Learning Writing from Classics

Don't forget to enter my awesome book give-away. You can win your pick of books just by entering your details and retweeting or blogging about the competition. To go to the entry form, click the button:

Last week was Book Week at my girls' school. There were many fantastic costumes and some representing current release books. But, most kids seem to dress up from stories that have been around for some time. Dorothy, Tinkerbell and Pocahontas made an appearance. My youngest went as Alice and my eldest pleased me greatly by going as Miss Marple (she's just discovered Agatha Christie mysteries and loves them). 

Writers of contemporary children's fiction can learn a lot about what entices a reader from the classic narratives. Sure kids like stories they can relate to with contemporary problems (are these really any different from problems of old?), but books like The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland and Agatha Christie's mysteries, obviously posses a formula worth researching.

For my current WIP, The Warracknabeal Kids, I'm being inspired and educated about young boys' fiction by Huckleberry Finn, Tom Sawyer and To Kill a Mockingbird. Have you read any classic fiction to inspire your current work?

"Oh dear, where's my magnifying glass?"

"I think you dropped it down the rabbit hole old lady."

Book Giveaway Time!

200 followers! Woo Hoo! To celebrate, I'm hosting a BIG BOOK GIVEAWAY!

It's sooo simple to enter, all you have to do is choose which TWO books (yes, you get two!) you would most like to win, fill in the form and tweet or blog about this contest (include a link to this page so people can find it). These will be brand-spanking new books ordered for you from Amazon. I've made a selection for you to choose from, based on my absolute favourite books for helping me with the craft of writing. You will LOVE these books, the hard part will be choosing just two:

 

 

Good Luck!

10 Best Links for Novel Writing Structure

Hyperbole - important part of any good storytelling formula

Some writers use formulas to outline their plots before writing, others just get pen to paper and write wherever their mind takes them. I'm a plotter. There are endless tried and true formulas that can help writers needing a little more structure. Here are the best links I've found to help you.

1. The Lester Dent Pulp Paper Master Fiction Plot
2. Structure by Screenplay Mastery
3. Get a Little Conflict in Your Scene
4. Writing Novels - Formulas and Structures
5. How to Write Your Novel Using a Formula
6. Story Structure and Plot - Novel Writing Tips
7. Plot and Pacing Part One, Plot and Pacing Part Two and Plot and Pacing Part Three
8. Story Elements Checklist for Brainstorming Index Cards
9. Writing Lessons by Richard Setlowe
10. Novel Endings 

Plus, two educational links on plot and structure for teachers:

http://www.vrml.k12.la.us/2nd/more/graphic_organizers.htm

Teaching Plot and Structure through Short Stories

5 Crafty Ways to Recycle Old Books

I've been thinking about what I could do with the masses of old books I have.

I know some of you may be a bit sensitive about recycling books for new uses (look away now), but I got over that when I once bought a whole box of old books at a garage sale, only to find they were filled with little bugs and mould. Some old books can't be saved. But here's few ideas I might just try:

1. The Book Bar

See the book bar being built at:

http://www.vestaldesign.com/projects/bookbar/

2. Book Beads

See how to make book beads at:

http://smallestforest.net/2009/11/23/a-quick-tutorial-book-beads/

3. Pages as Craft Paper

I could use the pages as decopage, or to paper a wall, or to cover other books.

4. Paper Dolls

Inspired by my daughters love of paper dolls and their book review blog: Paper Dolls

5. Bookmarks

And I've been thinking about creating some laminated bookmarks from cut out pages and words.

6. Swaps

Here's 11 more useful ways to recycle the old but still readable books (in a less destructive manner). I love the idea of randomly leaving books for people to find on public transport!:

http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/community-tips/recycle-used-books-460808

Any other suggestions from those brave enough to take a pair of scissors to an old book?

Write Flashbacks Long, Edit them Short

When I first submitted Dog Show Detective to an online critique group, one of the common comments was about my long flashback. And it was true- this flashback was several pages long.

Through studies and reading, I've picked up that the story starts with the introduction of the problem, or at least the first change in the protagonist's life that leads to the story worthy conflict. But what if you love your long flashback and think it's necessary backstory defining your characters?

I trimmed my scene as much as I could, and it still felt too long. Putting it aside as 'too hard for now', I continued with the edits, until... I found another spot that would be suitable to host part of that flashback. I kept splicing it and weaving it through the novel, so ultimately each section of backstory was cut to a couple of lines.

When I read novels, especially with mystery novels, I am always in awe of the way the read weaves hints to backstory throughout the narrative, eventually revealing itself as clues to the protagonist's journey to this point. Now I wonder if it started with a big ol' info dump that gets transformed into snippets of backstory.

Writing is for writing, if a long flashback comes or a huge info dump, I'll write it that way - I can always make it look clever in the editing. To see why info dumping isn't recommended for your final draft, check out this long internal monologue of backstory:

Like to read more about how to handle back story? Here's my four favourite links on this topic:

1. Dump the Information Dump by Writing.com - trends change and readers no longer have the patience to read through pages of description.
2. 3 Tips for Writing Successful Flashbacks by Writers Digest - excellent advice on how to handle the flashback including time-frames.
3. How to Write Backstory that doesn't put your Reader to Sleep by Story Sensei - basic rules and exercises to try.
4. Mastering the Long Flashback by Anna Staniszewski - for when the story calls for an epic flashback.

Cinders

Cinders by Michelle Davidson Argyle

Most of my followers would know of Michelle Davidson Argyle, a writer who's been prominent in the blosasphere. Perhaps you've seen her columns on The Literary Lab hosted by a team of talented writers offering advice. Michelle also has her own blog at The Innocent Flower and now has her own Author Website Michelle Davidson Argyle.

Michelle has been blogging, twittering and Facebooking about her experience writing and editing her new novella, and finally the time came to release it to the public. I've found Michelle's experiences quite motivating and appreciate her dedication and the hard work she has given to her writing passion. I couldn't wait to read this story because I'd seen it develop through her blogposts and because I'm a big fan of 'bring back the novella'.

Making the novella available on Kindle immediately upon release was a brilliant idea. Lately I've tried to purchase many new release novels that are published through traditional publishers, only to find their Kindle release is held off for too long. I want to read a story when it's new, when there is lots of buzz about it (I'm a dedicated consumer and am happily influenced by hype). So within minutes, Cinders was mine to read!

This is quite an unexpected development on the original fairytale - if you like the Disney version with birds tweeting and happily-ever-afters, then you might be in for a shock. This story is much more inline with the style of the Brothers Grimm with dark twists and tragic consequences for many characters. What was beautiful was the imagery provided of the harsh reality of living like a princess and the increadible development of this almost Hamlet-ish protagonist into maturity.

Definitately worth a read, and you can knock it over in two bedtime sittings easily (if you get page hungry, like me).

So Hooray! for Michelle, taking the responsibility of her career in her own hands and setting such a great example for writers like myself. If you'd like to give her novella a whirl, go to Michelle's author website:

Michelle Davidson Argyle

(I just wanted to add that I know some bloggers have reviewed the book in return for a free copy, but I was more than happy to purchase mine, I love supporting fellow writers and feeding my consumer addiction at the same time!)

Get a Little Irony in your Diet

Most writers I know are also lovers of irony (so are most teenagers, but they like to call it 'Fail'). I just had to share my own recent example.

Yesterday, I posted about distractions from writing that I pretend are devices to help me write. I've long suspected Twitter and Blogger are not actually helping me get words down in my WIP (although I think the cookies still do help?). Right after I posted my list of distractions, mostly found in the Internet world, my Internet went down. I was without social networking for the whole day (today I've managed to slip down to the local library for an online fix). Had I upset the ADSL gods?

After a moment of stunned shock, I pulled out my WIP, The Warracknabeal Kids, and wrote. I got in two new chapters and opened up some new connections between characters. I also discovered some important motives. Once I'd exhausted my words, I turned to editing Dog Show Detective, which also turned out to be time productively spent.

Afterwards, I polished off a novel I'd been reading I Am Not A Serial Killer. Dan Wells' novel is about a teenager who feels it is left up to him to stop a vicious serial killer in his home town, ironically, this kid is also a sociopath.

I've learned that sometimes it pays to turn off the technology and just write (but not always! I still need my blogs to read and twitter friends to contact!). I'm thinking of introducing one day a week where I 'switch off'.

So, if we all love a bit of irony, how about finding ways to put it into your manuscript? What if your MC devises a plan to achieve what they want, but it ironically turns out to give their antagonist what they want instead?

And on an exciting note - I've almost reached 200 followers! Keep an eye out for the competition I'll run as soon as I get there (any day now!) - big book giveaway coming up!

Writing Devices or Distractions

Things I could write a great novel without:

• Tertiary studies in literature
• Books on how to write a great novel
• Reading blogs about writing
• Writing blogposts about writing
• Cute notebooks
• Fancy writing software
• Research into some obscure reference in my story
• Podcasts on writing
• Novelty pens
• Writers retreats/festivals/conferences
• Twitter writer friends
• Critique groups
• Writer's cookies

Sure, I could write a great novel without any of those things, the question is... would I? Do you use all these things to motivate your writing, just a few, or do you hmpf! at it all and just write? (I suspect you at least read blogs). So, for no other reason than distraction - I give you... 

Dramatic Chipmunk vs OMG Cat!