How is everyone doing?
I have 7,071 words and I'm loving this story and these characters. I've run into a few problems though.
First, I'm not where I wanted to be with my word count but I'm not stressing. If you are, then you should read this great post by Justine Larbalestier Word Count is not Everything. Then check out her and Scott Westerfeld's other NaNoWriMo tips.
Second, my last MC's voice, will not get out of my head. It's not surprising really, Emma and I have been together for over a year and I love her, but I really need to find a way to shut her up!
Also if you're a fan of internal monologue (which I am) you should bookmark this post by Kim Thacker for the revision process. Great idea Kim!
Finally you should go read Courtney Summers post on Mean Girls. It's amazing and honest and scary and powerful and makes me so glad I'm out of high school. Although sadly lots of mean girls grow up to be mean women.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Friday, 6 November 2009
Quote of the week
And some afternoons, sitting at the coffee shop on the cornor, eating fries and reading, I wanted to hug myself. Those days, being alone felt whole and right and good.
From If you come softly by Jacqueline Woodson
I love this one I know exactly what she means.
From If you come softly by Jacqueline Woodson
I love this one I know exactly what she means.
Thursday, 5 November 2009
And the winner of Fire is. . .
MISHEL
Thanks to everyone who entered I loved hearing which you liked best. The UK one seems to have been the most popular.
Watch out for another great contest in December. Lots of exciting thing planned.
Cover Wars Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
This week the UK and US versions of Scott Westerfeld's Uglies are squaring off.
For the US we have
This cover is so well known and with good reason, it's utterly gorgeous. The minute I saw it I wanted to pick it up. I love the colours and way the girl is peering out but you can't see all her face. I wondered what she was looking at. I like the font they used too, very regimented and exact.
For the UK we have
Good God! What did Scott Westerfeld do to get stuck with this? Do they hate him in the UK or something?
That was my initial reaction to this cover. It freaks me out, which I guess is the point.
Once I'd got past my initial horror I could see that it's actually a very clever cover. If you've read Uglies you know it fits the book perfectly. Still I could not have this on my bookshelf. I'd have nightmares of mutant Barbies attacking me in the night.
But clever as it is I just hate it so this weeks winner is the USA!
Which makes
UK 2
USA 1
Which do you like best?
The winner of Fire will be announced later today. I need to count up all the entries before randomly selecting.
The winner of Fire will be announced later today. I need to count up all the entries before randomly selecting.
Sunday, 1 November 2009
Waiting on Wednesday for The Piper's Son - Melina Marchetta
I am not just waiting for this book, I am dying for it, absolutely dying!
I had all my Waiting on Wednesday posts done and ready to go (NaNowWriMo organization!) then I read Adele at Persnickety Snarks in my mailbox, and had to change to this.
I am SO excited, jumping up and down, squealing excited, about this book.
The Piper's son is not just a new book by Melina, which would be exciting enough. It revisits the characters from Saving Francesca (more squealing) I LOVED Saving Francesca. Just loved it and I'm so happy to get to revisit these characters.
If you want to know which character is taking centre stage, this time round and what the book is about pop over to Persnickety Snarks and check out her In My Mailbox - November 1st post
The Piper's Son is out in March is Australia but I can't find any information on a US release date. Anyone?
I had all my Waiting on Wednesday posts done and ready to go (NaNowWriMo organization!) then I read Adele at Persnickety Snarks in my mailbox, and had to change to this.
The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta.
I am SO excited, jumping up and down, squealing excited, about this book.
The Piper's son is not just a new book by Melina, which would be exciting enough. It revisits the characters from Saving Francesca (more squealing) I LOVED Saving Francesca. Just loved it and I'm so happy to get to revisit these characters.
If you want to know which character is taking centre stage, this time round and what the book is about pop over to Persnickety Snarks and check out her In My Mailbox - November 1st post
The Piper's Son is out in March is Australia but I can't find any information on a US release date. Anyone?
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
What are you waiting for?
What are you waiting for?
Saturday, 31 October 2009
Here we go
So NaNoWriMo begins today!
I'm planning on working a six day week, so that means I have a target of 1,923 words a day.
Oh my god! That sounds so many.
Fingers crossed the baby goes down well for every nap this month (laughs manically). Okay fingers crossed I don't die of sleep deprivation.
My most important tool for NaNoWriMo is THE BOX.
It lives in my head and is actually prettier than this one, it has glitter!
I plan on shoving all those new, distracting ideas into it. Why do they always pop up, all bright and beguiling, when you're at a particularly difficult part of the WIP?
It happened to me last year and I got completely sidetracked. Luckily I read Meg Cabot's brilliant pep talk, got back on track and finished.
So this year I have The Box.
Where all those ideas can go and live, while I finish NaNoWriMo.
Also if you're doing NaNo or even if you're not. Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld are blogging writing tips, on alternate days, throughout November. Should be lots of great advice.
I'm planning on working a six day week, so that means I have a target of 1,923 words a day.
Oh my god! That sounds so many.
Fingers crossed the baby goes down well for every nap this month (laughs manically). Okay fingers crossed I don't die of sleep deprivation.
My most important tool for NaNoWriMo is THE BOX.
It lives in my head and is actually prettier than this one, it has glitter!
I plan on shoving all those new, distracting ideas into it. Why do they always pop up, all bright and beguiling, when you're at a particularly difficult part of the WIP?
It happened to me last year and I got completely sidetracked. Luckily I read Meg Cabot's brilliant pep talk, got back on track and finished.
So this year I have The Box.
Where all those ideas can go and live, while I finish NaNoWriMo.
Also if you're doing NaNo or even if you're not. Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld are blogging writing tips, on alternate days, throughout November. Should be lots of great advice.
Happy Halloween
I'm currently waiting for Trick or Treaters and playing with the cutest little skeleton. If, like me, you are a fan of Halloween you should head over to Natalie's. She's having the best Halloween Party. There are some amazing drawings on display and a genius story of mummy love, I couldn't stop laughing!
In honour of both Halloween and NaNoWriMo's imminent start. I thought I'd share a little bit of last years NaNo. Seeing as the characters attended a rather haunting Halloween party. This is them getting ready for it.
I was scanning the paper flyer, when Kieran bumped me with his shoulder.
“Hey Emmy. What ‘s that?”
“Oh,” I waved the brightly colored paper at him. “Just a flyer for a Halloween party.”
He reached over and pulled it from my hand, scanning it quickly.
“So what are you going to go as?”
I shook my head, turning away from him and starting for the dining hall. “I’m not going. Zach’s out of town this weekend.”
He fell into step beside me. “So come with me.”
I shot him a look.
“What? Oh,” he raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Perfect will get his halo in a twist?”
“Don’t call him that,” I snapped, elbowing him sharply in the ribs. He sucked in his breath, one hand covering the spot.
“You’re freakishly strong, for a girl.”
“For anyone,” I told him with a grin.
“Maybe. Seriously though, you should come to the party,” he swapped the books he was carrying from one arm to the other. “I know Zach doesn’t like you to make a move without him, but you are separate people?”
“Zach does not-” I broke off, shaking my head. “I’m not getting in to this, with you, again.”
“Okay. So you’re coming?”
I glanced over at him, he was grinning. At my nod, his grin grew. I couldn’t help but smile back, even though I knew Zach was going to freak.
“So who shall we go as?”
“What?”
He waved the flyer at me. “Costumes mandatory.”
“Oh well,” I stalled, imagining Zach’s reaction. “How about Harry Potter and Hermione.” We could go as friends, which was, after all what we were.
“Could you be any more unoriginal?”
He stopped and I pivoted to look back at him. His blonde hair was falling across his forehead and his dark eyes were sparkling. I was struck again by how absolutely beautiful Kieran was.
“How about Lancelot and Guinevere?”
It was just a pity that gorgeous exterior masked a completely twisted interior. He lived to torment.
“How about not?”
“What?” he raised one eyebrow. “You don’t think we can pull off the sexual tension? Believe me, we can.”
“How about-” I broke off trying to think of a pairing that held absolutely no romantic connotations. “Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck?”
Both his eyebrows shot up. “You want me to dress as a duck? I don’t think so.”
“I think of you more as a mouse.“
He shook his head. “How about Han Solo and Princess Leia?”
“No.”
“Edward and Bella?”
“No.”
“Adam and Eve.”
“No!”
“Why not? You’d totally rock the fig leaf look.”
I rolled my eyes at him and didn’t bother answering.
“Cinderella and Prince Charming.”
I snorted. “Prince Charming, you?”
“What about Prince Charming?” a voice said behind me and I was enveloped by Zach. He snaked an arm round me pulling me against his side, dropping a kiss on the top of my head.
“Hi.” I smiled up at him.
“Hi.” He bent towards me and kissed me again, properly.
“So whose Prince Charming?” he asked as he straightened back up.
“No one,” I said quickly.
“Emmy and I are just trying to decide which couple to be for Halloween.” Kieran interjected.
I glowered at him. That wasn’t exactly how I’d planned to explain things to Zach.
“Which couple?” Zach said, looking between the two of us. “Why would you be a couple?”
“We’re going to the Halloween party,” Kieran informed him with a wide smile. “I hear you’re out of town.” He waved the flyer at Zach, who took it and scanned it.
“You’re going to this?” Zach asked. He was frowning.
“Well, you know,” I said, studying my feet. “Everyone is.”
I glanced up at him, he didn’t look happy. I suddenly knew exactly what I wanted to be for Halloween, invisible.
In honour of both Halloween and NaNoWriMo's imminent start. I thought I'd share a little bit of last years NaNo. Seeing as the characters attended a rather haunting Halloween party. This is them getting ready for it.
I was scanning the paper flyer, when Kieran bumped me with his shoulder.
“Hey Emmy. What ‘s that?”
“Oh,” I waved the brightly colored paper at him. “Just a flyer for a Halloween party.”
He reached over and pulled it from my hand, scanning it quickly.
“So what are you going to go as?”
I shook my head, turning away from him and starting for the dining hall. “I’m not going. Zach’s out of town this weekend.”
He fell into step beside me. “So come with me.”
I shot him a look.
“What? Oh,” he raised an eyebrow. “Mr. Perfect will get his halo in a twist?”
“Don’t call him that,” I snapped, elbowing him sharply in the ribs. He sucked in his breath, one hand covering the spot.
“You’re freakishly strong, for a girl.”
“For anyone,” I told him with a grin.
“Maybe. Seriously though, you should come to the party,” he swapped the books he was carrying from one arm to the other. “I know Zach doesn’t like you to make a move without him, but you are separate people?”
“Zach does not-” I broke off, shaking my head. “I’m not getting in to this, with you, again.”
“Okay. So you’re coming?”
I glanced over at him, he was grinning. At my nod, his grin grew. I couldn’t help but smile back, even though I knew Zach was going to freak.
“So who shall we go as?”
“What?”
He waved the flyer at me. “Costumes mandatory.”
“Oh well,” I stalled, imagining Zach’s reaction. “How about Harry Potter and Hermione.” We could go as friends, which was, after all what we were.
“Could you be any more unoriginal?”
He stopped and I pivoted to look back at him. His blonde hair was falling across his forehead and his dark eyes were sparkling. I was struck again by how absolutely beautiful Kieran was.
“How about Lancelot and Guinevere?”
It was just a pity that gorgeous exterior masked a completely twisted interior. He lived to torment.
“How about not?”
“What?” he raised one eyebrow. “You don’t think we can pull off the sexual tension? Believe me, we can.”
“How about-” I broke off trying to think of a pairing that held absolutely no romantic connotations. “Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck?”
Both his eyebrows shot up. “You want me to dress as a duck? I don’t think so.”
“I think of you more as a mouse.“
He shook his head. “How about Han Solo and Princess Leia?”
“No.”
“Edward and Bella?”
“No.”
“Adam and Eve.”
“No!”
“Why not? You’d totally rock the fig leaf look.”
I rolled my eyes at him and didn’t bother answering.
“Cinderella and Prince Charming.”
I snorted. “Prince Charming, you?”
“What about Prince Charming?” a voice said behind me and I was enveloped by Zach. He snaked an arm round me pulling me against his side, dropping a kiss on the top of my head.
“Hi.” I smiled up at him.
“Hi.” He bent towards me and kissed me again, properly.
“So whose Prince Charming?” he asked as he straightened back up.
“No one,” I said quickly.
“Emmy and I are just trying to decide which couple to be for Halloween.” Kieran interjected.
I glowered at him. That wasn’t exactly how I’d planned to explain things to Zach.
“Which couple?” Zach said, looking between the two of us. “Why would you be a couple?”
“We’re going to the Halloween party,” Kieran informed him with a wide smile. “I hear you’re out of town.” He waved the flyer at Zach, who took it and scanned it.
“You’re going to this?” Zach asked. He was frowning.
“Well, you know,” I said, studying my feet. “Everyone is.”
I glanced up at him, he didn’t look happy. I suddenly knew exactly what I wanted to be for Halloween, invisible.
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