Category: Writing (Page 14 of 72)

ELIXIR SAVED Update & Author Events 2019

April 29, 2019 / Katie L. Carroll

It’s been all ELIXIR SAVED and author events on the blog lately and today’s no exception. I’ve been compiling the mess of a draft that is ELIXIR SAVED and it’s been slightly terrifying. It’s been 8ish-year process to write this thing, it’s got three point-of-view characters, and it turns out that the manuscript is currently over 117,000 words!!! Yikes!

It’s been a journey to say the least. I haven’t quite written THE END yet, which I was hoping to do before I started the first round of revisions. But I realized I needed to read through what I already have in order to write the ending, which is weird because I’ve known the major events of the end pretty much since I started writing the story. Some things you can’t force, I guess. As I’ve been organizing the draft, the pieces of the end are already starting to come together in my mind.

I’ve also been busy scheduling and planning events for the spring and summer. This Saturday, I’ll be at the Author Expo and Book Fair at the public library in Torrington, CT from 12-4 p.m. That means I’ll be missing the New England SCBWI conference this year. 🙁 Hopefully I’ll get there next year.

Then in June I’ll be part of Pirate Day in downtown Milford, CT. It looks like I’ll be doing two presentations about the local pirate lore, one in morning before the pirates arrive by boat and one in the afternoon on the town green. There are a ton of fun activities throughout the day for the whole family. I’ll have PIRATE ISLAND for sale, games to play, and picture opportunities when I’m not speaking. It’s going to be a really fun (and busy!) day.

I’m also part of the CT Authors Trail this summer. I’ll be at the Voluntown Public Library in August for that. You can check out my Events page for all the updated details on where to find me. And I’m always happy to have people reach out to me for events and school or library visit; check out my Author Visits page for details on that.

As for the boys, we had a fun spring break a couple of weeks ago. We’ve started making our plans for the summer. I’ll have to do a picture post soon, so you can see what we’ve been up to. What have you all been up to lately?

Writing The Story Keeping Me Awake At Night

April 1, 2019 / Katie L. Carroll

I wrote something new recently and very different from anything I’ve written before. It came to me in a rush of excitement and creativity in a way I’ve never experienced before.

I’ve had ideas come crashing in, images or characters or some spark that leads to a story. But this was different. In the past, the ideas have been pieces of something bigger that needed a lot more thought to turn into a full idea.

This time, it was like I was possessed by the muse. It was literally keeping me awake at night. The idea, and moreover the emotion of the story, was a wave that kept churning inside me and wouldn’t let me focus on anything else until I let it out. And it came to me in such a fully formed way.

Not to say that it was easy to write. It required a good amount of research, but the research was just as exciting as the writing. Writing it felt like putting two parts of myself together that I hadn’t found a way to fit in the same context, even though the story is nothing about me in any way. It melded two of my passions that I’ve been trying to figure out how to intersect but had never been able to do so before.

I know this all sounds kind of vague, and I’m purposely avoiding specifics here on the blog for certain reasons that I’m being quiet about right now.

But I wanted to share the enthusiasm I’m feeling right now. Much of the writing and submitting process can be a slog. You face plot points you don’t know how to solve, characters that aren’t fleshed out enough, a voice that doesn’t stand out enough. Then there are the rejections…don’t even get me started.

This, right now, how I’m feeling. It makes all those things worth it. So I just wanted to let you all know that. Thanks for listening!

So Close to “The End” in the Second Elixir Book

February 27, 2019 / Katie L. Carroll

The cover of Elixir Bound by Katie L. Carroll.

Many of you know that I’ve been working on ELIXIR SAVED, a companion novel to my YA fantasy ELIXIR BOUND. Some of you know I’ve been working on it a very long time (see my blog post from 2017 “Why Is It Taking Me So Long To Write The Second Elixir Book?” for some of the reasons). It’s been so long that I wasn’t even sure when I started it, so I took a look back some of my earliest computer files for SAVED and see at least one dating back to 2010.

That’s just the oldest computer file I have on it. I have no idea how long some of my handwritten notes and ideas go back. The truth is that SAVED is the original book I had in mind when I first conceived of the Elixir world, and that was way back when I was still in college, so we’re talking 2003 probably. So a really (insert swearword here) long time!

The good news is that I have all three (yes, that’s three!) point-of-view characters written right up the to climax of the story. They’ve all been in different places for most the story and now they’re finally coming together for that final battle. I know some of the things that are going to happen, but I’ve left some room open for the characters to surprise me. And it’s so intimidating.

I thought once I got the characters to this point that I’d dive right in to finishing this draft. But I find myself hesitating to put the words down, finding that I need some time to think through more of the details. The vision I have so far for these final scenes is kind of vague and fuzzy in spots and I can’t quite pin down what those parts are going to look like. I might not figure that out until I start writing it, though.

Then I start wondering if it’s really that I’m not sure how to finish off the story or if it’s a matter of cold feet. I’ve been working on this story for so long, it’s weird to think about not working on it. Believe me, I have plenty of other projects that I want to start once this one is done (hello, my pretty middle grade witchy book!). And it’s not like finishing this draft means I’m anywhere close to being done with the story (hello, rewrites, revisions, and edits!). So it’s not that I’m afraid I’ll have nothing to do after. What is it exactly that’s holding me back then?

Part of it is definitely worrying about not doing the story justice, an extra large concern when one of the characters is inspired by my sister Kylene. Like I won’t even be close to bridging that gap between what I’ve envisioned for the story and what ends up on the page, which is always a concern with any creative pursuit. Though, it’s not like I need to have it there with a draft anyway…that’s what all those rewrites, revisions, and edits are for.

So why do I have a nervous bundle of energy in my stomach when I think about writing “The End,” something I’ve been striving for all this time? It makes me think about when I’m getting close to finishing a really good book. There’s that urge to read as fast as I can in order to find out what happens. But there’s also this urge to slow down and take it all in. Because once the book is over, that’s it. Sure, you can reread a book, but it’s never the same as the first time.

The End handwritten on a torn sheet of notebook paper.

Perhaps I’m just needing to be in this moment of almost-finished for a little bit before I get there. To take my time to be in the moment and appreciate it before it’s over…to keep those butterflies of anticipation alive a little longer.

Then I need to finish the book because, damn, that many years of working on it is enough already!

Katie’s 2019 Resolution Word: Community

January 15, 2019 / Katie L. Carroll

I know we’re halfway through January already and nobody seems to be talking about resolutions or goals anymore, but I’ve been thinking about my own goals for 2019 and wanted to chime in here. In part to organize my thoughts (because blogging helps me do that) and also to hold myself accountable. There’s something about writing down a goal that makes it feel real to me. (Feel free to bug me throughout the year to see how I’m doing…I’ll do the same for you if you’d like; just let me know a way to contact you.)

I don’t really like New Year’s resolutions because they feel arbitrary to me. I often reevaluate where I’m at and where I want to be and how to get there, and the approach of a new year isn’t necessarily the best time (for me) to set a new goal. But I do like the idea of picking a word to set the tone for the year. Last year, my word was “focus,” which primarily referred to focusing on one particular WIP that I wanted to finish (more about how I did on that goal later). So this year’s word is…drum roll, please…

Community!

Now that my youngest is the ripe old age of 18 months, I have a tiny bit more flexibility in my schedule, which means I’m hoping to be able to connect to my writing community more. Specifically I’d like to attend more nearby writing events at bookstores and libraries in support of my writer friends, I plan on doing a writing retreat at the Highlights Foundation later this year (they call it an Unworkshop), and I’m thinking about starting up an SCBWI meet and greet in my area. And I’d also like to get back to connecting better with my critique partners, both online and in person.

I’ll be honest, having been super focused on raising my kiddos for the last 7-1/2 years makes me feel out of practice with adult interactions. It’s not that I haven’t been going to the occasional writing conference and getting out and spending actual time with adults, but it’s definitely something that has taken a backseat. My social awkwardness feels like it’s at an all-time high, but I’m going to try push through and force myself to do things that maybe feel uncomfortable.

I believe my life and my writing will be more enriched for the trouble of getting out and doing stuff. It’s easy to sit inside on my computer and phone, scrolling through social media, and delude myself into thinking that I’m being sociable. (And there’s certainly great benefits to having an awesome online community.) But I’m craving that face-to-face contact.

So how’d I do with last year’s word of focus? Pretty good actually. The project I really wanted to finish was ELIXIR SAVED, and I got so close to doing it, despite computer issues in December. Close enough to feel confident that I’ll be able to release it later this year. So stay tuned for more news about that!

What are all your resolutions/goals/words for 2019? Who wants to be an accountability buddy with me?

Get To Know Tammy Lowe Author of THE SLEEPING GIANT

November 19, 2018 / Katie L. Carroll

Let’s give a big hello to Tammy Lowe as she celebrates the upcoming release of her YA historical romance THE SLEEPING GIANT (a title that I especially like because of a certain mountain in a certain book I wrote!). Make sure to check out the giveaway at the end. Welcome, Tammy!

What inspired you to write THE SLEEPING GIANT?

Oooh, I’m so glad you asked that!

Without giving away spoilers…I spent years researching a legendary artifact; trying to trace the history of it as far back as I could. This “item” seems to be as old as mankind and if the legends are true, the first century Roman Empire might have been a possible time when it could have resurfaced.

What else happened in the first century Roman Empire?

In 79 AD, Mt. Vesuvius erupted with the force of over a thousand nuclear bombs. Many people in the nearby city of Pompeii didn’t even try to flee the volcanic eruption because they didn’t understand what was happening. They thought the gods were angry.

Within twenty-four hours, not a trace of Pompeii remained. The city—and its inhabitants—were buried beneath layers of volcanic ash and pumice. Over the centuries it simply became a forgotten legend.

But…in the 1700’s, men working on a new palace for the King of Naples rediscovered Pompeii hidden twenty feet below them.

The amazing part is that as the volcanic ash hardened over time, the bodies trapped within decomposed, leaving behind what was basically…a mold. When these molds were filled with plaster, the results were life-like statues of the people who died that day; their final moments preserved forever.

Photo by Tammy Lowe

So, I realized I wanted to set this time-travel adventure in Ancient Rome, playing off the terrifying volcanic eruption in the final scenes. I was pumped and inspired!

But then it dawned on me…oh my gosh…am I crazy enough to attempt to write a novel set in Ancient Rome? The research alone would take forever.

Apparently, yes.

I am crazy enough.

After three more years of research, a second trip to both Rome and Pompeii—this time armed with historians and archaeologists to answer all my questions, I fell head-over-heels in love with that ancient world.

I hope you will too.

This is your second novel. How was the writing process different the second time around?

My first book, The Acadian Secret, is middle grade/tween. Because the main character, Elisabeth, is twelve years old, it’s a lot of youthful fun and adventure when she time-travels to the seventeenth century Scottish Highlands.

The Sleeping Giant picks up five years later. Elisabeth is now seventeen. I found it took some getting used to writing for an older reader. I had to step out of my comfort zone more often. I’d opened a whole new world of emotions and events for Elisabeth to explore— things like falling in love for the first time, being sold into slavery, betrayal, etc. That was the biggest difference this time around.

Of course, I think all the writing lessons learned along the way helped make a bigger, stronger story. The entire process is a never-ending learning experience, even as I continue on with The Age of Aquarius, the next book in the series.

What’s one thing you can tell us about the book (no major spoilers please!) that isn’t in the jacket copy?

Although this is a series, I can and should tell you that this book stands alone.

You needn’t have read the first book to get (hopefully) swept away in this one.

THE SLEEPING GIANT has a time travel element. If you could travel back in time, where would you go?

I’d actually really like to go forward in time. I mean, as long as I’m not stepping into a Hunger Games or Divergent type scenario. (No, not even for you, Tobias Eaton.)

I think I could handle travelling to distant planets on the Starship Enterprise.

*Taps imaginary communicator* “Enterprise—one to beam aboard.”

Yes, I’m totally practicing. *grin*

What actors would play the main characters in a movie version of your book?

What an entertaining question!

Okay…if I’m going to start casting actors, just give me a minute to channel my inner Estelle Leonard. (I’ve been watching re-runs of Friends lately! Haha)

I honestly thought this was going to be a hard question to answer, but instead I’ve had way too much fun. Look what you’ve started Katie!

ELISABETH: A few weeks ago I watched The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society with Lily James. A younger version of Lily is the closest to Elisabeth I’ve found. Sweet, smart, and would totally be out of her element if she suddenly found herself in Ancient Rome.

AQUARIUS: I think Aquarius would be such a fun role to play. It would take someone who could pull off a good, old-fashioned, swashbuckling hero. Maybe a younger Hugh Dancy from Ella Enchanted?

CATO: Aquarius’ best friend. I can totally see someone like Channing Tatum in that role.

MRS. WATERS: Back at home in the 21^st century, an intriguing old woman named Sissi Waters is Elisabeth’s employer/mentor. Since she’s the epitome of class and elegance, even in her eighties, Julie Andrews of course comes to mind.

BALINUS: Ben Kingsley could pull off Balinus. He’s this darling, old philosopher who accompanies Elisabeth, Aquarius, and Cato.

RUFUS: The slave-dealer can be a younger Ciaran Hinds. I have a special place in my heart for Ciaran Hinds because he’ll always be Mr. Rochester from Jane Eyre to me. And, even though Rufus is a villain, I have a special place in my heart for him too. So…perfect casting.

AURELIUS: If this is my imaginary movie, then I’m going to stick the one and only Bill Murray in here somewhere. He can be Balinus’ eccentric old friend, Aurelius.

What’s your favorite snack or beverage to have while writing?

Can I say champagne and Parisian macarons?

The truth isn’t as glamourous.

I live on water, don’t like coffee (did someone just gasp?) and try not to snack between meals. When I get into that writing zone, the world around me fades away and then I’ll look up and realize it’s something like four or five hours later.

But…

Somedays, when the planets are aligned, I do end up with my favourite snack and a fancier glass of water.

Like this day.

THIS is my perfect snack while writing…

Thanks so much for having me on your blog again, Katie. I had a lot of fun.

About the Author:

An adventurer at heart, Tammy Lowe has explored ruins in Rome, Pompeii, and Istanbul (Constantinople) with historians and archaeologists.

She’s slept in the tower of a 15th century castle in Scotland, climbed down the cramped tunnels of Egyptian pyramids, scaled the Sydney Harbour Bridge, sailed on a tiny raft down the Yulong River in rural China, dined at a Bedouin camp in the Arabian Desert, and escaped from head-hunters in the South Pacific.

I suppose one could say her own childhood wish of time traveling adventures came true…in a roundabout way.

www.tammylowe.com

About THE SLEEPING GIANT:

A Historical Romance Adventure

Lured into time-traveling to Ancient Rome, weeks before a volcanic eruption will bury the city of Pompeii, a shy teenager finds herself falling for the adventurous runaway slave she is supposed to rescue.

MuseItUp http://bit.ly/2S8PHtW
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JD44YYS
B&N http://bit.ly/2CYSUba
iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1439019487
Kobo http://bit.ly/2POUmPR

Tucked in a box, in the back of her closet, seventeen-year-old Elisabeth London hid the secrets of a summer five years ago. The items inside are a reminder to never time travel again. After almost being burnt at the stake in 17th century Scotland, the shy teenager believes life is perfect the way it is now; calm and stable.

When a tormented man from Elisabeth’s past begs her to travel back in time to save his life, she reluctantly agrees. Elisabeth assumes Scotland is the destination and is horrified when she arrives in Ancient Rome instead.

The good news is she finds the man; now a cheeky, fun-loving, seventeen-year-old boy named Aquarius. The bad news is he’s an indentured slave, sentenced to death in the arena, and has no idea who she is yet.

Elisabeth helps Aquarius escape and becomes an outlaw herself. Armed with nothing but her wits and his rock sling, the new friends are on the run from Rufus Leptis, a relentless slave-dealer whose job is to hunt them down.

Elisabeth soon realizes she’s here to save Aquarius, not from Rufus or the arena, but from the doomed city of Pompeii. She’s trying to be brave, but the thought of remaining in his swashbuckling world a minute longer than necessary is inconceivable.

At least, it used to be.

Before that darn, happy-go-lucky slave stole her heart.

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