Monday's Muse~Boys With Swords
I finished reading Across The Universe on the airplane back from San Francisco. It was a great story and I would recommend it for teens and adults. There appeared to be one gaping hole in the plot but I'm confident that it wasn't a hole at all. I have faith it is a plot twist that will rear its head in a second book. If you like sci-fi or just a great story buy it, read it, you will enjoy it! Now I'm reading The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney and I'm really enjoying it. I love Karen's writing style and character development. I'm totally sucked in. It doesn't hurt that the cover is beautiful, inside and out!
So tell me, do you have as much fun working on character arc as you do story arc? What have you read recently that you enjoyed? By the way, the picture if from the movie A Knight's Tale starring the late, great Heath Ledger.
Your book sounds like a quest plot. I do love my characters and all the trials that change them.
ReplyDeleteNancy
N. R. Williams, The Treasures of Carmelidrium
Nope... can't blame you at ALL. ;D
ReplyDeleteN.R., It kind of is, if internal quests count! LOL! I do love my characters too, but you can probably tell that. LOL!
ReplyDeleteLisa, um hum! No kidding huh?!
Character arcs make fun reading for the reader and absorbing writing for authors. I took pains to deepen the reader's understanding of Victor Standish from the start of his tale to the surprising end.
ReplyDeleteThere is a revelation in the middle that allows the reader to see the true reason for Victor's brash attitude. And in the end, he himself realizes that his "bravery" earlier in the novel merely came from his having nothing worthwhile to lose -- and his true bravery at the end stemmed from his rather losing his life than the family he had finally found.
Character : it is the heart of our novels. Great post, Roland
I'm right in the middle of melting my cold authorial heart to let my antagonist's arc emerge—he's a complicated guy with a lot of psychic pain, so I'm bracing myself for his reactions to his chance to grow and change (translated: things not going his way unless he comes to a new understanding—will he?) Great post, Heather, thanks!
ReplyDeleteI love character arcs when I'm done working on them, but I find them oh-so-painful to make believable. Sigh!
ReplyDeleteRoland, great point it does make for excellent reading. I love Victor's character arc!
ReplyDeleteLinda, it sounds like you're in the thick of it. I love that!
Talli, me too! It is so hard to get them just right but so worth the effort when we do.
I'm reading Across the Universe now so I'm grateful for the review. Character arcs are always exciting. I can imagine that you do enjoy writing about handsome warriors ;)
ReplyDeleteIt's a great read Roxy, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! And hey, handsome warriors are where it's at. ;)
ReplyDeleteOhh Across The Universe! Awesome! Can't wait to read it. I love the character arc where you really see a positive change in the character. I've been thinking about this alot lately!
ReplyDeletewww.laurahoward78.blogspot.com
I really love reading and writing character arcs! And I'm happy you just did.
ReplyDeleteI recently finished the DUFF and Anna and The French Kiss, and I really LOVED them both!
Now I'm reading Wither (galley grab) and so far I'm loving it, too! :D
Laura, it is a great book! Thank you so much for stopping by and for following. Glad to have you with us!
ReplyDeleteMonica, I've been wanting to read both of those! Great to hear that you enjoyed them so much. They're on my list!
Hi Heather, what a doll he is. Yes, I do have as much fun with my character as I do with my novel. She is a living, breathing, fun loving person.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing that picture. Such a sad ending. But then, we never really know, it could be the beginning.
I’m reading A Kiss at Midnight by Shana Abe, which is a great book with fabulous character arcs. It’s really been an inspiration in my own writing.
ReplyDeleteOh, yours sound fun! I love it when characters grow and change. I have a bad habit of creating complex characters that have to grow because of circumstances. Also, why didn't you tell us what the plot hole was? I'm so dying to hear it now.
ReplyDeleteYou know it's really hard to read your post when I'm too busy gazing dreamily at the hot guy. Le Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI love thinking about all knights I mean arcs. :D
Karlene, I love ypur MC too! She has so much depth and personality! And you're right, an end to one adventure means the beginning of another.
ReplyDeleteLindsey, I'll have to check that out, it sounds really good!
LM, I can't tell you because it's a big spoiler! Besides, I'm hoping it isn't a hole at all but ends up being a plot twist in book two! I'd love to discuss it after you read the novel!
ReplyDeleteStina, LOL! I know, imagine how hard it was to write?!
I'm struggling to make character arcs work in my WIP. It's hard to do it right!
ReplyDeleteAnd Heather, I'd love to discuss the plot hole. I read it a few weeks ago. Please email!
lydiaykang (at) gmail (dot) com
Lydia, so true, it is hard. I'm so excited that you've read ATU! I look forward to talking to you about it. I'll be emailing you soon!
ReplyDeleteI love character arcs. Our characters need to change and develop to add excitement to our works.
ReplyDeleteIn my newest novel my mc turns from a womanizing bad-boy to something so much more.
Michael
Well said Michael! When characters change it adds so much depth. It sounds like your new MC would get along great with my new MC!
ReplyDeleteAh, Heath. So sad. I loved him in The Patriot. It's so cool that you've had fun writing your antagonists character arc. I'll bet that passion shines through in your manuscript!
ReplyDeleteIt really is sad. I loved him in that movie too Julie! And thanks, I hope my joy for my characters does shine through in my ms!
ReplyDeletecharacter arcs are so difficult, yet so important. When done right in a book, you can bet that book is very successful. I think that's where my writing is lacking at times, so I struggle with it. I love the pic and I have many boys with swords in the manuscript I'm querying right now. For some odd reason, boys with swords are hot (especially the late, great Heath Ledger. :D
ReplyDeleteI'm working more on my antagonist too. :) I really enjoyed reading ACROSS THE UNIVERSE. You have to let me know what you think of the IRON WITCH. It's on my TBR list!
ReplyDeleteBrenda, me too! I know that when my book is just not cutting it that's usually what I need to work on. But knowing is half the battle so we're almost there! So true about boys with swords, um hum!
ReplyDeleteKaren, I'm enjoying The Iron Witch a lot. I'm about half way through it!
I have to be careful, actually, because my tendency is to focus more on characters than on the plot! I spend a lot of time revising because of that. Trying to improve with this next WIP.
ReplyDeleteYou'll have to tell me what you think of The Iron Witch!
Your on the other side of the revising fence then Carol! LOL! We'll definitely have to help each other out on that. :) So far The Iron Witch is great!
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