What I Learned from the 30-Day Blogging Challenge
A month before The Forgetting Flower came out, I took on a 30-Day blogging challenge: publish posts on my blog for 30 days straight. It was a difficult exercise. I had to come up with decent content every day and even though I planned out my topics ahead of time, I had to squeeze in a post at the last minute several times. But overall, it was a fruitful experience. I learned a lot! Here's what I can share about it.
The Best Book on Writing Emotion in Fiction
There are a lot of books that will teach you how to write fiction. And the best ones not only address the craft of storytelling but the issues beneath the story's surface. A main character's wound, the overarching theme, internal versus external conflicts. But the key to a really compelling novel is expression emotion in fiction. And that's the hardest piece to put on the page.
Anne Lamott’s Advice on Finding the Truth
Bird by Bird is an outstanding craft book for writers. Novelist and memoirist Ann Lamott covers the various aspects of writing: the nuts and bolts of craft to broader, more abstract issues. She talks about the importance of getting the sh*tty first draft on paper before diving into the mechanics of plot, dialogue, character, etc. She tackles perfectionism, finding your voice, and the let downs of publication. It's a wise and witty manual for any writer, experienced or not. I highly recommend it.
Bran Was a Bore on Game of Thrones But Didn’t Have to Be
Brandon Stark was a bore on Game of Thrones but he didn't have to be. I enjoyed the finale like so many others but Bran's character fell flat. It wasn't that I disliked Bran particularly. His story of becoming the Three-eyed Raven was interesting but that he turned into a sleepy detached automaton was quite bluntly, a missed characterization opportunity on David Benioff and D.B. Weiss's part. I think one real life person who's still around today could have been an inspirational model for Bran's characterization.
A 30-Day Blogging Challenge!
We're about a month away from The Forgetting Flower's release so I thought it would be fun to do a 30-day blogging challenge. It will be super hard but I'm going to try.
