Welcome back to Writing Club. In this post we will talk about Creating Complex and Intriguing Characters, but first a little warmup…
(5-minute, stream-of-consciousness exercise, write whatever pops into your brain on the topic. Don’t bother with sentences, paragraphs, or punctuation. Just write.) Continue reading
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Okay, so reviews of my book make me anxious. Really anxious. Wincing, cringing, whinging anxious. I mean who likes being criticized for something you worked really hard on?! I prefer my days to be serene and content, so I don’t go out of my way to hunt down reviews, but if someone sends me a link to one I summon all my courage and take a look. (I also figure that if someone sends it to me, it won’t be terrible.)
So I was glad to read the lovely Open Book Toronto review of Eldritch this morning. The only complaint the reviewer had was with how sudden the reveal at the end is, a criticism I’ve heard from others. It’s a valid point, but I don’t regret ending that way, really. I just didn’t want the book to trail on and go out with a whimper, so I saved a bit of a bang for the last page.
What I especially loved in this review was the fact that the reviewer, YA author Kim Firmston, and her daughter both liked the book and found it kept them guessing. I think it’s fantastic whenever parents and kids can share enthusiasm for a book, and discuss it together.
“…this was an awesome read — when I was finally able to read it. My twelve-year-old daughter snatched the book away after reading the first chapter over my shoulder. I didn’t see it again for a while.
So if you have a fantasy lover, put a little Eldritch Manor in their stocking this Christmas, and when they are done reading have a crack at it yourself.”
(Kim Firmston, Open Book Toronto, Nov 13/2013)
(Phew!)
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Some topics just keep expanding the more you explore them! I’ve already written Killer Openings Part 1 and Killer Openings Part 2. Here’s the 3rd and final look at them. Previously we talked about these different kinds of first sentences:
1. DESCRIPTION
2. ACTION
3. INTRODUCE THE HERO
4. INTRODUCE THE VILLAIN
5. THE DIRECT APPROACH
Now let’s carry on with…
6. PARADOX, or SURPRISE TWIST
It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. (1984, George Orwell)
As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect. (The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka)
The end of the world started when a pegasus landed on the hood of my car. (The Last Olympian, Rick Riordan)
These are opening sentences that include some kind of odd twist, surprise, or joke. Depending on the kind of story you are writing, you can use this kind of opening to unsettle the reader, creep the reader out, or make the reader laugh. These openers are extremely effective, but the more time and care you take in writing them, the better they will be. Choose and place each word carefully for maximum effect. Continue reading
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My love affair with libraries and museums continues. A quick stop at the Toronto Reference Library, mostly just to ooh and aah…
And a final stop at the acutely angled Royal Ontario Museum, a strange melding of old and new.
Luckily my enthusiasm for these places is shared by my travelling companion.
So ends our T.O. trek! Back home, back to school, and back to work!
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I came across an article online yesterday entitled Four Ways to Make Sure You Always Have Something to Say Online. Cue the forehead smack.
Why would someone even begin a blog if they weren’t revved up with enthusiasm for their topic of choice, and bursting at the seams with thoughts and questions about it?
Why would someone even begin a blog if they weren’t fascinated by that topic – and were either an expert with loads to say about it, or a devoted amateur eager to learn more?
The problem here is twofold: that people with Nothing To Say are spewing out endless blog posts, and that other people with Nothing To Say, in order to churn out their own blog posts, are linking to those original Nothing To Say posts… (Ditto for Tweets.)
Arrgghhh.
This is what happens when the Business Model is applied to Providing Content. The actual dissemination and transmission of information has become so brilliantly innovative and technologically stunning that less and less time and energy is spent on the actual quality of that information/content.
I say this to anyone wanting to write stories and it applies equally to anyone who wants to start a blog:
You must have something to say about the world!
Or at least be on a passionate quest to find something to say about the world.
Either way.
And if the day comes where you can’t think of anything to say in a post, then for God’s sake don’t say anything! Have a cup of tea and read a good book instead.
Thus endeth my rant for today. You may return to your regular programming…
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I’m finally putting up photos from last Monday and my last batch of school talks. First stop was Allenby Public School, where we had a VERY full house! An extremely enthusiastic bunch, these kids sure LOVE to talk about stories! Thanks for a fun morning, Allenby!
Next I made my way to another stately old library – the Bloor Gladstone branch, which has undergone a beautiful update and reno…
And there I talked to kids from two nearby schools, Pauline and St. Sebastian.
Some terrific questions from this group, about graphic novels, and book series, and self-publishing, among other things. I’m pretty sure there are some future authors in this bunch!
I really enjoyed talking to all the school groups on this trip. I can’t tell you how great it is to meet so many kids who get excited about books! These kids LOVE to read!
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Last Saturday I had a great time signing books at the Chapters Runnymede store. I was kept so busy chatting to parents and kids, as well as friends who dropped in to visit, that I didn’t take any photos! It was great fun, and when I left we’d almost almost sold out… the manager told me I left only one lonely copy on the shelf!
This store is a centrepiece for the whole Bloor West Village strip and I’ve always loved it. I knew it used to be a cinema, but I’ve just learned it was also a vaudeville theatre!
Here’s a wonderful account of the history of the theatre and the Chapters makeover.
And now for the Bad News… Only a few days after my book signing rumours started floating about that Chapters will be moving out! How disappointing if the place gets turned into condo’s or something…
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Things are pretty busy on the road here, but here’s a little prompt for anyone who wants to keep their pens moving… From the Writer’s Digest, here’s a prompt for their November challenge to write a poem every day this month:
For today’s prompt, write an appearing poem. This could be a poem about something (or someone) appearing out of nowhere. Or it could be about appearances–appearing one way to some people; appearing another way to others. (c/o Robert Lee Brewer, on the Writer’s Digest website)
It may be a prompt for a poem, but I think it’s a good springboard for a story too.
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Yesterday I visited Warren Park School, a smaller school with a lot of spirit… even on the day after Hallowe’en!
Even after a late night the students showed no signs of being tired, in fact they were abuzz with their love of stories. And after we talked a little about characters and the basic elements of plot, I heard that they went right off to their classes and busily started on their own stories!
Thanks for your enthusiasm and terrific questions, Warren Park!
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I hit the ground running on this trip – on our first full day here I did 3 talks at our old school, Runnymede P.S.
I spoke to three massive groups in the school’s wonderful library, first the Grade 7/8s…
Then the 5/6s…
And finally the 3/4s…
Holy Mackinaw! Coming straight from small-town life to this was quite a shock. On Salt Spring when you get ten people in one place it’s considered an unruly mob…
It was a whole lot of fun to talk to them about being a writer, making up stories, and the importance of reading, though it turns out the last topic was entirely unnecessary because they already seem to be rabid readers. It’s fantastic to meet kids who are so excited about books!
And at the end of the day I was so exhausted I could have slept for a week. But, as they say, it was a good kind of tired…
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