Blog Episode X: A Little GN'R to help Guide Your Way

You are all in the midst of your novels, each of which takes you off to a place and situation far from what most of us all know. You are reading about child labor/slavery, or growing up as a nomad, or about having your family torn from you via civil war (What’s so civil about war?). Maybe you are reading about sweatshops or life as a refugee. Regardless, all of these stories are either true or based on true stories...realistic fiction. They all depict scenes that, sadly, can be seen today in places of the world where life is simply much tougher than what most of us are used to here in our community.

Your job with this post is to do a little research about the place and situation that your novel is about. Give an update. What has changed in the area or in the main character’s life (if applicable)? What is being done to make sure that these things don’t happen again (child slavery/sweatshops), or in the case of war torn areas from your story, are things more peaceful there now?

Also, I’d like you to put yourself into a character from your novel’s shoes. If you were faced with that situation, do you feel like you would have done the same thing? Do you think you would have survived any better or worse than him or her?

As usual, POSTS must be 100+ words (2 points), contain a hyperlink (2 points) and end with a question (1 point). The other 5 points will strictly come from the quality of your writing. Don’t forget your transitions, correct use of commas and basic rules of capitalization. Blog on, young Padawans!

COMMENTS: Yours must be the first or second comment made to a post (not counting any conversation between another comment and the author or if from me) and it must now be 75+ words (2 points). It should also clearly show that you have researched new information about the post and added it as your response (3 points). Please make it clear if the post you are responding to is about the same book you are reading or if you are reading a different novel. Like the Post, the last 5 points will again be based upon the quality of your writing.