Ok -- so I've been reading middle grade novels (I just won two from Walden Pond Press, which is an imprint of HarperCollins, and they have been so nice, going above and beyond in their e-mails to let me know that an author of one of the books I won is going to be in my area soon in case I wanted to meet him) and I realize now why I've been plodding through them.
I think I'm used to reading first person.
A lot of YA fantasy and sci-fi (Beautiful Creatures, Hunger Games, Maximum Ride) that I read is in first person. It connects you instantly with the character on an emotional level.
Middle grade novels don't deal with a lot of complex emotion, so it makes sense that they are, generally, in third person.
It isn't a good or bad thing, it just is this way.
But I only noticed it because I started reading The Girl from Felony Bay by J.E. Thompson and was sucked in from the beginning -- it's a middle grade novel told in first person.
Isn't it strange that this particular choice of storytelling could make such a difference?
I've been told before that a young author should tell stories in third person until they get the hang of it. But most stories I like to read are told in first person.
Which means I told my NaNo novels all wrong (which, in retrospect, is probably why I didn't go back and revise them...), except for the last one. I had a strong voice in my head for the character and she was always willing to talk. I did much better on that novel than on the others and it's one I am seriously considering getting into shape and shipping off to an agent, which is a first for me.
It's also a clue to the type of writing I'll probably do more of -- I'm stronger with first person because I've read more of it. I understand it better, I can wield it better.
There is definitely a place for third person -- if you've a large cast of characters, for instance. Also, again, if you're writing middle grade, it's better to keep the emotions simple. I can also see it being used if you're spacing your characters out geographically and/or switching between characters (I find switching between characters in first person to be a little confusing unless they're vastly different).
I don't think one is better than the other, but I know which one I tend to gravitate toward, and which one I'm more likely to write, now that I've paid attention.
What about you? Do you prefer writing or reading in first or third person? Does it make a difference to you at all?
Showing posts with label Write Wednesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Write Wednesday. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Write Wednesday: The Difference Between Procrastination and Productive Brewing
Hi all,
Still working on my new website...I hope you all will love it!
Today, however, I'm going to be writing about something that's been forming in my brain for a while, which is the difference between procrastination and productive 'brewing' (not writing).
Over the last few weeks I've been working on two different stories. They're two different formats, and are vastly different from each other. Enough to keep me interested, or so I thought.
But I've stalled out on both of them.
One of them I'm blatantly procrastinating with...and the second, I'm productively brewing.
Here's the difference.
While I spent a huge amount of time on pre-planning the first story (in novel format), I really, really needed to solidify the world and I have some pretty big plot holes to fill in. So, I took some time, re-thought it out, and dove back into writing last week. And then stopped. Because I'm afraid to go any further on this draft because I know it isn't going to be really good. It'll be better than the first one, but it will still require fixing and there are still so many things I don't know...so instead of just doing it, I've procrastinated, and my poor story has dwindled into a sad, weakly little thing.
While a lot of pre-planning is great, it still won't fix everything. Those first few drafts, especially, are just going to have to be crappy and that's all there is to it. Losing the fear of failure and taking the time to gently comb through my manuscript to untangle every snarl is a lot of work, work that I don't particularly feel like doing right now. But to tell the story as best as I can, I need to go back in and keep writing, even if I'm unhappy with this draft already.
Now for the 'brewing' story. I'm writing a short film (12-15 pages) and I'm in the third draft. It's already tons better than the first draft, but I still have one plot hole that is giving me a terrible rash. Seriously, it's bothering me. But instead of bulldozing through it, I've taken the time to step back, sit quietly with my knitting (or crochet), watch some good TV, and really *think* about the problem. Which is why the third draft is so much better than the first.
The difference is that I'm purposefully setting the second story aside to really work on the problems, instead of just avoiding the story altogether. There's a way to balance thinking time and writing time and it tends to work very well, when you can do it.
So, now I need to spend some quality time with the first story (which I will be doing this weekend) in order to figure out where the major plot holes are and how much I need to fill in. Lots of time knitting and perhaps reading some good books are in order. Also I need to make a playlsit. Wish me luck.
Are you stalled out on a manuscript? Do you have any advice for me (particularly on how to avoid procrastinating)?
Still working on my new website...I hope you all will love it!
Today, however, I'm going to be writing about something that's been forming in my brain for a while, which is the difference between procrastination and productive 'brewing' (not writing).
Over the last few weeks I've been working on two different stories. They're two different formats, and are vastly different from each other. Enough to keep me interested, or so I thought.
But I've stalled out on both of them.
One of them I'm blatantly procrastinating with...and the second, I'm productively brewing.
Here's the difference.
While I spent a huge amount of time on pre-planning the first story (in novel format), I really, really needed to solidify the world and I have some pretty big plot holes to fill in. So, I took some time, re-thought it out, and dove back into writing last week. And then stopped. Because I'm afraid to go any further on this draft because I know it isn't going to be really good. It'll be better than the first one, but it will still require fixing and there are still so many things I don't know...so instead of just doing it, I've procrastinated, and my poor story has dwindled into a sad, weakly little thing.
While a lot of pre-planning is great, it still won't fix everything. Those first few drafts, especially, are just going to have to be crappy and that's all there is to it. Losing the fear of failure and taking the time to gently comb through my manuscript to untangle every snarl is a lot of work, work that I don't particularly feel like doing right now. But to tell the story as best as I can, I need to go back in and keep writing, even if I'm unhappy with this draft already.
Now for the 'brewing' story. I'm writing a short film (12-15 pages) and I'm in the third draft. It's already tons better than the first draft, but I still have one plot hole that is giving me a terrible rash. Seriously, it's bothering me. But instead of bulldozing through it, I've taken the time to step back, sit quietly with my knitting (or crochet), watch some good TV, and really *think* about the problem. Which is why the third draft is so much better than the first.
The difference is that I'm purposefully setting the second story aside to really work on the problems, instead of just avoiding the story altogether. There's a way to balance thinking time and writing time and it tends to work very well, when you can do it.
So, now I need to spend some quality time with the first story (which I will be doing this weekend) in order to figure out where the major plot holes are and how much I need to fill in. Lots of time knitting and perhaps reading some good books are in order. Also I need to make a playlsit. Wish me luck.
Are you stalled out on a manuscript? Do you have any advice for me (particularly on how to avoid procrastinating)?
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Write Wednesday: Advice from Miyazaki (and Feeding Your Creativity)
"The creation of a single world comes from a huge number of fragments and chaos." -- Hayao Miyazaki
I've only just scratched the surface of this succinct quote on world building and storytelling for myself. I ran across it a few weeks ago and it has been quietly humming in my brain since then, picking up and putting down pieces of my stories, re-arranging them, re-organizing, drawing from life and art I've been enjoying, slowly putting together some things that sort of just clicked into place for me last night.
It's an odd feeling, to feel the hum of your subconscious. You don't want to poke it too much for fear it will wake and go about its business, but you can't help staring at it, wanting to touch it, to understand what, exactly, it is. (Mine is awfully like a ship engine, or perhaps a cat)
But it remains a mystery.
I just know when mine's working.
a week or so ago, I'd been stuck on a short film script as well as revisions for my current novel-in-progress. Instead of forcing things to happen, I sat back and took up some knitting. I've found knitting to be remarkably creativity-inducing, like taking a shower (except it's much more convenient and I get to do *two* things at once without wasting water, which makes the economical/productive side of me incredibly happy).
So there I was, working away on a scarf, concentrating on my novel and WHAM -- a flood of ideas. I could barely scribble them down fast enough. Pieces connected, drawing from recently viewed TV episodes, connections beneath the surface between my characters, and bits of scenes and sentences, plus the whole problem with the beginning of my novel. It was mind-blowing.
Then, last night, I watched a few episodes of my current favorite TV show (for its tight writing and internal action, as well as character depth, emotional intensity and acting) and a light came on. I knew what was wrong with my short film script (or at least one of the bigger problems that had been haunting me), I came up with a new title, I got a handle on my characters and one of their backstories, and more material started popping up that pulled the story into a more cohesive bundle.
I'm just realizing how much my subconscious has been working -- overtime! But it's because I've been feeding it constantly, by knitting/crocheting (which can be a meditative state if you've got a repetitive stitch -- you could also cross stitch, doodle, fold laundry or run/walk) and watching and dissecting stories I love (I sit down in front of the TV with a notebook or keep one nearby in case I need to scribble something down during the commercials). Studying the stories I enjoy and giving my brain time to file it all away has proved invaluable.
To sum all of that up, I've learned that a) stories are made up of bits and pieces of our lives, stories we connect with, and anything that inspires us and b) feeding your creativity carefully (healthily?) can lead to all sorts of breakthroughs, better story crafting and imaginative solutions to story problems.
My advice to you?
Give yourself time. Give your subconscious time to put things together. Give yourself time to study, breathe, relax. Don't set a time for your creativity. There's a time to sit down and write without inspiration, but there's also time to digest after imbibing a story. Do a bit of both.
Get specific about what you enjoy in stories. Because that's probably what you're interested in writing. You love high school stories that talk about hard-hitting issues? Time to watch some Freaks and Geeks, The Breakfast Club or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Take notes on what you really like -- this personality trait in a character (I have a very, very specific type of character I gravitate towards in a wide range of TV shows), that issue and how they handled it, or maybe the theme that resonated with you.
Take a few minutes and scribble down the stories you read/watch over and over again and do some analysis. Why do you like these stories? What about them draws you in?
Once you have that figured out, take a look at your work -- does it contain the same themes, character types, issues? If it doesn't, have you been slacking off because it's just not that interesting? If so, time to change something up. Take a walk and concentrate on your story. See if your brain can't make some connections from what you love to what you're writing. You'll be surprised with the results (my brain tends to love a mixture of fairytale and sci-fi, highschool/early 20's identity crises, and dramedy), and it will be more fun to write (with the added bonus of giving you some idea of a direction to go -- you can draw on those stories you love so much!).
I'm not saying that you'll always write true to type -- authors write all sorts of different things, in different voices, about different subjects. However, the author may have developed wider interests because of taking a chance on something outside their comfort zone -- by feeding their creativity with a variety of things in order to keep it alive and growing.
What do you think about Miyazaki's quote? Has this proven true for you in the writing/creating process? Have you got any advice for me about feeding creativity or world building or plotting?
See you on Friday for First Lines.
I've only just scratched the surface of this succinct quote on world building and storytelling for myself. I ran across it a few weeks ago and it has been quietly humming in my brain since then, picking up and putting down pieces of my stories, re-arranging them, re-organizing, drawing from life and art I've been enjoying, slowly putting together some things that sort of just clicked into place for me last night.
It's an odd feeling, to feel the hum of your subconscious. You don't want to poke it too much for fear it will wake and go about its business, but you can't help staring at it, wanting to touch it, to understand what, exactly, it is. (Mine is awfully like a ship engine, or perhaps a cat)
But it remains a mystery.
I just know when mine's working.
a week or so ago, I'd been stuck on a short film script as well as revisions for my current novel-in-progress. Instead of forcing things to happen, I sat back and took up some knitting. I've found knitting to be remarkably creativity-inducing, like taking a shower (except it's much more convenient and I get to do *two* things at once without wasting water, which makes the economical/productive side of me incredibly happy).
So there I was, working away on a scarf, concentrating on my novel and WHAM -- a flood of ideas. I could barely scribble them down fast enough. Pieces connected, drawing from recently viewed TV episodes, connections beneath the surface between my characters, and bits of scenes and sentences, plus the whole problem with the beginning of my novel. It was mind-blowing.
Then, last night, I watched a few episodes of my current favorite TV show (for its tight writing and internal action, as well as character depth, emotional intensity and acting) and a light came on. I knew what was wrong with my short film script (or at least one of the bigger problems that had been haunting me), I came up with a new title, I got a handle on my characters and one of their backstories, and more material started popping up that pulled the story into a more cohesive bundle.
I'm just realizing how much my subconscious has been working -- overtime! But it's because I've been feeding it constantly, by knitting/crocheting (which can be a meditative state if you've got a repetitive stitch -- you could also cross stitch, doodle, fold laundry or run/walk) and watching and dissecting stories I love (I sit down in front of the TV with a notebook or keep one nearby in case I need to scribble something down during the commercials). Studying the stories I enjoy and giving my brain time to file it all away has proved invaluable.
To sum all of that up, I've learned that a) stories are made up of bits and pieces of our lives, stories we connect with, and anything that inspires us and b) feeding your creativity carefully (healthily?) can lead to all sorts of breakthroughs, better story crafting and imaginative solutions to story problems.
My advice to you?
Give yourself time. Give your subconscious time to put things together. Give yourself time to study, breathe, relax. Don't set a time for your creativity. There's a time to sit down and write without inspiration, but there's also time to digest after imbibing a story. Do a bit of both.
Get specific about what you enjoy in stories. Because that's probably what you're interested in writing. You love high school stories that talk about hard-hitting issues? Time to watch some Freaks and Geeks, The Breakfast Club or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Take notes on what you really like -- this personality trait in a character (I have a very, very specific type of character I gravitate towards in a wide range of TV shows), that issue and how they handled it, or maybe the theme that resonated with you.
Take a few minutes and scribble down the stories you read/watch over and over again and do some analysis. Why do you like these stories? What about them draws you in?
Once you have that figured out, take a look at your work -- does it contain the same themes, character types, issues? If it doesn't, have you been slacking off because it's just not that interesting? If so, time to change something up. Take a walk and concentrate on your story. See if your brain can't make some connections from what you love to what you're writing. You'll be surprised with the results (my brain tends to love a mixture of fairytale and sci-fi, highschool/early 20's identity crises, and dramedy), and it will be more fun to write (with the added bonus of giving you some idea of a direction to go -- you can draw on those stories you love so much!).
I'm not saying that you'll always write true to type -- authors write all sorts of different things, in different voices, about different subjects. However, the author may have developed wider interests because of taking a chance on something outside their comfort zone -- by feeding their creativity with a variety of things in order to keep it alive and growing.
What do you think about Miyazaki's quote? Has this proven true for you in the writing/creating process? Have you got any advice for me about feeding creativity or world building or plotting?
See you on Friday for First Lines.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Write Wednesday: Depth (Internal vs. External Action)
Welcome back to Write Wednesday! I'm delving into somewhat of a complicated topic, so I can't promise extreme clarity or new revelations, but it's something I have been thinking about lately as I craft my own novels and see the product of others' writing.
I am going to cheat a little and talk about a TV show (GASP) *but* it's about the writing, so...give me a pass.
Having now consumed a large quantity of British telly (and some UK-inspired writing like The Chaos Walking Trilogy), there's an incredible depth to the writing that just doesn't make it over here. Americans want to simplify *everything* -- most stories here are surface-only because we're so bent on getting more action packed in and I think that's rather sad (Not that there isn't a place for action -- I love me a good spy thriller or action movie. It's just that I think there could be a mix).
Meanwhile, in the UK, we have layers upon layers of complex emotions, relationships, thoughts, beliefs, and choices. The merest glint in a character's eyes changes the story. There isn't so much external action as there is internal action. I'm fascinated by this difference and I've decided that I much prefer the internal action.
For instance -- the show I'm watching right now, in the first sixteen episodes (two series), discusses morality, religion, relationships (familial, romantic and friend), addiction, chronic illness, rape/attempted rape/abuse, murder, the afterlife, having children, science, ethics, loneliness, anger, choices, consequences, history (on a large and small scale), gang violence, terrorism, small town attitudes, and philosophy (mostly nihilism/existentialism). And it's not spelled out for you. The lives of the characters are so entangled that in one episode you've probably got gang violence, terrorism, morality/philosophy/ethics and relationships plus choices and consequences and religious beliefs. There's so much packed into one hour of television and the characters don't waste time with exposition. It's all there in the action, facial expressions, physicality, and minimal dialogue.
One episode that really hit me hard was the one about a choice that one of the characters made and the consequences from it -- they struggled with an addiction, made a mistake and now have a permanent consequence that they have to live with. He is trying so hard to do the right thing but he falls and it endangers his friends' lives. And there's no easy answer. It isn't simple. He has to cope with helping someone else trying to shake an addiction and finally rejecting his help. He has to carry the guilt of that forever. At the same time, it reminds him why he keeps trying so hard to shake the addiction. He tries to be better, and it is a day-by-day thing. Without his friends, he wouldn't be able to stay strong for the long periods between his relapses. It says something about the power of friendship, forgiveness, grace and redemption, and about the depravity of man, and something about hope.
But I haven't seen it done much like that in books -- excepting The Chaos Walking Trilogy, as I've mentioned above, and the Harry Potter books (and Rowling's latest, A Casual Vacancy). Okay, I take that back -- I can think of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Oscar Wilde, but I think I'm more talking about modern storytelling.
And the thing might be that I'm comparing novels, film and telly and you can't really compare the three. They're so different stylistically and of course a novel doesn't have as much time to tell a story as a TV show. Which is probably why I'm so keen on TV shows...serialized storytelling fascinates me.
I did read The Maximum Ride novels (8 books) and...yeah, they're more surface-y. They do delve a bit but the emotions aren't what guide the story. The depth, the before-the-story-starts character lives and the internal action just isn't there as much (But I still love Max).
So how can I include depth in my novels/screenplays? How can I, an American, who is used to seeing bang-bang-shoot-em-ups (as my dad calls them) and action-packed 'cool' drama, insert the breadth and depth and width of human experience into that? Can I even do that? Is that why indie movies (who have small budgets) use *only* internal action to carry the story? I really think you have to do both, which is what the TV show I talked about above does so well.
I think I *could* combine both elements (how well I could remains to be seen).
1. I think it would have to be in a series (novel or TV), for starters. There just isn't room to flesh everyone and everything out in one novel or film.
2. This might say something about the type of writing I should start doing -- should I get into a screenwriting program somewhere?
3. I think studying the TV shows I love show much will show me *what* to include, and watching stuff I don't care for as much will show me *what not* to include. Taking lots of notes, processing (verbally or in writing), maybe reviewing...somehow turning that outside information inside. Same goes for novels.
4. Practicing writing and conversing with my beta readers will help me understand if I'm hitting the mark or not.
What do you think about the external vs. internal action? Are there books/TV shows that have one or both of these that you love? Got any suggestions for me?
See you Friday for First Lines!
I am going to cheat a little and talk about a TV show (GASP) *but* it's about the writing, so...give me a pass.
Having now consumed a large quantity of British telly (and some UK-inspired writing like The Chaos Walking Trilogy), there's an incredible depth to the writing that just doesn't make it over here. Americans want to simplify *everything* -- most stories here are surface-only because we're so bent on getting more action packed in and I think that's rather sad (Not that there isn't a place for action -- I love me a good spy thriller or action movie. It's just that I think there could be a mix).
Meanwhile, in the UK, we have layers upon layers of complex emotions, relationships, thoughts, beliefs, and choices. The merest glint in a character's eyes changes the story. There isn't so much external action as there is internal action. I'm fascinated by this difference and I've decided that I much prefer the internal action.
For instance -- the show I'm watching right now, in the first sixteen episodes (two series), discusses morality, religion, relationships (familial, romantic and friend), addiction, chronic illness, rape/attempted rape/abuse, murder, the afterlife, having children, science, ethics, loneliness, anger, choices, consequences, history (on a large and small scale), gang violence, terrorism, small town attitudes, and philosophy (mostly nihilism/existentialism). And it's not spelled out for you. The lives of the characters are so entangled that in one episode you've probably got gang violence, terrorism, morality/philosophy/ethics and relationships plus choices and consequences and religious beliefs. There's so much packed into one hour of television and the characters don't waste time with exposition. It's all there in the action, facial expressions, physicality, and minimal dialogue.
One episode that really hit me hard was the one about a choice that one of the characters made and the consequences from it -- they struggled with an addiction, made a mistake and now have a permanent consequence that they have to live with. He is trying so hard to do the right thing but he falls and it endangers his friends' lives. And there's no easy answer. It isn't simple. He has to cope with helping someone else trying to shake an addiction and finally rejecting his help. He has to carry the guilt of that forever. At the same time, it reminds him why he keeps trying so hard to shake the addiction. He tries to be better, and it is a day-by-day thing. Without his friends, he wouldn't be able to stay strong for the long periods between his relapses. It says something about the power of friendship, forgiveness, grace and redemption, and about the depravity of man, and something about hope.
But I haven't seen it done much like that in books -- excepting The Chaos Walking Trilogy, as I've mentioned above, and the Harry Potter books (and Rowling's latest, A Casual Vacancy). Okay, I take that back -- I can think of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, and Oscar Wilde, but I think I'm more talking about modern storytelling.
And the thing might be that I'm comparing novels, film and telly and you can't really compare the three. They're so different stylistically and of course a novel doesn't have as much time to tell a story as a TV show. Which is probably why I'm so keen on TV shows...serialized storytelling fascinates me.
I did read The Maximum Ride novels (8 books) and...yeah, they're more surface-y. They do delve a bit but the emotions aren't what guide the story. The depth, the before-the-story-starts character lives and the internal action just isn't there as much (But I still love Max).
So how can I include depth in my novels/screenplays? How can I, an American, who is used to seeing bang-bang-shoot-em-ups (as my dad calls them) and action-packed 'cool' drama, insert the breadth and depth and width of human experience into that? Can I even do that? Is that why indie movies (who have small budgets) use *only* internal action to carry the story? I really think you have to do both, which is what the TV show I talked about above does so well.
I think I *could* combine both elements (how well I could remains to be seen).
1. I think it would have to be in a series (novel or TV), for starters. There just isn't room to flesh everyone and everything out in one novel or film.
2. This might say something about the type of writing I should start doing -- should I get into a screenwriting program somewhere?
3. I think studying the TV shows I love show much will show me *what* to include, and watching stuff I don't care for as much will show me *what not* to include. Taking lots of notes, processing (verbally or in writing), maybe reviewing...somehow turning that outside information inside. Same goes for novels.
4. Practicing writing and conversing with my beta readers will help me understand if I'm hitting the mark or not.
What do you think about the external vs. internal action? Are there books/TV shows that have one or both of these that you love? Got any suggestions for me?
See you Friday for First Lines!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Write Wednesday: What to Leave Out
Welcome back to Write Wednesday!
I've been thinking about some specific writing advice lately as I prepare to edit my NaNoWriMo from last fall. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Show, don't tell"? I find it frustrating.
First of all, what precisely does it mean? Does it mean to *only* show and *never* tell? Show what? Tell what?
This phrase became clearer to me while reading the Chaos Walking trilogy (...I might not ever shut up about this series...it is that great). In it, the characters don't "smile fondly" or "laugh cheerily" or "yell angrily". (Don't pepper your manuscripts with adverbs. Please. As a reader, I find it irritating.) Although I'm guilty of including "-ly" words too much, as well. How else are you supposed to let the reader know what's going on?
In The Chaos Walking Trilogy, Patrick Ness doesn't take time to explain every detail of the characters' feelings. He brings the readers' imaginations into the story and they create a picture themselves, which I think is brilliant.
Todd may yell, and depending on the dialogue that's happened before, we know whether it's from surprise or anger. Being able to write without putting in every excruciating detail about the character's facial expressions or by-the-second emotion is freeing. It allows you to concentrate on the action and dialogue, which will help the reader imagine what is going on for themselves. It's more intimate, in a way.
I think every time you include a "she smiled cheerfully" the reader stops and has to imagine that detail before going on, and it's going to get tedious. They might even put the book down if she smiles cheerfully too much (I almost did that with a book once).
So, instead of saying "he reacted angrily," show what he did. How did he react? Did he punch someone? Did he throw a bottle that shattered on the wall? Did he sock someone in the nose? Did he tackle the person who pushed him to react? If we set up the scene by having two characters engage in a bit of dialogue, the later action will make sense. Readers aren't dumb. We can grasp more than you think we can. We can track with you, even when you don't include a description that lets us know the character is frowning petulantly.
Another thought: I think a person who writes too many -ly words is trying to control the story. Every tiny little detail. Nothing is left up to the reader's imagination, and when that happens, stories die. Stories are fluid, they mean different things to different people, and no matter how hard you try to make sure nothing is left to chance...in the end, stories are meant to live on their own. They become real, living things that impact people for hundreds of years (hopefully). Sometimes we control it without meaning to or realizing it, and sometimes people are just control freaks (but those stories sometimes break down and rust because the author has created a mechanical thing, not a living one).
I think more authors are the "use-adverbs-without-realizing-it" types, but there is probably someone who stresses about the possibility that we won't know their character is feeling a certain way if they don't include an adverb.
What have I gathered from all of this? To not worry so much about communicating the precise, minute-by-minute details of human emotion or expression. Instead, concentrate on building strong dialogue (leading to action) and realistic, convincing action (based on the dialogue you just wrote). Although occasionally, the use of an adverb is permissible. J.K. Rowling uses them but sparingly enough that we don't really notice.
I hope this was helpful, and I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter! What does "Show, don't tell" mean to you? Have you incorporated this advice into your own work?
See you on Friday for First Lines. Keep reading!
I've been thinking about some specific writing advice lately as I prepare to edit my NaNoWriMo from last fall. Have you ever heard the phrase, "Show, don't tell"? I find it frustrating.
First of all, what precisely does it mean? Does it mean to *only* show and *never* tell? Show what? Tell what?
This phrase became clearer to me while reading the Chaos Walking trilogy (...I might not ever shut up about this series...it is that great). In it, the characters don't "smile fondly" or "laugh cheerily" or "yell angrily". (Don't pepper your manuscripts with adverbs. Please. As a reader, I find it irritating.) Although I'm guilty of including "-ly" words too much, as well. How else are you supposed to let the reader know what's going on?
In The Chaos Walking Trilogy, Patrick Ness doesn't take time to explain every detail of the characters' feelings. He brings the readers' imaginations into the story and they create a picture themselves, which I think is brilliant.
Todd may yell, and depending on the dialogue that's happened before, we know whether it's from surprise or anger. Being able to write without putting in every excruciating detail about the character's facial expressions or by-the-second emotion is freeing. It allows you to concentrate on the action and dialogue, which will help the reader imagine what is going on for themselves. It's more intimate, in a way.
I think every time you include a "she smiled cheerfully" the reader stops and has to imagine that detail before going on, and it's going to get tedious. They might even put the book down if she smiles cheerfully too much (I almost did that with a book once).
So, instead of saying "he reacted angrily," show what he did. How did he react? Did he punch someone? Did he throw a bottle that shattered on the wall? Did he sock someone in the nose? Did he tackle the person who pushed him to react? If we set up the scene by having two characters engage in a bit of dialogue, the later action will make sense. Readers aren't dumb. We can grasp more than you think we can. We can track with you, even when you don't include a description that lets us know the character is frowning petulantly.
Another thought: I think a person who writes too many -ly words is trying to control the story. Every tiny little detail. Nothing is left up to the reader's imagination, and when that happens, stories die. Stories are fluid, they mean different things to different people, and no matter how hard you try to make sure nothing is left to chance...in the end, stories are meant to live on their own. They become real, living things that impact people for hundreds of years (hopefully). Sometimes we control it without meaning to or realizing it, and sometimes people are just control freaks (but those stories sometimes break down and rust because the author has created a mechanical thing, not a living one).
I think more authors are the "use-adverbs-without-realizing-it" types, but there is probably someone who stresses about the possibility that we won't know their character is feeling a certain way if they don't include an adverb.
What have I gathered from all of this? To not worry so much about communicating the precise, minute-by-minute details of human emotion or expression. Instead, concentrate on building strong dialogue (leading to action) and realistic, convincing action (based on the dialogue you just wrote). Although occasionally, the use of an adverb is permissible. J.K. Rowling uses them but sparingly enough that we don't really notice.
I hope this was helpful, and I'd like to hear your thoughts on the matter! What does "Show, don't tell" mean to you? Have you incorporated this advice into your own work?
See you on Friday for First Lines. Keep reading!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Write Wednesday: Community
Welcome to Write Wednesday!
Today I'm going to be writing about something I think is one of the most important things about writing, but almost everyone forgets about it.
I'm talking about community.
There are some famous authors who got together and spent time discussing their writing -- The Inklings, for one, and I know a few other authors who are part of a group -- either a critique group or writer's group where they can offer suggestions on a tricky spot, encourage each other to keep going, and talk about things like theme, characters, plotting, etc.
But most of us have the image in our head of a solitary writer who sits at the typewriter or computer all day sweating words out.
Sounds kind of miserable, doesn't it?
I used to be the kind of person who wrote alone. I didn't know there was any other way to write. And then someone introduced me to television shows that had more than one writer (I'm thinking particularly of Leverage and SNL) and suddenly the world opened up and I saw that it was possible to write with others.
My mind caught onto that idea and I've chased it for the last few years. The thrill of being creative with others excites me like nothing else. Telling stories with other people to even more people is the best thing in the world (to me).
I've participated in NaNoWriMo for the last few years (this will be year five for me) and our local group is active throughout the year. I don't get to spend as much time with them as I would like, but just knowing they're around and that I'll see them especially during the NaNo months makes me want to be more creative. I love swapping story ideas, character traits and just listening to people spill a story.
I've said before that being creative in a vacuum is nigh impossible, and I firmly believe that. If you only have yourself for inspiration, you just won't be as invested in your art. There's no one to tell you when it's good, or bad, or could use some work. There's no one to bounce story ideas off of, there's no commiseration when you reach a sad part in your story (and no cheering when you reach the most epic part). We need other people, specifically other people in our creative field. We feed off of each other. Creativity spawns creativity and the more around you, the more you are able to use.
So why do we all think of writing as a solitary exercise?
I think the 'classic literature' image in our brains has been ingrained because we don't really study writers. We study the sad parts of their lives (F. Scott Fitzgerald, for instance...Emily Dickinson, Flannery O'Connor), but only *their* lives. Not the lives of their friends and family and how those interactions created the stories and poems and plays we read today.
Do we really have to be solitary?
I really, really, really don't think so. You just have to find a venue that works for you. Are there a lot of writers in your area? Maybe try out a critique group. Start a book club. Have an outing at the local library and see if there are any good books on writing. Take part in NaNoWriMo (now offered 3x a year). Or, if you don't have a lot of writers in your area (professional or amateur), join an online group. There are forums, communities, blogs, and Pinterest boards for writers. Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, you name it. Writers are out there. Go find some you like and see how much it changes your writing -- the process, the brainstorming, the connecting parts, etc. There is so much to learn from observing and talking to other writers.
For example -- I was lucky enough to marry another writer. Although we tend to write dramatically different things (he tends to write dramatic sci-fi while I tend toward kooky fantasy), we're always brainstorming and talking about the craft, sharing books and videos that have helped us and gathering the other's experience.
I was stumped with a screenplay the other night. I knew it needed something more but I couldn't put my finger on it. We went out to dinner to talk about it (Cookout is becoming our writing hangout -- which I am totally cool with. Where else can you get a corn dog as a side?? But I digress...) and I shared the parts of the story I had down.
He thought about it and said, "It would be really cool if..." and basically gave me my ending. It was brilliant. Why hadn't I thought of it?? He knows story intrinsically. I'm still learning all the ins and outs of a good plot. We started brainstorming and now I have a really solid storyline (just trying to come up with the best raise-the-stakes scenario) and a much, much better story. Thanks to another writer who was willing to listen and share their experience.
I cannot begin to comprehend or explain the value of having other writers in your life, but if you are a writer (of any kind -- whatever you write, at whatever level), I must stress the importance of having at least one other someone that you trust that sparks your creativity.
You and your stories will be better off -- and since it's a two-way street, you're helping them out as well.
I'm extremely interested in your thoughts on this -- leave me a comment below.
See you on Friday for First Lines!
Today I'm going to be writing about something I think is one of the most important things about writing, but almost everyone forgets about it.
I'm talking about community.
There are some famous authors who got together and spent time discussing their writing -- The Inklings, for one, and I know a few other authors who are part of a group -- either a critique group or writer's group where they can offer suggestions on a tricky spot, encourage each other to keep going, and talk about things like theme, characters, plotting, etc.
But most of us have the image in our head of a solitary writer who sits at the typewriter or computer all day sweating words out.
Sounds kind of miserable, doesn't it?
I used to be the kind of person who wrote alone. I didn't know there was any other way to write. And then someone introduced me to television shows that had more than one writer (I'm thinking particularly of Leverage and SNL) and suddenly the world opened up and I saw that it was possible to write with others.
My mind caught onto that idea and I've chased it for the last few years. The thrill of being creative with others excites me like nothing else. Telling stories with other people to even more people is the best thing in the world (to me).
I've participated in NaNoWriMo for the last few years (this will be year five for me) and our local group is active throughout the year. I don't get to spend as much time with them as I would like, but just knowing they're around and that I'll see them especially during the NaNo months makes me want to be more creative. I love swapping story ideas, character traits and just listening to people spill a story.
I've said before that being creative in a vacuum is nigh impossible, and I firmly believe that. If you only have yourself for inspiration, you just won't be as invested in your art. There's no one to tell you when it's good, or bad, or could use some work. There's no one to bounce story ideas off of, there's no commiseration when you reach a sad part in your story (and no cheering when you reach the most epic part). We need other people, specifically other people in our creative field. We feed off of each other. Creativity spawns creativity and the more around you, the more you are able to use.
So why do we all think of writing as a solitary exercise?
I think the 'classic literature' image in our brains has been ingrained because we don't really study writers. We study the sad parts of their lives (F. Scott Fitzgerald, for instance...Emily Dickinson, Flannery O'Connor), but only *their* lives. Not the lives of their friends and family and how those interactions created the stories and poems and plays we read today.
Do we really have to be solitary?
I really, really, really don't think so. You just have to find a venue that works for you. Are there a lot of writers in your area? Maybe try out a critique group. Start a book club. Have an outing at the local library and see if there are any good books on writing. Take part in NaNoWriMo (now offered 3x a year). Or, if you don't have a lot of writers in your area (professional or amateur), join an online group. There are forums, communities, blogs, and Pinterest boards for writers. Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, you name it. Writers are out there. Go find some you like and see how much it changes your writing -- the process, the brainstorming, the connecting parts, etc. There is so much to learn from observing and talking to other writers.
For example -- I was lucky enough to marry another writer. Although we tend to write dramatically different things (he tends to write dramatic sci-fi while I tend toward kooky fantasy), we're always brainstorming and talking about the craft, sharing books and videos that have helped us and gathering the other's experience.
I was stumped with a screenplay the other night. I knew it needed something more but I couldn't put my finger on it. We went out to dinner to talk about it (Cookout is becoming our writing hangout -- which I am totally cool with. Where else can you get a corn dog as a side?? But I digress...) and I shared the parts of the story I had down.
He thought about it and said, "It would be really cool if..." and basically gave me my ending. It was brilliant. Why hadn't I thought of it?? He knows story intrinsically. I'm still learning all the ins and outs of a good plot. We started brainstorming and now I have a really solid storyline (just trying to come up with the best raise-the-stakes scenario) and a much, much better story. Thanks to another writer who was willing to listen and share their experience.
I cannot begin to comprehend or explain the value of having other writers in your life, but if you are a writer (of any kind -- whatever you write, at whatever level), I must stress the importance of having at least one other someone that you trust that sparks your creativity.
You and your stories will be better off -- and since it's a two-way street, you're helping them out as well.
I'm extremely interested in your thoughts on this -- leave me a comment below.
See you on Friday for First Lines!
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Write Wednesday: Writing for the Screen vs. Writing Novels
Bonjour!
I greet you in French because it's a happy word. Just say it. You can't help but smile. :)
Today I'm going to be writing about some big differences in various types of writing -- writing for the silver screen and small screen or writing novels (or novellas, short stories...stories that will stay on the page).
I'm trying to figure out what my strengths are as a writer. I read a lot, watch a lot of good TV and movies, and honestly, I'm not sure which type of writing I'm best suited for (my preference? Spend time in a writing room with other writers and write for TV -- but that's just because I love TV and community so much, not because I enjoy writing screenplays more than writing novels).
Even if I decide I'm going to try both before making a decision (that might end up changing, who knows? Suzanne Collins wrote episodes of Nickelodeon's Little Bear before writing The Hunger Games trilogy), it might all boil down to which way is more fun for me to write.
Because at the end of the day, all I want to do is tell stories...with other people. Granted, if I wrote novels, I'd have Beta readers, an editor, an agent, fans, etc. (hopefully!) So both have one thing in common: an audience.
But the nitty-gritty, boil-it-down-to-its-smallest-components, technical side of things is vastly different.
1. Writing a screenplay involves more technical work (at the start up) than a novel. You need to know the format, the correct vocabulary, and the basic setup of screenplay pages. This scared me for a long time until I took part in a ScriptFrenzy and wrote a few TV episodes. It takes some getting used to and requires a different sort of thinking (what's the day/time/place? Is there a voiceover? Which characters are in this scene?) than writing for novels -- less description, more action. Bare is a word I would use to describe screenplays. Tolkien could never write a script.
Novels have a different set up -- but you still have to know your stuff when it comes to writing stories this way. Do you know how to format paragraphs? End chapters (with something that keeps the reader reading)? Structure a novel (beginning, middle, climax, end is one way...)?
Either way requires study, dedication/determination, and lots of practice.
2. Writing a screenplay also involves putting more trust into the team you're working with -- after all, if someone buys your script, unless you come with it as a package deal (sometimes as the director), they're going to do their own thing with it, even hire another writer to 'doctor' it (Joss Whedon doctored Toy Story, among other movies). If you want this story told, you're going to have to rely on the actors to bring out the emotion behind your words, the director and produces to share your vision, and the crew to make sure it looks good.
Lots more people are involved (usually -- unless you're doing short films/indie movies/a web series). It's tempting to put emotion (or description of it) in the screenplay, but you can't. You have to state the character's name and put the emotion into the economy of words or in the situation without forcing the character to be a certain way. It sometimes comes down to being concise and crystal clear in your intentions from the beginning.
With a novel, your agent or editor may suggest changes, but you have more power than a screenwriter (from what I understand) at this point. You may not have a say in the cover or if there's a page for dedications, but your words, once finalized with the editor, will stay the same -- forever. There won't be anyone to interpret them but the readers.
3. Less words in screenplays than novels. People are happy reading 800 page tomes (Order of the Phoenix, anyone?), but sit them down for five hours and they'll fall asleep in the middle. Writing film or TV is all about cramming emotion and action into the fewest words possible that are still coherent for the viewer. (Usually 80-120 pages)
With novels, the usual range is 70-90k which can be up to 300-350 pages. That's a chunk more than a screenplay, which does allow for more time in the descriptions, character development/backstory, and the plot pacing (which is why some novels tend to drag in the middle).
I think those are the main differences -- have I left anything else (big) out?
If you write, which do you prefer? Would you ever try a screenplay?
I greet you in French because it's a happy word. Just say it. You can't help but smile. :)
Today I'm going to be writing about some big differences in various types of writing -- writing for the silver screen and small screen or writing novels (or novellas, short stories...stories that will stay on the page).
I'm trying to figure out what my strengths are as a writer. I read a lot, watch a lot of good TV and movies, and honestly, I'm not sure which type of writing I'm best suited for (my preference? Spend time in a writing room with other writers and write for TV -- but that's just because I love TV and community so much, not because I enjoy writing screenplays more than writing novels).
Even if I decide I'm going to try both before making a decision (that might end up changing, who knows? Suzanne Collins wrote episodes of Nickelodeon's Little Bear before writing The Hunger Games trilogy), it might all boil down to which way is more fun for me to write.
Because at the end of the day, all I want to do is tell stories...with other people. Granted, if I wrote novels, I'd have Beta readers, an editor, an agent, fans, etc. (hopefully!) So both have one thing in common: an audience.
But the nitty-gritty, boil-it-down-to-its-smallest-components, technical side of things is vastly different.
1. Writing a screenplay involves more technical work (at the start up) than a novel. You need to know the format, the correct vocabulary, and the basic setup of screenplay pages. This scared me for a long time until I took part in a ScriptFrenzy and wrote a few TV episodes. It takes some getting used to and requires a different sort of thinking (what's the day/time/place? Is there a voiceover? Which characters are in this scene?) than writing for novels -- less description, more action. Bare is a word I would use to describe screenplays. Tolkien could never write a script.
Novels have a different set up -- but you still have to know your stuff when it comes to writing stories this way. Do you know how to format paragraphs? End chapters (with something that keeps the reader reading)? Structure a novel (beginning, middle, climax, end is one way...)?
Either way requires study, dedication/determination, and lots of practice.
2. Writing a screenplay also involves putting more trust into the team you're working with -- after all, if someone buys your script, unless you come with it as a package deal (sometimes as the director), they're going to do their own thing with it, even hire another writer to 'doctor' it (Joss Whedon doctored Toy Story, among other movies). If you want this story told, you're going to have to rely on the actors to bring out the emotion behind your words, the director and produces to share your vision, and the crew to make sure it looks good.
Lots more people are involved (usually -- unless you're doing short films/indie movies/a web series). It's tempting to put emotion (or description of it) in the screenplay, but you can't. You have to state the character's name and put the emotion into the economy of words or in the situation without forcing the character to be a certain way. It sometimes comes down to being concise and crystal clear in your intentions from the beginning.
With a novel, your agent or editor may suggest changes, but you have more power than a screenwriter (from what I understand) at this point. You may not have a say in the cover or if there's a page for dedications, but your words, once finalized with the editor, will stay the same -- forever. There won't be anyone to interpret them but the readers.
3. Less words in screenplays than novels. People are happy reading 800 page tomes (Order of the Phoenix, anyone?), but sit them down for five hours and they'll fall asleep in the middle. Writing film or TV is all about cramming emotion and action into the fewest words possible that are still coherent for the viewer. (Usually 80-120 pages)
With novels, the usual range is 70-90k which can be up to 300-350 pages. That's a chunk more than a screenplay, which does allow for more time in the descriptions, character development/backstory, and the plot pacing (which is why some novels tend to drag in the middle).
I think those are the main differences -- have I left anything else (big) out?
If you write, which do you prefer? Would you ever try a screenplay?
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Write Wednesday: Defending Our Favorite Stories
Well...I finally succumbed to a Facebook argument. ("Discussion")
I make it a point to never pick a fight online -- there's no point (usually). All it does is cause internet rage, which we all know is absolutely worthless. So I avoid it. I avoid politics, religion, and every other heated topic I can so that I don't have to waste time online dealing with trolls, haters and "idjits".
BUT
A long time ago, I watched a movie with my friend Stephanie. I didn't think my sister would like it so we discouraged her but she watched it with us and completely missed the point of the entire beautiful story. She trashed it and we still argue about it today. It's a sore topic with me because we're so different that I won't ever be able to explain properly in a way that she'll grasp.
So, my husband posts something about a new musical having to live up to this other particular one that he's loved for years and my sister starts in, whining about his lack of classical education.
...When the musical in question is a retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice.
...
That did it.
I did not light into her (but I wanted to -- oh, how I wanted to!) but wrote a few paragraphs explaining the movie and what it all means and how there are so many wonderful, beautiful things about it.
She continued this morning with another ridiculous judgment and I wrote a couple more paragraphs concerning certain religious stories, the differences between those who love and those who judge, and generally told her that she was coming at it from the completely wrong direction.
And then (my family, excepting my brother and me, are Potter-haters) I repeated all the things that she purports to like and suggested she'd find all those things in the Harry Potter books (and then proceeded to drop my mic and walk away).
Why is it that we get so emotional about stories that mean something to us? This particular story is my third favorite film of all time (OF ALL TIME) and it has inspired my husband and myself to be artists.
I am extremely passionate about story, both good and bad. I don't believe I know everything or have all the right answers, but it does irk me to see (usually intelligent) people failing to grasp the truth and beauty beneath the world's ugliness or a different worldview.
I used to think I wasn't passionate about anything -- I worried that I'd just be one of those people that just drift through life with no aim or purpose -- I'd simply exist.
Then I started watching, listening to, reading and crafting stories -- and I fell even more deeply in love with the concept of stories (books were my constant companions as a child, but when I grew older I discovered an ardent love for serialized storytelling -- TV shows). Stories have the power to move generations, to uplift, to teach, to inspire, to reach into the future and share our lives with our children. They are powerful things.
Stories have helped people through depression (Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the HP movies), grief and despair (myself and countless others) and have changed the way we see the world (LOTR, Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Battlestar Galactica -- the re-imagining of the show, etc.)
I think we have a right to defend stories, to protect the right to craft story, and to educate those who may not be aware of the several levels going on all at the same time in a story.
Have you ever defended a story to someone? Would you (which one)? What's your favorite type of story-telling? And what story has changed your life?
I make it a point to never pick a fight online -- there's no point (usually). All it does is cause internet rage, which we all know is absolutely worthless. So I avoid it. I avoid politics, religion, and every other heated topic I can so that I don't have to waste time online dealing with trolls, haters and "idjits".
BUT
A long time ago, I watched a movie with my friend Stephanie. I didn't think my sister would like it so we discouraged her but she watched it with us and completely missed the point of the entire beautiful story. She trashed it and we still argue about it today. It's a sore topic with me because we're so different that I won't ever be able to explain properly in a way that she'll grasp.
So, my husband posts something about a new musical having to live up to this other particular one that he's loved for years and my sister starts in, whining about his lack of classical education.
...When the musical in question is a retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice.
...
That did it.
I did not light into her (but I wanted to -- oh, how I wanted to!) but wrote a few paragraphs explaining the movie and what it all means and how there are so many wonderful, beautiful things about it.
She continued this morning with another ridiculous judgment and I wrote a couple more paragraphs concerning certain religious stories, the differences between those who love and those who judge, and generally told her that she was coming at it from the completely wrong direction.
And then (my family, excepting my brother and me, are Potter-haters) I repeated all the things that she purports to like and suggested she'd find all those things in the Harry Potter books (and then proceeded to drop my mic and walk away).
Why is it that we get so emotional about stories that mean something to us? This particular story is my third favorite film of all time (OF ALL TIME) and it has inspired my husband and myself to be artists.
I am extremely passionate about story, both good and bad. I don't believe I know everything or have all the right answers, but it does irk me to see (usually intelligent) people failing to grasp the truth and beauty beneath the world's ugliness or a different worldview.
I used to think I wasn't passionate about anything -- I worried that I'd just be one of those people that just drift through life with no aim or purpose -- I'd simply exist.
Then I started watching, listening to, reading and crafting stories -- and I fell even more deeply in love with the concept of stories (books were my constant companions as a child, but when I grew older I discovered an ardent love for serialized storytelling -- TV shows). Stories have the power to move generations, to uplift, to teach, to inspire, to reach into the future and share our lives with our children. They are powerful things.
Stories have helped people through depression (Evanna Lynch, who played Luna Lovegood in the HP movies), grief and despair (myself and countless others) and have changed the way we see the world (LOTR, Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Battlestar Galactica -- the re-imagining of the show, etc.)
I think we have a right to defend stories, to protect the right to craft story, and to educate those who may not be aware of the several levels going on all at the same time in a story.
Have you ever defended a story to someone? Would you (which one)? What's your favorite type of story-telling? And what story has changed your life?
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Villainy
Welcome back to Write Wednesday! Today I'm going to be talking about one of my favorite subjects in the entire universe, and I'm really not exaggerating. We're talking about VILLAINS.
If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for a misunderstood anti-hero/villain. I can really hate purely evil villains, but I love a story where the evil character is evil because of REASONS. So...
Today I thought I'd show you some awesome villains from books and films (all good stories) and talk about what makes them so good -- and so creepy, evil, hate-invoking, amazing, heart-wrenching, whatever.
I think I need this because I'm struggling with a villain in my current WIP.
Since this blog is mainly about stories told through the medium of written words, I'll go with our literary villains first.
1. Delores Umbridge from the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
I know I said I really love a character who is evil because of REASONS but Umbridge really is the most detestable, despicable, deplorable villain in the known universe, despite this lack. My reasons? She feels she is doing the RIGHT thing. Villains are so dangerous because they (usually) are doing something they really believe in, for the "greater good" or whatever other silly reason they've concocted to pacify their consciences. Umbridge wants ORDER and she will do anything (literally) to get it -- including TORTURING CHILDREN. She even talks herself around it until she's completely comfortable with breaking laws.
Her drive and passion for ORDER upset the entire school (and probably wizarding world, come to think of it) and her love of "cute" pink things and kittens only intensifies my hatred because something so innocent as the color pink (young love, ballet, blush, etc.) and kittens (soft, loveable, etc.) belie Delores' battering ram personality and her real, vicious enjoyment of other peoples' pain.
(Severus Snape, one of my favorite characters on the earth, does not count as a villain, but rather an antihero, which is why I excluded him from this list. Also, Voldemort is scary and everything but I've never wanted to kill anyone more than I have Umbridge, so that's why she's replacing him as best villain in the Potter Series)
2. Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
Seriously. This (completely incompetent, but his incompetence is only noticed by children) villain is one of my favorites for his sheer bravado brand of cartoony evil (think Dr. Doofenshmirtz from the awesome cartoon Phineas & Ferb). He firmly believes HE is the hero of his own story (as every great villain does) and will do absolutely anything (ridiculous or not) to achieve his goals. His costumes and disguises are the worst, he can't bluff to save his life and somehow, he still gets away with murder -- at least where adults are concerned. I love to hate him. A true deliciously evil villain.
3. Jeb from the Maximum Ride Series
Here's where we get to a villain with REASONS. Jeb is *trying* to do the right thing, in a twisted, save-the-world complex sort of way. He creates these beings with wings (flying children -- awesome) and raises them together like a flock. Only problem? He's actually evil. He's got the I-am-a-scientist-therefore-I-know-better-than-most-of-the-population complex, he's trying to do what he thinks is right (which is actually terribly WRONG -- the kids see that) and meanwhile tries to remain on good terms with the children. It's heartbreaking, really. He has to see the eventual crumbling of his family and even though he tries his hardest, he just isn't good enough...he's evil.
Those are probably my top three from this year. Who are your favorite love-to-hate villains in literature?
And now, for the film part.
These villains are more of the villains-with-REASONS type that I was talking about earlier, and these particular films do a fantastic job of showing you WHY they are this way. I think that's one thing about the books I read that I wish was done better. I want more villain back story (but that's hard to do well unless your MC is a villain...GASP).
1. Joker from The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan
Might be my all-time favorite villain. Umbridge is my favorite literary villain (in terms of being the greatest), but Joker takes the cake for one reason: his anarchic tendencies terrify me. He is literally crazy. Psychotic. A Sociopath. Pure evil, unadulterated by anything. His only dream is to live in the chaos of humanity, and you just can't get any scarier than that.
His made-up stories about how he got his scars and his ability to unnerve everyone make me suspect he had a wretched parent. Maybe Umbridge?
2. Loki from The Avengers by Joss Whedon
Ok...I adore Loki. I get where he's coming from. We all do. All of us understand what it feels like to not be enough. We live with that fear, and Loki embodies it. What if we aren't what our parents wanted? What if we fail? Those seeds of fear grew as Loki did and took root, causing him to lash out at his father (who he admired), his brother (who loves him) and the whole Avengers team (who kicked his butt). But Coulson's right -- Loki doesn't have the conviction that most villains do, and that's why he ultimately fails. He doesn't really want to be the bad guy. That's what's so heartbreaking about Loki.
(I have high hopes for this storyline in Avengers 2, since Joss is still at the helm. I'm extremely interested in a Spike-type character arc for Loki -- yay flawed anti-hero given redemption storylines!)
3. Silva from Skyfall by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan
I just saw Skyfall in theaters last week and...it is my favorite Bond movie (husband and I are currently loading up our Netflix with Bond films so that we can talk about it more accurately, although most critics seem to agree that it is one of the better, if not the best of the Bond films). Partially, I admit, because of the villain.
Silva, at first, is someone you don't understand. Why's he so hellbent on cyberterror? Why is he terrorizing M? And how bad could a cyber villain actually BE?
Um, REALLY BAD. Actually, horrifying. Slimy. Uncomfortable. And then horrifyingly sympathetic when you realize the reason behind his madness.
He's a hurting human being and he's lashing out like a child. He got left behind. And he's back to seek revenge on the person who left him. It's a powerful villain role and one that will be stuck in my mind for a while.
The emotional resonance is there. You FEEL for him. But he's so undeniably creepy that it makes you uncomfortable. Would YOU behave like him if it happened to you?
No matter how blown out of proportion he assumes his relationship is (with the person he hates so much), no matter how uncomfortable he enjoys making Bond feel, and no matter how careless he is with human life (he uses a girl for target practice to see if Bond will break), there's a beating, grieving heart inside him and it's absolutely painful to realize just how far out of humanity he's been driven.
I guess I'd sum up the best villains as:
1. Those who have a purpose to which they are seriously wedded -- they will do ANYTHING to achieve their goal
2. Those who are like they are for a REASON
3. Those who know the hero intimately (and can make us squirm when they tempt the hero with the hero's own goal)
Who is your favorite cinematic villain? Why?
Other favorites of mine:
Dr. Horrible from Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog by Joss Whedon
Alpha from Dollhouse by Joss Whedon (and other various villains from that show)
Dexter from the show Dexter developed by J. Manos, Jr.
See you on Friday for First Lines!
If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for a misunderstood anti-hero/villain. I can really hate purely evil villains, but I love a story where the evil character is evil because of REASONS. So...
Today I thought I'd show you some awesome villains from books and films (all good stories) and talk about what makes them so good -- and so creepy, evil, hate-invoking, amazing, heart-wrenching, whatever.
I think I need this because I'm struggling with a villain in my current WIP.
Since this blog is mainly about stories told through the medium of written words, I'll go with our literary villains first.
1. Delores Umbridge from the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
I know I said I really love a character who is evil because of REASONS but Umbridge really is the most detestable, despicable, deplorable villain in the known universe, despite this lack. My reasons? She feels she is doing the RIGHT thing. Villains are so dangerous because they (usually) are doing something they really believe in, for the "greater good" or whatever other silly reason they've concocted to pacify their consciences. Umbridge wants ORDER and she will do anything (literally) to get it -- including TORTURING CHILDREN. She even talks herself around it until she's completely comfortable with breaking laws.
Her drive and passion for ORDER upset the entire school (and probably wizarding world, come to think of it) and her love of "cute" pink things and kittens only intensifies my hatred because something so innocent as the color pink (young love, ballet, blush, etc.) and kittens (soft, loveable, etc.) belie Delores' battering ram personality and her real, vicious enjoyment of other peoples' pain.
(Severus Snape, one of my favorite characters on the earth, does not count as a villain, but rather an antihero, which is why I excluded him from this list. Also, Voldemort is scary and everything but I've never wanted to kill anyone more than I have Umbridge, so that's why she's replacing him as best villain in the Potter Series)
2. Count Olaf from A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket
Seriously. This (completely incompetent, but his incompetence is only noticed by children) villain is one of my favorites for his sheer bravado brand of cartoony evil (think Dr. Doofenshmirtz from the awesome cartoon Phineas & Ferb). He firmly believes HE is the hero of his own story (as every great villain does) and will do absolutely anything (ridiculous or not) to achieve his goals. His costumes and disguises are the worst, he can't bluff to save his life and somehow, he still gets away with murder -- at least where adults are concerned. I love to hate him. A true deliciously evil villain.
3. Jeb from the Maximum Ride Series
Here's where we get to a villain with REASONS. Jeb is *trying* to do the right thing, in a twisted, save-the-world complex sort of way. He creates these beings with wings (flying children -- awesome) and raises them together like a flock. Only problem? He's actually evil. He's got the I-am-a-scientist-therefore-I-know-better-than-most-of-the-population complex, he's trying to do what he thinks is right (which is actually terribly WRONG -- the kids see that) and meanwhile tries to remain on good terms with the children. It's heartbreaking, really. He has to see the eventual crumbling of his family and even though he tries his hardest, he just isn't good enough...he's evil.
Those are probably my top three from this year. Who are your favorite love-to-hate villains in literature?
And now, for the film part.
These villains are more of the villains-with-REASONS type that I was talking about earlier, and these particular films do a fantastic job of showing you WHY they are this way. I think that's one thing about the books I read that I wish was done better. I want more villain back story (but that's hard to do well unless your MC is a villain...GASP).
1. Joker from The Dark Knight by Christopher Nolan
Might be my all-time favorite villain. Umbridge is my favorite literary villain (in terms of being the greatest), but Joker takes the cake for one reason: his anarchic tendencies terrify me. He is literally crazy. Psychotic. A Sociopath. Pure evil, unadulterated by anything. His only dream is to live in the chaos of humanity, and you just can't get any scarier than that.
His made-up stories about how he got his scars and his ability to unnerve everyone make me suspect he had a wretched parent. Maybe Umbridge?
2. Loki from The Avengers by Joss Whedon
Ok...I adore Loki. I get where he's coming from. We all do. All of us understand what it feels like to not be enough. We live with that fear, and Loki embodies it. What if we aren't what our parents wanted? What if we fail? Those seeds of fear grew as Loki did and took root, causing him to lash out at his father (who he admired), his brother (who loves him) and the whole Avengers team (who kicked his butt). But Coulson's right -- Loki doesn't have the conviction that most villains do, and that's why he ultimately fails. He doesn't really want to be the bad guy. That's what's so heartbreaking about Loki.
(I have high hopes for this storyline in Avengers 2, since Joss is still at the helm. I'm extremely interested in a Spike-type character arc for Loki -- yay flawed anti-hero given redemption storylines!)
3. Silva from Skyfall by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and John Logan
I just saw Skyfall in theaters last week and...it is my favorite Bond movie (husband and I are currently loading up our Netflix with Bond films so that we can talk about it more accurately, although most critics seem to agree that it is one of the better, if not the best of the Bond films). Partially, I admit, because of the villain.
Silva, at first, is someone you don't understand. Why's he so hellbent on cyberterror? Why is he terrorizing M? And how bad could a cyber villain actually BE?
Um, REALLY BAD. Actually, horrifying. Slimy. Uncomfortable. And then horrifyingly sympathetic when you realize the reason behind his madness.
He's a hurting human being and he's lashing out like a child. He got left behind. And he's back to seek revenge on the person who left him. It's a powerful villain role and one that will be stuck in my mind for a while.
The emotional resonance is there. You FEEL for him. But he's so undeniably creepy that it makes you uncomfortable. Would YOU behave like him if it happened to you?
No matter how blown out of proportion he assumes his relationship is (with the person he hates so much), no matter how uncomfortable he enjoys making Bond feel, and no matter how careless he is with human life (he uses a girl for target practice to see if Bond will break), there's a beating, grieving heart inside him and it's absolutely painful to realize just how far out of humanity he's been driven.
I guess I'd sum up the best villains as:
1. Those who have a purpose to which they are seriously wedded -- they will do ANYTHING to achieve their goal
2. Those who are like they are for a REASON
3. Those who know the hero intimately (and can make us squirm when they tempt the hero with the hero's own goal)
Who is your favorite cinematic villain? Why?
Other favorites of mine:
Dr. Horrible from Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog by Joss Whedon
Alpha from Dollhouse by Joss Whedon (and other various villains from that show)
Dexter from the show Dexter developed by J. Manos, Jr.
See you on Friday for First Lines!
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
Write Wednesday: Donald Maass, Jim Butcher & Me
Welcome back to Write Wednesday!
Today I'm going to be talking about the "Breakout Novel" (some great advice from Donald Maass), the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, and my own current WIP (my NaNoWRiMo novel), specifically focusing on SUBPLOT(s).
The subplot(s) in a novel should either support or parallel the main plotline, says Donald Maass. Although subplots are not entirely necessary, if you have one or more that complicate, bear upon, mirror or reverse the main plot, this adds value to the overall story.
Oftentimes, a romantic subplot is included in a story (when it's not romance. If you're writing romance, it better be the main plotline!) to complicate things. Books like the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander and A Series of Unfortunate Events contain romantic subplots.
A Series of Unfortunate Events has one of my most favorite romantic moments (in book 10, I believe -- The Slippery Slope) that adds a layer of emotion to the story. In one moment it turns from a sibling adventure/survival story to a growing up story and complicates things that way.
Another common subplot is for a secondary character to have their own story arc (think Professor Severus Snape or Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter series), heroic, antiheroic or villainous as the case may be.
Great examples of both of these types of subplots are The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I've read the first three books (can't wait to dive into four and five!) and am always amazed at the quality of writing. The effort put into the books to carry storylines through the series (instead of standalone plotlines) with a myriad of characters astounds me.
The romantic subplot carries through the first three books, becoming stronger as the story continues (And I've heard a little spoiler that it comes back in a later book -- poor Dresden). The character involved in the romantic entanglement complicates things because of her job and her personality (both of which intertwine nicely). This combination serves to heighten the stakes and add a touch of romance in Dresden's world.
Side characters are introduced as well and although I haven't spotted huge character arcs for them (yet), Jim Butcher doesn't really leave anything to chance and always seems to bring a semi-forgotten idea, character or item to the forefront just when it is needed.
It's encouraging to read these books and realize that I am in fact growing as a writer -- I intentionally wove in a romantic subplot (combining a friend/love interest of the MC) and I have discovered a rather violent, social commentary subplot in a seemingly throwaway character. I'm not saying I'm handling it well (I'm still stumbling around my first draft) but to see how my writing has changed over the last few years (partially due to all the fantastic books I get to read) is, well, encouraging.
If you're writing (or taking part in NaNoWriMo as a super fun Fall activity), what are your thoughts on subplots? If you're not writing, are there certain stories' subplots you love? (How about in TV shows?)
And don't forget, you can enter Rachel Aaron's awesome giveaway of the last Eli Monpress book, Spirit's End, HERE.
Come back tomorrow for a post WITH PICTURES! :D
Today I'm going to be talking about the "Breakout Novel" (some great advice from Donald Maass), the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, and my own current WIP (my NaNoWRiMo novel), specifically focusing on SUBPLOT(s).
The subplot(s) in a novel should either support or parallel the main plotline, says Donald Maass. Although subplots are not entirely necessary, if you have one or more that complicate, bear upon, mirror or reverse the main plot, this adds value to the overall story.
Oftentimes, a romantic subplot is included in a story (when it's not romance. If you're writing romance, it better be the main plotline!) to complicate things. Books like the Prydain Chronicles by Lloyd Alexander and A Series of Unfortunate Events contain romantic subplots.
A Series of Unfortunate Events has one of my most favorite romantic moments (in book 10, I believe -- The Slippery Slope) that adds a layer of emotion to the story. In one moment it turns from a sibling adventure/survival story to a growing up story and complicates things that way.
Another common subplot is for a secondary character to have their own story arc (think Professor Severus Snape or Neville Longbottom in the Harry Potter series), heroic, antiheroic or villainous as the case may be.
Great examples of both of these types of subplots are The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher. I've read the first three books (can't wait to dive into four and five!) and am always amazed at the quality of writing. The effort put into the books to carry storylines through the series (instead of standalone plotlines) with a myriad of characters astounds me.
The romantic subplot carries through the first three books, becoming stronger as the story continues (And I've heard a little spoiler that it comes back in a later book -- poor Dresden). The character involved in the romantic entanglement complicates things because of her job and her personality (both of which intertwine nicely). This combination serves to heighten the stakes and add a touch of romance in Dresden's world.
Side characters are introduced as well and although I haven't spotted huge character arcs for them (yet), Jim Butcher doesn't really leave anything to chance and always seems to bring a semi-forgotten idea, character or item to the forefront just when it is needed.
It's encouraging to read these books and realize that I am in fact growing as a writer -- I intentionally wove in a romantic subplot (combining a friend/love interest of the MC) and I have discovered a rather violent, social commentary subplot in a seemingly throwaway character. I'm not saying I'm handling it well (I'm still stumbling around my first draft) but to see how my writing has changed over the last few years (partially due to all the fantastic books I get to read) is, well, encouraging.
If you're writing (or taking part in NaNoWriMo as a super fun Fall activity), what are your thoughts on subplots? If you're not writing, are there certain stories' subplots you love? (How about in TV shows?)
And don't forget, you can enter Rachel Aaron's awesome giveaway of the last Eli Monpress book, Spirit's End, HERE.
Come back tomorrow for a post WITH PICTURES! :D
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Write Wednesday: The Breakout Novel & Me
Happy Halloween!!! This is my favorite holiday -- dress up, candy, movies (Tim Burton), and party time! What could be better?? I'm dressed up as Velma from Scooby-Doo -- pink turtleneck sweater, brown plaid skirt, loafer shoes, glasses and bangs. It is one of the few outfits I could get away with at work.
(Are you dressed up today?)
I'm currently reading Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass and to date, it's one of the best books on writing I've read. Plunging into the depths of what it means to write great literature, Donald makes the reading engaging, super-instructive and then shows you the bullet points of the chapter. He also uses real-world examples (Jurassic Park!) to show you what he means. Basically the perfect book on writing (for me).
The most helpful chapters so far...are all of them. Seriously. The last one I read, on plot, was extremely helpful as I contemplate the structure of my novel -- did you know different genres have "ready-made" plots?
Trying to stuff all this learning into my brain while I'm plotting my NaNoWriMo novel feels like I'm in college again (which isn't a bad feeling at all, remarkably).
As for the NaNoWriMo activities, on Saturday we had our Kick-Off party at church, where we were given grab bags of helpful handouts (a NaNoWriMo calendar among them), candy, and odds and ends (including an official NaNoWriMo sticker which is going on my computer!), all of which we used during the afternoon. We made our own Mad Libs, wrote out plot bunnies and plot ninjas for each other (they're VERY different), and ate things like goldfish crackers and fun-size candy bars. It was fantastic. We also talked about our books with each other and spent some time helpfully adding in snacks and procrastination devices on our friends' sheets (Survival Sheets -- what to do when you have writer's block!).
I missed the Character Mixer online (sad face) but heard it was a riot. I'm going to do more online events this year -- as well as attend some of the Sunday write-ins at the library!
I think I finally found a title for my book (still toying with it but I like the sound) and today I'm plotting out the scenes of my book. My goal is forty (hopefully that means I'll be writing between 60,000-80,000 words, which is typical length for a novel, even though I only need 50,000 to win NaNoWriMo) scenes. I've written about 1/4 today and realized that I have a problem: I don't know what the ending is yet. !!! I'm struggling to keep the tone consistent and while I don't want it to be a heart-breaking, sad book, I don't want it to be saccharine, either. One writing book said that an ending, to be completely satisfying, must contain something the character gained and lost. In other words, the character needs to have gone through something and possibly lost someone/something to gain experience/insight, etc. So I'm keeping that in mind as I plot today.
Are you doing NaNoWriMo? Or have you read a really great book lately that I should read/review?? Tell me in the comments.
See you Friday!
(Are you dressed up today?)
I'm currently reading Writing the Breakout Novel by Donald Maass and to date, it's one of the best books on writing I've read. Plunging into the depths of what it means to write great literature, Donald makes the reading engaging, super-instructive and then shows you the bullet points of the chapter. He also uses real-world examples (Jurassic Park!) to show you what he means. Basically the perfect book on writing (for me).
The most helpful chapters so far...are all of them. Seriously. The last one I read, on plot, was extremely helpful as I contemplate the structure of my novel -- did you know different genres have "ready-made" plots?
Trying to stuff all this learning into my brain while I'm plotting my NaNoWriMo novel feels like I'm in college again (which isn't a bad feeling at all, remarkably).
As for the NaNoWriMo activities, on Saturday we had our Kick-Off party at church, where we were given grab bags of helpful handouts (a NaNoWriMo calendar among them), candy, and odds and ends (including an official NaNoWriMo sticker which is going on my computer!), all of which we used during the afternoon. We made our own Mad Libs, wrote out plot bunnies and plot ninjas for each other (they're VERY different), and ate things like goldfish crackers and fun-size candy bars. It was fantastic. We also talked about our books with each other and spent some time helpfully adding in snacks and procrastination devices on our friends' sheets (Survival Sheets -- what to do when you have writer's block!).
I missed the Character Mixer online (sad face) but heard it was a riot. I'm going to do more online events this year -- as well as attend some of the Sunday write-ins at the library!
I think I finally found a title for my book (still toying with it but I like the sound) and today I'm plotting out the scenes of my book. My goal is forty (hopefully that means I'll be writing between 60,000-80,000 words, which is typical length for a novel, even though I only need 50,000 to win NaNoWriMo) scenes. I've written about 1/4 today and realized that I have a problem: I don't know what the ending is yet. !!! I'm struggling to keep the tone consistent and while I don't want it to be a heart-breaking, sad book, I don't want it to be saccharine, either. One writing book said that an ending, to be completely satisfying, must contain something the character gained and lost. In other words, the character needs to have gone through something and possibly lost someone/something to gain experience/insight, etc. So I'm keeping that in mind as I plot today.
Are you doing NaNoWriMo? Or have you read a really great book lately that I should read/review?? Tell me in the comments.
See you Friday!
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Write Wednesday: Mixed Bag
Welcome back to Write Wednesday!
Today I'm going to be talking about:
A Beginning, A Muddle and an End -- Avi's unconventional book on writing (a sequel!)
Worldbuilding using The Five Senses (as discussed in Monday night's NaNoWriMo event)
AND the YAmazing Race -- a 50-blog hop around the web with PRIZES and introductions to new books!
Are you excited? You totally should be. (Mostly about that last bit, right??)
Avi's A Beginning, A Muddle and an End is a sequel to his thought-provoking The End of the Beginning -- but it isn't a typical sequel. The End of the Beginning speaks about the meaning of things, while A Beginning, A Muddle and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing is specifically about what it means to be a teller of tales (The books feature the same main characters, a snail and his friend, an ant).
A Beginning, A Muddle and an End is hilarious -- I laughed through most of the book. Avi cleverly twists words, offers advice and pokes fun at the way people look at writers (even writers themselves) and the process of writing.
If you want a fresh look at creating stories and living like an author instead of plodding through a dull and dusty text, try this one on for size.
In our local chapter of NaNoWriMo, we like to get together BEFORE November 1 and gab, gab, gab about what we're doing -- we also like to play games (Expando Sentence, Word Wars and role-playing as characters are among the favorites), eat more than our weight in candy, and buy waaaaay too many pristine and shiny new notebooks. And also, err, learn stuff that will help us in our crafting of novels come November 1.
SO, our MLs (chapter heads, municipal liaisons) produced a World Building Online Event. We eagerly logged on around 8:00 and chatted back and forth the entire time whilst 'listening' to the moderator about how to deepen our world using the five senses.
We took one character and plunged them into the busiest street in our world (for mine, that was in the middle of her city). We were told to write out:
3 things the character sees (landmarks -- particular to him/her)
3 things the character smells
3 things the character tastes (defeat, smoke, etc.)
3 things the character feels (pavement, jacket, etc.)
3 things the character hears
These were scattered throughout the chat, not all at once. It was a fantastic exercise because we had to close our eyes and take a good, hard look at how detailed our worlds were. I thought I had a pretty solid grasp on mine (I went through 30 Days of Worldbuilding, after all), but I realized I had left out a few of the senses. Grounding the character in the world will also help the reader, which is highly important since, you know, you want someone to enjoy your writing (even if it's just you and your family!).
It gave me a lot to think about and I might even go do some research (wander around downtown) so I can get the authentic take on a middling size city and its smells, sounds, sights, etc. It was also interesting to read everyone else's -- some were extremely detailed (the food descriptions were mouth-watering), some sparse, but all were unique and interesting.
We also did an exercise where we had to have the character overhear a line of dialogue (mine was, "Where is that glittery little freak?") -- VERY HELPFUL when establishing tone and pronunciation, vocabulary, etc.
another thing we did was discuss what made our stories OURS. What differentiates mine from my friend Mage Raven's story? What's the unique thing about my book? Being able to articulate that was encouraging and inspiring.
The last thing we did was to create a string of words that gave us the "feel" of our novel, something that will help us get 'in the mood' when writing as quickly as possible. For example: upon reading A Series of Unfortunate Events, I might say the string of words consisted of the following -- dreary, eye, mysterious, V.F.D., library/books, siblings, adventure. All of those would bring to mind the series and help me flesh it out. Does that make sense?
It was an extremely helpful and productive event, as you can see -- even for someone who's already spent a lot of time on worldbuilding!
OK -- so, the two most exciting parts of the post:
1. LEMONY SNICKET'S NEW BOOK CAME OUT YESTERDAY. (Who Could That Be At This Hour?, Book 1 of the All The Wrong Questions series) My friend texted me last night to say he had bought it and was halfway through AND IT HAD ALREADY ANSWERED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE QUESTION MARK IN THE OCEAN. AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway...
2. Take part in the YAmazing Race! Project Mayhem (a collection of awesome middle grade writers) is doing a ridiculously cool blog-hop contest and the prizes are out of this world -- books, bookmarks, author-signed copies, stickers, mugs, tees, keychains, etc. YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS. Each leg of the race consists of about 12 books, then you fill out a quiz about the synopses you read and then you can complete the next leg of the contest (there are 4; I've done two already). Also, most authors are doing a separate giveaway on their blog, so remember to look for that as well. The rules and contest info can be found here: YAmazing Race
Hurry, it ends Monday, October 29th! Good luck!
...See you on Friday for First Lines!
Today I'm going to be talking about:
A Beginning, A Muddle and an End -- Avi's unconventional book on writing (a sequel!)
Worldbuilding using The Five Senses (as discussed in Monday night's NaNoWriMo event)
AND the YAmazing Race -- a 50-blog hop around the web with PRIZES and introductions to new books!
Are you excited? You totally should be. (Mostly about that last bit, right??)
Avi's A Beginning, A Muddle and an End is a sequel to his thought-provoking The End of the Beginning -- but it isn't a typical sequel. The End of the Beginning speaks about the meaning of things, while A Beginning, A Muddle and an End: The Right Way to Write Writing is specifically about what it means to be a teller of tales (The books feature the same main characters, a snail and his friend, an ant).
A Beginning, A Muddle and an End is hilarious -- I laughed through most of the book. Avi cleverly twists words, offers advice and pokes fun at the way people look at writers (even writers themselves) and the process of writing.
If you want a fresh look at creating stories and living like an author instead of plodding through a dull and dusty text, try this one on for size.
In our local chapter of NaNoWriMo, we like to get together BEFORE November 1 and gab, gab, gab about what we're doing -- we also like to play games (Expando Sentence, Word Wars and role-playing as characters are among the favorites), eat more than our weight in candy, and buy waaaaay too many pristine and shiny new notebooks. And also, err, learn stuff that will help us in our crafting of novels come November 1.
SO, our MLs (chapter heads, municipal liaisons) produced a World Building Online Event. We eagerly logged on around 8:00 and chatted back and forth the entire time whilst 'listening' to the moderator about how to deepen our world using the five senses.
We took one character and plunged them into the busiest street in our world (for mine, that was in the middle of her city). We were told to write out:
3 things the character sees (landmarks -- particular to him/her)
3 things the character smells
3 things the character tastes (defeat, smoke, etc.)
3 things the character feels (pavement, jacket, etc.)
3 things the character hears
These were scattered throughout the chat, not all at once. It was a fantastic exercise because we had to close our eyes and take a good, hard look at how detailed our worlds were. I thought I had a pretty solid grasp on mine (I went through 30 Days of Worldbuilding, after all), but I realized I had left out a few of the senses. Grounding the character in the world will also help the reader, which is highly important since, you know, you want someone to enjoy your writing (even if it's just you and your family!).
It gave me a lot to think about and I might even go do some research (wander around downtown) so I can get the authentic take on a middling size city and its smells, sounds, sights, etc. It was also interesting to read everyone else's -- some were extremely detailed (the food descriptions were mouth-watering), some sparse, but all were unique and interesting.
We also did an exercise where we had to have the character overhear a line of dialogue (mine was, "Where is that glittery little freak?") -- VERY HELPFUL when establishing tone and pronunciation, vocabulary, etc.
another thing we did was discuss what made our stories OURS. What differentiates mine from my friend Mage Raven's story? What's the unique thing about my book? Being able to articulate that was encouraging and inspiring.
The last thing we did was to create a string of words that gave us the "feel" of our novel, something that will help us get 'in the mood' when writing as quickly as possible. For example: upon reading A Series of Unfortunate Events, I might say the string of words consisted of the following -- dreary, eye, mysterious, V.F.D., library/books, siblings, adventure. All of those would bring to mind the series and help me flesh it out. Does that make sense?
It was an extremely helpful and productive event, as you can see -- even for someone who's already spent a lot of time on worldbuilding!
OK -- so, the two most exciting parts of the post:
1. LEMONY SNICKET'S NEW BOOK CAME OUT YESTERDAY. (Who Could That Be At This Hour?, Book 1 of the All The Wrong Questions series) My friend texted me last night to say he had bought it and was halfway through AND IT HAD ALREADY ANSWERED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE QUESTION MARK IN THE OCEAN. AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Anyway...
2. Take part in the YAmazing Race! Project Mayhem (a collection of awesome middle grade writers) is doing a ridiculously cool blog-hop contest and the prizes are out of this world -- books, bookmarks, author-signed copies, stickers, mugs, tees, keychains, etc. YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS. Each leg of the race consists of about 12 books, then you fill out a quiz about the synopses you read and then you can complete the next leg of the contest (there are 4; I've done two already). Also, most authors are doing a separate giveaway on their blog, so remember to look for that as well. The rules and contest info can be found here: YAmazing Race
Hurry, it ends Monday, October 29th! Good luck!
...See you on Friday for First Lines!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Write Wednesday: Rachel Aaron's awesome new book!
Welcome back to Write Wednesday!
I picked up 2k to 10k by Rachel Aaron for 99 cents (!!!) last week and have been reminded just how much I love her writing (she's the author of the Eli Monpress novels).
I'm 3/4 of the way through and already I'm anxious to jump the gun and go ahead and get started on my NaNoWriMo novel, if only to try out Rachel's completely sane methods for getting a completely insane word count.
Most of what I read yesterday was about plot and characters. Rachel seems to be a visual person, so what she has to say about writing resonates with me strongly. Once she has a plotted outline, she spends time picturing everything like it's a movie. If something is boring, slow, or useless, out it goes. Then, every day before she starts writing, she scribbles down the details of each scene. This way you're avoiding wasting time (by not having to make things up, think through a scene, figure out the structure, etc.) and can spend more (productive) time making sure your first draft is stronger.
Characters are a little harder to pin down but here again, Rachel has spent a lot of time up front with them to ensure that she is acquainted enough to write them. I'm hoping that by spending time from here on out until November with them I'll be able to tell when I'm headed off in the wrong direction.
I completed the 30 Days of Worldbuilding booklet and am now going to be mostly concerned with plotting and characters -- so Rachel's book arrived right on time! I'm going to do some short writing exercises (bonus material) with the characters, make up a playlist (or two -- maybe one for "character songs" and one for the soundtrack), and spend some time plotting, which is a weak point for me.
I've got a pretty strong opening, a somewhat foggy ending and no clue what's supposed to happen in the middle apart from snatches of funny/scary things I'd love to write. Rachel's got some great advice for that too -- she figures out the ending first, then the beginning, and if she gets stuck in between, she asks, "What happens after that?" to get from one place to the next. Using that question to step from plot point to plot point makes the storyline more logical (yay) and much stronger the first time around.
So, if you're interested in writing at all (even if you simply want to take a stab at NaNoWriMo this year -- which you should), check out Rachel Aaron's straightforward, fun, and illuminating read and get to work!
See you on Friday for First Lines!
I picked up 2k to 10k by Rachel Aaron for 99 cents (!!!) last week and have been reminded just how much I love her writing (she's the author of the Eli Monpress novels).
I'm 3/4 of the way through and already I'm anxious to jump the gun and go ahead and get started on my NaNoWriMo novel, if only to try out Rachel's completely sane methods for getting a completely insane word count.
Most of what I read yesterday was about plot and characters. Rachel seems to be a visual person, so what she has to say about writing resonates with me strongly. Once she has a plotted outline, she spends time picturing everything like it's a movie. If something is boring, slow, or useless, out it goes. Then, every day before she starts writing, she scribbles down the details of each scene. This way you're avoiding wasting time (by not having to make things up, think through a scene, figure out the structure, etc.) and can spend more (productive) time making sure your first draft is stronger.
Characters are a little harder to pin down but here again, Rachel has spent a lot of time up front with them to ensure that she is acquainted enough to write them. I'm hoping that by spending time from here on out until November with them I'll be able to tell when I'm headed off in the wrong direction.
I completed the 30 Days of Worldbuilding booklet and am now going to be mostly concerned with plotting and characters -- so Rachel's book arrived right on time! I'm going to do some short writing exercises (bonus material) with the characters, make up a playlist (or two -- maybe one for "character songs" and one for the soundtrack), and spend some time plotting, which is a weak point for me.
I've got a pretty strong opening, a somewhat foggy ending and no clue what's supposed to happen in the middle apart from snatches of funny/scary things I'd love to write. Rachel's got some great advice for that too -- she figures out the ending first, then the beginning, and if she gets stuck in between, she asks, "What happens after that?" to get from one place to the next. Using that question to step from plot point to plot point makes the storyline more logical (yay) and much stronger the first time around.
So, if you're interested in writing at all (even if you simply want to take a stab at NaNoWriMo this year -- which you should), check out Rachel Aaron's straightforward, fun, and illuminating read and get to work!
See you on Friday for First Lines!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Write Wednesday: Thoughts on Worldbuilding
In preparation for National Novel Writing Month, I'm going through 30 Days of Worldbuilding, a free resource that helps you base your novel in a somewhat realistic environment so that you aren't writing characters into a blank world.
That got me thinking -- what do you incorporate into a story (short, novella or novel-length) to give depth to it and allow the reader to sink into another world? Because that's ultimately the goal -- we read to escape, even if we end up being exposed to truth or ideas worth thinking through along the way.
Descriptions -- although this can be very overdone (especially in new writers' stories), a few succinct descriptions about the weather, landscape or buildings will help cement the character in a world, one that with a little help, the reader can imagine (and escape into).
Tone/Consistency -- you don't want to say the city was gritty and then later say it was pristine. Being consistent with word choice helps the world seem more solid (This could apply to the weather, the landscape, the types of people, the food, etc.).
Familiar Items/Landmarks -- highlighting one feature in the landscape allows the reader to recognize and remember how something 'looks' (The Shadow Fold in Shadow & Bone is a great example).
Senses -- allow the reader to experience your story through more than one of their senses -- describe the smell of a dinner cooking, or let them 'hear' a rock concert with your characters. Touch, sight, taste, smell, sound: be creative in using several of these.
Anything else to add?
I'm going to be studying a few books for just this purpose -- I'm including a list below, of the books that have made strong impressions on me (I can picture their settings without taking a peep into their pages) and would therefore help me in my quest for the creation of a realistic world:
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
A Series of Unfortunate Events (selected chapters from books 1-13) by Lemony Snicket
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery
I would love any recommendations of books that left you with a strong impression of setting/mood/tone.
Thanks and see you on Friday for First Lines!
That got me thinking -- what do you incorporate into a story (short, novella or novel-length) to give depth to it and allow the reader to sink into another world? Because that's ultimately the goal -- we read to escape, even if we end up being exposed to truth or ideas worth thinking through along the way.
Descriptions -- although this can be very overdone (especially in new writers' stories), a few succinct descriptions about the weather, landscape or buildings will help cement the character in a world, one that with a little help, the reader can imagine (and escape into).
Tone/Consistency -- you don't want to say the city was gritty and then later say it was pristine. Being consistent with word choice helps the world seem more solid (This could apply to the weather, the landscape, the types of people, the food, etc.).
Familiar Items/Landmarks -- highlighting one feature in the landscape allows the reader to recognize and remember how something 'looks' (The Shadow Fold in Shadow & Bone is a great example).
Senses -- allow the reader to experience your story through more than one of their senses -- describe the smell of a dinner cooking, or let them 'hear' a rock concert with your characters. Touch, sight, taste, smell, sound: be creative in using several of these.
Anything else to add?
I'm going to be studying a few books for just this purpose -- I'm including a list below, of the books that have made strong impressions on me (I can picture their settings without taking a peep into their pages) and would therefore help me in my quest for the creation of a realistic world:
The Wolves of Willoughby Chase by Joan Aiken
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
A Series of Unfortunate Events (selected chapters from books 1-13) by Lemony Snicket
The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
Emily of New Moon by L.M. Montgomery
I would love any recommendations of books that left you with a strong impression of setting/mood/tone.
Thanks and see you on Friday for First Lines!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Write Wednesday -- Tips & Tricks for NaNoWriMo 2012
Hello again!
November is National Novel Writing Month. Each November (and now June and August -- Camp NaNoWriMo), writers around the world gather (or stay home) to tap out or scribble 50,000 words.
I started doing NaNoWriMo back in 2009 and I've "won" (hit 50,000 words) every year. This year I also did Camp NaNoWriMo in August (won that one too) so this is my fifth NaNoWriMo. I'm going to share some tips and tricks I've learned over the years in case (and in the hopes) you'd care to join me (please do!).
I'll break it down into three sections: plotting, writing, and revisions.
Plotting:
The first few years, I was a "pantster" (meaning I just wrote whatever was coming out of my brain -- no plotting, no planning, no forethought), but I've learned since then that I'm the type of person who needs an outline. I then experimented with very strict, elaborate plotting (things like The Snowflake Method, which is awesome) and realized that burned me out and I had no desire to start the actual writing.
This year, during the August Camp NaNoWriMo, I did some math and created a very basic plot structure. I also wrote a very basic outline, writing down specific scenes before I typed them out each day. It was effortless, easy, fun, and joyous. I've found what works for me.
My advice? Try doing it a different way every time until you figure out what works best for you -- and whatever works, know it probably won't be like everybody else's process and be fine with that. You are unique and your plotting method will be too. It will also grow and change over the years. That's good!
I'm also visual -- so things like collages (cut out pictures from magazines clued to a big piece of cardboard), Pinterest boards, etc. really help me. I create playlists as well -- soundtracks are especially good when you're trying to figure out pacing.
Here's a few things to get you started: The Process of Plotting from WriteOnCon2012, and Create A Plot Outline in 8 Easy Steps
Writing:
Some people can crank out thousands of words in a day. Unless I've really thought about it (or not thought at all), I find it almost impossible to write more than 4,000 words a day. I'm much better off making a goal of writing 2,000 words and only going on if I've carefully explored the next section and know what I'm doing. During a NaNo write-in, I wrote 8k but it was complete crap.
My advice?
Again, see what feels right to you -- you might only be able to write 1500 words a day at first (I think the NaNoWriMo goal is 1667 a day to total 50,000 words in a month). Or, you might find 3000 is your sweet spot. Or, you know, you might be one of the crazies (I'm not jealous...) that can pull out 10k a day. Whatever it is, know that there are others who are either slower or faster than you. Rest in the fact that everyone has a different pace and that there are authors who write several books a year and there are those who write one every decade.
Some food for thought: one of my favorite articles, 10 Ways to Improve Your Writing While Thinking Like A Comedy Writer; and another good one from WriteOnCon 2012, Sustaining the Writing Groove.
Revisions:
I'm going to be offering primarily other peoples' advice since I haven't sat down and done revisions in a while. I'm still learning how and while it can be frustrating, I don't think it should or will be all the time.
Advice: Once you've written your novel/play/script/whatever, hide it and forget about it for a few weeks. Let your brain return to normal and once you've given it a rest, pick it back up again. There are more detailed revision processes, but that's the biggest thing I've heard/read about -- just make sure you're distant enough to let your inner editor out without ripping your soul/story apart (right away).
Some things others have to say on the matter: The Index Card and Revisions and The Revision Checklist, both from WriteOnCon 2012 (seriously, a fabulous online writing convention -- I'm 'attending' next year!)
Hope that was helpful! I think everyone should experience NaNoWriMo at least once. It's such a fun process and I've learned more every year. Our local chapter is brilliant and I can't wait to see everyone again!
During NaNoWriMo I'll be posting about my progress, but I'll still be doing reviews and First Lines in between.
Next Wednesday we'll be discussing World-Building -- I found a 30 Day Guide and I'm on Day 6. It is amazing and it's already making me think deeper in terms of story.
See you on Friday for First Lines!
November is National Novel Writing Month. Each November (and now June and August -- Camp NaNoWriMo), writers around the world gather (or stay home) to tap out or scribble 50,000 words.
I started doing NaNoWriMo back in 2009 and I've "won" (hit 50,000 words) every year. This year I also did Camp NaNoWriMo in August (won that one too) so this is my fifth NaNoWriMo. I'm going to share some tips and tricks I've learned over the years in case (and in the hopes) you'd care to join me (please do!).
I'll break it down into three sections: plotting, writing, and revisions.
Plotting:
The first few years, I was a "pantster" (meaning I just wrote whatever was coming out of my brain -- no plotting, no planning, no forethought), but I've learned since then that I'm the type of person who needs an outline. I then experimented with very strict, elaborate plotting (things like The Snowflake Method, which is awesome) and realized that burned me out and I had no desire to start the actual writing.
This year, during the August Camp NaNoWriMo, I did some math and created a very basic plot structure. I also wrote a very basic outline, writing down specific scenes before I typed them out each day. It was effortless, easy, fun, and joyous. I've found what works for me.
My advice? Try doing it a different way every time until you figure out what works best for you -- and whatever works, know it probably won't be like everybody else's process and be fine with that. You are unique and your plotting method will be too. It will also grow and change over the years. That's good!
I'm also visual -- so things like collages (cut out pictures from magazines clued to a big piece of cardboard), Pinterest boards, etc. really help me. I create playlists as well -- soundtracks are especially good when you're trying to figure out pacing.
Here's a few things to get you started: The Process of Plotting from WriteOnCon2012, and Create A Plot Outline in 8 Easy Steps
Writing:
Some people can crank out thousands of words in a day. Unless I've really thought about it (or not thought at all), I find it almost impossible to write more than 4,000 words a day. I'm much better off making a goal of writing 2,000 words and only going on if I've carefully explored the next section and know what I'm doing. During a NaNo write-in, I wrote 8k but it was complete crap.
My advice?
Again, see what feels right to you -- you might only be able to write 1500 words a day at first (I think the NaNoWriMo goal is 1667 a day to total 50,000 words in a month). Or, you might find 3000 is your sweet spot. Or, you know, you might be one of the crazies (I'm not jealous...) that can pull out 10k a day. Whatever it is, know that there are others who are either slower or faster than you. Rest in the fact that everyone has a different pace and that there are authors who write several books a year and there are those who write one every decade.
Some food for thought: one of my favorite articles, 10 Ways to Improve Your Writing While Thinking Like A Comedy Writer; and another good one from WriteOnCon 2012, Sustaining the Writing Groove.
Revisions:
I'm going to be offering primarily other peoples' advice since I haven't sat down and done revisions in a while. I'm still learning how and while it can be frustrating, I don't think it should or will be all the time.
Advice: Once you've written your novel/play/script/whatever, hide it and forget about it for a few weeks. Let your brain return to normal and once you've given it a rest, pick it back up again. There are more detailed revision processes, but that's the biggest thing I've heard/read about -- just make sure you're distant enough to let your inner editor out without ripping your soul/story apart (right away).
Some things others have to say on the matter: The Index Card and Revisions and The Revision Checklist, both from WriteOnCon 2012 (seriously, a fabulous online writing convention -- I'm 'attending' next year!)
Hope that was helpful! I think everyone should experience NaNoWriMo at least once. It's such a fun process and I've learned more every year. Our local chapter is brilliant and I can't wait to see everyone again!
During NaNoWriMo I'll be posting about my progress, but I'll still be doing reviews and First Lines in between.
Next Wednesday we'll be discussing World-Building -- I found a 30 Day Guide and I'm on Day 6. It is amazing and it's already making me think deeper in terms of story.
See you on Friday for First Lines!
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Write Wednesday -- What Makes Great Literature and How Can We Support It?
Welcome to Write Wednesday!
Even if you don't write, I believe it is beneficial to know what good (or great) writing is -- that way your time isn't wasted by poorly conceived or ill-written books. I believe readers have a responsibility to encourage and support great literature and to keep standards high so that new writers will (hopefully) feel that their work matters and what they are giving to the world is of value (and should therefore be as polished as possible).
What do you think great writing is? Here are some articles that can help you answer that question:
7 Simple Ways to Make a Good Story Great from Writer's Digest
An article about how awesome R.L. Stine (of Goosebumps fame) is -- and how his writing process works
Rachel Aaron's article about Teaching Your Readers Magic (which is about writing fantasy but has some great things to say about writing good stuff in general)
Here's my list of what makes a great book:
1. Relatable characters -- I can join a character on a spaceship, in a castle, or during a vampire hunt, but if they struggle with the same things I do (identity, redemption, etc.), I can relate. Their struggles might enlighten me about mine and the story might end up encouraging or teaching me. I might return to the story again and again because it helps me remember I'm not alone.
2. Strong theme -- Like I've said before, redemption and identity are themes that click with me. Watch any of my favorite TV shows (Firefly, Buffy, Dollhouse, Supernatural, Doctor Who, etc.) and you'll understand how powerful these themes are.
3. Polish -- this is perhaps the lesser-noticed but might-be-most-important part of a great book. Ensuring your writing is as tight as possible (economy of words, finding the right words), fixing any plot holes, issues with pacing, or grammar mistakes, and generally ensuring that your book is sent out when it is the best it can be -- all those tiny little things that make a good book great.
Of course, I have criteria of what I enjoy in a book (whimsy, parts where I laugh and parts where I cry, laugh-out-loud humor like funny names or one-line zingers), but that doesn't mean books I don't particularly enjoy are bad. Just not my favorite type to read. That's a good thing to keep in mind when reviewing or talking about books you didn't enjoy -- just because you didn't doesn't mean someone else won't or that the book doesn't have value.
Since we're talking about great literature and the need to keep reading these stories, how can we show our love and support for the writers we adore? Below are some ideas.
You can support writers by:
-- Checking out books from the library, online or offline (there are records concerning which books are most read!), or using a service like Amazon Prime
-- writing reviews (of books you've read) on Amazon, Goodreads, or on your own blog (link to Facebook or Twitter!). Reviews make a big difference as to whether a reader will take a chance on a book. Believe me -- even the free ones don't get picked up (usually) unless they've got stellar reviews.
-- Read authors' thoughts outside of their books. I follow Kate DiCamillo on Facebook (Here) and Sharon Creech's lovely photo-and-word blog entries (Here), as well as Rachel Aaron's funny and thought-provoking blog Pretentious Title. I also read updates from authors on Goodreads. Leave a comment and encourage them -- sincere compliments or stories about how their books have affected you make a difference. (You can also send snail-mail to some of them via their publishers. Who doesn't like fan mail?? Just please don't be creepy.)
-- Attend book signings, if you can. I haven't been able to yet, but I would love to arrive at a bookstore with a favorite book in hand (or purchase one at the store) so that a favorite author can sign it especially to me!
-- Purchasing books at bookstores (where at least part of the money goes back to the author. This can be a budgetary issue when you are like me and have no money and would prefer to spend a penny plus shipping on Amazon -- but if you can, do support the author by buying their book straight from a bookstore, whether online or off!)
Want to discuss any (or all) of this? Leave a note in the comments!
See you on Friday for First Lines!
Even if you don't write, I believe it is beneficial to know what good (or great) writing is -- that way your time isn't wasted by poorly conceived or ill-written books. I believe readers have a responsibility to encourage and support great literature and to keep standards high so that new writers will (hopefully) feel that their work matters and what they are giving to the world is of value (and should therefore be as polished as possible).
What do you think great writing is? Here are some articles that can help you answer that question:
7 Simple Ways to Make a Good Story Great from Writer's Digest
An article about how awesome R.L. Stine (of Goosebumps fame) is -- and how his writing process works
Rachel Aaron's article about Teaching Your Readers Magic (which is about writing fantasy but has some great things to say about writing good stuff in general)
Here's my list of what makes a great book:
1. Relatable characters -- I can join a character on a spaceship, in a castle, or during a vampire hunt, but if they struggle with the same things I do (identity, redemption, etc.), I can relate. Their struggles might enlighten me about mine and the story might end up encouraging or teaching me. I might return to the story again and again because it helps me remember I'm not alone.
2. Strong theme -- Like I've said before, redemption and identity are themes that click with me. Watch any of my favorite TV shows (Firefly, Buffy, Dollhouse, Supernatural, Doctor Who, etc.) and you'll understand how powerful these themes are.
3. Polish -- this is perhaps the lesser-noticed but might-be-most-important part of a great book. Ensuring your writing is as tight as possible (economy of words, finding the right words), fixing any plot holes, issues with pacing, or grammar mistakes, and generally ensuring that your book is sent out when it is the best it can be -- all those tiny little things that make a good book great.
Of course, I have criteria of what I enjoy in a book (whimsy, parts where I laugh and parts where I cry, laugh-out-loud humor like funny names or one-line zingers), but that doesn't mean books I don't particularly enjoy are bad. Just not my favorite type to read. That's a good thing to keep in mind when reviewing or talking about books you didn't enjoy -- just because you didn't doesn't mean someone else won't or that the book doesn't have value.
Since we're talking about great literature and the need to keep reading these stories, how can we show our love and support for the writers we adore? Below are some ideas.
You can support writers by:
-- Checking out books from the library, online or offline (there are records concerning which books are most read!), or using a service like Amazon Prime
-- writing reviews (of books you've read) on Amazon, Goodreads, or on your own blog (link to Facebook or Twitter!). Reviews make a big difference as to whether a reader will take a chance on a book. Believe me -- even the free ones don't get picked up (usually) unless they've got stellar reviews.
-- Read authors' thoughts outside of their books. I follow Kate DiCamillo on Facebook (Here) and Sharon Creech's lovely photo-and-word blog entries (Here), as well as Rachel Aaron's funny and thought-provoking blog Pretentious Title. I also read updates from authors on Goodreads. Leave a comment and encourage them -- sincere compliments or stories about how their books have affected you make a difference. (You can also send snail-mail to some of them via their publishers. Who doesn't like fan mail?? Just please don't be creepy.)
-- Attend book signings, if you can. I haven't been able to yet, but I would love to arrive at a bookstore with a favorite book in hand (or purchase one at the store) so that a favorite author can sign it especially to me!
-- Purchasing books at bookstores (where at least part of the money goes back to the author. This can be a budgetary issue when you are like me and have no money and would prefer to spend a penny plus shipping on Amazon -- but if you can, do support the author by buying their book straight from a bookstore, whether online or off!)
Want to discuss any (or all) of this? Leave a note in the comments!
See you on Friday for First Lines!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Write Wednesday: Interview with S. Underwood
Welcome back to Write Wednesday!
Today I'll be sharing an interview with my friend and fellow writer S. Underwood -- this is the friend that suggested we collaborate on a re-imagining of a classic story. (We're still in talks, but she's visiting in a few weeks so I'll give you an update then) S. Underwood has written a one-act play that she's submitting to the theatre company she's a part of (H and I got to see her in a production of Music Man -- it was thrilling!) and I hope you join me in wishing her the best of luck!
Today I'll be sharing an interview with my friend and fellow writer S. Underwood -- this is the friend that suggested we collaborate on a re-imagining of a classic story. (We're still in talks, but she's visiting in a few weeks so I'll give you an update then) S. Underwood has written a one-act play that she's submitting to the theatre company she's a part of (H and I got to see her in a production of Music Man -- it was thrilling!) and I hope you join me in wishing her the best of luck!
Kate
Ok -- first: introduce yourself
(what you do, what you've been writing, etc.)
S Underwood
Well, I'm a stay at home mom so I'm able to set my own schedule. I like to act, read, and watch movies.
I have ideas about lots of different things to write, I keep getting these bursts, so there's a lot on the to-do list.
Kate
Nice. When did you start writing?
S Underwood
When
I was about 11 my sister, Jessica, asked me to tell her a story. I made
up one on the spot and she liked it so much she wanted me to tell it
over and over. Eventually I wrote it down and started writing more in
the series. That was when I seriously started writing. Mostly it was
short stories and poems. I didn't start trying novels until after I
graduated college.
Kate
That's awesome!
Who were your influences back then?
S Underwood
From
a very early age my mom would read to us stuff like The Hobbit, the
Chronicles of Narnia, Anne of Green Gables. When I started seriously
reading for myself I really got into Louis L'Amour.
Kate
Oh wow -- Chronicles of Narnia! Those are the first books I remember reading.
Would you say your influences have changed over the years?
S Underwood
Well,
I can still go back and read the Chronicles and enjoy them just as
much. Lately I've been influenced by Jane Austin, Jasper Fforde, J. K.
Rowling, even Stephenie Meyer (she's my example of how not to write,
haha).
Kate
Ha! Fair enough. So, I haven't read many Westerns -- what drew you to Louis L'Amour's books?
S Underwood
My
dad was a fan and had a whole bunch of them, so I started reading,
loved the first one I tried, and kept going. Now I have a pretty
substantial collection of my own. I really loved his heroes, and I liked
that he always got a little bit of romance in there. I'm such a
romantic.
Kate
Aw, yay!
So you've read lots of Westerns...does that mean you've written your own?
S Underwood
I
have written a few short story westerns and that's one of the novels
I'm currently working on. Actually I have an idea for a whole series of
Biblical westerns, stories of the Bible set in the old west.
Kate
Oh, I love it! I simply adore re-imaginings.
What are your favorite things to write?
S Underwood
Probably plays. I'm actually pretty good at dialogue. That was the one thing I did well in my novel writing class in college.
Kate
Oh,
yes -- reading your writing, you definitely have strong dialogue
skills. Not my strong point! Is one format easier than the other for
you/do you prefer one format over the other?
S Underwood
I
used to not even consider novels because my weakness is finishing
things. I'd get an idea and write a little bit, but when the inspiration
died, it was really hard for me to keep going. Writing a poem or short
story was much more feasible. Since I have actually finished a novel
now, I have more confidence, but it's still hard.
Kate
So
true -- NaNoWriMo got me to finally finish a story -- now that I've
completed a few, I'm hooked. Do you have a daily writing routine, or do
you wait for inspiration to strike?
S Underwood
Well,
the funny thing is, when I'm at play practice, I'll tend to write while
I'm back stage waiting for my scene. My daily schedule is so random
that I haven't really been able to set a specific time to write. That's
another weakness of mine. Even during NaNoWriMo, I couldn't stay
disciplined. I hope to do better this year.
Kate
I've
found it difficult to keep up a steady writing schedule as well -- I
either scramble to get words in late at night before bed or yank myself
onto the computer in the morning...I'm just not a morning person. But
good for you for spending backstage time doing something productive!
Kate
Have you ever spent time backstage making up stories with another person?
S Underwood
Oh
yes, that's how I came up with a lot of the mystery play I sent you.
This one friend and I were going back and forth, and later I had her
read it for feedback. We have this whole list of other plays we want to
eventually write.
Kate
That is so cool! I love creating stories communally -- there's something thrilling about a shared idea.
It helps me be a better writer, as well -- have you found that to be true?
S Underwood
Definitely. Margaret and I create some really funny stuff when we get together.
Kate
Your sister, right?
S Underwood
Yes.
Kate
What do you think it is about a shared story that sparks more creativity than trying to think through a story on your own?
S Underwood
I
believe it's that you have the opportunity of sounding off about your
ideas. The other person is right there to say, yes that's good, or no,
that really doesn't work. Margaret really helped me in that respect when
I was writing my fantasy novel. I'd send her a chapter and she'd just
tell me if I was on the right track. She was my accountability.
Kate
That's fantastic -- sort of like having an editor during the entire process instead of afterwards.
S Underwood
Exactly!
Kate
I might need to find one of those for myself!
So, to wrap this up -- do you have any advice for writers?
S Underwood
The
thing that really helped me when I did my novel was to just keep going.
I didn't go back and do any editing until I'd completely finished the
book. For years I'd been stuck writing a little, and then re-writing
that little bit to death and never finishing. I wish I'd known this
years ago.
Kate
Great advice -- I've struggled with this as well.
One last question: What keeps you writing?
S Underwood
I
just love thinking of new stories, putting new twists on things. I
pretty much get a new idea every other day. It's not that I even need to
entertain people. Right now, it's just for me. That's probably one
reason it's so hard to keep going, too. Haha.
Kate
Oh yes -- we can create for ourselves but in the end we do want to share these stories with someone!
Well, thank you so much for letting me interview you -- I can't wait to read more of your work!
S Underwood
Thank you. This was a lot of fun.
Thank you, S.!
What did you think of this format, readers? I'm thinking of doing podcasts somewhere down the road but I like this format as well.
And now -- My writing update:
I completed my 5,000 word short story last week and wrote a 2,500 (give or take a hundred words) story after that. My project today is to finish a 3,000 word short story and do some reading over at Lightspeed (I read THIS yesterday about a living pirate spaceship -- !!) and some reading on writing from WriteOnCon (this post on plotting with 3X5 cards and the post on making characters into real people look promising!)
Hope you all have a pleasant Wednesday -- see you on Friday for another First Lines!
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