Hey everyone! It's a little late in the day, but today's post is a book review. A little while back I received a free copy of KNIGHT OF LIGHT, by Deirdra Eden, which I reviewed back in September. I was contacted and offered a copy of the sequel, HIDDEN FIRE, and I'm pleased to say that I was able to read it in time to be a part of the blog tour.
HIDDEN FIRE continues the story of Auriella, a young woman with great power. Though she is a knight and the sworn protector of England, the king refuses to listen to her counsel. In the face of war, Auriella must battle evil and master new, even stranger powers. She must also decide how she feels about a handsome and witty Scottish warrior who can teach her about her people...and how she feels about her fiance, who isn't acting quite how she expects.
I find the mythology and worldbuilding in this series to be utterly fascinating. Historical fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and the blend of real-world settings and out-of-this-world powers was one of the reasons that drew me to these books in the first place. HIDDEN FIRE follows characters who are smart and strong, and who interact with each other in ways I didn't always expect. The story balances lighthearted humor with dark themes and danger. It is fast-paced and entertaining from start to finish, with no dull moments.
Overall, I found HIDDEN FIRE both fun and entertaining. It has strong women with magic powers, corrupt kings, the return of my favorite wise-cracking sidekick, and a kilted Scotsman who, in his attempts to win over the main character, won me over completely. HIDDEN FIRE is an excellent follow-up to KNIGHT OF LIGHT, and would be a great read for anyone who loves historical-based fantasy, adventure, the powers of Heaven and Hell, and kilts (because seriously, I am all about those kilted Scottish warriors). It is a fun young-adult fantasy, but I'd say it has something for older readers, too. You can check it out at Smashwords here.
Happy reading, and 'til next time,
J.
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Monday, May 25, 2015
Everything Must Be Perfect
All my life, I've been a bit of a perfectionist. And by "bit," I mean I'm the kind of person who used to get pissed if I made less than a perfect score on an assignment. I would compare my test scores to my friends, and feel really inadequate if I didn't have the best marks. If a piece of artwork turned out anything to be anything different than what I had in my head, to me it was garbage. If somebody beat me in a competition, it was because I clearly didn't try hard enough or want it bad enough.
It was really, really toxic. A lot of the time, it was also egotistical and gross. I had this awful ambition to be, not the best I could be, but the best, period. Fortunately, as an adult, I've deflated my own head a bit and shed some of those toxic thoughts and behaviors (because, holy shit, I was an asshole to friends who beat me at things sometimes).
The one thing that hasn't gone away, though, is the underlying insecurity that if I show somebody something that isn't my absolute best, they'll think less of me. I mess up a drill in roller derby practice, I have to actively remind myself that my teammates won't think I'm terrible, they'll know I just need some help and encouragement (because they are all amazing people). If I let housework slide, I have to remind myself that people don't care that I have dishes in my sink and they still love me.
The really nasty one, though, is the conviction that if my writing friends read work of mine that hasn't been edited, they'll think I'm a horrible, stupid fool who has no talent and should die in a fire.
I have a lot of insecurities about my own unedited writing. And I think it's setting me back.
Getting through stuff like this has always been hell for me, and it's never been easy. But I'm trying. Nobody poops out a first draft that is 100% perfect. Hell, I don't think anybody can have a finished draft that is 100% perfect. There are always things that can be tweaked or improved, and there are always ways to become a better writer. But that's a good thing, I think. Perfection is boring.
The point of this post, really, is to say that I know I've got a ways to go in dealing with my own issues with toxic perfectionism. I'm not so bad as I was, but I still shoot myself in the foot by hoarding things I think aren't good enough.
The point is that I know this, and I'm working on fixing it. And that if you're out there reading this and you struggle with perfectionism, too, you're not alone in that. Let's all just try and remember that nobody writes a perfect first draft, everyone has bad days, and that's okay.
'Til next time,
J.
It was really, really toxic. A lot of the time, it was also egotistical and gross. I had this awful ambition to be, not the best I could be, but the best, period. Fortunately, as an adult, I've deflated my own head a bit and shed some of those toxic thoughts and behaviors (because, holy shit, I was an asshole to friends who beat me at things sometimes).
The one thing that hasn't gone away, though, is the underlying insecurity that if I show somebody something that isn't my absolute best, they'll think less of me. I mess up a drill in roller derby practice, I have to actively remind myself that my teammates won't think I'm terrible, they'll know I just need some help and encouragement (because they are all amazing people). If I let housework slide, I have to remind myself that people don't care that I have dishes in my sink and they still love me.
The really nasty one, though, is the conviction that if my writing friends read work of mine that hasn't been edited, they'll think I'm a horrible, stupid fool who has no talent and should die in a fire.
I have a lot of insecurities about my own unedited writing. And I think it's setting me back.
Getting through stuff like this has always been hell for me, and it's never been easy. But I'm trying. Nobody poops out a first draft that is 100% perfect. Hell, I don't think anybody can have a finished draft that is 100% perfect. There are always things that can be tweaked or improved, and there are always ways to become a better writer. But that's a good thing, I think. Perfection is boring.
The point of this post, really, is to say that I know I've got a ways to go in dealing with my own issues with toxic perfectionism. I'm not so bad as I was, but I still shoot myself in the foot by hoarding things I think aren't good enough.
The point is that I know this, and I'm working on fixing it. And that if you're out there reading this and you struggle with perfectionism, too, you're not alone in that. Let's all just try and remember that nobody writes a perfect first draft, everyone has bad days, and that's okay.
'Til next time,
J.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Editing: It's Important.
I've had this post sitting in my drafts for months. It's taken me a while to sort out my thoughts coherently enough to write a post I'm satisfied with. Also, I forgot it was in my drafts. Mostly that second one.
But here goes:
The other day (and by the other day, I mean several months ago), while browsing Pinterest, I saw this pin a fellow writer had shared. It was a graphic that read, "Give up on perfection. As an author, your job is to write as much as possible. Turn over responsibility of polishing and perfecting to an editor."
I read it again to make sure I hadn't made a mistake, and sure enough this writer had shared advice that instructs writers to ignore editing and polishing, because apparently that's not what writers do.
That is, to put it bluntly, complete and utter bullshit.
I can get behind the sentiment of not breaking yourself trying to achieve perfection, but it bugs me so much when I see writers talking about how they don't need to develop their skills as editors. I have read books by authors who didn't put in any effort to get rid of typos. I have read books that read like first drafts. It is my policy to never give a review that boils down to, "that book was just total crap." Yet I have read some books that really were. The one thing that those books have in common? Poor editing.
But let me be clear, here: editing isn't just going back and fixing typos. Inconsistent characterization, poor continuity, choppy flow, and gaps in logic? You fix those with good revision and editing. It's rare to crap out a first draft that needs no work. I'm sure somebody's done it, but it's my firm opinion that nobody should ever go into writing thinking, "my work ends when I write 'the end.'"
Develop skills as an editor. Learn how to polish your own work. Get help from beta readers and critique buddies. Don't ever, ever, let yourself fall into the trap of, "it's not my job to edit my book." If there's one thing I've learned from reading blog posts from agents and editors and publishers, it's that their job is to help you give your book its final shine before sending it out into the world to flourish. It's not their job to polish a turd.
Don't shoot yourself in the foot because you think it's not your job to make your book the best it can be.
'Til next time,
J.
But here goes:
The other day (and by the other day, I mean several months ago), while browsing Pinterest, I saw this pin a fellow writer had shared. It was a graphic that read, "Give up on perfection. As an author, your job is to write as much as possible. Turn over responsibility of polishing and perfecting to an editor."
I read it again to make sure I hadn't made a mistake, and sure enough this writer had shared advice that instructs writers to ignore editing and polishing, because apparently that's not what writers do.
That is, to put it bluntly, complete and utter bullshit.
I can get behind the sentiment of not breaking yourself trying to achieve perfection, but it bugs me so much when I see writers talking about how they don't need to develop their skills as editors. I have read books by authors who didn't put in any effort to get rid of typos. I have read books that read like first drafts. It is my policy to never give a review that boils down to, "that book was just total crap." Yet I have read some books that really were. The one thing that those books have in common? Poor editing.
But let me be clear, here: editing isn't just going back and fixing typos. Inconsistent characterization, poor continuity, choppy flow, and gaps in logic? You fix those with good revision and editing. It's rare to crap out a first draft that needs no work. I'm sure somebody's done it, but it's my firm opinion that nobody should ever go into writing thinking, "my work ends when I write 'the end.'"
Develop skills as an editor. Learn how to polish your own work. Get help from beta readers and critique buddies. Don't ever, ever, let yourself fall into the trap of, "it's not my job to edit my book." If there's one thing I've learned from reading blog posts from agents and editors and publishers, it's that their job is to help you give your book its final shine before sending it out into the world to flourish. It's not their job to polish a turd.
Don't shoot yourself in the foot because you think it's not your job to make your book the best it can be.
'Til next time,
J.
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