Angela Sage Larsen's Blog, page 6

The Hunger Games & Dark Themes

The Hunger Games is everywhere, so why not here? I'm not gonna lie…I'm so excited for this movie, I can barely stand it. I loved, loved, loved the books because if you don't know this about me by now, I love character-driven stories with a message. And the characters come alive in Suzanne Collins' books (you know, right before she kills them off) and there are a slew of instructive messages in this trilogy. The premise, if you don't know by now, is that in a dystopian (think "dis-utopian") post-apocalyptic future, the country of Panem is divided up into 13 districts and ruled by the totalitarian, uber-materialistic and amoral District 1 called The Capitol. Each year, in part to keep the districts in check, The Capitol chooses (by lottery…don't get me started on the lottery) 1 boy and 1 girl between the ages of 12-18 to come to an arena in the Capitol and fight to the death on live TV. Collins got her idea watching reality TV one night, if you're wondering where such a dark premise came from.

Toddlers & Tiaras; just a hop, skip & a jump to Panem from here.

The ongoing debate about how lit for kids (specifically YA) is so dark is one I'm happy to jump into. I don't recommend The Hunger Games to any one who isn't ready or able to look past the dark premise or the violence to comprehend the underlying message, one of which (to me) is: how close are we to being that society which sacrifices its youth for the sake of entertainment? Collins paints an extremely grim picture and creates a scary world, but one that is eerily similar to things we're already seeing.(Here's a great post on the age-appropriateness of The Hunger Games from Imagination Soup, a blog which I highly recommend subscribing to.)

The characters, like the setting, hold up mirrors for us, too. Which of the characters do we identify with? Katniss Everdeen (seriously. Is that the coolest name ever?), who sacrifices herself for her little sister (more on Katniss below); Katniss' mom who is just too overwhelmed by life and gives up, just going through the motions; Peeta, who I think is "in the world, but not of it;" or Effie Trinket, who is completely, gleefully ignorant in her indulgence of being a spoiled citizen of The Capitol. And those are just to name a few! (There are also Cinna, Prim, Gale, and oh my gosh: Haymitch. And Caeser Flickerman to be played by Stanley Tucci in the movie! Holy cow!! Brilliant!)

I think an awful lot of the YA stuff out there is a great read…for adults. The Hunger Games' appropriateness totally depends on the reader (or now, movie-goer). [Again, check this Imagination Soup post.] From what I can understand, Collins I think would be disappointed if the audience came away with a fascination with the violence. If the audience came away horrified at the premise, she'd be closer to happy. But my question has always been, how dark do you have to go to show that something should be avoided? And there's the danger of leaving your reader shaken in a corner because the "darkness" left a bigger impression on her than the resolution. Every writer or artist who has an ultimately positive message walks this razor-thin line. Critics rush to the Bible for the ultimate comparison (for pretty much everything, come to think of it). Yep, them are some dark themes there, but for the purpose of showing us that no matter how dark or depraved, divine Love is infinitely more powerful and redeeming. On a smaller scale…for me in my writing, it comes down to motive. I know when I'm being self-indulgent or titillating with my writing, getting a thrill out of being merely sensational. Plus, my readers would see right through that garbage.

Now for the Katniss Everdeen convo. She ain't no vampire lover, that's for sure. She's not boy-crazy, materialistic, shallow, vain, or a spoiled brat. But there is an argument that she is still self-absorbed, some even say an anti-hero (see this thought-provoking blog post from She Laughs at the Days and notice also the comment by "Gabrielle"). That was a news flash to me, but I don't entirely disagree. However, I find myself excusing Katniss' shortcomings (because, quick review: self-absorbed=shortcoming) because she is a product of her environment. I also excuse her shortcomings because the major precipitating incident of the whole series is that she steps in her sister's place to participate in the Hunger Games (and certainly no one asked her to, not even her sister). She wouldn't be in the predicament she's in if she hadn't sacrificed herself. Her mother did no such thing for her girls, even on a much smaller scale. (Of course, Katniss also wouldn't be in her predicament if The Capitol wasn't so depraved).

As an author, I found The Hunger Games book series instructive in how to create a believable, consistent world; how to create characters who define each other (that takes some serious finesse to pull off); how to keep the action (in an already interesting plot) going; and how to get a message across to your reader through creative narrative. I've also found it helpful to see the reaction of readers: the controversy that comes with dark themes and the "hunger" for strong female protagonists (of which, we can all agree, there are too few).

I don't believe in "odds" or luck, but still Effie Trinket's words seem a fitting wish for this coming weekend: "May the odds be ever in your favor" as you choose books, movies, and activities that have productive content.

Teacher, Teach Thyself

Tuesday night I finished teaching another writing and publishing class. It was a blast! What a responsive group. The class had a very satisfying ending with many students accomplishing whatever goals they had set for themselves in 6 short weeks.

Now…I get to put into practice the stuff I told them about the creative process; I'm a chapter away from finishing a book, but first, some really major things need to come together.I'm feeling overwhelmed. I ask myself, What would I tell my students? Wellllll…We talked about the creative process and how it applies not only to the entirety of a project (a book, a painting, a song, etc.), but it applies to each step of the project. SO, I would say, the first step of the creative process is 1. preparation. This is where the problem (or "unanswered question") is identified. Brain-storming (a word I despise, but it describes a useful exercise) takes place here because you're just being totally open at the beginning of the creative process and not ruling anything out. Then comes 2. Incubation. This is where you let go of the "problem" or the particular aspect of your project. You don't look at it, don't think about it, don't mess with it. You fill your thought and days with enriching things: art, music, strolls through the park. You make a point of noticing all the rich details of life all around you. You are especially observant. Incubation ends with one of two things: you've given yourself a deadline (2 or 3 days) and it's time to pull out your project or you have an a-ha moment, which is called 3. Illumination. Illumination, of course, means to throw light on; so this means the "answer" to your "unanswered question" emerges into light. This, for most of us, is the funnest part. Who doesn't love the a-ha moment?? But then it's time to put your money where your mouth is in: 4. Verification. Where the rubber meets the road, the tough get going, the proof is in the pudding and you're crossing that bridge because you've come to it (Verification has nothing to do cliches, I'm just having fun). Verification is where you make known your ideas (whether through writing, publishing, painting, displaying, playing or performing).

Well, guess what? It's Friday night. So I'm going to go incubate–fill my evening with fun and enriching things–and wait for my a-ha moment. You'll be the first to know when it happens (because of, you know, verification)!

Happy weekend to you, wherever you are in your creative process!

FACT: Love is. Everywhere.

I see them everywhere: hearts! At first it was a joke…I saw a few heart shaped rocks, leaves or twigs on the pavement and told my friends I was going to do a big art show with the theme of an 80′s sounding rock ballad: "Hearts on the Pavement." But then it became less funny and more delightful…I was spotting hearts e.v.e.r.y.w.h.e.r.e. One of my favorite movies is Love Actually, which starts with this voice over from Hugh Grant: "Whenever I get gloomy with the state of the world, I think about the arrivals gate at Heathrow Airport. General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere. Often it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but it's always there – fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends. When the planes hit the Twin Towers, as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge – they were all messages of love. If you look for it, I've got a sneaky feeling you'll find that love actually is all around."

I agree that love is all around. Here's proof:

Of course, I'll keep posting my finds. But almost daily I'm posting to Instagram, so follow me there at anglarsen

Life is like…the first book in a series

When middle graders (for whom my Fifties Chix books are written) read my books, they aren't too concerned about a "cliffhanger" ending; but adults more often than not are less patient. Reviews come in from adults where one of their "complaints" about the first Fifties Chix book, Travel to Tomorrow, is that the book sets up the premise of the series and poses lots of questions, but fewer answers (until subsequent books).

This pic courtesy of Figment.com, a site you should totally visit

To this I say, welcome to life. How do kids get this more readily than adults? Kids know that this is exactly what a first book in a series is going to do: set some stuff up, get you asking some questions and tell you to buckle up and hang on tight for the rest of the ride. Hopefully, that first book will also whet your appetite so that you're looking forward to the next book. I actually didn't think T2T had a big cliffhanger ending; in fact, it answers a big question posed earlier in the book. But maybe we adults have gotten too spoiled by 22 minute sit-coms where we get a complete story in under a half hour, questions answered and plot tied into a tidy bow. I happen to like surprises and anticipation…one of the perks of my job. Being creative, one way or another, you have to learn to be comfortable with not having all the answers right away (In my creativity class in college, this was referred to as "being comfortable with disequilibrium.")

So, I promise that answers are coming in books 2, 3, 4, 5…but so are more questions (but not as bad as Lost. Nothing I write will torture you like Lost). As for life? I can't promise you answers wrapped in a pretty package, but I can promise to try to make the journey a little bit more scenic.

Ticker Tape Parade-Book 2!

I’ve never been in a ticker tape parade, have you? Seems like a lot of litter, but it sure looks cool. Around here, we’ve had reason for ticker tape-less celebration! I’m offering a sneak peek at the second Fifties Chix book, Keeping Secrets! Lots more good stuff to come with the official launch including all kinds of giveaways, interviews, videos and more. To read the first three chapters of KS, just become a Fifties Chix fan club member for free and log in your super secret passcode to get reading (you’ll also be able to access lots of other swell stuff for fan club members only like book marks, book plates, Valentine’s cards to print out and oodles of other goodies).

Let me know what you think of book 2 so far. Happy reading!

Friends forever,

What a Children’s Book Author Does

What a Children's Book Author Does

Ticker Tape Parade-Book 2!

I've never been in a ticker tape parade, have you? Seems like a lot of litter, but it sure looks cool. Around here, we've had reason for ticker tape-less celebration! I'm offering a sneak peek at the second Fifties Chix book, Keeping Secrets! Lots more good stuff to come with the official launch including all kinds of giveaways, interviews, videos and more. To read the first three chapters of KS, just become a Fifties Chix fan club member for free and log in your super secret passcode to get reading (you'll also be able to access lots of other swell stuff for fan club members only like book marks, book plates, Valentine's cards to print out and oodles of other goodies).

Let me know what you think of book 2 so far. Happy reading!

Friends forever,

Three Trees

"Hello? Yes, I have a large tree that's not going to make it through the winter…"

"How much do you charge for tree removal?"

"Do you care for lawns as well?"

These are a samplings of some of the phone calls we've gotten over the years because my husband's and my business is called "Three Trees, Inc." No, we are not a yard service. When we incorporated in 2003 to work on this really neat idea we had called "Periwinkle" (who has since found her real name, Petalwink), we wanted to call our business something that reflected who we are as a team and Whit came up with "Three Trees." Here's some background on why it's the perfect name for our non-landscaping business….

We got engaged on February 9 while walking his dog, Barkley. We sat down on a bench near a playground and started commenting on how the old, tall trees around us grew; how they didn't lean on each other for support or to be able to grow, but their branches mingled happily. We noticed we were right in the middle of a triangle of trees, which we thought was cool because a friend had explained to Whit that the only way for Whit and I to grow close was through our growing closer to God. Imagine a triangle, with me at one corner and Whit at the other; the top point is God. As we each get closer to God, we get closer to each other. Clever, right? And so true. As we continued to revel in these ideas, moonlight filtering through the evergreens on that unseasonably balmy night, Whit reached into his pocket and pulled out a ring and asked me to marry him. I agreed and the rest, they say, is history.

Here's what I wrote to Whit for our wedding six months later and shared at the rehearsal dinner:

"I love you. Love is a word that links I and you–it is the most powerful and there is. This little word signifies the divine spectrum of all goodness. It is an unchanging but infinite power. It stands for all time and touches all men. I love is the ultimate of I AM for it is identity and action as one. I love you bears witness to man, I and you; and acknowledges God as the only Mind, the only true unity, Love. I love you is the power of witnessing, understanding and demonstrating. I love you is fearlessness. It has no room for doubt or personal failure. I love you has no need even of forgiveness, for it is in itself a preclusion to seeing sin in I or you. I love you is stillness and action, it is intimate yet for all to see. I love you is God's command, God's gift and God's glory. I love you is acknowledging God's presence here and now and His grace in our hearts. I love you is the true wedding vow, renewed and strengthened with each utterance. I love you is the triangle in the trees where I forever hold you in my heart. I love you."

So, as I do at this time of year, every year, I say to Whit: "Thanks for asking. I love you."

"Wow, writing a book isn't easy"

You might think it's weird that that would be music to my ears when a writing student or one of my clients says this to me. You might think that I should make the writing and getting published process "easy" for them. Well, you'd be wrong. You know that whole helping a butterfly out the crysallis state would actually weaken and damage the butterfly analogy? Yeah. That.

So when a client recently said "Wow, writing a [children's] book isn't easy," my heart skipped a beat and I caught my breath, I was so happy. A breakthrough! Few things that one might undertake just because they are "easy" are NOT certain to succeed (where succeeding means obtaining excellence). Of course, there is a difference between "easy" and "simple." We're all striving to simplify, and in fact, that's one of the objects of the creative process…I never set out as an author or artist to complicate something, but to find the clearest (or you could say, "simplest") way to express my message/communicate a solution to an unanswered question. Soooooooo, when there's an acknowledgment that this process isn't "easy" I think we are just getting on the right track.

When something's not easy, we are not lazy. When something's not easy, we are not on auto-pilot. When something's not easy, we are ready to question, challenge and think through our discomfort. There just isn't an "easy" way through the creative process or the writing process or the publishing process. There are effective ways, productive ways, simple ways. But it's kinda like math in that certain truths can't be invented or avoided in the creative process. It's vital to trust the process, which means letting go of your preconceived ideas; if you're willing to do that, then I have a secret for you–it actually is easy.

I was so happy to read Veronica Roth's (author of the great YA dystopian read, Divergent) blog post "A peek behind the publishing curtain." A very helpful look at the process behind traditionally published books (in short: it don't happen overnight, yo!). While my process isn't nearly as long with my Fifties Chix publisher (they're not printing books overseas, for one example), I think it's still a great outline for readers and aspiring writers to see, especially steps 1-12 that Veronica lists; and especially if they are dead set on getting published the old-fashioned way without checking out cool new ways like this. I love it when people ask when the next Fifties Chix book is coming out (Keeping Secrets…and the answer is within a few months), but it is so much more involved than just writing it–which can be a challenging process in itself.

I'm working on making some classes available on the Interwebs for those of you interested in writing and publishing. I hope I can help more people discover the process so they can be liberated from an obsession with easy and can move on to mastering the process (which can actually be simple). Be sure to be in touch if you're interested in those classes or in consultation. You, too, can be a strong butterfly soaring to publication*

 

*Sorry for that terrible mixed metaphor.