Dawn Kurtagich's Blog

October is HORROR month (with Neil Gaiman)! (PLUS CONTEST!)

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Tue, 07 Oct 2014 11:51:00 +0000

Right now, I'm sitting at my desk with a sheet strung across the window. I'm staring at the start of two books, either of which may be THE book 2 of my two book contract.

I'm pretty sure that it's actually a surprisingly blue-skied day outside (I honestly have no idea), but I've cocooned myself in my study to work on Book 2 of my contract, trying to learn how to be consistent in the project when things keep coming up that are so talented at being distracting. (October is so good at being interesting, people!) The biggest of which is a HUGE contest happening over on the YA Scream Queens Blog! It's an absolute extravaganza!

This distraction is totally worth your time if you like
SWAG, SIGNED BOOKS, ARCS, PRIZES, GIFT CARDS & MORE!

Some fun things for you to do this October:

October is Horror month (with Neil Gaiman)!
Horror Author Interviews over at the Book Club Forum!
Who Killed the YA Scream Queens? (Was it Gretchen McNeil or Kendare Blake? Or someone else?)
Books that come out THIS MONTH!

I challenge you all to find a truly scary book this month, and to pass it on. Give books AND candy and spread the gleeful terror! I'm already getting started!

On Janet Reid, THE SHARK

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 16:41:00 +0000

This is not the face of evil.

Fish are our friends...

Like many, I subscribe to Janet Reid, the Shark, and her brilliant blog. I have done for years. Why do I do this? Why do I always open every single email from my subscription to her blog? I am represented by a literary agency I absolutely adore, I think Polly and Sarah are two of the best things to ever happen to me, and I have now found a perfect home for my little book in Little, Brown Books For Young Readers and Orion alongside amazing names like Leigh Bardugo, Holly Black and Marcus Sedgwick. In theory, I don't "need" to read her blog . . . So why do I keep reading what she has to say with such thirst?

Because she takes the time to guide writers, despite her busy schedule, and she does it with genuine feeling. She will, in one blog post, reprimand a writer for being so silly and tell other agents to do a better job at treating writers like human beings. I love that! Every time I read one of her hilarious blog posts, it's apparent that she knows that there are actual people with feelings behind the queries and enquiries she gets. She seems to really understand the (neurotic) writer and his/her mentality. How much pressure we put ourselves under. How hard we work (and agonise) over the tiniest little detail—like what exactly an agency website means when their submission guidelines say to provide a "brief synopsis" . . .

Writer brain: Brief? A brief synopsis . . . But brief like the pitch paragraph? Or do they mean like a page long? . . . Or three? . . . Should I break down the whole book? Or just the main bits? . . . Maybe brief means five pages, or ten . . . or half? . . . Maybe I should google it. Oh, wait . . . Google says it could mean any of those things. Oh shit. They'll reject me if I don't follow submission guidelines . . . but they haven't said if they want the brief synopsis in the body of the email or attached . . . if I attach it, will they delete it? But what if they hate long emails . . . I've blown it! I knew it! I haven't even sent it and it's all OVER —

and on and on and on......

Janet Reid understands this. Her sharkiness gets it. For all aspiring writers out there, I would check out her blog. Have a read, hang out for a while. If you have a question, post it there (or look for the answer if someone else has already posted your question). She'll help you keep your crazy in check before you head on out into the wider world. The people who post in her comment boxes are usually pretty lovely too, and we can always use more of that in our world.

Ms. Shark, thank you for being a refuge in a sea of Scary. And for your snark, which is awesome.

Dawn, out.

On Gratitude

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Tue, 29 Jul 2014 18:56:00 +0000

Recently, my dream of becoming a published author, one I have nursed and nurtured for many long, difficult years, became something that wasn't merely a hope, but something that I'll have to wait for. Something certain, real, and so very much alive. I still can't believe it!!!

And I am so thankful.

I think that people spend a lot of time complaining. Once upon a time, I did it too. Maybe we do it because we're afraid? Or maybe we do it because we're bored? Maybe we're not pushing ourselves hard enough or maybe we're just being way too hard on ourselves. Whatever that reason is, though, I think if we replaced a lot of the things we say, think and do with gratitude, we'd see a whole new kind of world. An amazing world where there is enough to go around. Where we are partners and not competitors. Where the biggest issue of the day is which victory we want to celebrate louder!

I want to be thankful for my life. For every beautiful or harrowing thing that happens to me. And I am.

I want to give a shout-out to the people that inspire me. Most of you know who you are, but those who don't, I'm sure I'll find a way to show you. Thank you for what you do, every day. I want to be like you! :)

The YA League Writing Retreat: Shenanigans Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Mon, 21 Jul 2014 11:53:00 +0000

The thing about getting a group of people together who have been friends for ages (but who have never actually met in person) is . . . the "writing retreat" definition becomes kind of . . . fluid.

Everything that has happened since we landed in Scotland:

1. A-holes.

First, a ~~squeal~~ scream of delight, followed by a group hug. And another group hug. And another group hug. While people in the airport were all:

teehee. She said "ass".

Meanwhile, we were:

Shut up, we're fabulous!

2. NOVELTY!

3. DUCKS.

Ducksducksducksducks!!! Feeding ducks is funny as all hell, especially when the seagulls get pissed and jump on the ducks backs.

We do this a lot.

4. Moooooovies. (*cough* Pitch Perfect *cough*)

With us watching it:

5. Plotting.

I am an evil genius.

6. Unfortunately, around 3am, sleep forces:

We are having a blast here on our retreat! :D

The Awesome That Was YALC

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 14:35:00 +0000

Last weekend, author Kat Ellis (she penned Blackfin Sky, which is amazing. No seriously, read it. Now. Go now. You won't regret it, I promise!) and I headed down to the London Film and Comicon for the fringe event within it: The first ever Young Adult Literary Convention.

Saturday

Kat and I arrived bright eyed and bushy tailed on Saturday, to be greeted by thousands of cosplayers all over, from Xena (I KNOW OMG) to Heisenbergs and Maleficents. It took a little while to find the YALC area, because we were swimming through all the awesome, trying not to get distracted by too many shiny things, but once we found it, it was a sweaty (seriously, it was hot. Really, really hot), wonderful, incredible *insert all the adjectives here* day.

Stolen from Kat's blog about the event (link)

We caught the second half of the "Going Graphic: from novel to graphic novel" panel with Marcus Sedgwick, Emma Vieceli, Ian Edgington, Sarah McIntyre (chairing). It was so interesting to hear the four talk about the differences between working on graphic novels versus novels, and the kind of effort it takes to adapt the latter into the former.

Again, stolen from Kat (love you Kat... don't kill me...!)

After a rest (okay, a lazy lie down in the hotel to stave off heat stroke...), we headed over to the "Heroes of Horror" panel, with Charlie Higson, Derek Landy, Darren Shan, Will Hill and Rosie Fetcher (Chair). This panel was HUGELY entertaining (these men are all awesome and completely cheeky!). Each spoke about their ideas of horror, adult vs young adult, and it was definitely one of my favourite panels.

After that, it was time for the young adult author party, a private event for authors and publishers, and I feel to lucky to have been invited! I met so many incredible authors there: Holly Black, who gave me a high-five on my book deal (she had a magical hand in it by once telling me at a signing in Liverpool that I would one day make it), Cat Clarke, who gave me the nicest hug (and who is the nicest person I have ever met, including her wife. They are so cute you guys!), and the Queen of Teen, James Dawson, who also gave me a hug (And who recommended my book during the Q&As of his panel the next day! Thank you James! You are fabulous!), Sally Green (She is the loveliest, most down-to-earth and friendly author!) and Alexia Casale (Who is so enthusiastic, friendly and passionate!).

There were drinks, and nibbles, and tiny little cupcakes with icing books on the top, sporting the YALC logo. It was a magical night. (Especially since a few of us ran off and took cheeky pictures on the Iron Throne...)

Then it was time to head to the pub to meet up with a few amazing writers and bloggers, including Luna of Luna's Little Library, the lovely Marieke Nijkamp, Tatum Flynn, Sarah Sky and a few others. It was an amazing evening!

Sunday

Kat has such a nice camera... all my iPhone ones were blurry

I laughed straight through the "I'm too sexy for this book" panel (a panel all about sex in YA), which featured Cat Clarke, Non Pratt, Beth Reekles, and James Dawson. It was brilliantly funny and I would watch it again, if only to hear these authors utter the words "alternative hole" and "Well, I was about to say 'touch wood' but under the circumstances . . ." again! This was hands-down the best panel of the day!

Next up was the slightly controversial but highly entertaining "Crossover" panel with Nick Lake, Anthony McGowen, Meg Rosoff, Matt Haig, and Dave Maybury.

After that, it was time to get some signed books! Cat Clarke signed my copy of Undone, Alexia signed my copy of The Bone Dragon, and I purchased signed copies of Marcus Segwick's The Foreshadowing and She Is Not Invisible. Take a look at the tidy little haul I came away with!

A Few Other Highlights

We Were Liars quote Stamps

Can't wait for YALC 2015, and I hope you guys can come if you didn't make it this year!

The Day My Favourite Author Congratulated Me On My Book Deal

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 14:17:00 +0000

Yesterday I was given the go-ahead to announce my book deal (if you missed it, you can see the announcement here and here and here) and it was the most humbling and amazing day ever! I was bowled over with love and support and congratulations I received from the YA community, and I feel so lucky and proud to be a part of it. Thank you all, so much!

This morning, I woke up and I had an email notification from Facebook.

"Juliet Marillier mentioned you on Facebook"

My brain frizzled a little, tiny sparks jumped out of my ears, my breath hitched and, slowly, it penetrated. Juliet Marillier? Mentioned me? On Facebook?

Let me give you a little backstory. When I was 14 or so, my mother and I moved into a house where a lady had sadly passed away. She had no family, and everything she left behind was abandoned in the house. Her stores of food, her clothes, her music, VHS tapes, and her books. From her, I inherited a pair of boots that looked very tribal, a suede jacket, and a host of old books (Mary, Queen of Scots, King Solomon's Ring, Under Milk Wood, etc). One of the books, which looked very well-read and well-loved, was a copy of Juliet Marillier's Daughter of the Forest. It had what I believe is the Australian cover.

I didn't read it for a year, but I kept glancing at it and it kept calling to me. But one day, when I was fifteen, I picked up this book and I began. I tore through it. I was so sad to see the pages passing. I cried and I laughed, and I fell so deeply and madly in love that it became my favourite book of all time. It still is, to this day, and I read it every single year (sometimes more than once), loving it every time. I buy this book more than any other book (I own two copies and many of my friends have received copies from me too—including my literary agent!). I fell in love with the next book in the series too, Son of the Shadows, and the next, Child of the Prophecy, and my love for Juliet's words has simply grown and grown and grown. I grew up with her words, and they shaped and changed me. I even drew some fan art years ago, which she put up onto her website (biggest moment of my life up until that point). I wrote fan fiction.

So this morning, when I logged into Facebook, and saw these words:

"Congratulations, Dawn, what fantastic news!"

And when I saw that they were written by Juliet herself, the woman who was fundamentally key in driving my passion for writing, whose work holds me to a high standard every time I sit down at the keyboard, and whose words and characters are as dear to me as my own family, I feel like my whole life just happened. Right now.

Thank you to everyone who has shared my news and passed it on! Thank you Juliet for making my whole day, week and year, and I simply can't wait for you all to read The Dead House (which I found out is up on Goodreads!). I really hope it scares you :D

On Passion, Obsession and FIRE

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 10:16:00 +0000

Good morrow, beasties!

Do you guys remember that awesome 90s film The Craft? When I was a kid, we were OBSESSED with it. One thing that forever stuck with me was the idea of four elements. Earth, Air, Fire, Water.

I love witches. I love paganism. I love books that incorporate both. And when I think about my writing, and my process, I always seem to come back to this idea of four elements (now, five, including aether, which I wrote into my witchy YA novel).

So today I'm going to talk about one of these elements, specifically. Fire.

For me, fire is about power, life, obsession, passion, fury, love, enthusiasm, energy—all of the things that a writer can and will bring to her story. Fire represents the first stage of writing: drafting. When all of your creative juices are flowing, when all of your mind is engaged and salivating, when the novel you are crafting is full of surprises!

It is the time in the novel when you get to move exactly as you choose, as the fuel allows, and you can reign free, utterly at liberty to destroy or create at will.

But there is another side to fire, isn't there? The destructive side. The side that leaves ashes and charred wood behind. This is the fire we don't want to become, my lovelies. Obsession is fine, so long as you are using it to benefit yourself and your work. Don't allow yourself to burn out or to flare uncontrollably. You are the master of your craft and the power of fiery creation is completely in your hands.

Play with creative fire. Let it burn. Keep your water nearby.

Have a great week, beasties!

Tides and Joys!

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 19:21:00 +0000

Today I'd love to talk to you guys about tides—specifically the tides of publishing. And of life too. A friend of mine, Kat Ellis (add her awesome book Blackfin Sky to your Goodreads here!), recently said something to me that stuck. She said:

Publishing is full of mad dashes and sloooow, laaaaanguid periods of quiet. So learn to love them both.

And, you know: She. Is. Soooooooo Right.

How often do we, as human beings, look forward at the next good "thing"? Either wishing we could start that new project that's been exciting us more than the revisions we have to do now, or wishing we had the time to just sit with a cup of tea and read a book, or wishing that life was more exciting, more full, more busy—just, more.

Publishing—life—is like that.

But the truth is that the grass you're standing on right now is the greenest of all! Okay, so you're too busy to have a moment to think—isn't that great?? Or, things have slowed down and you have nothing to do but whatever you feel like—AWESOME!!

I love the different seasons of my life, the different cycles of the year—I love them all. Equally. So I'm going to sit down with a great book (thank you Barbara Erskine!) and a pot (yes a whole POT *grins*) of tea, and just enjoy the quiet! I'm sure it'll be manic soon enough ;)

My teapot looks nothing like this. Sadly.

I hope you will too!

On another note, I recently talked about my writing cycle over on my youtube channel!

Have a great weekend guys!

February Update and Amazing News!

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Mon, 03 Mar 2014 22:04:00 +0000

February was an amazing month—although not so good for the wordcount... The first really cool thing that happened was that I signed with Greenhouse Literary Agency!! (I'll be posting all about that on the YA League blog this week, and I posted a video about it over on YouTube).

Because I was querying my book (which is getting a new name, so shall remain, erm, nameless for the time being), I didn't get much of a chance to write any new words. I was supposed have a week-long writing retreat with my awesome friend Lia so that I could do exactly that, but then craziness happened and I had to bow out early so poor Lia could get some work done! :D

Look at the view we had:

But now the crazies have passed, I'v signed with GHL, and—inspired by Elizabeth May and Lia Keyes to return to tried and trusted techniques—I am back to my writing. The new project is so extremely exciting for me that I simply can't wait to get back to it every day!

The tools I'll need for my return to form:

1. Trust notebook

2. Trusty Pen (I swear by Lamy and Pilot V Pens!)

3. Trusty iPhone (for the alarm)

4. Trusty calendar (I have a beautiful Wiccan art calendar)

5. Trusty (and enticing) stickers (I used to love collecting stickers. My faves were smellies and furries!)

Ooh, shiny clean calendar page to RAVAGE WITH STICKERS!!!! *grin*

February was AWESOME!!!

Looking forward to the rest of March!

~ Dawn Kurtagich

Life Without The Internet

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Sat, 25 Jan 2014 17:07:00 +0000

I have no idea how I used to live without the Internet. But I'm getting a lovely taste of that at the moment.

A tree decided to eat the phone line running to my house. Yes. It went all Evil Dead on me.

So now the line has to be replaced, and I am out of Internet.

Which means...

The house...

Is so...

Q U I E T.

It's freaky. Now, I could look on the bright side: more time to read, time to write, no distractions, lots of time on my hands . . . but mostly I'm just

So, remember: Love your Internet. You never know when it'll be gone.

Peace!

Out.

Today I wield THE KNIFE

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Sat, 26 Oct 2013 13:35:00 +0000

Or, really, the red pen...

So, this was the problem: I had a book. And the first third of said book was about one and a half times as long as the second part of said book, and about twice as long as the third part of said book.

Also?

Parts of it were really, really, really boring.

In came the red pen.

For this surgical procedure, I needed to do several things:

1. Go through the first part and decided what was absolutely ESSENTIAL for driving the plot forward (remembering that I can TRUST my readers, and they have pretty awesome brains and instincts and intuitions without me to help them along)

2. Re-ordering certain scenes in the book to make them more efficient (this was a slight bother, since I had already put all my date indexes into the scenes all nice and pretty and in order, but c'est la vie! Totally worth it.)

3. Putting the scenes into a new Word .doc to prevent a huge, messy, spagettified muddle

4. Reading over part 1 in its new incarnation and seeing if it makes sense. (It does, thankfully)

5. BUT. It was still a little slow in parts, which means MORE CUTTING

The weird thing is, I actually LOVE doing this. This surgical, technical part of creating a book. The part that is invisible to most readers (as it should be). I know that every hour I spend getting this perfect is an hour well spent. Because, at the end of the day, I want to write a GOOD book, not just any old book.

And, when you read it, I want you to really love it, and slip along with the story, not be bogged down by endless narration that doesn't need to be there.

So, guys, this is for you. A day of manuscript surgery. And I'm loving every minute!

Back Again! Or: I'm Alive!

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Tue, 22 Oct 2013 20:19:00 +0000

My dear, sweet, little blog!

I've missed you so, so very much! I had no idea, it must be about a year ago now, that when I closed the doors to your little Universe, I'd miss it so dearly. Because of that I stand here, once again, in the throws of blogger bliss. Why, O, why, did I forsake thee? *weeps*

Where have I been in a year? Well, how much time do you have? Here, there, over there, underwhere—Wait, what?

Ahem.

Lately I've been blogging (YA Scream Queens and my tumblr) and vlogging (over on my channel). I've been interviewing authors and reviewing books over at Bookaholic Hartz and generally (still) getting back on my feet after everything last year.

WritaholicDK

Today, I've been manically busy trying to write an essay about the idea that—get this—Children's Literature is "trivial and ephemeral". I mean, REALLY? Are we still there?

Trivial. And. Ephemeral. THOSE WORDS.

As I'm sure you can imagine I have a lot to say. Just as well they gave me the word count I need to respond! ha ha

In returning to this blog, I suppose I want to stay focussed. My life is about writing, but sometimes other things are allowed to get in the way—grocery shopping, sleeping (ugh, what a waste of time!), eating, the gym, staring dazedly at the wall . . . A little bit of accountability never hurt anyone, right?

So, short as what's left of October may be, I am determined to do something about it:

1. Finish the edits on HB (Horror Book—otherwise known as "Split" on my website)

2. Allow myself to feel satisfaction in what I do, and to not put such pressure on myself to conform to set ideas about what writers do or don't do (yes, I write for 8-10 hours a day, no I don't have a treadmill desk). S'aaaaaallll good.

3. Finish this darn essay

4. Start taking those walks I promised myself without wondering what my computer is doing all alone in my writing cave without me . . . seriously, computer. What do you get up to when I'm gone, huh? HUH??

Iz got my eye on you, you little minx.

5. Allow myself to love my friends, and to accept their love. A wounded heart only stays that way if you never let it open again.

6. Enjoy this Halloween because it will be amazeballs!!!

Bye Bye Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 21:41:00 +0000

Well, the day has come, and I can't quite believe it. I'm MOVING!!! Moving over to Tumblr.

It's reached the point where Blogger takes a wee bit more of my time than I am comfortable giving it anymore (it's not you, dear blogger, it's me. Well . . . mostly me.) So I've started anew with shiny, easy-to-manage, beautiful Tumblr.

You tease, you.

I'm going to leave this blog up, but static, as a monument to the mountains of crazy, cool, depressing, desperate, wonderful and damn-straight awesome that it has contained.

I luz you, Blog, I really do.

Why the Postman Controls My Life

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:13:00 +0000

Here's the thing about where I live: There are no bookstores. None. Zero. Zip.

Which means, inevitably, that I have to order my books online. Which is fine, except for the time I then spend staring out my front door, pacing up and down the hall, checking my watch, confirming my order status, and pretty much waiting for that distinctive little red RoyalMail car to pull up.

But when the weather is like it is today (gloomy, rainy, muddy . . .), it is a sure bet that the postie won't get up to my house.

Which makes me

Which is beyond sad, so I leave to go and eat some clementines. NOMNOMNOM.

While I wait, here is a collage of my favorite character of the week:

GUESS WHO......

Happy reading everyone!

Outlining as an Important Editing Tool

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:44:00 +0000

There is a book that I consider my current magnum opus. Mainly because I've been trying to get it right for five long years. The concept itself has existed a lot longer–its life is ten years older than the words that make it up.

This novel used to be both the bane and light of my life.

It has had approximately seven different openings. It's been written in third person and in first. It's been written in past tense and in present, and from different points of view. It's been rewritten from top to bottom so many times that I'm beginning to lose count.

Why? Is it a bad book? Too complicated a concept? A project that, really, should be shelved?

To all of the above, no. It's simply that one book that will take over your life completely until you get. it. right. We all have one of those, don't we?

Every time it came to edits on this particular novel, there would be a few elements—sometimes even simply one element—that wasn't working. And edits would require an overhaul, or major edits which I would need to weave through the entire book.

This is where outlining comes in handy. For those writers out there who are major potter/planners, this will be a no-brainer. For us more pantster types, well, sometimes the obvious needs restating.

It is a lot easier to edit a detailed outline than to rewrite the entire novel. An outline does not have to predate the existence of the novel. I'm finishing up the outline to this novel after five years. But getting the outline into shape will ensure that this edit will be THE edit. The last one, at last.

So give the outline a good go, it could save a lot of time! :)

Happy trails everyone!
D

My Lifesaving Liver Transplant

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 17:59:00 +0000

Second Life, Second Chance. Hello again!

Hello world, I’m back again, and so thankful for it too! I'm all

And

And especially

Back in April, I finally gave in and posted the dreaded “out sick” blog to let everyone know that I’d be disappearing for a while.

What happened? Well . . .

I was sick. Very, very sick. For the last 13 months I’ve been in liver failure, waiting for a life-saving liver transplant. My whole life was like

I really thought I might not make it. I was all

Because the universe seemed to be like

And I was like

And then. THEN.

21 days ago I got the call that saved my life. There was a liver for me. I was saved by a brave stranger who died too soon. A stranger who donated all of his organs, and saved many, many lives. For this, I am eternally thankful.

For this, I am here. Healthy. Alive. BACK.

This last year has changed me in a lot of ways. I’ve struggled through appalling symptoms and had to face a lot of difficult realities. I faced my mortality and prepared to die. I almost did.

I was like

21 days ago, my second life began. I’d like to thank all of the people who have kept me going over the last 13 months and through the transplant process. It’s a big, big operation and a huge journey to go on, and I couldn’t have done it without my husband, my family and all of the hundreds of supporting messages I’ve received from all over the world.

You made me

THANK YOU.

Slowly, I’m taking up the reigns of my life again. And though I never stopped writing, it was certainly a feat to continue. Everything was a huge battle. Now it’s a priceless and precious gift.

And the coolest thing about being healthy??

FOOD!

When I woke up from surgery and realized I was hungry, I was like

I'm a bit more in control of myself now . . .

If anyone has questions about liver transplantation or about liver disease in general, feel free to email me or get in touch. It’s a harrowing experience, and if I can help anyone out, I will.

I’ll slowly be taking up the reigns of my blog and of my life, while trying not to be too much like

You are beautiful. It’s so good to see you.

Right now, I’m like

While everyone else is like

Love you guys!!

I'd like to give a special shout-out to my US BFF, Amy Lukavics, who literally kept me going through this. I love you so much, and forever.

And, always, my husband and my mother.

Book Trailer Reveal: Elemental by Emily White

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:18:00 +0000

Hey guys, well, here it is!!!

Big, Fat, Huge, GIGANTIC book!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:04:00 +0000

Have you guys seen THIS???

It is a 10,000+ page book!!

"The binding measures 8 1/2 x 11 x 24 inches and is possibly

the thickest single volume book ever bound."

~Source~

The mind boggles.

Win a Manuscript Critique from top literary agents!

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 01:44:00 +0000

Hey guys,

I thought I would let you all know about an awesome new essay contest for aspiring writers of YA/middle grade fiction from The Book Wish Foundation. You could win a manuscript critique from Laura Langlie, Meg Cabot's literary agent, Nancy Gallt, literary agent for Jeanne DuPrau and many more!

Here are the details:

Win a literary agent or acclaimed author's feedback on your unpublished manuscript for young adult or middle grade readers. This rare opportunity is being offered to the six winners of an essay contest recently announced by the literacy charity Book Wish Foundation. See http://bookwish.org/contest for full details.

You could win a manuscript critique from:

Laura Langlie, literary agent for Meg Cabot
Nancy Gallt, literary agent for Jeanne DuPrau
Brenda Bowen, literary agent and editor of Karen Hesse's Newbery Medal winner Out of the Dust
Ann M. Martin, winner of the Newbery Honor for A Corner of the Universe
Francisco X. Stork, winner of the Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award for The Last Summer of the Death Warriors
Cynthia Voigt, winner of the Newbery Medal for Dicey's Song and the Newbery Honor for A Solitary Blue

All that separates you from this prize is a 500-word essay about a short story in Book Wish Foundation's new anthology, What You Wish For. Essays are due Feb. 1, 2012 and winners will be announced around Mar. 1, 2012. If you win, you will have six months to submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript for critique (which means you can enter the contest even if you haven't finished, or started, your manuscript). You can even enter multiple times, with essays about more than one of the contest stories, for a chance to win up to six critiques.

If you dream of being a published author, this is an opportunity you should not miss. To enter, follow the instructions at http://bookwish.org/contest.

Don't miss this opportunity, guys!

*HUGS*

Did You Set a Reading Goal for 2011?

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:51:00 +0000

Did you set yourself a goal for this year about how many books you would read?

I did!

I told myself I would read 50 books this year. Last year I only managed 35.

And I'm on book number 49! Wahoo! So, provided I read two books before the end of the year, I am set :) (Check out my list of 2011 reads in the sidebar!)

What was your goal?

Halloween Pictures plus Nanowrimo

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 13:47:00 +0000

I snapped some pretty grainy halloween pics on my phone, and here they are!!

*drumroll*

I set up a spooky party in the living room, complete with spider webs, jack O'lanterns (they ran out of pumpkins so I used Butternut squash and peppers), tomb and ghost candles, LED light-up balloons (green, orange and flashing white), scary cupcakes, nibbles, spiders, bats and more!

creeeeeepy!

I was a creepy clown thing with a big, evil grin! >:D

With a flash! BOO!

Hope you all had a fantastic Halloween!!! I have a pretty busy week coming up with assignments due, Nanowrimo beginning (buddy up with me: WritaholicDK) and a long weekend away for birthday frolicks. So have fun!

*HUGS*

A Letter to this Year

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:52:00 +0000

Dear Year,

With my birthday fast approaching, and 2012 just around the corner, I can finally say what I need to say to you.

I'm sorry to say that I won't be sad to see you go. I don't suppose it's your fault that things went sour, nor is it your fault that we didn't always get along, but you were the vessel for the things that happened, and I'll be glad when it is all just a memory.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to be strong, but please—don't do that again.

You played your part very well, challenged me in ways I have never been challenged, broken me down so that I thought I'd never get up again, and yet here I stand. And you are almost gone.

You ate up precious time, time I won't ever get back, so that even though so much has happened and I have been irrevocably changed, I wonder how. How I blinked and ended up here, on the other side. But I forgive you, because I know it really isn't your fault.

I'm sorry for hating you when things got hard, and even though our relationship has been troubled, I can say farewell with an open heart, knowing you brought me something I needed. Something that taught me a lot about myself. You did that.

You brought me the unexpected, surprised me (though I think you need some practice), and took me to the darkest parts of myself (places I am—still—too afraid to explore too closely). You are like a game of Jumanji. So thank you for the adventure.

Now I can move forward with these things—the long, hard months you gave me—under my belt, and know I am stronger for it.

So thank you.

Be nice to the next girl you stumble upon, and please, be gentle.

Sincerely,

A friend

Boo!! Halloween baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:29:00 +0000

Jeremy Bates started this awesome blogfest, so hop on over and say hi!

I love Halloween. I love all things scary—books, films, themes, the haunted house rides at fairs—HALLOWEEEEN!!!

Bwahahahahaha!! :D

First, a piccie.

Last Halloween was AWESOME. I went to a dress up party at a friend's house and I was ELPHABA!!! I mean, come on. HOW COOL IS ELPHIE???

This is my best ever pumpkin lantern—from Halloween 2009:

And I was a witch that year :)

Favorite monster movie? Let me define: Creature film. Mmmm. . . I loved Ginger Snaps. (Teen gets bitten by werewolf and begins to change into one. Good jumpy moments, lots of sex appeal).

Also really loved Pandorum. Sci-fi monster-horror at its best.

Another fantastic one: Splice. Genetic manipulation = scary monster-human storyline at its best :)

Favorite ghost movies? Paranormal Activity (Can we have a HELL YEAH for PA3??)

And also House on Haunted Hill.

Best "Devil" film? Prince of Darkness. This one is an oldie. I saw it when I was a tiny tot on TV and again a few years ago. It has a wonderful, tense, eerie atmosphere.

Best Sci-fi horror film? Hands down: Event Horizon. This film is pretty scary.

Grossest film I've ever heard of? The Human Centipede.

Best scary book I've ever read (hands down): House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski. This novel is SCARY. In a very subtle, psychological way. It is an ergodic novel, meaning that the way the text is laid out on the page plays a part in how the story is experienced. See my previous post about this amazing book here.

Happy haunting, y'all!

Dark, Edgy YA

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 12:07:00 +0000

Inspired by Stina Lindblatt, guest blogging over at Sarah's blog, I am going to discuss dark, edgy YA fiction, its purpose, aims, place and what it means for me, personally.

I, for one, have a special place in my heart for darker YA. I read it when I was teen, not too long ago, and I still read it now. For those unfamiliar with this sub-genre, dark and edgy YA deals with difficult topics, from abuse, sex, drugs, crime, bullying, rape, and all other "darker" subject matters.

Some people believe that it isn't the place of YA to explore these issues, and I think you all know how strongly I disagree with that point of view. From my perspective, and from my experience, darker YA gave me a chance to explore issues I, friends or family members were experiencing. Similar emotions, similar situations—all outside of myself. As I commented on Sarah's blog,

"I write dark YA and I read it too. I did as a teen as well (Not too long ago). There is something cathartic about it, about feeling like there is a story in the world that exists separate and outside of yourself, but which tackles issues you maybe dealing with (or a friend may be dealing with) in a safe space. It is a way to experience and work through those emotions in a world where you are in control. You turn the pages. You make the journey. And the nice thing about YA is that the endings, although not always the most rainbow friendly, are cathartic and healing."

There is something healing about knowing that there exists a story, completely separate from you, that deals with things you might be dealing with. That is connected to you in that way alone. And more: you are experiencing it in a safe place. With yourself. In your mind.

As I said in the comment, you, the reader, have control of the pace of your exploration, whether you even finish at all. And what's more: YA novels tend to have fitting endings. Not always sunny side up and all better, but cathartic. Healing. The truth is that teens are facing some of these issues. Scary, I know. But books like those of Ellen Hopkins, Laurie Halse Anderson and Courtney Summers serve a vital purpose in helping those teens going through it. It's not always easy to talk to another person, let alone adult, about this stuff.

And for the teens not going through these dark issues? Well, again, they can explore them in the safe confines of the page. Hopefully the more darker consequences will educate them and help them make wiser choices.

Teens aren't stupid. Teens aren't fragile. They are strong.

What do you guys think? Do you like dark, edgy YA? Read it? Love it? Hate it?

*Hugs!*

On Empowerment

noreply@blogger.com (Dawn Kurtagich) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 11:53:00 +0000

Or, stomping that bitch, "doubt" right down.

We all know how it goes, don't we? We write a book.

You finish the book and you love it. You love it enough to tear it apart with your red pen and then stitch it back together. You love it enough to polish it, write smaller versions of it (which we call Synopses), and even smaller versions yet (pitches), and you think it is the best book in the whole entire world!

You let other people read it. Beta readers. Critique partners. During this whole process, you have hope that THIS is the book that will do it for you. THIS is the book that will attract an agent or get a book deal THIS IS IT. The feedback comes in, and that bright, ripe bit of hope—like a beautiful piece of fruit—is bumped. A little bruise appears.

You revise some more. Maybe you even re-write the entire thing. You spend weeks doing this—maybe even months. After another round of revisions, you query the list of agents you have compiled. Hope burns bright. You wait. And wait. Sometimes there are responses. Sometimes none. Rejections come in without any hint as to what is wrong. Sometimes they do have hints—maybe some have more than hints. The doubts creep in.

Doubt tells you that you are a nothing. Doubt tells you that you don't know what you are doing. Doubt tells you that you will never make it, never be brave enough, creative enough, savvy enough. Good enough. You get close with an agent you love. You revise your work for agent, and send it back. You come so close. And then it's another rejection.

The bruises mount up. You feel soul-sore. But you wipe off the blood, put on your smile, and send out another query. Write another book. Do everything you can.

And then it happens, and all the hurt, the bruises, the rejections, the waiting—all of it seem so small. Because you finally found that one agent who believes in your work, and in you. Who loves it and understands it, and who wants it to do well. An agent who encourages your energy, tells you that you can make it, and who believes it too. Another advocate for your work.

The bruises that once softened Hope feel like they have faded away entirely. You feel like a whole person, with no wounds. No battle scars. No injuries.

You work on your book some more, love it some more, and finally it is ready to go into the wider world and to be seen by editors. Hope flames brighter. The little round, beautiful fruit seems to shine with sweet, sweet possibilities.

Some rejections come in. The bruises reappear, and where you thought they had healed, you see that they'd really only faded. Bruises upon bruises. Do you give up? Hag your head and walk away? Believe it when Doubt tells you that you are not in the same league as those other authors, who have book deals and who have signings and three book deals? Do you believe it when Doubt kicks you and laughs and says, "Who the hell were you kidding, kid?"

Or do you brush it off, tell the bitch you won't be defeated, and soldier on? Of course you do. But the little niggle of doubt remains. You can't quite shake it.

BUT THEN.

THEN.

An editor loves it. Understands it. Wants it. Hope burns bright again. YOU MADE IT.

Want to know why? Because you didn't let hope die. You protected that little piece of fruit and kept it safe, and you told the bitch that is Doubt to shove it.

Doubt is a bitch, and can go straight to hell.

Don't act based on your fear. Don't act based on doubt. Act on faith, on love, on hope. These are the things that will see you through the dark times. And some of those times can feel so dark you wonder if you will ever find the way out, if your tiny spec of light is enough to lead you through the labyrinth.

It. Is. It has to be. You have that within you. You can choose who you are and how you react (or act) every moment of every day.

Rock on, peeps. You are amazing, creative, wonderful people and I am so lucky to have met you, whether virtually or IRL. No one wears their heart on their sleeves like us.

Our Hope is strong. Maybe my analogy is flawed. Maybe Hope isn't the fruit we protect. Maybe it's the armor we put on every day of our lives.