Showing posts with label Dystopia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dystopia. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 16
Losing Steam (Revolution Ep 5)
Revolution has two things in its favor presently. Two realities that keep me wading through what's quickly becoming a shrill voiced, tension-less mess of other plot.
1) The evolution of our characters over the last fifteen years. There's a reason the flickering opener begins with the word "evolution" before the letter "R" blinks on. The show's focus not only on the simmering rebellion, but also on the evolution of individuals in a world turned upside down is a huge plus. I always have more questions concerning both characters I love and characters I hate.
2) Miles. With Maggie dead and Nora's bodysnatcher of a personality shift this week, I have just one character I care about, and it's General Miles Matheson himself. Get rid of everyone else, and I'd still watch him. Lose his essence as a character, and I'm out.
But then, I might be out anyway. Did you see the previews for next week? *shakes head*
If we don't start developing the other characters in consistent and sympathetic ways and build some credible tension, I won't be watching. And I'm not the only one: this guy hits the nail on its proverbial head.
Weigh in. Am I the only one still watching? If not, do you think I should cut the show some slack?
Wednesday, October 10
Attack Dogs And Swelling Crescendos (Revolution Ep 4)
Evening! Can I just say out the outset how much I am still enjoying Miles' founding father status? I cannot wait for more details. Will we get them tonight?
Miles' reputation must be really intimidating to cause a stranger to answer all his questions with very little coercion. Wonder what it is. I'm not quite as impatient as Charlie though. I'd prefer to let the details trickle in as we observe his interactions with others. Also, Miles' ability to put her in her place brings me joy. Too much? I'm trying to like her, really I am.
Why don't I know Lady Doc's name? Will someone please clue me in? I mean, it's a good nickname and all, but still. Oh, it's Maggie. Yay. Carry on, then. Aw, Charlie let Maggie hug her. Point for Charlie :)
Um, rabid dogs? Maybe we shouldn't have thrown away that torch.
It's mom again! What's she working on? Why is she so nice to Monroe? And since she hasn't cooperated, why hasn't Monroe tortured or killed her yet? Oh, here it is. *wince*
Who is watching the gang, and how come no one's aware of it? There are at least three people in the crowd who should be, but we are all distracted with lesser problems. Also, turns out I don't mind it when Nora gives Miles what for. I don't mind at all. Miles plans to leave? Subtract ten points from his awesome register. (Especially because this is really . . . weird timing. Didn't we just make contact with Nora so that we could rescue Danny?)
Flashback: Why don't I feel like mom was actually going on a supply trip? Did Ben know what she was up to?
Ooh, scary compound with scary man. Cool visual.
Although that storm visual is even better. Bad weather really is upon us.
How did "Nate" get free? And why is Charlie defending him? It's not like Miles was killing him, and she knows what "Nate" plans to do. What does she see in him that I just don't? Anybody else wanna weigh in, please?
On behalf of teenagers everywhere, can we introduce a character that isn't rash, spiteful, and omniscient? I get that Danny and Charlie have been through a lot, but some character variety in that age range would be awfully nice. It would provide a contrast and believability for the two already on canvas.
Did Danny really get free? *sigh* I didn't think so.
While Maggie's speech about letting go is poignant (and the cue-giving music with it), I need it to not work on Miles. That would be just a little too easy.
Maggie, NO!! This feels pointless. What's the purpose of this attack dog thread? Why are we losing Lady Doc?
I'm not sure that I've said it before, but I will now: Captain Neville is a great character. His motivations for playing a "villain" are compelling. He's three dimensional, and I respect that about him even though I hate him.
Charlie's decision to stay with Maggie (still grumbling) gives her a few more points. Maybe she and I are going to turn a corner here?
Wait, did the tornado stop right in front of the barn Neville, Danny, and the army were holed up in? Really?
Maggie's been carrying around the book she was reading to her boys. . . . *sob* Why does she have to die? Why?
Oh. Charlie's "Everybody leaves me," it got to me. Stupid emotional manipulation.
Hey, it's mom again. Why does she look okay? What have we been doing to her? I'm beginning to worry about her state of mind. Have they been ripping out her molars? Why isn't her face swollen? Wait, she came willingly? AT MILES' REQUEST? Why? What would she be good for?
And, where is Grace? We are going to find out, right?
Okay, guys, it's your turn now. What did you think of episode four? (Is it just me, or did this episode seem a little more predictable than the last? I love nonetheless, just wondering.)
Miles' reputation must be really intimidating to cause a stranger to answer all his questions with very little coercion. Wonder what it is. I'm not quite as impatient as Charlie though. I'd prefer to let the details trickle in as we observe his interactions with others. Also, Miles' ability to put her in her place brings me joy. Too much? I'm trying to like her, really I am.
Why don't I know Lady Doc's name? Will someone please clue me in? I mean, it's a good nickname and all, but still. Oh, it's Maggie. Yay. Carry on, then. Aw, Charlie let Maggie hug her. Point for Charlie :)
Um, rabid dogs? Maybe we shouldn't have thrown away that torch.
It's mom again! What's she working on? Why is she so nice to Monroe? And since she hasn't cooperated, why hasn't Monroe tortured or killed her yet? Oh, here it is. *wince*
Who is watching the gang, and how come no one's aware of it? There are at least three people in the crowd who should be, but we are all distracted with lesser problems. Also, turns out I don't mind it when Nora gives Miles what for. I don't mind at all. Miles plans to leave? Subtract ten points from his awesome register. (Especially because this is really . . . weird timing. Didn't we just make contact with Nora so that we could rescue Danny?)
Flashback: Why don't I feel like mom was actually going on a supply trip? Did Ben know what she was up to?
Ooh, scary compound with scary man. Cool visual.
Although that storm visual is even better. Bad weather really is upon us.
How did "Nate" get free? And why is Charlie defending him? It's not like Miles was killing him, and she knows what "Nate" plans to do. What does she see in him that I just don't? Anybody else wanna weigh in, please?
On behalf of teenagers everywhere, can we introduce a character that isn't rash, spiteful, and omniscient? I get that Danny and Charlie have been through a lot, but some character variety in that age range would be awfully nice. It would provide a contrast and believability for the two already on canvas.
Did Danny really get free? *sigh* I didn't think so.
While Maggie's speech about letting go is poignant (and the cue-giving music with it), I need it to not work on Miles. That would be just a little too easy.
Maggie, NO!! This feels pointless. What's the purpose of this attack dog thread? Why are we losing Lady Doc?
I'm not sure that I've said it before, but I will now: Captain Neville is a great character. His motivations for playing a "villain" are compelling. He's three dimensional, and I respect that about him even though I hate him.
Charlie's decision to stay with Maggie (still grumbling) gives her a few more points. Maybe she and I are going to turn a corner here?
Wait, did the tornado stop right in front of the barn Neville, Danny, and the army were holed up in? Really?
Maggie's been carrying around the book she was reading to her boys. . . . *sob* Why does she have to die? Why?
Oh. Charlie's "Everybody leaves me," it got to me. Stupid emotional manipulation.
Hey, it's mom again. Why does she look okay? What have we been doing to her? I'm beginning to worry about her state of mind. Have they been ripping out her molars? Why isn't her face swollen? Wait, she came willingly? AT MILES' REQUEST? Why? What would she be good for?
And, where is Grace? We are going to find out, right?
Okay, guys, it's your turn now. What did you think of episode four? (Is it just me, or did this episode seem a little more predictable than the last? I love nonetheless, just wondering.)
Wednesday, October 3
Wait, Who Was A Founding Father? (Revolution Ep 3)
First off, welcome back, lovely revolutionaries :) Do you come prepared with your own rants and raves of the week? Here are mine:
I appreciate that the writers have differentiated between individuals who resist Monroe for their own reasons/profit (like Miles) and those belonging to an actual rebellion (like current-day Nora). In dystopian lit, it's easy to divide people into two groups: those for and those against the regime. Revolution colors in that gray area in between. (Ally Condie's Matched Trilogy does the same).
Speaking of the rebellion, they are losing. Badly, and their position is vulnerable. This does not inspire hope.
Oh, look it's Aaron and Lady Doc. We get that Aaron would love to go back to his computers (and his money), but isn't the bigger question: What happened to Grace? Shouldn't we be trying to find her instead of rebuilding . . . whatever?
Did you see how Miles grabbed Charlie and shielded her with his body? I like this guy. Have I said that before?
Nora's fighting Monroe until she dies or takes him down because she lost her baby in a stupid militia fight that never should've been? I believe it. I'm close to adding her to my "care about and need good things for" list. I need to be sure for the long haul, or she'd already be on it.
I'm cringing for Danny and want it to stop. But in the back of my head, a little voice whispers, "You knew his mouth was going to get him in trouble. Consequences, consequences."
Okay, Charlie just solidified her top ranking on my "characters I dislike" list. She suggests fighting the militia with little-to-no ammo? And she called her father a coward for not fighting the militia when they came? A COWARD? His protection is worth nothing to her? Didn't take much for Little Miss Don't Kill Anyone to change her tune, huh? (Inconsistent characterization and unlikable. Double marks against her.)
Miles was a founding father, second in command to Monroe?! How? What happened to make him desert? Because he did desert, that much has been clear in the last three episodes. Spare me Charlie's ridiculously slow, betrayed expression.
Oooh, the initiation of the power grab came from Miles? Who just wanted to help and restore order? And not Monroe? Interesting.
Why did the locket turn on by itself? That cannot be a good sign. Why aren't we more concerned about that?
______
GoDaddy/Blogger is experiencing issues. To leave a comment, right-click on the comment link and open in a new tab. I apologize for the inconvenience. I'll get the site running smoothly again ASAP.
I appreciate that the writers have differentiated between individuals who resist Monroe for their own reasons/profit (like Miles) and those belonging to an actual rebellion (like current-day Nora). In dystopian lit, it's easy to divide people into two groups: those for and those against the regime. Revolution colors in that gray area in between. (Ally Condie's Matched Trilogy does the same).
Speaking of the rebellion, they are losing. Badly, and their position is vulnerable. This does not inspire hope.
Oh, look it's Aaron and Lady Doc. We get that Aaron would love to go back to his computers (and his money), but isn't the bigger question: What happened to Grace? Shouldn't we be trying to find her instead of rebuilding . . . whatever?
Did you see how Miles grabbed Charlie and shielded her with his body? I like this guy. Have I said that before?
Nora's fighting Monroe until she dies or takes him down because she lost her baby in a stupid militia fight that never should've been? I believe it. I'm close to adding her to my "care about and need good things for" list. I need to be sure for the long haul, or she'd already be on it.
I'm cringing for Danny and want it to stop. But in the back of my head, a little voice whispers, "You knew his mouth was going to get him in trouble. Consequences, consequences."
Okay, Charlie just solidified her top ranking on my "characters I dislike" list. She suggests fighting the militia with little-to-no ammo? And she called her father a coward for not fighting the militia when they came? A COWARD? His protection is worth nothing to her? Didn't take much for Little Miss Don't Kill Anyone to change her tune, huh? (Inconsistent characterization and unlikable. Double marks against her.)
Miles was a founding father, second in command to Monroe?! How? What happened to make him desert? Because he did desert, that much has been clear in the last three episodes. Spare me Charlie's ridiculously slow, betrayed expression.
Oooh, the initiation of the power grab came from Miles? Who just wanted to help and restore order? And not Monroe? Interesting.
Why did the locket turn on by itself? That cannot be a good sign. Why aren't we more concerned about that?
______
GoDaddy/Blogger is experiencing issues. To leave a comment, right-click on the comment link and open in a new tab. I apologize for the inconvenience. I'll get the site running smoothly again ASAP.
Monday, October 1
A Dystopian TV Show? Count Me In (Revolution Ep 1&2)
Okay, I know I'm coming to the party two weeks late. I thought about doing a one-time fangirl post about NBC's new show Revolution and leaving it at that. But a dystopian TV show? I have to get in on the conversation, and I know I'm not the only one who wants to discuss. So, welcome to my weekly recap roundtable! Plenty of established sites will post scene-by-scene dissections of each episode. I'm going to focus on my reactions while watching and the lingering questions I'm left with. Feel free to chime in with your thoughts as well :)
Without further adieu, my thoughts on the pilot and episode two:
Pilot Episode (aka Storyworld Hooks Me)
The first three minutes hooked me like the best kind of "first page." I couldn't look away. I wanted to take in every detail. Who were we meeting? What was happening? Where were we? Why did the power turn off? What did Ben know about it? You see, what I mean? Tons of great questions. Often times in dystopian lit we don't get to see the moment it all went wrong. We see glimpses of the change and definitely the effects, but the moment of contact? Brilliant move on the writers' part. I can't wait for them to tell us how we got from that moment to where we pick up fifteen years later.
The images of a dilapidated Chicago were pretty incredible I thought, and the Militia with their threats of conscription and re-education? Appropriately scary. So far the storyworld has my attention. Plenty of information and, at the same time, unanswered questions; you need both in a speculative world, right? *Makes a note to give prologue even more tension, info, and questions*
Aaron owned a plane and worked for Google? Why does this make me suspicious of him?
Lady Doc (isn't it horrible that I don't know her name?) carries spiked liquor? I love her.
Miles is Billy Burke? I have a character to care about! I am more happy than I should be that Miles puts Nate in his place. Somebody needed to.
Wait, there is more than one republic?? How many? How are they divided? Are they all this bad?
Even when Miles is being a jerk, I still like him, and Charlie showed some vulnerability! I just experienced a shade of empathy.
How did Miles know Nate was militia? Because he's awesome :) See the way he put himself between Nate and Charlie? He does care. And that fight scene? I have no words. He took on more than thirteen guys! Incredible. I'm in love.
General Monroe is Miles' marine friend?? How did he manage that? What has he been up to in the last fifteen years? The writers could've given us a personal villain with power and that would've been great but also tying that villain to our protagonist family? Kudos, guys, really.
Also, anyone else want to weigh in on the "the good brother dies so the bad brother has to save the day" scenario? I've seen it used several times in books and movies recently, and while I have to agree with its effectiveness, can't the good brother be a hero too once in a while? Just saying. But maybe I'm not objective about that ;)
Episode Two (aka Miles Continues to be Awesome)
Um, is Charlie serious? I wish I wasn't annoyed by her innocence and belief in the good of people.
See, I knew not killing that bounty hunter was going to get us in trouble. Are we going to listen to Miles now? I have the sinking feeling that we won't. And really? Charlie judges killing the bounty hunter even now? *shakes head*
Mr. Militia quoted republic law verbatim, and an American flag is contraband? Details get even richer. Also, General Monroe is capital "S" scary.
Maybe if you didn't argue with and judge Miles all the time, he wouldn't leave you behind. Only a thought I had. And following him, really? This is the kind of female stereotype I don't get. I'm all for strong women; my books are filled with them, but this headstrong, running into danger against the wisdom of others archetype gets under my skin. They pretend to be strong to convince you to ignore all of the times they have to be rescued. At least damsels in distress admit it.
The swelling music isn't fooling me. I don't buy the conflicted chemistry between "Nate" and Charlie. It's a good thing I like the storyworld, Miles, and Lady Doc so much.
Lady Doc had kids?? I'm so, so sorry.
What's Grace's story? How did she know Ben? Who's she talking to? And what is Aaron up to?
Turns out Danny has the same "mouth runs away with itself" disease that Charlie does. Where did they get that from? I don't see either one of their parents having that trait.
(Avengers commercial: SQUEE!!)
I am over Charlie's self-righteousness.
Why are we carrying that locket around in our hands?
Who's coming after Grace?! He has a locket too!
Mom's not dead! What's going on? How long has she been there??
I'm still not a fan of Charlie or Danny, but the world and Miles? I'll give them a little more time :)
What do you think? Why are you watching?
______
GoDaddy/Blogger is experiencing issues. To leave a comment, right-click on the comment link and open in a new tab. I apologize for the inconvenience. I'll get the site running smoothly again ASAP.
Without further adieu, my thoughts on the pilot and episode two:
Pilot Episode (aka Storyworld Hooks Me)
The first three minutes hooked me like the best kind of "first page." I couldn't look away. I wanted to take in every detail. Who were we meeting? What was happening? Where were we? Why did the power turn off? What did Ben know about it? You see, what I mean? Tons of great questions. Often times in dystopian lit we don't get to see the moment it all went wrong. We see glimpses of the change and definitely the effects, but the moment of contact? Brilliant move on the writers' part. I can't wait for them to tell us how we got from that moment to where we pick up fifteen years later.
The images of a dilapidated Chicago were pretty incredible I thought, and the Militia with their threats of conscription and re-education? Appropriately scary. So far the storyworld has my attention. Plenty of information and, at the same time, unanswered questions; you need both in a speculative world, right? *Makes a note to give prologue even more tension, info, and questions*
Aaron owned a plane and worked for Google? Why does this make me suspicious of him?
Lady Doc (isn't it horrible that I don't know her name?) carries spiked liquor? I love her.
Miles is Billy Burke? I have a character to care about! I am more happy than I should be that Miles puts Nate in his place. Somebody needed to.
Wait, there is more than one republic?? How many? How are they divided? Are they all this bad?
Even when Miles is being a jerk, I still like him, and Charlie showed some vulnerability! I just experienced a shade of empathy.
How did Miles know Nate was militia? Because he's awesome :) See the way he put himself between Nate and Charlie? He does care. And that fight scene? I have no words. He took on more than thirteen guys! Incredible. I'm in love.
General Monroe is Miles' marine friend?? How did he manage that? What has he been up to in the last fifteen years? The writers could've given us a personal villain with power and that would've been great but also tying that villain to our protagonist family? Kudos, guys, really.
Also, anyone else want to weigh in on the "the good brother dies so the bad brother has to save the day" scenario? I've seen it used several times in books and movies recently, and while I have to agree with its effectiveness, can't the good brother be a hero too once in a while? Just saying. But maybe I'm not objective about that ;)
Episode Two (aka Miles Continues to be Awesome)
Um, is Charlie serious? I wish I wasn't annoyed by her innocence and belief in the good of people.
See, I knew not killing that bounty hunter was going to get us in trouble. Are we going to listen to Miles now? I have the sinking feeling that we won't. And really? Charlie judges killing the bounty hunter even now? *shakes head*
Mr. Militia quoted republic law verbatim, and an American flag is contraband? Details get even richer. Also, General Monroe is capital "S" scary.
Maybe if you didn't argue with and judge Miles all the time, he wouldn't leave you behind. Only a thought I had. And following him, really? This is the kind of female stereotype I don't get. I'm all for strong women; my books are filled with them, but this headstrong, running into danger against the wisdom of others archetype gets under my skin. They pretend to be strong to convince you to ignore all of the times they have to be rescued. At least damsels in distress admit it.
The swelling music isn't fooling me. I don't buy the conflicted chemistry between "Nate" and Charlie. It's a good thing I like the storyworld, Miles, and Lady Doc so much.
Lady Doc had kids?? I'm so, so sorry.
What's Grace's story? How did she know Ben? Who's she talking to? And what is Aaron up to?
Turns out Danny has the same "mouth runs away with itself" disease that Charlie does. Where did they get that from? I don't see either one of their parents having that trait.
(Avengers commercial: SQUEE!!)
I am over Charlie's self-righteousness.
Why are we carrying that locket around in our hands?
Who's coming after Grace?! He has a locket too!
Mom's not dead! What's going on? How long has she been there??
I'm still not a fan of Charlie or Danny, but the world and Miles? I'll give them a little more time :)
What do you think? Why are you watching?
______
GoDaddy/Blogger is experiencing issues. To leave a comment, right-click on the comment link and open in a new tab. I apologize for the inconvenience. I'll get the site running smoothly again ASAP.
Friday, September 14
YA Author Crush: Kiera Cass
I've recently developed a little bit of a crush on Kiera Cass, author of The Selection. I fell in love with her cover first, which features a redhead in a beautiful gown and this tagline: "35 girls. 1 crown. The competition of a lifetime." I adored it for about three months before I was able to save up the money to purchase the book, and it was worth every penny.
The Selection is dystopian meets The Bachelor meets the Queen Esther story*. A fun combination, right? It ended up being both frightening and indulgent. The book is about a girl named America; the only girl in the nation who doesn't want to be drafted into the reality show to win Prince Maxon's heart. But what if the opportunity provides her with a life and a purpose greater than she could've imagined? What if the royal family and the country need someone just like her?
Cass' world is compelling and deeply layered with the history and societal structure of her Illea (America's country). America is a girl you can genuinely like and root for. And both Aspen and Prince Maxon have dream-worthy qualities. I happen to be a Maxon girl myself--his desire to do the right thing and his treatment of America as a lady won my heart. Sure, America may have tons of chemistry with Aspen, but that respect Maxon has for her? It makes me swoon.
Okay, stopping. This post is about Kiera not her characters :)
After voraciously reading The Selection in one night, I hopped online to see when book two comes out. (It's a trilogy like most YAs). What I found was one of the most delightful author sites I've looked at. There aren't cutesy graphics or flashy extras, just one really fun lady. When I read her bio, my first thought was "She talks like me and Erynn, we could totally be BFF." She's also really cute. She has great musical taste. And she's down-to-earth and completely approachable.
Also, The Selection has been picked up as a CW pilot. How cool is that?
Kiera was in Winston-Salem last weekend for the Bookmarks Festival. I had planned to go, meet her, and get her to sign my book, but alas, my own writing goals got in the way, and I was majorly bummed. I do, however, plan to stalk . . . I mean, meet her sometime this fall. Even if I have to make a trip to Charleston in November for YAllfest. I'm not above it; that's how cool I think she is.
Suffice it to say that I could go on and on. Instead, I'll just link you to her website and let you decide :)
*Full disclosure: this is my own description. I have no idea whether Cass intended the Queen Esther allusions or whether I'm just reading them into the book.
The Selection is dystopian meets The Bachelor meets the Queen Esther story*. A fun combination, right? It ended up being both frightening and indulgent. The book is about a girl named America; the only girl in the nation who doesn't want to be drafted into the reality show to win Prince Maxon's heart. But what if the opportunity provides her with a life and a purpose greater than she could've imagined? What if the royal family and the country need someone just like her?
Cass' world is compelling and deeply layered with the history and societal structure of her Illea (America's country). America is a girl you can genuinely like and root for. And both Aspen and Prince Maxon have dream-worthy qualities. I happen to be a Maxon girl myself--his desire to do the right thing and his treatment of America as a lady won my heart. Sure, America may have tons of chemistry with Aspen, but that respect Maxon has for her? It makes me swoon.
Okay, stopping. This post is about Kiera not her characters :)
After voraciously reading The Selection in one night, I hopped online to see when book two comes out. (It's a trilogy like most YAs). What I found was one of the most delightful author sites I've looked at. There aren't cutesy graphics or flashy extras, just one really fun lady. When I read her bio, my first thought was "She talks like me and Erynn, we could totally be BFF." She's also really cute. She has great musical taste. And she's down-to-earth and completely approachable.
Also, The Selection has been picked up as a CW pilot. How cool is that?
Kiera was in Winston-Salem last weekend for the Bookmarks Festival. I had planned to go, meet her, and get her to sign my book, but alas, my own writing goals got in the way, and I was majorly bummed. I do, however, plan to stalk . . . I mean, meet her sometime this fall. Even if I have to make a trip to Charleston in November for YAllfest. I'm not above it; that's how cool I think she is.
Suffice it to say that I could go on and on. Instead, I'll just link you to her website and let you decide :)
*Full disclosure: this is my own description. I have no idea whether Cass intended the Queen Esther allusions or whether I'm just reading them into the book.
Friday, August 31
Why We Connect With Dystopian Literature
I'm continuing with the theme of introducing you to authors smarter than me tonight with a link to a post of Kim Vandel's. Kim is a YA AND Speculative author who blogs book reviews and writing craft thoughts. Back in July, Erynn introduced me to Kim's blog, and I must tell you, it is both fun and thoughtful.
I really enjoyed Kim's thoughts on dystopian lit and why it connects so strongly with teenagers (and adults). She says the genre is growing because readers want to believe that one person can make a difference in a dark, broken world, and I completely agree. I believe it's the reason dystopian lit never really disappears. In fact, the premise for my The Free and The Brave series is--One can save them all. Noah's introduction into Maddison's world, and his subsequent salvation, changes everything for an entire nation, and I hope readers will fall in love with my dystopian world and the characters that inhabit it.
Do you read dystopian lit? If so, why does it appeal to you? And what is your favorite? (You can pick out a classic like 1984 or Brave New World or a new best-seller like The Hunger Games, Divergent, or Uglies.)
I really enjoyed Kim's thoughts on dystopian lit and why it connects so strongly with teenagers (and adults). She says the genre is growing because readers want to believe that one person can make a difference in a dark, broken world, and I completely agree. I believe it's the reason dystopian lit never really disappears. In fact, the premise for my The Free and The Brave series is--One can save them all. Noah's introduction into Maddison's world, and his subsequent salvation, changes everything for an entire nation, and I hope readers will fall in love with my dystopian world and the characters that inhabit it.
Do you read dystopian lit? If so, why does it appeal to you? And what is your favorite? (You can pick out a classic like 1984 or Brave New World or a new best-seller like The Hunger Games, Divergent, or Uglies.)
Wednesday, August 22
A 360 Degree Makeover
If you are reading this post by e-mail or via a blog reader, you won't have noticed, but Relentlessly Pursued has a whole new look. In fact, Relentlessly Pursued's been retired. It's a bittersweet change, but one that's been coming for over a year now.
With the change comes additional content, a new design, tagline, and web address (don't worry, subscribers, nothing should affect you). Every piece of the site is streamlined for your reading ease, I hope.
Why the change? Well, I just can't contain my YA love any more, and I'm hoping to connect with other YA readers and authors, especially those awesome dystopian ones. I'll continue to post my devotional journey thoughts from time to time and any writing updates I may have, but I'll also be incorporating more YA Crush posts (to build up that Websites to Visit tab and to introduce you to my favorite YA authors and books). Add in a feature on dystopian lit and a series on heroes, and I couldn't be more excited!
Speaking of, the new tagline for my fiction is Everyone Wants A Hero. I've always been a fan of heroes, super or otherwise, and if you ask me to choose between pulling for the steady good guy and the tortured bad boy, and I'm going to pick the good guy 98% of the time. While I hope the heroes in my fiction are both good and realistically flawed, I've never been known to put down a book or shut off a movie because the hero was "too good." Something inside me—and, therefore, in my fiction—identifies with the timeless good vs. evil battle. Sometimes I wish someone would swoop in and rescue me.
I don't think I'm the only one.
There's an inherent longing in each of us to be rescued from something. Every now and then, we all want a hero. Or, we want to be one.
The good news is — we have a Hero.
And He can make us heroes as well.
This is no fairy tale. Welcome to reality.
With the change comes additional content, a new design, tagline, and web address (don't worry, subscribers, nothing should affect you). Every piece of the site is streamlined for your reading ease, I hope.
Why the change? Well, I just can't contain my YA love any more, and I'm hoping to connect with other YA readers and authors, especially those awesome dystopian ones. I'll continue to post my devotional journey thoughts from time to time and any writing updates I may have, but I'll also be incorporating more YA Crush posts (to build up that Websites to Visit tab and to introduce you to my favorite YA authors and books). Add in a feature on dystopian lit and a series on heroes, and I couldn't be more excited!
Speaking of, the new tagline for my fiction is Everyone Wants A Hero. I've always been a fan of heroes, super or otherwise, and if you ask me to choose between pulling for the steady good guy and the tortured bad boy, and I'm going to pick the good guy 98% of the time. While I hope the heroes in my fiction are both good and realistically flawed, I've never been known to put down a book or shut off a movie because the hero was "too good." Something inside me—and, therefore, in my fiction—identifies with the timeless good vs. evil battle. Sometimes I wish someone would swoop in and rescue me.
I don't think I'm the only one.
There's an inherent longing in each of us to be rescued from something. Every now and then, we all want a hero. Or, we want to be one.
The good news is — we have a Hero.
And He can make us heroes as well.
This is no fairy tale. Welcome to reality.
Monday, August 6
Scattering Shadows
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| Shadows of Gates by Everywhere (sxc.hu) |
Like most dystopian literature, the world can be a dark place—and not only the world but our hearts as well. I know mine is full of shadowy hallways.
But that is only half of the story.
God sent light into the darkness at the beginning of time, and He has not stopped. He continues to shine light into oppressive regions and shadowed souls. (This truth is one reason I wanted to write a dystopia with a christian worldview). God is out to flood our lives with light and overwhelm the lies, bondage, and sin within.
Even more, He doesn't just send light; He sends Himself. Throughout Scripture, Jesus is characterized as light (Jn. 1:5, 8:12; Rev. 22:5), and in Him "there is no . . . shadow" (Jam. 1:17). The Father of lights comes to defeat the darkness in and around us.
For the believer, we have this light, this Jesus, in our frail hearts. "Whom should [we] fear?" (Ps. 27:1). The God of the universe has chosen to live in us. What reason do we have to be insecure or afraid?
His light makes all the difference. It's true for Noah and the cast of The Free & The Brave. It's true for you as well.
You "have this treasure" (2 Cor. 4:7).
Wednesday, September 28
The ACFW 2011 Recap
"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen." -Ephesians 3:20-21
These verses were the theme of my first ACFW conference. Every single expectation I had about the conference God blew out of the water. He is always good and always working on behalf of His children and His name's sake, but sometimes that work is extra visible. Sometimes He moves in special ways, and that was definitely true last week. I'm not sure these posts will do justice to all God did, but I'm going to try by using a list. Because I love a list :)
1--At the My Book Therapy (MBT) Pitch and Promotion Scrimmage, Susan May Warren taught us the essential elements of a pitch, and James Rubart mentored the writers at the speculative table. (For those that don't know, speculative fiction --spec fic-- encompasses any work that contains a timeline, event, or character that we speculate about: fantasy, science fiction, futuristic novels, and my own dystopian book fall under this genre). Although I was intimidated at first to give Jim Rubart my pitch, the entire afternoon was a huge encouragement. I left the room feeling prepared to pitch Unclean to an agent or editor.
2--Erynn and I also left the room with two new friends! Amanda Stevens writes dystopian as well (plus she was home-schooled :) and Jessica Keller Koschnitzky writes Romantic Suspense like Erynn. We were able to grab dinner together at a local pub and lunch the next day. We four were a team, and I'm so grateful for these new lifelong friendships.
3--We were given FIVE free books (between ACFW and MBT). Several of these novels haven't been released yet, and I was eagerly anticipating these shelf dates. Free books? It's like a writer's dream :)
4--I felt great for most of the trip. I knew people were praying and God was giving me strength because this girl doesn't do five hours of sleep anymore without getting really sick. However, I had three of these nights in a row at the beginning of the trip, and though I had to skip a session each day to rest, I did not feel the exhaustion symptoms until Saturday night once all the appointments were over.
5--I met the talented Melanie Dickerson, author of The Healer's Apprentice. Melanie and I had e-mailed back and forth before the conference, and I was so excited to meet her in person. She was incredibly gracious. We were able to get to know each other during lunch on Saturday, and she was so kind to answer my questions about her upcoming novels and her life. Melanie is a Carol Award finalist (among other award nominations), and she graced me with an invitation to sit at her table for the Carol Awards Ceremony. Melanie's first book is a twist on the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, and I've always been a sucker for fairy tales. But a fairy tale with a Christian worldview? Even better. Her second book, The Merchant's Daughter, releases in November, and I'll be posting more as the release date draws nearer. I was humbled by the welcome Melanie and the other YA authors gave us newbie writers; they are all as giving as they are talented, and I hope you'll check out their work.
And that's just the half of it.
More to come later this week....
These verses were the theme of my first ACFW conference. Every single expectation I had about the conference God blew out of the water. He is always good and always working on behalf of His children and His name's sake, but sometimes that work is extra visible. Sometimes He moves in special ways, and that was definitely true last week. I'm not sure these posts will do justice to all God did, but I'm going to try by using a list. Because I love a list :)
1--At the My Book Therapy (MBT) Pitch and Promotion Scrimmage, Susan May Warren taught us the essential elements of a pitch, and James Rubart mentored the writers at the speculative table. (For those that don't know, speculative fiction --spec fic-- encompasses any work that contains a timeline, event, or character that we speculate about: fantasy, science fiction, futuristic novels, and my own dystopian book fall under this genre). Although I was intimidated at first to give Jim Rubart my pitch, the entire afternoon was a huge encouragement. I left the room feeling prepared to pitch Unclean to an agent or editor.
2--Erynn and I also left the room with two new friends! Amanda Stevens writes dystopian as well (plus she was home-schooled :) and Jessica Keller Koschnitzky writes Romantic Suspense like Erynn. We were able to grab dinner together at a local pub and lunch the next day. We four were a team, and I'm so grateful for these new lifelong friendships.
3--We were given FIVE free books (between ACFW and MBT). Several of these novels haven't been released yet, and I was eagerly anticipating these shelf dates. Free books? It's like a writer's dream :)
4--I felt great for most of the trip. I knew people were praying and God was giving me strength because this girl doesn't do five hours of sleep anymore without getting really sick. However, I had three of these nights in a row at the beginning of the trip, and though I had to skip a session each day to rest, I did not feel the exhaustion symptoms until Saturday night once all the appointments were over.
5--I met the talented Melanie Dickerson, author of The Healer's Apprentice. Melanie and I had e-mailed back and forth before the conference, and I was so excited to meet her in person. She was incredibly gracious. We were able to get to know each other during lunch on Saturday, and she was so kind to answer my questions about her upcoming novels and her life. Melanie is a Carol Award finalist (among other award nominations), and she graced me with an invitation to sit at her table for the Carol Awards Ceremony. Melanie's first book is a twist on the fairy tale of Sleeping Beauty, and I've always been a sucker for fairy tales. But a fairy tale with a Christian worldview? Even better. Her second book, The Merchant's Daughter, releases in November, and I'll be posting more as the release date draws nearer. I was humbled by the welcome Melanie and the other YA authors gave us newbie writers; they are all as giving as they are talented, and I hope you'll check out their work.
And that's just the half of it.
More to come later this week....
Wednesday, September 21
ACFW Today!!
I know I haven't been around much this summer. We can chalk that fact up to the presence of two little words in my life: chronic fatigue.
The summer was filled with fatigue, doctors' visits, new medication, a job transition, and other lifestyle changes to help deal with the symptoms. Oh, and I was really tired. Did I mention that? I'll be blogging more about this journey with CF in the fall, but today I wanted to focus on one thing:
I leave for St. Louis and the ACFW Conference today!
Erynn, myself, and the ladies from our critique group will all fly out about 10 a.m. and walk right into 4 1/2 days of honing our craft, pitching our manuscripts, making new connections, and meeting new writer friends. It promises to be encouraging and overwhelming at the same time. :) I won't be taking my computer with me, but I'll post a full report once we return.
In the interim, would you pray that God would lead Unclean toward publishing during the conference, that He would move mightily, that I would be able to serve and encourage others, and that my health would not keep me from enjoying and participating in the events? Would you also pray against fear and insecurity, especially during my appointments with editors, agents, and a published author critiquing my work? I would so appreciate your prayers.
One of the verses I have been praying and meditating on in the last three weeks is 2 Timothy 4:17a: "But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed."
I have been praying that God would strengthen me so that my writing and my life would proclaim the gospel of grace.
I can't wait to tell you all about it.
Now, how do I cram these boots into my suitcase? :)
The summer was filled with fatigue, doctors' visits, new medication, a job transition, and other lifestyle changes to help deal with the symptoms. Oh, and I was really tired. Did I mention that? I'll be blogging more about this journey with CF in the fall, but today I wanted to focus on one thing:
I leave for St. Louis and the ACFW Conference today!
Erynn, myself, and the ladies from our critique group will all fly out about 10 a.m. and walk right into 4 1/2 days of honing our craft, pitching our manuscripts, making new connections, and meeting new writer friends. It promises to be encouraging and overwhelming at the same time. :) I won't be taking my computer with me, but I'll post a full report once we return.
In the interim, would you pray that God would lead Unclean toward publishing during the conference, that He would move mightily, that I would be able to serve and encourage others, and that my health would not keep me from enjoying and participating in the events? Would you also pray against fear and insecurity, especially during my appointments with editors, agents, and a published author critiquing my work? I would so appreciate your prayers.
One of the verses I have been praying and meditating on in the last three weeks is 2 Timothy 4:17a: "But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed."
I have been praying that God would strengthen me so that my writing and my life would proclaim the gospel of grace.
I can't wait to tell you all about it.
Now, how do I cram these boots into my suitcase? :)
Sunday, June 19
My Perfect Day
This week was fairly wonderful, including some of my favorite activities and places, but Wednesday was my perfect day.
I woke up in a wonderfully large bed in the peaceful and delightfully decorated white and blue toile room at the historic Arrowhead Inn . For breakfast, I was served scrambled eggs with béarnaise sauce, sausage, fruit salad, and a homemade cherry pastry. Quite possibly the best breakfast I've ever eaten.
Then I was able to spend the rest of the day plotting and writing outside in the gazebo, in the hammock, and on the swing. The gardens were quiet and colorful; the breeze just enough to kiss my face, and the temperature perfect. Clearly, God was showing off.
I took a break to grab lunch from Foster's Market, where I had the best burger with dill havarti cheese, spinach, and lemon caper mayo. It was too good for words I tell you, and I fell in love with the old-fashioned general store feeling of the market, complete with mismatched chairs and tables scattered inside and out.
I worked in The Keeping Room during the late afternoon, enjoying the tea, classical music, and conversation with Rebecca, the interim innkeeper. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations and getting to know her a little bit. She is creative, engaging, amicable, and a delight to be around. I didn't even know that such a position as interim innkeeper existed, but how intriguing is the idea of traveling from B&B to B&B to serve as hostess, concierge, and chef? Her story inspired me.
Finally, I was able to sink back into bed that night with a completely new understanding of my "story world" (the world/time/setting in which a story takes place), a face to match Potentate Marcioni's character, and seven new pages of insights. My time in the Word and prayer that evening was sweet.
I couldn't have planned a better day. No, the One who knows me better than I know myself allowed His face to shine down on me Wednesday. Our Father who delights in giving good gifts gave me a perfect day alone with Him.
And I am grateful.
I woke up in a wonderfully large bed in the peaceful and delightfully decorated white and blue toile room at the historic Arrowhead Inn . For breakfast, I was served scrambled eggs with béarnaise sauce, sausage, fruit salad, and a homemade cherry pastry. Quite possibly the best breakfast I've ever eaten.
Then I was able to spend the rest of the day plotting and writing outside in the gazebo, in the hammock, and on the swing. The gardens were quiet and colorful; the breeze just enough to kiss my face, and the temperature perfect. Clearly, God was showing off.
I took a break to grab lunch from Foster's Market, where I had the best burger with dill havarti cheese, spinach, and lemon caper mayo. It was too good for words I tell you, and I fell in love with the old-fashioned general store feeling of the market, complete with mismatched chairs and tables scattered inside and out.
I worked in The Keeping Room during the late afternoon, enjoying the tea, classical music, and conversation with Rebecca, the interim innkeeper. I thoroughly enjoyed our conversations and getting to know her a little bit. She is creative, engaging, amicable, and a delight to be around. I didn't even know that such a position as interim innkeeper existed, but how intriguing is the idea of traveling from B&B to B&B to serve as hostess, concierge, and chef? Her story inspired me.
Finally, I was able to sink back into bed that night with a completely new understanding of my "story world" (the world/time/setting in which a story takes place), a face to match Potentate Marcioni's character, and seven new pages of insights. My time in the Word and prayer that evening was sweet.
I couldn't have planned a better day. No, the One who knows me better than I know myself allowed His face to shine down on me Wednesday. Our Father who delights in giving good gifts gave me a perfect day alone with Him.
And I am grateful.
Wednesday, June 8
Not Quite Visions of Sugar Plums...
Sugar plums dancing in my head? That sounds delightful, doesn't it? Unfortunately, my head is not filled with these sweet confections. It is a mess of questions and to do lists.
You see, the ACFW conference is this September, and that's only three months away. I have story-world edits to finish, a second book to start when I can narrow down the protagonist, craft notes for the edits of Unclean, comparative titles to read for my market analysis, a book proposal to put together, a pitch to write and hone, a critique to prepare, a contest to enter, books by workshop leaders to read, editors to stalk, blogs to write, a blog overall to carry out, chapters to crit for my fellow writers, and the list goes on and on....
To say I feel overwhelmed would be an understatement.
Even though I realize that this list is too ambitious to complete in three months, and I should really pare it down, but where to start? I mean what is realistic? And how do I prioritize when I am excited about everything above?
I have no idea.
But this one truth holds firm and enduring--God is in control. Even here. Especially here. Unclean will be ready when He decides it's ready. My job is to be a good steward of my gift, mark off what I can, and trust Him with the timing and the result.
After all, "all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16b, NIV)
I'm trying to remind myself often.
You see, the ACFW conference is this September, and that's only three months away. I have story-world edits to finish, a second book to start when I can narrow down the protagonist, craft notes for the edits of Unclean, comparative titles to read for my market analysis, a book proposal to put together, a pitch to write and hone, a critique to prepare, a contest to enter, books by workshop leaders to read, editors to stalk, blogs to write, a blog overall to carry out, chapters to crit for my fellow writers, and the list goes on and on....
To say I feel overwhelmed would be an understatement.
Even though I realize that this list is too ambitious to complete in three months, and I should really pare it down, but where to start? I mean what is realistic? And how do I prioritize when I am excited about everything above?
I have no idea.
But this one truth holds firm and enduring--God is in control. Even here. Especially here. Unclean will be ready when He decides it's ready. My job is to be a good steward of my gift, mark off what I can, and trust Him with the timing and the result.
After all, "all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be." (Psalm 139:16b, NIV)
I'm trying to remind myself often.
Monday, January 10
As We End One Year And Begin Another...
The last time you heard from me I was furiously typing away at the last chapters of UnClean. Well, I am happy to say that I did meet the goal of 50,000 words in order to score this:
And as a NaNoWriMo winner, I can purchase that cool writing software (Scrivener for Windows) for 50% off when it releases, and I receive one paperback copy of my book from Amazon's CreateSpace for free! Plus, during a "Thank Goodness It's Over" party in December, I won a year's membership to NC Writers' Network, which offers educational and networking opportunities for writers here in North Carolina.
Most importantly though, on December 13th, I wrote the final word, number 68,288, in my draft. Praise the Lord!
Some of you that know my writing life was frustrating for the majority of the year--stumbling through one project only to start over again and again. But, I am so grateful for God's grace in the last two months through the above and the encouragement of my friends and family.
And now I have the first complete original manuscript I've written in twelve years. Thank you Jesus!
So what's next?
Well, for UnClean, lots of editing and numerous drafts in preparation for ACFW's fall conference. (More on that Friday).
As for the blog? I have new plans here also. My goal is to begin posting three times a week. Beginning this week, I'll post a devotion or spiritual journey entry on Wednesdays.
Fridays' posts will be exclusively about writing--updates on my own progress, insight into the process for my encouraging friends who don't write, and helpful links for my writer friends. Several of you have asked me what the next step is now that I have a complete novel and when it'll be published, so this week's post will cover the novel writing journey from idea to publication to give you an idea of what's ahead.
Finally, Mondays will be devoted to book reviews. Sound busy enough for you? I hope so. I'm looking forward to what God has in store for 2011 and am grateful for each one of you who take the time to walk along with me!
See you Wednesday :)
And as a NaNoWriMo winner, I can purchase that cool writing software (Scrivener for Windows) for 50% off when it releases, and I receive one paperback copy of my book from Amazon's CreateSpace for free! Plus, during a "Thank Goodness It's Over" party in December, I won a year's membership to NC Writers' Network, which offers educational and networking opportunities for writers here in North Carolina.
Most importantly though, on December 13th, I wrote the final word, number 68,288, in my draft. Praise the Lord!
Some of you that know my writing life was frustrating for the majority of the year--stumbling through one project only to start over again and again. But, I am so grateful for God's grace in the last two months through the above and the encouragement of my friends and family.
And now I have the first complete original manuscript I've written in twelve years. Thank you Jesus!
So what's next?
Well, for UnClean, lots of editing and numerous drafts in preparation for ACFW's fall conference. (More on that Friday).
As for the blog? I have new plans here also. My goal is to begin posting three times a week. Beginning this week, I'll post a devotion or spiritual journey entry on Wednesdays.
Fridays' posts will be exclusively about writing--updates on my own progress, insight into the process for my encouraging friends who don't write, and helpful links for my writer friends. Several of you have asked me what the next step is now that I have a complete novel and when it'll be published, so this week's post will cover the novel writing journey from idea to publication to give you an idea of what's ahead.
Finally, Mondays will be devoted to book reviews. Sound busy enough for you? I hope so. I'm looking forward to what God has in store for 2011 and am grateful for each one of you who take the time to walk along with me!
See you Wednesday :)
Sunday, November 28
3,995 Words To Go
Hello all! It's the end of week four for NaNoWriMo, and I know you might be thinking, What happened to week three?
Well, the end of it got bitten by the Week Two bug. I sailed right along through most of week three. And then Saturday hit and with it trouble. My body had enough of the long days and lack of rest and rebelled in the form of what I am beginning to think of as "Stress Sickness"--the cold and flu symptoms that seem to develop anytime I choose to push myself a little harder than normal.
I cried and lamented and called my sister to moan about finishing a novel when I felt that crappy. Whether it was the fatigue or my normal crazy, I'm not sure, but I do know that I despaired of reaching my goal, of finishing the novel, of ever being able to finish a novel. (Like I said, crazy). Luckily, she listened and told me to put away the computer and rest. My mom told me to do the same when I told her I hated leaving Noah unconscious in chapter 14 but I started crying every time I opened Scrivener.
They wisely realized I was exhausted and needed to rest before I would be sane again. So I did. For four days, I took it easy and didn't write. Itching to pick back up the netbook the whole time and feeling my pesky little IE gaining strength with each day.
Until Thursday.
After celebrating Thanksgiving with my family that afternoon, I sequestered myself in my old room at home and set a goal of 16,000 words in four days. I stopped only to shower, sleep, and make my meals. My family graciously allowed me to disappear. And now, at the end of that time period, I can say that I surpassed my goal by 655 words!
As we are coming up on the last two days of NaNoWriMo, I'm already appreciating what I'll carry away from the experience: The knowledge that I can write 6,000 words in a day and not lose my mind. The reality that it is possible for me to write on workdays without overdoing it. The reminder of how fun it is to let the story flow and see where it takes you. Not to mention the twenty-four chapters I didn't have on October 31st.
After such a difficult year, it really is hard to believe that I've written 48,005 words in twenty-eight days. But I have! Praise the Lord. And while some of them will definitely hit the cutting room floor in my first edit, most of them make me smile contentedly. It's been a crazy journey, and I've continually been surprised by my characters and the choices they've made. But it's been worth it.
Now, on to those last 3,995 words....
Well, the end of it got bitten by the Week Two bug. I sailed right along through most of week three. And then Saturday hit and with it trouble. My body had enough of the long days and lack of rest and rebelled in the form of what I am beginning to think of as "Stress Sickness"--the cold and flu symptoms that seem to develop anytime I choose to push myself a little harder than normal.
I cried and lamented and called my sister to moan about finishing a novel when I felt that crappy. Whether it was the fatigue or my normal crazy, I'm not sure, but I do know that I despaired of reaching my goal, of finishing the novel, of ever being able to finish a novel. (Like I said, crazy). Luckily, she listened and told me to put away the computer and rest. My mom told me to do the same when I told her I hated leaving Noah unconscious in chapter 14 but I started crying every time I opened Scrivener.
They wisely realized I was exhausted and needed to rest before I would be sane again. So I did. For four days, I took it easy and didn't write. Itching to pick back up the netbook the whole time and feeling my pesky little IE gaining strength with each day.
Until Thursday.
After celebrating Thanksgiving with my family that afternoon, I sequestered myself in my old room at home and set a goal of 16,000 words in four days. I stopped only to shower, sleep, and make my meals. My family graciously allowed me to disappear. And now, at the end of that time period, I can say that I surpassed my goal by 655 words!
As we are coming up on the last two days of NaNoWriMo, I'm already appreciating what I'll carry away from the experience: The knowledge that I can write 6,000 words in a day and not lose my mind. The reality that it is possible for me to write on workdays without overdoing it. The reminder of how fun it is to let the story flow and see where it takes you. Not to mention the twenty-four chapters I didn't have on October 31st.
After such a difficult year, it really is hard to believe that I've written 48,005 words in twenty-eight days. But I have! Praise the Lord. And while some of them will definitely hit the cutting room floor in my first edit, most of them make me smile contentedly. It's been a crazy journey, and I've continually been surprised by my characters and the choices they've made. But it's been worth it.
Now, on to those last 3,995 words....
Monday, November 15
Dreaded Week Two
I heard horror stories about Week Two (that's right it's capitalized). Everyone on the NaNoWriMo website talked about it being the week to push through. My inbox was flooded with e-mails from the NaNo team encouraging me to keep on going. Needless to say, I was intimidated by how hard they said it would be.
Turns out? It wasn't so bad. It was actually pretty great. Even considering the fact that I nannyed a very sick and unhappy baby last week. I was able to finish the week with 25,247 words (over the halfway point in just fourteen days)! And with those words came crazy, exciting, and frustrating new changes. Those changes? Well, I rearranged several chapters, had Maddison confess deeper feelings than I had planned, and added a death threat to the plot just to spice things up a bit. This story continues to surprise and excite me. And after a year of stumbling through six chapters of another project, I thank God for the fact that as of yesterday I had eleven complete chapters. ELEVEN!
And I would not have made it through these fourteen days without my family and friends asking me about the story, praying for me, and commenting on facebook. Three of these friends were special gifts last week, and so I'm going to brag on them a little bit 'cause I'm so grateful:
First, I have Sue. The woman who started the online crit group I've been a part of, and the woman who introduced me to NaNo and gave me great tips for preparing for it. My friend is already published, with good reason, and I can't wait to stand in line at a book signing for her. The novel she worked on during NaNo last year rocks my world, and I agree with Erynn that "it's gonna be huge." This wonderful writer friend is extra busy with a husband, her boys, civic duties, and her own writing pursuits, yet she has cheered me on in just about every facebook status, left me comments over here, and sent me links. If my book is half as good as hers, it'll be worth this crazyness. Sue's a genius and I'm so glad to know her.
Second, my friend Rebecca. She doesn't write fiction herself, but she will listen to me go on and on about mine forever. And she is always excited about it to. :) She has designated herself as the "spontaneous hang out friend" this month because she knows I can't make plans to be with friends but wants me to have a way to see one of my girls if I need a break or have already met my word count for the week. She drove up from Durham on Thursday night just to encourage me with her presence and pizza. She told me on Friday that she is already planning a celebration for the two of us at the end of this crazy draft. My job is just to let her know what day I finish. This mysterious celebration is motivation enough to finish.
Finally, my best friend and co-journeyer in this crazy writing process, Erynn. She's my accountability, in that I have to send finished chapters to her and keep them coming. She reads each one and then e-mails me only positive feedback so I am encouraged to keep on going. (In fact, after reading chapter ten, she paid me one of the highest compliments an author can receive). In addition, of her own accord, she's decided to critique every single chapter but save them up in a folder until the month is through so that I'm not tempted to revise early. Finally, she is fielding no less than two, and sometimes many more, phone calls a day when I start to freak out about what comes next or how my characters are complicating things. Most of the time, I just need to hear myself talking about the situation to realize what needs to happen (and that it's really not a crisis). But in the moments I need insight, I can call her and, without having to give her a complete backstory, ask for her input. Invaluable. She's completely invaluable to me, and I know I would've gotten off this crazy train in week one were it not for her counsel and her demands for more Noah.
To these three women, and all of my other sweet friends, thank you. I dedicate this month to you.
Now on to week three...
Turns out? It wasn't so bad. It was actually pretty great. Even considering the fact that I nannyed a very sick and unhappy baby last week. I was able to finish the week with 25,247 words (over the halfway point in just fourteen days)! And with those words came crazy, exciting, and frustrating new changes. Those changes? Well, I rearranged several chapters, had Maddison confess deeper feelings than I had planned, and added a death threat to the plot just to spice things up a bit. This story continues to surprise and excite me. And after a year of stumbling through six chapters of another project, I thank God for the fact that as of yesterday I had eleven complete chapters. ELEVEN!
And I would not have made it through these fourteen days without my family and friends asking me about the story, praying for me, and commenting on facebook. Three of these friends were special gifts last week, and so I'm going to brag on them a little bit 'cause I'm so grateful:
First, I have Sue. The woman who started the online crit group I've been a part of, and the woman who introduced me to NaNo and gave me great tips for preparing for it. My friend is already published, with good reason, and I can't wait to stand in line at a book signing for her. The novel she worked on during NaNo last year rocks my world, and I agree with Erynn that "it's gonna be huge." This wonderful writer friend is extra busy with a husband, her boys, civic duties, and her own writing pursuits, yet she has cheered me on in just about every facebook status, left me comments over here, and sent me links. If my book is half as good as hers, it'll be worth this crazyness. Sue's a genius and I'm so glad to know her.
Second, my friend Rebecca. She doesn't write fiction herself, but she will listen to me go on and on about mine forever. And she is always excited about it to. :) She has designated herself as the "spontaneous hang out friend" this month because she knows I can't make plans to be with friends but wants me to have a way to see one of my girls if I need a break or have already met my word count for the week. She drove up from Durham on Thursday night just to encourage me with her presence and pizza. She told me on Friday that she is already planning a celebration for the two of us at the end of this crazy draft. My job is just to let her know what day I finish. This mysterious celebration is motivation enough to finish.
Finally, my best friend and co-journeyer in this crazy writing process, Erynn. She's my accountability, in that I have to send finished chapters to her and keep them coming. She reads each one and then e-mails me only positive feedback so I am encouraged to keep on going. (In fact, after reading chapter ten, she paid me one of the highest compliments an author can receive). In addition, of her own accord, she's decided to critique every single chapter but save them up in a folder until the month is through so that I'm not tempted to revise early. Finally, she is fielding no less than two, and sometimes many more, phone calls a day when I start to freak out about what comes next or how my characters are complicating things. Most of the time, I just need to hear myself talking about the situation to realize what needs to happen (and that it's really not a crisis). But in the moments I need insight, I can call her and, without having to give her a complete backstory, ask for her input. Invaluable. She's completely invaluable to me, and I know I would've gotten off this crazy train in week one were it not for her counsel and her demands for more Noah.
To these three women, and all of my other sweet friends, thank you. I dedicate this month to you.
Now on to week three...
Sunday, November 7
At The End Of Week One...
Well, it's Sunday evening, and I've officially finished week one of NaNoWriMo. And what a week it's been! God has been gracious to grant me 14,163 words. (i.e., a crazy amount of words!) And it turns out, I can ignore my evil internal editor (IE). I left bracketed words and questions throughout the six chapters I churned out last week. So, my IE's probably just storing up her wrath for December, but for now I can say it's been a great writing week.
I am also grateful for the fellow WriMos, friends, and family who've encouraged me on facebook and e-mail this week. My facebook page was filled with people cheering me on which helped me reach my word count goals every day this week, even on Tuesday--the day I hated what I wrote but kept on going. I know it would've been harder without my cheerleaders.
Finally, I am grateful for the story that's developing. I am having so much fun with Noah, Maddison, and their community that I can't wait to sit down and write what happens next. So, with that in mind, I thought I'd interview Noah for you, indulge me...
An Interview with Noah State (21):
Author: Would you describe your appearance for us?
Noah: Well, I have brown hair and green eyes. Daniel would add that I have a constant furrow on my forehead, but that's only when he's around. *chuckles* I'm in fairly good shape, mostly from playing football and wrestling in high school and running now. Does that answer your question?
Author: Close enough. Now, if you had one day to live, what would you do?
Noah: I would start the day at the beach, getting up early to run on the sand and watch the sun rise over the water. Then I'd wander through old civil war sites for the morning and afternoon, and end the day by having dinner with my brother at some sports bar with greasy food and some football.
Author: Wow, you didn't have to think about that last one at all. On the other end of the life and death spectrum, what brings you joy?
Noah: Simple things--like watching the sun rise, a well-made americano, a fully restored book, a greasy cheeseburger with fries, oh, and making Maddison smile.
Author: I like that list. Tell me, what motivates you to do the things you do?
Noah: (pauses to think for a moment, finger tapping on his mouth) A sense of duty, I guess. A thirst for justice, and the hope of there being something better in life.
Author: By something better, do you mean eternity and God? Do you have a spiritual walk with him?
Noah: No. I think there must be a God, but, if I'm honest, I'm sure he's already made up his mind about me. I'm guilty and he just hasn't punished me yet.
Author: I'm sorry. Maybe it won't always feel like that....
So, dear friends, do you have questions? About Noah? The story? My writing process? Leave me a comment, and I'll do my best to answer them and give you a sneak peek into Maddison's head next week.
Until then...
I am also grateful for the fellow WriMos, friends, and family who've encouraged me on facebook and e-mail this week. My facebook page was filled with people cheering me on which helped me reach my word count goals every day this week, even on Tuesday--the day I hated what I wrote but kept on going. I know it would've been harder without my cheerleaders.
Finally, I am grateful for the story that's developing. I am having so much fun with Noah, Maddison, and their community that I can't wait to sit down and write what happens next. So, with that in mind, I thought I'd interview Noah for you, indulge me...
An Interview with Noah State (21):
Author: Would you describe your appearance for us?
Noah: Well, I have brown hair and green eyes. Daniel would add that I have a constant furrow on my forehead, but that's only when he's around. *chuckles* I'm in fairly good shape, mostly from playing football and wrestling in high school and running now. Does that answer your question?
Author: Close enough. Now, if you had one day to live, what would you do?
Noah: I would start the day at the beach, getting up early to run on the sand and watch the sun rise over the water. Then I'd wander through old civil war sites for the morning and afternoon, and end the day by having dinner with my brother at some sports bar with greasy food and some football.
Author: Wow, you didn't have to think about that last one at all. On the other end of the life and death spectrum, what brings you joy?
Noah: Simple things--like watching the sun rise, a well-made americano, a fully restored book, a greasy cheeseburger with fries, oh, and making Maddison smile.
Author: I like that list. Tell me, what motivates you to do the things you do?
Noah: (pauses to think for a moment, finger tapping on his mouth) A sense of duty, I guess. A thirst for justice, and the hope of there being something better in life.
Author: By something better, do you mean eternity and God? Do you have a spiritual walk with him?
Noah: No. I think there must be a God, but, if I'm honest, I'm sure he's already made up his mind about me. I'm guilty and he just hasn't punished me yet.
Author: I'm sorry. Maybe it won't always feel like that....
So, dear friends, do you have questions? About Noah? The story? My writing process? Leave me a comment, and I'll do my best to answer them and give you a sneak peek into Maddison's head next week.
Until then...
Saturday, October 30
Because I'm Just A Tad Insane...
I've signed up for NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), a challenge to write 50,000 words in a month. A first draft in 30 days. A completely insane endeavor. One I am very excited about.
You see, I have this incredibly loud internal editor, and she likes to stymie my progress by demanding that I pick the perfect word, turn of phrase, and punctuation or else. And "or else" consists of staring at a blank document for hours until I give up. I will concede that she is very helpful for editing and revising, but for first drafts? She's my antagonist.
So, I'm choosing to use NaNoWriMo to break her a little bit. I'm hoping the word count goals (1667 a day, more on Fridays and Saturdays if I want Sundays as a sabbath) will force me to tune her out and help me reclaim the joy of that fast and furious first draft.
And if I meet my goal? I'll have a complete manuscript before the end of the year, which would be a huge boost to my beleaguered spirit. I will also be able to purchase Scrivener, the best writing software on the market for 50% off when it is released in February. (Today I was able to download the Windows Beta version for my NaNoWriMo draft. Previously, it was available only to Mac users). The authors at BRMCWC raved about the software and now I see why. *insert small squeal here*
This complete manuscript will be especially exciting because it's the first in a four book YA (young adult) series. I love to read this genre myself and knew I wanted to write a YA novel at some point. Unfortunately, I didn't have any plot ideas that would be engaging to the 12-19 age range until two weeks ago. Being stuck in my current WIP, I decided to take a break, and days later, God gave me the new series idea complete with story arcs and a cast list.
I've spent the last two weeks building my futuristic dystopia, casting the series, outlining it, specifically book one, and creating character profiles for the three main characters. I'm thrilled at where it's headed and what it could be. My hope stems from the fact that both teenage girls and boys, Christian or not, could pick up a copy, be hooked, and walk the journey of redemption and eternal perspective with Noah, Maddison, and Daniel.
Book one is tentatively titled UnClean and will be my project for NaNoWriMo. It's about Noah State, who is twenty-one, a Liquidator in The Elite, and at the end of his rope. Trapped in a career that leaves him more blood stained by the day, he's beginning to think of death as a coming relief. Until he meets Maddison James. Her love whitewashes his guilt and gives him hope. But their relationship must survive his brother's interference, a rival for Noah's affections, and a dangerous rebellion brewing in their backyard to have a future. And if it does, will Maddison's love really be enough?
Intriguing, no?
I hope so because I'll be blogging my NaNoWriMo experience this month, and I hope you'll join me by reading along. I'll share my word count progress, my frustrations, my successes, and what I'm learning about Noah and Maddison (and myself) along the way.
On Monday, I'll attend my first "write-in" at the local Caribou Coffee with other WriMos (participants). Should be fun!
Until then...
You see, I have this incredibly loud internal editor, and she likes to stymie my progress by demanding that I pick the perfect word, turn of phrase, and punctuation or else. And "or else" consists of staring at a blank document for hours until I give up. I will concede that she is very helpful for editing and revising, but for first drafts? She's my antagonist.
So, I'm choosing to use NaNoWriMo to break her a little bit. I'm hoping the word count goals (1667 a day, more on Fridays and Saturdays if I want Sundays as a sabbath) will force me to tune her out and help me reclaim the joy of that fast and furious first draft.
And if I meet my goal? I'll have a complete manuscript before the end of the year, which would be a huge boost to my beleaguered spirit. I will also be able to purchase Scrivener, the best writing software on the market for 50% off when it is released in February. (Today I was able to download the Windows Beta version for my NaNoWriMo draft. Previously, it was available only to Mac users). The authors at BRMCWC raved about the software and now I see why. *insert small squeal here*
This complete manuscript will be especially exciting because it's the first in a four book YA (young adult) series. I love to read this genre myself and knew I wanted to write a YA novel at some point. Unfortunately, I didn't have any plot ideas that would be engaging to the 12-19 age range until two weeks ago. Being stuck in my current WIP, I decided to take a break, and days later, God gave me the new series idea complete with story arcs and a cast list.
I've spent the last two weeks building my futuristic dystopia, casting the series, outlining it, specifically book one, and creating character profiles for the three main characters. I'm thrilled at where it's headed and what it could be. My hope stems from the fact that both teenage girls and boys, Christian or not, could pick up a copy, be hooked, and walk the journey of redemption and eternal perspective with Noah, Maddison, and Daniel.
Book one is tentatively titled UnClean and will be my project for NaNoWriMo. It's about Noah State, who is twenty-one, a Liquidator in The Elite, and at the end of his rope. Trapped in a career that leaves him more blood stained by the day, he's beginning to think of death as a coming relief. Until he meets Maddison James. Her love whitewashes his guilt and gives him hope. But their relationship must survive his brother's interference, a rival for Noah's affections, and a dangerous rebellion brewing in their backyard to have a future. And if it does, will Maddison's love really be enough?
Intriguing, no?
I hope so because I'll be blogging my NaNoWriMo experience this month, and I hope you'll join me by reading along. I'll share my word count progress, my frustrations, my successes, and what I'm learning about Noah and Maddison (and myself) along the way.
On Monday, I'll attend my first "write-in" at the local Caribou Coffee with other WriMos (participants). Should be fun!
Until then...
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