C.D. Verhoff's Blog, page 5
February 24, 2015
Help Me Out & Snag a FREE Book From Amazon! Maybe.
The last days of my Kindle Scout campaign are here. If you would like to nominate my novel, Avant Nation, for a publishing contract, you'd make me a very happy writer. Voting is simple: Step 1: Log into your Amazon.com and click on the link below:
https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2G2PQPHC2OVJW
Step 2: Click on the blue 'Nominate Me' bar.
That's it! If I'm offered a contract, you will receive a FREE digital copy (courtesy of Amazon) before the official release date. No matter how the campaign turns out, I super duper appreciate your support! Thank you so much!
Sincerely,
C.D. Verhoff
January 29, 2015
American Idol For Authors - Cast Your Vote Today!
Subtitle: Snag FREE kindle books from Amazon!
Amazon has introduced a new program called Kindle Scout. It's sort of like American Idol for writers, where the audience gets to decide who goes through to the next round. Rest assured, nominating a book doesn't cost anything. As an added bonus, if the book you nominate lands a publishing contract, Amazon will send you a free kindle copy. Naturally, I'm hoping you will consider voting for my book, Avant Nation. Anything you can do to help me break out of obscurity is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
How to Nominate A Book:
Sign into your Amazon account (USA customers only).Click on my book link: Avant Nation. Or, the contest in general: Kindle Scout.When you find a book you like, click the blue "Nominate Me" bar (you can choose up to three).And that's it. Easy peasy!
Amazon has introduced a new program called Kindle Scout. It's sort of like American Idol for writers, where the audience gets to decide who goes through to the next round. Rest assured, nominating a book doesn't cost anything. As an added bonus, if the book you nominate lands a publishing contract, Amazon will send you a free kindle copy. Naturally, I'm hoping you will consider voting for my book, Avant Nation. Anything you can do to help me break out of obscurity is greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!
How to Nominate A Book:
Sign into your Amazon account (USA customers only).Click on my book link: Avant Nation. Or, the contest in general: Kindle Scout.When you find a book you like, click the blue "Nominate Me" bar (you can choose up to three).And that's it. Easy peasy!
January 22, 2015
Before & After Cover Reveal: Avant Nation
Release Date: March 17, 2015
Pre-order today for only $0.99!
My pencil sketch next to the artist's rendition.
I spent weeks penciling out different ideas for the front cover. This is the drawing that finally won me over. It isn't an actual scene from the book. The image is symbolic, depicting how the main character, Clara, feels like a cogwheel in a machine, endlessly turning with no hope of escape. I chose the nighttime backdrop with the futuristic city below because it meshes with the fictional Avantican flag. If you look carefully, you can see the sky tube transportation system she uses during her daily commutes.
Unable to bring the vision to full fruition on my own, I handed my sketch over to the very talented Mominur Rahman. It's like staring at the BEFORE & AFTER photos of an extreme makeover, where a frumpy housewife is turned into a glamorous supermodel. A stunning transformation, I'd say. Do you agree?
The price will go up after launch date, so click here to reserve your digital copy of Avant Nation today!
Pre-order today for only $0.99!
My pencil sketch next to the artist's rendition.I spent weeks penciling out different ideas for the front cover. This is the drawing that finally won me over. It isn't an actual scene from the book. The image is symbolic, depicting how the main character, Clara, feels like a cogwheel in a machine, endlessly turning with no hope of escape. I chose the nighttime backdrop with the futuristic city below because it meshes with the fictional Avantican flag. If you look carefully, you can see the sky tube transportation system she uses during her daily commutes.
Unable to bring the vision to full fruition on my own, I handed my sketch over to the very talented Mominur Rahman. It's like staring at the BEFORE & AFTER photos of an extreme makeover, where a frumpy housewife is turned into a glamorous supermodel. A stunning transformation, I'd say. Do you agree?
The price will go up after launch date, so click here to reserve your digital copy of Avant Nation today!
November 14, 2014
The Excellence of "E"
In this world of E-mails, E-ticket, E-paper, E-recharge, E-transfer...Never Forget "E-shwar ( God )" who makes e-verything e-asy for e-veryone e-veryday. "E" is the most Eminent letter of the English alphabets.Men or Women don't exist without "E".House or Home can't be made without "E".Bread or Butter can't be found without "E"."E" is the beginning of "existence" and the end of "trouble."It's not at all in 'war', but twice in 'peace'.It's once in 'hell' but twice in 'heaven'."E" represented in 'Emotions'.Hence, all emotional relations like Father, Mother, Brother, Sister,wife & friends have 'e' in them."E" also represents 'Effort' & 'Energy'
Hence to be 'Better' from good both "e" 's are added.Without "e", we would have no love, life , wife , friends or hope.& 'see', 'hear', 'smell', or 'taste' as 'eye' 'ear', 'nose' & 'tongue' are incomplete without "e".Hence GO with "E” but without E-GO.*
*This was sent to me in an email. ~Author Unknown
Hence to be 'Better' from good both "e" 's are added.Without "e", we would have no love, life , wife , friends or hope.& 'see', 'hear', 'smell', or 'taste' as 'eye' 'ear', 'nose' & 'tongue' are incomplete without "e".Hence GO with "E” but without E-GO.*
*This was sent to me in an email. ~Author Unknown
September 25, 2014
If You Liked The Iron Giant, You'll Enjoy This Short Film.
I am in no way affiliated with this film. I'm promoting it simply because I think it has huge potential and I'd love to see it on the big screen. As a fan of The Iron Giant movie (released in 1999), which was done in cartoon form and was surprisingly touching, I would be very interested in seeing something similar done with real actors. So would my 11-year-old son, of course!
From the website: E N V O Y is a science fiction, action adventure, short film to be used as a proof concept for a larger full-length motion picture. It is the story of a troubled young boy who befriends a deadly alien creature, and embarks on a life changing journey...Director DAVID WEINSTEIN and Visual Effects Supervisor ADAM COGGIN.
http://envoyfilm.com/
From the website: E N V O Y is a science fiction, action adventure, short film to be used as a proof concept for a larger full-length motion picture. It is the story of a troubled young boy who befriends a deadly alien creature, and embarks on a life changing journey...Director DAVID WEINSTEIN and Visual Effects Supervisor ADAM COGGIN.
http://envoyfilm.com/
August 22, 2014
August 21, 2014
When A Rescue Dog Becomes the Rescuer
I love this true story about a rescue dog who becomes the rescuer!
Way to go Norman!
If you're considering getting a dog or cat, remember the thousands of wonderful animals just like Norman waiting for forever homes!
After our hilarious lab/mix died of cancer earlier in the year, we were heartbroken. The house just wasn't the same. We needed another dog as much as some dog out there needed us. Rigby came to us through a shelter in Bowling Green after I found his picture and description online through Petfinder. He's a two-year-old lab mix. He might not be a pure breed, but he's a pure sweetie.
Way to go Norman!
If you're considering getting a dog or cat, remember the thousands of wonderful animals just like Norman waiting for forever homes!
After our hilarious lab/mix died of cancer earlier in the year, we were heartbroken. The house just wasn't the same. We needed another dog as much as some dog out there needed us. Rigby came to us through a shelter in Bowling Green after I found his picture and description online through Petfinder. He's a two-year-old lab mix. He might not be a pure breed, but he's a pure sweetie.
August 17, 2014
August 16, 2014
Writing An Effective Opening Paragraph: An Analysis of The Hunger Games
C. D. Verhoff
Writer, Teacher, Blogger
This is a follow-up to my article, Common Newbie Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.
If you recall, I wrote about the all-important opening scene and some of the associated clichés, including the overused ‘Wake Up Scene’. This is when the novel begins with the protagonist waking up, usually stretching and groaning. Some versions of the 'Wake Up Scene' feature the protagonist throwing the alarm clock or struggling to remember last night's events. Just as often you will find him or her shuffling off to a mirror, which is the inexperienced author's favorite way to work in the character's physical description. If a novel opens with any of these elements or a combination thereof, it’s probably the work of a new writer. There are always exceptions, of course, which brings me to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
This dystopian tale begins with the proverbial 'Wake Up Scene', but it works beautifully. Happy accident? Not a chance. Collins knows the rules of the writing fiction and usually follows them. When she breaks them it's a carefully thought-out and deliberate decision.
Before I explain why the ‘Wake Up Scene’ works so well in The Hunger Games, let's look at at the duties of an effective opening paragraph.
The opening paragraph should: 1) establish the mood and setting; 2) introduce the main character; 3) build empathy or make the protagonist interesting; 4) give the protagonist a problem to overcome.
If the first paragraph is set up with these four essentials, your readers will care about the main character and want to see how he or she conquers the problem at hand. In their eagerness to find out more about the main character and her situation, they will keep turning the pages until there is nothing left to turn. So finally, let’s examine the opening paragraph of The Hunger Games.
The story is told from the point-of-view of Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of the novel. Below is the first paragraph of chapter one:
When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim's warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress. She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. Of course, she did. This is the day of the reaping.
This opening paragraph is deceptively simple. As we dissect it line-by-line, you'll quickly realize that this isn't just a random 'Wake Up Scene' the author pulled out of a hat; it's a carefully crafted beginning to an extraordinary story.
Line 1: When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. Not the greatest line ever, but combined with the rest of the paragraph it's diligently working at building character and setting. When the main character notes that the other side of the bed is cold, the reader knows that someone who brings warmth to her life is missing.
Line 2: My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim's warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattre s s . In this one ordinary gesture of having Katniss reach out for her sister, the author has done an amazing amount of character and world-building. For instance, the close bond between the sisters is instantly revealed. The way the protagonist is drawn to her sister's warmth shows her vulnerability and the need to connect with another human being. At this point, readers are already feeling a connection with Katniss, even if they don't realize it.
As the story rolls along, we will see that life has already hardened Katniss around the edges. She can be a cold fish at times, but not when it comes to Prim. Little sister is the one ray of warmth in her cold and dreary life. Prim physically relies on Katniss’s survival skills, while Katniss relies on Prim at an even deeper level. Prim is the emotional anchor of the family—Katniss's reason for living.
This same line also give important clues about the setting. The fact that Katniss shares a bed with her sister hints that the Everdeens are impoverished. We already know the house is cold, so there’s another clue. The cover of the mattress isn’t cotton or linen—but canvas—and it's rough. That’s not exactly living in luxury. By line two of the book, the reader comes to understand the family's depressed economic state.
Line 3: She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. The small sentence does double time by adding vital information about the setting and the conflict. When Prim climbs into bed with mother, but no father is mentioned, it begs the question...where is he? The father's absence is a stark mystery. At the same time, it establishes another piece of the setting—Katniss lives in a household headed by a single mother. Then there is the bad dream, indicating that Prim is afraid and trouble is afoot. The reader wants to know what has poor Prim so upset. The mood of the paragraph invokes a sense of fear and anxiety, which leads us closer to the conflict.
Line 4: Of course, she did. This simple line emphasizes that the bad dreams are not simply the product of a young girl's overactive imagination. Katniss herself seems to agree that the bad dreams are warranted. Oh my, the reader wonders, what terrible thing has everyone so worried?
Line 5: This is the day of the reaping. Bam. Collins smacks us in the head with the conflict. At this point, we don't know exactly what “the reaping” entails, but that doesn't matter. Prim's dreams indicate that the reaping is a bad thing and it's going to happen today.
Did you feel your empathy growing with every sentence? I know, I did. When I read the Hunger Games for the first time, at this point I was thinking, “I must find out more about the reaping and why the Everdeens fear it!”
In other words, I was hooked. Helplessly compelled to turn the next page and I kept turning the pages deep into the night. When I got to the end, I didn’t want the book to be over. That's because Collins knows how to manipulate readers in a good way. This is why she can get away with starting a novel with a 'Wake Up Scene', whereas most newbie writers shouldn’t even attempt it. It’s a marvel how she imparted so much information in a mere five sentences.
Notice how Collins plays by the rules most of the time. Her first paragraph includes all of the four essentials, but it's done within the confines of a verboten 'Wake Up Scene'. Yet, it works like a charm. My point is that there are no rules, just guidelines, deviate from them at your own risk. As writers, breaking from the mold should be an intentional choice, not a mistake born out of ignorance. If you understand that 'Wake Up Scenes' are generally a bad idea, but remain convinced that your character waking up makes for a killer hook, then by all means go for it.
Purchase The Hunger Games Here
Writer, Teacher, Blogger
This is a follow-up to my article, Common Newbie Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.
If you recall, I wrote about the all-important opening scene and some of the associated clichés, including the overused ‘Wake Up Scene’. This is when the novel begins with the protagonist waking up, usually stretching and groaning. Some versions of the 'Wake Up Scene' feature the protagonist throwing the alarm clock or struggling to remember last night's events. Just as often you will find him or her shuffling off to a mirror, which is the inexperienced author's favorite way to work in the character's physical description. If a novel opens with any of these elements or a combination thereof, it’s probably the work of a new writer. There are always exceptions, of course, which brings me to The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This dystopian tale begins with the proverbial 'Wake Up Scene', but it works beautifully. Happy accident? Not a chance. Collins knows the rules of the writing fiction and usually follows them. When she breaks them it's a carefully thought-out and deliberate decision.
Before I explain why the ‘Wake Up Scene’ works so well in The Hunger Games, let's look at at the duties of an effective opening paragraph.
The opening paragraph should: 1) establish the mood and setting; 2) introduce the main character; 3) build empathy or make the protagonist interesting; 4) give the protagonist a problem to overcome.
If the first paragraph is set up with these four essentials, your readers will care about the main character and want to see how he or she conquers the problem at hand. In their eagerness to find out more about the main character and her situation, they will keep turning the pages until there is nothing left to turn. So finally, let’s examine the opening paragraph of The Hunger Games.
The story is told from the point-of-view of Katniss Everdeen, the heroine of the novel. Below is the first paragraph of chapter one:
When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim's warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattress. She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. Of course, she did. This is the day of the reaping.
This opening paragraph is deceptively simple. As we dissect it line-by-line, you'll quickly realize that this isn't just a random 'Wake Up Scene' the author pulled out of a hat; it's a carefully crafted beginning to an extraordinary story.
Line 1: When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold. Not the greatest line ever, but combined with the rest of the paragraph it's diligently working at building character and setting. When the main character notes that the other side of the bed is cold, the reader knows that someone who brings warmth to her life is missing.
Line 2: My fingers stretch out, seeking Prim's warmth but finding only the rough canvas cover of the mattre s s . In this one ordinary gesture of having Katniss reach out for her sister, the author has done an amazing amount of character and world-building. For instance, the close bond between the sisters is instantly revealed. The way the protagonist is drawn to her sister's warmth shows her vulnerability and the need to connect with another human being. At this point, readers are already feeling a connection with Katniss, even if they don't realize it.
As the story rolls along, we will see that life has already hardened Katniss around the edges. She can be a cold fish at times, but not when it comes to Prim. Little sister is the one ray of warmth in her cold and dreary life. Prim physically relies on Katniss’s survival skills, while Katniss relies on Prim at an even deeper level. Prim is the emotional anchor of the family—Katniss's reason for living.
This same line also give important clues about the setting. The fact that Katniss shares a bed with her sister hints that the Everdeens are impoverished. We already know the house is cold, so there’s another clue. The cover of the mattress isn’t cotton or linen—but canvas—and it's rough. That’s not exactly living in luxury. By line two of the book, the reader comes to understand the family's depressed economic state.
Line 3: She must have had bad dreams and climbed in with our mother. The small sentence does double time by adding vital information about the setting and the conflict. When Prim climbs into bed with mother, but no father is mentioned, it begs the question...where is he? The father's absence is a stark mystery. At the same time, it establishes another piece of the setting—Katniss lives in a household headed by a single mother. Then there is the bad dream, indicating that Prim is afraid and trouble is afoot. The reader wants to know what has poor Prim so upset. The mood of the paragraph invokes a sense of fear and anxiety, which leads us closer to the conflict.
Line 4: Of course, she did. This simple line emphasizes that the bad dreams are not simply the product of a young girl's overactive imagination. Katniss herself seems to agree that the bad dreams are warranted. Oh my, the reader wonders, what terrible thing has everyone so worried?
Line 5: This is the day of the reaping. Bam. Collins smacks us in the head with the conflict. At this point, we don't know exactly what “the reaping” entails, but that doesn't matter. Prim's dreams indicate that the reaping is a bad thing and it's going to happen today.
Did you feel your empathy growing with every sentence? I know, I did. When I read the Hunger Games for the first time, at this point I was thinking, “I must find out more about the reaping and why the Everdeens fear it!”
In other words, I was hooked. Helplessly compelled to turn the next page and I kept turning the pages deep into the night. When I got to the end, I didn’t want the book to be over. That's because Collins knows how to manipulate readers in a good way. This is why she can get away with starting a novel with a 'Wake Up Scene', whereas most newbie writers shouldn’t even attempt it. It’s a marvel how she imparted so much information in a mere five sentences.
Notice how Collins plays by the rules most of the time. Her first paragraph includes all of the four essentials, but it's done within the confines of a verboten 'Wake Up Scene'. Yet, it works like a charm. My point is that there are no rules, just guidelines, deviate from them at your own risk. As writers, breaking from the mold should be an intentional choice, not a mistake born out of ignorance. If you understand that 'Wake Up Scenes' are generally a bad idea, but remain convinced that your character waking up makes for a killer hook, then by all means go for it.
Purchase The Hunger Games Here
August 2, 2014
Zombie Dad
A zombie has just bitten your arm, but you haven't turned yet. You are stranded in the middle of nowhere with your infant daughter. What would you do? I love this video's take on it.
