New York Newbies…What We Learned

Writing Song of the Day: "School Spirit" by Kanye West

We made it back from New York in one piece. While the weekend started off, how should we put it, ANNOYINGLY, we learned a few things. Like to hear it? Here it goes…

• Don't travel along the east coast by plane in the winter: This is probably THE most important take away from the entire trip. No. Really. It is. 
• Ngram Viewer: Author Elizabeth Wein shared this site during her keynote talk. It's used for those of us who write historical fiction--you can check how often historical words and phrases shows up in books during a certain time period using this site. Read more about Elizabeth's keynote here.
• Make sure your story has an emotional and physical ending: Having TWO endings makes your story that much more complex and allows for a better resolution--from Jack Gantos's keynote.
• You can become a writer EVEN after being arrested!: Seriously Jack Gantos did it! Read more about his keynote speech on the SCBWI blog here.
• When writing historical fiction, use objective research: Diaries are an easy go to, but they aren't always accurate--use recipes, logs, obituaries, things that are based in fact. This was said by Kendra Levin of Vikings Children's Books.
• Don't make writing like a bad first date: Adding too much back story in the beginning? Would you want a second date with that guy? This was said by Anica Rissi, editor at Katherine Tegen Books
• Find a mentor: Try and find someone a little more successful than you to look up to, someone you aspire to be like--advice from Sara Shandler, Alloy Entertainment. (Is Veronica Roth okay to look up to??? )

That's what we learned. What about you? What are some new writing tips that you've picked up lately?

We're In New Yooork...Well, Almost!

Writing Song of the Day: "Empire State of Mind" Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys

Taken from: SCBWI

Yep, you read that right. We're about to take our SECOND trip to New York. The first didn't really count since it was one of those day trips on a bus. This time, we're gonna spend a WHOLE weekend there. And we're gonna be amongst our brethren, other writers! We are attending our very first, SCBWI New York Conference.

While we've gone to the LA conference four years in a row, we wanted to change things up this year and try out the New York winter conference. We're hoping to take in NY on Friday, experience the whirlwind conference on Saturday, and hop back on the plane Sunday. The goal of attending the conference is to get our mojos going again. With the hectic schedules of our lives, our writing has definitely suffered. We want to get to work on revising our 2013 NaNo novels and hopefully the panels and keynote speakers will inspire us to get our crap together.

Don't worry, we'll tweet and Instagram throughout the weekend and give you a brief wrap up when we get back next week. Yes, we've given you promises before on this blog that we haven't kept...but this one we promise to keep. Promise. We swear on all that is Joseph Gordon-Levitt. And you all know how we feel about him!

Taken From: http://fashionvertigo.com/joseph-gordon-levitt-covers-out-october-2013/

Cuz We Write: The Remix

Writing Song of the Day: "The Phoenix" by Fall Out Boy

Taken from Forbes.com

This seems vaguely familiar, huh? Don't adjust your blog roll...wait, is it even still called that?

Anyway, WE'RE BACK! And we're all changed and new and shiny. We're ready to get back into this blogging thing and keep you guys up-to-date on our lives because we know you care.

We're so close to 2014 and with that in mind, we've been remixing our lives since last spring. How so? Well, if you really wanna know...

• We left our former jobs! That's right, we got out of the classroom and the school building. We're both working on doctoral degrees (Pam full time at The College of William and Mary, Quita part time at Old Dominion University--shifting to The George Washington University) and Quita took a promotion to work in a school system's administrative offices. 

• We changed our eating habits--once again. All summer, and throughout the fall, we tried eating clean. It worked well at first (we both lost around 7-8 pounds) and then we gained all of that weight back. Something wasn't clicking so we've gone back to a low carb lifestyle. So far, so good.

• AND, did you see our new banner? Yeah, that was created by our second sistah from another mistah, Natalie Henry (recently featured The Huffington Posted for a Hunger Games themed wedding--ahhh!) and it's perfect for our newly remixed minds.

• Finally (and this is one we wanted to tell you about a month ago) we rewrote both of our very first novels for NaNoWriMo this year. Pam worked on a new version of WANTS to get to know her characters again and Quita revisited a novel set in the 1960s called CHASING MANSON (a novel adaptation of a screenplay we actually wrote together). 

Whew! That's a lot of changes...Oh! And another big one--we moved for the SECOND time within four months. We just can't stay settled. Who knows, in a few months we may be updating you all on more changes.

So there you have it. All of our changes. What have you remixed in your life lately?

NaNo Update #1

Writing Song of the Day: "Half Alive" by Secondhand Serenade

So, we stole this idea from the awesome Katy Upperman. We had planned to give you all weekly updates on our NaNo novels but...well, we were doing ALL THE THINGS in addition to writing our NaNo novels. Since we both have crossed over the halfway point (woo hoo!), we felt this was a good time to let you all know how we're doing...

Pam's Update:

Progress (word count or a general status update): 26,404

Current Mood: Hungry. A bit overwhelmed. But, surprisingly, I still like my story.

Inspiration: Not a quote from anyone--but this is the first time during NaNo that I've written a story that I ACTUALLY believe that I'll return to and revise. In fact, I can't wait to start revising it!

Goals as of Today: I usually try to reach at least 2000 words, but I'm a little stuck. So tonight, I plot a little more and make up the word count over the weekend.

Recent Favorite NaNo WIP Bit:

“I see you didn’t have to go far for your costume.” I tug at his basketball jersey. I actually tug it. I guess a beer and a half does wonders to my confidence.

Brandon shrugs. “Lots of kids want to be basketball players when they grow up.”

“Lots of kids want to be Brandon Lane when they grow up,” I correct.

Non-NaNo News (because life DOES go on): Well, Quita and I had the AWESOME opportunity of seeing one of our favorite actors, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, in person (more on that next week)! In less exciting news, I injured my foot in an accident last month, and it's still bugging me. Alas, I have to report to the doctor next week to see what's going on. Boo.
  
In my downtime (ha!) I’m reading: I've been starting and abandoning lots of novels lately--with hopes that I can return to them once I get some extra time (because THAT will happen). I most recently cracked open Ellen Hopkins' adult novel, Triangles. So good so far!!  

Quita's Update:  

Progress (word count or a general status update): Over 26K

Current Mood: Agitated that I can’t just write and instead must be responsible. However, I am also getting excited about where my novel is going.

Inspiration: Two words: Five Guys.

Goals as of Today: I want to try and get at least 4k done by the end of this weekend.

Recent Favorite NaNo-WiP Bit:

“What do you know about voices?”

Walker tapped his chin. “Like cartoon voices? I’m pretty sure I know who talks Bart Simpson.”

Kenzie laughed. “No…like, voices, voices.”

Walker stopped walking and stared at Kenzie. “Like, voices in your head and sh*t? Like schizophrenia?”

Kenzie continued to walk, already regretting that she said anything to Walker.

Non-NaNo News (because life DOES go on): We just saw JGL LIVE last night. Also, I’m working on finding more internship opportunities in the publishing world.

In My Downtime (ha!) I'm Reading: Rage Within (Dark Inside # 2) by Jeyn Roberts. Proving to be just as good as the first book!

Both of Our Updates:

You should read this blog post: Shady Business by the uber smart literary agent, Sarah LaPolla. A very informative look at the legitimacy of newer agents and publishers.

Gratuitous Photograph (because we love ‘em!):

Joseph Gordon-Levitt at The National in Richmond, VA (11/15/12)
The moment where Quita lost it & cried...

For all of our fellow NaNo-ers out there, how are you doing? For the non NaNo-ers, what have you all been up to?

R.O.A.D.M.A.P. to NaNo Success!

Writing Song of the Day: "Maps" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

It's that time of the year, peeps. No, we're not talking about Halloween. Or the rush of holiday commercials that will soon clog our TVs. We're talking about NaNoWriMo!

Can I get a woo hoo?!

*crickets*

Yes, Quita and I are cray cray enough to give it another go--if only for our beloved reward at the end (more on that later). Earlier this week, we tweeted some tips to be successful for all of you daring NaNo-ers out there--so of course a blog had to follow.

And now we give you our...

Picture Taken From: Hattan Enterprises

ROADMAP to NaNo Success

R = Read. Read everything. Read within your genre. Read outside your genre. Heck, read the back of a cereal box. Ideas can come from ANYWHERE.

O = Outline. After you get your idea, give it some bones. Plot--even if it's just the first few scenes. You have to start somewhere.

A = Add buddies. Hey, you're going to need friends to push you along and keep you on track. Quita and I are great dictators, er, I mean, MOTIVATORS. Our NaNo usernames are pharris81 and mhockaday.

D = Details. Add some meat to your outline. Think more about your characters, and make sure you know your ENDING (believe me, this is key).

M = Make time. Not gonna lie, I pretty much have something to do every minute of the day. But try twenty minutes before work, twenty more at lunch, ten before dinner. Before you know it, those words will pile up.

A = Abstract. Ever had to write a research paper? Well, an abstract is the summary paragraph listed before an article. If you're able to summarize your story, you'll have a better idea of where you're headed.

P = Prize. Just when you feel like giving up, think about that reward you have waiting for you when you reach the finish line. Sure, you'll have the first draft of a novel--but give yourself a little something, something extra. Our yearly tradition is THIS:

Picture Taken From: The News Chronicle

Yum. So what are you waiting for? Get started and good luck!

End of Watch: The Buddy Story

Soundtrack Song of the Day: "You're My Best Friend" by Queen

We love writing and reading YA more than most things in life, but one of the things that comes close to our love for all things YA is watching movies and TV. Sooo, we've decided to combine those loves on this blog. Every Monday we are going to share a recent movie that we've viewed and what we learned about writing from said film.** 

Picture Taken From IMDB

End of Watch

Logistics: Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michael Pena, Anna Kendrick, and America Ferrera

IMDB Says: Two young officers are marked for death after confiscating a small cache of money and firearms from the members of a notorious cartel, during a routine traffic stop.

We Say: End of Watch is about two young officers and their friendship. The viewer gets to see their relationship play out as they deal with life, the trials of being a cop, and the joys of having someone you can rely on.

Writing Connection

The Buddy Story = Giving your novel heart. This is especially true for middle grade novels (which we are getting more and more into lately). In MG novels, the buddy connection is like the romance/love connection in a YA novel. Think back to when you were in 6th grade. Friends were EVERYTHING! And as much as we like to think we grow up and stop caring about what others think about us, we all still want to feel that buddy/friendship connection with someone. That's the heart of End of Watch. Yes, there's action, romance, a kickass plot--but underneath it all, it's about the friendship between two guys. Adding this connection in your novel will kick up the emotional factor that much more and keep your readers hooked.

Links:

End of Watch- Official Site
End of Watch-IMDB
End of Watch- Facebook

Now Watch This:

Have you seen End of Watch? How often do you place close attention to the friendships and how they grow/falter in your MG or YA novels?

**This blog is not limited to ONLY discussing the relationships of movies and writing, however this will be the weekly feature that you can ALWAYS expect.

Looper and Layering Plots

Soundtrack Song of the Day: "Have Love Will Travel" by the Black Keys

Taken From: Screenrant

We won't pretend that we were not on a looooong hiatus, but we also don't want to bore you with the details of WHY we've been away. We'd much rather discuss the future of this blog--which we hope will interest you much more!

We love writing and reading YA more than most things in life, but one of the things that comes close to our love for all things YA is watching movies and TV. Sooo, we've decided to combine those loves on this blog. Every Monday we are going to share a recent movie that we've viewed and what we learned about writing from said film.**

This week we begin with:

LOOPER

Logistics:

Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt, Jeff Daniels

IMDB Says: In 2074, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, the target is sent 30 years into the past, where a hired gun awaits. Someone like Joe, who one day learns the mob wants to 'close the loop' by transporting back Joe's future self.

We Say: The movie is full of bad-assery. From JGL, to Bruce Willis, even to Emily Blunt. The trailers and the interviews will make you think that you'll get bogged down in the sci-fi-ness of it all, but no--the heart of the story is what gets you in the end.

Writing Connection: 

Layering Plots- A novel will not survive on one plot alone. If that's all you got, you may be better off penning a short story or a novella. More importantly, a YA novel will not survive with one plot. Teens are complicated, puzzling, and always changing--a YA novel should follow suit. Without giving away too many details, the various plot twists and turns that occur in Looper will keep you intrigued, engaged, and in tune with the characters. The movie begins with a possibly unlikable character who has one goal and then progresses to include more characters with even more goals that cause complications and forces the character to change. This  = layering plots!

Okay we don't want to spoil it for everyone, so if you haven't seen it yet, go watch Looper and see how it's done!

Links:

Looper- Official Movie Site
Looper- Tumblr
Looper-IMDB
JGL Twitter
Looper Movie Twitter

Now Watch This:




If you have seen Looper did you make any connections with the film and writing? Do your novels usually have several plots?

**This blog is not limited to ONLY discussing the relationships of movies and writing, however this will be the weekly feature that you can ALWAYS expect.

Writing Vacay # 1- Novel Revision Retreat 2012

Writing Song of the Day: "Vacation" by The Go-Gos

We know we've been MIA, but it's our lazy summer days--that have been not so lazy with part time jobs and all that stuff--but we are squeezing in time to do some writer-ly things! About two weeks ago, Pam and I attended our regional SCBWI's novel revision retreat. This is the first of three writing vacays we have planned this summer.

This retreat included numerous sessions with Executive editor, Wendy Loggia from Delacorte at Random House and author, Tracy Barrett. The sessions focused on writing with accuracy, how to revise, what to do when you're stuck/scared to revise, and Wendy even walked us through some edit letters.

Not only did we have a great time with the actual writing/revising exercises and sessions, but we also had fun meeting and conversing with talented writers. There was wine, S'mores, dormitory style lodging (that included bugs galore) and more wine. The best part of the trip for us? When we got to have about a 45 minute conversation with Tracy Barrett and Wendy Loggia that ended with us deciding that we would pursue admission to Columbia's publishing certificate program next summer. Wendy was so down to earth and gave us great advice about going after what you want while you still can. It was inspiring and exciting!

Here are a few pics from the weekend:

Tracy Barrett and Wendy Loggia getting ready for First Pages Panel

Our view in Richmond, VA!

The side of our dorm room in Richmond, VA--the one with all the bugs :(

Tracy Barrett and Wendy Loggia give us their Ten Revision Tips

All in all--good times, good advice, and good wine! We can't wait to attend WOA 2.0 with our writer friends and of course, LASCBWI! More to come from those writer vacays, later.

In the mean time, what have you all been up to this summer? Oh, and while you're here---why not check out our new page: Cuz We Edit...Manuscripts!

May We Tell You Something About...Our AWESOME Contest Winners??

Reading Song of the Day: "Because I'm Awesome" by the Dollyrots


Throughout May (every now and then), we will be participating in the Blog Me MAYbe blogfest, which you can learn more about here.  

Photo taken from:Gimme The Scoop

As promised, we're here to announce the winners of the contest. First of all, thanks to those who took the time to enter and win one of TWO SIGNED copies of Jaime Reed's Burning Emerald, the third book in the Cambion Chronicles. If you want to know more about Jaime check out last week's contest post and an interview we did with her back in August here.


Okay, without further adieu, we are going to tell you about someone else! More precisely, TWO someone elses (yes we totally made that up). What are we going to tell you??? Well, here'e something....

JESS and MELANIE are now both winners of signed copies 

of

 Burning Emerald!

Photo Taken from VaBeachQuilter

Ladies, we will be in touch with more details soon!!! Congrats!


And for the rest of your lovelies, just to throw the question out there (and hopefully we'll get a few responses) what kinds of contests do you all prefer?  A contest where you just comment, one that involves a form (with extra points for Twitter etc.), OR one with a creative writing assignment? Also, do you like to win free signed novels, writing utensils, candy/other edible goodies, etc? 


Thanks and your responses are greatly appreciated!

MAY We Tell You Something About...Jaime Reed (and a CONTEST!)!!

Reading Song of the Day: "People Are Strange" by The Doors

So we've been rather absent to our lovely blog. Instead of giving you a LONG boring list of excuses, we decided to treat you all with a CONTEST!

We're giving away TWO copies of Jaime Reed's Burning Emerald, Book Two of The Cambion Chronicles. If you haven't checked out Living Violet (Book One)--umm, what are you waiting for?

Taken from dearteenme.com

As a special treat, Jaime wrote about a real life supernatural occurrence in her quaint town:

Strange Encounter by Jaime Reed




I can say that I’m a bit like the character, Sam in the respect that nothing much happens in my quiet town. With little to do, the imagination runs wild and we dream of cool stuff happening and if lucky, make a career of writing about it.


Williamsburg, VA is rich with history and everyone has at least one ghost story to share. Some of those stories have been passed down and have become a test of courage to explore on a dare. I personally don’t believe in ghosts, and I’ve never had any encounters of the paranormal except one.


When I was seventeen, a friend of mine whose father had died took me to the grave site to pay her respects. I agreed, under the assumption that this visitation would occur in the daytime, not at twelve o’clock at night. This made less sense at seventeen than it does now, but there I was, riding shotgun in her car, trekking through the more rural areas of Virginia with no streetlights or cell phone.


When we finally got to the cemetery, she kept the headlights on in the car so we could see our way through the maze of graves. She lit some candles and knelt in front of her father’s headstone. While I kept a look out for police and creepy groundskeepers, I noticed her talking to the grave. Not just a simple prayer or some fond farewell, but a full-on conversation, answering questions only she could hear and nodding her head in confirmation. Suffice to say I was thoroughly freaked out and was ready to leave. She lingered a few more minutes before we walked back to the car.


When I asked her who she was talking to, she just shrugged and said her dad. As she pulled out of the parking spot, the headlights hit the cemetery, outlining trees, grave stones and surrounding buildings. Then the lights fell on something black and almost flat against the scenery. This dark silhouette took the shape of a man and stood directly behind a headstone, the same one my friend was kneeling in front of moments ago. It didn’t move, but things that stand still can be just as frightening as things that don’t. The car turned and the headlights swept away from the grave toward the road leading out of the cemetery. Though I couldn’t see the shape any more or was even sure if what I saw had eyes, I knew beyond all logic that it was watching us leave.


I never told my friend what I saw nor did I ever return to the cemetery. It doesn’t take much to spook me, but that event was sufficient to where I now avoid cemeteries at all costs. And I sure as hell would never go there at night. Some people run toward the bazaar and crave the excitement that comes with the unexplained, but I’d rather write about it in the safety of my home…with the lights on.

 
Spooky stuff, Jaime!
 
On to the contest...all you have to do is leave your name and email address in the comments. That's it. We'll pick one winner at random.
 
BUT--
 
We'll choose ANOTHER winner if you leave a comment with your own real life, spooky tale. The comment that creeps us out the most wins the other copy. Oh, yeah, AND BOTH COPIES WILL BE SIGNED!!! You have until Tuesday May 22nd at MIDNIGHT EST!
 
Again, TWO winners. Spooky comments. Let's do this! :) 

MAY I Tell You Something About...Um, US?

Revealing Song of the Day: "Swagger Like Us" by M.I.A ft. Jay-z, Kanye West, and T.I.

Throughout May, we will be participating in the Blog Me MAYbe blogfest, which you can learn more about here. 

It's Tuesday. And according to this blogfest that means today is all about us. Meaning, we have to talk about ourselves. If you know anything about us, we kinda don't enjoy doing this. I don't think most writers do. That's why we create characters and new worlds, to escape from who we are. But, alas, we've joined the blogfest and we vow to follow the rules. Lucky for us, a new bloggy pal of ours tagged us awhile back. Rachel tagged us in a game of 11 questions. This is a good way to tell you something about us!

1. What are the top three books in your TBR pile?

Pam: Insurgent by Veronica Roth, City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare, and When You Were Mine by Rebecca Serle

Quita: Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris , and 

2. Who is your top book boyfriend, dare I say husband?

Pam:  Hmm, tough one. I get book crushes like ALL the time. Right now, I'm leaning toward Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door. He's so adorkable (wait...do people still say that?)!

Quita: Hands down Cole from Maggie Stiefvater's Linger and Forever. Hmm, maybe not hands down b/c I loves me some Four from Veronica Roth's Divergent. Can I have a tie?

3. If you could have written any YA book in history, which book would you choose and why?

Pam:  Goodness, another toughie. Right now, I'm leaning toward anything written by Courtney Summers, Steve Brezenoff, or Ellen Hopkins. They're geniuses!

Quita: Omigod. So. Many. Of. Them! I can't choose just one. There are FIVE that really stand out. I really wish I wrote Divergent, The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth, Liar by Justine Larbalestier, Recovery Road by Blake Nelson, and What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell (sorry if I cheated).

4. If you could live the life of any book heroine, who would you choose and why?

Pam:  I have a feeling that Quita's going to agree with me, but any book written by Stephanie Perkins. She has a way of making her girls so relatable--and she brings setting to LIFE! I want to live in Paris for the first half of the year, and San Francisco for the second. :)

Quita: I don't envy the lives of most of the heroines from the books that I read, and since I'm one of the last people on the planet to have read Stephanie Perkins' Lola and the Boy Next Door, I'd have to say Anna from Anna and the French Kiss. I mean, who wouldn't want to go to Paris for school and fall in love with a sexy, smart English boy?

5. Choose one: your book is a literary masterpiece with tons of critical acclaim but very, very lacklustre sales, or your book is a blockbuster of a novel with millions upon millions of copies sold but others question its quality and it is nearly universally bashed in the writing community, a la Twilight. There's no in between choice (Nice try!)

Pam:  Yikes! No clue. On the one hand, I wouldn't mind the money that books like Twilight would bring (being able to actually make a living from writing? Yes please!). But also, I would love for my colleagues to actually, you know, respect me. I choose John Green! His books are successful AND well loved by critics. Wait, is that cheating?

Quita: That's just not fair! I don't know, sometimes me and Pam both get a little over the bashing of novels like Twilight. Just because it's not a literary masterpiece doesn't mean it's not a good book and that it didn't do wonders for the YA community. So, yeah, I'd go for a book like Twilight because it changed so many people's lives and it had a huge impact on our community.

6. If you could have a super power of any literary hero/heroine, which would you choose and why?

Pam:  Umm, next question please. (*is clueless*)

Quita: This is a hard one. I don't really want super powers at all, but if I had to choose (from a book that I've read) I'd choose Briony's power from Franny Billingsley's Chime. Not sure why--could be because it was such an awesome book. I don't want to explain too much, cause then I'd give away the book for those who haven't read it.

 7. You're stranded on a desert island with just one other person. For life. It's a fellow author. Who is the author and why?

Pam:  I'd go with my cuz, Quita. She's already familiar with my weird habits, and I hers. But hopefully we'd get rescued soon because we'd like...attack each other after the third or fourth day.

Quita: It would obviously be Pam. Not like I wouldn't want to be with any of my other fellow writers, but of course I'd bring my cuz and other half b/c she might keep me sane for a day or two on the desert island. Then we'd probably kill each other...

8. You're forced to re-live one day of your life over and over again for eternity. Which day would you choose and why?

Pam:  This is strange that this is one of the toughest questions. I've yet to experience the really "happy" moments--such as getting married or having a baby. It would probably be some moment with my family--or maybe when I found out that Sarah wanted to represent me. :)

Quita: Wow...this is a great question. I find it kind of sad to admit that I haven't had many days that I'd like to re-live. If I had to choose one it would be the last time I was out with my dad (and the rest of the fam), having a good time dancing. 

9. If you could be invisible for one day, what would you do with your time?

Pam:  READ!! And WRITE!! Due to the day job, I have so little time for doing two of the things I love the most. And maybe peek in on some hunky celebs. Wait, is that weird...?

Quita: I would read and write all day with no interruptions. I'd also stalk the BLEEP out of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Alex Pettyfer, Channing Tatum, and all the rest :D

10. If you had to be reincarnated into an animal, which would you choose and why?

Pam:  Um, eww. Next question please...

Quita: Ugh. I hate animals--well except my dog, of course :) I guess I would choose an ape or a monkey because at least they have opposable thumbs.

11. If you had to rename yourself, which name would you choose? And if you have a pen name, it doesn't count! Pick again.

Pam:  It feels like I've answered this before...I think I said Nadine Hunt or Nadine Shelton. Nadine's my middle name (which I despise, so I'm not sure why I'd use it), Hunt's my mother's maiden name, and Shelton's my dad's first name. Or maybe I'd just call myself John Green. :)

Quita: I would name myself Sherie (my middle name Sha-ree) Hunt. It's a little easier than my "government" name and it will fit better on a book spine!

So, the way this is supposed to work is that we tag more of you to play along. However, we thought we'd cheat a lil' bit (why stop now?) and open this up to ALL of you! Go ahead and play...if you dare. *insert maniacal laughter here*

MAY I Tell You Something About...Our First Drafts!

Taken from rodneygainousjr.com

Writing Song of the Day:  "For the First Time" by The Script

Hello lovelies! Throughout May, we will be participating in the Blog Me MAYbe blogfest, which you can learn more about here. Since Mondays are all about telling you something dealing with writing, Quita and I thought we'd share some info about our new WIPs.

You see, we've been planning for WEEKS to complete a brand new WIP during the month of May--kinda our own self-imposed NaNoWriMo. We were going to give ourselves most of April to finalize our ideas and begin plotting.

And then April passed, and we still hadn't settled on which stories we wanted to work on.

I fluctuated between writing a companion novel to the last YA I completed, a dark story revolving around a love triangle, and a humorous tale about two exes setting up each other on blind dates. Quita kept deciding between writing a  supernatural historical story, or a contemporary thriller. But no matter how many times we plotted and tried to start the first chapter, nothing seemed to stick. These ideas were dying to get out of our heads, but the execution was always lackluster.

Finally, this past Sunday, we vowed to just write nonstop for two hours to see what we come up with. I've now settled on writing a contemporary YA retelling of Hansel and Gretel, and Quita's creating a historical YA about the bootlegging scandals in the 1920s (I think that's the decade--hey, she's the history buff, not me). With all of our recent whining, we finally found stories that we're excited to write.

The downside? In order to meet our self-imposed deadline, we have to hold off on reading Insurgent--as well as City of Lost Souls for me. :(

The upside? Once May 31st hits, we'll have some awesome novels waiting to be read--not to mention a juicy burger from Five Guys. If you've been a long-time follower of this blog, you know how much we loves us some Five Guys.

How are all of you doing with your writing? Any new stories you want to share with us? Also, do you have hard time, too, deciding which project to work on next?

Z is for...Zombies, Angels, Werewolves, And Other Things That Distract from Contemporary YA

Controversial Song of the Day: "Zombie" by The Cranberries

For the entire month of April, we'll be participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Our theme for the month? CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS IN YA. Check out the link above for other awesome blogs participating. 

Taken from bibliogrrrl.com

Zombies, vampires, werewolves, ghosts, angels and demons...where does it all end?! Let's get one thing straight, we LOVE our paranormal novels...Pam's a big Cassandra Clare fan (like on stalker status almost) and I love the Shiver series and all, but we are contemporary lovers at heart. And sometimes, only sometimes, we feel like contemporary YA often takes a backseat to the paranormal and dystopian/apocalyptic novels out there. So, we're ending the A-Z challenge with something that is not necessarily a controversial topic that you find in YA novels. BUT we do think that contemporary novels are often overlooked for several bigger and larger concept books.


We write contemporary novels with real teen voices about problems that teens go through now (not saying that some of the big concept books DON'T have real teens and real teen problems), and we want these books to make a come back! 


Here are a few contemporary novels that we think are shining examples of why contemp books are AMAZING!


* Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers


* The Fault in Our Stars by John Green


* The Miseducation of Cameron Post by Emily M. Danforth


* Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins


Let us know if we're wrong, PLEASE! Do you think contemporary novels are just as raved about and praised as the big concept paranormal or dystopian/apocalyptic novels? 

Y is for Yearbook Superlatives: Cliches in YA

Controversial Song of the Day:  "Paper Cliche" by Action Action

For the entire month of April, we'll be participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Our theme for the month? CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS IN YA. Check out the link above for other awesome blogs participating.

Taken from www.ryan-patrick.com

Imagine a world where the jocks and cheerleaders rule the school. Where quiet loners are shoved into lockers at every turn. Where the rank in popularity is apparent by the seating arrangements in the cafeteria.

 

You say this world doesn't exist anymore? I say you're right...kind of.

 

No, the cliches from the eighties don't exist anymore, and I think that the new 21 Jumpstreet movie does a fantastic job of proving this. It isn't so cool to be--well, cool. The students that go against the grain are in now--the ones that love the environment and want to do well in school.

 
But only in some areas.
 

I've worked in public schools for six years, and let me tell you, you can walk into a classroom and notice which students are popular and which are not. It's not always apparent. The popular kids aren't wearing letter jackets, and the outcasts aren't in trench coats or eyeglasses. But that divide is there--it's just more subtle.

 

Here are some YA novels that take a look at cliques:

• Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
• The Clique by Lisi Harrison
• Popular by Alissa Grosso
• Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
• How Not to be Popular by Jennifer Ziegler

How do you all feel about cliches and cliques in YA? Do you think they still exist in real life?

X is for...eXams, AP Classes, and Geeks, Oh My!

Controversial Song of the Day:  "Tested and True" by Secondhand Serenade

For the entire month of April, we'll be participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Our theme for the month? CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS IN YA. Check out the link above for other awesome blogs participating.

Taken from elanorascorner.blogspot.com

First of all, yes--we totally copped out on the letter "X."

 

With that said, let me tell you something about Quita and me. We both took honor and AP classes in high school; we were both in chorus in middle school; we'd almost cry when we got a "B" on an assignment; our ideas of fun was visiting the guidance office during lunch to look at the college brochures. Were we geeks?

 

Probably.

 

But so are PLENTY of other people in high school. They study for the SATs to get a near perfect score. They play the tuba in band like its running out of style. They run for office in the Student Council Association with the same fervor as a prom queen/king campaign.

 

So where are all the novels about these students? My Project J features a very unconventional leading man. Jonah plays the trumpet, constantly speaks of his love for Harvard University, and tutors his classmates to prepare for the SATs.
 

I have heard plenty a debate about the lack of honor classes mentioned in YA novels, so I scoured the Internet to show some geek pride:

• Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
• Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
• The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot
• The Geek Girl's Guide to Cheerleading by Charity Tahmaseb
• Awkward by Marni Bates

I'll be honest...it took me a while to conjure up this list. Did I leave any novels out? Also, what are your thoughts on including "smart" or "different" characters in your writing?

*BTW, we by no means think that being smart makes you a "geek." We just love the word. :)

W is for...War

Controversial Song of the Day: "This is War" by 30 Seconds to Mars

For the entire month of April, we'll be participating in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge. Our theme for the month? CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS IN YA. Check out the link above for other awesome blogs participating. 

Taken from nas.sagepub.com

War is definitely a topic that teens should read about. Not only to know the history of their country, but also to understand what their peers go through if they are part of the military (several teens are enlisting in the military since they can sign up when they are 17 and due to incentives like the GI Bill) and they are involved in a war. 


Not only do teens need books about war and the military because of their peers, but also because they may be the child of someone who serves in the military and may be sent to war. Pam works with several teens who are in military families and they struggle to adjust to new environments and usually act out when a parent is deployed. Having a novel they can turn to can make them feel a little more comfortable with this part of their life.


A few novels that may help them deal with either being in a military, coping during times of war, or the aftermath of war are:


* Back Home by Julia Keller


* The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen


* Out of the Blue by S.L. Rottman


* Purple Heart by Patricia McCormick


* Soldier X by Don L. Wulffson

Do you think that teens need to read novels where war and the military are front and center? Have you written anything that revolves around wars and/or the military?