I wrote a post a while back called Writing is Like Kimchi. But this pastย week, it feels more like a roller coaster! Check out this post I wrote over at the MiGs.
Have You Ridden Any Coasters Lately?
News
Multiple Points of View
I really enjoy reading books with multipleย pointsย of view.ย Recent reads have been theย ACROSS THE UNIVERSE books, BLOOD MAGICย andย CROSSED. In looking at books with multiple points of view, it’s important to get into the character’s head.
A book I thoroughly enjoyed, as did my students, was ONCE UPON A MOTORCYCLE DUDE by Kevin O’Malley. The fairytale was written by his two characters, one a girl and one a boy. What made this book so special was the illustrations because they match well with the text.
For instance, the girl starts telling the story:
“Once upon a time inย a castle… there lived a beautiful princess named Princess Tenderheart.”
The illustrations done by Carol Heyerย match the text perfectly with soft pastel colors,ย flowers and ponies.
Then the book takes a fullย 180 degreeย switch when the boy takes over the story:
“One day this really cool muscle dude rides up to the castle on his motorcycle.”
And the illustrations are full of dark colors: blacks, reds and silvers. In fact, Heyer doesn’t illustrate these but it’s an entirely different illustrator, Scott Goto. There are words like volcanoes, thunder, lightning, battles, and giants.
I loved how distinctly different the characters were and their point of views. It made the story hilarious (sure it was aย little stereotypical) but I couldn’t help but think, this is the perfect example of a book that shows point of view switches!
Some great links for writing different POV’s are:
- Kristi Cook’s Point-of-View in Young Adult
- Tara Harper’s Multiple Points of View
- Understand the Effects of Your Point of View
- Three Tips for Multiple Points of View
Ultimately, it’s important each character has their own distinct voice.ย If you were to open the book and randomly pick out a page, would you be able to identify who’s telling the story at that point by the voice?
How about you? Have you written or read a greatย book with multiple points of views?
Twizzlers Sent Me Inspiration!
The other day on Twitter I mentioned that I’d sent hubby out to get me a pack of chocolate and Twizzlers to help me with my revisions. I asked Twitter if he was being sweet or escaping. Twizzlers voted SWEET and sent me this really cool Twizzlers pen!
I love it! Thank you Twizzlers for sending me some inspiration.
(Oh and ignore my messy desk.)
Winners of 9 Book Giveaway!!!!
Oh how I love giveaways. They are just soooo much fun. Thank you to everyone who entered! And now I get to announce the lucky ones.
Middle Grade Fantasy Pack: Kaya H
Middle Grade Girl’s Pack: Still open for giveaway. The first person to comment saying they want it, gets it!!!!!!
MATCHED: Madison
I AM NUMBER FOUR: Llehn
UNTRACEABLE: Zoe Z
Please email me your mailing address at christinal dot farley at gmail dot com to get yourย book(s)!ย
Picture from Absolute Necessities.
Word of the Year
Happy New Year guys! I can’t believe it is already another year. I don’t know about you, but I’m so excited about 2012.
Most of you know me pretty well and that I’m very goal driven. It’s a great thing if I want to get a job done, but it can borderline on being a bit obsessive. Like writing a particular number of words a day or reading a book a day or jogging so many miles.
In the past I’ve made up my goals and they have helped me keep focused on what I want for myself and my career. For instance, if you check out this post, it had my goals for last year.
I am happy to report I accomplished everything on my list! I even snagged an amazing agent too! Actually, he’s beyond amazing and I’m so lucky to have him representing me.
Thinking about this upcoming year, I’m going to go a different route. I’m focusing my goals on a specific word and then revolve all my goals around that word.
So my word for this year is STRENGTHEN. How will I strengthen myself as a writer?
1. Read– focusing on diversifying my reading choices and going beyondย my standby favorites
2. Attend conferences– building my craft and networking
3. Finish revising my current WIP and transforming it into a book that’s even better than anything I’ve ever written yet.
4. Write another book (grin)- but for this one I’d like to try a genre that I haven’t written in yet. I’m excited about this one too!
I want to challenge you to make up your goals as well. But as you make the list, remember to make sure that these goals are within YOUR control. I have my secret wish list too (sorry, not sharing that one!), but those are wishes that I have no control over and for goals, I believe that they need to be attainable by you.
So, if you were to choose a word for your year, what would it be?
Pictures from Skinny Bodybuilding.
A Floridian Christmas
Merry Christmas from sunny Florida! We’ve been spending the last week swimming, playing in the sand,ย orange picking, riding bikes and playing soccer in the yard. And of course, we went to Disney World! It’s the perfect weather to be outside having fun. Snow is nice, but there’s nothing quite like a Floridian Christmas.
This holiday will be the firstย in over 10 yearsย that we won’t be traveling.ย I have to admit that I’mย kind of excitedย to be hanging out with family, reading my stacks of books (yes,ย STACKS!)ย and getting lots of goodย writing in too.
How about you? What are your holiday plans?
Don’t forget to enter my 9 Book Giveaway! My gift to you all. There’s still time until the New Year.
Wishing you all a wonderful holiday filled with fun, rest and peace.
Congratulations to Carmella Van Vleet!
Carmella Van Vleet, one of my writing partners over at The MiGs, just signed with Marie Lamba of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency! Check out her post on The MiGs where she talks about THE CALL and wish her a congratulations!
Yahoo!
9 Book Giveaway!
This contest is for all of my followers as a thank you for being so supportive and just plain awesome this year.
Here’s what I’m giving away:
Middle Grade Fantasy pack: THE CURSE OF THE DEADMAN’S FOREST, MUSEUM OF THIEVES, AND THE IMMORTALS.
Middle Grade Girl’s pack: THE KIND OF FRIENDS WE USED TO BE, BEEZUS AND ROMANA, LUCY AND THE GREEN MAN
Young Adult books (each for individual winners):
I AM NUMBER FOUR by Picctus Lore
MATCHED by Ally Condie
UNTRACEABLE by Shelli Johannas
Yes, that’s 9 books in total!ย Remember that thisย contest is open to followers only.ย Fill in the formย below with your name and the book or book pack you want to win. One extra point will be given if you tweet or blog about the contest!
Deadline: Dec 31st
Winners of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE Contest Announced
First of all, thank you to everyone who entered the contest for ACROSS THE UNIVERSE! What fun.
And now for the winners. I used random.org to choose the three lucky winners.
They are…..
Theย 2ย paperbacks of ACROSS THE UNIVERSE go to:
Tricia-wa and Chrystal
The preorder ofย A MILLION SUNS goes to:
EM Alexander
Congratulations guys!
Email me your address at farley dot christinal at gmail dot com
And for all of you who didn’t win, don’t worry. Because tomorrow I’m announcing another big giveawayย with lotsย and lots of books toย celebrate finishing my first draft of my current project.ย
My Four Stages of Revision
The other day someone asked me how many times I revise my novels. I had to laugh becauseย I tend to lose track around draft 8.
Then she went on to ask me what my revision process involved. Now for that, I have four distinct stages I take my novels through. Each of those stages takes time and I might have to repeat all 4 stages after my critique partners review the project.
Basically, the four stages are:
1. First draft (where I just write the story down)- This is the stage I just finished. And believe me, the novel is a complete disaster. I liken it to a tsunami. I suppose it’s because I’m the kind of writer who needs to lay it all down and then sift through the rubble. And I like to write this draft as fast as possible while I’m in my character’s head.
2. Plot development draft– This is where I work the kinks out of the plot and weave the disjointed events so my readers get their “ah ha” moments. I think of this stage as a giantย puzzle.
3. Character development draft– In this draft I focus on fine tuning my characters. This is where I bring them to life and hone out their internal and external conflicts.
4. World building and making all those words look pretty draft- I’m a sucker for pretty language. Not too much that it distracts from the story, but enough that it captures the mood and atmosphere of the world I’m building. This is the draft where I have to focus on details.
5. Grammar and spelling (groan)- yep, I hate spelling. I know I’m a teacher and I’ve got spell check but I still hate it.
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But the most important part of all is… the chocolate. That’s the key to everything. *smile*
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How about you? What part of the revision process do you really focus on?