Notes from New York- Quiet Middle Grade

Today on notes from New York, I want to talk about a category of book that I don’t see often, but wish I did, because of how visceral and charming it can be: quiet middle grade. Because middle grade novels are aimed at kids turning teenagers, a lot of books in this category are fast paced and action packed, or filled to the brim with humor. Sometimes both! That’s all great. I love a fun middle grade like Percy Jackson. But quiet middle grade is another beast entirely and quite hard to pull off.

When I say quiet, I don’t mean slow or boring. Quiet stories are often extremely engaging on an emotional level. They tug at the heart strings and envelop you in the ambiance, completely drawing you in even though the plot isn’t racing by at the speed of light. Rather, the plot is drifting, and you’re content to watch it pass.

A good example of a ‘quiet’ story for younger viewers is Kiki’s delivery service, which is an incredible little movie from Miyazaki. Though the main character is a witch, the film isn’t an action fest. Rather, its about a young girl moving to a new place and starting a little business. There are so many quiet moments in this movie but they’re often pleasant, calming...even moving. The film isn’t afraid to sit in silence and let the moment pass.

When I was interning in New York I read a submission that fit under this umbrella. Because it was set on the gulf coast I was utterly transported to my childhood vacations to Florida, so much so that I could smell it. I could feel it. It was oddly emotional and it made me home sick for the beach. That’s the kind of power that quiet middle grade can have.

So, if you have an idea that you think might be “too slow” for a younger audience, give it a go anyway. There are lots of kids who don’t mind a calmer plot, and you can trust them to sit still in a moment without getting bored. We all need our special, quiet stories to relax with on a lazy Sunday when we just want to watch the world drift by. 

That's all for now. Happy writing!

Post Election Blog Post

Not doing a normal blog post today, mostly cause I'm not feeling it. Last night, as I watched my computer screen in horror, it took awhile for it to set in. I cried on my floor last night as I realized I was pretty freaking scared, for myself and for other people. I know a lot of you feel the same.

I don't get political in a lot of spheres because I don't like to engage in political debates. And this isn't going to be a ranting post about how much I hate Trump (though I truly do). We've talked about it. We've debated. Now the decision is final and the difficult thing now becomes fighting through these next four years.

I grew up around immigrants and PoCs. I lived right next to the most diverse zipcode in the nation. In my classes I was surrounded by first and second generation American citizens from India, South Korea, China, the Middle East etc. Those people taught me so much about different belief systems and other cultures and other religions. Now I'm sure some of those people are afraid of being deported. To them and to people in thier position, you are wonderful, and loved and your culture is important. You are an American and you deserve this country.

I grew up around women who survived sexual abuse. My mom was working with women who faced assalt from when they were children to adulthood. When I was a kid I didn't understand what any of that meant, but when I was adult, I realized that in some twisted way I was lucky not to be a survivor myself. And many of those who have experienced sexual abuse, harrassment and assalt are horrified right now that we could elect a man who admitted to sexually harrassing women. To those people, you are strong. You are so infinitely strong. Keep fighting. We need women like you.

When I started college I was surrounded by a prominent LGBTQ community. One of the first people I met on campus was transgendered. I had never known a transgendered person before. He taught me what I never understood about gender vs sexuality. My classmates are still fighting for their rights everyday and they're afraid to see Trump elected with a vice president who supports conversion therapy at his back. For those people, you matter. You are valid. Don't let anyone tell you that you are lesser because of who you love or how you feel. And please keep making your voices heard.

There are people who are afraid right now. There are people who are terrified. And even though it seems that 50% of America just said that some of its precious citizens don't matter, you do. You matter so much. The diversity of our country is so crucial to its identity. Without your voices, this wouldn't be America.

And to writers, because I know that's you guys are. Today, we are numb. But tomorrow, we keep writing. We keep writing diverse stories. Empathetic stories. We do what we can. Books can change minds in a fundemental way. So fight. Write. Make your voice heard. I love you all.

Lessons from Anime: Why so Serious? (Baccano and Durarara)

Alright, we’re back with a new stretch of Lessons from Anime. I know some of you (many of you) aren’t anime watchers. I understand. Jumping into anime is as vague as jumping into movies. Because Anime is only a medium of Japanese animation and can cover every genre under the sun. Also, it has a tendency to explore some weird stuff. I usually don’t recommend people jumping into Anime without a world weary guide of sorts to give them recommendations.

However, once you’re into the anime craze, it’s hard to stop, and I’ve found that my writing has always been influenced by anime over everything else. Many of my favorite stories from any medium come from anime. So as we pick up this series again, we’ll be looking at why exactly I take so many different writing lessons from these shows and how you can too, even without watching them (Though I highly recommend many of the shows discussed on this series). With that said: Let’s jump in.

Ever heard the phrase ‘why so serious’? Of course you have. It’s hard to escape the Dark Knight or the legions of joker cosplayers that smear makeup on their face and call it a day. I love the Dark Knight, of course. Its one of the only Christopher Nolan films I remotely enjoy. That’s because Christopher Nolan films take themselves extraordinarily seriously to the point of being boring and melodramatic. The joker, the chaotic evil villain of the evening, is the only one to lend even a hint of humor, however dark. He brings up a good point in ‘why so serious’. Namely, why is it that violent, action movies have to take themselves so gosh darn seriously?

Baccano and its spiritual successor, Durarara, are two shows filled with dark concepts on paper. Baccano has mobster shootouts, torture, sadists and a whole lot of defingerings. Durarara has gangs, headless riders, suicidal thoughts and serial killers. It would be easy to make either series into a super serious battle to death sort of story.

Don't worry, he'll be fine

But that wouldn’t be in keeping with the ‘why so serious’ spirit, would it?

Both Baccano and Durarara are just so much fun. And not even in a dark sense of humor sort of way. Baccano has such an entertaining, light hearted tone that it would almost fit in with the other Saturday Morning Cartoons. You know, if not for the blood. Yeah, it could take itself more seriously, but when half of your characters are immortal and the other half are kind of nuts, why worry about stakes? Its about how these people bounce off each other. Thieves like Issac and Miria steal by their own strange moral code and spread happiness to everyone around them. Jacuzzi Splot cries, but then goes in and kicks ass with his pyromaniac girlfriend. Ladd Russo kills a lot of people but he’s just so filled with puppy like excitement, it’s hard not to love him.

This show isn’t about the black and whites of morals but rather all of those little greys in between. None of the characters fall on the lawful good section of the alignment spectrum--or the lawful spectrum at all--but that all makes them so much more fun.

Durarara has more of a point than Baccano (which exists for the purpose of being shallow fun), and has its share of serious topics. It explores the desire for power, the effect of social media on the modern world, and of course, suicidal thoughts. But it all operates under a more optimistic view of ‘life happens and you get through it’. The world isn't really so awful as it seems.

Characters you would think are irredeemable love and live and laugh. They all have comedic moments. They have dramatic moments too. But in your heart, you know that the show is going to take an optimistic spin. It’s not the sort of show to kill off its cast of thousands.

And on top of that it has some of the most ridiculous stuff. Durarara is not bound by the mechanics of reality and watching a man throw a fridge at another man has never been so funny. It has twisted love stories, many of which will even have you asking ‘why’? But you get the feeling Durarara is never making any moral judgments. It’s just showing a bunch of screwed up people living their lives.

But why does it matter? Why are shows like these ultimately more effective than the ‘everything is dark’ Christopher Nolan approach? Because humor, however dark or ridiculous, is often the real coping mechanism we need. And optimism, honestly, is so much more valuable than cynicism. Baccano asks ‘why so serious’ and Durarara insists ‘the world isn’t as bad as you think’ and honestly, I get so much more hope and enjoyment from both of them.

Never take your stories or characters too seriously. Give them room to enjoy themselves and breathe. Sometimes issues are best explored through a little humor. Sometimes a good laugh over the craziness of life is worth more than tears.

Hero Spotlight: Vash the Stampede and Astrid

Who’s ready for a spotlight on two moral characters who find everything they believe called into question by adverse circumstances? Sounds like a proper Friday pick me up, doesn't it?

The first character I want to spotlight today is Astrid, from the Gone series. Astrid is a brilliant and also religious student on Perdido beach. When all people over the age of 14 disappear from an area called the Faze, she is one of the older survivors and many look to her for guidance. In the beginning, despite a lot of terrible things happening, she remains resolute, keeping to her values and convincing herself that there must be a reason for this cataclysmic event.

But as things get tougher throughout the books, and she is put into some serious moral quandaries regarding her special needs little brother, Little Pete, Astrid gradually changes, gaining a more existential view on life and even being forced to break essential rules that she believes would send her straight to hell if her God existed. To watch the slow crumbling of her faith is heart breaking but also very relatable and as a Christian myself, I think it’s an interesting exploration on how hard times can cripple faith.

The second character I want to spotlight is Vash the Stampede, a wanted man known as the human typhoon, from Trigun. I've talked about Trigun in my lessons from anime segment here, but its definitely worth bringing up again for its main character. Who is a goof ball. 

But he also has a destructive history because of the enemies that pursue him, trying to get a piece of the price on his head. Despite this, however, he has a strict moral code against killing people, valuing all human life. Even that of his enemies. He downright refuses to kill and because of his incredible skill, he is often able to escape impossible situations, against the odds, without breaking his rule. And unlike Batman who is still pretty violent, Vash is a genuinely peaceful dude who would just as soon have a quiet life.

Just look at that smile. Adorable

With each enemy Vash faces, it would seem easier to just kill them but Vash is admirable in how much he refuses to. But when, at some point, he is forced to break is rule in a heart wrenching scene, he falls into depression and must learn to live with himself. Its some incredible stuff and a great observation of moral grey areas. As Vash’s enemy Knives says, if you save the butterfly, the spider dies. You cannot save everyone, and sometimes a choice must be made.

Vash is a sometimes frustrating character for how steadfast he is, but we still love him for it. As the moral center he works well and I appreciate that the show chose to break him down to see what he was made of.

At his core, he is still made of love and peace, moral grey areas or not.

And I cannot overstate how much of a goofball he is

Both of these characters are a good example of a moral center going through tough times. One of them comes out of the ordeal more negatively than the other, but in times of crisis, a character can go either way with their beliefs, continuing to embrace them, or abandoning them for a new code. Both are reasonable methods to explore your moral center characters.

Hope you enjoyed and next week we take a look at the opposite of the moral center- the anti hero. Until then, happy writing!

Heroes and Heroism: The Moral Center vs. the Moral Grey Area

Now this right here is one of my favorite tropes. We’ve talked about the brawny heroes and the brainy heroes but what about the moral center? The moral center is often defined as the most virtuous of the heroes, always working to do what is right, no matter what. They have a very defined sense of justice and morality, and often have firm convictions. They will always stand up for what they believe, for good or for ill.

These are often very emotional characters at heart, and they keep the group together through tough times. They are very empathetic and caring, but often get flack for being too soft. In contrast, they also can get flack for being too harsh, if they judge others based on how the measure up to their convictions.

So what then is the Moral Center’s greatest enemy? Simply put: a moral grey area. This is the kind of situation that comes along and there is no easy answer. The situation doesn’t fit perfectly into the box set up by their beliefs and they must figure out how to overcome it, with mixed results. In this case, there are two possible outcomes- Either their values are changed forever, or their values ultimately triumph.

Aang, for example, a moral, airbending monk from Avatar: the last Airbender, most confront his aversion to killing people when he is tasked with killing the Fire Lord. Is it alright for him to break his beliefs if it means getting rid of a dangerous threat?

This show, in fact, has more than one moral center, as Katara often finds herself as the heart of the group, keeping everyone positive and together. But she is tested when she must face the man who killed her mother and choose between the revenge she so badly wants and what she knows is right.

Then there is Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist. 

He is the moral center to his brother’s ambitious, intellectual nature, but he will do anything to help his brother and him return their bodies to normal. But will he be willing to sacrifice others for their cause?

These kinds of tough situation really show what your character is made of and if their beliefs are more flimsy than they let on, they will likely crack. Or perhaps they will stand strong under the pressure. This archetype is also great for observing the moral grey areas of everyday life, because while absolutes are easier to understand, we can’t pretend that everything fits into simple boxes. And that’s just one reason why I enjoy this archetype so much.

On Friday we’ll take a look at two characters who are truly changed by their confrontation with the moral grey area. Until then, happy writing!

Sunday Soundtracks: Skillet Part 2

Its time for part 2 of looking at Skillet on Sunday Soundtracks!

Last week I talked a lot about how I love Skillet for their passion and emotion, but I have another reason for liking them so much. Being a Christian, I always appreciate a good Christian band that takes an interesting approach to my religion. In the case of Skillet, I love how they examine the anguish of a relationship with God. Its not all butterflies and rainbows like many a song on Christian radio stations would lead you believe. Because having faith doesn't take pain away, its a daily struggle.

Skillet acknowledges that full on. It acknowledges how much it sucks to be human and how hard it can be to believe sometimes. I like how they grapple with such concepts in their lyrics because its a hundred times more relatable. And the wording also allows their songs to be seen in a non-christian light, which means everyone can enjoy it. Its inclusive but its also brutally honest. A good combination.

So this week, we're talking about my favorite skillet album and my favorites. The most recent Skillet Album to come out is Rise so I've had it for less than a year. But I adore this album.

Isn't that cover awesome? Well the album is too, taking a lot of my favorite elements of Skillet and upping the epic. Many of the songs overlap into the next so the album really flows in addition to the music. So lets take a look at my favorite songs from this album (Though they are all awesome so listen to the whole thing):

1. Rise- The first track on the album and a great way to start things out. Its a call to revolution, a lot like some of the songs from their previous albums like 'Awake and Alive'. But this song has a really powerful use of base that really drums up your heart beat. Excellent for writing fight scenes and it especially fits a dystopian environment. In fact, much of this album does so if you write dystopia, these songs should be on your writing playlist.

2. Not Gonna Die- This might one of my favorite songs from skillet period. But you have to listen to it correctly. The song actually starts on the previous track with an intro that is one of my favorite pieces of orchestration and vocals ever done by a rock band. It utilizes the singing of a child and a really awesome choir to make it a serving of epic. And remember how I was talking about how Skillet loves to show the struggle of religion rather than the happiness? This song personifies this, combining hope and despair to deliver a really awesome song. A personal favorite of mine and great for any fight scenes or revolutions.

3. American Noise- Time for a happier and more inspirational song. This song goes much more on the inspirational side of the spectrum and it has a great feel to it. One of those songs I want to hum cheerfully while skipping through a field. Since any journey is likely to have its lighter moments, this is a good song for that. It also works for contemporary better than other songs on this album so if you're writing a good old story about life, give this one a listen.

4. Madness in Me- Time for a TORTURED SOUL SONG! We all know Skillet is fond of these and I am quite fond of their song 'Monster'. This song is in the same vein as that, as the person singing is at war with themselves. This song has a much more brutal sound to it than 'Monster'. Its a lot less polished and a lot more desperate. Definitely good music for any character constantly fighting with themselves over what's right and what's necessary.

5. Salvation- This is a good old Skillet love song and it uses their female vocalist a lot (which I appreciate because I love her voice). Its another song that is meant to be about a relationship with God but it works for any other desperate relationship. Its desperate but also softer in parts so the song has very nice levels. The main reason I love this song is for the female vocalist. This album uses a lot of her. Woo hoo!

6. Fire and Fury- This song has a nice build to it and is also a love song featuring both the female and male vocalist. It seems to personify a relationship in which the people in it will do anything for each other. Writing about star crossed love? This would be a good song for that. Because, of course, it has a desperate feel to it. (I sure do love me some desperate love). Check it out if this sounds like the kind of relationship you're writing and add it to your play list.

These are just my favorites, but seriously, listen to the whole album. Its all wonderful. One of my favorite albums I own. It works best for dystopian or action fantasy. Anything that involves big wars and revolutions. But it has a few songs for contemporary pieces and romances as well. Give it a listen and see what works for you.

Happy Sunday everyone and good luck with your week!

Sunday Soundtracks: Skillet (Part I)

Happy Easter Sunday everyone! Its time for yet another Sunday Soundtracks! So how about we do something appropriate to the day with a christian band (which happens to be amazing for writing music).

Today we are going to talk about a band that is very close to my heart. They are one of those bands that can put out any song and I will listen to it... at least ten times. Their music is infectious and so often fits my characters and I'm going to talk about them today. They are:

SKILLET! I love skillet. I love them so much. I started listening to them back and middle school and low and behold their music still sticks with me. I haven't thrown their CDs into the 'never to be opened again' time capsule of my awkward years. I still play them loud and proud.

There's a lot of reasons I love this band. I love the sound of the music first of all. The passionate guitar, the hard hitting drum beats, the bass that punches you in the pit of your stomach and stirs up your soul. It might seem over dramatic, but the very sound of Skillet is emotional and full of life.

I love the lyrics too. This is a Christian band but the words are vague enough that it can be applied to relationships and other situations as well, which make it great fodder for story brainstorming.

The thing is, I can't do just one post on their music and my personal favorite songs because I adore so many of them. So I'm going to do a two parter on this, with another Sunday Soundtracks on them next week. But for this week lets focus on two of their albums: 'Awake' and 'Comatose' and my favorite tracks from those.

I should note that I love most of the songs on these albums and that I recommend buying both of them, but held at gun point, these are the best tracks for writing inspiration.

Awake- My very first Skillet album and my second favorite of theirs that I own. Its got some real winners so lets take a look.

Monster- This is a great song for a conflicted character. I loved this song enough in high school to make a music video to it, which meant listening to the song no less than one million times. But, years later, I still like it. I've always been one for tortured and conflicted characters so a song expressing the anguish of guilt is always great for a writing soundtrack.

Awake and Alive- This is one of the most passionate of the Skillet songs. Its a roaring anthem for taking back your life and living to the fullest. And it is excellent for an action scene. It really jazzes you up for ass kicking, particularly if its an inspirational ass kicking. This is a personal favorite and another song I once made a music video to. (ALL the music videos)

One Day too Late- This is a softer song compared to the last two but still a very powerful song. Its one of those that makes you want to take back your life but in a more peaceful way. It just makes life sound nice and its one of those that makes me want to walk briskly across an open field, arms swinging by my sides and a smile on my face. It also makes you want to do something nice for someone else. I've always found it to be a good writing track for inspirational scenes and I've PICTURED several music videos to this song. (Noticing a trend here? Skillet is good for music videos)

Forgiven- Yay relationship songs! Though this is technically a song about God, it works for a normal relationship as well and it really captures the relieving nature of forgiveness. Its a desperate song but its desperately grateful and very powerful. One of the more emotional songs on the list.

Lucy- This song tells a specific story so it might not be good for just any writing soundtrack. I mostly put it here because I really like the story it tells. It would be a great track for a contemporary novel (unlike most of the stuff on this list, which is better for action adventure, fantasy or sci-fi. Anything with fight scenes really). I just couldn't in good conscious leave this off a list of my favorite skillet songs.

Comatose- This is my least favorite of the albums I own, but that's kind of like saying that dark chocolate is my least favorite kind of chocolate. I like ALL chocolate (except the kind with fruit filling) so this album still has some winners.

Rebirthing- Another one of those rousing, take-back-your-life anthems in the same vein as Awake and Alive. Its just as powerful and passionate and great for an action scene. It also has some good lyrics for relationships so using it for a scene in which two lovers are hopelessly outnumbered in a fight to the death would be a great idea. Or for any fight scene. Its just a good song in general.

The Last Night- Yay, more desperate relationships between broken people. Because those are my favorite to write and read about. This works for relationships in any genre and the addition of the female vocalist is welcome (I'm a huge fan of her voice). I've applied this song to a lot of characters and maybe you'll find some love birds who fit in with the lyrics.

Better than Drugs- ANOTHER desperate relationship song (there are a lot of those on this album). This is about people who desperately need each other and was the perfect match two of my characters (the ones from Giving Plot to the Plotless. You know, the little stinkers who revolted and had an affair with each other). I love the instrumentation and build of this song. Another personal favorite of mine.

Comatose- Here we have a, you guessed it, DESPERATE RELATIONSHIP SONG! (soo many of these on this album) I love how many of these are on here, partially because it actually encapsulates the ups and downs of a relationship with god, and partially because it means lost of fodder for my writing. Basically, you should be listening to this band if any of your characters have romantic entanglements like the ones I have described.

Falling Inside the Black- So this song is more in the vein of MONSTER as its about losing yourself to... well it could be anything really. Sin, addiction, self loathing. Its good for the conflicted soul and it has some really great instrumentation.

There are actually a lot of softer songs on the Skillet albums and songs about sweeter relationships. I just tend to like the harder stuff more. But there songs are diverse and good for writing anything with action. And there's even something for contemporary with no action. Any emotional story could benefit from a writing soundtrack of Skillet songs.

Next week we'll be talking about my favorite Skillet album and also why I appreciate them as a Christian band. Until then, happy Easter and have a good week!