I cannot believe this

Thinking I wouldn't get a lot of bunnies wasn't something I should have done...now they come hopping about from time to time with their furry cuteness...BUT I have gotten some awesome ideas out of it. Let's list them up, shall we. Curious what they are about? Well then keep hanging for the next post.
 Daughter of Shadows

        


Shadowland
                                            

 

 Falling Petals

Look at the awesomeness!

 Now doesn't that look gorgeous?! This is Paper Valentine, a book ARC I might win if I share the news on two places. So why not share here and hope for me to win!

This can be found here: http://brennayovanoff.com/2012/08/21/paper-valentine-arc-contest/
I WANT SO BADLY! Btw, I'm from outside the US for the holder of this contest. I'm from the Netherlands.

How To Write A Fantasy, Part Two

The Plot

The plot is one of the most important things of your story, along with the characters. Without the plot, there is no story to tell. But with so many books already published, the same plots get used more and more. This, of course, is cliché.

Now let me give you an example:

The princess is captured in the tower, held by a dragon. The prince goes to save her and defeats the dragon. Who does the princess choose?

Did you choose the prince?
WRONG!

The princess chooses the dragon. Silly, maybe, but you didn’t expect it did you? This is a way to make a plot. Pick the logical option and twist it around. Ever thought of letting the villain win in a novel? Things like this keep a story interesting.

When making a plot, keep thinking “what if?”. What if human kind became instinct and have to fight for their existence against a much stronger breed? What if the dreams of one girl could bring violent creatures into our modern world? What if…what if? It is the most important question.

For the plot, ask yourself these questions:Who am I writing about?
Where am I writing this?

What does the main character want to achieve?

What is keeping him/her from achieving this?

These questions will help you find a good story line.  Always think of the road less traveled, of the path not taken, of the story not written.

Until next time and keep watching for How to write a Fantasy, part three: The Creatures

~ Elva

Inkie Interviews// Jami Montgomery

Hellooo there readers, here is a new feature of my blog that will come each Monday. These are the Inkie Interviews. Until last year, March, there was a writing site known as Inkpop. In March it died and the refugees all went their seperate ways. Many went to our Facebook page, where I asked if any Inkie would want to be interviewed. Many signed in and you will be able to see their interviews right away.

Our first Inkie is Jami Montgomery, also the self published author of Knight's End. Here are her questions and answers:

1. If your characters suddenly came to life, what would you say to them?

I would probably have to apologize to a lot of them first for making their lives suck so bad…  but that makes good fiction, right? When it’s not all sunshine and daisies all the time, and when there are some trials in life? Though I’m sure they don’t see it that way…

2.            What author{s} or book{s} inspired you most to write?

I think my biggest writing inspirations are Sherrilyn Kenyon and J.K Rowling. They are both women who came from nothing and from doubt and made something of themselves. Just reading their stories and seeing how far they’ve come really inspires me and makes me believe I can go somewhere someday if I just keep trying.

3.            If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what genre would you write?

Probably paranormal. There are so many things you can do within the genre and so many other genres you can crossover with it that I don’t think I’d ever run out of ideas.

4.            If you could form a legion of superheroes with five people you know, who would you choose, what would your superhero names be and what would your group be called?

This is a hard one… Mainly because I am a recluse and I don’t know a lot of people. I guess we are all going to be writers. Stopping bad grammar one ignorant person at a time! Um, I would be Grammar Nazi Girl. I would probably choose Jennifer Formosa, because her critiques are excellent. She’d be Fix the Plot Girl. Bryson McCrone would be Bloody Gory Boy, and he’d be “twins” with Sabryna Brooks, who would be Torture Charries Girl. And lastly I would have to pick Natalie Wolicki as Super Duper Small Detail Notice Girl. Yeah, the names suck, but the novel would be epic. The name of our group? Um… Novel Avengers? Ha, I don’t know.

5.            What do you most enjoy about writing?

My favorite part of writing is the readers. I know it sounds odd, but really, without readers, who would we be writing for? I love for people to tell me how they feel about my characters and what my plot made them think about. I love hearing that someone really connects with what I wrote or that they are so interested to see where a book is going that they can’t wait to read more. It makes me feel like I am truly touching people, and that is the greatest feeling in the world.

6.            Is there a book you can read over and over without it getting boring?

Alanna: The First Adventure by Tamara Pierce. I’ve read that book about 30 times already. There’s just something about it that draws me back to it over and over again, ever since I was about eleven and read it for the first time.

7.            What don’t you like about writing?

Editing. I feel like writing the book is the easy part, and then getting it as close to perfect as you can is so hard. When I first finish a book, I am so in love with every piece of it. Then I go back and read it again and realize what could be better or different and it really grates on my nerves when it takes me a year to rewrite something I wrote in two months. But it’s worth it in the end.

8.            In what fictional book would you like to take part?

This may be a really common answer, but I’d love to be in Harry Potter. Something about magic has always intrigued me, and the names of their textbooks always make me wish I could go to Hogwarts. I mean, magical creatures, potions, and spells? Who wouldn’t want to live there?

9.            Who in the world would you love to meet?

There are a lot of people who I’d love to meet. I’m going to have to go with Sherrilyn Kenyon, though. I’d love to hear her story first hand and not out of interviews or articles about her. I’d love to hear what inspired her characters and all of her books, and how she finishes one after the other without burning out or doubting herself. I think that would be a great lesson for me.

10.          Do you like symbolism in novels? Do you use it yourself?

I like a  little bit of symbolism in books, but not books that are drenched in it that every page makes you think. I mean, I love books that stay with you after they are done, but not because you are so confused about what happened that it drives you batty. I normally don’t use symbolism in what I write, but I am in my newest book for some reason. But I’m doing a lot of new things with this story, so we’ll see how it goes.

11.          What fictional character would you want to meet?

I would love to meet Katniss Everdeen. Before she goes all kinda psychotic, though. I’d love to ask her how she can be so strong willed and learn some of that. I’m a weak person when it comes to fear, but she manages to conquer hers.

12.          What books do you recommend for people to read?

Whenever someone asks me what they should read, my answer varies based on what they like. Lately I’ve been trying to talk people into reading Divergent by Veronica Roth, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, and Across the Universe by Beth Revis. One is dystopian, one is general fiction, and one is sci-fi, so I always have a recommendation, no matter what someone enjoys.

13.          Tell us something about your self-published novel, Knight’s End.

Knight’s End is my baby. The idea came to me from the opening sequence of a video game, and from there it just sort of took off for me. It’s the first book I ever wrote completely in order, no skipping around. I would sit down and write three to five thousand words with no problem, and never run out of ideas. It’s the only book that has ever been that way for me. It’s about a knight and a runaway princess, but there are some twists. Like a murderer killing off corrupt monarchs, a spoiled prince who ruins everything, and a young boy with peculiar senses. It was so fun to write, and I hope a lot of people can enjoy it.

14.          What place would you love to visit?

London, without a doubt. I’m in love with the place. I’m not really sure why. Maybe it’s the accents or the fashion or the big red buses, but I’ve always wanted to go there.

That was it for today, but keep watching out for the next post!

~ Elva

Falldown

Falldown, a novel by Synna Knight.

They are coming

The world has come to an end, one by one it crumbles to pieces. People try to flee, but it is useless. There is no way to escape the darkness that has been created. Crisanna Blackwood is one of the people stuck among the ashes of the falling world, along with her brother Wyatt she is trapped in a city once known as Amsterdam.

They are nearing, the cause of all sorrow and despair. Demons, hellhounds, one’s worst nightmare. Led on by a deceived Angel called Luen, the shadow draws closer. When Crisanna and Luen meet by accident they decide that things must come to an end.

Together they must built up the world that was doomed to destroy, before they are taken by Death.

My new novel, a paranormal dystopian called Falldown. I've pretty much fallen in love with it as much as I love Dragonstar and I will write it as much as I will write Dragonstar. And to show more of the prettiness made by my friend and fellow blogger Faye, here is the banner:

Signed, Elva {my new blogger name}

A new design

A new design, a new name, a new blog! Be ready for more book reviews, more tips on writing and more fun!

Soon to come: A review of The Selection by Kiera Cass and more tips on how to write a fantasy

How to Write a Fantasy Novel {Part One}

There are many fantasy novels and writers outside; published and unpublished. For those who aren't published yet and are planning to write a fantasy; here are some thinks to watch out with.

1) Original characters.

 They can make or break your story; the characters in your novel. If they aren't interesting; then no one will read your novel. Your characters are a part of the process of making your novel original.

 When you think of fantasy; many people immediately think of strange-colored hair and strange beings. Considering the first one; you'll have to be careful with it. Don't give a person a weird hair color just because you say it's "cool". Same goes for birthmarks and scars. There has to be a reason why a person has this and not just because it's "cool".

 An original character will do much better than a character with a strange appearance. Avoid the cliché characters as well: the tortured hero; the wicked advisor and the gruf dwarf. We've seen them; we've read them. Do not kill all the hero's family off immediately.

You heard it before; but to make a character original: give them flaws. Though this doesn't mean you should give them a "tendency to push people away"; that has been done as much as other things. Unless you can put a twist to it; don't do it.

 Some good flaws include: stubbornness; jealousy; apathy or a temper. Try and see what happens!

And of course; don't forget your most powerful source of originality: the villain. The villains who are evil "just because" don't belong to a novel. Try giving them good points; loyalties and stuff. A reader will like it much more if they understand the villain's motives. I’ll dig deeper into the villain later.


Watch out for part two: original plots!