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This is the third of three posts focusing on 8 tips for the writing environment. In order to help you do your best writing, you have to know what it is that helps you focus on the writing.

Missed the first post on Location, Essentials, & Time? Find it here.
Missed the second post on Noise and Light? Find it here.

Temperature, Snacks, & Clutter

6. Temperature: Pay attention to the temperature of your writing area. If it is too cold, or you get too hot, you will start thinking about your comfort, which interrupts your writing process. I usually need to cool my writing area down or at least get some air flowing. I’m super sensitive to a stuffy atmosphere, and sweat easily. And trust me, when sweat is dripping in your eyes and stinging the heck out of them, you won’t be accomplishing any word counts. I have been called a polar bear by some (yes, I’m looking at you, Hope Collier) because I’m comfortable at temps where others are thinking about putting on a jacket. But an environment that is too cold is just as bad as one that is too hot. If you’re shivering and blowing on your hands and your toes are so cold you can’t think straight — again your word count suffers. What is the right temperature? The one that feels the best to YOU.

   Do what you need to, to make your environment comfortable. While most of me is hot most of the time, my toes and fingers easily get cold, so I make sure I have something soft and fuzzy for my feet and in the winter, I use fingerless convertible gloves to keep my hands from getting too chilly.

7. Snacks: Do you write better with things to eat close to hand or not? Writers on deadline have notoriously bad eating habits because they are working furiously to get the current task done. So often times healthy eating goes by the wayside to be replaced with junk food like Cheetos, chocolate, chips, candy — sweet and salty items that don’t have to be refrigerated, can be kept on hand by the bagful to allow the butt to stay in the chair long enough to accomplish what needs to be done. A friend of mine, Branli Caidryn, shared the neat little trick of eating cheesy snacks with chopsticks to keep the cheese dust off the fingers and keyboard.

   I am definitely not recommending the above snacks as normal fare. It is much better to keep some healthy snacks on hand, or maybe even better yet, take snack breaks to get up and stretch and get away for a moment to rejuvenate and refresh. I like to write with a big mug of tea to the right of my keyboard, within easy reach, so I don’t have to think about where the mug is, but can just grab it while I am thinking. And in my office, I keep a small refrigerator, a portable kitchen island, and a tea kettle.



Photo: Alamy

8. Clutter: Is your writing area well organized? Some people believe an uncluttered leads to an uncluttered mind, but I have always liked this quote by Albert Einstein: “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?” Some people like to have toys around to help them in the creative process. I like to have a few familiar things around me as a stark writing area for me creates a blank mind rather than an uncluttered one. And while I start with a neat desk, throughout the writing process, more clutter accumulates, and then I purge once again. It’s cyclical. (And no, that is not a picture of my desk.)

By the way, all of the these tips are also good for creating a good environment for doing homework as well.

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This is the second of three posts focusing on 8 tips for the writing environment. In order to help you do your best writing, you have to know what it is that helps you focus on the writing.

Missed the first post on Location, Essentials, & Time? Find it here.

Noise and Light

4. Noise: Noise is definitely a factor. Some people can’t work with noise and some people can’t work without it. I find the noise of television or conversation a distraction and will most times listen to music while drafting and have been known to sing along. What do I listen to? Whatever will make my characters talk to me. I have learned to make it their choice because I get a lot more done that way. Some characters are very specific about what they will work to.

   Melody and Katie are my most finicky about music. Katie loves to listen to Country, Sara Evans is her current fave. And Melody loves Pentatonix and Chase Holfelder, but is much more eclectic in her music tastes, so we’ll see how many different varieties of music and artists the book will take. My crew of Seventh Graders prefer music with no words — which is good because with so many kids all talking at once it is sometimes hard keeping up with their conversations. And Angela likes 70s pop. Whatever will take me into the writing zone as quickly as possible with the characters is what I listen to … always low volume, so as not to distract or clash with the words in my head. After all, I have to hear what the characters are saying above the music, don’t I?

   Oddly enough, one of the sounds I have the most difficult time in blocking out is the hushed tones of a library. The low-level noise keeps me from being able to sink into the manuscript, and pretty soon I’m frustrated and packing up my things. If you do like noise while you work, then play music or have the television on low sound. The last thing you want to do is to distract yourself from what you are working on.

5. Light: Light makes a difference in your concentration factor as well. Do you like the light soft, or bright, or even no light at all? I do the majority of my writing while looking at a computer screen, so my optimum light is a soft, indirect light — if I use any light at all. The mole and I have something in common — a love of the dark.

   Overhead fluorescent lights tend to bother me, so if I am in a place that has those, I turn them off so I am do not get a headache from the glare that they cause. In the workplace, my desk is known as the dark side because I do keep the fluorescents off in order to ease the strain on my eyes and keep me from getting a headache. Others need a great deal of light to keep from causing eye strain or fatigue. Writing outdoors? Is the day sunny enough to require sunglasses? Do you need the sunglasses even on a cloudy day to cut down the glare (answer for me is yes.) Be sensitive to your needs and figure out the optimum light to reduce eye strain and keep you focused on your writing tasks.

That’s it for this segment on the writing environment. Check back soon for the next installment of tips. And happy writing.

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Since I am getting ready to start working on some new material, I thought it would be a good time to share some of the things that are important to determine before you begin writing. In order to help you do your best writing, you have to know what it is that helps you focus on the writing. This is the first of three posts focusing on 8 tips for the writing environment.

Location, Essentials, & Time

Anna Tan

1. Location: Where do you do your best writing? Is it in your bedroom, the living room, the local coffeeshop, or somewhere outside? Where do ideas seem to flow for you? Wherever that place is for you, that’s where you should set up your writing space.

   I recently met up with a long-time Twitter writing friend, Anna Tan, and we discussed our preferences in writing environment. Some writers seem to focus better while life swirls around them. I have several friends who go to Starbucks for writing time. I get too distracted writing in public because I can’t reach my writing zone because I’m too busy eavesdropping and looking around — even when I use headphones. So, confession time — any time I post that I’m going to Starbucks to write … it really means I’m going to socialize and pretend to write.

   While I was writing my first book, my best place was the kitchen table. I thought it would be my bedroom because, after all, it was my sanctum, but for some reason, in my bedroom I kept getting off track and couldn’t focus on writing. Perhaps the bookshelves were calling me too loudly. Now I do my best writing in my office. Wherever your best place to write is, make sure it is comfortable and you have everything you need to hand.

2. Essentials: Make sure you have a comfortable seat — it could be a chair, a bean bag, a nice tree to lean against. And don’t forget to get up and stretch and move around every so often. Unless you’re able to write while walking on a treadmill, writers tend to stay in one position, usually sitting, for far too long of a time, which is not good for your body. When I get in the zone while writing, I completely lose track of time, and my back reminds me later that I didn’t get up enough.

   What are your essential writing utensils? If you write using pencils, make sure you have several sharp pencils and erasers available. Or if you use pens, keep more than one on hand so you won’t run out of ink. The last thing you want to happen is for the lead to break in your pencil or your pen to run out of ink right in the middle of a scene where the words are flowing. If you don’t have spares, you may not be able to recapture the moment.

   Do you have enough paper? I work on the computer, so I don’t have to worry about pencils, pens, or paper during the creative process, however; what happens if I’m working without an electrical outlet? How long will my battery last? And MOST importantly, if I do cut it down to the wire, will I save my changes in time? For me having a nearby electrical outlet is essential because I will lose track of time and would hate to lose my work because I didn’t plug in. And above all, I need to make sure that where I am working is properly setup and comfortable.

3. Time: What time of day do you get your best ideas? Is it morning, during the middle of the day, or at night? The middle of the day can be problematic because of school or work.

   Are you prepared to capture your ideas no matter what time they come? Some writers keep a mini-recorder with them, or use their phones to capture ideas when they hit. Some use notebooks for jotting ideas down. Once again, the computer is my friend (and I make sure I have copious backups of everything in case of mechanical failure.) While I have a method for notating story ideas for the future, I’m still searching for my best way to capture things like priority, status of the project, etc. What happens if an idea hits me while away from my machine? I keep the files on dropbox, so can use my phone if necessary to jot down the essentials and get it posted. Even that is not always convenient … I once had a story hit me hard while driving, complete with the opening lines. I nearly had to pull over to the side of the road, but kept going and repeating the lines over and over until I reached a point where they could be recorded.

   Do the times you get ideas correspond to your best working time? Ideas will hit me at any time during the day or night, but I have always done my best work at night going into the wee hours of the morning. For some reason, the creative juices seem to flow much better for me then and I can concentrate more clearly while my characters become alive for me. It’s almost like I can feel the creative vibrations in the air. Others work best when they first get up … or before the household is awake. And others need that first cup of coffee, and a little time for their brains to wake up before attacking the page.

That’s it for this segment on the writing environment. Check back soon for the next installment of tips. And happy writing.

The post YWS: The Writing Environment – Part I appeared first on Be the Cat.

Katie photo © Drew Herron
Background photo © Kalvis Kalsers

Lost in the Hills is the first published excerpt from Katie’s diary. From the Journal of Katie McCabe was added to the beginning of Nowhere Feels Like Home as an excerpt from Katie’s diary to help bring any new readers who hadn’t read Misfit McCabe up to speed. Lost in the Hills is an expansion of the original journal entry.

The inclusion of the piece in Diary of a Misfit was an easy decision to make—it was the reason I knew Katie kept a diary. And I have always been ambivalent about it as a part of Nowhere Feels Like Home, not because I didn’t like it, but I am not a fan of prologues. I had woven in the information into the opening chapter of Nowhere Feels Like Home and it felt redundant to tack the diary excerpt to the beginning. But I have people I trust to guide me when I become confused about what should or should not be in the work. And they voted for it to stay, and since I was on the fence—it stayed. We all need a little outside objectivity from time to time.

The expansion includes more of Katie’s feelings about being abducted, nearly drowning, and trying to get home against some steep odds. Teaser: After moving in with her Uncle Charley, and cousins, Matt, Mark, and Sarah, Katie McCabe is excited to finally have her journal unpacked. So much has happened in the week since she’d left home, she doesn’t know where to start.

Diary of a Misfit is available now for Kindle. A portion of the proceeds from Diary of a Misfit will go to the Shaka Franklin Foundation for Youth.

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Photo credit: © Drew Herron

Since the beginning of the year, I’ve had my head down, working away, and, except for the occasional outburst on Twitter, have even kept my socializing to a minimum (and those who know me, KNOW how I love to socialize.) But BECAUSE of my dedication to getting things done (okay, so the muse has been threatening me), I was able to announce my involvement in the Story Chairs project a couple days ago and NOW I get to share with you another project I’ve been working on

Diary of a Misfit

The idea for Diary of a Misfit started when my character, Katie McCabe, wanted to start blogging; the topics were situations she felt strongly about and the types of issues which happen throughout the course of the Misfit McCabe series. After she posted a few, I realized these were topics she would have journaled about in her diary … and Diary of a Misfit was born.

For me the short collection is akin to the extras at the end of the blu-ray or DVD. There are some scenes I knew about, but couldn’t put in the book, like Tim’s Shiner because they happened before the series starts, as well as a merging of real life into the world of Katie McCabe. And there are author notes scattered throughout, giving a bit of additional insight. I am proud of this collection, perhaps in part because I never thought I had it in me to write short fiction, and because it has a unique blend of elements.

And one more thing, before my taskmaster puts me back to work on the next project (announcement coming soon… I hope) with this short collection I wanted not only to give extras to my readers, I wanted to also give back. So, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Shaka Franklin Foundation for Youth—an organization with an emphasis on youth suicide prevention. Too many teens have lost hope, and lives are cut short before their time. We need to help.

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Story Chairs, a project of artist and writer Tina Hoggatt, is an audio installation featuring the work of 32 writers, musicians and readers. Two chairs feature over an hour of audio each. As the listener sits, audio plays over speakers concealed in the chair cushions. When the listener stands the audio stops. Featured audio will be accessible online, via a smartphone app and may be downloaded as a podcast. Story Chairs audio was recorded and mixed by audio engineer Moe Provencher at Jack Straw Productions in Seattle. JSP supported the creation of the audio through their Artist Assistance Program. The installation opens March 27, 2013 in the renovated lobby of Jack Straw for several months.

The chairs were designed by Tina Hoggatt and Jeffry Mitchell, crafted by Ben Oblas and have upholstery created by Tina and Jeffry. Story Chairs was originally conceived for and installed for an exhibit at the Missoula Art Museum in 2008.

So if you’re in the Seattle area, come on by and enjoy the chairs.

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Supa Christmas Sale!!

With the stress of the holidays nearly over, now is a great time to sit back, curl up in your favorite reading chair, and get lost in fabulous new worlds. To help you do just that, some authors have banded together and put all their titles on sale, right NOW!! Some of this season’s most popular e-books have been discounted to just $0.99!!! Don’t miss out!

For all of you who got new Kindles for Christmas, this is the perfect opportunity to start your new library!! Please spread the word and share this post with all your friends – they’ll thank you for it!

And we’ll start with my very own, Misfit McCabe, but don’t forget to scroll down to see the rest of the books (some freebies are at the end so keep on going)

LK Griffie
Misfit McCabe
Amazon

*********************************

Book Sets

RaShelle Workman Blood and Snow Volumes 1-4 Amazon

Single Titles

Heather Hildenbrand Across the Galaxy Amazon | B&N	Michelle Muto Don’t Fear The Reaper Amazon | B&N	Stacey Wallace Benefiel Zellie Wells Trilogy Amazon | B&N
Christie Rich Dark Matter Amazon | B&N	Laura A.H. Elliot Transfer Student Amazon | B&N	Karen Amanda Hooper Grasping At Eternity Amazon | B&N
David James Light Of The Moon Amazon | B&N	Leigh Talbert Moore Rouge Amazon	Helen Boswell Mythology Amazon
V. J. Chambers Trembling Amazon	V.J. Chambers Tortured Amazon	Elizabeth Sharp Natural Selection Amazon | B&N
Leigh Talbert Moore The Truth About Faking Amazon | B&N	Taryn Browning Dark Seeker Amazon | B&N	Heather Self The One Amazon | B&N
L.P. Dover Forever Fae Amazon	Nancy Straight Blood Debt Amazon	Chelsea Fine Anew Amazon | B&N
Raine Thomas Becoming Amazon | B&N	Alyssa Rose Ivy Flight Amazon | B&N	Magan Vernon How To Date An Alien Amazon | B&N
Janine Caldwell Rematch Amazon | B&N	Courtney Cole Soul Kissed Amazon | B&N	Karli Rush Crescent Bound Amazon
Jennifer Snyder Marked Amazon | B&N	Shelly Crane Significance Amazon | B&N	Bethany Lopez xoxoxo Amazon | B&N
Jill Cooper The Dream Slayer Amazon	Jill Cooper Demon Royale Amazon	A.M. Hargrove Determinant Amazon | B&N
Bonnie R. Paulson Barely Alive Amazon | B&N	Bonnie R. Paulson Falling Apart Amazon | B&N	Bonnie R. Paulson Mostly Dead Amazon | B&N
Addison Moore Ephemeral Amazon | B&N	C.A. Kunz The Modified Amazon | B&N	Addison Moore Ethereal Amazon | B&N
Addison Moore Tremble Amazon | B&N	Sarah M Ross Echo Of An Earth Angel Amazon | B&N	Sarah M Ross Awaken Amazon | B&N
Amy Maurer Jones Soul Quest Amazon | B&N	Amy Maurer Jones Wildflower Amazon | B&N	Thomas Amo Forever ME Amazon
Amy Harmon Slow Dance In Purgatory Amazon	Cheri Lasota Artemis Rising Amazon | B&N	G.P. Ching The Soulkeepers Amazon | B&N
G.P. Ching Grounded Amazon | B&N	Mina J. Moore A Vampire’s Touch Amazon	M.R. Polish Wolf Spell Amazon | B&N

Free Books

Christie Rich Five Amazon

V. J. Chambers Breathless Amazon

Nancy Straight Meeting Destiny (Free) Amazon | B&N

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These prices are available on Amazon only.

For a listing of books offered and to enter to win, click here!!

And make sure you check out Misfit McCabe on the Young Adult / New Adult page while you’re there.

The post 99 Authors – 99 Books – 99 Cents appeared first on Be the Cat.

Photo of Tim: © Alptraum | Dreamstime.com
Creek Photo: © David Coleman | Dreamstime.com

In a Read it before you can buy it measure, I’ve decided to post a few snippets from the companion book to the Misfit McCabe series I have been working on. The title of the eventual book is Diary of a Misfit and will be available in ebook only (or at least that’s the plan for now). I am concurrently working on the companion book and One Way Ticket Home which will be the fourth book in the series.

Anyway, while working on the stories, which will be parts of Katie McCabe’s diary, giving a little of the background which doesn’t actually make it into the novels, Katie’s thoughts on some of the things that happen in the books, as well as her thoughts on current events.

Tim’s Shiner is a glimpse into the past with Katie and her best friend, Tim Lawrence and gives some insight on Tim’s family situation. I’m going to post the first couple paragraphs here, and then provide a link to the full story (which is 3,100 words, so short and quickly read).

When her best friend Tim shows up on her doorstep with a black eye, Katie McCabe teases him for being a klutz, until she learns the horrifying truth.

Tim’s Shiner

I ran into my room and dove on the bed. How could I be such a horrible friend? My eyes traced the whorls in the ceiling support beam as tears welled. I hammered my fist against the mattress. Frustration and rage made me want to scream, but if I did, Timmy might hear me. And that would make things worse.
     Closing my eyes, I inhaled deeply. As I forced the air out of my lungs, I grabbed my diary from the nightstand and sat up. Maybe writing everything out would help.
     Today started off like any other day. But it might have ended as the worst day in all my twelve years….

* * * * *

“Katie, hurry up!”
     Most people knocked on the door, but not Timmy. When we had plans, he’d stand on the grass outside my room and yell.
     “The fish’ll be takin’ a nap if you wait much longer.” He held both our fishing poles and the can for worms.
     I poked my head out the window. “Keep your pants on, why doncha? I just hafta get my shoes on.” Scrambling to the closet, I shoved my feet into sneakers, and headed out the door, laces flopping with each step. I yanked the front door open and a blast of heat barreled in. Another scorcher, but summer would be over too soon, the weather would cool, and we’d be stuck inside.

Link to the Complete Story: Tim’s Shiner – Absolutely Free!

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Me – looking all author-like

When I made the decision to seek agent representation for some of my work, I started to do the necessary homework. Looking up agencies who handled the types of stories I have in the works, reading about various agents based on interviews, keeping my ear to the ground to hear the scuttlebutt on Twitter, listening to agents in various chats, online forums, looking them up in the various platforms designed to assist the struggling writer in making their selections, etc. I have taken a slow and measured approach to finding an agent for a few reasons:

1. This is someone I’m going to be in partnership with, and I want to ensure I have found the right partner.
2. Sifting through all of the information, searching for the right mix of personality coupled with someone who loves my work takes time.
3. It is a learning experience and with each fresh submission I have the opportunity to learn more.
4. Having had an agent previously, I want to make sure this time it is the right match for me.

Based on my research, I had decided to try sending a Middle Grade novel with magical elements to Sara Megibow. On paper and from what I had found out about her, I thought we might be a good fit. I received a rejection on the query. For those who don’t know me, I view receiving rejections as a part of the process. I don’t get depressed, I don’t get anxious, I take it, file it, and move on. At the time I received the rejection from Sara, I was in the middle of revisions for Tattered and it had the majority of my attention.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to meet Sara at World Fantasy Con (WFC) in San Diego, while waiting for my friend (and Sara’s client), Jane Kindred, to take part in a panel. Sara and I hit it off right away, and both enjoyed the meeting. During the wait, the subject of rejections came up and how hurt some people get and how personally they take it, and being my usual smart-alecky self, I told Sara she had rejected me, but I was still willing to talk to her. So she had me pitch her right there in the hall. (Trust me when I say it was a lame pitch) Sara graciously asked me to send her the first thirty pages for her to take a look.

Throughout the weekend we ran into each other here and there, and I mentioned that I had another Middle Grade which insisted on being written, so started it that weekend. After the con, I gave it a few days and then sent the pages to Sara. She rejected with a very nice note about the strength of the writing, and how much she liked the characters, but it just wasn’t the right story for her. Fair enough. I was in the middle of first draft heaven with the Middle Grade action/adventure, so just kept on writing.

Through our correspondence and interaction on Twitter, I grew to appreciate Sara more and more as an agent as well as a person. She is my ideal of what I’m looking for in an agent. Her belief is that she must be her client’s number one advocate for their work and she has to be passionate about the work in order to pitch it with confidence. YES!!! This is what I want. So when the next manuscript was ready to be launched in search of an agent, Sara was definitely at the top of my list. She had some really lovely things to say about the writing and my characters, but once again, the story was not for her. And I appreciated her telling me that. It wouldn’t do either of us any good for her to take something on that she isn’t passionate about. And I don’t want anything less for my work.

At this point I felt that even though on a personal level we got along well, Sara was not likely the agent I was seeking. But while goofing off on Twitter one day, during her popular #10queriesin10tweets, Sara issued a challenge of a particular type of book she’d like to see written. Have I mentioned I’m a smart-aleck? Even though the type of book she mentioned was well outside my norm, I, of course, had to chime in and say I’d write it. Meaning it only as a joke, but then Sara asked me to write some pages and send them to her. Which I did… and now the story is under my skin and will be finished… one day. Because this time when I sent the pages off to Sara, I was a little nervous. Not about whether she’d pass on the book, but more about what would happen if she said she loved it and wanted the rest.

This story is completely outside my norm, and while I really appreciated the challenge and the stretching I am doing as a writer with the concept, if Sara loved this one, where would it leave us in the agent / client relationship? While I would have been tickled to have hit her fancy, what about all of the stories I have inside me that I have to write? You know, the stories I am passionate about. But since I took this on as a challenge, I saw it through.

When Sara had a chance to review the pages, she sent her regrets, and deep down I felt a sense of relief. No difficult decision for me to make. This is something we both wanted to make work. But it just wasn’t happening. We are not a good fit for each other, despite appreciating each other on both a personal and a professional basis.

© Photographer: Lakis Fourouklas
Agency: Dreamstime.com

Why have I spent an extraordinarily long time telling this saga? Because I think it is important for writers to realize. Not every agent is the right one for you. Not even when you think they are an awesome agent and make fabulous deals for their clients. Not even when the agent finds your writing strong and your characters adorable. This is not a tale of rejection, but of determining whether or not we were a good fit for one another. Sara is an awesome agent. I am a good, strong writer. We are not a match. And I’m okay with that because we both want the same thing albeit from opposite sides—she wants a client whose work she can champion, and I want an agent who will champion my work.

So we will continue to interact on Twitter, and I’m sure we’ll run into one another at a conference some time in the future, and will be glad to see one another again. And I will continue in my quest, happy to have had the experience.

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****Drumroll Please****

I’m very pleased to announce that Tattered, the third book in the award-winning Misfit McCabe series, will be free through Amazon.com for Kindle Thursday, August 23rd and Friday, August 24th. So pick up your copy and enjoy the read. And once you’ve finished it, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

The post Tattered Free for Kindle appeared first on Be the Cat.

This week, the Misfit McCabe series hit a major milestone … being shelved in a bookstore. There are few things that make an author happier than to see their work sitting on a bookstore shelf (except maybe to see it clutched in a reader’s hand on the way to the check out stand.)

As you can see from the picture on the left, the books have featured as New Teen/Tweens (click the picture to see a larger view) And I certainly can’t complain about the company … being shelved with Lois Lowry and E. Lockhart is an honor.

And to the right is a face out shot. I love the wooden bookcases, by the way. They remind me of the library bookshelves I spent hours browsing through when I was a child. I’d wander along the shelves, making my selections—some new reads and some old friends—and hoping I could carry them all. Good memories.

Thanks to Robin Tidwell of All On the Same Page Bookstore for stocking my books and giving them such nice placement. And special thanks to Shannon Yarbrough for taking the photos and sending them to me.

And the final shot (for this post anyway), the table at the front of the store with the featured indie books. They look pretty good, don’t you think?

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