Whimsical Word of the Week

Gloze - (v.)

to explain away; make excuses for.
Example: The young hoodlum's shenanigans were often forgiven due to his ability to gloze over them so well.

Bibliophile's Corner

Witherwood - Reform School
by Obert Skye

Flap copy Description:
After a slight misunderstanding involving a horrible governess, oatmeal, and a jar of tadpoles, siblings Tobias and Charlotte Eggars find themselves abandoned by their father at the gates of a creepy reform school. Evil mysteries are afoot at Witherwood, where the grounds are patrolled by vicious creatures after dark and kids are locked in their rooms. Charlotte and Tobias soon realize that they are in terrible danger—especially because the head of Witherwood has perfected the art of mind control.

If only their amnesiac father would recover and remember that he has two missing children. If only Tobias and Charlotte could solve the dark mystery and free the kids at Witherwood—and ultimately save themselves.

My Thoughts:
While middle grade novels featuring quirky, and even frightening, schools abound, Mr. Skye's Witherwood - Reform School just might be in a class of its own. Right from the very first chapter of this dark fantastical novel I was hooked by its creepy secondary characters and humorous dialogue. The mischievousness of the siblings, Tobias and Charlotte, might just be what helps them escape the mysterious school. However, readers won't discover if they do until the release of Book 2 in the series: Witherwood - Lost and Found. I highly recommend Witherwood - Reform School to readers aged nine & up.

Click here to learn more about the author, Obert Skye.

Storyteller's Journey

Pencil sketch by Victoria Lindstrom

 
 Connecting to Our Characters

Several weeks ago I posted a book review for a Christmas gift I'd received: The Writer's Brush, by Donald Friedman. In that post I mentioned that the beautiful book had inspired me to begin sketching from time to time; on the left is a pencil sketch of Oliver, a secondary character from my soon to be released middle grade fantasy novel,
The Tale of Willaby Creek.



The reason I'm sharing this photo with you is it reminded me of some wonderful advice I received from a dear writing friend years ago...about ways to connect with our characters. My creative writing teacher instructed us to tap into the personality of our protagonist in creative ways. Here's the artsy list from my mentor - plus a few of my own:

*Make a collage of your story, featuring your protagonist in it.
*Make a "Wanted" poster for your protagonist (or antagonist).
*Draw or paint your characters.
*Interview your main character.
*Write a poem about your protagonist.
*Visit a person (or creature) that's similar to your protagonist.
*Obviously, do research on your main character (if possible). At the very least, familiarize yourself with any hobbies or habits that the character actually has, or you want him/her/it to have.

At the time of the assignment I felt rather discombobulated. However, since that time (which was years ago) I've grown to appreciate my mentor's wise advice. Surrounding myself with images - in whatever form - of the characters in my work in progress inspires me so much. It's as though the collective cast of characters is cheering me on as I create their story. Maybe my muse(s) are my characters.

By the way, click here if you'd be interested in participating in the cover reveal for my soon to be released novel The Tale of Willaby Creek. CBB Book Promotions has scheduled the event for Monday, 4/27/15.

Be sure and stop by Writ of Whimsy next week when I'll be interviewing the author, Elizabeth Varadan! We'll be discussing her soon to be released novel Imogene and The Case of the Missing Pearls.

Whimsical Word of the Week

 

Lammergeier - (n.)

a giant vulture-like bird of prey.
Example: The dragon and the lammergeier fought for control of the forest.

Bibliophile's Corner

Mountain Dog
by Margarita Engle

Amazon Description:
When Tony’s mother is sent to jail, he is sent to stay with a great uncle he has never met in Sierra Nevada. It is a daunting move—Tony’s new world bears no semblance to his previous one. But slowly, against a remote and remarkable backdrop, the scars from Tony’s troubled past begin to heal.

With his Tió and a search-and-rescue dog named Gabe by his side, he learns how to track wild animals, is welcomed to the Cowboy Church, and makes new friends at the Mountain School. Most importantly though, it is through Gabe that Tony discovers unconditional love for the first time, in Mountain Dog by Margarita Engle.

My Thoughts:
This inspiring middle grade novel was written in verse by Margarita Engle - an author who has received multiple awards. Ms. Engle actually has ties to the search-and-rescue dog community since her husband trains SAR dogs. Her extensive knowledge of rescue organizations allowed her to include important details, making Mountain Dog read incredibly true. In addition to that, the great character development, beautiful prose, and setting description of the Sierra Nevadas, all made this novel a big winner for me. I highly recommend Mountain Dog to readers from the ages of eight to eighty.

Click here to learn more about the author, Margarita Engle.

Storyteller's Journey

A Sublime Setting

This is one of the many photographs I took on my trip to the Holy Land in May of 1988. Spending time at the Western Wall is a memory I will always cherish.


When I reflect on the stories I've been inspired to write, they all have at least one element in common: A sublime setting. (Jerusalem is the setting for the seventh book in my proposed Livvi Biddle series.)

I think the reason setting is so important to me as a writer is due to the fact that my writing is an extension of my years as a reader. As a child, books would whisk me away to mysterious places I could only dream of at that age. Even now, I'm sometimes inspired to write a story about a place I've not yet visited, as in the case of The Scandinavian Santa. (I've never been to any of the Nordic countries, but I hope to travel to a few next year.) Having a sublime setting in a novel also gives the writer a great source from which to create character traits for her protagonist, since certain subcultures are innate to certain locations. This all requires a good bit of research, and possibly even some travel, but that's one of the things I so enjoy about being an author. Novels have the opportunity to introduce our readers, and ourselves, to interesting and exotic countries with different peoples, customs, and history.

We writers can promote peace by including other cultures in our books.

                         Happy Easter! ~~ Happy Passover! 

Whimsical Word of the Week

Coruscant - (adj.)
sparkling or glittering.

Example: The light from the coruscant fairy illuminated the entire corner of the enchanted forest.