Teaser Tuesday

     Here's my Teaser for this week. Check out the other teasers over at Should Be Reading. And can I just say I love Crossed! Ally Condie does such a beautiful thing with words. I'm not disappointed at all with the sequel so far.

And it is strange that absence can feel like presence. A missing so complete that if it were to go away, I would turn around, stunned, to see that the room is empty after all, when before it at least had something, if not him. (Crossed, page 6)

When I see Cassia dancing without knowing she's doing it- turning and turning in delight as she looks at the paintings and carvings in the cave- I understand why my parents both believed as they did. (Crossed, page 210)

Blog Funk

     Ever go through a blog funk? I used to have ideas on top of ideas of things to post about. Today I'm watching the little line blink on and off on my non-existent post just waiting for words to appear.
     I think one of the reasons is that I haven't been writing. Since I finished Sway last November I really haven't written anything except a scene from my Daze sequel. That's not to say I've done NOTHING. Besides keeping up with my reading, I edited Sway once and finished beta-ing for someone else. But it almost feels like without the actual writing, I've lost touch a little with the writing world.
     Not good.
     I've got to finish my new edits on Sway so I can send it out to Betas. I really need to focus and work hard on that so I can get back to writing something, anything. And maybe then those writing-creative-juices will start flowing once again.
    

Crush of the Week

     I spoke yesterday about the book One Day. Yesterday afternoon, I watched the movie One Day. This was one of those rare instances where I liked the movie better than the book.
     *Note: I still liked the book. I cringe over too much negative.*
     I think I liked the movie better because you're not inside the characters heads. You don't hear all of the despicable things they sometimes think. Also, they cut out a lot of the worser (like that?) qualities of the characters. While you sort of know that Dexter is a drunk in the movie, it's not nearly as bad as it is in the book (not to mention the drugs). Emma has an affair with a married man during the book, they cut that out in the movie.
      I really liked the movie. I've read mixed reviews about it but I enjoyed it, and it made me love the characters more than I did while reading the book.
     It helps that I've been an Anne Hathaway fan since The Princess Diaries. Know what else helps? This guy, who made an excellent Dexter.

     And I have to give a major shout out to how amazing the two actors looked during the movie, pulling off the looks of the late-80s, 90s, and 2000s so well. Check it out.

Likeable Characters

     Our characters are supposed to have flaws, right? They can't be perfect or people wouldn't identify with them. They'd be annoyed by their unrealistic perfection.
     But on the flip side, I'd watch out for too much imperfection.
     I recently finished One Day by David Nicholls. It's about the relationship between Emma and Dexter. Each chapter takes place on July 15th of different years. You get glimpses of their lives over 20+ years. The format was new and different for me and I thought it worked well. The story was sometimes funny, sometimes smart, sometimes heartbreaking.
     I hesitate saying anything negative, but this has been on my mind since I finished the book. My only problem with this book? Emma and Dexter are not likeable. Dexter is annoying, selfish, stupid (in his choices), egotistical, and vain. About the only thing going for him is that he's handsome. Emma is a little more likeable- she's funny and witty- but she also has many annoying qualities like always putting herself down and yet acting all high and mighty with her opinions.
     Now I know people make mistakes, they're not perfect. Our characters should be the same. But we need to watch out how awful/annoying we actually make them. They need some redeeming qualities or moments that make up for the stupid ones. Dexter and Emma both had these moments, but they were very few and far between.
     Of course others who have read this book might not feel the same way I do. But what I learned from reading this book is to watch out. If a beta or critique partner tells you your character is annoying because of this or that- take note.
     Or maybe what I learned is that I'm more into books that don't display quite so much how awful/annoying human beings can be.
     What are your thoughts?

Family

     I'm forgoing Road Trip Wednesday this week. I simply do not have the brain power today. I've been in Ottawa since last Thursday and arrived home last night. My older sister got married and it was a great weekend. I got to see most of my family except one brother who couldn't attend.

2007
(the most recent photo I could find with all of us in it!)

     I know this is so not writing related, but I have to take a moment and say how thankful I am for such an awesome family. I'm the youngest of seven kids, with two older sisters and four older brothers. The closest in age to me is four years. I didn't spend a lot of time with my siblings growing up since they were so much older. I started High School just as my sister had graduated from it. But in a way, I'm very very lucky. I don't have any kind of awful memories of my siblings being horrible to me. Things definitely weren't all peachy (I remember fighting with my sisters), but I never had anything bad to get over, know what I mean? I know lots of people who had at least one sib who was so rotten to them it took until they were adults to actually like that person. Not me. My sibs were so good to me, even allowing me- the annoying younger sister- to hang out with their friends.
     I don't see my family much- we're very spread out through Canada and the US. But I love them so much. They are awesome. And I am blessed.

The Future of Us

     Road Trip Wednesday has been put off this week. Head over to YA Highway to find out why- they did a good post on censorship on the internet.
     I'm not going to say much except goodbye for the weekend. I hop on a plane early tomorrow morning heading to Ottawa, ON. My sister is getting married and I'm super excited. My family lives all over Canada and the US so I don't get to see them often. This weekend will be one of those rare reunions. Also, I love Ottawa, having lived there from grade 5 to grade 10. It's my favorite Canadian city and I get to see some old friends I haven't seen since high school (way back when).

     Since I'll probably finish this book sometime on my trip and won't get a chance to blog about it, I have to say how much I'm loving The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. I haven't been able to put it down. The characters have totally taken me in. Plus, it's fun to read about teenagers in a time where I was a teen. (Josh and I would be the same age- he graduates in '98) I laugh and say, I remember that! or I used to love that! Examples: Crash Into Me by The Dave Matthews Band, dying my hair (aka: turning it orange) with Sun-In, and getting email for the first time (I was 16 and I can't even remember the program I used but I do remember it was free). This is definitely a great read, I'd recommend it to all, but anyone around their 30s will especially love it!
     See you all next week!

Almost Lover

     I just have to share this new song I heard last week. I found this song when I was looking up YouTube videos for Marie Antoinette (don't ask). Love it love it love it. I chose the Marie Antoinette video because the official music video is a little boring (no offence to A Fine Frenzy).

Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy

     On to Teaser Tuesday. This week I'm pulling my teaser from The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler (love this book by the way).

pg 58: After she passes, a backdraft of coconut floats by my nose, snipping the threads holding my heart in my chest.
pg 100: During first period, I began a list called "I wonder what becomes of...?" So far I've written the names of eighteen people I want to search for on Emma's computer. The list includes a few of the smartest people in my grade. Maybe one of them finds a cure for AIDS or designs a car that doesn't run on gas. Maybe the president of drama club makes it to Broadway. And my first girlfriend, Rebecca Alvarez. What's she doing fifteen years from now?
     There are also the people too bizarre to ignore, like Kyle Simpson. Future male stripper.