Shhh… don’t tell, but sometimes being a writer makes me feel a bit like a spy. As a kid, I spent a lot of time observing people. I was—and still am—intrigued by the way people think, talk and act. Of course, when you’re in school, there are so many opportunities to observe human nature, to overhear bits of conversations, to examine the various ways people choose to express themselves from one day to the next.

In college, my Playwriting professor gave me an assignment—to spy on someone, tape record a short conversation, and write it down verbatim (of course, we changed names to protect the innocent). The purpose of the exercise was to see how people really talked, to see if “real life” conversations would translate well to the stage or page, to see if and how they might need to be modified. Often, they did need to be modified—for clarity or because when real people talk, they so often interrupt each other, use fillers like ‘um’ and ‘uh’, or fail to finish sentences. If that’s overdone in a book, the dialogue ends up sounding stilted, not quite right. The key, we decided, was listening to the rhythms of speech.

Sometimes when I'm at a college campus, coffee shop, or park, I just sit and listen to the sounds of life swirling around. I’m not really spying on anyone, but I catch little phrases here and there, note expressions on people’s faces, and see how body language tells its own story.

Do any other writers out there sometimes feel like a spy, watching the world? Do you take inspiration for dialogue from your personal experiences, imagination, or strangers in passing? How do you come up with the words your characters say? Have you read any books with fabulous dialogue lately?

Prost!
Ingrid

Reading a book is probably the healthiest form of entertainment out there. We're living in an overstimulated world, surrounded by computer screens and televisions. Entertainment is always just a click away, and we absorb it all in an almost hypnotic state. But reading is different. It's an active mental process. Reading a book engages our imagination, and we create the experience for ourselves.



Some of the advantages of reading:

-It improves our vocabulary.

-It improves our creativity.

-It improves our attention span.

-It improves our reasoning skills.

-It improves our memory.

-It reduces stress.

-It decreases boredom.




And that's just some of the great things reading does for us. But it's more than just a healthier form of entertainment, isn't it? There's something special about reading a book. It's an intimate experience that we have with the author. They put ideas in our heads and with them we create entire worlds in our imagination.

I almost always prefer a book to a movie, because I like to experience things for myself, rather than watching from the outside. I love to hear a character's innermost thoughts and feel like I'm in on their secrets. I love visualizing the setting.


What is your favorite part of being a bookworm? Do you find it sad that more and more people are choosing television over books?

♥Steph

In follow-up to our Wednesday post, here are some pictures of YOUR spaces. Thanks for sharing because I'm eternally interested...and keep them coming!

Fellow Cincinnati writer, Joelle Wilson, has a really interesting space (love the drawings/painting in the background)...definitely says, "I'm serious about writing." Check out her blog Chasing Moonlight for more of her creepy, urban fantasy worlds.



Write Campaigner Scott Stillwell's space is gorgeous. It's really trendy, and both warm and bright. Um, is that a corded phone on your desk?!?



And last but not least. Who is Pet? He is an enigma in the blogging world, but we have super (not) secret pictures of his writing desk. And his view. Bonus points if you can guess Where in the world is Pet?

A fellow writer once asked me, "Where is your real novel?"

He meant it as a compliment. Sort of. And I took it as one. Sort of.

See, he was trying to say that he thought I had real talent. And I appreciate that. But it was one of those backhanded compliments: "You have so much talent, why are you wasting it on writing for teens?"

To be fair, I could have been him. I come from a literary background. I used to think Pulitzers and Nobels were the only achievements worth striving for.

But I also grew up in a time when YA lit didn't exist. (And I'm not even that old.) At least, it didn't exist like it does today. JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer hadn't opened the doors for YA readers and writers, hadn't made YA cool. Hadn't shown that you can have as much magic and passion when you're 14 as when you're 34. Heck, sometimes you can have more -- and that's why adults love YA too.

However, if I'm being honest, the question wasn't totally out of line. Where was my real novel?

See, at the time I was working on a paranormal YA for fun. And that's all it was: fun. It didn't have much head or heart -- and that's a problem. The real-ness of a book has nothing to do with what genre it's in or what audience it's written for. Real-ness has everything to do with head and heart.

(Fun is the icing on the cake.)

Writing that fun project was still important, though. Fun led me to heart, and heart led me to head. After 10,000 words, I put aside that paranormal YA and started my current manuscript, and I think it's the best thing I've ever written. It's my Pinocchio.

So what am I saying? I'm saying, to both readers and writers, don't judge too soon. A puppet may be made of wood, or paper, or a dirty old sock -- but not all wood or paper or dirty old socks are the same. Does the puppet have dreams? Does it tell the truth? Does it show courage and love?

And are those not the very qualities that make boys and girls real?

KH

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

First of all, just wanted to mention that a free, online writing conference is happening right now (August 16-18), and at least two of the four WeHeartYA girls are participating in the agent query forums and agent pitching contests. If you're a writer or a reader who'd love an inside scoop on what writer's and publishing professionals get up to--go check it out.

WriteOnCon

I mention this because I've read so many great articles there, and read through countless publishing chats that have really informed what I want to talk about today--which is THE LOVE INTEREST.



This morning, editor Martha Mihalick wrote this about writing believable romance. Basically, it's about smart writing and, similar to Kristan's last post, changing your point of view or thinking outside of the normal romantic plot. Mostly, though, it got me thinking about the books I've read recently and how annoyed I get with the love interests.

I love the love. But I hate the love that doesn't match up with reality. Do you know what I'm talking about? Those hot, brooding bad boy types that are so "attractive" to us in literary form, but your friends in real life would tell you is sort of twisted? They don't? Okay, I'll be the friend that tells you. Bad boys are twisted. More interesting than nice guy? Yeah, until they twist you.

Get me?

Okay, I'll be honest. I love me a nice guy that could be bad, but chooses not to. Why? Not just because he's NICE, (why would you want to be treated any other way?) but because it's more realistic. I'll even buy into the idea of a bad boy reformed. A bad boy who is now nice.

If you haven't come across this site yet, it's awesome--Boys Don't Read. This post says what I'm trying to say, but in a much better way. Essentially, REAL guy characters are in demand, and I couldn't be happier.

What books have you read that have REAL love interests? You know, the boyfriend that may spend late nights playing video games, but who listens (or at least pretends) to your problems and tries to sneak a hug or kiss or cop a feel when you're still trying to talk, but they're guys so you expect this. At least they're open and nice about it, not issuing ultimatums or POSSESSING you.

I mean, we have to give the nice guy a break because he doesn't have a clue about girls. If you want all softness, understanding, and sweet-smelling, well, that's what girlfriends are for. ;)

Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway last week. The winner of the ARC of Possession by Elana Johnson is... Heather Reid! Congratulations, Heather, and please email us (weheartya at gmail dot com) with your mailing address.


Yesterday I started (and finished) reading Room by Emma Donoghue, a brilliant book that is now among my all-time favorites. It’s about a young woman who is kidnapped from her college and kept captive in a shack for 7 years, during which time she gives birth to a son named Jack. Surprisingly, the story is told from Jack’s point of view.

Sadly, the book’s premise is not entirely fictional. A number of real-life headlines bear striking similarity. But because of the unexpected perspective that Donoghue chose, Room is able to avoid wallowing in misery, melodrama, or discomfort. Jack is a happy, intelligent child, and through his eyes we are able to see not only his world but also our own, in fresh and enlightening ways.

"The wind makes the leaves go swishy swishy. I hear a kid shout, maybe in another yard behind the big hedge or else he's invisible. God's yellow face has a cloud on top. Colder suddenly. The world is always changing brightness and hotness and soundness, I never know how it's going to be the next minute. The cloud looks kind of gray blue, I wonder has it got rain inside it."

"I kiss her face where the tears are, that's how the sea tastes."

So that got me thinking about perspectives, and how every story can be fresh if we just find the right point of view to tell it from.

Another good example is The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. The story is about a man fighting to keep his family intact, but it’s told from the point of view of his dog. As an animal-lover I may be biased, but trust me, Enzo is positively charming.

Last but not least is The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Needless to say, this isn’t the first book about World War II, and it won’t be the last, but it’s the only one I know of that’s narrated by Death. Yes, the Grim Reaper himself. And oh what an interesting view he has…


As a reader/writer, I’m wondering: Do y’all know any other good books that are told from an unusual perspective? (Any YA books? Interestingly, The Book Thief is marketed as YA in America but adult fiction in its native Australia.)

As a fellow human being, I say: Take a good look at the world around you, and try to see it through someone else’s eyes.

KH