Tuesday, October 30, 2012

It's all about the boys

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 your best book for October?


Reading this one came about with a google search of 'best YA boy POV books'. I found 'Try Not to Breathe' by Jennifer Hubbard on a few lists and it was there on my kindle app a few minutes later.

I read the opening and was hooked. Here's the blurb:
 


Try Not to Breathe
Learning to live is more than just choosing not to die, as sixteen-year-old Ryan discovers in the year following his suicide attempt. Despite his mother’s anxious hovering and the rumors at school, he’s trying to forget the darkness from which he has escaped. But it doesn’t help that he’s still hiding guilty secrets, or that he longs for a girl who may not return his feelings. Then he befriends Nicki, who is using psychics to seek contact with her dead father. This unlikely friendship thaws Ryan to the point where he can face the worst in himself. He and Nicki confide in one another the things they never thought they’d tell anyone—but their confessions are trickier than they seem, and the fallout tests the bounds of friendship and forgiveness.
 
It was painful and messy and made me think - probably what I liked best about it in the end. Instead of making me think about the boy POV I was working on it raised questions for my girl MC. And she has nothing like this going on. But the brain works in mysterious ways.
=)
What bout you? Read anything excellent in October?

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Lights, camera... read!


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:
We'd like to know, in your opinion, what is it that makes some books seem ideal for a film translation?

This is interesting. When I write I generally 'see' the scenes playing out as a movie in my mind, but my WIP had a beta reader commenting 'I could see this being one of those movies where everything happens on one amazing weekend'. When interrogated... i mean, questioned, he didn't know whether it was different writing or what.

For me, it's a combination. i would consider something that paints a vivid picture in my mind. it needs a good pace and a great hook to make a good movie poster.

A cute hero and kissing is nice too!!
=)
What do you think?

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

meandering me

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:
Are you doing NaNoWriMo, or have you ever? Does having a deadline inspire you?


I am a complete deadline fangirl*. If I don't force some kind of goal I tend to meander about and not get anywhere pretty much.

I love the pressure and the words mounting up. Seeing the story evolve fast is all sorts of rush. But it's also HARD. and hard is, well, hard.

Cos November is all things summer and outdoors here the RWAus run a 50k in 30days in June where we can all sit inside in the cold and write. i completed that for the first time this year. Usually I'm more of a 44k in a month as my upper limit.

What about you?




*Note I might change my tune if/when I have someone else's deadlines to work to.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Full of awesome

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 do you hope to be writing in one year? Three? Five?
 
I can actually answer this one pretty easy... Something AWESOME!
Definition of awesome - so good it needs to be read on a swing.
 
 
It's maybe simplistic but it's true. In a perfect world there will be agents and editors and readers finding it full of awesome but the first person I need to wow is myself. Because to slog through the months of writing I need to be convinced it's great. I need to love the character and hate the character and bleed on the page for them. Or why waste my time?
 
What about you?