I’m excited to announce that my Crossroads series now has new book covers. They were created by the immensely talented Julie Nicholls. I love how beautiful, mystical, and intriguing these new covers are. Fake and Folly are available now on Amazon. Hidden will be released in mid-December.
J.K. Rowling, author of “Harry Potter” series, just opened a Hagrid-sized can of worms by admitting she wishes she’d paired Hermione with Harry rather than Ron.
I hesitate to call the canon pairing a mistake. The series is completed. Hermione and Ron as a couple have a solid fan base. Most authors are tormented by second thoughts and the what-ifs of their worlds. Once a road is committed to and books are already published, it’s hard to double back and say, “Whoops! Actually…” All the writer can do now is regret and carry on.
Or maybe not.
J.K. Rowling still thinks about and frets over her characters. In her mind, their stories are not done. If she thinks Ron and Hermione don’t belong together, she probably feels the same way about Harry and Ginny. She now realizes that the story’s OTP (one true pairing) should have been the two powerful, confident characters.
What to do?
Why not write that book? No, don’t rewrite history. Write these characters as adults, realizing they’ve made mistakes. Talk about drama. Harry and Ron are best friends. Ginny is Ron’s sister. This could cause a vast schism that would deeply affect their children, not to mention the wizarding world.
Hmm. Sounds like a new series to me.
Or Rowling can simply live with her regrets and imagine what she will. After all, they are her characters.
Lessons learned for writers? Choose your OTP wisely, yes, but also don’t think that the last period at the end of the book is really the end of the story.
You want to participate in NaNoWriMo this year, but you can’t follow the one basic rule: write a 50K novel from word one. Maybe you’re not a fiction writer. Maybe you have a work in progress that you can’t just drop in favor of a new novel. This might make you feel like there’s a huge writers’ party and you’re not invited. And you’d be wrong.
All writers are welcome to participate, regardless of what they are writing. If you don’t follow the rule, you aren’t a cheater: you’re a NaNo Rebel.
A NanNo Rebel is anyone not writing a brand spanking new 50K novel. This includes nonfiction, memoir, short stories, graphic novels, poetry, plays, etc. Editing last year’s NaNo novel? Writing a 30K novella? Feel free to join the rebel ranks.
NaNoWriMo is an event that generates an enormous amount of creative energy. The organizers realize this and they don’t want anyone to feel left out. They have created a forum especially for nonconformists: NaNo Rebels
Here you can find out more about what it takes to be a rebel. The moderators discuss the conditions of being a rebel and whether or not to validate your word count at the end of the month. You can also find your fellow dissidents here and discuss your alternative works.
Full disclosure: I am going the rebel route this year for a big reason. My husband and I are moving from Colorado to California at the beginning of November. Yeah, timing is everything. With all that’s going on, I can’t commit to a new novel, but I can continue to edit my current WIP and work toward a personal goal.
NaNoWriMo is a contest, a 30-day sprint with a finish line and shiny prizes for the winners. However, the most important goal is the one you set for yourself. Whether you write 1,000 words or 100,000 words in 30 days, those are words you hadn’t written before and that right there is winning.
So, maybe you’re thinking “I’d really like to participate in NaNoWriMo this year, but I don’t have a clue what to write.”
The solution is surprisingly simple. You don’t have to pull a story out of thin air. Consider these sources of endless inspiration: fairy tales, Shakespeare, pastiche and fan fiction.
Putting a modern twist on a classic fairy tale is a great way to use an existing plot and characters to tell a fresh story. The popularity of television’s “Once Upon a Time” and “Grimm” attests to a wide audience eager for these stories.
The same is true for Shakespeare’s plays. For example, the movie, “10 Things I Hate About You” is a retelling of “The Taming of the Shrew.” The musical “West Side Story” replaces Verona with New York City and places Romeo and Juliet in rival gangs.
If fairy tales and the Bard don’t appeal to you, consider writing pastiche from public domain works. “Pride and Prejudice,” “Dracula” and Sherlock Holmes have been adapted countless times in a wide variety of genres and media. For that reason, you might want to find a less familiar, but equally powerful story to adapt. For example, the TV series “Revenge” is based on “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
Still not inspired? You may want to try your hand at fan fiction. This can be especially helpful for new writers. Working with familiar characters can help spread your wings and inspire you to create your own characters and situations. While you can’t legally publish this work or be paid for it, you can post it to fan fiction websites, where readers are eager for novel length works.
You can rewrite stories to fit almost any genre. “Something Rotten” by Alan M. Gratz turns “Hamlet” into a modern murder mystery set in the town of Denmark, Tennessee. “Cinder” by Marissa Meyer is a science fiction retelling of “Cinderella.”
Find a story or play that strongly appeals to you. This is key. You won’t sustain enough creative energy to write a novel if the original story doesn’t excite and engage you.
Check out these links for free resources on Shakespeare, fairy tales, public domain works and fan fiction.
A plot bunny is wonderful yet nefarious creature. It will hop into your brain and take your creative process on journeys that are amazing and/or terrifying. A plot bunny can also take you on a journey that leads to a dead end, and then turn around, smirk and say, “Yeah, that’s all I got.”
What is a plot bunny? It’s a story or plot idea that gnaws at your brain, demanding to be written down. It can start out like Alice’s White Rabbit, but end up like Donnie Darko’s Frank. The concept inspired me to create this gif.
During the rest of the year, it’s pretty much fine to let the plot bunnies roam free. During NaNoWriMo, though, they can lead you astray to the point of becoming discouraged and dropping your story. Don’t let this happen!
During October, write down your novel ideas. Let one idea lead to another. If a plot bunny pops up and beckons you down its hole, chase after it and see where it leads. Be inspired by the bunny, but take control if the idea is going nowhere.
Of course, during NaNoWriMo, plot bunnies will persistently pop up. You don’t have to ignore them. A big part of NaNoWriMo is allowing your creativity to flow freely without critical restraint. Here’s what to do if a persistent bunny starts to nibble at your story.
Let’s say you’re writing a novel about vampires vs. fairies set in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Your main character is half-human, half-fairy and lives in an apartment building. A new neighbor moves in next door. For the purposes of the story, this neighbor should be a vampire or fairy. But, a plot bunny hops in and says, “Hey! The new neighbor is a professional chef and serial killer who uses poison on his victims.”
Follow that bunny. It could lead to an interesting plot twist and get your creative juices flowing. However, if the bunny leads nowhere, all you have to do it stop and go back. Don’t delete those words. Grey them out. The idea could still be useful. Go back and make the neighbor a fairy. Doesn’t work? Make the neighbor a vampire… a vampire chef who puts drugs in the food of his intended victims to knock them out. See, that bunny was useful after all.
You can read more about plot bunnies, including the different breed, in this amusing article on Wikiwrimo: Plot Bunny.
Writing a novel isn’t easy. Does that really need to be said? In the case of NaNoWriMo, it really does.
I’ve seen people walk away from NaNoWriMo because they thought they could start a novel-length work from scratch on day one. If you don’t care about story structure or character development and are basically writing a stream of consciousness piece, it’s possible, but in most cases it’s not. If you don’t know the basics of novel writing, chances are you’re going to get frustrated and stop far short of your goal.
There’s no reason for this to happen. You don’t need a creative writing MFA to write a novel, even in 30 days. You do need to understand the basics and do some preparation.
There are some great online resources to help both newbies and experienced writers succeed at writing a novel in 30 days.
If you are a newbie, I strongly suggest checking out the novel writing workbooks provided by NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers program. The link I’m providing is for the high school level workbook. Though some of the language is for younger readers, the information on novel writing is solid. The book includes lots of useful worksheets. It’s available free online in PDF format.
National Novel Writing Month’s Young Novelist Workbook
For more experienced writers, the Writer’s Digest website had made freely available nine worksheets from their publication, “Write Your Novel in 30 Days.” These include a Story Idea Map, an At-A-Glance Outline and a Character Sketch worksheet. All worksheets are in PDF format.
Novel in 30 Days Worksheet Index
These resources are meant to inspire your creativity. Don’t look at the worksheets as pieces of stone you’ve chiseled on. Print multiple copies. Write stuff down and scratch stuff out. Let your ideas flow freely. In other words, have fun!
October is the month when many writers begin planning for their participation in NaNoWriMo or National Novel Writing Month. It’s the time to plan and plot before the mad, creative dash that is November.
If you’re a plotter, you write an outline or synopsis, fill out character charts, index cards, timelines, etc. If you’re a pantser, you decide you’re going to write a story about fairies and demons set in Santa Fe, maybe.
Whatever your writing style, it’s best to do some prep work before beginning NaNoWriMo. Get your creative energy flowing now so you can ride the tide into November.
To win NaNoWriMo, that is, to write 50,000 words in 30 days, you need to know what it takes. A novel is not an easy thing to write and doing it in 30 days is just plain crazy, but it can be done. If I can do it, anyone can.
So here is the gem of advice I offer all NaNoWriMo newbies: this is your crappy first draft. Part of the creative process here is throwing shit at the wall and seeing what sticks. Yes, you will have a hot mess at the end, but you will also have a first draft that you can edit.
A big part of the NaNoWriMo process is turning off your internal editor, that voice in your head that is never satisfied and wants every sentence you write to be spun with gold.
Turn. It. Off.
That is the only way to win NaNoWriMo.
Chris Baty, the man who started NaNoWriMo, best explains the process. Luckily, his book, “No Plot? No Problem!” is currently on sale for the Kindle for $1.99. If you’re planning to participate this November, I strongly suggest reading this book. It’s the best prep you can make for the coming month of madness.
No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty
Chris Baty, motivator extraordinaire and instigator of a wildly successful writing revolution, spells out the secrets of writingand finishinga novel. Every fall, thousands of people sign up for National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which Baty founded, determined to (a) write that novel or (b) finish that novel in—kid you not—30 days. Now Baty puts pen to paper himself to share the secrets of success. With week-specific overviews, pep “talks,” and essential survival tips for today’s word warriors, this results-oriented, quick-fix strategy is perfect for people who want to nurture their inner artist and then hit print! Anecdotes and success stories from NaNoWriMo winners will inspire writers from the heralding you-can-do-it trumpet blasts of day one to the champagne toasts of day thirty.
Description provided by Amazon
I found this book via Amazon’s Kindle eBooks store. Resources for free Kindle and other format eBooks are listed in my sidebar.
The quoted price is a limited time offer and there is no guarantee it will still be that price when you click on the link. Grab it sooner rather than later.
I’m back from a long summer hiatus and ready to blog again. I thought I’d jump right in by commemorating a fabulous yet controversial event. Sept. 22 – 28, 2013 is Banned Books Week. This event puts the spotlight on banned and challenged books.
After checking out a few lists of banned and challenged books, I was amazed to see how many books I’ve enjoyed were banned. I was inspired to create the following gif for my Tumblr, Literary Gifs.
Some of the reasons these books were banned defies logic. For example, I cannot imagine anyone reading “Speak” would think the novel was soft porn or that the author was promoting promiscuity. It’s the story of a rape victim who loses the ability to speak. I can only think that whoever accused “Speak” of these things either didn’t read the book or is all about victim blaming.
Other books are more problematic. “Mein Kampf” by Adolf Hitler is a commonly banned and challenged book. Obviously, his worldview is repugnant and his crimes against humanity are the very worst. I haven’t read the book nor do I want to. However, I cannot in good conscious tell anyone else not to read it. It is an historical document that can give the reader insight into the mind of a madman who came to power and was responsible for the murder of millions of people. We prevent the next Hitler by knowing all we can about the original one.
The lists of banned and challenged books have perennial favorites that have remained on the lists into the 21st century. These include “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, and “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. What do these books have in common? To my mind, they speak truth to power and sometimes power cannot stand the truth.
Looking for some banned books to read? Check out these lists:
A number of classic books have been banned. The following books are available free online. You may be surprised by what you see below.
During lunch yesterday, my husband and I happened to get on the subject of female protagonists in literature. He had recently listened to a repeat of a Fresh Air interview with Meryl Streep. She spoke of how, growing up, she identified more with male protagonists than female ones because she hadn’t read books with strong female protagonists other than Nancy Drew.
This intrigued me, so I looked up the interview online. Here are her remarks in context:
GROSS: So I want to quote something else you said, and this was in the Barnard speech that you gave in 2010, that “The hardest thing in the world is to persuade a straight male audience to identify with a woman character. It’s easier for women because we were brought up identifying with male characters in literature. It’s hard for straight boys to identify with Juliet or Wendy in “Peter Pan,” whereas girls identify with Romeo and with Peter Pan.” What led you to that conclusion?
STREEP: Well, it seems like true.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
GROSS: I will accept that as evidence.
STREEP: All right. All right. What led me to that? What led me to that was I have never – I mean I watch movies and I don’t care who is the protagonist, I feel what that guy is feeling. You know, if it’s Tom Cruise leaping over a building I, I want to make it, you know? And I’m going to, yes, I made it. And yeah, so I get that.
And I’ve grown up, well, partly because there weren’t great girls’ literature. Nancy Drew maybe. But there weren’t things. So there was Huck Finn and Spin and Marty. The boys’ characters were interesting and you lived through them when you’re watching it. You know, you’re not aware of it but you’re following the action of the film through the body of the protagonist.
This is pretty loaded stuff. Girls identify with boy protagonists because they are the action characters, particularly in the literature available when she grew up.
First, I have to say that as a girl, I never identified with Juliet, Romeo Wendy or Peter Pan. My favorite Shakespeare heroine was (and is) Beatrice from “Much Ado About Nothing.” As for Peter Pan, never read the book, but my favorite character in the play and the Disney movie was Tinker Bell. I can’t tell another person who they identified with, but did Ms. Streep really identify with Darcy rather than Lizzie when reading and/or watching “Pride and Prejudice”?
I wondered when Meryl Streep was born, so I Googled her and found her birthday, June 22, 1949. This means Ms. Streep had her formative reading years in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Were there really no books available at that time with strong girl protagonists aside from Nancy Drew? The answer is there were a number of book in print, probably available at the local library. These include:
I don’t fault Ms. Streep if she didn’t read these books. It’s possible she was unaware of them. This points to our responsibility as adults. If we want to grow girls into strong, independent, adventurous women, then we need to provide role models, both real life and fictional characters. Books with these characters have been and continue to be written. We need to help the girls in our lives become aware of female heroes and provide them with the books of their stories and lives. If we want boys to see girls and women as heroic and protagonist-worthy, we need to provide them with these books as well.
Looking for children and young adult books with strong female protagonists? Check out this WordPress blog, Amelia Bloomer Project. From their About page:
Welcome to the Amelia Bloomer Project blog! We create an annual booklist of the best feminist books for young readers, ages birth through 18. We are part of the Feminist Task Force of the Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association!
The chosen books by year are listed here.
You can also check out this Goodreads list: Popular Strong Girl Characters Books.
The following books mentioned above are now in the public domain and can be downloaded for free. You can find them in a variety of formats on Manybooks.net
“Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott
This popular novel concerns the lives and loves of four sisters growing up during the American Civil War, and was based on Alcott’s own experiences as a child in Concord, Massachusetts.
“Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery
A skinny, red-haired, and freckled orphan girl is mistakenly sent to live with a shy, elderly bachelor and his spinster sister on the north shore of Canada’s Prince Edward Island; The elderly siblings had asked to adopt a young boy who could work on the family farm, but the imaginitive and rambunctious Anne Shirley arrives instead, and becomes the center of a series of entertaining adventures.
“The Secret Garden” by Frances Hodgson Burnett
When spoiled child Mary Lennox loses her family to a cholera outbreak, she moves to her uncle’s manor surrounded by a massive garden. Within, Mary discovers a whole new outlook on life thanks to a supportive household and the garden’s power of healing. (Description from Amazon.com)
“A Little Princess” by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Sara Crewe, a pupil at Miss Minchin’s London school, is left in poverty when her father dies, but is later rescued by a mysterious benefactor.
Hello, I’m back! Eurovision ended with a grand final competition on Saturday in Malmö, Sweden. Emmelie de Forest of Denmark won the top prize with her song “Only Teardrops.” Well done, Europe. This is a beautiful and haunting song, and Emmelie de Forest has a strong, impassioned voice. Take a look at her winning performance.
While I was busy (obsessed?) with Eurovision and my 12 Points To… blog, other things happened in the world. In particular, Harper Voyager came out with a new update. For those not in the know, back in October 2012 Harper Voyager opened a two week submission slot for unsolicited manuscripts. Those accepted would be published as part of a new digital imprint. If you are a speculative fiction author, this was a big deal.
Of course, they received thousands of submissions. They’ve been very good about keeping those authors updated via their website. Here is a quote from their latest update.
Another update on the digital submissions! As per the previous update post, we received 4500+ entries, and by early March we had responded to 2905 entries.
We have now reviewed all the submissions in our inbox and responded to 3595 submissions that were not right for our list. The remaining 948 are marked for further reading and consideration.
You can read the full update here.
I haven’t heard back yet, which means my novel “Fake” is one of those 948. This is very exciting and even flattering. Regardless of the outcome, I’m happy to be part of this group.
Submitting your manuscript is a nail chomping experience, but it is necessary if you want to be a professional writer. Even if you plan to go the indie route, it doesn’t hurt to submit a short story here and there. It gives you the experience of pulling together a professional manuscript. Rejections aren’t pleasant, but occasionally editors will include a nugget of invaluable critique.
If you are ready to submit a novel or short story, or even a piece of creative nonfiction, you really should subscribe to Cindi Myers’ Market News blog. It’s a (mostly) weekly blog that contains news on markets open to manuscript submission. Cindi has been doing this for years and she is a fabulous, generous person. While visiting her blog, you can check out her novels as well.
Hey readers, I haven’t forgotten about you. A tasty freebie by Neil Gaiman has been made available by HarperCollins. It can be downloaded for numerous eBook formats.
How to Talk to Girls at Parties by Neil Gaiman
A short story from New York Times bestselling author, Neil Gaiman. Plus an excerpt from his new novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane.
Another Neil Gaiman freebie you can find online is his Sherlock Holmes/H.P. Lovecraft mash-up, A Study in Emerald. It is available in PDF format and is a short, fun read. Enjoy!
Lori Writer 