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Today I am going to do Annie Hawthorne’s tag from her newly launched Curious Wren blog here. It’s a lovely blog; please head over there and check it out.

1. What was the last book you read, and would you recommend it?

Oh ho! The last book I read was one I wrote, and I DO recommend it! But it’s only the first draft yet, so I had better think of another one…. I’ll do Pendragon’s Heir, by Suzannah Rowntree; I read that one last week. For starts, I definitely recommend it; it has one mature plot line, but it is very well handled. It’s basically a retelling of the King Arthur legends, but in novel form with a great set of protagonists and plenty of twists and turns, even for those familiar with the legends. If I could use a few words to describe it, they would be: gripping, majestic, bittersweet, and epic. I am always impressed with this author’s ability to write a good story…her stories stick with me after I’ve finished them, and that is a big accomplishment.

        2. Describe the perfect reading spot.

Ooh, a window seat or chair beside a window, preferably with rain outside. And if it’s chilly, with a blanket or heater nearby.

       3. Favorite book beverage? Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate? Tears of your readers?

I probably like coffee the best, nice and hot, but I won’t turn down hot chocolate or a good cup of Irish Breakfast Tea or Chai.

     4. Share favorite quotes from four books.

Suiting the action to the word, John Browdie just jerked his elbow into the chest of Mr. Squeers who was advancing upon Smike; with so much dexterity that the schoolmaster reeled and staggered back upon Ralph Nickleby, and being unable to recover his balance, knocked that gentleman off his chair, and stumbled heavily upon him. –Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens

I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself on this one…I just love seeing Ralph Nickleby falling off a chair!

And this is not really from a book, but I loved it anyway.

Under the wide and starry sky, dig the grave and let me lie: glad did I live and gladly die, and I laid me down with a will. This be the verse you ‘grave for me: here he lies where he long’d to be; home is the sailor, home from the sea, and the hunter home from the hill. –“Requiem”, by Robert Louis Stevenson

And here are two proper quotes:

Frodo heard a sweet singing running in his mind: a song that seemed to come like a pale light behind a grey rain-curtain, and growing stronger to turn the veil all to glass and silver, until at last it was rolled back, and a far green country opened before him under a swift sunrise. ― The Fellowship of the Ring, J.R.R. Tolkien

It may be that the night will close over us in the end, but I believe that morning will come again. Morning always grows out of the darkness, though maybe not for the people who saw the sun go down. We are the Lantern Bearers, my friend; for us to keep something burning, to carry what light we can forward into the darkness and the wind. ― The Lantern Bearers, Rosemary Sutcliff.

5. What is your most loved fantasy read? Dystopia? Contemporary? Sci-fi? Classic?

Fantasy: It would probably be The Lord of the Rings, though the Narnia books are close behind.

Dystopia: I’ve never really cared for any of the dystopian stories that I’ve read, but I’ve not given up on the genre yet if anyone has any suggestions.

Contemporary: I really enjoyed Linda Nicholls’s books At the Scent of Water and Handyman.

Sci-Fi: I’ve never actually read a sci-fi book as far as I can recollect.

Classic: There are too many to count. I like almost everything by Robert Louis Stevenson and I really enjoyed Nicholas Nickleby recently.

6. List three authors you’ve collected the most books from?

Rosemary Sutcliff, Marguerite Henry, and Eloise Jarvis McGraw.

7. What are your thoughts on magic in literature?

I don’t read a lot of books that deal with magic, but if it’s straightforward (like in The Lord of the Rings) and it isn’t either too weird or witchcraft that is used or condoned by the protagonists, I don’t mind it.

8. What types of book covers capture your imagination most strongly? Feel free to include images.

I like covers with bright colors and either action or something symbolic to the story. Here are a few examples:  

9. Mention the first book character that comes to mind. Elaborate on this.

Thormod, from Blood Feud by Rosemary Sutcliff.  It’s been a long time since I’ve read that book, but he was alive. There are very few characters in books that have seemed that alive to me, but he was one, and I loved him to bits.

10. Do you lend out your books? Or is that the equivalent to giving away your babies?

It depends on the book. I will lend now and again—I like sharing the books I love. (Especially if you have twelve copies of the book already. True story!) However, there are some books that I hold on to either because they are really old or because I don’t want to be separated from them, and with those it would be like giving away my babies.

Thanks to Annie for the wonderful questions—I loved answering them!

How much time do you spend choosing your characters’ names? Do you slap on the first name that comes to mind? Do you spend hours poring over name books? What criteria do you use for choosing names?

The right name can make your character; the wrong name can break your character. Everything in your book should be telling a story, helping the readers, conveying something, and names are no exception. They are a key part of unlocking your characters, both for you and for your audience.

Here are some thoughts on choosing names.

First of all, the names should excite you. You are the creator, and you will be the one ultimately spending the most time with them, so make sure you choose names that you like.

What to avoid:

Boring names—don’t settle for  Anna Johnson when Beatrice Kettlewell will bring across your character better.

Confusing Names—avoid strange or foreign spellings, or names that all start with the same letter, and your readers will be less likely to forget which character is which, or get jolted out the story by strange names.

Names with wrong connotations—unless you are looking to use irony with your naming, you may not want to name your strong, practical heroine Arabella, or your skinny man Butch.

Things to Consider:

Origin—if your character is a Frenchman among Englishmen, don’t be afraid to use his name to help bring that out.

Meaning—choose a name with a meaning that has some significance to your character, or hints at what he’s like.

Phonetic Connotations—names like Sharpe, Hawker, and Savage bring to mind very different ideas than say, Pillow, Snow, and Gently.

Things I’ve done:

Collect good names—you can find them anywhere: books, film credits, online resources. Whenever I run across a name I like, I make sure I write it down to remember it.

Experiment with names—don’t be afraid to change around the beginnings and endings of names to find the right sound or impression.

Study other authors—look at the way they use names and learn from them.

Don’t be afraid to change a name if it’s not working—no matter how attached you are to the name, it is always better to have the right one.

Finally, don’t underestimate the importance of other people’s opinions. Readers will be able to tell you if the name is distracting, if it gave a certain impression, and so on.

 

How do you choose your characters’ names? What are your favorite names from books you’ve written or read?

Dani M.!  Congratulations, Dani, on winning the $10 Amazon and $15 Adagio Teas gift cards.  Please email me at theherosinger@gmail.com so I can get your prizes to you.

Thank you to everyone who participated and made this giveaway a success!

Hello all! I thought for this post we would do something fun and writerly.  I’ve made seven writing prompts, one for each day of the week. Feel free to do them all, or just pick and choose your favorites.

Write a paragraph:

1. In first person, from the perspective of an old man
2. In third person, set in a historical time period
3. From the perspective of an inanimate object
4. In first person, from the view of someone who doesn’t understand the actual point of the scene
5. In a genre you never write in
6. From the perspective of someone from a country on the opposite side of the world from you
7. From the perspective of a baby/child

Feel free to share any of your favorites in the comments below this week!

Also, the giveaway ends tonight at midnight, so if you haven’t entered yet, make sure you do!

Some time ago I came across this quote by John Irving:

“And when you love a book, commit one glorious sentence of it—perhaps your favorite sentence—to memory. That way you won’t forget the language of the story that moved you to tears.”

As I thought about which sentences I would choose, I realized that this could apply to writers as well as to readers. Which of us has not at some point been inspired by a book, and wanted nothing more than to write something equally beautiful? As writers, we should take note of good writing and study what makes it good.

Start a list. Write out your favorite excerpts: the ones that make you cry, or make your heart pound, or fill you with wonder. Examine them; see what makes them beautiful, why they move you. And then commit them to memory, or read the list through every so often. When you study great prose, it will influence your writing.

With that in mind, here are a handful of excerpts that inspire me:

He flung himself out the doorway—and stopped.

Across the street the Roman soldier stood alone under the broiling sun.

Haltingly, Daniel walked, not after Jesus, but across the road, till he stood before the boy. He had to try twice before the words would come. “My sister will get well,” he said, his voice harsh. “The fever has left her.” A quick guttural sound burst from the soldier. Daniel looked away. Who could believe that a Roman—?

“I think she would want to say good-bye to you,” he said.

The soldier waited, not understanding. Daniel looked down the road and caught the white flash of Jesus’ robe. Then he straightened his shoulders.

“Will you come in to our house?” he asked.

The Bronze Bow, by Elizabeth George Speare

Someone must have burst the membrane over one of the high windows and there had been no leisure to mend it; a long sunbeam slanted through the hole, straight across the hearth, and where the thread of smoke curled upward through the sunspot it was a blue a wild hyacinths. It seemed to Frytha the most perfect thing she had ever seen; unbelievably perfect; the slow curls and eddies like fern fronds made of jewel-blue air; no, like running water, water eddying among stones, like the Sell Beck above the mill dam. Suddenly she was remembering, across the years, little birch-bark long-ships on the Sell Beck, and Ari Knudson’s voice came to her so clearly that he might have been speaking beside her. ‘That is our Shield Ring, our last stronghold; not the barrier fells and the tottermoss between, but something in the hearts of men.’

Odd, that she should remember so clearly something that she had not truly understood at the time….

The Shield Ring, by Rosemary Sutcliff

At exactly the moment when Maureen turned Phantom over to Paul there was the sound of a ringing neigh in the distance. It speared the morning stillness. It seemed to come, not from the sea, but from the Spanish galleon, back across the ages.

Phantom’s ears pricked. She jerked her head in the direction of Assateague Island. Tremblingly she listened. The bugle came again, strong and clear. It brought Grandpa Beebe bounding over the gate, running toward Phantom.

“It’s the Pied Piper!” he yelled. “He’s coming to git the Phantom.”

Paul and Maureen strained their eyes toward the island of Assateague, but all they could see were the white spumes from the billows, and skeins of mist rising from the sea. Then suddenly one of the whitecaps seemed to be flying free. It was the foaming mane of the Pied Piper, racing in with the billows.

Misty of Chincoteague, by Marguerite Henry

Are there any sections or particular sentences in books that have inspired you? Feel free to share your favorites in the comments!

Welcome to the Herosinger Blog!

This is my writing blog, where I will be posting tidbits of writer life, writing tips, snippets, and the occasional book review.

I will be posting on Tuesdays with writer lifestyle, and Saturdays with an article.

In celebration, I have written a tag for you all, (feel free to answer in the comments below if you don’t have a blog) and I am giving away a $10 Amazon gift card and a $15 Adagio Teas gift card as a Books-and-Tea package. Thanks for stopping by!

Here it is!

1. Coffee or tea?

2. Rainy days or sunny days?

3. What is one food you couldn’t live without?

4. Give three words that describe you.

5. What would you do if you had a free hour and could do anything you wanted to?

6. What is your favorite book-to-movie adaption?

7. If there was one location from a book you could go to, where would it be?

8. If you could meet one character from a book, who would it be?

9. If you could ask one author of the past a question, who would it be? What would you ask?

 10. If you could change one event you didn’t like in a book, what would it be?

Link to the giveaway here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My dear friend Schuyler interviewed me on her blog today in celebration of the launch!

Friends and fellow bibliophiles, I am dancing (a respectable, dignified dance) inside from excitement! Today I get to introduce you to a very dear friend and her debut blog, The Herosinger. Emily Hayse and I…read more