About Me

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J is an unpublished author, represented by Carrie Pestritto of Prospect Agency. J's first novel is a YA fantasy horror, regarding a siren who must choose between the haunting life and humanity. J draws on occasion, reads quite often, and is a founding member of the critique group 'Thoughtical Verbosity.'

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Synopsis and Excerpt

Well, as promised, here you go! Follow that link to read the synopsis of my NaNo novel and an excerpt (the prologue).

You may notice, in reading, that the excerpt contains a good deal of slang from the good old days when problems were supposedly solved with guns, cash or bronze knuckles. You may also notice that it the synopsis contains a character not present in the prologue.

Good eyes, slick.

Anyhow, I'm off to get my nose back firmly against the grindstone so I can wrap this puppy up before the end of the month. It's times like these that I wish I had one of those weird little Japanese toys that bob their heads in the light...sort of like a creepy, always watching fan urging me to finish. Or hypnotizing me so it can feast upon my liver once I finally give in to the rhythmic motion and fall into a stupor.

Is anyone else looking forward to the movie 'Pirate Radio?'

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

And they're off!

If you've managed to stick with me for a full month with only two updates, then congratulations! You win this third update!

A good deal has occurred in my family since the last time I posted about something or other. Here's the skinny:

Familial Health Crisis (handled)
Currently visiting with Family in Idaho (baby sister is adorable)
Acceptance to the British Literary Tour as provided by BYU-Idaho (elated)
Beginning work on NaNoWriMo (in progress)
Baby Sister Turns 1 (Happy Birthday, Rudi!)

And there you have it. What I've been up to for the last couple of weeks.

Since I promised more information about it in my last post, let's talk about NaNoWriMo!

National Novel Writing Month is this ingenious device thought up by a guy named Chris and some other masochists, who decided that it would be a great idea to try and write a fifty thousand word novel in a month (namely, Turkey Month, also known in latter days as 'November'). Misery loves company, and so like a berserk snowball wheeling its way down Mount Everest towards an unsuspecting camp, NaNoWriMo has grown to a massive, cold ball of doom.

Writers everywhere rejoice!

Last year was my first year 'competing,' and I managed (barely) to make it. The story I was writing then was about three siblings (The Whipsnappers); one of them is kidnapped by goblins, the other one goes to get him back, and the third one stays to take care of their village. Exciting stuff. Unfortunately, I was as poorly organized as a clan of dust bunnies trying to wage war on a tribe of vacuums. I have a good deal written in that book, but it has remained exactly as it is for...well, the last year.

THIS year, however, I started out with an entirely different tactic. I wrote up a disturbingly brief outline, with a vague subject for each of the planned thirty chapters. A chapter a day, and I'll find myself with a complete (albeit rougher than a blind date with a yeti) novel. Which I will then smother in spit and polish until I feel it's decent enough to have someone read...and then attempt to get it published.

In my next post (it will be much sooner, I promise!) I'll put up the synopsis and a brief excerpt from this year's attempt.

The title: Lady Luck: First Time's a Charm