Screwing Up Time

The More Things Change...

2012-02-28T08:28:00.000-05:00

First some exciting news! I submitted Screwing Up Time to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest.And I found out that my novel made it to the second round!! I’m very excited.(The winners of the next round will be announced March 20.)

More good news. I’m over 75% done with the second big editof the sequel to Screwing Up Time. I’dlove to have it done by the end of next week, but I’m also having some editingburnout. And even chocolate isn’t soothing it.

Besides fixing plot holes and tightening up the wordsthemselves, I also use the second edit to verify facts. I like to have twosources for each fact. So I’m reading sources that I didn’t read the firsttime. And I’m always amazed that sometimes ancient texts could have just aseasily been written by my next-door neighbor.

The SUT sequel is set in an ancient, but fairly literate,society. Which means that there are a fair amount of primary sources. Thoughthis doesn’t mean that they all have tremendous historical value, they do teachus a lot about people. For example, I was reading the translation of aparticular tablet—a loose, condensed translation is “Several years ago weloaned you a certain amount of money for your travels. We have yet to see onecoin of repayment.” The translator of this tablet and many others went on tosay that he’s translated many tablets where parents complain about their children,businesses try to collect on loans and purchases of goods, etc. The translatorcomments that while times change, people stay the same.

I think that’s the reason that historical fiction,time travel fiction, science fiction, and even fiction in general is sopopular. We see someone in very different circumstances—a king, a concubine, anda soldier who may live under the rule of Amenhotep, Alexander the Great, HenryV, or Genghis Khan—but their concerns are still the same. They want to takecare of the people they love. They may be heroes, and sometimes even villains,but they have the same motives and desires that we do. Perhaps that’s why whenwe read, we can become them for a little while. After all, we’re really notthat different. They may eat goat, drink date wine, and wear tunics, but theystill want to get the girl and live happily ever after.

A Guy's Perspective

2012-02-14T08:45:00.001-05:00

When I first started writing Screwing Up Time, I realized that I wanted to write it from a guy’s perspective. I’d read enough young adult and teen literature to know that there were very few books written from a guy’s perspective. My thought was that guys would appreciate seeing themselves at the center of a novel and girls would like seeing from a guy’s perspective. Being that I have three sons aged 21 to 15 and they have lots of friends whom I’ve gotten to know, I thought I might be able to do them justice. One of my favorite compliments on the novel is when someone said, “Wow, this is just like a guy wrote it.”

So, ladies/girls, if this Valentine’s Day you’d like to see what life and love are like to a guy, give Screwing Up Time a try.As a Valentine’s Day treat, I’ve included this YouTube file. It’s the song “Boomerang” by Plain White Ts. My oldest son calls it the “The Atom Love Song.” Imagine that the electron is singing this song to the proton--keep in mind the quantum mechanical model of the atom--you know, the 3D version of the atom that shows how the electrons move. (Yeah, he’s a chemistry geek.)

Sequels, Part Two, Taking Joy in Writing

2012-02-07T09:17:00.000-05:00

Two weeks ago, we discussed sequels. Why they’re hard towrite, how to avoid sophomore novel pitfalls, etc. And while it was great to heareveryone’s thoughts, I still had a lot of anxieties. But that’s where a good writingfriend helped, and I thought you all might benefit from her wisdom. (Thanks,Sharmon.)

As I listed all my worries about having my readers like booktwo as much as book one, she said, “Of course, not all your readers will like it as much.” That stopped me cold. Ofcourse, I knew that in my head that people have different favorites, but tohave her say it aloud really made me stop and think. Then she asked me aboutall the big series I’ve ever read from the Chroniclesof Narnia to The Lord of the Ringsto the Harry Potter books. She asked me if I had favorites. I did. And theyweren’t the same favorites that others had. For example, I thought The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobewas okay. But I really didn’t like TheLast Battle. On the other hand, I loved TheMagician’s Nephew and The Horse andHis Boy.

She reminded me that certain stories appeal to certainreaders and there’s no getting around that. I can’t write a book that will makeeveryone happy. (Oh, right. You’d have thought that I already knew that.) Shereminded me that the best thing I can do is to have fun as the novelist. If Ihave fun with the story and take joy in writing it—that is the thing thatreaders will latch onto. That’s what they crave. A good story.

I think that’s the lesson to writing anything from a shortstory to a novel. We must take joy in the telling. And when we lose sight ofthat, we begin to lose our ability to write.

What about you, readers? Can you tell when a writer istaking joy in the telling? And writers, what do you think?

Ten Things You'd Probably Rather Not Know About Me

2012-01-31T08:05:00.000-05:00

David Powers King recently gave me the Kreative Blogger Award. (Thanks, David!) For the creative blogger award I'm supposed to share ten things about myself and then pass the award on to six other bloggers. (It was very hard to chose only six.) So without further ado, ten things that you'd probably rather not know about me.

Ten Interesting things about me (some fall into the “don’ttry this” category).

1. When I was a teenager, I was swimming in the ocean, saw asea turtle, and grabbed on for a ride. It was amazing. Until he pulled me outto sea and decided to dive to the ocean floor.

2. I drove a car home from school (in Los Angeles) with myeyes closed. It was okay though because my best friend told me when to turn,when to slow down and when to stop.

3. I’ve been a runner for 29 years. (With some months offhere and there when I was pregnant; puking didn’t mix so well with running.)And I actually hate running, but it feels so good when I stop.

4. I’m face-blind. I recognize people by their height,shape, hair color, facial hair, etc. When my husband shaved his beard andmustache, it took weeks before I didn’t have a split-second of panic, thinking“who is that stranger,” every time I saw him.

5. My family calls me the “orchid whisperer” because myorchids bloom prolifically. But the truth is that I don’t do anything exceptignore them and give them leftover ice cubes for water.

6. I can tie a cherry stem into a knot with my tongue.

7. My favorite junk food is honey-mustard pretzel pieces. Theymake me happy...until I realize how many miles I have to run to cancel out myindulgence.

8. Clowns and circuses really creep me out. I still can’tfigure out why face paint and demon-possessed eyes makes people laugh. Oh, andthose weird wind-up monkeys that bang cymbals...they’re creepy too.

9. I still have nightmares about missing a final for acollege class. I graduated a long time ago.

10. I love office supplies. Post-it notes, triangle-shapedpaperclips, red pens (I must have at least 12 at a time.), highlighters, pushpins (even though I don’t have a cork board.), floral binder clips, etc. One ofmy favorite pastimes is going to Staples and redeeming my store credits formore organization supplies. Bliss.

Six Bloggers to Whom I now Pass on the Award:

1. The Golden Eagle

2. Melissa Pearl

3. Margo Kelly

4. Patti

5. The Insect Collector

6. Misha Gericke

Don't forget there are only a few days left to enter the contest to win a free e-copy of Screwing Up Time at Novel d'Tales.

Sequels

2012-01-24T08:09:00.000-05:00

If you’ve been a writer for long, you’ve probably heardwhispers about the “sophomore novel.” If you haven’t, it means the sequel. Andit’s often talked about in hushed tones because it’s a scary thing to write. Iknow because it scares me even as I write one. But I’m not alone, many authorsstruggle with it.

In fact, I just finished reading the sequel to a novel thatvery well-received and sold lots and lots of copies. The sequel was a goodbook, and I enjoyed it. But not nearly as much as the first book. I’ve read alot of sophomore novels over the last year and asked myself why the good onesworked and why the poor ones didn’t in hopes of learning to avoid the pitfalls.Here’s what I’ve gleaned.

I suspect the reason that sequels are hard for most writers (atleast this is the reason it’s hard for me) is because we’ve rung every bit of punchfrom the story in the first book. And this isn’t wrong. It’s what makes a greatbook. By the end, the secrets are told. For example, when the reader finishes Screwing Up Time, he/she has seen whatit’s like to travel through time. You can never go back to not knowing. And thenovel’s world building is complete. You know Bodiam Castle pretty well by theend of SUT. You don’t wonder what the halls smell like or how cold the airfeels during the winter nights. And you know the characters. You’ve seen Markand Miranda’s strengths and weaknesses. You’ve seen them grow.

That daunting task to a sequel writer is to find newsecrets, new worlds, and new character growth. That’s why JK Rowling’s books are/wereso amazing. She found new secrets (or secrets that kept growing). She wrote aboutnew worlds/places like the Ministry of Magic, the house belonging to the Orderof the Phoenix, even the nightbus (which I loved), etc. And she found new waysfor the characters to mature. Because of that, we loved Rowling and her novels.She gave us a rare gift.

That’s the task of the author who writes a sequel, to givethe reader new secrets, new worlds, and new growth—without sacrificing thechemistry, tension, and relationships of the first novel. Wow...that soundsimpossible. Time for some chocolate.

I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so pleasecomment!

N.B. Yesterday I won a blog award. (Thanks so much,David!) I’ll put the award up next Tuesday and share ten things about myself.

Short Stories Vs. Novels

2012-01-17T10:00:00.001-05:00

I’m now 7000 words into the short story, which makes it along short story since it’s not done. The other day, I was reading an articleby a famous novelist who released a short story about her famous charactersbetween the publication of one novel and the next. Her fans did not like it.They complained. But as the author listed the complaints, it occurred to methat the complaints were because the readers didn’t understand the differencebetween a novel and a short story. They had “novel-type” expectations of ashort story. And there’s no way an author can satisfy those types ofexpectations. A short story can’t be a novel. So I thought, since I’m workingon a short story, that it might be helpful to reader and writers to discusswhat the difference is between a novel and a short story. Especially since I’vehad the same confusion.

When I was in junior high, my teacher assigned our class towrite a short story. I started off with a bang. Then, twenty pages or so intothe “short” story, I realized that I had no hope of finishing it. And insteadof the teacher saying, “My dear, here’s what you need to do.” She said, “Twentypages? Wonderful. Don’t worry about finishing the story, just turn in what youhave.” (Now maybe she said this because she didn’t want to read another twentypages of junior high penmanship—I lived during pre-PC days.) When the teacherhanded back my “short story,” I’d gotten an A. At that point, I realized theassignment was about putting pen to paper, not writing a short story. I wasbummed. And I never learned how to write a short story until I got to college.

I was anxious when I took my first fiction writing class—wasI going to write another long mess without an end? Then, I discoveredsomething. (Clearly, I wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer or it would’veoccurred to me sooner.) A short story has one plot point and a limited numberof characters. Ah, that was my problem. Every time I’d written a short before,I wasn’t writing a story, but a novel. (Or a novella, but that’s a whole otherdiscussion.) So what’s a short story? According to Poe, who some call theoriginator of the short story, a short story is a narrative that can be readwithin 1 ½ to 2 hours (depending on whether you have to get more chocolate—okay,I added that part) and is limited to “a certain unique or single effect.” Inother words, you have to have a limited number of characters and the wholestory has to lead to a single purpose or conclusion. The “effect” may be theresolution of the plot that’s developed, or it may be an exploration of acharacter, which is common in modern literary fiction (and may be really boringto read). This means that a short storycan’t be as intricate as a novel—not as many twists, not as much characterdevelopment, etc.

Think of a short story, especially one where the author iswriting a short about characters that already live in a novel, as a love letterto the reader. The author is giving you a snippet of the characters’ liveswhile you wait for the next novel, something to tide you over while the hardwork of writing the next novel happens. It’s something to remind you that thecharacters aren’t sitting around doing nothing while you wait for the nextbook.

If any of you have thoughts about the differences betweenshort stories and novels or expectations of each, I’d love for you to sharethem.

N.B. The information about Poe came from Abrams’s A Glossary of Literary Terms.
A new blog, Novel d'Tales, is hosting a giveaway and my novel, Screwing Up Time, is the prize. Check it out.

The Unicorn Tapestry

2012-01-10T08:22:00.000-05:00

The first draft of my short story is going very well. Formore on the why of doing a short story between two novels, check this blog poston my “other” blog.

Besides the characters, the short story and Screwing Up Time share a plot feature,the tapestry that hangs in Miranda’s chamber. While Miranda’s tapestry existsonly in my imagination, it was influenced by real tapestries that I saw at The Cloisters, which is a museum in Northern Manhattan dedicated to the art andarchitecture of Medieval Europe. And it’sactually built like a medieval cloister. (If you’re ever in NYC, visit! It’samazing to find a place of quiet and serenity deep in Manhattan.)

Of the three thousand pieces of artwork, some of the mostprized exhibits are the Unicorn Tapestries. Click the link here to see the sixtapestries. They might even be familiar to you—the tapestries are so popularthat they show up on notecards, etc. These tapestries inspired the tapestry onthe wall of Miranda’s bedroom, which hid something of great significance to thenovel. And the tapestry will play a small role in the short story. Though not becauseof what tapestry hides, but because of the story it tells.

If you’re not familiar with tapestries, they’reusually more that just pretty weavings. For example, the Bayeaux Tapestry (whichis more of an embroidery than a weaving) tells the story of the Norman conquestof England. The Unicorn tapestries tell the story of the hunt of a unicorn. Asfor Miranda’s tapestry and the story it tells, you’ll have to wait. But I’mworking hard, and I’ll keep you updated.

Click here to read a new review of Screwing Up Time.

You might also like this post, Book Marketing Tribulations, on my other blog.

Progress

2012-01-03T09:31:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year!

I hope the New Year finds you all well. My big news is thatI finished the first big edit to the sequel of Screwing Up Time. My goal was to finish it before the New Year.Okay, my goal had been to finish it before Thanksgiving. But the seven familysurgeries of 2011 took care of that very, very fast. Still, I’m pretty excitedthat it threw off my goal by only a month.

Now my first beta reader has the book. She’s looking forplot inconsistencies or holes. As soon as she’s finished, I’ll get back towork. For my next edit: I’ll be fixing any plot holes or boring parts(hopefully, there aren’t many). After that, I’ll do a voice edit. That’s whereI’ll get into the nitty gritty of the text to make sure that the book “soundsright.” Mark/Henry tells the story and if it doesn’t sound that way, the novelwill fail.

So while I’m waiting for the beta, what will I bedoing? Writing a short story that takes place between book one and book two. I’ve gotthe story idea, so, assuming my family can stay out of the hospital—we’vealready had one trip this new year, I’ll start it today.

Best Action/Adventure Book

2011-12-27T10:00:00.000-05:00

Blogger Katherine Owens just announced her favorite books of 2011. She rated my novel, Screwing Up Time, as the best action/adventure book she's read this year. Squee!! If you want to check her blog for her other favorites, here's the link. http://katharineowens.blogspot.com/

Giving E-books As Gifts

2011-12-20T10:09:00.000-05:00

It’s Christmas time, and I’ve gotten emails asking if it’spossible to give Screwing Up Time asa gift. The answer is YES. “Gifting” e-books is very simple—no trips to thestore, no waiting in line at the post office, no hoping it gets there on time. Deliveryis immediate.

Here’s what you do. On the right hand side of the screen, isthe “Give as a gift” button. (It’s light orange—check out the screen shot below. Click the screen shot and it will enlarge so you can see the gift-wrapped button.)All you have to do is go to Amazon page for SUTand click the button. Then you type in the recipient’s email address.Amazon will send them an email telling them they’ve been gifted a book. (Which reminds me, if you get an email fromAmazon, make sure it’s actually spam before you delete/ignore it because it maywell be a gift announcement. We gifted a book to a relative who just thought itwas another advertising email, and it wasn’t until we asked how they liked the bookthat we realized they hadn’t opened the email.

One more announcement. I took the big step forward. Screwing Up Time is now available forlending to Amazon Prime members. And if you'd like to buy the book, it's still on sale for 99 cents at Amazon.

Changes: Just When You Thought You'd Figured It Out

2011-12-13T08:12:00.000-05:00

If you're an indie writer, you've probably heard about the latest Amazon offer. If you're a reader, you might not have. But this affects all of us, so keep reading. Amazon now has a program to allow free "borrowing" of e-books to Amazon prime members. (Amazon prime members also get free 2 day shipping and the ability to stream movies.) It's a win-win for those who pay the yearly fee--two of my adult kids are Amazon prime members.

Of course, Amazon had to sweeten the pot for writers to participate. They have a pile of gold at the end of the rainbow--they've set aside a pot of money to be split by participating writers based on the number of times their book gets "checked out." However, there's a catch. In order to qualify for Amazon's lendability, you have to sell your e-book only through Amazon. So if you're book is available through Smashwords or B&N, you have to take it down.

Honestly, the money isn't that much of an issue. I don't have any illusions that I'd get a big chunk of the cash. But what attracts me is the publicity/promos associated with it. The most difficult thing for me as an indie writer is letting people know my book is out there and that they'd like it. (Maybe it's because I have a tendency to be shy. I don't meet people and say, "Hey, I'm Connie. I wrote a book and you should buy it because you'd love it." But I'm learning.) Amazon used to do more promotions for indie books, but that changed. And with that, writers saw their sales tumble. It's like being in a book store. It used to be that Amazon would put your book out on the display rack at the front of the store or on the endcaps. Now you get a couple of days there, and then you're shelved in the back corner where the lighting's poor--no one find you unless they're looking. (If you're a reader, you can help indie writers by telling your friends about books you love and writing book reviews on Amazon and GoodReads, etc.)

After thinking these things through and reading lots of opinions, every indie writer has a strong opinion, I've decided to take Amazon up on their offer. I'll be taking Screwing Up Time down from Barnes and Noble's site for three months. (If you've been planning on buying the novel for Nook, do it today.) During the three months, you can buy it Amazon (on sale for 99cents) or borrowing it if you're an Amazon Prime members.

So wish me luck and stay tuned, I'll let you know how it goes.

Kindlegraph

2011-12-06T08:24:00.001-05:00

If you've been reading this blog (or my other blog) for very long, you know that I'm not the most tech savvy person. In fact, I rely on my in-house techies to do just about everything for me. When I don't, bad things happen. The last bad thing happened a couple of weeks ago when I tried to change my GoodReads account. I ended up emailing a LOT of literary agents in NYC and asking them to be my "GoodReads friend." Uh, yeah. I so did not mean for that to happen. Of course, the amazing thing is that some of them friended me.

All that to say, I "did" a tech thing by myself this morning and (fingers crossed) it hasn't backfired yet. I'm now officially registered on Kindlegraph. That means you can get my autograph. Honestly, I'm not hugely clear on how this works. All I know is that I'm registered and my book is listed along with 10,000 others novels that can be Kindlegraphed. If you request a autograph, then I'm notified and I can give you a signature. Here's a link to my author Kindlegraph page: http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/CMKellerWrites

Kind of cool. The next step in electronic books.

(For authors who are interested, here's a link: http://www.kindlegraph.com/.)

Book Flyer

2011-11-29T07:29:00.001-05:00

One of the hardest things about indie publishing is advertising and promotion. I like to write. I don't like marketing. (It's a good thing that I was never a salesgirl; I would've said to a customer, "Are you sure that you can afford to buy the shoes that match the outfit?") But if you're indie published, you are your own marketing department.

The question I keep asking myself is how do I reach readers. I've done interviews, social media, GoodReads, book blogs, etc. But those appear to be reaching other writers (which isn't bad because they're great readers). How do I reach people who don't write?

Amazon used to do more to promote new indie books (three months of promotion), but they've changed their policy to one month. Plus, there are so many indie books now that it's tough to not be relegated to a dark nook in the virtual bookstore.

So I'm trying to think of other ways to market my book. My latest attempt is a flyer. Here's what my Art Department (the amazing graphic artist Tara Rimondi at tararimondi.com) put together.

So now I'm busy trying to find places that will let me put up my flyers. It's harder than I thought. Most community bulletin boards only allow you to put up flyers that advertise things that are free. (I think 99 cents is close, but apparently not close enough.) So far, WalMart said "no." The public library said "maybe." Starbucks said "yes," but I think that's only because the manager wasn't there. My son Luke is putting some up at the university where he's a student. Anyway, I'll let you know if the flyers are successful in reaching non-writing readers. And if you have any suggestions about where I can put up the flyers, I'd love to hear them.

BTW, many thanks to Matthew who transformed the flyer file into something blogger would read.

Revising: A Dark Treasure Hunt

2011-11-22T08:29:00.001-05:00

I’m in the middle of the big revision of the sequel. And I’mhaving a great time when I’m not anxious. In the past, I’ve described writing asriding a rollercoaster. Revisions don’t have the same ups and downs, they’remore like a treasure hunt.

I have to fill in the text with plot baubles. Pretty littlebits that fill out the setting, which is especially important in books thattake place in the past. Readers want to know the exotic details—what weirdfoods are there, how would people dress, what are the sights and sounds on thestreet? Of course, the most important thing is to make these baubles integralto the text; otherwise, they’re not much more than footnotes to the story. Inother words, these baubles must become more than pretty trinkets because readerswant to be transported to another time and place. And while historical fictionaddresses this desire, I think time travel books add a layer—what would it belike for me (a modern person) to bethere.

But before you think that the plot treasure hunt is all funand games, I must tell you that it’s a dark treasure hunt. Dark because I’m notalone. There are stalkers. Black clothed thought figures who hunt me while I’mon the treasure hunt. They exist in my mind, in thoughts that say, “What if youcan’t figure out a way to fix this.” They stalk my courage. Always taunting me,until I fix the plot problem. Then I turn and fire on a stalker, nailing it inthe chest and watching it explode into dust and blow away. Afterwards, I blow away the smoke that clingsto the nose of my revolver.

Another one bites the dust. Lock and load, baby.

Wonders of the Ancient World

2011-11-14T18:16:00.001-05:00

I finished my read through of the rough draft of the Screwing Up Time sequel. Today, I’ll bedigging into the text editing and revising. I’ve decided to give you a smallhint about the sequel. Part of the novel will take place at one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. I hope that whets your appetite.

I’ve also decided to start a short story involving some ofthe characters from Screwing Up Time,and I hope to have it finished and available by Christmas. The short story willbe set in the period of time between the first book and the sequel.

Here’s photo of the sequel after my first read through. Youcan see, tons of work to be done.

I also have a brand new Facebook Author page. And if you're interested in reading about "head in a bag plot devices" or why allergies are really the result of viruses created by pharmaceutical companies, visit my other blog, A Merry Heart.

Also, several friends of the blog have recently publishede-books. Check them out. (If you have an YA or middle grade e-book you’d like meto mention, email me.)

Fiction:

Clockwise by ElleStrauss

Golden Blood byMelissa Pearl

Biography:

Beyond the Land of Narnia by Joyce McPherson

Writer's Bubble

2011-11-08T08:13:00.000-05:00

A lot of people work from home, writers especially. And mostwriters, like me, don’t have a designated office. I’m lucky, I have a small desk. In the kitchen. Not the most likely place forquiet. I’ve always written in the kitchen—it’s easier to make sure no one burnsdown the house when you’re nearby.

Non-writers ask how do you do it. How do you write withoutquiet time? (I homeschooled my kids, so there was never any quiet time whenthey were “away.”) And though two of my kids are in college now and one istaking dual enrollment classes, they still live at home—noise and chaos stillreign. The writers’ secret is the bubble. Though other writers call it otherthings. It’s an enveloping creativity that isolates you from the rest of theworld. My kids made up the term “bubble.” They use it like this, “Mom’s in herbubble. She’s gone.” And that’s what it’s like. I am physically present, but mymind is wholly in my novel. I’m seeing and hearing people that exist only inthe confines of my imagination.

So the bubble is great for writing. It’s not so great forbeing a mom. When my children were little, they took full advantage of it. Forexample, I’d emerge from the bubble to find myself dripping sweat in January. I’dcheck the thermostat. It was set at ninety. When I asked my minions who’dchanged the thermostat from my favored setting of 67, Jacob said, “I asked youif I could turn up the temperature to 90, and you said yes.” The downside of the bubble. When I’m in the bubble,I apparently (I’m still highly suspicious about this because I have no memoryof any of these conversations) give permission for all kinds of ridiculousthings. Yes, you may play computer games for the rest of your life. Yes, youmay gorge yourself on candy until your face turns green. Yes, you may watchDVDs until your eyeballs melt.

Obviously, this is why I work near the kitchen. My hope isworking there was if I ever gave the children permission to start a fire on thestove (don’t laugh, Jacob once told me he was building a bomb—he was little,but still), I’d be there to douse the fire with an extinguisher. But theniggling thought in the back of my mind was “What if I didn’t notice?” I’d loveto explain that to the fire chief.

He’d say, “Mrs. Keller, do you know anything about the fire?”

I’d say, “Uh, yes, I was in the kitchen and didn’t noticethat the children were playing with matches and torches, re-enacting scenesfrom National Treasure.”

He’d say, “They told me that you gave them permission.”

I’d say, “Oh. Really?”

I’m so glad that my children made it to adulthood inone piece.

Editing, Part 2

2011-11-01T08:45:00.003-04:00

Once I got all my gear together, I started editing SUT thesequel. (Yes, it has a title. But I’m not ready to release it yet because ithas a spoiler in it.) I’m about 30 pages into the edit. Which may not soundlike a lot, but it is. The first chapter takes lots and lots of work. And thesecond chapter too. So I’m making good progress, and I really, really hope thebook will be ready by summer. Maybe sooner.

I hope you’re not pulling out your hair because I said theword “summer.” This edit won’t be the last one. Usually I do a big edit—thefirst one—where I fill all the plot holes. For example, I left two charactersstranded in the first draft, so I have to rescue them. (I’m sure they’reirritated and will let me know when I get to them.) After the major edit, I’lldo a second edit to polish up the voice—so that it really sounds like Markwho’s telling the story and not me.

Then, I’ll send the book to beta readers. Beta readers areoften other writers (not always though) who read the novel and give me feedbackon what they think needs work. Then, I’ll make the changes they suggest. Andthen, I’ll give the book another edit.

After that, assuming it doesn’t need another edit, I’llproofread it from beginning to end—with the Chicago Manual of Style next to me,so that I can look up any grammar fine points that I’m not 100% sure of. Then,I’ll proofread it one more time—from end to beginning. In other words, I’llread the last chapter first. Then the second to the last chapter and so on untilI reach the first chapter. You see, it’s really easy for the writer to getcaught up in the story too. And then we miss things. I don’t want a book witherrors that has my name on it. And it’s not just because my name is on it. Butwhenever there is an error whether it’s grammar or otherwise, it pulls thereader out of the story. More than anything else, I want you to get lost in thestory.

I’ll wrap it up here—a chapter is calling my name.Time to edit.

BTW, for those of you who are writers, I did a post on "Writing Style" here.

Internet Book Fair

2011-10-25T08:04:00.001-04:00

Do you remember book fairs? Or maybe those fliers you got in school telling you about all the latest children's paperbacks? (Those fliers were my favorite things about elementary school.) Today something just as exciting is going on. It's the Internet Book Fair Blogfest. It's a great opportunity to find out about all the new books that are available. You can visit each author's/book's blog, read blurbs and reviews and, if you're interested, follow the links to buy to the book. So click on the link and enjoy the fun! To find out more about my book, keep reading below.

At the end of the post is a list of hot links to the other books in the book fair. Enjoy!

Here's info on my novel, Screwing Up Time.

Mark Montgomery is a slacker content with his life. He’s a senior at New Haven Prep, has a great friend, and after graduation he’ll get a brand new sports car from his parents, assuming he stays out of trouble. Then, she comes into his life—Miranda with her I-just-escaped-from-a-Renaissance-Fair clothing. Only, she hasn’t. She has come from Bodiam Castle in the Middle Ages and demands a secret ingredient and a book of recipes for traveling through the treacherous colors of time. Although Mark has never even heard of either before, he must find them, or Miranda will die. To save her, Mark must break into a psych hospital to visit his grandfather who once tried to kill him, pass through the colors of time, take on a medieval alchemist, prevent Miranda’s marriage to a two-timing baron, and keep it all hidden from his parents. The sports car is definitely in trouble.

Buy Screwing Up Time for $2.99 at Amazon or BarnesandNoble.com

Here are some Amazon reviews.

"...I enjoy historical fiction and love time travel so...I decided to try this one out. I absolutely loved it! The characters were funny and felt like real people, and I quickly connected with the main characters in the story (which is a major factor for me in books...if I don't like the characters, I'm not going to finish the book). The plot moved along at a good pace, never feeling slow or labored, and I was so drawn in to the story that I could hardly stand to put the book down. I don't dare to do a plot summary for fear of giving something away, so all I can say is I highly, highly recommend this book, and am looking forward to reading more of the series!"

"This YA novel is a fun and witty read! The characters came to life and as I read I found myself eager to find out what happened next. I highly recommend this book and look forward to the next in the series!"

""Screwing Up Time" was fun to read and very hard to put down. The fact that Bodiam Castle has it's own web page [...] makes the book even more intriguing. The characters feel like old friends after only a few chapters. I could see the country side and feel the movement through time. Thanks C. M. Keller for the great escape for a short time anyway. Can not wait for the next installment."

Here's are links to the rest of the books in the blog fest.

1.	M.A. Leslie	2.	Le Vanity Victorienne
3.	www.lachesispublishing.com	4.	Dianne Hartsock
5.	Susan Kaye Quinn	6.	Kai Strand (The Weaver)
7.	Kate Avery Ellison	8.	Nancy Stewart Books Blog
9.	AdoraPet Children's Books to Nourish a Happy Mind	10.	William & Pamela Deen
11.	My Sister Is My Best Friend	12.	REMEMBERING NINE ELEVEN
13.	MARIE AND THE SEA TURTLE	14.	Nancy Lynn Jarvis
15.	Donna J. Shepherd	16.	1 Zany Zoo
17.	Shelley Buck Author SIte	18.	http://tinyurl.com/5rby7oc
19.	fiddleeebod	20.	Urban Mythos
21.	The Underwear Dare	22.	Ashfall
23.	A Day in Doha	24.	The Golden Pathway
25.	CLOCKWISE by Elle Strauss	26.	Jessica Bell @ The Alliterative Allomorph
27.	Signs of Trouble	28.	The Doll by J.C. Martin
29.	J.L. Campbell @ The Character Depot	30.	Once Upon a December Nightmare by Cherie Reich
31.	Nicole Zoltack	32.	Lyon's Legacy by Sandra Ulbrich Almazan
33.	The Night Watchman Express by Alison DeLuca	34.	THE LEGEND OF VICTOR STANDISH
35.	Indies are GO!	36.	The Legacy of Kilkenny
37.	Silent No More	38.	Angela Fristoe @ Turning the Pages
39.	The Once and Future Wizard by Tom Averna	40.	200 SHORTS
41.	Screwing Up Time by C.M. Keller	42.	Connection of the Minds
43.	Double the Trouble	44.	A Second Chance
45.	Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island by C.K. Volnek	46.	Stranger on the Shore
47.	May I Have this Dance	48.	If I Could Be Like Jennifer Taylor
49.	Erotic Deception (Romantic Suspense) by Karen Cote'	50.	Shadows Steal The Light
51.	Reluctant Companions by Christine London	52.	Hog Wild by Christine London
53.	Sunshine Boulevard	54.	The Turn of the Karmic Wheel, Monica Brinkman
55.	Spirit Stealer	56.	Guinevere: On the Eve of Legend
57.	Under the Hat	58.	Screwing Up Time by C.M. Keller (blog)
59.	The Chronicles of Caleath	60.	Larion Wills/Larriane Wills
61.	Nathan's Angel by Melissa Bradley	62.	Culloden Spirit by Anita Davison
63.	Trencarrow Secret by Anita Davison	64.	Killer Valentine Ball Chris Verstraete
65.	Stephen Tremp Breakthrough Blogs	66.	The Powers by S. Durham
67.	Madeline Sharples @Choices	68.	Hostage Heart by Chelle Cordero
69.	Rachel's Children: Surviving the Second World War	70.	Hostage Heart by Chelle Cordero
71.	Hyphema by Chelle Cordero	72.	Impeccable
73.	45 Minutes by Kristen Young	74.	Final Sin by Chelle Cordero
75.	To Be Continued by Charmaine Gordon	76.	Now What? by Charmaine Gordon
77.	One Pelican at a Time	78.	http://goo.gl/EWgYg
79.	Love's Long Shadow	80.	Patricia Lynne's Journey Through the Pages
81.	Anne Gallagher - Regency Romance Writer	82.	"I Believe"
83.	Johanna Garth, urban fantasy, Losing Beauty	84.	OnWords Blog
85.	Getaway by DD Symms	86.	Jennifer M. Hartsock

Editing

2011-10-18T09:30:00.000-04:00

Today I start editing. People have asked me what that’slike. So I took a photo of the things I use to get started.

When I edit, I print the entire manuscript for the firsttime. After I did that this morning, I discovered to my horror that I forgot toinsert page numbers. Now I’ll have to go through the entire novel and write in thepage numbers. YUCK!

Before you feel too sorry for me, I have to go through eachpage by hand anyway and highlight (with my pink/yellow/green/blue highlighters)all the notes I’ve left myself in the text. When I’m writing a first draft, Idon’t want to get bogged down in the text so I’ll leave myself notes. For example,“This scene is painful, fix it,” or “Add in the backstory for this scene,” or “CharacterX needs to be in this scene, add in later.” Editing is when I fix those things.

The green notebook and fountain pen are for making notes tomyself about the themes, subplots, and character development that need to beadded or refined in the text. I use a fountain pen because it slows me down andmakes me think more deeply as I write.

The flags (I need alot more of these) is how I mark the text. For example, in Screwing Up Time all the romantic/relationshipscenes got marked with a red flag. The time traveling scenes got marked with agreen flag, etc., etc., etc. This makes is easier for me to verify/correctscenes. When you make even a small change in scene, you have to make sure thatit doesn’t affect other scenes. If it does, more rewriting.

The post-its are for making notes and sticking them on thepage. (Obviously.) Sometimes a section needs a lot of work, and I use the notesto make a list of suggestions to myself. Sometimes I don’t have the time to fixsomething, but I don’t want to forget what I decided to do so I leave myselfnotes—occasionally a whole page is covered with yellow post-its. (I need to buya lot more of these too.)

I think the red pens are self-explanatory. When I’m editing,my purse, my car, my nightstand, and every room in the house has multiple redpens lying around, you never want to waste time looking for a red pen when youhave a great editing idea. The pens inthe photo are leftovers from the SUT edit. I’ve got a bagful waiting to beopened for this book.

Then there’s the printout, which looks surprisingly slim.That’s because it’s single-spaced and because I underwrite. When the book isfinished, it will be 20 to 30% longer.

Enough writing about writing, my fingers are itchingto edit. I’m craving those red pens, which will hopefully turn my first draftinto a story worth reading. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Personality Quiz

2011-10-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

Last Friday, I finished the first draft of the Screwing Up Time sequel. (Imagine me throwing confetti and dancing around the house.) In honor of that auspicious event, I've made a quiz. If you click on the "Quizzes" tab just above the blog date, it will take you to a Screwing Up Time personality quiz. Take the quiz and find out which SUT character you are most like.

I hope you enjoy it.

Research

2011-10-04T09:19:00.000-04:00

In a recent author interview, I was asked about my researchinto Bodiam Castle and its integration into the novel. And it’s been an amazingexperience. When I first started writing ScrewingUp Time, the castle existed only in my mind. As I added more detail, Idecided to look at pictures of real life castles. When I found the picture ofBodiam Castle, I couldn’t believe it. Here was an almost exact replica of whatonly lived in my mind. As I researched the castle’s history and lore, Idiscovered the legend of the woman in red (who in my novel was already Miranda).Then, I knew that Bodiam Castle was going to be the site of my novel.

Of course, picking a real place as a setting can be verydifficult, especially if it’s not down the street. So I bought and borrowedbooks. I looked up websites. I did everything I could to accurately ground mynovel in Bodiam Castle. And I thought I was done. I turned my attention toother editing issues. When I was doing a final editing pass, I decided to addmore detail to a section on the castle, so I went back to my sources. But Icouldn’t find the exact information I wanted. So I googled the castle. I wasamazed at what came back. In the time since I’d started the novel and finishedit, people had posted their personal vacation photos online. I found scads ofphotos of all the interesting parts of the castle, usually with people next tothem so that I could have a sense of scale. It was an amazing bounty ofknowledge. And then, I discovered that some of my resources were inaccurate.Things at the castle had changed. A room that had had a grass floor now had afloor of loose pebbles. Oops. I went back and rewrote that. Most of the changeswere small, but so important to render the kind of accuracy that allows readersto be transported.

I would strongly encourage people that are using reallocations in their novels to view personal photographs that people makeavailable online. It helps to see what things look like under differentlighting and from different angles. View Google maps to see what your characterwould see as he/she walked down the street. And don’t trust your memory of theplaces—places change and memory becomes distorted. We have so many options nowto keep our writing grounded, use them.

Interview

2011-09-30T11:43:00.000-04:00

AB Keuser interviewed me on her blog. I had a lot of fun doing the interview. Click here to read it.

Climax

2011-09-27T09:28:00.001-04:00

I’m almost finished with the first draft of the Screwing Up Time sequel. But I hit thefinal chapters and ran into a brick wall. Not that I didn’t know what was goingto happen, I did. I know the final solution, but it was all the sub-plots that stymiedme. Because I’m a “pantser,” I write asthe characters lead, and since the characters all have their own agendas, thereare a lot of sub-plot threads that all need to come together at the end. Not aneasy solution.

So here’s what I do. I list all the plot issues in anotebook with a fountain pen. (It’s about the only time I write longhand besidesediting.) Then I figure out which plot threads fit together. Afterwards, Ibrainstorm solutions. Several pages later, I arrive at the legitimate possibilities.Then I hone them. This is always a scary part of the novel for me. What if Ican’t figure out an answer for all the sub-plot twists? This is my version ofwriter’s block. But once things start to fit together, it’s also the mostexciting part. It’s not until the end that some characters reveal their hiddenmotives. For example, in the sequel Granddad spends a lot of time studyingancient texts and is very furtive. But I didn’t know why. I knew he was hidingsomething. But since I write from Mark’s perspective I didn’t know what it was.Now that I’m at the climax, Granddad finally reveals what he’s been hiding. Iwas shocked—just as shocked as Mark. Of course, now I get to go back into thetext and hide bits of information, a bread crumb trail of clues that hopefullywill make you wonder what’s going on and still say “Oh, I should have seen thatcoming” when the reveal happens.

Right now, I’ve got almost all of the sub-plot issuessolved. This afternoon I’m going to start writing the climax. I can’t wait!

Why Do You Read?

2011-09-20T09:37:00.001-04:00

Okay, raise your hand if youread the back of cereal boxes. Yep, just as I suspected—lots of hands, my ownincluded. Boredom readers. Breakfast is a boring meal at our house. No one’shad their coffee yet, so we sit at the table staring at one another and hopingthat caffeine and sugar will jump start our brains.

Sometimes I read thenewspaper, other times I don’t. I really don’t care what-actress-dumped-what-actor-for-what-reason.There’s always the front page, but I’m sick to death of politics and economics.The novel that I’m reading is infinitely more interesting (even the cereal boxis more interesting if my brain is too befuddled to remember where I left thenovel I was reading). Which leads to another reading reason—escapism. I love totake a break and visit another time or place or other people whose faces aren’tglazed with sleep.

But I have another reasonfor reading, beauty and thought. Sometimes I set aside time to experience wordsand their stories—poetry and classic literature. (BTW, the Aeneid is a total Iliadknock off. Homer should have sued.)

And sometimes I read tolaugh. I like Dave Berry, though I feel sorry for his mother-in-law. And I lovePG Woodhouse. Someone has said of him, “It is impossible to be unhappy whilereading the adventures of Jeeves and Wooster. And I've tried.” It’strue. Try it.

What about you? Why do you read?

Moaning Monks

2011-09-13T08:48:00.000-04:00

A lot of writers listen to music when they write. I neverdid. In fact, I find music so distracting that I couldn’t figure out why anyonewould find it helpful. Not that I don’t like music. I love music. And I’ve gotvery eclectic tastes. I listen to everything from classical to big band toSouthern rock to indie. I’ve even *gasp* begun to like some country. But stillI never found writing and music to mix.

Then things changed. My writing schedule for the sequel toScrewing Up Time is pretty intense, at least for me. And some days it was hardfor me to focus enough creative energy to get my word count. (I write a 1000words a day, five days a week. A 1000 words is four pages, double-spaced.) Ineeded something to help me get “into the zone.”

Enter the Moaning Monks. No, that’s not really the name ofthe group. That’s want my kids call it. I listen to The Lamentations of Jeremiah by Thomas Tallis (1505-1585), which ispolyphony and the words are Latin. Not exactly that kind of music that youthink would inspire a modern time travel novel. But I don’t listen to the musicto develop the “voice” of the novel. I use it to find my creative center. Thesad music quiets me and allows the plot of a novel to flow. If you want to putit in literary parlance, it helps me find my muse.

The problem is that I live in a house with five other peoplewho find that the Lamentations do NOT help them with mathematical proofs,chemistry equations, Calc2, and logic. Apparently, different muses respond to differentmusic. (I have been told that Calc2 responds really well to Julian Smith, especially“Racist Coffee.”)

A compromise has been reached. My daughter has now fitted mewith an iPod shuffle and ear buds. Andin the end, listening to 16^th century music on 21^st centuryequipment is a time travel journey in itself. So maybe it’s not so strangeafter all.

I've included the Tallis piece and Julian Smith's song. Enjoy the musical time travel.

The Colors of Time

2011-09-06T07:17:00.000-04:00

Several people have asked how I got the idea for the colorsof time. Here’s how it happened: When Mark was traveling through time, I closedmy eyes and imagined what it would be like. I couldn’t believe he’d movethrough time and just “be there.” Surely he’d have a sensory experience of timepassing by. Then I saw time as a stream of colors flowing by. Whites. Blues,Yellows, Orange. Greens. Time was a whole palette of colors. But not justcolors. Time had texture and fluidity. Time had temperature that could be felt.And I knew it wouldn’t be quiet. Time would have sound—whispers and screams.When I knew that, the Colors of Time were born.

Of course, in ScrewingUp Time, Mark has only begun to understand the Colors of Time and how they work.In the sequel, he discovers a lot more. Most of it not good.

Halfway Celebration

2011-08-30T09:33:00.000-04:00

Celebration Time! I’m halfway through the first draft of theScrewing Up Time sequel.

Writing this novel isgoing quickly—it’s as if the story is writing itself. Because I’m a “pantser,”sometimes the writing is slow because I’m not sure what is going to happen. Butso far when I finish a scene, the next scene is waiting to be written.

My family has caught my excitement, and occasionally Icatch my kids standing behind me and reading over my shoulder. Then I banishthem. When I read it to them for the first time, I want the story to be fresh.Right now I hope to have the first draft finished by mid to late October. I’lldo a first edit right away, and hopefully will send it to beta readers (people—usuallywriters—who read early drafts and give feedback about what needs to be fixed)by Thanksgiving. If all goes well, maybe the sequel will be out by spring. Ifnot, it should be out by early summer. I’ll keep you posted.

Here's a photo of me, hard at work.

Verisimilitude

2011-08-24T11:27:00.000-04:00

(First off, let me say that I'm so sorry I forgot to post yesterday. I try to post every Tuesday, but I just didn't get around to it. Classes, work, and sickness consumed my mind. Here's what I was supposed to post.)

People frequently ask if I base my characters on real people, events, or places. The answer is no. (Even though I have a cool t-shirt that says, "Watch Out Or You Might End Up In My Next Novel.") However, that doesn't mean I don't draw from my personal experiences. For example, in Screwing Up Time, Mark lives in North Haven, Connecticut, which is a real place. For seven years, I lived in the neighboring town of Hamden. I draw from my experiences there when I put in details about the weather, the names of streets, etc. So if you went to North Haven, you could find Ridge Road where Mark used to run to keep in shape. But the characters aren't people I know. Though Mark's personality is an amalgam of two young men I know--but they won't sue. :) I've never based a character's personality on a living person, mostly because the characters I write about are fully formed once they come to me. And, in fact, even with Mark, it was more like I recognized who he was rather than who I planned he would be.

And I like to include real objects like my poison ring and the very cool yellow Solstice that I see driving the streets of Chattanooga. One of my sons is getting a birthday present (sorry he's birthday's tomorrow and I can't spoil his fun and tell you what it is) that I'd love to include in a book, but it probably won't be this sequel.

And this morning I found a beautiful creature that I'm going to include. Sadly, she'll have only a small role. But now you'll have something to look forward to. Here's a picture of her.

She lives right outside our front door. And though you can't see it in the photo, she has a snack wound in silk underneath her belly.

Sequel Excerpt

2011-08-16T08:06:00.001-04:00

The first draft of the sequel to Screwing Up Time is one third done. (Imagine me throwing confetti.)In honor of that milestone, I’ve decided to post a very short excerpt. I can’tpromise that this passage will actually make it into the final version of thenovel, but I thought you might enjoy it. Don’t worry, there aren’t anyspoilers.

Murgatroidwas long gone when the guard woke up. He sat up, rubbed his head, and lookedfor me. I waved and hoped revenge wasn’t high on his to-do list—having a claypot shattered on the back of your head probably packed a nasty headache. Iwished I could give him some ibuprophen. Instead, I poured him a goblet of wine.

By the timePeter came back, the guard was sitting in the chair by the door.

“Yo, Pete,”I said when he walked in. “I’m getting a little tired of hanging out herewaiting for whatever it is you want to spring on me.”

Photos of Bodiam Castle

2011-08-09T06:30:00.000-04:00

Screwing Up Time is set in several locations.One of them in North Haven, CT, near where my family and I lived for seven years. The other locationis a bit more exotic for Americans. It’s Bodiam Castle. And yes, Bodiam Castleis a real place. If you’d like to look at some photos of what the castle lookslike today. Click here. And it will take you to a National Trust photo gallery of Bodiam Castle. These are some of the things Mark and Brian would have seen when they visited the castle. I hope you enjoy the photos.

BTW, for those of you who are regular readers of this blog. My plan is to post every Tuesday.

Plotter or Pantser

2011-08-02T15:50:00.001-04:00

People often ask how writers come up with their stories.Most writers fall into one of two categories: Plotters or Pantsers. (Though manywriters are combinations of both.) Aplotter is someone who sits down and writes out the plot of a novel before theybegin writing. Some writers plot everything—every plot twist, every scene. Other writers are “pantsers” because theywrite from the seat of their pants with almost no idea of what’s going tohappen.

I’m a pantser. I sit down to write the story and have noidea where it’s going. I rely on my characters to tell the story to me. In thatway, my writing the novel isn’t that much different than the way a readerexperiences it when he or she reads it.

For me, “the unknown” is the scary-thrilling rush that comesas I write. It’s kind of like being on a rollercoaster while wearing ablindfold.

For example, I’m working on a sequel to Screwing Up Time—I’m about a quarter of the way into the story, andI ran into a conundrum. Kate, Brian, and Granddad are all in different places. Eventually,they need to get to Mark and Miranda who are in trouble and need all the helpthey can get.

I knew how Granddad would get there. But I had no idea howKate would get there or what her role would be in the action. Then, the answercame to me. Kate would act according to her personality, and she’s not one tosit back and wait for things to happen.

I’d love to tell you what Kate’s decided to do, but I don’twant to spoil any of the book. So you’ll just have to wait because I want youto experience the rush of discovering the story just like I do (althoughwithout all the nastiness of editing and proofreading—the real downside ofbeing an author).

Author Spotlight

2011-07-29T09:35:00.000-04:00

Today I'm being featured in an "Author Spotlight" on Lydia Kang's blog, The Word is My Oyster. Here's the link. Be sure to check out her Medical Monday posts. They are always fascinating.

Poison Rings

2011-07-28T08:29:00.000-04:00

According to my research, poison rings were originally usedfor carrying messages, perfume, mementos, or a lock of hair. Eventually, theywere put to more nefarious uses. Hence the name “poison ring.”

In Screwing Up Time,a poison ring plays a role in the plot. Here’s a photo of my poison ring, whichis very much like the one that Mark has.

Screwing Up Time, Blurb and Excerpt

2011-07-16T10:01:00.000-04:00

About the Book

Mark Montgomery is a slacker content with his life. He’s a senior at New Haven Prep, has a great friend, and after graduation he’ll get a brand new sports car from his parents, assuming he stays out of trouble. Then, she comes into his life—Miranda with her I-just-escaped-from-a-Renaissance-Fair clothing. Only, she hasn’t. She has come from Bodiam Castle in the Middle Ages and demands a secret ingredient and a book of recipes for traveling through the treacherous colors of time. Although Mark has never even heard of either before, he must find them, or Miranda will die. To save her, Mark must break into a psych hospital to visit his grandfather who once tried to kill him, pass through the colors of time, take on a medieval alchemist, prevent Miranda’s marriage to a two-timing baron, and keep it all hidden from his parents. The sports car is definitely in trouble.

Screwing Up Time, Chapter One

“Mark,she’s crazy.” Brian pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. “You knowthat, right?”

“Ms.Patel is an English teacher—crazy goes without saying. But I agree with her. Hamletmust have seen something. And he claimed it was his father’s ghost. Is that sounbelievable?”

“It’sa play, Mark. Not a treatise on the undead.”

Ismiled. “‘There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamtof in your philosophy,’ uh, physics textbook.” I tapped the calculator in Brian’sblazer pocket. We were both wearing navy blazers since it was Tie Day at NewHaven Prep. Boys had to wear ties and coats; girls had to wear plaid skirts. Icalled it “Noose and Knees Day.”

“Youactually did read the Hamletassignment,” Brian said.

“Iwatched the movie version.”

Hegroaned. “Cop out.”

“It’smore real that way.” I unbuckled my seatbelt and grabbed my backpack. “Hamlet was meant to be watched, notread.”

“Iguess that’s true.” Brian pushed his glasses up. He had rectangular rims thatalways slid down his nose.

“Wantto come inside and get something to eat?”

“Thanks,Mark. But I’ve got to study.”

“Forwhat?” I asked. “The physics exam isn’t until next week.”

“Ineed to review the optics equations.”

Iopened the car door. “You wouldn’t want to miss any points—they won’t let youinto Harvard if you miss a point or two.”

Brithrew a can of Coke at me. I ducked. It sailed into the front yard. He hatedHarvard.

“Aren’tyou supposed to be studying to retake the SAT?” Brian asked.

Iclimbed out of the car. “Thanks, Bri. It’s not like one mom’s enough.” Igrabbed the Coke from the middle of the lawn and popped the top, holding itaway from me while the soda fountained on the grass. I drank a swig and wavedas Brian drove away.

Walkinginto the house, I tossed my hat on the console table. Mom hated my fedora. She thoughtI wore it because I wanted to look like Indiana Jones. She was wrong.

Nothingelse was on the table. Not mom’s purse or Kate’s coat. No one else was home yet.I snagged soy chips from the pantry—what I wouldn’t give for a bag of Dorritos—andwandered to my bedroom.

MySAT prep book lay in the middle of my bed. A post-it was stuck to the frontcover. “Study! (I promised Dad that I’d remind you.) Love, Mom.” I crumpled thenote and tossed it in the trashcan. Right. I’d already taken the test threetimes. It wasn’t as if one more time was going to make a difference. But Ipicked up the book, turned on my iPod, and collapsed on the bed. At least thisway, I could tell her I’d studied.

I’dmade it through the English section when a flicker of blue appeared in thecorner of my eye. I glanced up. A strange girl stood in the middle of my room,her back toward me.

Ijumped off the bed. How did she get in my bedroom? I must have fallen asleep. Shewas gorgeous, even if she looked like an escapee from a Halloween party withher knee-length blond braids and laced-up medieval dress. Except it was alreadyNovember.

Shesifted through the papers scattered across my desk.

Itook out my earbuds. “Uh, who are you? And how did you get in my room?”

Sheturned and gave me a toothpaste commercial smile. “My name is Miranda.”

Shehad to be a friend of my sister Kate. Who else but a friend of Kate would be inthe house?

I’dseen Kate and her friends wear a lot of bizarre clothes, but nothing quite likethis medieval get-up. Maybe Miranda was a theater major. She was pretty enoughto be an actress, and it would explain the clothes. I waited for her to saysomething more, but she turned back to the papers.

“Whatare you doing?” I asked.

“Iam only perusing your papers.” She glanced at me. “Do not fret.”

Perusingand fret? I was surprised any ofKate’s friends would even know what either word meant. “Hey, this is my room. Idon’t know how you got in here or what you think you’re doing. But—”

“Forgiveme. I did not mean to offend you.” She shrugged. “I am unfamiliar with mannershere.”

“I’mnot offended.” Maybe Miranda was in one of those improv theater groups, and shewas practicing on me.

“MayI have permission to look around this chamber?”

Okay,this whole episode was weird, very weird. But she was also hot, so I said, “Sure.”Besides Kate would owe me for playing along.

“Thankyou.” She wandered across the room to my bookshelf and pulled out a DVD case. “Youhave many of these.”

“I’ma movie geek.” I sat on my bed. “If you want to know which film Bogart firstmade with Bacall, I’m your man.”

“Ah.”She drifted over to the wall next to the book case and rubbed the paint withher finger. “It gleams.”

“It’sa semi-gloss. The beige paint, I mean.” That sounded stupid. What was I, aSherwin-Williams salesman?

“MayI ask where this place is?”

“Youmean my house?”

“Yes.”She pushed her braids behind her shoulders.

Maybeshe was a theater major who was also an exchange student. My explanations weregetting unbelievable, even for me. “We live in North Haven.” Her eyebrows drewtogether, and her forehead wrinkled. So I said, “Connecticut—you know, just acouple of hours from New York City.”

“Ah.”She walked to my dresser, and the hem of her blue gown dragged along the carpet.Shirts and pants hung out of my drawers. She flipped a leg of one of my jeansup and down like a flag. “This chamber belongs to you?”

“Yeah.”

“Itis quite untidy.”

“Igave the maid a year off.” I cringed. That was too flippant. So I smiled andmentally thanked my mom for plugging in a room freshener last week. At least myroom smelled like “rainwater” and not “I-haven’t-cleaned-since-Christmas.”

“Whoare you?” I asked.

“I told you, my name is Miranda.”

“Igot that the first time. I meant, what do you want?”

Shedidn’t answer. Instead, she laid a hand on my Mac and watched as j-pegs ofUruk-hai and tortured elves paraded across my screen in a slide show. Lastmonth, I’d tried an Irina Shayk screensaver, courtesy of Sports Illustrated. But my mom had seen it. Now I was back to thesame LOTR files I’d had for years.

Mirandatouched the screen and pulled her fingers across it, leaving trails in thedust.

“Ifyou want to check your email, use Kate’s laptop.”

“Checkemail?” She shook her head. “I am sure I do not need to do that—whatever itis.”

“Whateverwhat is?”

Shesmiled at me. “Your eyes are almost the same color as my dress. Sky blue.”

Wasshe flirting with me? I wasn’t in her league.

“MayI make a request?” She rubbed her chin with a finger.

Inoticed she had a small dimple in her chin.

Shelooked at me expectantly.

“What?Oh, right, a question. Go ahead and ask.”

“MayI sit on your bed, please?”

“Mybed?”

Shestiffened. “Pardon me.”

“No,hey, come on.” I moved over.

Shestraightened the folds of her skirt. “You would need to remove yourself fromthe bed first.”

“Ofcourse.” I moved to the chair at my desk. What was it with her weird way oftalking? She sounded like someone trying to fake Shakespeare. Was it all partof whatever scene she was playing?

Shesat on the mattress and bounced. Like a three year old. Maybe this was Kate’sidea of a practical joke.

“Whatis inside of this?” Miranda asked.

“Insidethe mattress?”

Shenodded.

“Springs.”

“Isthat like hay?” She stopped bouncing. “I sleep on feathers.”

Feathers,right. If this was a practical joke, the girl was good.

Mirandapulled a red ribbon off the end of her braid and ran her fingers through thelong strands. With a frown, she crossed her ankles and re-braided her hair. “Myfather and his wife want me to marry a wealthy man, but I have never met him. Thoughthey have told me that his Christian name is Bernard.” She tied the end of herbraid with the ribbon and met my eyes with her blue Basset hound gaze—please,feel sorry for me.

Thiswasn’t fun anymore. Why couldn’t Kate leave me alone? Everything was a fightwith her. I sighed. Maybe this Miranda thing was an initiation rite for somepledge at Kate’s sorority. Fine. I’d go with it. Kate wasn’t going to win thisround.

“Huh.That’s too bad,” I said. “Are you from one of those Eastern countries, wherethey make you marry a stranger? Or maybe an Arab one, though I don’t supposehe’d have a Christian name in that case.”

Mirandashook her head. “I am from England. I live at Bodiam Castle.”

“Acastle?” I rolled my eyes. This was ridiculous. “Listen, go find Kate. I haveSATs next week, and my parents say I need to study. Apparently, the scores frommy last three SATs aren’t good enough.”

“Ihave no desire to marry the man. In fact, I find the idea reprehensible.”

Reprehensible? Perused wasn’t enough? Nodoubt she’d scored high on the verbal section of the SAT—hey, that was it—she was a drama student. But at Yale. Except,how would she know Kate? Kate went to Southern Connecticut State. Whatever. Itdidn’t matter. I yawned. “Then don’t marry this Bernie guy.”

“Itis so simple for you.” Her eyes narrowed. “Men always have a choice. When youwant, you will marry a beautiful woman.” Her voice quivered. “But I have tomarry some foul, old stranger.”

Iwas afraid she might start crying. I hated it when girls cried. I reached out toher.

Mirandajerked away. “Do not touch me.”

“Whynot?”

“Yourtouch will force me to leave.”

Ishook my head. “I have better things to do than play games with you and Kate.”

Shedabbed the corners of her eyes. “Who is this Kate that you keep mentioning?”

“Mysister. Your partner in let’s-haze-the-high-schooler.”

“Youmake no sense. I told you I am from Bodiam Castle in England.”

“And how did you get here?”

“Ijourneyed through time.”

Iwaited for her to laugh, but she didn’t. Was I supposed to call her bluff? Shesat on my bed, watching me. Her poker face never slipped. Either she was thegreatest actress of my generation, or she believed what she was saying. Couldone of my dad’s patients have slipped into the house?

“Doyou know my dad?” I asked. “He’s a psychiatrist.”

Mirandashook her head. “I do not know what that is. But I can assure you I do not knowyour father. You are the only person from this time I have ever met.”

Hergaze didn’t waver. “You really believe that you traveled through time?”

Shecocked her head. “It is not a matter of believing. I did it. You saw mearrive.”

“Ididn’t.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “I think I must have been asleep. WhenI looked up, you were already here.”

“WhenI leave, I shall slip into time, and you will see it.” She stood. “I must leavesoon.” A blue pen lay on a pile of homework at the foot of my bed. She pickedit up. “May I have this?”

“Youwant a Bic?”

“Iapologize, but I must return with something. If this Bic is the only one youown, perhaps I could take a book.” She put the pen down and picked up myphysics textbook. “You have so many books. Surely you will not miss this one.”

“Hey,I have a physics exam next week. You need to give it back.” I picked up the pen.“Take this instead.” I tried to put it in her hand, and the tips of my fingersbrushed against her palm. She faded. The pen fell through her hand to thefloor.

Mirandasucked in her breath. “I told you not to touch me!”

Thecolors of her dress, hair, and skin all bleached.

Igrabbed her hand. I wouldn’t let her vanish. But she turned lighter and lighteruntil she went transparent. Then she was gone. Just like she said.

Ilooked at my hand. My fingers and palm were curled around nothingness. The roomstarted to spin, and I realized I was holding my breath. I inhaled and exhaledagain and again.

Amoment ago, a beautiful girl stood in my room. At least, I thought so. I wavedmy hand through the empty space. Nothing. I checked the ceiling for a cameralens. Maybe Miranda had been a projection. But my ceiling was the same asalways. White with a few spider webs, which my mom always hassled me aboutcleaning.

Ormaybe Miranda hadn’t really been here. After all, I’d only slept three hourslast night.

Thepen I’d tried to give her lay on the carpet. I picked it up. Near the pen, thecarpet was crushed. It had to be an indent from her shoe. The area around thetoe was pointed. Definitely not from one of my shoes. I shivered. Maybe Mirandawas real. Or maybe I was losing my mind.

“Thereare more things in heaven and earth, Horatio.” Even if she was real, I’dprobably never see her again.

Butif she’d gotten here once…

Author Interview

2011-07-13T16:55:00.000-04:00

Where did you get theidea for Screwing Up Time?

I’d written a young adult novel several years ago, and itwon the Tassie Walden “New Voices in Children’s Literature” Honorable Mentionaward. But I was frustrated by my experience finding a publisher. So the nextbook I wrote was a literary fiction. That novel had left me exhausted, and myintention was to take a break and write a short story for adults. But Mirandadidn’t let that happen.

She waltzed into my life just like she did into Mark’s. Isat at my computer to write and Miranda appeared in my mind. At first I thoughtshe was a ghost. But she wasn’t. She told me in no uncertain terms that she wasa time traveler. And, even though Mark was the main character, Miranda told methe story. Mark filled in the details—and corrected the bits where Miranda waswrong.

Will there be asequel?

I’ve already begun one. But I’m a bit of a slow writer, so Ican’t tell you when it will be available. I’ve also had some ideas for shortstories involving Mark, Kate, and Granddad. Though I can’t make any promisesyet, I suspect I may write some stories to tide my readers over until I finishthe new book.

What was yourfavorite part of the book to write?

That’s a hard question. I loved the chapters with Granddad.But writing Mark’s snarky lines (things I think, but would never say) was suchfun. And then there’s the traveling through time. I let my imagination runwild—it was a rush. Above all, writers are addicted to the thrill of creating.

Did you plot out thebook before you wrote it?

Usually when I write a book, I know where it’s going, thoughnot always how I’m going to get there. This book was different. This wasMiranda’s thrill ride from beginning to end.

Where do you write?

A better question might be where don’t I write. I write at my sons’ piano lessons, at my desk, on mybed, on a scrap of paper, etc. Any time and any place is a good time to write.

If you could travelthrough time, would you?

Absolutely. In fact, if anyone knows where I could get someunicorn horn, I’d love to give it a try.

Is that really Miranda’sghost on the tower?

I really want to tell you, but I can’t. You’ll find out morein the next book.

Can I bribe your kidsto find out what happens in the next book?

You could try. They are very good at breaking my passwords.