The Next Big Thing

So I know this meme has been circling for a while, so if you're sick of it already I won't blame you for skipping to the next thing. But I was tagged by the incomparable Jamie Grey, and the post was fun, so here are my answers!

What is the working title of your book?

The Never Silent

Where did the idea come from for the book?

The Main Character – From watching too many tv shows about con men.

The Setting – I wanted a large area on earth where a secret magical society could remain hidden. The ocean seemed like a pretty good solution.

The Time Period – It was the last reasonable era for a wind-powered ship instead of steam-powered.

The Plot – I have no idea. Some plot fairy must really like me.

What genre does your book fall under?

Young Adult Historical Fantasy

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

That's really tough (mostly because I'm horrible at remembering actors/actresses).

Henry Thorp: Colin Morgan or maybe Andrew Garfield

Lucy Clark: Dakota Fanning

Benjamin Temple: Tom Felton

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

17-year-old con artist Henry Thorp impersonates his best friend Thomas to take his place on board The Never Silent, a ship with a covert destination, in order to find Thomas's killer.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

Hopefully agency-repped. Not there yet. I'm still revising.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

A few months. The research took longer.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Well, the easiest comparison is Pirates of the Caribbean meets Harry Potter, but as one of those is a movie and the other is overly used, I'll compare it instead to Bloody Jack meets Obernewtyn. (And ok, I haven't actually read Bloody Jack yet, but I hear it's sort of similar and it is on my kindle to read.)

Who or What inspired you to write this book?

Um... Neal Caffrey? Flynn Rider?

A hankering to go on an adventure?

Or most likely it was the sun and the wind and the smell of the sea.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It has magic Viking-descendants vs. magic pirates sea battles.

And here's the part where I tag someone else. If Steve or Ico or anyone else at The Story Center wants to join in the fun, go for it! But no pressure.

2012 YA Books I've Read

As I have the past two years, I kept track of all the YA books I read in 2012. The list seems a bit shorter than usual this year, and I'm not sure if that's because I've been reading less, or because I'm forgetful and didn't record them all, or because I've read more non-YA this year. Regardless, here are my top 3 followed by the whole list.

Top 3 Favorite Books:
1. The Near Witch (Victoria Schwab)
2. The Scorpio Races (Maggie Stiefvater)
3. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor)

Full List:

Jay Asher

--Thirteen Reasons Why

Rae Carson

--The Girl of Fire and Thorns [rec]

Kristin Cashore

--Bitterblue

Cassandra Clare

--City of Fallen Angels

--Clockwork Prince

Paul Dowswell

--Powder Monkey

Sarah Fine

--Sanctum

Alison Goodman

--Eon [rec]

--Eona

Janice Hardy

--Darkfall

Julie Kagawa

--The Iron Knight

Lauren Kate

--Fallen

Mike A. Lancaster

--Human.4

Tahereh Mafi

--Shatter Me [rec]

Nnedi Okorafor

--Akata Witch

Christopher Paolini

--Inheritance

Ransom Riggs

--Miss Peregrin's Home for Peculiar Children

Veronica Roth

--Insurgent

Patrice Sarath

--The Crow God's Girl [rec]

Victoria Schwab

--The Near Witch [rec]

Maggie Stiefvater

--The Scorpio Races [rec]

Francisco X. Stork

--Marcelo in the Real World [rec]

Rosemary Sutcliff

--The Eagle of the Ninth

Maria V. Snyder

--Fire Study

Laini Taylor

--Daughter of Smoke and Bone

On Pitch Wars and why I love Stacey Lee

If you haven't heard of Pitch Wars yet, here is the information.

I entered the day it opened, and I've been waiting (and waiting and waiting--why does waiting have to be so hard?) for the results. Well, they went up today, and I'M IN!

Here is the announcement of the teams. (I'm toward the very bottom.)

I'm so excited about this contest because I get to work with a super fantastic mentor, Stacey Lee. I knew as soon as I saw her bio and interests that I wanted to sub to her. She likes historicals, fantasy, pirates, male MCs... in other words, everything that's in my book.

A few days after I submitted, she emailed me asking for my first few chapters, and since then we've been chatting regularly through email. We have a lot of off-the-wall stuff in common, so I'm really excited to be working with her.

But I'm also excited because she gives AMAZING critiques. She already sent me comments on the first several chapters of my MS, and you guys, she is putting me through my paces!

I know that the coming month will be the most challenging I've had in a very long time, but I am really looking forward to it. (And looking forward to the reward of crossing the finish line!) I'm ready to work.

So now I'm off to dive into revisions, aka "Hello darlings, let me murder you." See you on the other side!

Writing a Book Like a Movie

A few weeks ago I wrote a review of Locked Within by Paul Anthony Shortt. This month he's doing a blog tour to talk about the book, and today I have him here to discuss his methods for writing a vivid, action-packed scene in clear detail.

Without further ado, here's Paul!

Writing a Book Like a Movie

Thank you for having me on your blog, Audrey! I’ve loved reading your blog all this time since I started out way back in 2010. Seems like a lifetime ago.

I’m an extremely visual person. Even when listening to music, I can’t help but picture a scene in my head, whether it’s from a movie that used the music, or a scene I’ve come up with for a story of my own. Early on in my efforts to become a published author, I used this tendency to help craft my book.

When I write, I imagine the scene in my head, like I’m watching a movie. I’ll spend weeks imagining and choreographing key scenes in my mind, listening to music to keep me in the mood. Then, when I get to that point in my writing, I know I have the scene already set.

This is perhaps one of the most useful tools I have, and it was invaluable when writing Locked Within. It’s actually a pretty simple process. Starting with a character, I pick an actor who could “play” the part, and keep that image firmly in mind while I write that character’s actions, thoughts and dialogue. I find it helps keep a unique and consistent personality throughout the story.

The same applies for setting scenes and describing locations. I use Google Maps and its Streetview feature as my “location scout” in this regard. Keeping photos of the location, or a suitable stand-in, helps me visualise the scene precisely and pass that detail on for the reader. Believe me, just having a few details set in stone for you, like the colour of a storefront sign or height of a wall, can add a whole new dimension to your writing. It may not make it to the final draft, but having that knowledge ready while you write, I feel, gives your description a depth and focus that the reader will, in some way, appreciate.

I love action scenes. They’re some of my favourite scenes to write. Having a firm concept of what happens in the scene and where all the pieces go as the scene progresses is essential. There’s nothing worse than your character taking the same action twice in the middle of a fight, or pulling out a weapon that they’d dropped on the previous page. In cases like these, an ability to properly picture the scene in your imagination is crucial. Again, think like the director of a movie. You’re shooting the scene. Make sure your actors are in the right positions and they have all the props they need.

The time you take to plan these scenes out may delay your actual writing, but believe me, it will pay off. If nothing else, knowing in advance where all your pieces are going to move will help keep your writing consistent.

Another advantage to writing like your book is a movie comes from pacing and plot structure. Movie audiences are impatient. They have two hours to take in an entire story. That leaves comparatively little time to set the scene and introduce characters. Today’s readers are quite similar. Gone are the days of 400-page novels with 100 pages of world building and character introduction before the action starts.

Agents and publishers know that most potential readers will flick through the first ten pages or so, either in the bookshop or the sample pages on the likes of Amazon. If those ten pages don’t grab the reader, they’ll put the book down and check out something else. Learn from the great movie makers. Make those ten pages count. Work hard. Make each word gold. Write an opening so engaging, so seductive, that the reader won’t want to wait until they’ve bought the book to keep going. If you can set your scene, your characters, and a hint at the story to come in those first few pages, you’ll hook your readers for sure.

About Locked Within:
The supernatural realm and the mundane world have existed side by side since the dawn of time. Predators walk the streets, hidden by our own ignorance. Once, the city of New York was protected, but that was another age.

Now a creature emerges from the city's past to kill again, with no one to hear the screams of its victims. The lost and the weak, crushed under the heels of the city's supernatural masters, have given up hope.

But one man finds himself drawn to these deaths. Plagued by dreams of past lives, his obsession may cost him friends, loved ones, even his life. To stop this monster, he must unlock the strength he once had. He must remember the warrior he was, to become the hero he was born to be.

His name is Nathan Shepherd, and he remembers.

About Paul:
A child at heart who turned to writing and roleplaying games when there simply weren't enough action figures to play out the stories he wanted, Paul Anthony Shortt has been writing all his life.

Growing up surrounded by music, film and theatre gave him a deep love of all forms of storytelling, each teaching him something new he could use. When not playing with the people in his head, he enjoys cooking and regular meet-ups with his gaming group.

He lives in Ireland with his wife Jen and their dogs, Pepper and Jasper. Their first child, Conor William Henry Shortt, was born on July 11th, 2011. He passed away three days later, but brought love and joy into their lives and those of their friends. Jen is pregnant again and is expecting twins.

Website: http://paulanthonyshortt.blogspot.com

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Hi everyone! This past month I've had a lot going on, much of which I can't talk about right now, so I've been a bit silent online. But now it's Thanksgiving, and today I'm making one of my favorite contributions to Thanksgiving dinner: chocolate chip zucchini bread.

It's definitely not a typical holiday choice. I love pumpkin and apple pie. I'm a very very big fan of mashed potatoes too, though I'm not really a gravy or cranberry sauce person. Thanksgiving traditions are great, and I enjoy celebrating some things the way most everyone else does, but I like adding my own flavor to the mix as well.

So generally, if possible, I make a dessert bread. Chocolate chip zucchini bread is my absolute favorite. It doesn't dry out and it's very sweet. I got the recipe from a friend, and today I'm sharing it with a group of teenage girls, who will be coming over soon to bake with me. Let the mess and silliness begin!

Do any of you contribute an unusual dish to your Thanksgiving meal?