The Dreaded Question

How's the writing going?

It is the question I dread.  It is the question that I got asked more often than not when I was in NYC.  It's the question that gets asked in emails, on Twitter, on Skype and in person. It's the question that makes me want to hit my head repeatedly against a very hard wall.  It's the question that makes me wish I'd kept my writing on the down low.

And it isn't because I don't appreciate the interest.  Or the support either.

It's just that I am in a shame spiral at the moment.  Inadvertent reminders that I am wallowing in excuses and really bad writing habits just make me feel worse.  The shame is so deep that I haven't even swung by Jennifer Echols' blog since I stopped writing.  You see I was taking part in her writing challenge all through May and did really well.  I hit the 20k mark in that month and then proceeded on paper.  Then stopped.  I have been too ashamed to returning ever since.  Sorry Jenn, give me another few months and I might grow a pair.

People ask me about my word count....that's the least of my problems.  Though if you are really interested it is currently 20K + how ever much a kilogram of paper is in words.

The second biggest problem....

What you can see sprawled out across two student desks is 1kg of white paper scrawled with jumbled scenes in non-chronological order.  Or they were until I had to go through all these pieces of paper and try and discover the narrative thread.

Why?

I am incapable of writing in chronological order.  I hip and hop from scenes that occur to me and then write in the moment.  This is going to make editing heinous and have a cohesive story even harder.  And yet, this is the process that works best for me.  Go figure?

It's been two months since I have written to a specific schedule.  (Actually I fibbed, it's closer to three.)  I write little bits here and there but nothing solid.

I write but I don't think I am all that good.  I am not trying to be humble, I like to write and that's why I do it.    Until it got harder and I thought I was sucking harder than normal.  It's the confidence angle.  I don't consider myself much of a writer.  Before I made the journey to Japan I set myself a goal of finishing a manuscript by the time I left (December 2010) and that I would be proud of it.  An Australian author told me this week that I am putting too much pressure on myself which is absolutely true.  It was something I needed to hear but also something I have to try.

Being a blogger is another part of the problem.  Many bloggers write.  Many bloggers consider themselves to be writer, are writers if you read their reviews.  But it always makes me squirm to be a blogger who wants to write.  I feel like I am a cliche.  Sometimes a fraud.  I hate cliches and liars more than anything and the thought of being one makes me ill.

I shared the first couple of thousand words with two people I trust.  And they were complimentary.  I immediately dismissed them as being nice and haven't shown anyone since.  I know, I am head case.  I am a fragile little lily who needs to get over herself.

Head issues aside, my biggest problem is that I can't explain to people what my WIP* is about.  That's a huge problem.  It isn't because it's complicated or requires a jump of logic - I just can't seem to summarise it in a way that makes it sound all that interesting.  That bothers me more than anything.  "A girl and her father get to know each other for the first time when she travels to Japan to live with him."  It needs some work.

A lot of work.

I am a cynic and a pessimist.  We usually are the hardest on ourselves.  We see ourselves as being realistic, and it probably is, but it stops us from having more faith.  So it is always nice to read a fragment of writing and not immediately recognise it as my own.  That I like it objectively.  In the end, if I can feel that way about the whole enchilada then that's pretty awesome.  I have faith, it is a sliver but it's something.  Just like my current poor excuse for a WIP.

And no, you can't read it.

*Work In Progress

Love Bites: when romance makes me want to howl

Contemporary romance is my kind of charge.  Sarah Dessen was my gateway drug a few years back and now my need for good stuff grows strong.  I've moved into some more heavy stuff - Jennifer Echols, for instance - but my core needs stay the same....good writing.

But you see....I don't feel like I am seeing much of that of late.  Or I did feel that before I read Anna and the French Kiss (debut author Stephanie Perkins) and fell over with just how good it was.  I've become very used to inferior product and that gets me down, very down, rock bottom down.

What is getting me down, down, down? -

• Characters - Talking about how in love you are doesn't excuse the fact that we don't know WHY you are in love.  One of the basic rules of writing is SHOW don't TELL.  And why is it when the writing is poor there seems to be more love declarations and less character development?  Coincidence?  I think not. 
• Also, being gorgeous doesn't mean he's the love of your life/has a sparkling personality.   Saying "I love you" all the time doesn't make him automatically interesting.  If looks and love declarations were the end all and be all, I would find soapie actors much more desirable.
• Love shouldn't always be revealed by a dangerous event.  You can just love someone by learning about them, talking with them.  You don't need to be bitten by a rabid dog or threatened by the convenient psycho girl at school to realise you have feelings for the guy (or girl).  If you love them because they saved you...make sure they have a personality.  ** Remember...hot doesn't equate to the ability to hold a conversation or you know, be interesting.
• Love is with your heart, not your loins.  The two can coincide but not always.  The dude (or dudette) might get your motor running but that doesn't equal a love connection, alternatively being in love doesn't mean you can't spin each other's wheels.  Love doesn't equal purity, you can wear the white dress no matter what.  And why is the need for the white dress an issue anyway....you're still in high school!
• Why do poorly constructed love triangles destroy their protagonist in order to have two hot side orders?  Seriously, you can't decide?  Really? (Oh wait, you're a character in a series...of course you can't decide, we have many more titles of dithering to suffer through.)

The last point really bugs me, specifically in poorly written titles, so I am going to go into more detail so my twitter rants will lessen (sorry followers). The simple truth of the matter is that most of the time I lose respect for the protagonist who ping pongs between suitors.  Not because I am jealous and wish I were in that position, exactly the opposite.  My big frustration is that often the author explains the lack of a choice away with indecision.

How can you be undecided?  Ultimately these girls (or guys) aren't and in the well written triangles even when there are tough decisions to be made, they already know the answer (eg Rose/Dmitri/Adrian or Katniss/Peeta/Gale). I always seem to be on the losing side as I often prefer the 'doucheboat' (douchebag +  dreamboat) over the likely choice.  Now in most cases I can give the protag the benefit of the doubt.  Lust versus like.  Old friend versus new enigma.  Mythical being versus paranormal being.  Whatever your triangle of choice.  I just don't buy the characters who are so deluded they don't know who they are leaning towards at least.  Teen girls can be oblivious but they also analyse things to death, specifically their love lives.  Obliviousness to their own feelings and others doesn't play.

But I take issue when the protagonist is so bland that the readers can easily place themselves into the storyline and/or the author wants to make the triangle hot even if it makes their main character horrid.  I recently read a fantastic book that had me ... with the exception to the love triangle.  The girl was undecided between love and duty...which I can understand but was alternating very hot scenes between both of them.  Not once but on multiple occasions.  Now I am not being harsh on my gender, I think a dude doing this is all kinds of ick too.  My problem was - she has feelings for both.  Fine.  Does that mean it is okay to be kissing, petting and other stuff with both?  No.  Am I being a prude?  No.  I have no problems with teens in YA being intimate but I do have a problem with a protagonist treating each boy so callously when they both have feelings for her.   It reflects poorly on her character, on her being, on her integrity and this wasn't a protagonist that I liked, empathised or even engaged with in the end.  I wrote her off as it was callous, not matter how oblvious the author tried to make her in the attempt to make her look innocent in her dealings with the boys.  It destroyed my enjoyment of the book and the otherwise great writing.

I object to a love triangle being the central conflict in a story.  Especially when the characters are all vanilla.  In settings where love declarations abound and ponies prance in forests of sugar plum fairies.  The protagonist always knows who she likes more.  I just wish there were more stories about the protagonist choosing and the other person sticking around.  Too often they are shuffled off so as not to be in the couple's periphery.  I loathe when that happens.  It isn't realistic.  The girl (or guy) should choose and live with the consequences - good, hot and bad.

What I loathe even more?  When the protagonist doesn't have to choose because the author creates some plot twist that renders the protagonist passive. Why create that conflict to begin with then?

You know the passive solutions I am talking about - when the third wheel:

• dies
• moves away 
• (and the worst)has  a new significant other immediately who they instantly fall in love with which a) makes them look flighty and b) that their interest in the protagonist wasn't real to begin with making the protagonist's (not)choice the right one.  *shivers*

What do you think?  What is your YA romance deal breaker?


**I've mentioned The Hunger Games here but I would love it if you don't comment on Mockingjay. I have not yet read it and would prefer not to be spoiled as I have so far managed to avoid it other than hearing who Katniss picked - nothing else. Thanks xx A

Blog to Watch - That Cover Girl

One of my longtime twitter friends is the delectable ShabbyGeek. After reading many of the YA blog community's suggestions over the past few years she's decided to establish her own blog.

And she's got a cool new take on the cover art that permeates YA publishing.

She intends for That Cover Girl to "...examine the outside of a novel’s heart, its cover. Let’s be honest, there are some beautiful pieces of inspiring art, and there are some horribly Photoshopped stock photos that make you want to barf. Ones that make you want to gasp and kiss the book’s publisher, and others that make you want to SHAKE YOUR FIST."

Have I got your attention yet?

I interviewed this lovely gal this week to get a better sense of what will be on offer at That Cover Girl.

You’ve been a twitter-player in the YA blogger scene sans blog for awhile. Why start one now?

After doing some digging and asking around, I found that there wasn't a blog dedicated just to YA covers. Sure, there are some that feature covers in all genres, but YA obviously has a niche of its own. Wasn't there a place for YA cover snobs like me to convene on the internet and collectively sigh and shake their fists? I couldn't find one. But I kept seeing posts pop up about covers -- weekly features, insightful special topics, and the like. Three blogs/series have inspired me to take part in starting up That Cover Girl: Pop Culture Junkie's "Lookalikes," Melissa Walker's "Cover Stories," and a particularly funny Forever Young Adult's "How to Judge a YA Book by Its Cover."

How did you come about the name?

My initial idea was to work "YA" somehow into the title. I'd seen it done so effortlessly with other blogs, but found myself floundering after awhile. Then I spent an exorbitant amount of time in a thesaurus, trying to come up with other clever titles. That Cover Girl just stuck. It's simple, it clues you into the blog, and lookie there, I'm a girl.

What will make your blog different from the standard YA blog offering?

I think focusing on the design elements of a novel's cover will provide a different perspective -- how I perceive a book's skin versus its heart. Just a few days ago, I brought up my seemingly-irrational distaste for Suzanne Collins' Mockingjay cover to a group of friends, and one of them confessed that she had never really considered covers before. Say what? This struck me as odd. I think what That Cover Girl may offer is a completely different point of view on how covers themselves have the ability to evoke an emotional response. Don't get me wrong, I'm still one to shout OMG IT'S SO PRETTY when I get excited about ogling shiny covers.

What covers have really made an impact on you of late?

Very recently, Courtney Summers revealed the cover for her third novel, Fall for Anything, which I loved. You can view my post on it here. A few covers where I felt an instant connection (woo! sparks!) include: Adam Rex's Fat Vampire, Suzanne Weyn's Empty, Scott Westerfield's Leviathan, and April Henry's Girl, Stolen just to name a few. Also, I had really anticipated Daisy Whitney's The Mockingbirds cover, and loved the original cover, which has since been shaded blue. I'm still faithful to the original red after having read it, and will be posting my thoughts shortly as well.

Are there any features you plan on offering?

I'm really hoping to score some interviews with designers and authors. I'd like to dig into the behind-the-scenes on why certain photography and typefaces were used. I'd love to gather author concept input, tidbits about the creative process, and compare covers by country at some point, too. I also plan on doing a before and after type of feature, where my thoughts about a book's cover might change after reading the novel.

What makes a good YA cover?

I hate to give such a vague answer, but it's all about the response a cover evokes. It's a good cover if it catches my attention long enough to make me want to pick up the book and know more. Several different factors play their own part in balancing what makes for a great cover. It has to be visually interesting. I want to be able to take one look at it and know where my eyes are supposed to look. It's quite annoying when there are so many design elements clamoring for your attention on a novel's cover that you're not sure what to think, feel, or where your eyes are even supposed to look.

That's not to say I don't have my own personal preferences, of course. I like simple. I like unique typefaces. I like...different. I'm not a fan of faces on covers. To date, there are only 3 covers that I didn't recoil from where full faces are involved: Ally Carter's Heist Society, Fall for Anything and Gayle Forman's If I Stay.

What do publishers need to move away from in terms of YA cover art?

Publishers, please refrain from modeling the angsty faces on your covers! Leave the imagination up to your readers. I know your intended demo might be 14-21 or thereabouts, but they can spot a silly-looking Molly McAngstface cover from 10 miles away, too. I know I'm not the only one who despises these covers. I'm also a twentysomething and I don't want to be embarrassed by walking around with a book that features two people making out on the cover, either. So please. Stoppit.

Well colour me intrigued ( really excited) to see what Shabby Geek will have on offer!

You can find the That Cover Girl blog by clicking on the link and on Twitter as ShabbyGeek.

Review - Waiting For You / Susane Colasanti

At the beginning of her sophomore year, Marisa is ready for a fresh start and, more importantly, a boyfriend. So when the handsome and popular Derek asks her out, Marisa thinks her long wait for happiness is over. But several bumps in the road—including her parents’ unexpected separation, a fight with her best friend, and a shocking disappointment in her relationship with Derek—test Marisa’s ability to maintain her new outlook. Only the anonymous DJ, whose underground podcasts have the school’s ear, seems to understand what Marisa is going through. But she has no idea who he is—or does she? Goodreads.

Review - A highly relatable tale of waiting for that person to make your heart swell while life chugs along.

This is my second jaunt into Colasanti-world and it was a welcome return.  In terms of the plot, having seen the quickly mentioned 80's film, Pump Up The Volume, I knew the mystery podcaster's identity pretty much from the beginning.  That being said, I think the cloak and dagger method worked to marginal success.  There is a certain level of predictability about most of the novel's events from Marisa's romantic life and her parents' marital meltdown . But that didn't take away from my enjoyment of Colasanti's more recent release on the YA romantic contemporary shelves.

Colasanti tackles a wide range of narrative beat to varying degrees of success.  Amongst the strong is the way in which she details the swings in Marisa's depression.  The protagonist has recovered from a particularly bad bout and yet the author shows that depression isn't something that disappears, it's something that can be managed...to a degree.  The parental breakdown is also an element that rang true, specifically the anger and powerlessness that grips hard on a teen in this situation.  The romance is an element that works and yet doesn't.  It is predictable.  One option is beautifully developed and fleshed out, the other is a victim to the plot development.

I really loved the pop culture references dropped throughout the book.  Every film mentioned was completely in my wheelhouse and recognised immediately. Part of me wonders if the current generation will be equally engaged though as most mentions are from my generation, not theirs.

It's a great little tale about friendship, love and redefining what you want in the "one".

Published - July 9, 2010
Format - Hardcover, 288 pages
Publisher - Viking Juvenille
Source - purchased
Origin: USA

Review - The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June / Robin Benway

Three sisters share a magical, unshakable bond in this witty high-concept novel from the critically acclaimed author of Audrey, Wait! Around the time of their parents’ divorce, sisters April, May, and June recover special powers from childhood—powers that come in handy navigating the hell that is high school. Powers that help them cope with the hardest year of their lives. But could they have a greater purpose?

April, the oldest and a bit of a worrier, can see the future. Middle-child May can literally disappear. And baby June reads minds—everyone’s but her own. When April gets a vision of disaster, the girls come together to save the day and reconcile their strained family. They realize that no matter what happens, powers or no powers, they’ll always have each other.

Because there’s one thing stronger than magic: sisterhood. Goodreads.

Review - Robin Benway's sophomoric release manages to admiringly tackle an area of life swept over in YA - the push and pull of siblings.  She has done so marvellously in the rapid fire, mood switching dialogue and simultaneous understanding and derision of one another. Their words are their swords and their feathers - bring each other to tears of hurt or laughter.  Amazingly strong words that work effortlessly to establish the characters as independent beings and the connections between one another.

The three tier perspective method used is also very effective in distinguishing each girl through their unique voice and view of the world.  It is how alternating perspectives should be used in literature - to shade in characters, to overlap incidences, to establish intent, to create full characters that breathe.

And yet....there's magic.  Or should I say special powers?  This is where the story becomes much less cohesive.  The main arc revolves around the discovery of their unique talents in relation to the magical mystery that is hinted at throughout.  It is just that the mystery is one heck of a climatic flop. I actually found myself completely disengaged with that facet of the narrative for most of the story which was enormously disappointing.

As for the romantic front - there was one.  Or should I say two?  One was delightfully snarky, barbed and my favourite variations on snappy dialogue.  The other one didn't really work and seemed to come to a head with no real event other than a convenience of plot and a need to iterate what the boy wore.  It's perplexing that one writer developed two romances with such varying degrees of success.

Despite my concerns about a cohesiveness born of a thin plot, this book is entertaining and will appeal to anyone with the unfortunate pleasure (or just pleasure) to have sisters.  Audrey, Wait! was an outstanding debut and while Benway didn't equal it with this effort, she did establish herself as an author with a unique voice and a fantastic grasp of dialogue.  A fun read.

Published: August 2010
Format: Paperback, 282 pages
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: publisher
Origin: USA

Review - You Wish / Mandy Hubbard

Kayla McHenry’s sweet sixteen sucks! Her dad left, her grades dropped, and her BFF is dating the boy Kayla’s secretly loved for years. Blowing out her candles, Kayla thinks: I wish my birthday wishes actually came true. Because they never freakin’ do.

Kayla wakes the next day to a life-sized, bright pink My Little Pony outside her window. Then a year’s supply of gumballs arrives. A boy named Ken with a disturbing resemblance to the doll of the same name stalks her. As the ghosts of Kayla’s wishes-past appear, they take her on a wild ride . . . but they MUST STOP. Because when she was fifteen? She wished Ben Mackenzie would kiss her. And Ben is her best friend’s boyfriend. Goodreads

Review - Who said a light, fun read couldn't be quirky and insightful too?  You Wish is the newest release from Mandy Hubbard and it is unique in that it takes an improbable scenario and makes it resonant while firmly planted in reality.  Yes, there's some magic at play but it doesn't pave the way from instant love connections and convenient fixes.  Hubbard has crafted a story so beautifully bonkers that it is truly difficult not to get swept along for the ride.

At its core, You Wish is a story that chiefly deals with growing up and everything that comes along with that.  We can't spend our lives wanting to be married an anatomy-less plasticy dude.  At some point imagination takes a back burner to the harsh realities of day.  This could be depressing considering the theme or ridiculous with the premise but Hubbard subverts both careening it towards a lovely medium of warmth, humour and lots of heart.

Kayla is a girl who is rather comfortable in who she is but all the change around her is unsettling.  Between her best friend's weirdness, her Ben-lust and her mother's work obsession - life ain't what it used to be.  One of the most horrific birthday parties I have read follows and Kayla's problems compound daily.  Hubbard's protagonist's wishes are typical but what she does with them is fairly brilliant.  The outlandish qualities of the wish fulfillment are grounded by the implications they have on her life.  What they reveal to Kayla and the audience is a magical life check that we all need.

Despite some magical shenanigans there is an ever present sense of humour that entertains and moves the plot quickly.  It serves to highlight events and feelings that were already in play before the wishes arrival..  The narrative juggling is impressive in its use in affecting one another and concepts of abandonment, parent divorce, peer conforming, cheating and body perception are naturally intertwined with a real life doll, a Ken  wanting to woo and candy hailstorms.  Like I said - bonkers, but brilliantly so.

A crafty use of magic to shine a light on every girl's everyday problems.  Funny, introspective and three kinds of wacky.

Published: August 5, 2010
Paperback, 272 pages
Published August 5th 2010 by Razorbill
Source: publisher
Origin: USA

http://www.mandyhubbard.com/