Word of the Week Wednesday!

Okay, so Wednesday is here! Time for our first Word of the Week Wednesday...

Bombastic!

Anyone know what it means? I sure as heck didn't. My husband brought it to my attention from a conversation he had a work.

Dictionary.com:

–adjective
high-sounding; high-flown; inflated; pretentious.

So there you go!

I write YA, and while this word might not be something teens would know, it totally sounds YA to me. I mean, come on, it has the word bomb in it. As in da bomb. Okay, okay NO ONE says that anymore, but maybe bombastic could be the next da bomb? Well, maybe not. But maybe it could be a word one of my really smart characters might use.

What about you guys? Do you ever use words like this for certain characters? Or any words you've recently learned that you thought were interesting?

Please share!

Welcome to - Word of the Week Wednesdays!

Whoa! That's a lot of Ws.

Anyway, I thought since the title of my still-in-diapers baby blog is "Words", it would be fun to post a word of the week every week. Of course, this will be on Wednesday. (Word of the Week Thursday just doesn't sound right.)

So, every Wednesday, I will post a new word. Maybe one I hate. Maybe one I love. Maybe one I just learned. Who knows. It's all game. Then in the comments section you guys can share your own words, and if I feel so inclined, maybe I'll choose one of yours to post on a different Wednesday.

Fun right? Right! (It will be...I hope.) :)

Maybe we can expand our vocabulary, learn new slang, or share in the I-hate-that-stupid-WORD frustration!

Stay posted for next Wednesday!

Interview with ELANA JOHNSON! All Queriers MUST READ!

Congrats again to Mary for winning a copy of Elana Johnson's, POSSESSION, last week with her novel, HEADS UP! (Click here to check it out)

So, I really wanted to post this before I went out of town last Thursday, but I just couldn't find time. But here it is now, and it is a GREAT read. So, read on readers and readettes...

I loooved Elana's book, POSSESSION, and I don't know about you, but everywhere I go in the writer internet world I see her posting on different blogs and so forth. She is one busy bee! That is why I was ecstatic to interview her here. Yes, here!

I only asked three questions, but as an aspiring author, they were ones I was just dying to get some feedback on.

I hope you enjoy hearing from her as much as I did. Answer three is very inspiring and funny for all of us enduring the writing/query/publishing trenches.



What is your favorite part of having a book published?

Seeing it in the bookstore. There is nothing that creates that rush. It’s amazing.

What is your least favorite part of having a book published?
(I don't necessarily mean process wise. It could be, but lifestyle wise and so on)

The balancing act. It’s so hard to make sure everyone in my house gets the attention they need, when they need it, and try to write books at the same time.

And then, if you don't mind sharing some info about your process of getting your book published. Anything or everything! We writers love these stories. :)

Sure! Dude, I could go on and on about this, but I won’t. And hopefully, you’ll read something to help you take the next step, whatever it may be.

Step 1: Write a book. Or if you’re me, you write 12. That’s right. I’ve written 12 novels. Only 2 of them don’t suck. And even that’s debatable.

Step 2: Query a book. Realize it’s a lot of waiting and frantically checking email. Who knew?

Step 2A: Repeat step 2 for 6 months. Too many queries to name. Want to die.

Step 2B: Shelve book. Ouch. Yes, it hurts. No, it won’t kill you.

Step 3: Pick another novel to de-suckify.

Step 4: Revise/Edit/Rewrite the thing.

Step 5: Enter the ABNA contest.

Step 6: Move into the quarterfinals.

Step 7: Gain much needed confidence.

Step 8: Query the book. Get ready to wait it out.

Step 8A: Repeat step 8 for 8 months. 189 queries.

Step 8B: Beg, plead, pray, hope that this book is “the one.”

Step 8C: Make up mantra: “Work hard. Don’t give up.”

Step 8D: Revise twice BEFORE an offer is extended.

Step 8E: Field 5 agent phone calls BEFORE an offer is extended.

Step 8F: Get “the call.”

Step 8G: Cry, laugh, scream, cry some more, grovel in gratitude.

Step 9: Sign with dream agent. After 188 rejections, this feels goooood. Up next: take over the world.

Step 10: Or, uh, revising. Yup, again.

Step 11: And…then again.

Step 12: Wait. Taking over the world put on the back burner while gnawing fingernails to nubs.

Step 2385: Get an offer from a dream publishing house.

Step 2386: Scream, eat a lot of bacon, laugh, smile until face hurts.

Step 2386B: Wait.
Step 8939: Announce the deal!

Step 8940: Wait.

Step 12,094: Edit novel—again.

Step 12,095: Wait.

Step 18,306: Release cover. Freak out.

Step 18,307: Wait.
June 7, 2011 finally arrives. Book comes out! Indulge on pedicures, bacon, and bookstores.

Step 20,000: Start over with book 2.

I’ve also blogged about this journey here
And here


Thank you Elana! (Seriously, I love her! And hope you do too!)

I hope you can take relief from Elana's amazing story. The query process is very exciting, but also exhausting, deflating, frustrating, addicting--Okay, I will stop. You know what I mean. :)

So, where are you in this torturous process? Still working on the first draft? The revision torture chambers? Query #1? Query #111? And what keeps you going?

I'd love to hear from you!

And if you haven't read, POSSESSION... GO. DO. IT. NOW!

We have a WINNER!!! (Finally)

Sorry about the dreadful wait, guys! I've entered contests in the past where the judge talks about how hard it was to decide, because all the entries were so good. I always think "Ya, sure. They just say that to be nice." Right?

Eh-wrong!

It was a bajillion times harder than I thought to choose just one winner. Wish I had prizes for everyone, because you all had fabtabulous entries. Which made my job just plain out bleh.

But I finally decided on one winner for our killer prize: Elana Johnson's POSSESSION.

The winner is......

HEADS UP!!

Congratulations Mary! (And sorry about cutting your name out of your entry) :)

I thought everyone had really nice tight writing, awesomely naughty characters, and interesting premises. I think it was the vivid, clear descriptions and the He did what?? Wait what? No! factor that got me with HEADS UP. But like I said, it was super hard to choose.

Thanks to everyone for entering! I had a lot of fun reading them and hope you did too!

**Mary, go ahead and email or PM me with your address, and I'll get this book in the mail for you! Congrats again and good job!**

Pitch and First Paragragh

Cleaning up my pitch and first paragraph for CRIMSON (YA) aka REMAINDERS. I've recently decided to start the story during chapter two, so I just threw this first paragraph together and will be working on it throughout the weekend. All help welcome! Thanks!

Old Pitch:

A naive teenage girl becomes hostage by the evil-fighting Remainders who saved her and must figure out what they’re hiding, what they plan to do, and why she fits in.

New Pitch:

A naive teenage girl must figure out why the evil-fighting Remainders saved then kidnapped her, and why she fits in so well some of them want her dead.

First Paragraph:

The alley reeked of cheap alcohol and rotting fish, but it served as a stellar short cut. I checked my cell. Not even midnight. Perfect.

I rounded the dumpster at the back of the building, and stopped short. A guy with straggly hair towered over another that looked just as grimy. It only took the glimmer of the moon shining off his red-stained knuckles to make me turn in retreat. A holler echoed of the buildings to my sides. Was he calling to me? Didn’t matter. I quickened my pace. It matched my breathing. I heard footsteps behind me, but my nerves had wound too tight to turn. A hand grabbed my shoulder, black dirt formed lines under the fingernails. Crap. I never should have snuck out.

CONTEST deadline: TODAY!!!

You have until the end of today to sign up for my contest to win Elana Johnson's, POSSESSION.

HURRY! HURRY! HURRY!

Contest closes tonight (the 5th) at midnight PST.

To enter scroll below!!!

If you have any problems or questions leave a comment here.

Thanks!