Saturday, July 9, 2011

Lesson 2: Pace Yourself



Hi guys!  As always, most of your lesson is in the video, so give it a whirl.  By the way, the background noise would be--you guessed it--my kids.  Lol!  Enjoy.  Next week's lesson will be on character development and really digging into and developing amazing characters your readers will remember for years. :)  Who's your favorite author and why?  Tell me below.  Later, I'll be doing a contest and the winners will be drawn by the people who comment and participate in class.  You'll want to win this contest... I promise. *grins*  (I'll tell you more about it in a couple of weeks.)

So onto pacing.  First off, narration (where you tell us what's happening) or inner monologue/diaolgue (where the main character is thinking to themselves) is really tough to get right.  In this scene from Pride & Popularity, I had to get Chloe through her first date and then onto her disaster date in one day.  The first date, had to be memorable enough to believe she really went on one, but not actually shown.  I used a lot of Narration for this and a tiny bit of inner monologue/diaolgue to tell about that first date and basically zoom past it, keeping it light and entertaining so I could really get to the second date with Collin.  The disaster date.  The one that mattered, since Collin is a crucial character.  So really watch how I speed through... and then begin to slow it down, all the sudden before you know it you're actually in the room with Chloe and feeling her emotions.  

Example 1--Pride & Popularity, Chapter 9 Dating Fumbles:

Jacob clearly had a great time. He thought it was funny when I screamed. I’m not so sure the people who sat in front of us thought so, however. Since every time I screamed out in fear, I made them jump. Yes, sad but true. That is me. I am the person you can hear in the movie theater that yells or screams so loudly it actually scares everyone else. That’s when people in front of you can get a little bit hostile.

Needless to say, Jacob and I both survived the ordeal, which is obvious, or I wouldn’t be telling about it now. Then I had to go on my date with Collin, where I spent the entire evening wishing I were anywhere else—even if it was back in that scary movie with Jacob and the scarier people in front of us.

I knew the date with Collin would be a disaster from the get-go. I mean, it’s completely evident that you have an odd date when the guy actually asks you out through your mother. But does he have to sit there in public and continue to be odd? Pardon me, but I thought the reason you took a girl out on a date was so you could get to know her a little more, not so you can play with your phone all night, studiously avoiding her. 

I let out yet another silent sigh as I watched my finger twirl around the rim of my glass of lemon water. We had ordered our food a few minutes ago, but I knew it would be a wait due to the amount of people there. The Lion’s Den is only the nicest restaurant in our city—which figured, since Taylor’s dad, Lionel Anderson, owned the place, just one of his many business ventures. I was a bit surprised at first when Collin pulled into the parking lot. It actually made me have some respect for him that he had thought to make reservations.

With another sigh, I moved my hand from the glass and began to refold the creases in my linen napkin again. The other customers all around me were having a marvelous time as they laughed and enjoyed each other’s company.

With regret, I looked across the table at Collin and watched his face light up as he read another email from one of his online friends. I wasn’t sure he had any real friends, just online ones. Collin laughed. He must’ve read a joke. He really does have a nice smile.


Example 2--Now in this one, I've actually gone in and broken it up, so you can really watch how one scene can speed up and slow down to catch just the right amount of pacing to move the story along.  This is one of my most favorite scenes from Northanger Alibi.  
Northanger Alibi Chapter 13/14: 

“Six and seven?” I beamed. “Oh my gosh. How cute is that? You coach first graders?”
Tony nodded his head and chuckled. “They’re really cool, too. Some of those little guys can run almost as fast as me.”
Aww. I could just picture him running on the field with them. Gauging his expression, I could tell he really loved being with them. “So, what’s your team’s name?”
Tony glanced down and shook his head. “I didn’t come up with it—believe me—the whole team had a say. I got outvoted.” He laughed. “We’re the Bumble Bees.”


CHAPTER 14


The Bumble Bees? As in bzzz—bzzz?”
“Yeah.” He snorted and then imitated a little kid’s voice. “‘It’s ’cuz we have gots a stinger and stingers hurts.’”
“Didn’t you tell them that once they sting someone, they die?”
“Ah, man. I should’ve thought of that. Where were you when I needed you?”
I chuckled. “So, what team are you playing against?”
“Uh, today that would be the Fighting Ninja Warriors.”
What? I burst into laughter.
“Yeah, I’m totally expecting to get our butts kicked.” He laughed with me. “Something tells me Fighting Ninja Warriors aren’t afraid of little Bumble Bees.”
“Ya think?” I giggled again. I couldn’t help it.
“You want to know the worst part?” His eyes playfully sparkled into mine a second.
“There’s more?”
“Yep.” He nodded and focused back on the road. “Our uniforms are purple.”
“Purple bees?” I bit back a grin. “Purple bees can be cute.”
“Yeah, if you’re a Care Bear, maybe.”

SPEED UP
That was it—I lost it. I totally cracked up all over again. Tony was seriously so cute. He kept me giggling the whole way to the soccer field. It was amazing, the direct contrast between him and Jaden.
Man, I should’ve never gone with that wolf! I could’ve already seen the Bumble Bees play, if I hadn’t. Besides, who wouldn’t love to hang out with a vampire all day? Especially if he was as cute as Tony.
Since he was the assistant coach, and expected to be early, we were the first ones on the field. I unloaded the cones while Tony hauled out the big net of balls he had stashed in his trunk. It only took a few moments to get the cones set out and the soccer balls freed and lined up for the children.
Tony was teaching me a few dribbling tricks with the ball when the kids started to show up. He was super good—his feet were so quick and light, by the time my feet would make it to where I’d seen the ball, it was already gone. I really didn’t want to stop, but the kids had other ideas. They were way too excited to see Tony.
As they came on the field, they raced right over and started ganging up on him, each little guy eager to be the one who stripped the ball from him. Tony laughed and ran all over the field, just barely keeping the ball in front, with loads of kids chasing from behind. It was easy to see that this was a warm-up game he played with them all the time. Everyone was laughing, and some of the parents egged the kids on.
“Come on, Max! Get ’im! Get Mr. Tony.”
“Kayla! The other way! Go the other way! Look, Mr. Tony’s comin’ up behind you!”
“Go, Justin! You can do it! Get the ball from Mr. Tony!”


SLOW DOWN: I decided it was my turn. “Run, Mr. Tony! Run!” I shouted loud enough to be heard over the parents’ laughter and shouts as I climbed up to sit on the bleachers.
Tony must’ve heard me because he whipped his head up and smiled the cutest smile I’d ever seen just before a little girl rammed right into him, causing him to trip over the ball and send him sprawling onto the field.
Oops.
“Ahhhh!” It became a mad chaos of chuckles and whoops as the kids all tackled him in one large purple dog pile.
Tony finally emerged the winner, triumphant with the ball in his hand and children dripping from him. It was the most charming thing I’d ever seen. My heart practically burst from my chest with happiness.
Is there a more perfect guy on the planet? No way—it has to be him. Eeeh! And he’s smiling right at me.

SPEED UP:
It became all seriousness once the coach arrived and blew his whistle. The children and Tony jumped to attention immediately and jogged over to the man, who looked like he was in his early forties. Within seconds, the team was back on the field, and Tony was leading them through a series of proper warm-ups. Even that was super cute to watch.
Of course, it helped that every few minutes Tony would look up from what he was doing and grin at me.
Just before the game started, it was discovered that they were short a referee, so Tony quickly volunteered. He collected a black referee shirt and ran across the field up to the stand where I was sitting.


SLOW DOWN:
“Hey, can you hold this?” he asked, not even slightly winded. His eyes beamed mischievously up at me.
He is so hot. I bit my lip and looked down at him. “Hold what?”
“This.”
Before I could blink, Tony whisked off his shirt right in front of me. Ahh! I glanced away as he leaned forward and tossed the other one over his head.
“Thanks,” he replied. He flung the shirt in my lap and climbed up the side of the bleachers, giving me a swift kiss on the cheek before dashing back out to the field again.
My hand flew to my cheek while my other one clasped the white coach uniform. I didn’t care that it was slightly damp. He’d just been wearing it! Once he’d made it out to the field again, Tony lightly ran backward a few steps and gave me a wink and a little salute before focusing solely on the game about to begin.


SPEED UP:
There was something almost magical about that game. Even though the Bumble Bees didn’t win, they weren’t upset or disappointed or anything. In fact, every one of the little guys got a special hug and a high-five from Tony at the end. He also made a point to exclaim in the coolest older brother voice I’d ever heard, “Man, you rocked! You are the best soccer player in the whole world!”
Every kid heard the same thing. And they knew he told them all the same thing—they were standing right there—but they didn’t care. They knew they were special, and that Tony loved them. I could tell that was all that mattered. I’d never seen so many happy, excited faces run home after a losing game—but it made me think, really think. Just who are you, Tony Russo? How can one guy capture the hearts of so many people around him? And does your heart have room for one more? All at once, I wanted to be a part of Tony’s life—that is, if he’ll let me


Thank you so much for reading my lesson on pacing.  I hoped it helped you understand a bit more and see where you can apply this to your own writing.  Also, if you'd like to receive these lessons straight to your inbox every Saturday, then sign up to my protected email list on the right. --Jenni


HOMEWORK HOMEFUN ASSIGNMENT:  Don't forget to read a book from your favorite author this week and really see what it is that captures you about their writing style.  Pay very close attention to their pacing.  Comment below-- I'd really like to know who your favorite author is and why.  How do they inspire you?

34 comments:

  1. Hey,Ms. James. :) I am not sure about you, but my favourite author might as well be Jane Austen. I love it how she describes people in a totally different level of English. It was hard understanding at first, but once I got used to it, I found out that the way she describes people is actually no different than how we do. It's just how she change the sentence structure, and that was what made me read Pride and Prejudice multiple times. I haven't learnt how to write like her though, but I am trying. :) Thanks for the lesson. Your video was really funny. My mum gave me weird looks when i laughed all of the sudden. LOL

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  2. @Ash16... Oh, I agree! Jane Austen is a genius at writing and capturing the reader's heart! Incredible. It's why I've read all of her books many, many times. So much so, I could write my own versions in my sleep! Lol! (okay, so maybe I was awake when I wrote them... *grins*) Lol! I'm glad you liked the video too. And here I was all bummed that this one wasn't funny... Lol! You've just made my day. :)

    Jenni

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  3. My favorite author. . . wow that's a toughie. . . I think that my favorite author is Agatha Christie!I'm not totally in love with her certain style of writing, but she describes everything so well and I'm addicted to her characters. I love Poriot and Hastings, along with Miss. Marple. If you've ever read the books or have seen the TV shows, you know that the characters are well thought out and very realistic.

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  4. Hello! :D

    My name is Chloe, hi! I'm so frilled about your lessons! So glad you decided to proceed with them!
    Anyway, my favourite author has got to be Christopher Pike. I'm not a classics girl; I don't like to read (or more like, cant) older books because I sometimes cant understand the language and the way it is set out. I'm more of a dark, paranormal romance type. I've read so many books that its hard to come by one that is original enough to suck me in as Christopher Pike's books do. They are so fast paced and have me finishing the book within a day. He is absolutely amazing at what he does. He inspired me to write, and that's what I hope to do now. Because of him.

    You are so lucky to have been in touch with your favourite author!

    See you next time! :D

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  5. OMG Jennie you have me like the hardest task ever! How can I pick a favorite author???? Uggggggggggggggggggg well, I'm going to tell you right now that isn't going to happen (So sorry) so I decided to cheat a little (again sorry), this is one of my favorite authors.... I chose him because I knew what I liked about him.

    Andrew Clements.

    He's written ssssoooo may books for kids, and as far as I know just one series (I way be wrong.). I love how he can get you so evolved with his characters and you really want them to succeed. And really? They’re just GOOD stories. In my opinion, you don’t need a big imaginary world to make a good story, (although sometimes it is fun.). The characters are realistic and so are the feelings they portray and the way each one relates to the other and vise versa. His books aren’t very long either. Yet when they’re over, they truly feel over.
    Which is something I can struggle with because in my story there’s so many different parts, that it sounds more complicated than it really is. I always want to add more stuff, but I stop my self. There’s a part of mystery and puzzle solving to my story so I feel like I need to add more clues, but then I don’t know when I’m making things too obvious…. Maybe that’s a new class idea. And also than you for the advice on my other passage! REALLY APPRCIALTE IT!! A LOT! YOU’RE SO FUN. ☺

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  6. I have a lot of favorite authors, the most recent one is Cassie Clare. I love how she makes the plot, also you wish to be in the story, that's so important for a book. Also she makes hot carachters!! Jace *sigh*
    When I was 3 I read a book neamed Teo, I crashed the book by jumping on it because I wanted to get inside.
    Philip Ardagh is a lot of fun, Tommy Donbavan, Rick Riordan etc.
    I like my mum and my dad too but they are not published, yet! (that counts?)

    PD
    Tnks to you for cheering me up to write and tnks to Judith A. Lansdown for cheering you up. Without her nothing of this could be possible !!

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  7. Hi! So I was thinking about who my favorite author is and I want to say Sarah Dessen,I have read all her books and have not yet gotten the chance to read her new book. Anyways I really like her books because every chapter has always kept me reading. She paces herself but I also love her characters and how she protrays them .

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  8. Anna.. OMGosh! My mom is a HUGE agatha Christie fan. Like crazy huge. I grew up with miss marple. *grins*

    Chloe... ooh! I love a book where you can't put it down and read it all in one day. :) I've never read Christopher Pike, but my oldest son LOVES him and owns almost every book he's written.

    Tess... Lol! I'm glad you think I'm fun. I'm also been accused of being crazy and dorky too. Just so you know. :P Andrew Clements... Wow! yes! He's an awesome author. As to your story class Idea, we'll see about finding a way to slipping it in with the other lessons! Thank you. :)

    Katy.. Ooh! You've listed some great authors and had my laughing out loud when you tried to jump in the book! How cute is that? And yeah, I'm so grateful for Judith A Lansdowne, you have no idea! :)

    Nadine... Sarah Dressen? Dang it! I haven't read one of her books yet. I'll have to try one out. :)

    Jenni

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  9. Hi Jenni!

    I knew right off the bat who to pick. My favorite author is Suzanne Collins! Her books are so... captivating. When you read them, it's a whole different perspective on life and her characters are set in worlds that are so much more interesting! There's a certain aura when you read her book, The Hunger Games. It's revolving around the themes of romance, horror, and science fiction. A group of genres I've never encountered in a book store before! Her characters are well processed and understandable. It's either fight for your life, or a fight for humanity! These two characters are totally in love with each other, but everything SUCKS. They're challenged with survival and it's just a very interesting plot and story line. I suggest it for all you teens out there!

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  10. Hi Jenni. :)

    Oh wow, my favorite author? There are too many great ones to choose from! I guess if I had to choose a few of my favorites, they would be Terry Goodkind, John Flanagan, Rick Riordan, and J.K. Rowling.

    First on my list- Terry Goodkind. I am in love with his Sword of Truth Series. He creates such a detailed, in depth plot that you can't help but read for hours on end to find out what happens next. Another thing, he keeps the reader interested; never are you bored while reading. I am probably one of the best examples of this. I read his whole series, which consists of 12 books and most of them are over 450 pages, in a week. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that week. :P

    Next up is John Flanagan. He is one of my favorites because his characters are so memorable. He makes you love them and the way they interact with each other. In addition, his plots are really original. His characters get themselves in the craziest of situations and he always surprises you with the ways he gets them out of the problems. I'm currently in the middle of one of his books and my sister is constantly giving me funny looks because I laugh out loud often while reading.

    Then there is Rick Riordan. I love his stories because of the way he weaves ancient mythology into modern society. I love studying mythology of any kind, with Greek being my favorite. He brings life into the old myths for people who aren't as avid history geeks as me. For the people like me, he gives new perspective and depth to the myths. Furthermore, the romance and relationships don't dominate the story like some other books I have read. Some books start out with a great plot idea, then the romance takes over to ruin the flow of the plot. Rick's works do not do that. He develops the plot well and the romance adds itself naturally and works, instead of being forced.

    Last, but definitely not least, is J.K. Rowling. What more needs to be said? Harry Potter is an institution unto itself. These books have been beloved by millions for over a decade, and the love doesn't seem like it's going to stop coming anytime soon. She takes everyone's dream of being able to work magic, and makes it reasonable. You can relate to her characters extremely well. You want to see them succeed in their lives as if they were your own brother, sister, or kids. My very first escape into the fantasy genre was Harry Potter. I became a fantasy junkie because of Harry's adventures.

    Now that I'm done writing all that out, I keep thinking of other great authors that I want to add. Oh well, it would takes hours for me to list them all. :P

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  11. if only you taught at my school i would not like school but LOVE it! you are an awesome teacher! okay umm...favourite author..ahh...well...

    *5 hours later*

    there are so many, so i have to pick 2! Stephenie Meyer and Rick Riordan.

    Rick Riordan can make even the boringest of things fun! Greek Mythology i already like before him, but egyptology? (lol) is boring!! or so i thought so, in his new series The Kane Chronicles he brought all these gods and myths i thought were boring to life! he made them fun, he's plot are always so creative which make him stand out! Now one thing i also loved about his books were, there was a bit of romance. its not really a romance book, his books focus on the action and the main plot and don't get veered off to romance. just like @Sarah Kammer said it comes naturally, and i love that because it just makes the moment even more speacial!

    I love Stephenie Meyer because of her characters. Her character are so well developed. and by the end of twilight i felt as if i had been right there with Bella and Edward the whole way, she really made me feel the emotions her characters were feeling!

    Now one thing that both authors have in comman is they describe the characters surrounding, feelings, etc. really well. often i find myself imaginging the sceanary when it is being described or picturing a person. both these authors do these thing tremendously well, and well i love it! ^_^

    even though i love these 2 authors i dont think they are why i like to write! my inspiration has to be all the young wattpaders out their! after seeing so many brave people post i started to think hey if they can do it then mabye i can too!!

    well, thanks for the video and i am looking forward to saturday!! :D

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  12. @Cudge. Yeah, my sister is totally addicted to that series. I haven't read it though.

    @Sarah.. Wow! What a list! You have some amazing authors there too. :)

    @Asaray.. Wow! Another Rick Riordan fan! Not that I blame you, he's so awesome. And yeah, stephenie meyer is an incredible story teller!

    Jenni

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  13. This is from havygirl.... She couldn't respond to the comment so sent it to me. :)

    Hey! I enjoyed the video and definitely learnt more stuff! These saturday lessons are turning out great! And picking a favourite author? That's a tough question. I don't have an absolute favourite but I can name one that comes to mind. Dick Francis. His writing never ceases to amaze me! Everyone one of his books is the same catergory, mystery and suspense within horse racing yet every single book is so different! Can't wait for next saturday!"

    @Havygirl... I've never read him. I'll have to check him out! Sounds like something my daughter would love. :)
    Jenni

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  14. I have too many favourite authors, it'd take weeks for me to write it all down.
    I have a question about your lesson. You said that we shouldn't go into detail about getting dressed and eating or brushing your teeth, things like that unless it's necessary... But what do you do to fill in that 'gap'? I'd be so grateful if you could answer that question, because I always get stuck on things like that. =]

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  15. @Amelia... Lol! that's an easy one. Zoom over it. say something like-- I got dressed and ready for bed, by the time the phone rang it was almost ten....

    Or like-- Before she knew it, Chloe was already dressed and on her way to school. She could no longer put off the inevitable. Everyone would know what had happened to her the second she walked in the building, but with a brave smile plastered on her face and a deep breath, she entered Roosevelt Jr. High.

    Does this make sense? Or do you need more?
    Jenni

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  16. Well, I guess I'd have to say my favorite author is Frank Peretti. I am insane about his horror christian stories. Is that even possible? Well, it is for him!
    When reading the book I noticed somethings. His writing technique is different yet similar to any other published writer I've read about. Most of his story requires description so there are LOTS of slow parts! I'm fine with it. Actually, it's the slow descriptive parts that make it so I can actually remember so many characters. My brain racks if they have more then three main characters in the story. ;) That's why I love his books. His description is very good and you really feel like you know these people.

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  17. Ooh. I have friend who loves horror and love Christian stuff as well, I'll have to tell them about this author. Thanks for sharing, Monica. it's so interesting to learn who you guys love. :)

    Jenni

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  18. Hi!

    I'd have to say my favorite author is Nicholas Sparks. My favorite book of his would have to be 'The Last Song'. I just love the way it's written, and the emotion that's conveyed from it, like most of his books. I love it when he writes in the third person point of view, and how it switches between characters to get every angle and emotion.

    How can I forget the romance? The guys are always to die for xD Teehee.

    Thank you again for all these fantastic lessons!

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  19. Soccerstar... I know a ton of people who love Nicholas Sparks! My favorite of his would be a Walk to Remember. Glad you love the classes. :)

    Jenni

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  20. Favorite? I'm terrible with favorites, but if I had to choose then it would most likely be Bryan Davis. The author of several Christian/fiction/fantasy series, he is simply amazing with his descriptions, characters, and creative worlds. He also loves to test his characters with serious dilemmas that mold and shape them into the incredible role models a person dreams about. I first started seriously writing because he offered up a contest to co-author a book with him. Obviously with my creative writing experience limited until then to school assignments, I did not win, but the passion was realized and the fire ignited...

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  21. ok im sorry for doing this so late but my favorite author is erin hunter. She (well actually them because she is four people) writes books about cats that kill each other. I love her stories because well i like cats and she describes thing in the most beautiful way. She can turn "the water was soft" into " The water felt smooth on my paws as i reached down to catch a fish." She just has a way with words. :)

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  22. Oh gosh, my favourite author? That’s a tough one. My mind is fluctuating between Chloe Niell, Christine Feehan, Nicolas Sparks (the notebook? I cried so much while reading that book) and Susan Phillips. But right now I feel that Chloe Niell is it. Her series, Chicagoland Vampires, really got to me, in that I really connected with the characters and got emotionally involved, like I cried, I laughed, I felt. I love when a book does that and she does the paranormal genre oh so well. When I’m reading her work I literally do not stop until I am completely finished, I’m totally sucked into the world that she created.

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  23. Hi! Sorry for posting this so long after you put this up. I'm pretty lazy... but I'm here! (Wooo!)
    Anyway, my favourite author is, without a doubt, the amazing Jodi Picoult. Why? Well, her stories are so ridiculously complex that you need to reread them to catch all of the subtle hints she drops in - and even then, you'll probably miss some. Her characters are also extremely in-depth. All of them are flawed in some way, which makes it feel so realistic. You may have heard of her book, My Sister's Keeper - it was adapted into a movie. (Personally, I think that the director made a HUGE mistake by changing the ending so much. In the book, it's very different.) A few of her books are Lifetime movies as well.
    She's also my favourite because she has somewhere from 15 - 20 books, and all are pretty long. I don't like it when awesome authors only have a few books. :'(
    So anyway, there's my answer. I'm going to go check out the rest of your posts now :D
    P.S. My name is also Jenni (well, Jennifer). Everyone assumes I spell it Jenny, but I spell it Jenni. You're the first I've met who also does that. Cool!

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  24. My favorite author...
    That changes every time I read a good book!
    I love predicting things and figuring out puzzles so a thought-provoking book is best. Focus on the WHY.
    Like a recent one I read, "Things Not Seen" and that series by Andrew Clements, was fascinating. Made you think about how it felt like being completely invisible. Or being blind. To think that this is the same person who wrote "Frindle" is baffling.
    So I'll just name a few :D
    Trenton Lee Stuart, Rick Riordan (Imma mythology freak :D), Andrew Clements, Pseudonymous Bosch, Lemony Snicket (I STILL haven't figured it out!), Meg Cabot (Her new scifi books are winners!), Gail Carson Levine (Sigh, fairytales, Ally Carter (SPIES! THEIVES!), and a milion more :D

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  25. My favorite author?

    James Patterson

    His books are kick-butt adventure filled packed with action and romance. I love how every time there's a fighting scene, he will slow down and explain their actions, thoughts, and pain, WHILE making it look "fast-paced" and not too slow so it'll keep you at the edge of your seat (literally, I fell off my chair when I was reading his book). He can describe details that are needed and leave the rest to our imagination.

    The fun part? He can mix action, adventure, and romance all at the same time. It's all about drama while trying not to get killed.

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  26. suzanne collins, Rachel Caine, Richelle Mead, ETC I love reading to much to tell you just one person.So I'll just tell you three
    Suzanne Collins:
    Her series The Hunger Game, is by far one of my favorite series. I love how she explains things, I love the action, I love that you feel what the main characters feeling (I mean I actually cried when my favorite character died) I love the romance, that people think is there, then a second later it's gone. I love how the main character is like a real person. I mean she isn't happy when most people wouldn't be, and shows her anger and emotion,but she knows when not too. it's just awesome.
    Rachel Caine:
    I love how it's never boring in this book. Just like how you talk about pacing, The main characters are never anywhere unless there's gonna information that's gonna be used now or later. I love how it has vampires, but it's not about falling in love with a vampire. I love the action in it, it's never boring in this this book. I also love how Rachel Caine always writes the books so fast. It's just amazing.
    Richelle Meads:
    You will never look at vampires the same after this book. I love how you can relate to the characters. I love the main characters. I mean you can never put this book down in the middle of it. This was one of the first book seires I read that got me into reading and writing.
    I can't say I love one more over the others, but I love them all to death :) and I read a lot of different books. I also love R.L.Stine's books. XD
    Hails.

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  27. Rick Riordan! He is so awesome and funny! His books are great, even when it is a serious situation he makes you laugh!

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  28. I would have to go with Shannon Hale. I fall in love with her characters everytime I re-read her books. Her books show emotion in a way that makes me feel that same emotion. I always feel happy after I have read one of her books. One of my favorite things to do is to go through my favorite parts of her books. :)

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  29. My favorite author? Let's see... right now it has to be Brandon Sanderson. You see, when I started writing, I couldn't figure out which genre I was going to write in. I tried Spy Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Traditional Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction... I even tried my hand at writing Non Fiction! But no matter what I tried, I couldn't find a singe genre. Then I discovered Brandon Sanderson's book, Mistborn.

    My friend had told me all about this series and said that even though it's a fantasy (which I usually HATE except under special circumstances,) that I would like it. So I read it.

    I absolutely loved it! It was a fantasy, but with elements of a thriller. I looked up books similar to Mistborn and found the Night Angel trilogy, which was classified as a Dark Fantasy novel. So I tried my hand at Dark Fantasy writing and fell in love! So to this day, Brandon Sanderson remains my favorite author.

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  30. Hihi, I'm so late (again), but I encountered this just in time!
    I just finished reading "Before Midnight" by Cameron Dokey (it's a rewrite of Cinderella, like how you rewrite fairy tales), and I think she's my favorite author-author (I mean, aside from those on Wattpad). She tends to pass the years quickly, from a baby, she says a few things and then she ends up in the present time, the character being 15 already, and when she shows the scene, it ends up to be something really crucial. Like, the stuff from the beginning make sense in the end and she shows that slowly but surely with each scene in between.

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  31. Hi :) I think my fav author would have to be JK Rowling. I love the way she decribes all the scenes in her book - like you said, she shows, not tells. :D I also think that the way she develops her characters is really good. You can really tell what's going on inside of them :)
    Thanks for publishing all these videos and lessons! I'm an aspiring author and I think these lessons will help me a lot. :) I love Pride and Popularity too <3 ;D

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  32. Hi Miss. Jenni! (Sorry about the other times I wrote Jenny, my computer autocorrects!) Well today you asked a really tough question! I have ever so many favorites! It took me a WHOLE night to come up with this answer and even then it's more than one! I'll pick a few main ones that show variety! Ok so...

    John Flanagan- He wrote the Ranger's Apprentice series and the Outsiders which is a story that relates to the previous series (RA)! His books are hilarious and just so... captivating! I love so many of his characters that I sometimes wish I was one of them. He writes fantasy and adventure/action packed books that touch on romance and family! He is a must read!

    For the classics I LOVE Louisa May Alcott! My favorite book is An Old-Fashioned Girl! I have read and re-read it so many times I can probably recite it in my sleep! I enjoy the frank and honest way in which she portrays her characters and makes them feel so real even though they are from a bygone era. I wish I could write such timeless pieces are well!

    Next on my list is Rick Riordan because of his innate sense of humor! I always end up laughing like a very deranged person!!! His style of writing is something I wish I could write because when I write I sound so much older than I am and waaaay more serious that I could ever be, though he shows a very humourous and laid-back style.

    But the first author I ever fell in love with is Cathy Cassidy! Her books have pulled me through some tough times and whenever I think of her books I think of marshmallows, chocolate and Dizzy! Dizzy was the first book I ever read by her (I was eight and my dad bought the book from Denmark.) and so was the first book that make it in my Cathy Cassidy collection ( I almost have all her Young Adult books except for Ginger Snap and Scarlett though I've read all of them) . She writes about romance, friendship, growing up and basically life! She is by far my most beloved author!
    Bye!
    See you later Miss. Jenni!

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  33. My favorite author... It would have to be Agatha Christie or Rick Riordan. I love mysteries, especially when they're vintage!!! Agatha Christie writes so differently and she has the most amazing mind. She knows about people. She knows what would be a realistic plot, and what would not. Ever since I saw The Unicorn and the Wasp (Doctor Who), I've been in love with Agatha Christie's writing. But I do love mythology, too. My oldest sister (15), started reading his books a few years ago. I've read and reread every book he's ever written at lest twice. I always read his books when I'm feeling lonely, because they can always make me laugh, and I read Agatha Christie when I need inspiration for parts of my book (Seattle Rain) with mystery in them.

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  34. You! :D You inspire me because you let us know that you are just a regular person, just like us. A lot of authors are just mysterious people that have these huge, "fantastic" lives that we know nothing about, but you let us know you have a life just like us and that you believe in us!

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Tell it like it is! :)