The It Factor

Confession: I found out about Twilight after one of my best friends told me about it.

She said it was a book about a girl who fell in love with a vampire. She said other things about it, too, but only one thing registered with me: vampires.

I've loved vampires all my life. So of course I bought Twilight. After reading it, I was like, "Wait a sec... Didn't my friend say they were going to make a movie?"

I Googled it. Lo and behold, yep. A movie was in pre-production. 

Then Edward Cullen got cast. The movie was filmed, edited, and distributed in theaters worldwide. And this guy...

started living this life:

Which makes me think about something casting directors mention frequently. You see, unless you're really, really, really famous, you have to audition for movie/TV roles. Casting directors are the first line of defense for producers and film directors. They get to see the talent, and pick which actors go to the next round of auditions. Or even better, who gets the part.

One thing they're on the hunt for is the "it" factor. 

Same goes for agents and editors. Your manuscript has to have "it" in order to make them offer you either representation or a book deal. 

But what is "it"?

Why have vampires been so, so popular throughout the years? 

Why did Robert Pattinson beat out a bazillion other dudes for the role of Edward Cullen?

Why do certain books get published, while others don't?

I know my answers to these questions. I know why I buy certain books, and completely ignore others. 

Now what about you? What gives a book the "it" factor to you? 

And more importantly, did you laugh as hard as I did when you saw that first pic of Robbie P??? :)

Wanted Part Deux: Male Protagonist

So. I l-o-v-e-d reading the feedback on my strong female protagonist in YA post! I loved it so much, I figured it would be cool to talk about another hot topic: dudes.

*fans self*

Along with wanting to see strong female protagonists, some agents/editors are eager for more male protagonists, especially in YA. Of course, there are great books out there with boy protags (John Green, anyone?), but it seems as if girls are EVERYWHERE. 

On the other hand, there are some agents/editors who say publishers have limited space for male protags on their lists. One of the main concerns for pub houses relates to the following debate: why aren't more boys reading YA? Apparently, once boys hit their teen years, they ignore the YA shelves and head straight for adult fiction. It seems girl protagonists scare them off... or something... *shrugs*

Once again, I'm leaving this one up to OA's lovely followers. What makes a YA male protagonist appealing to you? Bonus points if you tell me which YA dudes are your favorites :)

And since I gave a shout-out to Bella Swan in my original post, here's the dude a bazillion people can't wait to take center stage in a certain YA book called Midnight Sun:

"Bella, you are my everything. Seriously. I am nothing without you. Oh, hang on... WHO IS THAT SHIRTLESS GUY BEHIND YOU?"--Edward Cullen, Twilight.

Reminder: There's still time to enter the Invincible Summer contest!! You can win a copy of Hannah Moskowitz's latest book, as well as one of three signed bookmarks!

My Writing Stages a la Robert Pattinson's Hair

Before we begin, congrats to our Pleased To Meet You contest winner, Kristi!!

Oh, and don't forget to stop by this Thursday October 28th @ 9pm for our Awesome Query Chat with the fabulous Elana Johnson!!!


Okay. Now for today's post. This was just a little something I wrote over at my blog, but I thought the OA audience might find it... ahem... useful? 


*crosses fingers*


Without further ado, I give you...



My writing stages a la Robert Pattinson's hair

Confession: I've watched the Eclipse trailer way too many times. It seems everywhere I turn, Robert Pattinson is right there. Not that I'm complaining or anything, but it overwhelms me.

That is, until I see his hair.

Okay, okay... Who hasn't seen his hair, right? There are people who even keep tabs on the darned hairstyles and everything. But I saw it in a different light. Those brown locks that make tweens squeal their throats out made me remember something.

The writing stages of my manuscripts.

Here's what I mean:

First draft: Some writers outline, some don't. My first drafts are a no-man's land. I don't outline, don't plan ahead, just sit down and write. No idea gets left behind. Typos run amok. Once I finish the draft, it looks like this:

Second Draft: I read through my manuscript in order to fix plot holes. Maybe a scene should be cut because it's not right for the tone or the pacing. Maybe my main character is a sweetheart and shouldn't stab that pesky villain after all. Overall, I tackle big picture problems. My second version looks a bit like this:

Third draft: Line-editing begins. Grammar issues? Gone. Passive voice? Hasta la vista, baby. I pay careful attention to how well the sentences flow one after the other. If something feels off or forced, I cut it. The end result is similar to this:

Fourth draft: I edit according to critique partner and beta feedback. They take care of telling me if something rocks or sucks. One beta in particular enjoys asking questions. A LOT. That's cool, though--the manuscript turns out to be stronger because of it. It ends up being tighter, shorter, and less of an eye sore. My baby finally grows into a clean-cut version of what started out as an idea:

There you have it, folks. Robert Pattinson's hair reminds me of writing.

Am I nuts or what?

Now tell me: what do your drafts look like?