I am about to start revising the current draft of CIRCUS, based on the excellent feedback from beta readers and my in-person writing group. So of course rather than actually revising, I am here talking about revising. You can call it “pre-revision preparation”, or you can just call it procrastination.
Archive for July, 2009
Diversity
There’s a lot of talk going on right now in the online writing and reading community about the issue of diversity in fiction, specifically related to book covers. The trigger point for the current discussion is the US cover of Justine Larbalestier’s LIAR. The protagonist of LIAR describes herself as black, with hair short enough she can pass for a boy. The cover shows a white girl with long straight hair. Justine writes eloquently about the situation in her own blog here (The short version: She fought against the cover. She lost). There is a response from the publisher in this article at Publishers Weekly.
I am horrified, as a writer, imagining what it would feel like to have a book that I poured my heart into becoming associated with such negativity and outrage, all because of its cover: something that writers have almost no control over. I am sad, as a reader, because I was looking forward to reading LIAR and I want to support the author, but I also don’t want to help perpetuate the belief that this kind of thing is okay (I am hoping they change the cover for the paperback; or there’s the Australian version which has a graphic text cover). I am angry, thinking about all the readers out there who want to see people like themselves on covers, who are losing this chance (as they have lost many others) because of fear. And I am disappointed in myself, that I haven’t done more, before this, to try to make a difference.
I like to focus on the positive, so that’s where I am going from here. I’ve been following along with some of the regular CORA Diversity Roll Calls headed up by the Color Online blog, and I particularly like their recent challenge for August.
So, I am going to dedicate August to reading more books written by and/or about people of color. I stopped by the library yesterday and picked up a few (and noted, happily, that at least two of them were on display, face out on top of the stacks). And I am going to try to continue to seek out more diverse books in the months and years to come, and I am going to talk about them. I encourage every reader out there to do the same — and not only for diversity of color. It’s easy to hunker down in one little corner of the written world (like, say, MG/YA fantasy, if you are me!) and read only what is familiar. But there are so many wonderful books out there in all genres, at all reading levels (and non-fiction too!). So challenge yourself to try something new!
Debut 2009 Blog Tour: Cynthea Liu
Today I’m happy to welcome Cynthea Liu to my blog, to answer a few questions about her second novel Paris Pan Takes the Dare. Cynthea stopped by a few months ago to talk about her first debut novel, The Great Call of China. Yes, that’s right, she has two novels out this year! And that’s in addition to helping hundreds of other aspiring writers through her website, managing a family, AND running a hugely successful fundraiser (involving dozens of authors, agents and editors) for a school in financial need. I haven’t read Paris Pan yet, but it sounds like such a fun (and spooky) book.
Q: Tell us about a scene or character from your novel that was especially easy (or especially difficult) to write.
A: The most difficult scene to write was the phone call scene involving Paris Pan, Tom’s mother, and Tom. It was soooo hard because not only did I have to deal with the dialogue of multiple characters, but I also had to deal with an interruption and an ending to that scene that involved a lot of emotion. I probably rewrote that thing a dozen times. And even now, I’m afraid to re-read it. I might find more things to fix!
Q: What is your favorite (or one of your favorite) myths or fairy-tales, and why? Or alternately, what fairy-tale or myth do you dislike, and why?
A: I remember loving Cinderella quite a bit as a kid. I’ve always gravitated toward stories featuring impoverished main characters who come out big in the end. I think that has a lot to do with how I felt I stood among my peers as a kid. I never got the dance lessons or the Cabbage Patch Kid (so I just called them “ugly instead), or the birthday parties thrown in my honor.
Though don’t get me wrong, my childhood was pretty darn good. (See the movie at http://www.cynthealiu.com/movie). But I do have an affinity for underdogs!
Q: So, what has been the most exciting part of selling your book(s) and getting published so far?
A: So far? The launch party for PARIS PAN called Take the Dare: Show You Care has been the highlight of my entire writing career. We raised $15,000 for a Title I school in Oklahoma. So many people came out to support the book and the cause, and I know now, that PARIS PAN has done good, and that has nothing to do with sales figures. Getting interview for the Chicago Sun-Times was also pretty cool, for sure. And when I learned that PARIS PAN was pitched to Hollywood, I kinda went into a coma of joy. All good things. But yeah, the launch party. I’ll never forget it. And btw, it’s still going on for latecomers who want to donate books or $$$ to Tulakes Elementary. Learn how to double your money at http://www.cynthealiu.com/showyoucare!
Debut 2009 Blog Tour: Cyn Balog
Today I’m happy to welcome Cyn Balog to my blog, to answer a few questions about her recently released debut novel Fairy Tale. I haven’t gotten my hands on a copy of this yet, but it is on my list, both because it involves fairies, and because the main character tells fortunes. And check out the cover! Sparkly!
Q: Tell us about a scene or character from your novel that was especially easy (or especially difficult) to write.
A: Cam was really easy to write because he covers all his difficult emotions with snappy one-liners. My Irish dad is that way, too… all I had to do when it came time to insert dialogue from him is think of something my dad would say!
Q: What is your favorite (or one of your favorite) myths or fairy-tales, and why? Or alternately, what fairy-tale or myth do you dislike, and why?
A: I love Cinderella because I had a very similar name growing up, so people called me Cinderella. But I never did like Jack and the Beanstalk. In the versions I’ve read, it never says how the giant came upon his money. And Jack intrudes and steals money and lives happily ever after… but hello!? He’s a thief. The giant had every right to run after him and then he gets killed. Boo.
Q: So, what has been the most exciting part of selling your book(s) and getting published so far?
A: Probably having people go, “You do?” when I tell them I have a book coming out, and then acting all starry-eyed, like I am some sort of celebrity. Which I am totally not, but shhh.
Geeky Tidbits
There are certain things that will automatically make me want to at least pick up a book. Kind of the same way I will always order creme brulee if it’s on the menu. Here are a few:
- It has to do with the geeky things I love: comics, LARP, fandom (see: Into the Wild Nerd Yonder by Julie Halpern and the recent Geektastic collection)
- It appears to make math cool in some way (bonus points if it involves geometry!) (see: The Midnighters series by Scott Westerfeld)
- It involves whales or dolphins (see: Deep Wizardry by Diane Duane)
- It involves ancient Egypt (see: Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos by R. L. Lafevers)
- Any sort of Jane Austen reference (see: Scones and Sensibility by Lindsay Eland)
What about you guys? What elements will make you pick up a book automatically?
I am so eager to read Geektastic that I even went and entered an online contest to get a copy since my library does not have it and I am on a restricted book-buying budget at present (I will admit that entering the contest is sort of cheating since the restriction is less about money and more about the ridiculous size of my to-read pile). If any of you are interested, there are actually two contests going on now: one at Bookluver-Carol’s Review Site and one at Carrie’s YA Bookshelf (both very fine sources for book reviews, by the way).
And because I have no better place to put this, check out this nifty artwork of a Steampunk Dragon from one of my daily reads, the Children’s/Fantasy Illustrations blog (this is another of my recent favorites from the same site; I love how the falling leaves kind of morph into fairies in my mind…).
State of the Writer
I’m currently enjoying a “refilling the well” episode, while the folks who volunteered to read my CIRCUS GALACTICUS draft do so. I’ve been reading, mostly, and puttering around with several different ideas for new projects.
I also received the page proofs for PRUNELLA, which I’ve now gone over. This was one of those times when it was a bit hard for me to re-read the book for the umpteenth time. It wasn’t that I disliked it, but I really wanted to be working on something new (aka CIRCUS). Thankfully I made myself do it, though, as I found a handful of typos that would have embarrassed me if they made it to the final book! So I am calling that a victory!
My reward is that I’ve printed out the draft of CIRCUS and will be diving back into that soon. I’m really (unusually) excited! It may just be a weirdly long-lasting writer’s high, but I feel like I reached a different sort of level with CIRCUS than I have with my previous books. With FF, the action centered very much around a single driving plot and small set of characters. With PRUNELLA, the world got richer, but the story still focuses very much on the two main characters.
Then in CIRCUS the world kind of exploded with details and for the first time I found myself tempted to write little vignettes about what the side characters are doing when they are “off screen”. I want to keep exploring the lives of my characters and their world. In some way, the book just feels “bigger” in my brain. Sometimes it can be easy to get so wrapped up in worrying about marketability and second-guessing yourself that you lose the part of writing that is fun. But CIRCUS was really, really fun for me to work on. Hopefully that means it will be fun for other people too.
Oh, and last but not least, I spent an excellent evening earlier this week talking with some of the students in the Upward Bound program at the University of Maine at Farmington. It seems like an excellent program (to assist promising kids in preparing for college) and both the students and the staff were great. I mostly talked about my “journey to publication”, complete with props. But then during BOTH question and answer sessions, I got a question I hadn’t expected: a request to read a little of the book. OUT LOUD. Yes, in front of real people.
I had (somewhat stupidly) never thought to practice for such an occasion, but I think it went reasonably well. I didn’t fall over or cluck like a chicken, and I tried to keep it lively. Thankfully there were no recordings so I can happily imagine it was a stunning performance without proof to the contrary. But I guess I had better start practicing!
Recent Reads
I’ve been meaning to post here about three YA or MG fantasy books released in the past few months that I have loved, now that they are all finally available. I’ve read a lot of excellent books lately but these three just particularly appeal to my tastes for lovely writing, excellent characters, and engaging and innovative plots. It doesn’t hurt that all three authors (who are fellow debuts of 2009) are very cool, funny, and generous people and thus I am very pleased to be able to recommend their books! (All blurbs taken from Goodreads.)
FAERY REBELS: SPELL HUNTER by R. J. Anderson
(released as KNIFE in the U.K.)
As the Faery Queen’s appointed Hunter, Knife alone has the courage and skill to fight the crows and other predators who threaten the Oakenfolk’s survival. Yet neither she nor the Queen can do anything to stop a mysterious magical disease from claiming the faeries of the Oak one by one.
But there are humans at the bottom of the garden, and a glimpse inside their House convinces Knife that they have powers and knowledge that could help her people. Still, if the human world has so much to offer, why is the Queen determined to keep the faeries away from it? Is there a connection between the House and the Oakenfolk’s loss of magic? And why is Knife so drawn to the young Paul McCormick — that strangest of creatures, a human male?
Knife determines to learn the truth about the Oakenfolk’s relationship to humanity, no matter what the Queen might do to prevent her — a quest which threatens the growing friendship between herself and Paul, puts both their lives in jeopardy, and challenges everything Knife has ever believed about humans, faeries, and her own heart’s desire. And when at last Knife discovers the secret the Faery Queen has been hiding, she is forced to make an agonizing choice between love and freedom that will change her life, and the lives of her people, forever.
My thoughts (also posted on Goodreads):
I found lots of things in this marvelous book: a compelling adventure, a nuanced world, and engaging mystery, and a sweet and occasionally heart-breaking romance. Most of all I found two characters to love: Bryony (later Knife) the faery, and Paul, the young human who becomes her friend.
I loved seeing the worlds of both faeries and humans through Knife’s eyes. I read eagerly as she pieces together the clues to understand the deadly affliction upon her own people, and struggles to understand the role humans play in it. The relationship between Knife and Paul is one of my favorites in recent readings: honest, true, joyful and wrenching by turns.
Although this book was satisfying and does feel like a full and complete story, I still cannot wait for the sequel! I want more Knife and Paul!
Buy it at your local indie bookseller. Visit R.J.’s website.
THE DEMON’S LEXICON by Sarah Rees Brennan
Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick’s mother stole — a charm that keeps her alive — and they want it badly enough to kill again.
Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon’s mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase…and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is des-perate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long.
Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians’ Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.
My thoughts (also posted on Goodreads):
I had very high expectations for this book, founded almost entirely on Sarah Rees Brennan’s bewitching livejournal posts. I am happy to say that THE DEMON’S LEXICON delivered on every level. I adored the snappy, witty banter and the excitement of the twisty plot. About halfway through I started suspecting a particular plot point and then I HAD TO KNOW if I was right and whooshed through the rest of it to the end. But my absolute favorite aspect of the book are the characters of Nick and Alan. This book may be told from the point-of-view of an apparent sociopath, but it has one of the deepest hearts of any book I’ve read lately. In fact, I found it more affecting emotionally than most of the romances I’ve read!
I will certainly be looking for the sequel!
Buy it at your local indie bookseller. Visit Sarah’s website.
EYES LIKE STARS by Lisa Mantchev
All her world’s a stage.
Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater.
She is not an orphan, but she has no parents.
She knows every part, but has no lines of her own.
Until now.
Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every place ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book—an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family—and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known.
My thoughts (also on Goodreads):
This is the sort of book that I love to dive into and just revel in. It’s got a brilliant, unusual, magical, enchanting setting and a strong, funny, active heroine. Bertie is a vivid character (and not just because of her Cobalt Flame hair). I love that she lives with such passion, that she has both strengths and flaws, and that she goes out there an makes things happen (though they may not always go the way she plans). And perhaps more than anything, I loved the Theatre Illuminata itself as a concept: this magical place where all plays (and all players) meet, where you summon a scene change to the Turkish Baths if you need to wash up, and where sound effects and lighting specials cue the mood.
As I was reading I was taking note of all the little turns of phrase and quips and things that spark out at me from the text. And after awhile I started to lose track because there were just so many of them. It was a real treat to read and savor.
Also, it has lovely, lovely food descriptions. I must admit that tasty food descriptions are one of those things that will always make me approve of a book. Even now I am craving buttered toast and French pastries and turkey with gravy. Not to mention a sip of Alice’s Drink Me bottle.
I am already anticipating Book 2. Many mysteries were resolved in Book 1, but there’s obviously a lot more to be discovered about Bertie, her friends, and the Theater itself. I am looking forward to finding it out!
Buy it at your local indie bookseller. Visit Lisa’s website.
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So there you have it! Go forth and read! And if these books sound like your thing, keep an eye on my blog as you just might get a chance to win one of them here in a little while…
Endings
There’s an interesting discussion going on over at The Five Randoms on book endings.
Some of my (quite random) thoughts, reposted here:
I do think good endings are very important — a good beginning will make me keep reading a book, but a bad ending will definitely spoil my experience of an otherwise good book, like a terrible dessert at the end of a delicious dinner.
I am a sap so I do enjoy a good, well-deserved happy ending. But I don’t need one to be satisfied by a book – I loved the ending of THE TIME-TRAVELER’S WIFE (it made me cry, one of only three books to do so that don’t feature sad things happening to dogs). I particularly love it when the main character doesn’t get exactly what she/he started the book wanting, but realizes that what they do end up with is better, even if it’s bittersweet.
There’s also the issue of unresolved plot threads, whether in a series, or not. I know some folks have been less than thrilled with the ending to THE HUNGER GAMES due to certain aspects of the story being unresolved, but I actually quite liked it. I felt the issues I cared most about were resolved, and the other issues were left in a state that felt fair to me, given the actions and nature of the main character. But as in much about writing, it really does vary from book to book and reader to reader.
One type of ending that I encounter regularly in my favorite genre (fantasy) that I think is often mishandled is “the big magical shebang” where some giant spell goes off, or some portal opens, or some otherwise large-scale magical event occurs and everything gets resolved against a fantastical lightshow backdrop. These can be well-done (and I must admit I have one of these at the end of my second book) but a lot of the time I feel sort of like the author got too overwhelmed and just decided to throw in a bunch of FX to distract the reader from the actual plot resolution.
I am a sucker for books where the ending somehow reflects or resonates with the beginning, either physically (characters return to the same location) or thematically (the questions/issues posed in the opening paragraph) or both. So that you could hold up the first paragraph, and the last paragraph, and sort of see the entire book captured there. This is something I aim for in my own books.
And lastly, one thing that will make me want to throw a book across the room is when a character is killed off at the end and I feel like it’s only being done because the author wants to show the reader that “things are serious” (this rule applies to TV and movies too, Joss Whedon). I can understand that desire, but it generally just feels like cheating to me.
What about you guys? How do you feel about endings? What do you look for, and what turns you off? What are some of your favorite endings?
Pushing Yourself
I’ve been doodling around with ideas for the next book, while CIRCUS GALACTICUS is off with a few brave readers. I’m generally never short on kernel ideas for books, but the last few years especially have taught me that “cool idea” does not equal “book I should start writing NOW”. The thing I really need is “cool idea + fully-fleshed character”. So I’m trying to be aware of that.
But another thing I’ve been thinking about is how I can push myself with this next project. What do I want to do better? Are there new things I want to attempt?
Here are some of mine:
1) Third-person POV. I used to write in this all the time, but lately I’ve been using first for everything. When I try third, it feels sort of like playing the piano — I haven’t played since I was 12 and I am rusty. But I know it is possible to pull out beautiful music, if only I put in the time to practice.
2) Beautiful prose. I adore beautiful prose. Reading a book where you want to say lines over and over because they are so striking and evocative and lovely. I still value plot and character first and foremost, but I still aspire to crafting writing that sings.
3) Emotion. I hardly ever cry reading books (last time was THE TIME-TRAVELER’S WIFE, unless you count books where sad things happen to dogs, which always get me sniffly). But I love it when they do, and when I feel the love and pain and joy of the characters so sharply it makes me sit up and gasp. I would love to write the sort of compelling romance (or other deep emotional relationship) that I look for as a reader.
4) Complex mystery. I love twisty-turny plots with hidden layers and unexpected reveals that make you smack your head because they make perfect sense but you never expected them. Books where you go back and re-read for more details, to see all the cool bits you missed.
What about you guys? What sort of things do you want to push yourself toward as a writer (or any other sort of artist)?
