Just Like That

Hey guys

So out of all the characters you invented, who is your favourite? What is their name and what are they like? Why do you like them so much and do you think they reflect your personality?

BQ: On a scale of 1-10 (1 being not accurate, 10 being very accurate), how accurate

a) friendly

b) funny

c) charming

d) intelligent

e) quiet

f) practical

g) weird

h) trusting

i) sentimental

j) unpredictable

Look forward to your answers !

~ Jay

Hey guys :)

A book I'm surprised I enjoyed is 'When God Was a Rabbit' by Sarah Winman. It's so off-beat, and written from the point of a view of a young character, which normally puts me off, but it's still profound whilst capturing the age of the protagonist. Beautifully written too.

A book that let me down 'A Tiny Bit Marvellous' by Dawn French. I thought it was full of overacting.

Thought I also might share an interesting link 'Fascinating collection of notes, diagrams and tables show how famous authors including J.K. Rowling and Sylvia Plath battled to plan out their novels beforehand'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2326630/No...

Thanks for answering :)

~ JLT

Hey guys :)

Picture your dream home library and describe it to me. For example:

- would it be grand with towering mahogany book cases or cosy or lots of colour and modern crazy new chair in the centre

- would it have all new books in perfect condition, or dog-eared paperbacks from charity shops

- would it have pictures and quotes painted on the wall (I would so love to paint the quote: 'I have always imagined that Paradise as a kind of library' by Jorge Borges on my wall)

- would it be off room from your bedroom or right at the top of the house or down in the basement?

Look forward to your answers :)

~ JLT

Hey guys

As always answer as little or as many as you wish

1) How do you conquer writers block?

2) How do you procrastinate?

3) How do you get in your creative zone?

4) How do you ensure your work is original?

5) How do you respond to negative comments?

6) How do you respond to positive comments?

7) When do you ask for criticism on your writing?

8) What do you do once you've finished your first draft of a story/poem?

Look forward to your answers :)

~ JLT

Hey guys

Just hoping for any constructive criticism or suggestions on this piece below.

Note: \\in italics//

---------------------------

The Monday morning light glimmered off the chandelier and the birds sang in its arrival. A new day. My eyes were not even accustomed to the light before I thought of Gary, and the sun’s rays suddenly seemed mocking and sinful. I dropped my head back onto the pillow and groaned, pulling up the covers over my face not knowing whether it was because I couldn’t face the brightness in the room, or the truth that he was dead.

Every move I took held that bitter knowing in it. As I splashed water over my face, I felt drenched in pain. As I contemplated breakfast, I felt hungry for companionship. My sanity had died with him. My metaphors and similes had taken such a toll that I felt grateful for a distraction when I heard the letterbox flap open and shut and the scuttle of papers cascade onto the floor.

I hurried my way to the door and lifted the envelopes: John Lewis, Local Council, a postcard, Oran—a postcard? I flicked back nervously and my brain tugged at a distant memory. What did I see? As I found the glossed card, I felt the need to sink to the floor. In the picture, the rich mahogany complimented the pasty tone of a hand that danced on the white keys. A hand I’d recognise anywhere.

I whipped the postcard around, forcing my eyes to focus on specific words, trying to make sense of the letters as tears clouded my eyes.

\\Jane, I’m not dead. 12 am at Berkshire Park. You know where. Gary.//

I glanced at the clock and it read 11.30 am. Screw it, I thought, knowing it’d only take my ten minutes to walk there - what if he gets there early? I took hold of my keys and rushed out the flat and down the flight of stairs, tripping up twice. I questioned myself over and over, frustrated I couldn’t give myself any answers.

I tried to maintain a normal pace as I got to the park, heading almost automatically to the willow tree that had provided shade and privacy to us many times before. I sat down and took the time to look at the postcard again. I ran my fingers over where his pen had touched the card…over where his fingers may have touched the card. Somehow the break that penetrated my heart seemed to grow indefinitely bigger, like a black hole.

A shadow blocked the rectangle of light over where I was reading, and I threw my head up.

“Gary.”

* * *

I watched the girl throw her head up suddenly, as though someone had called her name. She said something. One word. Dropping the paper that she had held so dearly only a moment ago, she stood up, clasped her hand around the air, and then wrapped her arms around an invisible figure.

---------------------------

Thanks :D

~ JLT

Hey there

Well my question is, do you enjoy villains that you know you should hate, because they oppose the lead character, but you completely agree with why they are doing what they're doing, or just the type that are intelligent/skillful/good at what they do, but you completely hate them - the type that makes good competition for your protagonist in terms of skill set and that's it?

How do you feel about the first sort of villain? Does it somehow lessen your liking for the main character or the book?

Look forward to your answers :)

~ JLT

Hey guys,

Well I've found a few famous writing quotes and was wondering which one you think you'd be most likely to say. You can pick your top three if you wish :) Here they are:

* Easy reading is damn hard writing - Nathaniel Hawthorne

* Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work. - Stephen King

* If you do not breathe through writing, if you do not cry out in writing, or sing in writing, then don’t write, because our culture has no use for it. - Anais Nin

* I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork. - Peter De Vries

* Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for the public and have no self - Cyril Connolly

* Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple and learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen - John Steinback

* "So what? All writers are lunatics!" - Cornelia Funke, Inkspell

* “I write only because, There is a voice within me, That will not be still” ― Sylvia Plath

* “If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.” - Stephen King

* “Cut out all these exclamation points. An exclamation point is like laughing at your own joke.” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald

BQ: What is (not just from this list) your favourite quote about writing?

Look forward to your answers :)

~ JLT

Hey guys

Well following Kurt Vonnegut, my question for you...

“Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say?”

How would you feel if you were either?

Look forward to all your answers and hope you're well :)

~ JLT

Hey guys

Just a question to ask how would you react if you got published (or how did you react for those who are already published :D)?

For example, would you celebrate? Do a happy dance? Call your mum?

Look forward to your answers :)

~ JLT

Hey guys

Well just a litte survey about how much of these are in your current story, 0 being none, 10 being full of it.

• Romantic tension:_____

• Sensuality: _____

• Humour: _____

• Spirituality: _____

• Offensive language: _____

• Action/adventure: _____

• Violence: _____

• Suspense: _____

• Enigma: _____

Look forward to your answers

~ JLT

B&A: If you are what you write, then...? + Note?

Hey guys

Well I came along this quote:

“You are what you write.” ― Helvy Tiana Rosa, Risalah Cinta

and it got me thinking, if this is true, then what does it make you? It's an open question, so interpret it as you like, be as realistic as you wish, as nonsensical and hopefully as creative as you wish :)

BQ: What was the last song you listened to?

Note: Also, some of you may remember, about two years ago (wow, time goes fast), I posted a question about the B&A Anthology following the B&A Yearbook. The B&A Anthology is a collection of stories that characterises the users and daily soaps that go on in the forum.

For example, two years ago, when the trolls kicked off with the annual summer fest of ugliness, we knighted Beautiful Nightmare and Lily White troll slayers, and so we have the story Anwen Knight and the Trolls.

I won't make any excuses, I've only completed the first draft of Anwen Knight, so I'm sorry, but Kelly had the idea of 'The Life and Lies of Books and Authors' which Lyra so nicely described as:

"A collection of vignettes by each user. They could all be fictional or non-fictional accounts on different things, opinion on things like trolls, perspectives on different users. So you learn about the users and about B&A through each separate vignette."

So I was wondering if any other users wanted to contribute to this part of the anthology in particular, and if you did, just stick it in the reply box in

booksauthors.wordpress then and .com - I would write it all together but then Y!A plays up

and I would be eternally grateful. There are excerpts on there too to give you a better idea. Or perhaps if you wanted it to be secret until the actual release of the book then we could work something out.

Thanks :D

~ JLT

Hey guys

Okay, so I've been wandering along reading the 'ten rules for writing fiction' articles on the Guardian website again, and have come across a few other 'rules' that I was wondering what you think for. I know, and I'm sure these writers do to, that there no exact rules for writing, but I was more wondering whether it's advice you're likely to take or not.

As always, answer as little or as many as you wish :)

1) Which are you more likely to agree with:

- Don't wait for inspiration. Discipline is the key. (Esther Freud)?

- Write only when you have something to say. (David Hare)?

2) What are your thoughts on:

- Always carry a notebook. And I mean always. The short-term memory only retains information for three minutes; unless it is committed to paper you can lose an idea for ever. (Will Self)

3) 'Decide when in the day (or night) it best suits you to write, and organise your life accordingly. (Andrew Motion)' - do you think that choosing a time for writing or a place for writing is important to get yourself in 'the zone' or just another excuse to waste time?

4) Which are you more likely to agree with:

- Don't hold on to poor work. If it was bad when it went in the drawer it will be just as bad when it comes out. (Jeanetter Winterson)?

- Remember there is no such thing as nonsense. (Andrew Motion)?

5) Work on a computer that is disconnected from the ­internet. (Zadie Smith) - not exactly, do you agree with this or not, but rather, do you do this already?

Thank you and I look forward to your answers :)

~ JLT

Hey guys :)

Just a question I was thinking of earlier. I think, as with any period of time, there is great talent to be discovered and some ... not, but each period of time faces different difficulties and will come out with different outcomes.

So my question is, what worries do you have for future writers and what do you look forward to see from future writers in the time to come? For example, new genres, or loss of particular writing styles/heritage

Look forward to your answers :)

~ JLT

:)

BQ1: Stephenie Meyer says she's a big fan of your work, what do you say to that?

BQ2: If you were a character in a book, who would you be? Say, Leonardo Da Vinci's overlooked brother? Or a figure locked in a painting? Or someone else?

BQ3: If you had to co-write with another user on Y!A, who would it be?

~ JLT

Hey guys :)

Was thinking of a few questions and as always, answer as little or as many as you wish :)

1) If you were a character in a mystery book, who would you be? A sly villain with a motive? A rookie detective? The chief? The damsel in distress? The FBI agent who knocks down the doors and puts on the cuffs?

2) If you were a character in a fantasy or sci-fi, who would you be? The valiant astronaut who had his life taken at the forefront? The woman campaigning against the wastage of money spent on rockets and research? The cute little furry creature that guides the newbie around this hidden world?

3) If you were a literary villain, would you be Miss Havisham, Professor Moriarty, Dracula, Mr Hyde, Voldermort or Saruman?

4) If you were a literary traveller, would you visit Narnia, Lilliput, Middle Earth, Oz, Never Never Land or Hogwarts?

5) Are there any literary characters who you think resemble you in any way?

Look forward to your answers

BQ: Recommend any random book that comes to mind :)

~ JLT