Believe It or Not

The suspension of disbelief . I’ve been wrestling with idea lately because the manuscript I’m working on now, asks readers to follow my characters into a future Seattle with flying insect cameras, underground labyrinths and strange uses for nano technology. How much is too much?

As usual I resort to a discussion with Sci/Fi guy and Screenwriter over food. We decide, over plates of Pad Thai, that there are three types of improbable events on the SOD (Suspension of Disbelief) scale…1) the extraordinary situation.  Sci/Fi guy “An example of that is in the last Star Wars prequel when they had a 3-minute fight scene on a rock floating in molten lava.” 2)  The contrived invention: time machine, reverse polarity generator, time warp DeLorean and 3) fortuitous luck, deus ex machina, the unsolvable solved by a contrived intervention: the sun hits the rock and reveals the keyhole, crack, entry point.

Any of those three improbabilities have the potential to knock the reader right out of the book. So how do we keep our readers engaged in the midst of the fantastic? I’ve always believed that if you create a compelling character and a voice that readers love, they will follow that character anywhere, a dystopian future or the lion’s den. But you also need to ground that voice in the familiar.

And Sci/Fi guy and Screenwriter both agree. This is an amazing event. I pause with a forkful of noodles to savor the moment. Then Screenwriter shares what he found on Michael Hauge’s website below: 

“Your audience is eager to embrace fantastic, faraway worlds, bigger than life characters and startling events, but only if your characters react to them the way people in the real world would.You can throw an everyday hero into an extraordinary situation, but she must then overcome whatever conflicts she faces in ways that an everyday person could. And if she has to call on some added talent to save the day, you must reveal that talent (or ally or weapon or knowledge or magic wand) early in the story, long before it’s needed. You can even give your hero super powers, but we have to see how she got them, and they must be limited in some way to make her vulnerable.” http://www.storymastery.com/

The key is remembering that readers want to be taken on a journey, and we are the guides to there and back again.  This seems like a good time to break for black rice pudding.

When writing feels like a chore...

If you happen to be a writer, then you have undoubtedly heard that not writing at least something on a daily basis means you're not doing it right. Right? Yeah, I've heard that, too. And lemme tell ya, a while ago, that bugged me to no end. If there were days I just wasn't feeling it, I would stress out over it, to the point that I'd be sitting at my computer practically pulling my hair out until words fell from my fingertips. And, oh, about 100% of the time, I would be tossing those words out the next time real inspiration hit me. Raise your hand if you've been there.

Now, the key phrase to take away from the above paragraph is this: "a while ago." Meaning: It doesn't bother me anymore.

I've come to learn during this entire "becoming a published author" process that what works for one doesn't work for all. Ask any author that, they'll agree. That's why there's no secret formula to writing a book/getting published/hitting the NYT bestseller list/getting your novel made into a movie. The art of writing is as diverse as the world itself. It comes in countless shapes, sizes, colors. And each person who ventures down the road to publication takes different stops or detours than the author in front of and behind them. They hit different potholes and speed bumps, get sidetracked by a roadside fruit stand while another author skips fresh produce and flies ahead. But in the end, they all end up in the same place (albeit at varying levels of "place," but "place" nonetheless). 

This is perhaps the absolute hardest thing to learn when it comes to the craft of writing: No one's path is the same. And the second hardest (or first, to some) thing to learn? That fact is perfectly okay.

So, when you're just not feeling the writing bug one day, and would rather veg out in front of the TV or spend your free time digging in a garden or hanging with friends, don't stress out over it. Don't let it get you down. Let the writing go for that day and enjoy some down time (just as every other person with a job does, right?). Let your brain rest and reset. Have a little fun.

Believe me when I say it's not gonna kill you.

My Stupid Book

By Dan Haring

Writing a book is a little bit like having a child.

I can't really comment on whether or not it's like actually giving birth, since I'm not equipped to make that comparison. And as hard as writing a book is, after watching my wife go through four pregnancies and c-sections, I'd say writing a book is, in fact, very tame. (p.s. My wife is amazing)

But, being a father, I think I'm qualified to make the case of books as children. You spend hours agonizing over decisions and choices and tiny little things that might have huge repercussions. You stay up late with them, you clean up their messes, you strive to make them the best they can be.

Sometimes they reward you for it and you experience emotional highs like never before.

Sometimes they throw up on you at two in the morning.

But at the end of the day, they're your creation, and you love them.

Your parents and family and friends will adore them too. They'll see past whatever flaws they might have and praise the good. At least they should. You need to have that support system, both as a parent and an author. But then things get trickier, because at some point, you send them out into the world, hoping that you've prepared them as well as you can for what's to come.

And here's the hard part. Your kids and your book are going to be judged.

They're going to be judged on how well they perform, how well they can exist in the outside world, and so on and so forth. And those judgements are going to be a reflection of you, of your skills, of your abilities, of how well you did your job.

I've heard authors say they never read reviews. While it might be noble to refrain from reading them, it's not really for me. When a movie I've worked on comes out, I religiously check Rotten Tomatoes to find out what people think. I don't read all the reviews, but enough to get an idea of what worked and what didn't. The same with my book.

Criticism is good, to a certain degree. Not only does it keep you humble and grounded, it can help reveal problems with what you've created that can be avoided in the future. No one has ever written a perfect book, or raised a perfect child, and having the flaws pointed out can help in your next endeavor.

When my book came out, the reviews were generally pretty good. Like I said, family and friends were very supportive. And people I didn't even know seemed to respond well to it also.

Then one day, I got my first one star review on Goodreads. Since it's short, I'll quote it here:

"Probably the stupidest book I have ever read. Just stupid."

I went through a lot of different emotions when I got that review. I was mad, annoyed, frustrated, hurt, and many other adjectives. I considered responding to the review, then figured it would be a bad idea. After I'd cooled off a bit, I decided to just write a short note saying something along the lines of "Thanks for reading. Sorry you didn't enjoy it." But when I clicked to make a comment, Goodreads showed this warning:

"Goodreads has found that it is not in an author's best interest to engage with someone over a negative review. Please think twice before commenting on this review."

Fair enough. I decided to simply hit the "like" button on the review and leave it at that.

As time has passed and I've thought about it more, I'm glad I didn't say anything to the reviewer. I'm also glad I "liked" the review. For those reasons listed above, I'm actually thankful for the criticism. Not only does it compel me to work harder on my next book, it serves as a reminder that not everyone is going to love my work, no matter how good I think it is. And really, that's fine. It's just a book, and I'm glad the person took the time to read it.

That's all we as authors and parents can really ask for. Give our creations a chance. Let them show you what they can do. Hopefully you'll find something of redeeming value in them. If not, we'll simply move on. No harm, no foul.

But fair warning:  If you ever call my kid stupid I might punch you in the face :)

YA Scavenger Hunt!

by Michelle Gagnon

Hi folks! In my new role as a YA author, I'm participating in a very cool online scavenger hunt today. The winners receive a whole stack of free books--and as an added incentive for participating, I'm posting a deleted scene from my novel DON'T TURN AROUND on the page where I'm being hosted! (This was the only scene in the book told from the POV of an adult, which apparently is a YA no-no. But this scene gives insight into what really happened to a fan favorite character in the book, Cody).

It's a lot of fun, so dive in if you have the time and inclination...

Welcome to YA Scavenger Hunt! This tri-annual event was first organized by author Colleen Houck as a way to give readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material from their favorite authors...and a chance to win some awesome prizes! At this hunt, you not only get access to exclusive content from each author, you also get a clue for the hunt. Add up the clues, and you can enter for our prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt in my team! But play fast: this contest (and all the exclusive bonus material) will only be online for 72 hours!

Go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page to find out all about the hunt. There are TWO contests going on simultaneously, and you can enter one or all! I am a part of the RED TEAM--but there is also a blue team for a chance to win a whole different set of twenty-five signed books!

If you'd like to find out more about the hunt, see links to all the authors participating, and see the full list of prizes up for grabs, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt homepage.

SCAVENGER HUNT PUZZLE

Directions: Below, you'll notice that I've listed my favorite number. Collect the favorite numbers of all the authors on the red team, and then add them up (don't worry, you can use a calculator!). 

Entry Form: Once you've added up all the numbers, make sure you fill out the form here to officially qualify for the grand prize. Only entries that have the correct number will qualify.

Rules: Open internationally, anyone below the age of 18 should have a parent or guardian's permission to enter. To be eligible for the grand prize, you must submit the completed entry form by DEC 2nd, at noon Pacific Time. Entries sent without the correct number or without contact information will not be considered.

SCAVENGER HUNT POST

Today, I am hosting Ednah Walters on my website for the YA Scavenger Hunt! 

She's the author of The Guardian Legacy series, and her latest novel is BETRAYED:

Lil isn't just an average teenager. She's one of the Nephilim--the descendants of humans and angels--which gives her some serious psi skills and a mission for redemption. Just when Lil thinks she's found a balance between her normal life with human friends and her training to become a Guardian, someone starts to manipulate the people she loves... and won't stop until she's been lured to the dark side.

Ednah's Bio:

I grew up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy boys mysteries and fell in love with books. I've written picture books (unpublished), contemporary and romantic suspense (under the pen name E. B. Walters), and finally YA fantasy under Ednah Walters. AWAKENED (2010) is the prequel to the YA series about the Nephilim, The Guardian Legacy series. BETRAYED(book # 1) is now available wherever books are sold, HUNTED (book # 2) will be released in April 2013. I'm working on FORGOTTEN, the next book in the series. My adult contemporary, the Fitzgerald books, includes SLOW BURN, MINE UNTIL DAWN, KISS ME CRAZY, DANGEROUS LOVE and FOREVER HERS. When I'm not writing, I do things with my family, five children and my darling husband of 20 years. I live in a picturesque valley in northern Utah, the setting for my YA series.

Find out more information about Ednah and her awesome books by checking out the author website or find out more about BETRAYED here!

And don't forget to enter the contest for a chance to win a ton of signed books by me, hosted author's name, and more! To enter, you need to know that my favorite number is 6. Add up all the favorite numbers of the authors on the blue team and you'll have all the secret code to enter for the grand prize!

CONTINUE THE HUNT

To keep going on your quest for the hunt, you need to check out the next author, VICTORIA SCHWAB!

PS...I'll also be giving away EXCLUSIVE add on content--sections of DON'T TURN AROUND that were deleted from the completed manuscript! So be sure to check it out on Myra Mcentire's blog!