Posts Tagged ‘YA’

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writing is easier than crab fishing

Thursday, April 29th, 2010

I wasn’t planning on this being TV week on the blog, but it’s turning out that way. Tuesday was about Boston Legal (or how Denny Crane is like Sheila the Zombie Cheerleader), yesterday was about The West Wing (and what TV can teach us about writing story and characters), and today is about The Deadliest Catch (which is harder than any job I’ve ever had). Tune in tomorrow, for multitasking and achieving your dreams, while watching TV (or at least that’s what I think it will be about).

The Deadliest Catch

I love watching The Deadliest Catch (even though I’m not a huge reality TV show person). If you’ve never seen the show, it’s about a bunch of guys that go crab fishing in the Bering Sea. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? Except that the Bering Sea, in the middle of winter is the last place that most people would want to be. Most of the time it’s freezing cold, add to that ice, snow and storms. Working on a crab boat in those conditions is not easy, or at least it doesn’t look easy. I’ve never tried it. Sometimes the guys work for 50 hours (or more) straight, without sleep. Oh yeah, and people yell at each other a lot (you would too, if you were stuck on a small boat in the middle of the sea for months at a time).

There’s a reason they call this show The Deadliest Catch. It’s a dangerous job and people die doing it. Boats sink in clam waters and rough seas. During storms, waves wash over the deck drenching the guys that are out there pulling pots (metal traps used to catch crab). A huge wave could knock them off their feet, dragging them off the boat. It’s so cold in the water that they can only last a few moments, and that’s if they are wearing survival suits. Without them, people don’t usually survive a dip in the Bering Sea.

Why would anyone want to be a crab fisherman on the Bering Sea? Some of the guys that go crab fishing say they love it. Others say that if someone says they love it, they’re lying. It’s all about the money. The crab fishermen make decent money for a few months of work, and they should. Every time they go out to fish, they’re risking their lives.

Every time I watch this show, I’m happy that I’m an author and artist and not a crab fisherman. Every time. In this illustration, the fish is writing and illustrating children’s and YA books, the crab is, me, if I had to go crab fishing.

Which one are you, carpe diem or crabe diem?

Which one are you, carpe diem or crabe diem?

Do you watch the show? Whether you do, or not, would you want to be a crab fisherman on the Bering Sea?

I think it might be fun to try it … not the real thing, but the video game, which can be played in the middle of winter, from the safety of your nice, warm house.

Update: Sig Hansen (captain of the Northwestern) was on Leno tonight! And he wants to be on Dancing with the Stars!! OMG! Ha! Go here to help (FaceBook page to show fan support).

p.s. Sig and Edgar Hansen are my favorites on The Deadliest Catch.

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Posted in Tween, YA, art, children's books, fun stuff, writing | 3 Comments »

Are your characters like TV characters?

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

This is a blast from the past blog post, originally written on November 12, 2008. It’s about a character in the novel I’m currently writing (back then Sheila was the main character, but now she’s the MCs best friend, which is much better for the story).

Denny Crane and Sheila the Zombie Cheerleader

Have you ever wondered what TV, movie or book character your children’s book character is most like? Me neither, but last night while watching Boston Legal,* I realized that Sheila the Zombie Cheerleader is a lot like Denny Crane.** (Scary, huh?) We watched the Nov. 3rd show last night (we’re behind in our TV watching). There’s a great paintball fight between Alan Shore and Denny Crane, and that’s when I started to think about Sheila and Denny.

I’m a Boston Legal fan. It’s a zany, wacky, TV show that pushes boundaries and buttons. It really makes you think, while at the same time making you laugh at the absurdity of the characters on the show. Unfortunately, this is the last season for Boston Legal.

For those that know the show, you’re probably scratching your heads right now wondering why in the world I would compare my children’s book character to someone like Denny. For those of you that haven’t watched the show, Denny is a skirt-chasing lawyer with a huge ego that likes to get his own way and shoot at people when he doesn’t. Denny is also a loveable oddball that feels bad when people don’t like him or he gets left out and he’s very loyal to his friends. Oh, and Denny has “Mad Cow.” The show hasn’t made it clear exactly what “Mad Cow” is, but they’ve offered some hints and theories. It could be Alzheimer’s, actual Mad Cow Disease, or just Denny trying to get attention. Most likely it’s some combination of two or three of those things.

How Sheila the Zombie Cheerleader is Like Denny Crane:

< Denny loves to say his name really loud, “Denny Crane!”
+ Sheila loves to say, “Eat Your Brains!” which sounds a lot like “Denny Crane.”

< Denny is a skirt-chaser. He likes to flirt and loves it when women pay him attention.
+ Sheila loves to chase people and make them scream. She loves attention and hates being ignored.

< Denny likes to get his own way, and if he doesn’t, he shoots his gun.
+ Sheila likes to get her own way, and if she doesn’t, she threatens to eat your brains.

< Denny has “Mad Cow” and sometimes uses that as an excuse to do what he wants.
+ Sheila is a zombie and sometimes uses that as an excuse to do what she wants.

< Denny justifies his actions with irrational reasoning so people won’t know why he’s really doing things.
+ Sheila is afraid of lots of things, which seems irrational, but she has her reasons, and they’re good ones (usually). Most zombies aren’t afraid of anything.

< Despite all these things, you can’t help but like Denny Crane. He’s flawed, but he’s also human.
+ You can’t help liking Sheila, either. She’s flawed, but she’s as human as you can get, even if she is a zombie.

Who is your character like?

* The Boston Legal series is over – no new episodes ever. :( However you can watch reruns on a couple of channels! :) Check local TV listings.

** After this blog post, I realized that Sheila the Zombie Cheerleader is really the older, zombie version of Kitty, a character I created as a child. I never imagined that my beloved stuffed cat (with a huge attitude and a mouth like a five-year-old sailor) would grow up to be a zombie cheerleader!

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Posted in Tv, Tween, YA, children's books, wip, writing | 7 Comments »

5 ways to manage online time & 5 reasons online time is important

Wednesday, April 21st, 2010

Of all the things I need to manage, internet time is on the top of my list. It’s easy to get sucked in and hard to break out of the interwebs! On the other hand, I think it’s important to be online, at least some of the time.

Here are five suggestions * for managing online time and five reasons you can use to justify** the hours you spend there.

Managing Online Time

1. Set The Timer: If this suggestion sounds familiar, it’s because it was in my last post as a suggestion to help complete chores and/or creative projects. The beauty of the timer is that you can also use it to keep the internet from being a time suck. Before you go online, figure out how much time you have to spend, then set the timer for 5-10 minutes before that. Why set the timer early? Because it always seems like I’m right in the middle of an email or reading a blog post when time is up. If you give yourself an extra 5-10 minutes, you can finish what you are doing without feeling rushed.

2. Only Go Online After Your Work Is Done: Think of the internet as a reward for all your hard work on a manuscript or a painting. It’s like an ice cream sundae after a week of dieting, but without all the calories.

3. Use Social Media Only On Certain Days: Stay offline for whole days at a time to stay on deadline or achieve goals. You could also set a specific online schedule every week. My current process is to set weekly goals for my WIP. My week starts on Thursday and ends the following Wednesday. That way, I don’t have to rush to get done by Monday, when I want to spend time with my family on the weekend. Monday thru Wednesday is when I rush to finish weekly goals. Thursday and Friday is when I plan the next set of weekly goals and start in on them. If I need to go offline to get my work done, then I do. The internet will still be there when I have more time.

4. Think In Percentages: If you take the total number of hours that you have to work on your manuscript or art, then figure out how much of that time is spent online, it can be a staggering statistic. (Note: This one made me cringe at how much time I’m online.) Here are two easy math examples to show you what I mean.

- A full time writer or illustrator, with 40 hours a week to work (no weekends, that’s family time), that spends 2 hours a day online, M-F = 10 hours a week. That’s 25% of their writing or illustrating time!

- A writer or illustrator that has 14 hours a week to work (including weekends, because of a day job), that spends 1 hour a day online = 7 hours a week. That’s 50% of their writing or illustrating time!

Those are just examples that made the math easy, but it also makes it easy to see how those hours online can add up. Try it yourself. Is your percentage what you want it to be?

5. Take An Internet Vacation: If the internet is causing you to ignore your family, your writing, your art, or other obligations, you might want to think about taking a break from it. Take weekends off, or take whole week, or a month, or stay off line until you’ve made the deadline for your project. Pick a time period that works for you, then re-evaluate your online time when that’s over.

The Benefits of Spending Time Online

I. Research: The internet is a great place to start your research for the project that you’re writing or illustrating. It can also point you to books and people that are important to seek out to make your WIP or illustration seem authentic.

II. Industry News & Networking: There are a ton of children’s book people online, including agents, editors, publishers, authors, and illustrators. Many of them post helpful articles or links to news about the industry, as well as book recommendations to add to your reading list. You can also find critique groups and friends online. They understand what it’s like to create children’s books, even if your offline family and friends do not.

III. Education: If you want to learn how to do something, you can probably find a tutorial or explanation online. There are many articles specific to children’s and YA books, including articles and blog posts on: plot, creating characters, how to put together a PB dummy, fictional settings, writing queries and hooks, how to write a synopsis, agent submission guidelines and preferences, and even how to paint in Photoshop.

IV. Community: Twitter, Facebook and discussion boards might seem like a waste of time, but they’re not, if you limit your time on them. Sometimes it helps to talk with others online; you’re not the only one struggling with your WIP or illustration or getting rejections from an agent.  Time spent online is a lot like talking with colleagues in the break room at a regular job, which is a good way to maintain your sanity and possibly make a few friends.

Discussion Boards for children’s book and YA writers & illustrators:

Helpful Twitter Chats:

  • Mon. 10pm EST #pblitchat
  • Tues. 9pm EST #kidlitchat
  • Wed. 9pm EST #yalitchat
  • Thurs. 9pm EST #kidlitart

V. Fun: We all need to have fun or escape at times. When you go online, there are friends to talk with, games to play, news about what’s going on in the world (outside of publishing), stories to read and inspiring art to look at. Go play, then get back to work!

* Not that I’m an expert on managing my online time … but I keep trying. Eventually reason will win out over shiny objects and fun links, or at least I hope it will. If it doesn’t, I may have to call in the zombies to keep me in line. There’s nothing like the threat of brain munchage to alter your behavior.

** I can justify almost anything, really. It’s my super power. I’d rather have the power to heal myself when I get injured or fly like Superman, but being able to finesse the BS is a useful power too. (I knew my art degree would come in handy eventually – I learned the art of BS while getting my BFA.)

This is the second in a series of three Time Management articles.

Article #1: Time Management Tips Article #3: Multitasking and Achieving Your Dreams

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Posted in YA, art, children's books, fun stuff, writing | 12 Comments »

Time Management Tips

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Recently I’ve been re-thinking how I manage my time, because I don’t manage it well. I was also going to write a couple of articles on time management* (which I may still do), when I remembered that I’ve blogged about this topic before. The post below is from my old blog, posted on October 20, 2008. I decided to run it again because the information is still relevant and could help me and maybe you manage your time better.

Time Management Tips from sruble of the past

When I registered for the SCBWI LA conference** this year, I listed my occupation as “procrastination exterminator,” in addition to writer and illustrator. At the time, it was wishful thinking, and as evidenced by my behavior last week, I tend to go off on tangents with projects that aren’t necessarily the ones I should be working on. I don’t think I can ever completely curb my tendency for tangential projects, and I wouldn’t want to (Sheila the zombie cheerleader is another example). However, I need to be a little more focused in getting the things I need to do done, so I can go off and play afterwards.

Everyone has their own time management system. Here’s what’s worked for me in the past and what’s new. Use the tips that might work for you, and share your tips in the comments if you want.

15 minutes of fame: Each person reportedly gets (at least) fifteen minutes of fame, the same should be true for your procrastination projects. Set the timer for 15 minutes and dig into that task you don’t want to do (even if it’s your WIP and you really do want to write or draw that scene, but just don’t know how). When the timer rings, hopefully you will be so engrossed in your project that you won’t hear it, but if you’re not, you can always try again later. Set the timer again the next time you work on it. Repeat until you’re done or you don’t need the timer anymore. Works for chores as well as creative endeavors … thanks mom.

Get a cheerleader: Your cheerleader can be anyone that helps cheer you on and supports you with your goal. I have Sheila the zombie cheerleader. If I do what she says, she won’t eat my brain. She’s new to the cheering team. My husband, parents, and writer/illustrator friends are part of the team too. Luckily they don’t want to eat my brain, they just want me to use it to be creative and get my work done.

Set goals: Set realistic goals so that you can achieve them. If you’re a big goal setter like I am, write down the big goals, then break them up into smaller steps and use those steps as goals along the way to achieving something bigger. It’s a lot easier to get things done when you know it’s possible, instead of having something hanging over your head that’s hard to finish in a day or a week or a month.

Make a to do list: Write down what you can realistically accomplish each day. Some days you might not finish it all, and some days you might get done early. If you have lots of things to do, make a big, huge list, then take a few of those items and put them on a to do list, for today. Tomorrow you can take more things off the big, huge, master list. Just like setting goals, your to do list should be manageable, so you can feel a sense of accomplishment each day. Plus, it’s really fun to cross things off the list.

Play: Sometimes you need to chuck the timer, the goals and the lists, and completely ignore the cheerleader, who will be confused as to why you have gone off on a tangent. Playing and following your bliss is important. You have to do that once in a while to connect with your creative side, and maybe you’ll even come up with a brilliant new idea or character. Just make sure to get back to your timers, goals, and lists when you’re done, otherwise you may never get anything done. Besides, if you don’t get back on track, Sheila will find you and eat your brain.

(2010 Update) Having fun can lead to other things: A year and a half after I wrote this post, Sheila the zombie cheerleader is in the YA novel I’m writing. Not only that, but the mini comic about Sheila that I wrote and illustrated last summer, launched a new character for a picture book, Daria the chicken, and I’m thinking of re-writing the mini comic as another story starring Daria [Sheila won't be in it]. So far my chicken PB has been requested by an editor, an art director, and an agent. It hasn’t sold yet and might have a revision looming [I'm considering re-writing it as a graphic novel chapter book], however, if I hadn’t painted a picture of a zombie cheerleader, just for fun, I wouldn’t have either of these characters or stories! Allow yourself to play – you never know what might happen!

How do you manage to manage your time and control your tangential projects?

* This is the first in a series of three Time Management articles. Article #2: 5 ways to manage online time & 5 reasons online time is important Article #3: Multitasking and Achieving Your Dreams

** Looking for notes from the SCBWI LA conference? Here are links to my 2009 notes and 2010 notes.

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Posted in YA, art, children's books, fun stuff, writing | 9 Comments »

Teaser Tuesday – What Would You Do During A Zombie Attack?

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

What would you do during a zombie attack? Run? Fight back? How about if you were stuck in the middle of a store like The Gap? Here’s a short teaser from my WIP:

The manager put a key into a slot in the wall and turned it. A gate rolled down in front of the door, locking us in with a handful of people that stood between racks of clothing that always looked better in commercials and on people other than me.

“I’ll be over there,” said Taylor, pointing to a sales rack.

“How can she shop during the zombie apocalypse?” asked Dylan.

“Don’t you know that khaki pants are your first line of defense against the undead?” asked Lucas. “That’s what the guys wore in Zombie Apocalypse Now.”

“Right,” I said, trying not to laugh. “Don’t you remember what happened to them at the end of the movie?”

“Okay,” said Lucas, “scratch the khaki’s then.”

So, what would you do? I think I might go shopping too (after thinking up an escape plan).

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Posted in YA, fun stuff, writing | 6 Comments »

3 Types of Dream Agents

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

There are three types of dream agents.

Dream Agent #1: An agent that an author/illustrator has already signed with. They are in sync with the needs, dreams, and careers of their client.

Dream Agent #2: An agent that an unsigned author/illustrator hopes to sign with.

Dream Agent #3: An agent that you had a dream (or nightmare) about when you were sleeping.

I don’t have an agent, so Dream Agent #1 doesn’t apply to me yet. However, I do have a Dream Agent #2 in mind. Who is it? It’s not a specific person. It’s more like an agent wish list:

* Loves my work, but pushes me to make it even better.

* Will help shape my career.

* Reps YA and children’s books.

* Communicates in a professional and timely manner.

* Loves things that go bump in the night, as well as things that are funny, wacky, or downright strange (but in a good way).

Speaking of Dream Agent #3, last night I had a dream that I signed with an agent. Woohoo! I have no idea who it was, but that might not be a bad thing. Writing, “I had a dream about you last night.” would probably land your query in the auto-reject pile.

Do you have a dream agent?

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Posted in YA, art, children's books, writing | 10 Comments »

Teaser Tuesday – Cartwheels (Zombie WIP)

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

I thought it would be fun to post another teaser from the zombie novel I’m working on. In this scene, Sheila and Janelle are trying to convince Kira to try out for cheerleading, even though she doesn’t want to.

” … Besides, I can’t even do a cartwheel.”

“That is so sad,” says Janelle.

She and Sheila shake their heads in sympathy, as if it’s a tragedy that I don’t know how to do a cartwheel, which it’s not.

Can you do a cartwheel? I used to be able to do a wobbly one, but I was never very good at it.

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Posted in YA, fun stuff, writing | 6 Comments »

March Madness week 2 (new goals)

Thursday, March 11th, 2010

It’s the second week of the March Madness writing challenge. My goals were to write 25k and check in with the challenge blogs at least 3x a week. So, how did I do for the first week? (FYI, I’m counting the first week + 3 days, since March ends on a Wednesday.)

Week One Stats: I wrote a ton of words, well over 5000 … then cut and revised, rinsed and repeated. After that, I started over with *chapter one again. My final word counts: 3284 on the old ms + 1948 on the new beginning = 5232 My check in totals: more than 3x the first week, then forgot to check in since this weekend. I’ll be checking in again today.

Technically I’m on target to make my goals at the end of the month, but I want to change them slightly. (it’s a writer’s purgative to change her mind, right?)

My new goals are:

1. To write at least one chapter a week, more if I have time. My goal is to write and revise revise each chapter so that it moves the story forward and is semi-polished, instead of focusing on word count (which always gets me in trouble).

2. Continue to check in with the March Madness blogs 3x a week, more if I remember/have time.

March Madness and my original goals are posted here. For more info on the writing challenge or how you can join, head over to Denise Jaden’s blog and read this post.

* I started over because I needed to introduce things in the first chapter so that later pages would make sense. This approach wouldn’t work for everyone, but it does for me, for this manuscript.

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Posted in YA, children's books, fun stuff, writing | 2 Comments »

March Madness

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

March Madness has started, and this time it’s about writing, not basketball! Denise Jaden started a writing challenge for the month of March. It’s a good way to reach your goals for the month and there will be prizes!

My goals are:

1. Write at least 25k on my zombie WIP (and finish it if possible, though that’s not an official goal).

2. Remember to check in for March Madness at least 3x a week (daily if I can manage it).

There are check-in stations at the following blogs for each week day through the month of March:

Mondays – http://denisejaden.livejournal.com
Tuesdays – http://shanasilver.livejournal.com
Wednesdays – http://jenhayley.com/blog/
Thursdays – http://www.denisejaden.com/Blog.html
Fridays - http://shanasilver.livejournal.com
Saturdays – http://ellestraussbooks.blogspot.com
Sundays – http://jenhayley.com/blog/

For more info on prizes and how to participate, hop on over to this post on Denise Jaden’s blog. It’s not too late to join in!

What are your goals?

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Posted in children's books, fun stuff, writing | 6 Comments »

Teaser Tuesday – Zombie WIP

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Kira’s observation about her cat and her roommate Sheila:

Technically we weren’t supposed to have pets, but there was no way I was going to leave Kitty-Kitty behind to fend for herself. Luckily, Sheila and Kitty-Kitty got along, probably because they had the same personality – stubborn.

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Posted in YA, writing | 2 Comments »

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