EnterTheMirror.com

I am now publishing under the pen name Catiana Nak Kheiyn because that is the name that I use on my Divine Memorabilia column at Blogos.org. In an attempt to begin to make a name for myself in this ocean of writers, I am trying something new: the serial novella, published online at EnterTheMirror.com!

The Mirror Has Three Sides is a serial novella that is published on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. In short, it's a young adult science fiction novel, combining fast-paced adventure, fantastical creatures, and innovative sci-fi technology with twists of teenage angst and witty humor. Sound like something you'd like? I certainly love it. ;-)

Synopsis: Bannert and Golden, lifelong teenage friends, escape reality by using a miraculous mirror that leads to an extraordinary library with books that open portals to fairy tale worlds. Unfortunately, this is no magic mirror. It holds a terrible secret that will ensnare them in a plot that tosses them across time and space to find and rescue the only man who can save them.

But wait! There's more! This isn't just a passive serial novella. No, no... It's an opportunity for YOU to share your art and photography skills to help illustrate this story right on EnterTheMirror.com! Wanna know more?

Join me over there to read as this story unfolds throughout the week. The excerpts are short and digestable, but the story stayed engaging. Oh yeah, and leave comments! I love me some comments. ;-)

Opening Paragraph Critiques!

I recently found out about this funky blog called "Teens Can Write, Too!" It's a great resource for teen writers—very encouraging and they are just now starting to grow.

Anyway, there's an opportunity for young writers ages 13-20 to get their first paragraph critiqued by the blog author (for free!) just by commenting on THIS POST. (<--Click that. Don't post it here. ;-))

The blog owner is a high school student named John who loves reading and writing YA fiction. Check it out!

Teens Can Write, Too!

Project 365: 68/365 - Here Lies Molly

This is a shot of the screen of my dear friend Puella, who is writing a fantastic novel called Here Lies Molly. She describes her story as the child of science fiction and philosophy--and that is!

Original Short Stories for a Quick Read

Our Christmas break Eight Players writers group wrote a short story entitled Let Them Eat Cake (but not chocolate), and the final version is now available at Lulu.com. I just received the writers' copies in the mail this week, and they look great! Here's a brief synopsis of this quick read:

Mister Y is a criminal mastermind with a weakness for red velvet cake. When his great-granddaughter posts his illegal chocolate recipe on the internet for all to see, he is forced to change his priorities.

Meanwhile, back at the dental office, a llama and an elf wage a war against their boss and each other, entangling with Mister Y’s devious plot when their fight takes them to a nearby pirate bakery. 

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For an even shorter (and free!) read, you can download my short story, The Question, on Lulu as well. It's even formatted for e-readers!

Eustace has an important question for his 6th period science teacher. But will he ever get up the nerve to ask?

Download it for free HERE.

Project 365: 34/365 - Writing

NaNoWriMo 2011: Day 30 - WON

NaNoWriMo 2011 is in the books! I finished this afternoon with a validated word count of 50,830. And guess what? I STILL love the story. (That's something that has never happened in my NaNo history; I usually despise everything about my novel by the last day.)

I am totally smitten by Beckon, and I can hardly wait to start editing it. This is most definitely something special, and I have a publisher in mind already.

I leave you with a final excerpt from this novel that I love:

My eyes scanned the landscape. The village was in a shambles. The buildings, even though they were on fire, were very unlike the buildings in my world. I wondered what had started the fires, and automatically looked to the skies for dragons.

Soaring high above, through white rain clouds and black soot columns, giant stiff birds with strange wings and noses flew in a V-formation.

I touched Beck's shoulder, where he crouched on the dirt. "What are those birds? Did they start the fire?"

He looked up and squinted at the shapes. "Those aren't birds." His eyes widened.

I turned back and saw that the birds were dropping what looked like little dots from where we stood.

"Chan, we have to go." He grabbed my hand.

"Where are we going?"

"Away from here!" He pulled on my arm, urging me to run.

I lifted one side of my dress and ran after him.

Oh yes. This is something special indeed.

NaNoWriMo 2011: Dude. It's ON.

National Novel Writing Month. A.K.A. NaNoWriMo. A challenge to write a 50,000-word novel in 30 days. Been there, done that. Five times. Even got the t-shirt. Thrice.

But this year, I've kind of got it in my head that I want to lead out the local young writers who are attempting to do NaNoWriMo--whether through the Young Writers Program or on their own, with a mission to reach 50K.

This idea has been stirring in my head over the last couple months, and it has finally reared its sparkly head. Hopefully there are some young writers out there who are interested in doing some write-ins. I will most definitely be hosting some writing events for all writers 18 and under! (And anyone who is brave enough to come support some borderline-insane, creative teenagers.)

Young Writers Write-Ins:
THERE WILL BE CANDY.

Bribery is not above me. No, not at all...

If you're 18 or under and you're participating in NaNoWriMo this year, please sign up either on the NaNo YWP site or the main NaNoWriMo site. If you do the latter (that means you use the main site), then GO HERE to visit the forum and introduce yourself. Include your personal word count goal (if you're in the YWP) and/or share what crazy lengths you plan to go to in order to hit that 50K mark.

As for me--yes, I do plan on writing a novel. There has been an entire series simmering in the back corner of my brain, tucked under the silk slippers and wrapped with a tangle of copper wiring. Perhaps NaNo is just the thing to get the dust blown off and breathe some life into those tiny, trembling ideas.

Undead Sparkles by Inkaholics V

I am thrilled to announce that Undead Sparkles, the book composed by the Inkaholics V Writers Group last August, is now published! This was an extra special group where my dear friend MightiMidget assisted in writing and leading while on an extended visit to Colorado. Having her in one of my writers live groups was wonderful. She had a great time with us, and with my awesome local young writers, who wouldn't?

Paclo’s simple life as a Flor-Mart greeter is interrupted when a co-worker slips him the zombie virus as a joke. Rejected by the public and his parents, Paclo takes refuge at a mortuary. His only friends are his brother Smith, a vainless alien blob named Phyl, and a duct tape-obsessed robot called Mac.


Before Paclo can even accept his new undead fate, the Earth is attacked by a scintillating foe riding upon clouds of delectable depravity. Against all sensibility, the misfit friends garner up the courage to squelch the sparkly adversaries. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

First: a serial audio novella

I've got an idea to serialize the novel I am currently writing in audio format. If this is interesting to you, please let me know, and I'll begin posting the chapters when the story gets off the ramp.

Red Ink Club Learns "Show, Don't Tell"

We're been having a grand time on Wednesday nights at The Red Ink Club. A few weeks ago, we were talking about one of the great writers' mantras: SHOW, DON'T TELL.

Telling is like shaking the reader and saying, “Here’s what’s happening.” Example: When the dragon approached, she felt scared.

Showing is giving the reader a visual of what’s going on, letting them picture it well. Example: The dragon stalked forward, smoke curling from its nostrils. The young princess’s eyes grew wide, and a tiny whimper escaped her lips.

See how the second example paints a more vivid picture? Now we have physical cues that help the reader deduce emotions or actions without TELLING that fact. If you’re telling the reader what to see or feel, they aren’t going to enjoy the story or get the point of what you’re trying to say. Replace the “tells” with “shows” and enhance your story and the reader’s experience in your world.

Here's the prompt we tackled: Write a story about Amelie waiting in a public place, about to meet someone for the first time. (You choose who it is.) She’s very nervous about meeting this person. Show her waiting, then meeting the someone. Do not use the following words in any form: Nervous, Scared, Upset, Anxious, Worried, Hopeful.

Show, don’t tell! Use visuals, any or all of the five senses, plus the setting to enhance Amelie’s emotions. Time: 12-15 minutes
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First Meeting
By MangyCat

Amelie tapped the bench with her long, manicured nails. A lump sat heavy in the pit of her stomach. Her heart had been racing since she got here. This would be the first meeting. The only chance she would have to get to know him before she took him home.

Would they like each other? Would she be able to live with him and trust him completely?

The scent of rain carried on the wind that rustled through her hair. Amelie shivered and ran her fingers over her chilly arms. Goosebumps rose on her skin when she heard the shuffling footsteps and the jingling of chains.

"Miss Amelie Tortan?" came a woman's voice to her left.

Amelie stood and extended her hand into the darkness. "That's me. You must be Jennifer."

A warm hand wrapped around hers. "It's nice to see you in person."

Amelie nodded and blinked, then adjusted her sunglasses. The pleasant odor of dog shampoo drifted up to her. She stooped and held out her palms.

Soft fur brushed her fingertips. A wet kiss ran across her wrist.

"And you must be Rusty." Amelie breathed deeply and smiled. "We're going to be great friends, aren't we?"

The dog barked and kissed her face. The weight in Amelie's stomach disappeared as she welcomed her new seeing-eye dog into her arms.

The Epic Quest of the Nodut Islands

Our Inkaholics II Writers Group has officially published their finished book! This novella was written by three guys over the course of 6 sessions in spring 2011 as a collaborative workshop. Between three crazy guys and one crazy cat, it's quite a tale, let me tell you! Here's the back cover copy:

Willy Pete, a hunter of magical creatures, is on a mission to right his wrongs. He'll need the help of a famous mercenary named Quince and his arch-nemesis, the legendary Magical Narwhal Zelda. 

Together, they must defeat the villainous Mr. Whiskers, a mutant catfish pirate captain with a league of sinister shipmates! 

Can Willy pull off his plan in time to destroy the nefarious fish, or will his weakness for donuts become his ultimate downfall?

The Red Ink Club: Weekly Writers Group

Critique groups are essential for the creative development of every writer. Encouragement and insights from fellow members can make all the difference when we're faced with the next blank page.

The Red Ink Club is a weekly critique group designed for young writers, facilitated by an experienced, published author. We'll delve into each piece, line-by-line, to correct, encourage, and spur one another on to even better writing.

Group meetings open with a short writing exercise before individual critiques begin. Our time will be conducted with an attitude of respect for one another in the midst of a fun environment.

Ages: 13-20
Duration: 2 hours per week
Dues: $20 per month (also see Commitment Pricing below)
Participants: 5-7 total

Commitment Pricing:
* 3 months in advance: $49 (2 weeks free)
* 6 months in advance: $99 (1 month free)
* 1 year in advance: $199 (2 months free)

FINE PRINT: Dues are non-refundable, but $5 per missed session may be applied toward future group sessions.

Contact me if you or a young writer you know are interested in getting in on The Red Ink Club.

First In Flame by The Inkaholics I Writers Group

We are so excited to announce that First in Flame, the book the first Inkaholics Writers Group wrote together over the course of 6 weeks, is now available.

The Inkaholics I girls worked so hard and had some incredible ideas to contribute to this fantastic story. There are even some surprise illustrations inside--these girls are talented! Here's the official description of First in Flame:

Torren, an awkward 13-year old kid with a penchant for superstition, is about to have the strangest first day of school in his life. When his best friend Kyle, the high school quarterback, falls for the weird new girl, things are looking bad enough. But when they witness Kyle inexplicably transform into a little black housecat in the middle of lunch period, the situation spirals into an odd series of events that takes the three unlikely friends on an adventure no one expected.

If you would like to purchase a copy, you can do so for a mere $7.00 (plus shipping). Lulu.com is a print-on-demand company, but they do amazing work. Thanks for supporting the Inkaholics!

Call for 3 Volunteer Writers: Online Workshop

I've almost got a system worked out to start an online collaborative writers workshop. The final elements will fall into place soon, after which I will need 3-4 writers *coughguineapigscough* to volunteer their participation in an ONLINE 3-week collaborative short story workshop--just to test out the system.

Volunteer Writers would commit to:

• Meet online once a week for 3 weeks (First session, 90 minutes; following sessions, 60 minutes) 
• Collaborate story ideas with other writers
• Contribute creative writing to a group document on a weekly basis
• Give feedback on the process and direction for improvement

Volunteer writers must be 16 years of age or older. They will also need to be able to communicate via email and have a reliable internet connection.

We can talk about different meeting days, but I'm initially thinking Wednesday evenings, around 7:30 MST.

If you're interested in volunteering, post a comment here or email me at mangycat (at) gmail (dot) com. 

Looking forward to writing with you!

Spring Break Writers Games!

Take a day of your Spring Break to hang out with other awesome young writers in the area. Play games, win prizes, and challenge your mad writing skills! We have two age levels and lots of different games, so there's a game day for everyone.

We Awesome Writers Spring Break Games is for ages 13-18. Games on the menu are Speed Writing, Pass the Plot, Story Scavenger Hunt, and Picture a Quest. Lots of fun and yummy prizes will be won!

2 "Awesome Writers" Dates - Come to one or both!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Time: 5:00-9:00 p.m.
Location: Panera Bread, 7344 North Academy Boulevard, Colorado Springs 80920
Cost: $20 per person

—OR—

Saturday, March 26
Time: 2:00-6:00 p.m.
Location: Agia Sophia Coffee Shop, 2902 W Colorado Avenue, Colorado Springs 80904
Cost: $23 per person, includes a specialty drink from Agia Sophia!

Super Writers Spring Break Games is for ages 8-12. Games on the menu are Word Wars and The One-Word Story Game. Plus we'll create blank books for you to write stories in later. Lots of fun and yummy prizes will be won!

"Super Writers" Date & Time

Thursday, March 24, 2011
Time: 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Location: Panera Bread, 3120 New Center Point, Colorado Springs 80922
Cost: $10 per person

Hope you can make to the games!
Questions? Email mangycat (at) gmail (dot) com or make your reservation online below:

A Novel Written on Twitter

An absolutely fascinating writing project is going on right now--on Twitter. Adam Palmer is writing a novel called Space Available for Marcher Lord Press this year, which will be composed completely on Twitter. He isn't writing it in Word and copy-pasting it into the status bar. No, he is actually composing every line in Twitter, within the parameters of 140 characters per post.

This is going to call for some seriously tight writing--of which I am a huge fan. I read through the entirety of his novel-in-progress tonight. It's a science fiction, and right off the bat, an Artificial Intelligence lifeform is a part of the dialogue. Oh my. Could it get any better?

I'm going to have a lot of fun following this project through the year. What a novel idea! If you want to follow Adam Palmer's Space Available as it is being composed, you can do so as well @AdamAuthor.

Upcoming Young Writers Workshops

I am thrilled to let you know about an opportunity for young writers that will be offered beginning the second full week of January. Please feel free to pass this on to any young writers you know who might be interested in being a part of a group writing project.

Two young writers workshops will run for 6 weeks with 2-hour sessions each week, held at a local coffee shop or cafe. Together, the group will brainstorm and write a novella over the course of 6 weeks. Details on each group:

INKLINGS
Ages 9-12, Beginners
Wednesday mornings, 10-Noon
Einstein Bros. Bagels
Begins January 12, 2011

INKAHOLICS
Ages 13-18, Intermediate-Advanced
Saturday mornings, 9:00-11:00 a.m.
Panera Bread (S Carefree & Powers)
Begins January 15, 2011

Cost is $65 for the entire 6-week workshop. Students will have the option of purchasing a final, printed copy of the novella after the workshop ends.

If you have any questions, or if you're interested in attending a workshop--great! Shoot me an email (mangycat (at) gmail (dot) com) to let me know. I'll answer your questions and/or we can talk about forms of payment at that time.

Thank you for taking the time to consider these workshops for you or the young writers in your life.

Blessings on your week!