Special Topic: If at first you don't succeed...

I recently came across a book by one of my favorite authors—and I hated it. The story was so cloying and poorly written that I often found myself convulsed in laughter. The characters are terribly unbelievable and too perfect to be likable; the events are hilariously cliché; the plot is unoriginal and dreadfully predictable. Here’s a sample of dialogue:

…he stood beside her and held his hat above her head, saying, “Will you accept the only shelter I can give? The damp drops falling on your hair will chill you.” (NOTE: Aren’t all drops damp??)

As she looked up to thank him, she saw blood upon his hand. “You have wounded yourself. How did it happen?” she asked.

“It is nothing but a scratch from the rough stones, and won in a good cause,” he answered, smiling.

“But it was gained in moving them for me. It must be painful. Let me bind it with my handkerchief,” she asked timidly.

“If you please, but ‘tis not worth the trouble.”

And as Edith stooped to place it on his hand, Amy saw a strange, bright smile rest upon his face as he looked upon her head, bent before him with the raindrops shining in her dark, disordered hair, which fell upon her shoulder…

I should have clarified: this is a RANDOM example of dialogue. There are worse.

When you’re done gagging, consider this: the excerpt above is from the book The Inheritance, the first novel completed by Louisa May Alcott, when she was seventeen years old. It wasn’t published then. It probably shouldn’t be now, except to serve as an example to all of us of a few things:

1) It’s a rare teenager who can get past the passions and inexperience of adolescence to write a book worthy of publishing. Even the author of Little Women couldn’t manage it.

2) Perfect characters are muy boring.

3) Don’t let rejection stop you. Just because an editor hates your book (or just because I hate your book!) doesn’t mean you don’t have what it takes to become a great author. You have to have a hide of steel and a lot of perseverance; you also have to have an ear for honest constructive criticism. Louisa May Alcott was lucky enough to have editors, friends, and family members who were willing to point out her flaws in writing. She fixed (most of) them. She kept writing. She became one of the most beloved authors of all time. And if she was alive now, she would be rolling in what she made from the movie deal.

I address this in particular to the many young writers out there: By all means, don’t stop writing when you recognize flaws in your writing, or when finishing a story is harder than you anticipated, or when even your mom thinks your book stinks. Keep writing. Keep living. Keep gaining maturity and experience and keep piling up criticism and rejections (though I wouldn’t recommend actually submitting anything to a publisher until someone other than you and your mom love it—try contests for young writers instead). Remember that drops are always damp.

Try, try again.

Special Topic: Thoughts on Plot (or, Just Because It Happened to You Doesn't Make It Interesting)

Here's a question posed to me by a former acting professor:
"How many truly dramatic moments have you experienced?"
The answer (pretty uniform through my class): "Um...two? Wait, maybe three... No: one, I guess?"
Which elucidates an important point: while true-to-life stories often make the best books, writers need to be selective about which scenes and moments (and how long of a time-span) they choose to represent.True-to-life and actual life are not the same things.
There is a big difference between the scope of plot in a fantasy novel and a contemporary fiction novel--but the fantasy writers often have the easier job, or so it would seem... Hmmm...things are getting slow: look! a giant, presumed-dead mythical creature just appeared and tried to bite my head off!
Only one problem: that's not real plot. It is action, and gives the allusion of movement and progression, but does it really further the character's story? In a perfectly crafted plot (or so I believe), every moment of action should be working double- or triple-time: yes, it should provide action and entertainment, but it should also further the main character's development and preferably be a result (whether direct or indirect) of the character's choices. Lastly, it should be truly dramatic. It should be a moment worthy of being written because it thrusts the reader into the situation, makes you question what you would do there, pulls at your heartstrings, intrigues your intellect, makes you relive the moment in your dreams and daydreams for hours or days or weeks afterward.

Special Topic: What About the Bad Reviews?

Considering that the large majority of books reviewed here receive pretty good reviews, you'd think either we're not very critical or the publishing world has reached a veritable golden age... While I can't vouch for the latter one way or the other, I wanted to clarify that there are many many books which I begin to read which never end up on my "to review" shelf.
Believe it or not, I have a system. When I start any, and I mean any, new book, I will always read it at least half-way through, whether I find that difficult or not. Some great books just take a while to get started (for example, last year's A Curse Dark as Gold, reviewed here:http://thechildrensbookreporter.blogspot.com/2008/06/reporters-review-curse-dark-as-gold-by.html) and are worth the wait.
But, sad as it is (since many of these books are fair, to give them credit), I simply don't have time to read every book that comes out if it can't hold my interest. There are so many wonderful books being released that I want to turn my attention to them and give them the recognition they deserve. Even a "B" review here means the book was great in one aspect: it was interesting and entertaining, and should be lauded for being so...which is why I'm addressing this issue now.
I don't really enjoy writing negative reviews, quite frankly. Maybe in the future I'll actually review a book I wasn't impressed with...but, to be honest, that will probably only happen if the book is getting recognition it doesn't deserve and is truly poorly crafted--enough to really annoy me. I'm sure we can all think of a couple that fit that category...but I try to avoid them.
For now, though, enjoy the optimism. And enjoy reading these books numbered among the outstanding few!

Special Topic: “Yolenisms,” she said with a sigh, “Yolenisms.”

What is a Yolenism, you ask?
Since time immemorial, authors have been plagued with the near-impossible task of toeing the line between true drama and melodrama. To put it simply: Not enough drama = boring. Too much = sap.
Perhaps the most difficult place in a book to create and maintain drama is the dreaded chapter ending, extended to the even more dreaded book ending. Those last few lines before “THE END”—they have to be meaningful, send shivers down the reader’s spine, leave us sighing with satisfaction at the perfect conclusion.
Unfortunately, when faced with this hurdle, even some of the most-respected authors have fallen into a trap: the repeated phrase trap, which simulates the feeling of drama without actually creating any. For example: “Can you end this chapter dramatically, author?” “I can try,” she said, gritting her teeth with determination. “I can try.”
If you pay attention, you’ll be surprised how often you see this pattern emerging in books and movies—as mentioned, pay close attention to the end of dramatic scenes. And you’ll be more surprised by how little you see it in real life. Like, probably, never. (Unless you count those English professors who go around in patched tweed jackets as real life…you might hear it from them…)
Calling the repeated-phrase-trap a Yolenism is a little nod to a very well-known author who is herself susceptible to this pitfall…her early books, in particular, are full of examples and will provide a nice smile on a rainy day if you go looking for them. It’s somehow encouraging that someone that famous and prolific can still make mistakes—so take heart, my friend.
Take heart.

Special Topic: Popular vs. Classic Books

Ok, so it’s the quintessential question, isn’t it? And probably will never be answered completely satisfactorily. But I feel it’s worth addressing considering some of the books I’ve been reading lately.
The obvious truth is: some books last, some don’t. What some people don’t want to admit is that whether or not a book lasts is not left completely up to luck and fate. Every year, hundreds of books appear on the shelves of our bookstores, fill the warehouses of online stores, make their way to libraries and homes. While they may be enjoyed by many individuals, the great majority of them won’t be in the bookstores or warehouses next year. In ten years, they’ll be in the library book sale stacks, because of the simple fact that no one is reading them anymore.
Does this mean the books are bad? Not necessarily, and in many cases, just plain no. Often these fly-by-night books address topics and issues which are very relevant to today’s readers. In the case of Young Adult and Children’s books, these books can be very important in helping readers deal with the issues they face every day.
However, while these books may not actually be bad, it has to be acknowledged that other books are simply better. As Aristotle wrote in his Poetics, “Clearly, then…the soul of tragedy is the plot [Aristotle was kinda obsessed with tragedy, but he is also talking about literary works in general here], and second in importance is character,” and, “the larger the plot is, while still remaining perspicuous [look it up], the more beautiful it is in virtue of its magnitude,” and, “poetry tends [Aristotle used the term poetry to indicate fiction, as opposed to history]…to express the universal.” (And don’t complain about me using Aristotle: it’s lasted over two millennia—that makes it classic classic.)
What I derive from Aristotle is that for a work to be really beautiful, or great, it has to: 1) express a universal truth—universal meaning it is relevant to readers in any time period, not just the present; 2) focus on both plot and character and not just one or the other—but plot is more important, because characters are…well…everywhere, but a plot makes it drama; and 3) contain a plot of a certain magnitude, complexity, and importance.
It’s easy to find books that meet these criteria, both in “classic” and “modern” literature. Take The Lord of the Rings. Or A Wrinkle in Time. The Giver. Johnny Tremain. The Graveyard Book. Black Beauty. Or even Harry Potter, though language-aficionados will complain about that one. Some of those books are decades old, some are new, some are still on the bestseller list. What they have in common is a dynamic plot, real and unique characters, and a universal truth that is expressed through them. There were hundreds of popular books from the decades of LOTR and Johnny Tremain that almost everyone has forgotten (trust me—I’ve read the old Horn Books). You probably can’t name 50 books from the years Harry Potter came out, unless you have a really good memory. You may not even be able to name two dozen from last year.
But you’ll remember the great ones. And so will your children…and their children…and probably their children.
Any thoughts? I'd love to hear your opinions on which modern books will still be around in 50 or 100 years!