The Best Laid Plans...

    
     Things happen in life that totally blow plans out of the water. I like to plan. I like to know what's happening today, tomorrow, the rest of the week. I plan my meals on Monday for the entire week. I have a cleaning schedule of different parts of the house I clean each day. I have a set time to do my writing (during Avery's nap). We eat meals at the same time each day (usually). You get the idea.
     Clearly I have control issues. But I've learned that no matter how much you plan, those plans can go awry. Luckily, I think I'm easy-going enough that when plans do fall through, I don't freak out- too much.         
     Like last week- I was at my parents house until Tuesday night. On Wednesday I didn't want to bother with my cleaning so I ignored it for the rest of the week. I also spent those few days at my parents eating like a cow. It didn't help that I brought mounds of fudge from Waterton home with me, or that my husband had stocked our pantry while I was gone with bags of candy (including 3 bags of my fave- Swedish berries), bags of chips, boxes of cookies, and an alarming amount of chocolate bars. (That's why I don't let him shop.) So my "eating healthy" plan blew up in my face. Or more accurately- my belly.
     Then there was the goal I had set for myself- finish Jessica Book 2 by July 1st. Ha. I barely wrote at all in June because I was focused on fixing my query, and going through a reader's edits.
     Today is Monday, and I'm determined to get back on track. My house desperately needs cleaning, my body is begging for something healthy, and even though I have new edits to go through on book 1, I have set a new goal to finish book 2 by September.
     I need to have plans. Otherwise I'd sit around and do nothing all day. Having plans forces me to get things done. Having goals forces me to work towards accomplishing them.
     And when I don't? When my best laid plans fall through... well, I shrug my shoulders, try not to beat myself up about it, and get myself back on track.

Happy Canada Day, Eh!

    Just wanted to say a quick

Happy Canada Day to all those Canadians out there.

Have a great day, a great weekend,

and we'll see you next week!

To Wake Up or Not To Wake Up

    
     I've read in multiple places that you should never start your book with your character waking up. It's like a death sentence for your book.
     I get that, I really do. But...
     I have always assumed that what this means is something like this:
     My alarm blared, waking me from a lovely dream. I groaned. I hated getting up in the morning. After laying there for a few minutes, willing myself to get up, I finally ambled out of bed. My greasy hair clung to my head so I sighed and stepped into the shower. The hot water was enough to wake me up. I quickly dried my hair and dabbed on some makeup and then went down to breakfast.
     This is of course an example of weak writing all around, but you see what I'm saying here? I thought that the whole not starting your book with your character waking up meant you shouldn't give a blow by blow of their everyday routine before getting to the action that happens later in the day.
     Why am I even mentioning this? Well, the first line of my book, Daze and Knights, is this:
     I woke up to a sword at my throat.
     You see my dilemma? My character starts the book waking up. But, I'm starting the book right where the action starts. I mean, hello- she's waking up with medieval knights poking a sword in her throat and she's wondering where she is, who they are, and what happened to her bedroom. I thought this was fine. I never considered it fell into the category of "waking up". Then someone who critiqued it suggest I change that. And I thought- Ack.
     And THEN- I read a post by Nathan Bransford (you can read the whole thing here) who says you should NEVER do it, no matter what.
     I do have a reason for her waking up- an important reason that won't be explained until a later book (if I get that far). I'm not just doing it because I feel like it. But I don't want to hang a death sentence over my book or make it easy for agents to scrap it after the first line.
     So- what do you think? Should I change it? Comments? Bueller?

I'm Baaack

     Ok so I wasn't really gone but it sure felt like it. I usually take Sundays off from the computer but four whole days away from the computer and I feel like I've missed out on the whole world! There's so much catching up to do (and so little time!)

     Anyway, it's wednesday which means... Road Trip Wednesday! Here's the question:

What's the best book you've read this month?

     Well gee... that's tough. Hmmm... Which Harry Potter will I possibly choose??? Haha. I'm still on Order of the Pheonix (book five) because of my weekend with the family. So out of those five I'd have to say Prisoner of Azkaban is my favorite. Why? I don't really know. It's been a long time since I read it for the first time so I can't really say why that one stands out. But I will give an example of one of my absolute favorite parts from that book: (Courtesy of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling, page211)

     "Professor Severus Snape, master of this school, commands you to yield the information you conceal!" Snape said, hitting the map with his wand.
     As though an invisible hand was writing upon it, words appeared on the smooth surface of the map.
     "Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business."
     Snape froze. Harry stared, dumbstruck, at the message. But the map didn't stop there. More writing was appearing beneath the first.

     "Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. Moony, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git."

     It would have been very funny if the situation hadn't been so serious. And there was more...

     "Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a Professor."

     Harry closed his eyes in horror. When he'd opened them, the map had had its last word.

     "Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball."

     Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha. That part makes me laugh- out loud- every time. Love Harry Potter. Just love it. Enough said.  

Lovin' The Language Blogfest

     Jolene Perry over at Been Writing? is hosting this blogfest so check out her blog to see everyone's responses which will probably be more interesting than mine...

     I have to admit, this was a tough one for me. I don't think of myself as a writer who is very good with words. So why am I writer then? Well, I love stories and characters and settings. I enjoy writing the scenes I see in my head and I love dialogue. But I'm rubbish at description and I rarely come up with something that I think people would stop and say, "that was brilliant!"
     Since Jolene is kindly allowing us to break the rules (yay), instead of five lines from Daze and Knights, I decided to post five of my favorite chapter titles. I had lots of fun coming up with these titles, and I'm quite proud of them. (Cue my self-satisfied smile.) I had a really hard time choosing too, but here they are:

Chapter 2: If I’m Daydreaming Then Where’s Zac Efron?

Chapter 7: Let Me Introduce You To Creep #1 and Creep #2

Chapter 20: Splinters, Visitors, And A Sword Up The Nose

Chapter 47: Who Knew That Killing Someone Makes You Want To Barf

Chapter 51: How Many People Do I Have To Kill To Get Some Alone Time Already

All You're Ever Gonna Be Is Mean

     I'm always a little behind the times. I just watched this video for the first time today even though I know all the words off by heart by now (I'm a huge Taylor Swift fan- FYI). Although this isn't my favorite song off her Speak Now album, I just love that she isn't afraid to be honest in her songs. The video is different, there's no skanky-ness going on (props for that), and I love the message of rising above the people who are mean to you. I think we can all relate to that. (An aside: the little girl from Ramona and Beezus is in the video too.)
      Well, this isn't much of a post, I know, but I love watching videos. Tomorrow, after I go to an assembly where my daughter is getting an award (Go Jade!), me and the kids are heading to Cardston. I'm looking forward to seeing family I haven't seen in awhile, but sad for the reason (my Grandma's funeral).
     See you all on Monday for the Lovin' the Language blogfest. Until then...

Someday I'll be livin' in a big ol' city

And all you're ever gonna be is mean

Someday I'll be big enough so you can't hit me

And all you're ever gonna be is mean

Why you gotta be so mean?

Road Trip Wednesday

This was an EASY one. And I loved the picture YA Highway used so I'm totally stealing it.

The house is on fire and you've only got time to grab five things. What are they?

     They are: Jade, Logan, Kori, and Avery (my four kids), and then my USB stick (or whatever that little thingy is called that has a backup of my books on it. If my kids count as one thing, then I'd definitely be grabbing for the photo albums next.
     Seriously though, this is probably my biggest fear. And it also really makes me think that I should constantly back-up my work and have the stick accessible (it's usually buried under piles of paper so the kids don't grab it and lose it) just in case.
     What would YOU grab?