On Ink and Writing

Brenda Drake's "Can we guess your character's age" Contest Entry

2011-12-08T19:10:00.001Z

Hello everyone! I am participating in Brenda Drake's contest where we are supposed to post our first 250 words and people try to guess the character's age and see if the voice matches the age. Thank you everyone for any and all comments, and without further ado, here's my entry:

The two initiates gawked at me as one would at a gutted animal dying in a corner — with equal parts revulsion and pity. Both girls wore their hair pulled back, exposing the swirling gold tattoos at their temples that flaunted their standing as Nobles of Hel’s Court. The blonde one met my eyes and sneered – delicately, of course, nothing more than a curl of her lip.

I arched an eyebrow, daring her to give breath to the word lurking behind her teeth.

Come on, say it. Say it to my face, you little brat.

Bastard. The word everyone thought but never said. The word I’d been reading in everyone’s eyes since I was five, that shone through despite their graceful manners and false smiles.

The blonde, proving she did have some sense, dropped her gaze and turned to her companion. And yet I could still hear the unspoken words like a whisper scuttling through the dark corners of the Sanctuary’s antechamber.

The Stark bastard.

The wooden door tucked in the corner, invisible if one didn’t know where to look, opened. The attendant who’d been ushering initiates since early morning stalked out. He glanced at the scroll containing the list of all those who’d scheduled their Pledges for today. His icy gaze raked over us from under his thick glasses.

“Liese kerrah Mayre?”

The blonde sprang to her feet, grace forgotten in the wake of excitement. Of course she was a Mayre. I thought I recognized that particular shade of blonde and patronizing disdain.

Please, guess away, and good luck to all contestants!

A - Z Book Challenge

2011-12-07T11:49:00.001Z

And another book challenge for 2012! This one sounds cool, and is hosted by MamaMunky at Babies, Books & Signs. Here are the rules:

• This challenge will run from January 1st, 2012 until December 31st, 2012.
• You can join anytime
• If you are blogger, leave the link to your actual post about this challenge
• If you are not a blogger, leave a link to where you will be keeping track of this challenge.So there are two different ways you can set up your own A-Z challenge.

A - Make a list now of 26 books, picking one for each letter of the alphabet. For example: A - Atonement B- Black Beauty C - The Count of Monte Cristo D - Dances with Dragons etc.

OR

B - The lazy way (how I do it) : Make a list on your blog from A-Z. Throughout the year, as you go along, add the books you are reading to the list. Hope that by the end of the year you have read one book for each letter. Towards the end of the year, you can check and see which letters you are missing and find books to fit.

Each month, I will add another challenge to this main challenge. It might to read a book with both A and Z in the title or to read a book with 3 words that all start with the same letter. I might host a few random giveaways too for good measure. If you've got some idea for the mini-challenges, send them my way!

Since it is really hard to find titles beginning with X, the letter X just needs to be in the title somewhere.

So to join along....
1. Write a blog post about this challenge and whether you are going go with A or B.
2. Add the button to your blog.
3. Attach yourself to the linky.
4. Follow my blog so that you can see when I post the monthly challenge!

Here's my list for the challenge, I'll be adding to it as I progress (yes, I'm doing it the lazy way, does that surprise anyone? ^^)

Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund
Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich
Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton
Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
J
K
Lothaire by Kresley Cole
M
Need by Carrie Jones
O
Private Arrangements by Sherry Thomas
Q
Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
Wither by Lauren Destefano
X
Y
Z

2012 YA Mythology Challenge

2011-12-05T11:18:00.004Z

Hi everyone! Time to sign up for a few book challenges for the brand new year! Hope I don't go overboard like last year and sign up for every challenge under the sun ^^ Anyway, this challenge is to read 10 YA or MG novels that incorporate any type of Mythology in the story line. Sounds like fun!

Here are the rules:

• The challenge will run from January 1, 2012 – December 31, 2012.

• You can join anytime by filling out the form below

• Books must be read in 2012

• If you are a blogger, you must write a sign-up post that links back to this challenge page (Please use the image above in the post).

• If you are not a blogger, just leave a link to your account on Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, LibrayThing, etc.

Not sure what to read? Check out the YA Mythology Challenge Goodreads List

And here's my list for the challenge:

1. The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

2. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

3. Wildefire by Karsten Knight

4. Need by Carrie Jones

5. Fury by Elizabeth Miles

6. Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

7. Destined by Jessie Harrell

8. Dreamless by Josephine Angelini

9. Abondon by Meg Cabot

10. The Goddess Hunt by Aimee Carter

Gay Characters Giveaway Winners

2011-10-03T13:48:00.000Z

I'm sorry I'm so late in posting the winners, I meant to do it this weekend but my internet decided to crash on me! Anyway, without further ado, the winner of a copy of Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey is...

Sophia Chang

Please contact me at riouch(dot)sara(at)gmail(dot)com with your shipping information so I can send you the book! Congratulations!

Teaser Tuesday: Dark Predator by Christine Feehan

2011-09-20T09:00:00.009Z

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. To play along, here are the rules:

- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser for this week is from Dark Predator by Christine Feehan:

Stay with me, mića emni kuηenak minan—my beautiful lunatic. I promise you, I will be a better man, a better lifemate to you. You gave yourself to me once. Do it again. I have learned what cherish means. And I cherish you.

If you decide to follow this wonderful meme, feel free to share your own Teaser Tuesday in the comments!

Gay Characters and a Giveaway (International)

2011-09-14T19:11:00.001Z

I'm giving away a copy of the wonderful Witch Eyes by Scott Tracey to show my support for books with gay characters!

Braden's witch eyes give him an enormous power. A mere look causes a kaleidoscopic explosion of emotions, memories, darkness, and magic. But this rare gift is also his biggest curse.

Compelled to learn about his shadowed past and the family he never knew, Braden is drawn to the city of Belle Dam, where he is soon caught between two feuding witch dynasties. Sworn rivals Catherine Lansing and Jason Thorpe will use anything--lies, manipulation, illusion, and even murder--to seize control of Braden's powers. To stop an ancient evil from destroying the town, Braden must master his gift, even through the shocking discovery that Jason is his father. While his feelings for an enigmatic boy named Trey grow deeper, Braden realizes a terrible truth: Trey is Catherine Lansing's son . . . and Braden may be destined to kill him.

The Rules:

- This giveaway is open to wherever the Book Depository ships. Please check the link to make sure your country is on the list.

- To enter, please comment on this post.

- You do NOT have to be a follower to enter, but I'd sure love it if you were!

- You can earn extra entries by spreading the word about this giveaway (twitter, blogging, fb...). Please leave a link in the comments!

- The giveaway ENDS on September 28 at 9:00 pm EST, and I will choose one winner via random.org.

Teaser Tuesday: The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

2011-09-13T20:43:00.001Z

“Coming back for more, eh?” Felix grinned at her. “I like a little fight in my girls.”
She grinned at him, causing blood to dribble down her chin. “Then you’re going to love me.” The voice was hers, but deeper and throatier than she’d ever heard before. It was a dangerous voice, and even Felix paused at the sound of it.

I'm in love with the cover, I can't stop looking at it! The book is very entertaining so far, I still haven't finished it though. And I've got to say this book has my favorite love triangle, mainly because for once the triangle makes sense considering Finley's double personality.

If you decide to follow this wonderful meme, feel free to share your own Teaser Tuesday in the comments!

Teaser Tuesday: Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

2011-09-07T00:26:00.001Z

My teaser for this week is from Diana Peterfreund's wonderful Rampant:

"I found the hum of his computer rather soothing, but it was the complete lack of unicorn carcasses that really pulled the room together. "

This book has giant killing UNICORNS! I thought the idea a little ridiculous at first, but the book soon had me convinced unicorns were evil poisonous SCARY monsters. A great read, I can't wait to get my hands on the sequel!

If you decide to follow this wonderful meme, feel free to share your own Teaser Tuesday in the comments!

Writers' Platform-Building Campaign

2011-08-30T13:13:00.002Z

The third edition of Writers' Platform-Building Campaigns is open until the 31st August! I discovered it too late last time, but now I'm definitely in. It looks like so much fun!

Brenda Drake's Book Club Contest Entry

2011-07-17T22:11:00.001+01:00

Auntie B's Book Club Contest
July 17 -20

This is my entry, I'd appreciate any and all feedback! Thank you!

Title: Legacy

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Pitch: In a family of witches, Danielle is ordinary. But when a sorcerer tries to kill her brother, she's the only one who can save him.

Excerpt:

Danielle screwed her eyes shut as her breakfast threatened to make an unwelcome reappearance. The ground loomed fifteen feet below. Funny, she’d never had vertigo before. Then again, she’d never contemplated jumping out a two-story building before.

Her hand sought the comfort of her mother’s bracelet. She twisted it around her wrist. At her touch, the runes etched on the metal lit up, green and familiar. Sparks of warmth shot through her arm. The magic stored inside – her mother’s magic – felt different though. On edge. Like a knife balanced on its point, about to tip over.

Much like the way she was teetering on the edge of her room’s balcony.

Today, she’d be eighteen. Her body would have reached magical maturity.
No one over the age of eighteen had ever received their powers. She doubted she’d be the exception.

She’d be ordinary.

Her mother’s bracelet would be the only spark of magic left to her. And what use was a shield against sorcerers who could make the elements do their bidding?

Who would avenge her mother’s memory then?

No, this was the only way. Her last chance to awaken her magic before the dreaded deadline.

Danielle blew out her breath and held the image of a shield in her mind. The metal slowly warmed against her skin – reluctant, a warning. The shield obediently appeared around her, encasing her in a bubble of green-tinted energy. The color cleared, but she could still feel the warmth radiating from it.

Still, she hesitated.

Writing Basics: How to Write Limited Third Person

2011-07-16T19:16:00.000+01:00

But what is POV?

Stories can be told from the eyes of different characters, different viewpoints. The choice of what point of view to use is up to the author, and that choice will influence how the reader will relate to the events in the story.

Today, I’d like to talk about writing in limited third person point of view. Unlike omniscient third person, where a god-like narrator knows everything and can zoom in and out of any character’s thoughts, limited third person means you can only zoom in on one character at a time, and that character will be your viewpoint for the rest of the scene/chapter/novel (More on that later) For now, let’s see what exactly limited third POV means.

Limited third POV enables readers to identify with the character. We are effectively standing in the character’s shoes. We see what they see, know their thoughts, opinions, and feelings. But only theirs. What the other characters in the scene think and feel has to be shown to the reader, either through the use of dialogue, actions or even body language. Don’t tell us a character is angry, show that they’re angry, by having them scream or frown or throw something at the wall. (That’s a very shoddy example.)

But be careful not to break point of view. The viewpoint character can’t know that his girlfriend is sad if she doesn’t show it in some way. Tiny shifts in POV are some of the easiest mistakes a writer can make.

Single POV or Multiple?

As I mentioned earlier, a novel can have a single viewpoint character, or it can be told from multiple point of views. And by multiple POVs, I mean that different chapters will feature different characters. Some even say different scenes, but I like to break POV with chapters. The most important thing is to make sure you have a clear transition.

But what POV to use, you say? Well, I think writing from the viewpoint of the character who knows the least, or the one who has the most to lose is the best way to get the most conflict out of your scene. Beware though, not to get lost in too many characters and subplots that end up overshadowing your main character.

What POV do you like to use?

Do you find first person easier to write, or are you a limited third person die-hard? What about other viewpoints? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

2011-04-11T19:21:00.000+01:00

Quote of the day: While this is a literary novel, I believe it could appeal to low-class readers. (From SlushPile Hell)

This never fails to make me crack up everytime I read it. If the book is as funny as this, I'd totally read it :D

2011-04-11T18:14:00.001+01:00

I've finally finished Thrice Born, my YA urban fantasy, and am now in the process of editing, otherwise known as Hell. Also, discovered my main character is as bland as... something very bland. What to do, oh, what to do? I'm thinking of taking a hatchet to her, but am open to suggestions :D

Anyway, enough about my woes. I thought, as a first post, I should post some articles on writing which have greatly helped me, back when I was a beginner. By which I mean six months ago.

I'm not a seat-of-the-pants writer, but I don't like outlining down to the details either. However, I found Randy Ingermanson's Snowflake Method great. Didn't use all the steps, but I loved the first steps.

Also, Holly Lisle Scene Creation Workshop .All of her workshops, really. She's great.

Forward Motion and its back issues of Vision, A Resource for Writers have great workshops and articles.

Darcy Pattison has some great articles about pretty much everything.

Anyway, those are just some of the articles that got me started on writing. There were some great books too, but that's another story :D