C.A. Pack's Blog, page 3
June 25, 2014
June 24, 2014
To blog a book, or not...
I just read a blog by an author who wrote a book about blogging books (episodically, so to speak) and I realized—I did that years ago for the first few adventures of The Library of Illumination. The article contained keywords, and when I clicked on the plan for how to do it, I was taken to an Amazon page where a book explaining how to blog a book was listed for $9.99 on Kindle. I didn’t buy the book. It’s a case of been there, done that, but I did wonder: why didn’t I write that book two years ago?
Then it hit me. It’s non-fiction. Authors who write books about how-to write books are non-fiction authors who are more likely to outline everything, because they have to create book proposals. I imagine nearly all non-fiction authors are “plotters” whether they want to be or not, because their proposals describe each chapter with a mini-synopsis. I’m a “pantser.” I write by the seat of my pants and let the muse take me wherever she wants to go. But my muse has been keeping odd hours lately, and I’ve been bogged down with spring cleaning (I know, I’m late) and organizing, so I haven’t gone looking for her. Anyway, I decided to give outlining my current book a go.
I’m about a quarter of the way through Myrddin’s Memoir (LOI book 7), so I loosely outlined the next quarter of the book. Maybe my muse will like having this map for her journey. Maybe not. If she takes me off on a tangent, she’ll win by default. I trust her. But thinking about how to do the next section has given me a much-needed kick in the pants. It’s time to stop cleaning out drawers and closets and get back to the task at hand, after all, I’m a writer, not a professional organizer. And it’s obvious I’m not a plotter, because I failed to outline the second half of my book. It’s no wonder I never wrote a book about blogging a book—I’m too much of a pinball whizzing from place to place. I’d rather just write, than write about writing.
Except for this blog—which is short. And now you know why I write novelettes. They’re short, too.
Then it hit me. It’s non-fiction. Authors who write books about how-to write books are non-fiction authors who are more likely to outline everything, because they have to create book proposals. I imagine nearly all non-fiction authors are “plotters” whether they want to be or not, because their proposals describe each chapter with a mini-synopsis. I’m a “pantser.” I write by the seat of my pants and let the muse take me wherever she wants to go. But my muse has been keeping odd hours lately, and I’ve been bogged down with spring cleaning (I know, I’m late) and organizing, so I haven’t gone looking for her. Anyway, I decided to give outlining my current book a go.
I’m about a quarter of the way through Myrddin’s Memoir (LOI book 7), so I loosely outlined the next quarter of the book. Maybe my muse will like having this map for her journey. Maybe not. If she takes me off on a tangent, she’ll win by default. I trust her. But thinking about how to do the next section has given me a much-needed kick in the pants. It’s time to stop cleaning out drawers and closets and get back to the task at hand, after all, I’m a writer, not a professional organizer. And it’s obvious I’m not a plotter, because I failed to outline the second half of my book. It’s no wonder I never wrote a book about blogging a book—I’m too much of a pinball whizzing from place to place. I’d rather just write, than write about writing.
Except for this blog—which is short. And now you know why I write novelettes. They’re short, too.
June 14, 2014
A Tale of Two Cities
This is the 1850 title page of "A Tale of Two Cities."
June 11, 2014
Creating My Characters
Chronicles: The Library of Illumination has a great pair of protagonists whose personalities complement each other—like bacon and eggs... milk and cookies... gin and tonic... actually they’re teens, so scratch the gin and tonic.
It’s a wonder I can create characters at all, because I have a horrible memory, so I need ways to remember them—or they’ll all blend into one another. For that reason, many of my characters are based on actors or historical figures—people whose looks embody the characters I’m creating and whose images I can conjure at a moment’s notice to get the details right. Once I know what they look like, I put some thought into their names. I often research both first and surnames for a particular region or ethnicity and look up their meanings, so the name reflects the character. And in my historical books (Code Name: Evangeline; Evangeline's Ghost), I study clothing for the period and dress my characters accordingly.
That process worked really well for my first two novels, however, Chronicles: The Library of Illumination took a 180 degree turn. Johanna Charette and Jackson Roth came out of nowhere. Johanna arrived first as the sole protagonist in the original Library of Illumination novelette, and her name and background developed out of thin air. When I started that story, it wasn’t with a particular genre in mind, nor with the intention of turning it into a series. I though I’d end up with a short, cozy mystery. Instead, I created a library that came to life along with its enchanted books and I couldn’t leave it alone.
I began the sequel, Doubloons, knowing I needed a male to counterbalance Johanna’s character. He developed on the page rather than in my mind. The more I wrote, the more solid he became. I actually think he’s a better character than Johanna because you get to meet his family and his friends in the book and they all add dimension to his character. Johanna gave birth to the series, but because she never knew her parents and was brought up in an institution she happily left behind, her background is not as deep. We know she’s devoted and smart and steadfast, and we learn in Casanova that she can come across as sexy, as well. But we won’t really know her until the novelettes making up the Second Chronicles of Illumination are released. There’s going to be a lot going on—and I’ve got a few ideas in mind, which should give Johanna layers upon layers of depth.
I've also started a bio for each character outlining his or her background, idiosyncrasies, and beliefs. I've found as the bio grows, so does the character, and that's always good. The one thing I try (and often fail) to do is describe my characters without really describing them. Every reader is going to see a character differently, and the less specific I can be about the details, the more leeway the reader has to create a unique persona in their mind's eye.
It’s a wonder I can create characters at all, because I have a horrible memory, so I need ways to remember them—or they’ll all blend into one another. For that reason, many of my characters are based on actors or historical figures—people whose looks embody the characters I’m creating and whose images I can conjure at a moment’s notice to get the details right. Once I know what they look like, I put some thought into their names. I often research both first and surnames for a particular region or ethnicity and look up their meanings, so the name reflects the character. And in my historical books (Code Name: Evangeline; Evangeline's Ghost), I study clothing for the period and dress my characters accordingly.
That process worked really well for my first two novels, however, Chronicles: The Library of Illumination took a 180 degree turn. Johanna Charette and Jackson Roth came out of nowhere. Johanna arrived first as the sole protagonist in the original Library of Illumination novelette, and her name and background developed out of thin air. When I started that story, it wasn’t with a particular genre in mind, nor with the intention of turning it into a series. I though I’d end up with a short, cozy mystery. Instead, I created a library that came to life along with its enchanted books and I couldn’t leave it alone.
I began the sequel, Doubloons, knowing I needed a male to counterbalance Johanna’s character. He developed on the page rather than in my mind. The more I wrote, the more solid he became. I actually think he’s a better character than Johanna because you get to meet his family and his friends in the book and they all add dimension to his character. Johanna gave birth to the series, but because she never knew her parents and was brought up in an institution she happily left behind, her background is not as deep. We know she’s devoted and smart and steadfast, and we learn in Casanova that she can come across as sexy, as well. But we won’t really know her until the novelettes making up the Second Chronicles of Illumination are released. There’s going to be a lot going on—and I’ve got a few ideas in mind, which should give Johanna layers upon layers of depth.
I've also started a bio for each character outlining his or her background, idiosyncrasies, and beliefs. I've found as the bio grows, so does the character, and that's always good. The one thing I try (and often fail) to do is describe my characters without really describing them. Every reader is going to see a character differently, and the less specific I can be about the details, the more leeway the reader has to create a unique persona in their mind's eye.
June 8, 2014
My Favorite Book
One of my favorite books is Francis Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden (1911), which I fell in love with the first time I heard it (read to my 3rd grade class by our teacher). I loved it just as much when I read it- years later-to my son.
I just read a Goodreads topic entitled "Adults should be ashamed to read YA..." and it made me think: if adults shouldnt read YA, then they shouldn't read children's classics, either. But I remember how enthralled my mother became listening to me read The Secret Garden to my son.
It irks me that anyone might so narrow minded as to suggest adults only read adult books. We would miss out on so much. And even if that topic was posted merely to stir up a conversation among readers, I think it plants a seed in some people that in the future may prevent them from exploring all the books available for our reading pleasure.
I just read a Goodreads topic entitled "Adults should be ashamed to read YA..." and it made me think: if adults shouldnt read YA, then they shouldn't read children's classics, either. But I remember how enthralled my mother became listening to me read The Secret Garden to my son.
It irks me that anyone might so narrow minded as to suggest adults only read adult books. We would miss out on so much. And even if that topic was posted merely to stir up a conversation among readers, I think it plants a seed in some people that in the future may prevent them from exploring all the books available for our reading pleasure.
June 7, 2014
1663 Frontispiece Metamorphosis Planetarum
Frontispiece from Monte-Snyders Metamorphosis Planetarum, 1663
May 28, 2014
May 16, 2014
10 Things You Probably Don't Know About Me
I’m very excited about my new YA fantasy, Chronicles: The Library of Illumination. It’s about two teenagers who face adventure and danger every day, as they come of age in an enchanted library where the books come to life.
Even though writers do whatever they can to connect with readers, most people don’t usually know any more about an author than what’s printed in the short bio in the back of a book—if that much. And considering my bio is very short, there’s a lot readers don’t know about me. So I’ve put together a list of the ten most interesting factoids about me and my world.
1. I used to teach people how to be television news reporters. I know, it’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.
2. I’m qualified to teach aspiring reporters, because I used to be one myself, not to mention a television news anchor, and an assignment editor.
3. Even though I’m not much of a singer, I enjoy writing song parodies and have been known to perform them in public.
4. I own two parrots, Nigel and Colin, who are named after two characters in my first novel. They’re female parrots. I named them before their DNA was tested to determine their sex. I didn’t have the heart to rename them, since they responded so well to their names.
5. The first line of the first story I ever wrote was, “The sun rose in the east,” and it was written in a small notepad I carried around in the third grade.
6. Apple—not Android.
7. I once asked a cop in a subway station for directions, and didn’t realize (until someone pointed it out to me) that he was standing guard over a dead body.
8. I’ve been to more than 20 countries and 42 of the 50 United States.
9. I like thunderstorms.
10. I’m already hard at work on the Second Chronicles of Illumination—which encompasses the next five novelettes in the series. The ebook for The Overseer will be released this summer, and Myrddin’s Memoir is coming out in the fall.
And now you know all my secrets. Well, maybe not all of them, but some of the ones that may shed some light on Chronicles: The Library of Illumination .
Even though writers do whatever they can to connect with readers, most people don’t usually know any more about an author than what’s printed in the short bio in the back of a book—if that much. And considering my bio is very short, there’s a lot readers don’t know about me. So I’ve put together a list of the ten most interesting factoids about me and my world.1. I used to teach people how to be television news reporters. I know, it’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it.
2. I’m qualified to teach aspiring reporters, because I used to be one myself, not to mention a television news anchor, and an assignment editor.
3. Even though I’m not much of a singer, I enjoy writing song parodies and have been known to perform them in public.
4. I own two parrots, Nigel and Colin, who are named after two characters in my first novel. They’re female parrots. I named them before their DNA was tested to determine their sex. I didn’t have the heart to rename them, since they responded so well to their names.
5. The first line of the first story I ever wrote was, “The sun rose in the east,” and it was written in a small notepad I carried around in the third grade.
6. Apple—not Android.
7. I once asked a cop in a subway station for directions, and didn’t realize (until someone pointed it out to me) that he was standing guard over a dead body.
8. I’ve been to more than 20 countries and 42 of the 50 United States.
9. I like thunderstorms.
10. I’m already hard at work on the Second Chronicles of Illumination—which encompasses the next five novelettes in the series. The ebook for The Overseer will be released this summer, and Myrddin’s Memoir is coming out in the fall.
And now you know all my secrets. Well, maybe not all of them, but some of the ones that may shed some light on Chronicles: The Library of Illumination .
April 17, 2014
10 Things You Don’t Know About Chronicles: The Library of Illumination
Chronicles: The Library of Illumination is coming out in less than two weeks, and I realized there are always little bits of information floating around in a writers mind that influence what’s being written, even if that specific information is never spelled out. There are a lot of little bits about C:LOI that for some reason or another, I left on the cutting room floor, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten them. Each little factoid may still be revealed in a future adventure. Anyway, it’s always nice to have some insider information, so today I’m going to tell you ten little known facts about teenagers Johanna Charette and Jackson Roth and the Library of Illumination:
1. Jackson used to have a different last name. Originally, his name was Jackson Ryan, but someone pointed out it was too similar to Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy novels.
2. In The Overseers (book six) you’ll learn why Mal is still alive after 800 years. He didn’t live that long without a little extra help.
3. I originally used a real super hero in Doubloons but removed him because of possible copyright infringement. When I came up with Impervio, I started writing a companion comic book about him, but quit after page 14.
4. When she turned 16, Johanna ran away from the orphanage where she'd lived most of her life and changed her name and age to avoid being found. It worked. The system was so overcrowded, no one bothered to look for her.
5. There’s an enchantment on the library that makes it difficult to find.
6. LOI Curators are supposed to hand over a special book of knowledge to their successors, but Mal didn’t give his to Johanna, because he thought she might be too young to comprehend such a vast amount of history and information. This leads to all kinds of problems in Portals when Johanna finds out there’s a lot she doesn’t know about the Library of Illumination.
7. Latin is the inspiration for the Terrorian language—probably because I took Latin as a language in school.
8. Both Johanna and Jackson have Twitter accounts. It’s true.
9. Johanna always wanted a cat named Ophelia, but doesn’t get one until Myrddin’s Memoir (book seven).
10. Most of the people who use the Library of Illumination are scholars and researchers who are on an “approved” list. They make their requests via snail mail, email or phone and the books are sent to them. Users know about the special qualities of the books, and use them judiciously. However, the library is not open to the public. People who visit there are usually invited guests.
Chronicles: The Library of Illumination will be released in hardcover and ebook formats on April 29th.
One more thing... in honor of my book launch and virtual blog tour, please enter my raffle from April 22 through May 6, 2014 to win an Amazon, or Barnes & Noble gift card, or a Triquetra necklace—the symbol of the Library Of Illumination. Go to www.carolpack.com and halfway down the home page you'll find my raffle entry form. It will go live on April 22 through May 6. Good luck!
1. Jackson used to have a different last name. Originally, his name was Jackson Ryan, but someone pointed out it was too similar to Jack Ryan from Tom Clancy novels.
2. In The Overseers (book six) you’ll learn why Mal is still alive after 800 years. He didn’t live that long without a little extra help.
3. I originally used a real super hero in Doubloons but removed him because of possible copyright infringement. When I came up with Impervio, I started writing a companion comic book about him, but quit after page 14.
4. When she turned 16, Johanna ran away from the orphanage where she'd lived most of her life and changed her name and age to avoid being found. It worked. The system was so overcrowded, no one bothered to look for her.
5. There’s an enchantment on the library that makes it difficult to find.
6. LOI Curators are supposed to hand over a special book of knowledge to their successors, but Mal didn’t give his to Johanna, because he thought she might be too young to comprehend such a vast amount of history and information. This leads to all kinds of problems in Portals when Johanna finds out there’s a lot she doesn’t know about the Library of Illumination.
7. Latin is the inspiration for the Terrorian language—probably because I took Latin as a language in school.
8. Both Johanna and Jackson have Twitter accounts. It’s true.
9. Johanna always wanted a cat named Ophelia, but doesn’t get one until Myrddin’s Memoir (book seven).
10. Most of the people who use the Library of Illumination are scholars and researchers who are on an “approved” list. They make their requests via snail mail, email or phone and the books are sent to them. Users know about the special qualities of the books, and use them judiciously. However, the library is not open to the public. People who visit there are usually invited guests.
Chronicles: The Library of Illumination will be released in hardcover and ebook formats on April 29th.
One more thing... in honor of my book launch and virtual blog tour, please enter my raffle from April 22 through May 6, 2014 to win an Amazon, or Barnes & Noble gift card, or a Triquetra necklace—the symbol of the Library Of Illumination. Go to www.carolpack.com and halfway down the home page you'll find my raffle entry form. It will go live on April 22 through May 6. Good luck!
