Suzanne Lilly Author Page

Oct29

You’ve landed on my author page which tells the world a bit about my writing persona. My life pretty much revolves around writing and teaching, although on occasion I’ve taken time off from writing to zipline in Alaska and teach in China. My patient and supportive family puts up with my eccentricity, weird sense of humor, and need for long periods alone to write. I couldn’t do it without them.

I write stories with a touch of suspense, a little bit of romance, and always a happy ending. If that’s up your alley, you might like my writing.

Here’s where to find out more.

Blogs:

As the TeacherWriter I blog about writing contests, writing strategies, and teaching tips.
At Honey Creek Books I blog with three other authors about this wonderful fictional town and all its stories.

Books:

Shades of the Future, a YA sweet romance novel, set in the midwestern town of Honey Creek, Ohio will be published by Turquoise Morning Press in Summer 2012. It’s part of their Honey Creek Books line.
East of the Sun and West of the Moon Redux, in the anthology Rapunzel’s Daughters, published in July 2011 by Pink Narcissus Press. Have your digital copy signed for free at my Kindlegraph author page.

Twitter:

You can follow me on Twitter as @suzannelilly.
Follow @HoneyCreekBooks to read all the gossip, news, contests and giveaways from Honey Creek Books.

Editing:

I am a Suite101 Topic Editor in the Writing Fiction and Curricula/Lesson Plans sections. If you’re a teacher or a writer, check out that site with articles from a variety of talented writers.

Etc., Etc., Etc.

Anything else you want to know about me you can find out by clicking these links:

Honey Creek Books Blog Launch

Nov28

Image by PhotoStock

Romance.

Intrigue.

Sweet nothings.

It’s all happening in Honey Creek, Ohio, the setting for my upcoming book, Shades of the Future. Honey Creek Books is the imprint of a new line of books from Turquoise Morning Press (TMP) and they’re launching a blog for readers who love small town romance. Our community is just beginning, and you can join it now. If you do, you’ll have a chance to win books and other freebies, you’ll read all about the town, the lake, and the love stories from four different authors. I’ll keep you up-to-date on the town gossip each Friday.

I hope you’ll stop by and meet the authors and the characters. While you’re there, if you comment on a post, subscribe to the blog, or follow us on Twitter as @HoneyCreekBooks, you’ll get an extra chance to win a prize. See you there!

Writing Inspiration and Setting Goals

Jan2

Image by Christian Ferrari

It’s a new year, and the online world is blooming with bloggers stating their New Year’s resolutions. I don’t have any resolutions. To me, New Year’s resolutions are like a summer romance; wonderful at first, then incapable of being sustained, then finally a bittersweet memory.

I prefer goal setting. There’s a subtle difference between goals and resolutions. Where resolutions are the intention to do something, goals are the result the efforts are aimed toward. Goals keep me on track with my writing, something a mere resolution can’t do. You may be different. You may prefer resolutions. That’s fine, and I congratulate everyone who achieves what they set out to do in their New Year’s resolutions.

I write my goals down on these goal setting worksheets. I review them daily and use them to guide my writing practice. Most days I seem to find inspiration for writing everywhere, so one of my goals for the year is to post a bit of inspiration to share at my TeacherWriter blog every week.

TeacherWriter is where you can find picture writing prompts, free writing contests to enter, new and interesting writing markets, and tidbits about teaching writing. Now you’ll find inspiration there as well.

If I had to choose a resolution, I think it would be to somehow magically extend the hours of the day so I could have more time for reading and writing, and still have time to sleep. That would be sweet paradise!

In Praise of Slow Writing

Aug16

Slow Writing Photo/Freefoto.com

So much of the writing advice in books and on the web encourages people to “just get the story out.” I use the analogy that getting the story out first is like vomiting all over the floor, then the first edit is when you clean it up. Subsequent edits and revisions are when you polish it.

I’ve tried writing fast, I’ve tried to “just get the story out.” I’ve done NaNoWriMo, tried phase drafting, experimented with writing a novel in two weeks, (yeah, that was fun, NOT) tried setting strict word limits for myself, and many different methods of plotting. I entered word wars with other writers, becoming one of those rabid first drafters. Yet, my creative muse refuses to be fenced in with those boundaries. When I try to force the vomit, all I get is bile.

I recently reread James Scott Bell’s book Plot & Structure. In it, he advises that he writes the nifty 350 which he deems his first 350 words. After that, the creative gates are opened, and he’s able to write more. Or not. If not, no problem.

“Slow writing,” I mused. “Slow food, slow cooking, the slow movement. I like those, so why not slow writing?”

As a YA and MG writer, I figured 350 words a day, plus editing and revising, would probably get me to the end of a novel in six months. That sounded reasonable enough for me. So I began the nifty 350 experiment.

I mapped out the bare bones of a story, plotting the turning points and critical moments. I sketched a one line description of the first three chapters. Then I started writing.

Here’s what I found. Each morning, I set forth to write 350 words, and never was there a day when I didn’t surpass that goal. As a person who thrives on goals, that was an immediate boost.

Each evening, I looked at the morning writing and did a first edit. Then I put the writing away and moved on to the next nifty 350 the following morning. I began a month ago.
Fast forward to today:

The most remarkable thing that’s happening in this experiment isn’t the fact that I’m getting words on paper. The remarkable thing is that since I’m not forcing the words, I have time to think, to ponder, to daydream about my story. I do this all day long. The result is that my first draft is more complex, has more depth, imagery, meaningful subplots, and more intense characters than any of my previous writing. The best thing of all is that my muse is happy. I’m more creative, and my story can take many different paths. It’s not boxed in by my preconceived plot. I’m enjoying writing this novel more than any other I’ve written. I’ve rediscovered the pleasure in storytelling.

It takes a while for a writer to find the style that fits their personality. After much searching, I think I’ve finally found my writing style.

Hence my praise for slow writing.

Do You WriteonCon?

Aug11

If you don’t you should. This is the best online conference for PB, MG, and YA authors ever. Because it’s the first. Ever. And because PB, MG, and YA writers are some of the funnest people out there. (Yes, I wrote the made up word funnest.)

In June, I blogged about the WriteonCon writers conference in this post at TeacherWriter, so if you’re wondering what it is and some of the deets, head over there.

I’ve been glued to my laptop, watching vlogs, participating in live chats with agents, editors, and authors, reading presentations, chatting with other conference attendees. I’ve critiqued some amazing writing, and some amazing writers have critiqued my pieces. All in all, this is the best conference I’ve ever attended.

And I did it today from the comfort of my bed, then my couch, then finally my kitchen. I was forced to relinquish my live feed of a chat with Jennifer Laughran of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency because I have a standing appointment for Zumba with a partner. It’s a tad difficult to Zumba while holding a laptop.

However.

There is a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow.

The wonderful hosts of WriteonCon have transcripts of all the chats on the site. So I didn’t miss a thing. Except the thrill of waiting for people to type.

There’s still one more day of WriteonCon, so head on over to check out this phenomenal conference. If you can’t for some reason, I’m sure the posts will be available after the conference.

Check it out. It’s the best free conference around.

Summer Central Coast Writers’ Conference

Jun29

Summer conference time is my favorite time of year. As a teacher of children on the cusp of adolescence, by the time June rolls around, I’m as ready as the kids for a break. Summer means I can sleep past the crack of dawn, workout on a regular schedule, read books for pleasure, and best of all, go to writing conferences.

Writing conferences are one opportunity for quirky writers to get together and enjoy conversations no one else, usually not even their spouses, can understand. It’s the chance to hear new ideas, ask questions, and bask in the camaraderie of fellow writers. It’s the highlight of a sometimes lonely calling.

With my meager budget, (Clink! Clink!) I can only attend one conference each summer, which means I must choose wisely. I become the little girl in a candy store, with only $1.00 to spend, deliberating and debating over which candy will taste the best, last the longest, bring the greatest pleasure. After much wandering around the selections, occasionally pressing my nose against the glass display case, this year, the flavor of choice is the Central Coast Writers’ Conference at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. I plunked my money down and got my registration confirmation back.

You may be thinking I chose the CCWC because of the posh location. True, who could deny that part of the allure? But we also live close enough that it’s a short drive to the coast, and I don’t have to fork out extra dineros for air fare. In spite of the beautiful locale, the conference is truly the main draw.

Some of the agents and writers I follow on Twitter, and some of whom follow me back, will be in attendance. I’m looking forward to meeting the always generous and helpful Kathleen Duey, @kdueykduey, who is giving two presentations on writing for children and young adults. Nathan Bransford, the legendary agent from the San Francisco branch of Curtis Brown is the keynote speaker. The entire line up of presenters is impressive.

I’m now holding the candy in my hands. I can’t yet unwrap it and eat it. The anticipation lasts until September. But baby, it’s going to be sweet.

Chicken Soup for the Soul, Thanks, Dad

Apr10

Braveheart on Flickr's first car.

Congratulations to fellow writer and funny blogher extraordinaire, Cathy C. Hall. She’s featured in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul book, Thanks, Dad.

It’s always wonderful to cheer a writing colleague along when big things happen. Considering how many people submit to the Chicken Soup books, this is a pretty big thing. Gargantuan, even.

She writes about a little bit of everything, but this particular story is about buying her first car and how her dad helped her become a responsible young adult. That’s something most of us can relate to.

The book hasn’t been released yet, but you can check it out on Amazon and pre-order it. It would even make a great Father’s Day gift.

Way to go, Cathy!

World Building Means Research for Writers

Mar28

Photo/Valle Blanche, by Lars Sunsdstrom.

At a recent writer’s workshop I attended, the presenter suggested to the audience that people who are writers of science fiction or fantasy have a big job to do before they can write. The job is research.

I actually heard gasps of shock and groans of misery as the message sunk in to the collective psyche of the audience.

In order for the novel to be successful, the readers need to have a suspension of disbelief. The readers must have sound evidence and logical explanations for the outlandish things happening in a book. Otherwise, they won’t believe a word on the pages, they won’t buy into the story, and they will ring a death knell for the unfortunate author who didn’t do her research.

In August I began writing my novel, Jynx, You’re It, about a girl who time travels to save her father and forty-four children from an evil egomaniac. In September, it became abundantly clear to me that I needed to do some extensive research into how time travel works before I could continue with the plot. So I spent the month of October reading.

I read Michio Kaku’s book, Physics of the Impossible, I took an unaccredited course in the logic of time travel from an online university, and I read academic papers produced by theoreticians at well-respected California think tanks. Yes, there are actual academic papers on the topic of time travel. And I daydreamed. I daydreamed quite a bit, actually.

My mind was consumed with time travel situations and problems all through November. It was the topic of dinner conversation more nights than I care to recount. I spent all of my NaNoWriMo writing time creating not a novel, but rather, creating my own personal thesis of how things work in the physics of time travel. I imagined this is how a goddess feels, creating her own version of reality.

By the time I had all my thoughts down on paper, clearly defined and delineated by my month of research, I was ready to write the rest of the book. While the book had stalled in September, because my ideas were undefined, in December I finished writing the novel in two weeks. The research paid off. The story flowed. And I was off for winter break so I could write all day.

January, February, and most of March were spent revising and editing, filling out some parts and cutting others. When my beta readers finished the story, it was a huge relief that there were no comments from anyone about why or how they thought the time travel premise of this book wouldn’t work. They bought into it. They believed it. They suspended disbelief for 39,000 words, to hear the story of the red-headed girl who traveled through time to save her family and her friend’s family.

That, my friends, is what makes writing so rewarding.

Top Ten Books for Writers 2009

Dec28

Girl Reading at a Table, Pablo Picasso, 1934, Photo by Wallyg on Flickr

“Can I be blunt on this subject? If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. Reading is the creative center of a writer’s life.” ~~~Stephen King

Sometimes I feel as if when I’m reading, I’m wasting time. Shouldn’t I be working, writing? This may go back to my childhood when I was often told I should be “doing something” instead of “just reading.” Thank you, Stephen King, for validating the hours I lay on my couch devouring the written word.

Those hours reaped many revelations and epiphanies in my own inner life right along with the characters. Some books have stayed in my imagination for years. Even though the plots may have dimmed in my memory, the emotions the stories evoked remain. These long lasting tales are the types of stories that inspired me to begin writing. Over the years, as my writing develops and changes, the books that inspire me change with it.

At the end of each year, many people feel compelled to write lists. Lists of things done, lists of things to do, lists of who’s naughty and nice. In keeping with this tradition, what are your top ten books that have inspired your writing? Since I’m asking you to share, I’ll tell you what’s on mine.

1. The Fire in Fiction, by Donald Maass
I just finished reading this one, and I’ve already filled it with notes in the margins. Many of those notes have spilled over into the margins of my manuscript.

2. Writing the Breakout Novel, by Donald Maass
Along with the workbook, this reference is considered indispensable by many novelists.

3. On Writing Well, by William Zinsser
This was my first book about writing, and I’ve kept it lo, these many years. I now have the 30th Anniversary Edition, and enjoy it as much as the original.

4. Zen in the Art of Writing, by Ray Bradbury
This collection of essays helps me stay grounded and focused in my writing.

5. Techniques of the Selling Writer, by Dwight V. Swain
Although this book has been in print for decades, I discovered it only this year. It’s so full of tabs and bookmarks I can barely close it.

6. On Writing, by Stephen King
I loved his novels when he first began writing. This book gives insight into the writer’s mind and life.

7. Word Painting: A Guide to Writing More Descriptively, by Rebecca McClanahan
This little tome will sweep you away in its rivers of descriptive prose.

8. Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott
This gentle guide allows us as writers to accept ourselves as we are, and to strive to be better, just a little bit at a time.

9. The Thirteenth Tale, by Diane Setterfield
The intricately woven plot details in this book and the way the author deftly arranges them like threads in a lace pattern, amazes me. Each time I read it, I learn something new about plot and atmosphere.

10. Any of Harlan Coben’s books.
Yes, I’m counting his several novels as one point on my list, and no, I don’t think that’s cheating. Harlan Coben is a writer who can twist a plot so tight you can hear it scream for mercy. You never know what to expect at the turn of each page. He’s a plot master to learn from, so if you haven’t read one of his books, do so immediately.

What I Did on Summer Vacation

Aug1

Best Sign Award, Skagway, Alaska.

The summer is coming to a close. It seems much too early to be heading back to school, but here it is. I’m happy that I’ve had so much time to write this summer. Here’s a recap.

What I did on summer vacation:

Took an online class, Body Language Basics, from Margie Lawson, with my amazing writing buddy Vicki Tremper.
Went to Alaska and enjoyed seeing a part of the country I’d never visited. My cousin and daughter went with me, and we had a fun girl’s week out.
Worked on bumping my article count at Suite101.com to over 100. Apparently 100 is a magical number at Suite101. That’s the point at which writers begin to see real results from their efforts. I beg to differ. For me, the magic began at 101. An editor tore my 100^th article apart, (gently, of course,) and I had some major rewriting to do. Thanks to her, it looks much better now. B-)
Finished my novel, House of Chimes with the many EDITing pointers I learned from the class I took in June. (See number 1 above.)
Swam almost every day, and spent lots of time with family.
Started getting my recipes and cooking tips online at my new blog, DinnerMagic.
Finally got on Facebook!
Moved from Media Literacy to Writing Fiction as a feature writer at Suite101.

What I didn’t do on summer vacation:

Lose those ten pounds I gained over the school year. I had a fabulous parent who brought treats for the class to school at least once a week. It shows on my tummy!
Update this blog. Oops. I’m making amends for that now.
Learn calculus. Yeah, I had big goals in that area, but the way I see it, calculus will still be there next summer.
Start brushing my dog’s teeth. I know, I know, my vet tells me dogs need to have clean teeth to stay healthy. I prefer to give her lots of chew toys and denta-bones. And to not let her breathe on me.

I’m happy to see that my list of what I did is twice as long as the list of what I didn’t do. It makes me feel good. Now I need to stop blogging, and get to work plotting my next novel. I’m definitely a plotter, not a pantster.

Suzanne Lilly

The TeacherWriter does fiction.