People have been talking a lot about banned books, especially because some supervillain wannabe (seriously, Wesley Scroggins? You belong at Lex Luthor and Sauron's tea party) has been trying to ban Speak.
Banning books is sort of like banning the third-floor corridor(if you get that, give yourself a big nerd cookie). As soon as you say NAY THY SHALL NOT READ, a bunch of people who otherwise would have completely ignored its existence say YAY I HAVE NEVER READ IT BUT NOW I MUST.
In this particular instance, I think the implication that rape = porn is much more disturbing. Rape is not about sex. Rape is about power. Rape has nothing to do with how pretty you are, or what kind of short skirts you wear. These are all horrible, uninformed views that lead to victim shaming.
People like Wesley Scroggins are the reason Melinda Sordino (and countless other real teens) are afraid to speak.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Road Trip Wednesday
If you could travel back to any historical era for research purposes, which would you choose?
Okay, this one's kind of cheating for me. Anybody who knows me well can answer this for me: I'd go back to Macedon circa 330 BC, as Alexander the Great conquered the known world.
I have a huge Alexander the Great obsession; I wrote my thesis on him for high school. Everything about his reign was epic and groundbreaking, from his religious and cultural tolerance to his military genius.
Ahem...
So yeah. I'm a huge history junkie, so there's tons of other places I'd love to visit. Elizabethan England when Francis Drake conquered the Spanish Armada. Jamestown, when the colonists eked out a living from hostile land. Rome under Vespasian, a strange mix of savagery and civilization. The Meiji period in Japan, when Japan lost its innocence and leaped forward several centuries in 45 years.
But I'd visit 330 BC Macedon all for one person. Now that's the kind of thing novels are based around!
Okay, this one's kind of cheating for me. Anybody who knows me well can answer this for me: I'd go back to Macedon circa 330 BC, as Alexander the Great conquered the known world.
I have a huge Alexander the Great obsession; I wrote my thesis on him for high school. Everything about his reign was epic and groundbreaking, from his religious and cultural tolerance to his military genius.
Ahem...
So yeah. I'm a huge history junkie, so there's tons of other places I'd love to visit. Elizabethan England when Francis Drake conquered the Spanish Armada. Jamestown, when the colonists eked out a living from hostile land. Rome under Vespasian, a strange mix of savagery and civilization. The Meiji period in Japan, when Japan lost its innocence and leaped forward several centuries in 45 years.
But I'd visit 330 BC Macedon all for one person. Now that's the kind of thing novels are based around!
Friday, September 10, 2010
The Writing Process
Here is a sampling of a day in the life.
6:00pm - Realize I've written nothing all day.
6:05pm - Find Cinderella II A Stitch in Time on youtube.
6:15pm - Get tired of hearing Cinderelly sing about how awesome her life is and write 200 words.
6:30 - Watch Evil Stepmother get the magic wand and think that if Cinderella had just gotten the bluebirds to pluck her eyes out this never would have happened.
6:34 - Get embarrassed that I'm watching Cinderella II and pound out another 500 words.
6:50 - Recover from embarrassment. See Cinderella sneak off to the palace and think that this never would've happened in the original because it requires doing something. Decide I like Disney sequels.
6:55 - Hear another song composed by rabid squirrels and an organ monkey and decide otherwise.
6:57 - Write 1,000 words to avoid thinking about how my life has come to this.
So there you have it. That's my writing process (sub in other Disney sequels, the Twilight movies, L.A. Ink, or anything else bad/dramatic). What's yours?
6:00pm - Realize I've written nothing all day.
6:05pm - Find Cinderella II A Stitch in Time on youtube.
6:15pm - Get tired of hearing Cinderelly sing about how awesome her life is and write 200 words.
6:30 - Watch Evil Stepmother get the magic wand and think that if Cinderella had just gotten the bluebirds to pluck her eyes out this never would have happened.
6:34 - Get embarrassed that I'm watching Cinderella II and pound out another 500 words.
6:50 - Recover from embarrassment. See Cinderella sneak off to the palace and think that this never would've happened in the original because it requires doing something. Decide I like Disney sequels.
6:55 - Hear another song composed by rabid squirrels and an organ monkey and decide otherwise.
6:57 - Write 1,000 words to avoid thinking about how my life has come to this.
So there you have it. That's my writing process (sub in other Disney sequels, the Twilight movies, L.A. Ink, or anything else bad/dramatic). What's yours?
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Writing Jealousy
Oh sweet goodness I haven't posted since April. Just smack me in the face now; go ahead.
There are lots of semi-good reasons; tests, full time internship, etc, but oh well. This summer was not the best one writing-wise; I've written more this week than I did the whole summer. And, well, let's not get into how much I've written this week.
It's weird; when I write I love reading writing blogs and I follow author's twitter accounts like the stock market. But when I'm not writing, I can't stand to read any of it. I guess when I don't write, I feel jealous of everyone else who is writing. Is that normal? Does anyone else do this? Tell me about your writing jealousy!
There are lots of semi-good reasons; tests, full time internship, etc, but oh well. This summer was not the best one writing-wise; I've written more this week than I did the whole summer. And, well, let's not get into how much I've written this week.
It's weird; when I write I love reading writing blogs and I follow author's twitter accounts like the stock market. But when I'm not writing, I can't stand to read any of it. I guess when I don't write, I feel jealous of everyone else who is writing. Is that normal? Does anyone else do this? Tell me about your writing jealousy!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Teaser Tuesday
Thursday March 14th, 3:30 pm
In my room, picking out my outfit for tonight. Princess Sparklepoop (or as she’s decided to be called today, MorbidTears) is nosying around my room, poking at my desk and asking lots of annoying questions. I guess this is what it would be like if my parents were interested in my life. Thankfully they have their own stuff and pretty much only bother me when report cards come out.
This makes it a lot harder to follow through with my “dress slutty and hope someone hits on me in front of Cooper” plan. I mean, I can’t lead Caroline down a path of debauchery at only 13!
Thursday March 14th, 3:40 pm
Waited until she went to the bathroom and stuffed a low-cut halter top into my bag, along with a denim belt that was mis-marketed as a skirt.
Thursday March 14th, 4:30 pm
FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM! I managed to escape my family by telling them I had a study date with Mia and then a date date with Cooper.
The only downside of this is that now I am stranded outside for the next three hours.
In my room, picking out my outfit for tonight. Princess Sparklepoop (or as she’s decided to be called today, MorbidTears) is nosying around my room, poking at my desk and asking lots of annoying questions. I guess this is what it would be like if my parents were interested in my life. Thankfully they have their own stuff and pretty much only bother me when report cards come out.
This makes it a lot harder to follow through with my “dress slutty and hope someone hits on me in front of Cooper” plan. I mean, I can’t lead Caroline down a path of debauchery at only 13!
Thursday March 14th, 3:40 pm
Waited until she went to the bathroom and stuffed a low-cut halter top into my bag, along with a denim belt that was mis-marketed as a skirt.
Thursday March 14th, 4:30 pm
FREEEEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM! I managed to escape my family by telling them I had a study date with Mia and then a date date with Cooper.
The only downside of this is that now I am stranded outside for the next three hours.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Teaser Tuesday
“Well hey there, peeping tom,” an amused-sounding voice said.
Startled out of my terror (minimally distracted, anyway) I looked up and realized that I was at the next door neighbor’s second story window. And there was a guy leaning out the window, grinning at me.
And may I say (as a loyal girlfriend intent on getting it on with her current boyfriend)… damn.
He was some sort of Hispanic; dark skin the color of yadda yadda, as they say in those Romeo and Juliet but Nobody Dies movies. He had a plain white T-shirt on, but I was pretty sure there were some muscles under those sleeves. His hair was cut close – really close – but he managed to avoid the “I’ve been scalped” look so popular among skinheads.
I swallowed and said the first words that came into my head.
“Save me please?”
Neighbor Boy gave me one of those “she might be crazy” looks that I get a little more often than I’d prefer.
“Save you from what, exactly?”
“Um… the ground?”
He cocked his head to the side and gave me a flat-out “you’re insane” look.
“I’m serious! Look, I was bored so I climbed up this ladder because it was there, and now I’m very high off the ground. And I don’t want to climb down, because I’d have to do it without looking and knowing my luck I’d put a leg through the gap, knock the entire thing over, and come crashing through your living room.” I paused for a second. “And die.”
Startled out of my terror (minimally distracted, anyway) I looked up and realized that I was at the next door neighbor’s second story window. And there was a guy leaning out the window, grinning at me.
And may I say (as a loyal girlfriend intent on getting it on with her current boyfriend)… damn.
He was some sort of Hispanic; dark skin the color of yadda yadda, as they say in those Romeo and Juliet but Nobody Dies movies. He had a plain white T-shirt on, but I was pretty sure there were some muscles under those sleeves. His hair was cut close – really close – but he managed to avoid the “I’ve been scalped” look so popular among skinheads.
I swallowed and said the first words that came into my head.
“Save me please?”
Neighbor Boy gave me one of those “she might be crazy” looks that I get a little more often than I’d prefer.
“Save you from what, exactly?”
“Um… the ground?”
He cocked his head to the side and gave me a flat-out “you’re insane” look.
“I’m serious! Look, I was bored so I climbed up this ladder because it was there, and now I’m very high off the ground. And I don’t want to climb down, because I’d have to do it without looking and knowing my luck I’d put a leg through the gap, knock the entire thing over, and come crashing through your living room.” I paused for a second. “And die.”
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
YA Highway: Whose Writing Career Would You Have?
The question over at fabulous YA Highway today is: Whose writing career would you like to emulate?
I've read a bunch of these and the general answer is "I'd like to be popular, but not J.K. Rowling."
Okay, well, I'm not afraid to admit that I would love money and fame and if I become the next Stephanie Meyer there will be nobody more happy than me. :) If I could provide for my family and tell my parents they never had to work again, any amount of dealing with the downsides of fame would be worth it.
Maybe one day.
I've read a bunch of these and the general answer is "I'd like to be popular, but not J.K. Rowling."
Okay, well, I'm not afraid to admit that I would love money and fame and if I become the next Stephanie Meyer there will be nobody more happy than me. :) If I could provide for my family and tell my parents they never had to work again, any amount of dealing with the downsides of fame would be worth it.
Maybe one day.
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