Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Write like your book is a movie

I've been boggling around in my head this concept to write a book like a movie would play on your TV screen. Even NaNoWriMo sent a message last November to it's writers' advice to write out your book's plan like it's a movie trailer.

When connecting all this and wondering about it constantly as I have, all I needed was proof, someone doing it successfully (maybe unconsciously).

And today...I have found that book!
Ally Condie's Matched series (in particular would be book 2: Crossed) is written like a movie's transition from scene to scene.

You may think this wouldn't turn out so great but these books have turned out to be quite successful! But the way it's written keeps the pages turning, and that I can tell as a writer learning from author's writing, is a way that can get you published if you're doing it right.
Ally Condie continuously writes in sections in her chapters. These sections are shortish scenes where they will cut off when they are done. They're short because it's written like a movie scene!

With Condie's creative story of a Society's complete and totally horrible control over people and the point of view of a teen through it all trying to escape make's this style of writing truly unique.

But you have to be careful when using this idea to write like it's movie scenes. PLEASE USE GOOD FORM OF WRITING THAT YOUR COLLEGE PROFESSORS PROUD!!! Writing these days isn't showing up as good but in my opinion, what people consider good writing has HUGE writing flaws as well. In content writing, writing like a movie is cheap, but it's effective in today's society and it makes good books.

Monday, December 26, 2011

The Hunger games single- Safe and Sound- lyrics

Putting these lyrics on this post because we can always learn from music's words and this is a really good one because the song has so much personal meaning that connects fully to the YA trilogy, The Hunger Games So here's a link to the song:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZeY0CwPtLA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

and you can follow along and really understanding the words is what it's all about, including it's relation to the Hunger Games. So here we go:

I remember tears streaming down your face when I said, "I'd never let you go."
When all those shadows almost killed your light.
I remember you said, "don't leave me here alone."
But all that's dead and gone and past tonight...

(CHORUS) Just close your eyes, the sun is going down.
You'll be alright, no one can hurt you now.
In the morning light...you and I'll be safe and sound.

Don't you dare look out your window , darling everything's on fire.
The war outside out door keeps raging on.
Hold on to this lullaby.
Even when music's gone.
Gone.
(CHORUS)
Ooo's ooo's la la (la la) la la (la la) ooh (ooh) ooh (la la's) (la la's)
(slower chorus) Just close your eyes, (you'll be alright.
(harmonized) The morning light...you and I'll be safe and sound.
(ooh's) ooh (wow wow) (ooh's) (ooh's wow wow) (ooh's) ooh (wow wow) (ooh's) ooh (wow wow) (OOH's) OOH (wow wow) OOH OOH (wow) wow.

Pretty good? Did you notice how I included the ooh's and the back up parts? I did this for a reason (not because I didn't know what I was doing [lol]) because everything about a song is important. It's practically another way to read a book (out loud). Swift, singing with the Civil Wars, is telling a story of how it is in Panem for people. But as Hunger Games fans, we know it's more than this. The song brings in all sorts of meanings (like the most popular): Katniss' love for those she loves, how she wants to protect people like Rue, Peeta, Gale, Prim... The feeling in this song really helps you as readers understand what the main character, Katniss Everdeen, has to go through in a dismal a place as Panem.
But the way this song is written is also important. You can learn how to write certain ways through song's like this. You can also think of songs like this that can give you the motivation and determination to write a scene that means more than it's being described. Because words have meaning that can become thousands of numbers! That's why it's really great to get different opinions on ideas and sections in text of what is being portrayed.

I thank Fireside Chat for inspiring me to write this post, for their #39th podcast on "Safe and Sound" really went in-depth on the situation for us fans about the song and how it really is a good choice for the hunger Games movie (companion CD or not).

Saturday, December 17, 2011

Dont Stop Believing

Through my constant research on advice from authors on publishing books has singly been all on the same thing. It must be pretty important to ANY AUTHOR! After going to the Northwest Book Fest in October and talking to children's book authors, such as Howard Shapiro, the advice is wholly "...believe in yourself and your writing and don't EVER stop trying to reach your goals." - Howard Shapiro. Authors can't stop and say anything else is more important!

In school, we (as in the International School of Communications [ISC]) believe to have the right mindset on anything will help you achieve success in anything you do. I can't but not recall this as authors tell me to never give up and believe in what I am writing.

But as we all know, authors and soon to be ones, have to face rejection. "If one publisher rejects you, which many will, just keep moving forward because eventually if you work hard enough you will find someone who believes in you and your writing." -Shapiro

Before I have talked about "What Makes You a Special Writer". The hardest thing to consider ,as a writer hoping to get published, is your creativity. Creativity is being cut in schools all across the country (the arts) but those of us, who will work hard enough, have to be incredibly creative to catch that one publishers eye that believes in you and your book. It's a tough job ahead of us all but we can not give up. But you HAVE to believe in yourself. That perfect "mindset" will help you get there!

If you can't really see this mindset, let me give you an example:
My thoughts: "All right Ashley, this essay can only be great if you work hard enough and actually understand the lessons." (ISC DAILY TO DO:) find the problem, ask the questions, do the research, find the solutions, figure out the improvements, etc. Doing any essay, lab report or any books you plan to write lies wholly on the work you put into it. To be proud of something you must believe you can do it! But you must put in that work ethic and you can practically achieve anything!

"Don't Stop believing! Hold onto that feeling!" This song came to mind on this whole subject and it helps people like me to get into that perfect "mindset".

I hope all of you can achieve this mindset because you can achieve it and I believe in anyone who wants to be published to find some sort of success with this. Remember it has been proven by many authors, like Howard Shapiro, and you can be one too! Please check out Howard Shapiro on Facebook to discover his awesomeness of success as a children's book author here:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Howard-Shapiro/296610707017204?ref=ts

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Creating A Facebook Page for your Book!

Around a year ago, i stumbled blindly on an author about to publish her first book, DEMON KISSED. There was an add about liking her Facebook page to get to know the author and the book series before the book would even come out! I was so excited and liked her page without a second thought.
As a supporter or amazing authors and future authors, I found this coincidence to be a super amazing one and automatically wanted to support her I liked her page and have been fallowing her news and achievements of her teen book series and she has been doing REALLY WELL.
The author is H.M.Ward.
She wrote the DEMON KISSED series and she has been quite successful.
I didn't realize how successful till she posted today on her blog: "How I Did Facebook Wrong and Got 43,000 fans- A Writer's Guide To The Social Media"

http://sublimeromantic.wordpress.com/2011/12/15/how-i-did-facebook-wrong-and-got-43000-fans-a-writers-guide-to-social-media/

Wondering how such an author did some seriously creative ways of building a HUGE fan base SUPER DUPER FAST?! Check her out! Even like her own Facebook page:

http://m.facebook.com/DemonKissed?_rdr

Or on her website: http//:www.demonkissed.com