Friday, September 28, 2012

Aspiring Advice: Can We Romance Outside The Box?


Romance ... That word summons a kind of soft, sighing sound to our hearts, doesn't it (or depending on what audience you are, it makes us want to puke), but heart-sighing (and puking) aside, it can't be argued that a little romance has the power to draw in the reader and, on top of that, make audiences care about the characters more.

I had a bit of a conundrum about this recently, however ...

Some amazing things went down during this year's WriteOnCon. I received some excellent feedback, some most curious, concerning the portions of Woven and The Undead Road I shared. Some said Woven was juvenile or MG. Others said The Undead Road was YA. In truth, both books are the complete opposite of what others said they sounded like. This lead me to question: what drew this about?

Apparently, I may or may not have been following "the rules."

See, for Undead Road, I have a character mention a girl he likes, (who became a zombie), but because I had him use words like "crush," "gorgeous," and "heartthrob," it somehow made the character sound older than he really was (he's 14, albeit precocious when it comes to girls). Similarly, in Woven, two guys wrestle. I don't mention their ages until later, but because they're being watched by "boys," this somehow came across as MG-ish. How could I have botched this?

At another conference, this question was asked: "What's the key difference between MG and YA?" An agent answered, "The difference is maturity and romance. MG shouldn't venture beyond puppy-love and YA can get to second base (and if done right, beyond that)."

So, based on the content of these two stories (no spoilers, sorry), by definition, Woven and Undead are in their respective markets. What about the contrary feedback? Don't get me wrong, I appreciated the feedback and made some changes based on it, but then, I was still confused. Is there some parameter I'm not following? Am I supposed to label an entire story into a market based on a first page? Am I not allowed to express any inclination of romance in a MG novel?

Take these fine shows for example - the characters are MG age:  

Super 8 ...
Adventure Time ...
Avatar: The Last Airbender ...
 
And how about this MG/YA mash-up?
(These are the kind of stories I write for young readers, btw...)

As you can see, some romance can enhance any story, regardless of its market. It just has to be done right/well. YA doesn't have to jump into describing someone you like right away, either. There's no right or wrong answer here, guys. We're writers. We're allowed to think outside the box. That's where the better stories come from, I think. When it comes to romance (or puppy love), it's about timing and how many tiers we go. And if there is to be romance in MG, there better be something to keep them from going to the next level (until they become YA age later - cause that would be way awkward, dude).

I was a kid once. And a teenager. I once had a crush on a girl since I was five, all the way through high school (which intensified each year - dumb hormones), so for me, varying levels of romance is plausible in any age. If a 13 year-old character never once shows interest in someone, anyone, in a like-like fashion, or never admits someone is kinda cute, how am I to believe this kid has a soul? I could be in the minority here, but like any element of writing, I can't be confined. I must explore. I have to see where this story can go, even if that means having to romance outside the box. Yes - it can be done!

This is not the rule, just my thoughts on the matter. It's not about needing to know what market a story is in after reading the first page. It's about that first page being good, that the story is told well, that it works. If it doesn't, we can fix that. There are way too many conflicting opinions and rules on how things should be that it's easy to forget what something is for what it is, and maybe it's okay for it to be something that we wouldn't impliment in our own writing.

One baker's cookie cutter may not cut it for another baker's batch.

(Say that five times fast ... )

What's your take on this topic? Do you read for market or story? Do you romance outside the box or move within the expected?

I'm David, and stay away from tier 15!


Wednesday, September 26, 2012

I Watched Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo

 
"Mesdames and Monsieurs, good evening ..."

You guys fans of Japanese animation (don't leave!)? My wife and I enjoy all things animated, so we watch an occasional Anime now and then, but to be clear, we're extremely picky. We hardly get through the first episode of most series we check out, but this one not only made the cut, it's now among my favorites, for several reasons.

Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo is a vibrant adaptation of Alexandre Dumas' (obviously) The Count of Monte Cristo, which has always stood out as one of the finest revenge novels ever written. We've been a fan of this tragic story the moment we've known of it, but what makes Gankutsuou stand out is, well, the unique way it went about telling the story. While it maintains the look and feel of the French aristocracy, the setting is science fiction, and there's a slight mash-up of vampire, too. To top it off, the main character is Albert - you know - the son of Mercedes. And with richly applied artistic liberties of secondary characters and a script that doesn't hold back any punches, this is an intense take on the novel at 24 episodes.

Seriously, it's that awesome!

The art was both an eye-trip and a wonder, since the artists went with a solid, photoshop background for its layers. For example, if a character wore a yellow robe with red spades on them, the spades and yellow fabric were always stationary, no matter how the character moved. That fact alone makes this entire series stand out.

As for content, it has everything: a quest for revenge, dark family secrets, blooming romances, evil demons, other worlds, dueling mechas - you name it. I'd say this isn't one for the kiddies, though (a bit scary at times). I tried to find a trailer, but it's a no go. You'll have to take my word for it. Thanks for the recommendation, Netflix.

I'm David, and you won't see me coming ...


(This is the credit-less ending - best I could find)

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Tuesday Tropes: The Collapsing Lair


After all they've been through, our heroes have defeated the baddie. Time to celebrate, right? Unfortunately, the villain's pad hasn't been renovated in centuries, and for some odd reason, killing off the bad guy resonates throughout the entire structure. No time to party. They have to run for it, before the ceiling crashes on their heads!

The Collapsing Lair - The demise of a villain's base of operations after their defeat, an event that results after accomplishing a goal in a structurally unsound place (usually an ancient tomb or treasure room). Often used as a grand finale or as an easy way to obliterate any remaining minions or evidence of the villain's existence.


On rare occasions, the villain may be alive while the place falls down, and ends up "going down with the ship," so to speak. Having a herd of unicorns trampling by your front door is certainly of no help.

I hope Haggard's insurance covers unicorn stampedes.

At other times, a Collapsing Lair may be caused by a booby trap or a switch, meant to activate a snare that will bury any who trespasses.

Run, Indy, run!

Now hold on a second - how come all these ancient structures get to have all the fun? Why not shake things up a little by having the lair be a starship, collapsing in a great ball of fiery glory or something?

Oh, right ... they've done that ...

This is a fun trope to apply if there is a sound reason for it, otherwise it looks and reads tacky when it's thrown in without foreshadowing it, or it's there for no other reason than to pour salt into the wound.

And thanks for visiting my laire; mind your heads on the way out ...

What are your favorite Collapsing Lair scenes? Which ones made you groan? Have you ever thought of using this trope, or have you? 

I'm David, and goodbye, Beni ...

Monday, September 24, 2012

Post: Surprise Visit, The Magic Number, And Update!


So I read this article about a mother being arrested for letting her kids play outside. Considering the circumstances (a cul-de-sac, little to no traffic), my reaction was all, "really?" Granted, it's important to keep an eye on kids, even if they're playing with other kids in the neighbored (which was my case Saturday). Why do I bring this up? That was my first thought when a sheriff approached my door.

Oh, snap. The gig is up!

Nah. Turns out the gentleman with the badge around his neck wanted to know if a previous resident lived at our address still. Nope, but it was cool meeting a local sheriff. More writing fodder in the notebook!

*     *     *

There's five new members to welcome to the blog this week. If you have a second, have a visit. You won't be disappointed!

and
 Emma

Also, feel free to congratulate Nichole Giles for her success in landing an agent. I'm amazed by how many of my best blogging buds are getting picked up left and right. I'm so excited for you all!

*     *     *

Update: 10,000 is a magic number for me. Why's that? It means the story works. In its imperfect, rough-draft glory, getting words on the page isn't a chore. Now, if I can get this cold under control, I'll dump more words this week. We'll see. We're celebrating my dad's 70th birthday this week, so reaching 15K is a manageable goal, I think.

Enough talk. Let's write!

Shashabooey!

Be on the lookout for more tropes, reviews, and other awesomeness this week. We're going to give September a proper sendoff here.

Had you any interesting visitors this week? Make new blogging friends? Tackled a few more words to your WiP? What's up?

I'm David, and can you guess the value of this action figure?

Given away during the 1997 rerelease

Friday, September 21, 2012

Aspiring Advice: Pause, To The All-Powerful Comma!


Say hello to The Comma, the most common punctuation mark next to The Period (hi!). They're extremely fun to use and they have a way of adding flavor and flow to our sentences, particularly long sentences. This is writing 101, right? So why am I bringing this up? Lately, in things I've been reading, the comma seems to be thrown in any random place, even in published books. While I'm sure this post isn't going to make this little pet peeve of mine go away, I felt I had to say something today.

First of all, what exactly is a comma, anyway? Depending on the language, it could be any given thing, but we'll stick with the English rules here.

Comma - a punctuation mark used to indicate the separation of elements within a sentence, to prevent ambiguity within a sentence.

(Don't look at me, that's what the dictionary's say'n ... )

For me, I've always treated the comma as a break, a pause for breath (unless the comma is being used in a list), just in the same matter we pause for breath while speaking to others in person, but we still have more to say. On paper, it's easy to forget where that break belongs (and I'm totally guilty of that when I type up a lot of words at once). And, sometimes, it's not a matter of placing the comma in the wrong place that gets to me, but not using one when it ought to be there:

- When I went to school I often walked with my friends.

*shivers* That's like nails against a chalkboard, for me.

- When I went to school, I often walked with my friends.

*wipes forehead* Phew ... Much better.

These are the the most common comma issues I've seen lately:

To understand where a comma needs to go, we have to understand the clauses (dependent or independent) being used in our sentences.

Dependent - includes a subject and a verb, but can't be used alone.

- Grabbing the leash, I went outside to walk the dog.

Independent - includes a subject and a verb, and can be used alone.

- I went outside to walk the dog.

Something I've picked up is that we can identify a dependent clause with a dependent marker word. When attached to an independent clause, it turns into a dependent. Here's an independent clause:

- Bobby went to the store to buy a stick of gum.

Good for you, Bobby. Now let's add a dependant marker word:

- As Bobby went to the store to buy a stick of gum ...

Well, what happens next? The thought isn't complete.

- As Bobby went to the store to buy a stick of gum, he tripped.

Poor Bobby ...

Now let's talk about lists and the serial comma (also known as The Oxford Comma). This is when you have a series of items, places, or persons (nouns, more or less). See, I totally just did one: items, places, or persons. In journalism, or through the Associative Press Guide, you wouldn't use that last comma (i,e,. or persons), but we're novel writers, so don't worry about that. You wouldn't, however, use a serial comma during an action line or a series of events, like this:

- Jill found the key, unlocked the door, and ran into the hall.

Too many commas can slow the action and disturb the flow.

- Jill found the key, unlocked the door and ran into the hall.

That'ah girl, Jill! We're routing for you now!

Of course, there are moments when you will want to use the serial comma to prevent confusion, like in this following sentence:

- Sarah had lunch with Chris, a fireman and an engineer.

Hold up! Is Chris a fireman and an engineer, or are the fireman and the engineer different people? For all we know, Chris is a fireman and an engineer, but if that's not the case, add that extra comma.

- Sarah had lunch with Chris, a fireman, and an engineer.

And then there's the use of coordinate adjectives, two adjectives joined together to describe a noun. We wouldn't want to do this:

- The small rundown bakery smelled of cookies.

What we'd want to do is this:

- The small, rundown bakery smelled of cookies.

I'll have some of those cookies, if you don't mind ...


This is not the rule, just my thoughts on the matter. There's ton more examples I can bring up, but you don't have all day to read this, I'm sure. In the end, it's about how the comma makes you feel when you use it. Does it give a breather at the right moment? Is it dividing two clauses in the same sentence? Making proper use of the comma will do wonders for anyone's writing, and they will keep their readers from stumbling over confusing sentences. Get it? Got it. Good!

Ever see misused commas in books? Have you used them? How do they trip you up? What are some examples I failed to mention?

I'm David, and punctuation saves lives ...


Addendum - a blogger that I have mad respect for recently covered this topic, and I might add, in a much better manner than me. Visit Andrew Leon's post to read more (while I reconsider this "pause for breath" advice that I should of put more thought to). Cheers!

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

I Read This: Slipstream by Michael Offutt


 
"Last night I died for the third time this week ..."

Jordan Pendragon is crazy good at fixing situations that have gone bad. It's a talent prized by his high school ice hockey team. However, when a car accident puts Jordan in the hospital, he wakes up with more than just an amazing slapshot in his toolbox. Jordan can manipulate space-time and in just a few weeks, he'll depend on it to save his life.


(From Goodreads)


Okay. This review has been a long time coming (had to put reading on hold for a deadline), but I've been eager to tell you about this book.

Even before I met Michael in person, I was looking forward to his book, based on the concepts he used among other things, and I have to say that I'm impressed. From navigating space time to drawing comparisons to God and Schrödinger's Cat, the science was sound and made me think. Good science fiction makes me think (just as Space Operas are meant to entertain). Michael succeeded in this.

This was also the first time I've read a main character who is gay. I knew this going in, but I have to say Jordan Pendragon was tastefully portrayed and very likeable, given his faults (which, after all, makes him all the more interesting). A hockey-playing teen in Utah that every girl in school wants to go out with (but he's not interested in them)? I can't begin to tell you how well these conflict elements play with each other, but it was awesome and interesting to read.

The greatest strength to this novel are Michael's details. I was never confused about where the characters were or what was around them, even when crossing through time and space. Let me tell you, that's where the real fun happens. There were times when omniscience came into play (which has a happen of making me go "wait, what POV are we in now?), but it wasn't enough to prevent me from reading on.

The myths you've all heard are true - this is an excellent debut. So if you enjoy deep thinking, exotic new worlds, and don't mind heavy language use, then I recommend this for your next science fiction indulgence. Slipstream yourself a copy here. Bring on Oculus!

I'm David, and I'll take an X200 Next Gen Diamondback, please.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Interviewed: I Am SO Not Here Right Now ...


Hey, all!

There's no trope post today, and it's all Angela Cothran's fault. Why? Because she's awesome enough to kidnap me and host an interview with me on her blog! Head on over for some never before asked questions and never before answered answers (and some tasty, all important virtual crullers, too).

Thanks for having me over today, Angie!


Oh yeah, and while you're at it, you should stop by Shallee McArther's blog to to congratulate her for landing an agent! We've been blogging buds forever and words can't begin to describe how excited I am for her (I finally get to buy her book!).

I'm David, and slippers are optional.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Post: Adventures In Caving, Members, And An Update!


A few weeks ago, we took a trip to this place ...


Nice place, just on the edge of Idaho. I'd never been, and I love caves. We drove there and found a sweet path ... made of wood.

Yep ... that's real wood, all right ...

Needless to say, it was a dark experience. The trail was a bit rocky in some places, too. This is making for a really deep story, isn't it?


And might I say, the very bottom of the cave was a nit bit chilly.


But what's the best thing about caving? The bacon, of course ...

Hmm ... Bacon ...

It's totally a good idea to get out every once in a while and check out someplace new, and it could be just around the corner. You never know what kind of creative fuel you'll pump at these idea stations.

*     *     *

Check this action out. We have a couple new members to the club!

and
Jordan Ricks

Thanks for joining us, you two! Enjoy the journey.

*     *     *

Update: There's been a setback on new stuff last week (thanks, cold), but I'm glad to say Woven is officially getting shopped around again! We sent out some queries and a request, so we're excited to see if our work pays off. I also did some research and outlining. This will be a great zombie novel when it's finished, you guys. I'm for serious.

Also, I'd like to thank everyone for your comments on Friday. It was quite a trip revising an unpleasant memory, but then again, I'm grateful that I'm able to remember it. Seriously, you guys rock!

There's some cool stuff on the blog this week, so click back soon.

So, how was your weekend? Get much writing done? 

I'm David, and pumpkin flavored everything is coming ...

Friday, September 14, 2012

Aspiring Advice: The Trick To Overcoming Adversity


A couple weeks ago, I mentioned that I had a head injury. Several of you wanted to know the story behind that. Since I'd like to keep my arms and legs, gather round and listen to a tale of a fateful trip ... that didn't start aboard a tiny ship (we still miss you, Bob Denver).

A few years ago, my wife's family invited us to spend a week in the Four Corners area (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Arizona).

Proof!

A nice way to kick off the summer, right? Or so we thought. Sure, our cameras snapped lots of great memories from the cliff dwellings and the petrified forest, among other national park awesomeness. At this time, I was nine chapters into the first draft of this book I keep telling you about. Then we stayed at a campground in the Navajo Nation with plans to tour a canyon in the morning - on horseback.

Me. A city boy. On a horse (you see where this is going, right?).

 Moments before the incident ...

Truth be told, I was bucked off a horse when I was six - landed on my butt without a scratch. This time around, I was given a tame horse. We bonded quick, but when I hoisted myself onto the saddle, I accidentally sat on my hand, twisting my wrist. It hurt. A lot. Our Native American guide, Gabriel, asked if I was okay. I said "yeah, but I'm ... dizzy," and the next thing I knew, I was on my back, our guide tapping my face with his saliva on his hands (until someone gave him some water - then I got drenched). I passed out, fell off the horse, and landed head-first on the ground (it hurts to think about it).

 There's penguins on my pillows, bro!

Someone didn't get to go on that canyon tour. I stayed with the camper, my wife making sure I didn't fall asleep in case this was a concussion. Luckily, I landed on the side of my head. My shoulder took some of the blow. Unluckily, it was the right side of my head. You know, that creative side of the brain that allows for imaginative thoughts and art. Yeah. I figured I might as well try to write.

When I got back, my head and neck was out of whack, requiring the start of several chiropractic visits. And when I handed the latest chapters to my coauthor, something wasn't right. "This reads like a cartoon," he said, as if I had watched hours of Anime before writing them (so what if I did?). He was totally right. The narrative and the dialogue, the characters ... nothing like our other chapters, in a bad way - but I honestly couldn't see it. It was like writing my first novel all over again, loaded sentences that made no sense. Needless to say, it made me depressed. I had to stop writing. A part of me died then.

This is why I was absent from conventions in 2010. My logistical left brain was fine, so thankfully my job wasn't compromised.

As far as writing went, I could have quit then. Who would think less of me if I did? I would. Yep. I couldn't let this take over my dream to be a full-time writer, but how would I recover, not knowing if I would ever get back to the way I was, let alone better? Sometimes the best way to overcome adversity is to start with nothing. I took up a pencil and a writing pad and wrote. Just wrote. It didn't matter what. There was no plan to make my word salad into a novel. I wrote on, literally reteaching myself how to write a proper sentence again, to write dialogue that didn't sound like the voice-overs on Kid History.

The most difficult part was visualizing the setting and details in my head like I used to (and to this day, it's still a struggle), but given time and healing, I rose out of this slump. I looked at my lacking blog and turned things around. Finally, a year ago today, I fell back into my groove - albeit different than I expected (if you're reading this and have no problem following along, I think that's a good sign).

This is not the rule, just my thoughts on the matter. Even though my writing took a back seat for a year, I consider myself lucky. Adversity takes on many forms and may come at us at any given time. What's the trick to overcoming adversity? Simply put - mind over matter.

What matters is that we never stop dreaming. We never stop trying. We never give up. For all I know, this may have turned out for the best. So the next time you see me, and I come across as some kind of Smallville-stying, cruller-obsessed weirdy, now you know why.

 And they lived to see another sunset ...

What adversities have gotten in the way of your writing? What did you learn from it? Should I go out for liposuction?

I'm David, and this post by Nathan Bransford is hilarious!

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

inkPageant: September Giveaway Details



It's that time of month again, and this time, we have another giveaway offer for those who continue to support our database with your amazing posts! Here's what we're offering this month:

A hardcover copy of Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World by Michael Hyatt. This is a helpful book. Here's the Amazon blurb:

To be successful in the market today, you must possess two strategic assets: a compelling product and a meaningful platform. In this step-by-step guide, Michael Hyatt, former CEO and current Chairman of Thomas Nelson Publishers, takes readers behind the scenes, into the new world of social media success. He shows you what best-selling authors, public speakers, entrepreneurs, musicians, and other creatives are doing differently to win customers in today’s crowded marketplace.

Sound good? We think so. Check out our site, sign up, and start submitting your posts! And remember, we're interested in more than writing advice. We like author/agent/editor interviews, movie/book/TV show reviews, conference highlights and publishing news. Submitting posts will add to our database and direct more traffic to your blog.

It's a free win-win, so what are you waiting for? Click here!

I'm David, and it sounds like I'm selling something, doesn't it?