#Pimpmybio

Pitch wars has come around again!

I've kept this nice and brief, but here is a little about me and my book:  

I live in the south island of NZ, halfway between the sea and the mountains.  I grew up in the country surrounded in horses and sheep and all things wild and outdoorsy. My appreciation for four-legged creatures, wood-fires, ice-cold lakes, and the rugged coastline probably comes through in my stories.

I am a history nerd. I love old things... I recently acquired a degree in Archaeology with minors in Art history and Classical studies.  I marathon history docos. Hard.

During the day I work in a fancy shoe store. As a result I have too many pairs of shoes (yes you can have too many pairs of shoes).  I’m saving for my next big move—I just haven’t quite decided what country I want to move too yet.

I love art. I draw pet-portraits for people in my spare time and paint big pictures of ladies with crowns. Naturally, I’ve drawn plenty of my characters. My archaeology degree taught me to appreciate maps, so I have lots of them as well (they are available on demand).

I also go nuts over theatre and music. I play a few musical instruments, try my best at singing, and have spent a lifetime on the stage, dancing, acting and generally making a fool of myself. 

I have a cheeky horse called Sian. She is in fact a horse, even though some like to call her a pony. I also have a lap-cat named Sanzha.

I read books like I breathe air. I’m constantly searching for new things to read. Please, please, send me your suggestions I favour fantasy of all kinds (bonus points for swords, arrows, villains, boys, horses, and magic).

I work hard on my stories, and I’m 100% happy to pull them apart and stick them back together. I appreciate good criticism, and I’m not going to get offended. I’m here for hard work, good advice, and do my best to improve my MS. I don't shy away from all-nighters, re-writes, or ruthless culling. I'm open to it all. 

The story I’m bringing to the table is my YA fantasy, TELLAN.

Tellan involves assassins, spirits, a blue and silver tiger, a boy who can talk to wolves, magic, love interests, a lake, a prince, a boy with the enemy’s accent, a sword, and a riddle.

You can stalk me on instagram where I am constantly pestering cyber-space with pictures of my cat and pictures of things I made. If nothing else, it will convince you that I am a little bit mad, and not as funny as I think I am --> https://instagram.com/hashtagjennifer/

A thing I made! Look at it! Look at the thing!

This is just a little something I made earlier this year--it was cast from a wishbone that I salvaged from a sunday roast, and made in the brazier in my parents back garden (I may or may not have been wearing slippers when handling molten metal, and I may or may not have accidentaly got dew in the molten metal--don't do that, don't ever get water in molten metal. Holy. Shit.)

Anyway, that's all, just wanted to share because I was super proud of the thing I made. Look at the thing! 

Music for writing. #3

I thought I would share some more songs from my writing playlist.

These ones are for epic moments... particualarly, Two Steps from Hell. They are a fav of mine to write to. So epic. Such wow. I often dive into the parts of my playlist with epic beats and no words (The Scott Hemsey song here is exempt from this, of course) when I'm working on something that requires a lot of guts. It's easier to block out the sounds of my house, and to focus on the writing. 

:) 

Short ravings of a pet-portrait artist.

I'm gearing up for another literary contest, polishing off one book, and thinking about another. I just thought I'd share some of the non-book-related things I've been doing lately... Because I havent been sharing anthing lately. 

For the last year, I have been a part-time pet-portraitist to earn a little extra cash. It was a rare, odd-occasion business until about three months ago, when it grew into something else entirely... 

Now don't get me wrong. I am a drawer, and I will leap at any oppurtunity to draw someones pets--especially if i'm being paid to do it--but there are a number of things you can always count on when dealing with people, and pictures, and animals... 

1) They're going to send you the blurriest, tiniest photo they have as a reference. Usually a picture taken from a distance on an old flip-top phone. 

2) It's either a tiny photo, a blurry photo, or the most impractical photo in the universe, with an animal bent into a shape that just does not convert well into a picture. It'll be your fault if it looks weird. 

3) The pictures you work the hardest on will always be the least appreciated. 

4) When you're really super busy, and you're just finishing a massive order, someone is going to send you another three requests. 

5) When you have shit-all to do, you've got no drawings to do either. 

6) You're going to get really sick of finding pencil shavings in your socks. 

Thats all. Here are some old instagram montages of un-rotated, terrible photos of pet drawings. 

A story about how irresponsible I am.

If you're on here, wondering why I haven't written about Tellan--or anything--in ages, then I’m very sorry. I messed up. 

I entered Tellan in a competition in Feb (which I will talk about in another post). Then, after entering did one really awesome, final tweak of the entire MS, including a shiny new first chapter (yes, after entering, I edited the book...). I then decided to put Tellan aside and wait for the competition critiques before editing or querying it.

My hard-drive imploded.

It didn't just ‘break,’ it self-destructed. It sent everything on it to the world of the irretrievable. 

Luckily I had back-ups. Right?   

They also imploded...

I can only conclude that some horrible, malicious, writer-hunting demon decided to really ruin my year. For some, ungodly, reason, the 'Tellan' folder was not on my back up device… or online. And for some even more ungodly of ungodly reasons, the Tellan files I'd emailed to myself were also gone (my phone was deleting my emails, which I had noticed, and not addressed…).

What a mess... 

In sheer frustration I shelved Tellan and worked on another WIP for a while, telling myself that I would find a way to recover my long-lost edits.

(*book*)

At some point I remembered a fateful day in April, when I was sitting in my living room reading—and tweaking—the new first chapter. I looked up and saw my keys and a flashdrive, sitting on the counter and thought, “oh, maybe I should chuck these files on that? Just in case things go tits-up?” But then I slunk lower into sofa, and, in a pool of laziness, didn’t do it. WHY, dammit!

I have now, after several months and a lot of heartache, re-written the shiny new chapter one... Which, of course, will never be as good as I remember it. 

So yeah, make sure your back-ups are like, working… and then back everything up again. And again. And again. And again. 

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

Gems.

It's been a little while!

I've been feeling creative lately, producing jewellery like nobodies business, so I wanted to take time to dedicate a post to Sparrow and the Wolf boy Jewellery.

It's been about two years since I started making 'bottle-necklaces' the first being the feathery beauty below (still on my desk as a means of inspiration). The idea for these creations came from within Tellan, but over the last two years that idea has evolved quite dramatically!

This one was pretty literally inspired from within Tellan, for that reason, I think, it will always be the favourite.

For the last few months I've been taking my creations to local craft markets around Dunedin (I'd been meaning to get into the market scene for a while, but since I've only been selling online for the last year I never really had enough bits and bobs on hand to justify it). It took an assessment-less mid-semester break of sitting on the lounge floor creating, but I managed to create a pretty impressive collection of awesome necklaces.

Typically my necklaces are made from stray inspiration or the discovery of a cool new material, but since the markets have started I've been selling so much more stuff!! I am now patiently waiting for parcels of pretty chains and things to arrive from almost everywhere and my jewellery making has been slowed down rather substantially. This, however, has turned out to be a bit of a blessing, I've had tons of time to focus on making some pretty wacky brooches and pins.

bunny must be my favourite brooch so far.

there is also an orca and a tiger.. 

And since all those pretty bits and bobs are, four weeks later, are still touring the world, I've been making pictures, narwhals and mugs as well! 

Needless to say, I've been rather busy. Since the first market I have opened up a second shop on felt.co.nz, most of my stuff was going to the states (Neat to think that people so far away love my wee bits and pieces made here in NZ!) so felt was an attempt to reach more kiwis! 

And soon you may be able to find Sparrow and the wolf boy jewellery in some shops! 

imaginary wonky houses. Fun to draw!

I am drafting a second post right now about Tellan and her sequel! That should be up real soon. It's exam time though so forgive me if I disappear again without leaving a note... 

In the meantime, check out what I've been making! 

Sparrow and the wolf boy on Facebook

And on etsy

And lets not forget felt

Read a bit! you know you want to! xx

I no longer have the first three chapters of Tellan up on the net. I deleted my wattpad account and took Tellan down to re-write the first chapter! I might put it up somewhere here in a few weeks so keep your eyes peeled!

Sorry :(

Jennifer.

Books.

---watch this space--- 

(Ancient history can wait)

This is not an official study-break...


Well, my busy week at Uni, bled straight into exam time, which is always a bit of a slog... I am finding it difficult to tear myself away from coffee and spelunky to get all those study hours in, fortunately for me I am a fastidious note-taker and don't really need to read anything. Being a total nerd pays off.

Tellan continues to wander through cyber space, visiting family and friends for a wee read. Things might get a little more exciting for its pages soon... we'll be keeping you updated on that one...

It's good to have so many friends willing to read Tellan, feedback and conversation has been so ridiculously helpful over the last -nearly two- years. I am particularly grateful for those friends who tirelessly read each chapter over-and-over and emailed me back and forth for so many months.

I promised to write about book two, my current work in progress, but, to be quite honest, I have been a bit mentally pre-occupied to really hash-out something interesting to say! 

I suppose I could write about how the second book deconstructs the idea of 'inherent evil,' but this comic says it better than I ever could just read it, please. This aspect of the book has been more fun than it should be. I guess, the circumstances and the idea make the book a little 'darker' and we all secretly love stuff that's a little dark.

Other fun things in book two:

• A kind of military circus.... 
• Some wolves that some people ride on... 
• A couple more super interesting 'bad guys.'
• A magical map-book.
• some more wolves that try and eat people.
• Bows and arrows.
• The love-triangle that all the beta readers knew was coming... 

xx

asap!

It's so much easier to write and study thanks to the recent arrival of a desk for my glorious computer! I now have a dedicated space to annoy you all from!

When I began this blog, I was endeavouring to document the writing process of book one. However, I finished writing Tellan long ago now, and have stated on many occasion how difficult it is to write about the editing process. It's even harder now Tellan is being queried, there is very little for me to say about it... but its all a part of the process, so I will try my best.

However, maybe its time I talked more about my current project? Part 2. I am endeavouring to pull together a small synopsis and some other thematic bits and pieces to throw up asap! for now though you'll just have to wait. Uni is pretty busy this week so while i promise to provide all of this is the next 72ish hours, i can't be entirely sure that I am not lying.

xox

Young Readers!

It's been such a crazy few months that I nearly forgot to mention what I consider THE coolest opportunity Tellan has given me so far! My Mum lovingly hunted down some Beta readers that were within my target age-range, gave them an old copy of the manuscript and then told them they would have to email me feedback (In the end they insisted on meeting me face-to-face, so I popped into their high-school on my way from Wellington to Dunedin).
It was utterly amazing listening to them rant and rave about all of the characters they loved! I was worried going into the classroom that they would have nothing to say and it would end up being really awkward, but it was epic. They inspired me to go home and finish the round of edits I was working on at that time.

To see the manuscript met with such enthusiasm certainly makes all of the hard-work worth-it!

xx

And this one, woodkid make amazing videos (try 'iron' and 'run boy run' also)

Let this music video inspire you.