So.......

Greetings, faithful readers!

I am sure many of you have been wondering if I am in fact still alive.

I am, as I’m sure you assumed.

Otherwise, me updating my blog right now would be suuuuuuuuuper creepy…

Anyway! I am alive and I know I totally dropped the ball with this whole blog thing.

Honestly, ever since I started working this summer I’ve been really torn about my purpose in life and I feel like the creativity has been sucked out of me. I’ve been going through a really dry spell. While I was working I was just too exhausted to write my posts. And, now that I’m not I have too much time on my hands and I start wondering things like: If I can’t write, am I really qualified to tell others how to?

But, I’ve been teaching a writing class every week and a good friend of mine just emailed me recently to ask for my advice. And, I realized I can still in fact write about writing even if I'm having trouble writing. I also realized how much I miss this.

So, I’m back. I’m not promising a return to the normal routine, not right away. But, I’m going to start writing and updating again.

And, you can help me out. Drop a comment below about something you would like to see me post- be it a topic you want covered, a question you want answered, a book you want reviewed, a story you want written, details about my life, anything at all. Just drop a comment below and then I’ll have somewhere to start with this jump back into blogging.

Also, before I go, just wanted to say I appreciate all of you. Knowing that when I update this, people are actually going to read it is the reason I’m doing it. Without you, I wouldn’t have a reason to update.

Love you, peeps!

~Jenni

Virtues, Blogging, and Critiques- Candor Fridays

To everyone who has been wondering if I’m alive, I have good news for you: I am. Alive. Mostly.

I’m sorry it’s been so long since I posted! I don’t even have an excuse. I just haven’t posted. But, I’m back on schedule starting today!

And so, without further ado, this week’s (okay, all my back up from the last month) questions!

Harpley asked: What virtue (such as humility, honesty, loyalty, etc.) do you respect the most in a fictional character, (or, alternatively), do you find a specific virtue showing up in a lot of your own characters?

Okay, this on stumped me, I’m not going to lie. And, after much consideration, I’ve got an answer. Sort of.

For me, there isn’t one virtue I respect the most. Looking at some of my favorite characters, I can’t seem to find a common thread. Like, I have loved Edmund Pevensie for many year because of his humility. But then, I love BBC’s Robin Hood and I really wouldn’t apply the word humility to him. So, no, there isn’t one virtue I respect the most.

That said, I will add that for me, a hero needs a strong moral code. I am not and never will be a fan of the anti-hero. If he doesn’t have a moral code or if he does things that are immoral, I can’t respect him as a hero. I might love him for other parts of his character, but he will never be a hero to me.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not necessarily a fan of the stereotypical hero mold. I am not saying you have to do that in order for your hero to be a hero. In fact, I like heroes who challenge my moral code with their own. For instance, the hero of one of my favorite movies- Sam Spade in The Maltese Falcon- does things that make me doubt he’s a hero all throughout the movie. But when push comes to shove, in the end, you realize everything he’s done is because he’s been working toward setting things right.

And then, when I look back on what he’s done, I go, “Why did I think what he was doing was wrong? He was working toward saving the day…” and I realize a lot of what I didn’t agree with is some sort of code that’s been ingrained in me that I don’t know why I believe.

So, strong moral code and the attitude of doing what’s right in the end.

And, as for reoccurring virtues I find in my characters a lot, does a good sense of humor count? Because, otherwise, again, I can’t seem to find a common theme…

Elly asked: How do guest posts work? Do you just ask someone to post on your blog? Does it have to be another blogger?

I have not actually done guest posting before, but I have read up on the subject a good deal while doing marketing and publishing research.

Here’s what I’ve learned:

Usually, the blogger who wants to guest post will do the asking. Let’s say you’re blog is dedicated to fish. If there was a fish expert looking to get their name out there, they might ask if you were interested in them posting something. That way, you have content and they get their name out there. It generally is another blogger, because it gets their own blog out there when you link their post back to them.

However, this is just internet blogging we’re talking about. So, there aren’t specific rules. There is nothing wrong with asking someone to guest post. I know a lot of people would probably be glad they didn’t have to initiate. And, if they aren’t a blogger, but have something to say, then by all means, as long as you credit the writer, you can ask them to guest post.

Essentially, it’s your blog and you can do whatever you like. No one is going to judge you or gasp because you’ve committed some huge internet blunder if you don’t follow the standard method. But, normally, it’s bloggers asking other bloggers if they might be able to post something on their blog.

Doug asked: When you've been blown away by constructive criticism that you know is valid, as I was last week regarding a novela I'm writing, what helps you to rework the passage when you really think that the current rendition was good enough?

At first, I was unsure how to answer this. But, after rereading it, I discovered you answered it yourself, with the wording.

The question to ask yourself is: is “good enough” good enough for you?

As writers it’s so easy to say, “The scene was good enough as it was. Why do people want me to change it?” And, we may very well be right. The scene probably is good enough. If we didn’t make any changes it wouldn’t bring the book down or cause people to stop reading. Some people might even enjoy it.

But, it might not be the best it can be. It could quite possibly be the best scene in your book, if you reworked it. It could be people’s favorite scene or the scene that makes them love the book. It could be the scene they best remember.

Or, it could be less obvious than that. The reader might not realize it was that scene that made them want to keep reading. They might not realize how much the scene adds to the story. It might be subtle and add layers in ways you or the reader can never grasp. But, it will be there, in the back of their mind, adding something.

So, the thing we writers need to ask ourselves, when we receive criticism like this is to ask ourselves “Is good enough good enough? Or do I want this scene to be the best it can be?”

Then we bite the bullet and set to work reworking the scene we thought we’d never have to touch again.

And, there you have it faithful readers! If you have any questions you would like answered, be sure to drop me an email by next Friday!

Arguments and Blogging- Candor Questions

Emily asked: I've been writing and rewriting this one scene for a week now, and finally decided I need help. So, my question is: How do I write a realistic heated argument between two characters?

There are a lot of factors that could change the course of the argument, such as who is fighting and what their relationship is. As I don’t have those details, I’m just going to go ahead and give you the few points the pretty much apply to ever argument:

People don’t make sense

Often times when people argue, they get so worked up about the argument that they’re too excited to actually think rationally. Or, if your character is super rational, they’re probably thinking too rationally. Either way, their words probably won’t make too much sense. I mean, they shouldn’t be speaking nonsense, but they will make nonvalid points as if they are making very valid ones.

People hold grudges

Have you ever started arguing with someone about one thing and then next thing you know you’re arguing about something else entirely? You might be arguing about whose responsibility it was to get the mail this morning and next thing you know you’re fighting about whether or not it was your fault the cover got torn on a book you borrowed from the other person. Especially if there are girls involved, the argument is never about one thing. Never. It’s always about a lot more. Because as humans, we tend to bottle stuff up and when the cork flies out of the bottle, everything comes with it. More than likely whatever caused the argument is really just the straw that broke the camel’s back. There were other things that led up to this argument and whatever caused it was just the final thing whoever was involved is going to take.

Only in fiction does someone ever win

This one really bothers me. According to books and movies, most fights between good characters end with some sort of resolution. Eventually, one of the characters realizes mid-argument that they were wrong or the other person is right and next thing you know they’re apologizing and the argument is ending.

In real life, arguments end when someone interrupts or one or both parties storms off. After they have had time to cool down and remove themselves from the situation, they can then realize that, hey maybe they were wrong. Maybe the other person was right. But, never during a fight. Never. Because remember, they aren’t thinking rationally. They’re trying to win. Which leads to the next point:

People are more concerned with winning than anything else

Remember, the parties involved aren’t thinking rationally. This is why lawyers always get the witness mad (at least in the movies they do. If you have ever seen any sort of movie or TV show set in a courtroom, you know what I’m talking about). Because to the person who’s getting upset (the witness) it’s about winning. We will say or do whatever it takes to win the argument. Even if it means confessing to something we totally meant to keep a secret.

Or, no matter how valid a point one person makes, the other isn’t going to accept it. Or, even if they do, they’re probably going to push it away and look for the problems with that point. Because they want to win. They don’t care as much about what is actually right.

And, not a breakdown of arguments, but a writing tip- body language is a great tool here that not enough people take advantage of. If you show how worked up the characters are in the midst of their words, it creates an atmosphere that the readers can physically feel. If the characters are just sitting there, not moving, while they argue, it won’t feel as authentic. But, if one of them starts pacing, or if someone is clenching and unclenching their fists the whole time, it will add an extra layer to the scene.

If you’re looking for a good resource to help with emotions and body language, this book is great. It breaks down the different emotions and common ways it is shown. Again, helps add an extra layer of depth to your scenes.

Harpley asked: Do you have any advice for someone who might want to start their own blog, or things you wish you’d known earlier in your blogging journey?

First of all, make sure you know what your purpose for the blog is. If it’s a blog you’re just doing for you, it doesn’t matter, but if you want to reach people with it, don’t just make a blog about “stuff” and then post whatever you happen to feel like posting at the moment. Decide what you want to dedicate your blog to and then stick with it. If you don’t 100%, that’s fine, but at least for you have some idea to work with.

For instance, Within the Ivory Palace is dedicated to writing, with some reading stuff thrown in. So, I either post news about my writing, posts about writing advice, short stories or excerpts, or book reviews. Then, on Fridays, I’ll post other stuff, if people ask (and, I’m totally cool with them asking!) But, otherwise I try not to post too much about other stuff that isn’t related to my theme.

Second, make a schedule. Something I have noticed is that my page views peak on Fridays and Mondays. Why? Because that’s when I post. Even on weeks that I skip for some reason, people seem to check back to see if I have posted.

You don’t have to post twice a week. You don’t even have to post once a week. I would suggest no less than once every two weeks but otherwise, you can make it as flexible as you want.

And, lastly, write with confidence. This is your blog. You are writing about what you are passionate about. Take hold of that. Something that is often repeated in my house is “Confidence perceived is confidence achieved.” No one wants to read a blog by someone who is constantly saying, “I’m not really sure about this but…” Even if you never actually say those words, if you feel them, your readers will sense it in your writing. So, write boldly. Write with authority. This is your blog, your thoughts, your take in things, And, if someone disagrees with you, well, that’s their right.

And, that’s that! If you have a question for next week, be sure to send it in! In the meantime, I shall see you all on Monday!!