Abbie Lynn Smith's Blog, page 9

Book Review: A Dark and Hollow Star by Ashley Shuttleworth

This recommendation has been on my social media for a while, advertised as an LGBTQ+ YA fantasy, so I knew I'd have to pick it up.

I am always on the look out for diverse fantasy stories, especially when they include LGBTQ+ characters. As I'd heard such good things about this one, I had high hopes.

Unfortunately, I was let down pretty quickly. I'm not sure why I didn't connect with the main character, I just didn't. I got a third into the book and questioned why the hell I cared about them at all. I didn't know why I should care about any of the main characters, or why children were dying.

I will add that fairies/fae haven't always been my cup of tea. I loved A Court of Thorns and Roses because they didn't feel as fairy-like as most stories I've read.

Like the Shadow & Bone series, I was let down here because of how little romance there was. It could be because it was YA, but I just didn't connect with the story. There was flirtation, and some brooding, but the characters didn't quite get to the meat of the romance.

Even the villain was a little weird. Some random dude who was using magic to hurt people, and he had this weird vendetta against the main character because he was in love with his benefactor and thought his benefactor wanted the girl? None of it made much sense to me. The story felt anything but resolved in the end.

I don't think I'm going to read further in this series, if I'm being honest. It just didn't work for me. I need to be engaged from the start. Show me why I should care about this character. Make the attraction between characters sizzle. Give me something to root for! I just didn't feel it here. I also want intriguing villains. I want a villain that pops off of the page, a villain that makes me ponder if maybe, just maybe, they are the hero of their own story.

Thanks,Abbie

Book Review: Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

NaNoWriMo has kind of thrown me off a bit on posting, but I promise I'm back with more Friday book reviews!

With the release of Rule of Wolves, I knew I would need a refresher on the Grishaverse. I decided to read the entire series all over again because I couldn't really remember much of the original trilogy's plot.

Also the release of the Netflix show renewed my interest in this world. The show was SO well done and it made me want to relive the tale of Alina and the Darkling!

The first thing I noticed as I started Shadow & Bone was how quick of a read it was. Before I knew it, I was halfway through the story. One thing that I have always loved about Leigh Bardugo's writing is that she doesn't use purple prose. Every word is intentionally chosen.

After watching the show, how little we saw of Mal shocked me. Netflix did an amazing job of making Mal desirable--something that the books severely lacked. I'll admit, in my original read, I was totally Team Darklina. I didn't like Mal at. all. I was absolutely in love with the Darkling. (Spoiler alert: that didn't really change a whole lot. I mean cmon... Ben Barnes?! PERFECT casting!!)

Overall, I didn't completely connect with this story as I'd hoped. For me, the Six of Crows duology was much more engaging. That said, I still think the original trilogy is required reading if you plan on reading the rest of the Grishaverse. It's a good story if you're looking for a rich fantasy world to escape into--just keep in mind that it is YA!

Thanks, Abbie

Book Review: Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

With the release of Rule of Wolves, I knew I would need a refresher on the Grishaverse. I decided to read the entire series all over again because I couldn't really remember much of the original trilogy's plot.

Also the release of the Netflix show renewed my interest in this world. The show was SO well done and it made me want to relive the tale of Alina and the Darkling!

(Image)

The first thing I noticed as I started Shadow & Bone was how quick of a read it was. Before I knew it, I was halfway through the story. One thing that I have always loved about Leigh Bardugo's writing is that she doesn't use purple prose. Every word is intentionally chosen.

After watching the show, how little we saw of Mal shocked me. Netflix did an amazing job of making Mal desirable--something that the books severely lacked. I'll admit, in my original read, I was totally Team Darklina. I didn't like Mal at. all. I was absolutely in love with the Darkling. (Spoiler alert: that didn't really change a whole lot. I mean cmon... Ben Barnes?! PERFECT casting!!)

Overall, I didn't completely connect with this story as I'd hoped. For me, the Six of Crows duology was much more engaging. That said, I still think the original trilogy is required reading if you plan on reading the rest of the Grishaverse. It's a good story if you're looking for a rich fantasy world to escape into--just keep in mind that it is YA!

Thanks,

Writerly Wednesday: Ideas

Lots of people ask the same question: Where do you get your ideas? For some people, this might be an easy question to answer. Some folks may spend all day just coming up with new ideas, or having brainstorm sessions. Others may not be able to come up with ideas without really having to work to find them.

There isn't just one way that I come up with ideas. I don't sit down and just think things up. My ideas happen to come from all over the place.

Back in the old days of AOL, I started roleplaying with online friends. It was so much fun to jump into the world of a book or TV show that I loved. I would assume a character and write as though I were the character. It started out really small, but eventually moved toward online forums. Back then, I thought I wasn't good enough to come up with original worlds or ideas, so taking on characters created by other people and making up storylines really worked for me. I was also super socially awkward as a teenager, so making friends online was really easy for me.

I have taken several of these ideas and brought them into new worlds and characters that I've created. The plot of my upcoming NaNoWriMo project is solely inspired by a villains' romance plot created on one of these roleplaying websites.

Other times, my ideas come from dreams. I don't always remember my dreams, but sometimes I can remember moments. I take that single moment and build from it. Last year, for NaNoWriMo, I wrote a 75,000 word novel on a single image: a woman placing a red rose on a snow covered headstone. That scene didn't even make it into the final novel, but I was able to take that solitary moment and develop it into a full length novel.

Ideas can come from anywhere. I'll be reading a book and a plot point will just hit me. No, I don't steal the thing I'm reading, but it can help to inspire your plot in your own stories.

Reading craft books has helped me as well. I really struggled with my villain in A Shield of Stars, but when I read Sacha Black's Villains book, I was able to figure out what was missing and make my villain more well rounded.

Sometimes, as I'm falling asleep, I come up with scenes in my head for my characters, and I'm able to work out more plot points.

It doesn't matter where the idea comes from. What matters is what you do with it. Happy creating, friends.

Abbie

Book Review: The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

Sometimes, you just want to read a book that you loved all over again. The Shadows Between Us was my favorite read in 2020. I love this book so much that when I found out there was a special edition with a purple cover, I went on a mission to find a copy!

Isn't it BEAUTIFUL?!

Touted as the Slytherin romance we've always needed, this book hooked me from the first sentence. It's rare that this happens. I knew from the very beginning that this was going to be a book that I absolutely loved.

One thing I like is that it's a stand alone. I have this habit of needing everything to be a series, but it was really nice to be able to enjoy a book that was simply one story and to be done with it. Tricia Levenseller is doing another book in this world, so hopefully we'll get a follow up!

This novel is a fantasy romance--right up my alley!

From the beginning, we meet Alessandra, who has ambitions far beyond what her father thinks. She does not love, has vowed not to love, so she figures why not seek out the highest position a woman in the land can get?

Alessandra wants to be Queen. She vows to woo the Shadow King, a mysterious man who no one is allowed within five feet of. Her father balks at the idea, but entertains his daughter's wishes. He brings her to court and is immediately flabbergasted when Alessandra insists on not being presented to the king.

Up until this point, all we really know about Alessandra is that 1. She's murdered a former lover. 2. She believes love only hurts you. And 3. She loves to design fashion.

When Alessandra doesn't present herself before Kallias--the Shadow King--he immediately becomes interested. She's wearing an outfit that is almost scandalous, one that isn't typical kingdom fashion. Before the night is out, Alessandra has managed to do the one thing no other person in the kingdom ever has: capture the king's attention.

Full of fake dating, mysterious magic, and a slow burn romance, The Shadows Between Us is easily one of my top five favorite books. It isn't earth shattering or life changing, but it is an incredibly enjoyable romance between two anti-heroes. I love it. It's the closest I've ever seen another author come to writing one of my future projects. I can't wait to share that with you either.

Thanks,Abbie

Writerly Wednesday: Author Tools

There are so many great tools out there for authors. It can be overwhelming at first, because there is so much information out there. I've compiled a list of the tools that I use to get my writing done. Let me know if you have any questions!

Google Docs. Yes, it's pretty much just Word. However, the convenient thing is that you can access it anywhere that you have internet. Back in the day, I used to email documents to myself basically every single day. It bogged down my computer (and my email!). Docs automatically saves your progress as well as prior versions, so if you lose something you can go back and find it. Another amazing perk of Docs is multiple people can be working in a document at the same time. That's especially helpful whenever you are writing with a co-author! Canva. This is a paid subscription service, but let me tell you, it is so helpful. I have a bit of an eye for graphic design, so I use Canva to create all of my promotional images, graphics for social media, as well as business cards and media kits for my projects. You have access to a lot of really cool features with the premium version, and it makes creating great visual images so much easier than if I had to try and do it all on my own. Plottr. Admittedly, I don't use this as much as I would like to. Plottr is a software that you can use to plot out your story. You can do it on a timeline or outline view. It comes pre-loaded with templates for different story structures, or you can create your own. It also has an option to put information on characters, locations, and additional notes. One of my favorite features is the series option! I almost wish this was a web based product, so I could refer to it anywhere instead of just on my laptop. It's great for the price you pay for the software. Loomly. Ugh, Marketing, am I right? When you're an indie author, you are everything: writer, publisher, marketer. Having to balance multiple social media accounts can be very daunting. During our launch for Guns & Smoke, I used a calendar to remind myself to go and post things. Loomly takes a lot of the hassle out of that, because you can schedule posts in advance. I just used it to plan nearly all of my posts for the next month! Again, it is a paid subscription, but it is worth every penny to not have to chase my social accounts all of the time. Spotify. I pay for a premium account, but you don't have to. Spotify gives you access to tons of songs. I'm able to tell my echo to play a specific song, and it will. I use it to build playlists for each of my projects. Spotify offers suggestions on similar songs as well. As a writer, music keeps me in specific scenes, so having similar songs being suggested to build a specific feel for a project is great. Google Calendar. This is super helpful to keep track of your life. I don't just use this for writing stuff. I have a calendar specifically for my personal stuff, as well as for my bookish stuff. I have one calendar that Lauren and I share because it's easier for us to be able to make plans and stick it on a calendar, then get reminders. Google Sheets. I am a super organized person. I need to be able to see things in clean lines, and I use Sheets to plot out our budget and put in all of the calculations so I can be sure that everything is up to date. I also use it to keep track of my expenses, though I am in the process of moving over to QuickBooks. I also have a master spreadsheet of all of my writing projects. It's exactly like Excel, just more easily accessible on the go.

These are the main tools that I use to keep myself organized and feel like my life has some semblance of control. Are there any tools that you use that aren't listed above? Let me know! I am always looking for things to make my life more efficient!

Abbie

Book Review: The Serpent's Curse by Lisa Maxwell

Finally! I got through The Last Magician and The Devil's Thief and began book three!

Let me start off by saying Wow, this book is a beast! I follow Lisa Maxwell on all of her social media accounts, and it took her quite a while to get this novel out. The reason was that the novel was too long and had to be split into two.

Yall. The Serpent's Curse was 750 pages. 7-5-0. Could you imagine how big it would have been if she'd tried to fit all of the plot?

This novel picks up right where The Devil's Thief left off: Esta and Harte are separated, but still in search of the stones that Harte mistakenly sent out of New York City. Not only do they have the giant task of finding the stones, but they also have to figure out how they are going to be able to travel back in time to 1902 with the stones (they can't exist in a time where they already are).

From the beginning of this series, Maxwell has teased a future confrontation with Harte's father, and she does not disappoint. Harte thought he'd never see the man again, but when he shows up in San Francisco, his father is there. The man has a new wife and son and Harte, who has declared himself a bastard from the beginning, immediately sees himself in Sammie, his younger brother.

Esta is on the road, traveling with two characters we met in book two: North and Maggie. They are a young couple who, unknowingly, are working in a network of mageus headed up by the main villian: Nibsy Lorcan. Now, Nibsy is stuck in NYC, but he's up to plenty of shenanigans in an attempt to get back the stone Harte left in NYC.

The rest of the novel includes mischevous plans to steal the stones back, illnesses, and even more rampant time travel.

There is alot going on in this novel. If you haven't recently reread the entire series, I would highly suggest doing so before diving in to this one. I would have been completely lost.

My little heart was SO happy though. That slow burn romance that built in books one and two? Yeah. it started RAGING in this book. I CANNOT wait to see what happens in The Shattered City, which releases in the spring of 2022. It's going to be an epic finale to see how all of these stories wrap up.

Thanks,Abbie

Writerly Wednesday: Speed Drafting

Welcome back to Writerly Wednesday! This week I want to talk all about speed drafting. What is speed drafting, you may ask. Well, I'm glad to tell you.

As authors, sometimes it's more beneficial to do a fast draft of your novel, especially if you are trying to publish multiple books in short periods of time. For me, personally, it takes a while to get through a novel. I'm not one who can publish every few months. But, as the saying goes, to publish, you have to write it.

While we were waiting for publication of Guns & Smoke, my co-author and I went on a writing retreat weekend. We found an AirBNB in the middle of nowhere and intended on doing nothing but writing for four days straight. While we didn't think we could finish an entire draft in a weekend, it was a great jumping off point.

What is speed drafting like?

Well, that depends. I'm a plotter. I need to have the story beats mapped out beforehand, and even a loose chapter-by-chapter outline. I personally need some structure. I find that it keeps me on task and gives me a look at the road ahead so I don't get lost in the draft.

We managed to draft the first 40,000 words in the course of four days. It was exhausting but it was also exhilarating. Being able to solely focus on writing with no interruptions or obligations was incredible. This allowed us to really dive into the characters and the story work that we'd done beforehand and figure out some changes in the manuscript. We took our time really delving into the important plot points. After that weekend, we finished the draft within 28 days.

165,000 Words in TWENTY-EIGHT days!

So, what are the pros and cons of speed drafting?

The main pro is that you have a workable draft. You can't fully form and develop a story until you have words on the page. It's easy if you don't know what to do to just make a note of something you want to add later and keep going. Another perk is that you know, roughly, what the story is going to look like. If you're an indie author, you have to be constantly thinking ahead to the next step. We were able to get the cover copy for Leather & Lace written before we ever edited a word. It allowed us the opportunity to think ahead to cover concepts and marketing ideas, even before the book was finished.

Cons of speed drafting include mistakes. Not deeply delving into every single plot point can create a lot of work later. When Lauren did our developmental edits, she realized we were missing a lot of key story structure moments. When rereading the fast draft, we learned that there are a lot of things that will need to be reworked and rewritten. But, at least it's written. Another con is that it's really easy to get sucked into drafting that other parts of your life get neglected. I am very lucky. I don't have a spouse or children, so my time is pretty open. That's not the case for everyone. Speed drafting may not be an option depending on your busy schedule.

What tips and tricks can I give you?

The biggest one: Plot. Read books on story structure, figure out the story beats, do your world building, make sure your characters are well rounded before. you. write. a word. I cannot stress enough how much it helps for me to have the story beats written out and an outline. Now, that doesn't mean the story is set in stone. I allow plenty of wiggle room if the story decides to take a turn away from it.

Last year, for NaNoWriMo, I wrote a 75,000 word draft of a solo novel with only a single character perspective. I have never done that in my life. I would never have been able to write all of those words in the course of a month if I hadn't done my prep work.

Give yourself grace. Remind yourself that you aren't human. While speed drafting is a sprint, your mental health is the most important thing. You need to be sure to take time for yourself. If you find that you can't write one thing or don't feel like writing, take the nap, drink the coffee, do whatever you need to to take care of yourself.

Don't stress if there's a plot point or moment that you aren't sure how to write. In speed drafting, it's about getting words down, not necessarily the words that make it to publication. If you know an action scene needs to happen, but you can't or don't want to write it, just use brackets, like this: [Character A defeats Character B in a duel to the death] and move forward!

Speed drafting isn't for everyone. I still struggle with it myself, but I hope that this has provided some insight into what it looks like and I hope these tips help you decide if speed drafting is something you may want to do.

Check out my post from last week if you'd like some resources on story structure and character building by going here.

Feel free to reach out to me on social media if you have any questions or would like to talk writing! I'd love to connect with you.

Abbie

Book Review: The Devil's Thief by Lisa Maxwell

I previously read this book when it first came out. With the third book in the series, The Serpent's Curse releasing this year, I knew I would need a refresher. The thing is: I completely forgot the plot of this novel.

If you've read my review of The Last Magician, you know that I have such a big spot in my heart for Harte and Esta. I have since the very first time they met. One thing I usually don't like is slow burn romances. I want the characters to get completely lost in one another, and Esta and Harte were no different.

The Devil's Thief picks up right where The Last Magician left off: Esta and Harte reaching into the unknown. From the start, the action of the story picks up. Faced with a familiar foe, Esta is forced with the decision of whether to eliminate the threat or let him live--and she has to live with the consequences.

In order to escape their foe, Esta pulls time around them and transports she and Harte into the future. Whereas she meant it to be a few days, she actually moved them two years into the future, with little chance of making it back because there's a darkness in Harte that wants Esta. And I mean she wants Esta bad.

While stuck in a different time, the pair go on an adventure to St. Louis, to locate one of the stones that Harte mistakenly sent away.

What I love most about this book is the new characters that we meet. Time travel is a tricky bugger, though, and it plays an even bigger role in this one and the next novel.

I didn't get nearly as much Esta & Harte time in The Devil's Thief, but I was super glad that I didn't have to wait to read the next installment in the series.

Thanks,

Abbie

Writerly Wednesday: Resources for Writers

Happy Wednesday friends! I am starting a new series of blogs where on Wednesdays, I give out tips that have helped me succeed as a writer. I'm still very new to the independent publishing business, but I have picked up a lot of knowledge that I hope you'll find helpful. That being said, let's get started!

There are many, many different resources that I could list here, but I want to start this series by specifically pointing out craft books. I struggled for a long time to figure out story structure, to develop my characters, and even to show rather than tell (I know, *eyeroll*, but it's so important!).

First things first, in order to write a story, the main thing you need is: story structure!

I used to be a pantser. I used to have no idea where I was going with a story. Do you want to know what happened? I never finished. I got stuck. I have so many half baked ideas that have barely seen any attention because I didn't have a road map to guide me through to the end.

Some authors may roll their eyes at this suggestion, but Save the Cat! Writes a Novel has been life changing for me.

Touted as "The Last Book on Novel Writing You'll Ever Need," Save the Cat breaks down story structure into three acts. It gives a clear road map of the plot points you should hit in your story. Even if you don't follow it 100% of the time, it gives plenty of structure for you to follow and be successful in building your story. It breaks down the different types of stories and gives tons of real life examples. For every novel that I outline, I start with this method to be sure I'm hitting the plot points.

The second suggestion I have is Sacha Black's Better Writer series.

I haven't been shy about sharing my love of Sacha's works. In the past, when I've read craft books, they're all pretty dry material. Sacha has a fun voice and gives a lot of examples in popular fiction (novels, television, and movies), to help you build a better voice in your writing, as well as for crafting your villans, heroes, and side characters. She is, quite frankly, a badass, and I can't wait to see what she writes next.

The next is the Emotion thesaurus series.

I absolutely adore these books. When you have a character experiencing a particular emotion, you can look it up in the thesaurus, and they give examples of internal sensations, external behaviors, and so so much more. They have come out with an entire line of books. I personally own The Positive Trait Thesaurus, The Negative Trait Thesaurus, and the Emotional Wound Thesaurus. All are amazing resources if you're struggling to round out your characters and really want to dive into showing what they feel.

The last suggestion is Self-Editing for Fiction Writers.

Yet again, I have tried to read a lot of craft books and I have really failed at it. A friend suggested this work, and I found that it was easy to read, it didn't feel like I was being talked down to, and it provides plenty of handy tips and resources. There are even checklists at the end of each chapter to provide you with a guide on how to self-edit your work. Whether you're going the traditional publishing route, or publishing yourself, this is a wonderful resource to get your work in shape.

That's all for this week! I hope you'll check out some of these books if you're looking for ways to improve your craft.

Thanks,Abbie