Perhaps this should be titled Flashbacks, Flashforwards, and Flashing in General? Today, good people of the blogosphere, we will be discussing memories, dreams, and thoughts. Read on and enjoy!
There are a ton of ways to do a flashback when writing a novel. But you don't want to take your reader out of the tale and inundate them with backstory. You'll find they skip over those parts; that's bad. So let's discuss ways to make your flashbacks and such important as well as give a few ideas on how to work them in.
Leading up to the flashback, there should be some reason it's about to occur. This could be the character standing immobilized with fear or could be that he/she sees something that sparks a memory. It's the words leading up to the flashback, dream, or inner-dialogue that will keep your reader engaged.
Explain, don't tell. Flashbacks, dreams, or inner-dialogue could go in italics to remind your reader that they're in the head of the character. Some people prefer to put an extra space before and after and just leave them in regular type. I, personally, prefer both reading and writing these scenes in italics. But there must be good transition in order to keep my attention.
I'll use examples from a couple of my books.
In Yassa, when young Genghis Khan has a dream, they are almost always telling the future and are usually terrifying. So, instead of writing that he fell asleep and is about to have a dream about it, I write that his head hit the pillow and he was seized by the terror of a nightmare. Then the dream sequence begins and I put it all in italics. To make it relevant, later on I tell that happenings occur just as they did in his dream. Those dreams are never boring and always leave my hero either with residual feelings or a call to action when he wakes up. This is what I call a flashforward. Unless you're writing about someone who is clairvoyant (as Genghis believed he was), this won't work.
I do the same with Markaza in Mystic.
I don't use it at all in The Abigale Chronicles series for two reasons: 1. I begin book one at the beginning of all the craziness and 2. I don't want the reader to know if Abigale is dreaming or not - the mystery is half the fun!!
Inner-dialogue also goes into italics in my books; just to let the reader know this isn't something that's being said, rather something that's being thought.
Flashbacks work the same way. If you're going to give a flashback, the reader should understand why, who it's about, and what time period it takes place in.
A good example would be if a character is remembering something traumatic from childhood. This memory could be sparked by him/her smelling a rose and having a flashback of a friend who died and had roses on their coffin that smelled the same way. This character may close their eyes and remember every detail of that funeral (including at what time it took place) but it should be no more than a few paragraphs and there should be an emotional reaction in the present that justifies the memory's significance. Perhaps the rose they smell is then ripped to shreds and the character cries for their loss while babbling about it to a stranger. It must be relevant in that it shapes an action or explains something about the character's behavior in the here and now.
Flashbacks should be short and are different from a step-back through time which can be whole chapters with no need for italics.
Inner-dialogue should be treated the same way. If the character is thinking something, don't pull the reader out of the here and now to deliver it. Work it in with the current happenings.
I hope this helps explain a few things about flashbacks, dreams, and thoughts.
Any questions? What's your take? How do you work in flashbacks, dreams, or inner-dialogue?
On a totally unrelated note, my daughter used a word incorrectly yesterday that made me correct her a couple of times. She used the word ideal instead of idea when she was talking about a thought a character in a book we were reading had. Granted she's only six, but better to squash that word butchering out of her now. It's difficult being my kid!!
Tomorrow, we discuss those pesky things known as adjectives!! To use, or not to use? Come on back to find out how to delete them with zero consequences!!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Week 13: The Next Big Thing
Welcome
to The Next Big Thing Blog Hop! By hopping through the blogs on my page, you’ll
have the opportunity to discover some great new authors and read about some
great new books coming soon. I encourage you to visit as many as possible.
What is
the working title of your book?
I was tagged by Mr. Robert Chazz Chute of Chazz Writes.
Without
further ado, let’s get going!
My ten questions and answers:
What is
the working title of your book?
There
are two: Mystic ~ Lily and The Abigale Chronicles – Book Three. This is a doubly special blog post because it's also a cover reveal for The Abigale Chronicles.
Where
did the idea come from for the book?
The
idea for Lily came from the idea for the whole Mystic series. I wanted a strong
woman with values that were solid. When she breaks down and betrays those
values because of her situation, it gives me an opportunity to show how one can
recover from a fall. All my characters in this series are strong women who
fight through tough times and make a pact to change the world. I want to speak
to people and make them consider a different point of view for once.
As for
The Abigale Chronicles, my six-year-old daughter gave me the idea. I write the
series for her and she requested (very politely) that there be dragons,
fairies, princesses, and knights. So, for the third book in the Abigale series,
I gave her exactly what she asked for. She giggled a lot while we read it.
What
genre does your book fall under?
Lily
falls under the genres paranormal and urban fiction while The Abigale
Chronicles are chapter books for young readers.
Which
actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Wow!
What a great question! I would have to say, for Lily, she would be played by
either Sara Paxton or Hayden Panettiere (of course, if Hayden, she would need
some way to look much taller, perhaps) and Markaza would be played by Hailee
Steinfeld because she has that edgy look. Elisabeth Moss for Shelia and Cobie Smulders
for Bronya. For Abigale, Emma Furhman and for Emmett, Max Records.
What is
the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Mystic
~ Lily: The second of six women, one battle to save the world.
The
Abigale Chronicles – Book Three: A dragon, a princess, and a knight fight all
odds to give the one true gift: kindness to another.
Will
your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
They
will both be self-published.
How
long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took
me three weeks to write Lily and a week and a half to write Abigale.
What
other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
There
are no other books like these that I’ve found. If you see some, point me that
way, please.
Who or
What inspired you to write this book?
My
daughter inspired me to write The Abigale Chronicles.
The
hate in the world inspired me to write the Mystic books. I feel like I have a
voice inside of me struggling to get out and change perception. Tolerance and judgement of others are topics I have strong opinions on.
What
else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
This installment of The
Abigale Chronicles has lots of humor for children. My daughter cracked up when
the dragon burped and set things on fire.
Mystic
deals with tolerance of people that make life choices that are different. I
hope people really pay attention to the unique chance they have to see the world
through someone else’s eyes. If you know anyone (or been through it yourself)
who’s dealt with being homosexual and hidden, depressed, disfigured, addicted
to drugs, anorexic, abused as a child, or anyone who’s made that difficult
decision to have an abortion, you’ll “get” this series. It will speak to you.
You can find the first book in the Mystic series here: Mystic ~ Bronya
You can find the first book in the Mystic series here: Mystic ~ Bronya
Now the links for my five fellow bloggers:
I hope you've all enjoyed this blog for The Next Big Thing Blog Hop. Keep going and meet some other wonderful authors!!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Pesky Pronouns
Today I'm gonna talk about her. You know, she, him, it. Let's get to it.
A pronoun is a reference to the last person named in the text. If you use the word she after saying Abigale's mother, or her mother, whatever you put after the word she is referencing, not Abigale, but her mother.
Examples:
Abigale flew into her mother's arms and buried her head in the crook of her arm. This is incorrect. Even though it may sound okay in your head, it's wrong.
What you're saying is Abigale flew into her mother's arms and buried her mother's head in the crook of her mother's arm.
What you wanted to say is (and you have to reword or it sounds ridiculous): Louise's arms caught Abigale as she flew into them and buried her head. This is correct.
Now, if you have Abigale and Emmett both in the sentence, it's okay to use he and she because we know who the last gender named was.
Abigale and Emmett were walking through the woods at a good pace when she suddenly stopped and turned to him. She said, "Emmett, stop stepping on my shoes!" This is correct.
Let's throw another boy into the mix now.
Abigale, Emmett, and Mark were walking through the woods at a good pace when she suddenly stopped and turned to him. She said, "Emmett, stop stepping on my shoes!" This is incorrect. If she wanted to speak to Emmett, he either should have been listed last or the pronoun should have been them.
Am I confusing you yet? I thought I might be.
I have a simple trick to examine a sentence (you will thank me someday, I hope):
Wherever he, she, it, them, they, her, his, their, its, etc... appears, go back through the sentence and replace the pronoun with the name of the last person named. If it still reads the way you meant for it to, you are correct. If it doesn't, some rewording is in order.
If I used it on the example above with the three children, it would read like this:
Abigale, Emmett, and Mark were walking through the woods at a good pace when Abigale suddenly stopped and turned to Mark. Abigale said, "Emmett, stop stepping on my shoes!"
It reads wrong. She should be turning to Emmett. See how easy that was to find?
Now, there are times I misplace my pronouns (it's SOOOO easy to do!) but I thought I'd share a little bit of info and maybe a tip to help you in your personal editing journey. Many times, you'll find you have to reword a whole sentence to make it work with your pronouns. But take the time to do that. You won't be sorry.
Tomorrow, I'm participating in a blog hop about the next big thing. You'll get to hear about Mystic ~ Lily, and The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three (and see the cover! yay!). If you don't have a copy of Mystic ~ Bronya yet, you need to go pick one up! If you haven't read The Abigale Chronicles - Book One or Book Two with your kids yet, what are you waiting for? Those little beauties are just $1.99 on Kindle and just $5.99 for the paperbacks!
Thursday, I'm discussing thoughts, flashbacks, and flashforwards and tips on not confusing your readers when you write those scenes. If you have a topic you'd like to see on Friday, let me know in the comments!
Did this help anyone or did I leave you more confused? What else would you like to see?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
A pronoun is a reference to the last person named in the text. If you use the word she after saying Abigale's mother, or her mother, whatever you put after the word she is referencing, not Abigale, but her mother.
Examples:
Abigale flew into her mother's arms and buried her head in the crook of her arm. This is incorrect. Even though it may sound okay in your head, it's wrong.
What you're saying is Abigale flew into her mother's arms and buried her mother's head in the crook of her mother's arm.
What you wanted to say is (and you have to reword or it sounds ridiculous): Louise's arms caught Abigale as she flew into them and buried her head. This is correct.
Now, if you have Abigale and Emmett both in the sentence, it's okay to use he and she because we know who the last gender named was.
Abigale and Emmett were walking through the woods at a good pace when she suddenly stopped and turned to him. She said, "Emmett, stop stepping on my shoes!" This is correct.
Let's throw another boy into the mix now.
Abigale, Emmett, and Mark were walking through the woods at a good pace when she suddenly stopped and turned to him. She said, "Emmett, stop stepping on my shoes!" This is incorrect. If she wanted to speak to Emmett, he either should have been listed last or the pronoun should have been them.
Am I confusing you yet? I thought I might be.
I have a simple trick to examine a sentence (you will thank me someday, I hope):
Wherever he, she, it, them, they, her, his, their, its, etc... appears, go back through the sentence and replace the pronoun with the name of the last person named. If it still reads the way you meant for it to, you are correct. If it doesn't, some rewording is in order.
If I used it on the example above with the three children, it would read like this:
Abigale, Emmett, and Mark were walking through the woods at a good pace when Abigale suddenly stopped and turned to Mark. Abigale said, "Emmett, stop stepping on my shoes!"
It reads wrong. She should be turning to Emmett. See how easy that was to find?
Now, there are times I misplace my pronouns (it's SOOOO easy to do!) but I thought I'd share a little bit of info and maybe a tip to help you in your personal editing journey. Many times, you'll find you have to reword a whole sentence to make it work with your pronouns. But take the time to do that. You won't be sorry.
Tomorrow, I'm participating in a blog hop about the next big thing. You'll get to hear about Mystic ~ Lily, and The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three (and see the cover! yay!). If you don't have a copy of Mystic ~ Bronya yet, you need to go pick one up! If you haven't read The Abigale Chronicles - Book One or Book Two with your kids yet, what are you waiting for? Those little beauties are just $1.99 on Kindle and just $5.99 for the paperbacks!
Thursday, I'm discussing thoughts, flashbacks, and flashforwards and tips on not confusing your readers when you write those scenes. If you have a topic you'd like to see on Friday, let me know in the comments!
Did this help anyone or did I leave you more confused? What else would you like to see?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Monday, September 10, 2012
Dialogue Tags vs. Action Tags
I read an interesting blog post lately about dialogue tags and action tags. What is the difference? If you don't already know this, dialogue tags are the ones that require commas and action tags are the ones that don't.
According to the blog, a dialogue tag is telling that a person said, whispered, screamed, asked, or responded.
Action tags are things the person does. Words like flirted, smiled, teased, growled, etc...
You can read the article here. She gives some great examples, too!!
I think there is an exception to this rule when working with animals that speak. Hear me out before you go all argumentative on me, okay?
In The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three, I have a dragon named Glinx that talks (he also burps fire but that's another story). I believe that he could growl a statement as only a dragon could do.
If I had a horse that talked, could he not whinny or neigh a response? A fairy could tinkle or trill a response, right?
Dialogue tags have their place. PLEASE don't ever stop using them!! I'm one of those people that gets lost four lines into a good chunk of dialogue if they aren't tagged with the speaker now and then. Children's books should have more tags than adult novels because kids get lost more easily than adults. Where an adult novel needs one only every four or five lines, a children's book needs a dialogue or action tag every couple of lines.
As a reader, I'll tell you, I do not mind a he said, she said, or an Abigale said, Glinx roared every couple of lines. I like to know who is doing what. Tell me!
Tomorrow, I'm gonna talk about pronouns - those pesky little words like he, she, they, them, it, hers, and his. I find misuse of them everywhere. Sure, we all have a tendency to stick an erroneous one in there now and then, but that's what proofreaders and editors are for, right? Even then, some get missed, I admit. But perhaps raising awareness will help someone, somewhere, construct better prose.
Is there a topic you find you have trouble with that you'd like clarification on? If yes, leave me a comment and let me know!!
Keep an eye out for The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three on September 25, 2012!! Cover reveal and synopsis reveal this week! If you don't have Book One or Book Two yet, what are you waiting for? Click the titles to pick them up! Just $1.99 each on Kindle!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
According to the blog, a dialogue tag is telling that a person said, whispered, screamed, asked, or responded.
Action tags are things the person does. Words like flirted, smiled, teased, growled, etc...
You can read the article here. She gives some great examples, too!!
I think there is an exception to this rule when working with animals that speak. Hear me out before you go all argumentative on me, okay?
In The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three, I have a dragon named Glinx that talks (he also burps fire but that's another story). I believe that he could growl a statement as only a dragon could do.
If I had a horse that talked, could he not whinny or neigh a response? A fairy could tinkle or trill a response, right?
Dialogue tags have their place. PLEASE don't ever stop using them!! I'm one of those people that gets lost four lines into a good chunk of dialogue if they aren't tagged with the speaker now and then. Children's books should have more tags than adult novels because kids get lost more easily than adults. Where an adult novel needs one only every four or five lines, a children's book needs a dialogue or action tag every couple of lines.
As a reader, I'll tell you, I do not mind a he said, she said, or an Abigale said, Glinx roared every couple of lines. I like to know who is doing what. Tell me!
Tomorrow, I'm gonna talk about pronouns - those pesky little words like he, she, they, them, it, hers, and his. I find misuse of them everywhere. Sure, we all have a tendency to stick an erroneous one in there now and then, but that's what proofreaders and editors are for, right? Even then, some get missed, I admit. But perhaps raising awareness will help someone, somewhere, construct better prose.
Is there a topic you find you have trouble with that you'd like clarification on? If yes, leave me a comment and let me know!!
Keep an eye out for The Abigale Chronicles - Book Three on September 25, 2012!! Cover reveal and synopsis reveal this week! If you don't have Book One or Book Two yet, what are you waiting for? Click the titles to pick them up! Just $1.99 each on Kindle!
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Friday, September 7, 2012
Notes on Interior Book Design
Since I've started buying more indie books, I'm noticing a scary trend: incorrect interior formatting.
Now, you might wonder why this is a problem, right? Because, while we are indie, we don't want to look indie. We are competing with publishing houses with big-name designers on their side. We need to look just as good as the competition.
Go grab a copy of a book you've bought at a brick and mortar. I'll wait...
You back already? Cool, let's move on.
OPEN the book to the end paper. Oooooh pretty!! We don't have those as indies, but notice how pretty they are? Usually only on the hardback versions!! Drat.
Now turn the page. Note what's there. A title, right? Sometimes the author's name as well (but not always).
Note what's NOT there: running header or page number.
Flip through the rest of the front matter. Note what's missing: running headers and page numbers (sometimes, these pages ARE numbered but always with roman numerals and not PAGE 1, 2, 3, etc...).
Stop on the contents page. Note there is a list of the chapter titles with page numbers. Note what's missing.
Now, I've found that, with CreateSpace, putting in page numbers is NOT a good idea until you upload the manuscript and assure the page numbers match what you have. This must sometimes be tweaked and tested again.
Let me be very VERY forward here: PAGE ONE IS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE AND STARTS ON THE FIRST PAGE OF YOUR STORY. If you have to leave a blank page, DO IT. Please.
You need running headers and page numbers. They are part of what makes your book a book and not a glued-together mess of pages. Your interior file should be a whole separate beast from your ebook file!
You can find all of this advice and more in my book, The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book. It's just $2.99 on Amazon for Kindle. That's pocket change. I could have priced it higher, but I'm trying to help, not rob. If you want to look as professional as possible, click the title and go get a copy. You won't be disappointed. You need that book to prevent mistakes like the ones listed above.
If you don't want to do it, contact me. I'll do it for a fee.
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Now, you might wonder why this is a problem, right? Because, while we are indie, we don't want to look indie. We are competing with publishing houses with big-name designers on their side. We need to look just as good as the competition.
Go grab a copy of a book you've bought at a brick and mortar. I'll wait...
You back already? Cool, let's move on.
OPEN the book to the end paper. Oooooh pretty!! We don't have those as indies, but notice how pretty they are? Usually only on the hardback versions!! Drat.
Now turn the page. Note what's there. A title, right? Sometimes the author's name as well (but not always).
Note what's NOT there: running header or page number.
Flip through the rest of the front matter. Note what's missing: running headers and page numbers (sometimes, these pages ARE numbered but always with roman numerals and not PAGE 1, 2, 3, etc...).
Stop on the contents page. Note there is a list of the chapter titles with page numbers. Note what's missing.
Now, I've found that, with CreateSpace, putting in page numbers is NOT a good idea until you upload the manuscript and assure the page numbers match what you have. This must sometimes be tweaked and tested again.
Let me be very VERY forward here: PAGE ONE IS ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE AND STARTS ON THE FIRST PAGE OF YOUR STORY. If you have to leave a blank page, DO IT. Please.
You need running headers and page numbers. They are part of what makes your book a book and not a glued-together mess of pages. Your interior file should be a whole separate beast from your ebook file!
You can find all of this advice and more in my book, The Indie Author's Guide to: Building a Great Book. It's just $2.99 on Amazon for Kindle. That's pocket change. I could have priced it higher, but I'm trying to help, not rob. If you want to look as professional as possible, click the title and go get a copy. You won't be disappointed. You need that book to prevent mistakes like the ones listed above.
If you don't want to do it, contact me. I'll do it for a fee.
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Homo WHATS?
Happy Thursday, everyone!!
Today, I'm going to talk about a topic close to my heart: proper word usage.
We have all heard of homophones, right? No, that's not a gay telephone, it's a term used to describe two words that sound exactly alike but have different meanings.
I'm going to give a few examples. Yay!
peek vs. peak
peek means a quick and typically furtive look.
peak means to reach a highest point, either of a specified value or at a specified time.
Both are pronounced the same but have very different meanings. Here's another few...
days vs. daze
days means a period of twenty-four hours as a unit of time, reckoned from one midnight to the next, corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis.
daze means a state of stunned confusion or bewilderment.
rack vs. wrack
rack means a framework, typically with rails, bars, hooks, or pegs, for holding or storing things OR to cause extreme physical or mental pain to; subject to extreme stress.
wrack means a wrecked ship; a shipwreck.
also see: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/wracking-or-racking-your-brain/
patients vs. patience
patients means a person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment.
patience means the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.
You can see how misuse of a homophone can really buggar up a story. It makes your prose take on a whole new meaning when you confuse a word. This is why an editor is such an important step in preparing a work for publication. They will ensure your words are used in an appropriate manner. Check those manuscripts for homophones! Don't be afraid of them, learn them all!!
Here's a great site that lists them from A-Z: http://www.homophone.com/index.php
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Today, I'm going to talk about a topic close to my heart: proper word usage.
We have all heard of homophones, right? No, that's not a gay telephone, it's a term used to describe two words that sound exactly alike but have different meanings.
I'm going to give a few examples. Yay!
peek vs. peak
peek means a quick and typically furtive look.
peak means to reach a highest point, either of a specified value or at a specified time.
Both are pronounced the same but have very different meanings. Here's another few...
days vs. daze
days means a period of twenty-four hours as a unit of time, reckoned from one midnight to the next, corresponding to a rotation of the earth on its axis.
daze means a state of stunned confusion or bewilderment.
rack vs. wrack
rack means a framework, typically with rails, bars, hooks, or pegs, for holding or storing things OR to cause extreme physical or mental pain to; subject to extreme stress.
wrack means a wrecked ship; a shipwreck.
also see: http://www.dailywritingtips.com/wracking-or-racking-your-brain/
patients vs. patience
patients means a person receiving or registered to receive medical treatment.
patience means the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset.
You can see how misuse of a homophone can really buggar up a story. It makes your prose take on a whole new meaning when you confuse a word. This is why an editor is such an important step in preparing a work for publication. They will ensure your words are used in an appropriate manner. Check those manuscripts for homophones! Don't be afraid of them, learn them all!!
Here's a great site that lists them from A-Z: http://www.homophone.com/index.php
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Passions
Happy Wednesday, people of the blogosphere! Passion is the topic of the day today. For authors, especially indie authors, passion is something we are allowed in great heaping spoonfuls. Why especially indie authors? Well, we don't have anyone telling us what we can and cannot write about. We don't have anyone saying, "If you write that, we won't publish it!"
Talk about freedom!
There are millions of books out there that have been published by indie authors. Why have I not heard more about books that make a difference in the way people think or see the world? We have the freedom to write whatever we want in our own voices.
I wrote Yassa because I was passionate about the untold love story between Genghis Khan and Borte. I wanted so badly to share that with the world. I had a reason to write it (not a monetary one) and it drove me to start and finish a wonderful piece of work.
I wrote The Abigale Chronicles series as a way to show children they could travel anywhere with a book and have great adventures through the written word. Why does that matter to me? Because I'm a reader and I've had those adventures through books myself. I want to encourage kids to read more. Reading and writing is the basis for all communication (even math).
I'm writing Mystic as a way to try and make a change. I am passionate about the overlying theme of the books: tolerance and acceptance of people no matter what their differences are. Gay rights and equality (Bronya) is a topic I believe strongly in because I see what some of my friends and cousins have gone through just trying to be happy with who they are despite the opinions of others. Seeing past a deformity or heinous appearance (Lily) is close to my heart because I knew some of those girls in high school and saw what people did to them (behind their backs and to their faces). Each of the women in my books have something unique about them that causes people to judge. I'm hoping to either cause just ONE person to stop and think with my words or show just ONE person that, even if they are different, they do have strength.
I have said it before, I'll say it again: THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD. I implore indie authors to try and make a difference through their words. For you, for me, for the whole human race. You have passion for something. Talk about it.
What topics are you passionate about? Are you afraid to write about it? Why?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
Talk about freedom!
There are millions of books out there that have been published by indie authors. Why have I not heard more about books that make a difference in the way people think or see the world? We have the freedom to write whatever we want in our own voices.
I wrote Yassa because I was passionate about the untold love story between Genghis Khan and Borte. I wanted so badly to share that with the world. I had a reason to write it (not a monetary one) and it drove me to start and finish a wonderful piece of work.
I wrote The Abigale Chronicles series as a way to show children they could travel anywhere with a book and have great adventures through the written word. Why does that matter to me? Because I'm a reader and I've had those adventures through books myself. I want to encourage kids to read more. Reading and writing is the basis for all communication (even math).
I'm writing Mystic as a way to try and make a change. I am passionate about the overlying theme of the books: tolerance and acceptance of people no matter what their differences are. Gay rights and equality (Bronya) is a topic I believe strongly in because I see what some of my friends and cousins have gone through just trying to be happy with who they are despite the opinions of others. Seeing past a deformity or heinous appearance (Lily) is close to my heart because I knew some of those girls in high school and saw what people did to them (behind their backs and to their faces). Each of the women in my books have something unique about them that causes people to judge. I'm hoping to either cause just ONE person to stop and think with my words or show just ONE person that, even if they are different, they do have strength.
I have said it before, I'll say it again: THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD. I implore indie authors to try and make a difference through their words. For you, for me, for the whole human race. You have passion for something. Talk about it.
What topics are you passionate about? Are you afraid to write about it? Why?
Well, that's all for today, folks! Until next time, WRITE ON!
Jo
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