Welcome!

Welcome to the official web site of Sally Bosco! I write young adult dark fiction. I’m inexplicably drawn to the uncanny, the shades of gray between day and night, and the area where your mind hovers as you’re falling off to sleep. I love writing young adult fiction because I strongly relate to teenage angst, the search for self-identity and the feelings of not fitting in. Click on my Books tab to read about my new book, The Werecat Chronicles.

Binge Writing – My Interview with Emily Asad

I’ve lately become fascinated with the idea of binge writing. Hole up for three days, write like a maniac and come up with the draft of a novel. Why not? I’m going to be giving a workshop in binge writing at the Seton Hill University “In Your Write Mind” writing conference June 21-24, 2012. While I was doing research for my class, my friend, Lynne Hansen, suggested that I contact Emily Asad who has been making a practice of binge writing for several years. I sent her some interview questions, and she gave me answers that were better than anything I’d hoped for. Here is Emily’s interview:

What do you write?

I write for young adults, mostly between the ages of 13-18. I’ve had to learn to become an intensive writer because of my husband, whose big line is “But I married you so I could spend time with you…” How do you fight that? Being an author is a lonely and solitary business, when it comes down to it, so I suppose it’s a bit of betrayal in a way. In order to minimize his pain, I’ve learned to knock out entire novels in about two to three weeks, at a word count somewhere between 45-60,000 words. I simmer throughout the year, and then I purge when I get a solid chunk of free time.

Why does having an intensive writing period work for you? How did you become a binge writer?

I’m a high school English teacher, so having summers off really works well for me. Stephen King says a good writer should a thousand words every day, but I doubt my hubby would let me have that time! Nor would my 18-month old daughter, or my 8-year-old daughter, who need my attention almost every minute of the day until they go to bed. However, I do have five minutes to myself throughout the day. While that is not enough to sustain a mood or put together an entire scene, it is enough to jot down my thoughts on some sticky notes. In fact, I’ve developed a pretty simple system over the years. Though it seems elaborate at first, it’s really logical.

What do you do, writing-wise-to prepare for your binge writing sessions? Do you have an already prepared outline?

My system involves about 30 4×6 notecards, several pads of small and medium sticky notes, and a large gem clip. I carry the sticky notes with me wherever I go (napkins get wet at restaurants and receipts get lost). For Phase One, I take notes. Whenever I think of something I want in my novel – dialogue, something to research, a personality trait – I write it on my sticky note. All the sticky notes go on one notecard; I’ll sort them out later when I get a chance. I don’t censor anything and I don’t change anything until I get to Phase Two. That’s when I take a look at all the sticky notes I’ve collected over the year (or sometimes it’s just a few months, since I might have Thanksgiving or Christmas or Spring Break). I set them out in neat little rows and columns on a flat surface (the kitchen table works well, though I usually only get a few hours before someone else needs to use it… the kids insist on being fed every few hours, you know…). After I’ve had a look at all the notes I’ve collected, I try to put them into some sort of order. I cluster them by theme or effect, and I put each cluster on notecards. If I don’t like where a scene ends up, I can remove it and put it on another notecard. This way, none of my ideas get lost, and I can move them around as needed.

What other things do you do to prepare? Stock up on food, unplug from Internet, get into a special mind-set, etc.?

Sometimes the organizing part takes a few hours, or sometimes it takes days. I don’t worry about the little details; as long as I have enough ideas to get my characters from one point to the next, I can come up with the fillers as I type. I can also move entire notecard-chapters around as needed. It’s such freedom from the old notebooks I used to use, where I’d have to tear out the pages or re-write my notes onto a new location. I adore my sticky note method!

Phase Three is the writing part. This is where I put on the Cranky Face and use the Vicious Voice; if I don’t, my family would never leave me alone. I mean, if the girls walk in on me while I’m in the bathroom, think about how they can ruin the mood when I’m deep in thought! So I make it very clear to them that I need some time to myself. I’ve often considered checking into a hotel or living at Starbucks, but I’ve never gone through with that plan. So I end up in my closet. We’re talking about the coat closet at the front of the house, the one that’s about four feet by six feet and smells like wet feet. I light a candle in there, or maybe put out some vanilla or coffee beans, and then I shove all the coats to one side so I can I haul my comfy office chair to the other. It’s claustrophobic, but it’s exactly what I need. I get to be alone with my thoughts. No distractions, not even a window. Just me, my laptop, and my notes. Then I’m ready to settle down to business.

Before I write each day, I eat a really good breakfast. In fact, I take better care of my body when I write than any other time of year. Writing is exhausting! Holding still is hard enough, and numb fingers are worse, but I get headaches from staring at the screen for too long or from thinking so hard. Breakfast usually includes whole wheat toast with honey or jelly, eggs, and 4 ounces of orange juice. I save the coffee for the afternoon when I start to falter. I hate mornings, so it’s good if I can start writing by 9:00. Any earlier, and I’m not really awake. Any later, though, and I waste my first and freshest energy. I treat myself to a 10 or 15-minute lunch of whatever I’m hungry for, do some stretching and walking around, and then go back to sit. I might even juggle some beanbags or clubs, just to get the blood pumping after all that sitting. Also, I read somewhere that creative brains require sugar. Whether it’s true or not, it’s a great excuse to snack on some Godiva Dark Chocolate pearls! On top of that, I keep string cheese, walnuts and apples nearby.

By the “end of the day,” meaning whenever I can’t focus anymore or whenever my family insists on my presence (whichever comes first), I’ve usually written 2 chapters of about 3,000 words each. I don’t stop until I’ve finished the chapter, though, or else I lose momentum.

The next day, I re-read what I wrote and see if it made sense. Not only does this give me a chance to recapture my momentum, but I can do some quick edits before I start on the next chapters.

Now, we all know that nobody knows the characters until they’re written, which is true, but by the time I get around to writing them down on paper after thinking about them all year, there aren’t usually too many surprises. Even so, there’s always something I didn’t calculate. I wouldn’t say I get “writer’s block,” but sometimes I have trouble connecting my scenes. If that happens, I’ll go clean something (a sink, the floor, maybe even do some laundry) so my family doesn’t think I’ve completely checked out on them. But I try not to talk to anyone because I can’t deal with their problems when I’m creating my own world filled with problems. I live in silence and self-imposed solitude while I’m writing.

Do you complete a draft of an entire novel during this period?  What’s your process for editing your draft?

After about two or three weeks, I’m done with a full-length novel. It’s a rough draft, of course, but I’ll edit it throughout the year, mostly on weekends when my hubby’s watching soccer or when my daughters are taking naps. I like finishing them so quickly because it’s easier for me to stay consistent. I’ve found that when I take my time and stretch out the writing over months, every show I watch or book I read or article I research tends to affect my style, characters or plot, and then the beginning doesn’t quite match the end. When I crunch, everything matches. Even though the characters or situations may evolve or change direction when I put them down on actual paper, my preliminary research stays steady.

I’m getting faster every year. My first novel, The Jester of Corona, took me about a year to complete. My quickest, The Dollhouse Romance, took 13 days. My best one, Code Name: Whatever, took five months to write and ten years to edit; it was just released on Amazon.com in e-book and print. Of the twelve novels I’ve completed, however, I’d say I average between two and three weeks. Even so, binge writing sometimes has its down side. I get prideful that I can finish a novel so quickly, so when something takes longer, I feel frustrated or stupid. There’s always the question of “Can I write something in 12 days? 11? 10?” and it’s unnecessary pressure that I can’t shake. There’s always a little voice pushing me to write faster and better. I try to ignore it and focus on telling the best story I can, no matter how long it takes. My latest novel, as yet unpublished and still in the editing process, took 27 days spread over 5 months; I was only able to snag a few hours of writing time during that period of life, so I had to be patient. Still, it’s an immense relief when I finish the writing part! I feel tired, drained, and happy. But never finished. I suppose my novels will never truly be finished; there’s always something to edit, add, change, or rearrange, but I’m learning how to move on to the next project without looking back.

All in all, binge writing works for me. I’m not disciplined to get up early in the morning before the kids are awake, and my evening time is sacred for my hubby and me. So summer vacation or Spring Break are a natural option. If anyone wants to try binge writing, I’d tell them to be organized and know what they want to say, even if they don’t quite know how to say it. And don’t pressure yourself to get it done; just use your time wisely and stay motivated.

Best of luck to my fellow dreamers!

Emily Asad is the author of: The Jester of Corona, The Juggler’s Journey, Destination Paraguay, Survival in Style, and Code Name: Whatever. Visit her web page at www.emilyasad.com. Find her books at www.smashwords.com or www.amazon.com.

Review: The Nine Lives of Chloe King, book vs. series

I’m a definite werecat fan, so I was super-excited when I saw that ABC Family was making a werecat series. I rushed out to buy The Nine Lives of Chloe King, by Liz Braswell. As a writer, I was curious to see how the book compared to the series. The plot centers around a girl just turning sixteen who is noticing some strange things going on: preternatural strength and hearing, guys are suddenly uber-attracted to her, and some shadowy figure seems to be chasing her. When she falls off Coit Tower in San Francisco, she barely receives a scratch. Gradually, she finds out that she’s a member a race called Mai, descended from Egyptian Cat Goddess, Bastet.

The TV series plays down the sexuality of the character. Since Chloe is sixteen, this it to be expected to make it palatable to television audiences. In the book, she has a pretty steamy relationship with Alex, which goes as far as making out in the janitor’s closet. In the series, I was disappointed to find out that Alex turns out to be more of a protector than boyfriend.

Chloe’s mom is strangely unconcerned about her barely sixteen-year-old daughter going out to a club and meeting a guy. This was true for both book and series. Also, in the book, Chloe acts fairly bratty about her two best friends hooking up. In the first episode Chloe is a pretty good sport about the whole thing.

I was a little let down that Brian didn’t make his own kitty hat in the series. It was a nice touch in the book that he knit his own hat, but I understand that it made more sense for him to buy it from the quirky second-hand clothes shop where Chloe works.

The series identified the villain, her allies, and backstory about the Mai a lot faster. At the end of the first book, the reader didn’t have that info. As for special effects, her retractable claws looked a little fakey, but I realize this must be difficult to do.

So far, for the series, they tightened up motives and relationships a little more and made the series more PG. Wrapping the whole thing up into a neater package is what film and TV developers do, right? Even though it removes some of the quirks and makes it a little less interesting, it makes a more commercial package. I sometimes wish they’d leave more of the quirks in, though.

It will be interesting to see how the series progresses.

If you like werecats, take a look at my book, The Werecat Chronicles, available from Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

I’ll be on a panel at the Stokers next week.

I’m really jazzed to be going to the Bram Stoker awards in Long Island next week. If you haven’t heard of the Stoker awards, this is like the Oscars for horror writers. It’s also a whole weekend of talks, panel discussions and general schmoozing until you drop. I’m going to be taking part in a panel discussion: Horror Blogging–the New Media Frontieron Sat, June 18th at 9:00 am, along with horror greats: John Cozzoli, Chad Helder, Jonathan Maberry, Lisa Morton, Scott Kenemore.

Jeff Strand will be the host of the awards show, which is part of the reason I’m going. Jeff is genuinely funny and witty and he always makes award shows that could be pretty much of a snooze really entertaining. (I just hope he doesn’t set anything on fire this time.)

I’m also going to be somewhat promo-ing my new book, The Werecat Chronicles. I’ll be handing out postcards that have Lynne Hansen’s awesome cover art on them. Hope to see you there. I’ll be doing a blog post about it, too.

The Werecat Chronicles is now available on Kindle.

I’m really excited about my new book, The Werecat Chronicles. Werecats have been a long time fascination of mine, and I’ve been working on it for several years, trying to get it to say exactly what I want it to. All of you writers know about the excruciating job of editing. I’ve always been one who can write a book quickly then spend literally years editing it. That’s what happened with this one. I vow that the next one will come out much more quickly.

I’ve realized that the theme of most of my books has to do with teens who are outsiders. I think that’s because as a kid I felt very much like an outsider. Thankfully, though it’s bad to be different when you’re young, it’s good to be different when you’re older, so now I’m very happy with being unusual and even consider it an asset.

Kenley, the girl in my story, finds out that her parents have been holding back from telling her about her shapeshifter heritage. The’d hoped it might skip a generation as it has for other members of the family. But no. Kenley is experiencing all kinds of weird sensations, and she has nowhere to turn for help. Who comes to her aid but the dark and mysterious Luis. And why is he coming to her assistance anyway? Why indeed. You may want to read the book to find out.

Oh, did I mention that it’s only $.99?

Lynne Hansen created my awesome cover art. Thank you, Lynne!

Available as an e-book through Amazon.com. Also available in other e-book formats on Smashwords.com. The paperback version will be out soon.

Don’t have an e-reader? You can download the Kindle application and read e-books from your Mac or PC.

 

Writing quote of the day

“You must stay drunk on writing so reality cannot destroy you.” Ray Bradbury

If you haven’t read Zen and the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury, do so.  It’s a rare treat and quite inspirational.

As a kid I was mesmerized by Bradbury’s magical writing.  A master at drawing people into the fictive dream, he was my first inspiration for being a writer.  That’s what I aspire to most in my writing–enveloping readers into my imaginary worlds.  I think that’s what really attracts and holds an audience.  Plus, he always uses beautiful language.  I go to his books regularly when I want to call up the muse.

Death Undone is now in the works! Yay!

I’m really happy to report that Lynne Hansen and I have started work on the sequel to AltDeath.com. The new book will be titled Death Undone. It picks up where AltDeath left off. We’ll have some new characters and some exciting twists and turns. Now I need to get my brain back into Tori, Dexter, Matt and Veronica mode. It won’t be difficult since I feel like I know these characters so well.

How our collaboration works:  Lynne and I get together and create a detailed outline. It’s so detailed we include dialogue and descriptions. Next we figure out which of us will write which chapters. (Typically Lynne likes the actions scenes and I do best on the introspective ones.) Finally, we put it all together and edit each others’ work. We do a final edit on the finished product and we’re done.

It works well for us to have this detailed plan. If we tried to do–”Well, I’ll write a chapter then you write whatever you feel like, then I’ll write whatever I feel like.”–that would never work. It would never come together into a cohesive whole.

The reason it works for us it that our writing is similar, but we complement each others’ strengths and weaknesses.

So, come on, Lord Ruthven. Bring it on!

It’s the end of an era: My dungeon is coming down.

As I sit here trying to write, the workers are ripping down my old dungeon room.  It was a Florida room I’d painted black and filled with gargoyles, candles, a lion head fountain (complete with fogger), a gravity board for hanging upside down and the writing desk my dad made me.  The big dystopian mural I’d painted was hanging on the wall.  I’d had lots of parties in there and spent many writing nights.  But alas, the people who lived in the house before me who built the room didn’t do it to code, and it started crumbling.

Me with lion head fountain. My mural is in the background.

My dad was the first to notice the cracks.  “Sally, you have to do something about this room.  It’s breaking apart.”  Though I’m usually oblivious about such things, it was true.  The room had big cracks going through the outer walls.  One of my friends said, “Well no wonder your room is breaking apart; you invite all those demons in there.”  To which another friend replied, “The walls cracked apart in The Exorcist, too.”

My room got demolished in 3 hours!

I had my desk in there and the walls were covered over with black visqueen and black velvet drapes.  I could close myself off and zone out to the white noise of the fountain, during which I often felt like I was in the other worlds of my novels.  But I guess that’s all coming to an end.  What’s replacing it is an actual sun room.  (The horror!  Me and sun.  No!)

This is half of my dystopian mural.

This is the other half.

Actually, I’ve lost my taste for the room when my beloved MiniKitty spent his last days holed up.  He only wanted to be in a dark quite place toward the end, so I’m grateful it afforded him that comfort.  The night before I had to take him in to be put to sleep was right up there with the most difficult nights of my life.  Later when I’d go out there, it would make me kind of sad.  So I’m ready to part with the room and make a new beginning.  On a happy note, it’s going to be bigger than the other room was and it will have a half bath, tile floor and ceiling fans.  Also, my boyfriend, Eric is letting me reconstruct the dungeon in his basement.  I’m thinking of all the things I’ll be able to do in my new room, like take up painting again.  So, bring on the light!  I’m ready.  Maybe this is the beginning of a new era.

My interview with Friends of Strays

OK.  This isn’t writing-related, I know, but it is a big part of my life.  Twice a week I volunteer with a no-kill shelter named, Friends of Strays in St. Petersburg, FL.  They decided to interview me.

How many pets do you own? What kind? Dogs/cats/ferrets…

I’m still mourning the loss of my buddy of 16 years, MiniKitty, so I don’t have a new cat yet. I’m sure there’s one in my future, though.

MiniKitty always liked to sleep on my Mac.

Why did you decide to become a volunteer?

I’ve loved Friends of Strays and contributed to them for years, so when my schedule changed to allow me more free time, this was one of the first things I did.  I love the fact that they are a no-kill shelter.

Describe your role as a volunteer?

I always work the same room in order to become familiar with the cats, and believe me, I’ve become very familiar.  There can be are 30 or so cats in one room at any given time, and I know their names, their personalities and their habits as though they were people.  They are usually outside of their cages during the daytime, so my role as a volunteer is to help socialize the kitties.  I pet them, cuddle them, pick them up so they’ll get used to it, play with them.  The ones who are used to being in a home situation miss having a lap to sit on, so I see who wants to be a ‘lap cat.’  I do make sure they have enough food and that their bedding is comfortable and dry, and I do some spot cleaning of litter boxes, but this isn’t the main function of the volunteers; the heavy cleaning is done by staff.

How many hours per week do you devote to volunteering at FOS?

I’m there 2 days a week for 3 hours each.

What is the part of volunteering that you enjoy the most?

My very favorite thing is comforting the new or timid cats.  They’re scared in their new surroundings.  Some don’t even come out of their cages at first.  But all respond to affection and gentle words, and it’s gratifying to see them day-by-day get more comfortable with their surroundings and start to interact with the other cats, then finally get adopted.  The cats who have been at the shelter for awhile also need special attention.

What is the best adoption story that touched your heart?

There was a cat, Timmy, a pretty orange cat who looked like Morris.  He was so shy he’d never come out of his cage.  Gradually, he became my favorite.  I’d always pet him for a long time and he’d roll around in appreciation.  After a while he started coming out a little bit, then a wonderful, patient woman adopted him and slowly introduced him to the other cats in her household.  Timmy gradually got integrated into the family.  She posted some of his pictures on Facebook, too.  There may have been more extreme cases, but Timmy touched me in a special way.

Timmy

What’s special about Friends of Strays?

I love the fact that they are a no-kill shelter.  Every animal who comes in the door will have a home for life.  Also, the people at FOS really care about the animals and, as much as possible, treat them as individuals with different needs.  We had one cat, Mitchell, who was severely allergic to everything, so one of the volunteers started cooking him duck.  Some cats have favorite beds or blankies from which they’re never separated.  There were brother and sister kittens who were miserable apart, so they were put in a ‘double wide’ cage together and eventually were adopted together.  Josie, the volunteer coordinator, is truly wonderful and empathetic to the animals.

If you could choose to provide Friends of Strays Volunteers with one super-power, what would it be?

To be able to find a loving home for every stray animal. (And make people responsible for their pets.)

When you are not giving love to homeless animals, how do you spend your non-FOS time?

I’m currently pursuing an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University.  Other than that, I’m working on my writing and publishing.  Check out some of my writing at http://sallybosco.com .  I also write theater reviews for Creative Loafing magazine and work out at the gym doing cardio and weights.

What advice would you give to someone interested in becoming an FOS volunteer?

I’d say just try it.  You can volunteer for just a few hours a week if you’d like, but I guarantee that it’s addicting.  The love you get from the animals is wonderful and healing.  It makes you feel so good to be helping these loveable and intensely interesting little creatures.

Review: Monica Bill Barnes and Company

I also occasionally review the arts in Tampa Bay for Creative Loafing. Check out my most recent dance review of Monica Bill Barnes and Company.