Thankful What???

What better way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day than to think about all we are grateful for?? And here, on Oasis for YA, we have lots of reasons to give thanks.

1. We share a joint love for Young Adult literature, which, I believe, can change the world.
2. We welcomed a new Oasis Sister this year, Larissa!
3. The publishing world is ever-changing, giving us more say in our futures.
4. Collectively, we belong to YAlitchat-the most amazing YA writing community.
5. Each of the Oasis Sisters has gained ground in the writing/publishing/marketing/platform world.

• Jessie just celebrated her release of DESTINED!
• Jessica is fast at edits for her book deal!
• AE is out on sub with eleven publishers!
• Nikki is hard at work on her stories and has material out with agents!
• Larissa is working on her stories and is as much a ray of encouragement as ever!
• And me, one of my short stories was just published in a collection of short stories. (Yeah, in a real book!) I have material out with agents and am hearing positive responses.

Mostly, we are thankful for YOU, our devoted followers. Thank you for choosing to follow us and join in on YA discussions, as well as sharing our love and journeys in the publishing world.

The Oasis Sisters

Now, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving Day?

THANKFUL THURSDAY: Picture Books

So we're here to visit our Oasis Meme again, and I have the pleasure of exploring one of my favorite avenues in writing: Picture Books. I was excited to read this week's question because I write picture books as well as YA.

Last week's plug: Let's get out of the realm of writing and YA for a bit. What picture book are you thankful for?


With having four kids, I have a throng of picture books in my house. I wrote a post HERE matching up a favorite picture book with each of my children. For today, I'll be more general. STELLALUNA, by Author Janell Cannon is a fantastic PB. The story explores all that encompasses self-discovering and acceptance in language a young child can understand. The illustrations are fantastic and help convey the story in a sweet and gentle way.


Do you have a favorite Picture Book??


To join in the weekly meme, just do the following:

1. Do your own blog post on what you're thankful for today. It doesn't have to be on topic (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.)

Next Week's Topic: Staying near the topic of Picture Books, what imagery inspires you most while writing?? It can be geared to any genre. 

This Week's Thankful Thursday Topic:  What’s your opinion of writing from the perspective of the “bad guy?”  (think Dexter) -- since this is Thankful Thursday, I'm going to tweak the topic into how writing from the bad guy perspective has improved my writing -- something I'm always thankful for.

 *** Dexter image by David Deb ***

Here's the thing... I've never watched Dexter (although my mom tells me it's awesome), but I've recently learned something important about writing from the perspective of the "bad guy" -- they're not always that bad.  Here's my personal example:

When I first started out to become a writer a few years ago, I began with retelling the myth of Cupid & Psyche (yeah, I'm still working on it, but that's another story).  The "bad guy" in the myth is Venus, who is jealous of Psyche and condemns her to marry a monster.  As I wrote, I pictured Venus as Heidi Klum with a heart of coal.  Everything about her screamed "b!tch," regardless of whether she was interacting with Psyche, Cupid or any other god or goddess.  Pretty stereotypical.

Recently, someone encouraged me to put my own spin on the myth -- to tell the story from my own unique perspective.  Which got me thinking, what if Venus wasn't so stereotypical?  She could have real feelings, and be hurt, just like anyone else.  And her reactions would be more understandable and justified.

And I think that's where I learned a real lesson.  It's really "easy" (is any part of writing easy?) to write these characters that you love to hate.  They're a guy only looking to score, or a girl just trying to make herself look better by putting someone else down.  Or, if we're talking darker, we could be looking at murders or drug lords.  People who are rightfully scary.

Now take those characters, step back, and figure out why someone loves them despite their flaws.  Why does the jerk guy have a cousin who'd do anything for him?  Why does the murder have a loving family on the side who deeply cares about him?  If you write even a chapter from the perspective of your bad guy (and I'm not even talking about a chapter you keep), you will necessarily make your characters more three dimensional.  You'll understand something more about their feelings and motivations and that can't help but come across on the page.

What about you -- do you ever try to examine your story from the perspective of the bad guy?  Do you like reading stories by or about the "bad guy"?

To join in the weekly meme, just do the following:

1. Do your own blog post on what you're thankful for today. It doesn't have to be on topic (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.)

Next Week's Topic:  What's the worst writing blunder you've ever made that you realized later was actually a blessing?

Thursday Meme: High School Social Groups

Our Oasis Meme was created to ponder, encourage, and mostly celebrate all that is Young Adult. Each week we post a question about writing, publishing, and/or young adult topics/issues and the next week we answer it. 

We'd love for you to grab our Meme Motto, join us every Thursday, and connect with other Oasis Seekers and the YA community at large.

This Week's Topic:  Of all the high school groups or clicks, which do you enjoy writing the most? 

Hmm, it figures my Oasis sisters would give me the HARD topic. LOL.  Especially since I write science fiction and most of my worlds take place AWAY from high school and the clicks and social groups. 

I guess, though, that in and of itself explains a lot.  I NEVER liked all the separation that existed in high school and in the one I went to, there really wasn’t a whole lot of it. 

I went to a school that specialized in the health fields, and it was small.  So we all kind of clumped together.  Cheerleaders and band geeks.  Football players and science nerds.  All were one in the same. 

But, I knew there was SUPPOSED to be a separation—I’d seen 90210 and the like (LOL.  I guess that dates me, huh?)  But, I just didn’t get it.  And it carries through to my writing. 

However, IF I had to choose, I suppose I’d write something similar to GLEE and root for the underdog.  They’re always a TON more fun to write about, IMO.  :P Although, I will admit that I’m partial to the “bad boys.” 

That’s my take on social groups.  What’s yours?

 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.)

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

Next Week's Topic:  What’s your opinion of writing from the perspective of the “bad guy?”  (think Dexter)

Thursday Meme: All About the Senses

Our Oasis Meme was created to ponder, encourage, and mostly celebrate all that is Young Adult. Each week we post a question about writing, publishing, and/or young adult topics/issues and the next week we answer it. 

We'd love for you to grab our Meme Motto, join us every Thursday, and connect with other Oasis Seekers and the YA community at large.

This Week's Topic: Which of your five senses do you most appreciate and why?

This is an intensely tough question for me. I am Sense person at heart. I love the eyes, and am a true believer they are the windows to the soul. Smells are interesting and can be used to create scenes from serious to humorous. Sounds and tastes can do the same, creating a unique world or setting. But for today, I guess I'll go with touch. This is probably because I just wrote an intimate scene between my two main characters where they do not kiss--only touch, mere butterfly touches that cause internal reactions and growth in the characters. I love the subtle that ends up erupting in the powerful.

So there you have it. My take on Senses. Share yours. 

 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.)

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

This Week's Topic: Of all the high school groups or clicks, which do you enjoy writing the most? 

THANKFUL THURSDAY: Teacher Inspiration

Join the Oasis thankful-fest once a week - sending out good energy and get some back in return!

This meme was created to help our Oasis Seekers connect with one another. 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.

This Week's Topic: What teacher most encouraged you to grow as a reader or writer?

This topic was chosen by AE last week, so I'm going to answer it by saying I honestly don't think any of my teacher's inspired or encouraged me to be a reader or writer! At the crucial ages where I was learning to read and write, learning language arts, and even taking AP English in college - I had horrible teachers who squashed any sort of creativity I might have had. My mom, who is an avid reader, instilled a sense of reading and writing in me at a very early age - so I have to thank her instead :)

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.)

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

This Week's Topic: Which of your five senses do you most appreciate and why?

Thankful for Thursday: Websites

Join the Oasis thankful-fest once a week - send out good energy and get some back in return!

This meme was created to help our Oasis Seekers connect with one another. We know most of you are 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.

Here are the rules to participate each week:

1. Grab the Thankful prompt from below and write a post about it. 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.)

Topic this week: What writing/reading website are you most grateful for and why?

Goodness, this week's topic almost seems too easy! I'm thankful for THIS VERY WEBSITE/BLOG because I have my wonderful Oasis sisters for support, advice, crits and everything else requiring a shoulder to lean on.  Plus, I'm thankful for YOU -- OUR WONDERFUL OASIS SEEKERS -- you leave us comments, read our posts and just generally help to inspire our lives.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention the YALitChat site -- the place where we all met. If you write YA, you really should be a member.  There is so much support, feedback, and information available... not to mention access to agents and publishers. Truly, I can't say enough good things about it.  It's well worth your $30 investment (and it's free to students 18 and under).

So what about you?  What writing/reading websites do you most appreciate?

And to get you thinking ahead -- next week's topic will be: What teacher most encouraged you to grow as a reader or writer?   

Thankful Thursday Meme: Book series'

Join the Oasis thankful-fest once a week - sending out good energy and get some back in return!

 This meme was created to help our Oasis Seekers connect with one another. We know most of you are 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.


Topic this week: What book series are you most thankful for and why?

When I saw this prompt, I was like, “Oh boy! How do I choose?!”  There wasn’t a way, so I used the ol’ stand-by…eenie, meenie, Minie, Mo. :D  Of course, that didn’t work either. LOL. So, I picked two.  Yes, I’m cheating. Kinda.  ; ) The second will be posted at my blog.

The first one is the one I’m MOST grateful for and that would be the Hunger Games series.  Not only was it an exceptional story, but it was beautifully written and had me running through the gambit of my emotions. 

The reason I’m grateful for it is it made me realize that the story I had simmering in the back of my mind COULD be told.  That there was a market for it.  It also made me realize that first person, present tense is a viable option—if it’s done right.

Here are the rules to participate each week:

1. Grab next week's Thankful prompt from below and write a post about it. 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 next Thursday.

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.)


Next Week's Prompt: Website. What writing/reading website are you most grateful for and why?

THANKFUL THURSDAY MEME ~ Quotes

Join the Oasis thankful-fest once a week - sending out good energy and get some back in return!

This meme was created to help our Oasis Seekers connect with one another. We know most of you are 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.


Topic this week: Quotes. Do you have a favorite quote? Something that inspires you each time you read it or instill a sense of calm, peace, and assurance?


Here's one of my new favorites: "Nothing is impossible, the word itself says 'I'm possible'!" Audrey Hepburn


For this week, just post in the comments!!


Here are the rules to participate each week:

1. Grab next week's Thankful prompt from below and write a post about it. 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 next Thursday.

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.)


Next Week's Prompt: Series. What book series are you most thankful for and why?

Thankful for Thursday Meme: Spring Break

Join the Oasis thankful-fest once a week - sending out good energy and get some back in return!

This meme was created to help our Oasis Seekers connect with one another. 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.

This Week's Topic: Spring Break. What are you thankful about for Spring Break this year, or any year? Or maybe Spring in general?

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.)

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

Thankful for Thursday 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 encourage 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.)

The meme also helps our Oasis Seekers connect with one another. 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.

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.)

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

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?

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?

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!

We're Starting a Meme!

Okay, today I'm really excited because I get to introduce you to our Thankful Thursday meme and unveil the meme logo.  I love it... don't you just love it?

For those of you scratching your head and going, "umm, yeah, that's cool and all, but WTH is a meme?"-- I'll enlighten you.  (Because as of a few months ago, I didn't know myself.)

If you've spent any time in the blogosphere, you've seen other memes.  Waiting on Wednesday.  In My Mailbox.  Follow Me Friday.  To be technical about it, meme is pronounced like it rhymes with cream, not like men with an "m."  (Yeah, I never say it right either.)  According to wikipedia, a meme "identifies ideas or beliefs that are transmitted from one person or group of people to another. The concept comes from an analogy: as genes transmit biological information, memes can be said to transmit idea and belief information. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ideas symbols or practices, which can be transmitted from one mind to another through writing, speech, gestures, rituals or other imitable phenomena." 

So why are we doing this?  Couple of reasons. We know that the surest way to get good things in life is to be thankful for what you already have.  So why not encourage 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.)

Another reason is that we want to help our Oasis seekers connect with one another.  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.)

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

Thankful for Love Thursday

Since it's Valentine's Week, I thought it would be neat to list some of the books we're thankful for that have a romantical element.

Mine are The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare for making me ache for all the turmoil between two characters and showing that love doesn't have to be pretty.  The Soul Screamers Series by Rachel Vincent for showing that sometimes the one we love isn't the one we're supposed to be with and Nightshade for showing that we can't choose the path our hearts take and love can't be pre-ordained no matter how many wish it were so.

Jessie said:  Anna and the French Kiss, The Wicked Lovely Series, and Twilight (sorry, I know it's cliché, but it really did light a spark in me for my own writing)

*I was SO going to post the WL series, but I figured you would, so I left it to you.  :D  Also, I agree that Twilight is a great series for the romance.  It sparked my own writing, too!

AE: I'd have to say MATCHED for teaching me a sweeter romance and not to rush it, THE REPLACEMENT for letting me see it from a guy character's POV, and SHIVER/LINGER for Maggie's sheer brilliance of putting the characters together and then pulling them apart, putting them together and pulling them apart--by the end of Shiver, I ached for Sam to conquer the wolf within.

Sheri:  Pride and Prejudice, Vampire Diaries series, and The Wicked Lovely series.

And Nikki has a great way of viewing the question I posed: "I actually read this a bit differently.  I think all YA books/series have a romance element - so I'd just pick my fave books.  I took it to mean which books am I grateful that there is a romantic element involved - because otherwise it would be too dreary, depressing, or scary!!

So, sticking with that - I'd have to say The Mockingbirds, Before I Fall, Between Shades of Gray."

So, what say you?  What books are you glad you read that have a romance to them?

FUELed-UP Rejection

Writing can be a lonely place. When an idea first hits you, the thrill is almost exasperating, choking the breath from your lungs. You want nothing more than to share it with someone. Who better than a close friend or relation? Yeah, most of them just look at you like you have three heads with green mist circling your eyes.

Feeling REJECTION #1 - Realize they aren't wired like you. Be Thankful that you are.

You start writing the story. An annoying mind bump throttles you, bringing your thought process to a halt. You call a writer friend and order an intervention. A chat ensues, but your writer friend's observations are not what you expected. "This isn't working because..." You panic. Think you have no abilities.

Feeling REJECTION #2 - If you trusted this particular writer enough to call them, than be brave enough to listen, truly hear what they are saying. Be Thankful you have them.

As a member of a blessed writing community, you upload your query letter for critique. The results catapult you out of your writing space, down the hall, and out the door of your house, sure you'll never touch your laptop again.

Feeling REJECTION #3 - Skim the comments. Sift through what is valid and what is a bit much. Now this takes time. You need to find your gut and learn to be Thankful for it. It's yours, given to you as a guide. Use it.

As a possessor of a now alluring query letter, you muster up the gusto and begin to seek an agent. Skittish at first, you send out seven, maybe ten. You receive a few requests for material, (YAY, you!!), but also some rejections with comments like:

- Your plot is interesting and even exciting to me, but I just don't think this is the right manuscript for me.

- I've enjoyed your query letter, but the state of the market in (said) genre is my concern, right now. Please feel free to query me again at a later date.

- I'm very interested in this, but after meeting with my colleagues at the agency, it's been decided that we will pass. (Of course, I could go on here. And yes, these examples were a bit personal from me.)

REJECTION # 4 - Nothing in the above examples says you're a bad writer or that you should padlock your laptop and close up shop. The agent just wasn't YOUR agent, the one waiting to find you, too. There are words of wisdom in those replies. (Heck, the agent replied.) Tuck them into your heart and soul. See them as a step closer to your goal. Be Thankful for each and every one of them.

REJECTION is not FATAL. When seen with an open mind, heart, and eagerness to jump over that next writing hurdle, it can be fuel.

On behalf of the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday, here's an image to make you feel better. Despite where you are in your writing career, know there will always be obstacles set in your path. Challenge them. Grow. Be Who You Are Meant To Be.


In hindsight, what rejection pushed you to grow as a writer, friend, mother/father, etc..?

THANKFUL THURSDAY: What are Your Characters Thankful For?

As I work on my character profiles and collages for a possible new work-in-progress, I decided it would be fun to list what are characters are thankful for!

Sheri:
My middle grade character Ebony Charmed might be a bit ticked being an apprentice witch with a cat who can commune with ghosts better than she can, but she has found something to be thankful for: Cheeze-Its. Yup. She's a cheesy-cracker-aholic. Oh, and she's also in love with the knew lip balm she conjured up. Might not cure that crush she has on Lance McGwyer, the new 7th-grader, but it did clog that hole in her bike tire.

Jessie:
Even though Beneath the Surface is told from Wren's first person point of view, as Wren's soulmate, Chase Regas is unquestionably a MC And Chase is very thankful for the two women in his life. No -- he's not a total cheat! Wren, and his sister Cass, are his support system as he faces the last two weeks of his life. And why not... we all know that women are really the strong ones in any relationship. ;) If you catch him on the right day, Chase might even admit that fact himself.

AE:
Zain's greatest joy in ASCOD is Taking Zoe Morgan out on their first date. Too bad they never make it home safely...

Jessica:
Evelyn is thankful for her suitor Timothy and the beautiful wind chimes he made for her--they spin just beautifully in the breeze from the oxygen recyclers. It's such a shame he touched her hand. Because touching by Uncoupled people is against The Law and punishable by death.

Nikki:
Audrey is thankful for her spontaneous best friend (Cali) and Cali's hot cousin (Race) - for being willing to run away from home for a month to tour all the museums on the East Coast during summer break.

Thankful Thursday - Metaphorically Speaking

Is a picture worth a 1,000 words?

When you look at this picture, what do you think? What do you feel?

My first reaction is that the heart symbolizes the fragility of human nature, and how like dried leaves our experiences can either pile together until we almost overflow, or they can leave us brittle and broken.

But that has nothing to do with gratitude, now does it?

The artist here, BidWiya, had in mind an old proverb: who does not thank for little, will not thank for much.  According to the artist's page on DeviantArt, he says that the leaves symbolize that ‘the days will pass, the leaves will dry and I have still not given you enough to say thank you’.


Which is beautiful, really.

Have you let those closest to you know how much you appreciate them? Or are the leaves of your life crackling, drying and slipping away?  Maybe it's time to turn the computer off (I know - *gasp* - put your writing away) and spend some time with the person you most appreciate.  I'm off to do just that.

Writing Elements

When we think about the act of writing, the initial creak of the laptop opening and tapping of keys are the first sounds that come to my mine. Then there's sitting down to write that first line, that first sentence that's going to set the tone for the entire story. Of course, we can't leave out the thought process: outlining, jotting ideas on note cards or scraps of paper while waiting at a stop light or in line for our cup of coffee.

credit for photo

There's so much to be thankful for, so many elements of writing to cherish, even the ones that challenge us.

When I set my mind on writing about two 1/2 years ago, I was a much different person, writer. I had no idea what this whole writing a story entailed. I just knew the multitude of ideas in my head needed to be shared. My first hurdle was realizing that I needed to learn to write. I mean, I could write but not well enough to convince an agent/publisher that I was the next Who-That? and invest in me and my work.

So I began studying the art of writing, reading and tearing apart some of the most popular authors of today's YA realm. I asked myself What makes them so That? Slowly, the fog began to lift off my horrid writing (yeah, I wrote a first YA novel of 160,000 words). But I needed more than to just study others' work. I needed to discuss it.

Despite being egregiously skittish, I began sharing my work with others. Their fresh eyes washed the dirt from my work, exposing what needed to be improved. Their advice and encouragement began to sink in--molding the new writer I am today.

When I asked my amazing Oasis Sisters what element of writing they were most thankful for, the answer was a collective one ~ each other, the YA writing community as a whole, and critique partners. It was as easy as that.

I know there's no way on this planet I would be where I am right now without those wonderful, patient writers who've taken the time to read my work and give observations on how to make my novel shine.

We're pretty private here on Oasis. When we fired up this blog, we'd decided we wanted it to be for you ~ to support you. But over the months since we've been working together, trying to support you, something happened. We've been supporting each other. Each time one of us got an email requesting material, we'd all scurry and read, helping to make that sister's work shine. Or when one finally leaped over that hurdle of outlining or finishing a manuscript, we've been there to cheer and say hooray!

Through our writing friendships, each of us has taken steps closer to fulfilling our dreams and growing in our writing careers.

The successes we've each had since working together are sure to bleed into this new year, and I'm excited for each of us and for you. We are thankful for our CPs and for you.

Do you have critique partners or other writers willing to read your work? How have they helped you become a better writer?