I just found out that Alison Kent is co-sponsoring a writing challenge for the next 70 days. I was getting ready to start my next novel anyway, which I am uber excited about (yes, I used the word uber--because it's uber great), so I figured I would join in the fun and the challenge. Although I wish that I could wait two weeks, since I have revisions I am doing on my current book for an agent....but oh well.

If you are interested. You can visit Alison's blog (http://www.alisonkent.com/blog/?p=2089) and sign up. Info is below!

Thanks to Diana Peterfreund for posting the info on her blog as well, which is where I saw it!

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Seventy Days of Sweat - The Writing Challenge

I'm sure you've all heard of the National Novel Writing Month where the goal of the participants is to write 50,000 words during the month of November. You've probably also heard of the Book-in-a-Week first draft blast, and may have heard of the Book in a Year challenge at eHarlequin, or simply the One Page A Day method to getting a book written in 365. How 'bout a book in seventy days? Doable? You betcha.

Say you're writing a 100,000 word single title. 70 days at 1500 words per day (approx 6 pages) is 98,000 words total. Say you're writing a 60,000 word series romance. 70 days at 900 words per day (approx 4 pages) is 63,000 words total. Writing 4 - 6 pages every day for 70 days is a schedule anyone who calls themselves a pro can handle easily!

So . . . along with Larissa Ione and Stephanie Tyler and Jo Leigh and HelenKay Dimon, I hereby challenge any of you who are interested to sign up for our Seventy Days of Sweat. The challenge begins on Sunday, July 8 and runs through Thursday, September 20. (Yes, that's 75 days, but we're giving you off July 11 - 15 if you need it for conference. That said, ask yourself, "What Would Nora Do?" Yes, Nora writes at conference. I've witnessed it with my own eyes.)

The rules are simple. You agree to write 4 - 6 pages a day (depending on the length of your book) every day between the dates listed above. If you need to take off a day, you make up the pages another. If you don't like to write 7 days a week, too bad. This challenge lasts for only 10 weeks, and if you have to get up early on the weekends to get the pages done, you do it. (Hey, we all do it! You can, too!)

You don't have to have a blog to participate, but we do want you to sign up below so everyone involved can get to know one another. And if you do have a blog, you can post the information there. Going public with your commitment is about owning it. As far as reporting your progress, you'll come back here each Wednesday and Sunday and post your total word count. (We'll expect the first reports at LEAST by the 18th, the Wednesday following conference, though for those of you not attending, your first report is due on the 11th!) And those of us sponsoring the challenge will be dropping by your blog (if you have one) and egging you on! AND, we may be adding more sponsors!

The challenge is open to anyone writing in any genre, published and aspiring authors both. Oh, and did we mention there will be prizes? Yes, there will be prizes. Critiques, RT subscriptions, memberships to RWA, gift certificates to B&N - who knows WHAT we'll come up with! More info on the prizes to come. We'll also be providing a logo if you'd like to put one on your blog. For now, let's see a show of hands.

So...to anyone that actually reads this blog:

Sorry, I've been neglecting my blog. There's actually been plenty to blog about, but I've apparently found other things to do.

So, here's a summary as to what is going on:

1.) I have no moved to the wonderous state of Michigan. If there are any Michiganders (I think that's what they are called...if I remember from the last time we lived in Michigan), leave me a comment and say hello!

2.) I am now working on submitting my second novel. Sorry, I'm not posting results from queries this time, but feel free to wish me well (hint...hint). All the rejection sort of sucks the life out of you, and I can use all the wishes I can get...even if they are forced.

We'll see how this goes. I think this book is tons better than the last one, but I know it's very hard to get stuff published.

3.) So while I wait to hear back from all the agents on #2, I'm starting my third novel. Planning for this one is both harder and easier than the last two. Harder, being I know more what I'm doing now and know what it takes to make a novel decent, which means planning and upping the level is tough. Easier, for the same reasons, because I actually have a better idea how to write a book now.

4.) I'm also looking for a job...wishes on that are encouraged as well (can you tell, I've been having a rough week :-( Which probably means, hopefully next week brings good news...bring it on!!!

5.) We now have a Doctor in the family...although I refused to call him that until I see an official piece of paper stating the fact, and when that comes I have a feeling he's going to want me to call him Dr. everyday.

More later.

Emily

Okay, I think I blogged once about writers have big ups and downs. These past two weeks have re-sealed that debate for me.

Last week= wonderful week.

By husband semi-graduated with his PhD. Kudos to him.

We thought we might sell our house.

I finished another draft of my current work in progress.

And many other wonderful things, I'm not mentioning.



Then this week happened = not-wonderful week.

Most of the non-wonderfulness, I'm not saying here.

But all I can say is...

1.) Gilmore Girls is over :-(

And now:

2.) Veronica Mars is canceled


VM has become one of my all-time favorite shows. Sure this season didn't even compare to season 1 and 2 (but nothing in the CW has), but these past weeks have picked back up for me. But I don't care. I adore this show, and am really mad it's been canceled and we aren't going to get a good ending, and we may never even see Veronica and Logan together again. This is awful. I was all for the CW, despite the fact the combining of UPN and WB resulted in the loss of another one of my favorite shows: Everwood. But the CW is not looking good to me right now.

If anyone actually knows me in real life you may know that most decisions I make are not impulsively (well except for any product purchase which is always an impulse buy). Anyway, I've thought long and hard (I mean we are talking days here), about whether the subject of this blog should be titled: Big News or News.

Yes, I know big decision there! (which might explain my lack of blogging, coming up with a subject title is just exhausting:-).

So: "News" won out.

Big News would be I have an agent, I have a book contract, or even I'm pregnant (which thankfully I'm not--the pregnant part I mean, not the I have an agent or a book contract bit, which I would be way too excited about).

So what's just "News?"

I'M MOVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So if any writers are in the Ann Arbor/Brighton, MI area message me and maybe we can become writing buddies.

I'm beyond excited for this move for a number of reasons. Most of which I will not bore you with. But the main ones involve:

1.) The fact I'll be moving back to the Midwest (I found the living in the South enjoyable, but I had NO idea the culture here was so much different than where I grew up. Not a bad thing, just an observation.)

2.) I will be able to have more writing time (hopefully), if things work out job wise!

3.) Moving closer to many family and friends (but don't tell them I said that!)

So that's my news...maybe next time it can be "Big News."

Emily

Two posts in one day. Just for YOU!

I think most of the stages of grief can be incorporated into stages of writing a novel. I'm sure I'm not the first person to do it, but I'm feeling rather grief-oriented today, so I thought I'd share:

1.) Denial- right after the honeymoon period of when writing or planning begins, and you either get stuck or realize that you are insanely trying to write a novel while also working a full-time job, taking care of the kids, or what ever other life issues you have going on. "I can't believe I'm attempting to write a novel," you might tell yourself over and over.

2.) Anger- for me this stage comes when partially through and I get stuck. It's when you get mad at yourself for even thinking you could write a novel.

3.) Bargaining- when trying to quit and again get mad at yourself for thinking you can write a novel. And you have an inner battle with yourself on whether you should keep going or not.

4.) Depression- "My novel is no where near as good as that one I just read," you think. Or you think it's hopeless because no matter how much revising and editing you are doing, your novel is not improving. You cry to the critique partners and occasionally just wish they would write your novel for you, because you just can't be bothered.

5.) Acceptance- I have no idea what this stage is in reference to writing. I occasionally feel it when a breakthrough comes and pieces start falling into place. When that "ah ha" moment comes and you realize why you wrote something on page 10 because it really makes sense with what you want to say on page 78, and that special feeling you get when things finally get connected and your amazed and your talent in getting it that far. However, with writing this stage seems to quickly go away. It's the stage that makes it all worth it, but it never seems to stay long and never wants to be THAT FINAL STAGE.

Although, with most things in my life, I am hardly a linear type gal. I can't go through things 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Because if that was the case than I'd be well past acceptance now, but instead I find myself jumping around in stages 1-4 much more than 5.

I'm not exactly sure where I am with my stages today, or if I'm ever in one stage long enough to even know I'm there. But I think I'm probably somewhere in the depression stage, merely because I keep rewriting stuff and it does not seem to be getting better (okay it kind of gets better, but it's still no where near I want it to be, which is frustrating).

Therefore, I'm really hoping that my previous post on NaNoEdMo pushes me out of the depression phrase, because it is not fun there. Trust me. I'd much rather be angry, bargaining, and of course I wouldn't mind acceptance.

And I will take all the advice I can get to help push me along to another stage!

Emily

During the month of January and parts of February, I wasn't very inspired to edit my current novel. It has since picked up. However, one of my critique partners suggestions was to create a NaNoWriMo type goal for my editing. Essentially meaning that I basically set high goals of amounts I wanted edited each day, which helped.

Then I find out today that March is going to be NaNoEdMo (http://www.nanoedmo.net/xoops/): National Novel Editing Month. All you have to do is edit 50 hours during the month of March.

So now I'm all signed up.

I'm actually quite excited about this. I'm really hoping this pushes me to edit the rest of my manuscript. And get over my main problem with rewriting...which is that I tend to get about two new sentences and then go back to the beginning and rewrite my beginnings at least 30 times (sometimes with big changes and other times with relatively minor ones like adding a character into the scene and such).

Here's to editing in March!!!

As a former youth program planner and counselor, I've written several press releases and public service announcements on the dangers afflicting the youth of our generation…including underage drinking and drug use.

And now that I've noticed a new Underage Danger creeping up in our society, I'm not sure I can silence my concerns any longer. So I am hereby using this blog to make a Public Service Announcement to all the youth in the world. A blog entry dedicated to this new danger cropping up. One so dangerous, MTV has now devoted an entire 30 minute weekly show to address it…

ENGAGED AND UNDERAGE

Now I am not a licensed relationship therapist, or even a pretend one like the character of my latest Work In Progress POPULARITY IN A PUNCH, but I do find myself somewhat of an expert on this subject. Because I too, have been ENGAGED AND UNDERAGE, and more so I have been MARRIED AND UNDERAGE. And while I am no longer underage, I still remain married.

So, blog readers, all you underagers out there, fans of the newest MTV show, or anyone even remotely considering being ENGAGED AND UNDERAGE, I herby impart my wisdom to you.



All I can say is if you cite reasons for getting married as…

• "I 'think' I'm ready"

Then, you might want to reconsider being ENGAGED AND UNDERAGE.

• "Well we are going to get married someday, might as well be now,"

Then, you might want to reconsider being ENGAGED AND UNDERAGE.

• "Married people…get to have sex."

Then, you might want to reconsider being ENGAGED AND UNDERAGE.

• "I really look good in white puffy dresses."

Then, you might want to reconsider being ENGAGED AND UNDERAGE.

• Instead of just talking about the paper-thin walls of an Inn with our mother, we might as well spend our wedding night in one instead.

Then, you might want to reconsider being ENGAGED AND UNDERAGE.

• "Why not?"

Then, you guessed it, you might want to reconsider being ENGAGED AND UNDERAGE.



And, I already know what these Engaged and Underagers are going to say when reading this blog. They'd say something like, but you AREN'T ME and you don't know MY SITUATION. Well…you are right. I'm not you, I'm me: a former Engaged and Underager, which is exactly why everything above said, "MIGHT" in it. I am proof that being ENGAGED AND UNDERAGE does not necessarily lead to an entirely bad marriage, like some other young (but not underage) marrieds, such as Brittney and Kevin or Jessica and Nick.

Herein ends the Public Service Announcement of the day. But I shall keep you updated, because I am sure I will be watching ENGAGED AND UNDERAGE, with as much regularity as MY SUPER SWEET 16.

Emily

Characters are by far one of the most important aspects of a novel. Have you ever put a book down because you didn't like a character? How about if you thought the character did something that didn't really fit their personality? Because they didn't seem real?

You need to like you main character. Your main character has to have flaws. Your secondary characters have to compliment your main character. The have to be believable. The list could go on...

Many authors do a bunch of stuff to know their characters, to make them as believable as possible, including listening to music they might like, journaling/blogging like their characters, etc. Diana Peterfreund did a good blog this past week on Characters and Reality. She even shops for her characters, which I thought was great. I'm definitely going to have to try that one. But she compared "getting into the mind" of your character like method acting. I think that's a great comparison.

If you've been reading my blog for some time. You might remember my post on characters boards I did for my first novel.

Well despite the fact that I have finished the first draft of my novel, I am just now getting around to doing a character board for my main character. I had a list, but I've really been wanting to do a board for awhile. It helps me get to know my characters alot better.

So, here's my character board for the main character of POPULARITY IN A PUNCH.







You'll notice that this character is vastly different then my last one:



So much, so she couldn't even keep contained to one board, she had to take over the entire back of my desk. Oh well...


Anyone want to share how they get to know their characters?

More later,

Emily

Well Change No. 1 is finally done. I got my haircut this weekend. I didn't end up going as short as I wanted, but oh well. I wish I had a before picture, but I didn't take one. But I think I got 6-8 inches cut off.

With the haircut came a First for me...my first haircut by a male. I love when I get to experience new firsts, and this was no exception. To be honest, I was alittle scared at first, and I'm usually not scared to get my haircut. I don't know if it was because a man was cutting it or because I got so much cut off. Whatever the reason, I am now a fan of male hair cutters, male hair salonists, or whatever name they choose to go by.

The guy was great (apart from him asking me if I needed my eyebrows waxed, which I guess should be one of those questions you shouldn't ask a lady. Granted they DID need waxed, but I think that should be something the person that needs the waxing done should ask for, not the other way around. It's basically like coming right out and saying...you're a little too hairy in the eyebrow region. And really, who wants to hear that.) So I may try the males out more often in the future, or atleast go back to this guy.

So...without further ado, here's my new haircut, with the addition of my lovely headband, which is my new mission to try to make some of these this weekend.



And since my husband pointed out to me that I haven't changed my MySpace pic in awhile, I decided to change it with the new hairdo. (See LOTS of CHANGES IN STORE for the year...even if they are little as a profile pic change!)


NOTE TO BLOG READERS: I decided to stop editing my blogs, because I thought I might actually write more than. It's not like I ever edited them in length before, anyway, but now I'm really not even going to read over them or write them in Word. And the first blog I ever wrote rings true...I am and still remain a horrible speller. Sorry for you guys who have to read it. But I have come to accept my fate. And feel my bad spelling adds to my wonderful charm as an aspiring writer.

Everyone seems to be writing these really profound year end blogs. I really feel like I should write one, and not just because I have been neglecting my blog. But I've never made a new year's resolution, and I really don't intend to start now. I've accomplished plenty in my life without them. And I'm a very goal oriented person every day of the year.

So I'm not exactly sure what to write about. To be honest, by my standards, 2006 wasn't a very productive year. Sure, I sort of wrote two books, read around 90 others, got a new job and recently a new car, and got to travel to Italy. All of which really excites me and makes me proud of myself. But at the same time I only worked 15 hours for about 4 months, so I had tons of time to do more. Plus, I just graduated with my master's last December, so I sort of feel like I should be getting a "real" job by now, instead of a few part-time ones and writing when I never really know if anything will come of it.

I'm not sure if I should be mad at myself, sad, or strangly happy. Sad, because I should have been doing alot more this year, or happy because I know that since I wasn't productive, I know I'm going to work extra hard for 2007. And even more happy, because despite being marginally unproductive professionally, I like where my life is and know that working 40 hours a week in something that may be "real," but possibly boring, really isn't for me. And I found a passion in writing novels, that I never could have imagined existed. I can't believe it took me this long to find out I enjoyed writing fiction so much.

Whatever the reasons, all I can say is the I'm REALLY, REALLY excited for 2007. I have this really weird feeling that 2007 is going to be a pivotal year in my life in more than several ways.

I have a really good feeling about my current book: POPULARITY IN A PUNCH. I love the story, and it's been getting some good feedback. My 80 year old grandmother, who is a really harsh book reader, told me if she read the back flap of the book she'd definitely read it. So that can't be all bad, can it?

So to celebrate the BIG YEAR AHEAD, there are going to be lots of changes, starting in January.

CHANGE NO. 1: I'm chopping my hair off. I figure a new year, needs a new do. And I haven't had a good hair cut in awhile. Hopefully, I'll post pictures, soon. But I guess I have to make it to the hair salon first.

CHANGE NO. 2: I'm sort of re-dueing my personal Web site, and making an author site. My husband was nice enough to help me out. So check out www.emily-marshall.com. Everything should be up and running by the end of the week. Let me know what you think!!!

And with the new Web site, there is a strong possibility there will be a new blog in store.

CHANGE NO. 3: There's a strong possiblity a work change will be in store, with one of my jobs. But I won't comment about that at this time.

CHANGE NO. 4: I cleaned the house today!!!!! There probably shouldn't be so many question marks, but if you have seen my house, you would realize why this is such a huge accomplishment. And in fact, should probably be Change No. 1.

That's about it as far as changes for January. But I will also be working on editing my book, and I'm so excited to see the changes in the novel. For me this book has been so much more fun to write than the first one. And I feel it's a much better book because of it, and the growth I have made it my writing over the past year.

More later.

Emily