The Problem with Romance

I got a fair number of books for Christmas, and I've been powering through them. Most of them are in the Young Adult genre. And none of them are predominately Romance.

And one thing I've noticed about them, is the overwhelming romance in them. You can't get five pages in to the book without the main character describing the obvious love interest as 'gorgeous'.

Can I just take a moment to wonder why words like that are necessary? Most people don't read books to find out how good looking a character is. They tend to read them for the actual personality of the character. Mentioning the beautiful mysteriousness of a person's eyes may sound pretty, but does it really move the plot forward? Does it give the reader and insight to this character's personality?
No.

I wrote a post about character development here.

The only thing is does do, if the story is told in first person particularly, is make the main character sound rather shallow. If you want the reader to like the love interest and understand why the main character likes them, just like with any other character, work on their personality. Work out how this character would act in certain situations. Know the character, not the looks.

Another issue is insta-love, when your MC, or any other character for that matter, meets the love interest, and it is automatically Love At First Sight. They then go on to become an obvious couple immediately, even if it's not actually official, leaving the reader wondering why they like each other in the first place.
In real life, people don't fall for each other that easily. And neither should your characters.

I know I've hammered this point rather a lot, but a story sticks longer in your mind if you've connected with the character's personality.

How to survive NaNoWriMo...

...otherwise know as National Novel Writing Month.
For those who don't know, NaNoWriMo is a challenge for you to write 50,000 words (different ones, obviously) in one month.

I'm not actually doing it this month (I have exams) but seeing as it starts in a few days (1st of November) I figured I would give you some tips on how to survive, and hopefully emerge victorious.

1) Have a plan
If you don't know at least the basics, like how you'll begin, the middle, and how it ends, how can you hope to win? Even if you are a pantser, make sure you at least have a brief outline prepared.

2) Set aside time to write
In order to complete the challenge, you'll need to write about 1,667 words a day. Maybe you find that easy, maybe you don't, but the whole challenge will feel a lot more accomplishable (ok, not a word...) if you put aside time to write every day rather than stealing the occasional five minutes. You must commit!

3) Don't give in to those inner thoughts!
You know the ones I mean. That little voice in your head that tells you it's rubbish, you're not good enough, you'll never complete it. Ignore them. Banish them from your mind. Because if you really motivate yourself, you can do it. You will feel, at times, like there's no point continuing. But there will be other days when you feel on top of the world and that everyone should bow down to your awesomeness. Embrace those days, and ignore the others. Even if it isn't the greatest writing in the world, you can always edit it later. Your goal is word count, not beautifully flowing descriptions.
Don't give up!


Remember, NaNoWriMo isn't just about 50,000 words. It can improve your writing in other ways too. When I did it in August, I didn't reach 50,000 words. But I completed the longest novel I'd ever written in the shortest amount of time it had ever taken me, and my writing skills greatly improved. Since then, I have been able to write much more in far less time, and I've found it easier to get the words out in the way I wanted. NaNoWriMo has other benefits, so don't worry if you don't quite hit 50,000.

Good luck!

Gone, by Michael Grant

Whoops, it's been a month. Exactly a month in fact...
Anyway, onto the book review.

Suddenly it’s a world without adults and normal has crashed and burned. When life as you know it ends at 15, everything changes. There are no adults, no answers.

Those left must do all they can to survive.

But everyone’s idea of survival is different. Some look after themselves, some look after others, and some will do anything for power . . . Even kill.

For Sam and Astrid, it is a race against time as they try to solve the questions that now dominate their lives . . . What is the mysterious wall that has encircled the town of Perdido Beach and trapped everyone within? Why have some kids developed strange powers? And can they defeat Caine and his gang of bullies before they turn fifteen and disappear too?

It isn't until the world collapses around you that you find out what kind of person you really are.

I decided to read this because I was recommended to read Plague, the fourth in the series. While I enjoyed the concept, I didn't understand the characters or the setting or anything that was happening. But the concept was so fascinating, I decided to have a look at the first.
To be completely honest, I didn't approach it with high hopes. In the fourth book, there seemed to be so many characters, and I fears it would be the same in the first.
I was wrong.

Cover: *****
I love the cover. It stands out, with the black against green (or yellow, depending on the light), and it's ambiguous. It doesn't insist you think the characters look a certain way. I realise that there is another version, with people on the front. But I prefer this one.
Plus, the edges of the pages were bright green.

If all books had coloured edges, I would reorder my bookshelf so it looked like a rainbow. But I digress.

Plot: *****
It was engaging. The problems escalated throughout the book, constantly raising the stakes, and always causing me to ask questions (and thus forcing me to read on). And, even though there were lots of hints and clues, not everything was revealed. And so, obviously, now I have to get the next one.

Characters: ****
They were extremely well developed, especially considering the large cast. I could understand their actions, even when they weren't necessarily for the good. There was some real empathy going on here, even for the lesser characters.
My one problem was that there were so many, which led to head hopping. Sam was the main character, but I often found myself in Astrid, or Quinn's head, which could be a little disorientating.

Writing: ****
This book was extremely well written. Michael Grant has a style that, while urging you to read on, doesn't get in the way of the actual storytelling. It was seamless. The only problem was the occasional head hop, as I mentioned before.

Other:
If you look at the back cover of the book, you'll see a count down. The count down continues at the beginning of each chapter. And you don't find out what it's for until near the end. It was pretty exciting.

Overall, I would give this book five stars. Definitely recommended.

How to Create a Character from Scratch

In my opinion, characters are the most important aspect in a story. You don't have to agree with me, but just think of this: in the books that people seem to rave about (Harry Potter, Hunger Games etc) what is it that they reference most?
Not the plot.
Everyone remembers Ron Weasley (why didn't I say HP? Because, seriously, the clue's in the name) and Katniss. They are great characters, with personalities and goals. That's what drives a story.
Characters are also where a story can fall flat. You don't want to root for a cardboard cutout.

So, here's something to fill in to aid you in creating a unique character:
Name:
Age:
Internal Conflict:
What they will do about it:
External Conflict:
What they will do about it:
Enemy (ie the character's antagonist):
How they made this enemy and what they will do about it:
Hobby/skill:

Sometimes the answer will be short. Sometimes it won't. Whatever it takes for you to get a good understanding of your character.
Of course, this just gives you the basics. You won't have a full character quite yet. But this should be helpful for starting a story, plotting, and pin pointing the main things about your character.

Hope you found this helpful!

The Art of Ideas

Since this is the first proper post, I thought I'd start at the beginning of a writer's process - with the ideas.

Sometimes, your mind feels like fireworks, with ideas sparking off each other in a rainbow of colours. Others, it feels like soggy cardboard. So, on those soggy cardboard days, when you're desperate to writer but you don't know what, here are some ways to be inspired:

1) Don't just wait for it to happen.
Yes, I know you occasionally will get struck by inspiration lightening. But it's extremely rare, and sitting at the computer staring at a blank screen tends to only achieve eye strain. Remember, you're only a writer if you write!

2) Look at the news.
There's always something going on. There are inspiring rescue stories, terrible wars, a missing person. There are many things on there that could give you an idea. When you read a story, think about the what ifs, the whys, and the whos. Say there was a gas explosion. What if it wasn't really a gas explosion? What if it was a cover up? Why was it a cover up? Who did it? Who was affected?
If you have a favourite genre to write, add in something of your own. For example, like fantasy? Maybe it was actually a magic explosion - a wizard spell gone wrong?

3) Go out for a walk.
Walks are best for this. Look out for people on the way. Without staring (because that would be creepy) see their facial expressions, body language. Are there two people chatting together? Is there another girl trying to join it? Maybe someone's walking ahead and ignoring those behind? How about in a cafe? Is someone eating alone? Why? Make up a scenario.

4) Look at the history.
I must confess, history is my favourite inspiration. After all, history is one big story - the clue's in the name.
I've never written a historical novel, but the situation has been taken from a snippet, then twisted round. For example, my current work in progress is based loosely on the Russian Revolution in the 1900s. Of course, it's in an entirely different world, but that's the best part. You can completely change an event into something of your own by changing the characters, setting, or details of the event.

5) Read your favourite books.
Obviously, you can't just copy them. But you can think about why they're your favourite. If you can writer something you enjoy, then you're more likely to be inspired by your own story.

6) Question everything.

 

How about you? Do you have any tried and tested ways to be inspired?

Welcome!

Welcome to Scribblings of an Inkmouse. You may call me Tiny1, Tiny, Inkmouse, Inkie, or anything else that takes your fancy. I am an aspiring author who hopes to help fellow writers in their...writerly pursuits.
Among other things, this blog will give advice and tips on writing. So if you're stuck halfway through your novel and need advice, need some inspiration, or simply want to take a break, Inkmouse is the place to be.
Thank you for visiting, and I hope to see you again soon!