Book Signing at ALA conference

This weekend I'm headed out of town for a book signing - the American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in Chicago. One of my publishers, Nomad Press, invited me to come for a signing of my new title that was just released - Forensics - Uncover the Science and Technology of Crime Scene Investigation.

We had a lot of fun in the Mooney house working on this book. As usual, the kids helped me test the experiments and activities. We tested blood spatter, extracted DNA, and compared bite marks. It's exciting to have the finished book in hand and be able to share it at ALA!

What's In a Name?

So I've been brainstorming, asking What If?, and making tons of notes about my MG project. But I still haven't settled on names for my characters yet. I've only named one character so far already: Helen. That's a shoutout to my own late grandma. And although this is not her story, there are a few elements from her life that I'm incorporating. But that, is a tale for another post!

Usually I have character names pretty early on in the process. This time, however, I've been focusing a lot more on the plot and character relationships, and even character traits - and somehow the names just haven't come to me yet.

So all of my notes are littered with "MC" for my main character - MC goes here, MC talks to grandma, etc. So far the cast of characters includes:
MC
Brother
Father
Grandma
Neighbor
Lawyer
Neighbor's Son
and a few other Important People

and the all important Bad Guy (or Gal).

This temporary fix has been working so far. But I have to admit, I'm really getting tired of writing and reading about MC and other Important People. And somehow - I don't feel like I can really get to know and understand MC until she has a name. I know that I want her to have an "old name that is new again" something that is coming back today, but was also popular generations ago.

So that's my assignment for the weekend - names! What's yours? And how do you go about naming your characters? And feel free to leave suggestions for MC!

A Pleasant Surprise

Last week, I opened the mailbox and pulled out a large envelope. I opened it to find this:

Two copies of the July 2013 Highlights magazine - with one of my articles inside!

I'd almost completely forgotten about this piece that Highlights had purchased from me a few years ago. I'd interviewed a fantastic young lady about the work she was doing to raise money for local charities that help kids with special needs. She had seen the remarkable work that therapists, teachers, and many others had done with her brother, who has cri du chat syndrome. Children with cri du chat can have problems understanding ideas and may have difficulty learning to talk. They may also have weak muscles that can cause problems walking or using their fingers.

Highlights accepted the article as part of their Gallant Kids feature. Because Highlights' policy is to pay authors on acceptance, the actual publication can be months or even years (in my case) after acceptance.

Which makes finding the finished article FINALLY in my mailbox - a nice surprise indeed!

Asking WHAT IF?

So I'm starting a new MG project, but this time, I'm trying something new. The last two MG manuscripts I worked on -  I had a general idea of the beginning, the end, and a pretty good sense of the characters. So I jumped right in and started writing - letting each chapter take me to the next place. I learned the hard way that maybe this "pantser" style of writing might not be the best approach for me. I got stuck in the murky middle each time and struggled to figure out how to bridge the beginning and end of my book. And struggled...

Last year, I auditioned for a ghost writing fiction project. They gave me a detailed chapter by chapter outline, and I wrote the first three chapters. I didn't get the assignment, but I learned a lot in the process. And one thing I learned is that I write MUCH better if I have a plan or roadmap to follow BEFORE  I start.

So I decided to create the same roadmap for myself for this project. I'm spending a lot of time brainstorming and freewriting ideas. This week, I've been asking a lot of "WHAT IF" questions. What if my MC does X or Y? What if character A dies? What if MC's grandmother is alive? What if character B isn't in the book at all? Once I ask each of these questions, I'm brainstorming answers and just writing it all down. And I've already found some diamonds in the rough - intriguing ideas that I hadn't originally thought of for my plot, but may make things a whole lot more interesting.

So what do you do for your pre-writing process? Comment below!

Summer of Fiction

Welcome to the new blog! I've changed platforms - hoping that this one is easier to update and follow!

Tomorrow is the last day of school for my kids - summer officially begins in our house. This year, I've officially named it the "Summer of Fiction". Along with are usual summer reading, I've decided to dedicate this summer to fiction writing. I've been writing a lot over the past few years. But most of it has been nonfiction. While I love the research and projects, I'm also itching for some time to devote to some fiction ideas that have been popping around my head for awhile. I've got a picture book that is almost ready to sub. I have a draft of an early middle grade that is screaming for an edit. And I'm also ready to outline a new MG project that I've been brainstorming.

So last week, I turned in the last nonfiction assignment. My desk is empty of research books. A have a folder full of critiques to help with revisions on the PB and early MG. And I have a brand-new notebook ready for my new MG.

Let the Summer of Fiction begin!