Thankful Thursday: Macro & Micro

It's our meme day again... where has the week gone?  In case you need a refresher, here's the point of our feel-good meme:

We know that the surest way to get good things in life is to be thankful for what you already have.  So why not host a group thankful-fest once a week in which we send out good energy and hope to get some back in return?  (And even if you don't believe in all that karma stuff, taking a minute to appreciate what you've got will make you feel better.  Honest.)

By participating, you can also connect with fellow Oasis Seekers.  We know most of you are each on your journey to publication and there's every reason to be a team and support each other.  When you participate in the Thankful for Thursday meme, hopefully other Oasis Seekers will seek you out and you can do the same.  See someone who's thankful for the same things you are?  Follow them!  You never know what friendship may come of it.

So without further ado, here are the rules to participate:

1.  Do your own blog post on what you're thankful for today.  It doesn't have to be book or publishing related (but it can be!)

2.  Be sure to grab our badge and include it in your post.

3.  Post a link to your blog in the comments here so that others can find you.

4.  Go forth and share your gratitude!  (And when friending new blogs, be sure to let them know you found them because of their participation in the meme.)

Here on the Oasis, I wanted to look at thankfulness in macro and micro terms.  Sometimes we celebrate the BIG things -- events on a MACRO level -- like having 300+ Oasis Seekers here and giving away a critique by all five of us.  (You can still enter here.)

But what about the MICRO -- are there any teeny-tiny things that just make your life better every darn day?  For me, it's vanilla.

The ingredient that makes my coffee creamer perfectly sweet.  The scent that makes me think of warm bubble baths and long massages.  The ice cream that my Pupa used to hand-churn and then scoop into Ginger Ale for delectable floats.

Yep - I'm thankful that someone figured out that a long, ugly brown bean could yield such perfect nectar.  What little (or big!) things are you celebrating this week?

Writer Wednesday: Too many irons

Lately I've been running circles in my head, tripping and faceplanting over all the irons I have in my writing fire. I have a dystopian, a boy's POV biopunk, a boy's POV horror, one book I know needs to be taken back to the mattresses for another roll, another that a new beta has found plot holes in...

I am a confessed WIPaholic. And lack of focus only makes it worse. Nothing's singing. I hit a snag in the plot. I have no plot, but an awesome concept. People grumble to finish one project. Other people grumble to finish the other project.

Ever get like that?

What do you do?

We often hear write what you know. I prefer to say 'write what you feel.' Go with your gut. When it comes to the question of whether to write what They say to, or what Instinct says to, do as Jessica Souders told me. "Instinct. Always instinct." And she's right. Your gut, your instinct is tied to your Higher self that already knows all the answers. Yes, okay, this might feel a little metaphysical or preachy, but it's true.

So, if you're like me bouncing between stories, with a bad lack of focus, quiet yourself and listen to your gut. YOU know what you should be writing. Listen to yourself.

TBR TUESDAY: Blood Magic

It's Tuesday again - time to talk about a book in our To Be Read stack. This week I'm doing Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton. I've actually already read the ARC (it's amazing!! You'll love the dual POV!!) but I can't wait to get my hands on a hardbound copy.

Publisher: Random House
Release Date: May 24, 2011

Goodreads synopsis:

This page-turning debut novel will entice fans who like their paranormal romances dark and disturbing. It's a natural next-read for fans of Stephanie Meyer, Carrie Jones, and Becca Fitzpatrick. But instead of mythical creatures, blood magic has everything to do with primal human desires like power, wealth, and immortality. Everywhere Silla Kennicott turns she sees blood. She can't stop thinking about her parents alleged murder-suicide. She is consumed by a book filled with spells that arrives mysteriously in the mail. The spells share one common ingredient: blood, and Silla is more than willing to cast a few. What's a little spilled blood if she can uncover the truth? And then there's Nick—the new guy at school who makes her pulse race. He has a few secrets of his own and is all too familiar with the lure of blood magic. Drawn together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick must find out who else in their small Missouri town knows their secret and will do anything to take the book and magic from Silla.

And Amazon says:

This page-turning debut novel will entice fans who like their paranormal romances dark and disturbing. It's a natural next-read for fans of Stephanie Meyer, Carrie Jones, and Becca Fitzpatrick. But instead of mythical creatures, blood magic has everything to do with primal human desires like power, wealth, and immortality. Everywhere Silla Kennicott turns she sees blood. She can't stop thinking about her parents alleged murder-suicide. She is consumed by a book filled with spells that arrives mysteriously in the mail. The spells share one common ingredient: blood, and Silla is more than willing to cast a few. What's a little spilled blood if she can uncover the truth? And then there's Nick—the new guy at school who makes her pulse race. He has a few secrets of his own and is all too familiar with the lure of blood magic. Drawn together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick must find out who else in their small Missouri town knows their secret and will do anything to take the book and magic from Silla.

Make sure to pick up this book when it comes out, and in the meantime you can Tessa:

On her website
On her blog
On Twitter

Or watch her performing her own piece!

Movie Oasis

I'd love to tell you I was book-gorger in my younger years. That I passed on Friday night parties or girly sleepovers where my girlfriends and I pulled out our clipboards and played Rate-the-Cutest-Guy Game. Or that I fell head-over-heels for the newest YA male character in a hot New York Times Bestseller.

I didn't, and I wasn't.

Stories were still my passion, though. But it was through MOVIES.

My best guy friend and I watched a ton. We were like Dawson's Creek, only without the creek. We lived next door to each other and spend umpteen hours watching old movies.

By nature, I'm a visual person. As a former makeup artist and painter, I see everything in colors, textures, and patterns. It's just my way. Stories spread out on the silver screen feed my visual hunger.

Back then, I'd be drawn into setting and character development without even knowing it. Then my secret opinions and observations would rev up. I was interested in the inner workings of the film, how it was threaded, formulated, and eventually presented. Without knowing it, I was becoming a critiquer, not a critic. There's a difference.

I wanted to learn the roadways of each story, and eventually realized I wanted to tell stories, too. By examining each scene and segment of films, I learned those inner workings and also how I would have handled maybe the dialog of a scene or a certain setting differently. Way back then, I was exploring the inner storyteller within me. (That's pretty cool!)

So the next time you're feeling down about your writing or the whole writing game is getting you down, rent one of your favorite movies. Sit back with a warm blanket and cuddle up with that virtual story. Let all your senses be tantalized and...inspired.

Sometimes that's all it takes for your writing to be reborn.


What was your favorite film as a high school student? What about it, do you realize now, drew you in?

NEED: Like-Minded Peeps

Trees, tall grass, and deer...that's my backyard. I do live in a neighborhood, though. And yes, we have a paved road with mailboxes lining one side. My neighbor's house smiles at me from across the way, and kids are allowed to bounce from house to house, most ending up in my kitchen gorging on food.

Sometimes I sit on the front porch and watch kids milling about, hearing their murmurs and laughter. Whether they are aware of it or not, they need each other, need friendships to test them and push them to grow.

It's the same with us as writers. I find my writer friendships as fulfilling as writing itself. They cannot be separated. It was the same for me while I danced or when I acted in the theater. Surrounding myself with like minds with similar goals was necessary if I was serious about moving forward in my craft.

What do we writers have? Conferences. How I long to attend a writer's conference.

Writing conferences are NOT abundant in my area. More plainly: THERE ARE NONE. I know of a week retreat a few hours away from where I live held during the summer months, but it's rather expensive. The other closest is in MA in May, but I can't just take off as the school year approaches a close and leave four kids home. The hubs would spin round and round and probably into outerspace.

So when I discovered WriteOnCon, last year, I was thrilled. If you aren't already aware, WriteOnCon is an online writing conference wheeled by some of the most amazing writers. 

They recognized the needs of writers like me and wanted to share, not only themselves and their writing skills, but also the wisdom of other authors, literary agents, editors, and publishers through contests, critiques, chats, and online pitches. How cool is that!?

The first conference was such a success, they expanded to monthly live events and chats. It's great to be a part of it.

This year's online conference is scheduled for August 16th - 18th, with an incredible cast from the publishing world ready and excited to delve into our manuscripts and help us find the gems within us all.

Here's the ladies of WriteOnCon announcing the conference's launching. I hope you'll make the time to attend, learn, and share your personal writing wisdom with others.



It's a quieter vlog than they usually do, but I figure they didn't want to scare anyone. Hah...

Won't you join the countless others and participate in WriteOnCon?Do you have plans on attending a conference this summer?

Thanful Thursday: In memory of Sage

Thankful Thursday is our weekly meme focused on finding things to be thankful for in our everyday life - and sharing with our Oasis community!

We invite you to participate on your own blog and share the link in the comments below - or just give us your answer here

So today’s post had to be the hardest I’ve ever had to write.  Reason being?  Yesterday was close to one of the worst days of my life and I was finding it hard to be thankful for anything.  My beautiful black Labrador, Sage, was hit by a hit-and-run driver.  We thought she’d only broken her leg and took her directly to the vet.  Only to find out she’d broken a vertebra in her neck, her right shoulder and her left leg in three different spots.

Not so bad, you say.  Well, on top of that, my darling dog suffered from a skin condition every spring that countless trips to the vet and to specialists couldn’t cure.  It caused her to itch all the time and made her skin turn black and her hair to fall out on her bottom.  Because of this, they couldn’t do surgery.  The surgery itself would kill her.  And if we’d waited until the skin condition cleared (6-8 weeks) she could have died.  The vet told me the most humane thing to do for her, was to let her go.  And, after careful deliberation, I agreed with her.  She was put to sleep at 10:30 in the morning, just hours after the accident.

She was my best friend, my running buddy (when I could run), my guard dog, and my faithful companion.  She was the one I turned to when I needed to cry. I’d just bury my face in her fur and cry until I couldn’t cry anymore.  But where do you turn, when the person (because she was a person to me) you turn to always, is gone?

So, yesterday, I stared at the blank screen, with tears dribbling down my face and said, “How can I write a thankful post, when I feel anything but thankful?”

I knew I couldn’t do it.  I was too angry.  At the person who ran her over and didn’t even try to stop and see if she was hurt.  At the kids for leaving the door open.  And, most of all, myself, for not being more vigilant to realize she wasn’t in the house.

That’s when I started remembering all the things I’d done with her.  How much she loved me.  And I her.  And how just seeing her usually made everything better.  And I realized I DID have something to be grateful for. 

The years I had with her.

She was only 9, but those were awesome years and I’ll never forget them. Or her.  I’ll miss her tremendously, and I’ll never be able to pick up a Frisbee without remembering how, every morning, she’d run up to me with one in her mouth, begging me to throw it just once more (there was always just a once more.).  How she was the only one in the family who would listen to my hours of reading my stories aloud to make sure they made sense, and how she’d lick my tears away when I got to the sad parts.

These things I will cherish always and THAT is more than enough to be grateful for.

So this post is dedicated to her memory, of which I'll always be grateful.

So...what person (or animal) are you grateful to have known in your life?

Writer's Wednesday: More Grammar Tips

While this image has nothing in particular to do with grammar (other than it's the alphabet, which we use to make words, which are then misused in examples of bad grammar), it's very cool.  So enjoy!

I got an e-mail the other day with some quick grammar tips from Gotham Writer's Workshop.  Seeing as how all the tips I either needed myself or well... know some of you need ('cause who doesn't need a reminder every now and then?), I thought I'd share.

Its versus It's
This one is easy to mess up if you're not thinking about what you're writing (hello speed writing!), and it drives grammar bugs NUTS!

What a difference an apostrophe makes. Every possessive has one, right? Well, not necessarily so. It (like he and she) is a pronoun—a stand-in for a noun—and pronouns don’t have apostrophes when they’re possessives: His coat is too loud because of its color, but hers is too mousy.

Now, as for it’s (the one with the punctuation), the apostrophe stands for something that has been removed. It’s is short for it is, and the apostrophe replaces the missing i in is. The parakeet is screeching because it’s time to feed him.

Here’s how to keep its and it’s straight:

• If the word you want could be replaced by it is, use it’s. If not, use its. 

Who's versus Whose
The battle between whose and who’s comes up less frequently than the one between its and it’s(see above), but the problems are identical. If you can solve one, you’ve got the other one whipped.

Don’t be misled by the apostrophe. Not every possessive has one. Who (like it and he) is a pronoun—a stand-in for a noun—and pronouns don’t have apostrophes when they’re possessives: “Whose frog is this?” said Miss Grundy.

Now, as for who’s, the apostrophe stands for something that has been removed. Who’s is short for who is, and the apostrophe replaces the missing i in is. “And who’s responsible for putting it in my desk?”

Here’s how to keep whose and who’s straight:

• If you can substitute who is, use who’s. If not, use whose.

NOTE: Sometimes who’s is short for who has, as in: Who’s had lunch?

Who versus Whom

Do you choke when you have to decide when to use who and whom? Here’s something I call the “him-lich maneuver.” Ask if you could hypothetically answer the question with him. If you can, use whom. Him and whom both end with the letter m. This works because whom refers to objects, and him is an object pronoun, so it makes a good test case.

Who/Whom should we invite? (You could answer, “We should invite him.” You’ve got a him, so the right choice is whom.)
Who/Whom is going? (You could answer, “He is going.” Him doesn’t work, so the right choice is who.)

Each and Every

Each and every mean the same thing and are considered singular nouns so they take singular verbs. (Note the singular verbs in the following example.) If you want to get technical, you can use each to emphasize the individual items or people:

Each car is handled with care.
Inspectors scrutinize each egg to make sure it isn’t cracked.

And you can use every to emphasize the larger group:

Every car should use hybrid technology.
The Egg Farmers of America want eggs on every table for breakfast.

People often say “each and every” for emphasis, but it is redundant, and I almost always advise brevity when it comes to usage.

Hope these served as a helpful reminder!

TBR TUESDAY: Starcrossed

We all have our quirks. We all have our likes and dislikes, but ask the girls here at the Oasis and they'll tell you I am a huge sucker for anything Greek mythology. Enter into my obsession Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini is said to be Percy Jackson for girls. According to the author's website:

Helen Hamiliton has always tried to hide how different she is—no easy feat on an island as small as Nantucket, and only getting harder as she finds herself haunted by hallucinations and vivid nightmares.

It’s not until she crosses paths with Lucas Delos at school that Helen’s true heritage is finally revealed. Yet even as Lucas helps her awaken to her startling powers, they can never be together—not unless they can break free from the tragic destiny the Three Fates have in store.

And according to the book's page at Harper Teen:

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Starcrossed Release date: May 31

Josephine's WEBSITE

Preorder Starcrossed on Barnes and Noble

MONDAY SANCTUARY: Retreat

I've always said, when I make it big, I want a house with a room all to myself. A little alcove with a purple chaise lounge, Pottery Barn ottoman pillows, lots of candles, and dim lamps. And of course an antique desk for my laptop.

But, for now, I'm stuck writing off my dining room table. It's not comfortable. It's not creative. Unfortunately it's also where I eat my food and help t kids with homework.

So lately, I've started taking my laptop elsewhere to write. It can be to the next room where I plop on the couch and get comfy. Perhaps upstairs to the master bedroom where I sprawl on the floor with all the blinds open to let in natural light. Suddenly I feel different. I feel creative and ready to write (or edit).

Sometimes you need a change of scenery. Try heading to the park, or if you can handle the noise and chaos - head to your local coffee shop. Or just try sitting somewhere else in your house. You'll be surprised at what you can do :)

Win a Critique From All of us at Oasis for YA!

We are so thrilled to have hit 300 followers on our blog, and wanted to do something to celebrate! We are offering one lucky winner the opportunity to have ALL 5 of us critique either their query letter or their first chapter. That's like getting 5 new critique partners in one fell swoop!

To enter you must be a follower of the blog (old or new, doesn't matter) and fill out the form below by midnight April 1st. You can get an extra entry for tweeting and an extra two entries for blogging about the contest.

Good luck :)

THANKFUL THURSDAY: #4 I'm Still Alive

Thankful Thursday is our weekly meme focused on finding things to be thankful for in our everyday life - and sharing with our Oasis community!

We invite you to participate on your own blog and share the link in the comments below - or just give us your answer here.

Firstly...

...& the luck of the Irish to you!!

Today's THANKFUL THURSDAY ~ I'm still alive.


Reflecting on all that enriches our lives is healthy. So often in the writing world, writers lose focus because of disappointments or 'so-close' achievements. But in each frown there is a smile. Granted, you have to stand on your head to see it but it is there. 


Am I being silly. Yes. Originally, I was going to give thanks for the diversity of genres we have available to us: to read, to explore, to write. But then...I fell down the stairs. Seriously. I had on my favorite Nightmare Before Christmas skeleton slippers and 'whoosh', there I went. Mind you; I had my coffee mug in hand.


So, yeah, I'm rather thankful that I didn't break my neck or scald myself with steaming coffee. I also give thanks for how quickly the voices of my four kids and hubby rushed to the bottom of the stairs...from the kitchen. 


"Ma, you okay?" and "Hey, babe, what was all that racket?" I hear while cursing them all in my head... gratefully, of course.


Simple but true. How often do we forget to be thankful for simply silly things? 


Any simply silly stuff you're thankful for this week?

Writer's Wednesday: Conferences

Conference season is upon us and while they can be fun, they can be extremely overwhelming. 

My first conference was the National RWA one they held in Orlando last year.  To say I was totally overwhelmed and wanting to cry by the end of it, is an understatement.  However, I recently attended a smaller regional SCBWI one and it was WONDERFUL.  It got me completely charged up to keep writing and I found myself hunting for another conference to attend.

In my opinion, if you’ve never attended a conference before, start small.  You’ll be able to do so much more without becoming so overwhelmed you can’t function. 

It’s also much easier to make those much coveted industry contacts with the smaller venues.  The agents, editors, and other writers are more accessible and willing to talk with you.

But I warn you, don’t spend the whole time trying to pitch.  Sure, if you run into an agent/editor and while you’re talking they ask what your book is about, tell them, but don’t expressly start the conversation with the hopes to pitch.  They’ll know and it’ll start you off on the wrong foot.

Attend workshops based on the want to know the knowledge instead of wanting to know the individual teaching.

On the other hand, DO go up to the agents/editors.  That’s why they are there.  Don’t be shy.  They feel the same way.  If you’re like me, you’re terrified of talking to new people. Don’t be.  They know what it’s like, and having great contacts can sometimes make all the difference.

So how do you go up to an agent/editor to strike up a conversation without appearing like a crazy person?

I recently asked Kensington editor, Megan Records, this question and her response was phenomenal.

“Flattery. “Hi. Sorry to interrupt, but I know you are so and so’s agent/ed, and I just wanted to tell you I really enjoyed *insert title of book by so and so*” (alternately “I really love the cover of *insert title of book by so and so*. I’m so excited to read it!”).

This establishes two things: 1) you’ve done some research on us, so you aren’t just frantically looking around for anyone with “agent” or “editor” on their nametag; 2) you loved the book, and we loved the book, so we have some common tastes.

It is also really easy for the agent/ed to accept this type of indirect flattery. Direct flattery, e.g. “I really admire you; you are one of my favorite agents.” is awkward/stalkerish and can be really uncomfortable if you are the type of person who isn’t good at receiving compliments (*raises hand*). But we are always up for gushing about our favorite authors.”

This really made me stop and think. And, of course, come up with this blog post.

But also note what she said, about doing your research.  DO NOT just go up to a person because they have editor/agent on their nametag.  Even if you’re not trying to pitch, it’s just as bad in the “oh they’re just using me for…whatever” category.  Even if that wasn’t your intention.

Megan has a great blog post on it here.  And my agent did one on conference networking here not to long ago.  Since they speak more eloquently than I do, make sure to read their posts.  And most importantly, have FUN!  Conferences are a blast and a great time to meet other writers.

TBR Tuesday: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Debuting one week from today, Wither by Lauren DeStefano looks to be an intriguing YA dystopian novel.

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out. 

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home. 

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

Here's the official trailer, which released just yesterday:

And this video was so interesting to me -- talking about a classic "pantster"!

MONDAY SANCTUARY

No fuss, no folderol. My sanctuary, my escape is very often reading. So, I'm going to give one of our Oasis readers a little of my style of sanctuary.From the HarperTeen website:

They say that the cure for love will make me happy and safe forever. And I’ve always believed them.
Until now.
Now everything has changed. Now, I’d rather be infected with love for the tiniest sliver of a second than live a hundred years smothered by a lie.

From bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes the first book in a stunning new trilogy set in a dystopian world. Prepare to be captivated!

So what do you need to do?
1) Be an Oasis follower.
2) Comment here and tell me why you want DELIRIUM
3) Include a contact email.

So...do you want DELIRIUM?

THANKFUL THURSDAY #3: The Small Stuff

Thankful Thursday is our weekly meme focused on finding things to thank in our everyday life - and sharing with our Oasis community!

We invite you to participate on your own blog and share the link in the comments below - or just give us your answer here.

Today's Thankful Thursday: The Small Stuff

Sometimes it's hard to find big things to be thankful about - but it's rarely hard to find a few small items. Maybe it's that the sun peeked through the clouds during an onslaught of rain. Or maybe it's finding a piece of chocolate in the remnants of a Halloween candy bag. Tell us, what small stuff are you thankful for?

If you'd like to participate, we ask that you:

1. Write your own blog post.
2. Be sure to grab our badge and include it in your post.
3. Post a link to your blog in the comments here so that others can find you.
4. Go forth and share your gratitude! (And when friending new blogs, be sure to let them know you found them because of their participation in the meme.)

And there you have it -- come on out and tell us what you're thankful for today!

LITERARY TERMS III: I Am Voice

The concept of 'Voice' can be intimidating. It doesn't have to be.

credit for image

When I think about voice, the first thing that comes to mind is distinction.

Most people would recognize Mickey Mouse's voice without any explanation. And few people would mistake Miss Piggy's voice for Kermit the Frog's voice. Both are identifiable ~ unique.

What makes a voice standout from another? What makes voice distinct? 

Tone, Diction, and sentence structure play a huge roll in defining voice. (Sounds like dialog just might be my next Writer Wednesday theme.)

Voice reflects the "who" of your character and the invisible drapery of personality, hopes, dreams, hurts, and those desires hidden even from them. It gives "sound" to your words on the page. Voice connects the layers of a character.

Miss Piggy is a snarky, stubborn verigo with a relatively stalkerish crush on Kermit the Frog. How do I know this? Diction or word choice, firstly. If you've ever listened to the dialog written for her, you've noticed the distinct rawness to her words. She rarely speaks with sweet or calming words, unless she's trying to soften some blow to poor Kermit. And then there's the bluntness she delivers her words, her mannerisms and force. That would be Tone.

Background, ethnic group, and setting of the story can also be huge in developing voice. Develop and plan, these. A character's experiences also steer voice. We've all read characters that speak hard or rough and then those who seem way too meek for anyone's good. Just as your life experiences have molded you, so have the struggles and hurdles of your character's life. Understand each like it was your life.

If you're having trouble with voice, try asking yourself these questions:

1. What is this character's background? (It may not be developed enough.)

2. What is the world they live in and how do they relate to it? (You may need more description and think about it in relation to the character.)

3. How well do I know or understand 1 &2? (If not, do more research.)

4. What are his/her motivations behind the goals I've set?

There are many exercises to developing voice.

Take a character from a book or movie you know well. I mean really well. We all had them, probably from high school. Set them in a place they'd never go and think what they'd say. If it feels out of sync, you probably understand their voice.

You can also take a staple character like a Jewish Rabbi or a traffic cop from a small town and put them in a place you wouldn't expect them to travel. Maybe put the Rabbi in a populated amusement park and the small-town traffic cop on the stand at a Superior Court proceeding. What do you hear?

Lastly, a great exercise is journaling. It can be true to your life or pretend. Just write as if it's your life.

Voice takes practice but it can be fun to play with. For me, it's one of the few aspects of writing I'm comfortable with. I love mixing it up, putting words in a character's mouth that no one would expect yet keeping them true to who they are as my make believe friends.

Can you think of a character with an unforgettable voice? 

TBR Tuesday: A Long, Long Sleep

It's Tuesday again - time for another book we can't wait to read in our To Be Read pile. This week I'm doing A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan. I've already read the E-ARC (it is the best book I've read in MANY, MANY moons.  Stay tuned for book review) but I can't wait to get my hands on a hard copy.
Publisher: Candlewick
Release Date: August 2011(yes, I know, it's ENTIRELY too far away. 

Goodreads synopsis:

Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for 62 years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically-induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten sub-basement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long dead, and Rose - hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire - is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes - or be left without any future at all.

Make sure to add this at goodreads and pick it up when it comes out. 

 Also, as a courtesy to friend and fellow blogger, Ebyss Writer, we'd like to pass around something she's doing to help students in her class to help them learn to love and enjoy books.



Here in her words:

I work with lower income and special students who want to expand their knowledge through a college education, but they are struggling with reading and/or mathematical concepts.

I would like to start a book drive. This way these students can improve their reading scores through practicing what we all love to do----read. As we know, the more you read, then the better you get. Plus, I hope to ignite in them a passion for exploring other worlds and other people through the written word.

I am asking for you to help me by donating books for this cause. Any MG or YA books would be greatly appreciated.

New or used--doesn’t matter. Fiction or non-fiction—doesn’t matter. The only thing I would like to do is keep the reading lvl at MG and YA.

What I plan to do when I get with these students is let them choose a book for them to keep. A lot of these students don’t read—at least by choice—and I’m hoping to expose them to great novels.

If you would like to help, please leave a comment, message me on twitter or leave me a message on facebook. Also, if you could plz retweet this or like on facebook with a link to spread the word would be appreciated.

Thanks so much.

Thanks everyone who can help or pass along the word.  If you leave a comment on here for her, I will pass it along.  I'm already going through my books to see what I can give her.

Sanctuary in Your Strength

I've noticed that it seems my Oasis sisters (including myself) have already had some sad or tough moments in 2011.  Moments that might leave us scratching our heads wondering "why?" And as I know first hand, when you get into that mindset, it's so easy to let yourself spiral downward.

So today, I'd just like to encourage everyone to find sanctuary not in a stolen moment, a hot bath, or a favorite ritual... but in your own strength.  Wherever you are on your writing journey, you can do this!  Keep believing in yourself, because you're the only one who's truly invested in making your dreams come true.

So crank up the volume on your computer, hop up out of your chair, and BELIEVE these lyrics: you're a firework!

Lyrics to the "somewhat" odd video -- they're inspiring!
Do you ever feel like a plastic bag
Drifting throught the wind
Wanting to start again

Do you ever feel, feel so paper thin
Like a house of cards
One blow from caving in

Do you ever feel already buried deep
Six feet under scream
But no one seems to hear a thing

Do you know that there's still a chance for you
Cause there's a spark in you
You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gunna leave 'em fallin' down-own-own

You don't have to feel like a waste of space
You're original, cannot be replaced
If you only knew what the future holds
After a hurricane comes a rainbow

Maybe you're reason why all the doors are closed
So you could open one that leads you to the perfect road
Like a lightning bolt, your heart will blow
And when it's time, you'll know

You just gotta ignite the light
And let it shine
Just own the night
Like the Fourth of July

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what you're worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on let your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe-awe-awe"

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
It's always been inside of you, you, you
And now it's time to let it through

Cause baby you're a firework
Come on show 'em what your worth
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
As you shoot across the sky-y-y

Baby you're a firework
Come on slet your colors burst
Make 'em go "Oh, oh, oh!"
You're gonna leave 'em all in awe-awe-awe

Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon
Boom, boom, boom
Even brighter than the moon, moon, moon


**As always, Oasis for YA encourages you to purchase songs from the artists and listen responsibly**

Friday Freestyle: March Madness (the reading variety)

I'm not talking college basketball here, people.  I'm talking books.  Holy year of awesome new releases in YA!  I'm already "behind" in all the reading I want to do and the releases coming out this month certainly aren't going to lighten my load any. 

And this won't help either -- but it'll be fun!  I thought I'd mash Tuesday Trailers in here and pick up some of the books that've already released but that we didn't feature.  The catch?  These are all trailers from 2011 releases currently in my TBR pile. 

In the spirit of "I'll show you mine if you show me yours," I want to hear what's on your list too.  I'm sure the end result will be more to read, but if you're like me, you won't want to miss anything good.

Currently reading: The Vespertine (releases 3/7/11)


TBR Pile of Already-Released Books:

Warped by Mourissa Guibord (released 1/11/11)


Falling Under by Gwen Hayes (released 3/1/11)


Clarity by Kim Harrington (released 3/1/11)


What's in your TBR pile from 2011?

THANKFUL THURSDAY: Happy Birthday, Sheri!!

This Thankful Thursday, we'd like to encourage you to take a moment to reflect on the special people in your life, and why you're thankful to have them.

Humans are such social creatures, we need each other for socialization, for sharing, for laughter, for love, for down right rotten bitch fests (let's be honest, they do happen). The list of the ways we need each other could go on and on, but I haven't had enough coffee for that. Some people hit our lives with the force of a sledgehammer, and we are marked by their passage. Some people a guides, nudging us along our paths. and some people breeze in, sweet and soft as a spring whisper and we are forever changed.

So, who are we thankful for? Well, what better day to have a Thankful Thursday than on Sheri Larsen's birthday? It's almost divine intervention. Sooo...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHERI!!!

Jessica said: I'm thankful for Sheri, because I've no idea how she juggles all the balls she does w/o dropping them. She's my freakin' hero with that stuff!! Also that she always has the greatest ideas and that she was awesome enough to start this blog and ask me to join. Thank you so much, Sheri, for being my blog sister! Happy Birthday!!

Nikki said: I'm very thankful that Sheri came up with the idea to launch this blog, bringing all of us together to this amazing place! Sheri has been so much fun to get to know, and has been a great CP. She is so creative and such a wonderful mom too! Happy Happy Birthday Sheri. Wishing you a fabulous day and year ahead.

Jessie said: I am so thankful for Sheri -- who had the genius to think up the concept of creating a blog oasis for fellow YA authors. I'm thankful that she reached out to me through YALitChat to see if I'd be interested in joining her and for her thinking enough of my writing to ask me in the first place! Sheri has energy, spunk, creativity, and talent that makes our blog a better place to be on a daily basis. Happy Birthday, Sher, and may this year bring you nothing but continued success!

And me: I try to lift Sheri up when she's down, try to help read for her when I can, and I never feel like I've given enough back for the kind support she's given me. Sometimes a person finds just the right way, uses just the right words. Sheri is that person for me. She has such a wonderful caring heart. The days I've been pouty, wondering if I'm worth any fuss in this industry Sheri comes along and refuses to let me wallow. I can hand her my broken, grubby bits and she puts a shine on them so bright I can feel her belief uplifting me. So, thank you Sheri, just for being YOU. You are an amazing blessing to us Oasis girls.