Kate Willis's Blog, page 99

Description Is My Favorite Part

Adding description to a story is like swirling whipped cream on an Oreo shake. Description = richer story! My main character is going through a major life change right now (first plot point, ya know); and I get to show her fears, apprehension, and loneliness through the details around her and how she reacts to them.

Social Media: An Introduction of Sorts

so·cial me·di·a

noun

noun: social media ; plural noun: social medias

websites and applications that enable users to create and share content or to participate in social networking.

And today, I’m starting a weekly series all about it! But before we get started, let me tell you what it’s not going to be about.

It won’t be a biblical argument for or against social media. (You can find those elsewhere. Probably Desiring God or another cool blog.) Neither will it be Marketing 101 because I’m terrible at that.

Book Review: The Scarlet Pimpernel

[image error]“Armed with only his wits and his cunning, one man recklessly defies the French revolutionaries and rescues scores of innocent men, women, and children from the deadly guillotine. His friends and foes know him only as the Scarlet Pimpernel. But the ruthless French agent Chauvelin is sworn to discover his identity and to hunt him down.” (from Goodreads)

Complicated characters. A married romance. DISGUISES. It’s like someone took my Christmas list and wrote me a book. Seriously! This story by Emmuska Orczy is soooo brilliant. Even though this time was a re-read, the suspense was still terrible. (I couldn’t even remember what happened when Pimpernel and Chauvelin were eating together at the inn!)

I enjoyed the characters much more this time since I understood them. How could Sir Percy—”He, the sleepiest, dullest, most British Britisher that had ever set a pretty woman yawning”–be so laughable and endearing at the same time?!! And I used to think Marguerite was just plain silly, but now I understand her motives and fears and the corner she was backed into so much more fully. (Horrid Chauvelin!)

But the whole plot was complicated and brilliant–just how I like it, and I’m convinced that Steven Moffat sleeps with a copy under his pillow.

A Very Good Excuse

Hello! I didn’t die, and I just wanted to hop on here and let y’all know I’m taking a blogging break today.

3 Fantastic Things on Other Blogs

How was your day? Today I cut quilt squares (and my finger) and entered numerous Goodreads giveaways.

Plate Update: Packages, British Accents, and My WIP

A little over a year ago, I wrote a blog post called “What’s On My Plate?” Basically it contained a picture of me with a dinner plate piled high with all the books, projects, and notebooks begging for my attention. I’m was grinning kind of wryly and preparing to “dig in” with a huge knife and fork.

So that’s why since then my monthly update has been dubbed a “Plate Update”. (In case you were wondering…)

Second Draft Crazies

I did Camp NaNoWriMo again this month! My goal was to accomplish 10,000 words of revisions to my WIP “Kiera”.

Between releasing The Twin Arrows, celebrating Independence Day, and selling books at the homeschool convention, I only wrote fourteen days this month; but I’m happy to say I made my goal!

Create for Him

Artists aren’t mentioned often in the Bible, but the few times are pretty interesting. King David was a psalmist, instrument players and singers were designated for the temple, and the Proverbs 31 superlady made herself tapestry and fine linen. Even the beginning of Hebrews and the ending verses of John are written almost like poetry.

Book Review: Henry and the Chalk Dragon

[image error]“In the town of Squashbuckle, just about anything can happen, and when Henry Penwhistle draws a mighty Chalk Dragon on his door, the dragon does what Henry least expects–it runs away. Now Henry’s art is out in the world for everyone to see, and it’s causing trouble for him and his schoolmates Oscar and Jade. If they don’t stop it, the entire town could be doomed! To vanquish the threat of a rampaging Chalk Dragon, Sir Henry Penwhistle, Knight of La Muncha Elementary School, is going to have to do more than just catch his art–he’s going to have to let his imagination run wild. And THAT takes bravery.” (from Goodreads)

This book by Jennifer Trafton caught me up and flew me along on the back of a frightening, jungle green dragon. I met a little boy wearing raincoat armor, who (much like myself) was bursting with creativity and afraid to let the world see it. I met Jade (the secret agent? alien? poet? knight?), the adorable bus driver Mr. Bruce, a few adults who used to be “superheroes”, and Oscar the scientist with an art of his own. I grinned my head off over the literary references (La Muncha? Pimpernel? Bigger on the inside? Elementary?) and felt Henry’s icy cold (like a popsicle) fear when all his worst nightmares seemed to be coming true. And I cried over the beautiful thing that happened to his chivalry and how he began to think of people. This book warmed my soul and taught me it takes courage to be an artist.

Best quotes (just so you get a sample of this author’s BEAUTIFUL style

How to Love a Book

Booklovers love books. It’s a given. (Otherwise, they would be called something else.) The funny thing about us though is that we love some books more than others.