Write Therefrom

I belong somewhere else. My mind seems to think so. My imagination is a world that holds many different places...but never the one I am in.

All my stories are set someplace else. Someplace that sparks my interest and captures my attention. Stories that I could set anywhere, I never set in the place where I'm at.

In London, in York, in Quebec, in all different cities around the United States. Some places I know, some I've been to only once, some never. Some are imagined and made real through my words.

These places are where my characters are born, where they live, where their story is told. I tell myself, 'When I fly away, I will go to one of these places and write.'

Do I need to?

I've written an entire novel in a place I have never been to. I doubt I will before I aim to seek a literary agent and have it published.

Should I have to?

I have never visited or lived in this place but even if I did, I wrote the book in a completely different time period which I cannot visit. I write from the perspectives of characters I am nothing like. Gender I am not. Age I am not. Nationality I am not. Sexuality I am not. Marital status I have not. Upbringing I had not.

What difference is setting?

Where do you set your novels and stories? Are they places you know? Places you were born in or live in? Are they places you have visited and were fond of? Places you dream of seeing? Time periods in the distant past? Even places that you have invented from nothing...

Which is easier, preferable, fascinating?

Kill The Adverbs!

I want to crush them in my hands.

Quietly, gently, quickly: weak words.

They're littered through my prose. I rewrite parts of my novel, pinching them from sentences and watching the strength of the piece tighten and hold. There is impact where there once was none.

You can't sink your teeth into an adverb. They have no flavour, no punch. They relax the tension and slow down the pace. They don't lock your gaze or make your knuckles shake from grasping a book. They're fluff.

I'm not saying we should do away with them all. I'm certain you can go through my blog posts, through my short stories, first drafts, even second drafts and my natural way of writing and easily point the finger. They're sneaky little things that crawl into my prose and tuck themselves next to other words; a little shadow acting as a guardian.

I'm picking them out, one by one.

What is your view on adverbs? Bathe in them? Scatter them? Plant them? Or exterminate them all?

How NOT to Write A Novel by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman

If you consider writing to be a serious passion of yours, surely you've come across hundreds of writing guidebooks that teach you any and everything you need to write an engaging piece of fiction. You may even have a few of these books on your shelves at home, just waiting to be cracked open during your next round of hearty revisions. True, these books are great resources, but for every rule or suggestion given for novel writing, there exists a bestselling book that breaks that law or ignores it all together. Because of this, the authors of How NOT to Write a Novel have decided to use a different approach - teaching their readers what not to do instead.

At just 255 pages in easy to comprehend list format, How NOT to Write A Novel: 200 Classic Mistakes and How to Avoid Them - A Misstep-by-Misstep Guide (quite a mouthful!) by Howard Mittelmark and Sandra Newman was an enjoyable read. I finished the entire book in just an afternoon, but at the end of my journey I felt greatly enlightened and entertained. Some classic mistakes mentioned should already be widely known among the literary community, such as incorrect use of punctuation or inconsistent verb tenses, but even though I already knew to avoid these missteps, reading Mittelmark and Newman's examples and commentary on the mistake kept me flipping the pages. Often, we are told to avoid something without ever really knowing why, and that is another problem this guide attempts to address.

For their credit, there are also many missteps that I was not aware of or am guilty of doing in my own fiction. Realizing my mistakes made me cringe a bit, but at least I can be happy knowing that nothing I've written is as bad as the examples given in this book. Reading passages such as "Her nose perched on her face like a seagull, arching its wings to create two well-defined nostrils" and "Her breasts stood up proudly like twin tin soldiers" made me spit-take on more occasions that I care to recount. Not only were the examples hilarious and informative, but the commentary was even more so. Mittelmark and Newman have definitely mastered the kind of sarcastic wit I love, and yet in no way does the narration seem arrogant or elitist. If the casual use of cursing and frank talk of sexual happenings bothers you, though, you might want to read with caution, or chose a guide targeted to a younger (or purer) audience.

For a degenerate like me, though, reading this was a blast. I checked out my copy from the local library, but I'm seriously considering buying it so I can refer back to it later.

In accordance with the FTC, Quill Café would like to disclose that the reviewer borrowed this book from the library. The opinions expressed are hers alone and no monetary compensation was offered to her by the author or publisher. Cover art is copyright of Penguin and is used solely as an aide to the review.

Write in Bed

I always take a book to bed and a pad of paper and a pen. How much do I get written? Zip. How much do I get read? Not much.

If I ever need a remedy to get to sleep, I slip myself beneath the duvet with the intent of getting something constructive done and I am out like a light.

My lids start drooping, my cats spot paper and suddenly all the things I have placed on the bed for them to lie on just don't seem anywhere near as appealing as the notepad on my lap or a few sheets of paper they can crinkle.

I take my paper and pen to bed so that I can put them on the floor besides where I sleep so that if I come up with an idea while I'm lying there, I can grab for - as long as the cat's not still lying on top of it - some paper to jot down an idea on, without having to get my lazy body out of bed.

So, that is why I never can write in bed, except for strange moments of genius before dosing off...that is if I can catch them and put them on paper before the dozing hits.

How about you? Can you write in bed or is it impossible? What time do you find it easiest to get writing?

Too Many Books

I wish I could say I was one of those people who just read too many books. Pfft, like there is really such a thing.

I'm not one of those readers who gets through tons of books every week or month or year.

I am one of those people who gets tempted by a new book and picks it up and starts reading, before I have completed the other ones I've already started.

It's not unusual for someone to ask me, "So, what have you been reading lately?" only to have me run off the names of seven books, most of which I am only a few chapters into. Not good.

I get restless. Just like I'm always tempted to start new writing projects, I try not to. (Like I said, try.) With writing I at least don't allow myself to work on seven projects at once.

With reading, it's different. I can't tell you how many library fines I have piled up because I was pompous enough to think I could read all the books I took out and too stubborn to send them back before I was finished with them. I'm a little more lenient now...but I still rack up the costs.

So I'm trying to tell myself, "No, Keri. No more books. First you have to finish the one you have started, no matter how delish another one might seem." Humph. Why can't I be a more efficient reader?

Do you find yourself eager to pick up multiple books at once? Or do you have to tackle one at the time?

Voice of the Narrator

Something I have been thinking about lately is narrative voice. Usually I struggle with trying to make the boys sound like boys and the girls sound like girls. I used The Gender Genie on five of my short stories and it came out with 4/5 of them saying the author was male. Three out of five of those narrative voices were male. My female result was for one of them.

What I am thinking about at the moment is how the age of the narrator comes through when I write. At the moment I am writing a short novel where the main character is about three or four but is written by the character in the present who is now older. I'm struggling with trying to find the balance between writing in a mature, adult voice and keeping enough of the child perspective in there so that the readers don't forget that the main character is not an adult or an older child for the bulk (entirety) of the story.

Did I mention the character is male? It is quite a feat but I am determined to make it work.

The main character in the novel which I am rewriting is a fifteen year old boy...in the sixties...in Canada. Now, I have never been a boy or lived in the sixties or Canada, so I always seem to be second guessing what I write, especially now that I am rewriting and analyzing everything.

Does anyone face any similar problems when writing characters of different gender, age, nationality?

I seem to be facing all of these at the same time more often than not.

Trickster's Queen by Tamora Pierce

Tamora Pierce creates a gripping story with her prose fiction novel Trickster's Queen that has you on the edge of your seat until the very end.

Using technical spy language, mysterious plans, witty comedy, skillful action and a little romance, she allows the audience to enjoy the full world of fantasy as well as gaining some insight into a world with slavery.

It follows the protagonist Alianne or Aly as she is known by her friends, as she sails back to Rajmuat with the Balitang family. The story continues from where Aly becomes part of the Raka conspiracy and decides to help them with their quest to put Saraiyu, eldest daughter of the Balitangs, on the thrown.

Pierce writes with the same elegance and knowledge of the spy world as she does in Trickster's Choice, the first novel. Not only does she write with fierce authority but also inserts enough comedy to keep the audience entertained without over doing it.

One main plot point is how the Raka conspiracy plan to get Saraiyu onto the throne, even though Dovasary (Saraiyu's younger sister) is more suited to the role. However Saraiyu has other plans and elopes forcing the Raka to change their strategy which includes preparing for battle. Though some novels are overly graphic with their descriptions of violence, Pierce uses the right amount without being too gory or boring. The fight scenes are exciting, thrilling and will have you re-reading them time and time again.

Trickster's Queen is not only a story about fighting, royalty and slavery but also has a twist of romance. In Trickster's Choice Aly meets Nawat - the crow turned man. By the end of the novel he and Aly fall in love and this, of course, carries into the sequel. But not only does it continue, it develops, as the darkings (magical creatures that shape shift and live with dragons) say, 'lovemaking'. However Nawat becomes vital to the conspiracy and spends much time away from Aly fighting on other islands. Feeling the ache of loss at Nawat's absence Aly focuses herself on making her own contribution to the rebellion which basically means, causing chaos and mayhem.

Its not called Trickster's for nothing!


Becs P. is an Australian writer, often found glued to her laptop. She can also be located at university, reading, swimming and whizzing around in her silver car. Her online whereabouts are her blog Wicked Ink and Twitter.

In accordance with the FTC, Quill Café would like to disclose that the reviewer received this book as a gift. The opinions expressed are hers alone and no monetary compensation was offered to them by the author or publisher. Cover art is copyright of Random House and is used solely as an aide to the review.

Judging A Book

The saying "Don't judge a book by its cover" is an old snore when you hear it. It's a metaphor for how we should treat other people but when it comes to the actual judging of books, it is pretty redundant.

Most people do judge books by their covers. Unless you are one of few who walk into a bookstore and work their way from A to Z, you are one of them. We simply don't have all that time to open up the pages of every book and see what's inside, so we look to what is outside before we decide to check out the contents.

I was wandering around Borders today and started my own eye-only analysis of the books around me.

Things I found that factor in are:

1. Design.

If a book is attractive to the eye, I am more likely to pick it up. That means, colour scheme, images, font, etcetera.

Different people are drawn to different things but if your cover is eye catching then your book is likely to have more hands grabbing it off the shelf.

2. Title.

I've noticed that if I see a book that has a title that seems cliché or dull or sounds like something I've heard before, it bores me. I am less likely to want to pick it up.

A lot of the time people think 'cover' and they think 'image' but if you can come up with an intriguing, snappy, clever title for your story then you are more likely to draw the browser's attention.

Plus as a writer, you have more control over the title of your book than you may do the cover design.

3. Author.

When I am browsing the bookshelves in the store, the author of the book may impact my choice.

It may be a well-known name that I haven't read but don't feel inclined to because of the hype around them. It may be one that I have read and didn't enjoy the book of, so I'm hesitant to pick up any others by that author.

One author I read wrote a book that was a grade A five star book in my opinion. I saw another title by them in the store and although I wouldn't have been drawn to the title - it was a little cliché - I picked it up and read the blurb (which I will come to next) and sat down with the book.

I didn't leave with it. After an excess of mundane "telling" instead of "showing" (he did this, he did that) and too many sentences that started with 'and' I had enough and put it back on the shelf.

So, don't feel that your name on the book is going to be a huge turnoff next to the big name authors just because you haven't broken out yet. Every time is a fresh start.

4. Blurb.

Once you have managed to get a browser to grab your book from where it is sitting, they will flip it over (having already scoped out the front with naught but their eyes) and read the blurb...or at least skim it.

I often get turned off by things like "so and so is a typical teenage girl" and "when everything changes" and other clichéd things written in blurbs. I don't even flip open the cover and read the first sentence, I just put it back and carry on. Seconds alone pass with this book in my hands.

Yes, I am harsh. Just as harsh as many others, only open and willing to admit it.

You might be thinking, "Well what can I do about it?"

After all, we only have so much control over these things, particularly when we are just trying to hash out the story inside the pages.

Who knows, perhaps I am mistaken and it is all just a façade. After all, the book is the same whatever the cover is but I think it has a definite effect. Just like somehow some drinks taste better when consumed from a can or a glass bottle. A great cover makes the reader feel that the book is special, like it is a promise of the wonders they will find inside.

What is your opinion? Do you think the cover really matters?

When you are in a store, how do you scope out the books?

That Epic Novel You're Writing Now...

...is not finished. That goes without saying. You wouldn't still be "writing" it if it was clean cut and polished, eh? Alas, I'm quite a fan of redundancy and trying to put epic meaning in words that aren't so epic. My apologies.

Anyway, the point of this post is to put things in perspective for all you aspiring novelists out there. Writing a book is hard work. Everyone who has tried to do so and/or succeeded knows this. When you first put pen to paper or finger to key, you are not writing your book. You are only outlining, drafting. Those hastily put together characters, dialogue, and scenes only come together to form a story in the loosest sense of the word. Your novel won't be ready for the enjoyment of many until much, much later.

Picture it this way: Right now, you are all pregnant with a bouncing baby book. Yes, the guys too. How far along you are and how healthy your baby is depends on when you first cultivated the idea and how well you have been feeding it. Me, I'm eight months along. Soon, I will have a complete, newborn book to love and take care of. Sigh. I am not looking forward to the teething.

For the sake of my argument, let's fast forward. Labor was awful. You thought you'd never finish, and the end result is messy and a little disturbing, but you're happy. You finished something for once in your life, damnit. You made something small and beautiful and precious. Your book is imperfect but fully-formed.

But wait, there's more. Your baby book still isn't ready to be on its own yet. It's still immature and riddled with errors. When you look at its words, you can tell one day it will become something great and will change the world, but not yet. You still have to proofread. You still have to edit and revise. There is still research to be done. You have to guide that little baby through its life until it reaches adulthood. And you have to toughen your skin and allow your baby to be criticized. You can't protect it forever, after all. You will be hurt at first... you will think those awful people are calling you a bad parent, but you strive to do better. You discard the bad advice and keep a few snippets of good information to cherish and apply. It will be a long, hard road, but you look forward to growing and learning with your child.

Birthdays come and go. It grows up. It's an adult now. Your book is polished and refined after years of work. You are ready to send it out into the world. Hopefully, it will succeed tremendously. Likely, it will not - not in its first few months on its own, anyway. Some people will still reject it, but you encourage your book to keep going. Eventually, you say, you will find someone who will love it unconditionally, and eventually, you do. Your book is published, and hundred of thousands of readers the world over enjoy it immensely. After all those hard years, you're at peace now, because your baby has finally grown up and become fully realized. Maybe if you're daring, you'll have another.

This little analogy was given to illustrate one thing- a book is not something you write in a month, or even a year. A polished book ready for publishing is the fruit of years of hard work, whether those years are spent actively writing scenes and dialogue or spent learning grammar and how to market yourself. Tools like International Novel Writing Month* are an awesome start, but they're not the first and last step. After you have given birth to that imperfect, beautiful 50K manuscript, you then have to raise it for a long time to come.

Don't become depressed over this information, though - the best experiences are born of the journey. Instead of thinking of the sleepless nights and the tears you'll shed, think of the novel growing inside of you and all the wonderful things you can't wait to teach it.

My baby's days will be filled with excitement and passion. Will yours?



*Note: It has been proven that NaNoWriMo leads to an increase in queries in December of every year, leading to some agents to call December "NaQuRejMo" - National Query Rejection Month.

Quiller Beginnings

Welcome, my fellow literary lovers, to the Quill Café.

Our goal here is to explore many different topics and aspects of writing and literature with others who share similar interests and goals.

I come to you on a quest to further my aim to conquer the literary world knowledge and reach. I love to discuss my passion with other active writers, readers and aspiring novelists. They inspire me and encourage me to try new things, take risks and most of all, just write. I want to return their encouragement with an enthusiasm of my own.

That is what we are. Enthusiasts. We aren't experts. Our goal is to learn as much as we have on offer to share with others.

So, if you are on a literary path of your own, pull up a chair and pour yourself a mug of coffee or hot chocolate and tell us a little about yourself.

What do you write? What inspires you? What keeps your passion alive? What puts your pen (or quill) to the page or keeps your fingers at the computer keyboard?

Share with us your passion and yourself. We are eager to get to know who is out there, swept up in a literary fervor.