a little antsy.

So, this is a slightly boring update, I promise I'll be more interesting next time. :D

Scary fact: In exactly one month, I'll be a quarter of a century old. Waaah. *g*

♫Currently listening to: Monkey Back by Beth Hart
♥Currently reading: Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast