The Magician's Daughter - TWV Entry

Dear Coaches,

Not many women are magicians in 1870, but that doesn’t stop eighteen-year-old Valentina Gianetti. However, when her father is killed onstage at her debut performance, she abandons her dreams in order to find his killer. Her journey starts in Paris and leads her to an underground society of spectacular performers, along with a conspiracy that reaches up to the government. Valentina soon finds herself entangled in multiple murders, suicides, secrets, and cover-ups.

With the help of complicated individuals, including an escaped convict, Spanish spy, and old fortune teller, Valentina immerses herself into the clandestine underground in hopes of tracking down her father’s murderer. Between solving crimes spanning decades, traveling Europe with hired assassins, and performing onstage, a love triangle develops and Valentina is forced to choose between a deep-seated love and a passionate lust.

The Magician’s Daughter is a Historical Fiction novel, complete at 92,130 words. Readers who enjoyed The Historian, The Night Circus, and The Thirteenth Tale will appreciate this novel. I’m a technical writer by day and an aspiring author by night with an unhealthy addiction to the BBC. Thank you for this opportunity!

Sincerely,
Desirae Roosa


THE MAGICIAN'S DAUGHTER

The custard of the fruit tart gently jiggled at the rumbling of the train. I was hypnotized by its slight vibration; if only to distract myself from what I soon faced. The tranquility of my private carriage lulled me into a moment of calm. I lit the small candle poking from the tart’s middle and closed my eyes.


“Happy birthday, Mama.” The flame extinguished before I could take a breath to blow it out. I smiled. I didn’t have to turn around to see him standing in the doorway, though he made no sound.

“Are you prepared for tomorrow?” His English accent sounded like home; I turned to face him.

“I’ve practiced the three acts so many times I could perform them with my eyes closed.”

“Good girl.” He smiled, the wrinkles around his eyes deepening. He aged so much these last few years and I wondered what he kept from me. It wasn’t only his growing paranoia that tipped me off; but the way he became more and more distracted during his acts, almost expecting an interruption.

“I have a gift for you,” he said, producing a small red flower between his fingers and presenting it to me. The instant that my fingertips brushed against its stem, the flower disappeared, and in its place, hung a gold necklace with a simple red pendant.

“It’s beautiful. Thank you, Father.” His eyes twinkled. I knew he appreciated the term, though he wasn’t my real father.

Seriously? It's Been Over a Year?

Shame on me. Shame on my family. Shame on my neighbors.

I can't believe it's been over a year since I've written a blog post! Oh...wait...yes, yes I can believe that. I never have been good about posting, have I?

Well, I wanted to give you a heads up that, through the grace of complete randomness, I've been selected by a raffle to participate in a writing contest (yay!). The rules are that I have to post my query and first page of my novel to my blog. So, be warned! (Oh, and feel free to leave feedback, as long as it's positive! Just kidding, be honest...as long as it's positive...just kidding again! Okay, I'll stop now.) 

I hope you all are doing great, and thanks so much for not giving me the kabash...yet.

Happy Writing!

Get to Know that Allusive Character

Happy Wednesday, Literati!

I stumbled upon this interesting writer's tool this morning, and thought that I'd share. It's definitely fun reading what other writers have put out there. Soooo if you've got a shy character who you just can't figure out, perhaps this site can assist! Writing is such a solitary torture activity, so when writers come together, it can truly be an invaluable asset. If you're lucky enough to be part of an awesome writing group (as I am), then you know what I mean! If you're a writer and aren't part of a critique/beta group, my advice? Find one! Go to conferences, get involved with your local writing community and/or writing orgs/chapters, or find an online community, trust me, your experience will be priceless and your writing will improve. I cannot express this enough, it is important for writers to get critical feedback, and family members and best friends do not count! (Hops off soap box, spills oatmeal...seriously, I really did just spill oatmeal all over myself. Nice.)

Anyway, check out the link below and let us know if you post one of your characters up there!

Flesh Out Your Fictional Character on Reddit

Happy Reading and Writing!

Non-Fiction. That is All.

Hello Literati!

Can you believe we're already a couple weeks into March? It's incredible how quickly the days go by. I am, however, happy to report that I did bust out of my Writer's Block. (Freeeedom!) It just took scraping twenty two pages, but hey, whatever works, right? Things are better this way, right? Right? ... (insert cricket chirps here) ...

So, I've been tackling a horrible case of insomnia lately (let's face it, if it's not Writer's Block, it's something else!). Earlier this week, said insomnia led me to open my Netflix queue at 10 p.m. and browse. I came upon a movie that I've always wanted to see, and decided it was about time to give it a shot. The movie? Capote. I know, I know! How have I not seen this movie before?? What?!? How could I? The horror!! 

I won't review the movie here (it was good, enough said), but I will say this, it got me thinking about non-fiction. What I've always found fascinating is how the non-fiction novel, when compared to fiction, is like...well, a newborn baby. For those unawares, Truman Capote's book, In Cold Blood, is considered to be the first work of non-fiction ever published. The book was published in a four-part series by The New Yorker in 1965. That's right, 1965! See? Non-Fiction, a baby genre. Consider fiction for a second, with the first stirrings of the genre being discovered as early as 2000 BC. And stories such as The Illiad and The Odyssey were recorded in 8th century BC. 

Yeah, let that sink in.

Why did it take so long for the birth of a non-fiction story? I have no idea. There are some critics who will site other works as non-fiction, but it's widely agreed that Capote's book was the first non-fiction novel. 

I don't read a lot of non-fiction, but of what I have read, I've enjoyed. If you are new to non-fiction, I'd suggest In Cold Blood, but if you're not one for gory details, check out another one of my favorites, The Catcher was a Spy. And there's always Into Thin Air, which was excellent! How about you, is there a non-fiction book you'd recommend?

In the spirit of Capote, I've taken up a book I've had for a couple years and have yet to read: The Devil in the White City. It's more of a creative non-fiction novel, but so far it's incredibly interesting! So if you're a fiction junkie, maybe next time you're browsing through Goodreads, or trying to figure out what to read next, take a look at something non-fiction, it may surprise you!

What non-fiction books have you read and loved? Or are you devoted to fiction and simply refuse to read non-fiction? Let us know!

...And as always, Happy Reading and Writing!

The Infinite Colossal Wall of Obstruction

We've all been there.

Having a desire to accomplish something - a dream, a goal, getting through a Monday...but then you run into it: The Infinite Colossal Wall of Obstruction. It may be made of brick, cement, a fence running with high voltage electricity...whatever you picture this wall's materials, its sole function is to keep you from accomplishing your intended goal. 

Writer's refer to it oh-so lovingly as Writer's Block.

And right now, it has me walled in! The Wall has me locked within its tight embrace. There are no windows, no light, and no air in this metaphoric cell of brick and mortar.

I was hoping to tug out the unfortunate plot belly my current novel is experiencing. I need to add action, some suspense, a little more mystery (it IS a YA Historical Mystery after all!). So I know what I MUST do, I just have no idea HOW to do it. Not that I've never suffered from plot belly before, but in the past I was able to do a few crunches and voila! But not this last week/weekend. No amount of exercise or evading to other creative outlets (tutu for daughter - check, sew new dress for daughter - check, finish knitting scarf for Mom - check, make ABC books for my kids - check), nothing, NOTHING would permit me to scale that electric fence of definite Writer's Block. (Yes, my wall is brick, covered with electric fencing, and some other alien technology that blasts me with lasers should I attempt to escape.)

I usually find that writing prompts aide in hunting down my snarky muse. But not this time. My characters abandoned me. Ice cream didn't help either. Looking at nice big houses in Santa Barbara did nothing for me. Nor did packing up my sister's stuff for her big move to San Antonio (not that it would, I'm not writing a tragedy here). A small part of me DID, however, blame a certain show that failed to air a new episode this week...but I digress.

What tools do you turn to when you find yourself stuck in a pit of dreaded Writer's Block and your muse is being elusive? Is there a trick you revert to when you're trying to finish any project and just can't find the motivation? What do you turn to for that swift kick in the rear? What are your secrets for breaking down The Wall?

I'd love to hear what works for you, and as always, Happy Reading and Writing!

March Madness

Move aside basketball, because 2013's March Madness doesn't center around dribbles or exaggerated falls; but instead, centers around the massive amount of writing contests! I couldn't believe how many contests are out there this month!

I've listed some of the plethora of March Writing Contests below, but a simple Google search will bring up even more opportunities (Search: Writing Contests)! Let us know if you're entering any of the contests! 

Winter Story Contest

Deadline: March 31, 2013

Fee: $22

Prize: $2500

Submissions: Shorts, Essays, and Novel Excerpts

Inkubate: Literary Blockbuster Challenge

Deadline: March 31, 2013

Fee: $0

Prize: Review from an agent, plus $5000

Submissions: Fiction

ABQ Writer's Co-Op: Bosque Fiction Prize

Deadline: March 31, 2013

Fee: $22

Prize: $1000

Submissions: Short Story or Novel Excerpt

**This contest is only for writers 45 years and older.***

SCBWI: WIP Grant

Deadline: March 31, 2013

Fee: Membership

Prize: $2000

Submissions: SEVEN Categories to choose from! 

Pen Parentis: Writing Fellowship

Deadline: April 17, 2013

Fee: $25

Prize: $1000

Submissions: New, never published story up to 1200 words.

**Writers must have at least one child under the age of 10.**

As always, check out Miss Snark's First Victim and Glimmer Train for recurring contests!  Best of luck and Happy Writing!

Five Biggest Regretted Rejections

Hello Literati!
This weekend my awesome husband shared this link with me and I'm passing it on to you! Today is my  little guy's birthday, so I leave with the link to this article.

Check it out, Five Hilarious Reasons Publishers Rejected Classic Best-Sellers.

Happy Reading and Writing!

Where Were You Fifteen Years Ago?

It was a time before you heard of the magics and wonders of another world.

Before you knew the story of a hero, friend, and warrior...

And (gasp!), you probably didn't even know what quidditch could possibly mean!

Yes, fifteen years ago you hadn't yet met the scarred hero or his team of misfits. Terms such as Dumbledore's Army, butterbeer, squibs, muggles, Azkaban, and mudbloods would've sounded alien. 

But not today.

Fellow Literati, Harry Potter celebrates 15 years of publication this year. Isn't it amazing how quickly time flies by? Where's a time-turner when you need one?!?

There is too much to write just one article on the awesomeness of Harry Potter, so I'll stick to just a few things.

First, Harry's getting a new cover! (What!?) Yes, Bloomsbury is celebrating by giving the book a new look! Click here to check out the Sorcerer's Stone's new cover and to read more about the change. I think that the art is much better than the original, which I didn't much care for (though I will admit it has certainly become quite iconic!).

Second, and this is for all those aspiring authors out there, remind yourself of these numbers when you're feeling uninspired, when you receive a rejection, when a beta reader scoffs at your prose, or whenever you're just feeling downright miserable because you've made the insane "choice" to be a writer - 7, 8, 15: Seven books, eight movies, fifteen billion dollars (the amount of which the Harry Potter brand is worth, and yes that was a B, as in BILLION). Oh wait...not those numbers, THESE numbers: 12, 500, 450: Twelve rejections, 500 initial printed books, and 450 MILLION copies actually sold. 

So don't give up on your writing, 12 people rejected Harry's story, and many more may reject your protagonist's story. But you know it's an important story to tell, and you know people will enjoy it, keep the good fight!

Congratulations to J.K. Rowling, an amazing author, creator, and artist who changed many writers' lives on that fateful train ride on which Harry was conceived. I cannot wait to read the series to my kids and there is no doubt in my mind that the Harry Potter books will remain a favorite among humanity for a very, very, very long time!

What are your thoughts on the new art work? Let us know in the Comments! :)

Happy Reading and Writing! 

What do Lunches, Snark, and Sharks Have in Common?

Happy Monday!
The start of a new week always offers a fresh start. Today I wanted to discuss three websites of which I think every writer should be aware. They each offer a different service, but are equal in their awesomeness.

1) Publisher's Lunch

I receive this newsletter just about every day during the week. You can get the "snack" version for free, or pay for the full lunch. It's basically a newsletter that lists how many publishing deals have been made, any big moves (agents joining new agencies) or news in the publishing world, and any open jobs in said publishing world. If you opt to buy the deluxe lunch version, you get the details of every publishing deal made on the previous business day. 

2) Miss Snark's First Victim

The Authoress is the host of this site and she is amazing! She dedicates to much of her time to helping other writers find agents. She hosts several Secret Agent Contests each year, where entry is completely free, and a secret literary agent reviews all entries, giving his/her feedback on each one. Also helpful, are comments by her followers on each entry. Not only does she hold these incredible contests, she interviews agents, offers news from the publishing world, and gives a little info about her struggle on getting published and tid bits about her daily rituals.

3) The Query Shark

I know I've mentioned The Shark on my blog before, and I've had the pleasure to actually meet her face to face last year (Yay!). If you've never visited her site, go now. Like, right this minute and just return back here later. You must read through all the queries she has posted and study them carefully. This is a must if you're getting ready to send those query letters out anytime soon. Before you send anything, spend hours at this site!

That's it for today, kids. Check out those websites, even if you're not a writer, the first two may grab your interest as one who loves reading, books, and words. If you like to review people's works and comment, Miss Snark's First Victim site is perfect for you! 

As always, Happy Reading and Writing!

The Power of Writing

There is something amazing about books.

It's something that we may not think about each time we crack open a book, or turn those e-readers on, but the power of words is incredible.

They can start conversations; they can start wars.
Books can bring people together, and tear people apart.

This past week in Burma, a revolution took place - a Literary Festival. 

Burma has a dark history, but we won't go into that here. It is, however, important to note that Burma isn't known for independence, especially freedom of speech. Most citizens have never been exposed to any books other than censored classics approved by the government. Political prisoners are by the dozen and many include poets, authors, and artists.  Famous political prisoner and Nobel laureate and author, Aung San Suu Kyi, was the patron of the festival. Known for her outspoken opposition of the Burmese government and sentenced house arrest for the last 20 years, Aung said of the importance of reading, "[Reading] gives you a chance to understand how other people think, and what kind of experiences other people have been through," she said. "And it also helps you to cope with your own life." 

The festival, no doubt, was a giant step in Burma's attempt towards freedom of her people. Authors from all over the world came together to give workshops and just discuss the written word. What an amazing feat, in a nation that has been blemished with wars and restricting her people to even the smallest of freedoms - books. It seems indeed that the word is mightier than the sword.

What can we learn from the extraordinary people of Burma? For one thing, if you're a writer, you should feel extremely fortunate to have the freedom to write whatever you want, whenever you want. If you're a reader, feel fortunate that you can read whatever you want whenever you want. But I think we can learn something else. With the invention of social media, text messaging, even email, we've lost something: Conversation.

Obviously we all converse, and we have deep meaningful discussions, but where did the days go when people gathered to discuss literature? Unless you're a sophomore in high school, or a current English major, you probably don't participate in a group of open literature discussion. I would love to sit around, sipping on tea and eating tarts, and just discussing today's literature (or lack thereof). And attending a three-day literary festival??? Wow! That would be awesome! 

What are your thoughts on social media's impact on literary discussion? Do you agree with me, or do you think that today's innovative technology allows for more discussion? You may point out that through this blog, we've engaged in a sort of conversation around literature, and you'd be correct. But I often think of Lord Byron's "get togethers" where he'd bring writers to his villa and they'd discuss books and even have writing contests (at which Frankenstein was born), and I think about how I should do something like that! And why not? Maybe we can all throw our own mini literary festivals! (If you do throw one, you have to let us know!)

Is there a current bestseller you'd like to discuss? How about the influx of books being turned into movies? There are discussions to be had! Go out there and have them! Spread the word! 

And to all you writers out there, take the advice of 17 year old Aung Zin, the winner of the Burmese Literary Festival Contest, who said, "Don't be afraid. Just write."

Happy Reading and Writing!

2013 Goals and...Oh Yeah, I'm Back!

Happy 2013, Literati!

Okay, yes, I realize I'm a little late...but I'm back, Baby! (Tell your friends!) Where have I been? Somewhere between Wonderland and Mordor. I could blame my excessive workload, or my lack of blog-ivation, or just that life has a crazy way of actually getting in the way. For the plethora of reasons and excuses, I apologize. I'm now equipped with a new computer and I'm here to stay! Where is here, exactly? I've started a new project that I'm beyond excited about and I'm now armed with a list of 2013 goals to which I fully intend to accomplish this year. 

Let's talk about that: Goals. We all have them, and if you're, ahem, like me then you've written said goals somewhere and admire every few days. I'll be the first to admit that it's hard to reach your goals, there's the issue of motivation (lack thereof), not enough hours in the day, and just a long list of things you'd rather be doing (like eating ice cream and watching < insert guilty pleasure show here >). But now is the time! If not now, then when? 

So we're all in this together! Team huddle over here! Go grab a piece of paper and a pen, we'll wait. Okay, if you prefer using technology to create your lists, grab your phone or open a Word document, anything to jot down these five things: 2013 Goals. 

Now, they don't have to be grand ambitions, one of my goals for 2013 was to learn to knit and knit something (check, and check). Go ahead, give it some thought and record five realistic objectives. Here are mine:

1. Finish Current Project
2. Enter Three Writing Contests
3. Blog At Least Three Times a Week
4. Take a Krav Maga Class
5. Get an Agent

With that completed...It's time to introduce a new series! < Dances like robot > That's right, you knew I was going somewhere with this, right? ... Right? From here on out, Fridays will be known as...Friday Forum: < Topic >. We'll have posts covering inspiration, motivation, tips on accomplishing those five goals you just recorded, the evils of Pinterest (I love you, Pinterest), status reports, and more. 

I'd love to hear what your five goals are! Share them in the comments, or keep them to yourself, all that matters is that you know what they are. And this is the year to accomplish those objectives! No more excuses. (Come on, it's 2013 and you still haven't read To Kill a Mockingbird, etc.)

Thanks for sticking around! There is so much stuff in the literary world, just waiting to be discussed, so hang on tight, we are in for some intellectual colloquy and amusing antics! Don't forget to share your goals in the comments, and as always...

Happy Writing!

Comma, Comma, Comma, Comma, Chameleon!

My fellow, Literati!  Oh!  How I hang my head in shame!  It’s been weeks since I’ve posted a new blog and I am ashamed!  There are reasons, excuses as to why I found no time between work, writing, and critiquing...but I’d rather not bore you! 

I hope this post finds you all well and happy! 

I’m in an awesome writing group and received my Middle Grade novel back from one of my reviewers (let’s call her E.K. because she comes up again later).  I’m fortunate enough that she’s also an editor at a very big publishing house and her feedback was amazing!  I’ve updated the novel and am ready to now send it to the agents that requested it at Backspace.  Super excited!  I must admit, my “Thank You” page in my novel is going to be quite long!

I also received a few blog awards from the awesome E.B. Pike!  Check out her blog, Writerlious, it is awesome!  So  a BIG thank-you to E.B.  I’m not sure how to post the awards on my Blogger blog, but I tip my hat to you!

I thought I’d share a sentence with you that has been in my novel since it was just a very rough draft.  I’ve read my book about thirty times and never caught it.  Other have read my book and never caught it.  But it makes me laugh when I think about it.  E.K. caught it though and I love her comment that went along with it too.  Here’s the sentence:

“You need to eat young man!”

Did you catch the error?  E.K. pointed the error to me with this comment: “Unless he’s a cannibal, you’re missing a comma. (smiley face)”

No, he’s not a cannibal.  J  But it does remind us how important one little mark can be.  Do you have a favorite sentence or phrase that can mean something totally different if missing a comma?   More on commas to come!  Also, look for the next installment of our Fairy Tale series this week!

Happy Writing!

Tips from David L. Robbins

Hemingway said of writing, “We are all apprentices in a craft where no one ever becomes a master.”   A writer who understands the craft and understands the process will tell you that there will always be more to learn, I just didn’t realize HOW much there was to learn!  I’ve been writing for many a moon and though I wouldn’t call myself a seasoned writer, I thought myself fluent in the basics.  Wrong!  I learned so much about my own writing in one of the Backspace seminars I attended.  It was given by writer David L. Robbins.  You may know him as the author behind the book the movie Enemy at the Gates was based on.

I wanted to share some of my notes for those Literati who are writers or are pondering the idea.

According to Robbins, there are four very important parts of a story: Setting, Research, Point of View, and Tension.  I won’t be able to go over everything in one blog post; my notes total at least twenty pages!  So I’ll list some of the stronger points from the presentation. 

• Do not write what you know; write what you learn.  Robbins gave this as an example: You’re in a classroom where a presentation is interrupted by sirens outside.  The teacher tells a student to go see what has happened.  The guy is going to come back, out of breath, and tell you something like, “Oh my gosh!  There are four cars piled on top of each other, there’s smoke and fire, debris litters the streets, the firemen are pulling people out of crushed cars with the Jaws of Life, and there are people arguing in the streets!” You’ve got the emotion and the detail in his voice.  But if you ask him a year later, “Hey, what did you see that day of the accident?”  He’d probably reply, “There was an accident with four cars and it was pretty bad.”  You lose the excitement and the detail.   So write what you LEARN, retain that excitement and detail in your writing.
• Don’t use tricks to excite readers – “accidental” surprises and convenient revelations are transparent and are used when there is a weak story or weak writing.
• Readers want to connect to the protagonist, but writers tend to “foil the link” with weak writing.  Don’t write what your character can’t see, don’t hesitate, don’t muddle your sentences with unnecessary words.  Example: “He shrugged his shoulders.” No – “He shrugged.”  “He looked up to the sky.”  No – “He looked to the sky.”
• Have distinct characters.  We are storytellers; do not write about normal people.  Don’t make your protagonist a victim.  Strong characters drive the story and can’t be taken out.  Characters are not the WHAT in your story, the plot is the what.  Characters are the WHY.
• See the world through the character’s eyes.  Imagine a castle being looked upon by two brothers on a far off hill.  One brother has just returned from fighting in a war, he is to be king, and he loves his home.  The other brother is jealous, he has bottled anger, and he hates his home.  Both brothers will be looking to this castle with different feelings, different thoughts; tell your story through your protagonist’s POV.
• Stakes.  Establish the stakes on page one.  Don’t sacrifice stakes.  Have an imbalance and make it clear to the reader that there will be this imbalance, this struggle.  What is at risk?  Manipulate who knows what.  Engage the reader.  Your character is about to open a door the reader knows is the closet the killer is hiding in.  You want your reader to be saying, “No!  No!  Don’t open the door!!”  You have to make the reader care.
• Precision is concision.  Never let two words do the job of one.  Watch out for those weed words (see previous blog post, Weed Words?  I Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Weed Words!).  Don’t waste a page in a kitchen (unless it’s an integral part of the story).
• Integrate place into your story.  Embrace opportunities to describe the setting. 
• Strong writing.  Don’t use expressions or clichés.  Stay away from mundane expressions.  Be careful with prepositions, the obvious, extra words, and redundancies.  Examine each sentence.  Each sentence has to move the story forward.
• No info dumps.  Never have anything on the page that the character isn’t thinking.  Do not engage backstory until the character is thinking about it.  No flashbacks. 
• Show, don’t tell.  Create scenes and describe what is happening to your character, do not tell the reader how the character feels.  (Again, see the previous post, Weed Words?  I Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Weed Words!).

And most of all, know that rejection does not mean stop.  Happy Writing!

The Real Story: The Little Mermaid

As most of you know, Disney Studios doesn’t always come up with their blockbusters from scratch. They borrow from some of the most well-known creators of fairytale lore: Hans Christian Anderson and The Brothers Grimm. They pepper the plot with a little pixie dust (for the kiddies) and out pops a smash hit, along with a love ballad.


But what some of you may not know are the REAL stories. On that note, I introduce to you The Real Story series. We’ll focus on the original stories of Disney’s most coveted; down to the sordid details.

To kick the series off, I bring you The Little Mermaid (or The Little Sea Woman, as it was originally titled).

The story takes place in the deepest of the deep ocean, a place no human could ever travel. The Little Mermaid was a princess who lived in this bottomless abyss with her father (the Sea King), her grandmother, and her five older sisters. Each princess had a plot of land in which to grow a garden, and days were filled with play and laughter. Only, the Little Mermaid spent most of her time tending to her garden. She wasn’t like her sisters, who delighted in swimming around the castle. The Little Mermaid had once come upon a shipwreck where she found a human statue. She placed this statue in her garden alongside her favorite flowers.

The Little Mermaid was always asking her grandmother to tell her stories about life outside the ocean; she learned of humans and other animals. The mermaids had beautiful voices, and none were so beautiful as the six princesses. Now, the mermaids’ lives spanned for 300 years and at the age of 15, they were allowed to swim to the surface of the water to see the earth. When the Little Mermaid turned 15, she swam up with vigor and excitement.

As she breaks the water, she rises upon a ship and looks through its windows. She sees the prince and instantly falls in love with him (side note: the prince has just turned the manly age of 16). A massive storm hits that night and the ship is smashed into bits by mighty waves. At first, the Little Mermaid is happy to see the prince sinking into the depths, until she remembers that her grandmother said that humans can’t live in water. So she saves the guy.

She works very hard to keep him alive and drops him off at a temple built off the sea’s coast. The Little Mermaid hides behind a large rock to make sure the prince recovers, before he does; a young woman approaches him and then calls for help. He soon awakens and is shaking hands and smiling with everyone...everyone, except the Little Mermaid.

The Little Mermaid was devastated and broken hearted. She longed to be with the prince. In her sorrow she neglected her garden, stopped talking, and refused to tell her sisters what she had seen at the surface. She finally broke down and told one sister, who told the others. Together, they found the palace and took their little sister to the prince. The Little Mermaid spent her days and nights watching the young prince from the sea, falling deeper in love with him.

She asks her grandmother if humans live as long as mermaids and her grandmother tells her that humans have shorter life spans. However, she explains, humans are given eternal life after they die, unlike mermaids, who after their 300 years basically become sea foam. The only way a mermaid can have eternal life is to get a human to love her more than anything in the world and part of the human’s soul will transfer to the mermaid. She also reminds her granddaughter that humans have legs and find fishtails quite repulsive.

The Little Mermaid decides to see the Sea Witch for help, crossing over to her part of the sea wrought with death and decay and mutant animal/plant hybrids. The Sea Witch lives inside a house built from human bones, she allows a toad to eat from her mouth, and sea snakes to “crawl all over her bosom.” The sorceress knows what the foolish princess wants. She tells her that she will give her legs, make her the finest dancer, and that every human will see her as the most beautiful girl they’ve ever seen, but warns that each step she takes with her human legs will be like stepping on the blades of the sharpest of knives.

The Little Mermaid agrees, but there’s more fine print. The Sea Witch also tells her she can never return to the sea, never see her family again, will never be able to speak again, and that if the prince marries someone else, then she’ll die from a broken heart. Still, the princess accepts the terms. The witch makes up a pot of magic potion, finally pricking her breast with a needle and allowing her black blood to drip into the pot. She bottles the concoction and hands it to the Little Mermaid before cutting out her tongue.

The mermaid swims to the shore and drinks from the twinkling bottle, waking up naked and with two long legs and small feet. The prince finds her and she covers her body with her long hair. He takes her back to his castle, fits her in the finest robes, and she tags along wherever he goes. She dances for him and he is so enchanted by her gracefulness, he tells her she shall be with him always. So the princess is allowed to sleep outside his door on a red cushion (sweet!). She follows the prince everywhere he goes like a willing and happy little lovesick puppy. Her sisters find her and they cry for their loss.

One day the prince tells the Little Mermaid about his love for her, you know, the kind of love he would have for a small child. He tells her how he’s in love with a woman that saved his life when his ship wrecked in a storm. He says this is the only woman he could ever love. When his parents arrange his marriage to a neighboring princess, he tells the Little Mermaid he will not marry the princess and, “I would rather choose you, my dumb foundling, with those expressive eyes.” (What a sweet talker.)

But of course, when he goes to meet the princess, he finds that she was the woman in the temple who he thinks saved his life. The pair are married immediately.

The Little Mermaid waits for death to come, but instead, her sisters appear before her on the ship on which the wedding was held. Their long beautiful hair has been chopped off and they tell her they gave their hair to the Sea Witch in exchange for the Little Mermaid’s life. The witch has given the sisters a knife that the Little Mermaid must use to kill the prince, allowing his blood to touch her feet. His blood will transform her legs back into a fish tail and she can return to the sea. But the Little Mermaid cannot kill the prince. She tosses the knife into the sea and throws herself into the ocean, dying upon impact.

But this isn’t the end for the Little Mermaid. She is met by the “daughters of the air” – pretty much ghosts. These ghosts tell her that she has earned immortal life, but before she can reach Heaven, she has to serve out a 300 year sentence, wandering the earth as a ghost.

However, if she finds good boys and girls who love and listen to their moms and dads, then she gets a year taken from her sentence. For every naughty kid, she gets a day added to her sentence.

And that’s it, Literati, the true story of the Little Mermaid. No happily ever after for the sea princess. That’s actually one of the more tame stories I’ll be sharing with you during this series.

As always, happy reading and writing!

Weed Words? I Don't Need No Stinkin' Weed Words!

As a writer you are constantly hearing the professionals talk about “tight writing.”  I thought I knew what this meant: have a good story with no loose ends.  Wrong!  I didn't understand what the term meant, until Backspace entered my life.

Tight writing keeps the reader in the story; the tighter the writing, the tighter your hold.  Okay, but what does it mean?  It means stay far, far, far, away from words that clutter your sentence.   Writers tend to like these words, they make us feel warm and fuzzy inside.  But beware; these words are evil little infiltrators that love sneaking into your sentences and muddling them.  Muddled sentences are bad.

Here’s a little exercise for you.  Take a page from whatever project you’re currently working on and see how many of these words you find:

About

All

Almost

As

Very

Only

Just

That 

These, Literati, are referred to as “weed words.”  Don’t Google the term though, you’ll be assaulted by pages and pages of links about marijuana.  True story.  A side note: Janet Reid, literary agent extraordinaire, refers to removing these words as a “that-ectomy,” essentially removing the word “that” from your writing.  But wait!  There are more evil infiltrators!  Adverbs and adjectives and infinitives...oh my!

What are the first ten rules of creative writing?  Anyone?  Anyone? Bueller?  Rules one through ten are the same: Show, don’t tell.   But what does it mean????  Allow me to drop some knowledge (thank you David L. Robbins!). 

She waited anxiously.

She sat waiting, biting her nails and shaking her leg. 

In the first example, the writer is telling the reader the character is anxious; in the second example, the writer is showing the reader that the character is anxious. 

 
Bottom line, we are storytellers and our readers want a good story, they long for one!  You’re a reader, you know this.  Our goal is to capture the reader and pull him/her into our story.  Make the story believable, create strong characters, and kill those weed words.  Weed words take a reader out of the story. 

Stay tuned for the first installation of the Fairytale Series (tomorrow) as well as more notes from Backspace, including details from David L. Robbins’ seminar.   If you are a writer, this is a MUST READ.

As always, happy reading and writing!

 

Summer Reading Conundrum

Having trouble figuring out what to read this summer?  I found this cool flowchart through Shelf Awareness, courtesy of teach.com.  Check it out:

Via Teach.com and USC Rossier Online

My summer reading began with Swamplandia!.  But I have to be honest, I cannot get into it.  I’m a little less than halfway through it and am so tempted to stop and move on to another novel.  I make it a rule to not give up on a book, even if doing so is torture, I always finish a book.  Now, as a super busy mom with a full-time job and a strict writing schedule, it may be time to nix that rule.  I don’t have time to waste on a book I don’t enjoy.   

Do you finish a book, even if you aren’t enjoying it?  How many chances do you give a novel before you give it the boot?  Or are you a reading soldier, trudging along each agonizing sentence until the last word, never giving up? 

I look forward to reading your personal philosophy on finishing novels!  Happy reading and writing!

The Most Beautiful Words

Think fast: What is your favorite word? 

What makes that word, out of the three quarters of a million English words, your absolute favorite?  Is it the definition or the sound or perhaps a memory? 

I have a plethora of most desired and quintessential words, but I think my all time favorite word is “cake”! 

“Cake?” You ask.  Sure, and let me tell you why.  First, say it aloud, now, don’t rush through it!  Take a deep breath and when you exhale, say, “cake.”   For me, it’s the hard c and k sounds frosted with the soft and romantic “a” in the middle.  I love the sound of it.  But, there’s more.  Cake is a good word; nothing bad can come from cake.  Cake brings memories of parties, celebrations, and sweet aromas wafting in the kitchen.  Not to mention that they’re topped with a delicious light and fluffy icing that seduces your tongue and washes away any lingering feelings of remorse or sadness.  Cake is the embodiment of happiness.

I found this list of the 100 Most Beautiful Words in English, unfortunately, “cake” is not on the list, and neither are addled, malarky, or muse.  However, some of my other favorites are, including (and who doesn’t like this one?): onomatopoeia.  One of the best words ever!  (In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve used some of my favorite words above and painted them in red font.)

Take a look at the list and let me know what you think!  Also, I’d love to hear what your favorite word is and why!  Happy reading and writing!

(The following list was created by Dr. Robert Beard, a connoisseur of dictionaries and word lists.)

1.       Ailurophile

2.       Assemblage

3.       Becoming

4.       Beleaguer

5.       Brood

6.       Bucolic

7.       Bungalow

8.       Chatoyant

9.       Comely

10.   Conflate

11.   Cynosure

12.   Dalliance

13.   Demesne

14.   Demure

15.   Denouement

16.   Desuetude

17.   Desultory

18.   Dissemble

19.   Dulcet

20.   Ebullience

21.   Effervescent

22.   Efflorescence

23.   Elision

24.   Elixir

25.   Eloquence

26.   Embrocation

27.   Emollient

28.   Ephemeral

29.   Epiphany

30.   Erstwhile

31.   Ethereal

32.   Evanescent

33.   Evocative

34.   Fethching

35.   Felicity

36.   Forbearance

37.   Fugacious

38.   Furtive

39.   Gambol

40.   Glamour

41.   Halcyon

42.   Harbinger

43.   Imbrication

44.   Imbroglio

45.   Imbue

46.   Incipient

47.   Ineffable

48.   Ingénue

49.   Inglenook

50.   Insouciance

51.   Inure

52.   Labyrinthine

53.   Lagniappe

54.   Lagoon

55.   Languor

56.   Lassitude

57.   Leisure

58.   Lilt

59.   Lissome

60. f  Lithe

61.   Love

62.   Mellifluous

63.   Moiety

64.   Mondegreen

65.   Mumurous

66.   Nemesis

67.   Offing

68.   Onomatopoeia

69.   Opulent

70.   Palimpsest

71.   Panacea

72.   Panoply

73.   Pastiche

74.   Penumbra

75.   Petrichor

76.   Plethora

77.   Propinquity

78.   Pyrrhic

79.   Quintessential

80.   Ratatouille (I don’t know how this one counts, since it’s a French dish...)

81.   Ravel

82.   Redolent

83.   Riparian

84.   Ripple

85.   Scintilla

86.   Sempiternal

87.   Seraglio

88.   Serendipity

89.   Summery

90.   Sumptuous

91.   Surreptitious

92.   Susquehanna

93.   Susurrous

94.   Talisman

95.   Tintinnabulation

96.   Umbrella

97.   Untoward

98.   Vestigial

99.   Wherewithal

100.      Woebegone