tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73002528400950650962024-03-13T05:33:34.821-05:00Natalie C ParkerNatalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-66570413306504209202013-08-12T15:20:00.003-05:002013-08-12T15:20:28.876-05:00Your Friendly Redirect Post<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Hey there! I'm no longer blogging here. </h2>
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://nataliecparker.com/blog/">Please join at my new WordPress blog</a>!</h2>
Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-1437923094313675712013-05-30T07:53:00.002-05:002013-05-30T07:53:55.273-05:00Moving Sale!It's happening. As promised, I'm pulling up stakes and moving my blog. Today, I'm over there telling spooky stories and giving away books. <a href="http://nataliecparker.com/lie-well/" target="_blank">Join me, won't you?</a><br />
<br />
I'll post a few more reminders here before shutting down. So, this will be a multi-step farewell.Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-8789742040099513302013-05-24T12:01:00.000-05:002013-05-24T13:51:41.554-05:00Introducing In-Site Blog & Critique Camp<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5;">I've been pondering things. Things about blogs and things about critique, and I've come to two change-inducing conclusions at once.</span><br />
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The first is that I'm moving out of blogger, away from my long-beloved LiveJournal, and into <a href="http://nataliecparker.com/blog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">WordPress</a>. Not only that, but this WP is available right inside my delicious little website. Now you can find everything I ever wanted to tell you about me in one convenient place. How's that for one-stop shopping? </div>
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The second is that Critique Camp went so well that I'm taking this show on the road! Which is to say, I'm now offering Crit Camp as a regular service. After several years of doing insane amounts of critique (anyone remember the <a data-mce-href="http://nataliecparker.com/the-leaning-tower-of-critique-a/" href="http://nataliecparker.com/the-leaning-tower-of-critique-a/" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Call Me Icarus project</a>?), I've come to terms with the fact that it's something I love and I should just make it official. So here it is, <a data-mce-href="http://nataliecparker.com/critique/" href="http://nataliecparker.com/critique/" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;" target="_blank">Crit Camp</a>!</div>
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To celebrate both of these things and entice you to shift gears with me and check out my new blog, I'll be hosting a number of giveaways over the next few weeks. Or maybe the next month. It depends on how long my stash lasts. I've got more than a few goodies you might be interested in. Frex:</div>
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<li style="line-height: 1.5;">An ARC of Dawn Metcalf's INDELIBLE: The Twixt Book One<a data-mce-href="http:/http://www.dawnmetcalf.com/wp-content/uploads/indelible1.jpg" href="http://nataliecparker.com/http://www.dawnmetcalf.com/wp-content/uploads/indelible1.jpg" style="color: #743399; line-height: 1.5;"></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 1.5;">A finished, signed copy of THE LOST SUN by Tessa Gratton</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.5;">An ARC of Romily Bernard's FIND ME</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.5;">A finished copy of THE SIN EATER'S CONFESSION by Ilsa J. Bick</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.5;">Bookmark swag from Sonia Gensler (THE DARK BETWEEN) and Julie Murphy (SIDE EFFECTS MAY VARY)</li>
<li style="line-height: 1.5;">And more things I haven't decided on yet</li>
</ul>
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<span data-mce-style="font-size: medium;" style="font-size: small; line-height: 1.5;"><img class="alignleft" data-mce-src="http://www.dawnmetcalf.com/wp-content/uploads/indelible1.jpg" height="150" src="http://www.dawnmetcalf.com/wp-content/uploads/indelible1.jpg" style="border: 0px; cursor: default; display: inline; float: left; line-height: 1.5; margin: 4px 24px 12px 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="100" /><img class="alignleft" data-mce-src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362068810l/13021366.jpg" height="150" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1362068810l/13021366.jpg" style="border: 0px; cursor: default; display: inline; float: left; line-height: 1.5; margin: 4px 24px 12px 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="100" /><img class="alignleft" data-mce-src="http://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/find-me-romily-bernard.jpg" height="150" src="http://www.nosegraze.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/find-me-romily-bernard.jpg" style="border: 0px; cursor: default; display: inline; float: left; line-height: 1.5; margin: 4px 24px 12px 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="100" /><img class="alignleft" data-mce-src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/37ac30e49dd13ca52dfb316a2a935946/tumblr_miznycxuTA1s5fywio1_500.jpg" height="150" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/37ac30e49dd13ca52dfb316a2a935946/tumblr_miznycxuTA1s5fywio1_500.jpg" style="border: 0px; cursor: default; display: inline; float: left; line-height: 1.5; margin: 4px 24px 12px 0px; max-width: 640px;" width="100" /></span></div>
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Don't those look delightful? Well. THEY ARE. Trust me on this. Also, with every book/package I giveaway, I'll throw in <strong style="color: black; line-height: 1.5;">one free entry to Crit Camp</strong>. </div>
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So, long time readers (thank you!) and newcomers (welcome!), please join me for continuing adventures <a href="http://nataliecparker.com/blog/" target="_blank">on my new blog</a>!</div>
Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-91082655991249850102013-05-21T09:25:00.003-05:002013-05-21T09:26:07.207-05:00Crit Course Wrap-up(First. A note. I've made the decision to shift from Blogger to Wordpress. I'll post here a few more times, but if you'd like to continue following my exploits, please do so by either following my <a href="http://nataliecparker.com/blog/" target="_blank">WordPress blog</a> or my <a href="http://nataliesee.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">LiveJournal</a>. Thanks!)<br />
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As requested, here's the run down of how my recent trial run of the critique crash course went. But first, let's all agree to call it Crit Camp from now on because critique crash course is a MOUTHFUL. Agreed? Agreed.<br />
<br />
I ran two courses simultaneously. Each had 3 participants who all submitted roughly 5 pages of their manuscripts. We had a 1-hr introductory chat in which I offered an organized method of approaching critique and outlined what I wanted to see from them. Here's the nitty gritty:<br />
<ul>
<li>everyone submitted 50 pages and received 50 page samples from the others in the group (100 total pages for them, 300 total for me); </li>
<li> we took a week to read and draft crit letters, which were then submitted to me;
I reviewed, critiqued, and returned those letters to the authors for revision (a total of 12 letters for me);
</li>
<li>the participants revised and resubmitted based on my comments; </li>
<li> I reviewed the revised letters before releasing them to the group and made both revised and pre-revised letters available to all participants for review. </li>
</ul>
The whole thing took roughly two weeks, but we wrapped everything up with a final chat this weekend, so we were all in contact for a month. It was fairly time intensive. The participants reported that they spent anywhere from 8 to 15 hours on the course. For me, the time investment was approximately 30 hours. (Someone remind me not to schedule this on the heels of a deadline and the toes of a giant conference next time, kay? Thx.)<br />
<br />
The participants all seemed to walk away with a different (broader? more complicated? more pointed?) understanding of what critique can be, and I certainly saw immense improvement between the drafts of letters. So, I'm gonna go out on a limb and call this trial run a success.<br />
<br />
I'll definitely be repeating the adventure. In fact, I already have ideas for how I'll improve the course next time around, so keep an eye on this space if you're interested. I have Plans.Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-41695449889024636652013-05-15T16:33:00.000-05:002013-05-15T16:33:49.286-05:00The Perspective of a Dandelion<br />
It's spring. Which means T and I will engage in dandelion warfare for approximately 93 days.<br />
<br />
I don't mean that we'll join forces and seek to cleanse our yard of them, I mean we will argue about them. We'll argue about whether or not they're a weed, whether or not they're pretty, and whether or not they deserve to exist. For 93 days.<br />
<br />
It goes something like this....<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dandelion_fields_forever.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="167" src="http://www.thirdworldcounty.us/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/dandelion_fields_forever.jpg" title="" width="320" /></a><b>Me:</b> UGH. Look at that field of dandelions.<br />
<b>T:</b> Pretty!<br />
<b>Me:</b> No. They're not.<br />
<b>T:</b> Look at that yellow! They're like sunlight!<br />
<b>Me:</b> They're not sunlight, they're weeds.<br />
<b>T:</b> GRASS IS A WEED, TOO.<br />
<b>Me:</b> But it's a useful one.<br />
<b>T:</b> Being pretty is useful. Just ask Keanu Reeves. How do you think he ever got cast in anything.<br />
<br />
I see the point. If I step far enough back from my adult experience of dandelions, I can remember the joy child-Natalie would have felt at the sight of a field of fluff balls. I can divorce my thoughts from how widely those seeds will disperse, how like a virus they'll encroach on my yard, how like a Kraken they'll attach to my soil with a death-firm grip and instead see their oppressive beauty...<br />
<br />
Sometimes, I'm more successful than others.<br />
<br />
But as I was prying those little beasts from my lawn one evening, I had some time to consider how radically our perspective changes our reality. If, like T, I was content to find the beauty in a lawn full of dandelions, I'd save myself an awful lot of sweat and toil. I might be content to let them rule my yard in yellow fury. But without that perspective, I rooted around in the dirt for hours like a madwoman. I changed the landscape of my lawn little by little until only a few bits of yellow remained.<br />
<br />
I didn't eradicate them completely because when there were only a few left, they were suddenly refreshing and beautiful against dark green grass - a metaphor for survival rather than oppression.<br />
<br />
Having just come through a rather involved edit and a test-run of my Critique Crash Course, the timing seemed appropriate.<br />
<br />
(Obviously, I was going to relate this to writing, right?)<br />
<br />
In my last round of edits I was charged with tightening my novel. In the course of doing so, I grappled with finding a balance between pretty and over-written. I asked my author friends, "What does it mean to over-write? How do I know if I'm doing it? Where I'm doing it? How do I fix it?"<br />
<br />
As you can imagine, I got a variety of really good answers. They ranged from "avoid too much repetition" to "don't flood a scene with gorgeous prose because you can" to "be efficient."<br />
<br />
At first, this was really hard. All of my words appeared firmly rooted in place. There was no disturbing them. They belonged because I'd been over the manuscript enough to KNOW they belonged.<br />
<br />
Hadn't I?<br />
<br />
It was hard to tell, so I gave it to a friend and asked her to demonstrate which words were weedy and which were holding down the soil of the story. What she returned to me were pages so devastated I almost didn't recognize them. My knee jerked. I didn't want to believe there was THIS much to shed. What was left? How could the leftover words possibly carry the weight of the story.<br />
<br />
But once I'd recovered from the shock, I started to see what she'd done - how she was teasing the story to the front by tamping down the fluff. I was able to analyze my prose simply by virtue of having someone come in and point out the weeds I mistook for flowers.<br />
<br />
This was a new sort of revision for me. Not something I was prepared to do on my own, but a good reminder of why I need people to look at the same thing I'm looking at and tell me what they see. Sometimes the way to achieve a new perspective is by climbing onto the shoulders of someone else.<br />
<br />
<br />
So here's what dandelions taught me about writing: pretty can be a virus. Too much of it and a manuscript can drown in the relentless monotony of it. There's a trick in shifting your perspective from flower to weed, and for me it was as exciting as a free cappuccino.<br />
<br />
In the end, I culled the manuscript by 7k. I changed the landscape of the novel so that the language wasn't so cluttered, so that the story got more sun, so that the important bits didn't have to compete for water.<br />
<br />
But I left the dandelions that became flowers in the process.<br />
<br />
<br />Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-19582490759370705772013-04-08T14:30:00.001-05:002013-04-08T14:49:44.013-05:00[Crash Course] How to Crit like a ProI’m still getting tweets and emails about this crash course. So, let’s do this thing.<br />
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DISCLAIMER: I have never done this before. This will be an experiment. It could go swimmingly or just plain well. Either way, the first round will surely encounter bumps and hitches and I ask for your patience in advance.<br />
<br />
I’m going to run this like a mini-workshop. It’ll be off-blog and I’ll keep numbers small on this first round, but if my guinea pigs love it, I’ll do it as long as there’s interest from all of you beautiful blog readers.<br />
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Here’s how it’ll work. We’ll do this in groups of three and we’ll start with a face-to-face conversation about critique. Everyone will turn in a writing sample and will receive a sample from the two others in the group. You’ll write a crit letter for each sample, send them to me, and I’ll give you crit on your crit.<br />
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(How meta is that?)<br />
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You will then revise your crit based on my feedback before sharing it with the group. Everyone will read all of the revised critique letters, including mine.<br />
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I’m thinking we’ll end with another face-to-face chat, so this is going to be an intense process both time-wise and energy-wise.<br />
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To participate, you must agree to/meet the following requirements:<br />
<ul>
<li>Have 50 pages or 15k words (whichever is shorter) to share for crit; </li>
<li>Commit to reading 100 pages to crit within a week of the start of the crash course; </li>
<li>Be able to commit several hours to preparing (writing, reading, and revising) critique letters;</li>
<li>Be at least 18 years old (this is for legal reasons – if you’re a teen and you’re interested, please let me know!); </li>
<li>Be generally groovy. </li>
</ul>
If you meet all of the above bulleted points, then shoot me an email at nataliecparker AT gmail with the subject line, "Crit Crash Course," and include the following:<br />
<ul>
<li>Your name </li>
<li>Title of your work in progress </li>
<li>Genre (Adult, YA, MG – contemporary, historical, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, etc.) </li>
<li>Pitch/Brief description of the work </li>
<li>The first 5 pages attached as a word document </li>
</ul>
<b><br /></b>
<b>DEADLINE FOR CONSIDERATION</b>: 12pm CST on Saturday, April 13th!<br />
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I’ll do my best to pull together a group (or two) that seems well-matched and set up a start date. I’ll respond to everyone, though, so you will know if I’m tapping you to take part in round one.
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Did I miss anything? If so, drop your questions in the comments.<br />
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If you have friends who might be interested, feel free to spread the word. I’m doing this because I think writing is exciting, I think critique is exciting, and I think it’s most exciting when we’re pushing each other to do better. This is about pushing in the most efficient way. ;)<br />
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Also, if you’re looking for my previous posts on critique, just follow the tag “<a href="http://nataliecparker.blogspot.com/search/label/how%20i%20crit" target="_blank">how I crit</a>.”Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-87298304340234723562013-04-01T18:53:00.002-05:002013-04-01T18:53:20.246-05:00Wanna sorta date?I've had a request to continue the 'Let's Talk Critique' series with a post on behavior. I've got a list of quick tips on this including break-up tips and I'm happy to share them. And I will, but I'm also cooking up another crit-related idea and before I go too far down this path, I think it's wise to gauge interest.<br />
<br />
Say I was to offer a crash course on how to give and receive critique like a pro. Say this crash course included a crit from me as well as other participants? Would you be interested? Would someone you know be interested?<br />
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Holler in the comments. Tweet me. Or otherwise let me know and I may just pull this together.<br />
<br />
Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-61614888988762331842013-03-26T10:30:00.000-05:002013-03-26T10:30:01.045-05:00Let's Talk Critique Pt 2Welcome to part two of Let’s Talk Critique. This is where we’ll talk about “how” good crit partners do what they do. If you missed the “what,” <a href="http://nataliecparker.blogspot.com/2013/03/lets-talk-critique-pt-1.html" target="_blank">check it out here</a>.<br />
<br />
There’s a lot of common wisdom out there about how a crit partner (cp) can go about critiquing without being a giant douchecanoe. This is good because there’s no certification process for learning how to crit. I'm certain my critique style is heavily influenced by having done an undergraduate degree in English Lit in which I was frequently asked to analyze capital-‘L’-Literature from a variety of perspectives (oh, Po-Mo, how I heart you). But I don't consider that adequate preparation for the work of thinking critically about something that's still in progress. It was just a starting point.<br />
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Most of the posts I’ve seen on the subject of crit revolve around the behavior of a good/bad cp, which easily accounts for half of what it takes to be a good cp. That’s the “partner” part of “critique partner,” and since that ground has been well and truly covered elsewhere, I’m going to continue the conversation by focusing on the “critique” part of “critique partner.”<br />
<br />
As I work with my super stellar cps primarily via email, I'm focusing on crit-in-letter form. I can't really speak to the in-person dynamic of crit, but I imagine these still apply.<br />
<br />
So! Here are Natalie's top 4 truths of making really good crit with action items and more Firefly gifs:<br />
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<span style="line-height: 1.4;"><b>1. Be the best bad guy you can be.</b></span><img alt="" border="0" height="149.1" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/6e20c860a23e735dbca58df802b2d408/tumblr_mflp15TyZi1qbhwxmo1_500.gif" style="float: right; margin: 5px 10px;" width="350" /><br />
<span style="line-height: 1.4;">We all know the sandwich method of critique: this is the good-crit-good school of critique. I think it bears repeating because pointing out the good can be challenging when you’re reading with a critical eye. But it IS important. Not because you need to make the author feel good (though, that’s part of it), but because this is frequently the <b>hard</b> part of a good critique. </span>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4;"><br /></span>
<span style="line-height: 1.4;">It’s easy to look at a piece and find ways in which it could be better; it’s not always s</span><span style="line-height: 1.4;">o easy to find its strengths especially </span><span style="line-height: 1.4;">in drafting stages. But f</span>inding the love is where you lay the groundwork of a good critique. <span style="line-height: 1.4;">If I’m going to tell you that your main character’s emotional arc is missing key beats and is therefore unrealized in the end, then I’d better also be able to tell you that the arc you’re striving for is visible precisely because you’ve established the starting point so well. It's easy to be a bad guy. It's tough to be a <b>good</b> bad guy.</span><br />
<br />
Action item: <i>Make your compliments/encouragements as insightful as your critiques.</i><br />
<br />
<b>2. Navigate the ‘I’.</b><br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="176" src="http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m3xiwoqsHK1r8gsqgo1_250.gif" style="float: right; margin: 5px 10px;" width="245" />This is a tough one because most of us come to writing as readers, and as readers we're encouraged to identify with characters - or, at least, that's what we learn in school. But! In the case of crit, you're not a reader, you're a critiquer, and what you would do is therefor irrelevant.
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Okay. Maybe not totally irrelevant, but it should probably take a backseat to your analysis of the work. If your gut reaction to something in the text is to argue that it's not believable because <b>you</b> wouldn't behave as the main character did, there's probably a reason, but it doesn't have anything to do with you.<br />
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For example. Let's say you were critiquing for me and I gave you a piece about a vampire slaying space cowboy with the ability to download personalities like software and maintain quippy dialogue throughout. And let's say there was a scene in which said vampire slaying space cowboy hides under her bed to escape an invasion of zombies.<br />
<br />
Instead of saying, "if <b>I</b> were a vampire slaying space cowboy with the ability to download whatever personality I wanted, I wouldn't hide beneath my bed from something as mundane as <i>zombies,</i>" you might practice removing yourself from the equation and consider<i> why</i> that's your reaction. In this case, it might be because I hadn't properly illuminated the fact that this vampire slaying space cowboy had a horrific experience with zombies in her childhood and lacks the confidence needed to meet them face on.<br />
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Action item: <i>Read your crit letter for 'I' statements and consider how to restate them in a way that removes you from the picture. Be creative!</i><br />
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<b>3. Aim before you fire.</b> <img alt="" border="0" height="147.7" src="http://i1160.photobucket.com/albums/q484/drcranquis/Tumblr%20Gifs/misbehave_mal_firefly.gif" style="float: right; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 10px; margin-top: 5px;" width="350" /><br />
Once the critical glasses are on, it can be difficult to moderate them. But! Too much of a good thing is like the 4th Indiana Jones movie - people only really remember the first three with fondness.<br />
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It's easy to get swept up in the excitement of a good crit. You can see all the things! You can be useful! And brilliant! And point out the universe of problems!<br />
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Well. Don't.<br />
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This is where it's helpful to know your terrain and pick your battles wisely. This is also a part of critique that is hugely flexible and will shift depending on your relationship with the writer.
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<br />
Speaking in general terms, a well-aimed crit is worth more than an exhaustive one. If you see a wealth of trouble in a manuscript, it may be best to address only the most salient issues - for example, you might prioritize the character arc over addressing voice, or major plot issues over problems with smaller scenes. In these cases, the bone saw is more useful than the scalpel. Remember: the elements of storytelling are connected and addressing one is, in some ways, addressing all.<br />
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Action item: <i>Practice condensing critique notes or demonstrating relationships between them.</i><br />
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<b>4. Be clear. Be concise. Be nice.</b><img alt="" border="0" height="182.70000000000005" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m0myc2niou1qa2gm6o1_500.gif" style="float: right; margin: 5px 10px;" width="350" /><br />
<i>Revise your crit letters</i>. Especially in the early stages of working with a new partner, precision is kindness. Take the time to organize your thoughts and make them incisive without abandoning niceties - it's possible to say hard things without being mean, but it definitely takes practice.<br />
<br />
Similarly, crit letters aren't soapboxes; there's no need to write a treatise on the inherent fault of zombie/vampire/werewolf mythologies (see aforementioned comment about behaving like a douchecanoe). I promise you this is a surefire way to lose the goodwill of your critique-ee.<br />
<br />
Trust that the author knows that zombies/vampires/werewolves can't exist (well....except for zombies), and focus instead on why in the context of their manuscript, the mythology is weak. Which is to say, anyone can tell me my zombies are improbable, but a good cp will tell me why <i>my</i> zombies are unbelievable. A great cp will do that with a single statement and a smile.<br />
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Action item: <i>Revise, revise, revise your crit letters just as you did the manuscript. </i><br />
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The thing these all have in common is creativity. We don't usually think about crit as being creative. Critique is the necessarily academic component of writing a novel. It's strict, the disciplinarian of daydreams. It reigns us in and cools us down and counters impossible yes's with irritatingly realistic no's. But. (You knew there was a but.) BUT. (But did you know there were two?) A really good critique does all of that in a way that leaves you burning to try again - to be better than you were last time. A really good critique isn't a monster waiting to swallow your bones, it's the whetting stone there to sharpen your sword.<br />
<br />
So, there you have it. How Natalie approaches crit. Again, this has little to do with behaving like a good cp. Behavior is another boat. Or another post if you're interested.Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-24176548560962167392013-03-22T10:30:00.000-05:002013-03-23T10:09:47.219-05:00Let's Talk Critique Pt 1<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In the past 6 months, I've had the opportunity to critique manuscripts for three people I've never worked with before. I always warn people that my critiques can be rough if you're not </span><b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">very</b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> familiar with critique, and these were no exception. To illustrate, each of these crit letters was 2k and over.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The interesting thing about these, and the reason I'm posting about it, is that they were for writers at very different stages of the process. One was just starting out, one a seasoned writer making strides toward publication, and one a debut author. In each of these cases, comments were made about my critique style and how I learned it. Which got me thinking that this might be a topic more people are interested in.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Fast forward to this week, when Maggie Stiefvater </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">posted her </span><a data-cke-saved-href="http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/247011.html" href="http://maggiestiefvater.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/2013-critique-partner-love-connection.html" lj-cmd="LJLink2" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;" target="_blank">CP Love Connection</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> and it seems perfectly timely. As an aside, I highly recommend you start there if you're looking for a creative hook up. And remember to check the postings on her mirrored blogs.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">So, let's talk about critique and what it means to be a partner. This will be a post in two parts. Part one (that's this part) on the "what" of crit; part two on the "how." (Part three if I think of something else). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I know that there are people who have elaborate hierarchies of the various sets and subsets of critique partners. People talk about Alpha readers and Beta readers and for all I know they have Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Zeta readers, too. But I'm going to break things down into the three levels reflected most precisely in the publishing process: Editor, Line Editor, Copy Editor. They will all serve you well, but in very different ways. And please know that though I'm speaking in very general terms, I'm talking about my own experience in the wild and sundry world of critique.</span><br />
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">What does an editor do?</b><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">I'm feeling bullet-y today. Let's use those.</span><br />
<ul style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; padding-right: 40px;">
<li><i>Read for over-arching consistency and integrity in the story</i>. This is the big picture, so big, you're in space looking down at the earth, discovering how the continent you want to build will fit in the vast scheme of things. In other words, plot and character arcs - do they work? Are they realized?</li>
<li><i>Give attention to the movements within a story and transitions between them.</i> This is probably the medium-sized picture, from the earth's atmosphere on a clear day where you can see the topography of this new continent. In other words, subplots, setting, and tone - are they adding to the story?</li>
<li><i>Be aware of the momentum of the story</i>. This is the most focused view; you're on the ground navigating the path you charted from atmo. In other words, pacing, pacing, pacing - which scenes drag at the story? What quiet moments are missing?</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Editing comes first. An Editor reads for each of these levels of storytelling and can communicate with you about them. An editor is the person who gets what you're trying to do and is invested in helping you achieve that goal as precisely as possible. This is where critique partners are most helpful because they act as your editor before you have an editor. </span><br />
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">What does a line editor do?</b><br />
<ul style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; padding-right: 40px;">
<li><i>Voice and point of view.</i> Are they consistent throughout?</li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4;"></span><span style="line-height: 1.4;"><i>Word choice and sentence structure.</i> Do the word choices and sentences relate to specific character arcs? Is pacing consistent with sentence structure?</span></li>
<li><span style="line-height: 1.4;"></span><i>Pacing and rhythm within the text</i>. Should you consider condensing a paragraph into one or two lines? Do you over-use pronouns or specific sentence type?</li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">To be clear, of course CPs can do this for you. I've done it, but this very different work from actual critique. Line editing will to very little to help a writer address overarching problems in the narrative, so doing too much of this before a critique can be a waste of your time. </span><br />
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">What does a copy editor do?</b><br />
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<li><b></b><span style="line-height: 1.4;"><i>Read for consistency in descriptions.</i> Do your characters have the same hair color throughout? Did you spell the name of the town consistently? Did your protagonists mother drive a Prius at the beginning and an SUV at the end?</span></li>
<li><i>Find problems with internal logic</i>. Can your character actually cross a certain distance in the time they say they can?</li>
<li><i>Words, w<span style="line-height: 1.4;">ords, w</span></i><span style="line-height: 1.4;"><i>ords.</i> Grammar and style (both the author's and the publisher's). Do you love the Oxford comma? Always spell gray with an 'e'? </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">A copy editor focuses on grammar and sense. This is the nitty gritty. Their job is to make sure each sentence functions as intended and makes sense unto itself, and to make sure the reality in your head isn't wildly off base. This is the very final stage of the editing process and has very, very little to do with critique. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">To be clear, I think a CP can do all of these levels of editing, but it's the first level that is the most crucial. You wrote a book, which makes you brilliant, but a CP who can point to the major plot hole in your work is just as brilliant. A CP who can point to the plot hole and also how the fix for that hole </span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">already established in the manuscript</i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> well, they're the best in the 'verse. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">If your CP only gives you line notes and copy edits, you don't actually have a CP. </span><br />
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">So now that I know what I'm looking for, how do I find a good critique partner?</b><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4;">Finding a good CP can be tough. Having swapped manuscripts with dozens of people, I know that being in the trenches can be so frustrating you begin to question the worth of the quest. But don't give up! There's no training for this job. As with writing, many of us learn by doing, and that means that every time you swap a manuscript, you are both learning and teaching someone how to give critique. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">My best advice is to keep swapping - establishing rules such as those in Maggie's post before you trade - with an eye for those who can critique on the editor level. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">There are several resources online that will help you connect with similarly situated writers. I'll list more below, but if you know of others, please drop them in the comments. You can also reach out to local chapters of SCBWI or your library to see what crit groups are active in your area, but I've had the best success online. </span><br />
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<b style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Resources</b><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">In addition to Maggie's connection, the following are great places to cruise for creatives:</span><br />
<ul style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; padding-right: 40px;">
<li><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php" href="http://www.verlakay.com/boards/index.php" lj-cmd="LJLink2" target="_blank">VerlaKay BlueBoards</a> (primarily aimed at children's book writers)</li>
<li><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.cpseek.com/" href="http://www.cpseek.com/" lj-cmd="LJLink2" target="_blank">CP Seek</a> (which I have no personal experience with, but hear good things about)</li>
<li><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.ladieswhocritique.com/" href="http://www.ladieswhocritique.com/" lj-cmd="LJLink2" target="_blank">Ladies Who Critique</a></li>
<li><a data-cke-saved-href="http://writeoncon.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?164-Critique-Partner-Match-Up" href="http://writeoncon.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?164-Critique-Partner-Match-Up" lj-cmd="LJLink2" target="_blank">Write On Con's Critique Match Up</a></li>
</ul>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Stay tuned for Part 2! HOW to give good crit. </span>Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-28664208985030660022013-03-19T21:57:00.003-05:002013-03-19T21:57:34.042-05:00Hello! My Name is Natalie.It's been so long, I'm afraid you've forgotten my face. Allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Natalie and we've met, but it was last year and my hair was probably a different color....<br />
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I haven't been posting. There are reasons - 2012 went out with an apocalyptic bang and 2013 entered similarly - but I've not forgotten my dear blog. Consider this my reentry to the blogosphere.<br />
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Here's is the quick update of what I've been up to:<br />
<ol>
<li>I've teamed up with a diverse group of debuting YA authors and we've just launched our blog. We are <a href="http://fourteenery.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">The Fourteenery</a> - 14 YA Authors Debuting in 2014. (<a href="http://fourteenery.tumblr.com/giveaways" target="_blank">Obligatory prize post here</a>). This is a group of women I've been working with for several months and I'm excited and delighted to be engaged in this collaborative venture.</li>
<li>Tumblr! I love it. And I'm <a href="http://obviouslyparker.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Obviously Parker</a> (obviously).</li>
<li>The Official 2014 Debut Young Adult and Middle Grade author group has launched! If you'd like the bird's eye view of what's coming down those roads, check out the <a href="http://onefourkidlit.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">OneFour KidLit blog</a> and/or <a href="https://twitter.com/OneFourKidLit" target="_blank">Twitter feed</a>.</li>
<li>Texas! For the first time in my life, I visited the great state of Texas for a writing retreat. 21 writers, 5 days, 2 houses, 1 river. As you can imagine, it was as exhausting as it was recharging.</li>
</ol>
In lieu of anything more, I'll leave you with this picture of the world's largest pecan. Which I found in Texas. And touched.
<img alt="" height="375" src="http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/nataliesee/777299/40033/40033_600.jpg" style="margin-bottom: 5px; margin-top: 5px;" width="500" /><br />
More soon. Ciao for now. Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-8108373480320362632013-01-06T17:04:00.001-06:002013-01-06T17:04:38.698-06:00How the Ocean Trapped MeThis year for the holiday, my family decided it would be best to rent a beach house in order to accommodate everyone with their own bedroom -- such is the way of everyone being an adult and picky. It was a good idea. It was my idea. And we quickly zeroed in on Dauphin Island as the perfect destination. Not only that, but we narrowed our search down even further to a house at the far western tip of that island where nothing but shrubs and grass grow and all is sand and water.<br />
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(I'm not being dramatic. That's all totally serious and true.)<br />
<br />
Background: Dauphin Island is a barrier island off the coast of Mobile, Alabama. It's not too far from our home in Gulfport, Mississippi, nor is it very large. As islands go, it's barely there (6 square miles!), but it's historically significant as being a few hundred yards from Admiral Farragut when he spoke the words, "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead!" during the battle of Mobile Bay in the Civil War.<br />
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Well, renting houses online is an exciting thing. Websites and photos give you a general idea of the place you're about to spend quality time in, but you can never really know what it'll be like until you're pulling your car onto a sand-and-pebble driveway in front of a up-on-stilts-house while the ocean laps at the shore just feet away. There's just no real substitute for stepping out onto damp sand and looking South to the Gulf of Mexico, then North to Mobile bay - both close enough to splash. No real way to prepare for what it might mean should a storm roll in while you're living in this up-on-stilts-house on an island with one road down the center...<br />
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As you've probably guessed, this is exactly what happened. On Christmas day, winter storm Euclid tore across the country and in the south, he called to the seas. "Rise up! Rise up!" He cried. "Higher! Louder! Steal that driveway! SHAKE THAT HOUSE!"<br />
<br />
It was insane. The house shook every time the waves crashed against the stilts (a-ha! this is why they're on stilts!), which might have been lulling had I not been wondering just how deep those stilts were buried in the earth. I hoped they were all in the bedrock, but suspected not. By 10:00pm, the ocean had swallowed the bottom step leading to the driveway, turning the sand to muck, and the waves were nearing the road.<br />
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That's about when we stopped looking. We were in it for the long haul no matter how high the seas got. The tornado warnings kept going, but houses on stilts HAVE NO BASEMENTS. So we decided to get some sleep, and hope for the best.<br />
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Obviously, I'm still here, but the next morning was...interesting. I've captured some of the aftermath for you...<br />
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Thanks to the realtor, we had enough warning to move our cars across the street, otherwise, my trusty vehicle might still be in Alabama...or on its way to Costa Rica.<br />
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We were stuck for two days and just as the water receded enough to get our cars back in the driveway, another storm rolled in and it started all over again.<br />
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Hope your holiday was a little less eventful and ten times more safe than mine.<br />
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(All that said, I would totally stay in a up-on-stilts-house again. Just....in May or June.)Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-62618118495559173122012-12-14T11:08:00.000-06:002012-12-14T15:34:46.273-06:00On funerals and familyI was eleven when my nonie died.<br />
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My parents decided that my sister and I were too little to deal with prolonged knowledge of her illness and only told us three months before her death that she had cancer. I remember where I was when my father called me inside to hear the news of her passing – standing in a four-foot-deep trench I’d been laboring over with my best friends, Tom and Mike. We had some notion that such a trench would help us capture one of the bullies in the neighborhood. What we would do after his capture, however, was a mystery, but that didn’t matter. The trench took weeks to dig and that was really the point of the exercise.<br />
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I don’t remember my reaction in the moment. I remember returning to that trench with my friends and having distant awareness that our trench was the exact shape and size of a grave.<br />
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We traveled to Mississippi where the family gathered. I remember feeling strangely detached and confused. I tried to understand. I knew death was sad. It was an ending and if the television was correct, there would be wailing and uncontrollable sobbing.<br />
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I waited for that to hit me and while I waited, I explained it to my little sister who, at the age of eight, was surely more lost than I was. It made me feel better.<br />
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“Rosie,” I said, “tomorrow is going to be a very sad day. People might not smile. We’ll have to be quiet.”<br />
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This was my way of preparing her (and myself) for a day with no laughter and no play. But when that day came, there were smiles everywhere I looked. My aunts and uncles smiled, my parents smiled, all the distant relatives I didn’t remember and couldn’t keep straight, they all smiled. They laughed and hugged and traded stories for hours. My favorite was the story of Nonie letting the horses follow her into the kitchen for a quick apple so long as Poppy wasn’t around to see.<br />
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It was many years before I would come to understand funerals. In fact, it was many years before I would attend another. I came to understand the sobbing and the wailing, I came to understand the laughter, and I came to understand how family weaves and unweaves itself around theses shades of sorrow.<br />
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Late this November, one day after I turned thirty-two, Poppy passed away.<br />
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This time, I returned home with equal parts sadness and anticipation. I knew there would be tears and difficult moments, strained throats and messy noses, but I also looked forward to seeing the aunts, uncles, and cousins who live all across the country.<br />
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I expected the reunion to be good. I expected it to come with surprises and stories and all the awkward moments imaginable. And it did. But it also came with moments so touching and humbling that I hardly knew how to react.<br />
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One of those moments was on the day of the funeral. After the service, the church had prepared a meal for the family and we all filed over to the gym to feast. I stood to the side with a few of my cousins, letting others go through the line first. One cousin, who I’ll call J, studying the buffet table, said, “Those <i>better</i> not be Chick-fil-a nuggets.”<br />
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This was a surprise. Of all the cousins and as far as I knew, I was the only one that fell in the LGBTQ spectrum. My cousins, all younger than me, didn't <i>have</i> to care that the church was serving food from an institution that actively takes an anti-LGBTQ stance and funds anti-LGBTQ causes. They didn't have to care, and yet, they did. They <b>all</b> did.
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<br />
Cousin J went to the table, plucked one from the platter, and tasted it with the results we feared.<br />
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The rest of the cousins collectively sighed and as we moved through the buffet line, every single one of them walked quietly past the nuggets and instead filled their plates with potatoes and salad.<br />
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It was a quiet resistance and I marveled at the cousins I hardly knew all making that choice.<br />
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When my uncle sat at our table with a small pile of nuggets on his plate, no one said a thing. At least, not while I was there. I left the table at one point and when I returned, noticed that my uncle had pushed his nuggets to the side of his plate and didn’t eat a one.
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In some ways, this defied all expectation. This was certainly one of the last things I expected to learn about my Mississippi-based family while sitting in church. It was almost as absurd as discovering that my great-great grandmother’s middle name was Bobo. Almost as absurd as the number of roosters in my grandparents’ house. Almost as absurd as sprinkling Poppy’s ashes into the lake – his lake – ten feet from a floating gator head. But no less amazing and wonderful for it.<br />
<br />
I thought I knew about funerals. I thought I knew that they were for the living – for mourning and remembering and moving on. But they’re also about discovering who we are now and how we fit together as pieces of a family.Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-17411797058254553362012-11-19T14:00:00.000-06:002012-11-19T14:00:45.279-06:00Conversations with MomA short time ago, my sister and I visited my mom. While we were there, I decided to introduce them to The Vampire Diaries. It was really more for my sister, who I was sure would love the show every bit as much as I do. She did. But the surprise was that my mom did also. After I left, she continued to catch up through the end of season two. She missed season three entirely and one day, this happened.<br />
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(Note - all conversations with my mother improve if you imagine that she speaks like a Southern Belle.)<br />
<br />
(Second note - she doesn't actually look like Katherine Pierce, but I don't have a handy picture of her in hoops.)<br />
<br />
<b>MOM:</b> You remember that vampire show? The one you showed me?<br />
<b>ME:</b> The Vampire Diaries?<br />
<b>MOM:</b> Yeah. That one. Well. I turned on the TV the other day and there it was -<br />
<b>ME:</b> Oh, no. You mean you caught the season 4 premiere?<br />
<b>MOM:</b> Well, yeah. I guess. I just thought I'd be able to fill in the gaps on my own.<br />
<b>ME:</b> *cringing* ....and?<br />
<b>MOM:</b> And I'll be damned if Elena didn't turn into a vampire!<br />
<br />
And then yesterday, we were chatting about nothing related to vampires when this happened.<br />
<br />
<b>MOM:</b> Have you seen Lincoln, yet?<br />
<b>ME:</b> No. I promise you I'll see Breaking Dawn 2 before I see anything else.<br />
<b>MOM:</b> Oh! I hadn't done any of the Twilight things until just the other day when they showed the first two movies on TV. I watched them.<br />
<b>ME:</b> ....and?<br />
<b>MOM:</b> You know what I've decided? I've decided that the next time I get a pet, I'm going to get a werewolf.<br />
<b>ME:</b> .....<br />
<b>MOM:</b> Because I miss my cat, but I don't have a lot of time and if I got busy, my werewolf could just take care of itself. They're very self-sufficient and I think they're pretty. Don't you think they're pretty?<br />
<b>ME:</b> .....I have to go internet you now.<br />
<br />
So there you go. Some people post conversations with their children. I, apparently, post conversations with my mother.<br />
<br />
<br />Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-85588112928095632462012-11-13T09:53:00.000-06:002012-11-13T09:53:19.806-06:00On Attacking Baristas and XylophonesI'm very protective of the music I use for writing. I search long and hard for the perfect collection of songs that can suffuse my brain with the tone I want to create in my novels. Every revision requires at least one new song to represent the shift, the new sense of climate I'm aiming to add to the story.<br />
<br />
There's a small handful of people I'm willing to share my songs with. I can count them on one hand. It's not that I don't want to share my music, but I'm sort of afraid that if I give my story songs away, I'll dilute the power they hold over my subconscious. Somehow, I'm convinced that giving away the musical kernel of the novel is to give away the kernel of the story itself.<br />
<br />
Irrational. I know. But it means that when I'm sitting in my coffeeshop, sipping my cappuccino on a Tuesday morning, and one of my hard-discovered songs comes over the speakers, I immediately leap to my feet and attack the mild-mannered, music-literate, cappuccino-making genius behind the counter with what I'm sure is a terrifying "WHY MY MUSIC, YOU THIEF????"<br />
<br />
Don't fret. The encounter ended with mutual respect, one more cappuccino, and an exchange of music recommendations.<br />
<br />
The point is, I'm as emotionally invested in my music as I am in my own novels. There's something really amazing about finding a song that perfectly captures a piece of my own imagination - the spark of a character, the first image of the story, the core of its emotion. It reminds me that I'm participating in a much larger tapestry of creative thought, adding to a conversation that's been going for hundreds of years in every medium storytellers can get their fingers on.<br />
<br />
Which is my long-winded way of saying music is important to me, yo. (And I'm a little crazy about it).<br />
<br />
As a way to further establish how crazy I am (and entertain you with my follies), I'll offer this final example.<br />
<br />
About a week ago, M (one of the four people I share music with), sent me a song with the explanation, "you should listen to this because it's weird."<br />
<br />
And it was. Weird. But oddly appealing. I filed the recommendation away for further thought and countered with a piece that was equally as odd, but far less appealing with attack xylophones. The point is we had a decent exchange about this piece of music.<br />
<br />
Fast forward a week to two days ago when I encounter a song I think M will like. I send it and the following happens:<br />
<br />
Me: Have you heard of this band? I like them so I think you will, too.<br />
M: .....I have. Didn't I send you one of their weird songs last week?<br />
Me: Um. You did? Did I like it?<br />
M: You did. There's a problem with your brain.<br />
Me: DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW?!<br />
<br />
I'm on the prowl again. Searching for the music that will pattern my brain for the foreseeable future. Send your recs if you've got 'em!Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-35345994001999483822012-11-01T15:33:00.001-05:002012-11-01T15:33:53.463-05:00Overdue / How I was defeated by a sinkWell. October happened.<br />
<br />
But before October, there was September and that month was filled with travel and adventure.<br />
<br />
Sometime over the summer, Tessa and I decided we'd be joining a few other YA writers on a retreat in the wilds of the French countryside. However, we seem incapable of hopping the pond without also stopping in the UK, so the trip quickly morphed into a two-week, two-country extravaganza. And it was brilliant.<br />
<br />
In England alone, we met editors, agents, writers, bloggers, and family members. We rode the London Eye (after multiple trips to England, it was high time we knocked that one off our list), visited the Rosetta stone, got gouged by the Tube, walked miles and miles and miles, had a pint at The Anchor (which boasts many a debaucherous night with Charles Dickens), happened upon Douglas Adams' grave (as well as many cats), and more.<br />
<br />
But it's the hotel room I really want to talk about. The sink inside it, to be more precise.<br />
<br />
You see, I'm convinced it was a practical joke. It was not meant to be used by anyone sporting a head.<br />
<br />
It's worth noting that Tessa and I have traveled together a lot. Not to and from Mississippi to visit my family, but all over Japan, Bali, and Europe. We backpacked through eight countries when we were sophomores in college. We're practiced travelers. We've managed crises in countries where neither of us spoke the language and returned with all our limbs in tact.<br />
<br />
And England defeated us with a sink.<br />
<br />
The bathroom in this establishment had clearly been a closet once upon a time, but as space is at a premium in London, it was converted into a bathroom with a toilet crammed in one end and a shower stall in the other. In the middle was a sink no wider than a loaf of bread and no longer than the same. It was petite. Adorable even, and smart given the restraints of the room.<br />
<br />
Clever, I thought, to make a sink small enough that the door can still close!<br />
<br />
I was so charmed by it's size, that it didn't occur to me that the shelf above the sink, of approximately the same dimensions, would be a problem.<br />
<br />
Until I brushed my teeth and leaning down to spit found only the shelf and not the sink staring back at me.<br />
<br />
I stopped. Considered. Bent my knees to see if it would be possible to hit the sink from a shorter height. (It is not). Then, I tried to squish my head between the shelf and the sink and be very careful with my aim. This....was only partly successful.<br />
<br />
The floor got messy. I got messy. Tessa giggled. I giggled. I looked for some explanation. Some clue that I was doing it wrong, that in my travels, I'd forgotten how to sink. But no. This was THE sink. There was no way to push the shelf out of the way, flip it up or down. Clearly, I was supposed to be capable of using this travesty of a sink.<br />
<br />
AND YET.<br />
<br />
I eventually gave up. A shower works just as well as a sink and one of our precious towels had already been sacrificed to this great international practical joke.<br />
<br />
And every single time I or Tessa went to use the sink, we had to relive the humiliation ALL OVER AGAIN. Half of the time, we knocked our heads against the shelf before remembering. Then there was the half-blind swivel between the sink and shower as we tried to wash our faces - that was an entirely different sort of crazy. Four days we were there and we left feeling relieved and confused.<br />
<br />
Thankfully, our apartment in Paris greeted us with not one, but TWO unchallenging sinks.<br />
<br />
I still don't understand how that happened. It was more a gesture at a sink than a sink. I wish I had a picture to share. Alas, I was laughing too hard to snap one.<br />
<br />
Well played, England. Well played.Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-44882482547299593682012-09-19T17:52:00.002-05:002012-09-19T17:55:19.424-05:00Why I haven't been bloggingBecause I've been here...<br />
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Back in a bit. Probably with stories.Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-57881380262241328672012-09-06T13:32:00.001-05:002012-09-06T13:32:46.238-05:00Dot ComMy website went live yesterday. I'm pretty taken with it. What do you think?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.nataliecparker.com/">www.nataliecparker.com</a><br />
<br />
Before you ask, I'll tell you. My web designer is <a href="http://ckladesign.com/" target="_blank">ckladesign</a>. He's pretty much made of fabulous.Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-45839345865019822802012-08-30T09:29:00.000-05:002012-08-30T09:32:04.825-05:00When the UPS Man Brought Me a Date (or Two)I received a package on Tuesday. It's an exciting package because it means I'm about to get really serious with BEWARE THE WILD again. It was a package of notes and treats from Editor π and Co.<br />
<br />
Would you like to see? (click for close-up)<br />
<br />
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<br />
It's almost too much excitement for one photo to contain.<br />
<br />
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a date with a few thousand words, a few awkward metaphors, a few new scenes... YES, I'm going to be busy for a while.<br />
<br />
Ciao, y'all.Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-46508456375946751842012-08-25T18:41:00.000-05:002012-08-25T18:52:26.646-05:00In Search of Bonkers<a href="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8434/7860127516_91d90e2df1_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8434/7860127516_91d90e2df1_b.jpg" width="320" /></a>
<br />
I made an intriguing discovery on a recent trip through
western Kansas. Well, I suppose I made several discoveries, one of which is
that the hills around Fort Riley are ridiculously well prepared for a zombie
attack. Not only did we spot a fleet of helicopters, but they’ve got this
cannon all set up and ready to blast the approaching horde. This is extremely
thoughtful of them. And it’s telling that they seem to think the attack will
come from the west.<br />
<br />
Sorry all you west coasters, but this cannon is clearly
pointed your way for a Very Good Reason.<br />
<br />
(Note to whatever agencies I’ve alerted by writing this
post: I’m assuming these things weren’t secret because I observed all of it
from I-70. Which totally makes sense. Zombies don’t require covert anything. Just
cannons and attack copters.)<br />
<br />
I was greatly comforted by this discovery as I’m sure you
can imagine.<br />
<br />
The other discovery was less comforting, but just as
interesting.<br />
<br />
Every time I’m in a place that feels something like “the
middle of nowhere” I search for this candy I loved as a child called Bonkers.
It’s probably been discontinued for years, but I have this feeling that there’s
some gas station somewhere with an unending stash of Bonkers and I just have to
find it.<br />
<br />
Never mind the fact that it would be EXTREMELY UNWISE to
consume Bonkers were I to find them as they would likely be as old as Full
House by this point. I just sort of want to see them again and okay, I would
probably eat them. Hey, people eat Moon Pies all the time and they HAVE to be as
bad for you as decades old candy.<br />
<br />
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So we were in this gas station in the middle of the middle
of nowhere, Kansas and ‘lo and behold, I didn’t find Bonkers, but I did find
something nearly as exciting: Big Hunk.<br />
<br />
I’d never heard of this candy, but…it’s called Big Hunk. How
could I not buy that?<br />
<br />
But it wasn’t done being delightful. As soon as I got back
to the car and started examining my new discovery, I found that this candy
comes with eating instructions. You can’t just unwrap and take a bite out of
this thing. Or, I guess you can, but it’s not what they advise. Big Hunk
requires special attention in order to be enjoyed properly. It requires
smacking and/or heating and I think, perhaps, a vlog when I finally get around
to trying it.<br />
<br />
I’ll keep looking for Bonkers because it’s good
to have goals when exploring the candy aisles of gas stations, but for now, I’m
mollified.Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-16687049884407260572012-08-10T14:43:00.001-05:002012-08-10T14:43:47.288-05:00The Question of the Political AuthorThere’s been a fair amount of discussion lately about
whether or not authors should be political. In May, Agent Jenn Laughran made
this incredibly thoughtful post in response to outrage about Orson Scott Card,
<a href="http://literaticat.blogspot.com/2012/05/reading-with-enemy.html" target="_blank">Reading with the Enemy</a>. I’m sure she wasn’t the only one to post on this topic,
but hers is the one that stands out in my mind. More recently, there was <a href="http://www.emilysreadingroom.com/2012/08/when-authors-get-political-survey.html" target="_blank">this post from Em’s Reading Room</a>, which used a survey approach and broke it down by
reader/blogger/author opinion. Which
then lead to <a href="http://m-stiefvater.livejournal.com/237402.html" target="_blank">this post by Maggie Stiefvater</a>, which is a general reminder to be
civil. <o:p></o:p>
<br />
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<br /></div>
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The topic of artists being political is an interesting one,
but it’s not a new one. I promise you, there’s not a single author, musician,
or actor who hasn’t spent many hours pondering the question of how much to say
in the public eye, especially in the age of Twitter and Facebook, when your
words are very quickly and efficiently dispersed. This is a new topic for the
YA community however and so it’s worth paying attention to how it’s being
discussed.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I think it’s particularly interesting that this question
surfaced in the weeks following an example of OSC’s vicious homophobia and also
in the weeks after <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABY27P12eWQ" target="_blank">Jackson Pearce’s vlog</a> criticizing Chick-fil-a President Dan
Cathy for his opinions of gay marriage.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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This is incredibly troubling to me, because it looks an
awful lot like the question isn’t whether or not authors should be political
outside of their books, but whether or not YA authors should be political about
Certain Things.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are many topics about which authors get their politics
on without this question rearing its ugly head: the whitewashing of covers, the
presence of LGBT characters, the insidious nature of the “pink cover” on novels
written by women…. There are tons of examples. The most recent that comes to
mind is <a href="http://cassandraclare.tumblr.com/post/23181390945/magnus" target="_blank">Cassie Clare’s discussion of the response to the casting of Magnus</a>, a
topic that (disturbingly) echoed earlier discussion of Rue and the Hunger
Games. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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YA authors are frequently political, some even about gay marriage,
but I can’t think of other examples as
pointed and as widely-viewed as OSC’s opinions or Pearce’s vlog. I think the
fact that the question of whether or not authors should be political has
surfaced around each of these occurrences is significant. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I don’t think this is a coincidence and I’m uncomfortable
that this is starting to look like a pattern.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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I’m uncomfortable with the fact that this puts authors in
the difficult position of having to weigh their beliefs against their
pocketbooks.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I’m extremely uncomfortable with the fact that this points
to a very specific idea of censorship.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
There is always something to be said for
engaging in civil dialogue. I am completely in favor of passionate, difficult
conversations that move hearts and minds. I think it’s important to ask these
questions about art and the artist and politics and I think it’s <b>extremely</b> important to watch how they’re being asked.Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-2183811887300737932012-08-02T14:17:00.000-05:002012-08-02T14:34:54.716-05:00An excessively thoughtful post on how to writeI've seen a lot of blogs about writing, recently. Maybe more than a lot. I've probably seen scores. You can't turn a virtual corner in the blogosphere without coming face-to-blog with some list of writing do's and don't's.<br />
<br />
Don't's.<br />
<br />
That can't be right.<br />
<br />
Don'ts.<br />
<br />
That's better. Except for making me crave donuts.<br />
<br />
/tangent<br />
<br />
Back to the subject at hand, I thought I'd take some time to write a super thoughtful post about writing to share with all of you because I like to weigh in on things and pretend my opinion matters, and because I always find myself arguing with these lists.<br />
<br />
I know. It's a bad habit, arguing with lists. They just get to me. Maybe it's because they look so authoritative and tall. Or because they try to make something organic fit inside this neat structure and I get all "OH NO YOU DON'T. I DEFY YOU, LIST. I'M A SPIRAL." Because, really? Listing out do's and don'ts of writing is a little like teaching a snowflake how to be a snowflake.<br />
<br />
STEP ONE: Be unique.<br />
STEP TWO: ...No, that was basically it.<br />
<br />
So I had a latte and a good think while staring into the Kansas sky. I even put on my glasses to write this post because it makes my thoughts <i>poignant</i> - such is the universal rule of wearing glasses while thoughtful.<br />
<br />
THEN I turned on some Mozart because Mozart makes your words <i>sophisticated</i> and all treatise-like. I titled the post, "Writing: An Overture to Timelessness" because it sounded important.<br />
<br />
AND THEN I started writing. And do you want to know what I realized? I really only have TWO things to say about writing or learning how to write or honing your craft in general. Ready?<br />
<br />
<b>DO</b>: Write.<br />
<b>DON'T</b>: Wait.<br />
<br />
Ta da! Since it turns out my advice could fit inside a fortune cookie, I changed the title.<br />
<br />
(As a side note, ((or a parenthetical, even)) I am joking.)<br />
<br />
(Sort of.)Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-38943085862446485892012-07-18T12:39:00.000-05:002012-07-18T12:55:39.069-05:00Contest Winners!Thank you to everyone who participated by tweeting, tumbling, and blogging. I think the first line of <b>The Blood Keeper</b> looks mighty fine plastered across the internet. <br />
<br />
Alright. No more ado.<br />
<br />
The winner of the ARC of <b>The Blood Keeper</b> and the paperback of <b>Blood Magic</b> is:<br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Katherine Leah</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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The winner of the finished copy of <b>The Curiosities</b> signed by all three Merry Fates is: </div>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Krystalyn Drown</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And you were all so wonderful that I'm blowing the lid off the bundle prizes. If you want a small bundle of swag (including bookmarks and a signed bookplate), just email your mailing address by Friday the 20th to nataliecparker AT gmail (take note of the c in there!) and I'll happily oblige. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Again, thank you all for participating! </span></div>
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<br /></div>Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-37214938813923697372012-07-13T10:26:00.003-05:002012-07-14T09:39:59.563-05:00Contest: The Blood KeeperThe companion novel to Tessa Gratton's <b>Blood Magic</b> releases in just a few short weeks. August 28th, to be exact. That means it's high time I gave away this precious, precious advanced reader copy I've been coveting. Though totally connected to <b>Blood Magic</b>, <b>The Blood Keeper</b> is a stand-alone and I'm just going to post a snippet from the Kirkus review below because they do a better job than I would with the description.<br />
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<i style="font-size: 0.9em;">Will Sanger, high school soccer star, only wanted to free himself from his recurrent nightmares. Mab Prowd, neophyte guardian of the blood magic, only wanted to understand the curse buried beneath her rose garden. But when their choices bind their fates together, an old love story and a long-concealed crime begin to creep into the present. <a href="http://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/tessa-gratton/blood-keeper/" target="_blank">(Full review here.)</a></i></div>
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But! I'm going to give away more than just an ARC.<br />
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One winner will receive an ARC of <b>The Blood Keeper</b> AND a paperback copy of <b>Blood Magic</b> which sports a new cover. Don't they look smashing together?<br />
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<img alt="" height="250" src="http://tessagratton.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/BloodMagicPBK-final.jpg" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; margin: 5px 10px;" title="" width="167" /><img alt="" height="250" src="http://tessagratton.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/TBK-hi-res-cover.jpg" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; margin: 5px 10px;" title="" width="165" /><br />
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But wait, there's more! One winner will win a finished copy of <b>The Curiosities</b> which releases on August 1s<img alt="" height="250" src="http://tessagratton.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Curiosities_C_hires.jpg" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; float: right; margin: 5px 10px;" title="" width="175" />t. And if you are willing to be patient, then I will kindly ask all three of the Merry Fates to personalize it to you when they come to visit at the end of August.<br />
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Oh, but wait, there's even more to be had! I will give away up to 50 bundles of swag including signed bookplates from Tessa and bookmarks of <b>The Curiosities</b> and perhaps more if I decide to get creative.<br />
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I know you're wondering how you enter. Well! I'm trying something new. I'm going to use one of those fancy contesty gadgets which should do all the tedious work for me.<br />
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I'm going on the record as someone who doesn't like contests that force you to follow a person in order to enter. BUT I would love it if you stuck around for a while. At least long enough to decide if you like me. I think I'm pretty likable (and maybe even funny). I post about <a href="http://nataliecparker.blogspot.com/2012/07/musical-me.html" target="_blank">music</a> and <a href="http://nataliecparker.blogspot.com/2012/07/im-gonna-be-honest-if-theres-movie-out.html" target="_blank">movies</a> and sometimes I give away massive amounts of crit. In the future, I'll post about <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13639182-beware-the-wild" target="_blank">my debut novel</a>. In general, you can trust me to be on the slightly ridiculous side of things, with the occasional dash of Something Meaningful. So that's my endorsement of myself.
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MOVING ON.<br />
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There are two ways to enter:<br />
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<li> - There are three tweets in the widget you may tweet once per day for multiple entries: two that are specific (do not change!) and one that gives you license to be creative (do change!). Do this, by selecting "Do it!" on the widget, then press the "Tweet" button. It will take you directly to twitter. Tweet and you're done!</li>
<li> - You can make a blog post about the contest and share the cover with your friends (<a href="http://tessagratton.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/TBK-hi-res-cover.jpg" target="_blank">found here</a>). </li>
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So please join me in making a little noise for an author I'm quite fond of.<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/0454c50/" id="rc-0454c50" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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If you don't want to enter the contest, but would just like to share it with others, that's totally cool, too.
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Good luck!Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-69822787013571235342012-07-11T11:55:00.001-05:002012-07-11T15:02:30.431-05:00A really true secret of character creationI’ve discovered one of the secrets of creating an irresistible male character. It may be THE secret, but having only just discovered it, I can’t say for sure. However, it’s definitely A secret. If you do this one thing, you’re sure to have a complex, slightly dark, slightly troubled, brash but surprisingly sensitive, and quite probably beautiful character on your hands.<br />
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I know you’re dying to know what single act you can take that will lead to such a character. Well, I’m going to tell you.
It’s quite simple actually. Easier than slogging through the Myers-Briggs personality type test, easier than painstakingly crafting a compelling backstory, easier, even, than stealing a character from real life.<br />
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All you have to do is name them Logan.<br />
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Yes, really. Watch as I prove my point.<br />
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Aside from having an emotional spectrum that ranges from cavalier to cocky and personalities with the intensity of the summerwe’re enjoying, these Logans all have three things in common: daddy issues, girl issues, and a casual disregard for their ownmortality. It’s a killer combo.<br />
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<b>The case of Logan Echolls (of Veronica Mars) </b><br />
“And what is so great about <i>living?</i>"<br />
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<li>Daddy issues? His dad killed his girlfriend.</li>
<li>Girl issues? He falls for his dead girlfriend’s best friend (who also used to be his best friend’s girlfriend).</li>
<li>Casual disregard for mortality? Between his home life and the PCH Biker gang, it’s a miracle he survives.</li>
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<b>The case of Logan Huntzberger (of Gilmore Girls)</b><br />
“People can live a hundred years without really living for a minute.”
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<li>Daddy issues? He’s destined to follow in his father’s overbearing footsteps.</li>
<li>Girl issues? His family dismissing his girlfriend as “not good enough for the family.”</li>
<li>Casual disregard for mortality? Um, Life & Death Brigade, anyone?</li>
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<b>The case of Logan aka Wolverine (of X-Men)</b><br />
“What I do best isn’t very nice.”
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<li>Daddy issues? Erm. Well, SOMEone’s responsible for his memory loss…</li>
<li>Girl issues? Ha! Haha! Does this require explanation? Because I don’t know that I have the time.</li>
<li><s>Casual</s>Extreme disregard for mortality? Only on his best days…</li>
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Alright, there you have it. One ofthe essential truths of character creation gifted from me to you. If you’re struggling to create a cocky, enigmatic, and surprisingly deep character, go ahead and name him Logan. Once a character has thusly been named, everything else will naturally, effortlessly fall into place.<br />
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<img alt="" height="200" src="http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z206/jmitschke/7jasondohring.png" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; margin: 5px 10px;" title="" width="153" /><img alt="" height="200" src="http://media-cache7.pinterest.com/upload/213780313531280901_n066Nccq_b.jpg" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; margin: 5px 10px;" title="" width="133" /><img alt="" height="200" src="http://moviesmedia.ign.com/movies/image/article/933/933822/wolverine_1225925972_1227652630.jpg" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 0px; margin: 5px 10px;" title="" width="133" />Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7300252840095065096.post-84791767592283973342012-07-09T09:08:00.001-05:002012-07-13T13:19:43.168-05:00Musical me<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Music has been a pretty significant part of my life. It was always in my house as a kid. My mother made sure to have all sorts of noise makers handy and started me off on the piano early. I cycled through a handful of instruments - including a brief and serious affair with the tambourine (yes, that's me) - before proclaiming my new life as a 3rd grade cellist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Not only did my mother make sure I had access to the tools of musical creativity, but she inadvertently inspired my first forays into the world of rock. As a dedicated pre-teen rebel, I countered her love of Enya with Nirvana. I met Libana with musicals, Adiemus with Lorena McKennitt, Secret Garden with VAST (yes, my mother has very specific tastes). All the while, I was falling in love with Bach, Mozart, and Prokofiev. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">There's never been a time in my life when I didn't lean on music in some way or another. It's always been a crucial element of my writing, both creative and academic. I am of the camp of writers who creates playlists for novels and can't really get going until I have THE song that captures the tone, the emotion of the story I want to tell. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">In the past year, I've been on a ruthless hunt for new music. I don't know how many albums and tracks I've purchased, but my music library is looking rather flush at the moment. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">When a reader asked me for more music recommendations, well, I was only too happy to start thinking about my favorites from the past year. I'm avoiding the obvious ones like Fun. or Mumford and Sons (both favorites from the past 12 months), and going for a few I think are less well known. When possible, I'm linking to bandcamp.com, which is a FABULOUS way to support artists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">First up, a group I found less than a week ago, </span><a data-cke-saved-href="http://youtu.be/sENM2wA_FTg" href="http://youtu.be/sENM2wA_FTg" lj-cmd="LJLink" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Imagine Dragons, "It's Time</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">"</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">. I love this track for their use of percussion, strings, and the unexpected in an otherwise fairly typical sound. This has been released as an EP and I enjoy all of the tracks. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Next, another recent discovery, </span><a data-cke-saved-href="http://zakiibrahim.bandcamp.com/track/something-in-the-water" href="http://zakiibrahim.bandcamp.com/track/something-in-the-water" lj-cmd="LJLink" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Zaki Ibrahim, "Something in the Water."</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> There are SO MANY reasons to love this. The blending of African beats with dubsteb with that silky vocal....this one slayed me quite dead. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Third, one my friend Maggie sent me, </span><a data-cke-saved-href="http://lostlander.bandcamp.com/track/through-your-bones" href="http://lostlander.bandcamp.com/track/through-your-bones" lj-cmd="LJLink" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Lost Lander, "Through Your Bones."</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> It was extremely difficult to pick one track from this album. They're sort of folk, sort of not. This is an album, called DRRT, I can put on repeat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">And finally, a new one from </span><a data-cke-saved-href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIL3ZoFYX-U" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIL3ZoFYX-U" lj-cmd="LJLink" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;" target="_blank">Santigold (used to be Santogold), "Go!"</a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"> Full of energy and experimentation. Brash and unapologetic, I love this song. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Hope you enjoy! And please feel free to drop a few recommendations of you own. I'm always on the prowl for new music - Music Predator, that's me. Send me prey! ;) </span>Natalie C Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07590029947267775660noreply@blogger.com12