Monster Luv!

I've been rereading Everlost by Neal Shusterman. There are so many great things about this book, but one thing that really struck me is how much I LUV the monster in this story, The McGill. He's not a good monster. The McGill is nasty and mean and he likes it that way. He works hard to be a terror. Don't worry. Those arent' the things I love.

What I love is that even though he's so repulsive, Shusterman still finds a way to make him likable in a way that you hate to love a villan. I've been trying to pinpoint the aspects of this great monster and what makes him so great. Here's what I've come up with so far.

1) He's written w/ humor, in a way that made me think of this monster as more of a young boy trying to be a bully.

2) The McGill develops a respect for the female protagonist even though he isn't prone to giveing repect to anyone.

3) This is probably my most favoritest part and PARTIAL SPOILERS BELOW:
In Everlost, there are 2 thru-lines that are weaved together nicely. They are shown early in the story and follow through til the end and are tied together by showing the reader how the McGill came into existence.
A. In Everlost, people will sink into the ground if they stand still for too long and will sink to the core of the earth. No one is able to get out of the core of the earth. The souls just sit and wait until the end of time.
B. In Everlost, if you forget what you look like, your appearance will change accordingly. ie: someone who prized their smile might start to develop too many teeth. A bully that used his fists might grow oversized hands etc.

Now, this is the good part:
Toward the end we find out that before the McGill became the McGill, he was just a regular little boy who sank to the middle of the earth. But . . . as he sat there with all the other sunken souls, he imagined himself strong and powerful. Little by little as his body changed accordingly, he grew strong enough to claw his way out. Something that no one else had done before. However, the very thing that gave him the ability to climb out of the depths is the same thing that turned him into something mean, horrible and heartless.

As the McGill grows in fondness for the female protagonist, his features start to change again; only this time he starts to become less horrific.

Isn't that brilliant!!!! So many threads come together and the monster isn't just a monster for monsters sake. He has a past. He has endearing qualities.

I can't think of any other literary monster that has struck a cord in my quite like this one.

How about you? Do you have any monsters/villans that you love to hate or hate to love?

A good example of the Writer as a Human Camera lens

Have you read anything by Eva Ibbotson? It's a treat, I tell you. When I read Eva's books I get the feeling like the narrator is the cutest, plump English, apron-clad grandmother in the whole world, and that she's telling me the story over a plate of fresh chocolate chip cookies and milk. To get the most out of reading Eva Ibbotson, you really must read her books out loud and in your best British accent. It's a hoot! :0D

I recently finished reading The Secret of Platform 13 and there's a great example of how the differing perceptions of the characters can give us insights into their personalities and how they think.

This book is about a Prince that is kidnapped from a magical kingdom. 9 years later, an unlikely foursome of rescuers are given the task to rescue the Prince. One of these rescuers is a giant one-eyed Ogre. The rescuers need to go into the real world unnoticed, so they have to cover the giant Ogre in a lotion that will make him invisible. Except for his one eye.

The boy that they believe to be the prince is a horrible and spoiled boy named Raymond.

The boy that they wish was the prince is a servant boy named Ben.

Here are the different reactions of Ben and Raymond upon their first observation of the Ogre's disembodied eye.

Bens Reaction in Chapter 4:

"The ogre had managed to follow them to the bench with his eye shut, but the Prince's" ( They think that Ben, was the prince at this point) "voice pleased him so much that he now opened it. Cor frowned at him, Gurkie shook her head--they had been so careful not to startle the Prince, and invisible ogres are unusual; there is nothing to be done about that. But the boy didn't seem at all put out by a single blue eye floating halfay up the trunk of the tree.
'Is he. . . or she . . . I don't want to pry, but is he a friend of yours?"


Raymonds Reaction in Chapter 7:

"But now Raymond sat up very straight and pointed to the door. 'Eeek!' he shouted. 'There's a horrible thing there! An eye! It's disgusting; it's creepy. I want my mummy!'

The others turned their heads in dismay. They knew how sensitive the ogre was, and to call such a clean-living person 'creepy' is about as hurtful as it is possible to be. And sure enough, a tear welled up in Hans' clear blue eye, trembled there . . . and fell. Then the eye vanished, and from the space where the giant sat, there came a deep, unhappy sigh."

Tales from the Conference: Agent Alyssa Eisner Henkin on pacing

What moves your story forward?

My mind must've been in Lala land this conference, because in addition to thinking about paper dolls being brought to life by us Good Fairies, I couldn't help but think of Slip~n~Slides when, Agent, Alyssa Eisner Henkin spoke on the subject of pacing.

Alyssa suggested that a motif" can be like a roadmap to your story. A Character trait or some other motif can help move your story forward.

So, there I sat, thinking that the plot is like the slip~n~slide, the characters are the squirts of water from the hose and the motif is inflatable raft that takes the reader from the beginning to the end.

Once example she used was in "The Secret Garden" where the tantrums of the protagonist were a motif used to show us the progression of the the characters growth.

Well . . . I think the sovereign Lord of the universe is also sovereign over Blogland, because it just so happens that I picked up a copy of THE TOP TEN USES FOR AN UNWORN PROM DRESS by Tina Ferraro (hi Tina!) and I just finished reading it. Not only is it a fun read, but it is also a PERFECT example of using a motif to move the story forward. The motif is so strong, that it is even used in the title!

When Nicolette is dumped shortly before the Prom, she is left with a gorgeous dress that she does NOT want to return. So she makes a list of things that can be done with her unworn promdress. Nicotlette's mother encourages her to keep this humorous list as a good-natured way to deal with the disappointment.

The book isn't actually about the uses for the unworn prom dress. Instead, the list that she makes reflects what is going on in her life as she deals with boys, her relationship with her absentee father, her mothers inability to make mortgage payments, the strange behavior of her best friend, and all the other things going wrong in her life.

See, whaddidItellya! Perfect! So, study this book if you'd like to learn more about how to use a motif to move your story forward.

As always, I welcome any other "motif" suggestions or insights in the comment section!

Happy slip~sliding!

There's nothin' like the smell of sparkely and sticky

Sometimes a gem jumps up and lands in your change purse. I had that delightful experience last night.

Many of you know that I host a Kids Night craft every Tuesday at my restaurant. Last nights craft was "Decorate a Glitter Wand"

Can you say MESSY?
Covered in glitter, I looked like a Fairy God Mother by the end of the night. I got a lot of stares when I went to the grocery store before returning home.

Anyway. . . . back to the purupose of the story

One little girl, about 4 or 5, was in heaven making this glitter wand. Her enthusiasm shined brighter than the glitter. At one point she put her nose as close to the glitter and glue as she could w/o getting it on her skin as she gushed
"Ahhhhh, there's nothin' like the smell of sparkly and sticky!"

And so I thought "Wow! What a great example of how a small child thinks."

As adults we've been programed to think inside the box. You CAN'T smell "sparkly" you see it. You CAN'T smell "sticky" you touch it.

Not for this child-like innocence. She associates a smell with what she sees and touches.

How sweet. How pure

As an apiring children's author, I'm constantly on the lookout for how I can escape an adult mindset and tap back into the perspective of a child.

This little girl inspired me to think of the things that I love and rethink how I would describe them. My challenge is for you to do the same.
This little girl didn't just like glitter and glue. She liked the sparkly and sticky.

I love the beach: the weather, sand and the water

But that just sounds boring. How would this child describe the beach?

It's been harder than I thought.

Some that I've come up with is

There's nothing like the smell of blue, splashy hot and shell hunting.

What can you come up with? You can use the beach or anything else that you may love. (I hear that some people don't like the beach.) Shocking. I know.

Anyway. Just pick something you like and try it! I'd love to hear what you come up with.

I appologize for the progressively huge letters. I keep trying to make the font smaller, but it's not working. I don't know why. !?!?!?!?!

Best Descriptions Award!

I love a description that makes me laugh, makes me think or creates a vivid picture with concise creativity and even better yet, inspires my own writing. Let's take a moment to pay tribute to some favorites:

And the Best Descriptions awards go to . . . . . .

The Best Description of a person goes to (insert drum roll here)
Midnight Magic by Avi (vivid description, humor, reveals personality)
"Everything about Mistress Weebly was small: small body; small face; small gimlet eyes; small noes. Her smallenss was emphasized by her being dressed in an overlarge, soiled gown of green that reached her ankles- sleeves pinched at her wrists, apron over all, wimple on her head. It was as if she hada been dropped into a dirty sack and was spying out from it. Indeed, the womans only largenss was her curiosity."


The Best Description for Scenery goes to (insert bonanza theme song here)
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babit (great imagery and mood setting)
"The sky was a ragged blaze of pin and orange, and its double trembled on the surface of the pond like color spilled from a paintbox."

The Best Description of Sound (insert Bethovens 5th)
Kneeknock Rise by Natalie Babit (creativity, concise, vivid, breaks free of rain cliches)
"In the sudden wind, raindrops pelted his window like handfuls of berries."

The Best Descripton of a Dragon (Insert music to the chicken dance here)
Bitterwood by Janes Maxey (great visual imagery with concise language)
"His scarred skin sagged over his skeleton, under which his slender, wiry muscles moved like thick ropes."


Feel free to add any of your favorites in the comments! I loooove a good description

Book Review: Book of a Thousand Days by Shannon Hale

This is a retold fairy tale of a faithful ladies maid who keeps account of her time locked in a tower with her Lady, their escape and their journey to different kingdom where they find work as kitchen workers. This is an entertaining adventure driven by loyalty, trust, perseverance and love.

This book is a great example of "voice" especially when it comes to the protagonists world view. Hale brings the reader into another time and culture where the mindset is diametrically opposed to current day America. The main character is strong, witty, educated and resourceful and yet she is content with her place in the world as deemed by her social status: to serve gentry and do their bidding no matter the cost.

Hale makes the character and her world-view believable through the cohisive use of skillful language, clever imagery and symbolism and the underlying emotional theme that drives the story.

Book Review: The Magic Paintbrush

After a tragic house fire, an orphan is sent to China to live with his cantankerous and dirt-poor Grandfather. When Steve finds a magic paintbrush, he is able to grant their wishes, until their greedy landlord finds out about the paintbrush and threatens eviction if they don't give it to him.


This is a touching and compelling MG novel. It's underlying theme explores dealing with the death of a loved one and how memories can be like still having them around. I was drawn in by the character: got teary eyed when he spoke of missing his mom and dad, and my heart lifted with joy when he found the magic paintbrush and discovered that his Grandfather wasn't quite so bad after all. It's a quick and easy read and a great example of voice, character and believable dialogue.

Want to get to know your protagonist better? Take him on a trip! But what to pack?. . . hmmmmmm

If you took your protagonist on a trip, what would he/she pack?

I'm taking a slow hike through "Reading Like A Writer" by Francine Prose. I have a hard time reading non fiction. They aren't page-turners. I've had the book for over a month and I'm only in chapter 3. But it's worth the trudging.

I loved the idea from chapt 2 about using character choices as one way to show personality and mindset. Is your character mature or immature? cautious or carefree? neat or messy?

Prose uses an example from "A Distant Episode" by Paul Bowles. A professor traveling to the North African desert packs two small overnight bags full of maps, sun lotions, and medicines.

Prose says:
"The contests of the Professor's two small over night bags full of maps, sun lotions, and medicines provide a tiny mini-course in the importance of close reading. The protagonist's anxiety and cautiousness, his whole psychological makeup, has been communicated in five words (maps, sun lotions, and medicines) and without the need to use one descriptive adjective or phrase. (He was an anxious man, who worried about getting lost or sunburned or sick, and so forth.) What very different conclusions we might form about a man who carries a bag filled with dice, syringes, and a hand gun."


This section made me want to think of my own protagonist. Do I know her psyche well enough to show her personality through her unique packing choices?

Then I also thought about the certain things I always pack: I always take lip balm and more books than clothing, and what does my husband pack: mostly just clothes and always waits til the last minute to pack. I know someone that always packs a can of lysol disinfectant spray. . . what choices do we make that show who we are? It makes an interesting character study and a fun creative exercise.

The next step: Go back through my MS and see what scenes provide opportunity to show personality through choices. It's kind of like mining for diamonds. You've got to locate the gems, bring them to the surface and then make 'em shine!

Gotta go help my protagonist pack now. Buh-bye!

Book Review: Something Rotten by Alan Gratz

Something Rotten by Alan Gratz

This is the first book review that I've done since I've been back from the Chapel Hill retreat so I was able read this book with a new eye (or is it ear), for voice.

As a reader, this book is a fun, witty and humorous mystery with compelling characters. It's a great read for the both avid and reluctant readers alike.

Sarcastic, good-guy Horatio helps his out-of-control best friend solve the mystery of who killed his father.

From a writers point of view, this was a great example of the 8 elements of voice that Martha Mihalick talked about at the retreat last month.


The Language, syntax and world view of the book/main character was not just consistent with a teen male in no-where'sville America, but I really felt like I was getting an authentic and honest peek inside of a guys brain. I appreciated Gratz's honest approach to the "regualar-guy" mind-set given through the MC.

The tone was humorous, sarcastic and mysterious

The Pacing was dead on. Things kept moving, enough info was kept from the reader to make it a mystery, but I never felt confused. This is a trait of mystery novels that seems like it would be difficult to write. But it was done well. I kept wanting to read more. It was fun to keep guessing who-dunnit?

The theme, both underlying and main, meshed with the other elements of voice. It was fun to see how all things pertaining to "stink" permeated the entire book. I think this book would also make a great thesaurus for the word "odor" :0) If you need a good idea on how to describe something stinky? Read this book. ;0)

There was also a good variety of underlying thematic dichotomies: pursuit vs. pushing away, control vs. chaos, purity vs. polution, loyalty vs. self-seeking, life vs. death (to be or not to be)

Imagery and symbolism: I think it's pretty safe to say that all the imagery and symbolism could be directly linked back to the themes, and world view of the character mentioned above.

Finally, the structure. It was all so well put together. All the elements were in harmony and supported one another.

I'ts a great read and a great example of solid writing!

Point of View as a story telling tool: Notes from a session with Krista Marino, eidtor at Delacorte

Our bellies are full of breakfast, caffeine courses through our veins (or at least through mine with an extra cup in hand) and Krista Marino takes the chair as we anxiously await her session on "Using POV as a Tool to Tell Your Story." Here are the insights that Krista presented: things I had never really thought about before.

1) The point of view that you use can either help your story or hurt it. Well used POV adds to the story and gives it depth.

2) You should not have a preconcieved idea of what POV to use and it should not be forced. You do not choose the POV. POV chooses you.

3) Good POV makes your story so engaging that the narrator becomes invisible. However, the narrator in your story should have a "personality" of their own even if it 's in 3rd person and not an actual character in the story. A good POV will not draw attention to what POV is used.

1st Person POV:
A. This type of POV tends to enhance a character driven story.
1. greater intimacy with the characters opinions
2. greater intimacy with the M/C in general

B. Caution for using 1st Person POV:
1. It's important for the reader to know the MC well
2. Krista feels this type of POV can come across as "contrived" if it's not done well
3. Can slow pacing

C. Good examples of. . . .
1st person: Skin Deep by e.m. Crane
1st person past progressive: Hell Week
1st person Past tense: King Dork

3rd Person POV:

A. This type of POV is good for . . . .
1. multiple protagonists
2. plot driven stories
a. the narrator is kept at an arms length from the protagonist
which is why it's difficult to use this for a character driven story.

B. Caution with using 3rd Person POV. . .
1. Less intimacy with the protagonist
2. Can come across as a more judgemental and disengaged
3. There's a tendency to forget to include emotion

C. Good exapmples of . . .
3rd person Limited: The Giver by Lois Lowry
3rd person limited omniscient: Ball Don't Lie
3rd person omniscient: Little Women

How does POV add to the story? Example:
Ball Don't Lie uses 3rd person limited omnicient. The character is very withdrawn and isolated. This POV mirrors the MC's personality and adds to the tone and feel of the story. If 1st person had been used, it would have told us too much about the M/C, and therefore would have taken away from his personality.

Writing Exercise: Try writing your story from different POV's and see which one tells your story best. What POV adds to the "voice" of your story?

Cliche-Slayers Unite! Tackling the choking weeds of cliches one vine at a time

http://www.gamemaker.nu/upload/image/FantasySword1.jpg

The cliche = The poison of manuscripts

How can we describe that funny feeling in the pit of our stomachs when we're around that certain someone that make us go weak in the knees? (note the cliche)

Butterflies? Nope. Way over done.

Fluttering? Nope. That one is used a lot too.

Here's how Shannon Hale tackled this cliche in "Princess Academy".
This is from Chapter 11.
"Being near him made her insides feel like twisted vines, choking and blooming all at the same time, and her only thought was that his smile was worth trudging for."

So, here's to Shannon Hale! I here-by name you Master Cliche-Slayer