The Fetch
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my door would be polished black with all types of animals carved in it with a faded silver handle
when do you think book two for A Certain slant of light Will be released ?
A wall of weeds and trees so thick they blot out the sunlight casting the world in cool summer shadows. They glow a dark, rich green in the setting sun. A metal gait like one leading into a livestock pen parts the trees, and sun beams pour over so thick and warm in the sluggish afternoon sun they seem almost tangible like a mist or fog.
My door would look like a garden gate with an arbor overtop covered in dark purple Morning glory and wisteria. It would be drenched in the light of a late autumn afternoon and scrawled upon the gate would be passages from all my favorite books.
The door I see is stark, two-dimensional, a black rhomboid that opens to a hard-edged slice of yellow. Cartoonish, maybe, but is there any dimension in the otherworld? Any need for decoration when the state of being is bliss?
small like an upright grave stone, and elaboratly carved with trees and leaves, in black polished wood, with a dull silver handel, that would curl up and twist at slight angles.
Amy Carney
My door would be very big, elegant with the stories of my life carved into the wood. There would be gold latches and a golden knob. Blocks of stone would frame the arched door.
simple yet elegant, and i know that it sounds cliche but that's what it would be. Wooden, with a dusty gold knob
I'm not sure... I think the aforementioned idea of a little round Hobbit door is probably closest to what would be the truth for me with a small brass knob in the centre and weather-worn paint in green or red.
I think my door might be rounded and wooden, like a Hobbit-hole door, with a brass knocker that changes from day to day - an acorn and oak leaf, then a frog on a lily pad, later a hummingbird, or a black lion.
I think my Door might look like the arched hedge entrance to a garden. I saw it once in a dream that was not really a dream, probably.
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I always imagined death as a dark affair so forgive me if I'm hung up on the Reaper look... maybe not a skeleton or a sickle but a black robe seems very appropriate, and an older person (male or female doesn't matter) like a grandparent-ly figure that exudes wisdom and experience. Some that can guide you through the Aisle of Unearthing.
He would wear worn denim bib overalls over a long sleeved flannel shirt and he would be barefoot. Stocky man. Sandy colored hair, green eyes.
my fetch would be male, ith tosseld black hair. his clothes would be simple, and unable to place in a specific era. clean cut and smart, but young, the colours would be dull, all plain blacks and creams.
Amy Carney
He would look and talk exactly like Gerard Way.
he would be dressed like james dean. a white t-shirt with a pack of cigarettes rolled up in one sleeve and a pair of jeans.
my fetch would be male, in a button up white almost poofy shirt (sorta like a pirate except nicer and elegant, clean, with black boots and pants, i don't know 1700's style.
A black velvet coat with the swooping sillhouette of an Erte drawing.
Comfortable clothes in solid colors, jewel tones, like deep red and gold, lapis and emerald.
Perhaps my Fetch might look like Aslan.
A Certain Slant of Light
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oh and helen becuase she is such a sweet girl in the book and i can realite to her -Taylor W
i was very suprised i never read a book in my life and im in 10th grade and i had to chose a book i didnt want thiss one but im so glad i picked it up this book is the most amazing thing I ever read like ive read it 13 times and i just cant get enough of it i just wanted to say that i loved the book :) -Taylor W
if I have to choose 1 character it would be Helen....I love her gentle spirit....she is pure and kind...I like the love she had for her Hosts.... her and James perfect were perfect together....and I love love love the ending...just perfect...looking forward to the next book.....I have ordered Fetch to keep me busy
I must say that I am not a reader nor a book worm, but this book has made me want to read. I just wish Laura would write more books or a sequel. Laura Whitcomb, you have made me a reader, much thanks!
And I cannot choice a character, I loved them all!
I am curious. First of all, I utterly adored this book and it's characters. Truly, a wonderful book. So upon reading the poem There's A Certain Slant of Light by Emily Dickinson, I was convinced that it was the base for the storyline. Were you inspired to write the novel from Dickinson's poem?
There's a certain slant of light,
On winter afternoons,
That oppresses, like the weight
Of cathedral tunes.
Heavenly hurt it gives us;
We can find no scar,
But internal difference
Where the meanings are.
None may teach it anything,
'Tis the seal, despair,-
An imperial affliction
Sent us of the air.
When it comes, the landscape listens,
Shadows hold their breath;
When it goes, 't is like the distance
On the look of death.
You can see the beautiful resemblance, right?
Anyway, I just wanted to point that out. Again, I adored this book. Thank you for it.
wow i cannot wait for the sequel. a certain slant of light is my all time favorite book, i have read it 3 times. and am reading it again now !!
its such a beautiful story, and so brilliantly writen
i dont think i could choose a favorite character.
Amy Carney
Wtf???? no way!!! there's really going to be a sequel?????? This is my favorite book in the whole world, I red it 6 times already and I can't believe there's gonna be a sequel!!! What is it about?! When is it going to be out?!
My favourite was Mr. Brown and I was sad that Helen left him so fast 'cause I would have loved to read more about him. He was lovely and I would have give a lot to get someone like him as my teacher.
But after him comes Helen in Jennys body. It was so touching!
I would have to say James in Billy's body. He was such a gentelman to Helen; and so concerned about the people in Billy's life. He was a strong character, and I felt that he was the anchor for everything that goes on in the book.
Billy was my favourite character, even though he was actually James for a large portion of the book. He reminded me of some old friends, and the final scene with him in it really brought the character to life for me. Although, I have to admit, I loved the entire book and all of the characters were amazing. I can't wait for the sequel :)
Helen in Jenny's body because Helen did what Jenny couldn't go and that's rebel.
- thanks Laura for writing this awesome book but I was wondering if you are going to write about what happened to Billy and Jenny after James and Helen left their bodies?
- love alway candy -
When will the sequel be published?
my fav character is billy . . . with james there, inside. i want to meet him just like that so bad :) i LOVE acsol !!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cried laughed felt everything they felt. amazing writing, thank you for a WONDERFUL and the most memerable read (so far that is :]) of my lifetime :)
sorry - Astrid Crosland
Billy was incredibly real for me, which is strange because for 90% of the book he was actually James. I loved him, he reminded me of some people I actually knew. If there isn't a sequel soon... Well, I'd rather not think about that!
P.S. just wanted to add that you can trust I will be purchasing the sequel to A Certain Slant of Light, which I'm gung ho,totally nuts and excited about- Brin
My favorite character was Jenny, i think every teen feels suppressed at times, but Jenny's suppression crushed the spirit out of her, it made me feel so much for her. I praise you Laura Whitcomb for your innovative ideas, and for the elegance of your writing.Ive read A Certain Slant of Light twice,I read a lot and this book has made my top favorites, so thank you so much - You can call me : Brin
Helen. She was such a unique character. I always find myself hoping tat in the air around me floats my Helen, because the concept of her was so beautiful yet eerie in a calming sort of way... Eh hem... So there is a sequel? Well i think i may have peed a little.
-Lily Elliot
It's such a good book! It's so hard to choose . . . though I really like Billy. Strange, I know, but I can't help it. The final scene with him in it, the way his character became firmly 3 dimensional, it made me really like him.
I liked everyone-- I thought the characters were all so well drawn, it's hard to choose just one.
To answer the comment about the story of Jenny and Billy, yes, I'm writing the sequel to A Certain Slant of Light. =) Laura Whitcomb
are you going to write a story about what happens with billy, jenny, and their baby?
James, he was young in this world, and it was nice to see how he handled Helen who acted like a scared little girl, and made her a woman.
Cynthia Grace
I instantly fell in love with Mr Brown. He's so friendly and caring and the type of English teacher I'd give a great deal to have. I adored the snippets of his home life with his wife and felt Helen's pain at his affections for her. It was so easy to relate to Helen's attachment to him and when he felt like he'd lost his muse, I wished more than anything that he were real so I could just give him a hug!
My favourite character was helen. Literally. She is a character of a soul, the image she placed in my mind was remarkable. She seemed so scary at first-being a spirit-lurking around the earth for so long. They way she spoke was young and fresh. The way she easily fell in love proved how lonely and alone she really was. They way she put herself in a position in which she knew she could come right out of it was utterally inspiring. I was to love the way she does and memorize the things she remembers she forgot. I want to take notice at the world such as Helen did herself in A Certain Slant of Light. Eating slowly to regain awareness of the different tastes, breathing slowly to be aware of the sound around us. We-in this lifetime-are so distortded with TV and radio and music and drama and noise around us, we forget to look at the world the way it is. We forget that we are not living for ourselves-because no body is placed on earth without reason. Helen made me see that. And I must thank you Laura, for opening my eyes to such a wonderfull read. Thank you so much. From the bottom of my waverly heart for realizing a body is not whole without it's soul. -Rebecca Breutigam-
My favourite character in ACSOL would be Helen because she is such a role madel type person- light- she is strong but knows that it is okay to fear somethings. To me Helen is what most girls dream about being, beautiful, strong, ambtious, and irrevocably in love. I also love and admire her love and passion for literature, and the way Helen speaks so proper. She is someone I would strive to be like. And that is why she is my favourite character in the whole book- besides James. Thank-you for writing such a work of art. M.E. Grinnell
Novel Shortcuts
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It depends on the project I'm writing, but recently I've been listening a lot to 'Falling' (Julee Cruise) and its instrumental counterpart.
I'm the type of person that just walks through everyone, and do whatever I want. So whatever mood I'm in I just press SHUFFLE on my iTunes, and it always plays the right songs. Theres only been 3 times when it played all the songs I didnt want =)
From all of us,
Keep up the great work!!!
-Cynthia Grace, Zac Pozen, Amelianna Schoonmaker, Becca Hayes
Whenever I start work on a new book, I write out the basics of the plot and then form a playlist on iTunes. This consists of any songs that capture a type of atmosphere I'd like to for a scene in the book or songs with lyrics that sum up what is happening to one of the characters. They're usually quite soft, emotional songs so they don't distract me from writing.
Your First Novel
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The title the Fetch was intriguing , but i'd have to say that my favorite title of a fav book is that of a fanfiction i wrote called Seeing in Cerulean
All my favourite titles are from books I haven't (yet) read:
A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
What To Do When You Are Engulfed In Flames.
(but in terms of books I *have* read, I do love 'A Certain Slant of Light' and other titles that hearken back to poetry)
This is a difficult question. Do I love a title because I loved the book? Or does a title alone draw me to a novel? Actually, I tend to read authors I love, and sometimes forget the titles. I do love the titles A CERTAIN SLANT OF LIGHT and UNDER THE LIGHT!
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The early summer sky was the color of cat vomit. - The Uglies by Scott Westerhold
Someone was looking at me, a disturbing sensation if you're dead. - ACSOL by Laura Whitcomb
Both made me think and want to read more at the same time.
It was a queer, sultry summer, the summer they electrocuted the Rosenbergs, and I didn't know what I was doing in New York.- Slyvia Plath The Bell Jar (:
Imagine that you had to break someones arm. - Hugh laurie The Gun Seller
It was high summer in the Lake District.
General Topics
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Love the simplicity of the site. I googled your name to see if there would be a sequel to A Certain Slant of Light. Going to convince Maddrim Media to make it into a short film - Check out our website www.maddrim.com - Masks is amazing - if you would find that cool... :)
Astrid Crosland, Shetland (Scotland)
I do like the web site. Today I came to the site specifically to fill out this questionnaire, but I have also visited the site for links to your blog and Twitter.
Once you make it really big (why wouldn't you?), I'm sure you'll hire a webdesigner to "coolify" (made it up) your site, lol (it must equal the absolute greatness of your books. X-D) -Melissa, RI
I love it! Please come to the UK my friends and I love your books!! Harriet from Wiltshire, UK
I like it very much!
-- Susie from Idaho
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ACSOL should definitely have a sequel! -Emilee S
My school library. Didnt expect to even finish reading it, but i couldn't put it down! I finished it in 5 days. I wish it was longer! -Emilee S
I read a review of ACSOL in a blog ("Tempting Persephone") last year and fell in love with the cover! And the book is just amazing!!! I'm reading it for the second time and it feels like the first. It's a beautiful story and I love the concept. You are one very talented lady! :)
Amazon.com.....I get most of my books there because a lot of the time you can read a chapter of the book before you buy...also when you buy books or search books they no what type of book you are looking for and give you suggestions... A Certain Slant Of Light came up as a suggestion...
I was about to deploy to afganistan when i walked into a charity shop and found the book " a certain slant of light " I read it on the flight out there and was fixed ! Ive been back since and everytime i find reading the same book. Thankyou laura for letting me into your books when i just want to hide away for a while.
i was searching for a book in waterstones, and saw the spine of a Certain slant of light. it looked intriguing.
read the back, bought it, and was hooked. the front cover was beautiful, really caught my eye even before i read the blurb
I was perusing through the books and the cover of ACSOL caught my attention. Once I read the back of the book it was end-o game-o.
My friend was on this internet chatting game thing, and she made me make an account so that I could play with her.
And my username had something to do with Twilight. (I was in love with it then.)
And then this other player just started talking to me about it, and told me I should read ACSOL, and so I logged off and went to go buy the book.
I read it, and I was in complete love with your book.
I went back online to find the girl and tell her thank you.
But I never found her again.
There was really no other choice for me, because your Novel Shortcuts is so unusual and priceless in the information it provides for writers, ways of writing and carving out scenes and storylines and everything between, like no other book I've found. And so I bought it and had it sent over to the other side of the world, where I live, and where it now rests, a few neighborhoods away from the streets that once felt the footsteps of Pushkin, Chekhov, and Bulgakov. Thank you, Laura! ~ Matthew (Moscow, Russia)
I found your book at Barnes and Noble. I read some of it and thought, Wow! I want that!- Gary from Illinois
ACSOL came up on my Amazon recommendations and I'm so glad that I took notice of that feature for once! Took it on holiday with me last year and could not put it down. The writing is absolutely beautiful and I really connected with the characters. Started reading The Fetch this morning on the way to work, wish my journey was longer as I really got into it : ) Hope you will be writing many more books in the future, best wishes
i was searching for books on Amazon, because i'm in desperate need of a good book. I found yours and i read the excerpt, and was immediately captivated by your writing. I live in Australia, and recently rang up most of the local (and some not so local) bookstores in search of your book. However i came up empty handed as none had your books in stock, and i am still empty handed in terms of good books, because i still haven't tracked down a copy (Mum won't let me buy online)
So basically what i'm trying to say is, will there ever be any sold in Australia?
-- a bibliophile-in-the-making, Rachel. (Perth, Western Australia)
barnes and noble, man. i want to read what happens afterwards so badly! (a certain slant of light)
Well I'm really not sure actually...somehow I ended up on Google Books and there was a preview there of ACSOL (which I still haven't technically read but am hopelessly in love with anyways). I don't even care how I found them, just that I did! I'm planning to read both ACSOL and The Fetch A.S.A.P.!! I love the concepts of both books so much!
- Deanna of Sudbury, Ontario
looking for fiction about Anastasia
I was in Books-A-Million, I think, and just picked it up. (I'm the type of person who judges books by their cover) I read the back and first couple of sentences and knew it was my type of book.
-Morgan, from Arkansas
I was told by family members that I HAD to read ACSoL (and then I did, I barely put it down to get food and water the whole time I was reading!)
I saw the reviews on Amazon.com for A Certain Slant of Light, and I decided to give it a try. I am so glad that I did because I can't remember a book that I have enjoyed reading more!!
Everyone recommends it on Yahoo! Answers, and I saw it when I was looking for fantasy/romance novels in amazon and fantasticfiction.com, I thought to myself that I might as well read it since its everywhere. Though it really is ashame that ACSOL was categorized YA, to think of all those adults out there that havent read it because it a YA novel. All my friends, (including guys) have loved it.
On Amazon I found A Certain Slant Of Light. I thought the cover seemed interesting so I took a peek inside. The first sentence grabbed me, and I had to buy the book. -Kayla from Alabama
I was on Amazon, looking for books to take away on a two week holiday with me, as I tend to get through a monstrous amount with nothing else to distract me. It came up as one of the "Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought" books. I was curious and instantly added it to my cart. A month on, I'm reading it for the second time and it's definitely one of my favourite books. I love how it was only through chance that I found it in the first place.
^--Woops, forgot: Melissa from Rhode Island. ;-)
In my high school's library a few years ago (sophmore in college right now). I thought the cover was very eerie and cool, so I picked it up. From the first line, I fell in love, lol (what a line to start with); I also got choked up in the end, haha. Can't wait to read The Fetch X-D and for the movie to come out; I REALLY hope it comes out. DO NOT stop writing
