Sarah Barra's Blog, page 77

Gay? Black? Latino? Here's 21 Diverse YA Books That Need To Be Movies -- Now

Gay? Black? Latino? Here's 21 Diverse YA Books That Need To Be Movies -- Now:

tubooks:

MTV News asks YA authors which diverse books need the movie treatment.

Excellent list. We’d go watch ALL of these movies. Again and again. Especially one made from our own SUMMER OF THE MARIPOSAS by Guadalupe Garcia McCall. :)

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ALEC LIGHTWOOD PROTECTION CLUB

lovingmyfangirllife:

Reblog if you love Alec so we can all be friends and talk and cry if he gets hurt

bookgeekconfessions:Book Geek Quote #321

bookgeekconfessions:

Book Geek Quote #321

WHEN USED BOOKSTORES HAVE SALES

dukeofbookingham:

I’m just like:

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bookwormbabe89:Damn proud bookworm

bookwormbabe89:

Damn proud bookworm

Because We're More than Eyes and Hair!

resaheart:

I think 90% of writers will agree that in their first drafts of their first pieces, they’d describe a character like “she had blonde hair and green eyes” and leave it at that. I’m guilty of it, I’ll admit. But why not have some great, specific descriptions that flesh out your characters and how others perceive them?!

A quick note about eyes: In all honesty, eye color isn’t always apparent. Eyes may look dark from a distance, and you only realize they’re a deep blue when you get closer. Don’t feel like you have to mention eye color right away. It can be something mentioned later, when your characters have a soulful heart to heart.

Btw, I threw this list together in about 10 minutes so I’m sure there are other things that could be added. Feel free to comment or message me, and I’ll add them to the master list.

Hair
Long
Short
Wavy
Curly
Frizzy
Straight
Choppy
Thick
Thin
Braided
Tied up
Loose
Wild

Face
Long
Narrow
Wide
Round
Oval

Eyes
Round
Narrow
Squinty
Deep-set
Small
Beady
Oval

Nose
Narrow
Pinched               
Wide
Flat
Crooked
Hooked
Pointed
Large
Dainty

Cheeks
Rosy
Ashen
Ruddy
Freckled
Round
Gaunt
Pronounced (cheekbones)
Bronzed
Tanned
Dimpled
full

Chin
Sharp
Round
Cleft
Pointed

Jaw
Square
Round
Straight
Strong

Lips
Full
Plump
Thin
Pinched 

Body (build, frame)
Slight
Willowy
Scrawny
Tall
Bulky
Average
Large
Stout
Curvy
Shapely
Straight
Bony

I also claimed stuff like this will help with characterization. I’ll give an example. For a body frame, “scrawny” and “willowy” mean kinda the same thing—someone with a thin, slight built. If your character is describing the girl they’ve had a crush on forever, they’d probably use a word like “slender” or “willowy,” because they’re fond of her. A longtime rival or enemy might stick to words with a negative connotation, like “scrawny” or “bony.” For someone they’ve just met, the terms will probably be more neutral. Consider how your narrator thinks of the person they’re describing, and how that’ll affect the words they use!

I’ll include some examples…?

Ignoring his warning, I stepped back towards Liam and the barely-contained Suni. She was pretty, now that I got a good look at her standing up. She was half a foot shorter than my own 5’6”, with shapely curves hinted at even with her loose clothing. Maybe a bit chubby by today’s toothpick thin standards, but more with muscle than fat. Strong cheekbones and full lips accented her long mahogany face, but it was her eyes that dominated her features. Sharp aqua eyes that were fixed on Kent. If looks could kill.
Kent was back at my side as the knight-armored man turned to face us. Although still young, he had to be at least ten years older than me, with a broad face and warm green topaz eyes staring down a surprisingly dainty nose. Deep, carrot-red hair framed his face. When he smiled, it was kind and genuine, and it dimpled his sun-kissed cheeks.
“Hey, girl,” she said, grinning in a way that showed she was trying to be in with the teen slang. She was blonde like my dad, but shorter and with a little more weight around her neck and cheeks, since she didn’t have to appear on national television all the time. There was also a sparkle to her eyes and an air of carelessness in her frazzled, tied back hair and the dimpled smile of her cheeks—features I’d never see from Dad (frazzled and smiling, I mean), who was always the perfect News Anchor Ethan Cresswell.

"My characters surprise me constantly. My characters are like my friends - I can give them advice,..."

“My characters surprise me constantly. My characters are like my friends - I can give them advice, but they don’t have to take it. If your characters are real, then they surprise you, just like real people.”

- Laurell K. Hamilton (via writingquotes)

"Don’t compare your Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 20."

“Don’t compare your Chapter 1 to someone else’s Chapter 20.”

- (via asiantopmodel)