January IWSG: Back to the Future

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

Alex wanted us to post a short bio about ourselves this month.

I am motivated by my kids, my family and my faith in Christ. When I was a kid, I always dreamed of becoming a detective or a secret agent. Don't judge. Since I didn't join the CIA, I became a fifth grade teacher, but I retired early from teaching to become a writer. I'm hooked on the t.v. show Chuck. One of my favorite series is the Alex Rider series based on a fourteen-year-old MI6 agent. The Cold War fascinates me: microfiche, cryptology, code breaking, the KGB. I do enjoy foreign languages and can fly a plane, so, hey, maybe there's hope for me as a spy someday. 

I write middle-grade fiction and enjoy going back in time to my eighth grade year and the 1980's. My writing also reflects the possibilities the future can bring. Because I have two teenage boys, my novels end up written from a male, first-person POV with geeky, humorous protagonists. My current WIP is set in contemporary Chicago, centered around an ancient relic with enough 80's references to indulge the parents of said middle-grade readers. Of course, the pages overflow with lies, spies and secret government projects, bringing to life some interesting objects and characters.

Let's do this.

My top 5 New Year's Resolutions:

1. Watch Back to the Future on October 21, 2015. You'll get this date if you've seen the movie. (If you haven't seen it, I just don't, can't understand.)  I'm still undecided which is the greatest 80's movie of all time: Back to the Future or Ferris Bueller's Day Off.
2. Finish writing my new WIP. This one is my re-worked YA novel turned back to MG and switched from a mystery to an Urban Fantasy. I'm having way more fun than I ever imagined. Goal: make final edits by March.
3. Not get the flu. (You don't even want to know. So far, so good.)
4. Become the best writer I can be. There is always room for improvement. Be humble. Keep learning.
5. Be patient. Always working on this one.

Maybe the year 2014 didn't fulfill your dreams or expectations. Is 2015 already headed in the wrong direction? I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. There's always a lesson to be learned from our experiences. And you can always include them in your writing.

2015

Have you made any resolutions this year? What things do you like to include in your writing? Let's settle the debate. Which movie do you like better: Back to the Future or Ferris Bueller's Day Off? 

December IWSG: Groundhog Day, Ultimatums and Disappointments

Come join Alex J. Cavanaugh and the Insecure Writer's Support Group. We post the first Wednesday of every month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

My blog is stuck in an Adam Brody Groundhog Day movie mode--he just keeps reappearing over and over in my posts. Humor me. He encompasses everything MG writers strive to portray in their characters: nerdy, cute, geeky, funny, vulnerable, still trying to figure out their role in this world.

I gave my work-in-progress an ultimatum.

Remember I started a YA thriller set in Chicago this past summer? I placed it on the back burner while promoting and working on my MG mystery for the Pitch Wars contest. In the back of my mind, my WIP failed to deliver. So I gave it an ultimatum. Get it together or you'll end up in the shredder. I went back to the beginning and started over. Notice I didn't give up or quit. I did discover some things about myself in the process.

1. I write MG, not YA.Who am I kidding? My silliness won't end even after they've shoved me in a nursing home.

2. I must incorporate humor into my writing or die of serious boredom. I can't keep a straight face for more than a few seconds.

3. I have two sources of endless inspiration right in front of me. My teenage boys keep me loaded with writing ammunition. I must always take advantage of their mishaps and misfortunes.

After the ultimatum was settled upon, I took the middle of my WIP and made it the "hook." Lowered the age of the protagonist. Dropped the YA and made it into my favorite age group--MG. Added way more humor. Kept it in Chicago. Changed it from a thriller to a mystery. I haven't been this excited about something since I got out of jury duty last month. 

A quick word about disappointment: 

It happens to all of us. Even small victories can be overshadowed in the light of a huge disappointment.The rejections will roll in, sometimes right on top of each other like a tsunami. You will have to pick yourself up off the bathroom floor or the ocean floor and sit your butt back in your writing chair and write. Write better, harder, smarter. You can do it. You have to do it. Because no one else is going to do it for you. IF you are going to make it in this writing world, you better learn how to overcome disappointments. OVERCOME quickly and get back to work.

"The biggest laughs are based on the biggest disappointments and the biggest fears." Kurt Vonnegut 

How have you dealt with disappointment? Have you ever re-worked a WIP? Were you happy with the changes? What are some things about yourself that you have discovered from your writing?

IWSG: Pitch Wars and 15 Minutes of Sleep

Come join me in the IWSG group created by Alex Cavanaugh. We post the first Wednesday of each month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

This month flew by in hurricane fashion. Does anyone else feel like they just drank ten cups of coffee while running the NYC marathon? Watch this 27 second video and see for yourself my current state of mind.

With more dental appointments this past month than I've had in a lifetime, including a root canal and two rounds of antibiotics, I still can't feel my face. During my youngest teenage son's first wrestling practice of the season last night, he collided with a chin and now has three staples in the back of his head. I may need another shot of espresso.

Did I mention stressing to the max over jury duty that I didn't even get selected for? The court convened on a balmy 80 degree day while the inside of the building was a sweltering 110 degrees. The one hundred-year-old court house, complete with no air conditioning, was a picture of the past. I got stuck in the cheap seats, wooden benches so old I'm sure Mark Twain sat in one a time or two. Maybe he died on one. I'm surprised the place had running water. The plaintiff, defendant and a dozen lawyers sat in lazy boy chairs, sipping ice cold bottled water. During a short break, I wandered out into the hallway to get a lukewarm drink of water from the barely working water fountain. Seriously, I don't make this stuff up. Nine hours later, I was dismissed with spinal injuries and heat exhaustion.

On a better note, Brenda Drake's Pitch Wars contest is winding down and the agent round is this week. Writers tend to be more stressed than other people that's why we drink lots of coffee. We should probably sleep for more than fifteen minutes though, right? 

Just exchange the word "writer" for "Cohen" and you're all set.

Rooting for all my fellow Pitch Wars friends! Have you ever been completely stressed out of your mind and excited about something at the same time? 

Gilmore Girls, Villains and Jury Duty

To celebrate the arrival of Gilmore Girls on Netflix, I fired up the coffee maker and slapped on my sarcasm and wit. Yes, I'm binge watching. Don't judge. I must mention the only permanent cast member that cracks me up more than any other character is Kirk--human-Kirk, not cat-Kirk. I watched the show when it debuted back in 2000 and dreamed of living in Stars Hollow.

Every timeless television series features an unforgettable antagonist. After all, what would a story be without the person who opposes one of the main characters? Boring. Well, I did some pondering while watching Gilmore Girls and my little writer's eye spied Lane's mother, Mrs. Kim. She has great hopes and aspirations for Lane to have a Korean boyfriend. Mrs. Kim stands in direct opposition to Lane's eternal happiness: a boy in Lane's rock band and her love interest, Dave Rygalski, played by Adam Brody. Lane (Rory Gilmore's best friend) creatively thwarts her mother's plans to ruin her life. BTW, the "Lane and Dave" story line is the best thing that ever happened to Gilmore Girls. 

The story line in a nutshell consists of Lane getting a fake Korean boyfriend to please her mom because Lane is secretly in love with Dave. If her mother found out, she'd be grounded until she was 35. Lane and her fake boyfriend make a plan to have her fake boyfriend who also has a fake Korean girlfriend (not Lane) break up with her. Try to keep up. Her mom will then feel sorry for her and allow her to go to the prom with Dave. Things never go as planned. The fake boyfriend breaks up with his fake girlfriend and begins to fall in love with Lane.

Meanwhile, Dave gets a little jealous of Lane's fake boyfriend and a little tired of keeping their attraction for each other a secret. One night, all goes awry when Lane confesses everything to her mom. The unexpected happens. Lane's mom shows no reaction. Her quiet, somber mood freaks Lane out. My favorite episode is when Dave shows up at Lane's door, confesses his "crush" and asks if he can take Lane to the prom. He faces the antagonist, ready to make a deal with the devil, but is shocked at Mrs. Kim's response.

Watch Dave's famous monologue if you are a fan of Gilmore Girls, Adam Brody or a fan of humor. Villains fight for what they believe in just as much as the protagonist. In this case, Mrs. Kim just wants to shield her daughter from the world (and boys). Did I mention boys? It's a worthy goal for a mother. And remember, folks, Dave flosses.

The final countdown to the Pitch Wars contest agent round has begun. I'm experiencing a root canal on Thursday and Jury Duty next Monday. Just watch the video and you will see a reflection of my disheveled self. "I can't feel my right elbow anymore." (Just watch the video:)


How's your week going? Worse than mine? Have you spotted some well-played villains lately? Have you written antagonists that aren't pure evil and have a heart?

IWSG: Get Your Game Face On: Publishers vs Agents

Come join me in the IWSG group created by Alex Cavanaugh. We post the first Wednesday of each month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

Name: Jennifer L. Hawes and I write upper middle-grade fiction.
Website: http://www.jenniferlhawes.com/ or on my Blog: http://www.jenniferswritingrevolution.blogspot.com/
Title: Publishers vs Agents
I give the Insecure Writer's Support Group permission to use all or part of this blog post.

When signing with a small to medium sized publisher (or self-publishing), you will most likely design your own book marks, plan book signings and school appearances. Be prepared to do a lot of work. You must make contacts with other writers, libraries, book clubs, bloggers and organizations to promote your book. There were many things I enjoyed about having a small publisher for my debut novel, but many things I'd do differently. Publishers represent your book (to some degree) while agents represent you, your book and your future books.

For my current, finished novel, I am seeking a literary agent. My experiences have left me feeling like I just won the lottery to losing the State Championship game in sudden death overtime. Let me warn you. You will be forced to play the WAITING game. This game is NOT fun. It freaks you out every second of every minute that you WAIT for them to read your requested full. (And the dozen or so other ones they've requested from other writers.)

Don't settle and don't quit. Put your best work out there. Follow agents and Writer's Digest on Twitter. Don't forget to be professional with agents. Always address them by name. Always include some of the qualities that match your book to their #MSWL (Twitter hashtag for "manuscript wish list") or go to their website. And for the love of all that is holy, follow submission guidelines. If they are closed to submissions, DO NOT QUERY THEM.

BE PATIENT. This is not for the faint of heart. You must be strong--warrior strong, line-backer strong. Paint your game face on and race to the line of scrimmage and WAIT for the big game to start. You CAN do this!
(I tell myself this every morning.)


Tell me about your experience with publishers vs. agents. What do you like/dislike about both? Do you enjoy self promotion? How do you handle the "waiting game"? 

IWSG September 2014: "Wait for It."

Come join me in the IWSG group created by Alex Cavanaugh. We post the first Wednesday of each month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html












As we all know, the writing process is forever a waiting game. Shawn Spencer said it best, "Wait for iiiiiit." Yes, if you want to perfect your craft, publish your work, promote your writing and enter contests, it all takes TIME.

I entered Brenda Drake's #PitchWars contest in August. We found out the winners last night. That was the longest three weeks of my life. Waiting and hoping and praying I'd make it into this contest, was a true challenge of faith and stamina. And for the record, I did make it into the contest as an alternate. I am indeed honored! There were 75 mentors and thousands of contestants, but they could only pick one mentee and one alternate.

Everyday on Twitter, since the contest opened, the mentors reminded us to wait patiently. They mentioned the endless waiting game in the writing industry. If we are to succeed in this business, we must WAIT FOR IT.



What you have waited for in the past or are you waiting for something right now? Did you ever give up on something that you wish you had been more patient with?

IWSG: "Get Back to Work, or You're Fired!"

Come join me in the IWSG group created by Alex Cavanaugh. We post the first Wednesday of each month! http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/p/the-insecure-writers-support-group.html

Benson's familiar words to Mordecai and Rigby from Regular Show ring in my ears, "Get back to work, or you're fired!" My words to myself, "Get back to writing; vacation's over." I'm back to my old writing self, somewhat. The kids start school in a few weeks. Feel free to join me in singing these words, "It's the most wonderful time of the year..."

Don't get me wrong. I do love my kids, just not in my face the entire summer, eating all of the food in the house like rabid racoons. I admit, the more I hang with my homies (my teenage sons) the more I write the funny, the unexpected, the real-life stuff that makes MG my fave genre.

As you know I'm on the path to securing an agent for my upper middle grade mystery. It's funny how you can feel worthless after a few rejections. Even when they say, "It's not you, it's me." I know this field is so subjective, but it still stings. I  try to remember all great authors have been rejected. Then things can quickly change. It feels like I won the lottery when I got one partial and two full requests! In the meantime, I'm going to enter Brenda Drake's #PitchWars. You should check it out if you are interested in getting an agent. It's for finished adult, YA and MG manuscripts. The 75 mentors choose one person to mentor their ms over a two month period.

So, I tried finishing my YA thriller set in Chicago (I will finish it!), but then the idea for my next mystery, the second in this series, hit me in the gut like a football tackle. I'm loving where this story is headed. If you see me stalking my sons, it's for research purposes. I seriously can't make this stuff up. 

I hope you have enjoyed your summer. Do you have a fear of rejection? Are you back to work--writing? What are you waiting for? Oh, yeah, the kids...to leave the house. Gotcha!