THE CRIMSON DOOR First Draft Stats

And another one bites the dust. As of 1:24 PM I have completed the first draft of my latest project, THE CRIMSON DOOR. Here are the stats:

• 42 writing days (November 8, 2012 to December 30, 2012)
• Total word count = 65,511
• 232 pages
• Most written in a sitting = 4,373
• Least written in a sitting = 234

My goal was to finish this draft before the New Year and I succeeded. For a while there I thought I wouldn't as there was a chapter that was giving me a lot of trouble. I ended up skipping it and went back to complete it later. As usual, a two week break will commence before I start editing. During that time I will begin work on my next WIP. The mind of a writer never sleeps, people!

Book to Screen: WARM BODIES

Recently, the internet has been buzzing with new footage and images from the February 2013 release of WARM BODIES starring Nicholas Hoult (X-MEN: FIRST CLASS) and Teresa Palmer (I AM NUMBER FOUR).

Reading through the trailer comments, I've discovered that most people are pissed that they are taking zombies and giving them a romantic spin. What I don't think most people realize is that WARM BODIES started out as a novel by debut author, Isaac Marion. Hollywood didn't just come up with this, they pulled it from a novel (as they so often do). Having self-published and sold it through his website, Simon & Schuster eventually picked it up, marketing it as Romeo & Juliet with zombies.

The story follows a zombie named R, who falls in love with a girl after eating her boyfriend and whose memories seem to be resurfacing in his own brain. For a further look into the plot, check out my review here.

I urge people who are interested in seeing the film to read the book first. It will explain the trailer a lot more and this viewer is personally excited. After seeing the latest footage, I feel it'll be a fun, yet still creepy adaptation. And any trailer that uses The Black Keys gets extra bonus points from me ;-) The song here is "Lonely Boy."

FINAL DETENTION/IN SCHOOL First Draft Stats

And another one bites the dust! Here are the writing stats for the first--I should really say shitty rough draft--of FINAL DETENTION/IN SCHOOL. I'm going back and forth with those titles, so until I decide which one, I'll use both.

• 31 writing days starting on July 9, 2012 and ending on August 29, 2012
• Total word count = 47,933

The word count is definitely low, but that's where edits/rewrites come in handy. I planned on completing it before I leave for vacation on Friday and I did so I stuck to my deadline! WOO HOO! *Throws confetti*

When I come back I'll start the first round of edits and update the stats when I complete the next draft to show how many more words I added. See you when I return! I'll also post the playlist for this one soon.

Sticking to a writing schedule and a bit about my process

A good friend of mine, Selah, recently asked me how I keep to my writing schedule so well, and another good friend, Lauren, was also interested in knowing the answer since most of my Twitter posts are about just that: my writing and the schedule I use to do so. I decided to write a post about it in case anyone else wanted to check it out and see if any of these things work for them. What I love about writing is that everyone has their own routine, but sometimes seeing how someone else does it can help improve yours.

Typically when I get an idea I love it takes me no time to sit down and start writing. I usually create a rough outline first once I get the characters and plot to a point where I think it's ready. Breaking down the synopsis into chapters, I add the stuff I know I want to happen and in what order. During the actual writing process, however, scenes can change, be moved around, new things could be added, and some may be completely deleted. When I say "rough" outline it's basically my way of getting the scenes out of my head and onto paper where I can see them. This way if I happen to get stuck I consult my outline.

Once the outline is finished I make sure my characters are developed enough and get all my notes (whether typed or hand written) together in one folder. That folder becomes the designated folder for this particular story. Everything I write about it goes in there. Even if I jot a quick note down on a post-it or piece of scrap paper, I make sure to put it in the folder so I see it every time. It's then that I take a day off. To me, this is really important because it helps relax/clear my mind. I know tomorrow is going to start the grueling rough/first/shitty draft and there are going to be times when it will drive me insane. Thus, a day off to gather my motivation, create a playlist, and do anything else unrelated to the story is a must. On that break I mostly read. I try to avoid working on another project right before I start a first draft of another one because if I do my mind may want to move right into it and forget about the one I want to start tomorrow.

Day 1 of writing arrives . . . And I just go for it. I sit down, make myself a cup of coffee or tea, open up my notes, a blank document, and type CHAPTER 1. I personally like to set a 1,000+ word goal each time I sit down to write. Sometimes I can bang out a full chapter, other times I can only do half. It all depends on how much time I have (seeing that I have a full-time job in the morning, I write in the afternoon or at night). But I am usually able to get between 1,500 - 2,000 words done with each sitting. I keep track of my word count by using a separate day planner.

I actually got this idea from another writer so you see what I mean about sharing ideas and helping each other out. As you can see I'm not able to write every day and that's fine. Life gets in the way. Don't be upset if you miss a day or two. Just be sure you get right back in it when you can. Side Note: IN SCHOOL is the tentative title of this story. It's the horror book I'm currently working on. I'm going back and forth between IN SCHOOL and FINAL DETENTION for the title.

Now onto the real reason for this post: How do I keep to my writing schedule? For starters, I hate starting things and not finishing them, despite my Aries nature. And when I really love a story I dedicate myself to finishing it. This, in my opinion, is a big thing: love. As writers we all love writing, but writing a novel is different in that you must not only love the story, but the characters, the process, and the agonizing realization that it's going to take a lot out of you. If I think of a story, but don't see it going anywhere, don't start it. Put it on the shelf and let it breathe for a while. Maybe you just need a couple days away. There have been plenty of times when I've come up with a really awesome plot, but hated the characters and another idea where the plot was weak, but the characters were great. What did I do? I fussed the awesome plot with the awesome characters and ditched the poor stuff. Never be ashamed of throwing away ideas because there are plenty waiting to take its place. Not everything can be developed enough to make a 60,000+ word novel.

In regards to my schedule, I don't necessarily set up a crazy, strict deadline. For the first draft I just tell myself, "Get it done then take a break." I can typically punch out a first draft in 2 - 2 1/2 months. How do I do this? I remind myself that it's not going to write itself and the more chapters you get done, the closer you'll be to finishing it. Turn off the inner editor, turn off the doubts, turn off everything and anything that will make you think you're not good enough to write it. YOU ARE! Just sit there and write. If you're feeling mentally drained take a day off, but tomorrow get your ass back in the seat and back in the story. Leave notes all around your house/room/car/etc that says, "You should be writing!" Set up a reminder in your phone. There are so many ways to tell yourself it's time to write. That's probably how I stick to my writing schedule so well: I see how many words I wrote yesterday and think, "Let's see if I can beat that today." I look up from my computer and see these:

In case you can't read the one quote, it says, "Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on." It was said by Louis L'Amour. Perhaps my favorite quote ever about sitting down to write. And I see new books published every week. This, above all, pushes me the most because I know one day I will have my own novel up there next to them.  I just can't ever give up and have to KEEP WRITING!

It's hard, I know it is, to maintain a writing schedule. Trust me, it took me years to come up with the routine I have now. But I swear once you find a routine you are comfortable with, it'll happen naturally. Just stay strong, know you are good enough, and write.

A rant about the "erotic retelling of JANE EYRE"

I recently came across this article about JANE EYRE being redone in an "erotic retelling." With the success of the FIFTY SHADES OF GREY trilogy, I'm honestly not surprised that the industry wants more sex. But my question is this: Are they only realizing now that sex sells because that's been common knowledge for a while. And it's not like this trilogy reintroduced the genre. Pick up a romance book and you're bound to find some pretty graphic sex scenes in there.

To take a classic like Charlotte Bronte's amazing story about a young woman, who though not the most beautiful or appealing, still got the man of her dreams by being nothing other than her true self is, for lack of a better word, trashy. Now, what . . ? Is this retelling going to make Jane a sexy, gorgeous, naive young adult? Is she going to have a sexual awakening with Mr. Rochester, who will no doubt make her feel amazing after every toss in the sheets or wherever else they decide to do it? Does this not completely take the original moral of the tale and flip it on its head? Has originality truly gone down the toilet that we must now take classics and turn them into our own version of fan fiction and sell them as our own? It's too much to get my head around. And for a struggling writer, who refuses to fall into the mold of what is trending, it frustrates me to think: Oh, in order to be published I just need to take any classic, toss in some sex, or supernatural creatures, and it'll finally happen? Thanks, but no thanks.

I've read a few comments on articles posted about the FIFTY SHADES OF GREY books and heard from people who read them that, apparently, those who do not read them, or refuse to, are prude and those who wish to not have our beloved Jane turn into a sex-crazed chick are prude. This is simply not the case. Yes, some readers cannot handle the amount of sex in certain books, which is fine. We are all human and thus have our own opinions about topics. Some would rather read about a relationship building through conversation and little acts of appreciation. We don't always need sex to prove to us that two characters are madly in love, or madly in lust with each other.

This rant may come across as bitter. Oh, look, the ramblings of yet another frustrated writer, and I agree. But I cannot keep these opinions in anymore, especially after reading that article. JANE EYRE is one of my favorite book. Has been in my Top 3 since first reading--and rereading it--in high school. Knowing that people are going to buy the erotic retelling and devour it upsets me. Yes, it gets people reading, which is always good, but it's now gotten to a point where I can't escape it. Everywhere I turn, it's FIFTY SHADES this, FIFTY SHADES that. I have no quarrel with the writers themselves. I'm sure they are lovely people, but I'm sorry . . . this erotic trend is turning literature into trash and it brings me to tears. If that makes me sound whiny or weak then so be it. It's just how I feel and I needed to get it out. I'll close this out with a quote from the article and if this doesn't make you cringe, literary fans, I don't know what will:

As for other titles jumping on the Fifty Shades bandwagon, the sexual secrets of literary figures Melville, Emerson, Thoreau, and Hawthorne will be explored in the forthcoming Fifty Shades of Louisa May: A Memoir of Transcendental Sex, according to Mediabistro.com

UNTITLED First Draft Stats

Here are the writing stats for the very first draft of UNTITLED.

• 45 writing days starting on February 20, 2012 and ending on April 23, 2012
• Total word count = 83,594
• Most amount of words written in a sitting = 5,027
• Least amount of words written in a sitting = 196

Every time I sit down to write I like to get at least 1,000 words or more done. Of course there are days when I wrote below that, which is fine. Sometimes the words just don't flow out. I usually take the weekends off, though there were a few Saturdays I was able to get some writing in.

In regards to the title, I think I finally decided on ELPIS, which is the Greek word for "Hope." It makes the most sense to this first book, though I'm not entirely sure I like it as the overall series name. We'll see, but from now on UNTITLED will now officially be called ELPIS.

Why I write (in honor of Selah)

*This post comes as a result of Selah's questions: "Why do you write?" and "What keeps you going?"

Why do I write? Writing, to me, is an adventure. It's a way for me to create my own world where danger lurks at every turn, where the boy doesn't necessarily get the girl, and where the girl is not the one everyone falls in love with. It allows me to pull at my personal secrets, desires, and dreams and place them into characters others can relate to. It's also my life force, my breath, something I can't live without. I wake up and immediately want to write. So when I can, I fill up blank pages with my words. That's one of the things I take from it, knowing they're my words. Authors have thrilled me countless times with their books and I hope to do the same in the future with my own. I want to introduce new characters to readers, bring them to a new mind set where anyone can overcome adversity whether it be an evil wizard, serial killer, or themselves.

I write also because I was always a natural born storyteller. As a kid, I was constantly reading and even wrote my first two, paragraph long stories when I was seven. I still have them in reach so I can look back when I'm having a rough day and remember that my seven-year-old self was on the right track. Even if you didn't start writing till later in life, it's always good to have one of your first pieces with you so you can look back whenever you need that motivational boost.

Writing is my way to connect to myself. Nothing is more satisfying than typing that last word then going back and reading what you came up with. Even if the plot is similar to something you've read or seen before, what you write is always yours and yours alone. Writing is my escape, my personal high, and not to be too corny, but the reason I know I'm here: to create stories others can enjoy and have a relationship with. "The real joy of writing comes from surprising oneself," is a great quote from Alfred Kazin. It allows the creator to tap into the deepest root of themselves and retrieve something amazing.

I could seriously keep going as to why writing is my passion and true love, but if I do we'll never get to the second question.

What keeps me going? It's tough when you think you wrote something amazing and going back to it, doesn't seem so. Having others reading it and biting your nails, afraid of what they'll say. Sending query after query only to be rejected over and over again is disheartening to anyone, especially when we've worked so hard to create this "masterpiece." As a creator, it's never easy to share our work because in our minds it's never truly finished. Even something that's published and immortalized was probably looked at by the creator and they might have thought, "Damn, I could have done that instead." Slightly off topic, but it needed to be said.

The thing that keeps me going when all else seems pointless is probably my awareness that writing is the only thing that keeps me sane. The one thing that makes me unconditionally happy. When I have a bad day, I write; when I have a good day, I write; and when I need to just vent; I write. Writing helps us to release emotions we might not want to verbally say. So we use that to our advantage; use it to give our characters some semblance of a realistic personality. Writing is always there when I need it. I don't even need a computer. Just a piece of paper and pen (or pencil, marker, crayon, napkin, gum wrapper--whatever's available really). And what also keeps me writing is when I hear a lyric of a song, see a painting on a wall, breathe in the fresh air outside and a new wave of ideas strikes my mind.

Inspiration may not always be with you 24/7, but when it comes the feeling is truly hard to describe. Knowing the idea you have is perfect and the flow is flowing can't be matched. Yet it is possible to fall into a funk. Trust me, every writer has gone through some form of a funk and if they haven't, they will. Because writing is hard. Pete Hamill even said, "Writing is the hardest work in the world not involving heavy lifting." Sometimes it seems all you want to do is throw the pen down once and for all, claiming your story is not worth it, that it sucks, or that no one will like it. That is the most difficult time to pick that pen back up and write on.

In response to Selah, who asked me these questions, I say this: When CONNECT kept getting rejections I wanted to give up, wanted to throw in the towel. Every rejection is a punch to the gut. THE ENDLESS is receiving just as many rejections. Regardless of what happens with either story, I have plenty left to write. Plenty more to share with agents and readers. Plenty more that I know will touch someone out there even if it's the smallest group.

The important thing to remember is this: If you wake up in the morning and working on that story is one of the first things to pop up in your head, then you're meant to be doing this. With two full manuscripts under my belt and no agent offers yet, I keep going because I know the day will come when I will be discovered, when all this hard work and waiting was worth it. Author Aimee Carter tweeted me that "it is harder than hell, but worth the climb." (Side note: She also wrote a fabulous blog piece about "What It Takes To Write") That's my advice to you, Selah--and to other aspiring writers like myself... Find your favorite motivation quotes and keep them near your workspace or someplace you'll see them everyday. The three I have are the following:

1. The struggle IS worth making.
2. Rejection isn't failure. Giving up failure.
3. Never, never, never give up.

By seeing these everyday, I tell myself to keep pressing on, that it will happen. So whenever you'll feeling uninspired or just feel like quitting, repeat those quotes over and over again until you find yourself picking that pen back up.

I hope this helps.

<3 Jess

She is done with her graceless heart

If you've ever visited a favorite author's website or checked out their blog, it should come as no surprise that most are beginning to create playlists for their stories. Some authors don't believe in listening to music when they write and others swear by it, hence why all writers are different. Still, I've always enjoyed when one posts their list. This way I can hear what songs the author specifically chose for certain parts of the book. Gives the reader a deeper understanding of the tone of the novel, in my opinion.

I'm no exception. Music guides me through the story and helps me get unstuck at points. But what this post is mainly for is to shamelessly plug one of my favorite artists, Florence + the Machine. Florence Welch's lyrics are not just lyrics, their poems; heartfelt, beautiful poems. She is one of the few artists I can listen to and smile no matter what mood I'm in (whether it be foul, happy, or sad). I really don't know how she does it. Even if I've listened to the song 100 times, it will still make me smile.

Though not all of her songs are prefect for my stories, I find listening to her as I write to be the most beneficial because not only are her lyrics perfection, but her melodies are lush and soothing. They bring me to "the zone," which is where every writer wants to go. Below I've included my favorite songs by her. If you've never heard of her before and like what you hear, I recommend you pick up her albums, Lungs and Ceremonials. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Enjoy and hope you all have a fantastic holiday season.