Something fun

hey FFFers - here's a fun thing: http://thebestsellercode.com/

It tells compares your writing to established authors and scores you 0-20 on if your writing is strong enough to be considered "best-selling."

I entered the beginning of chapter one of Fairyeater and scored a 14.1. Pretty good. Then I did the beginning of chapter two and scored a 3.4. YIKES! And an editor told me chapter two was stronger than chapter one. HA!

So, try it and see what you think. It's just for fun. I'll get back to writing posts when things have settled down here. My husband was dianosed with Bell's Palsy on Sat. night and we're a bit weary at the moment.

Happy Testing!

Examples of Great World Building

hey FFFers - hope you had a good Christmas and a great start to 2012.

Over the Christmas break, I read three books I received for Christmas. You are probably familiar with them: THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy by Suzanne Collins.

WOW.

If you can handle the violence, these books are an incredible example of world building. The setting is earth, North America, and post-apocalyptic. It's a perfect example of how the setting compliments the characters and the story arc.

If you've read these books, chime in and let me know how you liked them, but don't give anything away.

World Building part four

Sienna had a great question: Do you have any tips for creating a very different world without having to spend pages and pages on description?

The first thing is to know you don't have to describe EVERYTHING all at once. How your characters interact with the setting is key.

Here is part of a writing exercise from my notes on my new fantasy novel, Koda's Quest. It's about setting:

A character we often forget is the setting. The setting brings the character into the story. Have something specific in mind. Choose carefully. It’s part of the hero’s hidden need. It can lend itself to natural symbolism.

What is the specific setting for Koda’s Quest?
"The Mirasol Valley in the middle of the Blacktooth Mountains where the Stone Kings stand guard."

Is it Koda’s ally or enemy? "Both"

Write a quick paragraph where Koda expresses his feelings about the setting.

Koda stared up at the Stone Kings. Karack, the taller of the two, faced direct south. Anar stood gazing to the east. Koda never got tired of their solemn expressions or wondering what their last thoughts were before the magic transformed them from flesh and blood to solid rock.
“Someday, I’m going to climb you,” he whispered.
The breeze seemed to whisk his words away as a flock of crows rose from the sunflower fields. The sun shone heavy on his head, but he shivered as the caustic cries of the black birds followed them out of the valley.

Do his feelings change in the course of the story? Why or why not? "No, they do not change because his destiny is so linked to saving his world."

Find one symbol inherent to the place that could point Koda to his hidden need. "Karack, though bigger, is crumbling more rapidly than Anar. Anar is less important in everyone’s mind, but it is really because of him that Karack can be strong. Koda will find out he needs others to help him be strong."

Can Koda come upon this during the course of the story? "Yes, in the caves Koda finds a journal. It belonged to King Karack. In it, Karack writes about his need for Anar."

Is this the right setting for the book? "Yes!"

Now, you interject your book and characters in the questions and see what you come up with.

Remember, the setting is also a character. We can come to know it a little at a time, just like the living characters in the story.

World Building - part three

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving. Let's talk about SETTING.

When writing fantasy, you need to decide how different your world is from the contemporary world. Some fantasies are Earth-based, with all the rules of Earth, like gravity. Some fantasy worlds are slightly different. Some are radically different. When choosing your fantasy world, you’ll want to be careful you don’t slip into sci-fi.

Earth-based: the rules of gravity apply, one sun, one moon, weather patterns are similar, north is cold, south is hot, geography/plant life similar.

Earth-like: the rules of gravity apply, one or more suns/moons, weather similar, geography similar, plant life can be similar but maybe with different qualities. If you are using this setting, make sure you have a few things that keep it from being too close to Earth-based.

UnEarth-like: anything goes, although you don’t want space ships or other technology that would make it feel like science fiction.

Remember, your setting is a character in your story. Don't be afraid to put as much research and development into the setting as you do your characters. The setting can enhance the story, add to the tension, and help the protagonist. As you write, ask yourself if you chose the right setting for your hero as well as the story.

Your thoughts? Need help with your setting? Let's talk!

World Building part two

WORLD BUILDING BASICS
*Know the rules of your world. You need limitations – but not too many.
*Be specific with your descriptions
*Plant seeds from the beginning
*Make sure knowledge is natural to your character
*Avoid awkward dialog that doesn’t match your world
*Learn the basic craft of writing

Let's break this down and talk about them one at a time. Rules: when I say know the rules of your world, what do I mean? Think about our Earth - the sky is up, the ground is down. There's atmosphere that holds the air we breathe. The sky is blue because of how the sunlight refracts through the atmosphere. There are clouds that bring rain. Storm fronts, cold fronts, warm fronts - these all cause the air to move, sometimes violently. We have gravity. We have one sun and one moon. The Earth spins, giving us day and night. The Earth also tilts, giving us the seasons.

What are the rules of your world? Fantasy and SciFi allow our imaginations to run wild, but the world HAS to fit the story. Is your world radically different from Earth? That's fine, but it still has to be natural and you must keep your rules in mind as you're writing. Be consistent. If you aren't, you'll jerk your reader clean out of your story. And they won't believe you anymore.

Being specific with description: Does this mean you need to set up a couple of pages of description? No, of course not. But you can weave in the "rules" of your world within the action and dialog of the story. Remember, if your world is strangely different from Earth, it's normal for your characters. And you don't have to give every detail - allow for the imagination of the reader. This pulls the reader in and makes them part of the story. We all love it when that happens, don't we?

Dialog that fits your world: is your world futuristic or historical? In Fairyeater, my world is Earth-like except for the three moons. There is no modern conveniences like electricity or machines. The people are simple peasant folk, so their language is simple.

Learn the craft: this barely needs mentioning, but I'm going to say it anyway. It takes more than a good idea to write a great book; there's a craft to it. One of the best books I've read on writing a novel is "Stein on Writing" by Sol Stein. Now, he's not a Christian, so his examples are not always the best for young writers. For you teen writers, I recommend "Seize the Story" by Victoria Hanley.

Get a good book on the craft and learn it. Once you've mastered the craft of writing, you can creatively break the rules. But you don't have to. What does your story require? What does your world require? Only you can determine that.

Share your world with us. I love hearing what you're doing.

World Building, part one

hey FFFers - sorry for the silence. Life has been hectic. Let's get back to talking about fantasy writing. Some of you have sat in my workshop "We're Not In Kansas Anymore." I'm going to use that format here.

Fantasy stories don't only include fairies, elves, dwarves, etc. and magical elements, it also needs a special setting, even if you are writing contemporary fantasy like urban fantasy. When you are developing your characters, don't forget your setting. It's also a character and can add or take away from the action/plot.

First, let's look at the different types of fantasy. This will help you know what you're writing and what kind of world to start building.

• High fantasy
• Urban fantasy
• Steam punk
• Magical realism
• Portal worlds
• Dystopia
• Paranormal


High Fantasy – usually a world other than our Earth. Example: The Lord of the Rings, or The Elfstones of Shannara. It typically includes the usual gang of fantasy characters; dwarves, elves, fairies, etc.

Urban Fantasy (or contemporary fantasy) – kind of a merging with sci-fi, but with definite fantasy elements. Similar to Paranormal, sometimes merging the two. Example: Harry Potter

Steam Punk (trendy historical fantasy) – like Victorian England with certain technologies. A couple of examples are: Around the World in 80 Days, or A League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.

Magical Realism – set in the real world with fantasy elements. Examples: Mudville, Faerie Rebels

Portal Worlds – our world with a portal to another world. Example: Artemis Fowl

Dystopia – post apocalyptic. Example: Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse, Bones of Faerie

Paranormal – can be set in the real world with fantasy elements. Similar to Urban Fantasy, but with more of a gothic feel. Example: Twilight

What is the difference between fantasy and contemporary? How did Dorothy know she wasn’t in Kansas anymore?

Your world and characters are what makes the reader know it’s fantasy.

So, let's identify what we're writing before we go on. We've touched on this before, but it's good to refresh. I'll get us started: I am writing high fantasy right now. I have a series I started years ago that was more urban fantasy with a portal world twist. I've left it go for now - it was more of a "practice novel" for me, but maybe someday I'll be able to revise it.

So, let's hear what you're working on!

Two Incredible YA Fantasy Novels

hey FFFers - I want to share two YA fantasy novels with you and encourage you to get them and read them.

Bones of Faerie and Faerie Winter by Janni Lee Simner

WOW.

They are post-apocalyptic, but not in the way you would think. They are set after a War between humans and faerie folk. The world building is incredible, the characters are alive, interesting and diverse. The plot is unique and the endings satisfying. I read both without editing in my head and felt frustrated when I had to put them down.

Here is a sample from the beginning of Bones of Faerie:

I had a sister once. She was a beautiful baby, eyes silver as moonlight off the river at night. From the hour of her birth she was long-limbed and graceful, faerie-pale hair clear as glass from Before, so pale you could almost see through to the soft skin beneath.

My father was a sensible man. He set her out on the hillside that very night, though my mother wept and even old Jayce argued against it. "If the faerie folk want her, let them take her," Father said. "If not, the fault's theirs for not claiming one of their own." He left my sister, and he never looked back.

I did. I crept out before dawn to see whether the faeries had really come. They hadn't, but some wild creature had. One glance was all I could take. I turned and ran for home, telling no one where I'd been.

We were lucky that time, I knew. I'd heard tales of a woman who bore a child with a voice high and sweet as a bird's song - and with sharp claws to match. No one questioned that baby's father when he set the child out to die, far from town, far from where his wife lay dying, her insides torn and bleeding.

Magic was never meant for our world, Father said, and of course I'd agreed, though the War had ended and the faerie folk returned to their own places before I was born. If only they'd never stirred from those places - but it was no use thinking that way.

Besides, I'd heard often enough that our town did better than most. We knew the rules. Don't touch any stone that glows with faerie light, or that light will burn you fiercer than any fire. Don't venture out alone into the dark, or the darkness will swallow you whole. And cast out the magic born among you, before it can turn on its parents.

Towns had died for not understanding that much. My father was a sensible man.

But the memory of my sister's bones, cracked and bloody in the moonlight, haunts me still.

Tempted? I bet you are. I hope you'll get these books and read them. What struck me most was the world the author built, so our next topic will be world-building. Be thinking about that until next time!