Jordan Summers

In the past few weeks I’ve read about three different Little Red Riding Hood projects. Two of them are upcoming films set to release next year and the third is a graphic novel called Red. I have a friend who told me that everything I’ve written to date has been two years ahead of whatever hot trend develops. I laughed the first time she said it, then I actually gave it some thought. And you know what? She’s right. I wrote my first werewolf book in 2001. They started hitting a couple of years later. I wrote my Atlantean’s in 2002/03. Two years after that they started taking off in popularity. I wrote Red in 2005/06. It came out in 2008 and now suddenly Little Red Riding Hood is gaining in popularity. Hmm…

On the one hand, I think it’s cool that I seem to be able to predict upcoming trends ahead of time without trying. On the other, that uncanny ability guarantees that I miss those same trends each and every time. I’m not quite sure what to do about that or if there’s anything I can do, since it’s blatantly obvious that I’m not following trends. I guess there is one bright side, I do own the film and sub-rights for my Dead World series. If Hollywood comes looking for more Little Red Riding Hood material, I got them covered.

I admit that my reading tastes are a little eclectic these days. I’m currently reading Switch by Chip Heath, Trick of Light by Rob Thurman, Spider’s Bite by Jennifer Estep, The Titan’s Curse by Rick Riordan, and the Dead Girl’s Dance by Rachel Caine. I have to admit they’re all really good. I keep getting sucked into each book. It’s hard to put one down and pick up another, but I never rarely read one book at a time. Probably has to do with my short attention span. *g*

The YA is coming along nicely. I’ve written over 3K in the last two days. Decided to leave the story off at a good point so I can pick it up tomorrow and keep writing. I have realized once again that when I write fast I tend not to incorporate what I’ve learned in writing class. This means I’ll have to go back through the manuscript when I’m finished and flesh out the showing. Not looking forward to doing that, but it must be done. I’ve also started edits on Gothic Passions (my vampire historical). Hopefully it won’t take me too long to finish them and get the book up on Kindle. So far I’ve made only minor changes. It’s always weird going over a manuscript that you wrote so long ago. Has it really been 7 years? :-O Yikes!

What are you all reading? Have any good recommendations?

I’ve been working on my YA as I’ve noted in earlier blogs. To clean up my writing process, I purchased Scrivener. Scrivener is a wonderful writing tool for the Mac, but as Larissa and Stephanie warned me, it has quite the learning curve. I needed something that would allow me to get right to work, so I’ve been playing with Storyist. Storyist is a similar to Scrivener, but seems a little more geared to novel and screenwriting. It’s also more user friendly IMO and the customer service is wonderful.

My writing process to date has been to scatter notes in .doc files and in notepads, then spend hours trying to figure out where everything is located. I wanted a better system for my own sanity. I basically want a program that will function as a notebook. I need it to hold research links, photos, notes, character charts, blurbs, outlines, partials, etc. Basically I’m trying to go as paperless as possible. I’m tired of my drawers being stuffed. I’m tired of having multiple versions of the same manuscript and not knowing which one is which. I believe these products will solve that problem for me once I get the hang of working with them. I haven’t purchased Storyist yet, but I plan to once I’m sure it can do everything I need. At some point, I have no doubt I’ll go back to Scrivener and figure out how to work it. Like I said, they’re both invaluable products to add to the writer’s toolbox–if you have a Mac. There are other products out there geared for PC’s (listed at the bottom of the link page), so if you’re like me and would like to get your writing more organized, then check them out.

Reinvention requires something I’ve never been very good at–letting go of the past. I’m not someone who ‘lives’ in the past, but I don’t tend to let go of things easily. My comfort zone is quite small. It’s been made worse so by working from home. There are a lot of things to analyze, when you start the reinvention process. Things like what type of website do you want, what kind of writing do you want to do, should you stay in a specific genre or move into something completely different, etc. At present, I’m trying to decide if I want to stay in the romance industry. I’m really not sure. I still like romances. They make up about 50% of my reading these days. But is that a reason to stay? Also, if I do stay, am I going to continue to write paranormal romance? Goodness knows I love the genre, but is it wise to reinvent yourself and stay in the same genre? Most of the examples of writers breaking out have come from authors who’ve changed names and subgenres. I can’t think of one author, who changed their name, but stayed in the same genre and went onto greater success.

So much to consider, but for now, I think I’ll get to work on finishing my YA.

Last year I started writing my young adult urban fantasy. Everything was literally flying along…until I took a break to write a novella for an upcoming anthology. I figured since the work was short I wouldn’t have any problem jumping right back in to my YA. WRONG!!! I have struggled with the manuscript ever since. It’s been a hard lesson to learn. Quite painful. One I will not soon forget. Some writers have the ability to pick up right where they left off. I am not one of them. I haven’t made any much progress on the book…that was until today. Yesterday I spent several hours charting out what has already happened in the manuscript and what needs to happen. Today, I phoned a dear friend/critique partner to ask for assistance about the romantic subplot. (I was worried there wasn’t enough romance and that it wasn’t going anywhere.) A strange thing happened when she picked up the phone. I started talking about the story. The whole story, not just the romance, and it began to fall into place. I knew the bulk of my problem was in the first act. Like I said in yesterday’s blog, things were happening too quickly. As I talked, gaps began to fill in, new scenes appeared, and the outline fleshed out. For forty-five minutes, my friend just nodded and said ‘uh huh’ while I babbled incoherently about the story. It wasn’t what I phoned for, but it was exactly what I needed. By the time I hung up, the entire story was in my head. I quickly wrote it down on notecards. Now I’m ready to jump back into the manuscript. I have the road map to follow. My destination is clear.

I’ve brainstormed a lot with my critique partners, but I rarely talk a novel out. Brainstorming is a give and take of ideas. Talking a novel out is more like a brain dump. You as the author are working out the problems you’ve been having on your own, while a VERY patient friend listens. Sure they may jump in with a question or a suggestion, but for the most part you are running through the entire story on your own out loud. It’s like telling someone the story while new ideas are popping up along the way. It’s exhilarating. I cannot believe how excited and RELIEVED I feel. I can’t wait to jump back into the book.

Yesterday, I spent several hours trying to re-chart out my YA (young adult) novel. I know there’s a structural problem because events happen too quickly in the beginning. I thought it would be an easy fix. Ha, Ha, Ha! Needless to say, I’m still working on it. I suppose I should be thankful that it’s not a plot problem. It’s just at the moment it feels like a plot problem would be easier to solve than the structure issue. I’m probably only missing three chapters, but it’s hard to tell with my face pressed against the glass. In writing (and life), perspective is EVERYTHING. I plan to jump right back into the manuscript today. I’m going to start by reviewing what it already in the book to see if I can spot ‘blank spaces’. Hopefully that will take care of the problem.

I’ve been reading a lot of books lately. I’ve read twenty thus far since January 1st. (For me, that’s a lot.) I’m trying to clear some of my shelves off, but I admit I do throw in some old favorites to break things up. Whenever I feel myself starting to get into a reading funk, I pick up something from my keeper shelf. It doesn’t stop the new book funk, but it does keep me reading through it. I’m currently reading Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr. I’ve owned the book since it came out, but I never managed to read it. (Yes, I AM that far behind in my reading.) I can definitely see why it hit the New York Times list. The writing is, well, lovely, and the story is intriguing. I can’t wait to see what happens next. I’m also finishing up my RITA books. Two and a half to go. YAY!!! (I signed up to judge the contest. This will be my last year of doing so.) Judging is always a double-edged sword. On the good side, you get introduced to books you wouldn’t normally pick up. On the bad side, you get introduced to books you wouldn’t normally pick up. *g* I’ve avoided contests altogether that require me to write out my opinions. I find I’m not nearly as diplomatic as I used to be.

What about you, are you forgiving when it comes to the books that you read? Or are you ruthless about a book wasting your time?

I’ve been buckling down to study the craft of writing. I’m currently working my way through Characters, Emotion & Viewpoint by Nancy Kress and Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell. The latter I’m using to tighten up my story structures. There’s a lot of really good stuff in both books. Thus far, I’d highly recommend them if you want to hone your skills.

On a truly surprising front, I found out that my book, SCARLET has been nominated for a PEARL in the futuristic category. How cool is that?!?

I seem to be on a vampire kick. I get on them on occasion. When that happens, I can’t seem to get enough of the movies, TV shows and books that contain vampires. Last night I watched the first episode of Blood Ties. I bought the DVD, since the show has been cancelled. It made me miss ‘Henry’ so much. I then popped in Dracula 2000 with Gerard Butler. Man, there are just some people who make me melt when they pop in the fangs. Sigh. My top favorite ‘vampire actors’ are: Kyle Schmid, Gerard Butler, Stuart Townsend, Alex O’Loughlin, and Frank Langella. I’m sure had I seen Buffy the Vampire Hunter, I would add Angel and Spike to that list. Perhaps someday…

If I was going by book characters, it would have to be Bones. Jeaniene Frost created a winner when she invented him.

Who is your favorite fanged one?

I’ve been working on the design of my new website. I admit it is taking longer than I’d like. I’m still trying to figure out what I want to put on the site and how to implement the changes. Determining the focus has been tough. I don’t want it to be a mirror image of my current site. I am definitely going back to a cleaner look. I want the books, not the design of the site to brand me. I also want to up the tech by incorporating podcasts and such. Like I said, it’s requiring a bit more planning and thought than I’d anticipated.

I finally finished my online writing class. It was very helpful and has truly opened my eyes to different writing issues. I’ve only tested what I’ve learned on my own writing on a very small scale. I hope that when I dig back into the two manuscripts it’ll be easier. I’m definitely spotting issues in the books that I’m reading. I suppose it’s a sign of a good class. Of course, it’s also made reading very difficult. It’s hard to get past the prose issues and enjoy the stories. And before you think I’m being overly harsh, keep in mind that I’m well aware that I made all these mistakes in my own writing. The realization is painful. Truly painful. I’m continuing to work my way through the RITA books that were sent to me. I have three more to go, then I’ll be done. I’ve decided this will be my last year of judging them for a while. Judging any contest for that matter. I think when you’re in a transition phase it’s hard to focus on anything else.

Went to see Avatar again. Actually liked it a lot more the second time than I did the first. We also went to see From Paris With Love–I admit we only went to see it because it was shot in Paris–but to be honest, it was a silly, fun shoot em’ up. Totally over the top, but it was entertaining. A year from now, we probably won’t remember we saw it. We also watched Whip It, which is about a girl’s roller derby team. Cute movie. Been hearing good things about Valentine’s Day. We may have to see it.

I know it’s been very quiet around the blog. I wish I could say things would change, but they probably won’t until I get the new site up. Thanks for your patience.

All the books that I owed folks have gone out in the mail. You should be receiving them soon, if you haven’t already. Ciao, for now.

The winner of The First Drop of Crimson is SHERRI. Congratulations!!! Just drop me an email with your address and I’ll get the book in the mail to you.

Thank you to everyone who entered.

We went to see Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. I’ve read the first couple of books in the series (and plan to read the rest). Dh has read all five. We love the series. It’s a lot of fun and does a great job at setting up the characters, conflict/s, and story ARC’s. All I can say is Chris Columbus must have either skimmed the first book or skipped it altogether to come up with his story. Basically everything that was pertinent was tossed out the window. Character development? We don’t need that. Emotions? What are those? Story ARC? Is it really important? (Uh, yeah, if you plan to make any more movies in the series.) The relationship between Percy and his mom (which is MAJOR in the books) is all but ignored in the movie. My mom just got killed…oh well, I think I’ll just pick up this sword and instantly be able to use it. How cool is that? Oh right, oh right, mom’s dead. Thanks for reminding me.

One of the major elements in the first book deals with Percy’s missing father. His reveal is a HUGE turning point for Percy and changes how the people around him treat him. Apparently, it wasn’t important enough to make it into the movie. The endearing thing about the books is that Percy has to work for everything he gains. Nothing comes easy. He gets better at his skills, but he makes mistakes. You know a kind of realistic situation. In the Cliff Notes movie version those elements of the story weren’t important. Percy gets handed everything and doesn’t really have to struggle much at all. Must be nice. I’m not sure I would’ve handled losing my mother and instant sword fighting with such aplomb. I realize I’m not a demi-god. Don’t worry, I’m not spoiling anything. The characters ‘tell’ you everything. There is no mystery…no suspense…no loneliness…no sadness…no real surprise after the first moment of discovery…no character development…no story ARC…no plot…etc.

No one wanted to make life hard on Percy. That would’ve made for such horrible drama. We couldn’t have that. All I can say is thank goodness J.K. Rowling held onto creative control of her Harry Potter books, when they made them into movies and Chris Columbus directed. I shudder to think what would’ve happened if she hadn’t.

On a completely different note, my friend, Jeaniene Frost was kind enough to let me read the ARC of her new book, First Drop of Crimson before it came out. I enjoyed it so much that I went out yesterday and bought a giveaway copy. I love how Jeaniene combines romance with urban fantasy. She doesn’t back away from the harshness of the worlds that she creates. She’s also written one of the hottest scenes I’ve read in a long time. If you’d like to take a peek at the shower scene (fans face) for yourself, toss your name into the hat. I’ll pick one winner on Wednesday. Good luck!!!