The Sequel: FIRST PARAGRAPH!!! =)

              If I Fall: The Sequel -- Prologue Excerpt

The blazing streak of dawn cut along the horizon like the burning wick of a candle. Fraying strands of pink melding with the sapphire blue of the ocean and sky. Adam Laurence could just see the light stretching across the harbor through the narrow gap between the slums. He walked towards the middle of the street, afraid the precarious tenements might collapse. They quaked and trembled, the wooden boards rattling in the strong, morning gale. He kept his eye on the sparkling water. The light caressed the bobbing ships; their masts jutting out into the air like outstretched arms begging the heavens for mercy.

:)

Over to you...did the point of view change surprise you? Do you like it? What are your thoughts on writing that first paragraph? Do you prefer starting with dialogue, imagery, plot, etc?

It's Official

That's right.

It's officially official! BOOK TWO HAS BEGUN!!! And I am soo soo excited to write it. I will be posting a few excerpts and teasers as I go, but I just wanted to share the fantastic news! Questions will be answered! Secrets will be unveiled! And blood will be shed! It's going to be a thrilling ride! AND I CANNOT WAIT TO SHARE IT WITH YOU!

Until then, I will simply leave you with an anecdote that I feel sums up my thoughts on the matter quite well...Ahem: EEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!! :D :D :D

Over to you . . . What do you hope to learn in the next book? Have any suggestions for things you'd like to read about? What's your favorite sequel to any series you have ever read?

Writing Advice

Two of the best pieces of writing advice I have ever found are two simple quotes. Enjoy!

"Writer's write."

--Simple right? It doesn't say they land a publishing deal. It doesn't say they make the New York Times Bestseller list. No. It just says one simple thing: they write.

"Don't get it right, get it written."

--So if you're like me and are obsessing over every single little detail before you're even done the first chapter, follow this quote as though it is your writing bible! Do not worry about getting it right, save that for editing. JUST GET IT WRITTEN! =)

Over to you . . . what are some of your favorite writing quotes? Do these quotes speak to you the way they speak to me?

If I Fall: The First Sentence

Some say a first sentence can make or break a book. If it doesn't capture the reader's attention, you mind as well just stop there. Many writers find the task of writing that opening line so difficult that they just skip it, leaving it for the very end. I, personally, however, have always found the first sentence to be one of the most enjoyable parts of writing. Although, I must agree, it is not always a simple task.

The first sentence an unknowing bookstore browser might read upon blindly picking up If I Fall is the following:

Frothy waves claw at the shore, reaching for the unattainable, reaching for me.



Over to you . . . do you find writing the first line to be a difficult task? What are some of your favorite first lines that you have either read or wrote? What do you look for in an opening sentence? Does If I Fall's first sentence capture your attention? :)

If I Fall: The Cover

This bookcover was created by my bestest friend, number one fan, and photoshop wizard: Saba A! She is a fantastic short story writer and if she lets me, I may one day share her work with you. Until then, you can just sit back and admire this positively beautiful cover! :)

If I Fall: The Pitch

 IF I FALL

What if there was a war in your history that you never knew about? A war you cannot find in your history textbook . . . because they never wanted you to know. What if that war was caused by a race of people who are special, who have gifts, who are Marked?

 People like me.

My name is Elvira Hamilton and I have a secret . . . I'm not like you.

In 1901, there was a war.

My people were special and yours were jealous. So jealous, you tried to kill us. All of us. One night, the war reached my village. Those who despised us had come, at last. Radicals we called them. My sister and I escaped, but my mother and father were not so lucky. With the war raging in England, we only had one choice left. Escape the war and flee to America with the other refugees. The only problem is, we are not refugees and we are not supposed to leave.

* * *
Full of action, suspense, magic, and love, If I Fall is a story about a girl with a Mark everyone fears; though as far as she knows, she has no powers. As a stowaway on the ship, a series of reoccurrences with a Mr. Laurence have her in a bind. Should she tell him the truth and risk being handed over to the Radicals or should she continue to lie, risking the loss of his trust and friendship along with everything else . . .

Over to you . . . Does this pitch capture your attention? Does it sound like what you might read on a book jacket? Does it make you want to read the book? What qualities do you think make the most appealing pitches?

Inspiration

It's hard to always say what inspires you to write. It could be the need to fill the white void that follows that blinking black line at the beginning of a new document or the immaculate first page of a notebook. It could be an event, a person, an emotion. It could be that first sprout of green in a land of ice. It could be someone else's words.

Inspiration can be anything.

My inspiration can be found on the pages of every book I ever read. The words that made me feel something. The ones that made me smile, cry, laugh . . . Those words inspired me to do the same, to make someone else feel something just by skimming over the words I put on paper. It is a direct transaction between writer and reader. Sometimes, it's not even what we meant to give. But it does not matter, because the point is that the reader found something that struck true in their hearts . . . something that inspired them!

I want to be that inspiration for someone.

I want my words to have an effect on their emotions, good or bad.

Why? Because words are power.


Over to you . . . what is your inspiration? What do you think inspiration is? Have any books inspired you?