Ally Condie's Blog, page 13

reading: everything is fine

I wasn't sure whether to post this under writing or reading because it kind of has to do with both.

Let's talk about voice (again). Voice is so, so important. As we all know. So sometimes when I am writing and thinking about voice I decide it's best to just turn to the masters and read some authors who do a fantastic job with voice. Now here is the thing–you never want to copy someone's voice. But I find that the most inspiring authors do voice so well that you know you can never imitate it. But you can read it, admire it, and aspire to do for your character what they have done for theirs.

One of the masters of voice is Ms. Ann Dee Ellis. In the interest of full disclosure, Ann Dee is a dear friend and one of my favorite people in the world. But I read her writing before I knew her in person and I loved it then, too.

The fantastic book pictured above (and her other novel, THIS IS WHAT I DID, both have such wonderful, distinct, real characters.

But I don't just read her books for voice. They have plots that you have to gulp in one sitting, staying up way too late, ignoring your own writing. They have achingly beautiful moments and heartbreaking ones.

In short, Ann Dee writes life.

Do you want to win a copy of EVERYTHING IS FINE? A SIGNED copy? You do? Then please leave a comment on this post with the following:

1) name and e-mail or blog address (so I can contact you)

2) a sentence or two telling me a book you've read with excellent voice

The giveaway is open internationally, will run until this Saturday night MST (July 9) and you may enter once. Good luck!

writing: the element of play

I spent my Fourth of July weekend a) working and b) attempting to potty-train my toddler. Also I c) made peach cobbler, which is one of my favorite summery things to make (the peaches aren't quite peak yet, and they're not from our tree, but I couldn't wait any longer). And my kids played, played, played all weekend long.

But I didn't feel left out because a) they're kids and playing is their job, of course! and b) my job can be very fun too. One of my favorite parts about writing is the element of play. By that, I mean the way you can play with the words, the characters, the scenario, the plot. You can throw things up into the air and see if they stick, fall down, shatter, break, fall softly, make craters that you can choose to leave or fill in later. And there's room, when you're playing, for diversions and difference and changes and choice. One thing gives here to make room for something there; another slides into place and something else slips away. I like this part of writing–when you experiment.

Even in this book, which has scenes I've planned for years, and which, in some ways, I'm rather locked into plot-wise (resolving mysteries, having things happen that I've set up/alluded to in the previous books) there is so much play. Yes, a certain scene or event needs to happen. But how it happens? What people say? How they feel or look when they say it? How I feel when I read it?

That's all still up in the air, in some ways.

And it's so much fun.

reading: all things brit-ish

I really like reading stories set in Great Britain. One of my all-time favorite authors is Agatha Christie. I've loved her every since my very first trip to England when I was eleven. My dad handed me a big bulky anthology of her mysteries, said, "I think you're going to like these," and oh, I did. I loved them. It was, as was often the case when he gave me books, a perfect synchronicity in experience and imagination. I was reading about a place while I discovered it for the first time, and vice versa.

I've loved reading about Great Britain ever since.

Perhaps because there is so much eating of little cakes. Or because everything feels so atmospheric.

Perhaps it is because, ever since the royal engagement was announced, my husband has seen a 100% increase in people who have told him he looks like Prince William (before the royal engagement, it was zero people, now it stands at about five). Is it true? You decide:

If you would like, you can also talk about how much I look like Kate, and the correct answer is EXACTLY LIKE HER. (Ha! I wish.)

So, here are a few of my all-time favorite reads set in Great Britain:

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

The Distant Hours by Kate Morton

Possession by A.S. Byatt

The London Eye by Siobhan Dowd

I've read everything Agatha Christie and Kate Morton have ever written. And a lot of PD James, and Dickens, etc., and of course Austen, etc.

I think Britain is on my mind because my husband just came back from his yearly trip to Hogwarts (he spends time each summer researching in England with a colleague who works at Kings College, Cambridge). Last year he brought me a beautiful little book of poetry from a used bookshop and I've been looking through it again, loving the old pages and the worn cover.

What are some of your favorite British novels?

something beautiful

This beautiful image and this text will be in the paperback version of MATCHED, coming on September 20th. I love it.

(I am, apparently, really bad about writing about writing when I'm spending my days writing. So who knows if my lofty summer goal of posting about writing on Tuesdays will come to pass. But I will try again next week.)

reading: a tale dark and grimm

I bought this ages ago because I was dying to read it. The premise sounded fantastic, the author and I have the same editor, it had stellar reviews from everyone in the world.

While I was in NYC in May, I was able to meet the author in person–Adam Gidwitz– he was so kind and fun and clever and a teacher! Exactly the kind of teacher that you wish your child could have!

But life kept getting in the way of my reading. And then this week my eight-year-old picked up Grimm and could not put it down. The clincher was when I found him using his foot as a bookmark to hold his place while he did something else for a moment. "Don't use your foot as a bookmark in my book!" I said. "I haven't even read it yet!"

"That's not my fault," he said.

Well played, eight-year-old son. So now I AM reading it (and using a real bookmark) and the book is surprising and interesting and excellent (and very macabre).

My son and I both highly recommend it.

crossed winner! (and t-shirts, and orem library!)

Congratulations! The winner of the ARC of CROSSED is….

JEN N. (JEN NYSTROM)!

I honestly can't believe how many people entered. Wow. I truly appreciate that you want to read this book and wish I had hundreds of ARCs to send out instead of just one. Thanks also for reading the blog and for your comments always. I can't tell you how happy it makes me when people enjoy my books.

Speaking of that…

…I just had to post this picture of the cute gals (Maren Washburn, Beck and Kris Hansen, Mary Alice Bender, and someone else! who am I missing?) who made the first MATCHED fan shirts I've ever seen! They even brought me one! I thought that was very sweet of them. These ladies have been to several of the events and are always so happy and excited. Many thanks again!!

I'm giving myself a tiny break from writing about writing this week because I have another presentation this afternoon at the Orem Library (details on the Events page). (And remember, we'll be giving away a couple of ARCs of CROSSED at the event, thanks to the generous folks at Penguin.)

But I'll be back on Thursday with another post about reading…and in the meantime, if there are any questions you have on writing that you'd like to see (that aren't in the FAQ or the A Conversation On posts), let me know here in the comments!

reading: arthur

Excellent news! Although only one person can win the ARC of CROSSED here on the blog, my awesome publisher has sent me a couple of copies to give away at my library events this summer. I'll have some my event next Tuesday, June 21 at the Orem Library, and a few more at the event in August at the Salt Lake City Public Library. You must be present to win (we'll do a drawing or something like that). As always, check the Events page for more info.

People often ask me what kind of books I like to read and I always say "anything." My three favorite authors of all time are Wallace Stegner, Anne Tyler, and Agatha Christie. I read a lot of young adult novels–a LOT. I love them.

And I also read a lot of adult fiction. Particularly when I'm doing my own writing. I think it's because I find it restful in that it's different from what I do. It feels more like a break.

Right now I'm reading The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips. I'm not very far in but I love a story within a story, like POSSESSION by A.S. Byatt. So far, it is excellent (I'm only about 20 pages in).

What are you reading?

P.S. I'm at WIFYR today, giving a keynote address at 3:00 p.m. and then signing books afterwards until 6:00 p.m. It's all open to the public! Come visit.

writing: point of view

I've been thinking a LOT about writing this week because a) I'm writing a lot and b) I'm talking about writing at the WIFYR Conference in Sandy, Utah, this Thursday. They have opened up the keynote address (which I'm giving!) and the autographing afterwards to the public, which is awesome. All of the presenters at the conference participate in the signing (at least, that's how it's been in the past) so if you come you can have books signed by Holly Black, Emily Wing Smith, Martine Leavitt, Kathleen Duey, Claudia Mills, and many more. The King's English will be there selling books so you can get everything you need right on-site. (Have I mentioned before how awesome this conference is?) Hope to see you there!

Anyway. Back to the writing. I have seven books published now (I'm counting CROSSED because it's in ARC form and so it is, to some extent, out there in the world in print). And of those seven books, four of them are told from more than one point of view.

Including CROSSED.

Why is that? I think it's simply because it's the way that feels natural, most often, to me to tell the story. It's because I like knowing what everyone is thinking and I like the freshness of seeing the same event, world, etc., from different points of view and realizing that it is not the same at all.

I remembered this once again while we were on our family vacation. My poor boys. We put them in the car and then drove them from the mountains of northern Utah to the beaches of southern California in one day, with horrendous traffic. Fifteen hours in the car are enough to try any small soul, and they did not have the luxury of that awesome DVD player (I found this picture on the interwebs).

At one point, near the end of the drive, they were all just so tired and done. So I wedged myself in between the two car seats in the last row so I could be as close as possible to everyone and change things up a little. And I was kind of stunned. I've ridden in the middle row before, but not often in what we call the "very back." Look at this place! I thought. It's so huge! And there are so many melty crayons on the floor! It was like I was riding in a whole different car.

Sometimes this is a great way to get unstuck when you're writing. Even if you're not planning to write the entire book from another point of view, you can try a scene from a different angle just to feel it out and sometimes you'll see, Ooh, I'm missing that. Or, it would be much more interesting if I showed this instead.

It can really pay off, in real life as well as writing life. Had I not gotten in the very back and checked things out, I would have entirely missed the extra pack of Cars fruit snacks that I ate later when everyone fell asleep.

What do you think? Do you like writing/reading from more than one point of view?

crossed giveaway!

I am SO excited to give away this ARC.

I've already said that CROSSED is my favorite thing I've written. Part of that is because of the setting, which is based very heavily on my beloved Southern Utah, part of it is because I worked so hard on this book and feel that it truly became what I hoped it would be, and part of it is because of the characters. I don't think it's any surprise to anyone who has read my books when I say that I'm the most interested in the people in stories–what they're doing, how they feel, why they feel it. That's always my focus–I can't help it–and I've enjoyed this part of Ky and Cassia and Xander's journey very much.

Oh, I hope you like it. I wish I could give ARCs to every single person who enjoyed MATCHED. But this one will have to do for now.

And here are the rules…

1. To enter, leave a comment on this post by midnight MST Saturday, June 18th, 2011. The comment must include 1) your e-mail address 2) a little bit, just a sentence or two, about a place that is dear to you.

2. You can only comment once–if you comment more than that, you'll be disqualified. One entry per person, please.

3. Followers get an extra entry.

That's all! I'm hoping to keep it simple. And yes, the contest is open internationally, so feel free to enter. I will announce the winner in my blog post on Tuesday, June 21.

Good luck!

And, P.S. The winner of POSSESSION is ATHENA, who said she can't help but break the "rule" of no snacking before dinner. Congratulations, Athena!! Thanks to all of you for entering!

summer plans and possession

My kids are out of school, the weather here is finally warm, and the garden (such as it is) is planted. Summertime. I love it.

I've been thinking a lot about this blog and what it is, and what it isn't. Lately it's been a bit of a travelogue about things I've done. I still have two events coming up this month and a few more scattered throughout the summer, so the travelogue won't completely end anytime soon. But I think I'm going to attempt to have the blog this summer be about this quote of Stephen King's that we all adore:

"If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that."

So, on Tuesdays this summer, I'll try to post about writing, and on Thursdays, I'll try to post about reading. It won't be anything super cerebral. Just some writing ideas and thoughts and questions and then some books I've been reading, etc.

Starting next week. (Does it bode well for this experiment that I'm already making exceptions?) But. Anyway. This week, I'm going to be giving away two books. On Thursday, I'll give away the ARC of CROSSED. And today, I'm giving away a signed hardcover copy of POSSESSION by Elana Johnson.

Here's the summary:

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Awesome, right? I am SO excited about this book. I read the first couple of chapters a few months ago and ADORED them and then had to write my own book instead. That stinks! I can't wait to finish reading POSSESSION. Elana is a fantastic author and person, beloved by the online world and the "real" world too. Huge congrats to her on the publication of her book!

So here are the rules:

1. Comment here to enter. To enter, you must leave your e-mail address, only comment once, and also tell me a rule that you can't help but break (in the spirit of Elana's book).

2. Contest is open internationally.

3. Contest closes at midnight MST Wednesday, June 8th. (Yes, this is a very short contest!)

That's it! Good luck! And come back on Thursday to find out the winner and to enter to win an ARC of CROSSED.