tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23233713275992065112024-02-08T04:54:18.961+01:00Explorationswriting--culture--lifeSarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.comBlogger139125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-55413827181982958432018-04-10T12:33:00.000+02:002018-04-10T12:33:57.434+02:00Unspun: A Collection of Tattered Fairy Tales<b><br /></b>
<b>I'm excited to share my news about <em style="color: #333399; text-align: center;">Unspun: A Collection of Tattered Fairy Tales</em></b><br />
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><i>Unspun</i> was published today. This wonderful anthology is a great collection of tales about "after ever after." </span></h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBTFk2J0vjyeDArrnpc8DmCMWBHN_QBNtFZNf_OHTYK66Ewvz7YeSq3ECdzMIQ27A6r7yjQ9Y9YBDPiIrKcbYWl0OEsOic-2ZWtFeBXiqamNRIe5hBgLv4QOCnSrT62lwcNEQ7ekLVG4/s1600/Unspuncover.final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1033" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTBTFk2J0vjyeDArrnpc8DmCMWBHN_QBNtFZNf_OHTYK66Ewvz7YeSq3ECdzMIQ27A6r7yjQ9Y9YBDPiIrKcbYWl0OEsOic-2ZWtFeBXiqamNRIe5hBgLv4QOCnSrT62lwcNEQ7ekLVG4/s320/Unspuncover.final.jpg" width="205" /></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">I was the editor for this book, and I really enjoyed working with talented writers. It was also a delight to work with Ruth Nickle and <a href="http://katherinecowley.com/" target="_blank">Katherine Cowley</a> who put this anthology </span> <span style="font-weight: normal;">together</span>.</h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">Snow White's son, the man who sold Jack the beans, Tatterhood, Gretel, the princess from Princess and the Pea, the Pied Piper--all these characters and others share their adventures about what happened after the end of the fairy tales that we know.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">My story, "Ásthildur and the Yule Cat" is also one of the stories in this collection. (The origin country is Iceland, a place I have lived.)</span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">If you are interested in reading this book you can find it on <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Unspun-Collection-Tattered-Fairy-Tales/dp/1986727874/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">Amazon</a>.</span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">I hope you enjoy <i>Unspun.</i></span></h4>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;">From the back cover:<br /><i><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Whatever happened to “happily ever after”?</span><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Heroes search for happiness, villains plot revenge, and nothing is as easy as it once seemed. Gretel suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, an orphan girl questions Rumpelstiltskin’s legacy, a monster cat searches for a child to eat, and the pied piper realizes stealing a hundred and thirty children may not have been his smartest idea.</span></i></span></h4>
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<i style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none;">Fairy tales have endured for centuries even though—or perhaps because—their conclusions are often more unsettling than satisfying. In Unspun, eleven storytellers come together to challenge and explore a few of those classic tales. Unexpected twists are sure to provoke both thought and laughter.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></i></h4>
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<span class="s1" style="font-kerning: none; font-weight: normal;"><i>Gorgeous illustrations by Ruth Nickle accompany each piece.</i></span></div>
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Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-35186440587460361922017-02-13T16:39:00.000+01:002017-02-13T16:39:00.997+01:00Book Talk at Cairo American College<span style="text-align: start;">My first opportunity to share my book </span><i style="text-align: start;">Crossings,</i><span style="text-align: start;"> was at Cairo American College (CAC) this month. CAC is an English </span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><span style="text-align: center;">speaking school for children in elementary, middle and high school in Cairo, Egypt.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgpWMN3wm2Jxq_9nvNgHRPayOelkgmfZsLvwTw4HXekq8GRivy07a2Fe2TA6fQQBpvO4V7fsw7tH2Wesv2Q3uLr8U0F5x1xhh9LurwJoFh4GRuX4Nw_Rq7qNpB0s_XAsz_ZEg0B47gdA/s1600/Sarah+Johnson+with+Crossings+novel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgpWMN3wm2Jxq_9nvNgHRPayOelkgmfZsLvwTw4HXekq8GRivy07a2Fe2TA6fQQBpvO4V7fsw7tH2Wesv2Q3uLr8U0F5x1xhh9LurwJoFh4GRuX4Nw_Rq7qNpB0s_XAsz_ZEg0B47gdA/s320/Sarah+Johnson+with+Crossings+novel.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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The event was at the school library for parents and community members. I gave a short explanation, a reading and answered questions. There was a nice crowd, almost 20 people. I'm thankful for everyone who attended.<br />
A friend took photos, so I wanted to share them.<br />
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<br />Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-91687322764482495502017-01-10T09:31:00.000+01:002017-01-10T09:31:23.090+01:00Crossings Book Birthday<br />
<i>Crossings </i>is officially released and is now available. <br />
Since I live overseas, I still don't have my own copy, but I look forward to getting it later this month.<br />
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I wrote this book many, many years ago while living in Finland and I worked on it on and on for years. I'm excited that this story is now published.<br />
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Here's a trailer that <a href="http://katherinecowley.com/" target="_blank">Katherine Cowley</a> and I put together. <br />
I hope you enjoy the trailer and my book.<br />
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<br />Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-45810654833917663312017-01-09T12:49:00.000+01:002017-01-09T12:49:24.105+01:00Travel discoveries--Bird Mosaic FloorI wanted to share this amazing mosaic floor that I saw while recently traveling in Caesarea, Israel. Normally, I share photos, but I felt video makes it easier to see the size and scale.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Kv2GggUPWtw" width="459"></iframe>Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-28381944179994955132016-12-05T21:11:00.002+01:002016-12-05T21:11:56.000+01:00CROSSINGS News: Available for pre-order<br />
<i>Crossings </i>is now available for <a href="http://amzn.to/2gHZhmZ" target="_blank">pre-order at Amazon</a>, your <a href="http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781462119578" target="_blank">local independent book store</a>, <a href="http://www.powells.com/book/crossings-9781462119578" target="_blank">Powell's Books</a>, and <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/crossings-sarah-johnson/1124650005?ean=9781462119578" target="_blank">Barnes & Noble</a>.<br />
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I'm also on <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32560831-crossings" target="_blank">Goodreads</a>.<br />
I also set up an <a href="http://amzn.to/2h6Md7R" target="_blank">author page</a> at Amazon.<br />
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It would be awesome if you leave reviews on Amazon after you read <i>Crossings</i>. Thank you!<br />
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Seeing my book available makes it feel more real.<br />
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<b>I'm excited to get my author copy in January!</b><br />
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Also, my author website it up. You can find it at <a href="http://sarahblakejohnson.com/" target="_blank">sarahblakejohnson.com</a><br />
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Please visit me there.<br />
<br />Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-70472290068540271712016-07-08T03:24:00.000+02:002016-07-08T03:24:45.192+02:00CROSSINGS: Cover Reveal<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I'm excited to share the cover for my fantasy novel, <i>Crossings</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Isn't it beautiful?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRvXwNekmhQb3ML23oqZlr0YwqJNS4AlkQrkcfsYnCNindnPkcP6ZjmA58Xb4tY3lqB1OSuCj6E7KU8GjLUuESSwyj4YPdXuB4MG_FgcGZBDXsJ9dhb2rP1hAKkwOke8FoNaVkkh6nz0/s1600/Crossings_9781462119578.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRvXwNekmhQb3ML23oqZlr0YwqJNS4AlkQrkcfsYnCNindnPkcP6ZjmA58Xb4tY3lqB1OSuCj6E7KU8GjLUuESSwyj4YPdXuB4MG_FgcGZBDXsJ9dhb2rP1hAKkwOke8FoNaVkkh6nz0/s320/Crossings_9781462119578.jpg" title="Crossings Fantasy Novel Cover by Sarah Johnson" width="213" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Eliinka has been able to hide her deepest secret... until now. Her only choice is to make a perilous crossing to a foreign land where she'll discover the truth about a powerful legend and the hope for peace after centuries of conflict. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1a1a1a; font-size: large;">Immerse yourself in this enchanting fantasy world and take heart in Eliinka's journey of sacrifice, romance, and intrigue.</span></span></div>
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</style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <!--EndFragment--> </span> <i>Crossings</i> will be available January 10th, 2017</span><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">.</span><br />
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<!--End mc_embed_signup-->Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-76189249282254808052016-05-05T16:50:00.000+02:002016-05-05T16:50:19.579+02:00Red Sea in Egypt--Beautiful Coral ReefsHere's a short video I put together from our recent trip to the Red Sea. Snorkeling was wonderful!<br />
The next morning the sea was as calm as glass, so I took some photos and videos from a jetty that leads out to the beautiful reef where we had swam the previous day.<br />
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I got some good footage of the reef (of course), octopus (2), jellyfish, a ray, and of course a variety of fish. I'd love to get an underwater camera and get even better footage. I was amazed at the clarity of water, the number of visible fish, and how deep I could see.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MVhJQJEGDnk" width="480"></iframe>Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-81796524578624750562015-02-27T21:56:00.001+01:002015-02-27T21:56:36.500+01:00Egypt: Six Favorite Places to Visit<br />
I've lived in Cairo for six months now.<br />
Here are a few of my favorite places and things I've seen so far.<br />
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<b>Bent Pyramid </b> (2600 BC)<br />
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We usually have the Dashur pyramid fields to ourselves when we visit, which means it's nice and quiet.<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-smXiygBhUmpGML0hta6vc9a2oVV9-aPgLtAOp-6nQrI5cLL8kCtl0ZB_pb33MjuOlViscDOAZsLn0y1_JYnhts84ceLfq05Dq_bUoNgexd0NVqWp1X5wcTlkqfC1RILHVsG6OWTRtk/s1600/Bent+Pyramid+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-smXiygBhUmpGML0hta6vc9a2oVV9-aPgLtAOp-6nQrI5cLL8kCtl0ZB_pb33MjuOlViscDOAZsLn0y1_JYnhts84ceLfq05Dq_bUoNgexd0NVqWp1X5wcTlkqfC1RILHVsG6OWTRtk/s1600/Bent+Pyramid+copy.jpg" height="158" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Bent Pyramid<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Sarah Blake Johnson</span></td></tr>
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This pyramid had some major design difficulties--which is why they had to alter its angle midway during construction. After this pyramid was constructed, Sneferu built the nearby Red Pyramid, (which you can climb up and up, then inside and down into the depths!) It was completed in the perfect pyramid shape.<br />
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<b>Abu Simbel </b>(1264 BC) </div>
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This monument in the South of Egypt is massive! </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTavKX_Wx-SEIMgpC_QgQESAjy_wZmRBDF_-AkXUw_SGOTbQF-xY5_9-UzR8j8GDVmX5y6KFEqVnJj4fwZ0rPLtn6AjXW0_oy-QDLOs3qN9o3J0LTNFMtzZE5tLqpM4SPOl7InIjDmWY/s1600/Abu+Simbel+1+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcTavKX_Wx-SEIMgpC_QgQESAjy_wZmRBDF_-AkXUw_SGOTbQF-xY5_9-UzR8j8GDVmX5y6KFEqVnJj4fwZ0rPLtn6AjXW0_oy-QDLOs3qN9o3J0LTNFMtzZE5tLqpM4SPOl7InIjDmWY/s1600/Abu+Simbel+1+copy.jpg" height="320" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abu Simbel- Temple of Hathor and Nefertari<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Sarah Blake Johnson</span></td></tr>
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During the 3 hour ride in a caravan of about 20 vehicles from Aswan, I was thinking, this better be worth the effort. </div>
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<b>It was!</b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcQKP2K9wuF47iwtAjSxqSPYmjRAj-PL8msGPCuNiga-cyj3cGXjuzweYtSJ7toJp5_8IzJAwrMw4aVFXBCdbbXqKGlRqpmegM2DBjunbUUe0pM-5ts7Ksw3ZLGUCR2J2epRsYeWciE0/s1600/Abu+Simbel+2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcQKP2K9wuF47iwtAjSxqSPYmjRAj-PL8msGPCuNiga-cyj3cGXjuzweYtSJ7toJp5_8IzJAwrMw4aVFXBCdbbXqKGlRqpmegM2DBjunbUUe0pM-5ts7Ksw3ZLGUCR2J2epRsYeWciE0/s1600/Abu+Simbel+2+copy.jpg" height="320" width="222" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;">Abu Simbel- The Great Temple<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Sarah Blake Johnson<br /></span></td></tr>
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This massive temple complex and its mountain was relocated because of the Aswan Dam. It's mind-boggling that something of this size could be moved.</div>
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(This is the only example in Egyptian art (Temple of Hathor) where the King and Queen are shown equal in size--both 10 meters high.)</div>
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<b>Ibn Tulun Mosque</b> - (879 AD)<br />
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This is a very large mosque (one of the largest) and it is fun to climb the unique minaret, whose circular stairs are on the outside. You have a great view of both the mosque and the city from the top.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppWK6ElI0lS7B_N98c-dUhlb18TwluDrwxhsEIkIqPuFpBbf7CfVRpS1rJxVXqi3CwREYYwMYF5qAgBbN4WyMtw8tlIVsN38N1a9l6SHvF7gvobV_q_gQSz2D-uP82Y2i6XzWZ1dlABU/s1600/Ibn+Tulun+Minaret+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppWK6ElI0lS7B_N98c-dUhlb18TwluDrwxhsEIkIqPuFpBbf7CfVRpS1rJxVXqi3CwREYYwMYF5qAgBbN4WyMtw8tlIVsN38N1a9l6SHvF7gvobV_q_gQSz2D-uP82Y2i6XzWZ1dlABU/s1600/Ibn+Tulun+Minaret+copy.jpg" height="320" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ibn Tulun Mosque's Minaret<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Sarah Blake Johnson</span></td></tr>
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This mosque, built with brick, is covered with plaster / stucco instead of stone. Brick was not the normal building material at the time. It is said that Ibn Tulun didn't approve of removing the 300 needed columns from "deserted lands" and churches in the countryside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VA47Cgt6sL-9WEVE2Bv46H048oflxS7EkYXnXsiv5eWnqFSiJgR1opWtlfN4iy6vUvSUHj8rN-aGjbCGpWZgUh9V14zmK2OczqcPt7YVV7JF7u191lLMyCdXU0L8BoOO_b2AL_hoOL4/s1600/Ibn+Tulun+Mosque+2014+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2VA47Cgt6sL-9WEVE2Bv46H048oflxS7EkYXnXsiv5eWnqFSiJgR1opWtlfN4iy6vUvSUHj8rN-aGjbCGpWZgUh9V14zmK2OczqcPt7YVV7JF7u191lLMyCdXU0L8BoOO_b2AL_hoOL4/s1600/Ibn+Tulun+Mosque+2014+copy.jpg" height="189" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;">Ibn Tulun Mosque<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Sarah Blake Johnson<br /></span></td></tr>
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<b>Columns </b><br />
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Columns are almost at every ancient site. Here are two interesting examples from very different time periods.<br />
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The Great Hypostyle Hall (1300 BC) at Karnak Temple (building of the complex began in 3200 BC) is amazing, with 134 huge columns that are 32 to 69 feet tall. This enormous hall with seemingly endless rows of columns is a really fun place to walk through.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DdRRgF6rIZzJa_k1Hg8VyKESdOKQaQgVp7Xis6TdrO8JeQh6ra5s2lqhw2pO_Ewd8uNlTJcyyWMaDoJJSpfi2ni_tJW8b4y-ZNHF6H3uiRbfKRlXn14wwIAYMkOI6yy2dPUKAek6dRA/s1600/Karnak+Temple+Hypostle+hall+columns+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0DdRRgF6rIZzJa_k1Hg8VyKESdOKQaQgVp7Xis6TdrO8JeQh6ra5s2lqhw2pO_Ewd8uNlTJcyyWMaDoJJSpfi2ni_tJW8b4y-ZNHF6H3uiRbfKRlXn14wwIAYMkOI6yy2dPUKAek6dRA/s1600/Karnak+Temple+Hypostle+hall+columns+copy.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hypostyle Hall at Karnatk Temple<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Sarah Blake Johnson</span></td></tr>
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This next photo shows an example of columns that were removed from other buildings. These columns are all different sizes and shapes and were likely taken from ancient Greek and/or Roman temples.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqQw1i2KIMaJir3g1qk73Dimmc1TtQhblyrJMPDl0muEDMuCn8gxtm_-OEEMD4AWYmHGd51xSiYmDAuGG4WkQ0BFLQUteFuLPpHKjBNo6ZsIY7H7SYiiIC3myWIIZ0Dfci8WpysBuUOM/s1600/Columns+in+el-Nasir+Mosque+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqQw1i2KIMaJir3g1qk73Dimmc1TtQhblyrJMPDl0muEDMuCn8gxtm_-OEEMD4AWYmHGd51xSiYmDAuGG4WkQ0BFLQUteFuLPpHKjBNo6ZsIY7H7SYiiIC3myWIIZ0Dfci8WpysBuUOM/s1600/Columns+in+el-Nasir+Mosque+copy.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Columns at Mosque el-Nasir (1318 AD)<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Sarah Blake Johnson</span></td></tr>
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I'm curious about the different columns--there are so many different heights and diameters and shapes and decorations on each column. I assume that different columns were taken from different places and that they could vary in age by centuries. It would be fascinating to talk to a column expert who could answer my questions.</div>
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<b>Wadi Degla and a dry waterfall</b><br />
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Climbing up to the top of a cliff through a mostly dry waterfall is fun.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqJLILlBndIHvLxNihmPQEeGzHP97cOUwt7xTuRTXiIUPXACmSC7mMrCt4EQDUfCN8Pma2GypG2GNAjCF4bXsDh8TFMYhMQ1dlQAJDh43E1oRfM9sfP2LdGpkja5So9wxWtUvddwdePQ/s1600/DSC_0654*%2Bcopy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirqJLILlBndIHvLxNihmPQEeGzHP97cOUwt7xTuRTXiIUPXACmSC7mMrCt4EQDUfCN8Pma2GypG2GNAjCF4bXsDh8TFMYhMQ1dlQAJDh43E1oRfM9sfP2LdGpkja5So9wxWtUvddwdePQ/s1600/DSC_0654*%2Bcopy.JPG" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8000001907349px; text-align: center;">Wadi Degla dry waterfall<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Sarah Blake Johnson<br /></span></td></tr>
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Wadi Degla canyon is minutes away from Cairo, but it feels like I'm way out in the desert when I come here. It's a great place to scale the cliffs and hike. You have to drive a 12 kilometer track with a 4 wheel drive to reach the back of the canyon and this waterfall.<br />
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I took this photo after I climbed about halfway up the waterfall. Pools of water can be seen, at least at this time of year. From the top, one has a great view of the canyon and if one finds the right place, you can see Cairo skyscrapers in the distance.<b><br /></b><br />
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<b>Carvings</b></div>
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Carvings in marble, limestone, and other rocks and carvings in plaster are everywhere. The quantity of carvings and the details in the carvings are amazing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TntP3fNmuvkS2uJI5kP1psXBcUcMWgW89X3QA7n9lfwatvDJusHI5T84ebBUR4wrITut9BvY8cvTEur_mdbHP1IYsNE_ivn-WC1CAlXlRzJT1k1exEpSdhK4NeIWn3LumDKLfWl7FQM/s1600/Carving+detail+Edfu+Templ+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0TntP3fNmuvkS2uJI5kP1psXBcUcMWgW89X3QA7n9lfwatvDJusHI5T84ebBUR4wrITut9BvY8cvTEur_mdbHP1IYsNE_ivn-WC1CAlXlRzJT1k1exEpSdhK4NeIWn3LumDKLfWl7FQM/s1600/Carving+detail+Edfu+Templ+copy.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of Carving on Wall at Edfu Temple (237-57 BC)<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Sarah Blake Johnson</span></td></tr>
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Here's a photo of a detail (just a very small section of a very large wall of carvings) in Edfu Temple.<br />
The flowers, bird, fruit (pomegranates), and the frog in this section caught my eye.<br />
Like many sites, Edfu temple was buried by sand and dug out in the 1800s.<br />
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I have a lot of other favorites, but this is a nice sampling of a few here in Egypt.</div>
Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-14403035687683126822015-02-12T11:10:00.002+01:002015-02-12T11:10:32.560+01:00Beyond the Five Senses: Using Sight, Sound, Touch, Smell, Taste, and other senses in storytelling<div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: 24.375px; margin-bottom: 1.625em;">
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><b>Are there only five senses?</b></span><br />
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</b></span> <span style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: large; line-height: normal;"><b>How many do we use in our writing?</b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaSmI3CUjRgIu38GIzlg1EIO5rlXGOlZ2_hRxTfLKDEKQBQ5KEuj_n6dwht77XOteQClQdur0i6OW6vHOsUzH5LvLoG3cS5A8Jq4suUZdejSHkNMwW_Qehcjynwe6iYDQSAWYkuk1PF0/s1600/Senses.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaSmI3CUjRgIu38GIzlg1EIO5rlXGOlZ2_hRxTfLKDEKQBQ5KEuj_n6dwht77XOteQClQdur0i6OW6vHOsUzH5LvLoG3cS5A8Jq4suUZdejSHkNMwW_Qehcjynwe6iYDQSAWYkuk1PF0/s1600/Senses.png" height="187" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Sight</b> </span><span style="font-size: 15px;">and </span><b><span style="font-size: large;">hearing</span></b><span style="font-size: 15px;"> are perhaps the most commonly used senses in a book. Vivid writing creates a picture in the reader’s mind, and so the reader should see and hear what the character does, especially if we want the reader to enter the story and fully experience it with the character.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Touch</span></b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">smell</span></b>, and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">taste</span></b> are senses that often involve a closer psychic distance. Adding these senses can make a scene come alive. I once read a middle grade novel, where the sense of smell was used on the first page of every chapter. It was very effective, but I noticed the technique within a few chapters and then it felt formulaic.</div>
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There are other senses we can use, too.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Balance</span></b> is a sense, especially if the character experiences losing her balance. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Temperature</span></b> is also a vivid sense, as is <span style="font-size: large;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">pain</b>.</span></div>
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We do not need to say that the character “saw” or “heard” or “tasted” whatever they see or hear or taste. Though at times we may use these words, we should be aware that adding the sense words to the text could create another layer for the reader and increase the psychic distance.</div>
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Mixing senses in the same sentence is effective.</div>
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The senses can show what is actually happening:</div>
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The sentence, “Icy rain blew into my hood and dripped down my neck . . .”, uses both the sense of touch and temperature. This also invokes the visual setting of blowing rain. (<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Thief Eyes</i> by <a href="http://www.simner.com/" target="_blank">Janni Simner)</a></div>
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Or can be a metaphor or simile:</div>
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“. . . when teachers try to say our real names, the sounds always get caught in their throats, sometimes, like crackers.” This sentence not only uses the sense of sound, but also taste, at least for me, because I almost feel a dry cracker crumbling down my throat when I read this. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(My Name Is Not Easy</i> by <a href="http://www.debbydahledwardson.com/" target="_blank">Debby Dahl Edwardson</a>)</div>
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Picture book writers may choose to include senses that are not easily shown in illustrations. Sound words are common in picture books. The sense of smell is also powerful.</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">Senses are enhanced during periods of stress, so a writer may compress more senses into a paragraph or page in a way that would feel over the top in a slower scene. In an intense situation, a character may not feel senses in a typical way, especially in the moment, because they are in a state of sensory overload.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">Senses mirror the emotions of the character. A character that is feeling sad, will not tell us about the beautiful rainbow in the sky (sight) and the smell of the roses blooming in the garden (smell), but would share about the rain and the dark clouds and the rotting mulch surrounding the garden plants.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">A useful exercise: </span></b>analyze a scene of your own or a scene in your favorite book by highlighting every sense, each in a different color. What senses are used? How often? Are there additional places where you can or should add a sense?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Note--This blog post also appears in <a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/2015/02/12/beyond-the-five-senses-using-sight-sound-touch-smell-taste-and-other-senses-in-storytelling/" target="_blank">Through The Tollbooth</a></div>
Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-7177543620448500052015-01-16T15:11:00.000+01:002015-01-16T15:11:49.336+01:00The Prism of Roles: Another View of Character Identity and Narrative<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">by Sarah Blake Johnson</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><br /></i></div>
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Who are you?” said
the caterpillar.<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>This
was not an encouraging opening for a conversation: Alice replied rather shyly,
“I hardly know, sir,” . . .<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“You!”
said the caterpillar contemptuously, “who are you?”<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></div>
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Few of us are as blunt as the
caterpillar, perched on top of his mushroom when he and Alice first meet in
Lewis Carroll’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alice’s Adventures in
Wonderland</i>. Yet, in a similar fashion, when we first meet anyone, an
individual in life or a character in the pages of a book, we look for shortcuts
or easy ways to understand who the individual is. We ask questions such as
“Where are you from?” and “What is your occupation?” as we attempt to discern
identity in a short moment. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>As
writers, we can also ask our characters, “Who are you?” This question is vital
because their desires, their actions, and the way they think all stem from who
they are—or, in some cases, who they are trying to be.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>We
may ask, “Who are you?” subconsciously while writing. There are also times when
we consciously try to understand who our character truly is, using a variety of
approaches ranging from character worksheets to writing extra scenes to even
(perhaps when reaching a point of desperation) interrogating our characters. In
our quest to create a realistic character, we learn everything about her,
including her physical characteristics, behaviors, background, beliefs, flaws,
fears, loves and hates, yearnings and desires.<s><o:p></o:p></s></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Yet
there is an aspect of characterization that is commonly overlooked: the roles a
character plays in a story. Perhaps this is because “roles” is sometimes
considered to be a dirty word (at least in some literary circles), and some
writers believe that using roles is a cheap and quick way to build a flat
character.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
we widen our viewpoint and look at roles as an essential element of character,
we are able to consider characters and story from another, useful angle. After
all, how a character plays out her roles will demonstrate character and create
plot. In addition, interactions between characters reflect their beliefs about
their roles; characters view each other not with a mirror or through a window,
but through a prism.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Roles—an
external expression of character</b></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roles
are labels we use to define who someone is, a concrete way to describe a
character. In this essay, I’m not talking about archetypical or stereotypical
roles; I’m referring to the specific roles that every character plays. We often
mention our own roles when we introduce or describe ourselves. For example, I
might tell someone I am a writer (my occupation), a wife and mother (familial
relationships), an alumna of Vermont College of Fine Arts (educational
background), and an American and ex-pat (cultural and setting). These labels or
roles are only the beginning of a long list of quick shortcuts I can use to
explain who I am. Those who read my list of roles will make assumptions—probably
both right and wrong.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>So
much of who we are, and who we think we are, is demonstrated by roles. This is
the same for our characters. Why, then, do we so rarely use the word “roles” or
examine the importance of roles in our stories?</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roles
describe all spheres of a character’s life: culture, ethnicity, language,
gender, and religion. Roles also include social and personal elements, such as
where one was born and where one lives, hobbies, wealth or lack of wealth,
occupation, family, and friends.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some
roles are permanent and others are transitory. A role may be deeply ingrained
into a character’s being. A girl who is born as a middle child will always be a
younger and older sister; a character who is born and raised in the United
States is an American. Other roles come through the character’s interactions
with others, from the environments in which the character spends time, and from
the character’s unique experiences.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Whether
roles are thrust upon a character or consciously chosen, these roles define the
character, give readers insights into her society and world, and are linked to
her desires, behaviors, attitudes, and values.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Roles and
Identity<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roles
spring forth from identity. Though theories of identity are the territory of
the fields of philosophy and psychology, they are also useful to us, as
writers, as we create characters. Because of this, I’ll take a brief foray into
identity development.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Identity
appears to be straightforward on the surface: It is who someone is. There are
several definitions of identity, but for our purposes, we can use a simple
definition. Our character’s identity is who he thinks he is, as well as how he
expresses himself, and it arises from experience and the socialization
processes of his environment.</div>
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As we consider our character’s identity, it can be
helpful to keep three key points in mind:</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>1.
Identity is not developed in a vacuum. Identity develops through interaction
with others in the character’s physical, social, religious, and cultural
environments. A writer needs to know her characters—their backgrounds, their
history, and their current situation. The story’s setting, characters, and
culture combine to impact how the protagonist defines herself and who she is.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>2.
Identity also comes from the character’s inner self. Identity includes her
personality, goals, and values, as well as her own view of herself. It is
influenced by her own desires and reinventions, her choices and unique life
experiences, her present and past. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>3.
Identity is dynamic. Every individual is in the constant process of
constructing and revising his or her self. Essentially, identity develops over
time. A character’s identity won’t necessarily stay exactly the same throughout
a book. This concept in particular is valuable in understanding our character
and developing plot, especially in a novel that unfolds over a long period of
time.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
some cases, a character’s identity is tied so closely to a role that if the
role is taken away, the character flounders and loses part of his identity. For
example, a character who defines himself as the star quarterback of his high
school football team will struggle deeply if he is injured and no longer able
to play.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Multiplicity
of Roles<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Significant
characters play several roles in a story, and the mixture of a character’s
roles influences how the writer and the readers view the character. After all,
a character is, in essence, a combination of all her roles. The idea that a
character plays several roles is useful both in story development and in
understanding the nuances of the character’s identity. It also helps the writer
to avoid placing a character into a confining and potentially lifeless
stereotypical role. The layering effect of multiple roles creates real,
vibrant, textured characters, plus it produces fertile ground for internal
contradictions and struggles.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Lifelike
characters play many roles, and though each role is important, those roles may
change according to the character’s stage of life and the story’s setting. A
character who chooses to go to college takes on the temporary role of a
student, while another character who chooses to explore Europe for the summer
takes on the temporary role of a traveler. </div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
addition, every role may carry different weight in the plot and in each scene
as the character adjusts the role he plays according to his current status,
situation, interaction, and desires. Just as we adjust the way we act according
to the different situations we encounter, our characters step into and out of
their roles. For example, in J.K. Rowling’s novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone</i>, Harry acts very differently
when he is in Snape’s classroom, where he is in the role of a student, than
when he is at the Weasleys’ home, where he is in the role of a friend, or when
he is playing a Quidditch match, where he is in his role of an athlete. Though
all these roles are important in the story, Harry’s role as a wizard is key. An
awareness of a character’s many roles can help writers bring one role into
focus in one scene and switch the focus to another role at another time.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
natural interplay of a character’s roles makes the character realistic,
especially at times when those roles tug a character in different directions or
when the roles come into conflict with each other and force the character to
make a choice. For example, a character who is forced to choose between
attending a friend’s party and playing in a sports tournament will be torn
between the roles of friend and athlete. Putting a character’s roles into
conflict can create micro-tension, demonstrate internal conflict, and keep the
reader turning pages.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though
a character plays many roles, one or two of these roles will probably be most
vital to the story, so the writer needs to carefully choose these significant
roles. Even when other roles rise to the surface of a scene, the roles most
critical to the story will exist at all times, either on the surface or
bubbling just below.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Roles and
Narrative Structure<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roles
are embedded at the deepest level of narrative structure, so an examination of
the interplay between roles and plot can help us gain a better understanding of
our characters and our story. There are infinite ways for a writer to utilize
roles in a plot. I’ll examine four common possibilities here: changing roles,
two contradictory roles, one primary role, and a vacillating character. </div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Changing Roles<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
character’s attempt to change her role, and her resulting success or failure,
is at the heart of many books. The tale of Cinderella, who switched from the
role of a servant to that of a princess, is an example of this type of story.
In some cases a character will purposefully choose her role, perhaps because
she experiences an incompatibility between her real and ideal self and between
her actual and desired roles. In other instances, the role change will be
forced upon the character, and she must learn how to take on her new role and
her new identity.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Adolescence
is a stage of life when identity development and identity confusion commonly
occur, and it’s no surprise that many coming-of-age stories illustrate a
character’s desire for a different role or his search for a new way of defining
himself. Stories that include a life change, whether a character leaves for
college or gets married or takes a new job, will place the character in a
situation of switching from one substantial role to another role. This change
of role might occur at the beginning or at the end of the book, or perhaps
before the first page opens, but all these stories have the potential to
explore themes of self-discovery or re-invention.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Two
Contradictory Roles<o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Roles
that conflict with each other in a specific situation can make an interesting
scene, but a writer can create even more tension by using contradictory roles
on a story level.</div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Hanging
on to Max,</i> a novel by Margaret Bechard, is a stellar example of this type
of book. Sam, the main character, is a teen father and a senior in high school.
Sam has many additional roles: son, nephew, friend, boyfriend. But tensions
between the roles of father and student are, in essence, the plot.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Sam
the father struggles to take care of Max, while Sam the student struggles in
school and misses being the “typical seventeen-year-old guy” who spends time
with a girlfriend and attends football games and parties.</div>
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<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Because
of Sam’s situation and abilities, he is unable to act in both roles for a long
period of time. The roles come with enough inherent contradictions that tough
choices emerge. It is possible for a character or situation to change so
drastically that the contradictory roles no longer oppose each other, but in
Sam’s case, the roles of father and student cannot continue to co-exist
equally. Though Sam continues to be both a father and a student, one role
ultimately becomes more prominent than the other in his life.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>The
character who is torn between two significant roles gives the writer a natural
conflict upon which to build a plot, while allowing for depth of character and
inner turmoil.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">One Primary
Role<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
what is perhaps the most common type of story, a protagonist plays one primary
role that is significant to both the plot line and to her character
development. This is also the type of story that is found in most genre
fiction, and it can lure unsuspecting writers into a trap of stereotypes. To
avoid creating flat characters, writers can use additional, supplementary
character roles to move the plot forward, create suspense, and flesh out
character.<span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Leticia,
one of three viewpoint characters in Rita Williams-Garcia’s novel <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jumped,</i> is an example of a character
whose primary role never wavers throughout the story. Like any well-rounded
character, Leticia has many roles: student, friend, daughter, self-absorbed
teen, fashion queen. Yet her primary role of a quidnunc, a passionate busybody,
is the most distinct of her roles and is critical to the plot. When Leticia
overhears Dominique planning to jump (beat up) Trina, the first thing she does
is get on her cell phone and call up her friend Bea to tell her the news.
Leticia’s role as a quidnunc is essential to the novel’s plot and theme. Her
inaction allows a tragedy to occur, but Leticia never realizes that she is
really involved because she sees herself only as an observer.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Since
this story occurs over the course of only one school day, it is logical that the
characters will have one overriding primary role. Even though one primary role
is perhaps the most common usage of roles, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jumped</i>
serves as proof that this type of story can be told in a fresh and compelling
manner.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Vacillating
Character<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
some stories, a character switches back and forth between roles. Creating a
vacillating character can be risky. At their best, these characters are
intriguing and complex; at their worst, they are fractured and confusing to
readers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Destiny,
the main character in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Miles Between</i>
by Mary E. Pearson, is a character who constantly shifts roles. An unreliable
narrator, Destiny denies her parents’ deaths (for ten years) and is being
treated for mental instability, so it isn’t a surprise that her identity and
her roles vacillate. A character without a clear identity like Destiny is a
good choice to discomfit and surprise the reader. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks </i>by E. Lockhart is
another example of a novel with a vacillating main character. In this book,
Frankie takes on various roles as she manipulates and shapes the world of her
boarding school. Frankie’s constantly shifting roles add uncertainty to the
plot and give the story a purposefully unsettled feel.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Characters
in all books play a multitude of roles, so what differentiates the vacillating
character from a typical, well-rounded character? When a character vacillates,
a different role is critical to each of the story’s turning points, and the
character will use many roles equally over the course of the story.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
all of these examples, the character’s roles are embedded in the structure of
the story and are crucial to the choices the character makes. Each character
plays her roles as she makes decisions, acts, and moves the plot forward. A
writer who understands her character’s roles uses this knowledge (either
subconsciously or consciously) as she crafts her narrative.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Awareness and
Perception <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Understanding
characters’ awareness and perception of their roles can help writers gain
insights into character, add depth to a story, and create plot twists.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some
characters are highly aware of their roles, and they might even flaunt those
roles. This type of character will be at the center of a very different sort of
story than one in which a character isn’t aware of the roles he plays. When a
character is unaware of his primary role in a story, his journey toward
awareness may be important to his character development and to the story’s
plot. Harry Potter is an example of a character who is unaware of his role at
the beginning of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Harry Potter and the
Sorcerer’s Stone</i>. When Harry lets the boa constrictor out of its enclosure,
he acts in his role as a wizard without knowing it. He later becomes aware of
his role in a way that advances the plot and changes his self-perception.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Some
characters will try to alter how others see them: They will hide or minimize
their roles or put fake roles on display. This is one of the more common ways
in which characters wield roles: They play a role as a way to manipulate other
characters or hide their true identity. Princes or princesses in disguise are
familiar examples of this type of character.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>While
a character’s awareness of her roles is where the writer figuratively controls
the light switch—the character is either aware of her roles or she isn’t—a
character’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">perception</i> of her roles
is twilight and shadows, the place where things are not as they seem.
Perception is a powerful tool. A character’s skewed perception of her roles
creates a gap between belief and reality, and the gap that arises can create
tension or humor or even plot, especially when a character views her roles
differently than other characters do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>A
character’s perception of her role is a window into her identity. Does she
value her role? Hate it? Does she think her role is different than what it
really is? A character’s self-perception can affect her actions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>In
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Jumped, </i>Rita Williams-Garcia explores
the gap between a character’s roles and her perception of those roles<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">.</i> Another viewpoint character, Dominique,
views herself as a victim, but no one else sees her that way. They see her as a
tough girl, basketball player, student, girlfriend, and athlete—all roles that
Dominique also claims. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Dominique
wants to lash back at Trina, who she felt invaded her personal space, and she
also feels victimized when she is benched because one of her grades is a few
points too low. She views herself as a victim through the end of the book, yet
her perception that she was victimized—which is why she jumps Trina at the end
of the school day—differs from how other characters and most readers will
perceive her.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>When
a character’s view of herself isn’t in line with her real role, she might be an
unreliable narrator. The gap between what a character believes and what other characters
perceive is a perfect breeding ground for tension, ambiguity, and conflict.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Supporting
characters’ perceptions matter too, and their perceptions will affect all of
their interactions. Do other characters see the protagonist in the same role
that she believes she is playing? Writers can play with characters’ differing
perceptions in order to build conflict and deepen plot.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Related
to perception is the important concept of status, or how most characters will
view and value a role. Depending on the story’s culture and setting, some roles
will be perceived as more desirable than others, and the way others treat and
view a character will often reflect that character’s status.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>It
is natural for characters’ perceptions of themselves and others to change over
the course of a story. In <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alice’s
Adventures in Wonderland</i>, for example, Alice’s view of the Queen of Hearts
changes. At first Alice is scared of the Queen, but at the end of the book, she
realizes that the Queen is only a playing card. This type of change in
perception is often a result of a character’s growth, and it frequently serves
as a story’s turning point.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Though
we don’t often consciously consider awareness and perception when we develop
characters or structure stories, they can significantly influence our
characters and plots. As we write our stories, we need to remember that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all </i>roles are tainted by perception.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b>Back
to Alice:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great
puzzle!” . . .<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“It'll
be no use their putting their heads down and saying ‘come up, dear!’ I shall
only look up and say 'who am I then? answer me that first, and then, if I like
being that person, I'll come up: if not, I'll stay down here till I'm somebody
else . . . ’ cried Alice with a sudden burst of tears . . .</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>What
is your character’s answer to the question, “Who are you?” Does he give you a
list of roles, or does he mention one role that is most important to him? Are
the roles the same ones that you, the writer, believe the character plays? How
do these roles influence narrative?</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-pagination: none;">
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><b>Not
only are roles integral to plot, but roles also affect how a character is
viewed by the world and how characters view, categorize, and interact with
other characters. On a macro level, roles can add meaning to story and give
insight to theme. As writers we need to be aware of the dynamic part that roles
can play as we develop character and craft narrative.</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: blue;">Note: This essay was first published by <a href="http://vcfa.edu/" target="_blank">Vermont College of Fine Arts</a> literary magazine, <a href="http://hungermtn.org/category/ya-cl/" target="_blank">Hunger Mountain</a>, in 2012. I'm posting it here since they changed their website and it is no longer at it's earlier link on their website. Thanks for reading. ~Sarah</span></div>
Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-34331008962621763172015-01-13T14:11:00.000+01:002015-01-13T14:11:30.175+01:00<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">The Writer is a Time Lord: Compressing Time Through Summary<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
writer who deftly uses SCENE and SUMMARY becomes the Time Lord of her fictional
worlds. Summary allows the writer to compress and expand time, while scene
occurs in a fixed time frame.</span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdEj5_bS0xQaIXTEok74713ggluANlBNXuAEqVDewmwCfMN48awIjf7K7cOjN2C7BOqFAajTok4g7mvjCcK20QWSR2FFZi9gfu-3Yj0PVxy4UvCB48SMP_oXu-5hIp4X50oZntb3BVIA/s1600/Iceland+sunsets+and+moonset--taken+in+the+middle+of+the+night.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYdEj5_bS0xQaIXTEok74713ggluANlBNXuAEqVDewmwCfMN48awIjf7K7cOjN2C7BOqFAajTok4g7mvjCcK20QWSR2FFZi9gfu-3Yj0PVxy4UvCB48SMP_oXu-5hIp4X50oZntb3BVIA/s1600/Iceland+sunsets+and+moonset--taken+in+the+middle+of+the+night.png" height="219" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nature is also a Time Lord<br />Midnight sunsets in Iceland; Photos by Sara Blake Johnson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue'; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 16.25pt;">While a scene occurs in "real" time, summary can cover a long period of time in a few words. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Typically
a scene will “show,” while summary will “tell” as it races through time.
As writers we’re often told to show, not tell, but telling (summary) is
also an important skill.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why
use summary?</span></b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sometimes
the reader needs to understand more about a character, her background, motive,
or emotional state or even the history of the setting. Sometimes an overview is
needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some
stories demand leaps of time: this can be from one season to another season or
skipping over several decades.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Summary
can alter the pacing of the novel. Summary can also be used to delay or even
stop time, making it motionless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Though
counterintuitive, summary can intensify emotion. An insertion of summary, which
uses backstory or another event, provides the reader with another view of the
character.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A
summary is not in the moment, and sometimes it combines many moments. In film,
a similar technique is montage.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliyEjjveJT024GruLoU8g_n12bvUfEzNbtZ-Qd5WDY7fmSowfYb7zqdbDyIMb46M8OLL-NGKxdXrNOWEJrkLOxJX4ZrrF5WHObXISBJHxSGDci8scHK3bg_-5XYF-llIhC5RdhcI1xBM/s1600/Germany--Geese+in+different+seasons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiliyEjjveJT024GruLoU8g_n12bvUfEzNbtZ-Qd5WDY7fmSowfYb7zqdbDyIMb46M8OLL-NGKxdXrNOWEJrkLOxJX4ZrrF5WHObXISBJHxSGDci8scHK3bg_-5XYF-llIhC5RdhcI1xBM/s1600/Germany--Geese+in+different+seasons.png" height="138" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Montage of Geese in different seasons in Germany<br />Photos by Sarah Blake Johnson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Many
films use montage, little snippets or selections of related images or action to
show passage of time or change of character. Juxtaposed together, these images
become something greater. We can also create a written montage by use of
summary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
use summary when the reader needs information, but doesn’t need to experience
the event play by play like in a scene. Summary explains efficiently.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">How do we use summary?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It
is critical to use vivid, concrete, sensory details. Summary does not mean
bland. (A general, “boring” summary is better left out.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Summary
can be as short as a sentence. It also can be quite long, several pages even,
though with children’s books a long summary may lose the readers’ attention.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The
great Italian writer, Italo Calvino, said his personal motto was “hurry
slowly.” Though he wasn’t necessarily applying “hurry slowly” to the technique
of summary, that concept will strengthen our writing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">When to use summary?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
use summary when there are many important events and not all the events are
needed in full to tell the story.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
means we need to know which scenes are most important. Basically, if nothing
happens, but the info is necessary, don’t use a scene. Use summary instead.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">When not to use:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
don’t use summary for key scenes or for actions and choices that significantly
alter the character’s life or the plot. Don’t use it for any critical turning
point, any moment of significance, or crisis scenes. All these moments need to
be fully realized.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Summary
often creates emotional distance—so don’t use it when the reader needs to be
close and emotionally involved, and don’t use it when conflict or confrontation
are in the scene. As with any writing advice, this isn’t always true. An
example of an emotional summary is below.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">And
please don’t use summary when the story demands a live action scene. For
example, in a romance novel readers expect to see/experience the kiss. The
reader does not want to be told, “They kissed last night.” That’s a way
to get the book thrown across the room.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Where do we use summary?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">One
typical pattern in many books is a summary, followed by a scene. Also, summary
can follow scene. Summary is useful for pacing. Scene after scene without
summary does not give the reader time to rest or digest what has happened.
Summary allows for a gentle pause.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Summary
can be inserted in the middle of a scene, but if so should probably be short.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What
can you do if you have too many scenes and you’ve decided that some aren’t
needed in scene format? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Write a summary of the scene in as few (or as
many words) as it takes and attach that summary before or after the associated
scene.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We
can also use summary to delay action and create suspense. In this regard, it is
a powerful pacing tool.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Examples<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1
– Summary of Past Events/Action:</span></b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> This
is a common type of summary and a way to condense a needed flashback.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
example summary occurs right after Death holds out his hand to Keturah. “And
then into my mind came a memory of Hatti Pennyworth’s son, who was dragged by a
horse and should have died, but lived. And Jershun South, who went to sleep for
two weeks and awoke one day as if he’d slept but a night. And what about my own
cousin, who once ate a mushroom that killed big men? Though he was young, he
survived. Death often sadly surprised us, but sometimes he gladly surprised us,
too.” <i>Keturah and Lord Death</i> by Martine Leavitt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2
– Less is More Summary:</span></b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> It
is easy to overwrite and give too much information. This example of a summary
shows how a few words can summarize a situation and how summary can pace the
narrative.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This
summary appears at the Beginning of Part 2: “The ship sank. It made a sound
like a monstrous metallic burp. Things bubbled at the surface and then
vanished. Everything was screaming: the sea, the wind, my heart. From the
lifeboat I saw something in the water.” Following this summary the story moves
into a scene of Pi’s interactions with Richard Parker, the tiger. <i>The
Life of Pi</i> by Yann Martel<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3
– Summary of Repetitive Action:</span></b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> This
summary shows repeated action over time, a useful technique for skipping over
weeks or months.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Mostly,
I missed Mal. I’d written to him every week, care of our regiment, but I hadn’t
heard anything back. I knew the post could be unreliable and that his unit
might have moved on from the Fold or might even be in West Ravka, but I still
hoped that I would hear from him soon. . . . Every night, as I climbed the
stairs to my room after another pointless, painful day, I would imagine the
letter that might be waiting for me on my dressing table, and my steps would
quicken. But the days passed, and no letter came.” <i>Shadow and Bone</i> by
Leigh Bardugo<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4
– Summary for Emotional Impact:</span></b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> This
example is of a summary that has greater emotional impact than if written as a
scene.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We
drove and ate, music booming and the road going straight, straight, straight,
no signs, no stops, just fields and hills forever. Sometimes he looked away
from the road just to smile at me. Maybe he was feeling like I was–that the day
was enough under the candy-blue sky, the wind swooping into the car and taking
parts of us away with it, swirling me and Wilder into the whole big moving
world.” <i>Dangerous</i> by Shannon Hale<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: inherit; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">5
– Summary of Details and Non-Critical Events</span></b><span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: This example takes a day of normal, uninteresting events and
makes them interesting by summary. This is a transition summary that
incorporates the character’s emotions and is an example of a summary that
provides pacing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Dini
spends lots of time riffling through Maddie’s bookshelves and watching Dolly
videos, and then some time just sort of staring into the middle distance. As it
turns out, the slow pace of the day is almost a relief after the frantic
excitement of the day before.” <i>The Problem of Being Slightly Heroic</i> by
Uma Krishnaswami<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1; vertical-align: baseline;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Be a Time Lord<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFCMIdS3NChAZlTxaZbFF5fdVfQN2RBLpyg8SPTOEihjkiuQ2S6ySAqMlI4zYQmj_-OFqGPO7ngRdRjW038Hsr-slSQvPkbqPKY2xfOy1lAlaYKhxbz9HoNOiA6XIO9EDxEai-_Sn_kY/s1600/Sands+of+Time.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFCMIdS3NChAZlTxaZbFF5fdVfQN2RBLpyg8SPTOEihjkiuQ2S6ySAqMlI4zYQmj_-OFqGPO7ngRdRjW038Hsr-slSQvPkbqPKY2xfOy1lAlaYKhxbz9HoNOiA6XIO9EDxEai-_Sn_kY/s1600/Sands+of+Time.jpg" height="320" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Sarah Blake Johnson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Janet Burroway, in <i>Writing Fiction</i>, calls summary
the “mortar of the story.” A story without summary would become too long and an
epic of a thousand pages or more. Writing is an art, and so the writer chooses
where to use summary through intuition and common sense.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As
a writer, you are the Time Lord of your world. You can choose when to either
play for hours in the sandbox of scene and when to compress time through the
use of summary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br /></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Exercises<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1.
Take a scene and summarize it in 3-4 sentences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2.
Choose a book or print up a chapter of one of your stories. Highlight all the
sections of summary. What types of summary did you highlight? Are they
connective summaries appearing between scenes? Or are they in the middle of
scenes? Should any of these summaries be scenes? Are these effective, vivid
summaries?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 16.25pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="color: #373737; font-family: Helvetica Neue;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">I also published this article at <a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/2014/06/05/safari-or-zoo-improving-writing-craft-through-books/" target="_blank">Through the Tollbooth.</a></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<br /></div>
Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-70138646107657564302015-01-13T13:57:00.000+01:002015-01-13T13:57:55.783+01:00Safari or Zoo: Improving Writing Craft through Book<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
How does a writer choose (or learn) the best craft technique
for a particular story? <a href="http://www.corimccarthy.com/" target="_blank">CoriMcCarthy’s</a> recent post, at Through The Tollbooth <a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/2014/05/15/in-defense-of-the-present-tense/" target="_blank"> </a><a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/2014/05/15/in-defense-of-the-present-tense/" target="_blank">In Defense of the Present Tense</a>, touched on this topic, causing me to
consider various opinions I’ve read in craft books about present tense.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRK32g0CxqujRXlo9sIjTbcnRVSAVeui6Lx1-LNqrhPF-0M6mgZixY0VfaTD5bEhH0OntxUzSLnkzo0CsNomCd-xIChiX-YBOrsH4W3H3kY9tRSBwpzmisOac0EhcVpFHNtyG0jtu5000/s1600/giraffe.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRK32g0CxqujRXlo9sIjTbcnRVSAVeui6Lx1-LNqrhPF-0M6mgZixY0VfaTD5bEhH0OntxUzSLnkzo0CsNomCd-xIChiX-YBOrsH4W3H3kY9tRSBwpzmisOac0EhcVpFHNtyG0jtu5000/s1600/giraffe.png" height="117" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sarah feeding giraffe at Abuja zoo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When a writer detects a craft <s>problem </s>challenge in
their work in progress (either while revising or writing), he or she needs to
turn to craft. What can one do if one doesn’t have the answer or yet have that
particular writing skill? One approach is to turn to books. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For example, if a writer wants to learn more about present
tense, she could read novels written in present tense such as Cori McCarthy’s
book, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Color of Rain</i> and <a href="http://umakrishnaswami.org/" target="_blank">Uma Krishnaswami’s</a> book<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Problem with Being
Slightly Heroic</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both writers chose
present tense for specific reasons because they feel present tense is the best
way to tell their stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or you
could read a craft book that discusses present tense. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlhYcTFVWUVzhca1AmmU0gxbvqJ2k8nFQvz9KKq3lYKvFIJCfgi6Gd_e2GHkq8kvo-W01CJiZfqUOgsjsD8GjuEpO9C_-rovU3u7qVRcwTQXF8OD_HGmvdq9QOXnVz66xmC_KD52kTJ0/s1600/AFrican+countryside.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBlhYcTFVWUVzhca1AmmU0gxbvqJ2k8nFQvz9KKq3lYKvFIJCfgi6Gd_e2GHkq8kvo-W01CJiZfqUOgsjsD8GjuEpO9C_-rovU3u7qVRcwTQXF8OD_HGmvdq9QOXnVz66xmC_KD52kTJ0/s1600/AFrican+countryside.png" height="126" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">African countryside in Nigeria<br />photo by Sarah Blake Johnson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first approach is
like going on a safari in Africa while the other is like visiting a zoo. I feel
if the writer is, for example studying present tense, it’s ideal to read books <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">in</b> present tense as well as read <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">about</b> present tense.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHnrlx6l_n3l7jecB4rkJT6zFb-Xo_RrYmJiAp5LzVtmcmuWUC7PvTwRYQyXNN63UuwuhfqC_8VGZkueNwrTsFR5PzzEFsgB7u_NJiyS1ZZjYw78PkBOqXUCCqgfOgyZ6ECIfXGMhV-c/s1600/Nigeria-mammal-300x240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnHnrlx6l_n3l7jecB4rkJT6zFb-Xo_RrYmJiAp5LzVtmcmuWUC7PvTwRYQyXNN63UuwuhfqC_8VGZkueNwrTsFR5PzzEFsgB7u_NJiyS1ZZjYw78PkBOqXUCCqgfOgyZ6ECIfXGMhV-c/s1600/Nigeria-mammal-300x240.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mammal in Nigeria<br />photo by Sarah Blake Johnson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">1. The Safari:</b> Become
a detective. Examine several books and dissect the craft question at hand in
that book. This is a great way to learn, especially as the specific craft
question has not been pulled out of its element. To expand the books that you
read, ask other writers about books that are good examples of a craft technique
that you wish to examine as well as books that are a poor example. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It may take searching to find what you are looking for. Or like in my photo of this mammal in Africa, you may discover something you hadn't realized was there. (I was first taking the photo of something else.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRgmpQQO6TkK2F9UIatZYqb3sZSYTxIKBrEi4LlO7ulEMa6tKBZTuikni_oGXaUhEzyDCYX-ppEQ4D8fwwJTRlHaR8tTpMyETze7Oo8V-nfi8Jh9QUr-ZnFgrUDFhlttsX5vGNP4tLX4/s1600/water+buffalo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWRgmpQQO6TkK2F9UIatZYqb3sZSYTxIKBrEi4LlO7ulEMa6tKBZTuikni_oGXaUhEzyDCYX-ppEQ4D8fwwJTRlHaR8tTpMyETze7Oo8V-nfi8Jh9QUr-ZnFgrUDFhlttsX5vGNP4tLX4/s1600/water+buffalo.png" height="155" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo by Sarah Blake Johnson</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">2. The Zoo:</b> Read
a book about writing craft. Reading some of these books is also helpful and can
help a writer learn about craft issues they had never before considered. Also,
not all authors of these books agree about craft, so a writer can learn of
different opinions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">Here
is a sampling of some craft books I’ve found useful.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Basics<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Steering the Craft</i>
by Ursula Le Guin</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">What's Your Story?: A Young Person's Guide to
Writing Fiction</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> by Marion
Dane Bauer<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Art of Styling
Sentences</i> by Ann Longknife and K.D. Sullivan</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Staples <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Art of Fiction</i>
by John Gardner</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Writing Fiction</i> by
Janet Burroway</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Motivational<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Zen in the Art of
Writing</i> by Ray Bradbury.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Bird by Bird</i> by Anne
Lamott</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Specific Topics<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06k02JUX-i_k9Zu7DFDKu5M5nAuwR_Lgb7uS2GlsB_RkzKAYkXyHPxiee_k1nix-l4IWsaozXxNP4q0LUpE856GVv_CCEkhFNrQIRBl-PZ32ZGbRHrM7yXt6ZcjHtJo5C7s4Vf-nCGrw/s1600/Alone+book.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06k02JUX-i_k9Zu7DFDKu5M5nAuwR_Lgb7uS2GlsB_RkzKAYkXyHPxiee_k1nix-l4IWsaozXxNP4q0LUpE856GVv_CCEkhFNrQIRBl-PZ32ZGbRHrM7yXt6ZcjHtJo5C7s4Vf-nCGrw/s1600/Alone+book.png" height="200" width="131" /></a>Character: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Respect for
Acting</i> by Uta Hagen</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Plot: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Save the Cat</i>
by Blake Snyder</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Revising: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Second Sight: An Editor's Talks on Writing,
Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> by Cheryl Klein<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Memoir: </i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Fearless
Confessions: A Writer’s Guide to Memoir</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> by Sue William </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;">Silverman.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Words Overflown by
Stars: Creative Writing Instruction and Insight from Vermont College of Fine
Arts</i>, lectures from VCFA MFA in Writing Faculty</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
One more craft book and the book that contains the best
essay I’ve read about present tense: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Alone
with all that Could Happen: rethinking conventional wisdom about the Craft of
Fiction Writing</i> by David Jauss</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
(I also posted <a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/2014/06/05/safari-or-zoo-improving-writing-craft-through-books/" target="_blank">this article</a> in Through The Tollbooth in June 2014.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All photographs </div>
Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-51828441680564204922013-03-11T23:15:00.000+01:002013-03-11T23:15:13.038+01:00Relationships and Relationship Arcs--Revising to strengthen character and intensify plot<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif; font-size: 15px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
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I've been scarce for months. I'm living in Nigeria, so it is more difficult to get on the internet and post. Here is a piece I wrote up for<a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/2013/03/11/friends-enemies-and-family-crafting-relationships-to-strengthen-character-and-intensify-plot/" target="_blank"> Through the Tollbooth</a>. Sorry no visuals . . . . they take a lot more internet than I have. Hope you enjoy this.</div>
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<b>Relationships and Revision</b></div>
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Relationships are KEY to a story: The way a relationship evolves and changes is often much of what IS the story and plot.</div>
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A character learns and grows and struggles because of interacting with other characters.</div>
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Also, interactions between characters are often at the intersection of action and emotions, and these relationships convince the reader to care about what happens to the characters.</div>
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<strong style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">RELATIONSHIP ARCS</strong></div>
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I love relationship arcs.</div>
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As part of my revision process I analyze my manuscript’s relationship arcs. This arc is the up and down between two characters. In the same way that a character has a character arc and a book has a plot arc, relationships also have an arc. I visualize them as the typical plot diagram--with ups and downs and usually a climax.</div>
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Similar to a plot arc, a relationship arc will have turning points, reversals, and sometimes a climax. Sometimes the relationship arc is, at the core, also a subplot. (I could also argue that most subplots would be a relationship arc.)</div>
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[For more info about plot arcs visit Ingred Sundberg's<a data-mce-href="http://ingridsnotes.wordpress.com/tag/plot-structure/" href="http://ingridsnotes.wordpress.com/tag/plot-structure/" style="color: #1b8be0; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> Story Structure Diagrams</a>.]</div>
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I have found that considering relationship arcs helps me catch all sorts of both plot and character details that need tweaking or sometimes more intensive revision. It also makes me more aware of the relationships between characters.</div>
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As I look at relationship arcs, I focus separately on each important and significant relationship in the story. In most cases the relationships I examine are the relationship between the main character and a secondary character.</div>
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<b style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">How do I usually approach each relationship arc?</b></div>
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(Keeping track of the relationship between characters will depend on the writer and the relationship being examined. One can do it as a chart or graph, written out by scene, or in one’s head, or with sticky notes or note cards . . . . . whatever works.)</div>
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<strong style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">1.</strong> I find every scene where the two characters appear and consider the following questions.</div>
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<li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">Where and how do things change between the characters?</li>
<li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">What are their actions and emotions?</li>
<li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">What are the ups? The downs?</li>
<li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">Is there a climax?</li>
<li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">Does the other character disappear for a long period of time? (It is fine to have a character not in a series of scenes--but this means the author needs to not forget that relationships develop off-stage.)</li>
<li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">What is the purpose of this relationship? Is this relationship critical for the story, or is there no change between the characters, or is a character a flat stand-in-character who does not pull his weight?</li>
<li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">How does the relationship change throughout the story?</li>
<li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">If this relationship is a subplot I ask myself if there is some sort of interaction that can be layered on top of the main plot line in any scene.</li>
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I also consider if these scenes are in their proper places, in the proper order, and that the "right" amount of space exists between the scenes for this relationship.</div>
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<strong style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">2.</strong> After I have considered all the above questions, I use plot theory and character theory and apply that to the specific relationship I'm looking at.</div>
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<li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">Where is the beginning, the turning points, reversals, climax, change and growth, conflict, and complications of the relationship?</li>
<li style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">If these items don’t exist--is that relationship needed? Or does the missing element need to be added?</li>
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<strong style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">3.</strong> Emotional points. In addition to the physical plot of the relationship, there will also be an emotional layer. If there isn't an emotional aspect to every relationship, I question if it belongs.</div>
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<strong style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">4.</strong> We can also consider the thematic considerations and if possible, make the relationship a mirror or repetition or variation of the physical or emotional plots of the book.</div>
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Basically, the Relationship Arc will have <b style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">turning points</b> like a plot arc and have <b style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">emotional change</b> like a character arc.</div>
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I repeat the above steps with each significant relationship. Don’t worry--in many cases, it can be a fairly quick process. A writer does not need to analyze every relationship. Even laying out the most important 2 to 4 relationships which the main character has can be super helpful.</div>
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<strong style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">LAYERS</strong></div>
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After looking at major relationships, I look at <b style="color: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font: normal normal normal 15px/normal 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 1.625;">how and where the relationships layer</b>. By having turning points of different relationships coming frequently, the tension on the page will make the story more intense.</div>
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I find that by separating out and looking at major relationship arcs, I insure that each character is needed, gain another perspective on characterization, can fine-tune my plot and keep the tension nice, and well, fix all sorts of problems that arise in drafts.</div>
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Relationships and the interactions between characters are often the engine that move the story forward, creating plot, while showing who that character is.</div>
Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-50336087973859512702012-10-01T22:23:00.000+02:002012-10-01T22:23:48.375+02:00The Prism of Roles: Another View of Character Identity and NarrativeMy article, <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/the-prism-of-roles-another-view-of-character-identity-and-narrative/" target="_blank">"The Prism of Roles: Another View of Character Identity and Narrative"</a> was recently published in <i>Hunger Mountain</i>, the <a href="http://www.vcfa.edu/" target="_blank">VCFA</a> journal of the arts.<br />
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I examine roles and look at how they are an external expression of character. In addition, I delve into the multiplicity of roles, character development, and how writers can use roles as they create or revise their plot, plus I touch on character awareness and perception.<br />
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Please visit the Hunger Mountain website. You can find the article by clicking <a href="http://www.hungermtn.org/the-prism-of-roles-another-view-of-character-identity-and-narrative/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<br />Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-53776671354770733672012-06-08T14:21:00.002+02:002012-06-08T14:22:55.432+02:00Link medley: book giveaway, writers' viewpoints, and craft videos for writers<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GzCSBzIguuAo-uqvERLutxn4L-YnfZ1AoL7Fw35qjN_EWFu5_I9wNfBLtTCzyK4zdT_1BUd57MbEiagKVBPNFxYdxHOTCcjIKnTFqIWVdsh6nueQ4u1uqYHwcZXl2Vl9q0L7QJR2vfA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-06-06+at+2.57.56+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6GzCSBzIguuAo-uqvERLutxn4L-YnfZ1AoL7Fw35qjN_EWFu5_I9wNfBLtTCzyK4zdT_1BUd57MbEiagKVBPNFxYdxHOTCcjIKnTFqIWVdsh6nueQ4u1uqYHwcZXl2Vl9q0L7QJR2vfA/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-06-06+at+2.57.56+PM.png" /></a>Kimberley Griffiths Little is giving away <b>nine books</b> to celebrate the cover reveal for her next book, </span><span style="font-size: small;"><i>When the Butterflies Came</i>. <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-size: small;">Check out her<a href="http://kimberleygriffithslittle.blogspot.de/2012/05/cover-reveal-time-and-ton-of-easy.html%20" target="_blank"> blog post</a> for the details.</span> (Deadline is coming up in about a week.)</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Isn't that a gorgeous cover!!!</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="line-height: 200%;">Here's some interesting recent links:</span></span></b></span><br />
Janni Lee Simner talks about <a href="http://janni.livejournal.com/788456.html" target="_blank">anthologies and writer compensation on her blog</a>. <br />
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Tracy Abell talks about “<a href="http://tracyworld.livejournal.com/692325.html?view=2677349#t2677349" target="_blank">How do you know when to let go?</a>” on her blog.<br />
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Elizabeth Bird at Fuse#8 on School Library Journal is sharing a <a href="http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/afuse8production" target="_blank">countdown of the top one hundred children's novels</a>. I wonder what novel will be #1.<br />
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Michael Hague's website has a lot of great tips for writers. Here's a link to his “<a href="http://www.storymastery.com/articles/34-ten-simple-keys-to-plot-structure%20" target="_blank">ten simple keys to plot structure.”</a> <br />
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<b> Online video lessons on writing craft:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.writeaboutdragons.com/home/brandon_w2012/%20" target="_blank">Videos of Brandon Sanderson's</a> creative writing class at Brigham Young University. It's a great way to listen in on his class.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/marthaalderson" target="_blank"> Martha Alderson also has online videos</a> available, the series of lessons on plot.<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms,geneva;"><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></i></span></span><br />
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</h2>Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-34347827701365924902012-06-04T14:30:00.000+02:002012-06-04T14:30:20.540+02:00Jane Kurtz--a conversation about Ethiopia Reads and volunteerism<a href="http://www.janekurtz.com/" target="_blank">Jane Kurtz</a> joins me today to talk about <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://www.ethiopiareads.org/" target="_blank">Ethiopia Reads</a>, an organization that works to increase literacy in Ethiopia. Jane is an author of many picture books and novels and is on the faculty at <a href="http://www.vcfa.edu/" target="_blank">Vermont College of Fine Arts</a>.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfi52qlpfAqbbHlI54Pco3WZ84iGrzfSBupep4XBy335gt4hgU-f7IIznu7T7t5hsmMTPiIdQoBjui7x-XS9H-xRL7DqHA_uZYRADZwXK-9NPOt375OfVzkLZNRaE7Ko-fCg-rztjRIs/s1600/1+cheetah.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixfi52qlpfAqbbHlI54Pco3WZ84iGrzfSBupep4XBy335gt4hgU-f7IIznu7T7t5hsmMTPiIdQoBjui7x-XS9H-xRL7DqHA_uZYRADZwXK-9NPOt375OfVzkLZNRaE7Ko-fCg-rztjRIs/s320/1+cheetah.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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[Sarah] Great to have you here, Jane. When and how did you become involved in Ethiopia Reads? What was your role?<br />
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[Jane] I've been involved as a volunteer with Ethiopia Reads from its very beginning--sometimes people call me the founder, but I was only part of a team. I'm not the one who went to Ethiopia to see what could be done on the streets of Addis Ababa, for instance. That was Yohannes Gebregeorgis who had come to the US as a political refugee and became a librarian and was wanting to get books to kids in Ethiopia. My role was to raise money and organize a board and volunteers and other support. Now Yohannes and Ethiopia Reads have parted ways--Yohannes runs a library in the northern region of Tigre and Ethiopia Reads is focused on the 55 school libraries and communities libraries that got planted and need to be nurtured into true book-reading, book-loving places.<br />
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My involvement grew out of my own childhood in Ethiopia, a fascinating place that has been the setting for about ten of my children's books. I learned to read in Ethiopia. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwu7E0F0-D89uz6PpED4kf4fRUnwz7xa76hkgcqN7oKOWpaU-6nW5sPbgyPL04Q897y5ScZs0D3zZPpnur_yHgDjALbWBFK5uEMJJpbAb2w49UYAhsobyulxM0UlU6UmEKAXo60sBYgxk/s1600/Jane+in+front+of+Maji+house.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwu7E0F0-D89uz6PpED4kf4fRUnwz7xa76hkgcqN7oKOWpaU-6nW5sPbgyPL04Q897y5ScZs0D3zZPpnur_yHgDjALbWBFK5uEMJJpbAb2w49UYAhsobyulxM0UlU6UmEKAXo60sBYgxk/s200/Jane+in+front+of+Maji+house.jpg" width="199" /></a><br />
I grew up in a rural area getting to see the determination of young Ethiopians getting a chance at school for the first time. It's a thrill to be part of the team planting the very first libraries for kids and bringing professional development in literacy to the teachers who will teach them.<br />
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[Sarah] Ethiopia Reads' goal is to "create a reading culture in Ethiopia by connecting children with books." One way they do this is by creating libraries. What types of libraries do they open? How are books selected for these libraries? Also, what languages are represented?<br />
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[Jane] We started with a community library in a rented house in one neighborhood. Rents have zoomed upward in Addis Ababa, though. Soon we started a pilot project with public schools that were willing to donate a room and a person to run the library. We found donors--individuals, schools, churches, communities--who wanted to plant a library and the money those donors gave paid to build furniture and buy local books and ship containers of books from the U.S.<br />
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I think in the beginning of that project, I naively thought once a library was planted it was self-sustaining. Some simple assessments, though, showed that we also had to work on what is sometimes called "human capital"--developing the skills of the people who run those libraries, Ethiopians who mostly didn't grow up around books or with libraries themselves.<br />
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We buy whatever books are available in local languages (there are 80 such languages in Ethiopia), which isn't a lot. For all practical purposes, there is no children's publishing industry in Ethiopia at all. Some authors do self-publish books, and we've tried to encourage that from the beginning of Ethiopia Reads. A local authors' organization has asked to officially collaborate with us--and we've also done book making with teachers and kids. A fun process...but slow! In the meantime, since the curriculum is in English after seventh grade, there's also a great need for kids to learn to read in English, so we get donations of gently used books and a volunteer sorts and stores them until we can raise enough money to ship 40-foot containers full of books for the libraries.<br />
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[Sarah] I was delighted to view a video about the <a href="http://vimeo.com/10860693" target="_blank">Donkey Mobile Libraries.</a> How many books are carried by one of these libraries? Could you explain how these libraries work? <br />
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[Jane] The Donkey Mobile Libraries were created as a way to try community libraries that could go to where children are. Because the carts were heavy, the donkeys couldn't really pull them far. They stayed in town...the regional capital of Awassa and several nearby towns. Now we're trying to re-invent this program to be Four Legged Literacy using horses, as well as donkeys, using lighter methods for the books themselves, and investing (ah-hah...a theme) more in the PEOPLE who will travel along and teach basic literacy. If we can pull this off, we can do more of a reach into deep rural areas where kids aren't getting to school at all.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNEI-fPTzIr6_FqXjhfoNkdr5mW8pUt47bJxcGF5qg-VtLRpNd93sRG6WQ_dPPJ1mdtsFKsgVWQxa8I6_o9H7RNmLksWLqVKFD_lwI_xtgAi1JVlrCYdTdVjHtFTpNwzJ3Ezn2WhB6MYo/s1600/1+boys+with+snake+book.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNEI-fPTzIr6_FqXjhfoNkdr5mW8pUt47bJxcGF5qg-VtLRpNd93sRG6WQ_dPPJ1mdtsFKsgVWQxa8I6_o9H7RNmLksWLqVKFD_lwI_xtgAi1JVlrCYdTdVjHtFTpNwzJ3Ezn2WhB6MYo/s1600/1+boys+with+snake+book.jpg" /></a>[Sarah] Ethiopia Reads has a goal of creating one hundred libraries. What progress has been made? What is the cost of starting a library? <br />
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[Jane] We've planted 60 libraries--mostly in public schools but with a few pilot projects in, for example, a kindergarten program started for poor families in one of the most crowded of Addis Ababa neighborhoods and into a private secondary school for girls. But we're slowing down, now. It can be so exciting to see the STUFF go in. Stuff doesn't grow deep roots into communities, though. People do. <br />
<br />
<br />
For the past seven years or so, we've managed to plant libraries for $10,000 each. We'll probably still slowly do that--plant new libraries--but we want to be sure we're focusing on some pilot projects for professional development as our main focus.<br />
<br />
Also we're developing a strategic partnership with The Tesfa Foundation, which has been looking at increasing access to education. Recently, they began a project to build five schools in the rural area of Kembata-Tembaro over the next three years. Those schools will also be literacy labs and a chance for good investment in people and jobs.<br />
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[Sarah] How does Ethiopia Reads choose where to put the libraries?<br />
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[Jane] Dana Roskey, our executive director, says he rarely visits a school anymore that doesn't have a room allocated as a "library." Often those rooms have no books or only a small and lousy collection of books. Even where we've put 5000 books on shelves, the person running the library may or may not have an understanding of the power those books represent. So we have, for instance, a monthly library support group in Addis Ababa so people running the libraries can share ideas and talk with each other about what works and doesn't in overcrowded schools (where a classroom can easily have 60 children). In 2012, 8 library managers volunteered to try a book club in their libraries. Next school year, 8 more will join that effort. That's an example of the pilot projects to experiment with making sure real literacy is going on inside the libraries.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzteMVYWEZ5D94mfFjWPhRblf73rP2H83JMwtViYeagV5CnrqXcvzrCkqbejEsHHHqs4dftPgjMFXqzQRtYF2LbcBEUyx7b47ayWlwimp1SAolMe01w7WgvrQOvjw0iuCN3j4Ems7-SPM/s1600/mercato+b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzteMVYWEZ5D94mfFjWPhRblf73rP2H83JMwtViYeagV5CnrqXcvzrCkqbejEsHHHqs4dftPgjMFXqzQRtYF2LbcBEUyx7b47ayWlwimp1SAolMe01w7WgvrQOvjw0iuCN3j4Ems7-SPM/s320/mercato+b.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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[Sarah] What stories can you share about how has access to books has changed children's lives?<br />
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[Jane] The stories that keep me going are ones that have come from a lifetime of living. My mom was the only child in her family to go to college--in fact, just to get to high school, considering her upbringing in rural Iowa, she had to make her own way to a bigger town and find families to live with. What a difference to our lives (as I look at my Iowa cousins) it made to have a mom who loved books and words and stories.<br />
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Ethiopians who are avid readers have told me stories of standing under street lights to get enough light to read at night. One woman who told me such a story is now a supreme court judge in Ethiopia. An Ethiopia Reads board members, an Ethiopian-American realtor in the Bay Area, talks about getting access to a good school in Ethiopia because of who his father was--"but a rural boy," he said, "who got access because he was a good student taught himself to read in Braille so he could keep reading after the lights were out." There's such a hunger for good education all over Ethiopia. I recently met a graduate student from Ethiopia (in school in DC) who was the first from his village to go to a nearby university; when he returned home periodically, he would take reading material and give it to the kids who came to ask how he had managed to get an education. Now he's working with us on his dream--to build a library in his community.<br />
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[Sarah] Wow! Learning to read Braille so he could read in the dark.<br />
How has access to books changed over time in Ethiopia? Are there now a wide range of choices and publishers of Ethiopian children's books?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHah9k8Ssa5avMAy359sDjiMJtih-ksN1SzG_bpLdkfU3SQf2jd4Hq9tyWvLsthg8cznewSbkftbuJwal4QUgoe1KBO3XJ6MNxXaUo3-rUu_NJmO-euvPlB_F9HYYEzBVBolf6P_idmQ/s1600/Lanie+by+Jane+Kurtz.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a>[Jane] Access to education is still the big struggle in Ethiopia. 500% more kids are in school than a few years ago, but that is putting even more stress on overcrowded classrooms where a child will often wait for her turn to hold a pencil and copy a sentence the teacher has written. There are too few children's books available locally and many schools that have no books at all.<br />
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[Sarah] Some of your books are set in Ethiopia or are about Ethiopians. Could you tell us about these books?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BUoUHFMIEAzSKo5nGVQb1RYxobjIqdp1lN5xyg0Kk8RrhLJwr_SBS86QxKho4CRqul2tP7uTm1aq7Wj65fY2CQpWrgGdnobBCBrHh-d-ZB_opmCOB2FtbRLp6sxDt7c7foQeMQTmBeQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-06-04+at+2.10.15+PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4BUoUHFMIEAzSKo5nGVQb1RYxobjIqdp1lN5xyg0Kk8RrhLJwr_SBS86QxKho4CRqul2tP7uTm1aq7Wj65fY2CQpWrgGdnobBCBrHh-d-ZB_opmCOB2FtbRLp6sxDt7c7foQeMQTmBeQ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-06-04+at+2.10.15+PM.png" title="Trouble by Jane Kurtz" /></a>[Jane] I spent my childhood coming back to visit in the US every five years and finding very little interest in what life was like in Ethiopia. Luckily for me, now there are pockets of intense interest. Some interest comes from families who've adopted kids from Ethiopia. Some interest comes from curious readers, including the editors who--particularly in the 1990s--were looking for books that would show a glimpse into life in countries like Ethiopia. <br />
<br />
I was lucky enough to publish <a href="http://www.janekurtz.com/books/index.html" target="_blank">my own retellings</a> of folktales such as Fire on the Mountain, Trouble (now available in a bilingual version at <a href="http://www.ethiopiareads.org/store" target="_blank">www.ethiopiareads.org</a>), Pulling the Lion's Tail--and stories of contemporary Ethiopia such as Only a Pigeon (soon to be re-released as Pigeon Boys of Ethiopia)--and stories of children with two homes, such as Faraway Home and In the Small, Small Night. My first novel for young readers, The Storyteller's Beads, tells the story of Ethiopian Jewish families fleeing from Ethiopia in a time of war and pain. I've written historical fiction--Saba: Under the Hyena's Foot--set in the ancient castles of Gondar. And Ethiopia has woven its way into many of my other books. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHah9k8Ssa5avMAy359sDjiMJtih-ksN1SzG_bpLdkfU3SQf2jd4Hq9tyWvLsthg8cznewSbkftbuJwal4QUgoe1KBO3XJ6MNxXaUo3-rUu_NJmO-euvPlB_F9HYYEzBVBolf6P_idmQ/s1600/Lanie+by+Jane+Kurtz.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHah9k8Ssa5avMAy359sDjiMJtih-ksN1SzG_bpLdkfU3SQf2jd4Hq9tyWvLsthg8cznewSbkftbuJwal4QUgoe1KBO3XJ6MNxXaUo3-rUu_NJmO-euvPlB_F9HYYEzBVBolf6P_idmQ/s1600/Lanie+by+Jane+Kurtz.png" title="Lanie by Jane Kurtz" /></a> For example, when I wrote the Lanie stories for the American Girl Doll of the Year, I created a friend for Lanie who gets to go off to an international school for the year--and I drew on my memories of being an outside girl in Ethiopia.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPHah9k8Ssa5avMAy359sDjiMJtih-ksN1SzG_bpLdkfU3SQf2jd4Hq9tyWvLsthg8cznewSbkftbuJwal4QUgoe1KBO3XJ6MNxXaUo3-rUu_NJmO-euvPlB_F9HYYEzBVBolf6P_idmQ/s1600/Lanie+by+Jane+Kurtz.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
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[Sarah] Ethiopia Reads partners with other organizations and individuals to bring books to children. Could you talk about this? Also, what types of fundraising events are used to raise money for Ethiopia Reads?<br />
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[Jane] We always look and hope for little or big support of our ongoing efforts.<br />
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For anyone looking for powerful ways to thank a teacher or librarian or celebrate a graduate at the end of the year, we have new gift cards on the site at <a href="http://www.ethiopiareads.org/" target="_blank">www.ethiopiareads.org</a> and fun reading gifts that give 40% to Ethiopia Reads at this link:<br />
<a href="http://gonereading.com/ethiopiareads/" target="_blank">http://gonereading.com/ethiopiareads/</a><br />
<br />
Also, this fall we are hoping to get some churches and schools to help with a fun project called Bring a Book Buy a Book. My brother's school, which has done it twice, has found it a winner with parents, teachers, administrators, and kids. Grand prize: a free visit from Jane and Chris Kurtz!--but of course the real winners are all the kids in Ethiopia getting to read books.<br />
<br />
Jennifer, a wonderful new volunteer in the Minneapolis area, has put together a Power Point presentation that explains step by step how it works: <a href="http://www.ethiopiareads.org/babbab" target="_blank">http://www.ethiopiareads.org/babbab</a> (If you're on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/ethiopiareads" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, she has also put together a great page there.) Here's how it works: school kids clear their shelves of gently used books (parents love that) and bring them to school. Once those books are arranged on tables, often an older class can take charge of the selling. Kids buy each other's books for a dollar or two. Voila...it's a recycling, celebration-of-reading and power-to-help project that only requires a little effort.<br />
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[Sarah] How else can people help?<br />
<br />
[Jane] We have several events volunteers put together and are always looking for donations of items and fun experiences for those. People have done walks and runs and birthday-for-a-cause fundraisers. Everyone can visit the Ethiopia Reads Facebook page and share the updates with friends or share about Ethiopia Reads in other ways. It's amazing to see the ripple effect of little things! <br />
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[Sarah] Thanks Jane for joining me today! It's been wonderful to learn more about Ethiopia Reads and hear how so many people are working together to increase literacy and access to books in Ethiopia.<br />
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To learn more about Ethiopia Reads check out their website and follow them on Facebook and Twitter.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ethiopiareads.org/" target="_blank">Ethiopia Reads Website</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/ethiopiareads" target="_blank">Ethiopia Reads Twitter</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/ethiopiareads" target="_blank">Ethiopia Reads Facebook</a><br />
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<br />Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-41084587679546327802012-05-31T19:20:00.000+02:002012-05-31T22:45:31.806+02:00Botanical Garden: Palmengarten in Frankfurt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of my favorite places in Frankfurt is Palmengarten, a very large (over 70 acres) botanical garden. It isn't far from where I live, so I often walk through the gardens and various plant halls. <br />
Sometimes I take a notebook, sit on a bench, and write.<br />
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Here are a few photos I've taken over the past couple years.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgSSvxKjbfA5Dq8KG5PZa8_xMqUPtIvNFSlGXZaHvjrnoPqUha2Qf15a3LXVIL38wXa-vitGU5VqKm0mK1dfv7EsqK7gdj_UpNh8Nq4ZISSz1nvjUCHWXiD2O2xtvDxHMW6RJAfQV7oY/s1600/Palmengarten-entrance+building+from+inside.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgSSvxKjbfA5Dq8KG5PZa8_xMqUPtIvNFSlGXZaHvjrnoPqUha2Qf15a3LXVIL38wXa-vitGU5VqKm0mK1dfv7EsqK7gdj_UpNh8Nq4ZISSz1nvjUCHWXiD2O2xtvDxHMW6RJAfQV7oY/s320/Palmengarten-entrance+building+from+inside.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palmengarten and the entrance building</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnBPjrgRYW8JsjStBSLC6WAa4scWIoUSgvKB_K4cl_mF_qUNT5Kvub4ANoMAiTxBRuBEC3dmOKvWi5CuHwaCwiDQXnH4TQKAnhvqZo1vbUwHXdfMFCbcjTUH6JeBcs42r0irnhnP9UuU/s1600/Palmengarten+spring+bulbs+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYnBPjrgRYW8JsjStBSLC6WAa4scWIoUSgvKB_K4cl_mF_qUNT5Kvub4ANoMAiTxBRuBEC3dmOKvWi5CuHwaCwiDQXnH4TQKAnhvqZo1vbUwHXdfMFCbcjTUH6JeBcs42r0irnhnP9UuU/s320/Palmengarten+spring+bulbs+.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring bulbs. The lawns are filled with color during April and May</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmW4Yr81W69_qJoShyosZcsLqtexEp_T5uITUmZngA0c0l2XmmMnLqop3P3qYVh5ogOUU71LlCwr2Za_qZh2eT3EWYO3uId4p29N42agyzIHYfIc-38ghDzzoNgtejfo5qclQofxVIINk/s1600/Palmengarten+lake+and+waterfall+autumn.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmW4Yr81W69_qJoShyosZcsLqtexEp_T5uITUmZngA0c0l2XmmMnLqop3P3qYVh5ogOUU71LlCwr2Za_qZh2eT3EWYO3uId4p29N42agyzIHYfIc-38ghDzzoNgtejfo5qclQofxVIINk/s320/Palmengarten+lake+and+waterfall+autumn.JPG" width="319" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An autumn view of the lake. A waterfall is to the left and underneath is a cavern. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT85mhlDuljdk1gM0W8Q6HDFRdHlRUjZpT98dJ5SeU_AZhQ-IWi6HNEcUwlp0Doir1FnetiNxol6hsOCjzRT1M0O_zOLQbxM591b6eruTFAPpeU7LKSCzQ1qfDtkq0W1iVedu-zOe6q04/s1600/Flower+in+front+of+one+of+the+halls.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="259" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT85mhlDuljdk1gM0W8Q6HDFRdHlRUjZpT98dJ5SeU_AZhQ-IWi6HNEcUwlp0Doir1FnetiNxol6hsOCjzRT1M0O_zOLQbxM591b6eruTFAPpeU7LKSCzQ1qfDtkq0W1iVedu-zOe6q04/s320/Flower+in+front+of+one+of+the+halls.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flower in front of one of the garden halls</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyJrZyQvM9sRwvlkNyZzAskjwCvbNQjttsCjkuR21rNetjcSak-jON4RrJUxIkghtYJOKDDnc4v6mMQMx0ryj2FbJUx3KDtv9IKLRW2YXyCFYOrlIS8q7X8clpHe483sWgz7OIjnEv-Y/s1600/Boats+on+one+of+the+lakes+at+Palmengarten.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMyJrZyQvM9sRwvlkNyZzAskjwCvbNQjttsCjkuR21rNetjcSak-jON4RrJUxIkghtYJOKDDnc4v6mMQMx0ryj2FbJUx3KDtv9IKLRW2YXyCFYOrlIS8q7X8clpHe483sWgz7OIjnEv-Y/s320/Boats+on+one+of+the+lakes+at+Palmengarten.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rowboats on a lake in Palmengarten</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6jtIwZfUiDLoRtu5ZN8pOdXefIbFL2qiuUukKxX0z-s070DnJlBKm2f-u4a6XBcuhLxgbNzSE3fPYZ5pQ6izPgQJpW7FxB1tp75JHfizidwc2EYt1ZyOzEZj2IgHr5G-lxlm43gf6cY/s1600/Small+greenhouse.+Most+of+the+reenhouses:halls+are+massive.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc6jtIwZfUiDLoRtu5ZN8pOdXefIbFL2qiuUukKxX0z-s070DnJlBKm2f-u4a6XBcuhLxgbNzSE3fPYZ5pQ6izPgQJpW7FxB1tp75JHfizidwc2EYt1ZyOzEZj2IgHr5G-lxlm43gf6cY/s320/Small+greenhouse.+Most+of+the+reenhouses:halls+are+massive.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small greenhouse--this is one of the smallest in Palmengarten. Most greenhouses are very large halls.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPHV-_m4dfPHLgIG9W3NIOE2o99lJcZ-wiOPvxcCv0CtFO7TYEMY-_eNuSBKdhiBMvi_nNckGiu0-fpe1Aqd3oy_syNMz0piVVu29fKsvFuVbe9LLBZ0bESEmceOa2fWZgH-zFXhTt2E/s1600/Palmengarten+statue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPHV-_m4dfPHLgIG9W3NIOE2o99lJcZ-wiOPvxcCv0CtFO7TYEMY-_eNuSBKdhiBMvi_nNckGiu0-fpe1Aqd3oy_syNMz0piVVu29fKsvFuVbe9LLBZ0bESEmceOa2fWZgH-zFXhTt2E/s320/Palmengarten+statue.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many statues that are carefully placed in the gardens.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzu-f3CXJmtLSjCCJDOPRhh_RRJSLRdMo9B6bJ6kyCPVR4Lsfyrvz15xqwTZVA5UsKy75k450X4Qx1Iabd_L3BxXB0ctbKPU79nl8lGNmc4OD_9N9vD9MUKtPr5yXuzx9hkiIZmT46b0c/s1600/Palmengarten--palm+house.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzu-f3CXJmtLSjCCJDOPRhh_RRJSLRdMo9B6bJ6kyCPVR4Lsfyrvz15xqwTZVA5UsKy75k450X4Qx1Iabd_L3BxXB0ctbKPU79nl8lGNmc4OD_9N9vD9MUKtPr5yXuzx9hkiIZmT46b0c/s320/Palmengarten--palm+house.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palmenhouse--one of the large buildings filled with plants. This one is filled with tropical plants. The ceiling is about 40 feet above the floor.</td></tr>
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I use my time in Palmengarten to both enjoy the scenery and to think about whatever I happen to be working on with my writing at that moment.<br />
<br />
I also enjoy seeing the various birds and their babies. Most are waterfowl (such as swans, ducks, moorhens, geese--brown European geese and bar-headed geese, and a heron) but there are also many other birds including blackcaps, pigeons, crows, magpies, dunnocks and more. I've also seen rooks while walking to the gardens.<br />
Here are two bird photos:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmO9haF0hnuFTV1ADviX1g49JQsaeoGebYazUNATpkLE42KGY9-_7YFvviNsoGaCSTdPopEO79S5pQG8zCtbPKG1rmVjgvAUHbk210Eckepg8abVVwatMZ0y3Sd7uqVKKh0aDcvBpPZI/s1600/bar+head+goose+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJmO9haF0hnuFTV1ADviX1g49JQsaeoGebYazUNATpkLE42KGY9-_7YFvviNsoGaCSTdPopEO79S5pQG8zCtbPKG1rmVjgvAUHbk210Eckepg8abVVwatMZ0y3Sd7uqVKKh0aDcvBpPZI/s320/bar+head+goose+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bar-headed geese in Palmengarten. (They are stunningly beautiful.)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVzla4lClozHyacPQUMAdUmgJPBH6L5IVOQb0NzCAND1-o-unxUUDKYcxEL6r0nfA-AZHZ5odmg5FGwDVeBBwCS5EgSUgITZHP0Oph1-XOf7GPb0YPoh1aJI5gdx38W5vHsffVSOfIxU/s1600/Palmengarten+lake+with+heron.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGVzla4lClozHyacPQUMAdUmgJPBH6L5IVOQb0NzCAND1-o-unxUUDKYcxEL6r0nfA-AZHZ5odmg5FGwDVeBBwCS5EgSUgITZHP0Oph1-XOf7GPb0YPoh1aJI5gdx38W5vHsffVSOfIxU/s320/Palmengarten+lake+with+heron.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gray Heron at the lake. Normally these turtles don't have to share their sunny log. The other side of the lake has rowboats and paddle boats.</td></tr>
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<br />
Sometimes after I walk through the gardens with my family, we drop by Siesmayer (restaurant/cafe/confectionary shop) and buy some treats. I highly recommend visiting Siesmayer if you are ever in Frankfurt!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pr-fGu2eqSKW55gRc2Iu2r9071or4ivzTt3HuOR5-QMMxFEAOvguKDGwRFfOiUsR1-D3fz94DVviMFrynpksGQJ76mAnvwM1J6CHg3Ksqh-PNXHAlRnZzEerjed-VH7Oi4DYZsEiyJ4/s1600/Siesmayer-box+of+treats.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-pr-fGu2eqSKW55gRc2Iu2r9071or4ivzTt3HuOR5-QMMxFEAOvguKDGwRFfOiUsR1-D3fz94DVviMFrynpksGQJ76mAnvwM1J6CHg3Ksqh-PNXHAlRnZzEerjed-VH7Oi4DYZsEiyJ4/s320/Siesmayer-box+of+treats.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The box has plastic windows: brilliant marketing!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XwdZhbBLOMWzsXSHTrw0wrpAn0s5nbblUNo0Ctt83-1H3WkReSJDkNvHiuWb7OKHpKhM7jcw_DhtAwJ_VJKOQtapOd5U8WfXi4jTY3ijQatfD38d5PI5JoaI1EDXPjVc4hBwLeBc1Tw/s1600/Siesmayer-chocolat+framboise.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7XwdZhbBLOMWzsXSHTrw0wrpAn0s5nbblUNo0Ctt83-1H3WkReSJDkNvHiuWb7OKHpKhM7jcw_DhtAwJ_VJKOQtapOd5U8WfXi4jTY3ijQatfD38d5PI5JoaI1EDXPjVc4hBwLeBc1Tw/s320/Siesmayer-chocolat+framboise.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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My favorite is the chocolate framboise--a gluten free chocolate-raspberry cake, with a pistachio on top! Yum! I'll miss this when I move away.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAndeVDc__uraTvLVOJFO_NFKBHRaj8N6lQyWxAk7AHEolDo0BCLu9wbyTGj_UpYp2FlwaSl4Fd8SNld82SZRkt8f4OLIoeeCqfwJs40qT2MTYlnPto9CWb4flWYItLIFL9ThSpqpBkao/s1600/Siesmayer-box.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAndeVDc__uraTvLVOJFO_NFKBHRaj8N6lQyWxAk7AHEolDo0BCLu9wbyTGj_UpYp2FlwaSl4Fd8SNld82SZRkt8f4OLIoeeCqfwJs40qT2MTYlnPto9CWb4flWYItLIFL9ThSpqpBkao/s320/Siesmayer-box.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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A few more of their desserts.</div>
<br /></div>Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-4116870841379245132012-05-11T21:27:00.002+02:002012-05-11T21:30:47.035+02:00Advertising on book covers and inside books<br />
<b> Ads on book covers?</b> <br />
Last week a book was published in China with an advertisement on the back cover. It isn't intrusive--the ad is a small logo of a textile firm. <span id="p_content">The deputy director of the Publishers' Association of China announced his association's deal with an advertising agency in March. He talks about it<a href="http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/7805027.html" target="_blank"> in this article</a> in <i>People Daily.</i> (Well worth reading.)</span><br />
Though ads on covers may be new, ads inside books are not new. <br />
<br />
I remember reading books with ads in them. The ads weren't for products, they were for other books by the publisher. But they are ads! I went to my bookshelves to see if I could find these ads in some of my older books.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhbPj3m7CJwj3VyRwclYB6F-lxZ5rwXqJ3S7HStwYobgk4g2hZo4TE1FX6ZGgYebMvl2EWes3neSVY3_Lk6NMF1gaMhcW800A44hStwRpPVbz_Vf3QdsL_1nQM5NtX-EbxUQxeVzev7E/s1600/Chinese+picture+book+cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="169" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNhbPj3m7CJwj3VyRwclYB6F-lxZ5rwXqJ3S7HStwYobgk4g2hZo4TE1FX6ZGgYebMvl2EWes3neSVY3_Lk6NMF1gaMhcW800A44hStwRpPVbz_Vf3QdsL_1nQM5NtX-EbxUQxeVzev7E/s320/Chinese+picture+book+cover.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
First, I found a picture book I bought when I lived in China. The back cover shows photos of other picture books: advertising. (As I thumb through this book, I now wish I had bought more copies of this book and bought some of the other books shown.) <br />
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Some books advertise other books published by the author--these advertisements use several pages at the back of the book and show book covers and include pitches or blurbs. (Some books published today still mention other books by the author, but they don't have the tone or look or feel of an advertisement.)<br />
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I own some recent children's books that include the first chapter of another book by the same author. This is a type of advertisement, one that can hook the reader. (It can also frustrate the reader if the book isn't yet published!)<br />
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Historically, some publishing houses included <b>mail order forms</b> on the back pages of their books.<br />
Here are some of the publishing houses (who used these types of ads) that I found while browsing my shelves.<br />
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-Vintage Random House (1984): the back four pages lists "Vintage" classics: "Available at your bookstore or call toll-free to order." Plus, there is another page (and order form) to order the book on audio-cassette.<br />
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-Avon/Harper Collins (1990) published a Newbery Honor book. The back page has lists of books and prices, plus a coupon for ordering books.<br />
<br />
-Apple Scholastic (no date) has the same type of form in the back of their Apple Classic Black Beauty. The books available are classics and are offered for around $3, with $2 for shipping.<br />
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-Ballentine (1976) Tolkien Books have information about ordering other Tolkien books. Plus, one book has ads for both Lord of the Ring Maps and posters on one back page and an ad for the MS Read-a-thon on another page. <br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgu3UwGFZe1nGoZQUHC20qKB_G5SnMuwbYg7v2o4xKkpjMmfr4KY58UG8HPZHVAXZtBcHE6-xt5CXlFzaQuA87zO9RWhqOvaQOsduSqEhNQ77TCruLUXD4zuIkAdi7JWIyESuu-hu9Su0/s1600/Tolkien+Book+Covers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgu3UwGFZe1nGoZQUHC20qKB_G5SnMuwbYg7v2o4xKkpjMmfr4KY58UG8HPZHVAXZtBcHE6-xt5CXlFzaQuA87zO9RWhqOvaQOsduSqEhNQ77TCruLUXD4zuIkAdi7JWIyESuu-hu9Su0/s320/Tolkien+Book+Covers.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tolkien: Smith of Wooten Major and Farmer Giles of Ham; The Tolkien Reader.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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-Other publishers on my shelves that have order forms are Dell (1973, 1990); Bantam (1974); Penguin (1986; 7 pages with 4 order forms! But no prices, yet it says, "please include sales tax); and Signet (1965 and 1984).<br />
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A more recent Scholastic Book (2002) has three (!) pages in the back with illustrated advertisements with mail order blanks to fill in.<br />
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What about picture books?<br />
Golden Books and some Scholastic books and others show either book covers or a list of books--and I've bought books because of this--but these books give no way to order directly.<br />
<br />
Next, I wondered if there were any books from a long time ago that included advertising. I found an example online from 1776: about 3/4 the way down the page shows<a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/bathtub/othertreasures.html" target="_blank"> an ad on an endpage </a>of <i>Aristotle’s Masterpiece</i>.<br />
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At some point, most US publishers went away from selling directly to the public. I wonder why that decision was made; I think a few publishers are now again selling e-books directly to customers.<br />
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Advertisements could be intrusive and take away from the reading experience. (I can imagine a poorly done ad being placed right at a cliffhanger.) But perhaps the right type of ads placed in the right place would be acceptable to readers.<br />
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Here are a few questions that I'm now asking myself:<br />
<ul>
<li>Would advertisements in the back pages of a book irritate me as a reader? (I remember when I was a child, I would always read these ads and wish I could get some of the books mentioned.) </li>
<li>What about ads on book covers? What if it was only a small logo?</li>
<li>What about a book where the <a href="http://www.salon.com/2001/09/05/bulgari/" target="_blank">author was paid</a> to insert and highlight a product? (This has happened, by the way.) </li>
<li>What if advertising meant that high quality books (edited and published by reputable firms) were available inexpensively?</li>
<li>Or should books, as one of the last few places we go for entertainment without marketing and advertising, remain ad-free?</li>
</ul>
<br />Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-74695698960009141362012-04-27T12:23:00.000+02:002012-04-27T12:23:15.875+02:00Revision: links to authors who share early drafts<br />
I'm always fascinated at how different writers revise their manuscripts.<br />
<br />
I gave examples in a past post about <a href="http://sarahblakejohnson.blogspot.com/2010/08/revising-learning-from-lewis-carroll.html" target="_blank">Lewis Carroll</a> and also shared my <a href="http://sarahblakejohnson.blogspot.com/2011/12/art-of-revisionthe-rainbow-manuscript.html%20" target="_blank">rainbow manuscript revision technique</a>. <br />
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I recently found out that <a href="http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/" target="_blank">CBCC </a>of University of Wisconsin placed Ellen Raskin's drafts of <i>The Westing Game</i> online. (<i>The Westing Game</i> won the Newbery award in 1979.)<br />
<br />
Here's a <a href="http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/authors/raskin/drafts.htm" target="_blank">link to the drafts</a> and to the <a href="http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/authors/raskin/audio.htm" target="_blank">audio of Raskin</a> talking about her manuscripts! <br />
The information and background about <a href="http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/authors/raskin/design.htm" target="_blank">the book design</a> (Raskin was very involved) is fascinating. (The first printing was shredded.)<br />
The <a href="http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/authors/raskin/notes.htm" target="_blank">working notes</a> and <a href="http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/authors/raskin/intro.htm" target="_blank">intro</a> to the project are also excellent. <br />
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Deep revision for me often means cutting characters, adding characters, changing plot points, strengthening desire lines, and once *gasp* changing the premise, which meant rewriting that entire novel. Deep revision also includes cutting chapters and writing new chapters and scenes.<br />
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Below are links to other authors who share their revision process. All their examples are excellent.<br />
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<a href="http://www.simner.com/" target="_blank">Janni Simner</a> posted <a href="http://janni.livejournal.com/222673.html?thread=1261521" target="_blank">various versions</a> and an excellent analysis of the opening paragraphs of her short story, "Song for Two Voices" in 2005. In this post she also talks about finding the right voice for this story. She often shares thoughts about revision on her blog.<br />
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<a href="http://www.melissa-marr.com/" target="_blank">Melissa Marr</a> shared early drafts from pages in her notebooks in 2009. See <a href="http://melissa-writing.livejournal.com/386679.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://melissa-writing.livejournal.com/386830.html%20" target="_blank">here</a>.<br /><br />
More recently, earlier this year, <a href="http://maggiestiefvater.com/" target="_blank">Maggie Stiefvater</a> shared her some of her <a href="http://maggiestiefvater.blogspot.de/2012/01/from-rough-to-final-dissection-of.html" target="_blank">revisions on her blog</a>.<br />
She also asked other authors to share their revision thoughts and process: Stiefvater gives links on her blog to <a href="http://maggiestiefvater.blogspot.com/2012/01/from-rough-to-final-ten-dissections.html" target="_blank">ten authors who share their draft</a>s.Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-15692923741806425442012-04-27T09:41:00.001+02:002012-04-27T09:41:42.041+02:00Cheryl Klein talks about the Process of Publishing Second Sight<div class="addtoany_share_save_container">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Cheryl-Klein.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" class=" " height="270" src="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Cheryl-Klein-200x300.jpg" title="Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor at Arthur A. Levine Books, an Imprint of Scholastic Inc." width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Cal Werry</td></tr>
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It’s a treat to visit with Cheryl Klein today in my third of three interviews with authors and publishing professionals about indie-publishing. She joins me to discuss what was involved in publishing her book, <em>Second Sight: An Editor’s Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children and Young Adults</em>.<br />
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Cheryl Klein is an Executive Editor at Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic, and is the author of <em>Second Sight</em><em>.</em> Her <a href="http://cherylklein.com/" target="_blank">website</a> is filled with information and resources for writers.<br />
<em></em><br />
[This interview is also simultaneously posted on <a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/" target="_blank">Through the Tollbooth</a>, a group blog by <a href="http://www.vcfa.edu/" target="_blank">VCFA</a> alumni.] <br />
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<span style="color: #333399;">[Sarah] How did you prepare your book, <em>Second Sight,</em> for publication? What extra steps did you need to take because you published it yourself?</span><br />
<br />
[Cheryl] I write my talks in outline form to keep them and me loose
as I speak, so first I had to revise them for print — which involved a
lot of revising altogether; I think I more or less rewrote my speech on
voice completely. After that, I sent it to a freelance book designer I’d
hired, and she came up with a sample interior design, which I approved.
She and I then went through two rounds of proofs (which sometimes
involved me rewriting more than I should) before finalizing the
interiors. It was all very much like the standard editorial process we
use at Scholastic.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/SecondSightFinalCover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-238" height="300" src="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/SecondSightFinalCover-194x300.jpg" title="Second Sight Cover" width="194" /></a>The
designer and I also collaborated on the cover, with both of us
generating ideas, settling on a concept, and then tweaking the details
until we had something I liked — something I <em>love</em>, actually. My
personal style — in everything from the clothes I wear to the art I
love to how I edit my books — emphasizes very classical, clean
structures and lines combined with bright colors and textures and
patterns, and this book cover is a wonderful example of that.<br />
<br />
Finally, I registered for an ISBN so the book could be included in
various online systems, and a bar code so it could be scanned and sold
in stores. And I researched book printers and distributors online, and
reached out to a number of services for quotes.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333399;">[Sarah] Who else was involved in the publication process?</span><br />
<br />
[Cheryl] My designer was named <a href="http://whitneylyle.carbonmade.com/about" target="_blank">Whitney Lyle</a> — she’s now a full-time book designer for Scholastic. The books themselves were printed by <a href="http://www.bookprinters.com/" target="_blank">McNaughton & Gunn</a> in Michigan. Several of my editorial friends consulted on the copyediting and flap copy.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333399;">[Sarah] What are the advantages of publishing your book in print form? What were the biggest challenges you faced?</span><br />
<br />
[Cheryl] I never considered publishing it solely in e-form — in part
because I grew up on real, physical books, and I love them madly, and I
wanted to have one of my very own. So one great advantage was just to be
able to hold a book I’d written in my hands. . . . It was really
satisfying, if that doesn’t sound too egotistical. On a practical level,
the biggest advantages are probably having something physical to sell
at my speaking appearances, as I do a fair number of those, and that the
book can reach an audience beyond people who own e-readers (as that’s
still just a limited subset of readers, and will probably remain so for
quite some time to come).<br />
<br />
The biggest challenge was trying to figure out the proper
distribution for the books — how many books should go where, and which
were the right services to use that would answer the particular needs I
had.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333399;">[Sarah] You used Kickstarter as a way to raise money to print your book. Why did you choose Kickstarter?</span><br />
<br />
[Cheryl] At the time I did it (July of 2009), <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/" target="_blank">Kickstarter</a>
had just opened for business earlier that year, and it was the only
crowdsourced-fundraising website for artistic activities that I knew of.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333399;">[Sarah] You started your own small press: Asterisk Books. Could you talk about how this was helpful in publishing <em>Second Sight?</em> Also, how have you distributed your book?</span><br />
<br />
[Cheryl] Well, I have to confess that Asterisk came into existence basically because of <em>Second Sight</em>
— I wanted to have a proper imprint name to put on the spine and title
page! I chose “Asterisk” because I love stars and punctuation, and
because I love the additions and amendments and digressions the mark
represents.<br />
<br />
<em>Second Sight</em> is available online through <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Second-Sight-Revising-Publishing-Children/dp/0615420826/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1335385707&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Amazon.com’s Advantage</a> consignment program and through <a href="https://secure.mybookorders.com/order/MultiProduct.aspx?SiteID=382" target="_blank">Mybookorders.com</a>,
an independent distributor out of Minneapolis. Working with
Mybookorders was really important and useful to me early on because (a) I
wanted a non-Amazon option for people who are concerned about the
company and (b) I needed a distributor that could handle discounts at
various levels, so the people who sponsored me on Kickstarter could
receive the proper credit for their sponsorship (for instance, a $10
sponsorship = $10 off the book), and Amazon doesn’t offer such an
option. The book has also been for sale at my local independent
bookstore near work, the wonderful <a href="http://mcnallyjackson.com/" target="_blank">McNally Jackson Booksellers</a>, and I’ve been selling it at my various appearances since it’s come out.<br />
<br />
I owe my mother a HUGE thanks here, as she and my dad are not only
storing over a thousand books (at present) in their garage, she’s also
been shipping books to Amazon and to my appearances as necessary. (They
know her really well at the local FedEx.) Thanks, Mom!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: #333399;">[Sarah] The Asterisk graphic and name “Asterisk Books” do add a nice touch to the spine and title page! One last question: <em>Second Sight</em> is a popular book and is now in it’s second printing. Do you plan to release it as an e-book?</span><br />
<br />
[Cheryl] At present, I do not have plans to release it as an e-book.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] Thank you, Cheryl, for a great interview!<br />
<br />
Be sure to visit Cheryl at her useful <a href="http://cherylklein.com/" target="_blank">website</a> (that includes many of her craft talks) and her wonderful <a href="http://chavelaque.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>. Cheryl is also on <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/chavelaque" target="_blank">twitter</a>. (There is important info on her website about the various option of <a href="http://cherylklein.com/buying-second-sight/" target="_blank">placing orders</a> for her book, <em>Second Sight</em>. <em></em>Her book is an excellent resource for writers, one I highly recommend.)<em></em><br />Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-32379943520899368712012-04-25T12:00:00.001+02:002012-04-26T10:06:50.398+02:00Debi Faulkner on the Teamwork of Indie-Publishing<a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Debi-Faulkner-author-photo.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright" height="150" src="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Debi-Faulkner-author-photo-300x225.jpg" title="Debi Faulkner author photo" width="200" /></a><br />
It’s a pleasure to visit with <a href="http://debifaulkner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Debi Faulkner</a> today as I continue my series of interviews about e-books and indie-publishing. Originally from Detroit, Debi has lived in Europe for over ten years.<br />
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Debi is a poet and the author of four novels, including the chapter book, <i>Lilypad Princess,</i> and the young adult novel, <i>Summoning</i>. Her middle grade novel, <i>Year of the WereCurse: WereWhat?,</i> was recently released in its print version.<br />
<br />
[This interview is also simultaneously posted on <a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/" target="_blank">Through the Tollbooth</a>, a group blog by <a href="http://www.vcfa.edu/" target="_blank">VCFA</a> alumni.] <br />
<br />
[Sarah] Publishing a book is always a team effort. Who did you choose to help prepare your books and what did they do?<br />
<br />
[Debi] While I’ve always relied on my wonderful and talented critique
partners and writing buddies to help me prepare my manuscripts in the
initial stages, going past that into the indie-publishing field has been
a real learning experience.<br />
<br />
My first novel, <i>Summoning</i>, went through several rounds of
revisions with my own writing circle, then several more based on advice
from agents who’d suggested changes. Though none of those agents
ultimately took on the book, I believed that it was a story that
deserved a chance.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/summoning_cover3-thumbnailsm.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright" height="200" src="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/summoning_cover3-thumbnailsm.jpg" title="summoning cover" width="158" /></a>My husband was the one who convinced me to publish the book myself, and when I discovered
that it was possible to publish electronically, I tried to learn
everything I could about the process. Having a small (extremely small)
bit of experience with digital photography and art, I made the original
cover myself. Formatting was a bit trickier, because each of the venues
available to create and sell an ebook has its own methods and its own
formatting rules. For this book, I took on the (sometimes very
frustrating) task myself.<br />
<br />
I pushed the “publish” buttons on the various sites, and<i> viola!</i> a book was born!<br />
<br />
It didn’t take long for me to learn that my cover was <i>amateurish</i> and that some of the paragraphs on the Kindle edition did not format correctly.<br />
<br />
It was time for help.<br />
<br />
A fellow indie author on the <a href="http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/board,60.0.html" target="_blank">Kindle Board’s Writer’s Cafe</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Thea-Atkinson/e/B0046DIT0U/ref=sr_tc_ep?qid=1334669586" target="_blank">Thea Atkinson</a>, created the current cover and various other members helped me correct the formatting errors.<br />
<br />
But I’d learned my lesson, and I’d found a wealth of resources
including Editor Extraordinaire, Lynn O’Dell, and Cover Artist to the
Stars, Glendon Haddix.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] You chose an experienced and well-known editor to edit your books. What was it like working with her?<br />
<br />
[Debi] One of the main criticisms of indie-books is that they are
poorly edited. Unfortunately, that statement can be all too true. It’s
possible to write a horrible first draft, decide it’s pure gold and hit
that publish button before a book is ready.<br />
<br />
But writing is my career. My reputation is on the line every time
someone samples or downloads my books. I wanted them to be the very
best. I wanted them to be professional. As every serious writer knows,
professional editing is a<i> must</i> in producing a professional book. And getting the right editor is important.<br />
<br />
That’s where <a href="http://redadeptpublishing.com/editing-services/" target="_blank">Lynn O’Dell of Red Adept Publishing Services</a>
came in. This woman is amazing. Not only does she have a copyeditor’s
eye for all things grammatical, but her ability to analyze story arc,
characterization, pacing, plot holes – everything a good editor needs to
help an author fine-tune a manuscript – is spot on.<br />
<br />
I hired her to work with me on <i>Year of the WereCurse: WereWhat?</i>,
and it was definitely my best decision in this entire journey so far.
She is tough, and she knows how to motivate a writer to work harder, dig
deeper and find a story’s underlying “truth.”<br />
<br />
Because she is so good, and because she is extremely popular with
indie-authors, I booked a place on her schedule for my next book before
I’d even started writing it!<br />
<br />
[Sarah] How involved were you in choosing the covers for your books?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/lilypad-cover-thumb-gr.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright wp-image-215" height="200" src="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/lilypad-cover-thumb-gr-211x300.jpg" title="lilypad cover thumb gr" width="140" /></a>[Debi] As I described above, <i>Summoning</i>‘s
original cover was my own. While it no longer has my cover, I did learn
quite a bit creating it and through the criticism of it. On my second
book, <i>LilyPad Princess</i>, I took the lessons I’d learned and designed the cover myself.<br />
<br />
One of the biggest issues with ebooks is making the cover completely
legible in a thumbnail format – that’s the size prospective buyers see,
so making any part of the title or author name too small, or adding too
much clutter that is not easily distinguishable at a small size, is
counter productive. What works well for a print cover doesn’t
necessarily work for an ebook.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/werewhat-final-thumbnail.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-216" height="200" src="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/werewhat-final-thumbnail-225x300.jpg" title="werewhat book cover" width="150" /></a>For <i>WereWhat?</i>, I chose to hire a professional cover designer for two reasons: the story did
not really lend itself to a photo-centric cover, and the
genre/age-range (mid-grade paranormal aimed at boys) seemed to scream
for something hand drawn. That’s when I found Glendon Haddix with Streetlight Graphics<a href="http://www.streetlightgraphics.com/" target="_blank">www.streetlightgraphics.com</a>.
Glendon and his wife, Tabitha, were extremely accommodating, but it’s
Glendon’s vision of Jack Henry’s world that is on the cover of the book.
He took my suggestions, my concerns and the main themes of the story
and worked them into a fun, attractive cover. When something didn’t
quite match my vision, he revised it. For me, it was an amazing process
to watch – and have input on – my characters coming to life visually.<br />
<br />
When I chose to add a print version of <i>WereWhat?</i>, Glendon expanded the cover to include the spine and back, too.<br />
<br />
Streetlight Graphics also did all of the formatting for <i>WereWhat?</i>,
both in all ebook and print versions. Glendon also included the
lobsterclaw from the cover at the beginning of each chapter, which I
absolutely love.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] Which e-books formats did you choose? Why? [Did you need a company to help with publication and distribution?]<br />
<br />
[Debi] This is another one of the ever-changing aspects of indie-publishing. When I began with <i>Summoning</i>,
in October of 2010, there were three main venues: Smashwords (which
distributes to various outlets such as Apple, Sony and Kobo, among
others), Amazon for the Kindle and Barnes and Noble for Nook users.
There seem to be more options now, though to be honest, I’m not as
versed in them as I should be.<br />
<br />
One of the areas of flux for this particular issue has been the
addition of Kindle Select through Amazon. An indie-author can achieve
higher rankings and visibility by choosing to include a book in the
Select program, which is a plus, but in order to participate, the book
cannot be offered in ebook format on any other site for the duration of
the commitment (which is 90-days at a time).<br />
The arguments both for and against this practice are lengthy, and I
won’t go into them. I will say, though, that I am currently
experimenting with Select, and both <i>Summoning</i> and <i>WereWhat?</i> are signed up in the project. For the time being.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] What advantages do you see with e-books?<br />
<br />
[Debi] For me, there are two major advantages and one really nice
“perk” ebooks have over a printed book. First is the ease of reading and
storing entire novels. My Kindle is much easier to hold than a 500-page
hard cover, and it fits easily into my purse, so I almost always have
it with me. Of course, I no longer have to beg to buy more book shelves,
either. I have to admit to loving the feel of a new, hard-bound book in
my hands and smelling that new-paper smell, but when it comes to really
diving into and living in an imaginary world with well-written
characters, I can do that just fine electronically!<br />
<br />
The second major advantage for me is the ease of purchasing books.
Believe me, that’s a big one, too. I live in a non-English speaking
country, and while I can find English books in the local store, they’re
not usually the ones I’d like to read and the variety is very small.
Ordering books and paying for the overseas delivery is also very cost
prohibitive. Even ordering books through the local bookstore has proven
out of my price range, because the stores must charge me all the
additional costs they incur in getting the book. With my Kindle, I can
go online, choose a book and start reading it within seconds.<br />
That same ease of purchasing is one that I hope translates to buyers
of my own books. Anyone can go online, find one of my books and be
reading it without ever leaving the couch. Of course, getting the
visibility for my books has proven to be the challenge.<br />
<br />
The “perk” is that the cost of most ebooks is less than the print versions. It means I can buy more books!<br />
<br />
[Sarah] Your book, <i>Year of the WereCurse: WereWhat?</i> was
first released as an e-book. Recently it became available in a print
version. What did you need to do to prepare it for print publication?
Why did you choose to take time and effort so it would also be available
as a paper book?<br />
<br />
[Debi] You’ve hit on one of the pitfalls of ereaders for me – not
many kids have them yet. Sure, as parents upgrade to the newer versions,
kids will get the hand-me-downs, but right now there are just too few
kids, 9-12 years old, who have their own Kindles. Or their own Kindle
accounts.<br />
I decided to add the print option to <i>WereWhat?</i> mostly due to
the age range. I want to make it more available to my target audience.
This is a new venture for me, but the print books are available on
Amazon and can be ordered through bookstores, which should make it more
available to the kids who may want to read it.<br />
<br />
As of this moment, I have not begun the process for my other books, but if <i>WereWhat?</i> does well, I would definitely consider adding print versions of them all.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] What are your plans for future books?<br />
<br />
[Debi] In the long run, I would like to pursue both indie and
traditional publishing. They each have their strengths, and I believe
pursuing both is the best strategy for authors at this point.<br />
<br />
Of course, one of the biggest things about traditional publishing
that holds appeal for me may be an emotional one: validation. Having
someone read your work and believe in it enough to want to invest time
and money into putting it out there into the big, wide world…well, I’m
sure there’s no feeling like it.<br />
<br />
But I also know that I have other options. I don’t have to place all
of my worth as an author on what a particular imprint is looking for at
any particular moment or whether or not my manuscript is commercial
enough or too commercial or if it can be easily categorized. If I truly
believe in a story, and if I can work with a team of professionals to
put out a professional product, then I have that choice and the freedom,
knowledge and resources to do it.<br />
<br />
Whether a book is indie or traditionally published, it still comes
down to story – whether the book will attract and engage readers. If
it’s a good story well told, I believe people will want to read it.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] Thank you, Debi! It's been so fun to learn about your publishing journey. <br />
You can find out more about Debi and her books by visiting her <a href="http://debifaulkner.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">website</a>.Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-38783449336658377472012-04-23T16:13:00.003+02:002012-04-25T19:02:37.563+02:00Margaret J. Anderson on publishing out of print books as e-booksIt’s a delight to visit with <a href="http://members.peak.org/%7Emja/" target="_blank">Margaret J Anderson</a>
today! It is really cool to talk with one of my favorite childhood authors! I discovered her books when I was in middle school, and I loved
reading them over and over again. Her historical fiction books swept me
away on adventures to foreign lands and earlier times. (<i>Searching for Shona</i> is a book I still vividly remember today.) I particularly
loved her fantasy time travel books.<br />
<br />
[This interview is also simultaneously posted on <a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/" target="_blank">Through the Tollbooth</a>, a group blog by <a href="http://www.vcfa.edu/" target="_blank">VCFA</a> alumni.] <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Margaret-J-Anderson.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright" height="183" src="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Margaret-J-Anderson-300x275.jpg" title="Margaret J. Anderson" width="200" /></a>Margaret J Anderson
has been writing for publication for over thirty-five years and has
published 12 novels. Her nonfiction books include biographies and
science books. Her most recent books are <i>Carl Linnaeus: Father of Classification</i> and <i>Bugged-Out Insects</i> (2011).<br />
<br />
Her out-of-print novel, <i>In the Keep of Time</i>, was recently released as an e-book.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] Did your rights revert back to you or did you work with your publisher to regain your rights to your books?<br />
<br />
[Margaret] Years ago, after my early fiction books had been out of
print for a while, I asked my publisher (Knopf) for the rights back. I
had the idea of getting a regional press interested in publishing some
of them as paperbacks that I could sell when I was giving school
presentations, but I was too involved with new projects to follow
through. This was before the era of Nooks and Kindles, so I had no
thought of issuing electronic versions of the books – and neither did
Knopf. I’ve heard that publishers aren’t so quick to relinquish rights
these days.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] Could you explain the process you went through as you prepared <i>In the Keep of Time</i> to be published as an e-book?<br />
<br />
[Margaret] Six years ago, I wrote a historical novel called <i>Olla Piska</i>
about the botanist David Douglas (of the Douglas fir). A couple of
months after it was published by the Oregon Historical Society, they
went out of the publishing business, leaving <i>Olla-Piska</i> as an orphan child. They returned all the rights, so with the help of <a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/2012/04/23/margaret-j-anderson-on-publishing-out-of-print-books-as-e-books/www.ellenbeier.com" target="_blank">Ellen Beier</a>,
who had done the cover, I began to look into publishing it as an
e-book. We learned the names of companies like Smashwords and BookBaby,
but the big question of how you let people know the book is out there
hung over us. In the end, I decided to get my feet wet by publishing a
book that already had potential readers. I get quite a number of e-mails
from people who read <i>In the Keep of Time</i> and my other early books as children and are sad that they can’t find copies to read to <i>their</i> children.<br />
<br />
When I decided to start with <i>In the Keep of Time</i>, I was
faced with a problem. The book was published in 1977 before I owned a
computer, so I had no digital version. I would have to retype the entire
book into Microsoft Word. Somewhere I’d read that scanning the pages
could introduce mistakes that are hard to fix. Besides, I’d have to tear
one of my few copies apart to scan it and I wasn’t sure my scanner was
up to the task. On the upside, retyping meant I could avoid the five
most common formatting mistakes cited in the Smashwords style guide.
(Don’t use the tab key to indent a new paragraph, etc.) By the time I
was finished, I had a new admiration for my younger self – hammering out
all those long-ago books on a typewriter and correcting mistakes with
whiteout!<br />
<br />
[Sarah] Which e-books formats did you choose? Why?<br />
<br />
[Margaret] I chose to go with <a href="http://www.bookbaby.com/" target="_blank">BookBaby</a>,
though I can’t claim this was the result of extensive research. It was
mostly based on their response to an email I sent them asking (among
other things) what was the advantage of using BookBaby rather than one
of the other companies out there. Someone named Meghan wrote back
saying, “I believe that the best part about using BookBaby is that if
you need help, you can pick up the phone and dial us and a real live
human being will answer you!” That’s very reassuring when you’re
dealing with all this uncanny stuff like an entire book arriving on your
Kindle with the click of a mouse! I’ve already talked to Meghan a
couple of times. Also, BookBaby is located in Portland, so it feels
local. As well as formatting the manuscript for all the popular reading
devices: Kindle, i-Pad, Nook, Kobo, etc., they handle the financial
dealings, collecting royalties and sending them on to the author.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] Why did you choose to release <i>In the Keep of Time</i> first?<br />
<br />
[Margaret] As I mentioned earlier, <i>In the Keep of Time</i> has
loyal followers—if I can find a way to reach them. Although the book
was written years ago I think it will connect with today’s children. It
is a time-slip adventure in which the key to Smailholm Tower unlocks
the past, taking four children back to 15th century Scotland, where
border raiding was a common practice. The next time they use the key,
the children find themselves in the 22nd century in a post
climate-change world—a world without technology. Today’s kids are aware
of climate change, but it wasn’t on many people’s radar back when the
book was published 35 years ago.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] You chose a photograph you took of the tower for your new
cover. Where did you take the photo? Did the photo require any editing
or photoshopping?<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/In-the-Keep-of-Time-cover.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright" height="200" src="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/In-the-Keep-of-Time-cover-230x300.png" title="In the Keep of Time cover" width="153" /></a>[Margaret] The photograph on the cover is of Smailholm Tower, a
Scottish border keep near Kelso where my parents lived after I’d
emigrated to Oregon. It’s the setting that inspired my story, and I
worked in some legends associated with the tower. We always visited the
tower when we went back to see my parents, and I’ve taken dozens of
pictures over the years. <a href="http://www.theispot.com/kubinyi" target="_blank">Laszlo Kubinyi,</a>
who did the original cover, based his artwork on a photo I sent him. I
couldn’t use his cover for the e-book edition because of copyright
restrictions, but I did choose a similar view of the tower.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.throughthetollbooth.com/2012/04/23/margaret-j-anderson-on-publishing-out-of-print-books-as-e-books/www.ellenbeier.com" target="_blank">Ellen Beier</a>
helped me design the cover. Yes, we did do some photoshopping. The
first step was to straighten the tower. Ellen pointed out that my photo
had a slight leaning-tower-of-Pisa slant to it that I hadn’t noticed!
Then we changed the background colors to give the picture a more
interesting science-fiction look. Finally we picked the font for the
title, which was hard because there are so many choices. I’m excited
about what finally emerged.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] What other books do you plan to release as e-books? When?<br />
<br />
[Margaret] That depends on how long my enthusiasm for typing lasts!
And also how the current project fares. I feel as if I’m climbing a
fairly steep learning curve! But I’m already more than halfway through
typing <i>In the Circle of Time</i>, a sequel to <i>In the Keep of Time</i>, which focuses on the future people. There’s a third book, <i>The Mists of Time</i>, but before I do that one I want to do my earliest novel, <i>To Nowhere and Back</i>. It has also generated a lot of letters and was a New York Times Outstanding Book of the Year in 1975. After that, I may do <i>Journey of the Shadow Bairn</i>s, which is based on my husband’s family history in northern Saskatchewan. Next in line is <i>Searching for Shona</i>, a World War II story that draws heavily on my own background. And somewhere in between I’ll do <i>Olla-Piska</i>.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] What advantages do you see with using e-books?<br />
<br />
[Margaret] It will be interesting to see how this technology evolves,
but I do think it’s a great way to make books that might have a limited
audience available to readers. It’s hard for publishers to justify the
production and storage costs for a physical book that isn’t going to
jump off the shelves. E-books don’t take up space in warehouses or on
bookshelves. They can also be sold at a much lower price. I’ll receive a
70% royalty for <i>In the Keep of Time</i> from most reading
devices, so I can price it as low as $2.99, which will give me $2.00 per
book, the equivalent of a 10% royalty on a $20 book. The buyer benefits
from the cheaper price as well.<br />
<br />
Like most authors, I’ve always been in love with books and have a
whole wall of them behind me as I write. But when I look at my
grandchildren I see the writing on that wall! They like their electronic
devices! It used to be that the paperback edition was the poor
relative of the hardbound book. Then readers wanted the lighter, cheaper
paperbacks. Pretty soon they’ll all be turning pages on their Nooks and
Kindles with their busy thumbs. Personally, I still love the look and
feel of a book, but I do like being able to adjust the font size on my
Kindle!<br />
<br />
[Sarah] Do any of the e-book formats allow a reader to order a print
copy of the book? In other words, is there a way for a reader to buy a
paper copy of the book?<br />
<br />
[Margaret] There are ways to publish your book in a format that
allows the reader to buy a print copy, but I didn’t go that route,
partly because there still are a few physical copies of my early books
out there through Amazon etc. Though the prices can be crazy! I just
checked Amazon and a used hardback edition of <i>To Nowhere and Back</i> sells for anywhere from $39-$319! In 1975 it sold for $5.50.<br />
<br />
[Sarah] When you were retyping the story, did you ever have the urge to change anything?<br />
<br />
[Margaret] I have found myself doing some tweaking and editing! I’ve had 35 years of writing experience since I wrote<i> In the Keep of Time</i>.
I was a bit too fond of run-on sentences in those days, so I have
eliminated some “ands.” I’m making a few bigger changes while re-typing<i> In the Circle of Time</i>,
where Robert and Jennifer find themselves two hundred years in the
future. The present time in the book is around 1979, the year I wrote
the book, and I haven’t changed that. There is, however, mention of
something that happened in 2010, which must have seemed quite far into
the future back then. Seeing it didn’t happen in 2010, I’m jumping the
event forward to 2050!<br />
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[Sarah] How does it feel to work with this book again?<br />
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[Margaret] Re-reading a book I wrote all those years ago is a bit
like a time-slip adventure! It takes me back! Some of the incidents in
the story were triggered by real events. One evening, when we went into
the tower with our four young children, a black bird fluttered down from
somewhere up near the roof and fell dead at our feet. I used this
incident in the opening chapter of <i>In the Keep of Time</i>. The
characters in the book weren’t based on my own children, but they do
bring back happy memories of those visits to Scotland. And the book also
brings back memories of children’s eager questions in response to the
many slideshow presentations I’ve given over the years.<br />
<br />
I really am enjoying re-visiting these old books. It’s a dark day
when you get word from your publisher that your precious book is going
out of print. I started this project thinking that turning my books into
e-books would confer some sort of immortality on them! It turns out
that isn’t the case. I have to pay BookBaby $20 per year to keep a book
alive! And the real truth is that a book is only alive when someone
reads it. So I hope my old titles will spring to life again when today’s
kids reach for their Sony or iPad, their Copia, Kobo, Nook or Kindle. I
love those names!<br />
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[Sarah] Thank you, Margaret, for visiting with me today. Now I have a great reason to buy an e-reader.<br />
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You can find out more about Margaret and her book on her <a href="http://members.peak.org/%7Emja/" target="_blank">website</a>.<i> </i><br />
<i>In the Keep of Time</i> is available on <a href="http://www.kobobooks.com/search/search.html?q=In+the+keep+of+time" target="_blank">Kobo</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/In-Keep-Time-ebook/dp/B007RRUL8K/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A12MGAGPLUJEQK&qid=1334629187&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Kindle</a>, <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1012805138?ean=9781620952504" target="_blank">Nook</a> and other ebook formats.Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-4971179668086932582012-04-17T21:11:00.000+02:002012-04-17T21:43:57.222+02:00Doors--like the cover of a novel--are an invitation to look inside<br />
I always wonder what is behind closed doors—especially fascinating and unique doors.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRXxeXlI9e6y1JxPz4CJCAMgyfgMknnw0dW8SA8GIvKdepIgUVIMpcdgEdgrHqisVI_EdssV_zKzl49u4gry8SP62juInfW2Pk6MMAwYTg05OOKoq9jLZTFLbwOUmbcGEwY8hUap7UqaA/s320/Door+in+Bruges.JPG" width="212" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Door in Bruges, Belgium</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWr7g8dL4l95A7lNo0tF_bARZEmuLDZFd8uJA3rb3ErbvwyYpqAxYxFgrgcP9fUdhwIGLctCCoG7AwCPmsQkJfqAeDV5GhGbDer_A9jcfE-s6MQtDZMuHTFw4Lo9JBcOFXD0-JqNYNnLw/s400/Brussels+Art+Nouveau+house.JPG" width="265" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Art Nouveau entrance in Brussels, Belgium</td></tr>
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This long cord makes me want to pull on it and hear what the doorbell sounds like.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQmC67mV6wIzLzXFY-5V1HlS19DF3tglu21oHxuwLgd757B4UHSKDKOTqtS7PViPxb8-FDJlrz6T-nHsSk4aLHjQkh6Gby-bsn0GgHA9OEjPCcPnbC1FhwQEcmaDFnNydtvyweCUEffe4/s320/Bruge+door+pull.JPG" width="221" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Long cord, to left of door, is what one pulls to ring the bell.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Some places don't have doors, but only openings, such as this stick
house in Keukenhof Gardens in Holland. It reminds me of the story of
the Three Little Pigs. <br />
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<img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtXTCuYKsY-4zdTsma86d9Y4EfsQnct7AboRpv1xbUQhWJEQYBlCib7CxpvJfgVhJKotPtFwlTYOXIeR_iuiAfe7XkRSVydLBm_lgwMpIexAsbiw_AWty6cyKe2ybR_-lEBpT1VOxdZ-w/s320/House+made+of+stick+in+Keukenhof+Gardens.JPG" width="320" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stick House--I'm in the photo so you can see the scale</td></tr>
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This door leads directly to a canal. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEtUztbajerKBpQFi5Iex9MLVvRrgS_wjwlJ0bwg6gCqX8effzD_dwCPYCZvuz6t9CJsIrCGQkRZWRjHIReoYNpX_Yk4qxmNzCZr0Ajxn0dIWQ73fGy3MDvD7gLWt2O-10KdReHbL2mU/s1600/Door+to+canal.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEtUztbajerKBpQFi5Iex9MLVvRrgS_wjwlJ0bwg6gCqX8effzD_dwCPYCZvuz6t9CJsIrCGQkRZWRjHIReoYNpX_Yk4qxmNzCZr0Ajxn0dIWQ73fGy3MDvD7gLWt2O-10KdReHbL2mU/s320/Door+to+canal.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Photo taken in Bruges, Belgium.</td></tr>
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Just like a great cover or opening page of the novel, a door is an invitation to peek inside.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnApnFavUbEodXORO8aeJXSI8khqUe60VAlbVaEmRc8BZXY6qqh0EajAEVZEfQEn4HCRqMse47ghVYHbhQ7l5OKeHZFHFZ89DJZfakIC9BlSZGv_FsBR4Jwch-UHPNCsP_VLuzsIjd94/s1600/Art+Nouveau+house+in+Brussels.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZnApnFavUbEodXORO8aeJXSI8khqUe60VAlbVaEmRc8BZXY6qqh0EajAEVZEfQEn4HCRqMse47ghVYHbhQ7l5OKeHZFHFZ89DJZfakIC9BlSZGv_FsBR4Jwch-UHPNCsP_VLuzsIjd94/s320/Art+Nouveau+house+in+Brussels.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front of Art Nouveau house in Brussels, Belgium</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pdplxq6eJKrTuTV8txxYt5JLMSwHEcE1-HhiYJvFM9JSTY4gtMEHg7cY2p50euH6Uaj4rXCgDvgao7cYNlG1XX8XQQdBvl7wNWfS77AjeLBX29LU0lRW3QxHjvhcZax4UyLMH3p5Lmw/s1600/Art+Nouveau+door.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8pdplxq6eJKrTuTV8txxYt5JLMSwHEcE1-HhiYJvFM9JSTY4gtMEHg7cY2p50euH6Uaj4rXCgDvgao7cYNlG1XX8XQQdBvl7wNWfS77AjeLBX29LU0lRW3QxHjvhcZax4UyLMH3p5Lmw/s400/Art+Nouveau+door.JPG" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Detail of door. I'm standing in front.</td></tr>
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Occasionally, we are invited inside when we don't expect the opportunity. The inside can be even more amazing than we could have imagined.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stained glass windows from inside of house.</td></tr>
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The owner of the Art Nouveau house (pictured in the 3 photos above) saw us and invited us into his home! The windows are so clear and almost glow when seen from inside! They are gorgeous!<br />
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I took these photos on a recent trip we took to the Netherlands and Belgium. (Neither country is that far of a drive from Frankfurt.)<br />
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<span id="goog_173474304"></span><span id="goog_173474305"></span>Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-77179532721626057252012-03-22T09:29:00.000+01:002012-03-22T09:29:23.124+01:00Bologna Book Fair 2012- Awards and InterviewsI enjoy following the Bologna Book Fair each year. Two years ago I attended the fair. It's a great way to get a pulse of what is going on in children's publishing. Plus, it's fun see all the international publisher's booths and displays.<br />
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The <a href="ttp://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/en/boragazziaward/" target="_blank">BolognaRagazzi Awards</a> are given each year in several categories. New this year is the BolognaRagazzi digital award, which is given to apps. Seeing the covers (and reading the descriptions) of the award and honor books give me a good glimpse into the most stunning books of the previous year.<br />
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Also new this year is the <a href="http://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/en/childrens_museum/" target="_blank">Children's Museum Award</a>. It was announced by HRH Princess Sibille of Luxembourg. How cool is that? The short list of museums looks intriguing. I hope next year a museum from the U.S. is on the list.<br />
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<a href="http://www.scbwi.org//" target="_blank">SCBWI </a>is also involved in the book fair and has a booth. Interviews with authors and illustrators and others involved in children's publishing can be found at the 2012 <a href="http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/search/label/SCBWI%20Bologna%202012" target="_blank">SCBWI Bologna series</a> on <i>Cynsations</i>.<br />
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I interviewed Paul O. Zelinsky, Caldecott Medal winner, for this series. If you want to learn more about Zelinsky and his amazing work, you can <a href="http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2012/03/scbwi-bologna-2012-author-illustrator_19.html" target="_blank">read my interview at this link</a>. <br />
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<br />Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2323371327599206511.post-77926744396016423142012-03-16T09:38:00.000+01:002012-03-16T15:35:57.782+01:00Greg Leitich Smith: Dinosaurs, Writing, and Research<br />
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<a href="http://gregleitichsmith.com/" target="_blank">Greg Leitich Smith</a>'s newest book, <i>Chronal Engine</i>, is an exciting time travel adventure back to the time of dinosaurs.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7-ips-H911E0HpzXJK01AnbQjB7g0ipJS1E9TAnll-4V5EpPqhURAJljiGDqdjZYSs9U2z54aXM-yVZG9bY6zD0Mn2GEyBgRG4E_qoyq5MYMmqqs69w-TZTnud_x0jHAoYP3yuxgIW8/s1600/Greg+Leitich+Smith.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7-ips-H911E0HpzXJK01AnbQjB7g0ipJS1E9TAnll-4V5EpPqhURAJljiGDqdjZYSs9U2z54aXM-yVZG9bY6zD0Mn2GEyBgRG4E_qoyq5MYMmqqs69w-TZTnud_x0jHAoYP3yuxgIW8/s320/Greg+Leitich+Smith.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg Leitich Smith in the Houston Museum of Natural Science<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;"></span></span></td></tr>
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Greg is also the author of the middle grade novels, <i>Tofu and T Rex</i> and <i>Ninjas, Pirahnas and Galileo</i>. Plus, he co-authored the picture book, <i>Santa Knows</i>, with his wife, <a href="http://www.cynthialeitichsmith.com/" target="_blank">Cynthia Leitich Smith</a>.<br />
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I'm excited to talk with Greg today about his writing process, research, and of course, dinosaurs.<br />
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<b>[Sarah] </b><b>Could you share your journey to becoming a writer? </b><br />
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<b>[Greg] </b>I think everyone who is a writer starts out as a reader. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t enjoy reading, and pretty much read everything I could get my hands on (and still do). In general, I tend to read a lot of nonfiction and enjoy mysteries, humor, and science fiction and fantasy.<br />
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In high school, I thought it might be fun to write for a living, but recognized that planning on something like that without having a day job or trust fund was not the wisest career plan. I eventually put the idea aside and pursued my interests in engineering and, later, law.<br />
<br />
When Cynthia started writing, she learned the business and brought home tons of books, the new generation of children’s and YA books, and I started reading them. And that’s when I decided to try my hand at writing again. I went to a couple workshops, submitted the manuscript for NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO around, and got some nice personal rejections. Eventually I revised and submitted to Cynthia’s agent, Ginger Knowlton, who was probably not overjoyed to receive the manuscript of a client’s spouse. :). She did, however, agree to represent me. I think she sold the manuscript on the first submission after that.<br />
<b> </b><br />
<b>[Greg] How has your writing process changed with each of your novels?</b><br />
<br />
Each novel has tended to be completely different. My first, NINJAS, PIRANHAS, AND GALILEO, was written essentially straight through without any kind of outlining whatsoever. I had an idea that I wanted to do the Galileo story as a comedy in junior high, so I had sort of the broad contours of the plot, but nothing beyond that. There was a significant amount of backtracking, though, and trying to keep things organized when you couldn’t “see” everything was difficult.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXL9T0i2zXwao2cSM9EaGQqj8vmrNC5UPzxdjhl7I-yWd0ud1GScmavqxqo7G1Am2nFk0Ly_FBuvmSPZW4lEB0wVPOmNgHymrVT-d2ftES0Qd-w5Ej67fNLlqe5sB5kh2ZvZ6NK2cmQ8/s1600/Chronal+Engine+cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuXL9T0i2zXwao2cSM9EaGQqj8vmrNC5UPzxdjhl7I-yWd0ud1GScmavqxqo7G1Am2nFk0Ly_FBuvmSPZW4lEB0wVPOmNgHymrVT-d2ftES0Qd-w5Ej67fNLlqe5sB5kh2ZvZ6NK2cmQ8/s1600/Chronal+Engine+cover.png" /></a><br />
With CHRONAL ENGINE and my more recent projects, I now generally try to come up with an interesting character and a plot beginning, middle, and end, and then will attempt a preliminary draft. This usually is only about fifty to seventy five pages long, but it’s enough to give me a sense of what’s going on. I’ll then do a next draft, which will still be on the short side. At this point, I’ll put together a table outline. Basically, it’s a word processing document with a five column table. Each cell in the table is either a scene or a chapter and I’ll write a brief description. I’ll also put the whole thing in 8 point type so I fit the whole outline on a single page. That way, it’s easy to see the entire story and figure out what’s wrong with the flow and whether any scenes need to be inserted or moved.<br />
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After that, I’ll try to come up with what I call my first draft – a novel length manuscript with a compelling protagonist and internal and external arc. Once I have that, I’ll revise. Of course, it’s entirely possible that that first draft and all its story arcs will be thrown out. With CHRONAL ENGINE, the only things that really remain from the first draft are the title, one of the early scenes when they get to the Cretaceous, and the name of the protagonist.<br />
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When I do a revision, I like to print out the manuscript as two pages per sheet – it makes it seem like a book, cuts down on the sheets of paper, and seems more manageable somehow. If I need to insert scenes, I’ll either write on the back of the printed out manuscript or use a legal pad. I think one draft of CHRONAL ENGINE I did completely by hand on about five legal pads.<br />
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<b>[Sarah] In an article you wrote for the <a href="http://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2011/11/it-started-with-a-picture-book/" target="_blank">Association for Library Service </a>you discussed how you used children’s and adult books when you did research about dinosaurs for Chronal Engine. What other types of research did you do?</b> <br />
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<b>[Greg]</b> The research really ran the whole gamut of books from picture books to professional texts and papers. My wife and I also watched a lot of dinosaur documentaries and pseudo-documentaries (of varying quality) on Discovery Channel and the like. The BBC series "Walking with Dinosaurs" was enormously helpful in getting a visual on the ecosystem, although they did take some liberties with the dinosaurs.<br />
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Most fun, of course, was that it gave us an excuse to go to every natural history museum in every city we happened to visit. Some of the museums we've visited include the Texas Memorial Museum here in Austin; the Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History in Norman;the University of Michigan Natural History Museum; the Field Museum of Natural History; and the National Museum of Natural History. Here in Austin, we also have the Hartmann Prehistoric Garden, which features plants that are of types that were around in the Mesozoic. And, we also went to the JURASSIC PARK area of Universal Studios Florida and DINOLAND USA at Disney World. For research purposes only :-).<br />
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Of course, it wasn’t just the dinosaurs that needed to be researched. I also had to figure out the whole wilderness survival business and time travel. For the survival stuff, I read books like the US Army Survival Manual and the SAS Survival Guide, as well as the Boy Scout’s Handbook (I’ve never actually been a camper…). In addition, I made Cynthia watch far too many episodes of Survivorman and Man vs. Wild – at least, the episodes that were set in tropical locales.<br />
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<b>[Sarah] Do you do most of the research before you begin writing or do you research while writing your books?</b><br />
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<b>[Greg]</b> Research was pretty much an ongoing thing. I did a bunch of preliminary research to get an overview of the environment that I wanted to use: generally based on the Late Cretaceous Aguja and Javelina Formations of the Big Bend area in southwest Texas.<br />
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Once I go that, I sort of had a handle on the basics (and having been to the museums, etc., gave me an idea for the size of creatures and sense of scale, etc.), but there was a lot along the way that I had to look up and had to make sure of. Essentially, every time I wanted to reference a new plant or animal, I got compulsive to make sure there was evidence of it in the fossil record (as of the Late Cretaceous).<br />
<br />
For example, when I first decided to put in, say, crayfish and earthworms, I had to find out if there had been crayfish and earthworms in the Late Cretaceous of Texas (I figured there were, but wanted to make sure there was something in the fossil record). My first go-to was the dinosaur references that I had accumulated, but in many cases they weren’t quite as comprehensive or time and region specific as I was looking for, so I often went to original scientific papers, many of which are available online.<br />
<br />
I also perused books like the US Army Survival Manual to get ideas on what Max and the gang would’ve needed to do to obtain food, shelter, water, etc., and not get themselves trampled or eaten. In early drafts, too, there were a lot of Swiss Family Robinson type scenes, where I went on in detail about how they built shelter, fish traps, snares, etc. Fortunately, for the flow of the story, most of that got edited out…<br />
<br />
I did do the time travel research from the beginning, because I wanted to have an actual time machine and have that machine be an integral part of the story. Also, I wanted to make sure everything I did was consistent with the “mode” I picked, but also leave it a bit ambiguous (which it would be for the characters, anyway).<br />
<br />
<b>[Sarah] Could you tell us more about your fascination with dinosaurs?</b> <br />
<br />
<b>[Greg]</b> Dinosaurs are intrinsically, of course, totally cool. :). When I was a kid, I had the advantage of parents who bought me books and took me to the library, and also to the Field Museum of Natural History, one of the world’s great natural history museums. There was just something completely amazing about these giant, awesome creatures, and the fact that they’re no longer around.<br />
<br />
And I think that’s basically the thing that draws people to dinosaurs: they were real. Not monsters, not dragons, but real flesh-and-blood animals that walked the earth. Even better, they’re a kind of science that’s easy for laypeople to participate in, at museums or even hunting for fossils on their own (There are some amazing specimens that were discovered by children and teens).<br />
<br />
And today, I think we’re in kind of a golden age of dinosaur science – new areas of the globe are open for exploration and new techniques are being used to examine specimens. New discoveries are being made every day, and many of them are reported (with varying degrees of accuracy) in the popular media. There’s also a very accessible blogosphere of paleontologists and paleo-enthusiasts and paleo-artists who make for some interesting conversation. <br />
<b><br />[Sarah] Austin has a strong writing community. What types of involvement have you had and how has this helped you grow as a writer?</b><br />
<br />
<b>[Greg]</b> As a community, Austin got its start in the mid-nineties when Meredith Davis founded the Austin SCBWI chapter. <a href="http://kathiappelt.com/" target="_blank">Kathi Appelt</a>, who was at the time the Regional Advisor for the Brazos Valley chapter, also was an early supporter of the Austin community. In fact, early on, the chapters did joint events together, one of which was a workshop where an early draft of my first novel got a gratifyingly good reception from an editor at Harcourt.<br />
<br />
Since that time, Cynthia and I have been happy to be a part of a group that has seen many members make their first sales and, importantly, stay in the community afterwards. There’s a sensibility that we’re all in it together and that, as we were mentored, so we should mentor others. <br />
<br />
<b>Thank you, Greg, for joining me today!</b><br />
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You can learn more about Greg at his <a href="http://gregleitichsmith.com/" target="_blank">website</a>. Also, be sure to visit his <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%20http://greglsblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">blog</a>. </div>
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</style>Sarah Blake Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05849468829272752689noreply@blogger.com3