Category: Writing (Page 46 of 73)

Magnetic Poetry Weather Theme

December 2, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

You many not know this because I haven’t featured guest poetry in awhile, but I have a pretty expansive magnetic poetry set on my refrigerator and I like to show off on the blog what people have been creating. These snippets of poetry have accumulated on my fridge over the last couple of months (spaces have been preserved to show the use of different tiles).

winter woman desire s the ghosts s of too little heart

hard night easy party

cold gray man taste little snow spark s

love rain

ask her not to wet y our past

blue light make s the garden speak in sweet whisper s

play every day

There seemed a weather theme going on with “winter”, “cold”, “rain”, “wet”, and “snow” all being used. I was quite pleased to see that the ever overused “prostitute”, “monkey”, and “manacle” were left in the unused pile this time around.

Here are some more poetic creations from the past: July 2012, February 2012, July 2011, and May 2011. Enjoy! And feel free to share any of your poems in the comments. 🙂

Blog Tour for Erin Albert’s The Prophecy

November 22, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

Let’s all help Erin Albert celebrate the release of her fabulous YA fantasy The Prophecy (see my 5-star Goodreads review here). Today she’s sharing a bit about her writing process and a giveaway. Welcome, Erin!

First of all, I want to give a big shout out and virtual hug to my editor and friend, Katie, for hosting me today!!

Katie asked me to give a little bit of information about my writing process. If you dare, enter the inner workings of my mind… 😉

What am I working on?

I am always working on multiple projects. Currently, I am revising the sequel, The Outlanders, to my young adult fantasy debut novel, The Prophecy (which released November 15). I also have a futuristic thriller called Number 25598, a middle grade fiction in the vein of Judy Blume called Meet Kit: An American Boy, and another young adult fantasy novel without a title—all in progress.

Why do I write what I do?

I write young adult books because I LOVE young adult books. My friend and Dream Team member Danielle Craver (she created all of the crests for The Prophecy) got me hooked on the YA genre, and I’ve read that almost exclusively ever since. Epic high fantasy appeals to me because I’ve always loved Arthurian legend. When George R.R. Martin combined that time period with fantastical elements, my mind sprung to life. Reading fantasy allows a person to fully immerse in a totally different world, escaping this one completely. Who doesn’t need a good escape every now and then?

How does your writing process work?

I am a total pantser, which means I do not plan a thing. I have a rough idea of how I want the story to start and how I want it to end, but I let the characters take over for the middle. Sometimes that gets me in some logic trouble, but I’m fortunate enough to have my Dream Team and critique partners to catch those little snafus.

The demands on my life and time afford me a very short window to get my writing done, usually between 3pm-5pm. I have ADD, so I always have to drink something caffeinated to help me focus. Also, a little container of chocolate is a creative must. I seek to write a chapter a day (my Dream Team member and timekeeper, Kim Sharp, requires a new chapter to read each night which keeps me on task).

The creative portion of my work takes me very little time. I wrote the entire Fulfillment Trilogy in 3 months. But I am also an anal grammar freak, so editing the work takes me MUCH longer. It’s a painstaking process.

So, to recap: Afternoon writing time with chocolate and caffeine, 1 chapter a day, and edit, edit, edit!

Thanks for stopping by and reading my post!!

The Prophecy blurb:

Growing up on a small farm in the kingdom of Vanguard, seventeen-year-old Layla Givens lives a deceptively tranquil existence. But her carefully constructed life quickly falls apart when she’s abducted by a religious zealot who proclaims her The Fulfillment of an ancient peace prophecy and whisks her away to marry her greatest enemy.

Wilhelm, Prince of the Ethereals, is reluctant to meet his new bride. He’s grown up believing Vanguards are evil, an enemy to fight and fear…not love. Can he set aside his prejudices and work alongside Layla to bring lasting peace after centuries of war?

Nash, a loner who has never fit in, carries a huge secret, one big enough to destroy both kingdoms. When he accidently meets Layla, he’s no longer content to live in the shadows, but he must resist his growing attraction—for her safety and for the longevity of the two kingdoms.

When Nash’s secret is revealed, a firestorm sweeps through both realms, with Layla at the center. Now she must choose between duty and desire while the fate of two nations hangs in the balance.

The Prophecy can be purchased at the MuseItUp bookstore, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other ebook retailers.

About the Author:

Erin Albert is an author and fitness trainer. Since she picked up Morris the Moose Goes to School at age four, she has been infatuated with the written word. She went on to work as a grammar and writing tutor in college and is still teased by her family and friends for being a member of the “Grammar Police.” In her free time, Erin enjoys acting, running, kickboxing, and, of course, reading and writing.

Find Erin online:

Twitter: @ErinAlbertBooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Erin-Albert-Books/182769448541270

Website: www.erinalbertbooks.com

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18160774-the-prophecy

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Guest Posts and Elixir Bound Sale

November 4, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

Despite falling back with the clocks this weekend, I’m running low on sleep this Monday morning, so a cop-out informational post. 🙂

First off, the ebook of Elixir Bound is on sale for only $.99 through Thursday. For all ebook platforms, you can get it at the MuseItUp bookstore, and it’s also on sale over at Amazon. If you do get a chance to read it and don’t mind posting a short review over at Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or anywhere else you feel so inclined, I’d really appreciate it. Reviews from readers really do help get the word out there about books!

No word on the date for when the paperback version of Elixir Bound will be shipping, but it is available for pre-order. Any day now I hope, and certainly in time for any holiday shopping you might be doing for a teen (or YA loving adult)!

I’ve also had a few guest posts up lately. Writing buddy Meradeth Houston featured me on her Sary in the Real World series with a fun post about my problem ridden trip to Alaska to run a marathon. My sister and I did this trip awhile back and keep saying we’re going to write a memoir about it one day, tentatively titled Loose Bowels and Butt Chap.

Also, Anne Nesbet interviewed me over at the Enchanted Inkpot. I answer questions about creating Elixir Bound, my current WIPs (though I’m still in the bubble, so not too much about those), and what magical portals I would like to be transported through. It was a really great interview!

How was everyone else’s weekend? Any good plans for the week?

Females in YA: Part 5 Strong Female Characters

October 28, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

There’s no shortage of strong females characters in YA, and the likes of Katniss from The Hunger Games, Tris from Divergent, and Katsa from Graceling come to mind. Strong female characters are equated with physical strength. And a physically strong character is a nice change from the damsel in distress that has been so prevalent in literature and movies.

But why stop at physical strength? Dictionary.com does have physical strength as the first definition, but definition 3 is “mentally powerful or vigorous”; definition 4 is “especially able, competent, or powerful in a specific field or respect”; and definition 5 is “of great moral power, firmness, or courage.”

I’m not the first to pose this question. An article called “I Hate Strong Female Characters” by Sophia McDougall (though more about film and TV than books) states, “No one ever asks if a male character is ‘strong’. Nor if he’s ‘feisty,’ or ‘kick-ass’ come to that.” She argues that male characters are often assumed to be strong, so there’s no need to label them as strong. The label of strong female character means that these characters are not the norm, she uses the word anomalous, meaning females are assumed to be the weaker sex.

So what does Ms. McDougall want instead of strong? She says, “I want a wealth of complex female protagonists who can be either strong or weak or both or neither, because they are more than strength or weakness.” Amen to that!

Several bloggers wrote their own posts in response to this article. YA Confidential had a roundtable discussion on the topic. A somewhat lengthy discussion, but worth the read as they cover topics from double standards, love triangles, the Harry Potter books, and George R. R. Martin’s characters. One person mentions Melina Marchetta’s Lumatere Chronicles (fabulous books b.t.w.!) and how her female characters “aren’t just strong; they have depth, emotions, motivation, feelings… they represent what actual people (women in this case) would be like.”

In a post by the YA Guy, he takes issue with Katniss “unwittingly” starting a revolution. In an astute observation about Katniss, he points out, “Strong as she is, Katniss both relies on and is manipulated by the male characters who surround her… While she’s running around kicking butt…it’s the men who are plotting behind the scenes, whether they’re coaching her through her televised interview, figuring out a strategy to survive the Games, or attempting to double-cross her. She’s strong. But they’re smart.”

Katniss’ ignorance of the stirring revolution and her role in it was the answer to the question that had been bothering me throughout the whole series. While I was reading, it was more of a feeling, and it wasn’t until I read the YA Guy’s post that I was able to put words to it.

Another post worth reading is Rebecca Rogers Maher’s “Flawed Heroines and the Likeability Standard.”

Over at YALSA‘s The Hub (article appears to no longer be available), Molly Wetta offers some alternatives to the typical “strong” female character in her post “What We Talk About When We Talk About ‘Strong’ Heroines in Young Adult Fiction.” She asks that we “celebrate the quiet(er) strength of realistic characters as well as the dramatic, death-defying strength of sci-fi, action/adventure, and fantasy heroines. Strength is more than physical prowess or fighting skills.”

During my Elixir Bound blog tour, I offered my own thoughts on strong female characters. Seems I’m preaching to the choir when I ask readers and writers to think of more than just physical strength when considering whether or not a female character is strong. Because, for me, a strong female character is one who is strong in character. Whether that be a physical strength, an emotional strength, or an intellectual strength. And hopefully we see more female characters who exhibit several types of strengths, and shows some weaknesses as well.

Putting My Writing in a Bubble

October 16, 2013 / Katie L. Carroll

I’ve been in kind of a weird place with my writing lately, really feeling the need to put my writerly self in a bubble and focus on what I want from my stories without thinking about the reader, my critique partners, or anyone else. I’ve been putting myself out there a lot lately, with the blog tour last month, contacting schools and bookstores for speaking opportunities, and being really open about my process. So I think it’s time to step back for awhile from all this crazy public life stuff.

That doesn’t mean I won’t be blogging, though. I’ve come to really love my Observation Desk (which in case you didn’t know is the name of this blog), my place that’s all my own where I can wax philosophical (or less than philosophical!) about anything I want. And I love interacting with all my readers through your comments. And I love hosting other authors here, too!

Keep an eye out for a new Females in YA posts with lots of linky love, some scientific type posts (because I haven’t been doing enough of those lately), and pictures. Because pictures are easy posts to do! 😉 And of course, all those lovely guest posts from my fellow author friends.

So I’ll be in the bubble, but it seems there will be lots of holes in the bubble for me to breathe and share with you all, but maybe just not about any of my current WIPs! What have you all been up to lately?