Happy Thanksgiving!

Due to the holiday, Girl Meets Fiction will not be posting any  new content this week. Thanks to all my loyal followers! I’ll be back at it early next week. Happy Thanksgiving!

Love,

The Girl

Keeping Creative

Winter can bring what I’m sure even the most well-studied of medical professionals would refer to as “the blahs”. Here in Midwest, after the initial novelty of glittering white snow has come and gone, the blahs are there until spring. And a dreary environment can suck creative bones dry. So here are some tips to keep the inspiration coming, because we KNOW winter is.

Break Out the Library Card

It may seem obvious, but what a person reads can directly influence how and what she writes. So while you’re stuck inside this winter, pick up a few new books and dive in! Experiment with different genres, reread the tales that inspired you as a kid, or research that thing you’ve always been a little curious about. Bottom line: read! You’re bound to find new ideas or old ones worth refreshing.

Play!

Who needs an excuse to play? Board games, video games, make-believe with younger cousins. Have fun! Let loose. As long as it’s engaging and fun, something’s bound to come from it (even if those great memories don’t make it into your next bestseller).

Get Outta’ Here

Sometimes all it takes to coax creativity from the corners of your brain is a walk through the mall. Or a chilly stroll down the street. A trip to anywhere that isn’t your own house. While winter can limit our outdoor experiences, new surroundings, even indoors, can make a huge difference.

I hope you all enjoy the thrilling rush that comes from the start of a new winter season! But if you do find yourself suffering from the creative blahs, don’t worry. It happens to everyone. Fear not, they can be cured.

Happy Writing!

 

 

What to Read: The Hunger Pains

The Hunger Pains: A Parody by the Harvard Lapoon

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Fellow Hunger Games fans, as we prepare for the release the “Mockingjay” part two on November 20, consider picking up this clever parody. I laughed through the whole thing. It’s a quick, fun read, and good for a diverse sense humor.

Happy Reading!

Meet Rumpelstiltskin

The most infamous sorcerer in all of Hart, thought by some to be no more than a legend, has resurfaced. He’ll help anyone in need…for a price. Desire revenge on your neighbor? Bring the wizard an ivory snake’s skin and he’ll transform your enemy into a stool. Need to spin straw into gold to stay the king’s wrath? Promise him your first born child. Everything costs something, the question is: Are you willing to pay? This is the question Holden (See Meet Holden) once faced, and now Marley (See Meet Marley Emmons) must answer it for herself.

Inspired by the Grimms Brother’s fairytale, Rumpelstiltskin, this sorcerer is more than he appears. Driven by his tragic and unresolved past, Rumpelstiltskin will sacrifice almost anything to attain what he desires. Years of planning, deal making, and death have finally brought him closer to his goal than he’s ever been before. The end is in sight. All of his pawns are in place. Now all he requires is three enchanted items — a golden flute, a spinning wheel, and a bixbite gem.

Happy Writing!

What to Read

The Sparrow Sisters by Ellen Herrick

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Summary

Granite Point is a small fishing town with a long history and a tightly knit community. At the heart we find the Sparrow Sisters — Sorrel, Nettie, and Patience. A gifted gardener and healer, Patience is use to treating the town with her homemade remedies but when Henry, an army medic turned family doctor, arrives in Granite Point, he begins to question her natural and inexplicable gifts. Still, the unlikely pair can’t help feeling drawn to each other. Then tragedy suddenly strikes the town and chaos ensues in a modern day witch hunt.

Overall Impressions

Herrick’s wistfully detailed style is soothing to read. I enjoyed snuggling up and spending a few hours wandering with the residence of Granite Point. The protagonists were likable, the minor characters lovable, and all were generally well-rounded. (My favorites are Ben and Charlotte ). The story itself was interesting and flowed smoothly. I would recommend this novel as a good choice for lovers of romance, drama, and a little bit of magic.

Oh, The Places They’ll Go

Imagine if, instead of leading to a winter wonderland, the wardrobe in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe dropped the Pevensie children in outer space. It would change the entire story, wouldn’t it? The setting a writer chooses is incredibly important to the story, whether the tale unfolds in a single place or along a pilgrim’s trail.

The Earth is Flat

Earth may be circular to us, but a character’s world has edges. Unless the story takes place in a universe where absolutely anything can happen (think Doctor Who) it’s going to have boundaries based on where the action is. Setting provides context. The familiarity, and even unfamiliarity, of a setting gives the reader an idea of what to expect, lets him settle more fully into the story the writer is creating.

Man vs. Nature

Setting can also create obstacles for the protagonist, making the setting a character all its own. Maybe the hero is scaling a cliff but in the last few feet the rock beneath her hand comes loose, or he comes face to face with Mother Nature in a storm that threatens to sweep his town away. A setting can be utilized as an antagonist, whether it creates an element of danger or just a temporary inconvenience.

Tone It Down

Tone is vital to any story, creating mood and emotionally drawing the reader into the plot. Establishing tone is a large part of what setting is for. It all goes back to establishing context, forming a connection with the reader. Most people aren’t afraid of a carousel. At least not until the sun goes down. Not until it starts spinning with a rusty groan, all on its own. There’s a significant difference between what’s expected of a place based on something as simple as time of day. When and where something happens can completely change the tone of the scene, and sometimes the entire book.

In my novel, Holden and Marley face a slew of different settings — castles, tar swamps, lakeside towns and underground tunnels. What’s more, the settings they encounter allow them to bond as they watch each other react to their surroundings. Each place they visit presents new challenges, new excitement, and more dangerous enemies.

Happy Writing!

What to Read: The Girl on the Train

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Every morning on the same commuter train, Rachel images the lives unfolding in the homes she passes. The people there seem to lead perfect lives. Then, one morning as the train passes the usual stretch of houses, Rachel sees something that will completely turn her world upside down, and suddenly finds herself in the midst of a missing person’s investigation. The Girl on the Train is a suspenseful psychological thriller and a good choice for fans of the genre.