tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post157029470275783749..comments2023-08-01T10:07:29.695-04:00Comments on Gail Carson Levine: Even more my booksGail Carson Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10098487903686296931noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-8905396027558300232012-03-21T11:52:56.003-04:002012-03-21T11:52:56.003-04:00Lark - actually, the viewpoint thing is a really g...Lark - actually, the viewpoint thing is a really good idea! I would have to be careful not to give away certain things in their thoughts, but the viewpoints could give little hints and make the reader wonder. Great suggestion! And yes, there are a couple kidnappers that would totally feel bad about it like that! I love it!writeforfunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15182389667164062711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-26678531130490610152012-03-20T21:43:10.065-04:002012-03-20T21:43:10.065-04:00writeforfun-- if you really wanted to mix it up, a...writeforfun-- if you really wanted to mix it up, alternate viewpoints with the kidnappers! Then you can explain whatever's in their head while they're, I don't know, tying him up-- it would be hilarious if one was really apologetic, like, "I'm so sorry! Would you like me to loosen the duct tape?" because if they really are good guys, make them seem so. A good example is in the beginning of Claim to Fame by Margaret Peterson Haddix, in which Lindsay gets "kidnapped" by these two teenage guys who think they're actually helping her, and are totally feeling bad about it. <br />Sounds fascinating!Briannahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13640512182947763517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-57686408620576022502012-03-20T19:51:20.082-04:002012-03-20T19:51:20.082-04:00Welliewalks, April, and Gail - thank you! It's...Welliewalks, April, and Gail - thank you! It's kind of a tricky situation, because it's hard to know what's necessary and what's not, and I'm not really sure what I could add (although those are good suggestions - thanks! I will try them out). It would be great if I could just knock that week down to thirty pages, but I'm clueless on what to cut. It all seems important to me!writeforfunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15182389667164062711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-3791722763482312452012-03-20T08:48:05.289-04:002012-03-20T08:48:05.289-04:00writeforfun--I'm with April and welliewalks. A...writeforfun--I'm with April and welliewalks. And I'm adding your question to my list.<br /><br />Inkling--I like it too! Thanks for posting.<br /><br />Maddie--She has the marble toe forever. And I agree about the movie, but someone else needs to make it.Gail Carson Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10098487903686296931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-20276448951654424932012-03-20T01:55:08.248-04:002012-03-20T01:55:08.248-04:00Sounds like you need to increase the tension. Mayb...Sounds like you need to increase the tension. Maybe a scene of near escape like welliewalks suggested, or have the kidnappers say/do something that could be interpreted as good or bad (so the MC worries, and thereby the reader worries). Maybe something is as stake and the longer the MC is missing the more dire the situation back home. Increase stress for the MC and you'll increase the interest for the reader.April Mackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12946968627887624127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-11632431493394208152012-03-20T01:39:28.987-04:002012-03-20T01:39:28.987-04:00I like it. :)I like it. :)April Mackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12946968627887624127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-20710770034691053582012-03-19T19:24:01.797-04:002012-03-19T19:24:01.797-04:00Just out of curiosity, did Aza ever get rid of her...Just out of curiosity, did Aza ever get rid of her marble toe? It's not mentioned at the end of Fairest, and I was wondering. By the way, Fairest should be made into a movie. :)Maddihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05977499708887908454noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-27615845532399896572012-03-19T18:08:28.299-04:002012-03-19T18:08:28.299-04:00Hi Mrs. Levine! I think you wrote something awhile...Hi Mrs. Levine! I think you wrote something awhile back about writting our own Forgive Me I Ment to Do It poems & I recently came up with one:<br /><br />I'm sorry to cause you all this stress,<br />and that I made your bathroomone big mess.<br />I overflowed your bathtub with bubbles<br />though I knew it would cause you troubles.<br />But I admit it was fun to stay<br />in that bubbly bath for half the day.<br />So I wrote this poem to express,<br />how sorry I am for the bubbly mess.<br />Fogive me, I ment to do it.Inklinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08492734918502417602noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-60007207008720548772012-03-19T17:52:30.883-04:002012-03-19T17:52:30.883-04:00writeforfun- how do you know that the reader gets ...writeforfun- how do you know that the reader gets bored? it sounds pretty interesting to me :). you could add a scene in which the MC almost escapes. or the kidnappers almost get found out. something like that. :) hope this helps!welliewalkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14893410214439057746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-30731677864517977412012-03-19T13:44:18.953-04:002012-03-19T13:44:18.953-04:00Sorry, this has nothing to do with the post! You s...Sorry, this has nothing to do with the post! You see, I have a problem. In my last book, the beginning was really good. The conflict is introduced on the second page. For 15 pages, it's all exciting and keeps the reader's interest. After that, it goes downhill. The first 50 pages cover one week. During that week the MC never leaves the apartment he's in, and the only action is his conversations with the others that live in that room and the secrets he learns about them (of which there are many). The reason for that is because he's been kidnapped, and I needed all that time to learn about the kidnappers, who become co-MC's, and to make them seem likable, as they are actually good guys. The trouble is, readers start to get board. They tell me that they like knowing all this about the kidnappers, but it seems a little dragged-out, although they can never tell me what I should omit. I guess all I'm asking is, how do I know what to cut, and how do I keep the reader's interest until AFTER the 50 page mark, when the action kicks up again?writeforfunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15182389667164062711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-12156474565291190262012-03-16T17:07:04.758-04:002012-03-16T17:07:04.758-04:00Reading these posts have been so fun! Thanks so mu...Reading these posts have been so fun! Thanks so much for them!<br />Sophia- I agree with mrs. Levine. ;)<br />I actually just read the last post too- very interesting. ;)welliewalkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14893410214439057746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-18028747758093126652012-03-15T15:14:12.096-04:002012-03-15T15:14:12.096-04:00Sophia--I think you can delay the main conflict as...Sophia--I think you can delay the main conflict as long as there is conflict. Anyone else have thoughts about this?<br /><br />Dragon-Dudette--I'm not an expert, but I Googled the topic and found this link:http://reviews.cnet.com/self-publishing/. I just skimmed some of it, and it looked worth reading. Also, there's a Wikipedia entry on the subject.Gail Carson Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10098487903686296931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-73157601408250561202012-03-15T08:31:31.058-04:002012-03-15T08:31:31.058-04:00This post reminded me about self publishing--what ...This post reminded me about self publishing--what do you think about it as opposed to "normal" publishing?Neal Whttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09034198735772376367noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-37258516208532524022012-03-15T01:34:55.649-04:002012-03-15T01:34:55.649-04:00I'm so excited to read Forgive Me, I Meant To ...I'm so excited to read Forgive Me, I Meant To Do It! It sounds so cool! I loved this post also. Something I noticed is that in some of your books, the main conflict is already identified at the beginning of the book (i.e. Aza's ugliness, Ella's obedience) and the book I'm writing can't have the conflict at the beginning. How late is too late to start the main conflict? How soon will the readers get bored with setting the stage for the conflict and introducing the characters?Sophiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18251769595012958849noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-10525186991309394652012-03-14T16:44:50.125-04:002012-03-14T16:44:50.125-04:003 cheers for Forgive Me, I Meant To Do It!!!3 cheers for Forgive Me, I Meant To Do It!!!Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12793052470477585815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-74507051866903959452012-03-14T10:11:37.149-04:002012-03-14T10:11:37.149-04:00I loved this post,I just wanted to add a few thing...I loved this post,I just wanted to add a few things. E.L.Konigsburg is one of only five people who have won the Newberry twice here are the others.<br /> <br /> * Joseph Krumgold<br /> * Lois Lowry<br /> * Katherine Paterson<br /> * Elizabeth George Speare<br />Also there is sometimes another line in Jack and Jill in which their "Mother fixed his crown with vinegar and brown paper" although it's a bit hard to sing(:Agneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10724043592866159112noreply@blogger.com