So I'm totally going to post an update on the Birthday Extravaganza, highlights from BEA, and the latest on being a Pretty Little Liars Secret Keeper... um later.
Right now I'm coming out of the revision cave to post that my entry from my WIP SLEEPER was selected as a finalist in Nathan Bransford's ROCK PAPER TIGER Chase/Action Writing Contest Extravaganza!!(gotta love anything with extravaganza in the name!)
See the official announcement with a link to my entry post on Nathan's blog.
I really thought I didn't have much chance because even though he also asked for suspense scenes, most of the entries were action or chase scenes.
I'm so excited that with over 500 entries I was picked as one of the top ten! Woohoo!
Be sure to check out the finalists and vote for your favorite!
Showing posts with label sleeper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleeper. Show all posts
Friday, June 4, 2010
Saturday, January 2, 2010
An Almost Kiss for No Kiss Blogfest!
It's No Kiss Blogfest today! Hosted by Frankie Diane Mills! I was so bummed I missed out on Kissing Day last week. Almost kisses are one of my favorite things to write, so even though I just found out about this today, I'm determined to participate.
Here's my almost kiss scene, from my WIP #1:
I don’t know how long I cry before my breathing finally returns to normal. When I’m calm again, he rubs my back but doesn’t let go. It’s like we both become aware of how close we’re standing at the same time. His chest pressed against mine. His hands under my jacket, in the small of my back. My heartbeat speeds up when his breathing turns shallow. I lean back just far enough to tilt my head and peer up at him.
“Thanks.” My voice is barely a whisper.
The look in his eyes stops time. All at once, every nerve in my body is straining to be closer to him.
He nods, his eyes moving to my lips. “Sure.” His voice sounds rough, deeper than usual.
I’m transfixed by his mouth - remembering the softness of his lips, the way they felt against mine. Wondering what it would feel like if the kiss was for real.
His hand tugs gently at the bottom of my shirt and he bends down, his lips hovering inches from mine. Hesitating.
My breath catches in my throat. Oh God, please. I lean closer.
“Cody, didn’t you hear me call--”
The door to the house opens and with a gasp, we fly apart. Too late.
Cody’s mom stands in the doorway looking, if not stunned, then really, really surprised. “Oh,” she says, looking back and forth between Cody and me, a grin slowly forming.
I’m mortified, my face on fire, but Cody, as laid back as ever, just smiles. “Hey, mom.”
“Hi Caitlyn,” she says to me before shifting her eyes back to Cody. “I didn’t realize you were here.”
And that's that! Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you ckeck out all the other writers that are participating! Happy New Year!
Here's my almost kiss scene, from my WIP #1:
I don’t know how long I cry before my breathing finally returns to normal. When I’m calm again, he rubs my back but doesn’t let go. It’s like we both become aware of how close we’re standing at the same time. His chest pressed against mine. His hands under my jacket, in the small of my back. My heartbeat speeds up when his breathing turns shallow. I lean back just far enough to tilt my head and peer up at him.
“Thanks.” My voice is barely a whisper.
The look in his eyes stops time. All at once, every nerve in my body is straining to be closer to him.
He nods, his eyes moving to my lips. “Sure.” His voice sounds rough, deeper than usual.
I’m transfixed by his mouth - remembering the softness of his lips, the way they felt against mine. Wondering what it would feel like if the kiss was for real.
His hand tugs gently at the bottom of my shirt and he bends down, his lips hovering inches from mine. Hesitating.
My breath catches in my throat. Oh God, please. I lean closer.
“Cody, didn’t you hear me call--”
The door to the house opens and with a gasp, we fly apart. Too late.
Cody’s mom stands in the doorway looking, if not stunned, then really, really surprised. “Oh,” she says, looking back and forth between Cody and me, a grin slowly forming.
I’m mortified, my face on fire, but Cody, as laid back as ever, just smiles. “Hey, mom.”
“Hi Caitlyn,” she says to me before shifting her eyes back to Cody. “I didn’t realize you were here.”
And that's that! Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you ckeck out all the other writers that are participating! Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Teaser Tuesday
I haven't done a teaser in a while, so here's one that I used for Kiersten White's Giveaway last week. It's from my WIP Sleeper. Hope you like it!
I sneak down to my dad’s office and search the web for things like “sudden development of martial arts skills” and “strange dreams”.
According to 99% of the internet I’m a vampire slayer and Buffy is dead. I’m pretty sure that as crazy as things are right now, they’re not vampire-and-demon-crazy.
Mr. White was doing just fine in the sunlight before I knocked him out.
I sneak down to my dad’s office and search the web for things like “sudden development of martial arts skills” and “strange dreams”.
According to 99% of the internet I’m a vampire slayer and Buffy is dead. I’m pretty sure that as crazy as things are right now, they’re not vampire-and-demon-crazy.
Mr. White was doing just fine in the sunlight before I knocked him out.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Teaser Tuesday
Here's a teaser from my other WIP (currently on hold for NaNo) Sleeper.
"Even all pissed off that he had to talk to losers like Cody and me, he was still really hot. I kind of hated him for that."
I like this line a lot. I think it sums up my MC's personality really well.
"Even all pissed off that he had to talk to losers like Cody and me, he was still really hot. I kind of hated him for that."
I like this line a lot. I think it sums up my MC's personality really well.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Bringing on the Heartache
I'm about to bring on the heartbreak for my main character. Is it wrong that I am sort of insanely excited about this? And of course, I'm also feeling guilty.
I used to read writer's blogs when they would talk about how bad they felt about putting their characters through trials and tribulations as if they were real people and I would wonder what that must be like, to think of them that way. When writing screenplays, so much of a character's inner monologue is left out, and it's such a tiny snapshot of their lives, that I never really felt as connected to the characters as I do with the characters in my novel. I think writing in first person has something to do with it too. At any rate, poor Caitlyn has already gone through some pretty life-shattering events and is questioning who she is and all that good stuff. But recently, she just had something really awesome happen, something that has given her hope, and I am about to rip that hope right out from under her and leave her with practically nothing. I'm so mean.
It's a scary feeling. I'm moving right into the middle of my book. The thing I fear more than anything, even spiders! I'm at that point where even though I've plotted out some basic signposts to reach, I have no real idea what paths I'm going to take to each of them. It feels like my story is about to spin out of control and all I can do is follow along behind and hope for the best. As a serious control freak, this is the thing I hate and love most about writing. It's like going skydiving. It always feels like a risk, and I don't know if my parachute will open up and save me or not. Looks like I'm bringing on the heartache for myself too!
I used to read writer's blogs when they would talk about how bad they felt about putting their characters through trials and tribulations as if they were real people and I would wonder what that must be like, to think of them that way. When writing screenplays, so much of a character's inner monologue is left out, and it's such a tiny snapshot of their lives, that I never really felt as connected to the characters as I do with the characters in my novel. I think writing in first person has something to do with it too. At any rate, poor Caitlyn has already gone through some pretty life-shattering events and is questioning who she is and all that good stuff. But recently, she just had something really awesome happen, something that has given her hope, and I am about to rip that hope right out from under her and leave her with practically nothing. I'm so mean.
It's a scary feeling. I'm moving right into the middle of my book. The thing I fear more than anything, even spiders! I'm at that point where even though I've plotted out some basic signposts to reach, I have no real idea what paths I'm going to take to each of them. It feels like my story is about to spin out of control and all I can do is follow along behind and hope for the best. As a serious control freak, this is the thing I hate and love most about writing. It's like going skydiving. It always feels like a risk, and I don't know if my parachute will open up and save me or not. Looks like I'm bringing on the heartache for myself too!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Finally!
So I'm finally getting around to starting a writing blog. I have been meaning to forever, but every time I log into blogger I end up reading all the blogs I follow and then it's time for me to get back to writing. Hopefully this blog will follow my journey from completing my first YA novel, through the whole submitting to agents process, and all the way to publication because what's the point if you don't have goals, right? I'll also be reviewing books from time to time.
A little about me. I'm a filmmaker. I have written and directed my own screenplays and even won a few awards. I also direct and edit music videos. I have always loved to write, and was actually a Creative Writing major in college before I decided to pursue the film industry and graduated from film school instead. I figured one day I would write a novel, (one day far in the future) but in the past year, my love for YA has been rekindled and suddenly my mind was filled with the kind of ideas that would work much better in books than movies. So here I am. I have been so amazed by the community of YA writers, it's so welcoming and supportive and have made me feel like writing a book is something I can really do.
What I'm writing - my current work in progress, Sleeper, is best described as My So-Called Life meets The Bourne Identity. Yes, really! I guess you could call it something like a YA Contemporary Sci-Fi Thriller or Urban Fantasy. I'm just about 20,000 words in, and am hoping to finish the first draft by the end of August. I also have an untitled YA Paranormal Romance in the works. I'm 10,000 words into that one but I put it on the backburner when the idea for Sleeper popped into my head.
Anyway, that's it for my first post. Whew! That was easier than I thought!
A little about me. I'm a filmmaker. I have written and directed my own screenplays and even won a few awards. I also direct and edit music videos. I have always loved to write, and was actually a Creative Writing major in college before I decided to pursue the film industry and graduated from film school instead. I figured one day I would write a novel, (one day far in the future) but in the past year, my love for YA has been rekindled and suddenly my mind was filled with the kind of ideas that would work much better in books than movies. So here I am. I have been so amazed by the community of YA writers, it's so welcoming and supportive and have made me feel like writing a book is something I can really do.
What I'm writing - my current work in progress, Sleeper, is best described as My So-Called Life meets The Bourne Identity. Yes, really! I guess you could call it something like a YA Contemporary Sci-Fi Thriller or Urban Fantasy. I'm just about 20,000 words in, and am hoping to finish the first draft by the end of August. I also have an untitled YA Paranormal Romance in the works. I'm 10,000 words into that one but I put it on the backburner when the idea for Sleeper popped into my head.
Anyway, that's it for my first post. Whew! That was easier than I thought!
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