Author Liesel K. Hill's Musings on Fantasia...
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Lessons from the Critique Group
*"I used Grammarly to grammar check this post, because slamming your head against the wall when you publish a post with mistakes in it is bad for your health."*
Like most writers who know what they're about, I have an awesome critique group that I meet with regularly. We're all writers and we critique each other's stuff, giving one another support, encouragement, and constructive criticism on our writing. We cover small things like grammar, word choice, and sentence structure, as well as bigger things like characterization, story arc, and plot.
This past week, we met as we usually do, and I got some excellent reminders about my writing. Nothing I didn't already know, but this is why critique groups are so great! They remind us of things we may be slacking on.
Three major things I was told to look out for in my writing:
1. Gender Voice
2. Crutch Words
3. Sensory Details
This past week, we met as we usually do, and I got some excellent reminders about my writing. Nothing I didn't already know, but this is why critique groups are so great! They remind us of things we may be slacking on.
Three major things I was told to look out for in my writing:
1. Gender Voice
2. Crutch Words
3. Sensory Details
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Teaser Tuesday--The Passage by Justin Cronin
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
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"Two nights ago, we were attacked--not by drug traffickers, but bats. They came a few hours after sunset while most of us were out of our tents doing evening chores, scattered about the campsite. I was lucky: I had walked a few hundred yards upriver, away from the trees, to find a good signal on the GPS. I heard shouts and then gunfire, but by the time I made it back the swarm had moved downstream. Four people died that night, including Claudia. The bats simply engulfed her.
Paul, whatever happens, whatever I decide, I want you to know that you have been a great friend to me. More than a friend: a brother. How strange to write that sentence, sitting on a riverbank in the jungles of Bolivia, four thousand miles away from everything and everyone I've ever known and loved. I feel as if I've entered a new era of my life. What strange places our lives can carry us to, what dark passages."
Monday, July 15, 2013
George Zimmerman Trial--Sign of the Apocalypse? You Decide.
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Originally, I was going to write about how this sensationalized trial might be indicative of how our society is headed toward dystopia.
There are a lot of polarizing elements to this case. Whether or not you believe Zimmerman should have been brought to trial, the fact remains that he wouldn't have been, based on what happened, if a liberal in sheep's clothing hadn't cried racist. This was a textbook case of self-defense and the fact that charges were even filed is farcical.
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Let's talk about dystopian literature for a minute. What is the one common thread that runs through every dystopian story, tying it together as a genre? It's the presence of a government, state, or entity that denies basic freedoms to its citizens.
Most of us can define basic freedoms fairly easily, but I'd like to point something out.
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"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor."
In the Constitution, they state that all men have unalienable, god-given rights including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
In Joseph Conrad's immortal Heart of Darkness, he goes into a discussion about how dispassionate apathy is. He makes the point--in a roundabout way--that fighting to live is the most passionate act we as human beings can be part of. Without passion, we wouldn't care enough to fight, but all of us fight back when we are attacked, don't we?
Seeing a pattern here? Fighting for the right to live, to keep breathing, is our first and most basic right. It's an act that makes us human; that makes us free. It's also the act that Zimmerman was put on trial for.
I'm sorry for the doomsday feel of this post. Originally it was going to be all kinds of gloomy as I illustrated the ways in which this case shows how quickly we're heading for dystopia. But then, just as I was preparing to write it on Saturday night, the verdict came back: Not guilty on all counts.
While I am EXTREMELY happy on Zimmerman's behalf, it did kind of take the wind out of my post.
Now, I am well aware that plenty of people will disagree with me about this trial. It's a very polarizing issue and that's okay. I respect every person's right to their own opinions. But the fact remains that Zimmerman killed another man defending himself, and was put on trial and dragged through the mud for it. That's terrifying to me. If we cannot take a stance in defense of our own lives, how can we defend our families or our other freedoms?
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Perhaps we ought to consider the possibility that dystopia may consist as much of ethical things being punished as it will of unethical things being allowed.
The tagline of my dystopian series is: Stand out or fade away... This case is an awesome example of encouraging fear, silence and non-action, and the only thing that can lead to is mediocrity. These are not the principles America--or any freedom, for that matter--was founded on.
The tagline of my dystopian series is: Stand out or fade away... This case is an awesome example of encouraging fear, silence and non-action, and the only thing that can lead to is mediocrity. These are not the principles America--or any freedom, for that matter--was founded on.
Thank goodness our justice system is still functioning at it's core, even if it did take a while to get there. Maybe we're not standing over the chasm of dystopia quite yet.
What are your feelings about the Zimmerman verdict?
(I fully realize that this is a potentially divisive and polarizing post, and that many people may disagree with what I've said. Please feel free to leave your feelings here, even they are in opposition to mine. I will not discriminate against you for your opinions. I may disagree with you, but I believe in fighting like hell for our god-given rights, including freedom of speech.)
In a world where collective hives are enslaving the population and individuals have been hunted to the verge of extinction, Maggie Harper, and independent 21st Century woman, must find the strength to preserve the freedom of the future, but without the aid of her memories.
After experiencing a traumatic time loss, Maggie is plagued by a barrage of images she can't explain. When she's attacked by a creep with a spider's web tattoo, she is saved by Marcus, a man she's never met, but somehow remembers. He tells her that both he and her creepy attacker are from a future in which individuals are being murdered by collectives, and Marcus is part of the rebellion. The collectives have acquired time travel and they plan to enslave the human race throughout all of history. The flashes Maggie has been seeing are echoes of lost memories, and the information buried deep within them is instrumental in defeating the collective hives.
In order to preserve the individuality of mankind, Maggie must try to re-discover stolen memories, re-kindle friendships she has no recollection of, and wade through her feelings for the mysterious Marcus, all while dodging the tattooed assassins the collectives keep sending her way.
If Maggie can't fill the holes in her memory and find the answers to stop the collectives, the world both in her time and in all ages past and future will be doomed to enslavement in the grey, mediocre collectives. As the danger swirls around her and the collectives close in, Maggie realizes she must make a choice: stand out or fade away...
Sunday, July 14, 2013
The Shadow Rising Read-Along, Week 7
Welcome to Week 7 of The Shadow Rising Read-Along! This week we read pages 595-698. Remember that everything in this section as well as anything that came before is fair game for spoilers, so read at your own risk!
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1) Rand and his entourage make a stop in Tardaad land because there is water, and apparently, goats. There is also a dwelling full of the signs of a slaughter. The red veiled woman Isendre had to take a peak. Why? If you know the answer, you can speculate on what will become of the goats.
Ah, Isendre of the seductive smiles. I don't remember the specifics of why, but it seemed to me that she was just putting on a show. Rand noted how fake her reactions were. Obviously she wants to see, but also be seen. It's also interesting to see her on Kadere's arm. Let's just say (from what I do remember, she's got a whole thing cooked up. The questions are, what is it and how will it affect Rand?
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Follow Friday: Book Photobombs
A couple of Announcements:
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3) Yesterday on Love Hate Poetry, I was interviewed by Ira Poet. Check out the interview HERE.
4) Finally, I just got an email from my publisher a few days ago. He told me they're finally working on the Citadels of Fire cover and will be releasing it soon! Yea! :D
Follow Friday
The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!
How does this work? First you leave your name here on this post, (using the linky tools -- keep scrolling!) then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!
Activity: PHOTOBOMB!!!! Photobomb a picture with your favorite book. Share it of course.
So here I was, trying to take a picture of my sister and my adorable niece Cheveya playing ring-around-the-rosy one afternoon, and all of a sudden my book, and extremely worn out copy of The Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, just suddenly jumped into the picture. (As if I'm not already giving it enough love!) ;D You totally knew it would be a Wheel of Time book, right? Guess I'm not technically in the pic, but oh well. It was fun anyway. :D
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How'd your book bomb picture come about?
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
Examining Myths and Legends to Create Back Story
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There is one major part of the overall back story/mythology for the series I was stuck on. Well, not so much stuck on as I just knew it wasn't completely fleshed out and wasn't sure where to go with it.
I'm participating in a Wheel of Time read-along right now. Robert Jordan's epic fantasy is pretty much my favorite series of all time and has been an unending inspiration to me as a writer. Jordan had not only an epic plot, but he fleshed his characters and settings out so well that no one can really compare to him.
Monday, July 8, 2013
Top Ten Tuesday--Movie Adaptations
Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.
Top Ten Best/Worst Movie Adaptations
Worst Adaptions:
Top Ten Best/Worst Movie Adaptations
Worst Adaptions:
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