Writing Young Adult Characters: The Writing Life

It's Friday!

I just sent Chasing Forgiveness, my Tala Prophecy novella, to my betas. EEP!

Recently, my middle sister and I were talking about my choice to write young adult characters. She was wondering how I connected to being a teenager, and wrote them so beautifully (thanks, sis!), because she she felt removed from that time in her life.

My first thought... am I just refusing to accept my age (42)? No, I've never been one to freak out about birthdays or lie about my age.

In part, I write from a teenage/young adult point of view because it's rich with drama, insecurity, indecision, naiveté, heartbreak, ego, disappointment... the list goes on and on.

But many would say these apply to adults as well.

Yes. However, teenagers and young adults are at a crossroads. They have one foot in the innocence of youth and one in the responsibility of adulthood. It's such a delicate balance, and it creates an environment ripe for mistakes and learning. What's most terrifying is that the consequences can be very adult without the benefit of adult knowledge in the decision-making process.

Can adults still screw things up royally? Of course! And I don't write my teenagers/young adults in a void... they are surrounded by adults who are still trying to figure things out, while also counseling the younger ones. See, an environment loaded with possibilities.

While I was thinking about this, I also realized personal reasons why I write this age group, but I'm going to save those reflections for next week's post. Please stop back by.

Please share why you love (or don't love) reading young adult characters? If you do love more adult books, why?

Plus, I do have the advantage of having two teenage girls in my house (well, my middle will turn 13 on 2/7). Plus, my youngest acts like a teenager thanks to her older sisters. They keep me firmly connected to the way a young adult's mind works. Not that I ever felt disconnected.

So, the three beauties (pictures sprinkled throughout this post) are part of my inspiration.

Fractured Darkness by Morgan Wylie Release Day

It's RELEASE DAY for Fractured Darkness (The Age of Alandria: Book Three) by Morgan Wylie. It's an upper YA fantasy series with Elves, warrior Faeries, Shifters, and a girl trying to discover who she is along the journey as she and her band of companions battle to save the realm of Alandria.

Check out book 3 in the series!

About Fractured Darkness

The darkness in Elnye is growing.

There is screaming in Exhile.

The mysterious woman, known only as “She”, is in a rage. Her pawn, Maleina has made a dangerous move and severed her communications with the dark mistress. Now as dueling dark forces, master and willing initiate, they begin to jockey for power as the stage is set for the coming war. 

Kaeleigh and her small band of loyal companions have escaped the dungeons of Elnye and found their way to the secret home of the Ehsmia. After breaking the vicious bond that enslaved Daegan to Maleina’s will, the walls between Kaeleigh and her Ferrishyn warrior begin to fall, as their feelings for each other begin to give way to passion.

The darkness is fractured, but its relentless quest for power goes unabated. A war is coming. However, the power of the Sol-lumieth has finally come together and found its light. A blinding light of freedom, that may be the salvation for all of Alandria.

Available Jan 29th!!

One Click
 AMAZON   BN   iBOOKS   KOBO

Add to your Goodreads TBR shelf:  Goodreads

*****

Personal Note: I've followed Morgan Wylie for quite a while online and my high school daughter LOVES this series. In an it's-a-small-world moment, I realized I knew a member of Morgan's family. Now I am even more excited to see Morgan at UtopYA in Nasvhille in June. Oh, and to finally start reading this series for myself.

Top 10 Writing Pet Peeves: Grammar & Writing Tips

For today's grammar focus, I'm recycling a post from June 2012. Enjoy!

*****

No writer is perfect, and perfection would be boring anyway. 

I'm a big believer in keeping a reader engaged. Some mistakes, at least for me, bring me out of the story and back into my own head.

My Top 10 Writing Pet Peeves

Lose/Loose
This one annoys me, because I don't get it. The words are just so different. Chose/choose bugs me, but I can understand why people confuse them. Although I guess you can lose something that gets too loose. Hmmmm.

Similar Sounding Words
Examples: there/they're/their, its/it's, you're/your, two/to/too

The spell check function fails this test. I get it. When you are typing fast, you might accidentally use the wrong one. If you know you make these mistakes often, do a Search and Find as part of your editing process and make sure these words are used correctly. 

Mark Twain (from Wikipedia)

Overuse of Very
Using very gets old very quickly. I love the Mark Twain quote, "Substitue damn every time you're inclined to write very; your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be."  Rarely is "very" needed (with the exception of dialogue).

Irregardless
I. Hate. This. Word. Why? It is not a word. It's a double negative, and actually means not having no regard. So irregardless would technically mean having regard. Are you confused? Me, too. To me, it would be like saying irrelevantless.

Too Many Ellipses in Dialogue
I like an ellipsis for dramatic effect within story (or a blog post). However, I don't like line after line of dialogue with ellipses. Yes, it is a good indicator of someone being interrupted, but if someone is interrupted line by line, I think the conversation should be over. I know I would clam up by then. 

Also, some writers use it to show pauses when a simple comma will do.

Unnatural Dialogue
Speaking of dialogue, I want it to sound like two people talking. Good dialogue should read fast and true. It shouldn't read like prose. And rules that apply to good writing, do not apply to good dialogue. People speak with words writers are told to avoid: just, that, very. Even irregardless. Furthermore, if you craft a teenager, don't have them speaking like an adult. 

Read dialogue out loud to catch awkwardness.

Using the Word Believe Too Often
If a writer is using first person point of view, "I believe" is obvious. If the narrator is telling you about other characters and using believe, the reader doesn't know for sure what the narrator really knows. Do we just take the narrator's word for it?

Example: "I believe ghosts haunt the house up the street. My friend believes they don't."

If I is the narrator, we know he/she believes it simply by stating it. And we can't know for sure that the friend doesn't believe in ghosts, unless the friend character says it or the narrator shows why they don't think the friend believes it.

Am I making any sense?

Using Spell Checker as Editor
The spell check feature is awesome, and it will save you from typos and misspelled words. It will not save you from #1 or #2 above. Or some typos, like typing form for from. Use it, but don't let it be your editor.

Too Many Characters with Similar Initials
Maybe it's because I read at night, or maybe it's because I have three kids, but I can't keep it straight when Molly loves Max who was once wed to Mindy who fights constantly with her sister, Melissa. Oh, and Mike is falling fast for Molly, but Mindy is jealous. 

Update: Funny aside to this. In my Tala Prophecy series, I have Reagan falling for Rowan but fighting against Rafe. Oops! I fell in love with the names. Rowan and Rafe are brothers, so that helps my case, right? I know many families who keep with an initial theme. 

Inconsistency
This is the worst. I'd rather an author own a mistake throughout, or own a style that I might consider wrong, than to switch back and forth. Confused as to whether to use the oxford comma or not. No problem, pick a way and run with it. 

Example: I recently read a book where a main character was Molly for half the novel and Mollie for the other half.

What is your biggest writing pet peeve? Or, what mistakes make you cringe when you're reading?

Note: I edited and edited this piece, terrified I'd make a mistake. There's nothing like writing a post about mistakes that contains mistakes. I hope it's as error free as possible.

Indie Highlights: A Master Class and Crazy For Love

Mondays are for sharing some of my favorite Indie News.

Janet Wallace, the creator of the awesome UtopYA conference, is heading up a class for Indie Writers on how to break through to the next level. StandUP. StandOUT. Rake it In will start February 2. From the website:

Then join me, Janet Wallace, and other fellow writers for a six week course that can set the tone for a positive, healthy and results-driven 2015 for you and your writing career.

Let go of the “backup plan.” It’s time to burn the boats and stop looking behind you. It’s time to forge ahead with your talents and share them with the right people so that you can inspire, share and grow. It’s time for you to put all the missing pieces together FOR GOOD, so that you can make the income you need and have the confidence and knowledge to know that you can do so again and again.

I’ll be hosting two live calls per week — one focused solely on the business of being an author and how to increase your fans and sales though inspired marketing and brand influence; the second call of the week will be focused entirely on mindset — we will examine your relationship with money, time, yourself, your environment, your community and how you can turn fear into fuel to set your life ablaze. Because, the bottom line is, if your mind isn’t in the right place, none of the marketing stuff will stick. #Truth

For more information, click here.

Also, my awesome pal, Casey L Bond, has a new release coming out on Valentine's Day. But it's available for Pre-order now for only $2.99.

About Crazy Love
(from Goodreads)

Shelby Case avoids town and all the people in it. She can't stand the whispers behind covered lips, the judgmental stares. People say she's crazy, that she lost her mind when she lost her husband. 

The Second U.S. Civil War has left widows and widowers scattered across the land. Shelby's just learned to cope. She's taught herself the fine art of self-preservation along with the skills to survive. 

When the figment of her imagination, the man who's haunted her days and nights for the past two years, shows up on her doorstep, Shelby wonders if all of the whispers are true.

New Adult Romance with a Dystopian vibe...
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SM2U12A
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00SM2U12A
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00SM2U12A
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00SM2U12A
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crazy-love-case…/1121102802…
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id960462153
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/crazy-love-27

Again, if you have Indie news to share, please let me know. I'd love to feature it on my Indie News posts on Mondays.

Capturing My Ideas: The Writing Life

Ah, it's Friday. Time for the weekend.

In case you missed Monday's post, I've recommitted to this blog and have theme days. On Fridays, I'll share the ups and downs of the writing life.

I've had many people ask me how I plan out my books. Although I'm a pantser and proud of it, I do organize my plot thoughts. Well, organize might be stretching it...

Yes, that's it. A bunch of scribbled-on pieces of paper. When a plot development pops into my head, and this often happens when I'm nowhere near my computer, I grab the closest piece of paper and jot it down. I keep them all in a folder. 

I've written on receipts, napkins, and my hand. If I'm driving, I have one of my daughter's type my thoughts into the Notes section of my phone. If I'm alone, I'll pull over as soon as I can and start typing. A couple of times, when I couldn't pull over, I called my voicemail at home (since I have hands-free) and left myself a message about my ideas.

Do you ever have an idea that consumes your thoughts unless you get it out? Please share the oddest way you've ever left yourself a reminder.

Clench vs. Clinch: Grammar & Writing Tips

Happy Wednesday!

Wednesdays are now my days to share a writing or editing tip.

Without further ado...

Source

Clench versus Clinch

For simplicity, clench is to grasp or hold firmly (clench something in your hand or clench your teeth--see picture to the right) and clinch is to settle decisively (clinch a win).

However, like most things related to our beautiful language, there is an exception:

Boxing. an act or instance of one or both boxers holding the other about the arms or 
body in order to prevent or hinder the opponent's punches. (from Dictionary.com)

As I began to further research what I thought would be a simple post, I also found that Dictionary.com listed "a passionate embrace" as a slang definition of clinch. I'm guessing that came from the boxing clinch above. Too funny... that's not very romantic at all.

Furthermore, Grammarist.com stated:

Some dictionaries list clench and clinch as variants of each other, but this is just because the words have been confused so often for so long. Edited publications and careful writers keep them separate.

So, I guess these Wednesday Grammar Tips won't always be simple. When in doubt, I look something up via a trusted source. I like Grammarist and Grammar Girl, and The Chicago Manual of Style is my editing bible.

Most often, I see the mistake of an author saying a character clinched his/her teeth or clinched a spell book. In those cases, it should be clenched. 

Is there an editing/grammar issue that's always caused you trouble? If so, share it in the comments so I can feature it on a future post. 

Whether you are editing, writing, or reading today, I hope you enjoy every single word!

A New Look

My last post, Defining Me, was about defining who I am, especially as an author.

To that end, I want to freshen up this blog.

I have been blogging consistently for over four years now. Throughout that time, I've had moments where I loved it and others where I wondered if anyone was listening or if I had anything else to say.

Too often I sit and stare at a blank post page and my mind goes blank.

So, what's a blogger to do...

Thanks to some amazing encouragement from the Ginny Gallagher of Gin's Book Notes and Jo Michaels, I have a plan.

Going forward, my blog schedule will be:

Mondays: Sharing My Favorite Indie News & Reviews
Wednesdays: Grammar and/or Writing Tips
Fridays: Reflections on the Writing Life

Of course, there will be some special events or extra goodies from time to time, including my monthly Insecure Writer's Post on the first Wednesday of the month.

If you are an indie author and would like to be featured on this blog or have some indie publishing news to share, please send it to me at tiasbach@gmail.com.

For some Monday fun, I thought I'd share one of the first pictures I shared on this blog. 

My sweet girls are now 14, 12, and 9--my oldest is a freshman in high school. By May, they will be 15, 13, and 10. Crazy!

Defining Me & Marketing: #IWSG

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (or IWSG) is a wonderful group put together by the amazing Alex J. Cavanaugh (which now has an equally cool Facebook group). 

The first Wednesday of each month is the perfect opportunity to share my insecurities on the #IWSG therapy couch, get encouragement and support about such insecurities, and to read how other writers are faring.

Wow. It's 2015! 

Thanks to a Christmas-Eve release of Fractured Glass, I now have four published books. I hope to increase that to six by June of this year.

My writing confidence has grown in the last year. Don't get me wrong... I still have those moments when I'm staring at the screen and wondering what the Hell I'm doing, but those moments seem to be fewer and farther between. 

Now, if I could only build my marketing confidence.

I've done a lot of soul searching since I turned 40. I don't know why, but I seem to over-analyze everything about my life since then (August 2012). My whole life I moved, and I was a character with an ever-changing role. I adapted to fit in. I've continued to move about every two to three years even as an adult. 

Then, at 40, I woke up (after yet another move) and realized why I felt so uncomfortable at marketing. As authors, we--at least in part--have to sell ourselves. I'm still figuring out what that means. The more I'm around other authors--UtopYA was a life-changing experience for me--the more I realize who I am and who I want to be. I am finding my authentic self. (Thank God it's never too late!).

But, it's hard. I don't want to "try too hard" or create another persona. 

One thing I've definitely learned... to find yourself, you have to stop making everyone else happy. That's all I've ever done. Writing is the first time I really stepped outside of others' wants and did something for myself. It's scary.

During this journey, I've often felt more like hiding than shouting my successes or achievements at the top of my lungs. It leaves me feeling raw and vulnerable.

Any suggestions for marketing that feels a bit less exposed? I'm feeling rather protective of my fragile state right now. I've made a lot of progress to self-discovery, and I don't want to slide back down the mountain, so to speak.

For now, I'm climbing and gaining confidence as I go. I'm getting to define who I want to be. Really, when you think about it, as scary as it is, how awesome is that? Once I get to the top, I think shouting will be no problem, because I will be so thrilled to be there. Until then, I'm being good to myself while pushing harder than I ever have. 

Here's to an awesome year of self-discovery! *raises wine glass*

Do You Want to Make 2015 Your Best Writing Year EVER?

This is for the writers out there who want to make 2015 their best writing year EVER...

You want powerful? This is it.

This course is for the frustrated. The fed-up. The “I can’t possibly write another book because I’m too busy marketing” folks. 

Authors S. M. Boyce & Heather Hildenbrand hear you. Those two full time authors designed this course to help YOU find time to write in your everyday life. It’s full of time management mastery, mindset shifts, and lightbulb-epiphanies. 

Complete with a companion Facebook group for networking and support, this course will change how you operate your writing business. The live-run course will begin in February 2015 with a free email-based 2-second tips mini-class leading up to it. 

You do NOT want to miss out on this one. It’ll change your writing life.

Sign up + change your life at http://www.findtimetowrite.com/ !