Beth Revis's Blog, page 69
October 24, 2010
New Revision Rewriting Process
Last year, I tried a new way of revising. You can read about it here (the plan), here (what worked), here (what didn't work), and here (the end result).
The thing about that plan was that I was working on my own schedule then. Essentially, I set aside three months, and had three groups of beta readers. I had alpha readers to check pace, revised it, sent it to beta readers for a month to check plot and characters, revised again, and then sent it to gamma readers for the final spit shine.
The end result? Three rounds of revisions and three rounds of readers who could tell me how well I progressed at each revisions = a pretty polished manuscript.
The problem? This time around, I don't have three months to revise. AND I have a much rougher manuscript on my hands.
I admit it--soon after finishing Draft 1, I started panicking. A LOT. I had a mess of a manuscript--and I knew it was a mess--and I had a very tight deadline.
Fortunately, I also had a cadre of trusted readers.
So, I threw it at them in a frazzled, semi-incoherent email, begging for help. I did not have the organized stages of reads and focused topic points and well-organized plan of last year.
And they took my huge mess, and made lovely nice notes explaining what a huge mess it was.
Which is why I love them.
So, because mycrit partners friends are so awesome, I ended up with a huge mess of a manuscript and piles of notes on what's wrong and how to fix it. And...it was rather intimidating, actually.
So: new plan.
The RevisedRevision Rewriting PlanFor use when you got a great big fat mess on your hands.Gather together all the notes from critiquers
First, I read through everything and got a basic impression of what the general idea was
Then, I started translating their notes into my own words
This is hugely important--sometimes, critiquers will say "Why don't you do X?" Well, maybe you don't want to do X--but you've got to figure out why they suggested X (maybe the character seemed weak, or the motivation wasn't clear, or whatever). Then, put the idea that you have in your own words.
Also--no matter how good your critiquers are, not all notes work
Point 1: I had one critiquer who really didn't like my first chapter. I had another who sincerely loved it. They can't both be right--I had to look at why each felt the way she did, and which interpretation more closely matched my intent. In the end, I decided to keep Chapter 1, but fix the issue that made the critiquer not like it.
Point 2: Sometimes critiquer's suggestions run contrarily to your intent. When a critiquer suggests something that causes a gut reaction of "No!" in you, that does not mean the critiquer is wrong--that means you've somehow failed to get across what you were actually going for. So you don't have to change it in the way they suggest, but you do need to understand where the suggestion was coming from a fix it from there.
Point 3: Sometimes critiquers who are writers are thinking with their writing head, not their reader heads. I do this all the time, personally--I basically start to try to rewrite a scene the way I want it to be, whether or not it fits in the story.
Finally, I took all the big picture things, and compiled it into a notebook of what I basically had to do to fix up the manuscript.
For me: this is 9 pages long, with notes as varied as "Amy and Elder should fight over X in the scene where Y happens." to single lines of narrative that I want to shape a chapter around.
When you have the general idea of what needs to change, apply the changes to specific chapters
Once I had my 9 pages of generalized notes, it was time to funnel the generalizations into specific scenes.
First, I took a sheet of note paper, and divided it into two columns. I labeled the first column "What Happens" and the second column "What Needs to Change."
In the first column, I listed each chapter and a one sentence description of what happens in the chapter.
In the second column, I referred back to my general notes, coming up with specific scenes and changes that would answer the problems of the general notes.
Then, I used a different colored pen to draws changes and new scenes to the chapters that they coorespond to.
For example, in one chapter, Elder talks to some Feeders about a problem. There's not really anything wrong with this chapter. But one of the big changes I'm making is the type of mystery the character solve and I wanted to make sure there were traces of that mystery early on in the novel. So, I added a clue of the mystery and a new scene were Elder finds the clue before the chapter where he talks with the Feeders.
For me, I got between 40-50 pages of manuscript condensed to one legal-sized piece of paper in notes with mark-ups of how to change them.
From this point, you need to decide: revision or rewrite
For me, I had such significant changes that I decided I needed to rewrite instead of revise
The difference?
With revision, you use the same manuscript document and then add changes from there.
With a rewrite, you open up a new Word document and start writing all over again.
Personally, I have a wide-screen computer screen (awesome), so I have the old document open on the left side, and the new document open on the right side, because there's rather a lot I can cut and paste from old to new, interspersed with new writing.
How about you? How do you revise?
The thing about that plan was that I was working on my own schedule then. Essentially, I set aside three months, and had three groups of beta readers. I had alpha readers to check pace, revised it, sent it to beta readers for a month to check plot and characters, revised again, and then sent it to gamma readers for the final spit shine.
The end result? Three rounds of revisions and three rounds of readers who could tell me how well I progressed at each revisions = a pretty polished manuscript.
The problem? This time around, I don't have three months to revise. AND I have a much rougher manuscript on my hands.
I admit it--soon after finishing Draft 1, I started panicking. A LOT. I had a mess of a manuscript--and I knew it was a mess--and I had a very tight deadline.
Fortunately, I also had a cadre of trusted readers.
So, I threw it at them in a frazzled, semi-incoherent email, begging for help. I did not have the organized stages of reads and focused topic points and well-organized plan of last year.
And they took my huge mess, and made lovely nice notes explaining what a huge mess it was.
Which is why I love them.
So, because my
So: new plan.
The Revised
First, I read through everything and got a basic impression of what the general idea was
Then, I started translating their notes into my own words
This is hugely important--sometimes, critiquers will say "Why don't you do X?" Well, maybe you don't want to do X--but you've got to figure out why they suggested X (maybe the character seemed weak, or the motivation wasn't clear, or whatever). Then, put the idea that you have in your own words.
Also--no matter how good your critiquers are, not all notes work
Point 1: I had one critiquer who really didn't like my first chapter. I had another who sincerely loved it. They can't both be right--I had to look at why each felt the way she did, and which interpretation more closely matched my intent. In the end, I decided to keep Chapter 1, but fix the issue that made the critiquer not like it.
Point 2: Sometimes critiquer's suggestions run contrarily to your intent. When a critiquer suggests something that causes a gut reaction of "No!" in you, that does not mean the critiquer is wrong--that means you've somehow failed to get across what you were actually going for. So you don't have to change it in the way they suggest, but you do need to understand where the suggestion was coming from a fix it from there.
Point 3: Sometimes critiquers who are writers are thinking with their writing head, not their reader heads. I do this all the time, personally--I basically start to try to rewrite a scene the way I want it to be, whether or not it fits in the story.
Finally, I took all the big picture things, and compiled it into a notebook of what I basically had to do to fix up the manuscript.
For me: this is 9 pages long, with notes as varied as "Amy and Elder should fight over X in the scene where Y happens." to single lines of narrative that I want to shape a chapter around.
When you have the general idea of what needs to change, apply the changes to specific chapters
Once I had my 9 pages of generalized notes, it was time to funnel the generalizations into specific scenes.
First, I took a sheet of note paper, and divided it into two columns. I labeled the first column "What Happens" and the second column "What Needs to Change."
In the first column, I listed each chapter and a one sentence description of what happens in the chapter.
In the second column, I referred back to my general notes, coming up with specific scenes and changes that would answer the problems of the general notes.
Then, I used a different colored pen to draws changes and new scenes to the chapters that they coorespond to.
For example, in one chapter, Elder talks to some Feeders about a problem. There's not really anything wrong with this chapter. But one of the big changes I'm making is the type of mystery the character solve and I wanted to make sure there were traces of that mystery early on in the novel. So, I added a clue of the mystery and a new scene were Elder finds the clue before the chapter where he talks with the Feeders.
For me, I got between 40-50 pages of manuscript condensed to one legal-sized piece of paper in notes with mark-ups of how to change them.
From this point, you need to decide: revision or rewrite
For me, I had such significant changes that I decided I needed to rewrite instead of revise
The difference?
With revision, you use the same manuscript document and then add changes from there.
With a rewrite, you open up a new Word document and start writing all over again.
Personally, I have a wide-screen computer screen (awesome), so I have the old document open on the left side, and the new document open on the right side, because there's rather a lot I can cut and paste from old to new, interspersed with new writing.
How about you? How do you revise?
October 22, 2010
NaNoRevMo
Psh. NaNoWriMo. Everyone's jumping on board.
Me? I'm making my own NaNoREVISIONMo. I'm giving myself from now until mid-November (preferably early November) to finish revising my (very) rough draft of Book 2.
I mean very rough draft.
I mean ridiculously-rougher-than-sandpaper rough draft.
I'm trying something new with revisions. I will tell you all about it--later, after I see whether it works or not. Meanwhile, why not look at this awesome video, courtesy of Stephanie Perkins?
The video is all about Understanding Teenage Boys, and since half my novel is told from a teenage boy's POV, I consider it research. Also, Charlie is cute. There, I said it.
And while you're at it, why not watch this video, too? Just because it's pretty funny, and John Green also makes a cameo appearance.
Me? I'm making my own NaNoREVISIONMo. I'm giving myself from now until mid-November (preferably early November) to finish revising my (very) rough draft of Book 2.
I mean very rough draft.
I mean ridiculously-rougher-than-sandpaper rough draft.
I'm trying something new with revisions. I will tell you all about it--later, after I see whether it works or not. Meanwhile, why not look at this awesome video, courtesy of Stephanie Perkins?
The video is all about Understanding Teenage Boys, and since half my novel is told from a teenage boy's POV, I consider it research. Also, Charlie is cute. There, I said it.
And while you're at it, why not watch this video, too? Just because it's pretty funny, and John Green also makes a cameo appearance.
October 20, 2010
Bookanista Feature: Stephanie Perkins's ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS
The Bookanistas are a group of writers - in various stages of the publishing process – who have decided to band together and review the special books of our peers. No negative reviews here! We post every Thursday and cover various topics– upcoming ARCs, books we love, special diamonds in the rough, classics, and even cover reviews.Here is a list of the Bookanistas: Christina Fonseca, Jamie Harrington, Michelle Hodkin, Kirsten Hubbard, Shelli Johannes-Wells, Myra McEntire, Shannon Messenger, Bethany Wiggins and Suzette Saxton, Beth Revis, Lisa and Laura Roecker, Sarah Frances Hardy and Katie Anderson, Scott Tracey, and Carolina Miller
ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins
I wasn't planning on posting this week.
My revisions on Book 2 have turned in rewrites. Panicked OMGosh-MUST-DO-THIS-NOW rewrites. I don't have time to read.
But then I got ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS in the mail from my Bookanista sisters.
I said, "Fine. I'll read the first chapter."
And then two hours and 100 pages DISAPPEARED.
You guys know it's rare for me to feature a contemporary novel. RARE. Well, ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS is a rare kind of book. Basically, it's a love story. But it's such a good love story.
What ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS has that most other contemporary love stories don't:A very hot boy
Who also has flaws and is no where near perfect
A very nice girl
Who isn't a push-over and is willing to stand up for herself
A very beautiful city
That's so realistic, it's practically a third main character
A plot
Yes, really! There's a plot! An actual, interesting plot!
Also: Stephanie Perkins makes fun of Nicholas Sparks. I mean, I guess it's possible that Anna's dad is a completely fictional character, but I like to think of him as Nicholas Sparks.
What ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS doesn't have that most other contemporary love stories annoyingly do:A love triangle
I mean, there are other people, but it's realistic teen dating situations, not exactly a love triangle. In other words, it's not like anyone's going to be on any team other than Team Anna and Etienne, and that's....refreshing
A plot that hinges on love
Isn't that nice? That some things happen other than goo-goo eyes and romantic sighs?
Lust taking priority over love
C'mon. Let's ask ourselves honestly. Do most teens love each other in stories because they're mutually hot, or because of their winning personalities? In ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS, the teens actually, you know, get to know each other before they actually fall in love.
Also:
If you're a writer, then ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS can teach you to:
Show, don't tell
Anna's a neat freak. I know this as well as I know Anna. But yanno what? Stephanie never. once. tells me that. Not once. She shows me.
Make setting count
Dude. It's Paris. It's Paris. But yanno what made it real? The little things. The jerk in the Euro Disney shirt. The macaroons. The VO tickets at movie theaters.
Create plausible secondary characters
There's a slew of them. Toph has about ten pages of face time--but he's just as real as Anna and Etienne. To say nothing of Rashmi, Mer, Josh...all superbly done.
Follow narrative themes
I'll let you discover this one on your own. But I'll just say something in the first chapter comes back in the last. And I adore that sort of thing.
I feel a bit stalkerish of poor Stephanie Perkins--I mean, I kidnapped her website designer to design my site, and I keep bugging her on Twitter, but...even so...you should totally read this book.
*~*~*~*
Other Bookanista Features Today:
Elana Johnson Tells Us About TORMENT
Lisa and Laura Roecker Cover THE CONFESSIONS OF THE SULLIVAN SISTERS
Christine Fonseca Moons Over MATCHED
Shannon Messenger Fangirls THE FAMILIARS
Shelli Johannes-Wells Marvels over Middle Grade
Kirsten Hubbard Woos Us with WITHER
Myra McEntire Beholds the British Special Edition of the TWILIGHT SAGA
Beth Revis Adores ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS
Carolina Valdez Miller Is Moved By MARBURY LENS
Megan Miranda Swoons Over STOLEN
Contest Winner and New Interview Up
Lalalala...
Oh, hi there!
What can I do you for? We've got some lovely coffee made, why not sit for a spell and chat. Nice weather we're having. Isn't the latest movie divine? My local sports teams beats your local sports team.
What?
You're waiting for something?
You're waiting for some news?
Some news about who won the Adventurous Contest?
Why don't we dish about the latest hot topic? Dissect some Puritan literature? Compose complicated sonnets?
No? You just want to find out who won the Adventurous Contest?
*huffs* Fine.
Well, aftercountless hours of carefully tabulated research counting up the entries and entering it into Random.org...
The winner is....
MELISSA from BLAME IT ON THE WEATHERMAN!
Congrats, Melissa! *throws confetti around* Send me your address, and you'll get the signed ARC and a special little something-something from NYC in the mail!
Didn't win? NEVER FEAR. I'm going to be holding another contest in November, and another one in December AND another one in January. AND THEY ALL GET PROGRESSIVELY MORE AWESOME. Seriously. I've got SO many awesome people helping out with November's contest your mind, it will be blown. And as for December? It's so epic that I'm a little nervous about pulling it off. And January? Holy cow. I want the prize for January!!
So, yeah: don't worry about not winning this time! It can only get better ;)
Finally, make sure you check out The Scibbler's Cove. This awesome new site is all about helping writers and commiserating about the craft, and today, they interviewed me! Rebecca's questions were really interesting--one of my answers (the one to the question about what's surprised me since getting the call) wasn't something I expected...but when I really thought about it, I realized it was the truth.
Oh, hi there!
What can I do you for? We've got some lovely coffee made, why not sit for a spell and chat. Nice weather we're having. Isn't the latest movie divine? My local sports teams beats your local sports team.
What?
You're waiting for something?
You're waiting for some news?
Some news about who won the Adventurous Contest?
Why don't we dish about the latest hot topic? Dissect some Puritan literature? Compose complicated sonnets?
No? You just want to find out who won the Adventurous Contest?
*huffs* Fine.
Well, after
The winner is....
MELISSA from BLAME IT ON THE WEATHERMAN!
Congrats, Melissa! *throws confetti around* Send me your address, and you'll get the signed ARC and a special little something-something from NYC in the mail!
Didn't win? NEVER FEAR. I'm going to be holding another contest in November, and another one in December AND another one in January. AND THEY ALL GET PROGRESSIVELY MORE AWESOME. Seriously. I've got SO many awesome people helping out with November's contest your mind, it will be blown. And as for December? It's so epic that I'm a little nervous about pulling it off. And January? Holy cow. I want the prize for January!!
So, yeah: don't worry about not winning this time! It can only get better ;)
Finally, make sure you check out The Scibbler's Cove. This awesome new site is all about helping writers and commiserating about the craft, and today, they interviewed me! Rebecca's questions were really interesting--one of my answers (the one to the question about what's surprised me since getting the call) wasn't something I expected...but when I really thought about it, I realized it was the truth.
October 19, 2010
New York, New York
To read this post properly, you really should be belting out "New York, New York." Here, let me set the mood:
OK! With that playing in the background, let me indulge my inner grandma and share some pics from the trip!
First thing we did--literally, as soon as we dropped our bags in the hotel room--was hoof it to the piers and get on a Circle Line Cruise. I know. Cheesy. Tourist-y. BUT. I had ridden in a car, van, bus, plane, and train in one day, and all I was lacking was boat. So off we went.
One of the first things we saw was the beautiful statue of liberty. I had better pictures, but I like this one the best, with the sunlight and the glittering water.
This man was so funny! He'd just caught a fish, and wanted to show it off to everyone on our boat.
This is something new I learned on the Circle Line Cruise--at the top of the island, there's a recreation of a medieval cloister, complete with medieval era plants in the garden and tapestries on the wall! Now I realllllly want to go, but it's a long way from downtown.
One of my fave pictures--the sun setting over Washington Bridge.
After this, the husband and I both crashed in our hotel--that was a long cruise following a long day of travel. And beside, the next day was ComicCon!
Check it. I totally caught a bird in the upper right corner! Awesome.
ComicCon takes place at the Javits Center, this colossal black glass building that is a labyrinthine maze inside--or, at least it felt that way as we waited HOURS to get in, despite the fact that we'd already bought our tickets online. But it was totally cool with me, because I got to speak at a panel (so cool!) and had a few people stop me and ask me to sign their ARCs (even cooler!).
Evidence of the crowdedness. Interesting sidenote: my phone's camera can do panoramic shots! Be prepared for more similar. Clicky through for bigger picture.
But, of course, the real appeal of ComicCon was the books! Yes! Glorious books! Also: costumes! And since pictures of books are boring, here's my fave costumes:
Yes. I love Kingdom Hearts. There were many Sora costumes, but this was the best. And don't you love the pose?!
PS: Yes, I'm a great big nerd. This is Inuyasha. If you don't know Inuyasha, YOU SHOULD.
I TOLD YOU I WAS A NERD, OK? All right, just in case you don't know--this is Princess Serena. From Sailor Moon? Yes, I'm old-school nerd. And yes, I totally noticed that she even did the classic Princess Serena pose. OMG this was by far my favorite costume.
On Sunday, I took the husband off to...NINJA NEW YORK! Many of you will remember that I've long said I wanted to go there if I ever got an agent/book deal/a good enough excuse to go to NYC. And now I've been! It was AWESOME. It was SO SO SO AWESOME. The husband and I ordered food for every course, even dessert (rare for me) AND we ordered the special ninja-style food for every course (read: special effects food).
Imagine this sign turned around right-side up. But I wanted to include the pic, because it pretty much sets the scene for the restaurant. They really do the place to look just like a real Japanese town.
There were cute little pumpkins carved alongside all the Japanese decor!
My first course. On fire.
Shared appetizer. It smoked for a good ten or fifteen minutes.
Corwin's second course. Also on fire.
For the record, Corwin let me die THREE TIMES. I cannot trust him anymore.
After ComicCon, I drug my husband to the American Museum of Natural History. Yes, drug him. Because, see, he knows I'm a nerd. And he gets bored easily. And his idea of fun does not include museums. "But," I said, "you've not seen anything as cool as THIS museum."
He was doubtful.
First I took him to the observatory:
I told you I liked the panoramic feature! Clicky to embiggen.
This room was so cool. Dead creepy crawlies and stuffed animals everywhere. I loved the swirl of butterflies on the right.
This cloth is made of SPIDER SILK. Awesome.
Corwin meets a long lost ancestor.
Oooh, shiny!
And then, of course, we got to the dinosaurs. And the husband was in utter awe.
This turtle was so big you could RIDE HIM. I mean, you could ride him if he weren't dead.
Rawr.
Check out the brontosaurus! So huge he'd barely fit in the picture.
You know those creepy stories about antlered fairy men? I imagine THESE antlers.
After the museum, I made Corwin do a bus ride. I know, I know. Touristy. Yeah. But whatever! The bus ride we took was called The Ride, and it's brand new--as in, it's only been open a few weeks brand-new. AND IT ROCKED. Seriously. Don't be a touristy snob like I usually am. DO THIS. It was SO MUCH FUN.
So, basically, you get on a bus:
The bus.
But it's NOT a normal bus.
The bus from the other side. Notice the full glass windows.
Inside, the bus has three rows of stadium style seating that faces one direction. One entire side of the bus and half the ceiling is glass--so as you ride, you get a full view of what's in front of you.
The bus from inside. Tilt your head. Sorry about that.
But this is not a typical bus ride. Yes, you go past the famous site, such as Times Square and Grand Central Station and all that. But instead of just harping on about how tall a building is or some tosh like that, there are actors on the street who reenact famous scenes...
Recognize this kiss?
...or who otherwise interact with the bus. For example, outside of the Ritz, a fake paprazzi flashed pictures of the bus and pretended as if we were celebrities. A street delivery person dropped into a break dance routine. You never knew WHO on the street was a performer, and who was just one of the hundreds of bystanders in NY. In one really funny scene, we drive down a street that looks fairly normal and boring. We're told that someone on the street will remove something. We're looking at the dozen or so people walking down the street, and one man takes off his hat. Then we're told he'll remove something else...and he takes off his wig! Then...we're told he'll remove one more thing...and as he's walking down the street, he rips his pants off! It was truly hilarious and unexpected--and even better was to see the regular New Yorkers just look at him and shrug as they went on with their day.
It started raining heavily, so my picture didn't turn out well. But here, a ballerina and her partner danced in a circle as The Ride went around Columbus Circle. It was magically beautiful.
And, of course, I couldn't do all the touristy stuff without also doing the Empire State Building.
Now I'm singing "Empire State of Mind." I hope you're happy, Alicia Keyes.
The Empire State Building was just fun. I'd been before, but it was the husband's first time, and we hit a great time of day--just as the sun was going down. It wasn't too crowded, it was still light, and there was still a bit of romance as the buildings' shadows lengthened.
The real reason anyone goes into the Empire State Building: to see the much prettier Chrysler Building.
Manhattan, with the Statue of Liberty.
Lookit! The shadow of the Empire State Building!
And that was it! My grand NYC adventure!
I know some of you are thinking--but what about the publisher stuff?! And yes--I did get to meet my wonderful editor and everyone else at Razorbill (hi everyone!) and it was BRILLIANT. And I met my wonderful agent (hi Merrilee! hi Jennifer!) and it was also brilliant (and the Writers House offices---gorgeous). And I ate so much delicious food I'm surprised I lived to tell the tale.
But...uh...I didn't take any pictures of that.
Sorry!
But I felt like such a greenie, I couldn't just pop out my camera and say "cheese!" in front of all these uber-cool NYC peeps, could I?
OK, yes. Probably. They were all very nice and would have totally done it. But I was too shy to ask :P
But here you all go! My awesomely amazing NYC adventure...sans the publishing stuff...with extra touristy stuff added!
Hope you enjoyed!
OK! With that playing in the background, let me indulge my inner grandma and share some pics from the trip!
First thing we did--literally, as soon as we dropped our bags in the hotel room--was hoof it to the piers and get on a Circle Line Cruise. I know. Cheesy. Tourist-y. BUT. I had ridden in a car, van, bus, plane, and train in one day, and all I was lacking was boat. So off we went.
One of the first things we saw was the beautiful statue of liberty. I had better pictures, but I like this one the best, with the sunlight and the glittering water.
This man was so funny! He'd just caught a fish, and wanted to show it off to everyone on our boat.
This is something new I learned on the Circle Line Cruise--at the top of the island, there's a recreation of a medieval cloister, complete with medieval era plants in the garden and tapestries on the wall! Now I realllllly want to go, but it's a long way from downtown.
One of my fave pictures--the sun setting over Washington Bridge.
After this, the husband and I both crashed in our hotel--that was a long cruise following a long day of travel. And beside, the next day was ComicCon!
Check it. I totally caught a bird in the upper right corner! Awesome.
ComicCon takes place at the Javits Center, this colossal black glass building that is a labyrinthine maze inside--or, at least it felt that way as we waited HOURS to get in, despite the fact that we'd already bought our tickets online. But it was totally cool with me, because I got to speak at a panel (so cool!) and had a few people stop me and ask me to sign their ARCs (even cooler!).
Evidence of the crowdedness. Interesting sidenote: my phone's camera can do panoramic shots! Be prepared for more similar. Clicky through for bigger picture.
But, of course, the real appeal of ComicCon was the books! Yes! Glorious books! Also: costumes! And since pictures of books are boring, here's my fave costumes:
Yes. I love Kingdom Hearts. There were many Sora costumes, but this was the best. And don't you love the pose?!
PS: Yes, I'm a great big nerd. This is Inuyasha. If you don't know Inuyasha, YOU SHOULD.
I TOLD YOU I WAS A NERD, OK? All right, just in case you don't know--this is Princess Serena. From Sailor Moon? Yes, I'm old-school nerd. And yes, I totally noticed that she even did the classic Princess Serena pose. OMG this was by far my favorite costume.
On Sunday, I took the husband off to...NINJA NEW YORK! Many of you will remember that I've long said I wanted to go there if I ever got an agent/book deal/a good enough excuse to go to NYC. And now I've been! It was AWESOME. It was SO SO SO AWESOME. The husband and I ordered food for every course, even dessert (rare for me) AND we ordered the special ninja-style food for every course (read: special effects food).
Imagine this sign turned around right-side up. But I wanted to include the pic, because it pretty much sets the scene for the restaurant. They really do the place to look just like a real Japanese town.
There were cute little pumpkins carved alongside all the Japanese decor!
My first course. On fire.
Shared appetizer. It smoked for a good ten or fifteen minutes.
Corwin's second course. Also on fire.
For the record, Corwin let me die THREE TIMES. I cannot trust him anymore.
After ComicCon, I drug my husband to the American Museum of Natural History. Yes, drug him. Because, see, he knows I'm a nerd. And he gets bored easily. And his idea of fun does not include museums. "But," I said, "you've not seen anything as cool as THIS museum."
He was doubtful.
First I took him to the observatory:
I told you I liked the panoramic feature! Clicky to embiggen.
This room was so cool. Dead creepy crawlies and stuffed animals everywhere. I loved the swirl of butterflies on the right.
This cloth is made of SPIDER SILK. Awesome.
Corwin meets a long lost ancestor.
Oooh, shiny!
And then, of course, we got to the dinosaurs. And the husband was in utter awe.
This turtle was so big you could RIDE HIM. I mean, you could ride him if he weren't dead.
Rawr.
Check out the brontosaurus! So huge he'd barely fit in the picture.
You know those creepy stories about antlered fairy men? I imagine THESE antlers.
After the museum, I made Corwin do a bus ride. I know, I know. Touristy. Yeah. But whatever! The bus ride we took was called The Ride, and it's brand new--as in, it's only been open a few weeks brand-new. AND IT ROCKED. Seriously. Don't be a touristy snob like I usually am. DO THIS. It was SO MUCH FUN.
So, basically, you get on a bus:
The bus.
But it's NOT a normal bus.
The bus from the other side. Notice the full glass windows.
Inside, the bus has three rows of stadium style seating that faces one direction. One entire side of the bus and half the ceiling is glass--so as you ride, you get a full view of what's in front of you.
The bus from inside. Tilt your head. Sorry about that.
But this is not a typical bus ride. Yes, you go past the famous site, such as Times Square and Grand Central Station and all that. But instead of just harping on about how tall a building is or some tosh like that, there are actors on the street who reenact famous scenes...
Recognize this kiss?
...or who otherwise interact with the bus. For example, outside of the Ritz, a fake paprazzi flashed pictures of the bus and pretended as if we were celebrities. A street delivery person dropped into a break dance routine. You never knew WHO on the street was a performer, and who was just one of the hundreds of bystanders in NY. In one really funny scene, we drive down a street that looks fairly normal and boring. We're told that someone on the street will remove something. We're looking at the dozen or so people walking down the street, and one man takes off his hat. Then we're told he'll remove something else...and he takes off his wig! Then...we're told he'll remove one more thing...and as he's walking down the street, he rips his pants off! It was truly hilarious and unexpected--and even better was to see the regular New Yorkers just look at him and shrug as they went on with their day.
It started raining heavily, so my picture didn't turn out well. But here, a ballerina and her partner danced in a circle as The Ride went around Columbus Circle. It was magically beautiful.
And, of course, I couldn't do all the touristy stuff without also doing the Empire State Building.
Now I'm singing "Empire State of Mind." I hope you're happy, Alicia Keyes.
The Empire State Building was just fun. I'd been before, but it was the husband's first time, and we hit a great time of day--just as the sun was going down. It wasn't too crowded, it was still light, and there was still a bit of romance as the buildings' shadows lengthened.
The real reason anyone goes into the Empire State Building: to see the much prettier Chrysler Building.
Manhattan, with the Statue of Liberty.
Lookit! The shadow of the Empire State Building!
And that was it! My grand NYC adventure!
I know some of you are thinking--but what about the publisher stuff?! And yes--I did get to meet my wonderful editor and everyone else at Razorbill (hi everyone!) and it was BRILLIANT. And I met my wonderful agent (hi Merrilee! hi Jennifer!) and it was also brilliant (and the Writers House offices---gorgeous). And I ate so much delicious food I'm surprised I lived to tell the tale.
But...uh...I didn't take any pictures of that.
Sorry!
But I felt like such a greenie, I couldn't just pop out my camera and say "cheese!" in front of all these uber-cool NYC peeps, could I?
OK, yes. Probably. They were all very nice and would have totally done it. But I was too shy to ask :P
But here you all go! My awesomely amazing NYC adventure...sans the publishing stuff...with extra touristy stuff added!
Hope you enjoyed!
October 18, 2010
Things to Consider When Hiring a Web Designer
I can still barely believe I'm back. NYC was starting to feel like home! And so much has happened in the space of one short week--going and coming back, nursing a sick husband (he caught bronchitis on the last day of the trip, and had the brunt of it here at home, which wiped away all thoughts of maintaining a clean house and some semblance of order), launching a contest and a new website...
I'm going to post about NYC--SOON. I've got dozens of pics to share, and even some video! But the idea of actually plugging the camera into the computer and starting is exhausting to even think of. So, instead, I'm going to focus on the website re-design.
I did not jump into an entire website overhaul lightly--but I knew I wanted one. I don't believe in spending a lot of money on web design before you actually, er, make any money at writing, especially when there are totally great free or low cost options online. But I do believe in having an online presence for an author, even before publication. So, in my opinion, here's what's needed:
Things an author website needs before publication:Free or low-cost
Simple, clear web address
yourname.com is the best; also-- yournamebooks.com or similar
Yes, you are judged by your web address. Is it really too much to pay $2 for a domain name, as opposed to getting a free web address that's a million characters long?
Do not make your web address rely on your book title (booktitle.com). Your book title may very well change. Also, the current book may not be the one that sells.
Btw, you're also judged on your email address. Invest in yourname@gmail.com or similar.
Basic contact information
Email, blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc.--not a physical address or phone number.
Basic book information
I suggest only having the basic pitch of one project on your website--whichever project you're querying. You don't want to appear all over the board or scattered.
There are advantages and disadvantages to having a first chapter online. You decide.
I do not recommend putting more than one or two chapters online as a sample.
Optionals
Biography: keep it short and snappy
Resources and links that help other writers or readers
Short essays or links relevant to your work (such as a page about the history behind your historical novel, or the science behind your science fiction)
Non-optionals (or, what not to have)
Flashing graphics, or a design that would come from a '90s high school student project
Statistics on failed queries and/or agent hate-list
Hard to find links and poor organization on the page
When in doubt: simpler is better
Personally, I used the Website Tonight and domain registration program offered by GoDaddy.com. These were really good, simple to use, and reasonably priced programs that offered what I needed for the basics of my website. A good example of a pre-published author's website is Robyn Campbell's.
However, once I got my book deal, I knew I needed to upgrade. I wanted something that would match my book, but would also show my own personality and fit other, future books. I also needed something that looked professional and worked across several platforms--something that matched my blog, website, Twitter, etc. in one theme.
This was beyond my tech skills, so I had to hire someone.
This to consider when hiring a web designer:Price
Have a clear budget for what you want--but also keep in mind that you're buying a service that requires talent and skill--in other words, have a realistic budget and know that good web design may cost a pretty penny
Skill
Look at the designers' portfolio. Consider past work. Know what you like about the past work's design. Know what you don't like about the past work's design.
Design
What do you want? Illustration or photography? Top or side navigation? You don't need a 100% complete design in your head--you want to leave room for your graphic designer to interpret your ideas and contribute creatively--but you should also know the basics of what you want. I suggest making a sketch that you can then pass on to the designer.
Abilities
Can your designer do what you want? Do they know how to make a Blogger template that matches your website, for example? Ask before you hire.
User friendly
There are two schools of thought on this.
Some people want a designer who maintains the website for her--you tell the designer what you want, the designer updates and makes changes.
Advantage: Someone else does the work
Disadvantage: You're working on someone else's schedule and (probably) paying that person to update your site periodically.
Some people (like me) want a design that, once it's done, you're given the reins. I have admin ability on my entire website, can change whatever, whenever.
Advantage: You can tweak it to your heart's content, you don't have to pay someone to make changes.
Disadvantage: You're doing the work.
For me, the ideal choice was Manning Krull. He made two sites that I really admire: Stephanie Perkins and Carrie Harris. I knew I wanted illustration, and his style of illustration suited my idea of a Tim-Burton-meets-celestial-mobile for a website. His price quote was comparable to similar top website designers. He made websites based on WordPress, which means I can update and tweak and change things on the site whenever I want.
I am thoroughly and 100% happy with what this site now is. I think it helped that I had a sketch of what I wanted as a website--that eliminated a lot of questions later:
Isn't that a long way off from the awesome we now have?
One thing I also had to think of was content. What I did--and it really worked--was research everyone else's websites HEAVILY. If you're a YA author, published or not, with a website, chances are I studied yours before making mine.
Things an author website needs after publication:(Obviously, I'm basing this off my own stuff)Home page
This is optional--but it's nice to have a home base for when people link to your website
About
This is a bio page. I think it's good to have a short bio people can use when they link to you (with or without hyperlinks) and also a longer, more personal bio page for people to get to know you
I also have a FAQ linked from there
News
I don't have much news, an even fewer events, but at least I have a place established for them for later.
Books
This one is non-negotiable. If you've got a book coming out, you've got to have a book page.
Include:
a short description
book cover
ISBN and ordering information
Other fun, applicable links
Blog
I don't think writers need a blog, just like I don't think writers need a twitter or Facebook. But if you have one, make sure it's linked up to your website.
For readers
This is where I'm putting information that I think readers of my book will like, such as inspiration, where the title came from--fun tidbits like that
For writers
I like writing about writing. This is where I am going to collect information that I found helpful, that I wish other writers had told me about before (and after) publication.
For press
This is something else I think writer websites need. A simple, clear place for people to find the basic information about you and your book. This is the business link.
Contact
Again, a need. You want people to be able to easily find contact information.
Optionals:
Photos
Now is the time to invest in professional-looking photographs. Think about your audience. I'm writing for teens, so I opted for fun pics (that still look professional). I'm not in a photography studio, for example.
Multimedia
IF you have professional multi-media, like You-Tube videos of you, a book trailer, etc., then by all means include it.
A word of warning: keep it professional. I don't have a book trailer online. That's because I know my limitations--I can't make a decent one myself. I'm waiting for a professional one from my publisher. I don't want to muddy the waters with my amateur-ness.
And that's it! I don't know if this will help any of you, but these are the things I thought about and researched, and what I came up with. What do you guys think? What makes a good website? And what are some good author websites out there?
I'm going to post about NYC--SOON. I've got dozens of pics to share, and even some video! But the idea of actually plugging the camera into the computer and starting is exhausting to even think of. So, instead, I'm going to focus on the website re-design.
I did not jump into an entire website overhaul lightly--but I knew I wanted one. I don't believe in spending a lot of money on web design before you actually, er, make any money at writing, especially when there are totally great free or low cost options online. But I do believe in having an online presence for an author, even before publication. So, in my opinion, here's what's needed:
Things an author website needs before publication:Free or low-cost
Simple, clear web address
yourname.com is the best; also-- yournamebooks.com or similar
Yes, you are judged by your web address. Is it really too much to pay $2 for a domain name, as opposed to getting a free web address that's a million characters long?
Do not make your web address rely on your book title (booktitle.com). Your book title may very well change. Also, the current book may not be the one that sells.
Btw, you're also judged on your email address. Invest in yourname@gmail.com or similar.
Basic contact information
Email, blog, Facebook, Twitter, etc.--not a physical address or phone number.
Basic book information
I suggest only having the basic pitch of one project on your website--whichever project you're querying. You don't want to appear all over the board or scattered.
There are advantages and disadvantages to having a first chapter online. You decide.
I do not recommend putting more than one or two chapters online as a sample.
Optionals
Biography: keep it short and snappy
Resources and links that help other writers or readers
Short essays or links relevant to your work (such as a page about the history behind your historical novel, or the science behind your science fiction)
Non-optionals (or, what not to have)
Flashing graphics, or a design that would come from a '90s high school student project
Statistics on failed queries and/or agent hate-list
Hard to find links and poor organization on the page
When in doubt: simpler is better
Personally, I used the Website Tonight and domain registration program offered by GoDaddy.com. These were really good, simple to use, and reasonably priced programs that offered what I needed for the basics of my website. A good example of a pre-published author's website is Robyn Campbell's.
However, once I got my book deal, I knew I needed to upgrade. I wanted something that would match my book, but would also show my own personality and fit other, future books. I also needed something that looked professional and worked across several platforms--something that matched my blog, website, Twitter, etc. in one theme.
This was beyond my tech skills, so I had to hire someone.
This to consider when hiring a web designer:Price
Have a clear budget for what you want--but also keep in mind that you're buying a service that requires talent and skill--in other words, have a realistic budget and know that good web design may cost a pretty penny
Skill
Look at the designers' portfolio. Consider past work. Know what you like about the past work's design. Know what you don't like about the past work's design.
Design
What do you want? Illustration or photography? Top or side navigation? You don't need a 100% complete design in your head--you want to leave room for your graphic designer to interpret your ideas and contribute creatively--but you should also know the basics of what you want. I suggest making a sketch that you can then pass on to the designer.
Abilities
Can your designer do what you want? Do they know how to make a Blogger template that matches your website, for example? Ask before you hire.
User friendly
There are two schools of thought on this.
Some people want a designer who maintains the website for her--you tell the designer what you want, the designer updates and makes changes.
Advantage: Someone else does the work
Disadvantage: You're working on someone else's schedule and (probably) paying that person to update your site periodically.
Some people (like me) want a design that, once it's done, you're given the reins. I have admin ability on my entire website, can change whatever, whenever.
Advantage: You can tweak it to your heart's content, you don't have to pay someone to make changes.
Disadvantage: You're doing the work.
For me, the ideal choice was Manning Krull. He made two sites that I really admire: Stephanie Perkins and Carrie Harris. I knew I wanted illustration, and his style of illustration suited my idea of a Tim-Burton-meets-celestial-mobile for a website. His price quote was comparable to similar top website designers. He made websites based on WordPress, which means I can update and tweak and change things on the site whenever I want.
I am thoroughly and 100% happy with what this site now is. I think it helped that I had a sketch of what I wanted as a website--that eliminated a lot of questions later:
Isn't that a long way off from the awesome we now have?One thing I also had to think of was content. What I did--and it really worked--was research everyone else's websites HEAVILY. If you're a YA author, published or not, with a website, chances are I studied yours before making mine.
Things an author website needs after publication:(Obviously, I'm basing this off my own stuff)Home page
This is optional--but it's nice to have a home base for when people link to your website
About
This is a bio page. I think it's good to have a short bio people can use when they link to you (with or without hyperlinks) and also a longer, more personal bio page for people to get to know you
I also have a FAQ linked from there
News
I don't have much news, an even fewer events, but at least I have a place established for them for later.
Books
This one is non-negotiable. If you've got a book coming out, you've got to have a book page.
Include:
a short description
book cover
ISBN and ordering information
Other fun, applicable links
Blog
I don't think writers need a blog, just like I don't think writers need a twitter or Facebook. But if you have one, make sure it's linked up to your website.
For readers
This is where I'm putting information that I think readers of my book will like, such as inspiration, where the title came from--fun tidbits like that
For writers
I like writing about writing. This is where I am going to collect information that I found helpful, that I wish other writers had told me about before (and after) publication.
For press
This is something else I think writer websites need. A simple, clear place for people to find the basic information about you and your book. This is the business link.
Contact
Again, a need. You want people to be able to easily find contact information.
Optionals:
Photos
Now is the time to invest in professional-looking photographs. Think about your audience. I'm writing for teens, so I opted for fun pics (that still look professional). I'm not in a photography studio, for example.
Multimedia
IF you have professional multi-media, like You-Tube videos of you, a book trailer, etc., then by all means include it.
A word of warning: keep it professional. I don't have a book trailer online. That's because I know my limitations--I can't make a decent one myself. I'm waiting for a professional one from my publisher. I don't want to muddy the waters with my amateur-ness.
And that's it! I don't know if this will help any of you, but these are the things I thought about and researched, and what I came up with. What do you guys think? What makes a good website? And what are some good author websites out there?
October 15, 2010
Adventurous and Musical Updates!
WHEW. Guys. That was one heckuva trip! I ate with ninjas and editors and agents and writers and other cool people (the food including rabbit, tentacle pasta, and crepes). I did something totally completely touristy, and it turned out hilariously awesome. And I discovered a hidden cloisters! Really!
But there is really too much for one post--so I'm going to post about that next week.
Instead, I'd like to direct your attention to this:
And remind you about the contest! Post your adventurous stories on your blog for a chance to win a signed and doodled copy of Across the Universe...and a little something-something that I picked up in NYC!
Want to check out some of the entries so far? You do. You know you do. Because YOU GUYS ARE AMAZINGLY AWESOME. And you all have had amazingly awesome adventures that put me to SHAME.Colene teases us with one-liners that have me really curious for more...
Nicole had a hilarious adventure in France (and one that's very similar to my own encounter with Versailles...)
Cinnamon spreads the word about the contest here
Katrina limited herself to blog-appropriate adventures (there's another story in there, I'm sure) and wrote about a crazy relay race
Terry Lynn--a fellow debut 2011 author whose whole LIFE is an adventure--picked one of many out of her hat and told us all about a life lesson learned in the wild
Chandara has an adventure everyday, and writes about beautifully
Theresa writes about "really roughing it"
Sandy almost died in Hawaii!
Kim learned how to take a boat's name seriously while going down the rapids at the Grand Canyon
Lizzie drove from Ohio to Florida only to face a hurricane!
Lisa helped spread the word
Jennifer wrote a piece of fiction that had me wishing it was real!
Anne wrote about her own awesome adventure to publishing (and how right she is--writing is an amazing adventure!)
Madeleine's story is adorably cute--seriously--there's puppies and gerbils!
Liz had baseball adventures--on her honeymoon
Tara's adventure is about building a gingerbreadhouse MANSION...and the last picture made me laugh and cry at the same time!
Anne got lost in a corn maze (have you read Nicole's adventure, Anne? You two have a lot in common!)
Kulsuma (whose blog is awesomely named Sunshine and Stardust) spread the word about the contest
Melissa's post made me laugh out loud--seriously--I love her writing style!
Quadropod went to an island (I love, btw, how often all of y'alls tales happened through misadventure more than adventure :) )
Emily's adventure was quite scary, actually, but she makes some great points.
Cass tweeted, and so did April (her Twitter handle is @ramen_addict, btw, isn't that great?!), and Llehn tweeted, too
Misha facebooked, and so did Treeny, and Aik
I think that's everyone! Please tell me if I was stupid and missed someone!
And meanwhile...you still have time to enter if you haven't yet! The contest closes on October 20th--so you don't have MUCH time--but you do have time! Either post about your own adventure or spread the word about the contest, and make sure to leave your link here.
As for me...I'm going to go through and re-read all of your awesome-o adventures. Your lives are amazing. Seriously.
But there is really too much for one post--so I'm going to post about that next week.
Instead, I'd like to direct your attention to this:
And remind you about the contest! Post your adventurous stories on your blog for a chance to win a signed and doodled copy of Across the Universe...and a little something-something that I picked up in NYC!
Want to check out some of the entries so far? You do. You know you do. Because YOU GUYS ARE AMAZINGLY AWESOME. And you all have had amazingly awesome adventures that put me to SHAME.Colene teases us with one-liners that have me really curious for more...
Nicole had a hilarious adventure in France (and one that's very similar to my own encounter with Versailles...)
Cinnamon spreads the word about the contest here
Katrina limited herself to blog-appropriate adventures (there's another story in there, I'm sure) and wrote about a crazy relay race
Terry Lynn--a fellow debut 2011 author whose whole LIFE is an adventure--picked one of many out of her hat and told us all about a life lesson learned in the wild
Chandara has an adventure everyday, and writes about beautifully
Theresa writes about "really roughing it"
Sandy almost died in Hawaii!
Kim learned how to take a boat's name seriously while going down the rapids at the Grand Canyon
Lizzie drove from Ohio to Florida only to face a hurricane!
Lisa helped spread the word
Jennifer wrote a piece of fiction that had me wishing it was real!
Anne wrote about her own awesome adventure to publishing (and how right she is--writing is an amazing adventure!)
Madeleine's story is adorably cute--seriously--there's puppies and gerbils!
Liz had baseball adventures--on her honeymoon
Tara's adventure is about building a gingerbread
Anne got lost in a corn maze (have you read Nicole's adventure, Anne? You two have a lot in common!)
Kulsuma (whose blog is awesomely named Sunshine and Stardust) spread the word about the contest
Melissa's post made me laugh out loud--seriously--I love her writing style!
Quadropod went to an island (I love, btw, how often all of y'alls tales happened through misadventure more than adventure :) )
Emily's adventure was quite scary, actually, but she makes some great points.
Cass tweeted, and so did April (her Twitter handle is @ramen_addict, btw, isn't that great?!), and Llehn tweeted, too
Misha facebooked, and so did Treeny, and Aik
I think that's everyone! Please tell me if I was stupid and missed someone!
And meanwhile...you still have time to enter if you haven't yet! The contest closes on October 20th--so you don't have MUCH time--but you do have time! Either post about your own adventure or spread the word about the contest, and make sure to leave your link here.
As for me...I'm going to go through and re-read all of your awesome-o adventures. Your lives are amazing. Seriously.
October 8, 2010
Guest Post: Janice Hardy and BLUE FIRE
I was such a fan of Janice Hardy's first book, THE SHIFTER that I interviewed her after its release last year. Now it's time for Book 2: BLUE FIRE, and I can't wait! As part of Janice's blog tour, here she is talking about characters.
Wanted: One Character Willing to Work With No Questions Asked
For a lot of writers, the character is what comes to them first. They hear this person's voice in their head, dream about them, and then they find their story. For me, it's different. I usually find the problem
first, then find someone whose life I can make miserable.
Because of this, my characters rarely start a story fully developed. I usually only know the bare bones of their past, how they got to be where they are, what they like and dislike. The plot is the crucible I toss them into to get to know them. How they react to problems is what tells me what I need to know to write them.
As you can imagine, my characters start out kinda flat in that first draft. They talk a lot, act a lot, but don't think all that much until I figure them out. Then their internalization starts pouring out of them
and I discover that past they were hiding, those fears they never told me they had, and those dreams they think about when they aren't running for their lives.
In my MG fantasy trilogy, The Healing Wars, the protag's best friend is a great example of a character who just developed on her own. Aylin had almost no background at all when she first appeared on the page in The Shifter. I knew Nya (my protag) needed a best friend who had a job that put her in contact with lots of people. So Nya first encounters Aylin on the street in front of…
And I needed a place. What job could Aylin hold in this fantasy world that would put her on the street
talking to people? I made her a barker at a show house, a tavern/theater/concert hall mix where the rich
frequented. She danced outside (so now I learned she was graceful) and called to folks passing by, trying
to get them to come inside and spend their money. (so now I knew she was a people person, and a bit of
a flirt).
And that was it for a while.
I didn't need more than that for Aylin to play her sidekick role. But as I wrote her, she developed into
the voice of reason for Nya. (and I learned Aylin was practical). It wasn't a conscious choice, I just had
a very impulsive Nya getting into trouble, and I needed someone to play the other side to show the
options and consequences of the plot. Purely mechanical really. Nya needed someone to talk to and
bounce ideas off of. That was Aylin. Since I didn't want to sound preachy, she was supportive (usually) of Nya's plans, even when she was worried about them. (and thus I learned Aylin was non-judgmental and loyal).
Although I was getting a good sense of who she was by now, I really didn't know anything about her
past. She was an orphan like Nya, but I didn't know how her parents died or if she even had any other
family. Eventually, I reached a part of the story where Nya needed someone to confront her about
something she was doing in the book (can't say or it'll be a spoiler). That reason had to be personal so it
didn't come off as preachy on my part.
Enter Aylin's past.
Nya was dealing with the pain merchants in this scene (black-market healers who buy pain from people),
so Aylin's issue had to come from there. In my world building, I'd already established that the pain
merchants are notorious for healing someone, but not fully healing them, so it's dangerous to go to
them. Aylin's mother died by going to a pain merchant and not being fully healed. (and now I knew
Aylin hated the pain merchants, that she watched her mother die and couldn't do anything to stop it).
But I also learned more from that small bit of history. Aylin is a happy person. She's upbeat, optimistic,
always sees the good in people. How could she have that outlook after what had happened to her?
And so I learned how Aylin's practicality encompassed her entire life, and how she did what she had to
do to survive, and didn't let anyone—or anything—bring her down. This core element of her character
allowed me to know her and how she'd react to anything I threw out her.
By the end of the trilogy, Aylin is a fully-formed and developed character. She's stayed true to herself all
along, but has grown and changed same as Nya and the other characters.
Quite an accomplishment for a gal who was nothing more than "Nya's best friend" when I first created
her.
Blue Fire Blurb
Part fugitive, part hero, fifteen-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke of Baseer's trackers.
Wanted for a crime she didn't mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can
find, determined to prevent the Duke from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve
isn't enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes that the only way to keep them all out
of the Duke's clutches is to flee Geveg. Unfortunately, the Duke's best tracker has other ideas.
Nya finds herself trapped in the last place she ever wanted to be, forced to trust the last people she ever
thought she could. More is at stake than just the people of Geveg, and the closer she gets to uncovering
the Duke's plan, the more she discovers how critical she is to his victory. To save Geveg, she just might
have to save Baseer—if she doesn't destroy it first.
Janice Hardy Bio
A long-time fantasy reader, Janice Hardy always wondered about the darker side of healing. For her
fantasy trilogy THE HEALING WARS, she tapped into her own dark side to create a world where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. Her books include THE SHIFTER, and BLUE FIRE from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. She lives in Georgia with her husband, three cats and one very nervous freshwater eel.
Link to Blue Fire Online Retailers
Website
The Other Side of the Story Blog
Wanted: One Character Willing to Work With No Questions Asked
For a lot of writers, the character is what comes to them first. They hear this person's voice in their head, dream about them, and then they find their story. For me, it's different. I usually find the problemfirst, then find someone whose life I can make miserable.
Because of this, my characters rarely start a story fully developed. I usually only know the bare bones of their past, how they got to be where they are, what they like and dislike. The plot is the crucible I toss them into to get to know them. How they react to problems is what tells me what I need to know to write them.
As you can imagine, my characters start out kinda flat in that first draft. They talk a lot, act a lot, but don't think all that much until I figure them out. Then their internalization starts pouring out of them
and I discover that past they were hiding, those fears they never told me they had, and those dreams they think about when they aren't running for their lives.
In my MG fantasy trilogy, The Healing Wars, the protag's best friend is a great example of a character who just developed on her own. Aylin had almost no background at all when she first appeared on the page in The Shifter. I knew Nya (my protag) needed a best friend who had a job that put her in contact with lots of people. So Nya first encounters Aylin on the street in front of…
And I needed a place. What job could Aylin hold in this fantasy world that would put her on the street
talking to people? I made her a barker at a show house, a tavern/theater/concert hall mix where the rich
frequented. She danced outside (so now I learned she was graceful) and called to folks passing by, trying
to get them to come inside and spend their money. (so now I knew she was a people person, and a bit of
a flirt).
And that was it for a while.
I didn't need more than that for Aylin to play her sidekick role. But as I wrote her, she developed into
the voice of reason for Nya. (and I learned Aylin was practical). It wasn't a conscious choice, I just had
a very impulsive Nya getting into trouble, and I needed someone to play the other side to show the
options and consequences of the plot. Purely mechanical really. Nya needed someone to talk to and
bounce ideas off of. That was Aylin. Since I didn't want to sound preachy, she was supportive (usually) of Nya's plans, even when she was worried about them. (and thus I learned Aylin was non-judgmental and loyal).
Although I was getting a good sense of who she was by now, I really didn't know anything about her
past. She was an orphan like Nya, but I didn't know how her parents died or if she even had any other
family. Eventually, I reached a part of the story where Nya needed someone to confront her about
something she was doing in the book (can't say or it'll be a spoiler). That reason had to be personal so it
didn't come off as preachy on my part.
Enter Aylin's past.
Nya was dealing with the pain merchants in this scene (black-market healers who buy pain from people),
so Aylin's issue had to come from there. In my world building, I'd already established that the pain
merchants are notorious for healing someone, but not fully healing them, so it's dangerous to go to
them. Aylin's mother died by going to a pain merchant and not being fully healed. (and now I knew
Aylin hated the pain merchants, that she watched her mother die and couldn't do anything to stop it).
But I also learned more from that small bit of history. Aylin is a happy person. She's upbeat, optimistic,
always sees the good in people. How could she have that outlook after what had happened to her?
And so I learned how Aylin's practicality encompassed her entire life, and how she did what she had to
do to survive, and didn't let anyone—or anything—bring her down. This core element of her character
allowed me to know her and how she'd react to anything I threw out her.
By the end of the trilogy, Aylin is a fully-formed and developed character. She's stayed true to herself all
along, but has grown and changed same as Nya and the other characters.
Quite an accomplishment for a gal who was nothing more than "Nya's best friend" when I first created
her.
Blue Fire Blurb
Part fugitive, part hero, fifteen-year-old Nya is barely staying ahead of the Duke of Baseer's trackers.
Wanted for a crime she didn't mean to commit, she risks capture to protect every Taker she can
find, determined to prevent the Duke from using them in his fiendish experiments. But resolve
isn't enough to protect any of them, and Nya soon realizes that the only way to keep them all out
of the Duke's clutches is to flee Geveg. Unfortunately, the Duke's best tracker has other ideas.
Nya finds herself trapped in the last place she ever wanted to be, forced to trust the last people she ever
thought she could. More is at stake than just the people of Geveg, and the closer she gets to uncovering
the Duke's plan, the more she discovers how critical she is to his victory. To save Geveg, she just might
have to save Baseer—if she doesn't destroy it first.
Janice Hardy Bio
A long-time fantasy reader, Janice Hardy always wondered about the darker side of healing. For her
fantasy trilogy THE HEALING WARS, she tapped into her own dark side to create a world where healing was dangerous, and those with the best intentions often made the worst choices. Her books include THE SHIFTER, and BLUE FIRE from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. She lives in Georgia with her husband, three cats and one very nervous freshwater eel.
Link to Blue Fire Online Retailers
Website
The Other Side of the Story Blog
October 7, 2010
An Adventurous Contest
I'm in New York!!!
Today I fulfilled a lifelong goal: I travelled by car, bus, train, boat, AND airplane ALL IN ONE DAY. Tomorrow, I'm going to be speaking at Comic Con (eep!) and then doing a whirlwind tour of the publishing world that I (honestly) never thought I'd have the privilege to be a part of. Never. Ever.
But I'm on an adventure! A huge one! Possibly the hugest of my life!
So, to celebrate: LET'S GIVE AWAY A SIGNED AND DOODLED ARC!
To enter, you have two options:
Option One: Write a blog (or Facebook, or series of Twitter tweets or whatever online) about your most favoritest, awesomest, coolest adventure. At the end of it, make sure to write a short sentence or two that you're telling the world about your brilliant adventure for the contest (so I know it's an entry) and post a link of it here in the comments.
Option Two: If you don't want to tell the world about your awesomest adventure (because I KNOW you have one, even if you think you don't), then you can just write a blog (or Facebook or series of tweets or whatever online) telling people to come here to find out about other people's awesomest adventures. At the end of it, make sure to mention the contest (so I know it's an entry) and post the link of it here in the comments.
To knock out some questions right off the bat:YES it's open internationally
NO you can only enter once
YES I think you're super cool and am really excited to see your adventures!
Contest ends on October 20th! That gives you a week and a half to ponder your adventures and get them online.
Go forth! Tell me about your awesomest adventures! Comment here with the links! One random person who posts about their adventures or this contest will win a signed and doodled ARC.
Today I fulfilled a lifelong goal: I travelled by car, bus, train, boat, AND airplane ALL IN ONE DAY. Tomorrow, I'm going to be speaking at Comic Con (eep!) and then doing a whirlwind tour of the publishing world that I (honestly) never thought I'd have the privilege to be a part of. Never. Ever.
But I'm on an adventure! A huge one! Possibly the hugest of my life!
So, to celebrate: LET'S GIVE AWAY A SIGNED AND DOODLED ARC! To enter, you have two options:
Option One: Write a blog (or Facebook, or series of Twitter tweets or whatever online) about your most favoritest, awesomest, coolest adventure. At the end of it, make sure to write a short sentence or two that you're telling the world about your brilliant adventure for the contest (so I know it's an entry) and post a link of it here in the comments.
Option Two: If you don't want to tell the world about your awesomest adventure (because I KNOW you have one, even if you think you don't), then you can just write a blog (or Facebook or series of tweets or whatever online) telling people to come here to find out about other people's awesomest adventures. At the end of it, make sure to mention the contest (so I know it's an entry) and post the link of it here in the comments.
To knock out some questions right off the bat:YES it's open internationally
NO you can only enter once
YES I think you're super cool and am really excited to see your adventures!
Contest ends on October 20th! That gives you a week and a half to ponder your adventures and get them online.
Go forth! Tell me about your awesomest adventures! Comment here with the links! One random person who posts about their adventures or this contest will win a signed and doodled ARC.
New Website!
Lookit! Isn't it LOVELY?!?!?! This is my wonderful brilliant new website, designed by the wonderful brilliant Manning Krull! Authors, you should TOTALLY work with this guy--he's so creative and makes a website that's intuitive and smart and (obviously) gorgeous. Comment here and let Manning know how awesome you think the site is :)
Click around! Explore! I'm still tweaking a few things (y'all know me, I can't help but tweak), but I will say this:
If you LOOK very hard and EXPLORE the site, you might find a secret, or at least a QUESTION (mark).
(And if that confuses you, you're going to have to stay confused...because it is the subject of something awesome I'm planning for November.)
Click around! Explore! I'm still tweaking a few things (y'all know me, I can't help but tweak), but I will say this:
If you LOOK very hard and EXPLORE the site, you might find a secret, or at least a QUESTION (mark).
(And if that confuses you, you're going to have to stay confused...because it is the subject of something awesome I'm planning for November.)
