Posts By Lindsey Loucks

The Lucky 7 Meme

On March 20, 2012 by Lindsey Loucks With 8 Comments - Lucky 7 Meme, The Grave Winner

I’ve been tagged by the lovely and talented Tania Walsh for the Lucky 7 Meme.

The rules of this meme are:

1. Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs, and post them as they’re written.
4. Tag 7 authors
5. Let them know
 
So, the following lines are from The Grave Winner:
 
            Other than the black stump of a tree and Sarah’s footsteps burnt into the grass, everything looked normal. If it weren’t for the police tape, I’d think I imagined the whole thing last night. After leaning my bike against a nearby tree, I parked myself next to Mom’s headstone.
            It’s me again, Mom. I can’t stay away from you.
            Movement caught my eye. Tram walked towards me, scooping back the hood that covered his head. His curls turned in the wind. I scolded my heart when it did a little flip.
            “I was here earlier. Where were you?” I asked.
The seven authors I choose are:
2. Ian
If I don’t get around to letting you know you’ve been tagged, my apologies. Time hasn’t been a friend to me lately. 🙁

Somehow I Still Have My Eyebrows: A Writing Routine

On March 14, 2012 by Lindsey Loucks With 1 Comments - Interview

So I’m still sick, but I feel a bit more accepting of it today. My cough exists, and I’m used to it. Anyway, I’m hanging out over at Mysti Parker’s blog today to talk about my writing routine and weird writing quirks. It’s all pretty scary, so proceed with caution…

Just Hangin’ Around, Coughing All Over My Computer Screen

On March 13, 2012 by Lindsey Loucks With 3 Comments - Interview

It’s spring break! Yay! But I’m sick. Boo. So I’m making myself feel better by hanging around the internet. Yesterday, I was chosen as the Weekly Artist here. You’ll find out all sorts of things about me, like why I’m not married. Later this week, I’ll share another glimpse into my brain on another website. Consider yourselves warned! I think it’s time for another shot of orange juice…

Umm… Yeah

On March 6, 2012 by Lindsey Loucks With 3 Comments - Real life

Hey. Today I look like this:

Credit

Only less blond. I will continue to look like this all week until Spring Break begins. I’m just checking in so you all know I’m alive. Mostly.

(My First) Teaser Tuesday

On February 28, 2012 by Lindsey Loucks With 4 Comments - Teaser Tuesday, The Forever Girl

Life has been drinking me through a straw lately. Between work, online workshops, work, and more work, I don’t even have time to go to the bathroom. And I mean that literally with all the urinary tract infections I have the pleasure of dealing with. Too much information? Sorry.

Anyway, I shall share a book teaser with you. Teaser Tuesday is hosted by Should Be Reading. You can do this too by:

1. Grab the book you’re reading.
2. Open to a random page.
3. Share two teaser sentences.
4. Don’t include spoilers.

The book I’m now reading is The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton. Those of you who’ve been a member of Critique Circle for a long time might remember her from there. Here’s the book and my teaser:


“Inky shadows from the oak tree in my front yard cloaked the soothingly dark windows of my colonial-style house from the eyes of prying neighbors, but something stood between me and my haven-a note posted to my front door. Get out now.” – ch. 2

I’m about 29% finished with this book, and so far it’s deliciously dark and sexy.

Willow Road

On February 21, 2012 by Lindsey Loucks With 4 Comments - Willow Road
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My horror short story called ‘Willow Road’ was published on Every Day Fiction. I would love it if you checked it out!

First Page Critique Contest

On February 18, 2012 by Lindsey Loucks With 12 Comments - Contests, The Grave Winner

Jamie Ayres is hosting a first page critique contest to celebrate Heather Birch’s debut novel Halflings. Participants are to post their first 250 words on their blogs, then hop around to everyone else’s to read their entries. Jamie will randomly draw five names to receive a critique from Heather. Does that make sense? After a 17 hour work day, that’s the best I can do. Anyway, here’s my first page from my YA dark fantasy titled The Grave Winner:

Dad, Darby, and I stood rooted in place long after Mom’s funeral. The weight in my chest threatened to suffocate me if I looked at the lid of her gleaming casket any longer. Instead, I focused on the black birds cutting across the sky in a sharp V formation. They pressed on until the clouds took them from me.

A different flutter in the corner of my eye pulled me back to earth. The movement took a few seconds to penetrate my numb brain. It was a girl. She crept in and out of the crumbling headstones, her body thick with mud and grime. Torn scraps of what looked like a prom dress hung from her scrawny frame. Her mouth sagged open like she was about to scream.

           
A shudder raced across my shoulder blades. I shook my head, afraid I might be dreaming. Darby stood next to me, and I reached out to touch her. She was real. Her ache was real. I felt it in the quiver of her bony body. But beyond her and the heaviness pinching my lungs, I couldn’t be sure of anything.

           
Inky black footprints tracked behind the dangling hem of the girl’s dress like a trail of burnt breadcrumbs. She stopped beside a tree and leaned her back against it.  More darkness pooled at her feet and crept up the trunk behind her.

           
Sweat trickled down the back of my dress. What was this girl doing? And what was all the black stuff dripping underneath her?

Writing Workshops & Conferences: Are$They$Worth$It?

On February 14, 2012 by Lindsey Loucks With 8 Comments - Conferences, Workshops
Disturbing.


A few weeks ago, I heard about an online writing workshop hosted by YARWA (Young Adult Romance Writers of America). The workshop is titled Writing for the Young Adult Market: Where Do I Begin?

I spend more time than I should surfing the internet about the YA market and writing and publishing, so I wasn’t sure this workshop would offer anything new. But, I filed the info away for later, just in case.

Normally I forget everything I file away for later, but not this workshop. I think it was because the instructor, author Jordan Dane, writes YA thrillers. Holy frozen tacos, Batman, I love YA thrillers! If Ms. Dane wrote YA contemporary, I would’ve immediately forgotten about it. But YA thrillers… yes, my precious!

Hee-hee. Get it?

So, I signed up. It was only $20. It starts February 20th and ends March 2nd. Here’s a link to it. I have no idea what to expect or how an online workshop works, but I’m excited! I’ve never done anything like this before. But there has to be other ways to improve your craft other than reading, reading writing books, and writing all the time, right? Right.

Do you know of any workshops or conferences that are w$o$r$t$h it?

P.S. Happy Valentine’s Day!

P.P.S. I liked The River, but I’m not sure I luuuuuurve it yet. Thoughts?

R.I.P., W.I.P.

On February 7, 2012 by Lindsey Loucks With 12 Comments - Story Ideas
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I recently resurrected the first novel I ever wrote. It had been collecting dust on my flash drive. The characters were quiet inside my head compared to the obnoxious ones who want me to tell their stories next. So I picked the story up to get everyone else to hush. It worked, at least for awhile.

Now, the voices inside my head are shouting plot twists at me that have nothing to do with my first novel and everything to do with the ones they want me to write. And I’m starting to listen to them.

Maybe that first novel wasn’t meant to be resurrected. Maybe it will always be my first completed novel with crater-sized plot holes, inconsistent characters, and a lack of structural sense. And maybe it’s okay to just let it exist in all its imperfect glory on my flash drive. Some writers trunk their first novel forever, right?

There are some hidden gems in it, I think. But maybe those gems are kriptonite and my Super Girl writer skills can’t touch them yet. Maybe they’ll stay hidden until the day I turn into Super Woman. Then those gems better watch out!

So, at least for now, I’m saying goodbye to Pause so that I can properly listen to the chaos inside my head. Rest in peace, WIP. To my critique partners, I apologize. 🙁

Does this happen to everyone else? Have you trunked your first novel? Do you ever have so many voices inside your head that you want to reach in there and duct tape everyone’s mouth shut?

Deep and Dark and Deadly

On January 31, 2012 by Lindsey Loucks With 6 Comments - The River

No, this post isn’t about my love for alliteration. It’s about my obsession with all things scary. Movies. TV shows. Books. My cat during one of his Vietnam flashbacks. I love being scared, which is why I feel all skippy about next Tuesday. That’s when The River premieres. This is The River:

Eep! I’m so excited! It’s a two hour premiere, so I’m going to kick the BF out of the room to enjoy every single second. (He hates scary things).
Are you going to watch The River? Do you like scary things? What’s your favorite scary movie/book?