Monday Memes - September 16, 2013

Guilt trip time...
Your story world's going to be the biggest flop ever if you don't write it down! :P

Have you ever gotten an idea for your story or story world, and then forgotten it because you didn't write it down?

Monday Memes - September 9, 2013

If you don't experience the world around you, then you have no business building a new world.

What is one way that you have incorporated your experiences into your story world?

Monday Memes - September 2, 2013

This month's theme here on the blog is World Building. Hook your reader by placing characters in an intriguing world. Otherwise, why would your reader care?

What story world is just itching to come out of you?

Monday Memes - August 26th, 2013

Same with your characters. What dream does your MC have?

Author Interview with Heather Manning

Hi Writers! Carilyn here. :) Today we are interviewing Heather Manning, a writer friend of ours that we met through Go Teen Writers!

Before we get started, can you tell us a little about yourself?

I am a young lady who loves to read—and write. I am a proud member of ACFW and I live in Kansas City, Missouri where I act in community theatre, eat donuts and read every Christian Historical Romance I can get my hands on.

Why did you start writing? Did you always want to be a writer?

Well, I have technically been writing since I was very young. Before I could write, I used to tell my sister or my mom stories and make them write them down for me. Later, I would write stories in a notebook for fun.  I hadn’t really considered being a writer until a few years ago when I had an amazing English teacher. I realized how fun it was to write stories, and she encouraged my writing.

What do you do when you're not writing?

When I’m not writing, I’m critiquing, reading, or acting. I like to help friends with critiquing their writing and reading has always been a favorite pastime for me. I also act in community theatre and with a college, because my high school doesn’t have much for acting.

What was the biggest obstacle to getting published for the first time, and how did you overcome it?

For me, it has been just preparing for being published. It’s not easy to write. Well, it can be easy to write, but it’s not so easy to polish your writing and make it ready for publication. I’d been editing my book for almost a year before I submitted it to a publisher. To overcome it, I guess I’d say that I just kept going, no matter how difficult it got or how annoyed I was with my story.

What is your book about? Target age range?

My book, Swept to Sea, is about a young aristocrat woman who stows away on a pirate ship to escape marriage to an abusive man. My target age range is actually very wide, because I’d say it goes from 14 and up. It isn’t a young adult book, it’s probably meant for an older age range, but I would like to think that a wide variety would enjoy it.

Eden, the MC

Which are you - panster or plotter?

I’m a plantser. I do a little bit of both. :) I like to know where I’m going but not plan every little detail or it feels too dictated for me. I like to come up with the main idea for a book and then maybe some important plot points and then work from there.

Are you planning any other books?

Yes, I definitely am. I have lots of ideas, but what I’m working on now is a sequel to Swept to Sea currently titled Carried Home. I intend to make a trilogy.

Is there any part of writing that you don’t like?

I don’t love researching, although I definitely do it. I can get very frustrated when I don’t find what I’m looking for so that’s what I don’t particularly enjoy about writing. 

Indie publishing or traditional publishing?

I have always liked traditional publishing and I am very pleased to say that I have a book contract now with a traditional publisher.

Congratulations, Heather!!

If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?

If I couldn’t be an author, my ideal career would definitely be something related to acting. I really enjoy it and I would love to be a professional stage actor someday. I would also like to teach acting.

What's the weirdest thing you've Googled?

Lately, the weirdest thing I’ve Googled is “treatment of bruises in the seventeenth century”. And oddly, I did not find what I wanted. :)

And finally, where can we find you online? 

You can find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heather-Manning-Author/140994172751360

Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherM_Author

Blog: http://heathermauthor.blogspot.com/

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/HeatherMAuthor/boards/

From all of us at YAWA, thank you so much for being our guest today!

Thank you for having me!

Monday Memes - August 19th, 2013

Have you ever used coincidences in your stories? In which way did you use it?

Monday Memes - August 12th, 2013

Do your characters make your story easier or harder to write?

What is one thing that you need to change about your MC?

Interview with Josh from Blimey Cow!

Hey Writers, Carilyn here, and we are thrilled to announce that today we are interviewing Josh, from Blimey Cow!! This interview was super fun, and thanks so much for doing this Josh! We really appreciate it!

Before we get started, can you tell us a little about yourself and BlimeyCow?

My name is Josh Taylor. My younger brother and I started making online videos under the name "Blimey Cow" when we were 14 and 17, respectively. Almost eight years later, we are still doing it, with the help of my wife Kelli and our sister Amy. We release at least one new video a week, and our most popular show is called "Messy Mondays." I am the primary writer for our content.

How did you first get the idea for doing BlimeyCow?

I have just always really enjoyed making videos. My siblings and I have been doing them for as long as I can remember. The start of "Blimey Cow" was really just the first time we decided to actually do it consistently. Not to mention, we started in 2005, which was right around the time that YouTube was created- so online video distribution was finally becoming viable. It was an exciting time.

Jordan, Kelli, and Josh

What is your goal in writing and producing videos and podcasts?

I enjoy having a creative outlet. Before I was writing videos consistently, I always had these random thoughts floating around in my head- jokes I wanted to use somewhere, or thoughts and ideas that intrigued me. Plus, I just enjoy getting people thinking outside of the box. I guess that's my ultimate goal with the video- getting people to think for themselves.

How long have you been writing? Did you always want to be a writer?

I've been writing for as long as I can remember, but I really never considered myself a writer at all. I always wrote short stories for my siblings to read when we were all really young, and then I wrote album reviews for a music website for most of my teenage years. And then we started Blimey Cow. So, I guess I'm a writer. I just never thought of it that way.

Oh yeah, you're totally a writer! And you do a great job...

How much research do you put into your scripts? What has been the weirdest thing you’ve researched?

My "research" is mostly just observing the world around me, as well as my own heart- trying to figure out why humans do the things we do and react the way we do to certain situations. I wouldn't call it "research," but occasionally I do look things up in regards to the kinds of things we talk about and jokes we make. For example, we did a video recently that made a joke about a GPS device that would help you avoid "bad neighborhoods." turns out it's actually a thing. Pretty sad.

How much involvement do family and friends have in the process of writing scripts for your videos?

Blimey Cow basically is the Taylor family- so they are crucial to its operations. As for friends, I have a really small but great circle of friends that helps me work out jokes. I know some really funny people.

When do you write? Do you have a regular schedule?

I write whenever inspiration strikes. Normally though, inspiration doesn't strike until a few hour before we are scheduled to shoot a video. I can't force myself to write if I'm not feeling it. That fact used to keep me stressed, but I have embraced it now.

Where do you get your inspiration? What keeps you motivated?

I just observe the world around me and try to figure it out.- and then I observe myself and wonder why I do the dumb stuff I do. A lot of our videos are born out of long walks I take wherein I just think about things that are going on in my life. I question my motives, actions, reactions, etc. to the situations surrounding me. Then I write a video about the (usually not-very-flattering) things that I discover about myself. It's cathartic and helpful to my growth as a human, in a weird way.

What is your favorite video that you’ve made?

Just on a personal level, I am really attached to one we did towards the end of 2012 called "I Pledge Blind Allegiance." It was basically a takedown of the Christian response to politics in America, and we released it the day before the US Presidential Election. I had been working on it for at least six months, and had really put my heart into it. It's the longest I have ever worked on a script and I'm just really happy with how it turned out. I don't even think its the best one we have made, but it's still my favorite.

(Carilyn's note: You can watch "I Pledge Blind Allegiance" below.)

If you could only share one piece of advice with aspiring script writers, what would it be?

Write what you know, and write about things that excite you.

Is there any part of writing that you don’t like?

Writer's block, and the feeling of being completely overwhelmed by a topic and having no idea how to tackle it.

How much influence does viewer comments/feedback have?

Quite a bit! We are kind of making this thing up as we go along, so we are really honored to have such a cool community that really believes in what we are doing and wants us to do well.

What is the hardest part about writing scripts? What is the easiest part?

The hardest part about writing scripts is probably just the initial "sitting down" and trying to focus. I have a hard time focusing. I don't think there is an easy part to writing, but that's what makes it fun. You feel really accomplished once you have something in front of you of which you are proud.

How does your real life interact/play a role in/interfere with your writing life?

Like I've said,  a lot of my writing inspiration comes from observing the world around me, so "real life" is like research.

What do you do when you’re not writing or making videos?

I really enjoy playing board games. I haven't had much time lately to play because of how time consuming Blimey Cow has become, but any chance I get, I love getting a game going.

What was your favorite book or author as a teen? What's your favorite now?

I have a really hard time sitting down and getting myself to read, unfortunately. I have tried over and over, but without much luck. I'm very thankful for audio books. But to answer the question, my favorite book growing up was "Holes" by Louis Sachar. I recently read "Fight Club" by Chuck Palahniuk and that was pretty thought-provoking. I also like books about politics and social systems- but I guess overall, I don't really have a favorite book anymore. I just enjoy good stories.

If you could have time travel abilities and could meet anyone from any time, who would you like to meet?

It's the most cliche answer of all time, but I want to meet Jesus and just listen to what He had to say.

Finally, where can people find more about BlimeyCow?

www.blimeycow.com

www.youtube.com/blimeycow

www.facebook.com/blimeycow

www.twitter.com/blimeycow

Thanks for doing this interview Josh! We are very excited to have you on here at YAWA!

Monday Memes - August 5th, 2013

This month's theme is Character Building...

What is one "rule" that you think people need to ditch when crafting characters?

Interview with S. Alex Martin

Hey Writers, today we are interviewing S. Alex Martin, who was added on as an admin with YAWA!

Hey Alex, thanks for doing this interview with us! Can you tell us a little about yourself first?

I am 20 years old and I started writing full-length novels in June 2004, right after 6^th grade (literally like two days after school got out). I am an Eagle Scout, I love astronomy, nature, tennis, dogs (specifically German Shepherds and English Bulldogs), and the beautiful city of Pittsburgh. I have three self-published novels and two short stories. The second short story became the inspiration for my current novel, Embassy.

Why did you start writing? Did you always want to be a writer?

Christopher Paolini, who wrote Eragon, is the sole reason I picked up a pen and started writing all those years ago. I’ve been writing for close to half of my life. There were times when I took extensive breaks (specifically, June 2004-December 2005; August 2007-May 2008; February 2010-February 2012; April 2012-January 2013). Yes, I keep a record of everything.

There were times where I didn’t see myself being a writer. I also thought it’d be nice to write for a living, but after three novels and no success (and being young, so believing no publishing contract after three novels meant failure) I sorta got in the mindset of wanting to be a high school physics teacher. But January 2013 rolled around, I started writing Embassy, and now I’m determined– with every fiber of my being–to make writing novels my career. I realistically believe that Embassy is going to be my debut novel in the traditional market.

How much research do you usually put into your books?

Umm, it depends. For my first three: next to nothing. For one of my short stories I sorta researched some historical facts as well as space tech. For the other short story (which would later inspire Embassy) I just wrote.

For Embassy itself, I can say that I put some research into it. Things like star names and distances from Earth and relative locations in the galaxy…I’ve kinda mapped-out exactly where Embassy takes place in the Milky Way, because it’s completely possible to do if you take the time.

Also, I had to study the fundamentals of languages, because there is a small bit of foreign language that I had to create from scratch. I have pages and pages of notes about verbs and nouns and conjunctions and participles and negative/positive statements and numbers written out to one thousand. It’s a lot of work just for those two lines of dialogue. But hey, now I speak a language nobody else knows, unless, of course, you are that person who knows what nian am means (yes, I’m looking at you).

What is your writing process? Do you write regularly at certain times or just when inspiration hits?

Go pay a visit to the most disciplined person you know.

Now amplify their discipline by 1000x. That is me. I have chugged through Embassy because I write the moment that time opens up. On a good day, I can write for about 9 hours straight (which I did for 10 days in a row to write Embassy). I write when I wake up. During the middle of the day. At bedtime. Whenever. If I’m not writing, I’m either in class, hanging with friends, or something is severely wrong.

Also, I’m a pantser, which allows me to write on the fly. I just throw stuff on the page. Now that I’ve worked out the plot and really got the story moving, quality and consistency are my top priorities. For anyone who has critiqued or read Embassy, you’ll know that it is pretty solid. I’m in the middle of the fourth draft. I didn’t plot the first or second drafts…but now I have something that works, and beautifully so.

What keeps you motivated?

I don’t let my motivation go away. When I need to get on track, I write and stay as undistracted as possible. I take notes, think, think, think, observe the world, and write. The secret is to keep writing and thinking and observing. Except for when you hit burnout. Then you should take a break. But I write every single day. In Embassy alone, I have written nearly every day since January 5, 2013, and logged 1,673 hours of writing/editing. To put that into perspective, that is nearly equivalent to how much sleep the average person has gotten in that exact same timeframe.

Lesson: I don’t let motivation go away. I lasso it in and tie it to a stake.

What inspired your book? How did it all start?

My first three books were just my imagination running wild. Looking back…it was scary. Somehow I got newspaper interviews and book signings. *shudders at visions of past*

Embassy, on the other hand, could be called the “drainage” of a short story I wrote. That story had two main characters, Arman Lance and Michael Rafting, who were on an assassination mission after being stranded on a planet for seven years.

Long story short (or is it the other way around? Hmmmm…) Embassy is like, the distant cousin to the great aunt whose sister is actually metaphorical for best friend and twice removed from the family tree three generations ago. My point? Embassy is NOTHING like the short story except for four things: General Orcher, Arman Lance, Michael Rafting, and the word “Embassy.” I took the novel in a COMPLETELY different direction than the short story. If you read the short story, you’ll know what I mean. And yes, it is available to readers. Just ask.

If you could only share one piece of advice with aspiring authors, what would it be?

“Walk, talk, breathe, laugh, cry, fall, rise, fail, succeed, run, jump, love, hate, hide, seek, learn, work, play, feel, LIVE.

Then write it down.”

What is your book about? Target age range?

Embassy is about a boy who just wants to be happy. And he doesn’t want to die alone. And he pretty much hates life. And he is trying to forget the bad things that have happened to him. And he obsesses over one girl he hasn’t seen in four years.

Okay, seriously, Embassy follows Arman Lance and his journey to salvage a better life than the one he’s lived. As he travels across the galaxy to find the girl he loves, Arman learns that you should not set your happiness in one person, but find happiness in life and love yourself. He struggles to do this.

It’s a journey, from Arman’s change to the trip across the galaxy. There is love, friendship, struggles, tragedy, adventure, comedy, beautiful vistas, outer space, technology, and a sweet sport called Hologis which some readers have told me is as exciting as Quidditch.

Target age range: Teens and Young Adults. It’s a story both boys and girls can enjoy, too.

What is your goal in writing and publishing this book?

I want to have the fourth draft “completely” done by August 20, 2013. After some minor revisions, I will then begin my rampage of querying agents. I want to go the traditional route.

Also, readers can read “Part 1: The Recruits” for free right now, for a limited time (ending somewhere in September).

Where can we find you online?

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SAlexMartinAuthor

Website and blog: http://www.salexmartin.webs.com

From the rest of the admins at YAWA, thank you so much for doing this Alex!

Thank you!

Monday Memes - July 29th, 2013

If you're having trouble getting the perfect hook set up in your story, don't lose heart! If you work at it, you'll discover one of three things:

1) My novel just needs XYZ (and then you can implement that)
2) It's just not going to work having XYZ.... (change it)
or
3) The whole novel isn't going to work.

If #3 ^ happens to you, take it as a good thing. You won't have to waste time trying to hook the reader with a story that doesn't work. Instead, you can focus your attention on another story that has potential to hook people and drag them under into your story world.


Is writing hard for you?
Have you ever shelved a project?

Why Is That So Popular? - Doctor Who Edition

Hey Writers! So today, on "Why Is That So Popular?", we're going to discuss Doctor Who. It is popular in several countries, and most of the people who've seen it either hate it or love it. Its fandom is devoted, starstruck, and sometimes obsessed. What is it about the show that makes people love it so much?

If you're a whovian, this picture should just make you smile. :)

Here's Emily Rachelle, with her reasons as to why she thinks Doctor Who is popular:

I am one of those Doctor Who fangirls.  I have a T-shirt (two, actually!), I like the Facebook pages, and I pin like a crazy person.  Clearly, I adore the show.  Guess what?  So does my three-year-old babysitting client!  Not to mention the show celebrates 50 years - yes, fifty! - this year.  Personally, I think this show owes its popularity to a number of things.  First of all, the show stays true to its tone and message.  From the early days in 1963 to the most recent season, Doctor Who doesn't deviate in theme or tone like some shows do through the seasons.  Dedicated fans appreciate that.  Second, the actors are brilliantly cast.  Most of them are new talent, but they are still brilliant actors and play their roles beautifully.  Third, the writing.  Oh, the stories are amazing!  While I agree with some people that Steven Moffat's showrunning sometimes makes things a bit too confusing and don't leave enough time for character development, I still love the show.  Now I'll let the others take their turns :)  ~ Emily Rachelle

I (Carilyn) agree with Emily. The acting and screenplays are just *brilliant*. Some episodes are better than others (and some I didn't even finish they were so bad!), but for the most part, the writers did an excellent job with keeping episodes tied together. They also make you love the characters, because they develop the characters over time. The characters grow because of their relationship with each other, and you get to see why people act the way they do, and you see what their past has done to affect their future. The writers let you get attached to the characters. If you don't care about the characters, then you won't care about the show.

So, do you like Doctor Who? Why or why not? Why do you think it is popular?

Monday Memes - July 22, 2013

Have you ever been hooked on a book because of the writing style? 

Or brilliance on the part of the writer?

Excellent writing can make even the dullest story interesting.

The Written Word - The Last Farm

Kira Hellweg is a recent graduate with a passion for music, Jesus Christ, and (oh, yeah) writing. She is the unpublished author of The Legend of Harthore, which is currently in the editorial stage. Her blog, Legend or Legacy, is currently focused on the above's imminent trilogy, but is sure to be invaded by her other WIPs and general writing tidbits.


Welcome to The Written Word (TWW for short) on YAWA. This series (managed by yours truly) on our blog will be focused on the most important thing to the majority of our readers - the actual writing. Every Thursday, we will share an excerpt from someone's writing, published or not. To start, the five admins will feature sections of our own WIPs. We hope you enjoy our writing, and feel free to email us at yawriters.alumni@gmail.com if you'd like to see your own writing featured!


Last week on TWW, you saw an excerpt from Keeper, a personal WIP of mine. This week, I will introduce you to the work of one of our other incredible admins, Carilyn Anne.

Carilyn Anne is a writer, follower of Jesus, and homeschool graduate. She has been writing from a young age, and has participated in NaNoWriMo since 2010. She spends time housecleaning, babysitting, chatting on the Go Teen Writers Facebook group, and occasionally watching TV shows (like Doctor Who!) with family members. She blogs over at The Writing Maiden. Her two main WIPs are "Flicker in the Night", a historical fiction set during the Great Awakening, and "The Last Farm" which is futuristic fiction.

"Get what out of me? I don't know anything that could be of interest to you." Xander glared at the man. "I don't know your name, who you represent, why you tied me up." He growled out the last few words. "There is nothing that could possibly make me want to tell you anything."

"Ohhhh, I think there is. Perhaps, something called..." The room grew suddenly silent, and dread filled Xander. This man must be crazy.

Xander's mind raced. How did he even get here? He was with his family in the supermarket one second, and the next, he felt a tiny prick of pain on the back of his leg, and before he could do a thing, everything went from hazy to black and then there was nothing. This man must've been involved somehow...

"Family." The man spit it out harshly, and his eyes were fixed on Xander, steely black and piercing.

The word felt like a dagger into Xander's heart, and he bowed his head to his chest for a second. Then he raised it back up and lifted his chin slightly, watching the man closely. "What do you want?" He said it slowly, evenly, and firmly.

"I want you to admit that you know something."

"Maybe if you could just give me a hint..." Xander tried to think of something clever to say or do that could stall the conversation.

"No!" The man's voice rang out loudly, and echoed against the black walls of the room. "Tell me about those two little 'friends' of yours, and you will be released. But we can't..." the man's voice grew quieter and softer as if he were trying to be nice, and an evil smile tugged at his lips. "But we can't help you, now can we, unless you give us the information we need." The man slid his hand into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "Recognize this?"

 Excerpt from The Last Farm

by Carilyn Anne

(c) 2013

Monday Memes - July 15, 2013

Are you bringing your novel to it's full potential? Use description effectively.

Monday Memes Introduction

Hi Writers!

Welcome to the first post in Monday's series. Mondays is when we'll be posting memes, quotes, and videos to encourage you, make you laugh, or get you thinking about writing in the new week ahead. (So even though it's called Monday Memes, it'll have other things too. :)

This is so true, and we can all be victims of it.

What is one thing you do to ignore the internet?

Let us know!

Have a great week of writing!