tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42639882565601295642024-03-05T00:53:12.223-05:00Laurel's LeavesStories swirl at your feet like foliage. Jump in.Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.comBlogger801125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-77005493527529931912019-12-09T22:13:00.000-05:002019-12-09T22:20:44.115-05:00The music that makes the season<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0pKfI6j6pgGnV96ACMhBH_Wi-xR-1TUl70PUXYAiTN3xV8VbgZWFhXsCxgFvMLJ0xqcUk46n5liQlSOw6ORBautHtiJHy_O5hKLLnPWvGFs-TU2ktKezUiFFGvqEpkgXIafCQh4Vup0r/s1600/Blog+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC0pKfI6j6pgGnV96ACMhBH_Wi-xR-1TUl70PUXYAiTN3xV8VbgZWFhXsCxgFvMLJ0xqcUk46n5liQlSOw6ORBautHtiJHy_O5hKLLnPWvGFs-TU2ktKezUiFFGvqEpkgXIafCQh4Vup0r/s320/Blog+square.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I was deeply immersed in the world of choral music all through high school and college into most of my adult life, so for me, the weeks leading up to Christmas are all about the magical tunes. When writing a novel that takes place during Advent, I couldn't imagine it without choir rehearsals in the mix.<br />
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For your listening pleasure, I share the music from <i><a href="https://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/p/books.html" target="_blank">Ever Near</a></i>'s Lessons and Carols service described in the book.<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GJrXhjt7Gwo" width="560"></iframe>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What are some of your favorite songs for Advent and Christmas?</span><br />
<br />Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-26711791849446009612019-11-27T17:02:00.004-05:002019-11-27T17:02:54.029-05:00Ever Near is here!The latest installment of the Dani Deane series, Ever Near, releases today!<br />
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Four Advent candles, two teens, a Yule Ball, a grief anniversary, and a quest for the perfect gift.<br />
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Christmastime is here and for Dani Deane, the season only brings memories of spending last December in the ICU, watching her dad die. But trying to hide her holiday phobia from her boyfriend is making life a lot more complicated. To truly heal, she will have to face the pain and lean into her faith. Can she learn to trust God—and Theo—to stick by her as she seeks to find joy again?<br />
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In the bleak midwinter, Theo Wescott is watching his girlfriend Dani slip away again. The anniversary of her dad’s death has turned the holidays into a minefield. The race is on to find the perfect present that will bring her comfort and joy. But getting her best friend’s help with his elaborate plan threatens to derail his relationship with Dani. Will patiently waiting to reveal his ultimate surprise bring the cheer he hopes, or will it be a triggering epic failure?<br />
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The ebook version is now available for your phone, tablet or e-reader at a<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">special introductory price of $2.99 through 12/31.</span><br />
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Kindle: <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081ZSHV1D">https://www.amazon.com/dp/B081ZSHV1D</a><br />
Nook: <a href="https://nook.barnesandnoble.com/products/2940163400584">https://nook.barnesandnoble.com/products/2940163400584</a><br />
Kobo: <a href="https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ever-near-2">https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ever-near-2</a><br />
iTunes: <a href="https://books.apple.com/us/book/ever-near/id1489279017">https://books.apple.com/us/book/ever-near/id1489279017</a>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-85617015839196151482019-11-21T18:45:00.000-05:002019-11-21T18:45:11.636-05:00Cover reveal for my next release: Ever Near<br />
The release of my latest novel in my Dani Deane series is fast approaching!<br />
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My goal is to release the ebook shortly before Thanksgiving, and the paperback around December 1 in honor of the beginning of Advent. It's a holiday story especially for those who find the holidays difficult and triggering.<br />
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Here's the description, and as promised, the lovely cover:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Ever Near</span><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Christian young adult</span></i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjON8-987GU3vzS568MVV0_dc73xo2nKBcKyikXuqcBQoY1ly1Rm2C7FjMMojwqvmhBHdAx8AXDglpfPl8vpqWP8XCRjPzutigb4Q6ZOSFaFNckfPq7JlmZdlyEoWoObZ3sAY_S7O3Bfz1K/s1600/ENCover6x9_ebook+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1066" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjON8-987GU3vzS568MVV0_dc73xo2nKBcKyikXuqcBQoY1ly1Rm2C7FjMMojwqvmhBHdAx8AXDglpfPl8vpqWP8XCRjPzutigb4Q6ZOSFaFNckfPq7JlmZdlyEoWoObZ3sAY_S7O3Bfz1K/s400/ENCover6x9_ebook+cover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Four Advent candles, two teens, a Yule Ball, a grief anniversary, and a quest for the perfect gift.</span><br />
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<br />
Christmastime is here and for Dani Deane, the season only brings memories of spending last December in the ICU, watching her dad die. But trying to hide her holiday phobia from her boyfriend is making life a lot more complicated. To truly heal, she will have to face the pain and lean into her faith. Can she learn to trust God—and Theo—to stick by her as she seeks to find joy again?<br />
<br />
In the bleak midwinter, Theo Wescott is watching his girlfriend Dani slip away again. The anniversary of her dad’s death has turned the holidays into a minefield. The race is on to find the perfect present that will bring her comfort and joy. But getting her best friend’s help with his elaborate plan threatens to derail his relationship with Dani. Will patiently waiting to reveal his ultimate surprise bring the cheer he hopes, or will it be a triggering epic failure?<br />
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Ever Near is book 2 in my series, with <i>Never Gone</i> preceding it and <i>Almost There</i> following. Books 1 and 3 are available NOW. Check out my <a href="https://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/p/books.html">Books</a> page for details.<br />
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<br />Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-28423143494412765952019-08-01T08:30:00.000-04:002019-08-01T09:13:47.331-04:00Summer reading recommendations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdu-vRIyVTrDEBNlTbuna8mDXq488uwIq3fzTsmI10FlYI_GcG6p8iKTmouuBQ5hHt1SB79BXBaMIKJ1FOBCL4K2GXhPkE7733RQ5I0QdcOJK7yivSLY3zs0vaHILRHTeuLw1dgXywEhH/s1600/Blog+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMdu-vRIyVTrDEBNlTbuna8mDXq488uwIq3fzTsmI10FlYI_GcG6p8iKTmouuBQ5hHt1SB79BXBaMIKJ1FOBCL4K2GXhPkE7733RQ5I0QdcOJK7yivSLY3zs0vaHILRHTeuLw1dgXywEhH/s320/Blog+square.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Sorry to have been gone so long, my friends. In February, we pulled my high schooler out of public school to begin cyber school--a tricky change with a steep learning curve for us all. Despite the online curriculum and teacher support, I needed to be fairly hands on during the transition. I'm thankful to report my daughter ended the year strong. My freelance editing business has been thriving and I've made significant progress on a new novel that I hope to release in time for the Christmas holiday. In this busy year, something had to give, and the blog was it.<br />
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As life settles into a new normal, I thought I'd get back in the blogging grove after this long hiatus by sharing my brief take on some recent reads I really enjoyed.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>The Upside of Falling Down</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Rebecca Crane</span><br />
new adult fiction<br />
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<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51aEzv5xnRL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51aEzv5xnRL.jpg" width="213" /></a>If your past were erased, who would you become? What choices would you make?<br />
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While being the sole survivor of a plane crash and suffering amnesia might sound like a plot pulled from a soap opera, Crane makes the scenario an intensely personal one, pulling you into her heroine's lost sense of self and frantic desire to be whole again.<br />
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I think this is my favorite Rebekah Crane book so far. I liked that not every character had super unusual name and that while there are lyrical moments, they don't feel so forced. (<i>Infinite Pieces of Us</i> irked me on both counts; <i>The Odds of Loving Grover Cleveland</i> mostly on the former.) The intrigue of a very, very unreliable narrator trying so hard not to be, and discovering her story with her, kept me turning pages. I also liked that well-placed details actually provide clues rather than merely being too-convenient author machinations.<br />
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If you're merely looking for a feel-good travel story of touristy vistas, this isn't it. The travel aspect is almost metaphorical--a reflection of the heroine's extreme sense of being lost and out of her element. At its core, the story examines the part memory plays in forming our identities. The slow build romance worked really well, as did Clementine/Jane's friendships, some of which come easily, and others that are hard-won. The mystery behind Clementine's identity makes sense of so much of what comes before that when the truth comes out, you don't feel tricked so much as impressed at the subtlety and wanting to look at it again, like with the film <i>The Sixth Sense</i>.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Digging In</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Loretta Nyhan</span><br />
women's fiction<br />
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<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51F3BocneHL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51F3BocneHL.jpg" width="213" /></a>I inhaled this book in two days, it is just that much of a great read, managing to be heartfelt and funny while dealing with some pretty tough issues, like death of a spouse and ageism in the workplace.<br />
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It has a chick-lit-ish fun side, glorying in the messiness of life while really making you think. The young, trying-too-hard-to-be-hip boss manages to be equal parts terrifying and laughable, and I really adored the gang of friends Paige manages to gather around her.<br />
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While this story certainly has some comic exaggeration in it, I could suspend disbelief because it had such a nice balance of lightness in a dark situation. Kudos to the author for offering hope and making widowhood seem a little less scary, hard as it surely is in reality.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Vinegar Girl</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Anne Tyler</span><br />
literary women's fiction<br />
<br />
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51B2cjdExhL._SX330_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="332" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51B2cjdExhL._SX330_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="212" /></a>So many retellings (I'm thinking especially of Austen knock offs) try to slavishly recreate the plot of the original without really modernizing it, so they kind of fall flat. I love that Tyler doesn't fall into this trap. She takes elements of Shakespeare's <i>The Taming of the Shrew</i>, and reworks them in a contemporary idiom so that the result is a delightful read, quite funny, and a lot less sexist than the original.<br />
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I especially liked the unusual careers of the characters. How often, outside of medical thrillers, do you ever encounter high-level biomedical researchers who spend all day genetically engineering specialty mice? Tyler totally gets the personalities of men drawn to this kind of work--intellectual, utilitarian, and rather emotionally stupid. Preschool teachers are pretty common in romance, but feisty Kate is terrible at it, breaking the usual stereotype in a wonderful way. The Green Card marriage twist was a pitch-perfect way to update Shakespeare's plot. I was quite wowed by Tyler's ability to really hear and recreate the romantic lead Pyotr's accent. And the wedding scene? Comic gold.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>What have you been reading lately?</b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: "merriweather" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-11585494719162852512019-02-08T11:51:00.000-05:002019-02-08T16:01:56.165-05:00Portraying family dynamics and emotional growth: lessons from a classicIf you haven't seen the BBC miniseries <i>Wives and Daughters</i>, based on the unfinished novel by Elizabeth Gaskell, I heartily recommend it. I found the story more accessible than Austen's works, perhaps because the social faux pas are more evident to a modern reader. I often feel I'm missing something when I read Austen--the manners so central to the comedy are a bit too removed from our own day.<br />
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The acting is really first rate. All the characters come across as full-orbed. The heroine, Molly, is virtuous but outspoken, trustworthy to a fault and perhaps a bit too attached to her father. The stepmother who enters the story is an interesting riff on the stereotype: she's a bit self-absorbed and small-minded, but she's more weak than anything else and never cruel. She fumbles at asserting her role as mistress of the house, coming across as a pitiable character. Along with the stepmother comes a daughter, Cynthia, who is also quite a mixed bag. She's beautiful, charming, free spirited and careless. Though she and Molly become fast friends, her charm and carelessness get her into sticky situations from which Molly loyally tries to rescue her. The hardest part of the story is when Molly crucifies her desires, standing back as the man she loves falls for Cynthia, who neither cherishes nor deserves his love.<br />
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The hero and main love interest, Roger, is also pretty unusual. Instead of a rakish, dashing fellow, or a romantic artist or poet, he's a naturalist. He spends his hours outdoors collecting insects and pond scum, then brings his finds inside to draw or examine under a microscope. He seems a far more iteresting hero than most men you'll find in women's literature. He's the guy Gilbert Blythe (Anne of Green Gables series) could be if L.M. Montgomery were better at writing men.<br />
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There's a strong undercurrent involving class issues. Most of the romances take place across class boundaries. Those who oppose the matches are often humbled later for their opinion. At one point, Molly repirmands the daughter of the most fabulously wealthy family in town, Lady Harriet, a young woman about 5-7 years her senior. Lady Harriet had confided that she's been invited the home of two middle class spinster sisters who she considers "quite ridiculous," and Molly chides her to not go if you're only going to gawk and laugh, adding that she dislikes hearing her class spoken of that way. Lady Harriet takes the rebuke in stride and her admiration for Molly grows to the point that she takes great pains to help her "protege" ever after. Lady Harriet's brother likewise admires Roger's first-class brain and becomes his benefactor. It was refreshing to see noblesse oblige working properly.<br />
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Most of all, I think <i>Wives and Daughters</i> is a fascinating character study in the effects of different parenting. Molly loses her mother at a young age, yet matures into a loyal, soft-hearted girl. Her foil and stepsister, Cynthia, loses her father at a young age. Yet Cynthia matures into a woman who is unable to feel deeply or make meaningful connections with people.<br />
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One would expect the motherless girl to fare worse, but Molly is more fully human. Gaskell’s point is that a child needs loving care, regardless of the sex of the parent who gives it.<br />
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Cynthia’s living mother treats her as a burden from the beginning of widowhood, sending Cynthia off to boarding school at age 4. Every school vacation, Cynthia is left in the care of strangers while her mother travels with the great families that employ her as governess.<br />
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The net effect of this continued neglect is a vanity and manipulativeness, someone who cannot ever turn off the charm for fear of rejection. Yet Cynthia is apt to reject others, three suitors in all in the course of the novel. She admits that she’s not really capable of love or deep feeling for others. Today I think Cynthia would be said to suffer from an attachment disorder.<br />
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Molly, on the other hand, is blessed to be educated at home by a loving governess. She lives in a community where the women watch out for her, take an interest in her growth, strive to keep up a relationship with her. Though her father is a busy country doctor in the age of nothing but house calls, he works to be as available as he can. Theirs is a relationship of nurture and friendship. Gaskell paints their intimacy by showing father and daughter kneeling at the fireside, making toasted cheese sandwiches and amiably talking about the day’s events.<br />
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When Molly’s father marries Cynthia’s mother, thinking it will help is “poor motherless girl,” Gaskell makes it clear that it’s far too late for Molly to be helped by a stepmother. Her good character is well formed by age 17, as is Cynthia’s weak character. A great tension of the story is whether either girl will be swayed by the new family circumstances so late in “childhood.”<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What literary classics have you most enjoyed? What have you learned from them?</b></span>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-66219575202924587402019-01-24T09:13:00.000-05:002019-01-24T11:59:08.389-05:00The wild child comes inside: a parable of hope for reluctant readers<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lteeYac_eNU7COkeDFWr3PjgyL_13CucsrCHwrDnIYYCklLpoOfNiQaFbeg1H-TmAkWb3TvzM4eopLqpsAfRL2jdhTkrQhGdGtyuuPXncJMR2-nNvTinyeAyj4GIEpuhjghj9izleQmg/s1600/wild+child.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0lteeYac_eNU7COkeDFWr3PjgyL_13CucsrCHwrDnIYYCklLpoOfNiQaFbeg1H-TmAkWb3TvzM4eopLqpsAfRL2jdhTkrQhGdGtyuuPXncJMR2-nNvTinyeAyj4GIEpuhjghj9izleQmg/s320/wild+child.png" width="320" /></a>I confess I wasn't much of a reader in my childhood. From age 4 to almost 9, I lived on a 100-acre farm (most of it forested), where I spent many happy afternoons imagining adventures with a host of imaginary friends, a few barn cats at my heels. Being cooped up inside looking at paper was the stuff of school, the stuff of have-to, must, and you'd better.... Out among the trees was the stuff of color, texture, and life of all kinds. The worlds my imagination built were more real to me than <i>Dick and Jane</i>, cursive, and George Washington.<br />
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I suspect this concerned my parents a bit. They were both big readers who filled our house with books and magazines. They often read to me at bedtime, and on long car trips, Mom or one of my sibs would read aloud to us. Several books of the Narnia series got us through the insanely long drive from Pennsylvania to my grandparents' house in western Montana.<br />
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My parents rarely, if ever, watched TV. In fact, my oldest siblings grew up without one in the house. I was, according to them, lucky to even have a TV. It was black-and-white in an era when absolutely everyone else had color, and we got only four channels out in the sticks--the three major networks and PBS. The 70s weren't known for realistic programming--aside from the <i>Bionic Man, Wonder Woman</i>, and <i>Fantasy Island</i>, were the distant luxury worlds of <i>The Love Boat</i>, and the sanitized "Old West" of <i>Little House on the Prairie</i>. These shows, plus <i>The Wonderful World of Disney</i>, and some Saturday cartoons made up my entertainment diet, which was quite time-limited. When I complained about my meager TV time, "Go play," was the usual response. So I did.<br />
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We ended up having to sell the farm because my father had a mental health crisis. My ability to get lost in my imaginary world saved me, I think. Out in the woods, I could process my anxieties. Nature soothed me and brought joy in a very dark time for our family.<br />
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Our new home was a more manageable three acres, part of it wooded with a creek, so the adventures--and my source of nature therapy--continued there. Through a school friend, I soon got caught up in an obsession with horses. Her family had kept them sporadically, and she took riding lessons from a stable near her house. Many a Saturday, I trailed her around the barn, soaking up knowledge about how to care for these amazing creatures.<br />
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My seventh-grade reading teacher somehow caught onto the fact that I didn't really read for pleasure, though I had no struggles other than a lack of interest. One day during study hall, she called me over to her closet at the back of the classroom. "I hear you like horses," she whispered conspiratorially. "Check this out." She handed me a book with a gorgeous bay mare on the cover. "You want to borrow it?" Boy, did I ever.<br />
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I read every horse book Mrs. Brooks had. Over the next two years, I read nearly every horse story my public library had, and there were quite a few. When I finished those, I read other books written for middle schoolers, most notably Madeleine L'Engle's work.<br />
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During the same period, I was placed in the gifted program, and our advisor got us playing Dungeons and Dragons as a problem-solving and creativity-building exercise. D&D draws on historic and fantastical lore from many, many sources, which opened up even more avenues for reading for me. And the storytelling aspect of role play also captured my imagination.<br />
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Soon I was writing my own stories. Not just short works, but the beginnings of full novels with large casts of characters. The itch to create worlds with words was a natural outflow of many, many hours spent in creative play early on. My writing only grew from there, and my love of reading continued to flourish into an English degree and a career in publishing.<br />
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So if you have a reluctant reader in your house, take heart. Not every writer starts out bookish. Model good reading habits. Keep your home full of books that are cool to look at. Read aloud to this child and as a whole family, enjoying and discussing a book together. Limit TV and computer time. Give lots of outdoor playtime in nature. Be patient for the right opportunity to let your child follow their passions in pleasure reading.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Have you seen other reluctant readers go on to become writers? What encouragement would you give to parents of reluctant readers?</b></span>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-44472528185722360592019-01-17T16:24:00.000-05:002019-01-17T16:24:34.203-05:00Stolen from actors: the movement journal<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3nrQ7DX8VV9MArsqotlp6OlYh-_wtFrs1GjJdg-vOcSSHB6RKJCdRqCjZBDbrN8Hr4glUOU-QWqALgwRjEJxaGauTOd7FSYyqRDN3S5viK-JNboYr7u8BUWehcWv8xak5oG_MSZVYRxy/s1600/from+actors.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3nrQ7DX8VV9MArsqotlp6OlYh-_wtFrs1GjJdg-vOcSSHB6RKJCdRqCjZBDbrN8Hr4glUOU-QWqALgwRjEJxaGauTOd7FSYyqRDN3S5viK-JNboYr7u8BUWehcWv8xak5oG_MSZVYRxy/s320/from+actors.jpg" width="320" /></a>One surprisingly helpful class from my undergrad days was a theatre course I took called "Basic Movement." In it, we learned some of the tools of the trade of acting--stances, carriage, gestures, playing to the audience, and of course, choreographed violence.<br />
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An ongoing assignment throughout the semester was keeping a "movement journal," in which we recorded observations about how certain body types move, motions unique to certain activities, and how people express emotion through movement. The goal of all this analysis was to build up our own repertoires of motion, so that we could embody various roles.<br />
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I've at times joked here about "stalking" students who remind me of my characters. These motion studies are particularly what I try to do. Once I've found the right body type, I've got the perfect model from which to get the data I need. I observe his stride--smooth, bouncy, swaggering, trudging? What's his usual posture? Is he apt to smile at strangers, or have a more closed expression? How does he hold objects? Ham-fisted? Gently by his fingertips? Loose and relaxed? Precise and uptight?<br />
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Emotional exchanges go on all the time on the college campus where I work. Because of that movement class, I now watch for the postures and gestures that make up the physical expression of those emotions. You don't even need to be in eavesdropping range to discern the kind of emotions people are expressing. Their bodies shout them.<br />
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A particularly powerful lesson from that class was our focus on the body rather than the face as an expressive vehicle. We had to wear dance unitards to every class, and did most of our in-class exercises and performances wearing masks. In many classes we did charades-like exercises: a pair would act certain emotions toward one another without speaking and in masks, and our classmates would have to guess what we were expressing. Those who'd put in the time researching for their journals usually won big time.<br />
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If you struggle with "talking head" dialogue, I recommend spending some time people watching and gathering data on how they move. Watch not only faces, but necks, shoulders, spines, hands, legs and feet. An acting class can be surprisingly horizon broadening, too.<br />
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Because this kind of research has borne so much fruit for me, I created a tool to help you create your own movement journal and keep those observations organized, to use in any fiction project, no matter what genre: <i>Emotions in the Wild: A Writer's Observation Journal</i>.<br />
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This pocket-sized paperback is easy to tote with you and turn waiting in the doctor's office, carpool line, or checkout lane into rich research time.<br />
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Get it here: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Emotions-Wild-Writers-Observation-Journal/dp/1514197502" target="_blank">Amazon</a> (US) / <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Emotions-Wild-Writers-Observation-Journal/dp/1514197502" target="_blank">Amazon</a> (UK) / <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/emotions-in-the-wild-laurel-garver/1122116681" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> / <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Emotions-Wild-Laurel-Garver/9781514197509" target="_blank">Book Depository</a> (free shipping worldwide)<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">How might a "movement journal" help your writing?</span></strong>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-32854442910904792792019-01-10T08:00:00.000-05:002019-01-10T09:11:44.277-05:00Save your memories starting today<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, friends. It's a new year, and high time I return to my neglected blog. To help me get over my inertia, I thought I'd respond to questions I've been asked that are writing process-oriented rather than editing-related, and offer some online writing coaching.<br />
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<b>Dear Coach Laurel,</b><br />
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<b>I'm looking to write a mini history of growing up. Something to keep memories alive and to share with my mom. But I can't seem to get started. Any tips or techniques?</b><br />
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<b>Sincerely,</b><br />
<b>Forget-me-not</b><br />
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That sounds cool, and I applaud you. Not many ever take the time, and their life stories are thus forever lost.<br />
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I completely understand being daunted by the task. Many people get discouraged about writing, thinking there has to be some secret technique. But beginning an informal memoir project like this is really quite simple. </div>
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Start by considering your most powerful memories--the ones you most want your loved ones to know--and make a list of them. I'd recommend using the <a href="https://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/2017/03/quick-brainstorm-your-fiction-with-jot.html">jot technique</a>, putting a sentence or two on an index card. You can later sort the cards into chronological order or thematic categories. </div>
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(If you find yourself getting stuck after the first dozen ideas, consider working with prompts like "<a href="https://www.creative-writing-now.com/memoir-ideas.html">59 memoir ideas</a>," "<a href="https://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/2018/01/drawing-from-well-of-experience.html">drawing from a well of experience</a>," "<a href="https://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/11/13/500-prompts-for-narrative-and-personal-writing/">NYT 500 prompts for narrative and personal writng</a>.")</div>
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Next, begin to work your way through your jot-prompts, writing out that memory. Start with whichever memory floods back the most fully when you view your jotted note. Keep in mind that we all gravitate toward problem-oriented stories--what went horribly wrong and how that hardship was coped with.</div>
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Tell the story as if you had a kid on your knee, or an old friend across the table, eager to hear about what you did, and what happened next. You absolutely should do that quite literally and record yourself, if that's easiest. Then transcribe your recording. Or just imagine that audience of one as you write, to help you make decisions about what details would appeal most to that person. </div>
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This draft doesn't have to be perfect or even terribly coherent. It's better to write a lot and sloppily than be cramped up with fear about doing it perfectly. My mantra is "You can always fix it later!" Be brave enough to write a super rough draft, let it cool off, then come back to it at a later point and revise. </div>
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Once you have a lot of material, then decide how you want to shape it. Strict chronology is perfectly fine as an organizing principle, though consider grouping material thematically. </div>
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If your goal is simply to preserve family stories for the next generation, don't worry too much about creating a very literary or very sensational manuscript to hook a publisher. (They're mostly interested in celebrities anyway.) Simply tell your experiences as you remember them, with as much detail, humor or wisdom as you can. </div>
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Thanks to print-on-demand technology, it's easy to turn your musings and memories into an attractive book your can pass along to loved ones. </div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Q4U: What are some of your favorite memoirs? What might motivate you to preserve your life stories?</b></span></div>
<br />Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-27655838578246988032018-10-04T09:21:00.000-04:002018-10-04T20:34:03.089-04:00Capitalization ConundrumDear Editor-on-Call:<br />
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When should you capitalize a noun such as "the Virus"? In my WIP, the characters refer to a virus which ended up wiping out most of the human population. Would it be correct to say "the Virus" when referring to it? If so, when they speak of it as belong to a certain person (the creator) would they say "his virus" or "his Virus"?<br />
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--Capitals Conundrum<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYJWtBbhyphenhyphenxh5J7Z9RPKO8IV5Aru8cT27m-J3zZyM1lYW7i5TRUAeQd2mpp1yJujiEw3j-Bp4pbpEvQaNm_H_ZLkTd905XM7q13BA45xzUNa02VK3saB1EJa3Q1Z6LOp2LYkISXwIohZzr/s1600/Blog+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYJWtBbhyphenhyphenxh5J7Z9RPKO8IV5Aru8cT27m-J3zZyM1lYW7i5TRUAeQd2mpp1yJujiEw3j-Bp4pbpEvQaNm_H_ZLkTd905XM7q13BA45xzUNa02VK3saB1EJa3Q1Z6LOp2LYkISXwIohZzr/s320/Blog+square.jpg" width="320" /></a>Dear Cap,<br />
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The general rule on capitalization in English is to capitalize proper nouns. In other words, NAMES of specific things.<br />
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<strong>People and animals</strong><br />
Bob Marley. Billy the Kid. Bo Jangles. Street Sense (racehorse). Tolkien Raintree Mister Baggins (show dog).<br />
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<em>Adjectives based on names are also capitalized--Alexander technique, Freudian slip.</em><br />
<em><br /></em><strong>Places and Organizations</strong><br />
Seattle. Republic of Congo. Piccadilly Circus. Shop Rite. Grover Cleveland High School. Purdue University. Red Cross. Roman Catholic Church.<br />
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<em>Adjectives based on places are also capitalized--French fries, English grammar.</em><br />
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<em>Caveat: some regions are referred to by a directional name, such as "the West." Context should make clear that what's meant is either </em><em>the geographic region west of the Mississippi or </em><em>the culture of the western hemisphere (vs. the eastern). </em><br />
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<strong>Titles of artistic works</strong> (except the <u>non-leading</u> prepositions, <a href="http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/coordinatingconjunction.htm">coordinating conjunctions</a>, and articles [a, an, the])<br />
The Mona Lisa. <em>The Marriage of Figaro</em>. <em>To the Lighthouse</em>. "She Walks in Beauty." <em>Terminator. Waiting for Godot. </em>"You Belong to Me."<br />
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<strong>Trademarked products</strong><br />
Kleenex. Big Mac. Kindle.<br />
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<strong>Named events and holidays </strong>(same rules as artistic work titles)<br />
Cloverdale County Fair. Annual Walk for Peace. Easter. Rosh Hashanah.<br />
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<strong>Calendar units</strong> (for lack of a better category)<br />
Summer. September. Friday.<br />
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The category of noun you describe is a thing. It's less common for a thing to be specifically named, unless it is an artistic work, a trademarked product or a copy of a living thing (Barbie, Winnie the Pooh). We more often use generic terms that the grammar gurus call "common nouns": tree, couch, daisy, leopard, skateboard, pork chop, party, secretary, professor, chemistry, sculpture.<br />
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You might have only one spleen, but I'm willing to bet you haven't named it. Likewise, diseases are not treated like proper nouns unless they are named after a person or another proper noun (like a place).<br />
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Example:<br />
Julie has <strong>diabetes</strong>, Glenn has <strong>Parkinson's disease</strong> and their puppy has <strong>Lyme disease</strong>.<br />
Jared might have <strong>irritable bowel syndrome</strong> or <strong>Crohn's disease.</strong><br />
Baby Miles needs <strong>measles, mumps</strong> and <strong>rubella </strong>inoculations.<br />
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If you want to give your fictional virus a name that takes a capital, name it for its creator or the one who discovered it: Malfoy virus, for example. Otherwise, refer to it simply as "the virus" and "his virus."<br />
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<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Which of these trip you up? Any follow-up questions on capitalization rules?</span></strong>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-81401319541897452122018-09-10T04:00:00.000-04:002018-09-10T04:00:04.388-04:00Inventing a language to enrich your fictional world<span style="font-size: large;">by guest author Lauren H. Salisbury</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tolkien deployed invented languages to enrich his fantasy.</td></tr>
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There’s nothing better than opening a new book and being swept away into an imaginary world. I love discovering fantastical realms peopled by strange races and bizarre creatures. I also enjoy the sense of immersion that comes from comprehensive world-building, one of the hallmarks of my favourite speculative fiction.<br />
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Using an original language is often part of this. Just as little details add a sense of realism to a setting, even a couple of words or phrases can make a huge difference to the overall impression of an unfamiliar culture or species. In fact, where there’s no unique terminology, I often feel like something’s missing, which can disconnect me from the narrative.<br />
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I wanted my own worlds to be as authentic as possible, so I invented languages for each species. My process was reasonably simple and involved the following three stages:<br />
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Sounds</h2>
I started with the overall sound I wanted my languages to have, whether to make them guttural, lyrical, harsh or soft. Did I want clicks or glottal stops? Based on this, would they use or omit any specific letters?<br />
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This was influenced by the general image I wanted to create for each species. For instance, Esarelians are ambitious and politically astute, making alliances and continually plotting. Baketags are a warrior race with a strict honour code, and Oeals are empaths known for manipulation. I chose soft sounding consonants and glottal stops for the Esarelians while Baketags have hard, clipped sounds, and Oeals use mostly vowels in their speech. This gave me a pool of letters from which to draw when naming characters and inventing specific words.<br />
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Grammar</h2>
Once I knew what sounds I wanted, I thought briefly about how complex the grammar should be for each language. Things like word length, whether they’d use prefixes and suffixes, whether adjectives and adverbs went before or after nouns. I didn’t want to go too deep into this area, as I only wanted a taste of each language, but it helped me build the words I did need.<br />
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For example, Baketag words have only one syllable with adjectives forming suffixes. Their words also join together to form longer single words and don't include articles, determiners, auxiliary verbs, etc. The name Baketag—people (bak), warriors (et), leader (ag)—translates to “people who are warriors under the ultimate leader.” Their planet, Vobaket is “planet of the people who are warriors.”<br />
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Specifics – Names and Phrases</h2>
With the sounds and basic grammar in place, I was able to create specific words and phrases that would imply cultural references and make each species more authentic. For instance, Esarelian names have two syllables, and the second often denotes class. I was able to play with this principle in the first book, having a character’s suspicions regarding another’s rank confirmed by her name, which made the scene much more interesting and nuanced.<br />
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As for the number of alien words I incorporated, that was more intuitive. I started with the names of the main characters, a handful of animals and plants, some foods, and a phrase or two that would fit the story or act as a species’ motto. After that, I added more as I needed them. For Conviction, this included an Esarelian game of strategy and a term for suspected assassination.<br />
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I only use alien words and phrases where they’d appear naturally, and I’ve tried several means of explaining their meaning. These methods range from a simple definition following the term, i.e., “As the Ra’hon, the ultimate leader, of the largest known Empire, Ashal needed to…,” to an integrated explanation. Here’s an example from Conviction.<br />
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I also found that having a clear idea of their language influenced the way I wrote the narrative in scenes from their viewpoint. I avoided contractions and stuck more rigidly to grammar rules than I did in scenes with a human viewpoint. This reflected their formal speech and helped distinguish them as an alien species.<br />
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Several readers have specifically mentioned the way I balance the alien and familiar in my novels, and including parts of their language was one of the main ways I accomplished that.<br />
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I hope sharing my process has shown that constructing languages doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated to be effective. However, I’m by no means an expert, and I highly recommend reading around the area, especially if you want to invent more than just a few phrases and names. There are a lot of great resources out there, but a good place to start would be the Language Creation Society at conlang.org.<br />
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Thank you for taking the time to find out a little bit about me and my writing, and have fun!<br />
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<h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1ZjqOb9uY7QI6-yZLVY47GG6LzqF9gLqihR4W3elvUNQXgoj4rHW1pVrwFv4uwr1ckhFp6iLpr6MpCHKpvbQwfHQAqK8oCNG0ZgmH9hKv5T9aGTk5aL_bUH2TFyQ3OgH8OUWoLpUvU-W/s1600/About+Me+Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="757" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY1ZjqOb9uY7QI6-yZLVY47GG6LzqF9gLqihR4W3elvUNQXgoj4rHW1pVrwFv4uwr1ckhFp6iLpr6MpCHKpvbQwfHQAqK8oCNG0ZgmH9hKv5T9aGTk5aL_bUH2TFyQ3OgH8OUWoLpUvU-W/s200/About+Me+Cropped.jpg" width="196" /></a>About the Author</h2>
Lauren H. Salisbury was an English teacher for sixteen years with an MA in Education. She is now a writer who dabbles with tutoring and lives with her husband and a room full of books in Yorkshire, England. She likes to spend winters abroad, following the sunshine and becoming the seasonal envy of her friends. When she’s not writing, she can be found spending time with family, reading, walking, crafting, or cooking. The Legacy Chronicles is her debut series.<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB">Website: <a href="http://www.laurenhsalisbury.com/">http://www.laurenhsalisbury.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-GB">Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/gillascourage">https://www.facebook.com/gillascourage</a><span class="MsoHyperlink"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<h2>
About the Book</h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Conviction</i></span><br />
<i>The Legacy Chronicles 2</i><br />
Christian speculative fiction<br />
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Can two people with opposing principles overcome their differences to be together?<br />
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Than has spent his life ostensibly having fun while secretly fighting for his people’s freedom. A member of the underground resistance, he is only ever serious around his comrades and his family. When an injury forces him to step down from active duty and his reluctant nurse sparks his interest, Than finds himself in uncharted territory. The fascinating woman will have nothing to do with him.<br />
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Menali’s past has taught her to keep her head down and trust that God has a reason for allowing the human race to suffer on U’du. When Than explodes into her life, he refuses to take no for an answer and challenges all of her preconceptions. He soon has her re-evaluating her priorities and wondering what life with someone like him would be like.<br />
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The Legacy Chronicles available here:<br />
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<span lang="EN-GB"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-GB">Courage: <a href="http://amzn.to/2ItzMl4">http://amzn.to/2ItzMl4</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcenfUpaH5CVr2uVrK3mGilCdMDb3HjDzKC828LxQhnwXeswkjzVL2oBKaSA_ltJdsc7rxtJw97Zp-DZ7nqQHLYuRnWs6-85wDUxizGKRreFOI18RYHuUB5Z8ZynXJL8PaWWGQFOLGdwt4/s1600/Giveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="500" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcenfUpaH5CVr2uVrK3mGilCdMDb3HjDzKC828LxQhnwXeswkjzVL2oBKaSA_ltJdsc7rxtJw97Zp-DZ7nqQHLYuRnWs6-85wDUxizGKRreFOI18RYHuUB5Z8ZynXJL8PaWWGQFOLGdwt4/s200/Giveaway.jpg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-GB">Conviction: <a href="http://a.co/doeQtkg">http://a.co/doeQtkg</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Giveaway</h2>
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Use the Rafflecopter below to enter Lauren's giveaway, a Conviction swag bag, which contains character pictures, a themed greeting card, a cross stitched bookmark, a stone necklace and a signed print of the passage it's taken from.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Q4U: How have linguistic details enhanced your favorite spec fic books? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Any questions for Lauren?</b></span></div>
<br />Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-38564336224629064252018-09-06T08:00:00.000-04:002018-09-06T09:25:41.797-04:00Career advice for young people interested in writing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This does NOT have to be you, young writer!</td></tr>
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Over the years, I've had a number of friends reach out asking for me to speak with their child or cousin or niece/nephew who loves to write and needs some career direction. They see me as Exhibit A of how you can actually support yourself with an English degree, as if I'm a mystical unicorn. Perhaps I'm more like a white rhino, an endangered species. Much has changed about the publishing world since I left college and I don't think my path is one many could easily pursue today.<br />
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I entered the workforce before the Internet was widely available, and print media was still in its heyday. My relevant experience was limited to being a co-editor of the college literary magazine and tutoring at the writing center, plus a summer internship where I did administrative and communications work at an insurance company. It took ten months to find my first editorial job during the early 90s recession. But I've been able to find continual work as an editor ever since. One of those editorial jobs, at a nonprofit, even provided training in graphic design and paid for my grad school courses in journalism.<br />
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So while most college grads can't expect there to be scads of entry-level editorial jobs in print publications, there are still many ways to be involved in writing that can support you. It's also not unusual for fiction writing to be an avocation that becomes a serious side hustle as your skills grow and your voice matures.<br />
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People with strong writing and editing skills are needed in a broad array of fields. I think what's key is to figure out what genres and kinds of content you enjoy, and <b>choose courses, extracurriculars, and work/internship experiences that give you "crossover appeal."</b><br />
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Career ideas for writers</h2>
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If it's pure creative writing that excites you, consider <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">script writing</span></b>. Television series are booming with the advent of streaming services, and talent will always be needed. So combine your English or creative writing degree with one in drama or film studies. Look for creative ways to begin building a portfolio while you're in school by, say, writing sketches, monologues, or one-acts for the college drama group. Intern in the college publicity department, with local advertising agencies that create TV spots, or with a YouTuber.<br />
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If poetry is your jam, becoming a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">lyricist</span></b> might be the career for you. Study music alongside poetry; join a college band or offer to write with one.<br />
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If you love science as much as writing, there's a consistent need for skilled writers in editors in <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">medical publishing</span></b>. Coursework, a minor or double major in biology, biochem or chemistry will give you the needed knowledge base. Consider joining a medical club on campus and doing some communications work for them to build your portfolio.<br />
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Maybe the wheeling and dealing world of business is more interesting to you. Consider <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">corporate communications</span></b>, which involves all kinds of written materials, from advertisements to internal newsletters to prospectuses to grant writing. <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">Trade publishing</span></b> is another field where business knowledge is needed. Again, courses that build your knowledge base will be key for finding work in corporations, accounting firms, banking, and the professional associations that support them. Trying your hand at promotional writing or grant writing for a college club can be a portfolio-builder.<br />
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If you're a gadget-loving techie and good at making complex ideas easy to understand, perhaps <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">technical writing</span></b> is the field for you. A background in computer science would be an asset.<br />
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If you have an artistic eye, learning graphic design and HTML coding along with writing and editing skills will make you a stand-out candidate in <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">non-profit communications</span></b> and <span style="color: #0c343d;"><b>marketing</b></span>. Smaller operations need folks who can not only create and tidy up written content but also create finished products like newsletters, magazines, and websites. The more you can build a real-world portfolio (projects beyond class assignments), the better, so offer your design services to school clubs, family/friends, or favorite small businesses in the neighborhood, Many also want folks who know their way around social media. So get some experience under your belt running Twitter and Instagram accounts for your school clubs to show that you have some know-how developing a consistent message and building an audience, or reach out to family and friends and offer to manage social media for one of their businesses, as an informal internship.<br />
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If your one true love is fiction writing, by all means <b>read as widely as possible</b> and <b>write all kinds of things</b>. Don't limit yourself to fiction courses, because there are valuable skills to be learned from courses in poetry writing, drama, journalism, and rhetoric that will make your fiction stronger. Get involved with the literary magazine, because reading and <b>critiquing others' work</b> will grow your skill as well. If your school doesn't have one, search out some <b>online literary zines</b> and ask about joining the team that reads through submissions; these all-volunteer operations usually welcome the assistance. <b>Submit work</b> to small zines as a way to build up a portfolio that can help you break in to paying fiction markets and even land a literary agent. Join <b>online forums</b> like Wattpad, which enable you to test out your stories with an audience. Offer to <b>beta-read</b> for your classmates and try to connect with writers in the community at large, perhaps through NaNo meetups or at your neighborhood library. Developing your skills as a reader and critique partner can put you on the path toward a gig in a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">literary agency</span></b> or with a <b><span style="color: #0c343d;">publishing house</span></b>. (Just be aware that you might have to moonlight elsewhere to pay the bills.)<br />
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Veronica Roth, who became a successful novelist fresh out of college, is one in six billion. Keep your expectations realistic: your goal now, while you are energetic but still green, is to work on your craft, learn a variety of skills, begin building a portfolio, and network.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Are there other writing fields you know of? How would you advise someone to break into the field?</b></span><br />
<br />Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-77521179709677216602018-05-24T08:30:00.000-04:002018-05-24T08:30:00.178-04:00Writing a tenacious faith: Interview with author Aleigha C. Israel<b>1. Tell us a little about how this story first came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else?</b><br />
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“A Marvelous Redeemer” is the last book in “A Light for Christ” trilogy. It just seemed fitting that it should be Amira’s book. Amira was first introduced in the first book, “A Higher Ransom,” as Caleb’s little friend. He was often seen sharing his faith with her and trying to turn her away from her Muslim beliefs. “A Marvelous Redeemer” follows the life of Caleb and Amira as they both journey through their own unique struggles. But the outcome is the same for both of them. They discover that through everything, they still serve a Marvelous Redeemer.<br />
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<b>2. Who are your main characters? Tell as a little about what makes them tick.</b><br />
Amira is a feisty young lady, with a heart for the Lord. She loves Him so much, that she gives up everything she knows. Most of her journey throughout the story is spent trying her best to trust Him, even if that means living in a cave and eating watered down soup.<br />
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Caleb is a slight mystery. He has a heart for others and a strong desire to be the hero. He feels as if no one understands him and that no one cares. It ultimately leaves him making a decision that he soon regrets. Caleb’s journey is one of redemption. He comes to understand that no matter what, we still serve a Marvelous Redeemer. A Redeemer that always takes us back, no matter how many times we stray.<br />
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<b>3. What special knowledge or research was required to write this book?</b><br />
Well, this story was enhanced by a certain special character named Hemlock. Hemlock is a dear fellow who never stops talking about sea creatures. Because of this, I had to do a <b>bunch</b> of research on sea creatures. The results were absolutely amazing! The amazingness of God’s creation just goes to show you that we serve a Marvelous Redeemer!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LUQ_0jqjAnujcst94Hj3zqJbjDaEecPxS_LxnX1dsyuizsElEVJGC9BpVaXyelzP6dxCpgYI2yL9OhfhWzX-33KQq5dcamFCKxlNmyTUJwUzz39gm-FL_8ziXBLx32jeVhZi7bukCTmw/s1600/for+teens.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9LUQ_0jqjAnujcst94Hj3zqJbjDaEecPxS_LxnX1dsyuizsElEVJGC9BpVaXyelzP6dxCpgYI2yL9OhfhWzX-33KQq5dcamFCKxlNmyTUJwUzz39gm-FL_8ziXBLx32jeVhZi7bukCTmw/s320/for+teens.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>5. What research methods have been most fruitful for you?</b><br />
I use so many methods! Books, the internet, Wikipedia, the Bible. Google is my best friend though. 😉<br />
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<b>6. What's the strangest thing you had to do to create this story?</b><br />
Hmmm, what a great question! Probably the day I spent the night in a cave. All alone, in the middle of the woods. The coyotes howled all night. I wanted to know exactly how my main character would feel…<br />
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Okay, I actually didn’t do that. I probably would have died. At the very least I wouldn’t have slept at all.<br />
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The “strangest thing” was probably pulling several days on four to five hours of sleep, trying to work through the formatting process. But, that’s not exactly “strange.” Sleeping in a cave sounds so much better than that, haha!<br />
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<b>7. What do you hope readers will take away from this story?</b><br />
That no matter what, no matter how many times you stumble, no matter how many people try to tell you that God will never forgive you, always remember this; we serve a Marvelous Redeemer. A Redeemer that gave His very LIFE so that you could be saved! He loves you, He cares for you, you are His. So, remember that and don’t ever let it go.<br />
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<b>8. How does your faith or ethical outlook inform your writing?</b><br />
My goal with all of my books is to share the light of Christ. If I ever stray away from penetrating my books with the Gospel, then I hope someone out there will lock me in a dungeon and throw away the key. Because, without Christ, we are nothing. And my books, without Christ in them, would be just useless words on a page that might be entertaining to a soul, but not enriching, encouraging, or giving them a glimpse of light in this dark world.<br />
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<b>9. What aspects of your creative process do you enjoy most? Which are most challenging?</b><br />
All of it! I couldn’t choose a favorite! By the time I finish writing my story, I’m ready to move on to something else. That “something else” usually includes the editing process. And by the time that I’m finished with the editing process, I’m ready to not look at words for just a few days. Which then is always a good time to do some formatting. And, by the time by book is hot off the press, I’m ready to write again. It’s a great revolving door of creativity! Each part has its own challenges, but I’ve always been one to enjoy a challenge!<br />
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<h2>
About the author</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPVUySOQt5E48jCr_CV9oUGrypSk6KCC7TXewpEIvcQJUXyQoZZhRNl3oh5daifaGt0p_iGnvLe8SkEtvm3zx0EpTtnwURnFI8T0mkSrLBvK_BJvssIUX41dYcU6jGDNTN2OmUqbzIHzE/s1600/A.Israel.pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="495" data-original-width="468" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDPVUySOQt5E48jCr_CV9oUGrypSk6KCC7TXewpEIvcQJUXyQoZZhRNl3oh5daifaGt0p_iGnvLe8SkEtvm3zx0EpTtnwURnFI8T0mkSrLBvK_BJvssIUX41dYcU6jGDNTN2OmUqbzIHzE/s320/A.Israel.pic.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
ALEIGHA C. ISRAEL writer of inspirational fiction and poetry, is an author of multiple books and enjoys sharing God's love through the powerful art of storytelling.<br />
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Her trilogy "A Light for Christ" is distributed by Grace and Truth Books and has been enjoyed by ages nine to ninety-three!<br />
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Aleigha is a Student Mentor over at the Young Writers Workshop and she'll be quick to tell you how amazing that community is.<br />
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She resides in Georgia with the world’s best parents, and five of the greatest siblings. When she’s not writing (or reading!) she can usually be seen working around the house, playing games with her siblings, or traveling with her family’s band, “Fret Not.”<br />
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She doesn’t have to search very hard for inspiration. Living in the Israel household, it’s guaranteed there’s an adventure waiting around every corner!<br />
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<h2>
About the book</h2>
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<i>She knew the decision would change her life. But she didn't know she'd have to fight to survive.</i><br />
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When Amira put her faith in Christ, she knew life wouldn't be easy. But hiding her conversion from her Muslim family soon becomes the least of her worries.<br />
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Forced to leave the only home she's ever known, she travels to the island of Gabeburough, trying her best to make a fresh start.<br />
<br />
Two escaped convicts and a treasure map. A leafy paradise that becomes her home. Amira begins to wonder, where is her Redeemer when she needs Him the most?<br />
<br />
Caleb Haddington is prince of Carpathia. Life should be perfect, but he can't get a certain dark-haired girl out of his mind. Amira was his best friend when he lived in France, but her letters to him have suddenly stopped. Her last letter is filled with terror that her faith will soon be discovered.<br />
<br />
Only a single hope keeps him alive; when the time is right, he's going after her. He'll bring her back and prove to the kingdom that he's a man.<br />
<br />
But the journey proves to be more perilous than he'd ever imagined.<br />
<br />
Ridicule, comfortless days, and the threat of a hurricane are just the start of his problems.<br />
Lying becomes easy for Caleb until his own life crumbles before him. Brought to his knees under the pressure of his actions, he comes to realize the sweetness of his Savior.<br />
<br />
Forgiveness, grace, and mercy are granted fully to those who ask.<br />
<br />
Caleb and Amira soon discover that they don't just serve a gracious Savior, but a wonderful, magnificent, Marvelous Redeemer.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2>
Giveaway</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyts-lV1zfDSXI3FOR64uzKxt3B8P4zv1th5odEAq4Z9-7R1EHSHmrknsUj71JcuoMoOKCGgKd9jJeC3Jd46PLQlnVkuUebGOdV-MJDV6PWRAErrD44WbT575mUwYfpXhr7y6771cc3gCt/s1600/giveaway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyts-lV1zfDSXI3FOR64uzKxt3B8P4zv1th5odEAq4Z9-7R1EHSHmrknsUj71JcuoMoOKCGgKd9jJeC3Jd46PLQlnVkuUebGOdV-MJDV6PWRAErrD44WbT575mUwYfpXhr7y6771cc3gCt/s320/giveaway.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Aleigha is generously offering a basket of gifts including old-fashioned candies, 4 bookmarks, a pen, a paperback copy of the book, and a little bottle on a key chain. You can enter at this link: <a href="https://kingsumo.com/g/ko9bwa/a-marvelous-redeemer-giveaway">https://kingsumo.com/g/ko9bwa/a-marvelous-redeemer-giveaway</a>.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<h2>
Blog tour schedule</h2>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>May 21</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://bookishorchestrations.blogspot.com/">Bookish
Orchestrations</a> – Intro post<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://spoonfulofsurprises.com/">Spoonful of
Surprises</a> – Book Review<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>May 22</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com/">Letters from
Annie Douglass Lima</a> – Book Spotlight<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.jannettefuller.com/blog">Jannette Fuller</a>
– Book Spotlight<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>May 23</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://rebekahkynbooks.com/">Rebekah Lyn Books</a> –
Book Spotlight<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.franceshoelsema.com/blog">Frances
Hoelsema</a> – Book Spotlight<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.writingsfromagodgirl.wordpress.com/">Writings
From A God Girl</a> – Author Interview<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>May 24</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/">Laurel's Leaves</a>
– Author Interview<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>May 25</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.rachelrossano.com/blog">Rachel
Rossano's Words</a> – Book Spotlight<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>May 26</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://bookishorchestrations.blogspot.com/">Bookish
Orchestrations</a> – Giveaway winner<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-12818120896087063022018-05-10T12:48:00.000-04:002018-05-10T22:48:40.752-04:00Misplaced modifiers: what are they and how do you fix them?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEj3XW7tx-uOOZCRqnj7eNUNMYiyPrEQUR2xfQjMtLFTKf2Osh0_i7tn1UQwWLw_OqJTbpxULpeVIg0mXII_uSj5TasW2A1CdYAn_jwT2pcYx2Dyx0boSM5_MSc5pXZBuhPIVsNNJDvhuP/s1600/Blog+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEj3XW7tx-uOOZCRqnj7eNUNMYiyPrEQUR2xfQjMtLFTKf2Osh0_i7tn1UQwWLw_OqJTbpxULpeVIg0mXII_uSj5TasW2A1CdYAn_jwT2pcYx2Dyx0boSM5_MSc5pXZBuhPIVsNNJDvhuP/s320/Blog+square.jpg" width="320" /></a>Dear Editor-on-call,<br />
<br />
I got this comment in a critique of mine and I have NO idea what it means. Could you shed some light? I feel so stupid, but I just don't get the terminology: "Misplaced modifiers. I’m seeing this phenomenon all the time with my clients! You do this just a little, but watch your antecedents."<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
Mystified about Modifiers<br />
<br />
~ ~ ~ ~ ~<br />
<br />
Dear Mystified,<br />
<br />
Your knuckle-rapping English teachers were trying to break you of this problem when they made you diagram sentences. You might have vague memories of identifying sentence parts as subject, verb, object. Each of these sentence parts can have modifiers--words or phrases that tell details about them.<br />
<br />
Problems arise when those details are not close enough to the word they describe. The resulting sentences can be confusing at best, and inadvertently hilarious at worst.<br />
<br />
Let's look at some examples.<br />
<br />
<strong>Subject modifier misplaced</strong><br />
<br />
Example: <em>The boy chased the cat <span style="color: #cc6600;">who had asthma</span>.</em><br />
<br />
Whoops--Asthmatic kitties are not too common (though friends of mine work for a <a href="http://asthmatickitty.com/">recording label </a>by that name). The modifier needs to move closer to the subject, "the boy."<br />
<br />
Revised: <em>The boy who had asthma chased the cat.</em><br />
Alternate: <em>The asthmatic boy chased the cat.</em><br />
<br />
Example: <em><span style="color: #cc6600;">Growling and snapping,</span> Melody was stalked by the werewolf.</em><br />
<br />
Whoops--Is Mel trying to confuse the predator? More likely the writer doesn't realize the subject and object are in the wrong order.<br />
<br />
Revised: <em>Growling and snapping, the werewolf stalked Melody.</em><br />
<br />
<br />
Example: <em><span style="color: #cc6600;">Walking along the bridge</span>, a ship suddenly appeared.</em><em></em>Whoops--Is The Ship Who Walked related to Anne McCaffrey's <em>The Ship Who Sang</em>? You've got either some really wacky personification or a sentence with an unclear subject. I chose the latter.<br />
<br />
This example is what's usually called a "dangling modifier"--the part of speech being described is actually missing. This sentence needs an actor walking and seeing that ship appear. Here are three ways to resolve the issue:<br />
<br />
Revised: <em>Walking along the bridge, the captain saw a ship suddenly appear.</em><br />
Alternate: <em>A ship suddenly appeared while the captain was walking along the bridge.</em><br />
Alternate 2: <em>As the captain walked along the bridge, a ship suddenly appeared.</em><br />
<br />
<strong>Verb modifier misplaced</strong><br />
<br />
Example: <em>He kept a black book of all the girls he had dated <span style="color: #cc6600;">in his desk</span>.</em><em></em>Whoops--It might get a mite crowded in there among the paperclips! That directional "in his desk" needs to be closer to the verb "kept."<br />
<br />
Revised: <em>He kept in his desk a black book of all the girls he'd dated.</em><br />
Alternate: <em>In his desk, he kept a black book of all the girls he had dated.</em><br />
Alternate 2 (with a shifting emphasis): <em>There in Jason's desk drawer was his black book--a list of all the girls he'd dated.</em><br />
<br />
Example: <em>Larry told me he was getting married <span style="color: #cc6600;">that afternoon</span> at night.</em><em></em>Whoops--When the heck is the wedding?? Oy vey. Please separate the time of the telling from the information told. "That afternoon" modifies "told," describing when Larry gave information.<br />
<br />
Revised: <em>That afternoon, Larry told me he was getting married at night.</em><br />
Alternate: <em>That afternoon, Larry told me about his plans for a nighttime wedding.</em><br />
<br />
<strong>Object modifier misplaced</strong><br />
<br />
Example:<em> You need someone to carry that load <span style="color: #cc6600;">with a strong back</span>.</em><br />
Whoops--It the load is so strong, why can't it carry itself? The modifier "with a strong back" needs to move closer to the object of the sentence, "someone."<br />
<br />
Revised:<em> You need someone with a strong back to carry that load.</em><br />
<em></em><br />
<em></em><br />
Example: <em>I showed my dog to the veterinarian <span style="color: #cc6600;">with the fleas</span>.</em><br />
Whoops--That poor, itchy vet! Sounds like he's been infested. In this case, it's the object "my dog" that needs to be closer to its modifier "with the fleas."<br />
<br />
Revised: <em>I showed the veterinarian my dog with the fleas.</em><br />
<br />
<strong>Word order problems</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>Limiting modifiers</strong> can change the meaning of a sentence depending on where they are placed. Some words to beware of: only, not only, just, not just, almost, hardly, nearly, even, exactly, merely, scarcely, and simply.<br />
<br />
Below are examples of how a sentence's meaning can change when one moves around a limiting modifier.<br />
<br />
Subject modified:<br />
<em><span style="color: #cc6600;">Just</span> Evan drank a Coke.</em><br />
(No others drank Coke, only Evan did.)<br />
<br />
Verb modified:<br />
<em></em><em>Evan <span style="color: #cc6600;">just</span> drank a Coke.</em><br />
(Others had a big bar brawl while Evan sat there sipping his cola.)<br />
<br />
Object modified:<br />
<em></em><em>E</em><em>van drank <span style="color: #cc6600;">just</span> a Coke.</em><br />
(Others had vodka tonics, but Evan? Just Coke.)<br />
<br />
<strong>Squinting modifiers</strong> are modifying phrases that could modify more than one part of a sentence. Clarity problems arise when you place them near to both possible choices.<br />
<br />
Example: <em>She said <span style="color: #cc6600;">on Sunday</span> she would call.</em><br />
<br />
Whoops--Did she say it on Sunday? Or is she going to call on Sunday? We don’t know. The phrase “on Sunday” could modify “said” or it could modify “would call.” Revising sentences like this usually requires adding words to make clear who's doing what and when.<br />
<br />
Revised: <em>On Sunday, she said she would call me soon.</em><br />
Alternate: <em>On Sunday, she said, "I'll call you."</em><br />
<br />
To capture the other possible meaning, try these revisions:<br />
Revised: <em>She just said she would call me Sunday night.</em><br />
Alternate: <em>She said, "I'll call you on Sunday."</em><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #4c1130;">Side note:</span></b> the editor mentioned in this letter was misusing the grammar term "antecedent" to mean "a thing referred to," which should only be used when discussing pronouns. The correct grammatical term for something being modified is "headword."<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Which of these areas trip you up? Any other helpful pointers for correctly placing modifiers with their headwords?</span></strong>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-79110323716773559812018-04-26T14:01:00.000-04:002018-04-28T20:58:08.854-04:00Tips for taming run-on sentencesDear Editor-on-call,<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT12746MKhFTySKPnx-kBPip0MlAuwlq2veJR5ThNrSiltLOwgEQxyjtANaoezLVloB8KUE_3AsnFamVgcB3PX28sPkOBFxxEbPTfiEIg6YuGencJP364TIFVnxlHbkarM-SPKxKaP2zI/s1600/Blog+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaT12746MKhFTySKPnx-kBPip0MlAuwlq2veJR5ThNrSiltLOwgEQxyjtANaoezLVloB8KUE_3AsnFamVgcB3PX28sPkOBFxxEbPTfiEIg6YuGencJP364TIFVnxlHbkarM-SPKxKaP2zI/s320/Blog+square.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
I'm weak when it comes to run-on sentences. Can you help?<br />
<br />
Sincerely,<br />
The On-Runner<br />
<br />
<br />
Dear Runner,<br />
<br />
You are in good company. Run-ons are one of the three most common errors I see in academic writing. PhD programs in English seem to encourage jamming as many ideas as possible between full stops. I once broke an 11-line sentence into FOUR parts. Clearly this was a case of reader distrust--an anxiety that the reader wouldn't comprehend the way ideas were linked unless crammed together. Keep in mind that a <strong>paragraph</strong> is the best unit for clearly and readably holding together a series of linked ideas.<br />
<br />
The biggest danger of run-on sentences is incoherence. The reader will lose the thread of what you're saying if information isn't parsed into manageable pieces.<br />
<br />
The most common form of run-on is the <strong>comma splice</strong>. This term refers to two complete sentences joined with a comma when they should either be divided or have a conjunction inserted (i.e., and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet).<br />
<br />
Example:<br />
<span style="color: #660000;">It will be clear and hot today, you should put on sunscreen.</span><br />
<br />
Possible fixes:<br />
<span style="color: #006600;">It will be clear and hot today. You should put on sunscreen.</span><br />
<span style="color: #006600;">It will be clear and hot today, <strong>so</strong> you should put on sunscreen.</span><br />
<br />
Another cause of run-ons is <strong>misuse of conjunctive adverbs</strong> like however, moreover, nonetheless.<br />
<br />
Example:<br />
<span style="color: #660000;">Rocco has sent his three children to ivy-league universities, however, he has sacrificed his health working long shifts at the foundry.</span><br />
<br />
Possible fixes:<br />
<span style="color: #006600;">Rocco has sent his three children to ivy-league universities. However, he has sacrificed his health working long shifts at the foundry.</span><br />
<span style="color: #006600;">Rocco has sent his three children to ivy-league universities; however, he has sacrificed his health working long shifts at the foundry.</span><br />
<br />
I am no fan of the semi-colon and would recommend against using the latter method. These two ideas--"children in ivy-league" and "working long shifts"--are not so tightly bonded they need to be in one sentence. The semi-colon version also contains so much information in such a large chunk it can lose a reader.<br />
<br />
And speaking of overload, the worst kind of run-on is the <strong>clause-a-thon</strong>--too many clauses strung together.<br />
<br />
Example:<br />
<span style="color: #660000;">She read the letter from the insurance company that said that the claim we had filed as a result of our accident in center city on May 3 had been sent on to a review committee which would consider the matter and render a decision within a month.</span><br />
<br />
Possible fixes:<br />
<span style="color: #006600;">She read the letter from the insurance company. It said the claim we'd filed for our May 3 accident had been sent to a review committee. The committee would review the matter and render a decision in a month.</span><br />
<br />
Note that some unnecessary details are dropped and phrases condensed. The claim is <strong>for</strong> an accident (less wordy than "as a result of"). Where the accident occurred is unimportant. What matters most is whether the insurance company will pay.<br />
<br />
The sentence could be further condensed to hit only the most important information:<br />
<span style="color: #006600;">The insurance company's letter said our car accident claim had been sent to a review committee. We'd have to wait another month for an answer.</span><br />
<br />
The clause-a-thon is the most likely form to occur in fiction. When you run across sentences that are trying to do too much, look for ways to trim details and parse the information into smaller, more manageable chunks.<br />
<br />
Example:<br />
<span style="color: #660000;">My best friend Nancy, who lived down the hall from me and who I first met at a departmental wine-and-cheese event, wore her onyx hair in a braid, smoked clove cigarettes and went through boyfriends like Kleenex.</span><br />
<br />
Possible fixes:<br />
<span style="color: #006600;">My best friend Nancy lived down the hall from me. We first met at a departmental wine-and-cheese event. She wore her onyx hair in a braid, smoked clove cigarettes and went through boyfriends like Kleenex.</span><br />
<br />
Leaner:<br />
<span style="color: #006600;">I first met my best friend Nancy at a departmental wine-and-cheese event. Smoke from her clove cigarette had curled around her onyx braid and wafted toward her boyfriend-du-jour.</span><br />
<br />
In some cases, your best fixes will come from deeper level rewrites like this. Instead of using a list to describe Nancy, I turned the descriptions into an active flashback.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="font-size: large;">Which of these areas trip you up most?</span></strong>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-75437288920649689752018-04-19T13:24:00.001-04:002018-04-19T21:56:22.688-04:00Stakes and the inner arc<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg134J5jgkTuNdPxEYIensHSHdsJ3mDIpClNghSr4EFRBxRsiOm2e5BHEX4zUIfgo2xjHN8LB_sjS4osbQATRTKYZo2dqiNMwGGpuGOPnaLaBUcBbz09vKe1Ft9Gk3KgUF5692TP2Ueoy4l/s1600/Blog+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg134J5jgkTuNdPxEYIensHSHdsJ3mDIpClNghSr4EFRBxRsiOm2e5BHEX4zUIfgo2xjHN8LB_sjS4osbQATRTKYZo2dqiNMwGGpuGOPnaLaBUcBbz09vKe1Ft9Gk3KgUF5692TP2Ueoy4l/s320/Blog+square.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I've read a few YA novels recently that left me a little cold. As I thought about why, I realized one aspect of all the stories was underdeveloped or nonexistent--the inner journey or emotional arc.<br />
<br />
All three protagonists wanted something. On the surface. That desire drove the plot arc. But the inner need behind that desire wasn't addressed. There was no emotional arc.<br />
<br />
What's the difference, you might ask. I turn again to one of my favorite resources for these sorts of definitions--Les Edgerton's <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hooked-Write-Fiction-Grabs-Readers/dp/1582974578">Hooked</a></i>.<br />
<br />
Edgerton says that a novel develops around two major components, the "surface problem" and the "story-worthy problem." The former is generally a bad situation or quandary that is introduced at the beginning of a novel. The kidnapped sister. The business collapse. Impending bankruptcy. Serious illness. Infertility. That sort of thing. The story-worthy problem is the deeper psychological need that is challenged by the surface problem. The need to feel competent. Worthy of love. Generous rather than grasping, or confident instead of fearful.<br />
<br />
The story-worthy problem adds emotional stakes to your work, so that what happens to your characters and the decisions they make actually changes them deeply. If you only work on the level of surface problem, you'll have a surface story. Quality writing puts characters through an emotional growth process that is cathartic and healing for the reader as well.<br />
<br />
You find story-worthy problems, Edgerton says, in "that dark place we all have inside and try hardest to deny and ignore" (64). These are areas of vice or weakness that need to change for a character to achieve goals and fully blossom into his or her best self.<br />
<br />
Here's an example:<br />
In <i>Sense and Sensibility</i>, Elinor and her family become impoverished after the father dies. The best hope of solving the problem is a wise marriage. But Elinor is so "sensible"--practical, wise, following every rule of propriety-- that she comes across as cold to men. In other words, her virtue has a dark side. She learns to risk loving, even in the face of what seem impossible odds. Hope might not be sensible, but in taking risk, Elinor becomes a more fully human person.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">What are some other examples you can think of? How might this distinction help your writing?</span></b>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-38136961457707813072018-03-01T08:30:00.000-05:002018-03-01T08:30:29.458-05:00Growing stories from personal hardships<b><i><span style="color: #38761d;">Laurel's note: I asked today's guest, "What unique life experiences have shaped the topics and themes in your writing?" Cleo's experiences with loss and hardship have given her some very gripping raw material. Read on to learn more.</span></i></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">By Cleo Lampos</span><br />
<br />
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It isn’t the life that I would have planned. But on the far side of midlife, there isn’t a thing that I would change. No regrets. The experiences of early years created this writer who delves into the issues of child rescuing and second chances.<br />
<br />
My father’s death left my mother with two preschoolers, a teenage son and no social security in Greeley, Colorado. She had spent her youth surviving the Dust Bowl, Great Depression and World War II. Now, in 1950’s boom, our little family faced poverty. Mom tried to work third shift at the canning company with a teenage girl sleeping all night with us. My brother enlisted in the Navy, leaving one less mouth to feed. Frugality and ingenuity kept us going until I entered second grade and Mom married a man who she barely knew. In short time, she regretted the abusive alcoholic behavior that filled most days.<br />
<br />
Moving from state to state for “a fresh start” intensified a pattern of isolation and insecurity for the family. As the physical abuse intensified, Mom tried to escape by taking us “underground”. We lived in a tiny bedroom in a nursing home in Wisconsin, eating with the residents, then walking to school. After a semester in that situation, my sister and I entered the foster care system, living with a relative, then with a foster family on a farm. I am still in contact with my “other mother” and five foster sisters who showered me with love.<br />
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When Mom gained custody of us, I entered high school with nine different educational systems behind me. Almost an elective mute, speaking in class presented problems for me. The speech teacher, Mr. Schubert, forced me to give presentations and overcome my fears. He taught me that my thoughts and feelings were worthy of attention. Today I speak at many venues and am comfortable with the process.<br />
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University of Wisconsin-Whitewater awarded a four year tuition scholarship to me, so the only expenses were room and board for a four-year degree. Throughout the college years, most of my time was spent working in the library, carrying overloads of credits and staying on the honor roll to keep the scholarships. As with other children of alcoholics, I stayed closed off from deep relationships, thinking that no one could understand my past. But the approval from high grades and well written papers satisfied the people-pleasing need so deeply engrained in me. Difficulty having fun made these years hard work.<br />
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Predictably, my career choice involved relationships with people who required rescuing. With a degree in teaching children from deprived backgrounds, my own need to be rescued transferred to the students in my care. Later, a degree in teaching behavior disordered and emotionally disturbed children led to an urban setting where my rescuing tendencies made me an excellent teacher. Finally, my own background and the circumstances of my pupils matched, resulting in an intuitive educator who conducted her class with empathy, caring and compassion. Understanding both parents and students provided a place of healing for all of us.<br />
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Writing in a journal to prevent “teacher burnout”, it occurred to me one day that some of the entries resembled magazine articles in teacher journals or religious take-home papers. Soon, a dozen articles had been published and plans for a book dedicated to encouraging educators. Adding quotes and suggestions to my classroom narratives, <i>Teaching Diamonds in the Tough: Mining the Potential in Every Child</i> was published by Lighthouse of the Carolinas. Transparent feelings and fears fill each page of this devotional.<br />
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Then the thought that all the experiences as a teacher in an urban setting might provide relaxing late night reading created the series, <i>Teachers of Diamond Project School</i>. Each stand- alone book is based on the 3 R’s: reality, reflection and romance. So many of the plot lines are actually incidents from my own interactions in the classroom. In <i>Second Chances</i>, Zoey Pappas knows her cows, but not her gangs. <i>Miss Bee and the Do Bees</i> invites the reader into a challenging special education classroom. <i>Cultivating Wildflowers</i> takes Alana Alcott into the world of foster care. My self-published books mimic real life.<br />
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With artist Maralyn Dettman, <i>Grandpa’s Remembering Book</i> helps families with the journey of Alzheimer’s Disease. Rescuing Children takes the reader into the lives of eight men and women who spent their lives taking children from degradation and death to useful lives. <i>The Dust Bowl: Living Through Tough Times</i> talks about the many ways that those of the Great Depression overcame hardships. <i>Dust Between the Stitches</i> is the fictional version of the 1930’s struggle of beet farmers in Colorado trying to stay afloat.<br />
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The novel that capitalizes on my childhood is <i>A Mother’s Song</i>, which South Side Chicago Irish claim is the best description of Irish immigration. So much of my mother’s story and my own emotional baggage are conveyed in that book. The plot is simple: one girl and the two mothers that she loves.<br />
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My latest non-fiction is <i>Piecing Fabrics, Mending Lives: The History, Philosophy and Ingenuity of Quilters</i>. The essays in this book explore how women piece their scrappy lives back together into coherent wholes. My thoughts harken to my mother’s life and mine.<br />
Every experience, whether positive or negative, is useable in writing that transforms a reader. May my words bring healing to others.<br />
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About the Author </h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTsoddIsSbgD7v_XI0PmCPSgEHTBeExu0nvOIGUKhfM1QeDDy6flsPDmFjvZtVOgivVbxFn8UzTefdVGjl8Mc3tWufviqC9A0eqWJyrleQjB51PeZvLRMQni5caRfzu9DcmqxvJtkOvr9/s1600/1377372_10203286507226886_1745674950_n%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="160" data-original-width="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiTsoddIsSbgD7v_XI0PmCPSgEHTBeExu0nvOIGUKhfM1QeDDy6flsPDmFjvZtVOgivVbxFn8UzTefdVGjl8Mc3tWufviqC9A0eqWJyrleQjB51PeZvLRMQni5caRfzu9DcmqxvJtkOvr9/s1600/1377372_10203286507226886_1745674950_n%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
Cleo Lampos was born in Colorado, but raised in rural Iowa and Wisconsin. After graduating from University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, she taught in the Chicago area. Raising three children with her husband, Vernon, she attained a Master’s from St. Xavier University-Chicago and taught behavior disordered/emotionally disturbed students for 26 years. Lampos has been published in magazines such as Lookout, Teachers in Focus and Power for Living. She is the author of seven books. Her life is filled with speaking engagements at senior groups, local community colleges, book clubs, and women’s discussion circles. Living in suburban Chicago, the Lampos’ are urban farmers certified by the University of Illinois. They are active in their church and love their 11 grandchildren.<br />
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Website: <a href="http://www.cleolampos.com/">www.cleolampos.com</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCleoLampos" target="_blank">Author Cleo Lampos</a><br />
E-mail: cleolampos@gmail.com<br />
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<h2>
About the Book</h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>A Mother’s Song</i></span><br />
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In 1890, Deirdre O'Sullivan lives in Five Points, New York City with her husband, son and four year old, Ava Rose. Pregnant with their third child, Deirdre works as a washerwoman at the hotel's laundry. If Sean works at all, he drinks his paycheck at the pub. When he is killed in an accident at work, Deirdre is devastated. She gives birth to another son, but cannot work at the laundry. The oldest son lives on the street as a newsie. Rather than let Ava Rose and her baby brother starve to death with her, she signs for them to be put on an orphan train. This orphan train takes these youngsters to Nebraska to Claudine, who has suffered multiple miscarriages. Will the adoption provide the safety and opportunity that Deirdre hopes? This researched story of two mothers and the child who loves both is heart wrenching. It is a poignant tale of hope and courage against unfathomable odds for a better life.<br />
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Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Mothers-Song-Story-Orphan-Train/dp/1530706513">Amazon.com</a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Are there any compelling stories in your history or in your family's history that you'd love to draw on in your own fiction?</span></b></div>
Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-80753805532620213822018-02-06T08:00:00.000-05:002018-02-06T08:00:09.631-05:00Kiss Writer’s Block Goodbye by Using Personal Experiences<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOLoIiO1ZbO5hg5tAnM9EsC77tcdH2-G86RtU71h1zSdjTJH9zQ4Wxjx5CfaCbSXLI9kSkyIAIFiPQpTZOKHnlGtqmGrwv7tHCo1sDqqxPrn-FPN7yjyRqUpzmJ7KtRbBk1WVmKFpWS3K/s1600/Kiss+Writer%2527s+Block+Goodbye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="350" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOLoIiO1ZbO5hg5tAnM9EsC77tcdH2-G86RtU71h1zSdjTJH9zQ4Wxjx5CfaCbSXLI9kSkyIAIFiPQpTZOKHnlGtqmGrwv7tHCo1sDqqxPrn-FPN7yjyRqUpzmJ7KtRbBk1WVmKFpWS3K/s320/Kiss+Writer%2527s+Block+Goodbye.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo by Heather Cannon. Used with permission.</i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">How to Use Your Life in Your Fiction</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>By guest author Lila Diller</i></span><br />
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Can I write about what happened to me? What should I keep in mind when including a personal story in fiction? If you’ve ever wondered this, there are three actions you can take.<br />
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Last year I published my first Christian romance novel. Though it is definitely fiction, much came from my own personal experiences. I had a friend ask how I got around some obstacles she was facing. She had written a memoir about her marriage, but the few friends she showed it to told her it would ruin her and her husband’s reputations. When I told her how I used my life as a springboard for a fictional story, the light bulb went off.<br />
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You can use your personal life as raw material for your fiction stories, too. Here are the most important things you want to keep in mind.<br />
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You’ll be kissing that writer’s block goodbye much more often when you use your memories as raw material for certain scenes.<br />
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1. Get the Legal Stuff out of the Way First</h3>
Include a paragraph on your copyright page. You’ll want to cover your tracks to protect you from being sued for libel, defamation, or a cut of royalties. Consider copying and pasting this notice or something like it to your copyright page:<br />
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Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.<br />
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2. Change a Few Details in Each Scenario</h3>
Protect the Identity of Your Loved Ones. It’s not just for legal reasons that nonfiction writers will say, “Names and details have been altered to protect identities.” You can capture the essence of a good story, an interesting dialogue, or a characterization without revealing so much that when your mother reads the story, she says, “Oh, that must have been so-and-so.”<br />
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If possible, change either the gender of the character, the time frame, surrounding circumstances, and/or the setting it happened in. Always change the name of a person, a place, or a landmark, unless it’s absolutely integral to the plot to leave the original.<br />
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3. Try Free-Writing about a Memory that Inspires You</h3>
Start with the nonfiction version of the truth; then you can change later. If you’re having trouble getting words on the page, sift through your memories until you find one that matches the flavor or inspires some aspect of your current story. Just free-write every detail of that memory down that you can think of. Don’t edit yourself; don’t worry about possible incriminating clues that might shed light on what really happened.<br />
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Once you have the memory down on paper (or computer screen), then go back and highlight the important parts. What details are absolutely necessary to make a good story? Then you can start changing non-essentials.<br />
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Let me give you a few examples from my first novel, <i>Love is Not Arrogant or Rude</i>. My readers have asked if this was taken from my life. My answer is “yes, but no.”<br />
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<li>Though the three main characters are based on my husband, my former guy friend, and myself, I never worked with or under my husband. I didn’t meet him while on staff at our alma mater but before as students. And I have never been chased by two men at the same time. 😉</li>
<li>The dogs mentioned are based on real dogs, but Sasha was a purebred Collie of my husband’s when he was growing up. I only saw pictures and heard stories about her; I never met her as she had died before then. Esme is a real dappled dachshund that my in-laws currently own (15 years after we were first married).</li>
<li>My sister really did try to commit suicide; but I changed her name, changed the reasons why, and shortened the time it took for Morgan to realize how complicated depression is. It took me much longer to come to some conclusions.</li>
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<h3>
Conclusion</h3>
You can definitely use your personal life as inspiration for a story. Sometimes the most realistic details come from experiencing those feelings, taking those actions, or saying those words yourself. Don’t be afraid to use them. Just keep in mind that you want to protect yourself and your loved ones.<br />
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About the author</h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixeIq-NKGS3yiIpHGUQekO5EyPzmNdyfIDoaxU3m3FeeMM7DdWQQsrA4sNYLU1nfeGa_cLHp9oFjjhCuNm5M5_FQWBIn8VCJTX09qxlKGk1-r4NN_98TcTZGoy_aGs79B1oqVtJsSuk2Yv/s1600/avatar+cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1038" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixeIq-NKGS3yiIpHGUQekO5EyPzmNdyfIDoaxU3m3FeeMM7DdWQQsrA4sNYLU1nfeGa_cLHp9oFjjhCuNm5M5_FQWBIn8VCJTX09qxlKGk1-r4NN_98TcTZGoy_aGs79B1oqVtJsSuk2Yv/s200/avatar+cropped.jpg" width="174" /></a>Lila Diller is outnumbered by a houseful of males: husband of 15 years, two energetic boys, and a hyper dog. When not homeschooling her boys, you can find her studying the Bible, reading, singing, scrapbooking, or binge-watching Netflix. You will only find her cooking or cleaning when she can’t put it off any longer. She loves to help readers not only to escape from stress in an entertaining and believable story but also to fill their minds with the truth and hope of Jesus.<br />
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You can visit Lila's website at <a href="http://liladiller.com/">liladiller.com</a>. You can also find her on Facebook at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/loveisseries">www.facebook.com/loveisseries</a> and on Instagram at <a href="http://www.instagram.com/liladiller">www.instagram.com/liladiller</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd96KVikoDgYF__Iy-ynb_w0lkF768wvaDX_v2hddT8HOpdTn8zErUMSrk7rWFqh04mWrkZdPPRmDBwTubj542nVIClkwIpCK8uq2Ch3JlXi2OX_wuFfGS_lMITXFXHwKSpUhddu75tb99/s1600/2+thumbnail+2-+Love+Does+Not+Envy+or+Boast.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="300" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd96KVikoDgYF__Iy-ynb_w0lkF768wvaDX_v2hddT8HOpdTn8zErUMSrk7rWFqh04mWrkZdPPRmDBwTubj542nVIClkwIpCK8uq2Ch3JlXi2OX_wuFfGS_lMITXFXHwKSpUhddu75tb99/s200/2+thumbnail+2-+Love+Does+Not+Envy+or+Boast.jpg" width="126" /></a></div>
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If you love Christian romance, check out Lila's “Love is…” series on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/1520622716/?tag=liladllera01-20" target="_blank">Amazon</a>! You can also get a free digital copy if you sign up for her FB group <a href="http://www.facebook.com/groups/betareadingforliladillerauthor." target="_blank">Beta Reading for Lila Diller Author</a>. </div>
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<b style="color: #741b47; font-size: x-large;">Have you ever included autobiographical scenes in your fiction? Any questions for Lila?</b><br />
<br />Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-78521744754107398532018-01-25T08:00:00.000-05:002018-02-03T16:06:46.599-05:00Discerning your genre: MG, EYA or YA?<span style="font-size: large;">By guest Shannon L. Mokry</span><br />
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So you want to write a children’s book, but you don’t know where to begin? First get those ideas on paper, just the basic outline or concept to start with. Then, before you go any further, decide what age group you’re writing for. Next, consider what subgenre you are wanting it to be. If you have already finished your piece and are only now looking at defining it, all is not lost. Most manuscripts need several revisions before they are ready to publish.<br />
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So why is it so important to define now? What is a genre anyway? Both of these things are important because they tell you how long your piece needs to be, and what expectations your readers will have . If you want your book to be read, then it is important to understand your audience.<br />
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When I decided I wanted to write for children there were several questions I needed to ask myself. Will I be writing fiction or nonfiction? What age am I writing for? Children’s books fall into several age brackets. Hilari Bell does an amazing job listing them all in detail <a href="https://writeforkids.org/blog/2017/07/understanding-childrens-book-categories/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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For our purposes, the bare facts look like this:<br />
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<li>8-12 Middle Grade (MG) 40,000-55,000 words, MC(Main Character) is usually 10-12. It’s important to keep the story age appropriate. You really start to see subgenres at this point; is it a mystery, a fantasy, sci-fi? No specific page count. Still mostly sold in paperback.</li>
<li>10-13 Early Young Adult (EYA) 50,000 words, MC 13-14. This category is a gray area. While it had some popularity a few years ago, it is important to note that libraries and bookstores don’t recognize this category. If you find yourself here, pick MG or YA and make the adjustments needed. <a href="https://kidlit.com/2010/11/20/is-it-mg-or-ya/" target="_blank">This article</a> goes into more detail on why EYA is not a real category. </li>
<li>12-18 Young Adult (YA) 55,000-70,000 or longer. These are full on novels with a MC usually 15-17 yrs old. No language concerns, no specific page count. You start to see an real uptick in ebook sales.</li>
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Now let's look a little closer at the differences between MG books and YA books. The vast majority of MG books are written in third person, while the majority of YA books are first person. That doesn’t and shouldn’t restrict you, but it is important to be aware of. Another factor is where the average MC age comes from. Kids want to read about kids their age or older. They do not want to read about younger kids. For example, a 16 year old doesn’t want to read about a 12 year old, they just don’t relate. For a similar reason, an 8 year old can read about 10-12 year olds just fine, but doesn’t relate at all to a 14 or 15 year old. That really makes sense because a 8-10 year olds are still in elementary school and while they may be looking forward to middle school, high school is too far into the future.<br />
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You may notice a that MG book doesn’t deal with edgy topics. There shouldn’t be any bad language or intimacy, drug use or explicit violence. Some of these things may be hinted at but not gone into detail and not be things your MC is experiencing. With YA all those rules go out the window. YA readers want to read about edgy subjects. They are exposed to and experimenting with the darker things in life. You can still write clean and sweet, but ignoring the roller coaster of emotions that a teen goes through will just make your book unrelatable.<br />
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About the Author</h2>
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Shannon L. Mokry lives in Texas where she homeschools her three daughters. The Bubbles stories were inspired by stories she would tell her youngest daughter Charlotte. She recently published a MG novel.<br />
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<a href="https://sillygeesepublishingllc.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/shannonmokry" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/shannonlmokry" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br />
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About the Book</h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Escaping Gardenia</i></span></div>
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MG fantasy</div>
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Friendships are forged in the most unlikely of places.</div>
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From a kingdom at war with dragons, Ivy is sent to scout out a path to safety. Along the way she learns about magic and accidentally hatches a baby dragon.</div>
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Safety is the next kingdom over. Vlad, a gamekeepers apprentice, joins in the effort to help the refugees. His only intent is to help as many people find safety as he can.</div>
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Making new friends was the last thing either of them expected. Can they get Ivy's village to safety and learn to trust each other? Or will they learn to late that even well meaning secret can have big consequences?</div>
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Available from <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0998711241" target="_blank">Amazon</a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Q4U: What are some of your favorite books written for these age groups?</b></span></div>
Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-1262261200185198002018-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:002018-02-03T16:07:16.073-05:008 Aspects You Are Missing in Your World-Building<span style="font-size: large;">by guest Kandi J. Wyatt</span><br />
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As you open the pages of a good book, you are beckoned into a new world, a place where magic may exist or where people travel between planets on trains. The possibilities are endless and only limited by the author’s imagination and effort. When an author does an excellent job of world-building, the reader longs to climb into the pages of the book and not leave.<br />
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Harry Potter, Marvel Universe, Star Wars, Middle Earth, Narnia, and the ‘World’ of Game of Thrones are all examples of worlds that exist because an author had a vision and then dove into world-building. World-building takes thought and consideration to be thorough. Many different aspects go into creating a world that feels real.<br />
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1. Places</h3>
The most common aspect of the world is where it’s set. Is it the seas of the Caribbean or is it the halls of Hogwarts? Are there woods, mountains, or deserts? Currently, I’m working on creating a planet. It will have a combination of all extremes. Hannah Heath has written on how to not fall into the rut of <a href="https://hannahheath-writer.blogspot.com/2016/11/9-different-descriptive-settings-to-use.html" target="_blank">common places</a>.<br />
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<h3>
2. People</h3>
Once we have a place, we now need to know who inhabits these spaces. As I create my worlds, I make my people fit the place they inhabit, or if they don’t then that’s part of the plot. How would where they live affect their physical attributes and their psychology? In my Dragon Courage world, the rainy marshes of the Carr led to some depression in the characters. The word Carr came from a Celtic background and so my characters tend to have red hair and the tempers that are associated with redheads. My middle grade fantasy, <i><a href="https://www.books2read.com/u/4AwJee" target="_blank">Journey from Skioria</a></i>, has people that are short, hairy, and have nails that extend out to climb trees since they live in trees.<br />
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<h3>
3. Culture</h3>
Early on in my life, I was introduced to different cultures through missionaries that came through my home. As I grew older, I went and visited missionaries in Arizona and New Mexico and was able to see for myself a different culture as I worked with the Navajo and Hopi tribes. Later, I lived in Ecuador for two different years and stayed in Mexico for a month. These experiences let me understand that each people group has their own unique set of laws, norms, and taboos. Why should our stories be any different?<br />
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What cultural aspects do you need to add to make your stories? In the north of the Dragon Courage world, tradition holds sway. Since “change comes slowly to dragons” it takes a war for tradition to change. The southern dragon colony of Boeskay sets up on the bluffs overlooking the river. Riders sit out on their porches at night and watch the sunset. Sometimes, it’s the little touches that make the world come to life. It could be as simple as referring to years by a specific season, or it may be as simple as an expression. H. L. Burke, in her book <i>Beggar Magic</i>, uses the expression, ‘By the strains!’ The strains are a significant aspect of the world and are held in awe by all.<br />
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<h3>
4. Language</h3>
As a language teacher, I love thinking of how language affects us, but I’ve yet to put it into my books. I did create an accent more than anything in <i>Dragon’s Revenge</i>. For this new project that I’m brainstorming, I’m thinking of creating a script at least for the world, if not some language.<br />
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Think of Harry Potter. How would the books have been different if it wasn’t for<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="giphy-embed" frameborder="0" height="284" src="https://giphy.com/embed/pI2paNxecnUNW" width="480"></iframe><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/harry-potter-hermione-granger-ronald-weasley-pI2paNxecnUNW">via GIPHY</a><br />
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<h3>
5. Beliefs</h3>
As all believers know, our beliefs are what define us. We will do anything for something we believe in. This should be true of your characters as well. I’ve been challenged recently to go beyond the typical on this area. Hannah Heath (if you don’t follow her, you should. She has an amazing blog for writers.) shared some very thought provoking ideas on <a href="https://hannahheath-writer.blogspot.com/2017/12/10-tips-for-writing-christian-fantasy.html" target="_blank">how to write Christian fantasy and religion</a>.<br />
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<h3>
6. Technology</h3>
How do your characters get around? Do they use the horse and buggy or are there airships? How does your protagonist wash her clothes? What? You haven’t thought of that? Then you should! No, really, you should. It’s not just the steampunk genre or subgenre that should have technology. Does your antagonist spread rumors via social media and his iphone? That’s technology at work, too.<br />
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<h3>
7. Mythology</h3>
The most well-known author for having mythology in his work was J. R. R. Tolkien. He wanted to provide a mythos for Great Britain and ended up creating Middle Earth. When I wrote Journey from Skioria, I had fun having characters share little myths. You don’t have to create elaborate stories, but know what a few are or have an idea of what the mythos looks like for your world.<br />
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<h3>
8. Animals</h3>
As you build your world, realize there should be more than just people, or aliens, living in it. Who or what else inhabit it? As I’m brainstorming for my newest idea, I realized that a mole-like animal may come in handy. Mythical creatures most often coming into fantasy stories, but think outside the box. What other animals would make your world right? Would it be a cat, a dog, horses, whales, kangaroos, or cheetahs?<br />
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If you stop at these eight, your world may be complete, but there are so many other things to consider as well. Think of your own life. What influences it? Add those to your world-building. Sure, you might not use all of it in your actual writing, but if you know it, then it will come out into your story-telling.<br />
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<h2>
About the Author</h2>
Even as a young girl, Kandi J. Wyatt had a knack for words. She loved to read them, even if it was on a shampoo bottle! By high school Kandi had learned to put words together on paper to create stories for those she loved. Nowadays, she writes for her kids, whether that's her own five or the hundreds of students she's been lucky to teach. When Kandi's not spinning words to create stories, she's using them to teach students about Spanish, life, and leadership.<br />
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Connect with Kandi:<br />
<a href="http://kandijwyatt.com/" target="_blank">Website</a> / <a href="http://facebook.com/kandijwyatt/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> / <a href="http://plus.google.com/u/0/+KandiWyatt/" target="_blank">Google Plus</a> / <a href="http://twitter.com/kandijwyatt" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://pinterest.com/kandijwyatt" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> / <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13817774.Kandi_J_Wyatt" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Kandi-J-Wyatt/e/B00ZTC4T10/" target="_blank">Amazon</a><br />
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About the Books</h2>
In a world where dragons and humans live in peace with each other, it is a privilege to be a dragon rider, but riders, like everyone else, must find their purpose. In this series, twins Ruskya and Duskya fight for their dragon’s futures and their lives! Braidyn struggles with balancing justice and mercy as he searches for a stolen nestling. Kyn and a new friend, Ben’hyamene, discover a breed of wild dragons which have been at war with humans for four hundred years, and the two learn that peace is better than revenge. Kyn helps Duskya and her daughter, Carryn, search for a young rider who stumbles upon a slave trade. Carryn learns that bitterness leaves a person in bondage as much as being a slave. Follow along the riders’ quest in this exciting middle grade fantasy series by author Kandi J Wyatt.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">The One Who Sees Me </span></b><br />
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Teenage slave girl Faru’s life has been turned upside down when she discovers she’s been traded to a new master, forcing her to leave all she‘s ever known. Upon her arrival, Faru meets a friend, Cailean, who helps her adjust to life in the strange location. Life settles into a new pattern, and romance blossoms between the young friends. But as soon as they plan to get married, another proposal comes about – one that cannot be ignored. Being a slave means not always marrying who you love.<br />
On a daring journey to heal her heart, Faru encounters the Existing One. Will she trust Him and do His bidding even if what He requests is so hard?<br />
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Follow Faru’s tale in author Kandi J Wyatt’s retelling of a Biblical story found in the Old Testament book of Genesis, showing that when things don’t make sense, God will guide the way.<br />
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Get it <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_1865488316"></span>HERE</a><br />
Read reviews from <a href="http://www.tapestrychronicles.com/the-one-who-sees-me-a-book-review/" target="_blank">Pursue Simple Joy</a> / <a href="http://opinions-are-just-that.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-review-of-one-who-sees-me-by-kandi.html" target="_blank">Julie L. Spencer</a> / <a href="https://lovewhatyourreading.blogspot.com/2017/01/review-one-who-sees-me-by-kandi-j-wyatt.html" target="_blank">Live. Love. Read</a><br />
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Pick up the rest of the series!<br />
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<a href="http://books2read.com/DragonsFuture" target="_blank">Dragon's Future</a> / <span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><a href="http://books2read.com/DragonsHeir" target="_blank">Dragon's Heir</a> / </span><a href="http://books2read.com/DragonsRevenge" target="_blank">Dragon's Revenge</a> / <a href="http://books2read.com/DragonsCure" target="_blank">Dragon’s Cure</a> / <a href="https://www.books2read.com/u/4DA8og" target="_blank">Dragon’s Posterity</a> / <a href="https://www.books2read.com/u/3neVN6" target="_blank">Dragon’s Heritage</a><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-size: large;"><b>Q4U: What aspects of world-building do you most enjoy experiencing in books? What aspects do you find most fun to develop? Most challenging?</b></span></div>
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Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-81110213270318022112018-01-11T09:00:00.000-05:002018-01-11T09:00:17.253-05:00Editor on call: using then/than and lose/loose<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMmJb94Wc29FI0dAwCzrmtcSN1eqcfLx_GYLQAgvOrxZYTxs8cOjcDl8zazahkq2b6c2vHVGTiNiII0TVcSDduaI_HcIkB-P8OLvpktGP-pAP-T6qBLZ0HCU-BosQPvc2GRmMTSsKztOn/s1600/Blog+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPMmJb94Wc29FI0dAwCzrmtcSN1eqcfLx_GYLQAgvOrxZYTxs8cOjcDl8zazahkq2b6c2vHVGTiNiII0TVcSDduaI_HcIkB-P8OLvpktGP-pAP-T6qBLZ0HCU-BosQPvc2GRmMTSsKztOn/s320/Blog+square.jpg" width="320" /></a>Today I'm addressing two pairs of "spelling challenge" words a reader asked me to discuss. These pairs perplexed me a bit, because they aren't actually homophones. But because they are "kissing cousins" so to speak, pronunciation-wise, you might have gotten mixed up somewhere along the line about which word is which.<br />
<h2>
Then </h2>
Pronounced <u>th</u>en (voiced th, short e like in <b>e</b>lephant); rhymes with pen, when, den, wren.<br />
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adv. - at that time; soon after, following; in addition, besides. In that case; according to that, as may be inferred; as it appears; as a consequence.<br />
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<b>Examples</b><br />
Just <i>then</i>, an ambulance hurtled past.<br />
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First Bill arrived, <i>then</i> Frank did.<br />
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You're not going to pay me, are you, <i>then</i>?<br />
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<b>Mnemonic</b><br />
TH<b>EN</b> is WH<b>EN</b> it HAPP<b>EN</b>S.<br />
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For more guidance on using THEN in "and then" constructions, see my post "<a href="http://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/2011/06/and-thenderailment-at-conjunction.html">And then...derailment at Conjunction Junction.</a>"<br />
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Than</h2>
Pronounced <u>th</u>an (voiced th, short a like in <b>a</b>pple); rhymes with man, pan, ran.<br />
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conj. - connector used to compare an inequality between subjects; function word used to express difference in kind, manner or identity. Often used in a pair with rather (rather...than) to indicate preference.<br />
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<b>Examples</b><br />
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This project is more trouble <i>than</i> it is worth.<br />
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Liesl is older <i>than</i> Louisa.<br />
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I would rather go swimming <i>than</i> sit on the hot beach<br />
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<b>Mnemonics</b><br />
ST<b>AN</b> is more of a M<b>AN</b> TH<b>AN</b> you are.<br />
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Use TH<b>A</b>N to COMP<b>A</b>RE <b>A</b>PPLES to <b>A</b>PPLES.<br />
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For more guidance on constructing comparisons using THAN, see my post "<a href="http://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/2011/11/compare-with-flair.html">Compare with Flair</a>."<br />
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<h2>
Lose</h2>
Pronounced lUz (long U sound like <b>u</b>sed, voiced s / zuh like in la<b>s</b>er); rhymes with use, ruse, booze, snooze, choose.<br />
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<i>This one is tricky, because its spelling is a bit counter-intuitive. </i><br />
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v., trans. - to misplace; to suffer deprivation or loss; fail to keep control or allegiance of; bring to destruction or ruin; to wander or go astray; fail to keep in sight or mind; to free oneself of<br />
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lost, losing<br />
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<b>Examples</b><br />
Do not <i>lose</i> this key, or we can't get back inside.<br />
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James tends to <i>lose</i> his temper easily.<br />
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Did he <i>lose</i> his ship on that terrible reef?<br />
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Helen seems <i>lost</i> in daydreams.<br />
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Max, Leo and Parker all hope to <i>lose</i> weight.<br />
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<b>Mnemonic</b><br />
The O sounds like OO, the S sounds like Z;<br />
Make it four-letter LOSE, or LOSE the spelling bee!<br />
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<h2>
Loose</h2>
Pronounced lUss (long U like <b>u</b>sed, unvoiced s, like soup); rhymes with juice, truce, moose, goose<br />
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adj. - not rigidly tight or securely fastened; not tight-fitting; detached or disconnected; slack; flexible or relaxed.<br />
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v., trans. - to release, untie, detach or discharge.<br />
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loosed, loosing<br />
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<b>Examples</b><br />
Tendrils of hair slipped from Harriet's <i>loose</i> ponytail.<br />
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Megan knew her diet was working when her old jeans fit <i>loosely</i>.<br />
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Desmond used a<i> loose</i>, flowing brushstroke in these paintings.<br />
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Don't let the goat <i>loose</i>, it will eat Mama's petunias!<br />
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Jake is constantly <i>loosing</i> his biting tongue on his enemies.<br />
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<b>Mnemonics</b><br />
Don't let the GOOSE LOOSE with the MOOSE; they would SOONER fight than call a truce.<br />
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OO-whee, LOOSE and free!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Do these near-miss words trip you up? Any other almost-homophones you'd like me to address in a future post?</span></b>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-13930039871870764702018-01-04T12:48:00.000-05:002018-01-04T12:48:09.600-05:00Drawing from the well of experienceThe writing habit can be difficult to maintain when you are experiencing a lot of stress. Creativity happens best in states of relaxation, says Roseanne Bane in <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Around-Writers-Block-Science-Resistance/dp/158542871X">Around the Writer's Block</a></i> (a resource I heartily recommend).<br />
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As you might guess from my absence in December, I've been grappling with some hard life stuff, particularly being "the sandwich generation" having to deal with overwhelming demands from elderly parents and school-aged kids at the same time. I feel like I'm emotionally tapped out most of the time. I know that writing can be a good outlet for stress release, but getting back into a groove after the holidays were in the stress-mix is challenging. So I turned to another well-thumbed resource for encouragement, Anne Lamott's <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bird-Some-Instructions-Writing-Life/dp/0385480016">Bird by Bird</a></i>. One of her best block-busting tips is to write about your childhood.<br />
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How we react to stressors in adulthood is to a large degree shaped by childhood experiences. But as Harry Potter learned when trying to conjure a patronus, good memories have tremendous power to protect us from the forces of despair. Recently, I've tried to focus on bright spots in my past when a worry begins to spiral from anxiety into panic. I have to say, it has improved my sleep tremendously.<br />
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Here are some prompts to help you go back into your own timeline and find moments of joy, peace, excitement and insight:<br />
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<ul>
<li>My imaginary friend</li>
<li>My secret hideout</li>
<li>My three favorite toys when I was eight years old</li>
<li>My favorite subject in kindergarten</li>
<li>My cozy spot</li>
<li>After school, I liked to...</li>
<li>A cool surprise from my mom or dad</li>
<li>The wonder of milkweed or dandelions gone to seed</li>
<li>My childhood neighbors</li>
<li>How I was comforted in a dark moment</li>
<li>My favorite after school snacks</li>
<li>A special moment with a sibling or cousin</li>
<li>A bedtime or campfire story my family invented</li>
<li>Games my family played on car trips</li>
<li>How my sibling reconciled with me after a squabble</li>
<li>My most impressive creation with blocks or Legos</li>
<li>The best snow day</li>
<li>A sick day when I felt well cared for</li>
<li>A surprising discovery about a grandparent</li>
<li>My favorite scenario to pretend</li>
<li>Given a stack of paper and box of crayons, I would create...</li>
<li>The nearby woods</li>
<li>The neighborhood park</li>
<li>How it felt to go barefoot in summer</li>
<li>Learning to swim or skate</li>
<li>The book I read again and again</li>
<li>My best friend in elementary school</li>
<li>My lucky shirt</li>
<li>Treasures I kept in a secret spot</li>
<li>My favorite stuffed animals</li>
<li>The best dream I had as a kid</li>
<li>The coolest guest to visit my family</li>
<li>Holiday traditions I grew up with</li>
<li>My parents' best games or stories</li>
<li>Songs I liked to sing in the shower</li>
<li>Games I played in the bathtub</li>
<li>A time my team won a great victory</li>
<li>A special food my parents would make just for me</li>
<li>Fun times in choir or the class play</li>
<li>The best prank I ever pulled</li>
<li>My favorite teacher</li>
<li>My playground buddies</li>
<li>A school project that turned out especially well</li>
<li>My lunchbox or lunch bag</li>
<li>My first pet</li>
<li>The feeling of mud and puddles</li>
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As Anne Lamott says, "Everything we need in order to tell our stories in a reasonable and exciting way already exists in each of us. Everything you need is in your head and in your memories, in all that your senses provide, in all that you've seen and thought and absorbed" (<i>Bird by Bird</i> 181). Visit those memories and sensations, and the words will come.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>In times of stress, w</b><b>hat helps you relax enough to write?</b></span>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-50188270039213252252017-11-16T08:00:00.000-05:002018-02-03T16:07:40.098-05:00Joy in small packages: writing holiday shorts<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_mK2V0Ya_8PCbx0qSmnYbQxjPGYDLVTcONGw2Vd63m-ia-LBmNOso4wAGoQsdhMrqR-xqNytfa-Z2C6Erv7AwpdxHU7e9WZeXb5_ngyIiCXQ7MBWyI-DdiFbN__1ZurvAX30_lrfJ3Tu/s1600/Blog+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_mK2V0Ya_8PCbx0qSmnYbQxjPGYDLVTcONGw2Vd63m-ia-LBmNOso4wAGoQsdhMrqR-xqNytfa-Z2C6Erv7AwpdxHU7e9WZeXb5_ngyIiCXQ7MBWyI-DdiFbN__1ZurvAX30_lrfJ3Tu/s320/Blog+square.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">With guest Rebekah A. Morris</span><br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>1. Tell us a little about the stories collected in <i>Christmas Delays</i>.</b><br />
These are all set during the years of World War Two.<br />
The first one, “Christmas Delays,” was one of the earliest Christmas stories that I wrote, and for that reason it’s extra special.<br />
“Peter’s Christmas” was inspired by a classical song on the radio. I have no idea what the song was, who wrote it or anything. I just know that when I heard it, I heard someone calling Peter. Over and over they called, and so I had to write a story and find out why they were calling him.<br />
“I’ll be Home for Christmas” makes me cry every time I read it. I don’t think there was anything special about it, but it’s one that I really like.<br />
<br />
<b>2. What do you enjoy most about the short story form?</b><br />
They don’t take as long to finish. :) I can usually have one written in a few days and then can move on to another one.<br />
<br />
<b>3. What is most challenging about writing short stories?</b><br />
Keeping it short but still having a full story. Some of my Christmas stories may not seem to have a big plot, but that’s real life. At least it is for me. My life isn’t a constant up and down of excitement. Sometimes the stories are really short and even when I try to expand them, they won’t get any longer. Others are hard to keep short.<br />
<br />
<b>4. <i>Christmas Delays</i> is one of eight books you are releasing this holiday season. What led to the decision to release so many products at once?</b><br />
I love Christmas stories! After I wrote my very first Christmas story, I kept writing. Now I write at least one new story every Christmas time. With so many Christmas stories waiting to be read, I thought doing a Christmas Collection with many small books would be fun instead of just one book with multiple stories in it. That way I could keep adding to the collection each year.<br />
<br />
<b>5. What special planning and challenges have you faced with multiple releases?</b><br />
Keeping them all straight was the biggest challenge! I’ll admit that I did upload the cover and interior of one book to the wrong title. And I didn’t notice the typo on one cover until after I had my proof copy. It was rather crazy trying to get them all ready at the same time and make sure which story I was working on.<br />
<br />
<b>6. How do you manage production for multiple books? What organization techniques have proven most helpful?</b><br />
I did do a lot of assembly line. And since the interiors all match, except for the story, once I had it formatted for one story, it wasn’t too hard to do the next. But writing down each book and what needed to happen with it was probably the most helpful. That way I wasn’t constantly checking to see if I had included the Christmas Collection logo in the back of the book, or done the title in the same fonts. But I had to make sure I knew which book I was working on!<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>7. What tips do you have for authors seeking to create holiday books?</b><br />
Have fun! :) Pour your love of the holidays into your story, and then be willing to share it with the world. Your story doesn’t have to be exciting or a page turner. You want a story with warmth. Think about what you love, what you enjoy most about Christmas and include some of that into your story. Christmas stories don’t have to be long, but they can be. Most of all, remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas.<br />
<br />
Thank you for having me.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><b>Q4U: What theme might you enjoy writing a cluster of stories around?</b></span><br />
<br />
<h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPMCB2PHEHulI-H2ys54Hc5oL-HxN93e9qSAkJAxs7NV0M2aLt2Ab_pNaNclczsBGD7AhjUS1GD0W0kygMzBO4z7_0IZrVaWDXtV8HJD7aO2iZNvDUMx06eeXP1Tv6IBpx73GXdTuwJU/s200/Author+Picture.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="200" data-original-width="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPMCB2PHEHulI-H2ys54Hc5oL-HxN93e9qSAkJAxs7NV0M2aLt2Ab_pNaNclczsBGD7AhjUS1GD0W0kygMzBO4z7_0IZrVaWDXtV8HJD7aO2iZNvDUMx06eeXP1Tv6IBpx73GXdTuwJU/s200/Author+Picture.png" /></a>About the Author</h2>
<br />
Rebekah A. Morris is a homeschool graduate, an enthusiastic freelance author and a passionate writing teacher. Her books include, among others, <i>Home Fires of the Great War, The Unexpected Request, Gift from the Storm</i>, and her bestselling Triple Creek Ranch series. Some of her favorite pastimes, when she isn’t writing, include reading and coming up with dramatic and original things to do. The Show-Me State is where she calls home.<br />
<br />
Learn more about Rebekah and her books at <a href="http://www.readanotherpage.com/">www.readanotherpage.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<h2>
About the book</h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7SnPy6Ko25PmUWsppLzbP8qpLpM-s0b9UMv62JRO_BRXJlg7u69qOFEhyphenhyphen4bo5dkrF3GVZkvjfDDX4hsUBSR7JaH67u7WV7ThyphenhyphenmrFKZWZLn942dRCf7cIqR8qLgYwX0t9k9zxIRnvMKKW/s1600/cropped_delays_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="266" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7SnPy6Ko25PmUWsppLzbP8qpLpM-s0b9UMv62JRO_BRXJlg7u69qOFEhyphenhyphen4bo5dkrF3GVZkvjfDDX4hsUBSR7JaH67u7WV7ThyphenhyphenmrFKZWZLn942dRCf7cIqR8qLgYwX0t9k9zxIRnvMKKW/s320/cropped_delays_cover.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Christmas Delays and Other Short Stories</i></span><br />
Three Christmas Stories from World War II<br />
<br />
Christmas Delays<br />
A doctor, called up for duty in the army, spends one more Christmas with his wife in an unexpected way after God's Christmas delays strand them in a small house with another family.<br />
<br />
Peter's Christmas<br />
Very mild weather might not feel like Christmas, but young, orphaned Peter and his older sister find the peace and love of the season with the Hampton family in spite of the sadness of war.<br />
<br />
I'll Be Home for Christmas<br />
Grandpa recounts the memories of his first Christmas away from home during WWII.<br />
<br />
Available at <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Delays-other-short-stories/dp/1976189063">Amazon.com</a><br />
<br />
The full collection:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxfzYIcpsnCaQsOhqKTkHiEKq_BLlKzZ6R7Svd9rcDaS4biIanSWL9WnspwviQbgTr5AVD9x5rzZVVs92tW3IKqnxqu5_152pjb04HGvlHORzwsNFSedTIEUQz7ik_rPptO-veUb4TAKZ/s1600/Morris_collection.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFxfzYIcpsnCaQsOhqKTkHiEKq_BLlKzZ6R7Svd9rcDaS4biIanSWL9WnspwviQbgTr5AVD9x5rzZVVs92tW3IKqnxqu5_152pjb04HGvlHORzwsNFSedTIEUQz7ik_rPptO-veUb4TAKZ/s400/Morris_collection.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<h2>
Tour Schedule</h2>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>November 13</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://bookishorchestrations.blogspot.com/">Bookish
Orchestrations</a> – Introductory Post<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.readanotherpage.com/blog">Read Another
Page</a> – Book Spotlight from the author<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://kayleeskindofwrites.blogspot.com/">Kaylee's
Kind of Writes</a> – Book Spotlight<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://writtenrest.wordpress.com/">Resting Life</a>
– Review and Excerpt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://perryelisabeth.blogspot.com/">Perry Elisabeth</a>
– Excerpt <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.rachelrossano.com/">Rachel Rossano's
Words</a> – Book Spotlight and Excerpt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>November 14</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.readanotherpage.com/blog">Read Another
Page</a> – Book Spotlight from the author<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://odelia.littleapplesofgold.com/">Odelia's Blog</a>
– Author Interview and Book spotlight<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://bryceswritingcorner.blogspot.com/">Bryce’s
Creative Writing Corner</a> – Author Interview, Review, and Excerpt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://countingyourblessingsonebyone.blogspot.ca/">Counting
Your Blessings One by One</a> – Review and Excerpt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://lisarector.blogspot.com/">Perpetual Indie
Perspective</a> – Book Spotlight<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>November 15</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.readanotherpage.com/blog">Read Another
Page</a> – Book Spotlight from the author<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://jessaswhimsicalwritings.blogspot.com/">Whimsical
Writings for His Glory</a> – Author, Review, and Excerpt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.maidensformodesty.com/">Maidens for
Modesty</a> – Author Interview and Review<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.thedestinyofone.com/">The Destiny of One</a>
– Book Spotlight<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://rebekahashleigh.blogspot.com/">Rebekah
Ashleigh</a> – Book Spotlight<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://onceuponanordinary.wordpress.com/">Once
Upon an Ordinary</a> – Review <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://www.stephany-tullis.com/blog">Stephany's
BLOG Snippets</a> – Book Spotlight and Excerpt<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>November 16</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.readanotherpage.com/blog">Read Another
Page</a> – Book Spotlight from the author<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/">Laurel's Leaves</a>
– Author Interview<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://fireflysstoryspace.blogspot.com/">Stories by
Firefly</a> – Review <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://clairembanschbach.wordpress.com/">Claire
Banschbach</a> – Author Interview<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://kelseysnotebookblog.blogspot.com/">Kelsey's
Notebook</a> – Review and Excerpt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.jayelknight.blogspot.com/">Jaye L. Knight</a>
– Book Spotlight and Excerpt<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>November 17</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.readanotherpage.com/blog">Read Another
Page</a> – Book Spotlight from the author<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.rufflesandgrace.com/">Ruffles and Grace</a>
– Book Spotlight<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://withajoyfulnoise.blogspot.com/">With a
Joyful Noise</a> – Book Spotlight<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://ordinarygirlextraordinaryfather.blogspot.com/">Ordinary
Girl Extraordinary Father</a> – Review <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://bookishorchestrations.blogspot.com/">Bookish
Orchestrations</a> – Closing Post<o:p></o:p></div>
Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-54371771617481425202017-11-09T08:00:00.000-05:002018-02-03T16:08:11.637-05:00Finding fantasy setting inspiration in real-world culture<span style="font-size: large;">by guest author Annie Douglass Lima</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9z_910uFOQ_mMj9-9yazHVFcCGTWh0NcB0_BjxHlQKdXhqdWs-W6wxv0INpNalqteBGHkpX-Mc-1XlhaaJbwYNp78oLcnA1DCXeq-sgyLwzt6VCHr_VpIa5dv4EGHyZS3eVmPPT0pEGe2/s1600/8-03-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9z_910uFOQ_mMj9-9yazHVFcCGTWh0NcB0_BjxHlQKdXhqdWs-W6wxv0INpNalqteBGHkpX-Mc-1XlhaaJbwYNp78oLcnA1DCXeq-sgyLwzt6VCHr_VpIa5dv4EGHyZS3eVmPPT0pEGe2/s320/8-03-4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
I’ve always thought that it’s especially helpful for writers of speculative fiction (fantasy, science fiction, alternative reality, etc.) to travel outside their home country. If you’re going to be creating new worlds and cultures, it’s valuable to be able to experience different cultures in our own world and draw inspiration from them, after all.<br />
<br />
I was raised in Kenya, where I lived for almost my whole childhood. As an adult, I spent a year in Indonesia, as well as living in the United States for a while. At the moment, my husband and I live in Taiwan, where we’ve been for over ten years now. In between, I have visited a total of twenty-one countries so far (with plenty more still on my bucket list!). These international experiences have definitely impacted my writing.<br />
<br />
Although Kenyan culture has not made it directly into any of my books so far, spending time as a foreigner in an unfamiliar world inspired some of the interpersonal and intercultural struggles the characters in my Annals of Alasia fantasy series have had to face. (And by “foreigner” I mean the way I thought of myself when my family visited America. As a child, I considered myself Kenyan and was much more at home there than in the U.S.) In Book 3 of the series, Prince of Malorn, my character Prince Korram has to travel into the Impassable Mountains to seek the help of a nomadic tribe called the Mountain Folk. In the kingdom of Malorn, Mountain Folk and Lowlanders tend to distrust each other and avoid contact whenever possible, and both sides claim that the other mistreats them. I wanted to show that, often, it just takes better understanding to lead to acceptance and appreciation of another culture. That, and the willingness to learn new ways of doing things and respect others’ customs even when they’re different. That concept reflects my love of getting to know other cultures and appreciating the differences between them.<br />
<br />
I’ve enjoyed bringing several elements of Taiwan’s culture – both good and bad – into my Krillonian Chronicles alternate reality series. Here are a few examples:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>In Taiwan, gifts or awards involving money are always given in red envelopes. When my martial artist character, Bensin, wins prize money in a cavvara shil tournament, the officials hand it to him in a red envelope. </li>
<li>Betel nut, a mild narcotic, is very popular in Taiwan. In the city of Jarreon, it’s also common and is sold legally in shops decorated with flashing colored lights, just like here. (In another province of the Krillonian Empire, betel nut is illegal, and a certain character with an addiction goes to great lengths to find a black market supplier.) </li>
<li>In Taiwan, cheap boxed meals available at “hole-in-the-wall” eateries are a common and convenient lunch or dinner for laborers or anyone in a hurry or short on cash. In the city of Jarreon in my series, they’re common too – for big business owners to order in bulk for their slaves’ lunches, or for City Watch officers to pick up to feed prisoners in the Watch Station cells. </li>
<li>New Year is the most important holiday of the year in Taiwan. People celebrate it by putting up decorations, giving gifts of money to children (yes, in red envelopes, often decorated with special designs), and by sharing special meals involving traditional foods with family. I actually combined ideas from that with Christmas in creating the Krillonian Empire’s New Year holiday. Characters there celebrate with seasonal music and decorations, sharing a feast involving traditional foods with family and friends, and exchanging gifts with family members. Slave owners sometimes give their slaves gifts as well, though those usually consist of practical items (one enslaved character receives a toothbrush, toothpaste, and extra socks).</li>
</ul>
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I’ve had a number of readers comment that the cultures in my novels are both interesting and believable, and I know that’s because I’ve drawn on real ones to create them. If you write speculative fiction and have had the privilege of experiencing multiple cultures (even second hand), I would encourage you to use bits and pieces of them to shape the worlds you create. It’s fun to write that way, and it will be all the more fun for readers to explore those worlds!<br />
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<span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">Q4U: Have you drawn from actual cultures to enrich your writing? Please share in the comments!</span><br />
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<h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrrub6HR98AfEGxTkUcuD3VCz6MXRRR8-M8C5IkBNnYPgChe-_dyINEqGNE1S8mCiXheQEQDsmPMGOHTxrBE9eMxSdnSN6670X8IcJEFIcacDYluU2na5x6pr2upIgzz-Bi7t5AcUXRMF/s1600/Annie+Douglass+Lima.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1411" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjrrub6HR98AfEGxTkUcuD3VCz6MXRRR8-M8C5IkBNnYPgChe-_dyINEqGNE1S8mCiXheQEQDsmPMGOHTxrBE9eMxSdnSN6670X8IcJEFIcacDYluU2na5x6pr2upIgzz-Bi7t5AcUXRMF/s200/Annie+Douglass+Lima.jpg" width="176" /></a>
About the Author</h2>
<br />
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published fifteen books (three YA action and adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, six anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Blog</a> / <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a> / <a href="https://twitter.com/princeofalasia" target="_blank">Twitter</a> / <a href="http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> / <a href="http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus" target="_blank">Google Plus</a> / <a href="http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon" target="_blank">Amazon Author Page</a><br />
<br />
<h2>
About the series</h2>
<br />
Take a look at this exciting new young adult action and adventure novel,<i> The Student and the Slave</i>, now available for purchase! This is the third book in the Krillonian Chronicles, after <i>The Collar and the Cavvarach</i> and <i>The Gladiator and the Guard</i>.<br />
<br />
The series is set in an alternate world that is very much like our own, with just a few major differences. One is that slavery is legal there. Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone. Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil. It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with "have a rack"), a weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge. Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades. You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.<br />
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First, a Little Information about Books 1 and 2:<br />
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<b><i>Book 1: The Collar and the Cavvarach</i></b><br />
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Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?<br />
<br />
Click <a href="http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.tw/2015/05/the-collar-and-cavvarach-available-at.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read chapter 1 of The Collar and the Cavvarach.<br />
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Click <a href="http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.tw/2015/05/realm-explorers-part-xxxxvi-visit.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read about life in the Krillonian Empire, where the series is set.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISfHKLCMltuykcW4Tsuo-hKQ9YrRTq-MTO8p5Tt4SAcwwfuE08LKybsZdfAUZwgZXUW8QrokegWohWkXQq_zWfeMPZG8jw-I2hTWlmWXzr0MHC5D-I7CHKQDxosK4JbIuxzonbRWelONt/s1600/The+Gladiator+and+the+Guard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISfHKLCMltuykcW4Tsuo-hKQ9YrRTq-MTO8p5Tt4SAcwwfuE08LKybsZdfAUZwgZXUW8QrokegWohWkXQq_zWfeMPZG8jw-I2hTWlmWXzr0MHC5D-I7CHKQDxosK4JbIuxzonbRWelONt/s320/The+Gladiator+and+the+Guard.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Book 2: The Gladiator and the Guard</i></b><br />
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Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system and seize his freedom before that system crushes him?<br />
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Click <a href="http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.tw/2016/04/realm-explorers-part-xcvii-visit-red.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read about life in the arena where Bensin and other gladiators are forced to live and train.<br />
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And now, The Student and the Slave, with another awesome cover by the talented Jack Lin!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmFoezVX1qHOUBcb3nXKphLDze_i53La-nKYTf5ndssrH2VI1_4dvHpLLAK9DKzcPmIcLbUyZRSXb1EYWsotxfZQRN1FrMasLXCZayaAfUrUaHWyU4HWv-ltjJMMqL8IGzyXxFMcjpfQ1/s1600/StudentSlave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTmFoezVX1qHOUBcb3nXKphLDze_i53La-nKYTf5ndssrH2VI1_4dvHpLLAK9DKzcPmIcLbUyZRSXb1EYWsotxfZQRN1FrMasLXCZayaAfUrUaHWyU4HWv-ltjJMMqL8IGzyXxFMcjpfQ1/s320/StudentSlave.jpg" width="213" /></a><i><b>Book 3: The Student and the Slave</b></i><br />
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Is this what freedom is supposed to be like? Desperate to provide for himself and his sister Ellie, Bensin searches fruitlessly for work like all the other former slaves in Tarnestra. He needs the money for an even more important purpose, though: to rescue Coach Steene, who sacrificed himself for Bensin’s freedom. When members of two rival street gangs express interest in Bensin’s martial arts skills, he realizes he may have a chance to save his father figure after all … at a cost.<br />
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Meanwhile, Steene struggles with his new life of slavery in far-away Neliria. Raymond, his young owner, seizes any opportunity to make his life miserable. But while Steene longs to escape and rejoin Bensin and Ellie, he starts to realize that Raymond needs him too. His choices will affect not only his own future, but that of everyone he cares about. Can he make the right ones … and live with the consequences?<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Click <a href="http://smarturl.it/StudentandSlave" target="_blank">here</a> to order The Student and the Slave from Amazon for <strike>$2.99</strike> <b><span style="color: red;">a discounted price of just 99 cents through November 31st!</span></b></span><br />
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Giveaway</h2>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">Enter to win an Amazon gift card or a free digital copy of the first two books in the </span><span style="color: purple; font-size: large;">series!</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ad2fd99a4" target="_blank">A Rafflecopter Giveaway</a><br />
<br />Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-84832682300728958362017-10-19T16:36:00.000-04:002017-10-19T16:36:46.629-04:00Five Things You Must Know About Every Character in Your Novel<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KSDq6YGvzQ8MW5c1YFbe7ippazgHx7_XR6PmjCXeup1gEZ1kuiKeor8VBy5YhYdKUcnRFuLJiI4RghkcxSlNUviwffLRsJyyJgLdwBX0vtp9-V3wJnWeT9_SYvwpfHvZQuhw93zEYIYs/s1600/Blog+square.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9KSDq6YGvzQ8MW5c1YFbe7ippazgHx7_XR6PmjCXeup1gEZ1kuiKeor8VBy5YhYdKUcnRFuLJiI4RghkcxSlNUviwffLRsJyyJgLdwBX0vtp9-V3wJnWeT9_SYvwpfHvZQuhw93zEYIYs/s320/Blog+square.jpg" width="320" /></a>Creating characters can at times become a self-indulgent exercise in which a writer spends inordinate amounts of time determining lots of little details that never show up in the story, and actually have very little bearing on it, like their build, favorite color, or the teacher they hated most in seventh grade. It's not that details don't matter, but beware of falling down the rabbit hole of needing to know all your fictional characters better than your friends or family. Because this can be an excuse, like "research" can, of delaying the real writing process.<br />
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So I humbly submit to you some key areas you DO really need to know, so that you can focus your character creation efforts on what will yield the most dividends.<br />
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1. Role</h2>
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Will this person be the protagonist? One of the key narrators? The villain? A love interest? A sidekick? A <a href="https://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/2015/06/eight-everyday-antagonists.html" target="_blank">lesser force of antagonism</a>? A foil? A parallel figure? A supporting character? A tertiary figure to enhance the milieu? A functionary?<br />
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How detailed you need to be depends entirely on how important the figure is to the story. Sometimes when you're drafting you don't necessarily know whether a character you need for this scene will become more important later. That's okay. Just don't pressure yourself to make every figure fully fledged from the get-go. You might find that narrative tasks can be reassigned to a more essential character and this shopkeeper or random coworker can be eliminated. Those decisions will be loads easier to make if you didn't spend a week on Pinterest deciding how to furnish his apartment or fill her closet.<br />
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In <a href="https://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/2012/11/too-much-characterization-too-little.html" target="_blank">THIS</a> post, I discuss three levels of characters most novels need: primary, secondary, and tertiary.<br />
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2. Relationship to the protagonist</h2>
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How much will your hero rub elbows with particular characters? Is their relationship positive, negative, mixed, neutral, or nonexistent?<br />
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Is the relationship hierarchical, equitable/intimate, or a mix? That will very much set the tone for how the character interacts, and what methods he or she uses to negotiate conflict with your hero. I discuss this idea more <a href="https://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/2010/04/negotiation-toolbox.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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3. Goals over the course of the story</h2>
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Clearly your protagonist will have goals, but what about the other characters? If all they ever do is react to the hero, they will feel as mechanical as a motion-activated self-flushing toilet. Every character has to be pursuing some goal of their own, even the tertiary characters.<br />
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You'll have a very different scene when a store clerk's goal is to win Employee of the Month, versus take a smoke break ASAP, versus share their faith with every customer. Interacting with any of these three clerks could be useful for pacing, dropping in clues, or revealing something about your protagonist. (If they're not, maybe you don't need the scene at all.)<br />
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Primary and secondary characters especially need things to do and places to be when they aren't interacting with your hero. They need relationships, worries, plans of their own. This not only makes them more real, but also opens up great possibilities for plot complications. Obviously, you won't dramatize all these side-stories, but they should leave traces that appear in details your sprinkle in.<br />
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I talk more <a href="http://eliseabram.com/britbear/?p=1140" target="_blank">HERE</a> about this "life outside the story"--and how to leave traces of it in your novel.<br />
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4. Relationship to conflict</h2>
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Will this character act or withdraw when trouble comes? In other words, is their usual mode fight or flight in the face of danger?<br />
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And how about in relational conflict? If they are fighters, how does it come out? As aggression, as guilt-inducing martyr talk, as verbal abuse, as self-hatred, as gaslighting and manipulation? There are so very many ways to fight.<br />
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If they tend to flee, how do they do it? Literally run away? Downplay the problem and create false peace? Bury themselves in other activities? Throw up their hands in defeat? Become passive-aggressive, refusing to respond or do much of anything?<br />
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How characters behave in places of conflict will be key to how they function if your plot, helping or hindering the protagonist with goals on the micro and macro level. Yes, even the store clerk.<br />
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5. One key distinctive</h2>
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Even tertiary characters need at least one thing about them that makes them distinct from others in the story. It could be a physical trait, like their stature, physique, or way of carrying themselves. It could be their manner of speaking in terms of volume, word choices, dialect. It could be some action that sets them apart: the super-strong granny, the puzzle whiz, the empath who mirrors others' emotions.<br />
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The key is to choose a variety of traits across your entire cast. It shouldn't be all physical, all dialect, or all superhero skills that differentiate your characters. A really solid cast will have a numerous types of roles and kinds of people that add to the setting and to the plot.<br />
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Notice some things you DON'T need to know about every character: their name, physical appearance, socio-economic status, wound, backstory, web of relationships, profession and professional knowledge, greatest fear, proudest moment, or taste in music, clothes, or cuisine. You <i>might</i> need these things for some of the characters, but not all. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Do you struggle more with overdoing characterization, or not having quite enough? </b></span>Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4263988256560129564.post-62630759334959374892017-10-12T14:40:00.000-04:002017-10-12T14:40:04.227-04:00The "writing for yourself" quandry<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQUieL2-tkb745CSUBAw1AysuO5U14RJWSGIpO20n37-_VCE35LtUVQDM1uA7CaCEIwEp52lvz0yRZyj3weDn1YxHvtQBEL8KvKaSxahHfzJQOSE6BeZv6G4X_1T3ttUdZkvByZVX_mWi/s1600/rethinking+write+for+self.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQUieL2-tkb745CSUBAw1AysuO5U14RJWSGIpO20n37-_VCE35LtUVQDM1uA7CaCEIwEp52lvz0yRZyj3weDn1YxHvtQBEL8KvKaSxahHfzJQOSE6BeZv6G4X_1T3ttUdZkvByZVX_mWi/s320/rethinking+write+for+self.jpg" width="320" /></a>I have to admit, I've been deeply skeptical of the advice to "write for yourself." Perhaps it's a byproduct of my upbringing, of being told again and again that the root of all kinds of evil is selfishness--greed, lust, hatred, coveting, the whole litany of deadly sins. Perhaps it's from interacting with beginning writers who are excessively prickly and hostile to any suggestion that their rough draft "baby" isn't a perfect masterpiece. I hear the phrase and think self-indulgent and even narcissistic.<br />
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<i>What about readers?</i> I'd wonder. <i>Do you care about whether they can make any sense of your story? Do you want to pour months of time into something that will no one will want to read? </i><br />
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The ironic thing is, spending too much time worrying about the questions above is more likely to hobble you than help.<br />
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And so will convincing yourself that you have unselfish motives. Because once you start worrying about motives, you're likely to get lost in a hall of mirrors, frantic to find a pure reflection. Could there be a more self-centered pursuit?<br />
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But reading Elizabeth Gilbert's <i>Big Magic</i> (or more accurately, about half of it so far) has got me rethinking my assumptions about what "write for yourself" really means.<br />
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Gilbert says that creativity is "your birthright as a human being, so do it with a cheerful heart.... Let inspiration lead you where it wants to lead you. Keep in mind that for most of history people just made things, and they didn't make such a big freaking deal out of it. We make things because we <i>like</i> making things."<br />
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How's that for a pep talk with a good dose of kick-in-the-pants? :-)<br />
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Essentially, then, "writing for yourself" means engaging deeply with your ideas: follow them, invest labor and energy into them, shape them, feed them. Delight in the ideas and let their song move you to sing along and dance with abandon.<br />
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It means you can (and should) stop trying to be helpful--it's a masquerade for the deeply selfish need to be important, and the crippling need for permission and validation from others.<br />
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"Writing for yourself" is light and free and doesn't take itself so utterly seriously. If the idea leads down a blind alley, oh well. Part of the adventure! Look around, discover something unexpected. Backtrack if you must, or step through a side door. But when you "write for yourself," these glitches are not devastating disruptions of some Very Important Thing that will make you matter.<br />
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"Writing for yourself" comes from a healthy place of a right-sized self that can accept its own simultaneous greatness and smallness. It says "you are enough." Not the be-all-and-end-all, but not trash. Just <i>enough</i>.<br />
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Gilbert's book has been an interesting complement to <i>Around the Writer's Block</i> by Roseanne Bane, which I've blogged about <a href="https://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-surprising-key-to-productivity-you.html" target="_blank">HERE</a> and <a href="https://laurelgarver.blogspot.com/2014/10/better-together-building-accountability.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Bane approaches creativity through brain science, and her main finding is that anxiety derails creativity; to be creatively productive, you need to relax and have fun.<br />
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In other words, stop looking over your shoulder, wondering how others will react, or seeking their go-ahead for your creative endeavors, or signs of their gratitude for your "help."<br />
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When your authentic self shows up and explores the ideas entrusted to you (Gilbert has some <i>fascinating</i> theories about how ideas find us), you become radically liberated from the impulses of selfishness--specifically self-preservation. The work done "for yourself" then flows and grows.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What do you think about "writing for yourself"?</b></span><br />
<br />Laurel Garverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03657218435228802535noreply@blogger.com2