Teen Writers Summer Blogfest: Interview with Cool Person Aleeza Rauf

HEY! Guess what I am SO EXCITED because this is the VERY FIRST EVER interview that I did for this blog. Yes, I know, it is very surprising that I actually had the courage to go out there and take the initiative to e-mail and ask for an interview from the lovely, cool blogger called Aleeza Rauf. Go over to her blog to check out more of her lovely coolness...

Here's a snippet from her profile "about me":

 I’m a Pakistani-American YA writer & avid reader. I love libraries, cricket, Pepsi & Gatorade, long drives, NEW ZEALAND!, among lots of other stuff. Oh, and I’m aiming to become an accountant in case my novels don’t bring in sufficient income. If they get published, that is. (Yeah, that was me trying to be funny. #epicfail.)

1. How old are you?

17 and a half.

2. Where are all the places you have lived in your life? What is it like living in Pakistan?

I've only lived in two places, actually! Houston, Texas, and Karachi, Pakistan. As to what it's like living in Pakistan...hmm, it's kind of conflicting. While I love my country, I don't exactly enjoy living here. It's just really violent, and don't even get me started on how much I despise the narrow-minded society!

3. When and how did you start writing?

I've always been into books, so writing one seemed like a neat idea. I always wrote short stories, essays, etc. But I got serious about it at thirteen, I think.

4. What is your favourite thing about writing?

For one thing, I love how writing is a craft and you can always improve at it. I used to suck so bad at it, I almost gave up! But after writing lots of more crap, I finally got to a point where I could read what I'd written and not want to trash it all away. Another thing I love is being able to get absorbed into a story, working out the kinks...and seeing how it all comes together in the end.

5. What is the best advice you've ever heard (or ever given) about blogging and/or writing?

About blogging, it would have to be 'blog because you love it.' That probably sounds very basic, but I'd hate to blog only because it's a social media requirement and not because I love doing it.


And for writing... Honestly, I think it's 'read as widely as you can.' I've read, like, eighty-five books already this year! And they have helped me SO much as a writer, in terms of writing, storytelling, plot... So yeah. READ! As much as you can.

Of course, WRITE as much as you can too. I don't think I'd have gotten where I am now had I not wrote all those crappy novels.

6. What is the best thing that's happened to you as far as writing and blogging goes?

Meeting so many amazing people, definitely! As for writing, I still have to finish my book, so as soon as I do that, that will definitely be the best thing I've accomplished.

7. What are your top five favourite writing sites/blogs?

Only 5! Wow, this is gonna be hard...


1) Stephanie Perkins' blog: Not only do I LOVE these authors books (like, a lotlotlotlot), but I also adore how charming the author is herself! She doesn't blog all that regularly, but that's fine with me, because her posts are totally worth it.


2) Kiersten White's blog: Kiersten White! 'Nuff said.


3) Nathan Bransford's blog: NB might not be an agent anymore, but he's still incredibly helpful.


4) Steph Bowe's blog: This Steph doesn't blog all that often, either. But I'm always looking forward to her posts as well.


5) YA Highway: YA Highway is SO helpful in terms of writing, and guiding you to other helpful posts for writing. I love this blog.

8. If you were asking someone questions and you had to ask a really random question about anything, what would you ask?

I...have no idea. 'What is your favorite hair color?' That's random, innit? Also, lame. I could ask them 'Where do you want to die?' but that's too morbid. Basically, I suck at random questions.

Thanks for interviewing me, Gracie! :)

It's no problem!! Now go check out Aleeza's blog if you haven't already, and also if you were asking someone random questions, what would you ask?

Teen Writers Summer Blogfest: My Writing: THE REAL THING

I originally wasn't going to participate for this day of the Teen Writers Blogfest (see all the other participants stuff here), mostly because I accidentally skimmed over that day on my list and just didn't see it but also because I didn't really feel like sharing any of my writing.

But I figured since I talk quite a bit about writing on this blog thing, and I also now have quite a few followers (yay new followers! Say hello!) I might as well. (Although I'm sure Linda and the Dragon was an excellent peek into my writing. HAHA.)

So I haven't really been working on anything for awhile, because I was stuck on the thing I was working on and I was taking a break. But the thing I was stuck on I am now becoming unstuck and I just in the past couple of days read over what I wrote and went, "There's hope in this." (Sometimes when I do this I go, "This is trash, why I am writing this??") And now I have some ideas, so I think I will continue working on that for awhile.

But you want an excerpt, don't you? Okay. Here goes.

After about twenty minutes I find I've been running my palms along the surface of the mountain and have turned my hands a deep red colour, as if I've dipped my hands in bleeding ash. I guess it helps to feel like I'm pushing the walls out from beside me, because it is extremely claustrophobic. Up is blackness. Left and right is red mountain walls. Forward and back is both black, one unknown and the other known. But there is no going back.

Yup, that's all you're getting. (Because if you didn't already know, I am a cliff-hanger expert.)

Teen Writers Summer Blogfest: BOOKS 'n' Stuff

I was reading something the other day where someone said that they did not read. That they much preferred writing over reading. Before I talk about books 'n' stuff that I like about reading, I will just say: YOU WRITE, YOU READ.

There.

Now, I'm not exactly sure why I love to read (and consequently, write) but it might have something to do with it's fun. It's fun to imagine crazy things, it's fun to live vicariously through characters, it's fun to learn things in a roundabout way through fictional people. It's fun to immerse yourself in a book and get lost and pretend you're living in a different world, and it's fun to analyze the real world by making something up.

This year I decided to start a reading list of all the books I've read and so far I've read about 56 books. Some were good, some were bad, some were absolutely amazing. The worst I didn't finish because they were either much too "tell" and not enough "show", or... actually, nevermind. That was the main problem.

But the BEST. Those were definitely... well, Harry Potter, the last book of which I only finished (FOR THE FIRST TIME) this January (yes. I was 16 years old and had never read Harry Potter). Then there would be The Hunger Games and its two sequels, which I actually reread this year just because they were so good (I read them for the first time last year).

Then, the book that made me cry (which, to me, are always the best books; the ones that make you cry) Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. It was a beautiful book, intertwining heartwrenching stories of past and present. I also have to say that Melina Marchetta definitely grew as a writer; after I read Jellicoe Road I read her first book, Looking for Alibrandi, and it was pretty awful. But this only proves that you write, you get better.

As for genres, I love YA, but there is something so refreshing and innocent and wonderful about reading middle grade. I do not know why or how this is, but if you are ever sick of stereotypical YA books, go and check out some middle grade from your library.

I have so many thoughts on reading, but they all appear as seperate thoughts like this one, this one and this one. So I guess what you should really do is keep coming back and checking for some more posts on reading. ;)

Oh and if you want to go check out all the other posts for the Teen Writers Summer Blogfest, go here!

Teen Writers Summer Blogfest: MEMEMEME (and Canada)



Yes, I have a pool in my backyard. :D

HAPPY CANADA DAY!! It's been a 144 years since Canada first became a country on July 1, 1867. (Although my province didn't actually become part of the country until after Confederation... but anyway.) If you want to learn about Canada, go here. (HAHA that post is hilarious.) And some awesome Canadian bloggers: Yahong Chi and Clementine. (And they're both teenagers!! And writers! YES!)

So not only is it Canada's birthday, but it's also the first day of the awesome Teen Writers Summer Blogfest hosted by Brittany at Hills and Corkscrews. According to the schedule, I am supposed to introduce myself.

Well. In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm Canadian. :) (So if you were wondering, that is why I always write "favourite" with a "u"). And if you've really honed your detective skills, you might've also figured out that I'm a teen. (A nice uneven 17 years of age.)

Now I am going to go ahead and interview myself, because that's what cool people do (okay, technically Brittany came up with all the questions, but still).

Top 3 favourite genres to read?
I was going to say something along the lines of romance, contemporary and dystopia or something but with anything (like carrots or cheese) too much is bad for you. I get sick of any genre if I read too much of it, which is why I think it's good to branch out and read different things all the time! (I think I am going to post on that sometime!)

Favourite movie?
My tastes differ but right now I really enjoy... Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1). It was excellently, excellently done. (Also I don't really watch that many movies).

Person you would most want to meet, alive or dead?
Mattie Stepanek.

Dogs or cats?

Dream job?
Um. Author, o'course.

Three of your hobbies besides writing?
Scrapbooking, singing, fluting (by which I mean playing flute), biking...


Last book you read?
I am preparing this post early so it may be different by the time I actually post it but, Pop by Gordon Korman (yes, I read an entire book about [American] football!!)

If you were a superhero, what would your powers be?
Um, probably supreme organization skills??

Weirdest thing about you?
So either that I always rinse my mouth out three times after I brush my teeth because I am hyperaware of the warning that you aren't supposed to swallow toothpaste, or that I have a slight fear of staircases.

 If you won a million dollars how would you spend it?
On renovating our entire house for my parents, charity, and BOOKS o' course.


Your Hogwarts house? (or are you not a HP fan?)
As of recently, I am an HP fan, but I don't know which house I'd be in. Probably Ravenclaw (but doesn't everyone want to be in Gryffindor anyway??)

If you were a piece of clothing what would you be?
Sweatpants? I don't know, something comfy. So if you are wearing something comfy right now, you are wearing me!! Ahem. Okay then.

So! Hope you learned a little about me, your fellow blogger and I also hope you'll enjoy the rest of the Teen Writers Summer Blogfest! Check out the other particpants' blogs: Taryn, Rachael, Will, Nick, Laura and of course Brittany.

So... what's the most interesting thing about you???

Sweeping Dust Bunnies

Hey! So if you're new here/passing through/visiting or whatever, then GO HERE instead. Because this post is going to be all news/updates and stuff. I hate doing whole seperate posts for this stuff because it's kind of boring, but I also don't like messing up my pointed posts with updates!!

SO I'll make it quick and painless:

-Teen Writers Summer Blogfest starts TOMORROW (which also happens to be Canada Day, aka my country's birthday).
-I have a surprise which will be a first for this blog. ;) Come check out the surprise on July 4.
-July 15 as probably everyone knows, is the release date of the VERY LAST Harry Potter movie. So to celebrate (/say goodbye??) I want to put together a blog post collage of stories of Harry Potter experiences. So if you have a great story (or you just want to share your story) about your experiences with Harry Potter (whether it be movies or books), then please e-mail me at kazuntai101[at]gmail[dot]com
HAVE A GREAT SUMMER!

Three Types of Night Readers

If you read before you go to sleep, then you *might* find yourself in one of these categories:

*ahem* We interrupt our regular programming to bring you two unexpected things that just happened.

One: my dad just asked "Is that where you live if you're a hermit, a hermitage?" Ahem. I do not think he is correct, but you may back him up with websites or encyclopedias if you'd like (or prove him wrong).

Two: I just found a text document on my desktop that seemed to be an e-mail about the federal government of Nigeria... but actually now that I look at again I think it's one of those spam things that tries to get you to give money (although why it is copied into a text document on my desktop I have no idea).

*ahem* We now return to our regular programming.

THREE TYPES OF NIGHT READERS (aka people who read before they go to sleep)

1. The Practical One

This would be me, most of the time. I take a book into bed after a long day, stretch out, relax, and get into the story. After my eyelids begin to droop, I glance at the page number, chuck the book I'm reading on the floor and proceed to ponder over the events of the book for another half hour before I go to sleep. (Well, I ponder while my brain takes off on rabbit trails.) Or maybe if it's really good, I'll go to the end of the chapter or more likely, go until I stop at a page where there are no cliff-hangers.

2. The All-Night Reader

This is when the release date comes of a book you have been waiting for FOREVER, and you go out the day of the release and buy the book and you just want to DEVOUR that book. You start reading as you walk away from the cash register at the book store, and don't even stop when you get home. You don't even realize you get into bed because the story is so good and then you're just reading, reading the night away and the book is over. And when you've finished the book, you heave a big sigh as if you've just run a marathon, and you look up. The sun is just coming up, and you suddenly realize you are dead tired. But you've hit The End in the book, so it's okay now if you sleep.

3. The Face Planter



Wow, looking at all these pictures of people sleeping
made me tired... (and this isn't my cat)

You read, and you're really into it and your eyes are drooping but you just can't put the book down, not yet not when all this interesting stuff is happening. Well, apparently all that stuff wasn't so interesting after all, because the next thing you know you're lifting your head off some pages and you've got a book ink tattoo all over your face. Yup, you fell asleep while reading. When you finally lose the world to dreamland, you do a faceplant right into your book. Every night.

So which one are you? Practical? All-nighter? Faceplanter?

(NOTE!!! Hey! Don't forget about the Teen Writers Summer Blogfest that I'm partcipating in with a bunch of other teens, starting THIS FRIDAY which is also Canada Day, just to let you know. So yeah, click the link and go check out all the other teens' blogs!!)

OH and I STILL CAN'T SEE MY FOLLOWERS!! So if you are new here, check out the new here page and comment/e-mail me so I can check out your blog/become friends/whatever!

(Synonyms for Random Go Here) Post

Last night, instead of doing anything sensible or productive like sleeping, I decided to read through archives of funny blogs like this one and this one. (I came to the conclusion that computers should have the ability to have their screen rotated so I can lie in bed with my head on pillow to read blogs, instead of twisting my neck awkwardly all the time).

I was reading one particularly funny post and I suddenly could not stop laughing out loud. (Usually I do not laugh out loud at things. Instead I’ll just go “Haha that’s funny!” but not actually physically laugh). Anyway, my laughter at 10:30 PM last night caused my sister to wake up and go “TURN THE SCREEN DOWN”, even though the brightness (of the computer screen) was already at its minimum (which I reminded her of, and she promptly fell back asleep.)

Anyway, what I really wanted to say is that all these funny posts made me want to tell a random story, so I decided I’d talk about last year in French class when my French teacher made the class believe that there was a subway system in our school.

It started with a janitor driving by the classroom in a... I don’t know the name of it, but it is a thing that the janitors drive around, and it cleans the floor. Anyway, this thing makes loud rumbling noises when it goes down the hallway, and it also beeps.

One of the more gullible students in my class asked what the sound was, and my French teacher decided she was going to have some fun and told the student that it was the school’s subway.

My French teacher went on to piece the puzzle together, saying that the nametag IDs that all the teachers have to wear on a lanyard around their neck were actually subway passes so the teachers could use the subway, because the subway actually goes to all other schools in the division.

There is also a main staircase in my school that has stairs going down the basement that nobody uses (unless you are going down to store musical props) because there aren’t any classes in the basement, and my French teacher said that those stairs actually lead down to the subway platform.

So I’m just sitting there, laughing along with my French teacher (and some other guy in my class who decided to get in on the joke and backed up everything Madame said) while she tried to trick this one gullible student (and actually ended up tricking more than one).

Then all of a sudden my imagination is, well, imagining this subway that connects all the schools in the division, and I can see teachers using it, and I’m like whoa that’s so cool why didn’t I know about this before that’s so cool!!

Of course, in the back of my head (the part that wasn’t asleep from being in school all day) was going THIS MAKES NO SENSE. For one thing, there is a teacher’s parking lot, and I see all the teacher’s cars there, like, every day when I walk through the parking lot to get into the building. I also knew that the rumbling/beeping was coming from the janitor tractor-mop thing, because I’d seen it before, and I also knew that schools being cheap as they are would never put in money for a subway system.

Also, my city doesn’t even have a subway system, so WHY WOULD MY SCHOOL???

Yeah. We still joke about it. *rumbling of janitor’s tractor-mop* “Oh! There goes the subway!”

In other news, I have received my first blog award from this guy and I am now apparently supposed to dole it out to some other people which I think I will figure out later because I would rather you be dwelling on the ridiculousness of having a subway in a school (and me believing it) than my accomplishments.

Thank you!

Dear Notebook,

It's not you. It's me. Actually, never mind, that's not true. It's all you, because you seem to have this thing called a finite number of pages. And, well, I've reached the last page with you, Notebook. I'm sorry, but it looks like it's time to say goodbye.

We've had some good times, Notebook. I've shared many thoughts and stories with you. I want to thank you for tolerating the spontaneous scribbling I do when I suddenly have a burst of inspiration and I know if I don't write it down immediately, I will forget. So thank you, Notebook, for being half of my memory.

Or, really, more like half of my brain. Thoughts, stories, bits and pieces of assignments, all of that finds home somewhere in your pages. I must say, Notebook, you are amazing. To make sense of such mindless mumbo-jumbo... I don't know how you do it.

Your last page, Notebook*

Yet all good things must come to an end, which unfortunately must happen with this relationship. It seems like you've been used for every little thing, but there's only so many random thoughts you can stand, I'm sure. Now that we've reached the last page of our journey together, I hope you will accept my gratitude as well as my goodbye.

I will never forget you, Notebook, but I must move on to bigger and better things, and maybe some notebooks with more blank pages than you.

Also, Notebook, I'm really sorry that your last page isn't inscribed with this beautiful goodbye message, but a page of Dutch Blitz scores (and I didn't even win).

We can still be friends, Notebook, I promise.

Sincerely,
Gracie

**In case you're wondering, whenever I keep score for Dutch Blitz I get everyone to choose a nickname...

On Weird in Writers

So today I had this conversation with my brother:

Me: Okay, so I have been stuck on my first draft of my cliff-hanger for forever, and I KNOW that I need a new way to freshen it up, to make the beginning more interesting. Any ideas?

Bro (lying stretched out on the couch playing video games): Uh, I don't know, Tam's king?

Me: [Says all reasons why this is a bad idea. And uncreative. And all that jazz.]

Bro: I dunno... someone dies.

Me: Well... [SUDDENLY a HUGE OCEAN wave of inspiration hits me, and somehow it invovles someone dying. This may have been a coincidence, or it may have been triggered my brother. God only knows.] YES. YES! YES!

[I start jumping up and down and dancing while continuing to shout "Yes!"]

Bro: You're weird.

Me: I. Am a writer.

Bro: I don't think all writers are weird.

Me: Uh... I really think a lot of writers out there would disagree.

Bro: Well, then, bad writers are probably normal.

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS LOGIC.






Going to the Zoo Builds Character

Guess what III got to do yesterday?? Yes, I got to go the zoo. My best friend and I biked to the park where the zoo is and then walked around for an hour. It was pretty fun seeing all those animals. But one thing I noticed was how much character those animals have...

Hey, you can see my reflection in the glass..

There's some lazy lions lolling on the... shelf thingamajig. Maybe they have a larger version of the character of my cat, Venus:



See, it isn't blogging that's keeping me from writing! ... ahem...

 Yup, that there is one lazy lion. My cat Venus has quite a character. She is in love with first and foremost, my dad (she butts him in the face with her furry little head and then curls up on his chest and walks over his face at night and if he pets her then she starts purring. She even climbed up a stepladder to be with him a few times) and then second, the vacuum. When I was vacuuming the other day, she was rolling around and purring near the suctiony part. She loves it. Oh, she also loves to get wet. She comes running every time my dad gets the contact solution out.

Okay... maybe the lions don't have quite the same character as Venus...

Yeah, that's a peacock up on that shelter thing. Can you say show off? In addition to having that gorgeous shimmery blue neck and a huge fan of patterened feathers attached to their butt, they have to perch on top of things and squawk at us as if we were peasants to their king.

Oh, and to add in some random facts about peacocks because people should be educated about such things: a female peacock is not actually a peacock; she's a peahen and the entire species is called peafowl. And since they supposedly roost in trees, I'm guessing they do fly. So apparently it was mating season when I was at the zoo because those peafowl were squawking all over the place. Listen to some peafowl squawking here. 

Um, I think I'll let you make up some characterization for the flamingo. I just wanted to put a picture in because I think it's funny to stand on one leg to sleep. I advise you try it sometime...hmm.

 That's a monkey, in case you couldn't figure it out. And boy do those guys have lots of character. They like to show off too, in a performance sort of way, swinging back and forth with their long arms at the top of their cage with their cute little baby clinging to their fuzzy chest. It was also interesting seeing the little baby monkeys get trampled many times by the older monkeys... It's like my dad with my two years younger brother: "Well, you need to toughen up anyway. Wimp." *punches my brother in the gut*

If you ever have posture problems, find a bald eagle. They have it down: shoulders back, head straight, feet shoulder width apart...

I think these little guys were the best characters of all. Everywhere we walked in the zoo we saw another prairie dog, chirping and speeding away or somersaulting over one of their buddies. They grew on me, so much so that I think they could feel that I liked them, so consequently thought only one thing: Food??

Those are my shoes... yeah, they got pretty close. Don't worry,
they didn't eat us (like my friend thought might happen).

Unfortunately, I had no food so instead they scampered back into their holes and proceeded to chirp-scream at us until we left.

So this post was not so I could show you pictures of my trip to the zoo, o' course (ahem... well) but because I wanted to tell you that if you ever have problems building a character, you should go to the zoo to find some ideas there.

Teen Writers Summer Blogfest

Okay I am going to QUICKLY tell you a bunch of things before I zoom off to my youth group to sleep overnight with those peoples at my church (it's a lot funner than you think).

1. I am going to participate in the Teen Writers Summer Blogfest where a bunch of teens are going to write some posts and stuff from July 1- 9. I am very excited about this! Also, if you are a teen, go to the link and definitely consider signing up!!!!

2. I went to the zoo today, and I took a bunch of pictures of the animals!! And I am going to post about them later, probably tomorrow or Sunday.

3. I am very frustrated but blogger is not letting me see my followers anywhere... so if you're new here/a new follower, comment or e-mail me (kazuntai101[at]gmail[dot]com) so I can get to know you or check out your blog!!!

THANKS A TON PEOPLE!!!

<3Gracie<3

Puzzling Over "Show Don't Tell"

So one of those often-heard writerly concepts, or sayings, or whatever you'd like to the call them, is "Show, Don't Tell". Something I, and probably everyone who has ever looked up writing advice, has seen a million one hundred and one times.

So I find it kind of amazing/terrifying when I read books actual published books that are pretty much all telling. (Although I guess there is a point to that; maybe some people need books that are all telling.)

Anyways, I was thinking the other day about puzzles.

This does relate to show-don't-tell, I promise. Just be patient.

Well, I was also thinking about this book I was reading called Scrawl by Mark Shulman (which is an excellent book, by the way). If you need an example of Show Don't Tell, this guy has got it down.

One example of Show Don't Tell that I found in Scrawl had to do with the main character's last name. I noticed that the author never wrote "My name is Tod Munn". Or: "In case you were wondering, Munn is my last name". He didn't do that because it wasn't necessary for him to do that. I, the reader, could figure out that Munn was Tod's last name all on my own.

This is because instead of telling me Munn was Tod's last name, Mark Shulman showed people saying Tod's last name, showed people using it in the context of a last name. And after awhile, it all comes together...

...like pieces in a puzzle. Once you've got a few pieces in place, you can see (either that or guess) the big picture. The point of Show Don't Tell is to realize that your readers are smart enough to do those kinds of puzzles.

It's important to have those puzzles in your writing, because puzzles are more interesting and fun and challenging. If you had in-detail, step-by-step, spell-it-out directions for a puzzle, it would take the purpose right out of making a puzzle.

Now, I am going to show you goodbye:

When Ears Read: The Audiobook Experience

So I'm one of those people that can't read, write, look down, play iPod games, do anything that's not looking out the window, in a moving vehicle. At least, without getting nauseous. So when I went with my choir for a tour down to Minneapolis (if you experienced any random acts of singing two weekends ago, that was me with my choir) I thought that a couple of audiobooks would be perfect for the drive down.

I have actually never listened to audiobooks before, except for childrens books on cassettes that my sister and I borrowed from the library when we were younger. It's a lot different than reading a book. These are some things I noticed:

1. I can read in a moving vehicle (in this case, a Beaver Bus) without getting sick!



My cat, Venus, waiting to be read to.

 2. It felt like I was seven again and my Dad was reading aloud to me and my siblings. (The audiobook I was listening to was also Chronicles of Narnia, which is what my Dad read aloud to us almost every night when we were younger.)

The ape and the donkey from
The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

3. I like when the narrator does different voices for each character. And the characters in The Last Battle and The Silver Chair have really funny voices.

4. It is extremely relaxing to just listen to someone talk. (It is also easier to fall asleep... especially on a trip where you are singing and doing stuff all the time on top of getting little sleep).

5. (This is a question more than something I discovered about audiobooks). Does listening to audibooks count as reading a book?

Books and Their People

So I've already read a couple of posts about this article, which basically says that YA is too dark or as the subtitle to the article says: "Contemporary fiction for teens is rife with explicit abuse, violence and depravity. Why is this considered a good idea?" And then it goes on to say all that is wrong with the YA of today, giving examples of all the terrible dark books there are. (I don't understand where the author did their research... it is really easy to find book review websites and get some really good books about hope and other NOT dark stuff).

I'm not going to comment on the article itself, but it reminded me of an earlier issue that has been brought up time and time again that I've been wanting to touch on. People read books, or YA, and they judge them and go "this isn't suitable for children" or "there's death in this" or something, anything, condemning books and saying that they're WRONG. That people should not be writing like this, that books should not be like that.

Um, since when can books be right or wrong? Books are not math questions. They're a reflection of life that's maybe a little distorted, but since when is the answer to life definable?

Although in another sense, I think that books can either work for someone or not work for someone. This is why I don't understand a lot of reviews, because the reviewer is commenting on things in the book that maybe they like but that someone else probably won't.

People are different from each other. Since people are different, they have their own unique taste in books and need different kinds of books to read than other people. (So you can't really say if you like a book or not until you've read it.)

For example, I find Sarah Dessen books extremely "fluffy" and I've tried and failed more than once to slog through the obviousness of what's going to happen. Yet there are hundreds of people out there who love Sarah Dessen books, probably partly because of the fluff and predictability of them.

Some people think books are good. Some people think the same books are horrible. This isn't because the words magically change as each person reads it, but because the actual person reading the book changes.
Each person has unique qualities and past experiences that they bring to their reading experiences, shaping what they like and don't like.

And sometimes one person's needs differ from time to time. I'll read four sort-of romance books and then get so sick of them and then read some science-fiction thing because I need something different. Or I feel like reading something easy and not-so-real, or I'll feel like reading something really hardcore and deep. It just depends on the kind book I need at that moment.

So (back to the article), some people need those dark kinds of books, and other people need happy books. People have reading needs, and you CANNOT throw out some general statement about reading needs that aren't your own. Because they're not yours.

And, on another note, you can find happy books! Even in the most dreadful books I've read, there are little bits of hope somewhere. It's awful to stereotype anything, people, books or otherwise like that.

So I really hope I made some sense...

Anyway to check out some other thoughts on the article (although mine wasn't really thoughts on the article... the article was just a way to tangent onto another thought), visit Veronica Roth and Taryn Albright, and read the awesome thought shared over at Paper Hangover.

What do  you think?

On Reading A Book With No Baggage

Guess what? Today you get to do an activity!! Yay!! So, what I want you to do is either get up and walk around or just look at the stuff around you. As your eyes wander over the many items that surround your computer or desk or whatever, try to leave all your judgments and past experiences behind. Try to not think of anything but that object that you are looking at.

It's kind of hard, isn't it, to not bring our past experiences and judgments and thoughts to the experiences of our present. Our brain is always churning out thoughts and judgments and reminders and it attaches meaning to objects based on different things that we've experienced in our lives.

So I was thinking about this the other day in relation to reading a book. When I read a book, I bring all my past experiences and judgments of previous books and stories I have read and wrote to the forefront when I am reading a book, and that then affects my experience of that book.

Maybe because I've read way too many cheesy romance novels, I just can't get into this romance novel even though it's not too cheesy. Or something along those lines.

But then I thought: what if we DIDN'T lug along those thoughts from our past to the experiences of our present? What if we could just enjoy the book we are reading AS IS, without comparing or contrasting or measuring up or any of that stuff?

Would we be able to enjoy the book more, see things that we'd never be able to see otherwise? Or are those judgments based on our past just part of how we read?

Hmm...



Bring the suitcase? Or trash it?



Without A Life, There'd Be Nothing to Write

Have you ever heard the saying "you've got to live it to write it"? Yeah, well, it's true. Think for a second. If you did nothing but write... WHAT WOULD YOU WRITE ABOUT?

When I try to answer that question, I sputter for a bit and go... well... I could... um... write about... writing... um... YEAH FINE I wouldn't be able to write, okay!

Sometimes we forget amid all those rules and advice about plot character backstory hooks queries genres focus write every day read review don't listen to reviews betas alphas omegas beginning middle end climax denouement words paragraphs sentences punctuation dystopian ya contemporary middle grade childrens fantasy historical metaphors similies agents publishers submissions rejections (oh no rejections) plotting pantsing structure cliffhangers blurbs promotion publicity blogs cliches bad books good books criticism BOOKS writing more writing writer's block writers critique partners conferences pitches social networking twitterfacebookbloggertumblr research outlining more reading revising rewriting editing deadlines alivelines contests submission guidelines synopsis chapters formatting voice stories ideas inspiration write what you know write what you don't know all those stupid writing cliches audiobooks ereaders hardcover softcover self-worth never give up authors publishers ARCs book trailer movie deals for books and (*your brain continues to crank out writing-related words here*)

We forget LIFE. That to do all that stuff up there, we've got to live and see stuff and be adventurers. The other day I read a post by Beth Revis about advice for teenagers, and the advice I loved the most was when she said if you ever have a choice between an adventure and writing, go on the adventure. :)

Yeah so I was thinking about all this when I went for a bike ride with my mom the other day and we passed two guys who looked similar but didn't look like brothers that both had red beards and I wondered if I could fit them in a story because they seemed interesting.

That is all!

My Best Organizational Buddies

So I'm pretty sure I spend most of time in front of these two guys...

Yup. My whiteboards. :) They're usually not that covered with marker - this is the one of the main ways I study for tests and so it has physics and up in the top corner a little bit of French. I also have magnets and to do lists and stickers for my dad's health calendar (he gets a sticker if he exercises and eats well).

So today I was excited to study because I could use my new whiteboard markers... heheh. I'm a nerd, I know. :)

How do you organize yourself??

A Day in the Life of A Book

This is not me, nor any of  my relations!!

7:00 A.M.: The fingers that just recently tore their sticky grasp from my pages reach for me once more. I love feeling those fingers on my spine, my pages, my words because it means I'm being used and that means I am useful, so I feel loved. But come on, Reader! You just put me down two hours ago!

7:15 A.M.: I am put through the tortures of breakfast. Never knowing where that dollop of honey is going to fall... I see it dripping from the edge of your slightly burnt toast, Reader! Don't let it fall on me! I've had enough of your meal mishaps, thank you very much. Despite your surprising ability to put me under such torture without so much as a speck of sympathy, I am very impressed by your ability to turn pages with one hand.

8:00 A.M.: I am stuffed in a backpack between a binder and a lunchkit. I am jumbled around and around and around until somewhere between 8:30 and 9:00 I am rescued from the bowels and I get to see the light - or at least, the cold fluroescent light of a school classroom.

9:00 A.M.: I emerge from the backpack, and I am now staring at the underside of a desk coated with gum. I am disgusted, but at least I have half of your face, Reader, to stare at as you devour my words. It is entertaining watching your face contort with reactions to the words sprawled across my insides. Ahh... I love how much you love gorging yourself on my innards. Oh, no! You're eating an apple! Not MORE opportunity for you to get food on my pristine pages!

9:00 AM -3:30 PM: Throughout the day Reader puts me through a routine of stuffing me in the backpack, sliding me out onto her lap and exposing me to light (and food! Ah!) and then stuffing me back in again. By the end of the day, my spine is sore from my pages being open and closed so much but there is also a nagging voice in the back of my mind that tells me this is only a sign of how much she loves me. Just look how many pages she has turned only today! What beautiful fingers she has... (when they aren't covered with peanut butter!)

4:00 PM: Yet another journey out of the backpack, and this time I brace myself for I know there is a long stretch ahead, a marathon if you will. During this time, Reader has an unquenchable appetite and I feel my pages bending under her furious flipping! Though I am becoming increasingly weary, I am prepared and I make it through until her hunger for food overcomes her hunger for words and I am left on the coffee table, open and upside down so she won't lose her spot (oh, I so wish she'd quit that horrible habit... my spine aches so!). I do not understand this want for food. Aren't words so much better, so much more filling?

6:00 PM: I am picked up yet again, for another marathon that I know is to come. But there is joy in my heart when I see Reader swallow words, my words, and I see the corners of her eyes crinkle when she's read something funny, and I see the tears flow down her cheeks when something has touched her. I feel her fingers tense and I feel her heart rate flutter in anticipation.

1:00 AM: I am weary. She is weary. I can feel the grip of her fingers on my pages loosen and I know soon I will drop to the ground, as happens every night, and I will be forced to lie in a very uncomfortable position until morning when Reader picks me up again with eagerness. But I can also feel her mind buzzing with thoughts and they are all buried deep in my words, so much so that I feel as if she is walking among the pages with me, hand in hand. Reader thinks she is too much a part of the story to let go now.

2:00 AM: Reader has fallen asleep. I am sitting on the floor with my spine in the air and my pages splayed out beneath me. I feel as if I am part of a Reader yoga class. Except I am supposed to get some rest like this.

3:30 AM: I manage to sleep. I need my energy in order to give all I can to Reader tomorrow!

*Note that the views expressed by this book in this post are not shared by all books.
*Also note that not all Readers treat their books in the same fashion; this post only demonstrates how one Reader treats books.

Housekeeping

Today I'll get out my broom and sweep some boring Dust Bunnies out of the way for you (by the way, who else was terrified of the dust bunnies in Molly and the Big Comfy Couch when they were younger?)... so yeah be prepared for some boring stuff that I should've probably done awhile ago.

Agenda Item Letter A:

THANK YOU FOLLOWERS (and readers). This is long overdue and I haven't acknowledged any readers or commenters or followers or nothin' yet, so they (ahem, you) deserve some pats on the back. (*patpat*). Thanks for coming and if you ever have suggestions (like if I make a spelling mistake) then just comment nicely! I'll try and update the site/my post/etc.

Agenda Item Letter B: 

If you are new, or even if you aren't, visit my are you new here page.

Agenda Item Letter C:

Some cool posts I've found this week are: This post from Shrinking Violet Promotions, the marketing site for introverts, and this hilarious post that is for all people who cringe at any chatspeak. (This is where I raise my hand determinedly.)

Hmm I don't think I forgot anything... ta-ta!

Storytelling vs. Storytelling

I like words. A lot of the time, I am very good at stringing them together in an organized fashion to tell a story of people and places long ago and far away... (or not so long ago and not so far away, that works too).

But that's just on paper.  Telling stories aloud isn't so easy. (Okay, so on paper isn't so easy either.) But there are those times when my tongue trips over itself and when something that came out needs to be reeled back in, or when those word-soundwaves make their way to my ears and I realize that there is no response but... "uh... WHAT?"

SO. Without further ado, today I just wanted to talk about the differences and similarities between STORYTELLING (Aloud) and STORYTELLING (On Paper).

Storytelling (Aloud): Details are important.

I've noticed when listening to people share their funny stories and memories to each other is that you need to provide backstory. Otherwise, the story doesn't make sense and by the time you get to the punch line the listener is just confused instead of ready to react whether it be laughing or crying (whichever is appropriate. :D). And the more details, the better. It's best to give the listener as much detail as possible so they can really get a sense of where the punch line is coming from.

Storytelling (On Paper): Details are just important, but...

However, On Paper, lots of details, or as we writer-types like to call it "backstory" (in some cases), takes the reader OUT of the story instead of introducing us into it, like Aloud does. Even though some background is necessary, it's important that it comes in naturally instead of just retelling events of the past. The reader should get an idea of the backstory through the action, not details just being laid out for us. BUT details are still important. Just because they aren't present to the reader, they still need to be there in order to give life to the story.

Storytelling (Aloud): When the cow has been milked, STOP!

Today my choir teacher commented (*note that music people, like writers, are on a different life circle than everyone else*) that comedy is the cow and that laughter is the milk and their goal for the grade 9 comedy musical is to milk the cow of comedy... something like that... uhm.

ANYWAY... my point is, when storytelling (aloud), once you've elicited a reaction from your listener, that's the end of your story. There's no need to add more, to try and keep getting a reaction because, well, that's boring. As soon as you've said the punch line and the listener laughs/cries/does something crazy. (Of course there are stories with multiple punch lines which would have to elicit multiple reactions). 

Storytelling (On Paper):  Same goes (kind of)

To me, it seems like this concept applies to the storytelling (On Paper) concept of CLIFFHANGERS. Those are the "punch lines" of your story, where you finally end your story (or part of your story) with something that would get a reaction out of the reader. The not-going-too-far would apply to endings. There's no need to lay out every little detail about the story after the ending. Leave the punch line and final reaction be!

I could think of more, I'm sure, but that's lots of words for today. So.

PICTURES!

Stories on Paper! Um... kind of.
Borrowed from http://www.funnypictureblog.blogspot.com/.
Visit for more cool pictures.

Storytelling Aloud from Paper. :) by Shirley Hughes
Found here

I like fonts. :) So I am obsessed with this site. I am so cool.

Thoughts? Share below!

RTW: Listening Love

Today in history class we listened to a half hour audio documentary. There's something extremely relaxing about just closing your eyes, listening, and just imagining all the pictures in your head as opposed to the pictures being given to you. We live in a very visual world, and it's nice sometimes to enjoy our other senses.

ANYWAY today at YA Highway for Road Trip Wednesday they are asking who should narrate your audio book.

I don't have a specific WIP in mind to be narrated, but I definitely think that whatever book is narrated, it should be done by someone with a nice voice. A voice that is enjoyable to listen to. So I thought of two voices.

ONE:

Tahereh Mafi. This is odd, but when I listened to her recording of her pronouncing her name I was amazed at how pretty her voice was. :) Yes, I know it's weird.

TWO:

Aslan. Otherwise known as Liam Neeson, the guy who voices Aslan of the Chronicles of Narnia in the films. I think Aslan's voice was perfect in the films, so I would want the narration to be in the same style. Although if the real Aslan could somehow narrate my novel, I'm sure his voice would be pretty awesome.

Yup.

Whose voices would you like to listen to as they narrate a book?

MASS OF LINKS: Teen Writer Peoples, Teen Sites, and more Young Author Stuffs

EDIT: The internet is a rapidly changing place! Be aware that this was posted two years ago, and since then some of these bloggers have stopped blogging or don't exist online anymore, or are no longer teens.  Also some of the writing magazines have ceased to exist. However, there is a plethora of information out there about writing and teens writing, you only have to look. I would suggest getting on Twitter, that's where a ton of supportive writer teens hang out!

I am a teen, therefore I am drawn to other teens like me, who write, like me.  And it's awesome the leaps that teens can make in the publishing world when they put their minds to it and work their (our?) pretty little heads off!!

IF THEY CAN DO IT, SO CAN WE:
Writers who are not necessarily current teens, but got published at a young age!

Mariam Maarouf, who is currently 17 years old and lives in Alexandria, Egypt. Her first book is Rosie.

Australian author of Girl Saves Boy (whoops almost wrote "Boy Saves Girl") Steph Bowe is only 17 years old!

Veronica Roth, author of upcoming release Divergent (judging from all the hype, it sounds like it'll be good!!) is only 22. (Oh, I tried to find a wikipedia page of her that doesn't exist - it asked me if I really meant "Veronika Toth?")

Another Australian, Alexandra Adornetto was published when she was only 13! She is now 18, and still writing.

Flavia Bujor, French author of The Prophecy of Stones was published when she was 14.

Amelia Atwater-Rhodes at 14.

Cayla Kluver is currently 18, but was published when she was only 15.

Of course, Christopher Paolini, author of Eragon and such, was published (self-published, no less) at 19. He actually started writing Eragon, though, at 15.

Kody Keplinger was published when she was 18, and she is now 19 (I think). She is the author of The DUFF.

S.E. Hinton, introvert author of the amazing book that is now read in grade nine high school classes across Canada was 19 when she published The Outsiders.

Comedic Canadian author Gordon Korman was 14 when he published his first book with Scholastic, This Can't Be Happening At Macdonald Hall.

Another Canadian, Kenneth Oppel (author of the Silverwings series), was 18 when he had his first book published.

Jessica Dunn and Daneille Dunn started writing the first edition of A Teen's Guide to Getting Published when they were in eigth grade, and were published by the time they were 15.

Lara Fox and Hilary Frankel wrote a book about teens and parent communication called Breaking the Code when they were sixteen.

MORE SIGNIFICANT TEEN PEOPLE
Some actual teen writers who are trying to make it out there! (...in no particular order)

-Taryn Albright, 18 years old, of Seattle and part of the Noveltee(n) group!
-Aleeza Rauf, 17, from Pakistan, writer and reviewer and fun person.
-Emilia Plater, 17, who is represented by Suzie Townsend of Fineprint Lit. She is a cool gal. (And when I googled her trying to find her blog address, a wikipedia page of Countess Emilia Plater came up. Haha!)
-Britany Clarke, 17, I just started following so I can say much!
-Amanda Kurka, 17, who is inspiring, and likes red pandas.
-Kate Coursey, 18, and winner of the 2010 Scholastic PUSH Novel Contest.
-Anna W. Waggener, also winner of the PUSH Novel Contest but for 2008.
-Emery Grey, 18, and believes grey is spelled with an e.
-Kat Zhang, 17, soon to be published by HarperChildren's!
-Yahong Chi, 14 year old (I think) Canadian teen who reviews stuff!
-André Geleynse, 16 from Canada! Also part of Noveltee(n).
-I'm sorry but... me. :D I'm sixteen (seventeen as of today, actually) and Canadian!!

SO NOW ONTO WEBSITES AND COOL TEEN WRITER MAGS
-Teen Ink is a huge site where you can post work like art, poems, short stories, etc. Some of them are selected for publication in their monthly magazine, but there are TONS of submissions there.
-I am not familiar with InkPop, but I believe it is similar to Teen Ink in that you can post whatever writing for all to see. There is also contests. You'd have to visit the site to get more info, though!
-Speak Up Press is an online teen literary journal, looking for submissions of fiction, nonfiction and poetry from 13-19 year olds.
-The Claremont Review is an awesome magazine published twice a year that showcases amazing writing. I'm sorry but submissions are only open to Canadians, but everyone else should buy it just because the writing in this journal is so good!
-OH NO Okay I was going to post the link to the lovely Canadian What If? Magazine where I got MY first publication, but it's ENDING!! :( Sad face. Oh well. You can still check out some work on there, though.
-Every so often Paper Hangover, a newer blog on the writing blogosphere, will post teen interviews. They're kinda fun!
-Wet Ink Magazine is another Canadian arts magazine,written by and for teens! All of it is online, though. Check out the submission guidelines.
-Check out the new blog by teens, Noveltee(n)! All the contributors there seem really interesting from what I have gathered so far!

WRITING AS A TEEN
Along with visiting all the links above, there are lots of ways for young writers to get published without actually GETTING PUBLISHED. (The capital letters to mean, publishing a real book with a real publisher, agent, etc, etc).

Blogs are an awesome way to do that, but I find there are tons of teen writer ezines and magazines that love to publish young writers' works. To find them, you just have to look for them. (And when you find them, send the link to me so I can add it to this link mass!) Also if you look for them I'm sure there are tons of contests for young writers in the area where you live.

Another fun thing I like to do is e-mail authors, especially ones that aren't crazy famous like J.K. Rowling or Gordon Korman. They probably don't get as many e-mails so they'll be more likely to reply to you. This seems like a very little kid thing to do, but I like it. :)

So, teens (and other people too!), be encouraged! Don't give up! All these awesome guys didn't!

That said...


Please comment with suggestions of links and people that I can add to any of the above categories!!

*Note: the links for the authors that were published at a young age aren't necessarily blogs, but wikipedia pages or biographies because either I figure the main thing you'd want to know is more about them, or I couldn't find any other link!

Be AWARE!!

So, Happy May everyone! Here in Canada, I woke up to this on the glorious first day of May:

April showers bring May... snowstorms??

Thankfully a lot of it has melted already... I'm hoping it'll all be gone soon!

So, now that I have made you aware of the weather on my corner of the earth... I will now proceed to make you aware of some other things, while straying away from the writerly/readerly stuff for once. (I think I may do this more often, it's fun sharing different things I find out!)

Anyway, before we get any deeper, watch this video, and PAY ATTENTION. I'd say I have a prize for you if you pay attention, but I don't. Unless you want a virtual pat on the back.

So. How'd you do? And I'm not talking about getting the number of passes right. Yeah, you didn't see the bear, did you? Neither did I when I tried this.

It's amazing how much of the world we don't pay attention to, isn't it? If you think about all the stimuli and information that could be entering our brain at one time, well, it's overwhelming. We HAVE to ignore stuff or we'd explode. The problem with that is we might miss really important stuff because we aren't paying attention to the right things (like... a moon walking bear, maybe?)

This was a big part of a discussion that was going on in one of my classes at school. Afterward, though, I was thinking about the book The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and how the character in that book mentioned that he has to take everything in. That's why he hates going to new places: he has to notice every little thing that's different. No wonder these kinds of people don't like change and are adamant about routine. My mom later told me that this would count as autism.

See, the thing is, people who have I guess "normal" brains, see the big picture. Instead of seeing a whiteboard with "Practise flute" and a whole bunch of specific stuff written on it, and going throughout the room and taking in every detail, we see just a room. Maybe details here and there, if our brain decides it needs to take into account that information.

But people with autism see the details, instead of the big picture. My dad told me about this radio host who had a girl with a high level of autism on his show to interview her. Apparently she talked about the experience of walking through a field, and how just all the different colours of green would overwhelm her. Pretty crazy, isn't it? I mean, if we wanted to we could seperate colours of green, but why would we want to pay attention to that?

Isn't thinking about how people think fascinating?

What kinds of things are worthy of your attention? Certain details? Just the big picture?