The day is here! Tomorrow, I leave for Bath (!!!!!!!!!). Unsuprisingly, I've never done anything like this before. I've never packed up my whole life to take it to a whole new life. It's really kind of surreal--that's really the only word I can use to describe that encompasses all the feelings.
But the preparation for this move has been crazy. Extracting myself from my life in Maryville is not an easy thing--mainly because I have a lot of mementos and knick knacks and pictures and BOOKS and clothes and just stuff that I love. It was easy when I went to UTC because I was just two hours down the road and could drive to get whatever I had forgotten. Not exactly feasible with this move. So here's how I'm making this move work:
1. Space Bags: And not the space bags that you roll up, but the space bags that vacuum seal because those things are just plain magic. They decrease to half their size...maybe even more than that. It makes packing so much easier and saves so much space, literally. I wouldn't have been able to make all my luggage work without it.
2. A Good Carry On: I got a lovely carry on bag for Christmas in preparation for my upcoming travels, and let me tell you, I love this bag. It has a nice spacious upper section that will fit several days worth of clothes, and then below it is a section that fits shoes, chargers, all the extra things that wouldn't fit in the top part. For this move, I have clothes that'll last me, some medications, and my cameras.
3. A Backpack: The backpack has your essentials--the things you couldn't live without in the case that something happens to your luggage. A change of clothes, comfy sweater for the airplane, socks for the airplane, travel toiletries, laptop, chargers, book, wallet, whatever else you think you'll need to survive.
4. Charging converters: These are essential to the life of your technology, so I suggest taking them. On any other trip, not a move, I wouldn't recommend bringing laptops. Instead, I would get this awesome Nulaxy keyboard that bluetooth connects to your phone, so you can type on your phone easily. Evernote is a great app if you need to type larger documents.
5. Portable charger: I've never used one before, but on my last trip to DC, I really wished I'd had one of these things. When you take too many pictures or are instagramming a lot or forgot to charger your phone the night before, this little device is a lifesaver.
6. Lists: When that packing anxiety hits and you can't figure out if you have everything that you need, make lists. My friend recommended this when packing three suitcases got overwhelming, and I can't even tell you how much it helped me calm down and keep everything organize. Now, when I go to unpack, I have exactly where everything is.
7. Comfy but cute: For long flights like this, I try to be cute, but comfort comes first. Leggings, fuzzy socks for "sleeping" hours, a cozy sweater are all essentials to me.
What are your travel essentials?
See you across the pond,
HER
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
Tuesday, August 28, 2018
The Announcement
Hello All! So I mentioned some time ago that I had some new ideas in the works (yes, there is book stuff in the works, but that's not what this is, sorry). As some of you may know, I am moving to Bath, UK to pursue to Master's degree at Bath Spa University. I'll be attending their Master's in Creative Writing for Young People program for the next year, studying the craft of writing great children's and young adult literature. I honestly can't say how very excited I am about this, to be able to study exactly what I want to write.
This is not to say that I don't appreciate my general creative writing education from UT Chattanooga. It's been a great starting base, a wonderful way to grow my writing as a whole, and just a fantastic education. However, general fiction is not what I aspire to write. It's not my niche.
I always knew that I wanted to pursue my masters in writing, and at the time, I understood that that would mean studying more literary fiction and writing literary fiction. Most graduate creative writing programs are geared toward literary fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. There are only a few schools in the world that teach the craft of young adult and children's creative writing. The New School in New York City and Vermont College of Fine Arts, which is only a part time program, are the two schools that I could find that taught creative writing of young adult literature. Bath Spa University is actually one of the leading universities in this new type of program, and I'm so excited that it's coming to be.
That being said, I have decided to start a video series focusing on what I learn in my master's program--highlights on how to craft young adult literature--as well as the travels I take during my time in the UK. I will be posting these videos twice a month. Some will focus more on writing while others will focus more on travel.
When I started writing Ascension, I had no basis to go on other than the books I had read. They were my teachers, as they should be. Reading should always be the basis for how we learn to write. But at the time, there were no tools to help me advance my writing, to develop young characters and shape plot. We talked a lot in my undergraduate studies about how literary fiction is human pain. That is what drives these stories forward. It all starts with some kind of human suffering. My mission for the next year is to answer the question: What is young adult fiction?
**Also to tell you about all the best places I visit and where to eat and drink while in them**
My first post will be purely travel based, as it will be posted right after I settle down in Bath in a few weeks. I'll give you my insiders sneak preview as an American Wanderer.
I hope you'll all be excited about this project. I'm definitely excited about it; it's something that I wished I'd had as a resource when I was a young(er) writer. Here we go, y'all!
Stay tuned,
HER
This is not to say that I don't appreciate my general creative writing education from UT Chattanooga. It's been a great starting base, a wonderful way to grow my writing as a whole, and just a fantastic education. However, general fiction is not what I aspire to write. It's not my niche.
I always knew that I wanted to pursue my masters in writing, and at the time, I understood that that would mean studying more literary fiction and writing literary fiction. Most graduate creative writing programs are geared toward literary fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. There are only a few schools in the world that teach the craft of young adult and children's creative writing. The New School in New York City and Vermont College of Fine Arts, which is only a part time program, are the two schools that I could find that taught creative writing of young adult literature. Bath Spa University is actually one of the leading universities in this new type of program, and I'm so excited that it's coming to be.
That being said, I have decided to start a video series focusing on what I learn in my master's program--highlights on how to craft young adult literature--as well as the travels I take during my time in the UK. I will be posting these videos twice a month. Some will focus more on writing while others will focus more on travel.
When I started writing Ascension, I had no basis to go on other than the books I had read. They were my teachers, as they should be. Reading should always be the basis for how we learn to write. But at the time, there were no tools to help me advance my writing, to develop young characters and shape plot. We talked a lot in my undergraduate studies about how literary fiction is human pain. That is what drives these stories forward. It all starts with some kind of human suffering. My mission for the next year is to answer the question: What is young adult fiction?
**Also to tell you about all the best places I visit and where to eat and drink while in them**
My first post will be purely travel based, as it will be posted right after I settle down in Bath in a few weeks. I'll give you my insiders sneak preview as an American Wanderer.
I hope you'll all be excited about this project. I'm definitely excited about it; it's something that I wished I'd had as a resource when I was a young(er) writer. Here we go, y'all!
Stay tuned,
HER
Tuesday, August 14, 2018
What I've Learned from the Food Service Industry
As many people can attest, I always said that I would never work in the service industry, specifically food service--mainly for one reason: I'm way too ridiculously clumsy. I knew I'd drop everything, get orders wrong, and spill drinks on people. Surprisingly in three months of being a front waiter, I've only made one of those mistakes.
I now strongly believe that everyone should work in food service at some point. It is by no means a glamorous job (I had no illusions about that), and it is really hard work. It's a challenge in character, in memory, and in thinking on your feet. It's about learning to work as a team, not just with others. I jumped right into the high end food industry, into a restaurant that fancy magazines write about, where the chef combines odd flavors to make an amazing dish. It's been a joy to work there and get to know all of my bosses and coworkers. But there have been serious lessons.
1. It's not about the mistake, but how you respond to that mistake: One of my first tables serving by myself, I spilled an entire glass of red wine on a customer. Not white wine--red. Let me tell you folks, if you spill any color wine on someone, you want it to be white. I was extremely embarrassed, nearly to the point of tears, especially because I knew the family that was dining at the table. I felt terrible, which led to me forgetting to bring more napkins and new plates. However, the rest of the evening, after several more apologies, I was able to joke with my table about it. Even if you make a mistake, because those slippery buggers will slip into your day, just bounce back. Remember to smile and make the rest of the day/evening as lovely as possible, both for you and the guests.
2. Working hard never doesn't pay off: I've never worked in the food industry before. I've never served before, not really. I've occasionally assisted with a family friend's catering business, but that's not really the same thing. I'm also not familiar with the etiquette that comes with fine dining. Now, if I ever marry ridiculously rich and have to host a dinner party for the great minds of the future, I'll know which way the dessert fork is supposed to face. However, I like my bosses; I like the place I work, and I want it to succeed. So I worked hard to make sure I was good at my job. And my bosses noticed. They were often surprised by the fact that I've never served before. But I worked hard this summer, learned the ever-changing menu, and remembered to put a smile on my face whenever I served. It most definitely paid off.
3. Balance: Most of the time, I'm pretty good at balancing my life. Sometimes...but it is hard. And serving tables is just a reminder of that. We're not always an extremely ridiculous restaurant, especially on a Monday or Tuesday evening. But there are several nights where I've had three or four tables at the same time. You have to make sure you give each of them enough attention, refill their waters and ask for drink refreshers, be sure to clear in time and announce to chef that they're ready for their food. But you also have to read your table. Are they there to interact? Do they want to talk to you? Or are they deep in their own conversation or business deal and just want you to blend into the background? Then you know whether to be charming or just to make sure their water is magically full all the time.
Weird things I've learned:
I now strongly believe that everyone should work in food service at some point. It is by no means a glamorous job (I had no illusions about that), and it is really hard work. It's a challenge in character, in memory, and in thinking on your feet. It's about learning to work as a team, not just with others. I jumped right into the high end food industry, into a restaurant that fancy magazines write about, where the chef combines odd flavors to make an amazing dish. It's been a joy to work there and get to know all of my bosses and coworkers. But there have been serious lessons.
1. It's not about the mistake, but how you respond to that mistake: One of my first tables serving by myself, I spilled an entire glass of red wine on a customer. Not white wine--red. Let me tell you folks, if you spill any color wine on someone, you want it to be white. I was extremely embarrassed, nearly to the point of tears, especially because I knew the family that was dining at the table. I felt terrible, which led to me forgetting to bring more napkins and new plates. However, the rest of the evening, after several more apologies, I was able to joke with my table about it. Even if you make a mistake, because those slippery buggers will slip into your day, just bounce back. Remember to smile and make the rest of the day/evening as lovely as possible, both for you and the guests.
2. Working hard never doesn't pay off: I've never worked in the food industry before. I've never served before, not really. I've occasionally assisted with a family friend's catering business, but that's not really the same thing. I'm also not familiar with the etiquette that comes with fine dining. Now, if I ever marry ridiculously rich and have to host a dinner party for the great minds of the future, I'll know which way the dessert fork is supposed to face. However, I like my bosses; I like the place I work, and I want it to succeed. So I worked hard to make sure I was good at my job. And my bosses noticed. They were often surprised by the fact that I've never served before. But I worked hard this summer, learned the ever-changing menu, and remembered to put a smile on my face whenever I served. It most definitely paid off.
3. Balance: Most of the time, I'm pretty good at balancing my life. Sometimes...but it is hard. And serving tables is just a reminder of that. We're not always an extremely ridiculous restaurant, especially on a Monday or Tuesday evening. But there are several nights where I've had three or four tables at the same time. You have to make sure you give each of them enough attention, refill their waters and ask for drink refreshers, be sure to clear in time and announce to chef that they're ready for their food. But you also have to read your table. Are they there to interact? Do they want to talk to you? Or are they deep in their own conversation or business deal and just want you to blend into the background? Then you know whether to be charming or just to make sure their water is magically full all the time.
Weird things I've learned:
- Martini glasses were invented in hell and are going to spill the contents if you look at them as you walk.
- The best way to cook okra is to pan sear it starting with a really hot pan.
- Pork Rinds with bearnaise sauce is heaven
- Make sure tea dispensers always have the handle on them.
- Cooks are some of the funniest people
I know that I most definitely do not want to work in food service. That's a fact. However, I do not at all regret my time in the high end food service industry this summer, and I'm definitely going to miss all the wonderful people that I've gotten to know and call friends.
Sunday, July 15, 2018
Grand Isle Part 2
Sometimes we stumble onto the most wonderful of places by chance. Me going to Grand Isle was not by chance; it was very purposeful. However, I had absolutely no idea what type of place I was walking into. I've heard some stories about this tiny little island, been warned to be careful, but now, after spending less than 24 hours there, I can't imagine why. I have never been to a more welcoming, relaxing, charming place in my life.
I can't name one other place with a tourism director like Louise "Weezy" or a restaurant owner/council woman like Leoda Besson who'll drive you all over the island in her golf cart, the very first golf cart on the island, in fact. She's a trendsetter. I can't name another place where you can stand in the same spot and see both the sunrise and the sunset or a place with wonderful wildflowers that greet you at the entrance to the beach.
Yesterday was a rough first day of our mini vacation; there's no doubt about that. But today made up for every last bit of wrong turns creaky motel beds or loud AC boxes. We started the day off with breakfast at Yum's (the name says it all). Which might very well be the only breakfast place on the island--also a drive through. I don't think I've ever heard of a drive through breakfast place before. We had some delicious mini beignets and and a full breakfast. Afterward, I was asking our waitress if she was from the island and if she could tell me what life was like. She was a new return, after being gone for many years, and told me the woman I needed to talk to was Yum, the owner of the restaurant, aka Leoda. So Miss Leoda comes up to me asking what I want to know about the island.
"Anything. I want to know anything you can tell me."
"Well, you got some minutes? I can take you around in my golf cart." I'm sorry, but what other town will you find someone just willing to give you a free tour of their town, taking time out of their sunday morning??
But while she went to go collect her golf cart, we made our way down to the Grand Isle Tourism Center, which is in the middle of town next to the dilapidated butterfly dome (I still find it charming and cute, even if it isn't finished), where we met Mrs. Weezy and her husband Darrell. Weezy and Darrell are raising a daughter who's considered different in their tiny island town because she's uber intelligent and loves to binge read. I told Mrs. Weezy that she's normal in my world--the type of girl I'd definitely be hanging out with! But my mom had talked to Weezy on the phone, told her my story of writing and getting published and my success so far, and this apparently gave Weezy all the hope in the world for her daughter. Thirty seconds after Isidora and I walked through the door, she was hugging us, teary-eyed and stuffing a basket full of goodies for us.
For the next hour, we just talked and talked. I learned more about the island from Mr. Darrel, who's lived there all his life. They are just some of the warmest, kindest people I have ever met, and I am beyond thankful that my visit could help ease their worry about their daughter in some way. Natalie, if you're reading this, you're awesome. Don't let anybody make you think otherwise.
After we left the tourism center with our basket stuffed full of goodies, we went back to Yum's and started our golf cart tour with Leoda, and oh my, I've never received such information from a tour guide before! She took us back into the real part of Grand Isle, back where the locals live and where the remaining Acadian built houses are, and through the haunted neighborhood of Grand Isle and then down Post Lane where the ghost of Jean Lafitte is said to roam. We weaved in and out of these wooded areas with great magnolia trees, talking about history, about her childhood on the island, about how many people come here to create new lives for themselves, and it just hit me that this really is the perfect place for the third book of Ascension. You'll see why :)
But she drove us down the beach, critiquing people who were crabbing incorrectly. We saw a school of dolphins right near the shore, which just absolutely made my morning, as if it wasn't already fantastic enough. It was a beautiful day; there were tons of people out fishing and enjoying the weather and each other's company.
I just can't imagine a more idyllic day spent with some of the most wonderful people I've ever met in my life. The lesson from all this, I guess, is when you go to new places, don't be afraid to ask questions. My mom asked questions when we were finding a place to stay, which led to a wonderful morning with Mrs. Weezy and Mr. Darrell. And I asked questions at breakfast this morning, which led to a fantastic golf cart ride with about as local a woman as I could find. This has been one of the most wonderful adventures I could've ever asked for.
So to Isidora, thank you for being my travel buddy and going with the flow.
To Mrs. Weezy and Mr. Darrell, thank you for being the kindest of humans, giving us hugs and warmth, and absolutely making our morning.
To Ms. Leoda, thank you for being the most fantastic tour guide we could've asked for. My book research wouldn't be complete without you.
The people we met on Grand Isle are whole heartedly and unabashedly themselves, and that is something I strive for in the people that I surround myself with.
Thank you, Grand Isle. I'll definitely be coming back for a second visit!
Love,
HER
Saturday, July 14, 2018
Book Research: Grand Isle, La
Let the mini vacation/book research begin (and nearly end...I'm on this little slice of land off the coast of New Orleans for less than 24 hours). But here we are, and I've already gotten so much information!
For those of you who have never heard of Grand Isle, Louisiana, it's one of the few coastal islands just off of New Orleans that basically acts as a buffer during hurricane season, which is why all of their houses and buildings are on stilts. This island has a long history with pirates, mainly the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte, who you might've heard of in some New Orleans/surrounding area legends. However, some of you English majors might recognize the name of the island from Kate Chopin's classic The Awakening. I can assure you first hand that as an English major who's read The Awakening twice for school, it is nothing like the idyllic, relaxing, upper class island that we've read about. But this is in no way a negative mark on the island's record.
Grand Isle is a charming town filled with local fisherman and laborers all living on houses of stilts. I noticed on the drive in that the majority of the houses have been named with phrases such as "Lit Mama's" and "Weathering Heights," hinting at the locals' fun, playful nature.
We checked into our Sand Dollar Motel room located at the very tip of the island where a fishing rodeo is happening (this is what the island is truly, internationally famous for) and they were hosting live music for some fishermen after a long day. Then we made our way back into the town where all the real action is :)
For those over 21, stop at the Island Daiquiri Drive Through for some excellent mixes to take with you on your walk to the beach, which is just a short pass across the street (the eastern side is the best beaches, apparently host to several parties throughout the year). You'll walk up through the grassy pass and go through an entrance of a bushel of sunflowers (my favorite!). There's several entrances along the island with free parking, but if you park centrally in the town, it's not a bad walk at all! We spent some time on the beach as the sun was beginning to fall, and the weather was absolutely perfect! We had the heat of the sun on our backs with the cool breeze of the ocean on our faces. The beach proved to be a great stop because we got to talk to some locals about their views of the island (pretty much the point of coming to Grand Isle). They're local construction company owners who talked about how all they want is to get out of Grand Isle, and it just amazes them that so many international folks are traveling all across their world to come to the bottom of the real south. "Why in the heck do they want to come here?" It's just a tiny island town with a slow way of life.
The Starfish Diner has an amazing shrimp po-boy with lots of locals filling the tables. If you listen closely, you can hear the waitresses catching up with their tables that they haven't seen in awhile (bonus, you can bring your unfinished daiquiri in from next door as your drink).
We finished up the evening sitting on the dock of the bay outside of our motel, listening to "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding (hehe), where several guys were still fishing out on the dock, and there were even more boats still out on the water. I'm guessing that this is a 24- hour deal. The weather felt so nice with a cool breeze, almost to the point that I was chilly, but at the same time, my skin was sticky with humidity. When in Louisiana, right? I've pretty much forgotten what it's like to be an LA girl.
And that's day one of book research on Grand Isle. Guess I've given away the location of Book 3. Shhhhh don't tell the vampires!
Cheers,
HER
For those of you who have never heard of Grand Isle, Louisiana, it's one of the few coastal islands just off of New Orleans that basically acts as a buffer during hurricane season, which is why all of their houses and buildings are on stilts. This island has a long history with pirates, mainly the infamous pirate Jean Lafitte, who you might've heard of in some New Orleans/surrounding area legends. However, some of you English majors might recognize the name of the island from Kate Chopin's classic The Awakening. I can assure you first hand that as an English major who's read The Awakening twice for school, it is nothing like the idyllic, relaxing, upper class island that we've read about. But this is in no way a negative mark on the island's record.
Grand Isle is a charming town filled with local fisherman and laborers all living on houses of stilts. I noticed on the drive in that the majority of the houses have been named with phrases such as "Lit Mama's" and "Weathering Heights," hinting at the locals' fun, playful nature.
We checked into our Sand Dollar Motel room located at the very tip of the island where a fishing rodeo is happening (this is what the island is truly, internationally famous for) and they were hosting live music for some fishermen after a long day. Then we made our way back into the town where all the real action is :)
For those over 21, stop at the Island Daiquiri Drive Through for some excellent mixes to take with you on your walk to the beach, which is just a short pass across the street (the eastern side is the best beaches, apparently host to several parties throughout the year). You'll walk up through the grassy pass and go through an entrance of a bushel of sunflowers (my favorite!). There's several entrances along the island with free parking, but if you park centrally in the town, it's not a bad walk at all! We spent some time on the beach as the sun was beginning to fall, and the weather was absolutely perfect! We had the heat of the sun on our backs with the cool breeze of the ocean on our faces. The beach proved to be a great stop because we got to talk to some locals about their views of the island (pretty much the point of coming to Grand Isle). They're local construction company owners who talked about how all they want is to get out of Grand Isle, and it just amazes them that so many international folks are traveling all across their world to come to the bottom of the real south. "Why in the heck do they want to come here?" It's just a tiny island town with a slow way of life.
The Starfish Diner has an amazing shrimp po-boy with lots of locals filling the tables. If you listen closely, you can hear the waitresses catching up with their tables that they haven't seen in awhile (bonus, you can bring your unfinished daiquiri in from next door as your drink).
We finished up the evening sitting on the dock of the bay outside of our motel, listening to "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding (hehe), where several guys were still fishing out on the dock, and there were even more boats still out on the water. I'm guessing that this is a 24- hour deal. The weather felt so nice with a cool breeze, almost to the point that I was chilly, but at the same time, my skin was sticky with humidity. When in Louisiana, right? I've pretty much forgotten what it's like to be an LA girl.
And that's day one of book research on Grand Isle. Guess I've given away the location of Book 3. Shhhhh don't tell the vampires!
Cheers,
HER
Thursday, July 5, 2018
Clandestine Spotify Playlist
We're gearing up for the Clandestine book launch over here in good old Tennessee, and I honestly could not be more excited! I've been sitting on this book for nearly two years, so I cannot wait to share it with all of you. I know you might be getting a bit antsy worrying about what's going to happen to Cheyenne. Don't worry, she's ready to share the next part of her story!
But the music...you might remember from last go-round that I created an Ascension playlist, along with particular character playlists as well. I've, of course, done the same for Clandestine, which I created after I wrote the first draft. The themes of the songs pretty much go chronologically through the plot of the book, so if you listen to it before you read it, you might get some very obscure hints about what's going to happen in the book :)
I always listened to this playlist when I was editing Clandestine to get me in the mindset and the New Orleans mood, and I honestly love it even better than my Ascension playlist. Give it a listen, get pumped for the book, and enjoy!! July 20th, here we come!!!
But the music...you might remember from last go-round that I created an Ascension playlist, along with particular character playlists as well. I've, of course, done the same for Clandestine, which I created after I wrote the first draft. The themes of the songs pretty much go chronologically through the plot of the book, so if you listen to it before you read it, you might get some very obscure hints about what's going to happen in the book :)
I always listened to this playlist when I was editing Clandestine to get me in the mindset and the New Orleans mood, and I honestly love it even better than my Ascension playlist. Give it a listen, get pumped for the book, and enjoy!! July 20th, here we come!!!
1. The City of New Orleans by Arlo Guthrie
2. broken by lovelytheband
3. Coming of Age by Maddie Medley
4. Black Out Days - Future Islands Remix by Phantogram
5. Hold Ya Head by The Notorious B.I.G.
6. Please by Josiah and the Bonnevilles
7. Guilty Party by The National
8. I've Given Up on You by Real Friends
9. Dreaming of You by The Coral
10. Meet Again by Langhorne Slim, The Law
11. Hunting Happiness by W. Darling
12. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free by Nina Simone
13. A closeness by Dermot Kennedy
14. Disappear Here by Bad Suns
15. Perhaps Vampires is a Bit Strong But... by Arctic Monkeys
16. Cold Little heart by Michael Kiwauka
17. Say It Ain't So by Weezer
18. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by Ella Fitzgerald
19. Run for Cover by The Killers
20. On + Off by Maggie Rogers
21. Basic by Declan McKenna
22. Where Does the Good Go by Tegan and Sara
23. Stranger by Miki Fiki
24. Lil Dead Eye-d by Richard Edwards, Margo & the Nuclear So and So's
25. Under Your Spell by Futurebirds
26. Technicolor Room by Astronomy Club
27. After-hours by TroyBoi, Diplo, Nina Sky
28. Stonecold by machineheart
29. Kill and Run by Sia
30. Bludfire by Eva Simons, Sidney Samson
31. Rollup by Flosstradamus
32. Taste Like by Dan & Drum
33. Lose Feeling by The Copper Children
34. Hold Me to Ya by River Whyless
35. Cold Times by Brent Cowles
36. Ain't no Rest for the Wicked by Cage the Elephant
37. No Good by Kaleo, Vinyl
38. Raise the Dead by Rachel Rabin
39. Wicked Ones by Dorothy
40. Heartbroken, In Disrepair by Dan Auerbach
41. Better Days by Hedley
42. Die Fun by Kacey Musgraves
43. Hallelujah by Pentatonix
44. Winterlong by Neil Young
45. Winter Is All Over You by First Aid Kit
46. Christmas Eve Can Kill You by The Everly Brothers
Thursday, June 14, 2018
Staying in Touch
The young adult literature world is an interesting, exciting place to exist in. It's supportive, inclusive, and pushing the boundaries of great literature today. One of the frequently asked questions, since a majority of young adult authors are not actually young adults themselves, is how do you stay in touch with that part of yourself enough to write about it?
To me, that question was never relevant. When I was a teenager writing Ascension, time is frozen. I thought I'd never be older than a teenager...maybe I was in that vampire mindset a little bit too strongly. But at that point in your life, it's just hard to imagine being older than you already are, dealing with what we know call "adulting." I was fully ready to join Cheyenne in aging as slowly as possible, though I had no desire to take on her gargantuan problems.
In college, it wasn't even really that much different. Despite all the growing you do in higher education between the years of 18-22, you're still very connected to your teenage self. I can still feel very clearly the teachers who told me I wasn't reaching my potential, the first time I put myself out there to a guy and was turned down, the first time my friends betrayed me, the first time I really fought with my parents. The young adult years are a time of drama, of heightened emotions.
But even now, barely 22, I'm able to look back and see how absolutely dramatic I was and wonder exactly what I was thinking. So now I have to start asking myself--how do I stay connected to that part of myself to still be able to write young adult fiction?
There's two parts to this answer. First part--Cheyenne's voice lives in my head. I don't plan what she's going to do; she just does it through my keyboard. So she makes it easy.
Second part--so what about all the books that I'm going to write in the future? The ones I'm working on right now? That's where the real question lies, correct? I read. Okay, let me clarify, I read as much as I can get my hands on in as many genres as possible, but specifically, I have to keep up with the young adult literature, to support my community and also to stay in touch. I listen to conversations in coffee shops, or in lines at the store, or at restaurants--sorry guys, yes I am creeping. I talk to teachers to see what their students are like now.
But I realized this past weekend that I have still definitely held onto the child in myself. Yes, I am a young adult who's becoming more of an adult and less young as the days tick by. But my childhood is still fresh, my teenage years are clear. I have no shame in loving disney, in sleeping with a stuffed animal, or enjoy running around blowing bubbles with a giant bubble wand or wearing a paper flower crown on my head.
This is something that everyone should tap into though, every once in awhile at least. Being a kid is wonderful and difficult all at the same time. There's nothing wrong with tapping into that sense of wonder and innocent fun, abandoning your "adulting" abilities one day to fly a kite in the park, re-read your favorite kid's book even if you don't have kids, or just spend a good hour blowing bubbles and trying to catch them. If you need some help tapping into that mindset, just pick up one of the many wonderful children/middle grade/young adult books in the world now. They're totally immersive and will send you reeling back into that dramatic, wonderful time of your life.
To me, that question was never relevant. When I was a teenager writing Ascension, time is frozen. I thought I'd never be older than a teenager...maybe I was in that vampire mindset a little bit too strongly. But at that point in your life, it's just hard to imagine being older than you already are, dealing with what we know call "adulting." I was fully ready to join Cheyenne in aging as slowly as possible, though I had no desire to take on her gargantuan problems.
In college, it wasn't even really that much different. Despite all the growing you do in higher education between the years of 18-22, you're still very connected to your teenage self. I can still feel very clearly the teachers who told me I wasn't reaching my potential, the first time I put myself out there to a guy and was turned down, the first time my friends betrayed me, the first time I really fought with my parents. The young adult years are a time of drama, of heightened emotions.
But even now, barely 22, I'm able to look back and see how absolutely dramatic I was and wonder exactly what I was thinking. So now I have to start asking myself--how do I stay connected to that part of myself to still be able to write young adult fiction?
There's two parts to this answer. First part--Cheyenne's voice lives in my head. I don't plan what she's going to do; she just does it through my keyboard. So she makes it easy.
Second part--so what about all the books that I'm going to write in the future? The ones I'm working on right now? That's where the real question lies, correct? I read. Okay, let me clarify, I read as much as I can get my hands on in as many genres as possible, but specifically, I have to keep up with the young adult literature, to support my community and also to stay in touch. I listen to conversations in coffee shops, or in lines at the store, or at restaurants--sorry guys, yes I am creeping. I talk to teachers to see what their students are like now.But I realized this past weekend that I have still definitely held onto the child in myself. Yes, I am a young adult who's becoming more of an adult and less young as the days tick by. But my childhood is still fresh, my teenage years are clear. I have no shame in loving disney, in sleeping with a stuffed animal, or enjoy running around blowing bubbles with a giant bubble wand or wearing a paper flower crown on my head.
This is something that everyone should tap into though, every once in awhile at least. Being a kid is wonderful and difficult all at the same time. There's nothing wrong with tapping into that sense of wonder and innocent fun, abandoning your "adulting" abilities one day to fly a kite in the park, re-read your favorite kid's book even if you don't have kids, or just spend a good hour blowing bubbles and trying to catch them. If you need some help tapping into that mindset, just pick up one of the many wonderful children/middle grade/young adult books in the world now. They're totally immersive and will send you reeling back into that dramatic, wonderful time of your life.
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