32 Candles
Ernessa T. Carter
338 pages
Amistad an Imprint of HarperColllins Publishers

Some folks sail through adolescence with grace. They may occasionally lose altitude, but eventually, they descend and make a gentle landing. Others come crashing to earth in a tangle and have to work their way up to true flight.

The awkward limbo of adolescence some teens experience comes to mind easily for people who survived it. It’s a period in life when we are not yet fully formed, discovering who we are and who we would like to be. We also find ourselves painfully aware of our appearance as our hormones and genetics drag us through the gates of physical maturity.

Davidia Jones knows this painful awkwardness intimately. Her home life is hell. Her school life is purgatory. In short, her existence is one of vast suffering. It seems that her brief story will end before it has begun. She lives in small town Mississippi with little prospect of getting out. Her mother seems to loathe her existence. When her schoolmates acknowledge her, they torment her with a vicious nickname, Monkey Night.

The situation seems pretty hopeless for Davidia until she discovers the now classic film, Sixteen Candles. She aspires to achieve her own Molly Ringwld ending. If she is patient and coordinates her opportunities, she’ll get the love of her peers and the most popular guy in the school.

Enter James Farrell, an Atlanta transplant, heir to the Farrell Cosmetics fortune, star football player and object of Davidia’s unrequited affections. She adores and obsesses over James who fails to notice her. His sisters on the other hand are fully aware of her and contribute to her suffering.

Shortly after their arrival, a cruel prank that almost destroys Davie, motivates her to shake the dust of Mississippi from her feet. She begins a new life in Los Angeles remaking herself as sultry lounge singer Davie Jones. She has confidence, friends and a laid back lifestyle that suits her.

Everything is just fine, until she runs into James Farrell as fine and fabulous as ever. He doesn’t recognize her from high school and he’s interested in getting to know Davie. As a matter of fact, when Davie tries to leave him and the craziness of her high school experience in the past, he insists. Unable and unwilling to resist, Davie and James embark on a love affair that seems destined for a happy ending, until the sleeping dogs of the past wake up barking.

Ernessa T. Carter tells a story about betrayal, coming of age and true love with edgy humor and intelligence. Davie is a warm, smart and funny character whose unexpected insights make what could easily become tragic in her life a comedic success story. The story parallels the style of cinematic storytelling and is written in first character; Davie pulls you into her experiences in much the same way that Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and other characters do in our favorite Brat Pack era films of the 80s--“breaking the wall” and engaging us in the unfolding events.

As you read, you hope that 32 candles aren’t too many for a happy ending.

The writer received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book for review.

View all my reviews >>

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Every manager and aspiring executive needs to read this book. Malcom Gladwell provides real life examples that illustrate how our natural and cultural legacies affect our material and social success. Reading this book will assist you with successfully confronting your past and shaping your future. Outliers also provides insights with the potential to allow change agents to progressively shape their organizations and the people who work for them. The book does not accomplish this by offering a road map to success; Outliers encourages personal and organizational change by allowing us to shift the way we think about the path to success.

View all my reviews

Check Out Tim Ferris's latest blog featuring author, Neil Strauss

Tim Ferris' latest post begs to be shared. It contains humor, the salty grains of bitter truth and proof that good taste and hypocrisy are not mutually exclusive: So You Want to Be a Writer? Read This First.

Also, take a look at Neil's latest book, Everybody Loves You When You're Dead. The book trailer on Amazon promises a great read.

How to Write When Burn Out Is Trending Toward Combustion

 It's been a while since I've posted. I outlined two potential posts, and they're sitting in my notebook waiting for the polish. If I'm honest, I need to dig a little deeper, to organize myself more effectively and put this blog near the top of my to do list--with my current course work, the kids , the job that pays for my day to day, etc. If I'm honest, I also have to admit that I'm a bit burnt. Like when you're running that last interval in your workout--digging deep to squeeze out a little more speed and get your knees a little higher--all without twisting your ankle on the landing.

As luck would have it, I came across a most excellent post from Freelance Writing Jobs, "Writing is Like Sex." Attention grabbing isn't? Well, it also provided me with a much needed dose of laughter. I think I'll be able to finish up those other two posts now.

Write On....


On My Book Shelf

When Celeste Temple sets out to learn why her fiancee has jilted her, she stumbles upon a bloody mystery.The mystery has a most "unnatural" process at its center.  She determines to discover its origin while bringing her erstwhile fiancee to justice for his undeserved mistreatment of her.

Dahlquist weaves a twisting, science-fiction mystery that brings readers to the edge of their expectations then makes them consider new ones. The story is wild, sensual and an intellectual exercise. If you want to  explore steampunk fiction, these books are a great place to start.

Dayton Literary Peace Prize Winners Announced

When reading this post, "Dayton Literary Peace Prize Winners Announced" on the Utne Reader Great Writing Blog, I came across a great quote about the nature of reading. The writer is commenting on one of the prize winners, The Book of Night Women.

This is work of the most supreme literary quality, daring to transform languageinto such an original realm that readers come away haunted, short of breath, and staggered with the sort of visceral impact that reminds us why we read: Not merely to understand other lives or worlds, but to feel them.

Check out the full list of winners and runner-ups at the Dayton Literary Peace Prize website. I know I'll be adding a few of these books to my towering ToBe Read pile.

How do you plan to tell your story?

Writing Inspiration

As writers, we tell stories. Some of them are true and factual, the most ideal piece of journalism, non-fiction or biography. Some stories are imaginative and wide ranging like one of my favorite tall tales, The Legend of John Henry, or The Lord of the Rings fantasy series. Like all things, the modes of storytelling evolve as human beings make technological advances. We've moved from firesides and wall drawings, to paper and illuminated volumes, to the e-book and electronic readers, and now enhanced e-books.

An enhanced e-book does more than imitate a printed book on a digital screen. An enhanced e-book may contain graphics, pop up windows, audio of author interviews or commentary and more. If you've ever seen the animated film, Treasure Planet, a retelling of the classic novel Treasure Island, you may recall a scene where holographic renderings of the story being "read" by the young protagonist illuminate his face as he enjoys the book under the covers when he should be sleeping. Holographic add-ons mean, no need to sneak a flashlight or reading light into the room to read that last page.

Some people may argue that something like this imagined holographic book  and the current generation of e-books, including enhanced e-books, are not truly books. I would respond that reading is a unique experience very different from veiwing a film or in the future a holograph. Reading happens mostly in our heads.  I believe this makes it a more intense and personal experience as the reader renders the story in their imagination. No, they are not exactly books, but they are still part of the reading experience as long as some portion of text goes directly from some surface to our brains.

As technology facilitates the evolution of the modes of storytelling, I think that every writer should keep in mind our ultimate goal. Our goal is to tell the best story, fact or fiction, the best way it can be told.

I'm just as attached to the tangible experience of reading a book as the next die hard bibliofile. I also enjoy having digital copies of several books at my finger tips.Which mode of publication is best for the future of publishing--tried and true paper or digital? Think of it this way. We could still be hammering words into clay tablets on the off chance that it would be around for posterity--hoping that the village liked it enough not to shatter the tablet in drunken revelry. Instead, we writers and readers have options.The beauty of the current publishing revolution is that we don't have to choose. We can offer our stories in multiple formats to reach our readers' hearts and minds however they choose to read.

Writing Craft

Read one of  2009's the ten most challenged books in observance of Banned Books Week (Sept. 25--Oct. 2).

Write down the first sentence from five of your favorite books. Now take a good look at the list. What makes these opening sentences great? How did they get you to keep reading?

Writing Resources

Science-fiction and fantasy fans should definitely visit Tor.com. Read short stories, comment, submit your work and download fantastic wall papers for free.

The Women's National Book Association posts a list of the best group reads annually as part of National  Reading Group Month (October). Check out this year's list.

On My Bookshelf

Does Your Writing Career Have an Expiration Date?

Writing Inspiration

We all live in a state of potential. Yes, every moment we make choices that transmute the potential into fact and action--a thing realized. Even with these choices, the potential to be different and do things differently remains constant.

This summer the New Yorker published  a list of "20 Under 40," writers showing the promise or potential to give the world literature that endures. Articles, commenting on the writers selected and the usefulness of the age 40 as the metaphorical finish line to this potential or promise, soon followed the revelation of this list.

I recommend reading this essay, "How Old Can a 'Young Writer' Be?" by Sam Tanenhaus. He takes a fairly balanced look at what it means to be a "young writer" or a master writer at the height of their craftsmanship.

I believe that a person's potential is endless not inversely related to one's age. If you haven't written your great work,  published it and had it widely recognized by the age of 39, don't fret. There's always tomorrow--until you take your last breath. Art is an endeavor of endurance, so persevere.

Craft

A great plot does not ensure the success of a story. The plot captures a reader's imagination as they review the blurb on the back of the paperback; the characters living the plot keep them reading. As readers, we want to know what happened to the people in the story, how they felt and what they did. Some of us even want to be someone else for a few hours. That only happens when well developed characters populate a story.

Take some time to make a list of your favorite characters. Then analyze what made them work. How did the author introduce them? What bits of information and habits were shared and how were they revealed? Next, take a look at the characters in your writing. Is there enough there to draw the reader in--to pique their interest or emotions--and keep them reading even if your plot should hit a slow spot?

Check out this interview with Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni at Women on Writing. She talks a great deal about how her characters influenced the shape of her novel. Here's a take away tip from the interview: She kept a notebook of the details she wanted to use to develop each of nine characters in her book, One Amazing Thing.

Resources

Obviously, I am a bibliophile. I love books and when I received an email from the Very Short List about Five Books, I was hooked. This site is great to get reading recommendations about an eclectic collection of topics. Think of it as a fun syllabus for the writing life. As writers, we're perpetual learners. You never know which information may prove useful as you pursue different projects.

I also discovered Book Glutton this week. Read, share, publish, make annotations to books you're reading or have read and discuss books all online. There are popular as well as public domain books available on this site.

On My Bookshelf

32 Candles
Ernessa T. Carter
338 pages
Amistad an Imprint of HarperColllins Publishers

Some folks sail through adolescence with grace. They may occasionally lose altitude, but eventually, they descend and make a gentle landing. Others come crashing to earth in a tangle and have to work their way up to true flight.

The awkward limbo of adolescence some teens experience comes to mind easily for people who survived it. It’s a period in life when we are not yet fully formed, discovering who we are and who we would like to be. We also find ourselves painfully aware of our appearance as our hormones and genetics drag us through the gates of physical maturity.

Davidia Jones knows this painful awkwardness intimately. Her home life is hell. Her school life is purgatory. In short, her existence is one of vast suffering. It seems that her brief story will end before it has begun. She lives in small town Mississippi with little prospect of getting out. Her mother seems to loathe her existence. When her schoolmates acknowledge her, they torment her with a vicious nickname, Monkey Night.

The situation seems pretty hopeless for Davidia until she discovers the now classic film, Sixteen Candles. She aspires to achieve her own Molly Ringwald ending. If she is patient and coordinates her opportunities, she’ll get the love of her peers and the most popular guy in the school.

Enter James Farrell, an Atlanta transplant, heir to the Farrell Cosmetics fortune, star football player and object of Davidia’s unrequited affections. She adores and obsesses over James who fails to notice her. His sisters on the other hand are fully aware of her and contribute to her suffering.

Shortly after their arrival, a cruel prank that almost destroys Davie, motivates her to shake the dust of Mississippi from her feet. She begins a new life in Los Angeles remaking herself as sultry lounge singer Davie Jones. She has confidence, friends and a laid back lifestyle that suits her.

Everything is just fine, until she runs into James Farrell as fine and fabulous as ever. He doesn’t recognize her from high school and he’s interested in getting to know Davie. As a matter of fact, when Davie tries to leave him and the craziness of her high school experience in the past, he insists. Unable and unwilling to resist, Davie and James embark on a love affair that seems destined for a happy ending, until the sleeping dogs of the past wake up barking.

Ernessa T. Carter tells a story about betrayal, coming of age and true love with edgy humor and intelligence. Davie is a warm, smart and funny character whose unexpected insights make what could easily become tragic in her life a comedic success story. The story parallels the style of cinematic storytelling and is written in first character; Davie pulls you into her experiences in much the same way that Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off) and other characters do in our favorite Brat Pack era films of the 80s--“breaking the wall” and engaging us in the unfolding events.

As you read, you hope that 32 candles aren’t too many for a happy ending.

The writer received an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book for review.

Visit the author's website on HarperCollins.com

View all my reviews >>

If you're looking for a literary distraction or a change of pace for your writing warm-up, check out Narrative Magazine's Word Scramble Tournament.

Puzzler—Word Scramble Tournament

Week Three

July 12, 2010

Week three of our Word Scramble Tournament has begun, with Literary Puzzler challenging you to create as many words as possible from a set of seven letters.

The Rules

• Each week, Puzzler will give you a list of seven letters.
• See how many words you can make with three or more letters each.
• You'll receive one point for each three-letter word; two points for each four-letter word; three points for each five-letter word; four points for each six-letter word; and five points for each seven-letter word.
• Your score will be cumulative across the four weeks, and you can enter your words for any week of the tournament until its final closing date.
• The first-place winner will receive twelve Scoreboard points; the second-place winner will receive eight Scoreboard points; the third-place winner will receive four Scoreboard points.

The letters for the current week are listed below, along with the letters of previous weeks for tournament newcomers:

Week Three: S R A N O G E

Week Two: A L M E S N O

Week One: N T A I R E S

Send your words to Puzzler by Sunday noon, Pacific daylight time, each week. The names of the winners will be announced at the end of the tournament. To view the current Puzzler Scoreboard, click here.

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We invite you to send us your suggestions for Puzzler questions. If your suggestion is chosen, you will be credited as the author of the question.
A question submitted for consideration must be accompanied by the answer as well as by a citation or source material to verify the accuracy of the question and answer.
We welcome Puzzler ideas and questions pertaining to the art, lore, personalities, events, characters, agents, intermediaries, and publishers of literature, past and present. We especially want questions and ideas that cannot be answered by a quick Internet search and that are multifaceted, amusing, and add to our store of knowledge. Please send your suggestions to Puzzler.

Click here to read more on our site

Wonder Woman's Story and Outfit Get a New Attitude

I watched the Wonder Woman series religiously as a kid. Lynda Hamilton made being tough and feminine possible and exciting. Hey, it was the 70s; compared to her predecessors, she fit the bill. It was great to have a female superhero--heroine--to admire; who did the rescuing; and who wasn't blond. Well, my favorite woman of wonder has undergone a makeover. I like it.  According to reports, the costume change cues other changes in the Wonder Woman mythos as well. It looks promising.

Wonder Woman's change in appearance and storyline exemplifies an ongoing practice in fiction, film and storytelling in general. For example, Justin Cronin's recent publication, The Passage, offers yet another take on vampires. In an interview, the author observes that every generation re-imagines the vampire myth to fit their times. This also occurs with other stories, myths and folk tales containing archetypal characters. Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, gives us the next generation from Mount Olympus. Twilight offers up vampires and werewolves. Do you have a myth or folktale that you think could use a little dusting off and revamping? Do you think that any recent publications or films have done so in a unique or particulary engaging manner?

Are You a Brand in the Making or an Artiste?

I've struggled with the concept of self-branding, so much so that I've opted to use a pen name for a few of my intended projects. Our current social order focuses intently on categorizing everything. While it serves a function on my favorite playground, the Internet, it also makes it difficult to express myself as a writer; I'm an eclectic melange of ideas, interests and  projects. I also recognize that many web surfers have keyword searching down to a science. If I want to be discovered in web searches, I need to offer searchable content. In order to receive maximum benefit (site traffic) from this situation, I must make my content and projects part of a consistent theme and approach, a brand. I'm resistant to this. I have many things to say on many topics. I found myself nodding and pounding my desktop while adding a few cries of "Hear, Hear!" as I read Maureen Johnson's post on BlogHer, regarding the heavy push for self-branding on the Internet.  What do you think? Have we (writers--any type) over extended the concept of branding in an effort to keep our coffers full?

Rediscover the Basic Joys of Storytelling

Writing Inspiration

During a recent family movie night, my son exclaimed,"Now that's a climax!" The movie had reached its apex and begun its descent to the end. For him at least, the story portion of the film accomplished every story's underlying purpose. It used a series of engaging events to create anticipation then guide the viewer to the main event of the story. It seemed like he enjoyed the experience more since he knew the parts, much the same way music gains depth and meaining for educated listeners.

When writing fiction, a writer must effectively provide an exposition, a series of ascending events, a climax and a fitting resolution. All of these elements comprise the "plot" of a story.  The simplicity or complexity of the plot must be dictated by the story itself--how the development of each element most effectively relates to the story told.

Writers must exploit these elements to the best advantage of each story they write. My son's observation reaffirmed the importance and significance of knowing the technical parts of a story well. Films, books, operas even video games--the best begin with a really great story. This knowledge enhances a reader's or viewer's appreciation of a story, because they can sense and discern the elements moving in concert. 



Craft

Who remembers diagramming sentences? If you ever completed such an assignment,  I commisterate with you. It was tedious; it was a pain; and it worked. You may not have mastered dangling participles, but you definitely know the basics, subject, verb, adjective and adverb. You probably could even still identify direct objects, prepositions and prepositional objects in a pinch, because you learned sentence structure.

Here's this month's challenge: create a story diagram. Take one of your previously written pieces preferrably a short piece or one of your favorite short stories. Make copies and then diagram the parts of the story. Mark the exposition, the ascesnding events, the climax, any descending events/resolution and the end. Does the story move clearly and effectively through each phase of the plot? Is it well paced? Does the story move too quickly or too slowly at any point? Is the climax fitting or does it underserve the building events, creating an anti-climax?

Have fun. I'll post my efforts to diagram one of  my short stories at the end of the month.

Resources

The Oxford University Press has just launched a new version of its Oxford  Dictionaries online.  Check out the quotes, games, reading and writing articles and many other offerings that can improve your reading and writing experiences.

Booktrib.com compiles posts and reviews from book blogs across the internet. They also offer a weekly book giveaway.

On my bookshelf