NoMoReMo, AW November Blog Chain

This month's Absolute Write Blog Chain brings you NaMoReMo (National Mock Review Month).

In the spirit of NaNoWriMo, write a mock review of a writing project that you have done or would like to do. Make sure to either give a brief, one-sentence description of what the project is or work it into the review somehow. You can review anything (poetry, prose, collected blog posts) and in any way you like (funny, serious, Dadaist).


Be sure to check out my fellow AWer's reviews.  They are posted below.  Enjoy!


Follow the Trail by C. F. Pence is the ambitious romantic tale of Adria Hall, a Bostontonian elite who flees the only home she knows after finding her fiance in an indecent position with a former friend.  Heartbroken and humiliated, Adria takes shelter in the West with long time family friends who own and run a general store.  Adria is immediately hired to help, and it is her duties at the store that bring her face to face with Drew Scott, a local cattle rancher who looks down on the inexperienced city girl who doesn't belong.  As Adria attempts to embrace a life she knows nothing about, she bonds with a girl who turns out to be Drew's sister.  In predictable fashion, Adria and Drew develop a mutual attraction as they continually stumble into each other.

Although Pence started with much potential for a good love story, the focus is lost among her attempt to bring mystery and tragedy into the mix.  Drew leaves to "follow the trail" of ruthless cattle thieves who committed a despicable murder while Adria is left behind to comfort a sudden widow.  And the trail is long.  Indeed, it is so long that it becomes hard to tell if Pence is writing a romance or a western.  Quite frankly, Follow the Trail just isn't good enough to be both. 

The writing blunders are frequent and jarring, but perhaps with more practice and a sharp pair of shearers Pence can shape this story into something worthwhile.  For now there is too much chaos, and the road to the tidy bow at the end takes too long to travel. 


Now please check out these:
orion_mk3
Ralph Pines
bmadsen
dolores haze
writingismypassion (you are here)
meowzbark
randi.lee
SRHowen
pyrosama
Angyl78

Called to write...but what?

When I first discovered my passion for writing, I imagined myself writing young adult (YA) romance stories.  As I got older, the idea of writing YA didn't seem so appealing.  I wrote a couple western/romance that still need plenty of work.  And then I (unintentionally) wrote a YA which I am now trying to get published.  I think that's interesting, really.

I've made it no secret that I'm a Christian.  And as a Christian, I believe God equips people with different gifts, or abilities if you prefer, and that everyone has a purpose.  Purpose.  That's not just a "Christian" concept.  I think many people regardless of their faith question what their lives are meant to be about.  They may ask what the point is.  And that's sort of where I am right now.  I'm not questioning the purpose of my life, but I am questioning the purpose of my writing.  I keep asking God to show me how I can use writing (the ability given to me) for God.  This is an appropriate time to be considering this since I am getting ready to start my next novel.  Except this next project is not going to be YA.  It will be Christian, though.

So far I haven't received a clear answer for my question.  However, this morning as I was thinking about it, I was reminded of my desire to help children.  The whole point of majoring in Psychology was to get my doctorate and have my own practice to help abused and neglected kids.  Although my college education ended with my B.S. and I am not technically using the education I received, I don't believe I wasted any time on Psychology.  Perhaps there's a way to fit it all together.  Maybe that's where my answer is.  Or, and this is very probable because I truly believe God is preparing me for something, I don't have all the pieces to the puzzle yet.  Writing may be one piece, my Psyc education another.  And perhaps the remaining pieces will be forthcoming sometime soon.  I am currently writing devotions for the Olive Branch, but I don't think that is all I am meant to do.

Anyway, I wonder how many other writers wonder if they are called or meant to write for a specific audience.  That being said, I hope you'll share your own thoughts below.  If you don't necessarily feel led, but still have a preference, feel free to share that too.

Twilight Series and Hunger Games

As was the case with the Twilight series, I've jumped on Hunger Games a little late.  The books have frequented the bookshelves for several years now, but I was never interested in reading them.  Even though I am trying to be more open to what I read, I'm still persuaded by book covers and titles.  And Hunger Games just didn't seem appealing.  But last week, as the movie was about to be released, I became curious by all the hype.  I read a summary for the entire trilogy and thought it sounded sort of interesting, even though I hate the idea of kids having to kill kids.  But that aside, the previews for the movie didn't seem bad either.  So on a whim, I purchased the first book of the trilogy.

*Minor spoiler below*

And it was actually pretty good.  I wanted to slap some sense into Katniss several times (for her ignorance about Peeta's love for her), but other than that I enjoyed the story enough that I definitely want to read the others.  And yes, even knowing how the relationship between Katniss and Peeta turn out by the end of the trilogy, I still wanted to slap Katniss.  I figure the author was probably trying to show the reader that Katniss wasn't sure of her feelings, or maybe was unwilling to really acknowledge them, but I was still annoyed.  I hate when a character comes off as stupid.  However, if I consider her to be stupid, it's just in the area of love. 

After reading the Twilight series and now Hunger Games, I can definitely say I'm being more open to what I read since neither of them piqued my interest initially.  At the same time, I realize my love for romance will never diminish.  It was the dynamics between Bella and Jacob (in Twilight) and Katniss and Peeta (in Hunger Games) that kept me intrigued.  And it is because at the moment I am mad at Katniss (because Hunger Games ended without her acknowledging how she feels about Peeta) that I will continue reading the trilogy.