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!

What You Read Will Always Affect Your Writing

Day 4 Author Blog Challenge.

How does what I read affect what I write? What do I consistently pick up and what do I leave on the shelf? How would my writing change if I read other genres?

Books have been in my hand since I was a small child. Some of my earliest memories are listening to my parents read books aloud to me and my sisters. We loved Beverly Clearly and some of the classics, like Heidi and Wizard of Oz. I even raised the most money for an MS Read-a-thon when I was in elementary school. I know that I surprised a number of adults with how much money I asked for, as they'd pledged a certain amount of money per minute read in a week. :P

The fantasy and science fiction books I read, most assuredly, impacted what I wanted to write. As my favourite stories had elements of space or the fantastical, I wanted to include those same things in my stories. When I read as a child and a teenager, I went into the world of my books to escape, to imagine and to immerse myself in strange and wondrous new places.

I think what I read fuels my desire to do better in my own writing. Reading excellent books in my chosen genres allows me to see what works, what keeps me turning pages and what makes my heart race in a tense scene or swoon at a wonderfully romantic line. And I'm constantly looking for that next book that makes me stay up to all hours of the night.

As an adult reading is even more of an escape for me now. If I choose a novel it is either romance, fantasy or science fiction. I'm not at all drawn to literary, and the one and only time I started reading a horror novel I had to put it down (didn't know it was horror when I picked it up) - The Only YA Novel I Didn't Finish. The reason why? See: Why Being An Anne is Both Exciting and Horrifying. I think what you read is a reflection of your personality, but if you are a writer it's an insight into what you enjoy writing. I'm drawn to the books I'd love to have written myself.

If I ever did write horror, I think it'd be a miserable failure, I'd scare myself too bad and then never finish the manuscript.

Suffice it to say at this point I only plan on writing fantasy, science fiction, or romance. But as those are genres I love and will always love, I'm totally good. :D

Cheers!

Authors That Are Easily Rereadable for 5+ Times and Writers? Get Yourself Some Writer Friends

Day 3 Author Blog Challenge.

Prompt for today? Writers I admire and writers who are mentors to me. That's a toughie. And I mean a huge toughie. Picking writers I admire is liking picking out the best chocolate in a box full of godiva chocolates. How to gauge it then?

I guess I have to go with books I reread. Not just a second time around. Probably more like 5+ times.
In no particular order they are:
- Any and all Jane Austen
- Any and all Georgette Heyer
- Any and all Shannon Hale
- Any and all Stephenie Meyer
     **The Host being my favourite
(see a pattern yet with the any and all? :P)
- Any and all Terry Brooks
- Any and all Anne McCaffrey
- Any and all J. R. R. Tolkien
- Any and all Christopher Paolini
- Any and all Gail Carson Levine
     **My family and I wore off the title of our paperback Ella Enchanted and that first copy is now preserved in a binder as we've had to buy three more copies since then.
- Any and all Madeleine L'Engle

And finally last, but certainly not least I must mention the books I go to all the time. When I want funny I read scenes with Fred and George, or Dumbledore. When I want bravery I read scenes where Harry stands up for what he believes in. When I want to read about great, although certainly flawed female characters I settle in with Hermione or Ginny. How can I not mention?
My true and best inspiration: J. K. Rowling.
Harry you're not just awesome, you're downright life-altering.




As for writers who mentor me -- it's hard to define as I feel like my writing career is still in its infancy. Meeting Susan Forest and joining IFWA in Calgary was a defining moment in my career. Meeting some well established authors and rubbing elbows with them was amazing. The tidbits and snippets of things I've learned are invaluable. I'll be attending their sponsored When Words Collide in August and I'm counting down the days to it. I've also had some amazing times with the writers in the IAG in Kamloops. -- See the links on the sidebar >>
Reaching out to writers online has also been such a breath of fresh air, both for my creativity and my motivation to write. Writers need other writer friends. And all of mine bring vitality and humanity to my writing.

Cheers!