This week, I want to talk about recurring themes in fiction, across both singular novels and across one authors body of work.

Many authors explore various genres of fiction, others stay firmly in their comfort zone. One example I can think of is Ian McEwan. His novels span many genres and a variety of themes. Another, a personal favourite, Jonathan Coe, does the same thing. Variety is interesting, both for authors and readers. If you are going to spend several years working on a book, you don’t want to turn round and write about the exact same thing.

In turn, there are people who only write about the same thing. Staying in the same era is a commong thing that authors do. I know I certainly like to stay in the same timeframe (1900 – 1930ish) because its an era I’m interested in and am interested in exploring. I think there are so many stories to tell from that timeframe, from many different perspectives. Obviously there are stories to tell from any time and many of them, but this is my favoured one.

If a story needs to be told, it shouldn’t matter where it takes place, as long as the story is good enough. One of my favourite books, Jonathan Coe’s The Rotter’s Club, is set in the 70s/80s, against striking and social change, but it’s the story of Ben and his friends, growing up and finding their way through one problem after another that makes me go back and read the book again.

I have two recurring themes that often crop up in my work. The characters are either readers or writers or someone in the book (and it literally could be anyone) has been affected in some way by the First World War. Obviously this second point doesn’t usually occur if I’m writing something set in the modern day (rarely, but maybe I’ll talk about why that is some other time) but I think it’s OK to have a trade mark across your writing, as long as every book isn’t a carbon copy of the other.

That’s all for now,

Lil

Round the Twist

Disclaimer – this post refers to Oliver Twist, not the awesome show I used to watch as a kid.

Last weekend, continuing my efforts to find things to keep me from going insane, I took part in a performance by our drama group, Maverick Youth Arts. We performed the stage version of Oliver Twist – not the musical, and despite most people’s disappointment that it wasn’t the musical, the show went really, really well. The acting was superb and the entire group pulled off something amazing.

It reminded me of one thing – it’s important to read books you read as a child and loved again at later points in your life. You’re always finding new references and things you missed, or were too young to understand. This goes true with a lot of things – some children’s television might have soured over the years but anything else is pretty much fair game for a re-analysis.

Apologies for the briefness of this post, but there’s a wedding between two good friends of mine this weekend and so naturally time is disappearing into a great void. See you all next week!

Scribbling in the Margins

After reading Susan Hill’s book Howard’s End is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home where she mentioned her passion for writing in books several times, it set me to thinking about writing in books. Why do we do it? Why do we NOT do it?

As I mentioned last week I have only written in two novels, one being The Moving Toyshop and the other Memoirs of a Fox-Hunting Man. I have two copies of Memoirs… and I read a lot of it on a train to Scotland and wanted to mark any phrase I I found particularly amusing or interesting. Having never read Sassoon’s prose before, I suppose I was documenting my first reactions to the prose works of a writer who’s poems I loved so much.

As for The Moving Toyshop, the book was almost falling apart when I bought it, so a  few pencil marks wouldn’t hurt. Only pencils, mind. I can’t stand the idea of writing in pen in books (unless it’s on the first page as a note from the giver of the book), or god forbid, highlighter, which was a particular sacrilege I witnessed several times at uni.

I own multiple copies of the same book with the intention of annotating them. I’m not sure why I can’t bring myself to annotate a book that was my only copy. I have underlined things in poetry and quotation books and in one non-fiction book that I wanted to refer back to, but for some reason I feel differently about this.

I know when I start my masters I am going to have to start making notes so that I know what I want to quote or can write thoughts that may help during essay writing. There’s only so many pages of Jane Eyre I can handle so notes will be a nessecity!

I wish I could be one of those people that cracks spines, throws books into bags without a second thought or write any thoughts into the margins but I don’t think I will be that person.

That’s all for now,

Lil

Graphic Content

Continuing our current tradition of theme weeks, today marks the fourth foray into the realm of comic books and graphic novels. Continuing this continuation, here’s a list of reasonable size of some of my favourite ones.

Watchmen

Taking the superhero genre down a gritty pseudo-realistic route where superheroes are frowned upon and hardly anyone actually has any real powers as such, Watchmen is an interesting twist on the standard ideas of such realms of fiction. The multiple part series was compiled into a graphic novel and the story is really well written, twisting and moving different directions when you least expect it. There was also a fairly decent film adaptation, even if Alan Moore himself refuses to watch it.

The Umbrella Academy

A six-part comic book series that has so far has had two series released. It explores the adventures of a group of young superheroes who grow up to face the harshness of reality, time travel, political satire, romance and ice cream.

The Order of the Stick

A long-running webcomic about the adventures of an adventuring party in a fantasy world designed to be a parody of most popular fiction. Set to the rules of the 3.5 edition of Dungeons & Dragons, The Order of the Stick is a pseudo-stick figure comic featuring what is arguably the best written characterisation in any comic ever. There’s comedy, romance, betrayal, taco night and an addictive trail of action and drama that’ll make anyone who’s ever claimed to be a geek at the very least raise an eyebrow. I am aware that Jon specifically said “graphic novels” but as the series has been compiled into paperback versions the line blurs and I’m crossing it. It’s worth it.

 

 

Books! My favourites, through the ages.

Hi guys!

I hope you’re all well! I’m doing pretty good myself.

So as Lil mentioned last week, and again yesterday, from now on, for a little while, all four of us will be writing about the same topic; the same subject if you will. And, we’re all going to take it in turns to choose that topic.

This week, we’re going to talk about favourite books.

So… What are my favourite books? Well, that’s a hard one actually. I used to have quite a few but ever since I fell off of the reading bandwagon (might not be the right word to use here), I can’t really remember any of them. I suppose that they can’t really have been favourites then, huh? But anyway. I have a handful of books that spring to mind, so I’ll talk about those for a little bit, if you’ll indulge me.

So, okay…

The first book that I ever remember being my favourite was something that a boy in my class in year… 4 maybe? I think, recommended to me in the school library; “The Suitcase Kid” by Jacqueline Wilson. I read it and really identified with it so then I read every Jacqueline Wilson book that I could get my little hands on. Then I read as much as I could get my hands on. I read almost everything and anything.

My next favourite book was, is, another Jacqueline Wilson one; “The Illustrated Mum.” I liked that each chapter was named after and about one of the mother’s tattoos. And it was a Jacqueline Wilson book and I loved those. I have a copy of it that I was given as a year 6 Leaver’s gift. My primary school used to do that. I liked it.

After that I don’t remember much until the “Harry Potter” series; and even then I didn’t start reading them until the fourth one; “The Goblet of Fire.” I read that one first actually, then I went back and read the other three. I’m a bit backwards I suppose.

I don’t think I read as much during secondary school. I remember reading a lot until year 9, and I remember reading a lot of the fiction section of the school library, but I don’t remember utterly enjoying anything other than the Harry Potter books during those years.

Moving onto college. I don’t remember (gee, I seem to be saying that a lot) reading much fiction that wasn’t for class. I don’t remember enjoying much, if any, of the reading material either. I read a lot of non fiction in college, mostly books on writing ’cause I got into creative writing in my second year. Hurrah for that! I don’t think I have a favourite non fiction book from those times… But I did read No Plot? No Problem! a lot.

Hmn. Oh. Yes. At one of the “Word Feasts” that my college used to hold (basically a evening dedicated to literature; stuff we liked, stuff we wrote) – someone read out the first couple of pages or so of Markus Zusak’s “The Book Thief.” I loved this book. It made me cry actually, and when I first read this, it had been ages since a book had made me cry. It was also the inspiration behind the piece in my University course’s anthology.

There’s a quote from Markus Zusak on the back of my next favourite book, which was an extra reason for me to get it. That book is John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars”. This book made me cry too but it’s… John Green’s writing is some of the most beautiful writing I’ve ever read in my life. If I can ever write something even -half- as beautiful as even ONE of Green’s sentences then I shall be a very happy girl.

So yes; those are my favourite books through the ages, to the best of my recollection. And my memory’s not that great so if those stuck around, they must be pretty special.

Until next week folks!

Danni

x

Blog post word count: 672 words.

I like writing games.

The other night I was lying in bed failing in my ongoing quest to fall asleep at a decent time, when I had a great idea for a blog post. Note to self: keep a notepad by your bed, because I’m forgotten it already. Oh well, I’m going to follow Lil’s lead for this week and join in with the WWW Wednesday (note – Friday) fun. Expect underwhelming answers by comparison, though!

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you just finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading? Currently, I’m reading the Necronomicon, an infamous collection of stories by world-renowned horror author H.P. Lovecraft. I’ve been working on it for some time, considering the size, and it’s been so enjoyable that I don’t want to read it in one sitting for case of savouring it.

What did you just finish reading? The Shattering, a Warcraft novel by Christie Golden. I went in expecting a decently written book with some over-dramatic characters but I was pleasantly surprised and learned once again that everything on the internet is a lie. 

What do you think you’ll read next? Now this is an interesting question. I have a giant metaphorical pile of books that I need to read and I’m having trouble deciding what to read on my next break from the Necronomicon. I’ve been tempted to read Fight Club or The Time-Traveller’s Wife next. What do you all think?

Oh Yes It Is!

More of an update than a full post.

I had my first full night of directing last night, it was interesting looking at the script and working out how people are meant to play their characters, giving them advice and this sentence is getting dangerously off the subject of this blog.

Been ill, been busy getting ready to direct, nothing much to report. I’ll keep you posted.

Week One

So, as we know, it’s week one of Nanowrimo. (yay!)

I’m slightly behind, because I didn’t start until the 2nd, and I’m slightly worried about being behind. I’m finding it really hard to catch up, because my story is not all that exciting at the moment.

The plan and basic outline seem quite exciting but I can’t seem to translate that into the actual written word. I think I’ve got to just power through the build up until I can get to the bigger moments.

The problem I’m having is how early to introduce the main problem/plot point. I’m only about 5,700 words in (as of Monday, 5th November) and feel this is far too early to be introducing that point. If I do it too early, I feel like I’m going to run out of plot and not have enough of an idea to actually read 50,000. I think I may just have to persevere and hope that it goes the same way as last year, that the story will take off and I’ll actually have a plot at last!

I usually try to work off a few line and hope that ideas will spark off that. I also hope that ideas will just spark as I go on, which has been happening (a little) so far.

So, I will leave you for now, and get back to the nano-ing.

Lil

Current Nano word count: 5,742

The Draft of Our Lives

This is the second time I’m writing this because WordPress crashed, and for some reason it didn’t save. So it might not have the same affect as the first one.

Unlike stories and writing, our lives have one draft. The first draft is the finished product. We cannot get a second or third draft.

A lot of life is about falling and getting back up; there is even a lot of stories about it; life is essentially about that, and the balance of the things in our life. Each person’s is different. So I can’t speak for everyone.

I havn’t updated my reading list in ages. I’ve been reading mainly graphic novels, journals and articles lately though. Will do it eventually.

I’m dividing my time between three projects at the minute. And if I leave it for just a few days, then there is a mass to get through. As well as running around after Ella, cleaning and job hunting. I have also not been sleeping so well due to having a great deal of pain coming from my teeth. But I am working on that. I’ve being walking round like a zombie for a while now.

This is a short post.

Jon here. I Wish you all a good week.

Silver Cathedral.

V is for Vulnerability

Characters have weaknesses. We’ve discussed this before, but they do. Without weaknesses, characters are less interesting. They need challenges to overcome.

In a way, characters with vulnerability to certain things can be more interesting than perfectly written Mary Sue-eqsue characters. After all, we are drawn to characters that we can relate to.