ATruebloodwrites

Thoughts and musings from a Young Adult writer

[atruebloodwrites]

Our newest display in the library! I am so excited to see what the kids and faculty/staff share with us this February. Might even find some new titles to add to my TBR!💗 . . . #Februaryfun #favoritereads #libraryfun #librarylife #libraryinspiration #librarybooks #favoritekidsbooks #librariansofig #librariansofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CZcUOYsvmLT/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

The regular reminder I have to give to the kids in the library!💛 . . . #booksareforeveryone #librarypost #librarylife #librarybooks #librarylove #libraryreads https://www.instagram.com/p/CZZ7uEqvZPb/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

Very, very proud of my first library boards!!!😍 . . . #librarylife #librarylove #librarystyle #libraryboards #librariansrock #librariansofig #librariansofinsta #elementaryschoollibrary https://www.instagram.com/p/CZM3jZ6JZoM/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

Thinking about my two brave girls today and how difficult it was to write their struggle to find their place in this world. I hope my books show girls that they can chase their dreams no matter what society tells them. . . . #nothingbutsky #acrossabrokenshore #yahistorical #yahistoricalfiction #historicalreads #braveheroines #chasethatdream #writerlife #storytellersofinstagram #rulebreakers #writersofig #writersofinsta #yabooks #yabooksta #yareads #yabookshelf #yabooknerd https://www.instagram.com/p/CZKSseup_F5/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

Currently in the revision cave. With every new change, I feel this story getting stronger! 😊 . . . #revisioncave #afoth #writerlife #writinglife #amrevising #romancereads #enemiestoloversbooks #romanceWIP #allthekissing #allthekissingbooks #romancestagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CY_59LJpksV/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

The second picture in this post is my two cents on the Rose and Jack argument about “the door” in the Titanic movie as this topic always seems to resurface on Twitter. In reality what should have happened (if we’re being historically accurate) is that Rose should have climbed onto an overturned “collapsible” boat. Jack, already succumbing to hypothermia, would not have the strength to climb up with her. Perhaps not as heartbreaking as it was filmed, but definitely more accurate. #jackandrose #titanicmovie #titanicdoor #historicallyaccurate #titanicresearch #amresearching #amwriting #writerlife https://www.instagram.com/p/CY2II9-vf1b/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

Last night I watched Encanto. It’s such a beautiful and important story about finding out what makes you special. It’s also a terrific story to look at from a writing craft perspective. When I’ve beta read for people, or helped judge contests, one of the biggest challenge I find writers have is establishing character. After the first five minutes of the opening of Encanto, we get a very clear sense of who the main character, Mirabel is and what her own personal wound is. I find that when I am starting to plot a story this is where I always go first. I ask who is my MC and what is his/her problem? Or sometimes I ask what is the lie they are telling themselves? Either way you are creating tension from the beginning and building the foundation for a character arc. Some other great writing elements in the movie are a struggle between old world and new, as well as an exceptionally heart wrenching “dark night of the soul” moment. Again, great characters, plot, and conflict. A highly creative and emotional story that I think you’ll still be thinking about long after the credits roll. #encantomovie #writingcraft #writingtips #writinginspiration #writersofinsta #authorsofinsta #writinglife #writerlife https://www.instagram.com/p/CYw_Bw9LR7X/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

Back to the editing cave! This book I love is about to get some big, but necessary, changes. When you are getting ready to do revisions, do you have a battle plan? Do you tackle the easy stuff first or dive straight into the big picture details? I like to do everything in a linear way. I start with the work from page one and move forward slowly, hoping that the continuity will fall into place as I work. I know some people like to tackle big picture items first, but I find that my brain gets too jumbled if I jump around. I also make myself a checklist and mark things I’ve handled as I go. This helps me feel like I’m making progress even if I’ve only worked on a few pages. #revisioncave #editingcave #writerlife #amediting #amrevising #bigpictureedits #contemporaryromance #smalltownromance #enemiestolovers #allthekissing #fridaykiss #allthekissingbooks https://www.instagram.com/p/CYtgJ8cruV6/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

About once a year I have the horrible and degrading job of searching the web for sites that have illegal downloads of my books. If you do not have the money to buy a book, this may seem like a great way to read something you can’t otherwise afford. I get it. Times are hard. But please do not think that what you are doing is NOT hurting authors. There have been countless posts by important writers about how their novels being downloaded illegally has kept them from either writing more books for a publisher or keeping them from finishing a series. The truth is that a lot of us authors make less money than you think from each purchased book - so when they are downloaded illegally it is a serious punch to our bottom line. Imagine poring your heart and soul into something you love for years. The road is hard but finally that thing you love is put out into the world. Now imagine people stealing that one precious thing from you. If you think about pirating books within this context, it is extremely heartbreaking. With these posts there are people who will comment about authors being petty, but the truth is if you really want to read that book you can request it from the library. If you don’t have access to a library, I’m sorry but that still does not make it okay to take money away from an author. Most of us want to keep writing and bringing stories to readers, but it’s hard to do that when we can barely make a living. So, I humbly ask that the next time you think about illegally downloading a book - don’t. #piratingbooks #writingproblems #writerproblems #publishingproblems #yawritinglife #yawriter #yawriterlife #yaauthorsofinstagram #authorsofinsta #writersofinsta https://www.instagram.com/atruebooks/p/CYo-h1bBc4K/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

One of the biggest misconceptions in the #writingcommunity I think is this idea of a “dream agent”. Are there highly successful agents out there making major deals and who have NYT bestselling authors as clients? Of course, and it makes sense you’d want to work with them, but that can’t be your only way of looking at an agent you want to query. In my 10+ years of experience in the publishing world, here is what I’ve learned: 1) A highly successful agent does not always mean they will be a good fit for you. They may have big client lists but very little time to walk you through the intricacies of the business - especially if you’re a debut. Not saying they can’t or won’t, but it’s something you should thinking about when querying. You want someone who is going to be by your side during every step of the editing & sub process. 2) How does that agent mesh with your writing style? Do you want to write in several categories and/or genres? It’s imperative you connect with someone who wants to work with you over the entirety of your career. That means being upfront about what that trajectory may look like. If you want to write adult eventually, and that agent only reps YA, that is a conversation you must have. 3) The ease of conversation & relationship is an important aspect of the agent/writer relationship. Once you sign, you have to remember this is a partnership where you both should be on equal footing. There should never be a time when you are afraid to reach out to ask a question or get feedback. If they are making you feel bad about this aspect of your partnership, and the scales of power feel unbalanced, it’s time to rethink that relationship. Should you be calling & emailing 24/7? No. But you also shouldn’t feel like you are ever “bothering” your agent if you need help or information. What really matters in an agent/writer connection is a positive synergy & balance of power. You should be open to having both the easy & hard conversations. Most importantly you should always feel like they’re in your corner fighting for you whether or not you have a book deal. #writingtip #writetip #yawritingcommunity #writersofig #writersofinsta #publishingtip https://www.instagram.com/p/CYmSydupziQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

I love it when people underestimate me. Tell me that the goal I’ve set is way too far out of my reach. One of the first writing conferences I ever went to was in New York. Looking back on it now, I’m not sure how legit it was. The first day they sectioned us off by category and genres and then put us in separate rooms in this creative arts studio in Chelsea. The guy who ran the event asked us to read our first pages and then proceeded to rip each one apart. Think brutal x10. When he got to me he was minimally harsh but basically told me I didn’t understand YA and that my work was overwritten. He went on to say that the odds of me being traditionally polished was slim to none. I should have walked away from that event completely broken. Instead it lit a fire inside me to prove him wrong. This same fire came through when the pandemic hit. I wanted to buy a stationary bike, and so many people told me it’d become a laundry hanger in a few months. Again, I wanted to prove them wrong. As of today, I have over 400 rides on my bike. This pic is from a current virtual challenge I’m doing in Tuscany. So go ahead and tell me I can’t do something, and then watch me prove you wrong! #writinglife #writinginspiration #writerlife #authorlife #virtualcycling #ifit #proform #upforthechallenge #perserverancepaysoff #writersofig #writersofinsta #authorsofig #authorsofinsta https://www.instagram.com/p/CYelez6J_cE/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

Putting a new board together for the library! I’m loving this aspect of the work and how it’s bringing out another creative side in me. Shout out to all the librarians who post things to Pinterest. It’s giving me a lot of fun ideas! #librarylife #libraryinspiration #librarystyle #librarylove #librarygram #libraryfun #librariansofinstagram #librariansofig https://www.instagram.com/p/CYb-GtQJ6we/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

Tell me if you’ve ever done anything wild in the name of research. I made two trips to San Francisco before I wrote a single line for ACROSS A BROKEN SHORE. Truth be told, I needed to walk the bridge, wander the neighborhoods of Sea Cliff, visit the real St. Monica church in order to really feel and understand my main character. When I look back on that time, I’m astounded that I was brave enough to take on the task of not only telling Willa’s story, but doing justice to all the details of what it took to build the Golden Gate Bridge and how its construction sent reverberations through the entire city. 📷 1: The view of the bridge from Baker Beach. 📷2: Inspiration for Cara’s house in Sea Cliff. 📷3: Stained glass in St. Monica’s church. 📷4: My imagined idea of Dr. Winston’s office in the Richmond District. 📷5: The real Alexandria Theater #yabooks #acrossabrokenshore #yabookresearch #historicalbookresearch #yahistoricalfiction #yahistoricalwriter #yawriter #yareader #yabookshelf #yabooklove #yaromance #igauthor #storyteller #writerlife https://www.instagram.com/atruebooks/p/CYZl_CBPNRK/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

Confession: I’ve been in a reading slump for a while now. The last couple of books I’ve read have been very hyped up and I found that I just couldn’t get into them. Because of that, I was reluctant to pick up this book. Everyone I knew was recommending it and I was afraid this one would not live up to the hype. Spoiler alert: I WAS WRONG! This book was fun, witty, and downright adorable. I loved the premise and the main couple absolutely ooze chemistry! If you’re looking for a great New Year read, I highly recommend THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS! #romancereads #romancetbr #contemporaryromance #romancereader #romancereaders #STEMheroine #romancebookstagram #romancestagram #newyearnewread https://www.instagram.com/p/CYPOaKUPvGg/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

Sometimes research takes you to places you’d never expect, but I loved learning about the history of the NYE ball drop for my current #historicalfiction WIP. #historicalWIP #historicalreads #historicalromance #NYC1912 #writingresearch #historicalresearch #writinglife #edwardianNYC https://www.instagram.com/p/CYNPjkfv6KS/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

Not sure what 2022 will look like, but I will continue to try and stay positive no matter what the next year holds for me. What about you? What’s your word, thought, or feeling for 2022? Would love to know! #2022hope #2022word #2022feeling #newyearhope #newyearfeeling #2022goals #writerlife #writinglife #writersofig #writersofinstagram #authorsofig #authorsofinsta #writinglife #writinggoals #newyearwish #igauthor https://www.instagram.com/atruebooks/p/CYKTfMWv60X/?utm_medium=tumblr

[atruebloodwrites]

Did you know that Santa’s reindeer are all females? In television shows and films, Santa’s reindeer are always shown having all their antlers on Christmas Eve. According to zoologists, this means Santa’s sleigh is pulled by all females because while males lose their racks in early December, females don’t shed theirs until spring. It’s no wonder Santa gets all his work done in one night. With an all female team leading the way, it’s assured that the job will get done! #santasreindeer #allfemaleteam #christmastruth #santasleigh #reindeerfun #reindeerteam #christmasfun #fiercefemales https://www.instagram.com/p/CXwAFNJlDx0/?utm_medium=tumblr