Author Appreciation Week: The Merry Sisters of Fate
Last week on twitter, Heidi (author of up-coming novel Sea, 2010) had a terrific idea! She thought that this week we should all pay tribute to the authors that have inspired us to greatness. Anyone can play. All you have to do is post and link your posts on twitter with #AAW and @HeidiRKling. Mon-Fri you can post one or two authors a day.
For me, this entire week has been about celebrating writers who I feel have made me a better writer for one reason or another. This last entry is no exception. For about a year and a half (give or take), I've been reading these short stories on a weekly basis thanks to lesleysays, who introduced me to the comm. Inside every story there's something I've picked up. Now, sometimes it's the same thing over and over again, but there are new things too. The biggest lesson for me is that even the chapters of novels should read like shorts. There should be a beginning, middle, and end; there should be rising action and resolution; and there should be tension and believability.
Brenna, Maggie, & Tessa
Instead of taking notes and following lessons in math classes, I was the girl at the back writing in my spiral notebook. This didn't help me at university when I signed up for astronomy and other higher math-concept courses. However, it certainly helped me build a toolbox, as Stephen King would say, of writing skills. Recently, I found out that other writers were doing this and posting the stories online for anyone to enjoy, comment on, or talk about in a serious way.
Brenna Yovanoff, Maggie Stiefvater, & Tessa Gratton have been contributing stories to merry_fates since May 5, 2008. When they first stated, each sister would write an entry on Monday (Brenna), Wednesday (Tessa), or Friday (Maggie). There were also "chat" posts where they'd talk about the craft on Tuesdays or Thursdays. They also would write their stories each week on a common theme. Many of these themes were retellings / reimaginings of fairy tales. (And if you've read yesterday's entry, you know that I love fairy tales!)
As each became more busy with other writing commitments, the stories have gone from 3 a week to 1 a week: Brenna (week one), Tessa (week two), and Maggie (week three). On the fourth and final week of every month there's another discussion topic where all three weigh in. It's always amusing to see how each sister approaches their writing because I really think that each is an outstanding writer in their own right, and I love that they're still picking each others' brains about these kind of things.
Brenna Yovanoff (affectionately known among the sisters as 'Dysfunctional Kitty') is the author of The Replacement which comes out later this year. From an outsider looking in, I'd say that her best writing quality are her characters -- which as her nickname alludes are mostly dysfunctional. She could write about nothing and I'd read it if it meant getting to know the people she creates. There are several stories that really stand out for me. One is entitled Permanent Scars. (Okay, I did offer the prompt for this, but read it! It's so heartbreaking and GORGEOUS!) Another is entitled The Sleeping Spell. There's a definite magic quality to this story. Beautiful.
Maggie Stiefvater (affectionately known among the Sisters as 'Emo Puppy' or 'Angst Puppy') is the NYT best-selling author of Shiver as well as Lament and Ballad. Before she was the amazing success she is today, I was reading her weekly stories and thinking "this chick is going to be big". Again, as an outsider, I'd have to say that Maggie's best quality is the way she sucks you into a story (like a KRAKEN!). You ache for characters in ways you didn't think was possible. And as with Brenna, there are so many of her shorts that I have loved and wanted more of. One is entitled The Last Day of Spring. If this could be a movie tomorrow, I would watch it every weekend for months. Another is entitled Wag. Holy cow! Intense. And yet you still feel for the protag.
Tessa Gratton (affectionately known among the Sisters as 'Blood Bunny') is the author of Blood Magic which comes out in 2011. From left field, I'd say that her best quality is the atmosphere she creates in her stories. Some would call this world-building, but I like to be different (and weird). I think I identify more with Tessa's work than the other two sisters BECAUSE of the atmosphere/world-building quality. This is not to say that I'm anywhere near the same level, only that I notice this ability in others. One of hers that stands out for me is entitled The Summer Ends in Slaughter. It's gleefully dark and delicious. Another is entitled Naming. Tessa might agree that this one is one of the few with a happy ending. I'm usually so anti-happily-ever-after, but this one just rings so true.
Those are the Sisters (in first-name alphabetical order). I could definitely pick out a dozen more stories from each that I loved, but that might take the fun out of your reading them all and making your own decisions. Also, if you like what you read, many of the earlier stories (plus THREE bonus stories that aren't online) can be found in their collective anthology An Infinite Thread. You can find it on Lulu. Even if you were only paying for those three extra stories, it's totally worth it!
You can visit the Merry Sisters of Fate at their website. Every week there's a new story from a sister, with the fourth week of every month featuring all 3 sisters. If you find you really love the voice of a certain Sister, then here's some more places you can stalk find them!
You can find more about Brenna on her website or follow her on twitter.
You can find more about Maggie on her website or follow her on twitter.
You can find more about Tessa on her website or follow her on twitter.
For me, this entire week has been about celebrating writers who I feel have made me a better writer for one reason or another. This last entry is no exception. For about a year and a half (give or take), I've been reading these short stories on a weekly basis thanks to lesleysays, who introduced me to the comm. Inside every story there's something I've picked up. Now, sometimes it's the same thing over and over again, but there are new things too. The biggest lesson for me is that even the chapters of novels should read like shorts. There should be a beginning, middle, and end; there should be rising action and resolution; and there should be tension and believability.
Brenna, Maggie, & Tessa
Instead of taking notes and following lessons in math classes, I was the girl at the back writing in my spiral notebook. This didn't help me at university when I signed up for astronomy and other higher math-concept courses. However, it certainly helped me build a toolbox, as Stephen King would say, of writing skills. Recently, I found out that other writers were doing this and posting the stories online for anyone to enjoy, comment on, or talk about in a serious way.
Brenna Yovanoff, Maggie Stiefvater, & Tessa Gratton have been contributing stories to merry_fates since May 5, 2008. When they first stated, each sister would write an entry on Monday (Brenna), Wednesday (Tessa), or Friday (Maggie). There were also "chat" posts where they'd talk about the craft on Tuesdays or Thursdays. They also would write their stories each week on a common theme. Many of these themes were retellings / reimaginings of fairy tales. (And if you've read yesterday's entry, you know that I love fairy tales!)
As each became more busy with other writing commitments, the stories have gone from 3 a week to 1 a week: Brenna (week one), Tessa (week two), and Maggie (week three). On the fourth and final week of every month there's another discussion topic where all three weigh in. It's always amusing to see how each sister approaches their writing because I really think that each is an outstanding writer in their own right, and I love that they're still picking each others' brains about these kind of things.
Brenna Yovanoff (affectionately known among the sisters as 'Dysfunctional Kitty') is the author of The Replacement which comes out later this year. From an outsider looking in, I'd say that her best writing quality are her characters -- which as her nickname alludes are mostly dysfunctional. She could write about nothing and I'd read it if it meant getting to know the people she creates. There are several stories that really stand out for me. One is entitled Permanent Scars. (Okay, I did offer the prompt for this, but read it! It's so heartbreaking and GORGEOUS!) Another is entitled The Sleeping Spell. There's a definite magic quality to this story. Beautiful.
Maggie Stiefvater (affectionately known among the Sisters as 'Emo Puppy' or 'Angst Puppy') is the NYT best-selling author of Shiver as well as Lament and Ballad. Before she was the amazing success she is today, I was reading her weekly stories and thinking "this chick is going to be big". Again, as an outsider, I'd have to say that Maggie's best quality is the way she sucks you into a story (like a KRAKEN!). You ache for characters in ways you didn't think was possible. And as with Brenna, there are so many of her shorts that I have loved and wanted more of. One is entitled The Last Day of Spring. If this could be a movie tomorrow, I would watch it every weekend for months. Another is entitled Wag. Holy cow! Intense. And yet you still feel for the protag.
Tessa Gratton (affectionately known among the Sisters as 'Blood Bunny') is the author of Blood Magic which comes out in 2011. From left field, I'd say that her best quality is the atmosphere she creates in her stories. Some would call this world-building, but I like to be different (and weird). I think I identify more with Tessa's work than the other two sisters BECAUSE of the atmosphere/world-building quality. This is not to say that I'm anywhere near the same level, only that I notice this ability in others. One of hers that stands out for me is entitled The Summer Ends in Slaughter. It's gleefully dark and delicious. Another is entitled Naming. Tessa might agree that this one is one of the few with a happy ending. I'm usually so anti-happily-ever-after, but this one just rings so true.
Those are the Sisters (in first-name alphabetical order). I could definitely pick out a dozen more stories from each that I loved, but that might take the fun out of your reading them all and making your own decisions. Also, if you like what you read, many of the earlier stories (plus THREE bonus stories that aren't online) can be found in their collective anthology An Infinite Thread. You can find it on Lulu. Even if you were only paying for those three extra stories, it's totally worth it!
You can visit the Merry Sisters of Fate at their website. Every week there's a new story from a sister, with the fourth week of every month featuring all 3 sisters. If you find you really love the voice of a certain Sister, then here's some more places you can stalk find them!
You can find more about Brenna on her website or follow her on twitter.
You can find more about Maggie on her website or follow her on twitter.
You can find more about Tessa on her website or follow her on twitter.