Welcome to the Book Blogger Hop,
hosted by Billy @
For more information, and
to find out the topic of next week's question, click HERE.
What to Do
1.) Post on your blog answering this week's
question:
Have you ever wanted to write
a book? If so, what genre would you
choose? And....have you been
successful in writing a book?
(submitted by Elizabeth @ Silver's Reviews)
2.) Enter the link to your post in the
Linky list on Billy's blog.
3.) Visit other blogs on the list and
comment on their posts.
4.) Be sure to find out next week's
question when you visit
Ramblings of a Coffee-Addicted Writer!
My Answer
This question is the bane of my existence.... Yes, I've been wanting to write a book for the longest time..... "Why haven't you written one, then?" This is the question most of you reading this post must be thinking, at this point. Well, I have made several attempts. But then I can't help feeling daunted by the sheer enormity of the task. There are so many things I want to get just right!
If I were to attempt (again!) to write a novel, I would want, first of all, to create compelling, vividly real characters who engage in great adventures. I would also want these characters to have convincing, witty dialogues. And I would definitely want to keep my readers turning pages, never knowing what would happen next!
This brings me to the problem of plotting. Tying everything together in a novel is no easy task. Creating realistic conflicts, and then resolving them, isn't, either. My problem here is that I don't like the idea of writing really EVIL villains. In order to do so, I would have to get myself into the mindset of an evil personality, and that would feel very unpleasant, not to mention uncomfortable. Unfortunately, this is necessary in order to create believable conflict in fiction. If you have a weak villain, the conflict will not cause the reader to relate to the hero/heroine, and be on their side. Also, whatever obstacle(s) the villain throws in their path won't seem at all challenging. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to write a stereotypical villain. There must be a bit of good in a villain, too. This is not easy to accomplish.
Another problem regarding characterizations is that I hate to see characters suffer! Yes, it's great when main characters triumph against all odds, but, in the meantime, I hate that they have to go through all those agonies.... Besides, happy endings are not always guaranteed. Literary fiction is a well-known example of this. That's because this type of fiction tends to more closely resemble real life, and we all know how very disappointing real life can frequently be..... Of course, conflict and suffereing are necessary ingredients in fiction writing, or else the novel or short story will be boring. So this is something I would need to overcome, if I were to really buckle down and actually write a novel, or even a short story.
An author's prose style is also very important. This is one area of writing fiction -- or nonfiction, for that matter -- in which I would have less trouble. This is because I LOVE to write. I love the sheer beauty and flow of language. There's a rhythm akin to music in it. Some readers place more value on plot and characterizations, but I think that an author's writing style is just as important. I would strive to strike a balance between writing long sentences full of metaphors, similes, and/or adjectives and writing very stark, barely descriptive ones. So I would try to create vividly descriptive scenes without being too 'flowery'.
As for the genre I would like to write in, I would tend toward the YA genre, for the most part, although I might be interested in writing books for adults, as well. I would prefer to write either fantasy (with or without romance) or paranormal romance combined with urban fantasy. I would love to write science fiction, as well, since I love this genre, but I don't have the necessary scientific knowledge to create convincing futuristic scenarios. I also like literary fiction, so that's another possibility. However, it would have to be in the magic realism genre, too. I don't like too much 'reality' in books!
I do feel a very strong affinity for romance, whether in contemporary, historical, paranormal, fantasy, or SF settings. My favorite is paranormal romance, though.
If I were to attempt to write a nonfiction book, I would want it to be on a topic that I was thoroughly knowledgeable about. That means I would have to do some research, something that could take years. I could write a book of poetry instead, but that, too, could take some time. Although I used to write poetry when I was in college, I haven't done so for quite a few years. I need to 'get inspired' again!
One of the things I have done is to write fan fiction. This is not the same as writing fiction with your own characters, but it's still a lot of fun. There's a wonderful website, fanfiction.net, where fan writers can post their stories. You must become a member, but it's totally free. Members review each other's stories, select favorite ones, follow them, and send each other private messages. You can also follow other members, as well as create communities. I hadn't been on the site for quite some time, so I decided to go update my profile.
I have published 10 stories on this site, but only two of them are actually finished. My stories deal with the Phantom of the Opera and The Twilight Saga. I'm leaving some links below, in case you'd like to sample my work. If you decide to do so, I'd love your feedback!
You can find my stories on my profile page, at the link below.
"Miracle In Central Park", is the story I consider my best. In it, I consciously tried to imitate Kurt Vonnegut's prose style. It's a modern-day POTO story, and is a one-shot. It's complete.
I also have one sample of original fiction, which expresses my adoration for one of my literary idols -- J.R.R. Tolkien. The link is also below.
Well, so maybe I'll really get to writing a book -- whether fiction or nonfiction -- one of these days! We'll just have to see....
Hope you all have a GREAT WEEKEND!!!!
Fan Fiction
If I were to attempt (again!) to write a novel, I would want, first of all, to create compelling, vividly real characters who engage in great adventures. I would also want these characters to have convincing, witty dialogues. And I would definitely want to keep my readers turning pages, never knowing what would happen next!
This brings me to the problem of plotting. Tying everything together in a novel is no easy task. Creating realistic conflicts, and then resolving them, isn't, either. My problem here is that I don't like the idea of writing really EVIL villains. In order to do so, I would have to get myself into the mindset of an evil personality, and that would feel very unpleasant, not to mention uncomfortable. Unfortunately, this is necessary in order to create believable conflict in fiction. If you have a weak villain, the conflict will not cause the reader to relate to the hero/heroine, and be on their side. Also, whatever obstacle(s) the villain throws in their path won't seem at all challenging. On the other hand, I wouldn't want to write a stereotypical villain. There must be a bit of good in a villain, too. This is not easy to accomplish.
Another problem regarding characterizations is that I hate to see characters suffer! Yes, it's great when main characters triumph against all odds, but, in the meantime, I hate that they have to go through all those agonies.... Besides, happy endings are not always guaranteed. Literary fiction is a well-known example of this. That's because this type of fiction tends to more closely resemble real life, and we all know how very disappointing real life can frequently be..... Of course, conflict and suffereing are necessary ingredients in fiction writing, or else the novel or short story will be boring. So this is something I would need to overcome, if I were to really buckle down and actually write a novel, or even a short story.
An author's prose style is also very important. This is one area of writing fiction -- or nonfiction, for that matter -- in which I would have less trouble. This is because I LOVE to write. I love the sheer beauty and flow of language. There's a rhythm akin to music in it. Some readers place more value on plot and characterizations, but I think that an author's writing style is just as important. I would strive to strike a balance between writing long sentences full of metaphors, similes, and/or adjectives and writing very stark, barely descriptive ones. So I would try to create vividly descriptive scenes without being too 'flowery'.
As for the genre I would like to write in, I would tend toward the YA genre, for the most part, although I might be interested in writing books for adults, as well. I would prefer to write either fantasy (with or without romance) or paranormal romance combined with urban fantasy. I would love to write science fiction, as well, since I love this genre, but I don't have the necessary scientific knowledge to create convincing futuristic scenarios. I also like literary fiction, so that's another possibility. However, it would have to be in the magic realism genre, too. I don't like too much 'reality' in books!
I do feel a very strong affinity for romance, whether in contemporary, historical, paranormal, fantasy, or SF settings. My favorite is paranormal romance, though.
If I were to attempt to write a nonfiction book, I would want it to be on a topic that I was thoroughly knowledgeable about. That means I would have to do some research, something that could take years. I could write a book of poetry instead, but that, too, could take some time. Although I used to write poetry when I was in college, I haven't done so for quite a few years. I need to 'get inspired' again!
One of the things I have done is to write fan fiction. This is not the same as writing fiction with your own characters, but it's still a lot of fun. There's a wonderful website, fanfiction.net, where fan writers can post their stories. You must become a member, but it's totally free. Members review each other's stories, select favorite ones, follow them, and send each other private messages. You can also follow other members, as well as create communities. I hadn't been on the site for quite some time, so I decided to go update my profile.
I have published 10 stories on this site, but only two of them are actually finished. My stories deal with the Phantom of the Opera and The Twilight Saga. I'm leaving some links below, in case you'd like to sample my work. If you decide to do so, I'd love your feedback!
You can find my stories on my profile page, at the link below.
"Miracle In Central Park", is the story I consider my best. In it, I consciously tried to imitate Kurt Vonnegut's prose style. It's a modern-day POTO story, and is a one-shot. It's complete.
I also have one sample of original fiction, which expresses my adoration for one of my literary idols -- J.R.R. Tolkien. The link is also below.
Well, so maybe I'll really get to writing a book -- whether fiction or nonfiction -- one of these days! We'll just have to see....
Hope you all have a GREAT WEEKEND!!!!
Fan Fiction
What are your thoughts on
this topic?
Please leave a comment,
and I'll go check out your post!
I have the same issue with plotting. The characters and the feelings are there, but plotting..er..that's the biggest pain.
ReplyDeleteHi, Christina!
DeleteOh, definitely plotting is a pain. The thing is, one event can have SO many possible ramifications! Therefore, I feel as if I have to explore them all, lol. Each one of them can take a book in a totally different direction, too. But I haven't given up hope of getting a book written someday. Yeah, and what if that soneday never comes, right? Lol. Hanging in there!
Thanks for visiting and commenting!! :)
I loved this post Maria.
ReplyDeleteI have thought about writing a book myself, but only in my mind. I think that just getting honing the skills needed for an endeavor seems too daunting in terms of time.
You raise so many interesting points above. As to characters suffering, I share some of your qualms. For me, it is unhappy and dark endings that trouble me the most. Yet some of the greatest literature includes such endings. On the other hand, there is all kinds of good fiction out there, some does not include much suffering. For instance, comedy and satire often blunts the suffering that does occur.
Hey, Brian!
DeleteThanks for the good word!! :)
Writing a book is definitely a daunting task, and it does take time to acquire the necessary skills. I envy writers like Stephenie Meyer and J.K. Rowling, who created their bestsellers SO effortlessly.... Meyer was inspired by a dream, and just 'heard' the entire story in her mind. She simply copied it all down. As for Rowling, Harry Potter simply appeared before her mind's eye one fine day, and she went on from there. In her case, though, she did have to do some research on magical topics, which she incorporated into the novels. Still, she does have an AWESOME imagination!!
You're so right about classical literature having dark endings sometimes..."Tess of the D'Urbervilles" comes to mind here. Of course, as you have stated, we do have comedy and satire. I do prefer drama, ironically enough. However, I like my drama laced with humor. The authors I've mentioned definitely excel at that, as well!
Thanks for the TERRIFIC comment!! :)
Yes, fan fiction isn't actually real fiction, but at least your writing something.
ReplyDeleteHi, Billy!
DeleteIt's not only fun to write this kind of stuff, but it's also great practice for the real thing! Maybe I should go back to doing that..... On the other hand, I really should get going with the real McCoy! Lol.
Thanks so much for commenting back!! :)
You would write a wonderful novel.
ReplyDeleteAnother fantastic post and answer as always.
Happy Hopping!!
Elizabeth
Silver's Reviews
My Blog Hop Answer
Hi, Elizabeth!
DeleteAw.....you're so sweet! Thanks so much for the compliments!! It's SO wonderful to be encouraged like this!!
Happy Hopping to you, as well!! And thanks again for the lovely comment!! :)
Please don't take offence to this, but I feel like your overthinking the whole process. Take sometime and just get a rough draft down, then perfect it. Remember what Ernest Hemingway said,“The only kind of writing is rewriting.”
ReplyDeleteHi, Shandy!
DeleteYou might have a point about my overthinking the process of writing. However, I do think that my feelings about 'the perfect villain', as well as the suffering endured by characters are legitimate concerns I have. I have to work through these two concerns, through writing, true, but it's not as simple as just getting a rough draft down and then getting it to be perfect. I really do need to overcome these concerns.
Some writers are able to just sit down and write, and everything goes perfectly well from the get-go. Others inevitably struggle with their material, laboring on it nearly endlessly until they finally get it right. This is very evident in the case of musical composers, as well. Beethoven struggled with his compositions, while Mozart effortlessly dashed his off.
Thanks for the thought-provoking comment!! :)