Rivera Runs Through It

BEA Announces Livestreaming for 2013

2013-05-20T20:56:00.000-04:00

Great news for all you book lovers out there that won't be able to make it into New York City at the end of this month for BookExpo America. They have announced that they will be livestreaming a number of the author events for you to tune in to.

The BEA Live streaming program, which was launched last year to enormous success, utilizes the technology of Livestream, a leading company in the streaming technology field and a premier platform for producing live events online. This year, an estimated 250,000 people will be able to view a huge range of authors as a result of the Sony partnership which is providing considerable underwriting for the initiative.

Last year I was able to embed the livestream screen right here on Rivera Runs Through It, and hope to do the same again this year for your convenience, so be sure to check back during the event on May 29 – June 1, 2013. Here's some of what BEA is planning to share:

A few of the authors whose participation will be available for viewing to the public through BEA Live include Doris Kearns Goodwin, Chelsea Handler, Octavia Spencer, Ishamel Beah, Rick Riordan, Chris Matthews, Helen Fielding, Neil Gaiman, Robbie Robertson, and Amy Tan to name just a few. Other programming which will be captured for viewing include all the BEA Editor Buzz panels as well as author interviews from the ABA’s Celebration of Bookselling and Awards Luncheon. Both the live programming and the recorded programming will be archived and will be available for viewing on demand during the show as well as after.

In the meantime, if you are looking for more information about BEA, please visit www.bookexpoamerica.com and connect with BEA on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

Sick Day

2013-05-13T19:56:00.001-04:00

I'm on my couch missing my book club all because my body has decided to be uncooperative today.

I hope for a better tomorrow.

Here's the only thing I (kind of) write today - it's from my tumblr page:
http://riverarunsthroughit.tumblr.com/post/50359796377/maybe-im-a-time-lord

I hope you're having an awesome day!!

Book to Movie Review - The Great Gatsby (2013)

2013-05-10T15:46:00.002-04:00

Jay Gatsby is not an ordinary man, he is, after all The Great Gatsby. Anyone who has read Fitzgerald's work knows that, but how does one portray this in a twenty-first century movie theater? How can one remain true to the era of the story (1920s) while building a story and character that can be just as magnanimous in 2013?

You call Baz Luhrmann.

I went to see The Great Gatsby last night and I loved it. Luhrmannn magically sets the scene with an aged, depressed and alcoholic Nick Caraway (Tobey Maguire's character) telling a doctor the story of a man who above all others embodied hope, Jay Gatsby. As he begins to reflect, Luhrmann presents the scene by embedding actual footage of the era into his introduction. By the time we are set free into Luhrmann's creative hands for the rest of the Gatsby ride, we are sold on setting, tone and emotion.

A surprise for me was how effectively the 3D was used in this film. My husband and I only went to the 3D showing because it was earliest one, but I must say the extra money was well worth it. Taking the trip with Nick to his first party at the Gatsby mansion in 3D was nothing short of awesome. It is a refreshing change to see a filmmaker use this technology to enhance their film, not just its ticket prices.

However, even if you skip the 3D, you still won't miss this film's greatest enhancement: the music. In my opinion Luhrmann has an amazing ability to add his soundtrack to the list of characters in his films. In Gatsby he delicately wove together classic sounds from the 1920s with cutting edge artists from today. This tapestry of tunes brought a vivacity to Gatsby's parties, heartbreak to love scenes and adventure Nick's journey in his brand new New York life. It is, without question, one of the major reasons this film will succeed with modern audiences.

In the end, this movie succeeds because of the strength of its story and characters. In Jay Gatsby we find a larger than life character who clings to hope in such an innocent way that he misses the obvious ugliness of his heart's desire and the world he inhabits. In Nick Calloway, we find a man balanced between two worlds of old and new money, with a foot in each door deciding which direction he wants to step. The actors become these men through their demeanor, their dress and their gait. These two, of course, are not alone. The entire cast delivers stellar performances driving the audience to love and hate them at all the right moments.

Book to Movie Review

As much as I enjoyed The Great Gatsby when I first read it this winter, I must (regretfully) admit that in some small way the story felt stale to me. Perhaps it was my own imagining of what the worlds of "old money" and "new money" are actually like in this era or any other. I don't think it was Fitzgerald's writing for any matter. The thing is, I read it and felt like that was definitely an "assigned reading" type of book that, perhaps, would come to life in a second reading (which I have been reluctant to do).

After emerging from the theater last night, I can see how hopelessly wrong I was! This is one of those cases where I will not say that "the book was better than the movie," nor will I say "the movie was better than the book," rather I will round this all up by saying this movie fully enhanced the reading of The Great Gatsby. So, in particular, if you have any kids moaning and groaning about this "Gatsby guy" they've been reading about in English class, I would highly recommend bringing them to the theater, just to give them a sense of the thrill within the pages.

My Final Word

I don't know what your plans are for this weekend, Old Sport, but if you are a book lover, a movie lover and you are looking to get transported to another time for a couple of hours, then you owe it to yourself to go see The Great Gatsby while it is on the big screen.

KidLit Review - 10 Plants That Shook The World by Gillian Richardson

2013-05-09T10:30:00.000-04:00

10 Plants That Shook The World by Gillian Richardson from Annick Press

Synopsis

Plants might start out as leafy things growing in the earth, but they can come into our lives in unexpected ways. And believe it or not, some have even played an exciting role in our world's history. Discover how: Countries went to war to control trade centers for pepper A grass called papyrus became the first effective tool for sharing knowledge through writing Europeans in the 1600s cut down rainforests to grow sugar, contributing to soil erosion Cotton improved the livelihoods of a few, but caused unthinkable suffering for many more Corn fueled new technologies and turns up in thousands of everyday products The discovery of rubber revolutionized transportation, making bike and car tires possible Tea and chocolate became big business, and the race for profits was on Dependence on the potato caused one of the greatest tragedies in history, while the bark of the cinchona tree saved countless lives from malaria.

The ten plants in this book are the source of profound changes in the world, both good and bad. Through vibrant illustrations and astonishing facts, you'll discover that without them, our lives today would be vastly different.

My Review

While the intended audience of this book is children, I have to say, even at my age, I learned a ton from reading it. I was captivated by the history behind each of the plants Gillian Richardson profiled in this book, they are:

Papyrus
Pepper
Tea
Sugarcane
Cotton
Cacao
Cinchona
Rubber
Potato
Corn

For each plant Richardson begins with a brief overview of where it originated, how old the plant is, and the plants "likes" and "dislikes." Then she gives us the story of the plant, which is, in essence, its history. To be honest you, if this was all that was in this book, my expectations would have been satisfied, but Richardson had grander plans.

For each plant there were additional embedded blurbs concerning individual anecdotes about the plant in our world. How each plant affected economies, environments, world explorations and warfare were all aspects discussed. Each section also featured a narrative describing a pivotal piece of the plant's history from the perspective of a person whose life was directly affected by it. I thought these stories were beautifully creative ways to bring even a small aspect of the history to life for the reader.

The color palette and art by Kim Rosen were seamless throughout the book and kid friendly. (Here's a post about Kim's work on the book!) Flipping through the pages of the book, you get the impression that it is informative and intriguing without being overwhelming. By the end of my read, I was shocked by how much information was packed in this unassuming book!

My Final Word

It is easy for us to forget how amazing something as simple as pepper or tea is. This book is a great reminder for adults and the beginning of that education for kids. The beautiful balance between straight expository (fact based) text, creative nonfiction, lists and artwork found in this book is rarely accomplished so well. Reading this book was a pleasure and I plan to read it again. I think this book is great read for kids interested in history or the environment, but can also be an excellent resource book for any reports that may be coming up during the school year.

Which of the ten plants written about in this book would be most earth-shattering for you to live without?

What do you look for in a nonfiction read?

When buying a book for a child, do you prefer to gift fiction or nonfiction? Why?

Thanks for reading!

-------

I was given a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

What Are Short Stories, Exactly?

2013-05-08T11:07:00.003-04:00

Short story versus novel

Two nights ago I wrote a short story. It was a first draft. Yesterday, I rewrote it after I blogged. Then last night, I went to the Barnes & Noble Cafe, ordered an Iced Tea and rewrote that same short story five times. Something hit me while I was doing this: there is a distinct difference between writing short stories and novels. However, as clear as that epiphany was, the actual difference was something that still eluded me.

I decided to do some research on the topic because it is becoming obvious to me that I need help. One thing is clear to me: a short story is not a short novel. Unfortunately, that's what I think I have been writing this week.

The Big Differences Between Short Stories and Novels

On his blog, The Ranting Room, Bruce Bethke described the difference between the two types of writing as follows:

Speaking in sweeping generalizations now, a short story focuses on a single event that either changes or provides some insight into a single person, a small group of people, a situation, or an institution. A novel reveals a vastly wider and deeper story.

Christopher Anderson described the difference on Articlesbase as follows:

The short story gives glimpses of lives and events; whereas, the novel or novella encapsulate entire lives and multiple events.

In an interview with HuffPost, T.C. Boyle discussed the joys and drawbacks of each of these two types of writing:

The joy of the story is that you can respond to the moment and events of the moment. The drawback is that once you've completed a story, you must write another even though you find yourself bereft of talent or ideas. The joy of the novel is that you know what you're going to do tomorrow. The horror of the novel, however, is that you know what you're going to do tomorrow.

I'm starting to get a sense of where I've been going wrong...

First Draft - Telling My Story Too Quickly

Initially in my quest to start writing a short story I focused on word count. The two contests that I am looking to enter are both flash fiction contests, so we are talking super short (under 750 words). Since this was my primary focus, what I wrote was a super short novel. There's a story there, maybe even a full three act structure (though the acts are lightning fast), but after each read I was faced with the reality: it lacked the energy and power of great short stories I have read in the past.

Then Emphasize the Details

I decided that I wasn't adding enough details and description. My story had a beginning, middle and end, but it was missing some richness in the telling. I dug through looking for ways to describe economically. I had to chop an entire paragraph of other narrative to add in descriptors everywhere else, but I thought it was worth it.

Getting back to basics

I read it again, something was still wrong.

Where's the Character Development?

There is a tiny cast of characters in my story, so I should be providing my reader with a clear picture of who they are. I was not. Above all I think this is my greatest weakness at this point. In fact, I think the problem has been staring me in the face: Right now my story is about something, not someone and I don't think that's how most short stories work.

Now What?

Now I am going back to my writing. I am going to rewrite my story again. I don't know how many times I am going to do this, but I don't mind. I am learning. I think the hardest part is going to be picking which version of this story should be sent out into the world when I am finally done!

Thanks for reading!

How would you define the difference between short stories and novels?

Do you have a favorite short story writer?

Do you write short stories? Why or why not?

___

Additional Finds:

Are Writing Contests Still Relevant?

2013-05-07T12:21:00.001-04:00

By the end of April of this year I made a decision: I want to focus on short story writing. My plan was to seek out various writing contests to add motivation and deadlines to my work. I have found two writing contests so far that I am working on entering by the end of this month. I've been brainstorming and working on a short story and then yesterday, while in Barnes and Noble, I found this month's Poets & Writers screaming out to me.

In addition to a ton of advice on how to bring your contest entries to life, there is a compelling article by Kevin Nance entitled The Winner's Circle which discusses what it actually means to win a contest today. Since I am relatively new to this arena, I was surprised to read about the great transformation the writing community has undergone in terms of contest availability since the 1980s. It comforts me in one sense, as I can now readily understand why I did not feel there was a place for me to share or test my writing when I was younger. On the other hand, the news of the over-saturation of the writing contest market raised the big question that titles this post: Are writing contests still relevant?

Here's what I learned:

There Are a Ton of Writing Contests Available

Depending on what you are looking for this may be read as good news or the worst. What does it mean to you to be "the winner"? Do you think that should mean that you are the penultimate, that no others stand above you, that you are uniquely talented in a way others can only dream of? Well, then this "new world" of contest saturation is going to be disappointing. With so many competitions, a "win" translates as a job well done on your writing piece. You are a good writer, perhaps even an excellence one that someone noticed and awarded. You can now say that people other than friends and family appreciate your work.

Writing Contests Help Support the Writing Community

In terms of contests where an entry fee is required, I have always been a bit wary, however, this article changed my mind. Oftentimes these fees are what keep various literary magazines afloat. In fact, the great surge in writing contests in the last 20+ years is attributed to exactly that: a means of funding. So, rather than be wary of these entry fees, I have decided that I would like to explore which magazines I'd like to support in the same way I explore charities. I'll pick one or two who have the type of writing I like to write (and read!) and focus my energies on their competitions.

Agents and Editors Notice Contest Wins, But They're Not Always Impressed

On pages 64 and 65 of this month's issue of Poets & Writers there is an embedded piece called Do Contests Matter? where six agents and editors give their impressions of contest wins in a cover letter. The overall sentiment was along the lines of something I said earlier, the recognition that someone other than your friends and family can appreciate your writing. Of course, if you won one of the "big" contests, they are still show stoppers, and there are some publication notes that also turn heads.

Some Writing Contests Are "Bigger" Than Others

It should come of no surprise, since there is a saturated writing contest market, that some names draw more attention than others. Most of these names should come of no surprise to you, as they are the "biggies" we are all familiar with:

Pulitzer Prize Well, duh. The Pulitzer still packs a punch no matter who you are sending your correspondence. I am quite sure I didn't have to tell you that, but I thought I'd be thorough in my listing. The Pulitzer is given to published works in the following categories: fiction, drama, history, biography & autobiography, poetry and general nonfiction. Here's how to enter.
Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction This "award recognizes outstanding collections of short fiction. Collections may include long stories or novellas (est. length of a novella is 50-150 pages). However, novels or single novellas will not be considered." The award is "a cash award of $1,000, and their collections are subsequently published by the University of Georgia Press under a standard book contract." Here is how you enter.
The PEN/O.Henry Stories "gathers twenty of the best short stories of the year, selected from thousands published in literary magazines." While an author can not send a story in individually for submission, you may be interested in reading about the submission process.

Of course, everyone has their own favorite writing contest, but these three names emerged a number of times in my reading.

My Final Verdict

After reading all of these articles I have come to realize that my thinking of the writing contest world is very similar to my thinking about the academic world. The number of students who can earn an A+ in their studies is limitless and the number of schools dolling out assessments is constantly growing. This does not diminish the significance of each individual A+. However, if the A+ is awarded by a teacher is who is known to be lenient in some way (like our friends and family with our writing), then it obviously does not hold the same amount of weight. If, on the other hand I have an A+ awarded from Harvard's strictest professor (let's call him Dr. Pulitzer), then my accomplishments are easily lauded.

I went to a small, private college for my undergrad. I was on the dean's list. I got an education that lead me not only to a brilliant career as a teacher, but also yielded an actuarial job offer on Graduation Day. After I graduated, I jumped on every opportunity I could to learn (and be assessed) more. By my count, I have been assessed in eleven different colleges, constantly pushing my learning and my experiences. Every single school taught me something new and unique, no matter how big or small its program has been viewed by others.

I will do the same in my writing. I think I love the idea that there are so many writing contests out in the world. While the individual names of small contests may not impress the masses, I am in this to learn, to write and to see that my writing means something to somebody, right?

So, to answer the big question: Are Writing Contests Still Relevant? the answer seems abundantly clear: to me, absolutely.

What about you?

____

The two contests I am working on right now are both for flash-fiction length works:

YALit Review - Guardians Inc.: The Cypher

2013-05-06T00:00:00.000-04:00

Guardians Inc.: The Cypher Synopsis

GUARDIANS INC.: THE CYPHER is two stories in one. A glimpse into a multinational company that is in reality the oldest of secret societies, one that spans close to seven thousand years of existence, weaving in and out of history, guiding and protecting humanity from creatures and forces that most of us believe are only mythology and fairy tales.

The other is the story of Thomas Byrne, a young man thrust into secrets he shouldn’t be aware of and dangers he shouldn’t face but, that he ultimately will, for he is a Cypher. The only one who can steer humanity’s future.

The ultimate conspiracy theory is that Magic is real. Kept in check by technology but, every five hundred years the balance can shift and, if it does, technology will fail and those creatures we’ve driven into myth will come back with a vengeance.

To protect the present, Guardians Incorporated needs to know the future.

My Review

As soon as I picked up Guardians Inc.: The Cypher by Julian Rosado-Machain I was hooked. The story begins with 15 year old Thomas Byrne getting ready to face Vice Principal Killjoy... ahem... I mean Khanna for a fight he got into in his new school. Immediately I was drawn into Thomas' tale and was curious about the Vice Principal whose school reputation seemed to cloud over some real secrets. Thomas is in a new school because his parents went missing on a vacation while Thomas was staying with his grandfather, Morgan. Since Morgan has to get a new job to help support his grandson he and Thomas look through the newspaper for job listings, which is when the real fun begins.

Both Thomas and Morgan are hired by a mysterious company housed in a mansion that appears two and half blocks away from Morgan's house. Of course, this mansion is not ordinary in any way and as we follow Thomas in his new job, we start to see how unique it is. This mansion was one of the most fascinating parts of the book. Just like the Percy Jackson and Harry Potter stories, Thomas' story is of a world that exists just beyond the reach of our own, but affects us all. I love this kind of story and, in that sense this book delivered. The cast of characters are also likeable (when they are supposed to be) and I can definitely see myself following this adventure through to its sequels.

If I had any criticism of this book it would be that it felt like a "first book." In other words, there was a lot of origin and world building which is, of course, necessary, but for that reason I felt like the book ended just when the action was truly escalating. This is a great hook to get me to read book two, but I wonder if the target audience - YA - will feel cheated while reading.

To Delve Further

For those who are captivated by the Guardians Inc. world, there is a Guardians Inc website and a Guardians Inc. Facebook page to learn more about the author, the characters and the universe they operate in.

My Final Word

I highly recommend this book to fans of Percy Jackson. While this story is completely unique in its conflicts, our teenage male protagonist learning of his secret powers that are needed to save the world is something Percy fans will gobble up!

Thinking only of books in a series, is there any "first book" that you think works well as a standalone?

If you lived in a world where magic was put up against technology, which side would you take?

Why You Need Celebrate Free Comic Book Day

2013-05-03T09:32:00.001-04:00

Did you know that the first Saturday in May is a Nerd-tacular holiday? No, I'm not talking about Star Wars Day which is celebrated every May 4th ("May the fourth be with you!") which only conveniently lands on the first Saturday this year. I'm talking about FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

I said "free" and "book" in the same sentence so I know I have your attention. What's holding you back? Is it the word "comic"? Do you have some repressed (or maybe not so repressed) feelings about comic books and those who read them? Enough! Let it go! I'm going to allow Stan "The Man" Lee explain why:

Comics are an art form, like film, television, anything. People who look down on comics, I give them this example: suppose Shakespeare and Leonardo Da Vinci were alive today. Suppose Shakespeare said, "Hey Leonardo, let's collaborate and do a comic book." And Leonardo painted it and Shakespeare wrote it. Would anybody say, "Eh, it's just a comic." It really depends on who's doing it and how it's done. You can't condemn the medium. There could be comics that are masterpieces, some that are a waste of time. But that goes for every other form of the media.

Perhaps you only have one view of what comic books are. Maybe you see the blockbuster movies released each summer (the hours can't pass fast enough until I get to see Iron Man 3 tonight!) and you're thinking, Superheros are for movies, not for my reading. Or maybe you don't even like the movies.... (really?) Anyway, the point is, just as there are a myriad of genres in the "regular" writing world, there are tons of different kinds of comics and graphic novels out there for you! You just need to find the right one for you.

This is why you need to celebrate Free Comic Book Day! On May 4, 2013,comic book shops are going to open their doors and give away comic books for free! You can grab a bunch of books just to see what you like at no expense to you. I can't think of a better deal than that.

In addition to expanding your own reading universe, if there are any children in your life (your own kids, nieces, nephews, students, etc), then you owe it to them to have a day that celebrates books and reading. The number of people who attribute their ability to read to comic books is simply astonishing. If you know of a struggling reader, this may be their ticket. As the video below explains, since comics contain both art and words, they activate both parts of your brain!

Since I am fairly certain that I have now convinced you to come and celebrate Free Comic Book Day this year, I thought I might share with you how I will be celebrating the day.

It's All About Comic Book Jones

If you live in Staten Island, or near enough, then you must come visit Comic Book Jones on Forest Avenue. One step inside and you won't need any convincing to come and join the legions of comic book readers worldwide. This store is fun, friendly and comfy (I opt to sit on the couch instead of the chair shaped like a hand!).

In order to fully celebrate tomorrow's holiday, Comic Book Jones will have artists and writers on hand to sign books and do sketches. Here is their flyer listing who's going to be there:

The thing is, if you don't live anywhere near me, you probably have a Comic Book Jones-like place near you (okay, honestly, it probably won't be as cool... sorry). You can use the Free Comic Book Day's comic book shop locator to find out where it is.

What I'll Be Picking Up

Obviously, with a giveaway of any sorts it is always first come, first served, but after checking out the Free Comic Book Day website's list of Saturday's free books, here's what I have my eyes on:

Kaboom! is a publishing company devoted to kids. They publish Peanuts, Garfield, Adventure Time as well as some other familiar favorites. First of all, I am a huge fan of the Peanuts and collected Garfield as a kid, so any time I can gobble up one of those stories I'm happy. But, thanks to my good friends at Word Of The Nerd, I just found out that there is going to be a Herobear and the Kid story in there! Herobear is a comic I used to collect that I long gave up on. It was created by a former Disney animator and, as would be expected, is amazingly drawn. The story is adorable and fun for all ages. I am so excited this book is back! (I am now wondering what happened to my Herobear stuffed animal that used to live inside the back window of my car!).

TMNT New Animated Adventures Okay... full disclosure here. My husband and I love the brand new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series. I sing along to the song, have an obsession with the Crang and how they talk and I think Michelangelo is just the funniest guy on TV. When I saw there would be a comic book based on the series, I added it to my list. I don't know if I will follow along with this book, but this is the perfect day to give it a shot!

Mouse Guard/Rust Flipbook This book is from my current favorite publisher in the comic book/graphic novel universe, ARCHAIA. Archaia's books are just plain beautiful. Last year's Free Comic Book Day book was a small hard covered book jam-packed with some of my favorite Archaia characters. This year follows suit with Mouse Guard and Rust the two Archaia books that my husband and I just happen to be following at the moment. Arachaia is a great company to check into if you want to find some rich stories with artwork and beautiful book binding to match!

There are lots more that have caught my eye - The Walking Dead, for instance (but I know my husband will pick that up!) - but these three are the ones I'm honing in on in case the crowds get restless and I need to move fast!

Go ahead and check out the Free Comic Book Day website to pick out the books you might find interesting. The site not only provides the titles and covers of what will be available this year, but there are also links to previews for some of the books!

A Final Message From Mr. Hugh Jackman

Happy reading!

What are your feelings about comic books?

Do you have a favorite comic book (either current or past)?

How do you plan on celebrating this year's Free Comic Book Day?

Free Reads from BEA

2013-05-03T00:10:00.003-04:00

Last year was the first year I registered to attend the BookExpo America (BEA) held here in New York City at the Jacob Javits Center. It was the first time I was able to attend all of the panels and events held there and I must say that some of the most exciting information poured out of the "Book Buzz" panels.

What Is Book Buzz?

For the uninitiated, the Book Buzz events are panels where you get to hear about the most exciting books that will be making their way to bookstores this year. One of my favorite Book Buzz books from last year from the YA Book Buzz panel was Skinny by Donna Conner. There are numerous Book Buzz panels because they are separated by genres and also by those delivering their favorites (ie. Librarians' Book Buzz). For those who can attend BEA, once you get out of a Book Buzz panel you essentially make it your life's mission to gather up as many of the Buzz-ed about books from the Exhibition floor so you can sink your teeth into them right away! But Thursday, BEA released a special surprise so we don't have to wait until the end of the month for our teasers.

Download Book Buzz 2013 for FREE!

BEA announced the digital release of Book Buzz 2013 Thursday morning on their Facebook page. What does this mean? Well, right now YOU can download a book full of exclusive excerpts from over 25 of this years biggest books to come (for readers outside of the US, it includes 11 of the titles)! The book is available for the Kindle, the Nook, Apple devices, Sony and Kobo. Here is the link to get you started: FREE Book Buzz 2013. I downloaded mine to my nook this morning and I am already excited by some of the author names I recognize (Michael Pollan, Joe Hill, Sarah Dessen) and by the debut authors I have yet to discover!

Come To BEA

After you've read the excerpts and got yourself really excited for all of the new titles heading to your bookshelves, why not come on down to the biggest book party New York has to offer? If you are going to be in the New York area on June 1st, BEA opens its doors to the public with what they call the Power Reader ticket. Here's what BEA has to say about the offer:

With a Power Reader ticket to BEA 2013, available for only $49, you will…

Discover new and upcoming books before they hit the stands

See and meet the hottest authors

Talk to publishers about favorite books

Mix and mingle with other book lovers and share your passion for reading

Get autographs and advanced reads of unique books (quantities limited)

Get tons of giveaways from exhibitors

Enjoy a day in New York City!

And if you can get a group of 3 or more to join you, BEA is offering a special discount for you if you register before May 17th:

Grab your book-loving friends and head over to BEA as Power Readers. The more friends you invite, the bigger the savings! Bring your book club or just make it a girls day out in New York City!
Receive the following discounts on your group of at least 3 or more: 10% OFF groups of 3 or more, 15% OFF groups of 5 or more, and 20% OFF groups of 10 or more.
Group discounts will expire on May 17. Don’t miss out on these great savings—Order your tickets today! To purchase your discounted group tickets, please contact Diana Press at dpress@reedexpo.com.

I highly recommend this event to all book lovers and, to my writer friends out there, I shouldn't have to tell you why you should be there: books are your business!

So, if you have the date available, and you can afford the admission, let me know when you'll be there. I plan to be there for the entire event providing my Rivera Runs Through It readers with all of the latest Buzz and news straight from the floor!

Thanks for reading!

Do you have a favorite local book event you like to attend?

Do you enjoy reading the "buzzed about" books each year, or do you prefer making your own discoveries?

For those who have been to BEA before, what tips to you having for maximizing one's enjoyment of the event?

Author Interview - Amber West

2013-05-02T19:55:00.000-04:00

I just finished up my weekly author interview for the StoryDam writing community. If you aren't familiar with Amber West, her blogging or her writing, I highly recommend that you check her out.
Here's a link to today's interview: StoryDam Author - Amber West.

If you are a writer and you are looking for a relaxed group of online writing friends, then I highly recommend that you check us - StoryDam- out. We have a website, we have a Story Dam Facebook Group and most notedly, we have a chat every Thursday night at 8pm EST under the hashtag #StoryDam. In fact, I need to head to my chat right now!

May's Reading Challenge

2013-05-01T15:10:00.003-04:00

It's Spring. It's time to clean and what am I buried in? Books to read! A huge portion of them are ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies) that I wish to read and review. The problem is, typically, life gets in the way of me accomplishing this. Well, not this month!

Thanks to Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, there is a challenge this month that is going to light the fire under my lazy reader's butt to get me to read and review as many of the ARCs I have in one month: it's called the "Clean Sweep ARC Challenge." If you would like to join me, the linky to join will remain open until May 15th, so it is not too late!

My reading list for this challenge

(which includes ancient ARCs from last year's BEA through digital ARCs that were approved as recently as yesterday!)

The Last Policeman

The Curiosities

After

The Company of Writers

Guardians, Inc. : The Cypher (read and REVIEWED)

Eat Drink Vote

The Facebook Diet (read!)

crush.candy. corpse

The How-To Handbook

Identity Theft

Burning the Page

Doctor Who: Prisoners of Time

Being Henry David

The Revelations of Jude Connor

I still have more. Finishing this list will not be a complete sweep, but writing this list out like this is showing me exactly how many I still have to read. If I can get through this batch, I'll come back and add more.

For now, I think I better stop blogging and jump into that reading list.

Thanks for reading!

This list includes fiction, YA, graphic novels, books on writing, nonfiction and short stories: which genre are you most interested in hearing (reading) about?

IWSG - The Fun House Mirror

2013-05-01T15:09:00.000-04:00

How could I possibly be writing an insecure writer blog post the day after I miraculously completed my second novel? Easy. Today is the day of reflecting. The day where I look back on the last month of creating, writing and inventing and warp it. I look into my writer's reflecting glass and can help but see how terrible my novel is. Why am I doing this to myself? Because I am a writer and writers are insecure.

In the last 20 hours I have told myself

I should just trash the novel now that I am done with it.
I should give up on novel writing all together.
Instead of revising, I should just start over because the first draft is so worthless.

...it goes on from there. With every insecure thought I remind myself that I somehow wrote over 15,000 words yesterday and that there are good pieces in the story. It may not live to be a full length novel, but perhaps parts will be short stories or novellas. I keep telling myself all the things I know I should be proud of, and I am proud of, but in the quiet in-betweens my insecure voice returns. I let her talk, sometimes I listen, but I promise I won't let her rule me!

Thanks for the support!

How do you keep your insecure voice quiet?

Writing A Novel - Zen

2013-04-30T22:22:00.000-04:00

Zen is defined as the "teaching that contemplation of one's essential nature to the exclusion of all else is the only way of achieving pure enlightenment." A writer's essential nature is to write, sure I know the Zen Buddhists have much deeper essential natures in mind when they are teaching, but today, right now, let's talk about a writer's zen. It happens only one way: with the words.

So much of this month's theme has been devoted to a reiterating theme: just do it. Writing a novel is not easy, it is not always fun, but if you are a writer, or more specifically, if you are a novelist, then you owe it to your essential nature to just do it. As you do it and when you have reached the finish line you will have experienced writing zen.

I have typed one phrase over and over this month: "I am no expert," and this is true. However, I can say this, I have now finished two novels. I have journeyed from the first glimmers of an idea through to the end of a plot. Today I wrote over 15,000 words in order to complete my first draft of a still untitled work that may go nowhere. It's finished. I reached THE END. I even did it in time to be validated as a "WINNER" of this month's Camp NaNoWriMo.

Right now I am experiencing writing zen. It is beautiful because it is the path to enlightenment. There were many times in this month where I wrote myself into a corner, where I felt blocked and where I thought I had just picked the wrong story to write, but because of two challenges - this A to Z Challenge where I had to face the facts about the art and work behind writing a novel, and my commitment to the CampNaNoWriMo Challenge - I didn't allow myself to give up. I knew at every difficult turn that I was, even then, experiencing the writing zen.

And now, as I sit here reflecting upon the conclusion to my tale, I am still thinking about conflicts I can amp up, characteristics I can add to characters and themes I can enhance. This too, this "I'm never really done" syndrome is also part of the beauty of writing zen.

Embrace it all.

Write your words, my dear writers. Your readers are waiting, and your essential nature wants to be embraced. Enlightenment awaits us all.

Happy writing!

Thanks for reading!

Stay tuned for next month's devotion to reading!!

Writing A Novel - YouTube

2013-04-29T02:59:00.003-04:00

I love YouTube. After a long day of writing and reading, sometimes I just need to let people talk at me. It doesn't always have to involve goats sounding like humans, cats doing cat-things, or auto-tuned remakes of a clip of the news from somewhere in the world. Many times I let YouTube inspire me, remind me why I'm doing what I'm doing and show me that I am not alone.

I figured, since we are nearing the end of a very intense month, that you too might just need someone to talk at you. Here are some great YouTube videos to help you stay inspired.

Ira Glass says, "Fight your way through that."

Jack White says, "Inspiration and work ethic ride right next to each other."

John Green says, "Books are made in revision."

(*The long one*) Neil Gaiman says, "The problems of failure are hard. The problems of success can be harder."

I can go on here.There are so many great people sharing great things on YouTube. Happy viewing!

Thanks for reading!

Do you have an inspirational, or writer-friendly YouTube video that you loved?

Beyond books, where else do you find your writing inspiration?

Writing A Novel - Xenogenesis

2013-04-27T11:10:00.000-04:00

As an offspring of your own imagination, your novel is lathered in evidence of you - who you were, who you are at the time of writing, and the who you wish to become some day. However, if in writing your novel, some xenogenesis does not occur, your entire cast of characters will start to all morph into the same person.

As we write, we must produce characters that are completely unlike us, or the people we based them on. We must create beings that can move forth in a fictional world and have their own ideas, their own voice and even their own individual look. While they may begin as a perfect carbon copy of someone in reality, they must develop into their own unique identity as your story unfolds.

It is my impression that this happens naturally. As I wrote in an earlier post on character development, I believe our characters develop through the conflicts they face. When we impose new and different conflicts upon characters that make be identical to a real life person, they automatically transform into someone new. However, there are some other things we can do to ensure a complete xenogenesis takes place:

Listen. Always listen when you are with others - not just for the content of their conversation, but its presentation. Who uses "um"? Who uses "uh"? What does it take for someone to drop the f-bomb? What does it mean when someone says "Hi" versus "Hello" or "Yo"? How does an accent or culture affect speech? Pick up little twangs in speech from all over the place to sprinkle amongst your characters.
Look. Examine eye colors - how does one pair of blue eyes differ from the other? Look at style, accessories, hair styles - who carries their cell phone in their pocket, on their belt, in their bag, in their hand? Remember what Forrest Gump said: You can tell a lot about a person by their shoes. Look at people's hands, search for scars, freckles, beauty marks, tattoos and all the other things that make them them - which of your characters needs one of these things?
Connect. Make connections between the things you hear and see, then connect them to stories. Create back stories for strangers you overhear on line at the grocery store. Day dream of what their day is like and what they will be doing next. This practice will help you bring life to surface details you observe.

Once you have started making connections with strangers, you will start to develop your own internal reference for various characteristics you observe in the real world. When you come back to writing your novel certain features will just become obvious and necessary additions to your own cast of characters.

Maybe you don't have a tattoo and never will get one, but your MC has twenty: xenogenesis.
Perhaps you are prolific in your use of the f-bomb, but your MC not only avoids it, she apologizes when she slips out any profanity: xenogenesis.

The list can go on ad infinitum. The small changes here and there, combined with conflict, lead to unavoidable xenogenesis. That is, of course, if you pay attention to one other thing: how other people think.

Last, possibly most important step: Talk to people. I don't mean that you should talk at people where you tell them everything going on with you and then allow time for them to tell you everything that is going on with them. I mean you should talk with them. Ask questions, find out other people's opinions, maybe even have a deep conversation asking them why or how they developed such opinions.

The thing is, for true xenogenesis to take place, you character's must think differently than you, and that is the hardest part. Learn from others. Absorb.

Good luck!

Thanks for reading!

Do you think a COMPLETE xenogenesis is ever truly possible? Why or why not?

What are some techniques you use to separate your characters from yourself?

An Open Letter To My Insides

2013-04-27T00:40:00.001-04:00

Dear Body,

I am acutely aware of the fact that I have not been the best owner over the course of these 36+ years, however, it would be incredibly unjust of you to try and argue that I have been the worst. The tortures that you have put me through, most specifically in the last eight or so years, seem to be a bit extreme.

I understand that you were upset. Although I am still not entirely sure for what, I listened to your qualms and I offered a number of solutions:

Work was too much for you; I stopped.
You didn't want to heal the eyes; I took you out of the driver's seat.
You decided, all of sudden, that you hated gluten and dairy; I have taken both out of your diet.
You seem to hate mornings; I try to sleep through them.
Rainy days are a problem; I let everyone know to leave you alone.
The sun makes you itchy; I lather you in sunscreen.
Sometimes showers make you dizzy; when you tell me, I don't get in the shower until someone is around to catch you.

I know there are even more negotiations we have made. Some have become so much of my "normal" that I have forgotten that they started because of your complaints.

Here's the deal: this is my life.

Sure, you are my vessel and all of that, but, let's be serious, you've developed some terrible habits. You need to pick up your game here. You need to take the sleep time I give you and sleep. When you take that time to actually sleep you need to restore yourself. When I feed you the fruits and vegetables that I select especially for you, you need to stop rejecting them and, instead, use them.

I am tired. Not just in the physical way you know all too well, but also emotionally. I am tired of your inconsistent, inconvenient temper tantrums. I am tired of your aches and pains that interrupt my thoughts, my actions, my writing, my reading and everything in my life. I am tired of stepping out of life for you.

The fact is, I love you. I mean I really, really do. I can't even imagine where (or who!) I would be without you. And I know 36 years is a hell of a lot to be thankful for, so I don't want you to think, for even ONE moment, that I am not grateful for every single breathing, heart-beating moment you have given me. In some ways I am even grateful for the tortures because they made the other moments glow.

It's just that today is one of those days, yesterday too, I guess, when I forgot about who you really were and I made plans. They weren't big plans. They weren't even the kinds of plans that involve other people. They were just my plans to get things done, check a couple more things off my "to-do" list, straighten up in and around the house, write some more words. I don't have to tell you they didn't get done. I don't even have to tell you why. I just wanted to let you know that I was disappointed.

I was hoping, if I told you, that you might want to surprise me tomorrow...

You don't have to. I understand you have your own issues to deal with. Just do me a favor, rest easy tonight. Enjoy your sleep.

Forever and Always Yours,

Nicole

Writing A Novel - World Building

2013-04-26T16:33:00.000-04:00

In the entire Writing a Novel from A To Z Challenge, this, my post all about World Building, might be my favorite post of the month. The simple reason is: I can take no credit for it whatsoever! In my exploration of fellow A to Z Challengers I stumbled upon Cynthia, fellow writer and SCWBI member, who selected World Building as her theme on her blog Read is the New Black. I can't even begin to give Cynthia enough props for the amazing job she has done all month. I have learned so much and look forward to each post every day as it reaches my inbox.

In each post Cynthia sums up the importance of the world building element of the moment and then provides a number of examples from both literature and the screen where the element was used effectively. So, for a full education on world building at its best, I give you Cynthia's posts. I highly recommend that, while you are checking these posts out, you just go ahead and subscribe to Read is the New Black.

World Building A to Z: Architecture, Ancestry, and the Arts

World Building A to Z: Beauty and Beasts

World Building A to Z: Change, Customs, and Calendar

World Building A to Z: Diseases and Death

World Building A to Z: Education and Environment

World Building A to Z: Fashion and Food

World Building A to Z: Government and Golden Age

World Building A to Z: History and Holiday Traditions

World Building A to Z: Inventions and Inventors

World Building A to Z: Jobs

World Building A to Z: Kissing and Social Gestures

World Building A to Z: Language, Lingo and Legal System

World Building A to Z: Magic and Magicians

World Building A to Z: News and Propaganda

World Building A to Z: Oddities and Origins

World Building A to Z: Privilege and Marginalization

World Building A to Z: Quotes

World Building A to Z: Romance and Recreation

World Building A to Z: Scores and Soundtracks

World Building A to Z: Travel and Transportation

World Building A to Z: Utilities

World Building A to Z: Values
World Building A to Z: Weapons and Wealth
World Building A to Z: X Marks the Spot
World Building A to Z: Youth
World Building A to Z: Zeus and Other Gods

In her profile Cynthia says that she was a former English teacher, but I am still in awe of the amount of references she can bring up for each post! She has done so much reading and viewing deeply that I can do nothing more than bow to her expertise.

I hope you have found these posts as enlightening as I have. Please comment on Cynthia's blog to let her know!

Thanks for reading!

Is there some element of world building that somehow got missed in this alphabet?

What are some of your favorite literary examples of world building?

Which, of the examples above, had you not thought of before?

Writing A Novel - Voice

2013-04-25T12:17:00.002-04:00

Regardless of the point of view you choose to write your novel in - whether it is first person, second person or third person narration - behind every piece of writing you do, there is a voice. The voice you choose can either make or break your novel. It can also, make or break you as a writer.

For every piece I have ever written I have written in a voice that flowed naturally from that story, or situation. If writing in first person, this can sometimes be easier because voice is a direct connection to the character themselves. As you develop the character, their voice becomes clearer and clearer. I find third person to be a little more difficult.

Voice Failure

When I first began writing fiction I wrote in third person and the voice that imposed itself upon my writing was false. I seemed to be summoning up some ancient storyteller of the past, who never "spoke" with contractions and filled her speech with the most flowery language. I realize now that writing in that way was a tool for me, not my reader. At that time I needed to cue up my brain to "transport itself" to another realm, where fictional things happen and the world isn't the one I live in. I don't remember who saw it first, but I remember the comment: "You should use contractions." I thought, But I always use contractions! And then I read over my work. In my lap, that story which had lived forever in my mind, crumbled to pieces. I had taken all the verisimilitude (forgive me, I love this word!) out of my writing!

The Voice of Rivera Runs Through It

Over the last month I have been thinking a lot about voice while writing my current novel, but I have also been thinking about my voice here on my blog, where I write mostly in second person. I have been wondering if I could pull off a second person novel without sounding exactly like myself. What words or punctuation would I have to change in order to make a clear voice distinction from my own? Then I have been wondering if I have a clear voice hear on Rivera Runs Through It, and then that ultimately leads to the biggest question of all: how different is my writing voice from my spoken one?

The Working Voice

When I was working, I became sort of (in)famous for my e-mails. From the moment we were all connected by e-mail, I was sending them out - and they were never short.

At the time I didn't realize it, but I was essentially blogging to my colleagues about my teaching thoughts of the day. Was there something new in the curriculum I think we needed to look over as a group? Was there a brand new website everyone needed to check out? Were there conferences or learning opportunities I was excited about? All of these things made it into e-mails. At the time, I developed a helpful, perky, math coach voice. Of course, I didn't realize it at the time, but that's what it was. My boss and I had a snarky-type relationship, so emails just to him were filled with an edge I knew he would appreciate and reciprocate. Any e-mails or letters written to parents of students or to the staff as a whole dripped of professionalism, and communication with my students, well, I think that was always my most authentic voice, closest to how I write here on my blog. Again, none of this was evident to me at the time, but reflecting upon those days with a new education on voice makes it all abundantly clear.

First Lessons on Voice

If you stop to think of it, we all have different voices we use every single day. My brother and I used to make fun of our mom's "phone voice" - no matter what mood she was in when the phone rang, as soon as she picked it up, she would compose herself and greet the caller with a melodic, "Hello." Within seconds of the phone call we were able to determine who was on the other end simply by the way she changed her voice. When she relaxed her tone, it was a friend or family, then based on the particular language she used we could peel away the clues to discern who it was exactly within a minute. If, on the other hand, she pulled up a more professional demeanor, we knew it was a doctor or another business of sorts. And if she started splurting expletives or dolling out pity (this all depended on her mood), then it was a telemarketer. My mother's voice told the entire story. Voice is that important and that powerful. Reread whatever you are writing right now - what story is your voice telling?

A Final, Funny Voice Reflection

You may or may not realize at this point that I am a HUGE John Green fan. About a year and a half ago, I had no idea who he was. His book, Looking for Alaska was recommended to me on Reddit. I found it cheap in a store, so I picked it up. As soon as I started reading it, I hated it. There was this high school kid narrating using language that was far beyond anything any of my students ever would have been able to grasp. After one paragraph I was put off. I read it aloud to my husband and said, "Come ON! Am I supposed to take this seriously?" My husband, fresh home from a long day of work in front of his high school English classes realized that his teaching wasn't done for the day, "Perhaps the author is trying to tell you something about the protagonist. The kid is smart." Wow... did I feel dumb... and overwhelmed. How much did I just learn about this character in one paragraph? All the information came flooding back to me. I doubted the authenticity of this writing because I could see this kid so clearly and he was so unlike any real life kid I knew. He wasn't unreal, he was unique. That is the power of voice. (Here's my review of Looking for Alaska.)

What books have you read with a strong voice?

Do you have a "phone voice" like my mother did, or do you know someone who did?
How does your POV influence your writing voice?

Thanks for reading!

Writing A Novel - Ugly Truths

2013-04-24T09:17:00.002-04:00

Writing a novel can be liberating, for some it is a dream fulfilled. Writing a novel can even help boost one's confidence, but lurking behind all the wonderful things one can say about writing a novel, there exist some ugly truths about the act that simply should not be ignored. In my estimation, these are the ugly truths about writing a novel:

UGLY TRUTH #1 This sh!t ain't easy.

If you can't get past this first ugly truth, no one will judge you, but, please, don't try to act as if it isn't true! If you walk into the world of writing a novel anticipating some sort of leisurely activity at the helm of your keyboard, I believe you are setting yourself up for disappointment. I am not trying to say that you won't have fun or love what you are doing while writing a novel, I am simply stating that you will be working.

UGLY TRUTH #2 You need more than a month.

Everyone knows that I am a great lover of the NaNoWriMo challenges that gather we writers around the Internet to inspire one another as we go forth and "complete" our novels in the space of one month, but let's be honest, it's not happening. Yes, you can easily finish a first draft in one month, I'll even go so far as to say those who are real pros might be able to complete their second draft, but the whole thing? No way. To fully finish a novel, you need to have others look at, tell you what they think and adjust as necessary. For the sake of their sanity, the process must take more than a month! Which leads me to...

UGLY TRUTH #3 You can not do it alone.

Image Source

The art of writing is attractive to introverts. Why? Because they think that they won't have to bother, or bother with, anyone in the process. This is a misconception. While you may be able to scratch out your first draft behind the closed door of your solitary office on the third floor of an empty house (except for all of your furry friends, of course), to write a novel from beginning to end you are going to need others. This month I've discussed some of these others: your alpha and beta readers and those who will help you with promotion, but there are also those professionals you should turn your novel over to when you are done editing like a professional editor and, if you are so inclined, an agent.

I am absolutely sure there are more ugly truths about writing a novel. Some that come to mind are:

You will hear voices.
Long time friends may think you've lost your mind.
No one will believe you are serious.

However, for now I must face the ugly truth that the more time I spend blogging and online, the less time I devote to my novel! So, I apologize, dear readers, I must go to work!

Thanks for reading!

Which ugly truth did I leave out?

Do you dispute any of the ugly truths I have included?

Writing a Novel - Theme

2013-04-23T22:23:00.003-04:00

How did you begin writing your novel? Were you struck by a character whose voice needed to be heard? Did you suddenly divine a story idea that felt unique and timely? Or, are you haunted by theme that is so close to your heart that you felt a calling to present the world with a tale entwined in it?

I think the third option may be what most writers desire, but happens less frequently. Theme is such a huge idea in writing, I believe it is just too big to begin on. At least, for me, it has been. While I can tackle theme in a short story, so far I have been unable to approach the novel in the same way. In writing a novel I have found that the theme reveals itself over time. Of course, because I am the writer that theme ends up being something that haunts me and is close to my heart. By the time the first draft is done, I have a solid idea about which major theme my story is focusing on and then I can go back to refine it.

I think this is another reason why a first draft must be dealt with quickly and without huge "writing vacations" in between its beginning and end. When we "walk away" from our stories, our life throws new and unique conflicts at us, changing our own personal haunting themes. We must stick with our stories in the same haunted head, or where we began may be in a completely different universe than where we started.

...or at least that's what I believe right now.

What about you? What are your beliefs about theme?

Thanks for reading!

Writing A Novel - Setting

2013-04-22T00:25:00.000-04:00

When I think back to some of the greatest stories I have ever read, setting is often a character in and of itself. I'm thinking of places like Hogwarts, Narnia, Middle Earth, The Capitol, Camp Half Blood, the list goes on. Of course, not all places have to be magical, mystical or fantastic - with the right author any "ordinary" setting can also be brought vividly to life on the page like John Green's Amsterdam in The Fault In Our Stars, or San Francisco in Cory Doctorow's Little Brother. The setting in a novel gives your story a solid foundation, a stage on which to be performed, a backdrop for your readers to envision. Sometimes, when writing your novel, the characters and their conflict take up so much of your focus that setting, unfortunately, falls into the forgettable background.

What Builds A Memorable Setting?

To ensure that your setting makes a true impact, you must build it with the very tools that we use to observe our settings in our own reality: the five senses. As you take your characters on a journey through conflict and drama, what do they see, what do they hear, feel, and taste? Describe them so that your readers experience the same.

I can't think of Hogwarts without remembering the tastes of Harry's first meal in the great castle, feeling the stairs moving beneath the characters' feet, or seeing all of the moving portraits the walls. Narnia brings chills as I remember the snow behind the coats in the wardrobe. Middle Earth harkens back so many sensory memories from the taste of lembas bread, the sound of the Horn of Gondor, the feel of the grass in the Shire and the smell of the seemingly endless pipe smoke. In the Hunger Games the setting is rich with coal dust, make-up, costumes, mysterious animals with growls, buzzes and eyes of terrifying familiarity.

The key with building a memorable setting into infuse these tasty little morsels just enough that they compliment your story without over powering it. I think of setting as the spices in our meal - if you balance out those flavors appropriately, you will take your story from bland to lip-smacking good, but if you put too much, your readers will be running for the hills looking for something to wash its memory away.

Set Your Scenes In Draft 1.5

If you did not plot with setting in mind, then you should probably run through your first draft as quickly as possible and, before you commit yourself to second draft work, you should write draft 1.5 - the one where you pour through your story looking for the opportunities to spice up your scenes. Take that scene where your character turns away in anger and describe what she sees. Rewrite the flashback scene where your protagonist's grandmother imparts some life lesson so that it takes place in the kitchen, over a fully stocked stove - describe the smells, the sounds and the actions. I think, when your story is done, it can be easier to find the right places to add your spice to maximize its effect.

When I Write With Setting In Mind

In a post I wrote earlier today called Earth Day 1997 I wrote with setting in mind. I had a specific memory I wanted to reflect upon (since Earth Day is very important to me), but since I knew I was going to write about setting in this post I tried to use it as a focus for myself. What do you think? I tried to use my senses to bring the story to life. Could I have been more descriptive about the details of the physical places involved, sure... but I did have a story to tell that I didn't want bogged down by the mundane. It's a difficult task to take on. As I have written many times this month, I am no expert, but I'm practicing!

What are some memorable settings from your reading life?

Are there any authors whose settings you particularly respect?

In your opinion, is there such a thing as "too much setting"? If so, what qualifies?

Thanks for reading!

Earth Day 1997

2013-04-22T00:00:00.000-04:00

Spring had truly begun and instead of enjoying the rebirth of beautiful weather, for nearly twelve hours we were left with the maddening loop of light music and the pathetic gloom of fluorescent lighting. We were trapped in the high, thick cement walls broken only by the almost forgettable, dwarfed skylight of the Staten Island Mall. As the customers milled in with newborn relief from another winter's assault, they smelled of the grass they had just cut, the soil they spread and the flowers they fertilized. Behind our respective counters of service, we continued to be mired in the same aromas of every season. Bobby, stuck behind the deli counter, wore the comforting cologne of freshly baked breads and bagels; I, on the other hand, could to do nothing to shake free from the coffee grinds that covered me whole (others often talk of their love of these smells when passing them briefly, not knowing the hell of their ever-presence).

It seemed we were doomed, again, to have a season pass outside the walls of our employment prison without our presence. On that day, I felt a fury inside me upon this realization. It was Earth Day, after all, and I deeply believed that On Earth Day one should appreciate nature! The forest green hat embroidered with my store's name on it squeezed a little tighter. The air in the store felt thinner. The hexagonal tile patterns beneath my feet and the endless inventory of chutneys and preserves were dizzying. All the things that I once thought made our store stand out above the rest, crashed down around me in a flood of familiar. It was all a trap. None of it got me outside.

So, when Bobby asked me to go to the diner with him that night after work, I embraced the opportunity to drive across the island with my windows down allowing the wind to blow all the aromatic evidence of our confinement away. And when, after the enchanting date at the diner from another time, he suggested we go to the park even though it was nearing midnight, that's when I knew it was love.

That was the night of our first date. The night of our first kiss. The night neither one of us wanted to trade one indoors for another. It was Earth Day 1997, the night we didn't want to go home.

Writing A Novel - Revision

2013-04-20T14:18:00.002-04:00

A couple of months ago I enrolled in an online Revision workshop with a bunch of other people writing a novel over at Savvy Authors. Due to my wonky health, I was unable to keep up with the work all the way through, but even the little I learned from the beginning lessons was invaluable. Cathy Yardley was our instructor and the first thing she asked us to do was to go through our entire manuscript and write our GMCD for every single scene.

This was overwhelming and considerably enlightening. It is the reason that I realized it was time for me to move on to a new novel. Through the GMCD lens my in-expertise was glaringly obvious. I discovered by the end of that process that, while my story was okay, the conflict wasn't engaging enough.

What is GMCD?

If you are like I was when I first started the course, then you may have seen this "GMCD" thing thrown around on the Internet, but you still have no idea what it is. Here's how GMCD works (my cliffs notes version):

declare who's POV the scene is in.
G - GOAL: what is the goal for that character in that scene?
M - MOTIVATION: what is the character's motivation to do whatever he/she is doing?
C - CONFLICT: what is the conflict in the scene?
D/R -DISASTER?RESOLUTION: what is the disaster at the end of the scene that keeps us hanging on for the next scene escalating the conflict? Or, what is the resolution of the conflict?

This is a labor intensive project to undertake for an entire novel, but looking at your story through this bare bones outline, without all those words and sentences you fell in love with, can truly show you what you may need to work on.

What Did I Learn?

In each of my scenes my goal and motivation was clear, but the conflicts were oftentimes weak and I think I had more resolutions than disasters. It's just something I have to work on. I ultimately stepped away from that novel because I was too attached to the story as it was. In order to escalate the conflict to the point necessary to hold my audience's interest would transform the entire storyline in a way that I am currently unable to do. Instead, after two years of battling with the same story, I decided to take this newly understood information to help me with a brand new project.

Where To Learn More

I wish I had it in me to go through the entire course. However, all is not lost! Cathy Yardley's two books that review her process, and she has an awesome blog called Rock Your Writing. If you are battling with a project and you are not sure what exactly is missing, I recommend you take a stab at this process to see if it reveals something to you!

Thanks for reading!

What has revision revealed to you?

Do you have a process for revising that has been successful for you?

He's Alive

2013-04-19T21:47:00.000-04:00

Never have two words ever brought down such a feeling of relief for me.

He's alive.

Monday afternoon, we were struck with an unexpected and inexcusable violent act at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. It was senseless, violent and earth-shattering.

We were confused, hurting and enraged by the loss of life and livelihoods.

We found out two brothers were to blame. We still don't know why. When one brother was taken out in a gunfight last night I worried we never would. Honestly, we still might not. But there was something else that worried me about his death. I worried we were answering violence with violence. I worried that those larger groups who brought down the terror upon us were going to sit back and say, "Look at them. Look at how easily they kill." And while I know it is not easy for us, and that these are extenuating circumstances, I thought they would use that to rally more "troops."

What can they say now? Will they say we are weak? That we don't know how to fight back?

I think the message here is that we are better than that. We can honor those lives lost by remembering them, helping their families and investigating this case to its fullest to be better prepared against these senseless acts. Revenge does nothing for them, or for us.

Writing A Novel - Quarantine

2013-04-19T21:25:00.000-04:00

If you have been following along with this month's challenge, you probably expected that for my "Q" day that I would be writing about the query process for writing a novel. I thought about it. I planned on it. Then I decided that I had more experience with another "Q" in writing a novel: QUARANTINE.

What I am talking about here is involved in the process of writing. The part where I feel like I can't discuss my story with anyone without possibly contaminating it. I put my imagination into a quarantine.

I realized right away with my first novel how dangerous talking about story can actually be. Immediately after telling someone about the basic premise of my story - a girl keeps getting diary entries from a fellow, anonymous student in her locker - people had a bunch of things to say about it. They were well-meaning comments of interest, curiosity and attempted support:

"Ooo! That reminds me of ____" and then fill in the blank. It reminded people of lots of different things. Once they'd tell me that, my mind would work out how it was different. If it wasn't different enough, I would doubt my story and think about changing directions (sometimes I actually would change directions).
"Ooo! I love mysteries!" Leading me to think, Is this a mystery? Should it be more sleuth-y? And, in general, second-guess the entire premise of my book.
Questions, questions, questions! About characters, about plot, about plot twists, about the ending - well, about everything. While many questions were helpful in helping me clarify portions of my story, but others I just wasn't ready for yet. I started thinking about things before they were developed. It screwed me all up.

There was only solution for novel number two: complete and utter quarantine. To take Stephen King's advice of writing the first draft "with the door shut" to a new extreme. So far, this month, I think it was a very good idea, but only time will tell. It has been difficult in some cases (I usually tell my husband everything), but it's been worth it.

Do you go into a writer's quarantine or do you share as you go?

Thanks for reading!