Zoë Marriott's Blog, page 62
October 15, 2010
THE BIG WOOHOO!
Joy! Exultation! Happiness! Similar Satisfying Synonyms!
As I sit here on this dull and gloomy Friday with my mug of tea, my pink, purple and turquoise fingerless gloves on and Katy Perry blasting on my iPod, the first draft of FrostFire is complete!
In the name of full disclosure I must admit that it stinks. It stinks so much I can practically see the squiggles emanating from it, like PigPen in Charlie Brown. But that doesn't matter, because IT IS FINISHED! Now it goes into a nice, neat folder and gets to wait for two weeks to mature, at the end of which I shall be plunged into the deepest depths of darkness (otherwise known as editing) before the book wings its way to the well-organised desk of my editor. Hurrah!
Before I dive head-first into my newly acquired Series One Boxset of The Vampire Diaries (review coming next week, peeps) there are two things to be dealt with. First, I need to repeat my appeal for information from any Japanese blog readers who do not live in Japan. Or do you know someone who fits the bill? Please contact me if so! I really want my portrayal of a teenage Japanese/English girl to be respectful and accurate, but if I can't talk to anyone about it, I'm just going to have to go with my best guess, and I might get things wrong. It'll be too late when the book's written.
Next, a reader email from a very polite young lady called Aimen who asks:
I left my novel for a couple of days since I was falling behind on schoolwork and when I came back to it, I realized that there was a whole chapter where my characterization was completely wacky... So, now I'm wondering: should I go back and improve the characterization (ultimately editing the whole chapter) or should I just keep on writing? With the latter, there is the possibility that the novel might turn out differently. But with the former, there's a chance that I might get discouraged when I realize that more than 5000 words are missing.
Okay, here's what I think. Generally, 90% of the time, if I realise something is wrong in an earlier part of the story I'm working on I LEAVE IT BE. Otherwise I find that I can't stop with that one scene or chapter and I end by completely revising the partial manuscript, which is a complete waste of time because a) I'll have to go back and revise it again later anyway and b) I can fall prey to a serious fit of the mid-book blues, thinking 'this manuscript sucks, nothing turned out the way it was supposed to, I hate it' and then having to give myself pep talks to convince myself not to give up.
So when people ask me this question normally I tell them to take out their notebook (you have a notebook, right? If not, get one, it will change your life) and make a big, red, highlighted note to fix whatever it is LATER and then move on. Usually, having identified that problem area will mean that you write your later scenes with increased knowledge anyway.
However, in this case it seems like you've already re-read your partial manuscript and you haven't burst into tears and decided to just give up forever (which is a good sign) and also, that you've realised you missed out on a crucial element on your story which could have a critical impact on the way the story and characters develop later on. There are definitely times, as a writer, when you go into a scene expecting one thing and the characters and story want Something Else, and that Something Else changes the whole story. I usually try to go with this because it results in a richer and more complex story.
If you really feel as if this scene, written as it is, is going to hold your characters back, and that carrying on with events as they are wouldn't be truthful to them, then it might be better for you to go back, revise it so that the scene 'sings' for you, with all the right emotions in place...and then see how that effects things. It might be that the logical follow-on from the new scene will have little effect on the full book, in which case, carry on. It might be that now you realise this character is really like THIS and the other character would never do THAT, you also realise your original series of story events won't work anymore, in which case you can change them now, before you've written them, and save yourself much stress and many wasted words later on, when you realise you went down the wrong path.
Whichever option you chose though, remember that the most important thing is always to finish your story. You can fix anything in revision - except a blank page.
Hope this was useful, Aimen.
Have a great weekend everyone! *Skips away whistling*
As I sit here on this dull and gloomy Friday with my mug of tea, my pink, purple and turquoise fingerless gloves on and Katy Perry blasting on my iPod, the first draft of FrostFire is complete!
In the name of full disclosure I must admit that it stinks. It stinks so much I can practically see the squiggles emanating from it, like PigPen in Charlie Brown. But that doesn't matter, because IT IS FINISHED! Now it goes into a nice, neat folder and gets to wait for two weeks to mature, at the end of which I shall be plunged into the deepest depths of darkness (otherwise known as editing) before the book wings its way to the well-organised desk of my editor. Hurrah!
Before I dive head-first into my newly acquired Series One Boxset of The Vampire Diaries (review coming next week, peeps) there are two things to be dealt with. First, I need to repeat my appeal for information from any Japanese blog readers who do not live in Japan. Or do you know someone who fits the bill? Please contact me if so! I really want my portrayal of a teenage Japanese/English girl to be respectful and accurate, but if I can't talk to anyone about it, I'm just going to have to go with my best guess, and I might get things wrong. It'll be too late when the book's written.
Next, a reader email from a very polite young lady called Aimen who asks:
I left my novel for a couple of days since I was falling behind on schoolwork and when I came back to it, I realized that there was a whole chapter where my characterization was completely wacky... So, now I'm wondering: should I go back and improve the characterization (ultimately editing the whole chapter) or should I just keep on writing? With the latter, there is the possibility that the novel might turn out differently. But with the former, there's a chance that I might get discouraged when I realize that more than 5000 words are missing.
Okay, here's what I think. Generally, 90% of the time, if I realise something is wrong in an earlier part of the story I'm working on I LEAVE IT BE. Otherwise I find that I can't stop with that one scene or chapter and I end by completely revising the partial manuscript, which is a complete waste of time because a) I'll have to go back and revise it again later anyway and b) I can fall prey to a serious fit of the mid-book blues, thinking 'this manuscript sucks, nothing turned out the way it was supposed to, I hate it' and then having to give myself pep talks to convince myself not to give up.
So when people ask me this question normally I tell them to take out their notebook (you have a notebook, right? If not, get one, it will change your life) and make a big, red, highlighted note to fix whatever it is LATER and then move on. Usually, having identified that problem area will mean that you write your later scenes with increased knowledge anyway.
However, in this case it seems like you've already re-read your partial manuscript and you haven't burst into tears and decided to just give up forever (which is a good sign) and also, that you've realised you missed out on a crucial element on your story which could have a critical impact on the way the story and characters develop later on. There are definitely times, as a writer, when you go into a scene expecting one thing and the characters and story want Something Else, and that Something Else changes the whole story. I usually try to go with this because it results in a richer and more complex story.
If you really feel as if this scene, written as it is, is going to hold your characters back, and that carrying on with events as they are wouldn't be truthful to them, then it might be better for you to go back, revise it so that the scene 'sings' for you, with all the right emotions in place...and then see how that effects things. It might be that the logical follow-on from the new scene will have little effect on the full book, in which case, carry on. It might be that now you realise this character is really like THIS and the other character would never do THAT, you also realise your original series of story events won't work anymore, in which case you can change them now, before you've written them, and save yourself much stress and many wasted words later on, when you realise you went down the wrong path.
Whichever option you chose though, remember that the most important thing is always to finish your story. You can fix anything in revision - except a blank page.
Hope this was useful, Aimen.
Have a great weekend everyone! *Skips away whistling*
October 13, 2010
TEENAGE SUPERHERO
Road Trip Wednesday is a "Blog Carnival," where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question and answer it on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic. We'd love for you to participate! Just answer the prompt on your own blog and leave a link in the comments - or, if you prefer, you can include your answer in the comments.
ETA: Turns out that YA Highway changed the topic for this week to 'Your favourite First Lines' after I had already written this post, meaning that once again I am unable to participate. This is what happens when I try to join in, people. It never ends well. But I thought I'd post what I wrote anyway, because it's heartfelt and it took a lot of effort to get it all down.
I've been wanting to take part in Road Trip Wednesday for ages now, but I always forgot or had something else important to post. So I was thrilled when the stars aligned this week and I not only remembered to check the YA Highway blog in time, but had nothing planned for Wednesday's post.
And then I saw the topic.
Who did you want to be like in High School?
Brain freeze. Because here's the thing. When I was in school I wanted to be like:
Buffy Summers. Beautiful, brave, resourceful and strong, Surrounded by great friends. Willing to sacrifice her life for the good of others.
Elizabeth Bennett. Highly intelligent, quick-witted and funny, but also doing her best to live to strict principles of integrity, even when her own family were pushing her to make bad choices.
Daine from Tamora Pierce's The Immortals Quartet. Tough and competent, with hidden and still developing talents and a completely no-nonsense attitude.
But since I have a feeling this topic is related to the upcoming book Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard, that means the topic is actually asking, what REAL person did you want to be like in school?
Tricky. You see, I was not and never have been a 'follower'. Most of the girls I went to school with bent themselves into strange and awkward shapes, trying to make sure that they fitted in with everyone else. They all had to wear their hair a certain way - permed and scrunched, with at least one large, teased quiff at the front - dress a certain way - tight trousers, top with a certain label, a particular kind of shoes and bag - speak a certain way - lots of swearing, lots of scornful phrases, all topped off with a certain regional accent.
Of course, the less popular ones came off as a sort of cheap imitation of the really popular crowd, but that was okay, because by showing that they were willing to follow, they gained a kind of protection. Even the girls that I was friends with - the ones I knew were clever and funny and interesting people with their own unique traits - were desperately trying to suppress anything different about themselves so they could follow along in the popular kids footsteps.
Don't stand out. Don't do anything different. Don't put your hand up in lessons. Don't smile at teachers. If you get a good mark, don't look pleased about it. For crying out loud, don't let on that you actually READ for fun.
These were the rules, and I broke all of them. I refused to pretend to be anything I wasn't, I refused to pretend to be stupid, and I emphatically refused to perm and scrunch my hair. No way. In fact, the more the other kids my age lectured me, made fun of me and picked on me, the more stubbornly I clung to being different.
That had consequences. Consequences which in some cases skated dangerously close to being life-threatening (like being pushed down stairs, having stones thrown at me, having my head repeatedly hit against a concrete wall) but which were always unpleasant (having ink flicked at my back, being spat at, having dozens of tiny balls of chewing gum thrown at my head so that I had to pull handfuls of my own hair out).
One by one I watched all my friends give in to the pressure. None of them defended me against the attacks - verbal or physical - because doing so would have put them in the line of fire. What's more, as time went on, they got angry with me for being the way I was. It was my own fault people bullied me, they said. Why did I have to be so different? Why couldn't I just fit in? In squashing themselves into the box that the other kids had told them they needed to fit, my friends had lost their bravery and compassion. All they gained was a craven desire not to stand out.
So school was a pretty damn lonely place for me. And the hardest part was knowing that with a few tweaks, a few changes, a few things that seemed so small, I could have turned it around. I was smart, and I could have done a really good impression of one of those cool girls - talked the way they did, acted the way they did. I was quite capable of fixing my hair to look as hideous as theirs did. I could stop putting my hand up in class, hide my books. And, just like had happened to my friends, within a short time the worst of the bullying would have stopped. I'd never have been in the popular crowd, but I wouldn't have been defying them anymore. They'd have lost interest.
Looking back, to be honest I'm stunned at the absolute core of steel I must have had as a teen. I remember so many days when I got home and went straight to my room to cry for hours over things that had been done to me at school. I remember broken glasses and bruises, I remember taunting words that used to echo in my head for hours. But I never let the other kids see me cry. I remember hearing someone say: 'She's too stuck up to feel pain'. Well, I wasn't. But I was too proud to ever let them see me feeling it. I was too proud to give in. And I was too proud to change.
For a long time after leaving school, I didn't like to think about it. I tried to block all the memories out. When random images of school days swam into my head, I'd take deep breaths, or hum under my breath, or flick the inside of my wrist, to try and drive them away. But as I've gotten a little older, I've started to realise something about the whole experience. Yes, it was dark, and scary and lonely. Yes, no one should ever have to go through what I did. But I didn't do anything wrong. The fault lay with the other children, and the teachers and parents who let them get away with acting like they did.
Teenage Zolah? She was AWESOME.
I truly don't know if I could find that kind of inner strength now. I don't know, if I was subjected to that kind of daily, constant harassment, the threat of violence, the verbal abuse, if I could stand up to my tormenters. I don't know if I'd last a week, let alone five years. But somehow that girl - that teenage girl between the ages of eleven and sixteen - managed it. She did something that most adults couldn't do without breaking down. She endured. She went back to that school day after day. And in the end she WON.
So. The reason this topic is tricky for me to answer, is that the person I wanted to be like in school?
Was me.
And if anyone out there right now, reading this blog, is going through something like Teenage Zolah did, back in the day? Just take a moment to realise how amazing you - like Teenage Zolah - really are.
You are a superhero. And you don't have to be like anyone but you.
ETA: Turns out that YA Highway changed the topic for this week to 'Your favourite First Lines' after I had already written this post, meaning that once again I am unable to participate. This is what happens when I try to join in, people. It never ends well. But I thought I'd post what I wrote anyway, because it's heartfelt and it took a lot of effort to get it all down.
I've been wanting to take part in Road Trip Wednesday for ages now, but I always forgot or had something else important to post. So I was thrilled when the stars aligned this week and I not only remembered to check the YA Highway blog in time, but had nothing planned for Wednesday's post.
And then I saw the topic.
Who did you want to be like in High School?
Brain freeze. Because here's the thing. When I was in school I wanted to be like:
Buffy Summers. Beautiful, brave, resourceful and strong, Surrounded by great friends. Willing to sacrifice her life for the good of others.
Elizabeth Bennett. Highly intelligent, quick-witted and funny, but also doing her best to live to strict principles of integrity, even when her own family were pushing her to make bad choices.
Daine from Tamora Pierce's The Immortals Quartet. Tough and competent, with hidden and still developing talents and a completely no-nonsense attitude.
But since I have a feeling this topic is related to the upcoming book Like Mandarin by Kirsten Hubbard, that means the topic is actually asking, what REAL person did you want to be like in school?
Tricky. You see, I was not and never have been a 'follower'. Most of the girls I went to school with bent themselves into strange and awkward shapes, trying to make sure that they fitted in with everyone else. They all had to wear their hair a certain way - permed and scrunched, with at least one large, teased quiff at the front - dress a certain way - tight trousers, top with a certain label, a particular kind of shoes and bag - speak a certain way - lots of swearing, lots of scornful phrases, all topped off with a certain regional accent.
Of course, the less popular ones came off as a sort of cheap imitation of the really popular crowd, but that was okay, because by showing that they were willing to follow, they gained a kind of protection. Even the girls that I was friends with - the ones I knew were clever and funny and interesting people with their own unique traits - were desperately trying to suppress anything different about themselves so they could follow along in the popular kids footsteps.
Don't stand out. Don't do anything different. Don't put your hand up in lessons. Don't smile at teachers. If you get a good mark, don't look pleased about it. For crying out loud, don't let on that you actually READ for fun.
These were the rules, and I broke all of them. I refused to pretend to be anything I wasn't, I refused to pretend to be stupid, and I emphatically refused to perm and scrunch my hair. No way. In fact, the more the other kids my age lectured me, made fun of me and picked on me, the more stubbornly I clung to being different.
That had consequences. Consequences which in some cases skated dangerously close to being life-threatening (like being pushed down stairs, having stones thrown at me, having my head repeatedly hit against a concrete wall) but which were always unpleasant (having ink flicked at my back, being spat at, having dozens of tiny balls of chewing gum thrown at my head so that I had to pull handfuls of my own hair out).
One by one I watched all my friends give in to the pressure. None of them defended me against the attacks - verbal or physical - because doing so would have put them in the line of fire. What's more, as time went on, they got angry with me for being the way I was. It was my own fault people bullied me, they said. Why did I have to be so different? Why couldn't I just fit in? In squashing themselves into the box that the other kids had told them they needed to fit, my friends had lost their bravery and compassion. All they gained was a craven desire not to stand out.
So school was a pretty damn lonely place for me. And the hardest part was knowing that with a few tweaks, a few changes, a few things that seemed so small, I could have turned it around. I was smart, and I could have done a really good impression of one of those cool girls - talked the way they did, acted the way they did. I was quite capable of fixing my hair to look as hideous as theirs did. I could stop putting my hand up in class, hide my books. And, just like had happened to my friends, within a short time the worst of the bullying would have stopped. I'd never have been in the popular crowd, but I wouldn't have been defying them anymore. They'd have lost interest.
Looking back, to be honest I'm stunned at the absolute core of steel I must have had as a teen. I remember so many days when I got home and went straight to my room to cry for hours over things that had been done to me at school. I remember broken glasses and bruises, I remember taunting words that used to echo in my head for hours. But I never let the other kids see me cry. I remember hearing someone say: 'She's too stuck up to feel pain'. Well, I wasn't. But I was too proud to ever let them see me feeling it. I was too proud to give in. And I was too proud to change.
For a long time after leaving school, I didn't like to think about it. I tried to block all the memories out. When random images of school days swam into my head, I'd take deep breaths, or hum under my breath, or flick the inside of my wrist, to try and drive them away. But as I've gotten a little older, I've started to realise something about the whole experience. Yes, it was dark, and scary and lonely. Yes, no one should ever have to go through what I did. But I didn't do anything wrong. The fault lay with the other children, and the teachers and parents who let them get away with acting like they did.
Teenage Zolah? She was AWESOME.
I truly don't know if I could find that kind of inner strength now. I don't know, if I was subjected to that kind of daily, constant harassment, the threat of violence, the verbal abuse, if I could stand up to my tormenters. I don't know if I'd last a week, let alone five years. But somehow that girl - that teenage girl between the ages of eleven and sixteen - managed it. She did something that most adults couldn't do without breaking down. She endured. She went back to that school day after day. And in the end she WON.
So. The reason this topic is tricky for me to answer, is that the person I wanted to be like in school?
Was me.
And if anyone out there right now, reading this blog, is going through something like Teenage Zolah did, back in the day? Just take a moment to realise how amazing you - like Teenage Zolah - really are.
You are a superhero. And you don't have to be like anyone but you.
October 11, 2010
JAPANESE, NOT LIVING IN JAPAN
Happy Monday, everyone! Only three days to go until Friday, so cheer up.
I had quite a long post already written for today, but...I'm torn on whether to post it. It's a review of an ARC, which you wouldn't think was a big deal in any way, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the book and had a lot of problems with it. There seems to be a general consensus in the YA community that authors shouldn't really talk about books they didn't like, only ones they do. And since this book is not out for a good while and every other review I've seen for it has been overwhelmingly positive, I feel like I'd be making myself really conspicuous if I go ahead and tell the world about my opinion on this novel.
How do you guys feel about this? Do you hate it when authors post negative reviews and criticise other people's work, or are you sick of writers who only ever give five star reviews? Let me know in the comments.
On another topic altogether, I'm appealing for any blog readers who are Japanese but do not live in Japan to get in touch via comments or my email ESPECIALLY if your family lives abroad too. I can't really say too much, but hopefully I'm going to be working on an epic new project next year, and I intend my main character to be Japanese but living in the UK with her family. I'm wanting to double-check whether family honourifics are commonly used when living abroad, and if Japanese holidays and festivals, like Obon, are commonly celebrated while abroad. I really hope someone can help me out!
I had quite a long post already written for today, but...I'm torn on whether to post it. It's a review of an ARC, which you wouldn't think was a big deal in any way, but unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the book and had a lot of problems with it. There seems to be a general consensus in the YA community that authors shouldn't really talk about books they didn't like, only ones they do. And since this book is not out for a good while and every other review I've seen for it has been overwhelmingly positive, I feel like I'd be making myself really conspicuous if I go ahead and tell the world about my opinion on this novel.
How do you guys feel about this? Do you hate it when authors post negative reviews and criticise other people's work, or are you sick of writers who only ever give five star reviews? Let me know in the comments.
On another topic altogether, I'm appealing for any blog readers who are Japanese but do not live in Japan to get in touch via comments or my email ESPECIALLY if your family lives abroad too. I can't really say too much, but hopefully I'm going to be working on an epic new project next year, and I intend my main character to be Japanese but living in the UK with her family. I'm wanting to double-check whether family honourifics are commonly used when living abroad, and if Japanese holidays and festivals, like Obon, are commonly celebrated while abroad. I really hope someone can help me out!
October 8, 2010
READER QUESTION
Happy Friday everyone! How was your week? Mine's been really busy, what with plumbing the depths of angst in my writing and going out and about doing loads of creative writing workshops in local schools.
I've only got one more school visit to do, on Monday, and then that's me done for this year. While I enjoy working with young people a lot, I have to admit I'm relieved, because I'm sooo close to finishing this book now and I can't wait to get stuck in. Only about three more chapters to go! Hurrah!
Now, you may remember that not long ago I posted some questions from reader emails. Faithful blog reader Isabel left a question of her own in the comments. It went a little something like this:
I'm doing an essay (well, have been doing several) and have been getting some comments from teachers on my work and how I should change it that I sometimes don't quite agree with. What should I do when this happens and how do I know who to trust on giving me good tips? Just so you know, I go to a really small school where the writing teacher is the same as the math teacher is the same as the history teacher and so on. so the people who teach me writing class don't specialize in writing.
This is tricky. When you write, you need to believe in yourself. If you strongly disagree with someone's comments about your work you need to have the courage of your convictions and argue your case. On the other hand, your marks for your essays COME from your teachers, so you need to please them - because effectively they're the ones you're writing for, and if they say you haven't accomplished what they want and need, you won't get the marks you want and need.
In a way, this is a bit like a writer's normal life. We create a unique world and characters that belong to us and then agents and editors read it and come up with comments and often suggestions for changes. Sometimes those ideas are great and by going with them you find your work improves so much you can't believe you didn't think of it yourself (as often happens with me and my editor - thank you, Annalie!). Sometimes the comments seem so 'out there' that you wonder if the person making the comments even read the same thing you wrote, and you feel as if trying to follow their suggestions would really hurt your work.
Usually the answer to which way you need to go will lie within you. Quite often you will KNOW there are weak spots in your work. If the person making the comments has put their finger on something that bothered you when you wrote or re-read it - something that made you squirm a little bit and go 'Oh, well that'll do' - then they're very likely to be right. That doesn't necessarily mean you need to follow their suggestions exactly. I think often my editor makes outrageous suggestions just to stimulate my imagination! They are not you, which means their mind will work in a different way and their idea of how to fix the problem might be completely different than yours.
Combine what they've said with your own instincts and look for an answer that will fix the weak spot and make you happy. Sometimes it can take a while to figure it out (I find going for a long tramp with my dog helps) but it'll come eventually. Believe me, when you've fixed those weak spots you will feel much better about your work.
There are also times when a comment will come completely out of left field and you think: 'Oh no! How did I miss that? Oh &*)$F£"@?! Well, *I* don't know how to fix it! It's impossible!' and you decide to ignore it and hope they forget. Don't do that. Once again, you shouldn't expect to figure out an answer straight away. Don't get impatient and decide it can't be fixed and give up. Go over it calmly in your head and let it sit there for a while until you can see the light.
However, if you seriously believe that the suggestions your teacher has made are not going to improve your work, that they've missed the point, then stand by that opinion. Do your best to find and fix your own weak spots and mistakes. Often doing that will change things enough that their previous objections will go away.
If not, then chances are that while you're at school you will probably need to buckle under and do what your teacher wants in order to get the good marks you deserve. You don't really have the power to fight your teacher, and they're the final arbiter of what's 'good' when it comes to your essays. I had a teacher RUIN a poem of mine which was going to be published in a collection of work from local children when I was at school, and looking at it now I still can't understand what he was thinking, but if I had refused to listen to what he wanted the poem wouldn't have been published at all. I know this is not much fun - but then essays aren't much fun anyway (I didn't think so, when I was at school).
When it comes to writing stories of your own, though, you shouldn't ever 'buckle' this way and go against your heart and instincts. That takes all the fun and life out of things.
I hope this was helpful, Isabel - and as always, if anyone else has questions they'd like me to answer, pop them in the comments or send me an email, and I'll do my best to answer.
I've only got one more school visit to do, on Monday, and then that's me done for this year. While I enjoy working with young people a lot, I have to admit I'm relieved, because I'm sooo close to finishing this book now and I can't wait to get stuck in. Only about three more chapters to go! Hurrah!
Now, you may remember that not long ago I posted some questions from reader emails. Faithful blog reader Isabel left a question of her own in the comments. It went a little something like this:
I'm doing an essay (well, have been doing several) and have been getting some comments from teachers on my work and how I should change it that I sometimes don't quite agree with. What should I do when this happens and how do I know who to trust on giving me good tips? Just so you know, I go to a really small school where the writing teacher is the same as the math teacher is the same as the history teacher and so on. so the people who teach me writing class don't specialize in writing.
This is tricky. When you write, you need to believe in yourself. If you strongly disagree with someone's comments about your work you need to have the courage of your convictions and argue your case. On the other hand, your marks for your essays COME from your teachers, so you need to please them - because effectively they're the ones you're writing for, and if they say you haven't accomplished what they want and need, you won't get the marks you want and need.
In a way, this is a bit like a writer's normal life. We create a unique world and characters that belong to us and then agents and editors read it and come up with comments and often suggestions for changes. Sometimes those ideas are great and by going with them you find your work improves so much you can't believe you didn't think of it yourself (as often happens with me and my editor - thank you, Annalie!). Sometimes the comments seem so 'out there' that you wonder if the person making the comments even read the same thing you wrote, and you feel as if trying to follow their suggestions would really hurt your work.
Usually the answer to which way you need to go will lie within you. Quite often you will KNOW there are weak spots in your work. If the person making the comments has put their finger on something that bothered you when you wrote or re-read it - something that made you squirm a little bit and go 'Oh, well that'll do' - then they're very likely to be right. That doesn't necessarily mean you need to follow their suggestions exactly. I think often my editor makes outrageous suggestions just to stimulate my imagination! They are not you, which means their mind will work in a different way and their idea of how to fix the problem might be completely different than yours.
Combine what they've said with your own instincts and look for an answer that will fix the weak spot and make you happy. Sometimes it can take a while to figure it out (I find going for a long tramp with my dog helps) but it'll come eventually. Believe me, when you've fixed those weak spots you will feel much better about your work.
There are also times when a comment will come completely out of left field and you think: 'Oh no! How did I miss that? Oh &*)$F£"@?! Well, *I* don't know how to fix it! It's impossible!' and you decide to ignore it and hope they forget. Don't do that. Once again, you shouldn't expect to figure out an answer straight away. Don't get impatient and decide it can't be fixed and give up. Go over it calmly in your head and let it sit there for a while until you can see the light.
However, if you seriously believe that the suggestions your teacher has made are not going to improve your work, that they've missed the point, then stand by that opinion. Do your best to find and fix your own weak spots and mistakes. Often doing that will change things enough that their previous objections will go away.
If not, then chances are that while you're at school you will probably need to buckle under and do what your teacher wants in order to get the good marks you deserve. You don't really have the power to fight your teacher, and they're the final arbiter of what's 'good' when it comes to your essays. I had a teacher RUIN a poem of mine which was going to be published in a collection of work from local children when I was at school, and looking at it now I still can't understand what he was thinking, but if I had refused to listen to what he wanted the poem wouldn't have been published at all. I know this is not much fun - but then essays aren't much fun anyway (I didn't think so, when I was at school).
When it comes to writing stories of your own, though, you shouldn't ever 'buckle' this way and go against your heart and instincts. That takes all the fun and life out of things.
I hope this was helpful, Isabel - and as always, if anyone else has questions they'd like me to answer, pop them in the comments or send me an email, and I'll do my best to answer.
October 6, 2010
LETTER TO A CHARACTER
Dear Un-Named Character,
First of all, I must tell you that I love you. No, really, I do. I admit that when I first started writing about you, I found you an awkward and annoying pain in the - well, you know. But that's all in the past. As you have fallen in love with another one of my characters, so I have fallen in love with you.
I can honestly say, at this point in the story, that I find you one of the most complex and interesting characters I've ever written. I admire your strength, devotion and tenderness, your determination and even your gruffness. Without you, I know this book could never have been.
But the time has come, Un-Named Character, for you to leave me. There's no way around it. I know, because I've been trying to avoid it for weeks now, to the point that I've spent more time procrastinating and watching YouTube videos than I have writing. I've finally - sadly - had to admit to myself to this book can't go on unless you...don't.
I'm going to miss you. And I'm not the only one. The other characters will cry for you too, more than you'd ever have imagined. I hope that future readers will cry over your fate for years to come as well. You were loved, Un-Named Character. You will be loved.
Farewell.
Sincerely,
Z xx
First of all, I must tell you that I love you. No, really, I do. I admit that when I first started writing about you, I found you an awkward and annoying pain in the - well, you know. But that's all in the past. As you have fallen in love with another one of my characters, so I have fallen in love with you.
I can honestly say, at this point in the story, that I find you one of the most complex and interesting characters I've ever written. I admire your strength, devotion and tenderness, your determination and even your gruffness. Without you, I know this book could never have been.
But the time has come, Un-Named Character, for you to leave me. There's no way around it. I know, because I've been trying to avoid it for weeks now, to the point that I've spent more time procrastinating and watching YouTube videos than I have writing. I've finally - sadly - had to admit to myself to this book can't go on unless you...don't.
I'm going to miss you. And I'm not the only one. The other characters will cry for you too, more than you'd ever have imagined. I hope that future readers will cry over your fate for years to come as well. You were loved, Un-Named Character. You will be loved.
Farewell.
Sincerely,
Z xx
October 4, 2010
OCTOBER SHADOWS TEASER
Hello, hello, hello, dear readers!
Today I offer you another tiny teaser from Shadows on the Moon. Everyone seems so excited about this book that I've decided post snippets as often as I can - maybe every couple of months or so - given that the release isn't for another ten months. The snippets won't be in chronological order and they'll be short because I don't want to spoil anything. Turns out it's really HARD to find interesting exerpts that make sense on their own but don't give the plot away. Who knew?
Anywhere, follow the cut to find the teaser. Tell me what you think!
It was the wrong thing to do. I knew it, even as instinct moved me. My brain screamed at me to be still, but my legs reacted before I gave them leave, pushing me out from under the table and turning me to the door. I had no choice.He would follow. I knew it. Terayama-san was a hunter, and from the moment he had seen me on the other side of that screen, I was his prey. He would chase me. He would catch me.He would never stop until I was dead.He was shouting, telling Mai to stay in the room. I cleared the doorway and was halfway down the corridor before he finished. The corridor was dark; the lamps had not yet been lit. My sock-clad feet made no sound on the tatami mats, but my long sleeves flapped with the movement of my arms, making a noise like the frantic beating of trapped birds wings.The outer screen slammed shut behind me and footfalls thundered through the floor. It was like being in a dream, except that I was sweating, my heart jumping with fear. No nightmare had ever terrified me like this.I rounded the corner and flung myself into an alcove, tucking my body into the gap between wall and a tall arrangement of spiny black branches and white flowers.I reached for the threads of an illusion – a familiar one – of shadows and nothingness. Frantically I wrapped it around myself, weaving it so thickly that my own vision went dim and grey. It was clumsy, but I did not have time to pick it apart and begin again.Terayama-san came into sight, his posture tense and ready, leaning forward as if in anticipation. He did not hold a weapon. Not yet. There at the corner, not a full arm's reach from me, he stopped. His eyes searched the corridor ahead, and then he turned back to look behind him."I know you're here. Come out."The gentle coaxing tone, the way his hands flexed and clenched, sent a sickening quiver through me. I bit down on my lip to hold in the whimper that wanted to escape."Little Suzu-chan, don't hide. Answer me. I don't want to get angry with you."He turned, his gaze tracking slowly over the twilight shadows of the corridor.I had used this weaving a dozen times and no one had ever pierced it. No one. He could not find me, because I was not there to be found.Why didn't he walk away?Why did he stand there still?People see what they wish to see.Terayama-san knew me. He knew my smell, the sound of my breathing, the feel of my presence. He knew I must be somewhere in this corridor. People saw what they wished to see – and right now, Terayama-san wished to see me.His gaze came back to the alcove. The little space where the shadows were ever so slightly too dense, and the flower arrangement was ever so slightly askew. The only place within sight where a small, frightened girl might be able to duck out of sight.
Today I offer you another tiny teaser from Shadows on the Moon. Everyone seems so excited about this book that I've decided post snippets as often as I can - maybe every couple of months or so - given that the release isn't for another ten months. The snippets won't be in chronological order and they'll be short because I don't want to spoil anything. Turns out it's really HARD to find interesting exerpts that make sense on their own but don't give the plot away. Who knew?
Anywhere, follow the cut to find the teaser. Tell me what you think!
It was the wrong thing to do. I knew it, even as instinct moved me. My brain screamed at me to be still, but my legs reacted before I gave them leave, pushing me out from under the table and turning me to the door. I had no choice.He would follow. I knew it. Terayama-san was a hunter, and from the moment he had seen me on the other side of that screen, I was his prey. He would chase me. He would catch me.He would never stop until I was dead.He was shouting, telling Mai to stay in the room. I cleared the doorway and was halfway down the corridor before he finished. The corridor was dark; the lamps had not yet been lit. My sock-clad feet made no sound on the tatami mats, but my long sleeves flapped with the movement of my arms, making a noise like the frantic beating of trapped birds wings.The outer screen slammed shut behind me and footfalls thundered through the floor. It was like being in a dream, except that I was sweating, my heart jumping with fear. No nightmare had ever terrified me like this.I rounded the corner and flung myself into an alcove, tucking my body into the gap between wall and a tall arrangement of spiny black branches and white flowers.I reached for the threads of an illusion – a familiar one – of shadows and nothingness. Frantically I wrapped it around myself, weaving it so thickly that my own vision went dim and grey. It was clumsy, but I did not have time to pick it apart and begin again.Terayama-san came into sight, his posture tense and ready, leaning forward as if in anticipation. He did not hold a weapon. Not yet. There at the corner, not a full arm's reach from me, he stopped. His eyes searched the corridor ahead, and then he turned back to look behind him."I know you're here. Come out."The gentle coaxing tone, the way his hands flexed and clenched, sent a sickening quiver through me. I bit down on my lip to hold in the whimper that wanted to escape."Little Suzu-chan, don't hide. Answer me. I don't want to get angry with you."He turned, his gaze tracking slowly over the twilight shadows of the corridor.I had used this weaving a dozen times and no one had ever pierced it. No one. He could not find me, because I was not there to be found.Why didn't he walk away?Why did he stand there still?People see what they wish to see.Terayama-san knew me. He knew my smell, the sound of my breathing, the feel of my presence. He knew I must be somewhere in this corridor. People saw what they wished to see – and right now, Terayama-san wished to see me.His gaze came back to the alcove. The little space where the shadows were ever so slightly too dense, and the flower arrangement was ever so slightly askew. The only place within sight where a small, frightened girl might be able to duck out of sight.
October 1, 2010
THE SHADOWS ON THE MOON COVER!!
Sorry for the double exclamation points there - I got carried away with excitement. As anyone would, I think, if they had been presented with the cover I have been presented with! (I managed to restrain myself to one exclamation point there, though - do I get a gold star?)
So, without anymore ado, let me present you with...the Shadows on the Moon cover.
You see that beautiful, enigmatic, dark-eyed, maybe-smiling-maybe-sad girl on the cover? I'm so proud of her I could burst. Not only is she the spitting image of my heroine, but she also kicks that whole RaceFail argument into the gutter. Well done, Walker Books! My heroine lives in a faerytale version of Japan and so the cover shows an Asian girl. None of that default-Caucasian-girl, have the face half in shade so you can pretend you're not whitewashing nonsense. Hurrah!
What's more, the sakura (Japanese cherryblossom) and the pink and blue are all thematically significant. Also, check out the size of my name - that's bigger than Cassandra Clare's name on her Mortal Instruments books. Yes, yes, she IS an NYT Bestseller, but my name is *definitely* bigger.
All in all, I'm not sure I could be much happier. What do you all think?
So, without anymore ado, let me present you with...the Shadows on the Moon cover.
You see that beautiful, enigmatic, dark-eyed, maybe-smiling-maybe-sad girl on the cover? I'm so proud of her I could burst. Not only is she the spitting image of my heroine, but she also kicks that whole RaceFail argument into the gutter. Well done, Walker Books! My heroine lives in a faerytale version of Japan and so the cover shows an Asian girl. None of that default-Caucasian-girl, have the face half in shade so you can pretend you're not whitewashing nonsense. Hurrah!
What's more, the sakura (Japanese cherryblossom) and the pink and blue are all thematically significant. Also, check out the size of my name - that's bigger than Cassandra Clare's name on her Mortal Instruments books. Yes, yes, she IS an NYT Bestseller, but my name is *definitely* bigger.
All in all, I'm not sure I could be much happier. What do you all think?
September 29, 2010
COVERED IN GLORY!
I think I may have mentioned that in July of 2011, Shadows on the Moon (my Cinderella re-telling set in Japan) will be released by Walker Books. Actually, it's safe to say that I may have mentioned it A LOT.
However, what I might not have mentioned quite so often is that at the same time, Walker Books will also be re-packaging and reissuing The Swan Kingdom, my very first book. I'm really ecstatic about this, because not only does it mean that Alexandra and her story will get a completely new chance to reach out to readers, but because it also means the book gets brand spanking new cover art.
Now, I LOVED my original UK paperback artwork, and a lot of people told me they loved it too. I mean, what's not to love?
I adore the striking colours - especially the midnight blue - and in real life it is sparkly. But when I compare it to the covers of YA books which are on the shelves now, following the Twilight Boom and the surge in photocovers, it looks a slightly 'young' for a book aimed at 12+. I've even seen, in my local library, a little sticker placed on the book to warn off readers under the age of 12, because it might be too scary for them, which argues that it was appealing to readers of 11 years old and younger.
On the other hand, I have to admit that when when I knew I was getting new artwork, I also felt a bit nervous, because...that first cover really does express the type of story TSK is so well. What if it all went wrong? What if they came up with something I really hated? I've been so lucky with covers so far. Could this be where my luck ran out?
Thusly, when I recieved an email from my editor which had the words 'Swan Kingdom' and 'Cover' in the title, I had to take a few deep breaths before I opened it up. But I needn't have worried. Because what I found was this:
Will you think less of me if I admit that I did a little happy dance when I saw this? It takes all the things I loved about the original cover - the sense of magic, the organic forms, the nature imagery and most of all that luscious blue, and it turns them into something grown up and sophisticated. And what's more: SWANS!
Just as with the first cover, I know for 100% certain that if I saw that on a book in the shop, I would pick it up and read the back (which is half the battle). I'm so pleased! What do you guys think?
In other news, I've also now seen the cover for Shadows on the Moon - and I will be posting that on Friday for you. Stand by!
However, what I might not have mentioned quite so often is that at the same time, Walker Books will also be re-packaging and reissuing The Swan Kingdom, my very first book. I'm really ecstatic about this, because not only does it mean that Alexandra and her story will get a completely new chance to reach out to readers, but because it also means the book gets brand spanking new cover art.
Now, I LOVED my original UK paperback artwork, and a lot of people told me they loved it too. I mean, what's not to love?
I adore the striking colours - especially the midnight blue - and in real life it is sparkly. But when I compare it to the covers of YA books which are on the shelves now, following the Twilight Boom and the surge in photocovers, it looks a slightly 'young' for a book aimed at 12+. I've even seen, in my local library, a little sticker placed on the book to warn off readers under the age of 12, because it might be too scary for them, which argues that it was appealing to readers of 11 years old and younger.
On the other hand, I have to admit that when when I knew I was getting new artwork, I also felt a bit nervous, because...that first cover really does express the type of story TSK is so well. What if it all went wrong? What if they came up with something I really hated? I've been so lucky with covers so far. Could this be where my luck ran out?
Thusly, when I recieved an email from my editor which had the words 'Swan Kingdom' and 'Cover' in the title, I had to take a few deep breaths before I opened it up. But I needn't have worried. Because what I found was this:
Will you think less of me if I admit that I did a little happy dance when I saw this? It takes all the things I loved about the original cover - the sense of magic, the organic forms, the nature imagery and most of all that luscious blue, and it turns them into something grown up and sophisticated. And what's more: SWANS!
Just as with the first cover, I know for 100% certain that if I saw that on a book in the shop, I would pick it up and read the back (which is half the battle). I'm so pleased! What do you guys think?
In other news, I've also now seen the cover for Shadows on the Moon - and I will be posting that on Friday for you. Stand by!
September 27, 2010
READER EMAILS
Today I'm going to answer some questions from lovely readers. I originally intended to make a vlog about these, but I find that tends to take up a whole day, from the filming, re-filming, filming it AGAIN, cutting, adding sound effects and all the rest. Which normally I don't mind, but I'm getting close to the climactic bits of FrostFire now, and I'd rather spend a day working on that.
So, without further ado, I shall address the question sent to me by Natalie (who said some very nice things a...
So, without further ado, I shall address the question sent to me by Natalie (who said some very nice things a...
September 24, 2010
FUN ON FRIDAY
Hello, hello! I've had a fairly exciting couple of weeks, which I've kept quiet about so far because everything has been in flux. But it looks like things have settled down again now (into a new and better pattern) so I'll spill.
Firstly, last Thursday I went down to London (a fairly long and gruelling trip for me, as I live in the distant misty North) and talked up Shadows on the Moon and the reissue of The Swan Kingdom at the Walker Books sales conference. An author only gets the chance to d...
Firstly, last Thursday I went down to London (a fairly long and gruelling trip for me, as I live in the distant misty North) and talked up Shadows on the Moon and the reissue of The Swan Kingdom at the Walker Books sales conference. An author only gets the chance to d...
