GUEST POST on The Page Turners Blog
While growing up, there were two types of girls that we fell for: Hermiones and Bellas. The smart, brainy girls who sat at the front of the class and the more mysterious loners who sat by themselves on the high school steps reading books. When it came time for us to write the character of Skylar, the female blue jay familiar from our book, we decided we wanted her to be a little bit of both. She's precocious and a bit of a know-it-all, but she also harbors secrets and dabbles in dark magic. She talks a lot about a lot of things, but rarely herself. She's got the brains and the brood, and even though she's beaked and feathered, she's the kind of girl we like. Not to knock all the cheerleaders out there, but a pair of reading glasses and a 400 page novel is what makes our hearts get aflutter. So for all you Skylar's out there, we've written a bird just for you.
Are you a Hermione or a Bella? Or if you're a little bit of both, even better.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Adam's Top 5 Fantasy Books
GUEST POST on Mr. Ripley's Enchanted Books
Fantasy fiction has created my love of reading from an early age. No other books captured my imagination the way that they did, and often I dreamt of living in those worlds as I sat in bed each night devouring the pages.
5. “Something Wicked this Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury
Not sure you would call this fantasy in the traditional way, but it’s filled with magic and scares and a fantastical world that lies just beyond our eyes in the neighborhood carnival. It scared me silly when I first read it. It was evocative and unique. And although it was tough to choose between this and “The Illustrated Man” as my favorite Bradbury tale, I had to go with this one, seeing as how picking an anthology seemed like cheating.
4. “The Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual” by Gary Gygax
Before I ever started reading novels, in third grade this was my introduction to fantasy. A friend’s older brother turned me onto it and after I purchased it and brought it home, I read it cover to cover. There’s no story, just a list of magical monsters in alphabetical order, but each one was like a story to me. And an excellent primer on mythology, both Greek, Norse, and Babylonian.
3. “Spell for Chameleon” by Piers Anthony
In fifth grade, my dad gave this book to me. Up until that point, I wasn’t really interested in novels at all. I’d rather read my dragon magazines and make up stories of my own. But on his recommendation, I started it, and couldn’t put it down. It was funny and the world of Xanth was like nothing I had ever seen. Plus with surprise twists and turns it got me hooked on the art of storytelling.
2. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkeban” by JK Rowling
My favorite of the Harry Potter series, although “Deathly Hollows” comes in a close second. The most emotional one for me and the only one that made me cry. Stories of parents and their children always connect in a special way for me. Also the tight, clever storytelling and brilliantly planted plot puzzle pieces come together in such a rewarding way in the end.
1. “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
The first Tolkien I ever read, and yes, still my favorite even over “The Lord of the Rings.” The classic hero’s journey tale and the book which all other fantasies are indebted, including mine!
Fantasy fiction has created my love of reading from an early age. No other books captured my imagination the way that they did, and often I dreamt of living in those worlds as I sat in bed each night devouring the pages.
5. “Something Wicked this Way Comes” by Ray Bradbury
Not sure you would call this fantasy in the traditional way, but it’s filled with magic and scares and a fantastical world that lies just beyond our eyes in the neighborhood carnival. It scared me silly when I first read it. It was evocative and unique. And although it was tough to choose between this and “The Illustrated Man” as my favorite Bradbury tale, I had to go with this one, seeing as how picking an anthology seemed like cheating.
4. “The Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual” by Gary Gygax
Before I ever started reading novels, in third grade this was my introduction to fantasy. A friend’s older brother turned me onto it and after I purchased it and brought it home, I read it cover to cover. There’s no story, just a list of magical monsters in alphabetical order, but each one was like a story to me. And an excellent primer on mythology, both Greek, Norse, and Babylonian.
3. “Spell for Chameleon” by Piers Anthony
In fifth grade, my dad gave this book to me. Up until that point, I wasn’t really interested in novels at all. I’d rather read my dragon magazines and make up stories of my own. But on his recommendation, I started it, and couldn’t put it down. It was funny and the world of Xanth was like nothing I had ever seen. Plus with surprise twists and turns it got me hooked on the art of storytelling.
2. “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkeban” by JK Rowling
My favorite of the Harry Potter series, although “Deathly Hollows” comes in a close second. The most emotional one for me and the only one that made me cry. Stories of parents and their children always connect in a special way for me. Also the tight, clever storytelling and brilliantly planted plot puzzle pieces come together in such a rewarding way in the end.
1. “The Hobbit” by J.R.R. Tolkien
The first Tolkien I ever read, and yes, still my favorite even over “The Lord of the Rings.” The classic hero’s journey tale and the book which all other fantasies are indebted, including mine!
Monday, August 9, 2010
When you're two authors..
(Adam) Sometimes, we blog or tweet the same things twice. Andrew was very excited about the German Cover of the Familiars. So was I. We both began posts about the cover at the same time in two different houses unaware that the other was doing the same. I left my computer to attend to my 6 month old daughter and posted when I got back. By then Andrew had already posted his. Hence the double post.
You may hear it twice, but between the two of us you will always get the news. :)
You may hear it twice, but between the two of us you will always get the news. :)
Now Presenting...The German cover of the Familiars
If you are a German reader, you can find Animal Wizards (The Familiars) at your local shop this December!
The Familiars - German Cover
Here is your exclusive first look at the German cover for The Familiars, where it will be called Animal Wizards!
And here's the US and UK covers!
And here's the US and UK covers!
Archimedes did it in the Bathtub, We do it in the Shower
GUEST POST on The Children's Book Review
When faced with the blank computer screen, why is it that sometimes the light goes on in our heads with the proverbial “aha” moment, and other times it’s nothing but tumbleweed? Archimedes, the Greek mathematician and inventor, is said to have shouted “Eureka” upon jumping out of his bathtub after discovering how to calculate whether or not his king’s crown was really pure gold: by measuring how much water it displaces. Thousands of years later, the exclamation can be applied to Einstein’s theory of relativity, Newton discovering gravity, or M. Night Shymalan coming up with the twist ending of The Sixth Sense. The question is, can we train our brains to be more open to these Eureka moments, or is that simply a neurological impossibility?
If you want your own Eureka moment, whatever you do, don’t be actively looking for it. Like a lonely single desperately searching for a mate, oft times the best chance of finding someone is by not looking at all. You can spend all day sitting in front of your computer or a pad of paper struggling to find a great idea, but nine times out of ten the real inspiration will hit you when you’re in the shower or right before you fall asleep.
Here are three techniques that we use to come up with ideas.
1. Keep a notebook next to your bed, in the car, and in the bathroom. This is the Holy Trinity. The three places where inspiration strikes with the greatest frequency and often the best results. Whether you’re starting to doze or just zoning out in mid-day traffic, it seems like these moments of Zen are some of the most consistent idea incubators we’ve come across.
2. Take a walk. This is one of our favorite times to think. Like John Adams or Benjamin Franklin taking their morning Constitutional, there’s something about being outside at peace with nature that allows great ideas to flourish. If you are feeling mentally stagnant, a nice long walk can do wonders for getting the creative juices flowing.
3. Take a shower. We’re serious. It’s like your very own Fortress of Solitude. All your pain and problems go away for those ten minutes, and just maybe, you walk out with your next book idea.
*************************
Here are all 12 TECHNIQUES we use to GENERATE IDEAS
1. Keep a notebook next to your bed, in the car, and in the bathroom. This is the Holy Trinity. The three places where inspiration strikes with the greatest frequency and often the best results. Whether you’re starting to doze or just zoning out in mid-day traffic, it seems like these moments of Zen are some of the most consistent idea incubators I’ve come across.
2. Read everything. Books, newspapers, magazines, the Internet. Go to the library, a bookstore, or a newsstand. Be open to finding your inspiration anywhere. It could be a headline or an obit or a blog entry. Always be aware of the Zeitgeist. Sometimes the next great idea is right in front of us in plain sight, but more often than not, it’s hidden like some kind of encrypted code, and it’s up to you to be looking in the right places to find it.
3. Eavesdrop. Listen to everything and everyone around you. It could be a conversation at the table next to you in a restaurant, or somebody talking on their cell phone in front of you at the grocery store. Pay attention around cliques of teenagers at the mall or in a movie theater, or when you’re passing by old people on a park bench. Not only will this help you develop a better ear for dialogue, but you might just overhear something that sparks an idea.
4. Daydream. Let your imagination run wild in that boring staff meeting at the office or during that dry lecture in the classroom. When you’re alone or even when you’re with other people. Sometimes I play out whole conversations in my head, or dream up outrageous scenarios. Just be sure not to censor yourself when you translate those mental pictures to the page.
5. Take a walk. This is one of my favorite times to think. Like John Adams or Benjamin Franklin taking their morning Constitutional, there’s something about being outside at peace with nature that allows great ideas to flourish. If you are feeling mentally stagnant, a nice long walk can do wonders for getting the creative juices flowing.
6. Listen to music. Especially music that is inspiring to you or activates your creativity. If I’m going to work-out, I’ll be more motivated listening to the Rocky4 soundtrack. If I’m going to brainstorm ideas, my imagination will flow more readily with some Postal Service or Peter Gabriel. Music sets a mood for your state of mind, and can be a powerful ally in the idea generating process.
7. Bounce ideas off somebody else. I work with a writing partner, so I’m constantly spitballing with another person. But even if you don’t have a partner, use your friends and family as sounding boards. Without someone else pushing you, you might settle on an idea that hasn’t been challenged to be the best that it can be.
8. Go on a field trip. Get out of the house or office. Go to a museum or a toy store. Change your perspective. Let’s not forget that ideas can’t be created from the mind alone. We have to have experience, too. Real life interaction with the world.
9. Think of the most interesting people in your life. Remember, an idea can be a person. It can be a friend or a relative or even the front desk security guard working at your office building. Ask questions and listen. People love to tell writers how their life could be a movie. 99 percent of the time, they’re wrong. But something they share just might spark a really good idea.
10. Look at photographs or paintings. Pictures can tell amazing stories. If it’s an image of a location, remember that a place can be an idea, too. Imagine a backstory for the people in the photo, or an action that could occur in the place. Movies, after all, are just moving pictures.
11. Be a kid again. Think about what was cool to you when you were 10 and look at the world through those eyes. Anything was possible, you hadn’t developed a censor reflex yet, and curiosity was your greatest virtue. Being a writer is just playing make believe as an adult, and if you’re lucky, getting paid for it.
12. Take a shower. I’m serious. It’s like your very own Fortress of Solitude. All your pain and problems go away for those ten minutes, and just maybe, you walk out with your next screenplay idea.
The bottom line is pay attention. Ideas are all around us, everywhere. People, places, even words. It’s your job to be aware of everything, and always on the look out for universal, relatable situations that can be turned into movies. Or you can bring a unique, completely imaginative perspective to an idea. Either way, it is your responsibility to keep an open mind so that whenever, wherever, and however inspiration strikes, you’ll be ready to have a Eureka moment of your own.
When faced with the blank computer screen, why is it that sometimes the light goes on in our heads with the proverbial “aha” moment, and other times it’s nothing but tumbleweed? Archimedes, the Greek mathematician and inventor, is said to have shouted “Eureka” upon jumping out of his bathtub after discovering how to calculate whether or not his king’s crown was really pure gold: by measuring how much water it displaces. Thousands of years later, the exclamation can be applied to Einstein’s theory of relativity, Newton discovering gravity, or M. Night Shymalan coming up with the twist ending of The Sixth Sense. The question is, can we train our brains to be more open to these Eureka moments, or is that simply a neurological impossibility?
If you want your own Eureka moment, whatever you do, don’t be actively looking for it. Like a lonely single desperately searching for a mate, oft times the best chance of finding someone is by not looking at all. You can spend all day sitting in front of your computer or a pad of paper struggling to find a great idea, but nine times out of ten the real inspiration will hit you when you’re in the shower or right before you fall asleep.
Here are three techniques that we use to come up with ideas.
1. Keep a notebook next to your bed, in the car, and in the bathroom. This is the Holy Trinity. The three places where inspiration strikes with the greatest frequency and often the best results. Whether you’re starting to doze or just zoning out in mid-day traffic, it seems like these moments of Zen are some of the most consistent idea incubators we’ve come across.
2. Take a walk. This is one of our favorite times to think. Like John Adams or Benjamin Franklin taking their morning Constitutional, there’s something about being outside at peace with nature that allows great ideas to flourish. If you are feeling mentally stagnant, a nice long walk can do wonders for getting the creative juices flowing.
3. Take a shower. We’re serious. It’s like your very own Fortress of Solitude. All your pain and problems go away for those ten minutes, and just maybe, you walk out with your next book idea.
*************************
Here are all 12 TECHNIQUES we use to GENERATE IDEAS
1. Keep a notebook next to your bed, in the car, and in the bathroom. This is the Holy Trinity. The three places where inspiration strikes with the greatest frequency and often the best results. Whether you’re starting to doze or just zoning out in mid-day traffic, it seems like these moments of Zen are some of the most consistent idea incubators I’ve come across.
2. Read everything. Books, newspapers, magazines, the Internet. Go to the library, a bookstore, or a newsstand. Be open to finding your inspiration anywhere. It could be a headline or an obit or a blog entry. Always be aware of the Zeitgeist. Sometimes the next great idea is right in front of us in plain sight, but more often than not, it’s hidden like some kind of encrypted code, and it’s up to you to be looking in the right places to find it.
3. Eavesdrop. Listen to everything and everyone around you. It could be a conversation at the table next to you in a restaurant, or somebody talking on their cell phone in front of you at the grocery store. Pay attention around cliques of teenagers at the mall or in a movie theater, or when you’re passing by old people on a park bench. Not only will this help you develop a better ear for dialogue, but you might just overhear something that sparks an idea.
4. Daydream. Let your imagination run wild in that boring staff meeting at the office or during that dry lecture in the classroom. When you’re alone or even when you’re with other people. Sometimes I play out whole conversations in my head, or dream up outrageous scenarios. Just be sure not to censor yourself when you translate those mental pictures to the page.
5. Take a walk. This is one of my favorite times to think. Like John Adams or Benjamin Franklin taking their morning Constitutional, there’s something about being outside at peace with nature that allows great ideas to flourish. If you are feeling mentally stagnant, a nice long walk can do wonders for getting the creative juices flowing.
6. Listen to music. Especially music that is inspiring to you or activates your creativity. If I’m going to work-out, I’ll be more motivated listening to the Rocky4 soundtrack. If I’m going to brainstorm ideas, my imagination will flow more readily with some Postal Service or Peter Gabriel. Music sets a mood for your state of mind, and can be a powerful ally in the idea generating process.
7. Bounce ideas off somebody else. I work with a writing partner, so I’m constantly spitballing with another person. But even if you don’t have a partner, use your friends and family as sounding boards. Without someone else pushing you, you might settle on an idea that hasn’t been challenged to be the best that it can be.
8. Go on a field trip. Get out of the house or office. Go to a museum or a toy store. Change your perspective. Let’s not forget that ideas can’t be created from the mind alone. We have to have experience, too. Real life interaction with the world.
9. Think of the most interesting people in your life. Remember, an idea can be a person. It can be a friend or a relative or even the front desk security guard working at your office building. Ask questions and listen. People love to tell writers how their life could be a movie. 99 percent of the time, they’re wrong. But something they share just might spark a really good idea.
10. Look at photographs or paintings. Pictures can tell amazing stories. If it’s an image of a location, remember that a place can be an idea, too. Imagine a backstory for the people in the photo, or an action that could occur in the place. Movies, after all, are just moving pictures.
11. Be a kid again. Think about what was cool to you when you were 10 and look at the world through those eyes. Anything was possible, you hadn’t developed a censor reflex yet, and curiosity was your greatest virtue. Being a writer is just playing make believe as an adult, and if you’re lucky, getting paid for it.
12. Take a shower. I’m serious. It’s like your very own Fortress of Solitude. All your pain and problems go away for those ten minutes, and just maybe, you walk out with your next screenplay idea.
The bottom line is pay attention. Ideas are all around us, everywhere. People, places, even words. It’s your job to be aware of everything, and always on the look out for universal, relatable situations that can be turned into movies. Or you can bring a unique, completely imaginative perspective to an idea. Either way, it is your responsibility to keep an open mind so that whenever, wherever, and however inspiration strikes, you’ll be ready to have a Eureka moment of your own.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
The Familiars Audio Book
Adam and I had the unique opportunity to see the making of The Familiars audiobook this week. Not far from where we live in Los Angeles, in nearby Tarzana, resides Deyan Audio. We pulled up to a nondescript white house on the corner and were met by Bob Deyan, the enthusiastic, book-loving founder of the company. He brought us inside, and to our surprise, we found a dozen editors and engineers working behind Mac Pro Tool workstations. They were all doing quality control on the eight hours and four days of audio recording of Lincoln Hoppe, the fantastic narrator who is the voice of The Familiars and recently read aloud the 360 page book. They were making sure that not one of the 60,000 words was accidentally skipped or mispronounced, and listening to ensure that his diction was clear and well-paced. Upstairs was a state of the art sound studio and recording booth where the recordings take place. I honestly imagined that books on tape were produced by a guy in a garage with a Mac computer. But this was serious! What a great feeling to know that the same care and passion goes into the production of this audio experience as went into the writing of the book. I'm a big fan of listening to books on tape -- or on CD or my iPod -- and I can't wait until a long Los Angeles commute in the fall when I can sit back, relax, and listen to The Familiars.
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