Showing posts with label themes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label themes. Show all posts
Friday, October 26, 2012
“Balance Your Opposites.”
This advice was scribed by author Kristina McBride on the cover page of her novel THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES at a book fair in Ohio a couple of years ago. At the time, I remember thinking that it was a great turn of phrase. After reading the book—a heartwrenching story about a teenage girl whose best friend returns two years after being abducted from a neighborhood park—its meaning hit me on a deeper level.
There really is a delicate balance to everything in life, and anytime the scales tip too far in one direction… you could be headed for a crash landing.
Last winter I ended up writing two manuscripts simultaneously (not something I set out to do). Book #1 is rather dark—the story of a girl trying to maintain her integrity as she’s thrust into a life of depravity. Book #2 is more upbeat—a love story set in a beautiful mountain town. Book #1 sort of came at me full speed, without much planning or plotting. But after several days of crazy inspiration, I realized that writing Book #1 was starting to make me sad.
So I did what any sane writer (is that an oxymoron?) would do—closed the document and started work on my much lighter Book #2. I never thought I’d write two stories at once. But alas, switching between these two manuscripts was the perfect solution. My opposites were completely balanced. Thanks, Kristina!
Have you read THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES yet? What about other good books that deal with contrasting issues? Life/Death. Quiet/Loud. Safe/Scary. How do you keep your balance in life or literature?
This advice was scribed by author Kristina McBride on the cover page of her novel THE TENSION OF OPPOSITES at a book fair in Ohio a couple of years ago. At the time, I remember thinking that it was a great turn of phrase. After reading the book—a heartwrenching story about a teenage girl whose best friend returns two years after being abducted from a neighborhood park—its meaning hit me on a deeper level.Friday, August 17, 2012
Recently at Joseph Beth's YA Author Panel, I asked seven authors: What can you get away with in fantasy that you can't in Contemporary (and vice versa)?
At first there wasn't an obvious answer because, as Christine Johnson pointed out, as long as you write consistently, there's not much difference in what you can get away with. There are rules you have to follow no matter what genre.
So I prompted with "death" being a much deeper issue in Contemporary books. For instance, in Kristina McBride's ONE MOMENT the entire book pivots on the death of one character (not a spoiler, it's on the jacket copy). But in fantasy, like Rae Carson's THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS there are deaths in battle, deaths on the journey, death from injury and illness, etc. You can't harp forever on these things or the books would be even longer!
I personally think that "body count" is something you can't "get away with" in Contemporary. Everything pivots so much on the emotional arc of characters that death is too big to be brushed over (as in a fantasy battle scene).
Julia Karr seemed to agree. She said that in Contemporary, the "emotional reaction, it must fit, go with what the real world is." It's a limitation of sorts.
Similarly, Rae Carson said that fantasy "takes real world concepts" and "puts them in a fun atmosphere" to examine issues such as government, environment, economics, politics, etc. In doing so, fantasy oftentimes gets away with things that just wouldn't fly in real life. And isn't that why we love it so much? It allows a space for escape so that serious issues--even death--can be examined.
But sometimes real life is depicted so well--even the horrors--that Contemporary informs us of those simple and basic themes of human nature. For me, personally, this is an advantage rather than a limitation. And a way in which both Contemporary and Fantasy inform each other as genres.
Of course there are exceptions. And you might not agree with me. So what do you think? Do fantasy writers get away with murder? Do Contemporary authors harp on too much over issues?
To Be Clear: This is not pitting one genre against another, but rather a comparison that, I think, highlights the strengths of both genres. xx
Thursday, March 8, 2012
I'm going to get a little personal (eep, this idea sounded so much better at 2am).
The biggest challenge in my life has been (still is) my weight. I used to be an average-sized kid until age ten when I ballooned.
(Disclaimer: Jewel is not fat, but I won't hold it against her)
Despite playing sports (hockey), riding my bike for miles, climbing trees, hiking, canoeing, etc, I was put on one diet after another. I remember having to weigh out portions of food for myself and giving up pepperoni on my salad along with the zesty Italian dressing (tragic!). But mostly I remember the days after school where I would come home and eat an entire bag of Doritos. And nothing else. Food was the thing. I thought about food all the time.
When I was twelve, I decided to sign up for Adventurer camp, which warned that I would have to walk a few miles each day to prepare for a twelve mile hike on the Appalachian Trail. In my imagination, I was ready. Then reality hit somewhere mile marker nine when I was pouring with sweat, my lungs were on fire, and I said to the nurse--who stayed back with me while the group buzzed by on the trail--"I can't do it."
I did finish the twelve miles that day. Later the park rangers picked me up in a Jeep and took me back down the mountain. I was dehydrated and my legs were jelly. I couldn't stand up until somewhere around noon the next day. It was humiliating that my body didn't do what I thought in my mind that it was capable of doing.
After that I let my mind and body live separate lives. They're much happier that way. No more arguments. No tears being shed or things said in the heat of the moment. It's amicable.
Of course there are always reminders of what I actually look like: When I see a picture of myself. When someone says, "You have such a pretty face." (I try not to think of the implication being that the rest of me is ugly...because I have some seriously cute toes). Each and every time someone asks me "Have you lost weight?"
I always think, "Nope. You just remember me fatter."
But here's the thing--at some point I found a way past my tragic flaw. Okay, I was built for farming, but I eat healthy now (have done for fifteen years). I could do better with the exercise (farming would help). I have a really beautiful family that loves me and a "Cameron Quick" who sees the real me and thinks I'm adorable--not my toes, though. We've agreed to disagree.
I'm always going to struggle with my weight, try harder to lose, give up, try again, etc. But being fat is not everything there is about me. It's taken me a while to come to this conclusion. Recently, I read some books that I wish I had as a teenager. It would have made things so much easier.
In SWEETHEARTS, Jennifer (Fattifer) actually invents a whole new persona for herself to escape her unhealthy past. She finds an "out" until Cameron Quick--the boy who knows her best and loves her anyway--comes back into her life.
In IF A TREE FALLS..., Kirsten has put on thirty pounds in three months. Her parents are fighting all the time and she copes with food. Later, she sneaks into her garage to her mom's stash of junk food and overhears a conversation that changes everyone's lives.
But let's not forget THE GIRL OF FIRE AND THORNS, (GOFAT) which also has a character who is lacking in self esteem, not realizing her importance, struggling to look past her weight problem, eats some really decadent food to cope...and after enormous trials has the strength to come into her own.
All of these stories show the possibility for change and success. The main characters are seriously strong despite their weaknesses. Man, I needed this message at thirteen! As a fat girl, I'm thankful for these characters/stories. For seeing a way through. For self-acceptance. For perseverance. For Cameron Quick.
Okay, being fat is not as tragic as losing your parents in a car crash or teen suicide or drug addiction or sparkly vampire love. But as a teen, it was everything I thought about. It was tragic enough to take up residence in my psyche and burrow in there until I made my mind and my body share custody. Sometimes divorce can be messy. But most of the time I don't like to involve mediation. My body accepts the limitations, and my mind lords it over.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Hey friends, don't forget: There's just 1 week left to enter our Holly Jolly Giveaway. SHATTER ME, DASH & LILY'S BOOK OF DARES, or THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE could be yours!
In THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher, a teenager named Clay listens to the confessional tapes of a classmate, Hannah, who committed suicide. On these tapes, she explains why she took her life. Keyword: EXPLAINS. There's nothing subtle about this book. Hannah is giving people a roadmap to her actions. She wants them to know what they did wrong, why it hurt her, and how it contributed to her suicide.
On the other end of the spectrum is THE THINGS A BROTHER KNOWS by Dana Reinhardt. Levi has been anticipating the return of his military hero brother, Boaz, but when Boaz finally gets home from his tour of duty, he's different. Quiet. Withdrawn. Secretive. When Boaz takes off again, on some mysterious pilgrimage by foot, Levi is determined to follow his brother. To understand him. No matter what dark places their journey might lead to.
...
"What Do You Think the Author Is Trying to Say?"
We've all been asked that question. In English class, usually. Perhaps as part of a group discussion, or maybe as an essay prompt on an exam. We're supposed to analyze the text, looking for symbolism and imagery. We're supposed to tease out the themes, the message.
But what if we don't want to tease it out? What if we want it served to us on a platter, like steak with a loaded baked potato on the side?
There's a spectrum, of course. From "I painted it gold and made it tap dance for you" to "buried so deep in the earth's core that not even Indiana Jones could dig it up." There's a lot of gray area in between those two extremes. So our question is: Where do you like your literary themes to fall?
Two Examples
In THIRTEEN REASONS WHY by Jay Asher, a teenager named Clay listens to the confessional tapes of a classmate, Hannah, who committed suicide. On these tapes, she explains why she took her life. Keyword: EXPLAINS. There's nothing subtle about this book. Hannah is giving people a roadmap to her actions. She wants them to know what they did wrong, why it hurt her, and how it contributed to her suicide.
This book has been a HUGE beacon of light for many readers. People on both sides of the equation have had their eyes opened, their lives changed. People who have been hurt, bullied, ignored, or broken. People who have done the hurting, bullying, ignoring, or breaking. But also, people who may not have any awareness of these problems, or who don't fully realize the effects of their actions. People who don't realize that inaction is as much of a choice as anything else.
While Asher's message felt too obvious to us at times, we have to admit, the story has had an amazing and important impact, and we applaud that wholeheartedly.
On the other end of the spectrum is THE THINGS A BROTHER KNOWS by Dana Reinhardt. Levi has been anticipating the return of his military hero brother, Boaz, but when Boaz finally gets home from his tour of duty, he's different. Quiet. Withdrawn. Secretive. When Boaz takes off again, on some mysterious pilgrimage by foot, Levi is determined to follow his brother. To understand him. No matter what dark places their journey might lead to.
Readers could debate the themes of this story for hours. Brotherly love? The effects of war? Rebelling against social and cultural expectations? What the author is trying to say isn't perfectly obvious. Instead, she tells a story filled with real characters and genuine emotion. She lets them guide readers to their own conclusions. That can be very, very powerful too.
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Here’s what I love and hate about life: it changes. No matter who you are or where you live, that’s the one thing you can count on. As one of my character’s says, “Life is not stagnant. It’s always moving, changing, evolving. You can either ride the tide or get pummeled trying to stop the waves.”
I am reminding myself of this right now because I’m in the midst of some big life changes—moving a thousand miles away from family, community, friends… going from a cul de sac to a mountainside… starting over.
Change is both scary and exciting. And it’s definitely bittersweet. But there are some interesting things happening—and a part of my soul that has been quite placid and comfortable of late is tingling, waking up to the possibilities. Change incites emotion, adrenaline, adventure… all good fodder for writing.
Perhaps that’s why so many stories in literature, especially YA, are about change. It is something we can all relate to. Growing up happens, ready or not. Characters change their life philosophies, living situations, significant others, or personalities. That’s what makes it fun, nerve-wracking, interesting and yeah, bittersweet.
Some days I wonder ... Is it the “right” thing? Will I regret it? There’s no way to know. What I do know is that it’s useless to try and stop the tide. Plus, new views, both literal and figurative, are definitely inspiring!In your favorite books, or the book you’re writing right now, what kinds of changes do the characters go through? Do they fight it or ride the tide? How does it turn out? What inspires them? What inspires you?
Thanks for reading and enjoy the photos…
Ingrid
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Stephanie, Ingrid, Sarah & Kristan — we read, write, discuss and celebrate Young Adult lit.
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