Lindsay Detwiler's Blog, page 49
July 8, 2015
Editing Tips for Authors
When my book was accepted under contract, I had no idea what the publishing process looked like. Through editing and all of the publishing steps, I learned a lot. The video below gives you some tips and tricks to editing that I learned along the way. Whether you are an aspiring novelist or have a contract, these tips will help you polish your manuscript :)
Lindsay Detwiler, author of Voice of Innocence
It Cosmetics Blending Brush
Did you ever realize you have been doing something wrong for years?
This realization came to me last week after one of my best friends suggested I watch an eyeshadow tutorial on youtube. I checked out a few tutorials for my Urban Decay palette and learned two things.
1. I have not been even close on how to use eye shadow.
2. Part of my problem comes from using the wrong brushes.
Up until this point, I’ve always thought that one eye shadow brush was good enough. I also thought that two colors were sufficient for runway eyes. Oops.
The product that has changed my eye shadow routine for the better is the IT cosmetics Blending Brush. It is purely for placing eye shadow in the crease. It is a fluffy, rounded brush that doesn’t look like it would give you enough precision for eye shadow application. Well let me tell you, if you don’t have this brush, you are missing out! It really does make your application easier to blend. No more scary creases.
Check out the brush, only $14 at Ulta, here: http://www.ulta.com/ulta/browse/produ....
If you have no idea what I’m talking about with creases and blending (it’s okay, I didn’t either), I recommend this video. She does curse a few times, but she is amazing at her eye shadow blending.
Happy blending!
What the Heck Should I Blog About?
This was probably the most prevalent question in my mind when I realized how imperative blogging was to being an author . . . and I realized it probably too late in the game. But then it hit me: I’m an English teacher. I assign writing prompts all of the time! This is easy!
From time to time, I still run into a block as to what I should write. Nonetheless, if you look around you, inspiration is everywhere.
Here’s a list of potential blog topics, especially if you are an author. Some are topics I’ve covered, some are just random prompts. Maybe it will give you inspiration on a day that you need it :)
1. Write a six-word memoir. You can only use six words, so make it count!
2. Which of your characters is most like you and why?
3. Describe your best or worst date in a narrative form.
4. List and describe the five people who have impacted you the most.
5. What is the most ironic thing that has ever happened to you?
6. If you had to choose one character from literature to be your boss, who would it be and why?
7. If you had to marry a character from literature, who would it be and why?
8. Which book have you changed your opinion about after reading it again?
9. Which book do you think every aspiring author should read and why?
10. Describe your favorite childhood memory in detail.
11. Life is . . . (finish the prompt)
12. When did you first consider yourself a writer? Explain.
13. What is your writing bucket list? What do you hope to accomplish in your writing career?
14. Which authors have inspired you the most?
15. Which author would you most want to have dinner with? What questions would you ask?
16. Analyze your favorite movie.
17. Do an interview with one of your characters.
18. Write a short story that begins with “Everything changed with that one, simple word:)
19. Write a poem about the theme of your novel or story.
20. What are your five biggest pet peeves?
21. What do you know to be true from your life experiences?
22. What is your writing philosophy? What makes you different?
23. Describe your dream home.
24. What was the best spontaneous trip you ever took and why?
25. Where do you hope to be in five years?
Hopefully this will help someone out there. I know I’ve had a few days where I just needed inspiration. Otherwise, look around you! There is literally inspiration everywhere :)
Happy writing!
Lindsay Detwiler, Voice of Innocence
The Passion to Teach, the Courage to Write
I am so excited and honored to have an article featured on Books by Women today! Check out my article about how teaching has impacted my writing called “The Passion to Teach, the Courage to Write.” Please, please, please, like and share once you are there :)
http://booksbywomen.org/the-passion-to-teach-the-courage-to-write/
July 7, 2015
Wanderlust for the Homebody
I’ve said it before: I am a complete an utter homebody. I mean, not to the point of Miss Havisham where I sit in my house in my wedding dress. But I am content on my couch with Big Bob and Henry watching Netflix. I like eating at small restaurants in our hometown and maybe going to a movie every once in a while. In general, traveling makes me nervous.
But lately, I’ve been feeling the wanderlust bug, wanting to see more of the world, even if it’s just exploring in our state. I think it’s because in the past few months, we’ve traveled a little bit more than usual (okay, we didn’t go to Ireland or Fiji or anything, but for us, it was a step up). We went to Winchester, Virginia, for a book signing where I got to see an adorable town with charming shops. We went to Lilitz, PA, for a wedding in June . . .we almost ran out of gas on a pitch black mountain in the middle of no where at 1am, but it was all good. And my husband and I went to Hershey, PA, this month to see Daniel Tosh and go to the zoo. Like I said, you’re probably thinking, “Oooohh, impressive.” But for us, the chronic couch potatoes, it really was.
Now, I don’t think I’m going to pull a Chris McCandless and go hitchhiking to Alaska anytime soon, and I’m not planning on taking a leave of absence to see all of the natural wonders of the world. However, I am hoping that in the next few years, I can cross a few of my travel wishes off of my list.
Poe’s grave in Baltimore
I don’t really know why, but I adore Edgar Allan Poe. I love his creepy work that is so different from my own writing. I really love that he also has a soft spot; you can see how much he loved Virginia through the romance that drips from poems like Annabel Lee. I have always wanted to see his grave and the house where he wrote his works.
Salem
Okay, so there’s definitely a creepy vibe to my travel list, but I’ve always been fascinated by the Salem Witch Trials. I think it shows just how paranoid humanity can be and how far we’ll go to find a scapegoat. I’ve always wanted to see this historic town.
Caribbean
I want to dip my toes in crystal blue water. Enough said.
Snow Tubing
This one’s a bit more likely to happen in the next few years since we live near Blue Knob. I am not coordinated or athletic at all, so even the thought of snow tubing is frightening, but I want to give it a go at least once. And then I will head to the lodge for hot chocolate.
Horse Back Riding at Glendale
At Glendale, which is close to us, there is a horseback riding trail where you can rent a horse. I’ll probably break my leg or something, but I still want to try it.
Harry Potter World in Florida
I just think this is so magical. I love that this imaginary world from J.K. Rowling’s mind is now “real.” How cool to walk through the places in Harry Potter?
Where have you always wanted to go? Leave a comment below!
Lindsay Detwiler, author of Voice of Innocence
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TMX826K
Slaughterhouse-Five
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
“So it goes.”
As an English teacher, I try to read as many classics as I can manage. Slaughterhouse-Five has been on my reading “bucket list” for a while, so I decided to pick it up and give it a try.
The short novel focuses on the story of Billy Pilgrim, a WWII participant. It is told in a broken, steam-of-conscious like fashion, flipping between segments in Pilgrim’s life. Pilgrim believes he was actually abducted by aliens and was in an alien zoo. He is able to time travel whenever he wants, so he tells his life story from the perspective of his travels.
Yes, you’ve guessed correctly: the book is very bizarre. It is disjointed, odd . . . yet it managed to keep my attention. I felt rumblings of PTSD running through the book. However, for a while you wonder if Pilgrim is crazy or if Vonnegut just wanted to play with science fiction. It is a very lofty book with deep, underlying themes running through it.
On the negative side, however, I wanted the book to tie together at the end. I wanted a huge statement. I didn’t get it. Yes, yes, I understand the point of the book. First, Vonnegut was clearly emphasizing the troubles and injustice that accompany warfare. Furthermore, he was making a statement about humanity’s need to classify everything and make sense of everything. Through his seemingly nonsensical narrative, Vonnegut emphasizes that not everything in life is linear, easy to classify, or easy to understand (like warfare). Further, he highlights that a story doesn’t have to go “beginning, middle, end” for a major concept to be emphasized.
It’s definitely not in my top ten list of favorite classics. I applaud Vonnegut’s creativity and ability to make his reader think. For me, however, the book is too bizarre for me to really cherish and treasure. I do like the repetition of “so it goes,” however, which highlights that life just isn’t fair and you have no choice but to deal with it.
July 6, 2015
Just Another Pic of Henry
So I’m not really feeling the writing bug today. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my nose in some books, catching up on some reading. However, I did make time (as I do every day) to play paparazzi with Henry. I swear I have more pics of this dog than most people have of their kids, but I’m okay with it :)Doesn’t he have soulful eyes?
Happy reading and writing! And feel free to share a pic of your furry friend, too. I’m obviously obsessed with animals!
And of course, you can check out Henry in Voice of Innocence (he is Corbin’s dog). Henry is also a character in my next novel, which I’m in the process of finishing up.
Lindsay Detwiler, Author of Voice of Innocence
July 5, 2015
The Challenges of Realistic Fiction
For me, there’s never been a question as to what genre I would write in. I’ve always been a huge fan of realistic fiction, especially realistic fiction tinted with tragedy. I like to read about characters I can relate to in some way, characters who reflect pieces of my own life back at me. I like literature that puts into words what I’m feeling or experiencing.
That being said, I also love science fiction and fantasy. I admire authors like J.K. Rowling who can invent magical worlds that come to life and feel real. I like to be swept away into a world that doesn’t exist and end up believing that it does.
All genres of writing have their own challenges and hurdles. For me, I’ve found that realistic fiction is no exception. Although it is arguably less imaginative than fantasy, it provides its own limitations.
The writer must draw out excitement in what is often mundane.
Real life isn’t a series of thrill-seeking adventures and heart-pounding moments. If you think about the last month of your life, you probably spent a lot of time doing pretty mundane, average things, things that not many people would be excited to read about. In realistic fiction, the writer has to find a way to write about these mundane aspects of life and yet make them exciting. Furthermore, he or she has to figure out a way to make a realistic, average life seem more engaging that it probably is. Sometimes reality limits you; it can be difficult to “shock and awe” when the often boring world is your outer limit.
There is a tendency to write what you know.
Unless you are willing to do oodles of research, writing realistic fiction often means you write what you are familiar with. If you’ve lived a somewhat average, uneventful life, this again poses the challenge of adding intrigue to your work. Furthermore, it can be easy to fall into a rut. You’ve got to push yourself outside of your comfort zone, which can be challenging. I’ve found that it does get easier. As you gain courage and confidence in your writing, it will be easier to venture further from your actual life.
People assume that all of the events in your book have happened to you.
I’ve had so many similarities drawn between the main character and myself. People assume that when you write realistic fiction, you base all of the characters and the events off of your own real life. This is certainly true to an extent. However, it can be somewhat worrisome when everyone assumes your life is the same as your protagonist, especially if it isn’t.
“That couldn’t happen” becomes a major hurdle to your creativity.
When people read realistic fiction, they want . . . realism. So it can be easy to become paranoid about all of the logistics in your writing. I know that for my own novel, I had to do a lot of fact checking about the criminal justice system to make sure that I was writing a feasible story. You are held to a much higher standard of truth sometimes when you write realistic fiction.
Do you write or read realistic fiction? Is there anything you would add to the list? Feel free to comment below!
Her Fate Was Sealed: Voice of Innocence
In my blinding, hot-pink shirt and denim jeans, I glided through the hallways. The first-day-of-the-school-year-exuberance and my new, sparkling sneakers had worn off. I had made it through my first four classes of tenth grade. I was now heading to one of the most dreaded classes of all—art class. For most kids, art was a place of freedom. There were fewer rules, the teacher was typically more relaxed, and there was virtually no homework. For me, however, art class promised the threat of embarrassing injuries and potential failures. Besides lacking creativity, I also greatly lacked any fine motor skills. Last year, I had sliced my finger so deeply on a penknife that I was rushed to the hospital for stitches. Covering everyone’s art projects in blood splatters was not how I wanted to make my first impression.
I walked into the classroom, glancing around at faces I had seen since kindergarten. Ruby’s gleaming lime green headband, sequined and stunning, bounced the fluorescent lights aimlessly about the room. Noah had grown at least two inches this summer, and the giddy girls gathered around him didn’t fail to notice. Everywhere, familiar kids laughed and joked, feeling a fresh sense of social status due to their newfound label as tenth graders. But then my eyes stopped on a new face. I slowly inventoried his body, making note of his chestnut hair, thick and
Voice of Innocence
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disheveled, and his even deeper brown eyes. Although I didn’t know his name, a sensation fluttered in the pit of my stomach. I hoped that my cornflakes and chocolate milk wouldn’t spew onto the floor (also not a great way to make a good first impression). Some would call the sensation love at first sight. At fifteen years old, I was pretty sure the feeling was just some undigested food matter sloshing in my stomach. All I knew was that I was curious. I listened closely as roll was called and we were given seats. “Jenna Hansinger, Ashley White, Emma Groves…” And then I heard it for the first time. The teacher read the name of the boy who would be present in my life throughout its entirety, if only in memory. She assigned him the seat next to me.
My fate was sealed then and there.
To read more, buy Voice of Innocence at the following links:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TMX826K
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/voice-of-innocence-lindsay-detwiler/1121237080?ean=2940046578041
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1dO7TDI
Also be sure to check out my trailer at:
