A brief word about writing success, featuring Eve 1 and Eve 2

January 20, 2016January 21, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 13 Comments

EVE #1: How are you ever going to publish novels if you keep spending too much time online?

EVE #2: But going online is fun! I’m learning about all kinds of books I’d like to read, and I love talking with other book lovers and writers.

EVE #1: Seriously, though, as soon as you progress to a point where you might actually complete a really good novel–as in ready to send out to agents–you get distracted and start spending more time online. What’s up with that?

EVE #2: Yeah, what IS up with that? I think I may have a fear of success.

EVE #1: Fear of succe–what even is that? . . . Okay, here. . . Susanne Babbel, Ph.D., M.F.T., could you please tell us what you wrote on Psychology Today about fear of success?

Susan Babbel, Ph.D., M.F.T.: “People who have experienced trauma may associate the excitement of success with the same physiological reactions as trauma. They avoid subjecting themselves to excitement-inducing circumstances, which causes them to be almost phobic about success.”

EVE #2: Whoah, that’s deep. Is anyone else finding it difficult to ignore that “Babbel” is a hilarious surname for someone who probably engages in a lot of talk therapy?

EVE #1: Focus, Eve. You’ve been through trauma. It’s something to keep in mind. You don’t want it to hold you back from your dreams.

EVE #2: Alright, I will definitely keep it in mind. Now. . . I have an admission to make.

EVE #1: Uh-oh.

EVE#2: I think today might have been first.

EVE #1: A first? So you made good headway on the novel?

EVE #2: A little. But, nope, this is about headway I made on someone else’s novel. . .

EVE #1: So you’re reading other books? That’s great. They say reading lots of novels makes you a better—

EVE #2: Better writer, blah-blah. Listen. . . today I may have made my first book purchase based purely on the gorgeousness of the author.

EVE #1: You bought a book because the guy in the picture was cute?

EVE#2: Sort of, well. . . definitely. He had great hair and looked really clean. He was wearing a sexy winter coat, and his face had this perfect expression between serious and smiling. And he was on the chubby side —you know how I love those teddy bear guys.

EVE #1: Care to tell us who it was?

EVE #2: No way!

EVE #1: So you bought this guy’s book? You just went and bought it based purely on his looks?

EVE #2: Well, I read the excerpt first.

EVE #1: And you’re probably HOPING his writing is as “cute” as his looks.

EVE #2: I cannot disagree with that statement.

–Eve Messenger

What I Learned as a Writer in 2015 #writerslife #amwriting

January 1, 2016March 15, 2016 / Eve Messenger / 55 Comments

In pursuing my ambition to publish great YA novels, here are some things I learned over the past year:

Beyond the thrill of being able to express my passion for writing and books, there are great benefits to blogging, the best of which is getting to know creative, supportive fellow writers and book lovers, many of whom I now consider friends. I see you, Tracy L. Jackson, Beth @ betwixt-these-pages, Kelly Deeny, Elena Johansen, FamilyRules, Wallace Cass, Annika Perry, Pat Sherard, The Glitter Afficianado, Stephanie @ Eclectic Scribblings, Melanie Noell Bernard, Nate Philbrick, Sabrina Marsi Books, Jennifer F. Santucci, Mackenzie Bates, Stephanie @ yourdaughtersbookshelf, Karen @ MyTrain of Thoughts, Amanda d Bat, Carolyn @ A Hundred Thousand Stories, Erica @ Books the Thing, the bookwormgirls123.
I am better at editing a first draft on the computer than on a hard copy, even though a lot of advice-givers recommend against it.
A style sheet is helpful, especially for tracking important plot dates.
Literary agents are regular folks and book lovers just like us.
To write first drafts without censoring myself.
To create headers for each scene in Word so I can easily find them later using the navigation screen.
To keep a “book blurb” Word file for when I feel especially excited about my novel and get ideas on how to pitch it in future query letters.
Short stories are not my preferred medium; what I truly love is writing novels (and I’m sort of learning it’s okay to be better at some things than others.)
Flash fiction is fun…and challenging.
Collecting images for novel inspiration boards on Pinterest is a blast and really does stimulate ideas.
It’s still great to be able to hold a book in my hands, but reading novels on electronic devices won’t kill me.
I want to get more into #bookstagram and #booklr.
Saving the previous draft of a story before making editing changes avoids a lot of lost good writing.
All writers, even the most successful ones, find writing novels to be really hard work.
When I stay away from my novel for too long, I forget I’m actually good at writing it.
Even when I’m afraid to work on my novel, I do have the discipline and faith to always return to it.
Daily writing goals and rewards make me a much more productive writer.
My writing really does improve with practice.
Beta critiquing other people’s novels makes me a better writer.
Google Docs is a really handy tool that allows me to work on manuscripts on my phone, home computer, out-of-town relatives’ computers, and hotel lobby computers. . . but I still always keep multiple back-up copies of my work.
A change purse is a great place to keep a flash drive.
I really am dedicated to publishing YA novels and maybe, just maybe, I am worthy of success.

Like Knows Like

November 29, 2015November 30, 2015 / Eve Messenger / 7 Comments

I spent Thanksgiving at a recovery house visiting my beautiful, 16-year-old relative, Maria*, who’s working through severe depression and anxiety. After several weeks of very hard work on her part and intensive therapy at this great facility, Maria is blossoming into the person we once knew and so much more. She and I hugged and talked as several other girls and their families milled about. In the far corner, on the floor, sat a girl reading a book.

Like knows like.

“Who’s that?” I asked Maria.

“Trish*,” Maria said, introducing us. “She just got here.” Of course, I asked Trish about the novel she was reading, and then we spoke of other books and trilogies. I was mightily impressed when Trish revealed she’d read the entire Harry Potter series in under two weeks. Before entering this recovery house, Trish hadn’t left her home in over three years. Being around people gives her dizzy spells.

The next day, I returned to the recovery house to visit Maria again, but she hadn’t yet returned from an outing with the other girls. So I waited in the kitchen and chatted with the counselors. At one point, a counselor turned toward the living room and called out, “Hey, Trish, you okay in there?” The back of the couch was to us, so I’d had no idea Trish was there. I was happy when I heard her name, so I peeked over the couch, said, “Hello, Trish,” then returned to the kitchen.

The counselors and I had just resumed our conversation when Trish popped up onto her feet and said, “Dizziness gone!” She joined us at the table, and we picked up where we’d left off the day before, discussing more books–her favorite is high fantasy. I asked if she’d been to the Renaissance Faire and she said, “Many times. I’ve worked them!”

And we were happy. We were friends. We were family.

All because of a book.

— Eve Messenger

*Names and details have been changed to protect the awesome.

7 Things About Me

August 3, 2015August 4, 2015 / Eve Messenger / 16 Comments

Many thanks to Glitter Aficianado for awarding me the Versatile Blogger Award!

There are three simple rules for this award.

Link back to the blogger(s) who nominated you.
Post seven facts about yourself.
Nominate some other bloggers of your own!*

7 Facts about Me, Eve Messenger

Possums do not play possum around me, opting instead to morph into hissing, fanged, razor-clawed creatures with snakelike tails. Thus, I do not like possums.
I am half Japanese incognito.
On the rare occasions that I’ve called radio stations to request a song, they put me live on the air. This has happened to me six times in my life.
The book series I was most obsessed with as a child was Fairytales from Around the World.
I’ve always wanted to pilot a helicopter but have never ridden in one.
I dream of going to Europe.
It took me 90 minutes to figure out how to post this . Linking is now my b*tch.

Bloggers I Nominate . . .

I agree with Glitter Aficianado that nominating 15 bloggers seems to diminish the prize somewhat, so here is my much more selective list of bloggers who, in my not so humble opinion, deserve a Versatile Blogger Award for making the blogosphere shine.

Josie’s Book Corner – My favorite place in the blogosphere.

Crohn’s and the Real Girl – Each and every brilliant story is a joy to read.

illustr8d – Super intelligent blogger who makes me feel less alone in the blogosphere by commenting even when no one else does.

A Simple Life – because she’s the best kind of nonconformist cool.

familyrulesbyplainjane – For the kindness and imagination that shine through her every post.