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Please give a warm welcome to Laura Harrington! She’s here today as part of her blog tour, hosted by the lovely Liza from WhoRuBlog.com. Today, Laura will share lessons she learned while she wrote her debut, Alice Bliss.
Tomboy Alice Bliss is heartbroken when she learns that her father, Matt, is being deployed to Iraq. Matt will miss seeing Alice blossom into a full-blown teenager: she’ll learn to drive, join the track team, go to her first dance, and fall in love—all while trying to be strong for her mother, Angie, and her precocious little sister. But the phone calls from her father are never long enough. At once universal and very personal, Alice Bliss is a profoundly moving story about those who are left at home during wartime and a small-town teenage girl bravely facing the future.
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Five Lessons for Writers Learned While Creating ALICE BLISS
by Laura Harrington
- Show up everyday and sit quietly until your characters begin to talk to you.
- Bring the story in close: use the landscape of your own childhood or young adulthood. And while you are walking down the streets of your childhood, use all of your senses to make the world of this book come alive.
- Channel your own emotions, which you may have felt in similar situations, to help you imagine what your characters might be feeling. Be creative and show how these emotions actually create change in your character.
- If your character has some of the qualities of someone you know, honor that person by sharing the lessons you’ve learned from them.
- Create every character, even the minor ones, with the same attention to detail you lavish on your main characters. Let every character have their day in the sun.
About the author:
Laura Harrington is an award-winning playwright, lyricist, and MIT professor. Her debut novel, ALICE BLISS, was published by Pamela Dorman Books, Viking/Penguin.
Many thanks to Laura for stopping by today, and to Viking/Penguin for giving away a copy of ALICE BLISS to one of my lucky readers. Enter the Rafflecopter below for a chance to win!
Ooo, I’ve been wanting to read this book! These are great lessons to keep in mind.
I don’t like a lot of scary or creepy movies or books. I’m a total wimp!
Meg @ A Bookish Affair recently posted..Review: Jack the Bastard and Other Stories by Micah Nathan
Twitter: myeclecticbooks
says:
I’ve seen this one once before and it caught my eye but I lost track of it. Sounds like a great read!
Melissa recently posted..What’s In a Great YA Fantasy? Guest Post & Giveaway with Stephanie Keyes
I love, love, love the the first bit of advice learned, about waiting for your characters to talk to you. That is so inspiring! Thank you for the giveaway!
:).
Would love to read this book.
Twitter: LizaWiemer
says:
I just love these tips for writers! So helpful. Thanks so much for being a part of the blog tour, Jen! <3
Liza Wiemer recently posted..Third Annual INTERNATIONAL Holiday #Readathon – December 7-9, 2012
I love #1. I always ask authors to comment on the ‘voices’ in their head, who help them write their stories. This doesn’t happen to me so it always fascinates me that it’s the way most writer’s write. I really want to read Alice Bliss. Thanks for the chance!!
Susan @ The Book Bag recently posted..WWW Wednesdays October 17
I love books. I’m also a cover lover. So I love this book and I love the cover. The synopsis sounds wonderful so I’m really happy to have a chance to win a copy. Thanks!
Twitter: fakesteph
says:
A great guest post topic as many of us prepare for nano! Thanks for sharing!
fakesteph recently posted..Bloggers Dressed In Blood Week Three!
Awesome story that many need to read!!
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