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Meet Stacey Marie Brown Author of Darkness of Light

March 25, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

I’m over on the Muse blog contributing to the March theme of writing pet peeves with a post about e-books I ran on this blog last year. While I’m off ranting, please welcome Stacey Marie Brown, author of the new adult novel Darkness of Light, as she gets candid about her writing process.

No Pants Required

by Stacey Marie Brown

The writing process—every writer has one, if not several, for the different types of writing they do. There is the Type-A personality out there who would look at my “process” as more of a “hot mess” rather than an actual method. At closer inspection, though, even I have one.

I learned quickly that, if I was truly serious about writing, I had to leave my house. Yes, I said leave the house—I just heard an outcry of pajama-clad authors around the world rejecting this scenario. Leaving the house means having to get dressed. The horror! I know that half the point of being an author is the fact you can stay in your pajamas and fluffy slippers all day. It’s the little things like hearing the doorbell ring and having no pants on that gets the author’s blood moving. My UPS man is convinced I’m a hermit who doesn’t own any real clothes besides my favourite penguin flannel bottoms my mother made me. I know guys—shocker—this girl is still single. But, some days this is my life, especially if I’m focusing on the marketing aspect of my job. Two o’clock comes around and I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet. Ah, yes, the glamorous life of a writer.

If I want to concentrate on writing, I found being home consists of very little writing and more of my money being spent buying books on Amazon. I am vastly creative on finding distractions. I mean, seriously, how many times do I need to pee in 20 minutes? I certainly don’t go that much when I’m out at a café. And, how many times have I sat at my computer to write when I decide I have to clean my desk. Now, I hate to clean and find every excuse not to do it; but, suddenly, when I should be writing, it MUST be taken care of NOW.

The Internet is the biggest seductress. She is an alluring temptress who could put a Siren out of a job. She certainly has led me down the endless labyrinth of diversion. The hours an author spends “researching” a day, especially on topics that probably have them on some FBI watch list, is astronomical. The Internet is another vice that, for me, must be left at home. Every once in a while, when I really need to know something to carry on a scene, I will break my rule. This is one part of my process, however, I actually try to stick to. I have to—the internet is just so sparkly!

Carrying around a notebook is not really a process but more of a must for a writer. Ideas come at the most inconvenient times: showering, right before falling asleep, driving, or standing in line at the post office. My mind loves doing this. It finds it funny to mess with me. It comes up with those brilliant ideas that only flutter there for a moment before vanishing from my memory forever. If I don’t write it down right then . . . well, tough. I will spend the rest of the day driving myself crazy trying to remember that mind-blowing, hilarious comment my character was going to say. Evil, evil brain.

All writers have different ways in which their characters speak to them. Some authors say they have full control over their characters and what they’re going to say. I’d like to say I was the one in control of the voices in my head. I’m not. Mine seem to have a mind of their own and usually tell me how a scene is going to come out. I’ve gone into a scene wanting the outcome to be one way and, by the end of my writing session, they have taken it in a completely different way. Most of the time they make it better. Maybe it is my acting background that allows me let my “actors” improvise. As their director, I allow them to play out a scene organically, and if I have to pull them back, I do. Most of the time I just let them go. The characters have their own way of speaking each with their own little quirks. I see them playing out the scenes in my head like a movie. This, I’m sure to an outsider, makes me look nuts. Years of having these voices argue in your head . . . is there a writer out there hasn’t become a little nuts?

A new author first feels every word they compose across the page is literary gold and cannot be cut or the entire novel will suddenly make no sense. The truth is that barely half of the words in your first or even fourth draft will make it into the actual novel. This was a hard lesson for me, like being thrown into a gladiator pit. You fight valiantly and brutally for every scene and character and then some editor comes along and mercilessly guts your novel. I felt like giving a funeral to those I had to kill off or cut from existence.

When writing for yourself you can keep every tedious detail intact. But, if you want the story to be published and enjoyed by others, you need to understand that your editor and B-readers are only trying to make your story better. They are not saying you suck, well, at least not directly to your face. Once I let go and got over this, cutting and editing was easier for me. Then I became obsessed with changing, editing, and cutting. I could have continued to work on my book for the next two years, altering and re-writing every line.

There comes a time, though, you have to let go and put it out into the world. And that is like standing naked on burning coals in front of millions of people. Scary, exhilarating, can hurt like hell, and you’d do it again in a heartbeat.

Darkness of Light blurb:

Freak. Witch. Crazy. Schizo.

Ember Brycin has been called them all. She’s always known she’s different. No one has ever called her normal, even under the best circumstances. Bizarre and inexplicable things continually happen to her, and having two different colored eyes, strange hair, and an unusual tattoo only contributes to the gossip about her.

When the latest school explosion lands her in a facility for trouble teens, she meets Eli Dragen, who’s hot as hell and darkly mysterious. Their connection is full of passion, danger, and secrets. Secrets that will not only change her life, but what and who she is—leading her down a path she never imagined possible.

Between Light and Dark, Ember finds a world where truth and knowledge are power and no one can be trusted. But her survival depends on finding out the truth about herself. In her pursuit, she is forced between love and destiny and good and evil, even when the differences between them aren’t always clear. At worst, she will incite a war that could destroy both worlds. At best, she will not only lose her heart but her life and everyone she loves. Once the truth is out, however, there will be no going back. And she’ll definitely wish she could.

Darkness of Light is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and iBooks.

About the Author:

I work by day as an Interior/Set Designer and by night as a writer of paranormal fantasy, adventure, and literary fiction. I grew up in Northern California, but have traveled and lived around the world before coming back and settling in San Francisco. Even at an early age I was creating stories and making up intricate fantasies. I acted in Los Angeles for many years before moving abroad, living in England, Australia, Caribbean, and New Zealand. I came back to San Francisco and went to school for Interior Design. During that time I never stopped writing, moving back to San Francisco brought it to the forefront, and this time it would not be ignored. It’s my passion and my love. When I am not writing, I’m usually out hiking, spending time with friends, traveling, listening to music, or designing.

For more about Stacey and her book visit her website, Facebook author page, and Facebook book page.

Haunted at 17

March 22, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

Hauntedat17banner

Nova Ren Suma’s new novel 17 & Gone released yesterday and she’s been running a blog special featuring what other YA authors were haunted by at age 17. I loved, loved, loved her novel Imaginary Girls and am super excited to be attending one of her workshops at the upcoming New England SCBWI writing conference in May. So without further ado, here’s what haunted me at 17:

The Best Years Of My Life?

I’d always heard people say the high-school years were the best of their lives. I never believed it. Not until I was 17 and heading into my senior of high school…and my life was, well, pretty perfect.

If I’d learned anything from books and TV, the teenage years were supposed to be filled with angst and rebellion. Sure, I’d had my moments of getting in trouble for staying out late at parties and the drama of ex-boyfriends hooking up with (soon-to-be-ex) friends. Moments that were all-consuming when they were happening, but in my bliss of seniordom, they were dark blips on the otherwise bright radar of my future.

On the precipice of senior year, I was a standout athlete, poised to graduate with a perfect 12 varsity letters (one each year in soccer, basketball, and track). An honor student, and on track to graduate in the top 5% of my class. A member of the student council, a volunteer at the hospital (right down to the horrible candy-striped outfit and white Keds), and a senior editor on the school newspaper. My resume would make any stereotypical world-hating teenager throw up stolen vodka all over her Doc Martens.

Oh, and I had just starting dating a guy I’d had been crushing on for the last several months. We worked together at the local hardware store. He was a long-lashed, quiet, super-smart college guy. Not my usual jock fare. We engaged in long, intellectual conversations about movies, science documentaries on the Discovery Channel, music, and life. And the only anxiety I had when kissing him was worrying about whether my lips felt too rough on his delectably soft ones. (Seriously, why don’t all guys use Chapstick? Soft lips are in no way reserved for women.) We were still at the tingly new relationship phase, where every touch zinged with energy and excitement.

Yeah. Life was pretty perfect…maybe a little too perfect.

My senior night during basketball season. On the left is my sister Kylene during her freshman year of high school. Lucky #13 is me at 17.

As winter and basketball season approached, I struggled to keep my mini panic attacks from becoming noticeable. What if my one poor grade in pre-calculus junior year tarnished my transcripts? What if I didn’t get into my top college? Or any college? What if my relationship was too good to be true and he dumped me out of the blue?

Looming bigger than all that trepidation, though, the worst fear of all haunted me: What if high school truly was the peak of my life? What if 17 & Perfect turned into 18 & Past My Prime? What if when I was 40 and married (divorced?), I’d spend all my time reminiscing with the other sad, middle-aged women over “the good old days” and vicariously living through my own high-school aged kids? What if the next 60+ years merely consisted of a slow, steady decline into bitterness? Were these really the best years of my life?

Seems even then, when things were going well, I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. The biggest shoe of all didn’t drop until I was 19 and my sister died, but it’s been a steady uphill (with a few bumps along the way) since then. At least at the ripe age of 30 (what an old lady my 17-year old self is saying), I can say each year brings in new highs and lows, as does each decade. I don’t think I’ll ever be over the fear of the good times running out, but I can definitely say while the high-school years brought me some wonderful memories, they certainly weren’t the best of my life.

What haunted you at 17?

Make Me Laugh and Giveaway Winner

March 19, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

First things first, I have a winner for the giveaway in honor of announcing that Elixir Bound is out in paperback. And the winner is…*drum roll*…Megan! She got to choose either a signed copy of Elixir Bound + Swag or a 3 chapter critique. Thanks to everyone who entered.

I’ll probably be running another giveaway when Elixir Bound releases in paperback later this year. And don’t forget that it’s already available as an ebook from the MuseItUp bookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other ebook retailers.

In other news, last night I attended a humor-writing video chat with Robin Mellom, author of the humorous YA Ditched and the MG The Classroom series. She shared her secrets of writing funny.

We talked potty humor, slapstick, reading and watching funny shows and films for inspiration, age appropriate humor, and the importance of adding heartfelt moments into humor writing. One interesting thing Robin mentioned was how she likes to immerse herself in all things funny while working on a humorous story.

That got me thinking about the funny moments in my life. And just this morning, The Boy provided me with a little humor. I was eating a grapefruit and he indicated he wanted to try some, so I gave him a piece. He played with it for a minute and then shoved it in his mouth. His face puckered up in the classic lemon-face pose, but then he asked for more! Despite continuing to make the face, he gobbled up piece after piece.

This reminded me of when my nephew (who is now six, but at the time was maybe two) ate a lemon at a diner. He sucked on it and his face puckered up. All the adults at the table laughed hysterically. So you know what he did? He started sucking on the lemon again!

Humor is everywhere! What made you laugh recently?

Writing as a Team by Troy H. Gardner and Erin Callahan, Authors of Wakefield

March 15, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

There’s still time to enter the giveaway for a three chapter critique from me or a signed copy of Elixir Bound. Right now please welcome Troy H. Gardner and Erin Callahan, authors of Wakefield, book one in the Mad World series, as they discuss working as a writing team.

How can two people write a novel together?

We get that a lot. Though it’s not a method suited for all authors, team writing can have significant benefits. Collaborative writing provides you with a built-in editor, sounding board, and cheerleader who has a deep understanding of your plot and characters. Many authors bounce ideas off friends or loved ones, but there’s only so much someone can offer if he or she doesn’t know the entire landscape of the book or series. When you feel frustrated and drained of ideas, your writing partner can provide a fresh perspective and a creative boost. For those looking to give it a shot, we’ve culled a few practical pointers from our experiences.

1. Avoid teaming up with your creative twin. Though it’s tempting to pick a writing partner with a similar style and interests identical to your own, it pays to branch out. We have some overlapping tastes, but the diversity of our interests expands the creative pool that we pull from. Erin reads a lot of YA fiction and Troy is heavily influenced by comic books and horror movies. We also complement and balance each other’s writing strengths. Troy excels at realistic dialogue and big picture stuff, like crafting interesting and relatable characters that serve as the emotional core of each book. Erin tends to focus more on world building, fleshing out the setting, and developing themes. Troy gets a rush from writing a first draft, while Erin enjoys revising and tightening the story.

The best writing partner is someone you can work with without wanting to kill, but who also brings a variety of influences and ideas to the table and thrives in the areas that don’t come naturally to you.

2. Develop a process that works for your team. Though there are countless systems for team writing, we’ll explain our process. We utilize alternating narrators and each write from a different perspective. Before beginning each book, we create a chapter by chapter outline that contains only basic notes on what we need to accomplish in terms of plot advancement and character development. That gives us a lot of breathing room when it comes to filling in the details of each chapter. Once we have a first draft, we pass it back and forth and revise it until we have something we’re both happy with (the Track Changes feature in Word is incredibly useful for team revising).

This is, of course, just one way of doing it. Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, authors of the wildly popular Beautiful Creatures series, don’t use alternating narrators. They use a single narrator and co-write almost everything. That sounds incredibly daunting to us, but apparently it can be done.

3. Balance work with talk. Having lengthy conversations with someone who understands you, your writing, and the ins and outs of your project is one of the primary benefits of team writing. Time spent actually writing is crucial, but don’t forget to take advantage of the opportunity to engage in exploratory discussions with your writing partner. Some of our best ideas have emerged from long talks about our characters, goals, themes, and influences. Sometimes our conversations are serious and sometimes they feel like goofing off, but they almost always lead to idea generation.

Discussions can also help ensure your team is on the same page. During one conversation, we realized that we had completely divergent ideas when it came to a particular character. The conversation put us back on the same wavelength so we could tackle some of the inconsistencies that had popped up in our manuscript.

4. Be honest. You can’t have a successful writing team unless you both learn to give and take criticism. When we began writing together, we often shied away from harsh critiques because we didn’t want to hurt each other’s feelings. But the more often you give and take criticism, the easier it gets and the better your writing gets. Our first manuscript began to improve dramatically once we got over our fear of being entirely honest with each other.

At the same time that you provide an honest critique, you can also be a cheerleader. Point out scenes, descriptions, or snippets of dialogue that you think work particularly well or had you rolling around on the floor with laughter. Sometimes we are our own harshest critics and consider canning great ideas until someone points out they’re not trash. For example, Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy co-wrote Waiting For Guffman. Guest felt his performance wasn’t funny and nearly cut himself out of the film until Levy informed him that his character, Corky St. Clair, was a hilarious highlight. The comedy might not have become a classic without the two working in tandem.

As a final note, keep in mind that unless you plan on editing, proofing, designing the book layout, creating the cover art, and self-publishing the story you wrote, then you’re going to work with someone, or an entire team, at some point. Team writing provides excellent practice for the collaborative aspects of publishing.

If you have questions or want more info on our team writing process, please feel free to email us at madworldseries@gmail.com. Best of luck, collaborative writers. Go team!

Wakefield blurb

Orphans Astrid Chalke and Max Fisher meet when they’re sent to live at Wakefield, a residential and educational facility for teens with psychiatric and behavioral problems. Astrid’s roommate cuts herself with anything sharp she can get her hands on and Max’s roommate threatens him upon introduction.

Just as Astrid and Max develop a strong bond and begin to adjust to the constant chaos surrounding them, a charming and mysterious resident of Wakefield named Teddy claims he has unexplainable abilities. Sometimes he can move things without touching them. Sometimes he can see people’s voices flowing out of their mouths. Teddy also thinks that some of the Wakefield staff are on to him.

At first, Astrid and Max think Teddy is paranoid, but Max’s strange recurring dreams and a series of unsettling events force them to reconsider Teddy’s claims. Are they a product of his supposedly disturbed mind or is the truth stranger than insanity?

Wakefield is available at the Amazon and other ebook retailers. For more about the Mad World series visit the series website or Facebook page.

About the Authors:

Erin lives with her husband in the bustling metropolis of Hooksett, New Hampshire, and works for the federal government. She enjoys reading and writing young adult fiction, playing recreational volleyball, and mining the depths of popular culture for new and interesting ideas. A year after graduating from law school she found herself unemployed and took a job as a case manager at a residential facility similar to the one featured in Wakefield. Though she worked there for only a year and a half, the strange and amazing kids she met will forever serve as a well of inspiration.

Troy grew up in Sunapee, NH, and graduated with a B.A. in English/Communications with a dual concentration in film and writing from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts. He spent ten years working in the banking industry dreaming up numerous stories to write. When not writing, Troy keeps mental notes on the various stories he wants to tell.

Elixir Bound in Paperback!

March 13, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

After all the teasers, the day has finally arrived for my Elixir Bound announcement. And the big new is…*Drum roll*…Elixir Bound will be coming out in paperback later this year (not a definite date set, but it’s looking like June or July)!

You all know I’m a big fan of ebooks (I read on my Nook and my phone all the time), but I’m jumping for joy at the prospect of Elixir Bound in print. I hope it means my story will reach new readers. And I mean, what author doesn’t want to hold their book and fan through the pages?

In honor of this joyous occasion, I’m doing my first ever Rafflecopter giveaway. What can you win? Either a 3 chapter critique by yours truly (because I know lots of writers read my blog) or a signed copy of the paperback version of Elixir Bound (and probably some other surprise swag, which I’ll promptly send off to you once it’s released).

a Rafflecopter giveaway