Writing Extravaganza Post 4 - Guess you'll have to read and find out...

Today, I am happy to present to you the fourth guest poster for our Writing Extravaganza "series," if you will. Oksana Carlier is here to write about something. I guess you'll have to keep reading to find out what...

I have extremely limited time to write this post. If I don't finish it in time, you can decide what you think I was trying to say because it will not be complete.

Half-posts aren't really my style so I am going to do my best to finish this.

My topic is...well, it's not essential knowledge at this point in time. You don't need that information (although if you are a true follower of Dahl's blog, you might know from one of his recent posts).

What I'm talking about today can be created in many ways. It often shows up in action, crime, and mystery novels but is certainly not limited to one of the three.

It is something that keeps a reader reading not only while they are lounging, but also when they go to get a snack or walk downstairs or empty the dishwasher.

What is my topic, you ask?

Are you sure you want to know? Really quite sure?

My topic is suspense! Although, you probably won't truly comprehend my secrets of suspense until you finish reading my post.

Suspense can be created in a few ways.

A. Dialogue. One character might have a question they want answered but the other character is decidedly trying to avoid answering. The reasons behind the question and lack of answer can get quite complicated but the reader will want to know the answer right along with the character and will keep on reading.

B. Action. I can describe a form of this in one short line. Who will win the war and who will die for their cause?

C. Hints. Let your character be nervous or excited for an upcoming camping trip, but don't explain why they are so excited or nervous. Hint around the edges of your sentences about how something will be different this time but don't say exactly what. For example, tell the reader that an old friend will be camping with them but don't say how your character knows them but rather show how emotional your character gets about them.

While I think dialogue, action, and hints are a great way to generate suspense, I would humbly say that suspense really does come down to one main idea: letting the reader know that something exciting is going to happen but not telling them what.

Whew! I managed to finish my post on time!

Oksana Carlier has been writing stories, blogs and to-do lists for too many years. She enjoys putting her mind to work to capture truths about the world in her writing. She blogs over at livetidbits.wordpress.com.

Writing Extravaganza Post 3 - Community & Critiques

Today, I am pleased to introduce you to Carilyn Anne, who offered to write a post for you guys about writing and critiquing communities. I think we can all learn a thing a two that will definitely help our writing grow down the road. So, anyway... Dreamers, meet Carilyn. Carilyn, meet the Dreamers.

Carilyn Anne is a writer, follower of Jesus, and homeschool graduate. She’s been writing from a young age, and has participated in NaNoWriMo since 2010. She spends time housecleaning, babysitting, chatting on the Go Teen Writers Facebook group, and occasionally watching TV shows (like Doctor Who, MasterChef, Top Shot, and Once Upon a Time) with her siblings and parents. She blogs over at The Writing Maiden. Her two main WIPs are “Flicker in the Night”, a historical fiction set during the Great Awakening, and “The Last Farm” which is a futuristic fiction.

To start off with, I’d like to make a statement of the obvious: Writing is hard. Say it with me. Writing. Is. Hard.

Sure, there are times when you’re high on inspiration, and your fingers can’t keep up with your brain. Or you may go for days on end thinking about your WIP and gaining inspiration for it from… everywhere. You incorporate little tidbits of dialogue that you overhear, or you change a character to incorporate a trait that you saw in a random stranger yesterday. Maybe you’re in the editing stage, and you’re molding the story to fit the one in your imagination better.

Whatever the case may be, at some point, you will most likely hit a speed bump that will slow you down or throw you off. During these times, it’s nice to have somebody to discuss things with, or feedback from someone else who has a fresher perspective on your story. You could have a ‘writing buddy’, but I don’t do that officially. What I do is kind of the same, but a little different. Let me explain.

There are two ways to get feedback or help, or encouragement, or whatever it is that you need.

Community

Join a writer’s group. Just do it. Do it now. Preferably join Go Teen Writers, if you’re young (and you don’t HAVE to be a teenager – I’m 20). Also, you could join YA Writers Alumni, if you’ve graduated from highschool.

If you join a community of writers, and it’s an active enough community, then when you hit a speedbump or you run into a brick wall with your WIP, there will be someone there to listen to the problem you’re having and encourage you or give you advice. If you pick a good group (like GTW), they’ll be polite and sincere, and they’ll also be helpful. In this way, you can also get a sort-of-critique on your story idea. Would it work to have your MC do such-and-such? Is this realistic? How does this subplot sound? Get feedback on if your story idea even sounds like something people would want to read.

When you join a writers group, you may also find it fun and even beneficial to your own writing life, to join other conversations or reply to other people’s questions. If others help you, why not help them? In this way, writers can band together over a common way of life and help each other on a difficult journey. Writing isn’t easy, but especially if you have supporters, it can be very fun and rewarding. You may even make a few friends along the way (I have!).

Critiques

Another way to get feedback on your story is by sending it out for critiques. Get a couple of people who are willing to take a look at your novel and tell you exactly what’s wrong with it. A fresh pair of eyes always helps (unless the critiquer is too vague).

This is different from a beta reader. A beta reader (in my mind) should read through your story and tell you their perspective on the storyline and characters. Depending on how in-depth they go, they should mention the character development and plot progression.

A critique can cover all of that, but also grammar, punctuation, and style. A good critiquer will not try to change your writing style, but they will try to help you grow as a writer by pointing out where sentences do not flow or descriptions are too vague.

I’ll give you a little tip – go all out. Ask them to point out every little thing they can find, both good and bad. A good critiquer will point out the good things too. But if they don’t mention anything good, take the hit and learn from what they said. Maybe your story just needs a lot of improvement.

Critiques are invaluable to the editing process. I recommend sending your novel a chapter at a time after you’ve edited at least once. Do not send out your first draft unless you need a very basic overall idea of if the storyline will work. If you do that, it’s more of the beta reader side of things. Don’t ever send your first draft out for an in-depth critique. Work on it first. Invest in editing it yourself.

Having even one chapter of your WIP critiqued by another writer will help you find errors in your other chapters. We tend to make the same mistakes over and over. A mistake that you make in Chapter 1 will likely pop up again later on, and you’ll know to look for it.

Your critiquers don’t have to be published authors. They can be unpublished authors like you, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be good at critiquing. Critiquing your novel will help them grow in their own writing, because they’ll see the mistakes you’re making, and they’ll start automatically looking for those mistakes and correcting them in their own writing. It’s a win-win situation.

If you want to be published, or even if you’re just curious as to if you write well or not, join a writer’s group, and get some people to read at least a chapter of your book. You won’t regret it.

Online Writing Extravaganza!

All of you awesome, amazing people are in for an equally awesome and amazing surprise. Well, I guess it isn't as much of a surprise as I had hoped, since, y'know... the title.

Regardless, the "surprise" remains awesome. For the next two or three weeks, I have had six incredible other teen(ish) writers from the Facebook page, Go Teen Writers volunteer to write guest posts to you guys about different aspects of the writing process. From characters to editing groups and settings to plot, we're going to have an awesome next couple weeks. These posts can help you out with Camp NaNoWriMo, if you're participating in that, or just your writing in general.

Look for the following posts soon, or subscribe to my blog to be notified when they're up! (The subject of the post is a link to their post, their name links to their various respective websites/blogs)

Zara Hoffman - Inspiration

Kara Harris - Motivation

Adriana Lister - Plotting vs. Pantsing

Caitria Karis Cymbaluk - Setting

Elle Loughran - Characters

Carilyn Anne - Community Critiques

Oksana Carlier - Suspense
Jo M Coleman - Villains

I like how somehow Oksana, writing about suspense, ended up being last. I guess we'll all have to experience some suspense for ourselves waiting for her post to be up!

Anyway, I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say that we have quite the line up. I hope you are all as excited for these as I am! It's gonna be great!

Meanwhile, I have traded guest posts with these awesome people. I'm posting on their blogs as they post on mine. Here's a link to all of my posts on their blogs. Be sure to check them out, learn a thing or two, (or three or four...) and get these people some blog traffic. They all deserve it.
 

Blog Posts I Wrote in Return: 

(Be sure to check them out and give these fabulous blogs some comments!)

 Self-Publishing Difficulties

The Short Story Revolution
From Reading to Writing
How I Started Writing

Dream on!
Oliver Dahl

The Nightmarers Preview 4

"I'm Sam. I can help you."

5 days and counting. The 4th exclusive chapter of The Nightmarers. 3 short steps away from publication. The 2nd book in The Dreamers. 1 epic addition to the award-winning series. The next time I post, it will be for The Nightmarers' release. Who's excited?! (Other than yours truly, of course). 5...4...3...2...1...

Let's get this started! I'll present to you Chapter 4 of The Nightmarers, and then we'll party on. Look for the entire book in both print and eBook format on Amazon.com. You can look for its smoky blue cover to appear on my author page on February 12th. It will be $2.99 on kindle, and $9.99 paperback. I hope that if you enjoyed The Dreamers, you'll pick up its sequel, too. (And hey--even if you didn't like it!) Of the people I've heard back from about what they thought, I've heard only that The Nigtmarers is even better than its precursor. I think you'll feel the same way. So... Give it a whirl! For less than a coffee, you can get it on your eReader. Or less than Chicken McNuggets, if you don't spend money on coffee. Or, less than... something that's 3 dollars, if you don't buy either of those. If you haven't read The Dreamers yet, you can do so by clicking here.

Well, I'm getting distracted just like Sam does. You came for the excerpt, so let's have at it! Without further ado... Chapter 4 of The Nightmarers.

* * *

Still in shock from my new narcoleptic recruits, I was not yet ready for Sandi. I was in the middle of a lesson with Kris and Andromeda. I was explaining to them how other people dreamed, how they simply came to the Dream Realm in their subconscious form, and how injuries that happen here don't affect their physical bodies on earth. I was reading out of my newly published copy of The Dreamer's Handbook.

I was referencing this handbook, trying to answer all of their questions. (They reminded me of myself in that aspect), when I suddenly just felt... strange.

“Hang on,” I murmured. The twins glanced at each other, side-long, in that style that kind of irritates me, leaving me to wonder what they were thinking. I pursed my lips and vanished from the room, a copy of me, made in smoke, swirling into nothingness in my place.

I didn't know where I needed to go; but when I arrived, I knew I had come to the right place. There was just... this feeling in my gut, telling me that I was in the right spot.

I had rarely ventured here, so I knew very little about it, other than Thep's bad experience with the sand crabs.

I was in Paradisa, one of the seven different territories of the Dream Realm. Malfix, the villain of the Dream Realm, had owned it, previously, so I tended to stay away from it. Malfix had been bent on owning and controlling all of the Dream Realm. By having complete control, he thought that he would be able to take the Dreamers' powers and make himself master of the Dream Realm and Earth. You can see why I was reluctant to go there.

To my left was a jungle, thick with undergrowth and palm trees. To my right was another of the territories that made up the Dream Realm, the Ceruvian Sea, stretching with the sand and jungle for miles and miles.
I was standing on a perfect beach, the waves lazily tickling the soft, pale sand. On this particular stretch of pristine beach, there were dozens, maybe even hundreds of people soaking up the sun and surf. The breeze, billowing whiteclouds, barbecues, and sand castles added to the paradisaical feel of the place.

Everyone looked at peace, happy to be there. Everyone except a girl, not 15 feet away from me. Sandi. She sat numbly, looking out to sea, watching the sun set while wiping tears from her eyes. I approached her and introduced myself.

“I'm Sam. I can help you.”

She looked up at me. “You don't even know me.” She replied softly

“I may not know you, but I... I know what you're going through. Grab my arm, I want to show you something.”

Fortunately, she didn't need a lot of convincing. We vanished just as the sun slipped completely under the surface of the sea.

* * *

What do you guys think? Let me now in the comments! I always love reading each and every one of your responses. I usually get back to you, too. This is one of my favorite chapters in the book. I loved being able to describe such an idealistic scene, that was fake all along. It felt like a scene from Inception. :) I also love the way Sam extended his help to Sandi. We see that he's a nice guy, with others' interests at heart. He's just the kind of all-around-great guy that I aspire to be like. A fun fact for you: the name "Sandi" means "defender of others" or "defender of man". I thought this was interesting, because as Dreamers, that is their ultimate goal. No matter what the other trials are, it all comes down to helping mankind. Sandi is kind of the model Dreamer for their group as a whole.

Catch your interest? Buy The Nightmarers now on Amazon.com!

Comment prompt: I did this in an earlier post, but it never really took off. Paradisa, the paradise land Sam meets Sandi in, varies from person to person. Some see it as the tropical beach, others see it as a lake in the mountains, or a large mansion on rolling hills. What would your paradise be?

Again, I hope you liked it! Please feel free to ask any questions, tell me what you thought, and what your Paradisa would be! I hope you guys are looking forward to The Nightmarers!

Dream on!

Sam Kullen

&

Oliver Dahl

The Nightmarers Preview 2

Hard to believe it's been a week already since the last preview! Where has the time gone? Perhaps it's a good thing that time is going by so quickly, because... *drumroll* ... That means The Nightmarers is getting closer to its release! Unfortunately, due to some "technical" issues, I am unable to print it until about the end of the week. After that, however, I can send it to my Copy Editor, (Amberly Beck, whom I am extremely grateful for) and should get it back soon. Everything else is coming together!
Including... *another drumroll* ... The Nightmarers' book cover! Yay! Check it out, tell me what you think!

Meanwhile, I'm getting a few "behind the scenes" final stuff done, so that when the manuscript is complete, I can get it out to you guys ASAP.
Practically ever since The Dreamers' release, I've gotten people asking me when the sequel is out. "When is the next book coming out?" "I can't wait to read the next one!"
I just want to thank all of you who have asked--and even thought that question. You guys really inspire me. You're the greatest.
I hope the wait is worth it for you. I feel like The Nightmarers is a different kind of feel from The Dreamers, but awesome in other ways, along with the same ways that made The Dreamers awesome for you. A lot more of it takes place in reality, and the consequences are just as heavy. I can't wait to hear what you guys think.


In the meantime, the main point of this post.. Here's CHAPTER 2 of The Nightmarers! For those of who you who missed the last one, here's a link for you. Or, if you missed out on The Dreamers entirely, here's a link for YOU. Without further ado, I present to you the exclusive, unpublished second chapter of The Nightmarers. Enjoy, and happy reading!

* * *

I was bored. Well, I’m bored most of the time, so it wasn't a first. Being a Saturday, with my homework done, and nothing else to do, I took a nap.

Immediately, I was rushing to the Dream Realm, as I often do, to check if any new members had miraculously showed up. I do it, and savor it, like on a really long day, with nothing to do. You wish more than anything that you had something, and you're just so bored you look forward to checking the mail for ads. You know what I mean. I savor these visits, though it had been months, and no one had showed up. No one, that is, until today.

As soon as I arrived, (I could now control where I popped up in the Dream Realm, and was in the Dreamers HQ) I knew something was different. I didn't know what, I just knew that something was.

I could feel myself probing outward, listening, sensing. I knew where to go almost immediately.

I had mastered Thep's transporting abilities. (I sure miss him, but it might be a good thing that he's gone, because I think I do a better job!) Thep was with me and Flitch (another Dreamer) on my first mission. He is an older guy, who says he's from Egypt. After my grandfather, (the previous Dreamer leader) passed away, and I took his place, Thep was my right-hand guy.

I am in the Forest of Arac Mad. Supposedly, this jungle was named after some Middle Eastern guy who came to the Dream Realm even before the Dreamers “cult” had been formed.

I looked around curiously, hoping to see a face underneath the twisty roots of the self- suspended trees.

I quieted my own breathing, listening for someone else's. But... something was very strange about it. I frowned, tilting my head and leaned closer. It wasn't one breath... it was two!

I saw a quick, shadowy movement to one side under the roots.

“Hey,” I called softly. “It's okay. I can help you.” I had rehearsed to myself what I would say when I found somebody, but what I said wasn't it. I decided it was better, and more to the point, and made a mental note to change it.

“Prove it.” came a loud, strong voice, though it cracked. I could tell the boy muttered something not very nice because of it.

I wasn't sure what to do, so I just told him everything.

“My name is Sam. I’m the current leader of the Dreamers. The Dreamers are a—” I stuttered. “Well, I guess I should say, the Dreamer is the survivor of the Dreamers' cult. They are a group of —” I caught myself again.

“What's a Dreamer?” came a softer voice from behind the tree roots. The voice seemed to prompt me. I latched on to the question.

“Right... Um... The Dreamers are a secret cult made of artists, authors, writers, architects, musicians, engineers, and other people with active imaginations.

“We use our strengths to create and develop —then use—things to save the earth from harm. We stop fires, prevent murders, and influence inventions and ideas.” I paused to let that sink in.

“Dreamers have inspired many of the great things we take for granted today like... cell phones, iPods, TV's, and airplanes. When you think about it, many of the basic ideas behind these inventions are kind of crazy. We, —I,” I correct myself, “have helped these things become... them. In a way, the Dreamers are the true inventor of the airplane, not those Wright Brothers.”

I decided I was going into too much detail, and was failing miserably.

“What I mean to say is—you are the newest Dreamers. This isn't a dream—not really, but a second life. You've got great potential. You could be the creator of the... the... iDesk, or the man behind the creation of a new political system. You could do anything!

“Our mission, or part of it, is to fight to keep the Dream Realm and Earth separate. We fight to allow the human race to continue to thrive and dream!

“Yes, it is only the three of us, but more will join soon.” I hoped so, at least.

“But... What? ...Why? ...When?” Both of the kids under the tree must have been bewildered— like me, when I was first told I was a Dreamer, I realized.

“There's a lot to learn, and even more to do, but for now, you've got to wake up. Come back to the Dream Realm... Ten o' Clock, tomorrow—sharp.

I smiled inwardly. That was the same time that Thep had told me to meet him. I would have to be sure to be early—and to bring a pair of gloves.

* * *

Catch your interest? Buy The Nightmarers now on Amazon.com!

Dream on!
Sam Kullen & Oliver Dahl

Holiday!

Hello, Dreamers of the world!

I apologize for not posting in a while, and not even posting consistently & regularyly. Now, for the holiday season, (already, can you believe it!?!) I will post once every two weeks. Every other week. And... hopefully consistently afterward at the beginning of the respective week. I look forward to hearing from you, and hopefully, you, I.

In addition to the holiday season, it is NaNoWriMo again! For those who don't know... NaNoWriMo is the program in which I wrote The Dreamers... a program that challenges writers all over the nation and world to write a novel... in a month! This proved to be a LOT of fun last year, (Trust me, you have to have quite a bit of insanity in you for it to be fun... let alone to participate!) So... I am doing it again this year. My word count goal is quite a bit higher than last year, and I am giving myself more of a challenge. This Wednesday, November 16th, I will be signing books for a NaNoWriMo Midway Day party to help celebrate being halfway done with NaNoWriMo. (Though in my case, NOT my book! I still have a few tens of thousands of words to go...) This year, I am writing a book entitled, Beneathe. Yes. It is spelled funny on purpose. : )

This book takes place underneath the city of Paris, France. Under the Eiffel Tower, the sewers, the trains, the catacombs... there is an unknown world inhabited by strange creatures, in strange lands. Ian Grant gets thrown into this setting by a cereal box. He won a trip to Paris sponsored by the cereal box company, and soon finds himself deeper than anyone before into the mystery, danger, and horror of this world. He is enslaved, freed, challenged, and sent on quest after quest to save this world... and his life.

I am very exited about this book. (Thank you SO MUCH to Evan Lenn, who gave the original idea for this story to me. I hope to use it well!) This will definitely take a lot longer than a month to write. Maybe the first draft... but the final draft will take several months, if not years. There is so much that can happen in this book... It could be hundreds of pages long! (Over 500, at least!)

Thanks for reading! I hope you will look forward to future posts as much as I do!
Dream on!
Sam Kullen
&
Oliver Dahl