Sept-Ender

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.



This Week's Topic:
What was the best book you read in September?

September wasn't a great month for new reading. Coughs and tummy bugs were rampant in our house. Sigh.  Stress and illness lead to comfort reading. A few of my old faves were devoured. You know those great books you can pick up anywhere if a kid or dog loses your place and read on because you know it so well? I first read my best September book when I was about ten I think. And have re-read many times. It's a joke with hubby cos the night we met we got chatting and I accidentally told him the ending. But then I figured it didn't matter cos I'd never see him again anyway. He still teases me about how I ruined the book for him. Enough rambling... (Really, is there ever enough? *grin*) The best book i read in September was  Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card.   I love it because it's a comfort read. I love it because it makes me cry. Most of all I love it because in Ender I have one of the characters who I have as a reader supported most strongly. I wanted Ender to succeed completely.  What about you? What was your best September book? Do you turn to a comfort read when life gets messy?

Play it again Sam...

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.



This Week's Topic:


What themes, settings, motifs, scenes, or other elements do you find recurring in your work?

Just the other day I was re-reading one of my first stories and discovered the lead up to a big turning point for the heroine (an emotional day followed by a dance of all things) was almost the same as in a new story. And they were completely different heroines and genres. Sigh. Lucky the first hasn't a hope of appearing from beneath the bed any time soon.

I also tend to have strong mothers for my heroines. Usually good (after my own who passed away ten years ago) and if they're not.... then they're really, really bad which is me in an effort not to write about my awesome mum.

My characters are often not real... um... graceful or coordinated. They say write what you know I guess.

I'm drawn to outcasts, people who don't quite fit in. Maybe cos those people aren't so trapped in 'the system' that they can see where it's not working/not fair.

What about you? You writing the same thing over and over?

When you were young...

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.




This Week's Topic:
What non-YA character would you love to see star in a YA book as themselves?
Thinking about this made me realize that most of my very fave characters are either teens or spend some of the story as a teen. Eventually one sprung (ie crept painfully slowly) to mind.

He's ageless in an ageless book. He has immense power and wisdom and an aura of authority. seeing him as a teen, perhaps uncertain, perhaps going through the struggles that would make him so awe inspiring when we meet him would be so interesting.

I'm talking about Lord of The Rings and I'm talking about Gandalf.

Imagine a YA book about Gandalf? I'd read it!

While I'm on LOTR i think Aragorn could be rather interesting too.

What about you?