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Why is there a Faun in Release by Patrick Ness? Exploring the Genre-Bending Book
What is Release about?
Release by Patrick Ness has a main plot that follows a day in the life of a teenage boy, Adam Thorn, who lives in a small town and has a religious family. He hasn't come out to his parents yet, and is dealing with preparing to say goodbye to his ex (who didn't treat him particularly well) at his going away party while negotiating a romance with his current boyfriend. This thread is the majority of the book and fits snugly into the contemporary young adult coming of age story. The book is also influenced heavily by Mrs. Dalloway from Virginia Woolf and Forever by Judy Blume. Both books I haven't read yet. Adam is searching for a release on several different levels with his family and with himself.
What Genre is the Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan?
The Astonishing Color of After by Emily X.R. Pan is one of my favorite books because of its hard to place genre and literary mode. The beautiful prose and compelling story helps too. I also loved the atmosphere created with the reader experiencing Taiwan along with the main character.
This book opens a lot of doors bringing experimental fiction to the mainstream. It is a well received success with critics as well as readers. This is hard to do with a book that doesn't fit neatly into a traditional marketing category or genre.
Flash Fiction: Taytum in the Trees
Right when the clock hit 12:00 p.m. Taytum Murphy got up from her desk grasping her Nike gym bag and headed to the bathroom to change. She came out with a black Lycra outfit sculpted to her body, a silver backpack flopping behind her. A comic book hero rolling through the tan cubicles. She draped her blazer, collared shirt, and trousers over her ergonomic chair so they wouldn't wrinkle and left the office.
Losing the Plot: The Many Challenges of a Multi-Book Series by S.J. Howland
The learning curve for a writer who aspires to become a successfully published author is both steep, and well-trodden by those of us in the writing community. The burst of enthusiasm from an initial idea, blossoming into characters who come to life in our imaginations, and worlds that open up before us, is the gateway drug that carries us inexorably forward - until we hit that first stumbling block. For some of us, it is the realisation that the muse alone will not carry us through to the finish; writing is a hard mistress, demanding the sacrifice of time and other easier pursuits. For others, passion for the story itself fades: the ideas and the characters not strong enough to hold our own attention, dooming them in any attempt to beguile others. For many of us, however, the answer is more straightforward: we have simply lost the plot.
Blogging for Fiction Writers : What I Learned from my First Year
Happy Anniversary Blog!
I have posted on my blog each week for the last year. I've learned a lot in that time and I wanted to do a post chronicling it all. My very first blog article was 10 Reasons Why I Have an Author Blog. My initial motivations for starting the blog are still applicable today. Connecting more with the writing community, building up my email list, meeting regular writing deadlines, and most importantly making my writing journey real not only to myself, but to the public as well. If you are still not convinced, I recommend Should You Start a Blog as an Author in 2020 by Ignited Inkwriting, it lists some good pros and cons to consider. Shaunta Grimes also wrote a very detailed list of persuasive reasons in If You're a Fiction Writer, You Should Absolutely be Blogging.
Line Editing Tips: My Step-by-Step Process
Developmental Editing versus Line-Editing
I think of developmental editing as working on the macro structure of your novel and making sure the spine or the character arcs and obligatory genre scenes are fleshed out. I also worked on the structure of my scenes during the developmental edit and will continue to hone my scene structures during the line editing phase. After I finish with my initial developmental editing pass with my manuscript I send it to critique partners for feedback and ask them just to focus on the developmental issues. I discuss how to incorporate their feedback in 15 Tips for Organizing and Implementing Feedback for Revisions. Micro changes at the paragraph and sentence level are line-editing as in going line by line through your manuscript to revise them.
Flash Fiction: Kombucha Keyboardist
I parked my volkswagon bug in front of the Wyattsburgen bed and breakfast as the sun was setting. The other detectives at the precinct said I was crazy for traveling on Halloween, but I know myself and I need the rest. Relaxation doesn't come unless I totally change my environment.
Witte Wieven: Dutch Ladies of the Mist by Signe Maene
The first time I was introduced to stories about the Witte Wieven I was eleven years old. I remember watching a street performance of a group of women who were dancing in medieval dresses while golden ribbons tied to their wrists flew around them. My aunt was standing next to me. She’s always eager to tell you more about the history of a gargoyle on one of those buildings which you pass every day but never really notice the details of. She knows many Flemish, Dutch and French folktales and this was her chance to tell me about the Witte Wieven. According to her they are the spirits of wise women who appear as mist above fields or hills. My eleven-year-old self would have forgotten all about this the moment we passed by an ice-cream shop, but there was something special about that moment. The image of women who flew through the air as mist was one that bewitched me.
Creative Bookshelf Decorating Ideas
I have been cultivating my reading lifestyle more as I venture into bookstagram (here is an article about why I decided to do that as an author) and buying more books and being more thoughtful about how I use my bookshelf and thinking of ideas for decorating it. I bought this billy bookcase from ikea and placed it on top of a dresser for added height. I wanted the white one, but they were all out of it. So, I promised myself I would decorate it to give it some more umph.
Instagram Stories for Writers
I have been having a fun time exploring Instagram Stories for the last couple of months. Before that, I had no idea how writers could use it.
In this blog post, I will discuss what Instagram Stories is, some trends, writers that are using it well, and my strategies that I have been experimenting with. By the end of the article, you should have some clear ideas on what to post on Insta Stories.
