SNIP, SNIP REVENGE by Medeia Sharif

In the thick of writing, along with that mysterious non-writing project I'm attempting, I wasn't going to blog until May's Insecure Writer's Support Group post. But for Medeia, I've come out of hiding--and the crazy brain-meltiness that is the mystery project--to bring you her new release:

SNIP, SNIP REVENGE by Medeia Sharif

YA Contemporary, Evernight Teen

Release Date April 25, 2014

Beautiful, confident Tabby Karim has plans for the winter: nab a role in her school’s dramatic production, make the new boy Michael hers, and keep bigoted Heather—with her relentless Ay-rab comments—at bay. When a teacher’s lie and her father’s hastiness rob her of her beautiful hair, her dreams are dashed. The fastest barber in Miami Beach has made her look practically bald. 

With all her pretty hair gone, Tabby doesn’t believe she fits the feminine role she’s auditioning for. Michael is still interested in her, but he’s playing it cool. Heather has taken to bullying her online, which is easier to do with Tabby’s ugly haircut. Tabby spearheads Operation Revenge, which proves satisfying until all of her problems deepen. After messing up, she sets to make things right.

Author Bio

I’m a Kurdish-American author who was born in New York City, and I presently call Miami my home. I received my master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. After becoming a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer dabbling in many genres in college, I found my niche writing for young people. Today I'm a MG and YA writer published through various presses. In addition to being a writer, I'm a middle school English teacher. My memberships include Mensa, ALAN, and SCBWI.

Find Medeia

Blog   |   Twitter   |   Goodreads   |   Instagram   |   Amazon

A Writer's Tool: Observation

For the April A-Z Challenge I've written about a writer's tool: observation. You can read it over at the Insecure Writer's Support Group. I'd love to see you over there.

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Lately I haven't had the time to join many blogfests, but this blogfest caught my eye. Co-compiled by Carrie Butler and PK Hrezo, How I Found the Write Path is an exciting project aimed to help and encourage writers everywhere. The end result will be a collaborative eBook which will be free to download. 

THE PROMPT: 

Write a letter/note to yourself when you first started writing toward publication. Keep it under 800 words, including as many (or as few) of these elements as you like:

   - A lesson you learned the hard way

   - Something you didn’t expect about the industry (positive/negative)

   - A writing-related resource you could never do without now

   - One thing you’d change about your journey

   - One thing you’re glad you did

   - Your number one tip for pursuing publication

   - Anything else you feel is worth passing on 

Then post during the week of May 19th. For more information or to sign up, click HERE. 

And don't forget to visit me over at the IWSG website. 

Please note, as mentioned in my last post, I won't be around as much for the next couple of weeks (at least) due to my Mystery Project. More on that later. 

Good habits of Successful Writers

For the April A-Z Challenge I've written a short list of the good habits of successful writers. You can read it over at the Insecure Writer's Support Group.

Thanks: I recently won a kindle edition of Melting the Ice Queen's Heart. A big thanks to Amy Ruttan, the author, and to Nas Dean at Romance Book Haven. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Project update: As some of you know, I've taken on a huge non-writing project while I'm still writing. I'm not ready to say exactly what this project is until I have something to show for it. However, I'm still super excited, I'm learning heaps, and I'm re-learning heaps more. I'm sorry I haven't been around as much. I hope you'll all understand. I'm still popping around when I can, though.

What have you been up to recently? Has the A-Z challenge kept you busy? 

I hope to see you over at the IWSG to check out the good habits of successful writers.

How to be Patient with your Writing Career

One of the core triggers for a writer’s insecurity is impatience. There’s a certain desperation to become published. We catch the dream with visions of bestsellers lists, book signings and our book with a snappy cover and our names written across the jacket. This dream, when we let it bloat into the realm of unrealistic timings and overinflated goals, can become our downfall.

This writing dream is a distant location with a long and often arduous journey to get there. We forget the travel and decide all we want is the destination. We want to be a writer more than we want to write.

We forget the joy of writing, the pure pleasure of creating something from nothing, the magic of conjuring worlds and characters, evoking emotions in others, being able to touch people with a poignant scene, to make them laugh or cry and get involved in the story. We’re too busy wanting to get published, wanting to get noticed, wanting to quit our day jobs, or whatever else it is we want right this very instant. When it doesn’t happen fast enough, we start to think we aren’t good enough and will never be good enough. The doubts start to set in and bam, we’re insecure and unproductive. We may even toy with the idea of quitting.

Talent is not a factor when it comes to writing. Some might disagree with me, but I’ll stand by this. A person with a boatload of talent, but is easily swayed by their doubts, won’t go as far as someone with less talent, but a mountain-load of drive. Natural born talent might get you started and might gain you some early accolades, but it won’t help you cross the finish line.

There’s only one way I know to be patient and that’s to enjoy the writing and to just keep writing and doing everything you can to improve. The hike will always be easier when we love it. If we don’t, then we’ll drag our feet and everything along the way will become that much harder.

Daily ask yourself what you want. Daily fall in love with your manuscripts. Enjoy the storytelling process. Be a slave to your stories. Delight in the lack of sleep because you have to wake up in the middle of the night to write down an idea.

You are a writer. Rejoice.

How do you remain patient with where you want your writing to go?
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This post was written for the Insecure Writer's Support Group where we share our encouragement or insecurities on the first Wednesday of the month (I’m day early because of the A-Z Challenge). To join the group or find out more, click here.



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I’ll be taking part on the A-Z Challenge via the Insecure Writer’s Support Group website. Today I’m kicking the challenge off with a short writing tip: A is for… Applying Yourself as a Writer.

You can also link your A-Z posts in the IWSG Facebook threads we will provide.
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I’d also love to share the exciting news that one of my wonderful critique partners, and an amazing writer, Carol Riggs, has signed a contract with Angry Robot’s YA imprint, Strange Chemistry. Her book, The Body Institute, has gone to a brilliant home after a ‘competitive bidding situation’. You can read the announcement here on Publishers Weekly. Congratulations, Carol!