Month: September 2014

Give in to the urge

~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

You may have seen the question on your Facebook feed. I did, and I ignored it. But I found it hard to ignore the results when they started popping up.
The question FB posed was about books that influenced people. The collective answer had a lot of children’s and YA novels.
I know these kinds of self-selected surveys aren’t scientific, but I was surprised by how many in the top 20 I would have put on my list, had I made one.
Conclusion? I’m not sure. Maybe it’s time to dust off those YA ideas I’ve never finished. How about you?

Almost All the Books People Say Influenced Them Were Written for Children | Mother Jones

http://m.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2014/09/people-like-to-sleep-with-people-who-were-affected-by-great-books

Walk all the way to ‘The End’

~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

When I was young, I had to walk to school every day. When I walked alone, I used the time to make up stories.
In college, walking between classes, I pondered sections of papers I needed to write.
This piece from the New Yorker tells me the act of walking may have made all the difference.

Why Walking Helps Us Think – The New Yorker

http://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/walking-helps-us-think?utm_source=tny&utm_campaign=generalsocial&utm_medium=facebook&mbid=social_facebook

Everyone needs an editor

~ sharon ~ 1 Comment

If you are done with your book, it’s time for an editor. Whether you publish traditionally or independently, you’ll want someone with fresh eyes to take a close look at your work.
One thing you’ll want is someone who respects your voice, but who can still find problems you may have missed.
Here are some tips for meeting your next best friend.

How to Find an Independent Editor to Review Your Work – Writer’s Circle
http://writerscircle.com/2014/09/how-to-find-an-independent-editor-to-review-your-work.html

Helping out

~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

When I saw an article from NPR about Chinese train passengers failing to help a stranger in need, I immediately thought about how to play on cultural differences in a story. What would happen to the person who fainted on the  train?
I thought about  the Good Samaritan story from the Bible. Someone helped the stranger, the “other.”
Then I remembered the Kitty Genovese story. She was a New York woman who was stabbed to death while dozens listened to her screams, but did nothing to help.
And when I thought about it some more, the plot I was imagining turned back on itself.
How do these true stories strike you?

Why Did Crowd Flee Shanghai Subway After Foreigner Fainted? : Parallels : NPR
http://www.npr.org/blogs/parallels/2014/09/01/344033379/why-did-crowd-flee-shanghai-subway-after-foreigner-fainted?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20140901

Here’s some background on Kitty Genovese.