Lessons From Dean The Handmaiden

So. This post is about SUPERNATURAL. And writing. But mostly about SUPERNATURAL. 

You've been warned. O_O

Last week, there was a special episode of SUPERNATURAL. It involved Sam, Dean, and LARPing. For those of you who don't know, LARPing is short for Live Action Role Playing. Picture a bunch of people playing an elaborate (and awesome) game featuring characters from their favorite video games, movies, TV shows, graphic novels, historical periods, etc. The point is to play not as yourself, but as a character. 

Well, if you watch SUPERNATURAL, you know Sam and Dean don't scream LARPing fans to anyone. Until they get their chance to prove everyone wrong. Dean is named handmaiden to the queen (yes, you read that right. DEAN THE HANDMAIDEN). Sam... well... Sam stayed Sam, but he enjoyed himself. Both brothers did.

Case in point:

 

That's Dean in a faux BRAVEHEART moment. It is also the very last seconds of the episode. After recovering from a horrendous fit of giggles, it hit me--Dean the handmaiden looked happier than he had in ages. He can't do what he's doing in that GIF on a daily basis. His real life sucks the fun out of living most of the time, and in this brief moment, he lets go of that suckage. 

So here's my advice to you, blogging buddies: remember to work hard, remember to sacrifice things, but please remember to have fun. I don't care what your idea of fun is. Knitting. Baking. Rock climbing. Koala watching. I DON'T CARE. Just have fun. You need it. Your work needs it.

Now go out there and find your faux BRAVEHEART moment. :)

Disney's Princess Sofia + Stereotypes = What Do You Think?

So. You may or may not have heard the latest over at Camp Disney--they've unveiled their newest princess. Her name's Princess Sofia, and she's the star of her very own movie, Sofia The First: Once Upon A Princess. According to the movie's producers, Sofia is of Hispanic heritage on her mother's side. 

And she looks like this:

 

And she's voiced by actress Ariel Winter, who stars in one of my absolute fave TV shows, Modern Family:

As you can see, these ladies are both Caucasian. Princess Sofia, in particular, has blue eyes. Now here's the thing: I'm Puerto Rican. I've lived in Puerto Rico my whole life, and yes, there are white, blue-eyed Puerto Ricans (if this shocks you, then holy smoke bombs, you need to get out more). Seeing white, blue-eyed peeps from other Latin-American countries doesn't surprise me at all, either. That being said, there's been some serious backlash over Princess Sofia's appearance. Her critics believe she doesn't look Hispanic. To add fuel to the fire, the movie won't address her Hispanic heritage as A Thing That Matters, but as A Thing That Is Simply Part Of Who She Is And Won't Be Dwelt On.   

Now I leave the floor open to you: whether it's in Disney movies/books/TV shows, do you prefer the main character's heritage to be on the forefront of their story, or are you okay with it not dwelling on their heritage too much? Can you provide examples to better illustrate your preference and why it works for you? Thanks in advance!

Also, don't forget: you can still submit your questions for our New Year's Revisions Conference Agent Q&A!!! AND instead of just one question per person, you can submit as many you want! Just make sure you get them in before October 31st!!

Characters Who Watch TV

Source: Sedentary TV Time May Cut Life Short

I think it's universally accepted that a character who sits around and watches TV in his spare time doesn't make a good protagonist... except maybe if he's watching mandatory TV in The Hunger Games. But even then, that's a supporting character. The main character is ON the mandatory TV.

So I'm not suggesting we all make our characters TV junkies.

What I do want to suggest is that real people watch TV - sometimes a lot of it. We watch Oscar ceremonies and MTV awards, Olympics events and sports games, sit coms and soap operas and dramas and space cowboy steampunk and pyschological thrillers... and commercials.

And then we talk about it to anyone else who watches the same stuff we do.

It never occurred to me to make my characters real in this way until I read Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. Her main character, Evie, is a pink-loving, sparkly-taser-toting, Buffy-esque paranormal huntress whose biggest desire is to be normal. And she is obsessed with a teen drama called Easton Heights... so obsessed that she compares things she is experiencing to specific episodes from the fictional show. It works because most of us have seen these teen shows and understand the cliches she's embracing as her ideal of "normal."

Of course, throughout the three-book story she comes to find out that normal is not really a real thing, and if it were, it would be overrated. Her awesome message-made-for-teens aside, giving Evie a favorite TV show was brilliant. Here's why:

• we all watch TV and can relate (well, most of us)
• the stories we take in on TV inform and affect our perceptions of our own lives
• we share TV stories as part of our popular culture; it can even bond two strangers in an elevator
• our TV tastes are a reflection of our personalities

So if you have a scene where your main character walks into the house to find her little brother watching TV, go the extra mile and tell the reader what he's watching and what your MC thinks about it. It only takes a few extra words and it helps to characterize both people in the scene. Even if you aren't going to mention it in the story, give your MC a favorite TV show. See if it informs any of her dearly-held stereotypes, friendships, or choices.

If your protagonist were living in today's world, what would his or her favorite TV show be? What movie did he just watch in the theater (and with whom). What old show did she rent or watch from Netflix?

Happy Friday!

Fairy tale Adaptions: Beauty and the Beast

The last few years, I've seen several books written that were inspired from fairy tales. Books such as Cinder, Beastly, Cloaked, and Entwined (which my 14-year-old loved).

Also, my own publisher is releasing a anthology of fairy tale adaptations. Two and Twenty Dark Tales is coming your way soon! For more about THIS title, visit it's blog tour starting next week! Go HERE to find out more.

Now, for the original reason this post was inspired. I don't watch TV much, but I did see today that they are remaking the show Beauty and the Beast. I'm old enough to have enjoyed the series way back in the 80's, and was excited to hear that they are doing it again. Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite fairy tales. There is something, to me, about how it focuses on the beauty within a person, rather than outside appearance. I also enjoyed the recent adaption of Beastly when it came to the big screen. So I looked up the new series, and I found a picture. 

It wasn't this: 

or This:

or This even (which was a different interpretation from the book version):

But I found this:

Soooo... It's a hot looking guy with a scar and contacts. How Beast-like is that? I guess I need to watch the show to get a better opinion of it. But initially, I am disappointed. My "beauty within" love of the beast just got blasted out of the water. The Beastly movie version was close to being too nice-looking for me, but he did have enough scars and strange stuff on him, that I did like it in the end. This new one....not so sure. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

So are you looking forward to Beauty an the Beast on CW? And also, what other fairy tale adaptions do you love?

Your Character Could Use An Impala

For those of you who don't know, I love TV shows. There's this one show I've been watching for years and am ridiculously fond of. It's called Supernatural. There are two brothers in it. And demons. And angels. 

And a Chevy Impala.

My favorite character on the show, Dean Winchester, owns said Chevy Impala. The fandom refers to it as the Metallicar. I find this to be a fitting name, especially since Dean's love of heavy metal is no secret. But to Dean, the Impala is simply Baby.

Sometimes he loves his Baby.

 

Sometimes not so much.

 

 

Regardless of how he feels about the car, the point worth remembering is that he feels for the car. His Baby means a lot to him. Not only is it part of his father's legacy, it's the one place where Dean thinks he's safe. Untouchable. The Impala is a shield from the outside world, from the drama wrapped around his demon-hunting job. The Impala is home. 

Many writers stress over creating awesome characters. But sometimes, it's easy to forget (or willingly ignore) the importance of Things. Your characters aren't only defined by what they do or how they see the world, but also by what belongs to them and why they keep it. Dean isn't Dean without his Impala. The car is pretty much a character in its own right. It helps viewers get deeper into Dean's psyche without even uttering a word. 

So yeah. Whenever you feel like your characters aren't meaty or authentic enough, they could probably use an Impala. Just make sure it's a complement to the character, not an accessory to make him or her super awesomesauce cool for the sake of super awesomesauce coolness.

Now tell me: do any of your characters have an Impala? If so, is it a car like Dean's Baby or something else?

Your Main Character Doesn't Want To Be Liked... And That's Okay

 

Some of you may know that I'm a huge fan of realism. Not only is contemporary YA my favorite genre to read (and the trickiest for me to write), I also fall head over heels for fake people who are multidimensional. My absolute faves are the so-called unlikeable main characters. The more my beliefs clash with theirs, the more intrigued I am by them. 

Exhibit A: Emily Thorne from ABC's Revenge. 

I'm the kind of gal who let's fate deal with people. I don't make it a point to bring down anyone (unless they badmouth Jensen Ackles. Because that is a SERIOUS OFFENSE, folks!!). Emily Thorne, whose actual name is Amanda Clarke and is seeking to avenge her father's death and wears awesome clothes and I think is Batman's illegitimate daughter, disagrees with me. She's like, "Pffft! Amparo, you are LAME. Someone does something bad to you? GET EVEN. *cackles*". 

I am both appalled and fascinated by this woman.

I love her even when I dislike the crap out of her.

I want to slap her across the face and hug her at the same time.

And that's what makes Revenge such an awesomesauce show to me. Emily/Amanda feels the same things I feel when someone does me wrong (anger, resentment, a need to wear awesome clothes), but we choose to react differently. We choose to be who we are to the fullest (I am slightly fierce while she is OH SO FIERCE). At the end of the day, Emily/Amanda isn't asking me to like her. She wants me to understand her, which I totally do. 

So pretty please, writing buddies, don't write the characters you wish you were. Write real people in a world that doesn't exist. Even if that means writing about real people you disagree with. 

 *hides from Emily/Amanda*

Now tell me: are you writing--or have you ever written--an unlikeable main character? If so, what were the most difficult things about him/her? AND ARE YOU WATCHING REVENGE BECAUSE OMG???

Never Say Never: When You Won't Do Something Until You Do It And It's The Best Thing Ever

So. A few years ago, I learned of a new TV show premiering on AMC. 

After hearing about the show's focus (advertising heavyweights in the 60s), I said a polite "no" to Mad Men. I like to consider myself an open-minded gal, but boy, I didn't see the enjoyment of watching a show like this one. You see, I have a tendency to gag in the presence of douchebags. Now picture those douchebags in fancy suits, cheating on their housewives, belittling their secretaries, and earning a lot of money by selling things you don't need. 

Yep. That's what I thought Mad Men was all about.

"I have nothing to gain from that show!" I told everyone who recommended it to me. "It is sexist and bigoted and lame! I don't care how many awards it's been nominated for! LAME!"

Then I caved in.

I watched the first episode last Monday. As of today, I'm one episode away from finishing the first season. 

My initial instincts about the show weren't 100% wrong. The show does contain the sexist/bigoted/lame elements I scoffed at. But, holy wow, it is so much more than that, folks. SO. MUCH. MORE. It's basically a tutorial on character depth, conflict, dialogue, and pacing. The show wrote the book on unlikeable protagonists (even more than The Sopranos). Mind you, I'm still on Season 1, so I have no clue if it jumps the shark later on or not. *crosses fingers*

Here's the thing Mad Men taught me: the minute you think something has nothing to offer you as a writer, you're wrong. There's always something you can learn. Whether it's from that thing's awesomeness or suckiness. Sure, I also learn things about myself on a personal level, but as a writer, Mad Men forces me to see the craft in unlikely ways. 

Never say never, folks. You'll be robbing yourself of greatness. 

Now tell me: have you ever said LAME! at something, then ended up swallowing your words??? 

A Writer-Who-Isn't-Going-To-BEA's Guide To Not Cry About It

BEA, or Book Expo America, is awesome.

Well, that's what people tell me. Because I've never been to BEA. And I won't be going this year, either. 

*wails*

Today's post is for all you writers/bloggers/readers out there who, like me, are super jealous of everyone going to BEA. We will NOT be defeated by jealousy, people! We will throw parties and eat chocolate and dance and not cry. At least that's what I'm aiming for.

Here's a list of things I'm going to do while everyone else is at BEA:

1) Reading some of my most anticipated SEQUELS. Like these ones: 

2) Watching EPISODES of a few TV shows I'm currently obsessed with. Like these ones:

3) Google pictures of BABY PUPPIES, mainly Coton de Tulears. Which look like this:

source

4) Stare endlessly at memes that make me laugh. Like this one:

5) And when I'm not doing all of that, I will write. A lot. *fist pump*

So. If you're not going to BEA like me, I'm curious: what do you plan on doing to deal with ze sadness??  

And if you are going to BEA, I hate you. Deeply.*

*I'm kidding.

**Or AM I?

On Reading While Drafting

Last week, YA author/book reviewer extraordinaire Phoebe North shared her thoughts on reading other novels while drafting. I agree 100% with the idea of embracing stories while working on your own, mainly because it fuels me to write deeper, richer books. I've seen my creativity dip when I'm not reading other books, or watching TV shows/movies. In fact, I'm going to show you three examples that have recently fed my creativity and have lit a fire on my current WIP. 

Le examples:

A MONSTER CALLS by Patrick Ness

Awesome Character Development + Awesome Voice + It Made Me Sob = EPIC WIN

GAME OF THRONES on HBO (based on the series by G.R.R. Martin)

Awesome Characters + Awesome Worldbuilding + Political Intrigue + WTF Moments Galore = SUPER EPIC WIN

THE IDES OF MARCH

Political Intrigue + Awesome Performances + Seamless Plotting + RYAN GOSLING = *dies*

So there you go--some of my never ending sources of inspiration. Each and every one of them makes me want to write better. And I can't thank them enough :)

Now tell me: do you read/watch TV or movies while drafting?? If so, share your three examples in the comments!

Your WIP = Zombies. For reals.

So. There's this show I'm obsessed with. Actually, I'm obsessed with a lot of shows. But this post only works with this one:

AMC's The Walking Dead

Many people (writers included) suggest aspiring authors not to watch TV. The quality's terrible. It's filled with cliches/stereotypes/bad dialogue and plotting. As an avid TV watcher, I can safely say that yes, some shows are like that. But guess what? The opposite is also true. It's important to soak in as many stories as you can, especially if you're a writer. Even author Janice Hardy backs me up on this. And since she's a lot wiser and awesome-er than me, you should totally believe her.

Which leads me to The Walking Dead.

Sure, it's got zombies and blood and all that jazz. But the show, and the graphic novels it's based on, are about a group of people who're struggling to find hope in a dying world. They're also struggling to survive. Part of that survival is learning how to leave things behind. More importantly, leaving those we love behind. 

What the heck does that have to do with your WIP?

If you won NaNoWriMo, or if you didn't participate but are currently revising a manuscript, you have to think like the characters from The Walking Dead. 

Here's a timeline:

Stage One

Before loved one gets infected = Reaching THE END on your first draft = You are so happy it hurts and life is awesomesauce.

Stage Two

Loved one gets infected = You reread your first draft = O_O HOW DO I FIX THIS NOW????????

Stage Three

Loved one turns into a zombie + You don't want to kill them = Edits are going to be daunting + You don't want to start them = *does nothing*

Stage Four 

Loved one wants to eat you for dinner + Loved one is no longer the same person after infection, and is lost forever = First draft can't be queried/sent to editors because it will eat your career for dinner + First draft won't be the same after edits, but it will be so much better = Survival instincts kick in.

Stage Five

You off your loved one = You revise your first draft.

My point? In order to go from aspiring to the real deal, you have to know when to follow your heart, and when to follow your head. Revisions are a bit of both. It's up to you to figure out how to proceed from there. 

And remember, this is what your first draft looks like to you:

And this is what it really looks like:

Nuff said.

Now tell me: what's the infection/post-drafting experience like for you? Good? Bad? A bit of both?

Revisions: The "I'm From Sweden" Approach

I believe there are two types of writers: 1) those who run away screaming from revisions, 2) and those who embrace them. Strangely enough, I belong to the latter group. But I am constantly thinking about writers who whip out their crossbows, aim, and fire! whenever someone says the R word. 

This post is for you, my friends.

And... for people who like Alexander Skarsgard... a lot... 

*cough Lindsay and Michelle cough*

So. For those of you who don't know, this is Alexander Skarsgard:

And he's on this show:

Which is currently in its fourth (super awesome) season.

The Skarsgard is out promoting the show left and right. A couple days ago, he made a stop at the Regis and Kelly show. He talked about his character, Eric Northman:

Was humiliated:

And was asked this question:

"Do you get nervous about being disrobed in front of so many people?" 

To which he replied:

"I'm from Sweden."

O_o

Kelly, who was the one to ask The Skarsgard this question, barely even finished it. She got so uncomfortable talking about nudity that she stumbled a bit. 

The Skarsgard? Not so much.

If you find revisions uncomfortable/scary/daunting/impossible, this is my advice to you: BE FROM SWEDEN.

Which means: don't let them faze you. You are awesome. You can PWN revisions any day of the week. They are not uncomfortable/scary/daunting/impossible. Attitude goes a loooong way, folks. So does confidence. Believe in yourself. Believe in your craft. 

And never give up.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must finish packing for my trip to Sweden...

Tell me: do you embrace the revision process? Or would you rather avoid it like the plague?

Blurbs: Which Authors Would YOU Pick??

So. Book blurbs. Those brief reviews by well-known authors slapped on another author's book cover. 

I love them.

And after reading this post by NYT Bestselling PARANORMALCY author Kiersten White, I couldn't help but blog about them today (also, her "blurbs" are hilarious, as is she). 

While some editors do the blurb hunting for their authors, others leave it totally up to them. 

Which gives me an idea: if you had to request blurbs for your debut novel, which authors would you pick? 

As for me, my top choice isn't really viable. Because... he's... not a, um... novelist. 

JOSS WHEDON (and demonic friends)

Mr. Whedon is a big deal to me. He created shows I love (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Angel, Firefly, Dollhouse), and is currently directing a movie I am definitely going to check out (The Avengers). Even though there a bazillion YA authors I'd pick to blurb my baby, Mr. Whedon would be the one to give me a heart attack. 

As for his blurb? It would read a little like this:

"This chick needs help. Seriously"--Joss Whedon

*happy sigh*

What about you, blogging buddies??? Who would blurb your book?

What American Idol Taught Me About Writing

So. American Idol. It is a TV show with:


One host


Three judges


And as of today, three contestants.


Last week, however, there were four contestants. One of them was...

James Durbin. 


Resident metal fan. Or, as I like to call him, Captain Awesomesauce.


So.


Last week, after singing "Love Potion No. 9" and "Don't Stop Believin'", Captain Awesomesauce received the following feedback:

"Beautiful!"--Steven Tyler

"That was... uh-MAY-zing..."--Jennifer Lopez

"Dog, that was HOT! James is IN IT TO WIN IT!!!!"--Randy Jackson

The next night, James got eliminated. 

Which leads me to the writing tip of the century: 

Never. Get. Comfortable.

Finished your sixth draft? 

You can do better.

Struck by a brilliant Shiny New Idea? 

You can do better.

Did you brainstorm ways to add more characterization/conflict/depth/whatever else? 

You can do better.

Feel like giving up after that last query? 

You. Can do. Better. 

James got excellent feedback throughout the competition. He was rumored to be the future American Idol. But he wasn't. Sure, he always topped himself, did much better than the previous week, and he still didn't win. 

Is that stopping him from pursuing his dream?

Heck to the no.

And neither should you :)

Oh, and in case you're wondering how I felt after James's elimination, le demonstration:

Now tell me, blogging buddies: are there times you feel like giving up? How do you convince yourself that you can do better?

Writing Tip: Be The Cheater

Don't forget to enter OA's latest contest for a chance to win special edition Twilight books! Trust me. Those suckers are g-o-r-g-e-o-u-s.

Okay. Now for my writing tip. 

I know I say this on my personal blog a lot, but I'm a huge TV fan. Obsessed, some would say (don't listen to them...). I like to think I've learned a ton about writing through the screen. And today I'm going to give you an example.

Ladies and gents, I give you The Boreanaz:

That, my friends, is actor David Boreanaz. He starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and is currently on Fox's hit, Bones. His character on the Fox show is an FBI agent who was once a Marine. He is related to John Wilkes Booth (not a great reputation...), and is the father of an adorable boy who asks a lot of questions. 

In real life, David Boreanaz is a cheater.

Yep. He cheated on his wife. Multiple times. And I stopped liking him.

Until I sat down to watch an episode of Bones, like I do every Thursday at 8pm. The man on screen wasn't David Boreanaz, folks. He was Agent Booth, the ex Marine who falls for a forensic anthropologist and keeps quiet about it. The man who has a ton of insecurities, but hides them with a smile. The man who fights the bad guys every day and doesn't wince when a gun is pointed at him. 

Suddenly, it dawned on me. I love Agent Booth.

But I hate The Boreanaz. 

That's why this week I'm telling you to be The Boreanaz--be the cheater. Whether you're writing in first person or third, you must get into your character's mind. You are not you when you're writing. You are someone else. You leave you at the door and get to work. 

You need to make your readers believe that someone else is real (in The Boreanaz's case, he needs his viewers to forget about the cheating scandal and focus on Agent Booth, who would never cheat. Not even on a Calculus quiz). How do you do that? Think about how that someone else would feel if X or Y happened to him/her. How does he/she see the world? What's their biggest fear? Do they want justice? World peace? To slap Lindsay Lohan?

This process, what I like to call channeling your character's voice, is tough. But it can be done. Maybe not on the first try, or the second, or third. But someday, you'll get it right... just like The Boreanaz. 

Now tell me: what do you do when your characters aren't speaking to you?