Called It

I was happy to see that Brian Katcher's Playing With Matches made YALSA'S Best Books for Young Adults 2009 list. I reviewed Katcher's debut novel here.

Make sure to also check out The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Ten Cents a Dance by Christine Fletcher, both incredible reads, and on BBYA's Top Ten.

50K, no Nanowrimo way

I didn't make it to 50K words. Why? Because halfway through my story I decided it wasn't working in third person and I decided to change it. So I've started again. I wrote one solid chapter that I am happy with, but I am waiting on my Sci Fi writer friend to proof it and offer an opinion before I proceed. I need another set of eyes. Although in this rewrite I have given the protagonist a sardonic wit that sets her apart from her third person counterpart. I am quite pleased.

In addition, I have found myself obsessively attracted to everyone on CW's Gossip Girl, in particular Chuck and Blair. Caliente! Seriously, this ain't no show for teens. At least teens get to look forward to having sex with the wrong people. We adults have already made those beds, so now we can live the dirty, sexy, rich life through actors who are young enough for me to have been their babysitter. OMFG!

A Librarian’s Take on Twilight the Movie

Librarians saw Twilight’s movie/money-making potential long before Hollywood put out a casting call. That’s because we’re the ones who field all the requests for Meyer’s books and we know without even checking the shelf that those same books are not even on the shelf for the come-lately patrons who haven’t gotten on the band wagon. We know the hysteria Twilight causes; hell we’re part of the hysterics.

Hollywood could’ve made improvements to Meyer’s Twilight if they just had the foresight. I really thought the screenwriter, Melissa Rosenberg, could have rewritten some of Meyer’s cheesier dialogue (ie. The whole lion and lamb line makes me want to put my finger down my throat and activate my gag reflex.) And Robert Pattinson, who, despite what I am about to write, was a great casting choice for Edward, is uncomfortably stiff, barely swinging his arms when he walks and delivering some lines with such melodrama that I couldn’t help but think, “teens today, everything is life or death with them.” I knew Edward wasn’t going to kill Bella and I just wanted him to relax. Probably the most enjoyable re-write was Charlie, played by Billy Burke, who Rosenberg instilled a sense of humor that Meyer neglected. Aside from Kristen Stewart and Pattinson, most of the actors portraying the Cullens hadn’t played any parts larger than McDonald’s Customer #4. No one saw the potential in this movie and for that reason; the movie didn’t live up to its potential.

Nano-nano

I'm up to 14,000 words for this year's Nanowrimo! God it has taken me so long to get anything going with my novel. And now I have 14K words. Granted, it's a mere 20 pages or something, but it's a start. It's funny. I have had this novel running through my brain for awhile. But as I write, my characters take a more human form, my plot develops, and everything begins to flow together. Now, don't get me wrong. My writing is shit right now. But I have the bare bones of, what I'd like to think, is a pretty decent YA idea. Is it premature to start fantasizing about my book tour? A little? Okay, I'll stop.

Nanowrimo

I am participating in Nanowrimo this year. And I know I am supposed to come to the table with nothing more than an outline of my novel. Which is fine since I sort of scratched my first chapter anyway. I had some inspiration last night and I was writing notes while poor Bob-o was trying to sleep.

I have a lot of books to review and 50,000 words to write in November. I guess I'll be DVRing most of my TV.

What have I been doing?

I haven't written a post in almost a month. So what have I been doing?
Well, I am working on chapter 1 of my YA novel. Yes, just chapter 1. I am a slooowwww writer. I've been reading everything and anything. I just finished Boy Toy by Barry Lyga which was totally excellent; Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott which was totally disturbing; and Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause which was totally not interesting me so I returned it after a few chapters.
I am writing book reviews and watching Season 6 of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
My novel writing workshop at the community college will be cancelled because only two people signed up for the class! So now I am just going to have to motivate my own ass.
Oh, and I'm dressing up as a "fanpire" for Halloween.
And my teens are doing a Twilight cart for Pimp My Bookcart contest which I can't refer to by name for fear board members and the like will whine about the use of the word pimp.
That's been my October thus far.