Oy. If it's not one thing it's another in this world.
Twitter has lately been abuzz with talk of the study a professor at Brigham Young University did on language and such in YA literature and then her suggestion that we implement a ratings system for books akin to the movie or video game rating systems.
Let me caveat this here: I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I attended Brigham Young University for my undergraduate studies. While not ashamed of either fact, I don't talk about it here on the blog. This blog is not the place for talk of religion or politics. I intend to keep it that way so if you're getting worried by this, don't. I won't get preachy or anything like that on this blog.
And I think this is a stupid idea. Not only that, but I think this study, the professor's research, may have been bordering on wasteful of the tuition dollars spent at the school. If her research was subsidized in any way by grants or salary through the school, that is.
I'm not as familiar with the ratings systems for video games (*hands in geek card*) as I've largely stepped away from gaming over the last few years.
But the debate over the MPAA ratings system for movies is ever-raging. The biggest problem with the MPAA is that not all movies given the same rating are the same.
I don't go to R-rated movies, as a rule. I rebelled once in college and watched one. Which I have regretted ever since but that's my personal moral code. I rented "The King's Speech" on DVD and loved it. Yes, it was also rated R. But the difference between the two movies I'm discussing in this example are basically night and day. I found absolutely nothing offensive in the latter movie. The one I watched in college, however, had a lot that was pretty gratuitous. It added nothing to the story and was just there to be there.
The problem with ratings systems, aside from the obvious one of the moral code bias of the person or persons creating the system, is that not all books which under arbitrary guidelines would receive the same rating are the same. One book may be such that there are things entirely offensive and gratuitous but the other doesn't. This could hold especially true in non-fiction self help or memoirs. Not to say it wouldn't be the case in fiction, though.
Another factor to consider is the impact ratings will have on the timeline of publishing. How close to the set publishing date is the cut-off for getting a galley or ARC to the ratings committee? What happens if the ratings committee gives the book a rating which the publisher wishes to contest, but the ARCs have already gone out and reviews are written, ready to go out? There's a domino effect which will only compound as publishers and writers fight the system laid on them in order to get their work out in a timely manner, etcetera.
I'm not going to even touch the censorship issues that this would bring up. If you really want to see what the possible ramifications of this would be, just start googling the debate over the MPAA ratings on movies. The prospects are very similar to what would happen if this were implemented in literature.
The bottom line of all of this, in my opinion, is this: If you're worried about what your kids are reading, read the books as they do. Or before. But then discuss with your kids either a) the behaviors, etcetera in the book that you find objectionable, in a rational way, with a two-way conversation going on or b) why you are uncomfortable with them reading the material, etcetera.
Be a parent. Don't rely on others to tell you what may or may not be acceptable. And don't join the mob out there. Form your own opinions and help your kids to form theirs.
*steps off soap box*
Also, if you would like a far more eloquent take on this, go look up Kiersten White's blog. She put up a lengthy post about it this week.
Don't forget to enter the 500 posts giveaway! I'll draw prizes sometime in the first full week of June.
Showing posts with label ya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ya. Show all posts
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Update Tuesday 11/6-11/12
Wow, is it Tuesday again already? Where does time go?
So, this past week was not so great for me, writing-wise. Why? I always struggle to get back to everything that I like to do, all the routines, when something new comes along that impacts my scheduling.
What impacted my scheduling? My job. I started last week and while I didn't work a full week I still struggled to get to my writing/revising projects. I did manage to get a little bit in though on Saturday night, finally.
I've started revising Mirror, Mirror and it's going okay so far. As I wrote the first draft there were definitely things that came up that I knew would need to be addressed in revisions. At one point I entirely redesigned the geography of a city my MC starts out in and returns to several times throughout the book and the trilogy. But only after I'd written the opening scene where she sneaks a prisoner of the crown out of the city.
I made note on the inside of the cover of each notebook when there was something that came up to be addressed in revisions. These included noting where I needed to revamp to match the new city layout, ideas that came up that need to be foreshadowed throughout what came before that moment, etcetera.
I'm dealing with those right now on this first pass through the manuscript. Hopefully that will also help me beef up the word count since this one ended quite short of the mark of where it should be. I'm aiming to bump the count up to somewhere in the 70-75K range. We'll see if people want it longer.
With what I started on Saturday night, and I didn't get too far, I added 564 words to the story. It now is just shy (by about 160 words, give or take) of 56K. So I have a ways to go. But I'm okay with that. When this pass is done I'll be going through and making a revision outline and then looking for beta readers.
How are your WiPs going?
So, this past week was not so great for me, writing-wise. Why? I always struggle to get back to everything that I like to do, all the routines, when something new comes along that impacts my scheduling.
What impacted my scheduling? My job. I started last week and while I didn't work a full week I still struggled to get to my writing/revising projects. I did manage to get a little bit in though on Saturday night, finally.
I've started revising Mirror, Mirror and it's going okay so far. As I wrote the first draft there were definitely things that came up that I knew would need to be addressed in revisions. At one point I entirely redesigned the geography of a city my MC starts out in and returns to several times throughout the book and the trilogy. But only after I'd written the opening scene where she sneaks a prisoner of the crown out of the city.
I made note on the inside of the cover of each notebook when there was something that came up to be addressed in revisions. These included noting where I needed to revamp to match the new city layout, ideas that came up that need to be foreshadowed throughout what came before that moment, etcetera.
I'm dealing with those right now on this first pass through the manuscript. Hopefully that will also help me beef up the word count since this one ended quite short of the mark of where it should be. I'm aiming to bump the count up to somewhere in the 70-75K range. We'll see if people want it longer.
With what I started on Saturday night, and I didn't get too far, I added 564 words to the story. It now is just shy (by about 160 words, give or take) of 56K. So I have a ways to go. But I'm okay with that. When this pass is done I'll be going through and making a revision outline and then looking for beta readers.
How are your WiPs going?
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Update Tuesday 10/9-10/15
Okay, that time again!
Mirror, Mirror:
FINISHED!
Ahem. Sorry. Just a little excited. I stayed up uber-late on Tuesday night and finished the book. Estimated word count for notebook 2 on this one brings me to just under 60K for a total word count. It's okay, though, because there are lots of floating head scenes that need fleshing out after I finish transcribing everything.
NaNo Project:
Well, I've opted not to participate in NaNo this year. So this is the last you'll hear of NaNo for the year from me. The reason for this is that some other things have come up that make drafting a new novel the lowest of my writing priorities right now.
Top Secret project:
This is what's taken over. It's a project I've worked on before, but I'm not saying which one it is or what specifically is happening with this one. I'll tell you when I can.
How are your WiPs going?
Mirror, Mirror:
FINISHED!
Ahem. Sorry. Just a little excited. I stayed up uber-late on Tuesday night and finished the book. Estimated word count for notebook 2 on this one brings me to just under 60K for a total word count. It's okay, though, because there are lots of floating head scenes that need fleshing out after I finish transcribing everything.
NaNo Project:
Well, I've opted not to participate in NaNo this year. So this is the last you'll hear of NaNo for the year from me. The reason for this is that some other things have come up that make drafting a new novel the lowest of my writing priorities right now.
Top Secret project:
This is what's taken over. It's a project I've worked on before, but I'm not saying which one it is or what specifically is happening with this one. I'll tell you when I can.
How are your WiPs going?
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Update Tuesday 10/2-10/8
Another week gone by. Another week closer to my goal. And, yes, friends, I'm much closer to my goal.
I wrote two and a half chapters or so last week. My characters have finally caught a break and the distractions/diversions from their goal have vanished. Writing those chapters (I'd left off in mid-chapter the week before) left me with two chapters and an epilogue to write.
Which means that perhaps even as you're reading this I'm writing the last period on this manuscript. (I always put the epilogue after "The End" so it doesn't really work to use those two words as the final touch on the draft.)
I'm still debating which project to go with for NaNo. (Also, I really must sign up on the official website for that one.) I'll keep you updated on that once I finish the draft of Mirror, Mirror.
How are your WiPs going?
I wrote two and a half chapters or so last week. My characters have finally caught a break and the distractions/diversions from their goal have vanished. Writing those chapters (I'd left off in mid-chapter the week before) left me with two chapters and an epilogue to write.
Which means that perhaps even as you're reading this I'm writing the last period on this manuscript. (I always put the epilogue after "The End" so it doesn't really work to use those two words as the final touch on the draft.)
I'm still debating which project to go with for NaNo. (Also, I really must sign up on the official website for that one.) I'll keep you updated on that once I finish the draft of Mirror, Mirror.
How are your WiPs going?
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Update Tuesday 9/18-9/24
I can't remember exactly where I left off at the end of the previous week. I do know that I fell into this trap where every time I sat down to write, I ended up spending my writing time working out some niggling little detail of world-building that I didn't think about when I did that initial push in that department.
This was both good and bad. Good in the sense that going forward I have a clearer idea of some things, but bad in that it means some revision in what's already been written. But then good because that'll actually beef up my word count some and really (I hope) make my world seem more vivid.
I'm pretty sure I wrote a couple of chapters last week. How's that for being accountable? I need to keep better track of my work each week if I'm going to continue doing these update posts. And I will track it more diligently. After typing this I've gone and written out a sticky note for myself marking where I'm starting the next week at.
I figure I need to fill this spiral notebook and one other to have an appropriate word count; but then I remind myself that the point of writing longhand is so that I'm focused on story and not word count. I can always find places to add in words. (I am generally pretty spare in my descriptions and I know readers would like to see more scenery so my characters aren't just talking heads.)
How are your WiPs going?
This was both good and bad. Good in the sense that going forward I have a clearer idea of some things, but bad in that it means some revision in what's already been written. But then good because that'll actually beef up my word count some and really (I hope) make my world seem more vivid.
I'm pretty sure I wrote a couple of chapters last week. How's that for being accountable? I need to keep better track of my work each week if I'm going to continue doing these update posts. And I will track it more diligently. After typing this I've gone and written out a sticky note for myself marking where I'm starting the next week at.
I figure I need to fill this spiral notebook and one other to have an appropriate word count; but then I remind myself that the point of writing longhand is so that I'm focused on story and not word count. I can always find places to add in words. (I am generally pretty spare in my descriptions and I know readers would like to see more scenery so my characters aren't just talking heads.)
How are your WiPs going?
Thursday, September 22, 2011
100 YA Books
So, earlier this week I saw this post over on Chantele Sedgewick's blog with a list of 100 YA books that she'd marked up showing which she'd actually read. I thought it would be fun, since my muse is deciding it wants me to be a YA writer, to indicate which I've read. So, here goes.
Bold=Read it
1. Alex Flinn- Beastly
2. Alice Sebold- The Lovely Bones
3. Ally Carter- Gallagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
4. Ally Condie- Matched
5. Alyson Noel- The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
6. Anastasia Hopcus- Shadow Hills
7. Angie Sage- Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
8. Ann Brashares- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
9. Anna Godbersen- Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
10. Anthony Horowitz- Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9)
11. Aprilynne Pike- Wings (1, 2, 3)
12. Becca Fitzpatrick- Hush, Hush (1, 2)
13. Brandon Mull- Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
14. Brian Selznick- The Invention of Hugo Cabret
15. Cassandra Clare- The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)
16. Carrie Jones- Need (1, 2)
17. Carrie Ryan- The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3)
18. Christopher Paolini- Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
19. Cinda Williams Chima- The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
20. Colleen Houck- Tigers Saga (1, 2)
21. Cornelia Funke- Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
22. Ellen Hopkins- Impulse
23. Eoin Colfer- Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
24. Faraaz Kazi- Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor- The Looking Glas Wars (1, 2, 3)
26. Gabrielle Zevin- Elsewhere
27. Gail Carson Levine- Fairest
28. Holly Black- Tithe (1, 2, 3)
29. J.K. Rowling- Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
30. James Dashner- The Maze Runner (1, 2)
31. James Patterson- Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
32. Jay Asher- Thirteen Reasons Why
33. Jeanne DuPrau- Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
34. Jeff Kinney- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
35. John Boyne- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
36. John Green- An Abundance of Katherines
37. John Green- Looking for Alaska
38. John Green- Paper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud- Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl- Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
41. Kelly Armstrong- Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)
42. Kristin Cashore- The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
43. Lauren Kate- Fallen (1, 2)
44. Lemony Snicket- Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
45. Libba Bray- Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
46. Lisa McMann- Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
47. Louise Rennison- Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1-10)
48. M.T. Anderson- Feed
49. Maggie Stiefvater- The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
50. Margaret Peterson Haddix- Shadow Children (1-7)
51. Maria V. Snyder- Study (1, 2, 3)
52. Markus Zusak- The Book Thief
53. Markus Zusak- I Am the Messenger
54. Mark Haddon- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
55. Mary Ting- Crossroads
56. Maureen Johnson- Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
57. Meg Cabot- All-American Girl (1, 2)
58. Meg Cabot- The Mediator (1-6)
59. Meg Cabot- The Princess Diaries (1-10)
60. Meg Rosoff- How I Live Now
61. Megan McCafferty- Jessica Darling (1-5)
62. Megan Whalen Turner- The Queen's Thief (1-4)
63. Melina Marchetta- On the Jellicoe Road
64. Melissa de la Cruz- Blue Bloods (1-5)
65. Melissa Marr- Wicked Lovely (1-5)
66. Michael Grant- Gone (1-4)
67. Neal Shusterman- Unwind
68. Neil Gaiman- Coraline
70. Neil Gaiman- Stardust
71. Neil Gaiman- The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast- House of Night (1-8)
73. Philip Pullman- His Dark Materials (1-3)
74. Rachel Caine- The Morganville Vampires (1-10)
75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan- Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
76. Richelle Mead- Vampire Academy (1-6)
77. Rick Riordan- Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1-5)
78. Rom LcO'Feer- Somewhere Carnal Over 40 Winks
79. S.L. Naeole- Grace (1-4)
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers- Princess of Gossip
81. Sarah Dessen- Along for the Ride
82. Sarah Dessen- Lock and Key
83. Sarah Dessen- The Truth About Forever
84. Sarah Shepard- Pretty Little Liars (1-9)
85. Scott Westerfeld- Leviathan (1, 2)
86. Scott Westerfeld- Uglies (1-4)
87. Shannon Hale- Books of a Thousand Days
88. Shannon Hale- Princess Academy
89. Shannon Hale- The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
91. Simone Elkeles- Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
92. Stephenie Meyer- The Host
93. Stephenie Meyer- Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
94. Sue Monk Kidd- The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer- Last Survivors (1-3)
96. Suzanne Collins- Hunger Games (1-3)
97. Suzanne Collins- Underland Chronicles (1-5)
98. Terry Pratchett- Tiffany Aching (1-4)
99. Tonya Hurley- Ghost Girl (1-3)
100. Wendelin Van Draanen- Flipped
Okay, after putting together my list, I debated whether I'd actually post it. It's rather embarrassing when you look at this list and there are so few marked as ones I've read. In fairness, there are some on this list that I picked up and started reading but couldn't get into so I set them aside and/or gave them to my sister-in-law or to DI.
But if you look at my Goodreads shelf you'll see a ton of YA books. They're just not on this list.
What's your favorite from this list? Your favorite not on this list? What ones should I absolutely try to get my hands on?
Bold=Read it
1. Alex Flinn- Beastly
2. Alice Sebold- The Lovely Bones
3. Ally Carter- Gallagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
4. Ally Condie- Matched
5. Alyson Noel- The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
6. Anastasia Hopcus- Shadow Hills
7. Angie Sage- Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
8. Ann Brashares- The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
9. Anna Godbersen- Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
10. Anthony Horowitz- Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,8, 9)
11. Aprilynne Pike- Wings (1, 2, 3)
12. Becca Fitzpatrick- Hush, Hush (1, 2)
13. Brandon Mull- Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
14. Brian Selznick- The Invention of Hugo Cabret
15. Cassandra Clare- The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)
16. Carrie Jones- Need (1, 2)
17. Carrie Ryan- The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3)
18. Christopher Paolini- Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
19. Cinda Williams Chima- The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
20. Colleen Houck- Tigers Saga (1, 2)
21. Cornelia Funke- Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
22. Ellen Hopkins- Impulse
23. Eoin Colfer- Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
24. Faraaz Kazi- Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor- The Looking Glas Wars (1, 2, 3)
26. Gabrielle Zevin- Elsewhere
27. Gail Carson Levine- Fairest
28. Holly Black- Tithe (1, 2, 3)
29. J.K. Rowling- Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
30. James Dashner- The Maze Runner (1, 2)
31. James Patterson- Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
32. Jay Asher- Thirteen Reasons Why
33. Jeanne DuPrau- Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
34. Jeff Kinney- Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
35. John Boyne- The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
36. John Green- An Abundance of Katherines
37. John Green- Looking for Alaska
38. John Green- Paper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud- Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl- Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
41. Kelly Armstrong- Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)
42. Kristin Cashore- The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
43. Lauren Kate- Fallen (1, 2)
44. Lemony Snicket- Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
45. Libba Bray- Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
46. Lisa McMann- Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
47. Louise Rennison- Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1-10)
48. M.T. Anderson- Feed
49. Maggie Stiefvater- The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
50. Margaret Peterson Haddix- Shadow Children (1-7)
51. Maria V. Snyder- Study (1, 2, 3)
52. Markus Zusak- The Book Thief
53. Markus Zusak- I Am the Messenger
54. Mark Haddon- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
55. Mary Ting- Crossroads
56. Maureen Johnson- Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
57. Meg Cabot- All-American Girl (1, 2)
58. Meg Cabot- The Mediator (1-6)
59. Meg Cabot- The Princess Diaries (1-10)
60. Meg Rosoff- How I Live Now
61. Megan McCafferty- Jessica Darling (1-5)
62. Megan Whalen Turner- The Queen's Thief (1-4)
63. Melina Marchetta- On the Jellicoe Road
64. Melissa de la Cruz- Blue Bloods (1-5)
65. Melissa Marr- Wicked Lovely (1-5)
66. Michael Grant- Gone (1-4)
67. Neal Shusterman- Unwind
68. Neil Gaiman- Coraline
70. Neil Gaiman- Stardust
71. Neil Gaiman- The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast- House of Night (1-8)
73. Philip Pullman- His Dark Materials (1-3)
74. Rachel Caine- The Morganville Vampires (1-10)
75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan- Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist
76. Richelle Mead- Vampire Academy (1-6)
77. Rick Riordan- Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1-5)
78. Rom LcO'Feer- Somewhere Carnal Over 40 Winks
79. S.L. Naeole- Grace (1-4)
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers- Princess of Gossip
81. Sarah Dessen- Along for the Ride
82. Sarah Dessen- Lock and Key
83. Sarah Dessen- The Truth About Forever
84. Sarah Shepard- Pretty Little Liars (1-9)
85. Scott Westerfeld- Leviathan (1, 2)
86. Scott Westerfeld- Uglies (1-4)
87. Shannon Hale- Books of a Thousand Days
88. Shannon Hale- Princess Academy
89. Shannon Hale- The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney- The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
91. Simone Elkeles- Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
92. Stephenie Meyer- The Host
93. Stephenie Meyer- Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
94. Sue Monk Kidd- The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer- Last Survivors (1-3)
96. Suzanne Collins- Hunger Games (1-3)
97. Suzanne Collins- Underland Chronicles (1-5)
98. Terry Pratchett- Tiffany Aching (1-4)
99. Tonya Hurley- Ghost Girl (1-3)
100. Wendelin Van Draanen- Flipped
Okay, after putting together my list, I debated whether I'd actually post it. It's rather embarrassing when you look at this list and there are so few marked as ones I've read. In fairness, there are some on this list that I picked up and started reading but couldn't get into so I set them aside and/or gave them to my sister-in-law or to DI.
But if you look at my Goodreads shelf you'll see a ton of YA books. They're just not on this list.
What's your favorite from this list? Your favorite not on this list? What ones should I absolutely try to get my hands on?
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
WiP Wednesday 9/11-9/17
So, yeah.
I probably only wrote like 1400 words in all of last week. If I don't step up my game I'm not going to finish this book before the end of the month.
Although, I did do something really important that will help me finish. (Not necessarily finish by the end of the day September 30th.) I realized I needed a little bit more going on in the book to flesh out a proper word count. So I let that thought simmer and when I wasn't looking the perfect idea struck me. It's not anything I have to weave into what's already been written, just a couple more stumbling blocks to throw at my characters before we reach the end of book 1.
One night instead of writing I ended up re-outlining the rest of book 1 so that I have a framework to build from. Which was important. Unfortunately, I kept getting sidetracked and didn't yet make it to sitting down and writing by the time the week was over.
How are your WiPs going?
I probably only wrote like 1400 words in all of last week. If I don't step up my game I'm not going to finish this book before the end of the month.
Although, I did do something really important that will help me finish. (Not necessarily finish by the end of the day September 30th.) I realized I needed a little bit more going on in the book to flesh out a proper word count. So I let that thought simmer and when I wasn't looking the perfect idea struck me. It's not anything I have to weave into what's already been written, just a couple more stumbling blocks to throw at my characters before we reach the end of book 1.
One night instead of writing I ended up re-outlining the rest of book 1 so that I have a framework to build from. Which was important. Unfortunately, I kept getting sidetracked and didn't yet make it to sitting down and writing by the time the week was over.
How are your WiPs going?
Friday, September 16, 2011
My Life Revolves Around Him...
and I might die if he doesn't reciprocate or if he does but then he leaves me.
Sounding familiar?
I've done my share of deriding this situation in YA books. That I wouldn't want my daughters to emulate that as a role model.
Re-reading my journals looking for whatever thoughts I put to paper following 9/11 made me absolutely cringe.
Every single entry is a laundry list of the random things that went on in relation to boys. Me reading too much into situations, me trying to contrive ways of being noticed by the latest crush, etcetera.
And I realized something.
I was that YA heroine whose life revolved around a boy.
And that scared me. There are times my journal entries haven't changed that much since those days. Recent times.
But then there are the gems of journal entries where I'm actually looking outside myself.
I don't know where those are but surely they must exist, right? I can't still be stuck as a teenager in an adult's body?
Maybe in some ways I do still have that sixteen year old inside me. But I know I've changed and grown. For one thing I no longer diagram movements of the boys I'm crushing on. (Seriously, I diagrammed. No lie.) For another, my journal entries aren't nearly as epic as they used to be. (I've had journal entries that went on for pages and pages.)
Re-reading my journals shows that in some ways I have changed and grown yet in some I haven't really. I do still use my journal to (over)analyze (to death) when I'm worried/wondering if a boy likes me. But then I also really use my journal to let out all my frustrations and worries and such. Reading through some of them is like reading a roadmap to major decisions.
So, deride the trope as I may have in the past, I guess I need to be a bit more understanding. Because I'm more Bella Swan than I realized, care to admit, or am comfortable with.
What about you?
Sounding familiar?
I've done my share of deriding this situation in YA books. That I wouldn't want my daughters to emulate that as a role model.
Re-reading my journals looking for whatever thoughts I put to paper following 9/11 made me absolutely cringe.
Every single entry is a laundry list of the random things that went on in relation to boys. Me reading too much into situations, me trying to contrive ways of being noticed by the latest crush, etcetera.
And I realized something.
I was that YA heroine whose life revolved around a boy.
And that scared me. There are times my journal entries haven't changed that much since those days. Recent times.
But then there are the gems of journal entries where I'm actually looking outside myself.
I don't know where those are but surely they must exist, right? I can't still be stuck as a teenager in an adult's body?
Maybe in some ways I do still have that sixteen year old inside me. But I know I've changed and grown. For one thing I no longer diagram movements of the boys I'm crushing on. (Seriously, I diagrammed. No lie.) For another, my journal entries aren't nearly as epic as they used to be. (I've had journal entries that went on for pages and pages.)
Re-reading my journals shows that in some ways I have changed and grown yet in some I haven't really. I do still use my journal to (over)analyze (to death) when I'm worried/wondering if a boy likes me. But then I also really use my journal to let out all my frustrations and worries and such. Reading through some of them is like reading a roadmap to major decisions.
So, deride the trope as I may have in the past, I guess I need to be a bit more understanding. Because I'm more Bella Swan than I realized, care to admit, or am comfortable with.
What about you?
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
WiP Wednesday 9/4-9/10
Wow.
Okay, first off, the WiP posts are changing. These posts will now cover the calendar week previous to this rather than Wednesday-Tuesday following the last update. That way, I can write (hopefully) all the week's blog posts in one session and then move on. This is aimed at streamlining the time I spend social networking and freeing time for writing and real life duties, such as gouging my eyes out, er, job hunting.
On to the updates.
Mirror, Mirror
So, yeah. I finished typing out everything that I had written. That topped out at 31,230 words. I won't transcribe more until I've filled this second notebook.
I do still hope (*fingers crossed*) to finish this book by the end of day September 30. Hope.
How are your WiPs going?
Okay, first off, the WiP posts are changing. These posts will now cover the calendar week previous to this rather than Wednesday-Tuesday following the last update. That way, I can write (hopefully) all the week's blog posts in one session and then move on. This is aimed at streamlining the time I spend social networking and freeing time for writing and real life duties, such as gouging my eyes out, er, job hunting.
On to the updates.
Mirror, Mirror
So, yeah. I finished typing out everything that I had written. That topped out at 31,230 words. I won't transcribe more until I've filled this second notebook.
I do still hope (*fingers crossed*) to finish this book by the end of day September 30. Hope.
How are your WiPs going?
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
WiP Wednesday 9/7
Well, it's that time again. This time I only have one project to update you on.
Mirror, Mirror (YA traditional fantasy)
I've made some progress. Thanks to a temp job and a sudden move across state lines, August was a rather unproductive month for me. I'm settling back into a semblance of normal and have been getting some writing done. Usually this happens at night right before bed. Which I'm fine with.
I filled the first notebook (I'm writing this one longhand) and moved into the second. When that happened I also started to type out what's already been written. I'm probably sitting around 29K-30K words right now so I am probably going to end up adding a lot in when I go through and revise. There is room for it as I tend to be pretty spare in my setting and action descriptions on the first draft. Especially in dialogue passages. The first revision usually largely addresses the floating head syndrome.
In all, I plan to be done with this book's first draft by the end of the month.
How are your WiPs going?
Mirror, Mirror (YA traditional fantasy)
I've made some progress. Thanks to a temp job and a sudden move across state lines, August was a rather unproductive month for me. I'm settling back into a semblance of normal and have been getting some writing done. Usually this happens at night right before bed. Which I'm fine with.
I filled the first notebook (I'm writing this one longhand) and moved into the second. When that happened I also started to type out what's already been written. I'm probably sitting around 29K-30K words right now so I am probably going to end up adding a lot in when I go through and revise. There is room for it as I tend to be pretty spare in my setting and action descriptions on the first draft. Especially in dialogue passages. The first revision usually largely addresses the floating head syndrome.
In all, I plan to be done with this book's first draft by the end of the month.
How are your WiPs going?
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
WiP Wednesday 8/3
First off, I'm thinking of taking a new picture to use for the WiP Wednesday posts. What think ye, friends?
Secondly, you might not be getting a photo of me any time soon. I've likely torn all my hair out over query package items.
On to the updates!
YA fantasy WiP:
I finally got the redesign of the capital city and the palace grounds and interior done so that meant I could actually go back to writing. Which is going slow, but I think that this chapter is really coming alive thanks to the time I took in redesigning everything. Plugging away at chapter 7 (there are currently 15 planned chapters) and trying to balance everything in my world right now.
How are your WiPs going?
Secondly, you might not be getting a photo of me any time soon. I've likely torn all my hair out over query package items.
On to the updates!
YA fantasy WiP:
I finally got the redesign of the capital city and the palace grounds and interior done so that meant I could actually go back to writing. Which is going slow, but I think that this chapter is really coming alive thanks to the time I took in redesigning everything. Plugging away at chapter 7 (there are currently 15 planned chapters) and trying to balance everything in my world right now.
How are your WiPs going?
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
WiP Wednesday 7/20
Lodestar (Adult fantasy WiP):
Revisions have begun in earnest. I'm hoping to get this polished and querying within the next couple of weeks. Fingers crossed.
This round is going pretty smoothly so far. But inconsistencies breed like dust bunnies. Going through the manuscript and highlighting (in a different color for each) the spots where my inconsistencies are showing up and/or where I need to address that element of the story has been very illuminating. (Pun not intended.)
I started off with one color. There was an inconsistency in whether these characters have a way of communicating over any sort of distance. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't.
That grew into 13 different colors for various issues. Some issues with the science behind the fantasy (using science in a very loose meaning), some random issues that only crop up in one or two spots, and then my crutch mannerisms. (Eye/eyes/eyed/eyelid, variations on smile/smiled, shrugging, and shaking of heads.)
Yeah. It's gonna take some time going through this and getting nitpicky. Oh well.
YA fantasy WiP:
I'm still stuck in chapter 5. This chapter will not end, I tell you. Soon. But not soon enough. This will be my biggest nightmare chapter when it comes time to revise.
The writing itself is going a little slow. I feel like there's something off with the book and so I think that's stalling me a little. I keep getting the urge to write a new chapter 1. But the new chapter I'm seeing in my head will drastically effect the rest of what's already written and that's putting me off making the change. I mean, I've written no few words on this book already and the thought of having to start over now makes me freeze.
I know, easier to restart now than after I've written 80K words.
Oh, and also? I decided on a title. It's a working title for now, but it works. *drumroll*
Mirror, Mirror
We'll see how long it stays but I needed the file to be named something more than "Draft 1" for locating purposes.
How are your WiPs going?
Revisions have begun in earnest. I'm hoping to get this polished and querying within the next couple of weeks. Fingers crossed.
This round is going pretty smoothly so far. But inconsistencies breed like dust bunnies. Going through the manuscript and highlighting (in a different color for each) the spots where my inconsistencies are showing up and/or where I need to address that element of the story has been very illuminating. (Pun not intended.)
I started off with one color. There was an inconsistency in whether these characters have a way of communicating over any sort of distance. Sometimes they did, sometimes they didn't.
That grew into 13 different colors for various issues. Some issues with the science behind the fantasy (using science in a very loose meaning), some random issues that only crop up in one or two spots, and then my crutch mannerisms. (Eye/eyes/eyed/eyelid, variations on smile/smiled, shrugging, and shaking of heads.)
Yeah. It's gonna take some time going through this and getting nitpicky. Oh well.
YA fantasy WiP:
I'm still stuck in chapter 5. This chapter will not end, I tell you. Soon. But not soon enough. This will be my biggest nightmare chapter when it comes time to revise.
The writing itself is going a little slow. I feel like there's something off with the book and so I think that's stalling me a little. I keep getting the urge to write a new chapter 1. But the new chapter I'm seeing in my head will drastically effect the rest of what's already written and that's putting me off making the change. I mean, I've written no few words on this book already and the thought of having to start over now makes me freeze.
I know, easier to restart now than after I've written 80K words.
Oh, and also? I decided on a title. It's a working title for now, but it works. *drumroll*
Mirror, Mirror
We'll see how long it stays but I needed the file to be named something more than "Draft 1" for locating purposes.
How are your WiPs going?
Friday, July 8, 2011
YA Writers and the YA Community
As I've walked this writer's path these last two years, I've been trying to find where I fit. My first book was not YA in that the characters weren't in their teens. My second book was and wasn't YA. It was traditional fantasy with a massive cast of characters who all took center stage as viewpoint characters at one point or another. My third book was decidedly not YA. I knew that going into it and I embraced that. I'd found where I belonged, I thought.
Then the current project came along and I'm pretty sure it can fall squarely in the YA category. I do plan on finishing it but I'm not entirely certain that it's one I want to publish. It's a realization I came to on Wednesday as I watched the beginnings of something unfold on Twitter.
A few weeks ago (I can't remember how long it's been), there was that article published in the Wall Street Journal about darkness in young adult literature. The vitriol that spewed forth onto Twitter and the internet in general disgusts me. It disgusted me then and it continued to do so on Wednesday. YA authors and those in the industry who took part vilified the author of that article when it hit the internet for the first time. They seemed to relish the opportunity to attack this one woman who dared to voice an opinion contrary to what is currently the loudest voice in YA.
Then on Wednesday they delighted in the opportunity to pounce on this author again when she and a YA author were both on a talk radio program. (There were other people, I think. I didn't tune in for the reasons I'm discussing in this post.) I shut down Twitter. I couldn't bear the vitriol spilling forth again against the article's author.
Do I believe censorship is a good thing? Absolutely not. It's not the industry's job or the government's job to protect my children (figuratively speaking since I'm not married) from things they might not be ready to handle or that would damage them more than help them. It's my job as a parent (again figuratively). I have two nephews. I buy them books for their birthdays and for Christmas. Some day they're going to be reading YA books and I know I'll have to be more careful when purchasing.
Do I get that darker content in YA isn't going to go away and that there might actually be a lot of kids who prefer that darker stuff? Absolutely.
Do either of these mean that I'm going to attack someone for voicing a differing opinion, for calling attention to a trend that simply means parents should be more diligent in being involved in and aware of their children's lives? Absolutely not.
I don't necessarily agree with everything written in the Wall Street Journal article. But I don't agree with how it was handled by the YA community within the publishing industry. Earlier in this post I said that I might not necessarily try to get my current project published when it's finished. The behavior of the YA community that I witnessed (major mob mentality) in the wake of the WSJ article and an article on Slate (though that one didn't garner near as hateful a reaction as the WSJ one) have made me question whether the grass really is greener on the YA side of the fence.
Is this sort of behavior indicative of the entire YA community in the publishing industry? Perhaps not, but it does appear to be the most vocal. And that voice isn't something I want to align myself with. It's making me question many things about my writing and about where I want to go with both my writing career and any career I'm hoping to obtain in the publishing industry. (The latter is probably shot to bits with this post. If that's the case, then it's probably not an industry I want to join as a professional on that side of the fence and leads me to think I should stick with writing and maybe go the indie route.)
Then the current project came along and I'm pretty sure it can fall squarely in the YA category. I do plan on finishing it but I'm not entirely certain that it's one I want to publish. It's a realization I came to on Wednesday as I watched the beginnings of something unfold on Twitter.
A few weeks ago (I can't remember how long it's been), there was that article published in the Wall Street Journal about darkness in young adult literature. The vitriol that spewed forth onto Twitter and the internet in general disgusts me. It disgusted me then and it continued to do so on Wednesday. YA authors and those in the industry who took part vilified the author of that article when it hit the internet for the first time. They seemed to relish the opportunity to attack this one woman who dared to voice an opinion contrary to what is currently the loudest voice in YA.
Then on Wednesday they delighted in the opportunity to pounce on this author again when she and a YA author were both on a talk radio program. (There were other people, I think. I didn't tune in for the reasons I'm discussing in this post.) I shut down Twitter. I couldn't bear the vitriol spilling forth again against the article's author.
Do I believe censorship is a good thing? Absolutely not. It's not the industry's job or the government's job to protect my children (figuratively speaking since I'm not married) from things they might not be ready to handle or that would damage them more than help them. It's my job as a parent (again figuratively). I have two nephews. I buy them books for their birthdays and for Christmas. Some day they're going to be reading YA books and I know I'll have to be more careful when purchasing.
Do I get that darker content in YA isn't going to go away and that there might actually be a lot of kids who prefer that darker stuff? Absolutely.
Do either of these mean that I'm going to attack someone for voicing a differing opinion, for calling attention to a trend that simply means parents should be more diligent in being involved in and aware of their children's lives? Absolutely not.
I don't necessarily agree with everything written in the Wall Street Journal article. But I don't agree with how it was handled by the YA community within the publishing industry. Earlier in this post I said that I might not necessarily try to get my current project published when it's finished. The behavior of the YA community that I witnessed (major mob mentality) in the wake of the WSJ article and an article on Slate (though that one didn't garner near as hateful a reaction as the WSJ one) have made me question whether the grass really is greener on the YA side of the fence.
Is this sort of behavior indicative of the entire YA community in the publishing industry? Perhaps not, but it does appear to be the most vocal. And that voice isn't something I want to align myself with. It's making me question many things about my writing and about where I want to go with both my writing career and any career I'm hoping to obtain in the publishing industry. (The latter is probably shot to bits with this post. If that's the case, then it's probably not an industry I want to join as a professional on that side of the fence and leads me to think I should stick with writing and maybe go the indie route.)
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
WiP Wednesday 6/29
Yay for progress update day!
Short story:
FINISHED! As of yesterday, this story is done. I'm still undecided as to whether I'll attempt to get this one published. It ended up being just over 13K. Wordy for a short story, yes, but that's how all of mine seem to go.
YA fantasy:
I finished chapter 4. But haven't written past there yet. I focused heavily on the short story this week because I wanted to get it done so the creative energy could be concentrated on the YA. I discovered during the process of writing that story that I can't have two first drafts going at the same time. It just doesn't work.
Lodestar:
Still sitting, waiting for revisions. Which will start probably in the next week or so. Just to prove to myself I'm able to revise and draft at the same time. (Preparing for the eventual day when I hope to be writing under contract.)
How are your WiPs going?
And, please, if you missed yesterday's post on the Stories for Sendai Anthology blog tour, read it and put this anthology on your buy list. All proceeds are going to aid survivors of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan back in March.
Short story:
FINISHED! As of yesterday, this story is done. I'm still undecided as to whether I'll attempt to get this one published. It ended up being just over 13K. Wordy for a short story, yes, but that's how all of mine seem to go.
YA fantasy:
I finished chapter 4. But haven't written past there yet. I focused heavily on the short story this week because I wanted to get it done so the creative energy could be concentrated on the YA. I discovered during the process of writing that story that I can't have two first drafts going at the same time. It just doesn't work.
Lodestar:
Still sitting, waiting for revisions. Which will start probably in the next week or so. Just to prove to myself I'm able to revise and draft at the same time. (Preparing for the eventual day when I hope to be writing under contract.)
How are your WiPs going?
And, please, if you missed yesterday's post on the Stories for Sendai Anthology blog tour, read it and put this anthology on your buy list. All proceeds are going to aid survivors of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan back in March.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
WiP Wednesday 6/15
High Fantasy Draft:
I still have no title for the book I'm writing. But that's okay.
I'm loving this story. It's kind of fun, trying to write a YA high/traditional fantasy. I'm worried that my MC isn't sounding teen enough, but it isn't like she's a contemporary teen. Her struggles will be the same, but I think I have a little room to play with the voice. So, yeah. We'll see.
I'm in chapter 3 right now. I know, slow progress, right? But the thing is this book only has 15 planned chapters. (Thereabouts.) So, there's wiggle room for adding chapters.
I'm writing this one longhand, off-computer. Which has its plusses and minuses. I've also decided not to type out what I write until I'm done with the book. Or when I've filled a notebook full of written material. I think I'll make that final call when I get there. But I think I need to fill about 3 notebooks, minimum, to have the book at a decent word count when it's done. Maybe four so there's room for making cuts that will be needed.
Lodestar
This book is in "let it sit" mode. When I finish the first draft of the above book, I'll return to revising this one. I had an excellent brainstorming session with a dear writer friend and now have some very good ideas for what to look at and change in the book.
It's weird, but I think I'm kind of excited to attack this round of revisions.
How are your WiPs going?
I still have no title for the book I'm writing. But that's okay.
I'm loving this story. It's kind of fun, trying to write a YA high/traditional fantasy. I'm worried that my MC isn't sounding teen enough, but it isn't like she's a contemporary teen. Her struggles will be the same, but I think I have a little room to play with the voice. So, yeah. We'll see.
I'm in chapter 3 right now. I know, slow progress, right? But the thing is this book only has 15 planned chapters. (Thereabouts.) So, there's wiggle room for adding chapters.
I'm writing this one longhand, off-computer. Which has its plusses and minuses. I've also decided not to type out what I write until I'm done with the book. Or when I've filled a notebook full of written material. I think I'll make that final call when I get there. But I think I need to fill about 3 notebooks, minimum, to have the book at a decent word count when it's done. Maybe four so there's room for making cuts that will be needed.
Lodestar
This book is in "let it sit" mode. When I finish the first draft of the above book, I'll return to revising this one. I had an excellent brainstorming session with a dear writer friend and now have some very good ideas for what to look at and change in the book.
It's weird, but I think I'm kind of excited to attack this round of revisions.
How are your WiPs going?
Thursday, May 26, 2011
The Painfully Oblivious Parent
You know the kind. Oblivious to the point of being absurd. Bella's dad in the Twilight books is one. The dad in Josephine Angelini's Starcrossed (a book which I far prefer to Twilight and a lot of other YA paranormal romance books that I've read lately) is another. (Though in his defense, because I really did enjoy the book, he's nowhere near as densely oblivious as Bella's dad.) But the one that takes the cake for me is Eliot's mom in "E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial." (Yes, it's a movie, but the trope is the same.)
I'm tired of seeing this. Yes, kids do great jobs at hiding things from their parents. (Though I was never one. My mom's always been one of my closest friends.) But these parents and others like them are so dense and oblivious I groan when I read them. I realize it's a method of getting the parents' noses out of the kids' business so that the kids can be off doing their thing and conquering the world on their own. But in my mind it sometimes borders on the inane.
A solution is the parent who knows but can't do anything. Percy Jackson's mom comes to mind. She can't see any of the baddies her son has to face. He has to move away from home for his and her safety. But whenever they happen to have an interaction, she's 100% supportive even though she might be terrified out of her mind underneath her calm facade.
I'd like to see more YA where the parents are aware of the situation but can't do anything, as with Percy's mom, or are aware to the point of becoming a source of conflict that can deepen the internal and/or external arc. (I'm thinking of the mom in Sophie Jordan's Firelight here.)
What think you?
I'm tired of seeing this. Yes, kids do great jobs at hiding things from their parents. (Though I was never one. My mom's always been one of my closest friends.) But these parents and others like them are so dense and oblivious I groan when I read them. I realize it's a method of getting the parents' noses out of the kids' business so that the kids can be off doing their thing and conquering the world on their own. But in my mind it sometimes borders on the inane.
A solution is the parent who knows but can't do anything. Percy Jackson's mom comes to mind. She can't see any of the baddies her son has to face. He has to move away from home for his and her safety. But whenever they happen to have an interaction, she's 100% supportive even though she might be terrified out of her mind underneath her calm facade.
I'd like to see more YA where the parents are aware of the situation but can't do anything, as with Percy's mom, or are aware to the point of becoming a source of conflict that can deepen the internal and/or external arc. (I'm thinking of the mom in Sophie Jordan's Firelight here.)
What think you?
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