Nicole Zoltack's Blog, page 61
November 24, 2010
Writing Backward
Yesterday I wrote about Alexia's Pen and YA and MG. I ended by saying that I was going to make the story darker.
By adding a curse.
Here's the new query letter for Alexia's Pen:
Fifteen-year-old aspiring novelist Alexia loves the colorful pen the mysterious Arthus, a recent transfer student, gives to her. The pen is special – anything it writes comes true. When the pen writes of its own accord about a mystical Land of Imagining, Alexia learns she's not just an ordinary girl, she's an All-Knower. So is Arthus, and her mother.
The rest of the magical All-Knowers are in terrible danger. The Head Demon seeks to enslave and kill them, determined to rule the Land of Imagining. Alexia is able to control the All-Knowers with her pen, but the power comes at a cost – each time she writes with the pen, an All-Knower becomes a demon. After the Head Demon kidnaps her family, Alexia must find a way to go to the Land of Imagining. She will do anything, even if it means giving up her power, to save her family and her people and to prevent the Land of Imagining from becoming the Land of Terror.
So now the query letter is finished. I just need to go back and revise the story so that the story reflects the query. Talk about writing backward! :) I think the curse definitely makes the story darker and more YA in tone.
Have you ever written backward before?
By adding a curse.
Here's the new query letter for Alexia's Pen:
Fifteen-year-old aspiring novelist Alexia loves the colorful pen the mysterious Arthus, a recent transfer student, gives to her. The pen is special – anything it writes comes true. When the pen writes of its own accord about a mystical Land of Imagining, Alexia learns she's not just an ordinary girl, she's an All-Knower. So is Arthus, and her mother.
The rest of the magical All-Knowers are in terrible danger. The Head Demon seeks to enslave and kill them, determined to rule the Land of Imagining. Alexia is able to control the All-Knowers with her pen, but the power comes at a cost – each time she writes with the pen, an All-Knower becomes a demon. After the Head Demon kidnaps her family, Alexia must find a way to go to the Land of Imagining. She will do anything, even if it means giving up her power, to save her family and her people and to prevent the Land of Imagining from becoming the Land of Terror.
So now the query letter is finished. I just need to go back and revise the story so that the story reflects the query. Talk about writing backward! :) I think the curse definitely makes the story darker and more YA in tone.
Have you ever written backward before?
November 23, 2010
Whoops! MG versus YA
I've mentioned my fantasy YA novel, Alexia's Pen before. I had the honor of placing in a recent writing contest on a blog and my awesome prize was a query critique by the amazing Beth Revis, author of Across the Universe.
She read my initial query and asked if the story was actually MG.
Oh... can we say whoops?
It's been years since I read a MG story. Well, other than Harry Potter that is.
The thought that Alexia's Pen might actually be MG startled me. But then to some extent, it made sense. After all, I started to write the story in the 6th grade.
And I'm no stranger to blurring lines. Take my Kingdom of Arnhem series. It's intended for adults but can be enjoyed by young adults as well. I purposely wrote those books that way.
So now I have a decision to make. Do I try to cut down an already tight story? Because at 79k, that's considered too long for MG. Or do I try to make the story more YA by making it edgier?
I'm not opposed to making Alexia's Pen MG. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that I thought it was YA. So now I'm doing to make Alexia's Pen more YA. It's gonna get darker. A lot darker. There won't be the possibility of a question of MG versus YA anymore.
Has this ever happened to you? Has a story started one way and ended up a different genre? Do you know the cut-off between MG and YA?
She read my initial query and asked if the story was actually MG.
Oh... can we say whoops?
It's been years since I read a MG story. Well, other than Harry Potter that is.
The thought that Alexia's Pen might actually be MG startled me. But then to some extent, it made sense. After all, I started to write the story in the 6th grade.
And I'm no stranger to blurring lines. Take my Kingdom of Arnhem series. It's intended for adults but can be enjoyed by young adults as well. I purposely wrote those books that way.
So now I have a decision to make. Do I try to cut down an already tight story? Because at 79k, that's considered too long for MG. Or do I try to make the story more YA by making it edgier?
I'm not opposed to making Alexia's Pen MG. That doesn't bother me. What bothers me is that I thought it was YA. So now I'm doing to make Alexia's Pen more YA. It's gonna get darker. A lot darker. There won't be the possibility of a question of MG versus YA anymore.
Has this ever happened to you? Has a story started one way and ended up a different genre? Do you know the cut-off between MG and YA?
November 22, 2010
Inspiring Mondays
Credit for pictureToday's picture is a Kelpie. If you've read Knight of Glory, you already know all about this mysterious creature but if you haven't - the Kelpie is a water demon horse. It commonly looks like a lost pony and its mane is constantly dripping. To touch it could mean death, the horse is that cold. And if you should climb onto its back, it will race to the nearest body of water and drown you. Not the nicest of creatures, huh?
Extra little tidbit - the Kelpie will make a return appearance in Champion of Valor. But sh, I didn't tell you that! :)
November 19, 2010
Friendly Friday
I love horses. I used to tease hubby that I wanted two mustangs: the car and the horse.
Credit for pictureOne time, hubby took me horseback riding as a date. I absolutely loved it even though I had no idea what I was doing. But it was incredible.
Then on our honeymoon in Hawaii, we took an excursion riding horses. We even went into the water. Now that was a thrilling experience! The backdrop of sapphire blue water. And I'll never forget our tour guide. Crazy guy, we're pretty sure that when he left our group for a little while, that he was enjoying a smoke. Yeah. Crazy.
One of my former coworkers back when I worked as a chemist owned a horse and took horseback riding lessons. We got to talking about riding and she gave me the phone number of the place. I signed up for lessons, once a week.
At first, it was hard. My legs didn't appreciate riding on such a large creature. And my allergies certainly didn't like it. But I continued with my lessons, got to be somewhat decent.
Then I became pregnant with son #1. I had to stop taking lessons. It's not safe. Although I had never fallen off of Jake, I couldn't risk it.
I still haven't resumed lessons. There's no point to, right now at least. I plan on having two more children. Might as well wait until they're all in school. But I will return, someday.
There's something majestic about riding a horse. Being so high off the ground, guiding a horse to where you want to go. I love everything about riding.
Have you ever gone horseback riding?
Credit for pictureOne time, hubby took me horseback riding as a date. I absolutely loved it even though I had no idea what I was doing. But it was incredible.Then on our honeymoon in Hawaii, we took an excursion riding horses. We even went into the water. Now that was a thrilling experience! The backdrop of sapphire blue water. And I'll never forget our tour guide. Crazy guy, we're pretty sure that when he left our group for a little while, that he was enjoying a smoke. Yeah. Crazy.
One of my former coworkers back when I worked as a chemist owned a horse and took horseback riding lessons. We got to talking about riding and she gave me the phone number of the place. I signed up for lessons, once a week.
At first, it was hard. My legs didn't appreciate riding on such a large creature. And my allergies certainly didn't like it. But I continued with my lessons, got to be somewhat decent.
Then I became pregnant with son #1. I had to stop taking lessons. It's not safe. Although I had never fallen off of Jake, I couldn't risk it.
I still haven't resumed lessons. There's no point to, right now at least. I plan on having two more children. Might as well wait until they're all in school. But I will return, someday.
There's something majestic about riding a horse. Being so high off the ground, guiding a horse to where you want to go. I love everything about riding.
Have you ever gone horseback riding?
November 18, 2010
The Fun Part of Writing
Sometimes it's all too easy to get bogged down by the not-so-kind side of writing to be published. Writing query letters, writing sucknopsis (whoops I mean synopsis), sending out queries, receiving rejections, receiving partial requests then more rejections. It's all too easy to start feeling down, to wallow in a pit of frustration and despair.
But what about writing makes you love it? Why are you a writer?
For me, the fun part of writing is... well, the writing part. I love writing first drafts, to take a spark of an idea and blow it up into 80-110k worth of words. To meet new characters, to give them flaws, to put them into dangerous situations, to find a happy resolution. To discover new worlds, strange fantasy creatures. To experience things I've never experienced before, will never experience. That's why I'm a writer. That's why I write.
What about you?
But what about writing makes you love it? Why are you a writer?
For me, the fun part of writing is... well, the writing part. I love writing first drafts, to take a spark of an idea and blow it up into 80-110k worth of words. To meet new characters, to give them flaws, to put them into dangerous situations, to find a happy resolution. To discover new worlds, strange fantasy creatures. To experience things I've never experienced before, will never experience. That's why I'm a writer. That's why I write.
What about you?
November 17, 2010
Heavenly Lawn Care Joke
I received this joke in an email and that it was too funny so I'm passing it on.GOD & ST. FRANCIS DISCUSSING LAWNS
GOD: Francis, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.
ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS: No Sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.
ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough. I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have they scheduled for us tonight?"
ST. CATHERINE: "Dumb and Dumber", Lord. It's a really stupid movie about.....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
GOD: Francis, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect, no-maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type of soil, withstand drought and multiply with abandon. The nectar from the long lasting blossoms attracts butterflies, honey bees and flocks of songbirds. I expected to see a vast garden of colors by now. But all I see are these green rectangles.
ST. FRANCIS: It's the tribes that settled there, Lord. The Suburbanites. They started calling your flowers "weeds" and went to great lengths to kill them and replace them with grass.
GOD: Grass? But it's so boring. It's not colorful. It doesn't attract butterflies, birds and bees, only grubs and sod worms. It's temperamental with temperatures. Do these Suburbanites really want all that grass growing there?
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently so, Lord. They go to great pains to grow it and keep it green. They begin each spring by fertilizing grass and poisoning any other plant that crops up in the lawn.
GOD: The spring rains and warm weather probably make grass grow really fast. That must make the Suburbanites happy.
ST. FRANCIS: Apparently not, Lord. As soon as it grows a little, they cut it-sometimes twice a week.
GOD: They cut it? Do they then bale it like hay?
ST. FRANCIS: Not exactly, Lord. Most of them rake it up and put it in bags.
GOD: They bag it? Why? Is it a cash crop? Do they sell it?
ST. FRANCIS: No Sir. Just the opposite. They pay to throw it away.
GOD: Now let me get this straight. They fertilize grass so it will grow. And when it does grow, they cut it off and pay to throw it away?
ST. FRANCIS: Yes, Sir.
GOD: These Suburbanites must be relieved in the summer when we cut back on the rain and turn up the heat. That surely slows the growth and saves them a lot of work.
ST. FRANCIS: You aren't going to believe this Lord. When the grass stops growing so fast, they drag out hoses and pay more money to water it so they can continue to mow it and pay to get rid of it.
GOD: What nonsense. At least they kept some of the trees. That was a sheer stroke of genius, if I do say so myself. The trees grow leaves in the spring to provide beauty and shade in the summer. In the autumn they fall to the ground and form a natural blanket to keep moisture in the soil and protect the trees and bushes. Plus, as they rot, the leaves form compost to enhance the soil. It's a natural circle of life.
ST. FRANCIS: You better sit down, Lord. The Suburbanites have drawn a new circle. As soon as the leaves fall, they rake them into great piles and pay to have them hauled away.
GOD: No. What do they do to protect the shrub and tree roots in the winter and to keep the soil moist and loose?
ST. FRANCIS: After throwing away the leaves, they go out and buy something which they call mulch. They haul it home and spread it around in place of the leaves.
GOD: And where do they get this mulch?
ST. FRANCIS: They cut down trees and grind them up to make the mulch.
GOD: Enough. I don't want to think about this anymore. St. Catherine, you're in charge of the arts. What movie have they scheduled for us tonight?"
ST. CATHERINE: "Dumb and Dumber", Lord. It's a really stupid movie about.....
GOD: Never mind, I think I just heard the whole story from St. Francis.
November 16, 2010
Magic - Writing like Crazy!
I have found my own personal magic for making myself more productive.
And yes, I think it's magical.
*drumroll please*
It's a timer!
Ok, enough goofing off and more seriously, using a timer has made me so much more focused on my writing. I set the timer for 30 minutes and type. Usually when the timer dings, I want to continue typing. When I want to stop and take a break, I'll set it for 10-15 minutes and goof off, go on FB or visit blogs or write new blog posts. When it dings, back to work!
It may not sound like anything special or even magical, but it has been a lifesaver for me. I can only write when my boys nap together (which is usually not the case) or if I sacrifice sleep and go to bed really late or get up early and write before they wake up. By using the timer, I force myself to use my time more wisely.
So I think it's magic. It's definitely working too. Before the magic timer, I used to average 1K an hour. Not bad. But now, I write just over 1K in 30 minutes. Insane, you betcha!
So what about you? Do you have any tricks or tips for using your time wisely or to make yourself more productive?
And yes, I think it's magical.
*drumroll please*
It's a timer!
Ok, enough goofing off and more seriously, using a timer has made me so much more focused on my writing. I set the timer for 30 minutes and type. Usually when the timer dings, I want to continue typing. When I want to stop and take a break, I'll set it for 10-15 minutes and goof off, go on FB or visit blogs or write new blog posts. When it dings, back to work!
It may not sound like anything special or even magical, but it has been a lifesaver for me. I can only write when my boys nap together (which is usually not the case) or if I sacrifice sleep and go to bed really late or get up early and write before they wake up. By using the timer, I force myself to use my time more wisely.
So I think it's magic. It's definitely working too. Before the magic timer, I used to average 1K an hour. Not bad. But now, I write just over 1K in 30 minutes. Insane, you betcha!
So what about you? Do you have any tricks or tips for using your time wisely or to make yourself more productive?
November 15, 2010
Guest Blog with Shawna Williams
Back in May, Shawna Williams, fellow Desert Breeze author, stopped by my blog for an interview in honor of her release, No Other. Now she's back with a guest blog to spread the word about her newest release In All Things. Take it away, Shawna!Hi, Nicole! Thank you for having me on your blog today. Last time I visited I shared about my debut Novel, "No Other". Today, I'd like to share about my newest release, "In All Things", and some of my favorite elements of story-telling.
"In All Things" is the sequel to "No Other". The story picks up with Jakob and Meri ten years later. Jakob has put all of his effort into fulfilling his promise to Roger by making Meri's dreams come true. They've moved to Hollywood and Meri is a successful actress. But what you have to ask is this; was this really Meri's dream, or was it what he thought was her dream, and by achieving it was he really trying to prove himself? Meri on the other hand has her own set of issues. She's tried to put the past behind her, but a part of her still craves her parents' approval – something most children want even when they come from an abusive home. She hopes that time and her success have brought a change of heart to her parents, but when she finds that it hasn't she sets out with determination to shove her success in their faces and shame them that way.
Both Meri and Jakob are faced with coming to terms over the fact that success has proved dissatisfying. Likewise, an unhealthy nature to their relationship has stifled their growth in Christ, and they have to overcome that, too.
Along with Jakob and Meri's story is the story of healing that takes place in Jakob's family. Though, some things get worse before they get better. This story is actually more literary in that sense than romance. It's very focused on the characters' personal journeys.
One of the questions I get asked most is how I go about developing my characters. I'm most definitely a character writer! For me, characters define the story. I may have a sense of what the storyline is, but how it will play out to completion is very much determined by my character's response to events within the story. I think an author has to allow room for this or else you end up with a puppet and not a believable character. I've found that what helps is for the author to know what has taken place in the character's life before the book they're writing. In detail! Like flesh and blood people, a character should be molded by events. In this book, "In All Things", this was a little easier because much of the back-story was laid out in "No Other". However, my characters have quite a back-story beyond that book, too.
When I profile my characters, long before the writing begins, it goes far beyond hair and eye color, height, occupation, etc. Those are the least important if you ask me. It's all surface stuff. To really dig into a character you need memories -- experiences that mold and define -- and you need both spectrums -- good and bad -- as well as stuff in between. These are the things that a person draws on when facing choices. They guide the course.
Another element of story-telling that I like, and believe adds depth and meaning to a story, is symbolism. If you'll notice on "No Other's" cover, and "In All Things", there is a farmhouse and a locket. Yep, they're important! The farmhouse is Jakob's childhood home, and it coordinates heavily with both stories' themes. In "In All Things" it becomes Jakob's personal mission to see the house restored. At the same time this is taking place within his family, which is still recovering from the lingering effects of their internment during WWII.Meri's journey is represented through other objects, like the locket and a brooch in this story, but she is also very much tied with the farmhouse. Very much!
The last element of good story-telling I want to talk about is conflict. Without it you have a whole lot of snooze. There are different kinds of conflict, but since I'm a character writer I'm going to talk about my favorite, internal. As I mentioned, my stories tend to be character journeys and usually my main characters serve as both protagonist and antagonist. They are their own worst enemy. The nature of their struggle is a mixture of plot and character development. As mentioned previously, my characters are molded by life experiences. These frame how they will handle the external issues of the storyI'll use Jakob's situation as an example. I worked out his family's history all the way back to their immigration from Germany. He is of a dual culture, born in America, raised in a German home. He claims both cultures, speaks both languages, so in "No Other", when these cultures clash, he has a major identity crisis. It's very difficult for him to process why certain things have happened to his family. So that story started off with heavy emotional conflict right at the start.
That inner conflict evolves during the story of "No Other" so, in "In All Things" there is a new source that Jakob must come to terms with, as well as some unresolved old stuff..
Meri is a whole other story. In "No Other" her background isn't laid out in quite as much detail for the reader, but it is shown to have been pretty terrible. "In All Things" digs far deeper into this so the reader can see the pit she's trying to dig out of.
The process I use for resolving conflict is first to fully understand it. I do a lot of journal writing for my characters, where I ramble, in character, as to what they feel, what they think they need or want, and how they plan to get it.
Then I work on scenarios that might bring this about. Usually the first drafts are entirely too preachy because I'm trying to clarify the message to myself, but I go back and edit to try and make it so that the message is conveyed to the character, and not to the reader. I don't want to pull the reader out of the book for a sermon. I want them to experience the growth of the character.
The last thing I'd like to leave you with is this: We've all heard the phrase, 'write what you know.' I think it's equally important, if not more-so, that an author writes who they are. Yes, we have to learn the craft, pay attention to trends and whatnot. Those things are important. Just be sure that in doing so you don't lose yourself. The best stories come from the heart.
Nicole, I'd like to give away a freshwater pearl bracelet and a pdf copy of either book, "No Other" or "In All Things". I also have pdf files of the first three chapters of each book that I'll give to anyone who wants. Just email me at shawnawilliams@allegiance.tv
For more about me:WebsiteBlogPurchase In All Things
Thank you so much for dropping by, Shawna! I'm sure whoever wins will love your book. Inspiring Mondays will be back next week.
November 12, 2010
Family Friday
This post is a continuation of last Friday's post, if you missed it the first time around, the link is here.
So son #1 loves this photo so much that now every morning, he goes into my room to hubby's nightstand to look at it. Every morning. And he keeps saying hubby's name for hubby.
But the most adorable part is that he still doesn't recognize himself in the picture. Now, he is much younger in the picture, maybe 4-5 months so he doesn't have a lot of hair.
When I pointed to him in the photo and asked "Who is this?" he looked up at me and said, "Nee." Which is what he calls son #2 because he can't pronounce son #2's name yet. Isn't that the cutest thing ever?
So son #1 loves this photo so much that now every morning, he goes into my room to hubby's nightstand to look at it. Every morning. And he keeps saying hubby's name for hubby.
But the most adorable part is that he still doesn't recognize himself in the picture. Now, he is much younger in the picture, maybe 4-5 months so he doesn't have a lot of hair.
When I pointed to him in the photo and asked "Who is this?" he looked up at me and said, "Nee." Which is what he calls son #2 because he can't pronounce son #2's name yet. Isn't that the cutest thing ever?
November 11, 2010
Guest Blog
I'm the guest blog today at Lyn Cote's blog and would love some comment love! I'm talking about Aislinn, the female knight from Woman of Honor and how she's like Ester.
