I’m guest blogging over at Lynda Hilburn’s blog and giving away a signed ARC of STAKES & STILETTOS to a commenter. What’s my topic? Yeah, it’s about the Twilight movie. I know, I’m sure I’ll get over my new obsession one of these days. Although, probably not this week.
If you’re interested in reading some of S&S early, please consider joining my Yahoo! Discussion Group. The prologue and first two chapters are available there at the moment, and I just posted the first two chapters of Demon Princess: Reign or Shine as well. Good times.
My alter ego, Michelle Maddox, has been asked to be a part of The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance anthology and she’s happily accepted. She’s very excited since she has lots of time travel ideas even though the deadline isn’t until June ’09. Fun! I will assume this will be a 2010 release.
So Nanowrimo is over for another year. I only managed to write 20K this year, but I’ve made my peace with that. *grumbles* However, I am into this book now heart and soul and carpal tunnel syndrome. I hit page 123 and 30K and I think (knock wood) I’m finally over my starting hump and will hopefully be now moving into the fast and furious middle section. I have a lot of plot left, but I’m going to strive to keep it between 85K-90K total. We shall see.
There are no vampires in this book at all, but for some reason vampires want to make an appearance as a subplot. So instead, I’ve made them into energy-sucking dark fairies instead and now they’re a part of the new world I’m building. I’ll add them to the bestiary. And since every copy editor seems to break into hives when I insist on calling them faeries and I’m tired of stetting stuff, these ones will be officially called fairies. Ta-da. Problem solved.
This book is so much fun, I guess my main worry is that I’m going to screw it up. However, apparently I think that with every book I write so I just have to keep writing in spite of any fresh doubt weasel appearance.
This week I have a signing (see homepage for more info) but other than that I am totally ON BOOK. I’d love to make this a 100 page week. Time will tell.
Thank you Mary2 for reminding me I’ve only Twittered on this subject!
***
Even though I am Canadian and we did the turkey thing last month, I am currently giving thanks.
Why?
Because my future husband Hugh Jackman has finally received the recognition he has deserved!! That’s right… check it out…
There are actually some people who didn’t even know who Hugh is until he was named People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive for 2008. Can you imagine?? Now I kind of preferred having him as my sexy man sorta secret, but now everybody knows! But I don’t mind sharing. I guess. *grumbles*
I remember the exact moment this man was seared into my mind and imagination. And it was right here in the summer of 2000……. at about the 1:50 mark….
Hey, that’s Sookie! I forgot about that.
Anyhooo… to quote Anita Blake, that scene just flat out did it for me. Instant fangirl. For eight years now. How much of a fangirl? I own Someone Like You on DVD. That’s commitment, people! Despite the Hugh Hotness, it was not a great movie (but IMO better than Van Helsing).
He was perfect in Kate and Leopold, even though Meg, who I also adore, was a bit flat in that role. I’m looking forward to Australia (which opened today) and for Wolverine which is out next year!!
Anyhow, congrats to Hugh — who has since I first saw him in X-Men been the only actor I’ve ever pictured as Thierry de Bennicoeur in four of my Immortality Bites books. I keep waiting for him to do a movie with Sandra Bullock (who is Sarah Dearly in the theater of my mind). Which would rock.
Here, let me share some of my favorites “inspirational” photos of him with you….you will notice that I prefer sullen, moody Hugh to go with the sullen, moody master vampire image in my head… Enjoy…
This first one I just found today. OMG. *dies*
And…..Happy Thanksgiving to all of my American friends!
…..But I am admitting that I won’t be completing Nano successfully this year.
DAMN!!!
No, it’s fine. And it’s the right decision. When the words come for me, they come fast and furious. 80K in a month is not ridiculous. And yet…when the words aren’t quite at the brink of spilling onto the page, trying to force them out does not help at all.
While I am a huge Nano supporter for learning to ignore one’s inner editor, I have to be honest with myself. I’ve done Nano three times. Two times I ended up with nothing I could use. The third time I came up with my 2009 YA release. However, if you compare what will be published to what I had at the end of November ’06, only the names and the general situation remain the same. Everything else had to be rewritten. Multiple times.
The thing is, my current WIP will be completed when it needs to be. Late December to go to betas. And February 1st to go to my editor. It will be finished. There is no doubt. But 50K of it probably won’t be finished by November 30th.
And That’s Okay.
As soon as I made the decision to take it easy with the writing for the rest of the month and not force it, I felt a huge weight lift. Forcing yourself to do something that doesn’t feel right isn’t a good thing. I always talk about trusting my gut. Well, sometimes my gut doesn’t talk as loudly as it should. My gut was across the street having a donut and a coffee when it should have been advising me to quit sooner.
So my plan is to go back to the beginning of my book and read and revise what I already have. I need a good foundation. I already have nearly 100 pages written. I’m well on my way. But if I screw up now, it will take much too long to fix things at the back end.
For the past couple of days, I’ve been taking a “proactive procrastination” break by rereading my YA opus from a few years back — my ghost trilogy that I still really love. I’m seeing big, thick YAs on the shelves, so instead of keeping it as a trilogy, I combined the three books to create 128K of teenaged ghost angst. Ready to rock. We’ll see what my agent says when he reads it.
And I might be going to see Twilight again tomorrow afternoon. I may need an intervention.
I realized recently that I’m very hot and cold when it comes to entertainment. There’s a whole lot of meh for me, but the things that I hate, I really hate (and will never discuss on my blog — karma’s a bitch!) but the things that I love, I love unconditionally and fangirly and I go completely obsessive with them. (OCD is a necessary disorder to have as a writer, I’m learning).
Obviously, with the whole Twilight phenomena, I’ve regressed to become a teenager again. It’s slightly disturbing but I’m going with it because I haven’t been so enthralled in a long time.
I loved the books — even though Bella herself sometimes annoyed me. I was very excited about the movie. So excited that seeing it slowly but steadily became an “event” for me. I watched the cast make a squee-filled appearance at MuchMusic. I was stunned by the reception Robert Pattinson was receiving. But I was excited by this movie. However, I knew two things for certain. I wasn’t going to stand in line to be one of the first to see it, and I wasn’t going to hold it up on a mega pedestal that nothing could ever live up to. I remember being really excited to see Van Helsing, because my husband Hugh Jackman was in it as well as it being about vampires and slayers, etc. But I couldn’t stand that movie. Hated it.
So I decided I wasn’t going to really anticipate seeing Twilight. I expected a MTV movie take on it — kind of a The Convenant slick look that shrugged off characters and quality for shiny music video effects and a kicky soundtrack.
Well, I saw Twilight earlier this afternoon…. AND I LOVED IT!
A++++
It might not work for everybody, but it worked for me. I had a grin on my face for the entire two hours. The two friends I saw it with weren’t as satisfied and complained about the so-called sluggish middle, but every scene worked perfectly for me.
The cast was fantastic. Robert Pattinson is the perfect Edward. I loved the narration. The parts that weren’t in the book — ie: the prom, and the revised reason Bella goes off by herself in Port Angeles and is almost attacked (TSTL move in the book) work perfectly in the movie. And while I found Bella to be annoying in the books (although she did eventually grow on me) I thought movie-Bella was much more likable and believable (Kristen Stewart reminds me a bit of a young Jodie Foster). Several key scenes occurred in different places rather than the original locations in the book — like the kissing scene is in Bella’s bedroom instead of next to the field where she first sees him do his sparkle thing. And the Kissing Scene itself? OMGHOT. It’s up there with the Sawyer/Kate Lost kissing scene from season 1.
I seriously need a hobby, people.
Did I mention Robert Pattinson? He is Edward Cullen. And his hair is divine. He and Bella have fantastic chemistry IMHO.
I found the movie to be very true to the book — the whole thing had a real authentic feel. Stephenie Meyer must be very pleased. And it was fun seeing her at the counter at the diner in a cameo. I thought that it was produced with great respect to the source material, and you don’t see that too much when something is translated to film these days. As a sidenote, I read that the first draft of the screenplay had Bella as a Buffy-like teenaged vampire slayer packing weapons. Uh. No. That would have not been good.
And the best part? Twilight kicked butt at the box office its opening weekend, so that pretty much guarantees we’re going to get New Moon. My New Moon review one day will contain much more Jacob love. He was good in Twilight, but he’s not quite the Jacob fans come to know and love yet, is he? Hopefully they’ll do Eclipse back-to-back with it.
I am happy. And I’ll probably be seeing it again very soon.
Personally, I think all books about vampires should be made into movies. Especially ones set in Toronto and written by me and still have film rights available. Is that too much to ask for????
I can’t believe I hadn’t made a soundtrack for this book yet. Such an important part of my prewriting process! It helps to set the tone, the characters, and the overall feel I want to achieve with the book, even if it’s just in mah little head.
I’m finding, with this being my 10th contracted book, a lot of songs start to repeat for me since I have a lot of the same themes in my writing, as well as knowing the particular song or artist works to inspire me (case in point: anything by Pink or the song Holding Out For A Hero seems to make regular appearances).
So… for LIVING IN EDEN, the songs plus a bit of explanation of why I picked them, are:
Hey Mama — Black Eyed Peas
–BEPs are great to get any plot going — especially one that I want to be a fun ride. The lyrics for this one have no meaning for me, it’s all about the feel of the song.
Can’t Get You Out Of My Head — Kylie Minogue
–Since the heroine will be dealing with somebody literally inside of her head since she’s possessed, how could I resist this little ditty? “There’s a dark secret in me / Set me free / Feel the need in me / Stay forever and ever and ever and ever”
Paralyzer — Finger Eleven
–This is a local band and I just love this song. I think it’s about being so struck by love that you’re paralyzed around the person, can’t talk, can’t think.
This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race — Fall Out Boy
–Love this song. The subtle difference between what seems like a normal girl/boy interaction can sometimes be all out war, yes? “I’m a leading man / And the lies I weave are oh so intricate”
You Make Me Sick — Pink
–Just because you think you hate him, doesn’t mean he isn’t teh hotness. “You make me sick / I want you and I’m hatin’ it”
Holding Out For A Hero — Frou Frou
–This song, right back to the Bonnie Tyler version, fills me with anticipation — “Isn’t there a white knight upon a fiery steed?/Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need” — you and me both, Bonnie. You and me both. I like the Frou Frou version because it adds a little whimsy to the retro song.
Talking In Your Sleep — The Romantics
–Another retro song. Sometimes you just can’t hide what you’re feeling inside. Especially when you’re sleeping. And especially if you have a hot demon lurking about.
Heart — Pet Shop Boys
–I’ve used this one a lot as well. Just love those PSBs. “Every time I see you, no matter what we do / There’s a strange reaction, can you feel it too?”
Sex Bomb — Tom Jones
–I feel no shame. I love Tom Jones. This song, the remixed modern version, is sexy and naughty. Just like my hero! “You can turn me upside down inside out / You can make me feel the real deal”
Black, Black Heart — David Usher
–Usher has such a sweet, sexy voice and yet this song is about the darkness inside. I’ve used it many times.
Vindicated — Dashboard Confessional
–A song perfect for your average everyday emo hero who doesnt’ feel he deserves the heroine even when she loves him despite his past mistakes. “I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well / I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself”
Stay — Shakespear’s Sister
If you listen to this song from the eighties, you’ll hear the sweet heroine contrasted with the evil, twisted villainess (Siobhan Fahey from Bananarama looking all evil and badass in the video — oh, the memories!) who seems to want to take her love away and destroy him. “You better hope and pray / That you make it safe / Back to your own world” Does good or evil prevail?? Time will tell.
Okay…enough with soundtracks. Time to get some writing done!
And I’m back. Took a week and a half doing some freelance design work. How did I manage to write and design at the same time in the past? Both are mentally draining jobs. I guess that’s why in the beginning I did a book every 10 months and now I seem to be doing one every 3 months. Makes sense.
So, despite my “I’m going to write 50K this month because I know I can,” bravado, I am way behind in Nano. I have 10K. This is due to two reasons: 1) because I’ve been distracted by other things, and 2) because the project I’m working on has to be GOOD. I have that GOOD tag stuck in my head. And my head has interpreted that as meaning that the first draft that spills out of my brain has to be perfect. Not so! I need to get it out and onto the screen. Then I can tweak the bejeezus out of it later.
Case in point, TALL, DARK & FANGSOME. I wrote this book in a flurry over the summer. While my outline was solid, it didn’t really translate on paper. It was okay, but I my gut told me it was missing something very important. Doing my editorial revisions and thanks to my editor, I realized what it was, and I fixed it. I probably put 100 hours or more into the revision, rewriting and retyping most of the scenes from scratch. Essentially, I knew the bones (plot) were okay, but the surface (character, levels, conflict, humor) needed a mega face lift. And that’s what I gave it. In the end, since I was exhausted, I wasn’t sure if it was good enough still. But my editor was very satisfied with my revisions and accepted them with no further changes. I was so happy! I knew, in my gut, that the book was where it needed to be.
So, the good news is I don’t have any more changes on it. The bad news is other than copy edits and galleys, I’m all done with my vampires! I didn’t feel any sense of loss until I received the email from my editor telling me everything was groovy. And then I felt happy, but kind of sad, too! I’ve hung out with these characters since 2002, which is when I first got the idea. I didn’t really start writing it until ’03, but that’s a good chunk of life. It was easy to slip into Sarah’s POV. Kind of like slipping on a comfortable pair of jeans. While I really like the new characters in my demon book, It still feels a bit like a first date. Uncomfortable and a bit awkward until we get to know each other better.
But we’re gonna. And we’re gonna do it soon. I still intend on giving it my all to finish Nano successfully. That’s a lot of writing, but I know if I can get into the flow then the words will come. My betas are expecting it in a month. I have no other real plans between now and then, so all I need to do is commit myself to the story, dive into the world, and put my hands to keyboard. Simple right? *sweats*
I’m seeing Twilight on Monday. Looking forward to it. I see it’s not getting the best reviews, but I don’t consider that a prerequisite for me liking it (after all, one of my all-time favorite movies is the critically despised The Quick and the Dead). I’m not going to read the reviews, and I’m going to go into the movie with low expectations. The writer and director have good credentials, so I can’t imagine it’s that bad. I will report here next week on what I thought, of course.
And So You Think You Can Dance Canada is still going strong. I’m still on Team Nico. I’m starting to think that it’s just possible he’s not the best dancer in the cast, but he does have that X-Factor (raowrrr). The same X-Factor Edward Cullen has. As a writer who would love to get that kind of reaction from readers about her hero, that is enough to warrant further study, I think. Yes, it definitely is.
If he doesn’t win the entire show, based on the fan reaction he gets from girls of all ages (and some guys), I’ll be very surprised.
First off… good news! Bitten & Smitten is now available as a Kindle ebook on Amazon.com! I’ve gotten many requests since it came out (almost three years ago! Holy cows!) as to when and why it wasn’t available in any format other than, and I quote “the dead tree” version, when the rest of the series is, and I’m happy to say that now it is. Huzzah! My vampires are now all fully digitized and ready to be read in order should the urge strike. I believe it is only a matter of time before it will be available as an ebook elsewhere, but for now, Kindle ahoy! I know Countdown by my alter ego, the currently dormant Michelle Maddox, is also almost ready to be released unto the unknowing world as Kindle downloadable goodness.
Speaking of vampires…
Don’t tell my true love Hugh Jackman, but I’ve been seeing someone else behind his back. Again. A younger man this time. I can’t help it. I have fallen for Edward Cullen. Again. And this is spoken by a reader who is fully on Team Jacob. Darn you, Robert Pattinson! Why do you have to be so dreamy!??!!
Rob was cast as Edward before I started reading New Moon, so he was the Edward I saw in my head when I was reading. Now that the movie is almost out…I am surprised at how excited I am about this fact. I need to get out more, I think. (this, of course, is not news).
He’s fifteen years younger than me. I don’t see our relationship being more than a short fling, but I’m okay with that.
Two more sleeps until Twilight is released. I’m seeing it next Monday. Squeeing may ensue. In fact, it is practically a guarantee.
Rob has inspired a new YA idea — coaxed from my tired brain on my commute to my freelance gig this week at the ex day job. The idea is as sparkly and wonderful as a Meyerverse vamp entering a sunny field of flowers. It’s not a matter of if I’m going to write it, it’s only a matter of when. And surprisingly enough, it is in no way, shape or form about vampires.
I’m guest blogging over at Lynda Hilburn’s blog and giving away a signed ARC of STAKES & STILETTOS to a commenter. What’s my topic? Yeah, it’s about the Twilight movie. I know, I’m sure I’ll get over my new obsession one of these days. Although, probably not this week.
Enjoy…
I realized recently that I’m very hot and cold when it comes to entertainment. There’s a whole lot of meh for me, but the things that I hate, I really hate (and will never discuss on my blog — karma’s a bitch!) but the things that I love, I love unconditionally and fangirly and I go completely obsessive with them. (OCD is a necessary disorder to have as a writer, I’m learning).
I didn’t feel any sense of loss until I received the email from my editor telling me everything was groovy. And then I felt happy, but kind of sad, too! I’ve hung out with these characters since 2002, which is when I first got the idea. I didn’t really start writing it until ’03, but that’s a good chunk of life. It was easy to slip into Sarah’s POV. Kind of like slipping on a comfortable pair of jeans. While I really like the new characters in my demon book, It still feels a bit like a first date. Uncomfortable and a bit awkward until we get to know each other better.
