Tag: Fiction Novel

3 Books of My Late Summer Reading To-Do List

Have you been reading this summer? I spend a lot of time reading, a host of genres. Really anything that captures my attention I will try. I even have that terrible feeling of guilt to finish books I don’t really like. So, I generally have a never-ending books to read list that grows daily as I find more interesting stories I want to give a try. This summer I meant to catch up on some books I had on my list from earlier in the year and read one parenting book in regards to my 2e children. Well, like many of you probably, summer was a blur of fun, pools, beaches, camps, and video games. While the kids did all of that, I found myself gravitating to quick and fun reads with tons of HEAs. So, I didn’t get to some of those books I originally planned on, but I read other great stories, so it isn’t a bust! Now, as we have only a few weeks before back to school here in Central Florida, I am re-committing to finishing these three books.

  1. Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi – this book has had a lot of great buzz. Many writers I enjoy following made me aware of Ms. Adeyemi before the publication in February. Then I saw the viral video of her unpacking her first box of bound books and I knew I wanted to be a part of her expansive love of words. This fantasy tells the story of one girl’s journey to reintroduce magic to her world along with fighting the ruling monarchy. Grand new world with interesting characters and qualities, check. There are wonderful takes on mythology, religion, and culture, so sign me up to be immersed in this newly imagined world where a girl is fighting to save us all. And, it is now a summer read on Jimmy Fallon’s Tonight Show, which is awesome exposure for the author. This is a must read on my list and I can’t wait to jump into Orïsha through the pages of this novel.
  2. Cedric The Demonic Knight by Valerie Willis – in the vein of transparency, I personally know Ms. Willis but haven’t read her work before. This is the first in the Cedric Series and was published a few years ago. Here we get to go on another adventure into a fantasy world built with folklore, myths, and history from the 12th century. It is filled with beasts and demons, where Cedric battles himself in an epic choice quest. I always find it fascinating the many ways writers use and interpret folklore and myth. I am excited to finally read this fantasy world.
  3. The Explosive Child by Ross W. Greene, Ph.D. – as you know through many of my posts, I have twice exceptional (2e) kids and sometimes that means things don’t go so smoothly. One of the psychiatrists in our lives suggested I read this book to better equip myself and our family with understanding behaviors, identifying triggers, and solving problems in a proactive manner. I have read the first couple of chapters and I see us in almost every paragraph. So, I look forward to reading this popular parenting guide that has been useful to so many others and recommended by those we entrust with our physical and mental health.

Now that I have this goal, I’m planning to finish by September 30th. Stay tuned to see if I can do it.

Research: Four Areas of Importance for Writers

Many writers I have met have been writing for years. Whether it is in a journal, stories in school, or just stories for their own love of them, many have been crafting for a significant time. One of the challenges when you want to write for others, is all the pieces you need to put together to make your story enjoyable. This means a level of research needs to be done. Some things to think about include character history, language of the time, any historic actions that will impact your story, and naming of characters and places.

Character History

Don’t be fooled thinking you only have to know how your characters are connected and what they are doing during the arc of the book. For characters with depth, it is a good idea to know characteristics that might not even make it into the book. Consider these tips on character development from the book, Story Engineering: Mastering the 6 Core Competencies of Successful Writing by Larry Brooks. We want multidimensional characters that engage readers and keep them invested in our book. Mr. Brooks proposes there are three dimensions of character that should be explored and decided when composing your story.

  1. Surface Traits, Quirks, and Habits.
  2. Backstory and Inner Demons
  3. Action, Behavior, and Worldview

If you spend time knowing what these dimensions are for your characters, even if you don’t use every bit of the backstory or worldview, it will help write people that seem like the ones you encounter in the real world. This level of reality helps keep the reader engaged and can be researched with known facts about real people as a starting point.

Language of the Time

If you are writing a story set in a real place or in a historic and real era, one of the keys to a fluid story is making sure the language used isn’t too modern if set in the past, nor too old or dated if set in the present or future. Research on the language can include reading history books, books published during the era, or stories set in that era. A really good one, if your era isn’t too far in the past, is movies and plays from the time. These give a very immediate feel to speech and slang of a time. When writing a futuristic tale, the writer can take more liberties with language, even adding new words and meanings for their envisioned time. Many in the writing world will tell you that reading books set in the time of yours, or in the same genre, can be good ways to get into the feel of your own fictional story.

Historic Actions

If you are writing a fictional story based in a known era, there are a number of occurrences that could add to your story. Maybe you write about the era of World War I, or Regency England, or Colonial Africa. Many actions commence during such times and can be researched to use as a backdrop. Placing known events in your story helps people relate to it and its characters. When your story is set in the future, research into scientific themes can add a level of believability and build a bridge to your new world. Characters have the opportunity to be a part of these occurrences and even impact them, a la Forrest Gump. Interaction with historic figures, or plausible future happenings are a rich ground for compelling stories.

Naming Characters and Places

Here is an area where your imagination has a chance to make huge moves. Amazingly the amount of time placed in names of people, and places they interact in a novel can pay off in large dividends at the conclusion of the story. How many people have whole memories around names like Hannibal Lector, Harry Potter, or Frodo Baggins? I know I do and you could probably spend all day listing the people and places that have stayed with you long after the last page is read and the cover closed. There is a nifty website that generates names for a host of different occasions. The Fantasy Name Generator has a large selection of names that cover a multitude of people, places, and things. You can name armor, or restaurants. You can choose fantasy names, or real names, or even names from specific cultures. It is a great tool for a starting point or actual combinations when you have hit the naming wall. Try not to get too bogged down in a name everyone will like. Often, when the author loves a name and feels it works in the story, that is enough. We all know we can’t please all the readers all the time. Sometimes our stories are located in real places, so there is less worry. But, it is always beneficial to change actual business names, sometimes to even change where or what is located in a spot.

These are just four areas that I find essential to a writing project. Sometimes the research involved may be extensive and involve travel. But, if that isn’t in your budget, yet, use the internet. It is a fantastic tool filled with information just waiting for you to discover and use in your next acclaimed piece of fiction. So, get out there and create your masterpiece. Feel free to share any tips you have found that could help our readers.