Friday Fives: You're the Inspiration!

Reading Song of the Day: "Hard Wired and Inspired" by The Subtle Way

Hey, peeps! It's been awhile since we've participated in Friday Fives but this week we're joining Paper Hangover. This question was too good to pass up on! The gang wants to know:

Who are the FIVE authors that inspire you?

This is a lil' hard b/c we are fangirly over SOOOO many authors. But if we have to narrow it down to the five that really inspire us, we could't think of a better list than the following. Here are the top five authors (in no particular order) who inspire us to keep the writing dream alive:

1.) Judy Blume AKA The MOTHER OF YA!

WHY? She was the first person that made me (Pam) fall in love with reading AND writing. One of the first stories I ever wrote was pretty much a copy of Superfudge. She just understands children so well, and you can tell how much love she puts in her words. It was so hard not to cry when I saw her in person at the last LA SCBWI conference. Maybe if I'm so lucky again, I'll work up the courage to actually speak to her.

2.) Laurie Halse Anderson

WHY: She writes both contemporary & historical fiction and she does it with ease. Her historicals are more about the story than the backdrop and therefore, they stay relevant. This is what I (Quita) strive to do with my own historical novel. Also, her contemporary novels focus on the "edgy" side of YA and tells the stories that parents wish weren't true.

3.) Courtney Summers:

WHY? No one understands teen angst better than her. I (Pam) get anxiety sometimes when reading her novels because her depiction of high school is so real, I feel like I'm going through all of those emotions again. I can only hope that my writing is half as good as hers.

4.) Blake Nelson:

WHY? Because he freaking nails the teenage voice. Whether he has a male or female protag, Blake makes the MC and all supporting characters relatable and realistic. His novels are genius nuggets of contemporary YA.

5.) Tie between Jodi Picoult and Joyce Carol Oates:

WHY? Pam on Jodi Picoult: She truly is a Jill of All Trades because she understands both the teen and adult voice. After reading a bunch of stories I wasn't quite fond of for literature classes, Jodi Picoult reminded me of what it was I loved about reading. She can take a hot topic in the news and turn it into a heartwrenching story. She inspires me to write about what I see around me--and maybe I'll be able to help others just like she's helped me.

WHY? Quita on Joyce Carol Oates: Because she writes stories that focus on heavy and hard topics. Her prose is magnificent without being too flashy, and it's obvious that she writes the stories that others shy away from. She inspires me to write what I want without fear.

What about you all--who are those authors that inspire you to keep on writing?? Have a great weekend!

Friday Fives: Tasting the Forbidden Fruit

Reading Song of the Day: "Forbidden Love" by Madonna

OMIGOD--it's finally FRIDAY--and it's finally the last day of September. This first month of school has dragged by soooooo slowly. But, we hit a highlight, today! Paper Hangover's Friday Fives, baby :D

To honor Banned Books Week, the gang wants to know:

What are you FIVE favorite "banned" books?

Like Pam mentioned yesterday in her post on the Banned Books we are adding to our TBR piles, we are always going to be those people who read/watch those books/movies that people try to get banned. We're just strange like that. So it wasn't surprising to find that we have read a good number of books that are on the 2010 and the classic's banned books lists. With that being said, here are our FIVE favorite books that have been banned in no particular order.

1.) Crank by Ellen Hopkins: A novel written in poems--and me and Pam loved it. Who would have thunk it? We're both not huge poetry fans, but Hopkins' effortless story telling and beautiful word choices made this one of our favorite books of all time.

2.) Lord of the Flies by William Golding: This was required reading for us in high school but neither of us felt like it was. The story is so unique and believable that we both couldn't stop turning the pages.

3.) Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson: Once we decided we'd be writing YA, we didn't stop hearing about Laurie Halse Anderson and how she is one of the "mothers" of YA. And we weren't disappointed when we picked up Speak. It's real, it's raw, and it's a book that can help many teens deal.

4.) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: This was another required school reading for us. And just like LOTF we fell in love. We loved the plot, the time period the book was written about and how REAL it all felt, and of course, we loved Scout :)

5.) The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: We first heard about this during a conference two years ago. Once we heard the premise, we knew it was a must read. Anyone can say what they want about the trilogy, but the overall plot is pure genius.

That's our five, what about you all? What are your favorite banned books?

OH YEAH! We were supposed to announce the winner of The Near Witch yesterday. Alas, life got in the way. So, without further adieu, the winner is....

Jamie Manning

Yay!!!! We'll be sending you an e-mail shortly :)

Tempted by the Book of Another

Reading Song of the Day: "Tempted" by Squeeze

First, sorry about the lame title of this post; I lack creativity this early in the morning. Second, as some of you may already know, it's Banned Books Week. My group blog, Paper Hangover, is having coverage on it all this week, and my lovely adopted sis, Racquel, is holding a contest.

So part of the reason why Quita and I love reading and writing YA is because we're eternal teenagers--which is why if someone tells us we can't read anything, we're DEFINITELY going to read it. Tomorrow, Quita and I will join Paper Hangover and share our five favorite banned books--but today, we want to share some of the banned books we haven't read yet, but is in our TBR pile:

And Tango Makes Three by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson. As much as some people disapprove of it, there are kids out there with homosexual parents. Why can't these kids have a picture book that they can relate to? Furthermore, why can't other kids read it to learn about acceptance and differences? Whenever I'm blessed with a child, I know this will be on our bookshelf.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. I first discovered Mr. Alexie when I read one of his short stories in a magazine. Needless to say, his voice hooked me--so I'm a little stunned I never got around to reading his YA novel. This will be mended soon.

The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things by Carolyn Mackler. Come on, the title alone is catchy. Quita and I saw Ms. Mackler speak at a conference last year and we wanted to become her best friends. Our admiration for her only grew when we found out she wrote about a girl who thought she was fat--something that Quita and I had issues with in high school, as well. Come on--teen girls with body issues (which is pretty much all of them) should be able to read this book.

What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones. I first heard about this book from one of my former 8th grade students. She HATED school--even more than that, she HATED English class. But she couldn't stop swooning over this book. She said she read it in two days. If a book can convert one of my struggling students into an enthusiastic reader, I'm sold.

The Harry Potter series by JK Rowling. We know, we know. Where have we been? Quita actually had a chance to read the first book, but we both know that we need to eventually read the whole series. We have never met ANYONE who disliked this series. These books helped mold a new generation of readers--we were a little shocked that they are banned in some areas.

Okay, so that is just a mere sampling of "forbidden" books we're tossing into our TBR piles. What about you all? Which naughty book are you dying to read?

Friday Fives: Our Writing Nooks

Writing Song of the Day: "In My Place" by Coldplay

Friday is here, and Quita and I could not be more excited! Our week has been...hectic. But we're still taking the time to join Paper Hangover for the Friday Fives. This week they want to know:

And our choices are:

1. Our home office. It is a requirement now for both of us to have some kind of space at home to complete our writing. Of course, some times we're too lazy to make it there so we use our...

2. Living room. Yes, we have imprints of our butts on the couch. We each have our own side, and we sit like zombies in front of laptops--completely quiet, completely focused (well, sometimes...hence why I used the term "zombies").

3. Starbucks. We recently had to go there due to a power outage. I didn't think I would get much work done since I'm EASILY distracted (oh look...an airplane), but I loved the environment. Everyone there was so productive, which really rubbed off on me.

4. Our patio. The sunshine. The birds. The neighbors that provide endless amounts of writing material. Need I say more?

5. A writing retreat. Quita and I were lucky enough to attend two writing retreats--one with our Weekend of Awesome buds, and another organized by SCBWI. The amount of work we got done at both was truly outstanding. There's nothing like going away with the sole purpose of writing--we'll deal with life's drama when we return home.

What about you all? What are some of your fave writing locations?

P.S. Don't forget to enter our The Near Witch book giveaway!

Friday Fives: Best Summer Reads

Reading Song of the Day: "You're So Last Summer" by Taking Back Sunday

*sigh* The Summer has officially ended and we are wrapping up our first week of school. That means four days down, 176 to go! But we can still relish in the ah-may-zing books we read over the summer...

What? Paper Hangover wants us to do that???

Well, okay then...

This week's Friday Fives from that awesome blog group mentioned above is:

What are the FIVE best books you read this summer?

In no particular order, here are the five books we loved on over the summer:

Boy Toy by Barry Lyga : Pretty much any book about a child or a young student being molested by a teacher seems like it would come off "messagy". But according to Pam, this book doesn't. It helped her to make sense of why children/teens blame themselves and the healing they go through in order to move on.

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff: Pam gave love to Brezenoff's new masterpiece here (and also loved on him in other spots on our blog). This book made her feel. And she loved, loved, adored the imagery and mysteriousness of the MC and his/her love interest.

Recovery Road by Blake Nelson: I've already loved on this book enough here...but just in case you need to know MORE, know this--Nelson is a master at pacing. The story moves along fast, but not so fast that you're wondering what the *bleep* happened with that plot line or this conflict. MASTER, I say!

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa: Pam discussed before why she loved this book so much here, but she will add that it's one of the rare fantasy books that hooked her from the beginning and never let go.

Looking For Alaska by John Green: I am such a late passenger on the John Green train, but I ain't getting off! This book hooked me from the first page. The MC is likable, believable, and made me feel every single emotion that he was going through. LOVE!

What books did you love all up on this summer?

Friday Fives: OMG, I LOVE You!

Greeting Song of the Day: "Hello, I Love You" by The Doors

It's Friday. Quita and I are usually WAY happier about that, but this weekend...we have to present our MFA theses. Gulp. On the plus side, we also get to graduate and party--woo hoo!!

Another plus? That we get to share Friday Fives with you! This week, Paper Hangover wants to know:

Which FIVE authors are YOU dying to meet?

We got to meet so many ah-may-zing authors last weekend at the SCBWI Conference--many who would've made this list, such as Ellen Hopkins, Steve Brezenoff, and Laurie Halse Anderson (who we found out actually mentioned us to other people at the conference. Say what?!!!). However, there are still five--okay, we cheated--SEVEN more authors we'd love to rub elbows with:

1. John Green: So yeah, I almost cried when I found out he couldn't make it to the conference last weekend due to gallbladder removal surgery. However, having had this procedure myself, I'm aware of how much it can suck--so I hope he recuperates well so that I can stalk...I mean, MEET him some time in the near future.

2. Cormac McCarthy/Joyce Carol Oates: Quita loves these two. I mean, really LOVES them. She couldn't stop raving about Zombie after reading it, and her fan-girl moments over McCarthy inspired me to make one of my characters in Wants be a huge fan of his work, as well.

3. Courtney Summers: What can I say about Ms. Summers that I already haven't said on this blog? That I think she's awesome? Yep, already went there. That I want to be her when I grow up (despite the fact that I'm older)? Yeah, check that off too. Every page she's ever written just leaves me in complete awe.

4. Blake Nelson: Another favorite of Quita's. She says that he NAILS (yes, she was that enthused) the teen voice, and even when it seems like he's writing about nothing, she can't peel her eyes away. Hmm, I think it's about time I pick up one of his books...

5. Jodi Picoult/Stephen King: I couldn't choose between my two favorite adult writers! King is the Master of Suspense--if I ever have a problem with tension or pacing, I like to refer to one of his works. And Jodi? A few years ago, when I was bombarded with reading things that I did NOT want to read for my English classes, Jodi reminded me what it was that I loved about stories in the first place. Her characters are so real and heartfelt.

So, I know we left a few of our faves out, so maybe we'll update this list in the future. What about you all? What authors are you loving up on?

Friday Fives: The BEST First Lines

Reading Song of the Day: "Where the Lines Overlap" by Paramore

It's Friday! That means two things:

1.) It's exactly one week until SCBWI in LA! Woo hoo!!!

2.) It's time for Friday Fives with the Paper Hangover gang :)

This week's topic:

What are your FIVE favorite first lines?

We've answered this before for the lovely YA Highway ladies, so some of our answers may seem familiar. Hey, we don't mind showing love to some great opening lines more than once!

Without further delay, here are our favorite first lines:

1.) "When I was little, my dad used to tell me, 'Will, you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can't pick your friend's nose.'"-Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Greene and David Levithan

The line sets the tone for the book. You know it'll be a slightly humorous tale about friendship. And this intro just pops with voice.

2.) "Imagine four years. Four years, two suicides, one death, one rape, two pregnancies (one abortion), three overdoses, countless drunken antics, pantsings...But everything you do here counts. High School."-Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers

Whoa! The conciseness, the listing...these brief images pretty much paints exactly what kind of school the narrator attends.

3.) "I was born with a light covering of fur. After three days it had all fallen off, but the damage was done."-Liar by Justine Larbalestier

It's a simple first line that doesn't seem to make sense, but once you read the whole book it'll mean so much more.

4.) Daddy said, "Let Mom go first."- Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Go first? For what? When we read the first chapter preview months before the book's release, we just knew we had to know more about this adventure.

5.) "They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that's not how it happened for me."-Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Right away we know what to expect--the narrator has died. BUT, after reading that first line, we were dying to find out exactly how it happened for her.

Bam! There ya have it! So, what are some of your fave first lines???

ANNOUNCEMENTS!

***Today is the release day for Black Fox Literary Magazine Issue # 1!!! Please support us and check out the mag here (we will go LIVE later on this morning). Also, there are print issue for sale :)!***

AND, don't forget about our contest to win Jo Treggiari's Ashes, Ashes--deets here :)

Friday Fives: Look It Up!

Researching Song of the Day: "Look Into My Eyes" by Bone Thugs N Harmony

We've reached the end of another week...this summer is going by a lil' too fast for our tastes, actually. But, alas the end of the week brings good things, too. It means Friday Fives fun with the Paper Hangover gang!

This week, they wanna know: What are your Five Favorite Research Tools or Resources?

1.) Writing Magazines: Writer's Digest & The Writer Magazine: If you don't subscribe to either one of these mags...go do so, now. They both provide tips, writing exercises, and interviews with authors that are beyond helpful. Both of our recent issues give revisions tips, which is awesome, considering that we're both revising right now!

2.) Publisher's Marketplace: Pam has discussed this site at length numerous times, like here. This is a site that she visits daily (you have to have a subscription) to see what types of books editors are buying these days.

3.) Fill In The Blank Plotting by Linda George: This book was introduced to us by our buddy, Alicia. We like it so much that we even gave away a copy recently. The book will definitely be put to may-jah use once we start plotting our NaNo projects.

4.) Guide to Literary Agents Blog: C'mon...what can't you learn on this blog? Not only do you learn about shiny new agents (I like that part a lot), but you also get tips on query letters, announcements for conferences and agent/editor appearances and seminars, and various articles like advice on how to promote your book or why you should keep your day job.

5.) QueryTracker: Yes, I am still quite addicted to this site. I stalk my favorite agents. My favorite part is looking at the percentages of queries/submissions accepted and rejected. I also like reading other writers' comments.

And that's it! What are some of your fave research or resource tools?

Friday Fives: You're So Cliched...

Writing Song of the Day: "Same Song and Dance" by Eminem

It's Friday so we know what that means--it's time to once again join the Paper Hangover gang for the Friday Fives. This week they want to know:

What are your five favorite cliches?

Um...gulp. Let's see what we can come up with...

1. The Love Triangle. Come on, what girl doesn't want two hot guys fighting over her? However, Quita and I just had a conversation about this, and we both agreed that we'd love to see more spins of this where 2 girls go after the same guy. Guys deserve love, too. Speaking of which...

2. The Bad Boy. Yes, this is coming from the girl who rolls her eyes whenever someone swoons over Damon from The Vampire Diaries or Eric from True Blood. Granted, I've never read the book versions of these TV shows--so maybe I'd like them more on paper. But, when done right--such as Jordan Catalano from My So-Called Life or Tim Riggins from Friday Night Lights--I can't help but empathize with the "bad boy." I love when we get a chance to see why their guards are up.

3. The Meek Girl Becomes a BAMF. There are so many times when we see the female protagonist break out of her cocoon and start kicking some serious ass. Do we get tired of it? Umm, NO! I think it's because we're both very introverted, so we get to live out our fantasies through the likes of Clary from The Mortal Instrument series and Tris from Divergent.

4. You Are the Chosen One. Call it the Harry Potter Syndrome. You take your normal, everyday Joe or Jill Schmoe and--voila--they find out they're destined for greatness. We're still waiting for our calling. Yep, still waiting...

5. But Wait...There's More! Yeah, this may not count, but we're both becoming HUGE fans of trilogies. And by the YA deals on Publishers Marketplace, it seems like we're not alone. We love to see what kind of conflicts and character arcs can build over the course of three novels. Quita can't wait to read Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (the final installment in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series), and I can't wait to see what Beth Revis has in store next after Across the Universe.

Yay--we did it! Now you tell us--what's your FAVE cliche??

*Oh, and don't forget to enter our giveaway to win a copy of How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend. Contest ends July 5th! :)

Friday Fives: Go With the Flow

Brainstorming Song of the Day: "Go With the Flow" by Queens of the Stone Age

After a week off, we're hopping back in the saddle with the Paper Hangover gang for the Friday Fives. Today they want to know the:

FIVE things that get your creativity juices flowing

Hmm, this is a tricky one, but let's give it a shot:

1. Music. I think this may be a popular one for many writers. Quita and I differ on this, though. While I LOVE listening to music while I write, if it's a song I know too well, I'm going to be singing it from the rooftops instead of getting the words down. Quita can sit down and write through a rock concert, though. So, YES, I love music--but I prefer to listen to lesser known artists while I'm first drafting.

2. Other books. We've heard it all before--in order to be a great writer, you need to read, read, READ. I especially like to keep my eye open for techniques that I need more help in, like setting. Quita likes to look for pacing. Reading work from well-respected authors (and not even just in YA) helps us up our game.

3. Movies. Every Friday night, you can find us at the movie theater. In fact, I got the ideas from the last 2 WIPs I wrote from movies that I loved as a kid. It's not necessarily stealing--it's taking what you love so much about those movies and applying it to your own world.

4. People watching. So, we're no longer teens, but we love writing about them. How do we make our writing authentic? Well, by watching teens of course--and we mean that in the not creepy way. We love eavesdropping in on conversations, or just watching interactions in public areas to make sure we're nailing that teen voice.

5. Attending conferences. We LOVE going to writing conferences! Just mingling with other writers, and hearing words of wisdom from publishing insiders makes it money well spent. Every time we leave a conference or some other writing-related event, we're so motivated to pound the keys on our laptops.

What about you all? What gets your creative juices flowing?

Friday Fives: Light Reading...And a CONTEST!

Reading Song of the Day: "Summer Love" by Justin Timberlake

It's that time again...the freakin' weekend! And once again, me and Pam are traveling. This time we're headed to Shenandoah National Park in northern Virginia for what is sure to be an ah-may-zing SCBWI novel retreat. But we couldn't leave without participating in Pam's group blog Paper Hangover's Friday Fives.

Also, we have a few announcements to make...so make sure you don't leave until you get to the end!

This week's Friday Fives is:

What are the Five Best Summer Reads?

Here is our list in no particular order:


1. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: We have raved about this book here and here. I don't think there's more we can say-- except the book is fun, light, and absolutely clever. A must read for the summer!




2. The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare: Okay, so this may not be "light" reading, but the summer is a great time to get caught up on the series. There are 4 books out already and more to come. If you want to be a part of the craze for the next book in the series, then use the summer to read what you've missed thus far.


3. The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa: I brought these books for Pam for her birthday b/c she is working on a fairies book and she wanted to see what else is out there. She's going to use the summer to get caught up on the series so she can be ready for the next book.

4. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling: Pam bought me the first book for my birthday b/c I told her I wanted to start reading them. I am now hooked! I'll be using the summer to read ALL of the books and hopefully start watching the movies as well.

5. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz: Pam read Gone, Gone, Gone and RAVED. So, we figured Invincible Summer must be just as good, if not better. Plus, you can't go wrong with the word "summer" in the title!

Okay...now it's time for some announcements!

Announcement # 1: We are going on a blogging hiatus. Fear not, loyal followers! We shall return in ONE WEEK- June 20th, 2011. So, you have to go one week w/out us...don't celebrate too much.

Announcement # 2: This one is much more EXCITING! We are giving away TWO books to celebrate our one year blogging anniversary (as of 5/31/2011--Pam and I have been blogging together for one WHOLE year!) AND to celebrate all of the awesomeness that we experienced at Weekend of Awesome. Because we want to celebrate that joyous occasion we will give away two books that we learned about from our new real life friends :)


Book # 1: Notes From the Blender by Brendan Halpin and Trish Cook. You can read what Goodreads has to say about this novel here. We got to do a Skype chat with Brendan during WOA (thanks to Erinn) and he is so funny and witty. Those elements are sure to show up in his novel and we KNOW you will enjoy it! But, wait...there's more! This book will be signed by Brendan Halpin himself!




Book # 2: Fill-in-the-Blank Plotting by Linda George: The link will take you to the Goodreads page where you can learn more. But this book was introduced to us by Alicia during WOA and it is AWESOME! It'll help you to plot your novel based on the Hero's journey and the Three- Act structure.

Enter to win by filling in the form below. Easy peasy!

Now that that's over with...we'd love to know what books you all are looking forward to reading this summer!

Friday Fives: Some Cheese with That Whine...?

Writing Song of the Day: "No Excuses" by Alice in Chains

At the very moment that you're reading this, we are driving to meet up with Erinn, Alicia, and Kat for what else but a WEEKEND OF AWESOME! But we still had to make sure that we got all up in the Friday Fives groove. So, via Paper Hangover (Pam's group blog--check it out here) this week's Friday Fives question is...

What are FIVE excuses you're ready to give up to become a better writer?


1.) There's never any time! What with a full time day job, MFA classes, a part time job for Pam...did we mention full time jobs (in education, which means we're still working at home, too)--oh and don't forget about TV shows and movie watching time, and reading--aye yi yi! It always feels like there's never enough time for us to actually just sit down and write. BUT since we completed NaNoWriMo this past November, we realized this is an excuse that we can overcome. Like the eloquent Nike slogan: Just Do It!

2.) No one's gonna like it anyway... It's so easy to cut ourselves down. Usually this is done b/c we fear rejection. We figure if we say it first, then no one can say anything worse. But this is one excuse we are resolving to stop using. If we love it- SOMEONE out there will love it, too. Pam found that out when she nabbed her super agent, Sarah La Polla!

3.) This genre's not "hot" anymore! We came up with a bada** vampire story and then thought: "Nope, vampires aren't hot anymore." Then a bada** dystopian idea presented itself, but so many dystopians are coming out that they won't be hot much longer, right? Screw that! If we're itching to write a story, we're gonna write that effing story!

4.) You can't teach me how to write! What do I need a craft of writing book for? Practice makes perfect, right? What will these craft books teach me that I won't learn from just writing? Obviously, a lot. A few of our bloggy pals are into craft books and we're starting to realize that these books could help us with those nagging problems- like action scenes or describing settings. Oh, not to mention we're both getting graduate degrees in creative writing--so it's apparent that yes, we can still learn a thing or two.

5.) Didn't someone else already write this? Sometimes we've just written the most ah-may-zing story ever, or plotted the best novel in the world...but then something seems familiar about it. Then we scrap it because we're sure it's just like that one book by that one awesome author who's on the New York Times Best Seller's List. Not anymore! You know why? Because lots of people have similar ideas but the DELIVERY of that idea is what matters.

So, yeah, we're done with the excuses, peeps. What about you all? What excuse are you ready to chuck to become a better writer?

Go Over THERE...Please :)

Psst...hey. Did you know that Pam has a group blog called Paper Hangover? Did you also know that she wrote a post today on how teens spend their weekends? Did you also know that Teen Scene Tuesdays on Paper Hangover gives you the inside scoop on what teens are up to today. It's great research for your writing.

Just saying...

But really, we'd love for you to check out her post. :)

Friday Fives: Distractions

Procrastinating Song of the Day: "Distraction" by Angels and Airwaves

Good Friday, peeps! We hope you all have a great weekend & a great Memorial Day. With that being said, let's get this weekend started right, shall we?

Via Paper Hangover (Pam's group blog--check it out here) we're getting our Friday Five on!

This week they wanna know:

What are FIVE of your most distracting (procrastination-worthy) things (habits, websites, etc.) on the internet?

As we've admitted numerous times on this blog, we have diagnosed ourselves with adult ADHD, therefore this list could be A LOT longer than five things. But for the sake of keeping things short we've narrowed our Internet distractions to the following five items:

1.) TWITTER--Omigod. We were actually not willing to get Twitter accounts at one point. Now, I don't think we could live without it. A day that you don't see us tweet something, anything (even just a re-tweet) , is a day that zombies have attacked our humble Virginia county.

2.) BLOGS- Right after we made our own blog (we used to have individual blogs at one point) we proceeded to find other writers and readers so that we could be on the up and up about any news, advice, or general support.

3.) Pam: As I mentioned in my post from Monday(here), Publisher's Marketplace is part of my daily routine. It never hurts to see what's getting purchased. This way I know where my own writing stands and I get more motivated to finish current WIPs.

4.) Quita: E-mail. LAWD, I check my e-mail once every ten seconds. Hoping that I'll get that response from an agent that I've been waiting for since March/April.



5.) Celebrity Gossip Websites: It's not always trashy stuff (Pam gave up Perez Hilton's site at least a year ago), but we do like to keep up with the news on the Hollywooders that we stalk on a daily basis. You know, the likes of Leo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Robert Pattinson, Justine Timberlake, etc.

There, you know how we procrastinate when we should be writing that masterpiece that we're dying to get out of our heads. What about you--how do you distract yourself on the Internet?

Friday Fives: Needy Writers

Writing/Revising Song of the Day: "I Need You Tonight" by INXS

One more 'gin we're joining in with the Friday Fives fun from Pam's group blog Paper Hangover.

This week they wanna know:

What are the FIVE THINGS you can't live without when writing/revising??

We are so ADHD, we absolutely have to have something else to grab on to or listen to while writing and revising. With that being said, here are our top five must haves!!!


1.) Music Part I: When revising, we like to listen to low moody music. A great example: The Inception soundtrack, or most songs by Incubus or 30 Seconds to Mars.

2.) Music Part II: Creating playlists based on our character(s). For The Blues, a lot of heavy, loud music (SlipKnot, Korn, The Used) was put on Blake's playlist. For Project J, Britney Spears and Kelly Clarkson provided some of the soundtrack of Jonah's life.


3.) Lubrication: Get your minds out of the gutter! We both happen to have cosmetic type materials that we need at our desks. For Pam it's lotion, for me ChapStick. Must. Haves.


4.) Candy: Preferably anything gummy--however, chocolate, Lemon Heads, Nerds and SweetTarts will suffice!





5.) Finally, a notebook: Not just any notebook either. Cute little white notebooks decorated with colorful polka dots. This was given to us when we were in England by our sistah from another mistah, Racquel. We keep these notebooks with us to jot down new ideas, and to write things we need to remember while revising.


There you have it, our five must haves while writing/revising...what about you?

Friday Fives: Best Advice Evah!

Advising Song of the Day: "Suggestions" by System of a Down

Once again, we're joining Pam's awesome blog, Paper Hangover for some Friday Fives fun!





This week, they wanna know:

What are FIVE pieces of useful advice you have received as an aspiring writer? Either in quotes, blog posts, websites or communities.

Great question, right? Here are 5 things we've picked up along the way:


1.) Revise, revise, then revise again: Your first draft will always be different from the final (if there is even a final--several authors have said at conferences that they find things they want to change in their books that are already published) and you have to sometimes "kill your darlings".

2.) Any response is a good response: Even if you get a pass on a partial or full request--at least you got a request in the first place! Someone is reading YOUR writing, right?

3.) If you love to write, then write: NOTHING should get in the way of writing if you are a true writer. That doesn't mean you have to write everyday (funerals, births etc. obviously take precedence), but if you truly want to be a writer, there should be some writing going on--and a lot of it!

4.) This is ALL subjective: This is probably the BEST advice we've received. While one agent/editor may not like your novel--there are maybe two or three out there who do. Yes, sometimes there are things we need to work on with our writing, but overall the business of writing books is based on someone's opinion.

5.) Read, read, and read some more!: You can never read enough novels. This is part of our job as writers. If we want to write a certain genre or for a certain audience then we need to read novels in that genre or area of fiction/non-fiction. This way we can learn from it. It's just like how a doctor should read medical journals. Yes, we did just compare writers to doctors.

What has been some great advice that you have received through your journey as a writer?

Friday Fives: Mmmm...Book Covers

Ogling Song of the Day: "Cover Girl" by Jamie Foxx

We're joining Pam's awesome bloggy pals over at the uber rad (sorry, didn't want to use awesome again) blog, Paper Hangover for some Friday Fives fun!

This week, they wanna know:

What five book covers are you lusting over?

As you all know from our Pam v. Quita series, we don't ALWAYS agree on everything, but this topic was one we could easily agree on. Here are the five book covers (in no particular order) that are so delicious we could just gobble them up.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Brooklyn, Burning by Steve Brezenoff

Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Aren't those just gorgeous?! What book covers are you currently lusting over?

Friday Fives: More Please!

Wishing Song of the Day: "Gimme More" by Britney Spears

We're joining my lovely group blog, Paper Hangover, again this week for the Friday Fives. This week we want to know:

What are five things you wish to see more of in fiction?

1. More diversity. In most of the books Quita and I like to read, we don't nearly see as many ethnic characters...or GLBTQ characters...or characters with disabilities. Of course, none of these need to be an "issue" of the book--but it would be nice to read books that were reflective of the world. Speaking of which...

2. More realistic YA. Don't get me wrong, I'm a total fan girl of Cassandra Clare and Quita is ga ga over Maggie Stiefvater, but we'd like to see realistic fiction receive the same attention. Nothing excites me more than seeing a contemporary YA deal on Publishers Marketplace. Well, except for pizza and/or chocolate chip cookies, but still...

3. More love stories that actually make sense. Sure, it's great to think that the hottest guy in school will suddenly open his eyes and fall head over heels for you--risking his popularity and even his own life just for your well-being. But that ain't happening, cap'n. We like love stories with a more authentic feel, just like the one in Anna and the French Kiss. The chemistry was there between Anna and Etienne from the beginning, but their actual relationship took time--which is the way it usually happens.

4. More stories from the male POV. Sure, girls usually read more than boys, but this could possibly change if there were male narrators. Thank you John Green, Hannah Moskowitz, and Blake Nelson for breaking the mode. And on the POV front...

5. More multiple POVs please. Sometimes a story works even better when you get to see everything from different angles. Steve Brezenoff did a wonderful job with this in The Absolute Value of -1 and Jackson Pearce rocked it out with Sisters Red. I like to dabble with this method, so I'd LOVE to see more examples.

What about you all? Anything you'd love to see more of in fiction?

Friday Fives # 2: Trading Places

Reading Song of the Day: "Trading Places" by Usher

It's the second week of Pam's uber-new, uber-cool group blog, Paper Hangover's Friday Fives. This week's prompt: The FIVE book characters you would switch places with for a day...

This is hard because there are so many book characters we would swap out with, especially if we only had to endure a day in most of their tortured lives :D Here are me and Pam's collective choices in no particular order:

1.) Violet from Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder trilogy. Okay, I know--why would we wanna switch places with someone who could sense the dead? Probably because it'll feel nice to have that power & help solve crimes. It would make us feel special :)

2.) Anna from Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss. DUH- she was in Paris and she had a hottie like Etienne St. Clair fall in love with her. Who doesn't wanna be Anna?


3.) Isabel from Maggie Stiefvater's Linger. Because she got to make out with Cole...and because she is pretty strong and resilient.

4.) Clary from the Cassie Clare's The Mortal Instruments series. Again, another obvious choice The world Clare created for TMI is intriguing and mesmerizing and not only is Clary an awesome and strong female, but she also gets to finagle with Jace-YUM!


5.) Jessamine/Will from Cassie Clare's Clockwork Angel. Jessamine was pretty bada**. It would be neat to live in that time period as well and Will b/c he's smooth and blunt--everything we wish we could be (and because we wanted to say a boy so that laughter could ensue...laugh, please).

There you have it...what characters would you want to switch places with?