When Your Editor Turns Author

It isn't every single day you get the opportunity to return favors for people. It isn't every day your favorite editor's debut novel is released by Whitefire Publishing. And it is for this happy reason that I gather all of you together to throw a little birthday-party interview for my friend and editor, Rachelle Rea. 

ABOUT The Sound of Diamonds

Her only chance of getting home is trusting the man she hates.With the protestant Elizabeth on the throne of England and her family in shambles, Catholic maiden Gwyneth seeks refuge in the Low Countries of Holland, hoping to soothe her aching soul. But when the Iconoclastic Fury descends and bloodshed overtakes her haven, she has no choice but to trust the rogue who arrives, promising to see her safely home to her uncle's castle. She doesn't dare to trust him...and yet doesn't dare to refuse her one chance to preserve her own life and those of the nuns she rescues from the burning convent.Dirk Godfrey is determined to restore his honor at whatever cost. Running from a tortured past, Dirk knows he has only one chance at redemption, and it lies with the lovely Gwyneth, who hates him for the crimes she thinks he committed. He must see her to safety, prove to the world that he is innocent, prove that her poor eyesight is not the only thing that has blinded her but what is he to do when those goals clash?The home Gwyneth knew is not what she once thought. When a dark secret and a twisted plot for power collide in a castle masquerading as a haven, the saint and the sinner must either dare to hold to hope...or be overcome.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rachelle Rea plots her novels while driving around the little town she's lived in all her life in her dream car, a pick-up truck. An Oreo addict, she is also a homeschool graduate and retired gymnast. She wrote the Sound of Diamonds the summer after her sophomore year of college.

LINKS

Website: http://RachelleRea.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/inspiringdaring

Twitter: http://twitter.com/rachellerea
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rachellerea

Instagram: @RachelleDianeRea

So, loves. Though I missed the official Release Week due to my laptop unexpectedly coming to a heated death (truly, it burned), I have the privilege of interviewing this Southern Dynamo here on The Inkpen Authoress and questioning her all about the first book in her Steadfast Love series, published by Whitefire Publishing. Welcome, Rachelle! Readers: if you want to know how her boyfriend views her career as a romance novelist, what she thought when her dream publisher said yes, and which book Rachelle cannot live without, read on! 

RH: I had the privilege of beta-reading The Sound of Diamonds years ago. How much would you say the story has changed in the interim?

RR: A little. A lot. LOL. Much of the plot has stayed the same; much growth has gone into the details and characters. For example, Gwyneth wears glasses. At one point in the story (no spoilers here!), she loses her glasses. In an early draft (maybe the one you read, Rachel), she conveniently has another pair--so not plausible. Needless to say, she goes without her glasses for a bit in the now-finished novel. ;)

RH: You say this contract was dropped in your lap; how did it feel to know that your dream publisher had said YES?

RR: It felt like sitting at my desk at 10pm and wondering why I had watched that second episode of Arrow that had prevented me from checking my email and discovering the news earlier. A few hours had passed between that lovely bit of news arriving in my inbox and my actually discovering it! It felt like nearly crying, nearly screaming, waking up my parents to tell them, calling my best friends, and sleeping with a smile on my face. :)

RH: What makes the Steadfast Love Series (of which TSD is Book 1) different from other historical romance series?

RR: My series follows the same two main characters throughout all three books--in other series, the trend seems to be to follow a family or set of friend-ish characters.

RH: What would say is your trademark as an author?

RR: My favorite word. Daring. I want to write stories of people who have the choice to be brave--and choose rightly, if not for the first time, then just in time. :)

RH: How do your personal acquaintances view your authorship?

RR: What a fun question! I'll never forget the face a friend made in the kitchen when I told her I had signed a contract. And my boyfriend has mentioned he found it slightly intimidating at first that I'm a romance novelist. :) All in all, though, I'm thrilled and blessed by the support of all those around me--in real life and online. :)

RH: What is the biggest thing you have learned between drafts #1 and the final version of your trilogy?

RR: I'll never think it's finished. I've heard authors mention that before but never had it seemed truer than when I was rereading the final galleys and wanting to make tweaks and changes that were trivial to say the least. But the truth is, this novel is the best book I've ever written. And the next book will be even better. ;)

RH: Mind sharing a favorite quote from The Sound of Diamonds?

What did it matter if I perished here in the convent at the hands of my enraged countrymen? Better that than breathing my last at his hands.

– Gwyn, The Sound of Diamonds

RR: This captures her attitude so well. She would rather die than let Dirk save her in this first chapter--but that soon changes... ;)

RH: One book you cannot live without?

RR: One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp. I love that book. I lend that book out regularly, so I guess I do live without it somewhat, but still. It speaks to my soul. ;)

We at The Inkpen Authoress wish you all the best of luck and happiness with The Sound of Diamonds. Thanks for dropping by for the afternoon and sharing the scoop! :) 

PENDRAGON'S HEIR Debut!

My dear chaps and chappesses. It is my great pleasure to announce to you today that Suzannah Rowntree's debut novel, Pendragon's Heir, is available for purchase! There has been some little difficulty with Kindle but Suzannah has that being worked out from afar. In the meantime, Pendragon's Heir is looking stunning in paperback! And I have the pleasure of letting Suzannah onto The Inkpen Authoress for a chat about the romance in this tale of

Romance Fixin’s

Suzannah Rowntree

Some people seem to be born with a writerly itch in their bones. Not me. I can be classified into that class of author who was a reader first and always—a reader moreover who, being disappointed with a shortage of the exact kind of reading she likes, decides to write something of her own for a change.

For me, one of the ways this manifests is as the temptation to write as a fixer. Something bugged me in that book I recently read? Well, I’ll put in my book just for the pleasure of doing it right!

And nowhere in my work on Pendragon’s Heir—my debut novel and so far only completed full-length work—was this impulse stronger than in the romance.

You see, I have read so many, so very many novels, most of them featuring romances, and most of those romances failing to satisfy either my common-sense or my artistic standards. From wish-fulfilment heroes who push social and physical boundaries (Mr Rochester, I’m looking at you), to the sheer twitterpation (a word neatly coined by my amiable hostess) infesting most of today’s romances, which focus more on the colour of the hero’s eyes than on actual interesting things like saving the world or building a city or questing for freedom and truth, the world seemed so full of unsatisfactory romances that I relished the chance to construct a really good one.

So today, I’d like to list a few of the goals I had in writing the Pendragon’s Heir romance—hoping they will provoke some thought and encouragement!

A Romance That’s About Something

The first important ingredient was the purpose of love and marriage. Marriage is meant to be about something bigger than just the two of you and your feelings. Ultimately it’s about building the Kingdom. It’s about the cultural/dominion mandate. It’s about the Great Commission.

Because marriage is about signing up together for a splendid adventure, I knew that the romance in Pendragon’s Heir had to be about a mission. This is actually the compelling force that draws my two protagonists together: although Blanche dislikes Perceval at first, she eventually comes to realise that they are on the same mission. This is the common ground on which they begin to build their friendship. For them, love and adventure become inextricable—and I think it’s the same in real life.

Mutual Help and Comfort

I recall being tremendously inspired by Leland Ryken’s wonderful book Worldly Saints: The Puritans As They Really Were. There, in the chapter on marriage, you can find many excerpts from Puritan love letters and teachings on marriage. One of the major themes coming out of this chapter is the powerful sanctification these men and women found in each other’s company. Their love for each other manifested in building each other up spiritually.

I saw something similar in many of the romances I appreciated most, from Jane Austen’s novels to Charles Williams’s, and I knew I needed to include the same thing in my own novel. Not only are both my protagonists on the same mission, they eventually realise that they are stronger together than they are apart. Sometimes, it’s Perceval helping Blanche to understand the rules of honour and duty in an alien world. Sometimes, it’s Blanche encouraging Perceval through disappointment and grief. Either way, each of them supplies something lacking in the other. And for me, these moments of help and comfort are the most romantic parts of the book.

Principles and Applications

I have to admit, I’m a fairly standard good homeschool girl. I hope that if the Lord brings someone into my life, we’ll court rather than date. It’s not a topic I’d stay up at night arguing about, but I think it’s reasonable to save your first kiss for on or close to your wedding date. I think it’s helpful to be intentional about marriage, to keep physical boundaries, and to seek the counsel of one’s parents and mentors. These are relatively minor issues for me, but I know why I hold them.

I also know that not everyone in history has held them. And certainly I know that concrete applications of general principles have varied widely across history.

As I wrote the romance in Pendragon’s Heir, I knew my protagonists needed to share my general principles. At the same time, though, I knew that their temporal and social position—nobility in anachronistic Arthurian Britain—would result in quite different applications. In the end, I ended up using two strategies to make sure I could stand boldly on my convictions while allowing my characters to be themselves.

First, I let them make mistakes. I allowed them to learn from experience, rather than coming to their romance with a preconceived set of notions. Fiction, being a dramatic medium, is well suited to dramatise the reasoning behind a certain application—so, in allowing my characters to do things I didn’t personally see as wise, I also had them learn from their experiences.

Second, I attempted to use the actual applications that historically existed in my characters’ general time period. Parental involvement, for example, was far more formal and expected then than now. In fact, if you were a noble, male or female, your marriage was often arranged as a matter of state, and this is more or less the situation in which both my protagonists find themselves. In fact, at one point in the plot, I knew I couldn’t delay resolving the romantic conflict any longer because beyond a certain point, their liege lord would step in and resolve it for them!

Again, these are relatively minor issues for me. But it was important to me that my book be consistent with my principles while retaining artistic integrity. If this is something you struggle with, I’m here to tell you to take heart: you can retain the integrity of both your principles and your art!

Superverting the Saturnine

Finally, there was one particular aspect of my romance that I just had to put in, more for giggles than anything else. Romance from Jane Eyre to Twilight (yes, I did read it—for laughs) has given us an endless parade of subversive, saturnine romantic heroes. You know the kind. They range from the rude (yes, Mr Darcy, this means you) and criminal (MR ROCHESTER) to the vampiric (Sparkles Cullen) and the downright abusive (supply your own candidates). Romance readers seem to get a real kick out of snobs, rakes, bloodsuckers, and worse. Me, I was a bit over it.

My hero, I decided, was going to be a nice, normal, well-adjusted boy with no dark secrets, no interest in pushing physical boundaries, and no rebellious streak. He would neither brood nor succumb to jealous furies. He would not even be strong and silent; he would be voluble and ebullient. He would be everything that St Bernard of Clairveaux first recommended for knights and which, later, Baden-Powell recommended for Boy Scouts: Trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.

He would be huge fun.

But he would not be a doormat, either. Good doesn’t have to be boring, weak, or a pushover. Perceval was going to be all these things—and he was also going to be fierce in battle and uncompromising in his beliefs, no matter what the pressure to conform.

Yikes, I Hope You Like It, Folks

As you can no doubt tell, I really enjoyed writing the romance in Pendragon’s Heir! It was huge fun, not just to explore some of the basics of love and marriage, but also to get some pet peeves out of my sytem. The only thing left is to hope that you enjoy it half as much as I did. You’ll have to let me know!

Author bio:

When Suzannah Rowntree isn’t travelling the world to help out friends in need, she lives in a big house in rural Australia with her awesome parents and siblings, trying to beat her previous number-of-books-read-in-a-year record. She blogs the results at www.vintagenovels.com and is the author of both fiction and non-fiction. Pendragon’s Heir, her debut novel, released March 26.

Blanche Pendragon enjoys her undemanding life as the ward of an eccentric nobleman in 1900 England. It's been years since she wondered what happened to her long lost parents, but then a gift on the night of her eighteenth birthday reveals a heritage more dangerous and awe-inspiring than she ever dreamed of—or wanted. Soon Blanche is flung into a world of wayfaring immortals, daring knights, and deadly combats, with a murderous witch-queen on her trail and the future of a kingdom at stake. As the legendary King Arthur Pendragon and his warriors face enemies without and treachery within, Blanche discovers a secret that could destroy the whole realm of Logres. Even if the kingdom could be saved, is she the one to do it? Or is someone else the Pendragon's Heir?

Cover Reveal: Pendragon's Heir

You know how much I enjoy promoting my writing friends' books when they come out? There's something so satisfying about talking up things written by people I appreciate and respect. So I'm thrilled today to help reveal the cover of Suzannah Rowntree's  epic fantasy, Pendragon's Heir, coming to shelves near you March 26, 2015.

Blanche Pendragon enjoys her undemanding life as the ward of an eccentric nobleman in 1900 England. It's been years since she even wondered what happened to her long lost parents, but then a gift on the night of her eighteenth birthday reveals a heritage more dangerous and awe-inspiring than she ever dreamed of—or wanted. Soon Blanche is flung into a world of wayfaring immortals, daring knights, and deadly combats, with a murderous witch-queen on her trail and the future of a kingdom at stake. As the legendary King Arthur Pendragon and his warriors face enemies without and treachery within, Blanche discovers a secret that could destroy the whole realm of Logres. Even if the kingdom could be saved, is she the one to do it? Or is someone else the Pendragon's Heir?

If you're interested in this (wonderful-sounding) book, pray add it on Goodreads. I know I am going to do it right now, and cannot wait to read this novel from a writing-blogger whom I deeply respect! And if you're interested in a fun behind-the-scenes post about how Suzannah came to choose this cover, head to Vintage Novels and read up on it, plus get a sneak-peek at the illustrations! Ciao.

Cover Reveal: The Sound of Diamonds

I have known Rachelle Rea for several years now, and within that time have known her in the capacity as my fellow devotional-blog-writer, friend, critique-partner, and editor. Today, I am pleased to display the cover of Rachelle's debut novel, The Sound of Diamonds (Book One in the Steadfast Love Series) to be released later on this year by WhiteFire publishing. I had the privilege of reading an early version of the story and found the slightly unusual setting to be a refreshing break from your more common "historical romances." I hope you will join me in congratulating Rachelle on her contract and cover-reveal. I look forward to celebrating The Sound of Diamonds on June 15th of this year. :)

Synopsis: In Reformation-era England, a converted rogue wants to restore his honor—at whatever cost. Running from a tortured past, Dirk Godfrey knows he has only one chance at redemption.

An independent Catholic maiden seeking refuge in the Low Countries finds herself at the center of the Iconoclastic Fury. Jaded by tragedy, Gwyneth’s only hope of getting home is to trust the man she hates, and she soon discovers her poor vision is not the only thing that has been blinding her.

But the home Gwyneth knew is not what she once thought. When a dark secret and a twisted plot for power collide in a castle masquerading as a haven, will the saint and the sinner hold to hope…or be overcome? When Dirk’s plan fails, could all be lost?

Bio: Rachelle Rea plots her novels while driving around the little town she’s lived in all her life in her dream car, a pick-up truck. As a freelance editor, she enjoys mentoring fellow authors in the craft. A homeschool graduate and retired gymnast, she wrote the Sound of Diamonds the summer after her sophomore year of college.

21 Ways to Identify A Fellow Writer

I originally wrote this post for Every Good Word back in February, but as most of you probably didn't see it then, I've reposted it here for your enjoyment. I give you, 21 Ways to Identify A Fellow Writer:

We have been called many things in our day, we writers. As kids we’re called “geek” and “nerd” and “book-worm” and “weird” and as teenagers we’re called “ambitious” and “creative” and if we survive all this, we’re left to adulthood where we’re sometimes written off and labeled “eccentric” or “artsy” and left to our own devices in a coffee-shop while the rest of the world goes to Barnes & Noble to read the fruit of the labors of the people they’ve misunderstood since elementary school.

And for all this, we just smile and tuck into our work with a satisfaction not everybody finds in their chosen field. But sometimes we like to know there are people like us out there so I’ve compiled a list of twenty-one ways to identify a fellow writer:

1.) He will brush the spine of a book with one finger before taking it off the shelf. He’s probably admiring the cover designer’s job and calculating the number of days left till his own proof-copy arrives. Also, he just likes the feel of a book in his hands.

2.) She will freeze up momentarily, then order something with a simple name at Starbucks. Chances are, she’s rehearsed some complicated order for days and then it all flew out the window when she saw the barista with the scar behind the counter and started wondering...

3.) She will correct her posture often. Long days spent at her desk will have taught her the pain of hunching forward.

4.) She will pick up pennies and dimes other people have dropped. This is a person who not only notices details, but is also saving change - probably for a “Buying Books Fund”.

5.) Listen to him tell you about the latest film he saw.  Mentions of the character development or plot arc will outweigh mentions of soundtrack, action sequences, or actors’ performances.

6.) She will always end up signing napkins at a restaurant. Don’t blame her. She’s not practicing autographs - her hand unconsciously wants to write and her name is the first thing that comes to mind.

7.) He will care to notice things most people overlook. Bonus points if he’s first to mention the stars or moon while walking across the driveway.

8.) She will already be watching the same people you noticed. Tried and true thing, here.

9.) He does not use the word “nice” in conversation. Any writer knows that “nice” is forbidden from civilised literature.

10.) Her written communication (email, text, facebook) will be devoid of exclamation points. Another habit learned from culling that particular punctuation mark in edit-rounds.

11.) She will not use text-speak in conversation. That is the chiefest of all sins to someone who values English.

12.) His face betrays him while perusing a book. Someone who really loves the written word can’t help but smile a little when they pick up a novel in a store and flip through the pages.

13.) She is an adult browsing the mid-grade and teen sections in a bookstore. Parents and guardians purchase books from Amazon. Chances are you are looking at an intense research session.

14.) He is proficient at typing but still hen-pecks over on the number-pad. This is a person who is familiar with all the letters of the alphabet and punctuation marks but doesn’t have much use for numbers. (Thank heaven.)

15.) You mention an unusual name and she asks you to repeat it. You know the drill. New characters are battering around in her brain looking for a christening.

16.) Her hair is always half-way tumbling down. She probably stuck a pen through her bun to keep it up and had need for the pen at some point during the day.

17.) He actually likes tea and has heard of P.G. Tips.  A guy who has gone the next level for tea has inevitably patterned his habits off C.S. Lewis. He is likely a writer/reader type.

18.) His handwriting is legible. Most guys don’t bother to take notes or scrawl phone-numbers neatly unless they are in the habit of needing to be able to read longer passages of what they have written.

19.) She is frequently neat and attractive but doesn’t look Pinterest-ready. This is the mark of a girl who finds personal appearance important but often has to skip straightening her hair because she wants to squeeze in another 300 words before breakfast.

20.) You say “Tom Hiddleston” and he mentions Henry V. Real Hiddleston fans love him for his Shakespearean performances and Kenneth Branagh will follow quickly thereafter.

21.) They give you an empty, college-ruled journal and smooth pens for a gift. To a writer, this is always an acceptable gift to give. They are handing you a bit of their soul when they spend money on paper and ink for you.

Interview & Giveaway with "Ransomed" author Elizabeth Ender

Earlier this fall, author Elizabeth Ender agreed to do an interview with me for The Inkpen Authoress. An interview complete with a giveaway of her debut book, Ransomed. 

I have not had the chance to read this book yet, but everything that I have heard about it tells me that Ransomed is a book worth reading. And it has a beautiful cover and you know how important covers are to me.

   Both of them have promised to protect me. My Lord is not here. The Stranger is. One said I would die if I left; the other says I cannot live unless I go...And to go with one means to forsake the other. 
   Do I stay or go?
   This is my choice. 

At long last, I would love to present to you Elizabeth Ender speaking on her story, Ransomed:

1. As a first time self-pubber, what was the hardest part of the process?

 Probably finding the time! Trying to self-publish as a full-time college student applying to medical school was, perhaps, not one of my more brilliant ideas. Getting breaks lined up with my illustrator's time frame and figuring out all the endless details that appeared out of seeming nowhere was definitely a challenge. Formatting was also somewhat of a nightmare, but, oy I learned a lot. :)

2. What was easier than you expected?

The final editing. After messing around with it every couple years on my own, I hired as an editor an author whose writing style I loved (Rachel Starr Thompson) and sent her the story rather expecting it to come back in pieces. How little she actually marked up and suggested changing, and how big a difference those changes made, surprised me. 

 3. How long did it take you to write Ransomed?

I wrote it when I was about thirteen, and I'm pretty sure I wrote it in not more than a few sittings. Since then, however, it has been through many beta-readers, several re-writes and much, much editing. Also, much sitting on a shelf, so the answer to that is somewhere between a few days and a decade.

4.  What was your first thought upon holding a copy of your book in your hands?

I ordered about three proof-copies before I was satisfied with my formatting job (which all said PROOF COPY on the inside), and then ordered a large order for people I knew personally. That order did not come until right before I left for medical school, so my reaction when picking up an actual a finished version of my book was honestly, 'It's finally here!' LOL. I think if the process had not been quite so long and if I had not been involved with every step of the way, there would have been a bit more awe. :)

5. Who did the fabulous cover-art and how did you decide you wanted to use that artist?

Louie Roybal III , who also illustrated the inside! I contacted several illustrators but kept running into dead-ends, and was somewhat on the desperate side when Jessica Greyson suggested him. I contacted him, and he was generously willing to give me a price cut since I am donating all net profits to ministry.
(Rachel: What a cool idea...I love that, especially since Ransomed is an allegory!)
 

6. In a world of consistently-growing technology, what are your feelings on e-books vs. their paper counterparts?

Personally, I spend enough time on the computer that picking up a book in paper form is a treat. As of now, I don't intend to publish an e-version of Ransomed, both because of time-constraints (formatting a different version is not high on my list of things I want to do :) and because, as an illustrated short story, I really do not see Ransomed as made to be read on a computer. But perhaps that belief is colored by my own memories of my mom reading to me as a child, and the hours and hours I spent curled up with a book. :) (If anyone has a different opinion I would be interested to hear it.)

7. What style book is Ransomed, and can we expect any future books to mirror its flavor?

It is a first-person short-story allegory set in the Middle Ages. :) Neither short-stories nor allegories are among my typical writing categories, though I do have a few first-person novels, and several involving castles and kings, etc. What I believe does tend to bleed into my writing, and I think all my novels can be classified as explicitly Christian, though perhaps not as extremely as this one. :) They will all probably be rather more different from this than alike, though.

8. Do you like pickles?

The answer to that question for most of my life would have been a rather emphatic 'no', but in the past month I have eaten both kimchi and swordfish and actually liked them both...Now I will say that, given that I sometimes like pickles with other foods, at some point I may begin to like them plain. :)

9. Do you drink tea or coffee? (This is a mandatory question for new interviewees on The Inkpen Authoress)

Good question. :) Tea, yes. Coffee, no. (Or not yet; we'll see what medical school does to me. XD)

10. Do you have difficulty hearing your words read aloud?

I tend to have a difficulty reading my words aloud...it just feels incredibly awkward and makes me royally self-conscious. I guess I have not often heard other people reading them...but I think for my longer stories it's a good idea -- hearing what people stumble over or how it sounds in someone else's voice is really good for catching trouble-spots. :)

Many thanks to Elizabeth Ender for letting me run her through the wringer with my questions. If you would like to try your hand at winning a copy of Ransomed, follow the instructions below! A winner will be chosen and notified on Thursday, October 24, 2013.

Mandatory Entry: 

Follow The Inkpen Authoress and leave your email address and name in a comment below. (2 entries)

Follow-Up Entries:

 Follow Elizabeth Ender's blog (2 entries)

Follow me (@Rachelswhimsy) on Twitter (1 entry)

Share this interview on Facebook (1 entry)

Buy a copy of Ransomed (and come back to tell me about it.) (5 entries)

Have fun, and let's all thank Elizabeth for taking the time out of her hectic med-school life to chat!

 

 

Elizabeth Ender. Current med student with a big imagination and unfortunate time-management issues. Lover of horses, cats, and sometimes puppy-dogs. Also a private pilot, because there is absolutely nothing like flying. Daughter & sister (family is forever). Music is necessary to my continued existence. Addicted to reading like I am to breathing. Story-teller, because it's in my blood. A child of the Most High King, because He loved me, created me, and made me His own through the precious blood of my Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Today's Cache: Things you must See

There are so many times that I come across a really awesome article, video, or thingamabobber and forget to tell other people about  it; I would, but I do forget. Because of this tendency of mine, I figured that today (while I've remembered) I would compile a post of must-sees, must-reads, and must-listens. Got it? These aren't just a random grouping of things (ahemahemahemmaybeso) but they are carefully selected for your viewing pleasure. May I present Today's Cache? You will not regret the time taken to look-watch-hear-etc., I swear on bended need.

Writing Dialog: The Music of Speech 

If you've ever been a little puzzled by things like dialog tags vs. action beats (which I realize Go Teen Writers has covered as well) you will want to read this article. I was impressed with how succinct the Donna Ippolito was in her presentation of the topic and how much information (and humor) she pulled into the article. A great and concise explanation of the uses, differences, and key points of good and bad dialog.

Rachel Coker: Girls Who Write

If you follow me on Facebook (fun and hijinks and all that jazz), you will have seen this article by teen author Rachel Coker that had me looking at her with a raised eyebrow to wonder who authorized this girl to pop over into my brain and scoop out my personality to sell wholesale. Witness her crime:

Everything reminds us of a book–a story–a character. We zone out in line at the grocery store. We forget to take notes during lectures. We doodle on the edges of programs, bookmarks, and shopping lists. If you try to have a conversation with us, we might blink suddenly at the mention of a funny name or a pretty picture or interesting quote. We’re imagining how we can use it. How we can take these everyday details and moments and shape them into our own stories to share with the world.

See? Terrible stuff. You can't imagine how plagiarized I feel right now.

Tom Hiddleston Henry V 

Contrary to popular sentiment, I did not begin to love Tom Hiddleston as an actor when I saw his portrayal of Loki. (or Return to Cranford) Really, girls? A greasy-haired pale dude with beetle-horns? I fell in love with his talent when I saw this video-clip of the rousing call to battle from Shakespeare's Henry V (Followed by his brief but wonderful role in War Horse). If you aren't feeling like shouting "FOR HARRY! FOR ENGLAND! AND FOR ST. GEORGE!" by the end of the clip, you have less heart than Loki...and that is saying something. Why is Tom Hiddleston mentioned on The Inkpen Authoress? Let's pretend Shakespeare's gripping words were the object here, m'kay? And to prove that they really really were the object, you have to watch....

Kenneth Branagh's St. Crispin's Day Speech

When I watched this last night I was pretty much crying by the end. If we only had more leaders like Henry V as portrayed in Shakespeare's play! You think Tom Hiddleston's "Once more unto the breech, dear friends, once more" was touching? Hah. Watch this and go wish you had a sword or something with which to erratically dash off and whack France. If you have seen this film you will understand what I mean when I say that any man who watches an old friend hang and then walks about all night comforting his troops and then gives a speech like this and then carries his own dead across a battlefield and then commands his troops not to boast about it darn well deserves the best and most hilarious proposal-scene I've seen to date. 

Paper Crowns

This sneak-peek at Mirriam Neal's latest brainchild just served to excite me. I love cats...and talking ones at that....and people who are locked away in woodland homes and not allowed to fraternize with anyone? It sounds like the beginning of a deliciously dangerous fairy-tale and I honestly can't wait to see what comes of it! You ought to check out the link, which directs you to the first excerpt of the story. You will laugh; I dare you not to.

Wordplay: Most Common Mistakes: Animate Body Parts

This post resounded with me not so much because I have trouble with the particular issue brought to light, but because I have seen other people have trouble with it so many times and it never fails to annoy me. Eyes can't roll on their own, nor can fingers wrap or anything of that nature. (This is almost as vexing as when people use "smiled" as a legitimate dialog-tag right as if it meant to same thing as "said" or "asked". Ugh.) Definitely worth a read because I know--believe me here--that it's a far more prevalent mistake than anyone else would like to acknowledge.

Well, those are my favorite finds and links for the week, and I  do hope you'll take the time to read and watch them. Go on. Scroll back up and start at Thing One and make sure you get your daily dose of Shakespeare. Come on. Give up a little of your *groansigh* precious *sighgroan* little Doctor Who time and internet-usage and get a little bit of manly battle-speak. You won't regret it. Toodle-lah! 

Platitudes--I mean, Gratitude. Yes. Gratitude.

I am thankful. Thankful for every single one of my followers and dear writing friends. Without you, I would have no public. And without my public my writing would not have grown as much as it has the past several years. I treasure every comment I receive, I treasure your patience, and your advice. Thank you for being there to assure me my writing isn't trash. Thank you for offering suggestions and Other Helpful Things. Thank you for discussing every topic under the ink-sun from Charles Dickens to Mr. Darcy without wrinkling your nose at me. In short, thank you for being awesome.
Among the wonderful host of you--men and women alike--I would like to take this opportunity to thank several who have been special inspirations to me. Ready?

Mirriam. By letting me read Monster you showed me how powerful a medium fiction can be in shedding truth and Light into complex, difficult subjects. Your stand on Life is something this world needs to here. Have at 'em, luv. Leave 'em breathless.

Jenny. Of course I could not have such a list without mention you. If we were all a part of the Inklings club, I feel that you'd be the Tolkien to my Lewis. The one urging me to do better, congratulating me when I do well enough, and keeping the muscles of my mind straining onward and upward in pursuit of richer, deeper things.

Abigail. You are the Elinor to my occasional Marianne. Every time I visit your blog I am inspired to do better, write harder, and think before I speak. Thank you. I need your baking soda to my vinegar.

Rachelle. Ours is a recent acquaintance, but already I feel I've known you all my life. I know next to nothing about the ins and outs of your daily life--I don't even know if you have a single sibling! But what I do know is that we are soul-friends. Thank you for your gentle, poignant criticism. You are an inspiration.

The Anne-girl. Oh Bertie...dear dear me. You have given me a nephew in The Sage, and I cannot wait to attend his christening--er, publication--thankee. If I was half as dedicated a writer at your age as you are, I think I'd already be a Jane Austen. As I was not and therefore amn't, (aren't? Isn't? Oh hush and take a pickle for your trouble) I wish you every happiness and blessing in your writing efforts.

Again I thank you all, but most of all I thank my Lord Jesus Christ who, by the beauty of His story, inspires me ever and anon to try to play with these mirror-shards and make a reflection that might show a bit of His goodness and glory to a blind world. Thank You, Lord for Your patience with me, and for allowing me the privilege of playing with words and ideas in my fumbling attempts to please You. Thank You for my part in Your story. Thank You for training my hands to make war and my feet to trod the path You've laid for them. I love You, Jesus. You are the only Author I could imagine surrendering the writing of my life to.

A happy and blessed Thanksgiving Day to all you!

An interview with natural insanity

It is with great pleasure {and a newly humbled mind} that I present to you an interview with Anna Fisher of Insanity Comes Naturally. Anna does not post as often as some bloggers, but when she does you quietly lay your pen aside and die from the sheer beauty of it. She isn't a pen-slayer. She slays the pen-wielder. It's a monstrous gift, and Anna wields it well. So when she responded to my request for an interview in the affirmative, I was rather excited and bouncified. I mean, even in this interview Anna tore down and rebuilt the whole way I look at literature and the privilege of being an author. So enjoy, and check out Anna's blog by following the link above.

So Anna, at your blog you post delightful little pieces now and then of your writing--what book(s) are these pieces from?

I have three stories currently rattling around in my brain: The Brew, which occupies the most of the limited space Up There, consisting of a murderesque mystery with an odd slant; Swashbuckler, which is a fairytale set on its noggin; and Cadwalader, the legend of a hat thief pitted against (or perhaps doomed to share the friendship of) a man who only ever loved one hat. As you can see, I like to set things on their heads. (I also like puns.) Most of what I post is from The Brew, since I'm mostly dabbling with that. 

Nearly every time you share your writing, I find myself wishing I could pack so much soul into so few words. You say you do not write often--do you think this is a case of quality vs. quantity?

Necessity and choice. I just finished nursing school, and now I work 40+ hours a week. I rent a house with my two sisters. That's the necessity: I don't have time to crank out pages-per-day. I'm more of a paragraphs-per-day kind of girl. And that doesn't really bother me; I like my paying job, and keeping house, and I actively choose to do these things. I believe that the act of setting words to paper constitutes but a fraction of my (genuinely perceived) calling as a writer. But that's a rabbit trail for another day... 

Which "antique" authors do you admire the most?

Jane Austen. G.K. Chesterton. Flannery O'Connor. Sayers. A.A. Milne. A bunch of dead Greek poets. 

Who do you take your inspiration from?

The spring of my senior year in high school, I took a college class on Jane Austen, taught by my the-following-semester-to-be Greek professor. I'd read Austen before and dabbled in writing a bit, but in a very proud, sheltered sort of way - because I wanted to be a good reader/writer. The HONR-1000 seminar on Jane Austen changed all that. I can still feel my back cramping up in the awkward desk, smell the old chalk and carpet in the second story classroom of Gundersen, and picture that eccentric Herr Dr. Prof. explaining some detail of the "glorious" Emma with tears in his eyes. Then I saw words not as an art to be perfected and worn like an accessory, but as the capacity for masculine rationality mingled with soul and sensibility, and the vision stole my heart. Some time later I read The Man Who Was Thursday, and that's when Chesterton invaded my soul-space and I've not been able to shake him nor his paradoxes since ('now, I warn you, this Gladstone bag is heavy...'). Of course, I find fellow-writers and other people inspiring, but I think the job mostly belongs to those three men who found reason beautiful enough to break their hearts: the job first and always belonging to my father, then shared with an Episcopalian lecturer in classics and a long-dead British Catholic. 

If you want to be style-specific, my writing reads like an undercooked jumble of A.A. Milne, Dorothy Sayers, and G.K. Chesterton, and I don't care who knows it. 

If you could choose one perfect day, what would it look like?

Jesus, no sin, and tea. Which brings us to... 

Coffee or tea?

Tea is like a well-worn friendship: it takes time to brew and enjoy, and the best kind is made around homey things. Coffee is like a romantic fling: you can buy it cheaply or expensively, and get it just about anywhere, but in the end it makes your stomach jumpy and leaves you with a caffeine headache. I think they're both delicious, but I'll take tea over coffee, any day. 

Sun or storm?

Sun after the storm, when there is still plenty of grey mixed with thunder and the smell of rain in the air and cool damp all around, and then the gold starts pushing through the grey and steals your soul like a window into truth. 

What is your favorite sort of music to listen to while living life?

Most days, I revert to my old standbys: Mumford&Sons, Andrew Peterson, Tenth Avenue North, Hawk in Paris (band), Rich Mullins, Fernando Ortega... Carbon Leaf and The Decemberists are music for all seasons, as well... anything that has a range of slow to upbeat pieces and actually uses good instrumentalization. Matthew Perryman Jones' latest, Land of the Living, is excellent. (...and the just-released The Struggle by Tenth Ave and Light for the Lost Boy by Andrew are fantastic, too - I would say more about them, but I'd never stop.) 

What does your laugh sound like?

I'm usually self-conscious of how I sound, but I'm fairly shameless when amused. Whether 'tis cackling, hooting, hollering, chuckling, gasping, chortling, carousing, rioting... all might describe me, though I try to draw the line at snorting. 

Do you tend to write humor or drama best?

I like drama, but even my most dramatic moments are ironical or at least a little lopsided. Even when I'm spitting mad, I'm very likely to break out laughing at myself. My appreciation for the ridiculous is quite sharply tuned. 

Whimsy or Heartbreak?

I like whimsy because it has potential for both heartbreak and happiness. It is, as Andrew Peterson puts so frightfully well, the joy that we feel that leaves a terrible ache in our bones. Whimsy written truly and well ought to break our hearts. So I'm going to plead false dichotomy and not really answer this one. Fair 'nough?

What do you look for first as the mark of a good writer?

We could get into a lot of boring discussion on what makes a good this or that, but I have one initial step, a sort of litmus test, that I often find myself taking. That is, to turn to the back cover and read the brief biography of the author.  If they're British and deceased, that's generally a good sign. 

(If they're American and living, proceed with caution; Russian and oppressed, bail now or forever hold your peace, because forever's roughly how long it will take you to get a word in edgewise. See, you can judge a book by its cover.) 

Which of your created characters is your favorite?

I have a profound soft spot for Darjeeling Falcon, the hero of The Brew, who is as pretentious and idiotic and tack-sharp as his name. 

Is there anything else you wish to say while you have a captive audience?

I'm going to pull out my mildly-worn soapbox here, because I just can't resist. There are a million and one ways to live life and miss people, and as a writer you can't afford any of them. If you want to understand the humanities (let alone leave your mark on them), you can't ignore humanity. Sitting down and putting words on a page using proper grammar and stylistic excellence is easy - thoroughly indispensable, but also thoroughly capable of being taught with a textbook and mastered with a little practice. People don't fit in textbooks; they barely fit into stories, and that only by sitting on the lid to get the latches closed. Humanity is horrid and difficult and bulky and awkward and no amount of experience prevents you from landing on your face at least one more time. But you have to know it if you mean to write anything worth reading. 

Flannery O'Connor once said something to the effect that humans are made of dust, and those who don't want to get their hands dusty shouldn't write. So what if you have the best plot full of meaningful symbolisms and cunning metaphors? Excellent, symbolic writing is not the chief end of any person's life, writer or no. The great writers all got their hands dusty; think of Tolkien and Lewis, with wars and tragedies and childhood stories of ordinary, rotten things like boarding school and Latin grammar. 

Ponder Isaiah 58, live your life (that is: seek first...), and all these things shall be added unto you. As one deceased Russian queries, "How could you live, and have no story to tell?" 

I have no last name half so cool as Dostoevsky, but I shall clamber down from this podium and continue plodding after the eternal God who spoke and it was. It's a long haul on aching limbs, but that's just the joy taking root.

A question of coat and waistcoat

"Dignity, and even holiness too, sometimes, are more questions of coat and waistcoat than some people imagine." -Charles Dickens

Okay...so it's a random picture...but isn't this a gorgeous bird?!

 Description is so important. Description done well. There is description in excess. There is tacky description. There is description that is too heavy and golden and dripping so that it feels rather like a handful of honey getting everything sticky and running out through your fingers while you try to taste it. But then, there is description that is spot-on and leaves you knowing just what the author intended you to know.

I used to be a bare-bones writer in the Description Department, meaning that I counted on dialog and character strength and that sort of thing to beautify my plot. But through my last few projects I've grown to love describing things. As with any writer, my world and my characters are so very alive in my mind that there is a danger of forgetting the world at large doesn't understand. We are given the privilege of showing our readers the just-so parts of literature. Not only the plot, not only the characters, but what they look like. What the scenes look like. All that.
Jenny is a stellar example of How To Do Things. Somehow (and it seems without much groping about) she chooses just the right words so that you are transported not to her world but in it, as I'm sure you know if you've read anything she writes.

But how do you know it's good? How can you tell splendid description when you know it? I'll tell you.

Good description doesn't tire you to read. Good description is so enveloping and intricate that you hardly notice you are reading. The words have become a portal There and you quite forget Here in that moment. I know you have all emerged from reading a book only to be quite surprised it is summer outside--you'd been trapped in a snow-storm. Or else you raise your eyes from your book with a sudden realization of its being dusk and you've not stopped even to turn on a light.

That's good description. Description done right will transfix you and carry you into the book. It doesn't serve as a piece apart from the story. There should be no: "I'm describing it to you and then we'll have a conversation and then a bit of action and then the next scene I'll describe more to you!" No. Description ought to be so mixed up with the plot that you have those gorgeous chunks, but you also have unexpected bits of brilliancy lying about the meat of the chapter.
Paraprosdokian is a good word to describe what I mean, in a way. It means: "Figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation." 

Though of course it doesn't have to be humorous. It's the knack of tucking gems in amongst the hum-drum so that you are never looking for them when they appear. :)
 An example of a paraprosdokian is this: "To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research."
 I feel like I'm not making much sense, but I trust you to get the idea. I don't mean your description must be a paraprosdokian, only that it adds much it has that sort of unexpected appeal. :) But now I've diddled my mind with using such fifty-dollar words and I will leave you now!

It is a hard thing to write well.

It is with very great pleasure that I introduce a magnificent young authoress, Abigail Hartman, who has published her novel (The Soldier's Cross) with Ambassador Emerald International. I have found her to be a wealth of knowledge and a tried and true scribbler. She graciously agreed to be interviewed on the whole subject of Writing Romance, and I hope you will be as aided and delighted by her answers as I was. :)

1. In a recent post on Scribbles and Ink Stains, you told us your views on romance in fiction--can you encapsulate your thoughts on the subject here?

It is my opinion that romance can be a very difficult thing to write well, but that much of the trouble comes from authors trying to follow the usual trodden path—the meeting, the sparks, the obstacles, the resolution.  This is the tried-and-true method; it’s how we’re told to write romance.  But it isn’t the only way to do so.  As writers, we have to consider two major things: how the romance forms a part of the plot as a whole, and what sort of characters the hero and heroine are. The first determines how much emphasis you will end up placing on the relationship, while the second dictates what that relationship is going to look like.

2. Do you go by the rule that all fiction should have some level of romance? If so, elaborate.

I don’t believe that all fiction must have romance.  As you pointed out in a comment on the abovementioned Scribbles and Ink Stains post, stories must have relationships, but they don’t always have to be romantic in nature.  Novels for younger readers frequently have little, but not always zero (The Gammage Cup, for instance, has a little bit woven into the plot).  I think that any romance must be organic to the story, not shoved in where it doesn’t belong or ripped out when it ought to be there.

3. What is romance done well?

I cannot find this quote in the book, but in the 1996 “Pride and Prejudice,” Jane Bennet says, “A marriage where either partner cannot love or respect the other…that cannot be agreeable to either party.”  Good romance doesn’t depend on passion and pizzazz; it depends on the love and respect that exist between the characters.  Everything else is but the icing on the cake—it makes for better eating, but it shouldn’t be treated as the substance.

4. What is romance done poorly?

I find the worst sort of romance to be the crass kind, but I’m assuming that is a given.  I think of poorly done romance as the kind where no foundation is laid for the attachment, nothing given to show that the “love” portrayed is deep and abiding.  In essence, where you are presented with the trimmings but not the actual turkey.

5. In your opinion, who is qualified to write romance?

Anyone who is going to write romance must have at least some understanding, beyond just the basics, of what Love is.  So much of modern writing (and even some older literature) presents love as nothing but insipid emotions, something that weakens the character rather than strengthening him.  God is Love, and God is by no means weak.  Really, Shakespeare wasn’t far wrong in one line of his famous sonnet: “O no! it is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken…”  Love is powerful and self-sacrificing, a force to be reckoned with.  Writers must begin to see that, I think, before they can write about it.

6. The three most important elements to well-written romance? 

I am not sure I could give a definitive answer as to the most important elements, but I’ll combine the hero and the heroine and say “characters,” and on the heels of that, “chemistry.”  The characters must come together in an interesting manner, no matter how small a part the romance plays in the story.  And then, last of all, I’d also say that you have to have a story-line to support the romance. 

7. I've heard it said that it is literary suicide to stick romance in an adventure novel. Do you agree? Why or why not?

I have never heard that, but I heartily disagree!  This person has obviously never read The Last of the Mohicans.  I never read a more adventurous adventure novel, but it had romance in it as well.  I think well-written romance can always be used to the author’s advantage, no matter what genre. 

8. A love-interest in a story can either advance the plot, or prove a foil for the protagonist--how have you portrayed this sort of character in your novels?

My first thought was that this question was going to be difficult, but then it occurred to me that these two appear distinctly in two of my novels, respectively: Wordcrafter and The White Sail’s Shaking.  In Wordcrafter, Justin’s love interest is Jamie Fairbairn.  She is his opposite in everything: easy where he is uncomfortable, outgoing where he is shy, changeful where he is steadfast and loyal.  Her character serves as the backdrop for Justin’s weaknesses and strengths; thus, she is his foil.

In The White Sail’s Shaking, the situation between Tip Brighton and Marta Rais is different.  Their romance serves to advance the plot, giving Tip one more thing to fight for and Marta one more thing to be afraid of losing.   

9. Popular romance-novels: a worthwhile endeavor, or a waste of ink and creativity?

There’s creativity involved? 

I jest—mostly.  In general I must say I find them a waste of ink, paper, and time, both for the writer and the reader.  Romance is one of those things best incorporated into a story, rather than made a story in its own right.  There are exceptions, although even with classic examples, they generally have a secondary purpose; in general, however, I think this is a good rule to live by. 

10. Do you think a novel without romance is possible? If so, what elements are heightened in place of it?

I think it quite possible, and many of Rosemary Sutcliff’s novels are good examples of it.  Earlier I mentioned that all novels have relationships; if you don’t have the romantic sort, which tends to be dominant, others can shine more brightly: friendships, for example, or familial love.  In the modern onslaught of romance novels, these tend to be neglected and their importance forgotten. 

11. In your opinion, are Jane Austen's books classified as romance or social commentaries?

 

Mostly romance, I should say.  Although she does obviously enjoy poking fun at society, she doesn’t delve into its evils the way a Dickens or a Gaskell did.

12. Which would you rather find in a novel? A love-interest, or no romance at all?

I like a bit of romance in most of the stories I read, but I can enjoy books of either stripe.  I think it’s really all in the execution.  (But not of the characters, please!)