Lindsay Detwiler's Blog, page 53
June 18, 2015
What Nicholas Sparks Taught Me About Love and Writing
So you’re probably tired of hearing this, but I adore Nicholas Sparks. He is the only author who I read religiously; I’ve read every book he’s released. He is one of the few authors I will spring for a hardcover book for because I have to read it as soon as it comes out.
Reading Nicholas Sparks over the years has taught me a lot about what I like in a book and what women tend to enjoy in a story. Without even realizing it, I was developing a sense of women’s fiction, of love stories, and of writing for a contemporary audience. Now, as I enter into the women’s fiction market, I have come to deeply appreciate what I’ve learned from being a Nicholas Sparks fan.
The art of letter writing isn’t dead
From The Notebook Dear John to The Longest Ride, Nicholas Sparks is a pro at showing that letter writings=romantic. I can’t help but feel adoration for John when he writes to Savannah. Nicholas Sparks shows us that texting and emails just don’t compare; if you want to win a girl’s heart for real, write a letter.
Multiple Perspectives Work
I like how The Lucky One flips between perspectives. It made me realize that sometimes you have to get inside a few characters heads to show the true emotional depth of a story, something Sparks excels at. If you want people to feel a storyline and its full power, you have to be willing to explore it from different angles. This is a tactic I’ve employed in my own writing.
Love is beautiful in every situation
I hate it when I tell people that I’m a Sparks fan and I get an eye roll. So many cynics believe that Sparks is cheesy, that is stories are all predictable. But I love that Sparks unabashedly explores romance and love in all types of situations. We’ve seen characters in comas, characters who just met, characters running away from abusive situations. We’ve seen cowboys and convicts, firefighters and veterans. The best part? All of them find the answer to what they’re looking for in love. If you ask me, that’s not such a cheesy notion.
Love is what unites us
I think Sparks is so successful because he hits a truth in all of us. We all want to find someone to share our life with, to make us better, to make us forget the past. We want love and all that goes with it—the hand-holding, the tears, the corny words, the kisses in the rain—to be a possibility. Sparks shows us that it is. As a writer, he’s taught me that there isn’t anything wrong with writing about love. It is the most universal theme you can explore.
Happily Ever After isn’t cheesy . . .
I don’t know about you, but I was angry at the end of The Best of Me and Dear John. Are you kidding, Sparks? A sad ending? I wanted to see them together, see love redeem them.
But such isn’t the case. Sparks was just capturing life’s reality . . .love doesn’t always win.
But then again, he also shows us what to strive for as both humans and as writers. Happy endings aren’t overdone or unrealistic . . .they’re what we all want to see deep down. Sparks reminded me as a writer that it’s okay to have a happy ending to my story. But it’s also okay if it doesn’t work out.
Who is your writing inspiration? What have they taught you? Feel free to start a conversation below!
Lindsay Detwiler, author of Voice of Innocence
www.facebook.com/lindsananndetwiler
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TMX826K
My Writing Philosophy
As a writer, it is so important to know who you are and what your purpose for writing is. If you are writing to get rich or to become famous, it’s going to be a long, hard, frustrating road. If, however, you have some goals outside of sales, it becomes easier to stay focused and motivated. Writing is a tough business; I’ve found that like teaching, it does not give you instant gratification on a daily basis. Sometimes it takes weeks, months, or years to see the benefits of your hard work.
I’ve been thinking about what makes me different as a writer and what my own writing philosophy is. If I had to describe myself as a writer, what would I say? It’s a hard question, one that requires deep introspection. But several months into this book publishing journey, I think I’ve figured it out.
My goal with my writing is to show the power of love and the beauty of life while also instilling a true sense of realism in my work. Some reviewers have noted that my book is not the “typical romance.” I think that’s because I come from a place of honesty. I examine the difficult questions, look at the tough emotions, and paint the pictures that are sometimes difficult to look at. I want my fiction to resonate with readers as realistic, poetic, and powerful. I achieve this through my descriptive writing, my narrative voice, and my characters who are easy to relate to. I want women readers to be able to say, “I see myself in that novel.” I want to speak to the modern woman’s experience while also bringing a twist of something new and exciting. I want readers to say, “That could happen,” or “I feel like the characters are real.” That’s how I know I’ve done my job.
If you want to explore my writing, check out Voice of Innocence at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TMX826K
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/voice-of-innocence-lindsay-detwiler/1121237080?ean=2940046578041
June 17, 2015
Summer Cooking
It’s no secret . . .I am not a domestic goddess. I’ve burned pans, accidentally mixed cleaning chemicals and almost killed the family, and broken more household items than I can count. For family BBQs, I am either assigned chips, rolls, or buffalo dip (the only thing the family trusts).
During the school year, I’m too busy to worry about playing Martha Stewart. My husband and I relinquish our dreams for home cooked meals, relying on frozen pizza and takeout to get us through.
But during the summer, I put on my Martha Steward Hat. For a few weeks, I at least try to play housewife.
So check out my Pinterest account where I am chronicling my summer recipes. Check out the board “Summer recipes” for my latest pins. Let me just say that if I think I can handle them, you definitely can.
So far, I’ve tried the chicken dumpling casserole, the bubble up chicken casserole, and the skillet lasagna. . .and all were successes.
Thirty, Flirty, and Scared: Why Thirty Scares Us
Thirty. The Big 3-0.
In Thirteen Going on Thirty, Jennifer Garner talks about thirty being “flirty and fun.” As a thirteen-year-old in a thirty-year-olds body, however, she realizes that thirty isn’t all it’s cracked up to be in her magazine. In P.S. I Love You, Holly is terrified of thirty, and her deceased husband sends her a birthday party from the grave (planned before his death). I guess I’m trying to point out that it isn’t a secret—women dread the big 3-0.
I am no exception.
As a child, thirty just seems so old. I remember being in sixth grade and thinking that thirty was ancient. By high school, I thought that by thirty, I would have it all figured out. I would be steadfast in my life, living a comfortable, reliable life. I would have blossomed into a beauty like Jennifer Garner, have perfect style straight from the pages of a magazine, and have a perfect family surrounding me.
I’d have it together.
Even in my early twenties, I felt like thirty was so far off. Thirty just looked mature to me; the twenties are the best years of our lives, after all, aren’t they? They’re a time to get the most out of life—or so society tells us.
Every year that goes by though is a year I get closer to thirty. Once I passed the “halfway” point to saying goodbye to the “best” decade of my life, I started feeling anxious about that creeping deadline. At twenty-seven, I feel the impending birthday of doom looming not so far away.
My husband laughs at me when I say I don’t want to talk about thirty. He, the typical man, looks at age as just a number. Which is insane right?
Maybe not.
Why as women do we get so hung up on age? I’ve been asking myself this lately. Why does thirty seem so frightening?
I think part of it is the fact that as a child, I unknowingly set this expectation for myself. By thirty, everything would be sorted out.
I can say with assuredness that my life is pretty well sorted out. I’ve got a steady job, a house, I’m in okay financial shape, and we’ve got a comfortable life routine.
Yet I can’t say that it looks exactly like I imagined it would. There are no kids to take to school, there definitely isn’t the style from a magazine. We aren’t lavishing in exotic vacations; we don’t have our house paid off. I guess the scary thing for me is that I don’t think we’ll be even close to any of these things by thirty.
But why does this bother me? Why let some superficial deadline I set as a naïve child get to me? So what if I don’t have everything figured out, everything accomplished at thirty.
I’m starting to re-evaluate my view of not only thirty, but of my twenties as well. So many say that the twenties are the best years, but do they have to be? In our twenties, my husband and I were struggling to get settled in careers, struggling to save money, and trying to figure out what the heck we wanted out of life. There were great moments, but there was also a lot of stress, financially and emotionally. If these were the best years of our lives, that’s not really saying too much.
So I won’t lie . . .I’m still not thrilled about turning thirty in a few years. But I’m trying to be okay with it. Who says that thirty can’t be all about being “flirty and fun?” Who says the twenty-year-olds have it all? Maybe thirty can be my twenty; maybe thirty won’t be all that scary.
June 16, 2015
The Girl on the Train Review
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
“I have never understood how people can blithely disregard the damage they do by following their hearts.”
The Girl on the Train is a thriller about the damage done from love and lies. I loved the beginning of the book because of the unique format. The book is told from Rachel’s point of view, a commuter on a train (hence the title). The book is told in first person. Each segment of the book is split into morning and evening, telling her story as she is riding on the train. The book eventually covers two other perspectives, Anna and Megan. I love that the author centered the style of the book around the times of the train. I loved how the train connected the stories and how the characters’ lives were expertly woven together.
The first person narration is also excellent because it creates the question of whether or not you can trust each narrator. At many points at the beginning of the novel, I sensed a feel much like “The Yellow Wallpaper,” my favorite story. Rachel, Megan, and Anna all struggle with various internal conflicts, which become apparent through their telling of the story. I loved that I didn’t know who to trust. I also loved the vulnerability that was displayed in each character.
I must admit the book lost my interest near the middle. I am an avid reader of every genre . . .except mystery. Although a thriller, the book starts to feel like a “Who Dunnit” mystery near the middle, which lost my attention. I also felt like the love triangles were predictable and boring. However, by the last fifty pages, the book picked up again and was very exciting. My disdain in the middle of the book was probably just a reflection of my personal taste in genre and definitely not a reflection of the quality of the writing.
This writer expertly weaves a story that is unique in format, characterization, and plot. It is a very inspired novel; it is easy to see why it is a best seller. I do wish that there were some “good” characters to hang on to; it felt like every character was immoral, untrustworthy, or a liar by the end of the book. I wish that at least one character would have turned out to be who I thought he or she was. Then again, this could have detracted from the theme of the book.
I would describe this book as Gone Girl meets “The Yellow Wallpaper,” which is an intriguing combination. Although not my favorite genre to read, The Girl on the Train is definitely a good summer pick.
Lindsay Detwiler, author of Voice of Innocence
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13508159.Lindsay_Detwiler
http://www.pinterest.com/ladetwiler
http://www.facebook.com/lindsayanndetwiler
Talking Bout My Generation
Zebra gum. Skip-bo. Tamagotchi. Backstreet Boys. Slap bracelets. Tattoo choker necklaces. Dunkaroos. Furby. Pogs.
If you recognize these things from your childhood, then you’re probably from my generation. I grew up in the 90s and 2000s. I was what is referred to as a “digital immigrant.” Growing up, our generation wasn’t glued to technology. But it came, and when it came, it came fast. We were the generation that “shifted over.” We weren’t born with cell phones in our hands and tablets at our fingertips, but we quickly latched onto the trend.
I think because of this fact, our generation sometimes gets a bad wrap. Older generations were wary of us (as most generations are of younger generations). They worried that our newfound obsession with technology would rot our brain, our social skills, and our work ethic. In some respects, I wonder if they are right.
The younger generations feel like we’re as out of touch as we thought the older generations were. They grew up with smartphones in their hands, with Twitter at their fingertips. My students are much more efficient with technology than I could ever learn to be.
So here we are, children of the 90s and 2000s, somewhere in between. What does that mean for us? Is it good or bad?
I think that making generalizations is a bad thing to do. There are always exceptions to the rule (just like in English grammar). Nonetheless, I think that there is something to be said for our generation’s unique circumstances. I think that we got the best of both worlds. Growing up without a sole reliance on technology, we were able to see how the world worked before computers became big. We got experience with these crazy things called books and libraries. We didn’t have the answer at our fingertips all of the time; sometimes, we just had to wonder about things.
Later, though, we were able to jump onto the technology train and see the benefits of things like Google and Facebook. We paved the way for future generations to use these tools, to integrate them into their daily lives. We sorted out complications like how to balance technology and work and when it was best to put the technology away.
I hear a lot of speculation about how the new generation is going to lack communication skills because of their reliance on technology. It is frightening to go into a restaurant and see that everyone is now glued to a phone or ipad instead of conversing. I worry, too, that this trend will reap terrible consequences for years to come.
Nonetheless, I think that what I have learned from my years is that every generation has its positives and negatives. No two generations are the same, and that’s what makes our society work. This constant changing keeps us moving, keeps us from being static. We might be changing for better or worse (who is really in the position to say?), but, nonetheless, we are changing. Our generation will leave a mark on the world that the previous generation didn’t and that future generations can’t. The cycle will continue.
So children of the 90s and 2000s, digital immigrants, be proud. Do your best. And never apologize for being who you are.
Reading and Writing Go Hand In Hand
Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s just that summer laziness has kicked in . . .but I’m not feeling the writing bug today. Does that mean that I’m slacking? Absolutely not! Today I’m spending my extra time doing my favorite activity–just reading :) So I’ll leave you with a quote by Faulkner in case you’re tempted to feel guilty about abandoning that writing project temporarily to get lost in a book.
“Read, read, read. Read everything — trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You’ll absorb it. Then write. If it’s good, you’ll find out. If it’s not, throw it out of the window.” ~William Faulkner
June 15, 2015
Five Books To Read This Summer
So I’m still working on this whole youtube thing! Check out my video on five books you should be reading this summer :)
June 14, 2015
Life is . . .
Life is a drama. Except we don’t get to the stage entrances or exits ahead of time.
It is a cliché. It is a mess. It is organized chaos that we can’t swim away from. It is drowning, debilitating, yet addicting at the same time.
Life is a masterpiece. Except we paint it as we go.
It is a wonder. It is enthralling. It is the daily struggle against what society thinks we should be and the artistic form we want to be the most.
Life is a sadness. Except interspersed with the tears are bursts of laughter and sheer ecstasy.
It is painful. It is hard work. It is knowing that days are coming when you won’t be able to breathe, to move, yet knowing you must go on.
Life isn’t easy to box up, to generalize, to make a statement about. It is different for each of us; it is dynamic. It doesn’t follow any pattern, any rhythm, any direction.
Life simply just is.
June 13, 2015
Five Tips for Writing a Fiction Novel
As many of you know, writing is my secondary profession/hobby; teaching is my primary passion. With that in mind, I’ve decided to start branching out in my Youtube channel. I will be posting short videos talking about things literary and writing related. Whether you’re a teacher, a writer, or a student, hopefully this short literary chats will give you some things to think about.
My first video covers five tips for the process of writing a fictional novel. Now, I will say, I don’t have a great camera presence. And I’m not so hot at youtube. So don’t be too hard on me :)
You can find more information about my writing journey by following me on:
Twitter @lindsaydetwiler
Google+ Lindsay Ann Detwiler
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lindsayanndetwiler
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00TMX826K
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13508159.Lindsay_Detwiler
