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Blogs from the month of October 2011. Writing Tip PicturesIt never seems to fail that when I am editing someone's novel that I find myself drawing a picture during some point. A lot of my friends kind of chuckle at them, but it gets them thinking about the situation they are talking about. I even find myself drawing pictures for my own story. Drawing a picture, even stick figures, can help you work through a difficult scene or description. The other trick you can do is just give someone your description and see if they can draw a picture from it. This is a great way to make sure information such as seals, insignias, icons, fight sequences, or even character descriptions are clear. You can also go the other way. I know some people, and I have done this on occasion, to cast their characters. You don't have to take the personality but if you want to find people who look like your characters it can sometimes be easier to describe them as necessary. Go through magazines, movies, or the internet to find the perfect person to play your character.
Contests for BooksRecently my husband and I have come to an agreement that I need to limit how many books I purchase. I live close to a good library and need to get the majority of my reading from there or borrow them from my family. I have also started entering contests to try and win books. I have won almost a dozen books at this point. Granted not all of them are the ones I really wanted but I have learned an important secret. If I am going to win, I have to enter the contests. If I never enter any contests then I am never going to win.
Book Review Tuesdays at the Castle
The castle isn't normal and if you aren't paying attention you may end up in a room you never knew you existed (which reminded me of the Enchanted Forest in Patricia C. Wrede's books). Celie is the youngest child of the King and Queen of Glower and she has made it her mission to map the ever changing castle. I love the fact that she gets along with her older siblings and that instead of constant bickering, they enjoy spending time with each other and helping each other. When the Kind and Queen are presumed, and declared dead, Celie does everything she can to protect the castle and her family. This book is such a cute read and my only complaint is I wanted to know more about some of the characters, but since this is the start of a new series I have the feeling that I will get to know them in later books. I look forward to reading this book with my children and it will always have a treasured place on my bookshelf next to DEALING WITH DRAGONS and THE ORDINARY PRINCESS.
Writing Tip Study UpIt never hurts to get a few writing books and study up on what you feel is a weak point. There are plenty of good books out there that cover everything from grammar and usage to plot and character development. If you don't want to actually purchase the book, look into getting them from the library. By reading books about writing, and not just books in your genre, you can improve your writing technique and spend more time adding details and less time worrying about comma placement.
Weekend HikeMy husband and I drove up to Mirror Lake last week. The leaves on the aspen were so pretty. By the time we actually got up to Mirror Lake darkness fell and we only walked around for a few minutes since we weren't dressed for the cold or have any flashlights with us. We decided to head up this last weekend and actually go hiking. This last week it snowed. Friday night we debated as to whether we wanted to still go on our hike or not. We figured the snow wasn't going to lessen as the year continued so we might as well. Saturday morning we bundled up, threw spare clothes in our car, and headed up the canyon. The scenery was beautiful. The snow covered all of the trees but we could still see some of the color of the leaves. As we continued up towards the summit, the snow on the road got worse and soon we were driving on ice. We turned around and went back down to a picnic area. There we got out of the car and went for a short hike through the snow. I never would have imaged I would live anywhere that got snow this early in the year. Strangely, though I have never really participated in snow sports, except for sledding as a child, I love the snow and winter. But then again I live in a place that has four seasons.
Book Review The Picture of Dorian Gray
THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY is about a man who suffers no consequences from evil acts. There are consequences with all of his actions; he just never has to deal with them. What most people know of this story is that the man's picture changes when he doesn't. This story really delves into how a man's actions change his appearance. I mean these aren't just changes like scars and old age; these delve deeper into facial expressions and more of how the body reacts to the different environments unconsciously. This book was a lot different than what I expected but I loved it. I recommend reading it just so you can learn about who Dorian Gray really is. I know the book image doesn't match the title. It is actually a Polish cover done by Maciej Ratajski. I just thought it looked awesome.
Writing Tip How to Diagnose your CharactersThis Friday one of my friends promoted my blog, so I thought that I would promote his blog, because it is awesome. My friend, Josh, is a psychology major and his blog is devoted to getting you to look at your character in complex ways. He covers everything from methods of parenting to schemas to development. I have found his insights to be very useful for making my characters more realistic. How to Diagnose your Characters
Marching BandThis weekend my husband and I went to watch my little sister's marching band competition. Though they didn't take first, they did a great job and I loved the show. It brought back a lot of memories. Both my husband and I participated in marching band in high school. We went to different schools and had different experiences. His school had some amazing shows; I watched them when I went to my older sister's competition. He made fun of our uniforms. On Saturday we sat shocked at his band's amateur performance, and admired the new uniforms of my band. What a good relationship we have. At the competition we sat next to some parents of a first year band member. They asked us what it was about band that enticed the kids. They said they would wake their son for early morning practice and he wouldn't ever complain and it wasn't only their kid. They couldn't believe that something like marching band could be so exciting to a bunch of teenagers. I don't think there is a way to explain how marching band really is without experiencing it. It hurt like the dickens some days, but I am so glad I was able to be part of something so amazing. Though we both had some unpleasant experiences, we don't regret participating in band.
21 Oct 2011 Book Review The Harper Hall Trilogy
When I first read DRAGONSONG, the idea of fire lizards drew me in. The adventure Menolly has throughout this book isn’t groundbreaking by any stretch of the imagination. It is the story of a talented artist denied their dream because they are the wrong something, in this case, because she is female. Now that I am older I find new depth to her strong willed character who is also obedient. I am not one who thinks everyone should roll over and never fight for what they want to do, but I enjoy reading books where the character does what is necessary of them at the time but still manages to find a way to live their dream if the opportunity arises. This book, though the main character is female, is a great read for anyone who loves the fantasy genre, especially someone who loves dragons.
Menolly is a character who is unaware of her own amazingness. She never thinks she does well enough and is always pushing herself to do more and be better. I love that about her and the fact that she is not a whiney character who is always lamenting her situation. She doesn’t take anything for granted; in fact there are times you wonder why she doesn’t notice more about what is going on in her life. You want her to be proud of herself. The other characters in the book are also so lively and lovable. Menolly’s friend Piemur is a good guy who is always looking out for her and is trying to teach her the ropes. He has quite a few opportunities to take advantage of her but is the faithful friend I wish I had growing up.
When I first started reading DRAGONDRUMS I was concerned because I wasn't sure how much I was going to like it because it wasn't Menolly. Piemur seemed more flighty to me and not as grounded. Through the book he makes some decisions that I don't necessarily approve of, neither do some of the other characters, but I really did grow attached to him. I also liked the fact that I got to learn more about some of the other characters through their interaction with Piemur. By the end of the book I was as attached to Piemur as I was to Menooly but it is something to keep in mind when you read it. The HARPER HALL TRIOLOGY will always be some of my favorite books. I hope that anyone who loves music and dragons has the opportunity to read this book. It made me wish I was more musically inclined, not to mention the fact that I wanted half a dozen fire lizards of my own.
Writing Tip You Like It, Now WhatThis is along the same lines as what I talked about for giving critiques but for today I am only going to talk about how to give feedback when you really liked the piece. As an author, I love to hear when people really liked my story, but if I am trying to get it published then I want more than just "I liked it." What I really want to know is why. I don't mind when people have nothing negative to say, but it is better if you can explain exactly why the piece was good. Whether it is character development, plot twist, descriptions, or imagery, if you can give reasons for why you like something, not just why you don't, it is more helpful.
Choosing Between Two Good ThingsThis last weekend my husband and I attended an anime convention. It is the only one we go to, since it is the only local one. This is the third year we've been and we decided that we wanted to help volunteer. The experience was great and it turned out to be the best year yet. The panels we made it to were great (I got some great sewing tips and saw some cool videos), our costumes worked out (people actually knew who we were supposed to be), and we met some neat people. We have plans for making next year even better. While we were helping out, I made mention of the fact that I was a technical writer. One of the fellows was thrilled and explained that I could probably be even more involved, on staff and not just a registration volunteer. As he told me about it, I got really excited. I took his business card with every intention of emailing samples of my technical writing as soon as I could. I mean, what an awesome opportunity. As we drove home Saturday night I was talking about it with my husband and reality set in. This con happens in October every year. I currently hold another volunteer position which has its big shindig in September, every year. I nearly lost my mind this year trying to get everything done for my current volunteer position if I were to add another one, even bigger, a month later, I really would go crazy. Even though I really want to do both, I realized that I had to make a choice. Since I have already pledged my time, I sent an email explaining the situation as politely as I could. I know I may never get this opportunity again, but I would rather enjoy both experiences than drive myself and my husband insane.
28 Oct 2011 Book Review The Maze Runner Trilogy
The main character is a boy named Thomas. He has a connection with the girl, Teresa, and makes a few other friends while he is there. I really liked Thomas. He is a decent character who treats everyone well. I liked how he was realistic. He doubts. He has fears. He wants to believe in others. He is just a good guy. All of the characters are flushed out, unique, and believable. You have Teresa Minho, Newt, Chuck, and Gally. You really cheer them on and want them to succeed and when things go horribly wrong, you feel betrayed by them. THE MAZE RUNNER is intense at times but it never crossed the line for me. I don't have any qualms recommending this book to young adults and adults alike. I loved the visual image of the maze and the depth of the story, how everything fits together so smoothly.
The Gladers reel from what WICKED, the organization who created the maze, is telling them. Earth has been damaged by sun flares and not only that but a strange disease called the Flare, is wrecking havoc on the human population. Flare destroys the mind, turning people feral, zombie-esque. Thomas and the other Gladers are told that if they can complete the Scorch Trials they will get the cure. If they thought the maze was bad, they had no idea what to expect from this new test. This story puts a lot of strain on Thomas and through the whole thing I still liked him. At times it felt like there were a lot of similarities between this book and THE MAZE RUNNER, but I really liked the character development. I think that Dashner does an excellent job of putting his characters in situations where you feel so betrayed. This book really made me question what I thought I knew. Though there are some instances that took me by complete surprise I thought they were done amazingly well because none of the characters acted out of character. When this book ended I was a little frustrated that I had to wait a whole year for the conclusion. It grabbed my attention and I would find myself thinking about it on occasion and just wondering what could be going on, because "WICKED is good."
The Gladers are still at the mercy of WICKED, only this time they are promised that it is over. They have a chip implemented in their heads that map their brainwaves and gives WICKED control over their actions, which explains some of the events in previous books. The Gladers are given a choice, have the chip removed and receive all of their memories back, or keep the chip, have the controlling bit disabled remotely, and not receive any of their memories. This divides the Gladers into two groups which kind of sets the tone for the rest of the book. I liked how we see the change in Thomas. He becomes a harder person but it isn't unrealistic. This book was the most violent of the three but it wasn't explicit. I was worried that this was going to be similar to the others but it wasn't. This book was refreshing and unique. I had a very difficult time putting it down and there were times that I teared up at what happened. I will be rereading this series in the coming years and I will continue to recommend it to people.
Writing Tip Time for NaNoWriMoFor those of you who don't know what NaNoWriMo is National Novel Writing Month. It starts tomorrow. It takes place every year during the month of November. The goal is to write a 50,000 word novel and have it finished by the end of the month. This isn't the time to take an already existing novel and finish it. You are to start and finish a novel in one month. If you want to write a perfect novel, don't think you will get it here. If you want to actually say that you have completed a novel then you might enjoy this. It means late nights because you have to average over 1,500 words a day, but it is a great experience. I participated for the first time last year and really enjoyed it. I can't say that my novel was the most complete of novels but it made me get the story down on paper. For more information on NaNoWriMo you can always check out the website http://www.nanowrimo.org/. It starts tomorrow so you have just enough time to sign up on the website. Have a happy Halloween.
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When I heard that Jessica Day George was coming out with another book I was thrilled. I love all of her books and was curious to see what TUESDAYS AT THE CASTLE was like. When I won an ARC from a contest I nearly squealed in delight. I read the book in a day and can't wait for more to come out with the same characters. This book is intended for younger audiences. The main character, Celie, is eleven. 
I wanted to do a creepy story since it is October. I have often heard about THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY and knew the basic of the story, but didn't know the exact details of the story. The only story I knew from Oscar Wilde was the play THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST and let me just say that there is little in common between these two stories. 
I don’t think it is possible to be a lover of fantasy and not dream of owning a pet dragon. I think it just runs in our blood. DRAGONSONG fueled my love of dragons as a child. The main character, Menolly, lives in a fishing village of sorts and loves music. Though it isn’t entirely proper the local musician teaches her. When the fellow dies, her chance of her doing anything with her musical abilities diminishes. An injury restricts her even further and she comes to accept the fact that she is destined to gut fish for the rest of her life until she happens to meet fire lizards, miniature dragons of sorts. Not only does Menolly have a memorable character but the fire lizards are unique in their own way as well. 
This is the second installment in the HARPER HALL TRILOGY by Anne McCaffrey. My mother introduced me to DRAGONSINGER when I was young and it still remains one of my favorite novels. In some ways I actually like this book more than the first, DRAGONSONG. The story starts with Menolly arriving at Harper Hall to be the first female apprentice to Masterharper Robinton. There are other females at the hall and because Menolly is personally apprentices to the Masterharper, a lot of people are displeased with her and jealous of her position. Not to mention the fact that she has a brood of fire dragons following her around. These complications and her own fears show more development in her character. 
This is the final book in the HARPER HALL TRILOGY. It is told from Piemur's point of view. In DRAGONDRUMS Piemur has a problem, his voice is changing and can no longer sing in the choir until it stops cracking. He doesn't want to leave Harper Hall and decides to make himself useful in other ways. He learned how to send messages using the drums. He is then taken on under Masterharper Robinton to act as an apprentice, of sorts. As he is traveling around Pern he picks up on various information and running errands.
I read THE MAZE RUNNER shortly after it came out. It reminded me a lot of THE HUNGER GAMES, but gives me more hope in the future. The story follows the Gladers: a bunch of teenage boys, and a single girl, who live in a giant maze. None of them have their memories and there is no escaping the maze. No one knows exactly how long this has been going on but some of the boys have been there for two years. Every day they send out runners to map the maze, and every night they are locked in the glade where all the buildings are. Monsters roam the maze stinging those who come too close. Once they are stung they aren't ever the same again. Now all Thomas has to do is figure out how to get everyone out of the maze, and learn what part he has in all of it.
THE SORCH TRIALS is the second installment in THE MAZE RUNNER trilogy. The Gladers have escaped from the maze and are learning about Earth. They still don't have their memories back, though Thomas keeps having flashes that lead him to believe he and Teresa have a lot more to do with this than he wants to admit. 
I pretty much counted down the days until THE DEATH CURE came out. And I was not disappointed. I was actually thrilled with how the story progressed and then ended. I feel at times that authors don't want to give their readers hope. Instead they want to see how much punishment they can give their characters. There have been plenty of books lately where it ended and I just wondered what the point was because it wasn't like anything had actually changed. THE DEATH CURE made me fear for the characters, I had no idea who was going to survive, and there are plenty of people who die, but I was completely satisfied with the end.