Ink-Splattered

So I LIED!

2012-02-21T14:49:00.001-08:00

I thought I'd have time to come back to blogging, I really did.

But...

*looks at tests and piles of unfinished homework*

*cries a little*

sorry. :(

President's Day!

2012-02-20T10:58:00.000-08:00

Have a fantastic day! :)

And in case you're bored....

Writing as a Performance Art

2012-02-15T07:36:00.000-08:00

Here is a group of adventurers, planning out their quest, preparing on an adventure of epic proportions. Behind each drawn adventurer is a real-life person, acting out the voices and making the decisions. Some of them are sweet people pretending to be selfish thieves on a quest for gold, some of them are less than sweet people pretending to be selfless clerics and paladins.

But where is the motivating force? Where is the random encounter? The villain? The plot arc?

It's all in the Dungeon Master.

I've been a dungeon master for a few weeks now. I come up with the encounters, how many bad guys will fight our heroes and when, why they must complete the quest even when they'd rather grab the gold and run, and what happens if they encounter a force too strong for them. There are times I'd like to see them killed, but my job is not to kill them, my job is to try and kill them in a myriad of ways, but never (rarely) succeed. I am omniscient, I am omnipotent, and though I can 'control' the adventurers in a number of ways, they always find a way to mess up the plan.

Sound familiar?

This is writing, friends, with an audience. I have 5 or 6 people constantly depending on my story-telling skills to keep them entertained. Sometimes it works, when they actually go by the plan. Most of the time it doesn't, and I have to improvise. It's a performance art.

D&D did not make me a writer (hello, Nintendo!) but it did make me appreciate the story-telling process. And preparation time. Thank GOD for preparation time.

So, have you ever wondered what it would be like to 'perform' as a writer? Get a group of friends together, get a guide book and some dice, and nerd it up. You won't regret it.

Well, usually.

XOXO

Bethany

Pay Attention To Your Baby

2012-02-08T08:20:00.000-08:00

No, this isn't actually about babies - although if you have one, DO pay attention - this about your writing. This isn't even about your current work-in-progress. It's your writing, that all encompassing word that includes syntax, plot, diction, character development, backstory, the whole deal.

See, I'd forgotten about its existence.

When I started on my most recent work in progress, I had a vague, shadowy idea. It was awesome, and it was doomed. Now I have 99,000 words of pretty and pointless, because it isn't going anywhere - despite the awesome efforts of my crit partner/beta reader Lauren. I have the overarching plot (sort of) and I have several scenes that I'll be able to keep. Probably about 60,000 words worth.

So now I'm faced with a decision. Do I let this one rest awhile? Come back to it in a few months, or after my next story? Or do I just start over at the beginning, take a deep breath, and put the pencil down to paper?

I think the real answer here is neither. I need to read some writing books, I need to read some fiction. I need to remember a story arc, and I need to work on my characterization.

A break from writing a novel? Maybe. A break from writing? Definitely not.

What about you? Have you ever had a story that you've had to scratch?

XOXO

Bethany

CELEBRATE!

2012-02-06T07:44:00.002-08:00

HELLO WORLD!

I'm still alive!

And what's better than that, I think I may (MAY) be able to actually come back to blogging. Isn't that great? I've just missed you all so much.

There has been WAY too much going on that I've missed, and I love you all way WAY too much to stay away.

So my first official 'back from the grave' post will be on Wednesday, and prepare for some fantastic awesome nerd-writerness. I will be making comments on other blogs in the evenings, right before bed, and posting (hopefully) in the mornings Mon/Wed/Fri.

That's that.

(Pretty much)

XOXO

Bethany

For All You Dystopian Lovers Out There... (And Anyone WIth Concern to Free Internet)

2012-01-18T08:45:00.000-08:00

I know I'm 'taking a break' from blogging, and you've all been WONDERFUL in your support and understanding, but this is an important issue that I think more people should know about.

Stop Online Piracy Act, and it's sister, the Protect IP Act

Please, don't be fooled. I'm against authors (and developers, and musicians, and artists) getting their music stolen, just like most of you. But there are some things about SOPA you should know.

"The bill, if made law, would

expand the ability of U.S. law enforcement and copyright holders to fight online trafficking in copyrighted intellectual property and counterfeit goods." -Wikipedia

It sounds good, right? It sounds important.

It's also utterly ineffective at stoping piracy. I could get around it, after a few minutes of instruction, you could get around it.

Problem is, if you want to remain a law-abiding citizen, you can't.

Do you know (could you find out) the IP address of the sites you enjoy visiting? Great! No government Big Brother for you.

Do you NOT know the IP address? Bummer, now every site you visit is monitored.

I could go into all the details here, but really, find out for yourself - here are some great sites:

Wikipedia (which participated in a black-out to raise awareness against SOPA)

Google (The black box? Yes, that's also for awareness against SOPA)

BBC News (One of the few media sites that's reporting)

A Brief Run-Down of the Bills

An Open Letter to Washington by the founders of Yahoo!, Google, Firefox, Wikipedia, etc.

A List of Supporters

I'm including the last one because there are both companies I like and companies I dislike on the list. Notice, however, the distinct lack of technology based companies and web-based companies - you know, the people who actually have a clue about how to stop piracy. True, the ESA is on there, (Entertainment Software Association) and it's assumed that they're speaking for the gaming community. That is NOT true. In fact, there's a petition going around among gamers to boycott E3, the largest ESA-run gaming conference in North America.

This applies to you. Don't get scared, don't get paranoid, but do be aware. And if you have a chance, help stop SOPA and PIPA. You can be against piracy AND against these bills.

It Simply Cannot Be Done

2012-01-10T22:20:00.000-08:00

Dear, wonderful fellow bloggers, I cannot begin to tell you how much you mean to me. This community, this world, my friends, writers, readers, all of you - you are such a blessing to me.

I wish wish WISH I could repay the patience and gentleness you've shown me over the past month. I wish I could comment on your posts and make you feel half as special as you've made me feel.

Unfortunately, my life has taken a drastic turn toward schoolwork. I'm hitting the business major reqs, and I have to say it's a bit overwhelming. I'm studying more than I've ever studied. I haven't blogged, commented, written, or read, played video games, watched movies (without a textbook in my lap), or gotten 8 hours of sleep.

I'm not trying to sound of the pity-party alarm, although I totally sound like it, I'm actually having a great time. At least, in that plummeting down the roller coaster can't-decide-if-this-is-awesome-or-awful-or-both kind of way. The fact is, I just can't keep up with blogging. I don't want to write posts if I can't read posts and comment, because this isn't a megaphone, it's a community. And I love and respect it.

So, at least until this quarter is finished, I'm stepping away. If I can, I'll post sporadically and I'll read your posts as much as possible. I'll miss you all terribly, and you are all beautiful, wonderful people (and for you guys, also devilishly handsome and witty).

Until Spring Quarter,

XOXO

Bethany

On Those Busy Days..

2012-01-09T08:04:00.000-08:00

The List.

You know, the list.

That to-do list.

What do you do when it's simply too long? How do you get any writing in at all?

For me, I always have a side project that isn't on my computer, but in a spiral notebook. That way, when I'm stuck without my computer, I can still get SOME writing done. :)

What about you? How do you get your writing in on those busy days?

"Courage...

2012-01-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

... is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point." - C.S. Lewis

Think about it as you face your battles today, and as your characters face theirs.

XOXO

Bethany

It's Been Awhile...And Honestly It Might Be A While More

2012-01-04T21:29:00.001-08:00

Two hours + 13 problems + 3.5 years without a math class = one very frustrated college student.

I can barely finish the assignment and the idea of getting an A is laughable. I may not even pass. It's the beginning of the quarter and I've already been utterly defeated by homework.

But, as I throw down my math notebook and triumphantly staple the work together, I know that if this is what it takes, I will do it. Two hours, three hours, every single night, struggling for that ever elusive good grade. I will do it. I have a bright shiny A in my dreams, and I'm going for it.

Ain't that how writing goes?

We know, as we struggle, pray, and wrestle with words, that publishing is a distant dream. The idea of writing a best-seller? Laughable. But we do it anyway. At that very bottom point, at the depth of our self-deprication and hopelessness, that's where the tough stuff comes out.

I will do it. If it takes hours and days and weeks and months for a single paragraph, I will do it.

What about you?

Now - off to face accounting homework!

XOXO

Bethany

SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY

2011-12-19T15:13:00.000-08:00

I'm an absolutely horrible blogger. I am ashamed. Deeply. But I also have a dentist appointment I have to go to.

Over the holidays, I'll be posting Tue/Thurs, all right? Sorry I've been so absent!!

XOXO

Bethany

EDIT:

Okay, so I'm probably not going to be posting at all over the break. I'm taking some time for family and for my WIP, which just reached 95,000 words! Eek! Finish by New Years? We'll see!

In Honor Of The Holidays:

2011-12-12T11:45:00.000-08:00

I repost this, as I do every year.

Happy Holidays!

On the first day of writing, my true muse gave to me
A book that I really must read

On the second day of writing, my true muse gave to me
Two brand new pens
and a book that I really must read

On the third day of writing my true muse gave to me
Three French baguettes
Two brand new pens
And a book that I really must read

On the fourth day of writing my true muse gave to me
Four broken clocks
Three French baguettes
Two brand new pens
and a book that I really must read

On the fifth day of writing my true muse gave to me
FIVE YOUTUBE LINKS
Four broken clocks
Three French baguettes
Two brand new pens
and a book that I really must read

On the sixth day of writing, my true muse gave to me
Six shops a-calling
FIVE YOUTUBE LINKS
Four broken clocks
Three French baguettes
Two brand new pens
and a book that I really must read

On the seventh day of writing my true muse gave to me
Seven deadlines looming
Six shops a-calling
FIVE YOUTUBE LINKS
Four broken clocks
Three French baguettes
Two brand new pens
and a book that I really must read!

On the eighth day of writing, my true muse gave to me
Eight chores a-waiting
Seven deadlines looming
Six shops a-calling
FIVE YOUTUBE LINKS
Four broken clocks
Three French baguettes
Two brand new pens
and a book that I really must read

On the ninth day of writing my true muse gave to me
Nine Starbucks serving
Eight chores a-waiting
Seven deadlines looming
Six shops a-calling
FIVE YOUTUBE LINKS
Four broken clocks
Three French baguettes
Two brand new pens
and a book that I really must read

On the tenth day of Christmas my true muse gave to me
Ten cats a-meowing
Nine Starbucks serving
Eight chores a-waiting
Seven deadlines looming
Six shops a-calling
FIVE YOUTUBE LINKS
Four broken clocks
Three French baguettes
Two brand new pens
and a book that I really must read

On the eleventh day of writing, my true muse gave to me
Eleven debtors phoning
Ten cats a-meowing
Nine Starbucks serving
Eight chores a-waiting
Seven deadlines looming
Six shops a-calling
FIVE YOUTUBE LINKS
Four broken clocks
Three French baguettes
Two brand new pens
and a book that I really must read

On the twelfth day of writing my true muse gave to me
Twelve piles of laundry
Eleven debtors phoning
Ten cats a-meowing
Nine Starbucks seving
Eight chores a-waiting
Seven deadlines looming
Six shops a-calling
FIVE YOUTUBE LINKS
Four broken clocks
Three French baguettes
Two brand new pens
AND A BOOK THAT I REALLY MUST........ REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAD!
*Thunderous Applause*

XOXO

Bethany

In Which I Cry A Lot (Last Day of Dead Week)

2011-12-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

Finals on Monday.

*breaks into tears*

Seriously though, I have way too many grams of caffeine running through my body, almost 0 sleep and I'm probably dehydrated. Also, my friends think I'm insane. *sob* BUT I've gotten so much studying done it's ridiculous. And just one more day... tomorrow I sleep in, Sunday I relax, Monday I start studying leisurely so I'm not brain-dead for the test.

Unfortunately, not much is happening in writing-land. *tear*

Fortunately, Christmas break is around the corner. :)

I probably won't be blogging next week. *cry* But I WILL blog over Christmas break, so I'll see you all in a week!

Have a great weekend!

XOXO

Bethany

(Plus, I'm getting these weird jolts of adrenaline sporadically, probably from the caffeine. Is that bad?)

This Might Be The One!

2011-11-30T09:33:00.000-08:00

First off, I'd like to thank everyone who commented on my last post - thank you all so much for your kind words. The last month and a half or so has been brutal, but there's always tomorrow, and if tomorrow isn't better, the day after that. Really, everyone's support meant a lot to me.

Today, on a happier note, I'd like to announce that I have come up with another idea for a YA fantasy! Paranormal, rather. This one, however, I feel so much more comfortable about. It may end up being non-YA, but the protagonist is sixteen or seventeen. It's a little dark.

This, also, is why fanfiction is such an awesome thing. No, I wasn't writing it when I had the idea, but I was thinking about it. Really, it gets such a bad wrap but is actually a fantastic writing exercise.

Have you had any awesome ideas lately? Where did they come from?

XOXO

Bethany

Can't Turn From This, Baby, This Is Poetry, Rips Open Your Soul

2011-11-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

When I decided not to participate 100% in NaNoWriMo, I had no idea that I would barely write a word over the whole month. The idea that a whole month would go by without a word written never even occurred to me. The world, however, continued to spin on as I refused to put pen to paper.

I would not open a processor, I would not scribble a page. Everything whirled by too fast, and occasionally an arm reaching out of the whirlwind to stab at me with guilt.

Write. Write.

It's not a puzzle why I didn't write, there were things that overwhelmed my life and a certain problem I could (can) not talk about. So... instead of writing, I watched, listened, ignored, fought, and lost the battle to stay afloat.

It's not that I want to go preachy, but I do have to say this: there is nothing, nothing I have apart from Christ Jesus that is worth having. If there is a way out of this hole, he's going to lead me to it. First, it is him, always him. But now, like so many other times, he puts the pen in my hand.

Madeleine L'Engle writes, "I have often been asked if my Christianity affects my stories, and surely it is the other way round; my stories affect my Christianity, restore me, shake me by the scruff of the neck, and pull this straying sinner into an awed faith." -Walking on Water

For her, and for me, Christianity and writing are too intertwined to be able to be separated. Once I reached the point where I could no longer ignore the waves of love pouring into me, I found I could no longer ignore my stories.

I don't think that you have to be a Christian for this to apply to you. Why aren't you writing? Why is the desire gone? Why does it hurt too much?

I think it's because writing requires you to put absolutely everything you have out in front so you can have room to delve into the deeper waters. And if you're afraid of what's going on in those darker recesses of your mind, you won't do it.

It'll heal you, if you let it.

XOXO

Bethany

At The Absolute End Of Things...

2011-11-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

What do we have left when the world is stripped away? When your entire lives are consumed in flames, which losses hurt you the most?

I know it's a backward way to give thanks, imagining everything I love has been destroyed. But in a time and country where I'm showered with blessings - both material and relational - making a list of things that give me joy falls a little short of real thankfulness.

If my world was consumed by a fire, I would be annoyed by the loss of my games and books. I would be severely annoyed by the loss of my computer and mp3 player. I would be annoyed by the loss of a full wardrobe, the ability to grab a snack from the fridge, notebooks, schoolbooks, school awards, jewelry, stuffed animals, technology, pillows, blankets, journals. It would be truly annoying - and these are all things don't want to lose.

If my world was consumed by a fire, I would be heartbroken by the loss of family pictures, gifts from loved ones, a few special books, my stories, and my home. I would be heartbroken - and these are things I love.

If my world was consumed by fire, I would give my life to protect my family. I would die to keep my friends safe. I would sacrifice my life to guard my faith.

Those are the things I'm thankful for.

Thank you, Father. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving, see you all next week!

XOXO

Bethany

Build A Man by Talli Roland

2011-11-17T08:18:00.000-08:00

Slave to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. Unfortunately, every pitch she sends out disappears like her clients' liposuctioned fat, never to be seen again. Then she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-dog man determined to be Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between -- giving Serenity a story no editor could resist.

With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success, even going undercover to gain intimate access to Jeremy's life. But when Jeremy's surgery goes drastically wrong and Serenity is ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, she must decide how far she really will go for her dream job.

Why I started reading: When Talli asked for reviewers a week or two ago, I jumped at the chance. Her voice, in her books and in her blog, is charming and snappy - so how could I resist the opportunity to read more?

Why I kept reading: Her voice lived up to my hopes - and exceeded them - but characters cinched it for me. Serenity is a flawed protagonist, that's evident from the get-go, but I found myself rooting for her - for all the characters. Throw in a complex and fun best friend, a diabolical tabloid editor, and that ever important addition of Jeremy, and you have a fantastic story.

The Writing Style: Like I wrote above, Talli's voice comes through amazingly, but Serenity's voice is also vibrant and distinct. Even when her decisions make you cringe - and sometimes they will - her voice comes through earnest and eager, like that girlfriend you begged to please, please not buy that bright orange dress with the frills.

The Story: Well crafted and well paced. Sometimes the story takes you from one silly, laugh-out-loud to another, sometimes it slipped into a more serious tone. Overall, the balance was great.

Do I recommend? Definitely. Go check it out - it's out for pre-release on Amazon.com. In the meantime, you can also check out The Hating Game and Watching Willow Watts.

XOXO

Bethany

English 202 - Citizen Rex

2011-11-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

For this week's entry I'm looking at Citizen Rex, a futuristic graphic novel by Mario and Gilbert Hernandez. The story, both written and drawn, has many layers, starting right off from the first page. While the whole story is dramatic and well-done, the first page starts the action, so that is the multi-panel page I'm choosing to start with.

I'm choosing to analyze these panels using chapter two of McCloud Book Understanding Comics, relating between words and art. In the above panels, words are used sparingly - only seventeen in the entire page. The art, which is highly iconic as opposed to realistic, sets a definite mood. Ominous clouds, tall buildings, objects in the sky - these all bring the 'future' to mind. Specifically, an impersonal future. The text 'Our fair city' matched to the darkness and impersonality of the artwork implies a sense of irony and sarcasm. The following panel then enforces that idea with the silhouette of one man trying to strangle another. Then the remainder of the introduction is set by the text in the second panel.

It's important to note that in the top panel, the text is placed so that it will be read before the picture is taken in, but in the bottom panel, the text is placed so that it will be read after. This bookend effect sets a definite voice of the narrator, specifically, the kind of sarcastic, ironic narrator that pauses for effect. Together, the text and the pictures combine to immerse the reader in a story with full voice, tone, and mood already set.

Question 1: Does the tone set in the first page honestly portray the tone of the whole novel?

Infinite Sacrifice by L.E. Waters

2011-11-15T10:30:00.000-08:00

Maya’s shocked to discover it’s not the heaven she imagined;in fact, a life of adventure begins the moment you die.

Zachariah, her faithful spirit guide, explains the rules of the dead: in order to regain complete awareness and reunite with loved ones all souls must review their previous lives.

Maya plunges warily into her turbulent pasts as a sociopathic High Priest in ancient Egypt; an independent mother protecting a dangerous secret in glorious Sparta; an Irish boy kidnapped and enslaved by Vikings; and a doctor’s wife forced to make an ethical stand in plague-ridden England.

All the while, Maya yearns to be with those she cares about most and worries that she hasn’t learned all of heaven’s most vital lessons. Will she be forced to leave the tranquility of heaven to survive yet another painful and tumultuous life? Or worse, accept the bitter reality of having to go back alone

Why I started reading: The concept. I mean really, read that blurb again. It drew me in immediatedly.

Why I kept reading: In a word? The characters. The immediate contrast between Maya in the beginning of the novel and her character in the first life grabbed me. I saw a glimpse of the journey she had gone through, and I wanted to see more. I kept reading, and I was not disappointed.

The Writing Style: Intimate and honest. I saw an earlier draft of this novel, and let me tell you - the author only keeps getting better. The potential in her writing style and storytelling is huge, but it isn't just potential. This book is solid and well-written.

The Story: It's a mix of fantasy and historical fiction - the official genre is Reincarnation Fantasy - and let me tell you this straight off: L.E. Waters knows her stuff. The historical details are not only vivid, but they're true to the time period. And the fantasy? Let's just say it was more than enough to satisfy me, lover of all things magical.

In this story, Maya is taken through several different lives - but you never lose sight of her character. Even in four stories from four different time periods, the characters remain continuous and well-rounded.

If there's one thing I would critique about this book in it's final stage, it's that I wish it were longer. I love all the characters, and I want to see more of them in more detail. Thankfully, it's the first in a series - and up next? Italy! Heck to the yes!

My Recommendation: Beyond worth the 2.99 at Amazon. If you like fantasy or history, you'll enjoy this book - and if you like both? You'll love it as much as I do!

XOXO

Bethany

(P.S. The book's author is doing a giveaway here - you should check it out!)

Today's The Day!

2011-11-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

First off, a thank you to all who serve and all who have served.

Today is ALSO the day that Infinite Sacrifice by the fabulous Lauren Waters launches!! *throws confetti*

I WILL be reviewing this book next week, but for today let me just sum up - it's AMAZING. I'll let the blurb speak for itself...

Maya’s shocked to discover it’s not the heaven she imagined;in fact, a life of adventure begins the moment you die.

Zachariah, her faithful spirit guide, explains the rules of the dead: in order to regain complete awareness and reunite with loved ones all souls must review their previous lives.

All the while, Maya yearns to be with those she cares about most and worries that she hasn’t learned all of heaven’s most vital lessons. Will she be forced to leave the tranquility of heaven to survive yet another painful and tumultuous
life? Or worse, accept the bitter reality of having to go back alone?

*shivers*

It's an amazing book, and it's now available on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble.

Next week I'm going to be reviewing a couple amazing books, so stay tuned! :)

XOXO

Bethany

Something Stronger Than A Hero (Pt. 2)

2011-11-09T08:38:00.000-08:00

First Part of the Series Here.

Awhile ago I had a character crisis, and to get out of it I started this series on the ingredients of a hero. In order to get a clear scope, I examined 2 my favorite video game characters, Link and Ezio. Today, I'm looking at the next two - Hawke and Six.

P.S. If you haven't played Dragon Age II or Halo Reach, there are SPOILERS in this post. Be warned.

Hawke

Dragon Age II is an RPG, so you can choose to be male or female; rogue, warrior, or mage. There are also lots of different dialogue options, so you can choose to be nice, snarky, or direct. So how is Hawke, in and of him(her)self, a hero?

Hawke is a refugee in a city overrun by people fleeing their home country. He works hard to make a fortune, and becomes well known in the process. Then he stops an invasion of the city before it can begin, earning himself Champion status. Finally, he either protects the mages of the city or destroys them, landing himself in Hero of the World status - my title, not the game's. :)

So what makes Hawke a hero? It's not the personality, gender, or fighting tactics - those are all versatile in the game. In this case, I'd have to go with sheer skill and adaptability. This doesn't always work as well in literature - games need to give gamers incentive to play on, and crushing defeat rarely works well - but there is something rewarding about reading a scene where your hero just rocks a challenge.

Noble Six:

How to describe Noble Six? Stoic. But hey, Halo Reach is a FPS, not an RPG! It's about killing aliens, not characterization!

Thankfully, Bungie realized that some characterization is still needed, even for a one-game hero in the prequel to the Halo series. Introducing Noble Six, the sixth member of the Noble Team.

We don't know much about Six before he joins the team. His case file is highly classified, he's qualified, and he mostly accepts orders without smart comments. We also know his situation is an awkward one - Noble Team still regrets the loss of their last team member, and they resent the new guy at first.

So what makes Six a hero? For this one, I'd have to say it's his situation.

He's competent, straightforward, and brave. Good enough, but hardly an intriguing protagonist. His situation, however, is filled with emotional impact. He's on a planet that the player knows is going to fall to the aliens, and we follow Noble Team through that horrifying revelation as they watch everyone they know and care about die. The other team members are highly characterized (for an FPS), and the attachment is to the team. In such dire circumstances, Six's sheer ability to keep calm and do his job makes him a hero.

What qualities do you hate in your heroes? Love? Need?

XOXO

Bethany

(Fill-in-the-Blank)s are SO....

2011-11-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

I'm taking a small break from updates on Nano. This post is flavored a little bit differently, but it's very close to my heart.

Prejudice.

Recently, I did a post on stereotypes that put them in a positive light. The obvious exception (and some of you pointed this out) is any stereotype that is harmful or insulting. So today I'm addressing those.

Love and empathy - which are, to me, the most powerful weapons against prejudice - hurt us. It's understandable why we try to dehumanize groups of people by placing them in certain boxes. If we love someone who radically disagrees with us, it can hurt us very deeply, so we shrink away. But that doesn't make it right.

There's nothing I can say on the subject that hasn't been said - and said better - so this is what I am going to do. Today, try to eliminate one of your prejudices.

'But Bethany!' you protest, 'I'm a gal (or guy) of the 21st century! I don't have any!'

Sure you do! And if you don't, mega-kudos, can you tell me the secret? :)

So I'm going to put some on here, and if you identify, maybe try to get rid of it. Maybe not. But it could change more than just your day if you tried.

PREJUDICE:

If You Listen To Classic Rock:

"People today have no taste in music"

May I remind you about the pop songs from the Classic Rock Era? Like this and this?

If You Play PC Video Games:

"Console gamers don't know what real games even are."

"Console gamers are as bad as *gasp* casuals."

If You Play Console Games:

"PC gamers are so elitist"

"PC gamers are more focused on graphics and mods than actual gameplay"

If You Are a Democrat:

"Republicans are so stupid, hateful, dumb, negative, evil, a disease." (all found from top hits on google search results) (No, I'm not kidding about the disease part)

If You Are a Republican:

"Democrats are so dumb, arrogant, mean, evil, the bad guys." (Also all google search results)

(I'm only addressing a few religions, but you can look up any of them on google)

If You Are Not A Christian:

"Christians are so fake, annoying, unlike Christ, hate-filled hypocrites, crazy, ignorant." (google)

"Mormons are crazy, awesome, nuts, not Christian." (so, this is a mixed bag from google.)

If You Are A Christian:

"Atheists are wrong, evil, stupid, annoying." (google) (To be fair, the top post on 'stupid' was someone ranting against why everyone didn't believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster, so it may be taken as satire. Maybe.)

"Wiccans are evil, stupid, retards, crazy." (google)

"Muslims are coming, taking over the world, crazy, sociopaths." (google)

If You Walk/Bike Ride To Work:

"People who drive cars everyday are ruining our planet. Selfish jerks."

If You Drive:

"I bet those bikers think they're so much better than me. Jerks."

If You Write Literary Fiction:

"YA writers have it soooo easy. They don't even have to edit as much, and they don't have to worry about the overall perfection of their prose."

"Science Fiction/Fantasy is for people who can't face the real world."

If You Write YA:

"Literary Fiction Writers are so arrogant. They can't imagine how hard it is to write YA."

If You Write Sci-fi/Fantasy

"Mainstream fiction writers have no imagination."

...

and on it goes. Now I realize I'm falling into stereotyping prejudices here - obviously not everyone from every group thinks those things. But that's the point. So if something on here resonated with you, spend every minute of today questioning that prejudice.

Jon Stewart said a few days ago (to the protestors) "You are always judged by your worst element." Every group is, even if the worst element is not the majority.

What resonated with you on the list?

XOXO

Bethany

(P.S. It's not my intent to offend anyone. Most of these were pulled off of google)

Sigh Another Strong, Sassy Heroine...

2011-11-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

Paranormal!

*yaaaay!*

NaNo, here I come! With my paranormal fantasy, which actually kind of takes place in a city so it's urban as well.

Which comes with its own set of problems - stereotyped characters for one.

I know strong heroines are all the rage, and they should be - because look at the alternative..

But I've read an awful lot of covers that boast about a strong, sassy heroine who takes no attitude from anyone - and then, surprise of surprise, the heroine actually turns out to be a fairly normal person who flips off her boss once.

So I guess I'm asking this - what are you sick of in your heroines? What do you want to see more of? Who is your favorite heroine of all time?

XOXO

Bethany

English 202 Miss Clairol - Helena Maria Viramontes

2011-11-02T18:35:00.000-07:00

For this week's English 202 blog post, we're supposed to post two multi-layered questions about Helena Maria Viramontes' Miss Clairol.

1. What does Arlene listen to as she's getting ready for her date? Why does the narrator call her a 'romantic'? How are love and sexuality related to each other, according to Viramontes?

2. What does Arlene borrow from a friend for her date? Why does the narrator include how badly the dress fits her? In combination with the hair dye and stolen makeup, what is Viramontes implying about Chicana self-identity?

Genre Switching - Good or Bad?

2011-11-02T13:08:00.000-07:00

I'd like to make it absolutely clear that I believe authors should be able to switch genre. There. It's clear. :) That said, what about stories?

I'm not talking about one novel split into three genres, I'm talking about switching your entire book around from one genre to another. Can it be done? Should it?

How vital is the genre to the story inside of it?

Now that I've gone all existential, I want to ask something else. I have 700 words so far (eck) in the NaNo story, and I've switched genre three times. I can't decide! So what do you think, lovely readers? Which genre would you suggest?

What do you think?

XOXO

Bethany

(p.s. that's YA, Urban Fantasy, or Steampunk) :)

On a Monday Before NaNo...

2011-10-31T08:22:00.000-07:00

I have almost nothing to say, except that I'm so glad I'm doing no-pressure NaNoWriMo this year - is in, if I don't make the 50k, I'm really all right with that. Yay!

That said, it'll be really fun. I'm thinking YA paranormal, which is a bit out of my normal genre. :)

Happy Halloween! What are you going to be this year?

Me? I was a steampunk doll for my friend's costume party, and today I'm splitting it up: by lunch I'll be a 50s housewife, at dinner I'll be an elf. :)

I'm Failing Life - And Loving It

2011-10-27T23:34:00.000-07:00

So, today did not go according to plan.

I didn't write a word

I missed posting on the Rule of 3 Blogfest

I discovered a few major bad things about my plot

I had a minor breakdown

Then I took about 20 minutes and danced the hell out of rock music.

So....

Here's what I've learned.

Maybe NaNoWriMo isn't the greatest thing for everyone. Here's what I mean - I've been rushing at NaNo pace to get my current WIP ready by the time it starts. This means by writing has been horrible, I haven't gotten editing done as I go (which is the best way for me to write) and I plot fell all to hell in the interest of 'get it done'.

So here's my deal: I will do NaNo, I will not probably write 50K. I just can't. I haven't had fun writing this, and even though I know writing is not about having fun, there's something off about my schedule the past few days. I've missed out on tons of social deals because of writing, I'm missing classes, I'm rushing. And for a half-baked MS. Nope, not for me.

I am bummed about not finishing the Rule of 3, which is SUCH a cool deal, but I would've posted too late and I just had nothing left. I could not write a word. I need to get some physical activity. I need to run, to walk, to dance, to jump, to stretch. I need to be a college student.

I love writing. If I don't write a word through my college life, I'll die. But my first priority is school, kicking ass and taking names.

*PHEW* Rant over.

I really love you all. You know that, right?

Now who wants to dance the hell out of the Eagles with me?

XOXO

Bethany

Casting Call!

2011-10-26T18:59:00.000-07:00

My post for Rule of 3 will be up tomorrow - it's been a great blogfest!

And now for a bloghop!

Check out the rules and linky list here at Carrie Butler's blog. Basically, I'm introducing you to a few of my characters. :) Since I'm a nerd, instead of choosing actors, I grabbed video game characters. :)

Ready?

Introducing The Mercenaries:

Van (only a few years older)

Occupation: Mercenary/Medic

Past Occupation: Soldier

Weapon of Choice: Twin Daggers

First Words in the Story: "Narrow escape."

Last (So far): "Part of the plan, I suppose?"

Why He's Awesome: He's a deserter from the king's army, but never lets the danger of being caught keep his tongue under control.

Kass

Occupation: Mercenary

Past Occupation: Eastern Hunter

Weapon of Choice: Longbow

First Words in the Story: "That horse shrieked when it went down. Soldiers are coming."

Last (So far): "Take her to The Dragon."

Why She's Awesome: An Eastern Hunter with violet hair, tattoos, and hella aim, Kass's glare hurts just as much as her arrows. Van is a frequent victim.

Anda

Occupation: Mercenary

Past Occupation: Student at the High Rise Grounds

Weapon of Choice: Deathmagic (Not a gun, that's just the picture)

First Words in the Story: "That's the last thing we need."

Last (So far): "I've done things worth death. Killing him wasn't one of them."

Why She's Awesome: Um. Deathmage. Oh, and she's certifiable.

There are the characters!

XOXO

Bethany

Why You Should Love Your Stereotype (If It's As Cool As Mine)

2011-10-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

Nerd a pretty common word with vivid connotations. I thought I'd avoid the Nerd vs Geek vs Dork debate, since all of them were pretty interchangeable at my school and I fit all three.

Basically, all three denote an obsession or passion that overshadows permissible social conduct. It could be math, fantasy, sci-fi, books, writing, art, animals, anything. The term 'nerd' generally applies to people who obsess of things out of the mainstream, because to obsess about puppies or certain popular television shows is permissible social conduct.

Obsessing about the latest Dragon Age expansion pack? Not so much.

There are a lot of stereotypes in the world, which we pretty much all know. Anyone who ever took a quiz on quizilla or facebook or myspace (depending on your generation) knows that classification is a must in our society. "You have a green spirit," or "Your Personality Color is Pink" can often translate to "You're a nature geek," or "You're a prep!"

In our culture, the only acceptable solution to stereotypes is to run away from them. "Don't classify me, man!" which has given rise to dozens of sub-cultures that, in the end, really only stereotype the people in them (hipsters, for example).

But is running from stereotype the right decision?

Once I embraced my status as a 'nerd', I was free. In a paradoxical way, when I had settled into my niche, I could travel outside it without being labeled. When I tried dance, sports, clubs, mall-hopping (that phase didn't last long), no one thought anything about it. I knew I was a nerd, I loved being a nerd, and no matter what I looked like on the outside, at the end of the day, I was still a nerd.

Not that you can't change your stereotype. You just don't have to. Nerds can be jocks, skaters can be ballerinas, musicians can be preps.

Maybe the world would be more ideal without stereotypes, but we're stuck with them for now. Why not embrace it?

Though, to be fair, we can't all be as cool as nerds. :)

Rule of 3 Blogfest Pt. 3!

2011-10-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

(Firefly joke. Hehe!)

It's time again for the Rule of 3 Blogfest! Sweet! Rules are here. Go check out all the entrants, they've been great so far!

Here are the prompts I used:

Betrayal is in the air
Relationships unravel or strengthen
A long-kept secret is revealed

Erik knew he was dead, it was just a matter of letting his eyes close. His life-force - that energy that had helped him climb trees, play with Briton around the school yard, kiss Rist before she decided she was too grown up for little things like that - was slipping into the mud around him like spilt milk.

The Graces in front of him were fuzzy, but three more people appeared behind them, and they were clear as day. By the stars, they were beautiful. One of them looked so familiar, he could almost...

"Hold on, Erik," she said, moving forward. She floated past the Graces without trouble, laying a hand on his chest. Her fingers were warm.

Somewhere behind here, the Principal Grace was arguing with Dalia. "Let him die. Your job was to get him to talk, you failed. There's nothing more to be done." Dalia argued back, but her voice was too soft for him to hear.

The woman leaned forward, her eyes the same color as the rock-crystals he and Rist used to collect to give to Briton. If Erik'd had any breath to spare, he would have gasped; that's how he knew her. This woman, this glowing angel of a woman, had Briton's eyes and Rist's face; their mother. "Are.. you..."

She hushed him, but her eyes smiled. "The gods have not abandoned you, child. Renaissance has not been forsaken. We are returning, and it was Rist who called us. Called us - called me - using the mind-call of the Graces." She saw the faint tears welling in his eyes, and her hand moved to his cheek. "She did not abandon you either."

Strength trickled into him, and he noticed the other two angels - gods? - casting some sort of spell. Where they healing him?

His eyes sharpened, the glow of the angels faded. The Principal Grace and Dalia, that girl who had been so quiet in school and had never spoken a word against the Graces, were still arguing.

"If you won't let him die, then I must take action." With one swift movement, the Principal Grace charged at Erik, the electric blade flashing in his hand.

Rist charged out of the trees behind him, barely giving Erik time to gasp before she leaped on the Principal Grace. He fell in a whirl of golden fabric, but took Rist with him. They struggled, but he ended up kneeling on top of her, the blade in his hand. "I knew you wouldn't watch him die, Rist."

He raised the blade to her throat, an ugly grin on his face. Erik's heart leapt halfway out of his chest.

The grin faded, replaced by surprise. With Rist still trapped beneath him he gasped, coughed, and fell over dead on the ground.

Dalia stood above his corpse, a bloody knife clenched in her hand.

Word Count: 479

:) I'm off to read some other entries - happy Thursday!

XOXO

Bethany

P.S. Shannon Whitney Messenger is having an AWESOME book-deal giveaway on her blog. The prizes are beyond amazing, there are GORGEOUS necklaces, and there's even a chance for a magic wish! Go check it out here. :D

English 202 - And the Earth Did Not Devour Him

2011-10-19T16:21:00.000-07:00

Tomas Rivera's And the Earth Did Not Devour Him is a semi-autobiographical series of vignettes and short stories based around the lives of migrant workers. When I read it for the first time, I was drawn in by each of the stories, even if the format confused me until I got the hang of it. Few of the stories are told in a straight narrative, many are told through the scattered thoughts of children or two people speaking, telling the story through dialogue - as in "The Little Burnt Victims".

As if the title above wasn't enough to suggest it, many of the short stories are tragic, all of them display the difficulty of migrant workers in the U.S.

At first glance, Rivera's And the Earth Did Not Devour Him has only a vague connection to Anzaldua's "How To Tame a Wild Tongue," since the latter seems mostly about language and the former is more of the lifestyle. However, at their heart, both pieces deal primarily with the Chicano culture, both its glory and its grit.

"I remember being caught speaking Spanish at recess -- that was good for three licks on the knuckles with a sharp ruler. I remember being sent to the corner of the classroom for 'talking back' to the Anglo teacher when all I was trying to do was tell her how to pronounce my name." (How to Tame a Wild Tongue, Anzaldua)

Both And the Earth Did Not Devour Him and "How to Tame a Wild Tongue" are partially told using children as victims. This seems mildly manipulative at first, but nevertheless true; children do suffer because of the natural - if undesirable - rift between Anglo children and Chicano children. School seems a central part of Anzaldua's article, but there are a couple of school scenes in Rivera's story as well.

The school setting makes sense; it is the place where the cultural difficulty is most clearly demonstrated. Success and advancement are the ideal, and in order to achieve that ideal, children have to speak English well. Rivera does not hide the truth of the matter behind his stories, he's very up front. It just takes one mistake, one, for a Mexican-American child to be reprimanded and even perhaps expelled, despite provocation, where as if it were an Anglo child, perhaps the behavior would have been considered more normal of boys that age.

However, there are moral differences between And the Earth Did Not Devour Him and "How to Tame a Wild Tongue." Anglos are not demonized in Rivera's work because of their language - or even their insistence that the prominent language be forced on school children - but because of how they take advantage of hardworking immigrant laborers and many of those workers are changed - not always for the better - by the materialism surrounding them. Anzaldua, though she writes prominently for Chicano American citizens while Rivera writes for anyone of Mexican descent, whether American or not, seems to be more nationalistic of Mexico.

Rivera's work, at least to me, seemed more like a true picture of the tragedies facing Chicanos, whereas Anzaldua felt a little naive and idealistic. Rivera's message felt like, 'We cannot succeed in the society that keeps taking cruel advantage of us until that changes' while Anzaldua sounds like she's ready to secede from the U.S. The last paragraph of her article basically said, "We'll just wait till those white folks crumble to dust - cause God knows they will - and then we'll still be here." Which sounds to me like an exact reverse of the problem, not a solution.

Question:

It's not just Anglos that Anzaldua seems upset about, she portrays the Chicano people as caught between Mexico and the U.S. Does she seem to be proposing a sort of solution in her article, or is it predominately just an assessment of their current difficulties?

It's Like New Years!

2011-10-17T10:43:00.000-07:00

Last week did not go, if we're being nitpicky, exactly according to plan. There was a book break-up, there was an environmental science test, there was the fantabulous Rule of 3 blogfest (still going on), I continued my failure of responding to my fabulous crit partner there was the fact that I checked into the weekend early.

Oh, and I gained 3 pounds.

*sigh*

I totally, completely, and utterly lost my motivation.

Thank God that it didn't stay away too long.

Now my day feels more like this:

This week is going to ROCK. My new resolutions!

1. Finish Novel by NaNoWriMo despite temporary break-up

2. Lose those three pounds AND THEN SOME

3. Finish homework! (Rawww!)

4. Dance.

What about you? Any new resolutions this week?

XOXO

Bethany

The Book Break-Up

2011-10-14T12:56:00.000-07:00

Yes. I had one of those.

Yeah, I'm not going to lie, guys. It sucked. 60,000 words of insane awesomeness, then BAM. Out of nowhere.

"You've broken my plot for the last time! My characters are never good enough for you! Don't lie to me, I've seen you look longingly at those YAs. I've heard you talk about how exciting steampunk would be. I can't change who I am!"

"Of course I look at YAs and steampunks. We never meant for us to last forever. I was going to make you pretty, you were going to try to sell. That was the deal."

"But I thought we had something special!"
"We do. We have something better than this. I just want you - us - to be spectacular."

"No! I'm done! You take your deadlines and your plot development and go write fanfiction. We're over."

"..."

Maybe I'm a little overdramatic, but darn, that's what it felt like. I felt worse on Wednesday night than I feel when I break up with my real-life people.So what did I do?

I played some video games. I watched movies with friends. I *cough* did some homework.

Sure enough, yesterday we both apologized. The book break-up is over. Now we're like this:The message here? It gets better. Stick with it. :)

XOXO
Bethany

Rule of 3 Blogfest Pt. 2!

2011-10-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

Prompts:

Someone is killed or almost killed

One of the characters is revealed to be not who or she is

A character lies to another on an important matter

"You do realize what today is?"

Junior Grace Delia Star crossed her arms as the Principal Grace leaned over the body, a heated knife in his hand. It was an exact replica of Rist's, standard issue Grace weaponry. Even though he could barely breathe, the boy flinched at the site of it.

"Today is the day of the Last Betrayal. The day my kind was able to finally conquer yours."

Delia knew better than to contradict the Principal Grace in front of a prisoner, but he was wrong. The Last Betrayal had nothing to do with Graces, nothing to do with mind travel. It was when the city collapsed on itself, and they arrived just in time to pick up the pieces. All that was left was a shambled mess of a city called Renaissance.

"You'll never... get her."

Erik had been burned half to death by the shocks, but his eyes were still violent. They locked on Dalia. "She's stronger than you."

"She's one of us," the Principal Grace corrected. His golden robes were garish on a day like this, when the sun refused to shine and the entire city draped itself in black. They would have been more fitting in an interrogation room, but the boy had been too close to death to move him. The Battlestand was less than a yard away.

Dalia could hear the souls inside of it scream for the divine justice that had abandoned them over a hundred years ago. The sound was never silent, it had followed her into her sleep ever since she'd arrived in Renaissance.

"You're... lying." Erik coughed the words out with blood.

The Principal Grace looked over at Dalia, nodding her forward. "No, Erik," she said, and he visibly calmed at her voice. It was manipulation, but it worked. "Think about it. Rist hasn't been the same lately, has she? Not for about eleven months."

"...no."

"She is a Grace. Though she would've died before she told you. Get your revenge, Erik. Tell us where she is."

Erik's cough took on a gurgling sound, blood rising in his throat. Concerned, Dalia sat next to his body, lifting his head just enough so he could keep breathing. Her robes - silver to the Principal's gold - soaked in the blood from the ground.

"Where is she?" Dalia asked softly.

Erik shook his head, and Dalia felt a fierce surge of pride. He had honor. If the citizens of Renaissance had half his courage, then maybe... maybe things weren't so hopeless after all. She hid her expression from the Principal Grace. "He's going."

"Where is she?" The Grace demanded, his voice growing fiercer as Dalia's softened.

His face was terrible, and Dalia made herself look away into the trees beyond.

"...no."

The trees shivered. There, in the branches, a pair of green eyes peaked out. She recognized them. "Rist."

"What?" The Principal Grace turned to her, annoyed by the distraction.

The eyes disappeared. When Dalia looked back down into Erik's eyes, she saw his fear. His concern for Rist, his love for Renaissance. Things like that were nearly impossible to hide. Dalia knew, she'd been hiding them her whole life.

"Nothing, Principal Grace." She spoke while watching Erik. "It's nothing."

His eyes gave her all the hope she had ever needed, because they held the one thing she had never received.

Forgiveness.

..........

Tune in next week, and go check out the other participants! Have a wonderful week!

XOXO

Bethany

Why More of Your Characters Should Be Sexist

2011-10-10T10:53:00.001-07:00

Sometimes our characters are racist, sexist, or elitist - but not for the reason we think.

In our day and age, racism, sexism, and religious discrimination are some of the most alienating faults a person can have. People often believe that there's enough hatred in the world without a skin-deep differences adding to the mix of prejudice.

But is it so skin-deep?

Imagine a world where you are in an isolated group of people, all of whom share your skin color. That's all you know. Then, from out of nowhere, a stranger appears of a different color.

Maybe your first instinct is fear. More likely, it's surprise. It could be awe, it could be anger. But there's one thought that probably dominates. Us vs. Them.

The difference feels huge. It's also skin-deep.

Here's where I'm going with this: when we, as fallible human beings, see a particular fault in an individual, we want to separate ourselves from it. Faults are ugly, we don't want them. And more importantly, we never want to be accused of having them.

So what do we do?

We look at the individual with that fault and try to separate ourselves from him as much as possible.

If I am white, and I see a black person with a fault, and I never want to admit that I may have that fault, what will I attribute it to? I'll attribute the fault to the one aspect of the person that I will never have. His skin color. Or his gender.

Hence, racism. Sexism. Elitism. Prejudice.

"That woman is ignorant. I don't want to be ignorant, and I'd never say something like she just said. It must be because she's a woman." Thinks. Justifies. "I've never heard another man say that. It must be because she's female."

See how easy it is?

Wrong, yes. Ignorant, yes. Natural, yes.

Why does your character hate the group of people he hates? A lot of us have at least one group of people we generalize and dislike. For me, it's people who buy brand new playstations. (ha, jk... mostly.) Is it because he's trying to distance himself from a fault of theirs?

And will he ever learn that playstation buyers are normal people too?

XOXO

Bethany

Rule of 3 Blogfest!

2011-10-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

This is my entry for The Rule of 3 Blogfest. You should most definitely check out the participants. 600 words or less about events in the town of Renaissance with these prompts:

There is fear of an impending misfortune.

There is an argument.

Ready?

GO!

The stars had burned out in Briton's eyes. That was what happened, they burned out. They still had so much to shine for, but time had decided such light was blasphemous. Especially in Renaissance.

"We should go, Rist."

Erik's fingers caught at the faux leather jacket Briton had picked out for me just that morning. I ignored him.

"Rist!"

"You can go, Erik. I'm staying here."

"The hell you are. The Battlestand is off-limits to civilians." His voice took on a sarcastic, desperate tone, but it barely registered through the ringing in my ears. "Remember what happened Rist? Why we shouldn't be here?"

He grabbed the collar of my jacket hoisted me up, but I kept staring at the dew resting on Briton's blue pajamas. "Why did he come here?"

"He was addled, do you need a better reason? He probably saw a bluebird and chased it."

My knife was out of my belt and against his throat before he had time to flinch. "Don't say that. Never, ever call him that." Erik didn't move, but his eyes flickered down to Briton. Erik's blue eyes saw the world the same way mine did. Behind them, his brain thought in patterns I could relate to. That was why Erik was head of his class and Briton was 'addled'.

Heat radiated from my electrically charged blade, not enough to burn but enough to make slicing easier, should I want to kill him. "The the Graces killed him. They hate us, hate that our blood was in Renaissance before the war, before the Last Betrayal, before they even arrived."

Erik didn't falter - he never did. "Then you're in danger too. If the Graces find us in the Battlestand, especially on the anniversary of the Last Betrayal, we'll both be convicted of conspiracy."

I lowered the blade, feeling a sickness spread through my veins. He was right.

Erik turned me away from Briton gently, and that was the last picture I had of my brother. Sleeping on bloodied grass, his face peaceful, his precious heart silent.

We ran across the dark field, ignoring the tombs and weather-worn statues, ducking under the rays that could send an alert straight to the Graces. I stopped in my tracks. "The rays. Briton wouldn't have known to duck under them."

Erik was scrambling over the boundary gate, assuming I was just behind him.

I looked at the gleaming metal gate. It alerted guards the second it felt unusual heat, but it was programmed to ignore animals. The solution had been simple: fur gloves. We didn't go to Battlestand often, but when we did, we wore those gloves. Briton didn't have any.

"They knew he was here."

Erik reached the top of the gate; the Graces were waiting for him. Seven shocks shot at him from all directions, frying him almost to death in two seconds.

I didn't stay to watch which side of the gate he landed on, I was already sprinting across Battlestand.

A shock burst past my right ear. I kept running, my electric knife still hot in my hand. The Battlestand was located in the middle of the city. If I could make it across the opposite gate, I could survive. I could disappear. I could hide.

But I could not leave.

If you really knew what was happening in this town, you'd scram. You'd risk the beasts in Asart, you'd risk the ghosts of the Culdees. You wouldn't stay here. The gods have abandoned us - why would you stay?

Funny how we used to be the center of the universe.

*END*

I hope you like it!

XOXO

Bethany

English 202 - Woman Hollering Creek

2011-10-05T18:04:00.000-07:00

'The day Don Serafin gave Juan Pedro Martinez Sanchez permission to take Cleofilas Enriquesta DeLion Hernanez as his bride, across her father's threshold, over several miles of dirt road and several miles of paced, over one border and beyond to a town en el otro lado -- on the other side-- already did he diving the morning his daughter would raise her hand over her eyes, look south, and dream of returning to the chores that never ended, six good-for-nothing brothers, and one old man's complaints.'

So begins Woman Hollering Creek by Sanda Cisneros.

I chose this passage to practice 'close reading' with because it's the first paragraph, and thus often holds the key to the entire story. After discussing several other passages in class, I still felt like this one was special, partly because of the foreshadowing, partly because of the point of view. The characterization also plays a part in why I think this paragraph is important to the story as a whole.

The foreshadow is more vague than it might seem at first glance. It hints at a future time when Cleofilas - who we don't yet know as readers - may be unhappy with her marriage and will want to come home. However, the tone is purposely vague. Will that moment of longing be purely nostalgic? Will it be the normal hum-drum feeling that can visit a couple after the first flame of romance has passed? Cisneros foreshadows, but she only foreshadows more questions.

It also characterizes the father, and - since he is not actively present throughout most of the story - hints at the larger culture of their family, perhaps their town. He isn't a romantic, it's perfectly clear, and knows that his daughter will be disappointed. Not only disappointed, but very far away. There's a self-deprecating quality to his worry, as well. He refers to himself as a complaining old man, and knows that even though he and the brothers aren't a perfect life, she still will miss them.

The point of view is also important. It's limited omniscient, giving us the father's point of view but nothing else. It hints at what Cleofilas's point of view may be (and the diction hints that it will come to pass 'divine' - a word with predictive connotations - rather than 'guess') but it's told through the father's. It then shifts two paragraphs later and doesn't return.

It also, in its way, characterizes Cleofilas. She is young here, her naiveté is implied but not said outright. She will long for home one day, the father believes. It also implies that, for now, she is happy to be leaving.

The distance Cleofilas will travel takes up a good half of the paragraph. The father's obsession with the distance seems to emphasis his worry (a justified worry), saying how far he and those he knows can protect her (the brothers) will be from their sister. How they are, in a sense, just as helpless as she is.

My discussion question is: why start with the father's point of view? How does that enhance the story?

Something Stronger Than A Hero

2011-10-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

For the past two weeks, those of you following me on twitter have been aware of problem in my WIP that I've never had before. (although the problems I have had could fill... a.... book)

My characters were utterly flat. Not all of them, but enough. I already posted about this here, along with a few ways to get out of the character rut. So I learned how to make my characters real, a process that had come fairly naturally before.

So I have characters. But what ingredients do I mix to make a hero?

I turn to my favorite source of creative input - video games.

My favorite heroes:

Link (duh)

Ezio (AC:II)

Hawke (DA:II)

Number Six (HALO Reach)

Mario (... Mario?)

Is it cheating to say Aragorn? Surely there's a video game version of LOTR somewhere...

All wildly different type of heroes, all wildly different. I'm looking at just two today: Link and Ezio.

Link:

Link never talks, but his actions are enough to make him a hero to thousands of children and a hunk to dozens of girls - like me. (feels weird to say that with a picture of toon link) What makes Link a hero?

I would say patient endurance. He goes through hell guys, anyone who's played the game knows that. There's more to this hell than Navi, however; he gets bruised, scratched, beat up, blamed, framed, ignored, and asked to pay full price when he's freaking saving the world.

Yet he shrugs, puts the money on the counter, and goes on to save Hyrule.

That's pretty gosh darn heroic.

Ezio (Assassin's Creed II)

Ezio's a charmer. He's the assassin on the right; the assassin on the left is Ubisoft's sad attempt at a brooding hero. He came out more like a whiny piece of cardboard. (Cool name, though, Altair - Al-tye-EER)

Ubisoft saw the problem and fixed it with the sequel's hero. Charming, womanizing Ezio, gem of Renaissance Italy is hardly a blank slate. He is, however, fun to play and follow through a story. What makes him a hero?

I'd say determination and adaptability. Young Ezio faces circumstances where he has to become a man overnight, but he rises to the challenge. He is determined to protect his family, but beyond that, he takes on the mantle of his father and fights against the Templars. He dedicates his whole life to it. And he never loses his charm.

A hero of my heart, if nothing else.

What do you think? What virtues must a hero have, and what are flaws that he cannot have?

Oh, and it's Monday! So it's time to announce the winner from my 150 followers contest!

And the winner (via randomizer) is.....

mshatch!

Congrats! Email me your address and I will have amazon ship the mug and tea!

Also, I think Riley Redgate totally deserves an honorable mention. Look at the sonnet she wrote! :)

I turned and stared thee in thy narrow eye,
Thou loathsome beast which slavered, snarled, and squalled.
Surprise did bid me turn away and fly,
But resolute was I, and not appalled.
Thou wast an angry, brooding, dismal thing,
Thy eyes aglow, thy reddened teeth adrip;
Of muscles, I could see thy every string,
And blood marked every vicious fingertip.
"Foul beast!" cried I; my speaking quavered nary,
It seemed my sword had pow'r to fly alone.
Another arm, a limb quite ancillary,
The blade discovered in thy breast a home.
T'was then I wept, swept up by alien woe;
'tis man's great shame to kill a worthy foe.

I think she deserves a billion rounds of applause, don't you? If you haven't checked out her blog In The Jungle, go do it!

XOXO

Bethany

Last Day, Guys!

2011-09-30T13:11:00.000-07:00

No time for a real post today - I woke up a little late and I have an AWESOME idea for my WIP - but I want to remind you that you have until midnight tonight to enter my Shakespeare 150 follower giveaway. It's super easy, just leave your favorite Shakespeare quote (or make up your own!) and you're entered!

Rules/Entries HERE.

In the meantime, I got a shimmer of an idea for a YA fantasy. Don't worry, I won't get all distracted and ignore my WIP (I love it waaaay too much) but if I can get draft 1 done by Nov. I could use this idea for NaNoWriMo. So I won't go into details, but how about a related music video?

I Am Joaquin - Rodolfo Corky Gonzales (English 202 Blog)

2011-09-28T19:04:00.000-07:00

If there was one thing I liked about this poem, it was that the first words were in Spanish. The poet clearly marks his priorities, then continues on to the poem. It's almost as if he began the poem thinking of writing for his own people, then decided he would rather make it a declaration to the world.

There are a lot of wonderful things about this poem. The emotions it invokes by occasionally using all caps (MY OWN PEOPLE, I SHALL ENDURE/I WILL ENDURE) especially brought me out of the stupor I fell into when reading all the footnotes. Yes, the footnotes - always a great way to kill the mood. However, when I decided to read the poem and read the footnotes afterwards, things improved.

The footnotes were mostly necessary because of the dozens of historical names Gonzales uses in the poem. His association with the people of his past - those he agrees with and those he doesn't - was the most powerful aspect of the poem. He identifies with both the Aztecs and Cortez, and this duality is present throughout the entire poem. There is only one true villain in the poem, and that is the United States.

It's a strong statement to make, I know, but lines such as, "My culture has been raped. I lengthen the line at the welfare door and fill the jails with crime. These then are the rewards this society has for sons of chiefs and kings" really, really bother me. I understand his point, and I would not say that Mexico is never/was never abused by Europe/US, but the vehemence with which he portrays American society is, to me, just as hateful as European snobbery toward an indigenous people. Even Cortez is portrayed as part of a strong and noble heritage, but the US is only 'the suburbs of bigotry'.

This leaves me feeling very confused. His love for his people, his history, and his culture is so admirable, but it is impossible for me to read this poem and pretend that I'm not a U.S. citizen. It makes me want to argue, but it makes me feel like a jerk for it.

As far as the technical aspects of the poem, it's very well done. Sometimes the line breaks were a bit excessive for my personal taste, but his ongoing theme of "I am... (historical figure)" was very powerful. The rhythm, while not defined by a certain scheme, was solid.

So I guess I'm torn. Half of me wants to shout "VIVE MEXICO" (in the style of Vive La France! Only without the French accent)while the other half wants to slap the poet. I half want to throw away my culture and half want to defend it to the death. Just like Gonzales.

Discussion Question: Who was this poem written for? For his own culture? For U.S. culture, as a sort of rebuttal? Or was it just for the poet, and his own personal belief?

Today is a Late Start...

2011-09-28T09:34:00.000-07:00

because I just woke up. (And it's glorious!)

So today I thought I'd keep it simple.

Today is a day where anything is possible.

If you want, you could fly to the stars.

You could write a best-seller.

You could make a new best friend.

You could mend ties with your old best friend.

You could spend some un-arranged playtime with your kids.

Because there's beauty out there today. If the sun is shining or not, if the wind is howling or not, it's beautiful. God's creation is out there, waiting. Eden couldn't have had trees more majestic than ours, or flowers more colorful. Surely our pathways could rival some of the Garden's. The difference lies in the humanity that is too busy to look at - much less take care of - all the magic around us.

There's beauty, even if you're tired, stressed, and overworked.

XOXO

Bethany

I'm having my 150 follower contest - please check it out! It sounds intimidating to some, but all you have to do is leave your favorite shakespeare quote. Go for it!

How Do You Like Your Books? Scrambled? Sunny-Side-Up?

2011-09-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

In the grand kitchen of life, authors can take on many roles. They can be the dishwashers, scraping the interesting bits of story off of other people's lives. They can be the master chef, orchestrating the story around them. They can be the floorsweep, working the day job. (ha!)

Authors can also be your breakfast chef, making eggs in any way you please.

We can make your eggs Sunny-Side-Up, and always put a smile on your face. (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, Terry Pratchett Novels, Princess Bride)

We can make your eggs hard-boiled, solid plotting that takes a little more effort to chew up. (The Malazan Books, Ulysses, the Old Testament)

We can make your eggs soft-boiled, fun inside a solid framework. (The Hobbit, The Liar Society, The Later HP Novels)

We can make your eggs scrambled, and confuse the heck out of you! (Momento, Jealousy by Robbe-Grillet)

And there are dozens more of intriguing, unique, beautiful ways that we can whip up some eggs!

What kind of eggs would you like this morning?

P.S.

Hey guys, I'm having my 150 follower contest - please check it out! It sounds intimidating to some, but all you have to do is leave your favorite shakespeare quote. Go for it!

XOXO

Bethany

Drumroll Please.....

2011-09-23T08:54:00.000-07:00

After reaching 150 followers a week or so ago (you guys are GREAT!) I decided it was time to have a celebration. I asked you for what you wanted, and there was no clear cut winner, but most of you said either a boring old give-away or a hundred-word contest. SO.

(Also, there are a ton of blogfests going on - maybe at 200!)

I was perusing the internet for prize ideas, and I saw this:

and this:

And so... WITHOUT FURTHER ADO!!!

The Hundred Words of Shakespeare Contest!

Here are the Rules (Rules must always be capitalized):

*EDIT*

***Leave your entries in the comments sections, I don't have an entry form***

Rule 1: You must be a follower of my blog to participate. +1 point

Rule 2a: Write a 100 word story in whatever genre you choose, but in the style of Shakespeare.

This can be about a noise that woke you up this morning, a secret letter delivered in the dead of night, a spaceship that only flies when people aboard are singing, or a chase across New York to diffuse a bomb. Anything! If you go over or under by a few words, no big deal, but try to keep it within 15 words of 100.

+3 points

Rule 2b: You can leave an excerpt from the Master Himself! (this could be fun if you go for the more obscure quotes) + 2 points

(Optional) Rule 3:

Tweet about this contest (link in the comments or include @beyeager at the end so I can see it) +1

Mention this contest in a blog post (leave the link!) +2

Rule 4: Add up your score and submit the 100 words! :)

This contest closes FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30th at 11:59 PM Pacific Time

Winners will be chosen at random (depending on number of points) and announced the following Monday.

(Also, prizes may vary slightly. Sometimes these go out of stock, but I'll choose a similar item or give a 30$ amazon giftcard if nothing is available.)

XOXO

Bethany

EDIT:

If you're freaked out about writing like Shakespeare, don't sweat it, just put up your favorite Shakespeare quote. It'll still be worth +2 points!

Happiness, Great News, and A Choice

2011-09-21T08:12:00.000-07:00

No, I didn't get an agent. *sigh* I wish!

Although I'm not currently querying, so that'd be a little difficult.

No, this uber-happy-joyfulness is due to my wonderful, fantastic friend Lauren and her new precious baby girl! I don't want to steal the picture off her blog, but you really should go say hi. She runs a wonderful blog on the trials and triumphs of self-publishing, so it's a fantastic blog to visit - and now she's got a sweet little girl! (with the most adorable name)

Nextly(that's not a word, is it? Well, now it is!), I have a question for all of you. You know that a giveaway is coming up soon, but I was wracking my brain trying to think of what to do, and I couldn't decide. So it's up to you!

Would you prefer:

A) A 100-word contest

B) A 100-word contest with specific words you have to include (a la Janet Reid)

C) A boring old giveaway

D) A blogfest giveaway

So it's up to you! Vote in the comments, let me know!

XOXO

Bethany

And Then, From Nowhere....

2011-09-19T08:57:00.000-07:00

SURPRISE!

Don't you just love it when characters have a mid-life crises?

Or a mid-draft crisis, as the case may be.

As anyone who's following me on twitter knows, I had a bit of an issue with two of my characters. I kind of knew it in the back of my brain, but thank goodness for my fabulous crit partner. She was so sweet, but she basically said she wasn't sure about those two characters. They weren't clear in her mind.

And, as always, it came back to this - the characters weren't clear in my mind either.

I'm the author.

Anyone else see the problem here?

So how does an author characterize people in her novel if she has no idea who they are?

1. The ever popular character-building sheet. I like this one - it's really fun - and this is a good one too.

2. Sometimes, a picture really is worth a thousand words. Find a picture on deviantart that matches your character. Search model websites. It's not creepy, it's research!

(This may characterize your MC in more ways than you know)

3. Make your character a song playlist. Really, this can nail down a personality better than anything. It may be harder for characters in fantasy/sci-fi/historical fiction, but it's still very possible.

4. Show them off! Why did you write the character in? Why do you like him? Go back to that reason and expand.

Have you had a hard time pinning down the personality of any of your characters? How did you handle it?

XOXO

Bethany

P.S. I promised a contest, and a contest I will give! Look for details Wednesday/Friday - as soon as I have time to set it up, I will!

The Attack of the Chalkboards!

2011-09-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those moments when you realize that, oh wait, something is happening tomorrow? Well, I just realized school starts next week, and I'm moving in on Sunday. I still have WAY too much to do!

So if I'm absent on the blogging world, I apologize. I will be getting the following done:

1. Packing

2. Church

3. Haircut/dye (maybe)

4. Nails painted (hey, this is a big deal for me!)

5. Books arranged

6. Backpack organized

7. House cleaned

8. Moving preparations (changing address, etc.)

9. Crying

10. Jumping for joy

So! I know I was supposed to announce the contest today but I need a little more time - things are a bit crazy over here!

Did school sneak up on you/your family this year? Did something else?

XOXO

Bethany

This is for KIDS?

2011-09-09T11:18:00.000-07:00

150 followers! YAY! Stay tuned, contest details coming up on Monday!

Yesterday I was taking a trip down memory lan

e, playing all the video games I had as a kid. I played those games, having fun, but I was especially looking forward to playing Majora's Mask again. So I popped it in and prepared to sit through the opening cut scenes.

What the hell?

Legend of Zelda has often felt a little bit... macabre. Entire populations destroyed by freezing/suffocation in a pool of ice (Zoras) being first starved half to death and than eaten (Gorons) or simply having their village burned to a crisp (Hylians). Majora's Mask takes this tendency to a bit of an extreme.

It took me about ten minutes into the game to realize that this was NOT intended for kids. Kids can play it, in the same way kids can glide over inappropriate jokes in Disney movies, but there is a LOT in here for adults.

This is a real screenshot from the game. Seriously.

Oh, and so is this:

Yes, that's the moon. And yes, it is freakishly close to earth.

Even the humor is dark. For example, in the local inn, at midnight every night, a hand (I'm not kidding) pops out of the toilet, asking for toilet paper. Yes. Yes it does. And if you give him some, he gives you a piece of heart, which gives you more health.

You thought I was kidding.

So, all in all, I'm a bit freaked out. I love the game, but it's a LITTLE creepy.

How about you? Any memories you've returned to that aren't quite like you remember?

XOXO

Bethany

P.S. I'm not sure what this has to do with writing... I guess the lesson here is don't write about a hand that pops out of toilets asking for paper. It's been done.

On the bright side...

The Future Is Exciting!

2011-09-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

This is a business post. A take-care-of-details post. But it'll be awesome nonetheless!

Firstly, I'm approaching 150 followers (eek - love you guys!) and I think that's about time for a contest, no? Yes! Prizes to be decided, but they'll be really cool. So when I reach 150 followers, I'll announce the contest.

Secondly, there's this really awesome Rule of Three Blogfest going on in October, hosted by Damyanti, JC Martin, Lisa Vooght, and Stuart Nager.

Basically it's a chance for writers to show off and have fun writing about the town of Renaissance in whatever genre they like. (I thought it would make an awesome steampunk story, but I haven't read enough steampunk to write a good story in that genre.)

I'd definitely recommend signing up, it'll be fun. I know you're all busy with campaigning right now, but it doesn't start till October!

Thirdly, I was tagged by the always-super-sweet Suzie F. over at My Not So Secret Writing Life - her blog is wonderful, go check it out!

Back?

Awesome. The tag is

and I'm supposed to tell you ten things about me that won't scare you away. :) So...

1. I'm more into tea than coffee

2. Target is my favorite store EVER

3. My fav color is orange (can you tell?)

4. I love reading/writing fantasy

5. I'm currently debating if I want a marketing major

6. I'm already doing an English major

7. I don't ever plan on writing fiction as a day job (but how COOL would that be?)

8. I want to be a fiction editor someday.

9. Cat-In-The-Hat scares the daylights out of me.

10. Yet I love Dr. Seuss.

I think that's it! Have a SUPER fantastic Wednesday!

XOXO

Bethany

Why I Will One Day Write A Sex Scene (But Not Yet)

2011-09-05T12:27:00.000-07:00

(It's steamy writing! hehe)

Which is to say, I have never written a sex scene at this point in my life. Why? Well, there are five reasons.

1) I'd have no idea what I was doing.

2) I'd mess it up horribly.

3) I've only ever heard/read mockeries of sex scenes in which anatomy is uniquely labeled. So I might accidentally imitate that.

4) I really, really would have no idea what I was doing.

5) I'm actually one of those lame-o no-sex-til-marriage kids, so when I say I have no idea how to write a sex scene... I really mean it.

Which begs an interesting question - When does 'write-what-you-know really apply?'

A lot of writing purists will say always.

A lot of fiction writers will say never.

I've never fallen in love (I think), but my characters have, and I've written it even though I don't 'know' it.

But like I said above, I also don't 'know' what sex is like, and so I've never tried to write it.

Someday (let's hope) I will know. Then I'll probably write a scene, just to see if I can. And perhaps my fantasy novels will get a bit risque (probably not).

That said, I'll probably never publish it because my blushing would be visible through the pages, trust me. (Seriously, I don't know how you romance writers do it. I practically blush when my characters shake hands.)

So what do you think?

Write what you know?

Know what you write?

Or guess and hope it turns out all right?

XOXO

Bethany

May I Recommend One of Two Things?

2011-09-02T13:12:00.000-07:00

It's Friday today, so I thought I'd recommend one of two things.

1) Write Your Next Best Seller

2) Pet A Kitten

Have a great weekend!!

XOXO

Bethany

And You Call Yourself A Writer!

2011-08-31T15:20:00.001-07:00

Authors, Readers, I have a confession.

I cannot, for the life of me, write short stories.

This isn't for lack of trying, mind you. This is the pure and simple lack of know-how. I look at short stories the same way I look at music composition. "I know it can be done," I think, rubbing my chin. "I just can't fathom how."

I feel like there's a black hole inside my mind. "But you're a writer!" you say (or I imagine you do). "How can you not know how to write a short story?"

I just don't. I don't know how to tell a deep, intricate story in fewer than 80,000 words. I don't know how to fall in love with characters who I'm going to drop a few thousand words later. I can write novels (in varying genres), poetry, essays, rants, speeches, powerpoint presentations, but short stories?

Nope.

I do know how to cheat, and how to sort-of produce a short story.

1. Write a long scene, pretending it's from a larger novel, with a begin, middle, and end.

2. Cry.

3. Try to simplify your reason for writing the story. Try to get across a simple theme.

4. Say you're submitting a short story, lie, and then say, "but I thought 80,000 words WAS short!"

*GAH*

What about you, my friends? Can you write short stories? Is there one type of writing that you just don't understand?

XOXO

Bethany

P.S. I really, really would like to learn how to write a short story. Any tips?

Why Children Make Better Authors

2011-08-29T10:53:00.000-07:00

If you’re anything like me, you have a crumpled piece of paper in a box somewhere, maybe handwritten in cursive, maybe typed up on your mom’s typewriter. There are some badly spelled words, many exclamation points, and a few totally illegible sentences.

There’s also a story. A small one, an incomplete one, but a story nonetheless.

And if you’re anything like me, you know that you will never write a more honest story in your life than that crumpled up paper.

Children have magic. I don’t know if anyone can deny that. As we grow older, we lose it a little bit. We get hurt, we learn lessons, and the magic wraps closer and closer to our very center. Aching, it shadows its face in our very deepest memories.

And when we learn that technically, wind is just air in movement and doesn’t have colors, mountains are mounds of earth and don’t have voices, the magic fades a little.

When we write a story, we coax that magic back to life.

Just enough.

Just enough to get the story across.

Just enough to not hurt.

Reason One: Children Don’t Know Better

Can you remember a time before you first noticed a disapproving glance? When no one ever told you to ‘stop dancing and keep still,’ when no one told you that you were lying when you reported the fairies you found in the garden?

I still remember an argument I had when I was seven, singing ‘Colors of the Wind’ to my heart’s content. My brother, a precocious ten year old , told me very matter-of-factly that the wind doesn’t have colors. Science told me he was right. I knew he was wrong. Mom sided with me, and I won the argument.

By the time I was ten, I would have lost that argument. And my writing suffers for it.

Reason Two: Children Don’t Care About Being ‘Published’

Pretty straight forward: so what if you’re the only one who knows? Children delight in secrets. They may broadcast their delight to the whole world, but if they’re the only ones who know something, suddenly life takes on a whole new level of coolness.

Your story is your secret. You are secret-agent-author, writing a groundbreaking phenomenon that the rest of the world is just not AWESOME enough to know about yet. And they will, and yes, it won’t be easy to get it out there. But for now, it’s your party.

Did you write any stories when you were a kid? Have you read them recently?

XOXO

Bethany

Back to Regular Posting Next Week!

2011-08-24T11:42:00.000-07:00

Currently skipping through the first draft! Actually, we're approaching the middle, so I'm more like waltzing trepidatiously - yes. That's it. If you're writing a first draft too, you probably know what I mean. :)

Where are you in the writing process today?

XOXO

Bethany

My Internet Has Taken a Holiday!

2011-08-20T10:32:00.001-07:00

So I'm going to be horrible with emails/blogging. I'll try to keep you updated via friends' computers. :)

When The World Is Grey....

2011-08-17T00:14:00.000-07:00

... Readers go away!

What makes a world real to you? Is it the setting? How the characters react to the setting? Or is it something else?

There are lots of tips out there for a memorable world, but today I want to talk about mixing it up a bit. How about taking the style of writing and the actual setting and mix-matching? What do I mean by that, you ask?

For example, a real world setting described through the eyes of a sci-fi writer. How would he describe a McDonalds? A car? The metallic gleam of a modern kitchen counter?

What about a fantasy setting as seen through the eyes of a horror writer? Maybe he would describe how shadows fall deeply. Or how the trees stretch forward to the sky like a prisoner reaching through cell bars at a passing warden, begging for mercy. Would the sunset be bloody and ominous or a muddle of colors, thrown together haphazardly?

How are your settings coming along? What's the best setting advice you've ever heard?

Happy Wednesday!

XOXO

Bethany

The Wanderer Returneth!

2011-08-15T10:06:00.000-07:00

So, I'm back from Cannon Beach. *phew* What a vacation! I didn't bring my camera (sadly) but here are some pictures of the most GORGEOUS beach in the whole continental US. Ready?

Cannon Beach has all my favorite things: the Pacific, mountains, trees, sand, and seafood. :) We stayed at Cannon Beach Conference Center, a Christian family camp we've been going to since I was five, and met a lovely family sleeping next door. We ate together and played cards and dice, and in a couple weeks we're going to visit them up in Canada - only like an hour away.

I'm not going to say how many words I wrote, because the fact of the matter is, I don't care. When I'm at Cannon Beach, words flow from me fairly freely, and I just get caught up in the joy that is writing. There's no end-goal, there's no publishing dream, there's no word count. Just writing.

And that sums up Cannon Beach. The rest of the world waits for a week, and all the aching dreams, the tired bodies, and the weary hearts are tended to - restored.

Now that I'm back, I can't WAIT to check out all the blogs and see what you all are up to!! And getting back to writing - I'm at the point where I really need to plot a little bit.

So here's my question: do YOU need a vacation? :)

XOXO

Bethany

Gardens of the Moon Review! (And Awards!!)

2011-08-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

*Phew* That's done! It's kind of rushed and not very cohesive, but it'll do for now. :)

So, back to blogging business!

Mega (MEGA) thanks to Laila Knight and Jenna Blake Morris for giving me the Liebster Blog Award!!! (Go follow them, if you're not yet!)

"The goal of the award is to spotlight up and coming bloggers who currently have less than 200 followers. The rules of the award are:

1. Thank the giver and link back to the blogger who gave it to you.
2. Reveal your top 5 picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog.
3. Copy and paste the award on your blog.
4. Have faith that your followers will spread the love to other bloggers.
5. And most of all - have bloggity-blog fun!"

So, here are the five FABULOUS blogs I would recommend!

1. I have to give this to the ever-fabulous Lauren Waters - a new blogger writing an AMAZING historical fantasy series braving the adventures of self-publishing. I may be biased (she's an awesome crit partner as well) but her blog is so honest and fun - also, she has this great tutorial on how to make a book trailer. Check it out! (She's on vacation right now, but she'll be back Monday!) (I need to get her chapters back to her.) (Oops.)

2. Next up is Phil! I met him through AbsoluteWrite and he's a wonderful aspiring author and friend. His blog is brutally honest at times and funny and analytical at others. He's incredibly supportive and not afraid to say what he means. If you're not following, go check out his blog!

3. Lisa Marie Miles - she's an amazing, beautiful woman with an absolute heart of gold. She restarted her blog recently, so you should definitely follow her. It's beautifully written, honest, and at times hilarious. :)

4. Marsha - one of my favs. She's funny, clever, and totally deserves recognition for being awesome. :) She's also on vacation, but should be back soon!

There are SO many more, but since it's time to finish packing for my vacation I really can't dig them all up. So, for #5, let me nominate someone who has way more than 200 followers. Ladies and gentlemen... Chocolate. The best.

XOXO

Bethany

P.S. I'm on vacation next week, but I'll post if I can. I love you all!

The Magic of Character

2011-08-03T10:13:00.000-07:00

Before I start... if I don't get my review of Gardens of the Moon up by Friday, will someone drive over here to Bellingham and kick my lazy butt? Please and thank you.

Besides that, I have a confession to make.

I may have many writing flaws (lack of organization being one of several) but I recently came to terms with one that I have tried to explain away dozens of times. It's time to face the music.

Hi. My name is Bethany Elizabeth, and I love writing perfect characters.

*SIGH*

There, it's off my chest.

I know, I know, it's a big problem. But I'm trying to fix it one novel at a time. My newest WIP has more flawed characters, which is a step in the right direction. Still, I keep wanting to make them awesome. Noble. Heroic.

Which, as I've recently learned, is not incompatible with flawed characters. Think of Aragorn (from the movies, not the books - he's pretty flawless in the books). He's powerful, persevering, dutiful, but timid when it comes to claiming the throne.

And, as the game Dragon Age II has taught me, sometimes those flaws can be massive. Almost irreconcilable to a good person. The game excels at flawed, fascinating characters, and maybe I'll go into that in a separate video game post.

Basically, the world (Thedas) is full of mages, ruled over and protected by the Templars, a group of religious warriors. The reason Templars rule over mages is because mages are constantly at risk of being possessed by demons - especially when they use blood magic.

Now, not everyone is in favor of the Templars. Many support basic rights and freedoms for mages. But pretty much everyone agrees on one thing: blood magic = bad. Some mages use it out of sheer desperation, but no one wants to.

Check out the trailer for Dragon Age II - the man is the hero the player controls. (This is the second game, so most viewers already know blood magic is bad)

Wait... what? Awesome hero, nifty fight sequence... blood magic? By a hero?

And yet... you still want to play the game, right?

How do you avoid perfect characters? Or do you embrace them?

XOXO

Bethany

Lazy Blogger Award, much?

2011-08-01T11:55:00.000-07:00

Friday was my 200th post! Woohoo!

Totally didn't notice till now. :D

So, I've been fairly absent over the blogging world. I promise, I'll try to make it up to you. Wednesday. Probably. *sigh*

Happy Friday!

2011-07-29T10:49:00.001-07:00

Yes, this is what I do for fun. Enjoy!

Summer Sparks!

2011-07-27T11:37:00.001-07:00

All right, I'm back to my regular blogging schedule. Woohoo! To everyone who read the poem I posted last week, thank you for your lovely comments! It wasn't a reflection of my life at the time, but I do love that poem. :) (which is nice, because I don't like most of the poetry I write!)

(Insert awkward transition here) (Really, I can't think of anything)

I may be wrong on this, but summer seems like a very dreary time for writers. The whole industry seems on vacation, but authors seem to be struggling the most. I totally get it - writing is great on dark, stormy nights and chilly winter days. Who doesn't love a good book in the golden red colors of autumn or the first chilly breezes of spring? But summer is difficult.

So, I though today should be an inspiration day! If you didn't see Elana Johnson's post about song lyrics, you should check it out immediately. :)

I'm going to post a few pictures, music videos, and quotes/lyrics that inspire me today. In the comments, you should totally do the same! We can be an inspiration bank!

Here are a few (gorgeous) pictures that remind me of my (YA) WIP:

A few more that remind me of my other (fantasy) WIP:

And some inspiring music!!!

And some quotes!

"So he shall never know how I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, but because he's ore myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." - Wuthering Heights

"My task which I am trying to achieve is, by the power of the written word, to make you hear, to make you feel - it is before all to make you see. That, and no more, and it is everything. " Joseph Conrad

"The evil are guilty and create law. The good are innocent and create justice" Terry Pratchett.

"Without change, something sleeps inside us and seldom wakens. The sleeper must awaken." Frank Herbert's Dune

"You're alive!"

"Of course. You think a minor thing like the end of the world was going to do me in?"

-Final Fantasy

"And none has conquered but love." -Antigone

"Blow on the coal of the heart.

The candles in the church are out

The lights have gone out in the sky.

Blow on the coal of the heart

And we'll see by and by..." - J.B.

What inspires you today?

XOXO

Bethany

I'm Back! (P.S. Pitch Contest!)

2011-07-25T09:29:00.000-07:00

Hello to everyone! I've missed you all more than I can say. :)

Well, I'm back from the Tri-Cities, and it was a wonderful visit. I saw my friends (wonderful) I swam in a pool (wonderful) and I got a bit of a tan (wonderful)!

Now I'm back in beautiful, rainy Western Washington, and I'm happy to be home. Because this is home now, and the Tri-Cities is a fantastic, nostalgic vacation spot.

Isn't that kind of how it is with novels?

Say you have one WIP. It's where you spend all your time, passion, and heart - it's home. But there comes a time when you need to send it out, to move on, and to keep writing. And a lot of times, your second WIP is quite different from your first.

From this:

Tri-Cities!

To This:

Bellingham!

There are times you want to go back. Times you need that old taste of comfort. But in the end, you have have to move on.

What was it like 'moving away from' your last WIP? Did the Shiny New One help?

XOXO

Bethany

OH! There's this AWESOME Pitch Contest over at Chanelle's blog with her agent Victoria Marini! Check it out, it looks awesome!

Today....

2011-07-18T10:32:00.000-07:00

My heart is broken, my defenses are down

If you must throw a punch, best throw it now

I won’t feel it tomorrow, when the dawn is red

When the rain is gone and the eulogy read

If you’ve wanted to hurt me, now is the time

The clocks are all broken, the sun cannot shine

I’ll be better soon, best take your chance

Whether to break me down or to ask me to dance

I can’t fight tonight, I haven’t the will

I haven’t the energy, so steal me your fill

If you try again, I won’t fight you today

Give me a drink and I’ll ask you to stay

Tell me a joke and I’ll laugh and not cry

Give me a story and it’ll break me inside

Weave me a tale and I’ll believe every word

Tell me to jump and I’ll fly like a bird

Hold me tight and I won’t push you away

Say the storm’s blue and I won’t see the grey

If you want to control me, today is your shot

Ask for the world and I’ll give all I’ve got

It won’t last forever, you know I’ll escape

I can’t help who I am, I can’t help who I break

For this fleeting today I will do all you ask

Tomorrow my face will be back in the mask

If you must throw a punch, best throw it now

My heart is broken, my defenses are down

XOXO

Bethany

In Which Bethany Falls In Love With Fantasy....

2011-07-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Ya'll know I'm a fantasy writer, and it follows that I'm a fantasy reader. Sometimes life bogs me down and it takes a long time to finish a book, especially a 660 something page book (clocking in at over 209k). That said, today's post is going to be short, since I'm almost done with the book and must MUST finish it soon.

I'll be a little absent in blogging world!

But what book, you ask? Why, the deceptively smallish looking (it looks like a 300 page book from the outside - thin paper) Gardens of the Moon, by Steven Erikson.

(Not the cover I have, but it's preeeeety)

I will probably offer up a full review of this book sometime soon (maybe Friday) but for now I want to finish it. :)

What have you read recently that took precedence over your life? :)

XOXO

Bethany

P.S. I probably won't be posting next week. I'm going to visit friends and family in the Tri-Cities, so I may be rather silent on the internet. :)

Well, Hello!

2011-07-11T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! It's a beautiful morning over here in Bellingham and I thought I'd go enjoy it for a little while. :) In the meantime, however, I have a couple of questions for you!

1. What is the hardest part of the query process for you? (Other than rejection)

2. What is the best part of writing for you?

AND

3. Do they balance each other out, or is one stronger than the other?

Things to think about on Monday!

XOXO

Bethany

OH, P.S.! I recently made a book trailer for The Voice of Asheva, want to see? It's pretty short. :)

You're Making Me Blush!

2011-07-08T07:36:00.000-07:00

Question: Are authors getting lazy in their portrayal of love? Let me ask it another way... how many times have you read this in a review/blurb recently?

"In the midst of it all (heroine) must decide who she can trust: sweet and loyal (good boy) or mysterious bad boy (...bad boy)."

It's gotten to the point where I, as a reader, will put down a book if I see that on the back cover.

There are dozens of reasons why love triangles can work, and I think that's because there are dozens of reasons to fall in love with someone. Why did your hero fall in love with your heroine? Let's look at a couple options:

The Timing Was Strangely Right: He had a fight with his parents, she was the rebel girl smoking at the park. He broke up with a girlfriend, she was the sweet waitress who gave him free coffee. He moved to a new city, she was the girl who was always welcoming to the new kids.

Mystery: She does something odd, without any immediate reason. Curiosity is a common precursor to romantic interest, didn't you know? :)

Instant Attraction: Another old standby, but a believable one. The problem is that most immediate instant attractions are physical, and a lot of literature describes it as an immediate mental/spiritual connection.

Old Friends Meet Again: This one is pretty fun, but it works best when there's been a significant amount of time in between the meetings.

Strange First Meeting: Because, face it, we like people who stand out. And when you meet someone for the first time in a game of spin-the-bottle, you'll treat them differently than if you met them at a sporting event.

What about characters who SHOULD fall in love, but for some reason don't?

The Timing Was Horribly Wrong: He just got engaged. She just met a boy she thinks will be her forever prince. She has a career. He just got fired. He just made a breakthrough in independence after his last break-up. She just found out her little sister is coming home from boarding school.

No Mystery: You know exactly where the relationship would go from the beginning.

No Attraction: This can be battled through, I think, but who wants to try and fall in love with someone they're not attracted to?

Old Friends Meet Again: ... and can't stand each other. Too many bad memories. Or maybe the friendship is too important to risk.

Bad First Meeting: She's his new, aggressive, uncaring boss. He's the officer that arrested her brother.

So... how about some mix and match? Or take the above reasons to love/not to love and play around with them, break them, contradict them. Have fun! :)

What are some old romantic standbys you're getting sick of? What books have you read recently that shed new light on the love triangle?

XOXO

Bethany

Why Kids Aren't Reading (Or Why Adults Think They Aren't)

2011-07-06T09:35:00.000-07:00

For any of you who haven't read it, I highly suggest you go right now to read Stephen King's article on why JK Rowling speaks so well to kids and adults. It's beautifully written, and it's one of my favorite authors talking about ANOTHER one of my favorite authors. What could be better?

One of the big points King hits on is that kids are much more willing to put down the xbox's than adults think they are. Why? Because kids are always on the lookout for magic.

That really struck a chord with me. You hear adults complain time and time again about those darn video games, those always plugged-in ipods, those never quiet TVs. But ask anyone in publishing: kid lit/MG/YA is hot right now. And it wouldn't be, would it, if kids weren't reading?

Alan Rickman said it best, "It is an ancient need to be told stories." And that ancient need isn't going away. But adults are worried that kids have stopped reading.

If you look at why, it's really hard to blame the kids on this one.

Reason 1 why 'kids aren't reading': "They spend all their time plugged into to games, music, and TV. I never see kids reading on the bus anymore!"

Let's look at this carefully. I love video games, as I've said many times. The gaming industry is a very exciting place to be right now, as is the music industry and the movie industry. Competition is fierce, innovation is absolutely necessary. Yes, a lot of plots are revisited, but often portrayed in a new way.

I could be wrong in this, but I feel like Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Hollywood, ABC, Fox, and Disney are all doing something that authors, as a group, are not. They are fighting tooth and nail for the next generation.

Now hold on!

Authors are fighting too. Tooth and Nail.

Here's the difference:

The electronic entertainment industries are fighting for the next generation of parents.

Who buys the movies? The gaming systems? The music?

Parents.

And kids can hate it when parents pick out books. So you hand your kid Twilight because that's the one book you've heard about for young teens. Get this: a lot of kids don't like Twilight.

There are commercials everywhere, and the book industry simply was not designed to put an ad for HP and the Sorcerer's Stone on every TV in America. Authors are fighting this in a couple of ways:

Internet take over. (I love my bloggers)

Book trailers. (A different, more reachable medium)

A lot of the adults who say that kids aren't reading anymore are the ones only looking at the ads. They see the commercials. They see what's sold, not what's bought.

Reason #2 why 'kids aren't reading': When I was a kid, I wanted stories. Not necessarily pieces of paper with print on them, just stories. Even when I learned to read, I only read books that told me stories I didn't get anywhere else.

Books shouldn't be read for the sake of being read, books should be read because they free our minds with story. So parents that worry that kids aren't reading - and like I've said before, I think they actually are - need to take a look at why. Are your kids getting the stories they want from the books you buy them?

So here's my solutions if you feel your child doesn't read:

Take the kid to the library. Let him (or her) pick out his own book, his own story. Don't try to force educational or popular books onto them. Let them choose.

Also, try to remember that not all kids want to read. They want to play, to run around, to be involved in dance, in sports, in clubs. That's okay. Reading sometimes comes later.

And my solution if you feel like children never read anymore:

Look a little closer. You might be surprised.

Why Freedom Is So Important (To Our Characters)

2011-07-04T09:42:00.001-07:00

I guess I'll start with this: Happy Independence Day! For non-US citizens, happy fourth of July, because it's a lovely day and every day deserves to be celebrated, even if it's not particularly special to your nation. :)

I thought I'd take a short moment to focus on independence, and what it can mean - not only for our country - but for our characters. What is it that makes independence and freedom so important? What effects does that have on characters?

Well, as for why it's important, I think that boils down to a basic human need. It's hard to explain, like the want for happiness or the need for love. Characters need it just like we do. Now, this isn't to say many characters wouldn't sacrifice a degree of freedom for wealth, peace, or security, many do. But there are those characters, the ones that hold freedom above and beyond any other earthly quality. How does this independence make them act?

A) Free. Well, yes, obviously. But this can mean rash, as well. Some rules are there for a reason, and a character desperate for independence may not care much what that reason is. Logic can be just as much a hindrance to independence as law, but often for better reasons.

B) Bold. This goes with the above. The character who has personally fought for independence may have a belief that any battle can be won with the right determination, planning, and fortitude. This may get your hero/heroine into trouble, but he/she may also achieve some astounding victories.

C) Afraid. I know this sounds contradictory, but freedom itself can enslave us - to fear. Think of all the protestors you know with signs saying that Muslims with free speech in America will destroy the country. (I'll give you a moment to cool your rage...) I feel this probably comes more often with the second (or third/fourth/etc) generation, people whose forefathers fought for independence.

What do you think? Can you think of any famous characters who have displayed the above qualities in their thirst for independence? Are there traits I missed? Let me know!

XOXO

Bethany

I Feel Like I Should Clarify

2011-07-01T09:02:00.001-07:00

On the blogging world, it's possible to really get to know people. Sometimes it's easy - some bloggers are open, honest, and personal - other times it's a little more difficult. Sometimes you have to read between the lines, sometimes you have to pick up snippets left in unguarded moments.

I'd like to be a blogger of the first type, I really want to be honest and open and up front. So I figure, why not explain one of the interesting - perhaps perplexing - aspects of this blog?

Why not explain why video games had such an impact on my writing career?

It's simple, really. I was a child who

A) hated reading

B) loved pretending

C) loved stories.

Yes, I hated reading. Passionately. I refused to learn. Why sit and read other people's adventures when I could run around the galaxy on my trampoline? When I could fly across the sky in my swimming pool? When I could control the elements in my back yard?*

But I was also very social as a child and I wanted people to explore, fly, and fight alongside me.

Hence, video games.

My brothers were not willing to explore with Tribal Princess Alora in the deserts of Elisvania. They were, however, willing to rescue and fight with Princess Peach in the perils of Bowser's castle. Sometimes we actually played the games, more often then not we were outside acting them out.

Except we didn't get the nifty costumes.

I learned how to tell stories before I ever read them.

That is why I love video games. They tell stories in a more interactive way than television and a more physically interactive way than books. They contain rich, developed worlds to play in. They are the elements of story without the exposition. They taught me story before I ever read a book, and they taught it in a simple, interactive way.

Did you ever play video games as a kid? Did you ever borrow worlds from books, movies, tv, and imagine yourself as the hero?

XOXO

Bethany

*Note: I love reading now, I promise. :)

Monsters? Psh, Who Needs Monsters?

2011-06-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

So say the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent. "Monsters? Our level designs will scare you enough to make you cry for mommy. Our monsters? They're the back up. You know, in case you're playing the game in a brightly lit room with Disney music playing in the background. You wimp."

When will my life begiiiiin?

(P.S. Enjoy this, it's the happiest picture in the post.)

Don't get me wrong, I love monsters. So, I think, do the makers of Amnesia - they certainly poured enough effort into them to make them terrifying.

Everyone with me now: AAAAAHHH!

But that doesn't mean they rely on them. They do the same thing writers should do: they set the scene. You don't have to be subtle about it, either.

Fear is an interesting emotion. It's involuntary, but it originates in the brain, not the heart, the stomach, or the gut. So the reader has to realize that the scenario is frightening mentally, and you, as the writer, have to pull this off in a way that doesn't break immersion. Sound hard?

Amnesia is not subtle about the fact that you're supposed to be frightened. For starters, it takes place in an abandoned castle. It's still the scariest game I've ever played.

Subtle, guys. Reeeeal subtle.

But notice how there is no villain in the above picture? Not a single one. So why is it scary? How do you add the terror without the bad guy?

A) Your hero notices that something is... off. Look at the picture above - what's wrong with that picture? It's an abandoned castle, falling to ruin. Maybe a little creepy. But what's with the bridges? Hastily made, falling apart. Lit candles? Does someone still live here? Why would someone still be here? There's no visible ceiling, caverns under the narrow strips of floor. Who designed this building?

Something is wrong here.

B) The environment itself is dangerous. I mean, really. Look at that bridge.

C) Add a little light. Darkness is darkness, it's fright is in the mystery, but we're all used to that mystery. You can hear things in the dark, and the MC can dismiss it as imagination. We dismiss things we hear and smell easier than we dismiss things we see - especially things we think we see. Give just enough light to remove all doubt that something is wrong.

Those three things help, but if you really want to racket the tension, add a safe place. Yes, a security blanket. Anything that would give your MC comfort - it could be a warm room, a comforting friend, even a gun. Something that, when it's around (or your MC is around it), the reader know he stands a fighting chance. A Gandalf, if you will.

Then mess with it. Just a little.

About a quarter of the way through Amnesia, you enter a sanctuary. It's light, it has a fountain, there's sunshine through the windows. There are three doors leading to three different sections of the game, so this is a sort of gathering place. It's safe.

The player creeps into the darkness of the first room, is in danger, terrified, but completes the puzzle. Runs like hell for the sanctuary.

Everything is safe. *phew*

Next room. Repeat. Back in Sanctuary. But wait - what's that? Is that... a body in the fountain?

And BAM, safe place is not safe anymore. Someone's been here. It's tainted. And your character can't use that self-reliance and desperate confidence he needs to survive, because he never got it. He had safe room. Gandalf-friend. A gun.

The adventure begins again.

And that, my friends, is how Amnesia scares your socks off.

XOXO

Bethany

YA Rules (You Can Take That Either Way)

2011-06-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I'm a fantasy writer.

As a few less of you know, I'm also writing a YA novel, strictly non-fantasy.

Guess which genre I know practically nothing about?

Each genre has it's own set of 'rules' (let's say, guidelines). For fantasy, you aim for a different word count. For thrillers, you aim for a different pacing. That kind of difference.

So what are the 'rules' for YA?

Here's my guess so far. You have the basic rules of any genre: solid writing, correct grammar, relatable characters, interesting dialogue, solid, relevant plot. Got it.

What else?

For fantasy, I know you have to focus on an engaging world, a well-thought out magic system (if there is one), a believable plot, and well-paced tension. The characters don't have to be particularly unique (the genre is notorious for being based entirely on the character set of Lord of the Rings) and the exposition doesn't have to be particularly clever. Even though, ideally, it would be.

So what is it for YA? I know you can't slack on anything in any story - everything should be at it's best - but where do you want the focus? Teen issues? Interesting characters? Descriptions? Sexual tension? Emotional tension?

XOXO

Bethany

P.S. Disclaimer: There have been a lot of posts out there bashing YA, and I want to be absolutely clear: I do not think that it takes any less skill, hard work, or talent to write a YA novel. Every individual novel is such a unique process, each genre is unique as well. :)

Short Post Today..

2011-06-24T10:24:00.001-07:00

because I'm caught up in the middle of Elana Johnson's Possession! It's excellent, and I heavily recommend it! It's keeping me up with deliciousness and excitement. :)

What books have kept you reading late into the night recently?

XOXO

Bethany

World? What World?

2011-06-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

You'd agree with me on this, right? Immersion is a powerful part of any story. It is also too complex and expansive of a subject to pin down in one blog post. So, instead, I thought I'd look at one part of immersion and expand. World building.

Apparently, Hyrule is surrounded by clouds.

See that? That's Hyrule, Ocarina of Time version. For you non-gamers, OoT was released in 1998, the first Legend of Zelda game for a non-handheld platform (the N64). It is still generally agreed upon as one of Nintendo's crowning achievements. Why?

Well, for one, Link is awesome.

Totally awesome

And for second, the world was incredibly immersive for its time. This was a big year for Nintendo, and OoT had to compete against other action adventure games such as Banjo Kazooie, Bomberman, and Gex 64. So how did little Link and his Ocarina of Time do it - and go on to become one of the most respected games in video game history?

Let's break it down.

A) Little Town, Big World

See Kokiri Forest up on that map? It's in the east, and green. That's where the story begins. Why is it such a great place to start?

Reason 1) It's small, but it acts as a peace thermometer. Little effects of the evil going on in Hyrule have a big impact in such a small, peaceful place.

Reason 2) It's isolated, so the player is stuck in Kokiri Forest until he learns the basics of the game and is forced to leave. (Until the reader understands the basics of the world/highschool/universe)

How can we use this in our stories to immerse readers? Start small, but hint at a much bigger picture. In OoT, characters will speak in hushed awe of 'Hyrule Field' as a large and dangerous place. Not an info dump, but the reader gets what you're trying to tell him. Basically, "Big Adventure!"

Your title is author. Your job, as author, is secret keeper.

Almost like an inside joke. Hehe!

B) Give each nation (dungeon) a special flavor

Pretty self-explanatory. Be original, be creative. Legend of Zelda had the difficult job of making 10 different dungeons (11 counting the finale) with the same basic layout feel unique.

How did they do it? The same way authors can.

1) Give the people of the region a history. You don't have to tell the reader all of it - it can get overwhelming if you do - but you should know it. Legends leave whispers, so give the people their legends, and let the readers hear the whispers. A simple way to do this is to write a paragraph (or pages) of exposition, have the natives talk as if they know that exposition, then cut it from the draft.

2) Tie the people to the land. Look up again at that map. The Gerudo in the western desert are survivalists: untrusting, miserly with resources. The Zora in the NE and SW are fish-people, patient and generous because they have so many resources. The Gorons in the NNE get along well with Hyrulians - mostly - because they're surrounded by them.

Wouldn't think geography plays such a heavy affect on physiology, would you?

So if your Queen Bee only eats in the outside patio of the cafeteria, tie her to it in some way. If your heroine eats with the band kids, make her accustomed to flat notes. It creates believability.

That should do it for today - go on, build worlds!

What's the hardest part for you? The easiest? Do you hate this part, or love it?

XOXO

Bethany

Book Review Vlog-Style!

2011-06-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

So, on a 1 to 5 scale, how would you say the first line sounds in a (bad) British accent?

XOXO

Bethany

P.S. This is the Roecker Sisters' blog. It's amazing.

The Anatomy of A Writing Space

2011-06-16T12:03:00.001-07:00

My sincerest apologies for missing the blogs yesterday. I'm still trying to settle into my summer schedule, but that's incredibly difficult to do when living in an unfurnished apartment and trying to get it set up. *sigh*

Speaking of setting up, right now all my writing takes place with my laptop on my lap while I sit on one of the two (yes two) pieces of furniture in our apartment. Soon, however, I'll get to craft my own little writing space.

While I dream of spaces like this:

and this:

It will probably end up looking more like this:

(I'm a tad disorganized)

Authors, what do you have to have in your writing space? What odd trinkets do you include? Do you use a conventional desk, or something else? (Once I wrote on top of a defunct fireplace) What's unique about your writing area? What's something all writers should include?

Does any of it include chocolate, perhaps?

XOXO

Bethany

Today Is Going To Be

2011-06-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

Awesome.

Today is the day you will...

My Life Is Upside Down

2011-06-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

If any of you are new to this blog, I'd like to tell you something. Firstly, Hello!! Welcome! What's your favorite type of pie?

And secondly, I'm totally a pantser.* This applies to blog posts as well as fiction. Never have I outlined my stories, spending time exhausting an idea before I started on it - the idea was preposterous!

Until now.

That's right. I have two new WIPs, one is a fantasy that I'm pantsing away at (with?). The other is a contemporary YA that I OUTLINED.

And I like it.

It's a weird feeling, and if you ask me if I could outline the fantasy WIP like the YA, I'd laugh, chuckle, snort, and giggle until I fell out of my chair. There's no way. But this YA? Yeah. I've got this outlined. It'll be awesome. :D

Now for character names.... (I swear, my MC is named 5 different things in the outline, all starting with S)

Are you a plotter? A pantser? Or both?

XOXO

Bethany

*My computer wanted to auto-correct this to 'panther'. I almost wish I'd let it. I'm a PANTHER!

Almost There!

2011-06-08T14:40:00.001-07:00

Sun is gleaming, birds are singing, summer is almost here! Just one more day and I'm done!

The problem will be writing productively over that break. Because, let's face it, I don't have time to write over the school year. So summer's all I got. Let's do this!! :)

There've been a lot of good posts around about setting goals, and I haven't set a goal in a long time. But this summer, things are different! I'm going to get stuff done, gosh darn it! Starting with:

A) 5,000 new words a week - in the same WIP. Not too difficult, not unachievable, and a good minimum. If I'm dying to write a shiny new idea, I can, but not at the expense of those 5,000 words. :)

B) Send two personalized queries a week, on average. By the end of the summer, I'll have sent out around 30 queries, carefully personalized. Again, this is just a minimum.

C) Work 1 theme into the blog. You know, like Truth Tuesdays or Wordy Wednesdays. I'm thinking Video Game Mondays - what do you think? Maybe I'll do a poll or something. :) Speaking of...

D) Keep a regular blog schedule. M/W/F. I've done pretty well the past few weeks, so hopefully this'll be easy!

E) Lose 18 pounds. Yeah, I know. We'll see.

F) Finish the dang synopsis by July.

G) Get up every morning by 9:30

H) Do a thirty minute workout three days a week.

I) Don't waste time!

There you are! My summer goals! Let's see how well I stick to them, shall we?

What about you? Any awesome summer goals you've got prepared? Write them out so you don't forget!!

XOXO

Bethany

Why I'm Attracted To Scars

2011-06-06T10:03:00.000-07:00

(Favorite Disney Villain EVERZ)

Picture A) A man slouching against a brick pillar dressed in khakis and a white button up, looking smooth and suave and every other cliche he's going for. He has the sunglasses held carelessly in one hand, the hair too perfectly arranged for it to be accidental, and, most of all, the smirk. His shirt catches on the pillar and raises a fraction of an inch. Something pale flashes underneath the shirt, an fraction of a scar that must be massive, a quarter inch wide. A second later its gone.

Picture B) A young woman walks into a room with utter silence. She looks confident enough, but is obviously uneasy. Still, with her professional gear on - shorts, a flexible tank top, and at least seven different types of knife - she seems prepared. She turns toward the light, it falls on her arms. There's a pale X on one of her arms - it's faded, old, and nearly white, but whatever caused it originally must've cut deep.

What is it about scars?

Writers loves scars, surely you notice. Tons of characters have physical scars, almost every character has emotional ones. So why are they so popular?

A) Scars add that layer. Sure, they can be cliche or written in badly, but - done well - a scar is as important an element to a story as a kiss. And when kisses are often a happy relief after pages of tension, scars usually raise the stakes.

B) Scars add an element of mystery. And, while it may seem like a cheap trick at first, it really isn't. Characters that have scars remember where they got them. So should the author.

C) A scar is like a signpost. It flashes, 'Here! Look! Mystery!' and I don't think it's a bad thing. It alerts the reader to hidden dimensions in the character and, as a reader, it can be fun to puzzle out what happened.

D) Everyone has scars. Everyone. It's relatable, it's interesting, and, while fictional scars often have better back-stories, we can all imagine getting a badass scar of our own one day. (It'll be epic.)

So what about you? Do you write characters with scars? Do you think it may be a good idea to deepen one of your shallow characters with a scar?

XOXO

Bethany

The Unlikely Pattern of Love Triangles

2011-06-03T10:44:00.000-07:00

Can we pleeeease talk about this for a moment? This wildly popular, quickly-becoming-overdone thing?

By which I mean, love triangles.

Especially this scenario:

Heroine has awesome, kickass abilities, but inside she's still kind of a shy, awkward teen - relatable, but still fun, quirky, and upbeat.

Best friend / shy new acquaintance / older brother of friend has to help her with some dangerous thing he had no idea she was involved in.

Cue bad boy - who can be a new acquaintance/older brother of a friend but NEVER an old friend - and the sparks fly.

Steady, kind-hearted old friend (who is madly in love with heroine) gets angry and overly protective.

Bad boy has fun and is instantly attractive to heroine.

The two guys begin to fight, while hapless heroine (kickass and independent left the second bad boy entered the room) merely watches. Usually thinking something along the lines of, "I never pictured this happening to me."

Sounds at all familiar?

Now, love triangles happen, I know. But the scenario above? In real life? Not so much. Because, at least at my old high school, teenage boys rarely had that deep, sincere "I'll fight to the death for you" feeling about a new friend - about anyone.

What about you, readers? Do you find this a problem? Do you mind it? Do you enjoy it?

XOXO

Bethany

How To Scare Your Reader - BOO!

2011-06-01T10:08:00.000-07:00

I've been falling in love with the horror genre for a little while now. Not too much - I'm a bit of a scaredycat - but a little. Over the past few days, my friends and I have been watching 'horror' movies and comedies that pretend to be horror movies. (Tremors, I'm looking at you)

Nothing with Kevin Bacon's name on the cover can be scary.

Nothing really scares me like it used to, not since I've played Amnesia. (I've written about Amnesia before and how to make your villains terrifying.) Simply, nothing comes close. This goes to several different aspects of the games. The villains, the monsters, the immersion, the type of 'scary', and the atmosphere.

Today, I'm going to talk about the type of scary. (I'm using Zero Punctuation's review as a basic idea. He's a fantastic game reviewer, if you're a gamer, check him out.)

To make this simple, let's start with a basic room. There's an empty room, well lit. White walls, white ceiling, wooden floor. You are in the doorway entering the room, on the other side of the room is a wardrobe. You flinch: the wardrobe may have just shuddered - but you don't know for sure.

Scary Type A) There's a pause. The wardrobe shakes again, the door slowly opens. Out creeps a monster, terrifying, ugly. It lumbers toward you slowly, and you're helpless to move. It reaches out clawed hands, gutting you. You die. (Or, alternately, you run and/or gun down with an AK-47)

Or a flamethrower. Whatevs

Scary Type B) Closet is absolutely still. Your breath calms down, you relax, and maybe watch some TV. Maybe you're still a little wary. Still, when you least expect it, the monster JUMPS OUT AT YOU!

Courtesy of Zero Punctuation. Abloogy Woogy Woo!

Scary Type C) The closet stays absolutely still. It does not move. You take a tentative step toward it but just KNOW that a monster is going to jump out at you like in scenario B. You wait. You wait. You wait. Nothing happens. But every time you turn away, you could swear it shudders again.

Which is the most effective?

Well, there are different situations for each types. But the way our friend at Zero Punctuation puts it is this: Type C is the most terrifying, because it's your imagination doing all the work. The reader (gamer) is terrifying himself. And as anyone who has ever jumped to get onto bed after the lights are off (avoiding the monsters under the bed) knows, your imagination is the scariest power of all.

It's all about giving the reader enough rope to hang himself with, so to speak. Which leads me to another aspect of terror - but we'll get to that later.

What terrifies you most in stories? In movies? In real life?

XOXO

Bethany

Something Every Writer Needs (Other Than Chocolate)

2011-05-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Writers have a really, really bad track record. You know what I mean, look at the patterns.

Drugs

Drinking

Depression

Heavy medication

Adultery

Suicide.

And, horror it is to say, you just know chocolate isn't enough. Writers - all artists - have these patterns. Yet why do we never hear about it? The blogging world is filled with writers from all stages of life, all genres of writing. What is it that keeps us from actually talking about these things?

Look to your left, look to your right. Someone in our circle is suffering.

This is such a tight community, it really is. One of the most beautiful, encouraging circles of writers. So why is it none of us can find the words when it comes to depression? Is it because we're all so close to it?

Authors, by the job description, drink up human sorrow. Without it, we have no story. We have to forcibly lower our defenses to feel that hurt, to look at it march toward us. We have to be defenseless, and that's something humans are not good at.

So what is it, exactly that every writer needs?

Writers need to hurt. They need to be allowed to hurt. We need to look at self-sacrifice of soldiers, at piercingly genuine teenage heartache, at the loneliness of solitude (which is often very close to home), and be able to bear it, without holding up defenses. Without saying, "It's just a story." Without hearing, "Man up."

So today, let yourself hurt. It's Memorial Day, there are many soldiers who deserve to be properly mourned - let yourself cry for them. Put away the drugs, the alcohol, and let the tragedy pour over you. But don't forget this: we're here. When it becomes too much, remember that you aren't alone. Someone is hurting just like you. Someone is hurting more. Together, we're stronger than any high. So let's cry today, but let's not cry alone.

Bethany

What I Love About the YA Trend

2011-05-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

I figured I should balance it out, you know. Because, as I told you Wednesday, I have some 'resentment' toward it as well. So here's some love. (P.S. when I say trend, I do NOT mean fad. I wouldn't call it that. When I say trend, I mean the rise in popularity it's recently enjoyed! :D Good word!)

Reason #1: It's fun. It's interesting. It's talented people reaching out to teenagers and taking all of us on fantastic adventures that wouldn't be half as fun if they featured adults.

Reason #2: It takes talent. Never let anyone look down on you for writing YA. You're entertaining teenagers, of all the ridiculously impossible things. Keep it up! :)

Reason #3: You're getting kids to read. That is, for me at least, the highest praise. In a TV dominated society, you get busy, texting, emailing teenagers to pause, unplug, and read.

ALSO!!

Wow guys, I love love LOVED your responses to Wednesday's post! Some of my assumptions were scattered, others were confirmed, and either way, I know more about you now!! LOVE!

P.S. I'm glad so many of you started out blogging by following Nathan Bransford, Tahereh Mafi, Querytracker, The Rejectionist, and Elana Johnson, because, OMG, me too!!! :)

Also, to answer questions:

1. I definitely plan on always writing fantasy. That said, I'm currently working on a contemporary YA, a sci-fi, and a horror. Because I'm sporadic and love branching out. :) But fantasy will always be my base.

2. SUPER happy it's almost summer!! I'll be writing nonstop. :)

3. My mom and I are bestest friends ever, so I'm super excited to live with her this summer. Whether or not she's knows I'm awesome (Marsha, you're so sweet! :D) is a bit of a mystery, but she's always supported me.

So, peace out? And have an AWESOME weekend.

XOXO

Bethany

What I Resent About the YA Trend, and What I Love About Bloggers

2011-05-25T10:03:00.000-07:00

*Phew* what a blog post name! Haters, please hold the hating. YA writers, stay with me. I have a point. And it's not against YA as a genre (you know me better!). No, this post is about identity.

I'm picking on YA in particular because it's a world I know fairly well. Thanks to all the lovely, helpful blogs, websites, and twitterfriends I get to read everyday, I know it significantly better than my own market. I've met the nicest people with the best intentions who have helped me grow in leaps and bounds.

Here's the thing: It's very easy for writers - any people, really - to stereotype other writers. Especially when they're not visible face to face. And when people visit my blog or read the query for my story, they see a 20 year old female with an obsession for writing and a big smile. They may also see my obsession for fantasy books, the Legend of Zelda poster on my wall, and my slight fixation with Firefly. So, this is the question I get a lot.

"So, your fantasy book is young adult, right?"

Well, thank you for asking - that's very kind - but it's actually not.

I understand the confusion. I'm a fairly young writer and YA is a very exciting genre to get into right now. (This, by the way, is what I resent about it. The assumption that most new authors want to write the hot new thing.) I have young protagonists, there's family struggles, and, um, a bit of angsty romance. Sort of. (Angsty mayn't be the right word) But a young protagonist does not a YA fantasy make. Many adult fantasy/sci-fi novels have a young protagonist. Jim Butcher's Codex Alera is one series, Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time is another. This leads to a discussion of what DOES make a YA novel YA, but that's for another post.

When I think of YA writer, I think of young women in their mid 20s to mid 40s, usually with kids. When I think of a science fiction writer, I usually think of a middle aged man who's growing bald. When I think of a horror writer, every single author takes on the face of Stephen King. When I think of a romance author, I think of women with long hair biting the ends of pens as they write their stories long-hand. I can't help it.

Knowing all of you has helped shift that.

The point I'm trying to make is that it's easy to make assumptions. It's sort of necessary to function as a human being. I'm also saying that those assumptions should be held loosely, ready to fall the second they're contradicted. New authors don't always write YA - even if it makes the most sense for them to write in that genre. Fantasy authors aren't always caught up in a dreamland, some of them are the most down-to-earth people you can imagine. Thriller authors do not all relish the sight of blood. Not all paranormal writers are edgy. Not all literary fiction authors are condescending toward 'genre writing'. Really. I promise.

So I have an idea: let's stop the assumptions! Let's have a get-to-know-you day, a day where we ask obvious questions we've assumed the answers to. Spread the word! Let's have the blogging world be a little less self-assured and a little more questioning - in the good way.

Ready?

1. Do you actually like blogging?

2. Are you happy with your writing? I mean, really - are you glad you do it?

3. What genre do you write, and what do you read?

4. What was the first 'big' blog that you fell in love with? You know, the one with 300+ followers and OMG how'd they EVER get that many and look how funny and helpful they are and how much awesome OMG! Or... did you not have one? (No assumptions! :D)

Oh, and feel free to ask me questions too! If I get any, I'll address them on Friday, and we can get to know each other better!

XOXO

Bethany

Oh oh oh! P.S.! MEGA congrats to Miriam Forster for selling her book HOUSE OF A THOUSAND DOLLS to HarperCollins! EEK!

She's holding an amazing contest, go check it out!

It Just Happens!

2011-05-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

Isn't it amazing?

By which I mean writing, of course. :)

It's truly magical, which is something I guess I'd forgotten. Halfway torn between editing my old story and writing a new WIP, I'm rediscovering the love for both worlds. Like, for example, how you can still discover new things about your characters even during edits.

That's exciting, right?

Well, mostly. Sometimes it can result in an unlovely amount of rewriting. But, then again, sometimes that's fun. It all comes down to character.

Do you know your characters before you start writing? Likes, dislikes, habits, quirks? Or do they just happen as you write? Every once in awhile, does a character come out of nowhere and say, "Here I am! Totally unplanned! Oh, by the way, I'm a main character. Sorry I didn't let you know before, but you know how it is. Nice to meet you!"

To which the only response is, "Likewise, I'm sure."

I think I've suffered from all three. For example:

Theyrin: I knew this guy from the get-go. I had a character sheet, I knew his moral center, I knew his whole life story. Yes, some things developed as I wrote, but for the most part, I knew exactly what he was going to say and do.

Evyn: This girl was a bit more problematic, and a lot more fun. (Not that I don't adore you Theyrin - you know I do!) Like Theyrin, I knew her history - sort of. I knew she'd run away from a courtly upbringing at ten, I knew she was an orphan, I knew she was tough and sweet and snarky but ultimately compassionate. But she showed me up. "Court? Yes. Home country? Wrong." All right... different upbringing. I can handle that. "Snarky? I... guess..." and a whole new softer side was revealed (plenty of snark remained, fear not). "As far as habits go, I have this whole bite my lip thing... only when I'm nervous or thinking." Okay... "Oh, or shy." Shy? "Yeah, sometimes I'm shy."

Go figure.

Rydan: I had no plan for Rydan. I didn't even mean for him to have a name. It didn't start out as Rydan, but what it was... *shrug* I can't remember. He was supposed to be an extra, he was supposed to hand the captain a box and move on with life. Four paragraphs in, however, he turned sapphire eyes toward me and winked. "You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Well... drat. Rewrites, here I come.

(P.S. Rydan's one of my favorites. He's so adorable!)

What about you? Any characters that behave the way you want them too? Any characters who don't? :)

XOXO

Bethany

A Societal Mistake

2011-05-20T11:04:00.000-07:00

Question:

Society, while often cruel and negative, often honestly wants the 'best' for its citizens. My question is, how far should you go in shaking the shackles of society?

For All Gamers...

2011-05-18T16:20:00.001-07:00

who are amused by bad voice acting!

Time Time Time Time Time

2011-05-16T12:53:00.001-07:00

I have none!

And yet, from what I read, neither do any of you. Very few of us get to write as much as we'd like or have the time we need. Yet we're all writers and love what we do. And so many of you find time to read - so this is my question: where?

Recently, I've been getting up early to write, but the fact of the matter is, I do my best writing at night. Nights are bad for me because I have friends that occasionally like to see my face. So I'm a little out of ideas.

When do you find time to write? When do you make it?

XOXO

Bethany

Personalizing a Query

2011-05-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

How exactly is it done?

Yes, many good posts have been written on this. Research your agent. Choose him specifically. Let him know you looked into his track record. Good good good.

Here's the thing: I'm not exactly sure how.

I think part of this is that I write high fantasy. Honestly, choosing an agent is less of a "I loved this book you repped" and more of a "you haven't specifically asked for no queries from my genre!" Yes, I have a couple dream agents, a couple big hopes, but I'm too nervous to query them in case they say no - silly, yes? Silly.

So often I query an agent when I haven't read their books. I can research the books a little, but I feel like that's cheating. An impressive record is good to note, but not especially awe-inspiring, as far as personalizations go. What do I have left?

I'd feel a little creepy saying, "I read in an interview you like cordon bleu! Me too!"

I'd feel a little weird saying, "I want to query you because I liked your website!"

I'd feel a little bit like a jerk saying, "I want to query you because you won't say no based on my genre!"

So what do I do? Any tips?

XOXO

Bethany

A Famous Query!

2011-05-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

Today, I'm editing a query from a group of writers - four, to be exact. Now, this is a sort of strange collaboration, so I'm wondering how the query will turn out. Four writers? Could be excellent, could be muddled - let's see, shall we?

Dear Sir/Madam

So long as you switch this to the name of the agent before sending it out, you're okay. Don't ever send it out with this greeting!

Would you read my book? It took me years to write, will you take a look? It's based on a novel by a man named Leer (How based are we talking? Copyright infringement? You may want to take this out) and I need a job, so I want to be a paperback writer. (This reason doesn't exactly inspire confidence...) A paperback writer. (Don't be repetitive)

It's a dirty story of a dirty man and his clinging wife doesn't understand. (Good set up for the conflict, but a little too vague.) His son is working for the Daily Mail, it's a steady job, but he wants to be a paperback writer. (Wait - so is this about the son or father? Clarify!)A paperback writer.

Paperback writer, paperback writer. (I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish by this repetition...)

It's a thousand pages, give or take a few. (use word count, not pages) I'll be writing more in a week or two. (Wait, this isn't finished?!? Why are you querying?!) I could make it longer if you like the style, (willingness to cooperate is good, but you need more confidence in your novel) I could change it round and I want to be a paperback writer. A paperback writer. (...)

If you really like it you could have the rights, it could make a million for you overnight! (Classic blunder - never tell the agent how much it could sell, they'll figure that out for themselves. You're just digging yourself a hole.) If you must return it, you can send it here(don't forget to send a SASE), but I need a break and I want to be a paperback writer. Paperback writer.

Paperback writer, writer, writer.

Paperback writer, paperback writer.

Well, these four have some work to do. But they did go all out with this query, they even included this video:

Something tells me the publishing industry is the wrong business for these guys.

What do you think?

XOXO

Bethany

Getting Packed...

2011-05-04T09:49:00.000-07:00

is a lot like a final look-through/edit just before a request for a full.

No really!

Think about it: You definitely SHOULD'VE done this final look through earlier - packed the night before - even though you've edited the story a bajigazimillion times before. You KNOW how this editing thing goes. Packing is an old story.

You've got the basics pretty well set: underwear, enough t-shirts and jeans, tooth brush, socks. Characterization, grammar, pacing, plot.

Then you've got the extras: Jewelry, make-up, stylin shoes, purse. Plot twists, witty dialogue, beautiful and brief description.

You've got the extra appeals and survival items: perfume, bandaids, a candy bar, some water. Pretty query letter, beta readers with the 'OK it's ready!', a cheerleader, and chocolate laid by for rejections.

And there's probably something you've forgotten. Toothpaste, contact solution, your grandma's earrings. That typo on page 15, your name is misspelled (or worse, the agent's name!).

Oh, and the stuff you don't REALLY need: that extra set of make up (JUST IN CASE), fifteen books you know you won't have time to read, a few more candybars. Gushing flattery, a purely descriptive sentence in the query, not just your address but your blog, linkedin profile, myspace, and facebook account. :)

What do you think? Can you relate? What part of the final (final) draft is hardest for you?

Now off to finish packing for Florida!!

XOXO

Bethany

Queries are Evil - But Here's The Thing...

2011-04-29T16:07:00.000-07:00

You gotta do it. You just gotta.

I know it's hard.

I know it hurts.

I know nothing hurts more than thinking your baby project is being rejected because you can't write a certain way for a query. I know.

I'm there. Right now. It doesn't look like it's ever going to go away. Like I'm stuck in this pit forever. Maybe you're there too.

Here's a news flash: no one likes the query process. Lots of people say it's a broken system. Well, maybe. But here's the deal: it's worked so far. It's working now. So it can't really be broken, can it? It's hard to be a writer; we have to be multimedia gurus, editors, advertisers, and talented in both prose and summery. Here's the thing:

We do it anyway.

So yes, have your days when you want to throw the querying process off a cliff. Have your moments when you cry, rage, hurt, and vent (if you're wise, this WON'T take place on the internet). Eat chocolate. Drink good wine - or in my case, soda. Then pick yourself up, because this isn't the end. We'll get published someday, because we know it takes more than talent - it takes those gallons of sweat, blood and tears.

Just my thoughts for the day. :)

XOXO

Bethany

The Underrated Necessity

2011-04-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Can you guess what it is?

That's right!

Grammar!

I don't know about you guys, but I have several friends IRL that have toyed with the idea of writing. Naturally, I encourage this. :D I understand that few people wake up one day and say, "I'm going to be a writer, darn it! A serious one!" and even fewer go through with it. However, some of my friends have continued writing. Others have not.

And you know what's strange? Almost every time, the distinguishing factor of whether or not they'll continue writing is how they use grammar. Weird, right?

I guess in some weird way it makes sense. Serious writers know it's not all fun and games, so they brush up on their grammar. Fair enough. People who aren't serious about it write the stories for fun. Also fair enough. So here's the moral:

If you want to be a serious writer, learn grammar.

Not that all writing has to be perfect, goodness no. (Heaven help me if it did!) But you should know the rules, even if you decide to break them. And luckily for writers, there is a LOT of help out there, and not all of it is as boring as your sophomore English class.

A) Strunk and White's Elements of Style. It's not just grammar, it's also an invaluable how to write guide.

B) Missed Periods and Other Grammar Scares - Not only is the name hilarious, the blog itself is witty, helpful, and grammatically accurate. :)

C) Google. It's not your enemy. When in doubt, type it into the search bar.

I'm not trying to say if your grammar is bad, you'll never be published. Well, yes I am, but not really. If your grammar is bad right now, that doesn't mean you'll never be published. Authors are the ones who work on the difficult stuff, but that doesn't mean you can't work on some of the fun stuff first. Write your story. But please, please, edit out the grammar mistakes even before you send it out for beta. Your readers will thank you. :)

I guess that's that.

So today, I thought I'd dress up in high fantasy. NOT as easy as it sounds! Ready? :)

And then I just HAD to stare dramatically into the horizon!

XOXO

Bethany

Steampunk and Synopsis!

2011-04-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

Hello! Well, thanks to all of you and AbsoluteWrite, my query is now almost completely ready to go. :) Now, however, I'm writing a synopsis, and I feel even more confused than I did with my query.

Help?

Do any of you have any favorite sites/pieces of advice about the synopsis? I've googled as much as a teenager can (that's a lot) and still feel confused. I know basics - present tense, not too much detail, don't bore the reader - but how does one do that? What do you include? Major plot points, yes, but how do you keep the voice?

Internet cookies to anyone who tells me! :)

OH!

And speaking of the internet, I did some research in how to dress up steampunk and basically got, "It's a made up era. Go with what you want, mixing victorian/industrial/modern fashions." Well... ok, I did. You guys ready? Now for a reminder, this is me:

Now this is me in steampunk:

You like it? It's the best I can do on a small amount of money and little time. :) I had a blast though!!

I guess I still do dress-up.

In case you're wondering, this was my makeup:

(Yes, that is a pocket watch around my neck. :D)

Just For Fun...

2011-04-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

Thank you all so much for your advice on my query on Wednesday! I appreciate it mega-tons. :)

So this week, I've been thinking a lot about descriptions. What to include, what not to include - especially when it comes to people. For me, it basically came down to a few elements.

1. Context

It truly does depend on where and when the character is introduced. Try to keep the context in mind. If it's storming outside, don't describe hair as a carefully made up. If it's a fantasy setting, you shouldn't describe a supporting character as if it's a western. If you're meeting a duchess, don't necessarily describe the same details as if you're meeting an assassin. Jewels and gems on the duchess's necklace may describe a million things about her, but for the assassin you may want to describe her eyes, or her way of moving.

2. Distinguishing Factors

If your character has brown eyes, yes, that may be important for the reader to know at some point. However, it won't make a reader remember him. If your character is a chimney sweep and has coal on his nose and later you reintroduce him, the reader is more likely to remember, "Oh, this is the child with the dirty face!"

3. Repetition

I know, we hate using more words than we have to. Sometimes, however, re-including a couple details cements your MC's face in the reader's mind. Not like you say the color of her hair fifteen times in two paragraphs, but a couple of chapters later, nonchalantly toss her hair color back into the prose. Think of how many times JK Rowling refers to Harry's messy hair, Ron's flaming red hair, Hermione's bushy hair, Draco's narrow eyes, Dumbledore's beard.

So, those are some things to keep in mind while describing. What do you like to keep in mind during descriptions?

Oh!

Right!

I wanted to try an experiment. Want to try it with me? (Pretty please?) It doesn't require much!

Next week I want to try dressing up as a character in different genres. Not a certain character - I only have so many resources - but one day dress up as sci-fi, another mystery, another western, etc, etc. Again, I'm a college student with limited finances, so I can't go completely out on this, but I can try. :)

SO, here's how you help!

Leave me a comment suggesting a certain genre you'd think it be interesting to dress up in. Go wild - if I can't do it, that's okay, but don't let that stop you from leaving interesting genres. :)

(this is gonna be fun!)

XOXO

Bethany

Ink-Splattered

So I LIED!

President's Day!

Writing as a Performance Art

Pay Attention To Your Baby

CELEBRATE!

For All You Dystopian Lovers Out There... (And Anyone WIth Concern to Free Internet)

It Simply Cannot Be Done

On Those Busy Days..

"Courage...

It's Been Awhile...And Honestly It Might Be A While More

SORRY SORRY SORRY SORRY

In Honor Of The Holidays:

In Which I Cry A Lot (Last Day of Dead Week)

This Might Be The One!

Can't Turn From This, Baby, This Is Poetry, Rips Open Your Soul

At The Absolute End Of Things...

Build A Man by Talli Roland

English 202 - Citizen Rex

Infinite Sacrifice by L.E. Waters

Today's The Day!

Something Stronger Than A Hero (Pt. 2)

(Fill-in-the-Blank)s are SO....

*Sigh* Another Strong, Sassy Heroine...

English 202 Miss Clairol - Helena Maria Viramontes

Genre Switching - Good or Bad?

On a Monday Before NaNo...

I'm Failing Life - And Loving It

Casting Call!

Why You Should Love Your Stereotype (If It's As Cool As Mine)

Rule of 3 Blogfest Pt. 3!

English 202 - And the Earth Did Not Devour Him

It's Like New Years!

The Book Break-Up

Rule of 3 Blogfest Pt. 2!

Why More of Your Characters Should Be Sexist

Rule of 3 Blogfest!

English 202 - Woman Hollering Creek

Something Stronger Than A Hero

Last Day, Guys!

I Am Joaquin - Rodolfo Corky Gonzales (English 202 Blog)

Today is a Late Start...

How Do You Like Your Books? Scrambled? Sunny-Side-Up?

Drumroll Please.....

Happiness, Great News, and A Choice

And Then, From Nowhere....

The Attack of the Chalkboards!

This is for KIDS?

The Future Is Exciting!

Why I Will One Day Write A Sex Scene (But Not Yet)

May I Recommend One of Two Things?

And You Call Yourself A Writer!

Why Children Make Better Authors

Back to Regular Posting Next Week!

My Internet Has Taken a Holiday!

When The World Is Grey....

The Wanderer Returneth!

Gardens of the Moon Review! (And Awards!!)

The Magic of Character

Lazy Blogger Award, much?

Happy Friday!

Summer Sparks!

I'm Back! (P.S. Pitch Contest!)

Today....

In Which Bethany Falls In Love With Fantasy....

Well, Hello!

You're Making Me Blush!

Why Kids Aren't Reading (Or Why Adults Think They Aren't)

Why Freedom Is So Important (To Our Characters)

I Feel Like I Should Clarify

Monsters? Psh, Who Needs Monsters?

YA Rules (You Can Take That Either Way)

Short Post Today..

World? What World?

Book Review Vlog-Style!

The Anatomy of A Writing Space

Today Is Going To Be

My Life Is Upside Down

Almost There!

Why I'm Attracted To Scars

Sigh Another Strong, Sassy Heroine...