I have a lot of school reading to get done. I mean, like more than I'll ever get to. So, in all my smartness, I thought that I'd force myself to get through some of it by not allowing myself to bring any fiction on this trip. Now, I'm sitting here in the Guadalajara airport kicking myself. I do NOT want to read any academic papers. I do NOT want to read about the Mimbres, despite the fact that I really ought to. I do NOT want to write the dang application papers I need to for the post-doc I'm applying for. Nope. Not at all. I just want to read a book and try to forget about the man screaming in Spanish about carry-on luggage behind me. Ahhh, smart.
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Monday, April 26, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
The Economics of Worldbuilding
Okay, if that title hasn't scared off the few readers I have, well, I don't know what will :) Still, I've been thinking about this for a few days and I wanted to write about it. Plus. I'm in Mexico right now, so where better to talk about economics than where its in such utter everyday, in your face, play? People don't think about it so much in middle-class America. It's not until you get into the uber-poor parts of the world that economics, and the roll it plays, becomes super apparent. At least, I think so :)
And that's totally not what I wanted to talk about! What has been on my mind is a little different: I've been working on my game plan for my revisions, and I've actually pulled together the first three chapters (sorta), but with that comes a major change. I've always had the main players in my world be on the poor end of things. This is just because of the way I saw their world working--moving around a whole lot, even if you do have marketable skills, just doesn't lend itself to making lots of mullah. I'm trying to change that. But in doing so, I realize it touches on SO MANY things.
So, for instance, it makes a difference in what kind of neighborhood they live in, what car they drive (or their assignment drives, in this case), the clothes they wear, whether or not they have a cell phone, if they have a home computer, what kinds of food they eat, etc etc etc. I keep thinking about this an realizing how deep it can really go. And the trick is to make it all work together, without revealing how much its all tied together (because, lets be honest here, I hated economics in high school, and I figure most teens do too).
The other point is how the person views money. Is it something that has just always been there, easy for the taking when needed? How does that extend to their personality? How do they relate to the world around them is they've always been rich/poor? This has been the hardest part for the re-working, as it means that I have to think about my character's relationship with those people she's assigned to help, and how money might play an issue. I don't care what anyone says, if you've never been poor, it's impossible to understand and relate completely to people have have been or are destitute. For several years in junior high I shopped at thrift stores, not because I wanted to or it was as "retro" as it is today, but because I had to. I know what poor it like. And I don't want my character to end up like one of the spoiled rich kids I occasionally get in my classes who don't know how it is to work for what they've got. (I counted three Louis Vitton bags in a single section once--it kind of pissed me off.)
Okay, so anyhow, economics--it's not just for politicians. It is a very real element for characters, and the world they live in.
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And that's totally not what I wanted to talk about! What has been on my mind is a little different: I've been working on my game plan for my revisions, and I've actually pulled together the first three chapters (sorta), but with that comes a major change. I've always had the main players in my world be on the poor end of things. This is just because of the way I saw their world working--moving around a whole lot, even if you do have marketable skills, just doesn't lend itself to making lots of mullah. I'm trying to change that. But in doing so, I realize it touches on SO MANY things.
So, for instance, it makes a difference in what kind of neighborhood they live in, what car they drive (or their assignment drives, in this case), the clothes they wear, whether or not they have a cell phone, if they have a home computer, what kinds of food they eat, etc etc etc. I keep thinking about this an realizing how deep it can really go. And the trick is to make it all work together, without revealing how much its all tied together (because, lets be honest here, I hated economics in high school, and I figure most teens do too).
The other point is how the person views money. Is it something that has just always been there, easy for the taking when needed? How does that extend to their personality? How do they relate to the world around them is they've always been rich/poor? This has been the hardest part for the re-working, as it means that I have to think about my character's relationship with those people she's assigned to help, and how money might play an issue. I don't care what anyone says, if you've never been poor, it's impossible to understand and relate completely to people have have been or are destitute. For several years in junior high I shopped at thrift stores, not because I wanted to or it was as "retro" as it is today, but because I had to. I know what poor it like. And I don't want my character to end up like one of the spoiled rich kids I occasionally get in my classes who don't know how it is to work for what they've got. (I counted three Louis Vitton bags in a single section once--it kind of pissed me off.)
Okay, so anyhow, economics--it's not just for politicians. It is a very real element for characters, and the world they live in.
Friday, April 16, 2010
After Reading
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
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Tally has finally become pretty. Now her looks are beyond perfect, her clothes are awesome, her boyfriend is totally hot, and she's completely popular. It's everything she's ever wanted.
But beneath all the fun — the nonstop parties, the high-tech luxury, the total freedom — is a nagging sense that something's wrong. Something important. Then a message from Tally's ugly past arrives. Reading it, Tally remembers what's wrong with pretty life, and the fun stops cold.
Now she has to choose between fighting to forget what she knows and fighting for her life — because the authorities don't intend to let anyone with this information survive.
Whoa. I adored this book! I mean, I've read a lot of Westerfeld's books, but this was just awesome. I read Uglies, the first book in the series ages ago, and have been meaning to get around to this one for quite a while. I'm glad I finally did. And, as is best with all series (I think :) all the books are already out, so I can read the next book, Specials, as soon as I can get my hands on it! Seriously, check this series out--you won't be disappointed!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Revision letters
Whoa, I honestly can't believe all that has happened in the last couple of days. My head is totally spinning. Like mad. And it's only going to get worse. Yikes! Okay, I'm getting ahead of myself here: yesterday I received a revision request from an agent for Colors Like Memories. This brought on a host of emotions: yay, she liked it enough to want me to fix its problems (and there are a lot of them...), bummer that she didn't like it as it is and I'm not good enough to do this right the first time (or whatever turn this is in the query game), and yay I have someone who's in the biz who is offering to help me out! I'm still not sure which emotion is winning :)
The only reason I say that is because I'm staring down a total re-write of the book. There are very few things I'll get to leave alone, if any. I need to shift the age down to high school (something I've been afraid I'd have to do since I wrote the dang thing), and roll three people into one super-character. And make the book less like a lifetime movie (I'm trying to remember if I've ever seen a lifetime movie...not sure about that one). Uber lots to do! (And I am apparently loving the parentheses tonight!)
I do think the scariest part is this: making all these changes, taking the time to rip the whole book to shreds and build it back up, and there's no promise of representation. I know this is pretty standard, but it's kind of troubling. I have to keep telling myself, okay, even if this doesn't work out, there's going to be a much more marketable book in the end, one I should be able to get an agent with, even if this whole thing doesn't pan out. I hope. *gulp*
Anyone else out there have any fun advise or stories dealing with this kind of thing?
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The only reason I say that is because I'm staring down a total re-write of the book. There are very few things I'll get to leave alone, if any. I need to shift the age down to high school (something I've been afraid I'd have to do since I wrote the dang thing), and roll three people into one super-character. And make the book less like a lifetime movie (I'm trying to remember if I've ever seen a lifetime movie...not sure about that one). Uber lots to do! (And I am apparently loving the parentheses tonight!)
I do think the scariest part is this: making all these changes, taking the time to rip the whole book to shreds and build it back up, and there's no promise of representation. I know this is pretty standard, but it's kind of troubling. I have to keep telling myself, okay, even if this doesn't work out, there's going to be a much more marketable book in the end, one I should be able to get an agent with, even if this whole thing doesn't pan out. I hope. *gulp*
Anyone else out there have any fun advise or stories dealing with this kind of thing?
Thursday, April 1, 2010
After Reading
Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
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There are many mysteries within the wildwood. Jena and her sisters share the biggest of all, a fantastic secret that enables them to escape the confines of their everyday life in rural Transylvania. They have kept it hidden for nine long years.
When their father falls ill and must leave their forest home over the winter, Jena and her oldest sister Tati are left in charge. All goes well until a tragic accident allows their over bearing cousin Cezar to take control. The appearance of a mysterious young man in a black coat divides sister from sister, and suddenly Jena finds herself fighting to save all she holds dear. With her constant companion Gogu by her side, she must venture to realms dark and perilous in her quest to preserve, not just those she loves, but her own independence as well.
This book took me ages and ages to get through (due, mostly, to the fact that I've been insanely busy and only able to read from about 11 to 1am every night, which hasn't done much for the whole sleep-deprivation thing). Anyhow, it was an interesting read. Quite frankly, I didn't enjoy it that much. For the first half, I rather wanted the narrative told by one of the other sisters, and even though I liked Jena, it wasn't until the last quarter of the book that things started to pick up and I was looking forward to reading more. The writing was well done, and I enjoyed reading about the setting and the world, but it just didn't resonate with me. If you happen to enjoy the fey more than me, or a rather atmospheric book, then I'd recommend this to you!
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