Tag: writers

Hanger and Hangers Blogfest – The Hanger Section

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle34 Comments

We are back with the second half of this blast of a Blogfest with our Hangers this time. The last sentence of each chapter is just as important as the first.  Check out my Hangers; the last lines of each chapter of my WIP – I’m Coming Home.

  • So much for 36 hours to herself.
  • And, she was pretty proud of herself, too.
  • She didn’t remember reading it before falling asleep, but she must have because she dreamed about him all night.
  • That was Sydney’s heart talking, her head was singing an entirely different tune.
  • She decided that it was probably just the alcohol; liquid courage.
  • From the way he kissed her good night, she had no doubt that he felt the same.
  • The rest of the day was pretty uneventful.
  • After the first song, Sydney was having such a great time all the negative, bad, anxiety fueled stuff in her head pretty much disappeared.
  • “By the way, my nature is not all that delicate.”

I like my hangers.  They convey the series of emotions that my MC pretty well.  Let me know what you think.  

You can find the other blogfest participants by clicking on the Hookers & Hangers badge at the top and join me in thanking Cassie, Hope, Jade, Jenny & Kelley for hosting the Hookers & Hangers Blogfest.

My Weekly Update – Awards Round Up

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle9 Comments


I have been tagged by my blog buddy A.M. Schultz.  I am stealing his little skull star guy in order for you to remember the man and the myth.  Besides, I think it is too cool. Click on the skull to visit his new site Head Spit.  The guys got talent.

 Eleven Things about Me:
1. I am moving to Shanghai next month.
2. I broke my iPhone yesterday by dropping it on a concrete floor.
3. I play golf.
4. I am unusually loyal to TaylorMade Adidas products.
5. I am obsessed with reality cooking show competitions; Top Chef, Master Chef, Chopped.
6. I can’t cook.
7. I am currently reading Foreign Identity by my new blog friend Becca J. Campbell. Just a few pages in, but Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory meets the movie Saw keeps popping into my head. It is really good.
8. I wonder why Apple doesn’t make printers. It is preventing me from having an all Apple workstation.
9. I currently have three types of currency in my wallet. Can you guess which ones? Hint: I don’t have any American dollars.
10. The title of my next novel is tentatively Ink: A Permanent Love Story. Corny?

Now on to 11 questions by  AM Schultz.  I have to admit, I am a little scared.  Here we go:

#1: Better Song: Happy Happy, Joy Joy or Peanut Butter Jelly Time?
Happy Happy, Joy Joy.  I have no clue what Peanut Butter Jelly Time is, but I will look it up.
#2: What song must you dance/sing to, even at the risk of looking like a ginormous dorkface?
In the fantasy version of myself, I sing and dance like Beyonce. Dance for You is my favorite song from her last album and whenever I hear it, I have to sign and dance.  It’s pretty hot. Let me know what you think.
#3: If you could take any historical figure to lunch, who would it be?
I have a fascination with female leaders, so I would probably pick Cleopatra. The historical accounts of her versus how she is portrayed in movies and T.V. shows is so different.  I would love to ask what what’s the real deal.
4: Where would you go?
 I would take her to Craft in New York. Tom Colicchio’s food is fit for a queen.
#5: What do you think they would order?
She would probably order the entire menu and take a small bite of each thing. She is a queen after all, she is allowed.
#6: What book do you wish you had written?
There aren’t any books I wish I could have written. I think that would be pretty arrogant of me to think I could write a book I love better than the writer.
#7: If you could be one character from literature, who would you be?
I took this quiz What Character from literature are you and it said I was Atticus Finch, which is just awesome. I love To Kill a Mockingbird
#8: Paper or plastic?
Paper
#9: Does the end justify the means?
It does, until it doesn’t.
#10: Least favorite celebrity?
Kim Kardasian – I just don’t get it.
#11: What is the maximum number of times someone should take a bath/shower per day (excluding those with medical conditions, etc)
At least once a day, unless you are really busy and don’t subject other to your funk, then you can get a way with once every two days.

Also, a shout out and thank you to Ella Medler for the One Lovely Blog Award she bestowed upon me last week and Megan Paasch; Rhymes with Smash! for the Inspiring Blog Award.  Last but not least, big thanks to Emma MC at Write Away for the Sunshine Award.  Please check out their blogs.

Badges are on my Blog Work Tab.  As far as the responsibilities, please forgive me, but I don’t think there is anything that you don’t know about me.  I need to go do more stuff so I have more to talk about.  But, I am very grateful for the love nonetheless.

New Followers – I am honored and blessed.

Tyler Wiechman – Fun blog and Marvel Comic tattoos
Year of Austere 
Khamnei Thang
Economiced by Dan Pedersen
Beauty, I Say!
Journey of Jordanna East
Poemage by Justin & Jin
Nevena Read
Jennifer James
 
Next Weeks Schedule
Monday – Hookers Blogfest
Tuesday – Tattoo Tuesday
Wednesday – Hangers Blogfest
Friday – Blog Post
Sunday – My Weekly Update

My Weekly Update – Tagged Twice, Tattoos and Tell Somebody

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle17 Comments

Tagged #1

Ug! I have been tagged. And, not a normal tag where I tell the world about me.  I can handle that. But, I have been tagged by Karen Einsel in the Next Best Thing Challenge, which means I have to bear my soul and reveal details of my novel. Oh, the horror.  It might be before I am ready, but perhaps Karen is telling me it is time.  So, here it goes.

What is the title of your book/WIP?
  I’m Coming Home

Where did the idea of the book come from?
  I am an American who lives in China and every year when I come back home it never fails, I meet a guy and as soon as I tell him I live in China, he is like, that’s cool and then moves on.  I can’t blame them, really.  China is far away.  So, I was fascinated about this idea if just one time a guy thought of it as an interesting challenge.  How is it possible to develop a relationship with someone who lives so far away?  Also, I love New Orleans and it is great place to start a romance.

What genre would your book fall under?
  I have gone back and forth about this for months.  I think I have narrowed it down to International Rom/Com Chick Lit.

What characters would you choose to play the characters in the movie adaptation of your book?
  The inspiration for my male character is Bryan Greenberg, so he could play him in the movie.  As far as my main character, maybe Thandie Newton or Zooey Deschanel.   A mix of beauty and quirky funny.

What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
  First of all, I hate this question.  But, here goes:  
An expat living in China meets a guy on a business trip to America and falls in love over Mexican Food in the French Quarter, but will her demanding boss and her own sense of independence threatens what could potentially be her ticket out of her mundane boring life catering to the demands of others and ignoring her own happiness. 
I still hate this questions.

Is your book published or represented? 
  Not, yet and no.

How long did it take you to write your book?  30 days – I wrote it during JuNoWriMo

What other books in your genre would you compare you book to?  I love the quirkiness of the MC in Sophie Kinsella Shopaholic Books.  My MC has some issues with self esteem and sticking up for herself and you want to tell her to get a freakin back bone already, but you like her, too.

Which author’s inspired you to write this book?  Everything I read inspires me.  Plus, places I have lived and visited, people I have met, music I listen to and tattoos (my characters alway have tattoos).  I find inspiration everywhere.  Like Karen, Stephen King is my favorite writer who makes it impossible for you not to get sucked into the world he creates and that is what I want my writing to do.

Tell us anything else that might pique our interest in your book.  Part of the book takes place in Hong Kong and China where I get to pull in a few antidotes about life in China that you could never understand unless you have actually been there. I try my best to take you there.

Tagged #2

I was also tagged by EM Castellan  in the Lucky 7 Meme.  You ladies are really wanting me to put it all out there.  Ok.  Page 77, line 7, 7 lines from I’m Coming Home (You should be hearing the P. Diddy song playing softly in the background).

“Well, in the last hour that I have know him.  He seems ok.”
“Is that it?” Sydney asked. “Ok. The two of you talked about computers for an hour and all you can say is ok.”
“What do you want me to say?” Kevin said. “He is handsome and has good teeth and he smells good, too. What?”
” I am just . . .  I don’t know.” Sydney said.
“Listen, Sydney.” Kevin said. “You have a problem.” 

Ok people, that is it. No more.  I am done. The book is going in the filing cabinet until September.

**The tag rules also include tagging other authors, so my new followers below, consider yourself tagged.  

Tattoos

Starting on Tuesday, I am going to bring to you a new feature; Tattoo Tuesday.  It is my goal to bring this beautiful and often misunderstood art form to my readers.  I will share information on artist, the art, the process, tattoos in pop culture and my own tattoo stories.  I would love to share some of my readers tattoo photos and stories, as well.  If you want to reveal your body art to the world, sent me an email with the artwork and the story.  If you have an image that inspired the artwork as well, sent that, too.  You can reach me at sydliyah at hotmail dot com.

I am am not an expert.  I am just a tattoo’ed girl.  So, if you have any questions that I know I am not qualified to answer, I won’t, but I will find someone who is and will.

Tell Somebody

When I discover great advice on writing, I have to tell somebody.  I have two that I want to share this week:

Nightmares and Realities: Showing vs. Telling by Sevastian Winters – I finally understand the show vs. tell concept.

Dialogic – Part 1:  He said, She said by A.M. Schultz – Great information on writing dialogue.  And, he assured me there will be a part 2.  Right, AM?

New Followers

 Weekly Schedule

Tuesday – Tattoo Tuesday 
Wednesday – Movie Quotes – full blog post version
Friday – Blog Post 
Sunday – My Weekly Update
 

JuNoWriMo Host, Participant and Winner Interview – Becca J. Campbell

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah MichelleLeave a comment

For the final interview in my JuNoWriMo Interview Series, please welcome Becca J. Campbell.  She, along with A.E. Howard, created JuNoWriMo.

Tell me a little about what you are writing for Junowrimo.
I’m writing a New Adult Urban Fantasy novel. Here’s the synopsis:
Eva has the curse of randomly disappearing, unable to be heard, seen, or felt in any way during her absences. During those episodes she can only watch the rest of the world pass her by. The worst was a period that lasted nearly ten years.
Now, indefinitely back to being visible, her ten year high school reunion is upon her, and though she isn’t looking forward to it, she has to go. It’s the only way to find the answer to her burning question, the one eating her up during those ten long years. But to find the answer she has to face the pain buried deep in her past. She has to face Kade.
Is this your first time doing this type of challenge?
Nope! I’ve won NaNoWriMo two years in a row, which is what spurred the whole idea of JuNoWriMo. J
What did you learn from the last challenge that is helping you with Junowrimo? 
From my previous NaNoWriMo experiences I’ve learned that I am a hard-and-fast planner. I require a full synopsis in outline form that directs me scene by scene through my novel. So I did as much prewriting as possible this time through. It really helped, too. I didn’t get stuck at all this year. I only skipped one scene that I was unsure of, and beyond that, I made it to my final chapter when I ended the month.
What is your typical weekly writing schedule like; time of day, # of words per day.
I usually write in the evening, sometimes also in the afternoons when my kids are having quiet time. I aimed to get ahead early on, approximately 3,000 words per day. I didn’t achieve that every day, but I was ahead of my quota the entire month. I met the 50K on day 23.
What was your final word count for the Challenge? 
Unfortunately, I got sick the last week of this month and haven’t been able to write, otherwise I would have finished my whole novel. I stopped at 54,624 words, though, and I’m happy with that. At least I won JuNoWriMo. I’ve got to accept what’s reasonable and what isn’t and though writing 75K in a calm month might be possible for me, this month was incredibly busy. Plus, I can’t write when I’m sick.
How did you and Anna decide to host JuNoWriMo?
I decided sometime around February or March that I wanted to write a novel NaNo-style in June because the timing worked out really well for me. But I thrive on the energy from other writers and I knew if I could get more people to do it with me I’d have a much better chance at success. So I tweeted about the idea, jokingly saying I was going to do “JuNoWriMo.” What I got was a handful of other excited writers saying they would do it with me. One of those was Anna, a creative lady who happened to know a ton about web design and have a lot of helpful ideas. So we partnered together for this creative adventure. It was a match made in heaven—our differences complement each other quite well.
What is the future of JuNoWriMo?
This month has been amazing! I’ve been astounded by the numbers of participants we rounded up in just a few short months. I can already feel a strong sense of community here and I absolutely love it. Because of all that (and because my June totally rocked—except for the getting sick part), we’re doing this thing again next year. Anna and I are on board, hoping this will be an annual deal you can count on to get you through your summer novel. We’re even scheduling the release of our future books around it so we are set to handle everything. In the meantime, tell your friends and neighbors, and spread the word. Next year it’s going to be even bigger and better! And if you really want to share the love, donate a buck or two. (http://junowrimo.com/about-us/donate/) We’ve donated many hours of our time and a ton of effort birthing this thing and helping you get that novel written. Thanks for joining us for the ride and I hope to see you next year!

Make sure to visit and connect with Becca.

Blog:  beccajcambell.com

Twitter:  @beccajcampbell

Click here to visit Becca’s Author Page on Facebook and Goodreads.

Am I Ruined for Life?

Published on by Sydney Aaliyah Michelle39 Comments

It is that time of the month, where I feel safe to reveal some of my insecurities for the world to see.  It is Insecure Writer’s Support Group Day!

My main concern for the month is that my first novel-writing experience has ruined me for the rest of my writing career.

In June, I finished a month-long writing challenge called JuNoWriMo.  With a goal of 50,000 words, I was able to write over 75,000 words.  I did what the challenge asked me to do; Just Write.  I really enjoyed writing this way.  It was my first novel.  But, it was a novel I had been thinking about for over 2 years.  I knew exactly how it was supposed to start and end.  I knew the main character inside and out.  I knew the setting backward and forward.   I knew the lesson my MC was supposed to learn by the end and she got there after going through several conflicts.  The issues in the beginning came to complete and sometimes funny conclusions at the end.  Dare I say it, the process was easy.

Don’t get me wrong, I woke up early to write. I stayed up late to write. I didn’t go out much and a couple of days I didn’t bath (Am I sharing too much?). But, in the grand scheme of things, I felt that the month went very smoothly.

I created a daily journal about my writing experience and there were only a couple of days that I would classify as me having a “moment”. Other than that, it was so much fun.

My concern is what if the next time it is not so easy.  No way it could be. I have another story idea, which I just thought about this month.  It is with two MC, but besides the broad story, I know nothing about them.  It is in familiar settings, but it will still take some research.  And, I have an idea of where it should start, but no idea of where it will end.

I am concerned that the process isn’t going to be so easy and will I be up for it.  I have given myself a month to outline and plan and then jumping right back into the writing fray with Camp Nanowrimo in August.

I would love it if my first experience was my writing process, but, I don’t think that is realistic.

Did my first novel-writing experience ruin me for life?