Kate Ristau's Blog, page 5
April 2, 2020
Writers Connecting (While Mourning Flour)
Who cares about toilet paper? Use my old drafts. But flour? That’s where I’m calling a foul.
Don’t worry. I’m not keeping up with the sports metaphor. No one needs that right now (except maybe Armin Tolentino, poet and watcher of boxy, hitty-hitty-things).
What we need right now is cake. My friend Orit Ofri has been turning it out like it’s coming out of her faucet. I wish I could sneak over to her house and eat all the homemade chocolate cake.
But I’m at my house, where we are eating like the 90’s teenagers we are. I had Doritos last night. Waffles this morning. My husband bought Zebra Cakes too, but those lasted as long as my patience.
Everything is getting cancelled, postponed, or moved online. My keynote at the Oregon Writer’s Colony got shifted to question mark. Shadow Queene will launch at Annie Bloom’s … FACEBOOK!
I’m sad about the flour, but excited that I get to share the launch with so many of you, from Geneseo to Rhode Island!
Life goes on in the middle of this mess. We can’t look to the other side of it because, honestly, some of us might not be on the other side of it.
So, as my friend Claire Chiaravalle said, she’s going to be putting on her Quarantine Fifteen, and I’m going to be putting on my life.
That means I’m scared and happy and sad and all the emotions right now. But in all of that, I’m happy to be here with you.
Keep creating,
Kate
For Writers Connecting: Stuff you can do online this week or tell everyone you are doing while you binge watch old epsiodes of Xena Warrior Princess
First off, good for you, writers connecting and getting out in the world. Also, good for you if you just watched four seasons of the Great British Baking Show.
But if you want friends instead of cake, you’re weird, but here’s some suggestions for this week:
Poet and forever friend, Kate Gray, is hosting a phone call, with a quick intro and writing time every weekday at 9AM Pacific. Check it out on her Facebook page. Kate’s voice is calm and her words are inspiring. Oh the community on that line!Wordcrafters in Eugene is hosting Write-Ins every Monday at 2PM. Love the work they are doing.Willamette Writers has opened up all their chapter meetings (free, online, and craft-oriented). I’ll be at most of them myself. Here’s the event calendar.Eric Witchey is writing alongside other authors at different times throughout the week. Find him on Facebook and see what he’s up to. His heart is bigger than my ability to make metaphors.
We all don’t want to feel alone. We want to feel like we feel after that first bite of cake. Reach out with a big heart and connect with an open mind. And if you can’t right now, I get that too.
Articles from smart people
Support you didn’t realize you needed below. Or distraction. We need it all.
British people tell us how to stay happy in troubled times
Help for parents feeling isolated
For those of you running events
Andrew Lloyd Weber Musicals Available (in case you ran out of Baking episodes)
Yep, it’s still happening. With bells, and whistles, right in your living room.The post Writers Connecting (While Mourning Flour) appeared first on Kate Ristau.
March 6, 2020
March 4, 2020
Writing Back Cover Copy
I’ve been working on my back cover copy for Shadow Queene, and thought I would share a few tips with you.
Writing back cover copy (or flap copy or jacket copy) has a lot to do with keywords and less to do with specifics. The best back cover copy draws you in and gets you hooked — leaves you wanting more.
A formula I see a lot is:
Sentence 1: Hook
Sentence 2: A little about character and plot
Sentence 3: Big problem or question
Sentence 4: Boom!
The beginning needs to bring us in. The second sentence gets us interested. The third sentence gets us concerned, curious, and wondering. The final sentence leaves us with a KAPOW feeling. Like, I really want to buy this book.
From the shelf next to me:
First line from Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone: Zélie Adebola remembers when the soil of Orïsha hummed with magic.
We are immediately drawn in. What happened to the magic? Where did it go? We also get the setting and the main character immediately.
Last line from Susan Hill Long’s The Magic Mirror: In this twisty-turny tale of mistaken identities, missed connections, and loves lost and found, the wanderers and more will meet Maggie on her journey to heal herself…and her kingdom.
She’s got everything you need to know about the book in that final line. She leaves you wanting more, and lands with a Boom!
Clearly, this copy can also spread over more than 4 sentences, but the idea is the same. Bring them in, get them wondering, and get them excited.
Here are a few articles that say it more eloquently than me. Take a look, and then do some research of your own to see how authors and publishers are writing jacket copy. Interesting note, a lot of times, that copy actually comes directly from your query letter!
How to write successful back cover copy
Writing your book’s back cover copy
Happy writing!
The post Writing Back Cover Copy appeared first on Kate Ristau.
February 27, 2020
Now Reading: Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
The post Now Reading: Little Weirds by Jenny Slate appeared first on Kate Ristau.
February 13, 2020
Hello!February 10, 2020
February 2, 2020
January 30, 2020
Shadow Queene
I cannot tell you how excited I am to share Shadow Queene with you — the second book in the Shadow Girl series! In book two, Áine’s journey continues, but this time she is not alone.
You know, I wrote the first Shadow Girl book when I was studying folklore, and the character of Áine really resonated with me as someone who was diving into a world she didn’t understand. But over time, I’ve learned that the character that really resonated with a lot of you is Hennessey. So, when I wrote Shadow Queene, I wrote Aine and Hennessey’s journey together, and the power of fate to draw them together…and tear them apart.
The long-awaited sequel to the enchanting dark fairy young adult novel, Shadow Girl.
Friends, Hennessey KICKS IT in this book. All of it. Here’s the back cover copy:
Just when her dreams are about to come true, Hennessey’s world is torn apart. She is dragged into the Shadowlands, while Áine is forced into the light. But in a world of magic and darkness, where the fae whither and monsters reign, Hennessey finds a power all her own. She embraces the shadows and enters the endless night.
Kate Ristau, Shadow Queene
I can’t wait for you to read it!
Don’t worry. April is coming soon. But keep an eye out for early copies and lots of dragon roars.
The post Shadow Queene appeared first on Kate Ristau.
Shadow Girl Two!
I cannot tell you how excited I am to share Shadow Girl Two with you. In book two, Áine’s journey continues, but this time she is not alone.
You know, I wrote the first Shadow Girl book when I was studying folklore, and the character of Áine really resonated with me as someone who was diving into a world she didn’t understand.
But over time, I’ve learned that the character that really resonated with a lot of you is Hennessey.
So, when I wrote Shadow Queene, I wrote Aine and Hennessey’s journey together, and the power of fate to draw them together…and tear them apart.
Friends, Hennessey KICKS IT in this book. All of it.
I can’t wait for you to read it!
Don’t worry. April is coming soon. But keep an eye out for early copies and lots of dragon roars.
Thank you for supporting me in making this book a reality. When I know more, I’ll share it with you.
Happy writing,
Kate
P.S. Have you signed up for the Oregon Writer’s Colony Annual Conference at (Sylvia Beach Hotel!) Find out more here. I would love to see you there!
P.S.S. You can find out more about what I’m up to here.
A few articles about dialogue that I’ve been reading this week
How to Write Dialogue: 8 Tips for Letting Your Characters Speak
Great Dialogue Examples, Recommended by Margaret Atwood
The post Shadow Girl Two! appeared first on Kate Ristau.
