Update: What I am Working On

So I realized that it has been awhile since I updated you all on what exactly I am writing! You know, the entire point of this blog ;0) So here's whats under construction:

YA Novels:

Untitled - Hannah, Molly and Claire are less than a week away from graduating from Willow Heights High School; the moment they had all been waiting on for the last four years. But when the three show up late and miss the only bus headed to the camp where Senior Day is being held, they have no choice but to squeeze into Hannah's old clunker of a car and attempt to make it on time to Graduation practice. However, one wrong turn and a few car issues later, the girls are left wandering around an old, abandoned park...or so it seems.
Through this magical and thrill packed story... Hannah, Molly and Claire are taken on a journey through a mystical world that sets their imagination on fire. But when they are told they can only remain for so long before being trapped forever, the adventure soon becomes a race against time. The girls have one chance to escape through a porthole on the other side of the realm, but it only opens once every 400 years and getting there requires facing many obstacles that occur along the way. Will the girls find the porthole in time? Better yet, will they even make it to graduation?

Untitled - Jilly is 15 years old and different from most kids her age...or is she? She's scrawny, nerdy, and has a hard time fitting in anywhere. So when her new homeroom teacher informs her that she has 2 weeks to pick an extracurricular activity (required for all Freshmen) before the school counselor assigns her one, life gets even more complicated. The problem is, Jilly doesn't fit in any of the groups available at River City Heights High. But with the help of her new, mysterious friend, the school's Beaver Mascot, Bucky, Jilly creates a list of clubs that might work and sets out on a misson to find out where she belongs. In a world of change and learning how to grown-up, Jilly soon finds herself discovering that sometimes it takes being brave enough to be different to fit in. (This description is still very rough as I am just in the very beginning stages of writing this and the characters are still coming to me and I am still figuring out her story. I can tell you she is insanely sarcastic and funny! This has been fun to work on so far)!

Untitled- This novel is still very, very rough and mostly compiled of notes and short clips of writing so far. I think I am going to make you wait for this description just for fun! I will tell you it has to do with love... life and all the fun stories along the way! It'll be interesting! More on this romance comedy later!

Picture Books

Various- I am playing around with a few different picture book ideas and editing what I have, nothing solid enough to write about just yet!

Workshop Coming Soon!

Last night after work I slipped my registration form for the Kansas SCBWI Workshop into the big blue snail mail box! The conference/workshop is to be held in Overland Park on March 21st and I am officially counting down the days (26 in case you were wondering)!

"Stay in the Phone Booth With the Gorilla," is a one day event and the purpose of this workshop is to practice creating a story that will keep your readers in the death-grip of the plot and how to use conflict and other writing tactics to their full potential! It should be a blast! As an added bonus, this workshop falls during Spring Break and I have the weekend off so a friend and I are going to get a hotel and just spend the weekend up there! What better way to spend the break?!

HAPPINESS!

Back in November while traveling between Kansas, Florida, and Georgia; I managed to lose my keyring that held all THREE of my jump drives. In other words, I lost approximately 5 to 6 years of writing! Normally, that would not have been a problem because I am little Ms. Neurotic about those things. I usually had a back up jump drive, a printout set of copies, and the original files saved on my computer. However, a week before going on vacation my computer's hard drive crashed, I (in a moment of what could only be labeled as thoughtlessness) attached the backup jump drive to the main keyring and forgot to take it back off, and didn't print the latest versions of all my manuscripts because I was in a hurry to get everything done for the trip, finals, and work! So when I got home and settled back into everyday life and reached for my comparatives to discover they were not there, I am pretty sure a little part of me died! I didn't say anything because I was swimming in denial! I searched my suitcases multiple times, dug through my car, checked pocket after pocket in all the clothing I owned, and called practically every place I had been. About a month ago, I finally realized they weren't going to surface and began to except that I had really screwed up!

Last night however, as I was reaching into my computer bag to grab a disc to re-load Microsoft Word on my computer, I snagged on something stuck in the furthest corner of the pocket (the pocket I rarely use). Much to my surprise, I lifted out the purple keyring with ALL THREE jump drives. Needless to say, I performed the ultimate happiness dance followed by a series of vocal outbursts! I was (and still am) thrilled!

I have learned my lesson since then and pay even more attention to what I am doing. Let me tell you though, next time I travel I will padlock those suckers to my side! Losing my manuscripts was almost like losing my soul!

Creatively (and happily) yours,

Kat

A Few Quick Shout-outs...

Currently I am really busy with work and trying to get my head above water with Spanish, but I thought I would give a few shoutouts!

First off, once again, Meg Cabot is a genius! If you have not read the Princess Diaries Series, you should! You know the saying don't judge a book by it's cover? Well same goes for it's movies! The movies are amazing, but not as good as the books! The plot-line is a bit different and it is for an older crowd and full of laughs! So, basically, read them! You won't be dissapointed (unless maybe you are a guy...then you might not be into them as much as I was)! I say this because I just finished the final book in the series and was sad to see it come to an end, BUT, she went out with a bang! ;0) Also, as always, lots of humor!

Next off, (despite the rule of not judging a book by it's movie), I was very excited to buy "The Secret Life of Bees" on DVD earlier last week. Again, that is one of my favorite books, written by SueMonk Kidd! I still stand by reading the book first (helps the movie make more sense); but they did a good job of following the book for the most part! So if you are looking for a drama/touching video to watch, give this one a shot!

As for me and my writing, I am working on strengthening the middle section of my novel. Currently I am diving headfirst into research of different mystical creatures, fairies, etc. I need to develop some strong characters that the girls (Hannah, Claire and Molly) will face on their journey. I am really having fun with this now that I have re-worked the initial plot-line and things are moving more smoothly than before! So *crosses fingers* hopefully I will be near the finish line with this manuscript soon! I will keep you updated!

Off I go... but until we meet again,

Creatively yours,
Kat

In One Word... Chaotic!

I have been living life in the fast lane lately and consequently not been able to spend as much time as I should on this lovely blog! But you have not been forgotten!

My hours have been packed with classes, writing, work, writing, trying to get caught up with the ever-growing book pile, writing, and just life in general! To sum it all up in one word, I would have to say chaotic!


Currently, I am in the middle of wanting to chuck my Spanish Text Book out the window (though I would never do that to a book) as we enter the 4th week of classes. I cannot, for the life of me, get it all to stick. In fact, only one thing has come from my Spanish Class thus far and that is the constant craving for Enchiladas (with chips and salsa of course)! Last week we had our first exam and it did not, to say the least, go well. So this means I will be studying even more than I was in the first place!


As for my other classes, they are going well. Philosophy is rather interesting and I find that it incubates a variety of interesting writing ideas (which is always helpful)! Then of course there is Fiction Writing, which... well, I love! A great deal of my homework load comes from this class, but I don't mind it at all. I find myself finishing the assignments and moving right along into my own writing because working on the various prompts is inspiring. In fact (beaming ear to ear), I took one of the required writing activities and have turned it into the first 5 pages of a new novel! Which is exciting because finding unique ideas for longer stories is a challenge for me. Yet when it inspiration strikes, it strikes hard! This time to the point that I find myself waking up frequently at night to write about what comes to me in dreams (hints the bags under the eyes), and when I am in class during the day I constantly write notes in the margins of whatever we are doing because ideas seem to be pouring out! Also, some way or another, finding the inspiration for this novel somehow broke through the writer's block I was suffering with my other young-adult novel I have been working on for awhile. I have had so much trouble finishing it, but lately been sprouting ideas like a plant in the Spring!


So, needless to say, the writing is going good! I really think that the class is helping and also I seem to have unexpectedly discovered a few things in my life that spark my creativity and, well... just flat out make me smile (and smiling is always good)!

In the way of reading, I have set aside all other books in honor of Meg Cabot's last Princess Diaries novel, Forever Princess. Which, on this note, i would like to take the opportunity to state that Meg Cabot is the Queen Bee and Supreme Ruler of Young Adult Literature. To say that she is someone I look up to would be an understatement. This diva has published well over 40 items... and none of it is fluff! She truly is an amazing writer... and I would LOVE to meet her someday *crosses fingers! Ok, now that that has been noted, back to the subject at hand! Reading, yes, I have been! I recently read a novel called Living Dead Girl, by Elizabeth Scott. Harsh book to read, but managed to finish it. It is not for the weak at heart, stomach or those who find they get triggered easily. I found her writing style to be unique, and her presentation of the character to be great. However, overall the subject matter was distracting and my no means was this a good book to curl up and read before bed! So, I reached for a Stephen King book to relax (haha)! Also, I neared the end of Nineteen Minute's by Jodi Picoult and the first few pages of The Virgin of Small Plains, by Nacy Pickard. Basically, a little here, a little there! All of which I will finish up after I finish Meg's newest book! Then there is an entire other stack of books I want to read, but we will get into that later!


As far as life, it's going the way life tends to go! Hectic with a side order of chaos and each day presents its own challenges. But I have come to learn that that's just the way it is.... and the important thing is that we embrace the chaos and learn from the challenges.


So there you go, a quick, yet not so short update! More to come! Until then though... as always...



Creatively yours,
Kat