Hi everyone,

This week kicks off Family week at WeLoveYA. I’ll start with giving mine a big plug, my wonderful children and husband support my desire to write, and usually give me plenty of time to edit as well. So I must publicly thank them for that.

Christmas to me is about being with my family, spending time together. Unfortunately both of my parents have passed away and so it’s just my little family together this christmas. I remember Christmases of my childhood, when Grandma and all the aunts and uncles and cousins and great aunts/uncles would all gather around. Kids running out in the backyard, sweltering hot Christmas days, Boxing Day cricket matches at the beach. Good times. I think most of my favourite memories are of family, togetherness.

So in that light, I’ve written a little reminder to myself of what’s important, the past few weeks have been a bit of a strain around my house:

When you put up your Christmas tree, decorate it with symmetrical exquisitry, and then the kids come along behind you and trash the said wonderfully decorated tree… that’s okay.

When you put up your exquisite tree, decorate it, the kids come along and trash it, and then fell the tree four or five times pretending to be lumberjacks… that’s okay.

When you put up your tree, the kids trash it and then fell it pretending to be lumberjacks and then eat the said decorations… That’s okay.

When you put up your tree, it gets trashed then felled, and decorations are eaten and then the kids are too excited to make it to the toilet and the presents get  showered upon… that’s okay.

When the tree’s been trashed, felled, showered upon,  a sweet little face offers you a biscuit, that’s soggy, then you discover it’s been dipped in the toilet bowl, but that’s not the worst, another child forgot to flush… that’s okay.

When the tree’s been trashed, felled, showered upon,  a sweet little face offers you a toilet biscuit, and you ask another child to put the plum pudding on to boil, but you forgot to tell them exact instructions and you end up with plum pudding soup… that’s okay.

When the tree’s been trashed, felled, showered upon, a sweet little face offers you a toilet biscuit,  you end up with plum pudding soup, so you send your partner out to go find another plum pudding when all the shops are closed and use the stipulation ‘don’t come home without one’, and your husband returns ragged and empty handed… that’s okay.

It’s Christmas.

A time to forgive and be thankful because it could always be worse.

I was reading the blog The Worst Review Ever – brainchild of awesome YA author Alexa Young – and I was thinking about the books I’ve reviewed and how the book’s authors would have seen those reviews, about Amazon reviews and about reviews on other blogs.

To authors I have to say: If you get a bad review, don’t react. You’ll regret it later on. If the bad review is on Amazon, it means nothing. Many, many people have rubbished To Kill A Mockingbird on Amazon. Most of the people who post negative reviews of wonderful books can’t spell to save their life. These reviews don’t matter.

To reviewers and bloggers: When you review, take into consideration that the author may read the review. By no means does this mean all your reviews should be positive. Remain unbiased, but try and think about the book from another person’s perspective (if you are not the intended reader). Keep it constructive, and never be mean, or insult the author (Like “A. Author should be shot for writing this tripe” = BAD). You can be honest to your readers AND be kind. Usually, if a book reaches the point of publication, there must be some merit to it, for that many people (agent, editors, marketing people) to believe in it.

If an author does react to a negative review – and sometimes they will – this does not mean you should change your review nor should anyone say anything bad about anyone else. First of all, consider your review. Is it just? Or have you been nasty? Always consider what you’re posting on your blog for the world to see, especially if you’re saying something negative.

You might have noticed I haven’t reviewed anything negatively on my blog (except for Twilight, but that was a bit of a joke). I do note the things I like and don’t like about a book. I haven’t reviewed anything negatively, because all the books I’ve been asked to review so far I have enjoyed. I’ve read lots of other books from the library and that I’ve been given, and some of them I haven’t enjoyed. But those books aren’t YA (I do read a lot of smart, grown-up people fiction, mainly because I’m trying to be worldly, and I’m just not) so I don’t review them.

I want to ask book bloggers: Have you ever written an atrocious review and regretted it? Or written a nice review about a book you hated because you didn’t want to hurt the author’s feelings?

And of course, authors with stories about their worst review ever should check out The Worst Review Ever.

It’s good stuff.

As I wasn’t able to blog last week this is a bit of a combo, but it’s seasonal I promise! Firstly the best of 2009- I was working full time all year and was living in a land of floods which put a serious dent in both the time and money areas of my life- HOWEVER….. I was able to travel to Brisvegas twice (this was in February before the ‘weather events’!!!!???? started) to visit my daughter who (choke…sniff…) left home for Uni this year. I went once with the spouse and once with my other daughter and we had a total whale of a time, taking silly pictures of ourselves in the Museum, and trawling all the book stores, record stores and opshops in Brisbane.A treasure of a time.

Next- my younger daughter graduated from Year 12 and had her formal- silly, crazy, over the top (although luckily for me she’s quite sensible and low key but still looked gorgeous) another milestone moment. Then came the hades of living with a person who is attempting tocomplete the HSC (for the second time, eldest did it 2 years ago) and realising that it’s now ALL OVER. (Until the grandkids do whatever it is they’ll do…)

Phew. And finally, the other two best moments were getting the news that my “Letterbook Series” has been sold to a publisher who is publishing it in Norway and Sweden (How cool is that.. can’t wait to see what it looks like in Swedish!)And FINALLY finishing my novel for the 13-17 year old age group that has been slowly evolving over the last 2 years and sending it off to my lovely patient agent.Yipee!

Now as to ’tis the season stuff, for me it’s all about the  family ritual.I’ve realised this may be the last year we’ll all be together the way we were as a family(next year there will be boyfriends, geographical issues and so forth to contend with) and I’ve really made sure I enjoy all the little things like putting up the tree and decos (My youngest took over my role as Christmas tree nazi about two years ago and now I’m the one who hides the decos the kids made in pre-school around at the back of the tree…)which involves watching ‘Scrooged” whilst arguing about what goes on and what stays off, eating a sumptuous platter of stuff that’s no good for you but should be cos it tastes so good like olives, salami, smoked oysters and cheese and biccies and sipping a nice glass of something cold of the vino persuasion for Me and Fajer and soft drink for them. It’s a great afternoon!

Then there’s the discussion about THE FOOD- planning THE MENU and working out how best to have it as prepped as possible so that as much of the day as poss can be spent at the beach.Honestly, the presents don’t really come into it as much for me as all this other stuff except when we sit around and have a big “wrap up” (get it?) evening where we wrap and talk and laugh and I make pudding- oh and I forgot the last big ritual- the Victoria’s Secret parade. It used to be the Christmas Pageant when the girls were little but times have changed and this is a rite we wouldn’t miss- sitting around and critiquing the models, their outfits and the wings.

I know I’m getting at least one book for Christmas, the new Marian Keyes novel- and I have a library list as long as your arms and legs  put together of YA I want to catch up on. Just finished The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown and quite liked it.Got my daugher a book Called “The Gates of Hell are About To Open- Mind The Gap” which I think I’ll have to borrow as soon as she’s read it(Or maybe as soon as she’s opened it…) It looks very funny.

So enjoy each other and all those little things and never mind the plastic. See you next year!

One of the perks of writing a blog about writing is that sometimes wonderful people send me books to read. I like that arrangement, I love reading, especially YA books. There’s something really great about Young Adult literature that just sets it apart from others.

I finally finished Charlie Higson’s  “The Enemy” . Oh my! It’s a novel about ZOMBIES…. and there were parts that I had to read only in daylight, a bit like Johnathon Golden’s “Soulless” (that novel scared the crud out of me). Charlie has put forth the idea that after a disaster everyone over the age of 14 dies and becomes a zombie. A bunch of kids have survived and have banded together to try and get away from the zombies. I can’t say much more without giving too many things away, but I must say that it takes a lot to keep me on edge, this book did a great job. Read it with the lights on!

Another novel I received was “Let the Right One In” by Swedish writer John Ajvide Lindqvist (try saying that name fast three times).  Oh dear, oh dear, did this novel scare me? Umm, yes, hello. It’s about a letting a vampire into your life. But not just an ordinary vampire, a kid, who can control you. It’s a twisted story of love, betrayal and vampirism (not the sparkly kind, the rip your throat out, drain you dry type vampire). It’s not classified YA, even though the antagonist is a teen. I do think the themes running through the novel are quiet dark. I know that I couldn’t read it at night.

Which leads me to a book I bought for myself “Rampant” by Diana Peterfreund…. all I can say is Killer Unicorns people, Killer Unicorns… read it.

So this week is about gifts, what you’re hoping for, what you’re giving etc etc. I thought I would be generous and offer a copy of “The Enemy” away to Aussie and NZ commenters (sorry I’m still too broke to send a book over big seas).

All you have to do is share with us a book that you can’t read in the night time.

Christmas is 12 days away and I’ve done no shopping. Maybe I’ve got the Grinch disease, maybe it’s all Bah Humbug, but it’s kind of lost its magic for me. It has been a very tough year for us financially and I’ve sacrificed a lot as a result, including the 6 hour trip down south for the extended family Christmas party which is happening today. (But one phone call will turn into a communal phone call with many family members.)

I think my Bah Humbugitits is partly because of the commercialism of Christmas. I would rather buy presents for someone when I see something they like…spontaneous…not just because some tradition dictates that it is now ‘gift-giving time.’

Last year was easy.  My writers group released their 20th anniversary anthology and I had a short story and some collage poetry in it, so I gave my relatives a copy of the anthology. This year I’ve avoided all non-essential shopping trips as a rule.  I have no idea what’s out there. And no inclination to find out. This year I’m lost.

Two weekends ago, we had our writers group Christmas party and each brought along a secret santa present ($5 or under).

I found a gorgeous little treasure chest, labelled it as a cure for Writer’s Block,

and then filled it with coloured slips of papers with inspirational quotes from writers and writing exercises.

I’m stretching my brain  to work out how I can make this simple idea work for non-writers – perhaps for my father, I could fill a chest full of bad puns. My aunt…I could give her a treasure chest full of motivational sayings but the rest… I’m lost.

Sigh.  Guess I better go shopping.

2009… the year that was… and still is… for a few more weeks (crazy Christmas-shopping and over-eating and too-many-parties and barbecues and sunburn weeks. Weeks next January we’ll ask ‘Why?’ over, when we weigh more than normal and have less money than ever. Oh, these weeks). For me, it’s been a brilliant year on the literary side of things – I was invited to my first writing festival, I was a judge of the 2009 Inky Awards (the awards ceremony at the State Library of Victoria was great fun!), I wrote a book, I signed with my agent and I got a book deal!

This year I started my blog, and was able to connect with a writing community in spite of being geographically-challenged (damn country Victoria!). The year was not without its trials and tribulations (and I’m sure it has a few more yet – especially since I just got my first editorial notes, and I’m now revising my novel – the fear! what if I fail?! oh dear!) but all the bad stuff, all the lowlights and challenging times made the good stuff, the highs, the bits that make this ‘best of’ all the more worthwhile.

The very best bits of this year though? The time I spent with family and friends. The time when writing was easy. The times when I laughed.

So, if 2009 wasn’t for you (and even if it was) I’m hoping that 2010 is better – I’m not going to wish you more productivity, or a faster metabolism, or more hours in the day. But I will wish you more laughter, and I do hope you enjoyed this year, and enjoy the next even more (and the next, and the next, and the next…).

Now, I thought I’d share some quotes which inspired me & got me through this year, and will hopefully inspire you too!

Last year hasn’t been my best one. My publishing line folded, I had some life-altering health issues, and some family changes.

But life is not about how many times you fall. it’s about how many times you get back up. As long as it’s one more time, you’re fine.

We tend to focus on the bad things and gloss over the good ones, because in hindsight, the happy days are so much smaller, and they never gleam as brightly in the retelling. But there are always great things in any given year, whether you thought the year was good, bad, or simply insignificant.

That unexpected day of sunshine that got you out and about. That smile from a friend when you were feeling low. The cat in someone’s yard that watched as you walked by. Ice cream. That one good book that really took you away from everything. They’re all there, and we should cherish them.

So for me the best thing about 2009? The fact that it was there. Every single day of it.

I had such fun the other month at the CYA conference and I promised a few pictures. So without further ado, myself hooping it up with Michael Gerard Bauer – Dinosaur Knight extraordinaire and now successful Hoopman!

As you can see Michael only took a little time before he was hooping it up big time. Thanks go to Lynn Priestley for the photos. We tried to get others to get into hooping but very few took us up on the offer.

So what did I learn at the conference? Oh buckets and buckets full of information. Some that were very pertinent to my own writing and some that were intriguing for future reference.

2009 was good in that I learned more about writing and editing than I have in the previous two years. And it’s worthwhile noting that I had been able to attend not only the CYA conference but also the RWA conference as well. Why is this important to me? Being able to talk to other writers, those struggling along the same lines as myself is a wonderfully cathartic moment. There are others out there trying to work magic with the keyboard. It feels good to say to someone “my character did this when I expressly told them not to” and not have them texting for the men in white coats.

I also was able to meet up with writers, agents and publishers and learn more about the industry. At the CYA conference Paul Collins took my teenage daughter under his wing and said something great. I don’t know what he said but she came away from that conference with a renewed vigor to her writing. I would just like to publicly thank him for that. It’s amazing the impact kind words have on youth.

I have interviewed wonderful writers/agents, including: Michael Gerard Bauer, Melanie Nilles, Kim Miller, Richard Harland, Kirsty Eagar, Tania Roxborogh, Kathy Charles, Scott Monk, Jacinta di Mase, Rebecca James, Jack Heath, Paul Collins, and Gwendolyn Heasley.

I’d like to thank them for taking time out of their writing.agenting day to answer my questions.

Books! This year I have read some fantastic books. A big thank you to Text Publishing and Penguin Australia for their support of our blog, they really have been generous and I for one have enjoyed every book they’ve sent. Oh except for The Pocket Book of Boosch, which my teens are laughing their guts at and I just don’t get it. Hmm, might have to watch the show to work out what that’s all about.

Best book of 2009? I couldn’t tell you. I do know that Kiki Lon’s “Enter the Parrot” had me hooked from the first page. Big plug for Kiki.Oh and Neal Schusterman’s “Unwind” was memorable, I liked the science of the story and also he layered the sub plots extremely well. Kenneth Oppel’s “Skyborn” series was great, along with Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson” series  – and they’ve turned it into a movie (Happy dance).

I’ve read over 250 books this year. Just finished Dean Karnazes’ autobiography “Ultramarathon Man”. I want to run a marathon, but I’m not as fanatical as he is (315km non-stop I say Holy Cow Batman).

Best Movies of 2009? UP by those crafty folks at Pixar. They had me bawling my eyes out 3 times in 15 minutes.  And Star Trek… I am a trekkie at heart and I love what JJ Abrams provided.

Seriously, I am hoping the Best of 2009 is yet to come because my partner and I are making some pretty life-altering major decisions at the moment, and they could turn out  spectacular. But that might turn out to be a Best of 2010 thing instead (as we’re so close to the end of the year). Suffice to say, this will be the last Christmas in this particular house.

I started the year in a new temporary position (same organisation) and that is now permanent. And I have a lovely bunch of team-mates and a great boss.

I could have done without being stranded by floods 5 times this year — but hopefully that particular issue will be solved by the decision in the first paragraph. On the flipside, it gave me a couple bonus days to write, edit or relax, when I wasn’t stressing about the lack of chocolate.

I gave up caffeine (again – the Coca Cola variety, not the chocolate variety) and with the help of the fabulous hula hoop that Natalie Hatch made for me, I’ve lost 5kg. And more to go.

I joined the Exec Committee of Romance Writers of Australia, had a ball at the Claytons Conference (instead of the real thing) and a great time with my writing buddies at the Byron Bay Writers Festival and at our  Writers Retreat at South West Rocks.

I am so grateful for my writing buddies (both real-life and on-line friends) as they keep me motivated, demonstrate by example, and we provide each other with mutual cheer squads.

And I reached the age of the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything.

2009 has been a fantastic year…

and it’s only going to get better. Starting with tomorrow. And Tuesday. And Wednesday.

And then…roll on 2010…you bloody beauty!

Each year during NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), hardy authors from around the world challenge themselves to writing a 50,000-word novel. No editing, no daydreaming–just writing. This past November, participants clocked up a total of 2,147,483,647 words.

So I guess this means thousands of just-completed manuscripts are ready to shoot into the inboxes of agents and editors. As someone who used to submit prematurely and paid the price (insta-rejection), take my advice—don’t send your book now that you’ve got a beginning, middle and–yay!–end. Not yet. You Nano folk have earned yourselves a break. Relax! Let the book hibernate for as long as you can; a week at the very least. A year-long separation is even better. If you can barely remember the names of your main characters after a while, that’s a good sign it’s safe to jump back into the pages.

I’m always experimenting with new ways to revise/edit my work. Sometimes I do several reads–one to see if the story hangs okay, another time to concentrate on characterisation, yet another pass to check the mechanics like punctuation, spelling and grammar. Then I arm myself with chocolate and get stuck into revising. Soon enough, I’m thoroughly sick of the book and can’t wait to start on something new.

This is my current editing routine:

1. Print out the book. Read the book and at the same time, write a mini-synopsis for each scene and/or chapter. Plot a timeline of events. Jot down anything that jumps out, like repetitions and inconsistencies. Don’t fix anything until I’ve completed the first read-through.
2. Flesh out descriptions, inject strong verbs, add tension, beef up the emotion. Strike unnecessary words and speech tags. Weed out weak writing. Does every scene advance the plot? Does the story even make sense? Is my heroine a dingbat? My hero a sap?
3. Grammar and spellcheck. Verify facts.
4. Let it rest again, but maybe not as long as that initial hibernation period. Read it, tweak it, then pass it on to critique partner/s for further dissection.

If you’re a writer, how many drafts do you typically suffer through before you think the book is ready for submission? What are your editing tips?