Get Lost in Literature

Today, I want to acknowledge kids in literature. Regardless of genre, the right child character, used just the right way, is effective at enhancing a storyline. Few things are rarely as horrifying as a child; the epitome of vulnerability one moment and then the next, innocence corrupted to the point you have to wonder whether or not they were ever innocent at all.   Few narrators can better tell a story about right and wrong, life and death, fiction and reality, than a capricious child who hasn't yet allowed himself to understand the differences.  Few ideas can spread hope like the story of an orphan naively clinging to courage, no matter its cost.  And few characters are so eager to guide us on an adventure, as a curious child looking to have one of her own. Here's to all the fictional children of the literary world, the ones who terrified us, taught us, inspired us, and led us. Got a favorite literary child?

Not to be confused with B-day, today I want to acknowledge that not all main characters have to be nice or even likable to be considered the main protagonist. You can have a miserable person as a protagonist and it doesn't necessarily make it the story of an anti-hero. Let's start with a classic: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens . Ebenezer Scrooge, is a man so unpleasant 'Santa Claus' (God or Fate) sent 3 (4 if we count Marley) ghosts to haunt him into death or redemption. The story, despite revolving around an angry, greedy old man, hasn't been out of print since its original publication in 1843. There's also The Magicians by Lev Grossman . The story is about Quentin Coldwater (teen wizard) who is never happy. No matter what he gets, he always wants more, and when he gets more, that's not good enough either.Although I personally found the book as unlikable as it's protagonist, the story became a NY Times Bestseller and an internationally be...

"Show, don't tell." im·age·ry (n.) - visually descriptive or figurative language, esp. in a literary work The use of Imagery in storytelling, is by far my favorite literary devices. It's when an author goes beyond telling a story, and uses words to "paint a picture" that allow a reader to not just bear witness to a story, but imagine themselves experiencing the events within.  Imagery isn't just the description of a setting or character, it isn't just visual, although that's certainly a common use for it. Imagery can be applied to all of your senses: eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and fingertips. You could also apply imagery to a sense of movement, climate, and emotional state. The right combination of words can not just put the reader in a moment, but also give them a sense of a story's atmosphere. Say I wanted to describe falling snow to someone who'd never seen it. Tell: "Snow falls, cold and white, covering the law...

Historical Fiction  is a literary genre the has a historical setting... Despite being set in the past, historical fiction is under very little obligation to be historically accurate.  There's Historical Romance like Water for Elephants;  where Jacob Jankowski, having experience a financial and familial loss during the Great Depression, runs away with the circus and falls in love...With a circus performer named Marlena and an elephant named Rosie. I personally thought that the Marlena character was a bit weak and Rosie was just so easy to love.  There's Historical Fantasy  like Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter . Where magical, mythical, supernatural events are often involved in the retelling of real historical place / event. In Seth Grahame-Smith's book, Abraham Lincoln (real person) is plagued by the undead (supernatural) and realizes that vampires are using slave labor as a means for survival...  Alternate History (Speculative) which involve ...

"Who run the world? Girls!" There's an overwhelming amount of powerful male characters in fiction, from superheroes, wizard savants, and knights. Women are often cast as clever sidekicks and distressing damsels. It's done often, because it's a proven methodology that works. Men want to be the heroes and women want to be swept off their feet. There's nothing wrong with that. Except once in awhile, it's a nice change to read about a woman saving herself, who doesn't need a man to validate the person she is. Today I want to showcase some of my favorite literary heroines.  Morwenna Phelps, the daughter of a crazed witch, goes to live with her estranged father and attends a boarding school. She's struggling to overcome her tragic past in an environment that is devoid of magic, except for Mor's personal talent for seeing fairies. She's a bookworm, she knows who she is, and she embraces it. For Mor, life isn't a popularity contest--Yo...

I've made it no secret that I adore fantasy. No matter how many times I go off for an "alternative genre" binge, I always return. What I can't stand, is the eye-roll I get from someone seeing me read a book with dragon on the cover... "Because isn't fantasy just for children?"  No. No it isn't. Which is why I've decided to dedicate the letter F to my favorite genre and talk about some of the glorious sub-genres (that don't necessarily appeal to kids) with-in the fantasy culture.  (illustrated by some of my favorites of course!) . High Fantasy (aka Epic)  High Fantasy takes place in an alternate world, often includes religions, languages, cultures, creatures and characters, very few of which can be identified as coming from our own reality. JRR Tolkien is a classic example.  High fantasy is not to be confused with Heroic Fantasy.  Heroic Fantasy also includes a fair amount of word building, but the separating difference is story confli...

We've all heard the expression: Don't judge a book by it's cover. I bet at some point or another, we've all violated this cardinal rule; whether or not we're all willing to confess to its violation, is another story. I am willing to confess that a pretty cover does make a difference. I've picked up books, I would not otherwise have touched, based on looks alone. Because something about the cover art appealed to my imagination, sense of intrigue, or emotional center and I couldn't imagine a world where a cover like that could be on a book that was bad. Sometimes this impulsive and shallow move pays off.  Like with one of my favorites, The Map of Time by Felix J Palma . I picked this book for no other reason than it was nice looking. When I cracked it open, I fell in love with this overly verbose, convoluted tale of ill-fated lovers, time travelers, and dreamers. Sometimes vanity pays off. Other times a pretty cover hides a bad story.  Like with...