Before I start, I posted this in comments within the last blog: I asked my tech support, AKA my husband David, about photos or images appearing with names as they often did in Blogspot. This is completely optional, but if you want to, you just have to follow his instructions below:
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Go to http://en.gravatar.com/.
Establish a free account using the same email address as is used on the blog.
Gravatar will send a confirmation email.
Click on their confirmation email.
Log in to Gravatar.
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After a brief delay, the Gravatar will appear next to the comments on the blog.
Now for the post. On February 14, 2015, iowareadsandwrites wrote, Does anyone have the same problem where you start a story (with a good plot and characters that are ready to go) and you write one or two chapters, but then the story doesn’t sound that fun or interesting, so you don’t want to finish it.
Am I the only one with that problem? How can I stop that?
Several of you sympathized and chimed in.
From Erica Eliza: Writing a story is like falling in love. It’s fun in the beginning, but then the honeymoon’s over, and you just have to push through until things get fun again. When I’m bogged down, it’s usually because I have it outlined too well and there’s no wiggle room. So I change something up. Make a new character walk in the room, have a fight scene end with a compromise instead of an easy victory, let some fun, far-off event happen earlier than I planned.
From journaladay: I’ve found the easiest way to stay on track with writing a story is to get a friend who is willing to read it as you write it. If you feel like you have an audience it tends to bring out the motivation for writing SOMETHING because you have people waiting on you.
From Elisa: Hah, I have the very same problem a good deal of the time. When that happens I usually either 1. Start working on one of my three “Main” stories, or 2. Work on the geography of the story (I LOVE geography, I also LOVE drawing maps, I would like to become a cartographer someday). Drawing out my maps helps. I get to decide where the mountains are, what the boundaries are, deciding where the towns are, drawing mountains (I totally recommend drawing mountain ranges. It is calming), drawing rivers and deltas, etc. Once I do that, I frame the map (if it’s the right size) or I roll it up and tie it with hemp string (because I think it looks more interesting and story-ish than yarn, although some maps I use color coded yarn ties, to keep track of which are for where.) Then, once that is done, I pull the map out again and use any of my various fun paperweights and place armies strategically with chess pieces, or I decide where my characters go, or stay. I make lots of possibilities and when I find an interesting placement of armies/characters, I form the story around it. I know it’s kinda odd, but it helps me, so I decided to throw out the idea, in case someone else might find it helpful.
P.S. I also listen to music without words and then come up with lyrics and weave them into the story. That’s also kinda weird I guess.
From Melissa Mead (formerly carpelibris): I have that problem with books AND short stories. My hard drive is full of opening scenes. Sometimes I can combine a couple to make something new. Sometimes I leave them for a while and come back to find the spark reignited. Sometimes they just sit and get dusty. š
These are great ideas as well as lots of company for iowareadsandwritesā misery.
journaladayās suggestion has been useful to me sometimes, but my reader has to be encouraging. I donāt do well if I imagine my editor, for example, disliking everything Iāve come up with. But if I know heās a fan, lights start popping in my brain. I think, Heās going to love this! And this!
We can stack the deck in our favor by letting our reader know that we are just a tad fragile about our WIP and weāre looking for encouragement, not the reverse. If a reader canāt do that, heās not the one for the job. Later, when weāve soldiered all the way through and have a complete draft, we can ask him to take a more critical approachācritical, not destructive. We never need a bulldozer of a reader.
Before I was published, I lucked into an adult-ed writing class taught by a woman who had once been a childrenās book editor. Every week I submitted my new pages, and she responded with a few paragraphs on blue paper and line edits right on my pages. I slaved to have something to hand in every week. If I felt like I was getting lost in my story, I could let her know and sheād respond. Once or twice a semester sheād choose one of my chapters to read aloud for the entire class to comment on.
The class was heaven, and I wrote Ella Enchanted while I was in it, but we can get similar help from a writers’ group. Before that class, I joined several writersā groups. MostĀ of us were beginners, but we were all good readers, and we did our best to help each other. We can all set something similar up. If our fellow writers are eager to find out whatās going to happen next in our story, weāll be helped to keep going.
I agree with Elisa that switching tracks can work. Most of you know that I struggled through writing Stolen Magic, and I took two big breaks in the middle. One was just a pure vacation. I gave myself a month of no writing to see if my head would clear. This works for some writers, and you can try it, but it didnāt work for me. My story mist failed to lift. I also took time off to write Writer to Writer, which I think did help. For one thing, I felt productive because I was still writing, and some of what I was writing was about plot, which was my problem with my novel. My advice to readers helped me figure out what to do.
Notes work that way for me, too. I write about what I canāt figure out, and often figure it out in the process. We can all do that.
The point is that, despite Erica Elizaās charming analogy (which I agree with), our long marriage is more to writing than to a particular story. If we switch to a different tale, weāre still writers. And I agree with MelissaĀ that letting a story lie fallow while we dive into other projects can give our subconscious room to bring up fresh ideas.
I love the idea of crossing over to another art form for inspiration. I havenāt yet tried drawing my way out of a plot impasse, but I will keep the idea in mind. Drawing is more completely right-brained than writing, I think, and the shift may open our inner eye.
Music distracts me, but it does work for lots of writers, so thatās another strategy to try. We can invent lyrics, as Elisa does, or we can just let the music relax us or fire us up. You can experiment with what sort of music is most useful for you.
Iām generally up and down all the way through a novel, and with some novels, alas, itās more down than up. It may help to remind ourselves, when things go south, of our storyās delightful dimple, our charactersā lovable quirks, the transporting qualities of our setting.
I love theĀ idea of moving a plot point up. Sometimes I delay making a bad thing happen out of a misplaced unwillingness to harm a beloved character. The result usually is that the pace turns to molasses, and I get bored. Of course, if weāre going to jump ahead, we need to make sure that weāre not omitting something essential.
Itās possible that when we have characters who are āready to go,ā they may be too formed, and their rigid shape may restrict our exploration. Say weāve imagined our character to be courageous, selfish, enthusiastic, and blunt. When a plot point arrives, she may not be able to develop organically, because she has to hold onto the qualities weāve imagined for her. I donāt do a lot of character description in advance. Mostly I toss āem into situations, dream up how they might respond, and they evolve. That approach may keep a story interesting and allow us to move forward.
Finally, there is the little matter of self-criticism. Itās not useful to wonder if our story is fun or interesting. We need to ban those questions. It will never be either one if we donāt write it, and that kind of thinking just slows our fingers. The time to worry about that is really never. We write the story; we edit our first draft and however many drafts follow. Then we put it out into the world, for publication or for friends and family. We let our readers decide about fun and interestingness. If weāre sensible, in my opinion, we donāt ask anyone except the members of our critique group or our special readers to weigh in. Other people will tell us if and when they feel like it.
Here are three prompts:
ā Expand the story of the three little pigs. Develop their characters. Take the one who builds with straw, for example. Whatās his attitude toward the future? How does he spend his time? Whatās his take on interior decorating? What are family gatherings like among the three of them? If they argue, how does each one express himself? How do their voices sound? In what ways are they all pigs? In what ways are they different?
ā Turn the pigs into people, the three daughters of a king who has impoverished his kingdom. The three are homeless, but they still have subjects who depend on them. How do they resurrect their economically depressed land? The daughter who ultimately builds in brick may not necessarily be the heroine, or she may be. Write the story!
ā Move your pig princesses into the universe of Jane Austenās novels. The girls are now the daughters of an impoverished parson. They have to go forward, too, and at the end each one has to be paired up with someone. Turn āThe Three Little Pigsā into a period romance!
Have fun, and save what you write!
MisplacedPoetry says:
Hello!
New here. I just finished reading Writer to Writer (which I thought was fantastic) so I though I’d check out the blog that started it!
I have to say I agree with Elisa, I love drawing maps and doodling my characters.
I seems to give me more of a feel of who they are. And although it doesn’t necessarily help my blocks, it does help me get more of a feel for my story
Mikayla Sepulveda says:
I get so many ideas, but don’t know which to settle on. Most people would ask where you get your ideas, but I want this know: how do you know an idea is the right one to write? Thanks!
Bug says:
Hey, my name’s Mikayla, too! And it’s even spelled the same way, which hardly EVER happens.
Sorry. Anyway. Um, so what I do is keep a notebook full of random story ideas that I get. And very now and then I read through it and see if anything could be combined into one story idea, or if I even still like that idea anymore. This way, I can choose one or two (or three, if I’m feeling really ambitious) to work on, and not have to worry about not choosing the right one to write, really, because I still have the other story ideas written down, so I won’t lose them, and I can work on them later. Writing down what I have–whether it be a vague plot idea, a snippet of a scene, a character, or whatever–helps me to be able to both forget about them, because I know they’re still there, and just let them swell into a bigger idea in the back of my mind (if that makes sense, because it very well might not. Sorry.) SO. This might not have helped at all, but that’s basically what I do.
Song4myKing says:
I also write down ideas, and I also am currently working on two of them. Six months ago I wouldn’t have thought that was possible for me – I wasn’t even sure I could focus on any story while my mind was on the one I’m trying to find a publisher for. Turns out a new story or two was exactly what I need for the long months of waiting to hear back! And two at once is working out surprisingly well – sometimes I’m in the mood for one, sometimes the other. And I’m glad to hear I’m not alone in doing more than one at once. Maybe when I get to revisions and fine tuning I’ll have to focus on one at a time, though.
As to how I decided which to start on – I had about four ideas that intrigued me above the others. The other two that I’m not working on are ones that I really do want to write at some point, and they would both be right up the alley of a publisher where I know some people. But they both will require some research and I didn’t think I felt up to focusing that seriously on something new. So the two I started needed only imagination for research (at least for now!) and I had a workable plot for each. So I had all I needed to start, and I started.
But now I’m thinking I might start digging deeper for one of those other ideas. Especially now that I know three WIPs isn’t too many!
Tara Frazier says:
Hi
I am a middle school special education teacher in Veazie, Maine. We are working on an author project right now in my seventh grade class and one of my students has chosen you. I read her the blog from today and she immediately wanted to add in this little tidbit about you, “She writes every day. She even has a blog!” Thank you for being a writer that inspires my students. š
Gail Carson Levine says:
Thanks for letting me know!
Yulia says:
Hi guys!
I have a question. Iām writing a biography of a sportswoman (as you may know, her name is Katarina). At one point in her career, she and another girl were fighting for a spot to go to a big competition, and the other girlās coach sort of convinced the committee to put her on the team instead of Katarina.
Iām trying to portray the events factually, but the coach is still living and if she sees how I wrote it, that she āgyppedā Katarina out of the spot, sheād be madder than a hornet, sure as can be. So do you guys have any suggestions?
Arnyoung says:
If that is the truth (and you should triple-check that it is) you should write it. Just do it really factually without vilifying the coach too much. If you are just writing the events that happened, the coach might be mad but she can’t do anything to you, if she ever reads your book.
Yulia says:
Okay, I’ll try. I’ll just say this:
According to R-Sport, Eteri (that’s the coach) called up the Federation and told them to give the spot to Julie. She presented a solid argument, and so they announced their team.
MEN: Arthur —– (name blank for privacy)
WOMEN: Julie ——-
It was devastating for Katarina, to be so close and then lose the spot because Julie’s coach had an uncanny power to persuade anyone.
Two tearful days later, Katarina returned to training, but there was no fire in her. You can’t go to the Olympics without your own Olympic flame burning inside you.
Erica Eliza says:
I say just write the book. These people are Oympians known worldwide. They’ve already had plenty of media people spout their opinion about them. Be professional in your portrayal, but don’t let your worries stop you from writing.
Melissa Mead says:
You could also use the real-life events as the basis for a fictional story instead.
Yulia says:
I have. It’s about two sisters, one robs the other of the crown with the help of a traitorous housekeeper.
Melissa Mead says:
Neat!
Kenzi Anne says:
I LOVE this post!!! This is the biggest struggle I have with writing, and I definitely needed the advice!! Thanks, Gail! You’re the best š
Gail Carson Levine says:
I’m so glad it arrived at the right time!
Zoe says:
Hey Gail,
So Iām writing a story where the main character, Princess Guinevere (yes, itās a King Arthur story), is in love with one of her fatherās knights, Sir Lancelot, but then her father arranges a marriage between her and King Arthur. At first she hates Arthur, but then she starts to fall in love with him, but sheās still in love with Lancelot. Do you have any advice on how to handle love triangles?
Gail Carson Levine says:
I’ve never written a love triangle. Does anyone have any suggestions?
Erica Eliza says:
Usually in love triangles the love interests are polar opposites. The childhood friend vs. Mr. New and Mysterious. One open, one mysterious. One safe, one forbidden (check). They’ll have opposite strengths and flaws, because if they were similar to each other, it would be easy to pick.
So far as development goes, usually she’ll hit it off with one guy (Lancelot in this example) pretty fast but the other romance is more slow-boiling. Then they’re often opposites in physical appearance so it’s not a competition of “But who as the BEST emerald green eyes?”
girl_artist says:
I read Writing Magic recently and am new here. I love it! I’m writing my first novel that I’m determined to get published, even though I’ve been a writer since I was little. I love your advice, Gail, and I like to get connected with other writers.
I also listen to music when I’m writing- usually it’s Strauss. My main character is sweet and beloved. But she also has many conflicts and I made her magically make her world right again-and it usually takes a lot of emotion on her part.
Every day I make myself write. But it isn’t easy to get myself to start. Once I do start, though, I’m submerged in the story. It’s hard to stop writing. In those rare moments when I’m completely in my character’s world, I don’t want to stop.
Take you for the advice, Gail! All your advice helps me grow as a young writer. š
Yulia says:
I have a question. Iām going to quote some twitter posts by the people in my biography. Can I just say, āKatarina said on Twitterā or should I add the date and time and stuff?
Also, if a member of a forum made an analysis of something useful, should I put their username on the quote or just say, āA user of FSUniverse saidā¦ā
Also, girl artist, I like Strauss too. My favorite piece is WALTZES.
girl_artist says:
Strauss is awesome!
Erica Eliza says:
If I were you, I’d read a lot of other athlete biographies and pay attention to how they cite things. Sometimes copyright laws and such mean you have to cite them a certain way, but usually you can just follow the flow of the story and cite your sources at the end, like with school reports. Nonfiction books have reference sections in the back. So if page 55 says “Katarina would later tell her fans that the Olympics blah blah blah” then the reference section would say “the quote on page 55 comes from this specific tweet”.
If you’re mostly just doing this project for fun, write and don’t worry. Note where you got all your information in case it’s important later, though.
Example 1: The last biography I read was called Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice. There’s a section where the author describes Claudette Colvin’s neighborhood growing up. He doesn’t interrupt the narrative to say he visited her old town in order to write that paragraph. But if you flip to the back, there’s a note that says he did, and it points you back to that specific page.
Example 2: When Gail began this post, she started with “On February 14, 2015, iowareadsandwrites wrote”. Then she followed with relevant comments from other readers. You’ll noticed they’re copied word for word and attributed to their authors. Throughout the post she references these quotes and provides her own opinion: “despite Erica Eliza’s charming analogy” and “I agree with Elisa.” When she says she prefers not to write with music, that’s her personal view, and she acknowledges that it works for other authors. When she says the love story is more like a relationship with writing itself than to a specific book, she does the same thing. The first few paragraphs are a kind of mini-reference section.
Some readers will skip over the background info and go straight to the rest of the post. If they’re curious about where this post came from, Gail’s given them everything they need to find iowareadsandwrites’ comment back in February.
Yulia says:
Hey I have a question. Iām writing a story in modern North Korea, and you know that politics arenāt too good there right now. Theyāre kind of in a dictatorship and it becomes part of my characterās life. But if I criticize them, Iām going to be Korean barbecue. Any tips?
Yulia says:
I have one question about my Phantom story. I wrote most of the scenes about escaping the Nazis. But it adds up to over 50 typed pages. So itās kind of overwhelming the main story until the running from the Nazis becomes the main story. But thatās not how I want it to go.
Do you have any tips? Thanks,
Yulia
Song4myKing says:
You may have a prequel in the works.
If you don’t want that, my suggestion would be to start with one scene or so of the escaping, or jump right to the opera, then fill in the rest with with flashbacks like you mentioned earlier. You could do one long flashback, as in the book Prince Caspian (I haven’t seen the movie so I don’t know how it’s done there). There’s a couple of chapters of the children at the beginning, figuring out where they are, then the dwarf comes and tell them the back story of Prince Caspian for several chapters. Or, you could spread it out, revealing little bits on along. This would especially work if you’ve got someone getting to know her, right along with the reader, or if reliving those experiences is helping her work through them or helping prepare her for decisions she’ll have to make. I have seen this method done very beautifully, but I think it could be difficult to balance it all just right.
If you’ve got 50 pages of the escaping part, one thing you could try is dividing your book into parts. I don’t mean into separate books, unless you think each part could stand on its own. Some writers make use of divisions for things like significant jumps in time or tone. But they work better with three parts than two. Any chance the tone or pace of your story will change again before the end? Like if the Nazis discover her again or something?
girl_artist says:
I love all my characters. But I make them suffer, and then they wisely overcome their problems.
Yulia says:
Yeah, theyāre going to find her again.
I was thinking about doing it like Shannon Hale did Goose Girl. The first part is called Crown Princess. At the end of that scene, Ani gets chased by Seliaās evil guards, she gets away, and Part 2 begins. She hides all the way through part 2, then gets chased by Ungolad (Seliaās favorite guard) at the end of that part. She gets away, part 3 begins, and she spends that segment trying to bring Ungolad, Selia, and the other bad guys to justice.
So maybe Part 1 of my story will have the getting caught and escaping the Nazis 50-page chunk, Part 2 will be at the opera house until the Nazis show up there, and Part 3 will be all about getting justice.
That sound all right?
Thank you for the feedback!
Yulia
Jordan W. says:
I’m currently working on a story that I have really enjoyed but there’s more plot to it then character. I’ve read dozens of books and articles that say the best story has a simple plot and complex characters. I consider my characters complex, but I have a complex plot that I have agonized over forever. I want the certain events in the story to happen but I feel like they aren’t happening because of character choices and actions, but rather outside influences.
I am also struggling to find a name that suits a tall dark and handsome prince . . . sounds a little lame when I say it that way but its the best way to get my point across.
Thank you.
Arnyoung says:
What is the prince’s personality like?
Alexander gives you cool nicknames( Zander, Xan)
Casimir (it’s polish)
Theo (I just like it)
Things that end in n
Kieran, Gideon, Terrin, Alwyn, Leon, Aurelien, Darin, Tristen, Glenn, Julian, Lucian, Rueben, Fabian, Stefan, Adrian
Jordan W. says:
He’s polite and kind but doesn’t enjoy small talk he’d rather be off doing his own thing but he’d never turn you away if you sought him out. His back story is rather dark and he’s kind of my tormented character. I’ve been trying to find a name that starts with a W. Although I really like Alwyn and Rueben. What do you think?
Thanks
Arnyoung says:
Wystan
Wyatt
Warrick
Erica Eliza says:
I’m a plot person too. Complex characters are important, but it doesn’t have to be an either-or battle. So whenever you read those articles just turn away and go back to plotting. Your characters will develop as the plot goes along. And plot/character perception differs from reader to reader. Some will view your characters as more complex.
Yulia says:
Hey there,
Iām writing a love story and I have a little problem. The main characters fall really madly in love, and Iām still in that I-hate-boys stage, so my work sounds awkward. Itās from the girlās perspective, and all she can say is that she gets goose-bumps when he touches her, she loves looking at his eyes, and kissing him is like being in heaven.
Problem is that heās kind of a perfect guy and he needs flaws. So I made him kind of geeky, but I donāt know how sheās going to fall for him.
Iāve been reading a lot of stories but I donāt know how to apply it to my own writing. Any tips?
And Jordan W., have you ever considered Finn or something that starts with G? Gail, if itās all right with you, can I suggest Charmont? Itās not under copyright. If you want an exotic one, you could go for Ijori or Olus (also thanks to Gail).
Belle says:
I have a romance story problem too. In my mind, the perfect Prince Charming is kind of small and wears his dark hair in a ponytail. So Iāve written a bunch of stories where the prince looks exactly the same. Is that a problem?
Arnyoung says:
Belle, maybe what you need to do is change up Prince Charming’s love interest a bit. Making the main character completely different from yourself comes with it’s own set of problems, but someone who is nothing like you is going to need a Prince who is also completely different.
Belle says:
All right, so maybe I should try that. Make my MC a sophisticated, glamorous blonde instead of a tomboyish brunette like me, and make my prince blond too. Letās give it a go!
Yulia says:
Hi there,
As Iāve said before, Iām writing a retelling of PHANTOM OF THE OPERA set during World War II. Some of the characters exactly correspond to the ones in the original. In the original thereās a woman named Madame Giry. Can I name my character Madame Giry, or should I find a new name for her?
Thanks for listening,
Yulia
Hypergraphia says:
Unless you are changing the dynamic of the character, I think you are fine leaving her as Madame Giry. However, if her personality and such is going to be completely different than in the book/musical, I would consider finding a new name.
Yulia says:
Yuliaās reply:
Truth is, Iāve never read PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. My Madame Giry is matter-of-fact and motherly toward my Phantom girl. Sheās about 50 years old, blond, stout, and has a kind of coarse voice. Is that too far off to make her Madame Giry?
Thank you!
Yulia says:
Whoops, did I put “Yulia’s reply” on there? See, I’m keeping track of all the helpful advice you’re giving me, but I guess I accidently copied too much into this box. Sorry!
Hypergraphia says:
Actually I think that Madame Giry sounds great. She’s similar enough to other versions, fans (of those other versions) will be able to recognise her, but it seems you’re adding enough of your own spin it won’t look like you cut her out of the musical and pasted her into your novel. Also, I think keeping Christine Daae is perfectly fine, even if she’s a little different. It’s like when you read different versions of a fairy tale, no two Sleeping Beauties are exactly alike, it’s what the author adds that makes it interesting.
Melissa Mead says:
The book is different from the musical in some dramatic ways. There’s a torture chamber, for one.
Yulia says:
Also, I named my MC Erica, but she goes by Christine Daae when sheās in Paris. Is it okay to call her Christine, or should I get a new name for her, too? Because sheās not really like Christine from the Phantom of the Opera.
Oh, and a torture chamber? Ooh, scary. I love it! That’s great!
Yulia says:
Maybe I should just read PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. My only question: is it a clean story, or is there any foul language spoken in it? My mother likes to read everything I read, and any touchy words send her into a frenzy.
Hypergraphia says:
Yulia, I don’t think there’s cursing in it, but there might be a couple of D and/or H words, however, if there are, I know there’s not a huge amount-I haven’t read it in a while, sorry, but I would remember if there were more than a few.
There are several violent scenes but no nasty/grisly details or anything, but there are things such as a torture chamber and murders.
There isn’t much in the way of sexual content, Christine has a boyfriend (As I’m sure you know) and Erik is weirdly in love with her, but it’s pretty similar to the musical, and, as it’s in the 1800’s, not much is going on in the ‘PDA’ type things.
For the time it was written in, it’s actually a fairly easy read (I thought). I’m sorry I don’t have a definite answer language-wise though.
girl_artist says:
Don’t make all your characters too similar. Make them have their own different personalities. For example, one of my characters likes to write in her journal, while the other likes wearing charms. A story with different characters is a lot of fun. It’s fun if they have something in common, too.
Le Ha says:
Hello there,
I have a question. I am very fascinated by the idea of writing a story during the Vietnam War. But my mother is Vietnamese and she barely escaped that war alive. Iām not sure if she would like me writing a story about it. Can anyone help?
Le Ha
Beth42 says:
Le Ha, I think this would make a fantastic story. However, that may be a problem. I am sorry, I don’t really have any advice for you but I think that if you went ahead with this story it would be great! š
Erica Eliza says:
If it’s a story you really want to tell, than you should write it. Even if she has a hard time with it, the war is a part of her heritage and yours, so in a way, you’re honoring her by telling it.
Song4myKing says:
I don’t think it has to be a question of writing it or not writing it. Perhaps it should be a question of when to write it. If you’re still living at home, and you think that even the idea would bother her, maybe you could wait until you live on your own. I don’t mean trying to go behind her back. I mean, if she normally knows when and what you’re writing, and you’re writing it at home, then those memories would be constantly in her face. And then consider the question of publishing – perhaps it would be better to hold off on that too. The time may be right later. People do change their minds.
But if she’s willing to talk about it, whether you live on your own or with her, I encourage you to tell her that you want to do it. Be sure to let her know that she doesn’t have to feel obligated to read it. Let her decide how much she wants to be involved.
Yulia says:
Okay, so in my biography of Katarina Iāve hit something else. The girl who robbed her of a spot tends to be critical of her competitors. At one point in her career, Katarina experienced some weight gain, as many gymnasts do during puberty. Well, then the other girl said something like, āThe gymnast simply cannot look overweight.ā Almost like she was trying to offend Katarina.
So, should I include that the other girl said that? Because sheās very popular and everyone thinks sheās sweet and lovely and gracious. I plain canāt say ANYTHING against that little darling. Any tips?
By the way, is it okay to call all the athletes by their first names?
Beth42 says:
Hello Gail Carson Levine, I have just read your fantastic book Writer to Writer- from think to ink and I found it really inspiring and I am now writing my own story based on one of your ideas. I like how you wrote that book because although there are loads of best-selling children’s authors out there, not many of them think to write a book- or two! about actually writing stories so other beginner writers can see how you come up with your awesome stories and be inspired to right their own story. š
Beth42
Jordan W. says:
Hey, I’m writing a story with Merlin in it but it has nothing to do with king Arthur. Should I change the name and character? If so what should I name the wise old man?
Michela says:
Gail,
I’ve loved Ella Enchanted since I was a little girl. It’s my favorite book version of Cinderella by far. Now I’ve just finished earning my English Master’s degree and am 50,000 words into writing my own novel. I reread Ella Enchanted about once a year, but this time, I was caught by the similarities to Pride and Prejudice, which I also recently reread. Ella’s playfulness and determination, Charmont’s earnestness and goodness (offset by a resentful temper), some of the turns of phrase–it definitely has the spirit of Austen’s masterpiece. I turned to Google to see if this was more than a coincidence, and I was delighted to find this blog post. In writing my own novel, I’ve found it impossible to resist the temptation to use Pride and Prejudice as a sort of template for the characterizations (even though I’m writing modern urban fantasy set in the US) but I think my characters are better for it.
Michela