I walked in tonight to listen to Cinda Williams Chima, author of The Warrior Heir and its sequels, and got tapped on the shoulder as I sat down. “Hi Stacy!” says , who is sitting right behind me.
Now, we have to first understand that pretty much wherever I go, whether it’s downtown Chicago or the middle of nowhere, I unexpectedly run into someone I know. But who knew I’d run into the California-dwelling author of the Supernatural Rubber Chicken in West Jordan, Utah?
Turns out that Debbi and Cinda are in a critique group together, and their group happens to be having a retreat this weekend in Park City. What are the odds? Greater than expected, apparently!
So it was great to see Debbi and Cinda again and to meet their group tonight over seafood. Here’s to a great retreat for them!

What is it about candy corn that my cats must stare at me for hours on end when the bag of it is sitting next to me? They’ve already attempted to eat a kernel (which I caught them on, thank goodness), and with the bag sitting here next to me, their twin squinty-eyed expressions remain. They inch closer when I’m not looking. I bring the bag up next to me on the couch rather than on the floor (a bad idea, because then it’s too tempting to ME) and their contempt grows. I put it on the floor beside me to reduce my own temptation and they can’t help but try to get into the bag.
Cats don’t have sweetness receptors, so I can only think it’s the smell of the honey?
Whatever it is, they’re goofy. I’ve never seen them act this way with candy. With chicken, yes. Steak, yes. Broccoli, even. Yes, they’re definitely strange, but this is even stranger.
They never cease to entertain, that’s for sure.

I’m heading up to it. Who’s with me?

Young Adult Fantasy Author Cinda Williams Chima Presents
Magic on the Page:
Writing and Publishing
Young Adult Fantasy
West Jordan Library, West Jordan, Utah
Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 7 p.m.
1970 West 7800 South
West Jordan, Utah 84088
(801) 944-7646

Only six minutes in, but HA! and AUGH! and WAH! and AWESOME!
I love this show.

The Nikki-that-isn’t-Nikki: what do you say, given the reveal of her power, that she’s the only one who can actually take down Sylar?

Just a quick clarification:

If you have questions about your specific manuscript while you’re writing it, it’s very helpful to get involved in a writing group. Actually, that’s what I did when I moved to Utah–I joined a writing group of close friends who know books and who I can trust to give open advice that will help me improve my writing. If you aren’t sure where to find a writing group near you, consult your local SCBWI chapter (to find yours, go to www.scbwi.org and click on "Regional Chapters") or check out your local college or library to find like-minded individuals. Nowadays there are many critique groups available online, too, of varying quality. I would get involved in your SCBWI chapter’s listserv and ask around about writing groups that might fit your needs, whether online or in person.

I highly recommend writing groups during the drafting process if you get a good group–sometimes writing groups can be known for endless revision of the first chapter, etc., and you want to be in a group that has a good pace and that progresses so that you are encouraged to finish your manuscript. And remember, it’s okay to "shop around" for a writing group that fits your needs–the first one you find isn’t always going to be the right one.

I hope that helps clarify what my freelancing service is: a paid critique/editing service for authors who have finished their manuscripts and feel they need an editor’s perspective before/during the submission process. Perhaps you’ve finished a first draft but would like a professional’s opinion on whether the plot/characterization/pacing is working and suggestions for improvement; perhaps you are ready to go and want an editor’s feedback on your submission packet (cover letter plus first three chapters). If so, I’d be glad to consult with you. 🙂 Before that, I’d be glad to answer general questions, and a writing group can be very helpful.

I’m watching the season debut of Supernatural, right? And right in the last five minutes, the sound goes out on the cable. I have to wait until tomorrow to see the ending?

In other news, I’m up to 27,039 words. Not a whole lot of progress compared to the other day, but it’s progress nonetheless!
 

If you come to my LJ via a link, you’ll notice a post-dated permanent entry at the top of the page. In lieu of a full website (I’m working on it, but it hasn’t come together yet), this will serve to let people know about my critique service for writers who are interested in getting a professional editor’s opinion on their particular work. As it notes in the entry, I have two levels of critiques–cover letter/query and the first three chapters, or a developmental edit of the whole manuscript, including an editorial letter. For more information, see the entry.

I’ll keep blogging here, of course–this is just in addition to the content I’ll be posting here.

I left in the middle of a scene because I had to run to another thing, but I left it at 26,168 words. Yay!

I fulfilled my "write for two hours" goal. Usually, for the sake of just getting the rough draft done, I’ve faked or passed over anything that I should have written with more detail because I don’t want to be held up by having to research–I just want to get the first draft DONE! But I found today that a dance term I used to know as a matter of course has slipped between my fingers. Research time. I have to be able to know the right words to describe the dance routine as they hit each mark, or the scene loses credibility.

Last week at the first writing group critique of the same book, several people made comments about the first couple of chapters that followed the same line of thinking: need more concrete images and details. These are the things that I tell writers all the time, of course. And I thought I had been, but I think that overall I need to allow myself to dwell longer in each scene, describing the park they meet in for early-morning cheerleading practice, describing what dance move she’s doing as she dives between her two teammates, what the name of that stupid s
tretch is I’m having her do to show off to her team captain that yes, indeed, she knows how to point her toes.

I knew all these things when I was on the dance team myself. Had you asked me five years ago I’d probably still know the terms. But right now as I’m trying to write it, I have to admit that I need a book for reference to help me remember the right names.

But hey, I am now at 24,297 words!

If you’re familiar with Nanowrimo, thenjonowrimo won’t be too unfamiliar a concept. Writer Jo Knowles added a month and a half to the beginning of Nano and uses it as a chance to attain any writing goal, whether that’s a new project or a goal on an existing project.

I tried to get in on it last year with my goal to finish a first draft of the novel I’ve been working on for way too long, but work got in the way and I rarely found time to work on it. That’s my same goal this year, to finish the first draft, but this year I’m adding a goal: to write at least two hours every workday on that particular project. It’s now my job, along with the freelance editing, so
I’m going to finish that first draft by Nov. 30 if not sooner.

If you have a goal you’d like to accomplish, join in. They welcome all.