Raise Your Glass

“You can’t wait for inspiration, you have to go after it with a club.”
—Jack London

Remember back in November I wrote about a really awesome rejection I received on a full? If not, it’s not too far back…go read it.

Anyways, after months of editing and revising—then revising again…and two different endings later…I finally finished. It was critiqued by the amazing Ryann and Dawn. I’m so happy. Seriously, it’s like the sky opened and angels started singing.

I am absolutely in love with the changes. It really took my story to a complete different level and myself, as a writer, was really challenged. I winced a few times after Dawn told me something sucked (not that she’d say sucked, it’s not really the English way lol, but boring or the infamous ‘Angela, I know you can do better than that!’, which I appreciate like crazy.) There’s nothing like being pushed. To have people who know you well enough to tell you the truth and encourage you to do better.

I made changes that needed to get done that might not have otherwise.  So today I am ecstatic and really really really happy. I know it’s not over. I know if I get signed by an agent then this book will go through the ringer again. A book is never done until it’s on a shelf for sale.

But right now, it’s time to celebrate, query, cross my fingers and finish working on my other projects.

Ciao

Angela

The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

ABOUT: Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

MY THOUGHTS:  I can’t count how many times I’ve seen THE DUFF while browsing books in Borders and just passed it by. Designated Ugly Fat Friend? I was that girl in high school, why would I want to read about it? So I passed by it, not even bothering to read what it was about. But then I read someone’s review on a blog posting and I actually saw what it was about. After I read the synopsis, the book was all I could think about. I had to get it NOW. So, on my lunch break I went to Borders and snatched the last copy.

I literally read this in one sitting—well, on the car ride, during lunch break, on the way home, and finished it at home. That counts, right?

I LOVED it. I laughed, cried and more than anything, Kody’s writing is raw, and right on target. If you don’t want to read about sex, don’t touch this book with a ten foot pole, but if you want honesty, this is it. She hits it right on the nose. I knew a Wesley, heck, everyone does and most girls have messed around with one. Kody may or may not like hearing this, but from one young person to another, (I may not be 17 and publishing, but I’ve been in entertainment since I could open my mouth) but the fact that she’s her age and published is pretty awesome.

This is an amazing breakout novel. It’s real and heartwarming, and funny as hell. Bianca is hilarious and her interactions with Wes always make me smile. Plus, it’s awesome to see a guy like him and how he isn’t as perfect as people think.

If you’re not a big ‘reader’ than you’ll love it. It’s smooth and quick and a pure addiction. I want to read it over and over.

Go out and buy it, don’t wait—you’ve waited long enough if you still haven’t read this book!

For more information on Kody Keplinger, visit her website: www.kodykeplinger.com  

and blog: kodymekellkeplinger.blogspot.com  

Next review will be on Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles

Ciao, 
Angela

Life Support

I originally planned to write about how important a support system for writers is. But after the day I had yesterday, I’m changing it up a bit. I always thought the people around me, family, friends, etc, had no clue what I was going through on this literary road. They had no clue how hard the business is and how rough it can be.

This week has been rough, and I’ve endured some heavy beatings. Ones that made me question everything. Why am I doing this? What do I get from it? And what happens if nothing ever happens? I also questioned my talent and wondered why I even thought I could do this. All week the questions have rattled my brain. Last night I finally cracked. Mostly because my aunt yanked it out of me over a bowl of homemade guacamole. It helped me realize my weaknesses are opportunities to grow.

Let’s put the cards on the table. I suck at punctuation. I hate it. Comas, colons, semicolons—they made me want to rip my hair out. I must have been in la-la land when they taught it in grade school. Well, that or off doing a play of some sort. Plus, they School House Rock didn’t write a song to teach me. I can sing about nouns, verbs, adjectives, I even have the preamble memorized. Either way, I didn’t pay enough attention in primary school. I honestly never thought I’d be a writer. Maybe plays or scripts, but novelist? That wasn’t on my list.

But now it is. And I’m suffering from my own failings as a child. But now it’s time to get back to basics and learn. We’re always learning, aren’t we? If we don’t, then we’ll never grow. I know I’ve grown a lot. But I wonder how many other writers struggle with the same challenges and how they overcome it.

My aunt told me, one day I’ll be on the opposite side, giving someone else the same advice she gave me because I’ve been there. It’s our nature to respect people who work hard for what they have.  She also said, you can teach technique and perfection but you can’t teach the art of story-telling. If you’re gifted with a crazy imagination, everything else will fall in line.

It reminded me that I’m not writing to get published or even to get agented—though that would be AWESOME—I write because I love it.  I write for me and no one else. With an industry full of rejection and constantly being told what to do differently, you have to love it for yourself. And you also have to have good, supportive people surrounding you.

So, this blog entry is totally different from the one I wrote up yesterday and planned on posting. But it’s true and it came from my heart. Sometimes the best words come from the person sitting right next to you. You just have to let that wall down and talk it out.

I’ll end with a few words from Sarah Dessen’s SOMEONE LIKE YOU:

“Life is an awful, ugly place to not have a best friend.”

Ciao

Angela Francis