Thoughts on first drafts

Every writing venture is unique. One could be sheer bliss from start to finish: an exciting idea, words flowing onto the page faster than you can type them, an easy, breezy editing process…

But most drafts are not like that. More than likely, the idea you once adored becomes a stubborn plot that loves withholding important points from you; you can barely write two hundred words without screaming in frustration; and you put off editing altogether because you just cannot bear to reread that hot mess of a first draft. Not that I’m speaking from experience, or anything…

Sometimes stories don’t work out like you planned. I came up with the idea for my current project a year and a half ago, wrote about half of it, and shelved it because it just wasn’t happening. Now, a year later, I’ve picked it up again (with all the knowledge I’ve gained from writing classes, reading books, and just living in general) and everything just seems so clear. I massacred some plot points and stuck some new ones in their places, changed some characters, and actually took the time to figure out what I wanted the story to be. I was able to salvage quite a bit from the original draft attempt, so I didn’t completely start from scratch. It’s really nice to have a road map instead of hacking through the jungle with a machete (my previous writing style). Spontaneous writing can be really fun, but I’ve learned it’s a huge headache when the Spontaneous Idea Generator dies and you’re left with gaping plot holes.

It really is funny what a difference a year can make.

Do you have a love/hate relationship with first drafts? Take the first draft pledge!

(thanks to Sarah Enni)

Friday Five: A Writer's Confessions

I know I owe you guys a few Fives, so I thought I'd do something special this week. I talk a ton about books on here, but I decided to switch gears into the writing aspect and share some of my writing habits with you. Non-writers, don't judge too harshly; all writers have their quirks/peculiarities/voices in their heads.

A Writer’s Confessions

1.       I’m really weird about my writing. The more time I spend on a project, the less likely I am to let a ton of people read it. 

2.       I write about the most bizarre things. My latest projects include cliff jumping, suicide by lightning, and trailer parks.

3.       I write down notes for stories everywhere. Post-Its, my endless supply of notebooks (I have about six, and I always forget what notes I wrote down in which notebook), the notes app on my phone (although I just found out about Evernote, and it’s my saving grace), my hand, receipts…

4.       I’m more productive in the evening, which usually means I get no sleep. I’m either typing away on my laptop or sitting up in bed every five minutes, jotting down a note in one of my many note-taking accessories (see #3)

5.       I write out of order. It drives me insane and usually makes me want to bash my head into the wall, but I do it anyway. If a scene pops into my mind, I have to write it immediately. This means I usually wind up with gaping holes all through my story, and the process of filling in those holes is akin to pulling out your teeth one by one.

What about you other writers? Any weird habits or methods?

First official Hunger Games movie poster

The first promotional poster for Suzanne Collins’ trilogy, THE HUNGER GAMES, was just released. It shows the mockingjay pin that Katniss wears into the arena engulfed in flames. The animated version is super cool with its fiery sound effects.  

In case you’re unfamiliar with the story (which, trust me, it won’t be long before you know EVERYTHING about this series), here’s the synopsis from IMDB.com:

In a not-too-distant future, North America has collapsed, weakened by drought, fire, famine, and war, to be replaced by Panem, a country divided into the Capitol and 13 districts. Each year, two young representatives from each district are selected by lottery to participate in The Hunger Games. Part entertainment, part brutal intimidation of the subjugated districts, the televised games are broadcasted throughout Panem as the 24 participants are forced to eliminate their competitors, literally, with all citizens required to watch. When 16-year-old Katniss' young sister, Prim, is selected as the mining district's female representative, Katniss volunteers to take her place. She and her male counterpart, Peeta, the son of the town baker who seems to have all the fighting skills of a lump of bread dough, will be pitted against bigger, stronger representatives who have trained for this their whole lives.

Excited? Worried about the movie adaptation? What do you think about the cast choices? Are you planning to be first in line to see it?

Dear Mr. Potter

Dear Mr. Potter,

Believe it or not, my mom discovered you before I did. She heard about your story from the news and decided to buy me a copy of the Sorcerer’s Stone, thinking I might like it. At first I didn’t want to read it, happy with my millimeter thick, elementary-age reader books, so she began reading it herself. She would tell me little snippets of what the book was about, and I pretended not to care. Little did she know at the time, I snuck into her room while she was away and read the first few chapters. And then I was hooked.

From age eight and on, I have called your stories my number one. Despite teasing—even from my third grade teacher, who found it amusing that an elementary school child lugged around a book the size of a dictionary—and beatdowns from those who couldn’t fathom why I’d want to read a story like this, you have always been my number one. When I list my favorite books, I have to make a separate category for everything else I’ve read, because you are in a class of your own.

I’ve lost count how many times I’ve read your books. I have two sets—one hardcover, one paperback—because the bindings of my hardcovers have begun to split down the middle. I’ve devoured all of your adventures, from knocking out a mountain troll and winning Quidditch matches to chasing down Horcruxes and battling Death Eaters. I laughed as you undertook the awkward task of finding a Yule Ball date, and I sobbed when you walked alone into the Forbidden Forest. I whispered the final “Expelliarmus” with you. I grew up with you; you are my childhood.

I thank you for so many things. Thank you for shaping my love of reading. Without you, I am absolutely certain I would not adore books with the passion I have today. I would not be pursuing a career in the book industry (writing, agenting, publishing), desperate to give tomorrow’s children even a piece of what you’ve given me.

Thank you for the lessons you have taught me. Thank you for showing me the power of love, the importance of friends, and the ability to shape your own destiny. You taught me to stand up for what I believe in, even when others insist I’m wrong. Thank you for helping me believe in magic and to know, no matter how dark the world may seem, good can win over evil.

Thank you for shaping my life. You have been a constant figure for over half of my life (twelve years and counting), and looking back, I can’t imagine it without you. Thank you for allowing me to simultaneously escape into your world and learn about my own. I am honored to be a part of the Potter Generation, knowing no one else can have the same reading experience as those of us who grew up with you. I have stayed with you until the very end, and I thank you for doing the same.

Always,

Kaitlin, 20, Ravenclaw

 *for more letters, visit DearMrPotter.org.

The Truth About Forever

So while at home I was still fine-just-fine Macy, wiping up sink splatters immediately and ironing my clothes as soon as they got out of the dryer, the nights when I arrived home from catering, I was someone else, a girl with her hair mussed, a stained shirt, smelling of whatever had been spilled or smeared on me. It was like Cinderella in reverse: if I was a princess for my daylight hours, at night I let myself and my composure go, just until the stroke of midnight, when I turned back to princess again, just in time.

I just finished reading THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER for the millionth time, and it still gives me butterflies. Even though the book’s theme is about how nothing can be perfect, I think this book is just that. Perfect. It was the first of Sarah Dessen’s books I read, and it remains my hands-down favorite.

Macy’s summer is shaping up to be predictable. Her boyfriend, Jason, is off at Brain Camp, and she’s taking on his job at the library info desk. She studies SAT word books and makes conversation with her mother about everything but her father’s recent death. Completely under control. Then she takes a job with the Wish Catering crew, and her by-the-book life is thrown into complete chaos. She meets Delia, who revels in the disorganization and imperfections of her catering company; Kristy, with her wild outfits and loving-life attitude; and Wes, artistic, insightful, who doesn’t believe in perfection. Nothing is ever broken to him; everything has the potential to become new again.

Macy and Wes begin playing a game of Truth, answering each other’s questions honestly about everything from their most embarrassing moment to something they wished they could change about themselves. Macy begins to open up and realizes that she’s never going to be perfect, that she needs to start living life instead of fearing it.

Everyone battles with the idea of perfection at some point in their life. This story is one of Sarah’s most relatable, and it shows you don’t need to be perfect to enjoy life. The characters shine in this book, all so vivid and unique. Wes is my favorite YA male character of all time, with his humor and his theories about life. THE TRUTH ABOUT FOREVER is my favorite young adult novel, and if you are—or have ever been—a teenage girl, read it!

YA color wheel

There has been a lot of debate surrounding the young adult lit community about YA being too "dark". After the Wall Street Journal posted this article, the YA community took to their blogs/Twitters/email and voiced their opinions. For the past month, the hashtag #YAsaves has ruled twitter and YA authors have gone on NPR to defend their genre (click if you want to hear Maureen Johnson defend YA on NPR).

One of my favorite responses comes from author Kate Hart, who doesn't believe YA is too dark. To prove it, she assembled a color wheel of YA book covers.

  Clearly YA represents the entire color spectrum, not just the dark shades. ;)

Friday Five...gotta love those YA boys!

Two weeks ago I picked my favorite YA girls, so now it's the boys' turn!

Top Five Favorite YA Boys

1. Wes Baker (The Truth About Forever): He’s my number one Sarah Dessen boy. He’s an artist—making sculptures out of scrap metal—who works at his aunt’s catering company. Wes looks at things differently; he’s super insightful and doesn’t believe in being perfect.
   
   
2. Jace Wayland (The Mortal Instruments series): Perhaps my favorite bad boy in all of YA. He’s sarcastic, gorgeous, AND he hunts demons. Not to mention, he’s a tortured soul. Does it get much better?
   
   
3. Jonah Griggs (Jellicoe Road): He’s the Cadet leader in the territory wars and the boy who Taylor Markham (the MC) ran away from Jellicoe with at age fourteen to try and find her mom. He’s not afraid of a fight and has a tough exterior due to a violent childhood. Everyone says he killed his father, but no one knows the full story.
   
   
4. Eli Stock (Along for the Ride): He used to be a professional BMX biker. Now he’s a loner and insomniac who works at a bike shop but never rides. He helps Auden on her quest to experience everything she missed as a child, all while trying to deal with a tragedy of his own.
   
   
5. Joe Fontaine (The Sky is Everywhere): Joe is literally the sun. He constantly smiles, makes goofy comments, and falls head over heels for Lennie (the MC). He’s a musical genius, able to play the guitar, trumpet, and clarinet. A heart-on-his-sleeve guy is harder and harder to find in YA, and Joe just gives me butterflies!