Advice on writing

I read author blogs a lot. Some of the author blogs I read:

Neil Gaiman (author of Coraline and _The Graveyard Book_ among others!)
Shannon Hale (author of the Books of Bayern, _Princess Academy_ and _Rapunzel's Revenge)
Maureen Johnson (author of _The Bermudez Triangle
John Green (author of _Looking for Alaska_ and _Paper Towns_ among others)
Meg Cabot (author of the _Princess Diaries_ series, _Airhead_ series and tons, tons more)
Ally Carter (author of the _I'd tell you I love you, but then I'd have to kill you_ Gallagher Girls books)

In the month of April, Maureen Johnson and John Green have been blogging every day. Maureen's blog post for last Saturday answered some reader's questions, one of which is great for our writing club:

Amy asks: How do you deal with the internal critic when editing your book arrives? Or, if the annoying voice doesn't bother you, how did you frighten her off? Finally finished a first draft of a novel, but for the life of me, can't get through the next draft.

Maureen's answer to editing is hilarious, as usual, but basically breaks down as:
1. Take some time off
2. Read the whole thing
3. Now read it again
4. Now kill your darlings
(as in, kill off characters, rip out scenes and change lots).

I love it! Editing is hard, but soooo necessary.

One of our silly stories

We write these stories by passing them around the room. They always get crazy when they get to Bueno!

My dog jumped up and started barking like crazy…

It was like he was trying to tell me something. Just as I started my homework again, I heard a voice downstairs. It sounded like someone walking around, but I knew there was no one home. Mom worked until 8 o'clock…five hours later. I never heard a door open and me and mom were the only ones with keys. I set my work on my bed and inched toward the stairs. Riley followed suit, but he was still barking. I heard a moaning noise and…

I was afraid to go downstairs. I instantly ran back to my room, let Riley in and slammed the door and locked it so nothing could get it. I ran for the phone and called mom.

"Mom, there is someone…or something in the house. I'm upstairs, locked door with Riley. Please come home," I asked rapidly.

"Okay, Okay…I will come home. You call the police. Bye," she hung up. Suddenly the moaning and walking stopped. Screaming started…

"Oh God! Oh God!" I murmured to myself. "Riley, what am I going to do?" I was talking to a dog. Wow.

"I'll call the cops!" I said and dialed 911 quickly.

"Hello; this is 911. What is your emergency?" a voice on the other line asked.

"Please help me! There's someone in my house and I heard a scream." I said, frightened.

"Ha ha ha!" said the voice. "I'm not really a cop. I'm the man downstairs…and I'm coming up to get you!"

"Aaaaaaah!!!!" I screamed, dropping the phone. I looked around the room in panic. Riley looked back up at me, tail wagging. Outside the room, I heard thuds coming up the steps. I looked at the window and decided…That I was going to jump out. It was better than being in this place! So I leaped out the glass and fell on my knees! It hurt so bad!! I burst into tears, but found the will to get up and run. I ran for my life, but then…I tripped over a piece of corn then I saw a fat guy eating a bench, but more important my nose was bleeding. I started talking to the fat guy, his name was Joe. Then he ate me!

I thought that I'd introduce myself:)

OK. So I'm Tori.:) I thought maybe I would introduce myself to get started. Well, im 14 and i loveee to read. Mostly fiction is my favorite. I rly love Twilight and A lot of vampire books. I like 2 write fiction too. I'm in the process of writing 2 stories. one that is already on here and another that is a kind of romeo and juliet theme but with vampires and werewovles. As almost everyone knows, they are mortal enemies so i thought it would be fun. I write some fanfiction too. Maybe I'll post some though it's not very likely. lol. wellread some of our other things cuz it would be awesome to get some feedback on it!:)

<3Tori

Stories we are working on now

The Stealer by Tessa
Two girls are going to prom, but will they still be friends if one steals the other's boyfriend?

Bloody Death by Bueno
Bueno has ten chapters so far about a boy who can mutate into anything, although his mutations are not controlled. Plus he is being chased by Renagents who want to kill him because he killed their leader.

Untitled by Sara
The main character has a mark on her neck that allows her to remember her past. Her eyes change color with her emotions. She is sent on a magical quest on which she meets friends and faces danger.

Untitled by Tori
A girl who can see ghosts, but can't talk to them. She finds out that one of her friends can communicate with the ghosts and has been fighting this evil entity that wants her power. Together they face the evil.

Devil's Deal by Laura
Sam is a big dork so when she gets the chance to become cool with a book called "Popularity, beauty and fun, a how-to guide," she jumps at the chance even though it's from Sell Yr Soul Affiliates. Next thing she knows, she's losing her soul.

Welcome!

An example of one of our silly stories:

Once upon a time there was a girl named Millie who lived in a castle. She loved to sing and dance. She was a pretty young girl and she had long brown hair and pale blue eyes. Unfortunately, she got eaten by a dragon and her prince had to get her out. Her prince was named Ross. Millie doesn't actually like Ross, though because he is an arrogant fool.

Millie was hanging out inside the dragon one day when she realized that life wasn't actually so bad. She never had to do chores anymore and Ross didn't come over and bug her. Well, the prince got a giant laxative, went to the dragon's cave and came back out two hours later. The princess came running out of the cave running for her life. The laxative made the dragon very tired, so he went to bed forever.

The princess and the prince hugged each other and the prince killed her because she smelled so bad.