And these are a few reasons why..
1. Reese Witherspoon is set to star in a major motion picture and she plays a pro-fastpitch player. A sporty softball movie. Yay!!! Thank you, Reese!! :)
2. The fabulous and fellow Jeter fanatic, Dru, sent me these amazing pics from Yankee Stadium. Yummy.. Thanks, Dru!
3. Temps reached ninety degrees three days in a row here at the Jersey shore. Our first 2009 official heat wave. I spent three days playing with Kaci and my hubby on the deserted beach. Total bliss.
Okay, back to writing. I'm in the midst of an upper YA/flashback novel. This one is pushing me to my limits, but at the same time I can't put the manuscript down or stop thinking about it.
Did anyone ever attempt a novel filled with flashbacks? Any reading recommendations with rotating past and present chapters? What do you think of books that flash from the present to the past? And why is my blog font playing strange tricks on me? :)
Pretty Tough Tuesday: Stay posted on the week in softball here.
Have an amazing day, everyone!
21 comments:
Sorry Keri, can't really help with the flashback thing. For some reason, I've always avoided them.
Super good luck with it, my friend.
Keri;
I love THE FIRST PART LAST chapters alternate between past and present. FLIPPED I think moves in a timeline but starts at a young age. Many great novels have at least a few flashbacks. I think your looking for really structured novels - half present / half flashback? I'll keep thinking for you.
Yes.. I have a MG out on submission with two timelines - present and past. I wrote the first draft much like the finished mss... past / present / past / present...but during revision I worked on each time line on it's own.
Glad your witch spell has lifted!
Happy Days!!!
I'm glad the spell has been broken.
As a reader, I like flashback if it's part of the prologue or in snippets throughout the story; as long as there's not too many flashbacks.
Were you watching the game? All I can say is "aarrgghh".
Have a good Tuesday.
Now I know why, Big Plain V! Thanks. :)
Hi, Angela! Thanks! Yeah, I think you're right. FLIPPED does this and I totally forgot about that one. So does REALITY BITES and TWO WAY STREET.
Hi, Dru! I with you on the Argh.. :) I agree.. At one point, the author has to get to the present so the reader can see some active action. :) Thanks again for the pics!
That is cool that Reese will be in a softball movie!!!
Let me think about the flashback thing..
I'm glad the ship is sailed, Keri! I looked for your email to send you a note, but I think I lost it, but I just want you to know I'm thinking about you.
I'm right there with you on the flashbacks. I'm working on this RIGHT NOW in my YA, and it's really the first time I've done it. Some authors do it flawlessly. Others not so much. I guess it takes trial and error.
I try to avoid flashbacks--just because it makes me wonder why I didn't start the story there instead.
BUT I do think they absolutely have an important role in literature. A good book with flashbacks...er...a good movie with them is Momento! But that's a bit more flash-backy than you're thinking, I bet :)
Keri, I'm so glad to hear things are good in your life again. :)
I know, Kelly! I'm so excited. :)
Awe, thanks for thinking of me, PJ. I'll send you an email. :) I know it's a lot harder then it looks. :)
Good points, Beth. I agree. :)
Thanks, Shari! So am I. ;)
I just read The Curse of 100 Dogs (I think that's the title. But it flashes back and forth between the present and a former life. It was really well done.
Coll
SO glad to hear the spell has lifted! Fun news! I saw that picture of Reese W. recently, but with a different caption ... that she was playing softball with her daughter?! Glad to hear she's revving up for a softball movie! Very cool!
Glad to hear that black cloud has left you! :)
i really like reese! one of my fave movies is sweet home alabama. :) although she really impressed me in walk the line with that singing!
PS: Did you see this article?
http://gratzindustries.blogspot.com/2009/04/twelve-year-old-girl-throws-perfect.html
My book has two narrators, four main time periods over the course of twenty years, alternating pairs of chapters told by each narrator--one in the present, one as a flashback.
Sounds confusing? It does to me, too, but for some reason it works for my crits. I don't get it : )
Thanks for the recommendation, Colleen! :)
Hi, Kelly H-Y! I saw the same caption in US Weekly about Reese and I was wondering why she was wearing a face mask. Interesting.
Thanks, Adrienne! Me too. :)
Hi, Virginia! I liked SHA too. Haven't seen Walk the Line yet. :)
Thanks, Beth!!! Amazing story. I'm going to pass it along to the sporty blogs this morning. Thanks sooo much for thinking of me. :)
Sounds intriguing, KLo! Thanks for sharing. :)
Send some of your heat our way! We're mired in rain here in Oklahoma!!
Can't help with the flashback thing. I find them very difficult to do. Although there is "Holes" as a decent example of multiple time periods in one story. I think Sachar used new chapters to mark the flashbacks.
The movie sounds great, and I really like Reece Witherspoon.
Good luck with your book (although I can't offer any advice) and with all the heat! We're starting to roast here too. And the mosquitos...ugh!
Hi, Stacy! It's definitely challenging. Hope your weather clears up soon. :)
Hi, Alyssa! Thanks! :)
So glad things are looking up!
I saw that picture of Reese and I thought "What the heck is she doing?" But now it all makes sense! I had to play catcher when I played softball and I hated wearing all that protective equipment. Still, it was better than right field counting the dandelions!
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