Writer Musings

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

2012-02-02T07:00:00.000-06:00

New York, Los Angeles,and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights hasbeen revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no morepolice—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for badbehavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who getarrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-oldEmber Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way.Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget thatpeople weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out afterdark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected theart of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, likefood stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random homeinspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstancesallow.

That is, until hermother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. Andone of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boyEmber has ever loved.

This book isreminiscent of The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood in that society hasshifted to view women as inferior and subservient, and people are punished fortheir actions before the new government took power. It also happens within themain character’s lifetime, so our protagonist has seen life both before andafter. In The Handmaid’s Tale, you can surmise that the shift happens from withinthe government, after what was probably years of placing the appropriate pieceson a chessboard and then moving in for checkmate. But in Article 5, it’s not clear.

What was The War? Whatwas it about? Who started it? Why did they start it? When did it start? How didthey win? How did they manage to put such drastic societal changes into effectso quickly? What did the bombing of Chicago and other large cities have to dowith any of it? Knowing these details would have helped me to better understandEmber, and I'd know exactly how much of both worlds she experienced. But sinceI didn't understand her world, I didn’t understand Ember.

As a result, she cameacross as erratic and sometimes not very bright. I didn’t believe that she wouldn’task more about her mother (hence, the big reveal in the end wasn’t at all surprising).I also didn’t understand her motivations for running away (both times) or fornever attempting to see any situation through Chase’s eyes. I never really madeany kind of connection to her, so her transformation wasn’t as profound as itcould have been.

On the plus side,though, Chase is NOT the typical hot-jerk-boy, Ember doesn't swoon ridiculouslyover him, and there is no love triangle. That was extremely refreshing. Thatsaid, these two are full of angst ramped up to the nth degree. I liked thattheir relationship was complicated, but the constant bickering and posturing gottiresome after a while and it felt contrived that they didn’t just sit down andhave a conversation to clear the air.

Overall, there justwasn’t enough here for me to want to read more, so I won’t be reading the nextbook (I assume there will be a next book, given the open-ended subplots).

Challenge: Describe Some Action, Part Two

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-06:00

Last week, I wrote apost about bringing in action when describing your characters so it doesn’t soundlike a laundry list. Today, I want to talk about describing other things.

Object description is evenmore likely to sound like a laundry list because objects don’t move. If itdoesn’t move, how can the description seem active? Well, there are plenty ofoptions.

One way is to useactive verbs in the description, giving the object its own personality. Thecurve of a statue could be sweeping. A pendant could be shaped like a teardrop, heavy and drooping. A rug could be bright and bold, and a table could becrisp and shiny.

Of course, even if youuse active verbs like these, your description will still sound like a laundrylist unless you add a key element: your characters. After all, who perceives theseobjects? They do! Show us the object through them—how they perceive it, whatfeelings they evoke, how they interact with them, et—and it will be much easierto introduce action. Especially since people can actually do things while objectspretty much just sit there.

Really, though, it all depends on what's going on in the story, and how important that object is. If it's just an illustration of something already established, then there's not much needed. For example:
She arranged the stack of magazines on the polished table.

Here, the table is just adding to the character, how she wants everything 'just so.' The table doesn't mean anything to her, except to look nice. In fact, she probably doesn't even think about it being there.

But if an object means something to a character, then she will notice far more details. For example:
The pendant dangled from its gold chain, a tear-drop-shaped piece of carved stone. The swooping scroll design faded into the pocked and worn surface. I turned it over. It was heavier than I expected, and...warm. The way stone feels when it’s been sitting in the sun for a long time. My fingers kind of tingled, too.

Here, the character is interacting with this pendant and, at the same time, forming a connection to it. So, she notices far more details about it. And, the more active your verbs are, the more vivid your description will be, the more you will engage your reader.

Challenge:

Take an inanimateobject from your childhood (or some other time in your life) and describe itusing active verbs. The object can’t move by itself, and you’re not allowed tointeract with it to make it move. Instead, focus on the kinds of verbs you useto describe it, as well as the emotions it evokes in you.

Feel free to share yourwork here in the comments, or keep it to yourself. Your choice.

Next week, I want to get into the nitty gritty of describing setting. I think setting should be treated as another character, but we’ll get more into that next week. :)

Winner of the January Book Giveaway!

2012-01-28T08:12:00.000-06:00

All right folks, it's time to announce the winner of these two books.

And that person is...

Melodie!!

Congratulations!! I'll get your books out to you asap. As for everyone else, stop by next saturday to see what I'm giving away. HINT: at least two ARCs. :)

Every Thing On It by Shel Silverstein

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-06:00

A spider lives insidemy head Who weaves a strange and wondrous web Of silken threads and silverstrings To catch all sorts of flying things,

Like crumbs of thought and bits of smiles Andspecks of dried-up tears,

And dust of dreams that catch and cling For yearsand years and years . . .

Have you ever read abook with everything on it? Well, here it is, an amazing collection ofnever-before-published poems and drawings from the creator of Where theSidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up. You will say Hi-ho for thetoilet troll, get tongue-tied with Stick-a-Tongue-Out-Sid, play a highlyunusual horn, and experience the joys of growing down.

What's that? You have acase of the Lovetobutcants? Impossible! Just come on in and let the magic ofShel Silverstein bend your brain and open your heart.

I read Silverstein’sfirst book, Where The Sidewalk Ends, when it was first published. I wasfascinated, and even memorized some of my favorites (like Sarah Cynthia SylviaStout Would Not Take The Garbage Out—love it!). When A Light In The Attic and FallingUp came out, I snatched up those books and devoured them, too. But they didn’thave the magic that Where The Sidewalk Ends had. I’m not sure why, or even whatwas missing, but something was definitely missing.

When Every Thing On Itappeared on the shelves, I was skeptical. Still, I got this book for my boysthis past Christmas and we’ve been reading it out loud off and on. Let me justsay that the magic is back! There are some poems that make me laugh out loud,like I Didn’t, Dumb, and The One Who Invented Trick Or Treat. This book ischock full of fun.

My kids are having thesame experience I had as a kid, and have marked their favorite poems. They’veeven memorized a few. It warms my heart. :)

So, if you liked WhereThe Sidewalk Ends, you’ll love Every Thing On It.

Challenge: Describe Some Action!

2012-01-23T07:00:00.010-06:00

Last year, I wrote a post on how to incorporate the senses in description. That goes a long way toward bringing your prose to life, but we can still do more to bring descriptions alive.

Most often, description sounds like a laundry list, especially with characters.
For example:
Jonah had startling green eyes, tousled chestnut hair, and wore a blue t-shirt with fitted, dark-washed jeans.

Eye color? Check. Hair color? Check. Clothing? Check. Yep, it’s a laundry list. I don’t know about you, but I find those to be pretty boring. Not just because it’s a laundry list, though. Mostly, they’re boring because it doesn’t show us the character.

When we first meet a person in real life, we usually get a sense of them, at least on a general level. Cocky, awkward, shy, easy-going, nervous, weird, dorky, confident, etc. This is what needs to be conveyed when we first meet a character in a story. The best way to do this is to use action.

For example:
Jonah strolled across the dance floor, easy and languid, his dark jeans stretching over corded muscles. His green eyes caught and held mine, and a slow smile stretched across his face. He leaned toward me, the heat from his breath on my neck and his tousled chestnut hair brushing my cheek.
“I think you need to dance with me,” he said.

In the first example, we don’t get any sense of who Jonah is. We only see what he looks like, and we don’t even really know if he’s that attractive. In the second example, we have a much better feel for what kind of person he is: confident, charismatic, and not afraid to go after what he wants. Granted, example 2 is a bit cliché, but you get the idea.

Challenge:
Think back to the last person you met. Write that scene and describe the person using action—show not only what the person looked like, but also how they came across. See if you can capture that person’s personality on the page.

Feel free to share your work here in the comments, or keep it to yourself. Your choice.

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

2012-01-19T07:00:00.001-06:00

The wars that followed The Collapse nearly destroyed civilization. Now, twenty years later, the world is faced with a choice—rebuild what was or make something new. Stephen Quinn, a quiet and dutiful fifteen-year-old scavenger, travels Post-Collapse America with his Dad and stern ex-Marine Grandfather. They travel light. They keep to themselves. Nothing ever changes. But when his Grandfather passes suddenly and Stephen and his Dad decide to risk it all to save the lives of two strangers, Stephen's life is turned upside down. With his father terribly injured, Stephen is left alone to make his own choices for the first time.
Stephen’s choices lead him to Settler's Landing, a lost slice of the Pre-Collapse world where he encounters a seemingly benign world of barbecues, baseball games and days spent in a one-room schoolhouse. Distrustful of such tranquility, Stephen quickly falls in with Jenny Tan, the beautiful town outcast. As his relationship with Jenny grows it brings him into violent conflict with the leaders of Settler's Landing who are determined to remake the world they grew up in, no matter what the cost.

I’m still trying to sort out how I feel about this book. I enjoyed it, but I couldn’t really get into it, even though the action was constantly moving the story forward and there was lots of tension, plus many obstacles for Stephen to overcome. But I found myself not really caring about the story or the characters. I think that’s because much of what’s in this book has been done before in various venues, and it didn’t really contain any unique twists.

For example, America has been ravaged by a plague and much of the population didn’t survive. As a result, the government has collapsed and society as a whole doesn’t exist. It’s anarchy, weak vs. strong, survival of the fittest, etc. This concept has been the backdrop for many stories, and yet there is often something unique about each story. In Eleventh Plague, Stephen stumbles into a pocket of the world (Settler’s Landing) that’s close to how it was pre-Collapse. So, yeah, I guess it’s unique, except it pretty much takes us back to the present day, and that’s not where I want to be when I’m reading a dystopian novel.

Once we get fully entrenched in Settler’s Landing, there isn’t anything really unique here. The villains, Caleb and his son Will Henry, are basically large bullies with lots of influence, a huge sense of entitlement, and seem to enjoy inflicting pain on others. They’re not the kind of villains I love to hate—I prefer the calculating ones skilled in manipulation. Or, at the very least, they have an unshakable belief that what they’re doing is for the good of those around them. I didn’t get a sense of either in Caleb or Will Henry, so I never really got into them as antagonists.

The love interest is Jenny Tan, an outcast in the community because of her ethnic background. When she’s first introduced, I felt some sympathy for her situation and was looking forward to seeing how her story was going to intersect with Stephen’s. But as we find out more about her, we discover that she has created much of the discord between her and the rest of Settler’s Landing. I ceased to like her at this point. There is a moment where she understands this, and she does grow as a result, but the damage was done and I wasn’t invested in her enough to care.

I know all this sounds like I hated the book, but I didn’t. It was an okay read. I just couldn’t seem to connect on any level.

Tell Me First, Then Show Me

2012-01-16T07:00:00.002-06:00

You’ve finished a manuscript, and now you’re sitting down to the daunting task of revising it. You page through your text, tearing your hair out because you realize it’s chock full of telling! Where’s all the action? The depth? The showing?

You know what? This is normal. So let your hair stay where it is.

Early drafts often consist of the main character telling the author his/her story. The very nature of this act generates a lot of telling, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Later drafts consist of converting all that telling into showing. But how do we do that? Well, let’s take a look at telling vs. showing.

Telling.
Telling consists of words that replace action with a description of the scene. In other words, there is a person telling the reader what’s going on (instead of simply letting them see the story for themselves) and saying things like “She feels sad because she’s missing her husband” or “She’s mad because her best friend stood her up” or “She sees the locket that her husband left for her” (these are extreme examples, but you get the idea).

This analogy works for all words that tell us that the characters are doing/thinking/feeling/seeing/etc something, instead of showing us how they are doing/thinking/feeling/seeing/hearing/etc something. That vs. How, this is the main issue.

Here are some examples of classic telling:

Jana heard the wind chimes outside the door.
I saw/noticed/perceived the diamond on her ring finger, and felt angry that she’d agreed to marry that scum. (another form: I realized she had a diamond on her finger...)
Theresa was a teacher’s pet.

All of these sentences describe something that would have much greater impact through action. That is the essence of telling.

Showing.
Showing consists of action. Plain and simple. It’s in the character’s physical actions, AND it’s in body language, habits, possessions, clothing, hobbies, voice, etc. It’s in how the characters do something, not that they do it.

When you ask someone to show you how to do something, do you expect that person to give you a list of steps and then send you off? No. You’re asking them to get up and Do Something. The same thing applies to writing. Give your characters action, and you will be showing them to the reader.

Let’s convert the above examples of classic telling into showing.

The wind chimes tinkled, high and beautiful. Jana opened the door, and a soft breeze cooled her hot skin. Finally, a break from the unbearable heat.
The diamond glinted on Mary’s ring finger. What? How could she agree to marry that man, after he’d ‘accidentally’ put her in the hospital?
On the first day of school, Theresa was the first one to class. She chose the seat right in front of the teacher’s desk, like always, and arranged her books and pencils on the desk. She pulled a silver pen from her backpack, polishing off the smudges from her fingertips, and attached the “From Theresa” tag to the top. She carefully set it on the teacher’s desk, then slid back into her seat.

When your main character hears, sees, feels, notices, realizes, etc something, we assume it’s the main character because that’s who’s story this is. So, we don’t need to know that she hears something. We need to know what she hears/sees/feels/etc, as well as how it affects her as a person. All at the same time.

For example, don’t tell us that your character is peeling potatoes. Show us how she does it. Is she slow and meticulous? Is she quick and efficient? Does she slam things around? Answers to these kinds of questions show us what kind of person she is, as well as what kind of mood she’s in. We don’t need to be told that she’s angry if she’s slamming things around. We can see it for ourselves. Just like we can see that she’s in a good mood if she’s humming.

All that said, it’s totally fine if your first draft is riddled with telling. The first draft, sometimes called the ‘zero draft,’ is really to get the story sorted out on a high level. Once you have that done, then you can go through and convert your telling to showing. It usually takes me three drafts to get to this point…

After you’ve gone through your manuscript to eliminate the telling, go through it again. A common mistake writers make is to add showing, but not remove all of the telling – i.e. showing anger, then telling the reader that the character is angry (or vice versa). That may take more than one pass, because trusting your reader to understand what you’re saying is really hard.

But, trust me, it’s worth it. :)

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten

2012-01-12T07:00:00.004-06:00

When her boyfriend breaks up with her on the first day of sophomore year, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life. Enter three stunning girls with a magical offer Lucy can’t refuse. All she has to do is get a guy to fall in love with her in the next seven days, and then…break his heart and collect one of his brokenhearted tears. As the girls teach Lucy how to hook a guy (with the help of a little magic), she quickly discovers how far she is willing to go—and who she is willing to cross—to get what she wants.

I loved the way this story started out. It's third person with a clear narrator, which I loved even though I’m not usually a fan of narrators. But this story handles it very well. I was invested in Lucy’s story from the first paragraph.

The book is kind of like a how-to guide for successful relationships. Care enough about yourself to give your partner reason to care about you too, don’t fawn or over-compliment because that gets old after a while, take up your own space (not everyone else’s, just yours) in the relationship, if you don’t respect yourself then your partner won’t respect you, etc. These messages were conveyed a little too clearly at times, but I was okay with it. I didn’t really believe that Olivia, Liza, or Gil knew so much about successful relationships, but was fine with them introducing the info.

The girls were okay. I thought Liza was a little over-the-top mean, and Gil was a little over-the-top nice. But I still liked them. I would have liked to see a whole lot more about what it’s like to be a Heartbreaker, and what would motivate Lucy to intentionally break a boy’s heart. How do they choose their boys? What else do they make with the tears? How many Heartbreakers are there? Some of these questions were introduced at the end, so I’m wondering if there will be another book after this one.

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable read that teens of all ages will enjoy. It has good messages, good choices, and interesting consequences. Even though the end was resolved well enough to make this book a standalone, I kind of hope we get to see more of these characters in the future.

Connecting to Agents and Editors

2012-01-09T07:00:00.001-06:00

All of us writers out there want to be published, right? Yeah. Otherwise what’s the point of all this writing? :)

One good step toward attaining that goal is to connect with agents and editors. An easy way to do that is by going to conferences and workshops where they will be in attendance. Listen to what they say when they speak, take notes on the things that resonate with you, and use that information in your query letter when you submit to them. It shows them that you’re serious and you pay attention, both good things.

You can also try to connect with them after the conference is over (there is often a mix-n-mingle afterward). But, that is NOT the place to pitch your story. The only place acceptable for pitching your story is in a query letter, so keep it there. However, you can talk to the agent or editor about current publishing trends, what they’re working on, what books they have coming out soon, etc. You can also find out how they work. If it’s an agent, you can find out a bit about her communication styles. If it’s an editor, you can find out how the acquisition process works at her publishing house. There are plenty of things to talk about that have nothing to do with your book, and this will leave them with a good and professional impression of you.

If it’s not feasible for you to attend any conferences or workshops, there are still ways of making a connection. Many agents and editors have blogs. Read them. Get a feel for their style and work ethic and see if it matches up with yours. If anything they have to say resonates with you, include it in your query. This shows them that you’ve done your research and might be more fun to work with than a newbie.

What if you want to query an agent or editor that doesn’t have a blog? Not to worry. It’s harder in this case, but certainly not impossible to find ways of connecting with them. Agents and editors often give interviews, so if you search for that on the internet you’ll likely find something. You can also research which books they’ve edited and/or represented. Make a note of why the content or style of those books fit with yours.

Basically, when you’re submitting, the bottom line here is this: Why did you choose this particular person? Why do you think the two of you would make a good team? They need to know this. Cold queries will sometimes result in a contract, but the market is getting tougher every day so why wouldn’t you use every advantage you can? It would be pretty silly not to. :)

How many of you send out targeted queries vs. cold queries? What has been your general response?

January Book Giveaway

2012-01-07T07:50:00.003-06:00

It's a brand new year! But I've still got tons of books to give away, and more coming each month. I'll have between 2 to 4 books each month, depending on what I get, and the contest will start and end on the first and last saturdays of each month. So be sure to stop by to see what's up for grabs!

This month, I've got two books to give away.

ARC of Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.
Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

I'll announce the winner on Saturday, January 28th. Good luck!

Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

2012-01-05T07:42:00.000-06:00

Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human. And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely.
Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.
When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

I love the premise of this story. A girl who is invincible one day, and a normal human the next? Just plain awesome. I was predisposed to like this story before I started reading it. :) And the cover? Amazing!

The beginning chapters are a bit slow as we learn about Kali and her world, and the characters weren’t as clear as I wanted them to be, but the premise had hooked me so strongly that I didn’t mind. I kept reading simply because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. The plot does some really interesting twists and turns and kept me interested.

I really liked Kali from the start. Her compulsion to save others trumps everything else, even her own well-being. Some people seem to find it a bit cliché, but I liked it—that’s an attribute of a true hero. I thought she dealt with her need to hunt and her time as a weak human quite well. And I loved her internal conflict around the chupacabra.

The end didn’t come together as well as I would have liked. It seemed a bit too easy, and the connection to Zev wasn’t as strong as I wanted it to be. I like the direction the story is going at the end, but it felt a little bit clunky getting there. I’m also a bit torn as to whether I want the story to continue. The main story was resolved well, but with a few open ends that could turn into a sequel. I’m interested in where it might lead, and nervous as to where it’s going to go at the same time. So, if there’s a sequel, I’ll be picking it up and will probably read it the way some people watch a scary movie. :)

New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-02T07:00:00.002-06:00

I don't believe in New Year's resolutions. It seems silly to only look at ways to improve your life once a year. Plus, these resolutions tend to be too general to effectively act on them. I.E., 'work out more' can be anything, but 'work out twice a week' is specific enough to take action. And then, it becomes a goal.

I do believe in goals. I have lots of them, and I revisit them throughout the year to make sure I'm on task, or to readjust what I need to. I also look back on the year to see how well I did meeting my goals, or at least taking steps toward meeting them.

I'm making a new list of goals for the year, so I thought I'd share some of them with you.

Read 100 books.
I read 67 books last year, which is considerably less than the last two years. Granted, this year was far busier, but I'm convinced I can manage my time better and read more books. There are so many great ones out there!! And I'm going to start with the enormous stack next to my bed. :)

Comment and visit other blogs at least once a week.
I felt a bit like a hermit this year, sequestered away in my corner of the world. I managed to keep my blog posts going, but I didn't get the chance to reply to comments very well. Some months were busier than others, and I did SO many revisions this year it's insane. Still, I can take one day out of the week to comment on my own blog, and other great ones around the blogosphere. I miss you guys. :)

Finish my new WIPs.
On top of all the revisions I did this year, I also finished a first draft of two new WIPs. I'd like to revise and polish them up this year, then get started on the next book in the queue.

Keep up with my karate training.
I joined a dojo last year, and have been loving every part of my training. I have my yellow belt, which is about a third of the way to black belt. I'd like to get halfway there by the end of the year.

That's pretty much it for me. What are your goals for the year?

Winner of the December Book Giveaway!

2012-01-01T11:27:00.000-06:00

2012 is here already. Not really sure how that happened...last year was a whirlwind of activity!

Anyway, it's time to announce the winner of these books.

Charles!!

Congratulations!! I'll get these out to you asap. The next contest will be announced next saturday, so be sure to stop by! Happy New Year!!

Winner of the December Reading Challenge Giveaway!!

2012-01-01T11:25:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year, everyone!! I didn't meet my goal of 100 books, but that's okay. I'll try again this year. :)

Anyway, the winner of these books is...

Tiffany!!

Congratulations!! I'll get your books out to you asap. This is the final reading challenge contest, but I'll continue with the normal monthly book giveaways. The next contest will be announced next saturday, so be sure to stop by!

Happy Holidays!!

2011-12-26T10:28:00.000-06:00

My kids are home for winter break, and we've been having a great time. We've visited museums, gone ice skating, baked cinnamon rolls, banana bread, and cookies, and worked on a 2000 piece puzzle. Busy busy!! :) Of course, that also means I haven't gotten any work done, but that's okay. :) We're having a great time.

So I wanted to wish you all well this holiday season, and I hope you're having as much fun as I am. :) See you in the new year!!

Interview with Karen Amanda Hooper

2011-12-19T07:00:00.002-06:00

Today, I've got the fabulous Karen Amanda Hooper telling us all about her debut novel, Tangled Tides, which was released last month. This is just one stop in her blog tour.

Congratulations, Karen!! Tell us about your book.
Tangled Tides is an older YA fantasy novel about a girl who is turned into a mermaid and discovers she is the only soul who can save a world of sea creatures who are trapped in our Earth realm. It's full of magics, secrets, and romance.

What was the inspiration behind your idea?
The inspiration came from my love of mermaids which started when I was a toddler. Also, my lover for the ocean and my wild imagination about what might be going on beneath the surface.

How long did it take to get from the initial idea to a completed novel?
I wrote my first draft in about 5-6 months, and then I edited and revised for another 2-3 months. My critique partners always give such amazing feedback, and they helped make it a lot stronger.

How often do you write, and how much do you write in one sitting?
It varies for a million reasons. I'm bad with rules (as you can tell from my story being told from 3 different 1st person POVs) so I don't have a strict writing schedule. When I'm first starting a story I usually only write for an hour or two at a time, but once I get going on a manuscript my creative process becomes a little obsessive and I can write for hours on end.

Do you work on one project at a time, or multiple?
I focus on one at a time, but I play around with other ideas, or make notes for my future projects. I have random scenes written from three other story ideas, and I wish I could have all of them completed by yesterday, but as all writers know, telling a good story takes time.

Are you a planner, or do you write by the seat of your pants?
Seat of my pants all the way. I started an outline once and that same day I got the flu. I'm convinced the two were connected, so I'm not willing to attempt another outline because being sick drains my creativity.

Are you a paper person, or the computer-only-type?
I make notes on paper, and I might jot down a few lines or a scene here and there, but mostly I work on my laptop.

What does your writing space look like?
Ha. It's a small laptop desk that sits on my lap. While writing, I'm usually on my couch with my dogs napping on either side of me.

How much do you read, and what are you reading now?
I try to read one book a week, but if I'm super busy with my own project, or critiquing for writing partners, then sometimes I don't meet my goal. I just started CLOCKWISE by Elle Strauss and I'm loving it so far.

What are you working on now?
Book 2 of The Sea Monster Memoirs. And I'm thinking about submitting my other YA reincarnation based manuscript, but I'll probably go through it and revise it one more time before I do.

Congratulations on your book's release! And thanks so much for including Writer Musings in your tour so we can share in your success. :)
Thank you, and thanks so much for having me, Tabitha! :)

To see more of what Karen is up to, check out her website and her blog.

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

2011-12-15T09:23:00.000-06:00

When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she's certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer, one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack and the man she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.
I enjoyed Nightshade, for the most part. I had some issues with the characters, but the plot and the pacing were exciting enough to keep me interested and hope the characters would sort themselves out in the next book, Wolfsbane.

Well, not so much. My biggest issue with Calla in Nightshade was that she didn’t act like an alpha. She said she was, a lot, but her actions never matched those statements. The same thing happens in Wolfsbane, except she says it a whole lot more. It got tiresome after the first few chapters. Shay was the same forceful, arrogant, and closed-minded person that he was in Nightshade, amped up a few notches. I absolutely hated him by the end of Wolfsbane because he embodies everything a boyfriend should NOT be, especially at the end of the book. I was really bummed about that.

I was even more disappointed in Ren, though. I liked him in Nightshade. He was an obvious alpha, but he was also a good leader—he listened to Calla and respected her wishes. In Wolfsbane, he’s completely different. Even considering the pressure he was under from those around him, it still doesn’t explain his complete change in actions.

Most of all, there just wasn’t enough story to carry an entire book. The first 100 pages is all talking and posturing, and we still don’t learn much. When they finally go to rescue Calla’s pack, they make a stupid mistake—which is fine, because people make mistakes all the time. But they make the same kind of mistake when they go to Eden, and I just couldn’t overlook that. Plus, the 'big reveal' at the end didn’t feel so big because I’d figured it out in the first 50 pages or so. The plot in Wolfsbane wasn’t nearly as well thought out as Nightshade, which is really disappointing.

So many people are gushing about this book, and that’s great. I’m glad they’ve enjoyed it. I considered not finishing this book (which is HUGE for me), but wanted to know what happened to Ren so I kept reading. But it’s not at all my cup of tea, and I won’t be reading the next book.

Amazon Acquires Marshall Cavendish Children's Books

2011-12-12T07:00:00.001-06:00

Last week, Amazon announced that it purchased the children’s trade division of Marshall Cavendish. There’s been lots of commentary and discussion around the internet, for good reason, I think. I sure didn’t see it coming. :)

Amazon hasn’t exactly been reserved in expressing their opinion about traditional publishing. When they launched their self-pub division, they gave frequent public statements about why traditional publishing is out of date and pointless. Then, they launched their Encore imprint, which is more in line with traditional publishing. I don’t know too much about it, though, since they don’t do much in the way of children’s fiction.

But now they’ve purchased Marshall Cavendish’s entire children’s trade business, which has an established publishing reputation and good editors that work on high quality books. One of their books was even nominated for the National Book Award this year. Amazon has no plans to change the way these editors do business, and announced that no one will be laid off. It seems like they want a solid foot in the traditional publishing world. The question is, why?

Honestly, I don’t know. Amazon goes to such extremes that it’s tough to discern what they truly feel about any subject. Plus, they haven’t exactly hidden the fact that they want to dominate everywhere, especially the book market. But this is what I hope will happen…

There are quite a few aspects of publishing that worked fine ten, even five, years ago. But with the recent explosion in technology and ebooks, plus the economy being what it is, some older practices aren’t working so well anymore. Amazon has lots of savvy business folks and innovative, forward thinkers. If anyone can modernize the publishing business, they can. And, they’re brave enough to experiment a bit to see what works and what doesn’t. Also, having a fully established, traditional publishing house under their roof might give them a bit more insight into what needs to happen in order to have a successful publishing business with high quality books listed in their catalog.

But still, it is Amazon, the company that wants to ‘take over the world.’ :) I don’t entirely trust them because they’ve done so many 180 degree turns, all in the name of promoting their latest venture. That said, I’m still hopeful. I have my fingers crossed that good things will come from this, both for the sake of Marshall Cavendish’s current authors, and for the future of publishing.

39 Clues, last seven books

2011-12-08T07:00:00.010-06:00

Series Plot Summary: Following the death of their grandmother, Amy and Dan discover that they’re members of the most powerful family in the world: the Cahills. The family is huge, with ancestors such as Benjamin Franklin and Mozart. And, there’s a family secret, which the grandmother sets in motion in her will. Each living member of the family may either take one million dollars as inheritance, or they can search for the 39 clues that lead to something more powerful than anyone can imagine. Amy and Dan choose the clues, and are thrown into an adventure that takes them all over the world.

A couple years ago, I started reading The 39 Clues series. It was enjoyable, both with strengths and weaknesses. I stuck with the series as each book came out, and I haven't been disappointed. The books are fun, and the initial awkwardness of the first three books is gone. The authors eventually figured out how to settle into unified roles of Amy and Dan Cahill, and even Nellie (their au pair). They authors even figured out how to make the characters grow in interesting ways, keeping them feeling consistent. I have to say that I'm impressed. Based on the first three books, I thought the series was going to be disjointed all the way through. Not so at all.

The adventures are fun and entertaining, and I often read each book in a day. And then was looking forward to when the next one would come out. I was a little worried about the fact that there were 39 clues but only ten books, however I really like the way the series ended. The concepts and themes introduced are ones I find interesting anyway, and I like the way the series explores them.

My eight year old son discovered these books earlier this year. He and a few of his classmates love them, and he's read them all. He's even moved onto the next series, Cahills vs. Vespers. I read the 39 Clues book 11, which is basically setup for Cahills vs. Vespers, and am intrigued. I think I will be reading this next series with my son. :)

A Bunch of Articles on Character

2011-12-05T07:00:00.005-06:00

I've created another PDF of a compilation of articles, this time on Character. Writing overlaps so much that it's hard to separate it out into subjects like this, so I did my best to choose the articles that directly affected character in a story.

Here's what the PDF contains:

Various ways of creating characters
Dialogue
Point of View
Thoughts

So, if that sounds interesting to you, feel free to download it here. Enjoy!

December Book Giveaway!

2011-12-03T08:00:00.001-06:00

Another month, and two more books! Here's what I've got for this month.

ARC of Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.
And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely.
Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.
When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

ARC of The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten
When her boyfriend breaks up with her on the first day of sophomore year, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life. Enter three stunning girls with a magical offer Lucy can’t refuse. All she has to do is get a guy to fall in love with her in the next seven days, and then…break his heart and collect one of his brokenhearted tears. As the girls teach Lucy how to hook a guy (with the help of a little magic), she quickly discovers how far she is willing to go—and who she is willing to cross—to get what she wants.

To enter, fill out the form below. Then come back on Saturday, December 31st to see if you've won. Good luck!

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

2011-12-01T07:00:00.005-06:00

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed. Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

The premise of this book is just too cool. That concept of language dividing class really illustrates the power of words, and my writer geek got all excited. :)

I really liked Charlie. She’s interesting, has an easy-going nature, a great sense of morality, and she’s smart. Her friendship with Brooklyn felt real, and I liked the irony of her submissiveness to Brooklyn and the significance of her gift of languages. Charlie grows into herself in this story.

The end had a tiny contrived moment that hugely impacted the rest of the story, which brought my enjoyment down a notch. If subsequent actions hadn’t been based on that tiny moment, then I could have easily dismissed it. But since the rest of the ending was dependent on that moment, I had a hard time believing it. I was completely riveted up to that point, though.

I’ve heard mixed reactions to the epilogue so far. I’m not usually a big fan, but this one worked (for the most part). There was one jarring moment between Charlie and Max, but I think it was because I didn’t really feel the passage of time. Though it is laid out in the epilogue, so I’m not sure what to think on that. Maybe it just came too much out of the blue. But I did like the very end of the epilogue, which opens things up to another book yet still gives me a satisfying ending to this story. I like stories like that.

Overall, this is a very entertaining read, and if there’s another book then I’ll be reading it. :)

100 Book Reading Challenge: December

2011-12-01T06:00:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm at 64 books so far, so I think it's safe to say I'm not going to reach 100 this year. Too many things going on. But I have been getting a lot of writing done, which is good. So I'd say it's a fair trade-off. :)

This will be the last giveaway for the 2011 reading challenge, and it's been tough to keep up with it so I probably won't be carrying it over into next year. But I will keep doing the regular monthly giveaways.

This month, I've got a couple great books to give away.

Hardback of Legend by Marie Lu
What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

ARC of How to Save a Life by Sara Zarr
Jill MacSweeney just wants everything to go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. You can't lose one family member and simply replace him with a new one, and when her mom decides to adopt a baby, that's exactly what it feels like she's trying to do. And that's decidedly not normal. With her world crumbling around her, can Jill come to embrace a new member of the family?
Mandy Kalinowski knows what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, she knows she wants a better life for her baby. But can giving up a child be as easy as it seems? And will she ever be able to find someone to care for her, too?

To enter, fill out the form below. You may join this challenge at any time. Also, you must follow these rules, or your entry will be disqualified:

One URL per entry, and that URL must directly link to a book review. A general link to your blog or Goodreads profile isn't specific enough (I simply don't have the time to go sifting through the hundred or so of these entries to figure out what everyone is reading).
You may enter as many times as you like, BUT you must keep to the one URL per entry rule. Otherwise your entry will only count as one.
You must have reviewed the book IN DECEMBER. Past reviews don't count.

FYI--to get to a direct link to your Goodreads reviews, click on the title of the book, and then click on the "My Review" heading just above where you type in your review. A link to your profile will render your entry invalid.

Come back here on Saturday, December 31st to see if you've won. Good luck!!

Winner of the November Reading Challenge Giveaway!!

2011-11-30T09:37:00.001-06:00

It's the end of the month and time to announce the winner of this month's reading challenge giveaway.

The winner of these two books is...

Ashley!!

Congratulations!! I'll get your books out to you asap. As for everyone else, stop by tomorrow to see what I'm giving away next month!

Winner of the November Book Giveaway!

2011-11-30T09:24:00.000-06:00

I was supposed to announce this yesterday, but was still getting caught up on a bunch of things and forgot. So, here is the winner of these two books...

Jennifer!!

Congratulations!! I'll get your books out to you asap. For everyone else, stop by this saturday to see what else I'm giving away!

Five Things I'm Thankful For

2011-11-28T07:00:00.002-06:00

Hope all you Americans out there had a great Thanksgiving with yummy turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, and pumpkin pie! :)

I got a nasty stomach flu virus the day before Thanksgiving, which almost derailed our plans. I haven't been laid out by an illness so thoroughly in years. It wasn't pretty. Fortunately, it was a 24 hour thing and I was able to go visit my grandparents and other immediate family for the weekend. It was so good to see them that it inspired me to make a list of the top five things I'm thankful for:

My husband. For too many reasons to list. :)
My kids. They're great, and they took care of me when I was sick, and even made a point not to get overly energetic and refrained from arguing with each other. Which is good, because I couldn't even get out of bed. :)
My family. They're the greatest.
My friends. They're fun, supportive, and interesting. I'm lucky to have met them.
My agent. There's none better.

Even though I don't have everything I want, I have a lot. And I'm grateful for it all.

What are you thankful for?

Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

2011-11-21T07:00:00.014-06:00

My kids are home all week for Thanksgiving break, and I'm still intensely focused on my WIP, so I don't have a post for today. Instead, I wish everyone in the US a very happy Thanksgiving! Eat lots of turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. I know I will. :)

Apparently, you should avoid the fish, though...

Um...yeah...guess I'll stick with turkey...

See you all next week!

You Against Me by Jenny Downham

2011-11-17T07:00:00.002-06:00

If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide.
This story shows the aftermath of an accusation of date rape in a very realistic way. The focus is on the families of the parties involved, rather than victim or the accused rapist. People don’t tend to think about how rape can send shockwaves through families—both the victim’s and the accused rapist’s. Sometimes bringing them closer, sometimes tearing them apart. I thought this was brilliant, and the story did a great job of capturing the ordeal that both families go through.

All the characters are interesting and multi-dimensional. No one is all victim or all bad guy or all supportive sibling. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Everyone has moments of reflection and remorse. In other words, everyone is human. They all seemed real to me.

The story surrounds Mikey and Ellie, siblings to Karyn and Tom—the victim and accused rapist. Mikey listens to his family bash Tom, saying his whole family so rich they’re above the law. Ellie listens to her family bash Karyn, saying she was begging for it with her short skirt and drinking too much, and regretted her choice the next morning so she went after Tom and his money. It was really interesting to see the immediate loyalty each family shows, and also interesting to see this loyalty manifested by attacking the other side. That rang true to me. I imagine this would happen often in real life.

Both Mikey and Ellie set out to protect their siblings, which is how their paths cross. Against all odds, they like each other, but the obstacles between them are huge. I really liked how their romance unfolded, and how each grew and changed as they got to know each other. This story really focuses on how they deal with their broken families, and also come to terms with each other. The trial is in the background, and I’ve heard some readers complain that we don’t get more information about it. But I was okay with that, because this wasn’t Karyn’s story. Or Tom’s. I really liked how Mikey and Ellie end up, and I liked how some things were left up in the air. That’s more how real life is.

I haven’t read Downham’s first book, Before I Die, yet. But I will. You Against Me is so poignant and well-written that I can’t wait to read more of Downham’s work.

Inspirational Quotes

2011-11-14T07:00:00.002-06:00

I'm completely entrenched in my current project, and didn't get a chance to finish today's post. So I've got some more great quote for you. Enjoy!

The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.
- Mark Twain

No tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise for the writer, no surprise for the reader.
- Robert Frost

Great writing leads constantly into surprises, and the writer should be the first one surprised.
- Bernard Malamud

Most bad books get that way because their authors are engaged in trying to justify themselves. If a vain author is an alcoholic, then the most sympathetically portrayed character in his book will be an alcoholic. This sort of thing is very boring for outsiders.
- Stephen Vizinczey

To get the right word in the right place is a rare achievement. To condense the diffused light of a page of thought into the luminous flash of a single sentence, is worthy to rank as a prize composition just by itself...Anybody can have ideas—the difficulty is to express them without squandering a quire of paper on an idea that ought to be reduced to one glittering paragraph.
- Mark Twain

Some critics will write 'Maya Angelou is a natural writer' — which is right after being a natural heart surgeon.
- Maya Angelou

I would never write about anyone who is not at the end of his rope.
- Stanley Elkin

The person who finds the time [to write] is the one who is going to become a writer. The person who doesn’t, won’t.
- Meg Cabot

I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.
- Jorge Luis Borges

There's a great power in words if you don't hitch too many of them together.
- Josh Billings

Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep.
- Scott Adams

When I start a book, I always think it's patently absurd that I can write one. No one, certainly not me, can write a book 500 pages long. But I know I can write 15 pages, and if I write 15 pages every day, eventually I'll have 500 of them.
- John Saul

Writing comes more easily if you have something to say.
- Sholem Asch

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

2011-11-10T07:00:00.000-06:00

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.

This book left me with such mixed feelings. The story starts out well, with a mystery as to how Mara survived an accident that killed her friends. She’d blocked out the memory of that night, and I liked how it gradually came back to her in pieces. I really like it when I get to discover the story right along with the character, so I had high hopes this was going to keep me intrigued. And it did, for the first half or so.

After that, things started getting…strange. The paranormal aspect was introduced, but it conflicted with Mara’s real world problems. As a result, I didn’t know what to think about any of it, and not necessarily in a good way. I don’t mind not knowing, but I love it when I find out the big secret and then all of the clues suddenly fall into place. That didn’t really happen in the story.

The twist on the last page wasn’t as shocking as Mara makes it out to be. Sure, she’d been questioning everything since page one, and she explained away her glimpses to her own doubts. That makes sense on its own, but there were other clues that she just kept explaining away. There was too much of that, for my taste. I wanted to see her question her questions, and throw herself into complete confusion. Then again, if she had done that, it probably would have changed the ending.

Which brings me to the ending… I really, really didn’t like Mara at the end. She takes a 180 degree turn and does something that doesn’t fit her character, especially for the situation, and I lost pretty much all sympathy for her after that. I understand that we all make bad choices, and she made the worst choice that anyone can make. If she’d been caught up in a highly tense and stressful situation, her actions would have, understandably, stemmed from that. But she wasn’t. She was calm and made a conscious decision to do what she did, ruining three lives in the process instead of one. Well, four if you include Mara. That’s a disturbingly cold thing she did, and I didn’t particularly care as she realizes the huge mistake she’d made. I felt she deserved her suffering. Perhaps that’s how the title fits in with the story—Mara becomes Unbecoming. For me, it didn’t work at all and brought my enjoyment down several notches.

The rest of the book is okay, mostly saturated with a romance between Mara and Noah, the typical hot-jerk-boyfriend. I wish there weren’t so many stories with this kind of boyfriend, but there you go. There’s nothing really new with their romance. I liked watching Mara sort through her memories and try to figure things out, though I do wish that we’d have gotten a clear image of the single most important memory in the story. The fact that we didn’t makes me feel like I’m being manipulated into buying the next book. Not the way I want to end a story.

So, I don’t know. I guess I see this as a story that had a huge amount of potential, but didn’t live up to it. I might give the next book a 20-page try, but I honestly won’t know until it comes out. Until then…

NaNoWriMo: Pros and Cons

2011-11-07T07:00:00.060-06:00

National Novel Writing Month. Write 50,000 words in a month? Gah! And yet, many people tackle this incredible challenge every year. I've tried it three times so far, but only succeeded in generating the required amount of words once. That time, I worked on a novel that I knew really well. I had a detailed outline, I'd done character profiling, and I knew exactly where to take my story. So, the one time I 'won' NaNo, I cranked out 58k words in three weeks.

The other two times? I didn't know the story or the characters nearly as well, and I wasn't willing to sacrifice them just to meet my word count. So, I slowed down and did some exploring. It took much longer to finish those drafts, but when I was done, I was happy with them.

I'm not doing NaNo this year, but I have some friends who are going for it and that got me thinking about the pros and cons of this endeavor.

Pro: You get 50k words written.
Con: 50k words of what?

Pro: Even if you end up with 50k words of crap, you've at least got a solid start on your project.
Con: Yeah, unless you have to chuck it all and start over. So why do it right in the first place?

Pro: Even if you have to chuck it all, you've at least had the chance to really explore the idea and characters, and there's probably some nuggets in there that are worth keeping.
Con: But then you have to search through 50k words of crap to find a couple nuggets.

Anyone have anything else to add? :)

Clearly, NaNo has worked well for me, and it also hasn't worked at all. It all depended on the circumstances surrounding my projects. Have you done NaNo? How has it fared for you? Are you doing it now?

November Book Giveaway!

2011-11-05T07:15:00.009-05:00

Another month, and two more books to give away!

ARC of Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié
Katelyn McBride's life changed in an instant when her mother died. Uprooted from her California home, Katelyn was shipped to the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, to her only living relative, her grandfather. And now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains.
Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets. But the secrets hideen here are more sinister than Katelyn could ever imagine. It's a town with a history that reaches back centuries, spans continents, and conceals terrifying truths.
And Katelyn McBride is about to change everything.
Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances, and love that blooms in the darkest night--welcome to Wolf Springs.

ARC of The File on Angelyn Stark by Catherine Atkins
Angelyn Stark has a secret.
One day, her neighbor and friend, Nathan, saw something happen. Something between Angelyn and her stepfather. Then he told his grandmother, who was always looking out for Angelyn, and it turned into a mess. But Nathan didn't know what he was talking about then, and he doesn't know now.
Three years later, Angelyn is in high school and she thinks she's getting along fine--but there's a young teacher who wants to help her. He says she has potential she isn't living up to. Nobody has ever cared this way about Angelyn, not since Nathan's grandmother, anyway. But what does Mr. Rossi really want from her? And once Angelyn starts falling for him, does she really care?

To enter, fill out the form below. One entry per person, please. Since the last Saturday of the month is over Thanksgiving weekend, I'm extending the contest to Tuesday, November 29th. So, stop by then to see if you've won!

Eve by Anna Carey

2011-11-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.
Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

This story was not for me. It started out okay, though it felt rushed. No time was dedicated to building the relationships between the girls in School, or giving Eve time to process that her whole life was a lie. Instead, another girl (Arden, who has a reputation as a prankster) tells her the truth the night before Eve's life was scheduled to change. So, why would Eve believe her so easily? Enough to risk swimming across a lake in the middle of the night, even though she can't swim? I don't buy it.

However, if we'd been able to see more of the school, how the girls interacted, and how Eve finds clues to corroborate what Arden says, then Eve's trek across the lake would make more sense. Or, even better, if the story had begun with Eve finding Arden coming out of the lake, looking horrified and jumpy, that would give Eve reason enough to wonder what was really going on. Especially if Arden subsequently seems reserved and eyes the Teachers with suspicion--this would make Eve even more curious.

But none of this happened, so the beginning got off to a rough start. Throughout the rest of the book, Eve is too passive. She doesn't resist the bounty hunter (that first scene with him, btw, doesn't make sense because the bounty hunter doesn't have three hands), she doesn't try to help Marjorie or Otis, and she lets both Arden and Caleb leave under questionable circumstances (especially Caleb...that irritated me in so many ways). About halfway through the book, I actively disliked Eve. I thought Arden was much more interesting.

Many aspects to the plot didn't make sense. For example, why did the girls in School receive such an education, even skewed the way it was? Also, why were they taught to fear men so much? Where are all these babies going, anyway? To replenish the orphan work force? It doesn't make sense that they'd go to rich families in the city. Kids are expensive to support. If there are whisperings about why the king wants Eve, there would surely be whisperings about where the babies go. On that note, it also doesn't make sense that the king would go so far to pursue Eve when, clearly, she isn't what everyone thought. So why does he?

If the answer to any of these questions is "you'll find out in the next book," well, that's too frustrating for my taste and it makes me lose all interest in the story. There is a fine line between withholding information and keeping an air of mystery. This story had too many questions and not enough answers for my taste. I doubt I'll read the next book.

100 Book Reading Challenge: November

2011-11-01T07:00:00.002-05:00

I'm still on that reading roller coaster, but I'm still managing to read. So that's what's important. :)

NOTE: In order to enter this contest, you don't need to agree to read 100 books this year. You just need to agree to read a book and scribble down some thoughts this month. That's all. :) A couple people were confused by this, so I just wanted to clarify. :)

Anyway, here's the books I'm giving away this month.

ARC of Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

ARC of Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night's experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains. . . . What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden?

To enter, fill out the form below. You may join this challenge at any time. Also, you must follow these rules, or your entry will be disqualified:

One URL per entry, and that URL must directly link to a book review. A general link to your blog or Goodreads profile isn't specific enough (I simply don't have the time to go sifting through the hundred or so of these entries to figure out what everyone is reading).
You may enter as many times as you like, BUT you must keep to the one URL per entry rule. Otherwise your entry will only count as one.
You must have reviewed the book IN NOVEMBER. Past reviews don't count.

FYI--to get to a direct link to your Goodreads reviews, click on the title of the book, and then click on the "My Review" heading just above where you type in your review. A link to your profile will render your entry invalid.

Come back here on Wednesday, November 30th to see if you've won. Good luck!!

Winner of The Galaxy Games by Greg Fishbone!

2011-10-31T17:00:00.003-05:00

The most important event in human history is here, in The Galaxy Games: The Challengers by Greg Fishbone! I promised to send off a copy to some lucky winner today, so let's find out who that is, shall we?

According to Random.org, the winner is...

Evan!!

Congratulations!! I'll send the book out to you asap.

For the rest of you, if you're still looking for a contest, I'm launching one tomorrow, and another this saturday. So stop by to enter!

Winner of the October Reading Challenge Giveaway!!

2011-10-31T12:00:00.002-05:00

I'm up to 61 books, so six more than last month. *shrug* It's progress. :)

Anyway, it's time to announce the winner of these two books.

And that person is...

Margaret!!

Congratulations!! I'll get your books out to you asap. I'm launching next month's reading challenge contest tomorrow, so stay tuned! NOTE: There was some confusion, so I wanted to clarify something. You don't need to agree to read 100 books this year in order to enter this contest. You just need to read and review at least one book next month to enter. That's all. :)

Blog Tour: The Galaxy Games by Greg Fishbone

2011-10-31T07:00:00.019-05:00

Today I'm interviewing Greg R. Fishbone, author of The Galaxy Games: The Challengers, a humorous middle-grade book about the most important event in human history, aliens, and sports. Greg is here to tell us a bit about his book as well as how his tour has been going.

Writer Musings: Welcome, Greg! How does it feel to be on the last day of a month-long blog tour?

Greg Fishbone: It's like finishing a marathon.

WM: How so?

GF: More like a sense of dragging myself across thefinish line, puking into a bush, and wanting to sleep for a week. Maybe the triumph will sink in later.

WM: Yes, that sounds understandable. You did 31 guest blog entries in 31 days--what were some of the highlights?

GF: There were some great essays and resources that will definitely find a permanent home on my website. The one I did about writing a sophomore outing for Cynthia Leitich Smith's Cynsations, the one about book trailers at Shevi Arnold's blog, and writing SF for young readers at DeborahJ. Ross. I enjoyed the conversation I had with Simon Haynes, live from Australia, and it was great to present materialfrom some deleted scenes that didn't make it into the book at Roots in Myth. I had a lot of fun this month.

WM: Sounds great! This is the first blogging you've done it awhile, isn't it?

GF: That's true. I had an author blog, in one form oranother, for about ten years until I gave it up earlier this year. The problemwas that whenever there was something newsworthy happening in my life, therewasn't time to write about it. But when I did have time to blog, I didn't haveanything much to say.

WM: Has this blog tour made you more or less likely to blog in the future?

GF: More likely. It had been just long enough that I'd started to miss having a virtual soapbox and megaphone, and it's helpful to reflect on things from time to time. Blogging every day isn't for me, but I'm excited to announce that I'm going to be blogging once a month as part of a newgroup blog called Read It and Laugh.

WM: Can you tell us what that's about?

GF: Myself and a bunch of fellow authors of humorousYA and Midgrade books will make you laugh until you cry, and then cry until you start laughing again. I call it the laugh-cry-laugh cycle, patent pending.

WM: What else is going on in the Great Galactic Blog Tour?

GF: The big contest ends today, and also there's the puzzle contest. This final piece is a huge key that should really help folks to put it all together.

WM: Very nice. Has this all helped you get word out about The Galaxy Games series?

GF: I like to think that every blog post was a pathfor people to find out more about the book. The tour as a whole should reallygive people a good idea of what I'm all about and what the book is all about,and hopefully that will make them want to pick up a copy of their own. Available in hardcover or ebook from stores everywhere!

WM: Thanks for visiting with us today,Greg!

GF: Thanks for hosting me, Tabitha.

To see more of what Greg is up to, check out his website at GFishbone.com. I will be announcing the winner of his book, The Galaxy Games, at the end of the day. So you have until then to get your last-minute entries in!

Winner of the October Book Giveaway!

2011-10-29T07:42:00.002-05:00

Halloween is around the corner, which means October is almost gone. And it also means it's time to announce the winner of these two books.

And that winner is...

Maidenveil!!

Congratulations! I'll get your books out to you asap.

There's still the other contest going on until monday, so sign up for that if you haven't already. I'll be announcing more contests next week, so stay tuned!!

Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly

2011-10-27T07:00:00.004-05:00

Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil.
What a fabulous book!! I’ve been meaning to write this review for quite some time, but other things kept getting in the way. Now, I can finally sit down and do this book justice.

First off, I was skeptical when I picked it up. I’ve been burned (no pun intended) by angel books in the past, and was worried it was going to happen again. And, to be honest, the beginning didn’t pull me in right away. Sure, I liked that Willow knows how to fix cars. Okay, I really liked that. But it still didn’t pull me in. I kept going, though, because I’d heard intriguing things about this story and wanted to know more.

Once I learned about the angels and their part in the story, I could NOT put this book down. It’s so refreshingly unique. I’m looking forward to learning more about them.

The dynamic between Willow and Alex is very well done (the story is blessedly free of love triangles, in case anyone was wondering). I’m not usually a fan of dual points of view, but in this case it works. Both Willow and Alex struggle with their identities, which are a direct result of their heritage. Something every teen can connect to. Also, the strength of the angels is wonderfully illustrated through Beth. Actually, everything is shown so well through the characters. I had an easy time connecting both to them and, consequently, to the story.

I cannot wait for the next book, Angel Fire, to come out in the US. That’s saying a lot, because I’m not usually so excited about sequels. :) Definitely recommended.

A Bunch of Articles on the Submission Process

2011-10-24T07:00:00.015-05:00

For those of you who liked the articles on plot I compiled into a pdf recently, I finished another one. This one contains of a bunch of articles I've written on this blog over the past three years. This one is on the the submission process.

Attacking the pitch
Writing the synopsis
The query as a whole package
What to do (and not do) with rejection
Dealing with THE CALL

All of this is on my blog, of course, but if you'd like it in one single, handy document, you can download it here.

I'm slowly putting together the next document, and it's on character. So, if this sounds interesting to you, stay tuned... :) I'm planning to release it sometime next month. Ish.:)

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

2011-10-20T07:00:00.001-05:00

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue? Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...
Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.
But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

I was looking forward to this book because there aren’t that many YA stories set in a spaceship, and the possibilities are endless. Plus, the fertility issues hinted in the summary above sounded intriguing. So I happily settled into the story.

The first third is fantastic. I liked the characters, the conflict was intense, and the pacing was spot on. In fact, it only took an hour to get a third of the way through the book because I could not put it down.

Then, things took a bit of a turn, leaving me scratching my head in many places. A few characters seem to transform inexplicably, from normal to something near insane, and their motivations aren’t clear. There were a few instances where information was withheld (such as the situation surrounding Waverly’s dad and Seth’s mom), probably to heighten tension and pique the reader’s interest. But all it really did was make these characters less understandable and unsympathetic. I needed to know what was driving the characters, but that was never made clear. As a result, their actions felt contrived. By the end of the story, I didn’t like any of them anymore.

I also had issues with some aspects of the plot. Much of it didn’t make sense. For example, if a scientist is smart enough to figure out how manipulate the number of eggs released from an ovary, he’s smart enough to recognize the potential for inbred genetic issues down the road. Unless they monitor future generations with an insane zeal, they're going to have an extremely difficult time keeping half-brothers and sisters from inter-marrying.

Also, many of the characters are middle-aged with atrophied muscles. They break out in a sweat by simply carrying a dinner tray, or even walking down a hallway. Because of this, there is no way they’d be able to fire a gun with any kind of control. It takes a lot of strength to keep the kickback from knocking you on your butt, especially with the higher caliber weapons. But they fire several rounds, with no repercussions. This pulled me out of the story on several occasions because the scenes felt contrived.

The last thing I want to look at is how incredibly dark this book is. I actually like dark books a lot. I love a book that can really ‘go there’ and get to the heart of difficult and uncomfortable concepts and issues. There are plenty of difficult and uncomfortable concepts in this book, but they are a bit confusing. I think the author was trying to show both sides of the coin regarding religion, but the end result wasn’t as clear as it could have been. This is partly due to the lack of connection to the characters. If we don’t understand what is driving them, then we can’t understand where they are taking us.

The conversation between Seth and Waverly at the end really illustrates this. Waverly’s actions are somewhat understandable, considering what she’s been through. But Seth’s aren’t. In fact, it shows just how little he’s learned, and how manipulative and ruthless (borderline sociopathic) he is. And I still don’t understand why he is this way. I don't really want to spend any more time with these characters because their actions don't provoke any sympathy from me. Perhaps the next book will be better.

When Is ‘Good Enough’ Really Good Enough?

2011-10-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

When do you consider your work good enough? When your critique partners have no more major comments? When it’s published? When it gets a starred review? When it wins an award?
Perhaps. But, for every answer, there’s a way to refute it.

‘It’s good enough for my critique partners, so it’s got to be good enough for an agent or editor.’
Maybe. It depends on how thorough your critique partners were, and how well you absorbed their feedback.

‘It’s good enough to get me an agent, so it must be good enough for an editor.’
Again, maybe. If your manuscript attracted an agent, then there’s at least one shining element to your story that she believes in. But that doesn’t mean she thinks it’s close to being done.

‘It’s good enough for my editor, so it must be good enough to greet the world.’
This depends on so many things. The editor could have been sold on that same shining element that attracted your agent, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the book has transformed into one big, shining story. It might have, or the editor might have gotten it to the point where the flaws were merely acceptable. Meaning, many readers may not notice or care about them, but the astute reader will likely catch them every time.

So, what about ‘My book got a starred review’ or ‘My book won an award’?
A starred review comes from an individual, so it means the flaws were overshadowed by the good parts for that one person. If another person from the same organization had reviewed your book, you might have gotten a different response. It all depends on taste. An award is bestowed by a group of people, and they agree that your work is deserving of this award. It’s still a small group, though. Much smaller than the rest of the reading population. So is this a good measure?

What does it really mean to say ‘my work is good enough’?

Let’s say you give your work to an agent or editor hoping she won’t notice a weak area in the story, or you assume that weak area is fine if she doesn’t say anything about it. Or, let’s say you rationalize away a voiced concern because so-and-so-author gets away with it in her books. Well, you can almost count on this coming back to haunt you, especially if you’re a debut author.

Once your work is out there, there’s no taking it back. If you (or someone else) notice a flaw in your work, other people will, too. Hoping, insisting, or rationalizing that something isn’t a problem doesn’t make it true. Instead, it sets you up for the firing squad that’s taken up residence on Amazon’s review forums. :)

For me, this is what it really means to say one’s work is good enough:

You have listened with an objective ear to the feedback from your critique partners, agent, and/or editor.
You have taken a good, hard look at the areas of concern (and put other successful books out of your mind).
You’ve done everything you can to resolve those issues, likely moving out of your comfort zone in order to do it.

There might still be a reader who catches something that no one else did. But, you know what? That’s okay, because, if you’ve done everything above, that thing will be so minor it really won’t matter.

Galaxy Games: The Challengers by Greg Fishbone

2011-10-13T07:00:00.002-05:00

Things are looking up for Tyler Sato (literally!) as he and his friends scan the night sky for a star named for him by his Tokyo cousins in honor of his eleventh birthday. Ordinary stars tend to stay in one place, but Ty’s seems to be streaking directly toward Earth at an alarming rate. Soon the whole world is talking about TY SATO, the doomsday asteroid, and life is turned upside down for Ty Sato, the boy, who would rather be playing hoops in his best friend’s driveway.
Meanwhile, aboard a silver spaceship heading for Earth, M’Frozza, a girl with three eyes and five nose holes, is on a secret mission. M’Frozza is the captain of planet Mrendaria’s Galaxy Games team, and she is desperate to save her world from a dishonorable performance in the biggest sporting event in the universe.
What will happen when Ty meets M’Frozza? Get ready for the most important event in human history—it’ll be off the backboard, around the rim, and out of this world!

Greg Fishbone is doing a pretty cool blog tour for his book, Galaxy Games. It started on October 1st and goes through the end of the month. With each stop at a blog, he gives a clue to the Galaxy Games Puzzle Contest. I'll be hosting his tour on the 31st--the last day of the tour, and the biggest clue of them all! So be sure to stop by.

For participating in the tour, I received a review copy in the mail, which my eight year old son promptly claimed it so he could read it. I managed to get my hands on it while he was at school, and I can safely say that this is a book that boys will love. It's campy, silly, fun, and I laughed out loud more than once. Though the summary focuses on Ty and M'Frozza, there are other main characters that play key roles. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and so did my son. It's along the lines of Whales on Stilts by MT Anderson, but not quite as 'out there.' Definitely fun for the whole family.

I'm giving away my review copy (much to my son's chagrin...I promised him I'd get him his own copy), so if you'd like to enter, then fill out the form below. I'll announce the winner on October 31st, after the final clue is revealed in the blog tour.

How To Get The Most Out Of A Critique, Part Five

2011-10-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

Last week, I talked about how to incorporate feedback from an agent or editor, and today I want to talk about the fine line between holding on too tightly and knowing the feedback isn’t right for your story.
Kill your darlings. People say that over and over again, but one could argue that all of your writing consists of darlings. So, how do you know whether a darling needs to go or stay? That’s a tough call. But there are ways to figure it out.

The first step is to figure out what kind of person you are. Are you resistant to change? Are you easily influenced? Are you easily overwhelmed? Knowing this will help you tremendously because it will affect your strategy.

Resistant To Change
If this is you, then the revision process can be a complete nightmare for your critique partners. Why? If you constantly resist input, they’re going to wonder why the heck you bothered to ask them to critique your work. One who is resistant to change can easily make himself believe that he’s holding on to the key elements of his story, when they may not actually be key elements. But how do you figure out the difference?

One way is to make a list of every single issue raised in your feedback, even the ones you don’t agree with. Then, take each issue one at a time and experiment with it. What happens to the story if you make this change? Is it better or worse? Or, what happens if you add a few tweaks to this change? Then what? I’ve discovered more revision gems this way than I can count. But if you don’t try, you’ll never know. So, give it a try, and you might surprise yourself.

Easily Influenced
If this is you, then I think you have the hardest time with revision than anyone else, because it’s easy to see the merit in other people’s comments. That leads to incorporating those ideas and suggestions in your story, even if they don’t fit. Then you end up with Frankenstein’s monster, and, eventually, the whole project will likely be abandoned. How do you keep this from happening?

Again, make a list of all the comments. Instead of experimenting with them with actual writing, just think about each issue one at a time, taking it through your story from start to finish. Does it affect the setting? Does it affect how the character views certain things? Are these better or worse for your story? It’s very important that you do not start revising right away. Instead, let your mind play with these ideas and see where they fall.

Easily Overwhelmed
I think most people fall into this category, especially when you’ve got a group of people giving you feedback. Or, if you get some suggestions from an agent or editor, you can easily feel overwhelmed because of the potential for a connection. But there are ways to deal with it.

Make a list of everything, but not in the traditional way. You want to deal with each issue individually, so make your list such that you can only see one thing at a time. You could use index cards, for example, or use another sheet of paper to cover the rest of the list so you can only see one new thing at a time. Then, deal with only that issue. When you know for sure whether you should keep or discard it, move on to the next. Keep doing this until you reach the end, and don’t worry about how long it takes to get there.

There is another thing you should do regardless of what kind of person you are, and that is…

SLEEP ON IT

After you’ve made your list, set it aside and get a good night’s sleep. Or a week. Or a even a month. When you’re not actively thinking about the list, that’s when you should return to it because that’s when your brain will be the most objective. You’ll be able to see things that you probably wouldn’t have when it was all fresh. And, any emotion associated with the feedback will have had a chance to settle, and you can better assess what’s right for your story.

Really, though, it all comes down to you as an individual. The only way you’re going to figure out the best way to deal with feedback is to experiment with various systems and see what feels right. If you haven’t done this yet, get to it. :)

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

2011-10-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back. Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

The tension in this story is non-stop from beginning to end, and the pacing leaves you breathless. I finished this book in a day and a half simply because I couldn't put it down.

That said, the beginning was a little hard to get through. Saba did not come across as likable or interesting. Her sun rises and sets with her brother (which, at 18 years old, kinda creeps me out), she's horrible to her little sister, and she has absolutely no curiosity. She’s even less likable after Lugh is taken and her obsession with him is moved front and center.

When Saba lands in the cage so easily, I considered setting this book down. The plot at this point rubbed me the wrong way because it felt clunky, though I can't quite put my finger on why. However, I'm glad I kept reading because Saba becomes so much better by the end. Her transformation is gradual and believable, and everything she went through directly affects her growth. It makes sense why she had to endure the things she endured, because it enables her growth toward the end. I’m very glad I stuck with this book.

There was one thing, however, that I could not get over... I really really didn't like the writing style. The lack of quotes and the misspellings in order to get the voice to come through made the prose too difficult to read. I had to stop too many times to ponder out several words, as well as what was being said aloud. I prefer to be seamlessly submerged in a story, and this writing style doesn't allow that.

I am still interested in reading more, though I do hope it's easier to read. And I hope the next story follows Jack. I didn't feel like I knew him very well by the end, and I still think he's got secrets. I'd like to know what they are.

How To Get The Most Out Of A Critique, Part Four

2011-10-03T07:00:00.002-05:00

Last week, I talked about how to incorporate a critiquer’s feedback into your work. Today, I want address what happens if that feedback comes from an agent or editor.
It’s one thing to dismiss feedback from another writer, but it gets more complicated when it comes from an agent or editor. After all, they’re the ones who can get us to that coveted that Published and Listed status. All of a sudden, the stakes have gone up.

When an agent requests your full manuscript, what’s the first thing you do? You cheer, of course! A request is a good thing, which could lead to other good things. And if that agent likes your story but has a few misgivings, she might offer you some advice to revise. If she really likes it, she might even invite you to resubmit. This is great cause for celebration, closely followed by nauseating nerves. This could be your chance to snag an agent, so you want to do your absolute best work. Plus, agents have their fingers on the pulse of the industry so if you do what she tells you to do, it’ll be all right. Right?

Wrong.

It’s easy to get caught up in revising for an agent or editor because they are directly responsible for getting you published. The problem is that you can lose sight of your story and focus on doing what she says, which may or may not work. If it doesn’t work, then the agent/editor is going to say no, and you might be upset and frustrated because you did all that work for nothing.

It’s possible that, after all that work, your story really is stronger and the agent just didn’t love it enough to take it on. Or, it’s possible that you did all that work for nothing. How do you know which is true?

An agent just a person and not much different from a fellow critquer, except that she has more insight and experience with respect to the industry. But she doesn’t have more insight into your story than your critique partner does. She can’t, because she’s not you. No one has better insight than you do.

I’ve heard many writers lament about doing revisions for an agent only to be turned down. This sometimes turns into a complaint about how the agent demanded they write the story for her instead of letting them stay true to the story. The writers almost always swing to the other extreme and they proclaim that they are through with writing for other people and will only write for themselves—often coupled with an aversion to feedback.

These writers don’t know it, but they fell victim to the idea that if they do what an agent tells them to do, it’ll get them published. Which they’ve just proven isn’t always true. So, what do you do about that?

You write for you, of course. :) To do that, you use the same methods to incorporate feedback that you used with your critique partner.

The difference is that you have more to lose, i.e. the agent or editor could pass on your story. This sucks, but that’s how it is. Blindly following an agent’s advice won’t necessarily get you anywhere, either. Therefore, it’s even more important that you assess an agent’s feedback with a critical eye, because she’s likely revealing flaws in your story that you need to address. BUT, that doesn’t mean you need to fix the problem in the exact way she suggests. She doesn’t know the story the way you do, and could unknowingly be introducing other problems. In fact, if you don’t take her advice and fix the problem in a different way, she’ll be impressed. It shows that you have a good head for revision, and she’ll be more inclined to want to work with you.

It’s complicated, but there’s not really a way around that. All we can do is write the best story we can, then stay true to it as we strive to make it better. A good agent or editor will recognize and appreciate that.

October Book Giveaway

2011-10-01T08:03:00.001-05:00

Another month, two more books. :)

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.

ARC of Eve by Anna Carey
The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.
Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

To enter, fill out the form below, then come back here on Saturday, October 29th to see if you've won. Good luck!

100 Book Reading Challenge: October

2011-10-01T07:52:00.005-05:00

How is everyone's reading going? I'm on such a roller coaster. I get lots of reading done, then none. But I've been doing lots of writing, so it's all good. :)

Here are the two books I'm giving away this month. Happy reading!

The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
The wars that followed The Collapse nearly destroyed civilization. Now, twenty years later, the world is faced with a choice—rebuild what was or make something new.
Stephen Quinn, a quiet and dutiful fifteen-year-old scavenger, travels Post-Collapse America with his Dad and stern ex-Marine Grandfather. They travel light. They keep to themselves. Nothing ever changes. But when his Grandfather passes suddenly and Stephen and his Dad decide to risk it all to save the lives of two strangers, Stephen's life is turned upside down. With his father terribly injured, Stephen is left alone to make his own choices for the first time.
Stephen’s choices lead him to Settler's Landing, a lost slice of the Pre-Collapse world where he encounters a seemingly benign world of barbecues, baseball games and days spent in a one-room schoolhouse. Distrustful of such tranquility, Stephen quickly falls in with Jenny Tan, the beautiful town outcast. As his relationship with Jenny grows it brings him into violent conflict with the leaders of Settler's Landing who are determined to remake the world they grew up in, no matter what the cost.

ARC of You Against Me by Jenny Downham
If someone hurts your sister and you're any kind of man, you seek revenge, right? If your brother's been accused of a terrible crime and you're the main witness, then you banish all doubt and defend him. Isn't that what families do? When Mikey's sister claims a boy assaulted her at a party, his world of work and girls begins to fall apart. When Ellie's brother is charged with the crime, but says he didn't do it, her world of revision, exams and fitting in at a new school begins to unravel. When Mikey and Ellie meet, two worlds collide.

To enter, fill out the form below. You may join this challenge at any time. Also, you must follow these rules, or your entry will be disqualified:

One URL per entry, and that URL must directly link to a book review. A general link to your blog or Goodreads profile isn't specific enough (I simply don't have the time to go sifting through the hundred or so of these entries to figure out what everyone is reading).
You may enter as many times as you like, BUT you must keep to the one URL per entry rule. Otherwise your entry will only count as one.
You must have reviewed the book IN OCTOBER. Past reviews don't count.

FYI--to get to a direct link to your Goodreads reviews, click on the title of the book, and then click on the "My Review" heading just above where you type in your review. A link to your profile will render your entry invalid.

Come back here on Monday, October 31st to see if you've won. Good luck!!

Winner of the September Reading Challenge Giveaway!!

2011-09-30T07:30:00.001-05:00

It's the last day of September, and I'm up to 55 books for the year. Not too bad, even if it's not as much as I'd like. :)

Anyway, it's time to announce the winner of this month's giveaway.

Veronica!

Congratulations!! I'll get your books out to you asap.

I've got more great ARCs to give away. Stop by tomorrow to see what they are!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

2011-09-29T07:00:00.004-05:00

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Wow! This is such an amazing book. And set in Prague? Too cool. I've never been there, but I sure want to visit. Especially after reading this book!

Karou is awesome, and so is her friend, Zuzana. It’s refreshing to see such a good friendship. And the petty eyebrows thing! It made me laugh out loud. :) Actually, I loved all the little things Karou did. She's a master of subtlety, and she's so good at using it to her advantage.

The way Karou dealt with her ex-boyfriend felt authentic. She discovered he was a sleaze bag and left him, refusing to go back even though she's still attracted to him. I loved that! Huge thanks to the author for not turning him into a love triangle. I'm so sick of them.

The plot is solid, with plenty of mystery. I loved discovering everything right alongside Karou. I'm not usually one for flashbacks, but this story is built on them. And they were expertly woven in, giving us the necessary information at exactly the right time. There were a couple flashbacks toward the end that I got impatient with because I wanted find out what was happening in the present, but still. I don't think I've ever seen flashbacks handled so well.

The interaction between Akiva and Karou is interesting and done well. The build-up between them is gradual, and the twist at the end is truly painful. I cannot wait until the next book comes out!

Winner of the September Book Giveaway!

2011-09-27T10:36:00.000-05:00

I'm terribly sorry for not posting this earlier. I got my weeks mixed up and thought the contest ended this saturday instead of last saturday.

Anyway, I've chosen a winner via Random.org, and that person is...

Jane!

Congratulations! I'll get your books out to you asap.

This saturday (and I won't forget this time), I'll announce the contest for next month--ARCs of more fabulous books. Stop by to enter!

How To Get The Most Out Of A Critique, Part Three

2011-09-26T07:00:00.002-05:00

Last week, I talked about how to give an effective critique. This week, I want to go over how to incorporate feedback into your own work after you’ve gotten a critique.
Remember the critique I told you about last week? The one with this underlying message: Nothing about your story is good, and my way is the only way to make it better. Even though the critiquer never said this outright, her statements and observations were made with such confidence and assurance that it’s easy to believe she knows what she’s talking about—which makes that underlying message even stronger, and puts an incredible amount of pressure on the author to follow her advice.

In my opinion, this kind of critique is far more dangerous than one that rants. The arguments appear sound, and the lack of emotion makes it difficult to dismiss. But does that mean it’s valid? Not at all.

This was just one person’s opinion, and she didn’t have the same insight into my story that I did. Fortunately for me, I knew the heart of my story and recognized right away that she didn’t see it, so I actually stopped reading and set her critique aside. But what if I hadn’t been so sure of my story? This critique was so compelling and sure of itself that it could have led me in the wrong direction, and then I’d have been struggling to write a story that’s half mine and half someone else’s. That never works.

Which leads me to another point: if you don’t know the heart of your story, you are not ready for feedback. Let me say that again. If you don’t know the heart of your story, you are not ready for feedback. Here’s why.

If you don’t know what your story is about, then how can you improve it? So many new writers pound out a first draft and then send it off to a critiquer, eager for ideas to make it better. That’s admirable, but it’s also dangerous. If you don’t know the heart of your story and you get a critique like I did, you could find yourself in a whole mess of trouble. You might end up abandoning your story down the road. But if you know what your story is about and where it needs to go, then feedback is a good thing.

And now, finally, we get to the real question. How do you incorporate feedback into your story?

The very first thing to do is read through the comments, then set them aside for a few days. This will allow your brain to process the information, as well give your emotions time to settle. When you come back, you’ll be more open to the idea of change.

For the suggestions that you know won’t work, simply move on. Or, take a closer look at what’s behind the comment and see if the critiquer misunderstood a part of your story, which you could make clearer. Make a note of this. Also, make a note of the things you like, agree with, or ring true to you. If you’re not sure, then add it to the list.

Once that list is complete, go through it with a critical eye and compare it to the heart of your story. For the things you know will work, turn them into a Revision To-Do List, or some similar way to track the changes you intend to make in the next revision. For everything else, take a good, hard look at them. Do they really, truly mesh with your story? There might be some fantastic ideas and possibilities in this list, but that doesn’t mean they’ll work. It might be difficult, but let those things go.

Sounds good, right? Well, what if those brilliant-but-doesn’t-quite-work ideas came from an agent or editor? Then what do you do?

I’ll be talking about that next week, as well as what it means to write for yourself. :)

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

2011-09-22T07:00:00.003-05:00

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness. Elisa is the chosen one.
But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.
Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.
And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.
Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.
Most of the chosen do.

I had no idea what to expect from this story. A chosen one, a handsome king, an intriguing revolutionary, sounds familiar, right? Well, not in this case. I loved this book. I loved that the author took all these familiar elements and put them together in an incredibly unfamiliar way. I mean, when has a YA book ever ended the way this story ended? I can’t think of any.

Elisa is a wonderful main character, likable even with her many flaws. She starts out so soft and sheltered, overweight, and naive. But she has an incredible mind and a strong will that take her far. She surprises everyone, including herself, regarding what she can do and how well she can do it. It was also so refreshing to read about an overweight girl who doesn't obsess about her weight. She just accepts it as a part of who she is.

She ends up making lifestyle changes that impact her weight, but only because she decides she wants more from life. Not because she's jealous of what other women look like. The jealousy is there, of course, but it doesn't define her. So very refreshing. Her transformation is all about who she is as a person. She becomes a reluctant leader, one who embraces her own power, and I love that she has such a strategizing mind. And yet, she never becomes supergirl. She retains many flaws and faults which she does her best to overcome, but her world doesn’t come to an end if she can’t. I absolutely loved her.

The pacing is quick, all the characters are interesting, and the mystery surrounding Elisa's 'chosen' status unfolds beautifully. And what happens to the love interest is so shocking! I am very curious to see where this story is going next.

The only thing I would have liked to see more of was between Cosme and Elisa toward the end. Specifically, I'd like to see exactly why Cosme disliked Elisa so much in the beginning. Their relationship progressed beautifully and realistically, and I just wanted it to come full circle. But still, it didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the story.

The religious aspects were handled well. God is a central part of the story, but in an atypical way. There are two groups who interpret God's will in different ways, not unlike some of today’s religious groups, and both think they are right. So I am very curious how this will pan out. The next book, Crown of Embers, is due to come out fall of 2012, and I’ll definitely be reading it.

To win an ARC of this book, go here.

How To Get The Most Out Of A Critique, Part Two

2011-09-19T07:00:00.003-05:00

Last week, I talked about how to get what you need from a critique, even if it doesn’t seem helpful at first. This week, I want to talk about how to critique others’ works, because learning how to effectively critique goes a long way toward getting what you need from critiques of your own work—if you know how to deliver an effective critique, then you know what elements you need when you receive a critique of your own work.

But first, I’d like to give an example of what not to do.

I recently went through my drawer of old critiques. Some were filled with amazingly insightful comments, and a few were not-so-helpful. There was one in particular, though, that put the other unhelpful critiques to shame. When the critiquer first gave it to me, I didn’t realize just how insensitive it was. In fact, after a quick read-through, I think most people would consider it helpful. But now, years later, the harshness is glaringly obvious. To me, at least. Here’s a high-level breakdown of what it contains.

First, she had nothing positive to say about my story aside from one general comment about the potential for a compelling premise. Which, when you think about it, isn’t really positive. The rest of the critique pointed out all the flaws of the manuscript. This is part of the point of a critique, yes, but the manner in which flaws are revealed is key. This critiquer didn’t rant or shred my work harshly, instead subtly infusing it with condescension (I didn’t even notice this the first time I read it).

She threw out my entire story and rewrote it the way she thought it should be written. She changed the entire plot, structure, and delivery. None of this was phrased as suggestion—they were commands, as is ‘do this’ and ‘do that’—and she made no effort to discern my intentions with this story. Instead, she created her own idea of what it should be and commanded me to adhere to it. The underlying tone was this: Nothing about your story is good, and my way is the only way to make it better. I can’t think of any situation where this is acceptable.

Here’s a list of elements that I think make a good critique, which the above critiquer clearly did not follow.

DO:

Ask the author where he is in the process. Is this a first draft? Tenth draft? The level of feedback is different for early drafts vs. later drafts.
Ask the author if there any areas he wants you to focus on. Does he have any questions for you?
If the author has included a list of questions with his manuscript and you don’t understand one or more, ask him to rephrase.
Make a concerted effort to understand what the author is trying to accomplish. What is the heart of this story? If you can’t figure it out, ask. Then you can tell the author whether it’s it coming through, or if it’s obscured in places.
Read the manuscript more than once, possibly with some time between readings. This is key, because you will make connections the second time through, and have a better understanding of what the author is trying to accomplish. This will help you to make your comments more effective.
Point out what works. There is always something that works, even if you have to search to find it. But you need to find it and let the author know what he’s doing well. If there are many areas that work well, don’t assume the author knows this because he may not have figured out his strengths yet. Helping him to identify his strengths is just as important as identifying weaknesses.
Keep a positive tone throughout the critique, even when pointing out areas that need work. If you sound like you believe the author can write a better book, then he will be more likely to believe it of himself. And then he’ll do it.
Watch your phrasing. Keep your feedback in the realm of suggestion, not commands (as in ‘you need to do this’). Focus on the problems you encountered and explain why you think they’re problems. If you have a suggestion for fixing it, state it, but if you don’t then that’s okay. It’s not your job to fix the manuscript; it’s the author’s.

DON’T:

Don’t get frustrated, angry, or upset when critiquing another person’s work. These emotions always come through in your comments, and end up sounding harsh. Sometimes disrespectful. If you get frustrated, make a point to come back and edit your comments before sending them off to the author.
Never never never rant. If you feel the need to rant about this story, do it on your own paper. Don’t send it to the author.
Don’t ignore any questions that the author has presented. If you don’t know how to answer a question, then tell him that. He might come back with a clarification, and then you’ll be able to answer it.
Don’t lie. You aren’t doing anyone any favors, and can actually do some damage.
If a story isn’t your cup of tea, recognize that and move on. Do not attempt to rewrite it. This story is not yours to do with as you will, and you're not being as helpful as you might think.
Don’t tell the author what he has to do in order to improve her book. You don’t have the same insights that he does, and you could be completely wrong. Instead, phrase it as suggestion.

I try really hard to follow this when I give a critique, and I truly hope that the author finds the information helpful. After all, that’s the point of a critique.

Does anyone have anything else to add?

Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett

2011-09-15T07:00:00.001-05:00

Ariadne is destined to become a goddess of the moon. She leads a lonely life, filled with hours of rigorous training by stern priestesses. Her former friends no longer dare to look at her, much less speak to her. All that she has left are her mother and her beloved, misshapen brother Asterion, who must be held captive below the palace for his own safety.

So when a ship arrives one spring day, bearing a tribute of slaves from Athens, Ariadne sneaks out to meet it. These newcomers don’t know the ways of Krete; perhaps they won’t be afraid of a girl who will someday be a powerful goddess. And indeed she meets Theseus, the son of the king of Athens. Ariadne finds herself drawn to the newcomer, and soon they form a friendship—one that could perhaps become something more.

Yet Theseus is doomed to die as an offering to the Minotaur, that monster beneath the palace—unless he can kill the beast first. And that "monster" is Ariadne’s brother . . .

After reading the above summary, I couldn’t wait to read this book. The potential for twists and turns bubbles on the surface of the story, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s rife with conflict from beginning to end, the pacing is spot on, and the characters so absorbing that I could not put this book down.

This is the perfect example of taking a well-known tale and turning it into something new, while still remaining true to the original roots. It’s clear the author knew the myth inside and out, as well as the religious practices at that time. She took the time period surrounding that myth and turned it into a plausible ‘what if it actually happened like this’ scenario. Brilliant.

I really liked the characters, too. Ariadne is both an historical figure and a typical teen trying to figure out who she really is. She doesn’t completely fit in, the way most teens feel, and finds solace where she can. Theseus isn’t quite as compelling, but he’s still interesting and sympathetic nonetheless. His reactions to Krete’s religious practices are believable and fitting. The explanation of the minotaur also fit, especially when you take the time period and ancient customs into account. I was completely caught up in their stories.

The only thing that gave me pause was the way in which it was told. We hear from both Ariadne and Theseus, which is fine, but the timelines don’t match. I would have preferred to see their stories unfold closer together. For example, we first get several chapters of Ariadne and how she meets Theseus, and then we jump back to months before Theseus is sent to Krete. That jarred me a bit, but I was able to get over and it read on with little impact on my enjoyment of the story.

Even though I knew the way the story would end, it still kept me on the edge of my seat. I especially liked how the author addressed the poetic vs. realistic slant on the way the story was passed down through the generations. It gives us lots of interesting things to think about.

If you want to read a myth that has been turned completely on its side, this is the story for you. If you’re looking for an exact rehash of Theseus and the Minotaur, then you should look elsewhere.

To win an ARC of this book, go here and fill out the form.

How To Get The Most Out Of A Critique, Part One

2011-09-12T07:00:00.007-05:00

I realize this is a huge topic, so I won’t even try to cover it in a single blog post. It’ll be a series of posts (just to give you fair warning :) ), and I’m going to break it down to what I see as the key elements:

How to get what you need from a critique.
How to critique others’ works.
How to incorporate feedback into your work.

Today, I’ll start with how to get what you need from a critique.

The serious writer knows that feedback is essential to writing a good story. But any ol’ feedback won’t do—you need usable feedback. The stuff that will push you and propel your story from pretty good to great. Right? Right. There’s a pretty big problem with that, though.

Feedback is dependent upon another person, and that brings up a host of questions. Did this person ‘get’ my story? Does she know anything about writing or the publishing world? How much experience does he have? And, the ever-popular ‘who does she think she is, anyway?’

These questions certainly have an impact in what kind of feedback we get for our stories, but you can still get what you need even if it sounds like it’s way off base. There are some things you absolutely should do, and some things you absolutely should *not* do.

DO:

If you have concerns about certain aspects of your story, prepare a list of those areas and include specific questions with your manuscript when asking for a critique.
If there is something in the feedback that doesn’t make sense, ask for clarification. The information might be a gem if phrased in a different way.
If the critiquer has issues with the characters and you don’t quite understand why, see if he would be willing to look at it from alternate viewpoints to provide additional details. This way, you can to determine why the critiquer had problems. Then you can fix them.
Take a step back and pretend to look at your work as though it’s someone else’s. This will help you to see the flaws more clearly. And, it won’t hurt as much. :)

DON’T:

If you’ve asked for clarification on an aspect of your feedback and it still feels wrong, don’t try to convince the critiquer why his advice won’t work. Just let it go.
Never, never, *never* go into a conversation defending your characters. This always ends badly, for both of you.
I know this is easier said than done, but never take a critique personally. Nine times out of ten, the critiquer never intended personal harm to you. Instead, try to look at it from his perspective so you can understand what he meant to say. If he did intend personal harm, then his opinion is worth nothing because it’s likely filled with untruths.
That said, never summarily dismiss an entire critique, even if it’s harsh and tactlessly shreds your work. There are likely a few gems hiding in there. I’ve experienced this one, and it’s hard to deal with. But it actually made me feel better that I fished at least a couple good things out of the vitriol.

Critiquing is a difficult business because, as writers, we pour our hearts and souls into our work. We need to, because that’s what makes it come alive. As a result, it’s hard to hear criticisms. But it also comes with the territory. What starts with a critique partner is just going to continue with an agent and editor, so the sooner we know how to deal with it, the better.

Carrie Pilby by Caren Lissner

2011-09-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

Carrie Pilby doesn't fit in -- and she's pretty much given up trying. A year out of college and settling in to life in the big city, this nineteen-year-old genius believes everyone she meets is immoral, sex obsessed and hypocritical, and the only person she sees on a regular basis is her therapist. When he comes up with a five-point plan to help her discover the "positive aspects of social interaction," Carrie, who would rather stay home in bed, is forced to view the world in a new light.

I really liked this book. Carrie was someone I could relate to well, even though I'm not a teen genius. :) But I was always the youngest in my class, as well as naïve--which made me feel even younger, and had a strong sense of what's right and wrong. I was far too shy to preach my beliefs and lacked the self-confidence to judge how others made their choices, but I remember feeling the way Carrie felt through much of this book.

The story is on the slower, quieter side, and it's all about Carrie's growth as a character. It wasn't difficult to figure out where the story was going or who she was going to end up with, but I thoroughly enjoyed the journey getting there. Carrie is funny in a zinging kind of way, and her observations waste no time in getting straight to the point. I loved this.

Even more so, I loved how she starts out as a judgmental, holier-than-thou loner, and gradually starts to the world through other people's eyes. This changes her perspective in ways she doesn't expect, and it's entertaining to see her genius brain try to work it out.

If you're looking for a good character-driven story where the main character goes from unlikable to likable, this is the story for you.

Side note: this book was presented to me as YA, but it's not really. It's an adult book with a teen main character, which also has crossover appeal. So, while I wouldn't classify it as YA, I can see many teen girls enjoying it immensely.

Writing a Synopsis

2011-09-05T07:00:00.015-05:00

The synopsis. Many writers dread this as much as they dread the pitch paragraph in a query letter, sometimes more. I know I did. The very first time I wrote a synopsis, it was dreadful. I started out writing everything that happened in the story (as in, all the little things that happen as a result of the big things). It went on and on and on, and I eventually abandoned it around page five.

If you do what I did, you’ll basically have a rehash of your entire book. That kind of defeats the purpose of a synopsis. Instead, put the focus on only the big things. A synopsis should contain the major plot points, not the nuances or subplots or even too many characters.

There’s a trick to this, of course, and it’s also helpful in checking out your pacing. We’ll get to that shortly.

After I tossed my first attempt, I tried several different ways of attacking my synopsis. I finally found a system that worked pretty well.

Go through each chapter and write down the major plot point, plus my absolute favorite part. If the two happen to be the same, even better.
When I reach the last chapter, I have a list containing a high-level road map of my story. Turn that list into a narrative (present tense, third person, single spaced).
This is almost always too long because there are too many pieces of the story that I love and want to include. At this point, I pull out a rule of thumb: if it doesn’t change the character or his/her life in some way, internally or externally, then it’s got to go.
After all that, sometimes it’s still too long. Time to go through each item and prune out anything that’s not part of the story’s framework, or skeleton. I keep doing this until I’m down to a single page.
Tighten up word choice, review spelling and grammar/punctuation, and polish until it shines.

What you’re left with are the most important pieces. This is what an agent or editor is going to want to see. This will entice her to read all the little things in between so she can see how everything is tied together.

There’s also the practical application: checking your pacing.

If you can’t find the major piece in a chapter, or if that piece isn’t obvious, then it might be prudent to rethink that chapter. Or, if you have too many major pieces in a chapter, it might serve the story better to spread them out.

Be careful not to over-complicate things in your synopsis. If you want to wow an agent or editor with the depth and cleverness of your writing, then put that in the pitch paragraph of your query. In a synopsis, let the story speak for itself.

September Book Giveaway

2011-09-03T08:23:00.018-05:00

Here are two more books for ya!

ARC of Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett

Yet Theseus is doomed to die as an offering to the Minotaur, that monster beneath the palace—unless he can kill the beast first. And that "monster" is Ariadne’s brother . . .

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

To enter, fill out the form below, then come back here on Saturday, September 24th to see if you've won. Good luck!

The Fox Inheritance by Mary Pearson

2011-09-01T07:01:00.000-05:00

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox.

I read The Adoration of Jenna Fox years ago, and loved it. Mary Pearson is a genius! Her books always have such depth, which is what I love most about her work. There is so much to love in The Fox Inheritance: forgiveness, guilt, avoidance, acceptance, change, and letting go. Pearson introduced the concept of darkness in people, and how it’s not the darkness itself that makes us bad, but how we choose to deal with it. Violence vs. mercy. Calculating, one-track minds vs. compassion and willingness to listen. Absolutely stunning.

In The Adoration of Jenna Fox, we learn that a car accident occurred, setting the whole story in motion. In The Fox Inheritance, we find out more about that accident, and we’re in the head of Jenna’s friend, Locke. Locke’s and Kara’s consciousness ends up spending 260 years in some sort of computer storage before they are given bodies and educated about the new world around them.

I absolutely loved how Pearson managed to take us back to the accident, and at the same time set the story 260 years after it happened. Locke seems simultaneously stuck back in his native time period, and yet also stuck in his new one. As a result, he has a very difficult time doing more than going through the motions of living, which isn’t how he’d lived his life before the accident.

Slowly, he learns to open his eyes to the reality of his new world and begin to deal with the things churning inside of him. In the process, he learns that some people aren’t who he thought they were, both in good ways and bad. It becomes an empowering experience for him, learning his strengths and weaknesses and setting himself on a path to discovering who he is now. Much like a normal adolescence, and yet it couldn’t be more different. Brilliant!

If you get a chance, definitely pick up a copy, and then re-read it a few times. There is plenty of fantastic subtly and subtext to explore here.

100 Book Reading Challenge: September

2011-09-01T07:00:00.008-05:00

How's your reading going? I'm doing a bit better, now that I'm finished with revisions (for now, anyway, though that will likely change soon). I'm up to 47 books, so maybe I will catch up and make my 100 books for the year after all. It all depends, of course. :)

I've got two more books to give away for this month's reading challenge.

ARC of Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

ARC of The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

To enter, fill out the form below. You may join this challenge at any time. Also, you must follow these rules, or your entry will be disqualified:

One URL per entry, and that URL must directly link to a book review. A general link to your blog or Goodreads account isn't specific enough (I simply don't have the time to go sifting through a hundred entries to figure out what everyone is reading).
You may enter as many times as you like, BUT you must keep to the one URL per entry rule. Otherwise your entry will only count as one.
You must have reviewed the book IN SEPTEMBER. Past reviews don't count.

Come back here on Friday, September 30th to see if you've won. Good luck!!

Winner of the August Reading Challenge Giveaway!!

2011-08-31T07:13:00.002-05:00

It's the last day of August, so it's time to announce the winner of this month's Reading Challenge giveaway!

So, the winner of these books is...

Jenna!!

Congratulations!! I'll get your books out to you asap. As for everyone else, next month's reading challenge giveaway will be announced tomorrow morning. And my regular monthly giveaway will be announced this saturday. So stop on by to enter!

Challenge: Describe The Senses

2011-08-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Description. Some writers love it, some hate it. Some overuse it, some don’t have enough. Most often, though, I think the right amount exists, but it’s light on a very important element: the senses.

The most common sense used in stories is sight. It’s often reinforced through filtering words like I saw, I watched, I noticed, etc. But there are four other senses: smell, taste, touch, hearing.

In the real world, we use these senses without even thinking about it. The most common is sight, of course. Then hearing. I don’t know about you, but I love my sense for tasting. Good food is high on my list when going out for some fun. And who doesn’t like the feel of soft fabrics sliding through their fingers? Or the smell of cookies baking, or flowers in spring? Each sense is as important as the next, and we need to consciously include them all in our stories.

The best way to convey information through senses is directly. I.E., without any kind of filter. Telling us that “James felt cold” doesn’t give us a sense of how cold he is. Is it a slight shiver? Are his teeth chattering? Are his fingers turning numb? These details paint a more vivid picture in the reader’s mind. The stronger the senses come across, the more the reader can put himself in the character’s shoes.

This, incidentally, is a large part of how you transport the reader into the story. The key to this is how the character experiences the sense. If you use filtering words like I saw, I heard, I smelled, etc, then you’re keeping the reader from accessing a huge dimension of your story. So, instead of filtering the senses, try to give the reader full access to them by showing them how the senses unfold.

When we walk outside, we are aware of lots of things. We don’t often pay attention to it all, but we’re aware on some level. If someone asked us about a detail later on, we’d probably be able to remember it if we tried, even though we initially shrugged it off. The same needs to be true for our characters. The details that will become important later on need to be noticed and recorded in the moment. When the dots are connected later on, the reader will understand.

Challenge:

Take a simple action like stepping out of a car, getting in the shower, walking outside, etc, and write it using all five senses. Feel free to go nuts and make it a full page long. Just keep the action restricted to that one simple thing.

Feel free to share your work here in the comments, or keep it to yourself. Your choice.

Winner of the August Book Giveaway!

2011-08-27T08:29:00.007-05:00

It's already time to annouce the winner of this month's book giveaway. Time sure does fly. Of course, I've been busy writing, so I'm sure that has something to do with it. :)

Anyway, on to the winner of these books...

Throuthehaze!!

Congratulations!! I'll get your books out to you asap.

As for everyone else, there is another contest still going until wednesday, so feel free to enter if you like. Otherwise, come back next saturday to see what I'm giving away next month!

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

2011-08-25T07:00:00.005-05:00

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

This is one of the best ghost stories I've read in a long time. The scenes are vivid, the tone is creepier than all-get-out, and the characters are fun. And the cover? Stunning.

I liked Cas's smart mouth and keen observations. Anna is a great character, too. Much more complex than your typical ghost. She does a fabulous job of putting Cas in his place. I absolutely *loved* how Anna’s story and Cas’s father’s story intersect. Stories that twist around in unexpected ways are my favorite kind. :)

There is so much I want to gush about in this story, but I’m worried about giving too much away. So I’ll limit myself. :) The pacing is spot-on, the clues are subtle and well-placed, and I absolutely could not put this book down. And, can I just say I think it’s awesome that Cas has a great mom? It’s so refreshing to see decent parents in YA stories.

There were only a few places where I was hoping for more, a resolution with Gideon being the biggest. Considering the way their last conversation surrounding Cas’s father ended, I was hoping to see another interaction between Cas and Gideon. If only at the very end. And, the whole Carmel/Thomas thing was predictable from the start, but I was okay with that. The ‘how’ made for a great journey.

The story is on the gory side. When you combine that with the great writing, you get some vividly gory scenes in your head. I’m not big on gore, but I was still okay with it. But if gore definitely isn’t your thing, then this might not be the story for you. Also, the f-bomb is dropped a few times, along with some other swear words and a scene depicting horrible abuse.

Still, if you like ghost stories, this is a really good one. Definitely recommended.

For a chance to win an ARC of this book, go here and fill out the form. The contest ends this saturday, so good luck!

A Bunch of Articles on Plot

2011-08-22T07:00:00.001-05:00

My blog is about three and a half years old, and in that time I've written over 500 articles and book reviews. 500! I never would have thought I'd have so much to say on the craft of writing.

Last year, several readers told me that they've enjoyed some of my older posts, but had stumbled upon them by accident because, let's face it, navigating older content in a blog isn't exactly fun. So, I created a page with a link to all my craft-related articles, and got many thank-you's.

But even that list has become cumbersome. So, I decided to try something new. I'm taking all my articles, sorting them by subject, and putting them into pdf form for download.

I just finished the first one, which is about plot and plot-related things like tension, conflict, pacing, etc. It's available for download on my website. I will gradually be adding more, though now that I have a format the rest should fall into place fairly easily. :)

Anyway, enjoy, and I hope this is something you'll find useful.

Tighter by Adele Griffin

2011-08-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead.

I love stories like this, where there’s an amazing twist at the end. Especially when the story has been well researched, meticulously plotted, and executed to perfection.

Tighter was definitely well researched, and the story was vividly created. The explanation of the ghosts was interesting and believable, as is Jamie’s reactions to them.

The story was also meticulously plotted, but the execution left me feeling kind of lukewarm. It didn't feel like it had been seamlessly put together. At least, not the way I've seen in other stories, where amazing clues are subtly planted throughout the story, and then click into place the second the twist is revealed. It’s like the entire book has been sitting under a veil, and, once you know what to look for, you can see the clues shining right through that veil.

The clues in Tighter were there, but they weren’t in the right places. As a result, it felt like the story was progressing as if nothing else was going on, with no foreshadowing. When the big twist was revealed, my reaction wasn't "Oh wow, I didn't see that coming, but it totally fits!" Instead, it was "What? But that doesn’t make any sense." I then proceeded to flip back through the story to look for inconsistencies. To the author's credit, I didn't find any. However, I didn't find any clues from a reliable source, either. The story just goes along with the status quo until everything is turned upside down. I wish the foreshadowing had been done better.

I've said this before, but it's easy to fool someone you don't know. If I've never seen the sky and a stranger tells me it's green, then I have no reason to doubt him. But if he leaves me a sliver of inconsistency, then I can eventually figure it out. And, I can also appreciate all the creative ways he built up and reinforced that deception. Without that shadow of a doubt, I have no reason to question anything. Therefore, when the truth is revealed, I won't be in the proper place to understand its significance. For me, this is what happened in Tighter. I wasn’t in the proper place to fully appreciate the twist at the end.

If this doesn’t bother you, then you’ll probably like this story. For me, endings are my pet peeve, and I need a big payoff. So it brought my enjoyment down a big notch.

Transitions In A Story

2011-08-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

I’m terrible at transitions. They don’t come naturally to me, and are never in my first drafts. As a result, the story kind of clunks and skips along until the end. It’s very annoying.

Once I get that first draft down, I can apply myself and highlight the areas that need smoothing out. Then I can usually figure out how to get rid of those seams.

There are two types of transitions that I can see: between scenes (aka getting your character from one place to the next, either physically or mentally), and chapter endings.

Chapter Endings

Many people have trouble with chapter endings. A lot of writers like to end a chapter on a cliffhanger so as to entice the reader to keep going. That usually works, but most often it’s only effective in the second half of the story. The tension has ratcheted up by then, and there are usually several irons in the fire that have hooked the reader.

But what about the first half of the book? There isn’t as much tension and the reader isn’t as invested in the story, so there isn’t as much incentive to keep reading. So how do we keep the reader interested?

The most common mistake I see writers make is wrapping up a chapter so well that it kills the forward momentum of the story. If there is no hint as to what might happen next, then the book is too easy to set down. When you don’t have a suitable cliffhanger, you can still introduce elements that keep the reader questioning. Or, at the very least, end the chapter with a direction that the main character might take. If the reader has an inkling of what could happen next, then it’ll be harder to put the book down.

Between Scenes

For me, this is harder because there is no rule of thumb. No solid rule of thumb, anyway, since there are so many different kinds of scenes to transition between. I’ll cover the two most common ones here: getting from place to place, and the passage of time.

It’s a bit easier to transition from place to place because you can include the traveling in the story. Especially if the main character needs to mentally sort some things out on the way. If there isn’t a clean way to include the traveling, though, then the simplest way is to describe the new setting. To keep it from sounding like a laundry list, focus on how the new setting affects the character. This does two things: it gives the reader a good visual so he knows where we are, and it also sets the tone for the upcoming scene. Both get the reader prepared in good ways.

The passage of time is a bit trickier. Most often, I see writers continue on with the story as if it’s only the next day, but really an entire week has gone by. Or, the writer throws in a quick sentence telling us how much time has gone by, but it’s not in the most effective place.

Here’s how I see this kind of transition. Before you get into the scene, mention how much time has gone by. If the reader gets several paragraphs into the scene and then you spring on him that a week or a month has gone by, he has to stop the story in his head, mentally adjust, and then try to get back into it. He may even need to reread everything, depending on what kind of reader he is. If he knows from the start how much time has passed, then all of this can be avoided.

I think the easiest way to write the passage of time is at the beginning of a new chapter. At that point, the reader is already expecting some kind of change, so he’ll be open and ready to adjust to whatever you lay out for him. If you slap a few extra weeks into the middle of a chapter, he may or may not be able to roll with it. It depends on the story and scene, of course, since there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to writing. :)

Anyway, these are, for the most part, what I focus on when I’m smoothing out my transitions. It’s not always this clear cut, but that’s a common circumstance in writing. :) How do you write your transitions?

Moonglass by Jesse Kirby

2011-08-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

“I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both.”

Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.

While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

This book felt reminiscent of waves crashing on the shore. On some level, it’s quiet and relaxing, but on others it’s harsh and unpredictable. Anna’s life has the same kind of ups and downs that the beach can have, and it made the story quite compelling.

The tone was that of a quiet book, and it had some pretty deep concepts in it: loss, guilt, avoidance, mental illness, etc. I thought the characters dealt with these emotions in realistic and believable ways, and, as a result, I liked them. I especially liked the relationship between Anna and her dad. This felt more real than anything else in the story. Anna’s dad is a good father, and his character as a grown up fits well with who he was as a kid.

I wasn't so fond of Tyler, though. He kind of treated her like a high school girl after a college boy in the beginning. It gave me the impression that he thinks he's ‘all that,’ even though later on he shows us he’s not that way. But I never grew to like him, even when he got nicer in the end.

I really liked Ash and Jillian. They’re good friends to Anna. I would have liked to see a bit more bonding with Jillian since they have experienced similar loss. I also would have preferred that Anna treated Ash a little better, seeing as Ash went out of her way to make Anna feel at home in several ways. Ash is kind of more than Anna deserves.

Still, this is a good story that deals with some difficult issues in a very good way. The beach descriptions were vivid and interesting, and I was wishing I was actually on the beach while reading this book. :) There is one scene with drinking and a couple kissing scenes, but even those are quite PG. So, the content is good for younger teens as well as older ones.

Inspirational Quotes

2011-08-08T07:00:00.065-05:00

I had a great post that I wanted to put up today, but I'm elbow-deep in revisions and didn't get it finished. So, I have some more great quotes for you to peruse in the mean time. Enjoy!

Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self.

- Cyril Connolly

You can't sit around and wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.

- Jack London

What is written without effort is in general read without pleasure.

- Samuel Johnson

Rewriting is like scrubbing the basement floor with a toothbrush.

- Pete Murphy

There is no great writing, only great rewriting.

- Justice Brandeis

Inspiration is for amateurs. The rest of us just get up and go to work.

- Chuck Close

Exercise the writing muscle every day, even if it is only a letter, notes, a title list, a character sketch, a journal entry. Writers are like dancers, like athletes. Without that exercise the muscles seize up.

- Jane Yolen, Merlin

Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life.

- Lawrence Kasdan

There are some books that refuse to be written. They stand their ground year after year and will not be persuaded. It isn't because the book is not there and worth being written — it is only because the right form of the story does not present itself. There is only one right form for a story and if you fail to find that form the story will not tell itself.

- Mark Twain

The secret of good writing is to say an old thing in a new way or to say a new thing in an old way.

- Richard Harding Davis

Asking a writer what he thinks about criticism is like asking a lamppost what it feels about dogs.

- John Osborne

Critics are like eunuchs in a harem: they know how it's done, they've seen it done every day, but they are unable to do it themselves.

- Brendan Francis

Artists don't talk about art. Artists talk about work. If I have anything to say to young writers, it's stop thinking of writing as art. Think of it as work.

- Paddy Chayefsky

Writing is like hunting. There are brutally cold afternoons with nothing in sight, only the wind and your breaking heart. Then the moment when you bag something big. The entire process is beyond intoxicating.

- Kate Braverman

August Book Giveaway

2011-08-06T07:06:00.031-05:00

Another month, more books! I've got two more to give away.

ARC of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.

As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning.

Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.

As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.

To enter, fill out the form below and then come back on Saturday, August 27th to see if you've won. Good luck!

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

2011-08-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

I was stoked when I got this book. It sounded fantastic, with so many possibilities for plot twists and edge-of-your-seat conflict. It started out interesting, and I liked learning about Emerson, her strange abilities, and how they affect her. She’s got a good family, a great sister in law and her brother’s heart is in the right place. And the cover? Stunning. I was all set to love this book.

Once Michael was introduced, though, things started going a little strange and their ‘connection’ smacks a bit too much of love at first sight, which is not my cup of tea. Plus, the sister in law seems to be trying her hardest to set the two up even though it’s against her husband’s wishes. I didn’t quite get that one. I also didn’t understand why Michael kept saying that they couldn’t be together because it’s too dangerous, and yet there’s another couple in the story with their exact situation and they managed it just fine. Seemed like a contrived way to keep them apart.

I really did not like the love triangle thing. It was yet more love-at-first-sight (which, of course, isn’t love), and the two guys are supposed to be friends. I didn’t understand that at all. The guys have been friends for so long, and they seem too close for one to be so heartless to the other. Seemed like a contrived way to create tension.

As the story progressed, I had more and more issues with Emerson. She was initially drawn as a strong heroine, but she ends up focusing all her thoughts and energy on Michael—the sun rises and sets with him, and that drives me crazy. I realize some teens think this way, but they’re not being thrust into dangerous situations. Survival would take precedence here, so it bothered me that Emerson spent so much time mooning over Michael and so little time trying to figure out how to gain some semblance of control over her abilities. Or even learning more about what elements create such abilities in people. She did little to no exploration in that regard, which I found both unrealistic and disappointing.

Overall, I was hoping for so much more in the character development, as well as more realistic obstacles that Emerson needed to overcome. Her brother believed the time travel thing too easily, and no one seemed to have any concerns about her traveling through time. The ending also felt like a distinct setup for the sequel rather than tying up the current story, so, for me, it didn’t finish on a good note.

I think I’ll still read the next book, but I do hope the characters have a bit more to them and that the tension is more organic to the story.

500 Word Critique: MG Fantasy

2011-08-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since someone has sent me a critique with permission to post it here, and a fourteen year old girl has stepped up to the plate!

I've included her story without my comments first, so as not to sway anyone's reactions, and then pasted my feedback below. If you have a moment, I'm sure she'd love it if you could share some thoughts.

MG Fantasy

~Prologue~

Twelve years ago, on the night of December 31st, six newborn baby girls were sat on the steps of Creek Academy. All were wrapped in a separate blanket, and each one had a different colored necklace on. A young girl of twelve years old found the babies that night and quickly brought them inside to get warm.

“What will we do with Mrs. Martin?” The young girl asked the headmaster.

“We will raise them here, of course,” Mrs. Martin said, “They will be kept in the nursery until they are old enough to go to school. Creek Academy will turn away no one, especially an innocent baby. Isn’t that the right thing to do, Annie?”

“Yes, Mrs. Martin.”

Mrs. Martin sighed and stroked the cheek of one of the babies.

“Annie, are you positive that there was no note on the steps when you found the children? Nothing explaining why they were left here?”

“I am sure.” Annie replied.

“Alright. Thank you for all you have done. Why don’t you head back to the dormitories and get some rest. Goodnight, dear.”

Annie took one last look at all the sweet baby girls and left the headmaster’s office. Once she was safely upstairs in her bed, she pulled a piece of paper out of her robes pockets.

“Alright, babies,” She said while unfolding the note, “Where did you come from?”

~1~

THE NOTE THAT ANNIE READ

I thought that it was going to be a normal Monday at Creek Academy.

I would wake up, get dressed, go to my classes, and do my homework with my five best friends in the evening.

Boy, was I wrong.

The day started out pretty normal. I ate breakfast with Tacie, Charlotte, Avery, Gabriella, and Carol. We laughed about the oatmeal that Avery got on her nose, and then we headed off to class.

First, I had math with Mr. Gee. While he was teaching, I passed notes with Avery and Carol.

The next class kept me and all of my friends very interested. It was English with Ms. Allen.

My friends and I all shared the same dream: we all wanted to be writers. Ms. Allen supported us in our hopes and she taught us all that a writer would need to know.

“Morning Annie.” I said when we arrived.

“Good morning, Ms. Allen. Just because I am the favorite teacher does not mean I have to get casual with my students.”

I apologized and took a seat.

English was wonderful as usual, but something strange happened at the end of the class. Right as we were leaving, a piece of paper hit me in the back. On the front, my name was printed on it in simple handwriting. As I picked it up and began to unfold it, Ms. Allen ran over and snatched it out of my hands.

“Sorry Aubrey,” She said to me, “This must have slipped out of my hands.”

I was sure it was mine.

“But, Ms. Allen, it has my name on it.”

Ms. Allen glanced down at the note and read my name.

“Oh, would you look at that, it does! Well, I’m sorry Aubrey, it may have your name on it, but I assure that it is not for you. Hurry along to French, dear. I’ll see you at assembly.”

I hesitated before turning and leaving the classroom.

Avery was waiting outside for me. “There you are! The rest of the girls wanted to wait for you, but I told them to go on. What were you doing in there?”

I must have looked pretty confused, because Avery was looking at me like I was a pickle.

“Oh, nothing, I was just, um, talking to Ms. Allen about my novel. That’s all.”

Avery relaxed. “Oh, well okay. Come on, if we’re late to French, Mademoiselle Cheri will be de colere. That means angry, right? Oh who cares, come on let’s go!”

We arrived at French class just in time to watch a video about Paris. Even though I normally loved French, my mind was wandering.

Why did Ms. Allen act so worried about the note? Why would she not let me read it, even though it clearly had my name on it? And most importantly, what did the note say?

What I didn’t know then was that I was going to find out very soon.

My Comments:

~Prologue~

Twelve years ago, on the night of December 31st, six newborn baby girls were sat (placed?) on the steps of Creek Academy. All were wrapped in a separate blanket, and each one had (wore) a different colored necklace on (to avoid ending the sentence in a preposition). A young girl of twelve years old found the babies that night and quickly brought them inside to get warm.

“What will we do with (them), Mrs. Martin?” The young girl asked the headmaster.

“We will raise them here, of course,” Mrs. Martin said, “They will be kept in the nursery until they are old enough to go to school. Creek Academy will turn away no one, especially an innocent baby. Isn’t that the right thing to do, Annie?”

“Yes, Mrs. Martin.”

Mrs. Martin sighed and stroked the cheek of one of the babies.

“Annie, are you positive that there was no note on the steps when you found the children? Nothing explaining why they were left here?”

“I am sure.” Annie replied.

“Alright. Thank you for all you have done. Why don’t you head back to the dormitories and get some rest. Goodnight, dear.”

Annie took one last look at all the sweet baby girls and left the headmaster’s office. Once she was safely upstairs in her bed, she pulled a piece of paper out of her robes pockets.

“Alright, babies,” She said while unfolding the note, “Where did you come from?"

Interesting! I’m curious to see why Annie would hide the note, especially before reading it. If there was something disturbing or scary in it, then I can see her being worried for the baby girls and wanting to make sure Mrs. Martin doesn’t turn them away. But why would she hide the note before reading it?

~1~

THE NOTE THAT ANNIE READ

I thought that it was going to be a normal Monday at Creek Academy.

I would wake up, get dressed, go to my classes, and do my homework with my five best friends in the evening.

Boy, was I wrong.

The day started out pretty normal. I ate breakfast with Tacie, Charlotte, Avery, Gabriella, and Carol. We laughed about the oatmeal that Avery got on her nose, and then we headed off to class.

First, I had math with Mr. Gee. While he was teaching, I passed notes with Avery and Carol.

The next class kept me and all of my friends very interested. It was English with Ms. Allen.

My friends and I all shared the same dream: we all wanted to be writers. Ms. Allen supported us in our hopes and she taught us all that a writer would need to know.

“Morning Annie.” I said when we arrived. (Interesting twist)

“Good morning, Ms. Allen. Just because I am the favorite teacher does not mean I have to get casual with my students.”

I apologized and took a seat.

English was wonderful as usual, but something strange happened at the end of the class. Right as we were leaving, a piece of paper hit me in the back (this is the note, right? The one Annie hid? I’m wondering if it’s enchanted). On the front, my name was printed on it in simple handwriting. As I picked it up and began to unfold it, Ms. Allen ran over and snatched it out of my hands.

“Sorry Aubrey,” She said to me, “This must have slipped out of my hands.”

(What is Annie’s expression here? Is she surprised? Exasperated? Has this note been trying to get to Aubrey or the other girls, and has she been having a hard time keeping it secured? If we can get more of Annie’s body language, then we’ll have a stronger handle on her emotions. Then, this scene will have a stronger tie to the prologue)

I was sure it was mine. (How is she sure? Does she feel drawn to the note?)

“But, Ms. Allen, it has my name on it.”

Ms. Allen glanced down at the note and read my name.

“Oh, would you look at that, it does! Well, I’m sorry Aubrey, it may have your name on it, but I assure that it is not for you. Hurry along to French, dear. I’ll see you at assembly.”

I hesitated before turning and leaving the classroom.

Avery was waiting outside for me. “There you are! The rest of the girls wanted to wait for you, but I told them to go on. What were you doing in there?”

I must have looked pretty confused, because Avery was looking at me like I was a pickle. (funny)

“Oh, nothing, I was just, um, talking to Ms. Allen about my novel. That’s all.”

Avery relaxed. “Oh, well okay. Come on, if we’re late to French, Mademoiselle Cheri will be de colere. That means angry, right? Oh who cares, come on let’s go!”

We arrived at French class just in time to watch a video about Paris. Even though I normally loved French, my mind was wandering.

Why did Ms. Allen act so worried about the note? Why would she not let me read it, even though it clearly had my name on it? And most importantly, what did the note say?

What I didn’t know then was that I was going to find out very soon.

This is a very interesting start to your story. You’ve got intrigue, some possible magic, a mystery, and a tangible item to answer some questions, as well as introduce others. I think that if you clear up Annie’s motivations for keeping the note a secret, then you’ll have an incredible hook!

Something to think about: these girls feel older than twelve. In the prologue, it says they arrived at the school as newborns twelve years ago, so they're twelve, right? They feel more like fourteen to me.

What did the rest of you think? Anyone have any words of advice for this fabulous young lady?

100 Book Reading Challenge: August

2011-08-01T06:00:00.009-05:00

NOTE: Be sure to read the contest rules below before entering, even if you've entered in the past. Some folks' entries have been nullified in the past, and I want everyone to have a fair chance at winning.

I've got two ARCs to give away this month.

ARC of Ashtown Burials #1: The Dragon's Tooth by N.D. Wilson

For two years, Cyrus and Antigone Smith have run a sagging roadside motel with their older brother, Daniel. Nothing ever seems to happen. Then a strange old man with bone tattoos arrives, demanding a specific room.

Less than 24 hours later, the old man is dead. The motel has burned, and Daniel is missing. And Cyrus and Antigone are kneeling in a crowded hall, swearing an oath to an order of explorers who have long served as caretakers of the world's secrets, keepers of powerful relics from lost civilizations, and jailers to unkillable criminals who have terrorized the world for millennia.

ARC of Down the Mysterly River by Bill Willingham

Max “the Wolf” is a top notch Boy Scout, an expert at orienteering and a master of being prepared. So it is a little odd that he suddenly finds himself, with no recollection of his immediate past, lost in an unfamiliar wood. Even odder still, he encounters a badger named Banderbrock, a black bear named Walden, and McTavish the Monster (who might also be an old barn cat)—all of whom talk—and who are as clueless as Max.

Before long, Max and his friends are on the run from a relentless group of hunters and their deadly hounds. Armed with powerful blue swords and known as the Blue Cutters, these hunters capture and change the very essence of their prey. For what purpose, Max can’t guess. But unless he can solve the mystery of the strange forested world he’s landed in, Max may find himself and his friends changed beyond recognition, lost in a lost world…

To enter, fill out the form below. You may join this challenge at any time. Also, you must follow these rules, or your entry will be disqualified:

One URL per entry, and that URL must directly link to a book review. A general link to your blog or Goodreads account isn't specific enough (I simply don't have the time to go sifting through entries to see what you're reading).
You may enter as many times as you like, BUT you must keep to the one URL per entry rule. Otherwise your entry will only count as one.
You must have reviewed the book IN AUGUST. Past reviews don't count.

Come back here on Wednesday, August 31st to see if you've won. Good luck!!

Winner of the July Reading Challenge Giveaway!!

2011-07-31T08:22:00.002-05:00

How's everyone's reading going? I've had a terrible year for reading, but hey, such is life. :) I'm up to 40 books now (I think), so there's a chance I could catch up and reach my 100 book goal by the end of the year. Maybe. The rest of the year could be as crazy as the beginning, so I guess we'll have to wait and see.

Anyway, it's time to announce the winner of this month's reading challenge giveaway.

Theresa Milstein!!!

Congrats!! I'll get your books out to you asap.

As for everyone else, stop by tomorrow to see what I'm giving away next month!!

Winner of the July Book Giveaway!

2011-07-30T08:17:00.001-05:00

Wait a minute. Summer's more than half over? How the heck did that happen?

Anyway, here's the winner for this month's giveaway:

Katie Patchell!!!

Congrats! I'll get your books out to you asap.

As for everyone else, stop by next saturday to see what I'm giving away!!

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

2011-07-28T07:00:00.002-05:00

Kate, Michael, and Emma have been in one orphanage after another for the last ten years, passed along like lost baggage.

Yet these unwanted children are more remarkable than they could possibly imagine. Ripped from their parents as babies, they are being protected from a horrible evil of devastating power, an evil they know nothing about.

Until now.

Before long, Kate, Michael, and Emma are on a journey to dangerous and secret corners of the world...a journey of allies and enemies, of magic and mayhem. And—if an ancient prophesy is correct—what they do can change history, and it is up to them to set things right.

I had an unusual experience reading this book. It started out slow, very slow, and I actually set it down a couple of times. When this happens, I usually end up disliking the book (after pushing through to the end, because that’s what I do). But, in this case, the opposite occurred.

After the first fifty pages or so, the story picks up quite a bit, the characters get more interesting, and the plot shifts into high gear. It was easy to see where the story was going, but I didn’t think that was a bad thing. It’s also kind of a compilation of Golden Compass, Series of Unfortunate Events, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings, but I didn’t see that as a bad thing, either. Stephens has made this story his own, despite the similarities. So many fantasy stories have been told that it’s nearly impossible to create something truly unique. Stephens used certain elements that exist in other stories, but his execution was different enough to keep the reader interested.

I really liked Kate. She’s a strong character, and her heart is in the right place. She’s also courageous, which leads her to make some pretty scary, and sometimes detrimental, decisions. Her motivations are always clear, and we can see just how much she cares for her siblings. Given her situation, this was both realistic and refreshing. She’s the main reason I wanted to keep reading, because I wanted to know what she was going to do next.

By the time we get to the end, it’s clear that the next two books will focus on Michael and Emma. I will miss Kate, but I’m very much looking forward to seeing the other two siblings take center stage.

There were only a few things that gave me pause. The bickering between Michael and Emma was realistic, but did get a bit old after a while. Fortunately, it doesn’t take up much of the overall story. The Countess was truly creepy, but I do wish there had been a tiny bit more to her, perhaps along the lines of how she ended up. I would have liked to see a bit more of that spread throughout the story. I also wish there had been a map of the area. I sometimes couldn’t keep a visual of where they were in my head.

Other than that, though, this is a great adventure story that I think boys and girls alike would enjoy.

Agent/Publisher Research Chart

2011-07-25T07:00:00.001-05:00

Last week, I shared the chart I used to track what I had submitted and to whom. This week, I thought I'd share the chart I used to research the people I submitted to. And, yes, I realize that I'm doing this backwards, but oh well. :)

Very early on, I decided to try to sell my first book without an agent. So, I went about learning everything I possibly could about the submission process and how to choose a publishing house. These are the things I kept track of:

Editor and house, type of publisher (trade, education, etc), what genres and age groups they publish, how many books they published the previous year, how many of those books were debut vs. known authors, submission guidelines, my reason for submitting to this house, and any other notes I had about them.

When researching agents, you need some of the same info, but not all. When I decided to try for an agent, these are the things I kept track of:

Agency and agent, what they represent, their recent deals, how many of those deals were new vs. old clients, submission guidelines, my reason for submitting to this agency, and any other notes I had on them.

I put all of this into a spreadsheet and started to collect information several months before I was ready to submit. When I was ready, I had no less than 50 agents in my list to submit to. Having so many kept me from freaking out each time I got a rejection and wailing about how I'd get my book published. Rejection is a part of this business, but it's also really difficult to deal with at times. For me, having several backups kept me from losing it. :)

If you don't already have a way to research agents or editors, you're welcome to use the spreadsheet I created. You can download a copy here.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

2011-07-21T07:00:00.002-05:00

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program--or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan--or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

I’ve read all of Libba Bray’s books so far, and have enjoyed most of them. Well, sort of. After her last book, I decided that her style just isn’t my taste and figured that would be that. But then I read the summary above. Sounds fantastic, right? Plus, the cover is hysterical. So, I got sucked into reading this book. And…

…Libba Bray’s style just isn’t my taste. I know this now, clearly and unmistakably, and I won’t be picking up another of her books. So, keeping that in mind, here are my thoughts about Beauty Queens.

I will fully admit that I was mesmerized by beauty pageants when I was a kid. All those women looked so glamorous and perfect, and I thought they must have had better lives than mine. As I got older, I learned what pageant life is really like, and that completely changed the way I saw them. Beauty Queens is a spoof on pageants, and parts of it were very entertaining. Such as, Miss Texas’s determination to keep practicing her walk, rehearsing for the show, and quizzing herself on interview questions despite the fact that only a fraction of the contestants survived the plane crash. Plus, a search of the plane turned up as many beauty products as food and water. Those are such obvious clichés that they’re funny, and the story is chock full of them.

The parts I had difficulty with are specifically Bray’s style. She takes reality and turns it around to the point that it’s so clearly not possible and becomes funny. Well, funny for those who like that kind of humor. Beauty Queens is in the vein of Austin Powers meets The Naked Gun. I didn’t care for either movie, and, hence, didn’t care for this story. A girl with a tray sticking out of her head (but suffers from not medical trauma, other than her ‘look’ is ruined) and snakes that snarf people like in cartoons isn’t my cup of tea.

Even more so, that kind of humor sets the tone of the book. So, later on when things start getting pretty far ‘out there,’ I have no idea how to process it. Is Bray still trying to be funny, or is she trying to mix in a deeper message? If the latter, then the message got muddled in the crazy humor. The more 'out there' the humor is, the less you take it seriously (you're not supposed to, because it's a spoof). So, if there's a meaningful message in there, it's going to get lost because no one is taking anything seriously.

That said, I have friends who would think this kind of thing is funny, and I’d definitely recommend this book to them and anyone else with a similar taste in humor. If you’re not so keen on slapstick, though, you might want to skip it.

Submission Tracking Chart

2011-07-18T07:00:00.009-05:00

When I first started submitting my work to agents, I had no idea what I was doing. In fact, the very first time I sent out my ms, I didn’t properly record what I’d sent or who I’d sent it to. Basically, it was a big mess.

Over the years, I learned from my mistakes and honed my submission process, finally ending up with a workable system. A few people have asked me how I handled my submissions when I found my agent, so I thought I’d share it with all of you, too.

I utilized Query Tracker’s tool for keeping track of submissions, but I also created a spreadsheet of my own. That way I knew exactly what I’d sent out and when I could expect a response. I created a header for all of this information, then created subsections for material that had been requested, rejected, was still out, and who I had left to query.

Here’s kind of what it looked like:

Agency	Agent	Items Sent	Date	Due Back	Received	Response
Requested
Hunter Agency	John Doe	query & first ten pages; first fifty pages	1/1/2011, 2/2/11	4/1/11, 5/2/11	1/31/2011	"Thank you for the opportunity to read your work. I enjoyed your query and sample, and would love to see the first fifty pages. Feel free to email them at your earliest convenience."
Pending
Doe Eyes Agency	Jane Doe	query & first page	6/1/2011	10/31/2011	-	-
Recieved
Knot Agency	Mr. No	query	10/31/2010	1/31/2011	11/15/2010	form rejection
No Response
Quiet Agency	Busy Bee	query & first two pages	10/31/2010	1/31/2011	-	status query sent 3/31/11
To Query
Agency One	Agent One	-	-	-	-	-
Agency Two	Agent Two	-	-	-	-	-
Agency Three	Agent Three	-	-	-	-	-

This isn't a great rendition of the spreadsheet, but it's the best I can do with the tools I have in blogger. But, it basically gets the point across. If you like, you can download a copy of the template from my website, here.

I used this spreadsheet to keep track of everything, including feedback I'd gotten on revision suggestions. When I first started out, I didn't collect so much info, and later on I was wishing I had. I also refined my submission strategy.

When I queried a new project, I started out with only two agents at a time. That way, if I got feedback then I could revise and make the piece better before sending it out to the next person on my list. Otherwise, I ran the risk of burning through everyone too quickly, with material that I could easily have made better. Once I started getting more consistent feedback, along the lines of "This is good, but not for me," then I started sending it out to more agents at a time.

How many of you have been submitting for a while? How many of you just got started? How many are getting ready to start? What's your submission process?

Cascade by Lisa Bergren

2011-07-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Gabi knows she’s left her heart in the fourteenth century and she persuades Lia to help her to return, even though they know doing so will risk their very lives. When they arrive, weeks have passed and all of Siena longs to celebrate the heroines who turned the tide in the battle against Florence—while the Florentines will go to great lengths to see them dead.
But Marcello patiently awaits, and Gabi must decide if she’s willing to leave her family behind for good in order to give her heart to him forever.

I read Waterfall earlier this year, and it turned out to be an unexpected gem. The characters are fabulous, the story is compelling, and the conflict is realistic. Cascade was more of the same great stuff.

Gabi is just as awesome here as she was in the first book, and I love that we get to see more of Lia and Mom this time around. The interactions between the characters are fabulous, just like in the first book, and I liked that Gabi and Marcello started to see some clashes in culture in how they interact. I’m SO curious to see how that’s going to play out, and I’m glad it was introduced into the story.

I was also glad to see the developments between Lia and Luca, though I had see that coming from the first book. Still, it was pleasant to see. Plus, their interactions are sometimes more interesting than Gabi and Marcello’s. Luca is so straightforward, almost simplistically so, and Lia is more complex. They make a good pair.

The tension in Cascade is through the roof!! I seriously could not put this book down unless I absolutely had to, and even then I couldn’t stop thinking about it and wondering what was going to happen next. From start to finish, it’s an amazing ride. If you haven’t read Waterfall or Cascade, you should!

Various Aspects of Voice

2011-07-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

Voice. I’ve heard many people describe and define this, and it always seems to be different each time. Some people said it was how clearly the characters came through. Some said it was how clearly the story itself came through. Others said it was how the author used her own voice to carry everything to the end.

I say this: it’s all of these things. Which makes Voice one of the biggest aspect of writing, and also one of the hardest to understand.

Voice applies to many different aspects of a story. It’s in the characters, the plot, the setting, the time frame, and the author. And Voice comes out through each chosen word, each image created, and each sense invoked. And it’s all different, depending on which part you’re looking at.

Voice of the main character.
Whether the story is told from first or third person, the strongest Voice makes every word sound like it comes from the main character. This is his story, after all, and he should be able to tell it however he wants. After all, everyone is different with different storytelling skills. How does your main character do it? How can he tell his story such that the reader gets lost in it, even forgets himself at times?

Sometimes this Voice sounds like the character is talking to himself. Sometimes it sounds like the character is talking to the reader. However he comes across, the strongest Voice is when the reader feels like the character is speaking directly to him. So, words like heard, saw, noticed, realized, remembered, etc are not words that evoke strong Voice. They don’t evoke anything, actually. They don’t create a consistent visual, trigger a strong emotion, or make the reader feel like he’s a part of the story. Choosing words that show what a character sees and feels will generate a stronger Voice than telling us what the character sees and feels. I’m crossing over into show vs. tell a bit here, but so much of writing is connected that it’s impossible to separate aspects completely.

Voice of the story.
What kind of story is this? Is it humorous? Suspenseful? Introspective? Notice I am not listing genres, but rather I’m listing the different ways your story comes alive. A fantasy can still be humorous. A mystery can still be introspective. It’s all in how your characters choose to carry out the story.

So, for humor, choose words and incidents that will bring a smile to the reader’s face – and I’m not just talking about dialogue. Perhaps your character has a scathing wit, or perhaps he has the worst, most ridiculous luck in the world. For introspective, don’t bore your reader with paragraphs of rambling thoughts. Instead, inject that introspection in key places where it adds the most to the story.

But the most important thing here is that your story’s Voice must begin on page one, then carry through to the end.

Voice of the setting or time frame.
Where does this story take place? New Yorkers use different words and dialect than southerners. Rural Midwest has a completely different culture than California. London speech doesn’t sound remotely like Australian. Present day actions and reactions are not the same as actions and reactions a hundred years ago. When you choose your setting and time frame, choose your words and actions such that it’s obvious when and where your characters are.

For example, red lipstick and sweater sets were popular in the fifties. Train travel was the fastest way to get around in the early 1900’s. The expectations of men women were different twenty years ago. Each of these things matter, and it also matters to use the words and actions popular during your time frame. Otherwise the reader won’t be able to immerse himself.

Voice of the author.
This is you, but it’s not necessarily you talking to the reader. I think this is the most nebulous of all aspects of Voice, because this is the underlying piece of you that goes into all your work, that comes from all your experiences in life. Unless the reader knows you really well, it’s unlikely that anyone will be able to pinpoint exactly when and where your Voice is coming through, but the authenticity of everything you say will make the overall Voice ring true.

This crosses into writing what you know – that is, writing what you’ve experienced in life, not what you can learn through research or imagination. These are the pieces that make you who you are, and they must go on the page. To some, this is one of the scariest aspects of writing, because it’s the part we lay bare to a whole world of strangers. Kind of like running around naked. But, without it, the whole story could fall flat.

These aspects of Voice are essential to every good story. The more compelling the Voice, the more compelling the story. I’ve heard more than one agent or editor stress how important Voice is, so it’s definitely important to bring it out.

But how do we learn to harness that Voice? Well, I can’t tell you how to find yours because each Voice is different. I can only tell you where I found mine. And it was hunkered down inside me, hiding in all the things I thought about but never shared.

So, if you’re still looking for your Voice, or you’re looking for ways to strengthen it, then start looking deep within yourself. I’m betting it’ll be staring right back at you.

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

2011-07-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.
Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.
But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, Hex Hall. It was fun, and Sophie is a fantastic main character. She’s got just the right amount of sass and snark, and it kept me laughing out loud throughout the whole book.

Sophie is just as awesome in Demonglass, and I was completely absorbed in the whole book. I was even a bit wrapped up in the love triangle, and I hate love triangles! So I was all ready to love this book just as much as the first. And I did, until I got to the end.

I’m all for main characters having to conquer insane obstacles. I’m all for tough choices, impossible situations, and facing circumstances that seem insurmountable. That keeps the tension high, and it gives us plenty of opportunities to see what this person is really like. So, the harder it is on the characters, the better.

That said, those obstacles have to make sense. If they don’t, then everything that happens afterward feels contrived and the tension plummets through the floor. This is exactly what happened for me at the end of Demonglass. Sophie’s dad is a smart man and has been the leader of the Council for years, so I just don’t buy it that he’d make the decisions he made at the end. It clearly had to happen for the story’s sake, but it did not come organically from the character. That brought my enjoyment down a big notch.

Lastly, and this is more of a rant than anything, but will people PLEASE stop writing trials as simply admission of guilt followed by severe sentencing? That’s not a trial—I get that the idea is to convey oppression and lack of power to the accused, but, seriously, it’s been way overdone. For once, I’d like to see an author create an intricate and involved justice system that has the possibilities to divide those in power and create even more tension. Okay, done ranting.

Up to that point, though, this was just as fabulous as the first book. I will still read the next one, but I’m hoping the circumstances and decisions will make more sense.

Happy Independence Day!!

2011-07-04T08:45:00.002-05:00

To all you US folks out there...

Happy 4th of July!!

Hope you have a great holiday, eat lots of barbeque, and don't blow your fingers off with firecrackers. :)

July Book Giveaway!!

2011-07-03T13:28:00.000-05:00

Wow, I'm 0 for 2. I thought this post had been scheduled, and it wasn't. Sheesh!! Anyway, here it is now.

I've got two more books to give away this month.

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby
"I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both."
Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface.
While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

XVI by Julia Karr
Sandy, and their crew, goes to school, plays with her little sister, Dee. But Nina is 15. And like all girls she'll receive a Governing Council-ordered tattoo on her 16th birthday. XVI. Those three letters will be branded on her wrist, announcing to all the world-even the most predatory of men-that she is ready for sex. Considered easy prey by some, portrayed by the Media as sluts who ask for attacks, becoming a "sex-teen" is Nina's worst fear. That is, until right before her birthday, when Nina's mom is brutally attacked. With her dying breaths, she reveals to Nina a shocking truth about her past-one that destroys everything Nina thought she knew. Now, alone but for her sister, Nina must try to discover who she really is, all the while staying one step ahead of her mother's killer.

To enter, fill out the form below and then come back on Saturday, July 31st to see if you've won. Good luck!

100 Book Reading Challenge: July

2011-07-01T11:17:00.002-05:00

How's your reading going? Fantastic? Okay? Miserable? :)

I'm up to 34(ish) books so far. Almost 35.

So, I've got two more books to giveaway for this reading challenge (paperbacks of the following).

Bestest. Ramadan. Ever. by Medeia Sharif
During Ramadan, we're not allowed to eat from sunrise to sunset, for a whole month. My family does this every year, even though I've been to a mosque exactly twice in my fifteen years. My exercise-obsessed mom—whose hotness skipped a generation, sadly—says I could stand to lose a few. But is torture really an acceptable method? I think not.
Things wouldn't be so bad if I had a boyfriend, but my oppressive parents forbid me to date. This is just cruel and wrong. Especially since Peter, a cute and crushable artist, might be my soul mate. Figures my bestest friend Lisa likes him, too.
To top it off, there's a new Muslim girl in school who struts around in super-short skirts, commanding every boy's attention—including Peter's. How can I get him to notice me? And will I ever feel like a typical American girl?

The Boyfriend List by E. Lockhart
Ruby Oliver is 15 and has a shrink. She knows it’s unusual, but give her a break—she’s had a rough 10 days. In the past 10 days she:
lost her boyfriend (#13 on the list),
lost her best friend (Kim),
lost all her other friends (Nora, Cricket),
did something suspicious with a boy (#10),
did something advanced with a boy (#15),
had an argument with a boy (#14),
drank her first beer (someone handed it to her),
got caught by her mom (ag!),
had a panic attack (scary),
lost a lacrosse game (she’s the goalie),
failed a math test (she’ll make it up),
hurt Meghan’s feelings (even though they aren’t really friends),
became a social outcast (no one to sit with at lunch)
and had graffiti written about her in the girls’ bathroom (who knows what was in the boys’!?!).
But don’t worry—Ruby lives to tell the tale. And make more lists.

To enter, fill out the form below. You may join this challenge at any time. Also, you must follow these rules, or your entry will be disqualified:

One URL per entry, and that URL must directly link to a book review. A general link to your blog or Goodreads account isn't specific enough (I simply don't have the time to go sifting through entries to see what you're reading).
You may enter as many times as you like, BUT you must keep to the one URL per entry rule. Otherwise your entry will only count as one.
You must have reviewed the book IN JULY. Past reviews don't count.

Come back here on Sunday, July 31 to see if you've won. Good luck!!

Winner of the June Reading Challenge Giveaway!!

2011-07-01T10:31:00.001-05:00

Okay, so, I just realized it's July 1st, and I was supposed to announce the winner for this contest yesterday. Um, oops... :) I was caught up writing my WIP and totally forgot about it. So, I'll just take care of this right now, and then post the next contest right after. Yes? Okay.

According to Random.org, the winner is...

Ashelynn Hetland!!!

Congratulations!! I'll get your books to you asap.

This month's contest will be up later this morning, and the other contest will be up tomorrow morning. So stop by to see what I'm giving away!

The Emerald Atlas by John Stephens

2011-06-30T07:00:00.001-05:00

Kate, Michael, and Emma have suffered through ten years of odious orphanage "care"; now they have slipped into the care of the eccentric, disturbingly mysterious Dr. Pym. While exploring their new home, the children discover a magical green book. With that discovery, a decade of tedium dissolves into cascades of dangerous time travel adventures and struggles with a beautiful witch and decidedly less attractive zombielike Screechers.
I had no idea what to expect with this story. At first, it sounded a little too similar to The Series of Unfortunate Events, but as the story unfolded, it was nothing like it. I really enjoyed this book.

The story is told in multiple points of view, which wasn’t my favorite. I would have preferred staying in Kate’s head, but it didn’t interfere with my overall enjoyment. The story is gripping and fast-paced, and lots of fun. The tension mounts higher and higher as the story progresses, and I couldn’t put it down toward the end.

Time travel books can be difficult to pull off, and it’s hard to avoid plot holes. But this story manages to keep the plot tight and interesting, and offers valid explanations for the changes in the timeline. Big plus, in my mind.

I really liked the relationships between the siblings. Each of them felt real, with their own beliefs, quirks, flaws, and growth. The impression I got is that each book is going to focus on each sibling, and I liked them so much that I’m really looking forward to finding out what’s in store for them next. Definitely recommended.

More Inspirational Quotes

2011-06-27T07:00:00.002-05:00

I've been hunkered down and writing up a storm on my WIP, so I haven't written a blog post for today. Instead, I have more quotes for you. Enjoy!

The difference between fiction and reality? Fiction has to make sense.
- Tom Clancy

One has to be just a little crazy to write a great novel.
- John Gardner

I write for the same reason I breathe - because if I didn't, I would die.
- Isaac Asimov

You have to write whichever book it is that wants to be written. And then, if it's going to be too difficult for grown-ups, you write it for children.
- Madeleine L'Engle

If you stay true to your characters, the story will take care of itself.
- Eve Byron

Close the door. Write with *no one* looking over your shoulder. Don't try to figure out what other people want to hear from you; figure out what you have to say. It's the one and only thing you have to offer.
- Barbara Kingsolver

Writing is 1 percent inspiration, and 99 percent elimination.
- Louise Brooks

Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don’t feel I should be doing something else.
- Gloria Steinem

This manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor is a precious package. Don't consider it rejected. Consider that you've addressed it 'to the editor who can appreciate my work' and it has simply come back stamped 'not at this address.' Just keep looking for the right address.
- Barbara Kingsolver

Everywhere I go I'm asked if I think the university stifles writers. My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them. There's many a best-seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher.
- Flannery O'Conner

An original writer is not one who imitates nobody, but one whom nobody can imitate.
- de Chateaubriand

The shorter and plainer the better.
- Beatrix Potter

Get it down. Take chances. It may be bad, but it's the only way you can do anything really good.
- William Faulkner

Being creative is head-pounding, nail-biting, hard work no matter what your profession. So bottom line—ya gotta find the humor in it or you'll die like a rat on the road.
- Richard Krzemien

Winner of the June Book Giveaway!

2011-06-25T12:20:00.000-05:00

It's time to pick the winner of the giveaway this month!

According to Random.org, the winner is...

Mer Snow!!!!

Congratulations! I'll get your books out to you asap.As for everyone else, come back next saturday to see what I'm giving away next month.

There is still time to enter my other giveaway, hardbacks of Angel Burn and Demonglass. Stop by to enter!

My Life, The Theater, And Other Tragedies by Allen Zadoff

2011-06-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

High school sophomore Adam Zeigler, who lost his father to a sudden accident two years ago, thinks the best way to live life is behind the spotlight. As a member of the theater crew, he believes he's achieved it all when he wins the coveted job of spotlight operator. But that was before a young actress, Summer, appeared in his view. Instantly smitten, Adam is determined to win her over. But to do so, he'll have to defy his best friend and break the golden rule of his school: techies and actors don't mix.
I thought this was a cute book. Quiet, interesting, and a good coming of age story. Nothing really new here, though. And it wasn’t funny like Zadoff's first novel, which was a bit disappointing. I think I had really high expectations regarding the humor, though, so I felt the lack of it much more than if I’d read this book first. Newcomers to Zadoff’s work may not feel the same way.

I got frustrated with Adam for letting everyone walk all over him, even though it was clear why he was withdrawing into himself. I think that, since this is a concept often used, and the way it’s used here isn’t really unique, I lost patience with it a little too soon. That’s not to say Adam isn’t an interesting character. He is. The reasoning in his head as he tries to figure out Derek was fantastic. I think that's exactly how a teenager thinks, and his reactions to the complexities of high school are wonderfully realistic.

The ending was a little over-the-top-tear-jerker for my taste, and the bow wrapping everything up was a bit too perfect. The story was still solid and enjoyable, but it didn't have that polished feel, where everything is connected from beginning to end. Again, I think I had such high expectations from his previous book that I didn't enjoy this as much as I could have. But I can see teens galore loving this story, boys and girls alike.

Authors Are Such Characters

2011-06-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

I used to wonder if all authors had multiple personality disorder. I mean, we can’t write the same story with the same kind of character over and over again, so, where does it all come from? Are authors cracked? Do we lead secret lives that no one, even ourselves, knows about?
Probably not. :) Which still leaves us with the question of where all these characters come from. How can one person create so many different kinds of people?

Well…we don’t. It only looks like we do. :)

To write effective characters, you need to know people. I don’t mean knowing the different types of people—that’s too general. You need to know people on an individual level. It usually starts with your friends and family members, then it might include coworkers and friends of friends and such. Basically, you’re observing the little details in what they do and how they react to various things, and how that translates into who they are as a whole.

After you’ve done this with enough people (in sufficient detail) then you might find yourself making predictions about how someone might react or what choice he/she might make in a given situation. And you might even be right.

This is the groundwork for creating fully fleshed out, believable, and relatable characters. It’s not the type of character that’s important, it’s the person behind the character. People are individuals with independent thoughts and reactions, and observing others with a keen eye for detail will get you one piece of the character puzzle. That’s the good news. The bad news is that it’s only one piece. :)

You also have to know yourself. Really know yourself. Your strengths and weaknesses, neuroses, biases, quirks, likes and dislikes, emotional scars, etc. And, you need the ability to dig deep within and pull out experiences from various aspects of your life. That’s the other piece of the character puzzle, and often the hardest to assemble coherently. After all, this means we have to face every aspect of ourselves, even the parts we don’t like so much.

After you put those two pieces together, you have a formula for great characters. They consist of various aspects of the author, plus some enhancements based on experiences with other people. And the root personality of each character comes from the author, because that’s the best way to fully understand the characters. If we don’t understand our characters, then how can we expect the reader to? That’s kind of like explaining calculus when we don’t understand it ourselves. Not very helpful. :)

Just to be clear, this applies to ALL characters, main and minor. Minor characters are no less important than main characters, and don’t deserve to be typecast. The more realistic all the characters are, the better experience the reader will have. And then you’ll have a fan who will look for more of your books.

Disclaimer: in the vein of too much internal monologue, this does not necessarily apply to first drafts. First drafts need a certain amount of exploration, and character is often a big part of that. Some writers manage to know their characters inside and out before they begin writing, but most tend to discover them along the way. So, if you don’t get your characters perfect the first time around, don’t worry! That’s what revision is for. :)

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2011-06-16T07:00:00.001-05:00

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home. As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?

What a hilarious, adorable story! I can't count how many times I laughed out loud. I’ve been hearing great things about this book for months now, and I waited half that time just to get a copy from my library. It was worth the wait.

This is a light and fun story about a girl named Anna who is uprooted from Georgia and sent to a school in Paris for her senior year. She leaves behind her best friend and her almost-boyfriend, broods about what her life could have been, and discovers a whole lot more.

I'm not a huge romance fan, but the plot of this book is basically all romance and I still loved it. The romance is light and fun, and keeps away from the whole love-at-first-nanosecond thing. Which I appreciated, especially since the setting is Paris, the city of love. Perkins deftly keeps the story moving at a good pace, with fantastic characters and typical teen situations. Yet she can keep an adult reader interested, too. I couldn't put it down.

What are you waiting for? Go pick up a copy!

Controversy in YA

2011-06-13T07:00:00.020-05:00

Recently, Megan Cox Gurdon published a piece in the Wall Street Journal on whether today’s YA books dealt with issues that are too dark for public consumption. She says they are, and the result was a resounding response in the twitterverse with a hashtag of #YAsaves, supporting the YA industry. There have been several other responses online as well. Here, here, here, and I’m sure there’s more that I just haven’t seen yet.

Warning: this post is long. I tend to break up posts that get this long, but it kind of felt like dragging out the subject too long to do this. And there were too many things I wanted to address, so it's all in one hugely long post. Apologies in advance...

Gurdon's article was inspired by a mom book-shopping for her 13-year-old daughter. She picked up book after book about vampires, self-mutilation, and other dark stuff. In the article's comments section, she said this:
I want to add that a B&N employee noticed me leafing through 78 books, and offered to help. (Because she had not in fact read any of the books for sale, she kind of kept me company more than helped, but it was still something.) She told me I was far from the first to complain.

To me, this isn’t a failing of the YA industry. It’s a failing of the bookstore. If an employee is helping a customer pick out a book from a section she knows nothing about, that’s kind of like the blind leading the blind. It’s also disheartening that the mom gave up so easily. If she’d gone to a children’s librarian, she’d have heard about so many appropriate books for a 13-year-old girl. Books by Ally Carter, Heather Dixon, Allen Zadoff, Lisa Bergren, Jennifer Donnelly, Sarah Dessen, Stephanie Perkins, Kiersten White, Catherine Murdock, Alex Flinn, Sarah MacLean, Saundra Mitchell, E. Lockhart, Maureen Johnson, Simone Elkeles, John Green, Kay Cassidy, Michelle Rowan, Heather Brewer. I could go on and on, but I’ll stop there. I hope this girl’s mom kept searching and eventually found something from the plethora of great books available for a 13-year-old girl.

Regarding the article itself? She made some serious accusations. If you’re going to go there the way she did, that’s fine. I think it’s great when people step up and say the tough things that no one wants to say. However, they need to be solid. Unfortunately, Gurdon contradicts herself multiple times, so, to me, her accusations don’t carry much weight.

First, she says this:
If books show us the world, teen fiction can be like a hall of fun-house mirrors, constantly reflecting back hideously distorted portrayals of what life is.

In the very next sentence, she says this:
There are of course exceptions, but a careless young reader—or one who seeks out depravity—will find himself surrounded by images not of joy or beauty but of damage, brutality and losses of the most horrendous kinds.

A few paragraphs later, she says this:
Self-destructive adolescent behaviors are observably infectious and have periods of vogue. That is not to discount the real suffering that some young people endure; it is an argument for taking care.
(note: all emphasis is mine)

The last two statements contradict the first. YA books either show a gross distortion of real life or they don’t. It can’t be a gross distortion some of the time, and then be truth other times. It sounds like she’s saying that yes, some people have had it really bad, but we still shouldn't have books that reflect that kind of life because some kids might misunderstand. What does that mean? That we should only have books that reflect what most people experience? How is that fair to those living the horror? The ones who likely need these books the most?

Later on, she says this:
If young people are encountering ghastly things on the Internet, that's a failure of the adults around them.

Yes, that’s true. It’s also true that if a kid is reading a book that's completely inappropriate for him, that's the failing of the adults around him. It’s a symptom of the same problem, that the adults aren’t involved in this kid’s life. Whether the content comes from a book or the internet is irrelevant, because that’s not the problem. The problem is that no one is taking an active interest in this kid’s life. Therefore, it’s not exactly fair to use this as an argument to tone down the content of books, because the books aren't the real problem.

Finally, she says this:
No family is obliged to acquiesce when publishers use the vehicle of fundamental free-expression principles to try to bulldoze coarseness or misery into their children's lives.

Making material available is not pushing it down kids' throats. If parents object to what their child is reading, the publisher isn't going to pound on their door and tell them to let the kid read it anyway. The publisher is just saying ‘Hey, we’ve got this book, and we like it a lot.’ How is that bulldozing? If parents or libraries object to a book and get it taken off the shelves, the publisher isn’t the one who lobbies to put it back on. It’s other readers. And, even then, the readers aren’t bulldozing these books into kids’ lives. They just want it available to others who want to read it.

Still, even though I disagree with most of what’s in the article, everything up to this point could easily be accepted as opinion. Which is fine, because everyone is entitled to an opinion. But Gurdon said something else that just ruined her credibility for me:
…[There are] those who think it's appropriate to guide what young people read. In the book trade, this is known as "banning." In the parenting trade, however, we call this "judgment" or "taste." It is a dereliction of duty not to make distinctions in every other aspect of a young person's life between more and less desirable options. Yet let a gatekeeper object to a book and the industry pulls up its petticoats and shrieks "censorship!"
(note: all emphasis is mine)

Actually, that’s the textbook definition of censorship. To censor means to remove content that an ‘official’ deems inappropriate for others. For parents to censor what their child reads is called being responsible, because they know what the child can handle. But they wouldn’t necessarily know what another child down the street would be able to handle, so, therefore, are not qualified to censor him/her. I’d bet that if one parent started telling the neighborhood kids what they can and can’t read, the other parents would take offense to that. So, really, stating that good parenting is a reason to support censorship for the general public seems a bit of a stretch.

This is why so many people are up in arms over this article. We don’t need someone telling us what kinds of books should or should not be in existence, especially when that person doesn’t know us on a personal level. I understand the need for using caution with certain material in YA books. There is a need for caution for many things in life, and some parents are better at handling that than others. But it's neither fair nor right to say that darker content isn't appropriate for young adults. For some, it's very appropriate.

Minnesota Public Radio did an interview with Gurdon last week. In it, Gurdon says a few things I want to address here.
There is a real penalty to pay if you're a parent who objects out loud to these things...The book industry demands total conformity of opinion.

Some context: This was in response to a mother not allowing her ten year old daughter to read Twilight, and was given a hard time from other parents for this censorship. That is, until this mother told the other parents some of the content in the Twilight books, and then those parents were just as shocked as she had been. I don't see how this particular instance relates to the book industry demanding total conformity of opinion. This is simply another instance of the adults not being involved enough in their children's lives. Parents who haven't read Twilight, to me, don't represent the book industry.

Next, the interviewer stated that she thought Gurdon was concerned that parents are so eager for their kids to read that they won't censor or criticize what the kids are reading. Gurdon agreed with this. I'm concerned about this, too, for that matter. But, that's still not the failing of YA books. We can't eliminate certain kinds of books because of the lack of parenting happening today.

Gurdon also said that self-harm is almost trendy because YA books kind of endorse that behavior. Wow. It takes a whole lot more than a book to press a blade to your skin hard enough to draw blood. A teen might try this once to see what it feels like, but again and again? No way. Not without some additional, serious trauma, anyway, because the instinct for self-preservation is too strong. Those who do engage in repeated self-harm are, in fact, using it as self-preservation from other circumstances. Author Cheryl Rainfield has responded to this better than I have, so if you want to hear from someone who survived self-harm, go here.

Finally, Gurdon said this:
I am not saying that books oughtn't deal with difficult subjects...A lot of what young adult fiction does is it places it in the here and now, and holds up this image of what adolescence is, as this...tumultuous time for many children, though clearly not all...it's this emotional prison, everything is in flux, everything is upsetting, and these teens are presented in desperate, desperate straights.
(She sort of talked over herself, so I did my best to transcribe what she said. Any errors are mine.)

What she's described here is exactly what makes a great book. Adolescence is a tumultuous time for many kids, some more extreme than others. When an author acknowledges that in his/her book, it's paying the ultimate respect to the kids reading because the author makes it real. In essence, the author is saying 'Yes, I remember those days and sometimes they sucked. Saying they didn't, or simply ignoring how much they sucked, isn't doing anyone any favors.' Kids respond to that because it makes them feel understood, even the ones who aren't living in horror.

The act of reading a book is not going to turn kids to self-harm, or develop an eating disorder, or rape/kidnap/harm someone else. Not without some other pretty hefty circumstances happening outside of these books. Cutting them off from this content isn't going to solve that particular problem.

In School Library Journal’s news story on Gurdon’s article, Gurdon was asked her opinion on the response from the book world. This is what she said:
It's funny, though, how many people who I suspect would count themselves defenders of the right to freedom of expression seem to think I ought to shut up, or to be shut up.

Actually, we don’t want Gurdon to ‘shut up.’ She is perfectly entitled to express her opinion. What we want is for her to know the material, really know it, before speaking out. Based on what she said in her MPR interview, she doesn't understand this side of YA literature at all.