alexlaurybooks

[alexlaurybooks]

When learning more about what arc you want your character to go through, figure out their truth and their lie.

What lie to they believe in the beginning of their story? (Think “Mother knows best.”) The lie is shown in how they perceive the world around them before they learn the theme of the story. This is part of who they are before you drag them through the mud.

What is the truth that they need to realize to complete their arc / story? This follows whatever theme you’re trying to convey, if you’re trying to convey one. (It could be “I must be strong enough to stand up for what is right.”) The truth shows their new world and fresh perspective after they’ve gone through hell.

This progression could help show who they are deep down, and might also help you figure out what is important to them.

I need everyone’s best character advice. STAT.

#character development #writing #writeblr #character arcs

[alexlaurybooks]

Writeblr!

I have similar thoughts on romance. I try to approach romance like writing friendships: there’s nothing to invest in if there’s no foundation to build off of!

Half the blogs I followed before are inactive... Could you help me and reblog this if you're a writeblr?

It's hard to get me invested in romance, but I read basically everything else! :D Especially fantasy, but also anything speculative, horror, mystery, literary, interactive...

#writeblr #i am also a fan of fantasy and horror and mystery #romance is hard

[alexlaurybooks]

I have been thinking about how much it sucks to write dialogue.

Sometimes I get stuck in a scene because the dialogue is so clunky, and it feels like there’s nothing I can work with.

And then I discovered a SOLUTION!

Many writing advice blogs say how you should never have the character actually say what they mean. (i.e “I love you.”) Some blogs advise you to figure out what your character desperately wants to say, and then make sure they never admit those words out loud (and if they do, it comes after they’ve transformed in their character arc.) If that works for you, great!

I propose you do the opposite.

If you’re writing your first draft, write out exactly what they feel like you’re writing a bad soap opera. Since the first draft is for your eyes only, these awfully written lines will never see the light of day. Everything written is there as the bare bones that you will cover up with many layers of editing and redrafting.

So, trying to write around the words your character can’t say and getting stuck in a scene is burdensome and utterly pointless. Write it badly and come back later on with fresh eyes and a dash of eloquence!

Happy writing!

#motivation #writeblr #book blog #writing #dialogue

[alexlaurybooks]

Tip to writers (and aspiring writers) that get stuck in the plotting and planning phase:

Write. I know, shocking advice, but here’s the thing. You can’t edit what hasn’t been written so go for it and write like it already has been written. Pretend you’re in the fandom and everyone already knows your characters, your setting, your canon events etc etc. You don’t have to know all the details; you’ll find them along the way.

Write a fanfic of the world that lives in your head.

#writing #writing advice #writeblr #motivation

[alexlaurybooks]

The first draft is yours and yours alone. It’s the rough draft, not the one you hand in for review, so write it for yourself.

Don’t be afraid of “messing up”, because anything you bring into the world is going to be beautiful eventually; especially the unfinished bits and the placeholders. Future you will thank you for those.

Now, go write the story that younger you would’ve devoured in a single night while hiding under the bedsheets with a flashlight.

#you never know #this is a self callout #i’m posting this instead of writing #writer problems #writer #writeblr #motivation

[alexlaurybooks]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars

The Girl With All The Gifts by M. R. Carey

Melanie is a very special girl. Dr. Caldwell calls her “our little genius.” Every morning, Melanie waits in her cell to be collected for class. When they come for her, Sergeant Parks keeps his gun pointing at her while two of his people strap her into a wheelchair. She thinks they don’t like her. She jokes that she won’t bite. But they don’t laugh.

Where to begin…

This book follows five different characters from their own individual points of view (a seemingly common theme in the books I pick off the shelf to read). Caught in the middle of a zombie apocalypse, the five characters find themselves escaping together when their base is under attack. The zombies (or “hungries”) are a unique take on the otherwise overused horror trope. The defining difference? They’re conscious.

M. R. Carey does a phenomenal job at giving a unique voice to each of the main characters. I always fear that books with multiple POVs will end up with characters that all sound the same. This is absolutely not the case in The Girl With All The Gifts. Each character has their own personal motivation to everything they think do, say and think.

Melanie, a little girl who is unaware of the fact that she has contracted / been infected by a zombie virus, lives and breathes for knowledge and for the person that gives it to her, Miss Helen Justineau. In the beginning, her life consists of two things, Miss Justineau and the soldiers that strap her into a wheelchair to take her to a classroom from her locked cell room. She has no idea why people around her fear or dislike her, but is glad that Miss Justineau treats her kindly. To say that Melanie loves her teacher more than anything would be an understatement; she worships her.

Miss Justineau is not only Melanie’s teacher, but also the psychologist at the base that is holding Melanie and all the other hungries. Her genuine care, and compassion not only for Melanie, but for the others stuck in a hellish journey with her becomes very apparent as the story unfolds. Miss Justineau is a beacon of hope for Melanie and a great example of human kindness.

Dr. Caroline Caldwell is a scientist determined to study the infection in search of a cure. Her medical knowledge is a noteworthy difference from the other characters when reading her point of view. She conducts basic experimentation on the hungries in the name of science. Her determination to discover the truth sometimes makes her apathetic, or rather unwilling, to acknowledge the more human attributes that Melanie retains. Her true ruthless character is further revealed as the story continues.

Sergeant Parks is a military man with a long experience in hostile territories. He has a very “no B.S” attitude. His ingrained military background is most apparent when reading from his perspective. He is definitely an action man, to say the least. Being able to read his doubts and insecurities about the situation was eye-opening. It reminded me that even the strongest man questions what’s around him. I can’t say I like them all that much though.

Last but not least is Private Kieran Gallagher, a young man, at the beginning of his military career. I feel bad for his lack of experience as a soldier. He was definitely not prepared for the dangers that the outside world held. I don’t think any of them were.

 Although the gore depicted is kept to a minimum for a book in the thriller genre, the horror is chilling. I found myself heavily invested in nearly every scene, action, or otherwise. I cried. More than once. And after taking the journey alongside each of these characters, I can honestly say that I didn’t know who I wanted to win at the end. It is safe to say that the movie did not do it justice and I cannot wait to get my hands on the prequel.

#book blog #book review #books #alex laury bookshelf #the girl with all the gifts #m r carey #m. r. carey

[alexlaurybooks]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart

The emperor’s reign has lasted for decades, his mastery of bone shard magic empowering the animal like constructs that maintain law and order. But now his rule is failing, and revolution is sweeping across the Empire’s many islands. When the Emperor refuses to recognize his daughter as heir to the throne, she vows to prove her worth by mastering the forbidden art of bone shard magic. Yet such magic carries a deadly cost.

Andrea Stewart’s debut novel is certainly one to revel in. This book is slow to start, but done purposefully so as the world Andrea strove (and succeeded) to create is vast and astounding. The slowness in the beginning was made up for with the high stakes rollercoaster that followed.

With layering perspectives and strong character development, life on the isles is not described but rather seen directly through the eyes of diverse characters. At first, the multiple altering points of view threw me off, but as the story progressed I soon found myself hanging onto each character by a thread, needing to get back to where their story left off. To be able to balance so many different characters, whose style in narration are noticeably personal and different from one another, has certainly garnered my utmost respect for Andrea Stewart.

Lin, the daughter of the emperor, spends the book finding her purpose behind her father’s back. Sneaking around and disrupting her life’s status quo, she discovers secretly hidden from her right under her nose within the palace walls. There’s not a door that she doesn’t want to open. I’m not always a fan of amnesiac characters, but Andrea Stewart’s twist is compelling enough to be an outlier in my opinion.

Jovis is a swashbuckler through and through. He’s a smuggler of the sea — a sarcastic do-gooder who claims to not want anything to do with do-gooding. His actions speak louder than his words though as he travels through the isles while stirring up a revolution on accident.

Phalue and Ranami are a mess, to say the least, and I love them for it. They are the embodiment of Blue and Red character personalities (although, based on their names alone, you might be surprised as to who is which). I love their dynamic, no matter how chaotic and complex it may be. Phalue’s respect for Ranami is heart warming. I wish them the best in the next installment of the series.

And last, but not least, Sand. Although her chapters were rather short and unassuming, they managed to hold a large punch to the gut full of realization. Her chapters held the last piece of the puzzle to fully understanding the reality of the isles. And the final line/scene (I won't spoil) was KILLER.

So, is it safe to say I’m a fan of Andrea Stewart’s work? Well, as soon as I finished reading this book, I went out and bought the second installment of the series. I’ll let that speak for itself.

#book blog #book review #books #the bone shard daughter #andrea stewart #alex laury bookshelf