Book Review: Olivia Twist by Laurie Langdon

     I read Oliver Twist when I was in sixth grade, but haven't read it since (because, let's be honest, it may be an exciting story, but it's rather a dull read). But I still love the story Dickens created, and was over the moon when I heard that Laurie Langdon was writing a retelling - one where Oliver was a girl. And now that I've read it, I'm pleased to say that it didn't disappoint.

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     Olivia Brownlow is no damsel in distress. Born in a workhouse and raised as a boy among thieving London street gangs, she is as tough and cunning as they come. When she is taken in by her uncle after a caper gone wrong, her life goes from fighting and stealing on the streets to lavish dinners and soirees as a debutante in high society. But she can’t seem to escape her past … or forget the teeming slums where children just like her still scrabble to survive.

     Jack MacCarron rose from his place in London’s East End to become the adopted “nephew” of a society matron. Little does society know that MacCarron is a false name for a boy once known among London gangs as the Artful Dodger, and that he and his “aunt” are robbing them blind every chance they get. When Jack encounters Olivia Brownlow in places he least expects, his curiosity is piqued. Why is a society girl helping a bunch of homeless orphan thieves? Even more intriguing, why does she remind him so much of someone he once knew? Jack finds himself wondering if going legit and risking it all might be worth it for love.

     Olivia Twist is an innovative reimagining of Charles Dickens’ classic tale Oliver Twist, in which Olivia was forced to live as a boy for her own safety until she was rescued from the streets. Now eighteen, Olivia finds herself at a crossroads: revealed secrets threaten to destroy the “proper” life she has built for herself, while newfound feelings for an arrogant young man she shouldn’t like could derail her carefully laid plans for the future.

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Langdon's website 

     I first read Oliver Twist for sixth grade literature. It was long, dense, and filled with half-page long sentences in nineteenth century English that rambled on about details that did bring out character but that I could are less about. I enjoyed it (enough that I was the Artful Dodger for Halloween twice), but it took me about a semester to finish it.

     Olivia Twist took me one and a half days of reading as much as I could because I just didn't want to put the book down. It was gripping, and kept me wanting to find out what happened next. I've been anticipating getting to read this book for almost six months now and have had to wait an agonizing two months since it was published before I could get my hands on it. But it was well worth the wait.

     I was a little disappointed at first, because I wasn't expecting a primary plot to be romance - I thought it would be more like a thirteen-year-old Olivia learning to navigate the world of upper-class society. But after I got over that fact, I enjoyed this book so much. I don't read romance that often, but this one I enjoyed.

     Olivia. Langdon's characters jumped off the page and really came to life for me and I really cared about their struggles and what they were going through. Olivia was relatable and a likable character, and I liked how she was headstrong and opinionated even after all she'd been through. I loved the little orphans - Archie and Brit and all of them.

     Jack. I think Jack was the one who completely stole my heart. Like I mentioned before, Dodger was one of my favorite characters when I was younger, and I was really looking forward to how Langdon would write him. And I wasn't disappointed. Jack had the wit and the charm of Dicken's Dodger, but was a character who could stand on his own. He was clever, but he often made questionable choices. Despite that, I cared for him and wanted him to come out alright - and in the end, he does have a great character arc.

     The retelling. I loved how Langdon took the original story and added her own twist (pun not intended). The story is similar and yet it's not. It takes place after what we think of as the end of Oliver Twist, when the kids are about eighteen years old. However, certain parts of the plot occur in this timeframe, like the appearance and conflict with the character Monks. These sort of changes helped make this story more than just a retelling, but make it a story in its own right, and kept me guessing about what elements of the original would come to play here.

     Oliver! The references to the musical thrilled my thespian-self, even though I know very little of the songs.

     The emotions that came with it. I think this book made me laugh out loud at least five times, and there are some really witty lines or scenarios that made me crack up. At the same times, there were times I was on the edge of my seat, heart pounding. Langdon made me care about what happened and how it it happened.

     The romance. . . I got used to the idea of love triangles, but it still kind of aggravated me that not only did a love triangle play out here, but there was some secondary character pairing. I supposed this is a genre convention that I've just never come to like, but the way it plays out just right annoys me because it barely ever does play out like that. And the "falling in love at just about first sight" cliche.

     The fast ending. Most of the pacing was satisfactory, and the story had enough time to develop well without dragging. But the ending - maybe the last fifth of the book - felt a bit rushed, and I kind of wished that there was a little more time for the final conflict and the resolution to play out.

     A bit of content. This book was a lot cleaner than it could be, I'll give it that. But at the same time, there were some romantic actions that were morally questionable, and it did go past gentle kissing.

     I had to wait for a while to get my hands on Olivia Twist, but the book was so worth the wait. It was an exciting read, but at the same time, it was well-written and it has more merit to it than just thrill. I loved the characters and how Langdon brought together old and new details to create this new work. It was one of the best books I read last month - and one that I would definitely read again! Four stars.

What about you? Have you read Olivia Twist? What about Dickens' original story? Talk to me - I'd love to hear from you!

Looking Back: June

I've seen a lot of other bloggers do this kind of wrap-up post, and have thought that it would be a neat thing to do, but never write tried it - until now. Hopefully, I'll be able to get one up in the first few days of every month - but lets see. ;) For now, though, here is a wrap-up of the highlights of my June. 

     With summer started and school gone, my days are a lot less structured but only a tad less busy. Still, June was not a slow month.

     At the beginning of the month, my family had our annual end of school celebration - just a little thing with family. And then we put some mentos in a bottle of Diet Coke (just "to see what would happen") and went bowling. A great way to wrap up our school year. 

     Throughout June, we've been involved in a local theater production that is opening soon! I'm running the spotlight for the show, and have also been covering for our lighting operator while he was gone, so I've finally learned how to operate a light board. (I've been having way too much fun with that!) This is my eighth production, and west's been so much fun to be a part of this. 

     My family went camping in the 103 degree weather one weekend. (Technically, we cheated and got a screened shelter, but shhh.) It was a lot of fun, despite the heat, and we went hiking, swimming, geocaching, and just had a good time together away from home for a while. 

     Overall, June was a great month for family and friends (and a lot of theater). Watching movies with my sisters, just having fun during rehearsals and at the playwriting conference, and getting together to sing with friends (there may have been plans for a flash mob included in this . . .). 

     June was a good month for reading - there were, in particular, a few hot, lazy days when I had no plans so spent them writing and reading. By my count, I've finished 11 books this month, which is a little above my recent average. I've also been reading (but haven't finished) a few other books in addition to those eleven, including the monster of a book known as It. Not as creepy as I thought it would be, and I'm enjoying it so far) 

     Olivia Twist by Laurie Langdon. I've been wanting to read this book ever since it came out back in May, and finally got to two weeks ago. I think I read it all in one day, and it was such a good story. My first book by Langdon, and I wasn't disappointed, even though it wasn't exactly what I expected. (There may or may not be a book review coming up for this soon.)

    Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman. I read and enjoyed Serephina about two years ago now, and when I saw another book by Hartman, I picked it up. It surprised me that it was set in the same world, a few years after Shadow Scale. I enjoyed the story, but Hartman's writing sometimes seems overly complex or wordy in a way that makes my head hurt from trying to keep up with it. Still, I liked the characters and how Hartman tackled some present-day issues in a fantasy setting.

     The Genie's Bone by Savannah Grace of Inspiring Writes. This novella was admittedly one that I read a beta-reader this month - but let me tell you, it was gorgeous. I had so much fun reading it, and it was such a beautiful story and definitely one of the reading highlights of the month. (And if you haven't checked out Savannah's blog yet, you should. She has so many amazing posts and is one of the sweetest people in existence.) 

   
  I completed a flash fiction piece for Rosalie Valentine's flash fiction dash, which you can read here. This was my first time to really write flash, and I loved it! I'm already going back and experimenting with this style and genre some more, and I'm having so much fun.

     Participated in the 100 for 100 Challenge. It's been harder than I thought it would be, but writing every day is something that I've found helped me a lot. About twenty days in, I realized I really needed a better outline, so now I have a chapter-by-chapter outline that's really helping to condense my seat of the pants rambling. My 100 for 100 project is a (year old) work that I've been rehauling - June was spent fixing the plot and starting out on the second version and writing it again. 

     I've also been working on outlining and planning another novel. This is probably the first time I've tried writing something that's not pure fantasy in four years or so, and I'm realize just how different it can be to write different genres - or even plot them! 

     Like I mentioned above, Rosalie Valentine did her annual flash fiction dash, and the stories that came in were so good! Her wrap-up post links to all of the stories - so if you have time for some light reading, you should really check it out! I'm still working my way through the stories, and am so impressed by the talent and creativity in these pieces!

     Lisa is celebrating her blogoversary! (If you haven't checked out her blog before, let me tell you that it is amazing and you really don't know what you're missing out on.) And she's hosting a writing contest to celebrate, so if you like writing - or really cute GIFs - you should go check it out.

     Julian also celebrated a one-year blogoversary! (And again - if you haven't checked out Saver of Memories before, you really should because it's a great blog and Julian makes awesome posts.) 

      I'm also very excited to announce that A.M. Frisby, a writing acquaintance of mine, is starting a writer/beta reader matching service, where you can send in requests for betas for your story or to be a beta for someone else's work. She's really looking for people to submit stories to help get this project going and to spread the word. So if you're looking for someone to edit or beta your story, you should definitely check out this form and contact her at ampfrisby@gmail.com to get matched with a beta (or become a beta)! 

     June was a good month - a lot of writing, reading, and having fun with friends and family. It also meant I wasn't as diligent in putting up blog posts this month (*winces*) - something I'm hoping to make up for in the coming month. 

     How was your summer so far? Anything exciting? Fun? Have you read any good books this month? 

Encouraging Your Fellow Creatives: Why Your Words Matter

Last week, I was in a large conference room with about seventy other writers, actors, and creatives. We had come together as a part of a local playwriting conference, and were getting ready to be assigned into groups to write and produce ten-minute play in the next three days. This was my third year, and it was as amazing as ever. The conference is especially special to me because it was the thing that lead me to the theater. But looking back, I realize that this conference is also a significant mark in my writing journey. 

The first year, the playwright who came to speak to us encouraged me to keep to writing. Her encouragement came at a time when I needed it, and I left the conference with something important. She’s remembered me each year, and each year, I’ve come away from the conference with some advice or encouragement to consider. 

This year, I went up and talked to her after the conference and thanked her for her encouragement and told her how much it meant to me. We talked for a bit, and one of the things that she said resonated with me. 

That as writers, artists, actors, musicians, and creators, it is our purpose not only to create, but to encourage others to create. 

Because we know the struggles. We know the feelings of imperfection and the toiling hours of trying to get this one line or this one chord just right. We know the joy of seeing your character or your poem stand up on its own or the fear that it will never be good enough. We know how the ideas come at crazy times and waking up in the middle of the night groping for a piece of paper or a recorder. 

We know it all. We’ve been there, and we’ve felt that. And these experiences make our encouragement invaluable. 

As their brother and sister creatives, we can speak from experience - because we’ve been there and we got through it - or just from relating to them - because we know their pain and we can sympathize. 

Praise and encouragement from you can be so meaningful because you have authority in the creative world, believe it or not. You have a journey behind you that tells a story. You have the authority to tell the young little hobbits “I think you have the pluck to succeed on an adventure.”

You, my little Bilbo telling stories around the campfire - can’t you remember being a wide-eyed little hobbit-ling and having someone give you that piece of encouragement? Praise about your music might be more valuable when a music teacher or artist gives it compared to your little sister. And praise from you, the hobbit who has been on real adventures can mean so much to a person who needs it.  

You as a creative can remember that piece of encouragement that helped you on your journey. You know how powerful your words can be - why can’t you use them to help others? 

Encouragement can come in so many forms. It can be talking to a person, pulling them aside and telling them how much you liked their work. Leaving a comment, or a review of their book. Constructive criticism. It can be a “Great job” or a like on Facebook. Anything that says “Hey, you. I see you - and I like something of what I see. Keep it up.” 

You don’t have to like everything about their work. You don’t have to like anything except for the fact that they tried, sometimes. Because it costs you so little - and it can build the community so much. 

So today, I repeat what this playwright told me, and I encourage you: when you see a creative struggling, stop if only for a moment and pass on some of the encouragement that you have received. Because as creatives, we need to help one another, because we are the ones who can understand and who can pass it on. 

All for a Sip of Hot Chocolate // The Penprints Flash Fiction Dash

Flash fiction has always intrigued me. Being able to make an audience feel or being able to capture them in your words seems to be ten times harder when you have so few of them. So when I saw that Rosalie Valentine was hosting a Flash Fiction Dash, I was intrigued.

The Flash Fiction Dash is a challenge where Rosalie gives you either a picture prompt or a words prompt (I can't remember if I chose a words prompt or picture prompt, but since I got an image file with words on it, I'm guessing it was a words prompt), and you write a story from that prompt in under 1,000 words. Here's my prompt:

When I saw the prompt, I was so excited because - guys, it mentions Shakespeare. The theater geek in me was over the moon. I wasn't originally going to make the story actually about theater, but this little sprite got ahold of me a few months ago and has been begging to actually being put down on paper. The prompt had his personality written all over it, so after a lot of resisting I let him run with it. And here's the product. 

     “Hello?”

     As I walked onto the middle of the stage, grasping my thermos of hot chocolate, it felt like invisible eyes were scrutinizing my every move. When an actress is alone onstage, she is meant to be stared at. Now, with no one there to watch me, it felt as if I was defying the rules of theater - or like some unseen person was watching me after all.

     When Uncle Alex said to let myself in through the stage door if Max was late picking me up, I’d thought it would be simple. Stay out of the cold, wait for my chronically-late cousin, and leave. I just didn’t expect my uncle to be serious when he warned me about ghosts.

     Three minutes after I’d settled myself at the edge of the stage and opened my thermos to warm up, the first crash came. I jumped, almost spilling the hot chocolate on myself. Something had fallen, somewhere backstage.

     I got more unsettled as three more things crashed in the next three minutes. When the speakers above me unexpectedly screeched with feedback, I let out a small scream, and looked around wildly.

     “Who’s there?” I tried to sound brave; but no one answered. I took a deep breath, then took a sip of chocolate to calm my nerves. Max couldn’t be much later, and I could leave.

     My heart was still pounding when the speakers screamed again and something landed at my feet with a clatter. One of the whiteboards that Uncle Alex liked to use, with writing on it. Can I have some chocolate?

     Someone was watching me. My nerves, the shivering, building mass of them that were threatening to overflow, snapped a second later when another whiteboard came flying from nowhere - Pretty please?

     “No!” the words escaped me before I could think. “No, you sneaking, wide-eyed, cowardly sprite - I’d let you turn to ice cream before you’d get some!”

     The echo hung over the auditorium, which seemed to scream its silence back at me. And then -

     “Shakespeare would be proud.” The voice came from above me, and I froze.

     It continued. “Maybe. I mean, I don’t know him personally.” I inched my head up, and almost screamed again.

     Sitting on a beam high above was a boy hardly older than me. As I watched, he stood - and hovered roughly twenty feet in the air. I could almost see through him.

     “But I mean - poisonous bunch-backed toads, cream-faced loon - the guy’s a master of insults. I think yours fits right in.”

     He floated between the rafters, not even looking at me. He spied a board on the scaffold across the stage, and a wicked grin appeared on his face.

     The crash the board made when it hit the ground was only half as loud as the beating of my heart.

     The thing turned around, laughing. “Did that scare you, little g-” Blue eyes met mine and his smile faltered. The theater must have gone silent again, but my heartbeat could have been magnified in the hall for all I knew.

     Then it spoke again, a slow smirk forming on its face. “You can see me.” When I didn’t move, it floated towards me. “You can see me, can’t you?”

     Eyes wide, I nodded.

     It let out sudden whoop that made me flinch, and did a flip in the air. “I knew it! Finally - someone new to talk to. You have no idea what a bore Alex can be-”

     “What are you?” Again, the words tumbled out unplanned.

     It - he - cocked an eyebrow at me, unfazed. “Well, every good theater needs a ghost, wouldn’t you say?”

     I stared at him, unable to connect the dots. “You’re a ghost.”

     “Spirit, haunt, spook, monster, devil, handsome - whatever you want to call me. But yes, I’ve been called ghost most often in the past ten years.”

     I remembered my uncle’s warning. I’d thought he was joking. “Ten years?”

    He glided over to me and sat down, cross-legged. “July 14th. Car crash. Screech of tires, metal and - boom - end of Theo Lancaster. I wake up here and barely anyone can see me.”

     “I’m sorry.” My heartbeat was starting to return to normal, and I relaxed a little.

     He waved his hand. “There’s worse that could have happened - and apparently I don’t age, so I’ll stay handsome forever!”

     I laughed, then cocked my head, studying him. “Were you an actor here?”

     Theo nodded. “Nine shows in a row. But I’ve learned to do pretty much everything backstage now. Too much free time.”

     “Do you still act?” I motioned at the empty stage. “I mean, you have the whole theater to yourself.”

     He shrugged. “Not really. What’s the point of acting if no one can see you?”

     I didn’t know what to say to that, and sipped my hot chocolate. Then I glanced up at him. “Well, you have an audience now.”

     He stared at me. “You want me to act?”

     “Why not? It’s not everyday I get to see a theater ghost perform.”

     Theo eyed the thermos in my hands. “I was serious when I asked for hot chocolate, you know.”

     I laughed. “Alright, you can have some. But I get to see you act first.”

     “You’re bribing me?”

     I grinned, and held thermos in front of him. “It’s working, isn’t it?”

     He glared, but grinned as he floated to his feet. “You’ve known me for less than an hour and you’ve already found my weakness.” He took a position in the middle of the stage. “My performance is dedicated to the hostage hot chocolate.”

     Anyone else would have thought I was alone in the theater. They wouldn’t be been able to see the performance of a lifetime. 

     Overall, I had so much fun writing this, and I think that it was a great exercise. I'm generally a rambler and struggle to stop myself from writing just a little more. This story was no exception: at 951 words, I'm just there at the 1,000 word limit. But the challenge was so much fun, and it definitely made me want to explore flash fiction some more. 

What do you think? Have you ever written flash fiction before? Are you interested in writing some now?

The Get to Know Me Tag - Writer's Edition

Savannah tagged me for this ages ago, and I've been dying to do it because it looked like so much fun! And - finally - I did! Ladies and gentlemen, this is the Get to Know Me Tag, Writer's Edition. 

Savannah, thank you so much for this awesome tag - and to those of you who haven't seen her blog before, it is gorgeous and inspiring and you must go explore it. 

link back to the person who created the tag (check!)
thank the person who tagged you (Said it already, but thank you Savannah!! check!)
share the tag graphic (check!)
tag eleven bloggers (erm . . . let's see about that)

(pen)Name: True. Sometimes I go by Vera, when I’m not 100% comfortable with using my real name, or when my real name isn’t an option (the joys and horror of having a word as a name - I love it, but some people or algorithms can’t recognize it as a name) 

Nicknames: None? Most people call me True - I can’t really recall answering to much else. 

Birthday: Sometime near Thanksgiving. 

Hair color and length: Brown and should length!! (I finally cut it after 2 1/2 years of not cutting it, and I am still excited about it.) 

Eye color: Brown. Deep, dark brown. 

Braces/piercings/tattoos: Earrings, one in each ear. No inked art other than the ball-point pen I scribble on my hands or legs when I’m bored. 

Righty or lefty: Righty! 

Ethnicity: Half fairy, half book dragon. Seriously, I’m half Japanese and half “American” (which I’ve traced back to England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Italy, Germany, and Scandinavia, to start). 

First novel written: I was 10. It started from this long, made-up story that I was telling my younger sister and ended in this small white and red notebook, complete with maps and character sketches.

First novel completed: I was 11. It was my Nano for the year, and I finished the “last draft” in June. It was kind of a mixture of Magic Tree House and . . . general fantasy? Yeah, it was *heavily based* off of Magic Tree House, though I didn't realize it then. It was as cringe-worthy as it sounds. 

Award for writing: First place and then tying for first in a minuscule one-minute one-act playwriting competition. Second place in a Cricket poetry contest when I was 12. A few other little things like that. 

First publication: The first time I was published for something I had written was the poem for Cricket (see above). The first time I published something of my own was the first Nano novel that only got three drafts (but that was completely self-published and spur of the moment, and a story all on its own). 

Conference: None - but I would love to try one sometime soon! 

Query/Pitch: Ditto that - nothing yet. 

Novel (that you wrote): My current 100 for 100 project, or the rough  draft that sparked it, probably. It's the one that I'm working on most, that I am most excited about. A fantasy, either YA or middle grade, that's kind of an Inkheart/Coraline feel to it. 

Genre: Fantasy. That’s my favorite genre to write, and my favorite genre to read. But I also love historical, mystery, and some contemporary/realistic. 

Author: No. This question should be banned from existence because how could anyone ever choose a favorite author? I’ll compromise and give a few different authors who have inspired me. Gal Carson Levine. J.K. Rowling. Shannon Messenger. Patricia MacLachlan. 

Writing Music: Usually instrumental, so something like The Piano Guys or some Celtic music. I've also enjoyed writing to soundtracks from movies such as Your Name and The Lord of the Rings or Harry Potter. 

Time To Write: Anytime I can get to a paper, pen, or pencil, or computer. I’ve learned not to be that picky - but I think if I had a preference, I would choose early mornings or late evenings. 

Writing Snack/Drink: I actually don’t often eat or drink when I’m writing - when I’m handwriting, it’s just that I normally don’t snack between meals. When I’m on a laptop it’s because I’m afraid of getting my fingers messy or don’t want to break the rhythm of typing. 

Movie: I actually don't watch a ton of movies, but that doesn't make it easier for me to choose a favorite! Maybe Lord of the Rings, the first movie. And if we're talking Disney movies (like my sisters and I were talking about the other day), then Zootopia, which is adorable and I swear I could watch it a hundred times. 

Writing Memory: Oooh, favorite writing memory. Hmm . . . telling stories to my younger sister late at night? We had “serials” that we would make up, that could continue for weeks. Whispering under the warm blankets in the darkness of our bedroom, and creating improbable but highly entertaining scenarios that included inside jokes that we still might reference from time to time. 

Childhood Book: Depends on what point of childhood. One from my early childhood was Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. A little older, and Little Hose on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. 

Reading: In between “main” books. I just finished Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, and my family is going through Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIMH together.

Writing: Summer is letting me spread my wings a little. I’m polishing a one-minute script for the small contest I mentioned above, as well as an entry for the Penprints Flash Fiction Dash (read: trimming words for the flash fiction dash). I’m also working on my 100for100 project, but have been sidetracked by another little plot bunny that won’t leave me alone (and who am I to refuse it?). 

Listening to: This very second, I'm listening to "The Music of the Night" from Phantom of the Opera because I just discovered it and it's ben stuck in my head. In general, I'm mostly listening to various musical soundtracks again. 

Watching: I think the last thing I watched was Tangled with my sisters the other day (I was slightly underwhelmed). And in the next few days, we’ll watch Moana for the first time, and The King’s Speech with all of my family. 

Learning: So much about my own writing style and about scheduling and pacing. Also, in general, that I have to take action and work in order to make things happen - sitting passively won’t do me any favors. 

Want To Be Published: Yes - eventually. Not right now, but I’m steadily working towards getting some of my WIPs ready for publication. 

Indie or Traditional: Probably traditional - but I’m learning a lot about indie publishing that you wouldn’t know at first glance, and it’s not off the table yet. But for now, my main focus is the manuscript. 

Wildest Goal: World-famous bestseller? Haha - a bit past the stars right there. But the wildest short-term goal would be to try editing or beta-ing some more and learn more about that. 

And I'm going to cheat just a little and leave this tag open to anyone who wants to. Or anyone who can't chose a favorite author - consider yourself tagged. ;) 

Who is your favorite author? What is your wildest goal? And what was your first novel (started or completed)? 

3.5 Things You Learn from Writing Scripts

Summer is a great opportunity to further your writing and experiment a bit off the beaten path. It's a little less structured, and (I, at least) have a little more free time that I can devote to trying new things. One of these new things is Go Teen Writer’s 100-for-100 challenge and the Penprints Flash Fiction Dash is another that I am super excited for.

Another upcoming event I am super excited about is a local youth conference where participants write and perform ten-minute plays over three days. The conference also allows us to individually write one minute, one act plays for a small contest. 

When I participated in this two years ago, it was the first time I'd ever even tried to write a play. But writing a script is something that I’ve come to enjoy, and I've found that it's a great exercise. As fiction writers, there are so many things that we can learn from playwriting - and today I'm going to share three and a half reasons why.

If you look at a script, you might notice that there is a lot of white space. Formatting rules have come to mean that a “cluttered” script is equivalent to an ancient, technical medical textbook: few people enjoy reading it. Scripts remind you that “good” doesn’t necessarily mean “full,” a concept that is important in the fiction world as well.

Scripts are made to be read aloud, and to be performed. And that means that they need to be concise. Every word needs to move the scene along because if it doesn’t, it’s going to stick out and/or bore your audience to death. A ninety-minute play doesn’t have time to talk about the weather or how the main character hate gummy worms - unless it’s important to the plot. Instead, it’s going to have to spend that time furthering the plot.

Omitting these unnecessary details applies to fiction writing, too. When writing novels or short stories might allow more leeway with “unnecessary” description, but you still don’t want to devote too much of your time to it. The plot can’t be jumping every which way with fifteen bajillion little side plots. You need to know what needs to happen and how to make it happen, and what things are necessary to make them come alive, and you get a lot of practice with it in scripts.

 

Another thing you'll notice about scripts is that 95% of a script is dialogue. There is virtually no description: it is up to the actor and director to decide if a specific line is going to be “said happily” or “shouted as Max bangs his fist on the table.” Stage direction is used sparingly - about two or three times a page - and is generally short and technical as possible.

This lack of description means that your ability to write dialogue will improve a lot. Scripts are made to be read aloud, so you will be able to tell if your dialogue is unnatural. Scripts allow you to focus on your dialogue and improve it - and this will do so much for your fiction writing. Likewise, the dialogue is going to have to do its job without description or prose to move it along - it has to be strong on its own.

And because the script is 95% dialogue, it carries so much weight with your characterization. Dialogue is your medium to show the audience - or the actor, who will in turn show the audience - what each character is like. A nervous character might stammer, stumble over their words, or might barely speak at all and retreat. Before an actor brings them to life, a character is created by dialogue.

And this carries over well to fiction writing. The character can’t give us a huge info dump without it sounding really really cringy, because everything’s read aloud. Scripts teach you how to show instead of tell. You have to show through dialogue - is this character stiff, or is she generally energetic or naive? (I will admit that because of time constraints, the audience will sometimes forgive you for telling so long as you do it well, like readers may at the beginning of a book).

This reason applies to so many other types of art, too, but completely works for scripts. Writing a script after only writing prose for so long takes a little bit of mental gymnastics, as you try to understand what works and what doesn’t. It makes you study what you’re doing as a fiction writer and then apply that or change it when you write in this new form - and that by itself is a valuable experience.

  While writing a play is a unique art form in itself, there are so many things in is that carry over to fiction writing. Script-writing is a fun diversion from "usual" writing, and it's a great exercise in general. And scripts can be so much fun to read, to write, and to perform. One thing about a script is that while it's an expression of the writer's inner vision, scripts are really "bridge works," and are meant to be interpreted not just by the reader, but also by directors, actors, and crew members, to bring the story in a different form to a new audience. And that's one reason why I find scripts so neat.

Have you ever written a script, or would you be interested in writing one? What are your summer writing plans?

8 Books of my Childhood

Guess what's coming out this week? If you guessed the final book in the Penderwicks series, you're right! 

Guys, I am so excited to read this last book. The Penderwicks is one of the series I grew up on, and now it's going to be over. Batty and Jane and Skye and Rosalind were all like sisters I didn't have, and I could see so much of myself in all of them. This series was one of the series that I'll go back and reread when I'm old and sitting in a rocking chair because it holds so many memories - of the story, and of me reading them. 

After rereading this series (in anticipation of getting back into the Penderwicks' world), I thought of the other books that were important parts of - let's call it my childhood. Books I'd read over and over, and that I would still go back and read. 

Storybound 

I read Storybound during the November of my first Nano - November of 2012 (wait . . . that long ago?!). It's a sweet tale about a girl who is "Written In" to the world of Story, the world behind every book. Marrissa Burt's writing is very sweet, and reading it over again brings me back to my first forays in writing. 

Little Women 

Very similar to the Penderwicks (in fact, I'd say the Penderwicks in a modern Little Women), Little Women has been a special series to me since I was about ten years old. I devoured all of Alcott's books that I could get my hands on, and loved them all. Now, I cringe a little at how preachy Alcott can get, but when I was ten, twelve years old, Alcott's writing style was home to me. 

The Shakespeare Stealer 

This book was required reading in 5th grade, but I fell in love with it. This book is about Widge, a young apprentice who is ordered to infiltrate the company of actors that Shakespeare worked with and steal the script of Hamlet. Blackwood's writing in general is amazing (two of his other great books are Around the World in 100 Days and Curiosity), and this was an intriguing story.

Ramona

Ah, Ramona. I had a love/hate relationship with this series. Reading one of the books again recently, I was hit with a huge wave of nostalgia. But Ramona was always a bit bratty for me - couldn't the girl understand that stopping and thinking was ever a good idea? But she was also relatable - don't we all make innocent mistakes? But this was a series I read a lot when I was in third or fourth grade. 

Pippi Longstockings 

When I was in second grade or so, I started getting an obsession with the country of Sweden when I did a project over it. And, naturally, that lead to me reading Pippi Longstockings and the other two books in the trilogy. The books tell about a young girl who lives in an old house in Sweden with her monkey, Mr. Nielsen, and the mischief that she and the neighbor children get up to. I think I read this book a dozen times, and the stories never got old to me. Now, the book reminds me about little nine-year-old True who loved the silly story and the country it came from. 

Caleb's Story

The book is one of the rattiest on my shelf, because it's been read so many times. Most people know this series by it's first book, Sarah Plain and Tall. But for me, the first and dearest book is the third book, Caleb's Story. When I was maybe four, I received four "big kid books" from some summer reading club deal at the library and this book was one of them. My dad read me it so many times. When my dad reads, he does voices for each character and can make a story come alive. Caleb's Story was one of the books he worked his magic on - and it's one of those books that I'll never forget. 

Charlotte's Web 

Another book that I got that summer was Charlotte's Web. My dad read my this one, too: and it also became a favorite of mine. Now, the book is almost as ratty as Caleb's Story. We watched the movie several times (not the newer version - I'm talking about the old animated one), and while it was one of my favorites, the book has a special place in my heart that no movie can ever do justice. 

Little House on the Prarie 

Little House was one of my first escapes. I remember my mom finding the first book at a library book sale and giving it to me. I thought the cover could have been prettier (I didn't like the red color), and hated the Indians (reading that part made my stomach curl from second-hand terror, and I'd usually skip it). But I loved the books. I'd read the Long Winter every summer, to try and imagine that it was anywhere close to cold. I remember measuring my age compared to Laura and Mary (and it's slightly frightening to think that I'm as old as Laura is in the last two books).

There we are. Eight books of my childhood - bound pages of stories, but also of unprinted memories. These books definitely shaped my reading preferences, but they also influenced other parts of my life. And I am so glad that I have them all in my mental shelves. 

I want to hear from you! Are there any books here that you have read? What are the books from when you were younger that you remember fondly?