Timeless Art: Elfquest

I don't read a lot of graphic novels. I probably should, because I've found them to include some great works of art, both visually and creatively. There are some great stories to be found in the format and great art is great art, whatever the form.

When I was young, my older brother was into comics. He still collects to this day. I used to read his when I had nothing better around, but didn't really have any of my own. Except for ElfQuest. I loved ElfQuest. The artwork was so bold and the stories deep and rich. But as a young child I mostly loved the little elves that rode wolves and fought fiercely. That became my vision of elves, an image in my mind that even Tolkien's slender and aristocratic fae couldn't replace.

Well, my brother recently sent me a copy of the newly released ElfQuest Collection, Volume 1. It's just as good now as it ever was, and holds up next to anything that's being done in the medium today. Great stories, great art, hold up in a way that transcends form. And I'm very happy to be spending some time with Cutter, Skywise, and the rest of the Wolfriders.

Booking Through Thursday - Reading YA

It's been a while since I've participated in Booking Through Thursday, but this question got my interest:

Do you read books written for children or teens? Or do you stick to books for adults?

The quick answer is yes, I read Young Adult books. Not only do I read them, but I write them. But I think there's a little more to this question.

First, there's the implied suggestion that some books are written for children and some for adults. I don't believe books are necessarily written for a specific age audience. Young Adult is not a genre, it's not even a particularly accurate description of a market category. Most 'Young Adult' books are read by adults. Most of us who write Young Adult are fully aware of the adult audience and write stories that will appeal to them.

There definitely are stories that will appeal more to teens than adults. YA tends to feature teen protagonists and quite often deal with issues that are more immediate and important to teen readers. But most adults once were teens, so teen issues, and what adults went through in the past, are still relevant and of interest to adults.

Second, there's a hint that adults should stick to books for adults. I'm not sure exactly what is trying to be classified as 'adult' here, but I've seen plenty of pieces that find some standard to say what's 'appropriate' for adults to read - literary fiction, non-genre stories, stuff with SERIOUS THEMES. That's all crap. Lots (if not most) adult books have little philosophical merit to them and those serious themes tend to be lots of silly literary angst. And the most popular category of 'adult' books is Romance.

People should read what they want. There's lots of great quality stories in every genre and age category out there. And there's lots of crap, and it's perfectly OK to read that too (look at the bestseller lists and you'll find plenty of it). Any good writer will write a book that's for readers, and while some topics are not suitable for young children, many teens are more familiar with the dark aspects of life than your average adult. Can't we move past the judgment and labeling already?

Diversity as a Buzzword

There's been a lot of talk lately in the writing world about diversity. This is a good thing. I wholeheartedly approve of the WeNeedDiverseBooks campaign and I think discussions of difficult or controversial topics are necessary for progress. But I've seen a trend in the marketing of books that has turned diversity into a buzzword, and I'm not as happy about that.

For me, it's all about story. Story is what makes a book good. Story should be what sells a book. Stories can include diversity, and I think that more stories with diversity as a part of them are a good thing for everyone. But sometimes it feels like diversity is seen as a replacement for story. Maybe not in the work itself, but often in the selling of it. It comes from authors trying to 'sell' their book to an agent. It comes from agents trying to sell books to publishers, from publishers trying to sell books to readers, and readers trying to sell books to themselves.

During some recent twitter pitch sessions - where aspiring authors try to attract an agent by describing their book in twenty words - I've seen good and bad examples of including diversity.

A good pitch should sell the story. It generally involves the main character, the main conflict, and the stakes. It takes a framework, like: thief needs to steal diamond to pay off mob; and turns it into something more specific and compelling:

Bisexual jewel thief must pull off the heist of his lifetime to save his estranged girlfriend from a psychotic mafia boss ex-lover.

But I saw a few pitches that went something like this: LGBT thief must steal diamond to save lover from mafia. Diverse cast.

Now, to be fair, the story might be the same in both examples. It could be a great story that represents many diverse characters in a realistic way that adds to the complexity and believability of the storyline. But there's a difference in saying that my story is worthwhile and includes diversity, and saying my story is worthwhile because it includes diversity.

I recently saw an agent touting a successful query for a diverse book, and my honest thought was that the query was entirely generic and bland, with lots of 'save the world', 'must figure things out' catch phrases that mean nothing. But it stated that the MC was queer and that it involved a M/M relationship. I haven't read the book, but the reviews are very positive and digging deeper it sounds like a great story. I just don't like that fact that it's considered a good query because it says 'queer', whereas I'm confident it would be considered an average pitch without that word.

I'm fine with the fact that the gatekeepers in this industry need to be looking for diverse stories, and the only way that minority stories will get represented is if there's a conscious effort to find them and hold them up for attention. But I feel that there must be enough great stories out there with these elements that we don't need to start our bartering with simplistic phrases. I want agents (and everyone) to hold diversity to the same standard as the rest of the ideas that populate books. I'm confident that diversity can handle it, that writers of diversity exist with the same skills and qualities as any other writing group. Maybe the fact that it's buzzing is a step in the right direction. But buzzwords are always a shortcut, and I think we deserve better than that in the end.

Fall 1st Page Blog Hop - SYNTHESIS

With the idea that you can never get too much feedback, here's another great opportunity for first page critiques, put together by the very generous Michelle Hauck. Check out her post for the full details - Michelle4Laughs. Basically it's a blog hop where everyone posts their first page and then offers a critique on several of the other participants. Let the games begin:

YA Scifi

SYNTHESIS

I weave through the crowd, a blonde speck of determination in a sea of indifference. A dog-walker and his tangle of mutts blocks my path, a businessman on a phone cuts me off. Even the sidewalks in L.A. have traffic jams. Stupid cracked radiator—no way I’ll make it in time.

I leap over a yapping Pomeranian, spin around a parking meter, but force myself not to run—can’t look sweaty teaching pampered rich kids how to multiply.

Of course, if I hadn’t quit gymnastics, Mom wouldn’t force me to pick up extra tutoring shifts to pay for the car repairs. She gave some speech about learning self-reliance, but I know it’s punishment for deviating from her perfect plan for my life. Control issues much?

The glass storefront with the Haverstein Academy’s faux-Ivy-League logo looms before me. Smile, Emily, only two more years ‘til college and freedom.

A honk and squeal make me turn toward the street where a shiny chrome grill and two headlights hop the curb and barrel at me like a charging beast. On instinct, I do a back handspring, like from one of my old floor routines. My hands slam into the rough concrete, the car hurtles past my toes. I push off, still spinning, a blur of black metal in front of me. The car slams into the building in an explosion of glass and noise. The blast and my momentum throw me to the ground, breath whooshing from my lungs. What the hell just happened?

***

Let me know what you think, even if you're not in the #Fall1stHop

The Craft of Writing - Knowing the Game

I know a lot about writing. I don't say that to brag, because, honestly, it surprises me a little bit. And knowing about writing is not the same as being a good writer. But I've worked hard over the last four years, studying the craft, listening to what others have to say, sharing my thoughts and getting feedback, and all without spending a lot of money. The internet has been my resource and I'm happy to say that it worked.

I've been an avid reader all my life, and wrote as a hobby since I was in high school. I thought I knew the basics. I did, I just didn't know how basic my knowledge was. When I decided to get serious about my writing, to make it my career, I knew I needed to learn more. I also knew I didn't have much money and that I learn better on my own, at my own pace and in my own way, than in a formal classroom session taught by someone of dubious credentials (and it can be really hard to figure out who's a good teacher merely from their writing bio).

The internet clearly had the information I needed, but like everything on the web it's buried in an avalanche of crap you don't want. Sifting through the sheer bulk of information is the true challenge, spotting the kernels of truth and recognizing who has useful knowledge and who is merely there to make money or inflate their egos. But a little bit of common sense, a good nose for BS, and a willingness to put in time and pay attention paid off. I learned.

How do I know that I know a lot? Because these days, when I listen to other people talk, people who have the credentials and respect of the community, I understand what they're saying. When other people ask questions, I know the answer they're going to get. When I get feedback, it's nothing new. I've heard what the experts have to say, and can repeat it myself, even when they're not around.

I don't know everything. I'm not that egotistical. There's always more to learn and I understand that and continue to learn - though I have found it harder to find new sources of information. And in a way, I don't feel I need to learn more right this moment. I have enough knowledge to write a book at a publishable level. I know enough to start.

And to reiterate, knowing is not the same as doing. Just because you know the rules to a game, doesn't mean you can play. And even if you can play, it doesn't mean you can play well. Let's use basketball as our analogy (and how that relates to writing). There is an actual rule book (Chicago Manual of Style). You can study it, memorize it, know the rules. But that won't even tell you how the game is played. There are a lot of unwritten rules (don't use adverbs, show vs. tell, people hate prologues). The rules say it's a non-contact sport, but the reality is a lot of contact is allowed. You have to watch a lot of basketball to see how it's really played (read a lot of books).

Studying is great, but it's hard to learn in isolation. You pick up a lot of information if you start talking to other basketball fans and listen to their opinion on things (Absolute Write Forums). There's a good chance that many of those fans also play ball, maybe at different levels, but often aspiring to turn pro. That community not only provides information, but gives you a chance to share what you've learned, to see if your feedback is valued or if your ideas get rejected. If gives a chance to coach (critique) a little and see what the results are. For teaching something is one of the best ways to learn it.

It also helps to listen to the what the professional coaches (agents, editors) are saying. Listen to their press conferences (#tenqueries, #askanagent). You'll pick up tips about what is important in today's game vs. what you watched when growing up (start with action). You'll learn the trends, like the importance of a shooting guard that can post up (first person present tense), and the decline of of the point guard's impact (dystopians). You might also see that there's a dearth of small forwards (#mswl), so if that's your position you might want to angle for a tryout now.

And my goal is not to coach but to play, to make it to the pros. For that you need practice time (writing). And practice is different from just playing pick up games - you need to work on drills (short stories), practice different techniques (different POV's), improve your conditioning (NaNoWriMo). You need coaching from multiple sources (critique partners). Mostly, you need dedication and persistence - you don't get to Madison Square Garden overnight.

The point of this post is not that I know a lot. It's that I was able to learn a lot, and that I was able to do it without spending money, traveling to a lot of conferences, or taking expensive classes. If you can get to this post on the internet, you can get to all the resources you need. If I can do it, anyone can. I can't promise that you'll be able to dunk the ball one day, but if you work at it, you'll understand the game and be ready to play when your name is called. Good luck!