Advice to Writers: Gustave Flaubery

The Artist Must Raise Everything to a Higher Level

The artist must raise everything to a higher level: he is like a pump; inside him is a great pipe reaching down into the bowels of things, the deepest layers. He sucks up what was pooled beneath the surface and brings it forth into the sunlight in giant sprays.

-GUSTAVE FLAUBERT

This is very good advice. A person must challenge themselves with writing. Write genres you are not familiar with along with the genres you are familiar with. Write something new that is completely away from the ordinary things a person you read. To survive in this business, you have to do completely different things as possible.

Unearthly Cynthia Hand

Angels are everywhere now it appears, and stealing the thunder from vampires. First it was vampires, then werewolves, then fairies, now it angels who are floating to the shelves at Barnes and Noble. I was very curious about this book because the cover was so mysterious looking I had to see what it was about.

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

The book had been sitting on my bookshelf for a very long time, I hadn't had the chance to read it until now, but the book needed some major work. It took a bit of getting past the first fifty pages for the plot to thicken. Then as I gt further into the story, I found the storyline to get dull and uninteresting, there weren't any plot twists added at all to make the story more unique. In terms of quality it wasn't so horrible but I have read better angel books. I hope the second book in the trilogy will be better.

I DID IT! NaNoWriMo 2011

I am still in shock. I cannot believe in a month I wrote over 55,000 words in a month thank you very muchl. Now its not really a complete novel, it's a draft. But it's a start for the story I've been itching to write for a long time. I know when I go back and look at that draft it's going to be dreadful to look at, but I can at least get some accomplishment in the feeling that I wrote my first book.

NaNoWriMo Writing Update

Okay so far I have 25,000 words written. My story feels nowhere even close to completion but that's okay, if it's not done then I will have more time to write the rest of the story and then it may hit the 55,000 word mark. I feel pretty confident in hitting the target wordcount. Now back to finish this story.

NaNoWriMo Pep Talk from Christopher Paolini

A pep talk from bestselling author Christopher Paolini who become a publishing sensation during his early twenties who wrote the book Eragon.

Dear NaNoWriMo Participants,

No doubt you are currently hard at work on your novel for this year's contest. As someone who once wrote 200,000 words in three and a half months, I know exactly what you're going through.

So. Here's my advice based on over 10 years of working to deadlines.

First, writing your book is going to be difficult. Know this. Accept this. Embrace this. It may be fun as well, but make no mistake, what you're attempting is a major undertaking.

Second, pace yourself. Because it's going to be difficult, you don't want to burn out. Save the late nights and early mornings for the last week, week-and-a-half of your effort. You may be writing at a quick jog, but don't break out into an all-out, fear-driven, there's-a-bear-behind-me pace until it's absolutely necessary. Conserve your creative strength. You're going to need it. (On a related note: avoid making big decisions not related to your writing. A person can only make so many good decisions over the course of the day, and you want them to go into your novel.)

Third, if you haven't already, think about where your story is going next. If you're going to be flying headlong through the pages, it's good to have a road map. That said, don't be afraid to deviate from your plan if a good idea strikes you during the process.

Fourth, if you're stuck, go for a 15-minute walk. If you don't feel like going, that means you've been sitting at the computer/typewriter/paper for too long. Get up and get the blood flowing. It'll make all the difference.

Fifth, don't worry about punctuation, spelling, or formatting. Those are easy to fix. Instead, worry about pacing, characters, and setting. Get those right, and no one will care that you put a comma in the wrong place.

Sixth, a casual tone (like this letter) is quicker and easier than formal. Nevertheless, use whatever voice best suits your story.

Seventh, tea is a big help. Black or green tea in the morning—Lapsang Souchong is a favorite of mine—cinnamon in the afternoon. Why cinnamon? For some reason, it helps keep my mind sharp. Don't have black or green tea later in the day unless you're in your last big push, then you can have a second in the afternoon, when you start to flag.

Eighth, try to relax when you can. Watch a movie, have dinner with your family, blow up enemies on an Xbox 360 or PS3. Just don't think about the book.

Ninth, choose the number of words you want to write every day, then try to reach that goal. Be determined! But don't get discouraged if you get less on a certain day. You will get less on some days. However, you'll also get far more on other days.

And tenth… don't give up! You can do this! It may not seem like it day to day, but as long as you keep putting words on the page, you will get to the end of this. And who knows? People may actually like what you've written. And that's the best reward of all.

Fellow authors, I salute you. Luck in battle.

– Christopher Paolini 

Advice to Writers: Joyce Carol Oates

Certain Subjects Just Need Time

I don’t think that writer’s block exists really. I think that when you’re trying to do something prematurely, it just won’t come. Certain subjects just need time. . . . You’ve got to wait before you write about them.

-JOYCE CAROL OATES

It's hard to deal with writers block. A lot of advice from my favorite authors is to just sit you butt in that chair and write. This quote is saying something. Writer's block might not really exist, the story will come, it depends on the certain subject you are writing it can be difficult for you to write it. What helps me when I am having a hard time figuring out what I want to put into the story next I end up writing a whole new story with characters and then the creative juices begin to flow I soon get inspiration to continue where I left off in my other novel.

Happy NaNoWriMo 2011

Today marks the day of an important day for writers; to finally sit down and write that book they have been wanting to write for the longest time. The goal of NaNoWriMo is simple, write 55,000 words in a month. I know that sounds impossible but it's a start of something in your work.

National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000 word, (approximately 175 page) novel by 11:59:59, November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm and perseverance over painstaking craft, NaNoWriMo is a novel-writing program for everyone who has thought fleetingly about writing a novel but has been scared away by the time and effort involved.

Because of the limited writing window, the ONLY thing that matters in NaNoWriMo is output. It's all about quantity, not quality. This approach forces you to lower your expectations, take risks, and write on the fly.

Make no mistake: You will be writing a lot of crap. And that's a good thing. By forcing yourself to write so intensely, you are giving yourself permission to make mistakes. To forgo the endless tweaking and editing and just create. To build without tearing down.

As you spend November writing, you can draw comfort from the fact that, all around the world, other National Novel Writing Month participants are going through the same joys and sorrows of producing the Great Frantic Novel. Wrimos meet throughout the month to offer encouragement, commiseration, and—when the thing is done—the kind of raucous celebrations that tend to frighten animals and small children.

I have never written my own novel before and I'm a little nervous. I've always written other things online, plus I'm doing this for myself, to see if  I have it in me to write something original. The moto is simple, just write the whole darn thing of the story. Even if you think it's crap, just write it. Lots of novels that have been published were NaNoWriMo projects. Now it's time to get cracking o this story, SHHHHHH (see below)

Six Pieces of Advice to Write Your Novel

I found this article on Writer's Digest and I thought it would be good to share for those preparing for NaNoWriMo

Source: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/how-to-write-your-first-novel-6-pieces-of-advice

1. The world has two sorts of writers: people who talk about writing a novel and people who actually do it. I spent several decades among the former and I have to tell you, it feels great finally to join the ranks of the latter. To paraphrase Nike, stop talking about it and just do it!

2. Write a mission statement … and contract. When I started Island Apart, my mission was to use the skills I had acquired writing food stories and cookbooks over the years; the publishing and media contacts I had accumulated; and the promotional savvy I learned from dozens of book tours (and being married to a publicist—more on that in a future blog) to start, write, and finish a publishable novel within a year. Note the words “start,” “finish,” “publishable,” and “within a year.” These dictated a course of action, goal, and deadline, which made me take the process seriously.

(What a movie can teach writers about how to start a story strong.)

3. The secret to writing a novel—or any book—is writing. You won’t turn out elegant prose every day. But it’s important to keep cranking it out. Bad writing eventually leads to good writing and paragraphs eventually add up to pages, chapters, and a finished novel.

4. There’s no one right way to write a novel. Some writers start with a plot (vague or meticulously planned); others use as their point of departure a phrase, character, situation, or moral dilemma. Some writers craft meticulous outlines before they start writing; others let the characters drive the story. Island Apart began as a title—not that title (more how and why it changed in a future blog). My original title was The Hermit of Chappaquiddickand the minute I had the title, I knew the who of my story (my protagonists) and the what (what would happen). What I didn’t know was how to get from the beginning to the denouement. Fortunately, I didn’t have to make the journey alone—I had the characters to guide me. They knew where they needed to go.

(Agents get specific and explain what kind of stories they’re looking for.)

5. Write with your eraser (or delete button). In the course of writing Island Apart, I jettisoned whole characters, situations, and chapters. I probably wrote 1000 pages of manuscript to wind up with a finished book of just under 300 pages. It hurt and I fought every deletion (my wife was a ruthless editor), but the final book is better for all the cuts.

6. Take the time to celebrate the milestones in your writing process. When you finish a chapter, take yourself and significant other out for dinner. When you finish the first draft, uncork a bottle of Champagne. (Not prosecco, real Champagne.) I timed the completion of the first draft to coincide with my birthday. I made a great ceremony of typing the words “The end” just before my birthday dinner. I also took the time to make a sententious speech to my children about the value of setting goals and working hard. I’m sure the latter went in one ear and out the other, but it sure made me feel good.

GIV

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

So, because half of the people I know kept telling me to read The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, I decided to give it a try, but what I discovered, and I have known this for a while but this series really proved it to me was that everyone has different reading tastes and not everyone will think the same about a book series.



When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . . 

Now the books have a good plot, but I found the writing to dull. Now the fact that this is being made into a movie and becoming the next franchise, I don't even think I want to see the movie. One reason I was so disturbed by the series is because in book one, Jace and Clary have romantic feelings for each other just to find out they are brother and sister. It turns out in book three they aren't related but because of that revelation is the reason most of my friends turned away from the book. I think another one of the reasons I don't really get a kick out of the books is because I know about what Cassandra did in the Harry Potter fandom. But if you read the details closely, you can see where her main characters are pretty similar to the Harry Potter characters, but you can see how it has the essence of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is so clear she is trying to copy Rowling but really folks, no one will ever be like J.K Rowling.

I wasn't too impressed with this series, and I HAVE read way better books that deal with angels than her books, and after finding out from a friend what happens to Clary in book five, I can safely say I don't think I will read the rest of the books in this series. This book didn't even have much angel elements which made me very sad. I am also shocked this "stuff" is being turned into a movie. From what I heard, since I didn't like her The Mortal Instruments, I've been told I would get a better liking to her other trilogy The Infernal Devices, we will have to wait and see just how much I like that series.

2011 Worlds Championships Women's Team Final

In 2010 Russia was the team to beat. Now Team USA is the one to beat in gymnastics. Team USA swiped the gold medal leaving Russia with the silver. Congrats Team USA

Advice to Writers: Amy Wallace

Find Your Optimum Hours for Writing

My most important discovery has been that I have optimum hours for writing. These are between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. For a lifetime I’ve told myself that I was a nighttime writer—it seemed romantic. But actually I’m tired at night, and that’s when I prefer to read and research. Whatever your optimum hours are, don’t cheat yourself of them. This is a daily battle. If you spend them answering the phone, attending to correspondence, etc., you’ll find yourself empty-handed and out of sorts during your low tide.

-AMY WALLACE

I'm not going to lie, it is hard to find time to write your books. Now and days, publishers want their authors to get two to three books out a year, some authors are single with lots of free time on their hands, so they are able to get so many novels down. While there are some authors who have families and they need to take care of them so getting out two to three books a year can be excruciating. Some writers also go t o school, for them to find time between studying and writing it's hard to find time, but some time writing is better than nothing.  I hear the excuse "I want to be a writer. I've always wanted to write the story I just don't have the time" You HAVE to make the time to write your book. I set myself writing time after I finish my assignments for school. During the summer, I find myself writing at night because when I write during the day in the heat, I can't really focus on anything. 

Advice to Writers: Diana Athill

You Don't Always Have to Murder Your Darlings

You don't always have to go so far as to murder your darlings—those turns of phrase or images of which you felt extra proud when they appeared on the page – but go back and look at them with a very beady eye. Almost always it turns out that they'd be better dead. (Not every little twinge of satisfaction is suspect—it's the ones which amount to a sort of smug glee you must watch out for.)

~DIANA ATHILL

I have always wondered about this. It would make me so sad when they would kill my favorite characters! PC Cast is one prime example! I love House of Night but everyone kept dying. Same with Harry Potter. No one has no idea how upset I was with Sirius and Remus dying in the books! I was all noooo! Let Pettigrew die not them. I was upset. I began to see a pattern in the books I was reading. What went through my mind was why do authors have to kill the main characters, can't they simply have them just leave the book peacefully? I really can't kill people in my novels because then I begin to cry while writing it, and rereading it over and over again. It really depends on the writer, but I would not kill a character unless it was a full fledged battle scene.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

I must not cry while writing this post. This is going to be a very sad post for me. Harry Potter is one of the best book series I have ever read. I am so sad, not just for for the books, believe me I was sad when I hit the last page in the epilogue, but now the movies are over. The wonderful books and movies that turned me into the avid reader  that I am today are now over. I wish Rowling would continue the series with the kids going to Hogwarts.  What I like is how Harry after growing up with so many troubles in his youth got his happy ending.

 *Sniffle* Here's the trailer.

Black Swan Stunt Double Speaks Out

So Sara Lane a soloist with the American Ballet Theater spoke out about how Natalie Portman didn't really do much of the dancing in her film The Black Swan. Anyone could tell Natalie didn't really do most of the dancing. Half the times you couldn't see her face in the film. Looking at the time she was cast for the film, and when the movie was released.

There is absolutely NO FREAKING WAY she could have been a classically trained ballerina in two years, and the fact that Portman took credit for the dancing is astounding. What I find even worse is how the film didn't even give credit to Sara for the dancing in the film. I trained in classical ballet for years, and let me tell you something it takes years of training to develop all of those skills.

The only movie on dancers I ever really liked was Center Stage. The company used real professional ballet dancers from dance companies and didn't have to waste film time training dancers. Natalie Portman is just insulting to everyone who is a dancer pretty much stating you could be a professional ballet dancer in two years.


*news clip below*

Advice to Writers: Chuck Wendig

The Core of Every Good Story is a Character for Whom We Care

The core of every good story is a character for whom we care—and not just care a little, but care deeply. This alone is no easy task: Such a character must be likable, but not annoying. He must have virtues but remain imperfect. She must possess the potential for sacrifice, for selflessness, for selfishness, for evil. He may be funny, but not only that. She may be serious, but not only that. He comprises many dimensions but not so many that he seems unreal or unpindownable.

~CHUCK WENDIG

This truly is a good quote about characters. In writing, sometimes our characters are based off of ourselves, or someone we knew deeply. One contemporary story I wrote was similar to one of my past experiences. I wrote it as a way to reach out to teens but I'm hoping an agent will want to pick it up. As an author we want our characters to get remembered by the audience who is reading them. In an interview I saw on TV with New York Times Bestselling Author Jennifer Wiener, she said something that clicks if you write in a contemporary setting. Jennifer said, "I write characters people can relate to." With a contemporary story, it makes sense to want the characters to be like everyday people. So they will be left breathless when they reach the last chapter of the book. You want the characters to be burned into the minds of the reader.

Advice to Writers: Mona Simpson

I am back! And I really should be updating this blog regularly but I am a student and school is very important. So I'm back with another quote.

Unplug the Phone and Close the Door

I unplug the phone and close the door and just stick with it. I don’t ever go out for lunch and I don’t take vacations. I like to be awake when no one else is: either just before dawn in the morning or late, late at night. Silence helps.

-MONA SIMPSON

YES! This is what a writer needs to follow when it comes to locking yourself in the writing cave. My house is always busy, and people are always disturbing me when I'm writing. Also when I wrote for unnameable online communities. I have to lock myself in my room, with soothing sounds of nature in the background so that way I could get some decent peace of mind to write my stories. Sometimes, I'll go to sleep at 7pm just so I can wake up at 4am when the rest of the house is asleep.