Crossworlds
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Bonus Material

Wednesday Word: Thoughts on "FERTS" by Grace Hudson

6/28/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
The war is over. Resources are scarce. The population is dwindling in the Forkstream Territories.

Pinnacle Officer Wilcox has created FERTS amidst the chaos, a facility designed to protect the female population from raiding hordes. 

Beth 259201, a newly-demoted Epsilon Internee, suspects that there is something more that lurks beneath the carefully constructed order of the facility. 

She has a gift, one that could brand her a defective. A novice fighter, she must use her intellect to survive. Her own life, and the lives of many more may be at risk. Will she succumb to the plans in store for her or will she conceal her secret long enough to discover her own path? 

FERTS is a post-apocalyptic dystopian thriller. Reader discretion is advised.

​I read this book twice, mainly because the first time, my brain couldn’t wrap around the concepts, simply because I wasn’t at all prepared for this book. I don’t know what I expected when I picked it up, but it was much darker. Dystopian isn’t really my genre. That said, this is excellent, high quality dystopian.
 
But I think this can happen sometimes, no matter how great a book is. If your mind isn’t ready for it, you just won’t get it. So, here’s what you need to know before reading FERTS:

Pinnacle Officer Wilcox has created FERTS, a facility designed to protect the female population from raiding hordes. Or so he said. "FERTS" did gather all the women, but not for their protection. FERTS made them objects to be bought and sold. They were stripped of their names and given numbers, and placed into categories. Some work. Others fight. But the most coveted position is that of a Vassal: one beautiful and obedient enough to be sold to a citizen of a nearby village.

The story follows "201" and her life inside the facility. Most of the women inside FERTS are brainwashed to want to become Vassals, but 201 is different. She wants more than FERTS can offer her. 

Also, these books are very dark. The first time I read a scene in the "games ring" (no spoilers) I was like... "Wait, what? What's happening? Really? They do that? Really? What even is this?" So, there's your warning. If you like dark, dystopian books, this should go to the top of your reading list. If not, I'd still recommend it if you like thought-provoking reads. A wise woman once said that if you don't like something, you just haven't experienced the best of that thing. For example, if you don't like a certain food, you haven't had it cooked properly. Or, if you don't like dystopian (like me), you haven't read FERTS. But if you can't handle dark reads or violence, this probably isn't the book for you.

I feel like this would be the perfect book to read and discuss in a college classroom. I enjoyed pondering questions along the way, like: How did this happen? Could this happen in the real world? What would it take for people to behave this way? Would the women really accept the life FERTS gave them, and strive to become successful in it?

This book is powerful and thought provoking. It's very well written, and once it hooks you, you're sucked in for good. It's dark and suspenseful, and keeps you turning pages. I will certainly be reading the next books in the series, as this one definitely earned five stars.

Check out the series below!
FERTS
The Rogue Thread
Alpha Field
0 Comments

Tuesday Tips: From special guest author, Grace Hudson!

6/27/2017

0 Comments

 
​Reading outside the genre I write in has been helpful in informing my writing. I recommend it to anyone who wants to think outside the usual parameters of their chosen genre. What I recommend is not necessarily what will work for everyone. I believe that a writer should write whatever story needs to be told, regardless of whether it’s going to appeal to a certain demographic. I don’t like the idea of being “safe” with writing. Sometimes the best stuff is the thing that you write and then wonder “what the hell am I doing?” Like I said, my advice probably isn’t for everyone. A lot of people like to read what is expected, following a set of rules and reaching a predictable conclusion. I believe every writer needs to do this to some extent but there’s no reason why you can’t stray off the path and challenge people’s perceptions along the way.
Picture
FERTS
Picture
The Rogue Thread
Picture
Alpha Field
0 Comments

Monday Music: Denez Prigent feat Lisa Gerrard - Gortoz A Ran J'Attends (I await)

6/26/2017

0 Comments

 

Featuring special guest author, Grace Hudson!

​When I think of the FERTS trilogy, this song comes to mind. It’s sung in Breton, a Celtic language from Brittany, France. It’s so beautiful and the sentiment is universal, regardless of language. It’s haunting and beautiful.
Picture
Picture
Picture
FERTS
The Rogue Thread
Alpha Field
0 Comments

Wednesday Word: Happy Birthday Ellie and Savannah!

6/21/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
There is a hidden portal in this world. A cave that leads into a world of magic. And at the heart of this magical world, a mansion stands. Inside this enchanted mansion, many people have come together, all from different places, with different abilities. Yet somehow, they've come together as family. 
Picture
The birth of twins has always been rare in this world. Before Ellie and Savannah, there were maybe two other sets of twins in all of history. Yet two of the mansion's inhabitants managed it.

Cassandra Senka was raised in the mansion, and grew up to fight alongside Summer's Angels, June's warriors. Travis was born in the East, and he and Cassandra were childhood friends. He and his parents moved away to the West, where he grew up among an acapella group of wandering brothers. His travels eventually brought him back to the mansion, and to Cassandra.

The two of them fell quickly back in love. But a darker presence was growing. Cassandra and Travis were married, and gave birth to two beautiful little girls. Unfortunately, the babies had very little time with their parents. The storm destroyed the hope of their happy family. Only the twins survived.




Picture
Sent away to another world, and separated from each other, the girls struggled with their new "families" and feeling lost. But only days before their fourteenth birthday, they broke away from their old lives, and found each other at last. Together, they found their way to the shadow cave, and crossed it to come home...
Picture
It was on this day, June 21st, that the girls finally came home again. They discovered and developed their gifts, and found joy and friendship in the mansion's family.
Picture
Amid learning magic and history, one lesson stood out above all others.
Picture
Only together did they have a chance of changing their damaged world.
Picture
And becoming heroes their parents would be proud of.
Picture
But the world is already celebrating the return of the Senka twins. They are already a symbol of hope, bright little lights illuminating, the mansion, the East, even the entire world.
Picture
Happy Birthday Senka Twins!
Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
0 Comments

Tuesday Tips: On Character Building

6/20/2017

0 Comments

 
Tomorrow is Ellie and Savannah’s birthday. So, how did these two come to be?
 
Ellie and Savannah were the first characters to inhabit the Crossworlds universe. They formed out of a desire for a twin sister and lots of conversations with imaginary friends. When I realized they were going to be in a book, I put more thought into their character development. Thinking back on how the twins grew, I came up with three character building tips for you:
 
1. Don’t Oversimplify
If you’re looking for tips on character building, often you’ll find lists to fill out with character traits. If you’re uncertain, you might list potential traits and then feel you need to stick to them. For example, if you don’t know what your character’s “flaw” is, you might say they’re shy. Then, when you try to implement this in the story, you might discover it doesn’t quite work. It’s limiting. So, how do you fix this?

It’s okay to leave some of those slots blank, and ponder them for a while. It’s important to explore your character inside the story, and discover her as she discovers herself. Don’t slap a label on your character that you feel the need to “stick to.” People are complicated. A trait isn’t always good or bad. For example, a character who lies. On one hand, she isn’t trustworthy. On the other hand, she’s clever, and can talk her way out of trouble.
 
2. Contrast
A great deal of who we are depends on who we’re with. When I first started writing, I found the easiest way to develop Ellie and Savannah was to contrast them against each other. It was important to me for my twins to be different in personality even though they’re identical in appearance. Next to quiet and thoughtful Savannah, Ellie seemed even more outspoken and impulsive. But the two character you’re comparing don’t have to be polar opposites of each other, it just helps to know how the two relate. This can be useful even if you don’t have two main characters. Think about how differently your main character acts around the various people in her life. How is she around her friends vs. a love interest vs. an authority figure? Does she have a hero she emulates? Comparing your characters can also help you identify if any are too similar to each other. You don't want repeats of the same people.
 
 
3. Allow Growth
Savannah learns from Ellie to stand up for herself when she needs to. Ellie learns from Savannah to think before acting and be more careful. Let your character grow throughout the book. Don’t be limited by the label you’ve put on her. One of my biggest peeves in reading is when I shy girl character takes abuse from a boy she likes, because 1) she likes him, and 2) she’s “too shy” to stand up for herself. Don’t fall into that trap. It’s incredibly satisfying to see the shy girl step up, and tell off the jerk. If you’ve decided your character is a shy girl because that’s relatable, you have the opportunity to give girls a relatable hero. I was the shy girl. It took a lot for me to learn to speak up when necessary.

If your character has a fear, present obstacles to help her overcome it. If she’s closed off and mean, readers want to see her become kinder and more open, but still keep her edge. Remember, growth doesn’t mean changing the core of who your character is. If you struggle with this, think of an obstacle you overcame. How did it change you? How much of your personality is the same?

Exercises and forms about character development certainly can be helpful. Personally,I much prefer to let character development emerge by playing inside the world of the story and getting to know my characters like friends. This is, for me, one of the most enjoyable parts of writing. Take your time, and have fun.
 
Happy writing!


Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
0 Comments

Monday Music: Kelly Clarkson - Breakaway

6/19/2017

0 Comments

 
I've looked through my previous posts, and didn't find this one posted before (except in the bonus playlist). So I apologize if you've already seen this. If it really hasn't been posted previously, I'm shocked. This was probably the very first song ever associated with Ellie and Savannah. They run away together, breaking away from their old lives to find each other, and the world of their birth.
Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
0 Comments

Wednesday Word: Oddity

6/14/2017

0 Comments

 
odd·i·ty
noun
  1. a strange or peculiar person, thing, or trait.
    "she was regarded as a bit of an oddity"
    synonyms:eccentric, misfit, square peg in a round hole, maverick, nonconformist, odd one, rare bird, crank; 
    informal character, oddball, weirdo, crackpot, nut, freak, screwball, kook, queer/odd fish, queer/odd duck
    "she was regarded as a bit of an oddity"
    peculiarity, idiosyncrasy, eccentricity, quirk, irregularity, twist
    "the oddities of human nature"
    • the quality of being strange or peculiar.
      "realizing the oddity of the remark, he retracted it"
      synonyms:strangeness, peculiarity, oddness, weirdness, bizarreness, eccentricity, queerness, unconventionality, outlandishness; 
      informal wackiness, kookiness
      "there was a real oddity about his art"
I'll admit, I didn't think of making a literal "Wednesday Word" as in "word of the week" until featuring Harvey Jones. Obviously I didn't run with the idea for a while, as I have too many other random thoughts in my head to focus on only one word. But I do have a few favorite words I'd like to share, and now that we're coming closer to Ellie and Savannah's birthday, I thought this would be a good time for the one Savannah describes herself as.

"When we were leaving, I looked at the wall of a shoe store and saw right through it! I've always considered myself a bit of an oddity, but that was just insane."
(From a page in Savannah's journal, in The Mansion's Twins)

Savannah's not the only one proud to call herself strange. The group of friends in Dawn's Acapella have also claimed this powerful word:

"We're just a bunch of weirdoes. They probably don't consider what we're doing meaningful at all."
"The Weirdo Club," Dawn said. "I like it."
"I prefer to be called an oddity," Rose said.
"The Oddities Club," Lucy said. "That's better."


I enjoy this word for several reasons. First, it's fun to say. Oddity. It's just got a lovely sound. And yet, I don't hear it said very often. People are more likely to use "weirdo" or "crazy" or something similar. So, another reason I love this word is it hasn't been tainted as an insult. Call me an oddity and I'll take it as being called unique, artistic, or even magical. So even though "crackpot" and "freak" are listed in the synonyms, it'd really be great if all of us proud, strange folk could claim the word oddity as a positive one. I mean, The Oddities Club is all about random acts of kindness.
​
Stay weird. Stay proud. Happy Wednesday everyone, and I'll see you next Monday!


Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
0 Comments

Tuesday Tips: Do you need an editor?

6/13/2017

0 Comments

 
Many writers wonder what the best method of editing is, and if you really need a professional editor. 

A lot of people will passionately insist you need a professional editor and will absolutely fail without one. So, when I was in my pre-publishing stages, I gave myself an endless pep talk to work up the courage to go find an editor. I was terrified of sharing my work with just another human, let alone a "professional." What if they wanted me to change things that couldn't be changed? What if they said I was a terrible writer and a hopeless case? What if I'd never be ready to publish?

It took a lot for me to even type "professional editing services" into Google. I was floored by what I found.

Editors cost thousands of dollars. Thousands. As if it wasn't hard enough to work up the courage to put your work in another's hands and say, "Here, tear this apart." And yet, some people will still insist, and I mean really, obnoxiously insist, that you need a professional editor.

​Personally, I don't think it's necessary. Even with a professional editor, you can still end up with a bad book--or just a book with errors in it. Maybe they aren't a good editor, or maybe they were and you just didn't take all their advice. I've seen "professionally edited" books that still have large and noticeable flaws. It's a huge gamble.

So, what can you do instead? Two things.

1) Find a writing group, or another way to get multiple sets of eyes on your work. They don't have to be "pros." In fact, I think it's better if they aren't. If you write young adult fiction, wouldn't you rather have teenagers reading your work than some old "professional" who's long since forgotten what it's actually like to be a teenager? Think about who you're selling to, and get those people to give their opinion. Of course, if you want help with the spelling/grammar/technical side of things, you're going to want someone more "professional" to assist. If you're still in school, work up the courage to ask a trusted teacher. 

Despite who you find (or don't find) to give you feedback, I'd still suggest joining a writing group. Being part of a community of writers is immensely valuable. You can find groups like this either online or in your area. Personally, I like my online author group. We all help to make each other better, and it costs us nothing but our time. So remember, you are there to support your fellow writers and help them as much as they help you.

2) Become a good self editor. The last Tuesday post focused on this in depth, but here are a few reminders on how to do so:
  • Read over your book multiple times, fixing different elements each round (grammar, style, etc).
  • Take breaks between your reads.
  • Try different formats, and read your book both silently and out loud.
  • I didn't mention this one in the last post, but never let yourself slip into overconfidence. Writing may flow with ease some days, and it's okay to enjoy the "I'm so good at this!" moments (especially because these can be rare). But self-editing always takes a great deal of time and focus, and that focus can disappear when the "I'm so good at this!" thought enters. Basically, it's one of those weird things where you'll be better at it if you don't think you're very good. Of course, it's no good to say "I'm a terrible editor" to yourself either, just try to have the mindset of a beginner. More on this subject later.

Happy editing, and good luck!
Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
0 Comments

Monday Music: Guy Sebastian Ft. Lupe Fiasco- Battle Scars

6/12/2017

0 Comments

 
Alright, we're probably never doing what we did last week again. Time to get back to songs by people who know what they're doing, Crossworlds related or not. This one I do relate to Crossworlds.

When I first heard this song I imagined Cassandra and Nathaniel's relationship in Acapella Angels. Then my mind drifted to Savannah's Nathaniel, and how this song applies in the same way. This song is for Nathaniel--Cassandra's, Savannah's... All Nathaniels are this song.

Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
0 Comments

Wednesday Word: Ramblings of a Sun-Deprived Hopeless Lost Girl

6/7/2017

0 Comments

 
I ranted about winter... So now that summer's finally here, it makes sense that I should write something appreciative. Something beautiful, something poetic to sum up how I feel about this glorious thing. Trouble is... I'm just too excited. Or crazy. I don't know, but I think this at least started out nice. What can I say? I tried.
​I felt a living presence in my room this morning. The warmth of the sun, the gentle breeze, the new joy in my body even when I’m opening my eyes to a sunrise on a Sunday morning. It’s too early to feel this alive, but that’s what Spring is. I felt Spring like a goddess who’s been in a deep sleep and finally decided to get out of bed. Or maybe she died, and left a little daughter behind who took this long to figure out what she was doing.

It’s been a long winter, guys.

I feel like I’ve forgotten what the sun feels like, and what it’s like to walk around without being wrapped in every item of clothing I own. I keep exclaiming “it’s so hot!” but not out of complaint, out of sheer wonder and disbelief. Like, how is heat even real? And anyone who follows “it’s so hot!” with any negativity is getting punched. I don’t understand you people. You say your favorite season is fall, but do you remember what comes after? Do you know how long it’s been since I’ve seen a goddamn daisy? Stop talking about fall in the middle of August when even September is technically still summer until, like, the twenty-whatever-eth.

I have such strong associations with summer and Crossworlds, and I think I understand why. Cassandra Senka, mother of the twins born on the summer solstice, proud member of Summer's Angels, has always dreamed of flight. And summer does know how to fly.

I have to stay where I am, or this summer will fly by me. If anyone knows how to slow down time, please tell me, or at this rate I'll be dead by tomorrow.

Well, I don't actually think I can drop dead when everything is so alive this time of year. Finally, it's June. June… Ellie and Savannah were born, both in their world and in this one. This month is my queen, both in her world and this one. This month is the Summer Celebration, and I’m going to celebrate all summer.
​
And when the last days of… No, I can’t think of it. This, right now, has to be all there is.
Siiiiggghhhhh... What was any of that? I guess this is what happens when you haven't seen the sun for six hundred years. I wouldn't recommend it. Check out some of my actual writing below, and happy Wednesday everyone!
Mansion's Twins
Mansion's Family
Dawn's Acapella
Acapella Angels
0 Comments
<<Previous

    Archives

    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    June 2021
    April 2021
    June 2020
    May 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.