Annie Cardi's Blog, page 107

How to Build a Magical World

At Writers Digest, Steven Harper Piziks talks about how to write paranormal/fantasy novels. One big difference between fantasy and other kinds of fiction obviously boils down to the magical elements. Piziks says:

"The need to explain the magic [is] the biggest challenge, really. It's so easy to use big expository lumps, but that bores the reader. "

I can definitely see this as one of the hardest parts of fantasy writing. You want to make sure your reader understands what makes this world/these characters magical, but you don't want to bore them with an infodump. If your character is living in a magical world, wouldn't he/she not really call attention to a lot of the magical elements? It would be like a character in a contemporary novel explaining in length what a television is or how a garage door opener works. (Although I bet Arthur Weasley would find that pretty fascinating.)

I think the introduction of these elements works best when they're introduced gradually and naturally. For example, in The Hunger Games, Katniss doesn't really talk about what led to the collapse of the US and the rise of Panem. She wouldn't because she doesn't need to think about it. But we find out what Panem is and how classes are structured because she has to worry about who's in charge and where her family will get food. In The Golden Compass, we meet daemons long before we find out what exactly they are, and can slowly pick up on the subtle differences between the real Oxford and Lyra's Oxford.

Being able to balance necessary information with compelling forward momentum is enormously difficult, and I salute any writer who can do that well. What are your suggestions for creating compelling magical worlds without all the exposition?

All the Squirrels in Brooklyn Look Like This

The squirrel all the adorably shy boy squirrels fall in love with:

(Image: Séamus Gallagher / & the song said let's be happy)(via John Green)

Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Stuff

With the clocks shifting ahead an hour on Sunday, you might feel like your sense of time is off. Fortunately, there are two lists of time travel-related reading. We'll get that hour back somehow!

At The Hub, Sarah Debraski has a great list of mostly YA time travel stories, including Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (which involves a time loop) and The Midnighters Trilogy by Scott Westerfeld (in which time stands still). At Secrets & Sharing Soda, Katie expands a little to MG, bringing in titles like The Time Trilogy by Madeleine L'Engle (love!).

When I was in middle school, one of my favorite time travel books was Both Sides of Time by Caroline B. Cooney. It had everything I liked–romance, the Victorian era, feminism, vague fantasy/sci-fi elements, and mysteries. When I found out there were sequels, I freaked. (The last one didn't thrill me, sadly.)

For very mature YA readers (probably junior/senior high schoolers) I'd also recommend The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. I assumed it would be kind of schlocky, but a friend gave it to me with enormous enthusiasm, and I found myself really enjoying it as well.

And of course, if you'd rather watch something about time travel, you need to check out Doctor Who. Immediately.

(image: Emo DJ Steph)

Links Galore

A few more mid-week links:

Pretty sure I need to copy Woody Allen's personal library for my own use.
The Dictionary of American Regional English sounds wicked awesome. (H/T Suzy Q)
Love that the Wellesley Books Newsletter includes a Dog of the Week. Yet another reason to love this bookstore!
You mean there were dystopian novels before The Hunger Games? (I kid, I kid!)
The moment everything changed and why it's so important in fiction.
My friend Stephanie from Fête did the loveliest write up of Walt and me. Make sure to check out the rest of this fantastic lifestyle/creative inspiration blog!

Quote of the Day

"Being a writer is like having homework every night for the rest of your life."–Lawrence Kasdan

(H/T Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich)(via @advicetowriters)

Big Cities for Small Readers

How cute are these pop-up city books? What a cool gift idea!

Cities currently available: Paris, New York, London. Upcoming: Washington, DC and Dublin. I'd like to see Amsterdam! (image and via Design Mom)

I'd Go to a Conference to Meet Neil Gaiman

An excellent post by Neil Gaiman about why conferences, workshops, and other writing events aren't around to get you published. One point:

"We were doing that because we wanted to meet people like us. Because we wanted to attend the panels and learn. Because we were fans of the people who would be at the convention and wanted to listen to them."

Although conferences and workshops can be very useful tools in developing your craft, they're also for fostering a sense of community, which is fantastic. And maybe the people you meet will be able to suggest agents to get in touch with or grants to apply for. Maybe you will get published because of someone you met at a conference.

But I think this plays into the overall idea of there being no guarantees in writing. Even if you meet all the right people and have all the right tweets, it doesn't mean you have earned a spot on a bookshelf somewhere. The best you can do is write your best work. The work that needs to be in some reader's hands. Even then there are no guarantees, but it makes success a lot more likely in case you do happen to meet that right agent/editor.

Party Like It's 1849

Love these literary birthday cards at The Wandering Reader:

Kind of wish I'd gotten this one my office for Charles Dickens' birthday. (H/T Book Riot)

Links Galore

A few more fun links for the afternoon:

No, those Catching Fire paperbacks aren't coming to a bookstore near you.
What makes a cookbook publishable? One point I'd add: a successful food blog.
Tales from the slush pile.
Finding new books online is great, but there's nothing quite like browsing in person.
Walt has a great post about why stage directions are necessary, even if some people use them poorly. Just like the semicolon!
Library Journal's Movers and Shakers list spotlights people enhancing library communities and studies. Lots of cool profiles here.

Battle of the Books: Round 1!

The first round of SLJ's Battle of the Books goes to…

Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming! It was a close fight, but judge Matt Phelan says:

"Amelia Lost succeeds in what it sets out to do, but for this reader it also manages to do more. Thanks to this book, an icon became a living breathing extraordinary human being with ambition, drive, and personality. I now know about the not-so-famous characters who are part of her story. But most importantly, this book provided more than facts. It inspired me to feel this story in my imagination, to experience a part of history."

Of course, I have a special place in my heart for books about Amelia Earhart. Glad to see this one move on! (Will have to check out Anya's Ghost as well, since that sounds fabulous too.)

Make sure to check out the brackets so you can make your own predictions!