Shawn Maravel's Blog, page 2
April 15, 2012
Update
The past few months have been a definite struggle for me and it has been a great reminder of how much work and commitment goes into writing. After publishing The Wanderer about a year ago it took a while for me to pick up a new story. At first I tried to re-write my first ever novel, With Eyes That See. It was difficult to come to the realization that it wasn't the right time and it might never be the right time to publish that story. After that I took a stab at three other novels; reaching various states of completion. In one novel's case I had nearly reached the end.
It is very intimidating to pick up the task of writing a novel, given the fact that until you've completed it, you can't be truly certain that it will ever be published or completed. I've realized how much strength and dedication is required of a person to keep trying, pushing through the difficult times, and overcoming obstacles.
My latest project, a story which will be a companion to The Wanderer and the series joining the novels together, has been a blessing. It has reminded me what the absolute, unadulterated joy of writing is. I hope to release the novel within the next few months and in the time before its release, I will be filling you in on information regarding the novel including things like: the name of the series, book title, character introductions, excerpts, cover reveal, and more.
I also hope to reach out to bloggers and fellow authors for help in promotion. If you are reading this post and would like to participate in helping me spread the word about my latest novel when the time comes then please don't hesitate to contact me. I am happy to provide digital review copies and provide excerpts as well as cover images and other information for release and reveal posts.
It is very intimidating to pick up the task of writing a novel, given the fact that until you've completed it, you can't be truly certain that it will ever be published or completed. I've realized how much strength and dedication is required of a person to keep trying, pushing through the difficult times, and overcoming obstacles.
My latest project, a story which will be a companion to The Wanderer and the series joining the novels together, has been a blessing. It has reminded me what the absolute, unadulterated joy of writing is. I hope to release the novel within the next few months and in the time before its release, I will be filling you in on information regarding the novel including things like: the name of the series, book title, character introductions, excerpts, cover reveal, and more.
I also hope to reach out to bloggers and fellow authors for help in promotion. If you are reading this post and would like to participate in helping me spread the word about my latest novel when the time comes then please don't hesitate to contact me. I am happy to provide digital review copies and provide excerpts as well as cover images and other information for release and reveal posts.
July 24, 2011
Kindle Ready! Volition & Severance!!!
Okay, so FINALLY Volition and Severance are available for Kindle on Amazon.com, Amazon.com.uk, and Amazon.de !!!
Head on over and buy your copies today!!!
~Shawn
June 5, 2011
Introducing my newest book: The Wanderer
Here is a blurb for The Wanderer, let me know what you think, is this something you would be interested in reading?!
Landon Bradley, recently retired from the Army, packs up his motorcycle and hits the open road in search of closure and maybe even a place to finally settle down.
When he finds himself stranded in a small Wyoming town he meets Maxine Abrams, more affectionately known as Max. Her blunt honesty and easy acceptance of who he is makes Landon think that maybe, for the first time, he's found a place that he can finally call home.
At the mercy of his heart Landon finds himself up against something he has never been faced with before: love. But as a man unaccustomed to sticking around which call will he heed? His heart or the open road.
Landon Bradley, recently retired from the Army, packs up his motorcycle and hits the open road in search of closure and maybe even a place to finally settle down.
When he finds himself stranded in a small Wyoming town he meets Maxine Abrams, more affectionately known as Max. Her blunt honesty and easy acceptance of who he is makes Landon think that maybe, for the first time, he's found a place that he can finally call home.
At the mercy of his heart Landon finds himself up against something he has never been faced with before: love. But as a man unaccustomed to sticking around which call will he heed? His heart or the open road.
May 4, 2011
Let the Editing Begin!
I have been going through and editing my newest book The Wanderer (working title). It is currently 69,758 words and I hope to break 70,000 by the time I'm done editing. My first goal was to just get the story down. With editing I hope to clean it up, cut off the fat (as my sister would say) and add a little bit of muscle ( my own creative twist).
The story is solid and I'm absolutely in love with it but there is always room for improvement! As I wrote it my sister and mom were reading it chapter by chapter giving advice and grammatical help. Now my husband is reading it which is important for a few reasons. He is in the Army and my story is about a retired Army vet. While his job is in aviation and my character, Landon, was a cavalry scout, my husband can provide me with help as far as Army lingo and accuracy goes. In fact he actually wrote the outline for a pivotal chapter in the story; a flashback to his Army combat days.
In addition to helping maintain military accuracy he is also helping me keep the character of Landon "purely male". As a female writer I look to his, at times brutally honest, opinion to make sure that I keep the characters believable. Writing in the male perspective can be hard at times and sometimes I fall short. He makes sure that he points out how to make it the whole distance in a believable voice.
You might think that having my husband and family provide help would be in fact unhelpful. Family is usually the one who tells the kids on American Idol who can't sing that in fact they can, and well enough to try out for public humiliation. That, in my family, is not the case. As I said, my husband is brutally honest. He is also not a big reader so he takes a long time to actually sit down and read it. This alone makes me question my writing, wondering how I can make it flow in a way that it will read much faster. The other day my husband read two chapters without realizing it. He was very surprised. I was relieved! He also usually says, "Oh my gosh, you totally screwed this up." at some point while reading (did I mention that he was born missing the subtle bone that most of us have in our bodies?). But this time he just read it to the end without a word. Now that for me is considered a real breakthrough in my writing!
Now, about half-way done with my editing I'm looking for ways to improve the story and it's flow. I'm far from done but I look forward to the final outcome!
The story is solid and I'm absolutely in love with it but there is always room for improvement! As I wrote it my sister and mom were reading it chapter by chapter giving advice and grammatical help. Now my husband is reading it which is important for a few reasons. He is in the Army and my story is about a retired Army vet. While his job is in aviation and my character, Landon, was a cavalry scout, my husband can provide me with help as far as Army lingo and accuracy goes. In fact he actually wrote the outline for a pivotal chapter in the story; a flashback to his Army combat days.
In addition to helping maintain military accuracy he is also helping me keep the character of Landon "purely male". As a female writer I look to his, at times brutally honest, opinion to make sure that I keep the characters believable. Writing in the male perspective can be hard at times and sometimes I fall short. He makes sure that he points out how to make it the whole distance in a believable voice.
You might think that having my husband and family provide help would be in fact unhelpful. Family is usually the one who tells the kids on American Idol who can't sing that in fact they can, and well enough to try out for public humiliation. That, in my family, is not the case. As I said, my husband is brutally honest. He is also not a big reader so he takes a long time to actually sit down and read it. This alone makes me question my writing, wondering how I can make it flow in a way that it will read much faster. The other day my husband read two chapters without realizing it. He was very surprised. I was relieved! He also usually says, "Oh my gosh, you totally screwed this up." at some point while reading (did I mention that he was born missing the subtle bone that most of us have in our bodies?). But this time he just read it to the end without a word. Now that for me is considered a real breakthrough in my writing!
Now, about half-way done with my editing I'm looking for ways to improve the story and it's flow. I'm far from done but I look forward to the final outcome!
April 14, 2011
Delicate Calculations
When writing I often find myself thinking , "What do I explain in detail? What do I leave out? What do I brush over with minimal explanation?" It's hard to tell a story completely without writing a 1,000 page book. The art of writing a novel I must admit is one that is very hard to perfect, especially at the age of almost twenty-three-years-old with experience shadowed by that of most other authors out there.
For me, the love story in a book is my main focus when reading or writing. I want each character to have a back story, to undergo change, and to have greater understanding by the end of the book but if I feel teased by a love story, never to be satisfied then I often find a story disappointing. I'm a sucker for love stories, I know that not everyone is, but for me it's a must.
So the question is, how can you write a story and leave out just the right things while simultaneously elaborating on the aspects that need elaboration? For me a lot of this can be sorted out by avoiding repetition. If you've already given the reader information than there's no need to keep telling them. Also there's no need to keep a reader up to date on every single facet of a character's life. If the character goes to school or has a job I think it's important to focus mainly on what they do in their spare time, only taking the reader to their job or school when the scene proves to be compelling or vital to the story. Sitting in on every family dinner or every morning ritual is hardly necessary either. It's great to give characters hobbies and daily activities but there's no need to sit in on them every single time they partake in the activity.
In addition, I think that the first time characters meet is vital. Each character should be introduced in a compelling way. Be it a good or bad impression it should be equally impacting and memorable for the reader, otherwise they won't care if they ever meet that character again. Every new advancement in their relationship needs to be well explained. If not then their relationship may seem forced or unbelievable by the end of the story. If you never get a true sense of how they are together be it friendship or romantic relations they you as the reader won't feel compelled to know what happens next in their relationship.. The conversations they have, the dates they go on, these for me are all very large and important pieces of the puzzle, and if left out then the reader might feel uninterested. If all the pieces aren't there to put together then why continue trying to see the story through to the end?
I don't consider myself a professional or even a credible critic, but I know what I like to read. I know what wrong turns a book can take in order to enter that twilight zone in which finishing it begins to hurt in an almost physical way.
So how do you know what to leave out? What to explain in beautiful detail, how many similes to use, how deeply you'll need to describe which scenes in order to keep the reader interested? I'm not sure that I have the concrete answer to those questions or that I ever will. I think it has a lot to do with someone's natural ability to keep from rambling. Their ability to highlight in their mind what matters most and which characters to keep flat and which ones to make round. It's a matter of balance and focus; keeping the story connected enough to yourself to make it relatable while also being sure not to let your own personal messages take the story away and lead the reader's eye in too many direction, laving them lost and confused.
This is one of the aspects of writing in which I hope to build upon and improve with every story I write. Any great story can be ruined with good intentions and a misguided understanding of what will keep the reader interested or not. My hope is that I can tell the difference!
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
For me, the love story in a book is my main focus when reading or writing. I want each character to have a back story, to undergo change, and to have greater understanding by the end of the book but if I feel teased by a love story, never to be satisfied then I often find a story disappointing. I'm a sucker for love stories, I know that not everyone is, but for me it's a must.
So the question is, how can you write a story and leave out just the right things while simultaneously elaborating on the aspects that need elaboration? For me a lot of this can be sorted out by avoiding repetition. If you've already given the reader information than there's no need to keep telling them. Also there's no need to keep a reader up to date on every single facet of a character's life. If the character goes to school or has a job I think it's important to focus mainly on what they do in their spare time, only taking the reader to their job or school when the scene proves to be compelling or vital to the story. Sitting in on every family dinner or every morning ritual is hardly necessary either. It's great to give characters hobbies and daily activities but there's no need to sit in on them every single time they partake in the activity.
In addition, I think that the first time characters meet is vital. Each character should be introduced in a compelling way. Be it a good or bad impression it should be equally impacting and memorable for the reader, otherwise they won't care if they ever meet that character again. Every new advancement in their relationship needs to be well explained. If not then their relationship may seem forced or unbelievable by the end of the story. If you never get a true sense of how they are together be it friendship or romantic relations they you as the reader won't feel compelled to know what happens next in their relationship.. The conversations they have, the dates they go on, these for me are all very large and important pieces of the puzzle, and if left out then the reader might feel uninterested. If all the pieces aren't there to put together then why continue trying to see the story through to the end?
I don't consider myself a professional or even a credible critic, but I know what I like to read. I know what wrong turns a book can take in order to enter that twilight zone in which finishing it begins to hurt in an almost physical way.
So how do you know what to leave out? What to explain in beautiful detail, how many similes to use, how deeply you'll need to describe which scenes in order to keep the reader interested? I'm not sure that I have the concrete answer to those questions or that I ever will. I think it has a lot to do with someone's natural ability to keep from rambling. Their ability to highlight in their mind what matters most and which characters to keep flat and which ones to make round. It's a matter of balance and focus; keeping the story connected enough to yourself to make it relatable while also being sure not to let your own personal messages take the story away and lead the reader's eye in too many direction, laving them lost and confused.
This is one of the aspects of writing in which I hope to build upon and improve with every story I write. Any great story can be ruined with good intentions and a misguided understanding of what will keep the reader interested or not. My hope is that I can tell the difference!
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
April 6, 2011
What's the scariest thing about deployment? Let me tell you!
So, last night I happened upon a GIGANTIC spider in our living room. It was easily over an inch long. I proceeded to call David out to...dispose of it. Once he'd gotten rid of it, after I had literally hyperventilated, finally retreated into the bedroom with the dogs (we're watching my friends two labs who just PCSed until they get settled, so we now have three dogs and a crazy cat in our tiny apartment) I showered him with praise. "You're my hero!" and other things of the like. Then, squirming with the heebee jeebees I said to him, "Man, I am so happy that never happened when you were deployed. I mean, sure there were a few spiders but none that big! I don't know what I would have done! I would have probably called the MPs to be completely honest with you."
And this is how that whole scene would have played out.
Me reporting the spider incident to the MPs: "There's an intruder in my house and I need you to come right away! I've got him trapped in a corner! He's big and black with long legs. Please hurry!'"
MPs: "We're on our way ma'am."
Five MP cars show up a few minutes later, sirens blazing. Everyone in the surounding apartments walk outside to see what the comotion is all about.
MP breaks down the door, gun drown with more MPs lined up behind him.
They scan the room and find me pointing a shaky finger into a corner at a large spider.
MP: (lowers gun) "Ma'am, did you really just call us here to kill a spider?"
Me:" Yes! Please, shoot it! Do you see how huge that thing is!?"
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
And this is how that whole scene would have played out.
Me reporting the spider incident to the MPs: "There's an intruder in my house and I need you to come right away! I've got him trapped in a corner! He's big and black with long legs. Please hurry!'"
MPs: "We're on our way ma'am."
Five MP cars show up a few minutes later, sirens blazing. Everyone in the surounding apartments walk outside to see what the comotion is all about.
MP breaks down the door, gun drown with more MPs lined up behind him.
They scan the room and find me pointing a shaky finger into a corner at a large spider.
MP: (lowers gun) "Ma'am, did you really just call us here to kill a spider?"
Me:" Yes! Please, shoot it! Do you see how huge that thing is!?"
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
Check and Proof!
My mom received the proof of severance in the mail yesterday and started editing last night! In addition to that my future brother-in-law (yay!) is currently reading the rough draft of Severance and is taking notes to send my way as well. Hopefully there will come a time when my family can catch a break and enjoy my books for the first time in hard-cover but until then I appreciate their help immensely!
Along with my mom and brother-in-law-to-be a lot of people have helped me. My dad read Volition though he looks forward to reading Severance once it's published instead or before hand. Which is awesome still! Each of my parents have helped me with one book. My step-mom Angela also read Volition and has the same sentiment as my dad does. I am so blessed to have such a supportive family.
In addition to family so many of my friends have helped me in my writing as well, as I said in a previous post.
Anyway, I look forward to getting the edited proof in the mail once I'm done and getting to publish it once I've made the necessary changes! I hope you all like it!
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
Along with my mom and brother-in-law-to-be a lot of people have helped me. My dad read Volition though he looks forward to reading Severance once it's published instead or before hand. Which is awesome still! Each of my parents have helped me with one book. My step-mom Angela also read Volition and has the same sentiment as my dad does. I am so blessed to have such a supportive family.
In addition to family so many of my friends have helped me in my writing as well, as I said in a previous post.
Anyway, I look forward to getting the edited proof in the mail once I'm done and getting to publish it once I've made the necessary changes! I hope you all like it!
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
My Team!
One of the hardest things about self-publishing (other than marketing) is editing your book until it's perfect. With Volition I was still testing out the waters of self-publishing. It was my main goal to just get it out there. Being stationed in Germany has caused a bit of a hold-up; proof books take over a month to get here. I'm not a patient person, I'll be the first to admit it. Not wanting to spend a month between proofs (I ordered a few different proofs for Volition) I just edited a few more times myself and submitted it for publication.
Now I have a TEAM! An undefined team, but a team no less! For Severance I plan to send the proof to my mom instead, being that she's in the states it will get to her a lot quicker. She'll go through and edit, then send it to me. From there I'll fix everything and publish. A lot less waiting and I get editing other than my own. For The Wanderer which I am about 16,000+ words into my husband is reading through it, correcting grammar and most importantly military accurate information! I am only so much in the loop...he is helping me make sure that it all adds up. My mom is reading it as I write it as well correcting spelling and letting me know that it's good! My twin sister is reading it as I write it too and giving me advice and ideas of what to add and change.
The best part of having my family edit my book is that they're brutally honest....no really, sometimes I feel like curling up and crying! But that's what I need! Friends will only critique so much before they feel they've crossed a line. My friend Isha for example gave me suggestions for Severance as she read it for me. But she made sure to say that it was only her "ten cents." Of course I was inclined to say, "No, no, please tell me whatever you think!" Of course when there was something she always pointed it out, making sure to be super sweet about it! She was a great help with both Volition and Severance. In fact she changed the entire dynamic of Severance simply by asking a question! And it's all the better for it!
And of course I had a great amount of help for Volition as well, all mentioned in the acknowledgements! :)
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
Now I have a TEAM! An undefined team, but a team no less! For Severance I plan to send the proof to my mom instead, being that she's in the states it will get to her a lot quicker. She'll go through and edit, then send it to me. From there I'll fix everything and publish. A lot less waiting and I get editing other than my own. For The Wanderer which I am about 16,000+ words into my husband is reading through it, correcting grammar and most importantly military accurate information! I am only so much in the loop...he is helping me make sure that it all adds up. My mom is reading it as I write it as well correcting spelling and letting me know that it's good! My twin sister is reading it as I write it too and giving me advice and ideas of what to add and change.
The best part of having my family edit my book is that they're brutally honest....no really, sometimes I feel like curling up and crying! But that's what I need! Friends will only critique so much before they feel they've crossed a line. My friend Isha for example gave me suggestions for Severance as she read it for me. But she made sure to say that it was only her "ten cents." Of course I was inclined to say, "No, no, please tell me whatever you think!" Of course when there was something she always pointed it out, making sure to be super sweet about it! She was a great help with both Volition and Severance. In fact she changed the entire dynamic of Severance simply by asking a question! And it's all the better for it!
And of course I had a great amount of help for Volition as well, all mentioned in the acknowledgements! :)
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
Meeting the characters
I've had a lot of people ask me how I can write an entire story. They say things like, "I could never write a story with so much detail. To think of all those characters and their back stories, and what they go through throughout the story." I don't know how to answer because to me it seems easy. Today, when sitting in bed typing away, my husband made an observation that I just "start writing". With a very vague outline and research as I go he was curious as to how I could write stories without mapping everything out first. My answer to him was this:
Based on one idea or another I think up a character to write about and I think up a very rough idea of what the story will be about. I have a blurry image in my head of what they look like and an inkling of what their personality is like. From there I start to write. Usually I'll start at a point that I think will be pivotal and draw the reader in. From there I discover who my characters are...in a way, they show me. It may sound strange but in reality that's exactly what happens. Through conversations they have and experiences they have I find out just as the reader would what these characters are like. As I write and discover these things I get insight for what will happen next and how they'll handle it. I find out what they like in people, what they don't like, and what surprises them about people they meet. From there the story basically writes itself. As crazy as that sounds, it's basically what happens.
I like to think of it as getting to know someone. I'm only twenty-two years old. I've experienced very little in my life compared to most of the world population. It would be naive for me to think that I could map out an entire story based on what I know and have personally experienced. In saying that, as I write I bring up questions that I then need to find answers for. I create a web of information as I go and weave together a story that started out as a single strand of an idea.
In life I've discovered that had I ended up doing what I'd planned for myself when I was, say fifteen, my life would be completely different. And boring I might add. I gave myself very little credit back then. I didn't dream nearly big enough and I didn't know a whole lot. But life happens...and now I'm twenty-two, living a life I never dreaming myself living, though simple, it's perfect and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I wouldn't trade it for the life I planned for myself when I was fifteen. So why then would I settle for a story that I had all planned out? Why not let the story flow freely and find it's own way, with me to guide it?
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
Based on one idea or another I think up a character to write about and I think up a very rough idea of what the story will be about. I have a blurry image in my head of what they look like and an inkling of what their personality is like. From there I start to write. Usually I'll start at a point that I think will be pivotal and draw the reader in. From there I discover who my characters are...in a way, they show me. It may sound strange but in reality that's exactly what happens. Through conversations they have and experiences they have I find out just as the reader would what these characters are like. As I write and discover these things I get insight for what will happen next and how they'll handle it. I find out what they like in people, what they don't like, and what surprises them about people they meet. From there the story basically writes itself. As crazy as that sounds, it's basically what happens.
I like to think of it as getting to know someone. I'm only twenty-two years old. I've experienced very little in my life compared to most of the world population. It would be naive for me to think that I could map out an entire story based on what I know and have personally experienced. In saying that, as I write I bring up questions that I then need to find answers for. I create a web of information as I go and weave together a story that started out as a single strand of an idea.
In life I've discovered that had I ended up doing what I'd planned for myself when I was, say fifteen, my life would be completely different. And boring I might add. I gave myself very little credit back then. I didn't dream nearly big enough and I didn't know a whole lot. But life happens...and now I'm twenty-two, living a life I never dreaming myself living, though simple, it's perfect and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I wouldn't trade it for the life I planned for myself when I was fifteen. So why then would I settle for a story that I had all planned out? Why not let the story flow freely and find it's own way, with me to guide it?
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
Volition (Book 1)
Charlotte Rush would be the first to admit that her life is no rollercoaster ride. Her days are laced with ordinary and at times completely boring monotony. But with a heart that finds itself frequently broken she’s happy to say that she’s content.
When her friends convince her to spend the night out at a club to let loose and maybe even find a guy, she finally admits that her life might be missing something. No sooner does she let go of her inhibitions does she find herself waking up in a dark hotel room in the presence of a man who carries mystery in his eyes and familiarity in his smile. Against reason Charlotte decides to trust him based solely on one thing. Somehow, she is sure that she knows him.
In a race against time to find answers and to solve the crime committed against her Charlotte finds herself falling for him. However, with nothing but mystery surrounding him she can’t even be sure that he’s the hero at all. While knowing all of the right things to say he still manages to tell her nothing. As a battle is waged over the innocence of her cryptic stranger, Charlotte discovers that much greater danger awaits her.
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
When her friends convince her to spend the night out at a club to let loose and maybe even find a guy, she finally admits that her life might be missing something. No sooner does she let go of her inhibitions does she find herself waking up in a dark hotel room in the presence of a man who carries mystery in his eyes and familiarity in his smile. Against reason Charlotte decides to trust him based solely on one thing. Somehow, she is sure that she knows him.
In a race against time to find answers and to solve the crime committed against her Charlotte finds herself falling for him. However, with nothing but mystery surrounding him she can’t even be sure that he’s the hero at all. While knowing all of the right things to say he still manages to tell her nothing. As a battle is waged over the innocence of her cryptic stranger, Charlotte discovers that much greater danger awaits her.
Shawn Kirsten Maravel
