Someday an Author

Great Geek Debates: Disney Princesses vs. Hayao Miyazaki

2012-01-17T18:13:00.000-08:00

This is from Wired magazines blog, Geek Dads.

Great Geek Debates: Disney Princesses vs. Hayao Miyazaki:

Perhaps it is a leftover from my ancient academic ambitions or the early development of my reading habit, but I tend to take stories more seriously than the average person. As a dad, I am also highly sensitive to the influence both stories and the broader culture have on my children. Young children are still developing their capacity to distinguish fact from fiction. It seems reasonable to assume they are more influenced by the stories we give them than an adult, who is better able to separate himself from the impact and message of a story. This is such a common-sense assumption that most of us take it for granted. Yet, it underlies so many of the cultural rules and regulations by which we organize our children’s lives, from the ratings on videogames, movies and graphic novels, to the vain attempts by legislators to regulate internet pornography and advertising during children’s programming.

If I keep a close watch on the adult content in the media my three daughters consume, I am no different than many parents. I mean most of us do try to aspire to something greater than the Chris Rock standard of parenting. (Warning: the link has adult language and content.)

However, what causes a small spike on the overactive parent detector is my refusal to accept at face value the stories our consumer-driven culture tries to sell my children. Many parents will react strongly to sexual content, foul language or violence, but as long as such taboos are not broken, they appear to be content to let their children consume just about any story sold to them by our corporate storytellers.

On the other hand, I can spontaneously launch into a whole list of diatribes on the failings of quality children’s storytelling in visual media with only the slightest provocation. Nothing brings a conversation among a group of parents to a full stop like launching into an impassioned plea for family films to present healthy male role models for my daughters. “Why is it dad is almost always the source of conflict?” I will ask. After a long uncomfortable silence, in which the other parents try to assess whether I just need therapy or if they need to avoid play dates at my home, someone will move the conversation along to a nice safe topic like last week’s swim lessons.

King Triton is one center of conflict in Disney's The Little Mermaid

Being a parent of girls, I have an almost primal reaction to the Walt Disney princess industrial complex. The sight of a Jasmine costume marketed to my 5-year-old can cause me to break out in hives. It isn’t so much the bare midriff, although I think that does have an influence on how my 5-year-old perceives and relates to her body. My frustration comes from the quality of the stories themselves. The stories of the Disney princess industrial complex follow a formula which sells massive amounts of princess swag but can be highly problematic in what it teaches young girls about their worth and value.

My 5-year-old is just now finishing her education about the difference between real and pretend. Kindergarten seems to help. I cringe when she plays dress-up and pretends to be one of the princesses from the Disney canon. It just creeps me out, like I am watching my child pretend to play Britney or Lindsey or their apprentice Miley, all three of which got their start as child stars with Disney.

Which is why I am grateful my geek instincts led me to be a somewhat early adopter of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli anime. I have been hooked since I first saw Spirited Away, and I have found his work to provide a needed vaccine for my girls against the creeping illness of princess-itis. (Yes, I am aware Disney owns the distribution rights for the English dubs. I am not against Disney per se, and Disney knows a good story when it sees one. It works very hard to own as many of them as it possibly can. But I will note, the stories I find worth watching are ones Disney had to go out and purchase from other studios, and when that didn’t work they just bought the studio itself.)

Chihiro from Spirited Away By Hayao Miyazaki

Here is a list of the three most important reasons why I would rather have my daughter pretending to be any Miyazaki heroine over a Disney princess:

1. Archetypes versus Characters

One of the major reasons Disney princesses are so effective as marketing vehicles for children is they distill what it means to be a girl or boy down to a highly simplified formula easy for young children to grasp. Put on a princess dress and I am a girl. Wear a sword, I am a boy. Such stereotyping works really well for a 3- to 6-year-old mind which is just beginning to grapple with gender differences and their consequences. As effective as these stereotypes can be at selling princess products to young girls, these oversimplified notions of gender become problematic when you examine what a princess does.

Here there is a bit of a split in the Disney canon. Old-school Disney relied on a tried and true damsel-in-distress model, in which the heroine of stories like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Cinderella did very little to fix their situation. They weren’t often actors in their own drama, other than perhaps to cook or clean and look intoxicatingly beautiful for the prince, so he would act to save her from her passive plight.

New school Disney at least allows the women in the story to be actors in their own right. Often they act to save the prince: Ariel, Belle and Mulan are easy examples. However, such agency is deeply undermined when all the agency of the princess is used in the service of the princess’ relationship with the hero. Mulan is perhaps the exception here. Her agency is motivated not by a man but rather by service to her family and country. Yet, Mulan is somewhat the exception which proves the rule, and in the end, the final effect of that agency, what makes it complete, is the hero asking her father for Mulan’s hand in marriage. I also note she is one of the least marketed of the Disney heroines. Except for Mulan, almost all the actions of Disney princesses still seem to be defined in relationship to their man.

In contrast, Miyazaki’s female leads offer a far more complex picture of what it means to be a person. They often have agency outside of their relationships to men. In Spirited Away, 10-year-old Chihiro risks her own safety to save her parents. The romance in the plot is tangential and works alongside this mission, rather than being a central focus of her life. This is true for many Miyazaki films, from Castle in the Sky to A Whisper of the Heart, which Miyazaki wrote but did not direct.

Don’t misunderstand; this isn’t a rant against romance. My two very favorite Miyazaki films are Howl’s Moving Castle and A Whisper of the Heart, both of which are classic romances that follow the formula to a T. However, the two heroines in these films, Sophie and Shizuku respectively, both have interests, a life, and a personality beyond their relationships with men. But it isn’t just a question of romance or not. As I was thinking about this piece, I couldn’t figure out why, but I knew I really didn’t like Disney’s vision of romance, and for some reason I really enjoy Miyazaki’s. It took a conversation with my daughters to define what bothered me.

Here is the link for the rest of the post. http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2012/01/disney-vs-miyazaki/all/1

Memes Make Writing Rules More Fun!

2011-12-28T10:36:00.000-08:00

A great grammar post from YA Highway.

Memes Make Writing Rules More Fun!: Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally.

My very educated mother just served us noodles. (Anyone else still sad about Pluto? Just me?)

They're mnemonics. They're usually silly. And they help us to remember random things. But in this lovely age of technology the internet has brought us something even better.

Memes.

They're not just for Chuck Norris anymore.

English is often coined as one of the most difficult languages to learn given all the rules and take-backsies of said rules in particular though rarely make-sensible situations. Never fear. The internet, as always, has got your back.

Everyone, every one. Alot, a lot. For help remembering when to hit that space bar . . .

Brilliance by Hyperbole and a Half

I'm not judging your story either way. Just be sure YOU know what you mean . . .

It's like the internet has eyes and sees into my documents o.O

tricky, tricky . . .


Don't lie. You've done it too.


Also not to be confused with Yar, which is, obviously, the language of the Pirate.

What are your favorite grammar memes?

Fairy Tale Photography by Irina Istratova

2011-12-28T10:35:00.000-08:00

From, Once Upon a Blog.
Fairy Tale Photography by Irina Istratova:

Irina Istratova is an artist from the Ukraine who has a preference for the dark side but this photographer/photomanipulator/digital artist has also produced some lovely fairy tale-like pieces.

I like that despite her obvious preference for the dark and morbid side of things she shares this ultra romantic tale on her profile of how she met her husband. I have to wonder if meeting him inspired her to work on some of the fairy tale romantic images posted here. :)

Irina Istratova

You can see more of her work HERE and HERE (but of course, remember you will see some 'dark' work there too).

Snow White by Jasmin Darnell

2011-12-12T18:19:00.000-08:00

Another fairy tale related post from, Once Upon A Blog.

Snow White by Jasmin Darnell:

Snow White by Jasmin Darnell a.k.a. yasahime

After my little rant about bad illustrations in my previous post I simply had to put up something beautiful. I found this lovely illustration quite a while ago and it immediately came to mind as a gorgeous contrast and an example of how the illustrations mentioned could have been handled, inspiring kids and grown ups everywhere to go find beautiful fairy tale books of their own to read. This illustration isn't even considered complete, according to the artist's notes!

This Kiwi artist is only just getting going in her career and I wish her the best of luck in her plans to illustrate anthologies of children's literature. I'd love to see what she comes up with. While we wait for that to happen ;), she has a small Etsy shop HERE and a gallery on deviantArt HERE.

And speaking of beautiful illustration, here are just a few of my favorite illustrated collections of fairy tales (as one might suspect, I have many!), other than my Lang and multiple Dover collections, which I adore (H.J. Ford is one of my favorite illustrators of all time). These covers are in no particular order and are really just the first few I pulled off my (currently very mixed-up) shelves:

This I like because there are so many world tales in the book & the illustrations are like complete story murals all by themselves.

What are some of your favorite illustrated fairy tale volumes?

Bluebeard Illustration Roundup

2011-12-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

Another lovely fairy tale post from, Once Upon a Blog.

Bluebeard Illustration Roundup:


Bluebeard by littlecrow (Ashley Vercekaites)

Bluebeard has been on my mind since the last Grimm episode on NBC so I thought I'd share what I found around the web (many of them led back to deviantArt accounts).

I always enjoy seeing different artist interpretations of a fairy tale. Every now and then you'll see something that makes you think about the tale in a slightly different way - and that's fantastic. Many of these do that. Others I included just because the look is so different.

Please do click on the image above at the head of the post and see it full size. It's simply beautiful and I couldn't make it big enough here to do it justice.

Links to the artist's site, or where I found them, are below each image.

Bluebeard's Gallery by hogret

Bluebeard by biffno

Bluebeard by BleedingArt21

Bluebeard Colors by charkxl

Bluebeard by Benjamin Lacombe*

Bluebeard by Thierry Dedieu

Le Barbe Bleu by ZhdaNN

Barbe-bleue by ThornBulle

Bluebeard by Yulia Valeeva


Bluebeard conceptual cover by Franco Spagnolo

Bluebeard's Last Wife by hogret

*Benjamin Lacombe is one of my favorite artists ever and I have two special posts in the making, waiting for the day I will finish them and post them!

Fantasy World-Building: Magical Rules

2011-12-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

Helpful post from Query Tracker.

Fantasy World-Building: Magical Rules:

Magic Circle by J.W.W. Waterhouse

World-building is different for those of us who write speculative fiction than for people who write stories based in the "real" world. Rather than examining the past for factual details, we have to make up alternate worlds. One of the most important tasks, then, is to establish the world's "rules," or perhaps more accurately, the laws.

By laws, I mean the factual kind that recur in nature. You can jump upwards as many times as you want to, but as long as you’re dealing with a g of gravity, you will always come back down. You can do your darndest to stop the ocean tides, but as long as the earth keeps spinning and the moon keeps pulling, there will be tides.

The same thing has to happen with magic. There must be laws to any magical universe, and to create them, a writer must ask herself things like

* Who can use magic and who can’t? Only people who are trained? Only people who have certain genes? Only people of a certain gender or race or culture? Why only those people? Must the power be awakened, or is it there from birth?

* What is magic? Where does it come from? Is it a force of nature, neither good nor evil, or is it a spiritual or eschatological kind of power only angels or demons can grant?

* How is magic used? Must the user cast spells, or is magic more of a generalized energy? Must he rely on herbs, or blood, or eye of newt, or are spell components obsolete in your world? Are sigils, runes, or incantations used?

* What price must be paid? If you fight gravity by jumping, eventually you’re going to wear yourself out. That’s the price. So what happens when one uses magic? And are the consequences the same for any kind of magic, or do they vary with the kind of spell?

* What are the limits on magic? If your character can do anything and everything, there’s no tension in the story, so what can’t she do with magic?

* Are there different types of magicians with specialized powers -- like necromancers and alchemists and prophets -- or are they all the same?

Your answers can’t be random, either. They have to make sense, just like the laws of our universe do. And you can’t be whimsically changing them because your character suddenly needs to be able to do this or that kind of magic. You should write your rules down and pretend they're set in stone.

One more thought: It's challenging to come up with new rules if you write in multiple fantasy universes. When you have a logical, well-defined set of rules that you carefully abide by, it can be hard to think beyond them for another story. This is part of the reason many authors set different stories in the same universe. If you have trouble coming up with multiple sets of rules and keeping them straight, don't feel bad about setting things in the same universe!

Carolyn Kaufman, PsyD's book, THE WRITER'S GUIDE TO PSYCHOLOGY: How to Write Accurately About Psychological Disorders, Clinical Treatment, and Human Behavior helps writers avoid common misconceptions and inaccuracies and "get the psych right" in their stories. You can learn more about The Writer's Guide to Psychology, check out Dr. K's blog on Psychology Today, or follow her on Facebook or Google+!

How to Network Without Networking

2011-12-05T11:16:00.000-08:00

Helpful tips from Nathan Bransford, past literary agent, now author.

How to Network Without Networking:

"Ferdinand of Hungary meeting with Cardinal-Infante Ferdinand of Spain at Nördlingen" - Peter Paul Rubens

I’m not the life of the party. I’m not someone who can step into a gathering and work a room. I’m pretty introverted in real life. And I’m not what you might call a mover and a shaker.

But I think of some of the opportunities I’ve had over the years, some of the people I’ve been so fortunate to meet, some of the places I’ve been able to go and things I’ve been able to do… and yeah. Lots of those opportunities came from my “network” (those quotes are me cringing at that word).

So uh… How in the world did I develop a network when I’m not good at networking?

You hear so much about how it's all about who you know, how you have to network, etc. etc. For me personally, it's not something I made a conscious choice to do.

When I look back, I think there have been two big things that helped, and they’re things anyone can do:

1. Do not think of your network as a network.

2. Build something.

Do Not Think of Your Network as a Network

I don’t have a network, I have friends. And I’m really serious about this.

The thing about the word “networking” is that it has a mercenary edge to it, like we’re just going to get to know each other because of what we can get out of each other. And not only is that completely icky, it doesn’t work.

Because who wants to get to know someone else just because of what they can get out of them? How shallow is that relationship, and how is either party really motivated to help each other out when the time comes?

Find the people who you like and whose work you genuinely admire, and invest in those people. Become friends with those people. Don’t force it, don’t do it because they’re successful, do it because you like them and actually want to help them out.

Obviously when your network expands you can’t invest equally in everyone who is investing in you, but give of yourself what you can and treat people with respect and pretty soon you’ll be surrounded by amazing people that you’ll feel incredibly lucky to know.

And that leads to #2.

Build Something

Building things opens doors. For me it was the blog and the Jacob Wonderbar novels, but other people have built groups or organizations or journals or a Twitter following or any number of things.

When you build something it’s more than just creating a platform or a bully pulpit, what’s amazing about building something is that it will ultimately attract like-minded people to you.

You’re putting a part of yourself out there, and pretty soon you’ll find that you’re drawing in other people who like the things you like and share your outlook and worldview. It’s an amazing thing, and I’ve found some of my best, real-life friends through the blogosphere and social media.

And ultimately that leads right back to point number #1. It may seem trite or twee, but look: You’re not building a network, you’re making friends.

Setting Goals

2011-12-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

More help from, Mystery Writing is Murder. Love this blog.

Setting Goals:

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

It’s getting close to the end of the year again…and I really don’t know where the year went.

One thing that I’m usually good at is setting goals and deadlines for myself. It’s really how I stay on track with the different projects I’ve got going on.

My problem tends to be long-term planning. My agent usually will kick me in the rear a little, trying to see what big picture ideas I have. But I’ve found when I’m really busy, I’m just trying to keep afloat ...not setting big goals.

The September issue of Writer’s Digest had an article by Elizabeth Sims entitled “10 Things for Every Writer’s Bucket List.” She included things like publishing a short story, taking a writing retreat, and freelancing.

I found the idea of a writing bucket list very appealing. It makes my head hurt to try to set definitive deadlines for specific long-term goals. But I sure as heck can make a list of things I’d like to do before I die.

I think the best way to make these kinds of goals is to not factor in any of the stuff we ordinarily would factor in. Don’t think about the logistics, the money, the time away from the kids. Just make a list.

What would be on my bucket list? Off the top of my head, I’m thinking that I’d like to try writing different genres and subgenres. I’d write a historical saga, a police procedural, and maybe dabble in lit fic. Oh, and maybe some noir.

I’d like to go on a literary-themed tour.

I’d like to try to narrate an audio book.

I’d like to go on a long writer’s retreat…the kind where I can be as antisocial as I need to be.

I’m going ahead and making my list. Because the way time is flying, I have a feeling the next ten years are going to pass by like a second.

What kinds of things would you like to do or try as a writer?

Article: How "Lost" Influenced the Creators of "Once Upon A Time"

2011-12-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

Another update about "Once Upon A Time" from Once Upon A Blog. Though I am still highly bothered by the Rumpelstiltskin character. Because if I remember correctly once you knew his name he was pretty harmless.

Article: How "Lost" Influenced the Creators of "Once Upon A Time":

Source

Just in time for tonight's next episodic installment of Once Upon A Time, TV Guide has released an interview with the creators, who also wrote for Lost.

Once Upon a Time Bosses on How Lost Influenced Their Fairytale World:

The duo began the groundwork for Once eight years ago, but it took working on Lost to really hone their idea. "We were really young and we didn't understand how to execute the idea we had. We called it our eight-year writer's block," Kitsis says with a laugh.

...Though the series is ripe with mythos springing from the original fairytales and what the Once writers have also created, the producers believe the real strength and appeal of the series lies elsewhere. "We never thought about Lost or Once really as mythology shows, even though mythology obviously is a part of [both]," Horowitz says. "They are character shows to us. That was the greatest lesson on Lost: Really learning how to approach the story through character."


Prince Charming & Snow White in Fairy Tale Land (ABC's Once Upon A Time)

...Horowitz and Kitsis have also pieced together their own "bible" to keep track of the Once timelines and character histories, not unlike the one used by the Lost writers. "It's just to keep ourselves straight as to what we're doing," Horowitz says. "But we're allowing ourselves freedom. It's not like we said, 'Here's what all three seasons would be, or five seasons.' We've got some goal posts, but we're allowing ourselves to create a freedom to change our minds."

I don't know if fairy tale enthusiasts were/are fans of Lost in general but it definitely has a Lost (show) feel to it. I'm hoping having writers and experienced producers like Jane Espenson* of successful myth-based shows on board will keep that mythology strong and, as a result, use the best aspects of Lost and combine them with something truly fantastic.

Not having a solid myth-base was one of the things about Lost that, well, lost me. During the first season it seemed to me that the writers weren't solid on the rules of the world, it's mythology or where the stories were ultimately going (something that the writers have apparently now admitted was the case, since the series finished). As a result it just felt like a prime time soap set in an unusual location (at least to me and others I know). I have much higher hopes for Once Upon A Time and hope it will ultimately resonate with more people than those just wanting character drama (ie. soap) without losing that audience either.

One fun thing to expect for fans of Lost are inside references and jokes in the set and script of Once (I hear there have already been a couple) and for Lost cast members to appear in very difference roles. Eg one very buzzed about appearance is that of Emilie de Ravin as Belle in episode 12. (Yes - it's Disney's Beauty that's being referenced here).

Details of her role are scarce, but we hear Once's Belle will have a connection to Rumplestiltskin. No word on whether the titular Beast will appear, but Gaston is slated to pop up as well. Source.

I just have to mention a separate little niggle here (yes another one): I really don't like how they're casting and dressing the actors for their various dual life roles. (I could write a whole post on this but it feels too early in the series to do more than mention right now.) Despite trying to echo the "Disney look" the results don't 'feel' like the characters to me but more like a trip to Disneyland gone sideways. For example, I think this look HERE for Emilie de Ravin looks far more like the character of Belle from the fairy tale (albeit a little too sexily dressed) than the above production photo. Then again, her fair hair and skin, although completely gorgeous, don't say "Beauty" (of Beauty and the Beast) to me at all. If I was matching her to a fairy tale I'd go with Sleeping Beauty. But maybe that's just me. :D

You can read the whole article with executive producers Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis HERE (it includes hints on what they know they have to achieve over the series and what areas are open to "evolving storylines") .

*Ms. Espenson dealt wonderfully with the many complicated worlds and mythologies created by Joss Whedon. She also wrote the Jiminy Cricket episode "Still Small Voice", which aired last week. To my mind, despite still having criticisms, it seemed more solid than the past fairy tale character-focused episodes.

Six Crucial Questions for Keith Blount of Scrivener

2011-12-02T11:58:00.000-08:00

From the NaNo Blog.

Six Crucial Questions for Keith Blount of Scrivener:

Each year, we interrogate one or two NaNoWriMo corporate sponsors on the OLL blog. It’s our way of saying thanks for the vital funding that our sponsors contribute to NaNoWriMo and the Young Writers Program. Today, I asked the generous, mysterious Keith Blount of Scrivener some hard-hitting questions about halogen light bulbs, children as coders, and the pernicious rumor that his software contains a virtual homunculus who will write your novel for you if you awaken it properly.

(And yes, that’s Keith in the Obi-Wan bathrobe, above.)

So Scrivener’s parent company is called Literature & Latte—clearly a touching homage to Letters and Light. Do you prefer incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs?
Well, as much as we do love Letters and Light, “Literature & Latte” was what I always intended to call my bookshop café—but unfortunately I was too lazy to run one, so I applied it to a software company instead. That theoretical café would almost certainly have been lit by energy-saving tornado bulbs with bayonet caps. Mind you, I also have as much of a soft spot for halogen spot light bulbs as the next man.

Literature & Latte’s About Us page reveals a somewhat shocking fact: Your coding, management, and marketing team consists entirely of children. How do you manage the quality-control issues that arise from having such young employees?
If we find a single bug, we call them wild things, then send them to bed early with no supper. (We’ve also told them that the term “bugs” is used because if they make any mistakes, bugs crawl out of the screen and into their ears and eyes.) That seems to do the trick, along with the fact that we have Matt Smith tied up in the L&L lock-up. The children know that he won’t be released to make another series of Doctor Who unless they get things right (the first time, thank you very much).

You describe Scrivener as an “unbloated” piece of writing software. What are some of the craziest feature requests you’ve received over the years?
The craziest ones are usually the ones that start, “I love your software but it would be great if…” and then proceed to describe turning it into a completely different application that tracks the amount of flour used in all the pancakes they’ve made over the years or something. We don’t get many like that, though - fortunately most of the suggestions and feedback we receive are really useful and not crazy at all. The phrase I have come to be most wary of in requests is: “I am sure you will make millions and lots of users will want to buy your software if…” This is usually followed by something particularly abstruse that only about four users in the world would ever use, all of them palaeontologists keeping detailed spreadsheets about philately.

Does the spell-check on Scrivener default to British English as part of your agenda to get Americans to use a “u” in the word favorite?
If only! We do get lots of Americans telling us we’ve spelled “licence” wrong on the website, though, and asking for a free licence in return for spotting the “typo”. (Webster has a lot to answer for, taking our crazy spellings with their Middle English legacies and turning them into something that actually makes sense.)

Is it true that the Windows version of Scrivener has a “Easter egg” hidden somewhere in the binder that will write your whole novel for you if you unlock it?
Who told you that? It’s supposed to be top-secret. Even if you find it, though, the catch is that it’s in Ukrainian and if you don’t hit “Compile” within a three second window, every third letter gets replaced with an asterisk. Also, it doesn’t write your novel, but the novel of the person who bought Scrivener before you. (This last part is a bug and we’ve cancelled Christmas until our child employees fix this, although at this rate we may have to take Arthur Darvill hostage too.)

On the Literature & Latte site, you admit that you still haven’t written “The Novel.” Is there anything we can do to help you get it done?
You’re already doing it! I finally sat down to do NaNoWriMo myself this month, after many years of either threatening or giving up part-way through. I haven’t exactly followed the rules properly as I have used the month to work on something I’d already sort-of started, but it’s been incredibly productive and, although “The Novel” certainly won’t be anywhere near finished in the next two weeks, throwing myself into it in the spirit of NaNo for the past two weeks has enabled me to see the way forward with it, get a good start and to see where it’s going. So thank you!

Thank you, Keith!

Grimm Confessions by Fans of the Series

2011-12-01T10:02:00.000-08:00

He he, I like Grimm too! Thanks, Once Upon A Blog.

Grimm Confessions by Fans of the Series:

It's no surprise there are fan websites and blogs popping up for NBC's Grimm, just like they have for ABC's Once Upon A Time.

This blog, which can be contributed to by anyone, is titled Grimm Confessions and not only highlights the thoughts - pros and cons - about the series by various fans but their wishes for where it might go too. The day after an episode airing is a good time to check the blog for new entries though they appear more often than that.

Here are some examples:

There are many gif captures and multiple gif "arrangements" (sees to be the new trend!) so you can check those out too. One of the most creative "gif groupings" adds lines from the song "Sweet Dreams" by Eurythmics (used throughout the pilot episode) and pairs the lyrics with key scenes to underline their gravity. You can see that on this page HERE (I've linked to the posters own page so it's easier to find). I wonder who thought up the connection of that song with Red Riding Hood? It works chillingly well.

Help for Dragging Plots

2011-11-29T21:06:00.000-08:00

I love the, Mystery Writing is Murder, blog. Even if you don't write mysteries specifically, it can help add that element to your story that keeps your readers on their toes.

Help for Dragging Plots:

by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig

My husband is a regular viewer and fan of The Walking Dead series on AMC.

It’s not the kind of thing I usually watch, but I’ve caught the show with my husband a few times. I know that a lot of writers watch it too, because I’ve see their posts in my blog reader.

Lately, the consensus of most of the posts I’ve read is that the show was dragging a little. That the plot wasn’t moving quickly enough, that there was too much dialogue, not enough action, and that the group of survivors seemed to be bogged down.

My husband just wanted more zombies. :)

But then, Sunday night was the mid-season finale (I didn’t even know there was such a thing) and the pace picked up.

There still weren’t a lot of zombies in the episode, but I didn’t hear any complaints from my husband. The writers had kicked the tension up a notch. I’ll be vague here so there won’t be any spoilers.

How the writers picked up the pace and made things interesting:

They pitted characters against each other in ways that developed the storyline.

They increased the tension by threatening a development that would put the characters at risk.

They added ambiguity to the situation by posing questions that they didn’t immediately provide the answers to.

They added a twist.

They put a character in a situation where he had to act against his own moral code. (Great internal conflict resulting from external conflict).

They added depth to supporting characters by showing other sides to them.

The reviews online from writers I follow were very positive---they thought the episode worked well….even without more zombies.

What do you do when your plot starts dragging?

WRITER’S BLOCK EXPLAINED

2011-11-29T10:21:00.000-08:00

WRITER’S BLOCK EXPLAINED:

WRITER’S BLOCK EXPLAINED THERE SEEMS TO BE A CAT BLOCKING YOUR WRITING

mebbe sum toona wud halp?

LoL by:

Stephs

Picture by: Unknown

Why Authors Disappear

2011-11-29T07:17:00.000-08:00

From YA Highway this morning.

Why Authors Disappear: Behind the scenes at YA Highway (the garage? The auto body shop?) we discuss many important things, including Kate Hart's sparkly eye shadow and that time in 7th grade meangirls chased me and romancing sweet Transylvanians, be they of the Veronica Roth or Rocky Horror variety.

Recently, we've talked quite a bit about when authors disappear – as in, they stop participating in writer's forums, neglect their blogs, tweet less, so on and so forth. Obviously, this isn't universal. A number of authors even increase internet face time upon publication; with flourishing blogs and must-read twitter feeds. But the Case of the Vanishing Author is common enough that I think it's worth discussing (in a much longer blog post than I intended, apparently).

First, because I'm kinda one of them. Second, and foremost, because I've seen some misunderstandings when it comes to why. Warning: can o' worms. Ready your fishhooks.

For me, at least – it is NOT (not not) because I think I am somehow superior, now that I'm published.
OMG no.
I can't swear there aren't diva authors out there, though I'm wracking my brain trying to think of any. But for every author I've spoken to about this topic, a sense of Now I'm published! superiority (ew gross) has absolutely nothing to do with their hiatus from the internet. To be honest, the majority of one- or two-books-in authors are still wide-eyed and blinking, wondering, how did I get here? What is that beautiful house? Where does that highway lead to? (Sorry.)

Busyness is another common explanation, and a valid one. Published authors aren't necessarily busier than aspiring authors, though. Some are tremendously busy, certainly, especially those with multi-book deals, who travel a ton and keep day jobs and rear children besides. But most authors, I think, are just super-busy in spurts. There's someone on the other end waiting for those revisions, so no lollygagging allowed. That accounts for sporadic disappearance, oftentimes.

Yet another valid reason is the classified nature of publishing. You can't discuss submissions to publishers, advance figures, contract negotiations, sales information, and that sort of thing in public. Or rather, you can, but you really shouldn't. For face-saving reasons, sure, but mainly because it's not the best idea to anger your publisher (or agent!).

But there are many other reasons authors taper off. Reasons that are a lot harder to explain, because they touch upon personal things like Stress and Anxiety, and a whole host of controversial topics.

Once you've landed an agent, sold a book, and particularly after you're published, suddenly there's this whole new set of rules in regards to internet interaction (in the YA echo chamber specifically) – rules that are hazy and changeable, depending on whom you're talking to. Even the boldest, most self-confident author has to worry about saying the right thing, and the wrong thing, and too much of a good thing, and offending reviewers, aspiring writers, other authors, other publishers, and on and on and on. It's an ongoing angst, and it pops up in myriad little ways, almost every time you engage in the online community.

SUCH AS
Thanking book bloggers for Waiting on Wednesday posts. Is that sucking up?
Clicking "like" on Goodreads reviews that resonate. Am I leaving people out?
Commenting on reviews of my books. Obviously a no-no if it's a negative review – but what about positive reviews? I mostly stick to reviews tweeted to me, but even then. What if people think I'm obsessing? Stalking myself? Help!
My blog. Am I talking too much about my books? About myself? Have I been published long enough to make my advice worth anything? Am I just shouting into the wind?

All of a sudden, writing forums seem scarily public. It's challenging to discuss books critically online, because almost every time, we're friends with the author, have met the author, or likely will some day. We're thrilled but also daunted by our blog and Twitter followers, our Facebook and Goodreads friends.

Don't get me wrong – in so many ways, this is all fantastic. I know it makes me choose my words more wisely, even when composing a tweet. (then again…) If something is important to me, I have more reach. But I'm ultra-aware how even minor slip-ups can spread. Moderate slip-ups can become memes. And the internet has a looong memory.

What's more, there seems to be a consensus that authors shouldn't complain publicly – that they should take hard knocks like professionals; suck it up and move on. I'm partially on board. Critical reviews are part of the process. (And super important to the community – hell, I read them first, even for books I adore.) And just because an author's microphone is louder doesn't mean they should sob into it, because it's depressing and also pretty boring, frankly.

However, I think it's disingenuous to suggest hurt feelings are for amateurs – that publication comes with instant impermeable armor. I'm no wimp (well, except when it comes to heights or carpentry) (or wormy things) (oh god, parasites), but I still hurt and grieve and angst. All authors do, I'm pretty sure. (If you don't, please share your armor vendor, kthnx).

But for all the reasons above, we keep it private. We share with family, friends, our patient and blessed critique partners. We retreat into private forums and email threads. That's good – you don't want to see my angst face, it's not particularly becoming. But it also means there has to be less participation in public venues, like Absolute Write, the Blueboards, Twitter, Facebook, our blogs. Especially in the beginning, when we're still learning to manage this crazy wild scary wonderful author career thing.

So when an author tapers off, fades away, vanishes, whatever you want to call it, it's important to know that it's not personal. Or rather, it is personal, but only on the author's side; and we -- I!-- hope it's only temporary. At least, until I figure out how to put on this clunky newfangled armor correctly, because I'm pretty sure my underwear is showing.

What do you think about disappearing authors? Do you wish authors were more vocal about stuff like this? Less vocal? (Fill in your own discussion question here ____.) I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Article: Upcoming Fairy-Tale Flicks and Why Movies Are Getting Grimm

2011-11-26T18:15:00.000-08:00

From Once Upon a Blog. I love fairy tales. Hope you do too!

Article: Upcoming Fairy-Tale Flicks and Why Movies Are Getting Grimm:

Movie still for Hanna

This is an older article (from February this year) but in case you haven't seen it I thought it worth a read, particularly as the TV series of Once Upon A Time and Grimm make this a hot topic at the moment.

It discusses how retelling fairy tales is changing with many recent and upcoming movies as examples.

Here's a quote:

The reinvention of fairy tales for the movies is nothing new, but this current trend neatly dovetails with the desire to cater to a smart, young female audience with increasing financial clout, an audience that wants stories where our protagonists go into the dark and scary woods and come out the other side as women.

You can read the whole article HERE.

If you are not familiar with the movie Hanna, you can read this article HERE to see why it's been associated with fairy tales.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse

2011-11-21T11:15:00.000-08:00

Brought to you from, Once Upon a Blog.

Grimm Brothers Brewhouse:

There's definitely a trend for exposing for the darker side of fairy tales at the moment, whether that's in movies, TV series or advertising.

Here's the promotional blurb for these new 'craft brews' from the Grimm Brothers Brewhouse in Colorado:

"Grimm Brothers Brewhouse is new craft brewer located in Loveland, Colorado focusing on authentic German style beers. Each of their brews is named after one of the Grimm Brother's famous folk tales, so each label features a scene from each story, but with a twist. For example, Little Red Cap (or Riding Hood) has an axe hidden behind her back, making her more dangerous than the wolf."

The Master Thief is the newest of these Grimm brews and was added just last week.

Each brew has it's own 'tale' to go with it too. There are the summaries, which also tell you about the type of beer and are included on the full label (see HERE for all 4) but the website includes the full length original tales too. For example, see the tale of The Master Thief HERE. Reading this tale again, I'm reminded of why it is often paired with Puss in Boots.

Now I'm thinking I need a beer, or four... ;)

*Source.

Pep Talk from Christopher Paolini

2011-11-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

Brought to you from the Office of Letters and Light blog. Though I'm not participating in NaNo this year, I'm still following all the wonderful pep talks.

Pep Talk from Christopher Paolini:

The YWP has hosted a lot of amazing pep talks this year, but we’re especially proud to have Christopher Paolini give us some mid-month advice. Christopher wrote the first book in the Eragon series when he was 15, and his most recent installment was an instant blockbuster (489,000 copies!) upon its release last week. Which one of our young writers will be the next Paolini-eque success?

Dear NaNoWriMo Participants,

No doubt you are currently hard at work on your novel for this year’s contest. As someone who once wrote 200,000 words in three and a half months, I know exactly what you’re going through.

So. Here’s my advice based on over 10 years of working to deadlines.

First, writing your book is going to be difficult. Know this. Accept this. Embrace this. It may be fun as well, but make no mistake, what you’re attempting is a major undertaking.

Second, pace yourself. Because it’s going to be difficult, you don’t want to burn out. Save the late nights and early mornings for the last week, week-and-a-half of your effort. You may be writing at a quick jog, but don’t break out into an all-out, fear-driven, there’s-a-bear-behind-me pace until it’s absolutely necessary. Conserve your creative strength. You’re going to need it. (On a related note: avoid making big decisions not related to your writing. A person can only make so many good decisions over the course of the day, and you want them to go into your novel.)

Third, if you haven’t already, think about where your story is going next. If you’re going to be flying headlong through the pages, it’s good to have a road map. That said, don’t be afraid to deviate from your plan if a good idea strikes you during the process.

Fourth, if you’re stuck, go for a 15-minute walk. If you don’t feel like going, that means you’ve been sitting at the computer/typewriter/paper for too long. Get up and get the blood flowing. It’ll make all the difference.

Fifth, don’t worry about punctuation, spelling, or formatting. Those are easy to fix. Instead, worry about pacing, characters, and setting. Get those right, and no one will care that you put a comma in the wrong place.

Sixth, a casual tone (like this letter) is quicker and easier than formal. Nevertheless, use whatever voice best suits your story.

Seventh, tea is a big help. Black or green tea in the morning—Lapsang Souchong is a favorite of mine—cinnamon in the afternoon. Why cinnamon? For some reason, it helps keep my mind sharp. Don’t have black or green tea later in the day unless you’re in your last big push, then you can have a second in the afternoon, when you start to flag.

Eighth, try to relax when you can. Watch a movie, have dinner with your family, blow up enemies on an Xbox 360 or PS3. Just don’t think about the book.

Ninth, try to reach for your word-count goal every day. But, don’t feel bad if you get less on a certain day. You will get less on some days. Trust you’ll also get far more on other days.

And tenth… don’t give up! You can do this! It may not seem like it day to day, but as long as you keep putting words on the page, you will get to the end of this. And who knows? People may actually like what you’ve written. And that’s the best reward of all.

Fellow authors, I salute you. Luck in battle.

– Christopher Paolini

9 Pieces of Bad Writing Advice it’s Best to Ignore--Anne R. Allen

2011-11-17T00:39:00.000-08:00

Another great one from, Mystery Writing is Murder, enjoy all!

9 Pieces of Bad Writing Advice it’s Best to Ignore--Anne R. Allen:

by Anne R. Allen, @AnneRAllen

Hope you’ll join me in welcoming Anne R. Allen to the blog today. Anne’s blog is a great resource for writers…check it out. This week she has a guest post from Lawrence Block.

Finding a beta reader or critique group is essential to any writer’s development. We can’t write in a vacuum. Nobody ever learned to be a good writer holed up in an attic with no one to review his work but the cat. (Cats can be so cruel.)

But it’s good to be aware that not all the advice you’ll hear will be useful. As Victoria Strauss said in her must-read Writer Beware blog “never forget that people who know nothing are as eager to opine as people who know something.”

Even worse than know-nothings are the know-somethings who turn every bit of advice they’ve ever heard into a “rule” as ironclad and immutable as an algebraic formula. Follow their advice and your book will read like an algebraic formula, too.

Here are a few critique “rules” I find more annoying than useful.

1) Eliminate all clichés

Unless your characters are wildly inventive poets, space aliens, or children fostered by wolves, their dialogue and thoughts will include familiar expressions. Don’t rob your Scarlett O’Hara of her "fiddle dee-dees" or deprive your Bogart of "doesn’t amount to a hill of beans."

2) More! Make it vivid!

Would we really improve Casablanca with "a hill of Moroccan garbanzos, yellow-pale and round, of the kind the English call chick-peas"?

3) Avoid repetition

Not necessarily. Beware what H.W. Fowler called "elegant variation".

OK: "It was a good bull, a strong bull, a bull bred to fight to the death."

NOT: "It was a good bull, a strong animal, a male creature of the bovine persuasion bred to do battle..."

4) Eradicate the verb "to be," especially in the past tense: “was” is the enemy.

Yes, it’s generally wise to avoid the passive voice, which uses "was" in the past tense:

"The cat was laundered by me," is passive and sounds lame.
"I laundered the cat," is active and stronger.

But sometimes the passive voice makes the clearest statement: "The cat was abused."

Real problems arise when amateurs confuse passive voice with the progressive tense, which also uses "to be" (with the present participle.)

"I was just sitting there when the cat owner punched me," means something different from "I just sat there when the cat owner punched me." Eliminating "was" changes meaning instead of "strengthening."

5) Put your protagonist’s thoughts in italics. No. Don’t. Unless your editor specifically asks for this, avoid it. Italics are harder to read.

When you write in the third-person-limited viewpoint, it’s read like first person: no italics or "he thought/she thought" necessary.

"I walked away from the 'In Crowd’. They were just a bunch of ill-bred alley cats," can be changed to third person with just a switch of pronoun/noun: "Pufferball walked away from the 'In Crowd’. They were just a bunch of ill-bred alley cats." See? Just the same.

6) Characters must behave predictably
Don’t let anyone tell you a character "wouldn’t" behave in a certain way. Only the writer knows if this particular truck driver would read Proust; this bride would run off with the florist’s mother; or that Maine Coon cat would pee on your Christian Louboutins.

7) Describe characters' physical appearance in detail.
When your English teacher told you to beef up that "What I Did on My Summer Vacation" essay with long, colorful descriptions of your new kitty, she was looking for a complete page, not preparing you for publication. Brevity is now and ever shall be the soul of wit. The only thing Jane Austen told us about Elizabeth Bennett’s appearance was that she had "fine eyes." Let your reader's imagination do the work.

8) Protagonists must be admirable
Saints are boring in fiction, unless they liberate France and get burned at the stake, and that’s been done.

9) If we don’t point out everything wrong, we’re not doing our job
Newbies make a lot of mistakes. (You did too, remember?) But if you list them all at once, they won’t hear what you’re saying.

They’ll hear a personal attack. When a person feels attacked, the brain shuts down.

A critiquer should tell you what’s right with a work as well as what’s wrong. When I was directing actors, I discovered the “sandwich” method is the most effective way to help someone improve: praise/criticism/praise.

All-praise-all-the time does nothing to help a writer’s work, of course, but neither does rigid thinking, power tripping, or misinformation.

My new mystery novel GHOSTWRITERS IN THE SKY was sparked by a particularly snarky and unhelpful critique workshop I witnessed at a writers conference many years ago.

GHOSTWRITERS is set at a Z-list writers’ conference in the wine-and-cattle country north of Santa Barbara CA. where a young writer appears to have committed suicide after a savage critique.

I couldn’t help the young man who was humiliated in that long-ago workshop, and I’m not sure I ever knew his name (I hope he’s a bestseller now!) But I wrote the novel partly for him—and every other fledgling writer who has been the victim of a nasty, misinformed critique.

Anne R. Allen is the author of five romantic-comedy/mysteries debuting this fall with two publishers, Popcorn Press and Mark Williams international Digital Publishing: FOOD OF LOVE, THE GATSBY GAME, GHOSTWRITERS IN THE SKY, THE BEST REVENGE and SHERWOOD, LTD.

GHOSTWRITERS IN THE SKY is available in ebook from at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk and will debut in January in paper. You can read more about Anne’s “chick lit noir” mysteries on Anne R. Allen’s Blog or her author page at Amazon.com.

Rules

2011-11-17T00:37:00.001-08:00

There are always rules no matter how much the child inside us wishes there wasn't.

I was watching the new show, Once Upon a Time, on ABC, and I had been fairly into it up until last Sunday. Without giving too much away I was watching the episode where they first introduce Cinderella. Now first off, yes, this is fantasy. But fantasy still has rules, and from what I could tell is that up until this episode the original fairy tale stories were still intact. But this episode threw me for a loop when it seemed that Rumpelstiltskin could move about in this world, and affect stories other than his own.

On the surface this isn't bad. The turn off comes from me believing that I understood the rules of this new world, and then those rules that seemed to be established were turned upside down. Now I hope that they will explain this later on, but if they don't I might not be able to get back into it. And all this leads to why the rules of the world you create within your story are so important.

These so called 'rules' give us a feel for your world. They make it seem more real. Would it be any fun if anything really could happen? Take superman for example... How interesting would he be without kryptonite? Rules give others grounding within your story. Without them we wander around unable to figure out why things happen and other things do not happen. If you tell your reader that magic is only done by women in your world, but then introduce a man with magical powers, you better have a damn good reason for it. In other words, you've got a lot of explaining to do, Lucy.

Rules also give your characters obstacles. Really, what is the point if everything is easy? If everything is easy, then there is no problem, and if there is no problem there really is no story. Stories need problems and conflict to survive. No one wants to read anything where everything is hunky dory, and nothing ever goes wrong. What's the point? We all know how its going to end already. Rules can help you in this task. The make the world feel more real, draw your reader in, and let them know that even with magic not everything can be solved with the wave of a magic wand.

It's fun to write with things that are not laptops

2011-11-16T19:47:00.000-08:00

Great post from Boing Boing.

It's fun to write with things that are not laptops:

Photo: Ryan Brunsvold

For MyLifeScoop, I wrote about 5 laptop alternatives. That writing always ends up on a computer is to be taken for granted. But certain tools encourage certain ways of thinking, and you might be surprised at how much freedom hides in the self-imposed limitations of a cheap notepad or a typewriter.

Your New Best Friend: The Writing Cheat Sheet

2011-11-14T22:37:00.000-08:00

Gotta love LitDrift!

Your New Best Friend: The Writing Cheat Sheet:

If you’re into this sort of thing, that is. But it’s pretty cool:

Says creator Peter Halasz:

Plots are covered on page 1, characters on page 2, and lots of tips to fill the whitespace.

I created this just before NaNoWriMo 2011, to combine all my notes on writing and storytelling. It fits all on a double-sided A4 sheet, which you can keep in your back pocket. I hope you find it useful.

Download it here.

NaNoWriMo Report Card To Aid With Calculating the Health of Your Novel, And Also With Procrastination

It’s November 1. Let’s do this: 25+ Tips for Surviving NaNoWriMo (and Being a Better Writer in General)

Now You Have No Excuse Not to Write

Ways to Master the Art of Perseverance

2011-11-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

Though this is not specifically about writing. I think we can all glean some helpful tips from it. Especially for those of us in the midst of NaNo. Keep going.

Ways to Master the Art of Perseverance:
Whether you’re trying to get out of debt, obtain a college degree, build a start-up company, or stick to a healthier diet, many of life’s most meaningful goals require a great deal of perseverance. Have you ever tried to tackle a difficult long-term goal and failed? If so, you might think that only certain people have what it takes to successfully achieve their dreams.

You’d be wrong.

In reality, accomplishing what you want usually comes down to one thing: the art of perseverance. It’s not an inherent character trait, so don’t tell yourself “Oh well, I guess I’m not one of those people who can do _________.”

Perseverance can be learned. In fact, you’re going to start learning it right now. But first, concentrate for a moment on whatever _________ is for you. Is it learning a second language? Running a mile in under 6 minutes? Writing a screenplay? Or paying off all your credit cards? Whatever it is, think about it as you read the rest of this article.

Below, we’ll walk through 7 steps that will make you a master of the art of perseverance:

Gain Inspiration from Famous Failures
To persevere and reach your goals, you will need to maintain an incredibly strong BELIEF in your ability to succeed, even in the face of (temporary) failure. One of the best ways to bolster this sense of optimism is to internalize the stories of people who have made the leap from failure to overwhelming success.

For example, in 1978, a man who had two university degrees but very few post-graduate accomplishments decided to run for Congress. After a grueling campaign, he gathered friends, family, and supporters to watch the results of the election, only to quickly realize that he had lost by 6 percentage points. It would have been easy for him to say, “Oh well, I guess I’m not one of those people who can win an election” -- and simply go on with his life.

Similarly, in 2000, another man watched as election results confirmed that he had failed to win a Congressional election. He lost to the incumbent by a margin of more than 2 to 1. He, too, could have easily said, “Oh well, I guess I’m not one of those people who can win an election.”

Instead, on January 20th, 2008, the first man shook hands with the second man as he passed the Presidency of the United States over to him. Their names, of course, are George Bush and Barack Obama.

It turned out they could both win an election after all.

There are literally thousands of stories like this, many of them less well-known but even more inspiring. (For a couple more, check out Chris Sacca and J.K. Rowling)

So what’s the lesson here? Draw strength from other people’s triumphs over failure, even if you don’t know them and will never meet them. Failure, more than almost anything in life, can feel painfully lonely. To fight the loneliness, find your favorite inspirational biographies and use them to remind yourself that when you fail it doesn’t have to be the end of your story -- it might just be the turning point where you decided not to give up and in doing so set the foundation for your future success.

Who knows, someday a person you’ve never even met could be getting inspiration from your perseverance in the face of failure.

Write Your Own Script to Combat Uncertainty
Sometimes we forget how powerful the human mind is. Believe it or not, you can increase the likelihood that you will do something simply by first seeing it happen in your mind.

Have you ever heard of Michael Jordan’s visualization ritual? Before every game, he would preview the game in his mind and see himself doing all the things that he wanted to accomplish during the game. By the time the game actually started, he would be able to act out the ‘script’ he had written in his own mind.

He wasn’t surprised when he blocked an opponent’s shot or broke away from his defender for a crowd-pleasing slam dunk. To him, that was the expected outcome. Jordan once described his mindset during games like this:

"I tend to be calm. Things tend to slow down. As I go into situations [where] people don’t know the outcome, I’ve already experienced them in my mind... So it didn’t seem new to me and I wasn’t afraid to fail.”

Despite his incredible natural talent and all his hard work, he needed a little something more to reach the level of success that he was capable of. Discovering the power of visualization was a key to achieving his dreams. “Once I began to understand that,” he said, “I became a master of the game of basketball.”

You can use this same technique to help you “be like Mike” in accomplishing your goals.

All it takes is for you to visualize the specific steps that will get you to your destination. If your goal is to get a job in a particular industry, start to visualize yourself going to networking events, calling potential employers, preparing for interviews, and receiving job offers. Visualize these things in as much detail as possible.

You’ll be writing a script so that once these things start happening you won’t even be surprised because after all, it’s what you expected.

Focus on Short-Term Victories
One of the things that can paralyze you and impede your progress toward achieving your goal is to focus only on the big picture. If you do that, it will seem like you’re not getting anywhere because your goal is inherently a long-term goal (remember, we’re talking about perseverance for a reason).

If you hired a construction team to build you a new house, and then you judged their success based on how the house looked after the first week, you’d be pretty disappointed. The ‘house’ wouldn’t look like much at that point because it would mostly just be a foundation. But of course the foundation would eventually make the rest of the house possible. By the same token, it would be silly to judge your short-term progress based on long-term measurements.

Certainly, your long-term goal is what ultimately matters, but you need short-term victories to keep you motivated and to gradually move you forward. So learn to congratulate yourself for laying the foundation for your success (sometimes on a daily basis).

For example, if your goal is to run a 6-minute mile, it’s possible that on the first day of your training you might barely make it all the way around the track. Rather than look at it as evidence of how far you are from your big goal (i.e. “Darn, I can’t believe I barely made it around the track”) -- which would sap your enthusiasm -- you should see it as the first mini-goal that you’ve completed (i.e. “Wow, I can’t believe I made it all the way around the track on the first day!”).

Your enthusiasm is necessary to keep you moving forward, and focusing on your successful completion of each small step will eventually carry you to your goal.

Banish Negative Thoughts
This is a pretty simple point, but it’s one that will make all the difference. Your odds of achieving your goal, no matter how difficult, are always between 0 and 100 percent. If you succumb to negative thoughts such as, “I can’t do this,” “I’m not good at this,” or “I’ll never be as good as that person,” you will sabotage your own efforts and eventually give up. Which means you’ll have a 0 percent chance of achieving your goal.

Instead -- and you can start this right now -- vow to make your mind a “No Negative Zone.” From this moment forward, you’ll begin forming a habit of banishing negative thoughts from your mind. You can picture them as little flies or mosquitoes that have come to distract you, and with your mental muscles you simply flick them away.

You’ll be surprised at how easy it can be, once you get in the habit of identifying and chasing away those negative thoughts, to stay focused on the positive and maintain your conviction that you WILL accomplish your goal.

Be Ready for Your Mistakes to Make You Smarter
Along the way, there will be times when you’ll make mistakes. If you’re going to persevere through them, you’ll need to prepare your mindset to accept them ahead of time. After all, mistakes are an inevitable part of your journey toward your goal.

In fact, you can even turn your mistakes into victories of learning. Be unashamedly proud of your mistakes and tell your friends about them and laugh together.

For example, let’s say you get your first interview for a job right out of college. You go to the interview and within minutes you’ve forgotten what you wanted to say and are stumbling over your words. This could be an unpleasant experience, to say the least.

However, if you’ve prepared yourself in advance to view each mistake as a learning opportunity, then you’ll be able to call up a friend and share the gory details (“I told the CEO that my favorite TV show is SpongeBob SquarePants!”), after which you’ll be able to re-focus and start examining the experience to figure out how you can make the next interview go more smoothly.

This way, you won’t be too hard on yourself when you make mistakes and get down on yourself to the point that you lose your motivation to keep striving. Having a constructive and forgiving attitude toward mistakes will help you heal faster and will allow you to use the experience to re-focus and refine your approach.

Let the Haters Fuel Your Desire
As you work toward your goal, you might run into people who subtly or explicitly question your ability to succeed. These are the “haters.”

Who knows why they choose to spend their energy criticizing or doubting you. Maybe they’re jealous, maybe they’re mean-spirited, or maybe they don’t have anything better to do. Whatever the case, it doesn’t matter. Because what you’ll need to do is to avoid engaging with them as much as possible. Any energy you spend on them will be wasted, so simply brush that dirt off your shoulder and use their hate to fuel your desire.

Often times, when people tell you that you can’t do something, it strengthens your resolve to go out and do it.

March to the Beat of Your Favorite Tune
Music has amazing power to shape our emotions and therefore our actions. If you discount its impact, you will miss out on a tool that has helped generations of people overcome the toughest of challenges and persevere in spite of real danger.

It’s no coincidence that the song “We Shall Overcome” became an anthem of the Civil Rights Movement, one of the ultimate triumphs of perseverance over adversity. Music can unite people and help them believe in something even when all hope seems lost.

Use that power to help you on your own journey. Remember that the tone, tempo, and lyrics of whatever song you’re listening to will influence your mood, so pick one that embodies the emotion you want to have.

There’s no shortage of inspiring music -- find your favorite songs that make you feel upbeat and confident, and listen to them when your dedication is flagging or when you’re in need of an emotional or spiritual pick-me-up.

And that’s the final step. So remember...

Whatever your goal is, you will do it. Good luck!

Written on 11/12/2011 by Benjamin Feldman . Benjamin is a writer and content strategist at Ready for Zero.He’s happy his own perseverance paid off in landing him a job at an awesome company that is helping people get out of debt. Follow him at @BWFeldman and read more of his work at the ReadyForZero blog.

Photo Credit: spDuchamp

How to Start Writing a Novel

2011-11-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

Here is a very helpful post from Nathan Bransford. If your still on the edge of competing in NaNo or just having trouble getting started, this is some well written advice.

How to Start Writing a Novel:

"A Lady Drinking and a Gentleman (detail)" - Johannes Vermeer

How do you begin a novel? Start writing!

Kidding. Kind of.

This is a question I’m asked a lot by people who have always wanted to write a novel but aren’t sure where to start: Where do you start? How do you even get going?

It’s not quite as difficult as you might think!

A mistake people make that deters them from even writing the novel or memoir they have always wanted to write is that they’re intimidated by how big the task can loom. And no doubt, it’s big and intimidating.

But the real trick is to avoid trying to imagine the whole novel all at once. That’s impossible.

J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien did not, contrary to belief, wake up one day having magically conceived of every spade of grass and glass of butterbeer in Middle Earth and Hogwarts. You don’t have to have everything figured out before you start. Don’t be intimidated. There’s plenty of time for detail work later.

When you’re starting a novel there are only two things you’re looking to find: Voice and Plot.

That’s it! Just two things that you can totally wrap your head around.

So. How do you find your voice and plot?

Well, as you may know, there are two kinds of people in the world. The outliners, and the pantsers. The outliners plan ahead and have a fairly good sense of where their plot is going to go. They map out the opening incident and the major plot points, with varying levels of detail. The pantsters just get words on paper and revise revise revise later.

Outlining can help you figure out your plot (and please read this post to make sure you have a plot), but there’s only one way to find a voice: Start writing, and keep writing until you find it.

Don’t worry about polish, don’t fret if the first chapter comes out horribly. Get words on page. Keep going. It may come to you instantly, it may take fifty pages, it may take a hundred and fifty pages. Just keep at it.

Check out this post on what makes a good voice, but the thing about voice is that you’ll know it when you find it. All of a sudden you’ll have it, and it will just feel right. It will feel like it’s coming from you, and not from those other novels you’ve read in the past.

Once you find your voice and plot you can always go back and revise to make everything is consistent and trim the parts where you were on a hunting expedition for your voice and plot.

But again, what does this boil down to? Start writing. You have nothing to lose and a whole world to gain.

To NaNo or not to NaNo

2011-11-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year where with all the other things you're thinking of there is one more decision to be made. Whether or not you will NaNo this November. There is still time if you want to. Just because we're a few days into November doesn't mean you can't make it. I, however, don't think that I will be participating this year. In the past I've managed to do NaNo and school and even a job, but this year I've got too many side projects. Too many other things that I've been doing, and would like to spend my spare time on. I'm starting on the long road of applying to Graduate schools, and there is so much to do.

Not that I won't be posting helpful NaNo tips, and advise. Plenty of the blogs I'm following are offering wonderful help to keep you going through the month and I'll be passing those along. As a participant and winner of the last two years, I hope to offer you insight as well in the furious and wonderful process. So write on.

Writing Rules: Kurt Vonnegut

2011-11-03T10:55:00.000-07:00

Brought to you from Lit Drift an excellent resource for all thing literary.

Writing Rules: Kurt Vonnegut:

1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.

2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.

3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.

4. Every sentence must do one of two things—reveal character or advance the action.

5. Start as close to the end as possible.

6. Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them—in order that the reader may see what they are made of.

7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.

8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.

[Image via.]

Writing Rules: Jack Kerouac’s Rules for Spontaneous Prose

Quotes from the “Angry Writer”

Happy Halloween

2011-10-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween. Possibly more as an adult then when I was a kid, or at least what I loved about it has changed with other aspects becoming more important. As a kid candy was what mattered, sure your costume was important, but only as far as candy was concerned. Nowadays I'm not such a big candy eater. What I find most exciting about Halloween now is the costume.

As someone who writes, and reads, in the fantasy genre Halloween in extra fun. But also a learning experience. That corset my heroine has been fighting in, well that's actually really hard to move in. Not to mention breathing. Good to know. How possible is it to flee in a long skirt, that depends on the terrain. Look at all this learning. Its a lot of fun to put our characters in fun costumes, and lots of times there isn't much thought into how realistic they actually are. Like all those female super heroes in heels. Seriously?! I don't care who you are, fighting in heels is stupid, and really all that would happen is that they would break their ankle.

Some would say, but its fantasy, it isn't real. But what makes good fantasy is not whether or not its real, its whether or not its believable. That somewhere, way in the back of your mind that small voice says, "Just maybe."

I Know, I Know, I'll be Better... Promise

2011-10-06T11:44:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. But again I'll say I'm sorry for my long absence. Lots of things have changed for me, and I'm just now getting back into the swing of my blogging.

I'll start with some awesome news. Check out Leah Cypess' new book, Nightspell. I loved her first book, Mistwood, but this one is my favorite for one reason. Check out the acknowledgements page in the back, and down at the bottom you'll find my name, Kelly Cruz. I had no idea that I'd critiqued an already published author's manuscript. I made the connection after she contacted those who critiqued for her making sure she got everyone's name right for the acknowledgement page. I'm super excited to have been able to help, and see my name in print (even if its in the acknowledgement page).

A Hiatus

2011-02-10T17:27:00.000-08:00

You've probably noticed by now that I haven't been around much. And for that I am sorry. I went from regular postings to nothing. And sadly I will probably be gone longer still. Not for good mind you. But just until I get my life sorted out again. Hopefully not more than a couple of months. But I can't say for sure.

I apologize again, and hope to be back soon.

Almost Over

2010-12-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

NaNo is over, so as always I am announcing my return to blogging. Yes, perhaps I'm a bit late, and I do apologize. But so much has been going on, and not just for me. Though I too have been quite overwhelmed lately. But sa la vi my friends.

Now we're moving into the holiday season. Which means: holiday books! New releases will be swarming the shelves in time for christmas. With everyone in the book business focused on these sales, now might not be the best time to send that query letter. Because, we're all human, and we can only do so much at one time. Those lovely agents you have hopes of wrangling have holiday parties, book deals, book releases, and family to focus on. So if you can hold off, wait until the end of January. Take the time to go back over your baby, and know that it will be better for it.

Happy Holidays!

Another Episode of: What I'm Reading

2010-11-06T20:38:00.000-07:00

So, a while back I read the first chapter of a book on agent Kristin Nelson's blog. Now some background on what I read real quick. I do like scifi, but its not the bulk of what I read, nor is it necessarily what I go to first. Romance even less so, not that I don't like it, but I have a short attention span. "SQUIRREL." So, I like my books to have a good amount of action, and things to keep me thinking and wondering. So when I read Gabriele's Ghost (a mix of scifi, paranormal, and romance), by Linnea Sinclair on Kristin's blog I immediately went out and bought it. That first chapter just hooked me right in.

Then I didn't touch it for months. Things happened, I got busy, and its hard to do reading for pleasure when I have to do so much reading for school. I'd pick it up every once in a while, maybe put it in my bag, but then put it back on my shelf.

Finally I brought it to my jury summons. Half of jury duty is just waiting, so out of the three books that I brought (because you'll never know what you'll be in the mood for) I restarted Gabriele's Ghost. And loved it. Yeah, so its not what I normally read. Also I'm a terrible blusher, which is not necessarily a good thing when reading in public. Don't get me wrong, the sex scenes are tasteful and not the bulk of the book, but even when I'm writing my own make out, or even single kiss scene, I'm blushing. Damn my pale skin and freckles!

Needless to say, I went out and bought the other books in the series. I thought it was a great read. And when I read what I'm most looking for in a story is something that is entertaining. A book that I get sucked into so much that even when I'm done reading it, I'm still thinking about it.

And that's what I'm reading now.

Remember, Remember the Fifth of November...

2010-11-05T11:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Guy Fawkes day everyone!!!

In other news, Happy Nanowrimo!

And as always my posts tend to dwindle down to minimal during this month. But keep in mind that I will still be posting notable writing info to the share feature on the right hand column of the blog. I'm constantly trolling for good information, and share all the updates from writers, agents, and publishers with all of you. So even if I'm not posting, check it out I've probably found something good to share.

Yes, yes. I know its not the same as listening to me. But between two jobs, school, and Nano, I'm severely lacking in the time department. In fact during the few moments I'm not doing anything all I really want to do is sleep. *sigh* Such is life I suppose.

So I'll leave you with this: My writer's dream. We all have one. Here's mine:

Someday I will be able to write for a living. I will buy a cozy forest cottage somewhere that gets snow for Christmas, that is a good distance from other people (because I've worked in customer service most of my life and am burnt out in the people department). I will have a cozy writer's nook, and be able to look out my frosty window to watch the snow drifting lazily among the tall pines.

What's yours?

Trying Different Things

2010-10-23T22:33:00.000-07:00

Ideas can come from anywhere. Personally, I get quite a few of mine from strange dreams I've had that have stuck with me. But trying new things is also a great way to get those creative juices flowing. Think about it. New settings and new people can give you a new perspective. Who knows what you'll learn from trying something new. Who will you meet? What will you see? So even if its not something you would normally do, that's all the more reason to give it a try. New experiences can only serve to give you new ideas. Not to mention the fact that you could have fun.

Writers do tend to be introverts. So working on getting yourself out there can help too. Making connections is never a bad thing. And hey, you just might have fun. Experiences can only add to your story, after all our stories are a part of us. Whether we like it or not our experiences shape what we write. The things we do and the people we meet can all be translated into paper. Even if its not always clear.

What does this mean for the writer? Well in short, it means don't stop doing things. Sure, writing takes up a lot of time. But if we let it, it will take up all of our time. And then we run the risk of our writing not ringing true with our audience. Because even in fiction we need to be able to relate it to real life. We're only human. Social ties our important to us regardless of whether they are with real people or the fictional characters of our favorite stories.

My advice... Don't take anything for granted.
From you strangest dream to a normal family dinner. These can all influence your writing. The question is, what you choose to do with them.

In the Beginning...

2010-10-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Never under estimate the power of that first opening line. Or, paragraph, or page, or even chapter. Like ADD kids with shiny objects, you have to grab your reader's attention, and you must fight to keep it every step of the way. But as LaVar Burton said, "Don't take my word for it." So here are some of my favorite opening lines, and if you haven't read the books, you should.

"Sometimes, I worry that I'm not the hero everyone thinks I am." Mistborn, by Brandon Sanderson.

"Linderwall was a large kingdom, just east of the Mountains of Morning, where philosophers were highly respected and the number five was fashionable." Dealing with Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede.

"Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the Western Spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun." The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams.

"In the land of Ingary, where such things as seven-league boots and cloaks of invisibility really exist, it is quite a misfortune to be born the eldest of three." Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones

Out of these four books only one had a prologue. There is no back story, no endless explaining. All of these follow the most important rule in writing. Hook your reader. And not just with their first, wonderful, opening sentence. But their words capture you through the entire story and hold you fast. The opening line makes a promise to the reader, that what captured them in the beginning, will only get better the farther they read.

What are your favorite opening lines? How do they grab you? And how do your own openings compare?

Do You Have A Book in You?

2010-10-08T21:47:00.000-07:00

Funny but True

2010-10-08T20:57:00.000-07:00

Here to brighten your day... Well, sort of.

A writer died and was given the option of going to heaven or hell.
She decided to check out each place first. As the writer descended into the fiery pits, she saw row upon row of writers chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they were repeatedly whipped with thorny lashes.
"Oh my," said the writer. "Let me see heaven now."
A few moments later, as she ascended into heaven, she saw rows of writers, chained to their desks in a steaming sweatshop. As they worked, they, too, were whipped with thorny lashes.
"Wait a minute," said the writer. "This is just as bad as hell!"
"Oh no, it's not," replied an unseen voice. "Here, your work gets published."

From here.

To First Person, or Not To First Person

2010-10-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

Personally I usually prefer third person narrative. But some stories do call for a first person point of view. And there are plenty of stories I like that are in the first person. I just get tired of all the I's. Currently, I've reached a point in a new story I've been working on where I'm starting to think it might be better in first person, than the third person it is now.

But this is no small decision and its one I would like to make before I move further on in the story. I don't want to finish a 65,000 word manuscript and go back and change it all to first person. I'm currently about 10 chapters in with an average word count of 2,000 per chapter. So if I want to make the change, now is really a good time to do it.

But I'm still wavering. First person is harder to write in, what with all the I's stuff. I do, both in writing and reading, tend to prefer the third person. But its not a hard and fast rule for me. For me, first person is just easier to do badly. Third person is by far the easiest. He, she, and it don't have the same overused repetitive feel that I can have.

There is however one thing that is pushing me towards first person. The closeness with the POV character that this view provides. That might be the decider right there. Everything is from the heroine's POV, and I feel like first person would connect the reader to her even more...

What do you think, dear readers? What do you prefer? And how to decide on such a drastic rewrite?

Let's Talk About Sex

2010-10-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to do a post on this for a while now. Being a YA writer, I know its a hot button topic, with passionate arguments all around. But long before I was a YA writer, I was a YA reader.

When I myself was a young adult, I liked the books with a sex scene or two. What kid didn't? But I didn't seek them out. I just read YA fantasy. And some of them did, and some of them didn't, and I didn't really put a whole lot of thought into that when choosing another book to read.
But what's important to remember is that me, and probably most kids, already knew about sex before we were reading it in fiction. For me, I'd been taking a state required sex ed class every year since middle school. We all remember the banana and the condom. That sucked! So it wasn't anything terribly new. What was new, was the emotional aspect. That stuff was never covered in class. In the books the characters have the same feelings, face the same decisions, and have to deal with the repercussions. They make good decisions and bad decisions just like anyone else.

Life has sex in it. And we can't hide that from our children. Now as an adult I feel that the YA books with sex in them are important. Stories teach us things, about life, good, and evil, love, and hate. Classes and parents taught the mechanics, and maybe a passing, you should be in love or married kind of thing. But beyond that it was just too embarrassing for all parties involved. But in the stories, characters had to face conflicting emotions, choices, and their repercussions. All that stuff that no one ever told you, and is probably the most important. YA stories told us that maybe that hot guy just wants to get in your pants. And how high and wild your emotions can run when your a hormonal teenager. And even deal with the aftermath of the crushing blow when you realized the one you thought you loved was only after some tail.

What actually bothers me most about sex scenes in books, are when they are clearly just added in for the sake of adding a sex scene. I want it to fit in with the story, to be believable. Not every story needs a sex scene, but some do, because that is what's natural and normal. And we all like our stories, even the fantasies to be believable.

What I'm Reading Now

2010-10-04T11:24:00.000-07:00

I think its time for another, what I'm reading now.

The Gunslinger - King
Forgive My Fins - Childs
Wildwood Dancing - Marillier

Remember one of the best ways to improve your writing is by reading. So when you're reading a book its best to keep a few things in mind. What do I like about this? What isn't working for me? AND, What can I learn from this? Don't worry, no spoilers here.

The Gunslinger:
Dear Steven King, though you are a writing god... I do not need to know every detail of what your characters are wearing. I think we can safely assume that the man in black, is wearing black. Lets just leave it at that shall we? Now I'm not a huge King fan, and I've read very little of his work. I liked this story because it seems very original, which is very hard to do in fantasy and science fiction. I didn't care for all the description, especially of the characters clothing (sorry don't care), and some of the swearing words used felt unnatural.

Forgive My Fins:
On library thing, I rated this book a four out of five stars. Four because I did enjoy it, which is really important factor for me when reading. But not a five because I found the main hero Quince to be a bit unbelievable, as in while he seems to be your ideal man, I don't know any teenage boys who act like this. There were a few other parts where I was like, really, in that Kyle in South Park kind of way. But I won't go into it because I don't want to give anything away. So enjoyable read, but characters are very important, and I'd like them to be believable.

Wildwood Dancing:
I've just started this, so I'll keep this short. I love stories based on old fairy tales, and this one certainly fits the bill. Although all the Romanian names are kind of hard, and I hate having to look stuff up in the provided pronunciation guide. So I've just been guessing with whatever I think sounds good. There is a lot of description, but its not bothering me like it normally does. The author weaves it in so wonderfully that when you get into the story, you hardly notice. Which is the way I like my description thank you. And you do have to expect some description, especially because the main characters are entering another, magical, world. And if that's a spoiler, you've got bigger problems.

So there is my reading update. And I like to point out that for me, when I read more, I also write more. And that is the overall goal here.

Comments

2010-10-04T11:03:00.000-07:00

Okay, so about a month ago blogger changed how you comment. And for the life of me, I could not figure it out. I know... I know... I'm just not the savviest of computer people, and my boyfriend who is refuses to work on my mac. But that's another argument.

SOOOOO,
I'm apologizing to everyone whose been commenting, especially Clarissa, but has been having a one sided conversation with me. I've figured it out. I will be better, promise. And I do love hearing from all of you.

Beautiful Words

2010-09-19T13:12:00.000-07:00

You all know that no one more than me hates endless description. And that description can be one of the worst parts of a book. The endless describing of setting, clothing, and looks. And then the constant re-describing, just in case we forgot. And all those extra words. Too much description shows you don't trust your reader, and won't allow them to use their own imagination.

But this doesn't mean that your writing should be sparse. Each word must be chosen with care. YA Highway illustrated this well with a wonder example from Shiver.

There was no sun; there was no light. I was dying. I couldn't remember what the sky looked like.

But I didn't die. I was lost to a sea of cold, and then I was reborn into a world of warmth.

I remember this: his yellow eyes.

I thought I'd never see them again.

--SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater

Now, personally I didn't really care for Shiver. Sorry Maggie. It just wasn't my thing, and I'm just so sick of twilight and anything twilight-esqe. But Maggie Stiefvater can put words together like nobody's business. But it's not just words, it's sentence structure as well. The flow, the built up, and the impact of her words as illustrated in this passage.

Which goes into one of my favorite issues to beat into people. You learn a lot about writing just by reading, and this is a perfect example.

Rules

2010-09-17T22:26:00.000-07:00

Share Function

2010-09-11T20:22:00.000-07:00

So I'm totally digging the google reader share function on my blog.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before... But I've been using it for about a month or so now and I think its a great additional feature for a few different reasons.
The biggest one being that I am on google reader at least once a day. I follow a number of agent, editor, author, and publishing blogs, as well as your, this is too funny to miss, blogs. When I find something that I like, or find to be particularly good advise, I simply click the share feature and a link to the article is automatically posted on my blog.

This also adds to the awesomeness of my blog with yet more helpful and hilarious information for you. I try to share information that I myself might not be so good at. This way you can still get everything you want, even if we're still learning together. I am constantly on the look out for new and helpful get yourself from unpublished to published kind of information.

So check out the new shared column on the right side of the blog.

Keep Trucking... Yeah Its Unoriginal, So What?

2010-09-09T21:25:00.000-07:00

I know I've said this before.
But I get ideas in the worst places.
Its usually when I'm driving.

I don't know what it is. Maybe I get bored and my imagination takes over. But never fail a drive can often clear my head and get me thinking. I just can't write it down because that would be, well, dangerous. I tried carrying a tape recorder for a while, but I found it odd listening to myself... But I digress.
What's important is that you keep going. Write everyday, or at least make an attempt to write. And I mean really write, make it a habit. And if you get stuck find what gets your creative juices flowing and kick your butt into gear.
Its really important to keep writing. It may not be getting your story anywhere, but its the time spent on it that counts. If your thinking about it, eventually, you'll get where you need to be. Unless of course you're driving while writing.

Hunger Game Mania

2010-09-08T09:11:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes people. Hunger Games in on my list of things to read. But so are a lot of things. I go and by the paper back cause its cheaper, but then the other two books would only be in hard cover. But I can't have the books in a set be different like that. (I'm having a hard enough time with the fact that they've switched Artemis Fowl covers on me). In the mean time my too be read books are piling up around me. So I'm thinking about waiting until all the Hunger Games books are available in hard cover. Or I'll break down and buy the box set, which ever comes first.

But in all honesty, I can't be the only wildly picky one who likes all her books to match. I don't mean every book in my library, just the series ones. Having half the Harry Potter books in paper back and the other half in hard cover... That's just wrong.

Your Pitch Should Sound Like its on the Back of a Book

2010-09-07T23:53:00.000-07:00

A query letter is a lot like a pitch. After all you're pitching your work to a perspective agent or editor. A pitch can also be when you already have an agent, and your tossing around new ideas. Either way they should sound similar.

1)It should hook your reader, who ever they are.
2)It should leave them hanging, and wanting more.
3)It should be the shiniest thing you've ever written, next to your manuscript of course.

You want your pitch to sound like something on a book jacket. You know, that thing you read when you're deciding whether or not to buy a book. Its the same when you're trying to get published. You want that agent (or editor) to read more. And just like the readers perusing the local bookstore, one of the first things you look at is that jacket cover for the book's description.

You'll notice its not long, or overly wordy. We meed the characters, but only know a little about them. Still we find ourselves wanting to read more, and if done right, your query (or pitch) will do the same. Here's an example of the latest one I'm working on. This is a first draft. It will go through many more revisions before I decide I've gotten it right. But its important to see work not just in its final polished stage. As any writer will tell you, story telling can be a messy business. So what do you think of my pitch and how do you do yours?

An oppressed people.

A captive Princess with a secret.

And a Crown Prince who doesn’t know where his loyalties lie.

Princess Raiden watched helplessly as her family was murdered. In one night her entire family was gone, and all because of one man’s lust for power. She would welcome death, but not before she’s made the murders pay.

Orin knows what his father did for power. He knows how his title, Crown Prince, was paid for in blood. It makes him sick. But can he really betray his own father, even if its the right thing to do?

To reach their goals, the Princess of the old regime and the Prince of the new, will have to form an unlikely alliance. But things can never go back to the way they were. Trust is what they need now. Will Orin understand when Raiden reveals she is also the cat seen prowling the castle halls? And will Raiden realize that the choice Orin made will most likely lead to his father’s death? They will have to let go of the past, or neither will have a future. But can they really bring something good out of the aftermath of bloody tragedy? Orin and Raiden will have to fight to restore a land in turmoil, and risk their lives to bring a murderer to justice. And just maybe they’ll be able to find happiness for themselves.

What am I Reading Now

2010-09-01T13:03:00.000-07:00

I've just finished 3 books in 3 days. These ones I figured I would like, but bought them kind of spur of the moment when Barnes and Noble gave me free express shipping. Being a member rocks, by the way.

Anywho, here's what I've just finished.
1) Everlasting by Frazier
2) Mistwood by Cypess
3) Brightly Woven by Bracken

I loved all three of them. So either I'm getting really good at picking books, or YA Fantasy has really stepped it up. Just like I talked about in an earlier post, one of the reasons I love YA is because it does merge so many different genres. I've got the fantasy world, which I prefer when reading. The side love story / triangle that mucks things up for the MCs, and the MCs having to do what's right, save the world, save their friends because no one else will and their the only one who can. I recommend all three highly for their unique worlds, memorable characters, and ability to take me away... And now that song is stuck in my head... TAKE ME AWAY!

The Dreaded Block

2010-08-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

I've noticed that there seem to be roughly two types of writer's block. (If you can think of more, feel free to mention it) But for the most part I can think of two. The first is where you can write, but everything you write you hate, and end up trashing it. The other one, the one I get when I suffer from the block, is not writing at all. This one is characterized by staring at your screen or paper, but no words come. Having time to write, but not being able to force yourself to do so. The second one, is my usual form of writer's block.

I tend to write in bipolar swings. For a while I will be really productive, and then not productive at all. But I do have a cure, which for me has been never fail. I read. I know, it does sound ridiculously simple. For a while I fought it too, telling myself I couldn't read another author's book while I was trying to write my own. Too many ideas would seep in, so I thought. But it turns out that that's exactly what I needed. To get the ideas going again.

Now it doesn't always work the way I want. Sometimes I'm stuck on a current project, I sit down and read, and will find myself inspired to work on a different project, or start a new project. But I'm writing again, so I've started to run with it. Just getting back into the writing no matter what I'm working on, will eventually transfer to my other projects. I just need that kick start. So I always keep a few unread books on hand. I buy my books in bulk to ensure I won't make it through all of them. That way, when I find I'm not writing during my writing time, I can grab one and start reading. I'm usually back to writing within a day or two.

Try my cure. I'm not even selling anything. Next time your hopelessly blocked, pick up a book. Make sure its in the same genre your writing in though. Yes, it does make a difference.

What's Your Genre?

2010-08-28T12:51:00.000-07:00

I'm in a reading mood right now. But not a writing one, never both at the same time. I just finished Everlasting, by Angie Frazier, and am busy deciding what I would like to read next. I recently bought quite a few new books and now my, to be read collection, is beginning to pile up. I like to have a few on hand that I haven't read for when I'm poor and shouldn't be buying books. Still with all the lovely sales online, I've gone a bit overboard. Which is leading to today's post.

I love the genre I've chose to write in. For as long as I can remember I've read in it. So you could say, its my thing, its what I'm good at. Because its what I have the most experience in. From Tolkien, to Gaiman and Adams, to Rowling. Which is why, for me, writing in the genre was natural. But lots of writers have trouble finding their niche. They have stories that don't clearly fit in any one, or even five categories. Now mixing of the genres is fine. All YA has that touch of romance, fantasy its mystery. I myself have even had a story critiqued where the reader thought I should market as romance instead of YA, fantasy. I was annoyed to say the least. The critique was based solely on one kiss between characters, in the first chapter. To be a romance the whole plot of the story has to revolve around the romance. But as you can see many genres have aspects of one another. The important thing is to know your market. What are you writing? Can it fit in too many places? If so keep in mind that it might fit in none. Like the main plot with its addition of subplots. Think the same way about your genre. Which one is the main one, and stay true to it. Sure you can have elements of others. But if they are all on par with one another, you've got a problem. Just like no clear main plot, this can be just as confusing. Instead of appealing to a wider base, you might find your appealing to no one.

I Don't Care, Which is Actually Your Problem

2010-08-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

We're going to do another post on caring.

Why?

Because I said so, and its important.

Writers listen up. Your readers want to know one thing... Why should I care?

Why should they read your book, story, paragraph, and sentence. And don't say prose. That's boring. We're talking good ole fiction here. When we read fiction, as readers, we want to be swept away. To travel to far off places, with larger than life characters. To have an adventure that we might not otherwise be able to have. Does your story do this? Or do you start by explaining to me how your world works? Or perhaps your character's childhood? Or how, sometime previous to when the story took place someone evil took control of the land? Well, if you answered yes to any of these questions, then I've stopped reading. "Why?" you say. Well, because as a reader, I don't care about any of that. At least not right now.

Though its hard to wrap your head around sometimes, back story doesn't belong in the beginning. Just like the words imply, it belongs more towards the back, around the middleish. And yet, its so hard for us as writers to do that. "But they need to know this," you say. That may be true, but at the beginning of your story, I just don't care enough. You have to forge a connection between your reader and your story, and back story or any history right up front doesn't do that. And don't give me that if they don't know this it won't make sense crap. Because if that's the case I still have only one thing to say to you: I don't care.

Your reader has to care about your characters, their problems, and the stakes. If they don't, their not going to keep reading. Remember what happened in the past (of your story) is very important to you as the writer of it. You need to know your character's history, your world's history, etc etc, to be able to write a believable tale. But your reader doesn't. And we don't care. Its not until after you've hooked us, drawn us into your world, that we want to know those things.

In the beginning your reader doesn't care, its your job as the writer to make them.

Three Important Things Easily Forgotten

2010-08-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

Recently I've been doing a lot of critiquing. After reading so many stories there are a few things that I feel are really important and seem to go forgotten. Especially in the unpublished work that I critique.

1) Who is the main character, and why should I care about them?

2) What is the problem, or inciting incident, and why should I care about it?

3) What are the stakes here, the risk, the conflict?

So many times these important things are never, or only vaguely addressed in a story's beginning. But these are the things that readers want to know right at the very beginning. Its a big part of the story's hook. Why should I care? It sounds harsh, but you have to make your reader care. Make them want to keep reading. And they will only do that if you can forge a connection between them and your characters' and their story.

Description... Lovely, Deep, Informative, and Boring

2010-07-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

Description.
It gives the reader a sense of place in your story. Creates the atmosphere your characters exist in. And is a vital part of the overall setting of a novel. It is also, boring. Seriously.

Have you ever read a page of description and found you don't really remember what it said? Skimmed through, wanting to get to the part where something actually happens? Stopped caring about all the intricate designs on the heroine's dress? Well, that's what happens when writer's go over board with their description. As writer's we want so much for our readers to see our world as we do. This leads to long lengthy descriptions, both of important things, and of the unimportant. The vase of flowers by the door, the wind in the trees, the color of everything from the hero's eyes, to his boots, and everything in between. Half of which no one really needs to know.

Description, like telling and back story, has its place. It is a necessary part of any story. But what writer's, especially the pre-published, can tend to forget is that there is such a thing as too much. Description, no matter how well written, can get boring. The reader wants something to happen. And no matter how well you describe something, each person will still have their own image of it. You can describe the castle all you want, each reader will still have a different picture of it in their mind. So, make sure your description adds to the story, flows seamlessly in and out, and never takes over.

Me as a Reader Versus Me as a Writer

2010-07-27T13:12:00.000-07:00

Like pretty much all writers that I can think of, we all began as readers. Sometimes the writer part of us forgets that. But we can learn a lot about writing from our reader half. As a reader there are many things I look for when picking books. I know what I like and what I don't like to read. And yet, when it came to my first finished story, I forgot a lot of that. Oddly enough, we all do it. Those first mistakes I made, are the same mistakes that everyone has made, did make, or will make when it comes to that first story. That's why there are hundreds of writing books, just covering these issues.

Think about what you like to read. For most of us we read in the same genre we write in. What do you like in these books and what don't you like? Notice where you skim texts, why did you? What about that part didn't you find interesting? Noticing what works and what doesn't work for you in stories that have been published, can help you make your own work better. Using what you, the reader, likes and doesn't like as reference for other readers, you the writer can cater to that.

For me it works like this. I don't like a lot of description. When I read a story overly filled with description of its characters, scenes, and setting, I start to skim. So in my own writing I tend to leave a lot to the reader's imagination; giving them what they need to jump start their imagination, and make my world theirs. What I really like is character's who do what is right, even if its not what's best for them. Character's doing the right thing no matter what, and a great risk to themselves. These are the kind of character's I prefer, and so these are the character's I write.

Listen to your inner reader. If its not something you would read, its a good bet others won't want to either.

What Writer's Can Learn From Science

2010-07-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

Newton's third law of motion is sometimes referred to as the, action reaction law. Simply put, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. So when object A hits object B, force is transferred and as a result object B moves. Even more simple: Because this happens, something else happens, which will cause something else to happen. Do you see what this has to do with writing?

For writers this is called, cause and effect. And you can write your whole story this way. You start with your character. Something happens to that character, which as a result, causes them to do something. What we get is action and reaction, or cause and effect. Your story can, and should function in this way. As a growing chain of events, stemming from one inciting incident. This happened, as a result something else happened, which caused something else to happen, and so on, and so forth. This is a story at its most basic. A list of interconnected events, that come together to make one gripping tale. GO SCIENCE!

My Words

2010-07-26T15:09:00.000-07:00

A cool word cloud from wordle.

This one is of the most used words from my recent posts.

Turning to the Writing Community for Help

2010-07-20T11:03:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of great information on the web for aspiring writers. Most of it is free, and I'd hesitate to pay for anything on the off chance its a scam. But that's a side note. The point is, there are a lot of people out there willing to help. Blogs, websites, crit groups, are all over.

But sometimes even with all the information out there, you're unable to find the answer to your specific question. If that's the case, I advise you to ask. Many of the blogs I follow allow for questions to be emailed. Now depending on who you choose they may be very busy so you won't get a speedy response. But hey, you know what that old Chinese guy said, "Ask and you are a fool for five minutes, don't ask and you are a fool forever."

So when I had a question, I decided to bite the bullet, and write in to a blog I find extremely helpful. I was really hesitant to do this for a few reasons. First off, you don't want to be that obnoxious fan. Not that I'm not a fan, but there's no need to embarrass yourself with, "OMG, OMG!" Okay, I'm not very good at it, but you get the idea. Secondly, people are busy, and I don't want to be bothersome. Eventually, I got over this, and promised myself I would not behave like some ill mannered twilight groupie. *shudder*

So I wrote in to The Other Side of the Story, blog. Which is run by Janice Hardy, author of, The Shifter, a great YA fantasy novel. If you'd like to see my question and answer go here: http://storyflip.blogspot.com/2010/07/feedback-frenzy.html

I got a great answer back. So remember, as long as your professional (and not embarrassing), there is always help out there for those looking for it.

Something Fun

2010-07-17T23:18:00.000-07:00

Who do you write like? Take the quiz. http://iwl.me/

I write like
Stephen King

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Note: You may not actually write like this person. This quiz is meant for fun and is not an actual indicator of your writing ability. LOL!!

I Told You So... A Post About Telling

2010-07-09T00:46:00.000-07:00

I've often said that too much telling and you have a list, too much showing and you have a movie. Writers struggle and argue about exactly how much of each you need, and exactly what is too much. Occasionally I've even gotten critiques where clearly the person couldn't find any glaring problems so they resort to advising you against too much telling.

Let's start with exactly what telling is.

Option 1: Jonathan was the greatest swordsman; dispatching his opponents with ease.
Option 2: Anna swung her sword without hesitation; falling into the familiar patterns.

Both sentences are correct. One of these is just a little better than the other. In the first I tell you Jonathan is a great swordsman, end of story. In the second Anna is using her sword and it appears that she is using it well. But the important part of sentence two is that the reader decides what to think of the character. Lets try another.

Option 1: Chris was a good person.
Option 2: Duncan stopped, and helped the lady find her shoe.

Again nothing is really wrong with either. But in one I am telling you what kind of person Chris is. But in option two I show you Duncan doing something, and it is up to you as the reader to decide what this action says about Duncan as a person. Option two makes the reader more invested in the story, because they get to make their own decision about the characters.

Telling is like beating someone, but with information. You don't trust your reader to see your vision. So you cut to the chase in an effort to make them see what you see. So when do you use telling? For me, I gauge the importance of what I'm trying to show. Important things like character traits, major events, and anything really important to the story should be shown. Telling is for the less important, but still worth mentioning, things. Example? Like how your character gets from one place to another. Unless the journey is what's important, I don't need a play by play. You can simply tell me that the train ride was long and uneventful. In short, interesting and relevant to the story things should be shown, things that are needed to explain or understand better, but are not necessarily the most interesting or story important should be told.

Conflict and Tension

2010-07-05T12:37:00.000-07:00

Once you've gotten past the first story issues. You know what I'm talking about... Too much over explaining, telling where you should be showing, and WAY too much back story. There is another issue that new writers tend to forget. Conflict and tension, yes it sounds like two, but they really go hand in hand. Feeding off one another, a writer can use conflict and tension to create a gripping story.

You know when your watching that scary movie, and the monster is just behind the main character, but they don't notice. Everyone in the theater is yelling, "Behind you, look behind you!" Slowly the monster is advancing, but still our hero is unaware. The audience is on the edge of their seat. Waiting. This is tension. Building up and drawing out your scenes until your reader is squirming with anticipation, and then making them squirm some more.

Conflict goes hand and hand, because every choice your characters make can lead to a conflict. The choice itself is a conflict. Do I take the right fork, or the left? Do I kill the king, or let him take over the world? Add tension to the conflict and your reader will not be able to put the story down. "No, you should have gone right, gone right." Or, "Why didn't you kill the king when you had the chance?"

Need to know more about conflict and tension? Here are some books:
The Plot Thickens, by Lukeman
The Fire in the Fiction, by Maass
How Not to Write a Novel, by Mittlemark

Books on Writing

2010-07-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've done a post on this. Which is a shame as my book collection is a library. Seriously, you can check it out here as its all cataloged online.
http://www.librarything.com/profile/km.cruz
But I digress. Out of these books I own roughly 40 books on writing. Now I have read all of them. Some were just a passing sort of read. Others I use like an Alabama preacher uses his bible. These books are pretty much the best of the best and can improve anyone's writing. So I thought I'd share.

1) Self Editing for Fiction Writers - by Browne and King
2) The First Five Pages - by Lukeman
3) Hooked - by Edgerton
4) The Fire in the Fiction - by Maass
5) From First Draft to Finished Novel - by Weisner

If you own any writing books at all, you should at least have one of these five. But remember nothing will help your writing as much as reading in your genre will. We will learn to get published by studying how others got published. I'll leave you with this:

"Not just once upon a time, but... In the long secret dust of ages, beneath a blue forgotten sky, where trade winds caress the sun bleached shores of unknown realms..."
-Brian Jacques, author of the Redwall Series

Now that's prose!

My Idea, Your Idea, He, She, It's Idea

2010-06-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

Today kiddies, we're going to talk about books. Well sort of, in a round about way.

As writers we are also readers. In fact we were readers long before we were writers. And as writers we continue to share our work with each other (in the writing community) and the world. In fact an important step when it comes to writing is sharing you work, getting valuable feedback from those also in the writing community. And we do all this in the hopes of making our stories, better and publishable.

Reading also makes our own stories better. And my favorite authors are also great sources of inspiration. Gaiman, Jones, McKinley, Riordan, the list goes on. Note that I said inspiration. Plagiarism is wrong, people. For those of you who don't know, Plagiarism is when you take another person's, words, characters, ideas, and try to pass them off as if they were your own. Now there is always some overlap when it comes to fiction writing, see Harry Potter versus Skin Hunger (both are about boy wizards and magic school, but are two totally different stories). Some would say no idea is original, only your take on it is. Remember, you just have to be cautious and aware of it.

But there is one published author I refuse to read. If you really must know who they are, toss me a comment and I'll email it to you. But I'm not here to bash. Though they are currently a successful published author, before they were published they were involved in a plagiarism scandal. For a writer this is about the greatest offense, next to killing someone, we can commit. I will never buy her books because I feel that she has broken a trust within the writing community. We trust one another with our work, to read, give feed back, and be our cheerleaders on the side line. That trust was broken, so you get none of my money.

Sometimes Help isn't all that Helpful

2010-06-25T17:09:00.000-07:00

Critique groups are great. Its an easy way to get feed back on your writing. But when no one can agree on what's wrong or what's right, what's a writer to do?

Sadly, through all my web searching, and research, I've yet to find an answer. So anyone who knows, be my guest.

A project I've been working on for a while has recently gone up for review. Most of the feedback I've been getting has either been, "I love this," or, "I hate this". And comments on grammar, which I know I have grammar issues. I use critiquers to help me polish that up. But this time around no one can agree on which grammar is a problem and which is not. In fact I haven't had anyone comment on the same thing. All this boils down to a very useless fact: No one thing, done right or wrong, stands out. How do you work with that?

Why Having Thick Skin is a Must

2010-06-11T18:55:00.000-07:00

Sometimes people say hurtful things. Its just a fact of life. And sometimes people say things that we don't want to hear. That top looks awful on you etc, etc, and that sucks too. But if you want to be a writer, learning to deal with comments you may or may not want to hear is a must. Everyone will have an opinion about your work. And even the most helpful comments can hurt. Now not all of the feedback you get will be constructive and that is part of the journey too. But learning to look past the... "What do you mean this isn't gold?" feelings that you're having right now when you read a critique is a must.

Sometimes the critique that praises you the most is the least helpful. Sure they loved it, but that last agent didn't. They even went out of the way to make you feel bad. So the more critiques the better. Learning to find the helpful information amongst the not so helpful is a process. So here are some tips.

1) Its in the details.
Seriously. Do they point out where something was wrong? Do they tell you why? And do they suggest how this might be fixed? Anyone can say this didn't work. But what is this? Examples are helpful and someone who is taking the time to give them to you, is a keeper critiquer. Anyone can say they didn't like your main character. But what about them didn't you like? If you can't tell me why, then I'm not taking you all that seriously.

2) Length.
No I don't need or want you to write me a novel back. But a sentence on plot, one on characters, and one on description just doesn't cut it. There is just no way you can be detailed enough. But the opposite is just as true. Is the critique just as long as the piece that was critiqued? Well either everything is wrong with your story, or you've got a fluff problem. The definition of fluff: useless words for the sake of adding words. Fluff, just don't do it. Say what you need to say to be clear, no more and no less.

3) Answering Questions.
Sometimes you will need clarity. A good critiquer will answer any questions or concerns you might have. This is a hard one. For some, after the critique they are done. Sure they read your thank you note, but they're not going to write you back if you also asked them questions in said note. This isn't a must. But its a sign of a great critiquer.

Remember harsh words make for shiny stories. You need someone to tell you the truth about your story. The whole truth, the good, the bad, and the ugly of it. Otherwise, you'll never get any better.

The Importance of Hooking

2010-06-02T16:56:00.000-07:00

New writers often feel the urge to explain themselves.
They load down their stories with history, and background information, and characters sharing long conversations. This can also be referred to as an info-dumping. Where us, the readers, are bombarded with information and sadly most of it is unnecessary. Its also, BORING. Why? Because nothing is happening. The author is simply telling us things and what should be a story, becomes an outline. One bullet point after another, and soon I'm skimming, looking for the next bit of excitement, or worse I put it down all together.
First off its important to remember that everyone did this when they started out. When you are writing usually your main goal is to have others read your work. To do that, you have to make them read, you have to hook them. And not just once, but again and again. It is up to you the writer to make your reader want to read. Think back to your favorite stories, how do they give you the information you need to know? How do their stories begin? Did they need lengthy back story throughout?
Its hard not to explain. We want our readers to see our vision as we do. But over explaining tells you reader you don't have faith in them. That you don't trust them to understand you story. It leads to nothing but your story being set aside unfinished. Hook them and never let them go. Make sure the information you are giving is absolutely, need to know.

Back to Critters

2010-05-31T23:33:00.000-07:00

I've decided that I have more time. At least I think I have more available time. Either way I joined back up with Critters to critique stories and be critiqued. I was a member before, but with full time school and a full time job I found myself overwhelmed with too many things. But I found myself doing a bit more writing lately and I'd like to have someone critique it. As much as I'd like to have friends read it. I prefer strangers to read my work. This is for two reasons.

1) Strangers are more honest and brutal. They don't know you so they don't care if they hurt your feelings. Not like your friends do, and everything you write that your mom reads is gold. If you want to get published, you need honest feed back and you can't always get that from those who are close to you.

2) What if I suck? I don't want my friends to know if my writing sucks. I only want them to know if I rock out loud. Seriously I have to see and talk to these people. I respect some of them. I don't want them to know if I'm bad at my semi-obsessive hobby. Nor do I want to put them in the place of having to tell my I'm bad at it.

So I re-joined Critters and submitted for critique my latest finished project, Guardian's Gift. This also means I'm critiquing again, watch out, I'm honest... Brutally. And I expect nothing less when its my turn. You can't be a writer if you don't have thick skin.

Query, Yay or Nay...

2010-05-17T18:52:00.000-07:00

Faren Weir is about as magical as the couch in her living room. But when your brother can read minds, and your best friend is an elf, being normal is the last thing you want to be.

Painfully aware that she could be the first Guardian of the magical world born without magic, Faren is struggling to find her place. High school isn’t helping either. When the Oracle swoops in with a strange prophecy Faren’s magical worries double. Especially when tall, dark, and wolf, Adrian shows up. But have they met before? And maybe the Oracle isn’t so off her rocker? But there are defiantly some secrets being kept and its starting to look like her family is in on it. Adrian might be the only one she can trust, and when he disappears its time to run away after him. Turns out everyone was hiding something and that’s why they’ve been taken. There’s no time to be mad at them now. But saving them means coming face to face with Faren’s arch-nemesis Blair. Should have known it was the cheerleader.

Guardian’s Gift, is a 50,000 word YA, fantasy. I know you are busy and I thank you for the time you have spent on my query.

Sincerely,
Someday an Author

Something Just Doesn't Feel... Right

2010-05-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

I went to a new aikido dojo the other day to check it out and get the vibe of it. I've been out of aikido for about two years now, and I miss it terribly. So with the hopes of getting back in, I paid a visit to the dojo and watched a class. Sadly, when I left, I felt unexcited. I can't put my finger on exactly what it is that is turning me off. Its not my old dojo, which I do miss. Its smaller, quieter, and the measure progress in a way my other dojo did not. But different is not a problem. My boyfriend says I should just attend a couple of classes and actually participate, and I'll feel better about it. But I'm really unsure about that.

So to tie this to writing.
You know when you've written something and it just doesn't work. But there really isn't one specific reason for it not working. Just little things here and there. But all of the little things come together to make one big feeling of, well, unexcitedness. All together its not working for you, but you can't pick out something to fix. Sure you try. Maybe if I jazz this up? Or throw in a bit more action here? But your still left with that uncomfortable feeling eating away at your insides. You can't move on. You have to know what's wrong, it has to be fixed.

Perhaps its time to scrap it? You know when something is not working. Sometimes the best way to fix it is to scrap it and start again. It isn't just one thing, its the whole thing that's not working for you. Maybe I'll try a practice at the dojo, we'll see. Or maybe I'll scrap it and try something new.

To Series or not to Series

2010-05-06T12:16:00.000-07:00

Recently I've actually had time to do some pleasure reading. Something I almost never have time for during school, due to the fact I have so much school reading to do. But I'm in finals week now, and I don't have that many finals this time around so I've been devouring my standby books. I tend to by books in bulk to ensure that I always have something to read.

As a fantasy author, and reader, I love the series. Percy Jackson by Riordan, Artemis Fowl, by Colfer, Temeraire by Novik. I could go on. My point being that for me series books aren't a turn off. I like being able to get into a world I enjoy again and again. Because after an amazing book is finished, the end, no other book after, I'm often left with that wistful longing to go back, for more. Which brings me to my point for today's post.

I've been reading and loving Melissa Marr's, Wicked Lovely series. Currently there are four books with a fifth coming. I find the first book to always be the most important, its the one that brings your reader into the world and makes them want to stay there. The characters in the first book, for me, become the most important ones. Now in the series books I mentioned before all the series follow the same main characters give or take. This is mostly true for the Wicked Lovely books with an exception I find important. The characters from the first book, whom I'll call the originals, as they were the original characters I met and fell for, are the main characters for only the first and third book. They are not completely absent from the other two books, but they are not the MAIN characters. The story does not revolve around them in the second and fourth book.

Now don't get me wrong, I really enjoy this series. But I find I don't like the second and fourth books as much only because of the characters. Its not that these other characters aren't good, or interesting. But for me they are not the originals. I constantly find myself wondering what the original characters are up to. These characters aren't as important to me as those in the first story. When they came back in the third I was thrilled and I believe they come back in the fifth book as well, at least I'm hoping so.

Now one of my favorite book series, is McKinley's Hero and the Crown, and The Blue Sword. But each book is also a stand alone and characters for the most part do not cross over. There is reference to the characters in the first book as legends in the second book. But basically they are a series only because they take place in the same world. The amount of "time" between the two stories is such that the two sets of main characters cannot exist together. I think this makes it easier for me to accept new characters in an existing world.

At the same time The Enchanted Forest Chronicles, by Wrede, follows different characters, but they are all the original characters and who the main POV is the thing that changes, all the same characters are there.

So to wrap this up. I like series books. I like Marr's Wicked Lovely books. But I don't like when she brings in new characters, or characters who were minor to those I fell for in the first book, as main characters. I don't know what it is, but the entire time I was reading the second and forth books all I wanted was to get to the part with the original characters and the others were just getting in the way. WHEW!

When Not to Submit

2010-05-02T10:01:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you exactly when your ready to submit. Its a gamble each and every time. In the end only you know if what your sending out is the absolute best of your ability. But I can, with certainty, tell you when you shouldn't.

1) When you've just finished your manuscript.
You've typed, "The End". Not literally, but figuratively. Seriously, do not end with, the end. You've finally reached the end of your story after months or years, it is done. NO ITS NOT! Don't send that out. Who knows what you decided to add or subtract halfway through. What characters show up only to never be seen again without explanation. You need to edit. Someone besides you needs to read it. Writing it was easy, but now you have to polish. Polish that baby until it shines.

2) Your mom read it and loved it.
Well of course she did. She's your mom. This does not mean that ANYONE else will love it, or even like it. Agents and editors also don't care what your mom likes. Friends and family can give you good advise. But to truly get useful advise, strangers work best. This is not time for stranger danger. Find a critique group, a local writing club. Find someone who doesn't care about your feelings. Sure it will hurt, really hurt. But this is the only way you'll get useful feedback. Better toughen up your skin now, because if your published thousands of strangers may be reading it, spouting off harsh critiques.

3) You've edited it, and it looks better than it did.
Okay... But is it the best it can be? There is absolutely nothing you can do to make this better? No scenes you're kicking around in your head thinking, "That just might work?" Nothing. Are you sure?

All these things can serve to make you paranoid. Only you will know when you're ready to take the big leap and start querying. But keep in mind that this is a big step. And you only get one chance. I don't think I can stress that enough. Every project has one shot, so make it your best shot.

The Dreaded Edit

2010-04-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know anyone who upon finishing their first draft is ready to start sending it out for publication. I'm not saying there aren't people like that, but seriously, every newly finished story needs at least a once over. There are loose ends that need to be tied up. Characters who show up and then are never seen again. Ideas you were toying with, but never went anywhere. My draft is often filled with these. Because, lets face it, sometimes where you thought you were going isn't where you end up.

This is where the dreaded edit comes in. I call it dreaded, because for me, it never fails that when I go back through to spiffy up my draft I get stuck. I tear my story to shreds in an attempt to make it better, and find myself sitting amongst the pieces unable to put them back together. Many a first draft of mine have suffered this fate. To be finished, taken apart, and never put back together again.

I'm going to propose an interesting solution to my problem. Because editing your story is important. Never finish a story and immediately send it out. I cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure what your submitting it the absolute best it can be. Because you don't get a second chance in the publishing world. With that in mind, I think part of my editing problem is that I don't think my writing is good enough. Eventually a new story comes along and seduces me with promises of greatness, and I leave my broken stories where they lie. Another problem could be the story itself. Is it interesting enough? Is it good enough? Am I passionate enough?

These are all questions you should ask yourself when going back through your story. If you find yourself unable to finish, or work on your project, sit down and ask yourself why? So I'll leave you with some words from Stanislaw J. Lee. "Advice to writers: sometimes you just have to stop writing, even before you begin." This does not mean give up. But you need to learn to look at your story objectively. If you find yourself unable to work on it, that might mean others will be unable to read it.

Beginnings, Middles, and Ends

2010-04-08T20:55:00.000-07:00

We all have our strong suits. The part of the story that we're really good at, and the part that we're not so good at. For most a story can be divided up into three distinct parts. The beginning, the middle, and the end. All stories have these three things. Most of us, unless you're amazing, will only be good at one to two, but sadly not all three. We get to that one section of the story that's harder to write than all the rest.
For me that part is the middle. If I had to pick which I feel best at, I would have to say beginnings. Then it usually falls apart in the middle, but I almost always know where I want to end up. For me that makes my story particularly hard. I find middles to be the hardest part. I know where I begin and where I end, but not how I get there. Middles can be a terrifying part for a lot of authors. Its where your story can bog down, become boring, or just useless fluff. And nobody likes fluff.
But this is just me. You might have a hard time with a meaningful ending, or an edge of your seat beginning. A technique I've found useful is to not write chronologically. Don't get me wrong, this is how I prefer to write. But it doesn't always work. Sometimes you just get stuck, but there's this scene in the future that you just can't get out of your head. And you've been having to wait until you get there to write it and now your stuck, and not writing. So skip ahead. Writing is the important part. If there's a part your stuck on, skip it. That's my advice. Move on, keep going, and come back later when your fresh. Because as you write, you generate new ideas, things come together in your story that you might not have noticed were there. And maybe you learn the scene you had been stuck on, well it sucked, and needs something better. But you never would have known if you'd sat back there thinking about it. Sometimes we just need to push ahead with the story and fill in some of the gaps later.
It will be okay, I promise. You'll go back, you'll fix it, it won't stay that way. What's important is that your writing and moving forward with your story. Because staring at a blank page is getting you and your characters nowhere fast.

Umm, and to you!

2010-03-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

Certainly I want to be a published author. But sometimes I am very grateful I am not. Case and point: I haven't had time to blog, to write, or to do something even mildly relaxing. If I was published. I'd have all sorts of deadlines, I'd need to be meeting. And right now I just don't have the time. So right now, at this very moment, I am happy to be unpublished. I know I won't say this when I have my free time back. But I believe that I can be published. This is merely a bump in the road as I sort out rising tuition, a failing job market, and the possibility that I may never be able to retire like the generations before me.

Certainly things are bad for many people. At least I have a job. At least I can incur debt to go to school. Is that how you spell incur? And I still do have my writing. Whether or not it brings me fame or fortune, I know that my drive will lead to my being published. But not right now. Right now I don't have the time that is required of an art form. Perhaps I am a starving artist... But they still find time to work their art. For now it has to be set aside. I feel bad for falling behind on my blogging, if only for the few of you who read. I'll try to be better. Because even this, at its very least, is still writing. Is still a practice and honing of my skills. I am still writing. But publishing, for now, has been put on hold.

Chapter One

2010-03-15T11:48:00.000-07:00

Here is chapter one of my current project. Just to let you know that I am in fact still here, and still writing. Feel free to leave comments on what you think.

For my sixteenth birthday I was getting a trip to the Oracle.
While other girls got parties and cars, I had to spend the afternoon with some crazy stranger who saw apocalyptic visions of the future. I had begged and pleaded, but it didn’t matter. My parents wouldn’t budge, I hadn’t expected them to. It was one of the Guardian’s oldest traditions, and magic or not, there was no way out.
“You’re lucky the Oracle is nearby,” said my Mom. “When I was your age she was still in Greece.” She gave me a reassuring smile and patted my leg. I sighed and continued starring out the passenger side window. My friends had thought my parents awful when I told them we weren’t doing anything for my birthday. Part of me, a small part, felt bad for making them the villains. But really what was I supposed to say. “I’m going to participate in some ancient, magical, rite of passage.” Yeah that would go over well. I sighed again and sank lower in the seat; this was going to be a bad day.

An hour later we pulled up at the Oracle’s, I guess you would say office. The inside looked uncomfortably like a psychiatrist’s, but with Greek columns. Inside the waiting room was empty except for a mousy looking secretary, who gave us a hard look over her glasses as we took seats. Though it appeared that no one else was there, and no one left, we waited for at least a half an hour. There weren’t even any magazines to look at.
“Faren Weir,” the secretary called. I jumped as she broke the silence. “The Oracle will see you now.” She turned her head indicating the only other door in the room.
“Smile dear,” my Mom called after me.
“Yeah sure,” I mumbled. The door closed silently behind me.
This room was nothing like the other. It reminded me of a cross between a Roman bath and a Greek temple, like something out of a movie. A large fountain babbled playfully at the center of the room, and brightly colored cushions littered the floor in stark contrast from the creamy stone. It could only be magic. Coming from a magical family I was accustomed to it, but this was like nothing I had ever encountered before. You could feel the power thick in the air; it gave me goose bumps. Something large brushed past my leg. Turning, a gasp escaped my lips. I knew he would be there, but still seeing him in person in something else entirely. The Oracle’s guardian, the most massive snow leopard stared calmly back into my eyes. I bowed, not knowing what else to do. With a long slow blink he turned to arrange himself on some cushions against the far wall.
“Welcome Faren Weir, I have been waiting for you.” The musical voice floated through the air filling every corner and crevice. I fought back the urge to say cliché. “Have a seat Faye.” She flowed into the room from an unseen way; I could feel the magic ripple off her like tiny waves. She was dressed quite casually, which caught me off guard, in jeans and a white shirt, her feet bare. Her hair was black as night cascading down her back, and her eyes were the same deep black, like a starless night sky. I must have had a surprised look on my face because she laughed and said, “Not what you think the Oracle should look like?”
“I didn’t know what to expect,” I finally said finding my voice. Awkwardly I sat on one of the cushions closest to the fountain. Maybe I could stare at it instead of having to look at those eerie black eyes. The Oracle sat gracefully across from me, smiling the whole time.
“For my older clients I dress up in the traditional robes, and do the riddles thing. They like it, but I can be more casual with the younger generation, I find it refreshing personally, though I’m sure my ancestors would frown upon it.” I only shrugged. “But that’s enough about me, we’re here to talk about you. Most look forward to their first visit with the Oracle. But not you Faye, you have been dreading it.” I didn’t really have anything to say to that, what was I supposed to say?
“Well,” she continued undisturbed by my silence. “I will begin by explaining the purpose of the Guardians. I know you’ve heard it before,” she said as I started to protest. “But it’s tradition so please bear with me.” I rolled my eyes. Tradition dictated our lives, just as important as magical law.
“Long ago the children of men and the children of magic lived together.”
This was apparently the dumbed down version of the story.
“It was an uneasy truce, that eventually broke during the dark ages, a dark time for all. It was then decided that our two people could no longer live together as we once had and the children of magic disappeared from the world of men forever. Some returned to our ancient lands in the Otherworld, but a few having made lives for themselves here wished to stay, and so the Guardian’s were born. All humans of magical descent became Guardians upon birth, the mark passed down through families. It was they who could walk in both worlds and it would fall to them to keep those worlds safe and separate. For a thousand years we have managed to share this world secretly and it will fall to you of the next generation to carry on that tradition.”
It was nothing I hadn’t heard before. I had known what I would do with my life for as long as I could remember. Or at least what I was supposed to do. “Alright,” she said with more enthusiasm in her voice. “Now that that’s over with, we can talk.”
I started to panic. What could the Oracle possibly want to talk to me about? She was just supposed to talk at me in riddles I couldn’t possibly understand, and finally send me home. No one said I had to participate. “What do you want to talk about?” I croaked.
“Well let’s start with why you don’t feel like a Guardian.” If I was surprised before, now I was down right shocked, not to mention a little uncomfortable. Really I shouldn’t have, I had grown up with someone knowing my every thought. But there was only one person that I had ever physically told, Connor, my best friend.
The silence stretched on awkwardly. Perhaps it was only awkward for me, but as my anxiety rose, it all just kind of came out. “Well let’s start with the fact that I don’t have a gift. I can’t work even the simplest of spells. Sure I have a mark,” I showed her the underside of my wrist where my mark, a perfect meld of my Mom’s and Dad’s blazed like a black tattoo. The same as my brother’s except his was on his ankle.
“You belong to a prominent magical family.”
I nodded glumly.
“Perhaps your gift has yet to show itself, or you have not recognized it?”
“Don’t you think I haven’t thought of that,” I suddenly exploded. I stood and started pacing furiously around the fountain. “My Mom always knows what you need even if you don’t know you need it. My Dad can make you see things that aren’t there, that aren’t even real. And my brother can read minds. They were doing magic before they were five and their gifts all showed themselves by the time they were thirteen. I’m sixteen and I’ve got nothing. Nothing but a mark that says I should be a Guardian; that says I should have a gift. All it does is remind me of what I should be and what I’m not.” I threw myself back onto the cushion and starred at me hands. I could feel the heat on my face, bright red with embarrassment. I doubt the other Guardian’s first meetings with the Oracle went so badly.
She surprised me by smiling. “You are young, do not fear you will find your place.” I rolled my eyes. “There is more to you than you realize. I will be keeping my eye on you Faren Weir. It is that which you do not know you possess that will soon be called upon. A hard choice lies in front of you, but I have faith that you will choose wisely.” She ducked her head to catch my eyes, “But what I believe doesn’t matter, first you must have faith in yourself.” She suddenly reached forward and grasped my hands tightly. “I give you this advise to take or leave as you may. When the dark stranger arrives, aid him.”

It was dark outside when we left. I hadn’t realized so much time had passed; we would get home late. My Mom was silent the whole way home; she was letting me think. She wouldn’t ask me what the Oracle had said, that was for me and me alone. I could tell if I wanted to, but I didn’t think I did.

It was good to be home. I wanted to crawl into bed and get this day over with. Grabbing my bag I made for the door with every intention of going straight to my room. But as I rushed in my brother’s strong arms closed around me preventing my escape. At the same moment a cheer of surprise filled my ears. Connor was there with his Mom and Dad, while my Dad and cousin stood in the kitchen doorway presenting a large presumably chocolate cake. At least it better be chocolate. “Happy birthday Faye,” said my Mom pushing her way past us.
“Let me go,” I protested.
Theo only laughed, “Not until you decide not to run.”
I sighed, I was trapped. “I guess I could have some cake.”
“That’s my girl,” called my dad as he disappeared into the kitchen. Theo released me and I shoved my backpack at him and followed along with everyone else. Connor was soon at my side smiling down at me.
“If I stand next to the birthday girl I’ll get a piece of cake quicker right?” He was only a year older than me but he completely towered over me. His hair was too blond and his eyes too blue, too good-looking for his own good. He was the fantasy of every girl at our high school, and my best friend in the whole world. Both his Mom and Dad looked the same, but then, they were elves.
Luca wandered over soon after. My cousin was my age, older by a month. He looked a lot like my dad and brother, warm brown eyes and deep brown hair. “What are you doing here?” I asked.
He shrugged, “Mom and Dad had to go to Europe to clean up some goblin mess.” I nodded understanding. While access into the Otherworld was strictly controlled to prevent humans from wandering in, getting out was fairly easy. For the most part creatures who didn’t look human chose to stay in the Otherworld, but every once in a while conflicts spilled out, or someone who didn’t understand the rules created trouble. If it was really bad Luca’s parents were called in.
“So I’m gonna stay with you guys for a while.”
“Awhile?” asked Connor between bites.
“Yeah, it’s an undisclosed amount of time thing, you know, how ever long it takes.”
“Does that mean you’ll be going to school with us?”
Luca nodded and took one of the slices of cake set out on the table.
After cake there were presents. As it was my sixteenth birthday there were certain gifts that were traditional. Connor proudly handed me his first. It was a small ring box. “I’m not marrying you,” I said flatly. He stuck his bottom lip out about as far as it would go.
“Ah Faye. Just open it already.” I laughed and snapped back the top. Magic rushed forth like a soft breeze, my first magic ring. It was a silver vine pattern, with tiny emeralds woven in.
“What does it do?” I asked.
Connor shrugged casually, “Can’t say. I got it to match your eyes.”
“Wait,” I said, holding the box about as far away from myself as I could. “You gave me a magic ring and you don’t know what it does.” Most magic rings were fine, but some were a pain like turning you into a chicken. Others were bad, like making you forget important things, and some were just plain evil.
“Jeez Faye give me some credit. I said I couldn’t say, not that I didn’t know. You’re just going to have to find out for yourself.” It was a nice thought, but more than likely the ring wouldn’t work for me, magical objects didn’t work for those without magic. Though no one would say it, it was starting to look like I might be the first non-magical child born to a Guardian. The fear was a very real one among the Guardians, over generations it did seem that we were growing less and less powerful. Old stories spoke of a time when Guardian’s normally had more than one gift. But no one knew if there was any truth in this.
“Thank you,” I said putting it on, and holding it out to admire it. Even if I couldn’t get it to work, it was still beautiful. Connor smiled, pleased with himself, and gave me a big hug.
“Happy birthday Faye.”
From Connor’s parents I received a forever candle. It would never burn down and could be lit and stay lit in the middle of a hurricane. They also gave me a pretty green lantern to keep the candle in, also with a vine pattern. Luca, my Aunt and Uncle gave me two Guardian history books. When you’re a Guardian without a gift there isn’t much to do except for study Guardian history, but I did really like our history. Theo gave me a gift card to Mark’s Magic Shop, the largest magic store still located in the human world. We got most of our potion making ingredients there. They had everything magical or enchanted.
My Mom then handed me something wrapped in bright green tissue paper. I knew what it was. I tore through the tissue and there it lay, my very own bottomless bag. It looked very similar to a Scottish sporran; it was made of soft dark brown leather, the same color as my hair. And intricate vines and leaves wound around, in a pattern similar to that of my new ring. Every Guardian had a bottomless bag; you could keep anything and everything in it. The only problem came was getting the bag to heavy or forgetting what you put in it. Of course this was another thing that probably wouldn’t work for me, but I was still thrilled to have it.
“Wait,” said my Mom. “Watch this.” She took it from me and fastened it on its chain around her waist. In the blink of an eye it vanished from sight. I gasped with awe. They really had gone all out. I hugged my Dad and then my Mom and thanked everyone again for all my wonderful gifts.
After that things started to wind down, it was a school night after all. We all gathered on the porch to say goodbye to the Silverwoods. They glowed faintly in the darkness, another elvin trait. “If you need anything Michael, Ava, don’t hesitate to call,” said Lorne, Connor’s dad.
My dad nodded, “Don’t worry we’ll keep our eyes out.” With one last wave they were in the car and gone, but they only lived next door.
“What was that about?” I asked Theo after our parents disappeared inside. His face immediately went stiff.
“Nothing you need to worry about,” and then he also hurried in. Only Luca and I were on the porch now. I put my hands on my hips and blocked the door.
“Awe, don’t make me Faye.”
I shook my head and didn’t budge.
“I’m sure its nothing, really.” He continued to protest, eyeing the window suspiciously. Like he was wondering how quickly he could make it through. “Look all I know is that some are worried because there seems to be more problems than usual. You know more close calls, that’s all.”
I shook my head, he wasn’t going to tell me either. I turned and slammed the door behind me; my own family didn’t even think I was a Guardian. At the end of the year I would graduate from high school, early, like all Guardian’s were required to do. Then they would attend four years at the Guardian’s Keep our own magic school. But that was starting to look like that wasn’t going to happen for me. Then what, college? What was I going to do with my life; by my age most Guardian’s already had an idea of what their specialty would be. Like Luca, everyone knew he would follow in his parents’ footsteps as a hunter.
And then there was Theo. My brother was eight years older than me. He entered the Keep at sixteen as the most promising student and soon proved himself the most powerful. Even over the Jades, the most powerful of the Guardian families. He graduated top of his class. For a little while he drifted from post to post, but recently the Keep offered him a teaching position. He was to be the youngest professor ever, a high honor. He was staying with us while they readied his quarters at the Keep.
“I’ll talk to her,” I heard Theo’s voice.
“I’m not in the mood,” I yelled back and dashed for the stairs. Theo was right behind me, but I ignored him.
“Faye, you have the mark, you are a Guardian.”
“Stay out of my head,” I roared. It didn’t faze him. I tried to slam my bedroom door, but Theo was quicker. I didn’t bother telling him to get out, he knew it. I threw myself on the bed facing the wall. “What then, I go off to the Keep, but wait. Without a gift they won’t be able to decide my specialty and I can’t do magic, but hey maybe they’ll have some papers for me to file.”
“Faye,” he said gently. “Only those with magic in their veins can be born with the mark, and yours is darker than mine.” He turned off the light as he left, quietly closing the door behind him.
That night I dreamed of a man, hidden in darkness.
Stupid Oracle.

Practical VS Prose

2010-03-03T15:31:00.000-08:00

I, for one, am not an elegant writer. My words are not poetry in motion. What they are is correct, and right. Which indeed are two different things. Correct, in the sense, that everything functions as it should. Right, as in, this is the right way to say it, and the best way to say it.

I am not a poet. I do not write literary fiction. I do not write in epic meter. But I do have a story to tell. And tell it I will. In a practical, and no nonsense sort of way. I will tell my story to you, just as I would if we were sitting in the same room together. If the electricity has gone out, and we're looking for something to do as we wait out the storm. I work hard to tell this story, as if while I'm telling it to you I can see your reaction.

This is what stories should be. Not merely pretty words. But great happenings that you cannot tear yourself away from. Less fluff is what is often needed. I don't need to know what your character looks like, I can see them perfectly well already. If done correctly I can see your world and you can tell the story meant to be told.

Larger Than Life

2010-02-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

I like the characters in the stories I write to be something better than what I think I, or the people around me, are. I want them to be larger than life, to face impossible obstacles, and to do the right thing when the average person would not. Sure they have things wrong with them like all the rest of us. But they are set apart from us by their actions. I want them to stand apart from the average person I meet on the street. Because who wants to read about average Joe and his average day. I want them to overcome impossible odds, perhaps, so that I may believe that I too can overcome the odds when they seem impossible.

I think that's true for everyone. Would your favorite characters have been as great if they were the same as the people sitting beside you on the bus? No. There was something special about them, as we all wish that there was something special about us. It doesn't matter if its true or not, we have all wished it at one time or another. We want and hope that when the chips are down, and there seems to be no way out that the under dog will prevail. Sometimes we are that under dog, and we can all relate. But its not the same as relating to average Joe. We don't want to relate to him. We don't want to be average.

We like the characters in the stories we read all want to be great. So write great characters. Characters who will fail and succeed, make mistakes and do what is right. Give us a greater picture of humanity. For that's what stories our. They are of us, and from us.

Remember, Remember

2010-02-16T20:45:00.001-08:00

There are a lot of important things to think about when you're writing for an audience. Like so many of us we have publishing aspirations. We hope that someday are words will make it into print and touch others as we too have been touched by certain books. But it is important to remember why you are writing. Why did you start in the first place? What do you hope to gain? Is it fame and fortune? Best look elsewhere. Not that that isn't a grand and wonderful aspiration, but it lies more on the fantasy side of things. I would know as writing fantasy is my specialty.

You often hear the writing advice: write what you know. This is very true. But if you dream of being published you must also write for you readers. Or potential readers, as the case may be. I'm not saying you should follow the latest trend. I am saying that you should remember why and for whom you are doing this for. If you are writing simply for fun, then you need not worry if others like it, they will not see it. What you write is for you and you alone. But if you wish to see your book on the shelves of a notable bookstore one day, you must remember. Remember that this story you write is for others. The second it is published it is no longer yours, but it then belongs to everyone who reads it. Because each reader will make it their own. They will see in in their own light, a light that only they have. No two readers will read your work in the same way, they will not see it as you do.

When you publish your work in a sense it is no longer yours. It belongs to everyone who will ever read it. They will take away what they will from it. They may hate it or they may love it, but it will not be what you felt for it when you first wrote it. You must think of these people when you write if your goal is to be published. What do they want? What are their hopes and dreams? Most importantly, what do you want to tell them?

Non Fiction is Important too

2010-02-16T19:16:00.000-08:00

The other day I was talking with some friends and an older gentleman I did not know. He would turn out to be my neighbor, and while this is a strange coincidence, it has nothing to do with my story. I was asked how school was going for me, to which I replied that I was having a hard time. On top of taking fifteen credits, I also work full time. I told the group that I had to take out loans to help with tuition, and it worried me to get myself so much in debt for school. But I had gotten a pell grant that was helping out a little and to me felt like a small win. The older gentlemen’s reply was, “Why should I have to pay for your education.” And that got me riled up, and also thinking.

The first thing I wanted to say was, “Why the hell am I paying you to golf and drink beer in retirement?” But that’s rude, and I’m a better person than that. And really, how much of your tax dollars are actually going to my negligible little pell grant? Probably something along the lines of the nickel in your couch cushions, if that. And why does it bother you so much? Why is it wrong for the government to help people pursue higher education? Does something bad happen when we all get smarter? I agree that college is not for everyone and we have been wrong in making it the absolute next step after high school. That higher education has turned into a bit of a degree factory and less of an institution of betterment. It certainly has its problems, but that is true of everything.

Without government and private aid, not to mention all the student loans, and the death of a family member, I wouldn’t be able to go to school. I could not afford it. Should I then not be allowed to go to school? If I cannot afford school without aid should I not go? Tell me, how is that better? How do we benefit by denying education? How can you trust the country to those who will take control of it when you are in retirement if they are uneducated? I don’t mean that I know who Socrates is, or that I can quote Pindar. But that I have been taught to think outside of the box, to see things from another perspective, and to be well read and learn from those who have come before me. Can we not all benefit from that? Can I not pass that knowledge on if your tax dollars helped me earn it?

Why am I being punished for wanting to better myself? Why am I being ridiculed for wanting to go to college? And what idiot has been so sheltered as to think that today one can actually pay for a college education without help? Answer me. America when did you stop caring about your future? Without an educated population how can we hope to succeed amongst the global community? Who will take your place when you are too old to fight for what is right? Who will look after you when it is your turn to retire?

Education is not a right, it is a necessity that betters all within the society. Without it we cannot hope to move forward, to accomplish what must be done to make all of our lives better. Who will join the fight to cure cancer if none can afford medical school? Who will teach the next generation when there is no benefit to doing so? Who will follow in your stead and continue on when they have not been taught properly? Would you really want them too? And why would they do for you when you refused to do for them?

Tell me now that my education means nothing to you. That I will not do a scrap of good for the people I share this world with, and I will fight you. I will do good. I will make this world a better place.

Boycott Whitewashing

2010-02-09T19:54:00.000-08:00

If anyone has been paying attention to publishing lately you'll know that there was a huge issue on the cover of a book entitled Liar. In the book the main character is black, but the cover came out and had a picture of a white girl. After much protest the publishing company did do the right thing and changed it. However, this is not to be the last occurrence.

Normally I like to keep opinions to my self. But coming from a multi-racial family myself and I love the cartoon, The Last Airbender, I was horrified when I heard the news. The cartoon centers around Asian characters and takes place in an eastern Asian style world. I love all things martial arts and so immediately liked the cartoon. Apparently other people did to as they decided to make it a movie. Its even supposed to be directed by M Night Shamalan (sorry if I spelled that wrong, but I'm on a rant here).

The cast of Asian heroes was released and they were ALL white. People protested, so they changed the antagonist to an actor who appears more Asian. I do not know his actual cultural background, but he certainly looks more in line with the character from the cartoon.

Why do these characters need to be white? Wouldn't your audience, the people who liked the cartoon in the first place, prefer the actual characters to your white substitutions. This isn't the first time. Ryan Reynolds, whom I love and is HOT, is playing the Green Lantern. But the Green Lantern I remember from my childhood was black. Sorry Ryan, you'll never be the Green Lantern, maybe the Green Arrow... he was white, right? What is Hollywood telling us? So talk with your money people. Tell them we won't stand for it. Tell them whitewashing is wrong! And to drive my point home, the first link says it far more eloquently than I can, and you can sign the petition too.

http://elloecho.blogspot.com/2010/02/whitewashing-is-racist.html

Probably Time for Another Post

2010-01-23T15:19:00.000-08:00

Well, what should we talk about today kids?
How bout writer's block?
Sometimes its all a matter of perspective.
Yours mostly.
Are you staring at a computer screen and the words just won't come?
Perhaps its time to switch it up, back to the basics so to speak. Pull out a pen and paper and see where it takes you.
I find that sometimes I not only get seriously tired of staring at a computer. But that occasionally I think better when hand writing. Something about physically writing the words, can jump start my sleeping imagination. The pen is magical. You're more connected to your story, more involved with each and every word.
And remember writer's block is all in your head.

Few and Far Between

2010-01-15T10:10:00.001-08:00

I haven't posted very frequently as of late, and for that I am sorry. It seems between school and work I have little energy to do much else. I've been desperately trying to catch up on my reading to no avail. I feel if I can't write, I should at least be reading, studying up on my craft. So I thought I'd drop another post on how important reading is to a writer. Most of us started because we like to read, and somewhere amongst the piles of finished books we decided we could do that too.

But it was not as easy as we thought it would be. So stuck and sad, we were left with what now? And the answer is, back to those same books that spurred you on in the beginning. Or perhaps new and wonderful books that wrap you up and draw you in, so much that you feel a part of them. Or rather wish you could crawl in and never leave.

As writers it is still important for us to be readers. To see another's craft, to be drawn into a world not of our own design. It will spur you to think of your own writing differently. To try things you never thought to try before. Not to copy, or steal. But to learn and absorb.

And finally I shall leave you with a book recommendation. I just finished Soulless by Gail Carriger and found it absolutely lovely. I couldn't put it down and ended up reading the whole night through. That's how you know you've got a winner of a book. An absolutely wonderful steampunk, romance, with vampires I not only could stand, I actually liked.

Must Read

2009-12-27T10:25:00.000-08:00

I recently become a huge fan of litdrift.com. They have great articles about writing, books, and other scholarly pursuits that I find my time to be well spent on. This article is for all you closet gamers, and those of you who arn't. Damn, I love the Oregon trail game, I have it on my blackberry. Maybe that's why I'm not getting any writing done...

http://www.litdrift.com/2009/11/24/why-writing-is-like-riding-the-oregon-trail/

Helpful

2009-12-20T21:22:00.000-08:00

Here are some helpful links to a few articles on writer's digest. They are a great resource for the want to be published author. Like myself.

http://www.writersdigest.com/article/17_Writing_Secrets/

http://www.writersdigest.com/article/Plot_Planner_Exercise/

http://www.writersdigest.com/upload/images/PDF/checklists.pdf

http://www.writersdigest.com/article/4-techniques-to-fire-up-your-fiction/

http://www.writersdigest.com/upload/images/Z4813_Sec2WKST.pdf

Been a While

2009-12-20T14:59:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted in a while, mostly due to finals at school. Its about time I said something snappy. So we're going to talk about writing for trends, good or bad?

Whether we like it or not vampires are hot right now. According to the agent blogs so are angels. Who knew? Neither of these things I am a big fan of. But here's the question: should you write for the trend? Do you write about something just because its popular and selling right now?

I'm gonna have to say no on this one for a few reasons.
1) Just because something is hot now, does not mean it will be later. Publishing a book takes a long time. Once you've gotten an agent, an offer, a house, and signed a contract, it can still take up to a year to get the book published. That is long enough for a trend not to be a trend anymore.
2) Everyone and their brother's mother's sister is writing about it too. Agents and editors alike are bombarded with manuscripts written by half the people you see on the bus looking to jump on the trend. Most of these people won't be able to string a sentence together let alone write a book. Yours better be really damn special to get noticed.
3) You should write what you know and what your good at, not just what's popular right now. Yes, if your goals are ultimately publishing you do have to write for your reader. But... If what your passionate about and what your good at is adult post-apocalyptic SF, your probably going to have a hard time with teen paranormal romance. Some people are really good at epic fantasy and others good at urban. Sometimes switching back and forth is easy, other times no so much. This one is really up to you. What are you good at? What do you like to write.

In the end you should be writing the best story you can. No matter what that story is and if it follows the trend or not. If your story is good you'll have a better chance at it being published than if its just with the trend.

New Ideas

2009-12-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

I love new ideas. Getting them, starting them, working on them. Not just do they give you some needed distraction from a project you've lost sight on. But they can really get you writing. They're just so shiny, and well, new.

I usually have a couple different projects going at once. That way if I get stuck on one, I move to another and keep going. It not only keeps me writing, but it usually gets me over the writer's block on the other project. I suppose its the one nice thing about being unpublished. No deadlines.

So if you only have one story. And you know who you are. I know that one story seems like everything to you. That it is the one and the only one. Well I encourage you to branch out. No matter what the other one will still be there.

Aftermath

2009-12-03T19:43:00.000-08:00

I always feel a bit hollow after nano. Your just so pumped on that one project that when its done and over with, your left with: now what? Sure I have other projects. And I'm trying very hard to work on them. But that empty feeling is still there. My other works don't seem to be going anywhere, without the panic and rush that comes with nano. I could try and trick myself, but sadly, I'm not very gullible.

Still, being a writer means plowing through the hard times, which are most of them. Unpublished or not. Because that's what separates us from those who will make it to the publishing house, and those who will not. Like the hero of your story who faces insurmountable odds. If you have the drive to keep going, even though its tough and someone's paved the way with broken glass. You grit your teeth and keep on keeping on. It is that work, that drive, and most importantly the willingness to learn that will get you to your publishing goals. Plenty of people write books, most of them know nothing about it. Nothing about the process, they way to go about getting published, and they don't want to. It shall set us apart. Those of us who are willing to do the work, to research who we send to, tailor our query letters, and most importantly, to keep writing even if this project is not 'the one'. Because maybe it will be the next one, or the one after that, and that's okay. Because our writing will get better and eventually someone will notice.

Self Publishing... Umm No Thank You

2009-11-30T05:47:00.001-08:00

Please do note that, self publishing is not publishing. That extra word there in front, 'self', changes the entire meaning of publishing. It becomes something else entirely. The definition of self publishing is roughly this: you give money, they give you a book. Some may wonder, what's the problem with this? If someone wants to pay to have their book published, why not. Well, probably the first and biggest problems is that aspiring authors, me for example, have been lead to believe that self publishing is just as good as actual publishing. Maybe better. After all you don't have all that heart crushing rejection. No you won't be rejected, but your book will more than likely never make it. And maybe it shouldn't. Not every book should, I know a few that did and shouldn't have. But what the publishing industry is, is quality control.

And I have an example: remember when you finished that first manuscript? I do. I knew very little about the world of publishing, as well as writing. I was a newbie, green and inexperienced. Thinking back my book did better than it should have. It suffered from numerous problems specifically made by new writers who haven't honed their craft. The rejections I received spurred me to learn, why was my work, of which I'd placed so much time and effort in, rejected. And thus began my long journey...
I set that book aside and I learned. Now I know what was wrong with it. I fully understand why it was rejected and you know what- I'm glad it was. Because if it had been accepted, sure it would have gotten a little help, but not enough. Who wants to hang their career on something not that good? And more importantly I wouldn't have learned anymore about writing. I would have continued on with all those mistakes, unchecked and uninformed.

Still many authors in the face of rejection, or misguided notions turn to self publishing. Which leads to a another issue. The scams. Not all of these companies are good, and often an author will pay more money to the publisher than they will ever make. There are a few exceptions, but few is the keyword here. Its not enough to matter, and not enough to make me fork over any of my hard earned cash. The best sales in self publishing do not match the worst in actual publishing.

So who cares if you self published? Well, lets face it, nobody. Because anybody can do it. And if anyone can do it, its not special. Its just another flyer, that just any old person off the street printed at Kinko's and stuck on you car window. I've crumpled it up and thrown it in the nearest trash can. Sorry. But there is enough risk buying a book off the shelf at Barnes and Noble, because there certainly is published crap out there, Stephanie Meyer. At least I know that that author has gone through the maze of approvals necessary for the book to be published. That still means something to me. You've done the work, and you've made it, and I applaud you. Self publishers have not. You haven't done what is necessary or required to make it. You gave up.

Who is self publishing for. Its for those people who don't want to be published. The collection of family recipes you want taken down to share with family and friends. Stories for your children and someday your children's children. The book of your family tree, for no one else but your family. These are self publishing books. Not unimportant books, but books that are not for everyone. They are books that are for you and for your select few.

I tell you what, I don't want to read garbage and I don't want to write garbage. Not everyone will be published. Not just anyone can be the next great author, movie maker, or hero fireman. And that has to be okay. Because standards are lowered the instant everyone can do it. Not everyone is special. Yes, I know what your parents told you. They lied. Does that make you a less valid person, no. It just doesn't make you Brad Pitt or Neil Gaiman. Do you really want to see your un-showered, beer gutted neighbor on the big screen? Damn straight we don't. It should be the same with books.

Want to hear what people in the industry think? Here's some articles and here's some blogs, by people who live off of and work everyday in some aspect of publishing. Try these out for starters, but please note, they may make you a better wiser writer.

http://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/the-great-underground-myth-why-self-publishing-doesnt-work/

http://howpublishingreallyworks.blogspot.com/search/label/self-publishing

http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/search/label/self-publishing

Look I'm Back!

2009-11-25T01:02:00.001-08:00

I'm back, and a winner to boot. The going was tough and for a while there I was so far behind I thought about calling it quits. But thanks to a good friends nay saying, not to mention their twenty bucks. I've pulled through to finish early and become a winner for the second year in a row. Its also two in the morning, and I have to be at work bright and early. So that's all for now, but I'll be better until next November.

I'll Be Back Soon

2009-11-22T23:29:00.000-08:00

I know I'm not keeping up with my posts. And I'm sorry. Finals, nano, and work keep me seriously busy. Would I like to have more free time, well any free time really. Hell yes. That, however, is not going to happen any time soon. I'll try to be good, and keep entertaining and enriching the masses. And when nano is done here very soon, I'll have just a bit more time. Of which will be taken up by who knows what. I'm sure it will be something.

2012

2009-11-22T23:22:00.000-08:00

I am jumping on the 2012 band wagon and thought I'd do a post as well. Why not? I'm an archaeologist. I study ancient cultures. So here goes:

I can't help but compare the 2012 movie and end of the world belief to H.G. Wells, War of the Worlds radio broadcast. Where hundreds of people tuned in and apparently not realizing they were listening to a story believed that Earth was in fact being invaded by aliens from Mars. Now granted 2012 is not a story, but the scare is the same, and the danger just as imagined.

When man began to tell stories and eventually write those stories down, man predicted the end of his world. In fact the end of the world has been predicted thousands of time. Quite possibly more because with time records fade. And yet we keep on turning around our little yellow sun. Our world has not ended. Not one person who has ever predicted the end of the world has yet been right.

In 2012 the Mayan calendar will end. Long after the Mayan civilization has ended. Too bad they didn't see that coming. The Maya could not predict their own end, but we now believe that they have predicted the end of the world. There is no debate that the Mayan calendar will end. Just like every December 31st our own calendar ends. Not in fact our world.

Why Ego is Bad

2009-11-17T10:02:00.000-08:00

So I've fallen quite far behind in NaNo. I'm only at 15,000 words. Ideally I would like to hit 50,000 by Thanksgiving. Whether or not this is going to happen, I can't say. What I can say is that, while fully aware I was behind, I was willing to bet 20 dollars I'd finish by the 26th. That certainly may have been a bad decision. However, said person to bet me 20 dollars, also lost 10 dollars last year in the same bet. I never thought they'd be stupid enough to bet me again. This being one of those one time only bets. But he found out I was behind, and sick, and thought all that to be in his favor. But no one said I had to write anything coherent... So we'll see.

Postcard from NaNo Land

2009-11-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

Greetings, from NaNo Land.
Yes, it is another world. I thought I'd take time out of my busy schedule to check in. I'm 4,000 words in. Last year I believe I was further along at this point, but I'm not worried. I did most of my writing in the last week, and it seems like many of the other participants work the same way I do. Last minute panic is a great muse! But I'm writing because I wanted to point out a few important things to remember about doing NaNo.
First off, both agents and editors have mixed feelings about the annual event. And rightly so. Because never fail, newbies finishing their novel proceed directly to trying to get it published. This is wrong. NaNo is all about the first draft. Getting through an entire story to the finish. And let me tell you, it won't be pretty. Its a first draft, a rough draft, emphasis on the ROUGH. Many unpublished authors forget one very important fact: Once you attempt to publish, that's it. You get a no, you can't resend. You absolutely have to make sure that what your sending out is the absolute best it can be, because you don't get a second chance. No second chances here.
So what is NaNo good for? It teaches you about your writing. The deadline pushes you to do things you might not have otherwise done, or even thought of. Especially for us unpublished. Sorry guys, but we have a tendency to over explain, use to many useless words. But that's a good thing, you say, when its the word count that matters here. Well you'd think that, and that's what I originally thought too. But the pressure to get the story done, to reach the goal line of 50,000 words in 30 days works in strange ways. When it came to editing my last year's novel I found myself doing something I rarely have to do. I needed to add things in. Clarify here and there. Because you're literally flying, no time to stop and explain, you've got a story to write here.
I encourage everyone to try it. Who cares how busy you are, I'm busier than you and I'm doing it. Yes, that is a challenge. What you'll learn about your own writing is to valuable to pass up, and the writing community you'll join is massive. Who cares if this one project gets published? Because it also teaches you to move on. Maybe this one isn't THE one. And that's okay.

So Much Tonight

2009-10-31T21:06:00.000-07:00

Its Halloween, and you know what that means dear writers.
That's right! Its NaNoWriMo Eve.
I've been outlining in the hours leading up to midnight. And making sure I have a list of names so I don't have to go searching. Have you been getting ready? So cheers! Because come midnight tonight I'll be drinking and writing.
See you at the finish line!

Things to Remember

2009-10-28T10:06:00.001-07:00

Every once in a while I feel the need to remind those of us who are not published, including myself, some important things. Things that we often forget as we slave over our lives work. So here goes...

Remember that writing a book is hard. That not everyone will, or should, be published. Even if you do get published, this does not mean it will be easier to publish the next book. Or even the one after that, and the one after that.

If you don't want to write a query letter, you don't want to get your book published. If you don't follow agent guidelines, you don't want to get your book published. Remember, just like applying for a job, there are rules and regulations to follow. You don't get to throw them out the window because you don't like them. Unless you secretly don't want to get published.

Good grammar is really important. But so is a plot, and an interesting one at that.

Do your research. Whether it be on your story, your characters, writing in general, or publishing avenues. Help is out there, if you only take the time to find it. There are great books on the subject (I own most of them). Blogs and websites dedicated to the writer and their craft. Those who aren't willing to do all this work, don't want to be published.

Time, Keeps on Slipping, Slipping, Slipping...

2009-10-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

As the month of October draws to an end. I find myself slightly more worried about NaNo than I was this time last year. I haven't had very much time to give to my blog, let alone, my writing. Will I be able to finish this year? Only time will tell. Will I even know when November first is? Probably not, I should set an alarm.

But its not like I haven't been busy. School, and work, take up so much of my life I'm thinking of demanding a refund. Not to mention my best friend was just married. So congratulations to the new Mr and Mrs Halicki, may your good times be many and the bad times be few. And Jack enjoy his new water fountain.

The Countdown Begins

2009-10-09T20:11:00.000-07:00

It's October everyone. Do you know what that means? One month till NaNoWriMo. I've already joined up, as you'll notice by my awesome web badges. Provided by the wonderful people of NaNoWriMo for nerdy people like me. If this is your first time I recommend buying the official NaNo guide book: No Plot, No problem. It helped me through my first year, and will most likely aid me in my second as I'm even busier this year than last. Its going to be interesting, people. Full time job, full time school, but just like last year I'll get it done. Losing is not an option.

So during the month before I like to have a vague idea of what I want to write about. Nothing too specific because I find that if I over plan I get stuck. You must throw words upon the page with reckless abandonment. Last year it was just a picture in my mind. Then I picked out some names for the main hero and heroine, because I always get stuck on names. So having them before hand allows me to keep my pace up. Nothing more beyond that. Then when it hits midnight, November 1st, I'm off and running. I find it important to get a good beginning down on the first day. So I'll write 1000 words to start myself off good and strong.

Don't fear. There will be days when you write nothing, but there will also be days where you write 5,000 words. You have thirty days. Keep your eye on the prize and you can do it. So join me... One of us... One of us...

Can't decide if this is good or bad...

2009-09-30T11:29:00.000-07:00

I haven't had a lot of time to write lately. As evidence by my few and far between blog posts. And honestly I should be studying for two more midterms. But something has been nagging at me. Though I haven't been spending a lot of time writing, I have certainly been thinking a lot about my writing. My projects, where they're going, the economy and how its effected writing, etc, etc. What's been bothering me is that my first story that I tried to get published, did better than my latest. It received one full request, and numerous partials. While my latest work, hasn't received much more than first five pages.
To give you some background, I have three finished manuscripts, two of which I've actually tried to published. One, was the first story I ever tried to finish, the other my last year NaNoWriMo project. My first story was wrought with all the common problems you see in a beginner's story. Over explaining, too many words, ungodly long, you name it I did it. So how then did it still do better than my later work? It is certainly possible the economy has something to do with it. But, is it possible that my first story was better than my others? That I've lost something in all the studying and honing of the craft: the numerous books and blogs? I can't say. I certainly hope that with each story I write I get better. Its hard to say, it could be the economy I'm trying to get published in. Or maybe I need to look at that first story and see what I did in it, that I'm not doing now. Aside from the obvious first timer mistakes of course.
If you have any advise, I'm listening.

Now That's Good Prose!

2009-09-23T00:36:00.000-07:00

"Not just once upon a time, but... In the long secret dust of ages, beneath a blue forgotten sky, where trade winds caress the sun bleached shores of unknown realms..." Brian Jacques, the author of the Redwall books.

Though I haven't read them, I certainly will now. The first book has been added to my Amazon wishlist. Oh to write prose like that. Its what we all strive for, or should. It doesn't matter who you are, or what you prefer to read: That is a beautiful sentence.

For The Next Breakout Writer

2009-09-20T22:21:00.001-07:00

You should read this. Yes its about scriptwriting. Just replace script with manuscript and you'll be fine.

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/09/i_will_not_read.php?page=1

What if...

2009-09-19T13:41:00.000-07:00

Lets play the, what if, game. Everyone pretend, for just a moment, that you know without a doubt you will never be published. Through magic, the publishing Oracle, or the sky Gods, whatever. But some how you've learned that never in your life will you get a book published. Would you stop writing? Be honest here. Not all of us are going to be published, every other person you talk to is "writing a book". In all reality this isn't a bad question. Just because someone's terrible book, ahem twilight, is published doesn't mean yours will be. Sometimes its all about luck. But, most of the time its talent, and drive. I don't know if I have talent, but I have a whole lot of drive. I'm pretty certain that I won't stop writing. The only thing I'd stop is trying to get published, if I knew.

Kick Your Hero When He's Down

2009-09-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

Kick him good and hard.
I know you're really attached to your main character. You don't want anything bad to happen to them, I understand, really. But, don't you want them to be the best hero they can be? Well I hate to be the one to break this to you, seriously: if you write this stuff, you should read this stuff, and thus already know it. But the best heroes always have the worst stuff happening to them. Why? Because the truly great heroes are the ones who come through the worst stuff and still do the right thing. The selfless thing. When the guy next to them is stealing a tv because its the end of the world. They're the one risking their life to save us all, even if the ones their saving don't know or care. Adding conflict can make a good story great, and a mediocre, good. More conflict is usually better, I don't want to say always because someone will get up set. But don't be afraid to make things hard for your characters. Hard times bring out the best in people. So let your characters shine, kick them good and hard. Hard enough that they might not get up; that even you the writer doesn't know if they'll be able to get up. We're on the edge of our seat, reading, waiting, holding our breath.

Strengths and Weaknesses

2009-09-07T10:32:00.000-07:00

So its important to know what you're good at. Secondly, it makes you feel good, also important. But, you need to know what your weaknesses are too. So you can work on them and become stronger in them. But don't let what you're good at fall on the wayside. Ultimately, even with all the critiques in the world, you have to go with your gut. So what are you good at, and what are you bad at? Here's mine:
Strengths - Characters, Dialogue
Weaknesses - Grammar, Subplots