Teens Writing for Teens, the 5th

Parum, that's great!

Gah, I've got to do a 200-page portfolio of a kid that I have been observing for the last few weeks. It's due in two weeks and I know it's gonna be a pain.

Thanks dragon They've been at the hospital (my mum had to take him) for hours.
I've written nearly 3000 words today. I was doing a scene that seemed so easy to write, but now... i've halted. oops


They also had to take MY car... so I couldn't have gone anywhere even if i'd wanted to -.- lol

I'm starting to realize that maybe writing a villain is harder than it seems without him being corny.

Is it necessary to outright describe what a character looks like as soon as they turn up in a story? Can I not drag out bits like.. when the MC notices things and then explains, throughout? I just didn't want to dump a load of description during an intense scene.

Missus Akasha said:

I'm starting to realize that maybe writing a villain is harder than it seems without him being corny.

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It is hard, but my villian was so evil you are disgusted by him by the end of the book - so he really isn't corny.

My older brother once took an overdose in the middle of the night. Rushed to hospital. Absolutely terrifying. Hope your brother gets better, Kat.

Thanks. They say it could be a severe form of IBS but it's been going on for over 2 weeks now and he's barely managing to take anything down, food wise. He's lost over a stone and he seriously didn't need to. Mum's fretting. She says he was crying when she picked him up. He's a grown man - well, in age. maybe not mentally ... that's not a good sign!

Allaboutwords13 said:

Is it necessary to outright describe what a character looks like as soon as they turn up in a story? Can I not drag out bits like.. when the MC notices things and then explains, throughout? I just didn't want to dump a load of description during an intense scene.

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That's a good question. For me, I think it goes either way. Speaking of which, I've been watching the Hunger Games fandom lately and there has been some backslash about three characters who will be portrayed by three black actors.

Two of the characters were identified as "dark-skinned" and the author of the book said that the characters were African American while the other character didn't have a solid description of them to indicate his race. Most of them assumed that "dark-skinned" and the characters being described as having "dark brown skin" meant they were white characters with dark brown tans or thought they were pale and had blond hair.

I guess I am a bit conflicted because I have a black female lead in my story and I was going to describe her as dark-skinned. Should you beat a character's description over your reader's head just incase there is any misunderstanding or is it a waste of time?

Parum: What is your story about?

Allaboutwords: I hope your brother feels better!

Thanks Missus.
Yeah, it's a tough decision. I've sort of left most of it up to the reader (if i get any readers, that is ) and will fill gaps in later on when it's less...intense. The MC is kinda having a hard time at the moment. Poor girl! lol


Update: My brother's having to stay over night and being moved to another ward. He may be in til monday. OMG

Allaboutwords13 said:

Thanks Missus.
Yeah, it's a tough decision. I've sort of left most of it up to the reader (if i get any readers, that is ) and will fill gaps in later on when it's less...intense. The MC is kinda having a hard time at the moment. Poor girl! lol


Update: My brother's having to stay over night and being moved to another ward. He may be in til monday. OMG

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Oh, no. :<

I know. My mum's really worried, and I don't blame her.

Hi, guys!

Kat -- I hope your brother gets better soon.

It's tempting to prepare to write the next two boy/boy fairytale I have in mind, and write them after Sticks and Stones (I want to wait until I get the full Scrivener before I continue Underdogs and the fanfiction). I already decided there's going to be a school dance in the Cinderella retelling. Blame the songs: "Marry You" sung by the Glee Cast and "It Won't Be Long" sung by Evan Rachel Wood. I was listening to both of them today.

Missus Akasha said:

Speaking of which, I've been watching the Hunger Games fandom lately and there has been some backslash about three characters who will be portrayed by three black actors.

Two of the characters were identified as "dark-skinned" and the author of the book said that the characters were African American while the other character didn't have a solid description of them to indicate his race. Most of them assumed that "dark-skinned" and the characters being described as having "dark brown skin" meant they were white characters with dark brown tans or thought they were pale and had blond hair.

I guess I am a bit conflicted because I have a black female lead in my story and I was going to describe her as dark-skinned. Should you beat a character's description over your reader's head just incase there is any misunderstanding or is it a waste of time?

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This is one of the few occasions on which I'd advise getting out a hammer. The fact that the protagonist is black is important.

I am so tempted to try and interview Cassandra Clare for my feature assesment. I've already put her name down in my feature summary as someone I'd like to interview, but I'll see how it goes.

Hi, Para! How's it going?

lisalulu09 said:

I am so tempted to try and interview Cassandra Clare for my feature assesment.

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That would be...awesome.

I KNOW. Just because I LOVE HER.

I have no idea what to do concerning my retellings...

Hi Lisa! I'm peachy thanks. How about you?

I'm good, just having a bit of a dialemma (sp?).

Which retellings? And what do you mean you have no idea what to do about them? You...write them?

My boy/boy retellings of Cinderella and (possibly) Sleeping Beauty. I get bored sometimes watching TV in the mornings (when I don't have my laptop or a book during the breaks) and during breaks at uni, and I was thinking I could prepare to write them using index cards and music. Basically doing what I'm going to do when I've got a load of ideas. See my first post today, that might explain the cause of the dialemma.

For the millionth time, woman. STOP overthinking it and just WRITE. Words on paper. Or the computer screen. I don't care, just pick a location and produce something.

OK.

I now have to think of an agent I'd want to try and interview and a representive from my borough's library's I'd want to try and interview.

No idea.

What do you think of this for a Sleeping Beauty retelling:

A boy is in a coma and when he wakes up, he suffers from amnesia. I'm still waiting for my muse to tell me the romance part of the story.

The romance part comes when his nurse is incredibly attractive. Which is not cliche AT ALL. ...No, really, I have no idea. But the coma part sounds just fine if we're going modern here.