Thank you for stopping by for this week’s Writing Process Blog Tour!

This is a travelling blog tour that pops up every Monday for writers to share a little about what, how and why they write. If you’re a writer, I hope it cheers you on on your journey — and if you’re not, hopefully it will give you some little insight into the lives of the people who create the stories you love.

Thanks so much to the wonderful Anna Tan for inviting me to participate. Anna and I met in the wilds of Twitter when it was still shiny and new. She’s incredibly supportive of the writing community and with each passing year, I admire this woman more. She dabbles in a broad spectrum of writing, including poems, scripts, novels, and flash fiction. I am always in awe of anyone who tackles flash fiction and short stories — mainly because I’ve never written a short story that didn’t want to stretch into a novel. I encourage you to drop by her blog and check out her writing process.

Now on to the questions.

What am I working on?

Right at the moment I’m working on editing some projects for mates at Gandolfo Helin Literary. It has been a great learning experience and has helped me to get to know some of my agency mates better in a short period of time. I can’t really talk about what the projects are, only that once they’re out, you’re going to love them.

In addition to the edits, I’m prepping to work on my next novel, which will be a stand-alone, upper YA, that goes darker places than my current works. The idea came to me in 2010 as I was driving to work. The sun was shining on the palm trees as I drove down the backside of Disneyland, and I was enjoying the cool of the morning, when BAM! I had this idea in my head so strongly I nearly pulled over to catch my breath. So I’ve been living with this idea for four years, mulling over aspects of it while working on other things, getting flashes of scenes here and there, and I’m beyond excited to know I will finally have a chance to test my mettle as a writer and get this one down on the page. My goal is to start drafting sometime in June.

How does my work differ from others in its genre?

I primarily write for the younger side of YA and the older side of Middle Grade, (the new book I just mentioned being an exception to this), while the bulk of YA is targeted at slightly older readers, so that is one difference. I also have a distinctive writing style, which makes it easy for readers to “see” what’s going on in the story, and helps them connect on an emotional level to the characters.

I’ll hear writers talk about their works in progress and whether they are plotters (making sure they have an outline to work from, character sketches, etc.) or pansters (start writing and see where the story takes them) they will mention something about making their character(s) do something. I can’t make my characters do anything. If we argue about it, I lose. Every. Time. You see, the characters come to me and tell me their story, and while sometimes I have to pull it out of them, I don’t “make” them do anything. My role is that of scribe. I listen to what they say, and my job is to transcribe everything and get it all cleaned up to show their story in the truest form I possibly can.

Why do I write what I do?

This question made me smile because I can recall having a conversation on Twitter where a friend pushed me to say why I write. We had been discussing reasons why certain books grabbed readers attention and I mentioned that I just wrote the stories that came to me. As the author, I’m way too close to the story and have a difficult time seeing the outward reaching value of my work. The work is so intensely personal to me, and when anything is personal, I dive inward. But when pushed on it, I went off on a rant at 140 characters at a time to say exactly why I write what I do. The stories come to me for a reason. Of that I am certain. They are meant to reach kids (and adults) and have them connect with my characters. The circumstances may not be the same, but the readers can connect to the emotions and feelings of my characters and realize they are not alone in this crazy, mixed-up world. I write for the age group I do, because they are trying to figure out who they are, who they want to be, and are faced with having to leave childhood behind and begin stepping into adulthood. It’s a time when most kids have confusion, feel unloved, like they are so incredibly different and not normal, and they so desperately want to fit in, to be one of the group. Even those who are at the center of the “group” have doubts, insecurities, and overwhelming emotions. My books are written to say – “Hey, you’re not alone.” And sometimes, that’s all they need to know. That someone else has experienced the same feelings they have … and made it through. I write because my characters need a voice. I write because I have to.

How does my writing process work?

Different. Every. Time. With each and every book my writing process has been different. Up until writing the fourth book in a series, I could say that if nothing else, I started at the beginning wrote to the end, then stopped. However, writing the fourth book, I started with scenes that are at the end of the book, as well as one scene that has been pushed into book five, and I wrote significant chunks out of order. I used to say I always write with a loose outline — which I normally do, but then hit a Middle Grade where I didn’t use one — couldn’t use one.

The characters come to me, tell me their story. I generally jot down some notes, figure out how the timeline runs, and then start writing. Even when I outline prior to starting, the outline is then tucked away, and I let the story take its course with the characters leading me the entire way. My job is to crawl inside the heads of my characters and share their experience on the page. In essence, my writing process is sitting my butt in a chair and keeping it there until I’m done. Then I put the manuscript away for a few weeks while working on other things (I always have other projects to work on.) Then I take it out, read it through and see what kind of book I have. I tend to be a bare bones drafter, getting down only the essentials, and then afterward go back and add some of the descriptive passages, giving setting, making the story more full-flavored. Then the fun begins.

Once I’m through massaging some of the passages and building up sections that need it, I run my manuscript through an editing software and create a spreadsheet to edit by. I call it the evil spreadsheet because it points out everything — evil. But because it helps me to see things I otherwise would not, I love it as well. I also highlight all known repetitive words because the highlights help me see where I need to restructure sentences. Once I get through the “technical” edits, I read the story aloud for pace and flow. (If you don’t do this, it is probably my number one suggestion to help you catch things that need fixing.) After that round, I start from the back and read it backwards paragraph by paragraph. It helps you focus on the sentence level out of context, so your familiarity with the story hinders you less. And finally, I put it on my Kindle and have the robotic voice read it to me. I’m always amazed at what I catch this way. Then the manuscript is ready to be sent to a trusted critique partner for her to slash it up for me, and then beta readers for feedback. Then after dealing with the feedback, I feel like I have accomplished the goal of writing a book.

Thanks so much for stopping by, it’s been fun. Don’t forget to stop by these two good friends of mine next week, to hear about their writing process.

Eisley Jacobs and I met on Twitter, and then I had the lovely privilege of meeting her in person at Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers (RMFW) Colorado Gold Conference in Denver, and have managed to see her smiling face a few times since then – whenever we can get together. The first thing I think about when thinking about Eisley is her tremendous spirit. She has a passion and enthusiasm for projects which amazes me. She conceives of the idea and then she’s doing it. I remember her tweeting about her heart being drawn to Ethiopia, and a couple months later she was on a plane with a mission group to help the Ethiopian people. She has a tremendous heart, and in her writing you find the same passion, enthusiasm, and heart.

Monica Enderle Pierce and I met on Twitter via the #wipfire hashtag, which has sadly faded away. We used it to post lines from our current projects and critique each others work — the writing community coming together to help one another. It was truly a wonderful thing. I became captivated by Monica’s writing ability through the snippets posted during our wipfire sessions, and we since then have become very good friends. A few years ago, I took a driving vacation and hunted Monica down to spend a wonderful weekend chatting, wandering around taking in nature, and writing, of course. And have been back to see her when I was in town for the Story Chairs opening. Blessed with a sharp wit, and an incredible writing talent, Monica weaves a story to keep readers turning the pages.

The post Writing Process Blog Tour appeared first on Be the Cat.

Now it’s time to announce the winners of the prizes along with the winner of the grand prize, the Kindle Fire.

• December 1st Winner: Michelle S. – Griffie World is where it started. Swag: A paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with Can’t Catch Me and Other Twice-Told Tales by Michael Cadnum.
• December 2nd Winner: Fiery Na – The Global Citizen – home on the web to Juliette Terzieff The winner will receive a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with Prince of Wolves by Dave Gross
• December 3rd Winner: Tanya – We’ll unravel secrets with Heather McCorkle The winner will receive a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with The Secret of Spruce Knoll by Heather McCorkle
• December 4th Winner: Daria – Fly on over to Eisley Jacobs’ site where the winner will receive a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with Born to Be a Dragon by Eisley Jacobs
• December 5th Winner: Shannon – We’ll open the door to a new world with Christine Fonseca and the winner will take away a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans
• December 6th Winner: Ellie – We’ll be hanging out with Julia Swank, the YA Book Diva and giving away a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with a copy of her mama’s book Here by Denise Grover Swank
• December 7th Winner: Maddy – Get ready for the snark with the Snarktastic Ramblings of Rhonda Cowsert and winner walks away with a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with The Hammer by K. J. Parker AND an ARC of Tattered.
• December 8th Winner: Iona -Head out for the party that is Katelyn Torrey’s blog. Put on your dancing shoes, and the winner waltzed away with a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with The Stoneholding by James G. Anderson and Mark Sebanc AND an ARC of Tattered.
• December 9th Winner: Racheal – Find out if Molly Hacker is Too Picky! with Lisette Brodey and the winner picks up a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with Squalor, New Mexico by Lisette Brodey AND an ARC of Tattered.
• December 10th Winner: Gabi – Check out a review or two on the LL Book Review. Winner receives a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with Mayan December by Brenda Cooper AND an ARC of Tattered.
• December 11th Winner: Ellechim – Make a difference with Carolina Valdez Miller and get your chance to win a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with The Prophecy of Zephyrus by G. A. Hesse AND an ARC of Tattered.

And now the moment you’ve been waiting for… the winner of the Kindle Fire!

ELLIE M.

Congratulations Ellie!! It was a pleasure to have you on the tour and have you get to know Katie McCabe and the other characters in Tattered!

And for validation, all winners were selected with the help of Random.org. Below is the Kindle Fire selection list.

The post Winners of the Tattered Blog Tour appeared first on Be the Cat.

Everyone is a winner! I’m so happy about the release of Tattered, I’m giving away copies of the first book in the series, Misfit McCabe and everyone can get the ebook version FREE! Here’s how to win:

1. For the daily prizes on each stop on the tour comment on the post of the day to be entered for the daily prize
2. To get a free ebook copy of Misfit McCabe:
• Put together the puzzle and write down the code. Each day will give another part of the coupon code. Please note at the top whether it is for eBook or Print.
• Once you have collected the entire code, go to Smashwords and purchase Misfit McCabe input the code and download whichever ebook version you need for free.
3. To get 50% off the print version of Misfit McCabe:
• Put together the puzzle and write down the code. Each day will give another part of the coupon code. Please note at the top whether it is for eBook or Print.
• Once you have collected the entire code, go to Griffie World Store and purchase Misfit McCabe input the code and receive 50% off the purchase price.
4. To win the KINDLE FIRE
• Support this tour by commenting on each of the daily stops — It’s only 11 days, not even as long as the 12 days of Christmas.
• And since each of the hosts was nice enough to help me promote my new book, honor their request on their post to follow, subscribe, tweet, etc.
• And if you’re under 18 and would like to enter, but don’t have Facebook or Twitter, etc. if you have a friend comment on the posts saying that you sent them, we’ll consider that your entry for the Grand Prize. One friend for each stop (and they can enter too and bring all of their friends to the party).

But enough of that… let’s get down to what this post is about — Tattered!

What do Sunday afternoon court proceedings, cheerleader tryouts, and a book burning have in common? Katie McCabe is back in action.

After her nemesis Harvey is found guilty and sentenced to community service, Katie wants to believe her troubles are over, but Harvey won’t rest until he gets revenge. When blackmail rears its ugly head, she’s caught between friends and enemies putting her growing relationship with Tom at stake. Books go up in flames and Katie’s world rains down in tatters.

Each of the stops along the way will introduce you to the characters you will find in Tattered and Katie is very excited because she will get to do most of the commentary about the people you will meet within the pages. Speaking of which, since today’s puzzle is a picture of Katie, I’d better say a little something about her. Katie is at bottom, a good girl, but she tends to get in a lot of trouble… sometimes through no fault of her own, but usually, she has a hand in it. She is impulsive, has a good sense of humor, is loyal to her friends, and has a good heart. Her main goal? To figure out this thing called life. But you’ll get to know a lot more about her during the tour. Now for the stops:

**Note** All winners must have a US or Canada mailing address — but comments from all countries are welcome.

Tour Stops

• December 1st – You found it… here is where it all starts. Today’s swag: A paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with Can’t Catch Me and Other Twice-Told Tales by Michael Cadnum. For Kindle entry, please Like my Misfit McCabe page on Facebook (link in the sidebar to the right)
• December 2nd – The Global Citizen – home on the web to Juliette Terzieff The daily winner will receive a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with Prince of Wolves by Dave Gross
• December 3rd – We’ll unravel secrets with Heather McCorkle The daily winner will receive a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with The Secret of Spruce Knoll by Heather McCorkle
• December 4th – Fly on over to Eisley Jacobs’ site where the daily winner will receive a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with Born to Be a Dragon by Eisley Jacobs
• December 5th – We’ll open the door to a new world with Christine Fonseca and the winner will take away a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans
• December 6th – We’ll be hanging out with Julia Swank, the YA Book Diva and giving away a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with a copy of her mama’s book Here by Denise Grover Swank
• December 7th – Get ready for the snark with the Snarktastic Ramblings of Rhonda Cowsert and you might walk away with a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with The Hammer by K. J. Parker AND an ARC of Tattered.
• December 8th -Head out for the party that is Katelyn Torrey’s blog. Put on your dancing shoes, comment and waltz away with a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with The Stoneholding by James G. Anderson and Mark Sebanc AND an ARC of Tattered.
• December 9th – Find out if Molly Hacker is Too Picky! with Lisette Brodey and pick up a chance to win a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with Squalor, New Mexico by Lisette Brodey AND an ARC of Tattered.
• December 10th – Check out a review or two on the LL Book Review. Comment to win a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with Mayan December by Brenda Cooper AND an ARC of Tattered.
• December 11th – Make a difference with Carolina Valdez Miller and get your chance to win a paperback copy of Misfit McCabe along with The Prophecy of Zephyrus by G. A. Hesse AND an ARC of Tattered.

If the puzzle does not load correctly, please refresh your browser and it should display correctly.

provided by flash-gear.com

The post Tattered Blog Tour appeared first on Be the Cat.

But wait!!! I can’t have deflated balloons for a winner announcement! *puffs and puffs and puffs* And now the contest winners – we have balloons again!!! If you recall, my giveaways are one signed copy of Misfit McCabe and one signed copy of Nowhere Feels Like Home and a stellar book bag. And now for the winners!

***drum roll please***

The winners are:

Jewelz
Alicia
PamelaJo

Thunderous applause

Thanks to everyone who participated and helped celebrate the happy day of Carolina’s agent representation. And just think what kind of party we’ll have when she hits the best seller lists.

The post And the Party’s Over appeared first on Be the Cat.

.

Happy Agent Representation – Carolina Valdez Miller

Being a writer can be a tough proposition, because along every step of the way you face rejection in multiple forms and most likely multiple times. So, most writers I know love any reason to celebrate, and I’m NO exception. So, because my friend fellow Bling-Babe, Carolina Valdez Miller announced her agent representation today with the fabulous Vickie Motter of Andrea Hurst and Associates Literary Management, join us for the rest of the month in the:

Agent Celebration Mega Giveaway

YOU get to be the winner because Carol is such a sweetheart, her first thought for a celebration was to get a bunch of people involved to give away swag!! How can you beat that? So from today through midnight April 1st (Eastern Time), you have a chance to win one of the fabulous prizes below. The contest winners will be posted on April 4th.

How do you enter? Easy, check out the list of prizes below, click the links (the names) to the site and enter by either filling out a form or posting a comment on the Agent Celebration Mega Giveaway post. And NOW on to the prizes!!

From LK Griffie (Me)

To enter, comment below. Please also click one of the Like buttons in the sidebar

• Winner 1: A signed copy of Misfit McCabe (or ebook) Preview available in the sidebar
• Winner 2: A signed copy of Nowhere Feels Like Home (or ebook) Preview available in the sidebar
• Winner 3: A canvas book bag

Click the picture to view larger version

From Carolina Valdez Miller

• Winner 1: A 1st page critique from agent Vickie Motter!
• Winner 2: A Kindle Wireless Reading Device
• In order to win this one, you will need to follow all the blogs in the giveaway to qualify. **Note** Since this blog does not have the follow buttons, either Like one of the two Facebook pages in the sidebar (or both if you want) or follow @lkgg on Twitter. Please also put a comment on this post so your follow/entry for the Kindle can be confirmed.
• Winner 3: Signed copy of Escaping into the Open: the Art of Writing True by Elizabeth Berg
• Winner 4: Signed Hardback of Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
• Winner 5: Signed Hardback of Passing Strange by Daniel Waters

From Heather’s Odyssey

• Writers Digest Guide To Query Letters

OR

• The Fire In Fiction by Donald Maass

From Critique Sisters Corner

• 2011 Guide To Literary Agents

OR

• Writing The Breakout Novel by Donald Maass

From J. Koyanagi

(You will need to subscribe or follow her RSS feed)
One winner will win:

• WRITING DOWN THE BONES, by Natalie Goldberg

OR

• HOW NOT TO WRITE A NOVEL, by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman

OR

• GIVE ‘EM WHAT THEY WANT: THE RIGHT WAY TO PITCH YOUR NOVEL TO EDITORS AND AGENTS, by Blythe Camenson and Marshall J. Cook

From Simon Larter

One winner will win all three:

• Stephen King’s ON WRITING
• Ray Bradbury’s ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING
• Anne Lamott’s BIRD BY BIRD

From Sara McClung

One winner will win all three:

• A signed copy of THE DARK DIVINE
• A signed copy of RAISED BY WOLVES
• WRITE GREAT FICTION: PLOT AND STRUCTURE

From Lola Sharp

• A $25 Amazon gift card

From Elizabeth Davis

• A $25 Amazon gift card

From Tracey Neithercott

• A Hardcover of Across the Universe

From Kristen Yard

• A Signed copy of PERSONAL DEMONS by Lisa Desrochers

From Christine Fonseca

(You will need to subscribe to her blog):

• 101 Success Secrets for Gifted Kids: The Ultimate Guide

OR

• A partial Critique

From Jonathon Arntson

• A $15 Barnes and Noble gift card

From Eisley Jacobs

• DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth
• HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins
• THE NAME OF THIS BOOK IS SECRET by Pseudonymous Bosch

From Denise Grover Swank

• ANGELFIRE by Courtney Allison Moulton
• ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins
• HEX HALL by Rachel Hawkins
• DEMONGLASS by Rachel Hawkins

The post Blog Party Celebration appeared first on Be the Cat.

There are so many words I could use to describe Eisley Jacobs (@EisleyJacobs) it’s not funny. It’s not a question of just where to start, but how to trim down. I could start with good-hearted, but that doesn’t come close. She is sweet, funny, devout, dedicated, enthusiastic, talented, wise, warm, caring… do you see what I mean? The list could go on and on. It’s even hard to say which of those characteristics (and by no means is that a complete list) I can say I cherish most about her. I was drawn to Eisley online for her optimism and enthusiasm. Always there with support for anyone who is struggling. Unafraid to question, and once an idea hits, she’s off like a rocket to fulfill her dreams. Eisley is currently in Ethiopia helping World Vision help the people of Ethiopia. She went to a church meeting one night, came back and announced she was going, raised the funds, and has been increasing in excitement ever since. I know she is blessing the life of everyone she comes in contact with, and I’m excited to hear her stories upon her return. Eisley sponsors a child in Ethiopia as well, but unfortunately she was unable to meet her this trip. Eisley shows this same enthusiasm for her writing projects, and has three fiction projects in various stages at the moment, one proposal for a non-fiction venture which is still waiting on a response, and the one which makes me smile probably the most; she will shortly launch her middle grade novel, Dragons Forever. Her love of this project has been evident all along the way and I have enjoyed hearing about reader feedback and how it has warmed her heart. I met Eisley at the now legendary RMFW conference, and if possible Eisley is even MORE in person than she is online. A true force of nature and I love and respect this woman more than I can say.

I first met Betty Viola Blue (@bettyviolablue) through the #wipfire hashtag. I have to say I was intrigued by her writing prowess, and that she wrote about demons in heaven and angels in hell helped to pique my interest. As good as she was when I first ran across her writing, Betty’s writing has improved and I have enjoyed watching her evolve as a writer. And I can’t think of too many people I’d rather have looking over my posted lines – her eye is keen, and her advice is always on the mark. I was a little confused at first when Jane Kindred (@JaneKindred) popped up periodically and made a statement I expected from Betty. It turns out Jane is Betty’s alter-ego and writing name, and I think Betty gets a little confused from time to time on which account she’s using. Now I just laugh when that happens. For the remainder of this post, I’ll refer to Jane as Betty because that is how I know her best, and since I met Betty/Jane at the same time in person, it will be easier. Online Betty can be a little quiet, popping in to make a comment, or (what’s even more fun) rant at life, and then will disappear to make the most fabulous baked goods known to man kind. She has half the Twitter population drooling with her descriptions. I first met Betty when I took a much needed, rambling vacation this past summer. Since I would be passing by San Francisco in my rambles, I thought it would be a shame not to meet Betty as I passed through. I am so glad I did. We met at a tea house, which had recently removed a car from its front window, and had a wonderful conversation about writing, editing, chasing the dream, and in general life’s obstacles. Betty is an absolute DOLL!!! When I made the decision to go the the RMFW conference, Betty was one of the first people I thought about cajoling into attending, so I could see her again and spend more time with her. One of my favorite memories from the conference was watching/listening to Betty speak Russian – it still makes me smile. During the conference Betty kept trying to find out whether her dream agent, Sara Megibow, was in attendance. Unfortunately she was not. But it turned out not to matter, because after the conference Betty resubmitted her work to Sara and is now repped by her dream agent. I couldn’t be happier for her. Betty has been working toward this dream relentlessly, and she has the talent that deserves to be recognized. And I for one feel my life is enriched by knowing her and can’t imagine being a writer without her in my life.

The post The People of 2010 – Part VII appeared first on Be the Cat.

1. She had a garage sale and not everything sold so she’s trying to foist her junk off on the unsuspecting?
2. The holidays are around the corner, and the spirit of giving tackled her like a Bear’s linebacker?
3. She’s almost reached 1,500 followers on Twitter and wants to commemorate it?

Ding… ding… ding!! Time’s up. If you guessed answer number 3, you’d be right on the money. Her follower count is climbing higher with each moment and she’s giving away chances to win some great swag.

How do I know? Because (drumroll please) Prize #1 is a signed copy of Misfit McCabe and Prize # 2 is a signed copy of Nowhere Feels Like Home. But there’s tons of other cool stuff too, so hurry right on over to EisleyJacobs.com and check out the prizes and find out how YOU CAN WIN!!

The post Holey Moley – Prizes Galore appeared first on Be the Cat.

I need to start with a very simple statement about my feelings. Revising/editing is the bane of my existence. . . and I – LOVE – EVERY – MINUTE!!!

It’s also something which takes time. I can write the book itself in a relatively short time frame, but will spend MONTHS revising and editing. Every word in every sentence in every paragraph MUST be reviewed and mulled over. And there are days in which I think I will go insane doing it. (No comments necessary from my peanut gallery, please.) BUT the end result is soooo worth the effort.

I think about the writing process as similar to mining. In writing you start with a blank page and either a pen or a computer, and dive in to your imagination trying to find a story line using the flickering light of the glimmering idea to light your way. In mining, you get suited up, ensuring you have the proper equipment; hard hat with light, picks, and something to haul stuff back to the surface. You dig deep to find the raw material, getting excited when you hit a rich vein. You follow the vein until it unexpectedly comes to an end, and then cast about for another vein as rich, which may go even deeper. As you work, you put props along the way to help prevent cave in, and mark the walls so you can find your way back. When you’re done, you know you’ve collected enough, you have a pile of rubble with gems hidden inside. Or with writing, you have your first draft.

But it doesn’t do any good to have collected the raw materials if you don’t do anything with them, so the revision and editing process begins. Dusting off your tools, you pick up a chunk and start chipping away to free the diamond inside. Once you’ve knocked away the crust and have reached the diamond itself, you’re not done by a long stretch. Now you have to figure out how this particular chunk will best present and you pick up your finest tools, and delicately tap away, taking off a shiny bit here and there, removing as many flaws as you can, to ensure the end result shines and refracts the light with brilliance. This is a very painstaking and time consuming process. But without this process, the diamond-in-the-rough remains a lump of coal.

The bottom line is editing and revising is where you give your work a chance to shine – why would you want to bypass or rush it?

The post Revisions and Edits Bear Gems appeared first on Be the Cat.

So Thanks to Eisley Jacobs (@EisleyJacobs) over at Eisley’s Ellipses and Ann Arkie (@annarkie) of Supernatural Smut (isn’t it wonderful that I received this from two such dissimilar authors – the irony of this amuses me). If you have a Twitter account – follow both of these lovely ladies. Okay let’s get this over with. And for those who know me, it should not come as any surprise that I’ll follow some of the rules and bend others.

**An addendum to the above, I have also now been given this award back by Linda Welch (@welch6331) of Linda’s Worlds – apparently she wanted to share the wealth with me. Huh!

***Addendum number 2 – Monica Pierce (@ThePreyers) of Stalking Fiction has also returned the favor. I’m starting to think they didn’t appreciate the gift in the first place. Imagine that! AND I don’t yet see Monica’s award post.

****Addendum to addendum number 2 – The post is now (2/23/10) up at Stalking Fiction, so swing by & take a look. I might have to go into hiding soon, so if you don’t see me for awhile, you’ll know where to start looking.

Here are the rules:

1. Thank the person who gave this to you.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you.
4. Tell up to six outrageous lies about yourself, and at least one outrageous truth.
5. Nominate seven three “Creative Writers” who might have fun coming up with outrageous lies.
6. Post links to the seven three blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know you nominated them.

All righty then. The first three points are done. So here come the rest. Mind you, these may not be much because I don’t have a lot of practice with lies and while I do have several outrageous truths, I share them, so a lot of people know them already.

Which are lies, and wherein lies the truth?

1. Using past life regression therapy, I have discovered that I was once the Queen of Siam – which really explains my disdain for domesticity. I need servants to take care of me.
2. In school, my teachers put me through a battery of IQ tests to determine what level of genius I am then skipped me ahead a grade.
3. I see dead people.
4. My fear of snakes comes from having been chased by a water moccasin
5. There’s a black hole in my brain which is unexplainable by doctors
6. I have a grandmother who rode with the Hell’s Angels
7. I had to give up a career in professional softball due to knee injury

And who am I nominating to be the next victims recipients of this lovely award?

1. Monica Pierce (@ThePreyers) of Stalking Fiction because with her creativity and command of the English language, I can’t wait to see what lies she puts down
2. Linda Welch (@welch6331) of Linda’s Worlds because she has a quick wit and I’m really interested to see what she comes up with after she finishes cursing me for getting her involved
3. Shannon Yarbrough (@slyarbrough) of The Lone Writer because I always appreciate his point of view and I know he’ll be able to spin a tall tale for us.

All three of these folks are well worth a follow on Twitter, so don’t miss out. Now I’m off to leave comments on their blogs, and this award will be complete.

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