Tess Sharpe

A Call for Love Stories

2009-12-17T23:31:18Z

I am putting this out here: I need love story recommendations! Preferably YA, I am looking for books whose central theme is the love story. I would prefer boy/boy love stories, but I am a realistic girl and know that there aren't a ton out there.

What is your favorite YA love story, and why?

Murder and Mayhem and Marinara Sauce (or What Tess has been doing for 7 months)

2009-11-11T05:03:54Z

So, I've been gone for awhile. Partly this was because I started a new job, which I totally love, and got promoted twice in the span of 4 months and the training and hours have been insane. Most nights I collapse in a food-stained heap and beg for sleep (or more coffee so I can sit upright at the computer).

Also, this 4 book series I'm writing is kind of taking over my life.

I haven't written Urban Fantasy since I was a teenager. I haven't written first person since I was a teen either. And I haven't attempted a series in a really long time. I had forgotten how much I enjoy creating my own worlds. The 12 year old girl inside me who always wanted magical powers is alive and well, I suppose.

I have always said that, to me, writing a book is like assembling a puzzle. I do not write in order and while I always have a bare bones outline, there is quite an element of unknown when writing a book. That's part of the appeal. At least to me. I enjoy piecing things together. Writing a series is like having the biggest jigsaw puzzle in the world and no picture on the box to compare it to.

Basically, I am writing the first two books at the same time, a good portion of the third in my spare time, and bits and pieces of the fourth when I have to. I cannot describe how much in love I am with these characters. Their world is the kind of world I could happily spend the next 10 years writing in and not get bored.

Which is pretty neat, if you think about it.

Behind the cut is a excerpt from THE OTHER SIDE OF EDEN, Class B Book #1. Kennedy comes to rescue Gray from the clutches of the evil government offshoot that experiments on paranormal (Class B) humans.

“Gray,” I said, swinging the door open, trying to get his attention. He ignored me, pacing back and forth, the sweat pouring off him.
Sparks of lightning were flying around him so fast that I was afraid to touch him. What the hell was I supposed to do? We had to get out of here before more soldiers showed up.
“Gray, we have to go,” I said firmly.
He didn’t even look at me.
Well, this was just great. Anything that reduced him to babbling was bad. It was like he wasn’t even aware I was there.
I was going to have to touch him. He wasn’t listening to me, but he had to pay attention to me if I touched him, right?
Of course, the whole getting struck by lightning thing made me hesitate a little.
Touching him was a bad idea. But I couldn’t think of a better one. Steeling myself, I reached out and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him around to face me.
The next second, I found myself pushed up against the wall.
For one frozen moment, mangled memories, the fear—that pain—scraped inside my stomach. It jumbled my breath and mind and I gasped for air against the terror that was welling up inside me.
Then it kicked in. My instinct. The days I spent, imagining what I could have done differently in the alley--if I was stronger, if I had been faster--were ever-present in my mind. I knew what to do now. My hands were on his shoulders and I brought my knee up hard and sharp. He let out a gasp of pain, stumbling backwards and my arm was hauling backwards before I was even aware of it. My fist smashed into his jaw, his head popped backwards and he fell down with a thump. He swore.
“Snap out of it,” I demanded. I was angry at him for something he didn’t even realize he was doing. This was turning out to be such a sucky day. “We have to get out of here and I need you to be all scary and weather-ey. So get up and let’s go.”
He was up, his eyes finally clear.
“You’ve got my back?” This time, it really was a question.
“Yes,” he said. The promise was there in his voice and even in my half angry, half oh-shit-we’re-gonna-die state, my heart pitter-patted. Just a little. “Let’s get the hell out of here. I’d kill for a shower.”

Yes, I am alive.

2009-04-21T19:49:48Z

Oh look, my journal. The thing I haven't posted in in ages. Bad me.

I do have some pretty good excuses. Involving four bouts of pneumonia and having a 6 week run of a play where I was required to wear a dress that was so tight that my cast-mates started calling it "The Jessica Rabbit Dress".

Luckily, I survived all bouts of pneumonia (though halfway through each bout, I was wishing someone would just kill me already) and the full run of the show. Which, considering I spent a total of 27.5 hours doing my hair and make up during the run, is pretty impressive in my view. My Jessica Rabbit dress is safely back in the costume shop, and I am back to writing my butt off.

A lot has happened while I was gone. Including the great Amazon Fail, Query Fail, and Agent Fail. Twitter certainly has brought out some interesting things in our little community. And in 150 characters or less!

The only thing I'm working on now is my Class B series. I (finally) have a (tentative) title for Book 1: The Other Side of Eden. I'm going to post a short summary this week and hopefully a teaser next week. I'm chugging along on the first draft. I'm about to hit the point where I can write everything in order, rather than half and half, which is encouraging.

I'm incredibly excited about this book and this series. I love the characters and I'm having so much fun building the world. I've destroyed 9 major cities in the USA and have come up with a (kind of) natural way to build a city of glass, thus fulfilling my childhood dream to live in the Emerald City. I forgot how much I enjoyed writing urban fantasy--I haven't written any type of fantasy since I was a teenager.

I'll close with a Jessica Rabbit quote, in honor of that dress that I never have to wear again: "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way."

XOXO
Tess

Wow

2009-01-21T03:19:00Z

So, my post about the Princess Diaries ending (which was on this blog and on my crit group blog, YA Edge) got a shout out from Meg Cabot on her blog.

Let me take a moment to squeal like a 13 year old girl.

The Princess Diaries--a thank you.

2009-01-07T02:44:22Z

Ten or so years ago, I picked up a bright pink book in the bookstore. It wasn't the kind of thing I normally would pick up--at 12 I was vehemently opposed to the color pink just for the sake of it. But I dunno, there was something about it that made me buy it.

I was awkward as 12. Hell, I was awkward through all my teen years, and I still have my many moments at 22. I spent a lot of time writing in notebooks and ignoring other people (still do, but I've gotten better about apologizing for it). I was gawky and unsure of myself and generally said the wrong thing at the wrong time and ended up agonizing over my mistakes for days. I felt like a freak.

I'm telling everyone this because when I say Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries books changed my life as well as my writing, I want to be clear that I am totally 100% serious.

I just finished Forever Princess, the last book in the series, and I fully admit that I cried through the last 100 pages. For me, this is an end of an era, practically the end of my teenagerdom in my mind. This is the finish of the books that I have faithfully read for 10 years, books I have read over and over again when I've had a bad day or a bad date or a bad anything at all. These are the books that, as a teenager, made me feel a little less freakish and awkward. Mia was like a friend--someone I could relate to on so many levels. I loved her adventures and I loved the way she saw the world, because it was so much like the way I saw it as a teen.

I bought the first book when it just came out--before the movie, before it the best-sellers lists. I loved it so much that I instantly started tracking down anything else that Meg Cabot had written (her historical romances are FAB). I also wrote Meg herself a letter and she ended up doing an interview for my teen e-zine, unladylike. She signed books for us and was such a wonderful, nice author and that's always really stuck with me.

What also has stuck with me is my sheer admiration for Meg Cabot as an author and a person. Not only is she wildly successful, but she has written several books and donated the proceeds to various charities. She's a wonderful, imaginative writer whose ability to cross over genres I envy.

Thank you, Meg, for letting all of us share Mia's world. The awkward 12 year old girl inside me thanks you from the bottom of my heart. You made my teenaged years much easier and your books inspired me to write YA. They made me think outside the children's book box--to think about characters who were going through real things and fantastical things at the same time. Characters who were like real teenagers.

I'm grateful, because I'm not sure I'd be here writing this if I hadn't, by chance, relinquished my hatred for the color pink and picked up that book 10 years ago.

Research

2008-12-28T13:09:02Z

Things I have Google in the last few hours...

how to pick a lock
basic martial arts
how to knock a person out
headbutting
blood types
lock picking kits
pregnancy (in weeks)
telepathy
weather patterns
hurricanes
ocean tides+weather
blood loss+side effects

I love writing about paranormal stuff again.

Teaser Tuesday

2008-12-10T00:24:07Z

Here's the opening of my new paranormal/contemp fantasy which is untitled at the moment:

The graveyard was waterlogged; my boots sunk a good inch into the ground as I picked my way through the rows of headstones. The moon hanging fat in the sky provided enough light that I shut my flashlight off, sticking it in my bag as I squelched through the grass.
The three oak trees in a row were right where he said they'd be. I dumped my bag at the foot of the middle one and grabbed the collapsible shovel.
"OK," I muttered, mostly because silence in a graveyard in the middle of the night is just way too creepy. "Five steps forward," I stepped forward. "Three to the right," I stepped sideways and stabbed the shovel down into the sodden dirt, working as quickly as possible, throwing big clumps of grass and mud behind me as a dug.
"I see you're working hard," said a voice.
I looked up at the balding middle-aged guy who, five seconds ago, hadn't been there.
"I told you I'd meet you later," I said, throwing another shovelful over my shoulder. There was no use throwing it at him, which was my first instinct. Where was the trust?
He actually looked a little guilty. "Wanted to make sure you found it," he muttered.
"Pretty simple instructions, Frank," I said, turning my back to him and resuming my glamorous job of digging up long buried boxes of cash in cemeteries.
"Kennedy—" he started, sounding like he was about to apologize.
My shovel hit metal.
"Presto," I said, bending down and with some difficulty, wiggling a large rusty metal box out of the hole.
I turned back, beaming. My smile disappeared instantly.
Frank was still standing there.
He had company.
And that company had a gun pointed at me, firmly ignoring Frank, because of course, he couldn't see Frank.
This whole talking to the dead thing? So overrated.

sharpegirl @ 2008-12-03T08:25:00

2008-12-03T16:27:44Z

My crush on Jack Black (and of course, the ever fabulous Margaret Cho and Neil Patrick Harris) just got way bigger:

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/c0cf508ff8/prop-8-the-musical-starring-jack-black-john-c-reilly-and-many-more-from-fod-team-jack-black-craig-robinson-john-c-reilly-and-rashida-jones

No shrimp cocktails! :P

And I'm back.

2008-12-02T12:38:09Z

Hey everyone, hope everyone's November went well.

I am still knee-deep in kids at the theatre, working on a new paranormal book that's chugging along quite nicely. Not much else to report on this end, at least not for now.

Hiatus

2008-11-02T08:04:41Z

Hey all,

A quick note for anyone wondering, I'm (meaning this blog) on hiatus at least until the end of November. Much business abounds. I shall return when my brain isn't so fried, what with the 22 kids that I am teaching and constantly informing them not to push each other or to pinch or interrupt or talk backstage or eat the sugar cubes that were out for the adult's coffee ::deep breath::.

My hat is off to all you parents out there. I have no idea how you do it.

Tess

Teaser Tuesday

2008-10-08T04:58:24Z

Since I haven't posted anything about writing in forever (forgive me) here is a teaser from: ANATOMY OF A GOOD GIRL. GG is written in two POV's, this bit is from Darcy's POV. PS: Martha=Darcy's car.

“This is a bad idea,” Nell said nervously in the back of the car. She was fidgeting and looked guilty already. We were probably going to get caught the minute we got out of the car. Her expression was like a beacon flashing “CATCH ME!”
“Scared?” I asked her, grinning.
“Of course!” she squeaked back, her expression switching from guilty to indignant. “This is illegal.”
“All the fun things are,” Tink said, pulling down her black sweater and readjusting the black knit cap over her hair.
“How did I fail to notice that both of you are crazy?” Nell demanded. Despite her protests, she took the cap that I handed her with no hesitation, yanking it over her head and stuffing her hair into it.
“I’m just joking, Nell,” Tink assured her, winking at me, kicking her legs up to rest casually on the dashboard of the car. I had to restrain myself from pushing them back to the ground. Martha deserved better treatment than that. But we were going to be parking in just a second, anyway. “I’ve never committed a crime," Tink declared grandly.
“Why don’t I believe you?” Nell asked sarcastically.
I was starting to think that we were rubbing off on her.

::faceplant::

2008-10-06T21:23:18Z

Things that have happened today so far:

1.) I spent way too much time in bed under the covers because my 18 year old cat got all cuddle-happy. Baby decided that his purpose in life was to lick my face as much as possible, which I very kindly let him do for about 15 minutes before pushing him off me and running to the bathroom to scrub my face with boiling hot water and a lot of soap.

2.) My assistant stage manager (who I loved and adored and wanted to take home with me in my pocket) quit today. Suckiness. Now I'm stuck with a billion kids and just me. Eek!!!! Must find new assistant ASAP.

3.) Laundry. Because it seems all day all I ever do is laundry. How do I get this many dirty clothes? Seriously?

I'm off to make another pot of coffee and then I have a early night rehearsal. And I seriously need to stop by the Democratic Headquarters because I have this paranoid idea that I am in fact not registered to vote, even though I did submit the little form at the DMV.

YA EDGE BLOG

2008-10-01T23:19:08Z

YA Edge is the name of my lovely critique group, who are the best group a girl who writes what I write could have. They are understanding and thoughtful and always give me great insight.

We've spent the last few months working on making a community blog to talk about writing edgy YA, and we finally went live today.

http://yaedge.blogspot.com/

Mosey on over there, if you are so inclined.

::snore::

2008-09-30T06:05:40Z

So. Tired.

I don't know how you Mom's and Dad's do it. I had about 1.5 hours with the kids with a ton of theatre games and then a read through and I am about to conk out.

Of course, there were like, 20 of them or something. I haven't even got a solid count yet because our cast was finalized today! Awesome!

More detailed entry to follow tomorrow, or later this week.

Score!

2008-09-29T07:07:54Z

Have a make-up designer, so now I can give my make-up student to her for a shadowing type experience. Awesome.

Delegation=the key to sanity.

I had a really great first read-through with my kids that I will post about AFTER tomorrow (or rather, today since it's after midnight). I have an entire acting and theatre workshop to teach tomorrow (with the help of many great people, including my ASM, AD, Director and hopefully at least one of my sound techs) and I have to get back to that ASAP.

P.S.- For the next few months, my posts might be theatre-heavy, rather than writing-heavy. This is because BASHED is out on submissions (with a few partial and a full requests, a few rejections and more than half unanswered still, but it's early) and I'm spending most of my writing time out-lining some projects that I am really looking forward to, and re-writing TEN THINGS. I'm experimenting with it and putting the first 50 pages in first person. I will try to post a teaser every Tuesday, however.

P.P.S.- I totally understand if my fabulous writerly friends will skip over my theatre posts. When they get really lengthy, I promise to put them behind a theatre tagged cut. I'll see those friends hopefully before the New Year!

::insert squeak here::

2008-09-28T20:19:41Z

Am super super busy right now with the Xmas show at the theatre. Have ten million little kids running around and I have somehow ended up teaching stage managing, basic acting, theatre games and theatrical make up in one version or the other. I am going to attempt to write SOMETHING in ANYTHING that I'm working on right now by Wednesday, but who knows how that goes.

Ah, balancing two highly creative careers, the joy it brings.

Dear Jerk

2008-09-17T20:37:44Z

While I was downtown today, I got stuck at a really long stop light, so I turned my music up and tapped my fingers against the steering wheel. It took me about 20 seconds to realize that the guy stopped next to me was yelling at me.

Dear asshole,

I don't care if you think I'm hot. I don't care what you think period. I am not your "baby" and no, I will NOT turn to look at you. I am ignoring you because I ignore all "men" who try to approach me like this. I've learned through years of experience that ignoring asses like you is infinitely more effective than flipping them off.

Threatening to mace them also works.

Also: Me ignoring your crude comments does not give you leave to FOLLOW MY CAR.

I managed to lose him and ended up staying in the lobby of my old school a whole lot longer than I planned, because I wanted to make sure he was gone.

Stuff like this happens to me. It happens to every woman. It doesn't matter what we're wearing or how we look. I

So thank you, asshole guy, for giving a bad name to good guys out there. It's guys like you that cause me to carry pepper spray on my key chain, to reconsider my shoes when I know I'm going to be walking any distance without an escort, to make me uncomfortable about wearing a skirt or a tank top because it might just increase the chance of getting this kind of attention. It's asses like you that remind me once again that I desperately need to take a self defense class because I still don't even know how to punch someone if I needed to.

And no, it is not flattery. It doesn't mean I can't take a compliment. Behavior like that is not a compliment. It is a predatory move. The male trying to establish dominance over the woman.

I am a woman. I am not property. I am not a object. I am not there just to be looked at. To be hooted and hollered at. Yes, I have breasts. Yes, I have a vagina. GET THE FUCK OVER IT. I also have a pretty damn good mind, which is something you are OBVIOUSLY lacking.

CONTROL YOUR STUPID MOUTH AND WHAT LITTLE BRAIN YOU HAVE AND STOP HARASSING ME BECAUSE YOU THINK I'M ATTRACTIVE.

Computer Woes

2008-09-17T01:13:42Z

My back up lap top died early this morning. I have back ups for everything important, but it also means that I lost a few thousand words on my short romance (ack!) and I lost the beginning to ANATOMY OF A GOOD GIRL that I have been slaving over for the past few days.

Which might be a good thing, 'cause I think it kind of sucked. The beginning, I mean.

I am not good with beginnings until about the 3rd draft. They need time to evolve.

Now I am off to download all my back ups onto the hated desk top and work on an outline for another short romance story that I am totally digging.

Beginnings

2008-09-15T08:41:33Z

I am in beginning-writing mode on ANATOMY OF A GOOD GIRL.

Thus, I am spending all my time tearing my hair out, crying at the ceiling "WHY ME?" and hugging my stuffed badger to my chest to quell the pain.

::snicker::

Books imitating Life

2008-09-11T00:22:21Z

So today during my agent research, I found a book called "Empress of the World" by Sara Ryan about theatre camp.

When I went to the web-site for the book, I saw that the main character is called Nicola. And then I started reading more. And started getting really creeped out.

This character is named after Nikola Tesla, who I am also named after. And is a theatre tech. And plays the viola. And likes Archaeology. And gets along with her parents.

Um, all of these things are me (though I don't play Viola anymore). Not to mention MY NAME (funnily enough, I have Nikola as a middle name instead of a first). My name is weird and I've only met one other person who has had parents crazy enough to name their kid after the scientist who was Edison's opponent.

I am kind of worried about reading this book, because if it resembles my life any more, it's gonna get twilight zone-y.

Of course, that is not stopping me from buying it. Because I SO AM. And I totally want to write to Sara Ryan and be like "Um, so Hi, are you perhaps spying on my life with secret video cameras?" but that wouldn't be nice to accuse her of.

That was my little weirdness for the day. I can't wait to get the book and read it!

Friday Five

2008-09-05T08:09:22Z

Things I am occasionally guilty of doing:

1. Applying a mint mud masque to my face and watching reruns of Beverly Hills 90210. Occasionally, my Dad and I watch it together. He refrains from the mud masque, though.

2. Eating way too much pie.

3. Obsessively watching whole seasons of random TV shows in the background while I revise.

4. Misspelling common words.

5. Being a little too strong-minded.

When homophobes come to call...

2008-09-01T13:52:46Z

Woke up on a couch yesterday morning listening to my mother cut down the anti-gay marriage people (These were the Yes on 8 people in California. Obviously, I am voting NO on 8) who had come door to our door with their pamphlet. Discussing their hypocrisy (they don't have a problem with gay people! they rush to assure you, they just want to deny them equal rights, what the heck? That makes no sense) and of course, drawing comparisons to other human rights movements.

My mother is not the kind of person who you want to get into argument about politics. Ever. She's smart and articulate and she generally wins. She's a cool woman to have as a mom.

I read the pamphlet they left behind after they fled. This pamphlet seems very concerned with children getting taught that gay marriages and gay relationships are the same as straight marriages and straight relationships.

I'm still not sure why that's a bad thing. Teaching acceptance to different lifestyles? I grew up thinking that gay relationships were equal to straight relationships and I turned out just fine.

What is it about gay marriage that threatens straight marriage, in any way? What, are all the gay guys and lesbians going to start crashing straight weddings in matching tuxes and bridal gowns, demanding that they're next? How is your party (which is how I kind of view weddings, personally) to celebrate your commitment to another person anyone's business but your own? Why is this still an issue? People's inherent, culturally induced homophobia scares and disgusts me.

Mikhaela Reid is a political cartoonist and I love her work in general, but her cartoons on homosexuality and gay marriage are hilarious and touching and so spot on that I had to share:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikhaela/177696615/in/set-72157594534894393/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikhaela/2681134138/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikhaela/177696611/in/set-72157594534894393/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikhaela/177696616/in/set-72157594534894393/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mikhaela/407399793/in/set-72157594534894393/

This morning I am filled with restless energy. Which means I've had a pot of coffee, brewed another pot double strong and made it into ice cubes and then poured the rest of it into a pitcher for iced coffee later. Home-made blended mochas, yay! And baked a batch of blackberry muffins.

I am seriously thinking about tackling my spice cupboards next. Let my OCD behavior out a little :)

What I'm up to

2008-08-30T15:07:55Z

I like to multi-task. And I like to keep busy. I am keeping myself organized by posting here what I am working on:

Ten Things She'll Never Say
Word Count: 39, 415
Status: I am writing all the scenes that don't involve Brian because every time I attempt to write him, it's crap. So I am making progress, but it's a lot slower than I would like and way too focused on the other characters, when I feel like I really need to be focused on Anna and Brian's relationship.
Feeling: A little frustrated, but happy that I am still writing scenes with SOME of these characters.

Anatomy of a Good Girl/Anatomy of a Bad Girl
Word Count: 0; 48 pages of outline.
Info: ANATOMY OF A GOOD GIRL and ANATOMY OF A BAD GIRL are two books that take place in the Potter High universe. Anatomy of a Good Girl takes place junior year, while Anatomy of a Bad Girl takes place senior year. Each book is told in differing 1st person POV's. Anatomy of a Good Girl is narrated by Nell and Darcy. Nell is the vice president of Pure for Sure, the virginity club at Potter High. Darcy is the new kid in town who drives way too fast and who also happens to be openly gay. When Nell walks in on her father getting a little too friendly with the nanny, she decides what she needs to do is rebel. She enlists the help of Darcy for assistance in this task. As the girls spend more time together, Darcy realizes she has more-than friendly feelings towards Nell, who is straight...right? ANATOMY OF A GOOD GIRL is at its heart, about falling in love and trying to express that feeling. How do you express it when you've made a promise to wait? What promises bind you, and why? Who has the right to tell you what to do and when? And how creative can you get, when physical expression is not an option?

ANATOMY OF A BAD GIRL is not as completely outlined as GOOD GIRL, all I know now is that it is narrated by Tink, who is radical feminist, free-loving girl who gets "Slut" scrawled on her locker a lot. She's kind of Pure for Sure's main target. At least the mean girls in Pure for Sure. The second narrator is Liam, who is Darcy's twin. Liam likes puzzles and is a very easy going guy. He is not terribly excitable, but he loves a challenge. He and Tink have a rather volatile relationship. Nell and Darcy are important characters in this book, though I haven't figured out their story-line yet. This goes for Tink and Liam also in GOOD GIRL. They have a major story-line in GOOD GIRL, I just haven't mapped it out yet.

Status: I am currently doing research on virginity, virginity clubs, abstinence only education, and young women--gay and straight--and their experience/exploration/struggle with their sexuality. If anyone out there would be willing to answer my (sometimes) invasive questions, shoot me an e-mail at tess.sharpe@gmail.com. Everything's confidential and you don't have to answer anything that makes you uncomfortable. I am also out-lining like crazy. At this rate, I'm going to need a new notebook in a few weeks! I think I should be prepared to start writing at least a brief synopsis and blurb in a week or so. And maybe by then I shall have a few scenes written.
Feeling: Really excited about these books. I've really wanted to write something about virginity and abstinence for a while now, and I am totally digging my characters and their struggles. Also kind of hyped up about writing in first person again.

Romance Projects
As I've mentioned before, I do write romance. I eventually want to branch out into historical and contemporary, but right now I am working on two short historical novellas, set in the regency times. Both will be about 15K when finished.
Word Count: STORY #1: 4, 439 STORY #2: 3, 038
Status: Focusing on STORY #1 more than #2, but that's OK. I like my fluffy story-lines and the knowledge that my characters are going to live blissfully, happily ever after.

Bashed
Status: BASHED is out to agents, I've had a partial request, I will be sending out some more queries. But it's basically been a blink of an eye's worth time since I sent my original queries out. Being a writer and being a director is an exercise in patience. I kind of like the constant anticipation.

YAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY!

2008-08-29T02:27:55Z

I just got an e-mail from the artistic board at the theatre, asking me to commit to directing THE PHILADELPHIA STORY in the fifth slot of the 2009 season.

YES!

And earlier today, I got a call from the director of the 2008 Christmas Show, offering me the stage managing job, which I accepted.

It has been a plethora of good theatre news today.

I am stoked! And now I have to go back to expanding my already 42-page outline for the Anatomy Books (which I will talk about when I am not so excited/outline-y).

Naming Characters

2008-08-27T16:53:33Z

When I lived in Oregon, there was a graveyard I used to go to to write. I used to sit next to a woman named Violet Goody. Violet died at the age of 101, which is why her gravestone initially caught my eye. It didn't hurt that there was a great tree that was perfect for sitting against right next to her.

I originally went to the graveyard to write because it was quiet and nice out. But then I totally realized that graveyards were the answer to my last-name battle.

I hate choosing last-names. I have a thing about it. I think it's because the last name and I are not on the best of terms. I hate my own last names--yeah, there are two--so much (Sharpe being one of my pen names). Whenever I choose last names, they always seem so...I dunno. Not-matchy? Repetitive?

So I totally walked around the graveyard and recorded a bunch of last names in my notebook. Whatever caught my eye, some of them weird and hard to pronounce, some of them typical, normal names. I guess I could use google like everyone else.

I have a list of first names and last names so that I can pick and choose. Generally this is for minor characters, but sometimes I'll come across a name in my list and a main character gets born.

I really like first names and have been known to spend days and even weeks trying to find the perfect name for a character. I also love, love, LOVE nicknames. Generally, at least one of my character's will have a nick name. Occasionally, I go for first names that have specific meanings behind them (especially when I write fantasy) or to reflect a certain historical background. I love that you can tell a story and provide insight into the character itself with a name. For example Spark, in BASHED: Spark's real name is Max, but everyone, including his mom, calls him Spark. The only people who actually use his real name in the book are Peter's parents, because they don't know him well. Spark got his nick name when he was younger at the boxing ring where he works out. Originally it was "Sparky" because he was the youngest person there, but the "y" was dropped throughout the years.

Do your characters have nicknames? Is there a story behind the nickname? How do you come up with last names? Do you choose your characters based on the origin of names? The meanings? Just the way it sounds?