Annie Cardi's Blog, page 67

Happy No(WriMo)vember from the Rebel Alliance

Ah, November–a month of giving thanks and the last of falling leaves, of hot cider and wool sweaters. And it’s a month of sitting in front of your computer, frantically typing to get to that ultimate goal of at least 50,000 words. Yep, it’s NaNoWriMo.

I’ve always been curious about NaNoWriMo. At first I was really snobby about it and said, “I don’t write just because it’s November. I write because it’s what I do!” But now I don’t think NaNoWriMo is just an excuse for people to try writing and give it up in December. It’s a way for writers to try something new and kick-start a project. It’s about connecting with the writerly community. Kind of like you going to road races. You can run 26.2 miles on any random day, but going to a marathon is fun and exciting and fosters a sense of running community.

Still, I always balk at actually talking part in NaNoWriMo. Last year I got married and was away for half of November, so that cancelled things out. This year I thought “But I’m already working on projects. I don’t want to have to start something totally new because it’s part of the rules.” Then I saw Debbie Ohi and Errol Elumir’s comic which referenced NaNoRebels.

Rebels, you say?

The official NaNo rules are:

Write a 50,000-word (or longer!) novel, between November 1 and November 30.
Start from scratch.
Be the sole author of your novel.
Upload your novel for word-count validation.

But the NaNoRebels don’t roll that way. Who needs rules? It’s about getting the writing done! They say, “This is a self-challenge. The REAL prize of NaNoWriMo is the accomplishment, and the big new manuscript you have at the end. Everything beyond that is icing on the cake.” Heck yeah!

Fanfics? You’re in. Short stories? Come on over. Already wrote stuff? You’re a rebel.

So even though it’s already November 1, I’m thinking about diving in. I’m very early into two first drafts, so I think this is a good way to kick me into high gear on one or the other (or both? I’m a rebel! I don’t care!). I’m also editing, so I’m glad that the NaNoRebels don’t require so much intensity on the brand-new draft.

Anyone been a NaNoRebel before? Anyone going full-on NaNo?

(image via TIE Fighters)

Links Galore

A few more spooky links for Halloween:

Libraries are awesome–why shouldn’t ghosts like them too? Check out this list of haunted libraries.
Speaking of haunted libraries, Walt and I should check these libraries out the next time we’re in Pittsburgh.
Gorgeous and creepy Japanese monsters from the Kaibutsu Ehon.
When I was a kid, Are You Afraid of the Dark was the scariest show ever. They even made books creepy!
Because Buffy’s the best, a look at Buffy and the reversal of Halloween.
And if you need to get in the Halloween spirit (pun intended), head over to my Tumblr for a bunch of spooky songs.

Ghosts and Evil-Doers Need Love, Too

I don’t tend to write scary stories, but after these tips from Cornelia Funke about creating a good ghost story, I’m tempted to give it a try. My favorite tip:

4. Give your ghost a life story

“Decide where your ghosts come from. How many are there? Do you tell the story of one or many? Were they once human? If yes, were they He or She? Grown up or child? How did they die? When did they live? You can make them historical characters like I did in Ghost Knight, which is so much fun and vastly inspiring. Or do you deal with a spirit of demonic origins? In short: Give your ghostly hero a biography. Imagine them so clearly that you feel them behind you. What does their voice sound like? Do they have one? Is their breath cold or hot?”

I like the reminder that ghosts aren’t just ghosts–they used to be living people, or maybe they’re demonic. But they have a backstory just like any other character.

If ghosts aren’t your thing, try this article about what makes a villain. Villains aren’t just mustache-twirling, cackling evildoers. They’re people, too, and have their own pain. I love this point about using stability/instability to ground your villain:

“So again: what upsets stability? How about something as simple as losing a loved one? How about being the target of hate because you accidentally brought about the death of your mother? No robots, no armies: just a broken heart that refuses to mend. And its breakage is what makes the motivation so sharp, so defined. Any prophet can march with an army, but it takes a harsher, personal edge to define yourself according to such local revenge. And there’s no reason this personal grievance can’t have a powerful, earth-shattering impact as big as a dragon army.”

It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes by Mary Shelley: “No man chooses evil because it is evil; he only mistakes it for happiness, the good he seeks.” Your villain should be on his/her own journey, and he/she probably thinks he’s doing what’s right–either for himself or for society in general.

So take a little time today to think about the evil and creepy figures in your stories. They deserve to be as complex as your heroes.

(image: JudeanPeoplesFront)

Happy Birthday, Katherine Paterson!

When you have a holiday birthday, you feel a special kinship with the other people who have them as well. (Mine is Valentine’s Day.) So when I heard that Katherine Paterson’s birthday is today, I gave a little cheer. What an awesome person to add to the holiday birthday team!

Check out Anita Silvey’s Children’s Book-a-Day Almanac for more info on Paterson’s life and works. I’d say she’s most famous for Bridge to Terabithia, the book that makes everyone cry. I most remember her for Jacob I Have Loved, which I found to be an emotionally complex book about jealous and love and self-loathing and bravery.

Silvey sums up Paterson’s work well here: “…she brought quality, consistency, and emotional intensity to everything she wrote. Clearly one of the most significant children’s book writers of the twentieth century, she continues to craft quality books that change the way her readers look at their world.”

Completely agree. Today, let’s raise a glass (of pumpkin juice?) to Katherine Paterson!

Links Galore

A few more links for today:

A few tips for NaNoWriMo. My favorite: hell with the rules.
Steppenwolf takes on The Book Thief. Would love to see this.
In case you want to be ready for the next rainy day.
Ever wonder what a children’s librarian does on an average day? Abby takes us through it.
Not all who wander are lost: Gail Garson Levine on the long process of getting through the story.

Get Your Costume Ready

Tomorrow is Halloween, which is one of my favorite holidays. At the beginning of the month I like to break out spooky songs like the Ghostbusters song, “Werewolves of London,” and “Thriller.” And how many other holidays let you eat candy and dress in costume? So awesome!

My costuming occurred on Saturday, when I went as Maru the cat (my favorite internet cat). I also got to thinking about fictional characters who’ve dressed up for Halloween. Two I could think of were Scout Finch as a ham in To Kill a Mockingbird and Molly McIntire as a hula dancer in Meet Molly. Any others to add to this list?

In case you still need inspiration for your own costume, here are lots of TV characters dressed up for Halloween:

My favorite is the Buffy crew, of course. Feel free to share your favorite Halloween costume ideas (from your life or fiction) in the comments!

Overcoming Challenges Now and in a Dystopian Future: a Boston Book Festival Recap

Confession: I’ve lived in Boston about six years now (holy cow!), and this is the first year I’ve had the opportunity to attend the Boston Book Festival.

I know. Somehow I was always out of town or busy that day. But this year I put it on my calendar and made sure I was free. And it was a beautiful fall Saturday–the perfect day to be downtown and among the literary crowd.

I attended two panels. The first was YA: Overcoming Adversity, with authors Jo Knowles, Kathryn Burak, and Barry Lyga (moderated by Simmons professor Amy Pattee). As someone who writes contemporary YA fiction, I really enjoyed the conversation about how essential YA novels are in a young reader’s exploration of adversity. Society tends to trivialize the emotions of young people, but young adulthood is a time when you feel emotions so intensely. YA is the first opportunity for readers to explore “controversial” topics–and possibly, the first time readers get to see that they’re not alone in their pain.

A couple of quotes I especially liked from the panel:

“I try to explain about contemporary YA novels–that they exist.”
[By reading about things feel turned inside-out] “…we feel a little less turned inside-out.”
“Adolescents move toward adulthood. Adults move toward death.” Hmm, that reminds me of a song.
“Print it, bitches!”
Barry Lyga shares his research on serial killers, including how you can mess with forensics scientists by smearing horseradish all over your crime scene and how there was a surge in serial killers in the ’80s (no, it wasn’t the hairspray).

Next up was YA: The Future is Now, with authors Rachel Cohn, Cory Doctorow, and Gabrielle Zevin (moderated by M.T. Anderson). All of the panelists were really funny and thoughtful, and it’s encouraging to see authors talk about dystopia not as a trend but as part of a concern young people have. Where is our world heading? Are we living in a dystopia or a utopia? Is it possible to make a change?

A few fun moments from this panel:

“The usual Boston welcome is when everyone stops talking and looks awkwardly away from each other’s eyes.”
“The Dickensian family drama is now!”
Gyms are a glimpse at a clone-driven dystopian society. (I also think they’re a good place to prepare for the zombie apocalypse.)
Cory Doctorow’s German student impression and first draft puppet show.
“Art is an aesthetic feeling you want to get into someone else’s head.”

I also got to get signed copies of See You at Harry’s (which is already making me have all the feelings) and The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party (which is one of my favorites).

All in all, a successful first Boston Book Festival. Thanks to all the literary people–the BBF team and volunteers, librarians, authors, publishers, etc.–who helped make this day so much fun!

A Dark and Stormy Monday, Plus Books

We’re feeling the first effects of Hurricane Sandy here in Boston, and I’m feeling the first effects of a wicked chest cold. Whenever I’m sick, I’m reminded of how much I like when novels mention characters who get a cold or the flu. It’s so common and it’s almost never mentioned. I remember reading the beginning of The Young Unicorns by Madeleine L’Engle, which mentions Suzy Austin having a cold, and I loved that. Why don’t more fictional characters get the sniffles or a sore throat?

While I’m holed up at home, a fun video with book dominoes is just what I need:

Click through for even more fun book-related videos.

 

Friday Fifteen

Happy Friday, everybody! It’s almost Halloween, so this Friday Fifteen is brought to you by the world of creepy books. (Spoiler alert: I get scared really easily.)

1. Howliday Inn by James Howe

A sequel to Bunnicula, Harold and Chester go to a kennel where animals go missing.

2. The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

Trisha ends up alone in the woods with something creepy. Reason #45 not to hike.

3. Coyote Moon (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Book 3) John Vornholt

Say it with me, everyone: “Carnie were-coyotes.”

4. The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

No, it’s not just a musical. Erik, the phantom, alternates between sympathetic and totally creeptastic.

5. Clifford’s Halloween by Norman Bridwell

Who’s that under the ghost costume? He’s house-sized, but I dunno if it’s Clifford.

Read Alouds with Neil Gaiman and Other Awesome People

Coraline by Neil Gaiman is the perfect near-Halloween reading choice–it’s creepy and adventurous and not a typical scary reading choice. And now you can listen to Neil Gaiman and other famous people read it to you!

Chapters 1-8 have been posted thus far, so there’s plenty of time to catch up.

Also, Neil Gaiman’s reading voice is very Alan Rickman-y. Reason #521 why he’s awesome?