Jill's ABC Reading Challenge

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books for teens in lots of weird genres like, fantasy (Blood of Kings trilogy), science fiction (Replication), and dystopian (The Safe Lands trilogy). Find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or on her author website.

I'm hard at work on my edits for Project Gemini (Mission League, book 2), which is supposed to come out June 1, so I'm having trouble keeping up with life. I had planned to write a blog post about research, but my husband gave me a different idea. An idea that I thought would take less time and thought for my overtired brain.

Wrongo. This post, sadly, took me all night. Still, it was a good idea, and I appreciate my husband's help.

But that's okay. It's really all the letters N, Q, and Us faults, anyway.

But here's what happened. I decided to challenge myself and any who would like to participate, to an ABC Reading Challenge! I have made a reading list for the alphabet, and I'm going to try and read all these books this year. Like I said, I had a lot of trouble with N, Q, and U. If I had a library I could run down to, I'm sure I could have found something. Alas, I had to rely on Google to help me, which is why I ended up with those classics on the list. I also tried not to read more than one book by any author.

So here is my list! I'll check back in with you in a year to let you know if I succeeded in reading all these. Most of them were already in my To Read pile. A few I had in my Amazon.com shopping cart. And then there was N, Q, and U... *sigh*

A- Alanna by Tamora Pierce
I just recently discovered Tamora Pierce, and I've never read any of her books. So I'm excited to dig in. I bought this one to read out loud to my daughter. (Other "A" books I recommend: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer, Angel Eyes by Shannon Dittemore, Airborn by Kenneth Oppel, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery.)

B- The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
I've heard so many people rave about this that I finally bought it. (Other "B" books I recommend: Beauty by Robin McKinley, The Bad Beginning by Lemony Snicket, The Blue Umbrella by Mike Mason.)

C- Cinder by Marissa Meyer
I just wanted to read this ever since I saw the cover. I just want to see what it's like. I think the idea was brilliant. (Other "C" books I recommend: City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau, The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier, and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon---there is some swearing and adult situations in this book, so it's not for everyone. But the story is told through the eyes of an autistic teen boy, and the voice is absolutely incredible. I was spellbound.)

D- Dune by Frank Herbert
I've always wanted to read this. But it's SO THICK! But I found it at a thrift store for .50, so it's in the To Read pile now! (Other "D" books I recommend: The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson, Divergent by Veronica Roth, Dracula by Bram Stoker, Delerium by Lauren Oliver.)

E- The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
I had this book in my hand at a thrift store. I swore I bought it, but I can't find it anywhere in my house. So maybe I didn't buy it. Which was dumb. All that to say, I've never read a Robert Jordan book, and I want to start with book one. (Other "E" books I recommend: Emma by Jane Austen, Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card, Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Eragon by Christopher Paolini.)

F- Feed by M. T. Anderson
Found this one at a thrift store as well. It's been on my shelf almost three years now. I think it's time. (Other "F" books I recommend: Failstate by John Otte, Faery Rebels: Spell Hunter by R. J. Anderson, Fablehaven by Brandon Mull.)

G- The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
I've heard so many good things. I'll have to check it out from the library. (Other "G" books I recommend: The Giver by Lois Lowry, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell.)

H- Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
My mom told me to read this. I've been curious ever since. (There are a million amazing books that start with H. In fact, if you don't know what to name your book, maybe something with H? It seems to spark bestsellers. Other "H" books I recommend: Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien, Holes by Louis Sachar, Hoot by Carl Hiaasen, The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom.)

I- Intervention by Terri Blackstock
This has been in my Amazon cart for three-ish years as well. And I really needed a letter I. (Other "I" books I recommend: Inkheart by Cornelia Funke, Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder, Isle of Swords by Wayne Thomas Batson.)

J- Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen
A few years back, someone told me to read Jonathan Friesen's books. So I bought this one and the sequel. And they've been sitting for years. Waiting for my attention. (Other "J" books I recommend: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.)

K- The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness
This is one I've heard a lot about. So, I'm curious. (Other "K" books I recommend: Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen, The King of Attolia (book three) by Megan Whalen Turner. Be sure to read The Thief (book 1) and The Queen of Attolia (book 2) first.)

L- Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
I've had this book for ages. It's super thick. I'm a little scared, but I think I need to give it a go. (Other "L" books I recommend: Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving.)

M- The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart and Carson Ellis 
I've heard so many good things. I bought this, and it's been patiently waiting its turn. (Other "M" books I recommend: The Maze Runner by James Dashner, Maximum Ride by James Patterson, Matilda by Roald Dahl, Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, Magyk by Angie Sage.)

N- Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
I've heard of Neil Gaiman, but haven't read any of his books. But this book starts with an N. So I'm going to give it a go. Plus it's spec fiction, so that can't be all bad, right? (Other "N" books I recommend: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen, Number the Stars by Lois Lowry  )

O- Owlflight by Mercedes Lackey
I've never read Mercedez Lackey, who is a mega-famous fantasy author. I was in desperate need of an O book and I found this one under my bed! I know. It's scary to be a book in my house. (Other "O" books I recommend: On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson, Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis, Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats by T.S. Eliot---which is the book the musical Cats came from.)

P- Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
My husband bought this at the Scholastic book fair four years ago and read it. Then I put it on my shelf and never touched it again. And I've always wanted to read it. (Other "P" books I recommend: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot, The Princess Bride by William Goldman, The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis.)

Q- Quentin Durward Sir Walter Scott 
I have no desire to read this book, and, frankly, if I'm going to fail this reading challenge, this is likely the place. I was desperate for a Q book. So very desperate. But there were some nice things said online that this might have been one of his best books. So, who knows? I might be pleasantly surprised. (Other "U" books I recommend: The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner, but read The Thief by her first, as The Queen of Attolia is boo two.)

R- Redwall by Brian Jacques
Yes, it's true. I've never read a Brian Jacques book. I've owned the first two since Luke was two, so that's been nine years. It's long past time, don't you think? (Other "R" books I recommend: The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier, The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan.)

S- The Spirit Well by Stephen Lawhead
This is the third book in the Bright Empires series. I got it from the Amazon Vine program and need to review it. So, yeah... (Other "S" books I recommend: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, Seraphina by Rachel Hartman, Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.)

T- This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
(Other "T" books I recommend: To Kill a Mockingbird by by Harper Lee, The Time Traveler's Wife by by Audrey Niffenegger, The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. And in case you didn't notice, I really like The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner and the other books in that series as well. Tuck Everlasting might also be enjoyable, though I've never read it.)

U- Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe 
Here was another desperate search for a U book, but I've always wanted to read this one. I never had it assigned to me in school. So I'm assigning it to myself. Plus I was able to get it free on Kindle. Bonus! (Other "U" books I recommend: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld! Too bad I'd already read this...)

V- The Voice in the Wind by Francine Rivers
My friend gave me this book for Christmas almost ten years ago. I've tried to start reading it twice, and failed! Yet so many people rave about this series. I will read this book. It will happen. Finally. (Other "V" books I recommend: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis.)

W- White Oleander by Janet Fitch
When I was on my book tour with Bill Myers, he told me to read this book. He "assigned" it to me so that I would notice the authors beautiful way with words. He said that it's not a clean book, and  that it's not a feel good book. So I'm not sure what I've gotten myself into here... (Other "W" books I recommend: A Walk to Remember by Nicolas Sparks, Watership Down by Richard Adams.)

X- Xenocide by Orson Scott Card
This is the third book in the Ender's Game series. But it started with an X, you see? I'm not going to be able to read this one unless I read Speaker for the Dead, book two. So this book might get me in trouble too. (Other "X" books I recommend: I have no idea! LOL An X-men comic, maybe? In fact, I have no recommendations for X, Y, or Z. I was pretty thrilled to come up with the books I came up with!)

Y- Ysabel by Guy Gavriel Kay
I've heard lots about this author and have always been curious about him. This probably isn't his most popular book, but it's a Y and I'm going to read it! Boo-yah!

Z- Z for Zachariah by Robert C. O'Brien
I've had this book since my Alaska school visits when a librarian gave it to me when I told her I was thinking of writing a steampunk novel. She also gave me Airborn by Kenneth Oppel, which is a fabulous book. But Z for has been sitting all this time. I was so happy to find it on my shelf because I needed a Z!

Have you read any of these books? Do you have any recommendations? Especially for letters N, Q, U, X, Y, and Z?

Antagonists - A Closer Look At Their Goals

by Stephanie Morrill

Stephanie writes young adult contemporary novels and is the creator of GoTeenWriters.com. Her novels include The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series (Revell) and the newly released The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet (Playlist). You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and check out samples of her work on her author website.

Stories are strongest when there are multiple characters working against the main character. In the Harry Potter series, Harry isn't just up against Voldemort, but Snape and Draco and others as well. In The Hunger Games, Katniss is pitted against 23 other tributes, but also President Snow.

These antagonists have goals of their own that get in the way of the main character, and their goal tends to boil down to one of two things:

1. The same goal as the main character.

In Pride and Prejudice, Caroline Bingley wants Mr. Darcy for herself and has pitted herself against Elizabeth. They can't both marry him.

In the movie Cars, Lightning McQueen wants to win the Piston Cup. But so does his rival, Chick Hicks. Another antagonist in the story is Doc Hudson, who wants Lightning out of Radiator Springs almost as badly as Lightning does.

2. The opposite goal of the main character.

In Replication by Jill Williamson, Martyr and Abby are against cloning and want to expose the lab. But Dr.  Kane is desperate to continue creating clones and needs to keep his lab a secret.

In Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, Claudia is trying to get Finn out of the prison while Queen Sia is trying to keep him in.

Secret option # 3 - A combination of the two

Going back to the Pride and Prejudice example, Caroline also wants something that's the opposite of Elizabeth. Elizabeth wants her sister and Mr. Bingley to be married because she sees they're truly in love with each other. Caroline, however, wants her brother to marry Georgiana Darcy and finds ways to keep Jane and Mr. Bingley apart.

One of my favorite experiences as a reader is when new information about an antagonist is brought forward, and we see that in times when we thought the antagonist was working against the main character, they were actually working for them. J. K. Rowling is masterful at this in the Harry Potter series, and this is also done well in Pride and Prejudice. For the first half of the book, Mr. Darcy plays the role of antagonist and Mr. Wickham the hero. When new information is brought forward, they switch roles.

Pick an antagonist from your story and examine their goals. What does victory look like to them? Is it the same or the opposite as what victory looks like to your main character?

Opportunity for writers 18 and older

Happy Saturday everyone! Stephanie here. I'm jetting off the soccer fields in a bit (I've entered the Soccer Mom phase of life. Very scary.) but wanted to let those of you who are 18 and older know about a writing opportunity.


United Way is looking for some writers who can offer a teen perspective in their articles, and after checking out Go Teen Writers, they thought some of you might be interested. They offer a $10 payment per 300 word article, so this would be a paid gig and something you can add to your writer's bio. Your articles would live at this site.



I asked Juliana, the woman who reached out to me, if she could provide me with a few more details. Here's what she said:

The requirements are very loose -- they can submit as little as one article or as many as they like from a list of assignments that we provide on our site, and can stop contributing at any time. They will be paid every two weeks through PayPal for any published pieces and can track how their articles are doing through their Skyword account.

This is the link where they can find out more information about the United Way program and sign up (Teen writers should check off Kids Corner as the category they'll be covering.)

Once their application is reviewed and accepted, they will be assigned an editor and given instructions about the submission process. We've made it extremely intuitive and they can always ask their program manager or me if they need help.

If you have questions, you can contact Juliana at: JCasale(at)skyword.com, and just tell her you learned about the opportunity on Go Teen Writers.

Again, this is for writers 18 and older.

Describing Through Character's Interests

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books for teens in lots of weird genres like, fantasy (Blood of Kings trilogy), science fiction (Replication), and dystopian (The Safe Lands trilogy). Find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or on her author website.

In my last few posts, I talked about different ways to describe. This isn't your typical description, but a way of getting deeper through writing scenes in different ways. I talked about writing scenes with different overall emotions for your main character, and I talked about writing scenes from different points of views. 

Today I want to take the point of view angle a little further. Who your point of view character is will affect how he or she describes things. This is not a new concept. But I think it's one of those concepts that we know, but don't usually find a lot of time to put into practice. So here are some ways to get into your character's head and see what he sees.

What does he own? What's on his desk? Under his bed? In his closet? If he has his own bathroom, what's on the counter? Is he neat or messy?

What thrills him? Hobbies? Interests? Addictions? Favorite foods or movies or video games?

What about his moods? What does he do when he's happy? Sad? Does he eat food when he's sad? Does he dress in certain clothes when he's feeling lazy? Any strange habits?

Now, take all this knowledge and send him to a house he's never been to before. As he looks around the place, what does he notice first? What do his eyes linger on? These things tell the reader a lot about who he is. This is getting deep.

For an example, I'll use two brothers from Captives and how each described the office of the task director general.

Omar: The rectangular room had a shiny wooden floor, sparse chrome and red suede furniture, and floor-to-ceiling windows on three walls. Clean, sharp, simple — minimalist design. This was another reason the Safe Lands intrigued him. So much beauty and architecture. There was none of this in Glenrock. Until Omar had visited the Safe Lands, he’d never seen anything from the Old art books Levi had given him.

Mason: Mason pushed open the door and entered what felt like a modern palace. The room was furnished in black and red, with hardwood floors and windows that wrapped around three walls, exposing a vast view of the valley below. Mason felt like he was walking among the clouds.


Omar, a guy who's obsessed with riches and art, spends more time looking around. He notices color and design. He likes what he sees. Mason is thinking about other things. He notices the room, of course, but ends on how it makes him feel.

And there are more differences about these two brothers. If Omar and Mason walked into my house, Omar would notice the movie shelf right away, and the video games. He'd be looking to entertain himself. Mason would notice the mess. The clutter. He might hope no one in my family had a dust allergy. And he would probably start asking questions about the electric muscle stimulator sitting on out kitchen table. We borrowed it from a friend when my husband pulled a muscle in his back.

So, try this with your characters. What types of things do they notice when they enter a new place or meet a new person (as this works with describing people too). What do their eyes linger on? What intrigues them?

Be sure and hop over to the Playlist blog, where Stephanie is giving away a copy of the Go Teen Writers book at the end of her super cool interview with Rachel, who won the "Respect Your Dream" essay contest, and Rachel's writing partner, Keely.

Winners from the second 100 for 100 challenge

by Stephanie Morrill

Stephanie writes young adult contemporary novels and is the creator of GoTeenWriters.com. Her novels include The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series (Revell) and the newly released The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet (Playlist). You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and check out samples of her work on her author website.

Beginning February 1st, many of you embraced the 100 for 100 writing challenge, where you agreed to try writing 100 words for 100 days. There were 70 awesome writers who completed the challenge, and many more who tried it but for various reasons had to bow out early. I'm crazy impressed by how well you all did.

Yesterday I spent some quality time with the word tracking spreadsheet and my calculator. Here are a few things I learned:

1. Those involved in the challenge want to talk to each other. Many of you used the spreadsheet to encourage each other, which really warmed my heart. I was very isolated as a teen writer, and I longed for someone to talk about writing with. I adore this community of teen writers, and I love seeing the way you encourage and challenge each other.

Because of this, when we do the next 100 for 100 challenge (still working out the dates) I'm going to figure out a way to better facilitate conversation among the participants.

2. Many who took place in the first 100 for 100 challenge (Fall 2012) found this one more difficult.  I think I'm at least partially to blame for this. With releasing/promoting two titles this spring, I wasn't nearly as diligent about encouraging you guys. My husband pointed out that I hardly ever (maybe never?) mentioned it on the blog and that he forgot it was even going on. So I apologize for my part in the difficulty, and I promise to do better next time.

Here are the 70 writers who worked hard and were faithful to the end of the 100 for 100 challenge:

Aaron W.

Adriana Lister

Aidyl Ewoh 

Alex M.

Ally S

Alyson Schroll

Anna Schaeffer

Arlette G.

Bailey B.

Bethany Baldwin

Bruno Silva

Cait D

Caitlin Hensley

Deborah Rocheleaua

Destany T

Diana Fourall

Ely Gyrate

Emily Dakin

Emma K 

Erin Daly

Georgina

Hannah C. J.

Hannah Elise

Heather Manning

Heather S.

Imogen Elvis

Jacinta Swindell

Jalyn Ely

Jenna C.

Jessi Roberts 

Jordan Hart

Kara Suderman

Katia Kozachok

Katie Bucklein

Katie Scherzinger

Kendra E. Ardnek

Kristian Beverly

Langston Jenkins

Lauren Welch

Lily Jenness

Lydia H. D.

Mariah DeGisi

Marlene E. Schuler

Matthew Schroll

Meaghan Ward

Megan M.

Meghan Gorecki

Michaela M.

Mime D

Mindy Butler

Rachelle Rea

Rebecca Wall

Robin Rani

Robyn Hoode

Rosie W.

Samuel L

Sara H.

Sarah Sackett

Sarah F.

Sarah Faulkner

Sarah R

Sarah Z.

Sierra Abrams

Sierra Bennett

Tamra C.

Terah Jones

Tonya L 

V. Kathie Ardnek 

Vlada L.

Zara Hoffman

(If you completed the challenge and your name is missing from this list, please let me know so I can add it!)


For fun, I looked up who wrote the most in each of the categories. Virtual high-fives go to:

Age 12 and under: Emily Dakin

Ages 13, 14, and 15: Mime D.

For ages 16, 17, and 18: Heather Manning

For ages 19, 20, and 21: Cait D.

For the Old Fogies (22+): Tonya LaCourse

The age group who had the most members complete the challenge: 16-18 with 27.

The age group who had the most words per person: 19-21 with an average of 47,734 words per writer.

And now for the prizes!

We're giving way 250 Go Teen Writers store points to five random writers who completed the challenge. The winners are:

Lauren Welch

Heather Manning

Sarah F.

V. Kathie Ardnek

Heather S.

The 5,000 word critique (a prize eligible to all writers in the 19-21 category for having the highest average word count among the competitors) goes to: Arlette G.

The 10,000 word critique (a prize eligible to all writers who completed the challenge) goes to: Jacinta Swindell

Congratulations to everyone who respected their dream by participating in the 100 for 100 challenge!

Journey with Gillian: Reading as a Writer

Gillian Adams blogs over at Of Battles, Dragons, and Swords of Adamant where she writes about anything relating to books, fantasy, villains, and costumes. Her book Out of Darkness Rising will be published fall 2013. She loves interacting with other writers and readers on her blog or facebook page.

The number one writing tip most authors will give you is to first, write a lot, and second, read a lot.

It sounds somewhat obvious, but it’s very true. Though I’m afraid I take the second one far too literally.

I go to the library frequently, because—let’s be frank—as much as I try to support authors by buying their books, I have yet to discover a secret pirate treasure buried in my backyard. (Though I have looked!) And my “help a starving bookworm fund” never took off like I anticipated.

So, each time I go to the library, I stagger out with a stack of at least ten books tucked under my chin. And that’s in addition to the books I do buy or get free for reviewing.

Needless to say, I read a lot.

When I started studying the writing craft, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy books anymore. But I found that it’s just the opposite.

Sure I may notice more of the imperfections, and now I can actually pinpoint why I don’t particularly like a certain book, but as a writer, I can appreciate books on a much deeper level than I could before.

I understand the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into crafting a novel. I know what it's like to write a three or four hundred page book. I understand the writing process, so I can be more patient when I have to wait a year for the next book in the series. (Um, so that might be stretching the truth a bit.)

But most of all, I can learn from all the incredible writers who’ve gone before me. And sometimes, even learn from the mistakes they've made as well.

When I read, I try to keep a notebook handy to keep track of the things I love about the story. Whether it is the author’s writing style, character development, voice, or just the way the plot keeps me guessing, I’ll take note of it so I know what I want to emulate in my novels.

Not exactly imitate, since I do want to maintain my own distinct voice and style, of course. But there's nothing wrong with intentionally honing my craft through learning from other authors' strengths and weaknesses. It's the best way to learn.

Here are just a couple of the novels I've taken notes from in the past:

The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

I love his humorous, simplistic style. Where else can you read about “the Nameless Evil (named Gnag)” and the “Fangs of Dang.” The themes of his novels aren’t lightweight, though. And his novels aren’t afraid to wander through the darkest caves, yet the light is never absent.

 The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill

I just read this one, so it’s a new favorite! Ellie’s voice is so clear and unique and witty. And somehow Stephanie managed to make me root for both guys at once … which was a first for me. I still don’t know how she did that.

The Mistborn Trilogy and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Sanderson is an expert at crafting complex fantasy worlds and plots that are deep and full of surprises. He is also great at keeping you completely in the character’s head so that you’re often just as confused as they are about what’s really going on—it makes the story that much more real and exciting!

Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Beautiful writing—I think that’s the first thing that struck me when I opened Starflower and started reading. Other than that, Anne Elisabeth Stengl is quite adept at penning unique dialogue from the POV of otherworldly creatures and nonhuman narrators.

The New Recruit, by Jill Williamson

If you’ve read this, then you know that Spencer’s voice is awesome. He sounds so real. Like you could just bump into him one day at school. Also, Jill is an expert at crafting novels that keep my attention glued to the page.

With each element that I note, I try to figure out the principle behind it and apply that principle to my writing in a unique way. So, although I enjoyed Spencer's voice in The New Recruit, I'm not going to try and write a Spencer-esque character in my next novel. I may however, experiment with ways to create a character with a voice as clear and realistic as Spencer's.

Likewise, I love the way Brandon Sanderson constructs such elaborate fantasy worlds that the reader becomes wholly immersed in the culture, setting, and mindset of the characters. But rather than trying to create Sanderson-esque (or Tolkien-esque) fantasy worlds, I hope to figure out unique ways to deepen my own fantasy world until it is just as real and believable as Sanderson's.

Of course, you can learn from poorly written books, too. Whenever I have a hard time getting into a novel, or even when I discover a difficult passage in a novel I really like, I try to dissect it and indentify what it was that distracted me from the story and caused my attention to wander.

It’s a great way to learn what not to do. And sometimes learning what not to do is just as helpful as learning what you should do.

What are some books/authors you’ve learned from in the past? (The lovely Gillian Adams is out of town, but Jill and I are excited to chat with you all about great books!)

Describing Through Point of View

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books for teens in lots of weird genres like, fantasy (Blood of Kings trilogy), science fiction (Replication), and dystopian (The Safe Lands trilogy). Find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or on her author website.

First, this week, my little blogging group, Team Novel Teen, is doing a blog tour for Stephanie's new book The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet. Almost everyone is giving away a copy of the ebook, and I (Jill) am giving away a copy of the paperback, which is coming soon. Here is the link to my blog post for the tour. At the bottom you can find the links to the other bloggers posts if you'f like to go and enter all the contests.

http://www.jillwilliamson.com/2013/05/tnt-blog-tour-the-revised-life-of-ellie-sweet-by-stephanie-morrill-giveaway/

Now, last Friday I talked about how you could rewrite a scene with an overriding character emotion. Today I want to talk about how you can rewrite scenes from different points of view. This allows you to describe things in a different way but also to see a scene through another set of eyes, which might teach you something about your minor characters that you weren’t expecting to learn.

SPENCER

I’m not going to write out Spencer’s point of view again. Click here if you'd like to read his points of view from Friday’s post.

GRACE

“GO, FIGHT, WIN!” Grace yelled with the rest of the cheer squad, finishing the motions and ending with a toe-touch front hurdler jump. The bruise on her arm was still tight. She locked her fingers and lifted her hands above her head, as if stretching would do any good.

“Spencer!”

Grace looked across the gym. Jasmine was running toward the door. And, sure enough, there stood Spencer. Right on time.

Grace could not figure out that boy.

She pretended not to see him, moving through the motions of the last cheer again, counting to herself as she did, acting like she was so terribly focused, but all the time she was fully aware that Jasmine had hugged Spencer and was flirting with him. Grace couldn’t hear what they were saying. Those two had gone to homecoming together, but Jasmine had said that Spencer had only asked her as a friend so he could keep an eye on Grace.

So weird.

“Grace, your boyfriend’s here!” Jasmine yelled.

Grace stiffened, feeling the stares of her teammates. The gawking.

She heard Kate whisper, “More like 'stalker’s' here.”

The girls had nicknamed Spencer “stalker” since he followed Grace around so much.

“Gracie Lou Who,” Jaz sang, grinning like she was so very clever, “your boyfriend’s here for you!”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Grace mumbled. Boys were trouble, and while she and Spencer had been friendly ever since coming home from Okinawa, she didn’t trust him.

She didn’t trust any member of the opposite sex.

“Let’s work on jumps,” Coach announced.

Really? Jumps? With Spencer watching?

So embarrassing.

So for the next ten minutes, Grace worked on jump sequences, focusing on landing nice and tight, hoping she didn’t look stupid and trying to ignore her uninvited audience. But he was pacing now. Why was he pacing?

When Coach finally called it quits for the day, Grace figured she’d better go see what her stalker wanted. She crossed the gym, posture straight, trying to look like she really didn’t care that he was here.

But when she reached him, she remembered how cute he was. He had pale skin covered in freckles, orange hair, and bright blue eyes, which he’d fixed on her, frowning like she’d done something wrong. A protective older brother. She just couldn’t stay mad at him no matter how much he annoyed her.

“Hey, stalker,” Grace said.

His eyes flitted over her face and shoulders. He was beyond tall. Six-foot-four, she’d last heard him say. He’d been strong when Grace had met him last spring, but since then, with his hopes of playing NCAA basketball, he must have moved into the weight room because his arms were huge now.

Very intimidating to a ninety-three pound, five-foot-one cheerleader.

“Hey, tumbelina,” he finally said, towering over her. “You missed class this morning.”

She fought a smile at his calling her “tumbelina,” not wanting to encourage him. He had a host of endearing nicknames for her. Tumbelina was her favorite. “Checking up on me again, huh?”

“Naw, I just wanted to say hey.” He shifted, looking behind her.

She turned to see if someone was standing there. Nope. She sighed and spun back to him. “Spencer, look. I like you. But I’m not ready for a boyfriend right now. I’m just … there’s a lot going on …” If he only knew. But there was a thought. Maybe she could tell him. Someone his size could help her put that infuriating man in his place.

No. That wasn’t right. Forgive me, Lord, for thinking such a thing.

“I don’t want to be your boyfriend.” Spencer’s cheeks flushed pink. “Just your friend.”

Oh-kay … “Spencer, even my best friends don’t show up at my cheer practices.”

“Well, you didn't come to class this morning, so I was worried about you.”

She folded her arms. “Why are you always worried about me? I might not be able to bench my own body weight like you, but do I look like an invalid?”

“No.” He looked around them, as if trying to make sure that no one could overhear them. Then he inched closer, leaned down. “Okay, this will probably sound weird. But ...”

JASMINE

Halfway through the cheer, Jasmine saw Spencer enter the gym. His presence sped up her heartbeat and stole her breath. Of course he wasn’t here to see her. He’d be looking for Grace, as usual.

Spencer Garmond, why do you torture me?

“Spencer!” she yelled, wanting his attention if only for a moment. She ran over and slid her arms around his waist, pressing against him in what she hoped was an alluring hug. His muscular torso felt strong, solid.

“Hey, Jaz,” he said, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at Grace.

So Jasmine poked him in the abs, hoping to make those blue eyes focus on her again. “Why haven’t you texted me lately?”

He stepped away from her. “You want me to text you?” he said, not even looking her way.

Ug. Enough of this. “Yee-ah.” She slapped his chest and yelled, “Grace, your boyfriend’s here!” hoping it would at least embarrass him.

He spun around, his forehead wrinkled, his cheeks pink. So cute. “Don’t do that,” he whispered.

Jasmine giggled and sang, “Gracie Lou Who, your boyfriend’s here for you!”

Across the gym Grace mumbled, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Spencer sighed, stuck his hands in his pockets, and slouched away.

See? Jasmine wanted to say. She doesn’t love you like I do. But he was too far away now, headed to the end of the gym where he could be closer to Grace.

The dumb stalker, anyway. Wish he would stalk me.

Have you ever tried writing in a different point of view? One that you had no intention of actually using in your story? Did you find it helpful? If so, how?

And if you’ve never tried this exercise, I encourage you to give it a go.