My favourite literary character = Anne

Day 5 Author Blog Challenge

This one's all about literary characters, which one's my favourite and with which one can I most relate?

My favourite character was hard to narrow down but I think it's got to be Anne Shirley. I'm so similar to her in so many ways (see here). Although I didn't get into nearly as many scrapes as she did. We've both gotten into trouble for our love of reading. Lost in our own little worlds at many a time, using our imagination to fuel life and vitality into what we know. We both set great store by our dreams. Losing ourselves in the excitement and anticipation. Surely Anne (with an e) Shirley is someone we all can admire for her courage, her creativity, her zeal for life, and for her stubbornness too, because just like the rest of us she grew all the more when her dreams stubbled upon her flaws.


Meg from the A Wrinkle in Time series is someone I can truly relate to. Many times she's awkward and someone who wants to learn and loves books. As much as I had friends in my childhood, I was still the perpetual new kid and many times had to work through the hard task of new schools and new people. I felt bonded by the awkwardness we shared when I first read this book in grade 6. Meg seemed so many times unsure of what to say, or she had no idea how she was going to manage what was asked of her. I know that I felt like this many times, but her determination and love for her family was something I could also relate to.

Books are what give my imagination it's power, but it's the characters who touch my heart and give me the drive and the strength to let my mind take me to new places.

Cheers!

3 Ways to Hone Your Writing Craft & How I Did It (for like 0$)

Day 2 Author Blog Challenge.

The prompt for today was about classes, programs or workshops I might've taken to hone my craft. As the publishing and writing industry is inherently expensive for anything of that sort I have yet to attend one. (First one ever in Aug! Sa-weet) But that doesn't mean I haven't done everything in my power to improve my craft. I've simply done it on next to 0$. So if you're in the same boat as me and need some ideas on what to do without injuring your wallet these ideas are especially for you. For those of you who may not be in the same boat as me, try these out anyways! :D I really tried to grab some ideas that are beyond the realm of everything else I've read about improving your writing. There's so many great ideas out there, but these are some things that truly helped me, and I have yet to read about them anywhere else.

1. Ask other writers what their favourite books about improving writing are. Then read them all.
I belong to a number of writer/author groups on facebook and other social sites. (yay free!) So when I posed this question in one of those groups I was amazed at the response I got. There are so many good books about writing out there. So many of the recommendations from others I hadn't even heard of, let alone touched. (See one of my favourite improving writing books here.) The only thing about reading books on writing? Be aware that there will be contradictions. It's best to be aware of all points of view out there and then choose what works for you and feels coherent with your writing style.

2. Make the conscious choice to read what you want to write.
The key word here is conscious. I'm sure we've all heard the advice read the type of book you want to write. The problem is that there are hundreds upon THOUSANDS of excellent books that we all could read, but we have to decide now to leave those books out of our chosen genres on the shelf. I know! Leave a highly recommended book by a great friend unread on my shelf? Impossible! But no really, consciously decide to read great books in the genre and with the target audience that you yourself are going to write about. *If it's a really great read in a genre outside my writing realm, I put it on the back of my toilet and only read it in the bathroom. That's how I compensate. :D



And the biggest part that has helped me hone my craft (right from that very first story about a princess and a unicorn) and that I think is the best way to improve?

3. Be able to graciously accept a critique
Don't underestimate the power of an unencumbered mind coming new to a fresh page of your work. Often I've found they have thoughts, or conceptions I hadn't even considered and it's a great eye opener. I got over the initial misgivings I had about getting critiques when a good English teacher slashed apart poems I brought in for him to see. I should point out that I had him look them over of my own accord. I went in on my own during a lunch hour.  So from a very early age I knew I wanted to improve. I knew that if I wanted my words to say exactly what I wanted them to I needed help from those who not only had more knowledge than me but more experience. Understand that they wish to help you. Take everything anyone says about your work with a grain of salt, but don't internalize or take it personally. Accept what others have to say about your work calmly. They will appreciate you more and be more willing to crit for you again if you are gracious about what they say.

Cheers!

And It's Go Time

I've done it. I've finally bitten the bullet and decided to really make a go of both my blogs and my writing. So for the next month it's all writing, all the time. Hip-hip-hooray for that!
(Except for FDL. You know -- food, dishes, laundry. Wouldn't want to be hunted down for not feeding my son for a month. :P)

How am I doing this you ask? Well I've given myself an ultimate deadline. My novel will have all the new edits and scenes I want in it from the critiques I received by June 30. In addition I am doing the Author Blog Challenge. Stoked! What am amazing opportunity. I'm going to be blogging every day along with so many other authors from all around the world. I couldn't ask to be in better company.

My earliest memory of writing is in elementary school. I remember writing a story about a princess and a unicorn that she meets. I remember drawing the cover page for the story, but I have no clue what the plot was. From then on I started putting myself into stories I imagined. Any book or movie or tv show I liked I imagined I was a character in the story. I was both Sailor Sun and the Purple Power Ranger -- future blog post about that later ;)

It wasn't until I was in grade nine that I tackled writing my first novel. It was an epic fantasy, complete with Elves, Dwarves, and Gnomes. It took me three years to write three chapters. It's a project that is still currently on the back burner.

Since 2008 when I really started to let my imagination and ideas flow -see the page How The Story Began- I've had so many things flow into my brain. I tend to have lots of notebooks. And lately even more notes about novel ideas in the 'notepad' app of my iPhone.

My writing is now the heart of my creativity. I don't know where I'd be without it.




I can't wait to read all the other posts by all the other authors. Keep checking back here and enjoy! I'll be posting every day, plus an additional post on my book Lasera's blog on Mondays and a book review on this blog every Thursday.

I'm also in the midst of a move and reading one book a week to review on the blog... how will I get it all done and complete the balancing act?
I have no what-in-the-world-is-she-thinking idea.

But c'est la vie. Here's hoping I get it all done!

Cheers!

Why Being an 'Anne' is Both Exciting and Horrifying

If you're unfamiliar with Anne of Green Gables then this post will probably not make much sense to you. But suffice it to say I am an 'Anne'.

To quote her "I can't help flying up on the wings of anticipation. It's as glorious as soaring through a sunset... almost pays for the thud."

I love both the movies and the books. I haven't been in most of the situations and predicaments Anne got herself into but I imagine if I did find myself in her shoes I'd act the same way she did most of the time. (I probably wouldn't walk the ridgepole of the kitchen roof, but I most likely would faint in the haunted wood).

There are both ups and downs to having this type of personality and imagination. I love being excited about things. I like to be enthusiastic about the little stuff. At times I become very giddy and school girl like >> most especially when I'm around any of my sisters. It brings a profound sense of joy and links me back to my childhood to have this type of enthusiasm.

With such an imagination though (I'd definitely classify it as over-active) I tend to scare myself way too easily. I watched a number of episodes from the 'X Files' with my husband. Before even getting halfway through the first season I had to stop watching. Way too creepy and giving my brain too much fodder in the stimulating scary images in my imagination part. I can do certain types of suspense. I loved the Sixth Sense. But I have to be really careful.

I can't do horror. Movies, books, short stories, you name it. I read Stephen King's 'On Writing'. Loved it. In fact it made me want to read a number of his books because he (obviously) doesn't tell us the ending when he references them. I've resisted the urge to pick these books up however. Not because they're not good, but because they will be entirely too good. I'd probably have to sleep with the lights on for weeks and only be able to fall asleep while listening to Bill Cosby so my constant laughing would keep out the scary images. I distinctly remember one particular night where after watching an episode of 'Supernatural' (which I still thoroughly enjoy, as there haven't been any episodes nearly as bad recently) where it was just way too creepy, too scary. I couldn't sleep. I had to get out of bed and go watch a couple of episodes of a stupidly funny sitcom just to get my imagination back under control.

I have to say though being an 'Anne' is great. I definitely miss out on some things like good horror movies and books, and don't like having to deal with the fear that sometimes comes from my over-active imagination. But I love the excitement, I love the joy of feeling and anticipation. It's a huge part of who I am and I love it.

Is anyone else out there an Anne? I'd so enjoy hearing about your experiences.

Maybe we could even be 'bosom-friends'. :D

Cheers!