Dear Patch,

I know, pink is not your thing. Probably not cupcakes, either. You're more a brown paper bag and vending machine kind of guy. Too bad. Because today is launch day for FINALE, Becca Fitzpatrick's wrap-up of yours and Nora's story and I'm writing this post in honor of it and I happen to love pink. Deal with it.

I remember the first time I met you, lo these many years ago. (Eight? Nine? Suffice it to say that my age at the time had a 3 in front of it. Becca's age only had a 2 in front of it, but that's neither here nor there.) In any case, we were all younger. Except you, of course. You were the same age the first time you swaggered across a page I read. You were not, however, an angel at that time. You were just a boy with a lot of attitude and a mouth that made me laugh out loud every time you opened it and wish, just for a minute, that I was seventeen again.

In the midst of this busy day, I hope you take a minute to appreciate the writer who launched you. No one could have done you and Nora and Vee justice like Becca. You fought her on it. For years you and the others twisted and turned through every variation possible of your story. The one thing that stayed the same was your dark appeal and Nora's stubborn refusal to let you turn her away. And the dialogue: that crackling, sparking, quotable and fabulous dialogue that marks everything Becca writes.

Through rewrites and complete reversals and no after no after no after no . . . Becca never gave up on you. And look at her now--NYT bestseller, tour dates all over the U.S. and Europe, a book trailer release on USA Today's website . . . Did I mention I knew her when?

So, Patch and Nora, enjoy your day.

And Becca--we love you :)

Vermont Retreat Highlights

1. Dinner in Manchester, Vermont at a lovely little Thai restaurant, followed by a rapturous hour at Northshire Bookstore. Check it out. 

2. Stories From Touring, as told by Becca Fitzpatrick. As the only one of us who has toured thus far, her stories didn't have a lot of competition. But even if they had, I'm pretty sure entries re. Toronto and/or St. Louis would have won hands down. ("Do you want a hit?") In a related note, I'm not feeling confident of my chances to avoid humiliation when I'm forced to appear in public with my books.

3. Walking around Emerald Lake while Becca took photos of places to stash dead bodies. Usually I'm the morbid one, so it was a nice change of pace.

4. Bear damage. As in the sign at the entrance to the lake: "If bear damage occurs, call authorities." Seriously? People in Vermont have to be told to report--what? Being mauled by a bear? I know New Englanders are tough and self-reliant, but that's taking it a bit far.

5. Blissful hours of uninterrupted writing, broken only by the occasional question. "Does this make my character sound like a slut?" "If she's seeing ghosts, does she have to be seeing how they died or can they  just stand still and be spooky?" "What do you think of the name Skinny Bill for a bad guy?" "I'm eating ice cream now--anyone want some?"

6. Days with friends who I only rarely see in person. The kind of friends who instinctively understand you so there's no awkward feeling-each-other-out phase or excessive politeness. It was all very cozy and comfortable.

7. Crossing a river without my pants. I'm not sure it's exactly a highlight, but it will be long remembered. Fortunately there is no photographic proof.

8. Fresh apples and Vermont sharp cheddar cheese.

9. Rain on a day when the demands on us were limited to deciding if we wanted to go out to eat.

10. The only downside? It was over too soon, and we weren't all there. (Curse responsibility and chickens! Next year we demand you free Suzanne or we'll just have to kidnap her and hold her to ransom!)

An Apology, and a Weird List

Yes, I was supposed to continue the theme begun back in July about odd research facts.

Clearly, I didn't.

So it's September. The good news is, four of the five of us from the Cabinet will be gathered together in person later this week. Suzanne--well, I can't even begin to talk about how much we're going to miss you. Because it makes me cry. Be assured that you will be hovering with us every moment and we'll start planning ahead for next year.

One of the items on my agenda for this writers' retreat is getting this blog and us into a workable schedule. Which, let's face it, mostly means Me. Paying. Attention. And Remembering. To. Post.

But while we're in contemplative mode, why don't you share with us what you'd most like to see. Guest posts from other writers? Author interviews? Photos and video links? Our process, our stories, our failures, our workaday lives? We live to serve, in so many ways it's not even funny. But this service is of our choosing, so bring it on.

And just to keep my own conscience from strangling me while I sleep (I hear it whispering at 3:00 a.m.: "You didn't post your research facts. I'm coming for you . . ."), I present what I have researched in just the last three weeks.

1. How to Make Your Own Substitution Cipher.

     Sparked by a comment from my copyeditor in book one, in which a series of coded letters are found after a young woman's unexpected death, I looked up everything from Cardan grilles to Petrarch's Canzoniere. And then in my notebook I wrote out my own cipher for several messages using a keyword from one of Petrarch's sonnets. In Italian. Here's the result:

Plain Text: 'plant this to be widely seen'
Ciphered Text (with keyword farmi): KHBIN NZEM NJ UX QEWXHS MXXI

I think I'm ready for James Bond now. Calling Daniel Craig (I say hopefully(have I mentioned that I'm seriously beginning to see him as my older, non-dead George Boleyn in THE BOLEYN KING?)) . . .

2. Venomous Snakes in England
     
     There's only one native snake in England that's venomous: the adder. Fortunately for my nightmares, they do not appear to chew on people like the snakes Suzanne researched. (I'm still shuddering over that one.)

3. John Dee and His Star Charts

     John Dee was a mathematician and astronomer (among numerous intellectual interests) who is best known as an advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. For book two revisions, I needed a clearer idea of what his star charts looked like--in which he would plot the positions of the planets according to the time and place of a person's birth and from there divine their past and future life. I don't claim to understand them, but at least now I know a little better what they looked like. 

4. How Many Children did John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, have and in what order? How many of those children were alive in autumn 1555 and which of them had spouses and/or children themselves? 

     Genealogical research gives me a headache, especially in a time period in which people re-used names and, sometimes, didn't even wait for the first sibling holder of the name to die. It appears that Dudley named two of his sons Henry before the first Henry was dead, and that's only the beginning of my irritation with that family. Honestly, if you're going to have thirteen (twelve?) children and virtually all of them are going to survive infancy, have the decency to keep better records. And come up with more names.

     And all of that for one brief scene near the end of book two set in Dudley Castle. Most of the children present don't speak, and only a couple of them are referred to by name. But if you'd like a complete list of who was there and how old they were (to within a few years or so), just ask. I've got it all :)

5. The Rack in Tudor England. 

     As in torture. Did you know the rack was introduced to England by a man named John Holland, Duke of Exeter, in the mid-15th century? Neither did I. It was a particularly apt piece of trivia, considering that in my twisted world of the Tudors, the first man in a hundred years to hold the title Duke of Exeter is examining the torture device that was sometimes called 'the Duke of Exeter's daughter.' How's that for good fortune?
     

Revision and The Art of Shaving

One of my favorite parts of writing is doing the research--and not just the kind which involves cracking open a book or Googling. I love research which is hands on, or when it’s like a treasure hunt where you have to contact one person, then another until you get the information you need.

For a novelette I had published in Orson Scott’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, I asked a glassblower if he could create a heart out of glass, then watched while he actually did it.  http://www.zglassblowing.com/glassblowing.htm For a short story, I talked to the Vermont State Archeologist about how clay was harvested and stored by early 18^th and 19^th century potters, then did some river slogging to remind myself what climbing up a clay bank felt like.

Right now, I’m revising a manuscript—but that doesn’t mean I’m beyond the need for research.

In an attempt to simplify the story's details and make each one have more weight, I decided to replace a jackknife that the main character just happens to have in her suitcase with a straight razor which is important early in the story. The problem was, though I’m quite familiar with handling jackknives, I’m not familiar with straight razors.

Luckily, my husband had several antique straight razors for sale in the shop. And, double lucky, it turned out my husband knew how to hold one. However he wasn’t willing to play the part of the attacker while I attempted to pull out the razor, get a correct grip--then defend myself.  “Razors are not toys,” he said. Sheesh. He's such a party pooper.

 Check out this youtube and you’ll see why I needed to revise after I changed the jackknife into a straight razor. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI4ak1lJgY4

So what interesting research have you done lately—or are you just having fun relaxing this summer?

Research (and search, and search, and...)

A few quick facts about me: I love reading, I love writing, and I love learning. Thus, writing research is one of my favorite things in the world.

Even writing picture books leads to quirky fun facts and fascinating ideas. When venturing to write a mid grade novel on a Christmas theme, I became so immersed in the winter solstice, bells, Planet X and the Yule Cat, it took me a good long while to drag myself away from studying to write the actual story.

Here are some favorite research tidbits I've dug up:

1. There really are people in the world who eat scabs. I know, I know...but it's best to be aware, don't you think?

2. The Navajo loom is symbolic of life, the universe and, well, everything.

3. There are no crystal skulls reported to be of ancient date that have actually been proven to be of ancient date. All that have been examined have been debunked as well crafted forgeries. There is one possibility, but in the middle of an investigation to prove the skull's authenticity, the owner snatched back her prize and now refuses to let anyone see it--unless she likes you a lot. She says she previewed the assassination of John Kennedy in it.

4. My favorite holiday legend? The Yule Cat. In Iceland (I think it's Iceland) if boys and girls were hard workers they received clothes for the holidays. Anyone caught without new clothes at the right moment would be promptly eaten by the giant Yule Cat.

Isn't that cool? Nothing like a creepy Christmas. I know this fabulous legend has helped my own children to work hard year round and show proper appreciation for those gifts of socks and underwear.

5. And finally, studying Planet X just raises more questions than it gives answers. Is it real, is it not real, and what does it have to do with Babylon? And Atlantis? And the end of the world? And is it the 11th planet or the 12th planet even though we’re apparently down to only 8 planets?

Yes, Planet X. A whole treasure trove of unending research. OCD research junkies like me should avoid the topic entirely.

But, you know, if you can control it, here's a link to get you started: Planet X.  

Enjoy. 
  

Be Careful What You Research...

Here at the cabinet we're collecting a different kind of curiosity--odd information.  Having the freedom to hunt down random facts and call it research is one of the more fun things about being a writer.  That's how I first learned about the art of pumpkin catapulting, how a raven's track in the dust looks diferent from a crow's, and what spices are used in Mediterranian foods.  I've also spent hours finding just the right 1930s mansion and pouring over its rooms, and sketched for myself how a dragon could use a dual stomach and oxygen to breath fire.
Like I said, not exactly a bust job!  The problem comes when the research spills over into real life.  After obsessing over viquariums, frogs, toads and turtles this last month, I found myself irresistably drawn to build a pond in my front yard and invite my aquatic nieghbors to come swim.  I picked up a used pond liner today, and hope to break ground tomorrow.  A little odd, but not so bad a thing, right?  Well, I've also given myself a healthy fear of snakes this last month, and something bordering on phobia where one particular snake is concerned.

The coral snake.  Native to much of the south, and found in some parts of NC.  Did you know that when a coral snake bites, you may not initially react at all?  The wound can look fine, and you don't have any symptoms...at first.  Just when you're likely to conclude that you're safe, the venom really hits you.  Dizzyness, vomiting, confusion and tremors are all possible.  But what's likely to kill you is a loss of neurological control over crucial parts of your body like your lungs.  In other words, your body forgets how to breathe.  Even better, the coral snake seldom bites unless handled, so even though it's a pretty potent snake the antivenom is being carried by fewer and fewer hospitals.  Odds are good that if you make it to a hospital, you'll have to wait while they locate and maybe go fetch the antivenom.  While all of that sounds utterly delightful, the clencher for me was a small detail.  Coral snakes don't have retractable fangs, so they don't come at you with a big toothy smile to leave tiny vampire marks in your skin.  No, when a coral snake bites, it gets a good grip and starts chewing.  It's goal is to get a good jump start on digestion and make sure the venom is worked in nice and deep.

Beginning to see why I'm not so keen on these things?  Of course, the fact that I cast them in the role of the bad guy--or bad lady, in this case--and tied them to a twisted spell, a ritual, and a fifty year feud probably didn't help.  But I still say, be careful what you research--that knowledge might raise its scaly head and come back to bite you.

Revision Links for Inspiration and Fun

When I need to clean out the cobwebs and dust off the brain cells, I do a bit of focused internet cruising. Here are some links to posts and tools designed to rekindle your energy during revision or inspire you to look at your story from a new angle.

A great way to start revising is by cruising through First Page Panda. It’s a fantastic resource packed with a diverse array of first pages: http://www.firstpagepanda.com/  As you read through the posts, think about your manuscript’s first pages. Do your pages highlight your manuscripts genre? Do they show what makes your main character unique? Are they just good and error free--or are they so freaking fantastic that a reader will want to devour your story in one sitting?  

Refining your elevator pitch is code for checking your manuscript’s focus. Seriously. Have you ever had a hard time writing a pitch? It can mean your plot is skewed. David B Coe’s post on writing elevator pitches, synopsis and blurbs offers not only a fantastic technique to create different length pitches, but it also can be used to test if your plot is wobbly. http://www.magicalwords.net/david-b-coe/on-writing-and-publishing-refining-your-elevator-pitch/   And while your double checking to see if your manuscript is focused, you’ll be getting the frustrating process of writing a synopsis and pitches out of the way. Talk about a win-win situation!

Do you use a word frequency counter to check your manuscript?  They can point out filler words which you are overusing without realizing it—which is a great revision tool. But they can also point out words which can be used as part of your brand or pitch. Yup, there are evil overused words and beneficial ones. Basically its filler words vs. words which set the tone or another aspect unique to your story (they could even be words which are symbolic). For example, in my current project, I use the filler word ‘back’ more than I should, but the word ‘darkness’ and ‘shadow’ are vital details not only in the story but also the pitch  http://www.writewords.org.uk/word_count.asp

After all the talk about break-out novels, I love this post on writing a break-in novel. Very wise advice and it just may help you decide which project you should be revising. http://www.booksandsuch.biz/blog/write-a-break-in-novel/

If voice is one of your weak points—and even if you think it isn’t—check out this post on voice in non point of view characters http://blog.janicehardy.com/2011/03/i-hear-you-character-voices-in-non-pov.html This link comes with a warning. There are 500 fantastic articles on Janice Hardy’s site. If you aren’t careful it might take you hostage.

And just because revising requires some smiles and hugs:

http://www.slothster.com/3005-Worker-At-L%20ion-Park-Gets-Hugs-From-Sweet-Lion-Cubs.h%20tml

So, do you have any favorite posts or books you like to read before starting revisions?

Have you learned any great new techniques lately?