Wednesday, Bloody Wednesday

The first Amazon review for my newest novel, Hope's Rebellion, unexpectedly appeared last night and I couldn't be more pleased...though some might think that reaction is strange. 

Not YA?

In a review that immediately calls the book violent, the reader said that the inclusion of "rapes, murders and beatings" make the novel seem a little less than YA. It's a fair criticism, and not unexpected (coming from someone who isn't familiar with my usual murder-soaked styled of writing), but happily he does laud the book as a "page-turner," and said he "raced through it in a couple of days." 

So apparently it's "unexpectedly bloody," but not unpalatable. In my eyes, it's totally a rave review (because the reviewer didn't say it was the worst book he's ever read). Get your own copy of the book to see if you agree with the assessment. And if you're not sure you want to buy it, get a free sample of the first three chapters -- just click my "free book stuff" link at the top.

Writing 101: You Should Be Writing Articles...for Free

As a self-published author, you're going to have to do all sorts of things to get readers to notice you. It's necessary to join Twitter, to participate in forums, to find potential fans and engage with them. Social media is great, but at the end of the day you want people to be interested in your writing. So give them stuff to be interested in. 

Free Articles

Okay, so the goal of publishing is to get your words read.  You're an artist, you have a voice and a viewpoint and something to share with the world. But you also live in the real world, and that costs money. So clearly, it's ideal to make money from your writing. Creating free articles seems to be at odds with this goal. 

But you're wrong for thinking that, and I'm about to tell you why: publicity is invaluable. Getting your name out there with a byline is so worthwhile, you should be paying the Internet for allowing you to do it. But you don't have to pay. In fact, there may be a way you can earn a little extra income from your "free" articles -- if you play your words right. 

• What to write

First, you've got to figure out what sort of articles you will write. It's not enough to just write about what interests you, and throw the content out here. Ideally, you've got to find a way to link it to your brand and your books. 

For example, I write YA novels. So maybe I'll write some free articles about back to school fashion, or prom looks, or how to balance schoolwork with athletics and social activities. This content is all geared toward teens, my audience, to get them interested in me as a writer. Once I draw them in, I hit them with information about my books. See how it works? 

• Where to write

You've got an idea of the type of content you will create. Now, you need somewhere to publish it. Luckily, the Internet is full of websites that want content -- particularly when it's free. 

1. Blog: Blogs are among the easiest websites to create for free, and there are all sorts of ways you can customize yours. Create a free blog and put new content on it as often as possible to establish a regular base of readers. A blog also gives you a platform to promote all your books and writing endeavors. 
2. Yahoo voices: Anyone can post content to Yahoo Voices anytime. Sign up for a free contributor account and start writing. You can even earn a little bit of revenue from articles you post here, so it's a great opportunity for self-promoting indies. 
3. Huffington Post: The Huffington Post is one of the most-visited sites on the Internet, and that's largely thanks to the bloggers. Visit the site to learn how to become one of them, but be warned: HuffPo doesn't pay bloggers anything. 
4. Go fish: Look for websites that fit your particular niche and expertise. Send them free articles in hopes that they'll get published, and don't forget to promote, promote, promote if you get published anywhere. 

Tying it all together

So you've found so me articles to write and some places to publish them. Now you've got to tie that content into your brand and your books. How? The About the Author box, of course. Craft a great bio that explains why you're an expert in this field, mention your books and don't forget to include the relevant links. 

Writing 101: The Book Marketing Budget

The copyright. The cover. The Facebook ads. The paid reviews. The trailer, the proof print copies. All those marketing materials. When you self-publish, expenses add up quickly. Have you got a marketing budget yet? 

Being Businesslike 

 

You're creative, and if you're like me then you're also shite with numbers. When you become an indie author, you're no longer just a writer. Now you're a promoter, and an accountant. Don't become your own worst enemy as well. Establish a book budget...before you start writing the book.

Writing 101: The Details That Matter

Some authors spend a ton of time describing the leaves of trees and the way the grass blows in the wind. That's all well and good, but don't ever forget to include the details that matter.

What?!

When I was a little girl, I found the plot of Star Wars to be incredibly confusing. This is because I thought they were saying that Luke's father had gone to the dark side of the forest. I was always like "well, maybe he got lost." It took me a long time to really understand the plot of those movies, and it's not even my fault. The storyteller should have made it more clear. 

It's your job to make sure no one is thinking that about your books. Sometimes when I'm writing, I get into a zone where the words are just pouring out. I don't even have to think about them, half the time. And I might slip into all sorts of slang and colloquialisms. Then I go back and read what I've written and I realize that I'm the only person who knows what the hell I'm talking about. So then I have to add the details that matter. 

Flowers in the Attic: Movie Review

Anyone who follows me on Twitter knows that last night marked the world premiere of Flowers in  the Attic on Lifetime. Fans have been waiting 30 years for a decent adaptation of  this powerful book. Is the wait over? 

Wilting 

FITA became a bestselling book in the 1980s, so naturally a movie adaptation followed. Despite a strong performance from Louise Fletcher, the film was disliked by critics, fans and  anyone else who read the book. It became infamous for being bad. 

Fans were thrilled when Lifetime announced their intentions to do their own adaptation, and I was chief among them. So how  does this new film stack up against the old one? More importantly, how does it compare to the book?

In the Attic

The movie began with the prologue from FITA, much to my delight. This introduction was changed a little. We found Cathy on film at age 12, not 7, and got thrown into the ill-fated birthday party pretty quickly. 

The grief scenes were shortened, though the key dialogue was left intact. Soon enough, we were arriving at Foxworth Hall. This scene was copied almost perfectly for the film, giving viewers an introduction to evil grandmother Olivia Foxworth.

Inspirational Authors: V. C. Andrews

V. C. Andrews was one of the first authors I read when I discovered books, and I adored hers. I re-read her early series books more times than I'm willing to admit. Her works inspired me to become an author (or something like one, anyway), and for that I owe her a debt...or maybe I should dislike her? Either way, I was greatly influenced by her work...and I think something rubbed off on me.

You Are What You Read

If you read a lot of a certain author, and love that author, it's only natural that you'll be influenced by that author. It's sort of like musicians. They always get asked "who influenced you" and they'll rattle off a list of names. Sometimes when they say a name you go "yeah, I can tell." Well, I was influenced by V. C. Andrews...and some of my readers can tell.

Fiction Fasion Icon: Cathy (Reprise)

 originally published Friday, October 12, 2012

It is the job of all authors to bring their characters to life. Most well-loved characters have a distinct look, noticeable characteristics, great flaws and strengths. Some authors even take things one step further, and create a distinct style for their leading ladies. To honor some of the great fiction fashion icons that I've read over the years, I'm introducing a new feature with one of my most favorite characters: Cathy Dollanganger.

Fashionable Femme Fatale 

Cathy Dollanganger is the main protagonist of the Dollanganger series, which spanned five books. The series was introduced in a debut novel from V.C. Andrews, Flowers in the Attic. It became an instant hit, though the movie didn't fare quite so well, and launched a career that has, phenomenonally, continued with new novels even beyond the author's death.  
 

It all began with Cathy. Through the series, she goes from age 9 to age 59 (or thereabouts), and that's a whole lot of clothes. For some special scenes, readers are treated to Cathy's outfits in exquisite detail. In fact, clothes are used to illustrate a lot of the turmoil she feels in the first book of the series. 

While Cathy is locked away in Flowers in the Attic, clothes are given to her by her mother Corrine, the woman who did the locking up. They're a compensation of sorts for the miserable life Cathy and her sister and brothers are now being forced to lead. In one memorable scene, Corrine gives Cathy beautiful ballet costumes so she can continue to live her dream of one day becoming a prima ballerina. The clothing is so beautiful, and represents so much, it fills Cathy's heart with love.

Later, clothes fill her heart with anger. After an extended trip away from her children, Corrine returns with tons of gifts...and more pretty fashions for Cathy. But as she tries them on, Cathy realizes that her mother is still buying clothing for a little girl -- a little girl she no longer is. The clothes represent all the neglect, and the blind eye Corrine is using to view the situation she's trapped her children inside. Cathy hates those clothes! She rips them off, tears them up and cries bitterly.

Fashion...it's such a fantastic plot device. Clothing continues to be important in Cathy's life. She goes on a shopping spree in the next book of the series, Petals on the Wind, and the new items represent a freedom of choice she has never before enjoyed as a young woman.

When Cathy is an adult, later in the book, fashion becomes her greatest weapon. By now, many years separate Cathy from her attic days of captivity, but the bitterness and anger has taken root in her and blossomed into full-blown revenge. It's not enough that she's free. It's not enough that she's achieved her dreams. It's not enough until her mother Corrine suffers. Isn't fashion a great way to make that happen? 

When Cathy decides to take her mother's husband, she invites him to dinner and dons a sexy red dress. The details of Cathy's seduction outfit are carefully revealed, and it's fair to say that she doesn't get the reaction from Bart that she wanted. He gets the wrong message from the red dress, and the entire plan pretty much falls apart.

For the most climactic scene of Petals on the Wind, the huge confrontation for which readers waded through hundreds of pages to get to, Cathy plans her outfit much, much more carefully. For the ending scenes of the book, Cathy dons an outfit so important and so well-described, it cements her as one of my favorite fiction fashion icons.

The green dress Cathy wears the night Foxworth Hall burns down was first seen years and years before, in Flowers in the Attic. The Christmas Party represents one of the only times during their attic imprisonment that Cathy gets to leave the little room in the big mansion, and the green dress is a fundamental part of the imagery of the party. It's worth by the ever-beautiful Corrine, Cathy's mother, as she dances and flirts with her soon-to-be-husband Bart. The green dress is a combination of velvet and chiffon, and it represents everything Cathy hopes to be when she grows up.

Years later, the green dress becomes her symbol of revenge. She has it re-made in exquisite detail and copies the hairstyle her mother originally donned when it was worn so many years before in Cathy's childhood. She even sneaks into the mansion to steal the same emerald jewelry that Corrine paired with the dress the first time. In this grand fashion, Cathy makes her re-entrance into her mother's life.

Revenge fashion is delicious when it's described by V.C. Andrews. The dress continues to be present through all the final scenes of Petals on the Wind, which ends in stunning fashion, and it left a huge impression on me the first time I read it. Every time I see green velvet paired with green chiffon, I think of Cathy Dollanganger, revenge, and blazing fire. It's a lot of powerful images, and it's all held together by some of the best fiction fashion you'll find in any book. 

Flowers and Fashion

Lifetime's adaptation of Flowers in the Attic will have its world premiere tonight, and that gives viewers the chance to see Cathy, her mother and the rest of the cast in all their best-dressed splendor. Will the green dress make its debut during the movie? Live Tweet with me while it airs, and we'll find out together!  

Books on Film: Flowers in the Attice (Reprise)

post originally published Saturday, August 11, 2012

When a book is very popular among a large group of readers, filmmakers generally like to take special care with the film adaptation. They consult the author of the work, they read the book themselves, they pay homage to the original material. This isn't what happened when Flowers in the Attic was transformed from a YA horror book that struck a strong note with teen girls...into 93 minutes of on-screen swill that you can't ever get back. Cringe if you like, but that description really isn't harsh enough for one of the worst book-to-film adaptations in the known world.

 

The Book

Full disclosure: I'm a little biased. Flowers in the Attic is actually a very special book to me, as it inspired me to become a writer (the jury's still out on whether or not I am). It was written before I was born and published in 1979 by V. C. Andrews, known to friends and family as Virginia. The book was her first and it was an almost immediate success, spawning three sequels, one prequel and a wildly successful novel-writing career that continues decades after V. C. Andrews's death. It's sold over 40 million copies worldwide.