World Building

To mix things up a little, I thought today I'd talk about an element of writing that can really make or break a book. This element is what I like to call world building.

World building is the foundation of most every novel, and yet it's one of the easiest aspects to get wrong (as a side note, I want to make it clear that personally, I don't know everything about world building. These are just my observations).

Last year I went to a writing workshop called Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers, where you learn helpful tidbits and get critiqued on your writing by published authors, such as Carol Lynch Williams, Matt Kirby, and Mette Ivie Harrison. I happened to be in Matt Kirby's class, and the most revolutionary idea he instilled in me was the importance of world building.

It seems like common sense, right? How do you have a story without first creating a world in which characters can interact and start their journey? However, this is one of the trickiest components in writing (especially in fantasy) and requires oodles of patience. You most likely will have to establish a type of government in your novel, as well as landscape, social classes, style of dress, kinds of food... the list goes on and on. 

As a reader, I find it's best to be introduced to these categories without knowing you're being introduced to them. Books are first and foremost about people. For example, I'd rather not have to read all at once where a castle is placed in comparison to a range of mountains that block a group of monstrous invaders. I get bored and minute details seem to be more important than the characters I am trying to get to know.

On the other hand, a story that doesn't have enough world building has little credibility. How can I care about a teenage girl who is off on a journey to make her fortune when I can't orient myself in the world she lives in? I need to see what she sees, as though I've lived there my entire life. This can only come through world building, with details integrated into the story so effortlessly that I don't realize I've never seen them before.

The most common theme I found in the workshop I attended last summer was a lack of world building. No matter how good of a writer any of us were, our stories simply couldn't stand on their own two feet without the writer knowing the world they were creating inside and out.

Writing is work, people. Writing is often researching ancient civilizations and knowing what made them succeed or fail, and then incorporating that into your own story. While an active imagination is necessary, we live in a world that thrives on facts. Without offering some hard evidence that your made-up world is real, your readers will flounder in your novel, standing on a foundation that is not truly sound.

However, I know there are plenty of readers out there who love the kind of world building that I tend to dislike, and can't stand the type of world building that I love. There are pros and cons to each. So, which do you prefer? What kinds of worlds grab you into a story and make you eager to read more? 

Stargirl

Jerry Spinelli does not write happy novels, he writes brilliant and thought-provoking ones. This is vital to know before one picks up Stargirl, because if you're looking for a romp through a sun-filled meadow, this might come as a surprise. 

Never mind the title, this story is told from the perspective of a sixteen-year-old named Leo, a boy who, though he doesn't know it, more than anything wants to fit in. What happens, then, when he runs into a girl who is so different that she's almost blinding? How can he possibly conform to the life of high school when she is all he can see?

This story is masterfully done. Even the tie with porcupines on it comes full circle in the end. It makes you take a step back and wonder just how Spinelli has connected everything here. More impressively, this story goes deeper than what's seen on the surface. While it might be a statement about the pressures of life in high school, Stargirl explores the costs of living life to its fullest and if it's worth it to pay the price. 

Characters you think you love in this novel may turn on you. In fact, this entire story is like a puzzle with pieces that don't quite fit together, and it's your task to decipher it. Sometimes, this can be difficult. Reading Stargirl is like being sucked into a different reality that closes you in and demands that you listen. But it's worth listening to. Stargirl isn't just a book, it's an experience, leaving it up to you to take it for what it's worth.

Appropriate for ages 15+

Just One Wish

Let it be known that I am never one to turn down chick lit. If there is one thing I have learned about stories, it is this: they are for everyone. To those of you hesitant to pick up this novel because of the genre, "broaden your minds," as Professor Trelawney from Harry Potter would say. You'll be glad you did. Just One Wish will make you laugh and worry and love each in their own turn. Simply put, I loved it.

This story is completely crazy, which I find to be the source of its charm. If you had just one wish, what would you wish for? For Annika Truman, the conclusion is easy: make her little brother's wish come true, because if she does, maybe then the fear of his cancer won't eat her and her family alive. So, when she needs to find a devastatingly handsome actor (of course) who happens to play Robin Hood (what is so attractive about the Middle Ages?) and she needs to do so fast, Annika won't take "no" for an answer.

As a side note, I have to say I am rather wary of books that have anything to do with cancer. All too often it seems that the author uses it as an excuse to make you cry, while the rest of the story has nothing else compelling in it whatsoever. Janette Rallison, however, breaks out of that mold. From the very beginning she has you jumping into a conversation with Annika's thoughts in an authentic teenage style. Add a dose of quirky humor and an attempt for the main character to come to terms with God, herself, and reality, I'd think twice before regarding this novel as "fluff." A book that seems effortless, in my experience, is often one of the best crafted, and Just One Wish is no exception. 

Appropriate for ages 15+ 

Beyonders: A World Without Heroes

First things first. I want Brandon Mull's creative brain. How he combines a compelling storyline beginning with a hippopotamus, and then twists the plot into a fight against a tyrannical and magical ruler is absolutely beyond me (no pun intended).

And yet, he does it! Jason and Rachel are searching for the one and only way to save a world that is without hope. Not only that, but they are out to save a world without heroes. I happen to love this premise. How many movies are there today where the world is saved by heroes? How many comic books and action figures and Halloween costumes are devoted to this idea? And yet, Brandon Mull takes this away. The odds are against our two main characters. They have an impossible quest before them, to defeat an unbeatable wizard. This is like The Lord of the Rings, but with a mix of modern day humor. Never fear. While Jason and Rachel may be in a dark world, this isn't a dark story. It's funny. It's adventurous and the relationships are realistic. In my opinion, this is Brandon Mull's Best work.

This story will take you a little time to read through, simply because quests take time. There are obstacles to overcome, lessons characters must learn. But that doesn't mean you're not compelled to read more. Brandon Mull has a great combination of lyrical and plot-moving writing that has you immersed in the world he flawlessly creates.

What to do in a world without heroes, a world that obviously needs to be saved? You must become a hero yourself. 

Appropriate for ages 13+ (due to some violence)  

31 Dates in 31 Days

Okay, single ladies, let's go! Put your hands up and shout some praises, because this is a book for just about anybody. Whether you're frustrated with dating life and are anti-men, whether you like reading in short installments, whether your girlfriend needs this book, or whether you're a guy and don't understand how most women work, come and take a gander!

Tamara just turned thirty-one. She's had the millionth bad break up of her life and feels like wallowing in self pity when she comes up with a project. Thirty-one dates in thirty one days, ending on Valentine's Day. Insane, right? But whether she needs to beg, borrow, or steal, Tamara's determined to date men simply for the sake of dating and enjoy the ride  along the way. 

And what a crazy ride! There are creative dates and awkward dates and everything in between, but primarily this book is about learning to live life to its fullest. Though reading about all these circumstances can get a little repetitive, Tamara's voice is authentic and upbeat, giving the story momentum. Besides, here's an opportunity to benefit from someone's crazy project without having to go through all the emotions, yet still coming out all the wiser. Check it out!

Appropriate for 18+ 

The Wednesday Wars

"'A southwest blow on ye and blister you all o'er!'"

Shakespeare may have its drawbacks, but its expletives are the most original to be had, a fact which Holling Hoodhood knows only too well.

From the first moment they met, Holling knew his seventh grade teacher Mrs. Baker hated him with a “heat whiter than the sun.” Why else would she force him to read Shakespeare plays on Wednesday afternoons? Why would she keep pet rats, Caliban and Sycorax, with their disgustingly long claws and yellow teeth? Add that to a classroom that demands Holling bring them cream puffs, a crazy teenage sister, and a play where you have to wear yellow tights - let's just say Holling's life is far from perfect. 

The Wednesday Wars is a book stuffed with the comedy, but in reality the world of 1967 is a time riddled with sadness. For starters, there are soldiers who don't return home and schools that have a paranoia of being bombed. But through the eyes of this seventh grader, life in the sixties is just that - life.  Incredibly enlightening and about a time that seems to be skimmed over in history books, while it takes a while to get into, the development of this novel is beautiful and entertaining. During a wild journey through the school year, Holling discovers the things that keep his changing world constant - love, friendship, and faith - finding that his imperfect life is not so imperfect after all.

Appropriate for ages 12+ (the writing is a little more difficult to get through at first, so be aware. Also, I think there may be more than three swear words, but again, it's not often.)

Princess Academy

Whether it's the lyrical writing of Shannon Hale and her tendency to write about teenage characters who are happy and strong and yet still have their doubts, gradually evolving into a character who can stand on his/her own two feet..

... Or whether it's the clear voice of the characters in your head, so natural that you feel as though you have known them all your life and find yourself transported into another world...

... Or perhaps for hundreds of other reasons, Princess Academy, I'm willing to bet, is not what you might think. This is not a story about princesses - at least, not in the typical sense of the word. This is a story about survival, and the anchor of your home and family no matter where the wind takes you. This is the story of first love, and first honest-to-goodness fear. This is the story of Miri, and what she does when the world is handed to her, discovering it as she has never discovered it before.

When I think of this book, I think magic. Not as in spells and incantations, but as in finding life in the world around you as though nature is a living, breathing thing that has secrets to uncover - and it is time you did something about it. 

This is the book that first got me reading (and which my sister introduced me to). Naturally, I treat it as my baby. I'd be surprised if it didn't have a similar affect on you, too. Give it a try. Get swept away in this world. You might just not want to come back.

Appropriate for ages 12+ (though there are different versions of the cover, but this one is my favorite).