Hokey Pokey - noun - also known as "What it's all about."
While wandering about the Twitterverse this morning I happened upon This Post by freelance editor Leanne Sype where she discusses what she looks for (as an editor) while working a manuscript.
One of the things she stressed was the Theme of the work.
"You need to believe in your story and its central themes so deeply you can't help but share them with the world."
This topic of themes excites me. Because as many re-writes and revisions that my story has undergone the Theme has remained constant:
Now as I began developing this series it took me a few drafts to realize that not only the entire story arc for the series, but each installment also required its own mini-theme to reinforce the overall idea.
If you've read more than two of my previous blogs you may have gathered that I have written/am querying a Middle Grade Fantasy.
"Middle Grade" has only recently made its way into my vocabulary. It's actually because of my theme(s), and certain very unfortunate things that happen to my characters down the road that I erroneously assumed that my work was Young Adult.
So my theme...I understood from the start that writing a fantasy for kids (of any age) was going to be a challenge. So many great authors have proven that writing for kids can turn you into an overnight sensation (or at least a well-known success) that it seems everyone wants to write for kids so the market is flooded. I knew that I couldn't write for anyone except children - it was that, or try my hand at horror - which is my hope way way WAY in the future.
My characters came to me first. It's in your characters that you find your theme.
Now prepare yourself: You're about to get a glimpse into the raw mind of Colten - it's a strange place.
From the ages of 9 - 12 I secretly wanted to be an Animorph. You remember Animorphs, right? Slug-like aliens subversively taking over planet earth, and our only defense was a group of preteens who could turn into any animal they touched.
I was a huge fan. Like, I would daydream about what animal I would choose for my "battle morph", what bird I would choose to become when we needed to fly on a reconnaissance mission....it was intense.
Then came Harry Potter. 'Nuff said.
My point is that fantasy stories for me have always been an immersive experience. If I fall in love with a story I consider myself in it.
Naturally in developing my own world I found myself not only studying it, but also inside of it. (Which, frankly, I couldn't write about a world I couldn't see myself in; that was part of the challenge I faced for four years prior to this idea - finding a world to write about that I loved.)
In children's books - particularly fantasy - it seems almost a prerequisite nowadays to do away with responsible caring adults.
When imagining myself lying to my mother to sneak out of the house and battle aliens as a Leopard - I always had a problem. My mom kept a very watchful eye on me. So for me the logistics of being an Animorph were always muddled.
When I imagined being 11 with a wizard coming to the door and telling my mom that I would be sent away to magic school to be immersed in a culture my mother was completely unfamiliar with - the pain of her imagined breakdown would kill the fantasy (just a bit) for me.
Ultimately I wanted Bianca and Scarlett to come from an environment similar to the one I came from. Should someone else read like I do and become Immersed in the worlds they explore I don't want them thinking (even subconsciously) that Mom/Dad/Grandma/Grandpa aren't invited...to an extent.
Second, I wanted to avoid common tropes of fantasy...prophesies, being the Last, the First, or the Only.
Not that I don't love books with those things...I mean, Hello, have we met?!
But I'm not the right person to write things like that. My mind will take the path of least resistance, and I'll find myself having written (and you'll be reading) something that reeks of unoriginality because I dipped my story in a bathtub of Fantasy Formula.
Also, being the Only, the First, the Last, or the subject of a world-changing prophecy wouldn't be in keeping with the "everyman" quality I wanted for my girls.
I want people to fall in love with my characters not because they should be pitied, feared, or praised. I want readers to love my characters because they see themselves, or their best friend, or their brother/sister/cousin...etc...
I want to reinforce that just because you aren't the Only, the First, the Last, or the Savior prophesied about in the long ago and far away doesn't mean you're not special.
My goal was to make you feel like when you were rooting for Bianca, Scarlett, and Oliver that you were cheering yourself or your best friend on toward the finish line.
Then comes the overall theme. For me my entire series is about my journey as a writer - and yours. Frankly, anyone's journey to achieve whatever dream they have. That, in short, is what my story (stories) are about.
You, Me, the common man/woman - in a world where we can't just turn off work, ignore our family or loved ones, but we still have goals and dreams that we pursue. Finding the balance between the destiny you've chosen for yourself and the things that life throws your way.
Bianca, Scarlett, and Oliver have found their place in Faerie at the expense of our world and - more importantly - their families. The sacrifices they make on their journey to become great mirror the sacrifices we all make when we find our true calling in life. It's bittersweet, the way life is.
If the basic plot of the pages is the heart of your story then the theme is the soul. That invisible, intangible quality that gives life to the story outside of the pages.
Does your story have a soul? What moves your writing? What is your theme?
Until we meet again!
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Thursday's Children June 13, 2013: Inspired by Theatre
In my previous blog post I mentioned that I have started a new project.
This "new project" has been crawling around the back of my mind for almost 8 years. I didn't know it, I didn't always recognize it, but as I'm putting story elements together, finding out about these characters, and discovering the world they live in I realize I've been waiting to write this story.
See, eight years ago (this fall it will be eight years) was my first semester in college. In my free time between classes, rehearsals, and work I always kept my eye on the prize: my writing.
But my first semester in college I only had the vaguest shadows of an idea. It ended up being an idea that I scrapped and sold for parts to the better part of my brain, but as I was searching for the idea I would create little writing exercises for myself. In part I did it hoping to "happen upon" a good story, but basically to keep my creativity finely tuned.
My favorite of these exercises was to take showtunes from my vast musical library, put them all on a playlist, hit shuffle, and make a story out of the first 21 random songs that played.
I'm a theatre-kid, and musicals (good musicals) use song to progess a story. So I would string together a unique story from disparate pieces of other stories, using characters of my own creation. It really was great fun.
The other night I was at work, and I realized I had forgotten...actually FORGOT the words to what was one of my favorite songs from a musical ever. I couldn't even think of the name of the song! (I turn 26 tomorrow; I'll clearly be senile by the time I'm 30)
I broke down and found my answer on the internet (there was a literal facepalm after I saw the song title, I can assure you). After a while I was thinking about how that show isn't particularly well known, and how it's such a brilliant show...and it's not a book.......but instead of historical I could have it as dystopian! And instead of _____it could be _____....
And thus, my new project was born from a musical. The most fun part of this is discovering a "new" dystopian world: one where the government isn't the evil Big Brother...
So that's what currently preoccupies me... What has inspired you in the past? Where does your Muse find her/his voice?
Until we meet again!
This "new project" has been crawling around the back of my mind for almost 8 years. I didn't know it, I didn't always recognize it, but as I'm putting story elements together, finding out about these characters, and discovering the world they live in I realize I've been waiting to write this story.
See, eight years ago (this fall it will be eight years) was my first semester in college. In my free time between classes, rehearsals, and work I always kept my eye on the prize: my writing.
But my first semester in college I only had the vaguest shadows of an idea. It ended up being an idea that I scrapped and sold for parts to the better part of my brain, but as I was searching for the idea I would create little writing exercises for myself. In part I did it hoping to "happen upon" a good story, but basically to keep my creativity finely tuned.
My favorite of these exercises was to take showtunes from my vast musical library, put them all on a playlist, hit shuffle, and make a story out of the first 21 random songs that played.
I'm a theatre-kid, and musicals (good musicals) use song to progess a story. So I would string together a unique story from disparate pieces of other stories, using characters of my own creation. It really was great fun.
The other night I was at work, and I realized I had forgotten...actually FORGOT the words to what was one of my favorite songs from a musical ever. I couldn't even think of the name of the song! (I turn 26 tomorrow; I'll clearly be senile by the time I'm 30)
I broke down and found my answer on the internet (there was a literal facepalm after I saw the song title, I can assure you). After a while I was thinking about how that show isn't particularly well known, and how it's such a brilliant show...and it's not a book.......but instead of historical I could have it as dystopian! And instead of _____it could be _____....
And thus, my new project was born from a musical. The most fun part of this is discovering a "new" dystopian world: one where the government isn't the evil Big Brother...
So that's what currently preoccupies me... What has inspired you in the past? Where does your Muse find her/his voice?
Until we meet again!
A weekly blog hop where writers share their inspirations. Please join us!
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Wednesday, June 12, 2013
The Book in the Drawer
Last night, I got the idea for a new story. More like, I was inspired to tell a story that I desperately love. Immediately upon coming home from work I set to work ironing out scenes, finding the names to the main characters, and roughly began building the world that they inhabit.
My excitement was indescribable.
But see, I think it's somewhat silly also. Not the idea. No, no, I'm quite in love with the idea. The silly factor for me comes because I am agentless. Ultimately, at this very moment, I am no closer to being on your bookshelf than a person who has never written a book. An ugly truth, but true nonetheless.
Further along the silliness train: this story has nothing to do with my MG Fantasy work that I am querying at this point.
See, if you remember from one of my previous posts. An agent advised me that there's no guarantee for a book series. Not in the querying phase. You can have the idea, the story, and the desire, but there are no book 1 sales to merit a book 2. There is no editor certain of your story's marketability to contract a book 2. So don't try hanging your hat in a closet that doesn't yet exist.
My MG series is near and dear to me. Since November 15, 2011 that has been the focus of every stray thought, and where every ounce of my storytelling talent (if any - I don't believe one can be described as talented without legitimate validation) has been directed. It is the world that I created, and the world that I live in when my eyes are closed.
So this story feels kindof like I'm being unfaithful to Bianca, Scarlett, and Oliver (My MG main characters). I haven't put their story aside; not by any means. My MG Fantasy is still being queried, but book one is complete. There is no tweaking, fixing, changing that I will make outside of editorial changes that come from a source higher up than me. It has seen 7 drafts, been edited from 113,000 words to 52,000 words, and the beginning has been completely re-imagined/re-written countless times (I'm terrible with beginnings - I always see how my stories end first). At this point, I can only query until I find an agent who loves the story as much as I do.
But I can't just sit and twiddle my thumbs. I want writing to be my career, not my hobby.
I always get story ideas, sometimes from dreams, mostly from things I see going to and fro day to day, but last night's was different - it's a story that I already love.
Did you know that Stephen King's Under the Dome originated in the early 80's? He started working on it, realized it was too big and messy for him to tell at that time and put it in a drawer. It was titled The Cannibals. Years later he came back to it, updated it (fixing this and that, I'm sure) and now all the non-readers will get to enjoy it as a mini-series on CBS this summer.
Stephen King is known for writing books and sticking them in drawers. Many authors probably do it. Publishing is a slow process, but stories come on the fly at all times of the day or night, and as quickly as a bolt of lightning. During those months or years when the gears aren't turning, and when the Muse is getting her beauty sleep Mr. King recommends having a "book in the drawer" to please the publishing gods.
So this project will be my "book in the drawer".
My Fantasy (series?) has been plotted....and re-plotted...and plotted again. In fact, my world-building grew even more from the changes I had to make in shortening the first story. Now I could write books about Faerie until I die...but I won't...because as much as I hope you enjoy them someday, I know you really wouldn't want me to - the overall story arc will satisfy you, I hope.
For now I'm working on the Non-Fantasy Story. The Tragedy. And someday (hopefully soon) when I'm chatting with my agent, I can say "Well I have That, but also I have This...and this other story that I want to get to work on too..."
Do you have a book in the drawer? I hope so, because I'm just discovering how much fun it can be. :-)
Until we meet again!
My excitement was indescribable.
But see, I think it's somewhat silly also. Not the idea. No, no, I'm quite in love with the idea. The silly factor for me comes because I am agentless. Ultimately, at this very moment, I am no closer to being on your bookshelf than a person who has never written a book. An ugly truth, but true nonetheless.
Further along the silliness train: this story has nothing to do with my MG Fantasy work that I am querying at this point.
See, if you remember from one of my previous posts. An agent advised me that there's no guarantee for a book series. Not in the querying phase. You can have the idea, the story, and the desire, but there are no book 1 sales to merit a book 2. There is no editor certain of your story's marketability to contract a book 2. So don't try hanging your hat in a closet that doesn't yet exist.
My MG series is near and dear to me. Since November 15, 2011 that has been the focus of every stray thought, and where every ounce of my storytelling talent (if any - I don't believe one can be described as talented without legitimate validation) has been directed. It is the world that I created, and the world that I live in when my eyes are closed.
So this story feels kindof like I'm being unfaithful to Bianca, Scarlett, and Oliver (My MG main characters). I haven't put their story aside; not by any means. My MG Fantasy is still being queried, but book one is complete. There is no tweaking, fixing, changing that I will make outside of editorial changes that come from a source higher up than me. It has seen 7 drafts, been edited from 113,000 words to 52,000 words, and the beginning has been completely re-imagined/re-written countless times (I'm terrible with beginnings - I always see how my stories end first). At this point, I can only query until I find an agent who loves the story as much as I do.
But I can't just sit and twiddle my thumbs. I want writing to be my career, not my hobby.
I always get story ideas, sometimes from dreams, mostly from things I see going to and fro day to day, but last night's was different - it's a story that I already love.
Did you know that Stephen King's Under the Dome originated in the early 80's? He started working on it, realized it was too big and messy for him to tell at that time and put it in a drawer. It was titled The Cannibals. Years later he came back to it, updated it (fixing this and that, I'm sure) and now all the non-readers will get to enjoy it as a mini-series on CBS this summer.
Stephen King is known for writing books and sticking them in drawers. Many authors probably do it. Publishing is a slow process, but stories come on the fly at all times of the day or night, and as quickly as a bolt of lightning. During those months or years when the gears aren't turning, and when the Muse is getting her beauty sleep Mr. King recommends having a "book in the drawer" to please the publishing gods.
So this project will be my "book in the drawer".
My Fantasy (series?) has been plotted....and re-plotted...and plotted again. In fact, my world-building grew even more from the changes I had to make in shortening the first story. Now I could write books about Faerie until I die...but I won't...because as much as I hope you enjoy them someday, I know you really wouldn't want me to - the overall story arc will satisfy you, I hope.
For now I'm working on the Non-Fantasy Story. The Tragedy. And someday (hopefully soon) when I'm chatting with my agent, I can say "Well I have That, but also I have This...and this other story that I want to get to work on too..."
Do you have a book in the drawer? I hope so, because I'm just discovering how much fun it can be. :-)
Until we meet again!
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Thursday's Children June 6, 2013: Inspired by Commentary
Recently I've been plagued with an overwhelming desire to watch a good scary movie.
Usually I don't allow myself to watch horror films outside the month of October (in preparation for Halloween), but this was an itch that I just had to scratch.
The other night I went to my local Book/Video store and bought a scary film that I saw in theaters last year and thoroughly enjoyed. I also picked up a new one that I wanted to see in theaters but missed the opportunity.
I'm a big "save the best for last" kind of person. So I decided to watch the one I had already seen first, before I watched the film that I was waiting to see.
Sinister was the movie I watched first.
If you haven't seen it, you should because it really is a fantastic piece of storytelling.
Upon my second viewing I still got all the heebie-jeebies that I did the first time I saw it.
Then I watched Dark Skies which was also quite scary (for me) and terribly enjoyable.
The same production team was involved with both films so naturally there are similarities to the way the stories were told.
The following day, my hunger for something scary still wasn't entirely sated. I own many horror films, but I wanted something new and fresh that I hadn't seen before. I was so pleased with my viewing of Dark Skies that I wanted more of those same feelings.
Alas, by the time I got off work the shop where I buy most of my movies and books was already closed. So I came home and turned on Sinister, not to watch the film again, but because I had noticed that there were two different commentaries for the film. One by the Director, and one by the Writers.
Sinister is such a unique film in so many ways that I was quite curious as to how they found the inspiration for the film, and what led them to make some of the storytelling choices that they did.
Not only did I get the answer to those questions, but I also got an impromptu writing class by listening to the commentary.
One quote stood out to me in particular:
"When you're writing speculative, or genre fiction ... come up with your story first then introduce the genre elements later. At it's heart, Sinister is a movie about a guy's fear of failure, and how his family is slowly being torn apart by his quest to reclaim his fame..."
I actually paused the film, and went back to memorize that quote again for you.
My eyes were probably the size of tennis balls.
You see, I write Middle Grade Fantasy - speculative fiction. No doubt many of you also write speculative (genre) fiction.
I sat up and thought about some of the greatest stories.
They all revolved around an emotional idea. The Heart of the story.
The setting, the world-building, the twist ending, the intricate plotting all were secondary to the most important thing: The Heart.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is about a girl and her three friends on a quest to find what makes them whole.
Harry Potter is about an abused orphan on a mission to confront the man who murdered his parents.
The Gone series is a modern day Lord of the Flies that shows the depths of darkness in a young person's soul, and questions the Nature versus Nurture aspect of Good and Evil.
The Dark Tower series is about one man's quest to find the meaning of life while being surrounded by (and propagating) death.
I must admit, I panicked for a moment.
Sure, I just re-wrote my manuscript. I went down from 95,000 to 71,000 then to 52,000 words. But what was my story about? What was the Heart of this new draft?
Three seconds after I asked this question I had my answer...
What is the heart of your story? Can it be summed up in a sentence? Is it the thing around which your entire manuscript revolves?
Usually I don't allow myself to watch horror films outside the month of October (in preparation for Halloween), but this was an itch that I just had to scratch.
The other night I went to my local Book/Video store and bought a scary film that I saw in theaters last year and thoroughly enjoyed. I also picked up a new one that I wanted to see in theaters but missed the opportunity.
I'm a big "save the best for last" kind of person. So I decided to watch the one I had already seen first, before I watched the film that I was waiting to see.
Sinister was the movie I watched first.
If you haven't seen it, you should because it really is a fantastic piece of storytelling.
Upon my second viewing I still got all the heebie-jeebies that I did the first time I saw it.
Then I watched Dark Skies which was also quite scary (for me) and terribly enjoyable.
The same production team was involved with both films so naturally there are similarities to the way the stories were told.
The following day, my hunger for something scary still wasn't entirely sated. I own many horror films, but I wanted something new and fresh that I hadn't seen before. I was so pleased with my viewing of Dark Skies that I wanted more of those same feelings.
Alas, by the time I got off work the shop where I buy most of my movies and books was already closed. So I came home and turned on Sinister, not to watch the film again, but because I had noticed that there were two different commentaries for the film. One by the Director, and one by the Writers.
Sinister is such a unique film in so many ways that I was quite curious as to how they found the inspiration for the film, and what led them to make some of the storytelling choices that they did.
Not only did I get the answer to those questions, but I also got an impromptu writing class by listening to the commentary.
One quote stood out to me in particular:
"When you're writing speculative, or genre fiction ... come up with your story first then introduce the genre elements later. At it's heart, Sinister is a movie about a guy's fear of failure, and how his family is slowly being torn apart by his quest to reclaim his fame..."
I actually paused the film, and went back to memorize that quote again for you.
My eyes were probably the size of tennis balls.
You see, I write Middle Grade Fantasy - speculative fiction. No doubt many of you also write speculative (genre) fiction.
I sat up and thought about some of the greatest stories.
They all revolved around an emotional idea. The Heart of the story.
The setting, the world-building, the twist ending, the intricate plotting all were secondary to the most important thing: The Heart.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is about a girl and her three friends on a quest to find what makes them whole.
Harry Potter is about an abused orphan on a mission to confront the man who murdered his parents.
The Gone series is a modern day Lord of the Flies that shows the depths of darkness in a young person's soul, and questions the Nature versus Nurture aspect of Good and Evil.
The Dark Tower series is about one man's quest to find the meaning of life while being surrounded by (and propagating) death.
I must admit, I panicked for a moment.
Sure, I just re-wrote my manuscript. I went down from 95,000 to 71,000 then to 52,000 words. But what was my story about? What was the Heart of this new draft?
Three seconds after I asked this question I had my answer...
What is the heart of your story? Can it be summed up in a sentence? Is it the thing around which your entire manuscript revolves?
A weekly blog hop where writers share their inspirations. Please join us!
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Tuesday, June 4, 2013
The Agent Wand
In the world of traditional publishing we know that an agent is one of the keys to your success. (I'm taking for granted you are a writer, or at least attempting to be involved in the publishing/writing world)
To be traditionally published you face several tremendous challenges.
First and foremost - you have to write a brilliant, unique, well-crafted story.
Second, in the world of Traditional publishing you need an advocate. A stranger who will read over your work, make editorial suggestions, assist you in honing your talent, sell your work, and protect you during negotiations with your publisher. You need an Agent.
I've posted a few things about my Agent Quest before, but one thing I haven't mentioned is my process for finding an agent.
You might think it's pretty straightforward, and it is (more or less), but agents are just as diverse as authors.
For you fellow Harry Potter nerds I'm going to liken it to finding a wand.
"The wand chooses the wizard" as they say; I'll add: "The agent chooses the author."
You see, in J.K. Rowling's universe a wizard can do magic with any wand, BUT when a wizard has their wand - one that they've bonded with - they reach their full potential. They are capable of greater magic, and the relationship between wizard and wand affects the power and success of the wizard.
The agent chooses the author.
When the right author and agent are paired that's when the greatest magic happens.
Take to the internet and begin your search. You'll likely find my same starting point: "Literary Rambles", it has an alphabetized list of agents who represent Young Adult and Middle Grade work.
I remember freaking out the first time I found it. You'd have thought I found Atlantis.
But remember...just because it's a wand doesn't mean it's the one that will help you do your best magic...just because they are an agent doesn't mean they're the right agent for your work.
Also be aware that this person relies on you, and you rely on this person to have a career. You need one another. This is a business partnership. Would you open a clothing store with someone who doesn't have your same taste in style? Would you open a restaurant with someone who only wants to make seafood and you're allergic to shellfish?
Harder question: would you open a restaurant with an eclectic menu? Maybe you enjoy pasta dishes, and this person says "sure! I love pasta, we'll also sell burgers, steaks, barbeque, and maybe a few other Italian entrees."
This restaurant may sell what you make, but how often have you found a Burger-Pasta-Steak restaurant selling the Best pasta? the Best steak? the Best burgers?
In that situation it comes down to what will satisfy you, and you need to ask yourself that question as you're agent hunting.
My query process has been very selective. There have been a few outright misses (I have a tendency to be drawn to wonderful/amazing agents who don't rep my genre), but I haven't really blanketed the universe with my query letter and sample pages.
I've only queried agents who I feel I would like as people. If I can answer "If they weren't an agent, and I weren't an author could we be friends?" with a "Yes." then I put them on my query list. I follow them on Twitter, if they have a blog I read it. I read, re-read, and RE-READ the submission guidelines (my brain has a tendency to miss details when I'm too excited/anxious).
Be aware that when you and the right agent finally connect it's potentially a career-long partnership. As long as you're making magic they're the wand that makes it possible.
You can find "how I got my agent blogs" all over the internet. I just wrote this because I wish someone had told me certain things sooner, and made certain things clearer before I started making "rookie mistakes"...I would have liked to have known someone else's Agent Hunting Protocol before I started forming my own...
Until we meet again!
***Please Note: the likening of an agent to a wand is in no way meant to de-humanize, or infer that an agent is nothing more than a tool. Agents are people with hopes, thoughts, and dreams of their own. If you think, have thought, or have treated an agent otherwise then you are an ass.
The Agent/Wand Author/Wizard simile was meant only to be an enjoyable illustration.
To be traditionally published you face several tremendous challenges.
First and foremost - you have to write a brilliant, unique, well-crafted story.
Second, in the world of Traditional publishing you need an advocate. A stranger who will read over your work, make editorial suggestions, assist you in honing your talent, sell your work, and protect you during negotiations with your publisher. You need an Agent.
I've posted a few things about my Agent Quest before, but one thing I haven't mentioned is my process for finding an agent.
You might think it's pretty straightforward, and it is (more or less), but agents are just as diverse as authors.
For you fellow Harry Potter nerds I'm going to liken it to finding a wand.
"The wand chooses the wizard" as they say; I'll add: "The agent chooses the author."
 |
| I've heard it looks something like this. |
The agent chooses the author.
When the right author and agent are paired that's when the greatest magic happens.
 |
| This is what an NYT #1 Bestseller looks like. |
Take to the internet and begin your search. You'll likely find my same starting point: "Literary Rambles", it has an alphabetized list of agents who represent Young Adult and Middle Grade work.
I remember freaking out the first time I found it. You'd have thought I found Atlantis.
But remember...just because it's a wand doesn't mean it's the one that will help you do your best magic...just because they are an agent doesn't mean they're the right agent for your work.
Also be aware that this person relies on you, and you rely on this person to have a career. You need one another. This is a business partnership. Would you open a clothing store with someone who doesn't have your same taste in style? Would you open a restaurant with someone who only wants to make seafood and you're allergic to shellfish?
 |
| Pictured: Hasty Agent-Author partnership |
This restaurant may sell what you make, but how often have you found a Burger-Pasta-Steak restaurant selling the Best pasta? the Best steak? the Best burgers?
In that situation it comes down to what will satisfy you, and you need to ask yourself that question as you're agent hunting.
My query process has been very selective. There have been a few outright misses (I have a tendency to be drawn to wonderful/amazing agents who don't rep my genre), but I haven't really blanketed the universe with my query letter and sample pages.
I've only queried agents who I feel I would like as people. If I can answer "If they weren't an agent, and I weren't an author could we be friends?" with a "Yes." then I put them on my query list. I follow them on Twitter, if they have a blog I read it. I read, re-read, and RE-READ the submission guidelines (my brain has a tendency to miss details when I'm too excited/anxious).
Be aware that when you and the right agent finally connect it's potentially a career-long partnership. As long as you're making magic they're the wand that makes it possible.
You can find "how I got my agent blogs" all over the internet. I just wrote this because I wish someone had told me certain things sooner, and made certain things clearer before I started making "rookie mistakes"...I would have liked to have known someone else's Agent Hunting Protocol before I started forming my own...
Until we meet again!
***Please Note: the likening of an agent to a wand is in no way meant to de-humanize, or infer that an agent is nothing more than a tool. Agents are people with hopes, thoughts, and dreams of their own. If you think, have thought, or have treated an agent otherwise then you are an ass.
The Agent/Wand Author/Wizard simile was meant only to be an enjoyable illustration.
Thursday, May 23, 2013
The One Where My Book Had Surgery
You may remember me mentioning a while back that I had a one hour conversation with an agent. (If not, go back to the post before last - aptly titled One Hour With an Agent - and catch up with the rest of the class)
For those of you who didn't go back and read, I'll review:
I was advised to make my 95,000 word MS into a 70,000 word MS, based on the fact that my two MC's were thirteen years old thus making the book Middle Grade.
Traditionally acceptable length of a debut Middle Grade novel is 70,000 words.
I immediately told the agent, "I can do that." As in "I can take off 25,000 words."
I said it without batting an eye.
Some of you may have wondered "WHY? Why would you do that?!"
Because as much as writing professionally is an artform, it is also a business. Agents are not the writers. Agents are business-people. They live, eat, and breathe their business (at least the good ones do) so when an agent tells me that my book is Middle Grade, and my Middle Grade book needs to be 70,000 words - I listen. Because as intimately as I know the world I've created these people know the writing business.
However, before my re-write could begin. I had to hear back from my Critique Partners. You see, CP's are invaluable (especially the ones I've lucked into finding). Tragically (for me) the same week that I had this conversation with the agent was the same week my CP's and I traded work. Which means, I wouldn't have their feedback for...two weeks?...three weeks?....a month?...TWO Months?!
I had no idea, but as soon as I knew to cut down my work my brain found several scenes to delete, a character to discard, and a few scenes to shorten. It would have been foolhardy to begin making those changes without a fresh pair of eyes to tell me what changes they thought I should make.
So...I did what any smart person would do...I waited.
First thing my Re-Write taught me: Time is actually on your side (believe it or not)
My CP's (Alex Pierce and Phalia Kester) are brilliant, awesome, and wonderful - not to mention very talented.
Alex and I actually got to chat at length about one another's work. Phalia's mark-up was thorough and made me feel terrible about some of the chapters and paragraphs I made her trudge through - I loved it!
I learned that I had a chapter that was action-packed but didn't advance the overall plot in any way or shed any new light on my characters. Despite being with me since draft one (almost completely unchanged) that chapter was removed.
A positive, offhanded note by one of my CP's led me to a completely different ending that I may not have discovered without them expressing their opinion.
If I hadn't waited for their feedback, and ran full-speed ahead I would have missed out on what my readers think makes my story great, and not so great. In fact, I had plans to focus on an aspect of the story that neither of my CP's particularly cared for in the writing.
Allow me to quote Sondheim: "Easy now, hush love hush, don't distress yourself what's your rush?"
So 28 days ago, my Re-Write began.
To be clear this didn't start as a re-write. I started out by removing the character that didn't fit anymore in the story. I also removed certain aspects of the world that needed to be omitted for the sake of word-count, and certain "fun things" that I included to make the story more enjoyable for me.
*Note: let your story be "fun" first before you add "fun things" it will make the revision process significantly easier.*
After removing all of those things, and I strictly mean Removing. As in: highlight the text that mentions ______, and press delete. After that...I had 72,000 words. I was still over the mark and I hadn't even patched the disparate pieces of the manuscript together. I hadn't found new ways to convey the information that the character that was removed provided.
That was when I knew...We were at Defcon 12...I had a full scale Re-Write on my hands.
Funny story: I write each chapter in a separate Word document. It keeps things from running together for me, and allows me to focus on the specific goals within that chapter.
Funny story #2: I can't write without knowing exactly where the chapter is going. I need a beginning sentence, and an ending scene or I just pace around my apartment aimlessly until one comes to me.
Funny Story #3: Word documents have file sizes. Oddly enough similar file sizes have similar word counts. I discovered I could track myself as I was writing so I didn't have to go back later and begin trimming all over again.
I'm a freak about details. What a character reads (or doesn't read), how they dress, what music they listen to, what city they grew up in, what city they moved to when they were ten, what their parents/children/relatives do for a living - all of those (and everything else) are important to me.
I've told you before that my story started out at 113,000 words...well that was the Fourth draft.
The second this this draft taught me: Trust the reader.
You see I learned that I need those things - the reader doesn't. I can't explain it any clearer, but I can tell you that if you know those things, they'll come across in the writing even if you don't mention it
*Note: my favorite way to learn about a new character is to find a top 10 list of their favorite songs. Trust me, it works wonders*
**but don't share that list with your readers!**
The 95,000 word draft that my CP's read...both of them mentioned how my MS could have been split into two books.
That threw me for a loop.
It also told me I was doing something wrong. It told me that I was allowing sub-plots to become as important as the primary storyline. No way Josephine!
Third thing the re-write taught me: Know the heart of your story.
It sounds simple, and you may think you do (I know I did!), but art is subjective, and there comes a point when the audience's perception matters more than the artist's intent.
113,000 could not have become 95,000 which could not have become 71,000 if I didn't take a step back (a day off writing) to find out Not what my characters wanted, Not where the storyline was headed, Not who my characters were, Not what the subliminal theme of the story was...I needed to recognize the roots of my story.
Bianca and Scarlett's story is based off a lesser-known Fairytale. I think the full length version is maybe seven pages.
Seven pages written in the long ago and far away was the root of my story. It was the adventure I expounded upon that gave birth to a thousand plotlines and over a bajillion major and minor characters. (those figures are a rough estimate)
Reading the 95,000 word draft I could see where and how I had fallen off track. I found the heart of the story and focused on that, and restrained myself from extravagance. (Not an easy task for me)
Fourth thing I learned during my re-write: Less is More.
Do I worry that too much has been removed? Yes.
Do I worry that my characters will read flat because my readers don't know what they're wearing everytime they change clothes? Yes!
Do I worry that my world-building will seem lax because I didn't have enough words to tell you about the social hierarchy of my Faerie society? Yes.
But at the end of the day am I proud of what does exist on the page? Yes!
And that's the key.
You see, just like no one is promised tomorrow, an author writing what he/she believes to be a Middle Grade Epic Fantasy series isn't promised a book two.
Just like eating healthy, quitting bad habits, etc increases the probability of a tomorrow for all the men, women, and children crawling across the face of the earth; a well written Book One increases the probability of a Book Two.
An easy example: If J.K. Rowling tried teaching us the in's-and-out's of Wandlore in Sorceror's Stone some of us may have fallen off the Harry Potter train. If we learned about Patronuses before Harry could cast one, or if we casually heard about Dementors before they became relevant we would have been bored with the actual adventure searching for the Sorceror's Stone, or discovering the Chamber of Secrets.
Too much of the right thing at the wrong time is just as bad as a terrible ending.
No info-dumps, nothing extraneous to the here and now of the story should exist in any MS. If "here and now" is fantastic then that will make us excited and surprised for when Later arrives.
The last thing that I'm comfortable sharing with you about what I learned during my Re-Write: You need a break.
I'm hasty. I'm all or nothing. I'm one hundred miles an hour. We'll stop and smell the roses as soon as we get to where we're going!
That's not the way to write a book (or to live your life, but it's easier for me to apply it to writing. I'm still working on the slow-down-life thing).
There were days - especially in my final 6 chapter stretch where I knew exactly what needed to be put on the page. I knew where the story was headed, I knew every scene, and who did what...but I couldn't write it.
My battery died. My well ran dry.
(I distinctly remember singing "The River Won't Flow" from Jason Robert Brown's Songs for a New World in my kitchen)
This happens. You'll survive. It's terribly frustrating, but it's your Muse telling you that you're missing something, and until you shut up and let him/her work it out you guys are just going to fight....and you'll never win a fight with a Muse.
Now, I have to stay away from all things fantasy when I'm writing. Movies, books, tv shows...my Muse is easily confused, and she'll start to focus on the story I'm watching/reading instead of the one I'm writing.
Bad News Bears.
So I started watching Friends AKA the How I Met Your Mother of the 90's.
A) I could write an entire blog post about the amazingness of a show I never watched while it was on the air.
B) Find your Friends. Find something completely unrelated to your writing that you enjoy. Be it tap-dancing, yodeling, Julia Roberts RomComs, or listening to old country music as you drive around the neighborhoods you can't afford to live in. Find the thing that distracts you and allows your Muse to do its thing.
When you get back to the pages you'll find that the better part of you has been hard at work, and your little day off was worth it's weight in gold.
C) The title of this blog is a nod to Friends
Alright guys, that's all I've got for tonight.
Forgive the helter-skelter nature of this entry. It's been a while since I've blogged, and without a thorough outline I tend to ramble. I promise more frequent posts in the days to come (and hopefully more cohesive). I've missed you guys, and until my next mad-dash at revisions I'll be here expelling my thoughts onto the walls of my little corner in cyberspace.
Until we meet again!
For those of you who didn't go back and read, I'll review:
I was advised to make my 95,000 word MS into a 70,000 word MS, based on the fact that my two MC's were thirteen years old thus making the book Middle Grade.
Traditionally acceptable length of a debut Middle Grade novel is 70,000 words.
I immediately told the agent, "I can do that." As in "I can take off 25,000 words."
I said it without batting an eye.
Some of you may have wondered "WHY? Why would you do that?!"
Because as much as writing professionally is an artform, it is also a business. Agents are not the writers. Agents are business-people. They live, eat, and breathe their business (at least the good ones do) so when an agent tells me that my book is Middle Grade, and my Middle Grade book needs to be 70,000 words - I listen. Because as intimately as I know the world I've created these people know the writing business.
However, before my re-write could begin. I had to hear back from my Critique Partners. You see, CP's are invaluable (especially the ones I've lucked into finding). Tragically (for me) the same week that I had this conversation with the agent was the same week my CP's and I traded work. Which means, I wouldn't have their feedback for...two weeks?...three weeks?....a month?...TWO Months?!
I had no idea, but as soon as I knew to cut down my work my brain found several scenes to delete, a character to discard, and a few scenes to shorten. It would have been foolhardy to begin making those changes without a fresh pair of eyes to tell me what changes they thought I should make.
So...I did what any smart person would do...I waited.
First thing my Re-Write taught me: Time is actually on your side (believe it or not)
My CP's (Alex Pierce and Phalia Kester) are brilliant, awesome, and wonderful - not to mention very talented.
Alex and I actually got to chat at length about one another's work. Phalia's mark-up was thorough and made me feel terrible about some of the chapters and paragraphs I made her trudge through - I loved it!
I learned that I had a chapter that was action-packed but didn't advance the overall plot in any way or shed any new light on my characters. Despite being with me since draft one (almost completely unchanged) that chapter was removed.
A positive, offhanded note by one of my CP's led me to a completely different ending that I may not have discovered without them expressing their opinion.
If I hadn't waited for their feedback, and ran full-speed ahead I would have missed out on what my readers think makes my story great, and not so great. In fact, I had plans to focus on an aspect of the story that neither of my CP's particularly cared for in the writing.
Allow me to quote Sondheim: "Easy now, hush love hush, don't distress yourself what's your rush?"
So 28 days ago, my Re-Write began.
To be clear this didn't start as a re-write. I started out by removing the character that didn't fit anymore in the story. I also removed certain aspects of the world that needed to be omitted for the sake of word-count, and certain "fun things" that I included to make the story more enjoyable for me.
*Note: let your story be "fun" first before you add "fun things" it will make the revision process significantly easier.*
After removing all of those things, and I strictly mean Removing. As in: highlight the text that mentions ______, and press delete. After that...I had 72,000 words. I was still over the mark and I hadn't even patched the disparate pieces of the manuscript together. I hadn't found new ways to convey the information that the character that was removed provided.
That was when I knew...We were at Defcon 12...I had a full scale Re-Write on my hands.
Funny story: I write each chapter in a separate Word document. It keeps things from running together for me, and allows me to focus on the specific goals within that chapter.
Funny story #2: I can't write without knowing exactly where the chapter is going. I need a beginning sentence, and an ending scene or I just pace around my apartment aimlessly until one comes to me.
Funny Story #3: Word documents have file sizes. Oddly enough similar file sizes have similar word counts. I discovered I could track myself as I was writing so I didn't have to go back later and begin trimming all over again.
I'm a freak about details. What a character reads (or doesn't read), how they dress, what music they listen to, what city they grew up in, what city they moved to when they were ten, what their parents/children/relatives do for a living - all of those (and everything else) are important to me.
I've told you before that my story started out at 113,000 words...well that was the Fourth draft.
The second this this draft taught me: Trust the reader.
You see I learned that I need those things - the reader doesn't. I can't explain it any clearer, but I can tell you that if you know those things, they'll come across in the writing even if you don't mention it
*Note: my favorite way to learn about a new character is to find a top 10 list of their favorite songs. Trust me, it works wonders*
**but don't share that list with your readers!**
The 95,000 word draft that my CP's read...both of them mentioned how my MS could have been split into two books.
That threw me for a loop.
It also told me I was doing something wrong. It told me that I was allowing sub-plots to become as important as the primary storyline. No way Josephine!
Third thing the re-write taught me: Know the heart of your story.
It sounds simple, and you may think you do (I know I did!), but art is subjective, and there comes a point when the audience's perception matters more than the artist's intent.
113,000 could not have become 95,000 which could not have become 71,000 if I didn't take a step back (a day off writing) to find out Not what my characters wanted, Not where the storyline was headed, Not who my characters were, Not what the subliminal theme of the story was...I needed to recognize the roots of my story.
Bianca and Scarlett's story is based off a lesser-known Fairytale. I think the full length version is maybe seven pages.
Seven pages written in the long ago and far away was the root of my story. It was the adventure I expounded upon that gave birth to a thousand plotlines and over a bajillion major and minor characters. (those figures are a rough estimate)
Reading the 95,000 word draft I could see where and how I had fallen off track. I found the heart of the story and focused on that, and restrained myself from extravagance. (Not an easy task for me)
Fourth thing I learned during my re-write: Less is More.
Do I worry that too much has been removed? Yes.
Do I worry that my characters will read flat because my readers don't know what they're wearing everytime they change clothes? Yes!
Do I worry that my world-building will seem lax because I didn't have enough words to tell you about the social hierarchy of my Faerie society? Yes.
But at the end of the day am I proud of what does exist on the page? Yes!
And that's the key.
You see, just like no one is promised tomorrow, an author writing what he/she believes to be a Middle Grade Epic Fantasy series isn't promised a book two.
Just like eating healthy, quitting bad habits, etc increases the probability of a tomorrow for all the men, women, and children crawling across the face of the earth; a well written Book One increases the probability of a Book Two.
An easy example: If J.K. Rowling tried teaching us the in's-and-out's of Wandlore in Sorceror's Stone some of us may have fallen off the Harry Potter train. If we learned about Patronuses before Harry could cast one, or if we casually heard about Dementors before they became relevant we would have been bored with the actual adventure searching for the Sorceror's Stone, or discovering the Chamber of Secrets.
Too much of the right thing at the wrong time is just as bad as a terrible ending.
No info-dumps, nothing extraneous to the here and now of the story should exist in any MS. If "here and now" is fantastic then that will make us excited and surprised for when Later arrives.
The last thing that I'm comfortable sharing with you about what I learned during my Re-Write: You need a break.
I'm hasty. I'm all or nothing. I'm one hundred miles an hour. We'll stop and smell the roses as soon as we get to where we're going!
That's not the way to write a book (or to live your life, but it's easier for me to apply it to writing. I'm still working on the slow-down-life thing).
There were days - especially in my final 6 chapter stretch where I knew exactly what needed to be put on the page. I knew where the story was headed, I knew every scene, and who did what...but I couldn't write it.
My battery died. My well ran dry.
(I distinctly remember singing "The River Won't Flow" from Jason Robert Brown's Songs for a New World in my kitchen)
This happens. You'll survive. It's terribly frustrating, but it's your Muse telling you that you're missing something, and until you shut up and let him/her work it out you guys are just going to fight....and you'll never win a fight with a Muse.
Now, I have to stay away from all things fantasy when I'm writing. Movies, books, tv shows...my Muse is easily confused, and she'll start to focus on the story I'm watching/reading instead of the one I'm writing.
Bad News Bears.
So I started watching Friends AKA the How I Met Your Mother of the 90's.
A) I could write an entire blog post about the amazingness of a show I never watched while it was on the air.
B) Find your Friends. Find something completely unrelated to your writing that you enjoy. Be it tap-dancing, yodeling, Julia Roberts RomComs, or listening to old country music as you drive around the neighborhoods you can't afford to live in. Find the thing that distracts you and allows your Muse to do its thing.
When you get back to the pages you'll find that the better part of you has been hard at work, and your little day off was worth it's weight in gold.
C) The title of this blog is a nod to Friends
Alright guys, that's all I've got for tonight.
Forgive the helter-skelter nature of this entry. It's been a while since I've blogged, and without a thorough outline I tend to ramble. I promise more frequent posts in the days to come (and hopefully more cohesive). I've missed you guys, and until my next mad-dash at revisions I'll be here expelling my thoughts onto the walls of my little corner in cyberspace.
Until we meet again!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
(Spoiler Free) Review: CODA by Emma Trevayne
CODA Back cover summary:
"Deep in an abandoned basement, Athem sings of a truth and freedom with his illegal underground band. Yet on the surface and under watchful eyes, Anthem is unable to resist the call of the Corporation's addictive, mind-altering music tracks, even as he knows they are used to control him and his fellow citizens.
When tragedy strikes close to home, Anthem realizes that defying the Corp comes at a deadly price...and the stakes of preventing his brother and sister from being claimed by the government drug are worth every heart-pounding second. The key to the revolution might lie with the girl Anthem loves, but will he trust her enough to let her join the fight?"
Let me begin by saying that the best part about this novel is that the story itself is so much more than this summary would have you believe.
So often I've read books that merely live up to the story on the back cover or inside flap; CODA surpasses all expectations to create a rare, rich, dystopian fantasy that will leave you breathless every step of the way.
It's hard for me to get behind a protagonist. I never really fall in love with them as much as the world built around them, or the supporting characters.
Anthem is the first protagonist I've loved in recent memory. The story is told in first person, and Ms. Trevayne is so talented that every positive and negative raw human emotion is succinctly but effortlessly conveyed so by the time you finish the book there is a distinct feeling of loss once you realize that Anthem isn't a real person out there making music just for us. The narration is so intimate but doesn't feel contrived, or as if it is pandering to the reader. The honesty in Anthem's voice is a testament to the magic inherent in a writer's craft; something that Ms. Trevayne has mastered in her debut novel. It isn't that you sympathize with the character, it's that you empathize with him; if you were in his shoes you would think his thoughts and feel his feelings.
As for the story itself, you're thrust into this strange and disconcerting world where music is used as a crowd-control drug by a tyrannical government. Surprises and tricksy sleights of hand abound from one chapter to another. These surprises don't lose the reader or make it seem like Ms. Trevayne was trying to trick us. They are as natural as Anthem's emotions, and like all well-timed reveals lend a considerable measure of excitement to the story. The shocking moments are just that - shocking - no lead in, no heavy-handed foreshadowing; the story simply moves along then BAM! something you took for granted or didn't give a second thought to hits you like a runaway train.
The world is our own. That is to say Ms. Trevayne has somehow accomplished crafting a terrifically complex, futuristic society without losing the reader in jargon, unfamiliar gadgets, or the idiosyncracies of an almost completely foreign culture. Though the world and plot are as intricately woven as the loveliest tapestry we never lose sight of the big picture because of a loose thread. The pacing is tight, and after what seems like an hour you've finished CODA, and yearn for its sequel (Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there will be a sequel!)
The most surprising, pleasant, and laudable aspect of CODA is its sheer uniqueness. I've never read anything like it, and I can't identify the literary roots of its inspiration.
We've all been there. We're reading a book and we see something that makes us think of ____ in that book we loved from years ago. Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, World War Z, Game of Thrones, and Twilight were the springboards for many bestsellers and Book Club selections out there right now. There's certainly nothing wrong with a source of inspiration, or finding a new facet on one of those brilliant gems. However, CODA, reminds us of what a breath of fresh air feels like.
Because it is labeled "Dystopian fantasy" CODA will inevitably be compared to Divergent, but that's like comparing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to The Chronicles of Narnia (hint for the uninitiated - the similarity for those two stops at being Portal Fantasy for kids)
CODA has no peer; it is an astonishing combination of plot, high-concept world building, and characterization that hasn't been seen in teen fiction for quite sometime. It is my sincerest hope that it gets the recognition it deserves, and becomes the new source of inspiration that guides us toward the next trend in YA literature.
CODA delivers daunting complexity with the all style and grace of a ballet. Ms. Trevayne is the Prima Ballerina that makes the dance look elegant yet simple.
So for all of you looking for something that will bend your mind, make your heart race, and keep your fingers turning pages long into the night then without reservation I recommend CODA. Let me know how much you enjoyed it...more importantly, let Emma Trevayne know! You can find her here on Twitter.
Happy Reading!
"Deep in an abandoned basement, Athem sings of a truth and freedom with his illegal underground band. Yet on the surface and under watchful eyes, Anthem is unable to resist the call of the Corporation's addictive, mind-altering music tracks, even as he knows they are used to control him and his fellow citizens.
When tragedy strikes close to home, Anthem realizes that defying the Corp comes at a deadly price...and the stakes of preventing his brother and sister from being claimed by the government drug are worth every heart-pounding second. The key to the revolution might lie with the girl Anthem loves, but will he trust her enough to let her join the fight?"
Let me begin by saying that the best part about this novel is that the story itself is so much more than this summary would have you believe.
So often I've read books that merely live up to the story on the back cover or inside flap; CODA surpasses all expectations to create a rare, rich, dystopian fantasy that will leave you breathless every step of the way.
It's hard for me to get behind a protagonist. I never really fall in love with them as much as the world built around them, or the supporting characters.
Anthem is the first protagonist I've loved in recent memory. The story is told in first person, and Ms. Trevayne is so talented that every positive and negative raw human emotion is succinctly but effortlessly conveyed so by the time you finish the book there is a distinct feeling of loss once you realize that Anthem isn't a real person out there making music just for us. The narration is so intimate but doesn't feel contrived, or as if it is pandering to the reader. The honesty in Anthem's voice is a testament to the magic inherent in a writer's craft; something that Ms. Trevayne has mastered in her debut novel. It isn't that you sympathize with the character, it's that you empathize with him; if you were in his shoes you would think his thoughts and feel his feelings.
As for the story itself, you're thrust into this strange and disconcerting world where music is used as a crowd-control drug by a tyrannical government. Surprises and tricksy sleights of hand abound from one chapter to another. These surprises don't lose the reader or make it seem like Ms. Trevayne was trying to trick us. They are as natural as Anthem's emotions, and like all well-timed reveals lend a considerable measure of excitement to the story. The shocking moments are just that - shocking - no lead in, no heavy-handed foreshadowing; the story simply moves along then BAM! something you took for granted or didn't give a second thought to hits you like a runaway train.
The world is our own. That is to say Ms. Trevayne has somehow accomplished crafting a terrifically complex, futuristic society without losing the reader in jargon, unfamiliar gadgets, or the idiosyncracies of an almost completely foreign culture. Though the world and plot are as intricately woven as the loveliest tapestry we never lose sight of the big picture because of a loose thread. The pacing is tight, and after what seems like an hour you've finished CODA, and yearn for its sequel (Yes, ladies and gentlemen, there will be a sequel!)
The most surprising, pleasant, and laudable aspect of CODA is its sheer uniqueness. I've never read anything like it, and I can't identify the literary roots of its inspiration.
We've all been there. We're reading a book and we see something that makes us think of ____ in that book we loved from years ago. Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, World War Z, Game of Thrones, and Twilight were the springboards for many bestsellers and Book Club selections out there right now. There's certainly nothing wrong with a source of inspiration, or finding a new facet on one of those brilliant gems. However, CODA, reminds us of what a breath of fresh air feels like.
Because it is labeled "Dystopian fantasy" CODA will inevitably be compared to Divergent, but that's like comparing The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to The Chronicles of Narnia (hint for the uninitiated - the similarity for those two stops at being Portal Fantasy for kids)
CODA has no peer; it is an astonishing combination of plot, high-concept world building, and characterization that hasn't been seen in teen fiction for quite sometime. It is my sincerest hope that it gets the recognition it deserves, and becomes the new source of inspiration that guides us toward the next trend in YA literature.
CODA delivers daunting complexity with the all style and grace of a ballet. Ms. Trevayne is the Prima Ballerina that makes the dance look elegant yet simple.
So for all of you looking for something that will bend your mind, make your heart race, and keep your fingers turning pages long into the night then without reservation I recommend CODA. Let me know how much you enjoyed it...more importantly, let Emma Trevayne know! You can find her here on Twitter.
Happy Reading!
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