Screamin' at the Screen

I have been lucky enough to be blessed with five amazing critique partners, but not all critique partners are such a good fit.

In my creative writing class we each have to post two short stories on the class webpage for the professor and the other nineteen people in class to critique. Critiquing everyone else's stories is a part of the grade, so you have to get every story regardless of personal preference. In theory this is great. It give us experience with lost of different styles and subjects, and then of course there's the overall experienced gained by doing 40 five to ten page critiques. However, sometimes the results of having everyone critique everything regardless of personal preference are disappointing.

I got one such critique from a classmate yesterday, and it was definitely an eye opener. Like I said I got lucky. We have at least a few things in common in terms of writing, and we know what each other trying to accomplish and are dedicated to helping them perfect their story. Apparently, not all matches are this good say for instance the ones that come from a creative writing class with twenty very different people in it.

Sometimes a situation like that results in critiques like the one I got yesterday. Their overall comments started out something like this "I'm not interested in reading more than 3 pages. Is the rest of the story really necessary? Could you just do another page on the soldier's view of the world instead?" Okay, good to know. Something about page three is apparently turning them off, or is it? It's kind of hard to tell since their comments in the margin are all along the lines of "terrific" and "love this" right up until midway through page 2 when someone gets kicked in the kidney's and the commenter decides that's where the story should end, tells me that, and stops reading.

Her parting comments left me staring at the screen with raised eyebrows half laughing with frustration. I can imply a lot from seeing her reaction to the story like I nailed the theme of "the inhumanity of war," but I need to throw out a few more bread crumbs on page two to keep the reader interested. However, her actual comments weren't very helpful at all. She loved it right up until she stopped reading, and I'm left waving my hands and shouting at the screen if you'd just waited for half a damn page you would have realized that nobody gives a damn if they make it home. Not even me!

But still I learned two very important things. 1) Not all critique partners are a good fit. 2) I can learn a lot even from a vague possibly negative but not quite critique.

- Aaron

WANTED: Science Fiction Picture Books

The lack of good sci-fi and fantasy books for primary students (K-3rd) is a big talking point among primary teachers. I can tell you from personal experience that trying to get a kid who loves science fiction to reading general fiction book is like trying to take on Darth Vader. It's doable, but it's not pretty and it's not fun.

The problem for me arises from the fact that I am declared writer. As far as I know I have never given any indication of having a burning desire to write children's stories because frankly I have no clue how to do it. However, these are desperate people and it's any port in a storm, so they are currently on a quest to get me to write a science fiction picture book.

I'm not really that into the idea, but I decided to do a little checking just to see if they were being accurate. When I Googled "science fiction picture books" this was the best I could come up with, and they aren't even real!






If this is not an indicator of the grim state of science fiction children's literature then I don't know what it. Bright side when the bar is nonexistent it's kind of hard to do worse, so I just might have to give it a shot.

-Aaron

P.S. If you know of any good science fiction picture books or even science fiction books for primary students please let me know.

From the Heart

"Everyone needs a good compliment every once in a while..."

This was the first sentence in an e-mail I got from a dear friend yesterday, and they couldn't be more right. When you're around someone a lot it's easy to forget the truly special things that set them apart from everyone else, but when you care about someone deeply... when you love them... it's important to remind them of these little things.

It may feel awkward. You may think they'll laugh or think you're full of it. But it'll mean the world to them that you care enough about them to tell them what about them stands out to you.

So, if you haven't given someone who matters to you a good, true, heartfelt compliment lately now is the time. Go ahead, don't be scared to tell them what makes them amazing.

-Aaron

Can My Kid Read This?

How do you know if a book is right for your child? As a teacher a lot of parents come up to me and ask for advice on picking books for their kids. They’re stuck in the unfortunate position of trying to get books that they kid’s enjoy but that also help develop their reading skills. While as a teacher I’ve had to go to trainings and class that show me how to do this most parents don’t have that choice.

So for any parents out there who don’t quite get why the teacher gives their kids the books they do, or wants to learn how to pick skill appropriate books that won’t have everyone in the family screaming in frustration here’s some of the things I mention to parents with questions about helping their kids make solid reading choices.

Just Right Books

• The best way to tell if a book is just right for your child is to have them read a page out loud to you. If they whiz through the page with no mistakes then the book may be too easy for them. This isn’t a bad thing, but keep in mind that if they aren’t challenged then they won’t grow as readers. If they struggle with between 1 and 4 words on the page then the book is a “just right book” for your kid. If they make 5 or more mistakes then the book is too hard and trying to read the whole thing might be frustrating and result in a struggle between you and your child. Finding another book would be a good idea.

Guided Reading Programs

• Have you ever wondered how schools officially determine where your child is as a reader? Well the answer is through Guided Reading Programs. The purpose of the Guided Reading Programs are to determine what level a student is reading at, and they're usually administered in the fall and spring. Each program is a little different, but the gist is that student choose a book out of a leveled collection that seems just right for them. They then read the book to their teacher and their mistakes or lack there of will tell their teacher what leveled books would be a good fit for that students and what they need to improve on.

Leveling

• Leveling ties into the idea that in order to become a proficient reader students need to hit certain benchmarks in their reading each year. This ties into Guided Reading Programs because these benchmarks equate to certain levels in Guided Reading Programs. For example in order to be considered proficient a student going into third grade should be reading at DRA 28, Guided Reading Level M, or Lexile 600. The Guided Reading Program assessments mentioned above help to establish which level your child is at, but since every child progresses at a different rate not all kids will fit the timeline exactly. A child could be struggling one year and then through continued practice the next year they'll exceed the leveling expectations of their grade. Here's what the grade level leveling looks like for the three programs I've mentioned.

• 

Book Rooms

• A book room is something all of the schools I’ve been in have had. In many ways it’s like a miniature library. The school’s collection of leveled readers (a.k.a. books scored using the DRA or other leveling system) is stored there. The books tend to be interesting and appropriate for that level. There are usually about ten different sets of books for each level. If you can get a look at your school’s Book Room (if they have one) this is a great place to get ideas about interesting and appropriate books for your child.

Scholastic

• If you know what your child’s DRA Level, Lexile Level, or Guided Reading Level is then you can go to Scholastic’s website, put that information in, and the site will spit out a whole list of books that fall in your child’s range. The nice thing about Scholastic is that if you don’t know you’re child’s level you can pick some of their just right books, search the titles on Scholastic, and find out what level they’re at that way.

Any questions?

-Aaron

Extreme Makeovers: MC Edition

When I first start out I have a nice normal picture of my main character fixed in my mind, the stereotypical all American girl. She usually has long hair of a natural color like brown or blond. Her skin is typically pale and freckle free. In fact her skin is free of everything. No piercings or tattoos in sight just pristine white skin, much like mine. Even her clothes are plane with a t-shirt and jeans being the norm.

Then as I start writing I get to know her, and my mental picture of her begins to change. The jeans normally stay exactly where they are, but the shirt is usually the first thing to be replaced. Then hair gets shorter or longer or curlier or straighter, and a little color splash or two might get added along the way. A tasteful, or sometimes not, tattoo, or five, blossoms somewhere on her person, and sometimes a little metal slips it’s way in at the same time.

The last thing to change is the whole “human” thing. They may be human part of the time, but for some reason my characters just can’t seem to stay that way all the time. By the time I start writing they’re either more or less than human. Shape shifting, curses, supernatural forces, magical powers whatever the device it’s the ultimate body mod.

So, how does your characters’ appearance change from first glimpse to final draft?

-Aaron

A Tale of Two Covers

I have most definitely bought books and passed them up based on what their cover looked like. On a few occasions I’ve put back an interesting book because its cover didn’t catch my eye, but then several years later when it was reprinted with a different cover I suddenly remembered how much I had wanted to read that book.

For example…

I walked right by this cover because it looked busy and confusing,

but when felt the raised bullet holes on this cover I couldn't resist.

If I had seen this cover first I definitely would have bought the Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder of my own accord.

However, the cover on my copy looks like this, but it was a gift so the cover attractiveness factor is irrelevant since I didn't pick it out myself.

Both of The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax covers are equally intriguing to me given their unusual centerpieces.











Then again when I first read this book it was part of a Reader's Digest big book, so by the time I went to get a stand alone copy I would have bought it regardless of the cover.

As I hope this illustrates I'm such a fickle cover girl that the only time I don't pay attention to the cover is if a) I've already read the book, or b) I didn't buy the book myself. Otherwise if it doesn't have an intriguing cover chances are I won't be buying it.

I feel so petty :(
- Aaron

Another Perspective

My first memory of Grandmother Lewis was also the first time I ever heard the word “Alzheimer's”. My mom had explained quite calmly that it meant my grandmother lived in the past, and in her eyes I might not always be me. I might be someone else, and I was. The first time I visited her I was my mom, the second time it was the 1930’s and I was a neighbor’s daughter, and the final time my dad and I were Russian spies.

On one hand it was a little disturbing, but on the other it was strangely exhilarating. I never knew who I was going to be when I went to visit my grandmother. I walked down the hall as one person, but as soon as I stepped through the door I was someone completely different. Every part she handed me I played it with as much gusto as a 4 to 13 year old could muster, and I loved every minute of it. For that reason I couldn’t for the life of me understand why my dad announced after the “incident” that was the last time I would be going to visit Grandma Lewis. Something about how it was traumatizing me.

But as time passed I realized how much the fact that my grandmother didn’t know who we were upset my dad. He didn’t see it as an adventure the way I did. He saw it as his mother not recognizing her own son, and a grandmother never truly getting to meet her granddaughter. Over time, my view of our visits was replaced by my dad’s, and it wasn’t until I Gene sent me a link to his short story “Flash in the Bedpan” that I my true memories of my grandmother resurfaced.

It reminded me of the most important thing about my visits with my grandmother. They made her happy. I never forgot my grandmother's screams proclaiming we were Communist spies there to steal her socks, but thanks to Gene I finally remembered how big her smile was and how hard I laughed as my dad had dragged me to the safety of the hallway.

So, if you need a reminder of the little moments that mean the world to someone you care about check out Gene’s story.

Aaron

Review- Original Sin

SHE HAS A LICENSE TO KILL. AND CARPOOL.

Seeing Lucy Hamilton, you would think she is just like any other suburban stay-at-home San Francisco mom. She takes her three-year-old son Theo to the beach, playground, and the zoo. She makes organic applesauce, folds laundry, and plays on the floor with Matchbox cars until her knees ache. What no one knows about Lucy, not even her adoring husband Will, is that for nine years she was known as Sally Sin, a spy for the USAWMD (United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction). And that’s just the way Lucy wants to keep it – a secret.

Ian Blackford, a notorious illegal arms dealer and Lucy’s long-forgotten nemesis, returns to the USAWMD’s radar, and they are forced to call Lucy back to action to lure Blackford out into the open. As she races to unravel the mystery that surrounds Blackford’s return (and get dinner on the table), she realizes that the answers she needs lie in a past that she’s tried very hard to forget. In a race against time, Lucy must fight to save herself, her family – and, oh yes – the world.

As the back cover suggests Original Sin has a very unique cast of characters and when it comes to character development Beth does her due diligence and then some. Although, Lucy is the focus all of the supporting characters are equally as well formed through Lucy’s observations of them. She describes each with an elephant’s memory and a spy’s eye for detail. Not only do we get Lucy’s commentary on each person who passes through her life, but in many cases we also get to travel back in time to Lucy’s most vivid memories of them. As a result in this book as in real life everyone is a true blue individual with their own unique quirks.

At times it felt like there was almost too much character development. Much of the story was spent in the past going back over Lucy’s life and using big chunks of it to explain the present. The detailed back story was greatly appreciated, but so much time was spent in the past I often forgot what was happening in the present.

Although, Original Sin was a solid debut novel it’s real strength, in my eyes, was as a set up device for the rest of the series. Now that the stage is set I’m very interested to see how the next book turns out.

All in all I liked Original Sin, and would recommend it readers who enjoy complexly plotted vibrant stories.

- Aaron

A Part of Me

My chosen profession is somewhat… restrictive in terms of self expression. Not presenting yourself in a certain way can result in not having a job, and for the most part I’m fine with that. However, there’s a part of me that will never be alright with having to dress and act a certain way, and that’s the part of me that I write into my work.

Basically, my main characters are the person I wish I could be. They…

• have a funky sense of humor.


• voice unique opinions on just about everything.


• live unconventional lives.


• express themselves through their clothing.


• do not have a typical hair color/style.


• are pierced and/or tattooed.


• aren’t afraid to stand out.
  

- Aaron

Let the Word War Begin

In honor of something or other the Ink Slingers are going to war, word war that is, and we want you to come along for the ride.

Here's how you can join in...

1. Clear your calendar from now through May 13.


2. Set a personal word count goal you want to reach by Friday the 13th.


3. Take the time to post about our Word War on your blog.


4. Get started writing.


5. On May 13 post about how you did on your blog.


6. Leave a comment here letting us know how far you got.

Okay, now that you know how to get involved...

ON YOUR MARK...
GET SET...
WRITE!!!

- Aaron

P.S. It's never to late to join in, so if you're late to the party don't let that stop you.

Person X

Last week was Turn off the TV week, and as a result I’ve done a lot of reading over the past seven days. I’ve read Beastly, Wake, Fade, Across the Universe, and am part way through A Game of Thrones. However, it wasn’t until my roommate was summarizing a book she’s reading that the common factor between all of these books hit me. In every single one of these books there was one person call them person X, the catalyst, who’s entrance into the story is what sets everything into motion. Without out them these would just be books about random people sitting around doing nothing or at the very least extremely weird people wandering doing what passes for normal to them.

Maybe I haven’t been paying enough attention to what I’ve been reading, but I’d never noticed what a big role this person X character plays in literature. It’s almost like a formula: people are going about their own business, person X walks into their lives, and chaos ensues. Strike that, it is exactly like a formula. It’s an amazingly good formula, but it’s a formula none the less.

So, all of you writers out there, are you guilty of using person X to get the ball rolling in your stories? I know I sure am.

- Aaron

TBG Author Interview - Gene Twaronite

1. Who was your target audience? Though I originally thought of it being a young adult novel, not only because the narrator is 13 years old but because of its darker elements such as the hint of sexual abuse, I now realize after reading several reviews (including yours, thank you) that it is more geared for middle grades (ages 8-12). But I also wrote it as an adult fable that would appeal to readers of all ages.

2. Where did your seed idea for The Family That Wasn't come from? At the time I wrote the first draft (1990), I was reading a lot of James Thurber. I was especially drawn to his semi-biographical book, My Life and Hard Times, in which he wrote about these incredibly wacky family members. He also wrote several collections of adult fables. So I started thinking about writing a fable in which a boy who sees his family as so impossibly crazy that he can’t stand living with them another moment. So he invents and new and improved family, and he begins to inhabit this magic world he has created from his imagination until he realizes his mistake and sets off on a quest to find his real family.

3. What is your favorite part of The Family That Wasn't? I have two favorite parts. One is Chapter 10 – The Quest – in which John sets off on his cross country odyssey to find his true family and the reader is introduced to one of my favorite characters, a sea captain-like truck driver who talked to John “of all the voyages she had taken with her great wheeled ship.” My other favorite part is in the last chapter where John realizes that “words are powerful stuff. You think that just because you arrange and compose them on the page you still have control of them. But once you set them into motion, words have a life all their own. No telling where they might go. Sometimes they’ll take you to places strange and wonderful. And sometimes they’ll take you to places all too real and terrifying.” Yes, there really is magic in words.

4. What was the hardest part of the book to write? I think it was the beginning when I had to set up the characters and family history into motion so that it all made sense, in a weird sort of way. That’s why I spent some time establishing their genealogy and showing how it was that such a crazy family could ever come together in the first place. And I had to discover exactly where this story was going.

5. Start to print how long did it take for you to complete The Family That Wasn't? I think I finished the first draft in less than a year. And over the next 20 years or so, as I sent it out to various traditional publishers, it went through several more major revisions and minor tweakings until I began to worry that I was going to edit the very life out of it. It was at that point that I decided to publish it. I think it is very important for an author to know when a work is finally finished.

6. Did you ever thing about giving up? In my heart I always knew the book would eventually be published. As for giving up on writing, I think about doing that almost every other day. But since I can’t imagine a life without writing, I never quite succeed in quitting the habit.

7. In one sentence tell the reader everything they need to know about The Family That Wasn't, GO! “A humorous fable of how our families live inside us.” (I read somewhere that you need a good “elevator description” of your book so that when someone inevitably asks you “What’s your book about?” you’ll have a ready answer.)

-Aaron

Kissing Scenes = HATE!

Even though it’s not the last week of April yet I have a confession. I’m 22, and I haven’t had my first kiss yet. Personally I’m getting a little antsy, but as an individual I can live with out it. However, as a writer it blows.

Every time I get to a kissing scene I freeze because I have no experience whatsoever to draw from. Oh, I can fake the emotional stuff like the warm fuzzes, the little light headed buzz, and the surrealness of the situation. It’s the physical stuff and the mechanics of kissing that get me.

If you’ve already had your first kiss the whole process probably doesn’t seem all that complex and mysterious to you, but from where I’m standing it’s like this huge brain teaser that I have no idea how to solve. I don’t even know where to start. What does it feel like to be pressed against someone? What does it taste like? Does it even taste, or is it a naive assumption that it would? How do you know when to kiss someone and when not to? Do you just smush your lips together or is there more to it than that?

Over Christmas Break I went so far as to try to remedy the situation by getting my first kiss, but it didn’t end so well. I felt like it wouldn’t be smart to just randomly kiss a guy incase they got the wrong idea, so I decided to ask the men I knew if they’d help me out. My ex thought I wanted to get back together, a friend from high school was all for it but only if I’d date him, and a socially awkward family friend actually had an anxiety attack.

After those lovely experiences I’m back to avoiding kissing scenes like the plague and faking it when every other alternative fails.

Does anyone out there have any advice on writing a kissing scene for someone with no personal experience?

- Aaron

TBG Author Interview: Tamara Rose Blodgett

I would like to thank Blogger Girlz (Aaron specifically) for taking time to read my book and her gracious and professional conduct throughout, thank you~

Who was your target audience? I'd like to admit to a “real” business goal but never considered writing anything but Young Adult and had a loose idea of the thirteen to early twenties. In the end, the story predicated the age group.

Where did your seed idea for Death Whispers come from? One of my boys (I have four!) was complaining that there wasn't enough “boys books” that “read” like an actual boy thinks/talks/acts. In addition, they wanted to see more action and more necromancy...so, I started thinking (I do an embarrassing amount of day-dreaming), “What if the 'power tables' were turned and KIDS were the ones with the power? And ADULTS had put them in that position?”

I have never liked the idea/precept that just because a kid is younger they're automatically thought of as less smart. I hoped that I did kids justice in this novel. This is how I see them, savvy, sophisticated and responsive to challenges in innovative ways.( I threw in some clever girls that cause a few hiccups with the boys awesomeness!)

What is your favorite part of Death Whispers? When Caleb realized that making the right choice doesn't mean it will turn out well. There is a part in the book when he defends someone that is not his friend, and it still goes terribly wrong. But, instead of wallowing in the failed situation, he resolves to always persevere, regardless of circumstance.

·What was the hardest part of the book to write? The Science and Technology! I mean, what do I know? I had to do DNA research and other “bunny trail” stuff to make the novel “ring” true. There were details that needed to be ironed out before I could make the writing of them automatic...which is how the writing needs to be to flow right.

·Start to print how long did it take for you to complete Death Whispers? I began in February of 2010 and wrapped it up in November. Editing and revisions took me as long as the writing! I did not write solidly during that time frame. I would say it was about 3-4 months of writing and a solid three of editing. My future books will go faster as I have a schedule I stick with now and understand my personal processes better after having finished this novel. I am more streamlined about everything.

Did you ever think about giving up? Never. The book wouldn't let me go until it was finished. It interfered [with my head] during all kinds of inopportune moments! I was compelled to finish it.

In one sentence tell the reader everything they need to know about Death Whispers, GO! I love this question! Fourteen-year-old Caleb wants to survive his immediate teenage-dom with his friends, girlfriend and no messy mishaps with zombies bursting out of the ground to focus adult attention on his rare “talents...”

Interested in finding out more about Tamara and Death Whispers? Then you should visit her blog. Go on, off with you... now!

-Aaron

Review - Death Whispers

Caleb has the most rare of the paranormal powers, Cadaver-Manipulation (aka corpse-raiser). In this world of the future, with Brain Impulse “pulse” Technology’s wide-spread use and influence keenly realized, routine school inoculation has expanded to include a pharmaceutical cocktail, which once administered, unlocks the genetic potential for paranormal abilities. Using this small window of puberty, teens who have the genetic propensity find themselves manifesting extraordinary gifts; some of which garner the full attention of our government. Caleb must camouflage his new “talent” during the mandatory eighth grade Aptitude Test so that he remains undiscovered while establishing choice for his future. However, events beyond his control systematically reveal Caleb and his friends, which force them to fight for their freedom. In the midst of this struggle, his girlfriend's father battles to reassert his abusive dominance in her life while a couple of “peer enemies” thwart his efforts of secrecy at every turn. In the explosive climax, Caleb must protect his friends, and Jade, the one he loves...at all costs.

Stories with male leads aren’t normally my thing, and I wasn’t sure how far I’d get when I first started reading. But I was hooked by the end of the first page, and starting with a past event and then transitioning back to the present was what did it. It made me feel like the world inside Death Whispers had existed long before I’d opened the book, but at the same time I didn’t feel like I was struggling to catch up. Caleb’s memory of a disastrous day in Biology was the perfect place to start. It both gave valuable background information and set the stage for future events at the same time.

Since the story is set in the future there’s some pretty cool new technology involved that made the techie in me sit up and take notice. It took me a little while to catch on to some of the new gadgets, but the fact they were gradually introduced and explained in the story made it easy. Also, most of the new technology were very logical evolutions of existing technologies, which made it easier to follow along with.

The relationship between Caleb and Jade seemed very genuine. Tamara didn’t over dramatize the nerves or the fist steps of their relationship. She just set let it progress naturally which resulted in a connection between the two that seemed as real as that between any couple in any hallway of any high school in the U.S.

For me the best part by far was trying to connect the dots and figure out what was going on with all the other teen aged characters. Caleb was focused on the development of his own paranormal powers, but at the same time there were little bread crumbs being dropped about the other characters paranormal powers. Trying to figure out what the powers were before Caleb found out was a lot of fun for me.

Death Whispers was an excellent debut from Tamara Rose Blodgett that I recommend to teen and adult readers alike, but you'd better pick up your copy soon so that you're up to date when Death Speaks, the second novel in the Death Series, comes out this summer.

- Aaron

Solving the Mystery of Writer's Notebooks

The first time I kept a writer's notebook was as part of a language arts class. I had my doubts at first but I ended up having a blast with it mainly because my professor refused to give any directions about how to go about keeping a writer's notebook. At the time this forced me to jump in feet first and just do whatever, which worked at the time.

It's been almost a year since I first started, and the more I write in my notebook the more I've started wondering if I'm doing it "right." Finally sick of wondering I downloaded a book on the subject. The moral of the story is, according to Ralph Fletcher the author of A Writer's Notebook, I was doing it right since there is actually no wrong way to keep a writer's notebook. However, I did learn a lot about where to get ideas that can go into a writer's notebook, which was actually what I was really having a problem with.

It turns out that just about anything can be fuel for a writer's notebook.

• Ideas for stories- Last summer I was standing in the shower when I thought of a great idea for a story, and since I didn’t do anything to preserve the idea I forgot it, until yesterday that is. If I had taken the time to get out of the shower and write it down I wouldn’t have almost lost it forever.
  

• I wonders- I wonder… what would happen if cars could fly… what the Hanging Gardens of Babble looked like… who makes the world’s best ice cream. Everyone has questions they want to know the answer to, and those answers could lead to an amazing story.
  

• Images in your mind- Day dreams, nightmares, the perfect bedroom. Interesting images pop into our minds when they wonder, but sometimes they’re not as random as they seem. When you’re struggling to get come up with a story idea you may regret not writing down all the details of that perfectly sizzling dream you had two weeks ago on a Thursday.

• Overheard conversations- People say the darndest things when they think no one is listening. I always bring my writer’s notebook with me to class because of the funny things my students say.

• Lists- I used to wonder what sorts of things a person (say a 23 year old young woman with snakes for hair and a truly nasty attitude) would need to survive on her own (say in a post nuclear war U.S.). Then I did a little research, and now I have a list of about twenty different provisions, ranging from a tent to a filtered water bottle, that I can either choose from or discard.

• Memories- For me one of the hardest things to get right in a story is the emotions a character is experiencing, so I whenever I’ve had a particularly vivid experience I jot down what it felt like so when I’m writing a scene with a similar feel to it I can reference my own experiences. It’s like having your own encyclopedia of emotions.

• Letters- If you could write a letter to anyone who would it be? A long lost love, an enemy, a celebrity, a fictional character? This is a serious question since you really can write to anyone because nowhere in the rules of life, the universe, and everything does it say that you have to send every letter you write. So go ahead let it all out, and then stick it in your notebook for later.

• Pictures- My favorite thing to put in my writer’s journal is pictures. Sometimes it’s hard to verbally describe a scene or character, but having a picture close on hand that you can look at can make a world of difference. Plus, it’s lots of fun to search out just the right picture.

I don’t know if you got any good ideas for things to try in your writer’s notebook, but I certainly did. So now if you’ll excuse me I have some shiny new ideas to try out in my big black writer’s notebook.

-Aaron

Shades of Acceptance

There’s no simple way to sum up how the people in my life react to the fact that I love to write since everyone reacts to the news differently. To complicate my answer further some new people have wandered into my life and some of the existing occupants have changed their reactions.

Up until this last year I would have said my parents reacted about the same as they’d react to me saying I ate babies. The fact that I write has always worried my family because they thought it was a distraction that would keep me from a stable career. For a long time whenever I tried to talk to them about writing they would nod, smile, make a comment about how maybe I needed to ask the teacher for more homework if I had all this spare time, and take advantage of that statement to start talking about school and my future.

I hadn’t realized how much the situation had changed until recently when I mentioned to my mom a Writing Celebration Piece I’d written for a Language Arts class. Out of the blue my mom stopped me, and asked what my piece had been about. Unsure I hedged telling her it was just a character description before I tried to move the conversation into safer waters, but instead of letting me she stopped me again and asked if she could read it. She had never done anything like that before.

For as long as I’ve been writing my dad and my brothers haven’t changed their opinions on my writing, and their opinion is they don’t have an opinion. Honestly, they really don’t care, and they’ll tell you as much if you ask. As long as I get good grades my dad doesn’t care, and as long as it doesn’t keep me from helping them out when they need me my brothers don’t care.

Most of my friends are pretty apathetic when it comes to my writing. They aren’t writers, so it makes very little sense to them that I am. They try to be supportive by offering to read my work or giving me topic suggestions, but mainly they shuffle their feet and ignore it for lack a better response.

The exception to that comment is Jimmy. He never offers me ideas or asks if he can read what I've written. No, he checks to see if I’m getting stuck on anything and if I am takes the time to help me talk it out. When I was having problems incorporating the military into Monstrous he'd spend hours at a time fielding my questions. Even the really strange ones like do you know if the military has a plan in place in the event of nuclear war didn't even break his stride. Also, he’d tell me about what he was working on, and we’d talk out scenes he was having problems with. The cool part was that he seemed to enjoy talking about writing as much as I did.

Then of course there are the Ink Slingers. I don’t know what I’d do without them. Ella was the one who got me back into writing after everyone else had convinced me to throw in the towel. Ella, Bethany, Hayley, Emery, and Bethany were the first people ever to read my work, and their support has made all the difference to me.

- Aaron

Review - The Family That Wasn't

Can you wipe out your family simply by wishing for a new one? And how do you get them back? These are the questions John Boggle must answer in this new fantasy novel by Gene Twaronite.

I really appreciated how Gene took the time to set up the story. With lines like "I didn't mean to do it - things just got out of hand" the first chapter was devoted solely to hooking the reader. The next several chapters introduced this crazy family and the events that led to the book's misadventures. It took a little too long to get to the meat of the story for my taste but the set up was interesting and funny enough that it kept my interest despite its length.

I see this as a great stepping stone book for elementary and middle school students as it deals with a lot of different content areas in a simplified manner. Not only is it a solid entry level fantasy story with a minimum of moving parts, but The Family That Wasn't also contains all of the elements of a quest: a hero, a search, mystical tools, signs, and a lesson that is learned by the end. It also contained hints of deeper issues (such as hints there was a funny uncle in the family) but it was done so in a very skillful manor in which it could either by glossed over or discussed in more detail quite easily.

The voice Gene lent to John Boggle was captivating. Not openly funny John's humor was in his turn of phrase and the book was liberally peppered with kidisms (moments that are funny simply because of how the kid responds to it).

Although, The Family That Wasn't is advertised for teens and adults it is definitely a book I'd recommend to elementary and middle school students. As a teacher I'd also recommend The Family That Wasn't as a read aloud book.

-Aaron

Love is in the Air... Sort of

Daisy Flattery is a free spirit with a soft spot for strays and a weakness for a good story. Why else would she agree to the outrageous charade offered by her buttoned-down workaholic neighbor, Linc Blaise? The history professor needs to have a fiancée in order to capture his dream job, and Daisy is game to play the role. But something funny happens on their way to the altar that changes everything. Now, with the midnight hour approaching, will Daisy lose her prince, or will opposites not only attract but live happily ever after?

After reading the back cover I almost skipped reading this book. It sounded like one of those corny made for TV movies about the successful person who hires the not so successful person to be their “fake fiancé” so they can impress people, and I was a little disappointed that Jennifer Crusie do something so overused. However, I really liked her work and trusted her as an author, so I bought it anyway.

Thankfully, the back cover sorely under described the book. Yes, Daisy and Linc pretended to be engaged, but they didn’t fall in love on their way to the altar. Also, unlike in the TV movies the charade didn’t stop at the altar. Daisy and Linc were too good for their own good, and even though they tried to break off their fake engagement the people at the job Daisy helped Linc get wouldn’t stand for it. Even though they still didn’t love each other they ended up having to go through with the wedding, but the book didn’t stop there. After they got married they were faced with the problem of actually living together.

The book was brilliantly executed with a great comedy of errors feel to it. The best part was watching the characters grow and develop throughout the book. Both characters changed drastically from the first page to the last, but the changes were so natural and well crafted like the characters themselves the reader may find themselves so rapped up in the story that they won’t even realize how much the characters have changed until the end.

Since Jennifer Crusie often collaborates with other writers on projects this was also a nice opportunity to see what her own individual writing style is like. It was very interesting for me to see how different this solo book was from some of her collaborative works and how similar it was to others. For example the style and sense of humor present in The Cinderella Deal was very similar to that of Agnes and the Hitman, which Jennifer Crusie teamed up with Bob Mayer to write. However, the tone and style of The Cinderella Deal seemed vastly different from those of the books she wrote with Anne Stuart and Eileen Dreyer.

- Aaron

Getting it Write

For months I've been trying to write a character description for Tawny Lester from Monstrous. I've never written a character quite like her before, and I had been struggling to get it right. I tried it multiple ways and nothing worked. Writing it in the first person didn't feel right. Using her clothes to describe her would have worked if I hadn't gotten stuck on her coat. Doing a simple here she is, this is what she looks like felt to staged.

I don't usually write in the third person, but since I'd tried everything else I finally decided to give it a try despite the fact that the actual story was in the first person. Here's what I came up with. If you have an opinion or suggestion please post it in the comments. It will be greatly appreciated.

At first glance she looked normal enough. She was short and skinny, but she still had muscle on her bones and that was more than some could say. Two years ago she had been accused of being pale and pasty looking, but no one said that about her now. Now they’d just glance over her sun burned and weathered skin and nod as if to say “you earned it didn’t you?” She’d look back at them for a moment, expressionless, uncaring as if to say “why should I care what you think?” Then she’d move on.

In short on the surface at least she was just like everyone else: older than she was and too tired to care.

But there was something about her that made them uncomfortable, but they couldn’t put their finger on it. It could have been the reflective sun glasses that no one had ever seen her take off. It might have been the black scarf perpetually draped over her hair. Then again it may have been the fact that her clothes matched or that her knee high lace up black boots had heels.

There wasn’t anyway to tell for sure. Maybe it was all that. Maybe it was none of that. Maybe it was that a part of them suspected what she already knew: there was something horribly wrong with Tawny Lester, and she was fine with it.

- Aaron