…that’s a good question. Let me see if I can give you the simplest answer. (Simple. Ha. There IS no simple answer. But I’ll try to explain.). For the first time ever, I started NaNo but didn’t finish it. I think I wrote about 18k words, and then hit a wall. Not a wall in my writing, a wall in my life. For the past four months, I’ve been struggling with depression. And also, apparently, denial. But about halfway through November, I hit this wall, and realized I wasn’t getting any better on my own. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t focus on anything (Good luck with writing…). I didn’t want to be around people. I was sad and hopeless all the time. Thank God, I have good friends, some of whom have been through this. I finally listened to them, saw a counselor and my doc, and now, six weeks later, thanks to meds and some other changes I’ve made, I’m feeling MUCH better. It’s hard to overstate just how much better I feel now. I feel like myself again. And that is SO nice.
I’ve started being active in my crit group again. I’ve started revising my Werewolf story (again). I’m even planning on starting a new story, if not today, then Saturday. And I plan to start blogging here regularly again. I’m back. You’ve been warned….
So, despite my already-full schedule, I decided to do NaNo this year. I skipped last year, but before that, I won five years in a row. I need the outlet of writing, so I’m giving it a go again this year. Without an outline. With only a handful of character names and only the haziest of plot ideas. I’m writing about Spartans. And Sirens. It’s gonna be great…
“Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine.”
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it.”
–Charles R. Swindoll
“An obstacle is often a stepping stone.”
–Prescott
“There is only one person who could ever make you happy, and that person is you.”
–David Burns
“The rays of happiness, like those of light, are colorless when unbroken.”
— Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Happiness depends upon ourselves.”
–Aristotle
“Do not anticipate trouble, or worry about what may never happen. Keep in the sunlight.”
–Benjamin Franklin
“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”
–Helen Keller
“Storms make oaks take roots.”
–George Herbert
“That which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
–Friedrich Nietzsche
“There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.”
–Denis Waitley
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma, which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
–Steve Jobs
Yeah, it’s a Sugarland song, but that’s not what I’m talking about here. If I wasn’t trying to keep this as polite as possible, the title to this post would have been Sh*t Happens. It happens. It does. Whatever “it” may be for you…well, things aren’t always going to go your way. What happens to you in life is not what matters. What matters most is how you choose to respond to what life throws at you. That is the true test of who you are.
Everyone responds in their own way to circumstances, but tell me this: who do you wish to be more like? The person who, when confronted with difficult circumstances, completely falls apart and becomes hopeless and despairing, convinced nothing will work out for them ever again, that what they want more than anything in the world is impossible?
(Photo courtesy of Amber West, via WANA Commons on Flickr)
Or the person who, even though they are completely overwhelmed by whatever crappy circumstances life has given them, does their best to remain positive and find a way out of their situation, even if that means forcing a smile and “faking it ‘til you make it”?
(Photo courtesy of Catie Rhodes, via WANA Commons on Flickr)
I know which one I want to be, which one I’m struggling to be on a day-to-day basis. This has been a rough week for me. An extremely rough week. What I really want to do is curl up in a ball somewhere and ignore the world—and even more importantly, everyone in it. But that’s not healthy. So, instead, I get out of bed each morning, determined that I will not be sad all day. I turn to my friends, the people who matter most to me in life, the people who will love me no matter what, and they give me the support and encouragement I need to keep going. I do everything I have to during the day, but I also make a concentrated effort to do at least one little thing that I want to, that makes me feel better. Something just for me, no matter how small.
Sure, there’s at least one moment every day that I break down into tears, but I won’t let those moments run together and become interminable. I won’t let this break me. I refuse. Is this what I wanted from my life? No! Oh, such a resounding “no”…but it’s what I’ve got. So I’ll make it through, and I’ll do the best I can do, no matter what. I believe everything happens for a reason. Someone asked me recently if believing that made me feel better. No. It doesn’t. Sometimes, life still sucks, even though I believe said suckiness is happening for a reason. Even though right now, maybe I can’t see the forest for the trees.
(Photo courtesy of M-Smith, via WANA Commons on Flickr)
It will get better. And the people who love me will still be there for me through it all. That’s what they’re there for, after all.
I will not go gentle into that good night! (A phrase that means enough to me that I got it tattooed….)
Thanks to author Ruth Ellen Parlour for her guest post yesterday. Also thanks to her for providing a free e-copy of her novel, Earth Angel. The winner of Earth Angel is tocksin, so tocksin, please contact me for your free copy of this new YA fantasy novel.
Ruth Ellen Parlour, author of Earth Angel, is here today to give us some tips on writing romance. Romance isn’t the main plot in her novel, but it’s certainly present, and she has some great tips on how to weave it into your story. You should check out her first novel, Earth Angel! One person who comments on the blog today will receive a free e-copy of Earth Angel. Thanks for stopping by, Ruth and good luck with Earth Angel!
Ruth Ellen Parlour, author of Earth Angel
One of my readers made an interesting comment on the romantic subplot in my fantasy novel, Earth Angel. This particular reader was an older woman and not interested in sappy love stories or erotic scenes. She brought up the point that romance doesn’t need to be either of those things; that a romance can bloom without the characters even touching. This got me thinking about romance in books. I did a bit of research and found some useful tips to consider when writing romance. As a YA writer these tips do not include writing sex scenes!
Individual. The romance should be as unique as the characters. Romance is not a cliché, it is individual and personal. The two romantically involved pairings in Earth Angel couldn’t be more different. Pair 1 – a teenaged girl smitten by a young man who doesn’t even realise. Pair 2 – a man trying to win affection from a woman by driving her nuts. Both pairs have an entirely different relationship and conflicts.
Tension/conflict. Conflict is often a good tool to develop the relationship, whether the two characters have conflicting traits or they are put through a conflict together that brings them close. Tension between characters is good to generate an emotional response from the reader, for example, if they want to touch but can’t.
Climax/raise the stakes. Throughout the novel it might be an idea to raise the stakes of the romance or relationship to a climax at the end for added drama. Start off with small steps and increase the romance throughout.
Exaggerated awareness. From the perspective of the smitten character, they note looks, movements, speech of their loved one with exaggeration. A simple touch is heightened, tense and emotional. This is called Exaggerated awareness and draws the reader into the romance.
Genre. Genre can be used to add drama to a romance. The genre I write is fantasy so romantic elements are always subplot but I use the setting and plot to heighten the relationships. People are brought together through epic, life changing scenarios.
POV. Perspective can be a good tool to add mystery. Telling the story from only one character’s POV in one scene, we don’t know what the other is thinking or feeling which adds tension and mystery.
Details. This can be related to the point about individuality. What are the characters backgrounds, traits, personalities, wants, needs, issues that can affect the relationship? Details are a way to ground the romance in believability.
Dialogue is an essential tool to utilise that can generate a myriad of emotions. The way the characters speak and the words they choose can add drama easily.
Humour. Humour can work if it fits in with the character. One of my characters fancies himself as a joker and pokes fun at his female fancy. This point also relates to the individual aspect.
Character development. Don’t shoehorn a romance into the story for the sake of a romance. What does it add to the plot and to the characters? Your characters should develop and change through the story as the romance and plot does.
Other emotions. It’s not just about romance, what other emotions are in play? What issues do the characters have that affects the relationship: anger, sadness, fear? These tools can be used to add drama or bring the characters together through hardship.
Romance is about the relationship, not just physical attraction. It doesn’t have to be all about kissing and touching. Relationships are built on more than just the physical. The journey the characters take and issues they have to face and can more heart wrenching. This point is related to other emotions and the character development.
Earth Angel is the first novel by UK author Ruth Ellen Parlour. This high fantasy novel, aimed at young adults, is set in a world completely unlike our own. The Earth Angels, serving their gods, fight to protect Eardesha in a world filled with many familiar fantasy creatures—like dragons—and many unfamiliar ones as well, including hybrids—human-animal crosses—and the monstrous Krieger. Earth Angels is the first in a series.
Gabrielle is imprisoned in sinister Khartaz prison, along with her brother, Oz. Desperate to escape the horrors of life there, she and her brother plot their escape, only to face the monsters in the surrounding desert that snatch their friends away one by one. Faith is an Earth Angel intent on reuniting with her lover, whom she left behind, and questioning the meaning of her calling. Zenovia is an orphan who only wants to find her parents, a search that will take her places she never dreamed of.
When an army of the vicious Krieger invades Eardesha with a dark power that threatens to destroy the entire land, the military turns Khartaz prison into a training ground for the convicts in the hope of stalling the destruction. Gabrielle finds herself drawn back to the prison against her will, called by the gods to help her people. Together with Faith, she will uncover a secret the gods have kept hidden for thousands of year, and race to stop the Krieger from destroying Eardesha forever.
Filled with varied landscapes and vivid creatures, Earth Angel is an intriguing first novel set in a fascinating world. The characters are well written and colorful, and the relationships between them bring the story to life. The pages are filled with action and adventure, and will keep the reader racing to find out what happens.
I enjoyed reading this book a lot. It’s a different type of YA fantasy–no vampires or werewolves in sight–and the strong female characters are a refreshing change as well. I liked the idea of the hybrids, too. Sort of SF, but it gave the world a neat twist, which is always a good thing. As an added bonus, Ruth Ellen Parlour will be doing a guest post here on Friday as part of her Earth Angel blog tour, and one commenter that day will receive a free e-copy of the book! So be sure and check back Friday to see what Ms. Parlour has to say about writing romance.
Okay, so this isn’t actual PANTS on fire, but still. (Photo courtesy of Dave R. Farmer, via WANA Commons on Flickr)
Fair warning: this may be a lengthy rant. Also, I’m still a little angry.
Why do people lie? Seriously, isn’t it easier to tell the truth, or at the very least, not tell a falsehood? I don’t like liars. I never have. I’m not claiming to be perfect, or saying I’ve never lied (obviously, THAT would be a lie), but I DO try very hard not to lie. It makes me uncomfortable. And when people lie to me, it makes me angry. Very angry.
One particular instance that happened this week stands out. Background info: I work full-time and go to school full-time. About two months ago, I got it approved that when school started, I would only be working three days a week. Fast forward to this past Wednesday: I come back from a week off to find that the new schedule has me working four days a week. Apparently, my new boss won’t approve it. I was angry, but I decided to talk to her about it.
Now, I already knew that the scheduler had spent some time trying to convince her to approve it, and I already knew that our schedule was late being posted because the new boss had to approve it, so when she lied to me TWICE in the space of two minutes, I almost lost it. I asked her about the issue. She said, “Oh, I think mentioned that to me.” (Lie #1: I already KNOW she did. She’s awesome. She’s on top of these things.). Okay, is there anything you can do about it? I really need that to be my schedule. “I haven’t even seen the staff’s schedule, so I’ll take a look at it and get back to you.” (Lie #2, since I KNOW you had to approve the schedule, which means you had to see it.). I did not, however, lose my temper right then. I calmly told her that I needed to know something in the next couple of days, since school started in a week, and that if it couldn’t be worked out, I would be looking for a new job.
She did ask me if I’d be willing to commit to ONE 4-day week a month. I said yes, but that’s all I’ve heard from her. And on reflection…do I really want to trust the word of someone who has already proven herself to be a liar? I don’t think so. So I’m already looking for a new job. The good news is, I’m certified in a field where 3-day workweeks are relatively common, so I don’t think I’ll have a problem finding something else. (But wish me luck!)
It would have been simpler for her to say, “You know what? I’m aware of the situation. I looked at the schedule, but it’s just not possible.” I would have respected her, even if I were still angry. Now I don’t even have respect for her.
Another example: two years ago, I started dating someone. It was casual for a few months, but then it wasn’t. After a while, he started getting really busy all the time, and I rarely saw him. When I did, he was always really apologetic, and always said how much he missed me, asked me to be patient with his busy schedule a little bit longer (I’m an idiot. I know that…). After a couple of months of this, we split up because he thought one of my friends was interfering when she told him to stop treating me like crap. I found out about three weeks later that he’d been dating someone else for a couple of months and was ENGAGED to her! And he still had the BALLS to tell me, when I called him on it: “I never cheated on you, and I never lied to you.” REALLY? You also never mentioned YOUR FIANCEE!
Again, I would have respected him if he’d told me he met someone else and wanted to break things off. It wasn’t that serious. I’d still have been mad, but I wouldn’t now think he’s a complete and total douchebag. Which I do. Among other things…
Here’s another example:
Lie: Miley Cyrus’s fiancé: “Honey, your new haircut looks fantastic!”
Not-a-lie: Miley Cyrus’s fiancé: Honey, you cut your hair!
See the difference there? The second one is true. It doesn’t hurt anyone’s feelings. It doesn’t make you look like a total a**hat. Is it really too much to ask that people be honest with each other? Things would be so much simpler!
I’ve been nominated for two awards: the Reader Appreciation Award and the Beautiful Blogger award. Awesome, right? It’s not the Nobel Prize or anything, but I’m super excited about it (thank you, Candace Knoebel).
As part of the deal, I have to give you seven facts about myself, so here goes:
1) I’m a pescatarian. (This means the only meat I eat is seafood. For like 5 years now, although bacon is still really tempting sometimes…)
2) I have six tattoos. (Yes, only six. For now…)
3) I’m going to school for environmental biology (or, as everyone always asks “So you want to save the world?” Yes….)
4) I save all the fortunes out of my fortune cookies. Don’t ask me why..
5) I’ve lived in Texas most of my life, but New Orleans is my favorite city ever (and I lived just outside it for two years. Awesome.)
6) Ireland and Costa Rica top the list of Places I Want to Visit.
7) I’d really, really like to learn either Japanese or Gaelic. Not sure why, as there’s not a big demand for either in Texas…
So, a couple of days ago, I got an email with this little story in it from GalleyCat, about a book deal worth seven figures for a work that started out as Twilight fan fiction (Gabriel’s Inferno and Gabriel’s Rapture, by Sylvain Reynard). And no, I’m not talking about Fifty Shades of Grey. If you haven’t heard about Fifty Shades of Grey (by E L James), where the heck have you been for the past few months? It also started out as a Twilight fan fiction piece, albeit one of erotica.
However, these two works of fan fiction are not your usual, run-of-the-mill, only-read-by-fans-on-some-website fan fiction. Fifty Shades of Grey has been phenomenally successful. According to Wikipedia, “On 1 August 2012, amazon.co.uk announced that they had sold more copies of Fifty Shades of Grey than they had of the entire Harry Potter series combined, making E. L. James their best-selling author ever, overtaking J.K. Rowling.” And according to Reynard’s blog yesterday, Gabriel’s Inferno is #35 on the New York Times Bestsellers List (Ebook/Fiction).
My initial reaction to these two pieces of information isn’t exactly printable, but it amounts to something along the lines of “Are you freaking kidding me?!” Fan fiction is, by definition (again, Wikipedia), “fan labor regarding stories about characters or settings written by fans of the original work, rather than by the original creator.” So, these two writers were such huge fans of the Twilight series and its characters that they went out and wrote their own stories about these characters/this world.
Okay. I can understand that. I understand loving characters and a world so much that you just can’t bear to let them go. I love The Dragonriders of Pern. I have no idea how many times I’ve read that series and wished I could be a dragonrider. I can’t even put into words how much I love Gone with the Wind (and for the record, I’ve read that something like upwards of 20 times). Scarlett kicks a**, even if she is kind of clueless sometimes and makes me a little angry (Yes, I still get mad every time I read that book. Who in their right mind would want Ashley when Rhett is right there?). But I’ve never written any sort of re-telling of the story, or written my preferred version of what happened between them.
So, again, are you kidding me? Don’t get me wrong: I firmly believe every writer has the right to write whatever they want, whatever moves them, no matter what anyone else thinks of it. But it bothers me that these two authors are making a substantial amount of money off of works that are based on someone else’s creation. Maybe they changed the names/locations/plots to distance themselves. Maybe the books, in their current incarnations, aren’t anything remotely similar to their original versions (I really can’t say. Apart from the brief bits in the GalleyCat links above, I haven’t read either of them.). Maybe these authors were so inspired by Twilight that they realized their dreams of writing a novel. However….
Writing something based on someone else’s creation would feel like stealing to me. On a personal level, I couldn’t do it. Writing a piece of fan fiction strictly for yourself is one thing. Writing it and putting it out there for others to read, even if it’s made clear that it is based on someone else’s work, is another. Yes, maybe imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but still, you took someone else’s work, changed it up, and called it your own. I read Eragon, too, and it’s similarities to Lord of the Rings and Star Wars bothered me immensely, so maybe this is my own personal problem, but what does everyone else think about this?
Tomorrow Is Another Day 