Chapter One is Haunting Me in My Sleep!

This is how I know that chapter one has officially taken over my life. I am dreaming about it! And not just dreaming about, like I'm in the chapter experiencing it, but I'm dreaming about writing it.

So in this dream I had, I'm fighting...no, I'm discussing with my future editor the very first line of chapter one. So my editor is very fuzzy, I couldn't really see her, and she sitting on a recliner, while I'm perched on the edge of an ottoman. And I keep telling her no, the first line has to be:

The night before Lilliana Brandywine's birthday she hid under a willow tree.

And then we fought about whether it should be under the tree, or under the willow tree, or under the tree that was a willow tree. And then I spat off a hundred variations on the sentence.

On the night before Lilliana Brandywine's fifteenth birthday she hid under a tree.

Lilliana Brandywine hid under a willow tree on the night before her fifteenth birthday.

The night before her fifteenth birthday, Lilliana Brandywine could be found hiding under her favorite tree, a withering willow.

And so on and so on!

OMG!

And the funny thing is, that the current chapter one doesn't even have that sentence in it!

So, does this mean I better include the sentence about the willow tree or not?

Quick Update

I finished school on Monday night-YAY!!! Now I am only two classes away from my masters-whopee!!! I wish I could say my route to publication was as simple, but hey, maybe I am closer to that then I think...

The last class was really fun, over the course of the semester, we all really bonded-despite the fact that we tore each other to bits on a weekly basis during our critiques. But I guess we loved each other anyway. So after class a bunch of us headed over to Keswick Tavern for a celebratory drink and chat. And I was very relieved before saying good bye to my professor that he learned the good news about me and a certain level of interest from a certain publishing house, which I think surprised him, but validated the fact that I'm a good writer, in certain genres. I doubt I'll ever be making the rounds in the adult literary world, but put me in young adult fantasy and we are going to have a party. So I'm happy he knows that about me.

I've had about a day to digest. I finished Harry, A History, and now I'm reading J.R.R. Tolkein's Letters. I'm in a non-fiction literary mood.

Also, Mamma Mia came out on DVD yesterday and I watched it last night and listened to the soundtrack in my car, and it's amazing! I want my wedding to have a Mamma Mia theme, now. Why not? All ABBA music all night long? I think people would like it.

But the bigger news...

I'm writing chapter 1 tonight!

AGAIN!

YIPEE!!!

I'll report back later on how that goes.

NYC DAY

I had a wonderful day in NYC yesterday, despite the fact that it's actually begining to feel like winter now and there was some snow flurries while we waited for our train in NJ.

So first of all, I saw Dan Radcliffe in Equus! And it was amazing!!! We were only a few feet away from the stage (the theatre was surprisingly small and intimate). Sadly, Richard Griffiths (Mr. Dursley in the movies) had an understudy-he was good, though I wouldn't be able to compare unless I saw it again.

Dan does have a very strong stage presence, and you could believe in the character he was playing (instead of thinking, OMG that's Dan Radcliffe/Harry Potter), though I have to admit that last bit of information was never too far from my mind. The entire play was sufficiently creepy and great, very well done and well acted by everyone. And no, I'm not going to comment on the goods at the end;) I'd definitely recommend this play to anyone with an interest in psychological dramas that question religion.

After the play, we got to visit FAO Schwartz which made me feel like a kid again...actually, I take that back because I always feel like a kid...so, ok, take two. I got to play in FAO Schwartz and felt like a kid playing in a toy store-yeah! Here's Laura and I in the Harry Potter section trying on Sorting Hats!


We went to dinner and I was successfully able to veganize my meal:-)

Then we headed off to Rockefeller Center to see the tree, though we made a few stops along the way for pictures of other pretty lights.

I didn't even know Laura was taking this picture, but my readers should be able to identify the picture as an important scene from the working draft chapter 2-do you get it?


Just take away the jacket and you've got...

Anyway, that's my current update-looking forward to being done with tomorrow, and finishing my fall semester of school. By Wednesday, I should be back into gear finishing the newest rewrite of chapter 1, and moving on!

Writing Update

Here is where I'm at.

I wrote a brilliant new prologue (and I'm only saying brilliant because my best friend and advisor both emailed me back immediately after reading it oooohing and aahhhing)...but I like it too:-)

Chapter 1-I'm still fiddling with. I don't know how much I'll accomplish this weekend because my final portfolio for my creative writing class is due on Monday (and I'm so behind) and also, I'm going to NYC tomorrow to see Dan Radcliffe in Equus!!!! (I know you are SO jealous)!

But after Monday...I'm pretty much a free woman, free to write, and free of graduate school obligations (until mid January!).

Also, my advisor broke up with me-haha. We were deciding whether or not I should continue to work with her next semester one on one, and she wanted to work with me, but decided I really didn't need her anymore. Which was kind of sweet. So I had an opening to take a new class next semester for fun. Also, my chances at going to India, not so much happening right now since that class got canceled due to low enrollment no doubt spurred on by the recent tragedy.

My plan is to get back on track after this weekend is over and write my heart out to add the new plotline to the existing draft and make it all work and then actually finish the complete revision so I can finally make contact with my agent (to-be).

P.S. I got my amazon.com special collectors copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard this week, and it is ALL THAT AND A BAG OF CHIPS...just saying. You pick it up and you feel like you've fallen into Hogwarts, and all the money goes to charity, so you can't lose here. I'm also reading the Melissa Anelli of The Leaky Cauldron's book on Harry Potter fandom, Harry, A History, and for the most part I'm really enjoying it. I really loved her story about how she fell in love with the books, it reminded me of when I started reading them-there really is something magical and memorable about the first time you read those books. I can't wait to find that magic in a book again.

So I really really really hope, no I plan to have a very sufficient update later this week on progress I've made. In the meantime, I'll report back about Equus:-)

Chapter 1: I clearly have issues

I should be finishing chapter 11, I should be moving forward, but nooooooo, the new chapter is all like...write me, write me, and because I am a slave to the first chapter, I'm listening. Lots of writers say that you write the begining last...but I can't. I can't find the way forward unless I know where I'm starting. So...that's my update.

PS. Its a nice chapter so far.

Definitely Making Changes...sigh

I talked to my advisor today and thought some more about the critiques I've been getting and I'm definitely going to be doing a HUGE reworking of chapters 1-5. My brain hurts a little to think about it, but I gotta do what I gotta do to tell this story right. I have my plan mapped out and I think I'm going to be writing a new introduction to the sisters which is AWESOME and really shows off all of their powers and hopefully introduces them in a clear way.

And to think that a few weeks ago I thought that things between me and chapter 1 were finished. AAAAHH! But despite the work ahead of me I'm excited about the changes, I think they will add a lot to the manuscript.

It's wierd, because I'm a little bummed now about some of the critiques (mostly because I think they are right-when I see critiques I know are wrong I don't care) but my three best readers (my co-teachers 15, 12 and 8 yr old) still love it! So that's encouraging.

I just have to get myself out of this mess with chapter 11. I discussed the corner I wrote myself into with my advisor and the way I got out of it and she seemed to like it. Soooooo one step forward, three steps back?

Agent Comments!!!!

WOOT!!! I finally got back a critique from Firebrand Literary Agency and the comments were SO SWEET and encouraging and the critique hit on the few points I myself was having issues with.

So at the moment I'm feeling ridiculously excited that so much positivity could have come out of a bona fide agent's mouth in regards to my work (also the fact that an agent has read some of the work and like, knows that such a character as Lilliana Brandywine exists!!). Plus, Savvy, a great middle grade fantasy book with my concept, was discussed in her comments. But it was encouraging because Savvy really was so successful that it gives me even higher hopes for my own work. And apparently editors are looking for books about sisters! Tre cool!

But on the other hand, I'm a little overwhelmed because I think this means I will be definitely going ahead and making those BIG (OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG) changes I had thought about doing...EEK!

I cannot wait to have this revision PERFECT...I feel like I'm so close, I just need to keep working...and working...and working...and working...OMG I better start writing!!!