Tag: books

Young Adult Book Club Online

ByRachel August 11, 2009 6 Comments
So I'm going to try something new with this blog. I've been wanting to talk about the YA books Idiscovered this summer, but instead of inundating you with reviews for books you haven't read--I'm starting the Up and Writing online book club. Unlike regular book clubs which meet once a month, we're going to read each book in four segments and have weekly discussions right here at Up and Writing....

What's so Creative About Creative Writing?

ByRachel July 8, 2009 7 Comments
What makes a piece of writing creative? Why do certain genres--novels, short stories, poetry, journalism, even copywriting--get the additional word "creative" attached to them? Is it because they require the execution of certain forms? Perhaps the manipulation of form, such as the rising and falling action of a story or the line pattern of poems, and a careful choice of words...

Old School Writing Style

ByRachel July 7, 2009 4 Comments
J. R. R. Tolkien had an old-school writing style. He studied mythology and Old English extensively, and his prose in Lord of the Rings reflects a high, mythic sound reminiscent of older books and stories. A sound I don't run into anymore in the world of literature. That is, until now. Imagine my surprise when I ran across a modern book (copywright 2002) with a high wordy sound like Tolkien, and...

Epic Fantasy Outdated?

ByRachel June 26, 2009 8 Comments
I recently stumbled across a web site which dismissed the epic fantasy genre as outdated in the young adult literary world. My first instinct? Roll my eyes and dismiss the site without a second thought—this being a common reaction among epic fantasy lovers when someone scorns our beloved genre. But then I realized all this eye-rolling, dismissing, and grouchy withdrawal only adds to the...