Why Everyone Should Have Critique Partners.

Another author drew me this picture of Pinto--a character from Tellan--after reading my first chapter (shortly before pitchwars). I just wanted to post it here because it's so freaking cool!


Pinto comes into the story about halfway through Tellan, and rules the second MS. He's cool, and this pic captures him pretty well. I'm honoured that someone wanted to draw him.

So, big thanks to the talented Diana!

Pinto, by Diana Pinguicha. https://twitter.com/Pinguicha

#Musicforwriting.

I <3 Music. My writing playlist is approximmately 300+ songs long--and growing. 

I'm never far from my i-pod, and my taste varies from classical, to D&B, to metal, to pop, and back via country. There is literally a little bit of everything in there.

I've shared a few songs from my writing playlist on here before, so i thougt, why not make it a regular thing? 

So, here are three additions from this week!  

Hozier--take me to church. I got stuck on this song while I was editing for #pitchwars. I found it to be quite a powerful piece of music. It's one of those songs that only becomes more intense when you go and watch the video...

Pandora delivered this young lady to my ears. Jasmine Thompson. She has an album out called 'Another Bundle of Tantrums,' which is chock with covers. This particular one stood out for me--home--originally sung by Gabrielle Aplin. It might be because she says home the way I say home?

Tove Lo: Out of Mind. I can't think of anything to say about this one. It's on there with 'habits' also from Tove Lo's EP; Truth serum.


If you happen to have some sweet suggestions then please, send them my way!

Pitch Wars Preparation is underway!

This is just going to be a brief hoo-rah of what's happening in my world. I know I haven't posted anything in a while, and i'm sorry!! I've been pretty busy this month, but, 

Lots of exciting things are coming up!

Most importantly, Pitch wars. I’ve never entered before so I am super thrilled to be giving it a go. The line-up of mentors is incredible and I have no idea how I am going to pick four to submit to! (I think I have one or two definite picks!). So that’s August the 18^th covered.

For those who don’t know what Pitch wars is, here is a link:

Pitch Wars

Tellan, at 85k words, is looking very svelt. I have been chopping and changing at the advice of some super helpful CP's, and I'm crossing my fingers that it will have a chance up against everyone elses super-fantastic manuscripts!

Anyway, wish me luck!

The Emblem of Allies.

For fun, Geoff and I put our heads together and got a pin from Tellan 3D printed. I drew it, Geoff made it 3D and figured out how to make it work, and shapeways printed it for us!

This is the company that printed it, if you're interested.

To say that it is cool would be an understatement. It's cooler than cool.

The silver-doe or, "the emblem of allies," is mentioned throughout Tellan, and is described as "a silver doe looking upward at three gleaming stars." What we created is a beautiful harmony of what I imagined in my head and what works when you make a pin. I love it to pieces.  

Getting it all right.

What an interesting few weeks it has been.

I’ve been the typical sort of busy, finishing summer school exams, starting semester one, going on road-trips to see Bruce Springsteen... exploring New Zealand in my tireless bid to see it all and doing Pilates in the lounge. 

But what has really been keeping me busy is Tellan. Whilst writing the second instalment of my epic series this summer I came to the realisation that I was abandoning all of the gruesome parts of being a writer in favour of weaving more stories. 

Query,

Synopsis,

Word-count. 

If you follow this blog then you know that I have been going back and forth between the second book and the above issues for about a year now. And I keep coming here to complain about it. 

I have been a terrible person. 

So. Instalment #2 was put on hold yet again, so that I could finally address the above problems with maturity and self-respect before steam-rolling on to make more boo-boos. 

I had been clinging to a lot of crap. Holding on to wordy queries and unnecessary literary events in the hope that they might magically become important. I'd told myself that I had editted and it was fine, but deep down I knew that I had big issues to address and I needed to freaking fix them. 

Problem #1.

That insatiable demon that is the query. My awful query letter skills leave a lot to be desired. I'd done some research and thought I had something passable, but I’m kicking the word passable from my vocabulary. I needed something better. I hit the internet and found a forum of people who could help, I posted my atrocious query letter, sat back, and watched it get ravaged by some very helpful hyenas....

Reassembling, disassembling, chatting, critiquing, re-reassembling and maybe, just maybe, I am getting somewhere.

This exercise has also taught me how subjective this whole business really is. When you get three critiques that contradict each other and realise that you can’t please everyone. You start to understand that no one is wrong. We just all like different things. So, next time I get a form rejection which says “keep trying, we’re subjective,” I’ll get it. It’s not for you, it’s for someone else.

(Hopefully the next rejection will be more about subjectivity that my extraordinarily poor query-letter skills. Because it was s**t. And I am so glad that I was finally able to get some perspective on that.)

I’ve learned along the way that no one finds this part easy (and no one thinks your vague query is as mysterious and cool as your think it is).

Problem #2: Synopsis.

Honestly. See above. It’s the same Demon but longer and more confusing.

I still have a lot to learn about writing synopsis.’ But again, I feel like I’m getting somewhere.

Problem #3: word-count.

We all knew that I cut 20,000 words out of Tellan (because I was so proud that I had pulled it off that I told everyone who would listen). I had decided that that was enough and was determined that the rest was important. It wasn’t. A few friendly Critiques on the book and I have realised that a further 8000 words were unnecessary. Thank you.

Add to this the shovel-full of advice on grammar, story, prose, etc, etc, etc.. and you find a much more educated Jennifer. Who sees a far more satisfactory finish line, that isn’t just passable but pride-inspiring.

19. Sparrow and the wolf boy.

"She was pelting down the cove bootless, looking as she ran into the grey, rain-speckled water. Some unknown instinct was driving her onward and telling her that the answer was in the lake.

Dread made her breath catch and her palms sweat. Her heart was beating in her ears. Tella was moving so fast that she almost ran straight into Izac, he stood petrified at the lip of the lake. A black wolf lay next to him growling at the water. The boy was nonsensical with hysterics. He screamed and pointed to the shallows, mumbling between quiet, broken sobs, “I can't swim, I can't swim...”" 

From chapter nineteen of Tellan. 

xx 

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas, happy new year and all that. Although belated, I genuinely hope it was amazing!

I spent one very busy december in my home town with my parents and my sister eating far too much food, riding horses, writing and just generally faffing about in the sun.

I am now back in Dunedin, horseless and ready for the rest of summer (if it makes it this far south I am currently taking shelter indoors from a tempest, wrapped in a blanket with a book, and a coffee, and a cat.)

I've spent the last few months trying to get the second book finished. I know my beta readers really want to read it, so i'm trying my best to make that happen asap. It's a little longer than Tellan, and a little grittier I think... but that's a good thing.

It's nice to see the two books side-by-side on my desktop.





I cannot believe that it is 2014 already, five minutes ago it was 2011 and I was working for a circus in Canada... but cool, a new year and lots of things planned. I don't make new years resolutions because I tend to make them every other month, but I do have some new years projects that I am working towards. Obviously my second book will be done soon, so thats one. We also have been thinking of making a short sort of promo video for Tellan, Its aim will be to evoke a mood, no dialouge or shots longer than a few seconds, just a real quick flick for a bit of fun. This will be made possible by my mums drama students and the slew of people I know with good cameras. Obviously I will keep the world posted on the progress of that one.

xx