Marquita's Marks :)

Miss me? Find me!

2010-06-01T09:49:00.001-04:00

Hi aces :) If any of you follow me- but do not follow Pam Harris then you don't know about our new and improved site!!! This post is to let you know that Marquita Marks has closed now and a new blog baby has been born! Go to Y(A)? Cuz We Write! to see me and my cuz's new blog! YEAH!!!! See ya there :)

Dumb Disappointment

2010-05-27T07:32:00.007-04:00

Yes, aces- I am disappointed in the winner of American Idol (is it just me or is that Carrie Underwood song HOTTT?) last night, but if you know me, you know that's because I thought Casey James should go away with the title- but alas, that's not the case- so moving on.
I was thinking about my disappointment and also thinking about the Flash Forward (finale I HOPE) that is coming on tonight. And I realized, WHO writes that show??? Or maybe I should blame the actors instead of the writers, but either way- the show is kinda whack. Just in case you never saw it- please check out this remixed version of one of the lines from the show.

Now, I ask you- why are some of us still struggling when we can write better material than this? My thought process led me to this question I would like to ask all of you- do you ever feel like you are dumbing down your writing in order to get published/sell your novel(s)?

Music-al Monday! Book Musicals

2010-05-24T08:02:00.011-04:00

Hey aces :) It's yet another (dreary,dark in VA) Monday and I am fresh from NO Sleep due to the fantabulous Lost series *weep* finale. I had a strange dream at one point - it might have been a daydream even- and it made me think about musicals. No, you do not want details as to what my dream was about. Anyway, it got me thinking- which novels would make great musicals? And I'm not talking the obvious ones- like novels based on mythical creatures and/or novels about true love. I'm talking about obscure novels that would ROCK as a musical.

For example, John Grisham's A Time to Kill. Imagine this: cold court room, prosecution lawyer is pacing back and forth. He is making a nice rhythm with the click of his slick black dress shoes. The judge bangs his gavel to the beat.

The African American fathers stands and sings, "Hell yeah, I think they deserve to die- and I hope they burn in hell!"

Beautiful? Yes. Disturbing? A little.

But you get my point. Some novels would make brilliant musicals. Another one that comes to mind is Lord of the Flies by William Golding.The costumes and scenery for that would be rock hard!

Or think about if Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales (if it already hasn't been) was made into a musical. Wouldn't that be bad ass?

This idea can't be that far-fetched, Greenday already has a flipping musical! Can you think of a novel that would rock as a musical???

BTW- the answer to my *oh so wrongly done* 6 truths and a lie post- I never knew, nor do I want to know, how to knit. So, that is the thing that is not true about me.

Tat-Tat-Tatted Up!

2010-05-19T04:30:00.001-04:00

It's that time again! My aces at YA Highway have given yet another stellar and thought provoking question for this week's Roadtrip Wednesday. I have been trying to push myself to get a tattoo for the past two years now. And for good reason- it would be to remember my late father. My entire immediate family (mom, older sister, and younger brother) all have theirs, but I am too much of a wimp to git 'er done! So...I am enjoying this week's question. What tattoo would I get to celebrate my book's success OR what tattoo would I get to celebrate my favorite book?

Of course if I every really get the courage to get a tattoo- the first one will be an ode to my dad, but in the meantime I want to play around with this topic! I'll start with the first part of the question, if one of my books is ever successful- only one is complete so I will use that for this post-I would get devil horns AKA the rock symbol. Why? Because my POS Chasing Manson is a 1960/70's music (mainly rock) love fest. The novel is not entirely focused on rock n roll, but the chapter and section titles are all pulled from song titles during that time period so it seems only fitting.

And as for a tat to celebrate my fave book??? Oooh...hard one. I have so many fav books right now! I guess I would have to get the mickingjay from the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins- most def!

And I would want something to rep. Zombie by Joyce Carol Oates and stay tuned- you might see Q_P_'s (the main character in the novel) playlist up here one Monday! Maybe I can get something like a rattail- read the book, NOW, if you wanna know why I chose that. I could write about this forever. There are so many others that I can think of- fangs for the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris, a baseball bat for Mysterious Skin by Scott Heim, and a gavel for The Associate by John Grisham. All great books and totally ROCK HARD tattoos ideas!

What would you choose for a tattoo?

I Got An Award Wipes Tears

2010-05-18T12:57:00.025-04:00

Really, I feel like I just won a blogger version of a Golden Globe. She likes me, she really, really likes me! The "she" I am referring to? Why, none other than the Blue Lipstick Samurai! She gave me a "Creative Writer" Best Blog award. Granted I share it with some other cool cats at the moment, my cuz, Pam Harris, and the wonderful Tabby Catt. But still, it ROCKS to get this award. The really awesome part about it? First I get to pass it on, and I will pass it on to: the lovely Sarah Enni with her always inspiring blog, Jessica Byam who loves to share her insight, and Stina Lindenblatt who just got an array of fabulous blog awards..And second, I get to tell you 6 truths and a lie and see if you can guess which one is a lie. It's like Christmas day for a writer! My evil brain is now at work. Can you figure out my lie?

When I was younger I ran into a 4 * 4 log of wood that hung out of the bed of a truck. Ever since that day, I can't remember a lot of stuff.
In my spare time I knit sweaters, blankets, etc for pets and babies.
On my very first trip to England my room was infested with labybugs.
I stalk Casey James, Robert Pattinson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Eminem, and Ashton Kutcher on a daily basis.
I used to have to run from someone referred to as "The Naked Clown," during my childhood in the "ghetto".
My novel (POS Chasing Manson) already has a screenplay written for it.
I love to eat grape jelly on sausage biscuits- YUM!

Tell me- which one do you think is a lie?

BTW- Way back when I was despondent about blogging b/c no one would follow me *sigh* my lovely cuz, Pam Harris passed on the Sunshine Award to me too. I just wanted to give her a shout out for thanking of me way back when :)

Music Monday: Character Playlists

2010-05-17T09:25:00.013-04:00

Hey aces! It's time for music again- so pump up the volume! Yes, I did just use that archaic phrase, but I am cool enough to make it swaggerific again. So, last week I talked about tips on using music in your writing and included a list. In that list, I told you all to make playlists for your characters in order to help you better understand that character's voice and write their scenes. Therefore, I thought I would give an example of playlists for a few literary characters that we all might know. Ready for it! Here we go!

Bella's Playlist (Twilight)

Obsessed-Mariah Carey (Song to Jacob :) )
Crush- Jennifer Paige
Bubbly- Colbie Callat
'03 Bonnie and Clyde- Jay-Z feat. Beyonce
The Only Exception- Paramore
Clumsy- Fergie
All Around Me-Flyleaf
Crush on You- Lil' Kim feat. Lil' Cease
3- Britney Spears (Ha ha!)
My Life Would Suck Without You- Kelly Clarkson

Melinda's Playlist (Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson)

Don't Speak- No Doubt
More than Words- Frankie J (originally written/recorded by the rock band Extreme)
Another Brick in the Wall- Korn (originally by Pink Floyd)
Talk Show on Mute- Incubus
Enjoy the Silence- Depeche Mode (Re-makes by HIM and Tori Amos)
Numb-Linkin Park
Drop the World- Lil' Wayne feat. Eminem
Our Lips are Sealed- The Go-Go's
Silence- Portishead
Cleaning out my Closet-Eminem

Micha's Playlist (Liar by Justine Larbalestier)

Liar-Rollins Band

That's the only song for this one because I wanted to expose you all to this rare, precious jewel of a song- please check out the link. My cuz Pam can vouch for the beautiful-ness that this song possesses :)

Can you think of any literary characters whose playlist you would like to create?

YA Writing Tips

2010-05-14T08:16:00.010-04:00

Hey aces :) I wanted to share with you another article from the Writer magazine that I read this past week. I usually don't get a whole lot of info from the Writer that I can use myself, but this past issue seemed like it was catered to me!

There is an article written by Nora Raleigh Baskin where she spells out six tips for writing young adult (YA) novels. Nora is a Middle Grade/YA author who also teaches at Gotham Writers' Workshop. Some of her books include, Anything but Typical about a 12 year old autistic boy, and All We Know of Love about a girl who's mother walks out on her and she goes on a journey to find her.

If you are a not a subscriber to the Writer magazine, and you still want some inside info, check out my blog from time to time b/c when I find really cool articles I will definitely share with my fellow writers!

Without further adieu here is what Ms. Baskin says about writing YA novels:

Get your POV right- the perspective needs to be immediate. The teenager will not relate to an adult looking back as much as they would relate to the here and now.
Make sure the character's age suits the audience- middle grade novels should deal with kids in middle school, while young-adult novels should deal with high-school aged characters. Baskin says that most high school students read adult books too, so the real audience is somewhere between 7th and 10th grade. Your character needs to learn, grow, an change during the course of the novel
If your figure out the voice, the language will come- while writing the first draft, figure out what kind of voice you want your character to have and the sentence structure, vocabulary, and even plot structure will follow.
Don't shy away from touchy subjects- As a general rule middle-grade fiction does not actively involve sex and drugs, but YA can be on pretty much any topic. They are no bounds-sexuality, homosexuality, abuse, drunk driving, incest, or rape are all topics that are considered "acceptable" for YA fiction. ( I find this slightly debatable- I think some people still shy away from some of these topics).
Don't get preachy-No one wants to be taught a lesson while reading fiction (unless it's a fable or something) Writers don't need to answer the questions- we should raise them.
Write hopeful endings- Most YA novels leave readers with at least a glimmer of hope. Don't drill in lessons or give warnings, but allow for possibility.

At the end of the article there are helpful links and here are some of them you should check out:

Young Adult Library Services Association

Interview, Podcasts with YA authors and agents

Society of Children's Book Writers & Illustrators (which I am a member of and I am attending the LA conference this summer! YEAH!)

I hope this helped you if you are writing YA or Middle Grade- and as I said, these are mainly Nora Baskin's words/tips- however, I agree with most if not all of them. What do you think about her tips? Would you change any of them?

Fictional Following

2010-05-12T10:53:00.006-04:00

My number 1 aces at YA Highway have posed a BRILLIANT question for this week's Road Trip Wednesday. They are asking, what fictional character would you follow if they had a Twitter account? Ooooh, how cool is that???? I am Twitter obsessed so this question couldn't get any better for me. I have a few literary characters whose tweets I would love to follow! Check it out below:

Micah from Justine Larbalestier's Liar. Why? She would have the most outrageous tweets and I would never know if they were the truth or not :)
Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Why? Because she is uber cool and says some of the wittiest things.
Melinda from Speak by Laurie Halse Anderso n. Yes, she doesn't have much to say but whenever she does speak, it is sooo profound
Austin from Pamela Harris' soon-to-be-published-because-it-needs-to-be WIP Wants. Why? The dude is swaggerific- like forreals ;)
Alcide the werewolf from Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series? Why? Because he seems so sweet and hot at the same time.
Last but not least, Edward Cullen from the Twilight series...why? Because I stalk Robert Pattinson, therefore, I must stalk Edward Cullen. Makes sense right???

Who would you legally stalk on Twitter????

Musting Advice

2010-05-10T10:10:00.013-04:00

My title sounds like this post is going to be about how to get yourself musty- what I attempted to do was a mash up of music and writing...bad idea- noted.

Anyway, the weekend drained me! I feel like a zombie robot- hey, has anyone written a book about zombie robots yet? Wouldn't that be badass???

Anyway, I always have energy for my aces, so I'm back on Music Monday to discuss the beautiful relationship of music and writing. I was doing some research on how many other blogs/sites out there discuss the use of music in writing and I stumbled upon this jewel of an article. Here, ginettewk12 (her username) discusses how you can best use music when working on fiction. She outlines steps in order to get the most out of music. I am going to do my own variation on her list! Feel free to check out hers to linked above by the word- jewel :)

Getting the most out of music when writing:

Turn on your music, be it iTunes, Rhapsody, or an old fashioned stereo (cough- loser-cough).
Whatever song is on, listen to the music/lyrics- what are they telling you? Is it a bad pop song that is begging to sound like Britney Spears about being "tamed?" OR is it is a rap song talking about picking up the entire earth and placing it on someone head? Whatever it is about- use it! Take those lyrics and think about writing your characters into those situations. What would your teenaged protagonist be like if they were locked in a cage and needed to get out, or if they were so frustrated that they wanted to attempt to cause bodily harm to someone?
If you are using iTunes or something like it, create a playlist that fits the mood of your novel. Let the songs play as you type and allow the music and lyrics to determine what decision your character is going to make, or where the next scene will take place
Create playlists for each of your characters- if they have key parts in the novel and you want to create a distinct voice for each of them- make a playlist that seems like would be on their iPod and play it whenever you are writing scenes or dialogue for that character
FINALLY- Repeat all of the above. If you play this music over and over each time you write- yes, you will grow to hate the song, but it will get you used to writing on a regular basis.

Okay- that's it for my musting words of wisdom. What do you think about these 5 points of advice?

Also, go check out a contest from recently signed Frankie Diane Mallis- she just signed with Laura Rennert from Andrea Brown Literary Agency and she is giving away something uber cool if you're a fan of the Hunger Games trilogy. Why are you still here? Wait! Comment on my blog first and then go check out the contest- and make sure you tell her I referred you!!!!

Casey Fever!

2010-05-04T10:47:00.005-04:00

Okay, aces- at first glance this may seem like it has nothing to do with my writing----and well, maybe it doesn't- but if Casey doesn't get enough votes tonight and ends up going home on Wed., I think I may cease to exist.

Dramatic? Yes. True? No.

But, I need YOUR support, your help! I think Casey James (listen to this performance is you don't think I'm right!) is the most talented person to grace the American Idol stage in some time. Okay, so in your opinion he may not be AS good a singer as David Cook, or Chris Daughtry- but the man is GORGEOUS and he can blow! Watch him sing "Don't" on AI here. Who else could make a Shania Twain song so sexy???!!!

If he goes home tomorrow, I will not only have lost faith in the AI system, but I will also have lost my will to go on- which in turn makes me lose my creative juices, which in turn makes me stare at my computer screen and wonder what the hell I should write.

Long story short, if you ever want to read my brilliant work, Casey James MUST survive on AI. It's that simple. I will tweet his number later on tonight so you all can vote for him...I know that you will because you realize that the fate of the publishing world relies on this one night.

I have CASEY FEVER! Do you????

**Disclaimer- NOTHING- not even Casey James- will take away my desire to write. This is just my evil, yet clever, ploy to get more votes for the best artist on American Idol right now.**

Music Monday: Book Scores!

2010-05-03T09:17:00.009-04:00

What's up aces???? So, I went to see A Nightmare on Elm Street this past Friday ( I told you guys I was going!!!!) and it was exactly what I expected- suspense, drama, a REALLY scary part here and there, and a killer score.
This got me thinking...if my book could have a musical score, what would it sound like? I know that some people make book trailers and I can only assume they use some type of music during the trailer, but I'm thinking more along the lines of an actual song/score that I would hear while reading my novel.

Of course my POS Chasing Manson is heavily influenced by 60/70s music so it's easy for me to think of several songs while I am re-reading and re-writing. However, I am talking about an OVERALL song/score. Now that I think about it, I am sure it would be "Riders on the S torm" from the Doors. It might even be an instrumental version- but the lyrics/music of this song are haunting enough to the be the theme song of my novel.

What about you? If you had to choose a song or score that embodies your novel(s), what would it be?

BTW- Casey McCormick is giving away a really cool prize on her blog- go check it out!

Nightmare...on MY street!

2010-04-30T10:08:00.007-04:00

It's a shame b/c the man frightens the CRAP out of me, but I am MAY-JOR-LY excited to see the new: A Nightmare on Elm Street. I mean, I used to hide out in a bedroom when my cuz and my sister would watch creepy, old, evil Freddy Krueger.But I can't wait to go see this new one (today at 4:15 !!!! ). I think it's because I love to scare myself (and about a year ago, I made a goal to try and see every scary movie EV-AH created). What does this have to do with writing?

Well, since I am such an avid fan of suspense and thriller, and well, scaring the shiznit out of myself, I think watching a few scary movies will help me to write my own suspense filled scenes in my novel. I know, I know- books are supposed to be better than movies- and most of the time they are, but I don't think it hurts to take some pointers from those lovely gems, right? So, basically- this is a post about my passion for scary movies and the fact that I get to see one TODAY! YEAH!

Tell me, do you write suspense? And if so, what helps you to push along those scenes in your novel/short story? If not, have you ever THOUGHT about a scene from a movie to help you write any genre of fiction?

The Best. Book.Ever-well, this month :)

2010-04-28T09:31:00.005-04:00

My aces over at YA Highway have come with an interesting question once again for their road trip Wednesday. The question? What is the best book you have read this month? How awesome is that? So, I haven't read as many books as I would like this month, but I did happen to finish one that is AH-MAZ-ING! It is Justine Larbalestier's Liar.

This novel is pure genius. It starts off with an unreliable narrator that promises to tell us, the reader, the truth about the events that have occurred in her life. What is so cool about this novel is that you think it's about one thing, and it is, but then it's also about something else- something BIG (I know this sounds vague, but I don't want to give away any twists!). It is written in three parts, and not in chapters, but under headings- like "Before," "After," "My Family History," and "School."

If you haven't read this book yet, GO GET IT! It is soooo good- not only is it a great "love" story in a sense (and I'm not talking about your normal love story here) but it's also thrilling, and mysterious. It made me laugh, cry, cringe, and shudder. Liar has everything YA readers/writers would want in a novel. It has come to be one of my favorite books of all time. So, not only is it the best book I read this month, it is one of the best books I have EVER read.

If you don't already, follow Justine Larbalestier on Twitter and visit her blog (linked through her name). I just ordered and received How to Ditch Your Fairy and that promises to be just as good. So excited to read it! What's the best book you read this month???

Y is it sooo hard to write Historical YA?

2010-04-27T09:38:00.008-04:00

So, I just ordered Fever 1793 from Laurie Halse Anderson and will read it soon to get a grasp on how historical YA should be written. WHY? Because she is a freakin' awesome author, and because I am trying to work on a historical YA novel of my own! It is going to be about a 15 year old boy who's 18 year old brother goes off to fight in World War I- all while Spanish influenza (the disease that killed more people than the Black Plague) comes on the scene and spreads rapidly! I am having a little trouble writing it though. WHY?
First, stop asking so many questions!

But if you must know, it's because I am too lazy to look up information. Every time I type a sentence, I have to pause and think- hmmm, did they have *insert random object here* OR did they say *insert brilliant line here* back then? Don't get me wrong, I love, love, love history and I LOVE researching. But when I just want to write, I don't feel like researching at the same time.

So...here is my question, if you are writing historical YA (even if you aren't your advice would be great!), do you get your words out and fact check later? OR do you do all the research first and then base your story from there?

Who Else Uses Playlists???

2010-04-26T10:52:00.012-04:00

Man- is it just me or are Monday's awful??? It can be because I work in education and the weekend is never long enough, or it can be because I wish I was able to stay home and work on my POS, and my two WIPs.

Anyway, today is music Monday, and my wonderful cuz gave me a pretty good idea. I have already talked about how I use music with my writing, and a few of you have agreed, so what she suggested is that I find authors that discuss their play lists that they use for writing and share them with the rest of you! So, here is a look at a few authors that do this:

Stephenie Meyer (author of the Twilight series- duh!) boasts about her use of playlists- even including her playlists on her website. She often listens to bands like Coldplay, Muse, My Chemical Romance, and Blue October.

Maggie Stiefvater (author of Shiver and Lament) discusses how she uses music while writing at her blog. She uses music to help her focus (it helps me too!) to help find the mood in her writing, and also to help her with character development.

Stephen King (you BETTER know who he is) has been said to listen to Metallica while he writes.
Douglass Clegg, (author of Neverland) listens to movie soundtracks with no lyrics, classical music, or French/Spanish music.

Do you know of any that I have left off??? If so, please share with the rest of us writers who are also music lovers :)

Adult ADHD & Writing- What a Relationship!

2010-04-22T07:22:00.011-04:00

Why can't I do one thing at a time? Is it normal, or do I TRULY have the self-diagnosed condition of Adult ADHD?

No, I'm not being dramatic. I see the signs in my everyday life, as well as in my writing life. Example: I am reading Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, The Sight by David Clement-Davies (per one of my student's request), The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and The Body Finder by Kimbery Derting all at the same time! I am also writing, working on three novels- one is historical YA set during World War I and when the Spanish Influenza broke out, one about a teenaged boy who's drug dealing best friend goes missing, and one with my lovely cousin (who just made her vlogging debut!) that I will not talk about it here because our idea is so flippin' AWESOME that I don't want anyone to steal it :) Anyway, I can't stay focused on one project long enough to...oh, look it's not raining outside anymore...what was I saying?

Happy Earth Day!

So, tell me- is this freakin' normal, or should I start taking some pills?

Music Monday: Musical Inspiration

2010-04-19T11:15:00.012-04:00

Hey aces :) So, I've discussed music a few times here , and here, and even here on my blog and probably bored you with my talk of how much I LOVE music and use it to help me write...well, too bad because I intend to bore you just a little bit more with my discussion of certain songs that may help you write pivotal scenes.

For example, wanna write a really cool fight scene? Try Slipknot's "Wait and Bleed," Linkin Park's "Bleed it out," Limp Bizkit's "Break Stuff," Chevelle's "Forfeit," The Used's "Sound Effects and Overdramatics," or even Lil' Wayne and Eminem's "Drop the World." The last one might seem like it doesn't fit, but if you listen to the lyrics - you'll get angry enough to make one of your characters give another character the best verbal attack ever written!

Want to get inspired to write that sorrowful, yet necessary break up scene? Try "Don't Walk Away, " by Sick Puppies, Kelly Clarkson's "Cry," or "Already Gone," also, "Again," by Flyleaf. All of them are great songs that will tug at your heartstrings and help you feel the emotions that you want your characters to feel.

What about romantic songs for love scenes? Or party songs to help you write a happy scene? Why don't you share what you listen to (or whatever else you do) to get your writing mojo going?

Lists-SO MANY LISTS!

2010-04-16T13:09:00.009-04:00

Why is there never enough time in a week? Here is what I need to do this weekend:

Create a lesson plan to do SOL (standard) review for History/Civics classes.
Finish an annotation on the wonderful novel: Leftovers by Laura Weiss
Finish a short story to turn in to be critiqued by my class
Check Twitter
Revise my POS (piece of sh*t) novel
Outline my new BRILLIANT novel
Check Twitter
Read another book for my second annotation this module
Watch TV (Have 4 shows of GLEE to catch up on)
Have a smoothie (YEAH, TROPICAL SMOOTHIE!)
Check Twitter
Maybe attend my middle school's talent show (I have to support the babies)
Work on my Teleplay that I write for FUN :)- But still feel like I MUST do it
Stalk some more Hollywood actors- visit their sites, scour Twitter to see if they have an account, try and find them on Facebook etc.
Visit the blogs that I follow
Check Twitter again
AND read some craft books/magazines to learn how to form ideas and get them down on paper
CHECK TWITTER AGAIN

Okay, maybe I can cut some of that out, but it's a start that I made a list, right? Which brings me to a point- after reading several craft essays from The Writer magazine, I've learned that writing things down help, using a journal to create To Do List ( which I already do for work, but I didn't want to do it for the weekend- makes it seem less fun or something) but putting all of that down has helped me to get a glimpse of what I need to get done and what order I should try and do it in. Maybe making a list will help you, too!

The BEST Advice- Ever!

2010-04-14T11:14:00.011-04:00

Today, my aces at YA Highway has posed a thought-provoking question. What is the best advice I have even been given on my writing? I'm not sure if I can think of one piece of advice given to me sense I've started to take my writing seriously, but there are few notable pieces of advice that have helped me work on my POS and various other writings. Just yesterday, I read a blog post from Tahreh that inspired me (and several other writers) to not give up, push forward, and grin and bear the whole process. It was very uplifting and inspiring- check it out here if you haven't already.
Also, my cuz gives me really good advice, I tend to go on-and-on with certain topics, ideas, and words in my writing and she definaltey knows how to trim the fat. The advice she gives me? Shut up and deal with the loss of words- I'll get over it eventually. I have had a few professors thus far in my MFA program and one of them stands out as a great advice giver. His name is Tom Kennedy and he has written several books and short stories. He was my first professor in the MFA program and he helped me to overcome my shyness about my inability to critique others' works. He also helped me realize how important it is to learn and grow from negative critiques.

Oh, and some recent advice? Turn of the TV and write(but how can I give up my Casey James on AI *sigh*)

To set up a schedule to write, buy a journal to jot down all of my ideas, and oh yeah, turn off the TV and WRITE!
What about you? What have you learned that has made you the best at what you do???

Crescendo Cover...Makes Me Think

2010-04-12T09:00:00.005-04:00

The cover for Becca Fitzpatrick's sequal to hush, hush was revealed April 10, 2010. You can go here to see a chalk drawing (like-someone is ACTUALLY drawing it!) of the cover. Crescendo picks up where hush, hush left off and the cover does just the same. The mysterious and dark cover will help to pull readers in...this got me thinking, though. What would the cover for my POS look like? Would it just be my main character, Blue Hudson, standing next to van to illustrate the significance of the road trip? Or could it be Blue, with a faded picture of Charles Manson in the background, staring down at him with a cross stitched into his forehead? Have you envisioned the cover for your book, yet? If so, what does it look like?

Also, go here and here to see my discussion (and my cuz's) from a YA Highway question back in January on other good book covers.

Why are you here? Go check out this COOL Contest!

2010-04-07T19:21:00.003-04:00

Do you want your YA or MG novel read and critiqued...by a real editor/successful YA author??? Deborah Halverson has helped many authors become bestsellers and she herself has written two teen novels- Honk if you Hate Me, and Big Mouth. To celebrate the one month anniversary or her blog, she is going to take the time out to read YOUR work!

If you would like her in put ( I know I would), then enter for your chance to win here. Pay attention to the rules and good luck :)

Why Can't I Be a Successful Writer TOO?

2010-04-05T12:26:00.003-04:00

Like a lot of people, this weekend I went to see Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married Too? It was entertaining overall. You had humor, drama, love, etc. but I still watch his movies with my brow furrowed and my brain in pain---how? why? Yes, there is something to his movies- and then there are parts that make the viewers (especially those that are fellow writers) question- why is he successful? For instance, the quintessential fighting couple meet up with their group of friends and at one point say:

"Why did I get married?"

"Why did I get married, too?"

No joke- THAT was the dialogue.

Like I said, not hating, but it just makes me depressed. I think I write a tad better than Perry and I can write screenplays as well ...so, why can't I be a successful writer, too???

I realize that part of getting there is sacrifice, and if you don't believe me, then listen to Perry discuss his life before all of his success. The man was living in his car at one point. I think a lot of us say we want to do whatever it takes, but we may not be acting on those words just yet. I'm trying to think of what I can give up- what can I do to ensure that I am pouring my everything into my passion...and it comes down to TV. TV is my damn vice! I will literally schedule my life around certain TV shows- and it's like when 8:00 comes around, my laptop MUST be closed.
Is this keeping me from becoming a successful writer?? Is there something holding you back? If not, tell me how YOU keep focused on the task at hand.

If I was a rich girl...

2010-03-31T14:03:00.015-04:00

YA Highway has posed quite a brilliant question...what would I do if I had a lot of money? First, I would thank my agent and publishers with a beautiful gift :) WHY? Obviously because I would be rolling in the dough from my book deals. Anyway, I would also get better living quarters- a place that would be worth the stupendous amount that I pay every month- AND HAVE A WORKING WIRELESS INTERNET SYSTEM!

I would get a better car- one that is not WHITE and a TWO DOOR (which were the only things that I didn't want when I went to the car dealership :( ).

Hmmm, what else would I do? Buy some cool books- cause I already spend too much money on books, I can't imagine what kind of damage I would do to Borders and Barnes and Nobles if I had more money! I would get a new laptop, a new desk, some notebooks, a million Sharpie Fine Point pens- although I barely write with pen and paper anymore-and finally, I would buy plane tickets to go and stalk Robert Pattinson, Jake Gyllenhaal, Ashton Kutcher, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Tobey Maguire, Eminem...I think you get my point :))Look at all that hotness!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, tell me- what would you do if writing made you freakin' rich?!!!!!

Angels, Hybrids, and Vampires OH MY!

2010-03-30T09:08:00.007-04:00

I am a big fan of paranormal/fantasy YA as I am a hardcore Hunger Games follower, I love Twilight (more because I love Robert Pattinson *swoon*)

...and I am really getting into hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick- but it makes me wonder...when are we gonna overload on these topics? It makes contemporary YA look like boring garbage- and that makes me sad :( I'm also jealous because I didn't create any of these concepts and really wish I had. Yesterday, my cuz (she has a new contest going on - check it out!) and I were just talking about how much we wished we had come up with the concept from Supernatural- two brothers road tripping to kill goblins and ghouls? Can you say, SO MUCH MATERIAL!

Anyway, I'm wondering if there is still room for my kind of writing- which, like I said I would love to do paranormal and fantasy, but I just have to come up with something unique. So, for right now- my kind of writing is dark, moody, thrilleresque (I create my own words too) YA. Kind of in the vein of movies like Brick and Lucky Number Slevin -if you haven't seen those movies, you HAVE to check them out. I am working on a new novel that will fit in that genre and I am just curious to see how many agents and editors are willing to take a novel that does not include one of the three things mentioned in my title. What do you think??? What kind of novel are you working on- will it fit in fantasy/paranormal- or do you feel like that fat kid on the swim team like I do???

Submitting Short Stories

2010-03-26T10:53:00.010-04:00

I must admit, I have been more focused on working on/polishing what I refer to as my POS (piece of sh**), but others may call it a WIP- Chasing Manson. The first draft is complete, but I need to make some se-riou-s changes to it. Anyway, in the mad fervor to compelte my novel, I forgot about it's ugly, red-headed step-child- the short story (short stories are almost one of my nemesis-people ALWAYS think my short stories are part of a longer piece). I am in a MFA program so I wrote a few short stories, but I need to complete more to meet my word requirment for my creative thesis- and I just want to write more short stories. I was reading the Writer magazine and an article pointed out how good it looks for a writer to have their stories published in a literary magazine- well, duh!

So, I am trying to get to work on some new short stories to submit to various magazines. I have a short-short that I sent to a few mags back in October and I only recieved one rejection- the others haven't bothered to contact me yet. When I work on more quality material I will follow the advice from John Matthew Fox (he's published fiction in Tampa Review, Los Angeles Review, and Pedestal Magazine, and nonfiction in teh Los Angeles Times and US Airways Magazine) and his article in the Writer magazine's April 2010 issue:

He offers up the best and worst times to submit to lit mags- best is in September, worst after Christmas, and university mags are closed during summer breaks so don't submit to those in May and June.
The length should be around 4,000 words.
Submit to local lit mags
Go for issues that have a theme
Don't worry if you have no pubish credits to your name
KNOW the journal that you submit to (research it)
And don't stress over the cover letter

There is more details in the article that will help if you are interested. You can also visit John Matthew Fox's blog to get more of his insight on short stories and publishing.

You can go to The Writer Website to get some insight on various lit mags. Click on Writing Resources :) (You have to become a member to view) Have fun!

I Want To Be Just Like...

2010-03-24T13:30:00.013-04:00

Yeah- I'm back in the game, baby! All other bloggers go to sleep because I'm awake now :) Okay, I'm done with the trash-talking. My besties over at YA Highway have posed a wonderful question- which author's career would I want to emulate??? Do I have to choose just one? There are a lot- but if I have to narrow it down I would say that I have to give props to the lady that has created one of my obssessions- Suzanne Collins. I would love to create something so unique as The Hunger Games Trilogy- it's just one of those ideas that you wish you came up with. And there is a movie in the works, which combines the two of the things that I love!

And I have to shout-out another favorite of mine- the incomparable Joyce Carol Oates- especially since I just found out that she writes YA too (Freaky Green Eyes). It's kinda what I want to do- YA and then some creepy adult books that make you wonder and dream about - (ie. Zombie). Oates has so many novels under her belt and they are very effective and interesting- all about topics that some may consider taboo. I am completely and utterly intrigued with dangerous and taboo topics and books and I want to end up writing novels just like hers!

I want to know all about the author's careers that you want to have too- share with me :)

Contests!

2010-03-24T08:52:00.004-04:00

Hi :) This is just a quick post- I am writing to inform you of two contests that I have heard about thus far!

First, My cuz- Pam Harris- is offering a really cool contest that she will post next TUESDAY. I cannot reveal any secrets, therefore, I can't tell you what it's about- but you'll love it- believe me!
Make sure you check it out.

Second- Beth Revis at: writing it out is offering a contest to both writers AND readers. Check out her post to find out what it is! Also, congratulate her on her recent book deal :)

Okay, there's some insight for ya!

Obsessions Part II (Team PEETA)

2010-03-22T11:24:00.005-04:00

So, I have a stack of maybe 10-15 books in my bookshelf, and then I went and got MORE books Friday- I spent almost $60.00 on various YA books. One of them is hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I read the first five or so pages before I had to get back to real life, but I am intrigued. The opening was slightly confusing, but I still feel like I want to keep going. It has something to do with a girl, a fallen angel, romance, and an epic battle- all things that I can relate to :) I also see that there will be a sequel coming soon called Crescendo- I think I'm already liking these books- the titles alone are pretty enticing.

If you want to learn more, or even hear a snippet of the book go here: http://books.simonandschuster.com/Hush-Hush/Becca-Fitzpatrick/9781416989417 OR here:
http://beccafitzpatrick.com/
I intend to follow her page.

Now to my old and # 1 obsession right now! I'm a little upset because I ALMOST bought Catching Fire, but I am trying to hold out for the paperback. I regret it now and I can feel my hands itching to go and get that book. I have already read that one and The Hunger Games, but I intend to read them both OVER...and OVER again. It is a genius series and I am counting down until the third book: Mockingjay (August 24th, 2010) is released! And as always, just like the title of this blog post says, I am Team Peeta!!!!!

Here is a fan club website that I go to often: http://www.fanpop.com/spots/the-hunger-game-trilogy

Where have all the ROCK STARS gone?

2010-03-16T10:40:00.002-04:00

So, when I was writing my novel, Chasing Manson- which I may include some sneak peeks of up here soon enough (yes, I mean it- you can let that breath out now :) ) I was including music from the late 60's and early 70's. I mean classics like Jefferson Airplane, the Beatles, the Doors,

Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Rolling Stones, and the EAGLES. And when I was finished, I was proud of how I incorporated my love for music with my love for writing and historical events- but now I am ready to work on my second novel and this one will be contemporary and I want to include my love for music in this one as well. SO....the big question- what in the h*** music will I use for inspiration???

Where have all the rock stars gone? I've been listening to the radio, and watching MTV- which should be called Reality TV now- but I can't get no...well, satisfaction :( What kind of music do you listen to ? Indie rock, hip hop, R & B, whatever- I need music that will move me like the artists in the 60's and 70's did. I'm open to all types of music - hook a sista up!

What's Your Opinion on Publishing Right Now?

2010-02-18T19:44:00.005-05:00

Hey! Today is supposed to be the day where I tell you how fiction and YA lit are doing in the marketplace...I don't have the time to get into all the stats right now, so I thought I would pose the question and ask you all- what do you think is doing well. Then, maybe I can compare your answer to real stats sometime this weekend. I think it will be cool to look at the difference between what is perceived to be doing well in terms of publishing as compared to what really is doing well. Also, my cuz nominated me for a blog award!!! YEAH! I feel so honored...to be nominated...by my cousin...wait, should I be sad ??

Nah, you take what you can get- nepotism is in, baby! Anyway, share with me the books that you think are flying off the shelves!

What's In A Cover?

2010-01-27T17:25:00.010-05:00

So, the title might not make sense- but it sounded so cute in my head :) Anyway, YA Highway has asked us wannabe authors what our favorite book covers are. I had to take a moment to think on this because I don't necessarily choose a book based on a cover, but after some thought- I came up with a few recent books that I have picked up in the past couple of years.

First, there are two books that stand out because some of the most gorgeous men in the world grace the covers (not to mention that the material inside is pretty good too).

The cover of Annie Proulx's Brokeback Mountain speaks to me. Of course it is just like the movie cover, but cut me some slack on this one! I just like to stare at it.

The other is Scott Heim's Mysterious Skin...same scenario :) I mean, just look at him.

I also find the cover to Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones to be pretty intriguing and then after you read it, it is very telling- like foreshadowing.

Another book that I just finished recently, Chris Lynch's Inexcusable, is another cover that intrigues the reader and makes you want to find out what this field and half-covered female have to do with one another.

A final book cover that I think is really neat is Mark Haddon's The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. The cover plays along with the theme of a colorful and unique narrarator.

Thriving Thursday

2010-01-21T08:00:00.002-05:00

Once again, keeping you informed with what readers are looking for, here are the top sellers for the week of January 11th, 2010 according to Publisher's Weekly. Both of the top best sellers in fiction and young adult have links to amazon.com so that you can read what the books are about and decide if you would like to own it yourself.

Young Adult/Children's Literature Top 10:

Witch & Wizard- James Patterson & Gabrielle Charbonnet, Little, Brown
Catching Fire- Suzanne Collins, Scholastic Press
Fallen- Lauren Kate, Delacorte
The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins, Scholastic
Shiver- Maggie Stiefvater, Scholastic Press
The Book Thief- Markus Zusak, Knopf
Beautiful Creatures- Kami Garcia, Little, Brown
Graceling- Kristin Cashore, Graphia
Lock and Key- Sarah Dessen, Puffin
The Magician's Elephant- Kate Dicamillo, Candlewick

Fiction Bestsellers (Hardcover) Top 10:

The Hel p- Kathryn Stockett, Putnam/Amy Einhorn
The Lost Symbol- Dan Brown, Doubleday
Noah’s Compass- Anne Taylor, Knopf
I, Alex Cross- James Patterson, Little, Brown
Impact- Douglas Preston, Forge
The Last Song- Nicholas Sparks, Grand Central,
Deeper Than the Dead- Tame Hoag, Dutton
The Honor of Spies- W.E.B Griffin, Putnam
Sizzle- Julie Garwood, Ballantine
Under the Dome- Stephen King, Scribner

For more information on the bestsellers of this week, such as audio, paperback, and biography bestsellers (January 11th, 2010) go to the website: Publisher's Weekly and click on the Bestsellers Tab. Have fun!

Stop Sleeping on Christopher Rice!

2010-01-20T10:22:00.005-05:00

YA Highway has done it again with their ingenious questions for Road Trip Wednesday! This week the question asks, what is you favorite book that no one has ever heard of. That is so easy for me to answer because it would be any of the Christopher Rice books I've read (he is the son of Anne Rice). They are all great, but the two that stand out to me the most are A Density of Souls and Light Before Day.

A Density of Souls is based on a group of young friends who grow apart when they reach high school. On the surface it seems as if social status is the only reason for the split, but as the novel continues, the reader finds out more devious and sinister reasons for this groups turmoil. The books combines themes of regret, love, friendship, confusion, denial, and mystery.

Light Before Day is a novel that combines gay issues, crystal meth use (and the whole underground drug-trade society) and thriller/mystery elements. It focuses on a lead character who struggles with his own addictions while searching for his missing lover and trying to figure out what is happening in his gay community.

Christopher Rice has two more books that feature gay lead characters and plots full of suspense and mystery - The Snow Garden and Blind Fall.

Tuesday Tantalizer

2010-01-19T08:00:00.001-05:00

So, I am going to go back to the start of my novel- Chasing Manson. I posted the beginning of Chapter Three without realizing that it would make sense for me to start from the very beginning. The novel is focusing on a group of teenage boys, fresh from high school, who take a road trip to meet Charles Manson. So, here goes...hope you enjoy, and if you don't act like you do :)

Part One- Fall 1972

Chapter One- Somebody To Love
I loved the way she smelled. The way she trailed her finger up and down my side when we lay in bed always made me want her more. And I could tell she loved me. I just didn’t know if I was there yet. She pecked my cheek, sat up and turned to me as she pulled my Beatles t-shirt over her head. Our song was “I Want to Hold Your Hand.” As well as stalking Charlie Manson, I peeked in on John every so often. She was standing by her bathroom door in the house she inherited from her grandparents when she said it:
“Jake needs new shoes.”
“Shoes?”
“The things that people wear on their feet, Blue.”
“I know what shoes are. Didn’t he just get some?”
“He’s a growing boy. He needs new shoes, dig?”
She was becoming impatient and there was nothing I could do. I didn’t have the money to buy Jake new shoes. I also didn’t have the courage to tell her that I didn’t have the money.
“Yeah, I’ll handle it.”
“I knew you would.” She gave me a courteous smile before she walked into her bathroom. I watched her long brown braid as it touched the back of my shirt. She had the perfect body- slim with the right curves. She had the face of model, a small mole accented her top lip, and her dark brown eyes always seemed to look past me.
“Shoes.” I repeated to myself. I swore Jake grew out of shoes faster than the weeds grew in Sandy’s “garden.” I leaned back against the headboard and reflected on the sex. Sometimes I wondered if that was the only reason I stuck around- I mean sex with her was amazing. It was like taking LSD while riding a roller coaster, but that was where the excitement would end. Our conversations consisted of me begging for sex and Sandy asking for money that I never had. She would throw in an “I love you.” And I would smile back and kiss her-hoping that that would save me from having to say “Me too,” or “Thank you.”

Music Monday: Movie Soundtracks

2010-01-18T10:56:00.000-05:00

Since this past weekend was the big Golden Globe Weekend (and the Critic's Choice Awards came on Friday on VH1), I thought I would coordinate my Music Monday with movie soundtracks. There are a few movie soundtracks that stuck with me throughout the years and have impressed me. These could all be inspirational when it comes to writing.

The first that comes to mind is the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. I used to sit around with my sister and cousin and listen to this soundtrack over and over. I was too young to really understand the full meaning of the songs, but they were catchy- like, Mary J. Blige's "Not Gon' cry," Toni Braxton's "Let it Flow,", Brandy's "Sittin' Up in My Room," and of course , Whitney Houston's "Exhale (Shoop, Shoop)."

8 Mile is another impressive soundtrack. Of course, Eminem's "Lose Yourself" is a wonderful song to pull from if you want to write about a coming of age tale. There are a few more gems on this soundtrack like, Boomkat's "Wastin My Time, "Macy Gray's "Time of My Life," and "Rabbit Run," by Eminem. The movie itself could have made a great novel, and the soundtrack helps to move the plot along.

Queen of the Damned is one of my favorite soundtracks of all time! There are so many interesting songs (musically) on this CD. It is not much of an "inspirational" soundtrack for writers, unless you know you want to write about vampires, but it is well done. Some of the highlights from this soundtrack are "System" by Chester Bennington (from Linkin Park and Death by Sunrise), "Slept So Long" by Jay Gordon (from Orgy), "Dead Cell" by Papa Roach, and "Change (In the House of Flies)" by Deftones. The whole soundtrack is amazing and if you have not heard it, give it a try!

Finally, two more recent movie soundtracks that are absolutley genuis would be for the movies, Across the Universe and Once. Across the Universe, of course, highlights some of the best songs from the Beatles catalog. Some of my favorites are "Hey Jude," "Revolution", "Across the Universe," "Strawberry Fields," "Happiness is a Warm Gun," and "I Want You/She's so Heavy."

Once is a movie that features original music from Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. Some of the best songs on this soundtrack that could offer so much material for writers are "When Your Minds Made Up," "Lies," "Say It to Me Now," "If You Want Me," and of course "Falling Slowly." If you do not know any of these songs, I suggest you use your iTunes or Rhapsody search engine and find them!

I could go on and on, but I kind of have other things to do :) What are some soundtracks that you think should be on my list?

What Time Is It?

2010-01-12T17:57:00.001-05:00

Due to my recent trip to England (and the fact that I did not get home until 3 am this morning) I will not be posting my tantalizing (teaser) Tuesday piece today. I promise to have something for this day next week. If however enough of you whine and complain to me about not having my post up today, then I might just have to do it :)

Writing about Relationships using Song Lyrics

2010-01-10T04:02:00.000-05:00

Once again it is Music Monday! (If you missed last week's Music Monday- check it our here: Slipknot- Snuff.) I am so excited to write about this next artist and some of his songs. Whenever I want to write anything romantic, or anything dealing with love, sex, relationships- I turn to - who I consider the Prince of R & B (let's face it, R. Kelly is still the King), Trey Songz!

Not only is he a GORGEOUS man, he also has a sexy, velvet voice and very interesting song lyrics. Obviously if I am looking to write the next literary masterpiece I won't seek inspiration from "LOL Smiley Face :) " but I may look to some of his more intricate song lyrics to help me write a scene in a story from the male perspective.

For example, he has a song called "Yo Side of the Bed"(yes, YO side) he says "All I know is that, Our bed, Our Sheets, Our Pillows, Get lonley...on your side of the bed." Ladies (and some gentelmen), would you not swoon if a man/woman said this to you ????

On the other hand, if you are trying to capture that emotion of losing someone because your love has just died and there is no salvaging it, a good song to listen to by Trey Songz would be "Black Roses." Some of the lyrics help to give some emotional insight to the male side of a break up: "Who knew our love would ever be called a memory? Who knew my home for happiness would soon be misery? Hate that we're so distant girl do you even miss me at all? I guess, life's just not fair."

So, if you are looking for inspiration for writing raw human emotions when it comes to love, sex, relationships, and romance- go for Trey Songz' CD: Ready.

Are there any other artist/song that help you write about relationships?

Go here to check out a live version of: Invented Sex/Say Aaah: http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/465669/i-invented-sex-say-ahh-live.jhtml#artist=1838768

Free Friday

2010-01-09T04:00:00.000-05:00

First off, yes, I realize that today is Saturday...I had a busy, busy day in London, England yesterday and did not get the chance to come online. I was gone from around 9:40 a.m., until 11:00 p.m. looking at things like Big Ben, The Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London. I was dead tired when I got back to my room.

Anyway, on Fridays I will blog about anything from a movie I want to see on the weekend, a recipe that I have tried (that may or may not have turned out well), or random thoughts on books that I have read. Today, I would like to combine the two. I found myself at one point trying to determine who I would cast in a movie version of The Hunger Games (this doesn't seem too far-fetched. There is bound to be a movie made from the book soon). I would like to share my thoughts with you on who I think would do well in the major roles:

Katniss Everdeen: AnnaSophia Robb (she would have to have dark hair of course- she is the girl from Bridge to Terabethia and Race to Witch Mountain)

Peeta: Jake Abel (Check him out on IMDB.com)

Gale: Rafi Gavron (see Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist or Inkheart)

Primrose Everdeen: Elle Fanning

Mrs. Everdeen: Julianna Margulies

Haymitch: Steve Buscemi

Effie Trinket: Susan Sarandon

If you have read the books, or have any idea of the characters at all, who do you think will be a good person to fill any of these major roles? OR is there a book that you have read and you automatically thought about who would play the major character (or characters) in the film? You have? Then tell me about it!

Thriving Thursday

2010-01-07T07:28:00.000-05:00

Hi again :) It is my goal to give you updates on the thriving world of fiction and children's literature, as these are the areas I will write in, on Thursdays. I will give you links to check out Publisher Weekly's (PW) website in order to participate in some of their blog discussions and I will update you on the top sellers in various categories. This way you can keep an eye out for where your work will fall in!

According to Publisher's Weekly.com for the week of January 4th, 2010 the fiction and children's literature bestsellers are (by category/top 10):

Fiction:

The Lost Symbol. Dan Brown, Doubleday

I, Alex Cross. James Patterson, Little, Brown
Under the Dome. Stephen King, Scribner
Pirate Latitudes. Michael Chrichton, Harper
U Is for Undertow. Sue Grafton, Putnam
The Help. Kathryn Stockett, Putnam/Amy Einhorn
The Last Song. Nicholas Sparks, Grand Central
Ford County. John Grisham, Doubleday
The Christmas Sweater. Glenn Beck, Threshold Editions
Breathless. Dean Koontz, Bantam

Children's Literature:

The Hunger Games. Suzanne Collins, Scholastic

Catching Fire. Suzanne Collins, Scholastic Press
The Book Thief. Markus Zusak, Knopf
Million-Dollar Throw. Mike Lupica, Philomel
The Magician’s Elephant. Kate Dicamillo, Candlewick
Beautiful Creatures. Kami Garcia, Little, Brown
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. Sherman Alexie, Little, Brown
Graceling. Kristin Cashore, Graphia
Shiver. Maggie Stiefvater, Scholastic Press
Return to the Hundred Acre Wood. David Benedictus, Dutton

If you would like to see more, visit Publishers Weekly's site: http://www.publishersweekly.com/bestsellerslist/2.html?channel=bestsellers

This week, I wanted to provide a link to a blog over at Publishers Weekly.com. This discussion focuses on authors taking risque topics and not writing to their full ability because they feel as if they can rely on the fact that there work is obscure. The writer of the blog discusses Mario Acevedo's forthcoming Werewolf Smackdown , which they credit as a good book as Acevedo generally gets good reviews. Go to the following link, read the opening paragraph and decide for yourself whether you agree or disagree with this generalization.

http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/400000640/post/830051683.html

Once Upon a Time...When I was Young

2010-01-06T17:05:00.001-05:00

Yeah, it's time for YA Highway's Road Trip Wednesday question again...how I've missed this! There is nothing a writer likes more than writing/talking about him/herself. :) This week's question is so awesome and I can spend hours writing about it, but I will limit it to the next few paragraphs- promise!!!

The question is what did you write when you were young?

I started seriously writing when I was about 10 to 11 years old, before that I would scribble some ridiculous poems and short stories about me and my mom going to the store, or my grandmother straightening my hair. My first poems were all about the things in life that I had not yet experienced, but that I thought would happen to me eventually. Love, shopping, best friends betraying me etc.

I also kept a journal of poetry in my teenage years and they were pretty much about my social awkwardness, the boyfriends I wish I had, the experiences I wish I had, and a few were about teachers that I couldn't stand :)

After writing my first poems, I realized this wasn't enough. I started to then write stories and "novels." At first, I felt like my stories and novels had to focus on my lifestyle and my race/culture. My cousin, sister, and I would write about African American males and females living in the "ghetto," getting high, having sex, joining gangs- all things that I had never done and couldn't imagine doing. I completed a novel around the age of 13-14 about a African American male dealing with family trouble, girlfriends, and murder/gang violence.

When I got into high school, I branched out. I felt like I didn't want to be this stigma writer- I didn't have to just write about my own race. I started to experiment with the other cultures that I longed to know more about and (at some points) that I wished I were more like. I wrote stories and novels about Latin Americans, and White Americans in high school dealing with normal teenage problems. I wrote a series called Milton High School about a group of friends struggling with relationships, family problems, drug use etc.

The one thing I'm really proud to say that I wrote around the age of 15-16 was a novel called Annette and Jason. It is heavily influenced by R.L. Stine and other authors that I read who wrote thrillers/suspense. It is about an abusive relationship between two high school students.
The writing is extremely cheesy, but I was pretty impressed with my take on the subject matter at such a young age. Maybe I can re-visit it one day :)

Anyway, that's the cheesy crap I wrote when I was a young adult. What about you ???

Tuesday Tantalizer :)

2010-01-05T17:23:00.001-05:00

Once again, I have gotten this idea from my cousin, and I am running with it! She said that it is pretty standard for writers to release parts of their work on their blog- so here is my first go at it. I will try and leave it up for awhile, just to see if anyone decides to actually visit and comment on it.

I am working on a novel that I may call Chasing Manson. It is based on a very sloppy screenplay that I wrote some years ago. It is about a main character, Blue, who is fresh out of high school (I am hoping to market this as YA) and he and his friends go on a road trip to California from West Virginia in order to meet Charles Manson in 1972. It combines my love for YA, music, history, and thriller/suspense novels. I am hoping that everyone will get enticed from this little snippet and decide to come back for more :))

Chapter Three-We Gotta Get Out of This Place
The officer didn’t know this of course, but he would become completely fascinated with me. At that particular moment, when we first met, he was just annoyed. He rolled his eyes, fiddled with the low-hung belt around his waist, and sucked his teeth. Occasionally, he used his pen and pad to jot down a note or two.
“What did they look like?”
I looked up at him. We were in the John’s office. I sat in one of the folding chairs across from John’s throne and Jinks sat cross-legged on the floor next to me. The officer rested his butt on the edge the desk.
“They were wearing ski masks. I don’t know what they looked like.”
“No idea?”
He tapped his pen on the pad in a rhythmic tone that reminded me of The Beach Boys’ “Komoko”. I can’t stand The Beach Boys so I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a small huff.
“No, sir. They were wearing ski masks.”
“Accents?”
“They sound like you or me.”
“Can you be more specific?”
“Excuse me?”
“Did they sound like you, or did they sound like me?" He asked this with an absolute straight face. I didn’t really understand the question. To me, we both sounded the same. White males from West Virginia don’t really have any distinctions in their voices.
“What I mean is they sound like they are from West Virginia, not England or anything like that.”
“Are you sure?” The way he watched me, I knew his question was serious. His burnt brown mustache twitched as he spoke. His hair was the same color and almost as coarse. It bothered me.
“This is John Lennon’s number one fan. He would know an English accent.” Jinks responded as he tapped my leg. He smiled and pushed his hair behind his ear, he was proud of himself- like he was a character witness for me.
The officer was not amused.
“So…no accent?”
“No, sir,” I responded. This time, I kept the huffs to myself. I figured that would make the lame ass interrogation go by a lot quicker if I was polite and cooperated.
“Please, call me Officer Stanton, or better yet- call me David.” David stood and took a card out of his back pocket. He would tell me later it was because he knew how to play the game. He knew what kids like us wanted, if we had to refer to him as Officer Stanton, we would never feel comfortable enough to tell him anything.
“Why don’t you give me a call if you can remember anything else?” He extended the card to me and then put his pad away in his breast pocket.
I took the card and read the bold name in cursive. He looked like he was a David. Davids seem like assholes, like arrogant, annoying, cops.

What is it about "Snuff" by Slipknot?

2010-01-04T04:33:00.001-05:00

So, like my wonderful cousin and writing counterpart, I realized that if I gave myself things to talk about each day on the blog, I will be more "bound" to visit and write on my blog- hopefully you guys will start coming as well :)

Anyway, I thought I would like to start off each week by talking about one of my other loves- and I think most writers agree that this goes hand and hand with writing- music. I would love to spend each Monday discussing the music that inspires me to write, or that makes me think about new material.

This week I will highlight one of my all-time favorite songs- Snuff by Slipknot. I can't really figure out why I love this song, but it just does something to me- lyrics like "break yourself against my stones...and spit your pity in my soul." These are the kind of words that I wish I had written! The kind of lyrics that inspire a writer to pick up a pen (or open up that laptop) and just flow... Can you think of a song that you like right now that evokes this same response???

Go here to watch the Snuff video: http://www.noisecreep.com/2009/12/18/slipknot-snuff-short-film-premiere/

Posted Blog

2010-01-03T04:14:00.000-05:00

My Blog post on Real Life Horrors was posted on YA Highway...please go and check it out here.... Real Life Horrors. Thanks!

By the way---I wrote this in ENGLAND- can't freakin' believe it!! I am here for my MFA program and I am way excited to go and see Oxford and London. Hopefully, I will post some pictures here so that everyone can take a look!!!

Writing About Real Life Horrors

2009-12-15T09:58:00.000-05:00

I am trying to get a blog posted on YA Highway like my now famous cousin (see her post here Pam' GLBT Post)! One of the editors of the blog told me to write about Real Life Horrors...I told her I have an interest in horror, thriller, and edge of your seat...well...edginess. She suggested discussing and writing about real life horrors that occur with YA, things like rape, violence, kidnapping, murder, rumor mills, gossip etc. I am so intrigued with this idea and I have been researching books so I can get this blog done. I want to make it to the big leagues and have a shout out on YA Highway :) I am reading Liar by Justine Larbalestier and Dawn by Kevin Brooks to see if these two books will lend themselves to my blog post. Also, my cousin has read Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott and I know this would be a good one to mention on my blog post. I also have heard about a few books from the editor over at YA Highway, but I was wondering if any one else out there had a website or anything they would like to offer me to look up. Not only am I interested in reading books about Real Life Horror, but I think this is the "genre" or motto that I would like to follow throughout my writing adventures. Let me know what you think.

Random Thoughts (Welcome to My New Obsession!)

2009-12-11T19:05:00.000-05:00

So, I have been trying to figure out what else I can put on my blog...and since I am completely obsessed with the Hunger Games Trilogy- I thought I would pose a few questions about my new favorite books and the country of Panem. These are just a few random thoughts, so bear with me!

Questions:

1.) What is so special about Katniss??? I mean, don't get me wrong, I genuinely like Katniss, which is weird for me because I never like female protagonist. So, I like her, but I don't get why two guys like Gale and Peeta are vying for her affections, and hers alone. (I am only half way through Catching Fire, so if you know something I don't- DO NOT SHARE!!!). Maybe I could be slightly jealous because I have never had two guys fighting over me :)

2.) Why do people in the Capitol dye their skin? I don't think I need to explain this question.

3.) Why was District 12 largely ignored? Those of you who have read the books will get what I mean- up until something happens in the second book District 12 is pretty much ignored by the Capitol.

4.) Weren't your freaked out by the muttations at the end of The Hunger Games ?!!!

5.) And why does it seem like this world is not that far-fetched from our current America...could these books be an undercover political message? Hmmm?

Final Thoughts:

Is it just me or does it seem like every time you turn a page in Catching Fire a highly political song should be playing in the background ? Think: "Uprising" by Muse, "East Jesus Nowhere," and "American Idiot" by Greenday, and "Hypnotize" by System of a Down.

Okay I've spent enough time away from the book right now...must get back!!!!

Getting to Know ME!

2009-12-09T16:56:00.000-05:00

Once again, I am answering the Road Trip Wednesday Question for YA Highway.

They would like to get to know all of their followers, so here goes nothing! (Did I mention how I love to talk about myself? Especially after listening to people piss and moan about students all day!)

1) What are the three best books you've read this year?

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins- OH...MY...GOD! Talk about edge of your seat excitement. This book is such a page-turner with adventure, an interesting romance, and uniqueness.
The Associate by John Grisham- This book took me back to the days of A Time to Kill. There is excitement, a mystery, and a slight romance (just the amount that I can stomach) that keeps this book propelling through the end, which was slightly dissapointing.
Zombie & Rape: A Love Story (tie) by Joyce Carol Oates- Not only are the plots taboo (which I LOVE!), but the style is also taboo- written in improper sentence structures and grammar, it makes the reader really become part of the distorted mind of Q_P_ and part of the unraveling world of the characters in Rape.

2) If you could meet one author (living or dead), who would it be?

I would love to meet Joyce Carol Oates. I want to write like her, and I would kill to know where her inspirations come from. I also would want to meet John Grisham, I have loved his books since I was in high school. I would also find it an honor to be in the presence of Cormac McCarthy and Christopher Rice.

3) What book are you most looking forward to in 2010?

Obviously, I can't wait for the third book in the Hunger Games trilogy. I am pushing my way through the second book already! And although I'm not exactly sure when it's coming out, I am also looking forward to the next wacky adventure that Sookie Stackhouse will be a part of.

Hope you feel like you know me better already!

Do You LOVE Books? (YA Highway Contest)

2009-12-04T19:27:00.000-05:00

...If you do then you should check out YA Highway! They are having a contest where the winner can receive some great YA books and even a bookcases! Go to the site, become a follower, and check out how you can win.

This site is awesome- not just because if you go you might win something free, but because it offers a forum for YA readers, writers, and aspiring writers to communicate. So if you go there to participate in the contest, take some time to peruse the rest of the blog :)

I am BOY Crazy

2009-12-03T18:29:00.000-05:00

I think I might be in love with a question posted on YA Highway this week! The question asks who are my literary questions. Where do I BEGIN? Okay, for the people who know me (especially my cousin they can tell you that I love guys that I can't actually have, and it is apparent from the many "husbands" that I have in my own delusional mind (the list includes, but is not limited to: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Pattinson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Eminem, Josh Hartnett, Heath Ledger (RIP), and more...) So of course my crushes don't end with the people I can actually see! I have a few literary crushes, one of which is a character named Alcide in The Sookie Stackhouse Series. He is first introduced in the book, Club Dead. Alcide is a werewolf and his character is so sweet, vulnerable, understanding and strong-but dangerous... everything a girl could want!

I am into The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins right now and I am feeling the character Gale. I can't wait to read more about him because he is so supportive of Katniss.

I also have a lit crush on a character in Christopher Rice's (one of THE greatest authors in America!) A Density of Souls. This may seem strange, but the character's name is Stephen, and yes, he is a gay character. I know I'm not the only girl in the world who has had a crush on a gay guy!

This last one is going to be a little weird, but hey, we all go for the bad guy every now and then. Anyone who has read (or seen) No Country For Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, will tell you how freakin' bad ass Anton Chigurh was...and yes, I had a little crush on him.

I could go on and on, but I think I would rather know some of your literary crushes :0)

What I do when I'm not Writing

2009-11-25T12:58:00.000-05:00

This is yet another question from YA Highway (great blog!).

Well...I do have an extremely adventurous and interesting life so it might take a few paragraphs for me to answer this...(can you all hear the crickets as I ponder what I should write?)

Seriously, one of the things that I do that takes up MOST of my time is teach. I wrote a previous post about making time for my writing (my # 1 passion) because I am so busy grading papers, making tests/quizzes, and creating interesting lesson plans (it takes so much to keep today's youth intrigued). Whenever I do get a moment to not do something dealing with my full time job, I then read (a lot of different novels, as I mentioned before, and I watch A LOT (maybe too much) of TV. I also am trying to become a scary movie aficionado so I spend some of my time watching scary movies. That is really about it- I wish I had something really cool to write, like I go hiking or I meditate, but I'm not that deep :)

So, I would love to hear what else you do- just so I can live vicariously through all you cool people!

What I Read

2009-11-11T19:26:00.000-05:00

I love answering questions like this because it allows me to feel like someone actually cares!

So, the question is from YA Highway and it asks what I read besides YA. First of all, I'm not sure if this counts but, I read People and Cosmo magazine :) As for books, I am a huge fan of Christopher Rice- he is Anne Rice's son and he writes books that usually have a homosexual man as the lead. I LOVE all of his books, but my favorites are A Density of Souls, and Light Before Day. I also really enjoy Scott Heim, author of Mysterious Skin (with was an AWESOME movie starring one of my many boyfriends Joseph Gordon Levitt). A few of my guilty pleasures, John Grisham's A Time to Kill and The Associate, and Dean Koontz's The Good Guy and Velocity. My BIGGEST guilty pleasure? The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris (I even purchased her short story collection based on Sookie Stackhouse). I also recently fell in love with Cormac McCarthy. He has a very vivid, unique style of writing. The books I have read of his and love are No Country for Old Men, and The Road. I also LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Joyce Carol Oates' Zombie. If you have not read it yet, I strongly suggest that you crack that one open. If you have a weak stomach and a low tolerance for pyschopathic, pedophilic, serial killers then you might not want to read that one. However, I must say, Zombie is probably my favorite book of all time!

I think I've said enough- so tell me, what do you read besides YA???

How do you choose a genre?

2009-11-05T08:24:00.001-05:00

I went to YA Highway and saw this question posted. I think it's one that I often ask myself when I am staring at a blank Word document on my laptop. What am I going to write about? Why should I write about this thing instead of the other... I am always confused, but I often find myself writing along the same theme- horror or thriller. I think I am influenced by the things that excite and entice me, and also by the things that I think will never happen to me. I get to live these experiences and thoughts vicariously through the characters that I create.

And then there are the rare times where I just write and a story pulls itself together- it's often not very good, but it's a start!

Where does the time go????

2009-11-02T14:06:00.000-05:00

I'm usually a good conversationalist when I am interested in a topic- which should translate to me writing on this blog all the time...however, my day job CONSUMES me. I teach Civics and US History to 6th and 8th graders at a middle school in Virginia. If I am not planning and typing lesson plans, then I am grading, if I am not doing either of those, I am actually- GASP!- teaching.

Teaching requires me to stand up, use my laptop to show PowerPoints and videos, explain things to students, help them with their work, and make sure that they understand. So- shock of all shocks, when I am at work, I rarely find a minute to to anything besides, well, work :( It sucks because when I go home I expect to be able to sit down and read, or work on my novel. It never works out that way, I'm usually on my laptop until 8:00 trying to finish grading or finish creating a lesson plan. Where does the time go?

What can I do to balance my dilemma? Do I set aside time to write or read- or will this force me to write instead of allowing myself to succumb to inspiration and creativity?
Or should I give in to my writing desires whenever they show themselves and slack off with the duties that come with being a teacher? So many question- so little time to answer them!

Marks

2009-10-24T19:39:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I tried to be clever with the title of my blog. For some reason, I am fascinated with alliterative titles- therefore, I wanted something that started with an "M" like my first name that means "to write." Marquita's Marks was born- cheesy, I know. I hope to think of something brilliant and breathtakingly unique before I gain any true followers. Until that time, come along with me as I attempt to write two novels, screenplays, and a few short stories (all while teaching full time, working on my MFA, trying to climb that mountain like ALL women- weight loss, and attempting to have some sort of a social life).

Marquita's Marks :)

Miss me? Find me!

Dumb Disappointment

Music-al Monday! Book Musicals

Tat-Tat-Tatted Up!

I Got An Award *Wipes Tears*

Music Monday: Character Playlists

YA Writing Tips

Fictional Following

Musting Advice

Casey Fever!

Music Monday: Book Scores!

Nightmare...on MY street!

The Best. Book.Ever-well, this month :)

Y is it sooo hard to write Historical YA?

Who Else Uses Playlists???

Adult ADHD & Writing- What a Relationship!

Music Monday: Musical Inspiration

Lists-SO MANY LISTS!

The BEST Advice- Ever!

Crescendo Cover...Makes Me Think

Why are you here? Go check out this COOL Contest!

Why Can't I Be a Successful Writer TOO?

If I was a rich girl...

Angels, Hybrids, and Vampires OH MY!

Submitting Short Stories

I Want To Be Just Like...

Contests!

Obsessions Part II (Team PEETA)

Where have all the ROCK STARS gone?

What's Your Opinion on Publishing Right Now?

What's In A Cover?

Thriving Thursday

Stop Sleeping on Christopher Rice!

Tuesday Tantalizer

Music Monday: Movie Soundtracks

What Time Is It?

Writing about Relationships using Song Lyrics

Free Friday

Thriving Thursday

Once Upon a Time...When I was Young

Tuesday Tantalizer :)

What is it about "Snuff" by Slipknot?

Posted Blog

Writing About Real Life Horrors

Random Thoughts (Welcome to My New Obsession!)

Getting to Know ME!

Do You LOVE Books? (YA Highway Contest)

I am BOY Crazy

What I do when I'm not Writing

What I Read

How do you choose a genre?

Where does the time go????

Marks

I Got An Award Wipes Tears