Have You Ridden Any Coasters Lately?

I wrote a post a while back called Writing is Like Kimchi. But this past week, it feels more like a roller coaster! Check out this post I wrote over at the MiGs.

Multiple Points of View

I really enjoy reading books with multiple points of view. Recent reads have been the ACROSS THE UNIVERSE books, BLOOD MAGIC and CROSSED. In looking at books with multiple points of view, it's important to get into the character's head.

A book I thoroughly enjoyed, as did my students, was ONCE UPON A MOTORCYCLE DUDE by Kevin O'Malley. The fairytale was written by his two characters, one a girl and one a boy. What made this book so special was the illustrations because they match well with the text.

For instance, the girl starts telling the story:
"Once upon a time in a castle... there lived a beautiful princess named Princess Tenderheart."

The illustrations done by Carol Heyer match the text perfectly with soft pastel colors, flowers and ponies.

Then the book takes a full 180 degree switch when the boy takes over the story:
"One day this really cool muscle dude rides up to the castle on his motorcycle."

And the illustrations are full of dark colors: blacks, reds and silvers. In fact, Heyer doesn't illustrate these but it's an entirely different illustrator, Scott Goto. There are words like volcanoes, thunder, lightning, battles, and giants.

I loved how distinctly different the characters were and their point of views. It made the story hilarious (sure it was a little stereotypical) but I couldn't help but think, this is the perfect example of a book that shows point of view switches!

Some great links for writing different POV's are:

• Kristi Cook's Point-of-View in Young Adult
• Tara Harper's Multiple Points of View
• Understand the Effects of Your Point of View
• Three Tips for Multiple Points of View

Ultimately, it's important each character has their own distinct voice. If you were to open the book and randomly pick out a page, would you be able to identify who's telling the story at that point by the voice?

How about you? Have you written or read a great book with multiple points of views?

Twizzlers Sent Me Inspiration!

The other day on Twitter I mentioned that I'd sent hubby out to get me a pack of chocolate and Twizzlers to help me with my revisions. I asked Twitter if he was being sweet or escaping. Twizzlers voted SWEET and sent me this really cool Twizzlers pen!

I love it! Thank you Twizzlers for sending me some inspiration.

You can follow them on Twitter too. Click here.

(Oh and ignore my messy desk.)

Winners of 9 Book Giveaway!!!!

Oh how I love giveaways. They are just soooo much fun. Thank you to everyone who entered! And now I get to announce the lucky ones.

Middle Grade Fantasy Pack: Kaya H

Middle Grade Girl's Pack: Still open for giveaway. The first person to comment saying they want it, gets it!!!!!!

MATCHED: Madison

I AM NUMBER FOUR: Llehn

UNTRACEABLE: Zoe Z

Please email me your mailing address at christinal dot farley at gmail dot com to get your book(s)! 

Picture from Absolute Necessities.

Word of the Year

Happy New Year guys! I can't believe it is already another year. I don't know about you, but I'm so excited about 2012.

Most of you know me pretty well and that I'm very goal driven. It's a great thing if I want to get a job done, but it can borderline on being a bit obsessive. Like writing a particular number of words a day or reading a book a day or jogging so many miles.

In the past I've made up my goals and they have helped me keep focused on what I want for myself and my career. For instance, if you check out this post, it had my goals for last year.

I am happy to report I accomplished everything on my list! I even snagged an amazing agent too! Actually, he's beyond amazing and I'm so lucky to have him representing me.

Thinking about this upcoming year, I'm going to go a different route. I'm focusing my goals on a specific word and then revolve all my goals around that word.

So my word for this year is STRENGTHEN. How will I strengthen myself as a writer?

1. Read- focusing on diversifying my reading choices and going beyond my standby favorites
2. Attend conferences- building my craft and networking
3. Finish revising my current WIP and transforming it into a book that's even better than anything I've ever written yet.
4. Write another book (grin)- but for this one I'd like to try a genre that I haven't written in yet. I'm excited about this one too!

I want to challenge you to make up your goals as well. But as you make the list, remember to make sure that these goals are within YOUR control. I have my secret wish list too (sorry, not sharing that one!), but those are wishes that I have no control over and for goals, I believe that they need to be attainable by you.

So, if you were to choose a word for your year, what would it be?

Pictures from Skinny Bodybuilding.

A Floridian Christmas

Merry Christmas from sunny Florida! We've been spending the last week swimming, playing in the sand, orange picking, riding bikes and playing soccer in the yard. And of course, we went to Disney World! It's the perfect weather to be outside having fun. Snow is nice, but there's nothing quite like a Floridian Christmas.

This holiday will be the first in over 10 years that we won't be traveling. I have to admit that I'm kind of excited to be hanging out with family, reading my stacks of books (yes, STACKS!) and getting lots of good writing in too.

How about you? What are your holiday plans?

Don't forget to enter my 9 Book Giveaway! My gift to you all. There's still time until the New Year.

Wishing you all a wonderful holiday filled with fun, rest and peace.

Congratulations to Carmella Van Vleet!

Carmella Van Vleet, one of my writing partners over at The MiGs, just signed with Marie Lamba of the Jennifer DeChiara Literary Agency! Check out her post on The MiGs where she talks about THE CALL and wish her a congratulations!

Yahoo!