Did anyone else watch the Muppet Show growing up? I so remember sitting down at 6pm and rocking out to the Muppets. Cheesy, hilarious (for all ages--my parents loved them too. Mom especially loved the Swedish Chef. We had to call her in from the kitchen sometimes when he was on.), and just rockin' all the way around. LOVE the Muppets--the crabby old men, Animal, Beaker and Professor Honeydew, the evil bunnies (best episode with them is when one of the guests--can't remember which guy--went nuts and killed all the bunnies!), the eagle newscaster, Gonzo, all of the gang (Yeah, yeah, Kermit and Miss Piggy, too).
I really wish they'd bring back that show for kids of this generation. It'd be totally cool. All the stars would show up, do some crazy variety skits, and we'd all be happy again (the writers might be even happier because I'm pretty sure they were all on happy drugs of some sort when they wrote some of those skits way back when).
Anyway, when I saw this on Mashable, I just had to post it. The perfect way to enter a Thanksgiving break. W00T!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Saturday, November 21, 2009
This Bites!
My tendonitis has chosen this week to flare up something awful. And, of course, there's not a whole lot I can do about it. There's no treatment except rest and anti-inflammatories. Grr. I have too much to do to be sidelined by this. (and, as you see, I'm not resting. I'm typing. Bad girl!) I guess this is forcing me to catch up on the multiple things I've let slide this month--cleaning, reading (my magazine pile is the Leaning Tower of Piza), playing with dog, hanging out with friends...all that.
Better keep this post short. I'm off to wash the dog then maybe a nap. All in all, a pretty good Saturday, despite not being able to make much progress on my WIP. Hope everyone else's writing, reading, and weekend is going well!
Better keep this post short. I'm off to wash the dog then maybe a nap. All in all, a pretty good Saturday, despite not being able to make much progress on my WIP. Hope everyone else's writing, reading, and weekend is going well!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Link to an Awesome Contest
Author Michelle Zink is running an awesome contest on her blog--you've got to check it out. And then, if you win, you'll be set for the holidays. w00t!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Creating an Appealing Character
I just finished a book, one I rushed through, skimming most of the pages because I did NOT like, well, any of the characters. I don't want to say what book it is because this isn't a review of the book itself. Actually, the writing and pacing of the story was pretty good. But, the characters? That's another story.
Let's start with the main character. I liked her at the beginning--she was your average teen, getting through high school, thinking about her future. She had an okay relationship with her mother (dad was dead. no surprise. easier to write a YA with only one, rarely-there parent.), she had a fun BFF and lived on the outskirts of town in a spooky farmhouse. Sounds good, right? Then, a guy enters her life. One who's a stalker, verbally abusive, and quite aggressive.
At first, she tries to avoid him. Then she's "inexplicably" drawn to him. She becomes a whiny, paranoid victim, avoiding her stalker-boyfriend one moment, then chasing after him the next. Uhg! I couldn't stand it. Teen girls do NOT need that kind of example. And, of course, it all works out in the end as her stalker-boyfriend gets "saved" and they can live happily ever after. Unfortunately, I can see her future and I see a domestic violence-type situation down the line.
Now, this stalker-boyfriend. He's both a protagonist and an antagonist, flipping between aggressor and lover each time I turned a page. Generally, I like the bad boy characters--I like their toughness, I like their spark, their hard exterior which covers a marshmallow inside brought out by just the right woman. But this bad boy was a jerk. He had few--no, make that no--redeeming qualities. Sure, he liked the main character but he was a bully to her. He pushed her around, mostly mentally but physically, too. Getting up in her face, backing her into corners, and invading her space. He liked her but had been "bad" for so long that he didn't know how to be good. But I didn't like him enough to excuse him for that flaw.
Then there were multiple, annoying minor characters. The mother, who was never home and seemed to care about her daughter only because she had to. The teacher who refused to listen to his student's fears about her new lab partner and forced her to stay in a place where she felt uncomfortable. The BFF who laughingly blew off her friend's fears, forcing her into awkward and dangerous situations despite her friend's unwillingness to participate. The "new boy at school" who was just another aggressive jerk, forcing his way into the MC's life and getting abusive when she didn't want him there. The New Boy's BFF who was a sullen, skulking guy who supposedly wanted nothing to do with the girls but who turned out to be the ultimate bad boy (of course).
I had a really hard time finishing the book but wanted to see if the author could turn it around at the end. Nope. Didn't like them, even when everything fell into place. In fact, I really just wanted some avenging angels to come down and take them all out. Might have liked it more then.
For me, this book brought to light how important all characters are to a story. You can have a great idea, write it well, have great pacing and good conflict but if you have crappy characters, you have a terrible novel.
Let's start with the main character. I liked her at the beginning--she was your average teen, getting through high school, thinking about her future. She had an okay relationship with her mother (dad was dead. no surprise. easier to write a YA with only one, rarely-there parent.), she had a fun BFF and lived on the outskirts of town in a spooky farmhouse. Sounds good, right? Then, a guy enters her life. One who's a stalker, verbally abusive, and quite aggressive.
At first, she tries to avoid him. Then she's "inexplicably" drawn to him. She becomes a whiny, paranoid victim, avoiding her stalker-boyfriend one moment, then chasing after him the next. Uhg! I couldn't stand it. Teen girls do NOT need that kind of example. And, of course, it all works out in the end as her stalker-boyfriend gets "saved" and they can live happily ever after. Unfortunately, I can see her future and I see a domestic violence-type situation down the line.
Now, this stalker-boyfriend. He's both a protagonist and an antagonist, flipping between aggressor and lover each time I turned a page. Generally, I like the bad boy characters--I like their toughness, I like their spark, their hard exterior which covers a marshmallow inside brought out by just the right woman. But this bad boy was a jerk. He had few--no, make that no--redeeming qualities. Sure, he liked the main character but he was a bully to her. He pushed her around, mostly mentally but physically, too. Getting up in her face, backing her into corners, and invading her space. He liked her but had been "bad" for so long that he didn't know how to be good. But I didn't like him enough to excuse him for that flaw.
Then there were multiple, annoying minor characters. The mother, who was never home and seemed to care about her daughter only because she had to. The teacher who refused to listen to his student's fears about her new lab partner and forced her to stay in a place where she felt uncomfortable. The BFF who laughingly blew off her friend's fears, forcing her into awkward and dangerous situations despite her friend's unwillingness to participate. The "new boy at school" who was just another aggressive jerk, forcing his way into the MC's life and getting abusive when she didn't want him there. The New Boy's BFF who was a sullen, skulking guy who supposedly wanted nothing to do with the girls but who turned out to be the ultimate bad boy (of course).
I had a really hard time finishing the book but wanted to see if the author could turn it around at the end. Nope. Didn't like them, even when everything fell into place. In fact, I really just wanted some avenging angels to come down and take them all out. Might have liked it more then.
For me, this book brought to light how important all characters are to a story. You can have a great idea, write it well, have great pacing and good conflict but if you have crappy characters, you have a terrible novel.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Day 11
I think I mentioned that my Honors English students are participating in the Young Writers Program version of NaNoWriMo? Yes? Well, they are. And they're doing absolutely fantastic. I'm so amazed at the incredible work that is coming from their brains! They are so creative--and it's really giving me insight into what they like and who they are.
They are doing so much better on their NaNo stuff than I am. Maybe it's because I have a really hard time focusing on two things. I've been so focused on finishing up WIP #1 (which is what I'm using for the YWP NaNo), that I've completely neglected WIP #2 (for the adult NaNo). Or it could be that I'm just so blown away by what these 14-year-olds are writing.
There's a ton of fantasy, which is great because that's my absolute favorite genre. And there's a pile of realistic fiction, too. Some of that is light-hearted, romance-y type stories. But some of it is so very dark, it kind of worries me. Not that I'm worried about the student writing it--they're fine (I checked). But it really makes me wonder what kinds of things they've watched, read, talked about or experienced that would make their world view (and the "realistic" fiction they're writing) so, well, tarnished. Middle school was not my favorite but I thought of it as a time of rather innocent exploration. I didn't know a lot about, well, anything and neither did my friends. Drinking, drugs, sex, abuse, murder and serious crimes...that kind of stuff really wasn't a part of our daily lives. Sure, we talked about the drinking and "you know" but that was as far as it went in middle school. And I know that I was kind of sheltered, growing up in the suburbs (not everyone was so lucky to have such a good childhood as I did). Nowadays, I'm afraid, that innocence is long gone for 99 percent of the population. It makes me sad.
No one person or one thing is to blame for this. Sure, it's easy to point the finger at Hollywood for shoving all that stuff in our faces on a daily basis but, really, it's just American society. I don't know if there's any way to keep it from trickling into any child's life. Or if we would want to (completely, anyway!). I just grieve for the loss of the semi-innocence of a middle school student.
Totally bird-walked on that one! (that's going off on a tangent, for those of you non-Southern types.) Despite the darkness in some of my students' writing, I really am impressed and look forward to hearing from and reading more of their work. They continue to inspire me and my writing!
They are doing so much better on their NaNo stuff than I am. Maybe it's because I have a really hard time focusing on two things. I've been so focused on finishing up WIP #1 (which is what I'm using for the YWP NaNo), that I've completely neglected WIP #2 (for the adult NaNo). Or it could be that I'm just so blown away by what these 14-year-olds are writing.
There's a ton of fantasy, which is great because that's my absolute favorite genre. And there's a pile of realistic fiction, too. Some of that is light-hearted, romance-y type stories. But some of it is so very dark, it kind of worries me. Not that I'm worried about the student writing it--they're fine (I checked). But it really makes me wonder what kinds of things they've watched, read, talked about or experienced that would make their world view (and the "realistic" fiction they're writing) so, well, tarnished. Middle school was not my favorite but I thought of it as a time of rather innocent exploration. I didn't know a lot about, well, anything and neither did my friends. Drinking, drugs, sex, abuse, murder and serious crimes...that kind of stuff really wasn't a part of our daily lives. Sure, we talked about the drinking and "you know" but that was as far as it went in middle school. And I know that I was kind of sheltered, growing up in the suburbs (not everyone was so lucky to have such a good childhood as I did). Nowadays, I'm afraid, that innocence is long gone for 99 percent of the population. It makes me sad.
No one person or one thing is to blame for this. Sure, it's easy to point the finger at Hollywood for shoving all that stuff in our faces on a daily basis but, really, it's just American society. I don't know if there's any way to keep it from trickling into any child's life. Or if we would want to (completely, anyway!). I just grieve for the loss of the semi-innocence of a middle school student.
Totally bird-walked on that one! (that's going off on a tangent, for those of you non-Southern types.) Despite the darkness in some of my students' writing, I really am impressed and look forward to hearing from and reading more of their work. They continue to inspire me and my writing!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Day 8 of NaNoWriMo
Almost 10k into my new WIP and I'm stalled. I'm behind a bit, too--this isn't a five-week thing, just four. But I think that, once I figure out what Peter, my main character, is going to do now that he's been "captured" by the suits, I'll blaze on. I have a good idea of what happens after...but I have to get there first.
So, this weekend, I've been more focused on revising my first WIP and it's going pretty well, if I do say so myself. I wish there was more time in my day, though. And I wish my wrists and eyes wouldn't give out so easily (if 12 hours of typing can me considered easy). It would be so much better if I could just open my brain and spill it into my Word document. Then, I'd get done a lot faster and not forget what I wanted to add or change! Yes, Swiss cheese brain can be a problem when you come up with a plan for your characters and plot and then it goes away. Not good.
Back to my first WIP. I'm hoping I can get much of the revision done today, though I don't know if I'll have time (or if my wrist will let me. Tendinitis is not good for writing!). Maybe, while I'm revision my first WIP, the plan for the NaNo WIP will come together. Fingers crossed!
So, this weekend, I've been more focused on revising my first WIP and it's going pretty well, if I do say so myself. I wish there was more time in my day, though. And I wish my wrists and eyes wouldn't give out so easily (if 12 hours of typing can me considered easy). It would be so much better if I could just open my brain and spill it into my Word document. Then, I'd get done a lot faster and not forget what I wanted to add or change! Yes, Swiss cheese brain can be a problem when you come up with a plan for your characters and plot and then it goes away. Not good.
Back to my first WIP. I'm hoping I can get much of the revision done today, though I don't know if I'll have time (or if my wrist will let me. Tendinitis is not good for writing!). Maybe, while I'm revision my first WIP, the plan for the NaNo WIP will come together. Fingers crossed!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Day 1 of NaNoWriMo
Clocked in about 4,000 words today on my two works in progress (WIP). My new WIP is for the "adult" NaNo, where the writing goal is 50,000 and you can't change it; where writers are all ages, shapes and sizes; where genre goes. I'm pretty excited about it. I had no plan, no idea at all what I wanted to write until yesterday, when a story about a boy who wanted something more than what he had just came to mind. It's not fully formed. I don't know what's going to happen or who's going to appear in it. But it's pretty exciting.
My second WIP is in its revision stage, the end of it being totally scrapped and still needing to be written. But my characters are solid, my world is created and I know where I want my story to go and (mostly) how I'm going to get there. That's the one I'm using with my students for the Young Writers Program version of NaNo. I hope to work on this with my students, showing them how to focus, how to edit, how to improve their writing. Fingers crossed that I actually get some writing done at this point, too.
As for NaNo advice, I don't have much, this being my first time with it. But there are people out there--writers and agents alike--who know what they're talking about. First off, there's the fabulous Maureen Johnson, a YA author who's written many books including Devilish and The Bermudez Triangle. She's got a great post on developing a "writing habit."
Then there's Mary Kole of Kidlit.com and associate agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, who wrote a great post on NaNo's positives and negatives. Her main point is that NaNo is a FIRST draft. There's tons of work to be done still before you should even consider submitting a manuscript to an agent or publisher. (You hear that, all you eager beavers? Don't submit on December 1st, please! You're NOT DONE!!)
Finally, there's Joanna Penn over at The Creative Penn, who passes along her hard-earned knowledge and experience from past NaNos. Totally worth a look.
Keep writing!
My second WIP is in its revision stage, the end of it being totally scrapped and still needing to be written. But my characters are solid, my world is created and I know where I want my story to go and (mostly) how I'm going to get there. That's the one I'm using with my students for the Young Writers Program version of NaNo. I hope to work on this with my students, showing them how to focus, how to edit, how to improve their writing. Fingers crossed that I actually get some writing done at this point, too.
As for NaNo advice, I don't have much, this being my first time with it. But there are people out there--writers and agents alike--who know what they're talking about. First off, there's the fabulous Maureen Johnson, a YA author who's written many books including Devilish and The Bermudez Triangle. She's got a great post on developing a "writing habit."
Then there's Mary Kole of Kidlit.com and associate agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, who wrote a great post on NaNo's positives and negatives. Her main point is that NaNo is a FIRST draft. There's tons of work to be done still before you should even consider submitting a manuscript to an agent or publisher. (You hear that, all you eager beavers? Don't submit on December 1st, please! You're NOT DONE!!)
Finally, there's Joanna Penn over at The Creative Penn, who passes along her hard-earned knowledge and experience from past NaNos. Totally worth a look.
Keep writing!
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