"Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly" by Gail Carson Levine

Writing. For those of us who enjoy doing it, writing can be magical. We can create our own little worlds on paper and fill them with characters from our own imaginations.  

When our hands touch the keyboard or our pen touches the paper, anything becomes possible.

But sometimes we get stuck. We don’t know what to write. Our characters don’t feel real. We get bored with the story.

In Writing Magic: Creating Stories That Fly award winning author Gail Carson Levine shares tips and techniques she’s learned in her career. She admits that she often gets stuck or bored or completely frustrated with her characters.

With fun examples and ideas, she gives you advice on how to get over these humps and discusses what stories are made of. From this book I learned what a good beginning to a story often looks like, tips on how to wrap up a story, and the best way to write a conversation.

But the thing that impressed me most about this book was that it wasn’t boring. It didn’t feel like a typical how-to book. It was actually extremely fun and enjoyable to read.

Really, though, I shouldn’t have been surprised. Levine’s always been able to grab my attention with her writing.

Through this book you might just learn how to grab your reader’s attention too.

Note:

Some of what Levine shares is just her opinion. Whenever you are listening to advice about writing, try to keep in mind that quite a bit of it is probably just opinion. Don’t discard the advice, however: listen and consider it.

Just know that writing is not like math. There is no exact formula, no “one” answer to a problem. Everyone has his or her own unique writing style.

With math, two plus two always equals four and if you dispute this people will think you’re crazy.

With writing, one person will tell you one thing and someone else will tell you something entirely different. Who’s in the right?

They might both be in the right. Their advice might be equally viable. In the end, you have to decide what your own unique style will look like.

Will you use the first person’s advice or the second person’s advice?

You decide. You’re the writer.     

Should your sentences by long or short?  

You decide. You’re the writer.

Should you use first-person point of view or third-person? Which is better?
You decide. You’re the writer.

Book Review of "The Two Princesses of Bamarre" by Gail Carson Levine

This book is a tale of two sisters: Adelina and Meryl, the princesses of the magical land of Bamarre. Meryl is blonde and brave. She longs to go on quests to battle the ogres, dragons, gryphons, and specters that plague their land.  Adelina is dark-haired and timid. She is afraid of everything; from monsters right down to spiders. One day something occurs that will change the course of both sisters lives forever. Meryl falls ill to the Gray Death, an incurable disease that strikes suddenly and takes swiftly. Adelina knows there is a cure out there somewhere. Propelled by a love that is stronger than fear she embarks on a quest to save her sisters life.   

Written by the author of Newbery Medal winner “Ella Enchanted,” this story is one of my favorite fantasy novels. It combines fantastical creatures and occurrences with the relatable story of a sibling bond that is so strong it is unbreakable. What touched me most about this story is the love that Adelina has for Meryl, a love that moves her to do above and beyond what she thought she could. This novel is sure to move you, excite you, and enchant you in a way that only the best fantasy authors can.

Inspirations 4 Writing

Consider writing a story about a relationship between two or more people: siblings, friends, etc. Don’t merely state in your story that these characters love each other so much they would do anything for each other. Have the characters demonstrate this by their actions, as Adelina demonstrated it by risking her own life for her sister. Actions often speak louder then words.