WHAT CHARACTERS ARE YOU MOST LIKE?

I love to read because I love to identify with unique characters. I share their weaknesses and their strengths, and it’s why I either root for them to succeed or hope they fail.

Harry Potter, of course, was one of my first favorite book series. I am much like Hermione Granger in that I’m a fierce perfectionist and an academic. My schoolwork is important to me, and I enjoy reading and learning new things, and I was always that girl in class who couldn’t resist raising her hand to answer a question. And my sister would probably say I’m bossy. So there’s that, too. I’d like to think I also share Hermione’s loyalty, bravery, and wit, although I’m sure that’s pushing it. 😉

Hermione sort of reminds me of Sydney Sage, protagonist of Bloodlines, and so I believe I’m a good bit like Sydney as well. We’re both total sticklers for the rules.

And I’m a lot like Cress, the Rapunzel of the Lunar Chronicles, because I’m a romantic. And I can be a bit of a dreamer.

As a child, I loved the Betsy-Tacy series because I saw myself in Betsy Ray. She was creative, and always made up stories, and eventually became a writer.

As for the characters I WISH I was more like?

I wish I shared Tris Prior’s fearlessness, and Katniss Everdeen’s determination and strength. I wish I were more feisty like America Singer. I wish I had incredible powers like Alina (Shadow and Bone), Clary (Mortal Instruments Series), Tessa (Infernal Devices Series), and Celaena (Throne of Glass).

These heroines inspire me to be confident in myself, to persevere, to always strive to be a better person. What qualities do you share with these characters?

Be sure to check out the other blogs participating in the chain!

5th – Sometimes I’m a Story
6th – The Little Engine that Couldn’t
7th – Against the Shadows
8th – Sammi Talk
9th – Musings From Neville’s Navel
10th – The Road Goes On
11th – Brooke Reviews – (that’s me!)
12th – Miriam Joy Writes
13th – Uniquely Anonymous
14th – The Upstairs Archives
15th – The A.R. Files
16th – NutFreeNerd
17th – Unikke Lyfe
18th – Writer’s Place
19th – Roomble
20th – Tara Therese
21st – The Writing Duo
22nd – Free As a Girl With Wings
23rd – Butterflies of the Imagination
24th – The Weirdy Station
25th – Teenage Ink
26th – Where Books Never End
27th – Insanity Inc.
28th – Miss Alexandrina
29th – ripped out pages
and The Long Life of a Lifelong Fangirl
30th – Fantasies of a Pocket Human
and Turtles in My Soup
31st – literallylovely
and Teens Can Write, Too! (We’ll announce the topic for next month’s chain)

So I’m participating in “Rewind & Review,” a blog hop hosted by Shae Has Left the Room. Basically, we’ll be glancing back at what happened on the blog during the month of July, and also take a look at what I’ve been reading.

Books I Bought

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

Books I Read

*reviews to come!*

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
The School of Good and Evil by Soman Chainani
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare
The Giver by Lois Lowry
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
The Big Wheel by Susan Larned Womble

TBR

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
The Taking by Kimberly Derting
Elusion by Claudia Gabel, Cheryl Klam
Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour
The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

Articles I Read and Enjoyed (worth sharing!)

Write Faster (and Better, Too) – Writer Unboxed

Posts You Might Have Missed

Brooke Reviews: Throne of Glass, Born of Illusion, Arclight
Lessons learned from the Tallahassee Writer’s Conference
Top 10 Tuesday: Blogging Confessions
TCWT Blog Chain: What I Wish I’d Known
The necessity of revision
Top 10 Tuesday: Characters on a Deserted Island
Writing negative reviews

Upcoming on the blog:

August will be a busy month, what with school (college!) starting up, but I’ll definitely be blogging.

Brooke Reviews: Smart Girls Get What They Want, The Giver, The Big Wheel
TTT – Aug 5 (top 10 books you’d give to friends who’ve never read X)
Post about opportunities
Blog chain
TTT – Aug 12 (books I’m not sure I want to read)
The Giver: book vs movie
TTT – Aug 19 (books people have been telling me to read)
TTT – Aug 26 – (top books I want to read but don’t own yet)
August Rewind & Review

Here’s the thing: I don’t fall in love with every book. It’s impossible. Authors, readers, reviewers – we’re all different people! And that’s what makes it special, because if we were all the same and we all liked the same things it’d be so boring.

Reviewing a book is such a subjective thing. Something one reader dislikes could be something another reader appreciates. But we share our opinions anyway. And why is that? There are so many books out there. When I’m looking for something new to read, rather than pulling a book at random (that happens, occasionally!) I’ll often read reviews or consult friends.

And likewise, if I like a book, I want to share it with others. There’s a desire to help promote the book, because I enjoyed it and believe others will, too. Specifically, I’ll want to explain why I enjoyed the book as much as I did. In every one of my reviews, I try to be as specific as possible (without spoilers, of course!).

I liked this book because…the characters were well-developed (I’ll usually give an example), the plot was original, the world building was fantastic (this is typically due to detail, or imagery), the book was humorous, etc.

Likewise, if I DIDN’T like the book, I write a review simply to explain my reasoning. And, often, the very things that I like about some books cause my dislike for others.

I didn’t like this book because…the characters weren’t well-developed (and fell flat), the plot was too predictable, the world-building was shallow, the book didn’t live up to its description (i.e., it WASN’T humorous as the back flap said it would be), etc.

In everything I write, I want to be honest. This includes all of my book reviews. That said, I will NEVER attack an author or insult their work. When it comes to writing a book review, there needs to be a level of respect. If I didn’t like the book, I will say so. But I will always try to explain why, and I’ll always try to find something I did like about the book (a redeeming quality).

And I believe it’s important to recognize when a book didn’t work for you simply because it’s not your favorite genre, or you didn’t agree with the subject matter. Because that’s entirely personal preference.

Last week I reviewed a book I didn’t like. I was actually quite surprised when I finished reading this book and realized I just didn’t like it much. I considered not writing a review, because I knew I’d have to be honest about my feelings. But I realized that wouldn’t be quite fair, to only post positive reviews.

I hope I wrote an honest but respectful review. I’ve actually read a glowing review of the same novel by a blogger I admire, and so I recognize there will always be differences of opinions. What I wrote about the novel is my personal opinion, and I did my best to explicitly explain it. I don’t often write negative reviews, and that’s what prompted me to write this post. It just felt like something I needed to address. Often, what I write/post on my blog is a record of what I’ve learned or am currently learning.

Please share your thoughts about reading/writing negative book reviews. Let’s have a conversation.

Thanks,
Brooke

Recently a friend of mine emailed me a couple of really great questions. She’s also a writer, and so I really enjoyed answering her questions. I thought I’d share one of my responses – about revision – here on the blog. 

When you were editing your books, did you have to change A LOT and basically re-write the whole book with only a few sentences from the first draft here and there?

I was 12 and 13 when I wrote my first book, and when I finished I gave it to my dad to read. He sort of became my editor. At that point, he didn’t believe in revising the story to shreds, or tearing it apart. I think he thought it might have ruined my motivation. So, no, I did not change much of the original story at all. There were, however, several rounds of edits, during which we found many grammatical errors and typos and run-on sentences and things of that nature.

That said, let me tell you what I would do if I wrote that book today rather than several years ago. Now I know that first drafts are far from perfect, and that there is typically a long way to go between draft 1 and a finished product. And I’ve realized there is a difference between revising and editing. The revision process comes first. That’s when you reread and decide your protagonist is too whiny, or that you introduced a subplot that you forgot to resolve in the end. Revision is cutting unnecessary scenes but figuring out where to add better descriptions or dialogue. Editing is rereading to catch your grammatical errors.

When you’ve finished your first draft and you’re ready to take on revisions, take a moment to remember one thing: you’ve finished a first draft, and that takes guts! Do not forget to congratulate yourself and celebrate this accomplishment. Then, and only then, should you move on to revisions. I say this because revisions can be exhausting, difficult, and discouraging. Many writers give up at this point because they think, This is terrible. Why did I ever think anybody would want to read this? I don’t know if you feel this way, but if you do you should know it’s completely natural. And so my advice is, if you are truly rewriting the book, DO NOT delete your original draft. Keep it in a file/folder somewhere, but DO NOT delete it, even if you think it’s completely unusable. You may go back later and realize there’s something you want to save or reuse. Either way, it doesn’t hurt, even if it sits there collecting dust. (And you may have already done this, but I thought I’d warn you just in case.)

I’m glad I didn’t revise my books when I was 12/13. My dad was probably right in that it would have crushed my spirit, and I might not have written books 2 and 3 if I continued to rewrite book 1. I look back now and am thankful for the entire experience, because it’s what solidified my belief that I wanted to be a writer. I learned so much by writing those books, including that revision is necessary.

But those books were stepping stones for me. Research any published author and you’ll find that their debut novel was NOT the first book they’d ever written. Almost all published authors have first and second novels locked away. So, I guess what I’m saying is this: revision is necessary. Revision is probably the most important part of the writing process, because it’s what takes your mess of a first draft and turns it into something that makes sense, refines it. And if you find you have to rewrite the book, that’s okay. But DON’T get stuck in a rut where you continue to rewrite over and over again, because it’s a pitfall for us writers. Be confident in your story. (Again, I am not saying this is you. Just a warning because it sometimes happens to me.) I really hope this answers your question. Sometimes I can be a bit long-winded. 😉

*Thanks, M, for corresponding with me! Questions/comments are encouraged. 

WHAT’S ONE THING YOU WISH YOU KNEW WHEN YOU STARTED WRITING?

This is a really great prompt. At first, I had no idea what to write, but I slowly began to think of all the things I’ve learned and the lessons I wish I’d learned earlier – because I probably could have saved myself a whole lot of time.

First, I wish I’d known that ideas do not come fully-formed. In elementary and middle school, I was convinced I had not been gifted with the gene for coming up with great story ideas.

“How do you get your ideas?” is one of the most commonly asked questions published authors receive from readers/aspiring writers. I was at the front of that line. Any time I went to a book signing, or met an author face-to-face, that’s the question I asked. I searched for answers online. I bought books. And then finally, finally, I learned there is no magic formula for coming up with great story ideas.

Experience and every-day life inspires story ideas, but once you’ve got the initial spark it’s your job to flesh it out into an actual plot.

Something else I wish I knew when I started writing: stories need structure.

I believe it’s the reason I wrote so many unfinished drafts. I’d get super excited to start writing, and then I’d lose steam and the story sagged because I had no foundation.

Structure is not inhibiting, but freeing.

And the last thing I wish I’d known: it’s OKAY to write a terrible first draft.

I’m a perfectionist, a type A personality. What I’d once thought was a strength suddenly became a major weakness (especially in high school). Overanalyzing my work and giving everything 110% was absolutely exhausting, and also unnecessary. Not to say I shouldn’t have tried my best, but there comes a point when you’ve reached an unhealthy extreme. That was me.

And gone were the days of writing something just for fun – the first page of a story, or chapters of a fantasy that had been floating around in my head – I thought my drafts needed to be perfect. Seriously, I don’t think I’d ever heard of “revision.” And because of this, I thought I needed to write the story correctly the first time around. Obviously, this just creates fear and pressure and then you’re staring at the blank page for far longer than you should.

In my 11th grade AP Lang class, we read an excerpt from Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, in which she discussed the importance and necessity of a “shitty first draft.” (Had to move past the curse word first, because even in 11th grade the elementary and middle school naivety had not yet worn off.) But after that, I realized that even my favorite authors wrote multiple drafts before they reached a finished product. And they all swore these drafts were terrible – “shitty,” in fact.

The true origins of great ideas, the necessity of structure, and “shitty” first drafts – these are the things I wish I knew when I started writing.

That said, I continue to learn every day, and I’ve realized in writing this post that I don’t think I’d go back and change my writing journey even if I could.

Be sure to check out the rest of the chain! And feel free to share your thoughts. 🙂

5th – http://unikkelyfe.wordpress.com/
6th – http://thelittleenginethatcouldnt.wordpress.com/
7th – http://nasrielsfanfics.wordpress.com/
8th – http://miriamjoywrites.com/
9th – http://lillianmwoodall.wordpress.com/
10th – http://www.brookeharrison.com/
11th – http://musingsfromnevillesnavel.wordpress.com/
12th – http://erinkenobi2893.wordpress.com/
13th – http://theweirdystation.blogspot.com/
14th – http://taratherese.wordpress.com/
15th – http://sammitalk.wordpress.com/
16th – http://eighthundredninety.blogspot.com/
17th – http://insideliamsbrain.wordpress.com/
18th – http://novelexemplar.wordpress.com/
19th – http://thelonglifeofalifelongfangirl.wordpress.com/
20th – https://butterfliesoftheimagination.wordpress.com/
21st – http://theloonyteenwriter.wordpress.com/
22nd – http://roomble.wordpress.com/
23rd – http://thependanttrilogy.wordpress.com/
24th – http://teenscanwritetoo.wordpress.com/ – The topic for August’s blog chain will be announced.

I recently returned from a two-week trip to Italy.

It was an incredible experience, to say the least. And while I took a hiatus from the blog during those two weeks, I was actually working – gathering material for future posts.

I’ve traveled before, and so I know what traveling can do for a writer. It’s inspiring. So what do I mean by that?

You’re exposed to new cultures, new people, and new ideas. If this doesn’t broaden your perspectives and renew your creativity, I don’t know what will.
The activities I’ve listed below are suggestions for writers to make the most of their travels.

1.People-watching

Take note of the people you meet. You’re surrounded by potential characters for your future novel. The huge push for diversity in YA? This is it. In Italy, I was one of very few people speaking English. I enjoyed listening to the native Italians, to their accents and the way they spoke broken English when answering a tourist’s question.

2. Sight-seeing

Take pictures! Pay attention to detail in architecture. One of these locations could become the setting for your newest work, and you want to remember every detail.

3. Rejuvenating

Oftentimes writer’s block can be conquered by a change of scenery. This may be as simple as writing in a bookstore rather than your bedroom, or organizing your space. An even better solution? Leave the country.

4. Getting to know your traveling companions

No matter who you’re traveling with, it’s sure to be both fun and frustrating. There isn’t much you can keep from one another. Observe your companion’s quirks. Do they hog the window seat? Refuse to keep their stuff neat?

You may think you’ll remember every little detail forever, but the truth is, you won’t. So do yourself a favor and record the things you don’t want to forget.

Every night, I pulled out my composition book and took quick notes about everything we’d done that day. I’d also jot down words or phrases to jog my memory – to help me recall certain conversations, our hilarious inside jokes, and the many ideas my travels sparked.

Above all, be sure to enjoy yourself. As writers, experience is a crucial aspect of our craft.

*“Traveling” does not only refer to leaving the country. These activities work just as well for a quick trip across town, or a road trip with friends, or a day at a theme park. Remember, it’s your job to make the most of the experience, whatever it may be.