Beth Revis's Blog, page 70

DO NOT PANIC

But the site's going down soonish. And then it will come back! Newer and better than ever!



But, yeah. Basically: construction zone. It's coming.

Yeah. I feel like this.

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Linkage

Breathless Reads

Dude. You guys.



Have you seen this?



Apparently, I'm all about the multi-media lately, but this is just eye-candy of the best kind (by which I mean, the bookish kind, obvs.)







Isn't it so pretty? I love the mix of fast and slow shots, and use of live actors instead of still pictures.

This is Wise and Awesome

Y'all know that I've had conflicted feelings about free downloading of media. I think the Creative Commons License is a wonderful thing, and I think Cory Doctorow is simply brilliant.



But I also think that the Creative Commons License is a choice, and Cory himself admits that his way of releasing his titles online for free isn't a way that will work for every author.



I'm fairly sure that for some people, a free download will convince them to make a sale. I downloaded Cory's LITTLE BROTHER, and then promptly bought it and started recommending it to friends. I--like many other of Cory's fans--look at free downloading as a sample, or a free trial--and if I like it, I buy it.



But there are some people who consider free downloading as a right.  They think it's perfectly fine to have any media for free. If it can be downloaded, it should be, and it should be for free. These people are book pirates.



For me, there's the issue of intention with free downloads. Do you intend to buy the product if you like it? Or do you intend to download it with the express purpose of not buying it? There's a big difference of people in there, and unfortunately, I think the majority are the latter, not the former.



It's a difference of attitude. And it's as hard to compromise the attitude as it is to convince a Republican to be a Democrat, or a Yankees fan to like the Red Sox, or a vegetarian to eat a chicken McNugget.



But I think Jackson Pierce is doing a good job of trying:

In terms of scale

One of the cool thing about writing science fiction is that I can take my fascination with astronomy and apply it to my stories.



One of the absolutely coolest things about astronomy is that you look at the scale of things. I remember, many moons ago, sitting in a classroom and being blown away by this video on the Powers of Ten.







And recently, a friend sent me a link to this--a sliding scale of the proportions of the universe.



Looking at these sorts of things remind me of a quote by Robert Herrmann: "Everywhere you look in science, the harder it becomes to understand the universe without God."

Three Days to 10k

I figure I have roughly 10k more words to finish draft one of Book 2. And I have been DREADING getting those last 10k words down. I have a block or something--namely because there is one MAJOR plothole that I've got to fix, and I know when I finish, I'm going to have to start working on that. It's like putting off getting your oil changed because you know you can't afford to also replace the tires.



But my goal was to finish Book 2 by October, and October's, um, here. Practically. I'm giving myself three days to write the final 10k--and then a few days to recuperate before going to NY with the hubs!



I started this project on Wednesday, but kept it offline until today, Friday. Please feel free to jump on board and do your own live-blogging, too!



Since Friday is the day I wanted to finish 10k by, I'm going to go ahead and post this now, before I finish...and post updates as I get them. I have no idea if this will work, and in all honesty, it probably won't. But I'm going to try! 



Day One: Wednesday

Thirty minute writing sessions using the timer method.



Session Zero: Ok, full disclosure: It took me until 1:07PM to just get started. I told you I was dreading this...
Session One

Starting word count: 69,842
Ending word count: 70,297
Total words for session: 455
Total words since the beginning: 455
Thoughts: Not good, but it took me a hot minute to get started, then I spent some time researching what explosive agents would smell like...the things I have to Google...
Session Two

Starting word count: 70,297
Ending word count: 70,809
Total words for session: 512
Total words since the beginning: 967
Thoughts: Still not good. I think I've figured out what to do with this chapter, though.


Session Three

Starting word count: 70,809
Ending word count: 71,661
Total words for session: 852
Total words since the beginning: 1819
Thoughts: There we go. Getting back into the swing of things now.


Session Four

Starting word count: 71,661
Ending word count: 71,799
Total words for session: 138
Total words since the beginning: 1957
Thoughts: Annnnnd back to slow again. Working on chapter order--re-arranged a lot, but not really additional words. Progress, though. Sort of.
It's 3:27--exactly 2 hours and 20 minutes from when I started. Just shy of 2k words. Not bad, but...I need more. But what I need most right now? A break. And then some chocolate. In that order.



Crap. We're out of chocolate.



Also, I'm at the stage where doing housework is more appealing that writing. God help us all.

Session Five

Starting word count: 71,799
Ending word count: 72,590
Total words for session: 791
Total words since the beginning: 2,748
Thoughts: The break helped me figure out what to put in this chapter, but it's still a bit touch and go. I have this one scene I love that I'm trying to fit into the story, but it's like hammering a square peg in a round hole.


Day Two: Thursday

Thirty minute writing sessions using the timer method.

Session Zero: It's 1:20pm, and I've not even eaten lunch yet. I woke up early with good intentions, but then got sucked into email. On the bright side: I've got a GREAT idea for a December giveaway. On the down side: it's 1:20pm and I've not started on the actual real-life writing...nor eaten lunch. My deal with myself: one writing session, then lunch, then writing until supper.
Session One

Starting word count: 72,590
Ending word count: 72,771
Total words for session: 181
Total words for day: 181
Total words since the beginning: 2,929
Thoughts: EEP! OK, now it's 2:30, and I've done hardly anything. But excuses! I have them! My dog came home and brought a friend with him--so then I had two dogs! And they needed petting and playing with and throwing cookies and....right. Back to work.
Session Two

Starting word count: 72,771


Ending word count: 74,105
Total words for session: 1,334
Total words for day: 1,515


Total words since the beginning: 4,263
Thoughts: Wow. That was awesome! Also--that was SO not 30 minutes. The timer went off, and I smashed it and kept writing...eventually, when I looked up for air, I saw that it was nearly 4 and I should record what's happening. I think this was closer to an hour. I don't think all these words will work, but they're working now, and I can re-arrange them later.
Session Three

Starting word count: 74,105


Ending word count: 74,888
Total words for session: 783
Total words for day: 2,298


Total words since the beginning: 5,046
Thoughts: That was actually thirty minutes, but I am a little sad I didn't hit the 1k mark with this session :)
Session Four

Starting word count: 74,888


Ending word count: 75,614
Total words for session: 726
Total words for day: 3,019


Total words since the beginning: 5,772
Thoughts: Oh, yeah. I'm on a roll. Unfortunately, now I have to go cook supper. :(
Off to cook supper: tonight's menu--lasagna.



Day Three: Friday

Writing done in thirty minute sessions, mostly.

Session Zero: Well, I'm improving. I'm sitting to the computer at 11:20am--after a big breakfast that I hope can stave off lunch for awhile. I've got the pressure on me today--I'm determined to finish draft one by *today*. Will I make it? Eep!
Session One

Starting word count: 75,614


Ending word count: 76,136
Total words for session: 522
Total words for day: 522


Total words since the beginning: 6,294
Thoughts: I couldn't move on with the chapter I left without fixing another chapter in the beginning. Literally, I'm on chapter 83 (they're short chapters, don't worry) and went back to chapter 10 to fix a detail--something that the character finds that relates back to the ending. I'd been stuck on how that Chapter 10 wasn't working (it was too obvious a clue, too easily found), and while this means I didn't really work on the ending I'm trying to reach, it meant that I did get further into the story.
Session Two

Starting word count:76,136
Ending word count:76,844
Total words for session: 708
Total words for day: 1,230


Total words since the beginning: 7,002
Thoughts: Yay! Finished this chapter. In the next chapter, I get to kill someone! YAY! But first: lunch.
And that's where I am so far today! I'll be updating this as I go, so come back later today to see if I made my goal of 10k in 3 days!

Session

Starting word count:
Ending word count:
Total words for session:
Total words for day:


Total words since the beginning:
Thoughts:

Movie Trailer: I AM NUMBER FOUR

Having just finished reading the book, I'm excited to see what this movie has in store for us:

The Weeks of XVI: Banned Books and Contests and Interviews

Julia Karr is the author of the upcoming dystopian title, XVI, a novel where turning 16 has dire consequences. In order to celebrate the book's release, Julia's on a blog tour for the 16 weeks before XVI comes out--and this is week 14!



For each of the 16 weeks of the tour, Julia's going to talk about a specific aspect of her book. The kicked off on Julia's blog--for the 16th week, she discussed her 16 favorite things about Chicago (where the novel is set) and gave away the first chapter of her book to everyone. For week 15, Julia was asked 15 questions by MG author Sheela Chari on the topic of vegetarianism (her main character is a vegetarian) and gave away a copy of the Chicago Diner Cookbook. Today, the 14th week, Julia's going to discuss banned books, which feature in her novel, and give away one of her 14 favorite banned books!



So: Here's Julia!





Beth, I'm thrilled to be here today. Thanks so much for inviting me to guest blog!



1. What's your opinion on banned books?

I think banning books is wrong. Discussion about disputed books is good. Controversy provides a learning experience and should be taken advantage of. Books should be read and discussed, not banned.



2. Do banned books play a role in XVI?

They do. In my future world, there are certain books that have become self-fulfilling prophecies and the government doesn't necessarily want people noticing that.



3. Which books in your story are banned? Why?



1984 by George Orwell - Because in XVI, government surveillance is the norm.
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley - It is not so far from certain aspects of society in XVI.
Mars Rising (a fictional book that I just might have to write!) It's about a revolt of the miners
on Mars.




4. Why did you decide to feature banned books in your story?

In any future society where the government wants to control the general population, it must

make them stop thinking for themselves. Reading books is a key to unlocking critical thought

processes - therefore, any totalitarian government would need to control what reading materials

their citizens would have access to.



5. What are your favorite banned books?



Harry Potter - all seven!
Gone With The Wind (hard to believe this book was ever banned!)
Lord of the Rings
Call of the Wild
Brideshead, Revisited




Because this is Week 14 of the 16 Weeks to XVI, we're got 14 children's books that have, at

some point, been challenged/banned. For this week's contest, (open from Thursday morning to

next Thursday at midnight) commenters (either here or on Julia's blog) will be offered their choice of one of these fabulous books as a prize!





ttyl by Lauren Myracle
And Tango Makes Three, by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
The Perks of Being A Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger
My Sister's Keeper, by Jodi Picoult
The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big, Round Things, by Carolyn Mackler
The Color Purple, Alice Walker
The Chocolate War, by Robert Cormier
Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler




Beth - thanks so much for having me here today on the countdown to the release of my book.

But, mostly, I'm glad to be here and to be able to talk a little bit about book banning, why it's

wrong and why people need to read banned books and write books that will be challenged.

Because as writers, I think we have been given an internal charge to be truth-tellers and not to be

queasy about laying out the hard stuff! Thanks again!





There you have it, guys! Now, go forth and comment--and be like the cool kids: Read Banned Books!

Bookanista Feature: Elana Johnson's POSSESSION

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





POSSESSION by Elana Johnson

You guys.

I'm in love with this cover.

First, there's the white space, drawing the total attention to the image and the sparse words. The boxy font of the title paired with the script of Elana's name is beautiful in contrast.

And that image? Genius. You have a butterfly* trapped in ice--something beautiful and free contained, controlled--possessed. And can I just say that I love the crack in the ice! It makes it seem almost painful...or almost as if the butterfly can escape...

And last but not least, take a look at that tagline. "Control or be controlled." Guys, this is the epitome of a tagline--short, simple, but perfectly succinct. And what's even cooler? Elana came up with that herself.



*Have I mentioned that I freaking love butterflies? They have such symbolic meaning for me--I did my master's thesis on the myth of Cupid and Psyche, which, of course, reflects back into how butterflies are symbolic for the soul. Blue butterflies (the blue morpho, specifically) were my wedding theme. I love me some butterflies.



*~*~*~*





Other Bookanista Features Today:



Beth Revis is spread some cover love for POSSESSION
Christine Fonseca is raving over THE REPLACEMENT
Elana Johnson has a special Friday edition, where she helps launch EMOTIONAL INTENSITY IN GIFTED STUDENTS 
Carolina Valdez Miller is loving JOHN BELUSHI IS DEAD
Lisa and Laura Roecker and Kirsten Hubbard are crazy over MATCHED
Shelli Johannes-Wells is tempting us with a DESIRES sneak peek!

A Book, A Mystery & Two Clues

Guys, remember when I mentioned that NIGHTSHADE had some brilliant marketing going on? Well, I got sucked right into the story: this Monday, I received a package from the main character, Shay Doran!



[For those of you not in the know: Shay Doran is one of the main characters from NIGHTSHADE, a book coming out in October. The prequel to the book is being done online in an interactive way--basically, Shay's on Facebook, Youtube, and blogging about the events that lead up to the first chapter of NIGHTSHADE. It's been totally fun to participate; you should give it a try!]



Recently, Shay's been exploring his new home, and he found a creepy library filled with books that had secret messages. Instead of trying to figure it all out himself, he sent the books to his readers, so we can post the clues and try to help solve the mystery. [OMGosh, see how much fun this is?!]



Here's what I got on Monday:

The title is Ramuntcho, and it's by Pierre Loti. It's a deliciously old book with gilt on the cover, but the clue is inside.



First, there's this, found on page 106:

Ink drawings link together random words on the page to create a sentence. In case you can't read the picture, the sentence is:



He accomplished his dream for the dark creation.

[DUDE. I know. Awesome, right?] But wait: there's one more clue: This one is definitely more complicated, but here's what the words add up to say:

She return to the world as 4 lost things.

I'm assuming this last one is a bit of a stretch--it should probably read "She returns to the world as four lost things." But hey--how strange! First, we've gone from a "He" to a "She"--and the clue makes a point that it's a "she"--look at the picture, the "s" and "he" had to be made through the drawing. So we're talking about a girl for sure--and she has to return as four things? Hmmm....I'm thinking there's a chance shape-shifting is involved....

What do you all think? Personally, I think this is great fun, and can't wait to discover what happens next!!

COME JOIN THE MYSTERY AND THE CONVERSATION! Visit Shay on Facebook and see the other clues!