A Nice Gift

I think the best sorts of gifts are surprises: a card in the mail for no reason at all, my husband bringing home a special kind of bath goo, a stranger telling me she loves my dress.

I received a totally unexpected gift yesterday from a literary agency. I never really expected to hear from them one way or another…lots of agencies don’t answer when they mean no, especially big famous agencies like this one. I certainly didn’t expect the kind note I received in response to a query.

No, I wasn’t offered representation, but I got something almost as good…a personal note from the agent’s assistant telling me not to give up, and that my book, although it didn’t fit the agent’s portfolio, would surely find representation somewhere.

She didn’t have to do that. She didn’t even have to answer at all. But that small paragraph made my day, and more than that, fortified my resolve.

Thanks, Jenna.

BARBECUING HAMLET

My niece Ruthie is in another play!!! It starts tomorrow...here's the scoop from the Buckcreek website:

BARBECUING HAMLET
a hilarious farce by Pat Cook

Wouldn't it be fun to direct Shakespeare's Hamlet? That's what Margo Daley thought until she is hired by the Peaceful Glen Memorial Players. She must turn the play into a melodrama, the sponsors' names must be added, and it must also be set in the Old West! Fast lines and even faster exits punctuate this farce as this troupe of misguided actors find out what it's like when they begin Barbecuing Hamlet.
February 4-5-6, 11-12-13, 2011

Chalice

I just finished The Chalice by Robin McKinley, one of my favorite writers. I loved this book; as usual, her characters are divine, the environment lush and alien, and the story kept me from putting it down much. There is also a side romance which is sweet and exactly how I like romance…not part of the main story, somewhat of a surprise, but if you think about it afterwards its not.

One of the many things I enjoy about McKinley’s prose is how she thoroughly, yet slowly, immerses the reader into her world. As a fantasy writer, I know how tempting it is to launch into big explantions. Ideally, you give the reader just enough so there is no frustrating confusion without so much information that it distracts from the story.

McKinley is a master at this. Chalice is not set on Earth, at least, not the earth I know. The land, the politics, the cultural mores, are all her invention. Weaving all of that into her tale without overwhelming the reader is a real talent. And no one, in my opinion, does it better.

Into The Fantasy

After more than a few fast paced mysteries and YA books, it feels good to settle into a traditional fantasy. Not that there isn’t action, but the tale is unraveling itself slowly. There’s more time for description. Exploration of the world. Long journeys and destinations. The environment becomes very real, which is especially important when the story is not set in the modern world. Or on earth.

It’s fun. I enjoy every part of writing a book (except the editing and marketing), but developing the way my world appears, sounds, feels, and tastes is my favorite part. I have to watch myself, though. It’s easy for me to get lost in too many flouncy paragraphs.

So…even though third person is most often used for traditional fantasy, I’m writing in first. First person keeps me grounded. And, it’s first person through the eyes of a young girl. A child would never go and on and on and on about the forest.

And so, hopefully, neither will I. :-)

The Blue Sword

The Blue Sword is the name of one of Robin McKinley’s books, but I love the Hero and the Crown even more. The blue sword is an important part of both stories, which is why I chose it as the title of this post.

I’m in-between books now, a disquieting time, I think, for any writer, but more for me this time than any other point in my writing career. I’ve written many books and short stories, and sold a number of them. I have one at an agent’s, another (asked for) at a publisher, and am waiting to hear back on several other queries from agents and publishers. I could write a sequel in any of the recent worlds I’ve created, but which? I don’t want to write a sequel until I’ve sold the first…made that mistake before.

I could come up with another world, but I find I’m rather tired. I love the worlds I’ve created, and I’d like to stay in one for awhile. So here I am, waiting, and wondering what to do next.

I’ve almost decided to do something completely different from what I’ve been doing, first person paranormal mysteries and YA adventures, and delve deeply into another form and format…a traditional, third person fantasy.

A traditional fantasy would have different meanings depending on who you ask. For me, it means some kind of alternate world with the protagonists on some kind of quest. One of my favorite in this genre is Robin McKinley. I’m reading a collection of her short stories now, and will probably read the Hero and the Crown before I begin mine.

Her characters are all wonderful, the stories are fabulous, and the settings and descriptions are the best I’ve read, but what I love the most is the sparseness of conversation. Her people speak without speaking, letting their actions say what is in their hearts. Reading her books inspire me.

And besides, on a cold Indiana afternoon there is nothing better.

Holly and Ivy

The holiday decorations are packed away, the presents are opened, placed, consumed, or forgotten about, and in my part of the country the winter has set its teeth into the ground and my bones.

But an early birthday gift thawed my chilly skin and melted my heart…my niece and nephew found and presented a book to me that I hadn’t read since I was a child: The Story of Holly and Ivy by Rumer Godden, illustrated by Adrianne Adams (cover above).

The book is about the power of wishing. It is a sweet and magical story with wonderful characters. But what I love most about this seemingly simple tale is how the author presents the strength of yearning in such few words. She doesn’t have to tell you what Ivy experiences …you feel it through her actions and wishes…and through Holly’s, Peter’s, and Mrs. Jones’.

I love this book so much. I read it again, even though the Yuletide is past. It was the perfect gift from two very sweet gift givers.

And that makes me love the book even more. :-)

Happy New Elf Year

A brand new year and elves...doesn't get much better than that. :-)