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Wednesday Word: Crossworlds Inspiration Part 3

3/29/2017

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Moments of Clarity

​If anyone told me when I was younger that someday I’d want to be an author more than anything, I would have legitimately thought they were crazy. But I remember two distinct moments where something in my brain clicked into place. These didn’t reveal to me what I wanted to become, but they helped point me in the right direction.
 
I honestly don’t know when I started to enjoy writing, but it was probably long before I realized I enjoyed writing. I didn’t even know I liked reading for a long time. One time when I was maybe thirteen, my dad and I were out to lunch together, and he asked me something I’ll never forget:
 
“Hey, Libby, you like to read, don’t you?”
Me: “Meh, sometimes, kind of.”
Dad: “Well, you like reading the Harry Potter books, right?”
Me: “OMG, YES!!”
Dad: “Well, then you like to read.”
 
Ooohh, okay, so that’s how it works. I don’t know why I never thought of it like that before.
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​Before that, I remember a day where the word “author” felt more powerful and special than it ever had before.
 
I was in fifth grade, and we were playing a game to get ready for a spelling test. Our teacher called up people to the board to write one of the words on our test, and sort of made it like a game show. I don't remember the details. I just know he would describe for each person individually all the glorious things they'd get (all pretend) if they spelled the word right.
 
Now, everyone loved this teacher. Everyone wanted to be in his class, and during this game, I could really see why. All the “prizes” he described for each student were so personalized, like he was looking into their brains and seeing their dreams.
 
He called me up to the board, and started going on about how I'd be a princess living in a grand castle and all these wonderful things, if I spelled the word right. Spot on for this hopeless girly kid.
 
And then it got weirder, though I didn't really understand back then just how much. The word I was supposed to spell was "author." I think at that age, my stories were just beginning to come into my head in tiny bits and pieces. Still, it felt like a big moment even then, when I was writing the word down. I got it right, went home, pretended to be a princess, and after that didn't think much of the whole thing. But looking back on it now, this was huge.


Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
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Tuesday Tips: On Creepy Relationships

3/28/2017

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We've all seen them. Edward and Bella. Fifty Shades of Creepiness.
 
My very own Claire and November in Stories of the Early Days.
 
Wait, what?
 
When you read the title of this post, you probably thought my message was simply “don’t write creepy relationships.” I mean, the title does imply I have a problem with them. Why then, would I write one myself? And why would I admit—straight up state without excuses—that I wrote one?

It all comes down to one very simple reason. I don’t have a problem with a creepy relationship that’s supposed to come across as creepy.
 
I do have problems with the other kind. The creepy, sometimes blatantly abusive relationship that readers are supposed to find romantic. Oh, he watches her sleep? So sweet! Oh, he’s following her around, checking her phone, stalking her facebook? That’s not messed up at all, he just really, really cares about her and wants to know what she’s up to at all times. Normal.
 
People say Bella’s a terrible role model for girls. Then people argue back and say “she doesn’t have to be a role model that would be soo boring if all protagonists were perfect straight-A street-smart health-conscious mentally stable kind-hearted confident role models!”
 
Yes. Yes, that would get boring. We need characters to have flaws. The fact that Bella isn’t a “role model” isn’t her problem, it’s that she has no substance at all, and yet everyone (inside the story) adores her. Inside the story, she is a role model. Having no substance is apparently a good thing.
 
Then we have Claire and November. November rescues Claire, saves her life, and returns her to the mansion. Then he wants to return home, but Claire won’t let him. She says she needs him. She abuses and manipulates him to keep him by her side. She uses their daughter against him. Cuts him off from others. It’s all very messed up.
 
But I don’t write them as a happy, romantic couple. They’re not supposed to be. This is an abusive relationship. Claire is an insane queen, mad with grief and power. She’s no role model for girls, and it's very clear she's not seen that way, in or outside the story.
 
I’m not here to tell you not to write that creepy relationship. In fact, go right ahead and do it. But before you begin, promise me this:
 
Promise me you'll make it crystal clear that it’s not healthy or romantic. Call out the creep. Do not romanticize the abuse. Treat things as what they are. Your characters don’t have to be role models to be good characters. 

Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
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Monday Music: Clarity -- Backtrack

3/27/2017

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I have several songs that sum up the relationship between Claire and November, and this is one of the first I found. A little on the nose, maybe, what with "Claire" and "Clarity" (believe me, this isn't the worst I've found... you'll see), but it fits them so perfectly.

November rescues Claire in the Northern forest, and brings her back home to the mansion. But things grow complicated between them. Claire is still trapped in madness, and November cares for her too much to walk away--even if it's killing him to stay by her side.

This cover in particular fits their relationship more than the original. And you know I just love acapella anyway.

Stories of the Early Days is coming soon!

Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
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Wednesday Word: Thoughts on "Fangirl," by Rainbow Rowell

3/22/2017

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This isn't so much of a review as it is some thoughts of mine. I did love this book. Five stars. I mean, this book had family drama, romance, and twins. Of course I'm gonna like it. So, onward we go...

This book had some freaky similarities to my own life. Everything from the relationship between Cath and Levi to the weather feeling like January in March (seriously, winter, stop).

I'm a shut in who would rather be writing than out in the world. I'm quite similar to Cath in a lot of ways. The main difference? She writes fanfiction. 


I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a writing snob. I’m a snob because I’ve always looked down on fanfiction. Like, can’t you losers come up with your own material? Can’t you go live in your own world? But, as I started reading “Fangirl,” my thoughts started to change.

I’ve never written fanfiction, at least, nothing long, and nothing that I thought I might ever share. I’ve certainly journaled thoughts on books, and said what I thought should have happened. But those were always brief—nothing more than jotting down thoughts. I always wondered, how could someone be so dedicated to writing a story with characters that weren’t their own? And why would anyone ever think of sharing it?

Cath came along to teach me some things:

“The whole point of fanfiction is that you get to play inside somebody else’s universe. Rewrite the rules. Or bend them. The story doesn’t have to end when Gemma Leslie gets tired of it. You can stay in this world, this world you love, as long as you want, as long as you keep thinking of new stories…”

You can stay in the world you love…

That changed everything for me. The cynical part still nagged, why don’t you just build your own world to love? But maybe not everyone has a world… At least, not everyone has to build a world themselves, but everyone does have a home on some world…

So let’s say there are these worlds floating around. “Fictional” worlds. Like, the world of Harry Potter, or the world of Crossworlds. Cath found her home on Gemma Leslie’s world. Each person has a perfect world for them, but not everyone makes another world.

Yeah. This is how my brain works.

I don’t know if that even makes any sense. But if I didn’t have Crossworlds, I’d probably make my home in some other story world and settle down there forever.

Then I asked this question: Do I want people writing Crossworlds fanfiction? How would I feel about that?

The answer is, simply incredible. That would be fantastic. That would be like, an author milestone. That someone would love my world enough to not be able to stop thinking about it, and absolutely need to see on paper how they would change things, because my world feels like their world.

Okay, so I understand a little better now why people write fanfic. As a book lover, I can grasp that. But why share them? Why post them online for the world to see?

Now I kind of get that too. I love discussing books. I love the “should haves” and the “what ifs,” and that’s what fanfic is all about. Sharing fanfic is just a more direct way into that discussion. The fanfic writer shares their “what if?” scenario, sparking a multitude of conversations.

Writing fanfiction is also an excellent starting place to develop technical writing skills. Maybe you want to be a better writer but don't have a story or a world in mind. You can still practice with characters that aren't your own.

So, if you’re also a snob when it comes to fanfiction like I am, I hope this has helped open your eyes, and I would recommend reading “Fangirl” to understand even better (also, there's family drama, romance, and twins!). If you are a writer of fanfiction, I hope you forgive my snobbishness.


​I will never “get tired” of Crossworlds, but someday, far off in the future, hopefully the literal minute before I die, this series will end. But maybe it will live forever in the minds of others, growing and changing in ways I never would have thought of.

Have all the fun you can in every world you love!


Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
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Tuesday Tips - Your Writing Atmosphere

3/21/2017

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Your ideal writing environment is probably going to change based on what your writing, and where you are in the writing process. Is it better to write in silence, or with background noise? Do you sit at a desk, a chair, or lounge in bed? Alone, or out in a coffee shop?
 

​
Personally, I like silence (or as close as I can get) when writing new material. I want to be able to be totally lost in the story. I don't like distractions and I need to be alone. I’m one of those DON’T LOOK AT IT until it’s finished kind of people, and even if I think someone’s looking at me I can’t write.

I like to be sitting upright when writing, but still relaxed A desk does help my focus, but I enjoy my comfy chair. I find my bed to be too relaxing to get much writing done. But lazy clothes are perfect. I want to be able to stay put for a good amount of time.

When I’m editing, particularly a scene I’ve read over before, I like music. Especially music I associate with the story. For example, playing “The Earth Moved” while editing the end of Acapella Angels with the storm. Giving your stories a soundtrack is a ton of fun. I’ve also tried writing with good “studying music,” mostly classical stuff. Just search for it on youtube and they’ll give you some good long mixes. If it helps you, it’s a double bonus. Not only are you getting good writing done, you also get to feel super high class and fancy.

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I’ve learned to write and edit with other background noise, even though it’s not ideal. Only you will know what your ideal writing environment is. No one spot will work for everyone, so be open to experimentation. Once you find it, maximize its use. Try to learn to adapt to other situations as well, but use your perfect writing environment as much as possible. In your personal writing heaven, you’ll do your best work, and be encouraged to write more often. Which, as I’ve said 600 times before, is one of your super important golden rules.

It's also important to note that the writing should come first. Spending too much time creating your perfect environment can lead to prolonged procrastination. 


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You should be here--inside the story.
Now get to it!
Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
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Monday Music: Colbie Caillat - Brighter Than The Sun

3/20/2017

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Spring is finally here! Happy first day of Spring!!

Hopefully the sun will in fact be shining bright enough for people to say other things are "brighter than the sun." Anyway...

This song reminds me of Helen, introduced in "The Mansion's Family" (we will be seeing more of her). Helen ran away from her family at an early age, and Jerome's people took her in. As she grew older, she began to develop romantic feelings for him. This song sums that up.

Why such a cheerful song for one of Jerome's people? Well, I always thought this song was a bit odd. "Lightning strikes the heart," "it goes off like a gun" and stars falling from the sky... It's a little bit violent, don't you think?

Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
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Wednesday Word: Fiction Evil vs. Real Evil

3/15/2017

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​Oh yeah. We're getting real profound today.
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This is probably my all-time favorite writing quote, and this week I wanted to discuss how it applies to good vs evil.
 
Villains in fiction are often difficult characters to write. Why? Because we need them to have reasons for their evil deeds. We need to understand them, give them purpose. People often say you should think about your evil character as though he/she is the protagonist in their own story.
 
And yet…
 
Real evil often has no explanation. Some people in the real world are just bad. They do terrible things and we will never have any explanation. You don’t hear about their terrible childhood, or tragic event that set them on a path to darkness. There’s no hidden noble deed they’re secretly striving toward.
 
Fictional villains who are terrible for no reason get labelled as “unrealistic.” That’s a bad villain. Clearly the writer had no idea what they were doing. Yet when we watch the news, see something awful, and our kids ask “how could they do that?” what do we tell them? “Some people are just bad.” Or, “There are some bad people out there.”
 
But fiction has to make sense. We want to believe someone would only do a terrible thing if they had a real, concreate reason to.
 
I think that says a lot about who we are. The old philosophical question “are people inherently good or evil?” might have an answer in here. If evil is so difficult for writers to get right, what does that mean? Alright, maybe it’s not an answer, but people seem to want to believe others are inherently good. That’s kind of hopeful, isn’t it?
 
This also has negative consequences, though. If you so strongly believe everyone is good by nature, and then someone hurts another, you might blame the victim. You might think they had to have done something to provoke the attack, because you want the cruel actions to make sense. Also, you want to be able to protect yourself. You want to think that if you take all the necessary precautions, nothing bad will ever happen to you. After all, it’d be awfully scary if after doing everything right to protect yourself, you still got hurt.
 
But sadly, as we know, that happens. Because the real world doesn’t make sense like fiction. Because there is inexplicable evil out there. And even if there are reasons behind the cruel deeds, usually we won’t get to hear them. Sometimes, the real world owes us an explanation.
 
But overall, I think this is a hopeful thing. People want to believe others are good. For most of us, “evil” is a difficult concept to wrap our brains around. We have to strive to think of reasons for cruelty, give our villains tragic backstories, or even hidden noble quests that only appear wrong from the outside.
 
So, how do you think about evil in the real world? Do you think most people are good, evil, or something else? Happy pondering, and I'll see you Monday!


Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
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Tuesday Tips - Quick Tips Review

3/14/2017

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1) For love stories: Know your character. Know what her main goal is (and it shouldn’t be getting a boyfriend), know her limits, and let her have some fun. Give as much attention to developing your love interest as you do to your main character.

2) Keep on writing! 

3) 
On character development: Your characters shouldn’t be entirely good or entirely evil, every real person is a balance of both. Let your characters grow throughout the story based on what’s happening around them. 

4) 
Read another book! 

5) 
Go ahead and draft your story starting with a character’s morning routine, then keep writing, and keep writing. Once you’ve got a good amount to work with, cut to the chase. Remove the morning scene, and edit in any important details. 

6) 
You know what I’m about to say. Read more. Write more. They’re called golden rules for a reason. 

7) 
For both writing and life in general, keep smiling!
Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
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Monday Music: Reverse Osmosis - Break Me Out

3/13/2017

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This song reminds me of Ellie and Savannah running away together, but I love it outside of Crossworlds too. Reverse Osmosis is one of my favorite acapella groups. Happy Monday!
Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
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Wednesday Word: From special guest author, Harvey Jones!

3/8/2017

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Appreciation

əˌprēSHēˈāSH(ə)n

Noun
1. Recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something. "I smiled in appreciation"

Synonyms: valuing, respect, prizing, cherishing, treasuring, admiration, regard, esteem, high opinion "appreciation of literature comes only from first-hand study of the works of great writers"

2. A full understanding of a situation. "the bank's lack of appreciation of their problems"

Synonyms: acknowledgement, recognition, realization, knowledge; awareness, consciousness, cognizance; sensitivity, alertness; sympathy, understanding, comprehension, perception, discernment "he gained an appreciation of the significance of teamwork"
Check out Harvey Jone's books below!
**please note these are erotic books with adult content**
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Hook Up
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Legacies
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