Write Stuff: October 2011

Monday, October 31, 2011

Happy Halloween!

I know, like everyone in the universe is blogging about Halloween today. But, here's to being original! (Or not.) Really, I like Halloween for one very important reason: candy. It's the only time of year I feel any sort of justification of buying it and keeping it in my house. Even if it means that I eat mini-twix for breakfast :) Other than that, I don't generally dress up, and even though I could today for my students, I'm probably going to just stick with the regularly suggested programming. Lame, I know.

The thing is, about Halloween, is that I'm not a big fan of being scared. I just don't understand the urge. I mean, my husband dragged me to see this:

and I couldn't sleep for weeks. I don't do much better with scary books. Carrie Ryan's zombie books, while excellent, scared the crud out of me. I'm a pansy. I'll admit it. Then, I'll stay home and hand out candy to all the neighborhood kids :)

Here's a really cool article about the science of being scared. Totally interesting!

Anyhow, Halloween, not exactly my holiday. How about you? Do you enjoy dressing up? Have a costume you're donning for today? I'd love to hear about it!

Also, don't forget to enter my contest! It's super simple (and there are scary books!).

And this is just for fun today:

(Love xkcd!)

Twitter

By: Meradeth Houston on 11:28 AM

Okay, I've gone and done it. For better or for worse, I've decided to start tweeting :)

Please, come find me here: twitter account.

Happy Tweeting!

Forgotten

By: Meradeth Houston on 11:14 PM

I'm going through some more of my photos, and I can't resist posting one more :) This is from Cisco Grove, CA, again. The town itself is pretty much gone, abandoned after I80 went in and routed traffic away from the tourist stop it had been on the old Highway 40. There aren't many buildings left, and the remains of some are like the stone foundation in the photo. Lingering remnants of the past. I loved wandering around these old buildings and took quite a few pictures. Something about the trees growing up through the middle of what used to be a lively place really captured me. I guess it's a lot why I like studying the past (which is what I do during my day-job)--I like to think about how people lived before I ever got a chance to peek into their lives, either through their DNA, their old pottery, or walking around what used to be their house. In a way, that's what I like about writing, too; the ability to see and understand the lives of others through my characters.

My question is, then, what kinds of things draw you in? What do you like to wander out and take photos of?

After Reading: The Adoration of Jenna Fox

By: Meradeth Houston on 9:02 AM

by Mary E. Pearson

Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a coma, they tell her, and she is still recovering from a terrible accident in which she was involved a year ago. But what happened before that? Jenna doesn't remember her life. Or does she? And are the memories really hers?

This fascinating novel represents a stunning new direction for acclaimed author Mary Pearson. Set in a near future America, it takes readers on an unforgettable journey through questions of bio-medical ethics and the nature of humanity. Mary Pearson's vividly drawn characters and masterful writing soar to a new level of sophistication.

I've heard about this book quite a few times before, but I finally had the chance to pick it up. There was good reason for the rumors I've heard. I was fully drawn into this book and had a hard time putting it down. There was a lot of deeper meaning, introspection, and questions regarding where the world is going. Due to my line of work, I am regularly keeping tabs on the future of what we'll be able to do with our bodies (mostly genetically, but through technology also), so this was a big draw for me. I love that Pearson didn't shy away from the questions of what it means to be human, and the other topics she touches on throughout the book. Jenna herself was a bit frustrating to me at points, but it was easy to see that was her character, even if I couldn't quite understand why she was so dead-set on being rebellious. Overall, definitely a book to check out!

Fall Colors

By: Meradeth Houston on 10:53 AM

Fall is one of my favorite seasons, mainly because I love the colors. And pumpkins. Gotta love the pumpkin pie, cookies, etc. Hmm, making myself hungry here. Anyhow, yesterday, we went on a little hunt to find some foliage, and this is one of my favorite shots from our trip.

Taken at Cisco Grove, California.

Contest!!

By: Meradeth Houston on 6:00 AM

I kind of hate to say this, but my bookshelves have finally hit the point where I need to do a little clearing out :) So, lucky for my readers, I decided to give a few things away! Here's what's up for grabs:

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Midnighters The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld

I've loved these books, and hope you are able to do the same. The books themselves are open to US peeps only though, mainly because I can't afford international shipping (sorry!). BUT, I have something else to offer that's open to everyone.

You can also enter to win a 20-page critique from me. (I know what you're thinking--who am I to do this, right? Yeah, I sometimes ask myself the same question :). But, really, I have a good eye for strong openings. My forthcoming novel won competitions at Ms. Snark's First Victim, Guide to Literary Agents, and a host of other competitions. And I've been critiquing for ages, so I have a pretty good eye for what works, and what I can help you improve. So, if you have a manuscript (any genre except erotica--though I'm best with YA), I'll be happy to give you some honest (and nice, because the two aren't mutually exclusive) feedback.

So, here are the deets:

-Contest is open for the next two weeks, until 11:59pm on November 4th.
-You must be a follower of my blog.
-Fill out the google-docs form, please.
-Extra entries for spreading the word! (I'll admit it, I'd really like to hit 50 followers :)

Any questions, ask away in the comments! And please enter!

After Reading: Vanish

By: Meradeth Houston on 8:49 AM

by Sophie Jordan

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

I flat out loved Firelight (review here), so I was more than a little eager to find out what would happen in this book. I'm pleased to say that I really wasn't disappointed. I mean, the second book in a series? Usually has a higher than normal odds of not being as good. However, we got a nice amount of conflict, and enough tension to carry to book through to the final chapter (and wow, what a final scene!). So, yeah, I enjoyed it! There were a few places where I really just wanted more though (I'm greedy, what can I say?)--especially the Big Event toward the end. I won't go into details to avoid being spoilerish, but if you've read this and want to chat about it in the comments, I'd love to hear what you though--you know what I'm talking about!

Anyhow, Jordan's writing is commendable, and the characters well drawn. I loved getting to see more into the draki world and seeing just what makes it run. Overall, seriously, if you're not sick of YA paranormal do check out this series!

So, have you read this? What did you think of this Big Event?

Third Campaigner Challenge

By: Meradeth Houston on 9:11 PM

The third challenge was posted today, and my entry is below! Don't forget to "like" my post back at Rach's post--I'm #16!

(Also, I'll be hold a little contest of my own, starting of Friday. Stop back by then, or hit the follow button, to enter for some fun books and critiques!)

Paradise?

I’ve read this magazine two hundred and seventeen times. The same number of days we’ve been stuck here. The airline seats still don’t recline far enough, uncomfortable even with the mound of sand I made a footrest with. I would have preferred to make a hammock. But it wasn’t like we got to chose what landed here with us. At least seats were better than some piece of engine—what would we have done with that?

“So I think we’re going to need to do something about them. Again.” He dropped into the empty seat next to me, as annoying as he’d been two hundred and eighteen days ago. He took the armrest again, too.

I waited for two waves to crash and hiss back from the shore before us. The no-longer-glossy magazine was advertising a very caffeinated, very cold Coke. I could almost taste the fizz of carbonation.

“They smell like tactise.”

“Yeah, that’s what I meant.” His long sigh was even warmer on my cheek than the humid morning air.

“What do you think we should do?”

“Move. Around the other side of the Island. Upwind.” He shrugged. Somehow, despite hours of sun and island heat, he was still pasty white. It wasn’t healthy.

“They’ll miss us, if anyone ever comes…” I trail off, knowing how ridiculous that hope is. If they were going to find us they would have by now.

“Look, we’ll be more comfortable there. And, well, away from them.” He waves a hand behind the joined chair—row thirty A and B. Our eyes meet for a moment before we both glance behind us.

Lined up, in as careful of rows as we could make, were long mounds of sand, thirty two in total. Rough crosses marked each.

“Maybe, I guess, maybe you’re right.”

(300 words, on the nose. Just in time for Halloween :)

After Reading: Mercy

By: Meradeth Houston on 6:00 AM

By Rebecca Lim

Mercy has lost herself. She can’t count how many times she’s “woken up” in a new body, and assumed a new life, only to move on again and again. During the day she survives in the human world on instinct and at night her dreams are haunted by him. Mercy’s heart would know him anywhere. But her memory refuses to cooperate.

But this time is different. When Mercy wakes up she meets Ryan, an eighteen year old reeling from the loss of his twin sister who was kidnapped two years ago. Everyone else has given up hope, but Ryan believes his sister is still alive. Using a power she doesn’t fully comprehend, Mercy realizes that Ryan is right. His sister is alive and together they can find her. For the first time since she can remember, Mercy has a purpose; she can help. So she doesn’t understand why the man in her dreams cautions her not to interfere. But as Ryan and Mercy come closer to solving the dark mystery of his sister’s disappearance, danger looms just one step behind.

Will Mercy be able to harness her true self and extraordinary power in time? (From Goodreads)

(Gah, I don't know why, but this description sucks. *sigh* oh well--I'd write my own, but that's far from my forte!)

Okay, the book! It's no secret that I love angel stories (hmm, can't imagine why that is :) and so I picked this one up eagerly. I adore the cover! The story itself was interesting and kept me going. The mystery was engaging and well planned out (though I had it pieced together about ten pages in...still kept me interested though). Anyhow, two small gripes: 1) the writing was good, but I wanted a little more to it. I like some more description, personally, and while the sparse(ish) nature here is fine and works well, it's not totally to my liking. 2) The relationship with Ryan needed more depth. I bought it only because of Mercy's side of things, but really, it was a little flimsy (read: felt like it was added in after the fact). Anyhoot, the other books in the series are already out in other countries, which is awesome, and I'll be looking forward to reading more!

So, what's your favorite angel book? Have you read any?

(And what's up with the parentheses today? Sorry people, I'm just in that kind of mood I guess!)

Winner!

By: Meradeth Houston on 1:22 PM

Thanks a million to all the awesome people who stopped by my interviews--both those that I did, and those people did of me! I loved read each of them :) So, without further ado...

Sharon Willett!!

Sharon left a comment on CK Volnek's blog here. (And I totally can't find more information on her, so please, please drop me an email at mrs.which (at) gmail.com!) If I can't find Sharon in the next couple of days, I'll pick another winner :)

Thanks for all those who entered--the blog tour was a ton of fun!

Don't forget--last day to enter!

By: Meradeth Houston on 11:39 AM

I'll be announcing the winner of my contest from last month's blog fest tomorrow. Want a chance to win Colors Like Memories? Go to any of the blog below and leave a comment!

CK Volneck's blog
Lawna Mackie's blog
Marva Dasef's blog
Shellie Neumeier's blog
Rebecca Russell's blog
Chris Verstraete's blog
Barbara Bockman's blog
Barbara Ehrentreu's blog
Sue Perkin's blog
Kim Baccellia's blog
Also, Marva Dasef announced her winners--go check and see if you won one of her books :)

After Reading: How I Live Now

By: Meradeth Houston on 2:27 PM

by Meg Rosoff

Every war has turning points and every person too.”

Fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from Manhattan to England to visit her aunt and cousins she’s never met: three boys near her age, and their little sister. Her aunt goes away on business soon after Daisy arrives. The next day bombs go off as London is attacked and occupied by an unnamed enemy.

As power fails, and systems fail, the farm becomes more isolated. Despite the war, it’s a kind of Eden, with no adults in charge and no rules, a place where Daisy’s uncanny bond with her cousins grows into something rare and extraordinary. But the war is everywhere, and Daisy and her cousins must lead each other into a world that is unknown in the scariest, most elemental way. (From Goodreads)

I've had a hard time coming up with the perfect way to describe this book because, really, it's just that good. All of the awards it was given? They're for a reason. Even a week after finishing it, I'm still thinking about what happened, and the themes of war and terrorism and the world we live in. (Just as a side note, I went to Fleet Week in San Francisco this past weekend to watch the air show--which was spectacular--but also really kept reminding me of this book in a creepy, military, be watchful sort of way.) Anyhow, the writing and lack of quotation marks at the start of the book took a little getting used to, but Daisy's voice was captivating, and well worth working out the logistics of who said what. Also, the ending was just, well, wow. It's a short one--just go check it out for yourself!

Anyone else read this one? In some ways it reminded me of books I've read about WWII, although it was very different.

Jonathan Franzen on the craft of writing

By: Meradeth Houston on 9:20 PM

This past Saturday night, my husband took me to see Jonathan Franzen speak at the Mondavi Performing Arts Center . He'd found out about the talk and hearing Franzen speak on the craft of writing sounded like a wonderful opportunity.

For those who haven't heard of him, Franzen is the author of The Corrections, and Freedom. Both have been major bestsellers and have won too many awards to list. He's also been a guest character on The Simpsons. I hate to admit that I've only read snippets of his books, but such is life :) Anyhow, I was stoked to hear more about what he thought about writing and how to be a good writer.

Franzen's talk was interesting. I'll start there. He spoke first on the more annoying questions he is asked by people about writing, which I'll paraphrase here:

1. Who are you influenced by?
Answer: everyone, and only myself. It's really a matter of who influences you most, and that is mainly determined by what you're working on now--and easily can change with a shift in a character or plot-line.

2. How and when do you write?
Answer: He finds this to be the most intrusive of the questions asked, which I thought a little funny. Still, this section brought my favorite line from the evening: "When I write, I want no one else in the room. Including myself."

3. Do your characters ever take over and demand their story be told a certain way?
Answer: he doesn't believe this really happens. The characters are your own, and it's all a matter of getting something to "work on the page" and some things will work, and others will not. Some authors, according to him, allow their characters free reign, while others work them like galley slaves--he clearly identified with the latter.

4. How much of your work is autobiographical?
Answer: his answer revealed that in a sense, he felt this question challenged his power of imagination. Or that he was going to run out of interesting things to write about. Perhaps he should just say something along the lines of: "Yes. 17%. Next question."

What I most took away from listening to this talk was that Franzen is heavily invested in the point of view that literature is personal struggle, a means of self-exploration, and cannot be a mere performance without a personal investment of the author.

"You have to change to write your next book--you as yourself have already written you best book, you have to change to write the next one."

So, this has led me to think a lot about some of the things brought up by the talk. At one point, I have scrawled across my notes: "Something tells me he doesn't have much fun writing. How sad." Really, I got that sense. Writing isn't about having fun writing. There is no joy in the creation of a new world, character, or story that he loves with the whole of his heart (eek--I'm not even going to repeat what he said about cliches!).

Now, I know he's a successful writer--far more so than I will ever be--but I do feel sorry for him in a way. I love writing. I find it fun. I love creating a turn of phrase (cliched or not) that makes my heart sing. I love getting to know my characters, and occasionally letting them have fun and do their own thing.

And you know what? I don't think literature has to be some epic journey of my soul, or anyone else's. I love reading a book that makes me think, that leaves some part behind that changes my soul, but that doesn't make it literature any more than loving a book that just leaves you smiling.

So, what do you think? Can characters have minds of their own? Can literature take on different forms? I'd love to hear what you think!

Friday Five (the revision version)

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:26 PM

I do apologize that it's been a while since I've had a substantive post. I will be getting on that in the coming weeks! But, quite frankly, there's only so much me to go around, and I've been hard at work on my first round of revisions from my editor. (Insert small squee of happiness here--it's actually been a lot of fun :) So, here's a list of fun things I've learned from this process:

The word "had" is all over the place. So help me, I've deleted at least 300 of them.
The words "happen" and "Island" are also serious offenders (the latter has to do with my story, fyi).
Head-popping is thankfully only something I did once or twice. Honestly, how I even managed it once, while writing in first person, kind of makes me scratch my head.
I really hate copyright. You know all the times you use a trademarked name or item, you may have to pay for it? Well, last night I had the fun time of removing my references to Wal-Mart and Cherry Garcia. I was kind of sad. But hopefully I can still use the quote at the start of my story--I've had to make a special request from Penguin. *fingers crossed!*
I kind of like this book :) After the millions of rounds of revisions and other crap I've gone through with this story, there's a part of me that still loves it. I just hope other people do to!

And, to top off today, I totally scored at the library book sale (Anna and the French Kiss, Intertwined, The Dead-Tossed Waves, How to Ditch Your Fairy, Changeless, The Graveyard Book, just to name a few--all brand new and only $1! I may be giving a few of these away soon, as I swear my shelves are going to collapse on me!)

Have an awesome weekend!

After Reading: Last Sacrifice; A Vampire Academy Novel

By: Meradeth Houston on 4:01 PM

by Richelle Mead

(I hate saying this, because I adore the books
but, these covers have never done it for me...)

It all comes down to now.

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice.

The Queen is dead and the Moroi world will never be the same. Now, with Rose awaiting wrongful execution and Lissa in a deadly struggle for the royal throne, the girls find themselves forced to rely upon enemies and to question those they thought they could trust...

But what if true freedom means sacrificing the most important thing of all?

Each other.

Ahhh, the end of another series. I'm totally sad to see this one end. The only consolation is that Bloodlines is now out and I can visit the intricate and layered world Mead has created here. Of course, it won't be the same without Rose. She's quite possibly one of my most favorite characters ever, and that's saying something :) I just like her attitude and resourcefulness. And Dmitri. Hmm. Or should I say Mmmm. I'd like run into him in real life sometime... Anyhow, I'm glad I didn't start this series until later, as it allowed me to rip through the books much faster (and avoid the dreaded wait between releases, which is agony), and I have to say, I loved this series!

Anyone else out there have a good series to recommend? I'd love to hear it!

After Reading: Midnighters Blue Noon

By: Meradeth Houston on 6:00 AM

By Scott Westerfeld

The five teenage Midnighters of Bixby, Oklahoma, thought they understood the secret midnight hour—until one morning when time freezes in the middle of the day.

The noise of school stops. Cheerleaders are frozen in midair. Everything is the haunted blue color of the midnight hour.

As the Midnighters scramble for answers, they discover that the walls between the secret hour and real time are crumbling. Soon the dark creatures will break through to feed at last . . . unless these five teenagers can find a way to stop them.

I was really quite sad to see this series come to a close. I rather enjoyed it! It's not my favorite Westerfeld series (I am partial to Uglies), but it was a great set of books with a great concept. And honestly, I didn't see that ending coming At All. It's actually kind of stuck with me over the last couple of weeks since I read this, popping into my mind at times. It was, well, interesting. I don't want to spoil it for those who may not have read it, but for those who have, what did you think?

Also, there's always an element of sadness when I reach the end of a book where I've invested time with the characters over several novels. I don't really want it to end. But, that is the sign of a book, though, right?

Anyone else read these? Thoughts? Buehler?

Contest Winner Postponed

By: Meradeth Houston on 10:10 AM

Hi! Okay, I kinda hate to do this, but after speaking with the rest of my awesome YA/MG blogfest buddies, there was a general consensus that we would hold off on announcing our winners until later this month (the 15th actually). What does this do? Well, it allows you to have more time to enter! Do go check out the other give-aways being held and enter! And if you'd like to win a copy of Colors Like Memories, pop over to these blogs and give me a shout-out in the comments:

CK Volneck's blog
Lawna Mackie's blog
Marva Dasef's blog
Shellie Neumeier's blog
Rebecca Russell's blog
Chris Verstraete's blog
Barbara Bockman's blog
Barbara Ehrentreu's blog
Sue Perkin's blog
Kim Baccellia's blog

These are direct links to my posts (because I'm nice like that :) but I highly recommend the other interviews and fun stuff that happened last month. Totally go and check out the contests--now open until the 15th!