From print to screen

Books are always better than their movie adaptations. Always. Sometimes I've been devastated by the director's interpretation of a favorite book *cough* Percy Jackson *cough*. Other times though, the movie offers a different interpretation of the story that doesn't detract from the image I formed in my mind, but add another view I hadn't considered before (The Book Thief!).

2014 is a great year for movie adaptations. 

The Maze Runner, by our own James Dashner, a Utah native, comes out in September. 

Divergent, by Veronica Roth is out in theaters right now.
Here's the trailer as well:





And finally, The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is also coming out.




What do you think? Are you planning on watching the movies? Have you read the books? What book would you like to see on screen?

I've read all three of these books and I'm REALLY excited about the movies. I would also love to see The Shadow of the Wind and The Angel's Game, both by Carlos Ruiz Zafon.

Facing Failure

A couple of weekends ago I was in New York City at the SCBWI winter conference. (If you don't know about SCBWI, I will happily explain it to you.) One of the most memorable talks for me was Kate Messner's examination of the power of failure.

We writers are certainly familiar with failure. How many rejections have you received? How many revisions have you had to make? How many published books failed to sell out? It happens.

What Messner

encouraged us to do is to change our perception about failure. Instead of looking at failure as a negative, she suggested we look at it as the fastest and best way to achieve our goals. In fact, she said, we should be trying to fail as often as possible.

Okay, I know it sounds counter intuitive. Shouldn't we be aiming for success, after all?

Here's an example she gave. A study divided a group of artists into two groups. Let's say they were making pottery. The first group was told they would be graded on achieving one really excellent pot. They did not have to worry about how many pots they made--just one really good one and they'd ace the class. The second group was told to produce as many pots as they could--the more they made, the higher their grade. Quality was irrelevant.

At the end of the study, a panel examined the pottery samples to determine the best ones produced by both groups together. What the observers found was that the group that made many, many pots also produced the best pots. Why? Failure. They produced one pot after another after another. And they learned things. What worked. What techniques produced a stable pot. How to make the pot symmetrical. And so on.

This pretty much applies to any endeavor really. I know dozens of writers who are so concerned about producing the perfect manuscript, that they never produce another. I knew a man in a workshop I attended who had been working the same novel over and over for 20 years.

When I wrote my first novel, I was guilty of this. It took me about ten years of working on it (granted, sporadically, as I was also raising children) to get it "good enough" to start submitting. It got a few positive rejections. Failure.

Since then, I have written several more novels and half a dozen more in my brain. Once I let go of that one needs-to-be-perfect manuscript, I was able to forge ahead and produce many  more, all of which are infinitely better than that first one. In fact, (surprise, surprise) each one is better than the last. What if I just kept writing as many as I could and never stopped. I'd produce a lot of failures. But I'd also produce a few really good books.

I liken this to shooting darts at a dartboard. The more darts you throw, the more likely your chance of hitting a bulls-eye. Right?

So as you start this new week, look for ways to fail. Embrace it. Do it some more. And learn.

If you'd like to explore the topic more, see Fail Fast, Fail Often: How Losing Can Help You Win, by Ryan Babineaux and John Krumboltz.

What Were Your Favorite Summer Reads?

By Julie Daines

The kids are back in school and summer has come to an end. Time for homework, writing, and all that responsible grown-up stuff. I'll miss having all the extra reading time.

Some of my summer reads this year:

Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier (Not a children's or YA book, but I loved it.)

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (Also not YA but a lovely retelling of the snow child fairy tale.)

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier (Not YA. This is my third time through on this book. If you like Irish-based fantasy, Juliet Marillier is amazing.)

I didn't read much in the children's, MG, and YA category this summer. I usually try to read a lot of YA because that's what I write, but I felt a need for some mature reading.

What did you read this summer that you loved?

Series or Stand-alone?

by Julie Daines


I feel like books series are reaching epidemic proportions. It's hard to find a book that's NOT part of a series.

From a marketing standpoint, I can clearly see the advantages. Hook the reader and sell three books instead of one. More book sales equals more money. The author creates a name and a brand for themselves, and everyone's happy.

Or are they?

From a reader's standpoint, I'm not sure I'm sold on the series approach. Don't get me wrong, some series are amazing.

But in writing a series there are some inherent problems, and unless the writer is unusually skilled, these problems can lead to very disappointing books.

Here are the two issues that concern me the most:

Problem 1- Once the first book is complete, if the author has done their job well, so is the character arc. The character arc is one of the main story elements that keeps a reader hooked and reading to the end. Consequently, the next few books in the series often fall flat. How many times have you LOVED the first book in a series and the rest were only okay?

Problem 2- The first book leaves you hanging because the character arc is incomplete and the conclusion unsatisfying. This is a very popular writing trick to get readers to buy the next book. But whenever I read a story like this, I have to ask myself if the author considers me a reader or a number. Are they writing to perfect the craft or to make a sale.

This is where the tricky part comes in, because perfecting the craft and selling books are both important. It's a fine and difficult line to walk. As an author, I can relate. We all want to write the best story we can, but unless that story sells, we're just people sitting in our sweatpants at a computer all day.

Do authors who write series sell more books? It's very possible that they do.

Do authors who write stand-alone books win more awards? It seems to me they do--although I haven't done official research.

What are your thoughts? Do you prefer a series or stand-alone?

Believe in Yourself and Your Books

Joining us today is Author Shirley Kufeldt. After growing up with four sisters in Illinois, then raising two daughters, Shirley Kufeldt and her husband left Illinois and her daughters to retire to Northern Wisconsin in 2007. Having participated in Bible studies for over 30 years and hearing of the efforts of so many others over the years to document their personal walk of faith, she developed the Bible Bites series.

Believe in Yourself and Your Books 

by Shirley Kufeldt

 

All my life I’ve worked as an office admin, many times as a temp as our two daughters grew up. I’ve switched careers now and compile Bible verses for publication in small topical devotional journals called BIBLE BITES. Reading one or two topical verses each day and writing down your prayer response to Scripture is what BIBLE BITES is all about.

My first writer’s tip is to research something that you want to learn. I participated in a support group to learn about codependency, learning that what you fear controls you. Two simple examples: First, A students study hard, fearful of poor grades and less-than-desirable employment. Second, we diligently work at employment, fearing job loss.

Like many others I feared angry people, till I finally discovered the source of my fears: my second grade teacher shook me over a homework assignment. An angry comment by any authority figure turned me into a fearful seven-year and I was easily manipulated for 45 years.

My second tip for writers is to realize you are who you are five years from now unless two things change: the books that you read and the people you spend your time with. “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always be what you’ve always been,” is quite true. 

Imagine your current relationships five years from now. Are they great? Can communication be improved? Are you ready for a career change? What books are you reading and who do you hang out with? What are you willing to change that will improve your life? What are you afraid of changing? And do you know why?

My third tip for writers is that happiness is the result of doing something significant with your life. By examining the fears in your life, the books and relationships that bring you joy or grief, you have the opportunity for significant changes. During the years I attended a support group, I definitely changed the books I read (my Bible) while meeting new people who overcame similar challenges. 

Each support group meeting brought new opportunities for those who chose to change, reading, doing homework, participating in discussions and applying new skills. But no discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way Hebrews12:11(NLT)

Journaling in BIBLE BITES devotionals enhances your relationship with God, matures your faith and is a significant aid in conquering fears. After years in support group, the result is a unique happiness by doing something significant with my life for the BIBLE BITES series. I choose Bible verses for specific topics and compile them for publication.

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BIBLE BITES booklets are small pocket-sized monthly journals that include current prayer requests and focused daily Scripture for journaling and reflection.   

Places where your book(s) are available for sale:

www.halopublishing.com

(Verses come from the New Living Translation)

You can find out more about Shirley Kufeldt and her books at http://tinyurl.com/bb3ofxd

 
Thank you Shirley for sharing your thoughts today.