G: Terry Goodkind

My theme for the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year is a mishmash of books, movies, writers and TV shows that have in one way or another taught me something about writing and helped me be a better writer. Some inspired my own stories and a few taught me what not to do. Each post is a one minute lesson on writing. Also stop by the IWSG blog for some April encouragement.

Terry Goodkind wrote and is still writing one of my favorite fantasy series. Picking up this book actually ignited my love of epic fantasy after I'd drifted away from the genre to read more romance and suspense novels. The first book in the series, Wizard's First Rule, introduced the two main protagonists. And woven into it was a dark history in the world Goodkind created as well as family secrets and hints at a history of war from centuries ago. It was epic. I couldn't wait to read the next one and then the next one and the next...  You get the picture. The series went on and on. One or two of the books after the first one were excellent but many of the others felt reworked. The male

protagonist discovers he's the most powerful wizard in thousands of years, yet too many times he couldn't use his magic for one reason or another. It got old. Most writers weave by accident or on purpose, some of their own moral and political beliefs into their books. A few books in this series shouted the moral beliefs behind the story at me. Even though I agreed with the viewpoint, I didn't want it so obvious in my fiction reading.

Lesson: If you write a series, don't drag it on and let your plots become redundant. I haven't written any series longer than four books. That's about the length I prefer for series I read also. Television series or movie sequels can outlive their uniqueness also. Don't use your novels to obviously preach. It can turn off your audience and make the book seem like a scripture parable.

Now that we're a week in to this month, here's a tidbit about April:
April come from the Latin, aperio, which means 'to open or bud' because plants begin to grow this month.

"You can use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have." Maya Angelou

Have you read series that went on too long? Can you think of a TV show that went on too long or a movie series that shouldn't have made so many sequels? Have you read a book where the writer pushes a moral or ethical lesson down your throat?

F: Firefly

My theme for the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year is a mishmash of books, movies, writers and TV shows that have in one way or another taught me something about writing and helped me be a better writer. Some inspired my own stories and a few taught me what not to do. Each post is a one minute lesson on writing. Over on the IWSG blog, you find some more great inspiration for all of April.

Firefly, the show known around the world as one of the best, if not the best, science fiction TV series EVER. There were so many things that made the show successful. The writing. The characters. The uniqueness of the setting, but it had other quirks that made it different. Though it took place in space, it never overburdened viewers with tech stuff. Mal Reynolds often amused us with his pretended or sometimes not false, ignorance of technology. The characters weren't always the white-hatted good guys and walked on the work side of the law. But did the viewers ever doubt they were the heroes? The settings ranged from old west style societies to wildly advance space stations and government facilities. Settlements of outcasts or those who had little to do with the central government added color and provided unique plots. Joss Whedon made something special.

Lesson: Space adventures like I write don't have to be full of scientific jargon. Political dissidents make for interesting protagonists and antagonists. If we ever colonize among the stars, people have no trouble believing that the colonies will greatly vary in their levels of technological advancements. And lastly, you might write the best space adventure ever and still get ignored by the big decision makers.

FOX network made one of most infamous mistakes in programming when they canceled this show.

"A common mistake that people make when trying to design something completely foolproof is to underestimate the ingenuity of complete fools."
Douglas Adams

And a special announcement since we're talking about space adventure.  Dragon of the Stars by Alex J. Cavanaugh is available starting today. I was fortunate to receive an advance copy of this book and let me assure you that it belongs on your 'keeper' shelf. It has everything a space opera needs. Interstellar conflict, mysterious beings, ambitious men all thrown together in a an adventure story you won't be able to put down. The hero, Aden must find the ship of legends to secure his goals and along the way figure out what is really important. Buy Dragon on Amazon today.

What is your favorite episode of Firefly? What would you expect futuristic colonies to be like if we ever settle on distant planets? The wild west or techno-wonders? What show besides Firefly would you like to see return to TV?

E: Madeline L' Engle

My theme for the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year is a mishmash of books, movies, writers and TV shows that have in one way or another taught me something about writing and helped me be a better writer. Some inspired my own stories and a few taught me what not to do. Each post is a one minute lesson on writing. I'm also participating in the challenge with the other co-hosts over at the IWSG blog where I have some everyday inspiration to talk about.

I was in the fifth grade when I found a battered copy of A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle on the shelves where my teacher set out her own books for us to borrow. This book was the first speculative fiction book that I read. Nobody called characters geeks during those days but that's exactly what Meg and Charles were. And I loved them. I loved their adventure to other worlds with their mixture of futuristic science and things that could only be magic. YA wasn't even a genre at the time but A Winkle in Time was the book that launched a lot of preteens and teens into a livelong love of the science fiction and fantasy. The main characters weren't superheroes. They were regular kids with real lives, yet they rose to the challenge and won. Madeline L'Engle was ahead of her time in this award winning book. I was grown up before I realized she'd written more than one book. Of course, I bought the entire series for my daughter.

Lesson: It's okay to blur that magic/science fiction line if you write a great story. Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and from all kinds of families. One book at the right time, can turn a child into a lover of the written word.

On a side note, when I was in elementary school, my poor little tiny country school didn't have its own library until I was in 6th grade. That wonderful 5th grade teacher gave me a real gift with the books she allowed me to borrow. Years later when I was around 12, I started playing on a women's softball team and this teacher was one of our players. We ended up being very close friends for many years. And wow, could she hit a ball for a country mile. I only hope a few of my students loved me as much as I loved and admired her. Here's to you, Carol Livingstone.

"Many people will walk in and out of your life, but only true friends leave footprints in your heart." Eleanor Roosevelt

Have you read any books that mix science fiction and fantasy? Do you remember the first book that introduced you to your favorite genre? Ever make a friend of one of your teachers? Does your school have a good library?

D: Flip Dictionary

My theme for the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year is a mishmash of books, movies, writers and TV shows that have in one way or another taught me something about writing and helped me be a better writer. Some inspired my own stories and a few taught me what not to do. Each post is a one minute lesson on writing. Don't forget to visit the IWSG where the co-host are sharing inspiration for all of April. And today, I'm sharing some ideas to help you get through the A to Z without injury.

No author wants their writing to sound like the thesaurus sat open on their desk the entire time. Yet the more you write, the more likely you are to recognize when you're over-using certain words. How many times can you call a character 'timid.' Thanks to my Flip Dictionary by Barbara Ann Kipfer, Ph.D, I could call describe that character as bashful, hesitant, meek, mousy or one of a dozen other choices that come from my Flip Dictionary. Sometimes I use it when I can't quite think of the word I want. I look up a synonym of the word I want and viola, the Flip Dictionary reveals the word that was hiding on the tip of my tongue. I've used my copy of this reference book so many times that the pages are falling out. My children borrowed it when writing papers for school. I do have a thesaurus. It's look brand new as if never opened.

Lesson: Don't sound like a thesaurus in your writing as if you're trying to impress someone with your vocabulary. But also take care not overuse words. Common words are better than an esoteric, recherche or abstruse word. (See what I did there?)

Our family will celebrate Easter tomorrow just by getting together and sharing a meal. There will be an empty spot because my daughter won't make it home from college. Hopefully the weather will permit some outdoor time. I'll probably spend some time during the day visiting a few more blogs even though it's a day off for A to Z. Don't feel obliged. A day off can recharge you but you can also use it to catch up if you want.

"Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right or better." John Updike

Do you ever use a thesaurus? Have you heard of the Flip Dictionary? Are you taking tomorrow off from blogging? Did the first week of A to Z go as you thought it would?

C: Charles Todd

My theme for the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year is a mishmash of books, movies, writers and TV shows that have in one way or another taught me something about writing and helped me be a better writer. Some inspired my own stories and a few taught me what not to do. Each post is a one minute lesson on writing. The IWSG is also taking part in the challenge. You can find some writing inspiration during the entire month.

Charles Todd is actually a mother/son writing team. They write two different mysteries series set in England during the years after WW I. The things that draw me to the series is the intricacies of the plots but also the many ways class distinctions impacted police work. The horrors of WWI play into nearly every novel, but the terrible way battles were waged, the incredible loss of life and the guilt many of the survivors experienced. The support veterans received from the government and the public was pathetic and attitudes unforgiving for anything perceived as self-pity or weakness of spirit. The mysteries Inspector Ian Rutledge face are solved by intelligence and persistence rather than clever forensics. When I first started writing, one of the hard and fast rules was that certain time periods just wouldn't sell. Anything WWI or WWII would be rejected by every agent and publisher. Don't even mention Vietnam or Korea.

Lesson: Don't let anyone tell you what will or won't sell. If a certain time period or location is what you're interested in writing, then write it. Compelling stories, intricate plots and a captivating writing style is what makes your books successful. This applies to other things besides time periods, such as certain genres. Are vampires devoid of all popularity? Not if you have a unique, compelling take on the genre.

Some wisdom from the Old Farmer's Almanac.
It is considered lucky to born on Good Friday

"Being defeated is often a temporary condition. Giving up is what makes it permanent."
Marilyn Von Savant

Have you ever had anyone tell you that the genre you're writing is a mistake? Have you read any good books set during one of the World Wars? Is there a certain time period a novel could be set in that you would never read?

B: Brent Weeks

My theme for the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year is a mishmash of books, movies, writers and TV shows that have in one way or another taught me something about writing and helped me be a better writer. Some inspired my own stories and a few taught me what not to do. Each post is a one minute lesson on writing. Also visit the IWSG where all the co-hosts are participating in the challenge. It will be inspiring.

Brent Weeks is one of my favorite authors. I enjoyed his Night Angel Series but I love his latest series, The Lightbringer Books. I read a lot of fantasy which means there are lots of magical systems being explained and created. But in the Lightbringer books, starting with The Black Prism, Brent introduces a form of magic unique to any other book I've read. It takes a bit or reading before the reader understands what the magic can do and what a Prism is. Then he takes that unique magic and twines it into social standings, wealth, reasons for war and even the personalities of the people using it. The magic is based on colors and just to give you a hint, if you're a Green, you're pretty wild and emotional. Weeks taught me not to fear inventing something beyond any preconceived ideas of what magic can be. If you're looking for a unique, fantasy world and an entirely new way to use magic, you can learn a lot as a writer from reading Brent Weeks.

Another thing Brent Weeks does really well is create heroes who do bad things for the greater good. Really, really bad things. Sometimes the reader is quite unsure of which character is the hero. He weaves secrets and springs betrayals that hurt as if it was personal. He's not George RR Martin, but Weeks has no trouble putting his characters in great jeopardy, burdening them with horrific losses and even sacrificing them. How can a fantasy writer not learn from such an author?

Lesson: Don't be afraid to create unique magic and strange worlds. Make the magic an integral part of the society. Put the main characters in major difficulties and make sure they suffer.

Are you familiar with Brent Weeks? Can you think of the oddest magic you're read about and wish you'd created? Can a writer make their characters suffer too much?

A: Art of War & IWSG

My theme for the A to Z Blogging Challenge this year is a mishmash of books, movies, writers and TV shows that have in one way or another taught me something about writing and helped me be a better writer. Some inspired my own stories and a few taught me what not to do. Each post is a one minute lesson on writing. I'm also co-host on the IWSG where we're participating in A to Z also. It will be an inspiring stop.

"He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight." Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu wrote The Art of War sometime around 512 BC. Since then, the work has been translated and studied. You find quotes from The Art of War in the beginnings of many military books be they fiction or nonfiction. Science fiction authors love using these quotes as Sun Tzu's strategies are timeless and as applicable to battles in space as they are to land battles. Sun Tzu quotes were even used in Firefly in the episode, War Stories. It is always on the top-selling Amazon military sciences lists. If you write any kind of book with physical conflict of a sort, keep an eye out for a copy of The Art of War. I found my copy for less than five dollars on a clearance table. Even if you don't use it in a novel or short story, you'll find lots of great quotes to share on Twitter and Facebook or other social media.
Lesson: Some reference books remain ever popular. Using well know quotes can provide an interesting bit to your book. Everyone should know Sun Tzu

With the recent closing of two of my publishers, there's been some shared grieving. And that's okay. It is a little comfort. Most writers know this happens and took the disappointment in stride, understanding the publishers didn't close because they wanted to damage our careers. It was purely economics. Yet, a few authors posted angry tirades on forums. Here and there, a blogger wrote disparaging remarks about the people running those presses that had failed, often second guessing business decisions and more. Hopefully, the situation never happens to you. But if it does, resist spewing your anger online where anyone can see it. The last thing you want is to have your name recognized as an angry person who vents publicly. Word gets around in the publishing world. Editors know each other. Keep your frustration private. Other opportunities will arise. Please visit more IWSG posts.

And we can't forget that it is April Fool's Day. So here's a little more advice, courtesy of The Old Farmer's Almanac.
"If you want to make a fool of yourself, you'll find a lot of people ready to help you."

Are you familiar with The Art of War? Have you ever used a quote from the book or read a book that used one? Anyone every rant online and make you cringe?