"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.

"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling

For years, I thought that Harry Potter was a terrible book. I assumed that it was a dark story about witchcraft that glorified evil, and I was shocked if anyone told me they had read it. However, I supposed all these thing without actually having read the book for myself. One day my mom and I made the decision to try it out. We sat down in the living room and started reading it together. I was in love with it from the very first sentence. I discovered quickly that Harry Potter is anything but dark and evil. On the contrary, it is an enchanting fantasy story full of excitement and adventure that makes you think deeply about life.  

In "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," (which is the first book in the series), Harry Potter is a 10-year-old orphan who has lived nearly his entire life with his aunt and uncle. On Harry’s eleventh birthday he discovers a truth that will change his life forever. He is a wizard.

Simultaneously, he receives a letter telling him that he has been accepted at Hogwarts school of magic. Harry is abruptly thrust into a world he never knew existed; the wizarding world. In that world Harry learns that portraits can talk, trolls really exist, and animals sometimes turn out to be people.

Yet he also discovers something else, a fact far more sinister: there’s a dark wizard on the loose, and he wants Harry dead.

Note to Parents: I would not recommend this book for younger children, but rather for ages 12 and up. 

Inspirations 4 Writing

One of the many reasons I admire J.K. Rowling is her stunning imagination. It’s as if she left all boundaries behind when writing about the wizarding world and let her imagination go wild. The result is a book full of spell-binding adventures, fantastical creatures, and magical objects that excite the curiosity and capture the mind’s-eye. If you like writing children’s fantasy, try letting your imagination loose as well and see what you come up with.   

A Child's Anthology of Poetry

A Child's Anthology of Poetry, edited by Elizabeth Hauge Sword with Victoria Flournoy McCarthy

Do you find poetry boring? Dull? Dreary? If so, then you have not yet read this book. It is an anthology of some of the most interesting and entertaining poems I have read. They range from light-hearted poems by such authors as Emily Dickinson, to dark tragedies like the famous poem, “The Highwayman.” All in all, this book will give you a round diet of some of the best poetry written. Even people who strongly detest poetry might just change their mind after reading this collection.

Inspirations 4 Writing

After reading some of the poems in “A Child’s Anthology of Poetry” try your hand at writing a poem or two of your own.

Stuck? Here are some suggestions to get you started. Study the rhythm of the words in “The Highwayman.” Why is it as haunting is it is? How can you infuse this style into your own poetry?

Read a poem by Emily Dickinson and then write your own poem from the unique outlook of life that she possessed. See if you can see things in a new and whimsical way, like she did. Keep studying the other poems in the book for inspiration. Who knows? You might even become the next Robert Frost!

Book Review of "The Ides of April" by Mary Ray

Hylas is a Greek slave. His master is the affluent Caius Pomponius. One day Hylas wakes to discover that his master was murdered in bed while asleep in a room in his villa. Suspicion instantly falls on the household slaves; who else in the villa could have committed the vile crime? In Rome when one slave was suspected of murder every single slave in the house was executed, whether man, woman or child. Soldiers soon arrive, arrest the slaves, and herd them to prison. Hylas, however, manages to escape arrest and flees the house. It is only a matter of time before he will be missed and the soldiers start searching for him. Hylas is frantic, and for good reasons. His own mother is one of the slaves facing torture and death in a Roman prison. Trusting his life into the hands of people he hardly knows, Hylas must somehow prove that the murderer was not one of the slaves while evading capture himself.

This exciting mystery set just after the time of Christ is so thrilling that I could not put it down. The author connected me emotionally with the characters and compelled me to pause a moment to imagine how it might have felt like to be a slave in Rome. I found myself growing exceedingly angry at the distorted form of justice displayed by the Roman Empire in such murder cases.

At the same time, I was moved by the mercy showed to Hylas by people who are virtual strangers. When an author can invoke so many different emotions while juggling a complicated cast of characters I cannot help but be greatly inspired. 

                       

 Inspirations 4 Writing

How does it feel like to be a slave? How does it feel like to be an escapee with your life on the line? Ponder these questions and try to imagine yourself in such circumstances. Then write feelingly about a character who is either a slave, an escapee running from some danger, or both.

"I Am David" by Anne Holm

 

 David is a young boy who has lived in a concentration camp for as long as he can remember. All he knows is concrete and barbed wire, cruel hard guards, and desperate prisoners. He has never seen a tree. He has never seen a child his own age. He has never even heard music before. One day a guard at the concentration camp suddenly takes pity on David and helps him to escape. At last David is free. But how can a single boy who is virtually a stranger to the outside world survive on his own?

The author of “I am David” writes so vividly and emotionally about David’s plight that I was moved to tears. In the course of his short life David has experienced suffering, evil and death close-hand. Music, food, and laughter are things that never cease to be miraculous to him. Things we take for granted he sees as extraordinary gifts. In reading David’s story I realized how rich in blessings my own life is.  

I hope that other people who read this book are moved similarly. I know for certain that they will eagerly read to find out what becomes of David, and if he will ever find a place where he truly belongs.

Inspirations 4 Writing  

Imagine a setting with a character who is without the necessities and pleasures which we often take for granted. Perhaps the character is lost in the wilderness, or, like David, is in a prison camp. Use your imagination. What would it feel like? Try to put yourself into this character’s shoes in the way the author of “I Am David” put herself in David’s shoes. How does the character feel like when he/she returns to civilization? 

Book Review of "Sparrows in the Scullery" by Barbara Brooks Wallace

Colly Trevelyan is an eleven-year-old boy who has been coddled and protected by his wealthy parents for all of his life. When he receives the news that his beloved parents were killed in a carriage accident, he is devastated. He knows his life is about to change for the worse, but he could not have possibly imagined how worse… 

On a cold dark night, two men creep into his room and kidnap him. He is taken to The Broggin Home for Boys, an institute that is run by the miserly and cruel Mr. and Mrs. Crawler. The façade of the institute is that of a loving refuge for homeless boys where they will be educated and taken care of. In reality, Mr. and Mrs. Crawler use orphaned boys as free labor in factories.

It is all Colly can do not to slip into despair. Why was he kidnapped and taken here? Who kidnapped him? Will he ever be rescued?

This riveting mystery story has been a favorite of mine for years. From the start, the author opens a window into Colly’s heart and mind, vividly describing his thoughts and emotions during his abduction and while he is at The Broggin Home for Boys. The way she describes Mr. and Mrs. Crawler and also the other poor orphans at the institute renders them unforgettable. Years after reading it I could still recall the details of the Crawlers appearances and even the names and characteristics of the boys. I remember that when I was a little girl listening to a recording of the novel on tape I exclaimed to my mom, “Someday I want to write a book just like this!” If an author has the ability to inspire young people in their desire to be a writer you know that they have to be good!

Inspirations 4 Writing

The title of the story at first appears enigmatic and unintelligible. After all, what do sparrows have to do with a mystery story about orphans? Upon reading it, however, the meaning of the title becomes clear. Titles like these always inspire me to carefully choose significant names for my novels, a name that catches your eye and holds deep meaning that is fully understood only when you read the book.  

Book review of "A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray" by Ann M. Martin

This unique novel is the first-person account of a stray dog who relates her life to you, beginning with her puppy years and ending when she is an elderly dog. With the progression of the story you become increasingly attached to Squirrel, the lost puppy whose mother left one day and never returned. Squirrel and her brother Bone must survive on their own in the world, attempting to stay far from danger and find food, as best as two small puppies can.

The heartwarming story of a stray dog is a deceptively simple one. At first it seems merely a children’s bedtime story, but this well-written tale is bound to intrigue people of all ages, even some adults.  Many times  it is the story that begins with a relatively simple idea and plotline that develops into a well-loved book. I hope this book encourages writers that you do not have to have a lofty and complicated plotline to have a book that will be cherished forever. 

Inspirations 4 Writing

Be inspired with how the author took a simple idea and made a heartwarming story out of it. Think of something relatively simple: a boy who builds a tree house, a lost cat, a girl who wants a doll, etc. Then write a story about it connecting your readers with the characters in a very real way.

Book Review of “Wet Magic” by E. Nesbit 

 

I am especially excited to do a review on this book because it is a favorite tale of mine from a favorite author. Edith Nesbit wrote books about a century ago, but they still hold entertainment for readers of all ages today. She was the fantasy writer who inspired C.S. Lewis in his writing of “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.”

In her books she contains the proper amount of unrealistic fun and enchantment, as well as the delightful everyday details spun in between that make even the magical essence of her writings seem real. I find Nesbit’s works extremely stimulating to the imagination. Anyone who loves fantasy has got to read one of her books.

 

Wet Magic is about 4 siblings who are going on a trip to the beach for the very first time. What they find there is more entrancing then even the seaside: a mermaid being displayed at the circus. The siblings are determined to rescue her, for they have been told that all mermaid’s die in captivity. As a result, they are invited on a magical underwater adventure that rivals their wildest imaginings. On the way they have run-ins with swordfish and other sea creatures who fight as soldiers for the mermaid kingdom, enemy sharks, and the ominous clan of Under Folk, the mermaid kingdom’s sworn foes. Join them on this delightful escapade that is sure to charm readers of every age.

 

What I love about this book is the underlying theme that people (or mermaids) aren’t always what they seem on first impression. Secret identities and unexpected meetings give the story a rapid pace. Nesbit also seems to have deep insight into the mind of children and how they view things. Characters in her books, such as nasty aunts or crabby cooks that cannot comprehend how children see things, are vividly described in the way a younger person might view them. A child’s thirst for magic and adventure can be seen and her stories would draw a like audience. But that audience does not have to be limited to children: teens and adults will also be able to appreciate the suspense, depth, and innocence of E. Nesbit’s fairy tales.

 

Story Starter Ideas:

• Create a fairy tail in which ordinary children with ordinary lives run into magic. Do they go to another world? Or is magic encountered in our own world, such as happens in “Wet Magic?”
• Be detailed. Imagine how its like to be in the shoes of your children characters. How do they view life and the people they encounter?
• Be original. Be inspired by authors such as Nesbit, but don’t copy the distinct elements found in their literature. For example, Lewis was inspired by her to have some sort of link between our world and another world, but the wardrobe idea was his own. Come up with something different and imaginative!  

Book Review of “A Parcel of Patterns”

Though this book by Jill Patton Walsh appears small, each page is a bounty of rich words that spin a true story in Puritan times, told from the viewpoint of Mall, a fictional character in the 1660’s.
Mall lives in the small village of Eyam, located in Derbyshire England. Her life is fairly simple, the most complex facets it contains being when a ewe in her flock of sheep has birth complications, and her fear that her father will not approve of the man she has fallen in love with. Then when an innocent appearing parcel of patterns appears on the doorstep of one of the village residents, the whole village is plunged into a traumatic experience beyond what they would have dared conceive, even in their nightmares. For the innocent parcel of patterns purchased from London had carried with it that terrible disease, the plague. It spreads rapidly through the village, people falling sick with it and dying at an appalling rate.

The two parsons of the village hold opposing views of the reasons why people fall sick with the plague. One believes that people are struck ill by the wrath of God, a punishment for concealed wickedness of heart. The other believes that we cannot comprehend why God does what He does, but that it is not punishment that people are dying. He thinks that exposure to the plague is why villagers are becoming sick. But in his attempt to get as far away as possible from the Puritan idea that if you are righteous, God will protect you from all calamities, he seems to be implying that God won’t protect you at all.
Out of fear, most of the villagers’ side with the parson who tells them that repentance will protect them from harm.
What view would you hold, if you were a villager of Eyam? Would you agree with either parson?
I would definitely not recommend this book for children, but rather for young adults about age 13 and up. The details of the plague are so gruesome that I had to take a break from reading it at one point. I had grown sick of people falling sick. It was gripping enough however, that I soon picked it up where I had left off and completed it. It held my attention to the very end and is a well wrought piece of informative historical fiction.

Story Starting Ideas:

• Research Puritans in the 1660’s and Puritan beliefs.
• Write a story from the first-person viewpoint of a resident in a Puritan village. Does this person agree or disagree with the teaching of the village parson?
• Write a simple story of everyday life in a Puritan village.
• Go deeper and research Quaker’s beliefs and how Puritan’s treated Quakers in 1666. Not pretty, is it? Perhaps you can write about a Quaker in exile because of his/her beliefs.

You can purchase this book on Amazon