Off the Bookshelf: WRITING GREAT BOOKS FOR YOUNG ADULTS, by Regina L. Brooks

Subtitle: Everything you need to know, from crafting the idea to getting it published.

Very thorough, very useful, very well-organized.

The chapter titles say it all (and lots of examples and even explanations of why you shouldn't do something):

Five Rules for Engaging Readers of Young Adult Fiction

Meeting Your Characters

Building Your Plot

Setting the Timeline

Learning to Write Dialogue

Getting Constructive Feedback

And the appendices:

Feedback Resources

Publishing Processes at a Glance

YA Publishers

And more than what I've listed.

If you want to learn about it or NEED to learn about it, here's a great foundation for either starting out writing, period, or switching your focus from another genre/market/audience.

The Adventure: SANDRA MERVILLE HART, The Story Behind the Story, part 2

Yesterday I shared how my Civil War romance, A Rebel in My House, was born. Today I’d love to tell you a bit about my current writing adventure with you. You’re welcome to come along, but strap in—it’s always a bumpy ride.

You see, I spend a lot of time in the Civil War era … while researching and writing my novels, that is. I have to research for months until I understand what the citizens and the soldiers endured. Then I’m ready to write the novel.

I’ve begun writing my next Civil War series. This one deals with the spying that went on during the war. My research has been a real eye-opener to these widespread and far-reaching effects of spying.

My three-book series is set in the capital cities of Washington DC (Union) and Richmond (Confederate). Book 1, Avenue of Betrayal, is set in Washington DC (commonly still called Washington City during the Civil War.) The number of Confederate sympathizers living mere blocks from President Abraham Lincoln shocked me.

Loyalties divided the best of friends—and even loving, close-knit families. My series will show the harsh realities of a country at war with its former citizens, igniting strong feelings and sparking tragedy. Historical figures will pop in here and there in these fictional stories.

I had planned a research trip to Richmond and Washington DC this spring before the country shut down. This has been postponed until the museums reopen. Though months of research have already birthed my story, this trip will add flavor and authenticity.

With a stack of research books nearby, I’ll keep writing Avenue of Betrayal. In the meantime, I invite you to read my other Civil War books—A Stranger on My Land, A Rebel in My House, and A Musket in My Hands.

  

About Sandra:

Award-winning and Amazon bestselling author Sandra Merville Hart loves to uncover little-known yet fascinating facts about our American history to include in her stories. A Musket in My Hands, a Civil War romance where two sisters join the Confederate army with the men they love, is 2019 Serious Writer Medal Fiction Winner and a 2019 Selah Award Finalist. A Rebel in My House, set during the historic Battle of Gettysburg, won the 2018 Silver Illumination Award and second place in 2018 Faith, Hope and Love Readers’ Choice Award. Her debut Civil War Romance, A Stranger on My Land, was IRCA Finalist 2015. Her novella Surprised by Love in "From the Lake to the River" is set during the 1913 flood in Troy, Ohio. Trail’s End in "Smitten Novella Collection: The Cowboys" is set in the wild cattle town of Abilene, Kansas. Not This Year, her nostalgic story in the "Christmas Fiction Off the Beaten Path," released in the fall of 2019.

Connect with Sandra on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, Amazon Author Page, and BookBub.

The Adventure: SANDRA MERVILLE HART, The Story Behind the Story, part 1

This is the “story behind the story” of how my Civil War romance set during the Battle of Gettysburg, A Rebel in My House, was born. 

Something drew me yet again to Gettysburg. I knew a story awaited me. My husband and I walked the battlefields. Ideas stirred when I found Tennessee troops with the brigade who began the fighting on the first day. Nothing solidified so I kept digging.

I discovered fascinating history at the Lutheran Theological Seminary at the Gettysburg Seminary Ridge Museum. Surely my story touched this place. After spending several hours wandering the museum and surroundings … nothing. I trudged on.

I explored Gettysburg Museum and Visitor Center, Gettysburg Museum of History, Gettysburg Railroad Station, General Lee’s Headquarters Museum, and The David Wills House where President Lincoln stayed. I learned intriguing facts at the Jennie Wade House, Shriver House Museum, and “The Women of Gettysburg Tour,” an evening walking tour.

Ideas strengthened. My husband and I walked the town’s streets around the “Diamond”—the town square where women and children suffered a nightmare from which they didn’t awaken for many months. Then we spent another afternoon and evening at the battlefield.

Three Tennessee regiments fought the beginning battle on July 1^st. They didn’t fight again until they joined in Pickett’s Charge on the battle’s final day.  

The sun sank low on the horizon as I stood alone on Cemetery Ridge reflecting over the expansive field crossed by Pickett’s Charge on July 3, 1863. Though the land is peaceful once more, it still tells a story. My imagination soared while the sun disappeared.

I had to tell what the townspeople endured. What if a Gettysburg seamstress fell in love with a Confederate soldier? What if they both made promises to loved ones? Some promises are impossible to keep …

About Sandra:

Award-winning and Amazon bestselling author Sandra Merville Hart loves to uncover little-known yet fascinating facts about our American history to include in her stories. A Musket in My Hands, a Civil War romance where two sisters join the Confederate army with the men they love, is 2019 Serious Writer Medal Fiction Winner and a 2019 Selah Award Finalist. A Rebel in My House, set during the historic Battle of Gettysburg, won the 2018 Silver Illumination Award and second place in 2018 Faith, Hope and Love Readers’ Choice Award. Her debut Civil War Romance, A Stranger on My Land, was IRCA Finalist 2015. Her novella Surprised by Love in "From the Lake to the River" is set during the 1913 flood in Troy, Ohio. Trail’s End in "Smitten Novella Collection: The Cowboys" is set in the wild cattle town of Abilene, Kansas. Not This Year, her nostalgic story in the "Christmas Fiction Off the Beaten Path," released in the fall of 2019.

Connect with Sandra on her blog, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Goodreads, Amazon Author Page, and BookBub.

Off the Bookshelf: WRITING ABOUT MAGIC, by Rayne Hall

Very useful research and resource book for those who are writing in the fantasy genre.

Organized into topics that need to be considered -- and sometimes I suspect that writers don't consider, don't plan out, they just figure they'll wing it and make up their magic system as they go.

Or what's worse, they don't realize they NEED a system, they need to establish rules, before they start writing. When they come up against a problem in the story, they just throw magic at it.

And as the author points out, what's more boring than being able to fix every single problem with magic?  So you have to have limitations and consequences and rules and conflicts and barriers and ... Yeah, writing is a lot of work, but it's also dang fun!

Chapter Titles: Magician Characters; Magic Systems; Training and Initiation; Ritual and Power-Raising; Location and Circle-Casting; Costuming and Equipment; Phrasing the Spell; Correspondences; Love Spells; Sex Magic; Magical Weapons and Warfare; Healing and Protection; Ethics, Conflicts and Secrecy; Illusionists and Charlatans; Magic in the Future.

Plus the author gives exercises to make you think, and assist you in using what you've just learned, and lists of books on the topics, for further reading and research. There's a LOT of useful information packed into the book. Well worth the money and time. I can predict going back to this one a LOT when I do worldbuilding.

Off the Bookshelf: FAIRIES: MYTHS, LEGENDS AND LORE, by Skye Alexander

Sometimes research can be fun. And frustrating. Especially when you're looking for books in the library, and the search function of the computer index doesn't want to cooperate. Most of the books I found on fairies, faeries, the fair folk, and such *sigh* were fiction, mostly romance, some kids' stories. That's not what I was looking for.

So when I found this one, as I prepare to start a new series of books, it was a major relief. And a treasure trove.

Dealing with fairy lore from around the world, it discusses different classes of fairies, legends, their functions within the magical realms as well as dealings with lowly mortals, and what was really fascinating, a discussion of how the legends have changed through the years, as society changed. This is one I really think I need to find in print, rather than ebook, so I can flag pages for future reference, because I can see going back to this again and again, for inspiration.

Off the Bookshelf: FIFTY MACHINES THAT CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY, Eric Chaline

Another book I found on the discount shelf that struck me as a good resource book. Honestly, what is wrong with these stores that don't realize the great value of these books they mark down to 1/3 their original price? However, I'm not going to complain too much, because yeah, it benefits me! I'm on a tight budget these days ...

FIFTY MACHINES THAT CHANGED THE COURSE OF HISTORY kind of builds on each machine that came before it, moving up through history and the developments in technology. It's fascinating, giving just a taste of what the machine does, a little of the history that led to its invention, something about the inventor, even the personal life, the cultural changes and politics, that sort of thing.

The title page of each chapter offers a lot of info in a glance: designer, manufacturer, a picture of the gizmo, and then the category it belongs in -- industry, agriculture, transport, science, computing, energy, and home. There are quotes from the inventors, a thumbnail sketch of the gizmo in question, and timeline of similar devices. Very useful.

Looms, lathe, engines, early computers, sewing machine, ships, bicycle, telephone, etc. This could be the kind of book you just read for fun, learning bits and pieces that come in handy while watching Jeopardy or trying to get on Jeopardy to compete, or like I do, use it for research in writing, creating new worlds and figuring out what level of technology an alien or fantasy civilization has, that sort of thing. Try it. You might be surprised what you learn.

Off the Bookshelf: MILITARY MACHINES

Subtitle: Combat Vehicles for Land, Sea & Air.

I'm going to get a lot of use out of this book. The title might make you think of just a catalog of fighter jets and battleships and tanks, but this handy little reference book loaded with detailed drawings as well as photos and discussions of how the different vehicles are/were used. There are "cutaway" views of things like siege engines and chariots, pirate ships and bi-planes.

Divided between land, sea and air, there is some history of warfare, as well as diagrams of battles. The back flap of the cover lists all the machines discussed, ranging  from Egypt, Rome, Greece, and Korea, to Italy, Russia, Germany, and the USA. Specs, notable military figures, details of engines, flight patterns. Pretty cool.

I can see role playing gamers using this book, as well as military history buffs and writers of both fantasy and futuristic military novels.

Published by Parragon Books, there were no editors listed. Publication date is 2015. It's a small book, and I bought it at a discount store, but for those who need this kind of information at their fingertips, a book like this could prove to be priceless.

Off the Bookshelf: THE STEAMPUNK BIBLE, by Jeff VanderMeer

THE STEAMPUNK BIBLE by Jeff VanderMeer is a great resource touching on multiple aspects of the whole steampunk culture -- music, books, movies, clothes, gizmos and gadgets, art, and the history.

Full of photos and illustrations, it's a treasure trove for those wanting to understand what's involved, those who are considering dipping a toe into the culture -- and for those who want to try writing steampunk and aren't quite sure what's acceptable, what's considered "in" and what violates every precept -- and could be the start of a new facet or division within the whole steampunk universe.

It's kind of overwhelming -- but fascinating. I highly recommend starting your tour of the whole phenomenon here, if only to find the authors and titles who are at the core or genesis of the culture and mindset, so you can read their books and short stories. I have a lot more books on my to-be-read list now, thanks to this book. And maybe a little better understanding of what I need to do to make my book true to the flavor, look, and feel of steampunk.