Happy Birthday to everyone

So it is, in fact, my birthday. And I've given a lot of thought about what I should do here today to celebrate. I could post some more deleted scenes from LYKY, but I'm reaching the point where all the deleted stuff was deleted for a reason (aka--it's really bad) so I'm not just real jazzed about sharing that with the world.

Or, I could post something from Cross My Heart. Now, I know this is probably the thing most of you want, but I haven't cleared it with my editor, and I'm pretty concerned about going behind her back, so I think I'll hold off.

So instead I think I'll post some pictures about my house and office and how I work. I know this was kind of a trend a few months ago--authors posting pics of their offices--so I think I'll give it a try.

So, welcome to my home (my real home, not the dream--and therefore nonexistent) home.


As I've said before I started out writing (bad) screenplays, and that's where I got in the habit of storyboarding which is basically mapping out all the individual scenes on index cards (or really big Post-It notes) so that you can play around with them like a great big puzzle.

Well, here's what a very early version of the first draft of Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy looked like.





If you've wondering what those big black squares are, well those are the ONLY parts of the first draft that are still in the story!!!!!

So you can study this picture all you want but honestly there aren't any spoilers there, because let me tell you, people this book has changed--A LOT!

I always know where I want my stories to go, and I get ideas for scenes or lines or things that I think might be cool, so I'll put it on a sticky and stick it to the wall.

I probably have 100 or more stickies on the wall right now for CMH, and probably only thirty or so will be in the final storyboard, but that's okay. At least I haven't forgotten them--I've just consciously chosen not to use them, which is the whole idea.

It's a pretty good way to plan a book as long as you have time. And patience. And a whole lot of wall space.


I also like to keep lists of things I should remember--like good bits of dialogue that I want to incorporate or just general themes I want to make sure make it into the final copy. For this, I have another wall:


Items of note in this picture:

--yes, the post-its just keep getting bigger and the Dream House will have to have big, freaking walls.

--Note the presence of an Eskimo Joe's cup that serves as my pen holder--the true mark of and Oklahoma State University graduate.

--I think my paperclip holder is pretty

--There's a Ziploc bag lying by the computer that holds--you guessed it--Post It notes. I keep a bunch in the bag so that I can take it with me when I travel in case inspiration strikes on the road.

--oh, and there's a dishtowel lying there because I always use dishtowels as coasters.

--and yes, I had to mark something out of this picture too. SOMETHING BIG!!!!

--and obviously there's a computer in the picture--my new computer. My computer that has no internet access whatsoever so all I can do on it is write!

And speaking of writing, I'd better get back to it. And just in case I should be tempted to do something other than write...




Yep, that's the armoire where I keep my TV. And a padlock.

And a very, very sick plant.


I hope this tour of my house and writing habits isn't too lame a birthday present for you.

Have a good one, everyone!


Ally