tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post576121225864425377..comments2023-08-01T10:07:29.695-04:00Comments on Gail Carson Levine: Ouch!Gail Carson Levinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10098487903686296931noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-82668124611291455632011-11-28T11:41:56.008-05:002011-11-28T11:41:56.008-05:00One thing that has helped me deal with criticism i...One thing that has helped me deal with criticism is martial arts. From day one, you spend hours upon hours of mental and physical effort, knowing full well the moment you walk in the door, at least three people will look at where you are, and pick you apart. <br /><br />They point out your arm is just a bit too high here, you roll your shoulder too far forward, your breathing gets choppy. Or, my favorite; "you've really worked hard on your footwork... but it's actually like this..."<br /><br />You get to the point where you learn to love it, even if it stings. I sort of suggest writers take up something like Kung Fu, good philosophy, some good inspiration, and it helps build up a thicker skin for a critique.<br /><br />... and if someone is just being completely unhelpful for no reason, you now know how to hurt them. While you may not, it still feels good to know you -could-.T.L. Harthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03496447304779053011noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-88716522246933933912011-11-27T12:27:30.206-05:002011-11-27T12:27:30.206-05:00Thanks. Good advice MaryThanks. Good advice MaryStoryscribblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17497642092415566643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-4516647304726678322011-11-16T08:59:37.805-05:002011-11-16T08:59:37.805-05:00Erin Edwards--Thanks for letting me know. Good luc...Erin Edwards--Thanks for letting me know. Good luck to her in the contest!Gail Carson Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10098487903686296931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-66743199060769193522011-11-15T10:03:28.217-05:002011-11-15T10:03:28.217-05:00Ms. Levine, My nine year old is taking part in a w...Ms. Levine, My nine year old is taking part in a writing competition and has advanced from the school to the district round. I used "ambivalent" today and she wanted to know what it means so she can use it in her writing. Then she added "I bet the judges would like it if I used the word 'indignant' too. That's from Ella Enchanted." I asked her how she could remember that word was in Ella, and she said, "Because on the audiobook the reader says it wish such expression!" <br /><br />I thought this was interesting from two aspects, that yes you can use big words in books for younger readers and they will infer their meaning (which is a question I think has come up on this blog before.) And also I never would have thought that the *audio* book would be so useful for helping learn and retain vocabulary!Erin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14372798979009008131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-73588471580330034662011-11-14T22:33:50.039-05:002011-11-14T22:33:50.039-05:00Writeforfun--I'm adding your question to my li...Writeforfun--I'm adding your question to my list.Gail Carson Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10098487903686296931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-50560096715808724002011-11-14T20:57:14.743-05:002011-11-14T20:57:14.743-05:00@ Gail - well, I suppose I'll keep working at ...@ Gail - well, I suppose I'll keep working at it, then. Hopefully my next one will be more fun:) Also, I've already read your extremely helpful section in writing magic about developing characters and I've filled out a character questionare for each of my characters, but they still seem sort of flat and Mary-Sue like, especially compared to the ones in my last book. I think part of my problem may be that they don't have lots of quirks and faults, despite my efforts to think up some and apply them. Any ideas on how to make these characters pop?writeforfunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15182389667164062711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-78131071537631714592011-11-14T15:39:39.077-05:002011-11-14T15:39:39.077-05:00I'm really worried that i don't have enoug...I'm really worried that i don't have enough action in my book. I'm not sure if i should change it or not because it might subtract to the story...<br /><br />@ Lark- Books that I read with different points of view usually go chapter by chapter, each character telling a different event, but you could also switch around, for instance, you have the event, then have the characters react one by one.<br />Hope that helps!Kaithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05208654690048385070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-73719500338900408362011-11-13T11:49:49.162-05:002011-11-13T11:49:49.162-05:00Thanks!Thanks!Agneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10724043592866159112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-91213426257115634262011-11-12T23:42:10.176-05:002011-11-12T23:42:10.176-05:00writeforfun--I find that some books are much easie...writeforfun--I find that some books are much easier to write than others. Some are fun and some are a misery. But I don't think the quality of the book is any different in the end.Gail Carson Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10098487903686296931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-41133389957058448342011-11-12T17:59:39.605-05:002011-11-12T17:59:39.605-05:00for Princess books, I love ED Baker... but especia...for Princess books, I love ED Baker... but especially the Wide Awake Princess. That one is fantastic! Wings, also by ED Baker, is a great fantasy book. <br />@Elizabeth-- I say, write the word the way it's pronounced. As in The Help, you can distinguish the character by the way she talks/writes, which is like an uneducated black woman in the sixties. Don't flip out about the spell checker (even though I do-- it has to be perfect before i can keep writing!!) and just use it the way it sounds. Like April said, you can worry about it in December.<br />Also, in my nano novel, I am writing with 4 different POVs. This is hard, because how should I define what events this characters tell about and what event both should and what events this one... etc, etc. A book is boring if they're all telling about the same thing, even from different POVs. Does anyone have some help for that quandary?<br />Thanks!!<br />btw, my username on NaNoWriMo (the young writer's program) is The Writeress... feel free to add me as our writing buddy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-74228210675609469782011-11-12T11:19:02.170-05:002011-11-12T11:19:02.170-05:00@ Agnes - What kind of advice are you looking for?...@ Agnes - What kind of advice are you looking for? If you mean what do readers like to see in a turning point, the most important things I can think of at the moment are that the turning point makes an impact, and that the author doesn't forget about the turning point. If you mean what kinds of turning point are there, I can think of physical, where the character actually changes (especially in fairytales) mental or moral, in which the character's mindset or outlook is changed by something (especially in novels) or plot, in which the whole course of events takes an unexpected turn. Of course, I'm sure I'm forgetting many, but those are the ones I can think of at the moment.writeforfunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15182389667164062711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-80888672102452197122011-11-12T11:11:24.490-05:002011-11-12T11:11:24.490-05:00Have you ever found that you enjoyed writing one b...Have you ever found that you enjoyed writing one book more than the other? I absolutely loved writing my last book - I wrote it in a little under six months because I couldn't get myself off the keyboard! Part of that was that I loved my characters, each with their own precious quirks and flaws. But I'm having a much harder time getting in to the one I'm working on now. The characters still seem underdeveloped, despite my efforts, and the pages just seem to drag on and on. Does this happen to anyone else, or is it just me? Should I give up and find another story that excites me, or should I stick it out?writeforfunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15182389667164062711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-71449573846198580392011-11-11T23:16:28.035-05:002011-11-11T23:16:28.035-05:00I had a writing professor--a slightly kooky one, I...I had a writing professor--a slightly kooky one, I admit--who told us that after a critique session, she liked to end by saying, "Thank you, that was very helpful"...then she'd leave the room and find somewhere to go cry. In a way, one of the biggest things that's helped me deal with criticism is realizing that it's NORMAL to feel devastated.<br /><br />At least at first. And then we have to pick up and move on. GREAT advice here on how to do that!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-17000806107870259382011-11-11T17:27:19.208-05:002011-11-11T17:27:19.208-05:00Oh, and about criticism, I have a writer friend wh...Oh, and about criticism, I have a writer friend who says about rejection slips "Rejections are trophies. They're proof that you're trying."<br /><br />I think criticism is also a trophy- it's proof that you finished a story and were brave enough to share it with someone.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-43679818790086451852011-11-11T17:23:13.747-05:002011-11-11T17:23:13.747-05:00Pretty much anything by Robin McKinley is good, al...Pretty much anything by Robin McKinley is good, although Deerskin and Sunshine are "adult" books, with disturbing parts. Depending on how strict your definition of "Princess book" is, besides Beauty there are The Hero and the Crown, The Blue Sword, Rose Daughter and Spindle's End.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-76243456180505748242011-11-11T16:52:54.118-05:002011-11-11T16:52:54.118-05:00Megan- I read a pretty interesting book recently. ...Megan- I read a pretty interesting book recently. It's called Once Upon a Marigold. I don't remember who it's by. It's an award winner though and it's quite easy to read.Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12793052470477585815noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-740129792261095572011-11-11T11:46:41.720-05:002011-11-11T11:46:41.720-05:00@welliewalks My question is sort of general.What a...@welliewalks My question is sort of general.What are your ideas about making the turning points good?Is there anything they have to have?Agneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10724043592866159112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-37778797333857027072011-11-10T20:51:21.718-05:002011-11-10T20:51:21.718-05:00I love this quote, forgot who said it:
I promise t...I love this quote, forgot who said it:<br />I promise to be my best friend first and my harshest critic second.<br />I always make sure I know my critic really well... My best friend does mine and I do hers, and no feelings are ever hurt.<br />But I want to join this writing group, where you are encouraged to critique so this is DEFINANTLY going to help me! Thank you!<br />Yes, so say what you LIKE before you say what needs help... <br />Writing is much easier than when they tell you. I email my friends, so that's so much easier. <br />Use smiley faces too! It'll show your tone of voice when you make notes on someone else's work.<br />@Agnes- is your question 'Is this okay?' Because I think it SO is. It'll keep readers WANTING to read more- you can't really have plot without turning the story around, so to speak.<br />@Elizabeth- it's FINE! Tons of authors write how it sounds. One author, Brigid Lowry, doesn't use any puncuation when one character thinks, which adds tone. It's great, really. If it still bugs you AFTER November, go ahead and edit that.welliewalkshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14893410214439057746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-60407616027903934942011-11-10T10:49:36.575-05:002011-11-10T10:49:36.575-05:00Hey I've got a question I would to like hear o...Hey I've got a question I would to like hear opinions about. In my NaNoWriMo I've got a turning point,a point where my MC finds out something that changes the story completely.Mine happens early in the story, I would like to know what people have to say on them.Agneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10724043592866159112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-64392041452170450122011-11-10T10:21:53.056-05:002011-11-10T10:21:53.056-05:00@Elizabeth - April is right that NaNoWriMo is all ...@Elizabeth - April is right that NaNoWriMo is all about turning off your inner editor. :) But if it's still causing you to pause every time, you'll feel better if you come to some sort of decision. <br /><br />Writing accents is difficult, and one I have thought about. As someone from Texas where people do say "did ya" as in "Did ya see that there cow jump over the fence?" (I say "people" but I do it to! But I don't say "that there cow.") I vote for sticking with "see ya" and "did ya." I think readers will stumble over it less.Erin Edwardshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14372798979009008131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-13112160501098630932011-11-10T08:38:35.949-05:002011-11-10T08:38:35.949-05:00Gail, I love all of those books too, so it makes m...Gail, I love all of those books too, so it makes me happy to see you suggest them. :)<br /><br />Another "princess" book (not a typical princess tale) that I like is Princess Academy by Shannon Hale.April Mackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12946968627887624127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-59686667563220135872011-11-10T08:35:49.915-05:002011-11-10T08:35:49.915-05:00Elizabeth, you're listening to your inner edit...Elizabeth, you're listening to your inner editor... DON'T! During NaNoWriMo the point is to turn your inner editor off and just write.<br /><br />You can worry about the "ya" usage once December comes this way. Right now, just write. Good luck!April Mackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12946968627887624127noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-70684899060903951332011-11-10T08:30:31.475-05:002011-11-10T08:30:31.475-05:00Megan--I love THE MOORCHILD by Eloise McGraw (not ...Megan--I love THE MOORCHILD by Eloise McGraw (not a princess book, but fantasy) and BEAUTY by Robin McKinley and THE GOOSE GIRL by Shannon Hale. I bet others will have more suggestions. Anyone?Gail Carson Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10098487903686296931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-50095233074889724492011-11-09T23:30:17.585-05:002011-11-09T23:30:17.585-05:00More from the website:
A character in my NaNoWriM...More from the website:<br /><br />A character in my NaNoWriMo novel has a speech characteristic. When she says the word "you" after saying another word, she pronounces it "ya" and tacks it onto the word, as in "seeya" and "didya". So far I've been typing it "see ya" and "did ya", but that doesn't sound quite right-it doesn't give the right affect. Should I say "didya" and "seeya" even though those aren't words, or should I keep typing "did ya" and "see ya"?<br />ElizabethGail Carson Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10098487903686296931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8275604993904054741.post-57957786949868967952011-11-09T23:29:22.363-05:002011-11-09T23:29:22.363-05:00From the website:
A thousand thank-you's, Gai...From the website:<br /><br />A thousand thank-you's, Gail! I'm still working on accepting criticism (and getting a little better at it, I think:-), but it helps tremendously to hear all your advice, and even to hear that others have the same problem. You, the great Gail Carson Levine, get nervous about critiquing? Now I feel a little bit better;-) I appreciate your advice, and I know it will help:-D<br />Ella<br /><br />And I say, Aw, shucks.Gail Carson Levinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10098487903686296931noreply@blogger.com