So I was working on the "Impossible Romance Scale" so people could add up points and see who has the most unattainable romance but I accidently hit backspace and my schoolwork has been backing up so I'm doing this instead. I already did this with the band McFly so this time I'll do a different band.
Using only song names from ONE ARTIST, cleverly answer these questions. Do not repeat song titles
My Artist: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Are you male of female: Ha Ha High Babe
Describe yourself: As Sure As the Sun
How do you feel about yourself: Too Real
Describe where you currently live: Berlin
The first thing you think of when you wake up: I Know You're In There
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: River Styx
Your favorite form of transportation: Shuffle Your Feet
Your best friend is: Aya
Your favourite colour is: White Palms
What's the weather like: Cold Wind
If your life were a TV show, what would it be called: And When Was Better
What is life to you: Complicated Situation
What is the best advice you have to give: Take Them On, On Your Own
If you could change your name, what would it be: Promise
Your favourite food is: Bad Blood
My soul's present condition: High/Low
The faults I can bare: All You Do Is Talk
How would you describe your love life: A Sad State
What are you going to post this as: Killing the Light (One Band, 19 Questions)
Monday, March 21, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
YA Reads
I must have read a million articles about "how to get published" or "how to write a query letter" by now. I haven't been real stellar about doing some of the things people have suggested but I have been REALLY good in one aspect: reading in the same genre that you wish to be published in. So hard right? I am practically being assigned to read the kinds of books I've always wanted to. One of the reasons I wanted to be a writer is I wanted to write the kinds of books I wanted to read because they weren't there. Well, they were, I just didn't know that. Then Twilight happened. Yeah, I know it has a bad rep right now but I like it.
Anyways, now I'm trying to find other books that are any type of fantasy/sci-fi YA. I've read The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, the Percy Jackson series, The Hunger Games, The Inheritance Cycle, I Am Number Four, and Incarceron. I'm working on the Vampire Academy and The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series right now. Anyone have any suggestions? What's your favorite YA novel?
And by the way, as far as my "literary crush" list goes, Christian Ozera and Sam Roth are definitely on that list. I was right in my prediction of the latter.
Anyways, now I'm trying to find other books that are any type of fantasy/sci-fi YA. I've read The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, the Percy Jackson series, The Hunger Games, The Inheritance Cycle, I Am Number Four, and Incarceron. I'm working on the Vampire Academy and The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series right now. Anyone have any suggestions? What's your favorite YA novel?
And by the way, as far as my "literary crush" list goes, Christian Ozera and Sam Roth are definitely on that list. I was right in my prediction of the latter.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The Sound of Music
What makes a story come alive, makes you forget where and when you are because you are in the story? I hope one day I know the answer. If there was only a magic formula, put the x here and the y there and hooray! You have written a best seller. And people think math is hard, they should try writing a novel. While there is no "magic formula" there are elements that every story should have, one of those is a well developed world.
I think non-fantasy writers would agree with me when I say that you have to develop normal worlds also. Basically, I do not think creating the world is limited to fantasy. However, fantasy authors are taking on a much bigger project by inventing their own world. I think in either case, music really helps.
It takes me FOREVER to start a new novel or even start coming up with anything but a basic idea for a novel or series because I spend FOREVER making the playlist for that world. There is no way to express how helpful a music playlist is for me. The music sets the tone of the world.
There are some bands in my iTunes that are always a "go to" when it comes to playlists because, 1. I'm in love with that band, 2. their lyrics frequently reflect ideas I desire to be in my stories, 3. they have some sort of other-worldly sound to them.
The bands I frequently use in my playlists are:
Anberlin- my sister said his voice sounds like a chime as the ring fades out, I could not describe this better. I always seem to find Anberlin on my playlists and "Inevitable" ends up on nearly every playlist. Why Anberlin find themselves on so many of my playlists is because of their varying tempos. It is quite difficult to find songs that sound like a fantasy world, are faster and suitable for fight scenes, and I actually like them.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- their sound is what I'm looking for, I prefer to write some sort of urban fantasy, it's urban enough and fantasy enough. Their sound varies greatly, "Killing the Light" has a very fantasy feel to it while "Fault Line" has a folkish sound. Their lyrics deal with everything: death, romance, rebellion, questioning rebellion, and has lyrics that refer to the supernatural. Perfect.
Josiah Leming- beautiful lyrics and voice, "Theysay" is a must for every novel with romance. His EP has an ethereal quality to it while some of his other songs remind me of Iron and Wine (just his voice and an instrument, no other influences), and others like Coldplay. It's fairly easy to find songs from him that work on my playlists. Also, Josiah's lyrics are very real, I feel like he is putting his soul into song lyrics. If my character and his soul ever feel the same way, then you have a song and character match made in Heaven.
McFly- This is a case of pure obsession. Most McFly songs sound nothing like the worlds I am trying to create. However, it's actually a lot easier than it would seem (especially to those who are familiar with the band). "It's All About You" is one of the simplest love songs and finds its way onto many playlists of mine. Their sound has changed over the years and much of their later stuff does not sound out of place on my playlists. Also, their lyrics are simple and are easy to relate to. It almost seems as if some bands try too hard to make their lyrics complicated and other bands lyrics are just too simple. McFly seems to have this just right. Also, they are my favorite band ever.
Muse- I think they may be the only band on every playlist. Muse, like Anberlin, has a sound that fits within my worlds but has songs you can write a fight scene too. Lyrics also play a large role in why I always chose them. If the story has romance, the possible end of the world, an uprising (guess which song applies here), or conspiracies, Muse works.
Am I the only one that does this? Also curious, if you do make extensive playlists to help set the tone of the world in which you are writing, what bands do you usually use?
I think non-fantasy writers would agree with me when I say that you have to develop normal worlds also. Basically, I do not think creating the world is limited to fantasy. However, fantasy authors are taking on a much bigger project by inventing their own world. I think in either case, music really helps.
It takes me FOREVER to start a new novel or even start coming up with anything but a basic idea for a novel or series because I spend FOREVER making the playlist for that world. There is no way to express how helpful a music playlist is for me. The music sets the tone of the world.
There are some bands in my iTunes that are always a "go to" when it comes to playlists because, 1. I'm in love with that band, 2. their lyrics frequently reflect ideas I desire to be in my stories, 3. they have some sort of other-worldly sound to them.
The bands I frequently use in my playlists are:
Anberlin- my sister said his voice sounds like a chime as the ring fades out, I could not describe this better. I always seem to find Anberlin on my playlists and "Inevitable" ends up on nearly every playlist. Why Anberlin find themselves on so many of my playlists is because of their varying tempos. It is quite difficult to find songs that sound like a fantasy world, are faster and suitable for fight scenes, and I actually like them.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- their sound is what I'm looking for, I prefer to write some sort of urban fantasy, it's urban enough and fantasy enough. Their sound varies greatly, "Killing the Light" has a very fantasy feel to it while "Fault Line" has a folkish sound. Their lyrics deal with everything: death, romance, rebellion, questioning rebellion, and has lyrics that refer to the supernatural. Perfect.
Josiah Leming- beautiful lyrics and voice, "Theysay" is a must for every novel with romance. His EP has an ethereal quality to it while some of his other songs remind me of Iron and Wine (just his voice and an instrument, no other influences), and others like Coldplay. It's fairly easy to find songs from him that work on my playlists. Also, Josiah's lyrics are very real, I feel like he is putting his soul into song lyrics. If my character and his soul ever feel the same way, then you have a song and character match made in Heaven.
McFly- This is a case of pure obsession. Most McFly songs sound nothing like the worlds I am trying to create. However, it's actually a lot easier than it would seem (especially to those who are familiar with the band). "It's All About You" is one of the simplest love songs and finds its way onto many playlists of mine. Their sound has changed over the years and much of their later stuff does not sound out of place on my playlists. Also, their lyrics are simple and are easy to relate to. It almost seems as if some bands try too hard to make their lyrics complicated and other bands lyrics are just too simple. McFly seems to have this just right. Also, they are my favorite band ever.
Muse- I think they may be the only band on every playlist. Muse, like Anberlin, has a sound that fits within my worlds but has songs you can write a fight scene too. Lyrics also play a large role in why I always chose them. If the story has romance, the possible end of the world, an uprising (guess which song applies here), or conspiracies, Muse works.
Am I the only one that does this? Also curious, if you do make extensive playlists to help set the tone of the world in which you are writing, what bands do you usually use?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Dreaded "Mary Sue"
What is a "Mary Sue?" Depends on who you ask. A common belief is that this character is an "Author Avatar," or the author has placed an ideal version themselves in a story. One thing that is agreed on is that 1.) a "Mary Sue" is a character, and 2.) that the character is a "Mary Sue." Most "Mary Sues" live in the realm of fanfiction however multiple cannon characters have been labeled as a "Mary Sue" such as Bella Swann from Twilight, Lana Lang from Smallville, Eragon from well Eragon, Richard Rahl from The Sword of Truth series, and just about every superhero. For the record, I am not saying wether or not these character are "Mary Sues" or not and I purposefully picked examples from things I actually like. This is just what other people claim, I am just serving as a humble reporter.
As you may have noticed, two of these characters are male, in that case the character is either "John Doe," or "Marty Stu" depending on what article or blog you are reading. As a matter of fact, there seems to be many "Sue" categories that characters can fall into. Some involve when all the characters in the story are completely in love with the "Sue" for no apparent reason and if there are any characters who dare dislike this "Sue" then they are horrible for doing so. Another form is where this "Sue" has super-powers in a world where there are none, is a doctor for his/her day job, the most beautiful person in town, has no faults, and has modeled when they are not saving the world with their super-powers or lives using their medical training.
Here's something that really interests me. The label is "Mary Sue," thus meaning a female character. As a matter of fact, it seems that the majority of characters who are accused of being a "Sue" are females. Why is this interesting, the original "Mary Sue" was a male! The first character to receive the label "Mary Sue" was in fact a female character in an infamous piece of Star Trek fiction. However, many believe that this "Mary Sue" was written about to make fun of the male Star Trek character of Wesley Crusher.
So here's the question. How, as an author, do you avoid your character from being a "Mary Sue"? Easy, take a test! Okay, so it's not that easy and no "Mary Sue Litmus Tests" is the know and be all of "Mary Sues." Apparently, real people have gotten scores that qualify them as "Mary Sues." I don't remember where I read that, but I do remember that poor Bono is a "Mary Sue" according to these tests.
So, what else can you do? Ask the audience! Or not. I'm fairly certain, if you searched hard enough, you would fine at least one blogger who has labeled the characters you hold dearest to your heart as a "Mary Sue." I can vouch on that, I've seen people accuse every female character from every popular YA series as a "Mary Sue." Do I think Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson or Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments are "Mary Sues?" Not a chance, does someone else. Of course they do!
We are back to where we started. How do I avoid my character from being a "Sue"? Easy, give them depth, make the reader think they could call the character on their cell phone (if such a thing exists in that character's world) or hang out they seem so real. How does one give a character depth? Give your character faults, have them make mistakes. No one is perfect in real life so how fun would it be to read about a perfect character? Could you really relate to a "perfect" person? I know I wouldn't be able to. Still, this may not be enough. Having read Twilight and the Inheritance Cycle, I know for a fact that both Bella and Eragon have their faults and make mistakes yet they are both commonly labeled as "Sues." So I guess the real key here is to not get popular. In all reality, the more realistic your character is the less of a chance he or she is a "Sue."
Also, do not put yourself in a story. There are no inflexible rules to writing and I'm sure there are examples of an author putting themselves into their book and everything turned out fine. But it is just a good idea to resist the temptation and have the character be their own person, who is like you in ways, and unlike you in ways.
Here is a great link about "Mary Sues" which included categories and examples. Warning though, this site does use some bad language at times.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue
And just in case you want to give your character a "Mary Sue" test here are a few links to that. Remember, just because they score high on this does not mean that character is a waste. There are many claims that these test are biased against fantasy because of questions like "Does this character have an exotic name," or "Does this character have powers"? Only answer yes if this only applies to the character taking the test not all in the world this story takes place.
http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm
http://www.ponylandpress.com/ms-test.html
As you may have noticed, two of these characters are male, in that case the character is either "John Doe," or "Marty Stu" depending on what article or blog you are reading. As a matter of fact, there seems to be many "Sue" categories that characters can fall into. Some involve when all the characters in the story are completely in love with the "Sue" for no apparent reason and if there are any characters who dare dislike this "Sue" then they are horrible for doing so. Another form is where this "Sue" has super-powers in a world where there are none, is a doctor for his/her day job, the most beautiful person in town, has no faults, and has modeled when they are not saving the world with their super-powers or lives using their medical training.
Here's something that really interests me. The label is "Mary Sue," thus meaning a female character. As a matter of fact, it seems that the majority of characters who are accused of being a "Sue" are females. Why is this interesting, the original "Mary Sue" was a male! The first character to receive the label "Mary Sue" was in fact a female character in an infamous piece of Star Trek fiction. However, many believe that this "Mary Sue" was written about to make fun of the male Star Trek character of Wesley Crusher.
So here's the question. How, as an author, do you avoid your character from being a "Mary Sue"? Easy, take a test! Okay, so it's not that easy and no "Mary Sue Litmus Tests" is the know and be all of "Mary Sues." Apparently, real people have gotten scores that qualify them as "Mary Sues." I don't remember where I read that, but I do remember that poor Bono is a "Mary Sue" according to these tests.
So, what else can you do? Ask the audience! Or not. I'm fairly certain, if you searched hard enough, you would fine at least one blogger who has labeled the characters you hold dearest to your heart as a "Mary Sue." I can vouch on that, I've seen people accuse every female character from every popular YA series as a "Mary Sue." Do I think Annabeth Chase from Percy Jackson or Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments are "Mary Sues?" Not a chance, does someone else. Of course they do!
We are back to where we started. How do I avoid my character from being a "Sue"? Easy, give them depth, make the reader think they could call the character on their cell phone (if such a thing exists in that character's world) or hang out they seem so real. How does one give a character depth? Give your character faults, have them make mistakes. No one is perfect in real life so how fun would it be to read about a perfect character? Could you really relate to a "perfect" person? I know I wouldn't be able to. Still, this may not be enough. Having read Twilight and the Inheritance Cycle, I know for a fact that both Bella and Eragon have their faults and make mistakes yet they are both commonly labeled as "Sues." So I guess the real key here is to not get popular. In all reality, the more realistic your character is the less of a chance he or she is a "Sue."
Also, do not put yourself in a story. There are no inflexible rules to writing and I'm sure there are examples of an author putting themselves into their book and everything turned out fine. But it is just a good idea to resist the temptation and have the character be their own person, who is like you in ways, and unlike you in ways.
Here is a great link about "Mary Sues" which included categories and examples. Warning though, this site does use some bad language at times.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MarySue
And just in case you want to give your character a "Mary Sue" test here are a few links to that. Remember, just because they score high on this does not mean that character is a waste. There are many claims that these test are biased against fantasy because of questions like "Does this character have an exotic name," or "Does this character have powers"? Only answer yes if this only applies to the character taking the test not all in the world this story takes place.
http://www.springhole.net/quizzes/marysue.htm
http://www.ponylandpress.com/ms-test.html
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Top 10 Literature Crushes
First off, he's foreign, secondly, he's a musketeer! It doesn't get much hotter than that. He leans to the hot-headed side (he managed to get 3 duals in one day), is extremely loyal, and intelligent. Want more proof of how purely awesome this character is: Justin Chambers, Hugh Dancy, Chris O'Donnell, and Logan Lerman have all played (or will play) D'Artagnan.
9. Fitzwilliam Darcy – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Before there was Edward there was Mr. Darcy. It just would not be right to not include him on this list. He's another one of those characters who has had multiple good looking actors portray him in film, Colin Firth and Matthew MacFadyen being the most famous. What makes Mr. Darcy so amazing? His devotion to Elizabeth, he's shy, sweet, and is not only willing to admit he is wrong but also whatever it takes to set things right.
8. Gale Hawthorne- The Hunger Games by Susan Collins
Team Gale all the way! Gale knows what he believes in and was rebelling against the capitol way before Katniss and Peeta were. Other than being described as "having a face made for TV," the other thing that makes Gale so hot is his rebellious attitude, hunting skills, and the fact he does not spend pages pining after a girl who has already moved on (here's looking at you Jacob Black). He is funny, street smart, and extremely loyal to his family and has provided for them since he was a young man.
7. Sam Winchester- Supernatural by Eric Kripke
Alright, I know this is a "literary list" so what is Sam Winchester from the TV show Supernatural doing on here? He's been in books, tie-in novels are literature! Despite being raised killing demons and vampires, Sam is a sweetheart. He had his rough spots in some of the seasons but we finally have him back! He is extremely smart (full ride to Stanford), sacrificed himself to save the world (at the expense he was tortured for eternity, he got out though), can kick some major monster butt, is funny, and if he didn't kill monsters for a living, he's be the guy your parents would love. He would be the safer choice but the one would would make an excellent father (and I am not dishing Dean, if he could settle down I'm sure he would make an excellent father). The icing on the cake it that major hottie Jared Padalecki plays him on the show, he's got abs that would make Taylor Lautner jealous.
6. Faramir – Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
Everyone has their Lord of the Rings crush and mine is Faramir. He's even nicer and kinder in the books than in the movie. Despite not having an easy childhood (as his father clearly preferred his older brother) he did not turn out bitter or jealous. He is one of the few characters who had the ring within his grasp and let it go. On top of that, if he had brought the ring to his father, he may have finally been loved by his father but he let Frodo go. My heart breaks for him, a clear sign that I love him.
5. Luke Castellan –Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan
I think Luke is the only villain on my list but I can't help but love him. It does not hurt that Jake Abel played him in the movie. Luke is funny, almost all the female characters have a crush on him, the "best fighter in 300 years," and too smart for his own good. Warning, there will be spoilers from now on: so he may have been the villain at first but have you read about the Greek gods? Who could blame him? Not to mention, he ends up sacrificing himself and becomes the hero of the prophecy. He had a traumatic childhood, his girlfriend sacrificed her life to save his and he was preyed on by Kronos. If I could write a spin-off series about this character I would.
4. Edward Cullen- Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer
I understand why some people have issues with Edward, it's the creepy stalker thing and the too controlling thing that keep him from being number one. He is the most romantic man on this list. Whenever I got frustrated with his character, all it took was one line for me to swoon again. He is so devoted to his women that he would be wants her to be with someone else because he's a vampire. He has the whole self-hatred thing down pat and is extremely good looking and smart. Also, he's the knight in a shining Volvo. It's not everyone's thing but I crush on him hard.
3. Jem Carstairs – The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
Ah Jem, if only all three books were out. Jem has the potential to take the number one spot. I cannot express how much I am in love with Jem. First off, he is suffering from a disease that is killing him slowly but he is still living his life to live life, not to prolong it. He's a shadowhunter which instantly classifyies him as sexy and means he could kick your butt (diseased and all). He is the definition of gentleman, intelligent, always there when you need him, and can play the violin (WAY more original than the guitar). He is so sweet and kind that he has managed to get multiple females' attention and he is the only person Will Herondale will let in. Did I mention he has silver hair and eyes and is half-asian, half-British? How cool is that.
2. Alec Ramsey- The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley
When I was a child, all I wanted was the Black, now I'd take Alec also (yes, I still re-read the Black Stallion books from time to time). For a completely normal person, Alec has a lot of guts and kicks a lot of butt (like when he jumped on the back of the truck to stop a horse from being dragged to death). He is extremely loyal, smart, and kind. He is a hard worker, always willing, and is a successful jockey. Also, he is the best person to have with you if you need someone with survival skills as he has survived a shipwreck, plane wreck, the desert (twice), an island with almost nothing to eat and no life other than a wild horse and a snake, the everglades, and a wildfire (I may be forgetting something). After having one traumatic event after another he is still a completely normal person whereas most would have broken down by then. On top of all this, he loves horses! Instead of having to time travel or turn into some creature you get a barn full of racing horses, that includes the Black! It's a win. If I could get the rights to any characters it would be these.
1. Jace Wayland- The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare
So what can top my childhood hero turned crush, JEM, Edward Cullen and Mr. Darcy himself? Jace Wayland can. Jace has a great sense of humor, has killed more demons than any other shadowhunter his age, and is extremely loyal to friends and family. He can come across as arrogant but that is part of what separates him from the rest of this group: he always surprises you. When most people are told they are being stared at, they bashfully say no but not Jace, no he is not even surprised they are staring at him and actually expects that. However, lots of that macho-ness if just a cover up for how torn up he really is inside no thanks to his horrible father figure Valentine. He was abused all his life being told "To love is to destroy," until he was 10 when he believed he watched his father die. After that, everyone kept talking about how nice his father was (because he went under a false name) but Jace knew what a terrible person that man was. On top of all that, he still found a place in his heart to love his father. He is 100% devoted to Clary, to the point that he would willingly die to save her best friend (even though he does not like the best friend). It almost seems as if the good guys in the story try to push him over to the villain's side by arresting him (twice), kicking him out of his house, treating him as if he was already guilty of being a villain, and not trusting him but he never falters for a moment. What's even cooler, he's golden and literally part angel. Did I mention he's sexy? He's so good looking, I'm not sure any actor is good looking enough to portray him (though Alex Pettyfer is really close).
I will give Simon Lewis an honorable mention on here because I love him that much. He's also from The Mortal Instruments. Zac from Avalon: Web of Magic series by Rachel Roberts also gets an honorable mention and Dean Winchester and Castiel of course. I haven't read Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater yet but I plan too soon and I'm thinking Sam might make the top 10 (if not then a honorable mention).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)