Anyone who writes knows about writer’s block. Some believe in it, and some don’t. If you asked me what I believe, I’d say I don’t. But that’s not a completely honest answer...
Writer’s block is a very real thing. It’s something in a writer’s mind that is keeping her from putting words on a page. Some would argue that that’s why it’s not real, and I’ve even heard some people say “it’s all in your mind, get over it.” But I say that’s what makes it real. After all, where do our stories come from? Yeah, the mind.
Overcoming it isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely possible. Writer’s block can be as huge as a lack of confidence to produce good work, which might mean that the block is rooted deep within the person, and has nothing to do with writing. Writer’s block can also be as small as not being able to figure out what comes next in the story. No matter what it is, it’s possible to defeat it.
I’m stubborn. It runs in my family, on both sides, and my kids have inherited all of it. I think my family must have been cursed ages ago or something, because this stubbornness almost has a life of its own, and I think it will pass itself on through each generation until the world ends. Fortunately for me, I read A WRINKLE IN TIME as a kid, and Meg taught me that stubbornness can be used productively.
So, when I decided that I was going to make a living as a writer, it was as good as a done deal. The fact that it hadn’t happened yet meant nothing, because I would do whatever was necessary in order to get my work out there. : ) That may sound confident, but it’s not. Stubbornness is not confidence. And a lack of confidence can feed writer’s block.
I’ve gone through my share of writer’s block, and at one point it was as big as “everything I write is crap and no one is going to read my work.” I could have given up and pursued something else, which would have been fine. But that’s not what I wanted. I wanted to write in the worst way, and I didn’t want to write crap. Here, I feel lucky to be so stubborn, and to have learned how to harness it. Otherwise, I could have let my dream slip away. Instead, I took some writing classes. That got me one step closer to the confidence I needed in order to succeed, but I still had many steps to go. Some of those steps had nothing to do with writing, and everything to do with me.
Over the years, I’ve beaten down the writer’s block from I-can’t-write to I-don’t-know-what-happens-next. When I run into that kind of block, I lay out the story and examine what I’ve written up to that point. Then I brainstorm and lay out all possible choices (even the ridiculous ones) from there. Often, one will jump out at me, then slide itself into place. If that doesn’t happen, then I move farther back in the story until I reach the place where I got derailed. Then I brainstorm again until I’m back on track.
If none of that works, then I go for a walk. Or, I call up a friend and scream about my stupid story. : )
I still sometimes question whether what I’ve written will ever be good enough, and that sometimes results in zero words on the page. When that happens, I always take a step back and look at what’s blocking me. Is it me? Or is it the story? Once I figure that out, then I can find a way around the block. Or over it. Or under. I’m not picky. : )
So, when I say I don’t believe in writer’s block, what I really mean is that I don’t believe in letting it stop me. And I never will.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Thursday, July 09, 2009
The Demon’s Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan
Plot Summary: Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick's mother stole -- a charm that keeps her alive -- and they want it badly enough to kill again. Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon's mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase...and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long.
I have heard much about Brennan as a fanfiction writer. I’ve never read her stuff since I don’t really like fanfic, but she has definitely made a name for herself this way. And I think that’s great. So I happily picked up a copy of THE DEMON LEXICON.
The concept behind the story is very intriguing. And I think the author ties everything together fairly well at the end (though she left some pretty big clues, so the twist wasn’t so surprising to me). I wasn’t too thrilled about Nick, though...
As with all my book discussions, there are SPOILERS below. Big ones.
Nick isn't exactly your typical teenage boy. He's pretty much empty of all emotions, and he’s scary. Really scary. Why? Because...
If you don’t want to know the big twist at the end of the book, then stop reading because I’m about to reveal it.
Okay, I’m revealing it now...
...Nick is not human. He’s a demon in a human’s body, put there by his father before the human body was even born. Demons don’t have emotions, so Nick doesn’t have them either. He feels no love, friendliness, sympathy, or empathy. The closest thing he exhibits to an emotion is his devotion to his brother, Alan, and anger when Alan’s safety is threatened.
Because of this lack of emotion, I found it difficult to connect with him. In fact, I couldn’t stand him.
It's possible, though very difficult, to write a great book with an unlikable character. INEXCUSABLE by Chris Lynch is a good example. The main character does something horrifying, and yet the reader was still able to connect with him. Lynch did this by giving his readers insight into the character’s mind, allowing us to understand how something so awful could happen.
Unfortunately, there is nothing to connect us to Nick. He revels in scaring people, he insults those who need help, and he ignores anything that doesn’t directly affect him. Basically, he’s an incredibly selfish jerk. I thought there was way too much of this, and of him constantly telling the reader that he feels nothing.
Which brings me to the biggest issue I had with the story.
If I say that I feel nothing, that means something to me and to others around me. When my emotions overwhelm me, that also means something – I know what it is to feel nothing because I know what it is to feel something.
For Nick to constantly tell me that he feels nothing implies that he knows what it’s like to feel something. But he doesn’t. And, since he’s never had emotion, there's no way he could understand the lack of it. He is who he is, and only understands what he’s experienced.
I thought it would have been more plausible for him to openly not understand what everyone was talking about, and then either get annoyed or try to figure out what all that feeling stuff meant. This also would have provided me with a connection to Nick. If he had tried to understand what emotion was all about, especially since he has such a strong connection with Alan, then I would have had some respect for Nick. As it was, I didn't.
I have heard much about Brennan as a fanfiction writer. I’ve never read her stuff since I don’t really like fanfic, but she has definitely made a name for herself this way. And I think that’s great. So I happily picked up a copy of THE DEMON LEXICON.
The concept behind the story is very intriguing. And I think the author ties everything together fairly well at the end (though she left some pretty big clues, so the twist wasn’t so surprising to me). I wasn’t too thrilled about Nick, though...
As with all my book discussions, there are SPOILERS below. Big ones.
Nick isn't exactly your typical teenage boy. He's pretty much empty of all emotions, and he’s scary. Really scary. Why? Because...
If you don’t want to know the big twist at the end of the book, then stop reading because I’m about to reveal it.
Okay, I’m revealing it now...
...Nick is not human. He’s a demon in a human’s body, put there by his father before the human body was even born. Demons don’t have emotions, so Nick doesn’t have them either. He feels no love, friendliness, sympathy, or empathy. The closest thing he exhibits to an emotion is his devotion to his brother, Alan, and anger when Alan’s safety is threatened.
Because of this lack of emotion, I found it difficult to connect with him. In fact, I couldn’t stand him.
It's possible, though very difficult, to write a great book with an unlikable character. INEXCUSABLE by Chris Lynch is a good example. The main character does something horrifying, and yet the reader was still able to connect with him. Lynch did this by giving his readers insight into the character’s mind, allowing us to understand how something so awful could happen.
Unfortunately, there is nothing to connect us to Nick. He revels in scaring people, he insults those who need help, and he ignores anything that doesn’t directly affect him. Basically, he’s an incredibly selfish jerk. I thought there was way too much of this, and of him constantly telling the reader that he feels nothing.
Which brings me to the biggest issue I had with the story.
If I say that I feel nothing, that means something to me and to others around me. When my emotions overwhelm me, that also means something – I know what it is to feel nothing because I know what it is to feel something.
For Nick to constantly tell me that he feels nothing implies that he knows what it’s like to feel something. But he doesn’t. And, since he’s never had emotion, there's no way he could understand the lack of it. He is who he is, and only understands what he’s experienced.
I thought it would have been more plausible for him to openly not understand what everyone was talking about, and then either get annoyed or try to figure out what all that feeling stuff meant. This also would have provided me with a connection to Nick. If he had tried to understand what emotion was all about, especially since he has such a strong connection with Alan, then I would have had some respect for Nick. As it was, I didn't.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Interview with Lisa McMann!
Today, we have the fabulous author of WAKE and FADE, Lisa McMann. Both books have been on the bestseller lists for quite some time, and the stories themselves are riveting.
And so, here's Lisa!
Tell us about FADE.
Fade is the second book in the WAKE trilogy. It continues the story of Janie, a 17-year-old girl who gets sucked into other people's dreams, and Cabe, her awesome go-to guy. In FADE, Janie has to face a sexual predator and her own physical problems.
What was the inspiration behind your idea?
All I know is that when I finished writing WAKE, I felt that the story wasn't done. I wrote FADE immediately after writing WAKE...so I guess WAKE inspired me to write FADE.
How long did it take to find your editor?
My agent submitted the manuscript in October 2006 and we had offers at the end of January 2007, so about 3 months including December holidays.
Did you sell WAKE on its own, or did you sell the whole trilogy?
WAKE was sold in a 2-book deal, so it was both WAKE and FADE. The third book came along about a year after we sold the first two.
What was your favorite part of writing this book? Least favorite?
I absolutely love the part of writing where you are so into it, you can't stop and you ignore everything that's going on around you. My least favorite part of writing this book...researching date-rape drugs. Ew. I felt really dirty doing that.
How often do you write, and how much do you write in one sitting?
I write whenever I have a book under contract. When I start a novel, I like to stick with it five days a week and then take a couple days off to regroup and get the fresh voice back. The most I've written in one insane day was about 9000 words. On a good day, I average about 3000 - 4000 words now.
How did you get in to writing for kids?
To me, teens are less like kids and more like adults. But to answer your question, I just wrote what I thought sounded interesting, and I think teens are about the most interesting age group on the planet. There is a lot of stuff going on during those years, and adults can relate because we've all had the crappy teen years seared into our memories.
What are you working on now?
So, so many things. Another creepy teen paranormal. A realistic emotional thriller. A short story told from Cabe's perspective that we're going to offer as a free download in August.
What does your writing space look like?
Oh, wow. Well, our house is really small. I don't have an office, so I write from my green chair in the living room. I have a few piles of things...envelopes, copies of my books for charities, hard copies of manuscripts I'm working on, a few bills, books I'm reading, three pairs of reading glasses...and on the wall are two framed NYT bestseller lists -- one for WAKE, one for FADE. And the rest of the wall is covered with fan mail, which is so inspiring.
How much do you read, and what are you reading now?
I read whenever I can. A lot. Almost exclusively YA/teen stuff, but I mix in a few non-fiction things in there too, like Monica Seles' memoir, which I adored. I also just read an ARC of Fat Cat by Robin Brande, and I LOVED it. It comes out in October, so go pre-order it! If you're looking for funny, Eileen Cook's What Would Emma Do was hilarious. Also coming soon -- Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted and As You Wish by Jackson Pearce. Awesome books!
Fade is the second book in the WAKE trilogy. It continues the story of Janie, a 17-year-old girl who gets sucked into other people's dreams, and Cabe, her awesome go-to guy. In FADE, Janie has to face a sexual predator and her own physical problems.
What was the inspiration behind your idea?
All I know is that when I finished writing WAKE, I felt that the story wasn't done. I wrote FADE immediately after writing WAKE...so I guess WAKE inspired me to write FADE.
How long did it take to find your editor?
My agent submitted the manuscript in October 2006 and we had offers at the end of January 2007, so about 3 months including December holidays.
Did you sell WAKE on its own, or did you sell the whole trilogy?
WAKE was sold in a 2-book deal, so it was both WAKE and FADE. The third book came along about a year after we sold the first two.
What was your favorite part of writing this book? Least favorite?
I absolutely love the part of writing where you are so into it, you can't stop and you ignore everything that's going on around you. My least favorite part of writing this book...researching date-rape drugs. Ew. I felt really dirty doing that.
How often do you write, and how much do you write in one sitting?
I write whenever I have a book under contract. When I start a novel, I like to stick with it five days a week and then take a couple days off to regroup and get the fresh voice back. The most I've written in one insane day was about 9000 words. On a good day, I average about 3000 - 4000 words now.
How did you get in to writing for kids?
To me, teens are less like kids and more like adults. But to answer your question, I just wrote what I thought sounded interesting, and I think teens are about the most interesting age group on the planet. There is a lot of stuff going on during those years, and adults can relate because we've all had the crappy teen years seared into our memories.
What are you working on now?
So, so many things. Another creepy teen paranormal. A realistic emotional thriller. A short story told from Cabe's perspective that we're going to offer as a free download in August.
What does your writing space look like?
Oh, wow. Well, our house is really small. I don't have an office, so I write from my green chair in the living room. I have a few piles of things...envelopes, copies of my books for charities, hard copies of manuscripts I'm working on, a few bills, books I'm reading, three pairs of reading glasses...and on the wall are two framed NYT bestseller lists -- one for WAKE, one for FADE. And the rest of the wall is covered with fan mail, which is so inspiring.
How much do you read, and what are you reading now?
I read whenever I can. A lot. Almost exclusively YA/teen stuff, but I mix in a few non-fiction things in there too, like Monica Seles' memoir, which I adored. I also just read an ARC of Fat Cat by Robin Brande, and I LOVED it. It comes out in October, so go pre-order it! If you're looking for funny, Eileen Cook's What Would Emma Do was hilarious. Also coming soon -- Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted and As You Wish by Jackson Pearce. Awesome books!
Thanks so much for sharing all this great info! I'm looking forward to next year's release of GONE! :)
To see what Lisa is up to, check out her website, LisaMcMann.com, or her blog. If you go visit her blog, you'll be able to see the cover for GONE. :) For a chance to win FADE or WAKE, go here and follow the entry rules!
Saturday, July 04, 2009
July Book Giveaway!
This month, I'll be giving away four books to four people, again! And these books are from two fabulous authors:
WAKE and FADE by Lisa McMann
THE MAGIC THIEF and THE MAGIC THIEF: LOST by Sarah Prineas
WAKE and FADE by Lisa McMann
THE MAGIC THIEF and THE MAGIC THIEF: LOST by Sarah Prineas
There were a couple of Anonymous entries last month that didn't leave any contact info, so when you enter please be sure to leave me a way to get in touch with you. :)
Also, there were so many entries last month that I need to change the rules for entering. So, if you've entered before, please read the rules again so you can be sure to get all your entries in.
To enter:
- Leave a comment on this post.
- For another entry, become a follower of this blog and leave another comment telling me so. If you already are a follower, leave a comment telling me this.
- For another entry, post a link to this contest, then leave a separate comment with the URL. If you post to muliple locations, then leave a separate comment for each URL.
I will announce the winners on July 25th. Also, look for interviews with both authors later in the month!
Good luck!!
Happy 4th of July!!!!
To all you Americans out there, have a great time celebrating our country's day of independence! Enjoy the fireworks!
My other son's birthday was yesterday, and I tried to explain to him that the fireworks were for the 4th of July, not his birthday. He didn't seem to care. :)
Have fun, everyone!!
Thursday, July 02, 2009
The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
Plot Summary: Chloe Saunders only wants to make friends. But she starts seeing ghosts, and the ghosts see her. This gets her locked up in Lyle House, a "special home" for troubled teens. Yet the home isn't what it seems, and there might be more to her housemates than meets the eye.
I’ve been hearing about this book for quite some time, and had intended to pick it up for months now. I finally got a copy from the library, and Christina Farley asked if I would share my thoughts on it. So, here they are.
The author did a great job with the secondary characters. Actually, I think she did better with them than she did with Chloe. Her writing style suggests she’s more comfortable with third person than first. Some of her execution would have been brilliant in third person, but came off as awkward in first – such as describing things Chloe was doing as though someone else was watching her. Except no one is, because we’re supposed to be inside her head.
The story starts off slow, really slow. But things get very interesting about two-thirds of the way into it, and I didn’t want to put it down. I found myself cheering for the characters, and I did not see the plot twist coming at the end. But the actual ending, well...sigh.
I seem to have a thing with endings. : ) They’re very important to me, and if a story doesn’t end on a satisfying note – which is not necessarily a happy one – then I feel I’ve wasted my time with the rest of it.
As with all my book discussions, there are SPOILERS below.
This book is the first in a trilogy about kids with paranormal abilities. Because of this, the author seems to have taken one story arc and cut it into thirds – the first third being THE SUMMONING. Just as the action was ramping up, much like the way things pick up in the middle of a story, everything ended.
Anyone who’s read my review on SKIN HUNGER knows how much I dislike that. : )
I realize that the pioneers of trilogies, like Tolkien, wrote their stories this way. And some stories need to be told this way. But I didn’t get that feeling when I got to the end of THE SUMMONING. The beginning was way too slow and repetitive, and dealt only with questions surrounding Lyle House. The same questions over and over again.
As soon as Liz did her ‘poltergeist’ thing in Chloe’s bedroom, I knew there was more to the purpose of this house than we'd been told. But it takes Chloe several more chapters to get to that point, using her 'movie' perspective as an excuse: in movies, the characters always seem to believe in the supernatural right away, but she wasn’t going to fall for that because she’s not in a movie. Well, yes and no. Yes, she’s not in a movie. But no, because she is a fictional character, and therefore should be believing things at the same pace as the reader. But she doesn’t, and, to me, that felt contrived. Like the author was trying to stretch out the story.
But all of that was better than the story being cut off right when the tension was building. I felt like I was being manipulated into buying two more books just to find out how one story was going to end, and I don’t like that. Especially when I think much of the beginning isn’t necessary.
I might read the other books in the trilogy, but I certainly won’t buy them. I’ll wait for my library to obtain copies.
I’ve been hearing about this book for quite some time, and had intended to pick it up for months now. I finally got a copy from the library, and Christina Farley asked if I would share my thoughts on it. So, here they are.
The author did a great job with the secondary characters. Actually, I think she did better with them than she did with Chloe. Her writing style suggests she’s more comfortable with third person than first. Some of her execution would have been brilliant in third person, but came off as awkward in first – such as describing things Chloe was doing as though someone else was watching her. Except no one is, because we’re supposed to be inside her head.
The story starts off slow, really slow. But things get very interesting about two-thirds of the way into it, and I didn’t want to put it down. I found myself cheering for the characters, and I did not see the plot twist coming at the end. But the actual ending, well...sigh.
I seem to have a thing with endings. : ) They’re very important to me, and if a story doesn’t end on a satisfying note – which is not necessarily a happy one – then I feel I’ve wasted my time with the rest of it.
As with all my book discussions, there are SPOILERS below.
This book is the first in a trilogy about kids with paranormal abilities. Because of this, the author seems to have taken one story arc and cut it into thirds – the first third being THE SUMMONING. Just as the action was ramping up, much like the way things pick up in the middle of a story, everything ended.
Anyone who’s read my review on SKIN HUNGER knows how much I dislike that. : )
I realize that the pioneers of trilogies, like Tolkien, wrote their stories this way. And some stories need to be told this way. But I didn’t get that feeling when I got to the end of THE SUMMONING. The beginning was way too slow and repetitive, and dealt only with questions surrounding Lyle House. The same questions over and over again.
As soon as Liz did her ‘poltergeist’ thing in Chloe’s bedroom, I knew there was more to the purpose of this house than we'd been told. But it takes Chloe several more chapters to get to that point, using her 'movie' perspective as an excuse: in movies, the characters always seem to believe in the supernatural right away, but she wasn’t going to fall for that because she’s not in a movie. Well, yes and no. Yes, she’s not in a movie. But no, because she is a fictional character, and therefore should be believing things at the same pace as the reader. But she doesn’t, and, to me, that felt contrived. Like the author was trying to stretch out the story.
But all of that was better than the story being cut off right when the tension was building. I felt like I was being manipulated into buying two more books just to find out how one story was going to end, and I don’t like that. Especially when I think much of the beginning isn’t necessary.
I might read the other books in the trilogy, but I certainly won’t buy them. I’ll wait for my library to obtain copies.
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