I'm not really a romance novel kinda gal, as a teenager I think I overloaded on books about quirky teen girls looking for love with the too-cool-for-school guy and ever since my interests have been more in the fantasy or sci-fi genre. That's not to say that I don't like a nice love story, one of my favourite books is One Day by David Nicholls, I just prefer it when the writer brings something new to the genre. Otherwise it's just a lot of 'Will they, won't they?' and 'Do I even care that much? I know they're going to get together, anyway.'
To put it plainly I like contemporary love stories to either be unconventional and unique or to be surrounded by a great futuristic battle or the like. The Rosie Project was the former and did it brilliantly. Our protagonist, Don Tillman, is a socially awkward genetics professor who wants to find a wife but doesn't really possess the life skills needed for such a venture and so begins something called 'The Wife Project.' Unsurprisingly, Don has a very strict criteria of what he wants in a potential mate and no one seems to quite match it. In comes Rosie, a young woman in search of her biological father who doesn't tick a single one of Don's boxes but manages to turn his world upside down. What could possibly happen?! I won't spoil the ending for you but I'm sure anyone who has ever read more than one book can figure it out. Although the ending is pretty clear from the get go the journey to arrive there is great fun. Don's various unsuccessful encounters with the opposite sex are both hilarious and heart breaking. As I said, the ending is obvious, so when he goes on these many dates it's best not to get too frustrated with him and just enjoy the ride. Simsion's words are always spot on and caused me to smile at the text numerous times. In addition to the lovable but sometimes infuriating Don, there is a brilliant cast of secondary characters that provide him with the situations to woo Rosie without him realising, most notably on their quest to find her biological father. Even though the plot may seem a bit far-fetched Simsion weaves in his cast of extras perfectly so that you don't question the story too much. I read one review that labelled this book as 'Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory looks for a wife' and I think that is the perfect way to sum up this book. It's silly, it's funny and, yes, it's romantic in its own way. Love may be one of the major themes but, thankfully, due to Don's character it's not described with long, overly descriptive poems or screaming out in anguish in the middle of a thunder storm. It is approached in a fairly clinical way and yet, somehow, the book doesn't reduce its importance. If you're looking for a straight forward approach to love with a few laughs along the way then this is definitely the book for you.
0 Comments
I have a confession to make. I'm having an affair. With a Word document.
Recently there have been a few writing competitions that I have come across, which I have been keen to enter, and so I have written a couple of short stories in addition to the sequel that I'm working on. However, I've found that I've loved working on these small projects and the idea of writing more short stories to explore some of the other ideas I have is very enticing. The only problem is that I feel like I'm cheating on my novel, which I feel should be taking priority in terms of my writing time. If I'm serious about getting my books published then, surely, I should be spending as much of my time on them as possible, right? When it came to writing the first book this was definitely the case but I think part of me feels that there is less pressure when it comes to the second book because, let's face it, I haven't even got an agent for the first book, yet. This means that I don't necessarily even have to write it, I'm just doing it because I enjoy doing so and really do love the characters and story that I've created in the first book. This is probably why I've allowed myself to spend some time writing whatever comes in to my brain and getting lost in new worlds filled with new people. There is always the risk that delving in to something new and shiny with bucket loads of potential is going to distract me from my current, prolonged work and, in the end, it turns out to be a dud that I wasted time on. Even though I do feel guilty at times for working on other projects I'm starting to accept that it's perfectly fine to do so because, as a writer, there's nothing worse than an idea that refuses to leave your mind. It will stick around for weeks, posing questions and seemingly creating its own characters until you get it down on paper and give it the structure it deserves. Having lots of ideas can't be a bad thing, can it? Enkindled may be the project I'm most focused on now but, hopefully, when I'm finished with it there will be a desire from people to read something new and I'd like to be able to fulfill it. So, even though affairs very rarely end well, I'm going to continue with mine with the mindset that it's just a bit of fun on the side as long as I come home to the world that I've loved for so long. Hello, there! Happy New Year and all that jazz! Sorry for not logging on sooner but, like most people, Christmas is a very busy time of year and I have neglected my blog. But I'm here now so you can dry your eyes and read whatever intellectual and challenging thoughts I have for you today (if only.)
Yesterday I came across this article on The Guardian's website and thought it made for a very interesting read. If any of you have read my articles on Story Star Publishing you will know that I am a huge advocate for reading, especially among children and teenage audiences and what Rachel Cooke says in the article did make my heart sink a little. I have nothing against technology (heck, this blog wouldn't exist if I did) but I don't see why it can't happily co-exist with more traditional past times such as reading. I know there are a lot of apps now that incorporate stories and make them come to life on the screen as you read them, which is great, but I am worried that sitting down and just reading a book, whether it's in print or an e-book, is no longer seen as a viable use of our time. As a child I would often pick up a book, quickly get lost in it and forget the outside world and then when I was finished I wouldn't know what to do with myself because my head was still lost in the story. The older I get the less that this experience happens, probably because I'm more able to separate fiction from real life these days, but when it does I both adore and hate the feeling. I love it because it makes my brain pulsate with thoughts and emotions and I hate it because for those few days afterwards I don't see how any other book could possibly be as good as the one I've just read. I think we can all agree that magic doesn't exist in our mortal realm but I truly believe that the experience I've just described is the closest thing we can get. It's not a physical, tangible thing but one of the strongest emotions you are ever likely to feel and it's all down to some words on some pages! So who wouldn't want to feel that? Who wouldn't want their child to feel that? As Cooke writes, we have been telling stories since the beginning of time in the hope of fathoming the world in which we live and, to be honest, does Facebook even come close to doing that? All we find out there is who is sleeping with who or get an update on the latest weird cat video. I myself am guilty of wasting hours on the internet rather than reading a book but when I do finally drag myself away from the temptations of the twenty first century I chastise myself for taking so long. That book has been waiting for me to devour it and I haven't shown it the least bit of respect by staring at my computer screen. It's pretty clear that I am a mad woman, especially when it comes to books, but I don't care. Not everyone shares this madness but I firmly believe that's because they haven't found the right book and I urge you to keep looking until you do, even if you leave fifty or so half finished. Because when you find that book that makes your brain want to explode you will never look back. So I've sent my book off to an agent (eek!) and eagerly await their reply. In an odd way I'm looking forward to the rejection letters that are likely to come as, to me, it means that I'm at least on my way in to the writing world. And, of course, if I do ever get published I can remind said agents that they rejected my masterpiece (I would never do that, I'm too worried about karma/I'm too much of a wimp.)
Anyway, now that my book has been sent off I've been feeling a bit lost as to what to write next. I've been writing down ideas for future projects but my mind is very much focused on my book series and I just can't wait to crack on. I know how it's all going to end and I've got a plan for the bits in between, which will probably change but at least I have a plan for now, and so all I want to do is write it. I have started writing a very poor first draft but from my experience with my first book the first draft is always naff and then after it's been obsessed over for months everything turns out all right in the end. I'm really enjoying it so far but at the back of my head all I keep thinking is: "Am I jinxing this?" By writing the rest of the series am I setting myself up for a fall? If you've read any of my previous posts (which you should do, they're bloody marvelous) you will know that I'm quite careful about how I talk about myself and my writing. I want to seem confident but not too confident and I do worry that writing the sequel to my book, which hasn't even been picked up yet let alone published, means that I'm getting a bit cocky. However, I REALLY LOVE WRITING STORIES and so I feel that it's perfectly acceptable for me to jump right in to the next one. If all goes well, I have a sequel ready to edit and rewrite and if it doesn't then I've created something that I've enjoyed. It doesn't bother me that I may have written a complete novel that needs to be changed, if a publisher wants to publish it then I'll do pretty much whatever they want but if I haven't enjoyed the process then that will bother me. I'm creating stories that I'm really passionate about and would like to read myself. Yes, I want to be published but if I let the business of writing and all of its possible outcomes get inside my head I may never type or write another word, again. Therefore, I'm plowing on with my sequel and no one can stop me! Okay, so it's not 'Lady Rees of Cardiff' but I think it's even better news as I've spent months worrying about it BUT I finally have a title for my book!
I have spent so long trying to think of something that sums up the book and so finally deciding on a name has been a huge relief. As I mentioned in my previous post I'm completely useless when it comes to opening/closing sentences and titles so it's a small miracle that it hasn't taken me another five months just to think of a name. I think my biggest concern over the title was that I'm hoping for the book to be the first in a series and so I feel there is more weight placed upon the title of the first book as it sets the tone for the rest of the series. As well as this a book series is often named after the first book and, if by some amazing piece of luck, my books are successful then I don't want to be wincing every time someone mentions the 'X Series'. So what is this [incredible] title I hear you cry! Well, I can officially announce (I'm trying to sound more important than I am, you may have noticed) that Ellie Rees' debut novel will be called 'Enkindled'. "That's amazing! How on God's green earth did you come up with that?!" Thank you, dear reader, that is most kind of you and in answer to your question, I had to put pressure on myself. During the course of my writing I've kept telling myself that I can think of a title at the end but now that I'm in a position whereby the book is very nearly where I want it to be I can't really move forward with it until I have title. Therefore, I made myself sit down and think about a title. I thought all about the useless ones I had come up with thus far and told myself never to think about them again, there's no way I could ever make them work. I then thought about my story as a whole, rather than focusing on just one aspect of the plot which I had been doing until that point. Surprisingly, forcing myself to come up with a title actually worked and I almost slapped myself for not thinking of it before, especially because it's one of my favourite words that I use in the book. As it turns out, 'Enkindled' could not be more perfect for me nor for the story I'm trying to tell. So I've finally finished the second draft of my book! Hoorah! I am actually really excited and happy about this as I feel that the story is a lot stronger and more developed than the first draft, although there are still some kinks I need to iron out and so the third draft beckons!
One aspect of writing that I've always struggled with and that has become more prominent during the writing of this book is ending a chapter or paragraph effectively. When I've come to the end of a section, like most writers, I want it to end with a punch that stays in the reader's head but I always feel that my attempts are mediocre at best. I became aware that I am falling in to a pattern of ending chapters with short, sharp sentences, which is great when you want to shock the reader or create suspense but twenty-two chapters of the same technique can get incredibly boring and predictable. I know that a lot of screenwriters live by the rule of 'end a scene with a visual' but there doesn't seem to a general train of thought when it comes to novel writing. I suppose this is a good thing as the writer has complete creativity but I have to say that I am clueless when it comes to writing a powerful ending. Another thing I struggle with is titles, I still haven't given my book a title let alone the chapters! I know I'm going to forego chapter titles otherwise I'll spend months screaming in frustration but I can't not have a book title, can I? Everything I think of seems too over the top, cheesy or dramatic and I don't want people to laugh at my book before they've even read it. I've tried looking at key themes and plot points but nothing is coming to me and I just wonder if this is a problem for a lot of writers or just me. I know that some writers have a title before they even begin writing but I always thought I'd discover mine along the way and so I'm hoping that the third draft brings with it a light bulb moment. Anyway, if anyone has any tips on how to rectify this problems I would be eternally grateful if you could send them my way. I'm more excited about this book than ever and I really want it to be as great as it can be before I begin the, no doubt, painful task of getting it out to publishers. And now I can't think of a decent sentence to end this post with. As my search for a job goes on I have suddenly become my family's PA, which means that anything that needs posting, buying or collecting is now my responsibility. My mother has also been on at me to clean the house from top to bottom every twenty-four hours but we all know that's not going to happen (even if I did I would never meet her high standards, she takes house proud to new dizzying heights.) But besides my new role as Ellie Rees, Family Admin Clerk, I have tried to fill as much of my time with writing my book as possible and it's all getting quite exciting!
I'm currently writing the second draft and all the anxieties and worries I had over the first are ever so slowly disappearing as I develop plots, add new ones and change my characters. My main problem is that I tend to get a bit carried away and want to cram all of my new ideas in and, a lot of the time, I don't need them or I just need to hold back until later on in the book or series (if it ever gets that far.) Sometimes I will have a sudden brainwave and solve a plot point that has been nagging at me for days so I quickly make a note of it and before I know it this new idea has spawned another twenty that I have to include, somehow. Although I do believe in writing down every idea that pops in to my head in case I may want to use it for other projects, there does come a point when you have to be strict and critical with yourself. One of the biggest dilemmas I have been facing in writing a fantasy book is that I want this world to seem as real as it can be, which means every aspect from what food is popular to what its people do for fun has to be covered if it's going to be convincing. Therefore, I feel like I need to keep adding a plethora of information in to the book so that the reader has no doubt in their mind that this place could be real. The tricky bit is knowing what to include and what not to include, something I'm learning as I continue along the writing process. Do I really need to describe how my fantasy people live in great depth or is it best to slowly reveal this over the course of the story? Which is more natural? I suppose there is an argument for both as the reader needs to know the characters' surroundings before that part of the plot can move forward but I also think that an overload of description and information can quickly become dull and boring. In any real life situation we are not given the facts all at once and straight away, we discover them for ourselves or learn about them so I think that is the best way to approach my writing. Getting carried away with ideas is a great way to get creative and open up new possibilities but I know that I also need to try and be that person who can show some restraint and can lead my reader along with enough juicy bits to keep them interested. Here's hoping! Once again I have neglected my blog but I have spent the last month hopelessly and tirelessly looking for a job and slowly moving back to South Wales with my parents so things have been a bit crazy!
The only thing that has been keeping me marginally sane is my writing (although I think being a bit crazy can only be good for your work) and today I realised that I had written myself in to a corner. Without going in to too much detail I've had to write certain rules for my fantasy world but there was one crucial part of my story that completely broke all of these rules and I didn't even notice it until today when I was redrafting my outline. However, one of my friends (Hi, Molly) gave me a brilliant idea that, although after some serious thinking I can't really use, seemed to solve my problems. I immediately shouted out with joy before joking that she better not sue me for intellectual property if I ever get published. Although this was a joke and I'm pretty sure she would never sue me (please don't sue me, Molly) it did get me thinking about inspiration, ideas and when it's acceptable to use other people's. I know that there are many theories about there are only a handful of stories in the world that we rehash and that some authors use other authors to inspire their work but is it okay to blatantly take another person's idea and put it in your story? I think it can be a very thin line and in my situation it is perfectly acceptable as my friend was genuinely trying to help me get out of this hole I had dug myself in to. Asking people to read your drafts and then give you ideas is only going to improve your work and if they give you the last missing piece of your puzzle then, hopefully, a dedication at the start of the book will be enough for them. Writers may be creative people but that doesn't mean we have everything defined and sorted from the start so I do not see why we should feel guilty about helping each other out. After all, if we're truly committed to our stories why shouldn't we do everything we can to make it the best it can be? Of course, taking one author's idea and just rewriting it something I cannot get on board with. There will always be similarities between books, especially fantasy ones as magic and the supernatural are always going to be prominent features across the board. I think the key is to put your own spin on it and make your own rules and stick to them in order to make your story original. There are plenty of story formulas and it can be difficult to avoid these but stealing key elements of someone else's work is dodgy to say the least. Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery but it's probably not very interesting and I'm sure you'd end up in loads of trouble. With this in mind I'm beginning to appreciate that writing is not as insular as I once thought. Without sounding too pretentious, I get inspiration from the people around me, the things I do and everything else I see in the world so my ideas can't all just be lazing around in my brain waiting for me to pluck them out. Writing isn't necessarily a team effort but I think that maybe it would be a little arrogant of me to think that everything I write is a simple result of my creativity as there's a lot more going on before the words even hit the page. Apologies in the long delay (and for the awful title, I'm no good with titles), I'm sure you've been checking this site everyday for my latest post and have been ridiculously disappointed to find that it has not been posted but, do not worry, as the wait is over. I've just finished a very intense and tiring summer job so now I have a lot of free time to write and blog (unless I get another job, which would be very nice.)
Anyway, the job I have just finished involved guiding students from other countries around London and entertaining them when they weren't being taught English by the summer school's teachers. I only bring this up because, without sounding like a pretentious twit, the whole month that I worked there has changed my perspective on what I want to do with my life. I still want to be a published author and write screenplays but I've also realised that I want to see the world and have new experiences. I always knew this to some extent but it was more of a wish than a burning desire but that's now changed and I'm desperate to experience as many new things as possible, preferably good things, the bad things can just do one. I believe that immersing yourself in new ideas and ways of living is also the best way to improve yourself as a writer. If you're meant to write what you know but all you know is a nondescript street in South Wales then that's not going to make for a very good story, is it? Obviously imagination is crucial to a good story and I'm a firm believer that imagination is as important as life experiences but when it comes to the sights, smells and interacting with the people from a place then the best way to understand these things is to be there in the flesh. Therefore, I'm going to throw myself into any interesting opportunities that may come way, as I try to do anyway, but I'm also going to actively seek out new experiences just to see if I have a hidden talent or passion for something that I never knew existed. Check back in a month to see if this chipper gal is still as optimistic as she is right now, I certainly hope so for all of our sakes! For the few of you that read this blog I have to apologise for the delay in my latest post as I've just started my summer job and the hours are very long and tiring, which means very little time for writing!
Speaking of my new job, there was a little incident today that, although it wasn't anything major, it did force me to question my ability to do the job. I think Ii'm a fairly confident person and, as Maria von Trapp would say, I do have a great deal of confidence in myself. However, I'm very aware of not coming across as big headed, arrogant or egotistical twit and so sometimes I do doubt myself. I'm sure this is the case for a lot of people, particularly writers. I know that I'm a fairly decent writer but even writing that sentence puts me on edge. Stating that I am somewhat talented opens me up to criticism and ridicule if I cannot back up my claims and the only way to confirm if I am talented is by putting my work out there for other people to read. Therefore, I am one of those people who always downplays their abilities so that I don't risk disappointing anyone. For example, I love the idea of my book and have thoroughly enjoyed the process so far but when someone asks me to explain it to them I am very reluctant to go in to too much detail in case they think that I've bitten off more than I can chew or, perhaps worst of all, that it just sounds awful. I am particularly worried because if the book does end up being a YA fantasy fiction book it may be compared to incredible writers such as Suzanne Collins or J.K. Rowling (now that sentence does sound arrogant) and I would never claim to be as talented as they are. However, believing that I could be targeting a similar audience may be a useful way to inject some confidence in to my writing. Not all writers want to be published or for their work to be read, which is great for them, but I would really like my work to be out in the public arena and I think that a certain degree of confidence is essential in order for that to happen. I know I'm the kind of person who can get things done and I also know that I'm incredibly hard working. I don't believe that this is arrogant but a fact about my personality and I'm not afraid to promote that about me. On the other hand, I would never say that I'm going to be a famous author because a) I can't predict the future and b) the only way to determine my worth as a writer is by the feedback from my readers. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that there is nothing wrong with being confident in your writing by pushing it to new levels or believing that it is a unique story that must be told but you must also write with an attitude of humbleness because thinking you are something doesn't make it true, no matter how much you wish it. |
Archives
January 2023
Categories
All
|