"Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing." - Benjamin Franklin

Good afternoon, readers! Before I start off on today's topic, I would like to mention that this word of the week is suborn, a verb meaning to induce, persuade, or influence someone secretly to do an unlawful thing. It's often used in sentences about law, like someone being persuaded to committ perjury (that person is being suborned to committ perjury). It comes from a Latin word, ""subornare," which translates to "to secretly furnish or equip." There, wasn't that fun?

So today's topic is chapter titles. You know, those things before a chapter that nobody reads? It's a shame really, but many readers either ignore them because they're boring or just don't notice them at all. However, I love chapter titles. I think that they're fun, insightful ways to see what the upcoming chapter is going to be about. I've seen them done many different ways. Some are long (ex. chapters in the point of view of Jacob Black in Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer), some are short ( like in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling) Some have only numbers. Some novels don't have chapters at all, but mainly asteriks separating the main scenes (The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger). I've seen novels that only use the name of the character of the point of view it's in (ex. in Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan, the chapters simply alternated by "1. Nick" and "2. Norah" and "3. Nick" etc.) However, creative chapter titles is a good way to keep your reader interested. After all, when you spot a captivating chapter title, it makes you want to keep reading. They can get a piblisher interested as well.

Every author does chapters differently, and many novels by a single author can have different styles of chapter titles. But the one main things that many of them (if not all) have in common is that they all relate to a main idea in the chapter. Some of them are broad, one word titles, and some are more specific, but they both relate to important aspects of the chapter.

Here are some hints that I've used or tried out in past chapters:

1. Reptition - Beginning each chapter with the same two words in a pattern can keep chapters entertaining. For example, you can have a novel with each chapter beginning with "Don't Forget to..." and then end with different words each time. It can keep things interesting.

2. Alitteration - Having alliteration in your chapters keeps your chapters flowing nicely, plus keeps them short and sweet. For example, one chapter can be "Daring Diasater" and another can be "Always Arrogant."

3. Clever and Humorous - Witty titles are a great way to catch a reader's attention, especially if it seems to be in the point of view of a witty character in the novel. For example, "How Not to Get Your Way" or "Don't Talk Back to Guys with Big Muscles." Keep it interesting.

4. Poems, Quotes or Song Lyrics - Having a brief quote or song lyric before a chapter is a great way of hinting what's going to happen in the chapter. You're welcome to use common or unrecognizable song titles as a chapter title (ex. Broken) but if you used a song title such as "Boulevarde of Broken Dreams," you might not be able to get away with that if the novel is published. You could also use a small portion of the quote as a title and include the full quote above.

5. Definition - Sometimes using definitions of words as a chapter titles can really work, depending on the story at hand. Or you could do something like, "Love: A 4-letter word that's impossible to define." Play around with it.

6. Language - I've seen novels where all the chapter titles are in a different language. Many of the words you can tell the meaning of in English, simply by how they look and sound, but it just keeps things a little spicy and special.

Remember: you don't have to be consistent! Sometimes changing things up can keep your reader (and you) entertained! Don't be afraid to mix things up!

The best advice I can give you is pay attention to what your story's about, the simple and the abstract things. For example, in Laurie Halse Anderson's Speak, she could have titled each chapter with something that the main character wanted to say, but couldn't because she was too scared. The best chapter titles really relate to the story. You know your story better than anyone else; use that power to your advantage.

That's all for today, writers! Have a good night! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at penelopepaige@rocketmail.com. Time to go sharpen that pencil...

Question: Do you have a specific way to name your chapters? If so, what is it? If not, how do you name your chapters? Do you name them at all?

What's Your Name Again?

Good evening, reader! It's Moon. Today's topic is going to be on naming your characters, but first let me start with the weekly Word of the Day (which I guess should be the "Word of the Week," huh?) This one is thaumaturgy, which is a noun referring to the performance of miracles, usually magic. (This makes me think of Harry Potter, tee hee. <3) It comes from a Greek word meaning "miracle working." There's also "thaumaturge" and "thaumaturgist," (nouns, meaning a both of which mean "a performer of miracles" or "a magician," ) and the adjective "thaumaturgic," (meaning "performing miracles" or "of, relating to, or dependent on thaumaturgy." Like most writers I know, I always want my characters to be detailed and 3-D. Sometimes I went on a baby naming site and looked up meanings to certain names. Though, then I realized that people in real life usually don't match their name, and that it's more important to be time-appropriate than personality-appropriate. After all, the parents didn't know what you would be like when they had you. I mean, "Penelope" is Greek and means "With a web over her face." That means nothing to me. Here are the main things to keep in mind when naming your characters (keep in mind that I embarrassed myself by breaking all of these to help share with you what I've learned):

1. Cultural and story context: A name usually reflects the culture and life of the character, sometimes the genre of the book as well. Aeon Daggercult would be great for a fantasy novel, but not for realistic fiction. People in the 1800s named their kids Martha and Hulda, but you wouldn't see someone with those names in present day. If a character has a Native American background that goes to a high school in New Jersey, his name won't be "Misty Rain" or "Big Bear." They've assimilated. His name might be John. His last name could be an Americanized last name too, but it could also be something from his culture.

* Just a quick note: If you're naming your character from another culture, be sure to do your research. Just because a name sounds like fun doesn't mean you should just name your character that off the bat. Look it up. It could be a boy's name instead of a girl's name. It could mean something completely offensive (You wouldn't name your kid Ass would you?) and the character wouldn't be taken seriously in his culture.

2. Keep the names to a minimum: I know some people have two middle names or five names, but just leave your characters alone. Even if you have a fantasy novel, your reader will just get confused or overwhelmed or just not take the character seriously if her name is "Misty Jessica Clefairy Winefred Humbleton." Not gonna happen. Keep it to two or three names, unless you really feel it's necessary to expand. And keep nicknames to a minimum too: you don't want to confuse your reader. If your character's name is Joseph, keep it to Joe or Joey (but if you have a more creative nickname, use that one, but don't use ALL of them).

3. Avoid stereotypes: This one should be obvious, guys. Seriously. If you have a story based around stellar, celestial things, please don't name your character Luna Moon. Please, I beg of you. You'll get laughed at. I, personally, will laugh at you. You don't want that; I have a very loud, obnoxious laugh.

4. Keep pronunciation in mind: So you don't want a bland name, that's fine. We all want names that our readers will remember and associate with our characters. However, out of desperation, don't name your character Fwejfoievnujsri, because even though that LOOKS awesome on the page of your fantasy/sci-fi novel, your reader will rip out the page in their anger and damn their tongues for all eternity.

5. Don't freak out: In all seriousness, a name is a name. If your character has an awesome, perfect name and a terrible, 2-D personality, you're character will still be unsatisfactory. Name, although important, shouldn't be at the top of your list. Work on learning about your character. You may even change his or her name after getting to know the character more. You can even refer to the character as "Girl" or "Boy" or "Awesome Guy" until you find a name you like. It's not the biggest deal in the world.

That's all for today, guys! Have a good night! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at penelopepaige@rocketmail.com. Time to go sharpen that pencil...

Question: How do you go about naming your characters?

Blog Award!

Good evening, followers! I bet you're wondering, What brings this weekly blogger to posting on a Monday? Well I'm glad you asked! Today is a very fun day, because in this post I'm announcing that Intent Forgotten is the winner of a blog award!

I was given the "Creative Writer" Blogger award by a fellow friend and writer, Jenna! Thanks so much! She is the admin of the Quill and Ink Forum that I moderate. Be sure to check it out!



Here are the rules of the Creative Writer Blogger Award

Nominate SEVEN “Creative Writers”
Post links to the SEVEN blogs you nominate.
Leave a comment on said SEVEN blogs to let them know they’ve been nominated.

So here are my outrageous statements! If you pick which one's the truth, you'll be my seventh nominee! Just post which answer you think it is here!

1. I sometimes pass out in the shower due to exhaustion and illness.
2. I hate sharing my school/art supplies. A pencil doesn't cost that much, but I don't let people borrow any of my supplies because I know I'll never get it back.
3. One time, since I kept tripping on ice, I waddled and slid on my stomach across the ice on my driveway, making it safely to school that morning.
4. I hate wearing shoes, so I usually just don't wear them.
5. I'm blue-purple colorblind officially, but I have more trouble with red and green.
6. I have three homemade tattoos. And they're awesome.
7. I've traveled all over the U.S. I've lived in more places than I can count.

Try to figure me out! Just comment on what you think the truth is and I'll make you the seventh nominee if you guess correctly first! I'll edit this post when someone gets the truth right.

And here are the nominees:
1. Hadhafang of Nodes of Ranvier
2. Emily Cross of The Chronicles of Emily Cross
3. Silent Midnight of Close Your Eyes; You're Entering the World of Words
4. Anne R. Allen of Anne R. Allen's Blog.
5. Kori of Author In Progress
6. Jess G of Snippets
7. The lucky person to guess my outrageous truth!

That's all for today (I can't spoil you guys)! Be sure to come back next Sunday for more writing goodies!

"Girls Do What They Want, Boys Do What They Can!"

Good afternoon, fellow writers! Just to let you know, the title is a lyric from the song "Girls Do What They Want" by the Maine. Good song.

Before we move on to today's topic, let's begin with the word of the day. This week's is evanescent. I used to love the band, Evanescence, and I finally understand what their name means! Evanescent is an adjective meaning to vanish like vapor. It comes from the Latin verb "evanescere," which means "to evaporate" or "to vanish." Exciting, isn't it?

This week's topic is, not the writers, but the readers. I was reading something online awhile back about boys' and girls' preferences on what they want in a novel, the ages ranging around middle grade and early high school.

Here are a few interesting points I've discovered:

- Girls are more active readers than boys
- Girls prefer to read about girl protagonists (but will read about boy protagonists), but boys usually stick to strictly boy protagonists
- Both boys and girls want a character to root for and relate to, yet boys look for sarcastic characters with a sense of humor, while girls prefer a smart, reliable protagonist.
- Girls want a character who has to surpass real life problems, like tough decisions and friendship, but boys want a competitive, funny outlook for their character.
- Girls seem to enjoy stories with more emotional depth and creative solutions to problems, while boys prefer a clear-cut good vs. evil plot. Boys prefer an action-adventure novel, while girls prefer novels relating to real life.

Boys and girls, for the most part, have very different genres and storyline they like to read, so writing for both genders can be difficult. If you want to try to write a unisex novel, try:

- Creating characters they can relate to (ex. a similar age, similar challenges and issues for that age)
- A unique storyline (but whether it's fantasy or realistic fiction, still include experiences the reader can relate to. An adrenaline rush can be achieved by defeating the dragon or doing well in a high school recital.)
- It's easier to get a girl to read about a boy protagonist, but if you really want a girl protagonist for both genders, the girl has to be adventurous and have strong, realistic goals that a boy or girl could have. (A boy best friend can help, too).

That's all for today, faithful readers! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at penelopepaige@rocketmail.com. Time to go sharpen that pencil...

Question: What do you think about writing novels for both genders? Have you ever done it before? Or do you believe that most novels are easily fit for both boys and girls?

Check back tomorrow (Monday? A post? I know!) for a fun announcement. I'll give you a hint: It includes this blog, me, and a shiny award ;)

It's a Plot...Within a Plot!

Good evening, fellow writers!

New favorite word of the week: triskaidekaphobia. Try to say that three times fast. In fact, try to say that at all. It's pronounced "triss-kye-dek-uh-FOH-bee-uh." Basically, it's the fear of the number thirteen (which, in some cultures, is considered an unlucky number). It's hard to say where 13's bad reputation came from. You can look to Christianity, Hindu beliefs, Norse mythology or superstition, but it's hard to tell for sure.

Anyway, today's topic is subplots! That's right, those extra smaller story lines that keep the reader, reading (besides the 3-D characters and awesome main plot, obviously). Maybe throughout the novel, your protagonist has to figure out who is stealing his or her shampoo. It could be the antagonist, or it could be someone else, who knows? Maybe at some point in the novel, a robbery takes place and your character has to prove himself innocent at times throughout the novel. Little events like that really make the novel, because, if you think about it, you life doesn't only have one main story in it, right?

They can connect to the main plot, helping the reader realize something subtly without having it thrown in their face. It might be a thread linking to a future event. Their impact can be indirect, or it can smack your character in the face (figuratively, but if your subplot involves literal smacking, that's okay too).

The subplot(s) should have some reason and connection to the main story. It can't just be for comic relief or to use up the previously-deleted scenes that you loved so much but didn't fit in before.

Subplots should take fewer pages than the main plot, and many are on-going, though some are short and can occur anywhere in the story. But one main difference between subplots and plots is that in subplots, not all of the events have to occur "on stage," if you will. Some of the events can happen "behind the scenes," and even if they aren't written in the final draft, the characters can still discuss the event, showing the reader that the event occurred without writing the whole scene out. This keeps valuable information in the novel and the less interesting information (that doesn't move the plot along) out of the final draft.

However, as much fun as subplots are, keep them to a minimum. Most novels can only support one to three subplots before your main plot just gets completely off-track and nothing is accomplished. It just leaves the whole story unorganized.

Three final words of advice on subplots:

1) They take place at the same time as the main story.
2) They stress and idea or play with an idea from the story to make it stick out, impacting the novel later on or drawing the reader's attention to it.
3) Impacts the end of the novel. (Now, it doesn't have to impact the resolution, but it is usually best if it has an ending that somehow affects the characters, at least a little. Granted, some subplots have more meaning than others, but it's always good to have some impact on the novel.)

That's all for the night!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at penelopepaige@rocketmail.com. Time to go sharpen that pencil...

Question: Do you purposely create subplots for your writing, or do they just happen naturally as the story goes on?

Similes Are Like... Similes

Good evening, writers! Penelope Paige here, reporting from her bedroom beside her piles of notes. I've been cramming for midterms all weekend, so this is just a quick post.

New Favorite Word of the Week: supercilious. The single most fun word you will ever say. It basically means haughty or overly proud, patronizing, etc. (I dare you to say superciliously three times fast). Anyway...

Similes. We love 'em and some of us use them all the time in real life. Depending on our personalities, senses of humor, and interests, our comparisons change, right? For example, I was reading a fan fic the other day where a girl compared herself to her crush like a small planet revolving around the sun, itching to get closer. Although I thought this was a great comparison, I didn't really see it fitting to the girl's personality. A teen might not say that a "butterfly flies like a child twirling in its first tutu," but perhaps a mother might, or a ballet instructor. Cliches sometimes fit in with similes, as certain comparisons have been made over and over and OVER again, all in the same taste. Try to make creative, fun similes for your characters. Who knows, you may start using it yourself.

In my current WiP (work in progress), I have a character who is very blunt and arrogant sometimes. He definitely would not be using the butterfly simile above, but he might compare getting a crush to a slap in the face (blunt, frank, just like his personality). Or, he may not use similes at all, and simply say it was "like BAM!" As you can see, he has a very undistinguished vocabulary (Haha).

That's all for now. I have to neglect my writing (once again, sadface) because of my midterms. My midterms are like a large to-do list--I hardly get to cross anything off! (See, that was a good comparison for me, since I always make to-do lists that seem never-ending). Happy comparing!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at penelopepaige@rocketmail.com. Time to go sharpen that pencil...

Question: Do you use similes in your writing? If so, do you consider your characters when making them?

"Television has proved that people will look at anything rather than each other." - Ann Landers

Good evening, writers! So I'm sick at home with strep throat, but I'm still posting. Want to know why? Because I love you all! So there, feel loved.

Today's topic is TV scripts--more specifically, a pilot. In my Creative Writing class, my assignment was to write up a pilot (first episode) for my very own TV show. I created the plot, the setting, the characters, everything. Just like a novel. However, what makes it different from a novel is the format.

1. Length - Usually it goes about a page a minute, so an hour show would be about 45 pages (since you have to include commercial time). A half an hour show would be about 20 pages (again, leaving time for commercials).

2. Format - The first page of your script is often a title page, consisting of the title of the television show and your name, in a large font (the most popular for TV scripts being Courier). The next page will include a short summary of your story, comparable to what you would find on the inside flap of a hardcover book. The third page will be for brief character descriptions.

3. Characters - Don't have more than 4 or 5--though 5 is stretching it--main characters. It keeps things more simple with less main characters. I generally follow this rule with novels, too. You shouldn't really include physical description unless they have an important feature, like a distinguishable scar, etc.

4. Description - One main difference between novels and scripts is that scripts aren't very descriptive. The scripts don't usually have a lot of description except for the basics. If you're describing a room for the first time, you can simply say, "INT TYLER's KITCHEN - A small, cluttered kitchen with a table, a stove, and not much else." A short, quick description. Remember, the director will work with the script, so it's not really your job to describe everything. While novels should be very descriptive, scripts should be open to the imagination of the director. F

5. Direction and Transitions - Include transitions like "FADE IN" or "FADE OUT" when beginning or ending a scene to describe the lighting/camera. Just include a simple tag. It's not your job to direct the cameras precisely, remember. For direction, again, make it simple and short. You don't have to use adverbs, you don't have to describe it. It's pure "tell," a main opposite from novel writing.

A lot of things you've learned from writing your novel can be put to use here, like character making, but certain things, like "Tell, don't show" are vital to making a true television script. Happy writing!

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me at penelopepaige@rocketmail.com. Time to go sharpen that pencil...

Question: Have you ever written a TV pilot before? If so, what are you experiences with it? If not, why?