I’m feeling happy and giving tonight, so I thought I’d host a contest!  My real-life buddy just ran an AWESOME one on finding inspiration and I would have entered if I hadn’t already owned the prize. ;-)  BTW, if you don’t have The 3 A.M. Epiphany, check it out.  Regan (the aforementioned friend) bought it for me when she first heard I was starting to write and it has awesome exercises in it.  Yes, she’s an awesome friend, in case you were wondering.

Now, the contest.

I am sucker for novel beginnings, so I thought I’d cater to that since…well…it’s my contest and I’ll do what I want to.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

• First: Follow me on twitter because I want followers, what can I say?   Like I said…my contest…my rules! :D I say SUPER insightful stuff every day.  Okay, not really, but I’m a nice girl!  If you don’t have Twitter, don’t worry about it (or if you are super picky about who you follow, that’s fine, too – I won’t tar and feather your entry).

• Second: Enter the title and up to the first 250 words of a WIP into the comments section of this post.  Please only enter once!  You are welcome to give a small blurb about the plot after your entry if you want.  It might help to mention the genre, too.  Make sure you include a real e-mail address because that is how you will receive your prize!

You have until Saturday night (March 13, 2010) at 11:59 EST to enter.  Entries after that not be entered.

WHAT DO YOU WIN?

I’ll have two winners.

• The first winner will be selected by some unbiased writerly friends whom I’ve asked to judge.  That person will win a $25 gift card to Amazon*.  This way it’s not just my opinion that counts.

• The second winner will come from a public poll.  It will begin Sunday, March 14, 2010 at noon.  It will close Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at noon.  The winner of the public poll will win a $15 gift card to Amazon*.

Both winners will be announced Tuesday, March 16th.  It will probably be in the evening.

Spread the word! 

*If you are morally opposed to Amazon or something, I can do one to an online book store of your choice, just let me know.

This contest is approved by my cutie-patootie son in his Easter outfit:

I really haven’t had a lot to say lately. *hears collective gasps from anyone who knows me in real life*

But, I AM writing, which is a yay moment.  Can I get a woot-woot?  Bueller?  Bueller? Anyone? 

I really do see light at the end of the tunnel and I can’t wait to start editing!  I sent my first ten pages to Weronika Janczuk and I kind of had to laugh when I read it back over.  Apparently, I was a fan of adverbs when I started writing VINTAGE.  So yeah, I’ll be fixing those.

Lastly, be sure to enter my friend Regan’s contest!!!!!!!  The book she’s offering up to the winner is a great help.  She bought it for me at the vveerryyy beginning of my journey and I really have appreciated it.

I had an awesome picture of a blue ribbon winning pickle (contest, get it?) I was going to add, but Getty Images is being dumb.  Try to get a mental image because it was an awesome picture.

I went through a spell the last few weeks where I had no motivation to write.   None.  Nada. 

My friend, Regan, hounded me relentlessly, but I just couldn’t seem to make myself do anything.  Granted, my twitching eyelid (that still hasn’t stopped, thank you very much) made staring at a computer screen…well…uncomfortable, to say the least. 

It’s weird what your mind can do.  I started doubting everything, wondering if it made sense to spend so much time writing when you hear such dismal discussions across the internet about the industry. 

I guess it comes down to just getting back to why I started – because I like it.

When I started to write, I didn’t tell anyone and did it simply for creative expression.  I needed to do it.  I needed to get the words out. 

Then I started learning about the industry, everything that goes into it, etc.  It got me really excited at first, but then I started seeing posts and tweets about how much junk is really sent to agents.  I questioned myself.  I admit it.  It’s hard not to when you are taking time away from family to pursue something.

But I had to have a come to Jesus talk with myself.  It just doesn’t matter!  I needed to get back to writing for the reasons I started – fun!

So, I’m back, Jack!  I know that I will have these droughts and struggles again, but hopefully, I can get back to my happy place. :-)

Ok, I’m a sucker for some romance and love.  I can’t help it.  Give me a chick flick over an Oscar winner any day of the week.

As such, writing about love is one of my favorite things to do.  I get a thrill out of watching a relationship unfold and go through all of the awkward and goofy stages, through the intense beginnings of a real romance, and then watch it settle into a mature and timeless love. 

It’s funny because I find myself giggling and getting giddy right along with my characters as they develop a crush or have that first kiss with someone.  It is challenging to try and make it authentic without being over the top. 

I write YA, so teenagers do get that intense, hormone-ridden attack when they first dive into a relationship, so it’s hard to show that without making the character seem vapid or immature.  By the same token, you have to give credit to teenagers and their emotions – they know how they feel and don’t want anyone to tell them otherwise.  I’ve had a crush on my husband since I was thirteen years old and we’ve been dating since I was sixteen, so at least I feel I can relate to a real teenage love.  I did have experiences that I thought were love at the time, but now realize belong in a different pocket, so I can use that, too. 

I also enjoy showing love in a nonromantic way too, such as between a parent and a child.  I think it’s an important element in a piece of writing and one that really needs to be done justice.  I think this has gotten a bit easier since becoming a parent because you don’t quite get a grasp on how much your parents love you until you are one yourself.  I know I didn’t, anyway. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine’s Day!

The rest of the AW Blog Chain:

Aimeelaine – www.aimeelaine.com/writing/blog
Harri3tspy – http://spynotes.wordpress.com
Charlotte49ers – http://www.amandaplavich.com
AuburnAssassin – http://clairegillian.wordpress.com/ <– Next!
Breddings – http://boozingear.com/blog
*RomanceWriter* – http://staceyespino.blogspot.com/
Claire Crossdale – http://theromanticqueryletter.blogpost.com
Collectonian – http://collectonian.livejournal.com
FreshHell - http://freshhell.wordpress.com
Lostwanderer5.blogspot.com – http://www.lostwanderer5.blogspot.com
David Zahir – http://zahirblue.blogspot.com/

Lots of great things come in halves:

Pizza, because I tend to eat too much if I have a whole one to start with

Limes, just because

Glasses of water for your dentures (does this really need an explanation?)

Avacodos, because you can’t see that bally thing otherwise:

And lastly, this ticker:

Why the ticker?  Because it’s my goal counter for the first draft of VINTAGE.  Woot-woot!  I’m on the downward slope and there is light at the end of the tunnel finally!  Yay!

So, seeing as how I’m new at this whole writing bit and all, there have been various things that have happened that I didn’t expect.

Here is the one that hit me in the last day or so: I don’t want the twist revelations to happen.

I have SO much fun building the suspense, tension, mystery, etc. that I don’t want it to end.  I mean, I have a bunch of twists and turns to still come about, but this was the first biggie that I’ve hit.  I didn’t write it for days because I just didn’t want to.  Isn’t that silly?  I’ll never finish a book if I don’t, you know, write it. :/

That’s it. 

You were expecting something mind-blowing, weren’t you?  Sorry to disappoint. ;-)

So, you know my fabulous writing weekend I was talking about? Well… (the other) Amanda and I got iced in before we even left Georgia. As to avoid this:

we decided to cut our loses and stay home.  There will be tears tonight once it all sinks in, I promise.  At least the other three made it okay and will have a good time.  Make a toast for us, ladies!

Stupid, stinking, winter.