Gabe Cole Novoa's Blog, page 50

Some Pre-Debut Thoughts

So chances are really likely if you follow me on Twitter, Instagram, tumblr, or Facebook, you’ve seen me kinda sorta freaking out over happy Beyond the Red news, namely, that ARCs are now a thing that exist. My editor and publisher sent me the pics below:

I'll be sharing this all day today: my lovely editor @nicolefrail17 sent me this pic today. BEYOND THE RED ARCs are real! And so bright, and pretty, and shiny! Can't wait to get my copies.

Vlog: About The Call

Today in response to a tumblr ask, I'm talking all about The Call with an agent, some basic things to expect, and some things to think about before and during this publishing milestone.



RELATED LINKS: 

5 Things to Know Before Getting an Agent (vlog)How to Survive the Query Wars (vlog)How to Query: The Query Letter (vlog)How to Query: Research (vlog)From Contest to Book Deal (vlog)Do You Need Connections to Get Published? (vlog)NEWS: How I Got My Agent!40 Questions to Ask When You Get THE CALL from an Agent via Adventures in YA Publishing
Do you have any questions about The Call? I'll do my best to answer them below! 
Twitter-sized bites: 

Curious about what The Call with an agent is like? @Ava_Jae vlogs her experience + things to think about beforehand. (Click to tweet) 

Preparing for the eventual Call with an agent? @Ava_Jae vlogs about some things to think about beforehand. (Click to tweet)

Fixing the First Page Giveaway #17!

Photo credit: markjhandel on FlickrI realized rather abruptly over the weekend that we are actually more than halfway through November! Which means the holidays, and snow, and 2016 are upon us—which, I just, I don't even.

But! That means it's time for the next Fixing the First Page giveaway! Yay!

For those who’ve missed it in the past, the Fixing the First Page features is a public first 250 word critique. Using the lovely rafflecopter widget, anyone interested in winning a PUBLIC (as in, featured in a post on this blog) first page critique can enter.

For an example of what this critique will look like, here's the last Fixing the First Page post.

Rules!

ONLY the first 250 words will be critiqued (up to finishing the sentence). If you win and send me more, I will crop it myself. No exceptions.
ONLY the first page. I don’t want 250 random words from your manuscript, or from chapter 3. If you win the critique and send me anything other than the first 250 words of your manuscript, I will choose someone else.
I will actually critique it. Here. On the blog. I will say things as nicely as I can, but I do tend to be a little blunt. If you’re not sure you can handle a public critique, then you may want to take some time to think about it before you enter.
Genre restrictions. I'm most experienced with YA & NA, but I will still accept MG and Adult. HOWEVER. If your first page has any erotic content on it, I ask that you don’t enter. I want to be able to post the critique and the first 250 in its entirety without making anyone uncomfortable, and if you win and you enter a page with erotic content, I will choose someone else.
You must have your first page ready. Should you win, you need to be able to submit your first page within 48 hours of my contacting you to let you know you won. If 48 hours pass and I haven’t heard from you, again, I will choose someone else.
You’ll get the most out of this if it isn’t a first draft. Obviously, I have no way of knowing if you’re handing me a first draft (though I will probably suspect because it’s usually not that difficult to tell). I won’t refuse your page if it’s a first draft, but you should know that this critique will likely be of more use if you’ve already had your betas/CPs look over it. Why? Because if you don’t, the critique I give you will probably contain a lot of notes that your betas & CPs could have/would have told you.
There will not be a round 2 (unless you win again in a future contest). I hate to have to say this, but if you win a critique, it’s NOT an invitation to send me a bunch of your revisions. I wish I had the time available to be able to look at revisions, but sadly, I don’t. If you try to break this rule, I will nicely say no, and also remember to choose someone else should you win a second contest. Which would make me sad. :(
So that’s it! If you’re okay with all of the above and would like to enter to be the seventeenth public critique on Writability, do the thing with the rafflecopter widget below. You have until Saturday, November 21 at 11:59 EST to enter!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

10 Diverse 2016 Books I’m Psyched About

Incredibly, 2016 is less than two months away (!!!) which means, of course, it's time to look forward to 2016 book releases! There are so many incredible books I'm looking forward to, but I thought it might be fun to highlight some books with diverse casts that I'm especially excited about. 
So here we go! 

Photo credit: Goodreads
This is Where It Ends  by Marieke Nijkamp (January 5)YA Contemporary
Goodreads summary:

"10:00 a.m. 

The principal of Opportunity, Alabama's high school finishes her speech, welcoming the entire student body to a new semester and encouraging them to excel and achieve. 

10:02 a.m. 

The students get up to leave the auditorium for their next class. 

10:03  

The auditorium doors won't open. 

10:05 

Someone starts shooting. 

Told over the span of 54 harrowing minutes from four different perspectives, terror reigns as one student's calculated revenge turns into the ultimate game of survival."

Diversity note: This is Where it Ends is a f/f story with PoC main characters. 


Photo credit: Goodreads
Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin (February 2)YA Contemporary
Goodreads summary: 

"The first thing you’re going to want to know about me is: Am I a boy, or am I a girl? 

Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. The thing is . . . Riley isn’t exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in uber-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley’s so-called “normal” life. 

On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it’s REALLY like to be a gender-fluid teenager. But just as Riley’s starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley’s real identity, threatening exposure. Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything."

Diversity note: As you can see from the summary, Symptoms features a genderfluid protagonist—which I have literally never read ever. And I can't wait. 


Photo credit: Goodreads
The Girl from Everywhere  by Heidi Heilig (February 16)YA Fantasy

"Heidi Heilig’s debut teen fantasy sweeps from modern-day New York City to nineteenth-century Hawaii to places of myth and legend. Sixteen-year-old Nix has sailed across the globe and through centuries aboard her time-traveling father’s ship. But when he gambles with her very existence, it all may be about to end. The Girl from Everywhere, the first of two books, will dazzle readers of Sabaa Tahir, Rae Carson, and Rachel Hartman. 

Nix’s life began in Honolulu in 1868. Since then she has traveled to mythic Scandinavia, a land from the tales of One Thousand and One Nights, modern-day New York City, and many more places both real and imagined. As long as he has a map, Nix’s father can sail his ship, The Temptation, to any place, any time. But now he’s uncovered the one map he’s always sought—1868 Honolulu, before Nix’s mother died in childbirth. Nix’s life—her entire existence—is at stake. No one knows what will happen if her father changes the past. It could erase Nix’s future, her dreams, her adventures . . . her connection with the charming Persian thief, Kash, who’s been part of their crew for two years. If Nix helps her father reunite with the love of his life, it will cost her her own."

Diversity note: Nix, the MC, is Hapa, one of the love interests is Persian, and there's lots of Hawaiian mythology incorporated throughout. 


Photo credit: Goodreads
On the Edge of Gone  by Corinne Duyvis (March 8)YA Sci-Fi
Goodreads summary: 

"January 29, 2035. That’s the day the comet is scheduled to hit—the big one. 

Denise and her mother and sister, Iris, have been assigned to a temporary shelter outside their hometown of Amsterdam to wait out the blast, but Iris is nowhere to be found, and at the rate Denise’s drug-addicted mother is going, they’ll never reach the shelter in time. 

A last-minute meeting leads them to something better than a temporary shelter: a generation ship, scheduled to leave Earth behind to colonize new worlds after the comet hits. But everyone on the ship has been chosen because of their usefulness. Denise is autistic and fears that she’ll never be allowed to stay. Can she obtain a spot before the ship takes flight? What about her mother and sister? 

When the future of the human race is at stake, whose lives matter most?"

Diversity note: Quoting from Corinne Duyvis herself, “The protagonist is an autistic, biracial, part-Dutch part-Surinamese Black girl. The story also features a prominent bisexual trans Black girl, as well as lesbian, Muslim, and Jewish characters, among others.”


Photo credit: Goodreads
Out of Frame by Megan Erickson (In Focus #3) (March 15)NA Contemporary
Goodreads summary:

"Perpetually shy, Quinn Mathers is content to remain in the shadow of his brash best friend Jess Hartman. But before their college graduation, he and Jess have planned one last hurrah: a spring break Caribbean cruise. 

And it won’t be just any cruise. On board are members of the reality show Trip League, which follows young twenty-somethings on adventures around the world. Since the show’s beginning, Quinn has been fascinated by J. R. Butler, with his amazing body, warm eyes, and killer grin. Unfortunately, he’s straight—or so the world thinks. 

At nineteen, J. R. signed a contract to play straight for the show, and there’s no way to get out of it now. Yet with each passing day, Quinn and J. R. find it harder to keep their hands off each other and to keep out of the camera’s frame. But when the lens finally focuses on them, J. R. must decide if he’s willing to risk his career by admitting his bisexuality, and Quinn must determine if he's bold enough to stand in the spotlight with the man of his dreams..."

Diversity note: This is the third book in Megan's awesome m/m NA series! Trust the Focus and Focus on Me have been some of my favorite NA romances ever. So. 


Photo credit: Goodreads
Half Lost by Sally Green (The Half Bad Trilogy #3) (March 29)YA Fantasy
Goodreads summary:

"Nathan Byrn is running again. The Alliance of Free Witches has been all but destroyed. Scattered and demoralized, constantly pursued by the Council’s Hunters, only a bold new strategy can save the rebels from total defeat. They need the missing half of Gabriel’s amulet—an ancient artifact with the power to render its bearer invincible in battle. 

But the amulet’s guardian—the reclusive and awesomely powerful witch Ledger - has her own agenda. To win her trust, Nathan must travel to America and persuade her to give him the amulet. Combined with the Gifts he has inherited from Marcus, the amulet might just be enough to turn the tide for the Alliance and end the bloody civil war between Black and White witches once and for all…" 

Diversity note: Nathan, the MC, is biracial and (probably?) bisexual. Part of the love triangle in the series involves Gabriel.



Photo credit: Goodreads
If I Was Your Girl  by Meredith Russo (May 3)YA Contemporary
Goodreads summary:

"A big-hearted novel about being seen for who you really are. 

Amanda Hardy is the new girl in school. Like anyone else, all she wants is to make friends and fit in. But Amanda is keeping a secret. She's determined not to get too close to anyone. 

But when she meets sweet, easygoing Grant, Amanda can't help but start to let him in. As they spend more time together, she realizes just how much she is losing by guarding her heart. She finds herself yearning to share with Grant everything about herself--including her past. But Amanda's terrified that once she tells him the truth, he won't be able to see past it. 

Because the secret that Amanda's been keeping? It's that she used to be Andrew. 

Will the truth cost Amanda her new life--and her new love?"

Diversity note: If I Was Your Girl features a transgirl protag! Which I am very excited to read. And kind of awesome fun fact: the model on the cover is also trans. :)



(no cover yet)

Timekeeper by Tara Sim (Fall 2016)YA Fantasy
Goodreads summary:

"Every city in the world is run by a clock tower. If one breaks, time stops. It’s a truth that seventeen-year-old Danny knows well; his father has been trapped in a town east of London for three years. Despite being a clock mechanic prodigy who can repair not only clockwork, but time itself, Danny has been unable to free his father. 

Danny’s assigned to a damaged clock tower in the small town of Enfield. The boy he mistakes for his apprentice is odd, but that’s to be expected when he’s the clock spirit who controls Enfield’s time. Although Danny and the spirit are drawn to each other’s loneliness, falling in love with a clock spirit is forbidden, no matter how cute his smiles are. 

But when someone plants bombs in nearby towers, cities are in danger of becoming trapped in time—and Enfield is one of them. 

Danny must discover who’s stopping time and prevent it from happening to Enfield, or else he’ll lose not only his father, but the boy he loves, forever."

Diversity note: As you can see from the summary, Timekeeper is an m/m time-travel fantasy. :D



Photo credit: Goodreads
Bad Boy  by Leah Raeder (May 31)NA Contemporary
No current Goodreads summary but it's a Raeder book so I'm excited as hell.

Diversity note: Features a transguy as one of the major characters—woot! Plus Raeder's books tend to have a very diverse cast in general, so I'm sure there will be other factors.



Photo credit: Goodreads
A World Without You  by Beth Revis (July 19)YA Contemporary
Goodreads summary:

"When 17-year-old Bo is sent to a school for troubled youth, he believes he’s actually at The Academy, a home for kids who, like Bo, have superpowers. There, he falls in love with Sofia, a quiet girl with a tragic past and the power of invisibility. 

But after she commits suicide, Bo is convinced that she’s not really dead, but stuck somewhere in the past, and it’s his job to save her. In her first contemporary novel, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis guides us through the mind of a young man experiencing mental illness and grief."

Diversity: Bo, the protagonist, has an unspecified mental illness.


What diverse books are you looking forward to that are releasing next year? 
Twitter-sized bite: 

What diverse books are you looking forward to that are releasing next year? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

Debut Lessons by Kate Brauning

Photo credit: Xelcise on FlickrNOTE: Hey everyone! Today I've got a really special guest post from Kate Brauning, author of How We Fall, which has just had its paperback release! Woot! Kate's going to share some lessons she learned from debuting—hope you guys enjoy!

Hello, readers! It's Kate here. I'm so happy to be here with Ava with a post for writers on my paperback release blog tour. One year ago, my debut novel was released in hardcover. It’s been hectic, it’s been hard, it’s been wonderful. It’s been more fulfilling than I ever expected. And last week, the paperback released, so I'm here to talk about six things I've learned during my debut release:

Focus on writing a better book. I can’t control reviews, publication timeline, what other fabulous book releases the same week, deadlines, or bestseller lists. I can’t control how much my publishing house invests in my book, whether the concept appeals to readers, or whether YA contemporary is hot right now. Not everyone is going to like a first cousins romance, and a lot of people are going to really not like it. What I can do is write the best book I possibly can—and then to make it even better. “Good enough” is not good enough. If you know you struggle with pacing, don’t let that remain an issue. Tackle it. Resolve it. If you suspect there’s a tension wobble somewhere, dig into the problem. How We Fall had both of these issues, but I didn’t listen to myself and kept plowing on through drafts, revising other things and ignoring those problems because I didn’t know what to do about them. I convinced myself it wasn’t that big a deal, that no book was perfect. Don’t do that. Have the guts to stop, evaluate, and dig into those problems you half-suspect are there. Don’t stop at “good enough.” Go all the way. My writing, my book, is what I can control. I can become a better writer, I can push myself, and I can write a better book.
Books are made in revisions. The first draft of How We Fall was 60,000 words, and it’s now 89,000. The story was there in the first draft, mostly, but it needed a lot of work. In its final version, the mystery is darker, the romance between the cousins is a little more obsessive, and the pacing is much faster. Between revisions with critique partners, my agent, and my editor, it went through six major rounds of revisions. Even in final edits, it gained a new first chapter and a new final chapter. Revisions made my ugly first draft almost an entirely new book.

Don’t get discouraged when you’re drafting if you’re not seeing magic happen. That magical touch and those insightful moments you see in great books aren’t magic at all. They’re the result of blood and sweat. First drafts are limp and flat and awkward—that’s normal. The depth and layers come as you revise. And revise. And revise. Revisions are where it becomes a book.
Teach your gut, then follow it. Writers get told a lot to follow their intuition. And that’s great advice—as long as you’re training your intuition. Good writers aren’t born knowing how to magically write brilliant books. They learn and learn and learn until it becomes second nature. So read, and read a lot. A book a week—or two. Consume, so you can see what’s been done and what hasn’t, and how it was done, and how you could do it differently or better. Read out of your genre to see what those authors tackle, and how they pull it off. Make your own blend. And as you’re reading so much, and reading new and different things, dissect what you’re reading to see what worked, what didn’t, and why. Teach your gut, and then listen to it when it says something is forced or too thin or just right.
Keep your eyes on your own plate. When I was querying, it was sometimes a struggle to not be jealous when someone else signed with an agent. When I was on submission, it was hard to not be jealous when someone else landed a book deal. Even though I was happy for my friends, it often turned into a “does this mean I’m not as good?” self-defeating little sad-party. And now that I have a book out, there are other authors’ awards, bestseller lists, and publicity and buzz I could be upset over.

But no one else’s success diminishes mine. One of the most wonderful things I’ve been realizing as I find critique partners and connect and blog with other authors, particularly in YA, is that we’re much more colleagues than competitors. Readers can pick up my book, and they can pick up someone else’s, too. Another author’s success doesn’t limit or detract from mine. What does limit my success is me looking at someone else’s plate, and wishing I had what they had, and letting my own work suffer.
When family and friends say, “I read your book!” don’t say, “what did you think of it?” That almost never turns out well, especially if the people saying it are friends or family. If they loved it, they will most likely tell you without you having to ask, and if they didn’t love it, you probably don’t want it to turn into an awkward moment. Instead, I say, “thank you so much for reading!” and divert the discussion.

Great follow-ups can be asking them if they’ve read anything else lately, mentioning something you’ve read and loved, or talking about the publishing journey instead of the book. Friends and family are often curious about it, and talking about the story you wrote is just one way they might try to connect with you over that topic. If you’re getting the feeling they want to talk not just about books in general but about your writing, turn the discussion toward how exciting it was to get your author copies, or how long it’s been a dream of yours to be published, or any detail like that. And when you can, change the topic. Short and sweet is generally less likely to be awkward.
Be deliberate when discussing your choices with friends and family. The more common advice is just to not discuss them, but that can also mean you miss out. The best and worst moments involving friends and family dealing with my book were discussing those hot-button topics. For example, since I write YA, the things that people close to me were bringing up were questions and comments like “I didn’t think the swearing was necessary.” “There are some pretty high heat make-out scenes for a teen book. Do you think that’s appropriate?” or “I just can’t see why you would write a romance since it has all that angst.” “So you let them drink under age?”

Every one of those issues are things I’m passionate about, and they’re areas where I want the people close to me to understand what I’m doing and not think less of me for making choices I strongly believe are positive ones. And that makes any discussion of those things risky.

I don’t want to always divert the conversation, because engaging in conversation about why swearing can belong in YA is a great topic and I want to share my beliefs with people who are close to me. If it’s not for you, then by all means avoid it, but if you want to bring your family in a little more, the best way I’ve found to deal with it is to be intentional about picking the place, the time, and the people. The family dinner table with a mixed group is likely not the time. A crowded room where people can mishear and others can jump in without having heard the context is likely not the best place. An event that's special to you, like a signing or launch party, is not the time. And there are some people who are more interested in hearing what you have to say in order to respond, not necessarily in order to understand—and that’s where I usually don’t want to discuss the issue. It won’t be productive. Some of my relatives have different beliefs and no matter what explanation I have, it won’t be a productive conversation there, either. But if you have family and friends who are up for a genuine discussion, I think it can be great to go for it, in small pieces. It also may help to discuss those issues in general, and not as they relate to your particular book. Some of the best conversations I’ve had with some of my relatives came from that, and I’m closer to them and more open with them now because of it.

So set strong boundaries with friends and family, keep in mind that genius writing likely won’t happen in the first few drafts, and train your instinct. Read out of your genre, read a lot, focus on your own successes, and keep writing the best book you can front and center. This career takes blood and sweat and persistence, but to me, every bit is worth it.


About the Book:
Ever since Jackie moved to her uncle's sleepy farming town, she's been flirting way too much--and with her own cousin, Marcus. Her friendship with him has turned into something she can't control, and he's the reason Jackie lost track of her best friend, Ellie, who left for...no one knows where. Now Ellie has been missing for months, and the police, fearing the worst, are searching for her body. Swamped with guilt and the knowledge that acting on her love for Marcus would tear their families apart, Jackie pushes her cousin away. The plan is to fall out of love, and, just as she hoped he would, Marcus falls for the new girl in town. But something isn't right about this stranger, and Jackie's suspicions about the new girl's secrets only drive the wedge deeper between Jackie and Marcus. Then Marcus is forced to pay the price for someone else's lies as the mystery around Ellie's disappearance starts to become horribly clear. Jackie has to face terrible choices. Can she leave her first love behind, and can she go on living with the fact that she failed her best friend?

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Goodreads Book Giveaway 
How We Fall
by Kate Brauning

Giveaway ends November 30, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway
How We Fall is available through:
Barnes & Noble  | Indie Bound | Walmart.com | Books-A-Million | Book Depository | Powell’s Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk

Author Bio:Kate Brauning grew up in rural Missouri and fell in love with young adult books in college. She now works in publishing and pursues her lifelong dream of telling stories she'd want to read. This is her first novel. Visit her online at www.katebrauning.com or on Twitter at @KateBrauning.

Twitter-sized bites:

What lessons did @KateBrauning learn from debuting? Find out in her guest post on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet) 

HOW WE FALL author, @KateBrauning, shares 6 lessons she learned from debuting. #pubtip (Click to tweet)

Vlog: On Writing the Perfect Project

Does the perfect project exist? I'm answering a question from a lovely viewer/reader today. 


RELATED LINKS:
What If Your Writing Sucks? (vlog)Write For Yourself First (vlog)On Trunking Novels (vlog)How to Know It's Time to Shelve Your NovelWhen Your Novel Isn't the OneBooks Written Before Debuts: Stats
What do you think?
Twitter-sized bites:

Does the perfect WIP exist? @Ava_Jae shares her thoughts in today's vlog. (Click to tweet) 

Writer @Ava_Jae says not to put the pressure of The One on any WIP. What do you think? (Click to tweet) 

"It's natural to be nervous & uncertain about your MS. Just don't let it stop you from writing." #vlog (Click to tweet)

Diverse Books Resource List

Photo credit: Yours trulyBeing part of the online bookish community and very much supportive of the We Need Diverse Books movement, I've seen a lot of really amazing lists of diverse books for readers to easily find. It occurred to me, however, that most of these lists are pretty scattered all over the interwebs, and so it might be good to put a bunch of them together on the same page to make it easy for readers looking for all manner of diverse books to be able to go to one place. 
Thus the idea was born! And I started searching. 
While this is by no means an exhaustive list, I was able to find a pretty sizable amount of really awesome curated lists that bring attention to books with representation all across the board. I'll try to update this post as I see new lists, but this is what I have so far and I think it's a pretty decent start. :)
The whole list is organized alphabetically. Enjoy! 
Disability lists:
BNTeen Blog's Great 2014 YAs Featuring Characters with DisabilitiesBookRiot's 3 On A YA Theme: Blind CharactersBookRiot's 3 On A YA Theme: Characters With DisabilitiesBookRiot's 6 Novels Featuring Mental Illness for World Suicide Prevention DayBookRiot's Books That Understand Bipolar Better Than "Homeland"Disability in Kidlit's collection of themed book listsEight Modern-Day Fantasy YA Novels with Disabled ProtagonistsNine MG/YA Novels Featuring Protagonists with Hand or Arm AmputationsNine YA Novels with Protagonists Who Are Deaf or Hard of HearingNine YA Science-Fiction Novels with Disabled ProtagonistsSeven MG/YA Novels Featuring Disabled Black ProtagonistsSix MG Books with Protagonist Who Are Deaf or Hard of HearingSix MG/YA Novels Featuring Protagonists with AlbinismSix MG/YA Novels Featuring Protagonists with DepressionSix YA Novels Featuring Queer Disabled ProtagonistsSeven Non-Contemporary Fantasy YA Novels with Disabled ProtagonistsTen Historical MG/YA Novels with Disabled ProtagonistsTen MG Novels with Protagonists Who LimpTen MG/YA Novels with Disabled Protagonists of Asian/Pacific Islander DescentTen YA Novels Featuring Disabled Women of Color as ProtagonistsThree MG/YA Novels Featuring Little People as ProtagonistsThree YA Novels Featuring Protagonists with Tourette's SyndromeDisability in Kidlit's Goodreads shelfMy (short) YA with Chronic Illness rep list
Race, Ethnicity, & Religion-related lists:
BNTeen Blog's 5 African Myth-Inspired Teen Books to Read Right NowBNTeen Blog's 6 Compelling YA Examinations of FaithBNTeen Blog's Diverse In Verse: 7 Must-Reads for National Poetry MonthBNTeen Blog's 7 YAs Based on Myths and Tales From Around the WorldBNTeen Blog's 8 Must-Read Diverse YA FantasiesBNTeen Blog's 8 New and Forthcoming YAs with African American NarratorsBNTeen Blog's 8 YA Fantasies with Eastern FlairBNTeen Blog's Fifteen 2015 YAs with Narrations of Asian DescentBookRiot's 3 (+3) on a YA Theme: Compelling Female Protagonists Who Happen to be MuslimBookRiot's 3 On A YA Theme: Beautiful Black Faces On CoversBookRiot's 3 On A YA Theme: Diverse Takes On Romeo & JulietBookRiot's 3 On A YA Theme: Girls of Color Who DanceBookRiot's 3 On A YA Theme: Recent Diverse MysteriesBookRiot's 3 On A YA Theme: YA Set in AfricaBookRiot's Black History in YA Fiction: A Time LineBookRiot's Buy, Borrow, Bypass: Novels About ImmigrationBookRiot's Giving Voice to Black Youth in YABookRiot's Oy Gevalt!: 32 Books for Jewish Book MonthBookRiot's South Asian YA: 5 Titles to ReadBuzzFeed's 34 Books By Indian Authors That Everyone Should ReadBuzzFeed Books's 12 Amazing YA Books By Latino Authors You Wont Be Able To Put DownBuzzFeed Books's 13 Must Reads For The Black Feminist In TrainingBuzzFeed Books's My 2015 Reading List Includes Nothing Written By White MenCBC's Goodreads shelf (categorized by race/ethnicity)Dahlia Adler's Books By and About People of Marginalized RacesDisability in Kidlit's Seven MG/YA Novels Featuring Disabled Black ProtagonistsDisability in Kidlit's Ten MG/YA Novels with Disabled Protagonists of Asian/Pacific Islander DescentDisability in Kidlit's Ten YA Novels Featuring Disabled Women of Color as ProtagonistsLatin@s in Kidlit's Children's Lit A-K listLatin@s in Kidlit's Children's Lit L-Z listLatin@s in Kidlit's MG Lit listLatin@s in Kidlit's YA Lit A-M listLatin@s in Kidlit's YA Lit N-Z listLee & Low's Diverse Dystopias PinterestRich in Color's Goodreads Diversity list (YA & MG)Rich in Color's resource listYA Interrobang's List of the Week: Black YA LeadsYA Interrobang's List of the Week: Hispanic YA LeadsYA Interrobang's List of the Week: Indian YA LeadsYA Interrobang's List of the Week: Ten Native American Protagonists
QUILTBAG+ lists:

BNTeen Blog's 13 Under-the-Radar LGBTQ YA Must-ReadsBNTeen Blog's 15 YAs Celebrating BisexualityBNTeen Blog's A 2014 LGBTQI YA PreviewBNTeen Blog's Honey Girl Author Lisa Freeman Shares Her LGBTQ Reading ListBNTeen Blog's What To Read (and Watch) in Preparation for National Coming Out DayBookRiot's 10 Recent & Upcoming Queer ReadsBookRiot's 3 (Ok, 7) on a YA Theme: Bisexuality in YABookRiot's 3 On A YA Theme: AsexualityBookRiot's 3 On A YA Theme: Gender Fluid, Genderqueer, Gender UnspecifiedBookRiot's 3 On A YA Theme: Intersex TeensBookRiot's 3 On A YA Theme: Trans* Experiences and IdentitiesBookRiot's Coming Out and Coming of Age: YA LGBTQ BooksBookRiot's Genre Kryptonite: LGBT Young Adult NovelsBookRiot's Highlights in Gay YA: Interracial Romance and Racial DiversityBookRiot's Lesbian & Queer Women Halloween ReadsBuzzFeed LGBT's The New Genre of Trans Women's Memoirs: Lives Beyond Our IdentitiesDahlia Adler's LGBTQIAP+ Books By and About People Who Identify as LGBTQIAP+Dahlia Adler's QUILTBAG CompendiumDisability in Kidlit's Six YA Novels Featuring Queer Disabled ProtagonistsGay YA's LGBTQIA+ YA MasterlistMasterlist: Asexual/Aromantic (including demisexual/romantic/everything along the ace/aro spectrum)Masterlist: Bisexual/Pansexual/PolysexualMasterlist: GayMasterlist: IntersexMasterlist: LesbianMasterlist: Transgender (including nonbinary identities)YA Interrobang's List of the Week: Bisexual YA LeadsYA Interrobang's List of the Week: Genderqueer & Transgender YA LeadsYA Interrobang's List of the Week: Ten Lesbian ProtagonistsYA Interrobang's Holiday Shopping Guide: The Best LGBTQIAP+ TitlesYA Interrobang's List of the Week: Queer Historical YAYA Interrobang's List of the Week: Queer YA Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Lists that reach across categories:

BNTeen Blog's 15 YAs That Get It RightBNTeen Blog's 7 Diverse YA Horror ReadsBNTeen Blog's 7 Great Works of Diverse Historical FictionB&N Reads's 10 Children's Books That Celebrate DiversityBookRiot's 30 Diverse YA Titles To Get On Your RadarBuzzFeed LGBT's 15 Children's Books That Are Doing It RightBuzzFeed Life's 19 Unforgettable Children's Books That Celebrate DiversityDiversity in YA's collection of themed book listsWe Need Diverse Books's Where to Find Diverse Books list
Where do you go to find diverse books?

Twitter-sized bite: 

Looking for places to find diverse books? @Ava_Jae puts together resources to find representation across the board. (Click to tweet)

First Drafts are for You

Photo credit: flossyflotsam on FlickrAs it's NaNoWriMo right now, it's no surprise that the topic of first drafts is on many people's minds—after all, I'd imagine November is probably the biggest first drafting month of the year.

So, naturally, it stands to reason that some discussion surrounding first drafts have cropped up, which naturally have got me thinking about—what else?—first drafts, and specifically who first drafts are for.

First drafts are understandably scary—in fact, I often find them more intimidating then revisions because at least with revisions you already have something to work with. When writing first drafts, on the other hand, you're quite literally making something out of nothing. Which can be exhilarating and incredible but also downright terrifying.

What makes it even scarier is the thought that someday, something might come out of that first draft. That publishing professionals might read it, that it may one day be printed and sold and held in your hand as a bound, completed copy. That family members and strangers alike may go to a bookstore and buy it.

It's a lot to think about—sometimes it can be too much to think about, and it's thoughts like these, I think, that frequently lead writers to to feel so unsure about the words they're putting down when first drafting that sometimes they stop. They feel discouraged because they can’t get the right words, because no matter what they write it feels off, because the epic scene in their heads aren’t so sparkly when they get on the page.

Here’s the thing about first drafts: they’re not meant for anyone but you.

Here’s the thing about first drafts: agonizing over every word will make the process a lot more painful than it needs to be.

Here’s the thing about first drafts: sometimes they need to suck a little (or a lot) before you can make them the story you imagined.

Oftentimes, the first drafts are just what you—the writer—needs to get to know the story. To slap words on paper and figure out how the basic premise goes and start to get to know your characters. Oftentimes, first drafts are words that you needed—it’s information you’ll rip apart later on, and tangents that are ridiculous, and it’s the mixed up, convoluted journey that you need to get from beginning to end.

First drafts aren’t meant to be perfect. Hell, first drafts sometimes aren’t even meant to be shared.

But that’s okay, because the first draft in all it’s ugliness, in all those raw-yet-exhilarating moments, in those bits of passion, and excitement, and yeah, cringe-worthy scenes, is for you. It’s what you need to start making the clay for your eventual masterpiece.

And when you’re done, then you can go back. Then you can make it everything you dreamed for that story.

But first you have to write it. And only you can do it.

Twitter-sized bites:

"Here's the thing about first drafts: they're not meant for anyone but you." (Click to tweet)  

Feeling discouraged by the quality of your first draft? @Ava_Jae says it's okay, and this is why. (Click to tweet)

Discussion: When Do You Read?

Photo credit: henkrup on FlickrSo over the weekend I read two books in two mornings ( George by Alex Gino and Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn, both of which were excellent), and a few days before that I completed my Goodreads challenge of 50 books for this year. Which got me thinking about my reading habits this year.

When I have a lot of work, whether it’s writing or schoolwork or both, I find that I tend to do most of my reading in the afternoon/early evenings, right after I’ve finished my work, but before I’ve checked out for the day. When I took public transportation earlier in the year, I read a lot on the bus, and throughout the school year I occasionally try to read before or between classes.

When I have more free time and/or dedicate a day to reading, as I did this weekend, I’ve found that I really like reading in the morning after I’ve completed my morning work. There was something really nice about cuddling up with a book and reading a large chunk of a story (or, in the case of this weekend, the whole story) and still having the rest of the day to do whatever my heart desires.

So, I guess in a sense, I don’t necessarily read at a consistent time—I just try to steal minutes whenever I can and before I’ve gone into braindead zombie mode (AKA: after 5PM). And sometimes this means I don’t get a whole lot of reading done that day, but sometimes it means I get way more done than I expected.

Overall, I’ve found that making a point to read (almost) every day, even if it’s only a couple pages a day, has not only been great for my reading habits, but has really allowed me to enjoy way more books than I would’ve imagined possible for myself a couple years ago. And I still have eight weeks left to read even more this year. :)

When do you generally read? Do you have a set time and place or are your reading habits more erratic? 
Twitter-sized bite:

When do you usually read? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet) 

Vlog: On Self-Care and Writing

On the importance of taking care of yourself first, AKA why I'm not NaNoWriMoing right now.



RELATED LINKS:
Do You Have to Write Every Day? (vlog)Writing When You Don't Want To (vlog)Confessions of a Binge WriterWriter's Guilt: Don't Let it Drown You
Do you take writing breaks between projects? What do you do while taking time off from writing?
Twitter-sized bite: 

Are you a writaholic? @Ava_Jae vlogs about the importance of taking writing breaks to avoid burnout. (Click to tweet)