Kate Willis's Blog, page 106

Keep Calm and Rewrite On

Have you ever written a story you loved to pieces? Worked for hours to craft it perfectly, edited it to the best of your ability, and even shared a few parts with friends? Then you set it aside for a few months (maybe pick it up once and do a little editing), and after a while…opened the document.

Only to hate every word. Okay, maybe not the words but the way you put them together. Choppy, choppy, choppy. And what do these characters look like? And did you finish your English grammar education? And who wrote this anyway?

That’s what happened when I picked up my medieval story “The Twin Arrows” after letting it sit for a very long time. (It’s my “in-between” project while I let “Kiera” simmer on the backburner.) I had edited it enough to post it on a blog, so I thought the job would be easy. A few tweaks here and there, a better way to have them escape from the castle (#nodumbguards), etc…

Well, I didn’t like it. Very much at all really.

I had just launched right in without even setting the tone! One of the characters talked like someone in a stiff, cheesy puppet show. And the chapter titles were right out of something I wouldn’t want to read. Stiff, choppy, argh, bleck.

I rewrote the first chapter last week. I tried rewriting the second one today, although I think it needs a little more work because I entirely forgot to describe a character. (And some readers will kill me for that.) I added a real beginning, fixed the stilted character, and toned down the vernacular on a certain character…

All to the best of my ability. Which means it’s still not perfect.

WHAT???

You mean I’ll have to edit again? I’m on the fourth draft (or is it the fifth?). When do I stop? One hundred drafts?

Fortunately, it will get better as I rewrite it over the course of the next few months. (Lots of prayer, tears, chocolate…) Beta-readers (a.k.a those fire-breathing, scary people that read your book and aren’t as scary as you thought), my editor (a.k.a. someone who actually breathes fire and carries a deadly red pen), and advanced readers (a.k.a my band of brothers) will get it after that. And if there’s anything left, it will be better enough.

Plate Update: Dessert, British Detectives, and Edits

February is the shortest month of the year, right? Well, this one felt very looooonnng and jam-packed!

Book Review: Beyond the Horizon

[image error]“Eliana longs to see the world beyond the mountains that tower above Salzburg, Austria, but knows that dream will never see such adventure- and neither will she.

Surrounded by a world of cruelty, she lives for the weekly visits of Aron, a boy she met on one of her rambles through the countryside.

But as the years pass and she begins to grow older, a new and unwelcome world is opened up to her.

On a fateful night at a party she vowed she’d never attend, she comes face to face with a shocking truth.

As the world around her teeters on the brink of war, Eliana struggles to figure out just where her loyalty lies; a decision that will drastically change the course of her life. Will she ever be free to see what lies beyond the horizon?” (from Goodreads)

Say the words “fairytale retelling” and my ears perk up. Then tell me it’s a World War II version and show me the beautiful cover, and I’m in.

Randomly Interviewing My Brother

My brother Paul and I had some time on our hands as our family drove across town to a birthday party. We had notebooks. We also had goofy brains and the idea of doing unique interviews of each other. This post is the result of the questions I asked him.

Ivy Rose on Writing Romance

Today I am excited to welcome Ivy Rose with a guest post on writing romance!

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For some people, merely hearing the word “romance” has eyes rolling. For others, it sets hearts pounding. For others—namely the writers—it brings memories of much face-palming and head-desking.

Let’s face it: plenty of things go on between couples that other people shouldn’t see, whether it be a private conversation, a passionate kiss, etc. Therefore, they shouldn’t go in books. Readers are smart, and a little imagination can go a long way. There is no need to be explicit about subjects that should be reserved for husbands and wives.

For years, writing romance has caused me countless headaches and ruined stories. The very idea of writing a book with romance had me gagging. Hence, I decided that the best route to take was to write romance-free books.

*cue sarcastic laughter*

Yes, well, to my thirteen-year-old brain, that sounded like the ideal solution. It was a great idea in theory, but my characters revolted. I found myself needing a way to handle their romance rather than ignore it.

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But that led me back to my biggest fear—gag-worthy romances. I never read many of those in the first place, but just about everyone in this world, including myself will admit that they have read an encounter between a couple that made them uncomfortable. Even if the couple is married, the way they show affection to one another—affection that is not “wrong”—can feel very wrong to be reading it.

On the flip side, there are those books where the couples rarely show affection to one another to the point where their lack of affection pulls you out of the story because you are too busy trying to figure out if they “go together” or not.

As a reader, either one of these scenarios can be maddening. As a writer, it can be hard (or IMPOSSIBLE!!!) to know how much romance is appropriate to show.

So how can you know?

Each writer must examine himself or herself individually to find their ideal balance. For me personally, it has taken years of careful thought, prayerful decisions, and a lot of self-examination. Whether I be writing a romantic scene or reading a romantic scene, I ask myself this question:

Would that couple be doing/saying/behaving that way if someone was standing in the room watching them?

Think about it: do you feel uncomfortable when a couple in a book hugs? Or when a husband and wife kiss each other in greeting? Neither of those things bother me in books. Neither of them bother me in the real world.

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Let’s look at some examples of well-done romance in books. This first one comes from A Penny Parcel by Avery E. Hitch. The main characters, Luke and his wife, Grace, are lying in bed. Sounds like a recipe for disaster, right? Wrong. Look how Avery Hitch handles this bedroom conversation:

“Luke rolled over….

Grace slid her hand across the sheets and reached for his. “I still love you,” she said in a painful whisper.

He gripped her hand, but said nothing. Even with her hand held tightly in his, Luke felt like everything was slipping through his fingers.”

Did that make you nervous? Uncomfortable? It didn’t bother me. Yet look at what we have—an intimate conversation in an off-limits location (for bystanders), yet nothing about that scene was uncomfortable. Would Luke and Grace have behaved differently had someone been in the room with them?

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Now let’s look at a different kind of scene—one that involves kissing. (Stop rolling your eyes it does have to happen sometimes.). This is taken from a story of mine that shall remain title-less.

“She turned her head slightly to press her lips against his. Eight years of marriage still hadn’t taken away the flutter in her heart.”

Could I have described the kiss in more detail? Sure. Do I want to? Not really. Could I have described it in more detail while still keeping it appropriate (according to my personal guideline)? Probably.

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What about integrating physical contact? Same rules apply. This example is taken from my first novel, The Old River Road.

“ “ Don’t worry about that,” he chided, grasping her about the waist and pulling her toward him….

Clara felt soft kisses placed on her head….

William ran his finger down her nose with a tender smile.”

How about that? I cut most of the dialogue to save time, but there you have an example of some playful banter and physical touch without making the reader feel awkward.

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Here’s one massive pointer I would give anyone who wants to write romance:

Focus on the relationship, not the passion.

What does that mean? To me, it means that I strive for ways to show my readers how much my characters love each other. That can be done in so many different ways…acts of service, kind words (not necessarily flirtatious, but if you like that kind of thing, it can work), and internal thoughts admiring character qualities. And those are just a few examples. Love can be shown in so many ways. You are a writer—utilize the more subtle ways of showing love between couples, and leave what happens behind closed doors where it belongs. It is entirely possible to write a sweet romance without giving too much information.

In my own writing, I have made the decision to not write any romantic relationship that goes beyond what I would be comfortable seeing/hearing were I in the room with my characters. I have been told that the romance I write is “immature” and should be “more graphic.”

I must admit that I actually laughed when I heard that.

But you know what? I’d rather write “immature” and “un-graphic” romance that I believe is appropriate than worry about overstepping my bounds and making some readers, not to mention myself, uncomfortable.

DISCLAIMER: I do not claim to be right, nor do I claim to be an expert on the subject. I know that not everyone is going to agree with me–and that’s OKAY! I’m merely going to point out some of my personal convictions when it comes to writing romance. No offense intended.

Have you thought about what guidelines you want to follow when writing romance? If so, what are your guidelines?

 

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Ivy Rose is an 18 year old history lover and literary enthusiast. Aside from writing, she enjoys being outdoors, eating chocolate, traveling, reading, and doing TaeKwonDo. She is the author of The Old River Road and Left to Die. She resides with her family of 9 on the banks of the Long Lake in eastern Washington. Connect with her on her blog, Pinterest, Goodreads, and Instagram.

 

 

Book Review: The City of Ember

[image error]“Many hundreds of years ago, the city of Ember was created by the Builders to contain everything needed for human survival. It worked…but now the storerooms are almost out of food, crops are blighted, corruption is spreading through the city and worst of all—the lights are failing. Soon Ember could be engulfed by darkness…

But when two children, Lina and Doon, discover fragments of an ancient parchment, they begin to wonder if there could be a way out of Ember. Can they decipher the words from long ago and find a new future for everyone? Will the people of Ember listen to them?”  (from Goodreads)

This year I rediscovered The City of Ember. Watching the movie with my siblings reminded me how much I loved the books, and I decided to start the series again. This time since I already knew the story I was free to slow down and enjoy every aspect of it. I could feel the impending doom of Ember with the rust and the mold and the damp and the blackouts. I could feel what it was like to hold your breath and count until the lights came back on with the absolute terror of not knowing where you were and what was going to happen next. I didn’t just enjoy Lina and Doon’s attempts to solve the riddle of the torn instructions, instead I was rooting for them to find the way out. Even though this was a fantasy book, the people and place names were never so odd that it detracted from the story but instead it gave the background development of people far removed from regular life but still holding onto aspects of it. Lina and Doon were written as real, live people with loves and hates, worries and hopes, and faults even too. A small metaphor that I had completely missed came out this time and left me smiling. Doon watching a worm build its cocoon and break free, Lina planting a seed and watching it sprout–metaphors of hope. (And a good explanation of the next book’s cover.) The author’s frank writing style still left room for poetry and I found myself experiencing the disorientation of SPOILER ALERT! using a boat and candles for the first time and the wonder of SPOILER ALERT! seeing a brand new day be born! I honestly cried at that one.

Draft One–Done!

I finished the first draft of “Kiera” last week. Saturday to be exact, so I had more time to write. It was also raining, so I was feeling extra creative. Armed with these advantages and one more ingredient–encouragement from my family and a friend who let me recite the whole plot to her–I finished.

Redeemer

I was thinking about the book of Ruth today. It’s one of my favorites in the Bible. Maybe because it has a female main character and gives a nice break from the violence and hopelessness of Judges. More probably because it is partly a love story…

Boaz never apologizes first. Ruth doesn’t have a cute car (more like a donkey). In fact none of the typical cliches portrayed in romantic stories are there.

Instead we see Ruth having faith in God and love for her family (what’s left of it). We see her doing ordinary and humiliating tasks of faithfulness. Boaz respects her for her faith and care for her mother-in-law. He protects her and provides for her in tangible, physical ways. And then he does the fantastic kinsmen redeemer thing.

The book of Ruth is not only a sweet account and a prequel to King David, but more than that it’s also a direct mirror of God’s grace and love. Boaz is a picture of our Redeemer who paid the price for us. The master Storyteller manages to show us Himself even in a small historical event.

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Book Review: Emmeline

[image error]“What if Jane Austen’s Emma lived in America in the year 1930?

The talk of stock market crashes and depression isn’t going to keep Emmeline Wellington down. Born to wealth and privilege, Emmeline wants nothing more than to help her new friend, Catarina, find a husband. Emmeline sets her sights on one of the town’s most eligible bachelors, but nothing seems to go right. Even her friend and neighbor Fredrick Knight seems to question her at every turn.

Will she help Catarina find the man of her dreams? Why is her father acting so strangely? Will the downturn affect her life, despite her best efforts?” (from Goodreads)

I can’t call myself an Austenite since my only experience of her stories has been a retelling of Persuasion and two movie/miniseries adaptations of Emma. Even so, I was excited to give this version by Sarah Holman a try since I knew she would do a smashing job.

Life in Pencil

I have this cute calendar that helps me keep my brain on straight. I tried the digital thing, and no sirree! I need paper. I use it to track everything I need to do (blog posts, dentist appointments, and other lovely, important things) as well as what I have accomplished because I need to be reminded that I CAN keep commitments.

Every single last thing on my calendar is written in pencil. This month quite a few entries have been written and erased, written and erased again. Personally set deadlines have been fluid. A review project was cancelled. My blog post ideas have been all stirred around.

It’s not the prettiest calendar page you’ll ever see. It tells a smudged story of changed goals, different priorities, and a desire to plan but still be flexible.

It also tells the story of many unexpected blessings added! Like the time we had our nephews over for three days. Or when I picked up Sarah Holman’s upcoming release Emmeline for review at the last minute and discovered a jewel. (More on that later!)

When plans change it’s often for an amazing reason I never would have suspected. So I keep that eraser handy!