A Weekend of Shakespeare

Me at the competition years ago. Being dramatic as usual.

This past weekend I attended the Shakespeare Competition at the Utah Shakespeare Festival. This is an acting competition on the secondary education level, and it is a HUGE deal. Even though it's held in southern Utah, acting troupes from California, Arizona, and even as far as Milwaukee, attend and compete. I traveled down with my husband and his advanced acting students and helped coach them on their ensemble scene, monologues, and duo scenes. It was so much fun!! It brought back memories of when I was a senior in high school and won first place in monologues at this competition. It felt like an Oscar. :-)

This year, we also saw the festival repertory company's production of Hamlet, which was beyond amazing! I haven't seen theatre of that caliber since I saw a play at the National Theatre in London over fourteen years ago. They brought so much humor into the production, which made the contrast to the really dramatic moments spectacular.

All of this acting and directing and fabulous Shakespeare once again reaffirmed to me all the qualities good storytelling has in common. Here are some that stand out to me...

• Conflict and tension. There always has to be a problem, even in the lightest of scenes. And each character should want something and go about getting it in several different ways. The characters should always be getting in the way of each other. And characters should be trying to reach their objective through the other character(s) in their scene. That communication separates a mediocre scene from an excellent one.
• Clear transitions. Shifts in emotion and why characters choose to change tactics should be apparent and believable.
• Frame of reference. Plots aren't unique, but characters and settings are. (Shakespeare borrowed all of his plot ideas.) I've seen Richard the Third, and then at this competition, I saw Richard the Third set during the Holocaust with Richard portrayed as Hitler. Same plot, entirely different effect on the audience. Fresh characters and settings make all the difference. This also goes hand in hand with caring about the character and being grounded in the setting before the conflict of the story kicks into high gear. We added a quick and silent addition to the beginning of our ensemble scene from A Comedy of Errors to establish to the audience that there are two sets of twins before we launched into a scene with one of those sets. Then the audience would be in on the joke and possibilities for mayhem from the beginning.
• Static scenes are boring. It's a snooze to watch a scene where the actors aren't creatively blocked (the "action" in the scene, the way the actors move), just like "talking heads" are not dynamic in a novel. I watched a scene where two actors were having a cell phone conversation with each other, so neither was in the same room as each other in the scene. It was a horrible choice because the actors could never interact with each other (though they could've pulled it off if the actors were creatively blocked to stand near each other or do similar things, even though they weren't in the same "space" in their respective worlds).

The husband, me, and Shakespeare

All in all, it was a fabulous weekend. I saw Shakespeare celebrated through many art forms--acting, music, visual arts, dance. And I felt like I was in a little corner of England with SUU's Globe Theatre replica and everyone walking around in Shakespearean garb. Oh, and my husband's acting troupe won first place with one of their duo scenes and placed fourth as a school in their division. Pretty impressive!

Do you enjoy other art forms, and what connections have you found between them and writing?

The Next Big Thing

My critique partner, Taryn Albright, tagged me for "The Next Big Thing" blog interview hop. Since I've already blogged a lot about The Rowaness of Shalott, I thought I'd answer questions about my work-in-progress instead.

What is your working title of your book? 
The Lovely Invisible

Where did the idea come from for the book?
This is a very loose retelling of the Cupid & Psyche myth, but still set in ancient Greece. I don't like how Psyche is a "wussy" in the myth, however. My Psyche, "Isidora," is much different. Her weakness is her intelligence, which leads to a lack of faith.

What genre does your book fall under?
YA fantasy

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Ooh, my favorite question! I can't think of the right actress to play Isidora yet, but she will look something like this...

 
And the PERFECT actor to play Eros (Cupid) is Douglas Booth. If you saw him in the recent TV miniseries, Great Expectations, you'd know he's not only is he swoonworthy, but also an amazing actor!

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? (I'm cheating with two.)
To regain her right to rule, eighteen-year-old Queen Isidora must marry one of three preselected suitors; however, the man she is drawn to isn't one of the three--or like them at all. He is invisible.


How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? May we see an intro?
I started writing it in July, and I'm about halfway through. I'm hoping to finish the draft by November. (This story requires LOTS of research.)

Intro:

I stared at the face of the god of love, not the polished bronze mirror balanced on his wings.

“You will look,” Nuri, said as she tilted up my chin with her small brown fingers.

I kept my eyes fastened on the marble god. His mouth was sculpted in such a way I couldn’t determine whether he was scowling or smirking at me.

Shaking her head, Nuri clucked her tongue. “You shame the patron goddess.”

I wriggled my chin from her grasp. “I thought the virginal white was an appropriate choice.”

“Don’t try and fool me, Isidora. I’ve been in your service since the day you were weaned. You chose the white because it’s plain.” Nuri grabbed a fistful of my long robe as if it were evidence worthy of banishment.

I sighed and glanced at the foot of the mirror, where three rolls of newly delivered papyri lay waiting to be read. I wanted this day to be over. I wanted to curl into a quiet corner of the palace and read about the strange fire and water machine that opened temple doors in Athens, the paved slipway near Corinth, the controversial prose of the female poet, Sappho. “Why should I draw attention to myself on Procession Day?” I asked Nuri. “The glory should go to the goddess.”

The marble god below the mirror was definitely scowling at me now. He heard my lie as well as my maid: I cared nothing for the glory of Aphrodite.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
Ha! I have no idea. It's a character-driven fantasy in the vein of Kristin Cashore, Leigh Bardugo, and Cinda Williams Chima.

Who or what inspired you to write this book?

My longtime love of Greek mythology, and the themes of faith and doubt in the Cupid & Psyche myth--mixed with falling in love, of course. :-) I also drew from stories of strong historical young queens, especially Elizabeth I, Victoria, and Jane, the nine-days queen of England. And when I visited France, I saw the statue, Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss, by the sculptor, Canova. It was my favorite piece of art in the Louvre, and one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. This picture does not do justice!

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
One of my critique partners said my story was like The Bachelorette, but set in ancient Greece. :-)

Commas and Clauses

David Powers King's blog post about commas had me thanking the universe another writer was as crazy about commas as I am. (Crazy in a good way, David.) So I felt inspired to share the number one comma mistake I see in writing and how to correct it.

This mistake I see involves separating a "two part" sentence--the two parts involving either independent or dependent clauses.

What's the difference between the two? On its own, an independent clause can be a complete sentence, whereas a dependent clause cannot.

So let's dissect the following sentence:

•  Mary had a little lamb and ate him for dinner. (Yes, I had a stroke of genius with this one.)

"Mary had a little lamb" is an independent clause because it has a subject and a verb, therefore making it a complete sentence in its own right.

"ate him for dinner" is a dependent clause because it can't stand alone as its own sentence.

When you have a sentence in "independent clause, dependent clause order," you DON'T NEED A COMMA to separate the clauses. So the example I have above is punctuated correctly. (EDIT: The exception to this rule is in cases where you have extreme contrast between the clauses, like when the dependent clause is preceded by "but," "although," or "except"--then you'd use a comma to separate the clauses.)

However, when you have TWO independent clauses in a sentence, they need separation by a comma.

For example:

• Mary had a little lamb, and she ate him for dinner.

The addition of "she" gave the second half of the sentence its subject, therefore making it an independent clause and justifying the dividing comma.

HOWEVER, exceptions to "two independent clause comma" rule may be granted for sentences short enough that a comma would muddle their appearance. If I had the above example sentence in my novel (please let that never happen!), I probably wouldn't use the comma because that sentence is so brief.

So now let's flop things around. What if we started a sentence with a dependent clause followed by an independent clause? In all cases, you'd need a comma to separate the clauses. Remember, dependent clauses depend upon the other part of the sentence for complete meaning and can't stand alone. Here are some examples:

• Eating him for dinner, Mary had a little lamb.
• If Mary had a little lamb, she would eat him for dinner.
• When Mary had a little lamb, she ate him for dinner.
• As Mary had a little lamb, she ate him for dinner. 
• Because Mary had a little lamb, she ate him for dinner.

There is no exception to this rule. No matter how brief the sentence, you must use a comma.

Hopefully this helps in your quest to conquer the confusing comma. May the grammar gods be with you!

Why I Write

Call me Pandora

I used to act in plays all the time, then as I had each of my three children, I began declining those opportunities. Being in a play usually equates to six weeks of rehearsals, three hours each evening, and (where I live) 4-6 weeks of performances. That's hard on moms and kids. By the time my youngest child was one, I hadn't performed in three years. I was still heavily involved with theatre, helping my drama teacher husband build sets, order costumes, find props--but I wasn't creating something that spoke to me, something that I could give and communicate to the world.

During that time, I stumbled on a box of old journals, poetry and short stories from years past, and I realized how vital writing had been in my life (though I didn't know it at the time). And I got that innocent and explosive idea (you writers know the one I'm talking about)--the one that says, "Hey, I could write a novel." Yes, I opened Pandora's Box. There were definitely demons in there, but there was also this raw, untapped part of myself bursting with ideas and an obsessive and unquenchable thirst to create.

Here's why I started to write back then:

• As mentioned above, I desperately needed a creative outlet. I am an artist, through and through.
• I needed to heal, physically, mentally, spiritually. I was in recovery from donating a kidney. And while writing truly did heal the aftereffects of that particular event, it opened up a whole new set of insecurities and challenges.
• I needed to feel control. We had just moved to the other side of the U.S. My husband had a new and demanding job. Everything was different. And even though things were good, there was so much change, which led to lots of stress. My imagination was a realm I naively thought I could control. Little did I realize what power struggles I'd have with my characters!
• I wanted a new challenge. I was crazy insane busy back then, but I wanted a struggle of my own choosing. It had to do with being proactive about something I wanted, rather than just doing the million-and-one things I needed to do.

Guess what? I still write for these very same reasons. However, here are some other reasons that have been added to the mix:

•  I write because I'm supposed to. Because I promised myself I'd get in 1000 words a day. The truth is, sometimes we writers don't feel like writing. But because it's important, we get our butts in the chair. Sometimes the duty sucks pleasure from the desire, but I try to strike a balance.
• And--uh, oh--the WORST reason: I write because I hope to make money at it. My family and I are POOR. I won't bore you with the details, but let's just say my husband and I have lived at the bottom of the barrel for a looooong time. Making money is a strong reality in our lives. But it wars with my artistic sensibilities that demand I write what's in my heart, and I write to express truth. In the end, the artist in me wins, and I keep writing with that integrity. I just cross my fingers, in the meantime, that my stories will speak to many others as well.

Some days I get bogged down with life, I compare myself to other writers, I feel impatient, I think my writing sucks. Some days the "noise" of the Internet is too loud--the thousands of blog posts, tweets, Facebook updates. Some days it's hard to see where my part is in all of this, or if I'll make a difference. Some days I pull away and go into hiding. And it's then I remember--after lots of quiet reflection--why I started writing in the first place. And above all those initial reasons, the first and foremost is, I need to create. That's it. Simple. But with creation comes division. Separating lightness from darkness. It may be a foggy journey in the twilight, but I'll keep my flame burning. That's enough for me to see one step ahead of myself. And I'll keep striving to find joy in the journey.

Why do you write?

Meet 'n' Greet

As part of the Gearing Up to Get an Agent (GUTGAA) festivities, here are my answers for the Meet & Greet Q&A. I'm actually one of the first-round judges for the upcoming pitch contest, but I really wanted to join in the preliminary schmoozing! :-) For more info on GUTGAA, or to sign up for the upcoming contests, go to deanabarnhart.blogspot.com.

Where do you write?
At my desktop computer in the family room, right smack in the middle of all the commotion. Occasionally, my husband lets me steal his laptop and write in my bedroom with the door shut for hours. That is divine, and I write so much faster when I'm not interrupted every two seconds!

Quick. Go to your writing space, sit down and look to your left. What is the first thing you see?
A rubber-banded stack of note cards with the major beats and scenes of the novel I'm writing.

Favorite time to write?
I'm a night owl, but I write best first thing in the morning. I've discovered evenings are better for editing.

Drink of choice while writing?
Water. I carry a water bottle everywhere I go. I need me my H2O!

When writing , do you listen to music or do you need complete silence?
Complete silence is best, though I write to music often--but only if it's instrumental. Movie soundtracks are great. I love to sing, and if the music has vocals, I can't help but sing along. Then I'm too distracted to get any writing done!

What was your inspiration for your latest manuscript and where did you find it?
Two things inspired The Rowaness of Shalott. First, my lifetime love of fairies (especially dryads) and mythology (Arthurian myths, in this case). And, second, my feelings revolving around donating a kidney to my brother played a huge role in the themes of this novel.

What's your most valuable writing tip?
Once you've finished your draft, give it some space--at least two weeks (I did two months). Then read it in as little sittings as possible and mark it only for pacing or big picture things. Edit as little as possible so you keep reading quickly like a reader would. This helps me understand, more than anything, how my story is working as a whole.

Mini Bio:
I grew up spouting Shakespeare on the stage and playing folk songs on my guitar, but it wasn’t until I had three children that I discovered my passion for creative writing. Now I channel my artistic energy into the pages of my young adult fantasy novels, where I get to act out all the parts and write swoonworthy love songs for my characters.

Gearing Up to Get an Agent

I will be helping behind-the-scenes as a first-round judge for the Gearing Up to Get an Agent's (GUTGAA) pitch contest. GUTGAA is a huge blogfest, complete with an agent-judged contest (11 agents are participating in the final round--UPDATE: There are now 12 agents slotted to participate, thanks to my wonderful agent, Weronika Janczuk), a small press pitch contest, critique opportunities, prizes for random participants, critique group matchmaking, and more! The fun begins August 31st and runs through mid-October. My friend, Deana Barnhart (one of the sweetest people alive), is the wizard behind the curtain.

Here's an abbreviated version of the schedule. For more info (and what you need to do to sign up), visit deanabarnhart.blogspot.com 

Friday, August 31st:
Prep for the Meet and Greet by completing a questionnaire.

WEEK 1 (Monday, Sept 3rd - Friday, Sept 7th)

OFFICIAL START OF GUTGAA!
Monday:
GUTGAA Meet and Greet - We're starting off with a little get to know you action. 

Wednesday: 
BETA/Critique Group Connect - Deana will act as a matchmaker and help those interested in making some serious writer connections.

Friday:
Call for Pitch Polish Entries - Window opens Friday and closes Saturday at midnight. Deana will take the first 100 entries for next week's public pitch critique.

Giveaway Winner Announced - Every Friday Deana will randomly draw a participant's name and give them a prize just for being cool:)

WEEK 2 (Monday, Sept 10th - Friday, Sept 14th)

PITCH POLISH!
Monday:
Pitches Posted for Pitch Polish - 100 pitches posted anonymously. Participants invited to give constructive criticism.

Friday: 
Entry Window Opens for Agent Pitch Contest - First 200 entries accepted. Participants submit their query and the first 150 words of their manuscript.

Giveaway Winner Announced - Random participant given a prize.

WEEK 3 (Monday, Sept 17th - Friday, Sept 21st)

AGENT PITCH CONTEST: ROUND 1!
Monday:
Get Your Foot in the Door - The 200 entries for the Agent Pitch Contest will be divided into groups of 40 and posted on five different host sites and separated by genre. Each group will be visited by four anonymous judges who will each pick their top ten. The entries with the most votes will go on to Round 2 - The Agent Round. There will be 50 finalists!

Monday - Thursday:
Judge Trolling - The anonymous judges will comment on the entries and vote for you to move on.

Friday:
Finalists Announced
Giveaway Winner Announced 

WEEK 4 (Monday, Sept 24th - Friday, Sept 28th)

AGENT PITCH CONTEST: ROUND 2!
Monday:
The Agent Round - Deana will post the 50 finalist pitches on her blog for the 11 agents to read through.

Monday - Friday:
Agent Trolling - As agents read through the pitches, they can comment on any that they want. If they really like your entry, they can request a partial or full through the comments, as well.

Friday:
Entry Window Opens for Small Press Pitch Contest - First 100 entries accepted. Participants submit their query and the first 150 words of their manuscript.

Giveaway Winner Announced

WEEK 5 (Monday, Oct 1st - Friday, Oct 5th)  

SMALL PRESS PITCH CONTEST: ROUND 1!
Monday:
Get Your Foot in the Door - The 100 entries will be divided into groups of twenty and posted on five different host sites and separated by genre. Each group will be visited by three anonymous judges, who will each pick their top five. The entries with the most votes will go on to Round 2 - The Editor Round. There will be 25 finalists!

Monday - Thursday:
Judge Trolling - The anonymous judges will comment on the entries and vote for you to move on.

Friday:
Finalists Announced
Giveaway Winner Announced

WEEK 6 (Monday, Oct 8th - Friday, Oct 12th)

SMALL PRESS PITCH CONTEST: ROUND 2!
Monday:
The Editor Round - The 25 finalists' pitches will be posted on Deana's blog for the seven small presses to read through.

Monday - Friday:
Editor Trolling - As editors read through the pitches, they can comment on any that they want. If they really like your entry, they can request a partial or full through the comments, as well.

Friday:
Winners Announced For Agent and Small Press Pitch Contest
Final Giveaway Winner Announce

Again, there's still time to sign up to participate. Head over to deanabarnhart.blogspot.com for more information.

My Favorite Films

I am a huge movie buff. With my acting background, I love to watch films and analyze the characters. And now that I'm entrenched in writing, I have fun breaking down the film story structures and the screenplays. Here are some of my favorite movies, why I adored them, and why they haunted me long after I watched them.

To Kill a Mockingbird

I fell in love with this film first by its film score. My dad played the record when I was a little girl, and I ran around the family room acting out the story as he told it to me, in his own words. I pretended I was Scout and Jem sneaking around, finding treasures from Boo Radley, and being caught in tight corners by Bob Ewell. When I saw the film, it lived up to my imagination, and later the book did, as well. My favorite part of the movie is when Scout discovers Boo behind the bedroom door at the end. Robert Duvall plays Boo brilliantly, and I cry in that moment every time. To Kill a Mockingbird is an amazing story to me because it deals with racial prejudice, rape, incest, suicide, and a mob mentality all in an non-graphic yet unflinchingly honest manner, as it is told through the magical and innocent eyes of a child (and a stellar creator, Harper Lee).

Roman Holiday

This has got to be one of the most charming films ever made. Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck have perfect chemistry together. She is pure enchantment to watch, and he is one of the best actors ever. This movie begins rather lightheartedly and as a kind of wish-fulfillment, fairy tale type story--which makes the serious turn and bittersweet ending all the more poignant. Gregory Peck's facial expression as he's walking away at the end...WOW. Roman Holiday is my curl-up-in-a-blanket-on-a-rainy-day movie.

Edward Scissorhands

This film had a huge impact on me in my teen years. I haven't experienced anything quite like that feeling of sitting in the darkened theater afterward, just stunned and heartbroken and inspired all at once, and not understanding why. Now, looking back, I can see how strongly I identified with Edward at that time in my life. I was in the middle of my horrible junior high school days, when I didn't think I had a true friend in the world, and where I felt everyone acted insincerely and lived to play the popularity game. I retreated into myself, skipped a lot of school, and spent each lunch period by myself in the library. So this lonely, scarred, scissor-handed boy was me in so many ways. Watching this movie changed me, helped me recognize some things about myself and the world, and gave me the courage to step out of my shell and give myself and people a second chance.

The Fellowship of the Rings

I watched this film in the theater seven times. Seven! I hadn't read The Lord of the Rings, but I did right afterwards. This film struck me to the core and made me discover, with firm conviction, that fantasy is my element--it's the way I love to filter themes and relationships the most. For some reason, being removed from the real world at that level helps me explore close-to-my-heart life struggles in a safer and somehow clearer environment. I absolutely adore Frodo. His relationship with Gandalf is simple and impactful; and with Sam, it is beautiful and pure. This is a definite good versus evil story, and I love to see how someone so small and seemingly insignificant, with his little band of friends, triumphs in the end. The Fellowship of the Rings is my favorite film of the trilogy. It has more of the amazing world of the elves with Rivendell and Lothlorien, and the way the Black Riders are depicted is more frightening than any other scare-factor in the next two installments.

Bright Star

When asked what my favorite film is right now, I tell people, Bright Star. This is a true story about the poet, John Keats, and the love of his life, Fanny Brawne. It's a Romeo and Juliet story, an I-will-do-anything-to-be-with-you story. These lovers are desperate for each other, they suffer when they're apart, they punish themselves when they feel thwarted. They cry and throw fits and can't eat or sleep without each other. And somehow all this works for the story. Somehow these are strong characters, and not weak ones. I study this film, again and again, trying to figure out how this is so. I think it's because, in the beginning of the story, both characters are established as capable, unique, independent, and fearless. This makes their transition into becoming "slaves to love" heartwrenching and meaningful. Bright Star is a quiet and breathtaking film (and a fantastic tearjerker). I highly recommend it!

What are some of your favorite films, and why do they resonate with you?