Today's teaser is from The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (author of the Iron Fey trilogy). I just started this book last and night so far, so so good. It's like a vampire twist on a zombie/post-apoc novel. Or like what life would be like if the Cullen's went crazy and took over the world. Haha. Anyway, here's my teaser:
LOVE this cover!
Beyond the Wall, the night belonged to the rabids. No sane person went over the Wall, and those who tried were either gunned down or blown to bits in the kill zone.
Which was why I planned to go beneath. (page 29)
And completely unrelated, a blog post of mine from last year has been nominated for The Most Fascinating Blog of 2012 in the Creative Writing category. No way, right?! You can vote for me but I couldn't get the voting badge's URL to paste for some reason. Oh well anyway.
Confession. I have a reader pet-peeve. Here it is:
The male love interest who reads.
Before anyone goes all nerd-tastic on me, let me explain.
I've read a lot of YA books where the guy the female MC is crushing on is a reader. He doesn't watch TV, he doesn't play video games, he's not even out playing basketball or skateboarding or something. No, he can be found lounging on his bed, reading.
And we're not talking comic books or even the latest John Grisham. Usually, these brainy yet brawny, sensitive yet cocky boys are reading classics or poetry or some obscure author I've never heard of.
Here's my theory: Us female authors think a boy like that is S-E-X-Y. I'm not gonna lie, it's a huge turn-on when a guy reads (teenage boys, take note).
Here's why it's a pet peeve: It's not realistic. I can't think of one guy I knew in high school who read for pleasure. Even now, thinking of my adult friends and family, I don't come up with many. My husband only started reading because I put Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone on the back of the toilet. (No joke.)
Of course, there are guys in real life who read. And maybe someone out there will say, "hey, all my guy friends read for fun." Okay then, I believe you.
But I can also argue back with the very vague, yet very true, "we all know girls read way more than boys do."
Really, this isn't a big deal. I don't stop reading a book when the male hottie is caught reading Camus. At most, I roll my eyes while thinking, not again. It's a pet peeve because it doesn't seem all that realistic to me and I've seen it in A LOT of books.
Then again, did you know there's a tumblr just for pics of hot guys reading books? Oh yes, there really is.
I'm not gonna lie, the world is freaking me out a little today. All the hate and the awfulness and the killing of other people... it's majorly bumming me out. Why can't we all just get along??? Why can't we just Love One Another?
I don't know about you, but I need a distraction.
Nothing says distraction better than Stefan and Damon Salvatore.
Here's this week's Road Trip Wednesday question hosted by YA Highway:
When you need creative inspiration, where do
you go?
This is so funny because this past weekend I've been giving Daze another edit. You'd think I wouldn't need inspiration at this point, right?
Wrong.
Much of last night was spent staring at this (don't laugh):
Gee, my job is tough. Haha.
I didn't actually base my character of Lord Alric on Alex Pettyfer. It was probably a year or more after I'd finished my first draft that I discovered him and realized he'd be the perfect Alric. Perfect face, perfect hair, perfect eyes. Perfect entire look. And I think he'd play the part perfectly. Oh, and he's a Brit. Hey, Alex, in a few years, expect my call.
Just kidding, I won't call you. Maybe.
Now I've got that song in my head.
Anyway... why was I staring at this picture all night you ask?
Really, you have to ask?
Okay, my major crush on Alex aside, there were a couple different scenes I was trying to fix. I have a tendency to make my characters reactions be in their face, so I was trying to change that, and trying to imagine what my character would do if she was the one staring at the guy. Let me tell you, it worked.
Oh, and because I said PICS-plural, I also stared at these two as well, each for different scenes:
But wait. I haven't even answered YA Highway's question. Where do I go for inspiration? Well, duh. I go to my computer and I look up pictures. Very pretty pictures.
Oh yeah, the other place I go? My iTunes playlist. Music is major inspiration for me. Like this song which I played over and over again last night:
No, my MS doesn't take place during the Regency period, but this song sounds just right for a certain scene.
Honestly, I could keep going. Share tons of pics and songs that have inspired me, but I think you get the idea.
Well, I'm kinda sad I haven't had the time to read this book lately. I read the first couple chapters on Friday, I think? I haven't picked it up since and trust me, it's not because I don't want to. I've been busy with my crazy revisions- I have only one more day (and more than 100 pages) to finish them.
Here's my teaser anyway, from Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins. Hopefully tomorrow I'll be spending my free time reading:
I raised my hands and thought up the nastiest spell I possible could- one involving pus and bad breath and severe genital dysfunctions.
If you're a writer, and you've done your research, been around the blogosphere, and studied your craft, you've probably heard these bits of advice at least a bazillion times.
Well, I'm here to sayshouttestify that these things work. Yes they do! Can I get an AMEN?! Anyway, here they are:
#1: Revise revise revise!
When I finished my first draft of Daze, I had this split second thought of, okay I'm done, it's perfect. And then I sort of laughed to myself and thought, c'mon Mel, it needs to be revisedonce.
*cue maniacal laughter*
I've revised Daze so many times since then I've lost count. I'm sure there's a point when you can revise too much, but I haven't reached that point. Every time I go back to it I find things that can be fixed or altered- sometimes just words or sentences. I usually find things to cut. I'm going through it right now and trying to insert more voice. No matter what, you can always make your work better.
#2: Put your MS aside
This goes along with #1. I haven't looked at Daze for almost a year. I've had a few requests that I'm still waiting on and I haven't wanted to mess with it while it's out in agent-land. Coming back to it has been like greeting an old friend. It's very familiar, and yet fresh at the same time. I'm reading it again with a whole new perspective. I'm seeing things I didn't before. Set it aside for awhile- longer than a month- and then go back and see what new things you find.
#3: Practice makes... well, if not perfect, then better
You've revised, you've put your MS aside, now start something new. I know, I know, we hear that ALL the time. But it's true- practice makes perfect. Okay, our writing will never be perfect. But it will get a WHOLE lot better. Trust me. And then, after you've written a new MS and you go back to revise the old, you'll see the mistakes you used to make that hopefully you don't make anymore.
You've heard this all a million times. I know I have. But this past weekend of revising Daze yet again has just reminded me how important these pieces of writing advice are, how TRUE they are.
I've just got a mere few minutes before I have to take my kids to their last day of swimming lessons to say...
I made it into Xmas in July!!! Woot woot!!!
Okay, that's not all I was going to say. I also wanted to point out a few other things going on around the blogosphere.
First of all, YA Highway is celebrating their third anniversary with a seriously huge contest. LOTS of books and ARCS and critiques they're giving away so head on over there and enter. Or better yet, don't. Cuz then maybe I'll win! Haha.
If you've read Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor, then like me, you probably majorly want to visit Prague. You can enter to win a trip to Prague here. No joke.
Want another contest??? Of course you do. Lisa Burstein, author of Pretty Amy- a book I've heard tons of buzz about and I'm waiting to get my hands on- is giving away chapter critiques from herself, her editor, and her agent!!! Go here to check it out.
It's Contests Galore!!! So what are you still doing here? Go enter!
