So You Want to Write a Novel

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) has ended. The thirty days of frantic typing and bad ideas are finally over. Now – what will you do with those 50,000 or so words? Many will want to publish it. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be published. The problem is when and how you go about it. A lot of people think it’s easy. I don’t blame them – Snooki is writing a book, after all. But there is a lot more to it than just writing and sending it off to that mysterious land of publishing.
I wanted to share a video that I found a couple of days ago that expresses just that. I found it hilarious and I think you will, too.
Happy Writing! – And revising!

The Consequences of Book Banning

This is Banned Books Week. No, it does not mean you’re supposed to ban a book – no matter how boring you think it is – but it is a week where you learn about books that have been banned or challenged. Earlier this week I talked about standing for what you believe in. Well, the freedom to read what you like is something I believe in. I’ll try to talk about this in detail later. (I’m school right now!) But I leave you with THIS. It’s an article I wrote for RadicalParenting.com last year about book banning and its consequences.

And I encourage everyone to read books that have been banned and challenged, not just for this week but every day you can. Read like it’s nobody’s business. Don’t let anyone control the flow of information your receive. Inform yourself.

The Vlogbrothers Effect

I wrote about the Vlogbrothers over at RadicalParenting.com. They’re young adult author John Green and his brother Hank Green. I’ve been a nerdfighter since April 2007, in case you’re wondering. The article is about who they are and how they’ve affected my life. Hope you enjoy it. Follow the link below:

DFTBA

Standing up for what you believe in – or not.

Some friends asked me to participate in a political demonstration for a certain cause and were a little confused when I said I wouldn’t.

I applaud anyone who stands up for what they believe in because I think that’s what it should be about – standing up for what YOU believe in. I don’t, however, condone being a parrot. Take political parties, examples. Some Republicans take sides in issues because the majority of Republicans have that opinion. Some Democrats take sides in issues because the majority of Democrats have that opinion. It has nothing to do with what the issue is about but everything to do with WHO thinks WHAT about the issue. This mentality helps no one.

The demonstration that they asked me to attend was about a subject that I am not very well versed in. I don’t know all the facts. I don’t know both sides. I don’t have an informed opinion. How was I supposed to hold up a sign, do interviews (the media was present, did I mention?) and show support for something I knew nothing about?

There are things that I do stand up for: literacy, the right the read without some weak minded idiot trying to censor every book that even hints at humans being reproductive (yeah, I hate censorship – and what?), gay rights, women’s right, and others, because I understand these issues. I read about them. I listen to both sides. I have an opinion already. But I’m not going to land in the middle of a debate, throw up a coin and pick a side. I need to be informed.

And that’s what I want to leave you with – be informed. Don’t be another parrot. All through our K-12 education, we are crammed with “critical thinking skills.” Use them. Read newspapers – not just one, but different ones. Don’t be afraid of listening to someone with a different opinion. Have open and respectful discussions filled with head-scratching questions. But don’t show support for things you know nothing about.

SLOTH: Gateway to Social Injustices

I’ve been an intern for RadicalParenting.com since I was seventeen. It’s a parenting site from the kid’s perspective. Last month I wrote an article on why I think sloth is one of the seven deadly sins. You can check out here:

And by all means, discuss.

Bridger by Megan Curd

I had the opportunity to read Bridger, a young adult fantasy not yet published, but I hope it will be. The author, Megan Curd, is currently represented by Dawn Frederick of the Red Sofa Literary Agency. Once they’re done tweaking the novel here and there, it will be sent off to the editors.

Bridger is about sophomore Ashlyn McVean. It’s hard enough to discover that faeries are real, but Ashlyn must also take in that she is a Bridger – one of two in existence. With the realization come many gifts, such as being able to memorize movements and to cross over to the faerie realms. But the cool factor of the gifts is secondary to the turmoil in Ashlyn’s life: her father is dead, she nearly died too, and secrets are surfacing left and right. She’s also stuck between a friend who wants to be more than a friend, a boyfriend she has to keep secrets from and a best friend who may or may not be psycho.

Bridger’s opening grasps the reader’s sense of sight, sound and touch, pulling them into an emotionally charged scene. The horror and desperation that comes with a parent’s death is displayed in its rawest form. The main character’s voice resonates in trembling bits: “Dad, you can’t do this.” And in anxious thoughts: “…there hadn’t been a chapter on how to not freak out while your brother was performing CPR on your dad.”

The rest of the novel continues in a fist that delivers emotional blows in the most unsuspecting moments. Ashlyn faces deception, betrayal and disappointment at every turn. But for every punch there’s a chuckle or two. What’s great about Bridger is that the humor never hinders the intensity of the story or the realness of the character’s emotions.

The only thing that feels odd about the story is its pacing. Some scenes are so fast and gusty that the eyes just blows through them. Then there are other times when it slows down to something right below the level of a breeze. The interest in the story never floats away but it does give the reader an opportunity to get a coffee break.

But I’m sure that by the time Bridger is published, it will be an addicting page turner. Bridger still has a long road to publication, but it already has the essence of a winner.

To learn more about the author, Megan Curd, visit her website: http://www.megancurd.com/

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

“…I really can’t think about kissing when I’ve got a rebellion to incite.”

[CONTAINS SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE HUNGER GAMES]

[I’M SERIOUS!]

Somehow, Katniss and Peeta survived the Hunger Games. Katniss’ stunt with the berries (you know what I’m talking about!) has transcended all of Panem. So much that the president visits Katniss before her Victory Tour to let her know that she better prove to Panem that what she did was out of love for Peeta and not rebellion towards the Capitol. The president heavily hints that Katniss is still being watched inside of District Twelve and out in the forest, in the place where she feels safest. Katniss experiences the consequences of her berry stunt while on the Victory Tour and back home, as District Twelve goes through unsettling changes. All of Panem is shifting restlessly because of her.

Just like the Hunger Games, the first chapter of Catching Fire starts off slowly but ends in such an intriguing way that you need to flip the page if you have any hopes of sleeping soundly. (Considering that you’re a night reader, like me.) Chapter two and on is fast paced and twice as interesting as the Hunger Games. A good chunk of the book takes place in District Twelve. We learn more about the way life works in Katniss’ district and how it differs (mostly for the better) from the other districts. We learn more about how Haymitch, their tutor who lives in a cycle of drunk and hung over, won the Hunger Games. We also hear a little more about District Thirteen, the district that was completely obliterated during the rebellion. Or was it? I’ve said too much already!

What I can say is that I gulped Catching Fire in a couple of hours and I know you will too. It’s intense with jaw-dropping twists whenever you even consider putting it down. Katniss’ incredible strength is tested. Her close friendship with Gale is threatened. And the safety of her family and her entire district rests on her shoulders.

The third and final book of the Hunger Games, Mockingjay, is set to be released on August 24, 2010.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

“This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one.”

And once again Maggie Stiefvater writes a book worthy of an entire page review, which I can’t write because I am still reeling from the awesome. I’ll try to keep this spoiler free for those who have yet to read Shiver.

The sequel to Shiver, Linger, does not disappoint. Linger is beautifully written. It draws a picture of the characters and their torments with the ease of a feather in the wind. There’s also a new wolf, Cole, who has a haunting past and an uncertain future, much like Grace, Sam and Isabel. The point of view in Linger is shared between the four of them. Their personalities are different, their reactions genuine. There’s romance, mystery, rock-and-roll, and even science. Someone rebels. Someone gets caught. Someone faces their fear reluctantly. And someone dies. Guaranteed to make you gasp, blush and sometimes squeal in very quiet, but public, places, Maggie Stiefvater’s Linger is addicting from page one to three hundred and sixty.

(In stores July 13, 2010)

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

“I was a leaking womb bulging with the promise of conscious thoughts: the frozen woods far behind me, the girl on the tire swing, the sound of fingers on metal strings. The future and the past, both the same, snow and then summer and then snow again.”

I wasn’t planning on reviewing this book so I didn’t take a lot of notes on it. But here’s the gist of it:

Grace loves wolves, one in particular. Sam is a wolf, in the winter, and a boy in the summer. Now that they’ve finally met and have fallen in love, Sam struggles to keep his humanity and Grace struggles to just keep Sam.

This is one of the close-to-perfect novels I have read in a long time. The beginning is attention grabbing. The story is a page turner. The entire novel reads like a poem. The words are alive. The imagery is vibrant. It’s a beautiful read from start to finish.

The sequel to Shiver, Linger, will be available on July 20, 2010.
UPDATE: The release date of Linger has been moved up to July 13, 2010.

Experiencing a Hurricane

This post went up right on time, now that Alex, the storm, is now Alex, the hurricane. I wrote about experiencing hurricanes, being prepared and what to do during the hurricane on RadicalParenting.com.

Article can be found here.