Top Three Fantasy Books that Can Help Us Start Conversations about Race, Society and other Human Differences (Erin)

My whole life, I have turned to fantasy books to help me make sense of the world. For some reason, it seems easier to learn truths in fantasy lands before applying them in my "real" life. In a world that seems like it is becoming increasingly polarized and divisive, I keep thinking of books that can help us have conversations about race, politics, immigration, and other hot-button issues we may tend to avoid. Here are my top three picks, along with themes to look for in each book.



3. The Hunger Games and Catching Fire: Okay, so this is two books, but they go together. Comparing Katniss Everdeen's relationship with Rue, who is Black, to Katniss' relationship with her own sister, Prim, highlights the fact we are all people, and what we have in common should be more important than outward differences. This is so important to remember, but we also have to acknowledge that race, immigration status and societal differences impact our life experiences.

As a teacher, I have some students (usually White) who tell me that race doesn't make a difference, because anyone can be successful in America, but I also have some Black students who tell me they have to be careful not to leave their licenses at home when they are driving, because they get pulled over every time they drive their parents' hard-earned, but fancy cars. Catching Fire can help us see racial and economic inequalities by showing us District Eleven, a primarily Black district, where Rue and Thresh come from, and District Twelve, the very poor district where Katniss and Peeta live, as compared to the Capitol and Districts One and Two, where food is always plentiful, to the point of lavish, wasteful parties. Comparing real cities in America to the various districts can help us see both racial and economic injustice and start to question the reasons they exist.

(Click here to see a list of other Lands Uncharted posts where we talk about The Hunger Games.)

2. A Wrinkle in Time: This may seem like an odd choice, but there are two themes that stand out in my favorite Madeleine L'Engle book. The first is that there is a shadow over our world that predisposes it to evil. As an author with a Christian world-view, L'Engle is showing us this shadow is caused in part by sinful human nature, but it also stems from the Etch-throi, who are portrayed as the cosmic forces of evil in the world. As Christians, we believe there are, indeed, cosmic forces of evil, who seek to divide families and destroy societies, and they are our true enemies. As pointed out in a recent Sunday sermon at my church, the person across from you is never the enemy, regardless of their differences. That person is a child of God, whom He loves. Instead, Paul reminds us, in the biblical letter of Ephesians, "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12).

The second theme we can find in A Wrinkle in Time is that we all come from different places and personal attributes, societal expectations and actions stem from a combination of where we grew up and our experiences so far. There is a scene where Meg is trying to explain color to Aunt Beast, but because Aunt Beast doesn't have eyes and no one in her society "sees," she doesn't understand. Later, Aunt Beast defends Meg after Meg's angry outburst to her father and Calvin, saying, "The child is distraught. Don't judge her harshly. She was almost taken by the Black Thing. Sometimes we can't know what spiritual damage it leaves even when physical recovery is complete" (L'Engle 189). When we talk to others, we need to remember they may have scars we can't see, and we need to acknowledge we may be operating out of scars we aren't aware we have.

(Click here to read Laurie's interview with J.M. Hackman who relates to Meg in A Wrinkle in Time.)

1. Ender's Game: Written by Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game, is one of my favorite science fiction books, although the language and violence are harsher than I usually recommend here. (Note: In this post, I am referring specifically to the book. I liked the movie version, but it is substantially different than the book.) In Ender's Game, Andrew "Ender" Wiggins is co-opted by a system he doesn't know much about and doesn't understand, to prepare for an imaginary, though perhaps immanent, war. As Ender progresses through training, he also grows and matures, and eventually starts to question the system he is a part of. He also starts to question the nature of the enemy. What he learns causes him unexpected understanding and even empathy. In the second book, Speaker for the Dead, Ender processes his role in society and whether he can take action to change. Without saying too much (I'm trying to avoid plot-spoilers), there are several reasons Ender's Game can help us talk about differences. First, it helps us question what aspects of our own society we accept without thinking. Second, it helps us question the nature of other societies, including those we have traditionally been taught to fight against or fear. Third, Ender's Game helps us consider our own, personal responsibility to society and examine the role our choices play in shaping our world.

Sometimes it seems easier to avoid talking about hard, controversial, or divisive issues. However, if we don't have conversations about them, we allow the loudest voices to shape our society. I hope this list of books gives you a starting place to begin some important conversations with the people around you, and the courage to impact society for the better.

Leave a comment and let me know if there are other books you think would be helpful.

Thanks!

Attributions: 
https://www.amazon.com/Wrinkle-Time-Anniversary-Commemorative-Quintet/dp/1250004675/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1468594465&sr=1-3&keywords=wrinkle+in+time
https://www.amazon.com/Hunger-Games-Book-1/dp/0439023521/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1468594231&sr=8-2&keywords=the+hunger+games
https://www.amazon.com/Enders-Ender-Quintet-Orson-Scott/dp/0765337541/ref=dp_ob_image_bk 
Greg Boyd, Sermon 7-10-16, Woodland Hills Church, whchurch.org
 

Choose Your Adventure (Laura)

1. ad-ven-ture (n): 1a: an undertaking usually involving danger and unknowable risks; 1b: the encountering of risks; 2: an exciting or remarkable experience*

Choose Your
Own Adventure

In the Choose Your Own Adventure books, created by Edward Packard in the late 1960s, readers get to make decisions that determine how the story progresses and how it ends. Books don't get much more adventurous than that, but now is your chance to focus on your favorite adventure stories whether they are CYOA or something else.

In adventure fiction, the protagonist experiences an exciting or dangerous event outside of their normal life. The story can include lots of physical action, like in The Hunger Games, or it can revolve around an animated child's toy far from home, as in The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Below are just some classic or popular adventure stories as examples.


What are your favorites? Which ones would you like to experience, or are there any you can relate to? If you contracted to write a CYOA story, what would it involve?




The Miraculous Journey
of Edward Tulane

Thanks for sharing!



Laura

*Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition

Holes, by Louis Sachar

Eragon, by Christopher Paolini

Divergent, by Veronica Roth

The Harry Potter series, by J.K. Rowling

Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle

The Artemis Fowl books, by Eion Colfer

The Maze Runner, by James Dashner

Graceling, by Kristin Cashore

The Scorpio Races

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien

The City of Ember, by Jeanne DuPrau

The Call of the Wild, by Jack London

The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordin

Red Queen, by Victoria Aveyard

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles), by Marissa Meyer


Attributions
The Cave of Time: http://www.amazon.com/Cave-Time-Choose-Your-Adventure/dp/0553232282
The Scorpio Races: http://www.amazon.com/Scorpio-Races-Maggie-Stiefvater/dp/0545334918
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane: http://www.amazon.com/Miraculous-Journey-Edward-Tulane/dp/0763625892

My Personality (Elizabeth)

You’ve heard both about how my parents met, and how I was when I was younger. Now, I’d like to introduce you to the present me :) I thought the best way to do so would be by using MBTI (or the 16personality types) to define my personality.

First of all, I’ll give you a mini introduction to MBTI. Every personality has four letters. The first letter determines whether I’m an introvert or extravert. The second letter tells me whether I’m more intuitive or sensing. The third letter tells me if I’m more thinking or feeling. And the fourth letter is judging or perceiving. I’m an ENFJ, meaning Extraverted iNtuitive, Feeling, Judging.

Most people don’t go any more in-depth than the letters, but thanks to Hannah, I learned about personality functions. Every personality has four functions: one feeling, one thinking, one intuitive, and one sensing. The function is either introverted or extraverted. I would tell you how to figure that out yourself, but that would require a much longer explanation. My functions are: Fe-Ni-Se-Ti, since I’m an ENFJ. These are simply the abbreviations, so you would read them like this: Extraverted Feeling, Introverted Intuition, Extraverted Sensing, and Introverted Thinking.

If you’d like to know more, try checking out these websites:

Easy Ways Differentiate Between MBTI Functions

Functions for Dummies

Understanding the 8 Jungian Cognitive Processes (Functions)

Now, I’m going to show you how I use each function of my personality.

Fe (Extraverted Feeling)

When a function is extraverted, it means external, so you could think of this as feeling external. This means:

Others’ feelings is often one of my first considerations in making a decision

I get my values from my environment—those around me

I’m very expressive and open

As you can see, my feeling function is external, very other-oriented. If they were internal, I’d be more in tune with my own feelings. Here are some other ways I express my Fe function:

I like making others happy

I’m good at sensing others’ feelings

I’m outgoing and social

I have a strong influence on others’ emotions

I can be sensitive and sometimes offended easily

Group unity is important to me

I believe the best about people, sometimes to the point of naiveté, I’m afraid

I love helping others (though sometimes that can come in conflict with my Ni)

I adjust my behavior to make others comfortable

Someone else’s mood often affects mine

I’m responsible

I’m empathetic

I can struggle to say “no”

I like teasing—without being offensive

I take advice from others

I often struggle to understand my own feelings

Sometimes my default is to conform to what the group wants

Sometimes, I minimize my own opinion

I’m romantic (but practical, thanks to my Ni)

Ni (Introverted Intuition)

Those with introverted intuition often come up with lots of ideas, but have to pursue a few of them to completion. This is my second strongest function, so it keeps my Fe in check. Here are some ways my Ni function expresses itself:

I think ahead (for example: when I go to a summer camp, I double check my packing list, check the weather report, and print out a camp map)

I’m goal-oriented and think long-term (I’ve always had to have a career Iwas aiming for, even when I was little)

I consider how my behavior will affect others

I have a plan of action (which is probably why I like outlining my stories)

I change after realizing my faults

I work tirelessly towards my life-goals

I have a profound understanding of others and how they think

My focus is sometimes narrow

I try to apply the ideas that I brainstorm

Se (Extraverted Sensing)

Those with this function are very observant and in tune with their five senses.

I’m spontaneous

I can be impulsive.

This is one of my weaker functions. You can tell, because:

I prefer planning to improvising

I don’t always pay attention to my surroundings.

Ti (Introverted Thinking)

I lapse into silence when I think deeply

I’m learning to think more for myself, since I have tendencies to conform

I think very independently when it comes to my principles

Sometimes, things that don’t align with my inner logic confuse me

I have trouble accepting criticism, though I apply it

Sometimes, I have trouble separating truth from opinion

I’m not afraid to voice my beliefs, if my beliefs are strong enough

I tend to act more on my feelings (which is why Ti is my weakest function)

I like to work my ideas out on paper rather than aloud

Do you have any of these same tendencies? Have you ever taken the Myers-Brigg test? What did you test as and how accurate did you find it?

Thank you for reading!

-Elizabeth

Relationships Beyond Romance: Top 3 Siblings (Hannah)

Welcome back to the ongoing series Relationships Beyond Romance!  If you missed the first few posts, here is a short recap:

1) Overt Friendships are friendships between non-related people that are characterized by positive interactions.

2) Covert Friendships also involve non-related people who genuinely care about each other, but to outsiders, the interactions between the two do not appear friendly because the characters consistently tease each other, compete with each other, or in some other way act unkindly to each other.

3) Parent-Child relationships are the first and most powerful, because they can prepare a child for a bright future or leave deep emotional scars.

Part Four: Siblings

After parents, siblings are the earliest relationships most people have.  They are family, which means siblings are stuck together, for better or worse.  Because siblings usually grow up together and share at least one parent, they have unique relationships.  They might be inseparable friends, or bitter rivals.  They could hold several years worth of grudges, or their relationship could grow unshakable after all of the hardships they have endured together.  Older siblings might be protective of younger or weaker siblings, or they might take advantage of their strength.  Siblings are unique in that they can be as different as night and day, but as close as a tightly woven rope.

Next time, I will talk about one of my favorite sibling groups: Frederick, Adrian and Jason Masters, from Bryan Davis' Tales of Starlight series.  With that set out of the way, I will introduce my other three favorite sibling groups.

3. The daughters of the dragon Albino (Swords of the Six, by Scott Appleton)

The Great White Dragon, Albino, mentored six of the finest warriors in the land.  When five of them betrayed him and murdered the sixth, Albino formed a new plan to protect the world and deal with the traitors.  He created six dragon eggs, which hatched into six human daughters endowed with powerful physical and magical abilities.

Caritha was the oldest, most responsible, and most level-headed.  Rose'el possessed a cynical temperament; Laura, Levena, and Evela were devoted to their father no matter what.  But Albino loved his youngest daughter the best.  Dantress was impulsive and curious, a bit hotheaded, and determined to do what she thought was right.  She consistently broke the rules, explored forbidden places, and even though she was immortal, she made the ultimate sacrifice for love.

 I lost a lot of respect for Albino because of his blatant favoritism, but it created great tension between the sisters that led to important plot developments.  Caritha and Dantress especially did not get along well.  They were highly competitive, and were evenly matched in fighting abilities.  Caritha usually took a leadership role, but because of Dantress's tendency to run off and get herself in trouble, Caritha came to resent her sister's lack of planning.  Ultimately, Dantress's out-of-the-box thinking was able to solve an apparently unsolvable problem, and Caritha's levelheaded thinking kept Dantress from making a choice she would later regret.  In this book, I loved how the tension between sisters eventually led to reconciliation and growth for all of them.

2. Addie and Meryl (The Two Princesses of Bamarre, by Gail Carson Levine)

Princesses Meryl and Addie loved each other very much, but couldn't be more different.  Meryl was adventurous and loved to take risks.  She was fascinated by magical creatures and and anything dangerous, and hoped one day to be able to fight dragons to protect the kingdom.  Shy Addie was completely satisfied to live safely in the palace.  But when the Grey Death, a deadly disease, struck Meryl, Addie set out on an adventure to find the mysterious cure.  Along the way, she faced specters, griffons, and dragons, and even though she was terrified, she overcame her fear for her sister's sake.  Though not a competent warrior, Addie used her wits and a few magical objects to make her way through every obstacle thrown at her.

As is typical of Gail Carson Levine, this story was set in an incredible and detailed fantasy world.  One of my favorite characters was Vollys, the dragon who took humans captive but allowed them to live as long as they held her favor, or bought it with treasures.  However, the crowning glory of the book was the close sisterly bond that took Addie, a meek and fearful princess, and gave her the courage to face numerous dangers for her sister's sake.

1. Adin and Aletha (The Map Across Time, by C.K. Lakin)
Twins Adin and Aletha were born as the only children of the king of Sherbourne.  Aletha was beautiful and strong, the beloved princess.  Adin was born with a deformity that forced him to walk with a limp.  Scorned by his father, Adin desperately tried to prove his worth.  As the kingdom of Sherbourne fell under a dark curse, the king became more and more obsessed with catching the bird with the massive golden feathers.  In order to prove himself to his father, Adin set out alone to find the bird, but instead, he met an old hermit who gave him a magical gift.  As the stronger sibling, Aletha had always been protective of Adin.  When he set out alone, she followed, hoping to catch him before something else did.  When they finally reunited, they were able to uncover the ancient beginnings of the curse that would bring the kingdom to ruin.

Although the storytelling was wonderful and the plot twists were clever, the relationship between Adin and Aletha was what really gave the story its power.  As they struggled to survive after their mother's death and their father's corruption, they held onto one powerful truth: love is stronger than death.  Because the terrible losses they had suffered, they grew closer and closer together. The bond between these two was one of the most captivating parts of the whole story.

Thanks for reading!  Next time, I will cover one other sibling pair that touched me.  What are some of your favorite sibling relationships?  If you have siblings, what is your relationship like with them?  Let us know in the comments!

~ Hannah



If you would like to read the other posts in this series, check out...
Part 1: Overt Friendships
Part 2: Covert Friendships
Part 3: Parent-Child Relationships
Part 4: Siblings
Part 5: Siblings (Again!)
Part 6: Mentors
Part 7: Partners and Companions


Attributions:

Swords of the Six: http://www.cumbooks.co.za/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/800x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/9/7/9780899578606.jpg

The Two Princesses of Bamarre: http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1231537123l/290732.jpg

The Map Across Time: http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328769404l/9373706.jpg

Interview with John Otte, Author of Failstate and Ministrix Series (Erin)

I am so excited to welcome John Otte to Lands Uncharted this

week! Author of the Failstate series and the Ministrix series, John

 is also a pastor serving a congregation in Missouri.

Laurie and I had the pleasure of listening to John tell some funny

 stories a few months ago, at our local ACFW (American

 Christian Fiction Writer’s) meeting, just before he moved.

Shortly after that meeting, I purchased Failstate and enjoyed it

 immensely. Failstate is an anti-superhero

book written with a comic-book flair. You can read my review of the Failstate series here.

Let’s hear from John about his two series, as well as his books in the works!


1. Thank you for visiting, John! First, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Absolutely! I’m a Minnesota-transplant to the Kansas City area. I’m a colossal

geek, a father, husband, author, gamer, and child of God (but not necessarily in

that order).

2. When and why did you start writing?

I’ve been writing in some way, shape, or form pretty much as long as I can remember. When I was in

elementary school,I created horribly drawn comic books. In junior high, I “graduated” to poorly

written novels. I’ve tried my hand at stage plays and screenplays. But I’ve

always come back to writing novels. There’s just something about writing a book

that resonates with me.

3. You recently moved from South Saint Paul, Minnesota (my hometown) to Blue

Springs, Missouri. What is the most striking difference between the two cities? 

The heat! Seriously! My family moved in early February and, within the first week,

we hit 70 degrees! And for the past two weeks, we’ve had temperatures in the

high 90s. People keep telling me that this has been an unusually warm year,

which makes me all the more nervous as July and August are approaching.

Related to that, while we were moving, one of the local movers found my roof

rake in our garage. He asked if I ever worked with concrete. When I said it was

a roof rake, he wondered aloud if it was for scraping off shingles. When I

explained what it’s really used for, he looked so confused!

4. Do you have any tips on moving you could give our readers? 

Don’t do it in winter if at all possible, especially if you’re moving to or from Minnesota. The last two

times my family has moved, it’s been in winter (once in December, and this last

time in February). I keep promising my wife we’ll never have to do that again,

but I’ve already broken my word once.

5. You’ve written the Failstate trilogy, two supplemental Failstate books, and the two

Ministrix books so far. You’ve submitted another book and are working on the outline

of yet another! Tell our readers a little bit about what they can expect from the

Failstate trilogy as well as the Ministrix series. 

Purchase on Amazon

In Failstate, you can find the adventures of a teenage superhero who saves

 the world in spite of his lunk of a big brother. With the Ministrix series, it’s

a space opera (think Star Trek) about a future where the church has become

extremely legalistic and violent. The only alternative is an atheist regime

that’s hostile to all expressions of faith. The stories in that series are of

people who are caught between the two in some way.

6. When you think of all the characters you’ve written, is there one you like the best, or

one that you relate to the most? Why?

Purchase on Amazon

Probably the one I like best is Etzal’el from the Failstate series. I actually

created him in a computer game many years ago and then “imported” him

into the series. He’s just a lot of fun. The one I relate to most, though, is

Failstate. I think I put a lot of myself into him when I created him as a

character.

7. Besides being an author, you are also a pastor. How does being a 

pastor affect your fiction writing? 

In some ways, it makes it difficult, simply from a time

management perspective. Being a pastor is not a 9-to- 5 type of job; it’s very

difficult to eke out the time I need to actually write. But it also gives me an

interesting perspective since I write Christian fiction. Lutherans don’t quite see

eye to eye with a lot of other denominations, so I’ve tried to bring a different

perspective to my stories.

8. Here at Lands Uncharted, we love Top 3 lists. Could you humor us and give us your

list of Top 3 fantasy lands you would like to visit? 

Okay: 3) The Star Wars universe. I’ve been a Star Wars fan for almost as long as I can remember,

and I would love to be able to visit that world for at least a little bit, preferably as a

Jedi (although not during the Clone Wars, for obvious reasons).

2) The Star Trek universe, mostly because I’ve always wanted to try out a holodeck and see

what it can do.

And finally, 1) Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn world. If you

haven’t read these books, you absolutely should. Sanderson is a master at

fantasy worldbuilding, and it is so incredibly cool.

9. What is next for John Otte? Can you tell us a little bit about your current work in

progress? 

Well, right now I’m kind of between projects. I’m waiting to hear from

my publisher about one idea and, while I’m waiting, I’m taking a stab at my first

fantasy novel (at least, my first in a while; it’s been ten years since I’ve tried

this). The story at my publisher is another Ministrix book and tells the story of a

crew of thieves and grifters trying to steal the most sacred object in that

universe. The one I’m working on right now is the story of a young woman

who’s part of an acting troupe and who desperately wants to be a hero, either on

stage or in real life.

10. Would you leave us with a favorite line or passage from one of your books? 

Boy, that’s a tough one. But if I have to choose, I’d go with the opening lines of

Failstate: “Being a superhero was hard enough. Being one on reality television…

Why had I thought this was a good idea?”

What We're Reading: The Failstate Series (Erin)

I've had the pleasure of delving into the world of teen hero wannabes and their increasingly chaotic and dangerous world lately. In case you haven't read John Otte's Failstate series, I highly recommend it!

Purchase at Amazon

Failstate opens with a superhero reality show, in which contestants are competing in order to gain a superhero license from the city. Rob Laughlin, aka Failstate, is competing, but he isn't flashy, like most of the other superheros. Instead, he wears an old sweatshirt and always hides his face. However, he is motivated to win because he wants to keep his city safe.

Rob is easy to relate to. He goes to church and youth group, but still struggles with self-doubt, complicated family relationships, and typical high school crushes. However, life as a potential superhero makes him anything but ordinary. Otte writes with a blend of action and humor that will keep teens (like the ones in my house, anyhow) reading to all hours of the night. He weaves in Christian themes in such a natural way, you could give these books to any high schoolers, whether or not they attend church.

Purchase at Amazon

In Failstate: Legends Rob's city is threatened by zombies, but no one seems to be taking the threat seriously. Can Rob convince people the threat is real in time to save those he cares about?

Since the only other zombie book I've read is Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,  I was interested to see how Otte's zombies functioned and were created.

Purchase at Amazon

Failstate: Nemesis is easily my favorite of the three books. Rob is always likable, but by this point, I am attached to him and the people he cares about. The themes get more intense, and Otte's vocation as a pastor show through. However, Otte doesn't shy away from tough questions or real struggles. He offers hope, but in the context of real life and real people. Otte avoids the simplicity a lot of books written for the Christian market tend to fall into.

Check in tomorrow for my interview with John Otte, to learn more about his life and writing! I am looking forward to reading his Ministrix series soon! Have you read any of his books? Which series would you read first? Leave a comment and let us know!

Conference Advice (Laurie)

I'll be traveling to Philadelphia, PA in just over a week to attend the Realm Makers writers' conference! Eeek!!! I'm so excited but also a little terrified because I'll be pitching my work-in-progress to agents and editors while I'm there. Wish me luck!

Between editing, getting my pitching materials together, and pre-conference jitters, I have to admit my brain has not been in any condition to come up with something original for an On Writing post. But since I'm doing lots of conference prep anyway, I thought I would share some of the other great conference advice posts I've found (with my commentary). Enjoy!

Preparing for Conferences, Your One-Sheet: Covers the purpose of a one-sheet and what it should contain, including examples!

What to bring when you pitch: A list of what to bring to a meeting with an agent or editor, with helpful explanations.

How do I prepare for a writing conference?: Advice from agent Chip MacGregor on how to prepare for a meeting with an agent or editor and how to make a good impression.

That Conference Appointment: Agent Steve Laube answers questions about his experiences with conference appointments.

Pitching at a Conference: Agent Rachelle Gardner shares her perspective on pitch appointments and other interactions with agents and editors.

Preparing for a Conference: Practical tips for feeling your best at a conference and getting the most out of it.

Conquering Conference Jitters: Suggestions on what to wear, what to bring, and what to expect to get out of a writers' conference.
How do I get the most out of a writers' conference?: Tips for making the most of attending a writers' conference.

The Introvert's Guide to Conferences: Advice specific to introverts on how to prepare for and cope with the many social interactions inherent to conferences.

Writers Conferences and Networking: Details the various types of connections writers may make by embracing networking at a conference.

Writers' Conference Follow-Up: A list of what to do post-conference to make the most of your investment.

Fellow Lands Uncharted blogger Elizabeth had an awesome series of conference tips, including quotes from other authors, on her author website on the following topics:
Part 1 - Agents
Part 2 - Learning
Part 3 - Network
Part 4 - Miscellaneous

And lastly, here's a post listing 36 posts on the Steve Laube Agency blog regarding writers' conferences: 36 Pieces of Advice about Writers Conferences


Have you been to any writers' conferences? Do you have any advice for me and other conference-goers?

See you next time!
Laurie

Top 3 Disney Songs

Time for another fun Disney topic, this one on something else many of us probably love--music! Here are my top three favorite songs from Disney films. Because there are so many great tunes from which to choose, I went the route of slow, sentimental ballads.


3. Sing Sweet Nightingale (Cinderella)


Sing sweet nightingale, high above

I know I overdo it on the Cinderella references, so I made myself pick only one song from the movie, and this one beats out "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" for its uniqueness. This song and the part in the movie where Cinderella sings it as she soaps and scrubs the floor makes me feel like I am in a dream. It's one of those movie moments that turns me into a little kid, watching a memory I almost forgot. I don't know what is so magical about this moment that puts me in that place, but part of it probably has to do with the dreamy, colorful bubbles floating around Cinderella as she sings and cleans. The song doesn't have too many lyrics, but it would be a great lullaby to sing to a child to send them into peaceful slumber.

2. I See the Light (Tangled)


All those days watching from the windows
All those years outside looking in
All that time never even knowing
Just how blind I've been
Now I'm here blinking in the starlight
Now I'm here suddenly I see
Standing here it's all so clear
I'm where I'm meant to be


And at last I see the light
And it's like the fog has lifted
...
And it's warm and real and bright
And the world has somehow shifted
...


This is a beautiful song and one of my favorite stunning Disney movie moments that begins when Rapunzel and Flynn first arrive at the kingdom and have a day of meeting the locals, investigating books, and dancing over street drawings before heading out to the water to watch the lamps for the lost princess rise in the sky. It's also the part where Rapunzel fulfills one dream and realizes it's okay to move on and find a new one.

1. Go the Distance (Hercules)

I will find my way, I can go the distance

I'll be there someday, if I can be strong

I know every mile will be worth my while

...

I would go most anywhere to find where I belong

This song stands out for its inspirational message and touching melody. Young Hercules knows he must find the strength within himself to seek out and fulfill his destiny. A song that will speak to any dreamer or anyone who has felt out of place.

Fun facts: Alan Menken, who composed "Go the Distance," also composed "I See the Light" from Tangled, "Part of Your World" and "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid, and "A Whole New World" from Aladdin, among other Disney hits. Also, Glenn Slater wrote the lyrics for "I See the Light" and David Zippel the lyrics for "Go the Distance." Zippel also co-wrote with Matthew Wilder "Reflection" from Mulan.


On a final, honorable-mention-type note, the message in "Reflection" also speaks strongly to my heart, as it surely does to others who have struggled against social or other expectations and stereotypes to instead be seen, respected, and loved for who they are on a deeper level. It's that level on which we want to know and be known, and it's works of art such as these that draw us there together...Plus, they're really fun to listen to.


What are your favorite Disney songs? There are so many great ones, I'm excited to hear your thoughts!


Thanks,
Laura

Attributions
Sing Sweet Nightingale: http://es.disney.wikia.com/wiki/Oh,_Sing_Sweet_Nightingale
I See the Light: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:TAngled_i_see_the_light_wa_1_by_yamakara-d33mv3a.jpg
Go the Distance: http://glee.wikia.com/wiki/User_blog:Nayaforever/I_Can_Go_the_Distance

Interview with Elizabeth Jane Kitchens

I'm thrilled to welcome Elizabeth Jane Kitchens to Lands Uncharted today! She is the author of The Beast's Enchantress, which tells the story of the enchantress from Beauty and the Beast. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Elizabeth through my critique group, and she took the time to answer some questions for us about herself and her writing:


Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I grow bacteria for a living. No, this was not my childhood ambition, just the job I fell into after I finished my Master’s of Biology. I help prepare for and instruct college microbiology laboratories. You might not think it, but science and writing have a lot in common; every disease, every microbe, every discovery has a story, a mystery with questions to ask and answers to be found (How does the microbe sneak past our defenses? How does our immune system fight back? How did scientists figure out everything we know?). When you can talk about and write about science as a story, you realize it’s tremendously interesting, even the seemingly pointless, boring bits.

When I’m not being a nerd or a writer, I enjoy ballroom dancing (Thanks to Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast for inspiring that hobby. I have no prince or even a regular dance partner, but it is still fun), walking my fluffy, white, 85-pound Great Pyrenees (she’s affectionately called a bear, pony, wolf, or yeti by those who see us), and photography (I always said I’d only take nature photos, so naturally I have now taken two engagement photos shoots, a maternity photo shoot, and several graduation and professional head shot photo shoots).


What prompted you to start writing? Are you one of those writers who knew you were meant to write since childhood, or did it come as a discovery later in life?

I hated writing growing up. It was also considered the family curse because so many in my family had “wasted” time, energy, and money writing and trying to get published. I thought I had escaped the curse, so it came as a bit of a shock to me when, at twenty-six, I fell in love with writing after playing around at creating a children’s story with a friend who wanted to be an author.


Which authors have had the most significant impact on your writing?

Jane Austen and Charles Dickens without a doubt. I love the classic British novels for their beautiful language, the elegant manners and high morals of the characters, and for the entertaining characters themselves. Charles Dickens has some particularly interesting characters, and I’ll never forget the opening scene to Our Mutual Friends (the BBC movie)—a beautiful, poor redhead is rowing on the Thames at night with her father, and she is uncomfortable. We soon find out that’s because they’re towing a body. Macabre, yes, but it hooks the reader right off. We sympathize with girl, are intrigued by these strange river-dwelling people, and want to know who the dead man is.

Oh yes, Charlotte Bronte for Jane Eyre. I can’t forget Jane and Mr. Rochester. Or J. R. R. Tolkien or C. S. Lewis. I sometimes read a bit from The Hobbit or Pride and Prejudice before I start writing to help me get in that old fashioned voice I love to read and to write in.

I know this is a blog about books, but I can’t neglect to mention a few movies (and the corresponding books for the first three), particularly Anthony Hope’s The Prisoner of Zenda, Baroness Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel, and the Errol Flynn movies The Adventures of Robin Hood, Captain Blood, and The Sea Hawk. These played a major role in forming my idea of the witty, impudent, swashbuckling hero, and no novel of mine is complete without a hero. :)

Despite what you may think from this list, I do read some modern authors. Patrick Carr, Karen Witemeyer, Melanie Dickerson, and Anne Elisabeth Stengl are my favorite modern authors, and since what I read influences what I write, they’ve have some impact, even if it’s only me naming a character or place after something in one of their novels.


Since we're all about exploring new worlds here at Lands Uncharted, if you could choose one place to visit, real or fictional, where would you go?

Such a tough question! I’ve had the wonderful experience of seeing a bit of Scotland and northern England, so I’ll have to say the French countryside. While wandering around in a thrift store a while back, I found a book on France with stunning photographs of villages, castles, and mountains. I had no idea it was so magnificent. I would love to see those places—not only for their beauty but also because Beauty and the Beauty is a classic French tale (La Belle et la Bête) and The Beast’s Enchantress is set in a land similar to what I would see there.


Do you have any go-to foods or beverages while writing?

Hot tea, cheese, and Cheerios.


Please share one of your favorite writing tips with us.

Another tough one. I’d have to go with the reminder “There’s more where that came from.” It’s a different way of giving William Faulkner’s advice of “In writing, you must kill your darlings.” It helps me remember that I have the necessary creativity and skill to cut, to rewrite, and to make scenes more spectacular. I don’t have to cling to pet words or stale scenes, or even weak plots; I can rewrite better.


What inspired the idea for your novel, The Beast’s Enchantress?

The prologue to Disney’s animated classic Beauty and the Beast (who else is excited about the upcoming live action version?). I wanted to know more about this woman who shows up in disguise and then disappears, never to be reappear in the story. Why did she show up there? Was she some do-gooder looking for someone to enchant? What if she was under a curse herself?


What factors played into your decision to publish through Createspace? Which aspects of indie publishing were the most challenging and most rewarding?

To be honest, it was because I couldn’t find an agent and thus go the traditional route. I’d also read a lot about indie publishing and wanted to give it a try, so I decided to self-pub instead of waiting and trying again for an agent.

The most challenging part? Doing everything myself—formatting the manuscript, designing the cover, hiring an editor, proof reading, uploading to distributors, marketing—was a challenge for sure, but not having the sense of validity that a traditional publisher gives was the hardest part. I was timid about putting my book out there. I’ve actually made a few changes to the manuscript since I originally put it up, and now I feel confident in it. Even though it’s indie pubbed on a low budget, it is a quality book.

The overall experience was a great learning opportunity, and that, as well as having my book out where people can enjoy it, are the rewards of self-publishing.


The cover for The Beast’s Enchantress is lovely, and you designed it yourself! What went into that process?

Thank you! I was fortunate enough to find a good quality stock photo for the cover on istockphoto.com. The process was long. I spent a lot of time searching various stock photo websites for images related to my book. Once I found the right one, I bought a standard license for it (about $40). Later, I stumbled on some sites through Pinterest with amazing photos of women in beautiful period gowns, but those photos were $1000 and up for a limited, short-term license!

CreateSpace gives a formula for cover size based on the final trim size, margins, and number of pages for the print book. You create the cover flat—the back, spine, and front as one image with three sections. I tried to do my own in GIMP (a free image editing software), but couldn’t manage separating the image into the three areas. So I did the front and back images separately and used a template on CreateSpace to add in the spine.

When I created the front and back cover pages, I told GIMP the image size I needed, added the stock photo, cropped it, and then added text. I fiddled with the text until I found the right combination of fonts, size, and position. Needless to say, I also spent a good bit of time studying covers that I liked for inspiration.


Can you give us any insights into your current work-in-progress and whether you have any other books planned for this series?

Happily! My work-in-progress is called To Catch a Magic Thief. Alexandria, the main character in The Beast’s Enchantress, has two sisters. This is the story of her sister Gabriella and the man Gabriella falls in love with, Marcel Ellsworth. It’s a challenging story because I have to make a man Alexandria portrays as a stuttering, clumsy, plain, and wholly unsuitable as a hero, but it’s also fun because I get to create a secret adventure going on right under Alexandria’s nose. Alexandria only sees Marcel at bad moments, and through her own snobbish ideals, but Gabriella gets to see Marcel in his good and bad moments, and learns to value him for his integrity and his resilience in the face of hardship. As well as for his excellent taste in books and dogs and his surprising knowledge about magic. :)

Originally, The Beast’s Enchantress was to be a single book; then I developed a crush on a minor bad guy in the book and had to write a story to redeem him. Then, I met more characters in his story that wanted a story of their own, and then I figured, why not write one for each of Alexandria’s sisters while I’m at it? So, yes. There are many more coming.


Are there other fairy tales you’d like to write about in the future?

I write in a fairy tale world—where fairy tales have happened or are happening—so I’d like to write around several more fairy tales (Cinderella and The Frog Prince, in particular). The stories wouldn’t focus on the fairy tale characters but would include them, or maybe just the prince or the enchantress to give a different view of the story. However, I would like to write a Beauty and the Beast story based on Beast and Belle, and certain inhabitants of Beast’s castle, from The Beast’s Enchantress.


And finally, no visit to Lands Uncharted is complete without Top 3s! Give us a Top 3 list in the category of your choice.

Top 3 Songs from a Fairytale:

“Tale as Old as Time” from Disney’s animated classic Beauty and the Beast

“Once Upon a Dream” from Disney’s animated classic Sleeping Beauty and the version from Maleficent

“He Danced with Me” from The Slipper and the Rose, a British musical retelling of Cinderella (1976)


Thank you so much for visiting, Elizabeth! The Beast's Enchantress is on my to-read list, I'm looking forward to it! And I can tell you from critiquing one of Elizabeth's works-in-progress that she is a fantastic writer and great storyteller. You can learn more about her at her website www.elizabethjanekitchens.com.

You can also connect with Elizabeth on Facebook, Pinterest, and Amazon.