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