Fixing the First Page Giveaway Winner #16!

Photo credit: massdistraction on Flickr

Super quick off-schedule post today to announce the winner of the sixteenth fixing the first page feature giveaway! Woot! Here we go.

*drumroll*

And the winner is…

JAY ARIAS!

Yay! Congratulations, Jay! Expect an e-mail from me shortly.

Thank you to all you lovely entrants! If you didn't win, as always, there will be another fixing the first page giveaway next month, so keep an eye out! :)

Let’s Talk About Crowley

Photo credit: drkold on Flickr

So it’s nearly Halloween, and as tends to happen every year I’ve come to realize I hadn’t really posted anything Halloween-y this month. But as Writability has had several Halloweens, I’ve already posted about writing fears (debunked), rounded up my excellent villains posts, and talked about scary books. Which has left me all month trying to answer to annual question of “what will I post about around Halloween?”

I was coming up empty until last night when, starting Season 10 of Supernatural, it occurred to me that what was become one of my favorite characters is most definitely a villain.

So let’s talk about Crowley.

For those of you who do not watch Supernatural (and if you don’t—why not?), here is a brief, mostly non-spoilery rundown: Crowley is introduced as a crossroads demon (a demon who makes deals with people, usually to give them something they really want in exchange for their soul ten years later), who gleefully maneuvers a homophobic man into kissing him (crossroads demons seal all of their deals with a kiss). From there, over the course of many seasons, he gradually moves up (or down?) the demon hierarchy until he becomes a very important person of evilness.

Crowley does some pretty despicable things throughout his time on the show, including kidnapping and torturing people—some of which are characters we like, double-crossing the protagonists several times over, and manipulating just about everyone all to serve his own interests. On paper, Crowley is not a character to gravitate towards.

But on the other hand, he also has some…shall we say endearing traits? For example, his nonchalant attitude, the way he nicknames Sam “Moose” and Dean “Squirrel” (I don’t know why, but I can’t hate it), his never-ending sarcasm and dry British humor, the way he’s always one step ahead (have I mentioned lately I love smart villains?) and let’s not forget that along the way, he does actually help the protagonists…who then go ahead and try to kill him anyway many times, because he’s a demon. And evil. So.

On top of that, Crowley also has one trait that really stuck out to me most: he never breaks his contracts. Does he create loopholes? Absolutely. But he keeps to his word down to the letter. I won’t go as far to say that he’s honorable, but there’s something to be said for a character that keeps to their word.

So basically, what I’m saying here is as evil of a character as Crowley is, he has depth. He’s not one-sided—something that really comes into play when spoilery things happen in Seasons 8 and 9 and, I’m assuming, 10. By now, at the beginning of Season 10, I can no longer deny that he’s grown on me as a character, and for reasons I won’t get into because spoilers, he’s even become sympathetic.

It will probably not surprise you to hear that I really enjoy writing (and reading, and watching) multi-dimensional, and when possible, sympathetic, villains. Because for me, at least, while I do occasionally enjoy villains who are indisputably one-sidedly evil, the ones that surprise me with other sides of their personalities and even force me to like them (because, curse them, sometimes they have moments that are so damn likable) are frequently the ones that stick with me long after they meet their demise.

Assuming they meet their demise at all, that is…

Do you enjoy multi-dimensional villains? Who are some of your favorites?

Twitter-sized bites:

How do you make villains likable? @Ava_Jae analyzes one of SPN's most popular villains, Crowley, to answer. (Click to tweet)  

Like layered villains? @Ava_Jae talks about her favorite SPN villain Crowley and explores what makes him likable. (Click to tweet)

My Publishing Path is My Own

Photo credit: My name's axel on Flickr

So social media being what it is, and the nature of my various social media stuff being what it is, and the general public’s knowledge of publishing being what it is, every once in a while I get questions about my publishing path. Why I chose a small press over self-publishing. How long it took me to get published. Why I didn’t self publish one of my many, many trunked manuscripts. Etc., etc.

Now, I obviously don’t have a problem with discussing my publishing path—I do it here all the time because I hope that my journey can encourage others and/or someone else can learn from my experiences. I like sharing that stuff with you guys.

That said, I think it’s occasionally important to reiterate that my timeline, my writing methods, the choices and strategies that work for me are just that—mine.

I wrote nine manuscripts before writing Beyond the Red and I didn’t self-publish any of them, even though I queried many of them—a decision I’m happy with today because it means I get to debut traditionally, which is the path I’d always dreamed about.

I’m publishing with a small press—a decision that has lead to my working with a really wonderful editor who is possibly one of the nicest people I know, and has meant that I’ve had a lot of input on the design of the book as a whole. Like, way more input and influence than I ever imagined, which means I am so happy with the result.

I outline, then fast-draft because it’s how I work best. I vlog, and blog, and tweet, and tumbl, and Instagram because even though it’s time-consuming, I enjoy it, and it’s allowed me to make really awesome connections and reach new people. I get up early in the morning and try to get as much work done as I can then because my energy levels deplete more quickly than they used to.

But my steps and my strategies aren’t foolproof. What works for me may not work for you; your path won’t look like mine.

My publishing path is my own, and maybe yours will have some similarities. Or maybe yours will look absolutely nothing like mine, and maybe some decisions I made wouldn’t be right for you. But that’s okay. Because there isn’t one golden path to getting published or one right way to write a book.

So listen to various publication stories. Take tips and strategies that work for you and skip over the rest. Try a new writing or plotting or brainstorming method, and if you don’t like it, know that it just wasn’t for you and that’s okay.

Because my path and my strategies and decisions are my own. And so are yours.

Twitter-sized bite: 

"There isn't one golden path to getting published or one right way to write a book." (Click to tweet)

Vlog: 2016 YA Debuts I'm Excited About

2016 is nearly here! And there are a LOT of awesome YA debuts releasing next year, so I'm talking about five I'm extra excited for. Are these on your TBR list?

RELATED LINKS: 

• This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp (1/5/16)
• Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin (2/2/16)
• The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig (2/16/16)
• Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie (3/1/16)
• Timekeeper by Tara Sim (Fall 2016)
• Beyond the Red by me (March 2016)
• All About Beyond the Red (Part 1) (vlog)
• Top 5 TBR Books (vlog)

What debut 2016 releases are on your TBR list?

Twitter-sized bites:

Looking for great 2016 YA releases to add to your TBR list? @Ava_Jae vlogs about 5 YA debuts she's excited about. (Click to tweet) 

What debut 2016 releases are on your TBR list? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

How to Survive Large-Scale Revisions

Photo credit: pinkpurse on Flickr

So I’m back in heavy-duty revision mode and working on possibly the most intensive and drastic revisions I’ve done in…a while. Maybe ever. I’ve had to take my own advice about not being afraid to make big changes because this time around, the WIP needs it.

While in the midst of WIP surgery, I’ve been thinking about ways to try to make the process easier/less terrifying/more rewarding. And so far, at least, I’ve come up with a few steps that seem to be helping.

• Make a plan. I say this all the time, but I’ve got to tell you, being organized while revising? So helpful. I’ve already written about revising in passes, so I won’t reiterate that whole thing, but it absolutely helps me to split up the work into rounds and tackle it one step at a time. That said, this time around some of my revision rounds have kind of merged together because tackling a character issue, for example, requires reworking plot stuff, but it has still helped to have some kind of structure and way of tracking my progress. Speaking of which…


• Track your progress. People frequently ask me how I track my progress, and the answer is MyWriteClub! I’ve already blogged about the site’s awesomeness, but in short, I use MyWriteClub to keep track of my progress both as I draft and as I revise. And I can’t tell you how much it helps, because when you’re in the middle of a mountain of revisions, it can sometimes feel like you’re slogging through mud/not making progress/revisions will never end, but MyWriteClub helps you not only visually see how much work you’ve done, but it also tells you how much you have left, percentage wise. Which is so, so encouraging when you’re working.


• Be kind to yourself. There have been several days where I’d planned to get work done, but after school/schoolwork/life stuff had very little time/energy left and I ended up not getting nearly as much revision work done as I wanted to. Reminding myself that not only is it okay to have a few slow days, but that it’s important not to overwork myself to avoid burnout in the middle of revisions has been important. My hour or two before bed watching Supernatural might sound like a waste of time, but I’ve found the free time is a necessary de-stresser at the end of the day.

Ultimately, large-scale revisions can be pretty scary and can easily become overwhelming, but I find if you break it up and do the above, the process can go much more smoothly. And in the end, when you have a shinier, more layered and ready-to-go WIP, it’ll all be worth it. :)

What tips do you have for getting through heavy-duty revisions?

Twitter-sized bite:

Not sure how to tackle intensive revisions for your MS? @Ava_Jae shares three quick tips to get through it. (Click to tweet)

Fixing the First Page Feature Giveaway #16!

Photo credit: woodleywonderworks on Flickr

Incredibly, we are now officially halfway through October, and NaNoWriMo and November are almost here and I am sooooo not ready ha ha, oh boy.

Um. Anyway.

Happy news is it's time to get ready for the next Fixing the First Page giveaway! Woohoo!

For those who’ve missed it in the past, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a PUBLIC (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

• ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.


• ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.


• I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.


• Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.


• You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.


• You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.


• There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(

So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the sixteenth public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Friday, October 23 at 11:59 EST to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

On Self-Insertion, Intersectionality, and Writing

Photo credit: Gonzak on Flickr

So I've noticed that frequently, when writing diverse books conversations come up and writers mention wanting to/thinking about/being afraid of/currently writing their own stories, the question of whether or not self-insertion is okay comes up. More times than not, writers are worried that putting too much of themselves or their stories into a book could backfire.

This fear, I think, comes from the frequently discouraged Mary Sue conversations that come up, in which writers basically use a wish-fulfillment version of themselves as the protagonist. But when it comes to writing marginalized characters, that's not really what "writing your own story" means.

I do get the anxiety, though—up until recently, I'd never really considered writing with more than one or two aspects of my identity; after all, wouldn't it be kind of self-centered to write a character so very much like myself?

I think, however, when I used to consider (and reject) the idea, I was thinking about it the wrong way. Because when you're writing a character with the same marginalizations or experiences as you, it's not about writing you exactly—down to your personality/looks/baby clone version of yourself. It's about writing a character that teen you—or maybe now you—could relate to. It's about writing a character that someone else who has some of the same experiences as you, who is looking for a mirror book and not finding it, could read and think this is it. This is me. You get it.

As of writing this post, I have never read a character who embodied every (or honestly, even more than one or two tops) aspect(s) of my identity. I've read characters who are anxious, characters who are Latinx, a character who deals with chronic pain (though her pain was very different from mine), and a tomboy character. I've read fractions of my identity spread out over loads of different stories, and each time was a little reflective mirror shard that I could dust off and say this part I understand.

But a whole mirror? Nope. And judging by conversations I've seen on Twitter, I'm not the only one.

To be fair, for a long time I didn’t bother looking for mirror characters either, because I’d convinced myself those bits of my identity were invisible, unimportant, and/or just me. But maybe if I’d come across more characters like myself, I would’ve embraced those other parts of my identity sooner. I guess I’ll never know.

But what I’m trying to say is this is one of the many reasons why intersectional characters are important. And this is one of the many reasons why sharing your story, whatever that story is, isn’t necessarily just for you and definitely isn’t self-centered—because while no one will have the exact same experiences you do, there are absolutely others out there who may share many of the same intersections. People who have settled with picking up tiny mirror shards without ever really hoping to see themselves completely. People who have decided those intersections don’t count, and don’t matter, and are probably just them anyway.

And that’s why I’ve decided sharing my story is important. And that’s why sharing your story is important. You’ll never know how many kids out there could read your story and see more of themselves in it than they’ve seen anywhere else if you don’t write it to begin with.

The online YA community has shown me that sharing my story is important. And if you don’t know it already, I hope you’ll come to see your story is important too. And only you can tell it.

Have you ever written a character with multiple parts of your identity? Or read a character with multiple parts of the author’s identity? 

Twitter-sized bites:

In terms of intersectionality, is writing your own story self-centered? @Ava_Jae says no, and this is why. (Click to tweet)  

"The online YA community has shown me that sharing my story is important." (Click to tweet)