When I have nothing to read. . .

By Kristin Bivens

Let me paint a picture for you. You've just finished your book. You're not sure what to read next. Sure, you have options sitting on the bookshelf, completely unread. But, you have to admit, none of them catch your attention at this particular point in time. So what do you do? Do you spend money on a new book even though you shouldn't be spending the money? Your Nook is fully charged and waiting for a download.

But stop. You have plenty of books to read. Alright fine, you decide. You'll read one of your "go to" books.

For me, my "go to" books are books that no matter how many times I've read them, they don't get old. I  am always discovering something new within the story.

So what are the books I turn to when nothing else sounds good? Well, here you go.

the old faithfuls

1. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

I really can't say how many times I've read this book in the last few years, but it is a book I attempt to read at least once a year. I have three different copies of the book, so obviously, I have to cycle through each copy. There's just something about the crazy in the book that I love. It's an easy read, especially since I've read it so many times. Plus, it's always good to read about someone crazier than you.

2. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

When I first read The Great Gatsby a few years back, I wasn't so sure about it. I didn't really "get it." I'm not sure where my head was during the time I was reading it, but it just didn't really do anything for me. But, I knew there had to be something I was missing. Eventually, I realized that this book was a classic so there had to be something to it, something to make the crowds swoon. So, I reread it. And then it all sort of clicked for me. I understood what was happening, I understood why the book was a classic. I absolutely love the scenery of this book. The 1920's were such a rich cultural time that I love seeing the lives played out in the story and in that setting. Gatsby turned into one of those books that I enjoy reading over and over again and each time it gets better and better.

3. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

I mean, I don't feel like I really need to explain myself here because all you need to know is Harry Potter. But, I'll explain to you why this particular Harry Potter is my book of choice. Severus Snape is by far my favorite character in the Harry Potter series. In this book, as the Harry Potter fans know, the Half Blood Prince is Snape so this book basically revolves around him, though you don't know that at the start! I like this book for a good read simply because of that. Snape is my favorite! And, of course, Dumbledore dies, which is pretty heartbreaking. It's also the last book of the crew being in school at Hogwarts and the start of the epic ending. What could be better?

4. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

I have five different copies of Alice in Wonderland, simply because they make some awesome versions of that book. I also enjoy reading the book and hope to someday understand what in the world is going on. The imagery is vivid and there's always something new to remember. There's always a scene I've forgotten about or never thought too much about before. It's always fun, no matter what.

Series 4, Post 4: Tired Words and Synonyms to Consider

By Sara E Thompto

When I was in grade school, I use to overuse a thesaurus when writing my papers. I was a classic case of what Urban Dictionary would call a “thesaurasizer;” someone who turns to the thesaurus too often. Half of my papers probably didn’t make sense because I was using the wrong synonym.

Although I’m not perfect at choosing the right wording all the time, I think I’ve improved a bit since grade school.

However by becoming more aware of how I present my own writing, I’ve also become more aware of how others write as well. And lately I’ve noticed instead of over thesaurasizing (we’ll pretend that’s a word), it appears people are content repeating the same bland words over and over again. Blogs, news stories, novels, and even quips on social media seem to be repeating the same words endlessly, making everything blend together, so much so, I want to start handing out thesauruses.

So, in honor of my new found annoyance, here are 5 words that need to be put to death… or at least set on the sidelines for a bit.

Amazing: astounding, bewildering, breathtaking, extraordinary, impressive, marvelous, miraculous, spectacular, staggering, startling, striking, stunning, stupefying, stupendous, wondrous, hair-raising, thrilling, spine-tingling, fantastic, remarkable... the list could really go on forever.

Actually: genuinely, veritably, decidedly, right on, certainly, positively, clearly, indeed, plainly, completely. The only thing “actually” is better than is "really" which I wont even get into because it's way past overused.

Literally: completely, plainly, precisely, simply, explicitly, no mistake, on the dot, truly. Please, please, please do not use “literally” when you do not genuinely mean something is literal.

Interesting: alluring, amusing, attractive, compelling, curious, delightful, intriguing, lovely, pleasing, refreshing, stimulating, engaging, fascinating, impressive, thought-provoking, enthralling, entrancing… this list could go on as well. There are so many more direct ways of clearly stating you find something appealing, than simply saying “interesting.”

Delicious: appetizing, delectable, delightful, enjoyable, enticing, exquisite, temping, yummy, spicy, sweet, tasty, savory, rich, pleasant, divine, mouthwatering, tasteful, gratifying. What in particular made it “delicious?”

I’m not saying you should never use these words. If you recently visited an interesting restaurant and the food was literally so delicious you actually have no other way to express how amazing your experience was - fair enough, use those words. But if you find yourself choosing these same words on a regular basis, try switching it up. After all, each experience you have is unique, so why choose to describe it the same way?

Do you have certain words you keep seeing lately and believe they are tired? Leave your comments below!

Rainbow Rowell: Read her books!

By Kristin Bivens

If you haven't read Rainbow Rowell's books, or you've never heard of Rainbow Rowell, and you love some young adult books, you definitely need to pick of Eleanor & Park or Fangirl as soon as possible!

I read Eleanor & Park last summer, picking it up mostly because the cover was awesome and the names of the main characters were even better. It dove deeper into children with troubled childhoods more than I thought it would've. It was so touching, so sweet. There's nothing like young, awkward romance.

I just finished Fangirl, Rowell's newest release, and I literally could not put the book down. The story revolves around Cath, one half of a twin set, who is in her first year of college. She's the nerdier sister, the more awkward sister of the two. Her sister, Wren, is popular, starts to party as soon as she gets to the dorm and generally has more luck with boys.

That is, until Cath meets Levi, her roommate's boyfriend (or is he?). Levi is my favorite character in the book. He's funny. He's happy. He sounds like he has awesome hair. And he likes the awkward girl. That's even better! You watch for months as they interact, never going beyond the surface. The relationship pulls at you the entire time. You want them to get together so bad because they are just so dang cute together.

Throughout the book, Rowell has written snippets of this magical series called Simon Snow. It's a bit like a Harry Potter type of obsession for Cath and she writes fan fiction for it. You almost get two stories in one---Cath's story and Simon's story. For a nerd like me who loves Harry Potter, it was a perfect addition to an already great story. Though, I do have to say, some of the longer bits of the Simon Snow story did start to drag on.

In Fangirl, as in Eleanor & Park, the main character has a bit of a weird childhood. Her mom left when she was a child, on the September 11th to be exact, and her dad is a bit of a manic depressive. You have to watch as Cath deals with the issue of leaving her dad alone and living on her own in college. Though her twin sister attends the same college, they barely see each other, which is a new way of living for Cath.

All the while, Cath is discovering that maybe she isn't a writer like she thought she was. Maybe she only knows how to take someone else's world, Simon Snow's to be exact, and write about that.

Fangirl is a bit about discovering yourself, apart from what you've known for so long, and finding where you belong. What makes a story better than that?

Series 4, Post 3: When is it OK or Not OK to Kill a Main Character?

By Sara E Thompto

Image courtesy of sakhorn38 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Lately I’ve been reading quite a few books where the main character, or one of the main characters, die. And to put it mildly, the death’s seem to be kind of pointless, which really ruins the whole book (or series).

I’m personally not against books where an important character, or even the main character, dies. It can be the thing in the book that makes or breaks the storyline. But, if you’re going to kill off the character, in which the majority of the book or series surrounds, an author has an obligation to do it the “right” way. Meaning it's written in a way where it fits the plot and the death is executed well. Because a poorly executed death can take what could have been a phenomenal piece of writing, and completely bulldoze the entire story to the ground.

After long thought about deaths of main characters, this is what I’ve come up with…

Some of the Most Popular Reasons to Kill off a Main Character

• Rallies a call to action: By killing your main character or one of your lead characters, it rallies the other characters into taking some sort of action; ie: making a broken group come together as one to solve a problem or setting another character onto a path or revenge that pushes forward the story line.

• Saving Others (hero/heroine) or Completing the Mission:  The main character, with their last bit of life, leaps forward and kills the antagonist, saving all of his or her friends. Or maybe the self-detonation feature has stopped working on a bomb, and the only way to set it off is to manually do it, with no chance at getting away. Either of these scenarios are situations that would make your characters death understandable.
• Illness: Whether mental or physical illness, this is the type of plotline where death often happens. With this story it’s already in readers minds that death is a possibility, so it’s really all about how the rest of the book makes them feel. Is it about hope and inspiration or will it be more raw and about wading through the emotions associated with death.
• Their spouse, love, good friend, or child has already died: When a loved one dies and you feel the grief of the main character, it eases the impact on the reader if the main character dies as well. Usually if a writer creates such strong emotion about the death of the main characters loved one, the reader gets sucked into that character's world and, within the story, suddenly the main characters death makes more sense (which could go into the category of mental illness).

Thing to Consider if You’re Going to Kill off Your Main Character

• Foreshadow the death: Don’t give it away (unless it’s something like a terminal illness and the book is specifically about death) but work up towards the death. Even if it’s a “surprise” death, you can still start to add in foreshadowing. If it’s a battle, discuss the dangers that are involved. If the killer is another character you've discussed, perhaps bring into the story line how they seem unstable or seem to be emotional, above the norm. Have a confrontation. Maybe the character discusses their views of the afterlife? There are numerous ways to bring up a possible death without blatantly spelling it out.
• Make sure it’s well written: Your readers stuck with you for your entire story, whether 10 pages or an entire series, and they deserve a good death scene. Your work as an author also deserves a good death scene. The death scene, along with the aftermath, is not a good time to skimp on writing. Emotions and details and descriptions are important. We all like to think our writing is solid, but I strongly suggest getting feedback from multiple people who have come to know the character as well.
• Give the readers time to grieve: Do not end the book right after the death of the main character without some sort of small wrap up. Allow some time for the readers to become adjusted to the death of the character before simply posting “the end” and if you can manage to show life moving on, this is an added bonus for the grieving process.
• Show why the death was needed: Through your writing, either with build up or after the death, make it crystal clear why it was important for the main character to die. Why wasn’t there another way feasible way for this story to end?

If you cannot answer the question posted in the last sentence, perhaps you should read the next section closely.

When you Should NOT kill Your Main Character

• When you can’t think of anything else: Never, and I mean never, kill your main character simply because you cannot think of another ending. Your readers deserve more than that, and your work deserves more.
• Just because it’s ironic: Irony is a great tool for a plot twist. But, an ironic death for the sake of an ironic death is not a good excuse to kill of your main character. There still has to be some other point (causing a call to action by another character, saving others, or because it is really what the story is all about).
• Because you didn’t want another “happy ending” book: I understand this reason. It seems feasible enough. There are many books out there that make out too happy in the end, and the book becomes forgettable. However, you have still created a world in which readers have become attached to your main character. If you kill them simply because you don’t want “another happy ending” then you didn’t think hard enough. There are many directions a book can take to not be cliché with a perfectly tied up happy ending.

Do you have any tips for writers on when you think it’s ok or not ok to kill off a main character? Be sure to leave a comment!