Hey All!!!
I was trying to get up the motivation to do some editing tonight, when I saw that Sense and Sensibility was on one of the movie channels. Naturally, all thoughts of editing quickly flew out the window and I was immediately drawn in. As I took in the classic love and woe storyline I had an epiphany.
One of Sense and Sensibility's story lines is the classic tale of a good girl who longs for the exciting bad boy, foregoing the good guy who's already shown her some attention, and who essentially ends up with a broken heart. In our classic tale, Marianne is the free spirited, middle sister who doesn't follow those silly rules of decorum that are expected of women in those times. Instead, she's open about how she feels and doesn't hold back. But when she falls head over heels for the sexy and exciting Willoughby, she's left with her heart broken when his past deeds come out to bite them both in the behind.
Now, mind you, the ever dependable and much more calm Colonel Brandon has long shown his affection for Marianne. Unfortunately for him, he has none of Willoughby's swagger and doesn't stand a chance...until Marianne learns the value of loving the good guy.
The realness of this storyline is one that we can all relate to. In most cases, the girls who end up with the bad and exciting boy end up with more trouble than it's worth. We all want the bad boys though...we can't help it.
In a day and age when many of the male love interests in books are this reformed bad boy character, I have to admit it's nice to see a story where the good guy finishes last. Just a thought!
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
CATCHING FIRE PREVIEW!!!
Hey All!!!
I haven't been all that vocal about this, but I'm a huge fan of The Hunger Games trilogy. And I mean HUGE!!! The preview from Catching Fire was released and here it is:
To say that I'm excited to see this movie is a complete and utter understatement.
Enjoy it!!!
I haven't been all that vocal about this, but I'm a huge fan of The Hunger Games trilogy. And I mean HUGE!!! The preview from Catching Fire was released and here it is:
To say that I'm excited to see this movie is a complete and utter understatement.
Enjoy it!!!
WHAT ARE YOU READING?
Hey All!!!
I was perusing the blogosphere and found this post by Once Upon a Twilight asking what each of us is reading right now. I really enjoy this site for the candid and insightful YA book reviews it gives and the overall sense of community there.
To answer that question for myself, I'm currently reading two books at once. I don't normally do that, but I'm so engrossed with both of these series that I couldn't get myself to put one down so I could focus on the other. Also, I think that just sort of happens when you become properly obsessed with reading and books in general.
The first book I'm reading is Opal by Jennifer Armentrout. This is the third book in the Lux series which involves aliens, the Department of Defense, and one wicked love story. It's been such a great ride watching the main character, Katy, fall into fighting and love with the always hot and sometimes annoying Daemon. I'm eager to figure out where this story is going.
I'm also reading Fading Ember by Jamie Reed. This is the third and final book in the Cambion Chronicles and follows the love and drama that happens when a human girl with bite falls for a guy who just happens to have an incubus inside of him. I really love the interactions between Sam and Caleb, and I especially enjoy the fact that our main girl character is bi-racial!
More detailed book reviews for both will be coming in the near future.
So, what are you all reading? Any books that I should put on my "coming soon" list?
I was perusing the blogosphere and found this post by Once Upon a Twilight asking what each of us is reading right now. I really enjoy this site for the candid and insightful YA book reviews it gives and the overall sense of community there.
To answer that question for myself, I'm currently reading two books at once. I don't normally do that, but I'm so engrossed with both of these series that I couldn't get myself to put one down so I could focus on the other. Also, I think that just sort of happens when you become properly obsessed with reading and books in general.
The first book I'm reading is Opal by Jennifer Armentrout. This is the third book in the Lux series which involves aliens, the Department of Defense, and one wicked love story. It's been such a great ride watching the main character, Katy, fall into fighting and love with the always hot and sometimes annoying Daemon. I'm eager to figure out where this story is going.
I'm also reading Fading Ember by Jamie Reed. This is the third and final book in the Cambion Chronicles and follows the love and drama that happens when a human girl with bite falls for a guy who just happens to have an incubus inside of him. I really love the interactions between Sam and Caleb, and I especially enjoy the fact that our main girl character is bi-racial!
More detailed book reviews for both will be coming in the near future.
So, what are you all reading? Any books that I should put on my "coming soon" list?
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
SHOW ME YOU LOVE ME: DETERMINING NEW WAYS TO CONVEY FALLING IN LOVE IN WRITING
Hey All!!!
So, I'm working on edits for the first sixty or so pages of my manuscript and the editor I'm working with gave me a unique challenge. He wanted me to find new, innovative ways to show that my main character, Jazz, is falling in love with her team member Khan.
See, I read a good deal of YA and what I'm used to seeing is a mixture of the below:
When the editor came at me with this challenge I was a bit at a loss for what to do. I'm so used to seeing the heart fluttering and just understanding what it means. How was I going to break the habit of using these tried and true wordings to convey what I wanted to say?
So, what did I do? I sat down with the BF, my friends, my family and myself, and asked one key question: How did it feel when you were falling in love?
It's simple, but to the point. And so far I've gotten a variety of answers. Everything from, " I knew because I realized that you were a constant thought on my mind," to, "I felt an open pit in the middle of my chest and was always longing for my significant other." And I'm still gathering intel.
And if that wasn't enough - as if the Big-Man-Upstairs heard my question - YA Highway posted this today!
Love is a difficult beast to wrestle in writing, but if done properly I believe it's a universal concept that we all can relate to with a warm and happy familiarity. Why do you think Romance has always been, and will always be, hot!
Happy Writing!
So, I'm working on edits for the first sixty or so pages of my manuscript and the editor I'm working with gave me a unique challenge. He wanted me to find new, innovative ways to show that my main character, Jazz, is falling in love with her team member Khan.
See, I read a good deal of YA and what I'm used to seeing is a mixture of the below:
- Heart fluttering
- Heart pounding
- Breath catching
- Tingles running up some body part
When the editor came at me with this challenge I was a bit at a loss for what to do. I'm so used to seeing the heart fluttering and just understanding what it means. How was I going to break the habit of using these tried and true wordings to convey what I wanted to say?
So, what did I do? I sat down with the BF, my friends, my family and myself, and asked one key question: How did it feel when you were falling in love?
It's simple, but to the point. And so far I've gotten a variety of answers. Everything from, " I knew because I realized that you were a constant thought on my mind," to, "I felt an open pit in the middle of my chest and was always longing for my significant other." And I'm still gathering intel.
And if that wasn't enough - as if the Big-Man-Upstairs heard my question - YA Highway posted this today!
Love is a difficult beast to wrestle in writing, but if done properly I believe it's a universal concept that we all can relate to with a warm and happy familiarity. Why do you think Romance has always been, and will always be, hot!
Happy Writing!
Monday, April 8, 2013
THE GREATNESS OF IN-PERSON CRITIQUE GROUPS
Hey All!!!
YA Highway is a great resource for writers of any genre, but especially helpful to those of us who write MG or YA. They just put up a really great post on in-person critique groups and how they function which I thought you all might find interesting. The post can be found here.
I've been with my own critique group for many years now and meeting in-person does provide a different dynamic than the groups you may participate in online. I believe each has it's pros and cons and as a writer you have to determine which option is best for you. That doesn't mean that you have to choose between the two either. Some of my writer friends participate in multiple in-person and online groups at the same time. So, do what works for you!
Happy Writing!!!
YA Highway is a great resource for writers of any genre, but especially helpful to those of us who write MG or YA. They just put up a really great post on in-person critique groups and how they function which I thought you all might find interesting. The post can be found here.
I've been with my own critique group for many years now and meeting in-person does provide a different dynamic than the groups you may participate in online. I believe each has it's pros and cons and as a writer you have to determine which option is best for you. That doesn't mean that you have to choose between the two either. Some of my writer friends participate in multiple in-person and online groups at the same time. So, do what works for you!
Happy Writing!!!
Friday, April 5, 2013
GREAT REVIEW FOR MY BUDDIES BOOK: THE PYRAMID WALTZ!!!
Hey All!!!
One of my critique group buddies and fellow writer of all things awesome, Barbara Wright, published an amazing book called The Pyramid Waltz. It's available through Bold Stokes Books here! Now, I may be a little biased, but I do know good books, and Barbara has penned a story that's chocked full of action, with magic and a hot romance thrown in for measure.
Don't believe me, here's a great review that might change your mind!
Below is an synopsis:
To most, Princess Katya Nar Umbriel is a rogue and a layabout; she parties, she hunts and she breaks women’s hearts. But when the festival lights go down and the palace slumbers, Katya chases traitors to the crown and protects the kingdom’s greatest secret: the royal Umbriels are part Fiend. When Katya thwarts an attempt to expose the king’s monstrous side, she uncovers a plot to let the Fiends out to play.
Starbride has no interest in being a courtier. Ignoring her mother’s order to snare an influential spouse, she comes to court only to study law. But a flirtatious rake of a princess proves hard to resist, and Starbride is pulled into a world of secrets that leaves little room for honesty or love, a world neither woman may survive.
And she's also coming out with the sequel in May of 2013! I'm happy to see those in my writing circle doing amazing things!
Happy Writing!!!
One of my critique group buddies and fellow writer of all things awesome, Barbara Wright, published an amazing book called The Pyramid Waltz. It's available through Bold Stokes Books here! Now, I may be a little biased, but I do know good books, and Barbara has penned a story that's chocked full of action, with magic and a hot romance thrown in for measure.
Don't believe me, here's a great review that might change your mind!
Below is an synopsis:
To most, Princess Katya Nar Umbriel is a rogue and a layabout; she parties, she hunts and she breaks women’s hearts. But when the festival lights go down and the palace slumbers, Katya chases traitors to the crown and protects the kingdom’s greatest secret: the royal Umbriels are part Fiend. When Katya thwarts an attempt to expose the king’s monstrous side, she uncovers a plot to let the Fiends out to play.
Starbride has no interest in being a courtier. Ignoring her mother’s order to snare an influential spouse, she comes to court only to study law. But a flirtatious rake of a princess proves hard to resist, and Starbride is pulled into a world of secrets that leaves little room for honesty or love, a world neither woman may survive.
And she's also coming out with the sequel in May of 2013! I'm happy to see those in my writing circle doing amazing things!
Happy Writing!!!
Monday, April 1, 2013
WHEN AWESOME IDEAS ATTACK
Hey All!!!
Imagine this:
You're at your writing critique group meeting, shooting the breeze, talking plot points, and just chatting about overall life. In your spare time you've been trying to work out a new story idea that would fit in with the current reading trends you're seeing. You know the one: girl meets boy, girl likes boy but knows there's something seriously wrong with boy, girl finds boy is X, girl finds herself very attracted to boy because of X or Y redeeming qualities, girl and boy fall in love and fight X situation together.
Suddenly, one of your critique group members makes a comment that leads you to think on one of your favorite sci-fi shows and voila, you've got a spankin' new tale on your hands.
Something similar happened to me tonight. An idea just hit me out of the blue when chatting it up with friends. And it's GOOD!!! Well, I think it is anyway.
There's nothing more exciting than when you get that sudden burst of a shiny new idea. It's the beginning...a new start. And the possibilities of where that tale can take you are endless. I love this part of writing. The glimmer of an idea. Fleshing out the main characters and who they are. Thinking about what they want and what gets in their way. And finally penning that first draft.
I don't know about you guys, but when I get in these moods, I become darn near obsessed. I eat, drink, and breathe the details until they solidify.
Now all I need is a new notebook to jot all of this down in!
How do you all handle the idea phase of your writing process? Is it something you revel in, or something you don't look forward to?
Happy Writing!!!
Imagine this:
You're at your writing critique group meeting, shooting the breeze, talking plot points, and just chatting about overall life. In your spare time you've been trying to work out a new story idea that would fit in with the current reading trends you're seeing. You know the one: girl meets boy, girl likes boy but knows there's something seriously wrong with boy, girl finds boy is X, girl finds herself very attracted to boy because of X or Y redeeming qualities, girl and boy fall in love and fight X situation together.
Suddenly, one of your critique group members makes a comment that leads you to think on one of your favorite sci-fi shows and voila, you've got a spankin' new tale on your hands.
Something similar happened to me tonight. An idea just hit me out of the blue when chatting it up with friends. And it's GOOD!!! Well, I think it is anyway.
There's nothing more exciting than when you get that sudden burst of a shiny new idea. It's the beginning...a new start. And the possibilities of where that tale can take you are endless. I love this part of writing. The glimmer of an idea. Fleshing out the main characters and who they are. Thinking about what they want and what gets in their way. And finally penning that first draft.
I don't know about you guys, but when I get in these moods, I become darn near obsessed. I eat, drink, and breathe the details until they solidify.
Now all I need is a new notebook to jot all of this down in!
How do you all handle the idea phase of your writing process? Is it something you revel in, or something you don't look forward to?
Happy Writing!!!
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