N is for...No Diversity

Controversial Song of the Day:  "Ordinary People" by John Legend

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 diversity.uno.edu

Over a year ago, Nicola K. Richardson wrote an aspiring guest post on YA Highway about Race in YA. So inspiring, in fact, that I had to write my own post about it here.

 

I won't repeat myself but, simply put, if you look at the YA bestsellers list, there is a GREAT chance that those novels do not feature a minority protagonist. Don't get me wrong, I love those books. I'm counting down the days with the rest of you for Insurgent, and I'd read ANYTHING by John Green--even if he was just balancing his checkbook. But novels with minority leads usually release on a much quieter scale (and we'll be talking about "quiet" novels later on in the week).

 
So, does the lack of fanfare for minority leads scare Quita and me? Quite frankly--sometimes. So much so that I used to be scared to have a major character that was just black--they always had to be mixed with some other race. However, Nicola's post changed my mind about that, and I did change an important character in Project J to African-American--and the response to the novel has been pretty great so far. My readers don't care if my character is black or not--they were just entertained.
 
Here's a look at some awesome YA books with minority leads:

• Living Violet by Jaime Reed
• Liar by Justine Larbalestier
• The Absolutely True Diary of A Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
• Cinder by Marissa Meyer
• Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall

*Thankfully, a few of the novels listed above did receive the "hype" they deserved.

So what are some of your favorite racially diverse novels? Does writing characters outside of your race scare you?

RTW: Words With Friends

Writing Song of the Day: "More Than Words" by Frankie J

Wednesday: I used to HATE spelling this word in elementary school. I would never get it right. But now, I'm cool with it. Mainly because it means it's Road Trip Wednesday day with the ladies of YA Highway. And guess what we're talking about this week: WORDS!

The Highway-ers wanna know:

What words do you absolutely hate? Which ones do you adore?

As writers,  of course there are several words we adore! As of late these have been our favorites:

Now on to the hate, here are a couple of words that we cannot stand to say/hear:

What about you? What words do you absolutely love and hate?

B*&%@ Stole My Story!

Writing Song of the Day: "Stolen" by Dashboard Confessional

Okay, it's Wednesday--one of my favorite days of the week because we get to join the lovely ladies of YA Highway for another Road Trip Wednesday! This week, they want to know:

What SNI were you psyched to work on, but discovered it was too close to something already done?

Those gals sure know how to ask the hard-hitting questions. I may have mentioned once or twice on this blog how I'm just a LITTLE (see the irony?) obsessed with checking out the deals on Publishers Marketplace. There have been a handful of moments where I cringe and say: "Wait a minute, that sounds familiar..." In fact, Quita just purchased a book that slightly reminds me of Project J (*shakes fist at Quita*).

Alas, I'll focus on the story that Quita and I were supposed to write together. About a year and a half ago, Inception blew our minds. So much so, we were inspired to co-author a novel that would blow other people's minds. But then, we started noticing a trend in the marketplace. Almost every book in the YA section was dystopian. Almost every new deal was a dystopian novel. And then in several interviews and panels with agents and editors, they said they were a little tired of seeing a certain type of submission. I think you know where we're going with this one.

So Quita and I have decided to step away from this project...or at least temporarily. We're trying to think of a unique way to allow our baby to stand out in a saturated, yet AWESOME, marketplace. We're trying to think of a way to make it less dystopian-y (like my new adjective?), and more BAD ASS.

What about you all? Ever have your dreams ripped out of your hands? Or something slightly less dramatic?

Say What?

Reading Song of the Day: "Say It To Me Now" by Glen Hansard

Wednesday. Middle of the week. Road Trip Wednesday with the ladies of YA Highway. All the best things. Today they want us to:

Write a dialogue between two of your favorite YA characters.

So. Hard.

This would have been fun if we had the energy to come up with this post in more time than one day. We're running on fumes that are not quite creative...so, instead, we're gonna show you what most dialogue in YA novels consists of:

First: Conflict

Second: Conflict solved...people are happy for awhile. Alas, not for long...

Third: More conflict and we're left waiting for the next book OR dreaming up a happy ending. Unless, of course the book is by Stephanie Perkins or John Green AKA Masters of Delicious Dialogue!

 So, this is what happens when our brains can't function. We promise to be more creative next time! What do you guys think dialogue in YA novels is like?

RTW: What's in a Name?

Writing Song of the Day: "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child

Woo hoo! Once again it's Wednesday, which means once again we get to join the lovely ladies of YA Highway for their Road Trip Wednesday question. This week they want to know:

If you couldn't use your own name, what would your pseudonym or penname be?

Okay, is it weird that I thought of this answer before...like, A LOT? I would love to write in more than one genre, so I assumed that while I establish myself as Pamela Harris, I may want to try something else out under a new name. I have two choices: Nadine Hunter or Nadine Shelton. Nadine because, well, it's my middle name (I know--ugh). I chose Hunter because my mom's maiden name is "Hunt," and I chose Shelton because that's my dad's first name.

Quita used the same formula to pick a penname (sorry, I got too lazy to spell the other word again). She would use either Sherie Hunt or Sherie Levitt. Sherie is her middle name (pronounced like the French word cherie--her mother just tried to get all creative). She chose Hunt because, again, that's her mother's maiden name (our moms are sisters--get it?), and she chose Levitt because of Joseph Gordon-Levitt. She said, and I quote, "Out of all my celebrity boyfriends, his last name sounds the best with my middle name."

Don't worry--me and the rest of the fam are already fitting her for a straitjacket.

What about you all, peeps? Have a name you'd like to use? Which name do you think we should use if given the option?

RTW: Come Sail Away With Us

Daydreaming Song of the Day: "Daydreamer" by Adele

It's Wednesday, AKA the best day of the week for daydreaming and completing a Road Trip post from YA Highway. Okay, maybe not the best day for daydreaming, but the topic this week makes us do just that. This week, the ladies are asking us:

Describe your dream writing retreat. Where would you go? Who and what would you bring?

Funny that this question is coming up right when we're considering taking a writing retreat in the summer. If we had things our way and didn't have to worry about money, this is what we'd do.

Where We'd Go:

Beautiful St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands (Close runner up: A quiet area--not desolate--but quiet, somewhere in Italy).

Who We'd Bring:

We'd bring, each other- DUH, also our lil' sis Racquel, our Weekend of Awesome pals, Alicia, Erinn, Kat, and Holly (not pictured), and our buddy Megan (also, not pictured). Hmm, we need some pics with these girls...

Racquel, Pam, Quita

 Erinn, Kat, Quita, Pam, Alicia

What We'd Bring:

   

iPads:  'Cause we're kinda obsessed with them. And also because they will be full of musical inspiration, novels to read (for the times we're stuck on what to write), and hopefully (by that time) the Scrivener App.

Netbooks/Flash Drives: For writing. Nuff said.

Moleskin Notebooks: For those moments that we need to jot down something we might forget later.

Novels: Actual ones that we can hold in our hands--because some novels MUST be held.

A Couple Writing Resource Books: Books like Fill-In-the-Blank Plotting by Linda George, Writing and Selling The Young Adult Novel by K.L. Going, and Cheryl Klein's Second Sight: An Editor's Talks on Writing, Revising, and Publishing Books for Children or Young Adults 

Forms of Lubrication (get your minds out of the gutter!): Lotion for Pam & Chapstick for Quita. Also Sun Tan Lotion--'cause ya know, sometimes we'll have to go on the lovely St. Croix beaches to relax before getting more writing done.

Colored Pens: If we're revising a printed draft.

Candy and snacks: To refuel and whatever other excuses we can think of to eat all the bad things.

And,um,some adult beverages: Hopefully these will be provided by the wonderful people at our luxurious Virgin Islands resort...for free.

Oh and we also wouldn't mind bringing a nice, smart (and HOT) island boy back home with us :D

What about you? Where would you go and what would you bring with you??

RTW: What Would You Do For a Klon...err, Book Contract

Desperate Song of the Day: "The Distance" by Cake

It's Wednesday. Two days until the weekend, and another chance to join the lovely ladies of YA Highway for Road Trip Wednesday. This week they ask:

How far would you go to get published?

Ooh, good question! One that actually had us doing this:

You see, we've wanted to be published authors since the very first time we could grip a pencil. We already know how we'd celebrate when we FINALLY see one of our names in the "Deals" section of Publishers Marketplace (and if you know anything about us, you'd know it has something to do with food).

So far, the only thing that we've both done is make revisions based on agents' suggestions. However, we'd never change anything we wouldn't feel comfortable about. For example, if for some reason we were asked to change a character's race or sexuality, our response would be a resounding NO! We've been very lucky that we haven't had to make those decisions thus far.

As far as genre hopping, I'd be lying if I said we haven't *considered* it. I mean, we SEE what sells--and we both have written manuscripts that were outside of our contemporary comfort zone. But I think our writing really shines when we're true to ourselves. If we wrote something just to fit to a trend, the passion wouldn't be there--which means that nobody else would want to read it anyway.

So yeah, I don't think I completely answered this question. Just know that if Quita and I get lucky enough to get published one day, we'd be able to say that we kept our self-respect.

What about you all? Would you do anything "crazy" just to see your name on a book spine?

RTW: Required Reading List

Reading Song of the Day: "Part of the List" by Ne-Yo

It's Wednesday...and we are counting down the day until the freaking weekend! But, in the mean time, we're going road tripping with our budding from YA Highway.

This week they want us to discuss books! We couldn't be any more excited. The topic is:

In high school, teens are made to read the classics - Shakespeare, Hawthorne, Bronte, Dickens - but there are a lot of books out there never taught in schools. So if you had the power to change school curriculums, which books would you be sure high school students were required to read?

*Squee* We could talk about this alllll day. In fact, we did a post about creating our own YA Master Class and what books we'd have students read here. But, we digress. Back on topic, if we could create our own list of required reading for teens, this is what we'd include:

* Crank by Ellen Hopkins

WHY? Because she merges two great styles of literature: poetry and prose. And she does it BRILLIANTLY. This book can be used to teach units on effective fiction techniques, as well as poetry techniques. Winning!

* Looking for Alaska by John Green

WHY? Because the novel is a great tool for teaching climax and character development. As a matter of fact, all of Green's books are great for teaching these concepts. Can't go wrong with Green!

* Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

WHY? This book is all about the teenage struggle of finding their voice and using it. We think teens can learn a lot of valuable life lessons from this novel.

* The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins

WHY? To make students better understand plot and pacing. Collins is PERFECT at these two aspects of writing.

* The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

WHY? There's no better book to use for teaching voice. Seriously.

* Divergent by Veronica Roth

WHY? This novel is probably THE best book to use to teach all of the important elements of literature: plot, character, climax, pacing, etc. BUT at the same time, it's a fun and exciting read. It's guaranteed to have boys just as interested as the girls.

* And we'd keep: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, and All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

WHY? Because some classics are still relatable and they stand the test of time. We feel that modern teens can still gain insight from reading these novels and each one can teach an aspect of studying literature.

DONE! You tell us, what else would you add to a required reading list??

RTW: The Perfect Coach

Coaching Song of the Day: "I'll Be There For You" by The Backstreet Boys

So, today Quita and I are venturing on Day #2 of the NaNoWriMo madness. Yesterday, we both had a good writing day--we passed our daily goals even. However, today we returned to the day jobs, and our writing goals are looking...well, bleak. That's why YA Highway's Road Trip Wednesday is perfect for us right now. They want to know:

What kind of writing coach do you need? When you have to coach friends, what kind of coach are you?

Hmm, well, we definitely wouldn't want this type of coach:

You know, the type of person that's going to bark orders at you and grill you for not meeting your goals. But we also don't want this type of coach:

All of us probably know this guy. The type that's going to put a Band Aid on everything and never call you out on your crap.

Basically, we just need a sounding board. Someone we can vent to when times seem rough. The kind that will give us both a pat on the back or a reality check when we ask for it.

And that's the type of coaches we are. If you just want to blow off steam, so be it. But when you tell us what kind of help/motivation you need, we'll be there for you like Chandler was there for Joey (okay, nineties sitcom reference. My creativity dwindles during this time of the day).

What about you all? What are your coaching needs?

RTW: We Wish...

Reading Song of the Day: "Wish You Were Here" by Incubus

It's Wednesday and we're ready for the companionship of road tripping with the lovely ladies of YA Highway!

This week they wanna know:

What was the best book you've read in October???

*sigh* If only we had the time to read!!!! Yes, we're technically cheating on this RTW post because we have not completed ANY books this month. We know...stop gasping so loud! Anyway, we thought we'd tell you what we wanted to read and hopefully when November rolls around we'll be able to participate in the best book RTW post forrealz.

What Pam wishes she can read:

I've started The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, but with two part time jobs, one full time job, plotting for NaNo, and a demented puppy, I've yet to finish it. I also plan to read The Iron Queen, the third in Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series. Oh yeah, and I'm hoping to Beta read The Blues for the cuz this month, too.

What Quita wishes she can read:

Like Pam, but w/out the two part time jobs, I've got way tooo much to do. SO, I started Kody Keplinger's Shut Out, but can't find the time to finish it :( I am hoping to read Sweetly by Jackson Pearce and also FINALLY take a look at Alica's fantasy manuscript.

We shall see how successful we are in fulfilling these wishes! What about you all--what was the best book you've read this month, or what are you trying to find time to read?

RTW: Why We Write

Writing Song of the Day: "One" by Creed

It's Wednesday...and we know what that means, right? Yes, we're only two days away from the weekend, but we also get to join the lovely ladies from YA Highway for another Road Trip Wednesday. This week they want to know:

What's your numero-uno reason for writing?

Well, our response can pretty much be summed into this picture:

That's right--FREEDOM.

Freedom to say what we want to say.

Freedom to be who we want to be.

Freedom to push away the stress from the real world just for a few hours.

What about you all? Why do YOU write?

RTW: Our Writing Journeys...And Boy Are Our Hands Tired!

Writing Song of the Day: "Tie My Hands" by Lil Wayne ftg Robin Thicke

Can you believe that the ladies at YA Highway have hosted 100, count it, 100 Road Trip Wednesday posts?? Well, they have! And this week, in honor of reaching the 100 Mile Marker, the ladies want to know:

How has your writing journey gone so far?

You mean, we get to shed light on our successful (okay not always successful) writing stories thus far? Don't mind if we do!

Pam's Response:

Wow, where do I begin? I have definitely been on a journey since I participated in my first RTW. First of all, this blog began as a solo venture, but then I joined forces with my annoying/lovable/most-awesome-person-in-the-world cousin, Quita. Second, I've written three, count them, THREE YA novels: one is a hopefully funny contemporary that I'll soon be revising, another is a supernatural modern tale about fairies that I wrote for NaNo 2010. And the third? Well, the third is my baby, Wants. And why is it my baby? Well, because it landed me the incredible Sarah LaPolla, who has just put my shiny new version of said baby back on submission (fingers crossed).

So what lies ahead? Well, I'm trying NaNo again this year, and I'm possibly delving back into my dark, contemporary roots this time around. I have a couple of ideas for future novels scrawled in my journal, so now I just have to find out which one is calling me next. Oh, and even though I graduated with my MFA in creative writing this past summer, I actually have to defend my thesis, gulp, TODAY. Wish me luck!

Quita's Response:

Since I began to take my writing seriously (about two or so years ago now) I've completed three novels, and "graduated" from my MFA program (for which I wrote a collection of short stories). Two of my novels have been through the ringer numerous times. My historical, In Limbo, is completely different from its first draft (which I wrote over a year and a half ago). It's moved from a single POV story about a white boy in love with a white girl, to a two person POV novel--and that white girl is now African American. Two agents have a full of this manuscript at the moment, one of which seems like she's REALLY excited about it--we'll see where that goes.

My other novel, The Blues, a contemporary mystery (I began writing this one a year and ten days ago), came close with three agents and finally one requested a revise and resubmit. I'm still working on the revise part. The final novel was a NaNo project--my foray into the world of paranormal/supernatural and I hated it. I think I'm just not good at telling those kinds of stories--at least not in one month. Maybe if I try and revise it, it might be okay...you never know. Now I'm on my way to taking another shot at NaNo--this time with a quiet story, and I'm gearing up to defend my MFA thesis next week. WHEW! I think that's it.

Now that you know all of me and Pam's bidness, how has your writing journey been so far?

RTW: Putting the Spotlight on Co-Stars

Reading Song of the Day: "Spotlight" by Jennifer Hudson

Wednesday--middle of the week, the slowest day b/c you just can't wait for Friday to get here...but also: Road Trip Wednesday time with the ladies at YA Highway. This week they wanna know:

What supporting character from a YA book would you most like to see star in their own novel?

This is one of the most awesome questions ever! And we knew EXACTLY what two characters we loved enough to read an entire novel based on them. Read on:

*Lindsay from Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall. While reading this amazing book, we got a chance to know Samantha Kingston throughout the novel. We understood her by the end AND we got to see her redeem herself. But what about Lindsay? I mean, we kinda get why she behaves the way she does by novel's end, but me and Pam are DYING to know more about Lindsay's personal life. We want to see what she's truly like behind the bitchy comments and the thick wall she puts up.

*Four from Veronica Roth's Divergent. I mean, really--do we need to say more than that? Four is the epitome of hotness. Rough, elusive, sarcastic, strong, smart. We couldn't get enough of Four while following Tris' adventures. Every time we turned the page, we were hoping Four would show up again. How cool would it be if there was an entire book dedicated to Four's background (which, hello, from the taste of it we get in Divergent is pretty intriguing and dramatic) and his feelings about Tris before he makes them known? We really hope Veronica's reading this post and strongly considers writing a book from Four's POV :D

Okay, we're done rambling now. What co-star in a YA novel would you love to see move to center stage?

RTW: The Best Book of September

Reading Song of the Day: "Forever" by Chris Brown

It's WEDNESDAY! Another horrible week is almost over...atleast we got a one day break from our "baby" the puppy from hell early this week. Alas, the ladies of YA Highway are helping us think of happy things with Road Trip Wednesday! This week's topic is:

What was the best book you read in September?

We've done minimal reading with it being the start of the school year, but Pam did manage to beta read a WIP. I FINALLY read and finished the book that I would've chosen even if I read a hundred books this month:

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Okay, so I read Shiver on a whim. The cover was pretty, people were buzzing about it, and I had to see how exactly this author pulled off having a human girl fall in love with a wolf. But, Oh. My. God. When Linger came out, I was hooked. Especially by the introduction of Cole (I LOVE Cole!) and the way that Stiefvater shifted between four POVs with ease. And the third and final book of the trilogy, Forever didn't dissapoint. The story wraps up in a way that the reader is satisfied but is still itching for more. The characters are each given a purpose and the climax is breath stopping. Also, Stiefvater's writing is pure genius!

What was the best book you read this month??

RTW: It Starts With a Cover

Reading Song of the Day: "Let's Get it Started" by Black Eyed Peas

It's that time again! Half way through the work week and Road Trip Wednesday:) This week the ladies of YA Highway are asking:

What are your all-time favorite book covers?

Book covers are essential. We all know that some people buy books mainly based on the cover. Some of the covers we feature here are ones that we are guilty of buying due to the cover art alone. Without further adieu enjoy some of these fantastic BEST book covers ever!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin: As soon as we saw this cover--we HAD to have this book. It's mysterious and absolutely gorgeous. We can't wait to read it :D

hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick:
Who DOESN"T love this cover? It's intense
and enticing and breathtaking :D

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer: Unique and although it has
NOTHING to do with the story--it's lovely!

19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult: It's simple. Lovely, beautiful and it makes you want to know who these people are and why they're holding hands.

Your go! Tell us what book covers are your faves of all time :)

RTW: This Seems Familiar

Writing Song of the Day: "Deja Vu" by Beyonce

It's Wednesday which means road tripping with the ladies of YA Highway. This week they're asking us:

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

I was a little lost on this one at first, but then Pam pointed out that we have discussed certain elements that continue to show themselves in ALL of our writing.

Pam's Answer:

Okay, my answer is really strange because:

A.) I'm a daddy's girl.

B.) My dad is pretty much awesome and

C.) Did I say I'm a daddy's girl??

With that being said, the recurring element that pops up in both Wants and Project J is daddy issues. My major characters either have a physical or emotionally MIA pop. Now that I think about it, this could stem from the fact that my dad was in the military for most of my childhood and he was gone for at least a year when he fought in Desert Storm.

Quita's Answer:

The recurring element that surfaces in my writing would be literally killing some of my darlings. For some reason I kill every single one of my character's best friends. Not just the associate they talk to in school sometimes--their best friends. In both In Limbo and The Blues the killing of the best friend serves major purposes, but still--I don't know why this keeps happening. It's not like I want to kill people--it just seems like the right thing to do. Wow. That sounds pretty creepy...

Your turn! Tell us what keeps popping up in your writing??

RTW: To Be Young Again

Writing Song of the Day: "When You Were Young" by The Killers

So it's the second day of the school year for Quita and me, but we still have time to take a little road trip with the lovely ladies of YA Highway. This week for Road Trip Wednesday they want to know:

What non-YA character would you love to see star in a YA book as themselves?

Ooh, good question! Probably our favorite one so far...but it also completely stumped us.

After much, MUCH thought, Quita came up with Ms. Sookie Stackhouse herself from the Charlaine Harris series. Why? Perhaps because she was Bella Swan before there was even a Bella Swan--not to mention she has some kick ass fairy powers. And pretty much every guy she meets, supernatural or otherwise, falls in love with her. That is one problem we'd LOVE to have.

We actually stole our other choice. I saw that the lovely Katy Upperman mentioned Dexter Morgan, star of one of our favorite TV shows evah. And Dexter would be awesome to see as a teen. We already have a vague idea of his background based on flashback, but to be there in the moment with him while he makes his first kill and discovers his dark passenger? Whoa. Okay, we realize that sounds a little demented, but hey--we're writers. That gives us a crazy pass.

What about you all? Who would you love to see as YA character?

RTW: Best Books of August!

Reading Song of the Day: "What It Is to Burn" by Finch

It's Wednesday, so let's hit the road with the lovely ladies of YA Highway for another Road Trip Wednesday. This week they want to know:

What's the best book you've read in August?

Well, since you're asking...

Pam's Choice:

So, I didn't get to read nearly as much as I wanted to this summer, let alone August. But I have a sneaking suspicion that my answer would still be this book right here:

If you've been following this site for a while, you may know how much I gawked over Steve Brezenoff's The Absolute Value of -1. So much so, in fact, that I kind of stalked his life at the LA SCBWI conference so that I could nab an early copy of this book. He was really awesome about it--he signed it for me and everything. :)

Now, Brooklyn, Burning. Wow. I'm utterly speechless about what I can say about it. I was nervous to read it since I loved his first YA novel so much, but Brezenoff does not disappoint. I've never been a fan of imagery (guess because it's my weakness), but he uses this incredible cocktail of naturalness and poetry to describe Brooklyn; the city was painted before my eyes even though I've never been there before (shame, since that's my dad's hometown). And as some of you may have heard, neither the narrator, Kid, nor Kid's love interest' genders were revealed. I LOVED this--I was able to imagine these two characters the way I wanted to, and I ended up becoming very protective over them.

I'll end with: read this book. Now. It's not for everyone, but if you enjoy beautiful writing and breaking rules, then this is the book for you.

Quita's Choice:

I sooooo wish I could say I met the author of the novel that I chose as the best book I read in August. I did e-mail Blake Nelson once and HE RESPONDED! That's almost as good as meeting him, right?? Anyway, you loyal followers have heard me love all over Mr. Nelson before (Paranoid Park, The New Rules of High School, etc.) but Recovery Road is by far THE BEST book I've read of his!

This is the first book of Nelson's that I have read from a girl's POV and the man is just as much as master at capturing the female's teen voice as he is at capturing the male's. The book goes on a roller coaster with the MC, Maddie as she battles her addictions, and struggles to keep her first true love...who, by the way, she fell in love with at rehab.

A MUST READ!!!

What about you all...what's the best book you read in August??

RTW: Chipping The Block

Writing Song of the Day: "Writer's Block" By Royce Da 5'9 ft. Eminem

It's Wednesday and guess what happens for us tomorrow?? We go back to work *cries, kicks, screams*.

But in the mean time, we're hanging out with the ladies of YA Highway for another Road Trip Wednesday. This week's topic is:

How do you beat writer's block?

We have two major steps that we go through in order to kick writer's block a**. They go a lil' something like this:

1.) Leave it be. You know the saying: a watched pot doesn't boil? Well a mulled over, stared at, stalked manuscript will also not write itself. If we're stuck, we leave that idea alone. Whether it's writing something else (a poem, a short story, plotting a new idea), exercising, or our favorite past times, eating, and watching TV :)

2.) Talk it out. Just like when you're joints are achy and you have to shake them out...when a story is blocked, just talk it out. Preferably with your amazing writing partner/cousin. Don't have one? You can hire me or Pam for the job :) Really, this works wonders. Pam worked out a major revision point for Wants just by talking about it out loud to me.

We're always looking for more advice, peeps. What do you all do to beat writer's block?

RTW: The Taste of Ink

Reading Song of the Day: "The Taste of Ink" by The Used

It's time for some Road Trip Wednesday with the uber cool chicks from YA Highway.

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

This week's topic:

The Five Senses (how do you use them in your work, what books have used them well etc.)

So, when me and Pam saw this topic on Twitter last night, we were a little lost. We could go on and on about what we do wrong in our own writing concerning the five senses, but that would take more than one post...and it would be boring. So, after some thinking, we both looked at each other and said, "We know a book that didn't use the sense of taste very well!" After jinxing one another, Pam said: "Oh, but there is a book that DID use the sense of taste REALLY well."

And from there our blog post was born. We decided to compare two books that both used the sense of taste and tell why we thought one book did it well and the other, not so much. What are the books you ask?

Suzanne Collins' The Hunger Games

As much as we love the franchise, we have to say Ms. Collins did not utilize the sense of taste very well. She goes on and on about food in the Hunger Games and it's counterparts, but the reader is left wanting Ms. Collins to continue with the fantastic plot line instead of spending pages upon pages describing the food that Katniss eats.

AND

Stephanie Perkins' Anna and the French Kiss

We have NOTHING bad to say about this book. It was pure genius and that didn't change with the way that Mrs. Perkins described French delicacies and cuisines. We both thought we weren't fans of French cooking...until we read this book.

Can you all think of a book that did a fantastic job with one (or more) of the Five Senses? Which sense do you excel at in your own writing?