Rachel Vincent's Blog, page 21
March 9, 2011
(Late) Weekly Giveaway!
Sorry this week's giveaway is late. I got distracted. But, the good news is that there are now five new international editions to add to the list of available books!
But first, the winner of last week's giveaway is:
Debbie, whose comment began: "Personally, I don't like cliffhangers, but it is true that they bring me to the next book."
And, since Crystal Maki never claimed her prize, I'm redrawing a winner for last week's prize. The new winner is:
Vidia Trident, whose comment began: "After seeing the movie trailer for BEASTLY..."
Debbie and Vidia, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your shipping information and your selection of books from the list below.
To enter this week's foreign edition giveaway, leave me a comment in the corresponding Blogger post telling me what second language you speak, or what second language you'd most like to speak. One comment will be chosen at random and the winner will be announced on Monday. You must check into see if you've won and claim your prize, or I will redraw a winner next week.
Books up for grabs:
Please note that the Italian copies of Rogue were lightly damaged during shipping (dented spine). Also, the UK copies of MSTSave were slightly more lightly damaged during shipping (crimped cover, dented spine). I hate that that happened, but the books are still readable, so if you're looking for either edition...I have them.)
Also, if you're still with me at the bottom of this post, today's the last day to vote in the Blood Bound UK cover concept poll. I'm sending in the data tomorrow. Click here to see the concepts and vote.
But first, the winner of last week's giveaway is:
Debbie, whose comment began: "Personally, I don't like cliffhangers, but it is true that they bring me to the next book."
And, since Crystal Maki never claimed her prize, I'm redrawing a winner for last week's prize. The new winner is:
Vidia Trident, whose comment began: "After seeing the movie trailer for BEASTLY..."
Debbie and Vidia, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your shipping information and your selection of books from the list below.
To enter this week's foreign edition giveaway, leave me a comment in the corresponding Blogger post telling me what second language you speak, or what second language you'd most like to speak. One comment will be chosen at random and the winner will be announced on Monday. You must check into see if you've won and claim your prize, or I will redraw a winner next week.
Books up for grabs:
Australian My Soul To Take
Australian My Soul To Save
Australian My Soul To Keep
Australian My Soul To Steal (x2)
UK My Soul To Take
UK My Soul To Save (x2)
French My Soul To Keep (Sauve Mon Ame!) (x2)
US Kiss Me Deadly (YA antho)
Australian Stray
Australian Rogue (x2)
Australian Pride (x2)
Australian Prey (x2)
Finnish Stray (Kissatytto) (x2)
Norwegian Stray (Herrelos) (x2)
Swedish Stray (Herrelos) (x2)
Italian Rogue (il Graffio della notte) (x2)
Please note that the Italian copies of Rogue were lightly damaged during shipping (dented spine). Also, the UK copies of MSTSave were slightly more lightly damaged during shipping (crimped cover, dented spine). I hate that that happened, but the books are still readable, so if you're looking for either edition...I have them.)
Also, if you're still with me at the bottom of this post, today's the last day to vote in the Blood Bound UK cover concept poll. I'm sending in the data tomorrow. Click here to see the concepts and vote.
March 3, 2011
Which do you like better?
Okay, guys, if you've ever wondered how book covers are designed/chosen, here's your chance to see the process in action. And to be a part of it. Mira UK, the UK arm of my adult publisher, has designed two possible looks for the cover of Blood Bound (Unbound book 1), my new adult series, which will debut in the US on August 23rd. And they want your opinion.
But to keep all the data in one place, I'm hosting the poll on my Blogger blog. Want to see the two proposed cover concepts? Please click here, read the post, and vote in the poll. And feel free to spread the word!
Thanks!
But to keep all the data in one place, I'm hosting the poll on my Blogger blog. Want to see the two proposed cover concepts? Please click here, read the post, and vote in the poll. And feel free to spread the word!
Thanks!
March 2, 2011
In response...
As many of my blog readers have already noticed, yesterday’s post about love triangles has sparked quite a bit of discussion, both on Blogger (the original post) and on Facebook in particular. I’m so thrilled by the discussion and I continue to encourage anyone with an opinion (on love triangles in general, or on the debatable existence of one in the Soul Screamers books in particular) to share it.
Please note, however, that yesterday’s post was not a statement (nor was it a hint) about the romantic relationships in future Soul Screamers books. I haven’t made such a comment, and I won’t, because I don’t want to spoil the books for anyone. It’s that rabid conjecture that makes books (particularly YA, in my opinion) so much fun.
However, there was a downside (for me, anyway) to the discussion. I woke up to a rather frustrating comment which, in my opinion, goes beyond the bounds of gracious discussion or disagreement. I’ve allowed the comment to be posted because I don’t believe in censorship, even to spare myself some embarrassment.
I’ve considered responding to the comment all day (though I’ve also been working, I swear!) and originally wrote a long response trying to explain the intent behind my original post. But I’ve deleted that response because I realized, after some wise counsel, that it’s not needed. I don’t need to defend myself for sparking discussion (something beyond “cute little anecdotes”) on my own blog.
But I have decided to respond, briefly, and I invite those interested to read the comment (which I’m pasting below) along with my own abbreviated response. This is what I have to say, and this is all I have to say. I hope you can all understand that.
From Anonymous to Rachel:
Honey I like your writing but I don't like your attitude. I don't think your
intent was to lecture, but your post seemed to me to have that tone. If I wanted
a lecture I'd go back to college for another degree. Stick to updates, the cute
little anecdotes and leave the condescending tone for your private blog not your
commercial one. It may be a blog, but there is a certain point after which you
overstep your authority as an author and become that know-it-all,
mightier-than-thou person no one wants to listen to.
You write for a younger audience. You're going to get a lot of whiny children, especially when you open
yourself up in this sort of fashion. You need to learn when to brush it off and let it go.
Anonymous,
First, I’m sorry that you felt you needed to comment on my blog anonymously. There really is no need for that. I don’t hold grudges, I respect others’ opinions, and I try to give people the benefit of the doubt, especially on the internet, where it’s particularly hard to judge someone’s tone.
That said, I do resent being called “honey” by someone I don't know, and whose tone I can't easily interpret. I take offense on behalf of my readers, whom you've called "whiny children." My readers are not whiny, nor could most of them be classified as children; they're mostly teens and adults—intelligent, thoughtful readers who are both passionate and eager in their curiosity.
However, I would like to thank you for putting some things into perspective for me. The fact that a condescending anonymous comment on my blog is my biggest problem today reminds me how very fortunate I am, and I am grateful to you for that reminder.
And I am so incredibly grateful to the readers who have made this career—such a huge part of my life—possible. As always, you are welcome here, to question, to comment, to discuss, and even to disagree with me.
Thank you for reading.
March 1, 2011
Rachel on love triangles (And why N/K/T isn't one)
Okay, let’s talk about love triangles.
I know, I know, everyone hates love triangles. Even people who don’t really hate love triangles say they hate love triangles, because liking them has become passé, or because you automatically associate them with a certain culturally pervasive YA vampire series and a marketing stragegy based on "Team This or That." But guess what? Love triangles have been around forever, and they certainly predate those ubiquitous vampire books.
And guess what else? In my experience, people hate love triangles like they hate cliffhangers. Most people say they hate cliffhangers, but those who are honest will then qualify their hate with the admission that cliffhangers do make them want the next book. Badly.
Don’t believe me? Go read the comments on my previous post. I asked people to comment on the subject of cliffhangers to be entered to win this week’s giveaway, and almost ALL of the comments are a variation of: “I have a love/hate relationship with cliffhangers.”
Ever notice how no one phrases that sentiment as a “hate/love” relationship? Think it’s a coincidence that the love always comes first? I don’t.
But back to love triangles. This isn’t my defense of them, I swear. In some cases, I like to read about them, in others, I don’t. It all depends on the execution. But then, just saying that is an admission that love triangles are contrived. Engineered by the author.
Don’t look so shocked. Everything in a book is engineered by the author. Also, wrestling is fake. This is entertainment, not journalism. Know how you can tell? Most authors have better grammar than reporters. (Notice I wrote “most.”)
It’s an author’s job to entertain you. To make you believe and feel things that aren’t real. How do I know when I’ve done that successfully? People start sending me emails with detailed analyses of the characters and their (sometimes poorly made) decisions. People start leaving me messages on Facebook and Twitter demanding I move up the release of the next book. (FYI, I can’t do that. Release dates are entirely up to my publisher.) People start sending me messages on Formspring asking what’s going to happen in the next book. (Sorry, I can’t tell you that. If I did, why would you read the book?)
And here’s what I’ve discovered since my first novel came out in 2007: no matter what the book is about, people will obsess over the romance.
Case in point: my own Shifters series. I didn’t write it as romance. I wrote it as urban fantasy. But the subject of more than ninety percent (Okay, I didn’t really do that math. It’s a very confident estimate.) of the email I get about the Shifters books is romance. While I was focused on the bad guys, and the mission, and the revolution, and the careful guidance of an entire society away from the dark side (oppression by a malevolent leader), you guys were constantly asking me “Who’s Faythe going to choose?”
Did I mind? No. At first, I was highly amused. Then I decided this whole development was one big compliment. Even people who professed to hate Faythe wanted to know who she was going to choose. People cared what happened to my characters. I must have done something right. Right?
But now the Shifters series is over and I’ve turned my attention to Soul Screamers (as well as Unbound, my new adult trilogy debuting this fall) and guess what’s happening? I’m getting those messages again.
“Rachel, who is Kaylee going to choose?”
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know what those people were talking about. Kaylee does have choices. But then, most people do. If you were to dump your significant other right now, would you expect to spend the rest of your life alone? No? Then you have choices. Does that mean you’re currently in a love triangle? Probably not. So let me put forth a radical idea for people to chew over:
It’s possible—possible—that not every romantic development in a book or series is intended to grow into a love triangle. I’m just putting that out there, as food for thought.
Now, here’s why I don’t consider Nash/Kaylee/Tod to be a love triangle, based on what you've read through My Soul To Steal:
(SOUL SCREAMERS SPOILERS BELOW)
Reason the first: Kaylee doesn’t know Tod likes her. You canNOT have a love triangle when one of the sides of that triangle doesn’t know the other side is, in fact, a side.
Faythe, on the other hand, knew early on how Jace felt about her.
Reason the second: Kaylee is not being asked to choose between two love interests. She’s not caught in the middle with a guy tugging on either arm. Why not?
From the author’s standpoint, that’s because Kaylee is sixteen, and she’s been through some trauma. I think she needs time to decide how she feels about Nash without the added pressure/temptation of knowing that there’s another possibility.
From Tod’s standpoint…things are complicated. Does he like her? Yes. Does that mean he can come right out and tell her? No. She’s his brother’s girlfriend. His heart is being pulled in both directions. Loyalty to his own flesh and blood, or potential happiness for himself? You might even say that Tod is actually the focal point of this particular not-a-triangle, not Kaylee. He’s the one who has to make a decision, even if no one else knows it.
Does he always make the wise decision? No. Does he always mean well? Um…again, no. But in this case, yes. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone he cares about. So what’s a reaper to do?
By contrast, Faythe knew early on that she’d have to make a decision. In fact, she struggled with that decision for at least two and a half books. (Some might say more.)
Reason the third: The first word in the phrase “love triangle” is love. You can’t have a love triangle unless the focal point in that triangle loves the other two points—both of them—to a degree close enough to make the decision difficult. And that’s a simple love triangle. They can get much more complex, when each point loves both of the other points, or the love travels in one direction all the way around the triangle (Bob loves Sue, who loves Johnny, who loves Bob, or something like that.)
But here’s the deal: Kaylee and Nash are trying to work things out. They’re starting over (at the end of MSTSteal) to see if they can salvage what they had, after what they’ve been through. No guarantees from me either way. Sorry. (Okay, I’m not really sorry. I actually like teasing readers. ;)) And Kaylee and Tod…well, there is no Kaylee and Tod. As of My Soul To Steal, she doesn’t see him like that, because she doesn’t know how he feels. Because he hasn’t told her. Because she’s going out with his brother.
So how is that a love triangle, exactly? In my opinion (and you’re welcome to disagree with me, but you won’t change my mind), it’s not. It’s a struggling relationship and a third, silently interested party.
Could that change? Of course it could. Just like in real life.
Am I saying it will change? No, I’m not. Nor am I saying it won't. I’m saying that the relationships in the Soul Screamers series aren’t simple enough to fall into the rather pat label “love triangle.” And that’s without even mentioning Sabine.
And by the way, if you’re bored and have the time, go back and run the Kaylee/Nash/Sabine tangle through the three qualifiers above. Does it qualify as a love triangle? Did things just get a little more complicated?
Why yes, I think they did. ;)
Okay. Discuss!
I know, I know, everyone hates love triangles. Even people who don’t really hate love triangles say they hate love triangles, because liking them has become passé, or because you automatically associate them with a certain culturally pervasive YA vampire series and a marketing stragegy based on "Team This or That." But guess what? Love triangles have been around forever, and they certainly predate those ubiquitous vampire books.
And guess what else? In my experience, people hate love triangles like they hate cliffhangers. Most people say they hate cliffhangers, but those who are honest will then qualify their hate with the admission that cliffhangers do make them want the next book. Badly.
Don’t believe me? Go read the comments on my previous post. I asked people to comment on the subject of cliffhangers to be entered to win this week’s giveaway, and almost ALL of the comments are a variation of: “I have a love/hate relationship with cliffhangers.”
Ever notice how no one phrases that sentiment as a “hate/love” relationship? Think it’s a coincidence that the love always comes first? I don’t.
But back to love triangles. This isn’t my defense of them, I swear. In some cases, I like to read about them, in others, I don’t. It all depends on the execution. But then, just saying that is an admission that love triangles are contrived. Engineered by the author.
Don’t look so shocked. Everything in a book is engineered by the author. Also, wrestling is fake. This is entertainment, not journalism. Know how you can tell? Most authors have better grammar than reporters. (Notice I wrote “most.”)
It’s an author’s job to entertain you. To make you believe and feel things that aren’t real. How do I know when I’ve done that successfully? People start sending me emails with detailed analyses of the characters and their (sometimes poorly made) decisions. People start leaving me messages on Facebook and Twitter demanding I move up the release of the next book. (FYI, I can’t do that. Release dates are entirely up to my publisher.) People start sending me messages on Formspring asking what’s going to happen in the next book. (Sorry, I can’t tell you that. If I did, why would you read the book?)
And here’s what I’ve discovered since my first novel came out in 2007: no matter what the book is about, people will obsess over the romance.
Case in point: my own Shifters series. I didn’t write it as romance. I wrote it as urban fantasy. But the subject of more than ninety percent (Okay, I didn’t really do that math. It’s a very confident estimate.) of the email I get about the Shifters books is romance. While I was focused on the bad guys, and the mission, and the revolution, and the careful guidance of an entire society away from the dark side (oppression by a malevolent leader), you guys were constantly asking me “Who’s Faythe going to choose?”
Did I mind? No. At first, I was highly amused. Then I decided this whole development was one big compliment. Even people who professed to hate Faythe wanted to know who she was going to choose. People cared what happened to my characters. I must have done something right. Right?
But now the Shifters series is over and I’ve turned my attention to Soul Screamers (as well as Unbound, my new adult trilogy debuting this fall) and guess what’s happening? I’m getting those messages again.
“Rachel, who is Kaylee going to choose?”
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t know what those people were talking about. Kaylee does have choices. But then, most people do. If you were to dump your significant other right now, would you expect to spend the rest of your life alone? No? Then you have choices. Does that mean you’re currently in a love triangle? Probably not. So let me put forth a radical idea for people to chew over:
It’s possible—possible—that not every romantic development in a book or series is intended to grow into a love triangle. I’m just putting that out there, as food for thought.
Now, here’s why I don’t consider Nash/Kaylee/Tod to be a love triangle, based on what you've read through My Soul To Steal:
(SOUL SCREAMERS SPOILERS BELOW)
Reason the first: Kaylee doesn’t know Tod likes her. You canNOT have a love triangle when one of the sides of that triangle doesn’t know the other side is, in fact, a side.
Faythe, on the other hand, knew early on how Jace felt about her.
Reason the second: Kaylee is not being asked to choose between two love interests. She’s not caught in the middle with a guy tugging on either arm. Why not?
From the author’s standpoint, that’s because Kaylee is sixteen, and she’s been through some trauma. I think she needs time to decide how she feels about Nash without the added pressure/temptation of knowing that there’s another possibility.
From Tod’s standpoint…things are complicated. Does he like her? Yes. Does that mean he can come right out and tell her? No. She’s his brother’s girlfriend. His heart is being pulled in both directions. Loyalty to his own flesh and blood, or potential happiness for himself? You might even say that Tod is actually the focal point of this particular not-a-triangle, not Kaylee. He’s the one who has to make a decision, even if no one else knows it.
Does he always make the wise decision? No. Does he always mean well? Um…again, no. But in this case, yes. He doesn’t want to hurt anyone he cares about. So what’s a reaper to do?
By contrast, Faythe knew early on that she’d have to make a decision. In fact, she struggled with that decision for at least two and a half books. (Some might say more.)
Reason the third: The first word in the phrase “love triangle” is love. You can’t have a love triangle unless the focal point in that triangle loves the other two points—both of them—to a degree close enough to make the decision difficult. And that’s a simple love triangle. They can get much more complex, when each point loves both of the other points, or the love travels in one direction all the way around the triangle (Bob loves Sue, who loves Johnny, who loves Bob, or something like that.)
But here’s the deal: Kaylee and Nash are trying to work things out. They’re starting over (at the end of MSTSteal) to see if they can salvage what they had, after what they’ve been through. No guarantees from me either way. Sorry. (Okay, I’m not really sorry. I actually like teasing readers. ;)) And Kaylee and Tod…well, there is no Kaylee and Tod. As of My Soul To Steal, she doesn’t see him like that, because she doesn’t know how he feels. Because he hasn’t told her. Because she’s going out with his brother.
So how is that a love triangle, exactly? In my opinion (and you’re welcome to disagree with me, but you won’t change my mind), it’s not. It’s a struggling relationship and a third, silently interested party.
Could that change? Of course it could. Just like in real life.
Am I saying it will change? No, I’m not. Nor am I saying it won't. I’m saying that the relationships in the Soul Screamers series aren’t simple enough to fall into the rather pat label “love triangle.” And that’s without even mentioning Sabine.
And by the way, if you’re bored and have the time, go back and run the Kaylee/Nash/Sabine tangle through the three qualifiers above. Does it qualify as a love triangle? Did things just get a little more complicated?
Why yes, I think they did. ;)
Okay. Discuss!
February 28, 2011
Preorders and a winner!
I have the winner from last week's giveaway and the new giveaway is posted below, but first, look! BLOOD BOUND is up for preorder at Amazon! There's no cover or description yet, but this is the book!
It's also at B&N!
Blood Bound will be my eleventh novel to hit the shelf, and this part never gets old. ;)
Okay, now for what you really want to hear...
The winner of last week's International Copies Giveaway, selected by random number generator, is:
Crystal Maki who wrote, "Last week I read iron Witch, Secrets and Shadows (13 to life 2) Out for Blood and Unearthly."
Crystal, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your shipping information and the book you'd like from the list below, and I'll put your prize in the mail.
This week's giveaway will run through the weekend, and again, the winner will be announced on Monday. To enter, leave me a comment in the corresponding Blogger post telling me how you feel about cliffhangers at the end of a book (NOT at the end of a series). Love 'em or hate 'em? And if you hate them, don't they still bring you back for the next book?
Giveaway rules… One entry per person You MUST check back in on Mondays to see if you’ve won. I don’t have time to track down winners, so they’ll have to claim their own prizes. If you don’t claim your prize by the following Friday, you’ve missed your shot and your book goes back into the pot. Open to international entries, of course. Each book will be signed by me. (Or someone cooler, if I can make that happen) Here’s the list of prizes you can choose from:
Obviously, this list will change as prizes are chosen. It will also expand, as I receive new foreign editions. (I’m expecting copies of various books from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Australia. And now, evidently, India. They just keep coming.)Australian My Soul To Take
Australian My Soul To Save
Australian My Soul To Keep
Australian My Soul To Steal (x2)
UK My Soul To Take (x2)
French My Soul To Keep (Sauve Mon Ame!) (x2)
US Kiss Me Deadly (YA antho)
Australian Stray
Australian Rogue (x2)
Australian Pride (x2)
Australian Prey (x2)
Pre-orders and a winner
I have the winner from last week's giveaway and the new giveaway is posted below, but first, look! BLOOD BOUND is up for preorder at Amazon! There's no cover or description yet, but this is the book!
It's also at B&N!
Blood Bound will be my eleventh novel to hit the shelf, and this part never gets old. ;)
Okay, now for what you really want to hear...
The winner of last week's International Copies Giveaway, selected by random number generator, is:
Crystal Maki who wrote, "Last week I read iron Witch, Secrets and Shadows (13 to life 2) Out for Blood and Unearthly."
Crystal, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your shipping information and the book you'd like from the list below, and I'll put your prize in the mail.
This week's giveaway will run through the weekend, and again, the winner will be announced on Monday. To enter, leave me a comment telling me how you feel about cliffhangers at the end of a book (NOT at the end of a series). Love 'em or hate 'em? And if you hate them, don't they still bring you back for the next book?
Giveaway rules… One entry per person You MUST check back in on Mondays to see if you've won. I don't have time to track down winners, so they'll have to claim their own prizes. If you don't claim your prize by the following Friday, you've missed your shot and your book goes back into the pot. Open to international entries, of course. Each book will be signed by me. (Or someone cooler, if I can make that happen) Here's the list of prizes you can choose from:
It's also at B&N!
Blood Bound will be my eleventh novel to hit the shelf, and this part never gets old. ;)
Okay, now for what you really want to hear...
The winner of last week's International Copies Giveaway, selected by random number generator, is:
Crystal Maki who wrote, "Last week I read iron Witch, Secrets and Shadows (13 to life 2) Out for Blood and Unearthly."
Crystal, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your shipping information and the book you'd like from the list below, and I'll put your prize in the mail.
This week's giveaway will run through the weekend, and again, the winner will be announced on Monday. To enter, leave me a comment telling me how you feel about cliffhangers at the end of a book (NOT at the end of a series). Love 'em or hate 'em? And if you hate them, don't they still bring you back for the next book?
Giveaway rules… One entry per person You MUST check back in on Mondays to see if you've won. I don't have time to track down winners, so they'll have to claim their own prizes. If you don't claim your prize by the following Friday, you've missed your shot and your book goes back into the pot. Open to international entries, of course. Each book will be signed by me. (Or someone cooler, if I can make that happen) Here's the list of prizes you can choose from:
Obviously, this list will change as prizes are chosen. It will also expand, as I receive new foreign editions. (I'm expecting copies of various books from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Australia. And now, evidently, India. They just keep coming.)Australian My Soul To Take
Australian My Soul To Save
Australian My Soul To Keep
Australian My Soul To Steal (x2)
UK My Soul To Take (x2)
French My Soul To Keep (Sauve Mon Ame!) (x2)
US Kiss Me Deadly (YA antho)
Australian Stray
Australian Rogue (x2)
Australian Pride (x2)
Australian Prey (x2)
February 22, 2011
Don't tell me what I already know...
As promised, today I have a craft post. But first...
Disclaimer: I am not an expert; I make no such claim. You are free to disagree with me now, as always. Your disagreement invalidates neither of our opinions. The following is my opinion about a writing technique that doesn’t work for me.
I am a writer. I’ve been doing this professionally for several years now. My first novel (Stray) sold in 2006 and came out in 2007. In the years between, it’s become very difficult for me to take off my “writer’s hat” and read books for pleasure, because I now see the technique behind the story. I see plot devices, contrived events, character archetypes (and often stereotypes), faulty grammar, and sometimes just plain awkward phrasing.
Have I done some of that myself?
I’ve done ALL of that myself, at one point or another. I'm probably still doing some of it--it's much easier to catch these things in other people's writing than in your own. My flaws have been pointed out to me. A lot. Which is probably why I see them so easily now in other things I read. And, like most writers, I have pet peeves. Does that mean I hate authors/books that utilize my pet peeves? Of course not. Sometimes I realize I've used my own writing pet peeves, and that gets on my nerves far worse than when someone else does it.
Today I’m going to talk about one of my worst writing pet peeves. There’s probably a technical name for it, but if so, I’m unaware of it.
[Confession: I’m not a trained writer. I have a BA in English and I taught high school English for a short while after college, but I took no writing courses in high school or college, beyond the required freshman level composition classes. I didn’t even take technical writing. (I was afraid I’d die of boredom or come to hate writing.) The VAST majority of both my major courses and my electives were lit classes. Well, that, and philosophy and women’s studies classes. Yes, I was one of THOSE students. ;) But the point is that what I know about writing, I’ve learned from the generous help of an awesome mentor when I was first starting out, and from experience. Trial and error. The patience of my editor, who probably used an entire package of red pens on the ROGUE manuscript, teaching me to tighten my prose. THANK YOU, MARY-THERESA!]
That said, today’s writing pet peeve is: The character who explains stuff to a character who already knows this stuff, just so the writer can get information across to the readers. (This happens in movies all the time too, and in fact, this post was prompted by a movie I saw this weekend.) Sometimes it goes something like this...
Sometimes, it’s a little more subtle than that. But the point is that there is almost never a good reason for one character to tell another something s/he already knows. This is just plain lazy writing. (I know, I’ve done it too.)
So, how can a writer get background information across to the reader? There are many ways, but one of the most common (and the most effective, when done well, IMO) shows these scenes through the eyes of a character unfamiliar with the world. That way, as this character learns about the world around him or her, so will the reader. And it doesn’t have to (and in fact, shouldn’t) come all in one long speech/lecture, like the made-up illustration above. No matter how it’s delivered, backstory (and world building) should be spread throughout the story, not throw in like one great blood clot of information, guaranteed to halt the flow of the plot.
Also, especially in stories told in first person, the narrator can just come out and state things in the narration. Not large blocks of information, but short, straightforward bits are fine. Like this.
See? We know Mina’s position in the industry, and that the narrator hates her. And no one had to tell anyone something s/he already knew.
Okay, that’s it for now. I’m off to practice what I preach. ;)
Disclaimer: I am not an expert; I make no such claim. You are free to disagree with me now, as always. Your disagreement invalidates neither of our opinions. The following is my opinion about a writing technique that doesn’t work for me.
I am a writer. I’ve been doing this professionally for several years now. My first novel (Stray) sold in 2006 and came out in 2007. In the years between, it’s become very difficult for me to take off my “writer’s hat” and read books for pleasure, because I now see the technique behind the story. I see plot devices, contrived events, character archetypes (and often stereotypes), faulty grammar, and sometimes just plain awkward phrasing.
Have I done some of that myself?
I’ve done ALL of that myself, at one point or another. I'm probably still doing some of it--it's much easier to catch these things in other people's writing than in your own. My flaws have been pointed out to me. A lot. Which is probably why I see them so easily now in other things I read. And, like most writers, I have pet peeves. Does that mean I hate authors/books that utilize my pet peeves? Of course not. Sometimes I realize I've used my own writing pet peeves, and that gets on my nerves far worse than when someone else does it.
Today I’m going to talk about one of my worst writing pet peeves. There’s probably a technical name for it, but if so, I’m unaware of it.
[Confession: I’m not a trained writer. I have a BA in English and I taught high school English for a short while after college, but I took no writing courses in high school or college, beyond the required freshman level composition classes. I didn’t even take technical writing. (I was afraid I’d die of boredom or come to hate writing.) The VAST majority of both my major courses and my electives were lit classes. Well, that, and philosophy and women’s studies classes. Yes, I was one of THOSE students. ;) But the point is that what I know about writing, I’ve learned from the generous help of an awesome mentor when I was first starting out, and from experience. Trial and error. The patience of my editor, who probably used an entire package of red pens on the ROGUE manuscript, teaching me to tighten my prose. THANK YOU, MARY-THERESA!]
That said, today’s writing pet peeve is: The character who explains stuff to a character who already knows this stuff, just so the writer can get information across to the readers. (This happens in movies all the time too, and in fact, this post was prompted by a movie I saw this weekend.) Sometimes it goes something like this...
“Bob, as you know, Immortal Remains is the world’s premier slain-vampire-dust
collection company in the world. We were established in the year 1286, in a
small Hungarian village that was first overrun by vampires, then by vampire
hunters, until it was nearly buried by the dust of the dead, prompting the
Lightbright brothers to offer their disposal services to the world in an
historic attempt to combine selfless good deeds with the concept of a free
market economy. As you well know.”
Sometimes, it’s a little more subtle than that. But the point is that there is almost never a good reason for one character to tell another something s/he already knows. This is just plain lazy writing. (I know, I’ve done it too.)
So, how can a writer get background information across to the reader? There are many ways, but one of the most common (and the most effective, when done well, IMO) shows these scenes through the eyes of a character unfamiliar with the world. That way, as this character learns about the world around him or her, so will the reader. And it doesn’t have to (and in fact, shouldn’t) come all in one long speech/lecture, like the made-up illustration above. No matter how it’s delivered, backstory (and world building) should be spread throughout the story, not throw in like one great blood clot of information, guaranteed to halt the flow of the plot.
Also, especially in stories told in first person, the narrator can just come out and state things in the narration. Not large blocks of information, but short, straightforward bits are fine. Like this.
“Make sure you clean your nozzle, rookie,” Mina said, then flounced off with her skirts raised an inch off the sooty ground, leaving me standing in a pile of recently-dead vampire. Mina Harker was the most experienced vamp dust vaccumer in the industry, and I’d hated her for as long as I’d known her.
See? We know Mina’s position in the industry, and that the narrator hates her. And no one had to tell anyone something s/he already knew.
Okay, that’s it for now. I’m off to practice what I preach. ;)
Don't tell me what I already know...
As promised, today I have a craft post. But first...
Disclaimer: I am not an expert; I make no such claim. You are free to disagree with me now, as always. Your disagreement invalidates neither of our opinions. The following is my opinion about a writing technique that doesn't work for me.
I am a writer. I've been doing this professionally for several years now. My first novel (Stray)sold in 2006 and came out in 2007. In the years between, it's become very difficult for me to take off my "writer's hat" and read books for pleasure, because I now see the technique behind the story. I see plot devices, contrived events, character archetypes (and often stereotypes), faulty grammar, and sometimes just plain awkward phrasing.
Have I done some of that myself?
I've done ALL of that myself, at one point or another. I'm probably still doing some of it--it's much easier to catch these things in other people's writing than in your own. My flaws have been pointed out to me. A lot. Which is probably why I see them so easily now in other things I read. And, like most writers, I have pet peeves. Does that mean I hate authors/books that utilize my pet peeves? Of course not. Sometimes I realize I've used my own writing pet peeves, and that gets on my nerves far worse than when someone else does it.
Today I'm going to talk about one of my worst writing pet peeves. There's probably a technical name for it, but if so, I'm unaware of it.
[Confession: I'm not a trained writer. I have a BA in English and I taught high school English for a short while after college, but I took no writing courses in high school or college, beyond the required freshman level composition classes. I didn't even take technical writing. (I was afraid I'd die of boredom or come to hate writing.) The VAST majority of both my major courses and my electives were lit classes. Well, that, and philosophy and women's studies classes. Yes, I was one of THOSE students. ;) But the point is that what I know about writing, I've learned from the generous help of an awesome mentor when I was first starting out, and from experience. Trial and error. The patience of my editor, who probably used an entire package of red pens on the ROGUE manuscript, teaching me to tighten my prose. THANK YOU, MARY-THERESA!]
That said, today's writing pet peeve is: The character who explains stuff to a character who already knows this stuff, just so the writer can get information across to the readers. (This happens in movies all the time too, and in fact, this post was prompted by a movie I saw this weekend.) Sometimes it goes something like this...
Sometimes, it's a little more subtle than that. But the point is that there is almost never a good reason for one character to tell another something s/he already knows. This is just plain lazy writing. (I know, I've done it too.)
So, how can a writer get background information across to the reader? There are many ways, but one of the most common (and the most effective, when done well, IMO) shows these scenes through the eyes of a character unfamiliar with the world. That way, as this character learns about the world around him or her, so will the reader. And it doesn't have to (and in fact, shouldn't) come all in one long speech/lecture, like the made-up illustration above. No matter how it's delivered, backstory (and world building) should be spread throughout the story, not throw in like one great blood clot of information, guaranteed to halt the flow of the plot.
Also, especially in stories told in first person, the narrator can just come out and state things in the narration. Not large blocks of information, but short, straightforward bits are fine. Like this.
See? We know Mina's position in the industry, and that the narrator hates her. And no one had to tell anyone something s/he already knew.
Okay, that's it for now. I'm off to practice what I preach. ;)
Disclaimer: I am not an expert; I make no such claim. You are free to disagree with me now, as always. Your disagreement invalidates neither of our opinions. The following is my opinion about a writing technique that doesn't work for me.
I am a writer. I've been doing this professionally for several years now. My first novel (Stray)sold in 2006 and came out in 2007. In the years between, it's become very difficult for me to take off my "writer's hat" and read books for pleasure, because I now see the technique behind the story. I see plot devices, contrived events, character archetypes (and often stereotypes), faulty grammar, and sometimes just plain awkward phrasing.
Have I done some of that myself?
I've done ALL of that myself, at one point or another. I'm probably still doing some of it--it's much easier to catch these things in other people's writing than in your own. My flaws have been pointed out to me. A lot. Which is probably why I see them so easily now in other things I read. And, like most writers, I have pet peeves. Does that mean I hate authors/books that utilize my pet peeves? Of course not. Sometimes I realize I've used my own writing pet peeves, and that gets on my nerves far worse than when someone else does it.
Today I'm going to talk about one of my worst writing pet peeves. There's probably a technical name for it, but if so, I'm unaware of it.
[Confession: I'm not a trained writer. I have a BA in English and I taught high school English for a short while after college, but I took no writing courses in high school or college, beyond the required freshman level composition classes. I didn't even take technical writing. (I was afraid I'd die of boredom or come to hate writing.) The VAST majority of both my major courses and my electives were lit classes. Well, that, and philosophy and women's studies classes. Yes, I was one of THOSE students. ;) But the point is that what I know about writing, I've learned from the generous help of an awesome mentor when I was first starting out, and from experience. Trial and error. The patience of my editor, who probably used an entire package of red pens on the ROGUE manuscript, teaching me to tighten my prose. THANK YOU, MARY-THERESA!]
That said, today's writing pet peeve is: The character who explains stuff to a character who already knows this stuff, just so the writer can get information across to the readers. (This happens in movies all the time too, and in fact, this post was prompted by a movie I saw this weekend.) Sometimes it goes something like this...
"Bob, as you know, Immortal Remains is the world's premier slain-vampire-dust
collection company in the world. We were established in the year 1286, in a
small Hungarian village that was first overrun by vampires, then by vampire
hunters, until it was nearly buried by the dust of the dead, prompting the
Lightbright brothers to offer their disposal services to the world in an
historic attempt to combine selfless good deeds with the concept of a free
market economy. As you well know."
Sometimes, it's a little more subtle than that. But the point is that there is almost never a good reason for one character to tell another something s/he already knows. This is just plain lazy writing. (I know, I've done it too.)
So, how can a writer get background information across to the reader? There are many ways, but one of the most common (and the most effective, when done well, IMO) shows these scenes through the eyes of a character unfamiliar with the world. That way, as this character learns about the world around him or her, so will the reader. And it doesn't have to (and in fact, shouldn't) come all in one long speech/lecture, like the made-up illustration above. No matter how it's delivered, backstory (and world building) should be spread throughout the story, not throw in like one great blood clot of information, guaranteed to halt the flow of the plot.
Also, especially in stories told in first person, the narrator can just come out and state things in the narration. Not large blocks of information, but short, straightforward bits are fine. Like this.
"Make sure you clean your nozzle, rookie," Mina said, then flounced off with her
skirts raised an inch off the sooty ground, leaving me standing in a pile of
recently-dead vampire. Mina Harker was the most experienced vamp dust vaccumer in the industry, and I'd hated her for as long as I'd known her.
See? We know Mina's position in the industry, and that the narrator hates her. And no one had to tell anyone something s/he already knew.
Okay, that's it for now. I'm off to practice what I preach. ;)
February 21, 2011
Weekly giveaway
The winner of last week's International copies giveaway, selected by random number generator, is:
Victoria, who wrote: "Not doing anything today. Yesterday hubs took me out for a bite to eat - lots of chocolate was involved :)."
Victoria, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your shipping information and the book you'd like from the list below, and I'll put your prize in the mail. I have several other things to mail out too, so if you've sent me a book to be signed or I still owe you a prize, it'll go out tomorrow.
This week's giveaway will run through the weekend, and again, the winner will be announced on Monday. To enter, leave me a comment in the corresponding Blogger post telling me the last book you read, or the one you're currently reading.
Giveaway rules…One entry per personYou MUST check back in on Mondays to see if you’ve won. I don’t have time to track down winners, so they’ll have to claim their own prizes. If you don’t claim your prize by the following Friday, you’ve missed your shot and your book goes back into the pot.Open to international entries, of course.Each book will be signed by me. (Or someone cooler, if I can make that happen)
Here’s the list of prizes you can choose from:
Australian My Soul To Take
Australian My Soul To Save
Australian My Soul To Keep
Australian My Soul To Steal (x2)
UK My Soul To Take (x2)
French My Soul To Keep (Sauve Mon Ame!) (x2)
US Kiss Me Deadly (YA antho)
Australian Stray
Australian Rogue (x2)
Australian Pride (x2)
Australian Prey (x2)
Obviously, this list will change as prizes are chosen. It will also expand, as I receive new foreign editions. (I’m expecting copies of various books from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Australia.)
Tomorrow, I plan to write a craft post. I expect you all to hold me to that. ;)
Weekly giveaway
The winner of last week's International copies giveaway, selected by random number generator, is:
Victoria, who wrote: "Not doing anything today. Yesterday hubs took me out for a bite to eat - lots of chocolate was involved :)."
Victoria, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your shipping information and the book you'd like from the list below, and I'll put your prize in the mail. I have several other things to mail out too, so if you've sent me a book to be signed or I still owe you a prize, it'll go out tomorrow.
This week's giveaway will run through the weekend, and again, the winner will be announced on Monday. To enter, leave me a comment in the corresponding Blogger post telling me the last book you read, or your current read.
Giveaway rules… One entry per person You MUST check back in on Mondays to see if you've won. I don't have time to track down winners, so they'll have to claim their own prizes. If you don't claim your prize by the following Friday, you've missed your shot and your book goes back into the pot. Open to international entries, of course. Each book will be signed by me. (Or someone cooler, if I can make that happen)
Victoria, who wrote: "Not doing anything today. Yesterday hubs took me out for a bite to eat - lots of chocolate was involved :)."
Victoria, please email me (rachelATrachelvincentDOTcom) with your shipping information and the book you'd like from the list below, and I'll put your prize in the mail. I have several other things to mail out too, so if you've sent me a book to be signed or I still owe you a prize, it'll go out tomorrow.
This week's giveaway will run through the weekend, and again, the winner will be announced on Monday. To enter, leave me a comment in the corresponding Blogger post telling me the last book you read, or your current read.
Giveaway rules… One entry per person You MUST check back in on Mondays to see if you've won. I don't have time to track down winners, so they'll have to claim their own prizes. If you don't claim your prize by the following Friday, you've missed your shot and your book goes back into the pot. Open to international entries, of course. Each book will be signed by me. (Or someone cooler, if I can make that happen)
Here's the list of prizes you can choose from:
Australian My Soul To Take
Australian My Soul To Save
Australian My Soul To Keep
Australian My Soul To Steal (x2)
UK My Soul To Take (x2)
French My Soul To Keep (Sauve Mon Ame!) (x2)
US Kiss Me Deadly (YA antho)
Australian Stray
Australian Rogue (x2)
Australian Pride (x2)
Australian Prey (x2)
Obviously, this list will change as prizes are chosen. It will also expand, as I receive new foreign editions. (I'm expecting copies of various books from the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Finland, Sweden, Norway, and Australia.)
Tomorrow, I plan to write a craft post. I expect you all to hold me to that. ;)
