Category: Writing (Page 44 of 73)

The Liebster Award Take Two

April 1, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

When I saw that my writing buddy Meradeth Houston had nominated me for the Liebster Award, I had a rush of deja vu. Sure enough I went back in my archives and saw that I had been given this award before…by none other than Meradeth! (She must really like my blog. 🙂 ) But that was like a year and a half ago and the questions were different, so I’ll take another crack at it (although, I’ll admit I stole some of 11 facts from last time). And I have been retroactively nominated by Mary Waibel and J.Q. Rose, so make sure to check out Mary’s blog and J.Q.’s blog.

Here’s how the award works. The Liebster Blog Award translates to “the beloved” or “the dearest.” The award is given as a way to celebrate smaller blogs. (Only blogs with under 200 followers can be awarded.) Before you accept the award, there are a certain set of tasks you must complete. The first is to reveal 11 facts about you, answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you, and then create 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer.

So my 11 facts are:

My favorite Harry Potter book is Goblet of Fire.
I used to be a puzzle magazine editor and now edit books.
When I was three years old, I told everyone I was a boy because I wanted to play baseball for the New York Yankees.
My elbows are double-jointed.
I once pierced my own belly button.
The last book I read is Jennifer A. Nielsen’s The Shadow Throne.
I have really weird dreams all the time, some of them lucid.
My favorite artist is Vincent Van Gogh.
I could eat pizza every day.
I totally have a crush on Hook from Once Upon a Time.
Many of the characters in Elixir Bound were based on real people (including myself!).

And here are the questions Meradeth asked me to answer:

1. What do you like best about your personality?

My stubbornness is both a blessing and a curse (it’s probably the main reason why I haven’t quit writing), but I have learned “not to cut off my nose to spite my face” (as my mother used to say I always did).

2. What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?

Dare to get excited, even when you might get let down. We could all get hit by a marshmallow truck tomorrow. ~Laurie Halse Anderson

3. What does it take for a book to stay with you long after reading it?

A book that manages to surprise me in some way.

4. If you could tell an author that you admire one thing, what would it be?

“I wish I had written that.”

5. Who is one person who always makes you happy?

The Boy…even when he makes me angry, sad, or so frustrated I want to punch something (not him!), he brings so much joy to my life it makes me happy.

6. What was the best birthday you ever had?

My 30th birthday was pretty perfect. My family and a few close friends took a boat ride through the Thimble Island in Long Island Sound that ended with the sunset. It was summer, the breeze was cool, good food and drinks, I had my favorite people with me, and I didn’t have to do a single thing other than enjoy myself.

7. What drives you to share your thoughts about books on social media?

I hope that by sharing books I enjoy, other people will find books they, too, enjoy.

8. What’s the best thing an author ever said to you?

Never give up because you might be on the one yard line, and you just don’t know it. ~Donna Gephart

9. What do you consider the ideal length for a book in terms of the number of pages?

No ideal number. Enough pages to tell the story that needs to be told.

10. What fictional character do you most resemble?

Well, I guess that would be the one in Elixir Bound that I based on myself. 🙂

11. If you could give the person reading this an uplifting message, what would it be?

“Find you magic!”

So now I must make my nominations…and I nominate you, dear reader. Any blogger out there who would like to participate, just leave a comment here and I’ll include a link to your blog here. You can just answer the same questions posed above.

I’ve got fabulous bloggers Christopher Mannino, Suzanne de Montigny, and Marie Laval to take up my offer of being nominated for the Liebster Award. And I’ll be happy to add any other bloggers who would like to play (instructions in the comments)…just let me know in the comments. 🙂

Confessions of an Author: Writing Process

March 25, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

Confession #8: No matter how long I write and how many stories I complete, I have yet to master my own writing process.

Ask a dozen authors about how they write their books and you’ll probably get twelve different processes. You might hear some similar terms (plotter vs. pantser) and techniques (setting certain daily word goals, for example), but ultimately how an author writes (and by writes, I’m mostly talking about writing first drafts here) is a highly personal endeavor.

Me, well, I’m never quite sure how to answer that question. Because every manuscript I have written has ended up entailing a different process. For some reason, the projects I have tackled have each required their own approach to drafting.

Elixir Bound, my published YA fantasy, started with journal entries of character sketches and world building. I drafted this novel over a period of several years, writing in spurts and putting it away for months at a time. It was my first attempt at writing a full-length novel and it was somewhat blissful being so ignorant about the writing process and the business of publishing. I wrote this with high expectations but without any real pressure. It presented itself in very chronological order, I think because it’s essentially a quest novel, and I just wrote it with little outside forces involved.

The second manuscript I completed is a middle grade mystery with a first-person male point of view. I wanted to write something very different from Elixir Bound. I did a lot of research before and during the drafting process. I read entire non-fiction books; attended a lecture on local history; and created maps, calendars, charts, and pages and pages of supplemental materials.

And the process for my current WIP (currently titled Black Butterfly) is, well, a hot mess. I’m writing it in scenes, but not necessarily in any kind of chronological order. And there’s an element to the story in which the main character can only know certain information at certain points in the story, and I haven’t quite nailed down the timeline for that (or for the main plot in general). So, yeah, this one is going to require a lot of rewriting and editing.

But writing this way has been incredibly freeing. I normally (for the most part) write a story from beginning to end in order. To be able to jump around in the story and to not have to worry about transitioning from scene to scene means I can just write the good stuff, the stuff that’s being persistent about being written. It means I’m writing this story faster than I’ve ever done before. I look forward to my writing sessions, even as I approach the dreaded middle of drafting (which is usually the point where I start to burn out and need a break).

I think it’s important to be flexible as a writer. Set goals but realize that it may take some experimentation to get there, and the way you envision achieving those goals may have to change over time. Have a commitment to writing, but realize that the creative process is not a set step-by-step process. No one can tell you how to best write the book you are writing (maybe you can’t even tell yourself that). Like in life, in writing be open to new ways of discovering things (like your own drafting process), and you may find the perfect fit for your manuscript.

Writers and non-writers, what kinds of projects are you currently working on? Is your process working for you?

Females in YA: Part 6 the Bechdel Test

March 10, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

I’ve mentioned the Bechdel Test a few times in conversations recently and most people have given me a “huh?” look and proceeded to listen to my explanation of what it is with a glazed look of disinterest. But stick with me for a few minutes because I think it’s worth a moment of thought.

So what is the Bechdel Test? Originally used to evaluate films and now used for other works of fiction, it is a quick and basic way to look at a film or book or whatever to see if it fails a very simple gender bias test. The criteria: Two named women characters (let’s revise this to females b/c with kids’ books we’re not always talking about grown ups) speak to each other about something other than a man (let’s revise this to male for the same reason stated above).

Seems like a pretty basic test to pass, but it’s amazing how many films don’t. Just taking a look at this year’s Oscar nominated movies for best picture, only four out of nine pass. (Here’s a website where you can explore what movies pass/fail the test and a thoughtful article about women in movies by Frank Bruni called “Waiting for Wonder Woman”.)

Now I realize the Bechdel Test isn’t a perfect way to evaluate the gender biases of a work of fiction and certainly isn’t a good judge of whether or not a piece of fiction is good. The test is too simple to be a comprehensive look at gender bias, but I think think the point is that it’s simple and it’s a good jumping off point. And there are many, many works of fiction that are brilliant that don’t pass the test. (I’m thinking of The Shawshank Redemption, one of my favorite movies, which happens to fail all three of the Bechdel Test’s criteria and probably shouldn’t pass the test given the setting and time place–an all male prison in the past.)

So it seems Hollywood isn’t doing a great job at representing the–ahem–better half 😉 of the human race. But how are we doing in YA? I think a pretty good job. If there’s one form of fiction that is female-centric, it’s YA. There are so many different genres, topics, issues, and characters in YA, and it is this diversity (when I say “diversity,” I’m not talking about race here…that’s a whole other topic) that is one of my favorite things about YA.

Sure YA has lots of books about boy-girl romances and there are those books where the regular girl falls for the hot, often non-human, guy for no more compelling reason than he’s hot and maybe not totally human. Beyond that, though, there are romances where the female character has real conversations with her female friends about things other than the male love interest, there are books about female friendships, and there are books where females are taking on the world together. (Now you want some specific examples, right? Hmm…maybe I’ll have to pull some recommendations together for another blog post.)

If you haven’t seen my past Females in YA posts, you can find them all in this link. So what are your favorite YA books that pass the Bechdel Test?

Meet Kerry Kennett Author of To The Lady Upstairs, Sincerely, The Centipede

March 7, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

I’m very excited to introduce you all to my good friend from college and fellow MeeGenius author Kerry Kennett. Be sure to check out her adorable picture book app To the Lady Upstairs, Sincerely, The Centipede. Welcome, Kerry!

What inspired you to write To The Lady Upstairs, Sincerely, The Centipede?

We had bug traps set up to catch spiders in our basement. Or so I thought! I went down one summer day to put a load of wash on, and I see a CENTIPEDE squiggling off! I ran in the other direction (like the “lady” in my story). But then I got to thinking, “Hm! What if bugs DID try to be helfpul?” Then I thought about the bug traps in our house, and how there is a slight separation between the stairs. A centipede can really crawl around and squeeze through tiny spaces- something not all bugs do. I kept thinking about it and decided that it was pretty silly and might make a cute story. As I wrote, more and more ideas came to me!

What books had the most influence on you while growing up?

When I was very young my favorite books were, “Are You My Mother?” and “Bedtime For Frances.” I absolutely love both the illustrations and words. There’s this great page in “Bedtime For Frances” where the little girl badger goes in to see her parents and her dad opens one eye. It so perfectly captures that aspect of childhood when kids could care less about sleep and parents are dreading getting out of bed in the middle of the night! When I hit middle school and high school, I was really into poetry, especially anything written by E.E. Cummings. I love his creativity!

At what moment did you truly begin to feel like an author?

While I have been substituting in 2014, I’ve gotten to show my book to a handful of classes at the end of the school day as a “surprise”! It has been so great to see the kids interested in the story! They laugh at the lady with her broom, or just at the bug “talking.” They wince when he loses a few legs on the bug trap. It’s so amazing to share the story with my wonderful students!

How has your work as a librarian and teacher influenced your work as a writer?

I am blessed to have enjoyed such a wide variety of books from my work as a librarian and teacher (in both my coursework and through on-the-job experience)! I think I most enjoy seeing how kids react to the world around them, how they solve their problems, and the stories they make up! Students that I work with are always inspiring me to think of new ideas. Or, sometimes, they mention books that they would like to read, that we cannot find no matter how hard we search, and then I get ideas for what there might be a “need” for out there!

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

My superpower would definitely be teleportation, with none of that dissipating business. Almost like on “Bewitched” when she twitches her nose and makes something happen- I would want to snap my fingers and end up wherever I chose! Can you imagine going to the beach for 5 hours a day every day, and then snapping your fingers a half an hour before work? No more TRAFFIC or commuting ever! I could work or visit wherever I choose!

What is something funny/weird/exceptional about yourself that you don’t normally share with others in an interview?

I have freckles everywhere! One freckle is even on the bottom of my left foot!

I really love pizza. I know most people like pizza, but, I really think I could eat it every day. I like that it is so versatile!

What is next for you in your writing career?

I am working on many other picture books at this time. I hope that my next book is published in a hardcover and / or paperback version so that I could hold it in my hands, autograph it, etc. I am excited to share my book with children through school and library visits as well!

Down the line, I would love to try my hand at MG or YA fiction, as I have some great ideas in mind but not a full blown story mapped out for any of them yet!

Thanks for the great interview, Katie!

Preview Kerry’s book To The Lady Upstairs, Sincerely, The Centipede.

About the Author:

In addition to being an author, Kerry has worked as a Middle School English Teacher for sixth grade, a Special Education Collaborative Team Teacher for grades K-3, and has also had the pleasure of working for one year as a grades K-2 Librarian in a Primary Elementary School. She has taught in Rockland County, in NYC in the borough of the Bronx, and in Dutchess County- all in the great state of New York. She absolutely love vacations that involve a beach! The better the snorkeling is, the better the vacation is! She believes the most beautiful sunsets and calm moments are experienced on a beach! For more about Kerry and her book visit her website at kerrykennett.com.

Interview with Christina Weigand Author of Sanctuary of Nine Dragons

February 28, 2014 / Katie L. Carroll

A hearty welcome back to Christina Weigand as she celebrates the release of Sanctuary of Nine Dragons, the third book in her YA fantasy series Palace of Twelve pillars. She’s been gracious enough to answer a few questions. Hi, Christina!

What made you want to become a writer?

A shark. When I was a kid for the longest time I thought I wanted to be a nurse. I desperately wanted to wear one of those little white caps that they wore back in the day. When I was a junior in high school, I went to see the movie Jaws. That night I had nightmares and couldn’t sleep. It was then that I decided that maybe nursing was not for me. I had always written. I wrote for the school newspaper and a local newspaper. Journalism seemed a natural choice.

What inspired you to write Sanctuary of Nine Dragons?

I can’t put my finger on one particular incident that inspired this book, except for the one when I finished the second book in the trilogy and realized that the story wasn’t finished yet. For the whole trilogy though, I don’t remember a bolt of lightning, or any particular thing that inspired the story. It started out as a lonely farm boy being told that he was a prince and wizard and blossomed from there.

What one book do you wish you had written?

There are so many books out there that I love, but the reason I love them is because the talent of a particular author are behind it. They were the best person to write that book. I couldn’t have written their book just as they couldn’t have written mine.

At what moment did you truly begin to feel like an author?

It was my first NaNo (National Novel Writing Month) when I was writing Palace of the Twelve Pillars. It was the first draft and writing the funeral scene of King Theodric. I stopped and reread after writing it. I couldn’t believe that I wrote those words, that they came from my fingers. I ran through the house showing it to anyone who was there. Of course my husband was the only one there and he just didn’t get that feeling.

What is your favorite part of the writing process? What is your least favorite part?

When the characters take control of the story and things just flow. My least favorite part is when the characters are silent and the words won’t come.

What is the single best piece of advice you have for aspiring authors?

If it is your passion, your calling, to write then don’t give it up. Don’t listen when others tell you not good enough or you should be doing something else. Write, read and write some more.

What is next for you in your writing career?

I just submitted a middle-grade novel to my publisher. God willing it will be published by the end of the year. I have another series that I have started.

Sanctuary of Nine Dragons blurb:

Joachim banishes Brandan to prison island of Hyogo. His infant son, Prince Airyn disappears from his cradle. A chain of events is set in motion that will pit brother against brother, friend against friend, parents against children as Brandan and Joachim struggle for control of their sanity and their very lives.

With Brandan declared dead and his son missing Joachim sinks into despair and anger, where those close to him fear he may never return.

Is Brandan really dead and if he is, who is manipulating the Mantion and enemies of Crato?

Can Maeve save her country and her husband from the tentacles of evil pervading the land?

Find it at the MuseItUp bookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, and other ebook retailers.

About the Author:

Christina Weigand’s a writer, wife, and mother of three grown children and a middle school daughter. She is also Nana to three granddaughters. She lives with her husband and youngest daughter in Pennsylvania, returning there after a short sabbatical in Washington. Currently, she’s working on fantasy novels and inspirational writing. Through her writing, she strives to share the Word of God and help people young and old to realize the love and mercy He has for everyone.

When she’s not writing, she’s active in her local Church as a lector, Bible Study, or with the church theater group, volunteering at her daughter’s school helping the children develop a love for reading and writing. Jesus fills her home with love as she shares Him through her writing.

Find out more about Christina on her blog, Twitter (@CAWeigand), Facebook, Goodreads, and Amazon.