The Procrastinator's Gift Guide: YA books edition

- All of the following recommendations will be YA books because that is mostly what I've read this year (when I had the time to do a bit of personal reading), and I wanted to make sure that I knew the books that I was recommending! That being said, people of any age can read and enjoy these books, as you shall see if you continue reading! Also, this list will be kind of short because I honestly haven't been very good about reading this year, but each and every book on this list is fantastic and deserves to be loved by someone this holiday season. 

Have a writer/book-lover friend you still need to buy a present for? There's still time to run to your local bookstore. For your convenience, I'll be listing books that have either been released this year (which increases the likelihood that it is in stock and on the shelves) or have had pretty good sales (which also means that the store still will stock).

So let's start with...

1. The person who likes to read everything but YA. This person might think YA is watered down, unsophisticated, etc. etc. (insert falsity of choice). This person would probably enjoy:

THE WINNER'S CURSE (series) by Marie Rutkoski

Gorgeously crafted writing? Check. A narrative and story structure with many layers, worthy of rereading once, twice, three+ times, with each reread revealing more nuggets of awesome? Check. Achingly real, flawed characters with relationships that will gouge out your heart because said relationships are just too perfect and imperfect? Check. If you're nice, you'll tell this friend of yours to hold off from reading book 2 until closer to the release date of book 3...

2. The person who wants to like reading, but is quite reluctant about it. This person might have a short attention span and finds it difficult to get into books. The only time they read is right before bed, when they need something to tire them out and put them to sleep. This person would probably enjoy:

AN EMBER IN THE ASHES by Sabaa Tahir

Here's a true story: I gave this book to the high schoolers I was tutoring (for the SATs) this summer. For them, English is their second language. A lot of them expressed interest in reading, but found it tedious to get into books (I can imagine! I don't think I can even start to waddle my way through my Mandarin set of THE HUNGER GAMES). I tried to think of the most fast paced, gripping, action packed book I knew of to recommend to them, and lone and behold it was this one! I do believe I read this over studying for one of my finals last year ;)

3. The person who loves reading and loves writing and just wants to find a book with characters who also love reading and writing, who fangirl over awesome books and maybe even delve into fanfiction...? This one should be obvious:

FANGIRL by Rainbow Rowell

This book was not released this year, but it's been so popular that I'm pretty sure you can find SPECIAL EDITION versions of them in your bookstore. It's a great winter read because it gives you all the warm and fuzzy feelings (that being said, it's not all rainbows and butterflies. It's just written in a wonderfully real style and narrated by a protagonist who is shy, awkward, and completely relatable). 

4. For the person who likes books, but likes movies more. Especially if this person's favorite movies are the high-stakes, intricately plotted types, you know they'll love a sweeping story with a movie-worthy cast to boot:

I mean, this was comped to Ocean's Eleven, and it's written by one of the queens of fantasy. The person you you give this to is a good hands. 

5. For the person who's witty and slightly cynical and a pain to buy for because they either tell you they don't want anything or you just a difficult time reading them. This person is probably an enigma, and you wonder what philosophical musings they're constantly entertaining in their heads:

WE ALL LOOKED UP by Tommy Wallach

This is a very honest and clever book. It takes many common tropes and stereotypes and subverts them (the genre itself--contemporary--is given a little twist from the dash of pre-apocalytptic). From characters to feels, it has a bit of everything. It's gripping yet savoring-worthy. It's maddening yet oddly zen. The feeling that you get after coming way from the last page is difficult to describe, just like the theme, but that's because everything is working together so organically. (Can you tell I'm having a hard time putting this book into words?)

6. And lastly, for the person who either 1. enjoys a good historical fiction with tea or 2. is very sentimental and doesn't mind a good cry. Because this book is sad. And this book came out ages (ok, not really, but comparatively) ago, but it's probably still stocked in bookstores. If it's not, I will be personally offended:

BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY by Ruta Sepetys

And I have no words for this book.

The Procrastinator's Gift Guide (Writer's Edition)

Even though I've titled this "Writer's Edition", you can get these gifts for anyone, not just the person in your life who's probably ODing on coffee while querying. Just substitute "writer" with someone else whose gift-buying you've put off for far too long. 

If you have a CP or a writing friend, or just a friend, for whom you've been putting off buying a gift because they're a hermit you honestly don't know what to get them, I'm here to save you!

Sort of.

I'm going to list a few types of writers (and remember, you can substitute "writer" with "friend" or "coworker" or "mom", etc.) I've encountered over the years, and what types of last minute gifts they might appreciate. This is not an exhaustive list (and it definitely does not cover all types of writers, just broad categories), so feel free to use it only for inspiration.

THE GUIDE

• For the one who is constantly stressed (on deadline? querying? on submission? desperately in need of sleep?):
• A giftcard to a spa OR, if you really want to give them the most painful yet most rewarding gift, try to find a sports massage place. The people there will really attack those knots in their shoulders that they've developed from long hours hunching over their laptops.
• A pamper kit. Throw together some lotions, scrubs, bath bombs (Bath & Body, Lush, even you local CVS can supply you) into a basket, wrap in cellophane, and it's going to look great.
• Fuzzy socks/bathrobe/blanket. You can't go wrong with anything fuzzy. 
• The comfiest set of pajamas you can find. You care for them, right? You want to drop subliminal hints that they should be getting more than three hours of a sleep a night, right?
• THE SPLURGE ITEM: If this person is really special to you and/or you have a bit of money to splurge, consider getting them an essential oils diffuser. If you don't know what that is (I didn't before), google it--it's sort of like a humidifier that's primary purpose is to diffuse essential oils. This *might* seem like a superfluous or luxury item only found in yoga centers, but diffusing lavender essential oil in the bedroom can really help that stressed writer/friend unwind. 

• For the one who is constantly working (and a BOSS at it, so they aren't necessarily that stressed at all, even though you think they should be):
• A giftcard to their favorite writing nook - this can be a coffee shop that you know they like to frequent so that they can get an insane amount of writing/work done, or a bookstore. 
• N.B. You should avoid encouraging the super stressed writer from adding additional caffeine to their diets because they are probably drinking more than their daily limit.
• Notebooks. That might seem super ordinary, but you can up your notebook game by going for something with a nice tooth to it (makes the writing flow much better). Moleskins are a good option, and there are many others at your local bookstore. Remember, those writers who are pretty on top of things ALWAYS have a need for a notebook.
•  You can also go for a planner.
• A laptop case OR, if you're a more ambitious, a laptop messenger bag. Either will come in handy when they are trekking in the early hours of the morning to their writing nook. 
• THE SPLURGE ITEM: You might want to consider bleeding a little on nice headphones. Not the earbuds that I'm currently wearing as I'm writing this post, but actual headphones that block out all other noise and allow these masters of work to sync to their best working tunes. These will be a very nice gift if you know this writer loves listening to a playlist while they write. Frends are a stylish option, but there are also others.

Hope this list gives you some ideas and prompts your gift brainstorming if you haven't started already! I didn't mention any books because tomorrow I'll be writing a post specifically about some books I think would make great gifts. Keep your eyes peeled for that :)

"new" WIP - THE FINAL BRILLIANCY

I was on my novels tab today and realized that I don't have a description of the current novel I'm working on up.

Whoops.

Basically, if you've been tagging along for the ride, or if I've had to read some earlier scenes, or if I've asked you for book recs, you might remember that my latest WIP was called AN ORDER OF CARDINALS. The short description is on my novel tab. It's thriller with some light scifi elements about computer hacking and people hacking (or, in much less nice terms, torture) and alternate universes (sort of). It's probably my most commercial idea ever. 

But I couldn't really figure out my characters, as one of my CP's so astutely noted, and after about 10k, I put it aside, wanting to understand the voice and motivations of my MC better before I proceeded. 

Well, during that time another idea struck me. I've always wanted to write about prodigiously smart characters who are a little weird and a lot of awkward, who aren't just the "nerd" sidekicks of a story but rather the main characters. And I wanted to try my hand at a story with a more central romance arc, because while I love reading achingly beautiful romances (like the one between Kestrel and Arin in THE WINNER'S CURSE), romance hasn't had a main role in any of my novels so far.

So cue in the star-crossed chess* prodigies. Here's the real title, and a quote, and the slimmest peek at part one (literally the slimmest):

And now I'm about 30something k in, so I thought I'd share it with you!

That's a super short twitter pitch (which doesn't mention that it's YA, but now you know). The story is set in an ante-apocalypse time period and is probably considered light scifi, but in the fashion of WE ALL LOOKED UP (completely different genre, I know), the focus is never really on the nitty gritty of the world ending but rather how situational and psychological forces catalyze change, discovery, propel people towards each other--and away. That's why it's only light scifi.

But that doesn't mean I'm skimping on the strategy games and the chess, because I think chess is such an intense game and it's sort of depressing when you realize it's so male dominated and not really featured in YA fiction. Seriously, scifi about chess should be no less valued that scifi about space or hacking etc.

*but chess is extremely hard to write about (while keeping it accurate AND exciting). Luckily, I've recruited the help of the bf, who is very skilled at the game and helps me think through some of the game scenes.

so tldr: My current WIP is about chess. And about people--who can play the pawn--being used as pawns themselves. And about brilliant characters who sometimes don't know what to say to each other (and who don't even talk to me sometimes since I'm way below them), but who speak so much through games and strategy. 

Here's to hoping that I survive finals and get to write during my winter break.

If you're currently brainstorming or writing a WIP, I'd love to hear about it!

October: Pitch Wars and a month in review

Many a time during October, I imagined myself writing this post. How triumphant I would feel, knowing that I had survived.

And now I finally get to write it! Albeit sick. But I have my tumbler of warm liquids close by and fuzzy socks on, so it's not too bad. 

So if you've read this post, then you know that October was off the crazy charts. I was college counseling three students who are not native English speakers. I had to comprehensively + line-edit all their essays. It was fun but, as you can probably imagine, quite a bit of work. I also had college going on the in background, and the usual onslaught of readings and exams.

And then I had Pitch Wars.

I've heard about various revision experiences, from getting a few line edits to changing the POV entirely to tearing out sections and rewriting. I'll be upfront and say that I did not have to rewrite my book, and so I guess I could have had it worse in terms of work-load. My biggest/hardest edit was increasing the tension and pacing in the beginning.  

At the same time, I am a notoriously slow reviser. First, I take a lot of time to mull over solutions. Then I take a lot of time to implement them because I mull over word choice and other nit-gritty things like that. I am also a slower drafter. Basically, I am slow at everything.

So despite the comparatively "smaller" revision, I ended up slaving over it. 

Going into October, I realized that I had all of this on my plate. And since I like placing a lot of stress on myself, I resolved that I would not let anything slide. I would give my kids all the counseling that they needed. I would get the grades I wanted. I would complete PW to my satisfaction.

And now I'm glad to say that I kept my promise to myself!

(With the exception of one exam that I'm pretty sure I did not do so hot on, but that was an early November exam, so not officially part of the October crazies).

I think the key to staying somewhat sane (the bf would argue otherwise and say that I was not sane at all) is to remember to do the little things. For example, I rarely paint my nails during the summer, but come fall and winter, there's just something satisfying about having nice nails to go with my sweaters. So despite not having that much time, I tried to take a little time for myself every other week to paint my nails. I even got some new Essie colors to inspire me!

That might sound like something really small, and I agree it was. I had to give up some bigger things. My fall break is one example. While my roommates from Texas and New Jersey all left to go home for their fall break, I stayed at my dorm for the majority of it even though I live twenty minutes away. I decided to use that quiet time to work on revisions, and I'm glad to say that I got a lot done during those days! When everyone returned, refreshed, I was anything but refreshed, but sometimes you can't have everything (even I recognize that). 

But the thing about giving things up to accomplish something is to make sure that you then celebrate your accomplishment. I fall victim to getting swept into the frenzy of everything and not truly savoring my accomplishments. This time I was determined so carve out some time and not fall into that habit. 

So three of my good friends and I went to Linvilla Orchards for apple picking. This is the place that I used to go to for my birthday as a kid. It's been years since I last went. 

I actually didn't end up picking/buying any apples, but it was still incredibly fun. We all went out to dinner afterwards, and then I splurged on some fancy tea. 

In the end, was it a rough month? Yes, it was. Probably the roughest month of all time. But was it worth it? Yes, a thousand times.

And I couldn't have done it without the support of all the various people in my life. Thank you to:

- My parents, who realized that I wasn't eating as well as I should have. My mom, who works close to my college campus, took me out to lunch many a time during the month. She also read through the first 50 of HESPERIA again when I asked her to evaluate the changes. 

- My CP's Molly, Laura, Anne, and Deb. Some of you have read HESPERIA as I was writing it, some have read later drafts, but no matter what time of the MS I found you at, you have all helped it grow so much. 

- My fellow writer friends who have been so supportive on fb and twitter.

- My biffles Sean and Cindy, who remind me to have fun even when I'm all grumpy and convinced that there is no time for fun. 

- The Pitch Wars mentee community. You guys are the bomb. I'm neither the most social person ever nor the person who posts the wittiest and funniest posts, and so sometimes I find fb groups intimidating, but I'm so, so glad that this community is one that I feel like I'll turn to for a longgggg time. Thanks for all the hugfests, guys :)

- My mentor Mara, who literally opened this golden door of opportunity for me. Her fierce championing of the manuscript still blows me away sometimes, and I still have to pinch myself to believe it's real. Without her, this post wouldn't exist. Without her, I wouldn't have had the chance to go on this journey of my life. So thank you. Thank you.

- And lastly, the bf I've mentioned before. He's worn many hats for me--beta reader, idea brainstormer, restaurant exploring partner, cheerleader, and best hug-giver. We just celebrated 1.5 years together today, so he's really had a chance to see all the scary that is involved in the journey of a writer seeking publication.

Luckily, I haven't scared him away yet :D

How was your October?

2015 PitchWars Mentee Blog Hop: The Inspiration Behind HESPERIA

If you'd like to learn more about HESPERIA, here are some older posts on the MS:

-Nanowrimo Check-in #1 (where I talk about the conception of HESPERIA)

-Nanowrimo Check-in #2 (where you get to read an excerpt from draft #1)

-Post-Manuscript Completion Thoughts (where I get quite emotional over the roller-coaster that was the drafting process of HESPERIA)

-On Contests (where I talk about how HESPERIA fared in PitchSlam)

-Diversity in YA and my reservations (where I talk about the way I feature diversity in HESPERIA and how it doesn't really fit the conventional mold of "Asian characters")

This amazing art is by SansaXIX. Check out her profile for more.

As you can tell, this isn't the first time I'm talking about this MS on the blog, so I'll try to keep this post from becoming long-winded like all my other posts (and of course, I've probably jinxed myself by saying that). 

But yes, feel free to check out my other posts on the journey that this MS has been through.

Now to the point of this blog hop. HESPERIA, unlike some of my other MS's, didn't arise from a particular scene that I dreamed of or envisioned. Instead, I was very stuck in my other MS, THE SERENDIPITY LABS (description in my Novels tab). I took a break, during which I did a lot of knitting--finished my first scarf, in fact!--and Asian drama watching.

My favorite genre of Asian drama is wuxia, which basically translates into swords/historical/fantasy. And I especially love the dramas that have a bit of action but are grounded in political intrigue. Which means I loveeeee dramas set in the imperial palace, or during a particular dynasty. 

So I finished my 59 episode binge of Legend of Lu Zhen. It wasn't the greatest--there was a lot of petty drama between the different consorts and maids, which is meh--but I still enjoyed it. It got me thinking that I wished that there could be an China-inspired fantasy with the production values of, say, Game of Thrones. Because that would totally rock. There are so many inspiration-serving Chinese legends and classics and epics as a result of its enormous history. So many of those legends and classics (such as Water Margin, Dream of the Red Chamber, Journey to the West) are unaccessible to Western audiences, however, not because they haven't been translated, but I suspect because of cultural barriers. Plus, being classics, they aren't really...as palatable or easy to get into as YA fiction. I certainly haven't read those monsters--I've watched drama adaptations of them.

With the thought of something Asian inspired and something classical in my mind, an idea suddenly hit me. Why not take a really popular and pretty accessible Western novel in the classical canon, fantasify it, and give it an Asian twist? By the way, I thought I was sooo clever when I thought of doing a "retelling" of a classic, since there were so many fairytale retellings out there but not as many classic retellings (other than Shakespeare ones and Jane Austen ones). Well turns out I'm not so clever because as HuffPost shows, classic retellings are going to be a big thing in 2016. 

*weeps*

(I see now how my posts grow so long-winded)

Anyway, I settled on To Kill a Mockingbird because I really enjoyed the themes of the book and how they were delivered so innocently and simply. The court scene chapters were also some of my favorites to ever read in any classic, and I thought it'd be really cool to incorporate them in a fantasy setting and infuse them with political intrigue.

And the rest is history.

I'd say that the themes in HESPERIA are pretty clear, and you can probably tell the TKAM influence if you read it. For example, Hesperia's prejudice and discrimination toward her half-brother Roon serve to represent a microcosm of the prejudice and discrimination rampant in the book against the seers and magicians. It's only when she starts realizing that people only discriminate because of their own insecurities (in the case of Hesperia, the friction between her blood-brother and not being loved by her own mother. For the people of the kingdom, it's insecurity about their safety and peace) that she is able start to overcome her prejudice toward the seers and magicians.

There are some pretty crucial parts of the trials that mirror the trials in TKAM.

And if you pay attention to some of the characters, you'll see that some have been inspired by characters in TKAM (namely Roon and the Damalee = Boo Radley, Warnick = Tom Robinson).

Okay, I'm done! Didn't mean for that to turn into an analysis of literature. Many of my blog readers are people who've stuck with me through thick and thin, and so hopefully this is sort of interesting to you, especially if you've read the MS :)

Check out the rest of the Mentees' posts here. 

An Update of Sorts

As I've mentioned before, I'm PACKED* this month. I haven't ever had to juggle so much. But while reflecting on the busyness, I actually find some things hilarious. So this is a quick snapshot of what's going on in my life.

*college counseling three kids who are applying to a bunch of 11/1 deadlines, participating in Pitchwars, the launch of Penn's peer counseling group (and of course, college, which almost feels deceptively insignificant at this point but really isn't...so much work)

On the food scene:

-I've consumed a lot of peanut butter sandwiches:

-And a lot of almonds:

-And a lot of coffee (by a lot I really mean my cup-a-day, but I was actually off coffee for a while before this month. Now I'm back to getting headaches when I don't drink it in the mornings!)

On the school scene:

-I'm done midterms! For like, a week and a half! And then I have round two of exams! Weee!!!

On the reading scene:

-*cue cricket chirps* I really need to read the MS for a CP before the month of October ends. So once I have reading time in my life again, that's the first thing I'm doing. 

-Does college-required reading count? Not really in my mind...

On the clothing scene:

-Comfy and easy to wash clothes all day, all night. Pajamas are my friend.

On the social scene:

- Me to the BF: Hey, read this. *shoves MS into his face*

BF: *reluctantly stops spectating a video game tournament* *reads* It's good.

Me: Pinpoint exactly what it is that is good. And tell me if its better than the original. It needs to be better than the original. I'm just not really sure if it is.

BF: Well...you know I like the original. Basically, I like everything you write. Everything is unicorns and rainbows. *eyes drift back to video game*

Me: *uses amazing detective skills and reads into that as a bad sign* Welp. Everything I write sucks. I hate revising. You're unhelpful. Goodbye.

-And literally, that's all I have going on socially. I have been interacting with a minimal number of human beings. 

How's October going for you?

Happy Belated Book Birthday to SOULS ESTRANGED!!!

This past week was momentous because it was the release for the second book of my CP's The Souls Trilogy. Yes, second book. To think that way back in February of 2013, I was reading a draft of the first book. Time really does fly.

My CP Anne is so selfless and supportive, and if you've read this post of mine, then you'll know that she was a driving force behind my completion of HESPERIA. Seriously, if you're drafting a tough book, you want her by your side. We have yet to meet in person, but I know that when I do, I'm going to tackle with the biggest hug.

So without further ado, behold the beauty:

I am so jealous of her covers.

Back from their adventures in Souls Entwined, Sam Daggett begins a new relationship with Gretta Dobbs, whose memories of their time traveling experience have been erased. Determined to never leave her again, Sam vows to help Gretta, despite the bad luck curse on her heirloom ring. Within hours of their return, tragedy strikes. 

As Sam becomes the third victim of the bad luck curse, Gretta’s memories of her time spent in the past begin to return. Unable to remember more than snippets, she realizes that anyone close to her is in grave danger. In order to keep Sam and her family safe, she flees in the middle of the night. 

Finding the perfect summer job in the back hills of Virginia, Gretta unknowingly crosses paths with a serial killer. With guidance from their ancestral spirits, Roxana and Katarina, Sam desperately attempts to find Gretta before the curse strikes again. 



FIND IT HERE: Soulmate Publishing   ●   Amazon   ●   Goodreads

And here's where you can find out more about the first book of the trilogy/get your hands on it:

My Post From Last Year

Soulmate Publishing

Amazon

Goodreads



If you're reading this, congratulations Anne!!! Already bought book two and getting ready to read :)

Autumn Reads

Been super busy with a lot of things (not even going to list them because they'll make my head explode) BUT I wanted to celebrate the start of my favorite month with a short post about ALL THE BOOKS that I want to read. It's been a while since I've talked about books because I'm guilty of not reading as much as I should.... But I do tend to read more during the colder months for some odd reason, so here we go:

Books that are already out in the world (and that I'm most likely way behind on reading):

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
Young Elites by Marie Lu
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Books I'm currently reading that I need to finish:

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Half Bad by Sally Green

Books that I'm rereading for editing the PitchWars manuscript purposes:

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Books that I'm eagerly awaiting:

Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch
The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski***


***Ugh!!! The release date for this book is so far away. I've rereading all books in The Winner's Crime trilogy, and I am now convinced that it is one of my all time favorite Young Adult series. Rutkoski is a master of tension, plot, romance, and character development--she executes all with such sophistication and beauty. I highly, highly recommend checking out the trilogy. Some might find it a bit slow at first, but that's part of its subtle beauty and also something that you will miss when the tension gets to be too much. Why did I ever think it would be a good idea to read book 2 before the release of book 3????***

Book that I recommend as a cozy read:
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

As you can see, I have a lot of fantasies on the list. I tend to get into the fantasy mood during fall/winter. Plus, there's a lot of good fantasy out there nowadays.

So those are my books! To be honest, I'm going to be so proud of myself if I can just read one book from each category because reading everything on this list is probably not realistic, given my current schedule. We can hope though!


Let me know what's on your TBR list! I'd love to here and get some more recommendations :)

In My Experience: Murdering Your Darlings

As someone who had been on the whole writing bandwagon for some time now, I'm more than familiar with some of the popular terms and phrases that float around the writing community. I've always wanted to do a series of posts on how some of these terms apply to me and what my experience is with them. So from now on, I'm going to call them the "In My Experience" posts, or IME.

 

Today I really want to talk about the phrase "murder your darlings". In short, it means cutting away the words, scenes, chapters, or even whole plots and characters that you love but that may not serve the purpose of advancing or deepening the novel. "Advancing" and "deepening" are obviously fluid words that can be subjectively defined. There are many posts out there that do the task of delineating exactly what is considered a "darling" and how you might "murder" them, and I encourage you to find them if you are still curious, because I won't be going into much more depth.

The selection of this particular phrase is inspired by the fact that I was lucky enough to have the wonderful Mara select me as her mentee for this year's PitchWars. Because of this, I'm a part of the 2015 PitchWars mentee Faceook group, where talented and awesome writers encourage each other and commiserate together. The term "murder your darlings" has popped up in the stream of FB posts quite frequently because the abundance of darlings is a common problem that writers face. Now their wise mentors are encouraging them to take up the knife and cut away.

So IME, how have I dealt with murdering the darlings?

I haven't, and here is why.

If you've read some other posts of mine, you probably know that when I first got into writing, it was through the medium of fanfiction. And if you have ever read or written some fanfiction, you know the prevalence of "fluff" scenes. Fluffy scenes are basically the darlings. It makes sense that the darlings and fluff thrive in fanfiction. Readers and writers already adore the original work or canon that inspires the fanfic. They aren't necessarily reading or writing the next best classic or looking for something "deep". I've been in a place where all I wanted to read about was two characters, whose relationship was never really explored in the cannon, just talking and doing cutesy things together. 

In my own fanfiction, I've written more than my fair share of fluff. My ability to write drool-worthy fluff was praised by my readers (who are the most supportive readers a writer could have), and this in turn bolstered my confidence in my general ability to write. Why not, I began to think, write a novel?

So I did. The end-result was a plotless thing that was entirely fluff. 

(Thinking back, this novel sort of got all the fluff out of my system. Nowadays, I rarely feel the burning desire to write fluff.)

I open it sometimes and reread some of the chapters. I still love it. But after finishing that MS and sending out like...one query, I shelved it because I realized that I had approached the novel as fanfiction, simply with my original characters rather than someone else's. 

Ever since, I've turned my plentiful experience as a fanfiction writer into a ruler, against which I measure how "fluffy" something might be while I'm drafting. This is how my fluff litmus test goes down:

Am I writing this scene/character interaction/character/chapter/(insert unit of writing here):

1. Primarily for romance?

• This one is pretty self-explanatory because I think it's the main cause of too many darlings. From the perspective of a YA writer, I can see why I'd want to sweep the reader off his/her feet with that gorgeous romance. But it's all too easy for the writer to also get swept off his/her feet, and that's when we have scenes that are just there for the romance and don't do much else.

2. Because I really just want X thing to happen because I know that I can write it well? 

• Example: A writer who is also a cook who likes to write random food scenes into the novel. This is not to say that you can't have scenes or an entire book built on top of cooking and food. You can if the food is central to the plot. IME, I do, however, have a tendency want to write what I know best or what comes easiest to me, which isn't always best for the story.

3. Solely to make myself, the writer, happy? 

• This question sounds pretty bad. No, I'm not saying that your writing should make you unhappy. I assure you that I love writing, but I've realized that some of my best scenes are the products of some struggle and complex planning in my head. Contrast this to the ease of writing fanfiction--the fluff just pours out and can put this grin on your face and you soak it up yourself. It's probably why my most popular fanfic ended up at 140k words, a pretty big no-no for conventional YA novels).

I'll subconsciously run through these questions when I'm drafting if I suspect that something is becoming a little too indulgent in the novel. If I answer "yes" to one or more, I'll take a step back and examine if I really need/want this scene. Most of the times, the answer is no. If the answer is "yes", I'll try to weave in something else so that the scene can multitask. 

There are downsides to being really strict on the fluff during the drafting stage, of course. For example, I more often than not underwrite instead of overwrite. I might have to go back to develop things more. The romantic arcs of my novels tend to take a backseat to the plot, so sometimes I do have to go back and insert more romance, or fluff. But I find inserting fluff more easier than cutting it away. Maybe it's simply because I'm a pessimist, but it feels better for me to grit my teeth and get the bare-bones, essential parts (and often harder to write parts) of the novel down before I indulge. 

Lastly, I am all for darlings. After all, while fanfiction and novels are beasts of different sorts, they often both have the same goal: bringing joy to the reader. And so of course there is a place for darlings, just in moderation. 

Hopefully, through reading about my experience with those beloved and dreaded darlings, you might gain some insights on how you treat them yourself! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the phrase! And good luck and much chocolate to everyone who is revising like I am for PitchWars!

3 tips on juggling writing and school

Sorry about the hiatus from the blog. As some of you might know, I was torturing teaching high school students on how to score the best that they possibly can on the dreaded SAT's. Unfortunately, I had to brush up on allll my math skills and read some painfully dry critical reading passages, but FORTUNATELY I loved my job. It was so rewarding to see everyone improve. And I've added more words (that I didn't memorize the first time around before my own SAT's) to my vocabulary. That's always a good thing. I just didn't have that much time to myself, and when I did, it was to work on my WIP. But now I'm back!

This post is inspired my friend Julia's post on how to balance school and writing. I really enjoy reading posts like this because I am a student myself (sophomore at UPenn), and while I know that a lot of adult writers have to juggle work and writing, juggling school and writing is just as hard! I would hesitantly assert that sometimes it's harder--I'm biased, obviously. It's just that a lot of the grown-ups I know don't have to stay up until 4AM in the library to do homework or prep for an exam that accounts for 50% of their grade. Meanwhile, the 4AMer in the library is a common sight at my college, and these aren't even people who procrastinate like me and cram.

This is not a how-to write and do school because if there's one thing I've learned from my years in academia, it's that everyone has to put in a different amount of time to do well in school. I don't want to tell anyone that this is the best way to get the most writing time out of your student years because there is no best way. These are simply my tips that I wanted to share with you. They work for me, sort of. Sometimes, I do get in over my head a bit even with these tips in mind. But that's life.

Here are the 3 tips:

1. Procrastinate wisely. 

If I'm going to procrastinate, I'm going to procrastinate because I mean, there are still XXX days until the paper/exam/assignment and I simply cannot muster the will to be like my roommates, who do all their homework for the week on Saturday. When I do procrastinate, however, I use that time to write. I could be watching random things on YouTube, or looking at pictures of food and cats and all the other random junk I like looking at. But I write. Strangely enough, I kind of like the sensation of having something schoolwork-related hanging over my head while I write. It doesn't bother me to the point where I can't put out words, but it's just enough discomfort that it is almost like writing on a deadline. And I'm so much more efficient that way.

2. Get into the mode by doing the little things.

This is mainly a trick to make you motivated for and committed to your writing time, because writing time is precious in school. If you prep before going to the gym (such as hydrating, putting on your favorite work-out outfit, tying your hair back, and packing your post-workout stuff), why not prep before you go to write? Whoever said that writing wasn't sport? It is, and you should treat it that way. Simply going through the motions of getting the little things together can really ease your mental state into one that is ready to be productive.

The little things for me are the beverage, the outfit, the hair, and the bag. Here's how it breaks down.

Beverage: If I know I'm hauling butt to the bookstore or the coffee shop to write for more than a few hours--this is usually on the weekends--I'll treat myself to a coffee. Nothing fancy, just an iced coffee, since it's still summer, will sharpen me up and get my mind going. If you don't have something that you particularly like to drink or eat, at least bring water. It's incredibly easy to get dehydrated when writing.

Outfit: I'll usually wear something soft and cotton and easy to wash on the top, such as a plain T-shirt, and then jeans for the bottoms. Also, dark colors are great. Less worry about chocolate stains. I affectionately call my writing day outfits my "ugly" outfits. The whole idea is that I want to wear something so plain that I won't be thinking if my camisole is bunching up or if my shirt is getting wrinkled. All the focus should be on the writing. Obviously, if dressing sharp is going to get you in the right mindset, then by all means do that. Once again this is just me, and although I love my fashion and looking put together, I am quite lazy with clothes when I want to be.

Hair: Out of sight, out of mind. I'll braid it tight, pin it up into a bun, and then put on a headband JUST IN CASE some flyways escape. I can't write with my hair in my face.

Bag: If I'm leaving my dorm to write, which I often do, I'll pack sure to pack everything that I need in my messenger--pen, notebook, earbuds for music, laptop (most important item!), and water.

3. Think of classes as research.

My last tip on how to juggle school and writing is about the times when you are NOT writing, AKA when you are in class. Unless you can subliminally learn your class material through the process of osmosis, you should probably not be writing in class. However, there is a way to actually use your classes to further yourself as a writer. I'm not talking about just the creative writing classes or english classes--of course those will help you as a writer.

A well-informed writer has more tools in her arsenal than someone who closes herself up in her room 24/7. You may never know what sort of research you need to do for your next novel, or what genre you're going to delve into next. Who knows when that information that you learned in Astronomy is going to come in handy when you decide to tackle a space opera? Or maybe some concept in Economics 101 is going serve as a major inspiration in your novel. If you do well in your classes and actually learn the material, not just get the grade, you'll save yourself time in the future when you are writing because you'll understand some things without having to research them. And that means more time to write. See? There are so many ways you can make time to write.

Hope this was somewhat helpful! I'd love to learn what are the things you do to maximize your writing time while still fulfilling all the other obligations you have (doesn't have to be school).

A Short Post of Updates and One Big Congratulations

For once, I actually have a clear idea of what posts I need to write for this blog in the coming weeks. I also have a slew of things I need to do before I leave for Taiwan on the 4th of June (eeep!), which is sort of annoying because I want to write those posts!

To give you a heads up, here's what's coming: 

• I'm changing the blog name and the blog URL for reasons that I will mention in a post. This will most likely happen after the Writer's Voice contest. I know this will cause some confusion at first, especially if you're subscribed to me by email (I've read that you might have to subscribe again, but to the new URL) but bear with me and hopefully I won't lose any of you. 
• I am currently querying Hesperia, and you know what that means: new novel time! Drafting! I have a series of posts planned on my drafting process because I definitely feel like this blog needs one. 
• Expect *maybe* a post detailing my attempts at writing on the 15+ hour plane ride and my traveling essentials for writing stuffs. The *maybe* is there because I haven't traveled overseas for...four years? and there is a very real possibility I will lose all my baggage board the wrong flight set off the metal detector screw up somewhere and be unable to deliver the post. Sacrifice some offering to the cat gods for me please.

And now to the part of the post I've been itching to write*...

My biggest congratulations goes to Carissa (you should totally check out her blog because it has some really cool features and helpful tools for writers, but mostly because she's just awesome all around) FOR SIGNING WITH AN AGENT. Yes, signing with an agent is only one milestone in the long road to publication, but still, I am seriously SO EXCITED for her. About two years ago I read some of her first novel, and the writing absolutely hooked me. Everyone should watch out for her as the next big thing. 

*If you've followed me for some time, you'll see that I've done some similar posts of this sort (e.g. cover reveals and pub day posts). While there aren't that many, writing one always makes me sort of sentimental. I've been on the road of seriously pursuing publication for over three years now, which is not that long of time comparatively. Yet I've experienced the highs and lows, and I feel a lot of empathy with everyone on the same path as I. To see other writers whom I respect and admire attain what they deserve is so rewarding. I'm very lucky to be able to celebrate with them.  

Post-Manuscript-Completion Thoughts (HESPERIA)

This is VERY overdue. Like, five months overdue. But I remembered that I had a post like this for my NA contemporary IF LIFE WERE FAIR, and I think it's a nice thing, being able to read back on your thoughts about a manuscript.

So here we go. Here are my post-manuscription-completion thoughts for HESPERIA, my YA Fantasy.

Some stats:

Started: sometime around November of 2013
First draft completed: November 2014
Number of times dropped: beyond what I can count

Back when I wrote this post for ILWF, my manuscript numbering system was already starting to get slightly unruly. I considered ILWF my third manuscript completed ever, but I also considered it my second manuscript completed with the goal of publication in mind (as I've mentioned elsewhere, I sent out one query for MS #1 completed ever before realizing that the MS just wasn't anywhere near publishable). So what is HESPERIA, now? MS #4? Or MS #3?

I think I'm going to stop referring to my novels by the numbering system. Maybe every now and then, I'll refer to HESPERIA as my fourth MS ever, but it's starting to get a little hard to keep track of, especially when I think about how I began this journey of mine wondering if I would even be able to churn out a second, let alone a fourth, completed novel.

HESPERIA was definitely a hard one to write. Stylistically, it was different. I hadn't written in first person past in a while, and switching away from the present tense to the past was a bigger transition than I expected. I really believe that the tense you write a novel in makes a big deal. It just gives the story a different feeling, and while I knew I wanted to give first person past a serious try, I wasn't quite sure. Even when I've gotten to chapter 20, I was still playing around with the idea of switching the tense and person-narration of the whole thing. I wrote some chapters in first person present. I even wrote some chapters in third person past. Ultimately, my initial choice--first person past--was the one I stuck with, and I am glad I did because it's one of the things that sets HESPERIA apart from my other novels in feel and means of narration.

Plot-wise, I believe it was more complex that anything else than I've written so far. I'm a very loose outliner, so while I knew there were going to be twists, I didn't expect twist after twist to pop up. There were times where I'd just be on the treadmill in the gym (hah! The days when I still exercised...) and I'd start thinking about how a twist was going to work out, how to even build up to that twist so that it wouldn't seem like I was waving my writerly wand and slapping you in the face. I started to listen to my writing playlist on repeat while doing my miles, just so that I could think about my plot in a better ambience (like, to the sound of epic Two Steps From Hell music rather than the usual gym-sounds of dying people, including myself).

Character-wise, it initially had one of the largest casts I'd ever tackled. Through the drafts, some characters have gotten cut here and there, but there are still a large number of characters, and not just ones that I name-drop or introduce in a couple scenes (as was the case of INGENICIDE and ILWF). No, most of these characters had their own backstories and they wove in and out of the narrative. At the same time, I got really attached to all my characters, which is a surprise. Normally, I'm very attached to my main character and the love interest, and maybe a side character or two. But this time around, I just knew so much about my side characters that I couldn't help but root for them, too.

Luckily, the world came pretty easily to me. I was very inspired by Chinese stories and legends, and Deviantart also provided a lot of the artwork that inspired my visions of the setting.

Mechanical struggles of writing aside, my drafting of HESPERIA came at a time in my life when a lot of things were changing for me. Thus, I had a lot of dry spells, and there were times when I seriously wondered if I'd ever be able to finish the novel. I loved the story and the characters, but as you've seen, it was one of the hardest novels I've attempted to write, and that didn't help how I was generally having a tough time writing. Even when the mood struck, it wasn't one of those stories where I could randomly plant my butt in a chair and write for an hour. It required a lot of thinking and just figuring out how things were going to pan out.

That's why at one full year, it's the novel that has taken the longest to write (and it's also my longest novel, with draft 3 clocking in at 96k). At the same time, I venture to say that it's also one of my cleaner drafts in terms of character development and *most* plot elements. I still had to do some heavy revisions in parts, but overall, I came out of draft #1 pretty satisfied with Hesperia's character arc and her interactions with other characters. Lack of satisfaction in this area factored into my decision to pull ILWF from the query trenches, so I was pretty scared that was going to happen again.

And something else I've noticed? I've improved as a writer. After four novels, this might come as a given, but it's taken a long time for me to accept. I'm with my writing every day, and just like it's hard to notice changes in yourself until someone who hasn't seen you in a while comments, it's hard for me to see sometimes how I'm gradually getting better.

But I am. In a way, HESPERIA was sort of a turning point for me--I've never given up on a novel that I've seriously committed to in terms of finishing, but this one time I found myself on a precipice. I didn't fall, and now I'm ready to tackle my fifth novel.

*Thinking about HESPERIA makes me sort of sentimental. It really couldn't have happened without the support I've received from all my writerly friends. Thank you, Rivka and Deborah, for taking the time to read some of the rougher stuff and being excited about the work. Thank you, Molly, for honing it into the draft that it is today. Thank you to the boyfriend who didn't run off in fright when I asked him if he could  read the rough manuscript to me aloud (and thanks for putting up with all those conversations regarding the novel).  

And lastly, thank you, Anne, for sticking with the story despite the month's of silence and being the kindest, most generous cheerleader you are. I churned out some of those chapters thinking this might be the last--I can't write another, but then you would demand more, and I really couldn't turn you down.

With that, I'll finish with some of the art that inspired some of the scenes in the novel:

by Fel-X

by pictsy

by TylerEdlinArt

by JJcanvas

by Exphrasis

The Creative Blogger Award

The fantastically awesome Julia Byers nominated me for the Creative Blogger Award (click on her name to check hers out). Look how pretty it is:

The Rules:

• Nominate 15-20 blogs and notify all nominees via their social media/blogs
• Thank and post the link of the blog that nominated you 
• Share 5 facts about yourself to your readers
• Pass these rules on to them

My Nominees:

• Deborah Kreiser
• Anne B. Cole
• Rachel Stevenson
• Carissa Taylor 
• Laura Pohl

If I didn't nominate you (it's either because I couldn't find your blog link or because my brain is still dead from finishing finals), I still encourage you to nominate yourself! Who doesn't love awards?

Here are my facts:

1. I started out as a fanfiction writer (for Spirited Away, if you were wondering). Initially it was just something I did for fun, and I didn't really treat it seriously. But then the story got longer and longer, and the number of readers I had exploded, and suddenly I realized how important the fic was to me. Unfortunately, once I turned my focus my own original stories, I lost momentum for the fic. It's currently at 140k and waiting for me to write the last two chapters (hides from readers). 

2. This is related to number one, but I love the stories found in anime. They are really different (as are many works of art based in other countries) and a huge source of inspiration. Obviously, like many things, there is good anime, bad anime, really good anime, and really bad anime. But the good anime have plots and characters that are worthy of having novels written about. And beyond that, I love the art and the soundtracks. I will probably spend some of this summer catching up on all the anime that I missed during the school year. 

3. I like to chase pigeons. I also like to chase squirrels. You do not want to be walking with me in a city because I will inevitably end up looking like a weirdo and a sadist when I go running after the critters. 

4. If I couldn't write and had no college degree, I'd probably try to open my own bakery. It would feature primarily cupcakes, but I love all baked goods. The downside to having my own bakery would be a decline in my health, because who can resist???

5. My writing style changes from novel to novel. There's still that constant backbone that makes my writing mine, but I find that compared to authors who have published multiple series/books of different genres, my style changes more drastically. Depending on the POV character, the type of narration, the tense, the pace, and the genre, I fluctuate between The Hunger Games-esque writing style (minimalistic and punchy) and Daughter of Smoke and Bone-esque writing (richer and more description-heavy). 

Hope you enjoyed learning a little about me (and hope fact #3 wasn't too weird)! And a huge thank you to Julia for thinking to nominate me :)

Writing Mediums

I realized that the last three posts I've done have been more on the serious side, so I thought I'd do a more fun one before I disappear into the cave that is called college finals (2 out of 4 done!)

I can't remember if I've ever mentioned it on the blog before, but I do the majority of my drafting (around 98% of it) on Scrivener. If you're unfamiliar with the app, then I'll let you search up the details on the internet because there are a ton of informative posts floating around and reasons as to why you should use it. The quick and dirty as why I prefer it to other apps such as MS Word when it comes to drafting is:

• It's super easy for organizing chapters and scenes while keeping them all in one place (you don't have to have a mammoth of a Word doc that takes forever to scroll through, and you also don't have to have a bunch of Word docs for each chapter). 
• It has a cool cork board function that allows you to outline in a more visual way (I actually don't use this function enough).
• It just makes me more excited about drafting.

The last point is something that sounds sort of silly, but I like the LOOK of Scrivener and that alone makes me more excited about putting words down on the screen. 

So Scrivener is one medium I like to write on. The other? Old fashioned paper.

Behold my two notebooks:

 The black one is actually a sketchbook. I've had it the longest--it's 3/4 of the way filled--and I love writing in it. I think it might be because the paper is unlined...there's something less restricting about it. I'll write it in whenever I'm stuck on a scene, sometimes writing the scene all out by hand. And sometimes I'll simply use to it figure out plot things and character motivations.

I picked up the tan notebook this year because I'm going to be traveling this summer, and I wanted something lighter than the black one (which is nice and weighty) to carry with me. I have a random scene from a New Adult novel written on the first page, but I'm not sure if I'll continue it yet.

As for my preferred writing instrument? I love gel pens (or any pen with water-based ink) with super fine tips. I am actually very picky when it comes to pens. It's weird, I know, but I can't help it. But usually, I turn to my notebooks when I'm at a super stuck state in a novel, and so I need all the help I can get. For once, instead of just having a party in my head, I need the writing to feel good. I need to be excited by something tactile, such as the flow of ink as I form letters and words and the way the words cling to the comb of the paper. 

Did I just slip the fact that I'm picky about paper comb too? Well then, I think that's enough for this post.

Let me know of your favorite writing mediums and whether or not you ever draft by hand!

Diversity in YA and my reservations

Can we just admire this artwork for a moment...check out the artist HERE.

By now, most writers and readers are aware of the #WeNeedDiverseBooks movement. Others have already tossed their two cents into the pot, so I though I'd add mine.

DISCLAIMER: In general, I love the idea of the movement. My parents are Chinese and I grew up in a Chinese household, and I resorted to Asian dramas for my dose of Asian characters and leads. As a kid, I never really gave the lack of Asian characters in MG/YA books much thought. But as an older writer and reader of the YA genre, I do notice it. With the pretty healthy state that the YA market is currently in, I agree that it is time to see if we can introduce some variation into the already great stuff that is out there.

But (and from the title of this post, you probably already guessed that there would be a "but") I also have some reservations over the WNDB movement.

What mainly got me thinking about my feelings regarding the movement is the current novel that I am querying: HESPERIA. It's set in a cross between Rome and China (because why not?), and when building the world, I drew upon a lot of my own cultural currency. Those random Asian dramas I watched? Inspiration. Food I ate everyday as a kid and thought it was the norm? Inspiration. The adages of the culture, the general teachings and values? Inspiration.

And it shows in HESPERIA. Readers have consistently praised the world-building. One of my very trusted readers went on to point out that since I do such a lovely job of introducing the Asian element to my world, why not apply the same to my characters?

To give you a sense of where this comment may have come from, I'll let you know that I don't describe what the characters look like all that much in HESPERIA. This was mainly due to theme purposes (HESPERIA was heavily inspired by TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, and so while in TKAM skin color is a pretty big defining characteristic, in HESPERIA seer and magicians vs normal humans is the big defining characteristic, and I didn't want to spend too much time describing differences in looks). It was also a result of personal style--in general I don't like describing the looks of my characters since I trust that the reader will conjure his or her own image regardless, although I can definitely see why a well-drawn out character can make that conjuring process easier.

Second, none of my character names are traditionally Asian. As in, if you took a glance at the name, you wouldn't immediately think this character is Asian. I pulled a lot of the names from my imagination. Since the setting is mainly China influenced, I used some Latin in the creation of my names and some Roman culture in creating the world's justice system.

Anyway, this astute reader of mine pointed out to me that fantasy set in other cultures is huge, and so having more Asian main characters would really help me out in the market.

So I considered amping up the Asian factor in the characters via names and appearances.

And in the end, while I could see the benefits, I decided not to.

Why? Because I realized that I hadn't just gravitated toward the names I picked because I'm inundated with white-washed media or couldn't think of anything good. The non-Asian names, rather, were a conscious choice. While my characters might "fit the bill" (I really dislike how that sounds) as coming from a diverse setting and culture, I don't want to feel pressure to squeeze them into the names they should have to be considered diverse, or the skin colors/eye colors/hair colors that they should have to be considered diverse.

For example, many of the Asians I know don't have Asian names, and many decide not to conform to certain Asian cultural constructs, but they are no less Asian than any other Asians.

My Asian characters can have blonde hair and red eyes for all I care.

And as for all the other Asian elements that I included in the novel? They were also conscious choices. My characters are Asian influenced because they struggle a lot with the whole independence vs conform to society thing (which is actually a direct throwback to Confucianism). They will always think of the ripple effects their own decisions can have on the people around. They eat lychees and water-chestnuts and congee sprinkled with scallions. White is the color for funerals. Silk is the #1 preferred fabric for anyone with some money. But as an Asian myself, I realize that even by typing this out I risk drawing lines around what constitutes as Asian and what doesn't. I risk slapping a specific label onto what is means to be diverse.

Reading offers you the chance to live a life that you might never live in the real world. It allows you to see through the other's eyes and walk in his or her shoes (cliche as it sounds, that's the ultimate goal of a realistic character). Which is why, mostly speaking, I'm so excited that the industry is recognizing the need for expanding the possible horizons readers can explore. I am excited about the diversity movement--I dare not call it a trend because that implies it will eventually die out. Something as important as this should never die out.

But honestly, I'm also very scared. Because it's so incredibly easy to try to fit diversity into a box, to slap a bunch of labels as to what exactly constitutes as diversity. This contradicts entirely what the whole diversity movement is about. But it will happen--and it has. Because while we're lauding the books that explore subjects such as sexuality and race (which we should do and continue to do), it's harder to recognize all the definitions of diversity.

We continue to marginalize the heroine who is too "passive" or too "selfish" or too, dare I say, "unlikeable".  I've read so many reviews where the majority of the review criticizes the character. But...isn't diversity also diversity in character?

For example, very few reviews would say: "I hated him because he was too disabled!"

But so many reviews say: "I hated X character because of Y personality quality she had."

But I would argue that personality is diversity. The specific decisions you gravitate towards, the way you present yourself, the things you like and dislike, are all influenced by your socio-economic background, your physical (dis)abilities, your sexual orientation, your race, your culture, your environment.

The latter list we praise as diversity. We praise it so much that they become the keystones of the diversity movement. But when we reduce diversity down to any "essential element", we risk distorting the real purpose of the mission.

*In case you were wondering, I LOVE the reader I mentioned in this post--she is so very well-read in the YA genre and awesome at giving me crit that actually makes me excited about revision :D Her comment just indirectly prompted my thinking, which resulted in this word spew (as if any of my posts weren't word spews).

What are YOUR thoughts about diversity in YA and the recent movement? I'd love to hear your thoughts--both assenting and differing opinions :)