In the Beginning, There was THE END

The song, “Unlove Me,” by Julie Roberts starts like this:

Unloose this hold you’ve got on me
Unlock this heart that can’t get free
Unlive the night you kissed and hugged me
Undream the dreams that we both shared
Unfeel the feelin’ that you cared
Before you leave me, please unlove me

Every time I hear it, I want to write a backwards love story – to have a couple unlove – and to do it, as the song suggests, … real slow, so I don’t have to lose you all at one time. And then I think how it’s a similar idea to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

And now, I just read But I Love Him, by Amanda Grace. Interesting format. This is the painful love story of Ann and Connor. Connor is an abusive boyfriend and we see him at his worst from the start – and then move backwards in the relationship to see how Ann ended up in this situation. Woven within the vignettes, moving from the end of the relationship to the thrill of falling and love, to the random chance meeting, there are also moments of now (the end) woven through, that go in “real time” waiting for Ann to decide what to do now. Each vignette is labeled with how much time into the year-long relationship has passed.

It’s definitely a provocative idea. And, sadly, plenty of girls/women end up in negative relationships – that could progress to violence. I think this would be a good one for teen reading groups to discuss.

But I have to confess… I read the first third or so and then had to go to the end and read it backwards. Which meant reading it as a more traditional story line after all. Even though I love the idea, and knew what I was getting into, I found the order a little frustrating. I kept looking for something to connect one scene to the next. And I didn’t get what the real time scenes were doing. At first I thought it was a printing mistake putting the chapters out of order.

The teen-girl had no problem with the format and read it quickly.

For more thoughts on the order of things… see Julie Larios’s post on Write at Your Own Risk.

Speaking of risks, I do want to say that I admire the risk taken by Amanda Grace (pen name for Mandy Hubbard) for trying this format. Exciting stuff to try new things.

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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Seeing Scenes

I’m working on an early draft of a new novel. I’m partly revising an earlier messier draft, but I’m doing a lot of new writing too. It’s a simultaneous wrestling with the great big elusive whole story and also a calm sort of tinkering with the specific and particular nuts and bolts of individual scenes.

For me, one way to scrutinize an individual scene is to submit it to my critique group. There is something about the process of preparing a scene to be read – with particular readers in mind – that helps me to focus and see the writing better. And then they tell me all the other things I missed!

But here’s a few random reminders about scenes that I try to keep in mind…

• Get to the point! Each scene needs to matter and have a point. It must add to and move the story forward.
• Shape up! Each scene should have an arc of its own – begins with a set up or opening, contains building action or realization and finishes with some sort of conclusion or closure, BUT…
• And then what? Each scene needs to lead to another scene. What happens next?
• I to I, not eye to eye. Every character in the scene should have his/her own agenda and goal. Opposing goals may cause conflict between characters (Conflict=interesting!).
• Be mean. To keep the story interesting, each scene will lead the main character AWAY from his/her goal. Character failure should be an important part of scene-writing.
• Balance, Baby. Stories need both scene and summary. Not all important and relevant information needs to be “shown” – sometimes it’s better simply to tell what happened.

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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Just What Are You Thankful For?

I’ll be taking a few days off from the blog to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family. In my husbands family we have a tradition to gather in a circle and everyone shares something they are thankful for. It sounds really Norman Rockwell-ish, but the reality is far from that angelic picture.

I’ve decided to share this tradition with my blogging family. Sometime in the next few days between the turkey, football, and shopping, please take a moment to share what you are thankful for. I will help you start by listing a few:

1. My Family
2. My Blog Buddy Sarah
3. Cinnamon Rolls

Be safe and have a wonderful Thanksgiving,

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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It’s Brining Time- The Ultimate Brine Recipe

Today the Santillan household smells yummy. I am simmering the brine I will be using for the turkey today. The air is filled with the smell of apples, orange, cloves, sage, and thyme. I thought I would share my brine recipe with you today. The recipe originated from Melinda Lee. If you would like more turkey basics and some great recipes be sure to check out her site.

Enjoy!

Suzanne Santillan

 

ULTIMATE BRINE FOR TURKEY
1 1/2 cups, Kosher salt**
**See notes below regarding amount of salt
1 1/4 cups, brown sugar
10 whole cloves
3 teaspoons, black peppercorns
1 1/2 gallons (6 quarts) apple juice or cider (non-alcoholic)
the peel from one orange or one tangerine (colored part only – not white pith)
[optional: 3 teaspoons, dried thyme and/or 3 teaspoons, dried sage]

Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive pot, bring mixture to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes (partly covered). Allow brine to cool completely.

Rinse turkey under cool running water, inside and out (remove giblets from body cavity). Pat turkey dry with paper towels, then immerse turkey in cooled brine.* Turkey should be completely submerged in liquid (place a plate on top of the bird if necessary to keep it covered with the liquid).

Cover the pot and refrigerate for 8-10 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove turkey, rinse, pat dry, and roast as usual. [See note under “basic technique” for extra step to get crispiest skin.]

*Be sure the container used for brining turkey is non-reactive: use enamel, glass or crockery or stainless steel – never cast iron or aluminum. The pot should be just large enough to contain the turkey (so the brine will be sufficient to cover the bird).

** NOTE REGARDING THE AMOUNT OF SALT IN BRINE: A milder brine may be made, which may have a less flavorful result – but if salt is a concern (the entire turkey will absorb only 10-15% of the brine) the amount of salt may be reduced. For the desired chemical effect to take place, however, the proportions cannot be less than 2/3 to 1 cup of salt per gallon (4 quarts) of water or other liquid.

**TYPES OF SALT: Kosher salt is the ONLY type of salt to be used in making brine (it is sweeter and more pure than ordinary table salt). Kosher salt is available in two varieties. The most common is flaked salt (example: Morton Kosher Salt) which has been pressed into flakes by rollers. The other type is a four-sided crystal (example: Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt). The crystal-shaped salt measures differently because of its shape. Use about 25% (one quarter) MORE crystal salt than flaked salt when measuring for brine or other recipes. The formula is: 1 tablespoon of regular table salt is equivalent to 1 ½ tablespoons flaked kosher salt, or 2 tablespoons, diamond crystal kosher salt.

***NOTE REGARDING BRINING TURKEYS TO BE “DEEP FRIED:”
When a turkey will be deep fried (Cajun style or otherwise), too much sugar will cause the bird to blacken on the outside. It is best, therefore, to use water, rather than apple juice or cider, and to greatly reduce the amount of sugar called for in the above listing of brine ingredients.

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Book Thoughts: The Princess and The Pig by Jonathan Emmett and Poly Bernatene

I love twisted fairy tales. There is something fun about taking a well known story and turning it on it’s ear. I also enjoy when an author adds a fun or quirky twist to their story, and on a recent trip to the book store I found a new book to add to my list of favorites. The Princess and the Pig written by Jonathan Emmett, illustrated by Poly Bernatene (Walker & Company, 2011) is a delightful tale that is not your usual princess story.

Here is the book description:

There’s been a terrible mix-up in the royal nursery. Priscilla the princess has accidentally switched places with Pigmella, the farmer’s new piglet. The kindly farmer and his wife believe it’s the work of a good witch, while the ill-tempered king and queen blame the bad witch-after all, this happens in fairy tales all the time! While Priscilla grows up on the farm, poor yet very happy, things don’t turn out quite so well for Pigmella. Kissing a frog has done wonders before, but will it work for a pig?

Book thoughts:

• I love that the author references traditional fairy tales such as Sleeping Beauty, The Frog Princess, and Thumbelina in the book, but does not actually use them in the plot.
• Unlike most princess books, this book dares to show some of the not so nice parts of being a princess/pig which is a refreshing change.
• This book does have a happily ever after for some of the characters, others do not have a happily ever after, which is an unusual twist.
• The bright, fun, illustrations perfectly compliment the story.
• The refrain used throughout the book “the sort of thing that happens all the time in books” made me smile each time it was used.

The Princess and The Pig is a delightful tale that would be a great addition to any home or school library. There are some great lessons about honesty that can used in the classroom as well.

Happy Reading,

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

 

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Talking It Out

I wanted to be writing a “Book Thoughts” post today, but I haven’t quite finished The Last Summer of the Death Warriors by Francisco X Stork.

Oh my. This is a book to savor. Gorgeous, evocative, and worrisome. Plus, I am dragging my heels (eyes?) a bit – I am worried about the ending. I’ve been worried about the ending for quite a while. So much that I am actually NOT reading the last page/chapter before I get there – which I have been known to do.

The other night we had a critique group meeting and one of my brilliant fellow critiquers made an off-hand remark that dialogue should reveal emotion more than plot. And that the action/story needed to be told outside of dialogue. It was in the midst of another important discussion and not long after we were booted from our spot, so I didn’t tackle her and force her to tell me more, but this comment has stuck with me the last few days.

Well, the dialogue in The Last Summer of the Death Warriors is brilliant.

Because so much of the story is based on the developing friendship between tough guy boxer Pancho and philosophical and frail D.Q., there are a lot of conversations between the two of them as they journey out into the world – and also inward, into their hearts and souls.

Book Description: When Pancho arrives at St. Anthony’s Home, he knows his time there will be short: If his plans succeed, he’ll soon be arrested for the murder of his sister’s killer. But then he’s assigned to help D.Q., whose brain cancer has slowed neither his spirit nor his mouth. D.Q. tells Pancho all about his “Death Warrior’s Manifesto,” which will help him to live out his last days fully–ideally, he says, with the love of the beautiful Marisol. As Pancho tracks down his sister’s murderer, he finds himself falling under the influence of D.Q. and Marisol, who is everything D.Q. said she would be; and he is inexorably drawn to a decision: to honor his sister and her death, or embrace the way of the Death Warrior and choose life.

Nuanced in its characters and surprising in its plot developments–both soulful and funny–Pancho & D.Q. is a “buddy novel” of the highest kind: the story of a friendship that helps two young men become all they can be.

Some ways dialogue is used to enrich this story:

• Early in their relationship, Pancho and D.Q. talk, except that each boy is talking about something different. There is a gap of disconnect between them.
• While traveling in the car, Pancho sits in the back seat and listens to a conversation between D.Q. and Father Concha – there are few to no dialogue tags and yet we don’t need them. And, even though Pancho is mostly silent, he’s a part of the conversation through his inner thoughts.
• What is NOT said between the two friends is often as important as what IS said.
• Later in the book, when their friendship is more solid, there is a conversation between them as they lay in their beds in the dark. There are no fillers here – no action, no inner thoughts, no sensory reminders, just talk. As it would be in the dark. Intimate, straight conversation.

And any writer needs to read this post by Francisco X. Stork.

Dole out gentle mercy to yourself…

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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Congratulations to Thanhha Lai

The 2011 National Book Award winners were announced last night. You can check out a video of the night too – but I suggest getting dressed up and pouring a glass of something yummy to watch.

For the area of young people’s literature, Thanhha Lai won for Inside Out and Back Again.

Book Description:

No one would believe me but at times I would choose wartime in Saigon over peacetime in Alabama.

For all the ten years of her life, HÀ has only known Saigon: the thrills of its markets, the joy of its traditions, the warmth of her friends close by . . . and the beauty of her very own papaya tree.

But now the Vietnam War has reached her home. HÀ and her family are forced to flee as Saigon falls, and they board a ship headed toward hope. In America, HÀ discovers the foreign world of Alabama: the coldness of its strangers, the dullness of its food, the strange shape of its landscape . . . and the strength of her very own family.

This is the moving story of one girl’s year of change, dreams, grief, and healing as she journeys from one country to another, one life to the next.

I look forward to reading it! Love the cover…

Sarah Wones Tom

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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Animal Companions

Each and every one of my pets has had her own distinct personality – it’s part of the appeal of having a pet. They are individuals who have their own personal likes, dislikes, and ways of approaching the world – much like people!

Our last dog, Goombah, may she rest in doggy heaven – except that she was the kind of dog who never rested – was a bit high-strung and high-maintenance. Too smart for her own good and she probably would have been happier living on a farm than suburban San Diego. But she loved us deeply and desperately and we loved her the same way.

Our current dog, Luna, is a polar opposite personality-wise. She is a happy-go-lucky go-with-the-flow girl – especially if the flow involves a lot of naps.

But one thing Goombah and Luna have in common is an interest in garbage-picking. Goombah took this to the extreme (extreme was her basic personality after all) and ended up having “History of dietary indiscretion” noted in her vet chart.

We are older and wiser these days – and don’t have toddlers dropping food – so Luna doesn’t get quite the same chances that Goombah had. And also, Luna is more mellow and less conniving.  But she has a really powerful sniffer and likes to partake in good stinky things when she discovers the opportunity.

I do realize I’m rambling here – it’s from a lack of sleep…

Anyway! Yesterday Luna had an unsupervised play time in the alley behind our house – briefly – but perhaps it was long enough to eat something unsavory… because she was up all night riding the hurl-a-whirl.

Thus the lack of sleep. But hubby had it worse.

And soooo, here’s the actual point of this post… I’m realizing that it has been a long long time since I’ve read a good dog story.

I love dog stories – and I think dogs make ideal companions for characters – particularly in middle grade fiction. I need a new one. Any recommendations?

But, really, and here’s the REAL point of this post… this realization mostly comes from recently reading PLAIN KATE by Erin Bow.

TAGGLE = BEST CAT EVER.

Despite my love of dog books, I have not read a lot of cat books – in fact, I don’t know if I’ve read any as an adult. Until this one.

Through some dark magic, Taggle becomes a talking cat. He then serves as Plain Kate’s companion as she travels through a dangerous world -  he is so completely and  perfectly feline. He allows Kate to pet him as directed. He falls asleep when he’s standing guard. He’s independent. He’s a fierce hunter. He likes things the way he likes them. He is, in other words, a real cat. And exactly who Plain Kate needs on her journey.

(Hey sister, if you’re reading this – go get Plain Kate. ASAP.)

Book description:

Plain Kate lives in a world of superstitions and curses, where a song can heal a wound and a shadow can work deep magic. As the wood-carver’s daughter, Kate held a carving knife before a spoon, and her wooden charms are so fine that some even call her “witch-blade” — a dangerous nickname in a town where witches are hunted and burned in the square.

For Kate and her village have fallen on hard times. Kate’s father has died, leaving her alone in the world. And a mysterious fog now covers the countryside, ruining crops and spreading fear of hunger and sickness. The townspeople are looking for someone to blame, and their eyes have fallen on Kate.

Enter Linay, a stranger with a proposition: In exchange for her shadow, he’ll give Kate the means to escape the town that sems set to burn her, and what’s more, he’ll grant her heart’s wish. It’s a chance for her to start over, to find a home, a family, a place to belong. But Kate soon realizes that she can’t live shadowless forever — and that Linay’s designs are darker than she ever dreamed.

Gotta go check on Luna… she’s sleeping of course.

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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Why Picture Books are Important

I am loving reading all the big brain thoughts about “Why Picture Books are Important on PictureBookMonth.com …

My immediate thoughts on this is purely emotional. For me, picture books are all about snuggling and cuddling and laughing and sighing and loving and ahhhhh togetherness! So picture books are good for developing hearts!

But also, there is the teacher in me that knows that picture books are good for developing powerful young brains too. The language of picture books – the rhythms and sound patterns help to develop and strengthen brains.

I loved reading this guest post on Imagination Soup – by Robin Merrill, a mom who reads poetry to her toddler. Gorgeous magic at work!

I encourage anyone who loves picture books to read this article by Anita Silvey regarding the wish for longer picture books  – and for deeper, richer stories. Like the classics that are still loved. Even though they take longer to read. Or because they take longer to read.

The longer stories are a better brain work out!

Sarah Wones Tomp

WRITING ON THE SIDEWALK

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What I Learned About Writing From Korean Dramas and YouTube

It all started with a recommendation from Netflix. I was searching for a movie to watch when I spotted the Korean drama “My Princess” in the suggested for you list. It had 4 1/2 stars and the description sounded just like the fun, light entertainment I was looking for:

When regular girl Lee Seol finds out she’s really a princess, she’s sent to the palace to learn about royal etiquette from Park Hae Young, a dashing young diplomat. But will budding romance distract them from their duties?

Little did I know I was stepping into a journey that would teach me more about writing and plotting than I ever imagined. I watched the first episode with curiosity and by the second episode I was hooked. Each episode was an hour long so I would watch one an evening, then tragedy struck. I had just completed episode 6 when Netflix removed “My Princess” from their instant view list. What was I going to do? I was fully invested in this storyline and had no way of watching the end. I did a little searching and found that the episodes were available on YouTube with the English subtitles.

Now an interesting thing happened when I began watching the story on YouTube, I started reading the comments that people posted on the video.  Sometimes funny, and sometimes downright cruel , these commentators had a passion for the story. The writer in me began to follow these comments making note on how they dealt with the story. The comments when the antagonist was cruel to the heroine, or the hero was kind, were fascinating to read. I began to see a pattern on how the viewer related to the events in the story.

I thought about these patterns and decided to watch another Korean drama to see if they held true, and they did. The patterns I detected are pretty straightforward and there is nothing earth shattering about them but they helped me clarify my thoughts as I work on my current WIP.

Here are some of the things I discovered:

1. People can identify more with a flawed main character- Allow your main character to make mistakes, it makes them easier to relate to.
2. Establish a clear conflict- This will help when you begin to put obstacles in their way. Remember plot is what keeps your character from achieving their goal.
3. Make it mean something- Whether its important to the character or the world, the conflict has to really impact the story.
4. Get Mean- Take things away, betray your characters, put them in uncomfortable situations. If your readers are invested in the story this will make them feel for your character even more.
5. Get even meaner- Just when you think that things can’t  get any worse turn up the heat even more.
6. Give your bad guys a heart- If they are evil through and through people won’t identify with them. Make them just a touch likeable and your readers will feel more for the story ie. think Voldemort or Snape.
7. Don’t always follow the predictable path- If your reader knows where you are going, why should they read the story?
8. Lighten the heavy moments with humor- Too much tension drains the reader, add some humor breaks to give them a rest.
9. Tie up all loose ends- Nothing is worse than reading a story and at the end wondering, “But whatever happened with So and So?”
10. End Happy or at least comfortable- This one is for me. I like stories with happy endings, but I know that it isn’t always possible, so at least leave everyone in a comfortable place.

“My Princess” was a fun, quirky, story with a lot of heart. It was sometimes over the top and the antagonist was probably one of the most evil women I have ever watched, but I was glad I watched. It also gave me a feeling for a country half a world away and their great sense of humor.

Suzanne Santillan

Writing on the Sidewalk

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