tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18174059300790393332024-03-05T04:28:49.378-08:00Purdie WritingKathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-65425903914852456132015-05-26T11:04:00.002-07:002015-05-26T11:05:24.160-07:00New Website!That's right, I've moved! Come over and see my beautiful new website, designed by Tessa Elwood, and check out my new blogging digs on Tumblr (linked to as "Blog" from my website). I'm excited about this new format and feel it's a better fit for my personality.<br />
<br />
Here it is: <br />
<a href="http://www.kathrynpurdie.com/">www.kathrynpurdie.com</a> <br />
<br />
Adios, Blogger!<br />
<br />
(I will keep this blog up for archival purposes, however.) Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-73574006896212060882015-03-05T08:06:00.000-08:002015-03-05T08:06:08.616-08:00Another Title Change!Just to keep things interesting--and more importantly, to ensure my book has the best marketing possible--my publisher has changed my title once more. Now it's BURNING GLASS, and I'm 99.9% sure it's here to stay. :-)<br />
<br />
I absolutely love the new title! It's dark, atmospheric, and moody. I love the beautiful sound of those words together and the many layers of symbolism they invoke. BURNING GLASS perfectly describes Sonya's inner and outer journey. I can't wait to see the cover design in the near future!<br />
<br />
In other news, I'm in the works with a developer to build an awesome new website I'll be sharing with you soon, and today I'm finishing the last tweaks of content edits for BURNING GLASS, then I'll be diving into copy edits over the next few weeks. Before I know it, advanced reader copies will be available! I'm also hard at work revamping my book two synopsis and fleshing out new and exciting conflict for Sonya to encounter. By April, I'll start drafting her continuing story. Never a dull moment!<br />
<br />
Stay tuned!Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-73704446436837124662015-01-29T16:04:00.000-08:002015-01-29T21:44:26.200-08:00New Book Name and MoreJanuary is almost over (hallelujah), and so much has happened since my last blog post! <i>Auraseer</i> has a new name, <i>The Seer's Curse</i>, and my series will now be called <i>Riaznin Rising</i>. I love these names because they're specific and evocative. <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23677316-auraseer?from_search=true" target="_blank">If you haven't added <i>The Seer's Curse</i> to Goodreads, do it now</a>!<br />
<br />
I've been busy revising with my fantastic editor, Maria Barbo, at Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, and I couldn't be in better hands. Having a book release in a year means a lot of work--and quickly--and I've never worked harder (a 3:00 a.m. bedtime has become the norm). But before I know it, all of this effort will transform itself into a shiny new book to share with all of you. I can't wait!<br />
<br />
In other news, my Christmas decorations are still up, my house needs a good deep-cleaning, my husband's high school theatrical production opens in less than a week, and I may or may not have consumed one too many chocolates in the last month. But I did exercise for the first time in, oh, a decade this morning, so there is hope for me.<br />
<br />
Here are a few pics of my recent happenings:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>The one day I took off revising was to celebrate with my friend, Sara B. Larson, at her launch party for IGNITE. Here we are with Erin Summerill, making for a tasty Adams Literary client sandwich. </i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<i> </i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNX0M4btGOCaBbA5hEDPLUiPVYuRZtJyZ_UZDaUQi5DQIOo5xxdYG0ygoH8wYNqOFYXzACD0qIj7RvbAAfaEIBx293ZnnsbtSoDfygd0dyvHsCtD600jcpZvimj7LqAaCEEXrenZvEBAe/s1600/IgniteLaunch2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNX0M4btGOCaBbA5hEDPLUiPVYuRZtJyZ_UZDaUQi5DQIOo5xxdYG0ygoH8wYNqOFYXzACD0qIj7RvbAAfaEIBx293ZnnsbtSoDfygd0dyvHsCtD600jcpZvimj7LqAaCEEXrenZvEBAe/s1600/IgniteLaunch2015.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Signing my contract for the Riaznin Rising series. A momentous occasion!</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_42fZZovCMFgrHddPXx-FzbsKoIVGb8CRKDKn9zBCUB82G0d51BRssam0FiaJsRgnEf5-DVySClg3qjHVAXAGL32yNi3Yvt8PQbO6eWlVk9_8pbtD15GvAIaoY_dMqOmfWZ4HPK_yXQut/s1600/Signing+Seers+Curse+Contract.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_42fZZovCMFgrHddPXx-FzbsKoIVGb8CRKDKn9zBCUB82G0d51BRssam0FiaJsRgnEf5-DVySClg3qjHVAXAGL32yNi3Yvt8PQbO6eWlVk9_8pbtD15GvAIaoY_dMqOmfWZ4HPK_yXQut/s1600/Signing+Seers+Curse+Contract.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Round one of editorial revisions completed!</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLbw9kpbMTgvMpMb9TQNT-Z66nvyr4ec4eTYX4NCL2oscGhpjnagQcjqoJnxqs0gFyDykE_fzKQixAQgUASh2nnRnvGJroZfZE728OJag1fVOQypKfrrNuwy5I59lMS1zsHa8WxDe-hdO/s1600/Seers+Curse+Edits+Round+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkLbw9kpbMTgvMpMb9TQNT-Z66nvyr4ec4eTYX4NCL2oscGhpjnagQcjqoJnxqs0gFyDykE_fzKQixAQgUASh2nnRnvGJroZfZE728OJag1fVOQypKfrrNuwy5I59lMS1zsHa8WxDe-hdO/s1600/Seers+Curse+Edits+Round+1.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>Christmas trees are still pretty at the end of January...right?</i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28gaecpcWYx-VqJ9SJRirYJ9NnMEDXr8ZO7BrOCQqOHGsiN_u6HCPzkK6y4xUesPAy_0jrfTXgtRDFBd3aXS0UXic4B5zWuzYB18RW17CXQn2YZSDRNuGKOnAQLOjHZOKSjvBTIUyl38n/s1600/Christmas+Tree+Still+Up+2015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi28gaecpcWYx-VqJ9SJRirYJ9NnMEDXr8ZO7BrOCQqOHGsiN_u6HCPzkK6y4xUesPAy_0jrfTXgtRDFBd3aXS0UXic4B5zWuzYB18RW17CXQn2YZSDRNuGKOnAQLOjHZOKSjvBTIUyl38n/s1600/Christmas+Tree+Still+Up+2015.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-63848515852113454602014-12-25T06:00:00.000-08:002014-12-25T06:00:01.689-08:00Merry Christmas SongMerry Christmas! As my gift to you, here is one of my favorite holiday songs that I sang as a child.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/CaGpXZOh-7A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-8809640297607296662014-12-04T14:50:00.000-08:002015-03-05T08:19:16.558-08:00Book Deal for Auraseer!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMyB_rv_VbgQYoJLb4h81Hm15uZtd6s-USgmOrn5_lpYBewtDfyp7H9z2-Ghrtzgx1SwTpgBBJBJcwhACiAVzygOL3_E_YbRALRr7UlpFCDhakZgk72qARWd2BvjKBQ-NjkVVf4OBMxdY/s1600/Go+Confidently+in+the+Direction+of+Your+Dreams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMyB_rv_VbgQYoJLb4h81Hm15uZtd6s-USgmOrn5_lpYBewtDfyp7H9z2-Ghrtzgx1SwTpgBBJBJcwhACiAVzygOL3_E_YbRALRr7UlpFCDhakZgk72qARWd2BvjKBQ-NjkVVf4OBMxdY/s1600/Go+Confidently+in+the+Direction+of+Your+Dreams.jpg" height="316" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Several years ago, while in recovery from donating a kidney to my older brother, I had the crazy idea to write a story. Little did I know what wonderful madness I'd gotten myself into! Four manuscripts, two agents, and hundreds of setbacks and milestones later, I am thrilled to announce that AURASEER, my young adult fantasy trilogy, will be published by Katherine Tegen Books of HarperCollins in Winter 2016!<br />
<br />
Sonya, my main character, is a loose cannon with a very good heart—which gets her into lots of trouble! She manifests other peoples' emotions, a not-so-fun ability to have when in the service of a volatile emperor and also entangled with his rebellious younger brother. Romance, intrigue, and incredibly high stakes abound in this fantastical world similar to imperial Russia.<br />
<br />
I can't tell you how much fun I had writing this story!<br />
<br />
Many heartfelt thanks go to my critique partners, my champion husband, my ninja agent, Josh
Adams, and the team at Adams Literary for their guidance and fierce belief in me.
Thanks also to my lovely editor, Maria Barbo, and everyone at Katherine
Tegen Books who have given me such a warm and enthusiastic welcome. <br />
<br />
If you'd like to learn a little more about AURASEER, <a href="http://purdiewriting.blogspot.com/2014/10/auraseer.html" target="_blank">click here for a recent blog post</a> and <a href="http://purdiewriting.blogspot.com/2014/11/song-for-anton.html" target="_blank">here to listen to a song I wrote for the story</a>.<br />
<br />
Here's the official announcement from Publishers Weekly:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnU-A5fg7ZSc0XyRcVZXE9kLYKOEfLsXjdWrWU1-q6Fw1yyN52xYtPU4EE_HsCtynUcWHSVojj3eu08My-GrmoUiFs2AK3pJicJBv4xRsbUJyGm9JjJbMw3QHq1t9d7z6YxJiuj0Y7zQG/s1600/Auraseer+PW+Announcement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnU-A5fg7ZSc0XyRcVZXE9kLYKOEfLsXjdWrWU1-q6Fw1yyN52xYtPU4EE_HsCtynUcWHSVojj3eu08My-GrmoUiFs2AK3pJicJBv4xRsbUJyGm9JjJbMw3QHq1t9d7z6YxJiuj0Y7zQG/s1600/Auraseer+PW+Announcement.jpg" height="152" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
In case that print's too tiny for you, here ya go: <i><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></i>
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #274e13;">Maria Barbo at HarperCollins has acquired debut author <b>Kathryn Purdie</b>'s
Auraseer trilogy, about a 17-year-old girl who is obliged to use her
gift for feeling – and absorbing – the emotions of others to protect her
nation's emperor from harm. Publication of book one, <i></i></span></i><span style="color: #274e13;">Auraseer</span><i><span style="color: #274e13;"><i></i>, is scheduled for winter 2016; Josh Adams at Adams Literary did the three-book deal for world rights.</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">And here's my announcement in Publisher's Marketplace:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpdbXQUc2tS9u6flyluQTXxCdtx8U9rpVw3JmmHUi4R4aojmmhVP3qhIDwaG3XpJyW_lKg2SnsLIx_kL3ky0YoEUeXd3ZgisclMz3YzbcHdkt5LWfBD6s7ArY7B3sovsdVoFCqucMT5Js/s1600/Auraseer+PM+announcement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpdbXQUc2tS9u6flyluQTXxCdtx8U9rpVw3JmmHUi4R4aojmmhVP3qhIDwaG3XpJyW_lKg2SnsLIx_kL3ky0YoEUeXd3ZgisclMz3YzbcHdkt5LWfBD6s7ArY7B3sovsdVoFCqucMT5Js/s1600/Auraseer+PM+announcement.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;"> </span><i><span style="color: #274e13;"> </span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>UPDATE:</b></span> <i>Auraseer</i> is now on Goodreads! <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23677316-auraseer?ac=1" target="_blank">Add it to your "Want to Read" list</a>.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Update 1/9/15: </b></span>Auraseer has a new name--The Seer's Curse--book one of Riaznin Rising.</span></i><br />
<br />
<i><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Update 2/25/15: </b></span>Another title change! My book will officially be called BURNING GLASS. </span></i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Now excuse me while I do an epic and celebratory happy dance!<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div id="_giphy_91o6Q8CZlGljO" style="max-width: 500px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="216" mozallowfullscreen="" src="//giphy.com/embed/91o6Q8CZlGljO" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="480"></iframe>
</div>
Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-66880861042393793642014-11-24T08:23:00.004-08:002014-11-24T08:24:43.865-08:00Doubt-Proof WritingI'm on the Thinking Through Our Fingers blog today chatting about doubt-proof writing. <a href="http://thinkingthroughourfingers.blogspot.com/2014/11/doubt-proof-writing.html" target="_blank">Come and visit!</a>Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-74188664156588713872014-11-14T13:43:00.001-08:002014-11-15T11:16:59.399-08:00Song for AntonIn my ongoing tradition to write a song for each one of my stories, here is my latest song for my latest story, AURASEER. The song is sung from my main character Sonya's point of view. She is empathic and her words here are for the prince of Riaznin, Anton Ozerov. I'll leave the rest to your imagination! :-) Also, the thumbnail image of me singing below cracks me up. I look like I'm in pain!<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><i>Update: For some reason this video doesn't view in Safe Mode on YouTube. Don't ask me why, there's nothing offensive in it! To disable Safe Mode, scroll down to the bottom of any page on YouTube and click on the "Safety" button, where you can change your preferences.</i></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/rIFm1MdLyHE?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<b>SONG FOR ANTON</b><br />
<br />
I feel your pain before you cry,<br />
I feel the wind before you sigh,<br />
So breathe and believe in my heart,<br />
You and me were meant to be from the start.<br />
<br />
So don't leave me hanging by a thread,<br />
Don't leave me caught on words unsaid,<br />
Beyond the veil of rain is a blue sky,<br />
where Love can dare to hope and never die.<br />
<br />
I feel before stir before you rise,<br />
I taste your lips before you close your eyes,<br />
So don't be afraid when they are watching,<br />
They are blind. They are wrong. They are not me.<br />
<br />
So don't leave me hanging by a thread,<br />
Don't leave me caught on words unsaid,<br />
Beyond the veil of rain is a blue sky,<br />
where Love can dare to hope and never die.<br />
<br />
My fingers tremble before you're cold,<br />
I feel your secrets before they're told,<br />
So open the door and throw away the key,<br />
Just trust in the truth of you and me.<br />
<br />
Beyond the veil of rain is a blue sky,<br />
Where Love can dare to hope and never die. Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-47615046294951159062014-10-13T09:03:00.002-07:002014-10-13T09:09:30.019-07:00Auraseer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4a8IqWRGxg4cm5dWe7fsc-nLzhT5M_bdl43BN0ac0TRD9vZHajvsDwywoPTfErJHYk0laQ4xVo0VUjcjKDvsaG9B5hHvLxNGzhOySB41n2OS9D-uhuWb5WzSzQkyP0bScsoDkPQh98hd/s1600/Auraseer+Title+Page.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq4a8IqWRGxg4cm5dWe7fsc-nLzhT5M_bdl43BN0ac0TRD9vZHajvsDwywoPTfErJHYk0laQ4xVo0VUjcjKDvsaG9B5hHvLxNGzhOySB41n2OS9D-uhuWb5WzSzQkyP0bScsoDkPQh98hd/s1600/Auraseer+Title+Page.JPG" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
I'm happy to announce I've completed my fourth manuscript--on September 29th, to be exact. I wrote AURASEER over four months, and considering my first story took me 2 1/2 years to write and revise, this is a major accomplishment for me. As I wrote that first story, I wondered many times how it would feel to have a draft <i>done</i>. Even now, it feels magical to complete a story.<br />
<br />
I usually battle with my stories a lot more and can't wait to reach the end. With this one, it was a sweet release to write from start to finish. This gist of this story just appeared in my head one day, as well as its most important nuts and bolts and characters. In many ways, it is the 2.0 version of my first novel. Both are about a girl who can feel others' emotions, though by very different means. I feel like the long struggle I waged with that first story made this one much easier to draft--especially when it came to explaining the nuances of feeling what someone else is feeling. (I had to revise that element so many times with my first novel.)<br />
<br />
At any rate, I'm very pleased. And although the process of writing came easier this time around, I still poured my heart and soul into every word. I'm back home and happy crafting another epic fantasy.<br />
<br />
Here are a few teaser images related to my story. Fingers crossed it will be published one day and you can enjoy it with me. Until then, may the muse be with you in your writing endeavors or whatever creative pursuits float your boat!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1hfJsqoDeCwNn2pk5Q_9sZuX9T1WPpmKXwdk4w9Ap9FMuXMcdVmKm-zDA_nP-vXqdfrMKZhWPz2vZm-C-bfIzYmZ3kqD0o60vqXMEIfpl6F1DKG-bPngSUjcwq9d5wdOooal1K9HTua2/s1600/Headdress+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs1hfJsqoDeCwNn2pk5Q_9sZuX9T1WPpmKXwdk4w9Ap9FMuXMcdVmKm-zDA_nP-vXqdfrMKZhWPz2vZm-C-bfIzYmZ3kqD0o60vqXMEIfpl6F1DKG-bPngSUjcwq9d5wdOooal1K9HTua2/s1600/Headdress+01.jpg" height="400" width="280" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0lHs33ZPekDUE1TFPN5_zpuP3j4KVajp_cFBN-8_Bb7FMLc5BNBsBdvOXHXDTLRhn647TlAt1fkIyN9VBZXU7zRyEEryBIdfG5HMkv48FusVHqOV0ouHn3-Inme_BJoejfnvL_aRBklJ/s1600/Alicia+Vikander+as+Sonya+10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0lHs33ZPekDUE1TFPN5_zpuP3j4KVajp_cFBN-8_Bb7FMLc5BNBsBdvOXHXDTLRhn647TlAt1fkIyN9VBZXU7zRyEEryBIdfG5HMkv48FusVHqOV0ouHn3-Inme_BJoejfnvL_aRBklJ/s1600/Alicia+Vikander+as+Sonya+10.jpg" height="192" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVLt__xZBpk15RzQYy15KpMP2UUNxDGK4bGn1W1GcsV36bipSPHSZhouBMTClBs5Ke23WyQqyOKklJt2QoxKIaIjGuoiats0E_wKGC_b7l8xGA7pBQvVKIY0vrWJfEehkqaTLOy88SVEi/s1600/Palace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlVLt__xZBpk15RzQYy15KpMP2UUNxDGK4bGn1W1GcsV36bipSPHSZhouBMTClBs5Ke23WyQqyOKklJt2QoxKIaIjGuoiats0E_wKGC_b7l8xGA7pBQvVKIY0vrWJfEehkqaTLOy88SVEi/s1600/Palace.jpg" height="400" width="273" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZRq9NJbi6sr4lSK4asoXc73PYphhbGRehSIfaA5JCHnUKYaxgxT_-BdcioyrUsVT3Zwu6wJkLUxuN6EntphalA_dgBAcmFcUxPR4X5rZUJiY89O3VCKyOhwk6btts5d5BDuRDpuYRIZ3/s1600/Troika+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZRq9NJbi6sr4lSK4asoXc73PYphhbGRehSIfaA5JCHnUKYaxgxT_-BdcioyrUsVT3Zwu6wJkLUxuN6EntphalA_dgBAcmFcUxPR4X5rZUJiY89O3VCKyOhwk6btts5d5BDuRDpuYRIZ3/s1600/Troika+01.jpg" height="272" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0qTJl6mUk7WjrFfsNS7j9XZbTFf4m4muR6_Of5MWDV4vccNsEBmZbQKxsqmliY5CMVJsboD7eVRZDr4A7Kb2a20_phG9bdhpLUGWy7lMkxi25wtNdlY-2pLspBG9tWqyAk5_ynCd96zW/s1600/Hans+Mattheson+as+Valko+01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv0qTJl6mUk7WjrFfsNS7j9XZbTFf4m4muR6_Of5MWDV4vccNsEBmZbQKxsqmliY5CMVJsboD7eVRZDr4A7Kb2a20_phG9bdhpLUGWy7lMkxi25wtNdlY-2pLspBG9tWqyAk5_ynCd96zW/s1600/Hans+Mattheson+as+Valko+01.png" height="134" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XLlMtMEyh3Q-4RIhPJOJVIPNfZVKg7kSddyaJSOadcXgZeH2afhha45K9FolvLAa59k3_-tL0aeXmfYeNG83DIVsmgb2JxfNWBeu_A4Z7_UA03qGslXFGzMP-HnouCUgxiInaVeGAFjW/s1600/Gates+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8XLlMtMEyh3Q-4RIhPJOJVIPNfZVKg7kSddyaJSOadcXgZeH2afhha45K9FolvLAa59k3_-tL0aeXmfYeNG83DIVsmgb2JxfNWBeu_A4Z7_UA03qGslXFGzMP-HnouCUgxiInaVeGAFjW/s1600/Gates+02.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19gf_1m1UGsNFUW3M1_FkOYg6gEPLOrmtE9GuC1-FR7MEe6GrBzbCMtBIEKNQphB1RXLocfMsRum3fXSsyeDsQEnHalYtMEWjqtyAjTDSQe2F2iYzad1u8mERyGR1NykQFy1_tzKxlLcS/s1600/Christian+Bale+as+Anton+01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh19gf_1m1UGsNFUW3M1_FkOYg6gEPLOrmtE9GuC1-FR7MEe6GrBzbCMtBIEKNQphB1RXLocfMsRum3fXSsyeDsQEnHalYtMEWjqtyAjTDSQe2F2iYzad1u8mERyGR1NykQFy1_tzKxlLcS/s1600/Christian+Bale+as+Anton+01.jpg" height="400" width="256" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsr9xMFddbV2OG2I_2fBXtaX-c4IKVQsnetgl-R9NfsAfDjzDUJuYl1s1wbSVeYvrQVbHSb7Ncn3ZNTPDJPubHXPay0wklryrhmL5pHyVssyTF03C8gSq20CQeE5XmNH7tHqmzwl_1z9m/s1600/Palace+Corridor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPsr9xMFddbV2OG2I_2fBXtaX-c4IKVQsnetgl-R9NfsAfDjzDUJuYl1s1wbSVeYvrQVbHSb7Ncn3ZNTPDJPubHXPay0wklryrhmL5pHyVssyTF03C8gSq20CQeE5XmNH7tHqmzwl_1z9m/s1600/Palace+Corridor.jpg" height="400" width="287" /></a></div>
Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-46263046403689434142014-09-03T06:00:00.000-07:002014-09-03T08:31:31.321-07:00Spend It All<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61ppOT-J-bkKQAvRiI6FZzNFlMkxOwCzXpWgsjmLM3SAQ3KG9lwv387HxcQTvUz6n2eb8Pf3uWHPbHeK-HASR6eLcppYRx6FYFTjdcZzs5UWqYIjAmRrxd9L0HRMMSBuUYl5tThX-4Cbi/s1600/when-you-finally-let-go-something-better-will-come-along-quote-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj61ppOT-J-bkKQAvRiI6FZzNFlMkxOwCzXpWgsjmLM3SAQ3KG9lwv387HxcQTvUz6n2eb8Pf3uWHPbHeK-HASR6eLcppYRx6FYFTjdcZzs5UWqYIjAmRrxd9L0HRMMSBuUYl5tThX-4Cbi/s1600/when-you-finally-let-go-something-better-will-come-along-quote-1.jpg" height="320" width="208" /></a></div>
I'm alive, people of the webiverse. Summer tried to eat me whole, but I've lived to tell the tale. I've actually been super busy. I've written 73,000 on my new novel, played chauffeur to my fifteen-year-old daughter who had a lead in a play, and kept all three of my children entertained and not at each others' throats for three months. Now my kids are back in school and my youngest just entered the first grade. This means, for the first time in almost sixteen years, I'm home <b><i>alone</i></b> during the days. *cues party music* My children come home happier with more structure and less boredom, and in the meantime, I have several hours of undivided writing time! Within a three-day span, I wrote 9000 words. That's unheard of for me! Anyway, we'll see how it goes with this new lease on life. My husband started a new job as a full-time drama teacher, so next summer I'll have him home to help, therefore I predict an abundance of <i>sanity</i>--for all of us.<br />
<br />
My new novel is going well. I usually experience lots more ups and downs while drafting, but this story, for the most part, seems to flow right out of me. That doesn't mean writing is never difficult, but I've been enjoying it much more this time around. In lieu of telling you too much about my new novel (I get all shy and private about my drafts until they're complete), I'm sharing an interesting quote from an article I just read, which definitely applies to how this novel has been unfolding. My protagonist is very unpredictable, so even though I've outlined the story, she has an extra special way of throwing in surprises. Love that about her!<br />
<br />
So this quote is from "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1989/05/28/books/write-till-you-drop.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Aw" target="_blank">Write Till You Drop</a>," <i>The New York Times</i>, May 28, 1989. <b>Read the whole article, people. It's awesome!</b><br />
<br />
"<i>One of the few things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book, or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water. Similarly, the impulse to keep yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open up your safe and find ashes.</i>"<br />
<br />
What do you think about this advice? What things do you hoard as a writer, and what things do you <i>not</i> dare to write about, but are important to you? If you're a non-writerly type, what parts of yourself do you hoard from giving away to other people? Let's discuss!Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-36397048746637630482014-07-01T11:08:00.001-07:002014-07-01T11:08:28.869-07:00To Dream the Impossible Dream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBqjviMI2OWN5NI0eOUlZxpaev8jhH-zrbRLNSpXS0A8j6tzXl_EKxn45iMQwKpl4OayDqNiE8c4jyzOV20AhEyFbsPFetadekQBCyJlqH6-ABQoUC-BW1AKULRKurRmvu-S5xicBeU6P/s1600/dream-seek-achieve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqBqjviMI2OWN5NI0eOUlZxpaev8jhH-zrbRLNSpXS0A8j6tzXl_EKxn45iMQwKpl4OayDqNiE8c4jyzOV20AhEyFbsPFetadekQBCyJlqH6-ABQoUC-BW1AKULRKurRmvu-S5xicBeU6P/s1600/dream-seek-achieve.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div>
I've recently decided to DREAM. Not a safe dream with boundaries I can control. Not the kind of dream with hazy edges and broad limits because I don't want to tell the Universe what I specifically want...because what if I don't get it? I have lower to fall if my hopes get too high, right?<br />
<br />
I've heard lots of successful people tell other wannabe successful people, "Don't have expectations." Meaning work hard, do all you can, and expect nothing. Then you're not disappointed, and if it happens, it happens, right?<br />
<br />
Well, I'm declaring right here, right now, I have expectations. I'm going to believe I'm the writer, the mom, the person I want to be because that belief creates it. That belief infuses a sprinkling of fairy dust over everything I touch, every relationship I have, every good thing I do.<br />
<br />
I won't live lost in the future, in that miserable in-between of me staring in despair over what I don't have, of only believing I'll be happy when I get what I want. That's not what I'm talking about.<br />
<br />
I'm talking about living in the present, knowing who I am--past, present, and future--and being who I am, reaching the full capacity of who I am, and glowing with it. I will BE. I will live. I will hope for the "impossible" without fear or the limits others might seek to place on me.<br />
<br />
Perhaps it's a bit of madness--Don Quixote's "impossible dream." I accept that. Because I know what miracles have happened in my life when I finally dared to take a bold step into the darkness, not just a tentative tiptoe.<br />
<br />
I will give myself to all that I do. I will be true to myself. And I will encourage everyone who crosses my path that they can do the same.<br />
<br />
To truly BE is to let go. Of fear. Of the idea of failure. It's being grateful for what you have but knowing it's okay to want more. It's okay to want to embrace your life with every ounce of light within you and see how bright you can shine with what was given to you. If you think about it, it's insulting to want any less.<br />
<br />
So who's going to dream with me?Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-25587380044494858562014-05-13T10:50:00.004-07:002014-05-13T10:50:49.983-07:00Storymakers & Vegas Recap & MoreHere is my long overdue post recapping all my fantastic happenings as of late. I have been BUSY, to say the least! Right on the tail-end of my recovery from surgery, I went to <a href="http://ldstorymakers.com/conferences/2014-conference-2/" target="_blank">LDStorymakers</a> (which my agent, Josh Adams, also attended this year); the next weekend I performed in Las Vegas at my writing buddy <a href="http://jessie-humphries.blogspot.com/2014/05/killer-monday-book-launch-party-weekend.html" target="_blank">Jessie Humphrie's book debut party/awards ceremony/concert extravaganza</a>; and the next week I went on vacation with my extended family to Capitol Reef. Whew! Now that I'm back, I'm digging into the last stages of research for my epic new fantasy trilogy, which I should be able to begin drafting any day now. I tend to disappear off the planet once I start a new project, so here's catching up with me--through pictures--to tide the webiverse over until I resurface again.<br />
<br />
<h3>
LDSTORYMAKERS 2014</h3>
<h3>
<br /></h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13mFBdWXSyqvPKhTaVaOIeJR1Bw9fAzmJqxMRBouu1swBgFsN2VW1PQPGrukzLlvyUhCDiqkq0nRVIINHZ6VAnI4-FXL-Hlobxyei14Cl-M0L5aGUA6Gn_tlh734VnNTCgoH39f9IVCcA/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeJoshSara_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg13mFBdWXSyqvPKhTaVaOIeJR1Bw9fAzmJqxMRBouu1swBgFsN2VW1PQPGrukzLlvyUhCDiqkq0nRVIINHZ6VAnI4-FXL-Hlobxyei14Cl-M0L5aGUA6Gn_tlh734VnNTCgoH39f9IVCcA/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeJoshSara_01.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="http://sarablarson.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sara B. Larson</a> and I had such a wonderful time with our agent, Josh Adams, this weekend. We took him on a mini-tour of Salt Lake City and got to have fun going out to eat a few times around the conference.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDiGcGq7VKygMBcqJcELD9xCTdVTCsKKpHjmecKI_tdfofozZyQzGS-G17Zb8P-lsnAEUZM-83cH5CGLL96MvgK9A3A078albncq3FybObKbrE4qnLt7PnRaQcYznCTnB5mSiaWLU79o4/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeJoshSara_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGDiGcGq7VKygMBcqJcELD9xCTdVTCsKKpHjmecKI_tdfofozZyQzGS-G17Zb8P-lsnAEUZM-83cH5CGLL96MvgK9A3A078albncq3FybObKbrE4qnLt7PnRaQcYznCTnB5mSiaWLU79o4/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeJoshSara_02.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Here we are on our "Agent-Author Relationship" panel, which I also moderated--both firsts for me. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9lVQG5Sxk4k0iXLE_jZIUK0JapjpqYLMgI3TNKu-Ynjaj7uFyvwcFVrgcPMVJTyX7u0N6u2sTG79vogMf3iqbu2c-tUv94THdzrg-QTzAz1bwamaKjkXRK8gwoIeckDA_luJSu2vfDfr/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeJoshSara_04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9lVQG5Sxk4k0iXLE_jZIUK0JapjpqYLMgI3TNKu-Ynjaj7uFyvwcFVrgcPMVJTyX7u0N6u2sTG79vogMf3iqbu2c-tUv94THdzrg-QTzAz1bwamaKjkXRK8gwoIeckDA_luJSu2vfDfr/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeJoshSara_04.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Me, Sara, and our friend and roomie for the weekend, Jacqui Scott. BTW, my lovely friend, <a href="http://erinsummerill.smugmug.com/Headshots/LDS-Storymakers-2014" target="_blank">Erin Summerill, was the conference photographer</a> and snapped these first four pics. Isn't she talented?!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eb-VDwmw-x15qRNtY-tjExSG4oiETQL5YAtg8Ye9p9nCAV175ykSWdw2bBHQSMdbCPsVVCtlDjezF4BvZRrrgV1IakYla1oGvFsLYr7JVhIw3qDVxpuitExl8UjvToKcDs6b81fT1MWv/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeSaraJacqui_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3eb-VDwmw-x15qRNtY-tjExSG4oiETQL5YAtg8Ye9p9nCAV175ykSWdw2bBHQSMdbCPsVVCtlDjezF4BvZRrrgV1IakYla1oGvFsLYr7JVhIw3qDVxpuitExl8UjvToKcDs6b81fT1MWv/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeSaraJacqui_01.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
All my roomies, including my fabulous CP, <a href="http://ilimawrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ilima Todd</a>, on the far right.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofRdR4gje6MHhdPbpp4BGaLoaLH_114SBl1NoKUpP0D5A_9RY6X5DkEqyRHc_WVeeVVCh7TMt6hc74bJ-QvwDLplgeWkXoFLf-Ph6nKYqdL-tQVc0Df6S-GWJTvp19HSH5HSlT4aR_rYw/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeJacquiSaraIlima_02.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjofRdR4gje6MHhdPbpp4BGaLoaLH_114SBl1NoKUpP0D5A_9RY6X5DkEqyRHc_WVeeVVCh7TMt6hc74bJ-QvwDLplgeWkXoFLf-Ph6nKYqdL-tQVc0Df6S-GWJTvp19HSH5HSlT4aR_rYw/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeJacquiSaraIlima_02.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My first CP, <a href="http://robin-hall-writes.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Robin Hall</a>. We were friends for three years before we even started writing in pursuit of publication, and we attended our first writers' conference together years ago. How time flies!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8hGEWiBYAaDDXi5hye8A811TyRLntPSxPzUugq_gqR7roG3OFAM6KDgsz2G81Dp5dwQHk7sPrr5nbNqAdS1YFWG4Gb9qjmzzHAmGp6XnKvHG9RzU4Q4QN8vBoSdscvN4Yv3wc3stFR24/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeRobin_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir8hGEWiBYAaDDXi5hye8A811TyRLntPSxPzUugq_gqR7roG3OFAM6KDgsz2G81Dp5dwQHk7sPrr5nbNqAdS1YFWG4Gb9qjmzzHAmGp6XnKvHG9RzU4Q4QN8vBoSdscvN4Yv3wc3stFR24/s1600/Storymakers2014_MeRobin_01.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3>
Las Vegas Weekend</h3>
Here I am, singing and chatting about writing and music. Believe it or not, this was my first time publicly singing and playing guitar. Thanks for having me, Jessie!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUcUUGox_otq7emzzpGHhBaga2plLpuERA6dOpNYPZrW4RmuEvE53_2YOwVt9ZmjXtxtwCQNnlFq-ZePZESbuf0iaeHAKBgE3O1G92lzeKBX1Xp6WHtduFB1HhYhZIcCZ_ZvZSdjk-7bD/s1600/Vegas_May2014_01.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUcUUGox_otq7emzzpGHhBaga2plLpuERA6dOpNYPZrW4RmuEvE53_2YOwVt9ZmjXtxtwCQNnlFq-ZePZESbuf0iaeHAKBgE3O1G92lzeKBX1Xp6WHtduFB1HhYhZIcCZ_ZvZSdjk-7bD/s1600/Vegas_May2014_01.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Hanging with my glamorous friends, Sara B. Larson and <a href="http://courtneyalameda.com/" target="_blank">Courtney Alameda</a>, who I road-tripped with down to Vegas. Here we are across the street from the Inspire Theater, where Jessie held her event. Gotta love the wind in our hair for the added drama. This may be the last picture you see of me wearing high heels. Ouch!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3LtOR78mHbevMu9WswU_V-gK5npEuUOGU-ejNkjNpRkZ7YoiUju65De9mn6yJGlq94D3U4k1jWHxxrY75ZrZanUAzywTSsZeCStxIFjwfEw23f6qZdp9VXmr1FzI8-qOSa4yaogNxxv-/s1600/Vegas_May2014_09.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy3LtOR78mHbevMu9WswU_V-gK5npEuUOGU-ejNkjNpRkZ7YoiUju65De9mn6yJGlq94D3U4k1jWHxxrY75ZrZanUAzywTSsZeCStxIFjwfEw23f6qZdp9VXmr1FzI8-qOSa4yaogNxxv-/s1600/Vegas_May2014_09.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
The one-of-a-kind, <a href="http://jessie-humphries.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jessie Humphries</a>. She epically thought out of the box for her book debut for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Ruby-Rose-The-Series/dp/147782006X" target="_blank">KILLING RUBY ROSE</a>, and as a result, she had an amazing weekend and not only became an overnight bestseller, but also greatly benefited the schools of her Las Vegas community.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFEMbfcQOjfzHPQ4jGuuBLB2T1IWaQ8y638WKSJzpIuXX-ljs_pg8QmnqsS0BvLd2qinMkhfcO-T4_dNdQ-r-8xOrw5EijgdhtjzlVJyt3hYJfPveqbhGKlEeD-nfn5Qqi8GAffC_e1OT/s1600/Vegas_May2014_05.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBFEMbfcQOjfzHPQ4jGuuBLB2T1IWaQ8y638WKSJzpIuXX-ljs_pg8QmnqsS0BvLd2qinMkhfcO-T4_dNdQ-r-8xOrw5EijgdhtjzlVJyt3hYJfPveqbhGKlEeD-nfn5Qqi8GAffC_e1OT/s1600/Vegas_May2014_05.JPG" height="313" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
And we may have had a little too much fun at this particular gas station on the drive back to Utah. I blame <a href="http://thesummerillsurf.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Erin Summerill</a>, who drove back with us. ;-) She brings out the crazy in me!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP5fqaKlUg9XvflmvSjSp64IfN6Yql7zKxgmsBwLuEMycDjgDB6PF2RDA9y6_XNpyq-y8Jl-jrH7OXPk8ABBUznNevbHvrsgRYE_WaTC48vFNIgISNdZalgZCD4veMCa09-inrCbB5D7wE/s1600/Vegas_May2014_08.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP5fqaKlUg9XvflmvSjSp64IfN6Yql7zKxgmsBwLuEMycDjgDB6PF2RDA9y6_XNpyq-y8Jl-jrH7OXPk8ABBUznNevbHvrsgRYE_WaTC48vFNIgISNdZalgZCD4veMCa09-inrCbB5D7wE/s1600/Vegas_May2014_08.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrQ5ls-KQ8Vx6BtFCrnc7N191G6m1gmary24eEqD_93X-xj2FMLdsUfsFQDDAaILpt_7-24zqxYqBOuvP8lhk9-CWiqJHWPhFuMYOuBrnteilnqnijiTeWL05e4NIJA0Fix0SCmZddA-R/s1600/Vegas_May2014_12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrQ5ls-KQ8Vx6BtFCrnc7N191G6m1gmary24eEqD_93X-xj2FMLdsUfsFQDDAaILpt_7-24zqxYqBOuvP8lhk9-CWiqJHWPhFuMYOuBrnteilnqnijiTeWL05e4NIJA0Fix0SCmZddA-R/s1600/Vegas_May2014_12.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij64xlGXOm0wnutnN1FmWBAMtRBNkdY5Qejzz8RIy6TQZj0V67puUUAniYY-NqQ9ZjNX_d6lYCTbG4icUWxqgq927wVgYaRKgwKLHKPsf5N-J9Vw09rG_XAQXtsFerULBFasj0A64keMWE/s1600/Vegas_May2014_13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij64xlGXOm0wnutnN1FmWBAMtRBNkdY5Qejzz8RIy6TQZj0V67puUUAniYY-NqQ9ZjNX_d6lYCTbG4icUWxqgq927wVgYaRKgwKLHKPsf5N-J9Vw09rG_XAQXtsFerULBFasj0A64keMWE/s1600/Vegas_May2014_13.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<h3>
Other Fun Things</h3>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A little glimpse into my vacation at Capitol Reef. This is just a smidgen of my extended family. My parents had ten kids, and now we're at 36 people and counting. I <3 them all.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RbIEP_9kl6_IzXc6EGatW7H2IlqfijzhA8W3ZmYmE3KbFz6yk2iEIjga8BNle1mhtriV25SEy4bwq4u7UqHvaKoIcGx3S3lMpPEU_qpWnntrgLdZbdTkmnSI7kKZdsyo1Y5BKckRNVGU/s1600/CapitolReef2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_RbIEP_9kl6_IzXc6EGatW7H2IlqfijzhA8W3ZmYmE3KbFz6yk2iEIjga8BNle1mhtriV25SEy4bwq4u7UqHvaKoIcGx3S3lMpPEU_qpWnntrgLdZbdTkmnSI7kKZdsyo1Y5BKckRNVGU/s1600/CapitolReef2014.JPG" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5k8cECywxkB69k62qBT7Ooq9R3XMIuDj-nC4jhg86ejIFWnhE9kWYrbU6U4QhREUfVwC5Pwhuunpwifa_PgHutGS1PJGt-9V46O6BGRER3bXNmB54d1QCiLL6eYi0zWP4kYQjk4EozzM/s1600/adamliterary_logo_rgb.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj5k8cECywxkB69k62qBT7Ooq9R3XMIuDj-nC4jhg86ejIFWnhE9kWYrbU6U4QhREUfVwC5Pwhuunpwifa_PgHutGS1PJGt-9V46O6BGRER3bXNmB54d1QCiLL6eYi0zWP4kYQjk4EozzM/s1600/adamliterary_logo_rgb.gif" height="42" width="320" /></a></div>
Last of all, I want to announce that my agency, Adams Literary, has a newly revamped website, which also sports a fancy author's page for yours truly. <a href="http://www.adamsliterary.com/kathryn-purdie" target="_blank">Check it out</a>!Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-79802114148250785912014-04-16T07:59:00.001-07:002014-04-16T08:01:41.522-07:00Vegas Performance & Conference Panel<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuFBoT7Z3coEFF-6j8oTRBKIx3LHCtcsl3J3a1tSYRQ52-TxR16Et6i_5t01PgLFGpGeBvrHRAHn4JCkXTw4JPgPBI7GjRnsvxzYlVyQB7eNj0V6na8DwYyTvTTii-iPyFqFmm2mFYW9E/s1600/Inspire+Theater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSuFBoT7Z3coEFF-6j8oTRBKIx3LHCtcsl3J3a1tSYRQ52-TxR16Et6i_5t01PgLFGpGeBvrHRAHn4JCkXTw4JPgPBI7GjRnsvxzYlVyQB7eNj0V6na8DwYyTvTTii-iPyFqFmm2mFYW9E/s1600/Inspire+Theater.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inspire Theater in Las Vegas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I have some very exciting upcoming events to announce! First of all, my fantastic agent, <a href="http://adamsliterary.com/" target="_blank">Josh Adams</a>, is coming to Utah for <a href="http://ldstorymakers.com/conferences/2014-conference-2/" target="_blank">LDStorymakers</a> (April 24-26), a large annual writers' conference, and I've been asked to be on a panel with him and my agent sister and friend, <a href="http://sarablarson.com/" target="_blank">Sara B. Larson</a>. Our topic is the author-agent relationship. If you're coming to Storymakers, I hope to see you there! (<a href="http://storymakersconference.myshopify.com/pages/2014-registration" target="_blank">Registration closes April 20th, so hurry!</a>)<br />
<br />
The next weekend I will be in Las Vegas for my friend <a href="http://jessie-humphries.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jessie Humphrie</a>'s mega two-day book launch/literacy awareness event. (Her book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Killing-Ruby-Rose-The-Series/dp/147782006X" target="_blank"><i>Killing Ruby Rose</i></a>, is debuting.) She's asked me to take part in the Saturday night (May 3rd) ceremony/concert, which will take place at the new Inspire Theater. I'll be one of a handful of musicians/authors who will be performing a couple songs and speaking a little about how music influences our writing. I'm absolutely thrilled to be involved in this event and have had my guitar attached to my hip for the last few weeks in preparation for my little moment in the limelight.<br />
<br />
Many other exciting things are happening that weekend in Vegas in conjunction with Jessie's book launch, so be sure to <a href="http://jessie-humphries.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">stay up on reading her blog</a> for all the latest details. <a href="http://jessie-humphries.blogspot.com/2014/04/whats-up-wednesday-with-announcement.html?showComment=1397658620702#c7270383986606230461" target="_blank">And here's her blog post</a> mentioning me and my upcoming performance. *cues giddy freakout*Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-21664256822090613142014-04-07T07:00:00.000-07:002014-04-07T08:35:29.103-07:00My Writing Process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94PduC9vo7A2B_jo1bJotrv6t1DzFSt2bIkMSth72OgFrPrjAERRaWWKbhdQcB8gb1koUQPTJVvydM2U8c-UkwZJm4S46mmVBzuZ2SmlNbvdqgN_zorjMMjH7K-GdXpzUgrRifRnVIY-v/s1600/Once+Upon+a+Time_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94PduC9vo7A2B_jo1bJotrv6t1DzFSt2bIkMSth72OgFrPrjAERRaWWKbhdQcB8gb1koUQPTJVvydM2U8c-UkwZJm4S46mmVBzuZ2SmlNbvdqgN_zorjMMjH7K-GdXpzUgrRifRnVIY-v/s1600/Once+Upon+a+Time_2.jpeg" height="132" width="200" /></a></div>
My critique partner and wonderful friend, <a href="http://ilimawrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ilima Todd</a>, tagged me for this bloghop, in which I answer a few questions about my writing process. I was supposed to have this post up 'n' ready a few days ago, but I experienced a nasty bout of unexpected cholingitis and appendicitis and had my gallbladder and appendix removed. So here I am with this post--better late than never!<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>What am I working on?</b><br />
I'm in the plotting/researching phase of a new fantasy trilogy. It's all hush-hush right now. (I have to keep the magic going!)<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>How does my work differ from others of its genre?</b><br />
<br />
I write YA fantasy that's usually epic in scope and very romantic. The plots are complex, and I'm drawn to tackling high concepts (not having a name, the inability to feel the sense of touch, falling in love with someone invisible, time-travel through dreams), and my style has a lyrical and literary bent while still being commercial.<br />
<br />
<b>Why do I write what I do?</b><br />
<br />
An idea will take hold of me and won't let go. I'll wake up in the night with inspiration about it, songs will remind me of it--basically, it just consumes all my thoughts. Sometimes that initial spark of an idea is a character, sometimes it's a myth I want to play with, and sometimes it's a image that grips me.<br />
<br />
So far my stories involve time periods in the past. I love history, mythology, and classical plays and novels, and I'm an actress who's done a lot of Shakespeare. So I naturally like to delve into writing novels involving the past, though I have some fun contemporary novel ideas I'd love to explore one day. <br />
<br />
<b>How does my writing process work?</b><br />
<br />
For a few months, I let the idea percolate in my mind. Once I have a more tangible hold on it, I start researching. I read lots of non-fiction books, make a big binder with copies from library book pages (setting, customs, costumes, food, religion, etc.), and I watch films (mostly classics) that have elements in them that remind me of my story. Once I feel my brain will explode from research (a very frustrating feeling), I crack down and outline the book. This is usually a blend of the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet and some of James Scott Bells methods (I've done brainstorming scenes on notecards and then arranging them into a linear story, for example). I don't outline extensively, but I jot down a nutshell of what happens in the major scenes. Then I write! I'm not the fastest writer, but usually in about four months, I've completed my first draft (better than the first draft of my first novel, which took 1.5 years--ouch!). Then I revise, which goes quicker than the drafting for me. The slowest part is mincing words, since I tend to be an overwriter, but I've gotten really good at it. I cut 50,000 off my first novel. (Yeah.) Then I send my manuscript to beta readers and do more revising, and then send to my agent and do more revising if he sees fit. Finally, it's submissions time--and time for me to quickly get my mind onto something else!<br />
<br />
<br />
If you write, tell me a little about your process. I've learned no way is the "wrong way." And for the bloghop, I'm tagging <a href="http://getbusywriting.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Emily R. King</a> and <a href="http://rosalyneves.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Rosalyn Collings Eves</a>. :-)Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-39082488667818902282014-02-17T07:57:00.000-08:002014-02-17T08:54:02.946-08:00DreamersI don't have much time to play guitar these days, so I have this little tradition to keep the music alive in me: I write a song for every story I write. This one's for <i>The Carousel Graveyard</i>. The waltzy, carousel-like tune popped into my head in the middle of the night last August. I couldn't fall back asleep, so I got up and recorded a voice memo on my phone of me humming in a groggy voice. Then a few days ago, I found that memo and decided to put words and guitar to it and finish the song. I played it for my fifteen-year-old daughter yesterday, and with wrinkled brows she said, "Wait, this is a love song." (She hasn't read my story yet, but it does have "graveyard" in the title, lol.) "I know, this is just a happy moment," I replied. Next time I'll have to write a creepy song, but until then, let's all feel the sweet innocence of young love. :-)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/E7vYRYsm4Zc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<b>DREAMERS</b><br />
<br />
Holding your hand in the moonlight<br />
Waves dance, stars bright<br />
Waltzing in time inside your dreams<br />
Hearts beat, it seems<br />
<br />
I’m falling in love<br />
Falling in love<br />
With you<br />
With you, with you, with you<br />
<br />
Stepping through sand by the black sea<br />
Night birds calling<br />
Lips touching lips, breathing your name<br />
Feeling the same<br />
<br />
We’re falling in love<br />
Falling in love<br />
It’s true<br />
True, true, true<br />
<br />
And you say we’re spinning<br />
‘Round the carousel<br />
And I say we’re drifting<br />
in the spell<br />
<br />
Sea breezes swirling through your hair<br />
Soft sighs, no cares<br />
Wandering dreamers, we’re soul bound<br />
Time lost, we’re found<br />
<br />
We’re falling in love<br />
Falling in love<br />
It’s true<br />
It's true, it's true, it's true<br />
True, true, true<br />
True, true, trueKathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-43691724216523874822014-02-10T08:39:00.001-08:002014-02-13T12:50:45.763-08:00I Have Fan Art!To say I'm artistic is a huge understatement. Ever since I was a little girl I've been drawing, singing, acting, writing--basically doing anything I can to create, create, create. So when I saw my first piece of fan art, I completely flipped out!<br />
<br />
My critique partner, <a href="http://ilimawrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ilima Todd</a>, recently asked me if she could let her fourteen-year-old daughter read my latest manuscript. I said yes and a few days later, Ilima told me how much her daughter loved my story--that it's one of her top five favorite books (and she's a voracious reader). This made me all kinds of happy. I write YA stories, but I've never had someone in my target audience read anything of mine. So to see such a positive reaction was thrilling.<br />
<br />
Then to make things even more wonderful, Ilima's daughter (Emma) sketched a drawing of the love interest in the story, Gabriel Stonebrook. She told her mom she'd been a little depressed ever since finishing my manuscript because no boy at her school will ever compare to Gabriel. :-) Happy sigh. Can I just tell you much I love Emma right now?<br />
<br />
So without further gushing over Emma, here's how she sees Gabriel:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbW5gKMcjOKWHfSqD8zHrroRu0c_CuoghSfIxvSVf794bEYAJpWzkzdR89UILLxkX83zgVo4l5UsCqb2_w5Z2gvC3g_drluFT6vITA-cC95omzCBaI0bjsE-1AD1nHC_14na4ccGfPjLvR/s1600/Gabriel_Emma'sDrawingFeb2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbW5gKMcjOKWHfSqD8zHrroRu0c_CuoghSfIxvSVf794bEYAJpWzkzdR89UILLxkX83zgVo4l5UsCqb2_w5Z2gvC3g_drluFT6vITA-cC95omzCBaI0bjsE-1AD1nHC_14na4ccGfPjLvR/s1600/Gabriel_Emma'sDrawingFeb2014.jpg" height="640" width="476" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Look at his suspenders! His lopsided dimples! His sweet, but haunted expression! And my favorite, the hearts around his name. Oh, and I didn't see this until now--very faintly on top it says, "for Kathryn Purdie."</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thanks, Emma, for making this author's day--week--year. And here's hoping you find your own Gabriel someday (and with any luck his mom isn't trapped in the purgatory of his dreams and he lives in your own time dimension). ;-)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Have any of you authors received fan art? Did you have a similar reaction? Or for you readers, have you ever loved a book so much you made your own fan art for it?</div>
<br />Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-42163145354796869792013-12-30T01:03:00.000-08:002013-12-30T01:05:43.402-08:00DEFY-An Interview with Sara B. Larson<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUX7PpsY6KKtZngrPmxlvafGxJKJu3Mx7qd-_BcqX3wWWOR_WsK50RcSmph8pmQ7f6bv0lfB5CK3iqYHXAPFJY6bcxCYwylbxas63MQLqz5g5HfuvXfTuizmDjiV1aIn5KSelUpCOJOLqf/s1600/Katie+and+Sara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUX7PpsY6KKtZngrPmxlvafGxJKJu3Mx7qd-_BcqX3wWWOR_WsK50RcSmph8pmQ7f6bv0lfB5CK3iqYHXAPFJY6bcxCYwylbxas63MQLqz5g5HfuvXfTuizmDjiV1aIn5KSelUpCOJOLqf/s320/Katie+and+Sara.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me 'n' Sara at a Writers' Conference</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm absolutely delighted to have author Sara B. Larson here on my blog today. Sara is not only a very dear friend of mine, she's also the author of <i>Defy</i>, which debuts on January 7th, though I've learned it's already in the wild at Barnes & Nobles stores. Run!<br />
<br />
<i>Defy</i> is a very special book to me. I beta read it over a year ago and fell madly in love with everything about it. Okay, that's a HUGE understatement. I told Sara back then that next to <i>Shadow & Bone</i> (I have to be honest), <i>Defy</i> is my favorite book--and I still stand by that. So I've felt like sort of a "<i>Defy</i> champion" throughout the journey of her querying it, obtaining a fantastic agent because of it, and ultimately selling it--all of which happened very quickly because this book is AMAZING!<br />
<br />
Sara showed me an advanced reader copy a few weeks ago, and I was deeply touched to see she'd written a whole paragraph to me in her acknowledgements. WOW. Being in someone's acknowledgements at all is a first for me, so seeing that was totally surreal.<br />
<br />
Anyway, Sara was sweet enough to let me interview her. (This even got approved by her publicist. I feel so cool.) I tried to ask Sara questions that would capture the magic of <i>Defy</i> and induce everyone out there that they MUST BUY THIS BOOK NOW! Then we can all swoon and gasp and huzzah (what a great word; I had to throw it in there) together! So here we go...<br />
<br />
<b>You’ve been writing for many years and have written many wonderful stories. What sets DEFY apart from the others? Why do you think it’s the book that finally sold?</b><br />
<br />
Sara: I’m not 100% sure, to be honest. I’ve loved all of my books and felt confident in each one. But I did feel like something was special with DEFY. I felt like I’d taken all the feedback I’d received on my other books and tried to apply it to this one as I wrote it. I tried to make sure to keep the pace up, to keep the reader guessing, to amp up the stakes and to be true to my characters. This book came from a place of deep emotion, and hopefully that shined through. Maybe that’s what made the difference. When I wrote the ending, the emotions I felt were nearly overwhelming. Not only from the actual ending (which brought me to tears and had my heart racing with adrenaline), but I also had a very clear impression that this book was different. That was a very powerful moment that I’ll never forget.<br />
<br />
Then when I got feedback on it, I started to let myself hope. I had some truly amazing responses to this book (including a certain someone’s who may or may not currently be interviewing me…), and that’s what helped give me the courage to query DEFY (because I was pretty nervous to do it). And I’m SO incredibly grateful I did.<br />
<br />
<b>Can you describe your writing process, especially with DEFY?</b><br />
<br />
I usually get an idea and start writing it without an outline or anything, although I usually do know the ending. I will write between 10-20k words with a separate document where I write any notes, thoughts, or ideas that come to me for the rest of the book or series as I go. Once I hit that point, I usually write an “outline” of sorts, using my notes and ideas. Basically, it’s more like an informal synopsis, where I just get the main plot out and make sure it’s going to work.
<br />
<br />
With DEFY, I didn’t know how it was going to end, because when I started, I didn’t know it was going to be a book. I wrote about 8k words, hit a wall, and put it aside to finish a different book. But the characters wouldn’t leave me alone, so I went back to it eventually. After I figured out that a character was keeping a BIG secret from me, the plot clicked into place and the rest of the book flew out in about two weeks!<br />
<br />
<b>The road to publication is often long and difficult. What helped you get through that?</b><br />
<br />
The number one reason I made it through it was my husband. His support and belief in me was unwavering, no matter how low I got, no matter how many rejections I racked up. Having someone like that in your corner was invaluable and truly got me through the worst of it. I also have some amazing family and friends who have been there for me, cheering me on, always believing I’d make it and doing what they could to help—be it critiques, long phone calls, emails, or any number of things. And finally, my own stubbornness. My unwillingness to quit. Once I set goals for myself, I just can’t let myself fail. No matter how much I doubt myself, ultimately, I believed in my dreams and I didn’t give up.<br />
<br />
<b>Describe your main character, Alexa, with ten adjectives.</b><br />
<br />
Alexa’s pretty complex, so I’ll do my best to convey that in ten words or less:<br />
Determined, strong-willed, vulnerable, kind, loyal, indomitable, protective, dedicated, and fierce.<br />
<br />
<b>Describe Prince Damian (swoon!) with ten adjectives.</b><br />
<br />
Damian is probably even more complex than Alexa, ha! But some of their traits do overlap. Let’s see…I may have to cheat just a tad with this one:<br />
Seemingly arrogant, spoiled, and petty, but he’s also very secretive, surprisingly empathetic and guarded.<br />
That’s all I dare say. There’s much more to Damian than immediately meets the eye….<br />
<br />
<b>What do you have in common with these two characters, and what about you is very different from them?</b><br />
<br />
Well, I’m definitely very stubborn and determined, which are traits both Damian and Alexa possess. But Alexa and Damian are both much more guarded about themselves (and their secrets) than I am. I tend to be pretty open about my emotions…usually. And there’s the obvious fact that Alexa could totally kick my butt without even breaking a sweat.<br />
<br />
<b>Without spoiling anything, what hints can you drop about your favorite scene/moment in DEFY?</b><br />
<br />
Wow, that’s a tough one. So many moments in DEFY were very emotional for me, and have deep meaning, for different reasons. I’m not sure I can pick just one. My top favorites would be too spoilery, but I can think of one scene that was WAAAAY too much fun to write…it involves a tent and Alexa literally being stuck between two hot guys. The awkwardness and tension that arises from the situation was pretty dang fun to explore.<br />
<br />
Thanks for having me here today! You were an integral part of my journey with DEFY, and I’ll forever be grateful to you for that!<br />
<br />
********************<br />
<br />
Wasn't that great?! I need to do interviews more often. Fun, fun, fun. Want to learn more about <i>Defy</i>? Read on!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRgHhSRQU47f5ipWpZlDfiWQFSUK25c6O6aymjE5OqstO2-JPrTBZgKv1Ig2vpx-51jHWcBl8nKGgwJsd04QgZ4SkLNUiSe0gCO4w_niKaP_16jLP-eV2Oc5Gf6EWW3UHyatQxlDBv8OB/s1600/Defy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiRgHhSRQU47f5ipWpZlDfiWQFSUK25c6O6aymjE5OqstO2-JPrTBZgKv1Ig2vpx-51jHWcBl8nKGgwJsd04QgZ4SkLNUiSe0gCO4w_niKaP_16jLP-eV2Oc5Gf6EWW3UHyatQxlDBv8OB/s320/Defy.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gorgeous cover, right?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<i>A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and heart-racing romance.<br /><br />Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.<br /><br />The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?</i>Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-30946330377946626802013-12-02T08:41:00.000-08:002013-12-02T08:41:04.214-08:00Out of Tune<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZRzhvYnp_-12AOA3E-3YsMxZOIcogT0mHUtzbq2N-NZ3aIsTN3Au_HMVQx4sX5tQElxspzwbNiiBxUZfcWfC6n2ri5BGRGkL5C07hSWIcpKO8_Oblm5TTLTS78uLxZH02qN6wasjwUBs/s1600/Out+of+Tune.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZRzhvYnp_-12AOA3E-3YsMxZOIcogT0mHUtzbq2N-NZ3aIsTN3Au_HMVQx4sX5tQElxspzwbNiiBxUZfcWfC6n2ri5BGRGkL5C07hSWIcpKO8_Oblm5TTLTS78uLxZH02qN6wasjwUBs/s320/Out+of+Tune.jpg" width="210" /></a></div>
<i>Out of Tune</i> is a fabulous new adult novel written by Michelle Argyle, a very talented author and a dear friend of mine. This book holds a special place in my heart. Michelle told me the story idea before she ever set pen to paper (or hands to keys), and I was lucky enough to read an early draft.<br />
<br />
Michelle always writes cleanly and beautifully, but this book blew me away. It's my absolute favorite piece of her writing. I was so drawn in to this story of Maggie, a young woman trying to find her place in the world--whether that's in or out of the shadow of her famous country star parents, whether it's singing with her own out-of-tune voice or writing lyrics for others, or whether it's in the arms of her best friend (and of-and-on-again boyfriend) or her new voice teacher.<br />
<br />
I play guitar and sing, and I was amazed at how authentically Michelle captured the feel and art and detailed intricacy of these things. And I'm a huge fan of romance, and this book definitely had me swooning. I'm so proud of Michelle and this story and can't wait for it to be released on December 3rd so everyone else can join in the fun of reading it, too!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRj27J9gQo4TtwMFqOpPJautDxJJyWATTgfv39ZOt2JLTdShqFPTH_Q4AlvuVE3SZWG-HxA2hIQpVrd5ITLsWeIhOKhuyYGu8rIaIZzZyHU_GgS8ecAvXaX_6v8m5C4Bb2cZ9LjKPiXwiE/s1600/Out+of+Tune+Dedication.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRj27J9gQo4TtwMFqOpPJautDxJJyWATTgfv39ZOt2JLTdShqFPTH_Q4AlvuVE3SZWG-HxA2hIQpVrd5ITLsWeIhOKhuyYGu8rIaIZzZyHU_GgS8ecAvXaX_6v8m5C4Bb2cZ9LjKPiXwiE/s200/Out+of+Tune+Dedication.JPG" width="196" /></a></div>
On a very cool and special note, Michelle surprised me with copy of the book the other day, and she dedicated it to me! It was a totally surreal moment that made me cry. Thank you, Michelle!<br />
<br />
So, without further gushing (because I could do that forever), here's more about <i>Out of Tune</i>, including an awesome book trailer below.<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Twenty-year-old Maggie Roads’ parents are legendary in the country music world. She wants nothing more than to follow in their footsteps, but the limelight isn’t reserved for singers who can’t carry a tune, let alone keep a rhythm.</i><br />
<i><br />When her parents tell her they’re getting divorced, Maggie decides it’s time to leave home and take her future into her own hands. Moving in with Cole, her best friend and sometimes boyfriend, might not be the best of ideas, but she’s got to start somewhere. Their off-and-on romance gets even more complicated when Maggie crushes on her new voice teacher, Nathan, who unlocks her stunning potential. A sensational music career of her own is finally within reach, but Maggie might need more than perfect pitch to find what she’s really looking for.</i><br />
<br />
<b>Official Release Date:</b> December 3, 2013<br />
<b>Available Formats:</b> all eBook formats and Print<br />
<b>Available Where:</b> Everywhere online books are sold, as well as ordering from bookstores<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> MDA Books<br />
<b>Official Book Page with Links:</b> <a href="http://michelledargyle.com/books-2/out-of-tune/">http://michelledargyle.com/books-2/out-of-tune/</a> <br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/llUCHN3ZsbM?rel=0" width="560"></iframe>Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-64023576098837045342013-11-27T06:00:00.000-08:002013-12-30T01:13:56.552-08:00Steven Moffat on Writing<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBXbUQmAvc9LQiIsOhTvGWFLcvO0C9yiqC2OVnS3SwuzlErwgG0o6cIh_qxt9VRtsNu6t02qclg6Q6xun4r1PfJ0JtpvWMoJaSVPkq_S1F68YNj5hs7hSGcjlauKh1PEWw2bOmmEw_MBG/s1600/Steven+Moffat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCBXbUQmAvc9LQiIsOhTvGWFLcvO0C9yiqC2OVnS3SwuzlErwgG0o6cIh_qxt9VRtsNu6t02qclg6Q6xun4r1PfJ0JtpvWMoJaSVPkq_S1F68YNj5hs7hSGcjlauKh1PEWw2bOmmEw_MBG/s200/Steven+Moffat.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sherlock, Steven, & the Doctor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
My current obsession is <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0595590/?ref_=nmbio_bio_nm" target="_blank">Steven Moffat</a>. He's the screenwriter behind the best mind-blowing episodes of <i><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006q2x0" target="_blank">Doctor Who</a></i> and <i><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b018ttws" target="_blank">Sherlock</a></i> on BBC. His plots are crazy creative, with plenty of twist and turns that you never see coming, but are planted so perfectly. I know without looking at the credits every time that it's a Steven Moffat episode. They're that amazing.<br />
<br />
So naturally I had to see what this guy had to say about his writing process. I scoured the Internet for anything I could find. (You're welcome.) Steven doesn't like to delve much (you can tell he's tired of getting asked about advice), and I think he's written for so long, the process is simply intuitive to him. But it is still fun to learn what I can from such a genius. Most of all, I was comforted to learn that behind his master mind, he's an insecure writer like 99% of the rest of us.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<b><u>General Writing Advice</u>:</b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">“Write. Write
lots. Don’t ask for advice, just write. And <b>read the kind of stuff you want to
write, because that’s the only advice that matters.</b> If it’s screenplays, read
William Goldman’s - he know EVERYTHING.</span>”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span>“Every writer writes about what they’ve personally been
through, just because that’s what’s to hand. I don’t know if it’s an important
rule of thumb – <b>you should tell the story that most animates you</b>.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
</div>
“Just write. The big break is easy
if you’re good enough. I hear people saying, ‘I’m desperate to write
– I’ve written this script.’ And I want to say: ‘Why haven’t you written
50 scripts?’... <b>You have to write all the time and not worry so much
about going to the right parties or the contacts you have in the business
– they’re completely irrelevant.</b> And stop badgering people for advice
because there almost is none – If you write a truly brilliant script, it
will get on the telly.”<br />
<br />
<u><b>On the Controlled Release of Information</b></u>: <br />
<br />
“<b>The controlled release of information – which is more or less what storytelling is – is really, really hard. </b>Especially on <i>Doctor Who</i>,
where you do need quite a lot going on, because everything is new. It’s
not like you’ve got a big regular cast, or one set that you’re going to
see every week. In <i>Doctor Who</i>, you’re lucky if there’s one you
see every week! So you need to release quite a lot of information. It’s a
whole new world and you have to know what a normal day is like there,
so you can twist it.”<br />
<br />
“I know that, in the past, Russell has
given notes to writers, saying, ‘Tell everyone everything that’s going
on, all of the time.’ Broadly speaking, I wouldn’t agree with that to
the last heartbeat, but I think that comes from the right place.”<br />
<br />
“I
think that, right up until the last minute, you’re constantly changing
your mind about the release of information in a story. <b>There’s a fine line between mysterious and confusing.</b> And I’ve often drifted over it!”<br />
<br />
<b><u>On Writing Villains</u>:</b><br />
<br />
“[V]illains aren’t necessarily evil. But I do think that straightforward evil is actually meaningless. <b>All the evil acts in the history of the world have been committed with a pretty exact and precise agenda: people do what they think is right.</b> You fly a plane into the World Trade Centre because you think it’s a necessary thing to do – not because you think it’s going to improve your day. It’s an insane and evil act – of course it is, it’s appalling – but it’s done to an end. Real evil is just an agenda we don’t understand, and frequently we have to work out what it is.”<br />
<br />
“<i>Doctor Who </i>stories work particularly well if there’s a good mystery: how does it all fit together? That’s good, because it puts the Doctor at the centre of the story. He’s going to be the man who decodes it, figures it out and pieces it together. If you just have villains who are evil and want to conquer the universe, what does that actually mean? Think what a lot of admin that would be! But <b>if you have villains with complex ideas of their own, then the Doctor is again at the story’s centre.</b> He works out what they want, and what it is that they’re trying to do. And stops it. But it allows him to have a big dramatic moment where he says, ‘This is what’s been going on,’ and looks clever. Him looking clever is important. Whereas a straightforward military threat brings out the least interesting parts of the Doctor. He becomes a bit superfluous.”<br />
<br />
“[Y]ou can have the moral debate. But it’s slightly pointless because it then comes down to, ‘I’m better than you. I’m a good man and you’re a bad one!’ It sort of works with the Daleks, but a lot of the time I’m not really sure I care about that. <b>I care about the cleverness of the hero. So the more mystery there is in the story, the more there is for the Doctor to do.</b> He is a kind of Sherlock Holmes character, who makes quick intuitive leaps and is absolutely brilliant.”<br />
<br />
<b><u>On the Importance of Keeping Secrets as a Writer</u>:</b><br />
<br />
“It changes the experience of writing it if I give too much away. Right now, I’ve got an idea for the ending which I’m extremely excited about, but I don’t wanna say it out loud. <b>Not because it would matter if anyone knew about it, but just because saying it out loud might spoil the magic.</b> You might look disappointed. So I need to cling to this idea. In fact, that’s a relevant thing to say about writing. Before, I’ve told people things and they seem underwhelmed, so I’ve lost faith in it from that point on!”<br />
<br />
“The most truthful thing I have said in this interview about writing is the importance of these secrets. The magic of Not Telling Anyone Yet. I know Russell thinks that way too – <b>he won’t tell anybody what he’s doing. Because it turns to ashes in your mouth. It almost becomes ordinary</b>.”<br />
<br />
<u><b>On Beginning a New Draft</b></u>:<br />
<br />
“When you have a lot of things to do, <b>sometimes it’s good to write a few pages so you then think, </b><b>‘Yes, I can do it</b>.’”<br />
<br />
“You
think of an idea, then think of all the things you’d like to do with
it. ‘Ooh, it’d be creepy if that happened.’... ‘[S]uppose the
cliffhanger was like that!’ <b>You can’t fit all these ideas into the
story, but you have a lovely period - a golden honeymoon period - where
you think you’ll be able to fit all of those in easily. </b>Then you realise you can’t, and you start prioritising to all the cool bits.” <br />
<br />
<b><u>On the Writing Process</u>:</b><br />
<br />
“There isn’t one single script when I’m not, at some point, sick-makingly terrified of my inability to write it. I mean, it’s just hard! I asked Russell, ‘<b>Do you ever wanna stick your head out the window and shout, I don’t know what I’m doing!?</b>’... [E]very time I make a script work, it feels like luck. I don’t think that feeling ever goes away. It really is that hard, and that’s what it’s supposed to be like. The sheer amount of thinking you have to do, to make this work! When I read scripts that are bad, it’s often because they’re just lazy. The writer hasn’t thought things through in the way that I would. There was a quote from John Cleese, around the time he was ruling the world with <i>Fawlty Towers</i>: ‘If I’m any good at writing comedy, it’s because I know how hard it’s supposed to be.’ And that’s it. <b>It’s shockingly difficult and emotionally upsetting!</b>”<br />
<br />
“<b>No one is that self-assured when they’re writing</b>, or that assured about their writing. There’s no experience worse than handing your script in, and waiting.”<br />
<br />
“You can go into an empty room with just a desk and a computer without internet, and you’d still lose focus. Because <b>sometimes you’re not ready to write it. You’re not comfortable with what you’re doing and you have to get there</b>.”<br />
<br />
“<b>No writer truly stays focused, all day, every day</b>.... Two or three hours will pass and I’ll have done nothing: not even had a useful thought!”<br />
<br />
“People talk grandly about range, but <b>the truth is that you’re just writing</b>.”<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Sources:</i><br />
<i><a href="http://jasonarnopp.blogspot.com/p/doctor-who.html">http://jasonarnopp.blogspot.com/p/doctor-who.html</a></i><br />
<i><a href="http://sherlockology.tumblr.com/post/23501865686/steven-moffat-live-chat">http://sherlockology.tumblr.com/post/23501865686/steven-moffat-live-chat</a><br /><a href="http://guru.bafta.org/steven-moffat-special-award-interview">http://guru.bafta.org/steven-moffat-special-award-interview</a> </i><br />
<br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
</div>
Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-88694060210891047162013-11-11T06:00:00.000-08:002014-12-03T22:45:57.260-08:00Another Story Is Written<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xr69At_z8UP_tVaxxIDN91lmKgqqphcD9jrc9iMkNAszPbuPISwMoAwDSI4ytTaJ0hTaovPAtQzMCkq4XAAOrg56hUmqtLRZu9AFsDitXxVyKKaTBgXtsOVmBrX3fhZW6lNh_uOt47Vi/s1600/Broken+Carousel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4xr69At_z8UP_tVaxxIDN91lmKgqqphcD9jrc9iMkNAszPbuPISwMoAwDSI4ytTaJ0hTaovPAtQzMCkq4XAAOrg56hUmqtLRZu9AFsDitXxVyKKaTBgXtsOVmBrX3fhZW6lNh_uOt47Vi/s320/Broken+Carousel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
On Friday, November 8th, I wrote from morning until night. The stars aligned. My children weren't needy. My husband got off work early. He picked up Wendy's for dinner and took care of our kids for the rest of the night. I wove the final 6000 words together of a big tangled web: my young adult time travel murder mystery romance. (If there wasn't such a thing before, there is now.) And I finished my draft!<br />
<br />
Up until now, I've written retellings. They always splinter the original myth into something I can call my own, but now I've written something <i>completely </i>original. Consequently, it's stranger than ever--and I absolutely love it!<br />
<br />
This story began as a dream. Cliche, I know, but true. Last fall an abandoned carousel in a misty forest slipped into my unconsciousness. That image haunted me. I couldn't put a finger on why it was so disturbing and why I woke up so scared. My writer brain took over and crafted a story around the carousel. Why was it in a forest? What was the mist? Two characters formed almost immediately, as well as the element of time travel. The plot took much longer. (Time travel is a beast.)<br />
<br />
After tons of research and months of brainstorming, I finally had a story outlined. In July, I began drafting. And as all my stories go, my characters had to have their say. They threw in wrenches, added subplots, and even made me delete scenes that didn't ring true to them. But, together, we did it.<br />
<br />
I've been writing for a few years now. There are so many ups and downs in the process of creating something and the pursuit of publication. But I'll tell you what, <i>nothing</i> beats the feeling of finishing a draft. In that moment, I've defeated so much doubt, I've also traveled the long journey with the characters, and after so many hours, days, weeks, months, we've finally reached the summit and planted our flag. Every new book is another fingerprint I've left on this earth to say I was here, I had something to say, and I did something about it.<br />
<br />
Now I can dig into revisions. I'm the weird kind of writer that actually loves this stage. It's my reward!<br />
<br />
Last the best of all the game, here's a super excited squeezy hug for my critique partner, <a href="http://ilimawrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ilima Todd</a>. She birthed her book baby on November 8th, as well. We have twins!<br />
<br />
How do you feel when you finish a draft--or complete a marathon or accomplish some other kind of lofty goal? What drives you to keep going?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-33610741997433215802013-10-15T05:00:00.000-07:002013-10-15T05:00:01.012-07:00Becoming Desperate<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4L0PpA6sNOws5eY44wFTTXxx6YvUUQQnQcc7hJEOjna0OlUyd3p8ErP-bqXHySEKBQt99m8ubS1fHUM-8mf2ni1H4CqHeus4mMHsFcNnsz7KzS32L_NYfZOjyB_BQnslkzWUr30DB_rM/s1600/Capital+Reef.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ4L0PpA6sNOws5eY44wFTTXxx6YvUUQQnQcc7hJEOjna0OlUyd3p8ErP-bqXHySEKBQt99m8ubS1fHUM-8mf2ni1H4CqHeus4mMHsFcNnsz7KzS32L_NYfZOjyB_BQnslkzWUr30DB_rM/s320/Capital+Reef.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and My Younger Kids in Capital Reef</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I just got back from a trip to southern Utah and Capital Reef National Park (thank you, Utah, for reopening your national parks during the government shutdown!). I drove down with my brother, a film student, and we had a long chat about artists striving for big breaks in their careers and how they often lose who they are in a desperate attempt to reach their dreams. I've seen it happen with actors, as well as with writers, and my brother's seen it happen with those trying to break into the film industry.<br />
<br />
Making a living as an artist is HARD. I know this. My husband's an actor, and my dad is also a writer. (Speaking of actor husbands and writer wives, check out my friend <a href="http://michelledargyle.com/2013/10/14/when-loved-ones-dont-support-or-at-least-understand-your-writing-career/" target="_blank">Michelle Argyle's post about that today</a>.) And trying to become published, get an amazing paid acting role, or a directing gig means HARD WORK and sometimes long hours, days, months, and years without getting a nickel. You do feel desperate at times, but I think it's important not to <u>become</u> desperate. Because desperate people become blinded by that one thing they want, no matter the cost.<br />
<br />
They conform to trends, rather than writing the stories their hearts dictate, the stories they wanted to write in the beginning. Their most important relationships fall apart as they work to climb social ladders that will lead them to "better places." Their lives become completely out of balance until it's all or nothing. If they don't get X and X, they are failures.<br />
<br />
Desperation is an easy trap to fall into, and for me, the best way to battle against it is to remind myself that there isn't one formula for success. I should have dreams, I should fight for them, but there are other options and back-up plans. If the most amazing editor reads my story and rejects it, the road doesn't dead end there. Other stories are waiting to be written or reworked, other editors can be a better fit. We do have to be open-minded, flexible, willing to revise, revamp, and reimagine. But I like to remember that girl who set out on this journey a few years ago and remind myself of what she wanted, what stories she set out to tell, and why she wanted to tell them. I'm determined not to become anyone else to make a break in this business. I want to be myself and pave my own way, even if it's the road less traveled, or a road no one has traveled at all. My dreams shouldn't be achieved at the cost of selling myself.<br />
<br />
This is one blog post I hesitated to write because I don't want to sound self-righteous or condescending. I do have strong opinions on the matter, though, and if anything I write this as a warning to myself, to not lose sight of what's most important in my life. And as much as I love writing and my stories, what I hold most dear is so much bigger and more precious than that. They're standing with me in the picture above. They are my best dream.Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-80347188794947913772013-09-25T07:12:00.000-07:002013-09-25T07:12:52.959-07:00And the Winner of Relic Is......Discord, who wants a relic to teleport. I can't help with that, but I can send the best relic of all--the book!<br />
<br />
Congrats, Discord! (I've sent you an email.) And thanks to everyone who entered. I loved reading about all your dream relics.<br />
<br />
For more information about RELIC or to order a copy for yourself, <a href="http://www.entangledpublishing.com/relic/" target="_blank">click here</a>.<br />
<br />
And now I'm going to use a relic to get my kids ready and out the door on time to catch the bus. :-)Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-65627009630127723372013-09-17T17:30:00.000-07:002013-09-17T20:37:38.062-07:00Would You Like a Relic?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhSWMjlluQ7_cudIH15es61DOtZv0uYUuZqc-WDFCW9pSD73f9aI1f4C7JWzwU460IujFAFooxveskDSX2H40e9DJU6V2ZAkPQnszyPimTUCc9RYZTFvX2A79olaLIA6NvHtiL32p-LAL/s1600/Relic_Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvhSWMjlluQ7_cudIH15es61DOtZv0uYUuZqc-WDFCW9pSD73f9aI1f4C7JWzwU460IujFAFooxveskDSX2H40e9DJU6V2ZAkPQnszyPimTUCc9RYZTFvX2A79olaLIA6NvHtiL32p-LAL/s320/Relic_Cover.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
That's right. I'm giving away a <i>Relic</i>! *laughs at my little joke* I found it so funny when I was at The King's English last week and walked up to the counter where stacks of Renee Collin's beautiful new book were waiting for customers in preparation for her signing. My friends and I took turns ordering. "I'd like a <i>Relic</i>." "I'd like two <i>Relics</i>." Maybe I was the only one giggling about this, I don't know.<br />
<br />
Anyway, as luck would have it, I won an extra <i>Relic</i>! It's a rare ARC. Let me hear those <i>ooohs</i> and <i>aaahs</i>. And I have a Griffin card to go along with it. You should know that Griffin is a type of magical relic in Renee's awesome alternate western YA fantasy. Griffin relics allow the wielder to manipulate the air around an object so they can move it. Want to more? Win my raffle. Or better yet, buy the book and read it for yourself. (But you should still enter my raffle.)<br />
<br />
How do you enter this raffle, you ask? You leave a comment. That's it. I'm easy. If you're feeling extra cool, you can tell me what kind of relic you'd want, if any kind of relic were possible. To spark some ideas, I can tell you some of the relics in Renee's book allow you to breathe underwater or become invisible. <span style="color: red;"><b>EDIT:</b> Please leave your email address in your comment so I know how to reach you. You can write it all cryptic-like so the evil minions of the Internet don't exploit your information (i.e., johnsmith AT gmail DOT com, or whatever).</span><br />
<br />
So let's do this! Have your comment entries in by Tuesday, September 24th, and I'll announce the random winner the next morning. This contest is limited to people in the U.S. Sorry, international folks. I'm poor. Here's a pretty pic of what you will win, followed by more info on Renee's book (she read the first chapter aloud at her party, and WOW), and fun pics from her signing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtXaU41HWhxT8fs3K1m8q3aXdj2l6mI2w-BvgkP2LsLCJ_G_9g3I2tosBzYOrPT3cCu15GbZbpXiGl_E-Ju1YWfOByqRdoIPwpy2dEJAG4rCnZpT2s3iOt18C5_JE3i4muS0AHHoMKQTo/s1600/Relic+Giveaway.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="393" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMtXaU41HWhxT8fs3K1m8q3aXdj2l6mI2w-BvgkP2LsLCJ_G_9g3I2tosBzYOrPT3cCu15GbZbpXiGl_E-Ju1YWfOByqRdoIPwpy2dEJAG4rCnZpT2s3iOt18C5_JE3i4muS0AHHoMKQTo/s400/Relic+Giveaway.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<i>After a raging fire consumes her town and kills her parents, Maggie Davis is on her own to protect her younger sister and survive the best she can in the Colorado town of Burning Mesa. In Maggie’s world, the bones of long-extinct magical creatures such as dragons and sirens are mined and traded for their residual magical elements, and harnessing these relics’ powers allows the user to wield fire, turn invisible, or heal even the worst of injuries.<br /><br />When she proves to have a particular skill at harnessing the relics’ powers, Maggie is whisked away to be trained in the world of relic magic. But when mysterious fires reappear in neighboring towns, Maggie finds she must use her powers to discover who is channeling relic magic for evil before it's too late.</i><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggquTq_kZzy524AkJy7Qulbp-MFCg1spgWnKIm-o583-Oe5vqyhF1HOsKpoNo65E9l0ZXB5dBOcmo8F0zD7nf0dYMPZZXSBiBF0ITURnWNQXMV-JC10vper3EOsgx2RBs0jdBwWmIqe6G2/s1600/Friends+with+Relic.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggquTq_kZzy524AkJy7Qulbp-MFCg1spgWnKIm-o583-Oe5vqyhF1HOsKpoNo65E9l0ZXB5dBOcmo8F0zD7nf0dYMPZZXSBiBF0ITURnWNQXMV-JC10vper3EOsgx2RBs0jdBwWmIqe6G2/s320/Friends+with+Relic.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We all have <i>Relic</i>s!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4KyCpOyaRWYr_3doNG1g02SCacr1l1WbQzsHCUzmWr8ZjDguEH1aM0sE6QeucPi5K2dEoNBhwVazjmmbNNSHpGZzVPFW5Yw4Z4v9XwIyZF0f1S-yYZsFcST43bke0ofATBS9SQXwERL2/s1600/Renee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ4KyCpOyaRWYr_3doNG1g02SCacr1l1WbQzsHCUzmWr8ZjDguEH1aM0sE6QeucPi5K2dEoNBhwVazjmmbNNSHpGZzVPFW5Yw4Z4v9XwIyZF0f1S-yYZsFcST43bke0ofATBS9SQXwERL2/s320/Renee.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty and hilarious Renee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ORHw3VbwxqOdj4dnbY9g8WzqPvrkB3pjS0fOTLmumkStH5uN0Y7Ia5uMe2lK7WY39L1mI91sK73Jjq0szfDyfBeO9375e2Gkcaf1sftakKNvUMVmpyUCQbotHxh6Mte2OKDyNcQ24_E1/s1600/Me+and+Renee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ORHw3VbwxqOdj4dnbY9g8WzqPvrkB3pjS0fOTLmumkStH5uN0Y7Ia5uMe2lK7WY39L1mI91sK73Jjq0szfDyfBeO9375e2Gkcaf1sftakKNvUMVmpyUCQbotHxh6Mte2OKDyNcQ24_E1/s320/Me+and+Renee.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me 'n' Renee 'n' <i>Relic</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipE69SXz5nXJKoQ9Ujbx6p9Un_QxJSvUt9eHSmCQ2Z_h4sogld4Vep4bytHKdX2hZP8FqYQ4crUHiZYPMIn4jIavkgp6RGQqKJKUQ4DDSJzIECpA8XuIGInFG6KRAy0GtnjwpR5gTTJmbW/s1600/WANTED+Photo+Booth.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipE69SXz5nXJKoQ9Ujbx6p9Un_QxJSvUt9eHSmCQ2Z_h4sogld4Vep4bytHKdX2hZP8FqYQ4crUHiZYPMIn4jIavkgp6RGQqKJKUQ4DDSJzIECpA8XuIGInFG6KRAy0GtnjwpR5gTTJmbW/s320/WANTED+Photo+Booth.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't ask about the frog puppets.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-53769245479064612082013-09-10T09:58:00.000-07:002013-09-10T09:58:26.798-07:00Fangirl Frenzy: Shadow and Bone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VygsAbtBPprtHAg7ktfO3IazfjM9jQQqUXiT6-DXVnl2jD6RQyzw53YX0Nv20pM8SIRGInmox3ZNFJD2zKeWaeXfpI-ivY_4pYrssNpnadeqEykDiCecNM-DvQetA_eV6DTmfaqak32w/s1600/Shadow+and+Bone+Blog+Badge.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_VygsAbtBPprtHAg7ktfO3IazfjM9jQQqUXiT6-DXVnl2jD6RQyzw53YX0Nv20pM8SIRGInmox3ZNFJD2zKeWaeXfpI-ivY_4pYrssNpnadeqEykDiCecNM-DvQetA_eV6DTmfaqak32w/s1600/Shadow+and+Bone+Blog+Badge.GIF" /></a></div>
It's no secret my favorite book is SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo, so when the paperback was released a while back, I double-back-flipped over a little homage to the fans--an awesome "word drawing" of some of the blogs who reviewed the book. And Purdie Writing was on there! Check it out...<br />
<br />
|<br />
|<br />
| <br />
| <br />
| <br />
| <br />
\ / <br />
<br /> <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vCC4Fa4oTx0ZSQEe5wftapZONL7FCk5Q_Yj_mBp_BgB3DKTODc3e86mDTJPbApK0tkuNc_qzqkLVZfDBfrHhfZepF-LXjKA4WU8B_XoEvRKWo6tHSA8hPNlGDtCCHv9Xvrn5l_G6pw0m/s1600/Shadow+and+Bone+Blogger+Thank+You+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_vCC4Fa4oTx0ZSQEe5wftapZONL7FCk5Q_Yj_mBp_BgB3DKTODc3e86mDTJPbApK0tkuNc_qzqkLVZfDBfrHhfZepF-LXjKA4WU8B_XoEvRKWo6tHSA8hPNlGDtCCHv9Xvrn5l_G6pw0m/s640/Shadow+and+Bone+Blogger+Thank+You+copy.jpg" width="436" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Coolest fangirl moment of the universe!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So...if you haven't read SHADOW AND BONE, do it! (<a href="http://purdiewriting.blogspot.com/2012/07/spoiler-free-review-shadow-bone.html" target="_blank">Here's my spoiler-free review.</a>) The sequel, SIEGE AND STORM, is also awesomesauce. And Leigh Bardugo is one ultra cool and gracious lady.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
If you want the latest on all things S&B, check out and like its <a href="https://www.facebook.com/GrishaTrilogy" target="_blank">official Facebook Fan Page</a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
What is your biggest fangirl (or fanboy) moment?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--></div>
<br />Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-24826217455517649662013-08-07T13:29:00.000-07:002013-08-07T13:29:25.703-07:00Signs I'm a YA Writer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlTWP2vqanDecmIAwa-FfaEg4KTFpAuS-F47bfCI-7YQCBScKQPY47N1iAZkj_Ds9yhrUbmqeTq3K6yxew_1PjLJvVDln-E3gRNncIB1Rvjd5W3epceuggewdqsFQT1eV0vGhps069WWO/s1600/Slinky+T-Shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWlTWP2vqanDecmIAwa-FfaEg4KTFpAuS-F47bfCI-7YQCBScKQPY47N1iAZkj_Ds9yhrUbmqeTq3K6yxew_1PjLJvVDln-E3gRNncIB1Rvjd5W3epceuggewdqsFQT1eV0vGhps069WWO/s320/Slinky+T-Shirt.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
At my first writers' conference, my teacher asked us why we wrote for the age of our audience. Many people gave interesting answers that week. My favorite was from another seasoned, published author. She usually writes about 12 to 13-year-olds and for an audience of the same age because, in a way, it's like her looking back and trying to take care of herself then. I wonder if that's why I also write about and for teens. It's definitely got something to do with it. That girl back then needed some taking care of, too. What I <i>do</i> know is I've been observant these past few weeks and found signs that also support why I'm a YA writer. Here are a few.<br />
<br />
<ol>
<li><b>My wardrobe.</b> I've grown up in some ways, but I still own and wear my leather beret from high school, as well as my U2 <i>Rattle and Hum</i> t-shirt. I finally gave my "Slinky" t-shirt to my teenage daughter. Don't get me wrong; I would've kept it if it still fit.</li>
<li><b>How I speak.</b> I use "like" more than all my children combined, as well as "lame," "whatever," and even, "hey, girlfriend!" when I speak to my older daughter.</li>
<li><b>I still love to be spontaneous and sometimes immature.</b> For example, purposefully embarrassing my children. Nothing brings me more pleasure than hearing, "Ughh, <i>Mom</i>!" (But my kids are usually smiling when they do this. A good sign, yes?) Yesterday, my daughter dared me to bop my head around and jam like an idiot while driving with her. She did the same. We were laughing so hard, I was crying.</li>
<li><b>Music.</b> My tastes have developed a lot, but I still feel that teenager-y deep connection to music, like it defines me, or I seek to find the songs that do. I continue to play the guitar and sing the same folk ballads I did when I was around a campfire with my friends.</li>
<li><b>My imagination.</b> In high school, I devoted my time to acting on stage, becoming the characters and delving into their backstories and what made them tick. Now I do the same thing, but I create my characters on the page. I bring them to life from scratch. It's still just as exhilarating--even more so!</li>
<li><b>Discovery of Self. </b>No matter how old I get (I'm 36 now), I still feel that yearning to to know who exactly I am and why I fit or don't fit into this world and why I'm here. It keeps me constantly exploring for more.</li>
<li><b>Feeling Deeply.</b> I'm pretty sure I'm moodier and more sensitive now than I was as a teen. I cry easier, laugh harder, and feel keenly the pain of others.</li>
</ol>
I met an almost ninety-year-old woman a couple years ago. She randomly sat next to me at a large event and started chatting away about wanting to read the book I had on my lap. She confessed she loved <i>Twilight</i> and other popular YA books.<br />
<br />
When I'm ninety, I want to be that woman. <br />
<br />
If you write, what age do you usually write for and why? If you don't write, what age do you think the "inner you" is?Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1817405930079039333.post-1297655569700999982013-07-05T12:37:00.000-07:002013-07-05T12:37:05.015-07:00The Fault in Our Stars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pSDsdV9MMHUh6YF3AvXRxeKOwXbECXvQHylp8ZmzUBYGOj1IfX19rDGNS_iXYbzTtPTF4iRzUaws9pZxZTz6cL04Z5kD-UXJbbsH2CBRUUMiJkmPLgsheFu5W6DI56-iu5-HLixMMYBd/s1600/The+Fault+in+Our+Stars.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pSDsdV9MMHUh6YF3AvXRxeKOwXbECXvQHylp8ZmzUBYGOj1IfX19rDGNS_iXYbzTtPTF4iRzUaws9pZxZTz6cL04Z5kD-UXJbbsH2CBRUUMiJkmPLgsheFu5W6DI56-iu5-HLixMMYBd/s320/The+Fault+in+Our+Stars.jpg" width="218" /></a></div>
Yes, people, I finally read this lovely book. And it was a wonderful and draining experience for me. This book is about two kids with cancer who fall in love...and so much more. I may have had an emotional breakdown midway through--not while reading it, but in the moments in between. It stirred up some powerful stuff for me.<br />
<br />
I've never had cancer or dealt intimately with it, but my husband has Crohn's disease, and for the first seven years of our marriage he was very, very ill. I honestly thought he might die a few times. Once he came very close. He was disabled, in chronic pain, and basically miserable. So I know a bit about disease and being in love with someone so sick. We've had some great years, lately, health-wise, so not to worry. This blog post is not to garner your sympathy. I just found it interesting that I had an emotional relapse of all the pain that is past while reading this book.<br />
<br />
I've had lots of thoughts these past few days along the lines of "Wow, my husband and I have been through some Hard Stuff" and "It's not fair we had to go through such Hard Stuff" and "It's a miracle we got through that Hard Stuff" and "When will the repercussions (financial crap) end from this Hard Stuff?" It's like I was going through it all over again. Ah, the power of good books. It's one thing if you feel for the characters and their worlds and their dilemmas; it's quite another when those things transcend into your own life.<br />
<br />
My favorite thing about <i>The Fault in Our Stars </i>is that it's not overly sentimental. And it's really not that depressing. It's actually light and humorous much of the time, which made a book devoted to the subject of cancer and life and death stomachable. I loved Hazel and Augustus's cynicism and frank acceptance of death. I loved the realistic progression of Hazel's falling for Augustus. John Green nailed it.<br />
<br />
What books have transcended past the pages for you?Kathryn Purdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18337488365098780737noreply@blogger.com5