Warm Fuzzies!

The Warm Fuzzies Blogfest has begun!

Please head over to www.julianalbrandt.com to get the party started. I can't wait to see you all over at my new site!


Wow- it's weird to know I'm not going to be posting on this site anymore. *sniffle* I think I'm getting a little sentimental over here ;)

Website Comes to Life

How exactly does a website come to life?

For me, it began with an e-mail to an amazing friend Letitia Englund. I've known her since...well, since I was a baby. She moved to Vancouver a couple years ago. I've followed her travels through her blog and am always amazed at the neat things she does. I need to take a page from her book- I just moved to Nashville and haven't done one cool thing yet.

Letitia is passionate about html and code in the same way I'm passionate about writing. It was wonderful working with someone who immediately understood what I wanted and was able to deliver a website that went above and beyond any expectations and hopes I had.


I truly cannot say enough about Letitia.

Thanks again, Letitia, for a website that makes me happy each time I go to it!

The site will launch next Monday, the same day the Warm Fuzzies Blogfest begins. From here on out, I will blog over on the new site, but won't shut down this blog for the few stragglers who haven't caught this weeks posts.

In the meantime, here are three hints for the fabulous website Letitia has put together for me :)

I have a Secret...

I should say, I have a BIG secret and it has to do with the Warm Fuzzies Blogfest. It's the reason I haven't been able to announce the start date for the fest until today.

The reason? I have a website! and I'm incredibly excited about this :)

The site will launch Oct. 24th which will coinside with the beginning of the fest. Mark your calendars because that there is your official start date!

If you haven't signed up yet, go here. For those of you who are signed up, feel free to help spread the word. Keep track of any tweets (one point) or mentions on your blog (five points). I'm leaving this to the honesty policy because I know it's a pain to keep track of those links. In the first week of the fest, write how many points you have and I'll add that into the drawing to win one of my neat hand made journals. If you're not sure about these journals, go ask Misty. She just got one this week.

So, spread the word, keep track of your points and I can't wait to get the blogfest started!

p.s. I promise I'll get all caught up on blogs etc. this week I really am sorry I've been out of the loop :-/

p.p.s. Go vote for my ponies on Rebecca Enzor's blog- they need some more votes!

Back to the Real World

Weddings, don't you love them?

Isn't she gorgeous? Seriously, these two are amazing :)

I love getting my hair done!

Why the wedding pictures, you ask? I was back home for the past five days to go to one of my very best friend's wedding. It was amazing and incredibly beautiful *sigh*

Sorry to be out of the loop, folks, but I swear, I'm back to the real world now.  I'm hoping Wednesday I'll get a post out with more info Warm Fuzzies Blogfest, such as when it's actually going to start ;)

Hope you all had as fun of a weekend as I did!

It's mah- Birfday!

Well...tomorrow is actually my birthday! I thought about holding a contest or giveaway to celebrate, but the Warm Fuzzies Blogfest is coming up in a couple weeks, so I'm going to send out the gift of laughter to you all instead.

I got this comic in an e-mail from my Dad. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Crafty Me

I love crafts. I love being crafty...or at least, attempting to be crafty.

I told you guys I had a super secret awesome prize each week of the Warm Fuzzies blogfest (if you want more info and to sign up, go here ) and I'm finally ready to post a picture of it! I hope y'all like this because I've had fun making it.

Yes yes, it's a hand-made, home-bound journal! I had a ton of fun making this one and can't wait to get started on the others. If you want to win one of these babies, be sure to go to follow the link above and sign up for the fest!

For those of you wondering, I followed the easy instructions here . I've had some people ask if I could post pictures of the process of putting it together and I think I'll do that later this week :)

Since the blogfest is coming up in the next couple weeks, I'll be sure to post a more indepth article on what we'll be doing sometime very, very soon.

It's all about Pictures, Y'all

I have been thinking recently about how much we put out there concerning our WIPs. I know a variety of writers who feel completely alright sharing any and all writing online and others who never talk about their WIPs.

I've always been okay posting my writing, but not with this most recent WIP. The best way I can put it is that I'm possessive over it. I'm keeping this very close to my heart and am hesitant to put anything about it online.

Because of this, I've had the idea that one of the weeks during the Warm Fuzzies Blogfest won't require you to put up a query/pitch/excerpt/summary of your WIP- none of that. Instead, it'll be all about pictures or music, your choice. I know that a lot of you keep folders of pictures and/or music that remind you of your WIP. So, start collecting and picking out the pieces you love most to showcase them during the fest.

If you still haven't signed up, go here and leave your e-mail. Of course, you're free to just jump in each of the weeks, also.

And, what do you think? Do you feel okay sharing your WIP online? I'm really curious to see what you think :)

Ponies!

Rebecca Enzor of Stickynote Stories is hosting a My Little Ponies contest and everyone should go check it out!

The contest is to make a pony based on one of your own characters and the prize is to have the pony actually made! Eee!

I got so into the contest I ended up making three ponies:

Jacob is nice and tan because he lives in the desert. I'm in the middle of this WIP and don't want to give too much away, but I will tell you that Jacob's job has a lot to do with death- check out that cutie mark ;)

Kira is Jacob's leading lady. She too lives in the desert, but she burns easily and doesn't have that nice tan skin that Jacob does. She has the North Star for a cutie mark because she knows the stars like the back of her hand and uses them to navigate during the night. She's one mournful girl who needs a little happy in her life (cue Jacob).

This beauty is Farrah, the main character of my fantasy YA. She lives in a mountain (hence the cutie mark and pale skin). She's one tough cookie and takes her life and job very seriously (she's a bodyguard for the prince).

So, which one do you guys like? Which one do you think I should use in the contest??




(p.s. I stole the poll idea from Beth Revis who has some amazing ponies up on her blog too, go check 'em out.)

Also, I just found out I won second place in Rachael Harrie's flash fiction contest- the first part of her Campaigner Challenge. Y'all should have heard me squealing when I found out. I'm ridiculously proud of that piece. She's now my favorite and all my other WIP's are jealous :D

No, it's not just our Imagination

If you haven't signed up for the Warm Fuzzies Blogfest yet, go check it out here! It's going to be awesome.

I read a short article the other day in a magazine (that I can't remember) that was based off of a study published in Psychological Science. I couldn't find the study (though I must admit, I didn't actually look that hard) but I was quite struck by what the article said and thought I'd share it with you all.

A study was conducted that basically said that we don't just read because it engages our creative mind, but that "readers get the same psychological benefits of belonging when immersed in plot as when part of a real-world group."

How cool is that??

We're happy when we read not just because our imaginations take us away to other worlds to meet new and exciting people, but that our brains react as if the books were real, that the people we read about are real.

I think that's pretty darn neat.

Warm Fuzzies!

Details, details, because I know that's what you're looking for ;)

What is the Warm Fuzzies Blogfest? First and foremost, it's a celebration of who we are as writers! We all have doubts and moments where we struggle with our writing. Come join this blogfest for a pick me up and to connect with other writers who totally get it. Push aside the worries and focus on how awesome we all are :D

How will the blogfest work? There are four weeks during the fest. Each week there will be a different theme and prize. I'm still working out the kinks for the weekly contests and prizes but here are a few hints:

-How are our characters like us? Often, as writers, we get kicked when we're down. A query will be rejected at the same time as we encounter writers block or we'll lose a contest at the same time as getting back a negative critique. This week we'll get a few laughs by how bad our MC's have it. Because when we really look at it, being a writer really isn't that bad- at least we're not them ;)

-Did you make friends today? Just like in kindergarden, we'll make new friends! One week will be super interactive. You'll connect with other writers and write a creative piece of flash fiction together.

-What have you written that's given you the warm fuzzies? Everybody has a scene they've written that's given them the happy buzz. What's yours? We'll share our favorite moments in writing and celebrate how when it's good, it's reeeaaally good.

As for prizes, among others, I have a 30-page edit from an editor, a full blog makeover, and an artist who's up for creating a personalized illustration for your Warm Fuzzy scene for you. There's also a super secret prize lined up for each week.

So, how do you sign up? Stick your email in a comment on this post. That way I'll be able to shoot you an e-mail the week and day before the contest as a reminder.

*Tentitive start date is Monday, October 17th.

(P.S. You guys cracked me up on the last post! I'm still keeping my WIP a secret, but I'll let you know that yes, it does take place in the desert and yes there are dogs ;)

I'm Giving Up Writing

Just kidding...but it made you look ;) I mean really, writing isn't something you can actually give up, is it.

*sigh* I can't think of a darn thing I want to post about today, so instead, I'm going to post some pictures that will hint as to what my current WIP is about.

Just try to put the hints together, I dare you!

(And NO cheating for those of you who actually know)

The door swung open...

It's time for Rachael Harrie's first campaigner challenge! The challenge is to write a piece of flash fiction in 200 words or less. The first words need to be, "The door swung open." For an additional challenge, include the words, "The door swung shug," at the end. AND for an even greater challenge, make your story exactly 200 words (yes, yes I did this ;)

If you like my piece, head on over to Rach's site and 'Like' my entry, #39!

Monster

The door swung open and Magnolia-Rose stared into her dark closet where a purple fuzzy animal sat.

“Aren’t you supposed to be under my bed?” Maggie asked.

“I…uh...”

“You’re supposed to be under my bed.” Maggie stomped her feet. “You’re the monster, I’m the little girl and you’re supposed to scare me.”

Grrump whimpered.

“I know you like the closet. I know it’s roomy and you like sleeping on my dirty clothes, but my closet is not where you’re supposed to spend the night.”

Grrump unrolled. His body lengthened until he stood twice as high as Maggie. A white horn protruded from between two red and black eyes.

“Go,” Maggie poked Grrump in the belly and pointed toward the bed. “Go do your job.”

Grrump moo-ed and wobbled toward the bed. His flat feet crunched over blocks scattered across the ground. Bending down, he began to slide under the bed until his horn stuck against the bed-frame. “Too big,” he said.

“But you have to fit.” Maggie gripped the closet door.

The spikes on Grrump’s back swung as he made his way across the room to huddle on top of Maggie’s dirty clothes.

Maggie screamed and the door swung shut.

Quality vs Quantity

I believe in my current WIP, but the really interesting thing is that I can't seem to get the words out. I sit down to write and only 500 words come out. After thinking it through, I realized that it's okay. Writing 500-1500 words a day is perfectly fine.

It's quality vs quantity.

With Guardians, I wrote at least 2k a day and finished it in a month, so I get the quantity thing. Every word I write though on this new WIP- I want it to be just the right word, just the right phrasing.

Quality. CP (this WIP) is all about quality writing and I like it like that.

What do you guys think? Do you tend to sway toward quality or quantity?

The Warm Fuzzies Blogfest!

Here it is folks, news about the blogfest that's in works! I'll be hosting the Warm Fuzzies blogfest in the middle of October. I know this is a month away still, but you'll just have to be patient and wait :)

This blogfest is a celebration of writers. Being a writer can be exhausting- we put a lot of work into our writing and sometimes, we just need a pick-me-up. The end of October and beginning of November will be a party. We'll get to know other writers, work on our writing and of course, win some pretty cool prizes.

And isn't that button above awesome!! Seriously, I love it. The wonderful Janice who also hosts The Blog Bakery made this for me. Janice is offering a completele blog make over as one of the prizes. See, I told you- awesome prizes :D

Starting mid-september I'll start putting up instructions for the blogfest. I hope y'all are as excited as I am!!

---For those of you who have not signed up for Rachael's Writers Platform Building Campaign you need to do so now! Tomorrow is the last day to join!!!

Tribal Writer

For those of you who do not follow Justine Musk's blog, please remedy and go follow. She has a powerful writing style that never fails to inspire me.  Her recent post on 'How to be a dangerous woman (in fiction + life) gave me goosebumps. I couldn't help but be reminded how it connects to being a writer.

When we decide to take the step and annouce to the world that we want to be a writer- we are making a bold decision. I know we all hear plenty of doubts and yet, it's our job to feel confident inspite of those doubts.

And that segues perfectly into the blogfest I have brewing for y'all! I promise, I'll have more info up later this week for you including.

1. The theme- which is awesome, and 2. The prizes- which are also awesome.

I'm making the move to Nashville tomorrow and am not entirely sure when we'll have internet at our new place. I'm hoping soon- not sure how long I can last without it! I promise though, I'll get myself to a coffee shop to get a fix every day :)

(I'm excited to be meeting my fellow campaigners! Yay!!)

A Winner!

Random.org picked...Krispy!! Yay! Shoot me your e-mail and I'll send you your winnings :)

I found it extremely ironic that only one new person found their way over here (yay for Liz!). But hey, the point was to celebrate reaching 100 whenever it comes.

I'm back from Colorado. Vacation was amazing. The mountains had me spinning with ideas and I LOVED being in a dry climate. Here are a two pics for your enjoyment :)

p.s. Thanks guys for all of the book suggestions! I'm super excited to be moving to a place that has an awesome library :)

GASP! Triple Digets Giveaway!

When did this happen?? I looked at my blog today and gave a shout of happiness when I realized my followers were up to 96. Eee!

I feel so loved :)

And in honor of almost being at 100 followers I'm going to give someone, a very special someone, a $15 giftcard from Amazon! I mean hey, that's good for two or three books.

All you have to do is be a follower, pass word on (twitter/blog/whatever) (and no, you don't have to post a link mostly because I probably wouldn't go check. I am the trusting sort ;) and give me one suggestion for an awesome book I need to read.

(And no, Sophia, you can't say Sea/Spy Glass because you know I haven't read them yet. That would be cheating...sort of.)

I'll let the random.org pick the winner next Wednesday.

Good luck!

Kill them with Kindness

Last week, I was on the phone with a lady who was not very nice. As great as the temptation was, I resisted and was extremely kind to her. I thanked her for her time and she quickly got off the phone not knowing how to respond.

When I hung up, Cale said, "You killed her with kindness, didn't you."

Yup, I sure had.

Recently, I've seen an influx of angsty characters, mean for the one reason that they can use harsh sarcasm which can be funny. That's great and yes, sometimes it works incredibly well, but what's happening to the nice characters out there? Where have they gone?

Sad as it is, in real life, mean people tend to stay mean and nice people tend to stay nice. I'm not sure if I can one hundred percent believe your character going from mean to nice or bad to good in the course of a few hundred pages.

I say, bring back the nice characters who go through genuine character development. Give your character a personality that goes beyond snippy words and actions. Trust me, your reader will appreciate it :)

Liebster Award

The wonderful Christine and Sophia have both passed the Liebster Award to me and so it's my turn to pass it on to others!

The only problem is that everyone has already gotten this award. Would it be totally cheating of me to pass it on to all of you, my wonderful amazing followers? Probably, but I don't care, I'm still gunna do it ;)

So here you go, my lovelies. You all are amazing.

5. And most of all—have bloggity-blog fun!

We interrupt our regular programming...

for a rant!

Why are writers in such a rush to be published?  I know, I know, it's the dream.  We all want to hold our lovlies in our hands, smell the pages, sign them for all our fans, give them as presents on Christmas, and of course, high jack our friends for long car rides and tell them to READ IT!  Yes, it's the dream.

It is my dream too.  I want all those things sometimes so bad I think I could cry or throw up (yes, seriously). But I started walking down this road only six months ago and only wrote my first novel a year ago. My first book was horrible, terrible, but I learned a lot. My second was a middle grade book that I had a ball writing. My third was a full length YA. And now, I've begun another YA.

I can't believe how I've improved with each book I've written!  The old adage is right, if you want to get better at writing, you have to write.  No excuses.  Just get it done.  Don't stop at book one, write a second, third, fourth...

No, I'm not saying don't query the first or second because I'm sure going to, once I feel they're polished, but I'm also saying, what's the rush?  You're probably not starving because you haven't sold any books.  That's what other jobs are for.

The moral to my rant: don't be in a rush, just write, perfect your craft, and make connections with other writers (yes, make friends, just like in kindergarden).  But the biggest thing you should focus on is to enjoy writing.  Love writing.  Be happy you can do this at all.  Every single second of it.  Fall in love with your characters.  Drown in the worlds you build.  Plan more ways to thwart your characters and figure out how to get them out of it.

So go! Write! And never, for a second, take for granted our ability to do what we love.