I have a theory that people are not just visual/tactile/aural learners, but sensory scare-ers as well. It takes incredibly little for film or TV to terrify me. For example: I am afraid of clowns because of an episode of 21 Jump Street I saw as a child (it was scary, okay!); I can't look at wood chips without freaking out thanks to Fargo. I understand those aren't even horror movies/TV: I don't have many examples for those because other than zombie stuff, I can't watch it anymore. I'm still healing the scars from The Blair Witch Project and Silence of the Lambs. If I were to watch Paranormal Activity, I would never ever ever ever sleep again.
Yet it takes a lot to scare me in print. As a kid, friends would warn me that particular Nancy Drew mysteries needed to be read with the light on, or that Goosebumps was going to give me nightmares. Sorry, but nope. As much as I am a trembling wuss with scary movies, I am brave about horror books. Most are met with a meh.
One exception: this Horacio Quiroga story, "The Feather Pillow," though, deeply freaked me out the first time I read it back in the day in Spanish class. And it still freaks me out, even though I've read it many times. Warning: if you are a fiction scarer, you might never be able to rest your head easy again, after reading this one.
Happy Halloween! Which stories scare you?
Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
FBC: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
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| Many thanks to Tracey Neithercott for organizing this! |
It's time to discuss the Fall Book Club's second read! Go here for Tracey's post and the blog hop. And here for my post on our first read, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. This month, we read Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
From Goodreads:
Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.
In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.
And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.
Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.
When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?
I will now admit to some hesitancy/trepidation about this month's read. I'm not a big reader of fantasy (although the fantasy I have read I've mostly liked). I was worried that I wouldn't like the book, even though the Prague setting sounded great, I loved the evocative title, and the cover was all kinds of gorgeous.
I WAS SO WRONG!
This is the book that makes me no longer a reluctant fantasy reader. I liked it so much that I'm having performance anxiety about writing a review for it. So here's a freeform list of all that I loveloveloved about this book [Warning: spoilerishness abounds]:
Language: Laini Taylor writes beautiful, poetic prose. Every word is perfectly chosen, and her use of language is so creative.
Names: Karou, Kishmish, Madrigal, Chiro, Brimstone, Zuzana, Issa, Kaz. I love how the names relate to English words, some to mythology, and some are just alliterative and cool. Also, Karou = hope: did anyone else think of "hope is the thing with feathers," especially with her bird-like head tilts, ability to fly, and wings?
Love: Veronica Roth had a great post earlier this week on the problems of InstaLove. DoSB was a study in InstaLove that works--both for Akiva and Karou, and Akiva and Madrigal. Man. Those were some kissing scenes.
Setting: I fell in love with Prague while reading this book. Deeply in love. Why didn't I visit my sister when she lived there? WHY? Elsewhere I fell less in love with, but that's probably because Prague was described in greater detail. And also, I'm a contemporary/realistic reader at heart.
Characters: Karou is a fantastic character. She's vulnerable (Be that cat!) but brave and tough, freespirited but pragmatic, loyal but independent.
My sole complaint: cliffhanger ending. Although the conclusion was satisfying, I now have to wait to find out what became of Karou's family, and what will happen with her and Akiva's love story. If I had some scuppies (or maybe a gavriel, because I'm guessing scuppies aren't enough) I'd wish for a copy of the next book, now.
What did you think of Daughter of Smoke and Bone? Were you as smitten as I?
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
RTW: Best Book of October
Road Trip Wednesday is a weekly blog carnival hosted by YA Highway. This week's topic is: What was the best book you read in October?
If I was a slow reader last month, then in October I've been glacial. I read:
Prep
The Marriage Plot
Forest for the Trees* *Started reading, love it, but put it on hold to read this month's Fall Book Club selection.
and right now I'm reading obsessing over Daughter of Smoke and Bone. (More on that this Friday)
I'm copping out and not playing favorites with Prep and The Marriage Plot. Both are wonderful books. Lee is one of my favorite protagonists of all time--which might be almost narcissistic to say, because I saw so much of my teenage self in her. I was that observant, totally-obsessed-with-what-other-people-think-of-me girl! Other thoughts on Prep are in this post.
And The Marriage Plot--I had sky-high expectations for this book, and it met them. It's a college novel, a love triangle, and a story of journeys geographical and intellectual. From Goodreads:
It’s the early 1980s—the country is in a deep recession, and life after college is harder than ever. In the cafés on College Hill, the wised-up kids are inhaling Derrida and listening to Talking Heads. But Madeleine Hanna, dutiful English major, is writing her senior thesis on Jane Austen and George Eliot, purveyors of the marriage plot that lies at the heart of the greatest English novels.
Have I mentioned that I studied literature in grad school? And that everyone else in my department was obsessed with literary theory (and Derrida) and I just wanted to focus on, you know, narratives? I told someone at a department wine-and-cheese party once that I loved browsing the paperback displays at Borders (RIP). My classmate looked at me like I had three heads--there was no room for contemporary or commercial fiction in our program.
Anyway, that's why passages like this sold me on The Marriage Plot:
"What exquisite guilt she felt, wickedly enjoying narrative! Madeleine felt safe with a nineteenth century novel. There were going to be people in it. Something was going to happen to them in a place resembling the world."
What have you read and loved this month?
If I was a slow reader last month, then in October I've been glacial. I read:
Prep
The Marriage Plot
Forest for the Trees* *Started reading, love it, but put it on hold to read this month's Fall Book Club selection.
and right now I'm reading obsessing over Daughter of Smoke and Bone. (More on that this Friday)
I'm copping out and not playing favorites with Prep and The Marriage Plot. Both are wonderful books. Lee is one of my favorite protagonists of all time--which might be almost narcissistic to say, because I saw so much of my teenage self in her. I was that observant, totally-obsessed-with-what-other-people-think-of-me girl! Other thoughts on Prep are in this post.
And The Marriage Plot--I had sky-high expectations for this book, and it met them. It's a college novel, a love triangle, and a story of journeys geographical and intellectual. From Goodreads:
It’s the early 1980s—the country is in a deep recession, and life after college is harder than ever. In the cafés on College Hill, the wised-up kids are inhaling Derrida and listening to Talking Heads. But Madeleine Hanna, dutiful English major, is writing her senior thesis on Jane Austen and George Eliot, purveyors of the marriage plot that lies at the heart of the greatest English novels.
Have I mentioned that I studied literature in grad school? And that everyone else in my department was obsessed with literary theory (and Derrida) and I just wanted to focus on, you know, narratives? I told someone at a department wine-and-cheese party once that I loved browsing the paperback displays at Borders (RIP). My classmate looked at me like I had three heads--there was no room for contemporary or commercial fiction in our program.Anyway, that's why passages like this sold me on The Marriage Plot:
"What exquisite guilt she felt, wickedly enjoying narrative! Madeleine felt safe with a nineteenth century novel. There were going to be people in it. Something was going to happen to them in a place resembling the world."
What have you read and loved this month?
Monday, October 24, 2011
Strange Day(Job)s
I've had a lot of jobs. Dandelion picker (that's right--I got paid to pull those suckers out of yards in my neighborhood), baby- and pet-wrangler, "function person" (aka girl in the back who wields a steamer) at The Limited, shoe-seller (at a shoe store that was going out of business--we only had women's size 11 shoes left, so I spent most of my time in the stockroom playing soccer with empty boxes), frozen-custard maker, photo developer, ticket seller, dorm front-desk monitor, book seller, hostess, street-corner gym pass hander-outer, indexer, tutor, focus group opinion-giver, paralegal, freelance writer, copy editor, and editor.
(The copy editor in me is unhappy with my inconsistent use of hyphens. But she's retired, so whatever.)
Maybe only three of those directly relate to my career in educational publishing. Yet all of them have influenced the fiction I write. A colorful work history is a valuable thing for someone who likes to make stuff up: because of the people you meet and the experiences you have while working. That's not to say I've written a Roman à clef; it's that the working world is a gold mine for observing human behavior. I have vivid memories of random customers, strange tasks, and beloved (or loathed) coworkers. Sometimes bits of those memories find their way into my writing.
There's a long history of writers with strange day jobs. Flavorwire has a comprehensive slideshow. Here are some of my favorite "before they were famous" writers at work:
Writer friends: What have some of your day jobs been (or are)?
(The copy editor in me is unhappy with my inconsistent use of hyphens. But she's retired, so whatever.)
Maybe only three of those directly relate to my career in educational publishing. Yet all of them have influenced the fiction I write. A colorful work history is a valuable thing for someone who likes to make stuff up: because of the people you meet and the experiences you have while working. That's not to say I've written a Roman à clef; it's that the working world is a gold mine for observing human behavior. I have vivid memories of random customers, strange tasks, and beloved (or loathed) coworkers. Sometimes bits of those memories find their way into my writing.
There's a long history of writers with strange day jobs. Flavorwire has a comprehensive slideshow. Here are some of my favorite "before they were famous" writers at work:
- J. D. Salinger was entertainment director on a Swedish cruise ship. Seriously.
- Harper Lee was an airline clerk.
- Kurt Vonnegut managed a car dealership.
- John Steinbeck ran a fish hatchery.
- J. K. Rowling was a bilingual secretary for Amnesty International.
- William Faulkner was a postmaster.
- Robert Frost changed light bulbs [insert joke about "How many poets does it take to screw in . . ."].
- Jack London was an oyster pirate (??) and a gold prospector.
- Sarah Dessen waitressed.
- William Carlos Williams was a doctor, and continued to practice medicine while writing.
- Nicholas Sparks sold dental products over the phone.
- James Joyce sang for his supper. Literally--he was a tenor.
- Steven King was a janitor.
- Meg Cabot was a dorm manager at NYU.
Writer friends: What have some of your day jobs been (or are)?
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
RTW: License to Tell
Road Trip Wednesday is a weekly blog carnival hosted by YA Highway. This week's topic is: What's your numero-uno reason for writing?
I read the prompt and immediately thought it was a simple--no, easy--question to blog about. And then I started to formulate my answer, and I realized that it's not. It's really hard to explain why I write. Particularly because writing is hard work. An answer like "Because I love telling stories and I have so many I want to tell" doesn't explain how I get past writer's block, first-draft ennui, or tackling notes on a MS.
I write because I like the process and I love the promise. The promise of making something out of random ideas. The promise of falling in love with my characters. The promise of sharing my work with other people, in whatever form that takes. But most of all, the promise of creative freedom.
When I was in elementary school, a poet visited my class. (I wish I remember who she was.) She taught us about the concept of poetic license, and how when you're writing a poem, you can use words however you want. Verbs as nouns, nouns as sounds, nonsense words as meaningful. The poet has total creative freedom and license to do whatever. Poetic license seemed like the greatest thing in the world to me. No rules, total creativity. The people who get to play like that were the luckiest.
Of course I did start trying to use poetic license in my regular schoolwork, and that didn't always go over so well. I figured out not everybody, all the time, can play with words.
I think I started writing because I wanted to get to play like that and have a space where I had no rules, total creativity. And I do feel like the luckiest now, when I'm working on a story.
I read the prompt and immediately thought it was a simple--no, easy--question to blog about. And then I started to formulate my answer, and I realized that it's not. It's really hard to explain why I write. Particularly because writing is hard work. An answer like "Because I love telling stories and I have so many I want to tell" doesn't explain how I get past writer's block, first-draft ennui, or tackling notes on a MS.
I write because I like the process and I love the promise. The promise of making something out of random ideas. The promise of falling in love with my characters. The promise of sharing my work with other people, in whatever form that takes. But most of all, the promise of creative freedom.
When I was in elementary school, a poet visited my class. (I wish I remember who she was.) She taught us about the concept of poetic license, and how when you're writing a poem, you can use words however you want. Verbs as nouns, nouns as sounds, nonsense words as meaningful. The poet has total creative freedom and license to do whatever. Poetic license seemed like the greatest thing in the world to me. No rules, total creativity. The people who get to play like that were the luckiest.
Of course I did start trying to use poetic license in my regular schoolwork, and that didn't always go over so well. I figured out not everybody, all the time, can play with words.
I think I started writing because I wanted to get to play like that and have a space where I had no rules, total creativity. And I do feel like the luckiest now, when I'm working on a story.
Monday, October 17, 2011
It's Teen Read Week!
Happy Teen Read Week!
Since 1998, Teen Read Week has been an initiative of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Libraries around the world celebrate with special programming, events, and free reading materials to encourage teens to read for fun. 2011's spokesperson is Jay Asher, and he's judging the Photo Contest.
Is it 12:00 p.m. CST yet? Check out the winners of the 2011 Teen Top Ten. (Some of my recent faves are nominees: The Sky is Everywhere, Before I Fall, Mockingjay)
This year's theme is Picture It, which encourages teens to read graphic novels and other illustrated materials. I'm going to reread Sherman Alexie's The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, which features wonderful and hilarious art by Ellen Forney. (Also, my book club at work is discussing it this week.) My reading list is sorely lacking in graphic novels--do you have any to recommend?
Friday, October 14, 2011
Friday Fives: Picture Book Faves
I talk about YA and MG all the time, so I thought I'd share some of the picture books I loved as a kid. To spark my memories, I went over to Anita Silvey's Children's Book-A-Day Almanac. (I might be slightly obsessed with her site. I've rediscovered so many old favorites on it.) I've included links to her almanac entries about my faves.
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| I still use lyleish as a synonym for jealousy. (Link) |
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| I still think about this book every time I eat blueberries. (Link) |
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| This gorgeous book teaches important lessons about empathy. I still cry when I read it. (Link) |
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| I still quote lines from this at bed time. (Weird, I know.) (Link) |
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| All picky eaters still love this book, right? (Link) |
What are some of your favorite reads from childhood?
Thursday, October 13, 2011
See the USA, in a YA way
Flavorwire posted on 10 Literary Road Trips recently. I'd hop in a car and travel the path of the Grapes of Wrath, or float down the Mississippi to relive Huck Finn. (The Gilgamesh trip, eh, not so much.)
It made me think about what path(s) I'd take to follow my YA reading in real life. Here's an inefficient cross-country trip I'd take (Assuming that I'd won a gas card for life, or something. And also owned a car.):
Ashokan reservoir: Why not take a little detour before heading south and see where NYC gets its water? Travel + Leisure recently proclaimed the flooded towns of the Catskills as one of the World's Eeriest Abandoned Places (here). While gassing up in the Catskills, I'd watch out for the manipulations of Imaginary Girls's Ruby.
Appalachia, aka District 12: I get it that present day Appalachia does not equal District 12 of Panem. That doesn't mean that I don't want to see the place that inspired the Hunger Games setting.
Chicago: I didn't realize it until now, but Chicago and its wonderful burbs is quite the popular YA setting. Let's review some of the amazing books set in the Windy City and the surrounding area:
Divergent: a chilling dystopian Chicago that makes great use of the Loop's architecture and the El.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson: from Evanston to downtown. Major bonus points for scenes at the Hideout.
And Then Things Fall Apart: Set in the NW suburbs and a pitch-perfect slice of suburban Chicago life.
Crossing California: Not technically YA, but tells the story of teens living in the incredibly diverse Rogers Park neighborhood.
I'd take a couple Giordano's pies with me for the road.
Wyoming Badlands: Flyover country says who? I'd love a chance to linger in the land of wild winds and perhaps catch a glimpse of Mandarin Ramey from Like Mandarin.
Bay Area: Outside of San Francisco, I'd try to find Clover, CA or at least a town like it--one where The Sky Is Everywhere. Then I'd finish my journey by heading to San Francisco and following in the footsteps of Lola and [her] Boy Next Door (and Anna and St. Clair, too).
This is such an incomplete itinerary. What stops am I missing?
Pretty sure it's a sign you are officially old if you are familiar with the "See the USA in your Chevrolet" commercials/jingle.
It made me think about what path(s) I'd take to follow my YA reading in real life. Here's an inefficient cross-country trip I'd take (Assuming that I'd won a gas card for life, or something. And also owned a car.):
Ashokan reservoir: Why not take a little detour before heading south and see where NYC gets its water? Travel + Leisure recently proclaimed the flooded towns of the Catskills as one of the World's Eeriest Abandoned Places (here). While gassing up in the Catskills, I'd watch out for the manipulations of Imaginary Girls's Ruby.
Appalachia, aka District 12: I get it that present day Appalachia does not equal District 12 of Panem. That doesn't mean that I don't want to see the place that inspired the Hunger Games setting.
Chicago: I didn't realize it until now, but Chicago and its wonderful burbs is quite the popular YA setting. Let's review some of the amazing books set in the Windy City and the surrounding area:
Divergent: a chilling dystopian Chicago that makes great use of the Loop's architecture and the El.
Will Grayson, Will Grayson: from Evanston to downtown. Major bonus points for scenes at the Hideout.
And Then Things Fall Apart: Set in the NW suburbs and a pitch-perfect slice of suburban Chicago life.
Crossing California: Not technically YA, but tells the story of teens living in the incredibly diverse Rogers Park neighborhood.
I'd take a couple Giordano's pies with me for the road.
Wyoming Badlands: Flyover country says who? I'd love a chance to linger in the land of wild winds and perhaps catch a glimpse of Mandarin Ramey from Like Mandarin.
Bay Area: Outside of San Francisco, I'd try to find Clover, CA or at least a town like it--one where The Sky Is Everywhere. Then I'd finish my journey by heading to San Francisco and following in the footsteps of Lola and [her] Boy Next Door (and Anna and St. Clair, too).
This is such an incomplete itinerary. What stops am I missing?
Pretty sure it's a sign you are officially old if you are familiar with the "See the USA in your Chevrolet" commercials/jingle.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Greatest Hits, 2010-2011
A couple weeks ago, Katy Upperman gave me a blog award. Yay! Thanks, Katy. [Dear readers: please check out the links on her post, and the rest of her lovely blog. Katy's a wonderful writer and her blog is fantastic!]
And now I'm finally getting around to doing it. The deal with the 7X7 Award is to share seven past blog articles that fit the superlative given. I like that this award gives the awardee a chance to curate his/her blog and dust off some of the archives. So here goes:
Most Beautiful: I wouldn't describe many of my posts as beautiful; that's not really my blog-writing style. But based on sentiment: I like this ode to my sister, Beth. And this letter my past self wrote to Future Me.
Most Helpful: I don't blog about craft that much, but I've written a few posts with tips or tricks: Using Wordle to weed out words you overuse or Chunking your MS to revise it with less stress. Also, I think remembering that first drafts can be crappy is pretty helpful.
Most Popular: Of course the posts in which I mention Milli Vanilli and Mean Girls. Or the one in which I dressed up like a turkey.
Most Controversial: I happen to like Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Thanks to Google Analytics's information on keywords that lead people to my blog, I now know that I am the only person in the world who doesn't associate these terms with The Awakening: "why sucks so bad," "horrible book," "should be banned." Apparently other people really hate that book.
Most Surprisingly Successful: People really love posts on Bossypants. Which isn't surprising--Tina Fey is awesome--but this review got tons of hits. Same with my homage to a Fun Facts page from Beauty Queens.
Most Underrated: This post on what makes a writer was from my early days of blogging, so probably only my mom read it. (Hi, Mom!) It's still one of my favorite posts, partly because of the context around which it was written. (Writing-friend drama; I was sad.)
Most Prideworthy: Ironically, the one not on my blog. I wrote a letter for Dear Teen Me, and that's the first time I've guest posted anywhere. It was a little intimidating to reveal my teenage insecurities (as opposed to my characters') to the world, so I'm proud I did it. Also, this one on taking risks with words.
Since I'm late to pass this one along, consider yourselves all awarded the 7x7 if you want a chance to share your favorite posts. :)
Most Beautiful: I wouldn't describe many of my posts as beautiful; that's not really my blog-writing style. But based on sentiment: I like this ode to my sister, Beth. And this letter my past self wrote to Future Me.
Most Helpful: I don't blog about craft that much, but I've written a few posts with tips or tricks: Using Wordle to weed out words you overuse or Chunking your MS to revise it with less stress. Also, I think remembering that first drafts can be crappy is pretty helpful.
Most Popular: Of course the posts in which I mention Milli Vanilli and Mean Girls. Or the one in which I dressed up like a turkey.
Most Controversial: I happen to like Kate Chopin's The Awakening. Thanks to Google Analytics's information on keywords that lead people to my blog, I now know that I am the only person in the world who doesn't associate these terms with The Awakening: "why sucks so bad," "horrible book," "should be banned." Apparently other people really hate that book.
Most Surprisingly Successful: People really love posts on Bossypants. Which isn't surprising--Tina Fey is awesome--but this review got tons of hits. Same with my homage to a Fun Facts page from Beauty Queens.
Most Underrated: This post on what makes a writer was from my early days of blogging, so probably only my mom read it. (Hi, Mom!) It's still one of my favorite posts, partly because of the context around which it was written. (Writing-friend drama; I was sad.)
Most Prideworthy: Ironically, the one not on my blog. I wrote a letter for Dear Teen Me, and that's the first time I've guest posted anywhere. It was a little intimidating to reveal my teenage insecurities (as opposed to my characters') to the world, so I'm proud I did it. Also, this one on taking risks with words.
Since I'm late to pass this one along, consider yourselves all awarded the 7x7 if you want a chance to share your favorite posts. :)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Prep
This was another non-YA book that entered crossover territory. In the reader's guide*, Curtis Sittenfeld says, "[N]ot everyone picks up on the fact that the story is actually told from Lee's point of view when she's in her late twenties." She goes on to say that she personally dislikes most books from a child's POV. What's interesting is that although the narrative clearly is told from an adult POV, the adult Lee telling remembers with exacting detail what being 14 felt like--not just what happened, or the overarching feelings, but the minutiae of thoughts and insecurities and misapprehensions of a teen. For example:
"I didn't even play my music then, fearful that my taste in tapes might reveal something humiliating. I decided that I wanted to say to Sin-Jun, I like your skirt. But sometimes speaking is so hard! It's like standing still, then sprinting. I kept rehearsing the sentence in my head, examining it for flaws."(p. 233)
How many times did I have that exact same hesitancy in saying some (banal, noncontroversial) thing at that age? And somehow, as a twentysomething myself, I'd forgotten how simply complimenting someone could require ten minutes of parsing the words before I had the guts to say it. That's what made Prep so great, and so special: the smallest details of the experience of being a teen are there, along with the perspective of an adult on the other side.
And the title: a little Googling after I finished reading taught me that the original title for Prep was Cipher. I like that, perhaps even prefer it--serious Cipher fits the novel better, which is more of a character study of Lee than a setting study of an elite school. But Cipher positions the book differently than Prep. Would you rather pluck from a shelf a book about a cipher or the drama at a prep school? The marketing of the book, with the title Prep and a greater focus on the environment of the story, was clever and appealing, and certainly that lead to some of its much-deserved success.
*How much do I love it when the back of the book has a reader's guide with an author interview? A lot.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Firstdraftitis
I'm in that phase of writing a first draft in which my attitude toward the MS oscillates wildly from "I love this! This is the best thing I've ever worked on! Happy happy joy joy!" to "Oh my God. This is hideous. It is a huge, stinking, fly-covered pile of word crap. I feel like I need to wear a paper bag over my head while I sit here typing it. The shame, the shame."
When I'm feeling the latter, I start getting envious of Other Writers, who probably sit down to write and all the Disney woodland creatures gather round to sing merrily while the author speedily types perfect scenes. S/he probably even uses the QWERTY method.
I sit and peck at the keys and languish. Why does it have to be so hard for ME?
Well.
It's supposed to be hard.
I mean, if it wasn't hard--what's the point? Where would the (deep, not superficial) satisfaction come from? If it were easy--would it be as meaningful? Where would the joy of finishing a first draft or fourth revision come from?
I'm smart enough to know that nobody--not even Hemingway, not even Judy Blume, not even Jennifer Egan--sits down and writes great material on the first try. After all, it was Hemingway who famously said, "The first draft of anything is shit." (Phew)
I'm also dumb enough to think that it should feel different for me.
So. I pull out my craft books and lap up the chapters on sh!tty first drafts. (Thank you, Anne Lamott. Thank you, Uncle Stevie.) I find writing blogs where people tell me to tune out the self-doubt. I read first drafts of past projects and let the relief wash over me when I see how godawful and half-baked they once were, too. I remind myself that the things that might not be working--they don't have to work this round. Make a note of it. I wallpaper the area around my desk with post-its of what needs to be fixed and where. Then I move forward so the first revision can happen.
It's supposed to be hard. Hard = good.
Writer friends: How do you help yourself deal with firstdraftitis?
When I'm feeling the latter, I start getting envious of Other Writers, who probably sit down to write and all the Disney woodland creatures gather round to sing merrily while the author speedily types perfect scenes. S/he probably even uses the QWERTY method.
I sit and peck at the keys and languish. Why does it have to be so hard for ME?
Well.
It's supposed to be hard.
I mean, if it wasn't hard--what's the point? Where would the (deep, not superficial) satisfaction come from? If it were easy--would it be as meaningful? Where would the joy of finishing a first draft or fourth revision come from?
I'm smart enough to know that nobody--not even Hemingway, not even Judy Blume, not even Jennifer Egan--sits down and writes great material on the first try. After all, it was Hemingway who famously said, "The first draft of anything is shit." (Phew)
I'm also dumb enough to think that it should feel different for me.
So. I pull out my craft books and lap up the chapters on sh!tty first drafts. (Thank you, Anne Lamott. Thank you, Uncle Stevie.) I find writing blogs where people tell me to tune out the self-doubt. I read first drafts of past projects and let the relief wash over me when I see how godawful and half-baked they once were, too. I remind myself that the things that might not be working--they don't have to work this round. Make a note of it. I wallpaper the area around my desk with post-its of what needs to be fixed and where. Then I move forward so the first revision can happen.
It's supposed to be hard. Hard = good.
Writer friends: How do you help yourself deal with firstdraftitis?
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
RTW: Manic Pixie Dream Protagonists
Road Trip Wednesday is a weekly blog carnival hosted by YA Highway. This week's topic is: Which supporting character from a YA book would you most like to see star in his/her own novel?
All of the manic pixie dream girl archetypes: "usually static characters who have eccentric personality quirks and are unabashedly girlish," according to Wikipedia/Nathan Rabin. Think Zooey Deschanel as Summer in 500 Days of Summer, or Holly Golightly. These characters are charming and interesting, but do little to exist outside of how they interact with the (usually male) lead.
The label MPDG is a little controversial; it can be seen as a dig against characterization (or the lack thereof) or considered an undesirable cliche. I don't think any of the characters I'm about to mention are one-dimensional or particularly cliched. MPDGs are by definition supporting characters and don't do much other than affect the protagonists. It seems like most criticism discussing MPDGs focuses on female characters who are idolized by a (frequently nerdy) guy. But I think it's not always a dude who views a girl in the MPDG role: girls can idolize other girls as MPDGs, guys other guys, girls MPDGize guys, etc.
With these sorta MPDGs below: As supporting characters, not protagonists, it's understandable that they might not be as dynamic or multifaceted. Basically, I'm using the term broadly and not unfavorably. I love these characters and the roles they played in their books. But they were secondary characters, with the charms and quirks of a MPDG, and that's why I want them to get in the spotlight.
Estella from Great Expectations: Dude. Miss Havisham raised her. She's cold and manipulative (unlike most MPDGs), but still sympathetic. She struggles with her conflicting feelings: she was raised to break men's hearts, but she still cares about Pip. She comes into her own, finally, in the last scene of the novel. What did it take to get her there? I want to know her full story, through her own eyes--not Pip's.
Bailey from The Sky is Everywhere: We see how Lennie's life changes as a tragedy forces her to step out of her sister's shadow. We learn a lot about Bailey through Lennie's memories, and through surprising news that comes to light after Bailey is gone. (Am I being vague enough for you? I don't want to reveal to much about this amazing story.) Even though she's never there, Bailey is a magnetic presence in the book. Speaking of which, I wouldn't mind reading the life story of Lennie and Bailey's mom, too.
Alaska from Looking for Alaska: Alaska already is a vibrant and dynamic character in Looking for Alaska, but what the reader knows about her is filtered through Miles's perspective. I'd love to read about Alaska's life before Miles came into it. I'd imagine it would be hilarious, brilliant, a little crazy, and heartbreaking. (Side note: Interesting post from John Green about MPDG's here)
Tiny Cooper from Will Grayson, Will Grayson: Is Tiny Cooper is a bit of an MPDG? Barely. So why is he on this list? Because I appreciate him, and I think he should have operas and epic poems and odes and limericks written about him. I don't think Tiny would like being a supporting character much, right? He needs his own book. Please. (David Levithan and John Green, I am begging you.)
Any other MPDG types, male or female, you'd like to see as a protagonist?
All of the manic pixie dream girl archetypes: "usually static characters who have eccentric personality quirks and are unabashedly girlish," according to Wikipedia/Nathan Rabin. Think Zooey Deschanel as Summer in 500 Days of Summer, or Holly Golightly. These characters are charming and interesting, but do little to exist outside of how they interact with the (usually male) lead.
The label MPDG is a little controversial; it can be seen as a dig against characterization (or the lack thereof) or considered an undesirable cliche. I don't think any of the characters I'm about to mention are one-dimensional or particularly cliched. MPDGs are by definition supporting characters and don't do much other than affect the protagonists. It seems like most criticism discussing MPDGs focuses on female characters who are idolized by a (frequently nerdy) guy. But I think it's not always a dude who views a girl in the MPDG role: girls can idolize other girls as MPDGs, guys other guys, girls MPDGize guys, etc.
With these sorta MPDGs below: As supporting characters, not protagonists, it's understandable that they might not be as dynamic or multifaceted. Basically, I'm using the term broadly and not unfavorably. I love these characters and the roles they played in their books. But they were secondary characters, with the charms and quirks of a MPDG, and that's why I want them to get in the spotlight.
Estella from Great Expectations: Dude. Miss Havisham raised her. She's cold and manipulative (unlike most MPDGs), but still sympathetic. She struggles with her conflicting feelings: she was raised to break men's hearts, but she still cares about Pip. She comes into her own, finally, in the last scene of the novel. What did it take to get her there? I want to know her full story, through her own eyes--not Pip's.
Bailey from The Sky is Everywhere: We see how Lennie's life changes as a tragedy forces her to step out of her sister's shadow. We learn a lot about Bailey through Lennie's memories, and through surprising news that comes to light after Bailey is gone. (Am I being vague enough for you? I don't want to reveal to much about this amazing story.) Even though she's never there, Bailey is a magnetic presence in the book. Speaking of which, I wouldn't mind reading the life story of Lennie and Bailey's mom, too.
Alaska from Looking for Alaska: Alaska already is a vibrant and dynamic character in Looking for Alaska, but what the reader knows about her is filtered through Miles's perspective. I'd love to read about Alaska's life before Miles came into it. I'd imagine it would be hilarious, brilliant, a little crazy, and heartbreaking. (Side note: Interesting post from John Green about MPDG's here)
Tiny Cooper from Will Grayson, Will Grayson: Is Tiny Cooper is a bit of an MPDG? Barely. So why is he on this list? Because I appreciate him, and I think he should have operas and epic poems and odes and limericks written about him. I don't think Tiny would like being a supporting character much, right? He needs his own book. Please. (David Levithan and John Green, I am begging you.)
Any other MPDG types, male or female, you'd like to see as a protagonist?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
I love this poem.
A Poet’s Poem
Brenda Shaughnessy
If it takes me all day,
I will get the word freshened out of this poem.
I put it in the first line, then moved it to the second,
and now it won’t come out.
It’s stuck. I’m so frustrated,
so I went out to my little porch all covered in snow
and watched the icicles drip, as I smoked
a cigarette.
Finally I reached up and broke a big, clear spike
off the roof with my bare hand.
And used it to write a word in the snow.
I wrote the word snow.
I can’t stand myself.
I think it applies to novelists, too.
Thanks to Megan for a) knowing I would love it b) emailing it to me.
Monday, October 3, 2011
A Career in . . . Forgery?
When I think "book jobs," I think: writer, editor, agent, bookseller, librarian, illustrator, designer, marketing/publicity, sales, rights, etc. Forger typically doesn't make the list.
Check out this article in The Atlantic to read about Hollywood's foremost book forger: The Prop Master: Ross Macdonald, Forger for Screens Big and Small.
Are you drooling over the gallery of his work? He's meticulously forged Truman Capote's letters, made a fake Flash Gordon book for Seabiscuit, and even created Dr. Frankenstein's notebooks for Van Helsing. His latest project? 15,000 pages of documents, letters, and books for Boardwalk Empire.
File this under: Second Careers I Wouldn't Mind Having
If you could commission him to make a forgery for you, which book would you pick? This Spanish nerd would go with an early edition of Don Quijote.
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