Books on Film: Nancy Drew

Even if you haven't read the books, or seen the movies, you've heard the name Nancy Drew. She's a famous book detective, and through the years she's been edited, adapted and re-packaged endlessly so she can keep on being relevant. And it's worked, because we all still know who she is -- and she's been a teenager since the 1930s.

The Books

Nancy Drew was born on the page in 1930, to be exact, with The Secret of the Old Clock. This first book spawned an entire series that's going on 83 years old. The many, many books in the series are written under the name Carolyn Keene, a person who does not exist. Several ghostwriters have been responsible for crafting Nancy's adventures over the years.

Ghostwriters were also used to change those stories. Nancy underwent her first big re-branding in 1959, to eliminate racist stereotypes and other subject matter that didn't make for appropriate reading in those times of Civil Rights. Drew changed again in the 1980s, becoming a bit older and more professional in her detective endeavors. The entire original series wasn't ended until 2004, when Nancy Drew re-emerged under the Girl Detective mystery series. She's way more PC in this version, and even drives an electric car (gas is in the past, kids). 

Despite all the changes, or maybe because of them, Nancy has remained highly popular among YA readers through the years More than 80 million books featuring her have been sold around the world. She's also appeared in no less than 5 feature-length films, two TV shows and more computer games than you can shake a mouse at.

She began as a 16-year-old amateur sleuth bent on solving mysterious crimes. Later, she became 18 years old. Nancy lives in River Heights (which does not exist) with her father Carson Drew, a successful lawyer. Housekeeper Hannah provides the mothering influence that Nancy needs, as she lost her biological mother when she was very young. In the original stories, Nancy's mom left the picture when she was 10. Later, Nancy was 3 when her mother died. Nancy also has a love interest, Ned Nickerson, who goes to Emerson College.

Nancy Drew has a truly mind-boggling array of skills. In addition to being beautiful, she speaks French, knows how to drive boats, paints and understands the intricate workings of the human mind. She also swims, sews, cooks, plays golf and tennis, rides horses, dances like a pro, knows first aid and, of course, plays bridge (some sort of card game). She also has a seemingly inexhaustible income, and usually tools around in a blue convertible. All this, in spite of the fact that she doesn't accept money for her detecting efforts. Solving the crime is more than compensation enough for Nancy Drew.

Most of the Nancy Drew books written between 1930 and 1959 were penned by a woman named Hannah Gruen, herself a very self-confident and self-possessed independent woman. She drew some flak for making Nancy too assertive and confident, and interjected lines throughout the book where Nancy is talking "sweetly" or "kindly" to people to tone down her perceived abrasive nature. Harriet Adams took charge of the series in 1959, going through all the books to make the needed changes to eliminate racism.

The books are somewhat formulaic in nature, but no less enjoyable for it. Each revolves around a specific mystery, upon which Nancy stumbles accidentally or has been asked to solve by some other character. She sometimes has help with these mysteries, but invariably ends up solving every clue herself. She's pretty and she's stylish, but Nancy isn't afraid to go anywhere, do anything or confront anyone. She always has a flashlight within easy reach, and thinks nothing of creeping through cellars or climbing around attics. A cursory nod to character development is given, and if you read the series you'll notice new developments in the lives of the people who surround Nancy Drew.

Several new series were created to re-introduce Nancy over the years, including The Nancy Drew Files and Nancy Drew on Campus. Nancy broke up with Ned during this series, and became the leading lady of Girl Detective in 2003. She's been through many changes over the years in the literary world, but Nancy Drew has been adapted several times on the screen as well.

The Movies

Actress Bonita Granville became Nancy Drew in four different Warner Bros. films during the 1930s. The stories became more comedy than mystery, and the self-assured Nancy of the early books became vapid and silly on the silver screen. Ned's name was changed to Ted for reasons unknown. These films are very hard to find, but you can sometimes see them on TCM. 

Nancy came to the small screen in the 1970s, this time played by actress Pamela Sue Martin (and later, when Pamela left, by Janet Louise Johnson). This Nancy was more assertive and bold, more like the original storybook Nancy, but arguably didn't look a thing like the character described on the page. Tracy Ryan played Nancy in a very brief 1995 TV series, and she didn't really look like Nancy either.

Nancy Drew languished in film obscurity until 2007, when Warner Bros. produced a fairly big-budget, highly promoted film version of the classic stories. Emma Roberts played Nancy, who was moved into the modern era. The adaptation does take a few tongue-in-cheek moments to poke fun at the long history of the Nancy Drew series, but in this version she's back to being very smart and less concerned about romance, more like the 1930s version of the character. Rumor has it that Roberts has already agreed to appear in the sequel.

In this version, Nancy has recently moved, temporarily, with her father Carson from River Heights. And because she's Nancy, she picked a rental house with its own built-in mystery. It's the former home of a somewhat obscure film star, Dehlia Draycott, who was mysteriously murdered (some sources say that the character was based on Natalie Wood, a well-known actress who did become the victim of a still-unsolved crime). But Carson doesn't approve of Nancy's sleuthing, and hopes that she'll become more "normal" while living in California. 

That's not who Nancy is. She ends up throwing herself into the mystery wholeheartedly, as usual, and begins to unravel all the clues. Nancy's blue car is featured in the flick, as is love interest Ned.

What Got Adapted?

Arguably, the 2007 movie makes fun of Nancy. She "likes old-fashioned things," and doesn't dress like anyone else (because she's really from the 30s). She's very smart when it comes to sleuthing, but seems to lack common sense in all other areas. And she's socially awkward, something the real Nancy Drew never was even through all her changes and re-vamping. The real Nancy makes friends easily and often draws admiration from others. Her friends George and Bess have completely disappeared, something that's sure to upset longtime Nancy fans, and much of the movie focuses on how weird and different she is -- when we all know that Nancy is highly adaptable. She's known for it.

That said, it's a really fun, cute movie, and Emma Roberts is adorable as Nancy Drew. There are definitely elements of the original books in the movie, and there's certainly a mystery to be solved if you look hard enough for it. Ned's a cutie, Nancy's new friend is absolutely delightful on screen, and there's even a cameo from Roberts family friend Bruce Willis (it pays to be related to Julia). So if you haven't seen it, see it! When you're done, read all 200-plus Nancy Drew books, and see if you think the film adaptation is an appropriate modern update for the long-running franchise.

From the Trenches: Unbroken

Receiving rejections is a wearing, wearying experience. Each brand-new letter brings a ray of hope. Every time the envelope is opened, that hope is crushed. It's like standing on top of a mountain for thirty seconds before falling to the Earth...and it's a long, long way down.

One author refused to let that fall break her, and because she wouldn't give up all of us know her name.

Being Stubborn

Judy Blume was born in 1938 in New Jersey. As a child, she liked to make up stories in her head. After graduating high school, Judy attended Boston University, but went on to graduate from NYU with a degree in teaching.

Teach she would, but not necessarily in the classroom. Judy went on to marry in the early 1960s, and became busy with a home and a young family. But all those stories were still in her head. So when her children started attending school, July Blume finally had the time to start writing them down. She wrote prolifically, and eventually got enough gumption together to submit her stories to publishers.

They were promptly rejected. Undeterred, Judy Blume continued writing and submitting...and she continued receiving rejection letters. She began selling short stories to magazines, but for two straight years only rejection letters came in the mail.

Blume recounted her experience in her own words on her website: "One magazine, Highlights for Children, sent a form letter with a list of possible reasons for rejection. 'Does not win in competition with others,' was always checked off on mine. I still can't look at a copy of Highlights without wincing."

True Grit

"I would go to sleep at night feeling that I'd never be published. But I'd wake up in the morning convinced I would be."

Blume said that she learned a little more with each new story she created. And finally, someone else agreed. She published her first book in 1969, then a second quickly after. But it wasn't until Are You There God, It's Me Margaret came out in 1971 that Blume officially became a bestselling author.

Her books have sold more than 80 million copies around the world, and today Judy Blume is considered to be one of the foremost children's writers in the business. Take that, Highlights magazine!

Judy Blume was stubborn, and continued to dream about being a writer even when her hopes were repeatedly crushed. She didn't give up, and eventually the publishing industry gave in. She wrote in the trenches, fueled on little more than hope, and she's still writing today.

Writing 101: Print Marketing

No, you haven't fallen into a time warp. Print marketing is still relevant, up to a point, and there are a whole lot of good reasons why you should be using it to market your self-published books. 

Really, It's a Good Idea

I know, I know. Everyone and everything is online these days, including self-published books. So what can print possibly hope to offer to a digital-savvy writer who's hip to social media and an entire world of e-marketing? 

Bookmarks. Lots of people still love their paper books, and each one of those rectangles is a marketing opportunity. First, print them up using images from your book cover. Add pertinent info in easy-to-read text, like "available in print and online at Amazon.com" and maybe your author blog address. A quote or two praising the book probably wouldn't be out of hand, either. Remember to print images and text on the front and back. 

Once you've got them, give them away. Go to your local bookstore (if you still have one) and ask if you can set them on the counter to give away for free. They can also be set out at card shops, novelty shops, and even the grocery store. Just ask someone for permission, and set them out. And whatever you do, don't forget the library. Your local library is probably very willing to give out your bookmarks, hang up your flyers and maybe even have you in to give a little presentation about self-publishing, literacy or another book-related topic. Take your bookmarks with you. Local marketing is a powerful tool, because people are going to find it much harder to reject you when you're standing there, in their faces.

Make up some flyers, as well, and if you're truly feeling ambitious make up a couple of posters. Make them beautiful. If you're going to do it, then go ahead and do it well. The more gorgeous your printed materials are, the more successful your local campaign is going to be. Hang posters and flyers in the library and bookstores, if they let you, and anywhere else you can. Local coffee shops and music store are often very supportive of local artists of all types, including authors. While you're at the coffee shop, ask them about open mic night if they've got one. Read a short story, a poem or a compelling excerpt of your book. And before you leave, make sure you pass out all of your (that's right!) bookmarks. This tangible proof of the existence of your book will make it much easier for them to remember to buy it. Go to the college bookstore and college hangouts as well to give our your stuff. The campus environment is very supportive of indies and local artists.

It does cost an investment, and there's no promise of a return on that investment. But print is such an unpopular medium these days, you can probably take advantage of sales and budget deals that will help you save a little money. You may also find it more cost-effective to print the stuff up yourself. Take the time to do some pricing on your bookmarks, crunch some numbers, and figure it out.

To get more for your time and effort, you can always re-use the graphics. Post the bookmarks on your blog or website as a template so people can print out their own copies of your bookmark. You can offer it at-large, or maybe as part of a special gift that you give to readers through a promotion. People do still read on paper, and I have paper copies of books that I'll never part with. Bookmarks are still the best way to save one's place in the middle of Harry Potter, or whatever, and there's no reason why I can't be using yours to do it. Maybe I'll look at the book cover and think it seems interesting, and I'll remember your name the next time I go shopping for ebooks on my Kindle. 

Aren't you willing to take that risk?

Writing 101: Re-Releases, New Editions and Extras

The first time she submitted Flowers in the Attic, V. C. Andrews was rejected. It was too long, the publisher advised, and boring. So Andrews went back to the book, eliminated about 100 pages and added the stuff that would "make [her] mother blush." It was a huge hit right away, leading to a movie, three sequels, one prequel...and a career that outlived the author herself.

Authors don't always get it right the first time, especially self-published authors who have to learn how to do every bit copyediting, formatting and marketing on their own. There are lots of reasons why you might have to issue a re-release or a new edition of a book you've already published in the past. But if you do it, make sure you do it the right way.

Re-Releases

Re-releases are common in the book world, and there's no reason self-published authors can't join in. Books that have been re-released usually are not changed in any way; all the text of the book is the same. In some cases, the text may be newly copyedited for correctness. But even in this case, the story hasn't changed; nothing has been added, or taken away.

That's why you've got to add one crucial element to make your re-release more successful: you need a new cover. You have to bring something new to the table, and you have to distinguish this new re-release from the old version of your book. An introductory price definitely wouldn't be out of line, either. Promote the new cover, the temporary price and the re-release itself. 

New Editions

If any significant changes have been made to the book, including very thorough editing, you have to release a new edition (in most cases, the Second Edition). It's okay to stick with the same cover if you like, because when you put out a new edition you won't be creating a brand-new page for the book. You will be wholly replacing the first edition of the book, so the cover can carry over if you like.

However, you'll have to promote the new edition really hard. With self-published authors, new editions are most commonly released because major editing errors or formatting problems have now been corrected. This is a great thing to do; if there are problems with your book, fix them. If you've decided to address a bunch of problems at once and release a whole new edition, you've got to make a whole thing out of it. 

Why? Because, chances are pretty good that you got several negative reviews regarding the editing and formatting (why else would you go to such trouble to fix it all?), and now you've got to win readers back. You'll have to respond to the negative reviews, and announce on your book's information that this second edition has been fully edited and re-formatted, or whatever. 

To make the new edition even more palatable, and perhaps get some second-time buyers as well, you might want to include something else: an author's note. It's promotable, and it's a good way to address the readers directly and tell them why you've released this new edition of the book. Since significant changes have been made, it's a good idea to reference these changes and re-invite your fans to read the story. 

Extras

Of course, there's another really important reason you might issue a re-release of your books: you wrote a series. It's common practice in the book biz to release boxed set editions of serial books; I personally own several of these sets. Self-published authors are in the book biz, so why not release a boxed set of your series?

If you do, it's a good idea to give the fans a reason to re-buy all the books they already read. You're going to need to add extras. Did yo draw up any sketches while you were working on the books? Maybe create some maps, calendars, notes? What research materials did you pull? Take a look back through all your notes, and you might find some interesting tidbits that you can share with your readers. Add a few extras to your re-releases and new editions, no matter why you're releasing them, and you'll give readers that much more incentive to check out your new-old book. You're trying to get a second chance, so make it as easy as possible for them to give you one.

Writing 101: Getting to the End

Have you ever loved reading a book so much that you didn't want to finish it? Sometimes, writing a book can inspire the same sort of feeling. Writers spend a ton of time inside the world they've creating, looking into the minds of different characters, and ending the book is a very bittersweet experience. Sometimes, maybe too bittersweet. Getting to the end can be so difficult, authors end up putting it off...and ruining the story. 

All Good Things...

Once an author is really into the story and into their characters, the writing flows naturally. The dialogue style of a particular character, specific thought processes -- it all becomes second nature. Putting an end to all of that can be really heart-wrenching and difficult. Sometimes, authors may not even realize that they're having trouble getting to the end of the story...they just keep inventing more and more and more story. 

Getting that deep into a particular story can create a one-way flow of creativity; the author's mind is so focused on these characters and this setting that other stories just aren't springing up. That's how intense focus and concentration work. But all good things must come to an end. 

It's not always easy to face that fact. Fear of facing the end can create all sorts of bad decisions, like over-writing. It can also lead to missed deadlines. I had a lot of trouble getting to the end of my most recent book, the last in the Deck of Lies series. My writing slowed down dramatically; there were nights when it took hours to write half a page of text. Finally I realized that I was a little bit unwilling to face the end of the entire series. The minute I realized I was having the struggle, my writing got right back on pace.

Sometimes, you've just got to grit your teeth and get to the end. In some writers, the fear manifests itself as too much writing; others (like me) have trouble writing anything at all. When the fear gets into you, it might cause all sorts of things -- you might constantly re-think scenes, and go back to re-write them over and over again. You might find it impossible to focus, and wind up doing everything but writing. 

If you find that you're just not on track with your book, check your emotions to see if you have a fear of reaching the end. It's a really common emotion among authors. Endings are often more difficult than beginnings, and there's a ton of work that follows every time you finish another novel. Once you face the fear, it'll probably go away.

Writing 101: Should You Be Writing Every Day?

Lots of writers, even the most famous ones, advocate that if you're a writer you ought to be doing it every day. It's a good way to exercise your creativity, they say, and how else can you get finished with a book otherwise? Should you be writing every day?

Habits, Hobbies and Obsessions

I found a quote online where even Mark Twain himself advised writers to writer every day. Easy for him to say, right? Writers in the 1800s didn't have to think about tweeting, or blogging, or checking their own sales figures. It may come as a surprise to know that Mark Twain self-published, but you can bet he wasn't spending an hour wading through emails every day or digging through book blogs to find reviewers. And then there's the fact that Mark Twain became pretty famous in his own time, and his books sold quite well.

So naturally, Twain had time to write every day because he was getting paid to write books. Lots of self-published authors aren't getting paid (at least, not enough), and that means they've got to get paid for doing something else.

By some standards, that means you ought to work a full day on the job, come home and then write. Every day. It's just not practical advice by any stretch of the imagination. Self-publishing is hard. Don't make it harder on yourself by wearing yourself out. Fatigue isn't going to help your creativity. For most people, it has the opposite effect. 

Setting daily goals is a good way to maintain discipline, but you can also make yourself crazy. If you've got time to write every day, good! But if you don't, there's nothing wrong with making a decision to write on the weekends, on on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or whenever it fits into your schedule. When you reach Mark Twain status, then yes you should write every day. But when you're working multiple jobs, trying to establish yourself as a writer and logging onto Twitter all the time to boot, writing every day is a huge burden. 

Don't turn writing into a chore, because that could affect your love of writing very negatively. If you're making yourself write, you're not going to be producing your best writing. 

Getting Dramatic with Justice

 "I loved the development of the story line right from chapter one." 

"I would recommend this book to any young adult because it's the perfect amount of high school drama for any adolescent."

Justice (Deck of Lies, #1) has been reviewed at The Rise of a Novelist. Go and read the whole thing, and get an inside look at how I get my reviews!

On the Edge with Justice

"This is a suspenseful, mystery book that has you gripping every lie as they multiply in the palm of your hands."

"This book felt real and I will recommend it to everyone I come across."

Addicted to Novels has reviewed Justice (Deck of Lies, #1). Read the whole thing to find out where to get your copy of the book!

Books on Film: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

It's hard to believe The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was published just 62 years ago, in 1950. It feels like it's been a part of children's literature for ever. It's certainly been part of TV movies, miniseries and  films for a long while, but then things move pretty quick in the movies. It's the first book in the Chronicles of Narnia series, and one of Times All-TIME 100 Novels. C. S. Lewis nearly didn't get it published, and now it's one of the most beloved children's books ever written.

The Book

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is set in war-torn 1940s Europe...and in a mythical land called Narnia. It opens with the four Pevensie children, of whom there are two boys (Peter and Edmund) and two girls (Susan and Lucy). They've been forced from London due to WWII and into the country home of Professor Digory Kirke. 

While exploring his large home, Lucy goes into an old wardrobe...and all the way through it into a magical, snow-covered landscape. Here, she meets a faun named Mr. Tumnus. They have a lovely tea party, and he thinks about turning her over to the evil Queen of Narnia, also known as the White Witch, but admits that he cannot do it. He explains all about the evil White Witch, who has trapped all of Narnia under her magical thumb. Lucy goes back through the wardrobe to tell Susan, Peter and Edmund about the magical place she's found. They do not believe her.

But Edmund suspects she may be telling the truth, and follows her one night into the wardrobe. He ends up meeting the White Witch, who offers him delicious treats and uses her own magical powers on him. Lucy finds him in Narnia, and together they go back through the wardrobe. Once there, however, Edmund denies that Narnia exists to the other two, betraying and upsetting Lucy.

Finally, all four of them end up in Narnia together. Mr. and Mrs. Beaver (who are, yes, actual beavers) invite them to dinner and they hear more about the evil White Witch. A prophecy holds that two Sons of Adam and two Daughters of Eve will break her terrible winter curse, which holds the land in its icy grip.

Edmund leaves them to visit the White Witch's castle. When the Beavers discover his betrayal, they leave their den to take the remaining Pevensies to Aslan, the true King of Narnia. During the journey, they see signs that the curse is breaking. Snow is melting, and they meet Father Christmas during the trek. Peter receives a sword and shield as his gift, while Susan gets a horn and a bow. Lucy gets a dagger and a magic potion. They soon meet up with Aslan and his army.

The White Witch arrives to have a meeting with Aslan, and demands to execute Edmund for being a traitor. They work out a secret deal betwixt them, and in the night Aslan steals away from camp. Lucy and Susan wind up secretly following him, and see him as the Witch ties him to the Stone Table and kills him. The next morning, the table is broken clean in two and Aslan is totally fine. This is all due to magic, naturally.

Battle ensues, and in the end Aslan kills the White Witch. The children take their thrones at Cair Paravel, fulfilling the prophecy, and spend many years reigning over the kingdom of Narnia. Years and years later, the four are hunting a white stag in the forest when they find the lamppost that lies just beyond the wardrobe. They slowly begin to remember the lives they left behind in Narnia, and go back through the wardrobe. Here, they become children again and find that hardly any time has passed in England at all. The Professor tells them knowingly that they will, one day, return to Narnia.

The book is full of magic, mythical creatures, and battles. It's pretty much made for the movies, and maybe that's why the book has been re-made into film many, many times over.

The Films

The Lion, the Witch and the Wadrobe has been a TV movie at least three different times. ABC made a massive 10-part adaptation of the book in 1967. An animated version was released in 1979. The BBC made their own version in 1988 using puppets, animation and live action (covering all the bases). Subsequent TV adaptations followed.

The story finally became an epic film adaptation in 2005, courtesy of of Walt Disney. It won Oscars, raked in hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office and, so far, spawned two sequels. In this film version, Lucy Pevensie hides in the wardrobe during a game of hide-and-seek to accidentally discover Narnia. She does meet Mr. Tumnus, who does not turn her in, and returns to the Professor's house. Edmund winds up following Lucy into Narnia to meet the White Witch, and again Edmund lies to Peter and Susan about Narnia.

All four of them are forced to run from the dour housekeeper after accidentally breaking a window, and wind up in the Narnian wardrobe. They again meet the Beavers, and after Edmund sneaks off the remaining three go to meet Aslan. Again, they succeed in battle and return home at the end of the book. It's a very faithful and well-done adaptation, but there are some differences between the book version and the Disney film version of the story for the nit-pickers out there.

What Got Adapted? 

The film version of the story actually shows the bombing of London, an event the book handles much more benignly. In the book, the four children go into the wardrobe together because the house is open to tours and they are supposed to keep themselves "scarce" during these times. The near-drowning scene in the film never happens in the book. Father Christmas, or Santa Claus, also looks quite different in the movie than he does on the page. The Witch also looks different. In the book she has black hair and a gold crown, clearly a departure from Tilda Swinton's blonde and icy beauty on film. Other differences are very minor, and even these small changes don't take anything away from the story. All in all, this is one adaptation that Disney managed to get right. They certainly had enough practice fouling up other stories. If you haven't already read the book, do it! Then watch the film, and compare for yourself.

Truths, Lies and The Tower

"It seems like on every page you are learning something new, more truths revealed."

"Another breathtaking, fast-paced, eye-opening and jaw-dropping novel from an Awesome author!"

The Tower (Deck of Lies, #2) has been reviewed at Keepin' up with the Joneses. Read the whole thing to find out how to enter a book giveaway and get some new reading material (after you buy The Tower, of course!)

Writing 101: Following Up

If you follow the blog, you already know how to comb through book blogs to get reviews. You know how to approach reviewers in order to get them to read your work. You know how to deal with review exchanges, and how to handle the inevitable criticism. But if you're not also following up, you're doing yourself a disservice. The follow up is one of the best tools you can use for getting reviews. 

Are you using it?

Remember Me? 

If you're committed to being an indie, you're probably going to self-publish more than one book (or maybe you already have). Whether you're writing a series or several stand-alone books, you can't neglect all your follow ups. So if you're asking, what's that, you already have been. It's okay, you can still catch up. 

• Keep track of your reviews. If you're going to properly follow up on the reviews you get, you've got to keep track of your reviews. I'm a big advocate of organization, so my first suggestion is to keep a spreadsheet containing links to the review, the date of the review, the name of the reviewer and the book they reviewed. Not everyone is that anal-retentive (read: obsessive). You can just as easily keep a Notepad file of a link to the review, or even save emails from your reviewers in a separate mail folder. Do this, and it'll be incredibly easy to follow through with your follow ups.
• Wait. Once a few weeks have passed, write to those reviewers about your next book. Maybe it's the next in the series they've started, maybe it's just your newest release, it doesn't matter. You're following up. Tell them thanks for their original review, and if they're interested you've got another book. Would they like a free copy? Book reviewers are book readers first and foremost, and when you wave a free book at them you're bound to get a response...just make sure you ask the question the right way. 
• Asking. Naturally, you're going to want to keep track of all the reviewers who gave you good reviews. But don't balk at keeping reminders for the ones who gave you not-so-good reviews, too. A follow up gives you a second chance to win them over, and it shouldn't be missed. With a reviewer who might be more hesitant to read your next project, you've got to approach them a little differently. Reference the problems they might have had with your last book (poor editing, perhaps, or flowery language) and tell them why you think they'll like this book. 

Follow ups should always be personalized. They take a little more time to write, but they have a much bigger return value. You're much more likely to get a review from a reviewer who has given you their time in the past. Following up will continue and deepen the relationship, and it can never hurt to have a good relationship with a friendly book blogger. 

Getting Thrilled by Justice

"An exhilarating ride, and once I started the book, I just couldn’t stop."

Justice (Deck of lies, #1) has been reviewed at Keepin' up with the Joneses. There are some spoilers, so feel free to read the whole review if you've already read Justice, and see if you agree with the reviewer!

Writing 101: Passed vs. Past

Words that sound alike, homonyms, are problematic for every writer at one time or another. Some homonym pairs are especially evil, because the two words in question have similar meanings. Passed and past are perhaps the most evil of all homonym pairs. Maybe that's why they're used incorrectly so often.

Past

The word past is confusing, because the word itself is not past tense. It's a perfectly normal adjective, a descriptive word, used when describing something that has already happened. 

"Didn't you and Jim break up?" 

"Yeah, but that's in the past." 

Past is a word that references time. It's even part of a word trio, a group of buddies known as past, present and future. The three are often mentioned together, and it's worth remembering because it'll help you use past correctly. There are different ways to use the word, different places to put it in a sentence, but the meaning of past won't ever change: it's something that already happened. But it can also refer to a specific thing, or person, or time, that has already come and gone.

"All past championship players will be on campus to visit the current champs." 

"I'll meet you at half past seven." 

"That car sped right past us!" 

Confusing, right? When used all these different ways, past becomes an adverb, a noun, even a preposition at times. In most cases, you're probably going to be using past when you're trying to get your point across. But sometimes, you might need the word passed instead.

Passed

The word passed is the past tense form of the verb to pass. This just means to proceed or move forward, according to the OED. It can refer to anything: a physical object, a metaphorical obstacle, time itself. You can pass a test, and you can get past a test. If you tell your friend Mimi that you did a good job on the test, you might say you passed it.

How do you know when to use passed? When you're using it as a verb. Unlike past, which can be many parts of speech, passed is only one. It's a verb. That's all you need to know.

 
The month passed uneventfully. 
He passed me this note in class.
Sure I saw her. I passed her on the way here.

Notice the placement of the word in the examples, and how it's used. Verbs refer to action, to something happening, and that's how passed is always used. It's action. 

But what if I change the verb in the sentence? Then, I have to use passed's difficult twin brother.

Sure I saw her. I walked past her on the way here.

See the difference? In this version of the sentence, the verb I'm using is walk. And since I passed her on my way here, I walked past her.

Telling the Difference

So if you're confused about past and passed, take heart. These two are darn confusing, they're spelled alike, their meanings are similar and they are pronounced exactly the same. Of course writers get confused, and this is one of those many things that spellcheck just can't fix. To use them both correctly, just identify your verb in the questionable sentence. If the verb being used is to pass, you've got to use passed. If past isn't the verb in the sentence, then you're using it the right way.

Writing 101: Comedy and Tragedy

There are dozens of different book genres, but when you get right down to it there are only two types of books: comedies and tragedies. Do you know which type of book you're writing, and what makes the difference between the two?

Comedy and Tragedy

Dustin Hoffman explains the nature of book writing beautifully in Stranger Than Fiction, one of my favorite movies. In the flick, he tells Will Ferrell the difference between a comedy and a tragedy: "Tragedy you die, comedy you get hitched." It's a pretty simple explanation, some might say trite, but it's also true. Every fiction book falls somewhere inside the comedy-tragedy spectrum. Sometimes, it's easy to tell which kind of book you're reading. Really clever writers keep you guessing until the very end. But when you're writing, you have to know which direction you're pursuing...because if you don't, no one else will be able to figure it out, either. 

• Comedy

 

Comedies are funny, and generally they have relatively happy endings. There's a common misconception that comedy stories can't be serious. This is absolutely false. In fact, it's a great idea to blend humor into your dramatic scenes, because that makes them a whole lot easier for readers to take. When a book is too dramatic and too heavy, it's going to turn readers off. Life is already dramatic and heavy, so don't be afraid to lighten up a little when you're writing. People read to escape their reality. Don't make the world they're escaping into one sad, heavy event after the next. Some writers add specific, funny characters into their stories to lighten up the mood and provide some much-needed laugh lines. This is a device known as comic relief. Comedy always has a place in any story.

But if you're writing a story that can be identified as a comedy, your main character has to overcome their greatest obstacle and/or defeat their foe (the antagonist, or villain, of the story). In almost all cases, the main character is alive at the end of the comedy and the reader has a general sense that their life is going to work out okay. Some writers craft beautiful, tear-soaked tragedies, only to flip the audience on their heads at the end of the book and resolve the whole thing with a blissfully happy ending where the main character is alive and well. It can be an effective writing device, but it can also be a bit of a slap in the face to the reader. So if you're going to write a happy comedy ending, make sure it makes sense. The ending must fit the rest of the book, and shouldn't necessarily come too abruptly. It's also important to note that the hero, or protagonist, of any comedy story is likeable. The most well-known type of literary comedy is probably the romantic comedy, in which a couple comes together after several funny obstacles are put in their way.

Literary comedy examples: A Midsummer Night's Dream, Twelfth Night, Bridget Jones's Diary, Freaky Friday

• Tragedy

Tragedies go for tears, not laughter. In a tragedy, people are going to die. In many cases, the main character is going to die at the end of the book. Tragedies contain a lot of drama, and more than one very sad and heart-wrenching scene. Every good book contains some tragedy within it, and it's okay to add a little sadness even into a very funny comedy. It's never  easy to make your reading audience laugh or cry, and the secret is to find a good balance. Don't just hit them constantly with sadness, but also don't lighten your tragedy with too much humor that might take away from the seriousness of the book. 

In a tragedy, the villain of the book doesn't necessarily have to win. Many great tragedies have been written where the hero wins but still dies. In many tragic endings, however, the book ends quite sadly. Goodness, love, chivalry -- these things have not prevailed. One of the most famous, and well-known, examples of literary tragedy is Romeo and Juliet. Other examples include Bridge to Terabithia and The Shipping News. At the end of a tragedy, your readers ought to be in tears. 

Comedy and Tragedy, Redux

The greatest stories blend elements of comedy and tragedy together in the same book, allowing readers to experience a full gamut of emotion. When it's done well, it becomes a wonderful adventure of hope, sadness, laughter and loss. When it's done badly, it becomes a roller-coaster ride that jerks readers back and forth, excruciatingly so. Pay attention to how you're feeling when you're reading your work, and how much your feeling, and how many times your feelings are changing. You want to keep your audience engaged and involved...but you don't want to jerk them around.

Writing 101: Storytelling

I blog a great deal about punctuation, proper grammar, the importance of staying organized and all the work self-published authors have to do in order to get reviews. But at the end of the day, after you're done promoting on Twitter and editing pages and thinking up new ideas, you've got respect the fundamentals of writing. Don't ever forget the most important element of any good fiction book: storytelling.

The Elements of a Story

The art of telling a great story is very complex, at least until you break it down into its most basic parts. You should always try to write realistic dialogue and avoid over-writing throughout. You've got to think about capitalization and comma placement and all of those little details. But before you do any of that, you have to know what story you're going to tell...and you're going to have to make sure it's a complete story. 

It's simple -- deceptively so. Many authors seem to forget the most basic element of writing fiction. It's all about storytelling, and when you get right down to basics there are only three parts to any story: a beginning, a middle and an end. Does your book have those three elements? Any short story, any poem, any song, and piece of writing must have these elements. If they don't, the writing is going to feel unfinished and it's sure to feel unsatisfying.

• The Beginning

Your book may have a Page 1, but that doesn't mean it's got a beginning. The beginning of any story should introduce the primary protagonist (the hero or heroine of the story) and ideally, the primary antagonist (the villain, or bad guy). It should also set up all the action that's going to follow. Make sure the reader understands the setting of the story in the beginning, and give the reader just enough background to form a basic understanding of who the characters are.

Lots of authors fail to write a proper beginning because they rush straight to the action that takes place in the middle of the story. This makes the story feel rushed. Instead of allowing things to unfold naturally, the reader is hit in the face with plot right away. Nothing major should develop until the reader has some working knowledge of the main character; how else can the reader accurately judge and process everything that's about to happen?

• The Middle

All the action of the story, the real meat, is in the middle. Many writers excel at writing the middle portion of the story, when it's all love scenes and action scenes and important plot points. Creating a strong middle doesn't mean you've created a strong story, however. If you skimp on the beginning, I don't have the right context for all the stuff that's happening here. And if you skimp on the ending, then you just cheated me and wasted all my time with your half-told story.

• The Ending

The end of the story is where the reader's work all pays off, and it's the trickiest part of any story to write. You don't want to the reader to feel cheated, but you may not be the type to offer a completely satisfying happy ending, either. There are really only two ways to end a story: neat, and cliffhanger. In a neat ending, all the loose ends are tied up. All the questions are answered, the mysteries are resolved and the reader has some idea of where all the important characters have ended up or will end up in their lives. When the Harry Potter series finally came to an end, for example, the reader got to see all the main characters in the future and had a good idea of how their lives ultimately turned out.

It was all nice and neat, with the villain dead and all that. But on the flip side of the ending coin, you've got the cliffhanger ending -- also known as a messy ending. This time, the reader still does have questions. Few things, if anything, have been resolved. The villain is still out there, somewhere, and someday this story is going to continue. It's tricky to write cliffhanger endings, because you have to do it in a way that doesn't discourage the reader. Give them a reason to stick with your book series without insulting them too badly at the end of the book. Some resolution should be provided; some progress must be made within the pages of the story itself. Make it clear that this chapter of the story, at least, has come or is coming to its end.

The ending completes any story, or continues it to its next phase. Do it badly, and the reader will have a lasting negative impression of your work. Do it well, and they'll keep coming back for more stories. The ending will make or break your book, but you've got to put just as much effort into the beginning and middle, too. Remember the fundamentals of writing, and your writing will be a lot better. 

Fiction Fashion Icon: Anne

Anne Shirley was bookish, talkative, orphaned, accident-prone...and my hero. I loved her story when I was younger, and the one thing I always associated with Anne was her red hair. Fashion is total -- it's not just about the clothes. But Anne had some very specific ideas about that, too, and that meant that I had to as well. 

Pigtails and Puffed Sleeves

Anne Shirley was first introduced in 1908 by Lucy Maud Montgomery in Anne of Green Gables, the beginning of what would become an extraordinarily successful YA series. She hated her red hair, and I've always wanted it badly (I'm blonde instead, and even that's debatable). So much so, in fact, that I dyed mine red for half of high school. Well, I tried. Turns out, blonde doesn't hold red dye all that well. The point is, Anne's been a personal style icon of mine for a long time. She didn't think her red hair was very fashionable, but she was certain about one must-have detail: puffed sleeves.

The dress scene in the film version of Green Gables is a big deal, and that's because in the book the scene is so very special. Matthew gets to thinking about Anne's clothing and in particular her sleeves, after she makes a big deal about wishing to have a dress with puffed sleeves. So Matthew boldly goes to visit nosy Mrs. Lynde for help, and soon enough Anne has a dress with the puffiest sleeves in all the world. On film it's blue and fantastic, and Anne wears a blue bow to match.

Anne's style is pretty simple, with a few embellishments. Later in life, she wears a pearl engagement ring because she's never cared for diamonds, and an imitation pearl necklace that one of her sons thought was the real thing when he bought it for her. She grows accustomed to her red hair, avoids pinks and yellows at all costs, and adds a statement piece to her outfit every now and then. Anne might add flowers to her hat or put a stunning necklace on display, but the most important thing about her style is its versatility. She may start the day at a school picnic and end it in the dark, dreary woods -- so footwear choices are especially important. Anne's not above trying to improve upon her lot in life. She even dyes her hair in one very memorable scene in the book, only the color doesn't turn out quite as planned (we've all been there).

What would Anne wear if she were a modern girl in today's world? Check out this post from The Gloss to see an Anne-inspired high fashion look.

Writing 101: Falling Out of Love with Writing

Before you self-publish, writing is a passion and a burning desire. Once you start self-publishing, it can start to become a chore. Falling out of love with writing is common to all authors, and it happens to everyone from time to time. There is definitely such a thing as getting too much of a good thing. 

Breakin' Up is Hard to Do 

Remember when writing was a hobby? Once you start self-publishing, it becomes part of your to-do list. Now, you've got books to promote. You've got links to Tweet. You've got sales figures to check and pages to edit and networking to do and forums to check...and oh yeah, you need to get some writing done in the middle of all of that. 

Self-published authors have a lot on their plate, and that makes it easy to fall out of love with writing. Many indie writers spend the least amount of time on the actual writing part. The research, the editing, the promotion -- this all takes up a huge amount of time. Creating book covers and trailers is also time-consuming. It's enough to drive anyone to the verge of a breakup. 

Think back to the first question again. You've got to remember when writing was your passion and your hobby, and come to terms with the fact that your role as a writer has now expanded. All the extra stuff is going to improve your skills and expose you to more readers. While you're doing all this remembering, don't forget about the time when no one read your work at all. You gain exposure as a self-published author, and that means you've got to put time in on a bunch of other tasks. 

Whenever you need to, schedule a little time to romance your writing again. Take time out from Tweeting or blogging or thinking about plots or whatever you're doing, and take a reading break. Go back to a book or short story you wrote a long time ago, something you haven't looked at it a while, and start reading. You'll see how you've improved since then, and you'll remember all those old feelings. Read long enough, and you may fall back in love with your first love (writing) all over again. If even that doesn't shake you out of your funk, give yourself a day off. Ignore social media, ignore the to-do list, ignore your email if you dare, and just take a break. Go do something else, get refreshed, and return to the page feeling a lot more loose and relaxed. You and your love of writing are bound to hit the occasional rough patch, but the two of you can always work it out.

Judgment: Sneak Peek

Happy Halloween! It's a day for scares, and that means it's perfect for unveiling my newest excerpt from Judgment (Deck of Lies, #4). The fourth and final installment in the Deck of Lies comes out next month. If you buy Death (Deck of Lies, #3) from Amazon, Smashwords or B&N, you'll get an excerpt from the first chapter. If you haven't already read the first three books in the Deck of Lies, you probably shouldn't read this sneak peek!

Chapter 4

The day’s mail arrived about forty minutes after my tutoring session ended. It was 3 PM, so it was Morales who came to the cell with a stack of envelopes and magazines in his hands. “Mail call,” he announced. “Please stand back from the bars in the center of your cell.”

I knew this, of course, and I rolled my eyes as he made the requisite announcement. Minutes ticked by in silence as he sorted through the pile. The magazines he shoved between the bars, where they landed on the concrete floor with lazy slapping sounds. The envelopes he saved until last, looking into each one before he either dropped it into the mailbag on his shoulder or slid it between the bars into my cell. They were all slit open, and earlier in the day someone had already looked at every single piece of mail sent my way. Everything I sent out was examined, too.

The guards used to give me every single piece of mail, even the ugliest stuff. My upcoming trial, and Laurel’s murder, had been national news for weeks. The story wasn’t being covered as vigorously as it had been in the very beginning, but I was still getting plenty of what the guards used to mockingly call “fan mail.”

It started arriving for me two days after I was locked in jail in July. The first “fan mail” was written in bold red marker on a crisp white page. It simply said “you will burn in hell.” Other letters were more intricate, and more threatening. I’d even received artwork, graphic caricatures of myself sitting in an electric chair or hanging from a rope around my neck.

They terrified me and haunted me, those pictures, until I finally broke down and told River about it. He assured me it couldn’t possibly happen. “They do lethal injection in California,” he’d said.

So the picture of me in the chair, with my hair sticking up all over my head and my eyes bulging out of my skull, shouldn’t frighten me at all.

Morales was the first guard to start sorting the mail for me, throwing away the hate letters and horrible drawings and leaving only the stuff I might want to see. By the time August was coming to its end, none of the guards still subjected me to the horrors the came to me in the mail each and every day.

The world hated me…because it loved Laurel.

I’d read all the articles that I could get my hands on, and managed to pull some information out of River and Asher. The press were treating Laurel like she was some sort of angel, and I was this totally messed up girl with a messed up past. Laurel was the queen of the Debate Team, she was on the volleyball team, she ran marathons for charity, she was active in teen activities at one of the big LA churches. She was beautiful, and she was tall, and she was apparently incapable of taking a bad picture at any point in her brief life. The media had printed the entire Riordan family album in the last few weeks. Pictures of baby Laurel, toddler Laurel and school girl Laurel were splashed on the front pages of People and the like. Teary quotes from volunteer organizers and teachers were printed and re-printed.

Every picture they’d ever printed of me showed wild hair, reddish eyes and a twisted facial expression that made me look like Satan’s daughter. The worst one of them all was one of the pictures taken at my hearing – I was wearing county jail orange and staring into the crowd with an angry, intense look on my face.

“Just one letter today,” Morales chirped. He’d thrown most of my stack back into the mailbag. “Anything outgoing?”

“Not today.”

“Be back to check on you later.”

I nodded, and waited for him to get to the end of the hall before I rushed forward to gather up my remaining mail. The one letter I still had was from River, and as usual it contained very few words. It was another pencil sketch, this one an elaborate design of curving lines that reminded me of flowers, with a short note on the back: see you soon.

Writing 101: Keeping Up the Energy

I am literally exhausted every day by 1 pm. This is because I spend my mornings cleaning and working out, and it's a pretty intense routine. When the afternoon rolls around, I finally sit down to work...and I stay right where I fall. I don't stop working until 9 or 10 pm at night. The life of an indie author can be packed pretty full of stuff to do, and that's why keeping up the energy is so very important. 

The American Obsession

Energy has become a commodity in the United States. Watch television Stateside for an hour, and you'll see that it's true. Shows are packed with ads for energy drinks, of all things, and they've become so prolific you can even get them in a diet version. Indie authors, who often maintain full-time jobs while doing all of the marketing, research, writing and editing for their books on their own, are probably the prime target for these ads. If self-published authors aren't tired and overworked, then no one is. 

But keeping up your energy level by pumping yourself full of sugar and caffeine, the main ingredients in energy drinks, is no way to write. Unnatural energy and heavily caffeinated drinks that make you wired are also going to totally wreck your focus, make you forgetful and may manifest itself as frantic, unorganized writing. By the same token, being overly tired can make you lazy when you're writing. You might skip over the details and rush too quickly toward plot points, creating text that feels harried and stilted. 

It's not natural to move between highs and lows all day long, and there are much better ways of keeping up the energy so you can stay focused, write well and still take care of all those other things on your to-do list. 

Healthy Energy

Trying to be creative after working all day, dealing with the family, maybe tending to chores and engaging in exercise is really a form of self-torture that many indie authors happily embrace. But this lifestyle will start to feel unsustainable pretty darn quickly. Everyone needs down time, rest time, time off and time to sit and stare at the wall if that's really what they want. Scheduling every available minute is wearing on the body and on the mind. Self-published authors have got to make room for themselves. Make sure you've got some free time and some "you" time. Take the time for that manicure. Take the time to go shopping for that new pair of boots. Take the time to wander around the bookstore (if there's still one open in your town). 

And in-between all of that time-taking, you're going to have to make time for everything else. Do it in a healthy way by learning how to keep up your energy in a positive way.

• Showering. That's right, nothing's off-limits at this blog. I'm even going to give you shower tips. Instead of waking yourself up in the morning with coffee, change your showering habits. After you're all finished and nice and relaxed under that hot water, turn on the cold. Give yourself an icy blast to wake up and face the day with much wider eyes.
• Coffee-drinking. Speaking of coffee, if you're going to drink it try to wait. I don't drink one of my iced coffee drinks until the early afternoon. When you wake up in the morning, you should already have some good energy going because you just stopped sleeping. If you pick yourself up with the caffeine early, you're going to feel totally used up by the three o'clock. 
• Eating habits. You want to know why you're tired? Because you aren't eating enough carbs. It became the fashion to eschew carbohydrates in favor of losing weight, and suddenly the energy drink industry boomed. These two things are not unrelated. Carbohydrates are essential to providing the body with energy, and most people need to eat a diet that's 50 percent carbs every day. If you want to do it in a weight-aware fashion, eat wheat breads and low-cal crackers, thin bagels and potatoes that have been grilled or baked instead of fried. I eat a carb-rich lunch every day right around 1 pm to give myself a boost of natural energy and perk myself up after my grueling morning routine. When do you start to feel tired and unfocused? Go eat a slice of wheat toast with sugar-free jelly and see how that suits you instead of reaching for an energy drink. 
• Sleeping. This is often where I fail, but never underestimate the importance of sleep. The human body needs to sleep daily in order to regenerate and recharge, and if you don't get at least three uninterrupted hours you may as well never get in bed at all. I try to give myself 6 hours of sleep and even that doesn't feel like enough. Don't work so much that you aren't sleeping enough. I started waking myself up an hour later in the mornings, because I found that I was so tired when I woke up earlier it took me an hour longer just to really get going anyway. Are you wasting time in the mornings because you're just too exhausted? Pay attention to how long it takes you to complete your morning routine. Sleep in the next day, clock yourself again, and see how sleep makes a difference. 

Keeping up the energy is important if you want to keep yourself sane while you work at being a self-published author. You shouldn't drag around all day feeling tired. When writing begins to become a chore, you might need to think about changing some habits and shifting your schedule if at all possible. If you can't function without using caffeine and other weird tricks to keep yourself energized, you're doing way too much. It's always okay to slow down a little, relax a little more and work a little less. Your writing will be better because of it.