Jessica Shirvington's Blog, page 5
March 1, 2012
Check out the brand new EMBRACE TRAILER:
To view the amazing new book trailer for EMBRACE click:
EMBRACE TRAILER
And while you're there, don't forget to sign up for updates!
Or you can view it on goodreads:
HERE
On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice.
In stores in the US & Canada March 6, 2012!
I hope you all love it as much as I do!!!
EMBRACE TRAILER
And while you're there, don't forget to sign up for updates!
Or you can view it on goodreads:
HERE
On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she is willing to sacrifice.
In stores in the US & Canada March 6, 2012!
I hope you all love it as much as I do!!!
February 26, 2012
THE STORY ARC AND THE EMOTIONAL ARC
Generally, a book has 3 plot points and a resolution. It sounds pretty simple, right? Well, that's not always the case.
Deciding on the definitive markers of a story is very difficult. It’s not unlike a song – you need to have build ups to the climax and to do that, there must be a range of tempo and emotion throughout. It’s all about timing, the right amount of scenes to create the most believable reading, the carefully selected dramatic elements. So much goes into making a plot point stick.
Of course, when I first started writing EMBRACE, I didn’t care about the plot points at all. How could I? The most important thing to do was first discover my characters. So it was a matter of just sitting down and starting to write. I gave myself a general scene and started putting people with names into it. Gradually I dressed them, gave a tone to the dialogue, and quietly as I was writing – the important stuff started to happen. The little quirks. The gestures. The sigh that could give away an inner thought. The glance that betrays a hidden feeling. The cast down eyes that deceived a character’s strength. It is only through writing and putting characters into scenes and conversation that these quirks can be discovered.
None of these original chapters ended up in the story of EMBRACE, but elements of them did and more importantly, it was in these chapters that I discovered Violet, Lincoln, Phoenix, Steph and Violet’s father, James.
Once I had my characters, plotting and research became a focus. So I wrote a general chapter breakdown, which concentrated on the positioning of my main plot points.
Then the real writing began.
About half way through I realized, I was working with more than one plot line. The story arc was there and happening the way I had planned, but what I didn’t realize was that the emotional arc had become just as important to me. It wasn’t just about injecting emotional scenes and circumstances for my characters, but for my heroine, Violet – her emotional story was a complete structure on its own. Sometimes it ran alongside the story arc, but more often than not, it was independent. The emotional arc had its own 3-point stages and resolution and I value it just as much as I value to the story arc. This story would not be anywhere near the same without the emotional plot and the fact that it runs out of line with the main story arc is what, in my opinion, gives more believability; Violet cannot be expected to come to terms with, or make, the big long term decisions at the very moment of the action climax. She can act, but the emotional recognition and devastation at what is happening hits her at different stages. (If that makes sense)
Now, as I have gone on to write more books in the series, the emotional arc has played front and center, its importance always on my mind. I think this is always there for authors of any genre, but I do believe that in YA there is a unique opportunity to focus on the emotional plot line since many coming of age characters are facing first-time questions of the heart, future, independence and of sacrifice. It is why I love YA so much.
As a writer, I will always approach a manuscript with an equal focus on the story arc and emotional arc. The two rely on each other too much to let one, or the other, slide.
I'm interested to see what everyone else thinks. Is the emotional arc as important to you as the story arc?
Deciding on the definitive markers of a story is very difficult. It’s not unlike a song – you need to have build ups to the climax and to do that, there must be a range of tempo and emotion throughout. It’s all about timing, the right amount of scenes to create the most believable reading, the carefully selected dramatic elements. So much goes into making a plot point stick.
Of course, when I first started writing EMBRACE, I didn’t care about the plot points at all. How could I? The most important thing to do was first discover my characters. So it was a matter of just sitting down and starting to write. I gave myself a general scene and started putting people with names into it. Gradually I dressed them, gave a tone to the dialogue, and quietly as I was writing – the important stuff started to happen. The little quirks. The gestures. The sigh that could give away an inner thought. The glance that betrays a hidden feeling. The cast down eyes that deceived a character’s strength. It is only through writing and putting characters into scenes and conversation that these quirks can be discovered.
None of these original chapters ended up in the story of EMBRACE, but elements of them did and more importantly, it was in these chapters that I discovered Violet, Lincoln, Phoenix, Steph and Violet’s father, James.
Once I had my characters, plotting and research became a focus. So I wrote a general chapter breakdown, which concentrated on the positioning of my main plot points.
Then the real writing began.
About half way through I realized, I was working with more than one plot line. The story arc was there and happening the way I had planned, but what I didn’t realize was that the emotional arc had become just as important to me. It wasn’t just about injecting emotional scenes and circumstances for my characters, but for my heroine, Violet – her emotional story was a complete structure on its own. Sometimes it ran alongside the story arc, but more often than not, it was independent. The emotional arc had its own 3-point stages and resolution and I value it just as much as I value to the story arc. This story would not be anywhere near the same without the emotional plot and the fact that it runs out of line with the main story arc is what, in my opinion, gives more believability; Violet cannot be expected to come to terms with, or make, the big long term decisions at the very moment of the action climax. She can act, but the emotional recognition and devastation at what is happening hits her at different stages. (If that makes sense)
Now, as I have gone on to write more books in the series, the emotional arc has played front and center, its importance always on my mind. I think this is always there for authors of any genre, but I do believe that in YA there is a unique opportunity to focus on the emotional plot line since many coming of age characters are facing first-time questions of the heart, future, independence and of sacrifice. It is why I love YA so much.
As a writer, I will always approach a manuscript with an equal focus on the story arc and emotional arc. The two rely on each other too much to let one, or the other, slide.
I'm interested to see what everyone else thinks. Is the emotional arc as important to you as the story arc?
February 20, 2012
EXCLUSIVE FIRST LOOK AT THE OFFICIAL US EMBRACE TRAILER
Hi everyone!
I'm so excited to let you all know that Entertainment Weekly will be hosting the exclusive reveal of the new EMRACE book trailer today!
To be one of the first to see it, go to Entertainment Weekly's dedicated online book site:
SHELF LIFE
It will be live online - Monday, 20th February, from 9 a.m. (EST)
I hope you all love it as much as I do, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!!
I'm so excited to let you all know that Entertainment Weekly will be hosting the exclusive reveal of the new EMRACE book trailer today!
To be one of the first to see it, go to Entertainment Weekly's dedicated online book site:
SHELF LIFE
It will be live online - Monday, 20th February, from 9 a.m. (EST)
I hope you all love it as much as I do, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!!
February 15, 2012
Love on the page vs. love in real life.
We spend so much time reading about our heroes and heroines love lives and deciding what we believe is the right outcome for them – but what about us? What about “real life”? Do you believe if you were watching these relationship complications unfold for your best friend that you would given him or her the same advice as you would a favorite character? Or, does reality prevail? And, if it does ... is that a shame?
Books carry intricate plots and dramatically emotional events that often boarder and indeed cross into the unbelievable, but at the same time there is a certain simplicity to the relationships that play out on the page in comparison to real life. Perhaps that is because we like it that way, or that it is simply impossible to cater to all of life’s interruptions; work, money, past experiences, family politics, world politics, current news – if we took into account all aspects of life in every novel – books would be tedious affairs!
So, for whatever reason, we escape into fictional worlds and relationships and are invited to adjudicate.
Often I find myself wanting the heroine to go in one direction with a love interest and have been known to scream aloud – OPEN YOUR EYES! I want them to put everything on the line – say the one thing that puts it all out there because in the end, I have faith in the relationship on the page to prevail. I am confident enough that he will step up – be the man – that true love will win against all odds.
But would I scream the same words to my best friend and be confident that the “real world” man would step up and that love would conquer all ... ... ...?
I’m a romantic at heart. I love big gestures and the idea of fighting tooth and nail for the one you love. But I’m not one hundred percent sure I could tell my best friend to risk it all like I can demand it of characters in a book. Perhaps that’s a shame. Perhaps I should have more faith in the “real world”. Perhaps that’s why I read and write so much!
I wonder how many amazing relationship fall by the wayside because we are too careful – too concerned with taking a chance.
Okay ... So I already admitted I’m a romantic!
What do you think? Is real life love missing some of the risk taking we read about in our favorite books?
Books carry intricate plots and dramatically emotional events that often boarder and indeed cross into the unbelievable, but at the same time there is a certain simplicity to the relationships that play out on the page in comparison to real life. Perhaps that is because we like it that way, or that it is simply impossible to cater to all of life’s interruptions; work, money, past experiences, family politics, world politics, current news – if we took into account all aspects of life in every novel – books would be tedious affairs!
So, for whatever reason, we escape into fictional worlds and relationships and are invited to adjudicate.
Often I find myself wanting the heroine to go in one direction with a love interest and have been known to scream aloud – OPEN YOUR EYES! I want them to put everything on the line – say the one thing that puts it all out there because in the end, I have faith in the relationship on the page to prevail. I am confident enough that he will step up – be the man – that true love will win against all odds.
But would I scream the same words to my best friend and be confident that the “real world” man would step up and that love would conquer all ... ... ...?
I’m a romantic at heart. I love big gestures and the idea of fighting tooth and nail for the one you love. But I’m not one hundred percent sure I could tell my best friend to risk it all like I can demand it of characters in a book. Perhaps that’s a shame. Perhaps I should have more faith in the “real world”. Perhaps that’s why I read and write so much!
I wonder how many amazing relationship fall by the wayside because we are too careful – too concerned with taking a chance.
Okay ... So I already admitted I’m a romantic!
What do you think? Is real life love missing some of the risk taking we read about in our favorite books?
February 7, 2012
US & CA GIVEAWAY
The amazing team at Sourcebooks Fire are currently running a massive giveaway through Goodreads, with 20 COPIES of EMBRACE to GIVEAWAY.
If you are in the US or CA, check it out and register for a chance to win!
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
Good luck!!
If you are in the US or CA, check it out and register for a chance to win!
http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
Good luck!!
January 19, 2012
Acronyms - fan or not?
Acronyms. What is acceptable?
You tell me…
FYI: I just drank my daughter’s red cordial!
If my 64-year-old mother sent me a text and it included LMAO I think I would possibly throw up a little.
My mother should not attempt to use acronyms. Lucky for me, she agrees. That’s not to say someone else her age might not be able to pull them off with the sass required, but not her. The only acronyms I can accept from her are: ASAP and RSVP.
I don’t have anything against the high use of acronyms but it just seems like the development is endless and I have to admit – confusing at times. So that leads me to my question(s) – are there acronym guidelines? It is kind of the young thing to do, isn’t it? So do young people own the monopoly on them? Should older people refrain? Should we all refrain (never going to happen)? Should they be contained to the world of FB and Twitter? Should more acronyms become official words and be entered into the Oxford Dictionary – correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe OMG made the cut this year.
And, most importantly, is there a flippin list of these things and will they ever end? I get emails all the time that include acronyms and I sit, I stare, and sometimes I have a light bulb moment and work out what they mean, but often I just have NFI! The one that really stumped me was KIS – to be honest I baulked for a few seconds when I saw that one – so I looked it up. Keep it simple. Somewhat ironic really. I guess I should just be grateful they didn’t write KISS (Keep it simple, stupid) although that was exactly how I felt.
There has to be a sensible place to stop doesn’t there? OR, is this the new English? Are we somehow entering the new age of language whereby not only will we be writing with acronyms but also talking with them? Imagine that! LMAO!
You tell me…
FYI: I just drank my daughter’s red cordial!
If my 64-year-old mother sent me a text and it included LMAO I think I would possibly throw up a little.
My mother should not attempt to use acronyms. Lucky for me, she agrees. That’s not to say someone else her age might not be able to pull them off with the sass required, but not her. The only acronyms I can accept from her are: ASAP and RSVP.
I don’t have anything against the high use of acronyms but it just seems like the development is endless and I have to admit – confusing at times. So that leads me to my question(s) – are there acronym guidelines? It is kind of the young thing to do, isn’t it? So do young people own the monopoly on them? Should older people refrain? Should we all refrain (never going to happen)? Should they be contained to the world of FB and Twitter? Should more acronyms become official words and be entered into the Oxford Dictionary – correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe OMG made the cut this year.
And, most importantly, is there a flippin list of these things and will they ever end? I get emails all the time that include acronyms and I sit, I stare, and sometimes I have a light bulb moment and work out what they mean, but often I just have NFI! The one that really stumped me was KIS – to be honest I baulked for a few seconds when I saw that one – so I looked it up. Keep it simple. Somewhat ironic really. I guess I should just be grateful they didn’t write KISS (Keep it simple, stupid) although that was exactly how I felt.
There has to be a sensible place to stop doesn’t there? OR, is this the new English? Are we somehow entering the new age of language whereby not only will we be writing with acronyms but also talking with them? Imagine that! LMAO!
December 8, 2011
EMBRACE COVER REVEAL - USA
What can I say?
Today, Sourcebooks have revealed the stunning finished cover for EMBRACE and it is ... beyond beautiful!
The idea of a cover, for me anyway, is to show a little insight into the heart of a story and to give the reader a glimpse of what's to come. For me, this cover does that so perfectly - with its wisps of smoke, falling feathers and barely there downcast eyes - whilst also leaving so much to the imagination.
I love, love, love!
Not only have my publishers revealed the cover today - they have also released a 'cover-video' showing a unique behind the scenes look at how the cover was selected and produced. It was amazing for me to watch as I wasn't able to be there for the photo shoot etc. Click HERE to watch!
It's well worth stopping by the website as you can also subscribe to be sent updates along the way. :)
More than ever, I cannot wait for Embrace's release on March 1, 2012. The idea of seeing this book on the shelf makes me seriously giddy! I hope you all love it as much as I do and I would love for you to leave your comments!
Today, Sourcebooks have revealed the stunning finished cover for EMBRACE and it is ... beyond beautiful!
The idea of a cover, for me anyway, is to show a little insight into the heart of a story and to give the reader a glimpse of what's to come. For me, this cover does that so perfectly - with its wisps of smoke, falling feathers and barely there downcast eyes - whilst also leaving so much to the imagination.I love, love, love!
Not only have my publishers revealed the cover today - they have also released a 'cover-video' showing a unique behind the scenes look at how the cover was selected and produced. It was amazing for me to watch as I wasn't able to be there for the photo shoot etc. Click HERE to watch!
It's well worth stopping by the website as you can also subscribe to be sent updates along the way. :)
More than ever, I cannot wait for Embrace's release on March 1, 2012. The idea of seeing this book on the shelf makes me seriously giddy! I hope you all love it as much as I do and I would love for you to leave your comments!
December 1, 2011
THE HUNT HAS STARTED!
Anyone in the mood for a little hunting?
Well, here is your chance to have an exclusive look at bonus material including deleted scenes, cover reveals, book trailers and more, and to sign up for personal author giveaways as well as the ultimate GRAND PRIZE, which includes contributions from 37 YA authors.
Running from December 1 to noon December 4 Pacific Time - DO NOT MISS OUT!
This competition is international!!!
CLICK HERE NOW to start the hunt and link with the other participating author websites:
JESSICA SHIRVINGTON
You'll also have a chance to enter my personal giveaway!
Including a signed arc of EMBRACE (US Edition), due for release in March, 2012, and bookmarks from my personal collection!
There is so much to see and win! Make sure you take part! And if you have any questions feel free to ask them here.
Good Luck!!!!
November 29, 2011
WINTER SCAVENGER HUNT!
Thanks to the incredible Colleen Houck , the YA Scavenger Hunt, 2011, is drawing near!
For everyone that likes the idea of getting their hands on exclusive material from an amazing list of YA authors … THE WINTER SCAVENGER HUNT starts December 1, and will run until noon on December 4. Please note this is Pacific Time.
DO NOT MISS OUT!!!
You will be able to start the hunt from any participating author website, like mine: www.jessicashirvington.com
There you will find the puzzle that will need to be worked out by finding keywords on each author site and the instructions on how to enter for the GRAND PRIZE.
Along the way, you can expect to find exclusive deleted scenes, cover reveals, book trailers and individual giveaways plus more, more, more!
Just to wet your appetite, here is the list of participating YA authors (I believe a few more may be added before the hunt begins!) and the books they will be featuring. I’m sure you will agree it is a remarkable collection!
Rashelle Workman - EXILED
P.J. Hoover - SOLSTICE
Gregg Olsen - ENVY (Empty Coffin)
Laura A.H. Elliott - WINNEMUCCA
Stacey Wallace Benefiel - ZELLIE WELLS TRILOGY
Lani Woodland - INDELIBLE
Beth Revis - A MILLION SUNS
Karen Amanda Hooper - TANGLED TIDES
Lisa Bergren - RIVER OF TIME SERIES
Ali Cross - BECOME
Elana Johnson - POSSESSION
Abbi Glines - EXISTENCE
Myra McEntire - HOURGLASS, TIMEPIECE
Amy Plum - DIE FOR ME
Inara Scott - THE MARKED
Lisa Nowak - RUNNING WIDE OPEN
Gina Damico - CROAK
Amber Argyle - WITCH SONG
C.K. Bryant - BOUND
Cynthia Hand - HALLOWED
Brodi Ashton - EVERNEATH
Erica O’Rourke - TORN, and, TANGLED
Kimberly Derting - THE PLEDGE
Leah Bobet - ABOVE
Jocelyn Davies - A BEAUTIFUL DARK
Angela Corbett - ETERNAL STARLING
Jessica Shirvington - EMBRACE
Gretchen McNeil - POSSESS
Josephine Angelini - STARCROSSED and DREAMLESS
Tera Lynn Childs - SWEET VENOM
Bree Despain - THE SAVAGE GRACE
Leigh Fallon - THE CARRIER TRILOGY
Claudia Gray - FATEFUL
Marley Gibson - THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie - UNLEASHED
Alexandra Monir - TIMELESS
Jeri-Smith Ready - SHINE, and, SHADE
Tara Hudson - HEREAFTER SERIES
Colleen Houck - TIGER'S CURSE SERIES
For my part, I’ll be posting an exclusive deleted scene from EMBRACE and, along with my lovely publishers at Sourcebooks, will offer a chance to win a signed copy of the very beautiful US arc (pictured below) and bookmarks, as well as contributing a signed first edition of Embrace and poster to the amazing GRAND PRIZE.
November 23, 2011
Germany reveal EMBLAZE cover!
Wow! Wow! Wow!
The German covers have gone from strength to strength! The thought of trying to capture the look of Phoenix or Lincoln on one of the covers would normally be a frightening idea to me – I have very clear images of the men in Violet’s life! But the team at Random House, Germany, has absolutely nailed it!
I am so excited to share the very beautiful new cover of EMBLAZE, or rather, GEBANNT (translation: Spellbound).
For those in Germany - Gebannt will be released on 13th August, 2012.
Would love to hear your thoughts! xx
The German covers have gone from strength to strength! The thought of trying to capture the look of Phoenix or Lincoln on one of the covers would normally be a frightening idea to me – I have very clear images of the men in Violet’s life! But the team at Random House, Germany, has absolutely nailed it!
I am so excited to share the very beautiful new cover of EMBLAZE, or rather, GEBANNT (translation: Spellbound).
For those in Germany - Gebannt will be released on 13th August, 2012.
Would love to hear your thoughts! xx
