Guest post: Worldbuilding, by Tessa Gratton
Posted: June 5, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: guest post, urban fantasy, writing Leave a commentToday’s guest post is by Tessa Gratton, whose book The Strange Maid comes out next week. This one sounds amazing, you guys; I’ll include the blurb below her post so you can see what I mean!
Take it away, Tessa!
Here is my first secret of world building: everything grows out of world.
If world, character, and plot are a pyramid, world is the wide base, character the slender middle, and plot the tip top. Your world is the history, culture, family values, politics, laws, etc, and characters cannot exist without interacting with those things, because people may be born with certain inherent qualities, but we are also products of culture and family and community. What your character believes and how she dresses MUST be in response to the world around her in one way or another. And plot is dictated by what your character WANTS. What does she desire? How will she survive?
World begets character, character begets plot.
That is the only ultimate truth of writing I believe in.
You CAN reverse-engineer the pyramid, if you are a plotter, but to readers, it must seem as though world à character à plot or they’ll begin questioning everything.
Sometimes as writers we think of characters first, or initially are inspired by a plot point, and so world building requires some backtracking. But with the United States of Asgard series, the process followed my pyramid method smoothly (which was a relief, since almost nothing else went smoothly!).
I thought of the world first, when I realized about 9 years ago that the political discourse of my country was engaged firmly in warrior culture – and at the time I was studying Viking and Anglo-Saxon warrior culture. What if I combined the two into a modern US founded by Vikings and their powerful, selfish gods?
I spent nearly four years playing with the idea of the world itself before I found my characters for the first book, THE LOST SUN. I read about history and politics, jotting down notes about how this fusion education system might work, how the branches of government would differ and how they’d be the same. I thought about each of the prominent gods and how they could be used as tools to reflect the themes of war and politics and religion that I wanted to write about. I made notes about the sort of teenagers might be most compelling as heroes: which is how I found my heroes Soren and Astrid. I wanted a teen berserker and a teen prophetess, both modernized versions of the most fascinating aspects of human–god interactions I found in the old Norse mythology.
My plot came from a fusion of world and character desires: 1) Baldur the Beautiful I knew was a god of hope and light, and the most poignant symbol of the fusion of old religion and modern celebrity culture. He is a dying god, literally dying in the fall and resurrecting in the spring, and all of it caught on television cameras. 2) Soren and Astrid both struggled with faith, even in a world where gods are obviously real, and they both needed a quest to find themselves and their destinies. What better quest than a road trip to find a dying god who didn’t rise?
So that’s what I mean by world begets character begets plot.
And of course with the second and third books, the pattern remained the same, though to a certain extent I had some plot ready and waiting because of happenings from the first book. But I knew that in book 2 I wanted to write about a teenaged Valkyrie, and her plot grew from that, and why she was a Valkyrie grew from the world. Valkyrie are connected to Odin Alfather and Freya the Witch, and so I needed to surround Signy with war, madness, poetry, and prophecy, the things those gods represent. I needed to delve into the Valkyrie’s Council and how they relate to Congress and the president and the media, and find those dark corners where politics and media culture connect to madness and poetry and prophecy. It was hard, and fascinating, and in the end worth-while because I think Signy is the most “New Asgardian” of any of the characters I’ve created for the series. There is no real-world correlation for her, I think, an idea that both excites and terrifies me.
As someone who loves world building and admires those writers who do it spectacularly, I hope I can in the future say that about all my characters, because that’s the point of world building: making a place so real, so layered and believable that it’s impossible for readers to divorce a character from their world.
About The Strange Maid
Fans of Neil Gaiman, Holly Black, and Maggie Stiefvater will embrace the richly drawn, Norse-influenced alternate world of the United States of Asgard, where cell phones, rock bands, and evangelical preachers coexist with dragon slaying, rune casting, and sword training in schools. Where the president runs the country alongside a council of Valkyries, gods walk the red carpet with Hollywood starlets, and the U.S. military has a special battalion dedicated to eradicating Rocky Mountain trolls.
Signy Valborn was seven years old when she climbed the New World Tree and met Odin Alfather, who declared that if she could solve a single riddle, he would make her one of his Valkyrie. For ten years Signy has trained in the arts of war, politics, and leadership, never dreaming that a Greater Mountain Troll might hold the answer to the riddle, but that’s exactly what Ned the Spiritless promises her. A mysterious troll hunter who talks in riddles and ancient poetry, Ned is a hard man to trust. Unfortunately, Signy is running out of time. Accompanied by an outcast berserker named Soren Bearstar, she and Ned take off across the ice sheets of Canadia to hunt the mother of trolls and claim Signy’s destiny.
About Tessa
This Writer’s Space: Dahlia Adler
Posted: May 14, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, this writer's space, writing 2 Comments
This week on This Writer’s Space I’m thrilled to have one of my favourite bloggers, Dahlia Adler. If you follow my Blog Post for Writers board on Pinterest, you’ll know that it’s basically pins from either Dahlia or the equally fantastic Chuck Wendig. I dream that one day they will co-write a post and then the awesome will EXPLODE ALL OVER THE INTERNET.
No, wait, that sounds wrong. *shuffles feet* Um, over to you, Dahlia!
Where I Write
This is where I write. Originally, I wanted to wait until I’d sufficiently cleaned up before submitting this picture, but you know what? That’s not reality; this is. What you’re looking at is my computer and printer, obviously, but also a mug, from my very necessary Sunday morning coffee; cookies, because snacks are important; my ARCs, bookplates, and postcards, because being a professional author isn’t just about writing; an anthology of The Elder Scrolls, purchased for me by super talented author friend Leah Raeder, because every writer has both absurd distractions and terrible enablers; a menorah for no good reason; Advil for plenty of good reasons, and assorted other delights, like planners, books to give away, and Post-It Notes outlining things like upcoming blog posts.
Where I’m Inspired
These are also where I write, but I’m using them as “Where I get inspired,” because they’re where I write when I get inspired. As in, I’m on the subway and I just cannot wait to write down this scene, versus when I sit down at my desk and it’s an “Okay, I have to write 2K tonight” situation, whether I’m feeling it or not. I use different notebooks for different things, so, for example, the cherry-printed one (which is scented!) is my notebook for my June 2015 release, Under the Lights, while the pink cupcakes (also scented!) was strictly for Last Will and Testament, my NA standalone. The bird notebook is for B&N round-up post ideas, the white one with the cupcakes is going to be for my NaNo ms, and the little one was a gift from my wonderful CP Marieke Nijkamp, and is sort of an all-other-purpose (particularly beta notes).
To Be Read
This is a bit of an old picture because I’ve since rearranged my bookshelves, but I have a pretty intense TBR at all times. Because I do a lot of themed round-up posts for B&N, I tend to organize my reading that way, so books often jump the line, and ARCs very regularly take a backseat since I can’t blog about books until after they’re published anyway. Plus I have a revolving door of ARCs coming in from OneFourKidLit (my debut group). But this is a general idea of the volume at all times, though some are far more “urgent” than others!
About Dahlia
This Writer’s Space: Tess Grant
Posted: April 9, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, this writer's space, Turquoise Morning Press, writing 8 Comments
Today’s This Writer’s Space features Tess Grant, my fellow Turquoise Morning Press author and author of the The Kitty Irish Trilogy, about a pair of werewolf hunters. I’m really looking forward to reading this one, you guys.
Where I Write
I affectionately call my home The Farmette. It’s a little old farmhouse/big red barn combo with about ten acres of pasture/cornfield. I love the land and the space. I love my farmhouse too, although as is often the case with older houses, its layout is a little bit funky. No closets to speak of, a long skinny living room, and two huge bedrooms upstairs. Plenty of room for an office but there isn’t one included anywhere. Some day I’d dearly love to have a nook to call my own, but right now, my writing is right out there in the middle of life.
That’s it. The dining room table (decluttered specifically for this picture).
Since the dining room is in the little addition connected to the original house, it’s quite chilly in the winter, especially when a west wind blows (which is about 90% of the time). That’s when I retreat to The Chair with my lap desk. It’s tucked in the very east corner of the original house and is quite cozy.
Where I’m Inspired
These are two of my big inspirations…caffeine and tunes.
I like the first black, flavored, and leaning toward lukewarm. And I like the second minus earbuds. Those stupid things always pop out of my ears; I know one of my ears is slightly higher than the other, but is that any reason to harsh my groove?
I make a playlist for each book. I find after a few times of listening and writing that I drop into the writing groove as soon as the music comes on. There’s a lot of overlap between lists usually, and it varies wildly…from movie soundtracks to current stuff.
My other inspiration comes from my little dirt road. It’s got deep dark woods, an abandoned farmhouse, and lots of vultures (no kidding!) and is just the right length for a quick walk to get the creative juices flowing.
To Be Read
Like other authors, my TBR pile is huge! So, I’ve only included my most immediate reads on this list.
I love Maggie Stiefvater, so I’m in the process of rereading The Raven Boys so that I can dig into my Christmas present from my daughter, The Dream Thieves. After that comes my autographed copy of We Hear the Dead by Dianne Salerni (have you read The Caged Graves yet? You should!) and Quest for the Swords of Healing by Trista Vaporblade (who just happens to be my niece!). After that I hope to dig into some Wiley Cash and Jenny Trout.
About Tess
After nearly ten years as a forensic anthropologist, Tess semi-retired to a farmette in the backwoods of Michigan to raise organic veggies, free-range children, and novels. She writes YA suspense.
Blog | Twitter | Amazon | Goodreads
This Writer’s Space: Rhiann Wynn-Nolet
Posted: April 2, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, this writer's space, writing 9 Comments
First of all, thank you Cassandra for having me on your blog! I remember our Thursday’s Children blog hops very fondly and am so happy we’ve stayed in touch.
Where I Write
Last summer we moved from the northeast corner of the US (Maine) to North Carolina, about a thousand miles south. The sights, sounds, and smells of northern New England permeate my writing and probably always will. Not only was I born and raised there, but my ancestors first settled in the Salem area around 1630. No matter where I go, that will always be my spiritual home.
Knowing I’d miss coastal Maine, I planned to recreate it in my new writing space. My husband painted the walls a grayish blue*, we hung up seascapes, etc., but in the words of Thomas Wolfe, “You can’t go home again.” If anything, being surrounded by pictures of beaches made me dwell on what I’d lost.
On to Plan B, in which I gave free rein to my love of things weird and sparkly, flowers, quirky art, shabby velvet, and rich (non-beachy) colors. Here’s my Pinterest Reinventing the Office board for a closer look at some of my actual choices. Shells, seaglass, and sand dollars share space in my “cabinet of curiosities” with an animal skull I found by the side of the road, my crystal ball, lichen-covered twigs and so on. The room isn’t quite finished, but I’m very pleased with the Boho/Bloomsbury vibe. A writer reinvents herself with each book she writes, so why shouldn’t she reinvent her writing space once in a while?
*p.s. My patient, thoughtful, and creative husband was actively involved in bringing my decorative vision to life, as well as painting the room (twice) and installing my new light fixture. It’s not that I can’t paint walls. He’s a Virgo, so…yeah. I should probably give him a backrub.
Where I’m Inspired
I get my best ideas from Nature and all things gothic. Since our move, the Neuse River and abandoned farmhouses have replaced the beach and old cemeteries as my favorite haunts.
To Be Read
At the moment I’m reading SPLINTERED by A.G. Howard. For Christmas I got my first e-reader and currently in the queue are RAVEN BOYS (Maggie Stiefvater), UNTEACHABLE (Leah Raeder), and THE OCEAN AT THE END OF THE LANE (Neil Gaiman). I also spend quite a lot of time reading things my CPs send me.
About Rhiann
Rhiann Wynn-Nolet is a YA/NA Fiction writer. Her book TENDRIL is represented by Stefanie Lieberman of Janklow & Nesbit.
As a reader, she longs for unforgettable characters whose stories are filled with family dysfunction, true love, and complex emotion. She adores symbolism and beautiful prose. By “beautiful” she doesn’t mean “purple”, even though she’s in love with her purple office walls. She tries to write the kind of books she wants to read.
Rhiann co-hosts the annual Like A Virgin Writing Contest (#LV14) and #CriTiki Lounge (a pitch feedback forum). When she’s not writing, reading, walking her Jack Russell Terriers, or struggling with her sixth grader’s math homework, she can be found here: Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest
This Writer’s Space: Lauren K. McKellar
Posted: March 26, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: aussie-owned, inspiration, this writer's space, writing 3 Comments
All the regular readers of my blog know how much I adore Lauren K. McKellar. Her books make me cry, in an “oh god, my heart is breaking, Lauren!” kind of way.
Where I Write
When I drafted my latest novel, The Problem With Crazy, I wrote EVERYWHERE. I was working full-time, juggling freelance editing jobs and madly scrambling to learn all the extra things I could about this fabulous world of writing craft and technique, so I took every opportunity that became available to me. I wrote on the train to work, in my lunchbreak, on the couch in front of the TV (also known as ‘couple bonding time’), at bars—I even tried to dictate notes while I walked from the train station to work and cleaned the house.*
However, now all this has changed. I have gone freelance with my editing work and so when I write I do so at my desk, in my office—and it feels GREAT. Having a designated writing area, with my planning blackboard and comfy high-backed chair is fabulous. Plus, there’s no strange guy falling asleep and drooling on my shoulder, like there was on the odd public transport trip. Drool = uninspiring.
*NB: This was a dismal failure. I can write the things, but I cannot speak them. I apologise if you ever meet me and expect a coherent sentence.
Where I’m Inspired
Many things and places inspire me, but one of the main locations is the beach. I can catch a glimpse of it from my balcony, but every morning I get up, and go for a long run across the sand with my two dogs. The sound of the waves crashing never fails to soothe my oft-busy head, and helps my mind run wild with new story ideas.
The other main place I am inspired is *cringe* when I’m with my fiancé. I know he’s not technically a place, but sitting down with him over a table—beer and chips on the side—really helps me nut out my story ideas and takes my little half-conceived baby concepts and turns them into fully-fledged potential story adults.
What I’m Reading
I just came back from Indie Authors Down Under, Australia’s first self-published writer signing exhibition. I was there exhibiting as an author, but somehow managed to come home with almost as many books as I sold! I’m not sure where I’ll be starting, but I have Take A Chance by Abbi Glines, Broken by Kelly Elliot and First Glance by L.L. Hunter all vying for my attention right now. I can’t wait to devour them all!
About Lauren K. McKellar
Lauren K. McKellar is a writer and editor of fact and fiction. She has worked in publishing for more than eight years, and recently returned to her first love: writing books that make you feel.
Lauren loves to write for the Young and New Adult markets, and her debut novel, Finding Home, is a YA Contemporary, published through Escape, a Harlequin Australia imprint. Her second novel, The Problem With Crazy, is a NA Contemporary Romance.
Lauren is a member of the YA Rebels (vlog) and the Aussie Owned and Read blogging team. In her free time, she enjoys long walks on the beach with her two super-cute dogs and her partner-in-crime/fiancé.
Introducing NestPitch
Posted: March 20, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: agents, contests, NestPitch, pitches, queries, writing 2 CommentsThere’s a special Easter tradition throughout central and northern Croatia – making Easter nests. On the afternoon or eve of Easter Saturday children go out into the garden and collect leaves, grass, twigs, flowers and then make a “nest” for the Easter Bunny – that’s where he places his Easter egg presents. The children go to bed that eve wondering if the Easter Bunny will like or love their nest, because the best nest gets the best and biggest eggs!
NestPitch is based on this idea where an author’s ‘pitch’ is the nest and the Easter Treats are the Agents requests.
The submission window opens on 1st April.
Once Submissions are closed, firstly the SLUSH BILBIES will go through the submissions and pick the top 100-120. Then the NEST BLOGGERS will each pick eight of their best and brightest NESTS and post on their blogs.
After that, the SECRECT AGENT BUNNIES will jump from blog site to blog site and leave their Easter treats.
Why am I telling you all this? Because I AM A SLUSH BILBY! (A bilby is an adorable, long-eared, endangered Australian marsupial. You can of course see the resemblance…right?) You think I’d have learned from the madness that was Pitcharama how hard it is to choose between a whole bunch of awesome pitches. But no, apparently not.
In just over 24 hours, the Pre-Pitch Post clinic starts, for those of you that want to have someone look at your pitch. The details are here. And the rules for NestPitch are here.
If you’re wondering why the mix of Croatian and Australian, that’s because the host of the contest, Nikola Vukoja, is exactly that. Running these sorts of contests is hard, so show her the Twitter love here, mkay?
And if anyone wants to send me masses of chocolate on 1st April, I’d appreciate it. 🙂
This Writer’s Space: Nicole Evelina
Posted: March 19, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, this writer's space, writing 2 Comments
Today’s This Writer’s Space features Nicole Evelina, Arthurian author extrodinaire.
Where I Write
When I’m at home, I’m usually on my couch with two cats vying for space with the laptop. Not very glamorous, but it gets the job done! I do have a second bedroom that doubles as an office (and my cats’ bedroom), but I don’t usually do much writing there. I think the couch is just more comfortable, plus I get beautiful afternoon sun through the front window.
When I venture out to write, my favorite place is a little coffee shop about 15 minutes from where I live. It’s loud (darn college students) and the music is terrible (thank God for headphones) but I love the old-world vibe.
Where I’m Inspired
This is a man-made lake that’s less than 10 minutes from my house. I go there to walk/run a lot and it really clears my head. But I’ve also taken my laptop and written and plotted there. There’s something about being out in all four elements – grass/sand beneath my feet, wind in my hair, water nearby and sun on my face – that shuts down my worrying side and allows my creativity to flourish. My characters seem to like it, too, as they are more fond of talking to me there than any other place (except the shower!).
This is Fir Cottage, my home for a week at Hedgebrook, a writing retreat on Whidbey Island, outside Seattle. I recently attended a Master Class on creative writing there that was taught by author Deborah Harkness. This is where I lived and wrote, honestly assessing all that still needs to be done to my third book. It’s a place of beauty, for communing with nature and the muse. I’ll be there in my memories whenever I need inspiration and plan to apply for a residency at some point in the future.
To Be Read
Some of these I have read, but most are still on the TBR list. And these are only the non-library books. The pile gets bigger each spring after our annual charity book fair. Last year, I came home with 21 books. Some of these are research, but the vast majority are fiction.
Nicole Evelina is St. Louis-born historical fiction writer represented by Jen Karsbaek of Foreword Literary. She is the author of an Arthurian legend trilogy that tells Guinevere’s life story from her point of view, as well as a work of women’s fiction. Nicole is a member of and book reviewer for the Historical Novel Society, and Sirens, a group supporting female fantasy authors, as well as a member of the St. Louis Writer’s Guild and Women Fiction Writers Association.
She is one of only six authors who recently completed a week-long writing intensive taught by #1 New York Times bestselling author Deborah Harkness. Nicole has traveled to England twice to research the Guinevere trilogy, where she consulted with internationally acclaimed author and historian Geoffrey Ashe, as well as Arthurian/Glastonbury expert Jaime George, the man who helped Marion Zimmer Bradley research The Mists of Avalon.
Her website/blog is http://nicoleevelina.com and she can be found on Twitter as well as on Pinterest and Facebook.
Research: the geography and climate of Egypt
Posted: March 14, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: research, small presses, writing 2 CommentsToday’s guest post is by Katie Hamstead, whose book KIYA: Rise of a New Dynasty (the third in the Kiya trilogy) came out last month. I love these books like a crazy person, if you hadn’t already guessed! She’s here today to talk about the setting of her series, ancient Egypt.
Ancient Egypt
I know, how boring! But not really. Like any story, the environment plays its part in shaping and molding events.
The Egyptian Empire was built around the Nile. At the time of the 18th Dynasty—in which the Kiya trilogy is set—it stretched from Abu Simbel (which was constantly disputed with the Nubians) up to the delta and into parts of the Saudi Arabian peninsula.
In general, the area is arid, but along the Nile, it is extremely fertile. The silt which flooded the plains annually comes from the White Nile, which starts at the Great Lakes region of central Africa (Rwanda), and also the Blue Nile, which begins at Lake Tana in Ethiopia. They meet in Sudan and form the Nile. Most of the fertile soil which is flushed through is brought up from the the Blue Nile.
If you look at the map, you will see the major cities of Ancient Egypt. Note the location of Thebes in the south (Upper Egypt) and Memphis in the north (Lower Egypt). You will then notice Akhetaten’s (Tel El Amarna, which is where Kiya 1 is set) location approximately halfway between. It is not known whether this was deliberate on Akhenaten’s account, but it’s definitely an interesting theory that he chose the halfway point between the two royal capitals deliberately. It could also have been because the land had not been dedicated to any other god up until then. The legend is that while he was traveling along the Nile, he awoke and saw the sun rising over the cliffs and claimed to have a vision from Aten, telling him it was the place he needed to build his city. Whatever his intentions were, the Egyptian populous moved into the city on his orders.
The Climate—hot, as it’s the desert. The areas Kiya is focused on are very hot and dry during the day and it rarely rains, and cools down during the night. Winter is very mild, but the nights can get close to freezing.
Plants are basically reeds and other grasses along the Nile banks, some palms, then desert, desert and more desert!
Being in northern Africa, the animals in the area include lions and crocodiles, both of which are mentioned in the books, along with water fowl, cats, dogs, jackals and anything else you can see on traditional Egyptian art.
Kiya: Rise of a New Dynasty is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.
Tut has grown into his position as Pharaoh, but he is a wild young man. Naomi fears for him, not only because of his recklessness, but because he has put his trust in Ay–the man determined to destroy Naomi—despite her and Horemheb advising against it.
Meanwhile, death and slavery hang over Naomi and her family. With fear of the booming Hebrew numbers causing talk of enslaving them, conscription is reinstated and Naomi fears for the lives of her other children. Especially since Ay’s children are now adults, and just as dangerous as their father. They threaten to take Itani, conspire against Tut, and push for power.
But Tut is in trouble. While Ay’s daughter draws Horemheb’s attention, and Naomi deals with the struggles of her family, everyone’s distraction could spell death for the young Pharaoh.
Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of day dreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing. After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog. She has a diploma in travel and tourism, which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing.
Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as a Clerk with a lien company in Arizona to help support her family and her schooling. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.
You can find Katie on her blog, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter or Goodreads.
This Writer’s Space: Louise D. Gornall
Posted: March 12, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: inspiration, this writer's space, writing 7 Comments
Today on This Writer’s Space I have Louise D. Gornall, author of one of my favourite urban fantasy reads from last year, In Stone. She’s one of the coolest people on Twitter, so I’m very excited to have her here!
My name is Louise and I write urban fantasy and horror stories for young adults.
I like dark and edgy. Swears don’t offend me. Ignorance does.
I work at Swoon Romance, and I’m currently studying for a BA (Hons) degree in English language and literature.
Identical twin, junk food aficionado, book bird, film nerd, Jedi. Represented by super agent Mandy Hubbard at D4EO!
Where I Write
This is where the magic nearly never happens. I mean, this is where I make beautiful music, dance a passionate tango with the alphabet, reach Nirvana… No, but seriously, I love my desk and I feel lost when I’m away from it.
Where I’m Inspired
My most favorite place in the world is the Lake District. We go up a couple of times every year. It’s the kind of place that takes your breathe away. It’s so quiet and peaceful. Everything is so perfect and fresh it’s like waking up in The Shire. It just makes me want to write.
To Be Read
My actual TBR pile is currently being used by NASA as a stepladder into space. Seriously, it’s a pile of epic proportions, but these are the books I’m planning to read in the next week or two. I’m writing a thriller/horror right now, so I’m trying to surround myself with heart-stopping-feely stories.
If you now have as big a crush on Louise as I do, you can find her on her blog, Twitter, Facebook or Goodreads. Thanks for stopping by, Lou!
My penmonkey evaluation
Posted: March 6, 2014 Filed under: On writing | Tags: Chuck Wendig, editing, Isla's Inheritance, Lucid Dreaming, writing Leave a commentA couple of days ago on his blog, author and blogger extraordinaire Chuck Wendig posted what he called a penmonkey evaluation—a chance for writers to self-evaluate. I thought it was an interesting exercise so decided I’d do it here. If you decide to evaluate yourself too, please post your blog link in the comments. I’d love to see how others fare.
What’s your greatest strength/skill in terms of writing/storytelling?
Definitely my editing skills. I still have the same problems with being able to impartially view my own work as everyone else, but I think I produce a fairly clean initial draft.
At least grammatically—I make no guarantees as to content!
What’s your greatest weakness in writing/storytelling? What gives you the most trouble?
Transition scenes can die in a fire. I try to avoid them if I can, because I struggle with them so much.
How many books or other projects have you actually finished? What did you do with them?
Three.
Isla’s Inheritance – scheduled for release with Turquoise Morning Press in around October 2014
Isla’s Oath – scheduled for release with Turquoise Morning Press in around January 2015
Lucid Dreaming – currently on the agent query world tour
Best writing advice you’ve ever been given? (i.e. really helped you)
After considering all the wonderful advice I’ve received (minimise adverb use, avoid dialogue tags, etc), I couldn’t come up with just one thing I’d rate about the others.
Then I realised it was this, which I got from Mister Wendig himself.
“Just write.”Writing your first novel is daunting. It’s a bit like mountain climbing solo, or at least what I imagine mountain climbing solo might be like. You have all these tools, and maybe some people to yell at you or inspire you, but you have to do the hard yards yourself. Each step can be torturous. There’s a risk of avalanches, and of being eaten by wolves.
But the feeling when you get to the top is ah-MAY-zing, and the next mountain you climb is just that little bit easier.
Even if you only manage to write 200 words in a session and it’s like squeezing blood from granite, that’s still another step forward.
Worst writing advice you’ve ever been given? (i.e. didn’t help at all, may have hurt)
“The beginning is critical. If you don’t hook your reader, or that agent or editor, you’re screwed.”This is not inherently bad advice. It’s actually very true. But where it tangled me up was when I was starting that mountain climb on my first book. I knew how critical the beginning was, and I felt from the start that mine had issues. I got so hung up on getting the beginning right that it took me a very long time—embarrassingly long—to move on with writing, you know, the rest of the book.
The reason this is bad advice is because I fixated on it at the wrong time: during drafting rather than editing. When you’re drafting, just draft.
One piece of advice you’d give other writers?
You can edit badly written words. You can’t edit a blank page.
Just write.
In other news, on Tuesday I was over at Marcy Peska’s blog, doing an interview about writing dialogue. Yes, I was talking about writing about talking.
Cassandra Page 