Today, Yesterday, Tomorrow

TODAY is a Thursday.
YESTERDAY wasn't.
TOMORROW will be Friday. I'm kind of excited.
TODAY I'll be reading.
YESTERDAY I didn't.
TOMORROW I won't be either because I have some writing to do for myself.
TODAY feels amazing.
YESTERDAY was alright.
TOMORROW holds the possibility of being even better than the day that came before it.
TODAY hasn't ended yet.
YESTERDAY has.
TOMORROW hasn't come. I feel like it's avoiding me.
TODAY hasn't been so productive yet.
YESTERDAY wasn't productive at all.
TOMORROW can be whatever I want it to be, but sometimes I wonder if I rely on it being there too much.
TODAY I've been listening to music.
YESTERDAY I hung out with a friend.
TOMORROW promises me nothing except maybes and mysteries.
TODAY is mine.
YESTERDAY was too.
TOMORROW is someones, but isn't guaranteed for us all.
TODAY is like a game of roulette.
YESTERDAY I must have lucked out.
but TOMORROW isn't in the cards for all of us.

Live right today. Love your yesterdays. Long for tomorrow. And do so in order.
Deserae McGlothen
P.S. John 3:16

Oooookay...

Online ettiquette... It's a serious thing.

I know it's stupid to think about sometimes, but seriously, how you present yourself online determines how people on the internet see you. Sounds obvious, right? Well, it should be. But sometimes, people don't realize how rude they sound when they say certain things. When you're typing up an opinion, a review, or just a comment, remember that your words are just coming out in black and white. They're representing you without a smile or personality or anything. They're just there. And you're just waiting to see if they've been interpreted correctly or not.

I think maturity helps. When we can acknowledge our faults and shortcomings, it's easier to have a more gentle online persona. But when we don't... when we think that we are coming off as perfect 100% of the time... we're losing sight of the fact that what we've lost a huge percentage of what we meant to say in translation. What we type isn't always what we mean or how we mean it. It is what it is, and we have to pray it depicts the person we want depicted.

I'm pretty secure in my online persona. I think I've got enough of me in it to say that this is really who I am, but I've also left a lot of me out of it so that it remains professional on some level. Yeah. The person typing this is grumpy, frequently moody, and almost always hungry. But I refuse to let the really bad parts of me online because who cares what I'm like when I'm in a bad mood? You want to know what I'm like when I'm sane.

Sometimes, I don't even know who "you" are. Heck, a lot of the time I don't know who "you" are. And that's okay. Because my online persona doesn't care. She just wants to converse and speak her mind and get to know your online persona. But I've got to tell you, some people have really mean online personas, and it's like they can't even see how ugly they are. How do you tell someone, "You're rude," without flat-out saying it? How do you gently give them the nudge-nudge so they know to quit being so much of themselves long enough for you to enjoy their online presence?

It's something I'm struggling with today because some people are vicious. They don't even know who I am and they're vicious. They can't seem to see themselves, but they're vicious! And I, admit, I almost let it get to me, today, but you know what? I'm not vicious. Not in my real-life and not on the internet.

Why should I waste my time bringing someone I don't know down? Why would I try to hurt someone who isn't going to be in my life when I log off? Why would I attack someone who has lived and will live the rest of their lives without ever seeing my face? I wouldn't. I won't. And I never ever have.

But some people do. Some people will continue doing this until they figure out what's hardening their hearts. Because the only reason they're coming after me is because they haven't found "them" yet. And I can't be mad at people who are so confused within themselves that they don't know how to escape their own hardness.

I'm bigger than that, and I hope you'll be too. Make a pledge to be kind to someone online this week!

With love,
Deserae McGlothen

Gotta Be In It to Win It

The truth about contests, as in Life or anything else you want to succeed in, is that you've got to be in it to win it. Yeah, I mean that figuratively in the "if you want something badly enough, it'll come to you!" way, but, really, what I'm want you to get away from this post is that, you've literally got to put yourself out there if you hope to get what you want.

Have you ever heard the old saying, "ask and ye shall receive?" If you've read the Bible or know anyone whose spiritual, you've probably heard this a lot in your youth. At the core of this philosophy is the thought that, if you really want something, you'll request it. (I'll tell you a story about that in a little bit.) There's nothing wrong with asking. You won't be penalized for commenting, or filling out a form, or querying, or whatever. Because before you asked, you had a 0% chance of getting what you wanted, but as soon as you put yourself out there, you increased your chances of getting a yes by 50%. Of course... depending on what you've asked for, your chances could increase or decrease statistically speaking, but... uh... I'm gonna jump into that story now.

There was some gift giving holiday coming up. I forget if it was Christmas or my birthday to be honest. But there was a book I really wanted and my mom knew I wanted it. She asked me, though, if there was anything else she should "keep her eye on" while she was out, but I (thinking she'd already picked up Charlie Bone Book 5) told her that there wasn't anything else I could think of. You see where this is going, right? I open my gifts to find said book missing from my loot pile. I was disappointed, sure, but my mom just said, "Well you didn't ask!" as if that was an excuse for not getting the book I was really looking forward to reading.

I've been having a lot of luck lately with contests and things, but it's because I put a lot of faith in the "ask and ye shall receive" mantra. God handles the things that need to be handled for me; and all I have to do is ask him to.

Toodles,
Deserae McGlothen

On Morals and Consequence

Welcome to July, everyone. I hope the year has treated you well thus far. I've been away from the blogosphere for a while now, so I've been catching up on my "reading" and came across this post by a gal who is wise beyond her years (even though she won't admit it). The thing is, it's got me thinking about YA and where I fit into it. And if I have the guts to write for that audience. And whether or not writing for that audience is really about guts at all.

You see, I'm a Christian. I love the Lord and follow the commandments of his Word. So it's true that a lot of the times, my own beliefs and values--- my own morals and my own view of the world--- comes into and effects my writing. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing. In fact, I think that if you're going to be a writer, it's probably because you A.) have a story to tell, or B.) have an opinion/ view of the world to share. My perspective is unique and therefore isn't a bad thing to want to share, but... do you ever notice the people who have an opinion and are, like, adamantly and passionately intent on you sharing it with them?

The post kind of touched on the fact that, on the one hand, YA aims not to be preachy. It wants to reach as wide of an audience as it possibly can. It doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. It wants to make everyone happy. But, on the other hand, most YA comes with the hidden message that, if you do bad things, there will be bad consequences. And I admit it--- a lot of the time when you're reading YA, you come across these things that sound like your mother. "Don't have sex or you'll get pregnant!" "Don't do drugs or you'll overdose!" "Don't drink alcohol or you'll get in a car accident!" "Wash your hands or you'll die of malaria!"

Here's the thing: I don't believe in sex, drugs, and rock and roll as a lifestyle choice. I have never tolerated the "it's just one time!" approach, or the "live every day like it's your last!" method. I'm never going to write about unprotected sex or getting high "wid da homies." I can't. Partly because I wouldn't know what it was like, but also because, yeah, I have these moralistic ideas that prevent me from wanting to write about it. But let's say I did write about those things. Do you honestly think that just because my characters want to have sex, get high, and die in car crashes, that I, personally, am endorsing those things?
Heck to the freaking no.

And double heck no.

Just because an author writes about these things, doesn't necessarily mean they think you should go out and do them. When a writer is good, their characters take on lives of their own, and it's then that they start making their own choices and shaping their own existence in a fictional world. Personally, the reason I think most authors bring "bad ends" to characters who do these things is because the people who publish the books are afraid that readers are going to get the idea that an author is saying it's A-okay to do X, Y, and Z. The truth, though, is that, when an author can acknowledge that not all actions have (as Vee says) an "explosive" consequence, they're just writing the truth. The truth is, the truth can be rough for people with a moralistic way of thinking, but those people (the ones like me) don't have to pick up the books that talk about the things they are uncomfortable with.

 Opinions can be dangerous and that's why there are people out there who hate dishing out advice. But for the open-minded person, I'd like to present you with an opinion. It is my belief that the only way to write YA is to write the truth. The truth about unprotected sex is that sometimes it leads to pregnancy, and sometimes it doesn't. The truth about sex, in general, is that some people are having it and some people aren't. The truth about drugs is that some people do them and some people don't. The truth about doing them is that most times it ends in addiction, and sometimes, it doesn't. If you can write about the truth, then you're ready to write about young adults. But if you can't handle the truth, you're better suited for younger readers who have stories to tell, too, without all the craziness of reality clouding the air around them.

If you can handle it, then congratulations! You've entered the Wrilight Zone. Do with your stories what you will, because, the awesome thing about writing is this: we don't all have to write the same stories. Some will be serious, others entertaining. Some will preach and others will mock. Some will contain violence and others will be about peace, love, and other drugs. You don't have to have thick skin to write for the big kids. You just have to write a story worth telling, and, since that's the hardest part, I suggest putting your energy into that side of the process now, and all these other sheningans after you've got your polished, ready-to-go manuscript waiting for a chance to see the sun.

Whew! Glad that's settled,
Deserae McGlothen

P.S. "I give my readers what I can. Instead of offering all the right answers, I offer, I hope, all the right questions." -Vahini Naidoo

P.P.S. Go read that post!

Maybe, Baby

There's a wonderful word in this world called maybe, and I've learned to embrace it for all that it is.

Maybe is not a no, so when I ask my mom if I can go to an author signing in La Habra and she says, "Maybe," I try not to throw hissy fits anymore or blame her for ruining my life.

Maybe is almost a yes, so when my sister asks if she can borrow my blazer and I tell her, "Maybe," I notice that she smiles and leaves me alone for a while. I always give in despite the fact that everyone tells her she looks great in it, and I haven't gotten compliments on it in two flipping years.

Maybe means thought is being given, so when my teachers start the class with, "Well, maybe..." I can tell they're considering giving us a break. And I find that I'm beyond grateful that they even took the time to consider this. They could have started the class with "Page three hundred and ninety-four," without thought for my feelings or of what I wanted to do. So when I hear maybe, I'm thankful. Very, very thankful.

Maybe is a good thing. It spares you outright rejection. I've been rejected before and it hurts. Maybe, at least, shows you there was something that attracted a person to you in the first place. Maybe means there's something they liked enough to not just walk away, and maybe that's a good thing don't you think?

Maybe's full of hope. Hope for what could be only had a fifty-fifty chance before maybe stepped in. It's opened a whole can of possibilities. Possibilities beget opportunities, and opportunities, as you know, are hard to come by. There's hope in some words, but not so much as there is in a maybe. Maybe that's just a coincidence. But maybe--- maybe it's not.

I have a thought for you. It starts with a "what if." What if you embraced maybe for all that it is? Maybe it'll help you take pride in yourself, your writing, and the maybes you come by on a daily basis. Here's another: what if you started to appreciate them and open yourself up to the possibilities a maybe presents to you? There's something big attached to the whole "positive thinking" thing. The cards are in your favor so long as you remember you've already turned the tide. Maybe you should try it. Tell me how believing in the power of the "maybe" works out for you.

:)
~Deserae McGlothen

Food for Thought: The Anatomy of Your Book

I spend a lot of my time on inkpop doing two things: reading and writing. Most of the first comes from projects sent to me in my inbox; most of the latter comes from critques I give on how to improve them. But sometimes I have something on my mind that I'd like to share, and today's topic is "how to make your book come alive," which, I hope, won't bore you too much.

The best way to do this, I think, is to think of your book as a person, and to build it like we are built. I admit, I'm chock-full of analogies and metaphors, but among them, this extended one seems to make the most sense to me and--- if you are able to bear with me from beginning to end, head to toe--- I think you'll see what I mean and learn something about the difference between books on the shelves and books on our computer screens.

I'm going to post each individual "body part" as a separate comment just to break things up; as with the human body, there are several components to your novel. And yes, I said "novel" because I think essays, poems, and short stories follow different rhythmic patterns and structures and would be better thought of in a different light than the one I'm going to shine, BUT there's something to this for every writer regardless. I do hope if you have thoughts on this, you'll share them with me, and I hope that for some who are looking for the "how to write a book" answer, this will put things in perspective so you can understand what I personally thinks makes a good one.

Here we go,
~sommerset

***NOTES:
--- This is an analogy/ extended metaphor SO I'm going to say things like "person" or "body" to refer to your book and sometimes, since I'm long-winded and a rambleholic, I'll talk about your book eating, praying, or whatevering. Bear with me; if I lose you, let me know.

CONCEPT: The Skeleton
I'm always referring to concept as the backbone on which the rest of your story will stand. That idea you have?... That whisper that sparks your need to recount a tale?... THAT is the bare bone of your story. It cannot stand on its own, but the stronger it is, the stronger your book will be. If you're working with a very unique concept, we're more likely to love the flesh you put on your skeleton, but even worn concepts can be strengthened with twists and amazing characters that will help your story stand on its own. There are "fleshier" parts of concept (such as your title and how you sell it), but this general idea--- the RAW idea--- is the foundation, and the more connected we feel to it, the more willing we are to give your project a look-see.
CONTENT: The Flesh There are several aspects of content, but here, I'll talk briefly of the gist of this portion. Content is, obviously, a very wide scope--- it's ALL the things that go into your book! It's the "meat" of your story--- the muscle, the skin, the everything your "person" wears--- for the most part, it's everything! And it's hard to get completely right in all areas the first go around. One thing, though, is that your ''person" can work out--- it can tone it's muscles (characters), get plastic surgery to tighten up its skin (subplots)... there's always room for improvement and with editing, that improvement can be made!!! I'll talk about each individual aspect, but there's the flesh that keeps your skeleton from going flabby; and, Loves, it can always get better.

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT & RELATIONSHIPS: The Muscles and The Nervous System Character development and the relationships between those characters are two very different bodily functions for your book. When an author can understand and hone EACH of these, their story is much more life-like. Here's the thing:

---Character development is about each individual character INCLUDING the ones who aren't the MC. Each character is it's own muscle; your MC is the heart. Of course, you want the strongest heart you can possibly create, BUT you need your other muscles to be strong, too, so that your "person" can walk around, reach out to more than one person, and interact with its audience. Your side characters are as important--if not more important--- to develop as your MC because they will be the ones influencing your main character's decisions, motives, thoughts, circumstances, and life on an external stand-point. If your side characters are not well-formed, and if they don't have wants, desires, flaws, quirks, or goals, then don't make them important... don't rely on them to be the leg-muscles of your story. Make them a nexk muscle or better yet a toe muscle so that they can be as stiff and one-sided as they want to be without having too much influence on your book as a whole. Individual character is really important and must be done with care.

---Relationships, though, may be more important, since HOW characters interact is like the nervous system of your book. If you have a great nervous system, then your characters will move realistically and some may be able to think for themselves (your MC, for example, should ALWAYS tell you what they should do. He is the heart, you know). However, if the relationships you form between your characters aren't solid or well executed, your "person" is going to start spazzing and those of us looking at it are going to stare and say, "what the heck?" Good, realistic relationships beget good, realistic movement and dialogue--- two very important parts of content.

CHARACTER MOVEMENT: The Hands and Feet (fingers and toes...) Character movement is important because, without it, your characters just sit all day in the same little room or on that same park bench with nowhere to look forward to going. They need to move around, dance, skip school, high-five, slap that girl's butt, wave their hands in the air, take a walk, woot! woot!, have a jog, step into the other room, sneak out, go to a party, drive around, swim, jump off a cliff, get on a plane--- GO SOMEWHERE/ DO SOMETHING. If not, they are robots. In stories, we don't like robots (because they're always trying to take over the world!). When you add movement, make the characters do what they do according to what they are like. Movement is not just going from place to place (feet); it's also action and reaction (hands). Move your "body"--- you know you want to.

SUBPLOTS: The Skin
Now you've got some muscle and a skelton, but you're not quite human, yet. We don't go around in life with a single problem, wait a few days until it's solved, and then say "the end." There is more to life than one big problem and having those minor bumps in the road gives your story some definite features. Through subplots, your person obtains a complexion (story tone), they mature, but get acne (conflict) along the way, and most importantly, you achieve "REAL"--- that, my friends, is what makes your book human. Your subplots, though, only are the manifestations of your central plot and all of the stuff you've already built off of. If your central plot and foundation is no good, the skin is going to sag and wrinkle, and ew! Who cares about the subplots, then? Let your subplots be enhancers of the story instead of the story itself.

MAIN PLOT: The stomach.
Here's the thing: your "person" can't live without its stomach. Without it, it can't eat, and if it can't eat, it won't live. No one wants to read a book without a point. Make a point and draw off of it, and don't take to long to introduce it to us. Does this mean you should hurry up and get to the nitty-gritty? No... as a writer, you should take your time and only add things in when you think the book is ready to reveal them to us. But, eventually, your "person" is going to get hungry, and if you're at around 10,000 words and your book doesn't have a point, feed us your plot before your book dies of starvation.

TITLE and/or YOUR COVER: The Face Let's be honest: we are a lustful people. And when I see a pretty face, I can't help but smile or say hi. Same thing when it comes to your book. You want to grab our attention IMMEDIATELY so we pick it up and read the book jacket, right? Give your "person" a great name (title) or a pretty face (cover)--- make it stand out--- and I'm 99.9% sure that someone will give the first chapter a look.

DIALOGUE: The underwear
Temporarily, this is going to sound dumb, but I think you'll understand this. Without dialogue, your story would be naked BUT there are rare and sometimes necessary occasions when a project can go without much or any of it. Dialogue can't be your full out ensemble, then, because if it were, it'd be completely necessary. But without good, realistic dialogue, your "person" is going to get a rash. Trust me--- dialogue is a GOOD thing. It can only enhance your story! It's like wearing a wonderbra, Ladies, or your lucky boxers, Gents. It's full of support, humor, memorable moments, and goodness--- if you use it well, your "person" will look and feel its best. Now DIALECT is like fancy lingere--- when you can use dialect, ooooo!!! I LOVE stories full of it. It makes it more believable, more humorous... I love dialect... what can I say?

PERSPECTIVE: The Accessories, or The Joints, or The Appendix The truth about perspective is that it's in every story, but it's an underlying element that some people don't pay attention to. There are different elements of perspective (the angle, the view, the time frame covered and, sometimes, tense and voice/narration), but on top of that, there are different STAGES of perspective.

---For the author who just picks one:
Perspective is like accessories. You know your person needs them, but you're not exactly being too deep about it. Perspective isn't some big thing to you if you treat it like the accessories, but at least you're acknowledging that it will enhance your story, at least a little bit, if you use it.

---For the author who uses it to connect with the reader:
Perspective is like the joints of your story. Your a deeper writer because you're connecting perspective to your concept. It's supposed to reach out to a specific someone--- you're being choicy about it because you're trying to make a specific point. This is good--- this is what we aim for.

---For the author who uses it as the base of the story:
Perspective is like the appendix. You know that, if executed properly, it will enhance your story and help get rid of toxic waste; if not, it will be the death of your story and it's best to go back to square one. This outlook is for "artists" I'll say, because it's difficult to hone and build a story off of perspective and perspective alone. But it's possible--- I've seen it done. And it works out beautifully if done correctly.

VOICE/NARRATION: The Personality
Voice is super important. UBER-dy-DUPER important. Because it makes us decide if we like your book or not. Can we get along with the Moaning Myrtle? Or can we put up with the super-fast paced scene? We all have different tastes and can relate to different stories, but it's usually the VOICE we can connect with. It's the personality of your book--- the charisma. It's what makes us feel empathetic for the characters and what makes us remember a story as powerful or weak. Some "people" have more aggressive personalities--- others have eccentric ones--- but the way you tell your story is how you want us to know it. If it has amazing charisma, or a personality we can relate to, we'll love, love, love it.

WORLD BUILDING: The Eyes
Stories are best when we are able to see the world as if through the character's eyes. If you can see the world your character is in and put it down on paper, then your story has that much more depth and meaning to us as the reader. We're there. We can see it. And you know that goose-bump feeling you get when you're really close to someone and can see your own reflection in their eyes?... that's what you're aiming for when you create your setting, choose your era, and SHOW US YOUR WORLD. Backstory falls under this category. When you can weave in history--- when it's evident that before this story starts, these characters had lives that may sometimes interfere with their present--- you know you've created a whole new world. It's hard to create those "show me eyes", but when you edit, and edit, and edit, and finally get there, your story has achieved seven different kinds of awesome.

GENRE: The Clothes Your "person" wouldn't be complete if it didn't have a scene. Let's be honest... again: there are only so many types of people in the world. What makes us different is WHO we are, but I know I fall under the "geek" scene at school, and my best friend falls under the "super band geek" one. I'm a step up--- woo-hoo! But that doesn't change the fact that I love who she is because her category doesn't make her--- it just helped me find her a little easier.

So genre is the clothes your "person" wears. Do they wear all black and listen to death metal? You may have a dark, paranoramal thriller on your hands. Is your person wearing bright colors and her boyfriend's jacket? Congrats! You're in the YA romance novel section! Here, your genres are limited, but you can pretty much find a very specific category for your "person" or you can dress them loosely and let them flow amidst several genres. It's up to where your book ends. If you're curious about specific genres, you can follow this link to try to place your book with others already on the shelves.

P.S. THE AUTHOR: The Brain 'Tis true... no story would be complete if YOU didn't write it. The brain controls the body as you control your story. I'd like to think that we authors ARE connected to our stories in such a deep way. And, honestly, you're at the heart of your book anyway. You're the mind behind the madness. You're really important to your book, Loves; just know you aren't the only element of it.

Gosh, I hope this helps. And geewhiz... I hope I didn't bore you too much. For specific examples you can find this same speel with examples here.