Margo Kelly's Blog, page 48

Book Review: DEEPLY ODD

Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I love Dean Koontz, and I love Odd Thomas. He's one of my all-time favorite fictional characters, and after watching the Odd Thomas movie, I love him even more!

This book was enjoyable, but too much of it felt like stage dressing for the next book. And that's one of the problems with series, sometimes the in-between books feel like bridges or fillers. I prefer when an individual book in a series reads like a stand-alone book with continuing character development. I read somewhere that Koontz will be ending this series with the next book, and so much of DEEPLY ODD felt like Koontz was setting things in place for the finale that's coming in the next book ... which is fine, maybe, but I felt like I was watching the stage hands setting the stage for the next play, rather than just enjoying the current play.

And Annamaria ... still nothing happened with her in this book, and yet she's being carried along. That's gotten old, but I'm *assuming* she'll have some major role in the finale.

While I listed most of the things I didn't like about the book, I really did enjoy reading it, and I'm looking forward to the next one in the series.

And ... if you haven't seen the ODD THOMAS movie - go now. You can rent it from various venues.



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DDYA: The Dark Side of Young Adults in Fiction and Real Life

[This is a simultaneous post with the Darkly Delicious YA blog. If you haven't checked them out yet ... do it!]

Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
We all have it … a darker side. We may not admit to it in the light of day, but we all have that clichéd angel sitting on one shoulder and the devil sitting on the other. One is saying, “Make the right choice, and you’ll be glad in the end.” The other says, “Make the wrong choice, and you’ll have much more fun.” It’s that conflict that keeps us engaged and waffling with the decision at hand. The same is true with a well written story. It’s conflict.  If the main character always makes the right choice, then why bother to read the story? You already know what will happen. She’ll make the right choice, and everything will turn out fine in the end. But what if the main character makes the wrong choice and everything goes south from there? Will she realize her mistake sooner or later? What will she do to rectify the situation? How will she ever win in the end? This conflict is what keeps us turning the pages. According to Mary Kole, author of WRITING IRRESISTIBLE KIDLIT, “Teens are exploring the dark side of their personalities around the time they hit fourteen or fifteen. They get interested in suicide and serial killers and other darker shades of humanity. Death-related worlds and characters help them explore that through fiction.” That’s not saying authors should focus their plotlines on serial killers; it’s saying authors need to keep this aspect of the teen psyche in mind when developing characters and plot twists. Let the character explore these darker issues. And it’s not just teens using fiction to explore dark elements; adults do it, too.  According to James Frey, author of HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD THRILLER, “Though we may be rooting for the hero, we have a secret fascination with the villain, who has a twin deep within our psyche.” Writers have an incredible power to influence the thoughts of readers (if the story is written well, that is). Is it possible to explore the dark side without losing ourselves in it? Sure. As long as good wins out in the end, and writers have the power to make that happen. Who is your favorite author that dips you into the darkness but brings you back out again? 

IWSG: Words of Encouragement

  Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

Posting: The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Post your thoughts on your own blog. Talk about your doubts and the fears you have conquered. Discuss your struggles and triumphs. Offer a word of encouragement for others who are struggling. Visit others in the group and connect with your fellow writer - aim for a dozen new people each time.
 Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter hashtag is #IWSG... Words of encouragement for today: "What makes every story unique in today's marketplace is execution. That's what you bring to the table as a writer." -- Mary Kole (WRITING IRRESISTIBLE KIDLIT)

Win a Kindle Fire!

 
Welcome to the Pot of Gold Giveawayhosted by Darkly Delicious YA and Book Nerd Tours .
Three winners will receive

  



But in addition....



One Very Lucky Leprechaun will receive a  pre-loaded 
with 30 great books!  

Click here to enter to win !
 
It's an awesome giveaway. Go. Now. Enter.
 

Unschooled Writers

Do you agree or disagree with this idea:

"Rebellious, unschooled writers break the rules. Artists master the form." -- Robert McKee

With the wave of self-publishing, do the "rules" change or get lost?

What's your opinion?

3 Great Writing Quotes

For some writing motivation, here are three great quotes from James Frey's book on writing thrillers: "You should at all times be showing a well-motivated character overcoming obstacles in pursuit of a goal." -- James Frey "Most of the time, it's not the concept, but the execution of craft that counts." -- James Frey "To write a damn good thriller, you need a killer attitude." -- James Frey 

Book Review: HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD THRILLER

How to Write a Damn Good Thriller: A Step-by-Step Guide for Novelists and Screenwriters by James N. Frey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is a good book for authors to add to their arsenal of writing tools.

While there were some EXCELLENT sections in this book, there were also a LOT of pages of information that were not helpful to me at all. However, the significance of the great sections outweighed the disappointment of the weak sections, and so overall I'm still glad that I invested the time and money into this book.

The excellent sections included:
* How to create a villain
* Exploiting the dark mission of the villain
* The plot behind the plot
* Creating a hero

The disappointing sections included:
* Plot structure
* Voice and viewpoint
* Opening, middle, and satisfying resolution

I'm really excited about the information I learned from Frey's book regarding character development and the idea of the plot behind the plot. I've already utilized many of his suggested exercises for my next manuscript.

But regarding the other sections, here are books that I'd recommend instead:
Plot Structure, Openings, & Satisfying Resolutions: SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder
Voice: WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES by Deborah Halverson
Middle: FIRE IN THE FICTION by Donald Maass



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You Don't Have to be Edgy to Write YA

I'm reading a great book on the craft of writing:


I'll have a full review for you down the road, but until then, I wanted to share with you a point from the book's author, Mary Kole.

"You don't have to be edgy to write YA. In fact, that's a huge trap that most aspiring writers of YA fall into. They try on a snarky voice, shoehorn in a paranormal element, and put their character in a dangerous situations -- all because they think that's what's selling right now. But all it does is come off as forced. If you don't have a dark story in you, don't try to write one. Simple as that" (Writing Irresistible Kidlit).

What's your favorite book on the craft of writing?
Have you read a new one recently?

Cover Reveal: CHALLENGING DESTINY by Cherie Colyer

I love book covers, and especially when they're brand spanking new! ;) I'm excited to share with you Cherie Colyer's new book cover for Challenging Destiny :  

CHALLENGING DESTINY
Coming spring 2014 from the Wild Rose Press, Black Rose Imprint
 Being Chosen is a terrible thing when there's no one you can trust

Synposis:Logan Ragsdale and his younger sister, Ariana, have been marked, chosen to be unwilling participants in a war between angels and demons. Logan can sense something's not quite right. Like an unexpected chill on a summer's day, he can feel the unseen closing in. He's had these feelings before and, each time, someone close to him died. He's afraid this time it might just be Ariana. Logan's fears are soon confirmed when he discovers their new friends aren't human, but rather representatives from Heaven and Hell sent to Earth to ensure he and Ariana accept their roles in an ancient prophecy. Demons want Logan to open the gates of Hell. Ariana has the power to stop them, but if she chooses to side with Heaven to spare the lives of thousands of innocent people, she'll damn her brother for eternity. Together, they must derail the biblical event if they hope to save themselves and the future of mankind...but what price are they willing to pay to keep the other safe?

About the author:
Cherie Colyer is the author of YA paranormal thriller/romance, EMBRACE and HOLD TIGHT from Omnific Publishing. Her latest novel, CHALLENGING DESTINY will be available this spring from The Wild Rose Press, Black Rose Imprint. Check out her website and blog for news on her books and bonus material. Follow Cherie on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and/or Goodreads to get the latest updates on her books.

 

Is YA a Genre?

  Funny picture, eh? My daughter is an awesome example of the YA audience.
So you're writing fiction ... young-adult-paranormal-romance fiction (for a specific example) ... and ... then there's a question:

Do you think young adult is a genre?

It's not.

It is an audience.

Genre is a category like: romance, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and so on.

So if you are pitching your paranormal romance to an agent or editor, and they ask, "In which genre do you write?"  If you answer, "I write in the young adult genre." ... eyebrows could be raised, and they could doubt your knowledge of the craft.

Likewise, if you're writing a query letter, make sure you get the terminology correct. You're writing a paranormal romance targeted at the young adult audience. ... NOT: You're writing in the young adult genre with paranormal romance.

Young adult fiction has gained so much popularity, it's easy to think of it as its own category; its own genre; but yet, it is still an audience not a category.

So ... you're writing fiction. 
In what genre are you writing?
;)