Have you ever come across a line in a book that struck you as particularly true, not just in the context of the story, but also in real life? Several examples come to my mind.
“If I fret over tomorrow, I’ll have little joy today,” spoken by Llonio in Taran Wanderer by Lloyd Alexander (The Chronicles of Prydain) – rather reminiscent of certain lines in Scripture, don’t you think? ; - ) In The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan), Annabeth tells Bob the Titan that “monsters are eternal” – and while she doesn’t mean it this way, it captures the idea that evil never dies. From my favorite manga, InuYasha, we get this wonderful quote spoken by Sesshoumaru’s mother as she explains the limits of his life-saving sword: “Life is not supposed to be limitless. It’s not something that can be renewed over and over again for your convenience. Sesshoumaru, had you come to believe you were a god, and did not need to fear death?” One that I’ve quoted several times myself comes from the movie When Good Ghouls Go Bad, when Dayna tells Danny why Halloween is important: “If you don’t get to survive being scared as a kid, how are you ever going to survive being scared as an adult? When there’s so much more to be scared of.” And one of the simplest, yet most thought-provoking, comes from the film National Treasure, when Agent Sadusky says, “Someone has to go to prison, Ben.” A single sentence, yet it perfectly parallels why Christ had to die for our sins: someone had to pay the price. Justice had to be done. End of story. (Forgive me, I know the last two were quotes from movies – but those are stories too!) This is one of my favorite aspects of storytelling. When fiction stretches so far that it actually touches the surface of reality, and you can see from one straight into the other – like the way soap bubbles sling to one another, separated by only a thin film. Sometimes the fictional world and the real world are not as far apart as we think. I try to incorporate this into my novels as often as I can. I love capturing a bit of truth and weaving into my writing, where it can catch your eye as you read – similar to a single metallic thread in a tapestry. A few examples from The Heart of Everything include: Jesse’s line of “The world was already broken;” Alex’s explanation that “All the best things in life are choices. Love is a choice. Faith is a choice. Even joy is a choice. Nothing ever just happens;” and of course another one of Jesse’s lines: “You can’t save yourself all on your own. No one can do that.” I’ll continue to share bits of truth in my books – and in the meantime, feel free to share the “lines of truth” you’ve discovered in other stories in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading! P.S. – If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends! Here’s a link: http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog-on-books-and-writing/the-truth-behind-the-text P.P.S. – Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram, and sign up for my email list!
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You know how the original Disney animated version of “Alice in Wonderland” featured a lot of strange animals and random events, then ended with Alice waking up from her dream during an afternoon nap? That’s pretty much exactly what the original stories by Lewis Carroll are like.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and its follow-up, Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, are basically the detailed dreams that young Alice has, one on a midsummer afternoon, one on a cold winter day. Sure, there are some highly educated book critics and literary folks who can produce pages upon pages of analysis detailing the meaning and merit behind these notable works (the edition I have certainly has a couple dozen pages of introduction for just that purpose), but if it takes all that extra work to explain one children’s story, then really, what’s the point? You’re reading someone else’s interpretation, and not the book. And I’m not a fan of needing help to understand a story (if I do, either it’s a poorly written story, or it’s just not my type). Coming from someone who has read the book (and nothing but the book), I can say that in my straightforward opinion, it’s all just nonsense. Silly and somewhat amusing, but nonsense all the same. Even Alice herself states as much at the end of Through the Looking Glass: “What dreadful nonsense we are talking!” While I’m glad to be able to say I’ve finally read this timeless children’s classic, I will admit that I don’t care for nonsense books. To me, as an author who takes great care to include truth and meaning in what she writes, I can’t stand a story without a purpose. There’s just no point! I felt like I wasted my time reading it, because there was nothing for me to take away, no lessons to learn, no message to apply to my own life. I can appreciate a story that is diverting for entertainment’s sake, and entertainment alone. But these stories are literally just nonsense! Alice is here, then there, talking to this creature, then that creature… the scenes shift randomly, the plotline doesn’t make any sense, you can’t even describe it as a “story” because all that seems to happen is Alice wandering around a land of make believe and having nonsensical conversations with imaginary characters. Maybe that’s fun for some people. Mostly it just gave me a headache ><. So, I am here to declare once and for all that you should never, ever expect such a book from me! I may include bits of silliness and random scenes that are more for fun than for pushing the plot, but it they will be small bits of fluff woven into a very solid story arc! I have too many meaningful things to share in my stories to waste my words on something pointless. As the Mock-Turtle in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland declared, “No wise fish would go anywhere without a porpoise.” ;-) What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading! P.S. – If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends! Here’s a link: http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog-on-books-and-writing/alice-in-wonderland-nothing-but-nonsense P.P.S. – Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram, and sign up for my email list!
Hmm, a manga series with the word “vampire” in the title? Of course I’ve read it :-P. This 10-volume series by Akihisa Ikeda features the usual elements of shonen manga: a school setting with an average teen boy surrounded by plenty of cute girls, but with an additional twist – the “average teen boy” is human, and the girls are not!
Tsukune can’t get accepted into any high school except Yokai Academy, which turns out to be a high school for monsters! Despite being the lone human, Tsukune manages to befriend several of the beautiful female monsters (be aware that since this manga is aimed at older teen boys, there is a fair amount of “fan service”); in particular there’s Moka, a vampire who wears a “rosario” (crucifix with a rosary bead in the center) to keep her powers in check, thus explaining the title of the series. Naturally, with Tsukune’s kind and accepting disposition, all of the girls want him for themselves, and not just to suck his blood or devour his soul. Tsukune, of course, is generally too busy just trying to stay alive XD. It’s a fun series – there’s the classic high school love triangles (though technically, the love subplot has more sides than a triangle :-P), epic fight scenes between monsters, and hapless Tsukune caught in the middle! And there’s actually a second, “sequel series” that I haven’t yet acquired. But the story, which is relatively straightforward, isn’t really what catches my interest. What I like about this manga is how it humanizes the monsters. Literally. The monster students are required to maintain human form at all times (they don’t always, obviously ><) as they learn how to integrate into the human world beyond their school. And that’s what I love to do. Although, I prefer to dive deeper than this series does when giving monsters their humanity, focusing on redemption rather than just a purely physical level. I love to explore the “darker side” people try to hide and in turn give hope that all is not lost just because you aren’t perfect. The other fun aspect to this book is the twist on monsters and society: typically, we see monsters struggling to be accepted by the humans. This time, it’s the singular human who is trying to be accepted by the monsters! Not only does this remind us how deep the need runs for acceptance, but it capitalizes on traits that bring people together, such as kindness and forgiveness. When a human manages to make friends out of monsters because he doesn’t judge them or penalize them for being who they are, it’s an incredible reminder of how we are all called to love one another ;-). What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading! P.S. – If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends! Here’s a link: http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog-on-books-and-writing/manga-the-monster-mayhem-of-rosario-vampire P.P.S. – Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram, and sign up for my email list!
Great characters are essential to a story: the more we can relate to them, empathize with them, and cheer them on, the more we connect with the story overall. But it’s not just the major players that make a story a success. Minor characters are important too, and not just as filler for the pages.
I can think of several minor characters that I just absolutely loved reading about. There was Gurgie, the lovable, furry rascal from the Chronicles of Prydain. In the Percy Jackson series we meet Tyson, Percy’s half-brother, who happens to be a very sweet, very young Cyclops. From other books by Rick Riordan we meet Khufu, a baboon who loves basketball, and Ella, a harpy with a photographic memory. Dobby from the world of Harry Potter is now perhaps the most famous house-elf the world over. And of course there is Iko, the would-be human android from the Lunar Chronicles (who also is mentioned in my blog post on Wires and Nerve). Minor characters serve multiple functions. Not only do they give the main characters someone to interact with and therefore demonstrate their shortcomings and/ or growth, but they can give you someone to cheer for when the main character isn’t behaving as we wish they would. Side characters often have a child-like personality (whether from age, size, race or background) and because of this they can bring a unique perspective to the story – along with a lot of laughs. But I think what I like best about minor characters is that they remind me of how God often uses the weak, the broken, or the unimportant to do His work. I see this especially in the self-sacrifices of Dobby and Gurgie, and again in Iko’s insistence that she not get a new android body just because hers was damaged in the war, since “none of her friends’ bodies were disposable, so why should hers be?” (from Winter, volume 4 of the Lunar Chronicles). They remind us that life is precious and sacred, and that being human is a blessing, not a curse. Just as the sidekicks give the major characters the opportunity to be heroes, so does God’s strength shine brightest through His weak and fragile children. :-) I admit, writing “weak” characters is not one of my strengths. I haven’t created many minor characters thus far – certainly not any with great literary appeal (unless you count Artie…?) And I really should, after all I’ve said touting their possibilities! So I guess I need to work that ;-). What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading! P.S. – If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends! Here’s a link: http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog-on-books-and-writing/minor-characters-more-than-just-a-sidekick P.P.S. – Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram, and sign up for my email list!
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer were a fantastic set of sci-fi, fractured fairy tales (see my previous post). And when I found out there were two graphic novels that picked up where the series ended, I jumped at the chance to enjoy more of this particular story. Still set in the future (the Third Era), this two-volume set – appropriately titled Wires and Nerve – follows Iko, the protagonist's android sidekick, on a mini-adventure as she takes down a pack of rogue Lunar soldiers before they destroy the fragile peace being forged between Earth and Luna.
I enjoyed revisiting the world of the Lunar Chronicles: it was great to see the gang again (though, the drawings are a bit simple compared to the manga I'm used to reading... so I use the word "see" with a grain of salt... but having had great character descriptions in the books, these illustrations are really more of "placeholders" for the mental pictures I had already formed, instead of bringing these folks to life for the first time). I've mentioned before that I'm a fan of this particular form of storytelling; they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and graphic novels can add to a story beyond what mere words can describe. It's especially fun when novels you already know and love come out with a pictoral version :-D. For instance, when I found out there was a Twilight graphic novel, did I run out and buy a copy? You bet your boots I did! In fact, I would love to do this with one of my stories if I ever got the chance – but that's dependent on finding someone with actual artistic ability to collaborate with ><. The best part of these two books, of course, is the fact that the story centers around Iko, the cheeky android who wants so badly to be human. She's one of my favorite characters from the original series – right up there with crazy Princess Winter, followed closely by tough-as-nails Scarlet and tough-because-she's-made-of-nails Cinder. Woven under the main plot is the theme of "android" versus being "alive," as Iko and her semi-love interest Kinney go back and forth about her humanity, or lack thereof. Despite the genre differences, this is a theme that I like to bring out in my works; only I use monsters instead of machines to show what it means to be human. For only by knowing what it means to be human – especially our flaws and shortcomings – can we truly appreciate who God is :-). What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading! P.S. – If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends! Here’s a link: http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog-on-books-and-writing/marissa-meyer-androids-and-wires-and-nerve-oh-my P.P.S. – Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram, and sign up for my email list!
I know I’ve written a previous post on Charlie N. Holmberg, specifically discussing her stand-alone novels. This time, however, instead of discussing individual plots or characters, I’d like to dive into one of the aspects that all her works have in common – namely, her gift of realism.
Every single one of her books has at least one scene that feels so real, it makes you cringe – because, of course, it is always the violent, the painful, and the unpleasant that make for a realistic story (much like the way bad news travels fastest or the way we can’t turn our eyes from a car accident; must be our human nature). In The Paper Magician you can practically feel the stifling heat and humidity as Ceony all but drowns in her quest to traverse the four chambers of Thane’s heart. In Followed by Frost the descriptions of Smitha’s issues as a “frozen woman” are uncomfortably detailed – living along in the woods, being chased by dogs, even just trying to relieve herself is a challenge. The scene of Alvie grappling with her kidnapper and being thrown down the stairs in The Plastic Magician made me wince – same with the fight scenes in The Glass Magician and The Master Magician (glass slivers and paper projectiles, ouch!) And in the most recent novel I’ve read – a book based in the Midwest during the California gold rush, titled Veins of Gold – the near starvation and anxiety that plagues Gentry and her siblings was starting to give me stomach cramps as well. In some ways, these surprisingly sickening or violent passages seem at odds with such fun fantasy stories that are otherwise filled with wonder and magic. And while all the gory details make her works very real and do keep you on the edge of your seat, biting your fingernails… at times it’s a little too much for my taste. Maybe there really is too much of a good thing. Or maybe I’m just a wimp ><. The discomfort I feel when I read such graphic descriptions makes me, well, uncomfortable! It’s called “fiction” for a reason! Either way, you probably won’t find such specifics in my novels. I’m not inclined to go very far beyond the confines of “young adult” labeling – partly because I’m not one to torment my characters (I do know they’re just imaginary, don’t judge me), and partly because my focus is on the overall story. I try to give my works an element of reality, but I feel that concentrating too hard on the nitty-gritty roots us more in this world, and detracts from the message of hope and love that I want my stories to convey. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading! P.S. – If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends! Here’s a link: http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog-on-books-and-writing/charlie-n-holmberg-almost-too-real-to-be-fiction P.P.S. – Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram, and sign up for my email list!
The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer are a brilliantly written set of stories. In these novels, your beloved fairy tale characters – Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, etc. – get a makeover with a sci-fi twist that ties together four classic stories into one over-arching plot line. I loved these books – it’s another one of those series where you just can’t seem to read them fast enough!
There are so many good things to say about these books. On the one hand, Marissa Meyer created a wonderful cast of characters. Like Twilight, I can absolutely see myself being friends with these people. Kai and Cinder are adorable together, of course :-D. Who doesn’t love watching a prince fall in love with a cyborg mechanic? Plus, Princess Winter is a hoot. Is she crazy? Is she not? It’s hard to tell sometimes ;-P. And then there’s Iko. She’s an android who thinks she’s a person. You know how certain pets seem to forget they aren’t human? That’s Iko – only she can talk! Another fantastic part of these stories is the masterful blending of sci-fi with traditional fairy tales. I’m not necessarily a sci-fi person – don’t expect spaceships or intergalactic missions in any of my novels – but these were fun. I actually made a point to watch for those classic “markers” of the original stories: Cinderella’s glass slipper, Red Riding Hood’s cape, Rapunzel’s tower, Sleeping Beauty’s poisoned apple. It was fascinating to see how the author retained and adapted them in her novels; I’m actually tempted to find and read the originals now, just to see how they compare! My only disappointment was not getting to see Kai and Cinder tie the knot. I admit, I had hopes for a full-out royal wedding (some years down the road, of course, since Cinder starts these books at age 16), where Scarlet and Wolf are chasing around a set of twins, Winter is 8 months pregnant with Jacin constantly fussing over her, and Cress has *finally* gotten engaged to Captain Thorne. Sadly, not all literary dreams come true :'(. Of course, I haven’t done a wedding scene in any of my novels thus far, so I guess I shouldn’t complain! Happily, Marissa Meyer eased some of that I-finished-reading-the-series-and-now-I’m-sad-because-it’s-over pain by releasing a volume of short stories – titled “Stars Above” – to flush out some of the “before” and “after” aspects of the novels. And this is actually something I have planned for my work. Just because the novel is over doesn’t mean the full story has been told – there will definitely be some additional stories featuring Jesse and Alex that shed light on the many centuries before they meet Emer ;-). What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading! P.S. – If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends! Here’s a link: http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog-on-books-and-writing/the-lunar-chronicles-where-fairy-tales-meet-science-fiction P.P.S. – Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram, and sign up for my email list!
Ah, the one that started it all! This was the first manga I ever read: an 8-volume series by CLAMP titled Chobits. I loved the cute girl on the covers with her fancy dresses, but what was even more intriguing was the fact that she’s a computer! In these books, “persocoms” (humanoid computers) are the latest advancement in technology. When poor student Hideki finds Chi (the girl on the cover) tied up and abandoned in the trash, he takes her home, thinking he’s gotten himself a free piece of software. Only, when she boots up, he discovers that she’s not your average persocom – there’s much more to her than meets the eye.
What was so fascinating about this series is how it explored the relationship between human and technology. Computers and other pieces of tech are designed to make our lives easier, and the persocoms in this book are no exception. They function as store clerks, secretaries, personal assistants – all the functions of your laptop or smart phone, but with the ability to walk, talk, and interact like a person. Only it doesn’t end there. Throughout the series, there are examples of “relationships” between the persocoms and their humans. Whether or not an artificial life form can have feelings or fall in love is in fact the crux of this manga. Eventually, Chi and Hideki come to understand that they do in fact “love” each other. Now, a human having a relationship with a computer isn’t my thing, but finding “that someone just for me” is. Love comes in many different colors. And while I don’t buy the idea that an artificial life form can have its own “soul” (that would be giving mankind WAY too much credit!), I do believe that we put something of ourselves into what we create. There’s a lot of myself in the books I write (perhaps I’ll talk more about that in another post :-P). And I can see where the creator of a humanoid computer might somehow put something of himself in his work, making his creation more like his children (as the case is with Chi and her creator). But that’s about as far as I’m willing to go ><. I’m actually not a big fan of technology. Sure, I have a cell phone and a laptop like everyone else, but beyond typing documents, sending emails and shopping on online, I could care less. Newfangled machines never seem to do quite what I want them to do (our Google home devices ignore me but respond perfectly to my husband :-/), and I often don’t understand them as well as I should. So while I will *try* to include enough references to technology in my novels to make them relevant, please don’t expect a lot. I’m doing good just to handle my Android! I suppose that if I was good with tech toys, I could write science fiction – but since I’m not, I’ll just stick to paranormal romance ;-). What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading! P.S. – If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends! Here’s a link: http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog-on-books-and-writing/manga-the-tangles-of-technology-in-chobits P.P.S. – Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram, and sign up for my email list!
Another favorite book series from my childhood was the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. The books follow boy genius Artemis Fowl as he gets involved with fairies and other supernatural creatures – such as Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police and the paranoid centaur Foaly who insists on wearing a tinfoil hat on his head – all with his trusted Butler by his side. During the 8-book series he has various adventures, many of which involve outwitting the evil pixie Opal Koboi. It’s preteen fantasy at its best!
Now, while I did love the Artemis Fowl books, I did not love Artemis Fowl himself. He’s just too smart! It’s almost impossible for anyone to get the drop on him (which, of course, makes the book interesting when a villain actually does). I generally object to characters that are too good at any one thing. No one is perfect. (Scripture tells us this very clearly – we ALL need grace at some point!) Being the absolute best at something tends to lead to pride and arrogance – which, while common human traits, are among the most annoying, in my opinion. Artemis is no exception: he knows that he is brilliant, and he makes sure everyone else around him knows it as well ><. Needless to say, you’re not likely to see such character traits (pride and arrogance) in any of my heroes – though it’s certainly the kind of thing I’ll use for my villains. I’m not sure I can bring myself to write a character who annoys me (unless they are supposed to be the bad guy). Don’t expect too many “geniuses” or “experts” for main characters either… but that’s less because I dislike the type, and more because I’m not a genius or expert myself XD. Side characters are another story though – after all, let’s not forget Artie from The Heart of Everything :-P. At any rate, we do get to see Artemis Fowl mature throughout the series. In fact, one of the later books centers on the several-years-older-and-wiser Artemis attempting to correct a mistake made by the younger-and-more-arrogant version of himself via time travel. And while time travel is never my favorite solution to a problem (more on that in another post), it’s nice to see that the annoying boy genius is starting to grow up and use his brilliant mind for more than just selfish indulgences. Character growth is something I do love in a book – and should I ever write a series as long as this one, I hope to incorporate some of that into my works as well ?. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading! P.S. – If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends! Here’s a link: http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog-on-books-and-writing/artemis-fowl-too-smart-for-his-own-good P.P.S. – Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram, and sign up for my email list!
Like millions of other people, I thoroughly enjoyed the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. Though I admit, back when it came out I was a little slow to jump on the bandwagon. It wasn’t until my father read the first book (and we got the paperback copy, which tells you how long it was out before we bought it) that I decided to give it a try. I believe I finished it between that evening and the next morning XD. And I didn’t look back – I remember reading #4 (Goblet of Fire) cover to cover on a 4-hour car trip!
I even remember my grandma saying that she was disappointed when Hollywood started to make movies of the Harry Potter series – because kids were finally interested in reading books again! And why was that? Well, actually, there are multiple reasons why those books were such a big hit :-D. But one of the reasons that stands out most to me was how vividly the author managed to create this world of magic. From Platform 9¾ to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to Diagon Alley, every installment of the Harry Potter series featured a fantastical location full of wonder. It’s no wonder that the Universal parks in Florida have added Harry Potter elements to their collection – because all of us wanted to taste delicious butterbeer, or find our perfect wand, or visit Hagrid with his unusual pets. There are even “schools of magic” now, where you can enroll and attend classes and banquets for a week or weekend! All because one author created a world so real, so wonderful that everyone who read her stories wanted to visit. Even better was the fact that her world existed right next door to the world we live in: King’s Cross Station is where young wizards board the Hogwarts Express, while those entering the Ministry of Magic use restrooms near the subway or a telephone booth. Knowing that the magic was right there – instead of light-years away on a foreign planet – made the stories even more appealing. As if you could really go there, if only you believed hard enough. (Sigh) Sadly, my imagination is not nearly as refined as Ms. Rowling’s. I don’t have the writing skills yet to create such an incredible world from scratch. Thus I take the “paranormal” part of my genre literally – my stories happen “alongside” that which is “normal.” I start with the real world and add in that which usually only exists in the shadows, with the idea that since the locations are real, the characters could almost be real as well… but I’ve yet to wander from the “real world” all the way into another realm. Perhaps someday I’ll board a magical train and my books will end up somewhere that you can’t actually find on a map, but for now, I’ll leave the incredible world building to the experts ;-). What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading! P.S. – If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends! Here’s a link: http://www.lynnwallaceauthor.com/blog-on-books-and-writing/jk-rowling-harry-potter-and-the-world-of-magic P.P.S. – Don’t forget to follow me on Facebook/ Twitter/ Instagram, and sign up for my email list! |
My Blog:I have two passions: reading and writing. You can't write good stories without first reading good stories - that's my theory, anyway. So this is where I'll share with you the depth of those passions: background on what and why I write, as well as talking about the books that I read and how they impact my writing. Archives
March 2024
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