Revisions: The "Go To Romania" Approach

Remember that time I talked about Alexander Skarsgard and Sweden and nudity and revisions?


Sorry. No ASkars or Sweden or nudity today, folks. 


*unhappy sigh* 


But I am talking about revisions. And another European country.

You see, I admire Veronica Roth. A lot. Not only can she write super awesome dystopian YA books, she's also living my dream: pack up and live in a foreign country for a few months. Yesterday, Veronica blogged about moving to Romania. She also blogged (and has done so a few other times) about her shyness. According to her, she's not exactly the adventurous type. 

And yet she moved to Romania. 

O_O

Now. Revisions. Whatever you choose to tackle first, you have to dedicate time to one pesky little thing: character development. The rounder your main character and supporting cast can be, the better. And what makes characters round? Change. 

I'm not talking about a full 180, though, unless that's what your story calls for. Like, say your MC hates chinchillas, but loves French bulldogs. It's okay for her to warm up to chinchillas, but maybe she can stay in love with French bulldogs, too. Or say she wants to go to art school in New Zealand simply because it's super far away from home. Then bam! she finds an awesome art school about twenty minutes away instead. She's torn. The world is unfair. Everything sucks. Until she decides that running from her problems isn't that helpful, and she picks that art school near home. 

Going to Romania doesn't mean Veronica is a whole other person. She's still her, but with a different perspective on one particular thing. When revising your manuscript, ask yourself: are my characters doing whole 180s, or just adjusting certain viewpoints that used to limit them? I'm a huge supporter of the latter. Change isn't there to wipe out everything in a character, mainly because that means you might remove what made your character a great/relatable/likable one. It's all about the layers. Some are more necessary than others, and some can be yanked off to reveal prettier skin :)

Now tell me: how do you know which traits should stay and go in your characters?? 

Oliver Awesome's Book Corner: Middle Grade Madness!!

For today's Book Corner Saturday, I'm going to highlight two of my favorite MG reads this fall. Both authors have YA titles out, and I'm a HUGE fan of them. After hearing they were tackling a different age group/category, I was very excited to see what they came up with.

And folks, they did not disappoint. There's an overload of magic, adventure, creepy villains, originality, and awesome. Okay, that last one isn't very specific, BUT it's true.  

Without further ado, here are two MG books you should watch out for:

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable

Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places.

Make sure you boy your copy of Liesl & Po on October 4th!!

Every year in Quill, thirteen-year-olds are sorted into categories: the strong, intelligent Wanteds go to university, and the artistic Unwanteds are sent to their deaths.

Thirteen-year-old Alex tries his hardest to be stoic when his fate is announced as Unwanted, even while leaving behind his twin, Aaron, a Wanted. Upon arrival at the destination where he expected to be eliminated, however, Alex discovers a stunning secret—behind the mirage of the "death farm" there is instead a place called Artime.

In Artime, each child is taught to cultivate their creative abilities and learn how to use them magically, weaving spells through paintbrushes and musical instruments. Everything Alex has ever known changes before his eyes, and it's a wondrous transformation.

But it's a rare, unique occurence for twins to be separated between Wanted and Unwanted, and as Alex and Aaron's bond stretches across their separation, a threat arises for the survival of Artime that will pit brother against brother in an ultimate, magical battle.

The Unwanteds is available in stores now, so go get your copy! 

Bite-sized Goals

Thanks to everybody who entered yesterday's mid-month Mystery Agent contest! Come October 1st, we're back to doing them on the first of the month. September first, the anniversary of our launch, was a pretty special day for us. We're grateful we got to share it with you guys.

(Which reminds me, I'll be shipping out The Maze Runner and Paranormalcy to one of our prize pack winners. *happy sigh* I LOVE sharing awesome books.)

So Friday has rolled around and I have a confession to make.

I didn't write this week. At all.

*ducks head*

I did read a bit of a plotting book. And I thought about writing. But I didn't actually do it.

But I will. I promise. Just not sure when. Weekends are a time suck for me because my husband is home and I just want to be with him and the boys. It's family time, which is the best kind of time suck I know. :) We'll be so busy buying groceries, planning meals, and going to the park, I won't even miss writing.

And then Monday will rear its ugly head and I'll force myself to sit down and do some reworking of my abandoned-but-not-forgotten WIP.

One of my problems is thinking if I don't have time to write 2k words at once, it isn't worth sitting down to write at all. So next week, I'll set smaller, bite-sized goals for myself, like finish this scene or take out all the unnecessary 'that's or write a scene that demonstrates this character's desperately failing relationship.

I hope through these bite-sized goals, I'll be able to chew through revisions without gagging.

Imagine a tootsie roll. Mmmmm....

That oughtta do the trick.

How do you tackle the mountain of writing/revising before you?

Mystery Agent Contest: September!

CONTEST CLOSED!! Good luck to all the entrants :)

It's that time of the month, folks. The Mystery Agent contest is here!! *throws confetti* Okay. Without further ado, le rules:

1) One-line pitches ONLY. They must be left in the comments section of today's post.

2) You must have a completed manuscript and be ready to send it upon request. 

3) You can only pitch once per contest. So if you participated in any of our previous M.A. contests, no worries--you can submit your pitch today, too. 

4) Please include TITLE and GENRE along with your pitch.


This time around, our Mystery Agent is looking for the following genres:


YA

• Urban Fantasy
• Paranormal Romance
• Contemporary

Women's Fiction
Commercial Fiction
Multicultural Fiction


The contest will close once we get 50 pitches. And the prize? The winner will get a full manuscript request! O_O 


Best of luck to everyone!!

Polish Those Pitches For Our Mystery Agent Contest

We've had a slight change to the date this month, but our Mystery Agent day is tomorrow.

Stay tuned tomorrow for the full details, but get your one line pitches polished up!!!

I Love Percy Jackson Because...

 

Ok. So today we are going to share our book love with the wonderful middle grade fantasy series by the author, Rick Riordan. (Who, for your information, holds the #1 spot on the New York Times Bestseller children's chapter book list for The Red Pyramid.)  

Those of you who didn't read the books and only saw the movie, you don't get to comment this time. :o) The movie was no comparison to this series. For those of you who read the books, I can't wait to hear your comments.

Personally, I loved Percy Jackson for his wit and humor. The voice that comes through in his writing is sooo good. I'd also loved Greek mythology as a kid and really enjoyed how he took what I learned in school and turned it onto its head. He had fun with history and gave it a whole new look. Love his creativity. 

Why do you love Percy Jackson?  

And just to mix things up a bit, name a character--that isn't Percy--that you loved.

One of my favorite characters was Nico di Angelo. Because...well, he was just so dark and awesome.

Reel YA Wants YOU!

There's a lot of talk about the "YA community" around the blogosphere. 

Writers connect with each other through different means, whether it's a group blog (like right here at Operation Awesome), or a book review blog (like Afterglow Book Reviews, where several bloggers gush about their fave books). I l-o-v-e seeing people connect and discuss their passions with one another. I also love seeing writers/bloggers get together on behalf of great causes, like Read For Relief, which kicks off today (Katrina wrote a fabulous post on that here). 

To me, the best part about blogging is you. I can write posts about anything, and they'll still appear online, but hearing from y'all? Priceless.

That's why I'm here today to extend an invitation! You see, I have two big loves in my life: YA books (duh...) and teen movies. And I found a way to join the two--Reel YA. This new blog will feature lots of posts on (super awesome) YA books and films, as well as YA author/book blogger interviews and contests, BUT it will also feature your voice. 


Head over to Reel YA and find out how you can be a part of it! 

Because, let's face it, doing something alone is scary. Without the YA community, I'd be nowhere. :)

Oliver Awesome's Book Corner

We are starting a new feature on the Operation Awesome blog - Book Corner Saturdays. There are so many wonderful books out there that we decided it would be fun to highlight new books coming out. Each Saturday we'll choose a book we are excited about to share with you. Sometimes we'll have interviews, reviews, giveaways, or just a spotlight sharing info about the book.

For our first Book Corner, we'll be spotlighting Jessica Verday's The Hidden. Here's the Amazon blurb:

In the long-awaited conclusion to the bestselling saga of Abbey and Caspian, readers finally learn the truth about Kristen's untimely death, the dark destiny that links Abbey to Caspian and ties them both to the town of Sleepy Hollow, and the hard choices that Abbey must make if she is to accept Caspian's love and their unexpected fate. Beautifully spun, emotionally gripping, and irresistibly romantic, The Hidden will leave readers breathless.



If you haven't read the first two books in the series, The Hollow and The Haunted, I'd highly recommend them. The Hollow starts out a little slow but after a few chapters I couldn't put it down and I devoured The Haunted in just a day. It's a sweet love story between Abbey and Caspian, mixed in with a murder mystery, all set against the amazing backdrop of Sleepy Hollow...complete with new twist on the Headless Horseman legend. If you like paranormal romances with a good dose of mystery, you definitely need to check out this trilogy!

Read for Relief

Thanks to everyone who participated in our 1 Year Blog Anniversary and 500 Followers Appreciation Giveaway!!

Phew. Say that five times fast.

In case you missed them, the winners of the six prize packs can be found HERE.

I found a bunch of new favorite blogs in your comments and ditto-ed several of your favorite books of the past year (esp. The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner). I often feel very warm and fuzzy when thinking of the past year blogging for Operation Awesome - how much I've learned from you all, the great books and authors we've met together, the success stories we've witnessed, and how nice it is to be noticed. :) Now that I have your attention, I'd like to channel it elsewhere...

You may have noticed a new sticker in our sidebar for Read for Relief.



The ladies of Operation Awesome are donating a thirty-page critique from all seven of us as an auction item. If you'd like to donate an item or service, just click on that sticker and follow their links. The organizers are a group of east-coast writers who want to make a difference for those hardest hit by the hurricane.

Like anyone else, I was following #hurricane and #Irene on twitter while the storm first started lashing the Carolinas after it swept through, devastating parts of Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.

The incoming tweets ranged from the funny...

to the lighthearted...

to the informative...

I really didn't mind the pre-hurricane jokes since I'm the type of person who joked during most of her 28-hour labor just to stay sane. I understand the need for comic relief. But after the hurricane passed, I think the jokes took on a different tone. A mocking one. It's easy to forget that while it wasn't as epic as promised, it still hurt a lot of people. 

At least 40 people across 11 states died as a result of the hurricane (source here).

The hurricane left between 7 and 13 BILLION dollars in damage along the east coast (source here).

Some of that damage was to businesses, but many people's homes were affected, too. According to the Read for Relief troop, "Many remain without power, or roads, or homes. Flooding has been disastrous." 

The actual auctions begin on Monday, three days from now. I hope you'll join us in supporting this relief effort with our fellow writers. I know a lot of you will. That's just the nature of the writing community. It warms my heart to see you all paying it forward time and time again. 

Thank you for inspiring me. 

Have a great weekend, everybody!

Celebration Prize Pack Winners!!!

Thanks to everyone who entered! We've got an amazing list of new blogs to follow and books to read now :) Thank you so much for all the amazing recommendations :D

And now, on to our fabulous prize pack winners! (Chosen by the tried and true method of putting everyone's name in a big bowl and having my 8 yr old choose six) :D

Winner of Prize Pack #1.....

Kristen Lenz!!

Winner of Prize Pack #2.....

Sarah Nicolas!!

Winner of Prize Pack #3.....

tfwalsh!!

Winner of Prize Pack #4.....

Faith E. Hough!!

Winner of Prize Pack #5....

A.E. Martin!!

and Winner of Prize Pack #6....

Angelica R. Jackson!!

Congrats to everyone!! Please email us at operationawesome6 (at) gmail (dot) com with your addresses and we'll get your prize packs mailed out to you and give you instructions on receiving your critiques.

We will also be starting an Operation Awesome Book Corner (coming soon on Saturdays) where we will be highlighting new book releases and their amazing authors, and stay tuned for another awesome Mystery Agent Contest coming up next week!!

The Buffy The Vampire Slayer Faces Of Writing

Getting that Shiny New Idea:

Thinking about the S.N.I:

It's shiny. I like it, but it's tricksy:



Nope, I hate that part:



Let me run it by one of my crit partners:



Okay, I think I've got it now. I can do this:



My main character is so funny!:



Unexpected plot twist:



Yep, I'm on a roll:



I'll just write that last bit about the... Oh no, S.N.I:

I Love Lord of the Rings Because...

Last week I started a new series of "I love ___ because..." to find out what you all thought of writing, to get a wide spectrum of opinions of popular stories, so we can all see what works in books.  I found it very interesting to see what the rest of you though about what made your favorite books your favorite. We touched on Harry Potter last week. This time we'll be focusing on The Lord of the Rings. (Which gives me a great excuse to post this picture of Viggo as Aragorn.)

The Hobbit was actually the first epic fantasy that I ever read. Prompted by my husband (who was my boyfriend at the time), I read it expecting nothing. After, fantasy is what I mostly read. Not that I didn't read fantasy before (I read lots of historical romance, so  yeah...fantasy of another kind.)  But The Hobbit was the book that launched my love into reading and writing fantasy fiction.

So back to The Lord of the Rings. I actually procrastinated reading the books until AFTER I started watching the movies. I did, however, listen to the abridged audiobooks while driving to our honeymoon local. (woah...that came across totally geeky...lol). It was between the 2nd and 3rd movies that I picked up and read the books.

I can't say that I LOVE the books. They get pretty long winded at times. I'm not sure I would've liked them as much if I hadn't listen to/seen the story before, but I can now respect the legacy they have become.

So for my answer, I love (respect) The Lord of the Rings, because of the fantastic world Tolkien created.  And I always adore a hero's journey, where even the smallest of people can do amazing things. 

What about you? (And if you've only seen the movies...I'll let you cheat this time.)

The It Factor

Confession: I found out about Twilight after one of my best friends told me about it.

She said it was a book about a girl who fell in love with a vampire. She said other things about it, too, but only one thing registered with me: vampires.

I've loved vampires all my life. So of course I bought Twilight. After reading it, I was like, "Wait a sec... Didn't my friend say they were going to make a movie?"

I Googled it. Lo and behold, yep. A movie was in pre-production. 

Then Edward Cullen got cast. The movie was filmed, edited, and distributed in theaters worldwide. And this guy...

started living this life:

Which makes me think about something casting directors mention frequently. You see, unless you're really, really, really famous, you have to audition for movie/TV roles. Casting directors are the first line of defense for producers and film directors. They get to see the talent, and pick which actors go to the next round of auditions. Or even better, who gets the part.

One thing they're on the hunt for is the "it" factor. 

Same goes for agents and editors. Your manuscript has to have "it" in order to make them offer you either representation or a book deal. 

But what is "it"?

Why have vampires been so, so popular throughout the years? 

Why did Robert Pattinson beat out a bazillion other dudes for the role of Edward Cullen?

Why do certain books get published, while others don't?

I know my answers to these questions. I know why I buy certain books, and completely ignore others. 

Now what about you? What gives a book the "it" factor to you? 

And more importantly, did you laugh as hard as I did when you saw that first pic of Robbie P??? :)

Follower Appreciation and 1 Year Anniversary Celebration!!

We hit 500 followers recently and to show you all how much we adore you and appreciate you spending your blog reading time with us, we'd like to give away a few prizes :D Here are the deets!

To Enter:

1) You must be a follower
2) Leave a comment on THIS post - and to help pay things forward a bit, we'd love you to share either the title and author of the best book you've read so far this year, or the link to a blog you love to visit - or both! :)

That's it!

We will take entries until 11:59 pm on Wednesday Sept 7th and the winners will be announced one week from today on Thursday the 8th.

And yes, I said WINNERS!! Because we love you all so much, we are giving away SIX fantastic prize packs! Here is what you can win:

PRIZE PACK 1
A Magical World by Michelle Raynor
Tempted by PC and Kristin Cast
a first chapter critique by Michelle
assorted Homework Helper swag 1: bookmarks, pens, calendar magnets, a mouse pad (see pic below)

PRIZE PACK 2
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
a first chapter critique by Katrina
Oliver Awesome "owl on a book" locket (see pic below)

PRIZE PACK 3
Incarceron by Catherine Fisher
Homework Helpers: Essays and Term Papers by Michelle McLean (signed!)
First Chapter Crit by Kristal
Homework Helpers swag 2: bookmarks, pens, calendar magnets, a mouse pad

PRIZE PACK 4
The Deathday Letter by Shaun David Hutchison
Savvy by Ingrid Law
First chapter crit by Amparo
$10 Amazon gift card

PRIZE PACK 5
Samantha Sotto's Before Ever After with autographed book plate!
Liz Michalski's Evenfall
10 Page Crit by Kelly
A custom banner for your blog or website created by Kristal

PRIZE PACK 6
WTF by Peter Lerangis
Tantalize by Cynthia Leitich Smith
First chap crit by Lindsay
Homework Helpers T-shirt (see pic below)

(locket in Prize Pack 2)                   (shirt in Pack 6; swag in Packs 1 and 3)

Also! We will be holding another awesome Mystery Agent contest on Sept 15th! We'll post more details soon. Annnd we've added an Events tab to the top margin. Info and links regarding giveaways, Mystery Agent contests, book releases, and any other exciting happenings can be found there :D

Thanks again to all our wonderful followers and good luck to everyone!!!

The 12 ½ Writing Rules

Are there any other rules we need to add to the list? 

I Love Harry Potter Because....

People spend a lot of time on blogs trying to come up with something clever. With something inspiring. We all try to post something that will help our fellow writers and hopefully make them want to come back. The same thing goes with our job as writers. We want to write something that changes the world; or at least, write something that people will love, such as J. K. Rowling did when she wrote Harry Potter. And one of the ways we learn to be a more compelling writer is by studying what other succesful writers have done.

The Harry Potter series is probably not my favorite set of books, but like so many others, I went to Borders on midnight when the last one came out. So what brings a book/series to the point of that kind of devotion? For me, I loved  Harry Potter because of the likable characters, witty writing, and the amazing world she created. She invented a virtual buffet of imagination for my mind.

Now that you know my thoughts, I'd like to open it up to you. I'd love to hear YOUR thoughts and YOUR opinions by responding about the Harry Potter books, more than the movies (though I've enjoyed those as well). Instead of just hearing from one person, I believe we can learn a lot more from the collective opinion of many. 

I love Harry Potter because...

Hurricane Irene + Boredom = PLOTTING TIPS

So. Hurricane Irene. 

*glares*

You see, I live in Puerto Rico. And dear ol' Irene was not very kind to my country (for some reason, I am typing this while speaking like Borat. I assure you, Puerto Ricans do not speak like Borat. Just me). Anyway, Irene hit us this past weekend. She stayed with us for about three-ish days. On Sunday, while I was watching this:

...the power went out.


The water said goodbye the next day. On Wednesday, it returned. 


The power, on the other hand, came back on Thursday.


But without cable or an Internet connection.


I spent the majority of the week looking like this:

Things Amparo Was Plotting:

1) Irene's slow and painful death

2) Her WIP

When it comes to #2, I sort of had an epiphany... because of #1. You see, when it comes to character development, the toughest things for me to nail are the external triggers that allow said development to unfold. I know how my MC will change throughout the manuscript, but not always what causes that change. 

Which leads me to Irene and my Week In Cyber Suckage: if you take something away from your MC, giving it back in half pushes them to seek the missing piece. Also, if your MC gets everything he/she wants in one fell swoop, take something else away that means more than what they gained. This could be material or not. Totally up to you, and your story's needs. I think books are all about The Lack, and exploiting what your MC's lacking makes for awesome storytelling. 

So yeah. I guess Irene was good for something.

Now tell me: how did you spend time with Irene? Did she help you with your WIP? Have you used these tips in your writing?

The Incredible Knowledge of Writers

Photo credit

I am in awe of you.

Yeah, you. Everywhere I look in the online writing community, somebody is sharing a new tip, sometimes very complex ones, studying the writing craft, and passing on the knowledge. It's probably the most challenging time in the history of the world to be a writer, as far as competition goes.


I see a lot of talent in you. Sometimes it intimidates me.

Challenging as it is, it's also an exciting time to be a writer. I don't think it's ever been easier (or rather, more accessible) to learn about writing well. Every shortcoming I still have as a writer can be addressed if I only take the time to research it. And I don't have look beyond your amazing blogs to find my answers.

You are awesome.

You remember obscure information you Googled one time just to make your bat swarming scene more realistic. You understand what a character arc is, how conflict is different from creating tension, and how to check your characters against real people to write authentic reactions.

You continually inspire me by reminding me over and over again that JK Rowling had a slow start, and look how successful she was. You know Stephenie Meyer's how-I-got-published story in detail and which details aren't typical so I can feel better about taking FOREVER to get published.

In short, you use your acquired knowledge for good, sharing and paying it forward every chance you get.

Thank you for being on this journey, what sometimes feels like a mass exodus with no destination (Promised Land, where are you?). You remind me every day that not one of us makes it on our own.

And really, I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Have a great weekend!

The Imaginarium Of A Writer

When I was six I had a friend called Charlie. 

Charlie ate dinner with me. He sat on the swing beside me as we kicked our legs and tried to reach the sky. He comforted me when I had bad dreams. And, of course, he read books with me. Yep, Charlie was my closest friend. And the best thing about him was that only I could see him.

Charlie was my imaginary friend. And he was a mouse.

Why am I talking about Charlie? Because, in a weird way, Charlie was my first fully formed character. I knew what he looked like (brown fur with black whiskers). Where he lived (the skirting board under my bed). His family (mum, dad, twenty-five siblings) and his likes/dislikes (liked cheese, hated sprouts which, funny enough, so did I).

He had everything we associate with creating a character, but I never wrote about him. He existed for me alone. I guess when you are 6 you are selfish like that ;)

So I come to my point... Our WIPs are like the same. 

The idea comes to us. The little, whispering voice begging for their story to be told. And we write our first drafts. We share their journey. Their hopes and fears. We know their flaws better than anyone. We hold them close, sharing them with a chosen few until we send them on their way to an agent (and, hopefully, a world of readers who will love them like we do).

That spark of character building is always there as children. It is in the games we play. In the truths we bend so we don't get into trouble ("It wasn't me, it was....."). As adults we sometimes forget the innocence of childhood. The stories that flowed like water through us. 

The task as an aspiring author is to catch those sparks, craft them and share them. Because it's only by being read do characters really live.

'Stories were different, though: they came alive in the telling. Without a human voice to read them aloud, or a pair of wide eyes following them by torch light beneath a blanket, they had no real existence in the world.... Once someone started the read them, they could begin to change. They could take root in the imagination and transform the reader. Stories wanted to be read.'

The Book Of Lost Things, John Connolly.

And Charlie? One day Charlie left. I was sad but it was the right thing for him to do. He met a nice lady mouse, and they got married and had babies. He never calls, he never writes but, wherever he is, I hope he is happy.

Middle Grade Fantasy: First Lines

I've been loving Amparo's series on first lines in books. So I thought I'd chime in with my favorite area: Middle Grade Books. Middle Grade Fantasy, to be precise. Just so ya all know that our blog is not just a YA blog. We love all types of books. I don't have any insight because they are all so varied. So let me know what you think and which openings appealed to you most.


Opening Lines:

"Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood." Rick Rioddan, The Lightning Theif.

"Kendra stared out the side window of the SUV, watching foliage blur past." Brandon Mull, Fablehaven.

"Night lay upon the forest." Erin Hunter, Midnight (Warriors: The New Prophecy, Book 1).


"If someone had asked Jared Grace what jobs his brother and sister would have when they grew up, he would have had no trouble replying." Diterlizzi and Black, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Book 1.

"The sign in the front of St. Barnaby's Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten, and Lost read CRUSINNG THE SPIRIT OF CHILDHOOD SINCE 1898." Matt Myklusch, The Accidental Hero.

"As of today, there are only seven children who have ever read this book and lived to tell about it." Jennifer A. Nielsen, Elliot and the Goblin War.

"A thief is a lot like a wizard."  Sarah Prineas, The Magic Thief.

"You ready for this?"  Bryan Chick, The Secret Zoo.

"Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much." J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

"The girl was shaken awake." John Stephens, The Emerald Atlas.


"It was early morning on Saturday, the sixteenth of December, the first day of the Christmas holidays." Linda Buckley-Archer, The Time Travelers.