Books on Film: Pygmalion

You know how they say that no matter what you write, it's all been done before? They're 100% correct. Pygmalion, you will find, is a plot line that still appears in modern story all the time...and it was written two thousand years ago.

The Book

Chances are pretty good that no matter what you want to write about, your main theme was already written into a play by the Greeks, or Shakespeare, and likely both. Such is the case with Pygmalion, which revolves around a now-classic plot. It appears as one in a series of epic poems written by Ovid back in BC. In this early version, it's about a sculptor who falls in love with his own creation.

I can relate to that. Don't all writers fall in love with certain books, certain characters, maybe even just a paragraph? In the story, the sculptor (he's the title character) takes his love to the alter of Venus, and she is transformed into flesh. It ends happily.

And it's a familiar theme. Remember Pinocchio?

Pygmalion is better-known to modern audiences in a different version, however. George Bernard Shaw turned it into a play in 1912, and he set the story in then-modern London. The story revolves around phonetics professor Henry Higgins (he's Pygmalion under an anglicized name), who makes a bet that he can turn a guttersnipe of a Cockney flower girl into someone who will pass for a duchess at a fancy party.

It's a bet that's just too thrilling to turn down, and soon the game is afoot. Higgins will teach the flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, how to speak properly -- like the finest of English ladies. The play is a joy to read, but only if you do so out loud. Eliza's broad Cockney speech is recaptured in words you have to speak to understand. Do it the right way, and you'll learn how to speak proper Cockney.

Higgins does win the bet, and in the original version of the play Eliza finds her own strength and leaves him. George Bernard Shaw said this was the statue coming to life -- Eliza would stand without Higgins, and on her own. But the story was written for the stage, and audiences wanted the happy ending. Directors began to change Shaw's ending, sending Eliza back to Higgins at the end of the story instead. Shaw spent years fighting for the integrity of the original story.

Shaw wrote his version of the story for entertainment, and it's good stuff. So when entertainment evolved, the story was adapted...though, not much.

The Films

Pygmalion became a film in 1938 with Wendy Hiller starring as Eliza Doolittle. Shaw was involved with the production, which very closely follows his play. A ball scene is added, along with a few other smaller scenes, to lengthen the story. It's a very English production with very English actors, and perhaps that's the best way to view it. This version of the story contains the play's most famous line: "Walk? Not bloody likely!"

Trust me, it was extremely controversial at the time. The stage actress who first said it was known for having said it for the rest of her days, and Wendy Hiller similarly raised eyebrows when she screeched it in the film version. But the ending was tweaked a little. Eliza leaves with Freddy, but returns to Higgins in the end...though in what capacity she's returning is left very unclear. The 1938 adaptation of Pygmalion was nominated for several awards, including Writing, Best Actor and Best Actress.

But I urge you to opt for the 1964 version instead, or at least watch both. When the story was adapted for the big screen again, it became a comedic musical...starring Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. My Fair Lady is one of the best musicals ever made, and my personal favorite. 

The film is technically an adaptation of an adaptation. Lerner and Loewe used Shaw's play to craft their stage musical, and this is where we get the score and the film version of My Fair Lady. The role of Eliza Doolittle was played by Julie Andrews on the Broadway stage, and New York fans wanted her for the movie. But it was to be a big-budget MGM production, and the studio wasn't about to go with an untested star who, at that time, had not been in a single film. They chose Audry Hepburn instead...and Julie Andrews was drafted by Disney to star in their big musical, Mary Poppins.

What followed is Hollywood legend. Audrey Hepburn worked hard to play Eliza, mastering several different dialects and painstakingly recording each and every number (the entire 170-minute film is chock-full of them). Rex Harrison, who could not sing, played his part with so much vigor and flair it earned him an Academy Award. How good was he in the role? He played the part on Broadway, and legend has it that when Cary Grant was asked to play Professor Higgins on film he said "I won't be in the movie. I won't even go see the movie if Rex Harrison isn't in it." 

My Fair Lady also earned Oscars for Best Picture and Best Director, and practically swept the Academy Awards that year to earn a whopping 8. It did not receive a nod for the Best Actress category, despite Hepburn's hard work. That Oscar was won by Julie Andrews as Mary Poppins. Hepburn wasn't nominated...because she was purposefully snubbed.

After Audrey Hepburn recorded all her songs for the role of Eliza, those involved in the film decided that her voice wasn't good enough. Veteran movie singer Marni Nixon was selected to re-sing all the songs but "Just You Wait," a tune where Hepburn's harsher chorus worked just fine. Nixon's voice was also dubbed into The King and I, starring Deborah Kerr, and West Side Story for Natalie Wood. The Academy Awards wasn't impressed that Audrey's singing voice wasn't a part of the film, and she was completely ignored that year in favor of Andrews.

Pygmalion was made into a film again in 1999, this time without the music, to become the teen flick She's All That. The poorly-named comedy is fairly cute, but it's a pretty big departure from the original.

What Got Adapted?

 Musical numbers notwithstanding, My Fair Lady is a pretty faithful adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion. The ambiguous ending closely echoes Shaws, and Rex Harrison is wonderful in his final number. A few things are expanded (like Eliza's learning scenes and the big ball), but they add onto the original story instead of changing it. If you haven't seen it, shame on you. My Fair Lady is an absolute must-watch.

Writing 101: When Characters Fall in Love

Love is a big focus of February, and it commonly crops up in books. By no means is love limited to the romance genre (though this genre is dedicated to the emotion). It appears in mysteries, horror novels, suspense tales, science fiction, YA...well, we don't have all day. When characters fall in love, you've got to write it in a believable way. Otherwise, I won't feel the love...and then, what the heck is the point of having it in the book? 

Lovely Stereotypes

When characters fall in love on the page, authors are always taking a risk. Love is perhaps the hardest of all emotions to define, and it's certainly difficult to recreate in fiction. How does one describe the euphoria...and the unspeakable pain? The deep longing for togetherness...and the desperate fear of losing one's own independence? 

Yeah, it's hard to write about love. I know this because I've seen so many authors get it totally wrong. Look out for common love traps in your own writing, because you want me to smile instead of gag when I get to those romantic scenes. 

• At First Sight: You're a genius if you can pull it off without sounding trite. Love at first sight is one of the most common elements used in fiction, so you're running the risk of a tired plot if you're employing it. It helps if you don't base love at first sight solely on looks. Give your main character more depth than that.

• Codependent: While it may not be spelled out, codependent love is prominent in fiction. The hero or the heroine falls so deeply and irrevocably in love, they cannot even exist without their love. That sounds romantic and all, but it's actually a mental illness of sorts. Let us as authors refuse to create codependent love on the page, lest we give rise to the wholly mistaken notion that everyone in the world must be paired up to be happy. Break ups and independence are good for characters. Codependent, I'm-going-to-die-without-you love is not healthy and it certainly isn't romantic. My own personal opinions on the matter aside, it's also bad in your writing. You don't want to weaken your main character, or turn readers off of them. It is very difficult to like a character who lacks their own sense of identity and independence. 

• Unrequited: It's hard to write about unrequited love because it's one of the most painful emotions to experience. Loving someone who does not love you back, and perhaps never will, is a terrible torture. It's also a great subject for fiction if you get it right. For this to work, you've got to have balance. Readers don't want to spend the entire book wallowing in sorrow, so remember to lighten things up a bit here and there. You've also got to show readers why the main character is in love with this other person. Really, you have to make us fall in love with them, too, in order to understand and really connect with the story. If I'm not feeling the pain of loving this person, I'm not really feeling the words.

• Illicit: Love that shouldn't blossom can be exciting in any story -- if it wasn't, Romeo and Juliet wouldn't still be popular 400 years after Shakespeare's death. Affairs and other types of illicit love are perhaps the most difficult to write about, because you're setting your characters up to be hated. It's hard to root for characters who are doing the wrong thing, so you've got to really show the readers different reasons to get on board with it. Your characters have to be very likable in other ways, perhaps even have some misguided and noble notions for cheating, unless you want them to be disliked. 

• Returned: Sometimes, the object of your character's affections may also feel the blush of love. It's sweet when both characters are fully in love, but you've got to add tension to maintain my interest. If everything is sunshine and roses all the time, where's the plot of the book? I expect the couple to hit some bumps in the road, maybe even to have some knock-down drag-out fights. Why? Because that's what love is like. Sometimes it's the worst feeling in the world, and sometimes it's terrifyingly close to pure hatred. Make your love three-dimensional, especially when it's mutually realized between the couple in question. 

• Triangle: Love triangles are the thing in YA fiction right now, but not everyone's writing them well. The triangle is a delicate balance of emotion and decision, and it's hard to keep a character tottering on the edge of that cliff. Before you write it, understand it. Why can't the character decide on a love interest? Why are two love interests into this character in the first place? What are the differences between the love interests? What are the similarities? And, most importantly, how does it end? 

Writing About Love

It's never easy to write about love. It's such a big emotion, and everyone feels it differently. Sometimes, I'm 100% convinced it's not even real -- that's how bloody confusing love really is. It's just about impossible to find it, to keep it, to deal with it and to manage it, so writing about it can make you sweat blood. It does help if you have been in love before you try to write about it, and that's really the best advice I've got for the topic. So soak in the emotion of the day by falling in love with someone, and go write about it. Happy Valentine's Day! 

On the Edge with Justice

"I was on the edge of my seat by the end and I stayed up until one am to finish it then immediately downloaded book two." 

"There are many more interesting characters to round out the cast, each with their own secrets and mysteries. To be honest I'm not sure our main character can trust a single one of them."

Justice (Deck of Lies, #1) has been reviewed at A Thousand Lives. Read it to find out why the reviewer gave the book the highest possible rating!

Writing 101: What Agents Really Mean When They Say...

Do you know how to interpret the rejection letters you get? Figure out what agents really mean when they say your book "isn't the right fit" or "doesn't meet our current needs," and figure out what you need to do to start getting some different answers. 

Interpreting the Literary Agents

Literary agents speak in a polite code couched in metaphors...and it practically takes a degree to figure out. I myself have received many, many hundreds of rejection letters, so I can speak with some authority when I say that rejections are all very similar. You'll see the same vague phrases over and over, and it's easy for authors to make themselves crazy staring again and again at those words.

Stop staring. It's time to decipher those polite phrases, and figure out what agents actually mean when they say what they say. 

• Form Rejections

Just about every author has received form rejection letters. These are generic slips of paper or emails that may be so impersonal they actually start with "Dear Author" instead of your name. It's just a few short paragraphs, or maybe just one, that says they aren't "seeking new submissions at this time" or the manuscript "doesn't sound like it would be a good fit" or perhaps it's because they just "aren't the right agent for this particular work." Some of them are smart enough to shift the blame to themselves, but truthfully that isn't helpful to you.

Because no matter how the agent tries to frame it, the impersonal form rejection tells you that one of the following is true: the agent didn't think the work is marketable, the agent already has projects that are very similar to yours, or the agent just didn't love it. They have to love it before they're willing to think about taking it on.

How to respond: The agent didn't give you much to go on, and there's a reason. First things first: re-read your entire manuscript with an editor's eye. Double-check all your mechanics, formatting, grammar and punctuation. If you didn't get the courtesy of a personal response, it could be due to errors within your submission. You should also re-write your query letter, make it more interesting, and try harder to "hook" agents with your letter. A boring query letter is very likely to get meaningless "no" response.

• The Personal Comment

If you are quite lucky, you'll get a comment tacked on at the end of a form letter, maybe even a signature signed in actual ink. If this happens, be amazed and pleased with yourself. This means the agent who's signing the letter actually did read what you sent, and they felt very strongly about you or your writing. It's hard to feel good about a comment that still tells you no, but you should. It means you're very close. 

Of course, a tacked-on comment at the end of a form letter isn't going to tell you very much. In all likelihood it's still going to say something sort of generic, like "just not right for me" or "didn't love it as much as I hoped I would." But something about your writing did grab them, that is definitely true. Otherwise, they would not have bothered to scribble the note. 

How to respond: Write back, and say thank you. It sounds weird to write thank-you notes upon receiving a rejection, but that's what you ought to do. Be polite, and maybe that agent will be more receptive to you when you send another query letter. Maybe they'll even respond in more detail. Probably nothing will happen, but that's the business. Once you jot off that email, go back to your manuscript. Check over the first few chapters; this is the part that sells the book. If your first two chapters too excessively detailed or too exposition-heavy, that warrants a rejection. Get to some action, quick, in order to grab onto the reader (and the agents). Perfect these chapters, tweak your query letter, and try again.

• The Detailed Letter

Very rarely, if your work is quite good and just a fraction short of being ready for publication, you will receive a detailed rejection letter. The agent may point out specifics that you need to change. The best case scenario is a "revise and resubmit" letter, in which the agent asks you to make specific changes and invites you to re-send the manuscript for their viewing. Work very hard to follow their instructions and take your time before you resubmit. You just got a do-over. That's like winning the lottery.

How to respond: In most cases, however, the detailed letter will still be a rejection -- with vague instructions that don't mean much. Review those comments carefully, and read them more than once. After that first reading, after your guts have been ripped out, put the letter away. Wait a week. Read it again, and then take a look at your work. Try to absorb the criticism you've received, and respond in kind. Tweak your query letter, and try again.

You're going to get rejected. Many of the greats have also been rejected. You should keep writing, and keep trying. But you should also fix your work, and keep revising it. The further you move up the rejection ladder, the better you're getting as a writer.

Writing 101: Sound Effects

It adds a lot of depth when you add sound effects to your books. Known in the literary world as onomatopoeia, it's the act of writing out a word that resembles a sound. Wheeze, for example. But like all good things, too many sound effects can ruin any story.

Whizz, Bang, Boom

 

Sound effects are fun, even when they appear in print. A sneeze is executed with a kerchew, a laugh becomes a hearty har har. You might even get wild and throw in a splunk or two. Some scenes almost require a word effect or two, something to really bring the events on the page to life. You want the reader to be able to hear the coins drop in the fountain, not just see them. 

Just don't make it a distraction. Your readers don't want to be treated to a splat or a buzz every third paragraph. When onomatopoeia is used too much, it brings attention away from the story instead of adding to it. Use it judiciously, and those sound effects will have a much bigger impact.

Scadalized by The Tower

"The character development and scandalous plot left over from the first novel is picked up, shaken, and completely twisted."

"Young readers everywhere will enjoy this book as much as I did."

The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2) has been reviewed at Julie's Book Review. Read the whole thing to find out what reviewer Kris Myslin thought about the book.

Writing 101: Tweet Easier

Author, blogger and friend of the blog Annalisa Crawford dropped by yesterday to talk about why Twitter matters. Now, I'm going to tell you how to make it easier to use. When I finally figured this trick out, I wanted to kick myself for not thinking of it way sooner.

Save Your Review Quotes

Many authors, myself included, send out tweets that contain snippets of reviews. If someone writes that your book is amazing, great to read, or 5 stars, it's exactly the sort of stuff you want to show off. I used to sit and work on tweets for extended periods of time, seeking out usable review quotes after combing through my Amazon and Goodreads pages. 

Then one day, inspiration struck. Why not just take the time to ferret out all the good review lines and save them in a single document? Why not add lines from new reviews as they appear, and keep this updated document handy when it's time to tweet? Why didn't I think of this before? 

I don't have an answer for that last question, but I do know this: it works. Make a document for each book, and don't forget to separate quotes to make them easy to find. Include the reviewer's name and blog, if applicable, or at the very least where the quote came from (Amazon, Goodreads, etc). Review quotes are good for tweets, but there are many other occasions when you may wish to access them.

Blog Tour Stop: Why Twitter Matters, from Annalisa Crawford

It's been a year since my novella Cat and The Dreamer was published! There have been lots of changes in my own life in that time, and I started to wonder what else had changed...

Thank you Jade for inviting me over today!

Today's topic: Twitter!

When Cat and The Dreamer was published I didn't have a Twitter account - everyone else in the world did, everyone else used their accounts to tell each other about their new book releases... I relied on a solitary tweet by Hubby. I was on Facebook, I had a blog - why did I need Twitter too?

I succumbed in June, and it wasn't even with professional reasons in mind. I'm not sure what swayed me, but I've been having a blast ever since. I can now tell the world all those witty things I think during the day that would be otherwise lost. I can (and did) share my thoughts about the Olympic opening ceremony, along with the rest of the world. In fact, it was that was the evening I unfollowed my first person, because he insisted on tweeting about his book release while everyone else was talking Olympics.

Best of all was watching TOTP2 over Christmas. I was alone, but I took to Twitter and shared my thoughts about Wizzard, The Pogues and Kirsty McColl, and some rather strange dancing snowmen #TOTP2, yeah! And it was fantastic. Lots of people all thinking the same as me, how great is that!

It was because of a Twitter conversation that I took part in NaNoWriMo this year, and now have a great new project to work on.

It was because of Twitter that I've met some great new people, and have a heavy metal guitarist following me. (I wish Blogger would support cheesy-grin smileys because I really want to put one here!)

It's also very useful for those silly little research questions you have and can't find the answer to on Google. For one story recently, my character was being poisoned and I'd already written his symptoms when I realised I didn't know what would cause them. I got my answer via Twitter because the question was retweeted until I found the expert I needed. I think it was an expert, it might just have been someone who'd poisoned people!

Are you on Twitter? Has it changed your life?

Please follow me, using the link below!

About Cat and The Dreamer

As a teenager, Julia survived a suicide pact, while her best friend Rachel died. Julia’s only escape from her guilt, and her mother’s over-protection, is her imagination. When Adam arrives in the office, Julia’s world takes a startling turn as she realises reality can be much more fun than fantasy. Finally she has someone who can help her make the most of her life. But can she allow herself to be truly happy?

Cat and The Dreamer is available on Kindle UK, Kindle US, Kobo, Nook, iTunes/iBooks, and via Vagabondage Press.

Annalisa Crawford lives and writes in Cornwall with a good supply of beaches and moorland to keep her inspired. She finds endless possibilities in the relationships between people. Several new projects are on the cards for 2013.

Find her on her blog, Twitter, Facebook and Goodreads.

A Nightmare, Uninterrupted

Last week, I revealed that I was finally moving into my new house, which has been mine for three months. After extensive work and a lot of waiting, I'm in. And, sadly, the terror I was feeling last weekend blossomed into complete hysteria by Tuesday, 4 pm Eastern Standard Time. 

A House Without Internet

That was when, after 3 hours on the phone with an ISP that I really shouldn't name, I was informed that my Tuesday appointment would not be honored. Not on Tuesday. Not on Wednesday. Not on Thursday, either.

At 4 pm Eastern Standard Time this past Tuesday, I came to realize I wouldn't be going two days without Internet -- a scenario that already had me scared witless -- I would going without for a whopping five days.

And maybe more. I was given several different answers over the course of multiple phone conversations. So when will I have the Internet again? When will I be able to post regular Writing 101 posts again?

Your guess is as good as mine. While I wait to be reconnected, I'll be halfway inside various boxes that are scattered throughout my house. Look for an exciting guest post coming to the blog tomorrow!

The Best Review Ever?

"I can honestly say it's one of the best self published books I've read."

"One of the best, most exciting mysteries."  

Emily at Confessions of a Bookaholic, a great reviewer and friend of the blog, has posted her option of The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2). Visit her blog to see what she had to say about the book!

Jade's Quadruple Feature

Head on over to my pal Christopher Fischer's blog to read reviews of all four books in the Deck of Lies series, plus an in-depth interview with me! See if you agree with his opinion of Justice, The Tower, Death and Judgment. 

Guest Post: The 5 Decades of a Writer's Life

Author Lisa Fantino dropped by today to share her unique insights after 5 decades of being a writer. Stay tuned for a future review of her popular book Amalfi Blue, coming soon to the blog. In the meantime, see what Lisa had to say about her 50 years of writing...

The 5 Decades of a Writer's Life

Some people are born opera stars.  Some folks are natural athletes. I am a lifer when it comes to writing.  I received the all important tools of the trade, a typewriter and a tape recorder, for my third Christmas and so it began. Now, with the release of my memoir, “Amalfi Blue, lost & found in the south of Italy,” it puts this long passion for writing in perspective.

With the success of the book, come the requests for advice from aspiring writers, people who have not yet earned a penny from their hobby.  I call it a hobby because that is all it will be for most people because there is a true difference between just writing words or creating a world with words that others want to enter.

So, I will try to highlight the five decades of a writer’s journey, realizing full well that not everyone’s path to literary immortality will be the same.

• The teens – everything stirs her curiosity.  While young girls fill diaries with pointless drivel about morning acne and silly boys, teen writers fill books with prose & poetry.  They are spurred by emotion and fueled by hormones to send letters everywhere.  The budding Lois Lane will not be swayed from getting her voice to the masses and is published in a national magazine by her Sweet 16.  You will most likely find her at the editor’s desk of the H.S. paper.

•  The 20s – The true writer is likely to be a dual major of Literature and Journalism.  She will study the classics because they stir her soul and inspire her to dream of writing the great American novel.  She will study the practicalities of journalism because that is where she can hone her skills.  If she’s lucky enough, she’ll be introduced to the writing bibles of “Strunk and White” and almost any style book written by Merv Block.  You will most likely find her in a corner of the campus library, shutting out the world, doing re-writes for the only creative writing class the college offers.

• The 30s – The true writer has resigned herself to a life of poverty since most print publications barely cover gas money for 2,000 words, while blogs and websites barely offer enough to buy a burger.  Thanks, freelance writing sites, for dumbing down the writers’ market even further when it comes to compensation.  You will most likely find the 30-something writer working 60+ hours, during ungodly overnight shifts, at any newspaper, radio or TV station which will hire her…..and unless she’s in a major market (NY, LA or Chi-town), she is earning a fraction of what her IT alums are making.  BTW, the first draft of that novel now sits with the 2^nd and 3^rd re-writes on her dead laptop, along with the junk file of agent and publisher rejection letters.  She keeps those for when her first book is a best-seller and she can say “I told you so!”

•  The 40s – The true writer is laughing and crying inside as she sees her colleagues give up true journalism for a life in P.R., knowing full well they will also earn more than she is doing chasing down news stories.  They write press releases and she still dreams of writing the great American novel, while realizing there is no money in the retirement fund.  You will most likely find her at the bar, which sits across from the TV station, with the old-timers who can’t imagine a life outside of news.

• The 50s – The true writer says “F^*^ it all, I’m doing it my way.”  She understands that life is too short to wait for others to realize her dream.  She is realistic enough, hopefully not delusional, to know whether she has what it takes to draw in readers.  She’s honed this skill after many, many years working with seasoned editors, taking the ego hits and learning how to improve her craft.  You will likely find her chasing her dream to all corners of the world, confident in her ability to make it happen.

My former journalism students either dropped out the first week of class or continued to take my writing courses as electives, understanding full well that rejection and editing make you better in spirit and talent.  Writers are writers because they cannot think of doing anything else but writing.  You won’t get rich.  Maybe you won’t be famous.  So, you write for yourself and if others jump on the crazy train with you, then oh, what a ride it will be!

About the Author

Lisa Fantino is a former network news reporter and anchor, turned attorney and now published author, who stepped off life’s merry-go-round just long enough to make her dream a reality.

Amalfi Blue on Amazon

Amalfi Blue on Twitter

Writing 101: Author Shorthand

I didn't know it, but authors have their own secret language. I've been exposed to this recently because I've been making a big effort to be more involved in writer forums. And I'm happy to report that I have cracked the code, and I'm going to share it. You'll look like a pro when you master author shorthand.

Writer Abbreviations 

Author shorthand doesn't just look impressive, it probably also saves a lot of time. Whether or not you plan to use it, I've found that it's good to know what all the different acronyms mean...because that saves a lot of time when it comes to reading the forums.

• LI - love interest
• MC - main character
• WIP - work in progress
• QL - query letter (the letter authors send to agents/publishers to pitch a book)
• POV - point of view
• MG - middle grade, young adult books for tweens
• FD - first draft
• NF - non fiction
• ARC - advanced reader copy
• MS - manuscript
• TBR - to be read/reviewed
• BS - it doesn't mean what you think it means. When authors use it, BS often means backstory (but you'll need to study the context to know for sure)
• GMC - goals, motivation, conflict

There are lots more author acronyms, not all of them so pleasant, but these are the ones you'll find most often. Now, at least you'll know what authors are talking about when you're reading the forums!

Writing 101: Get Out of Your Head

I know all the things you do to distract yourself from writing, because I also do them. I know about all the questions that parade through the writer's mind, sewing seeds of doubt and fear. I know what it's like to re-read something I wrote just yesterday, and suddenly hate it. And the entire idea. And words in general. And I've got a piece of advice for all of us: get out of your head.

Over-Thinking It

Over-thinking it can kill a project more easily than all the grammatical errors in the world. You can always fight your way through editing, but if you're twirling too many questions around in your mind you'll end up talking yourself right out of writing your book.

It's easy to question, to second-guess, particularly for me. I've practically turned it into an art form, I'm so good at it. It's nerve-wracking to release your first book, to put yourself out there for the world. But you know what's even harder? Putting the second book out there.

Now, there are expectations. Now, you have fans. You have readers. They reviewed your work, and they're looking forward to the next. What if your next book is terrible? What if you let them down? What do your fans want from you?

This is how it begins. It's a pitfall that's incredibly easy to fall into; I have a summer home down there. It's good to care about your fans, and you always should respect them and appreciate them. But you can't be controlled by them. You can't let anyone else dictate what you write.

You have to write what you want to write. Writing takes inspiration, and passion, and a certain amount of completely blind determination. In other words, you have to write for yourself. It's fine to be inspired by others and to be driven by the goodwill of others, but at the end of the day you need to be writing the story that you want to write. The one that comes from within your gut, not from within your inbox. You need a story that's going to drive you, not something that you think other people will like. Your writing is at its strongest when it comes from somewhere you can't even name, because it's just down too deep.

If you're asking yourself a bunch of questions, you're over-thinking it. Just do the writing part, and pull the story out from deep within. Wonder about whether people will like it when you're editing, which is pretty much supposed to be highly stressful anyway.

Going Off the Grid

So, I haven't been around much in the last week. It's not because I'm working on the new novel (in fact, I'm still stuck on Chapter 4), it's because I've been moving.

 Drawing the Line

After three months, I made a big final push to put an end to my strange, two-home existence. The work on the house has been progressing slowly, or not at all, so two weeks ago I decided to do what I do best: I set a deadline.

I'm good with deadlines. They conduct my every waking moment and hold me in an iron grip. They also keep me in line. If I had my druthers, I would spend my days watching the Game Show Network and live tweeting my very intense thoughts regarding Let's Make a Deal and Match Game, which I maintain are very important contributions to society. 

So I need the deadlines. I perform under pressure; sometimes, it's the only way I can. However, I over-estimated something somewhere with the deadline I set for the move. A lot of work ended up coming in, and I got stymied by a box shortage. I got about five hours a sleep every night for the past week and did my very best to run myself ragged. Things got so intense, I actually dropped my exercise routine for an unprecedented 2 days.

Because I've been so pressed for time, I've been very neglectful. I haven't been responding to comments and tweets very responsibly, and I'm sorry to admit I've skipped a ton of forum-reading. I have kept up with the blogs I follow, but I haven't been able to comment much on new posts. I'm just barely responding to emails at this point; this blog post took three days.

I've already been out of touch, and now I'm going off the grid. Because of an error (mine), I'll be almost totally without Internet for a terrifying two days. I'll have some access thanks to my mobile, but you know what that's like.

I'm feeling very daunted by it all, to be honest. I'm nervous about the move and terrified of being totally without Internet. What will I do, if I'm not working? There's no real pressure in unpacking the boxes -- it's not like moving under a strict deadline.

And while the Internet will be off, the TV is going to be working just fine. Just imagine how much interesting stuff will be on there...and how much tweeting I can do from my phone.

Books on Film: Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair is considered a classic, but don't assume that means it's boring. It was originally written as a comedy, and it features one of the most famously conniving characters in literature. Many authors have been inspired by William Makepeace Thackeray's famous anti-heroine, Becky Sharp.

The Book

Written in 1848, Vanity Fair takes place in the first half of the 1800s. At the beginning, we find Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley, two friends who have attended Miss Pinkerton's Academy for Young Ladies together. They're leaving school to go to Amelia's house.

It's a bit of a strange friendship. Becky Sharp matches her name: she thinks quickly, and she's ambitious. Amelia, by contrast, is simple and sweet. Upon arriving at the Sedley home, Becky meets Captain George Osborne. He and Amelia have been engaged since they were children. Joseph, Amelia's brother, is also here.

Becky attempts to woo the brother, but it all falls apart. Some of it is due to the meddling of Osborne, who warns him away, and the fact that Sedley's as sweet and simple as his sister -- he can't even tell when a pretty girl is flirting with him.

With no marriage proposals in the offing, Becky has to find some means of employment. She begins to work for Sit Pitt Crawley as a governess to his children. Becky endears herself to the grumpy old man, and he proposes to her after his wife dies.

It's too late. Becky's been hard at work behind the scenes of the Crawley home, and she's already secretly married to Crawley's handsome second son Rawdon. He's the favored relative of a very rich aunt, Sir Pitt's sister. But instead of being happy about the marriage, as Becky had hoped, the old woman is infuriated. She disinherits Rawdon. 

Meanwhile, Amelia's life hasn't worked out as planned. The Sedleys have fallen on financial hard times, and their ties with the Osborune family are strained. Amelia's engagement to George is broken by the Osborne family. George, however, is goaded into marrying her anyway by his friend Dobbin, who believes in honor. George is disinherited as a result.

And in the background, the Napoleonic Wars are beginning. Osborne and Dobbin are sent to Brussels. On their way to deployment, the pair run into Becky and Rawdon. George makes advances toward Becky, who flirts back. George slips her a note telling her to run away with him.

He goes to Waterloo the next day. Becky tries to spend time with Amelia, but she's angry because George is attracted to her friend. George dies in the famous battle, shortly before Amelia gives birth to their son. She names him George and goes to live with her parents. Dobbin spends his days trying to woo her in very gentle ways, but it's wasted. Amelia is in love with the memory of the man that George never was. Years go by in this fashion, and the rift between her and Becky extends. Dobby eventually leaves and goes to India to get the memory of Amelia out of his head. 

Becky has had a son as well, but she's a very different mother than loving Amelia. She goes to Paris, and London, on her continuing quest to become well-settled and rich. She does this by flirting with various men, climbing them up the social ladder, until she is introduced around London society by the Marquis of Steyne. Becky is even presented to the Prince Regent.

Becky and Rawdon look respectable on the surface, but it's a sham. They're con artists who gamble and cheat to earn money, while Becky collects trinkets from various men and pawns them for extra scratch. She loves credit, especially when she can use it in other people's names. Rawdon is arrested for their debts and bailed out by his sister Lady Jane.

It's rather unfortunate, because Becky didn't expect him back. She's carrying on in a most scandalous manner with the Marquis, only to be caught by Rawdon at a most inopportune moment. He leaves her, of course. After Rawdon challenges the Marquis to a duel, Steyne tells Becky to get out of the UK altogether. She does, but it doesn't matter. Steyne follows her across Europe, destroying her reputation wherever she goes.

After 12 years away, Dobbin finally returns to England. He goes to Amelia and confesses his love, plainly this time, but she turns him down. She's still in love with George, even after all this time. Dobbin takes her and her son George on a trip to Germany along with Joseph Sedley, where they run into Becky Sharp again.

She's destitute, but still charming. She's even capable of enchanting Joseph Sedley despite the fact that she's a hard-core boozer who's lost her singing voice and much of her pretty looks.

At this point, Becky finally does something good. Feeling sorry for Amelia and plainly seeing Dobbin's torment, she shows Amelia the note George gave her all those years ago. Amelia realizes she's been mourning a man who never really existed, and she contacts Dobbin. 

Becky marries Joseph Sedley. After naming her his inheritor, he dies under very suspicious circumstances and at last Becky has what she wanted. Due to the quirks of Fate, Becky's son ends up inheriting the Crawley titles and fortune.

It's a story filled with ups and downs, rich characters and a plot that zigzags throughout Europe. It's a natural choice for any filmmaker. This is evident by the amount of filmmakers who have adapted it.

The Films

Vanity Fair was four different silent films, made in 1911, again in 1915, in 1922 and yet again in 1923. Once talking pictures were invented, everything that was done had to be done again. The first sound version of Vanity Fair was made in 1932 with Myrna Loy, a huge star in her day. This, however, is one of her very early films.

The story was adapted again in 1935, re-titled Becky Sharp this time. Miriam Hopkins was chosen for the title role. This was the very fist feature film shot in full-spectrum Technicolor, so it's very lavish. Her performance was nominated for an Oscar.

Then, Hollywood forgot all about it for awhile. They remembered the story in 2004 and decided to make the movie again. This time, Reese Witherspoon is Becky Sharp. A century has apparently softened Becky; in this version, she's not so much anti-hero as she is victim. 

She also doesn't attend school with Amelia in this version. After leaving school, rather dramatically, Becky rides in a carriage alone to her friend's home. She still meets Joseph and George, along with Dobbin. Becky does go on to be a governess and secretly marries Rawdon, and the pre-Waterloo outing does occur.

But this time around, Becky stays in Brussels to take care of Amelia. The big fight between them does not occur, and their friendship remains intact. Becky looks like a kind and caring friend in this version, lying to Amelia about George's fidelity, in a huge deviation from the Becky of the book. Rawdon is again thrown in debtor's prison, and again catches his wife in the arms of another man.

Becky is indeed in Germany 12 years later, but her circumstances are much improved in this version. For one, she's still beautiful and she has a steady enough job. It's the young George Osborne who finds her in this version of the story. Becky tells Amelia the truth about George, and Amelia goes running to Dobbin once more.

Joseph Sedley marries Becky, and they go off to India together to live happily. In an alternate ending, Becky returns to the Crawley home to find out that her son (Robert Pattinson) has inherited. He shuns her at first, then takes her hand. Pattinson once said that it was Reese Witherspoon who had him cut from the film.

What Got Adapted?

The 2004 version of the story is a sight to behold. No expense was spared in costuming and set design, and Witherspoon looks fabulous throughout. But the watered-down and victimized version of Becky Sharp isn't true to the original spirit of the novel, which shows Becky as a cunning little climber who's practically sociopathic in her selfishness.

The friendship between the two women is also strengthened, with Becky being a much better friend in this adapted version. They never quarrel, and it seems to fit with Becky's character when she reveals the truth about George. In the book, it's actually the one good thing Becky does with her self-centered life, a single shining moment of redemption.

Steyne is painted as a villain, manipulating Becky so that he can prey upon her. In the book, Becky is the one pulling the strings and at the very least, a very willing participant.

Then of course, there's the ending. In 2004, Becky Sharp rides of with Sedley. She's freed Amelia from grief, she's made young George happy and she's still lovely. In the book, Becky uses and kills her new husband. She's an anti-hero and a bad girl, but not in the film version. 

But of course, it is Reese Witherspoon. So I encourage you to watch the film and read the book, and meet both versions of the infamous Becky Sharp.

Writing 101: Spacing Out

I once forgot to eat for 12 hours. Sometimes, people will have entire conversations with me. After I give them a series of monosyllabic answers, I inevitably look up and ask "wait...what did you just say?" I'm not crazy, I'm spacing out. And if you're going to write successfully, you're going to need to learn how to do it, too.

Alone in My Head

The world is never going to shut up for you. It doesn't matter if you crawl into a bunker and lock the door, the world is still going to find you. It's going to intrude no matter how carefully you plan your day and no matter how many rules you make for your household. Closing the door may be symbolic to you, but life is always going to intervene. 

You have to master the art of spacing out. You have to be capable of sitting in the middle of Grand Central Station with a smartphone and write your novel, if that's what it takes. Because sometimes, that is what it's going to take. Sometimes, you're going to have to write while the kids are screaming, phones are ringing, the TV is going and someone's in the background asking a bunch of inane questions about the contents of the refrigerator. Life is like that. The writer has to learn how to leave this very busy, noisy world...and step into the one they're creating on the page.

You have to learn the technique of spacing out.

Turning Off the World

Spacing out isn't easy. You have to focus on the story in front of you and only that. There are going to be a lot of distractions in your ear, but you've got to focus on what's on the page. It is a skill that can be learned; it just takes concentration. Practice it by turning on some music or the television when you're writing. Start out at a low volume, and try to write. Focus on the words and tune out the noise until it's just that: dull noise in the background that doesn't mean anything. As you feel more comfortable, meaning more focused, increase the volume.

Keep practicing until you're able to shut out the world and live solely on the page. It's not going to work 100 percent of the time; there will be moments when a jarring noise or a loud shout will break your focus. But once you know how to let the noise fade into the background, you'll be able to work well anywhere. 

However, I would caution you to set reminders so you don't forget to eat.

Writing 101: Personal Presentation

 If you're serious about being an author, you carefully comb your books for mistakes before you publish them. You agonize over word choices, think deeply about plots and get incredibly picky when it comes time to design and choose a cover design. You pay attention to all the little details when you're presenting your book. But don't think for even one moment that you can slack off in the way you present yourself. In fact, it's something you've got to think about constantly.

Being a Brand

Once you label yourself as an author and start presenting yourself on the Internet through a blog, social media profiles, forums or any other venue, you're no longer a person. Now, you're a brand. You've got to start acting like it. 

Awhile back, I did a post reminding you that you're always an author, even when you're kicking back for some Twitter time. Whenever you're using your author name in any public way, whether on a forum post or even in an email to another author, you need to be thinking about how you're presenting yourself. 

Presentation is Everything

Specifically, I'm talking about all the typos. The grammatical errors, and the lazy punctuation. If you can't send me an error-free query letter, why would I review you books? If I'm reading your post in the forum asking me to buy your book and you're totally ignoring all rules of period usage, I'm going to have a knee-jerk Grammar Warden response. I know it to be true, because I've heard myself say out loud, on more than one occasion, "if you can't capitalize your Is, I can't read your book." 

And I'm really not all that choosy about what I read. I read books across all genres of all lengths based on all sorts of plots, so I'm pretty open-minded. But your average reader? They need a lot more wooing than I do, and they may write you off even more quickly than I.

Everything you put out there is ultimately associated with your books and your writing in general. So if all I see from you is sloppy Facebook updates and forum posts that ignore everything about capitalization and commas, what do I think about your books? That's right: I'm going to think they're sloppily-written, too. It might not be true. It probably isn't true. 

The thing is, I'm not even going to try to find out. That's why you have to think about personal presentation, because I'm certainly not the only reader who feels this way. You are being judged, unpleasant as that may be. So present yourself well, and you will end up selling more books.

Writing 101: If It Makes You Happy...

Have you ever killed a character? Did you cry and sob at your keyboard while writing the scene? Have you ever written a break-up? Did you feel anger and pain and jealousy when the lost love interest turned up with a new love interest of their own? If you're not feeling all these things while you're writing, then I'm not feeling what you're writing. You feel me? 

How Does That Make You Feel?

The best books are the ones that make us laugh and cry. The books that make you feel something are the ones that stick with you. They become special memories, personal stories. I'll never forget the emotional wreck I became while reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (don't judge me). There's a line toward the end of the book, where Professor McGonagall takes control of Hogwarts and tells the students they can stay and fight if they want to. 

I burst into tears. In the middle of a silent room, there's me sobbing. I started to cry so hard, I had to close the book for a few minutes just to gather myself. I loved that book so much, I'm not even embarrassed to share that story. That's a good book. And I guarantee you, J. K. Rowling started to cry and slobber at some point while she was writing the first draft of that book -- stiff British upper lip notwithstanding. 

Because, while I don't know the woman personally, I'm pretty sure she knows the secret of writing great emotional scenes. And here's what it is: you have to feel what the characters feel. 

If you're a writer, it's necessary to go a little crazy sometimes. While you're writing, when you're in that special space, you have to become your characters. You're no longer Self Pubbed, hard-working indie author. You're now your main character, living in that world and breathing that air and going through everything the main character is experiencing. 

And if you don't cry when something happens, or laugh at a scene that's meant to be amusing, you have to rewrite it. Get deeper into the character, try it again and see what happens. When your emotions are engaged, your writing is going to be a lot more realistic. That's the kind of stuff that's going to make me burst into tears at odd intervals in the middle of a silent room. And that's the kind of stuff you want.

Writing 101: Motive

People have a pretty high tolerance for fiction. It's okay to write about a psychotic killer who carves people up. Many fine stories have been based on this gruesome plot device. But it's not okay to fail to provide a motive for those killings. And the thing is, psychotic killers aren't the only characters who need a motive. All of them do. 

Why? 

If you follow me on Twitter, you may know that I spend a good portion of my day watching Investigation Discovery. I can get away with it by telling people it's research -- I write mystery novels. But when I'm by myself and an interesting case is unfolding, I might find myself doing some good-natured (not crazy) yelling at the television screen. Usually, I'm shouting just one word: why?

To me, that's the most important question in every story. Why is the main character in love with this guy? Why is that villain being so mean? Why is this all happening? It's easy to get caught up in writing vivid action scenes, steamy romance scenes and exciting dialogue...and forget all about including a motive. 

Something is driving these characters, and readers want to know what it is. There are lots of different ways to expose motive. Maybe you do it right at the front with an exciting scene. A character who nearly drowns, for example, might spend the rest of the book being terrified of water. The beginning scene that shows that near-drowning explains this fear nicely. Just imagine how the book would read without it. Some writers might wait, and reveal the past drowning more toward the middle of the book. 

It doesn't matter how you do it, only that you do. Every character has a motive, and you've got to know what it is so that I, the reader, can know what it is, too. Whether you choose to spell it out plainly or reveal it through a series of scenes, you've got to show the motive behind the characters.

Otherwise, I'm going to end up sitting on my couch, Kindle in hand, screaming why at your book. And I promise that, when my neighbors ask, I'll blame the whole thing on you.

Writing a First Draft

I stopped by a friend's blog recently to share my thoughts on writing a first draft. Go read it to find out what to do before you start writing!

Insomnia...Sort Of

It's not so much that I have insomnia. It's more about the fact that I can't find the time to sleep, but paradoxically I can find time to play Scrabble. This brings me to the recent revelation I experienced, one night around three in the morning: I'm really terrible at Scrabble. 

It bothers me to the point of distraction...and that brings us full circle to my sort-of insomnia. 

She Was a Scrabble Queen...

So I got this email inviting me to download a Scrabble app. I have a pretty high-grade app addiction, so I couldn't click the link fast enough to start the download. And besides, Scrabble? Of course I'll play Scrabble with you. I'm a writer. I rule at Scrabble. If being a professional wordsmith is good for anything, it ought to darn well be playing Scrabble.

It was with this very superior attitude that I loaded up the app and confidently entered into a game with the person who invited me. And because I am so superior, I wasn't even about to stop there. Why should I battle just one challenger, when words are my stock and trade? One opponent? Ha! You better bring more than a couple of guys to take me down.

So I went ahead and started up 5 different games. Yeah, that's right: my confidence was sky-high. Not only am I a marvel of app-juggling, I'm a pretty intense gamer when I have the time to focus on it. And I know words. So bring it on!

You can imagine what happened next. I began to lose. By a lot. I pit myself against multiple challengers, and I'm more than a little humiliated to admit to you today that I have won a single Scrabble game on my new app to date. Yes, just one game.

It bears mentioning that I downloaded it a week ago.Not only did I lose to the person who invited me to the game, I've lost to multiple random app-users who I like to pretend are J.K. Rowling, James Patterson and another half-dozen authors I admire...but it's much more like they are all in the seventh grade.

So naturally I have been making myself crazy playing Scrabble. Some of my games last for days, and turns may take up to 14 hours before I make a move. No, it's not because I'm studying the board for that long. I've had to set limits on myself, so now I only check the games when I'm caught up on my Tweets, my mail, my forums and the other stuff on my list. It might take 14 hours before I manage all of that in any given day, so that's why.

Of course, it doesn't help that when I do go to make a move, I check every single word in the dictionary and spend plenty of time mumbling to myself in frustration and dismay. The swearing takes up an excessive amount of time. It's unfortunate they can't be used as viable Scrabble words. Then I would rule at the game.

It's been a bit of a bizarre week, I'll admit. I had the mistaken idea that taking random Scrabble breaks throughout my day would prove to be a fun experience, a stress-relieving enterprise. Because I might work for 14 hours without taking a deep breath, this seemed like a perfectly reasonable course of action to pursue. Little did I know I would end up in a confidence-shattering competition with word masters who have gone into the hills of the Himalayas to study the most obscure words ever invented in language...or a pack of schoolchildren with stunningly vast vocabularies. I can't decide.

To put it a bit more simply, the Scrabble didn't help me relax, have fun or relieve any stress. It helped me miss more sleep, as I found myself lying in bed at the end of the day trying to find out if "qi" is an acceptable word (it is). If anything it's compounded my stress, as I have now fallen behind in my newly re-affirmed reviewing schedule. The tale I'm embroiled in now is a very intriguing blend of fantasy and mystery. I'll write a full review if I can stop staring at the Scrabble board long enough to finish it, and I'm making no promises. I'll out-word Bobstar if it's the last thing I ever do. 

Because I'm a writer, darn it...and doesn't that mean I ought to be amazing at Scrabble? I'm going to go sleep on that question as 10-point letters dance by in my nightmares tauntingly. I leave you with this piece of advice: if you decide to play Scrabble online, hope that you'll end up playing against me.

Writing 101: Writing Logistics

If you think it takes a lot of time trying to write a novel, try putting one together after it's been torn into fifteen to thirty different pieces. There's a lot more to being an author than turning out purple prose until your fingers bleed. You also need to pay attention to your writing logistics with every chapter and every book. Otherwise, you're going to get sucked into an undertow of time-wasting document-opening. I know, because for a long time I lived there.

Let's Talk About Documents

The few novels (and believe me, I'm using the term loosely here) that I ever wrote I completely screwed up. I gave each chapter a title, and wrote each one in a separate document. Naturally, I named those documents after the title of the chapter -- not by their numerical value. I'm sure you can imagine what sort of a nightmare this became any time I needed to access an element in the story, like if I wanted to re-read it in its actual order. I'm opening up documents, and getting frustrated....and wasting a ton of time I could've spent writing instead. 

Don't let this happen to you. I had to learn writing logistics the hard way, but now that I have I've got a system that works. Use mine, or come up with your own, but make sure you get it worked out before you write. Then, you won't end up plowing through bizarrely-named documents at the center of a disorganized mess.

First, make a folder for each book -- I'm talking about a separate folder for each. The folder should be the name of the book, or a stand-in name if you haven't titled the work yet. I'll use the main character's name, or a certain word I've associated with the book, as a stand-in. If it's a series, make a folder for the entire series and put each associated book folder inside.

Write the entire manuscript in a single document. I like to name mine manuscript, that keeps things simple, but it makes more sense to name it after the title of the book. Always save a second copy of the manuscript elsewhere on your hard drive, and back it up on a flash drive as well. 

Store all your resource materials for the book in the same folder. This might include your cast list, an outline, maps, notes, timelines, the blurb, whatever you've got. Give each one of these documents obvious names (like outline, map, notes, and so on) to make them easy to access. Back up a copy of the entire folder every time you make changes, so you don't run the risk of losing your work.

Find a simple, straightforward system for keeping your books stored on your hard drive. Writing logistics are pretty boring, but you need them to build a strong foundation for your craft...and to keep yourself from wasting a bunch of time you don't really have.

Writing 101: The Most Over-Used Descriptor?

Because I'm pretty good at distracting myself, I got caught up recently in re-formatting one of my really old books (long story). While erasing unnecessary line breaks, I couldn't help but notice one word appearing again and again...and again and again. It was everywhere, and it was being used the wrong way 50 percent of the time. That word stuck out at me, and I started thinking about how often I've been seeing it in recent months. That's when I realized that it may just be the most over-used descriptor in fiction. This was quickly followed by the revelation that I can never, ever use it again...and I don't think you should, either. Allow me to plead my argument against the word slightly. 

Insert Your Adverb Here

She smiled slightly. "I didn't expect to see you here."

He nudged her arm slightly. "Did you see that?"

I felt the room shake, slightly, as the big truck roared past.

I'm getting slightly tired of all this. 

The examples above are pretty good approximations of recent sentences I've read in fiction containing the word slightly. And honestly, they're all pretty poorly written because of that word. Slightly isn't just an over-used descriptor...it's also a bad one. 

By definition, slight means small, or some derivative thereof -- when it's used as an adjective. As a verb, slight means to treat something or someone as if they are small. For example: "The movie star was slighted by the Academy Awards when she wasn't nominated." 

When you add ly, slight becomes the adverb slightly...also known as the one-size-fits-all word for any writer in a describing jam. Add slightly to any sentence, suddenly it feels a little bit fancier. Why shrug when you can shrug slightly? Why chuckle when you can slightly chuckle? Why come up with a better word, when this one can be shoved anywhere?

Because it sounds fairly horrible, that's why. Let's take the prose and put it into a real world context. What does a slight smile look like? What does a slight laugh sound like? To what degree of pain does one feel a slight nibble or a slight kick, and what would I hear if you let out a slight sigh? 

Slightly isn't a degree, and it's isn't at all a good word. My idea of slightly might be totally different from yours, and as an author you've got to be more specific than that so I know what you're actually trying to convey. Slightly is just too vague, and it's too easy.

Slightly Synonyms

Thankfully, you get to the use the entire rest of the English language to write your descriptive text. That gives you over a million different words to choose from, and I'm going to start you off with a dozen that are perfectly serviceable synonyms for slightly: gently, weakly, ineffectually, somewhat, hardly, imperceptibly, daintily, casually, lightly, marginally, scarcely and faintly. Now, go write!

Ten Answers from Jade

I recently answered 10 questions, and you can read all my answers at From Mia's Desk. In the interview, I talk about the first story I ever wrote (tried to write). Go check it out!