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Yoga

Posted on by Beth Hull

I don’t know if it will fix my Whoofle-chewed pelvis, but I felt fantastic while in the studio yesterday, and I feel fantastic (although a tad sore) today. Strong. No, I didn’t walk through the yoga studio doors and transform into a graceful, light-on-my-feet butterfly. Still cumbersome & awkward, yes. But more in control of, or maybe at peace with, my body.

One other pregnant woman in the class – I thought she was at least a month behind me, but no, I learned afterward she’s further along by a month. Just, you know, smaller and cuter. I took a moment to envy her definitely-not-whaline figure, then decided to give myself a break and let it go. Remember, at peace with the body. I’m getting too old and pregnant for body issues. Let’s hold on to the fantastic.

Writing Tip: Break on Through

Posted on by Beth Hull

The last couple of weeks have been tough as far as writing. The book I’m working on has this awesome character and awesome set-up (I think so anyway, and every first draft is for ME). But for two weeks I’ve been struggling with the ending. The idea I had in mind, when I actually got closer and closer to it, seemed suckier and suckier.

Until finally I couldn’t write the story at all.

Instead I whined in my diary for approximately three hours every morning. “What am I doing, this ending is horrible. Maybe I should go herd goats in a cold remote country….”

Oh yeah, writing tip. Not long meandering whiny story.

Steps I took:

1. I read the YA Muses posts this week on endings (how timely!). Especially helpful was the guest post by Elle Cosimano, but really, all week, their blog has been like my own personal support group.

2. I listed 20 other ideas of steps my main character could take for achieving her ultimate goal. TWENTY. Don’t short yourself, because the best ideas are usually found in the last five. (I think I got this tip from a talk Bruce Coville gave at an SCBWI conference last April.)

3. I did some exercises from Donald Maass’s book, Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook. I was saving this bad boy for after I’d finished the draft, but, seeing that nothing else was working, I did the exercises on Theme (specifically, “Alternate Endings,” (pp 200-201), “The Larger Problem” (pp 202-203), and “Same Problem, Other Characters” (pp 204-205)).

4. I made a list of what I thought made for a fantastic climactic ending in one of my favorite contemporary YA novels, The Truth About Forever, by Sarah Dessen. My list looked like this:

  • huge storm (sorta cliche/plot device, but works for story)
  • tons of people, Macy demanded everywhere at once
  • two guys – the one she wants & the one she must deal with first
  • needing to face her fear/hang-up and RUN for the guy she wants
  • overall: choices, weather, too many people, TONS of conflict

5. Then I made a wish list of elements I’d like for my own wacky wonderful ending (including, but not limited to, a brawl involving the strippers and this total Creeper McCreeperson).

6. Finally I had enough ideas to make a new outline for a new shiny ending that hopefully will not be so horrible that the very thought of it paralyzes my writing.

And I share these ideas with you, free of charge. (Because, yes, they might be worthless.)

The JOYS of Pregnancy

Posted on by Beth Hull

I’m tired of whining. Even when (I think) I’m being funny, I’m still complaining.

Well not today! Today I am going to share with you the WONDROUS WONDERS OF WONDER that are being pregnant. And I will conveniently leave out any complaining.

Joyous Wonder #1: Maternity Jeans

I’m a sweats/yoga pants girl at heart. I call my yoga pants part of my “uniform” for my “job” of writing during the first part of the day and taking care of Z during the second, rather louder, part of the day (and night). Sometimes I put my pajamas back on immediately after taking my shower. Yes, I confess all these things with absolutely NO SHAME. However, maternity jeans are the one thing other than sweats that I could wear around the house. I just told a friend that I may wear my maternity jeans in perpetuity even after the baby is born. For those of you who don’t know, maternity jeans look something like this:

I thought a half-naked blue, one-eyed alien woman would be preferable to a half-naked human woman. Let's see what kind of weird search hits I get on my blog this week.

Joyous Wonder #2: The Pregnancy Card

This is really just the special privileges a pregnant woman can get from her husband. Homes will go out at 9 p.m. to get food for me, or he’ll make special meals at my request (still waiting on those enchiladas, though…no wait, I had those. Well, I want them again. Must put in a request). Different husbands/partners may give the pregnant woman in their life different privileges with the pregnancy card. My privileges mostly amount to food and not lifting heavy things. I might get out of doing the dishes soon because my stomach’s getting too big for me to reach the faucet.

Joyous Wonder #3: Quickening

No jokes here. I freaking love feeling the baby move. And because I know this will be my last baby, I’m trying to memorize the feeling. Maverick’s more of a kicker/puncher than Z was. I mean, Z moved a bunch, but her moves were mostly stretches, like an alien foot arching across my stomach. Maverick’s, like, dancing in there or something. Anyway, it’s crazy cool, and I’ll miss it.

Joyous Wonder #4: No Dieting Allowed

I know things are different for women diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Thankfully, that’s not me (knock on wood. KNOCK ON WOOD!! I mean it. Everyone. RIGHT NOW). So if I want to have a teeny tiny salad for dinner, followed by a gigantic slice of chocolate cake for dessert, well. It’s not like I’m tracking Weight Watchers points or actually paying any attention to weight gain whatsoever. Until I start seeing my cheeks puff out (and I check, I admit, almost daily), I’m going to eat what I like. What’s amazing is it’s mostly salads that I want, not cake. (But yeah, if the cake’s there, I’ll eat that, too.)

So there you have it, The Joyous Wonders of Pregnancy. See, there are good things to it! And like I said with the fetal movement, I know it won’t last forever, and this is my last chance to enjoy it, so enjoy it I shall.

But I still feel like a Whoofle chewed up my pelvis and gave it back to me all mangled and crooked. Just sayin’.

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Posted on by Beth Hull

The set-up: Aria comes from an enclosed city, protected from the Aether and harsh environments (and people) on the outside. Perry’s had to fight for survival his whole life.

Main characters’ goals: Aria’s goal is to find her mother (even if it means lying to her ally); Perry’s goal is to find his nephew. Their goals are pretty constant, although their methods change throughout the story as the two of them, ahem, get to know each other better.

My reaction: WOW. This is a whole new world, and, honestly, one I only want to encounter between the covers of Rossi’s books. It’s a scary place, filled with scary people – and the people in Aria’s home-pod are just as frightening as those inhabiting Perry’s world on the outside. Beyond the bad guys, though – some of the supporting cast are memorable wonderful people, and I can’t wait to read more about them! (Hellllooooo, Roar!)

Of interest to writers: Personally, I find alternating points of view difficult – not just to write, but to read. In Under the Never Sky, though, the alternating POV was really smooth. So why does it work so well here? Check out how Rossi has expertly differentiated between her characters – not only their personalities, but the differences in their diction, style, and tone.

(Third to) Bottom line: The concept alone will blow your mind. The concept coupled with great writing make this book a total winner.

Reminds me of: Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

For more on Under the Never Sky and Veronica Rossi, you can visit her personal blog here, and her blog with the YA Muses here.

Last thing, I promise: While looking for a good image of the cover, I found some of the international covers on Veronica’s blog (click here to go there). Seriously cool. I think the Dutch cover may be my favorite. Which is yours?

The Cold – A Tragedy in Three Acts

Posted on by Beth Hull

Act I

The Ever-Suffering Mother isn’t suffering quite so much. She has a lifetime supply of peanut M&Ms in the cupboard, a loving husband (who buys her M&Ms) and a darling daughter, and lots of writing time during the day. But by the endof Act I, she develops a sore throat. This can’t be good.

Act II

Like any valiant heroine, she attempts to help herself through lots of naps, liquids (milkshakes count, right?), and more naps. (Medication is, given her pregnancy, pretty much out of the question. Further helping us define the meaning of “suffering.”)

Despite her valiant efforts, the sore throat has grown into a Sore Throat of Doom.

By the end of Act II the sore throat has gone away (hooray!) only to be replaced by copious amounts of snot. Act II is plagued with phegmatic and lethargic dialogue, lots of adenoidal voice-overs, mouth-breathing, and we’ll throw the World’s Shortest Rejection Time on a Short Story in there as a subplot (5 hours 11 minutes).

Act III

In Act III, the Ever-Suffering Mother overcomes the rejection, but not the snot, and the Cold replays itself for other beloved members of her family, compounding its effects through sleeplessness, irritability, and general malaise.

The End.