Leigh Bardugo's Blog, page 828
December 13, 2012
December 12, 2012
Hi Leigh! I was wondering if you had any advice for juniors and seniors in Highschool who want to go to big schools. You know, since you went to Yale and all :) Did you work your butt off in HS and get really good grades? What were some subjects you strugg
First of all, I still remember the stress of applying to schools, so hugs and cookies (or fire and blood, whatever gets you through) to all those in the trenches.
My grades were good, but I certainly wasn’t at the top of my class. Not surprisingly, I excelled at history and English. I struggled with math and science. I was terrible about doing things at the last minute and always found myself cramming for exams and writing papers the night before they were due. It was miserable.
What I think helped in the application process was that I pursued my passions inside and outside of school—I petitioned to create my own fiction writing elective. I participated in the ESU’s Shakespeare Competition, the Princeton Poetry competition, a young playwrights competition, etc. For the record, I had a gift for making it to the finals and then LOSING. But that’s kind of the point I want to make. Those things didn’t matter because they got me into college. They mattered because they helped me figure out who I was and what I loved and what I wanted to do. (Honestly, I don’t know if any of it would be enough to get into the “big” schools these days.)
I know it’s a crazy, competitive time, so now I will put on my Wisdom Hat (it’s made of felt, very ennobling) and dole out some more advice:
If you don’t get into your dream school, try to remember that it’s the dream that’s important, not the school. This is where pursuing your passions (see above) comes into play. Those passions and your dedication to them will be what sustains you wherever you attend school and beyond. You can pursue the things you love in a lot of different places and college isn’t the ultimate destination. It’s a stop you make on the road to something bigger.
Now I will remove the Wisdom Hat. It sits ill upon my noggin, and I look far more fetching in the Goofball Tiara.
Hope this is a tiny bit helpful. And good luck
Hi Leigh! I was wondering if you had any advice for juniors and seniors in Highschool who want to go to big schools. You know, since you went to Yale and all :) Did you work your butt off in HS and get really good grades? What were some subjects you strugg
First of all, I still remember the stress of applying to schools, so hugs and cookies (or fire and blood, whatever gets you through) to all those in the trenches.
My grades were good, but I certainly wasn’t at the top of my class. Not surprisingly, I excelled at history and English. I struggled with math and science. I was terrible about doing things at the last minute and always found myself cramming for exams and writing papers the night before they were due. It was miserable.
What I think helped in the application process was that I pursued my passions inside and outside of school—I petitioned to create my own fiction writing elective. I participated in the ESU’s Shakespeare Competition, the Princeton Poetry competition, a young playwrights competition, etc. For the record, I had a gift for making it to the finals and then LOSING. But that’s kind of the point I want to make. Those things didn’t matter because they got me into college. They mattered because they helped me figure out who I was and what I loved and what I wanted to do. (Honestly, I don’t know if any of it would be enough to get into the “big” schools these days.)
I know it’s a crazy, competitive time, so now I will put on my Wisdom Hat (it’s made of felt, very ennobling) and dole out some more advice:
If you don’t get into your dream school, try to remember that it’s the dream that’s important, not the school. This is where pursuing your passions (see above) comes into play. Those passions and your dedication to them will be what sustains you wherever you attend school and beyond. You can pursue the things you love in a lot of different places and college isn’t the ultimate destination. It’s a stop you make on the road to something bigger.
Now I will remove the Wisdom Hat. It sits ill upon my noggin, and I look far more fetching in the Goofball Tiara.
Hope this is a tiny bit helpful. And good luck
ardawling:
This has to be made for Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and...
This has to be made for Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone. :D
Jeremy Renner as Ivan - the soldier
Katie McGrath as Zoya - the civilian
Judi Dench as Baghra - the martyr
Hunter Parrish as Alexei - the victim
Oliver Platt as The Apparat - the prophet
Danny Huston as The King - the liar
Sifu Kisu as Botkin - the honest
Sean O’Pry as The Darkling - the leader
Holland Roden as Genya - the pariah
Drew Van Acker as Mal - the victor
Crystal Reed as Alina - the messiah
[Okay I wasn’t sure who to cast for Alexei and Botkin, but Sifu Kisu from ATLA is a badass so..he won. :P And I love Hunter so there. Also the Apparat creeps me out just like Oliver did in Year One, bahaha.]
Holy wow. This is SO AMAZING. And just seeing “this is war” emblazoned over the Darkling’s crest gave me the chills. And poor Alexei! :(
Paper Lantern Lit: PLL Trendsetter Maddie's Booklist: Books That I Wish My Bestfriend Would Read
This month, we asked the PLL Trendsetters to create themed booklists that we could use to guide our editors and authors and help them strike the right tone, mood, atmosphere, etc. The lists are so great that we had to share them with everyone!
Below is Maddie’s list!
eventhepartofyouthatlovedhim:
Shadow and Bone Cast: Katie...
Shadow and Bone Cast: Katie McGrath as Zoya
“I took in the silver embroidery on Zoya’s cuffs, the glossy perfection of her black hair, the big blue eyes fringed by impossibly dark lashes. She was almost as beautiful as Genya.”
eventhepartofyouthatlovedhim:
Shadow and Bone Cast: Nicholas...
Shadow and Bone Cast: Nicholas Hoult as Alexei
“Alexei’s jaw dropped. “He seduced a Grisha girl?” “
Awww!! I love that Alexei’s getting some love!
Are you really giving away advanced reader copies if S&B wins Hypable Awards? Because if you are, I am literary going to sit and vote all day :D
If Shadow and Bone wins for Best Debut on Hypable, I will most definitely give away an advanced reader copy of SIEGE AND STORM.
Here’s the link :)
