L.E. DeLano's Blog, page 20
August 20, 2018
Fabulous Writing Tip I Picked Up At Comic-Con
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I’ve been meaning to drop this before now, but I’ve honestly been using it, and it spurred a whole flurry of writing activity.
I was privileged to catch a panel featuring award-winning writer/editor Marv Wolfman. Marv is the writer/creator of Blade, Black Cat, Bullseye, New Teen Titans, Deathstroke, (and many more), and has a successful writing career that spans over fifty years. Any time you can sit at the feet of a master, you should take it, and I’m so glad I did.
The title of the panel was “Writing 101: What to Think About Before You Start Writing” and Marv shared this awesome tidbit. When he begins to craft a story, he creates a chart for himself detailing how each major character feels about each other. I’ll give you a mockup here with four of the Avengers:
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This helps you stay on track with character interactions, and also reminds you to sew in foreshadowing where necessary. Why does Natasha have such foreboding about having to go talk to “The big guy?” Steve and Tony need to get in each other’s face to set the stage for a coming civil war, so we need their irritation with each other at the forefront.
Another thing Marv mentioned was doing a similar chart with each character’s secrets. Some won’t have any. Some may only have secrets from certain others. How they got those secrets, how they’re revealed, who reveals them and why – that’s how a story unfolds. For instance:
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You’ll notice Steve Rogers has no secrets. They guy isn’t big on subterfuge. Everything is black or white with him. Thor isn’t sharing with anyone all the potential threats out there in the rest of the universe because he’s so confident he can personally protect Midgard. Natasha is hiding her attraction for Bruce early on, and then hiding her forced sterility. I put that in parentheses because it’s not revealed until midway through the second movie, but it colors her interactions. When Bruce rocked that baby cradle and talked about how he can’t always get what he wants during their first encounter, she filed that away as a potential relationship issue. And her interactions with Clint’s kids take on a whole new level with that secret as a subtext.
This has been enormously helpful, especially if you’re looking at a story arc that moves through multiple books. It’s a great writing exercise and I know you’ll find it as invaluable as I do.
August 14, 2018
I’m Appearing At Barnes & Noble In Exton, PA On August 25th!
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Just in time for back-to-school, and what a great time to pick up a copy of TRAVELER, which is a Keystone To Reading Secondary Book Award Finalist for school year 2018-19! And of course, since TRAVELER ends on such a cliffhanger, you might as well pick up a copy of DREAMER so you’re not left hanging!
Hope to see you there!
July 27, 2018
FanArt Friday: It’s In The Details
I just adore this pic, courtesy of @carafoshizzle. All the little details – the rivets and latches on the trunks, the background items, the nautical pieces, the color of the candles and geodes – it’s just perfect!
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July 23, 2018
Still Can’t Believe I Paneled At Comic-Con
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Well, I’m back to reality after spending half of last week getting my geek on at San Diego Comic-Con. This con has always been a Bucket List thing for me, and when I was invited to actually be part of an author panel, it was quite literally a wish come true.
To see my book featured at the Fierce Reads booth (and to pull up a chair there and sign a few copies) was a memorable moment.
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The panel was Saturday night, and it was amazing. It was such an honor to share the platform with so many talented authors, and the audience was engaged and participating all the way through. Such a great crowd!
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Then it was off to dinner with my editor and fellow authors – much laughing and consuming of desserts was had.
Earlier in the day I got to totally fangirl over a panel that featured Stephanie Garber (L – Caravel, Legendary) and Tomi Adeyemi (R- Children of Blood and Bone). They were both insightful, witty and engaging.
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And of course, I saw all sorts of outstanding, fun cosplay.
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Today, I’m home. I’m exhausted. But I’m so, so very glad I went.
July 9, 2018
Beach Giveaway WINNER!
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Congratulation to @servillas_ a.k.a @ezziesbookshelf who is the winner of my Beach Bag #Giveaway! You are now the proud owner of the following:
July 2, 2018
The Great Big Summer Giveaway!
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Ready for a couple of great beach reads? Put down the sunblock, adjust your shades 
June 29, 2018
June 27, 2018
TRAVELER Has Been Chosen As A Keystone To Reading Award Finalist!
How cool is this?
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TRAVELER has been selected as a Keystone To Reading award finalist and I am over the moon about it! It is especially meaningful to me as TRAVELER features a major character on the autism spectrum, and he’s a wonderful part of the book.
Many thanks to Keystone State Literacy Association for this honor!
June 26, 2018
Tidbit Tuesday: A Glimpse Through Another Filter
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One of my favorite characters in the TRAVELER series is Jessa’s older brother, Danny, a person with autism. As an autism parent, it was hugely important to me that he be given a voice, and as authentic a portrayal as was possible.
This particular scene was lifted directly from a dream I once had about my own son. In my dream, I was with him at school, experiencing his day with him through his eyes. It was fascinating. Its been years and I still remember every detail of that dream.
In this scene from DREAMER, Jessa has been pulled into her brother Danny’s dream by her dream guide, Mario so that they can look for clues as to the whereabouts of their villain. Jessa finds herself dreaming with Danny at his volunteer job at the local public library.
“This is cool,” I say, looking around.
“Reality is defined by the dreamer in the dreamscape,” Mario says. “In this case, Danny. This is how Danny perceives the world around him. We’re looking through his filter, so to speak.”
My eyes widen as the sound of the tractor cuts off. I can now hear the rumble of the heating system, the shuffle of books and papers, the clack of fingers on computer keyboards, and I’m drawn into the rhythm of it.
“So what are you hoping to find?” I ask.
“I don’t know exactly what we’re looking for,” Mario says. “Danny tends to focus on details that go right by the rest of us. You never know what you’ll find. So I suggest we both just go with it.”
“Go with it?”
Mario gives me an encouraging smile and waves me off, toward the children’s section. I walk around from behind the counter, trying hard to keep from tripping as the edges of the floor tiles are standing out, dark and intersecting in fascinating ways in front of me. I finally find Danny in the corner of the children’s section, seated on a mat with a group of kids. One of the library aides is reading a story, but the words are muted—I’m too absorbed in other things.
I sit down on the mat next to Danny, fixated on the way the light hits the window through a tree outside. I can see it in prisms, the ebb and flow of the scattered patterns as the wind lifts the branches. It’s like a moving kaleidoscope on the floor mat, and my fingers reach out to trace it, just as Danny does beside me. Sometimes the light hits my fingers, and I can see every line of my knuckle—some are straight, some are curvy. I wonder why that is? I count them, one by one, then I count them again.
I listen for the wind and hear the hum of the heater panel nearby. I can feel its vibration in the floor. I put my hand down to feel it just as Danny does, and the story drones on in the background, a wall of words that have melody but not a lot of meaning at the moment, not with everything else that’s going on.
It’s amazing to me that there’s a whole bright, vibrating world around us that they all seem to be ignoring. I wonder how much of the world has gone by me that I’ve never really noticed before. We all assume that Danny’s in this little bubble sometimes, and the truth is, he’s seeing more of the world than any of us.
“I’m glad you’re here, Jessa,” Danny whispers.
I look at him, and I feel like I’m really seeing him. “I’m glad, too,” I say.
June 20, 2018
Come See Me At San Diego Comic-Con!
Whoohoo! I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be appearing on a panel with my fellow Swoon Reads / MacMillan authors at San Diego Comic-Con next month! If you’re attending, drop in and chat with us as we discuss the journey to publication and all things YA!
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