13 Best Articles This Week for Writers 3/11/11

Okay, it's in the congrats section, but it bears repeating. OMG, Tahereh Mafi. Major preempt to HarperCollins. By Jodi Reamer at Writer's House. Rights sold in 13 countries. Seriously? How freaking AWESOME is that? And it couldn't happen to a nicer, funnier, more supportive writer. And modest. Did you see her blog post? I mean, really.

So here is our response: SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

We love you, Tahereh!

M & M

P.S. Misty Provencher is doing a  pre-order contest for Tahereh's book.


After the Sale

• “Will my book be in hardback?” [Behler Blog] Why your ego has to stop at the checkout counter.
• Write Lots Of Books Or Build An Author Platform. Which Is More Effective? [The Creative Penn] Which camp are you in? What do you love doing?
• 7 Don't-Miss Sites for Online Marketing [There Are No Rules] Beyond Twitter and Facebook.
• The Seven Book Marketing Mistakes That Authors Make (Part 1 of 8) [www.publetariat.com] Really good tips to remember.
• Monetizing Your Intellectual Property [A Newbie's Guide to Publishing] Great case study in saavy e-book positioning.
• Joshua Tallent, ePublishing and eBook Formatting Expert — Unruly Guides ePublishing [www.unrulyguides.com] Conversion programs and the basics of formatting your eBook.

Book Reviews

• DEMONGLASS by Rachel Hawkins [YA Author Elana Johnson] Hat trick: Funny, emotional and angsty.
• Kimberly Derting Shares Her YA Book Recommendations [Novel Novice] Five great reads. And oh, yes, @KamiGarcia & @MargaretStohl can WRITE.
• Debut Authors of the Class of 2k11: Bettina Restrepo [Through The Wardrobe] The novel she re-wrote a million times to teach herself to write better, stronger, deeper
• Fallen Grace by Mary Hooper: Review [Emily's Reading Room] 5 stars to this Victorian London historical that will appeal to adults and YA.
• Tantalizing Future YA Releases! [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] More brilliance for your wish lists!
• 3 Excellent Border-Crossing MG/YA Books for 2011 [Mitali's Fire Escape] All 3 sound powerful & heart-wrenching.
• Review- The Vespertine [A Blog about Nothing] Effortless and beautifully written. Great review of this YA historical paranormal. On my TBR list!
• Book Review: Wither (The Chemical Garden, #1) by Lauren DeStefano [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] 5 out of 5. "The hype is definitely right on the mark."
• Winner Interview Series: Alan Silberberg, 2010 Sid Fleischman Humor Award [Alice Pope's SCBWI Children's Market Blog] Great interview!
• Friday Book Recommendation [Sisters in Scribe] The Secret Year: "If you haven't read this book yet, go get it, now!"

Congrats!

• National Book Critics Circle Award Winners Revealed [GalleyCat] Congrats to Jennifer Egan and the other winners!
• LIKE MANDARIN: Kirsten Hubbard's Release Day! [Writers' Ally aka ➔ sa larsenッ] Congrats, Kirsten on your release day! We've been looking forward to LIKE MANADRIN for so long.
• SO... I GUESS I HAVE A BOOK DEAL [Grab a Pen] Whoo hoo! Congratulations Tahereh!
• The MSFV Success Story Authors Twitter Contest [Miss Snark's First Victim] Congrats to @AuthoressAnon and the nine great writers who found success through Miss Snark's First Victim contests!
• I Have A Blog Partner! [Literary Rambles] Congrats @CaseyMcCormick and Natalie Aguirre! What a great pairing!
• What A Difference A Year Makes... [Adventures In Writing] Happy 1-year blogiversary, Isabella!

Contests!

• 200+ Follower Contest [The Daily Harrell] Enter by 3/15.
• RED GLOVE CONTEST! [Holly Black] Enter by 3/21.
• Saundra Mitchell giveaway [Megan Crewe - another world, not quite ours] Comment to win THE VESPERTINE and SHADOWED SUMMER.
• Prize #1: Query Critique from Sarah Davies with Greenhouse Literary [WriteOnCon.com] Critique and phone conversation. And she's FABULOUS. Enter by 3/15.
• Prize #2: Query Letter Critique from Jennifer Rofe with Andrea Brown Literary [WriteOnCon.com] YA or MG only. Entery by 3/15 and get set for WriteOnCon 2011.
• Prize #3: Query Letter Critique from Marietta Zacker with Nancy Gallt Literary [WriteOnCon.com] Hurry! Spread the word and enter by 3/15.
• Prize #4: Query Letter Critique from Beth Fleisher with Clear Sailing Creatives [WriteOnCon.com] And you pass by the slush pile. Enter by 3/15!
• Prize #5: Query Letter Critique from Tina Wexler with ICM [WriteOnCon.com] Another top industry pro supporting WriteOnCon 2011. And the conference is free!
• Prize #6: Illustration Critique from Marietta Zacker with Nancy Gallt Literary [WriteOnCon.com] Enter by 3/15 and tell everyone you know about WriteOnCon 2011.
• Prize #7: Query Critique from Ginger Clark with Curtis Brown LTD [WriteOnCon.com] Another great opportunity. Enter by 3/15 and tell your friends about WriteOnCon 2011.
• Prize #8: Query Letter Critique from Jill Corcoran with Herman Agency Inc. [WriteOnCon.com] Enter by 3/18. Spread the word about Write-On Con 8/16-8/18!
• Like Mandarin Debut Day Giveaway! [YA Highway] Awesome prizes. Get in here and enter by 3/19. #giveaway
• First Page and GIVEAWAY: The Liar Society [First Page Panda] Enter by March 22nd to win.
• Win HEX HALL & DEMONGLASS by Rachel Hawkins! [THE BOOK BUTTERFLY] Enter by March 30 -- via @LadyHawkins #giveaway
• WITHER by Lauren DeStefano Review and Giveaway! [ROOTS IN MYTH] Enter by March 21.
• WriteOnCon Contest! [Barwick Blog] Spread the word & win a query critique!
• List of Writing Contests [Writers in the Sky E-zine] 17 fiction & 29 poetry contests. Hurry, deadlines are approaching!
• More chances to win Original Sin! [Personal Demons] Two ways to win. Hurry!
• Win a Critique of Your First 500 Words or Query Letter [*Lynnette Labelle* @Chatterbox Chitchat] Enter by March 13.
• Giveaway: Dark Mirror [WORD for Teens] Enter by 3/12.
• CONTEST: Win a copy of Clarity by Kim Harrington [Novel Novice] Which paranormal ability would you like to have?
• West of the Moon - WIN COPIES! [Scribble City Central] Two ways to win!
• Guest Post + E-Book Giveaway: In The Storm by Karen Metcalf [/- LA FEMME READERS -/] Enter by 3/17.
• BIG BOUFFANT — An Awesome Giveaway! [ROOTS IN MYTH] Enter by March 18.

Craft of Writing

• Symbolism Entry: Knowledge [The Bookshelf Muse] Need to foreshadow knowledge to deepen your story? Check here.
• Stuck in the Middle: What Makes a Good Middle [The Other Side of the Story] Middle is for deepening the story and fleshing out what's already in place.
• Literary Agent Natalie Fischer On Nailing Voice -- And a 1st Chapter Crit [Adventures in Children's Publishing] In case you missed this one, we love Natalie's take on voice!
• T3 - Predicting Fictional Breakups, Part Two [The Character Therapist] Flooding and bodylanguage. Love these posts for characterization.
• In Pursuit of Persona [WOW! Women On Writing Blog] Step into character to add life to your writing.
• Quote of the Week: Point-of-View [Ingrid's Notes] View point must always serve as filter for the voice that is revealing the story. - Uma Kirishwami
• To and Fro? No, No. [*Lynnette Labelle* @Chatterbox Chitchat] You don't need to show every little detail.
• High School Hierarchy in YA Fiction [Kidlit.com] How do you convey the HS pecking order more organically?
• Talking about Voice, part 4: Viewpoint voices [Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes.] A Must-Read on how your character not only talks, but thinks.
• Critical Incident Stress Debriefing [The Character Therapist] The Character Therapist shows you how to heal your tortured characters through CISD.
• Tools of the Trade: Index cards [Megan Crewe - another world, not quite ours] A low-tech method of outlining.
• 5 ways to find truth in your writing [James Killick's Blog] Love this --> Truth is a question not an answer.
• The writer’s toolkit: Breaking the rules of the narrative arc [The Book Deal: A Publishing Blog for Writers and Book People] Excellent, in-depth post to help you break out of the box.
• Writers' League of Texas YA A to Z Conference! [Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels] Looks like a great one--registration open now.
• More Tools of the Trade for Writers [Mystery Writing is Murder] Excellent post from @ElizabethCraig - OneNote? Who knew!
• Writing Memorably [Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels, comic books and graphic novels] Love: Don't just show us things because they're there, but because they matter.
• GOALS AND OBSTACLES DRIVING YOUR PLOT [Help! I Need a Publisher!] Get the goals/obstacles right to improve suspense, pace and narrative thrust.
• 5 Keys to Unforgettable Story Introductions [Write It Sideways] What your opening must accomplish.
• A Writer’s Tip: Paying Attention by Shutting it Off [Adventures in Children's Publishing] How to add sensory detail to your work. Great links, too. And a contest that ends 3/14.
• Guest Author Jana DeLeon: The Perils of Pacing [The Other Side of the Story] Two great examples for your opening. Jump start that manuscript!
• Writing & Illustrating For Young Readers (and other cool stuff) [YA Author Elana Johnson] One of the best conferences in kidlit.
• Leave A Tip on the Blood Red Pencil [The Blood-Red Pencil] What's made the biggest difference in your writing?
• Darin Strauss Shares Word-Replace Writing Trick [GalleyCat] Great advice for memoirists--but also works to check your voice in fiction.
• A Vlog about World Building Using Maps! [Let The Words Flow] And floor plans! Fantastic.
• Talking about Voice, part 3: One author, three books [Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes.] Every author has a certain way they write. That's author voice.
• Tools of the Trade for Writers [Mystery Writing is Murder] Love the tip about using a timer to set limits on social media and to keep your writing time on track.
• Our Best Advice for Writing Fantasy [The Enchanted Inkpot.] Tips from nine YA fantasy writers. Don't miss this.
• Quiet Time: Handling the Non-Action Scenes [The Other Side of the Story] Make the reader need to know what comes next.
• Shapes of Fiction/The Iceberg/Silver Flats [Enter the Between] Subtext with a nice example.
• Writers’ Tools: The Whiteboard [.W.I.P. It] And how to use it to develop ideas and plot.
• The Point of Point-of-View [Ingrid's Notes] Excellent overview of what it is, what types exist, and what they do.
• Your Setting Examples - #8 [edittorrent] Using setting to create a narrative frame at the scene level.
• What I Love Lucy Can Teach You About Writing Tics [Wordplay: Helping Writers Become Authors] Great post on overused words, personally overused words, and great resources to help clean up your ms.
• How to write a page-turner (part 5: style) [Time to Write] You don't find a writing style, it finds you.
• Setting Thesaurus Entry: Woods at Night [The Bookshelf Muse] Got the chills reading this one.
• How to write a page-turner (part 4: plotting) [Time to Write] It's all in the twist! Great series.
• What a Coincidence! Creating Plots That Don’t Feel Like Accidents [The Other Side of the Story]
• What's Your Style? More Lessons Learned From American Idol [The Sharp Angle] Being true to yourself while knowing where you fit.
• Tools of the Trade: The notebook [Megan Crewe - another world, not quite ours] Do you use one?
• 5 Traits of Top Writers – What Makes Good Writers Good? [Quips and Tips for Successful Writers] Love #5: Accept edits and rejections gracefully.
• Back in the Day… [GENREALITY] Bringing authenticity to YA voice & POV.

Critiquing

• Should Beta Readers Match Your Market? [Jami Gold, Paranormal Author] Thought-provoking post. Are you staying in your comfort zone?
• First-page critique of your work, here at TKZ [The Kill Zone] First 30 entries, first come first served!

Inspiration

• The Horror of Writing [Paranormal Point of View] LOVE: Why are we writing? Because we can't NOT write.
• How Come Some People Have All The Luck? [Denise Jaden] SO GOOD: Speak the positive, persevere, be thankful, and be don't overfocus on one thing.
• On Sticking with it... [Author/Agent Mandy Hubbard] Publishing is a process--luck, talent, timing and above all perseverence are required.
• Why Entering Contests Boosts Writing [WOW! Women On Writing Blog] Four lessons on taking this big step.
• Coming Soon: DIY MFA 2.O [iggi & gabi] Great idea. Ready to get your creative juices flowing?
• Skiing and Writing Part II [Sisters in Scribe] Why do we expect to jump into writing when everything else takes time? Three things to consider.
• Mythbuster: Are Real Writers Glamorous? [Julie Musil] Love this from @JulieMusil --> Real writers...shop up on the page...
• Put One Foot in Front of the Other Without Tripping, Flailing or Falling on Your Face [Writer Unboxed] How to break down what's happening and get past it.
• 9 Ways to Find the Time to Write [A. Victoria Mixon, Editor] Love number 9.
• Back to Basics, part I: Be a Writer [Magical Words] Nine things to keep your writing goals on track.
• Writer Mom Series: Open Windows [Writers' Ally aka ➔ sa larsenッ] Love: Don't get so caught up in the past and future-you forget about today.
• What We Can Learn From the Vampire Diaries [Paranormal Point of View] Really? I can say it's research? I LOVE you, Lisa!
• Reading to Become a Better Writer [How to Plan, Write, and Develop a Book] Are you reading mind candy, or books to grow on?
• The 4 Pitfalls of Praise [Writer Unboxed] Lovely post with Rx's for when you get a little too much. (Wait! Is there such a thing?)
• Thank You [Babbling Flow] Amid sadness, some inspiration and a sense of fellowship.
• Ride Your Own Horse [Writing Out West] Sooner or later, you're gonna have to trust yourself.
• YA Cafe: Cover Love [All about them words] Covers that make you want to read the book.
• All the Gory Details: an agent story (part 2) [Dancing with Dragons is Hard on Your Shoes.] A GREAT story and three tips to help you get there too.
• Don’t Quit your Day Job! [Magical Words] Write because you think the world will be a little better with your book in it.
• Permission to Suck [* Fiction Groupie *] Letting go of perfectionism.
• How Reading Changes Lives [Words and Such] LOVE: Life, energy, and a great sense of stroy will flow across the pages...
• WriteOnCon 2011 Is Coming… [WriteOnCon.com] Did we mention it is FREE? So generous and incredible.

Issues and Trends

• Literary Genres by Marie-Louise Jensen [An Awfully Big Blog Adventure] Great post on genre fiction disrespect.
• Why Some E-Books Cost More Than the Hardcover [Nathan Bransford - Blog] Amazon, loss-leaders, Kindle's and where we go from here.
• What if editors got royalties? [Hey, There's A Dead Guy in the Living Room] Intriguing post about the possible future of editors and publishing in general.
• The Stigma Of Finding One's Self [Kody's Blog] When is it worth doing? And what do you gain?
• Why Genre Definitions Can Be Limiting [The Secret Archives of the Alliterati] They can hinder both writers and readers.
• Let's Talk About Sex [Kody's Blog] Exploring the controversy of gender stereotypes & teen sex as portrayed in YA lit & the media.
• Winning The Publishing Lottery? [Pub Rants] No publishing vehicle is a guarantee for any author.
• Further Thoughts on the Kindle Millionaires [Nathan Bransford - Blog] Does traditional vs self-pub come down to validation? via @NathanBransford
• Facebook To Rent Movies; Could It Work For eBooks? [GalleyCat] Why is $3 to RENT a movie ok but $9.99 is too much to BUY an 3-book? GRRRR!
• Panic! at the Library [Pimp My Novel] Logical argument about why a 26-loan cap is illogical.
• HarperCollins' 26-checkout limit on libraries' ebooks starts today [Jacket Copy] A statement explaining their decision.
• Amanda Hocking and the 99-Cent Kindle Millionaires [Nathan Bransford - Blog] As usual, @NathanBransford offers both sides of the issue plus fresh perspective.
• Andy Rooney ruminates about books [About.com publishing] YES! --> If you were to make a list of all the good things in the world, books would be right up near the top.
• Why James Scott Bell Chose to E-Publish [Advanced Fiction Writing Blog] Fascinating interview.
• Authors, readers and discoverability in the new age of publishing, by Jane Litte [TeleRead: News and views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics]
• Is Privacy Possible For Writers in the Digital Age? [Author, Jody Hedlund] Be authentic online, but set boundaries.
• Fantastic Friday: A request [Angels and Demons and Portals. Oh My!] Seeking MG & YA book donations.
• Fact Versus Truth in Writing Fiction [There Are No Rules] The risks of portraying real people in a negative light in fiction.
• Youth voice is a powerful thing [YALSA] Empowering teens for change. Can the middle east inspire us?
• Reading Is Fundamental Funding Eliminated [GalleyCat] A sad day for the future of literacy.
• And I’m Still Talking About Derivative Works [Pub Rants] Listen up folks! This is important.
• Infringement, Fair Use and Derivative Works [iggi & gabi] Definitions every writer must know.

Just for Smiles

• NOT HELPING [The Rejectionist] LOL, I have two of these. Sometimes simultaneously.
• 9 THINGS EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT WRITERS [Grab a Pen] We are never going to stop writing. Ever. :D
• Sequel, mequel, double-bubble-beequel. [The Secret Archives of the Alliterati] Just loved this post. And the hamstersaur? Snarfalicious.
• Best Query EVER! [Pub Rants] We don't know if the world is ready for this book, but at least its original!
• Things That Make Me Snarf - Ninja Fail [Carrie Harris] Mooning on a whole new level.
• Yea!!! [Janet Reid, Literary Agent] Awesome. Where does someone find this kind of time?
• questions that haunt me [Frenetic Reader] Thanks for the laughs!
• A Force to be "Roecker"ed With - The Amazing YA Author Community [The Sharp Angle] A great example of YA authors spreading support for other writers!

Self-Editing

• I Don't Need To Know No Stinkin' Grammar... [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Poor grammar is a huge time suck and an impediment to selling your manuscript.
• 6 Common Plot Fixes [There Are No Rules] Excellent post on diagnosing and resolving potential issues with your ms.

Social Media

• Ten Gifts of Twitter [Cheryl's Musings] Great post. Starts with community and builds from there.
• Platform, Product, Promotion: The Three Author Variables [GENREALITY]
• Does a Blog Sell Books? Survey Results! [* Fiction Groupie *]
• A Blog, Like Everything Else, Needs Up-keep Too [The New Author] Spring cleaning for your blog.
• Who owns your Tweets? [Time to Write] Excellent questions, including fair use, anthologies, and more.
• Does a Blog Make You Buy An Author's Book? [* Fiction Groupie *] A survey asking if an internet presence sell books.
• The Top Ten Reasons I Royally Suck At Social Media-- And The Lessons You Should Learn From Me [The Secret Archives of the Alliterati]
• Why Can't I Find Your Email Addy? [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] There are real connections being made on social media. Don't miss an agent's email.
• My Social Networking Rules [YA Author Elana Johnson] How to make self-promotion non-annoying.
• Twitter Tuesday #8 « Kristen Lamb's Blog [warriorwriters.wordpress.com]
• Blogging and Maintaining Our Sanity–Part One [Kristen Lamb's Blog] Great points about the opportunity to control platform! BUILD your career through social media.

To Market

• Revisions Happen, Now Prove You Can Execute [Babbles from Scott Eagan] The revision test, and should you take it?
• Ask the Agent Power Panel [There Are No Rules] $129 for query crit, 3-day access to 4 agents, and 3-months WD.com subscription.
• Do You Have to Sum Up Your Book in One Sentence? [The Literary Lab] LOVE: A query is like dangling a worm on the end of a hook...
• I like to steal good advice from other bloggers and post it here [Janet Reid, Literary Agent] Seven things you shouldn't do after a writer's conference.
• Agent Advice: David Dunton of Harvey Klinger, Inc. [Guide to Literary Agents] Seeking YA fiction among lots of other genres.
• 5 Ways Writers Kid Themselves [Guide to Literary Agents] Keeping it in perspective.
• Avon Launches Digital Romance Imprint, Avon Impulse [Writerswrite.com's Writer's Blog] Actively looking for submissions across every romance subgenre.
• Hoping For a Movie Deal, Part One [Rachelle Gardner, Literary Agent] Film agents, options, dollars and statistics.
• Open to Queries! // Updated Genres + New Submission Guidelines [Lightning + Lightning Bugs - Musings from Weronika Janczuk, Literary Agent] See exactly what she wants and doesn't want.
• When To Pitch To An Agent [Babbles from Scott Eagan] Is your ms really ready? Is this the right agent for it? Think before you pitch.
• WriteOnCon News AND Top Dealmaking Agents in Children’s Lit [Falling Leaflets] Great list! Plus lots of critiques and great prizes.
• Random Questions [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] Underline or italics? How to handle subsequent material?
• Sub Ops Ten [Paperback Writer] Opportunities for novels and short stories.
• Successful Queries: Agent Miriam Kriss and ''The Iron Witch'' [Guide to Literary Agents] Brilliant example of a YA query that worked.
• New Agent Alert: Kristin Miller of D4EO Literary Agency [Guide to Literary Agents] Looking for young adult and middle grade.
• Five Misconceptions That Might Just be Stopping You Getting Published (And How To Fix Them) [BubbleCow] Great! Packed with truth and resources.
• No Apologies [The Bookshelf Muse] Excellent reminder: Know thy story--and the kind of stories the agents on your list have aquired.
• Call for Submissions [Disgruntled Bear] Fun! 3000-7000 words on a clandestine, paranormal twist to a gathering or convention.
• Pitching Effectively [BookEnds, LLC — A Literary Agency] Five steps to providing a short, compelling pitch to win an agent.
• WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR UPDATED MARCH 2011 [Jill Corcoran Books] Romantic comedies, mysteries, and MG -- but she's much more specific. Must read!
• ... and why editors say "Yes"! [About.com publishing] Ask yourself about your ms. Be honest. How many on this list apply?
• Why editors say "No"... [About.com publishing] Sadly -- it can be great, but is it unforgetable?
• Standing in Be’tween: Writing for a Younger Market [The Other Side of the Story] When your story crosses age markets.
• Seeking the Write Life: How to Write a Synopsis [www.aimeelsalter.com]
• Straight From The Agents [Falling Leaflets] Love this. Jess collected agent tweets!
• Children's Fiction Book Proposal Overview [Buried in the Slush Pile] Interesting--and something we rarely talk about.
• Knight Agency Launches Speed-Date Contest To Find a New Client [GalleyCat] 125 writers selected at random to form the pool.
• WriteonCon Chat Recap [Sisters in Scribe] What's hot? What's not? Agent Suzie Townsend answers.

Other Weekly Round-Ups:

• Jane Friedman of Writer's Digest does a wonderful list of best tweets of the previous week. 
• Alice Pope does a Wednesday Tweet Roundup for the SCBWI Children's Market Blog.
• Northern Colorado Writers do This Week in the Writing World every Friday.
• Jennifer Roland does a Writing Roundup on Fridays.
• Ricki Schultz does an "In the Blogosphere" post on Fridays where she lists posts she's enjoyed during the week.
• Elizabeth Craig posts a weekly list of all her helpful Twitter posts.
• And don't forget to check  Nathan Bransford's blog later this morning for his weekly recap of publishing news and information.
• Saturday Link Party [Forever Young] Jessica rounds up fun and interesting links.
• Stina Linddenblatt does a Cool Links Friday. This week, she caught a lot I wish we had on ours. I know what I'm doing for the next few minutes!
• DuoLit does a weekly list of links with some emphasis on self-publishing and marketing.
• YA Highway's Friday Road Trip hits the high points of the publishing industry, writing craft, submissions process, and other fun stuff.
• Cynthia Leitich Smith at Cynsations does a Cynsational author and book news review.

Did we miss anything? Anyone? Please leave a comment!

Happy reading and joyous writing,

Martina, Marissa, and Clara