Amy Laurens's Blog, page 114
May 8, 2012
Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth
May 2012, HarperCollins544 pages, Hardcover
Personal copy
YA Dystopian
Violence, kissing, betrayal and a hearty dose of guilt
Summary from HarperCollins :
One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.
Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.
New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.
Amy's Thoughts:
**Some mild, general Divergent spoilers**
Picking up right where Divergent left off, Insurgent explores what Tris will do now that war has erupted. As far as she knows, almost everyone she loved is dead - some by her own hand, something that she can never forgive herself for. Plagued by doubt and overwhelming guilt, Tris has to decide if there is anything worth living for after all. And of course, we all know what Tobias thinks about that :D
Look, you all know I loved Divergent . Insurgent is even better. I really like this trend that I'm seeing of YA trilogies/series getting stronger and stronger as they progress. Roth really steps things up here in terms of stakes and plot twists, but most importantly (for me), she really digs deep into the psychology of the characters to create compelling motivation and character growth that feels so real, it's like you know the people involved. If you fell in love with Tris and Four in Divergent, you'll really never want to leave them after Insurgent.
Speaking of love, I have to say I really admire the way that Ms Roth dealt with Tris and Tobias's relationship in this book. Without spoilerising, suffice to say it is real, and difficult, and an exceptionally honest portrayal of love that you don't often find in mainstream fiction. Well done Roth.
Of course, being book 2 of 3, Insurgent ends on a cliffhanger that had me literally screaming at it (ask Boyo, the husbandical one) and I CANNOT BELIEVE I now have to wait AN ENTIRE YEAR for the conclusion. Urgh. Want.
In terms of the bad, there are a few copyediting/continuity errors that have crept in (Ms Roth apologises), but only in one instance did it jolt me out of the story, and it still wasn't a biggie - I flipped back a few pages to double check, went "Huh, must be a mistake", and kept reading.
Final Conclusion:
LOVE. THIS. BOOK. Mostly for Tris's character arc - her growth and development, and the sensitive way that Roth handles it.
More:
Find Ms Roth on her website and on Twitter.
May 6, 2012
L.A.O.S.: A Serial Novel-Thing
Guys, GUYS! I am SO EXCITED about this announcement! I'm so excited I don't even know what to say! But nonetheless, I should say something, because if I don't then you won't know what I'm squeeing about, and that would just be awkward. So I guess I will just get to the point, which is that starting Friday, Inkfever will be home to a brand new, hopefully shiny, serialised novel!
No doubt you are now gripped with pressing questions (which are talented, in that they can press while gripping) such as, "What is this marvel of which you speak?", "How often can we expect this delight?", and, "What on earth possessed you to do this mad thing, you mad, mad person?" I shall now endeavour to answer these questions satisfactorily, and hopefully in a manner that will excite your... excitement. Incite excitement? Blah. Something like that.
1) This marvel is L.A.O.S., which stands for the League of Absolutely Ordinary Superheroes. They are a group of teens who have no superpowers (bwa ha ha) and their motto is saving the world through science. Superheroes + science = #FUNWIN!
2) I'd love to feed you chunks of gorgeously tasty LAOS, dripping with delectable delight, twice a week. However, I think we all know that's not going to happen, given my history with blogging. So I'm going to be aiming for once a week, but as always, I reserve the right to be completely and utterly erratic in my posting. Ha. As if you didn't see that coming.
3) Um, yeah, about that. This is pretty much me forcing myself to have a 'just for fun' project the only way I possibly can - i.e. in public. Because if I try to write something 'just for fun' by myself, it INEVITABLY ends up a Real Project, For Serious, Like Proper, because my brain is secretly plotting against me and wants to spaz me out. It likes plotting. And if I start writing just for fun stories by myself, it gets carried away with the plotting, and before we know it the just for fun short story is the beginning of a ten-part series with 900 years of prehistory, fifty-three main characters and seventy-nine continents, and I'm stalled out because all of a sudden I Got Stuck. (I wonder why? *sigh*)
But see, if I am drafting in public, then I can't care about it too much, because if I do, I will totally and utterly freak out over the fact that YOU GUYS HELLO I WILL BE DRAFTING PUBLICALLY, and mistakes Will Be Made (and capital letters Abused). So the only solution is to do it, and not care, and then I will have fun.
If that sounds twisty and insane, that's because it is, and I am. Hai.
Bonus) LAOS will run in episodes and series. Five episodes per series, about 20k per episode. No idea how many series (until I get bored, and you do to?), but five would be fun, because then the whole thing would have Balance and Symmetry (and I swear, I have been away from the English teaching for too long, because that's like the third word I've had to double check the spelling on so far in this post o.0). See above, re ten-part series-es with 900 years of history. And yes, there will be a way for you all to participate if you want to, and I plan to release each episode as an ebook (edited, ha!) as they are completed.
So. HURRAH!, and see you Friday :o)
May 4, 2012
The Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle
May 2012, Rhemalda Publishing320 pages, Paperback & eBookReview copy
Young adult contemporary suspence
kissing, closed-curtain sex
Summary from Rhemalda:
When Naomi Jensen is kidnapped, it takes her parents two days to realize she’s missing. Escape isn’t high on her list of priorities when all she has to return to is an abusive boyfriend and parents who never paid much attention to her. For the first time in her life she’s part of a family—even if it is a family of criminals. But she’s still a captive. In a desperate attempt to regain some control in her life, Naomi embarks on a dangerous plan to make one of her kidnappers think she’s falling in love with him. The plan works too well, and when faced with the chance to escape, Naomi isn’t sure she wants to take it.
Amy's Thoughts:
I had the privilege of reading this book in draft form many years ago, and I had the most wonderful experience when I read the completed version recently. You know how you tend to remember books you like holistically, as general impressions of what was good, and so on? And sometimes, when you pick them up again years later, they're not quite as good as you remember, and you realise you'd forgotten all the flaws. But sometimes, you pick them up, and they are exactly as great as you remembered. That's how I felt about The Breakaway. I know it's changed since the early-ish draft I read, and I can even point to the places where it's changed - but the overall story, the essence of the book, is exactly how I remembered it, and it's wonderful.
Michelle explores an issue not often explored in YA literature - Stockholm Syndrome - and does so thoughtfully and sensitively. The MC Naomi grows up in the course of this novel, and I love how real her journey is; she isn't some fictional hero full of verve and courage and strength, she's just an ordinary girl - and I mean a real ordinary girl, not as in "Oh look at me, I'm so ordinary and average, even though really I have no flaws at all and am actually just a Mary Sue, written so that you can fill my blanks in with your own personality and pretend you are me." I'm not a fan of that kind of story; can you tell? O:)
For all that this is categorised as suspense, it is, like much of Michelle's writing, a very quiet sort of suspense. It's not a high-pace heart-pounder; it's thoughtful, and intelligent, and the suspense is elegantly done, revolving around Naomi's mental state and decision making rather than chases and physical danger. If you like real MCs who have real, mixed up emotions and can't always bring themselves to be strong, and if you like intelligent stories about intelligent people, and if you like thoughtful stories about real issues - with a smattering of romance, of course - then this is very much the book for you.
Final Conclusion:
This is a smooth, effortless read and a really interesting exploration of a topic that doesn't see much attention in YA usually - a fantastic book.
You can pick up a copy of The Breakaway at Amazon or from the publisher's website. Find Michelle Davidson Argyle on her website, and view the trailer for The Breakaway here.
Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She loves the seasons, but late summer and early fall are her favorites. She adores chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in whatever time she can grab between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She believes a simple life is the best life.
April 25, 2012
Being A Parent Makes You Weird
Or, at least worry/exalt over weird things. My kid pooed yesterday! Woohoo! Look, he burped on his own! Huzzah! o.0My current exaltation? I'm sitting here watching him fall asleep, and he's chewing on his mitten. This, dear readers, is a GREAT THING. Why? Because he usually sucks on a dummy (pacifier), which was fine until it got to the point where he'd wake up when it fell out. That is not so fun. So, the fact that he can now munch his fingers to go to sleep (he's pro at munching them when awake, I assure you :P) means when he drifts off to sleep, there will (hopefully, in theory, much crossing of fingers and hair and limbs) be no rude awakening when they fall out of his mouth. And then we can all rest easy, and Mummy can get her edits done. *happy sigh*
/random.
April 24, 2012
Do You Hate Spoilers And Reread Books?
I read a really great post today by Michelle over at The Innocent Flower about endings, and it reminded me of something I read somewhere ages ago (no clue where, sorry): if finding out how the story ends is so important, why do we reread?
It's an interesting question, I think, and not one I'd considered prior to reading whatever it was that I read. As Michelle says, a lot of people, myself included, tend to make a big deal when someone 'ruins' or 'spoils' the ending of a story for us - though some people, like my mum, can't start a book unless they've flipped to the end first to see how the story will wrap up. And I confess, a couple of times I've flipped back just to make sure a beloved character actually makes it to the end O:) :D
But why is that we make such a fuss about not knowing the ending? Hands up how many people have ever reread a book because they loved it? My hand goes up about a million times :D (Just check out 'July' for each year in my list of books I've read ;)) But when we reread, the ending is already spoiled - so why bother reading the book if we already know what's happened? Obviously, there is a lot more to reading a book than simply wanting to find out how the story ends. I know for me, it's often that I want to spend more time with the characters, or in the world - or some particular event is just so cool and so well-motivated (in terms of the author building up to it etc) that I just want to relive the experience. Books are cool like that: have an experience you love, and you're free to hit rewind and replay the experience as often as you like!
I'd be really interested to explore whether this reaction differs between people of different reading habits; do people who reread books often have a higher tolerance for endings being spoiled? And do people who rarely reread hate it when endings are spoiled? Do people who read LOTS have a higher or lower tolerance? And is there actually any correlation here at all, or am I just searching for that mythical Theory of Everything?
Interesting ideas. Let me know your thoughts (and whether or not you hate endings being spoiled, and whether or not you reread lots! :D).
It's an interesting question, I think, and not one I'd considered prior to reading whatever it was that I read. As Michelle says, a lot of people, myself included, tend to make a big deal when someone 'ruins' or 'spoils' the ending of a story for us - though some people, like my mum, can't start a book unless they've flipped to the end first to see how the story will wrap up. And I confess, a couple of times I've flipped back just to make sure a beloved character actually makes it to the end O:) :D
But why is that we make such a fuss about not knowing the ending? Hands up how many people have ever reread a book because they loved it? My hand goes up about a million times :D (Just check out 'July' for each year in my list of books I've read ;)) But when we reread, the ending is already spoiled - so why bother reading the book if we already know what's happened? Obviously, there is a lot more to reading a book than simply wanting to find out how the story ends. I know for me, it's often that I want to spend more time with the characters, or in the world - or some particular event is just so cool and so well-motivated (in terms of the author building up to it etc) that I just want to relive the experience. Books are cool like that: have an experience you love, and you're free to hit rewind and replay the experience as often as you like!
I'd be really interested to explore whether this reaction differs between people of different reading habits; do people who reread books often have a higher tolerance for endings being spoiled? And do people who rarely reread hate it when endings are spoiled? Do people who read LOTS have a higher or lower tolerance? And is there actually any correlation here at all, or am I just searching for that mythical Theory of Everything?
Interesting ideas. Let me know your thoughts (and whether or not you hate endings being spoiled, and whether or not you reread lots! :D).
April 18, 2012
A Proper Meme
For once, a meme that actually has the potential to be insightful:
"Comment to this post and I will list seven things I want you to talk about. They might make sense or they might be totally random. Then post that list, with your commentary, to your journal. Other people can get lists from you, and the meme merrily perpetuates itself."
I got my list of seven things from Ada Hoffman, critique partner and TOC buddy from Ride the Moon :o) Here goes...
Animals
I am a HUGE animal person; always have been. Growing up, stuffed animals were my favourite toys. I hated dolls, and had so many stuffed animals on my bed at one point that I actually twisted my neck while sleeping, and was banned from keeping more than one toy on my bed at a time after that O:) The animals had to parade across the dinner table to taste my soup in order to induce me to eat it, and my favourite toy, a grey elephant named Heidi, had a trunk that was exactly right for wiping away tears.
In fiction, I love stories where the MC has some sort of connection to animals - telepathy, shape-shifting, that sort of thing. And yet, bizarrely, I have a super strong avoidance reaction to animal films (the real life kind, not animated or talking animals). I don't like drama as a film genre anyway (too emotional, I find it hard to disengage and if the film ends sadly I will often quite literally cry for more than fifteen minutes afterwards, or at the very least be in a flat, depressive mood for a while) and a lot of animal films trend towards drama.
As for real life animals, it's probably pretty telling that the only three items on my bucket list are to do with animals: swim with dolphins, and see tigers and wolves in the wild (obviously not together :P). We've had pets as long as I can remember; mostly dogs, but a few birds, rabbits, guinea pigs and fish thrown in there. I guess for me animals are somehow tied to respect for nature and empathy. I love the idea of connecting with animals, of being a team with them (horse riding is extremely attractive for this reason) - and in part I think this is my mum's fault, particularly that time when I was in year two (or thereabouts) and was stomping on the ants, and she stomped (gently) on my toes and asked how I liked it... :D
Australia
Well, this is where I live, obviously. And I like living here, though being the kind of person I am, I would probably prefer to live wherever it was that I had grown up. That said, I think Australia is awesome in that it has a lot of the advantages of first world living without some of the drawbacks. We certainly experience societal problems, but on the whole they seem to be more moderated than other first world nations.
Australians have a pretty laidback approach to life - which is not to say that we don't get stressed or have ambitions, but rather that there is an underlying sense of humour and self-depreciation to everything. Like, even in formal situations we're not as prescriptively formal as, say, the UK, and we laugh at ourselves (genuinely, without malice) a lot more than the USA (both as individuals and as a country). And although we are FIERCELY proud to be Australian, having an Aussie flag up in your yard or house is slightly suspect, a little too fanatical for absolute comfort.
Seriously. Like it or not, our history is the convicts, and that has shaped our ethos to quite a large degree. You don't rat on people, you watch each other's backs, you laugh and poke fun at each other and never take yourself seriously, and there's a certain sense of solidarity nicely evidenced, I think, in our high schools which are NO WHERE NEAR the shark pit that US high schools are made out to be. (Well, I'm sure we have some like that, but on the whole they're pretty good).
And in addition to all of that, we have sunshine that will fry even the most determined olive complexion, more spiders and snakes that will kill you than that won't, marsupials that look cute and cuddly but can attack without provocation and poison you in 80 different ways, octopuses that can kill you, sharks that will eat you... And we are, for some reason, proud of all of this.
Clothing
Well, this one seems rather random and I'm not sure I have much to say. And of course, having said that, a huge rant has come to mind, relating to exploitation and costs and the like. See, the thing is, people go oh, to make the world a better place, we should stop spending money on frivolous things, ergo I will buy cheap clothing and not spend so much money on it. The problem is, it costs the same amount to make a cheap shirt as it does an expensive shirt, and that cost is more than the $5 Ms Hypothetical just shelled out for it. Yes, some expensive shirts are expensive because the company marks them WAY up (think big brand names); but cheap shirts are cheap because the people making them aren't being paid more than a couple of crumbs that will, in no way, be sufficient to either look after their family or allow them to get out of the poverty cycle.
If we're really global-community-conscious, we should be looking for nationally-made clothes that, while they cost more than the cheap shirts, also cost less than the big brand names, and ensure that the people making them were paid fairly for their time (or find a company that makes clothes overseas but pays their workers fairly). Of course, the argument against this is that all those overseas workers have to be paid somehow, and if we stop buying the product they're making, we're depriving them of the chance to earn any wages. True, but things have to become worse before than can get better, I believe. I'm not a fan of putting thousands of people already below the poverty line out of work, but I do believe that we HAVE to send a message to big companies that we won't tolerate them treating their workers like this. And if you're that concerned about making sure the overseas workers still have a job, go pay them direct. They'll still make the shirt for you, and they'll get a hell of a lot more money direct from you than from their employer :P
This is SUCH a complex issue with no easy answers. But other things that I think it pays to be aware of that can really help - hanging onto your clothes to get the most wear out of them, shopping at outlets for nationally made products (Rivers here in Aus has fantastic sales with $5 shirts every now and then, plus they make really comfy shoes!), and shopping at secondhand stores.
Personally, the overwhelming majority of my clothes fall into one of three categories: 1) Old. I've owned a lot of my clothes since high school (10 years plus now), and most for at least 5+ years (excluding work wear I went out and bought when I started work 2 years ago).
2) Free. These are both new and secondhand items that family have given me, lots of as-new secondhand mostly from my step-mum and step-mum-in-law, and new from Boyo's father, who owns a small clothing store. (Aside: had the opportunity to shop with him a couple of times at the wholesale outlets, and nearly died at how much retailers mark things up - 3 times, on average: once to cover the cost, once to cover additional costs like wages and shop electricity and rent, and once for profit)
3) Bought from outlets. Mostly at places like DFO, so yes, I'm paying for cheap labour here as much as the next person. But also from the aforementioned Rivers store.
Maybe I'll make it a new goal to try the secondhand stores first... :)
Mental health
Wow, this is a relevant one. I haven't really mentioned it anywhere in public, not because I'm ashamed or whatevs, but just because I don't tend to go into really personal stuff on Teh Netz, but I was diagnosed with postnatal depression when Minion was 3.5 weeks old. I've subsequently been seeing a psych, and as I suspected, she confirmed that it's not postnatal so much as a consequent of the really crappy health issues I've been dealing with for the last three years.
My body way overreacts to yeast (or yeast thinks I'm the perfect host, or whatever), to the point where I can't eat it or I get yeast overgrowth infections - and one of the side effects of a serious yeast overgrowth is depression. In 2010, before we figured out that I was sensitive to yeast, I crashed big time. When people told me that having a baby would make me tired, I pretty much laughed - because tired as I knew I'd be, I knew that back in '10 I'd gotten to the point where I was literally incapable of becoming any tireder. I was right, though of course that didn't help prevent a little sleep-deprivation-induced depression this time o.O :)
That period of my life was scary and reassuring all at once, actually. It really knocked me around in the sense that it almost destroyed my self confidence; I used to think I was a pretty strong person, but even now, two years on from the worst of it, I still feel washed out and weak. I hate that. But I'm also beginning to get enough distance from it to realise that it can be reassuring, too: despite the depression and the feeling sometimes that it would just be easier to end it all and then it would just go away, I didn't, and I knew even at the time that those ideas weren't me, they were the depression, and that I would never actually do that. It showed that I'm strong enough to pull myself through something like that almost alone, because pretty much no one except my husband realised how bad it was.
And the diet I had to be on to get rid of the yeast was killer - a maximum of 1 serving of grains a day, no more than 1/2 cup of fruit, absolutely zero yeast or sugar in any form (except the 1/2 cup fruit), no condiments or additives, and only pure dairy products (i.e. pure sour cream, unsweetened yogurt, 100% butter, and regular milk). vegetables, nuts and eggs were pretty much the only thing I was allowed without restraint, and it is HARD to stay full on that kind of diet, especially when you're getting stomach cramps, nausea and other fun stuff from yeast die-off, and your blood sugar crashes in such a way that takes you from not-hungry to cannot-move in less than 5 minutes. And I stuck to the diet, and I beat the yeast. I did it. Dude, that took willpower.
So excuse me if I sound a little like maybe I'm bragging here, but this is honestly the first time I've sat down and shown myself just exactly how strong this little episode proves I am. So, thank you to Ada for adding in this topic and allowing me a little catharsis O:) :D
(Also, why is 'mental health' such a scary term? Why is there still such a stigma against diseases and illnesses of the mind? Why does getting depression make you 'weak', whereas getting the flu just means you were 'unlucky' or whatever? #societyfail, IMO.)
Motherhood
Holy crap, is parenthood simultaneously the most terrifying and the most normal thing to ever happen to someone or what? I never realised until I had Minion myself that all those jokes that go "Who are these kids and why are they calling me Mum?" are ACTUALLY SERIOUS. I am exactly the same person I was a few months ago - and yet now I have this new 'Mum' label to wear with my collection. Having a kid completely changes everything, and changes not a thing, all at the same time. In fact, if I had to sum up motherhood in a single word, it would be 'paradoxes'. You suddenly become a living, walking, breathing paradox - you love the Minion and never want to leave him, but you can't stand having it in your arms for one. more. second. coz he's been on your lap all day; you're so amazingly happy, and so sad; you can't wait to go back to work, and you don't ever want to stop being a SAHM; you want him to wake up so you can play, but you want him to sleep so you can have an hour to yourself; you have company all day and you still feel lonely; you want to be productive but you just want to sit and do nothing.
Honestly, there haven't really been any surprises; my baby sister is 11 years younger than me and our parents separated when she was 3, so small people, can do. The most helpful thing in the whole experience, though, was a book my dad bought me: French Children Don't Throw Food. In the Anglo world, we tend to freak out about EVERYTHING - Am I doing this right? Will this hurt their development? How can I help them advance quickly? French parenting seems to be a lot more laidback, which is how I am usually when the anxiety doesn't take control, so it was really helpful to be reminded to basically just chill B-)
And yes, we are both (hub & I) enjoying the parenting thing, and planning how far apart we want Minion and his next sibling to be O:)
Quilting
Ha, I have NO IDEA how Ada came up with this as a topic, because I'm pretty sure I've never discussed quilting in public before, but AWESOME. My mum started quilting around the time baby sister was born. She made a quilt for myself and my middle sister, and the one for baby sister is still in pieces. I was 11, and decided I'd make a mini-quilt for baby sister's basinette, which I did, hurrahz. A few years later when I graduated from high school (year 10), I got everyone in the year to sign calico hearts for me, which I was going to put onto a quilt. Ten years later, after collecting fabric off and on, I pulled them out to start working on it - and because I can't do anything by halves, started two other quilts at the same time. Only, I took some of the stuff away for Christmas and managed to lose all the hearts :( I am, if you'll pardon the pun, heartbroken, but neither of the houses I stayed out ever found the hearts, and while I cherish the hope that they are tucked away somewhere in a random pile of fabric, I'm yet to find them. Thus the (hopefully temporary) end of quilting.
More recently, handbags have become my thing. The house is full of unfinished projects that my attention span is too short for, but handbags seem pretty perfect because they are small and relatively quick to make - plus I can do my own designs and play with pretty fabric. I have WAY too much fabric collected in the back room right now o.O :D
I still have my quilt that Mum made me; I use it on awkward nights when it's too hot for a doona but too cold for just a sheet, and I love it. One of the three quilts that are in pieces in my wardrobe is going to be specifically a snuggle quilt, one that I can drag around the house and snuggle in to without worrying about ruining it. Quilts. #win. :o)
Superheroes
Ah ha ha. I suspect this one is on the list because Ada knows a little about my Speshul Sekrit Project that will be revealed shortly to all of you (and which, if you are savvy and read the blog and actually care enough to think about it, is pretty easily figured out :P). But yes, superheroes. It has occured to me recently that I really love superhero fiction - which makes the fact that I've never read any of the traditional superhero comics like Batman or Superman or Spiderman or or or a little ironic.
I don't know what it is, exactly - I like secret identities, I like the social justice aspect that's usually a part of it, I like that the good guys win, I like that they have superpowers because frankly, that's just cool. I like superhero teams, especially, because I like teams of any kind, both in fiction and real life. I like that it's fun, and safe (because good always wins), but that it deals with serious stuff in life as well - even if you have superpowers, you can't save everyone, and you're still human. I like that despite their superpowers, superheroes are still just human, just people trying to change the world for the better - which is what I'd like to do. Maybe I like superheroes so much because in secret, I wish I was one. Never really thought about it much before. (Must now ponder what my superpower would be...)
So, thus concludeth my seven topics meme response. I hope it was vaguely interesting :o) And remember, if you want to join in, let me know in the comments and I'll give you your own list of seven things! :D
"Comment to this post and I will list seven things I want you to talk about. They might make sense or they might be totally random. Then post that list, with your commentary, to your journal. Other people can get lists from you, and the meme merrily perpetuates itself."
I got my list of seven things from Ada Hoffman, critique partner and TOC buddy from Ride the Moon :o) Here goes...
Animals
I am a HUGE animal person; always have been. Growing up, stuffed animals were my favourite toys. I hated dolls, and had so many stuffed animals on my bed at one point that I actually twisted my neck while sleeping, and was banned from keeping more than one toy on my bed at a time after that O:) The animals had to parade across the dinner table to taste my soup in order to induce me to eat it, and my favourite toy, a grey elephant named Heidi, had a trunk that was exactly right for wiping away tears.
In fiction, I love stories where the MC has some sort of connection to animals - telepathy, shape-shifting, that sort of thing. And yet, bizarrely, I have a super strong avoidance reaction to animal films (the real life kind, not animated or talking animals). I don't like drama as a film genre anyway (too emotional, I find it hard to disengage and if the film ends sadly I will often quite literally cry for more than fifteen minutes afterwards, or at the very least be in a flat, depressive mood for a while) and a lot of animal films trend towards drama.
As for real life animals, it's probably pretty telling that the only three items on my bucket list are to do with animals: swim with dolphins, and see tigers and wolves in the wild (obviously not together :P). We've had pets as long as I can remember; mostly dogs, but a few birds, rabbits, guinea pigs and fish thrown in there. I guess for me animals are somehow tied to respect for nature and empathy. I love the idea of connecting with animals, of being a team with them (horse riding is extremely attractive for this reason) - and in part I think this is my mum's fault, particularly that time when I was in year two (or thereabouts) and was stomping on the ants, and she stomped (gently) on my toes and asked how I liked it... :D
Australia
Well, this is where I live, obviously. And I like living here, though being the kind of person I am, I would probably prefer to live wherever it was that I had grown up. That said, I think Australia is awesome in that it has a lot of the advantages of first world living without some of the drawbacks. We certainly experience societal problems, but on the whole they seem to be more moderated than other first world nations.
Australians have a pretty laidback approach to life - which is not to say that we don't get stressed or have ambitions, but rather that there is an underlying sense of humour and self-depreciation to everything. Like, even in formal situations we're not as prescriptively formal as, say, the UK, and we laugh at ourselves (genuinely, without malice) a lot more than the USA (both as individuals and as a country). And although we are FIERCELY proud to be Australian, having an Aussie flag up in your yard or house is slightly suspect, a little too fanatical for absolute comfort.
Seriously. Like it or not, our history is the convicts, and that has shaped our ethos to quite a large degree. You don't rat on people, you watch each other's backs, you laugh and poke fun at each other and never take yourself seriously, and there's a certain sense of solidarity nicely evidenced, I think, in our high schools which are NO WHERE NEAR the shark pit that US high schools are made out to be. (Well, I'm sure we have some like that, but on the whole they're pretty good).
And in addition to all of that, we have sunshine that will fry even the most determined olive complexion, more spiders and snakes that will kill you than that won't, marsupials that look cute and cuddly but can attack without provocation and poison you in 80 different ways, octopuses that can kill you, sharks that will eat you... And we are, for some reason, proud of all of this.
Clothing
Well, this one seems rather random and I'm not sure I have much to say. And of course, having said that, a huge rant has come to mind, relating to exploitation and costs and the like. See, the thing is, people go oh, to make the world a better place, we should stop spending money on frivolous things, ergo I will buy cheap clothing and not spend so much money on it. The problem is, it costs the same amount to make a cheap shirt as it does an expensive shirt, and that cost is more than the $5 Ms Hypothetical just shelled out for it. Yes, some expensive shirts are expensive because the company marks them WAY up (think big brand names); but cheap shirts are cheap because the people making them aren't being paid more than a couple of crumbs that will, in no way, be sufficient to either look after their family or allow them to get out of the poverty cycle.
If we're really global-community-conscious, we should be looking for nationally-made clothes that, while they cost more than the cheap shirts, also cost less than the big brand names, and ensure that the people making them were paid fairly for their time (or find a company that makes clothes overseas but pays their workers fairly). Of course, the argument against this is that all those overseas workers have to be paid somehow, and if we stop buying the product they're making, we're depriving them of the chance to earn any wages. True, but things have to become worse before than can get better, I believe. I'm not a fan of putting thousands of people already below the poverty line out of work, but I do believe that we HAVE to send a message to big companies that we won't tolerate them treating their workers like this. And if you're that concerned about making sure the overseas workers still have a job, go pay them direct. They'll still make the shirt for you, and they'll get a hell of a lot more money direct from you than from their employer :P
This is SUCH a complex issue with no easy answers. But other things that I think it pays to be aware of that can really help - hanging onto your clothes to get the most wear out of them, shopping at outlets for nationally made products (Rivers here in Aus has fantastic sales with $5 shirts every now and then, plus they make really comfy shoes!), and shopping at secondhand stores.
Personally, the overwhelming majority of my clothes fall into one of three categories: 1) Old. I've owned a lot of my clothes since high school (10 years plus now), and most for at least 5+ years (excluding work wear I went out and bought when I started work 2 years ago).
2) Free. These are both new and secondhand items that family have given me, lots of as-new secondhand mostly from my step-mum and step-mum-in-law, and new from Boyo's father, who owns a small clothing store. (Aside: had the opportunity to shop with him a couple of times at the wholesale outlets, and nearly died at how much retailers mark things up - 3 times, on average: once to cover the cost, once to cover additional costs like wages and shop electricity and rent, and once for profit)
3) Bought from outlets. Mostly at places like DFO, so yes, I'm paying for cheap labour here as much as the next person. But also from the aforementioned Rivers store.
Maybe I'll make it a new goal to try the secondhand stores first... :)
Mental health
Wow, this is a relevant one. I haven't really mentioned it anywhere in public, not because I'm ashamed or whatevs, but just because I don't tend to go into really personal stuff on Teh Netz, but I was diagnosed with postnatal depression when Minion was 3.5 weeks old. I've subsequently been seeing a psych, and as I suspected, she confirmed that it's not postnatal so much as a consequent of the really crappy health issues I've been dealing with for the last three years.
My body way overreacts to yeast (or yeast thinks I'm the perfect host, or whatever), to the point where I can't eat it or I get yeast overgrowth infections - and one of the side effects of a serious yeast overgrowth is depression. In 2010, before we figured out that I was sensitive to yeast, I crashed big time. When people told me that having a baby would make me tired, I pretty much laughed - because tired as I knew I'd be, I knew that back in '10 I'd gotten to the point where I was literally incapable of becoming any tireder. I was right, though of course that didn't help prevent a little sleep-deprivation-induced depression this time o.O :)
That period of my life was scary and reassuring all at once, actually. It really knocked me around in the sense that it almost destroyed my self confidence; I used to think I was a pretty strong person, but even now, two years on from the worst of it, I still feel washed out and weak. I hate that. But I'm also beginning to get enough distance from it to realise that it can be reassuring, too: despite the depression and the feeling sometimes that it would just be easier to end it all and then it would just go away, I didn't, and I knew even at the time that those ideas weren't me, they were the depression, and that I would never actually do that. It showed that I'm strong enough to pull myself through something like that almost alone, because pretty much no one except my husband realised how bad it was.
And the diet I had to be on to get rid of the yeast was killer - a maximum of 1 serving of grains a day, no more than 1/2 cup of fruit, absolutely zero yeast or sugar in any form (except the 1/2 cup fruit), no condiments or additives, and only pure dairy products (i.e. pure sour cream, unsweetened yogurt, 100% butter, and regular milk). vegetables, nuts and eggs were pretty much the only thing I was allowed without restraint, and it is HARD to stay full on that kind of diet, especially when you're getting stomach cramps, nausea and other fun stuff from yeast die-off, and your blood sugar crashes in such a way that takes you from not-hungry to cannot-move in less than 5 minutes. And I stuck to the diet, and I beat the yeast. I did it. Dude, that took willpower.
So excuse me if I sound a little like maybe I'm bragging here, but this is honestly the first time I've sat down and shown myself just exactly how strong this little episode proves I am. So, thank you to Ada for adding in this topic and allowing me a little catharsis O:) :D
(Also, why is 'mental health' such a scary term? Why is there still such a stigma against diseases and illnesses of the mind? Why does getting depression make you 'weak', whereas getting the flu just means you were 'unlucky' or whatever? #societyfail, IMO.)
Motherhood
Holy crap, is parenthood simultaneously the most terrifying and the most normal thing to ever happen to someone or what? I never realised until I had Minion myself that all those jokes that go "Who are these kids and why are they calling me Mum?" are ACTUALLY SERIOUS. I am exactly the same person I was a few months ago - and yet now I have this new 'Mum' label to wear with my collection. Having a kid completely changes everything, and changes not a thing, all at the same time. In fact, if I had to sum up motherhood in a single word, it would be 'paradoxes'. You suddenly become a living, walking, breathing paradox - you love the Minion and never want to leave him, but you can't stand having it in your arms for one. more. second. coz he's been on your lap all day; you're so amazingly happy, and so sad; you can't wait to go back to work, and you don't ever want to stop being a SAHM; you want him to wake up so you can play, but you want him to sleep so you can have an hour to yourself; you have company all day and you still feel lonely; you want to be productive but you just want to sit and do nothing.
Honestly, there haven't really been any surprises; my baby sister is 11 years younger than me and our parents separated when she was 3, so small people, can do. The most helpful thing in the whole experience, though, was a book my dad bought me: French Children Don't Throw Food. In the Anglo world, we tend to freak out about EVERYTHING - Am I doing this right? Will this hurt their development? How can I help them advance quickly? French parenting seems to be a lot more laidback, which is how I am usually when the anxiety doesn't take control, so it was really helpful to be reminded to basically just chill B-)
And yes, we are both (hub & I) enjoying the parenting thing, and planning how far apart we want Minion and his next sibling to be O:)
Quilting
Ha, I have NO IDEA how Ada came up with this as a topic, because I'm pretty sure I've never discussed quilting in public before, but AWESOME. My mum started quilting around the time baby sister was born. She made a quilt for myself and my middle sister, and the one for baby sister is still in pieces. I was 11, and decided I'd make a mini-quilt for baby sister's basinette, which I did, hurrahz. A few years later when I graduated from high school (year 10), I got everyone in the year to sign calico hearts for me, which I was going to put onto a quilt. Ten years later, after collecting fabric off and on, I pulled them out to start working on it - and because I can't do anything by halves, started two other quilts at the same time. Only, I took some of the stuff away for Christmas and managed to lose all the hearts :( I am, if you'll pardon the pun, heartbroken, but neither of the houses I stayed out ever found the hearts, and while I cherish the hope that they are tucked away somewhere in a random pile of fabric, I'm yet to find them. Thus the (hopefully temporary) end of quilting.
More recently, handbags have become my thing. The house is full of unfinished projects that my attention span is too short for, but handbags seem pretty perfect because they are small and relatively quick to make - plus I can do my own designs and play with pretty fabric. I have WAY too much fabric collected in the back room right now o.O :D
I still have my quilt that Mum made me; I use it on awkward nights when it's too hot for a doona but too cold for just a sheet, and I love it. One of the three quilts that are in pieces in my wardrobe is going to be specifically a snuggle quilt, one that I can drag around the house and snuggle in to without worrying about ruining it. Quilts. #win. :o)
Superheroes
Ah ha ha. I suspect this one is on the list because Ada knows a little about my Speshul Sekrit Project that will be revealed shortly to all of you (and which, if you are savvy and read the blog and actually care enough to think about it, is pretty easily figured out :P). But yes, superheroes. It has occured to me recently that I really love superhero fiction - which makes the fact that I've never read any of the traditional superhero comics like Batman or Superman or Spiderman or or or a little ironic.
I don't know what it is, exactly - I like secret identities, I like the social justice aspect that's usually a part of it, I like that the good guys win, I like that they have superpowers because frankly, that's just cool. I like superhero teams, especially, because I like teams of any kind, both in fiction and real life. I like that it's fun, and safe (because good always wins), but that it deals with serious stuff in life as well - even if you have superpowers, you can't save everyone, and you're still human. I like that despite their superpowers, superheroes are still just human, just people trying to change the world for the better - which is what I'd like to do. Maybe I like superheroes so much because in secret, I wish I was one. Never really thought about it much before. (Must now ponder what my superpower would be...)
So, thus concludeth my seven topics meme response. I hope it was vaguely interesting :o) And remember, if you want to join in, let me know in the comments and I'll give you your own list of seven things! :D
April 9, 2012
So, continuing with the theme of serialised novels, today...
So, continuing with the theme of serialised novels, today I have author Krista Ball here to discuss her latest project, Collaborator. Collaborator is a serialised novel, with partial chapters posted to her blog at random; it's a great little sci fi story, and I encourage any of you who like the genre to hop over and give it a go. Krista is also the author of a whole bunch of other great books, which you can find here :)
1) Why did you decide to write Collaborator as a serial in the first place?
I'd been wanting to write that story for ages, but never felt my writing skills were at the point where I could do it justice. I'd made a few failed attempts, but I lacked both the skill and confidence to pull it off. So, it kept getting back burnered. Then, finally, I'd decided that I needed to work on something new. I'm in the midst of some major contracted projects and I needed an outlet. So, I thought the web serial would be a good way to do that.
2) How frequently did you post chapters, and why did you choose that interval?
I post whenever the hell I feel like it. My serial isn't about driving traffic to my blog. Mine is a reward to my readers, who are getting to read a future novel a year in advance as I write it. I'm really busy with writing, so this really has to remain a treat and fun. Or else, it would just become yet another thing that I'm forced/obligated/must do.
3) What was the best bit about writing as a serial?
I'm not under contract to write it! So I can write it whenever I want.
4) What was the worst?
See point #3.
5) How freaked out did you get about the inability to go back and change stuff, and how did you cope with that?
As this will eventually be bundled into an ebook and self-published, it will need to edited after the fact. So small things might change. Also, I'm going into it knowing how it will go. I have an outline for the series (this is part of a much larger series), so I'm confident that I know where I'm going.
6) How different is the final release version to the serial chapter-at-a-time version?
I think there won't be a huge difference. There'll be some clean up, better setting explanation, but overall I think this is going up fairly clean and organized.
7) And most importantly, did anyone threaten to scalp you because the chapters were 'obviously written in a rush' or any other variant thereon?
Not really, since I've tried to only put things up when I'm happy with them. Generally folks point out when I've made proofreading errors and, in science fiction, that can really mess up the meaning of stuff when doing technobabble! It is frustrating to put up a chapter, see 20 people read it within an hour of posting...and the only comment is "you have two spelling mistakes." You just want to clobber people!
Basically, this is a terrifying thing to choose to do. WAS IT WORTH IT and WHY?
Oh yeah. I'm having fun. Like I said, I have a very busy year. Lots of stress. It's really important that I *do not* make this on a schedule or anything. Else, it will make it just another commitment and I have plenty of those already.
Thanks so much for your time, Krista! And remember, everyone: you can follow the adventure right here on Krista's website :)
1) Why did you decide to write Collaborator as a serial in the first place?
I'd been wanting to write that story for ages, but never felt my writing skills were at the point where I could do it justice. I'd made a few failed attempts, but I lacked both the skill and confidence to pull it off. So, it kept getting back burnered. Then, finally, I'd decided that I needed to work on something new. I'm in the midst of some major contracted projects and I needed an outlet. So, I thought the web serial would be a good way to do that.
2) How frequently did you post chapters, and why did you choose that interval?
I post whenever the hell I feel like it. My serial isn't about driving traffic to my blog. Mine is a reward to my readers, who are getting to read a future novel a year in advance as I write it. I'm really busy with writing, so this really has to remain a treat and fun. Or else, it would just become yet another thing that I'm forced/obligated/must do.
3) What was the best bit about writing as a serial?
I'm not under contract to write it! So I can write it whenever I want.
4) What was the worst?
See point #3.
5) How freaked out did you get about the inability to go back and change stuff, and how did you cope with that?
As this will eventually be bundled into an ebook and self-published, it will need to edited after the fact. So small things might change. Also, I'm going into it knowing how it will go. I have an outline for the series (this is part of a much larger series), so I'm confident that I know where I'm going.
6) How different is the final release version to the serial chapter-at-a-time version?
I think there won't be a huge difference. There'll be some clean up, better setting explanation, but overall I think this is going up fairly clean and organized.
7) And most importantly, did anyone threaten to scalp you because the chapters were 'obviously written in a rush' or any other variant thereon?
Not really, since I've tried to only put things up when I'm happy with them. Generally folks point out when I've made proofreading errors and, in science fiction, that can really mess up the meaning of stuff when doing technobabble! It is frustrating to put up a chapter, see 20 people read it within an hour of posting...and the only comment is "you have two spelling mistakes." You just want to clobber people!
Basically, this is a terrifying thing to choose to do. WAS IT WORTH IT and WHY?
Oh yeah. I'm having fun. Like I said, I have a very busy year. Lots of stress. It's really important that I *do not* make this on a schedule or anything. Else, it will make it just another commitment and I have plenty of those already.
Thanks so much for your time, Krista! And remember, everyone: you can follow the adventure right here on Krista's website :)
April 7, 2012
Review: Even Villains Fall In Love by Liana Brooks
April 2012, Breathless PresseBook
Personal copy
Science Fiction Romance (Superhero fiction)
Kisses, caresses, off-screen sex, quadriplets who want their Mummy NOW
Summary from Breathless Press:
If you believe the rumors you know that Doctor Charm, the wickedly sexy super villain, retired in shame seven years ago after his last fight with the superhero Zephyr Girl. The fact that the charming Evan Smith - father of four and husband of the too-beautiful-to-be-real Tabitha - bears a resemblance to the defeated Doctor is pure coincidence. And, please, ignore the minions.
Everything is perfect in the Smith household until Tabitha announces her return to work as a superhero. Evan was hoping to keep her distracted until after he rigged the 2012 presidential election, but – genius that he is – Evan has a backup plan. In his basement lab Evan has a machine whose sole purpose is keeping Tabitha hungry for him.
But children and labs don't mix. The machine is broken, and Tabitha storms out, claiming she no longer knows him. World domination takes a back seat to meeting his daughters' demands to get Mommy back right now. This time his genius isn't going to be enough – he's going to need both his evil alter-ego and the blooming super abilities of his children to save his wife. But even his most charming self might not be enough to save their marriage.
Amy's Thoughts:
Those of you that follow me on Twitter will probably not be surprised by my adoration of this book. Not only is it my twinny's debut (SO EXCITING), I helped out with the betaing and proofreading of this one, so it's completely amazing to have seen it go from a casual summer joke to Real Live Proper Book. YAY!
EVFiL is a fun, quirky story about the super villain who married the superhero. He's hot, she's gorgeous, and it was just the kind of scandal the world needed :D Only now they have four kids, Evan's plan to take over the world via the US presidential elections is falling behind schedule - and his wife decides she wants to go back to superheroing. Seriously, is this not the most awesome set up? But of course, everything goes wrong, and Evan has to decide between ruling the free world, and getting his wife back - and, of course, everything is not as it seems >:)
So, reasons why you should read this book:
1) It's funny.
2) If you like anything in the superhero genre, you will probably like this.
3) It's SO nice to have a romance novel(la) based on a married couple for a change. Romance does not end with a wedding, people!
4) It's funny.
5) I helped proofread it.
O:)
Excerpt:
Maria rolled her eyes. "We won't get hurt, Daddy. You'll protect us. You never got hurt as a super villain, did you?"
"Um..."
"See? We'll be safe."
Delila raised her hand.
"Yes?"
"Can we have costumes?"
He was blindsided with nowhere to run. "Sure. I'll have a minion get right on that. You do realize that if I let you near a fight, your mother will kill me? She will skin me alive. Literally. This is a very bad idea."
"Mommy doesn't like you leaving us alone either," Maria said.
"Minions don't count," Angela added.
Final Conclusion:
If you enjoy lighthearted romance, real family dynamics, and a bit of superhero magic on the side, this is definitely the book for you. It's funny, it's quirky, and I really can't wait to read the next in the series :D
Find Liana Brooks on her website, or see the publisher's page for Even Villains Fall In Love.
Liana Brooks was born in San Diego, California. Years later she was disappointed to learn that The Shire was not some place she could move to, nor was Rider of Rohan an acceptable career choice. Studying marine biology so she could play with sharks seemed to be the only alternative. After college Liana settled down to work as a full-time author and mother because logical career progression is something that happens to other people. When she grows up, Liana wants to be an Evil Overlord and take over the world.
In the meantime, she writes sci-fi and SFR in between trips to the beach. She can be found wearing colorful socks on the Emerald Coast, or online at www.lianabrooks.com.
April 3, 2012
The Whys and Wherefores of Serials
Today I have the most wonderful Danyelle Leafty, author of The Fairy Godmother Dilemma series, here to talk about serial novels. Why? Nothing, no reason at all, and certainly nothing to do with this or this. O:)
Dani wrote Catspell last year as a serial novel. It was released on her website, two chapters a week, and subscribers got either an ebook or hardcopy at the end, depending on their level of subscription. I thought it might be interesting to look at the idea of a serial novel from an author's point of view; serials used to be quite common (it was how Dickens wrote many of his stories, for example) and although these days people read serialised webcomics and the like, there aren't many serialised novels around. Which is a shame, because they can be loads of fun!
1) Why did you decide to write Catspell as a serial in the first place?
Publishing is changing its face right now, and it's anybody's guess how it will look a couple of years from now. The reason I chose to write CATSPELL as a serial, was because I wanted to do something different. Something outside the box. I'm always up for learning new things and improving my craft, and it seemed like something I might enjoy doing. :)
2) How frequently did you post chapters, and why did you choose that interval?
I posted two chapters a week. I chose to do this because I can write quickly and it would have taken a little over half a year to release the whole thing if I'd gone any slower. CATSPELL has sequels, and I didn't want to have to wait that long to move forward with this series.
3) What was the best bit about writing as a serial?
The most rewarding thing about writing CATSPELL as a serial--besides people being willing to take a risk on me--was proving to myself that I could do it. Also, all of the things I learned along the way that I wouldn't have learned otherwise.
4) What was the worst?
The worst thing was probably the workload. It was a pain to edit and format two chapters a week on top of everything else I was doing. #multitasking
5) How freaked out did you get about the inability to go back and change stuff, and how did you cope with that?
I wasn't really all that freaked out. I've spent a couple of years getting to know how my personal writing process worked, and feel pretty comfortable with it. And even though I know how I work, I'm still actively learning more things and different techniques to see if anything sticks.
My writing process is kind of different from how a lot of other authors describe their own. The best way I can describe it is that my sub-conscious is the one doing all the heavy lifting while my conscious mind makes sure I hit the right keys when I type. My drafts now, after years of honing my craft, come out fairly clean. In general, I'm a single draft writer, so writing a serial wasn't that scary for me.
This doesn't mean that I don't have to fix grammar and punctuation and awkward sentences and weave threads a little tighter in places. What it means is that I don't have to do anything major to my drafts to make them acceptable. I wasn't always this way, and I have to be very careful and analytical with my work, because sometimes a story *does* creep in that needs more than one draft. I have to be able to tell the difference and have confidence in my decision.
What really freaked me out was realizing that people would actually read my story. >.< So while I had confidence in the story itself, setting it free was terrifying. Kind of like speaking in public. ;-)
6) How different is the final release version to the serial chapter-at-a-time version?
Because of how I write, and how the story came out, the final version was very close to the original version. O:) Again, no major plot re-workings. Mostly just making sure everything gelled together and was cleaned up.
7) And most importantly, did anyone threaten to scalp you because the chapters were 'obviously written in a rush' or any other variant thereon?
*grin* Not that I know of. My natural writing rhythm clips along at a decent pace. (About 2k a day, 6 days a week.) I finished the novel long before it had fully been released.
Basically, this is a terrifying thing to choose to do. WAS IT WORTH IT and WHY?
It was definitely worth it. I learned a lot about myself, my writing, and the business part of being an author. Some of the things I did will change when I release another serial, and some of them will remain the same. Doing this gave me the confidence that I *could* do something different, public, and on a time limit, and do it well. :)
Thanks so much for agreeing to answer my questions, Dani :) Everyone else, don't forget to check out Dani's awesome blog, website, and book :o)
Dani wrote Catspell last year as a serial novel. It was released on her website, two chapters a week, and subscribers got either an ebook or hardcopy at the end, depending on their level of subscription. I thought it might be interesting to look at the idea of a serial novel from an author's point of view; serials used to be quite common (it was how Dickens wrote many of his stories, for example) and although these days people read serialised webcomics and the like, there aren't many serialised novels around. Which is a shame, because they can be loads of fun!
1) Why did you decide to write Catspell as a serial in the first place?
Publishing is changing its face right now, and it's anybody's guess how it will look a couple of years from now. The reason I chose to write CATSPELL as a serial, was because I wanted to do something different. Something outside the box. I'm always up for learning new things and improving my craft, and it seemed like something I might enjoy doing. :)
2) How frequently did you post chapters, and why did you choose that interval?
I posted two chapters a week. I chose to do this because I can write quickly and it would have taken a little over half a year to release the whole thing if I'd gone any slower. CATSPELL has sequels, and I didn't want to have to wait that long to move forward with this series.
3) What was the best bit about writing as a serial?
The most rewarding thing about writing CATSPELL as a serial--besides people being willing to take a risk on me--was proving to myself that I could do it. Also, all of the things I learned along the way that I wouldn't have learned otherwise.
4) What was the worst?
The worst thing was probably the workload. It was a pain to edit and format two chapters a week on top of everything else I was doing. #multitasking
5) How freaked out did you get about the inability to go back and change stuff, and how did you cope with that?
I wasn't really all that freaked out. I've spent a couple of years getting to know how my personal writing process worked, and feel pretty comfortable with it. And even though I know how I work, I'm still actively learning more things and different techniques to see if anything sticks.
My writing process is kind of different from how a lot of other authors describe their own. The best way I can describe it is that my sub-conscious is the one doing all the heavy lifting while my conscious mind makes sure I hit the right keys when I type. My drafts now, after years of honing my craft, come out fairly clean. In general, I'm a single draft writer, so writing a serial wasn't that scary for me.
This doesn't mean that I don't have to fix grammar and punctuation and awkward sentences and weave threads a little tighter in places. What it means is that I don't have to do anything major to my drafts to make them acceptable. I wasn't always this way, and I have to be very careful and analytical with my work, because sometimes a story *does* creep in that needs more than one draft. I have to be able to tell the difference and have confidence in my decision.
What really freaked me out was realizing that people would actually read my story. >.< So while I had confidence in the story itself, setting it free was terrifying. Kind of like speaking in public. ;-)
6) How different is the final release version to the serial chapter-at-a-time version?
Because of how I write, and how the story came out, the final version was very close to the original version. O:) Again, no major plot re-workings. Mostly just making sure everything gelled together and was cleaned up.
7) And most importantly, did anyone threaten to scalp you because the chapters were 'obviously written in a rush' or any other variant thereon?
*grin* Not that I know of. My natural writing rhythm clips along at a decent pace. (About 2k a day, 6 days a week.) I finished the novel long before it had fully been released.
Basically, this is a terrifying thing to choose to do. WAS IT WORTH IT and WHY?
It was definitely worth it. I learned a lot about myself, my writing, and the business part of being an author. Some of the things I did will change when I release another serial, and some of them will remain the same. Doing this gave me the confidence that I *could* do something different, public, and on a time limit, and do it well. :)
Thanks so much for agreeing to answer my questions, Dani :) Everyone else, don't forget to check out Dani's awesome blog, website, and book :o)
April 2, 2012
Research or Lie?
"A writer that delves into topics he doesn't know has three choices, research, be vague, or learn to lie convincingly. The art of writing fiction is not so much being right, it is convincing the reader he is right, or entertaining him at a level where he simply doesn't care."
I read the above quote in a writing forum recently, and it made me stop and think - especially since it was on a thread about the alternate history genre and the importance of research in stories. I read this and stopped, because ultimately, I think it's right. I DO think research is important, especially for a really convincing alternate history... But I'm also a perfectionist. That has an impact on many areas of my life, but it's particularly obvious in writing, and is the reason I stay away from writing historicals or alternate historicals.
Why? Because I'll never know enough. This is what my mind is convinced of, anyway. No matter how much research I do, no matter how many books I read, I'll still never know enough to present another time period convincingly. Which is rubbish, I know, but the thought is strong enough that, as I said, I shy away from writing in the history genres.
I'm having this problem with Jesscapades, too. Jessc is set in England and I've had suggestions from some readers that the setting needs to be more specific, less vague and handwavey. Pick a real location already, they say.
Except if I do that, I'll need to research the location, investigate climates and weather patterns, learn the history, study the neighbourhoods, find some locals and quiz them on the atmosphere, the habits of the population, figure out which area my MC is most likely to live in and where she would go to work and why... And it's so. much. work.
I've tried the vague route; obviously that didn't work. I've tried the research-the-heck-out-of-it route too, spending hours with google maps, browsing everything from real estate websites to online fast food menus. In the end, all I got was frustrated, and even after those many hours, I'm no closer to knowing where Jess might live or any of it.
So I guess the next option is option 3: learn to lie convincingly. Because ultimately, the final sentence is right - readers read to be entertained, not for the veracity of the setting. So I can quit stressing over the fact that Coventry, UK doesn't have a warehouse exactly like the one I need for Jesscapades; really, it's my story, and I'm allowed to plonk a warehouse down where I need one if I need to. And perhaps the issue the betas had is not so much that I need to pick a real world location, but more that I need to make the sense of setting sharper, clearer and more detailed - make the world of the story come alive.
Do you have a preference for recognisable, real world settings over 'vague' real world settings? I'm curious, because a few of my stories take place in actual places in my head, but I'm not sure whether or not to make that obvious in the text, or whether to leave it ambiguous... What do you think??
I read the above quote in a writing forum recently, and it made me stop and think - especially since it was on a thread about the alternate history genre and the importance of research in stories. I read this and stopped, because ultimately, I think it's right. I DO think research is important, especially for a really convincing alternate history... But I'm also a perfectionist. That has an impact on many areas of my life, but it's particularly obvious in writing, and is the reason I stay away from writing historicals or alternate historicals.
Why? Because I'll never know enough. This is what my mind is convinced of, anyway. No matter how much research I do, no matter how many books I read, I'll still never know enough to present another time period convincingly. Which is rubbish, I know, but the thought is strong enough that, as I said, I shy away from writing in the history genres.
I'm having this problem with Jesscapades, too. Jessc is set in England and I've had suggestions from some readers that the setting needs to be more specific, less vague and handwavey. Pick a real location already, they say.
Except if I do that, I'll need to research the location, investigate climates and weather patterns, learn the history, study the neighbourhoods, find some locals and quiz them on the atmosphere, the habits of the population, figure out which area my MC is most likely to live in and where she would go to work and why... And it's so. much. work.
I've tried the vague route; obviously that didn't work. I've tried the research-the-heck-out-of-it route too, spending hours with google maps, browsing everything from real estate websites to online fast food menus. In the end, all I got was frustrated, and even after those many hours, I'm no closer to knowing where Jess might live or any of it.
So I guess the next option is option 3: learn to lie convincingly. Because ultimately, the final sentence is right - readers read to be entertained, not for the veracity of the setting. So I can quit stressing over the fact that Coventry, UK doesn't have a warehouse exactly like the one I need for Jesscapades; really, it's my story, and I'm allowed to plonk a warehouse down where I need one if I need to. And perhaps the issue the betas had is not so much that I need to pick a real world location, but more that I need to make the sense of setting sharper, clearer and more detailed - make the world of the story come alive.
Do you have a preference for recognisable, real world settings over 'vague' real world settings? I'm curious, because a few of my stories take place in actual places in my head, but I'm not sure whether or not to make that obvious in the text, or whether to leave it ambiguous... What do you think??
