P is for Paranormal

With the recent trend wave onslaught of Paranormal Lit (especially in YA) I thought I'd dedicate a post to the genre that seems to be conquering the shelves.

Paranormal Lit primarily focuses on creatures that 'have yet to be discovered' by modern society, creatures that exist outside our 'normality'. Ghosts, vampires, werewolves, zombies, and faeries seem to be the most popular at the moment, though angels, demons, mermaids, dragons, and unicorns are also appearing. Another important aspect of Paranormal Lit is that it takes place now, as in within this decade. This better serves to juxtapose our reality (our normalcy) with what is going on 'under our noses'.

Paranormal fiction is, technically, a sub-genre of Fantasy, on the same level as High-Fantasy or Urban-Fantasy. High-Fantasy tends to be more medieval in time period, and contains more traditional mythological creatures. Magic and mythology are well-known by all, and even the landscapes tend to be magic-based.

Urban-Fantasy, however, is more closely related to Paranormal Lit, and so the terms are often interchangeable. They usually focus on the same creatures, and both appear in the same time period (present). However, I find Urban-Fantasy usually revolves around magic, while Paranormal Lit tries for a more scientific approach or a very strict rule-based magic. Urban-Fantasy also often features the fantasy-world as un-hidden (or slowly becoming so) from the masses, whereas Paranormal Lit usually focuses on keeping things under wraps.

Another trend I've noticed in the Paranormal genre is most books being Paranormal Romance. Not only is one (or more) character non-human, but that character is also irresistibly attractive. The majority of the book/series is either resisting the impulse to jump the impossibly attractive other character (and eventually giving in) or trying to overcome adversity (villain/prejudice) and be with that character forever. Now, I appreciate a good romance as much as the next girl, but seeing the same thing over and over again is getting a bit annoying.

Finally, here's a list of what category (I think) certain books fall under:

~High Fantasy~

Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

Graceling/Fire - Kristen Cashore

Tortall Series - Tamora Pierce

The Inheritance Cycle (Eragon) - Christopher Paolini

~Urban Fantasy~
Mercy Thompson Series - Patricia Briggs
Kate Daniels Series - Ilona Andrews
The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher

~Half-n-Half~

Harry Potter Series - JK Rowling

Young Wizards Series - Diane Duane

~Paranormal Lit~

Artemis Fowl Series - Eoin Colfer

The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare

Twilight Series - Stephanie Meyer

Well, are you a fan of the genre? Or are you perhaps a little more comfortable with a different genre?

Some P Books I've Read:

Released TODAY!

A Puppeteering P Group:

The P Font:

What's "Normal" Anyway?

First off, this was my first Advance Reader Copy (ARC), and boy, am I really glad I got it! I won it as part of a giveaway held by Alexandra Shostak at her blog. Honestly, it was in great shape, and I only found a couple typos, which I'm sure will have been fixed for the official release. Now that the book's about to be released, I'm not sure what to do with this ARC... Suggestions?

Anyway, without any further ado...

~Paranormalcy~
Book 1
By Kiersten White
Amazon ~ Powell's

Evie is not your normal teen, even though she'd like to think of herself that way.

First of all, she lives underground in a massive government complex. She doesn't know anyone her own age. She doesn't go to high school. She works pretty much round the clock. Oh, and did I mention she works with paranormals?

That's right. Vampires, werewolves, fairies, mermaids: they're all real. And Evie can see them all, no matter what type of glamour they try to fool normal humans with. Which makes her pretty valuable to her bosses at the IPCA (International Paranormal Containment Agency). She'd love to live a normal life, or even the kind of life she sees on TV, but she doesn't see that happening anytime soon. And really, as long as she can keep her pink taser, Tasey, she's pretty content.

But when a new type of shapeshifter breaks into the IPCA, her ex-boyfriend starts acting strangely (even for a fairie), and paranormals start turning up dead she's forced to reconsider her situation. As a teenager, as a girl, and as a human...

O is for Originality

What does it mean to be truly original? The Dictionary defines Original as

2. new; fresh; inventive; novel
3. arising or proceeding independently of anything else
5. created, undertaken, or presented for the first time
10. a person whose ways of thinking or acting are original

But is that even possible anymore?

As I touched on in my Inspiration post, we get our ideas from past knowledge/experiences. If we don't get our ideas out of thin air, can we produce something new/fresh/original? Have our ideas been thought before? Has anyone put these four notes together before? These three words?

Okay, obviously not every idea has been thought before, and no one has a copyright on any one word or short series of words (barring, of course, "See Spot run"). And even then, it's perfectly okay to borrow these words and use them in a different context, a different genre, a different style.

One's style, one's voice is all their own. One person may be completely OCD about grammar rules, while another takes them only under advisement. You might prefer the first person narrative, or the third, or even the second. And then there's vocabulary, which not only has to fit your characters but your audience. 5th graders don't want to be reading about glaucoma or systemic civilization declines, just as college grads probably want more stimulation than "Mr. Kangaroo hopped happily to the store".

Just as each person experiences things from a slightly different vantage point, so too can a story be told from one. There are millions of unique tellings of historical events, depending on what each person saw at their location.

And then we have parodies, which take an idea or a story and turn it completely on its head. Nightlight, which parodied Twilight, was a major hit because of its 'fresh take' on the phenomena. The recent monster-mashup, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, was a completely innovative idea that spawned a landslide of new works.

Of course, one of the struggles I hope I'm not alone on is the thought, "If I've never seen anything like this...does that mean it's a flop of an idea?" I think it's healthy to keep a little perspective in your thoughts, and really look at an idea before presenting it to the world. Then again, too much pessimism and self-control and we might never get any new ideas!

So, any original ideas you've been toying with recently?

A Couple O Books I've Read:

An Oregonian O Group:

The O Font:

N is for Names

What's in a name? Would a rose by any other name smell so sweet? Would Harry Potter be nearly as successful had he been named Floyd Napers? Or Frodo Baggins if he were named Gus Hill?

Though you might not be able to tell a lot about a person on the street by their name, you can often tell a lot about a character. The difference? Well, most people on the street go by names given to them at birth, before their skills, interests, and personalities have been formed. Characters, on the other hand, are named by an author who has that character fully mapped out.

Names can tell you a lot about a person even before you start reading about them. A name like Sarah or James might indicate the character comes from a Christian background and are most likely in an English-speaking country. A name like Katsa or Briar might suggest they are of a fantasy world and have a bit of a fiery personality. Names like Aragorn or Cimorene have a bit of nobility about them, whereas names like Harry or Beckie have a bit of natural grit in them.

Of course, you can work with stereotypes or against them. Having a commoner named Eragon, something which sounds a bit noble, automatically clues the reader in that there might be more to this kid than others think. Same way that naming a prince Humperdinck lets the reader know that this guy isn't to be taken too seriously. Or, you might be meaning to take us on the utterly unsuspected journey of a simpleton (Arthur Dent, Harry Potter) through worlds of greatness.

In choosing names, I get inspiration from different sources. Stormy was the name of my cat (which I picked for her as well). I reused the name for one of my characters over 5 years, and am pondering using it again in my upcoming book. In glancing at my CDs one day, I saw the name of a production company and thought, that'd be a pretty cool name! Thus Narada Moon was born.

I tend to cling to names I like. Jasper was the name of the street I grew up on, as well as one of the villains in 101 Dalmatians (one of my favorite movies). However, that name has become rather popular in other novels...so I'm debating the logic of using it as well. J's in general seem to be kinda my thing, and if I could get away with it, I'd have every guy named a Joel, Jeff, Jason, Jon, Jake, Jimmy, etc.

I've also found that my names tend to have a similarity of syllable count and even letter count:

Stormy Kael - 10 letters, 4 syllables
Raven Azure - 10 letters, 4 syllables
Narada Moon - 10 letters, 4 syllables
Jasper Tyree - 11 letters, 4 syllables
Shauna Thercer - 13 letters, 4 syllables
Amy Gordon - 9 letters, 4 syllables

I actually came upon this discovery completely by accident after creating my third character. I honestly had no idea I was gravitating toward that formula until I'd typed them all out in succession. Perhaps it follows from my real name having 4 syllables and having (annoyingly at times [because it gets cut off]) more than 10 letters.

Unfortunately, variety is very important. It's best not to have everyone's name sound the same. Rachel Green shouldn't appear in the same book with Randy Grant, otherwise it's much too easy for the common (speed)reader to mix them up.

Ease of reading a name is extremely important, especially for the main characters. Mamvish fsh Wimsih fsh Mentaff might be alright for a supporting character, but the main character might be better off being named Nita Callahan. Personally, I've never had much luck with making up names, which is one of the reasons why I think I'm most comfortable in the urban-fantasy genre.

Of course, none of these rules (if I can even call them that) are written in stone. What works for one book may have no hold in another.

So, do you have a favorite name? Or a trick to coming up with names? What works best for you while reading, or writing?

Some N Books I've Read:

A Nice N Group:

The N Font:

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Title Quote from The Last Starfighter

In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren

In the past two weeks I've...


Bought

Tempest Rising ~ Nicole Peeler
The Scent of Shadows ~ Vicki Pettersson
Red Hot Fury ~ Kasey Mackenzie
From Powell's New & Used Books


And Received

Personal Demons (ARC) ~ Lisa Desrochers
From TOR via Goodreads

M is for Music

Music has always been a vital part of my life. I listen to it while reading, while writing, in the car, at the stores, and it's often on while I'm going to sleep. I could easily call it my lifeblood, if ink weren't already flowing in my veins.

I listen to a wide variety of music. From pop to classical, from techno to country, I have very eclectic tastes. About the only music I regularly decline is rap or screaming-rock. I find classical or symphonic music best for reading or writing, because lyrics easily pull me out of focus (ie, I can never think of the right word when someone's talking in my ear).

If nothing else is doing it for me, I usually turn on a movie soundtrack. They're exciting, dramatic, suspenseful, heroic, grandiose, and sometimes I just need the proper mood.

Not only do I listen to music regularly, but I've also been a part of making music for nearly half of my life. I played trumpet through all of Jr. and Sr. High and College, in concert, pit, and pep bands, as well as playing in various handbell choirs. And while I don't normally sing in public, I can carry pitch alright.

Whether it's in movies, on the radio, or during my creative periods, music inspires and shapes my mood. How do you use music?

Waking Up: Dreams ~ Alysha
Good Day: I Gotta Feeling ~ Black Eyed Peas
Bad Day: Fix You ~ Coldplay
Long Day: City ~ Sara Bareilles
Lullaby: Fairytale ~ Enya

Happy Mood: Animal Jam ~ Scott Bakula (Cats Don't Dance Soundtrack)
Being Reckless: Technicolor Phase ~ Owl City
Sneaking Out: Undercover ~ Joey DeLuxe
Your Favorite Summer Song: Rollercoaster ~ B*Witched
Road Trip: Life is a Highway ~ Rascal Flatts
Vacation: Leaving Port ~ Titanic Soundtrack
Your Drinking Song: The Kilburn High Road ~ Flogging Molly
Your Party Song: Living on a Prayer ~ Bon Jovi

Loving Mood: Poker Face ~ Lea Michele & Idina Menzel (Glee)
Falling in Love: I Knew I Loved You ~ Savage Garden
Your First Love: Castles in the Air ~ B*Witched
Summer Love: Rooftops and Invitations ~ Dashboard Confessional
Winter Romance: It is You I Have Loved ~ Dana Glover (Shrek Soundtrack)
Making Out: Danger Zone ~ Kenny Loggins
Seeing an Old Love: Everytime We Touch ~ Cascada
Breaking Up: Say Goodbye ~ Skillet
Making Up: Total Eclipse of the Heart ~ Glee Cast

Angry Mood: I'll Sue Ya ~ Weird Al Yankovic
After a Fight With Your Best Friend: Walk Away ~ Kelly Clarkson
..................... With Your Parents: When They Came For Us ~ Shiny Toy Guns
..................... With Your Boyfriend/Girlfriend: Don't Tell Me ~ Avril Lavigne

Quiet Mood: Can't Take it In ~ Imogen Heap
Remembering: To Build A Home ~ The Cinematic Orchestra
Childhood Memories: Bohemian Polka ~ Weird Al Yankovic
The Song that Reminds You of Your Childhood Town: Home ~ Daughtry
The Song that Reminds You of the One Thing You Wish You Could Get Back: Numb ~ Linkin Park

Depressed Mood: Heartless ~ Kris Allen
Loosing Your Best Friend: Hemorrhage (In My Hands) ~ Fuel
Loosing Your Love: Without You ~ Rent Soundtrack
Loosing a Family Member: Everything I Do ~ Bryan Adams

The Song that Ties Your Life Together: Jai Ho ~ Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
Song for Growing Up: The Trail We Blaze ~ Elton John
Your School Days: Learn to Do It ~ Anastasia Soundtrack
Senior Week: Hey Ya! ~ OutKast
Graduation Day: Why Don't You Get a Job? ~ The Offspring
Your Wedding: Love Led Us Here ~ Muppet Treasure Island Soundtrack
Song When You Have Kids: Heels Over Head ~ Boys Like Girls
Your Kids' Graduation: Come What May ~ Moulin Rouge Soundtrack
Your Funeral Song: Great Spirits ~ Tina Turner (Brother Bear Soundtrack)
Your Best Friend's Song for You: Thnks fr th Mmrs ~ Fall Out Boy
Your Family's Song For You: Back To Me ~ All-American Rejects
Song You're Remembered By: Hum Hallelujah ~ Fall Out Boy

Some M Books I've Read:

A Magical M Movie Moment:

The M Font:

L is for Lifetime Learner

My dad, Kevin, has graciously offered to guest blog today and offer me a little time to regather my thoughts. So, if you'll kindly lend your attention to him today...


In a few weeks, I turn 53. That's older than dirt according to my two daughters, one of which you all are regular blog readers (well, until now—maybe not after my post). And I'm guessing that while Vicki has a wide range of ages that read her blog, most are probably near her age.

I am an avid reader, but I mostly read non-fiction. What I read just makes Vicki fall asleep, but I can't help it. To me, reading some new management technique (like how to recruit and hire technical people), information about a computer security exploit, or something new about open source software is exciting. I get jazzed learning new things—especially new things that I can put into practice.

While I read non-fiction to learn, I realize that people who read fiction are also learning. They are learning about historical events, events that could happen with enough imagination and determination, or about whole new worlds.

Most of us ended our formal education, or did we? Nearly at age 53, I can assure you that you never stop learning something new. Whether what you learn is some new computer algorithm or how to cast a spell, you still learn. Never give up on that.

If you aren't learning something new each and every day, you are either dead, or should wish that you are. Read! Enjoy what you are reading. Show real passion for whatever you do, but never stop learning. Trust me, life is way too short.

Now, what did you learn today?

Some L Books I've Read:

A Lovely L Group:

The L Font:

J is for Jokes

Sometimes when you've had a bad day, you just need a joke to lighten the mood. They say laughter is the best medicine, and when you're going through some tough times, it's great to be able to escape into a laugh every now and again.

So here are some jokes, comedians, and generally funny videos I've found around the net. Hope you can find something that tickles your funny bone.

God and three of his disciples are up in heaven, just chillin and chatting. Suddenly, God tells the disciples, "Go out and do a bad deed." The disciples are hesitant, but this is God talking so they really can't argue. All three leave and go out to do their bad deeds.

The first disciple comes back crying—just bawling his eyes out. God asks, "My son, what did you do? Why are you crying?" The disciple says through his tears, "I killed a dog." God comforts him and says, "Go, drink from the Holy Water and all will be forgiven." So the disciple goes off to drink from the Holy Water.

The second disciple comes back crying—barely able to walk from his grief. God asks, "My son, what did you do? Why are you crying?" This disciple takes longer but finally says, "I killed a camel." God comforts him and says, "Go, drink from the Holy Water and all will be forgiven." So the disciple goes off to drink from the Holy Water.

The third disciple comes back laughing, clutching his sides, barely able to breathe. God, quite confused asks him, "What did you do? Why are you laughing?" The disciple takes a long time before he can speak, but finally says, "I peed in the Holy Water!"

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A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she laid her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird's chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, "I'm so sorry, your pet has passed away."

The distressed owner wailed, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. The duck is dead" he replied.

"How can you be so sure?" she protested. "I mean, you haven't done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something."

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room. He returned a few moments later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck's owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog and took it out.

The vet returned a few moments later with a beautiful cat. The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed the bird from it's beak to it's tail and back again. The cat sat back on her haunches, shook her head, meowed softly, jumped down and strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at the woman and said, "I'm sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead duck." Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys, and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman.

The duck's owner, still in shock, took the bill. "$300!" she cried. "$300 just to tell me my duck is dead?!!"

The vet shrugged. "I'm sorry. If you'd taken my word for it, the bill would have been $40. But with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it all adds up."

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When a Woman Will Lie

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "My dear child, why are you crying?" The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family.

The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires. "Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a golden thimble studded with rubies. "Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

Again, the seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble. "Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked.

The seamstress replied, "Yes." The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.

...

Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, "Why are you crying?''

"Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney. "Is this your husband?" the Lord asked.

"Yes," cried the seamstress.

The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!"

The seamstress replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt. Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said 'yes', you would have given me all three. Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S why I said 'yes' to George Clooney."

And so the Lord let her keep him.

The moral of this story is:

Whenever a woman lies, it's for a good and honorable reason, and in the best interest of others. That's our story, and we're sticking to it.

Signed,
~All Us Women

Warning: Strong Adult Language



So, any good jokes you can share?


A couple J Books I've Read:

A Jovial J Vid:

The J Font:

I is for Inspiration

Heh, just kidding about that whole invisible thing...

Inspiration—which I have been sorely lacking recently—is an integral part to the creative process. Be it drawing a picture, creating an add campaign, or working on a blog, the creator has to have that initial spark of inspiration before the masterpiece/project can begin.

Now, some people may try to fly by the seat of their pants, or use a lack of time as their motivation for a piece (trust me, procrastination has fueled many an artist), but the brain never runs on empty and an idea can never pop out of thin air. ...Okay, it sorta does, but I mean it's never derived from nothing. There's history and experience leading into it.

Ever hear of subliminal advertising? Pretty much, if you see or hear something repeated enough times, it sorta gets ingrained into your brain, even if it's not what you're focusing on.

So, let's say you get up in the morning and watch the news while eating breakfast, during which time a commercial comes on for Hot Pockets pizza. You don't really pay attention to the commercial, but you leave the sound on out of habit. You pick up a paper on the way to work, in which is a large full-page ad for Papa Murphy's pizza. At work, everyone's talking about the big promotion of Pete Zamenkus. Your co-worker's favorite phrase is 'For Pete's sake'. On the way home, all you can think about is ordering a pizza... Ta da!

"But what does that have to do with inspiration?", you ask. Well, artists, writers, and other creative people, who are often naturally more open to the environment around them, can be easily susceptible to gaining inspiration from already trademarked sources.

"Hey! I just got an idea for a book! It's about an awkward girl who moves to a new town and falls in love with a mysterious handsome boy, who it turns out is an alien who can't go into direct sunlight. Sounds great, right?"

"Um...actually it sounds really familiar... Have you read Twilight?"

"What? You mean that vampire-flick that came out a couple years ago? Ick, no!"

"You sure?"

"Duh. But my sister drove me up the wall about it! Edward this, and vampire that. Sounded pretty lame."

"Maybe you oughtta watch it..."

*2.5 hours later*

"NOOOOOOO!!!"

Hehe, alright, maybe a little extreme/unrealistic that anyone would not know what Twilight was about and/or try to copy it. And, actually, if you go by Arthur Quiller-Couch's belief that there are only 7 basic plots, then you know that every story has already been written, and it's merely a changing of characters, setting, and style.

But all this seems to be getting a little off-topic.

Inspiration comes from our experiences, our senses. Perhaps you see something on your way to work and you scramble for something to doodle on. Perhaps a particular line catches your attention from a TV show and a whole series of ideas spring from your fingers to your keyboard. Perhaps you hear about how somebody famous did something amazing and you decide to donate to a charity.

Inspiration is taking an idea and putting it to action. Whether it be writing it down, drawing it up, or acting it out, you're always inspired to do something. Sometimes you don't realize it's happening, and it's just a subliminal response. But sometimes, it's simply too huge to ignore.

So tell me, what inspires you?

Some I Books I've Read:

An Intriguing I Group:

The I Font:

H is for Huh?!

Have you ever felt completely clueless? Like you know you should be doing something, but have no idea what it might be? Or perhaps you know what to do, but you don't know how to do it, or to start it? It might be that feeling you get when given a problem you have no idea how to solve. Perhaps you don't understand what someone said—you misheard it or what they said doesn't make sense.

That's right, this is a day devoted to that Huh?! feeling.

If you're utterly confused about what someone said, try to politely ask for clarification, or to repeat. Sometimes it's best to ignore what's troubling you for a couple minutes: Think about or work on something else, then come back to it with a fresh look. Other times it's best to start scribbling down ideas and see if anything jumps out at you.

Writers block can start out with a Huh?! feeling, which then progresses to the Grrr and ARG!!! stages. My best advice is to look to other sources for inspiration. Maybe pull up a news article, or an old piece you wrote. Start writing something else for a few minutes, and see where it takes you. You never know, you might come up with something to use in your piece at hand. And if not, consider it more constructive practice!

Today I had that Huh?! feeling when trying to craft this post. Could you tell?

So, how do you beat the Huh?! feeling? Got any tricks you use?

Some H Books I've Read:

A Hilarious H Group:

The H Font: