Shanna Swendson's Blog, page 179
May 6, 2014
Book Report: Fiction for Fantasy Lovers
I felt like yesterday was a mostly wasted day, but although I didn't have the focus for writing, I did manage to tick a number of things off the to-do list, so I did accomplish things. Today, though, I need to really dive in.
But I have done some reading recently. Last week's book was Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. One of the blurbs on the back compared it to The Night Circus, but I'm not sure how apt that is. Then again, it did have a similar feel. I would say that while this isn't technically a fantasy novel, it reads like one. Maybe you could call it literary fiction for fantasy fans.
It's about a young, unemployed graphic designer in San Francisco. He's out walking around the city to force himself to get off the Internet occasionally when he comes across an odd little bookstore with a help-wanted sign in the window. The front of the store seems like a typical small used bookstore, but then there are the shelves in the back, which go up three stories, reached by a ladder. One of the job requirements is the ability to climb a ladder. He ends up taking the job as the night clerk and finds that it's not really a typical bookstore. The books on those tall shelves don't seem to have any record of existence -- he can't find an Amazon listing or Library of Congress listing. The people who get those books don't buy them, but rather check them out. He's expected to keep a detailed log of who comes in and gets which book. Partially out of boredom, he sets out to solve the mystery of the store, which leads to him going on a quest with his girlfriend who works at Google, his best friend from sixth grade who's now a software mogul, and his roommate, who makes props for ILM.
This is one of those books that's hard to talk about because it's hard to put into words what was fun about it. In spite of the very modern references, it feels like a traditional fantasy novel in the way the odd group of characters comes together to achieve something. There's something of a page-turning thriller about it. I think it would appeal to fantasy fans because it's one of those "these are our people" books. The main character and his best friend bonded in sixth grade because they were both fans of a fantasy trilogy of the sort that was pretty popular in the early 80s -- you know, the Shannara kind of thing. How many of us have had that experience, of meeting someone and knowing you'll like them because they have the same appreciation you do for something you love? I think half my college friendships were formed based on the books we saw on each other's shelves in our dorm rooms. I didn't have time to read much for fun in college, but I brought certain books to display just for that purpose.
That fantasy series in the book is important enough to the characters and to the story for there to be snippets of it, and that got me in the mood for reading that sort of thing. After soliciting recommendations on Facebook and getting feedback from people ranging from high school friends to college friends to current friends and fans, I checked an omnibus edition of The Belgariad by David Eddings out of the library. I don't think I've read it, though parts of it seem familiar. I don't know if I tried to read it before and failed, if I've maybe read an excerpt somewhere or if it's just that I've read a lot of that kind of book, so it feels familiar. I've made it through the first book, and it does have those classic elements. We have the Farm Boy of Destiny, the Wise Old Man Who's More than He Appears, the Wise Woman Who's More than She Appears, the honest Man of the People, the Thief, and the Warrior Barbarian in our questing party. The business really has changed over the years, though. I can't imagine getting away with starting a novel with a long infodump prologue telling us the backstory, or spending a good part of the first couple of chapters with characters telling each other about their land's history and legends. I'm glad I'm reading this in an omnibus because I think I would have been angry if I reached the end of the first book and realized that was it (that may be what happened -- I might have read the first one and was angry enough not to look for more). Still, there's something very satisfying about reading something in the classic form, even if I allow myself to mentally snark at the cliches while reminding myself that this was written before all these things became so cliched. Writing a fantasy in the classic form is on my literary bucket list, though I'd have to do it in a more contemporary style (no backstory infodumps!).
Oh, one more thing about Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: This will only work with the paper version of the book, and I don't know if it will work with the paperback, but I had to move the hardcover I got from the library off my nightstand after I turned out the light. The cover design looks pretty simple, just a graphic representation of bookshelves and the title that looks like it's hand-written. But turn out the lights and see what happens.
But I have done some reading recently. Last week's book was Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. One of the blurbs on the back compared it to The Night Circus, but I'm not sure how apt that is. Then again, it did have a similar feel. I would say that while this isn't technically a fantasy novel, it reads like one. Maybe you could call it literary fiction for fantasy fans.
It's about a young, unemployed graphic designer in San Francisco. He's out walking around the city to force himself to get off the Internet occasionally when he comes across an odd little bookstore with a help-wanted sign in the window. The front of the store seems like a typical small used bookstore, but then there are the shelves in the back, which go up three stories, reached by a ladder. One of the job requirements is the ability to climb a ladder. He ends up taking the job as the night clerk and finds that it's not really a typical bookstore. The books on those tall shelves don't seem to have any record of existence -- he can't find an Amazon listing or Library of Congress listing. The people who get those books don't buy them, but rather check them out. He's expected to keep a detailed log of who comes in and gets which book. Partially out of boredom, he sets out to solve the mystery of the store, which leads to him going on a quest with his girlfriend who works at Google, his best friend from sixth grade who's now a software mogul, and his roommate, who makes props for ILM.
This is one of those books that's hard to talk about because it's hard to put into words what was fun about it. In spite of the very modern references, it feels like a traditional fantasy novel in the way the odd group of characters comes together to achieve something. There's something of a page-turning thriller about it. I think it would appeal to fantasy fans because it's one of those "these are our people" books. The main character and his best friend bonded in sixth grade because they were both fans of a fantasy trilogy of the sort that was pretty popular in the early 80s -- you know, the Shannara kind of thing. How many of us have had that experience, of meeting someone and knowing you'll like them because they have the same appreciation you do for something you love? I think half my college friendships were formed based on the books we saw on each other's shelves in our dorm rooms. I didn't have time to read much for fun in college, but I brought certain books to display just for that purpose.
That fantasy series in the book is important enough to the characters and to the story for there to be snippets of it, and that got me in the mood for reading that sort of thing. After soliciting recommendations on Facebook and getting feedback from people ranging from high school friends to college friends to current friends and fans, I checked an omnibus edition of The Belgariad by David Eddings out of the library. I don't think I've read it, though parts of it seem familiar. I don't know if I tried to read it before and failed, if I've maybe read an excerpt somewhere or if it's just that I've read a lot of that kind of book, so it feels familiar. I've made it through the first book, and it does have those classic elements. We have the Farm Boy of Destiny, the Wise Old Man Who's More than He Appears, the Wise Woman Who's More than She Appears, the honest Man of the People, the Thief, and the Warrior Barbarian in our questing party. The business really has changed over the years, though. I can't imagine getting away with starting a novel with a long infodump prologue telling us the backstory, or spending a good part of the first couple of chapters with characters telling each other about their land's history and legends. I'm glad I'm reading this in an omnibus because I think I would have been angry if I reached the end of the first book and realized that was it (that may be what happened -- I might have read the first one and was angry enough not to look for more). Still, there's something very satisfying about reading something in the classic form, even if I allow myself to mentally snark at the cliches while reminding myself that this was written before all these things became so cliched. Writing a fantasy in the classic form is on my literary bucket list, though I'd have to do it in a more contemporary style (no backstory infodumps!).
Oh, one more thing about Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore: This will only work with the paper version of the book, and I don't know if it will work with the paperback, but I had to move the hardcover I got from the library off my nightstand after I turned out the light. The cover design looks pretty simple, just a graphic representation of bookshelves and the title that looks like it's hand-written. But turn out the lights and see what happens.
May 5, 2014
Fighting the Fear
I made it through my crazy Sunday morning, and I seem to be making a start on overcoming the singing stage fright. I actually felt pretty confident and wasn't shaking violently, and I was happy with how I did. In the first service, it wasn't the best I could do, but it was good enough, and in the second service, it may have been the best I've ever done that part. In the first service, part of the problem may have been that there were some glitches with the choir part (note to choir members: actually paying attention to the director helps a lot) and part may have been that we didn't do any kind of sound check. I hadn't sung from the lectern away from the choir loft before on this piece, and the director neglected to warn the sound guy that there was a soloist. The sound guy thanked me between services for having a voice that carries, since he didn't get the mic on until about halfway through my part. With the notes I was singing, I don't think a mic was that necessary.
The kids kept forgetting to sing during their song, but they were moving around enthusiastically. They may also be part of why I was less nervous in the big service because I went straight from directing them to singing and didn't have time to sit and think about what I was going to have to do. My main worry there was that while I was singing, some little voice would pipe up "That's my teacher!" and I'd lose it. If they did it, I didn't hear it.
And then after lunch with my parents, I went home and collapsed. I was too wired for a nap, so I mostly read. Today I feel strangely tired and I woke up early. But it's nice not to have to be paranoid about allergies. I spent the weekend sealed up in my house, so this morning I ate breakfast on the patio because I could.
I may have to force myself to become a diva and request to do more solos and small ensembles because I'm afraid that if I don't follow up this positive step soon with another one, I'll relapse. I'd like to get to the point where this kind of thing doesn't panic me, to where I even enjoy it. I did enjoy it while I was doing it, even though there was some dread beforehand, and I really enjoy having done it. The main fear with this wasn't the nerves, but whether I'd be physically capable because it was hard and had forced me to really stretch my abilities.
But as they say, you never accomplish anything worthwhile from within your comfort zone. I'd like to spend today in a zombie coma, but I have to get to work on copy edits so I can have a new book out this summer.
The kids kept forgetting to sing during their song, but they were moving around enthusiastically. They may also be part of why I was less nervous in the big service because I went straight from directing them to singing and didn't have time to sit and think about what I was going to have to do. My main worry there was that while I was singing, some little voice would pipe up "That's my teacher!" and I'd lose it. If they did it, I didn't hear it.
And then after lunch with my parents, I went home and collapsed. I was too wired for a nap, so I mostly read. Today I feel strangely tired and I woke up early. But it's nice not to have to be paranoid about allergies. I spent the weekend sealed up in my house, so this morning I ate breakfast on the patio because I could.
I may have to force myself to become a diva and request to do more solos and small ensembles because I'm afraid that if I don't follow up this positive step soon with another one, I'll relapse. I'd like to get to the point where this kind of thing doesn't panic me, to where I even enjoy it. I did enjoy it while I was doing it, even though there was some dread beforehand, and I really enjoy having done it. The main fear with this wasn't the nerves, but whether I'd be physically capable because it was hard and had forced me to really stretch my abilities.
But as they say, you never accomplish anything worthwhile from within your comfort zone. I'd like to spend today in a zombie coma, but I have to get to work on copy edits so I can have a new book out this summer.
May 2, 2014
Fun with Friday Videos
I realized after thinking more about yesterday's post (and I think I may have this epiphany about twice a year. Maybe someday it will stick) that the important thing is to generate emotion in the readers. That can sometimes be done through showing the characters' emotions, but the key is making readers care about the characters, and then they'll have feelings about what the characters are going through. A stoic character facing his fate without so much as an inner flinch can still make readers cry if they care about what happens to him. So it comes back to being mean to your characters. The art of writing good fiction apparently involves sadism because it's all about making bad things happen to people you care about, and enjoying it.
In other news, the book went off yesterday (yay!). Then I wrote a description of the book I'm working on now, which is a good way to force yourself to focus on what the story's really about. Today I think I'll dive into copy edits on the previous book in this series so we can start getting it ready for publication.
Meanwhile, I need to find a balance between resting my voice and keeping it in shape so I can sing Sunday. Here's a recording of some other group doing the song we're doing. I'm singing the soprano solo in the middle of the piece. Yes, it's pretty high, which is why I'm nervous (well, aside from all the other reasons I'm nervous):
Now for some other fun with music-related videos. I may have found my favorite version of the now-ubiquitous "Let it Go" from Frozen, which may also be one of the better actor rants to fans since the infamous "Get a Life" William Shatner sketch on Saturday Night Live. Arthur Darvill, most famous as the late, lamented Rory on Doctor Who, lets people know that he's moved on, and so should they. It's hilarious (even though I have to admit that I'd rather not let it go because Rory is one of my favorite characters ever), but what really impresses me is that the way he's looking at the sheet music gives me the impression that he's sight reading. On live radio. Though I guess you don't do Broadway and West End musicals if you're shy about singing in public. If I only had about a tenth that confidence.
The perfectionist in me feels obligated to share a less rough performance, a scene from Once, the music he's currently performing in, as a better representation of what he can really do.
On a totally different note (see what I did there?), as a follow-up to last weekend's jazz festival, here's an act they need to add: A piano duet involving an elephant, with bonus elephant boogieing. See, even elephants like jazz.
In other news, the book went off yesterday (yay!). Then I wrote a description of the book I'm working on now, which is a good way to force yourself to focus on what the story's really about. Today I think I'll dive into copy edits on the previous book in this series so we can start getting it ready for publication.
Meanwhile, I need to find a balance between resting my voice and keeping it in shape so I can sing Sunday. Here's a recording of some other group doing the song we're doing. I'm singing the soprano solo in the middle of the piece. Yes, it's pretty high, which is why I'm nervous (well, aside from all the other reasons I'm nervous):
Now for some other fun with music-related videos. I may have found my favorite version of the now-ubiquitous "Let it Go" from Frozen, which may also be one of the better actor rants to fans since the infamous "Get a Life" William Shatner sketch on Saturday Night Live. Arthur Darvill, most famous as the late, lamented Rory on Doctor Who, lets people know that he's moved on, and so should they. It's hilarious (even though I have to admit that I'd rather not let it go because Rory is one of my favorite characters ever), but what really impresses me is that the way he's looking at the sheet music gives me the impression that he's sight reading. On live radio. Though I guess you don't do Broadway and West End musicals if you're shy about singing in public. If I only had about a tenth that confidence.
The perfectionist in me feels obligated to share a less rough performance, a scene from Once, the music he's currently performing in, as a better representation of what he can really do.
On a totally different note (see what I did there?), as a follow-up to last weekend's jazz festival, here's an act they need to add: A piano duet involving an elephant, with bonus elephant boogieing. See, even elephants like jazz.
May 1, 2014
Delivering All the Feels
I finished reading through the book, so now I just have to do some work on an author's note to explain the alternate history and then I can move back to other things. I don't know how long it will be before I get the copy edits, but I want to get my other books ready for publication before then. I also survived my last night of children's choir. We had a small group and they weren't at all interested in singing, which is going to make Sunday morning interesting. Fortunately, I have a lot of other things to worry about on Sunday. By that point, I'll be willing to let the kids skate on "cute."
Because I figure that if it's worth analyzing, it's worth overanalyzing, I like to skim around the major book review sites to see what tends to get big responses, and something I'm seeing is that readers will apparently forgive a book a lot of things as long as it delivers "all the feels." Emotional intensity seems to be more important to a book's success than decent grammar and spelling, internal consistency or story logic. Some of the wildly successful self-published books are criticized for being very badly written and having terrible characters, but they're still like crack because they take readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride.
I have to admit that I give higher marks to a book that really makes me feel something, though I figure that laughter counts as much as tears. I don't like being emotionally manipulated, though. I remember the time I figured out the trick that a certain bestselling author who shall remain nameless uses. I was reading books to judge for the Rita award, and I read one of this author's books on an airplane. There was a scene near the end that brought tears to my eyes so that I was still teary-eyed when I got to the ending. And then I almost started laughing out loud when I realized what had happened. The tearjerking scene had almost nothing to do with the plot. It was like throwing in a Kodak or Kleenex commercial just before the big finale. The big finale wasn't all that emotional, but if you read it with tears in your eyes, then that made it feel emotional, and you tend to give books that leave you with tears a higher mark. Obviously, this doesn't bother a lot of people because everything this author writes becomes an instant bestseller.
I'm just not sure how to work this as an author. I'm a fairly reserved person, and I'm not willing (or really even able) to pull off these kinds of tricks, and I'm certainly not willing to write the over-the-top angst that's found in the "crack" self-published books. I also tend to write reserved characters who suffer silently. I do know that I need to be a little meaner to my characters -- they need to overcome more, and a lot of emotion comes from that. I think most of the emotional moments that have gotten to me in books, TV or movies have come from sacrifice, loss and triumph, not from characters who are over-the-top emotionally. So I guess if I don't write characters who hit every emotion at about 11, then I need to really put them through the wringer. The use of humor can help there because it creates what I think of as an emotional sucker punch -- you lower your emotional guard when you laugh, so you're more vulnerable when something bad happens next. That's why a comedy is more likely to make me cry than a straight drama that I know is going to be a tearjerker.
Any thoughts on this or nominations for books you think are really emotional in a way that you liked? This is the area where I most need to improve, so I need homework.
Because I figure that if it's worth analyzing, it's worth overanalyzing, I like to skim around the major book review sites to see what tends to get big responses, and something I'm seeing is that readers will apparently forgive a book a lot of things as long as it delivers "all the feels." Emotional intensity seems to be more important to a book's success than decent grammar and spelling, internal consistency or story logic. Some of the wildly successful self-published books are criticized for being very badly written and having terrible characters, but they're still like crack because they take readers on an emotional roller-coaster ride.
I have to admit that I give higher marks to a book that really makes me feel something, though I figure that laughter counts as much as tears. I don't like being emotionally manipulated, though. I remember the time I figured out the trick that a certain bestselling author who shall remain nameless uses. I was reading books to judge for the Rita award, and I read one of this author's books on an airplane. There was a scene near the end that brought tears to my eyes so that I was still teary-eyed when I got to the ending. And then I almost started laughing out loud when I realized what had happened. The tearjerking scene had almost nothing to do with the plot. It was like throwing in a Kodak or Kleenex commercial just before the big finale. The big finale wasn't all that emotional, but if you read it with tears in your eyes, then that made it feel emotional, and you tend to give books that leave you with tears a higher mark. Obviously, this doesn't bother a lot of people because everything this author writes becomes an instant bestseller.
I'm just not sure how to work this as an author. I'm a fairly reserved person, and I'm not willing (or really even able) to pull off these kinds of tricks, and I'm certainly not willing to write the over-the-top angst that's found in the "crack" self-published books. I also tend to write reserved characters who suffer silently. I do know that I need to be a little meaner to my characters -- they need to overcome more, and a lot of emotion comes from that. I think most of the emotional moments that have gotten to me in books, TV or movies have come from sacrifice, loss and triumph, not from characters who are over-the-top emotionally. So I guess if I don't write characters who hit every emotion at about 11, then I need to really put them through the wringer. The use of humor can help there because it creates what I think of as an emotional sucker punch -- you lower your emotional guard when you laugh, so you're more vulnerable when something bad happens next. That's why a comedy is more likely to make me cry than a straight drama that I know is going to be a tearjerker.
Any thoughts on this or nominations for books you think are really emotional in a way that you liked? This is the area where I most need to improve, so I need homework.
April 30, 2014
This Year's Schedule
I should finish my read-through today so I can send the book and some related material off tomorrow. And then it's back to other work because I've got to get through the copy edits on the next book to be published, since Audible already wants to do it as an audio book, and then I've got to finish the sequel. And work on covers. And get stuff done for foreign releases of the Enchanted, Inc. series. And hope I can get all this done before I get copy edits for the steampunk book and have to drop everything again.
I've pretty much firmed up my summer convention schedule, so here's where I'll be:
ApolloCon in Houston, June 27-29
DetCon 1 in Detroit, July 17-20 (I haven't had official confirmation of being a program participant there, but I'm getting e-mails for program participants, and I'm friends with the programming person, so I guess I'll be speaking in some capacity)
ArmadilloCon in Austin, July 25-27
FenCon in Dallas, September 26-28
I may see about adding another in the fall, depending on how things are going and what comes up. If you're involved in a con where you think I might be a good fit and get to meet a lot of fans, let me know. I'm not even angling for a guest of honor type invitation where my travel is paid for. I just rationalized that I could hit multiple US cons where I could meet existing fans and make new ones for the cost of going to WorldCon in London, so I might have the budget to make one more out-of-area trip this year, and it could be fun to expand my horizons beyond my usual stomping grounds. Of course, I'm totally open to guest of honor or toastmaster type invitations, as well. If you're willing to pay my travel expenses, I won't argue.
Now I have to get ready for my final night of children's choir (aside from two more events of attempting to get the kids to sing in public). And finish the book. And keep my voice in some kind of reasonable singing condition. I'm planning a quiet weekend to mix some work and some relaxation before a very stressful Sunday morning.
I've pretty much firmed up my summer convention schedule, so here's where I'll be:
ApolloCon in Houston, June 27-29
DetCon 1 in Detroit, July 17-20 (I haven't had official confirmation of being a program participant there, but I'm getting e-mails for program participants, and I'm friends with the programming person, so I guess I'll be speaking in some capacity)
ArmadilloCon in Austin, July 25-27
FenCon in Dallas, September 26-28
I may see about adding another in the fall, depending on how things are going and what comes up. If you're involved in a con where you think I might be a good fit and get to meet a lot of fans, let me know. I'm not even angling for a guest of honor type invitation where my travel is paid for. I just rationalized that I could hit multiple US cons where I could meet existing fans and make new ones for the cost of going to WorldCon in London, so I might have the budget to make one more out-of-area trip this year, and it could be fun to expand my horizons beyond my usual stomping grounds. Of course, I'm totally open to guest of honor or toastmaster type invitations, as well. If you're willing to pay my travel expenses, I won't argue.
Now I have to get ready for my final night of children's choir (aside from two more events of attempting to get the kids to sing in public). And finish the book. And keep my voice in some kind of reasonable singing condition. I'm planning a quiet weekend to mix some work and some relaxation before a very stressful Sunday morning.
April 29, 2014
Book Report: Follow Ups
I got a good start on my re-read yesterday, but I need to be a little more diligent today. I had a bad case of distraction. Still, I met my goal. And I still love this book. This is why the best writing advice I've ever heard is "write what you love." Because if you don't love it, you're going to hate it. You'll probably go through several drafts on your own before you submit it, and you'll need to proofread it at least once. Then, depending on your editor, you may go through a lot of revision rounds and have to proofread each time. You'll go through copy edits and galley proofs. By the time a book is published, you'll have read it at least a dozen times (with this book, I think I'm up to about 20). Write the kind of book you'd enjoy reading dozens of times, even if someone else wrote it.
I finally got mostly caught up on my reading, so I have a book report of young adult books that are follow-ups to things I've read previously.
First, there's The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty, which is a sequel to A Corner of White, the book about the girl in Cambridge who finds a note in a parking meter and starts communicating with a boy in another world. It's hard to give much of a plot description of this book without spoiling the first book, but it picks up where that book left off and focuses a bit more on the other world part of the story, so that the boy in the other world is the main character. He gets drawn into the midst of the action, and his communication with our world is key to the plan, but it's also dangerous because in his world that's an offense punishable by death.
I may have liked this one more than the first book. Now that we know what's really going on, the story can take off. We see a lot more of this magical world with its oddly shifting seasons and color attacks. Our hero visits the magical north and an edgy city that celebrates darkness, and goes diving for spells in an enchanted lake. I enjoyed it as an adult, but I'd have probably become obsessed as a teenager. I'd have started leaving notes in parking meters (well, if my town had them). Because I got this one soon after it was published, I'm going to have to wait for the sequel. Bummer.
On an entirely different point on the reading spectrum, I next read Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein, which is a follow-up to Code Name Verity, one of my favorite books from last year. It's not really a direct sequel, but the heroine of this book is a good friend of one of the heroines in that book, and characters from the first book show up some here. This is another teen WWII thriller about an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot. Rose grew up with a flight instructor father, so she's been flying her whole life and is probably a better pilot than a lot of the men fighting in the war who've been thrown into a cockpit and taught the ropes. But as a girl, all she's allowed to do is ferry planes around. Then, after the liberation of Paris, she gets to start taking planes to France. But on one trip, things go wrong, she ends up being forced to land by the Luftwaffe in German territory, and she gets sent as a "political prisoner" to the Ravensbruck concentration camp.
I don't think this book was quite as powerful as Code Name Verity, but then I'm not sure what could be. Some of that might be because I tore through it really quickly because I had a day to read it before I had to return it to the library, and it didn't get a chance to dig into me. But it's also a very different kind of story, less about the surprise reveals and more about consequences. We know near the beginning of the story that she survives and escapes. The main part of the story is how these experiences affect her. Nearly as much of the book is devoted to what happens afterward as it is to what happens in the camp. That keeps it from being too bleak, but at the same time, the fact that these things linger keeps you from having the "escape, hooray!" kind of experience. It doesn't have the emotional punch in the gut effect of the previous book, but it is very haunting while also being life-affirming. This is published as young adult, but I'd recommend it for adults, too.
I finally got mostly caught up on my reading, so I have a book report of young adult books that are follow-ups to things I've read previously.
First, there's The Cracks in the Kingdom by Jaclyn Moriarty, which is a sequel to A Corner of White, the book about the girl in Cambridge who finds a note in a parking meter and starts communicating with a boy in another world. It's hard to give much of a plot description of this book without spoiling the first book, but it picks up where that book left off and focuses a bit more on the other world part of the story, so that the boy in the other world is the main character. He gets drawn into the midst of the action, and his communication with our world is key to the plan, but it's also dangerous because in his world that's an offense punishable by death.
I may have liked this one more than the first book. Now that we know what's really going on, the story can take off. We see a lot more of this magical world with its oddly shifting seasons and color attacks. Our hero visits the magical north and an edgy city that celebrates darkness, and goes diving for spells in an enchanted lake. I enjoyed it as an adult, but I'd have probably become obsessed as a teenager. I'd have started leaving notes in parking meters (well, if my town had them). Because I got this one soon after it was published, I'm going to have to wait for the sequel. Bummer.
On an entirely different point on the reading spectrum, I next read Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein, which is a follow-up to Code Name Verity, one of my favorite books from last year. It's not really a direct sequel, but the heroine of this book is a good friend of one of the heroines in that book, and characters from the first book show up some here. This is another teen WWII thriller about an Air Transport Auxiliary pilot. Rose grew up with a flight instructor father, so she's been flying her whole life and is probably a better pilot than a lot of the men fighting in the war who've been thrown into a cockpit and taught the ropes. But as a girl, all she's allowed to do is ferry planes around. Then, after the liberation of Paris, she gets to start taking planes to France. But on one trip, things go wrong, she ends up being forced to land by the Luftwaffe in German territory, and she gets sent as a "political prisoner" to the Ravensbruck concentration camp.
I don't think this book was quite as powerful as Code Name Verity, but then I'm not sure what could be. Some of that might be because I tore through it really quickly because I had a day to read it before I had to return it to the library, and it didn't get a chance to dig into me. But it's also a very different kind of story, less about the surprise reveals and more about consequences. We know near the beginning of the story that she survives and escapes. The main part of the story is how these experiences affect her. Nearly as much of the book is devoted to what happens afterward as it is to what happens in the camp. That keeps it from being too bleak, but at the same time, the fact that these things linger keeps you from having the "escape, hooray!" kind of experience. It doesn't have the emotional punch in the gut effect of the previous book, but it is very haunting while also being life-affirming. This is published as young adult, but I'd recommend it for adults, too.
April 28, 2014
All that Jazz
After a fun weekend, I have to plunge back into revisions today. I'm going to re-read the whole book and make sure the latest changes flow and don't create any continuity ripple effects.
I spent all day Saturday at a jazz festival -- twelve hours straight of sitting under a tree, listening to jazz. Mostly big band, though most of that was more modern than the classic "swing." There were a few smaller ensembles in the morning, including one that focused on dance music of the 20s and 30s, which meant some different instrumentation. They had a tuba instead of a string or electric bass, a banjo instead of guitar, they had a violin, and they used a lot of clarinet in addition to saxophone. I really wanted to do the Charleston.
There was a really cute and very talented Swedish trombone player who was in several of the groups, and I kind of wanted him wrapped up to-go, until I realized he was probably half my age. That was depressing.
I also got my special-occasion funnel cake (I only ever get them at events like this) and a burger grilled by the Elks Club.
Of course, I was drained the next day, but the choir had the weekend off (which is good because I had no voice).
This week, in addition to finishing revisions, I have to get the voice in really good shape because next weekend is my Sunday of much singing. I have the soprano solo in the choir anthem, with much of my part going above the staff. Then I'm singing lead in a women's ensemble -- in Spanish. A capella. Actually, the Spanish isn't so hard for me. I wouldn't say I speak or understand Spanish, but I can read it and pronounce it, so I know what I'm saying and how to say it.
It's also my final real week of children's choir, and I've already got fun stuff planned. So, on with the week!
I spent all day Saturday at a jazz festival -- twelve hours straight of sitting under a tree, listening to jazz. Mostly big band, though most of that was more modern than the classic "swing." There were a few smaller ensembles in the morning, including one that focused on dance music of the 20s and 30s, which meant some different instrumentation. They had a tuba instead of a string or electric bass, a banjo instead of guitar, they had a violin, and they used a lot of clarinet in addition to saxophone. I really wanted to do the Charleston.
There was a really cute and very talented Swedish trombone player who was in several of the groups, and I kind of wanted him wrapped up to-go, until I realized he was probably half my age. That was depressing.
I also got my special-occasion funnel cake (I only ever get them at events like this) and a burger grilled by the Elks Club.
Of course, I was drained the next day, but the choir had the weekend off (which is good because I had no voice).
This week, in addition to finishing revisions, I have to get the voice in really good shape because next weekend is my Sunday of much singing. I have the soprano solo in the choir anthem, with much of my part going above the staff. Then I'm singing lead in a women's ensemble -- in Spanish. A capella. Actually, the Spanish isn't so hard for me. I wouldn't say I speak or understand Spanish, but I can read it and pronounce it, so I know what I'm saying and how to say it.
It's also my final real week of children's choir, and I've already got fun stuff planned. So, on with the week!
April 25, 2014
Familiar Strangers
I got through all the editor's notes yesterday. While I griped about a few things she just didn't seem to get, she did have a couple of suggestions that gave me "ooh!" tingles. Now I need to read through the whole book to make sure there are no continuity errors from the ripple effect of changes and to proofread the changed sections.
One thing that baffled me was the editor's assertion that she couldn't believe someone could have met someone and not know who that person was. I do that all the time. I can have in-depth conversations with someone and never find out their name. I've even done this with moderately famous people. I had a very nice chat in a convention green room with a very interesting lady before I found out it was Lois McMaster Bujold. If someone else hadn't called her by name, there's a very good chance I might have run into her later and then had a duh moment when I learned that's who she was. In the book, there's a situation where a downtown bookstore serves as a clandestine drop-off point for conveying things to the rebel group. There's an upper-crust, uptown, young man who's secretly providing things for the group. They don't know this about him. I figured it made perfect sense that he might have dressed in rougher clothes and gone to a part of town someone like him wouldn't frequent to drop things off, and all they'd know was that a young man was their contact. They could refer to having met him without it meaning they knew his name and position. The editor didn't believe this was possible and was requiring a lot of complicated writing to show how this could be true. I decided to delete the reference and suggest he used a courier to drop things off (in my head, it's really him). It's not like it matters to the plot. I just found it amusing that the rebels were thinking that all people like this character were awful without realizing that they already knew and trusted this guy -- it was sort of the sense that we're all the same beneath the outer trappings.
I kind of wish I were able to know who everyone I met was because that would have spared me a lot of embarrassment over the years. I'm terrible at recognizing people out of context. I've had way too many "smile and nod" conversations where I have no idea who I'm talking to and am living in dread that someone else will join us and I'll have to make introduction. Or worse, at booksignings where the person clearly knows me but I can't remember their name to write it in the book. I've been in a situation where I was with a group of people chatting with the governor-elect of the state, who was already a very public figure, and after he left, someone said, "He was really nice. Who was he?" Fortunately, in that case I knew who I was talking to, but it was possible for a famous person to have a casual chat with someone who thought he was just some random guy.
But after this, it should be going in to copy editing, and then I'll be mostly done with the book other than reviewing copyedits and checking page proofs. I'm hoping to start seeing some cover ideas before long.
One thing that baffled me was the editor's assertion that she couldn't believe someone could have met someone and not know who that person was. I do that all the time. I can have in-depth conversations with someone and never find out their name. I've even done this with moderately famous people. I had a very nice chat in a convention green room with a very interesting lady before I found out it was Lois McMaster Bujold. If someone else hadn't called her by name, there's a very good chance I might have run into her later and then had a duh moment when I learned that's who she was. In the book, there's a situation where a downtown bookstore serves as a clandestine drop-off point for conveying things to the rebel group. There's an upper-crust, uptown, young man who's secretly providing things for the group. They don't know this about him. I figured it made perfect sense that he might have dressed in rougher clothes and gone to a part of town someone like him wouldn't frequent to drop things off, and all they'd know was that a young man was their contact. They could refer to having met him without it meaning they knew his name and position. The editor didn't believe this was possible and was requiring a lot of complicated writing to show how this could be true. I decided to delete the reference and suggest he used a courier to drop things off (in my head, it's really him). It's not like it matters to the plot. I just found it amusing that the rebels were thinking that all people like this character were awful without realizing that they already knew and trusted this guy -- it was sort of the sense that we're all the same beneath the outer trappings.
I kind of wish I were able to know who everyone I met was because that would have spared me a lot of embarrassment over the years. I'm terrible at recognizing people out of context. I've had way too many "smile and nod" conversations where I have no idea who I'm talking to and am living in dread that someone else will join us and I'll have to make introduction. Or worse, at booksignings where the person clearly knows me but I can't remember their name to write it in the book. I've been in a situation where I was with a group of people chatting with the governor-elect of the state, who was already a very public figure, and after he left, someone said, "He was really nice. Who was he?" Fortunately, in that case I knew who I was talking to, but it was possible for a famous person to have a casual chat with someone who thought he was just some random guy.
But after this, it should be going in to copy editing, and then I'll be mostly done with the book other than reviewing copyedits and checking page proofs. I'm hoping to start seeing some cover ideas before long.
April 24, 2014
Unintentional Stripes
I got about halfway through inputting the editor's changes on the manuscript yesterday, so I should finish that phase today. I also need to write a foreword to set the stage for what is alternate about this alternate history. Strangely, she wants this to explain an area of history that's not even relevant to this story, but she for some reason thinks that it would be offensive not to mention this part of history. I did have it mentally worked out even if it isn't relevant, so it's not like I'll have to create something to explain elements that mean nothing to the story, but I thought that was a little odd. Fortunately, I'd already written this kind of introduction and will just have to add the irrelevant (but potentially interesting) information. She did thank me for being patient with her through all this, and there were some nice notes in the manuscript about things I changed the last time around, saying that this was a really good revision and she liked the result.
So maybe I'll remove one of those pins from the voodoo doll.
Last night's kindergarten choir was rather fraught. One kid burst into tears when he didn't get to do what he wanted to do and had to do what he didn't want to do (sing). He claimed he didn't know how to sing, so he didn't want to. I think he was mostly just tired, and the exhaustion came out in tears. He's in kindergarten and already playing multiple sports, plus doing church activities at two churches (he actually goes to another church, but his mother is friends with our organist, so they do music stuff at our church). It was one of those times when it was best to just let him sit aside and cry until he got it out of his system, and then he seemed to be a lot better and back to his usual self. I just have one more normal session with them, then the program where they sing for the parents, and then I'm free!!!! I also get done with my choir earlier this year, so we may get a longer summer break.
It's getting warm, so I took the big comforter off the bed yesterday and put on the new knitted bedspread. And then I noticed that there's a goof in there where I got off the pattern briefly in a couple of spots, so there are unintentional stripes. It's not really obvious and it took me a while to even notice or figure out the problem, but now it bugs me. I keep saying that it would be a huge amount of work to undo it to that point and fix it, and I have something else on those needles at the moment, and since I'm currently using it, it would be a bad time to take several weeks to fix it, but I have a feeling that it might get reworked next fall. I might make it a little longer, while I'm at it.
Here's the foot of it, showing the border. If you look really closely, you can kind of see the shadow of the unintentional stripe near the top.
So maybe I'll remove one of those pins from the voodoo doll.
Last night's kindergarten choir was rather fraught. One kid burst into tears when he didn't get to do what he wanted to do and had to do what he didn't want to do (sing). He claimed he didn't know how to sing, so he didn't want to. I think he was mostly just tired, and the exhaustion came out in tears. He's in kindergarten and already playing multiple sports, plus doing church activities at two churches (he actually goes to another church, but his mother is friends with our organist, so they do music stuff at our church). It was one of those times when it was best to just let him sit aside and cry until he got it out of his system, and then he seemed to be a lot better and back to his usual self. I just have one more normal session with them, then the program where they sing for the parents, and then I'm free!!!! I also get done with my choir earlier this year, so we may get a longer summer break.
It's getting warm, so I took the big comforter off the bed yesterday and put on the new knitted bedspread. And then I noticed that there's a goof in there where I got off the pattern briefly in a couple of spots, so there are unintentional stripes. It's not really obvious and it took me a while to even notice or figure out the problem, but now it bugs me. I keep saying that it would be a huge amount of work to undo it to that point and fix it, and I have something else on those needles at the moment, and since I'm currently using it, it would be a bad time to take several weeks to fix it, but I have a feeling that it might get reworked next fall. I might make it a little longer, while I'm at it.
Here's the foot of it, showing the border. If you look really closely, you can kind of see the shadow of the unintentional stripe near the top.
April 23, 2014
Writing When You're Busy
I'm going to have to dive into those revisions today because I need them done next week. Eep! Since I took the jazz class after ballet, my body is currently angry at me, so sitting and working is probably good. And then I get to go chase kindergarteners. More eep.
Today's writing post is appropriate to stuff I'm dealing with now. I have a reader question about writing when everything else in life is going crazy, like a busy holiday season.
How you handle this depends on your situation. It's more serious when you have a contractual deadline. You have a lot more leeway when you're working on your own and it's more of a personal goal.
If possible, you can avoid some stress by setting realistic deadlines. Sometimes, you may get revisions from your editor and a request to have them done in a week, and you don't have much choice in the matter, but generally when it comes to completion of a manuscript, I'm given some say in setting the due date. I tend to pad my deadlines in a big way, which takes away some stress and makes me look brilliant when I'm very early, but I take a good look at my calendar and make sure the deadline doesn't fall around a major event like a convention or a holiday season when I'm sure to be busy. I try to set my deadlines before such events because if you are coming up against a deadline and need to put on a push, you don't want that to be during a week in which you have events every night and a lot of errands to run.
If something comes up and it looks like you won't meet your deadline, it's best if you let the editor know right away. I know my previous publisher also padded deadlines because authors so often missed them, but it does help in their scheduling if they have time to plan. I had that issue come up a couple of years ago when I was ill for nearly six weeks and it completely sidetracked my writing. I let the publisher know while I was still sick that I might be late with the book, and they were able to work things out.
If you do have to get work done during a busy time, you need to give yourself permission to let other things slide for a while. Focus on the things you're required to do -- your work and whatever's making you busy. Then let yourself live on takeout and frozen dinners for a week, don't worry about the house getting messy, and dig deep into your "laundry day" clothes. If you have a chance to prepare for a busy run, do the laundry in advance and stock up on quick and easy meals. Let your friends know that your social life may need to be put on hold for a while, though it doesn't hurt to give yourself an occasional break so you don't snap.
If the deadline isn't urgent and you don't want to just give yourself a writing break during the busy spell, adjust your expectations. You may not hit your usual time or word count goals, but doing any work at all can be an achievement that allows you to maintain some momentum. If you're really distracted, to the point that writing is hard to focus on, this could be a good time for brainstorming or research so that you're thinking about your story even if you aren't adding words to the manuscript.
Today's writing post is appropriate to stuff I'm dealing with now. I have a reader question about writing when everything else in life is going crazy, like a busy holiday season.
How you handle this depends on your situation. It's more serious when you have a contractual deadline. You have a lot more leeway when you're working on your own and it's more of a personal goal.
If possible, you can avoid some stress by setting realistic deadlines. Sometimes, you may get revisions from your editor and a request to have them done in a week, and you don't have much choice in the matter, but generally when it comes to completion of a manuscript, I'm given some say in setting the due date. I tend to pad my deadlines in a big way, which takes away some stress and makes me look brilliant when I'm very early, but I take a good look at my calendar and make sure the deadline doesn't fall around a major event like a convention or a holiday season when I'm sure to be busy. I try to set my deadlines before such events because if you are coming up against a deadline and need to put on a push, you don't want that to be during a week in which you have events every night and a lot of errands to run.
If something comes up and it looks like you won't meet your deadline, it's best if you let the editor know right away. I know my previous publisher also padded deadlines because authors so often missed them, but it does help in their scheduling if they have time to plan. I had that issue come up a couple of years ago when I was ill for nearly six weeks and it completely sidetracked my writing. I let the publisher know while I was still sick that I might be late with the book, and they were able to work things out.
If you do have to get work done during a busy time, you need to give yourself permission to let other things slide for a while. Focus on the things you're required to do -- your work and whatever's making you busy. Then let yourself live on takeout and frozen dinners for a week, don't worry about the house getting messy, and dig deep into your "laundry day" clothes. If you have a chance to prepare for a busy run, do the laundry in advance and stock up on quick and easy meals. Let your friends know that your social life may need to be put on hold for a while, though it doesn't hurt to give yourself an occasional break so you don't snap.
If the deadline isn't urgent and you don't want to just give yourself a writing break during the busy spell, adjust your expectations. You may not hit your usual time or word count goals, but doing any work at all can be an achievement that allows you to maintain some momentum. If you're really distracted, to the point that writing is hard to focus on, this could be a good time for brainstorming or research so that you're thinking about your story even if you aren't adding words to the manuscript.
