Unschooled Writers

Do you agree or disagree with this idea:

"Rebellious, unschooled writers break the rules. Artists master the form." -- Robert McKee

With the wave of self-publishing, do the "rules" change or get lost?

What's your opinion?

3 Great Writing Quotes

For some writing motivation, here are three great quotes from James Frey's book on writing thrillers:

"You should at all times be showing a well-motivated character overcoming obstacles in pursuit of a goal." -- James Frey

"Most of the time, it's not the concept, but the execution of craft that counts." -- James Frey

"To write a damn good thriller, you need a killer attitude." -- James Frey

Book Review: HOW TO WRITE A DAMN GOOD THRILLER

How to Write a Damn Good Thriller: A Step-by-Step Guide for Novelists and Screenwriters by James N. Frey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This is a good book for authors to add to their arsenal of writing tools.

While there were some EXCELLENT sections in this book, there were also a LOT of pages of information that were not helpful to me at all. However, the significance of the great sections outweighed the disappointment of the weak sections, and so overall I'm still glad that I invested the time and money into this book.

The excellent sections included:
* How to create a villain
* Exploiting the dark mission of the villain
* The plot behind the plot
* Creating a hero

The disappointing sections included:
* Plot structure
* Voice and viewpoint
* Opening, middle, and satisfying resolution

I'm really excited about the information I learned from Frey's book regarding character development and the idea of the plot behind the plot. I've already utilized many of his suggested exercises for my next manuscript.

But regarding the other sections, here are books that I'd recommend instead:
Plot Structure, Openings, & Satisfying Resolutions: SAVE THE CAT by Blake Snyder
Voice: WRITING YOUNG ADULT FICTION FOR DUMMIES by Deborah Halverson
Middle: FIRE IN THE FICTION by Donald Maass



View all my reviews

You Don't Have to be Edgy to Write YA

I'm reading a great book on the craft of writing:

I'll have a full review for you down the road, but until then, I wanted to share with you a point from the book's author, Mary Kole.

"You don't have to be edgy to write YA. In fact, that's a huge trap that most aspiring writers of YA fall into. They try on a snarky voice, shoehorn in a paranormal element, and put their character in a dangerous situations -- all because they think that's what's selling right now. But all it does is come off as forced. If you don't have a dark story in you, don't try to write one. Simple as that" (Writing Irresistible Kidlit).

What's your favorite book on the craft of writing?
Have you read a new one recently?

Cover Reveal: CHALLENGING DESTINY by Cherie Colyer

I love book covers, and especially when they're brand spanking new! ;) I'm excited to share with you Cherie Colyer's new book cover for Challenging Destiny:

 

 

CHALLENGING DESTINY

Coming spring 2014 from the Wild Rose Press, Black Rose Imprint

 

Being Chosen is a terrible thing when there's no one you can trust

Synposis:

Logan Ragsdale and his younger sister, Ariana, have been marked, chosen to be unwilling participants in a war between angels and demons. Logan can sense something's not quite right. Like an unexpected chill on a summer's day, he can feel the unseen closing in. He's had these feelings before and, each time, someone close to him died. He's afraid this time it might just be Ariana. Logan's fears are soon confirmed when he discovers their new friends aren't human, but rather representatives from Heaven and Hell sent to Earth to ensure he and Ariana accept their roles in an ancient prophecy. Demons want Logan to open the gates of Hell. Ariana has the power to stop them, but if she chooses to side with Heaven to spare the lives of thousands of innocent people, she'll damn her brother for eternity. Together, they must derail the biblical event if they hope to save themselves and the future of mankind...but what price are they willing to pay to keep the other safe?

About the author:
Cherie Colyer is the author of YA paranormal thriller/romance, EMBRACE and HOLD TIGHT from Omnific Publishing. Her latest novel, CHALLENGING DESTINY will be available this spring from The Wild Rose Press, Black Rose Imprint. Check out her website and blog for news on her books and bonus material. Follow Cherie on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and/or Goodreads to get the latest updates on her books.

 

Is YA a Genre?

 

Funny picture, eh? My daughter is an awesome example of the YA audience.

So you're writing fiction ... young-adult-paranormal-romance fiction (for a specific example) ... and ... then there's a question:

Do you think young adult is a genre?

It's not.

It is an audience.

Genre is a category like: romance, paranormal, fantasy, science fiction, suspense, and so on.

So if you are pitching your paranormal romance to an agent or editor, and they ask, "In which genre do you write?"  If you answer, "I write in the young adult genre." ... eyebrows could be raised, and they could doubt your knowledge of the craft.

Likewise, if you're writing a query letter, make sure you get the terminology correct. You're writing a paranormal romance targeted at the young adult audience. ... NOT: You're writing in the young adult genre with paranormal romance.

Young adult fiction has gained so much popularity, it's easy to think of it as its own category; its own genre; but yet, it is still an audience not a category.

So ... you're writing fiction. 
In what genre are you writing?
;)

Happy or UNhappy Valentine's Day

Well ... there seems to be two types of people in the world:
1. People who LOVE Valentine's Day
2. People who hate Valentine's Day

Commercialism aside, I fall more into the "love" category. Whether you're in a relationship or not, let's use the day to spread love and happiness! :) And besides, Valentine's Day provides a valid excuse to eat chocolate.

So HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

Book Review: ETHEL MERMAN, MOTHER TERESA ... AND ME

Ethel Merman, Mother Teresa...and Me: My Improbable Journey from Châteaux in France to the Slums of Calcutta by Tony Cointreau

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I thoroughly enjoyed this book! And I highly recommend it to: anyone in a book club (great discussion opportunities within), anyone who is a fan of Ethel Merman or Mother Teresa, anyone who is poor wishing they were rich, anyone who wishes they were loved more as a child, anyone who wants to serve and love others … to anyone: I recommend this book.

This memoir is beautifully written. It is captivating, heart-breaking, haunting, and inspiring.

I honestly had no idea who Tony Cointreau was when this book was offered to me for review, but the title caught me: Ethel Merman, Mother Teresa … And Me

I wanted to know how Ethel Merman and Mother Teresa could share the title of a book. I wanted to know the details of that story.

And an interesting story it is.

It’s about a boy of financial privilege who learns that money, in fact, cannot bring true joy or love into your life. However, championing people in their most vulnerable moments with generosity and kindness … can … and does bring true joy and love into not only your life, but also the lives of others.

Not everyone is able to learn this, and this memoir is peppered with so many suicides of Tony’s friends, acquaintances, and relatives that I lost count of how many lives were lost as a direct result of sadness.

On page two he describes the privileges his mother enjoyed. “Even when she went for a stroll, the chauffeur followed her slowly with the car, in case she tired.” And then later, even after all of his self-enlightenment, Tony writes on page 203, “I felt quite ecstatic about flying first class halfway around the world, landing in a marble palace, and preparing to offer my services to the poorest of the poor dying in Nirmal Hriday—“Home of the Pure Heart.” What’s wrong with this picture? Maybe nothing. I certainly believe my motives were pure. Until then I had only known first class, marble palaces, and high tea, so it seemed perfectly natural to be staying in that environment, without realizing the irony of the situation.” But as Mother Teresa so clearly told Tony later, “… even the rich are hungry for love, for being cared for, for being wanted, for having someone to call their own …” (page 243).

That’s the truth of this memoir: we all want to be loved and wanted for who we are.

However, there is even more to this memoir. There is so much rich history and emotional story telling. I gasped and cried more than once.

On page 23, Tony writes of his maternal grandmother, “… she had been on the streets of Paris with her two children when a German aeroplane overhead dropped a bomb that exploded on the sidewalk in front of her, killing two women.”

And then on page 36 he writes of his paternal grandparents, who had left their chateau when the Germans occupied it, finally returning to their home. “The next morning when my grandparents entered the gates they were elated to see dozens of American soldiers asleep in the fields next to the house. They approached to greet the men with open arms before they realized that they were all dead.”

In addition to personalizing the details of war and history, Tony also addresses tough topics such as sexual abuse and homosexuality.

If you are someone who has not come to terms with the fact that child abuse exists and influences lives in very deep ways, you may not want to read this book, or you may just want to skip the mere three and a half pages in the chapter titled “My Annus Horribilis” where the author acknowledges his own personal horror that happened to him as a child. I hate reading and thinking about it, but the author did a great job of presenting the facts of what happened without going on and on in unnecessary details. He also did a great job of presenting his feelings about being gay without going into unnecessary details. I respect the fact that he has been on a lifelong search for love, peace, and happiness. We all have to choose our own paths as we search for these things in our own lives.

So what do Ethel Merman and Mother Teresa have in common? According to Tony, they both laughed, and they both made you feel like you were the only person in the world who mattered. They genuinely shared love.

As Mother Teresa is quoted on page 213, “If we look around us we will surely find someone in need. We needn’t go halfway around the world to be of service. There are people everywhere starving for our love.”

And on page 243, Mother Teresa is quoted again, “Be kind, show kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile. … To all who suffer and are lonely, give always a happy smile.”




View all my reviews

A to Z Challenge

That's right! The annual A to Z Challenge is just around the corner! It's a fun way to make new friends in the mighty blogosphere! :)

Even though the challenge doesn't begin until April, people are already signing up for the event. I signed up Sunday night, and I'm #631 on the list.

Check out the details at: a-to-z-challenge-sign-uplist-2014

And join the chaos fun!

Darkly Delcious YA

If you're not already following the Darkly Delicious Young Adult blog ... what are you waiting for?

Check out this behind-the-scenes post I wrote for the blog about creating book covers:
http://darklydeliciousya.blogspot.com/2014/02/dishing-secrets-about-margo-kellys-cover.html

What is one of your favorite book covers?

Have a great weekend!

Brianne Johnson is a Rock Star ... Just Sayin'

What's better than getting an envelope in the mail from your agent?

Well ... getting an envelope with a mustache sticker and smiley face ... of course!

 

 

I'm telling you ... Brianne Johnson is a rock star.

 

................

 

 

And today is:

 

 

My advice for today? Hang in there. Keep writing. Keep editing. Keep plugging along toward your goals. Because the mustachioed envelope makes it all worthwhile. ;)

 

That is all.

 

Go write something good today (or write something bad and then edit it tomorrow).

 

A Quote for Inspiration

 

“To write a breakout novel is to run free of the pack. It is to delve deeper, think harder, revise more, and commit to creating characters and plot that surpass one’s previous accomplishments. It is to say “no” to merely being good enough to be published. It is a commitment to quality” – Donald Maass (Writing the Breakout Novel, p.12).

Do you have a favorite writing quote to share?