"Show me how you do that trick, the one that makes me scream." She said.

Yes, show me because I can actually experience what you want me to, instead of hearing about it. The Cure promises "Show me how you do it and I promise you, I promise that I'll run away with you. I'll run away with you."

 

(Drawing by Zoe)

Show, don't tell. It's how to get our readers to run away with us in our story. It's also beat in our little writer brains. Even though we all work hard to show, sometimes we slip and tell. No matter how many articles I read about how to show and not tell I find it hard to verbalize in a single sentence or phrase to help me remember and stay focused. Heidi Thomas over at Blood Red Pencil did an interview with editor BarbaraWarren with Blue Mountain Editorial Service. One of the questions Barbara answered summed up Show vs Tell for me in a simple answer.

What are the major mistakes you look for when editing a manuscript?

One big mistake is to tell the story instead of showing it through dialogue and action. It’s the difference between someone telling you what happened yesterday and you being present when it actually happened.

Someone telling you versus you actually being present.  Ah yes!  Finally a post-it note reminder that I can use every time I edit that can get my writing where it needs to be.  So how about you, what gets you there?  Ahem...in your writing of course.


I thought to apologize for the risky photo...but I can't.  I love it.

You'll be running the whole time!

If you haven't read it you really should.  I believe Suzette Saxon over at Shooting Stars said it best on her Tuesday post "Permission to Quit" she is suffering from PHGD (aka Post Hunger Games Disorder.)  Aw sigh, so am I.  Waiting for the third book to come out in August is like waiting for the New Moon movie.  (Yes, I love the Twilight books and movies.  Burn me at the stake if bugs you.)

I'm not by any means a speed reader and never want to be.  This book I read in a world record eleven hours, world record for me that is.  And I found, that reading a book that fast has it's drawbacks.  When I awoke from the fog, I found myself to be very depressed.  Not because the book was depressing, though it had it's sad moments, but because it was over and I was left with all this emotion to process.  So I do recommend reading the book and FORCING yourself to put it down every few chapters so you can process.

**The Hunger Games Spoiler Alert**

This book is the second in The Hunger Games series.  It's a dystopian society oppressed by a socialistic government, know as The Capital.  In the their attempts to discourage any district from ever revolting again they created the Hunger Games.  (click link to see Hunger Games Review) Katniss and Peeta won the Hunger Games but in doing so made a mockery of the Capital and started a revolt.  Now every thing they do is being watched with a critical eye and one slip up could be death to them or their family.

The book is broken down in to three sections: cruel victory tour through the districts that lost, training for the 75th Hunger Games and competing in the 75th Hunger Games.  There is not a single point in the book that I could comfortably put the it down.  Every single page begged me to turn to the next.  And it was deliciously devoured like piece of Chocolate Lava Cake, mmmm.  (which I haven't eaten in years because it's like 700 plus calories, sigh.)

Suzanne Collins is a patient author who sticks true to her characters.  Katniss, the MC, is a survivor and has no need for love, beyond the love for her mother and sister.  But slowly, very slowly, she is discovering what love could mean for her.(and it ain't Gale baby!)

There is one moment in the book, and if you haven't read the book you will probably be grossed out but Katniss runs her hands through her hairy legs because she missed the feel.  Ew! (prepping for the Hunger Games they wax her down, make her prettier or should I say feminine).  Even while reading the book I balked at Suzanne Collins for writing this but...it is a very pertinent point to the understanding of this character.  It is the PERFECT show, not tell.  You see, when you don't know where your next meal is coming from and you're the sole provider for your wretchedly poor family, razors and smooth legs are a joke, not a daily requirement.  (Thank god I don't live in dystopia.*GwOE kisses her razor*)   This is one of many BRILLIANT examples of keeping in character.  I would have never written it in one of my MS but now, I see the value of hairy legs.

Okay, I'm being silly but you get my point.  Building a character, to that level takes full submersion into that character, is like method acting for writers.  Maybe that is what it takes for us writers to transform characters from two dimensional to three dimensional.  And all that stress I did a few weeks ago about not being really good at dialogue.  I've thrown it out the window, because Suzanne Collins has shown me that telling a story through someone's eyes can be just as powerful, if not more powerful than what a character says.

My only negative about the book, (oh please don't let lightening strike me down) is that I felt rushed through.  Suzanne Collins could have totally made this into two books in my opinion.  Of course, maybe that's me wishing and hoping she decides not to end the series after the third book and we get a surprise forth book. (*crosses fingers, I wish I wish I wish*)

If you haven't read it, add it to your list.  Really good read.

Follower Fairy

Have you seen her?  I'm sure you all have.  Every blog I see I find her pixie face smiling back.  She comes around when your followers are way below twenty and once she visits....magically more people start to follow you.  Many more!  She's like the Tooth Fairy but instead of bringing your quarters, she brings you followers.

Some people call her Elana Johnson others call her the Query Ninja either way she's all over the blogosphere bringing awareness to the little people.  Thanks Elana!

Asking for directions, no matter your gender.

Got Plot Map?  Well now I do.  It's good and bad in the same breath.  Good because it helps you fill in the holes and bad because wow, you didn't know there were so many holes.

After surfing blogs two weeks ago, I discovered a work of art.  Now keep in mind, this is not the typical piece of "art" you'd find in a museum but something that captured a "gasp" in me.  Lisa Amowitz over at Why A? had this beautiful organized piece of art that I wanted for myself.  Her Plot Map for her WIP will please the graphic art designer in all of us.  

(Her map is much prettier than mine.)  But she doesn't take credit for this genius.  It was inspired by the blog of Martha Alderson over at The Plot Whisperer.  During the month of December, Martha does a International Plot Writing Month where she breaks down day by day what you should do to have a fabulous plot.  Now I, Girl with One Eye and very little patience, decided to make my map and then I discovered Martha's instructions.  Not, step one do this, step two do this but a general overview of how to map out your plot.

Now  this what you will need:

(click picture for detail)

I did mine on a dry erase board because I need to be able to hang it on the wall (or take it down when guest come over.)  As you see, Lisa Anowitz did hers on large squares of paper.  Pick you poison.  Be sure to actually read what the Plot Whisperer has to say during the month of December 2009 before you start.  I jumped the gun and then I found her words of wisdom to guide me.

Here is my Plot Map (in progress):

(click picture for detail)

My color post-its and their location have meaning.
Blue - chapters, highlights, outlines or scenes
Green - discoveries, concepts or ideas
Pink - reminders, clarifications, inserts, or changes
Orange - questions or plot pacing errors


Everything above the plot line is the story in progress and everything below the plot line are things to consider as the story progresses.  Now as I have stated before I have not finished reading the Plot Whisperer's instructions so I will keep you updated/changes as I go along.  Well I hope this inspires you to flesh out your story.  It did me.  Thanks Lisa Anowitz for sharing yours.

Unplug Week

Unplug Week starts the third Monday of every month.  Unplugging means no blogging, commenting,  facebooking, myspacing, twittering, or anything else that keeps you from writing.  


Originally the idea spawned from BJ Anderson but I found out about it from Diana over at Writing Roller Coasters.


It works out for me anyway with MLK Jr.  Holiday today and the whole family is home shortening my typical three days per week of writing time down to two.   Maybe you'll join me and find out that you actually can survive without the internet.


See you next Monday.  Happy Unplugging!

Non-Book Review, Sort Of

Since I am short on time this morning, I will postpone my book review of Catching Fire or Hush Hush until next week.

Unless an individual is paid to do otherwise, I believe in only reviewing books that I enjoyed and would recommend.  In the blog world you never want to vent about something that might later come back and bite you in the butt.  (more eloquently posted here from YA Highway).  Venting negativity begets receiving negativity and I have enough obstacles in my life that I don't need to add to it.   Something I try to teach my children is, "If you can't say anything nice...keep your mouth shut."  So I will not post/vent about why I didn't like a certain book. Think of it as good Karma.

Though I am not published (nor have I tried to be...yet) I am an avid reader, who's purchase of books puts money in the pockets of those who are published, so I do think my opinion has value.  Even with that said, I refuse to vent about a book, especially in a public forum.

Some books I read, are well written but they were just not "my type" of book.  This is not the case in Fallen By Lauren Kate.  I will not be doing a book review for this book.

My crack stash is now depleted.  Check out the type of books I read on my Shelfari (to the right).  If you have the same taste and want to recommend something I'd love to hear it.  Also, has anyone read and would recommend the following books:  The Stolen One by Suzanne Carlisle Crowley, Madapple by Christina Meldrum, or Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

Happy Friday!

I ain't buying it.

That is the last thing I would hope someone thinks when they read my book.  And I'm talking after they have actually bought it and started to read it.  Though I will never give a bad review of a book, I do think it is note worthy to mention things that authors do that bug me.  Not an author in particular because I notice almost every author does this in some form or another.  The current book I am reading does it in such a way, I ain't buying it.

Inevitably most published authors have had some, if not extensive, education in the literary field.  And no doubt that person had to read an endless array of books/poems/plays that discuss and dissect the writings of every author from William Shakespeare to Stephen King.  Not only did they study them, they were inspired by them.

Other inspirations come from the music we listen to, the movies we watch and even the historical events of someone famous.  Writers use these inspirations and pass them on to their MC's, in attempts to share their passions and loves with their readers. So you get the occasional mention of Romeo and Juliet, or the brief thought to Paradise Lost and heck, throw in some reference to a classic movie with Elizabeth Taylor.  I get it.  I do.  Once or twice I get it.  BUT...it really needs to relate to the story, significant to the character or at the very least to teens, if we are talking YA novels.  (Which I am.)   Don't abuse your passions or knowledge.  (You know what I'm talking about, those authors who brag about their understandings of complicated literary pieces.  Yeah, you're rolling your eyes too.)

Sure there are occasional books that mention these really cool teens watching Casa Blanca, though I never did as a teen but other classics maybe, so I'll let that slide.  One or two of these obscurities from a "cool" bunch of teens I can handle.  But the current book I am reading, I will not mention names (look to left), talk about a  few randomly obscure things that I have a hard time believing that a teen has an interest in much less thinks is cool.  And before I go on, and I must (fearing this to be a really long post) if the book mentions these things referencing, "well because my dad loves this music" or "the English teacher made me read it" I can accept their obscure (yes I have abused that word here) likes.

BUT...(here's the but) when degenerate teens (degenerate typically not the most well read, diverse bunch) scratch records and karaoke in a mini after party to Robert Johnson & R.L. Burnside (two blues legends), I question it.  Not to forget, the MC LOVES Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn or the fact that she has used, in dialogue, several three syllable words that even I as a 30 something adult had to look up in the dictionary. (No, the MC is not brilliant or studying for her SATs.) I ain't buying it.  These are only a couple of instances that I can pop off the top of my head and I am only halfway through the book.

I love it when an author is passionate about something and sneaks it in to their writing.  But for the most part, unless it furthers along the story I think it is best to keep your passions to your blog or website.  For instance I made a reference in my current WIP to a line from Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech.  It is a line that speaks to my soul and it IS relevant to the plot of my story.  Also, there is a band that I LOVE and I briefly mention one of their songs and it's meaning.  It has nothing to do with the character, book or plot...so I cut it.

Do you see what I mean?  Is the abuse of  literary bragging rights or the overly exaggerated pop culture euphemisms getting to you?  (wow, too many adverbs and adjectives sorry.)

EDIT:  I'm not angry or venting. (i re-read my post and it sounds like that but I'm not)  I'm just scratching my head wondering how NOT to do this myself but still trickle in my own passions/inspirations.

Surfing the Blogosphere

Oooo, look at me. I’m breaking my blog schedule. Don’t I feel rebellious. Um no, but I do hate my blog schedule btw...it just stresses me even more but I feel I have to commit to something so how about this...I'll promise three blogs a week. If you get more, count yourself lucky.

Since I have taken on this new project, oh it feels good, I don't have much time to surf the blogosphere so my commenting is down.  If you miss me, just know I'm reading but not commenting.  Here are a few places I've been in the last week or two that I find are worth mentioning.

Write on Target - SUBLIMINAL MONDAY - FIRST EDITION! On Writing a New Book [Important Stuff]

Cute Monday blog that had me giggling all the way through.  I've yet to check yesterday but I am sure it will be delightful.

Editorial Ass - Overwriters Anonymous 

Are you abusing the written word?  Though I have adopted my new friend "Said" and lessened my dialogue tags.  I have recently discovered that I suffer from "unnecessary restate", which is something brought to my attention by my lovely critique partner.  Thankfully it is fixable.   Overwriters have a blindness to their problems but with help and the eye of a critique buddy you can overcome your bad writing habits too.

YA Highway - Why You Should Think Before You Post

Something to ponder before you vent in public.  This is the exact reason I have never written a diary.  No matter how secretive you think you are being, if you write it down, it can be read by someone other than you.

Amber Argyle – 10 Steps to Unblock Your Writer’s Block

Though this blogger has decided to take a rest from blogging (to write, smart girl) I found this post to be very helpful.  Especially # 3. Turn off your internal editor. Repeat after me: The first draft is crap. And that's okay.

Just a couple of blog posts I thought noteworthy of mention.

BTW... I'm an idiot or a at the very least a dork.  I reworked my blog page yesterday and mucked with my settings and I put my "About Me"  title in the "name" field, so instead of "Girl with One Eye" comments you got "About Me"  comments.  *shakes head*  I fixed it though.

Monkey See, Monkey Do

Or maybe it should be Squirrel See, Squirrel Do.  With all my crack addict book addictions lately I think I might be striking a spark in my nine year old son.  He has never been a reader by choice, only because I make him read 30 minutes a day.  But lately, my crack  book addiction has increased so has his curiosity. 

Now the last couple of books I’ve read (The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, The Maze Runner) really got me excited about reading.  I’d find myself talking to my hubby about the stories and then my son would ask questions, excited too.  Parts of the story I could share with him but some parts were not appropriate.  BUT…what I have noticed is that he is starting to read with a little less complaint and talks about what he read with a little more enthusiasm.   Bringing home his book report book…”Mom, Mom, you’ll probably want to read this book.  It’s about dragons in back yards.  I think it will be cool.” 

And my heart stopped.  Could my little angel be picking up my good crack habits, ahem I mean book habits?  I wasn’t a child who lived in books.  Sure there were phases in my youth that I divulged in a book or two but for the most part, no.  After the boys were born I missed reading but couldn’t find anything to capture my interests.   A year ago, the movie Twilight came out and…I don’t want her you people sigh, just listen…and I saw the movie and thought; Wow, pretty cool.  It’s a book?  I’ll pick it up and check it out.  BOOM!  Fire lit, and I have not stopped reading since. 

It was hard after finishing the books to find more that captivated me so well.  I kept going to the bookstore, bought a lot of duds then eventually I started finding more and more books for me.  The more I read the easier it was for me to determine if that book was for me.  So now I am trying to teach this to my son so he never loses the momentum. 

So along with picking up the occasional swear word (Please, everybody slips.) children can also pick up your good habits, so let your kids see you curl up with a good book and converse with them about the fire it strikes within you.

A Crack Addict and a Book Review

No, not a Crack Addict Book Review, but  let's talk about crack addicts then  a book review.

I feel like a crack addict.  Though I have never done crack or seen crack or know anyone first hand who is a crack addict, I feel like one.  I'm basing it off enough reality tv that I'm pretty sure I can imagine to some degree what it might feel like.  Since last Friday I have read four books: The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, Catching Fire, and Hush Hush.  (Only a couple more chapters left in Hush Hush but it'll only take me a half hour at most)  I'm burning through my stash at a $60 a week crack habit.  If I keep up this pace I will burn through a little over $3000 by the end of the year and will have met my 50 books in a year challenge by the first of April.  And I'm sorry, the library never has any of these books I want to read. Heck most of the books I want to read the library doesn't even carry much less have them in.  I try to slow down, I try not to burn through my books but I say every time..."just one more chapter.  That's all.  It'll be the last one I read today, I promise."  Yeah that's what they all say.  Well, I guess there could be worse addictions than reading, like say, using crack for instance.

Ok, on with the book review:  The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Diana had a contest about a month ago and gave away an ARC of this book which I won!  (No, the contest was not rigged.)

James Dashner compares his book to a Lord of the Flies meets End Game.  Though I have not read End Game (which I might add it to my list since I burn through books like crack) I would agree it is like Lord of the Flies, sort of.  Instead of being junior high or younger children they are adolecent teens.  Instead of operating under chaos it is very organized.  And teens were not stranded but they can not get out.

My synopsis:  Thomas wakes to find himself in a "box" that drops him off in an unknown place ran by a bunch of teenage boys.  He and the rest of the boys have absolutely no memory of their past but they make an existence for themselves, surviving in the four walls of the Glade.  Outside the Glade, is the maze and you don't want to be on the outside at night because you won't return alive.  Some unknown powers that be, they call the Creators, send supplies once a week and one new boy a month but after Thomas arrives, things change quickly and the race to solve the maze is on.

My Review:  Absolutely amazing and creative.  You get really angry and frustrated along with Thomas because you have no freaking clue what is going on.  And you don't find out until the very end...I mean the very end.  So if you don't have patience, this may not be a book for you.  At the end you are left with a huge cliffhanger making you yearn for the next book.  And let me tell you the end, no wait, the epilogue will shock the crap out of you.  The boys of the Glade speak a language of their own.  At first I found it just as annoying as Thomas but when I finally caught on to their lingo I thought it was the coolest freaking thing I had ever heard.  James Dashner said that his agent suggested that these boys, who have been here for some time, should have created their own lingo/language and that he should go back an add that in.  Brilliance on behalf of the agent and Dashner enveloped me in that lingo and pulled me into a deeper part of my imagination that I didn't know existed.    Though there is not a romance in this book, it hinted to one that I think will develop in the next book.

So there you have it...crack addict and all.

I've fallen in love and I don't know how to tell my husband.

It's pretty bad.  I didn't mean to.  We started off just being friends and then one thing led to another and ...we kissed.  After that I knew, I had to find a way to divorce my husband and marry my MC's love interest.  I know he's only two dimensional.  Words are two dimensional right?  But he is so strong, serious, protective, loyal and torn... Torn between the world he's destined to be apart of and the love of his life, me...ahem, I mean my MC.

Now I'm only on day two of them knowing each other but I already know I'm in love.  There's no turning back now.  It doesn't matter that I'm white and he's Native American.  It doesn't matter that I'll have to hide our relationship from most of my friends until I can figure out how to tell them.  He's mine, all mine and I can't believe I ever thought I even knew what love was before he came along.

Well I'm off to boxing, then home again to be with him.  Where I can write until my little heart contents.
In the words of Mrs. Wendy Sparrow...le sigh.

They're so nice, they love me twice.

The "One Lovely Blog Award," it never gets old to be loved.  Laurel over at Laurel's Leaves gave me this fantastic award and now I have received it for the second time.  I think it's the greatest form of flattery.  She has a sweet little gig going on over there with her blog and I recently joined it after she gave me some very helpful advice in the comments of one of my posts, Exercise in Dialogue.  (Thanks, little lady.)

Book Review: The Hunger Games

Over the last three days, in a little over twelve hours I read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  Originally, another author I like recommended this book (maybe Stephenie Meyer but I'm not sure).  After seeing the cover and then reading the inside cover synopsis I thought, eh I'll put it on my list and maybe get to it by next summer. (Yes Diana, the covered made me crinkle my nose too, silly.)   Susan Adrian had a contest back in November and I won this book from her.  Being free, it jumped up to the top of my list. (Especially after I painfully could not finish the Midnighters by Scott Westerfield.)

The Hunger Games is fantastic!  I devoured every word until the bitter end.  I could not put it down and I have already ordered the second book in the series Catching Fire.  The concept is disturbing but the battle for the underdog is amazing.  Suffrage and starvation motivate the weakest of people to rise above their calling.  The slow building romance is unexpected.  Not something I'd normally read even though I love dystopia type stories.

Here is my mini synopsis (No spoilers, don't worry.)
The Capital, aka district 13, is a socialistic government that controls the food, limits communication/transportation and forbids leaving the perimeter of your district.  There are 12 districts under the Capital's control.  Over seventy years ago, 12 of the 13 districts revolted against the Capital and lost.  As a reminder/punishment of the revolt the Capital created the Hunger Games.

12-18 year olds are forced to be apart of this lottery. ("Lottery"  is my term.)  A boy and a girl are picked from each district, 12 districts in all, and put into an "arena" to battle until the death.  The "arena" is a deceptive word, it implies a football size stadium but it's quite the contrary.  It could be a vast desert, snow tundra, or forest, etc.  Kind of like survivor but instead of adults it's 12-18 year olds and instead of winning a million dollars you get your life.  Again, not anything I'd jump to read but it was free mind you. Katniss, the MC, only values things that provide food for her starving little sister and mother.  Her only way to provide is to risk going outside the parameter to hunt.  Coming from the poorest district, number 12, with only one winner to date, she has the least chance of surviving.  And her hunting skill is the only thing that might save her.

I absolutely recommend you add this book to your 2010 must read list.  If you like any one of the following books:  City of Bones, Ashes, Glass or The Forest of Hands and Teeth you will love this book.