Just saying

 

Best time of year. Just saying.

Shiny Trophies, Shiny Failure

Debate season has started. For me, this means a couple of things. For one, I will start looking worse and worse. For another, I'm probably going to be freakishly bi-polar. It also means I need to be prewriting the Foreign Fridays and setting the timer publisher thing, because there just isn't enough time Friday morning. (I'msorrydon'thateme.) But most of all, it means that I'm going to get competitive.
See, I'm not competitive in sports. I'm more the kid that's like Oh, look, there's a ball coming -- DUCK! There's no point in me being competitive at that, because the public school system doesn't acknowledge that ducking is a  pretty impressive reflex and should be awarded as well. I personally would accept this trophy.

But that doesn't happen. So I become competitive at academics.
Debate, in particular, is what I tend to focus on. And guess what? I'm actually kind of good at it. I came into Junior year excited, because for the first time, I would have the ultimate edge of age.
Yeah. Funny, huh? Earlier this week my couch put me in something called Champ debate. It's more oriented toward seniors. Which means I would be among the youngest competing. For the third year in a row.
My partner and I prepared more than we ever have before. We knew the topic backward and forward. We spent hours and hours working on it, and we actually felt pretty good. I mean, we'd done well before with odds against us.
Guess what?
We failed.

Like, serious, the worst I've ever done.
And every time something went badly, I'm just sitting there horrified. I mean, I'm supposed to be good at this. Why do I keep losing? Was there like, essence of suckage in my coffee that morning? Oh, god, I'm going to end up a failure at life and have to like, be a trophy wife or something. (You see, even in panicked states, I am indeed thinking about trophies.)
Truth time? We prepared, but we prepared for the minor leagues. We didn't think about the big stuff - what could we trick people with, how could we trap them. Plus, we went up against the best. Every single team we hit -- every single flipping team -- was in finals. Every. Single. One.
I wasn't sure whether to be amused or not.
It's depressing to lose. If it wasn't, then we wouldn't want to win so freaking badly. (Also, those trophies are sparkly. That helps too.) In writing, it's the same way. I've talked to a lot of people who queried for maybe a month or so, got nowhere, and gave up. I've read blogs where people continually lament their losses.
And yes. I get it. It hurts. You do want to give up.
Yes, it's depressing.
But your first time out, you are the underdog. If you don't prepare properly, nothing matters. Preparation alone isn't enough; you have to pour yourself completely into it, think in ways no one else has, and still, sometimes, you just don't win. You keep getting reviews, but that doesn't really matter to some people. It's still miserable. And dude, does it suck.
Guess what, though?
Next tournament, I know what I'm doing. Next time, I know the competition. Next time, I am going to get a pretty shiny trophy.
And maybe for you, when it comes to writing, you'll get that shiny trophy your next time. Even if you don't, you will eventually. You just gotta keep trying.
Seriously, I promise.
The trophies are definitely worth it.

More later. 

Interview with Daisy Whitney!

YOU GUYS. Bounce and cheer and clap with me, because I have an interview for you today that is kind of fantabulous. Seriously. 

Ms. Daisy Whitney has been so awesomely nice to do an interview! Just so you know, I bounced -- a lot -- when I got her 'yes' in my inbox. Seriously, you guys, The Mockingbirds is gonna be BIG. If you can get a hold of it, read it. You won't regret it. Plus, Daisy is incredibly, totally ninja and wrote a wonderful amazing and super duper fantastic book (which you can read about and pre-order here) but also has like a jillion other awesome sounding jobs like Reporter and other fun kind of intimidating stuff.  And because she's way more entertaining than I am, I'm gonna let her talk now! 

Without further ado, Ms. Daisy Whitney!

The Mockingbirds deals with a subject that is close to a lot of girls. Do you have any advice to someone who's going through what Alex did -- who has experienced rape?

For starters, please know that you aren’t alone. It’s sad and alarming how prevalent date rape is among teens. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), 1 in 6 women will be a victim of sexual assault during her lifetime and girls ages 16-19 are 4 times more likely than the general population to be victims of rape, attempted rape, or sexual assault. Also, half of the reported date rapes occur among teenagers, according to the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Knowing that, I would tell girls that there is always someone there to listen. Please talk to your parents. Or talk to a teacher. Or talk to an adult who will listen to you and stand by you. At the very least, talk to a friend. Rape is a horrible thing to experience — you will need support and there is healing in talking about it, even with a close friend.

What was your road to publication like?

 I wrote three chick lit novels that were repped but never sold. When I switched to writing for teens, I finally broke through and landed a book deal! But suffice to say, it was a long road paved with many rejections and I have the stack of rejection letters to prove it. But I am a big believer in perseverance so I kept writing and I view those first 300,000-plus unpublished words as writing school in a way. 

You have awesome characters. Every one of them have so many facets, and they just kind of leap of the page. Do you have any tricks for making them so three dimensional?

Thank you! When I develop a new character I often first ask myself “What is his or her passion?” I believe that interesting characters always have some core, deep passion and by tapping into what this might be as the writer, we can better understand and build out the character. In The Mockingbirds, the characters’ passions are so tied to elements of the story and how the secret society works that it was essential to find a key passion for each character. And I think finding that also helped flesh each one out.

There's some awesome music in The Mockingbirds. Any suggestions on bands or songs?

Like Alex, I do love Beethoven! Ode to Joy from the Ninth Symphony is a pretty rocking piece of music. In fact, it was the song I walked down the aisle to at my wedding. I also adore Arcade Fire. I am in mad love with that band! I also like Coldplay, David Ford, Adam Pascal, Matt  Nathanson and Pearl Jam. And I should also mention that my first musical love is and remain Broadway show tunes! I love the soundtracks to Rent, Chess, 42nd Street, Billy Elliot, Les Mis and others.

What advice do you have a teenager who wants to be writer?

Write, write and then write some more! Writing is a discipline and like exercise; it’s best when done daily.

Thank you so much Daisy!

My priorities

English homework? Pretty much done. I had to write a letter from a character in the Crucible. Minor editing to be done, but I've had it planned out for a week now. 

Debate homework? Not done, but hey, I have a general area of where I'm going with it.

Writing? Wrote 2k words. YAY NINJA.

Emails? Oh, dude, I'm on top of those. Maybe. I'm on top of my AOL account. Facebook? Yeah, totally. Twitter? I'm doing quite well. 

Chemistry? No homework. HAH. 

Math homework?

Um.

Well.

I . . . .

I know . . . what it is . . . . and where it's at . . . so obviously, that should count for -- for something. Right? 

I mean, it's PRACTICALLY done. A good THREE problems are TOTALLY finished. So that should get me some kudos, right? I --

Oh, shut up. 

I Am Number Four movie

No. I haven't read the book. I've had two people who's book taste I generally trust that kind of ruined it for me. -youknowwhoyouare-
But.
I probably will read it. Why? Because I need to see the movie and I don't like watching book movies if I haven't read their book.  And the reasons why I need to see the movie? Well.

Reason Number One: I like YA books to movie. I support this. -shrugs-

Reason Number Two:

I am an unashamed Gleek. Seriously. I love it. So the fact that Dianna Agron is in the movie can't hurt. 

Reason Number Three:

I know nothing about his acting capabilities, but Alex Pettyfer is very pretty.

I can't get the video to upload, but here is the trailer.

What say you? Will you be there? 

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Release Date: November 2, 2010

Amazon Says: Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.

In this honest, page-turning account of a teen girl's struggle to stand up for herself, debut author Daisy Whitney reminds readers that if you love something or someone--especially yourself--you fight for it.

I say:

You guys.

This book? This book is amazing. It is going to win awards. People are going to love it. I loved it. It sends you on a whirlwind of emotions and doesn't let go of you until it's over. And here's the thing -- it felt so real.

Normally, books about such dark subjects are a touchy subject. They can be too dark, too preachy, too much to be real. The Mockingbirds wasn't at all. Alex is a wonderful protagonist. She's talented, smart, sarcastic. She's everything you want to be. But something awful has happened to her, and you hurt with her. But you also get to watch her heal.

The book starts out at the scene of the crime, but Alex can't remember anything. The event of the rape comes back to her through out the book. Normally, I don't like flashbacks. But the way Ms. Whitney pulls them off is not only effortless, but it keeps the awfulness of Alex's situation from rising up and swallowing you by splitting up the sad moments. It also makes it all the more powerful, because not one chapter throughout the book do you forget what happened.

If you get one thing from this review, though, I want it to be this; this book isn't depressing. I tried to explain it to a friend and she rolled her eyes, told me she didn't read books 'like that' -- she then went back to reading Moby Dick. She's worse off for that. The Mockingbirds is not 'that.' It isn't all dark. It's realistic and gritty and yes, awfully, horribly sad, but it's a story about redemption and healing. But, see, Ms. Whitney tells is way better than I just did, so you laugh and grin and roll your eyes at the fantastic dialog. You love her sister, her best friends -- Maia was my favorite, but that's because she's a debater and I'm biased -- and you fall in love with the boy you want Alex to be with. 

This book is honest. It's real. Teachers aren't always there for kids. It's sad and sick, but the administration can't always save teenagers -- even in places as 'perfect' as themis. But Alex's peers step up. She steps up. Her friends step up. And it turned out to be a really great book.

And best of all? If this had actually happened to me, or to someone I knew, or really just any girl, I think it could help them heal.

More later

Take my glue, ban my books?

Glue. White-out. Some kinds of markers. Spray paint. What do they all have in common? Well, they're needed to create any self respecting project, I suppose. But no, that's not what I'm getting at.
Glue. White-out. Some kinds of markers. Spray paint. All of these things? I can't buy. Just like cigarettes and lighters and matches and knives and guns and bullets and all sorts of other 'dark' things, I can't buy glue, white-out, some kinds of markers or spray paint.
 Sound ridiculous?
No? I mean, yeah, sure, kids do strange things (Marijuana? Apparently it's out, and glue is in?) so maybe we shouldn't be allowed to buy these things.
How about this -- I'm given a school project. I decide to do it over the weekend. So, because I want to do my project over the weekend -- because, well, I'm a relatively good student -- I get in my car. I get in my car, my car that ways several thousand pounds, and I drive to the store. I take my life and the lives of everyone around me into my hands to get to the store.
And I am not allowed to buy supplies.
No. it really doesn't make me angry. It's odd and slightly humorous, but hey, whatever. Mostly, it is just annoying. It's a weird double standard. I can drive. I can jump off cliffs if I want to. I can swim in a lake, have a job, babysit. But I can't buy glue.
And in some schools?
I can drive into the parking lot, but I can't read certain books.
It's ridiculous. And some people -- specific people that I know personally -- think it's ridiculous that a sixteen year old can't buy glue. Yet they condone book banning -- because, after all, it's just a book. There are hundreds of others.
Here's the thing.
I can buy glue sticks, because you can't get high off of that. But it doesn't work as well; it doesn't stick to poster board very well. It's annoying that I can't just have what I want, and more than that, it's insulting. Really? Because of a couple idjit kids, you're going to keep something that they use in school away from me?
Because one parent doesn't like a book, you are going to keep a book out of my hands?
My school doesn't ban books. We've got these awesome robot pictures about it.

And some stores will let me buy glue. 

But the ones that don't are the ones that get the press. They're the ones everyone knows. They're the ones with all the attention. And whether it's banning books or taking away school supplies, it's just ridiculous. 

-shrugs- Harry Potter, Twilight, Vampire Academy, Slaughterhouse Five, To Kill A Mockingbird, Little House on the Prarie . . . . They're part of my life, part of my childhood and my teenage years. To take them away, to challenge my right to read them, but to hand me the keys to a Nissan and send me on my way? 

It's dumb.