Author Archives

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In Which Our Heroine Compares Books and TV

So my best friend and I were having one of our great IM chats today because she was one of the many people on the internet who is less than pleased with how the ending for How I Met Your Mother turned out. I will not reveal any spoilers for those who might be concerned. I never watched the show, but I knew something about it and was asking questions or making observations as someone who writes rather than a fan of the show. A lot of our conclusions came down to why TV writing and book writing are different. As much as I love my TV shows, I have kicked some shows off the DVR list (and one network) after committing some seriously bad writing.

So, I shall now present my list of why books are better than TV.

  1. Your characters will never decide they want to go off and pursue other projects when their contract runs out. In TV, this often results in a scramble to write off a character which may also kill plot lines that have been developing and leave fans feeling cheated and angry. When you are a writer, your characters leave the story when you are good and ready to let them leave and you get to decide how. George R.R. Martin likely makes characters wish they could unionize.

  1. You have characters and not actors. You do not have to worry about bad story lines popping up as a result to deal with an actor or actress that has becoming pregnant, gotten arrested, or taken a trip to rehab. Never mind the highly difficult situation of how to cover for an actor’s tragic death which has happened too much as of late in the entertainment industry. It isn’t that I dislike actors, or that I don’t respect actresses who are pregnant (I have two kids), or actors/actresses who try to face their problems through rehab, but I have seen some bad writing result to explain their disappearances.

  1. No one complains about casting choices in books.

  1. Books have editors. TV episodes are mostly screened for things that fall under the “indecent” category. Books are also screened for character development and plot lines. How many times have you seen a TV show do something that makes no sense or seems to betray the development of a character? How about time spent setting up a plot line that vanishes without a trace never to return? If a showrunner has a bad idea that falls with in the safe zone of a decency category, it happens.

  1. Your author stays the same. Except in cases where writers do work for hire, an author gets to stay the boss of their worlds and characters. How many times has a network fired the creator of a show and replaced them? Ever notice how this can change the whole feel of a show? A new creator might go off on a tangent with characters or storytelling that the creator never would have done, often leaving original fans pretty ticked off, while new fans don’t see what the problem is.

Do you have a reason why book writing is better than TV writing? Is there a show you watch or watched that pulled one of these much to your annoyance? Please comment bellow, but comment readers, beware of spoilers!  

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In Which Our Heroine Almost Completes Her Office…

For not quite a year my new home office space has been in arranging mode. I have the most important stuff up, but some of the fine touches aren’t quite there yet and I keep putting off picture taking. A personal space in which to write has always been a big deal to me. I need that zone that’s mine and just mine and I’m kinda territorial about it. Besides, my sci-fi collectibles and such need their own space because otherwise the Geeklings would assume that all action figures and awesome plushies  belong to them.

 

For the record, Soft Kitty is mine, Talking Tauntaun is Mine, Anniversary Edition Wampa with the removable arm is mine, and Black Series Han Solo is mine. Dear Geeklings, this is in no way a complete list, so do not try to use it as such. The wampa rug belongs to the Geeklings although if they ever decide they don’t want a Star Wars room anymore, I’ve already put first dibs on it. Ownership of these sorts of things is a legitimate issue in a geek household like ours. I think it clearly qualifies as a First World Geek Problem.

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In Which Our Heroine Makes an Overdue Return

As some of you may have noticed, I took a little min-hiatus that ended up longer than I had hoped. There’s been a lot of changes in this writer’s house, all good. I’ve made a shift in my “day job” that should allow me more time for writing. I’ve also spent a very exhausting nine months growing another geek child. He now allows my husband and I to sleep more or less. As our new sense of routine is getting under control, I’m putting my focus back on my writing.

Death by Dragon was a big learning experience for me. Not just in getting the draft written using a new writing method, but in sorting out how critique groups and such work. I do feel like I have a better sense of how to make the process go more efficiently the second time around, that alone is a victory.

It’s easy to feel like an underdog in writing. Getting a book published is no easy feat, and I have never heard of a legitimate “shortcut” that makes it easier for anyone. Some might argue that many a celebrity lands a fiction book deal. Quite a fuss is made when this happens. What I don’t think a lot of people realize is that those books are ghostwritten. The celebrity comes up with characters and an idea and a writer puts them all together, but the celebrity’s name goes on the cover. The truth is that it takes a lot of time and work, and you often have to be your first and biggest fan.

Luckily for me, I love do love me some underdogs, in fiction and outside it too. Just last night I got to experience watching Veronica Mars on the big screen. Not only is it a story about the girl detective who was an underdog, but the whole process it took to get that canceled TV show onto the big screen was an epic tale of the underdog claiming victory. I can’t help but to find that just a little inspirational, and no, it’s not because the movie soundtrack playing in the background that’s causing med to say that.

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In Which Our Heroine Discusses Meeting Authors…

I have returned from what was a very unexpected hiatus that I truly hope will not need to be repeated. Thank you for everyone for sticking with me.

In May, I attended Phoenix Comic Con, which is my family’s convention of choice. One of the things I have enjoyed over the past four years is the writing panels, several which have introduced me to new authors, many of which have given me great writing advice. Over four years, I have seen people who are new to cons who are either uncertain of how to act in these settings or who create blunders unintentionally, so I thought sharing wisdom would be nice.

1) Authors are human too and most are really nice, don’t be afraid to go up at say hi. If there is a long line for that writer, try to be respectful of people waiting for their turn.  I have noted that not all writers show up on the first/preview day of a con but it can be a good way time to see a writer and not worry about crowds. We had a lovely chat with Cherie Priest this way and witnessed Wil Wheaton playing a little prank on John Scalzi.

2) During panel questions of writing craft, remember to ask questions that could benefit more than just you. It is a big no-no to take up that limited time by asking a question specific to your novel in progress. Writers prefer that you ask them these questions when they are at their individual booths. Just remember to not hold up a line with your questions.

Some questions that get interesting feedback (and can benefit more that one person in the room) I have heard include:

What did you not know about writing/publishing that you wish you had?

What rule were you told you had to follow that you found out you didn’t?

What behaviors undermine a “strong” female character?

What themes are inappropriate for YA books?

How is romance handled differently in YA?

Some answers may be subjective, but you do learn some great things this way.

3) Writers do not get paid to show up at a convention, and many fans have already bought their books that they bring to get signed. If an author you are not familiar with gave great advice, don’t grab their book on Amazon later, get one at the convention and get it signed. It may cost you a bit more, but it is a nice way to show your appreciation.

4) Do not ask writers for spoilers in future books.

5) In author spotlight panels, be careful about asking a question that’s more of a spoiler for the book series. If the book came out very recently, there’s a good chance not everyone has read it. If the book has been out for a year, you’re safer. It’s not required, but it is kinda nice to newer fans.

6) Behave like you are a published writer. You will not impress anyone by bashing on a particular author/book and it doesn’t prove that you’re better than that writer. You also never know who else is present including agents or editors. Remember, writers often create communities of their own. I have actually seen someone bash on a particular writer in front of another writer who had been mentored by the bashed on writer. Not a great move. You may notice that many writers will mention other books they support, but not ones they didn’t. It’s basic kindergarten rules. If you can’t say anything nice, keep your mouth shut.

7) I think this is a nice gesture, but when I have found some advice, or a class, to have been very beneficial, and the author returns to the con, I like to thank them in person for that advice.

Does anyone else have questions about meeting writers or advice of their own?

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In Which Our Heroine Discusses Books

So like many writers, I love books. Seriously, I adore books. I was about eleven or so when I decided I wanted to be a “real writer” and continued to do so even as at least one of my parental units was less than encouraging. So yes, that means my version of teenage rebellion was spending my time making up stories for fun. When you compare that to the MO of the typical rebellious teenager, my parental unit should have been grateful.

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (okay may not that long), YA fiction was mostly geared towards middle school with a few exceptions. Kids who liked to read skipped up to adult literature around high school or so. There wasn’t a problem with that, but I would have liked stories written at a higher than middle school level with characters my age. Now, we have two ends of the YA spectrum, the more middle school end and the more high school end. For writing purposes, I have always felt the pull towards the high school end.

I had a number of authors I adored back then and some that I wish had been around when i was a teen but I still read now.

duane

Still a favorite 🙂

Diane Duane: Author of the Young Wizards series, I always wanted to be her when I grew up. She writes awesome YA Urban Fantasy. The adventures of Kit and Nita will always be among my favorites and I am even the proud owner of an anniversary edition of So You Want to Be a Wizard. While I’ve been writing Steampunk lately, I know at some point I will wander back towards Urban Fantasy. I just hope I can write a story as cool as she did. Her addition of animal wizards (and their stories) is just another cool facet of her world.

carter

If the title alone doesn’t catch you, you just lost 10 cool points.

Ally Carter: Author of the Gallager Girls and Heist Society. One has antics and spies. The other has thieves. Either way, her books are a lot of fun to read and hit a quirky balance of romance and action. They are fluffy, on the OMG so awesome fluffy kinda way. I do like me some fluffy. I have passed off these books to friends before as well as purchased copies for my teenage niece. I don’t think you can go wrong with Ally Carter and with her first series wrapping up, I can’t wait to see what comes next.

cabot

If you weren’t a Princess Diaries kinda girl, try Suze and her adventures…

Meg Cabot: Author of the Mediator series (Oh, and those princess stories too). I know a lot of girls jumped on the Princess Diaries thing years ago, but it was not my thing. However, the quirky humor and shenanigans of her shorter lived Mediator books was something I really did love. I guess she just hits the right cord for me with her more fantasy based stuff, as I liked her Urban Fantasy offerings for adults too. I’m really looking forward to getting to the copy of Abandoned I have on the book pile.

Now your turn. What are your YA favorites?

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In Which Our Heroine Discusses Fandom

Fandom is a powerful thing.

I once watched eagerly for news as a fan of a certain cult-classic, Firefly, to see if news of a movie green-light would actually happen. My personal copy of the series traded so many hands, I didn’t see it for six months while I worked to recruit the fans who hadn’t seen it when it aired. I got that very shiny movie, and fandom got a legend about the power of fans.

Today, fans got another victory as even I thought the Veronica Mars movie was just a fan dream. it seemed so impossible that I didn’t actively think about it, until my BFF sent me a text to say that a Kickstarter campaign to fund the movie had reached 61% of a 2 million dollar goal. While I type this, the campaign has raised more that 2.26 million dollars in under 24 hours.

Holy heck.

I’m proud to say we contributed to the campaign, as I loved me my Veronica Mars and I want more of that smoldering snarkiness that is Logan Echolls. However, I’m fascinated by this from the perspective of how it can change entertainment. i have sometimes been a big fan of great shows that just didn’t hit the right ratings for advertisers. I adore HBO because there is no advertisers to cater to with ratings. I pay HBO a subscription, I watch what I like and HBO continues to develop what it’s subscribers want. They don’t care that I TiVo my shows and watch them later. For established actors or fanbases (I don’t think KBell and Rob Thomas could have pulled this off otherwise), this could be a legitimate way to give consumers the stories they want. I don’t need Veronica Mars to hit the big shiny screen. A limited run is okay with me, after all, I watched the original on a TV screen. The copy of the movie I’m getting with our donation still lets me watch it. If Felicia Day hadn’t had Geek and Sundry for The Guild, I imagine she would be able to use Kickstarter to fund a fan beloved series. What other actors might take a similar opportunity. Is it just me, or do you imagine that geek favorite Zachary Levi could pull something similar if he wanted to create a geek friendly web series?

And off I go, while internet rumors of Firefly being resurrected are bound to surface again.

Oh and 2.27 million for the girl detective in the time it took me to write this post.

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In Which Our Heroine Discusses Music in Storytelling

I have this thing about music that’s used in movies and TV. I think that’s the one sad thing about books, you don’t get that awesome background music with cool scenes which is why I have to have something to write to. Looking at my music collection, the majority is soundtracks.  I just love music that goes with stories. In this iTunes era we live in, I find myself buying and downloading many more individual songs by numerous artists saving the full albums for particular favorites.

Tonight I downloaded the music by Florence + the Machine used in the Beautiful Creatures trailer (just read the book and loved it). It’s an amazing song and I know it will get added to one or more of my writing playlists. It wouldn’t be the first song I heard on some sort of tv/movie promo or in a show itself that caused me to do a desperate Google search to uncover and claim. The following is a list of some of my favorites. For the record, I will always encourage you to listen to things through free radio that pays the artists or to buy from legitimate sources like iTunes.

Some of my favorites include:

  • Jessy Green’s “Time Bomb” as heard in in the season 2 finale of Burn Notice when Michael jumps from the helicopter
  • Phantom Planet’s “Dropped” and the Thermal’s “Returning to the Fold” as heard in the season 2 premiere episode of Chuck
  • Anberlin’s cover of “Enjoy the Silence” as heard in the famous Damon dancing scene in The Vampire Diaries
  • Nine Inch Nails’s “We’re in This Together” as heard in the trailer for The Avengers
  • Cage the Elephant’s “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” as heard on a tv promo for Leverage
  • Stereophonics’s “Trouble” as heard on a tv promo for White Collar
  • Kasabian’s “Club Foot” as heard on the movie trailer for Serenity
  • Garbage’s “#1 Crush” as heard on the TV series Hex
  • Nonpoint’s cover of “In the Air Tonight” as used in the tv promos for Dark Blue
  • Track and Field’s version of “Running Up That Hill” as featured on Warehouse 13

Who else discovered awesome music from storytelling media?

 

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In Which Our Heroine Reflects on Her Imagination

I was raised as an only child, and I’m quite certain this is where my creativity comes from. at the age of seven, we moved into an old neighborhood where the houses were on 3 acre lots. There were fewer neighbors and they all tended to be of retirement age. For a long time, there was a limited number of kids to play with. To add to that, the stripe down the middle of our road was a school district boundary.  I didn’t get to interact with the limited kids across the street so much because they went to the other school district.

While some kids got socialization through sports teams or gymnastic classes, my parents were never the type who sought such things for me. With a chunk of land over three acres big and no built in sibling playmates, I was left to my own devices.

It should be no surprise to you that I was a big reader. books were something that an only child could devour. No other kids required like in a board game or sports related activities. Books took me to faraway places and new worlds, especially the fantasy and historical variety.  I honestly believe my childhood was proudly sponsored by Laura IngalL’s Wilder and C.S. Lewis. I often built amazing forts to accompany my epic adventures.

When classmates gave up pretend play for more junior high type interests, mine just evolved. I turned to writing, and the characters and adventures I had made up simply followed along with me.

They’re still with me today.

 

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In Which Our Heroine Finds Cool Story Ideas

A few weeks ago, I noticed this article online and thought it was pretty interesting. Micro-unit apartments that vary between 250 and 370 square feet are being created in NYC. It may be the geek in me, but I promptly thought of sci-fi space stations or ships with their limited space.

If I was writing some sort of outer space story, I’d love to see a selection of these blueprints to wrap my mind how characters right live. Beds that fold up into the wall, storage built into the ceiling, convertible rooms. Those sorts of things would be perfect in those space stations or ships where space is of a very limited premium but you want people to have enough room to live. What do you think, cool idea for a story setting?

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In Which Our Heroine Reflects on Crit Groups a Lot

Earlier last month, I sent my beloved Work in Progress through it’s first round of critiques. Since then, I’ve learned a lot about the critiquing process from my own experience and the thoughts of others. I have two groups of people who do my crits. Karen is my lovely dedicated critiquer. I will see all of her story and she sees all of mine. She is the one I will ask about the things I want to expand for my second draft. My other group, Mud Puddle, has a chapter exchange system that means the same people will not always read your chapters. The way I have things worked out, each of my chapters gets three sets of eyes looking at it.

First of all, I think you have to go in understanding that people really want to help you make your story better. Some of the things they point out will be harder to take than others. Some suggestions you will disagree with, some will make you wonder why you didn’t think of it first. Some of the hardest feedback you get will be what you need the most. I ultimately feel it’s good practice for having an editor go through you stuff, because they will be both an amazing supporter and the toughest judge. Or you know, getting your entire story rejected by an editor or agent. If you feel like you are in a group that isn’t trying to help but play the “I’m proving my story is better than yours” then you’re in the wrong group. Luckily, I don’t have that issue.

Another thing to keep in mind is what the other person needs you to look at. If they want a beta to look at plot and characters of a first draft, you will both go crazy if you do a line edit instead. I’ve also found that some writers are very sensitive to the language you use in comments. They want you to say “the story might benefit from this” instead of “I see you wrote this…” To them the use of “you” feels like a judgement on them while other writers feel that addressing the writer is building a relationship. Some want you to suggest grammar changes, others tell you to just put the comma where it should be but turn on track changes. If you have a preference, let your reader know up front!

Another thing to note, in a big enough group, writers may be at different points. I’m lucky enough to have published writers in my Mud Puddle group. I’ve also seen writers who are writing their first drafts of their first books. Others are in between. Everyone can contribute something. Even if you feel like another chapter is more advanced than yours, don’t let that intimidate you. Let the other reader know what you liked and why, keep an eye out for inconsistencies or things you want to know more about.

I hope this helps some of you out there!