Sunday, September 11, 2011

Oh, the Obscurity

I realize some of you must be frustrated with me. I've been going on and on about how I've started writing, yet most of you have no clue what I'm even writing about. This is your lucky break. Today, I will share the big secret. This is actually the query for my first book--the letter I will send to agents once I'm satisified my book is ready to be let loose on the world.

Book One is called Forbidden. And here's what it's about...

When seventeen-year old Ivy Hines envisioned her engagement with Mr. White—the most eligible gentleman in Jefferson, Texas—she never imagined a corpse would be in the room. The corpse of his dead bride. She never thought Mr. White would pull the engagement ring off the cadaver’s finger—a ring that would leech her spirit into Mr. White’s soul and cause him to live forever.  Christian, her pa’s hired help, showed up almost in time to stop the engagement. But he really didn’t need to. Ivy controlled the situation. She plunged a knife into Mr. White’s heart. Seemed like a simple solution. She just wished she’d known Mr. White could only be killed with one weapon—Cherubim’s flaming sword. In three days Ivy will become Mr. White’s next bride. She trusts Christian to help her find the blade, but he’s not telling her everything. He knows secrets about the sons of Adam and Eve, of two brothers who found the forbidden fruit and have been alive for centuries. Next time, Ivy will make sure she knows Mr. White’s true identity—the world’s first murderer.

One Year

It's been one year since I started writing my first novel. Now I've finished three. I guess I should celebreate. Woohoo!

There, I celebrated.

Honestly, I feel like writing is celebrating. It's when I get to open up my mind and creativity. I get to use some of my college training. But really, it's just nice to accomplish something other than washing clothes/dishes/dirty bums.

Okay, cleaning dirty bums isn't so bad. I'm used to it by now. And, let's be honest, kids have pretty cute bums.

I'd like to start sharing some of the tips I've learned from a year of writing. There are some amazing resources out there, I'm sure I haven't discovered them all, but I can share what I've learned so far.

The first tip I'll share is this-- The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman. Read it, let it settle for a few months, and then read it again. I got my copy off amazon.com for less than five bucks. For first time writers, this book is a must. There you go. Keep checking back and I'll post another tip some time soon.

The First Five Pages: A Writer'S Guide To Staying Out of the Rejection Pile