Daley Downing's Blog, page 30

First Update/Announcement/Plan Change of 2018! (Hopefully the Last…?)

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I am in danger of becoming far too whishy-washy on my entire goal for this year of writing more effectively. I’ll admit it. Maybe it’s because I’ve been sick lately, and therefore my whole brain is a little, er, off, but late last night I began debating what to do about my current WIPs. In the middle of alternating chills and hot flashes. Yup, not the best way to mentally edit…

Anyway, I realized something in the clear of the morning: If it is only January and I am already getting this wigged out over going all-out-perfectionist on my WIPs (that are still in first draft format), then this is not healthy and I need to chill.

So, here’s the first idea that came to mind — Taking something off my present plate. My goal for finishing and releasing up to 5 books in the next 12 months is, well, AAAARRRGGHHGHHGH. Not good. What was I…

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Okay, here’s a new, more sane plan — Aim for 3 books in the next 12 months. That’s one a quarter. Do-able.

And I think I’m going to put my “How To Be A Savage” project on the backburner for now. It’s still a jumble of mess-from-failed-NaNo-project and brief-attempts-at-starting-to-fix-afore-mentioned-mess. While I still really want to pursue this idea, it’s not something that I need to be attacking right now. Not when I’m literally waking up in the middle of the night and thinking, “What if this Hunter/Scholar/Ambassador went to this Annex/country/the fey realm before so-and-so new character shows up/after big mind-blowing incident occurs?!” Yup, my brain is just packed full of Twelve Tribes stuff at the moment.

So this is a bad time to be trying to totally switch gears in terms of genre, characters, and themes. And a very good time to be immersing myself in what my brain definitely wants to concentrate on.

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Also, lately I’ve had some feedback about certain storylines and characters that readers would like to see more of. Now, while I can’t make any promises — as there is ALREADY Volumes 3 and 4, the field guide, and my collaboration with White Fang on the table — I may look into the possibility of expanding previous short stories or giving particular people their own novella. PERHAPS. Nothing is set in stone yet, folks.

Next, I’m considering putting up a few snippets posts. Anyone interested in that? I haven’t done that before, so at the moment I remain undecided and slightly wibbly-wobbly on the matter. Let me know.

Okay, onto the pressing issue of possible release dates for Volumes 3 and 4:

Certainly high on my list of priority goals for 2018. Obviously Volume 3 has to come first, and my initial hope was to do so before spring. Well, that’s still the hope. But I will be flexible and not owl-mail myself a Howler if I don’t submit my proofs by March 31st. In the interest of maintaining self-discipline (and not encouraging my readers to riot at my front door — don’t, by the way, my front yard has a very steep bank and a dying tree and old rabbit holes, it’s not a fun place to be), I shall make sure that I submit my proofs by no later than mid-April, though.

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With regards to Volume 4 — be patient, grasshoppers. My sincere hope is to have it out in the world by the end of July at the latest. (Remember, those other projects to complete as well.) However, as we’ve all experienced, something may happen to alter that time frame. (As the most recent 3 days of monitoring my temperature and not being able to walk faster than a turtle on caffeine proves.)

God willing, I’ll be up and running again by the end of this week. There’s been nothing for this thing but a lot of rest. I was even too ill to feel guilty about not working on anything for 72-plus hours straight.

(The moral of the story — indie authors, don’t let yourselves be coerced into taking on too much! Take care of yourselves and your families first! Your readers love your work for what it is, and are just happy when you release more. Most of them don’t mind waiting a little, and some of them are even so kind as to send delivery llamas to your door with packages of soup and tea and cats. So don’t worry that you’re letting them down by needing to delay your next publication for 2 weeks or even 2 months.)

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To NaNo or Not to NaNo?: That is the Question

Yes, it really is. Because although, yes, NaNoWriMo did finish in November, Camp NaNo starts in April, and let’s face it, that is a mere 75 days away! Now, before you all want to hit me for reminding you of how fleeting time is (and how fragile that makes you feel as a human being, and a bookdragon), I would like to point out that I am not the one who came up with the idea of writing the entire first draft of a novel within a month.

In 2016, I participated in the contest that runs from November 1st to November 30th for the first time, and I reached the goal of 50,000 words on November 28th. (In fact, it was 51,000 words and some change.) I was feeling pretty darn proud of myself, when I clicked on the “winner’s circle” link on the website to see what I’d won. Since I knew NaNoWriMo is supported by donations, and there’s no fee for writers to enter, I wasn’t expecting much — maybe a few sacks of free pens and notebooks and paperback editions of the latest Nora Roberts or something. However, it really brought me down to discover that NaNo winners have to pay for everything offered in the package — editing and writing software, subscription boxes, even the t-shirt that says “I won NaNo.”

Yup, you read that right. Pay for what you “won.” Not full price, though — you get, like, a 40% discount. That’s apparently how they justify making you bust your behind for 30 days and feeling like hell at the end of it for nothing except street cred and bragging rights.

Now, maybe it’s just me, but this system seems tremendously unfair. After all, when I am told there are “prizes,” I hear that as “free after completing said criteria.” For example, when you enter a giveaway on a blog, and the requirement is: a) put a comment on this post, b) tweet about this post, and c) if you win, you get a free copy of the new Maggie Stiefvater. Just what it says on the tin.

So, given that I had just put myself through a month of blood, sweat and tears (in some cases very literally), evidently for nothing other than the chance to plaster it all over Twitter, it made me rather discouraged.

It also made me seriously reconsider the idea of signing up for Camp NaNo, or regular NaNo, in 2017. Although I did participate in Camp NaNo in April, I was not at all satisfied with the end result, and ended up making a lot of major changes to what was supposed to be a final draft. What was my downfall? I truly believe the strict time factor. Having only 30 days to attempt a full-length piece of fiction is just not realistic, relieving, or creatively-inspiring.

We’ve all heard there are writers who “work best under pressure.” I don’t buy this for a second. Consider, instead, the very wise words of Douglas Adams: “I love deadlines — I love the sound they make as they go whooshing past.” As with any creative occupation, writing is an individual process, the completion of which pertains to the particular requirements of that specific work. Yes, there are benefits to setting a time frame and sticking to it. But too many times (especially for indie authors, or indie photographers, artists, unpaid bloggers and reviewers), this just is not how life will go.

In the past two years, I’ve seen many people start NaNo, finish it, not finish it, decide to quit, feel pressured to quit, feel pressured to finish. When we have to pay for the t-shirt, for the love of pete, is all of this anxiety and stress really necessary?

Yes, a lot of former NaNo winners have gone to receive publishing contracts, or become indie authors. But NaNo is not our only route to this end. Plenty of literary agencies accept submissions from people who’ve never even heard of the contest. When you open a self-publishing account on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, there isn’t a question, “Have you ever won NaNoWriMo?”

So, although I have plenty of time to reconsider, here’s why I’m actively talking myself out of getting involved in NaNo in any capacity in 2018:

It is very time consuming. I can’t stress this point enough. November is a busy month, as it includes the start of holiday shopping, Thanksgiving, and usually a lot of school stuff, like mid-term progress reports and special ed meetings. Attempting to write 1700 words a day on top of just living becomes way too hard. (Again, for what reason?)

Quality over quantity. Yes, a first draft completed in a month is going to be chock full of typos, plot holes (big enough to drive a Mack truck through), misspelled characters’ names, and whole sentences that don’t really make any sense. But for those of us — like me — who prefer to write slower to begin with, so that there are less mistakes to fix later, the pressure to get those numbers up becomes a chore. Aren’t we supposed to be creating a labor of love here, not just a labor?

There are other things to life than writing. Yes, this is true, I swear it. Those of us who write as more than a hobby feel the very real pressure of making time for perfecting our craft around family commitments, other jobs or pursuits, and the occasional emergency or unforeseen occurrence. And, I promise, the world will not end if you can’t get that WIP done the same week as grocery shopping/the family portrait for the Christmas card/the cat’s trip to the vet. No one will think any less of you for saying you can’t do NaNo because, reasons. (And if they do, that’s their problem, not yours at all.)

Are there good things about NaNo? Yeah. It encourages self-discipline, and the freedom of not being a perfectionist, and achieving the hard first step of getting that new WIP underway.

But taking into account that the rewards are not quite worth the cost (at least in my view), I think I’m going to opt out from now on.

 

The Past, Present, and Future of The Invisible Moth

My blog is 3 years old this January! Did I remember? Not at all! WordPress sent me a congratulatory notification. At least once I saw it, memory clicked.

In January 2015, I started this blog with little more than a domain name and a lot of nerves. I knew very little about blogging, networking, social media, and really this whole world. After a few months, I started to get the hang of following others, blog-hopping (understanding that term), and not only building community (not “only”, though, it’s important!), but I was also beginning to get a feel for what I really wanted this space — my space — to encompass.

For most of 2015 and 2016, I’d been researching self-publishing options, trying to get a better handle on whether it would be for me, the possible pitfalls, and determine if I should pursue it, or go back to continuing attempts at submissions to literary agents.

Well, if you’ve been around here for any length of time, you know that I went with self-publishing, and it’s a good fit. I love being able to share my experiences and thoughts and writing process with you all through blogging and social media connections.

 

I also get to use author platforms such as Goodreads and connect with my readers (and I have readers!) and obsessively stalk — ahem, I mean, have the chance to check in with reviewers, book stats for my titles, and find out what awesome stuff is going on with other indie authors.

To say that I feel blessed to be part of this community just doesn’t do the sentiment justice.

So, now that I’ve reached another milestone, what awaits for The Invisible Moth in 2018?

Well, other than I’ll certainly still be here with publishing updates, reviews, and probably the occasional giveaway, I have to admit that most likely I won’t be blogging as much this year.

Seems a bit odd after working so hard to reach my current status, huh? This has been a hard decision to make. While I’m definitely not quitting blogging, or even going on a hiatus, there are particular goals I want to focus on this year that will take more time than the universe is willing to give me. Since I, sadly, am not in possession of a Time Turner or a TARDIS, I need to choose how quickly I want to accomplish a, b, and c, and what I may have to set aside temporarily in order to do so.

 

Hence, I really need to devote more of my waking hours to writing things that are not blog posts.

In the past, I’ve toyed with the notion of cutting back, then felt guilty, tried, failed, given up the concept, become slightly overwhelmed, and come back to it.

So, my new schedule for blogging will probably look like a new post once a week, and I’ll stick to reviews and WIP stuff for a bit. Once I get more of this stuff polished off (closer to summer), chances are I’ll feel like expanding back to in-depth discussions and maybe even trying new topics.

At the moment, though, there are THINGS that my brain needs to devote its energy to.

So that you have amazing stuff to read in the near future.

Remember, I am still looking for ARC readers for How To Be A Savage — and a cover designer. I’m opening it up to a sort of contest format, like before, and if you’re interested in coming up with a cover for a novel about autistic superheroes/spies, drop me a line! (The contact information under my heading works for everything from inquires about book sales to submitting artwork to asking polite questions about Toby’s well-being.)

Here’s to 2018 being awesome!

Why Magical Realism and I Don’t Get Along

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This is a topic that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately. Recently, I tried reading magical realism for the first time (I started with the acclaimed The Weight of Feathers by Anna Marie McLemore), and my attempts have generally fallen quite flat.

Maybe it’s because of the way my brain is organized, but I tend to take in information very methodically and concretely. I don’t do well with abstract concepts. I understand metaphors and symbolism, as they’re referring to or representing something that is tangible. But I get really hung up on parables or “tall tales” that either don’t seem to connect to anything relevant in the rest of the story, or are so overblown exaggerated that they just appear ridiculous.

Having been a fantasy reader since I was very young, I am fully aware that in speculative fiction, things are not always what they first seem, and that characters will often have to rely on a faith in the unknown or unproven to get through the plot. None of this bothers me.

What bothers me is when I honestly have no stinking idea what’s going on as I read.

Case in point: The Weight of Feathers. The premise indicates it’s kind of a modern Hispanic Romeo and Juliet, where one family is represented by birds and the other by snakes. Apparently they’re both circus performers. O-kay…I think. The first few chapters, I felt like I was following along. But by the middle of this book, I was utterly lost. Did the families actually transform into those animals or not?? Why were they feuding unless it was because they were natural enemies in their creature states?? To say I was frustrated and not invested by the time I finished is an understatement.

It’s precisely why A Monster Calls made me upset and angry. By the “big reveal” climatic scene in the last few pages, I still couldn’t determine what the monster really was — a true walking tree, a manifestation of the narrator’s feelings about his mother’s illness, or a crazy dream? It meant that what should’ve been an emotionally charged book left me feeling robbed, because I simply could not wade through my confusion and anxiety over this confusion. I needed more than possible Freudian theories.

While I remained in a fog after these experiences, I mistakenly ordered Anna Marie McLemore’s Wild Beauty from the library. I say “mistakenly,” because I didn’t realize it was by the same author as The Weight of Feathers — I went by the cover alone. After getting about 25 pages in, I realized that I wouldn’t be able to finish Wild Beauty. Sure enough, I made it to about 70%, then threw in the towel. It was deja vu all over again — did the flowers actually sprout from the ladies’ bodies, or were they just excellent gardners? When it was said their lovers “disappeared,” did they in fact vanish into thin air, or (much more likely) they just left?

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So, despite bloggers raving about McLemore (and Patrick Ness), I won’t be trying any more of their works. I simply don’t have the patience for muddling through, vainly hoping to comprehend something that should be set forth in quantifiable terms.

Enter my latest bookdragon struggle: All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater. This one still sticks in my craw. I like Maggie Stiefvater, I was excited she had a new book coming out, I even pre-ordered it. However, I actually had to read this twice in about as many weeks for the overall meaning to begin to penetrate.

I am a well-educated person. I have an IQ of 143, for crying out loud. I know a lot about various world religions and spiritual belief systems. So why did I keep getting knocked down by the theories and prose of All The Crooked Saints?

Between pages 10 and 100, I put this novel aside about 5 times. I literally felt that I knew what was going on, then the narration took me on a totally different path (not in a good way), and it was starting to grate on my nerves. I pushed through, and even after reading the epilogue the second time, I’m still a bit tangled in bookdragon yarn of sad puzzlement. Why were the Sorias not allowed to speak to the pilgrims (when doing so would’ve healed them a lot faster?) What was the “darkness” that the pilgrims and Sorias experienced? The result of sin? A curse brought about by their sin? Or are we talking purely symbolic inner darkness — guilt, low self-esteem, etc.? I’m sorry, folks, but I need cold, hard facts.

I also have to admit, a little selfishly, that I’m concerned about authors who were writing fantasy and now are tending more towards magical realism. This is an issue because I love the former but not the latter, and the latter is becoming increasingly more prevalent in bookstores and libraries. Am I about to start losing some of my favorite authors?

As a reader, not a publisher or editor, I’m aware I don’t have much say. And this bothers me, too — is traditional publishing the latest entertainment industry to fall prey to only releasing what’s trendy, instead of what their audience is asking for?

Hopefully 2018 will be the year of lots of cool new fantasy authors, determined to buck the trend. I’m over here, eagerly awaiting what non-allegorical myths, legends, and magical creatures you’re about to release on the world of fiction.

January Mini-Reviews: What I Liked, What I Didn’t, and What Brought All the Feels

Yes, it is officially the new year, a new month, and we’re back to the routine of raving and flailing over our latest reads!

In November and December, I made time to focus on something that was not writing or preparing for holidays, and polished off a few things that had been on my TBR for most of fall.

There was excitement, disappointment, and some confusion in the whole experience.

Renegades by Marissa Meyer:

This was a bit of a wash for me. It was the first time in quite a while I’d tried a Marissa Meyer (since I got to about page 25 in Cinder and was just completely, “What the blazing apricots is going on?!”). I noticed Renegades was rather thick, and got a bit apprehensive, as long books and I do not really go together. I ended up DNF-ing. By page 175, there just wasn’t enough going on that didn’t feel cliche or recycled. This novel could’ve taken the established superhero vs. supervillain genre and really shaken it up, but there were no new thoughts or ideas that I could find.

Wires and Nerve by Marissa Meyer:

Yes, another Marissa Meyer! I actually didn’t realize that when I ordered it from the library. Nor did I know it was a graphic novel — and I don’t read graphic novels. SIGH. The moral of the story is: Library catalogs need to have their materials marked more clearly, and: Readers should do as much research as possible on a title before they request it.

Dragonfly Song by Wendy Orr:

Okay, this was just odd. I liked the way it was set in ancient Greece (historically, not mythologically), and how the author split the narration into prose and poetry to show different POVs. And this is a MG novel, so I figured it would be pretty easy and fun.

Wow, was I wrong. Nothing happens for most of part one. The book draaaaags on, explaining wilderness survival in ridiculous amounts of detail, and I can’t see your average 5th-grader being interested in that. Then, when a significant plot advancement finally does occur, the rest of the book turns into an ancient version of The Hunger Games. Huh?!?! So, Dragonfly Song gets a no from me.

This Savage Song by VE Schwab:

For most of 2017, I’ve been hearing lots and lots about VE Schwab. Well, maybe I started with the wrong series, but after not finishing This Savage Song, I’m (weepingly) not very impressed. A few months ago, I accidentally read Our Dark Duet first — I didn’t know it was the sequel. Anyway, now informed of my mistake, I obtained This Savage Song with high hopes.

Gah. I found the writing to be endless repetition of the same descriptions of Kate and August; stressing that Verity City was infested with monsters (which were rarely seen before page 200); and that Kate wanted to be a bada** gangster like her father (but whyyyyyy?!?!) and August was a monster who wanted to act like a human (but whyyyyyyyy?!?!). I didn’t feel the author provided enough details on the characters’ motivations or ambitions. And there was so little information on what actually triggered the new territories forming, the monster apocalypse, and why society was still set on taking selfies at high school after literal soul-sucking blackness had invaded.

So, I’m a bit sad.

Also, why is this cover so much better than the one I got?!

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater:

This was the first book I bought in months. I was very excited for it, and I even made myself wait to start it until I’d finished my library books. All the Crooked Saints is very interesting, unique, and it’s not that I didn’t like it or wouldn’t recommend it. Buuuut. It doesn’t read like a Stiefvater novel. Yes, her trademark lyrical prose and humor are very there. However, I had a really tough time getting going with it. I actually had to read it twice to figure out what was really going on under the surface of the premise. And it took me until about halfway through that second reading before something clicked for me that it didn’t previously, and then some of the motivations made SO much sense.

I also realized something: That, for me, it’s much better to concentrate on Stiefvater works told in the first person. The way she wrote The Raven Cycle and All the Crooked Saints is very far removed from how immersed in the main characters’ heads/feelings she was with The Wolves of Mercy Falls and The Scorpio Races. Her standing-back-and-acting-as-1930s-radio-show-host style of narration in this new release makes connecting with her characters a LOT harder (at least for this reader).

Plus, this title relied heavily on the magical realism element, much more than The Raven Cycle (which is saying something, as it featured prominently in that series). Magical realism and I, it’s becoming apparent, are doomed to never co-exist. I just have the bloody hardest time figuring it out, and it gets really distracting to me from the actual story. Maybe this is why I had such a struggle with All The Crooked Saints overall.

Warriors: Legends of the Clans by Erin Hunter

Well, it’s probably no shock that I LOVED this. It delivered ALL THE FEELS. Legends of the Clans is a companion novella to the canon series. These short stories expanded on some of the characters that we didn’t know very much about, and tied in to the canon beautifully. I had a massive, stupid grin on my face one page, and then tears were streaming from my eyes the next. 10/10 for ripping out my heart once again, Erin Hunter. (Seriously, keep it up!)

Planning Ahead: Expanding the Platform, Attending Conferences, Confirming Publishing Goals

Good morning! Hope you’re all staying warm!

Let’s get right to it — plenty to discuss this time.

One: The idea of me starting making video reviews.

Okay, the very thought of joining YouTube and struggling with all of their technical issues (and some of their not-very-nice viewers) makes me start to hyperventilate. White Fang has a YouTube channel, and some of his experiences have been wonderful, others not so much.

Plus, I do not extrovert — things like appearing in front of the camera. (The person who suggested I branch out in this method really needs to double check how well he thinks he know me.)

Anyway, there has been the recommendation that I could remain audio-only and do a few reviews with screen shots or something as background. Hmmm… I might experiment with that notion. I’d probably try out the first video on Twitter or Facebook, though, rather than just throw myself to the wolves of YouTube.

(Professional YouTubers have my undying respect. Seriously.)

Let me know what you think of all this!

Two: I might try to go to a writers’ conference this year.

I went to one a couple years ago, and while I was only there for one day, and it was a small conference center, and I managed to survive the whole thing largely unscathed, it was still HARD.

Remember, the me no extrovert clause.

Also, I didn’t know anyone there, and I wasn’t yet a published author, and the market for speculative fiction (what I primarily write) just didn’t exist at this particular spot. Quite a shame on that bit…

Anyway, people are already flailing over Realm Makers 2018, and while attempting to attend this would be a WHOLE BIG THING for me (just imagine me running around my house screaming at the very possibility), it would be a lot of fun.

So, what do you reckon, moths? Should I look into this?

Three: Firming up my publication ambitions for this year.

So, here’s what I would really like to do:

Publish How To Be A Savage before winter’s over.

Release Volume 3 sometime this spring.

Get the field guide out shortly after.

Make sure Volume 4 is ready to go before the end of 2018.

Here’s my back-up plan: Savage, Volume 3, field guide on tap prior to the calendar changing to 2019, Volume 4 coming to fruition early next year.

Given that, after all of that, White Fang and I will start seriously attacking our collaboration standalone sequel (and of course he’ll be in school until June, which limits his availability for this project in the meantime), I think this is certainly enough to have on my plate at present.

Next question: Who here is interested in an ARC for How To Be A Savage?

Who here wants to design the cover?

Please form an orderly queue, over to your right.

I’ll be accepting comments on everything mentioned above until I get satisfactory answers. (Don’t worry, I don’t bite. Remember, I’m close-contact-phobic.)

Why Adults Should Absolutely Read YA

Well, nothing like going in, guns blazing, with a hot topic discussion post at the start of the year!

First, how are you all? Did you survive the holidays? Thinking about emerging from the turkey dinner stupor to face the world? Still hiding under piles of discarded wrapping paper with bows and tinsel stuck in your hair?

Well, however you find yourself, I shall welcome you back! Let’s get right to it, then!

A few weeks ago, I read part of a rather irksome/disturbing thread on social media; the jist is that there are a lot of people over the age of 21 who strongly feel that anyone who is old enough to legally drink, get married, join the military, and live on their own should not be reading Young Adult fiction.

Excuse me?? Number one, when were the Reading Police established?! Number two, what is wrong with teachers, parents, pediatricians, school counselors and adolescent therapists knowing what our kids are reading?

And even more, what about those authors who write what our kids will be reading? How can they possibly know what their audience is interested in, or lacking, if they don’t connect with 12-17-year-olds?

Years ago, parents could just let their kids pick up a novel from the YA/juvenile section in the bookstore or library, and be pretty confident that the content would be acceptable for their age. There were plenty of authors that tackled tough subjects like death, disease, drug use, sex before marriage with tact and in a way of presenting facts and both sides of the debate.

Nowadays teen readers are apparently told to go get stoned, get physically intimate, drive too fast, skip school, turn the air blue with their language. Don’t any of these authors have kids themselves?! Would they really want their own precious darlings behaving this way?

As a parent and a YA author myself, I take this responsibility very seriously. I’m not at all naive — I’m totally aware that nowadays many adults consider kids knowing all kinds of sexual lifestyles, swear words, and various political views to not be a bad thing. Well, I — an informed adult — disagree. It’s one thing to be well-educated; it’s another to instill harmful perspectives on young minds that are still forming their views and ambitions.

Warning: The Invisible Moth is officially jumping on her soapbox.

Encouraging teenagers to wait to have sex because they are too special to give their body to just anyone is showing we love them and believe in them to become solid, confident, well-adjusted future wives and husbands. Telling them the consequences of unprotected sex reinforces that we want them to remain healthy and emotionally whole. 

Warning them against using drugs and too much alcohol helps them develop self-care habits that could last a lifetime. Discipline and high self-esteem will provide our future doctors, teachers, parents, leaders with the power to change society, for the better, for generations to come.  Showing them that a clean path can also be fun sets them on course for a productive, respect-filled life. 

Okay, stepping off the soapbox.

Now, here’s why the idea of anyone “grown-up” reading YA is silly is just: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.

1.) YA fiction is simply FUN. Since most children/adolescents aren’t past the point of wanting to believe — at least a little — in mythical creatures or flying cars or that you can access another world through your closet, the possibilities in a YA book are endless. 

What adult in the 21st century (with reality being so damn hard most of the time) wants to only read about fictional characters whining that they can’t get a date? Who cares?! Get out of your own grumpy head and go read about storming the castle and saving the endangered race of beautiful talking unicorns! Dream about being a hero! Don’t lose that passion!

2.) YA fiction provides an escape. Yes, most of us know very well that animals don’t really speak human, hypogriffs aren’t legal pets, and we’ll probably never get to live in a magical library. So?? Let us pretend for a few hours!

Children who regularly use their imagination often grow into big people who invent new technology, new medicines, the prototypes for hovercars, more effective academic systems, tools and inventions that make our lives better. LET US IMAGINE.

3.) Parents and teens reading together is valuable. In recent years, too many high-schoolers don’t communicate or bond with their elders. Yes, this is a problem, trust me. Concurrently reading the same book or series with your 14-year-old is important. Find a subject that interests you both, and take it from there.

White Fang and I have both read and discussed Harry Potter, Warriors, The Illuminae Files, and Beaumont and Beasley, among others. This activity also gives you a great starting point for discussing tough issues, and encouraging your kids to do their research and develop their own points of view.

4.) Not all of us with a certain date on our birth certificates enjoy reading stuff aimed at that age group. I flatout find most murder mysteries/romances/spy thrillers downright formulaic and dull. Yes, I know that I’m somewhat of a square peg in a round hole in this instance. But it’s a fact, and it’s not changing anytime soon.

While I don’t necessarily want to read about being in high school, either, there are plenty more fantasy and speculative fiction choices among the YA sections than the adult. Plus lots of fantasy YA authors still take care to keep their language and explicit content to a minimum, whereas for adults, apparently ALL the barriers have come down. That just isn’t my thing.

5.) If you don’t have a long attention span or not much free time to read, novels aimed at juveniles are usually less than 400 pages long. This is a big deal for me, since my spare time is certainly limited, and if I can make it to the end of the paragraph without losing my place, then, wow, it’s an awesome evening!

Also, since I currently carry all my library books literally on my back, there is just no way in Hades I’m attempting to haul the latest 650-page New York Times bestsellers. No way, sir.

6.) Whether it’s my personality, my mindset, worldview or whatever, I simply relate better to characters in YA. If you present me with an adult character who’s narrating about whether they can squeeze in an extra 10 minutes at the gym, or if they interpreted the fine print in their car lease properly, I will be either falling asleep or using the book as a footstool.

Whereas, show me the elf who’s hoping to return the enchanted sword to its sacred mountain before the kraken’s released, and I’m on the edge of my seat. Any night I spend reading Warriors will result in big stupid grins and lots of tears on my face. Finding out a secret about a beloved Clan cat will resonate with me for months.

7.) Reading about characters who aren’t jaded yet, full of hope and plans and enthusiasm, makes you want to have that again. Remember when you were in kindergarten, and making an extra blanket into a cape was the most natural thing? When you looked to the skies with an unending sense of wanting more?

Go for that, whether you’re 25, or 30, or 40.

Save the unicorns! Rescue the flying cats! Storm the castle!

 

The Sunshine Blogger Award!

Good morning! Happy last post of the year before we finish the holiday week! What better way to focus on the bright spots than to indulge in the Sunshine Blogger Award, courtesy of The Orangutan Librarian!

WHO IS THE ONE PERSON THAT IS THE SUNSHINE IN YOUR LIFE?

There will be no “one” answers in this post. It is not fair to make me choose.

Definitely my sons. And the cat. (Yes, he’s a person, shush.)

DO YOU PREFER ALL HAPPY MOVIES, OR OCCASIONAL SAD MOVIES?

Definitely happy, but there can be sad moments and I won’t get upset. I do not do the silliness of “everybody dies and everything is terrible, the end.” Nu-uh, sir.

WHAT IS THE ONE FOOD THAT ALWAYS MAKES YOU HAPPY?

Asian in general, but especially sushi and noodle soup!

WHAT IS THE SUNSHINE ON YOUR BLOG?

Definitely the wonderful people who regularly swing by to show their support and share their thoughts with such kindness!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE  WACKY “FUN” DAY?

Hmmm…probably that rare, mythical day when I don’t have any responsibilities or children to take care of, and I get to just go to the mall by myself and sip chai latte and wander around, oogling over products I can’t afford.

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LOVE ABOUT YOURSELF?

Hmmm…this is a tall order for a Vulcan… I don’t give up easily. I keep pushing through, even when things get a bit bleak. I hate to be defeated.

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU LOVE ABOUT THE BLOGGING COMMUNITY?

Certainly the way you all rally around each other, and are there when things get tough!

WHAT IS THE ONE BOOK THAT MADE YOU SMILE THE MOST?

Again, there is no such thing as “one.” Warriors, basically all of The Prophecies Begin, because of Yellowfang’s saltiness and her big heart, and book 2 in The New Prophecy had so many uplifting moments that just put a big grin on my face. More recently, Finding Audrey and Girl Online gave me lots of laughs. And in Kyle Robert Shultz’s Beaumont and Beasley series, whenever Malcolm Blackfire shows up, I will simply sit there with a massive stupid grin through that scene.

WHERE IS YOUR CORNER OF SUNSHINE IN YOUR HOME?

When the sun hits at a certain angle (usually mid-afternoon), and it falls just right through the trees, and in late spring through early fall it has that real golden sheen… Yeah, when that’s on my writing desk, I am very content.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE COLOR OR COLORS?

Pink, purple, blue, yellow, and silver. (See? Just one is impossible.)

WHAT IS THE ONE MOVIE (OR DRAMA) THAT ALWAYS MAKES YOU HAPPY?

What did I just say… The film version of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline (even with its creepy moments), Doctor Who (even with all the tears), and Lord of the Rings (yes, even with all the crying!). And there are scenes in Blade Runner and The Last Unicorn that are just absolutely beautiful storytelling.

All right, I’ll break with the tradition of not nominating anyone! Kyle Robert Shultz, Paper Fury, SM Metzler, Deborah O’Carroll, and Jameson @ Lovely Whatsoevers, you’re up! (And whoever else would like to do this!)

One Bookdragon’s New Year’s Resolutions

2017 was a slightly frustrating year for me as a reader. There were a lot of books that I DNF (when previously I hated doing that), some authors I had been enjoying that I’ve written off (ha, sorry), and I faced the very real problem of hitting a slump.

So, hoping to avoid such travesties in 2018, here are my bookdragon’s new year’s resolutions:

I shall finish what I start. Yes, I am going to force myself if necessary to finish every book I begin reading. This should probably mean a) conducting a lot more research before adding titles to my TBR and b) not letting myself be swayed by hype. Sometimes the hype is well-deserved. But unfortunately, it mostly just increases the weight on my back as I trudge through the snow from the library. (Spoiler: it isn’t worth it.)

ARCs will be few and far between. Unless I or the author make a specific request. I love the concept of ARCs, especially for indie authors. But I, as a reader, don’t have the time, energy, or desire to commit to taking part in the evaluating-advance-copy-for-a-review bit this year.

There will be no pressure to review absolutely everything. Yes, it is very helpful in the community if you explain in particulars what you did or didn’t like about a book. However, not every rating on Goodreads has to be a 4-paragraph, beautifully-detailed mini-literary critique. A couple of sentences highlighting what you feel to be the title’s biggest pros/cons often work just as well.

I am not going to guilt myself into leaving my comfort zone. Trying to suffer through romances, contemporary YA, or historical fiction anymore is not my idea of fun. If you love these genres, please don’t throw anything. I appreciate really well-told stories of any kind. Though reading all of them ain’t my cup of tea. Some authors’ styles and I don’t mix; sometimes the content makes me twitch (even when the seedier elements are necessary for the plot); and pure fluff just doesn’t float my boat.

So, yes, I’ll be reading a lot of fantasy, historical fantasy, and speculative fiction. And your point is?

Instead of attempting to begin all the new series, I will complete the ones I’ve commenced. I am behind on Warriors, The Familiars, Apprentice Cat (all of which White Fang is champing at the bit for me to get to), and he’s going to force me to read Obsidio when that’s out. Plus, at the rate Kyle Shultz is hoping to publish his next titles, I better get ready!

More buying, less borrowing this year. It’s because I want to encourage myself to finish everything, and embrace quality over quantity. At the library, I have a greater chance of being impulsive — and all that literal trudging-and-hauling is getting old. Spending money on shiny new novels feels special, and I’m much more likely to limit my purchases to those selections I expect to enjoy and wish to savor.

My Goodreads challenge goal will remain low. This year, I set my challenge at a very reasonable 20 books, and thought it would probably take me till around October to hit that tally. I reached it in April. It was intensely satisfying to see the numbers keep climbing (“You have read 30…40…60 books out of 20!”), and I did begin pushing myself a little too much, just for that emotional rush. But my back suffered (remember, all that library requesting), as well as my emotional state when I’d raced through hyped new releases that I thought were terrible. Again: not worth it.

Hype and I will have a distant, skeptical relationship. This is how I always used to feel about a title that supposedly the entire world was flailing over. Now I have learned the hard way that this approach is the best for me. It honestly irks me when I spent the time and mental effort to plow through a book that just makes me want to fling kumquats afterwards. Especially when I had a feeling before even opening the cover that I wasn’t going to like it. (Note: Listen to your gut, moth.)

Reading shall be for enjoyment first, for blogging or reviewing or “not missing out” second (or even not at all). I read novels for fun — not as competition, not to be up on something trendy. I’d very nearly forgotten that. When I, as a writer, take in someone else’s wonderful and engaging fiction, it helps me recharge creatively, and pushes me to want to do the same myself. All of this is much more important than a tally on a social media page. 

 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, yuletide joy, everyone!!!