Jade hears voices

It gets harder.

2012-01-27T13:46:00.001+11:00

When I first decided I was going to be a writer, I thought that the more I wrote, the easier this writing gig would become. And I continued to think this for quite a number of years.

Oh, what a fool I was.

In some ways, things have become easier. But in so many other ways, things have become harder. This last year in particular has been especially difficult. It's harder to be inspired. Harder to get the words down. Harder to edit. Harder to move forward.

It's taken me a long time to see this as a positive, but that's what I'm coming around to. It's harder for me to get inspired because I know if it's not something truly amazing, I won't put in the effort in. It's harder to get the words down because I now know how important each word is. It's harder to edit because I know I have to push myself to the breaking point to get the story I want. It's harder to move forward because I know how important it is to get it right.

These are all positives.

Some of you might be aware of the fact that I have 11 completed manuscripts to my name. Back when I was writing book 1 (in 2006!) I would have thought that by book 12 (which I'm currently working on) I'd be a pro. It would probably take me 4-6 weeks to smash out a first draft and then a couple of months to edit.

HA HA HA HA!

Truthfully, instead of becoming easier, they've become harder. A few years ago, I'd get a half-arsed idea for a book, leap into writing it without much planning, smash out a really quick draft, and think it was super awesome.

Spoiler Alert: They were never awesome.

Let's take 2010 for example. I always think of the year that I really started to grow as a writer. I also completed 5 manuscripts in this year alone. Yes, FIVE.
This might seem like a great feat, and they all helped me improve as a writer, but they were all far from being awesome.

Of those five books, two have been completely written off (although one of them does have a cool concept that I might use one day…). Another one was The Silagree which I spent most of last year editing (and I'm still not finished!). I also wrote the original version of The Opposite of Dead which I completely re-wrote last year, and Forever More, which I am currently in the process of totally re-writing.

Let me just sum up: 2 books were no good, 2 needed to be totally re-written, 1 needed a year of editing.

So, sure, maybe it was easier to get the part where I wrote THE END with these books, but what I was left with, was a total mess. I wasn't thinking about what I wanted to say with a particular story, what I wanted that story to be. I wasn't taking my time to think about what I was writing, and what I ended up with was an easy first draft that sucked. A lot.

Now I'm embracing the struggle to get a first draft done. It's harder, sure, but I am certain that the end product will be a lot closer to awesome.

Hopefully.

Who else is struggling through a first draft?

Time to be an adult.

2012-01-06T09:00:00.000+11:00

Happy (belated) New Year's, guys! Can you believe it's 2012? Seems like only yesterday that I was partying like it was 1999 and worrying about Y2K. Wait. That was yesterday.

Moving on.

I'm not big on resolutions and goals because I'm a go-with-the-flow kind of gal. Also, I have a tendency to set super unrealistic goals. I look back fondly at the start of 2010 when I was so sure that all my dreams were going to happen that year. Agent, book deal, super stardom, the Oprah show. Which was ridiculous. I didn't know the first thing about writing a book let alone getting published.

Ah, the beauty of hindsight.

For 2012, I've decided to do things a little differently. I'm setting myself some goals/changes that I hope will contribute to my personal happiness and well-being. I'm not going to tell myself that I have to write x number of books and edited x number of projects.

I'm going to try to stop stressing myself out all the time. That's Goal Number One.

The only thing I have set myself strict guidelines in, is this year's reading challenge, which, let's face it, I usually fail. But not this year. Instead of saying I'm going to read x number of books or die (although I would like to hit 103 because that's a cool number), my goal is to make a certain percentage of those books are from outside the YA/MG shelves. Like, 25%.

Yes, more adult books. How scary.

Of the 98 books I read in 2011, guess how many were outside the YA/MG world?

Only four.

*hangs head* As much as I love children books (which you may have noticed is quite a bit), I'm completely horrified by the number of adult books I read. This needs to be remedied. Immediately.

I used to read SO MUCH in the adult/non-fiction categories, but this has fallen by the wayside in my mad romance with children books. So I need your help. I realise most of you probably read a lot of YA/MG too, but surely some of you have recommendations. I don't care what genre it is (okay, maybe not gory horror), what it's about, if you love it, tell me about it

To give you some background, some of my favourite adult books include:

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
American Gods by Neil Gaiman

Um, so yeah. Make of that what you will! And recommend some books. PLEASE. Help a girl out.

Why I read books.

2011-12-31T11:55:00.000+11:00

Today is New Year's Eve and I've been reflecting on the last year and, in particular, all the books I've read. I thought it might be interesting to break down the books I've read into categories I've why I read them in the first place. There are SO MANY books out there, and sometimes I feel overwhelmed by all the books I won't read, which makes it hard to pick the ones I will read.

In 2011 I read 96 books (Gah! Only 4 short of my goal) and I've broken them up into eight categories. Some books belong in more than one, but I picked the one that most fit it. Take The Scorpio Races for example. I have read a book by this author before, but the reason I read it was all the hype about HOW AWESOME this book is. (And it's all true.) On the other hand, Divergent got all kinds of hype, but I only read it because it was strongly recommended to me. (And I loved it!)

Here's the breakdown:

Reasons

Author is a friend/someone I know online: 8

Recommendation: 19

Hype: 9

Already a fan of the author: 23

Liked the premise: 21

Felt like I should read it: 8

Re-read: 5

Other reasons: 3

The Felt Like I Should Read It category is filled with classics that I thought were important for me to read, such as, The Virgin Suicides and Ender's Game. The Other Reason category includes a book I read because I liked the cover, a book that was turned into a movie and I wanted to read the book first, and a book by an author I met who seemed cool.

I'm surprised to find that the biggest category is books by authors I'm already a fan of. But it is true. If I've read and loved a book by an author, I'll usually read follow-up books regardless of other factors. I'm very loyal like that.
It also seems that I don't easily buy into the hype which I think is mainly because I have a good idea of what books I'll like and which ones I won't. But I'm not always right. I really didn't think I'd enjoy Divergent, but then I loved it and there's a few books where I bought into the hype and then didn't enjoy AT ALL.

Out of interest, I also decided to work out how many of those 96 books I owned, borrowed, etc, so here's the breakdown for that:

Bought: 55

Borrowed from library: 31

Swapped: 3

ARC: 7 (I also bought 2 of these books once they came out, and plan to buy 3 more when they're released.)

This is proof that I buy WAAAY too many books! I also got another 21 books for Christmas. Oops!

And one final piece of bonus information: the author I read the most in 2011? It's a tie between E. Lockhart (I re-read The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks and the first three books of the Ruby Oliver series) and Maureen Johnson (13 Little Blue Envelopes, The Bermudez Triangle, The Name of the Star, Let it Snow.)

I'm curious about what makes other people read the books they do. Is it through recommendations or hype? Already a fan of the author? Pretty covers? Blurbs from famous authors? Let me know what you think.

Have a Happy New Year and I'll catch you all in 2012!

Faves of 2011: the covers.

2011-12-23T23:15:00.000+11:00

Today is the final day of the Faves of 2011, and it's all about the shiny, pretty covers. So here are my top ten favourite book covers from books I read this year.

I am absolutely obsessed with book covers! What are some of your favourites?

Faves of 2011: random stuff.

2011-12-22T20:30:00.000+11:00

Since I missed Day 3 of the Faves of 2011 in all chaos of packing for my trip, I thought I'd combine it with today's category. So I'll give you a few of my favourite scenes and then some random book highlights.

The Scenes

Best First Chapter: Across the Universe by Beth Revis. If you want an example of an awesome opening chapter, look no further. There was so much tension in this scene that I just about gnawed my lips off.

Best ending: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater. This ending destroyed me. I was literally sobbing like a small child while I read it. And even though it's been a few weeks since I finished it, I still find myself thinking about it all the time. If you haven't got the message yet, I LOVE THIS BOOK.

Best plot twist/revelation: This a tie between August by Bernard Beckett and The Museum of Mary Child by Cassandra Golds. I didn't see either of the twists coming and they totally floored me. Love a good plot twist!

The Randoms

Best first sentence: Daughter of Smoke and Bone.

Favourite book title: This is Shyness by Leanne Hall and I Am Not A Serial Killer by Dan Wells.

Can't believe I waited so long to read: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson. Seriously. WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG?! One of those books that linger.

The book I'd give to my past self: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta. Teen Jade would have LOVED this book. If only.

The book that lived up to the hype: Daughter of Smoke and Bone. Perfection. Surpassed my incredibly high expectations.

The book I was *dying* to get my hands on: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. Thankfully I got to read it early, so I didn't have to wait as long!

Tomorrow is the final day of the Faves of 2011 where I'll be revealing my favourite covers of the year!

Faves of 2011: the characters.

2011-12-20T21:08:00.000+11:00

Day Two of the Faves of 2011 is all about stand-out characters. If I had to pick just one book for awesome characters, I'd have to go with Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta. I want to be friends with them all. Especially Tom.

Here are some of my other favourite characters from books read in 2011:

1. favourite female main character: Ruby Oliver from The Boyfriend List. I only discovered this series this year (which is odd because Frankie Landau-Banks is probably my all-time favourite female character) and I absolutely adore Ruby.

Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door. I wish I'd been like Lola when I was a teenager.

2. favourite male main character: Four from Divergent. He is EXACTLY my taste. Perfection.

Cricket from Lola and the Boy Next Door. I'm not always a fan of the "nice boys" but he is the right amount of sweet and sexy.

3. best couple: Sean and Puck from The Scorpio Races. It's not a big, swoon-y romance, but it's as satisfying as it is beautiful. LOVE.

4. who I so want to be best friends with: Jack from Supernaturally. Such a fun, cheeky character. I ADORE him.

5. who I fell completely in love with (new literary crush): Tom from The Piper's Son. He's a perfect example of a good boy gone off the rails.

6. favourite villain: Divergent had some of my favourite villains ever. They made me really fear for the other characters.

7. best character twist: Tristan from August. Did not see that coming.

8. best kick-arse female: Tris from Divergent. That girl is bad-ass.

9. best kick-arse male: Four from Divergent. Am I getting the message across? I LOVE FOUR.

10. best YA parents award: Lola and the Boy Next Door. Lola's dads were freakin' awesome!

11. favourite sibling relationship: Invincible Summer. Love that family something fierce.

Who are some of your favourite characters of 2011?

Faves of 2011: The Books

2011-12-19T21:20:00.000+11:00

All this week, one of my favourite book bloggers is running the Faves of 2011, a Book Award Thingy where you give shout outs to your favourite books read this year. Today is all about the books:

Here are some of my favourite reads of the year so far:

1. favourite book read in 2011: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

2. most powerful book: The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

3. brilliantly funny: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

4. best ache-y, heart-breaking, tear-jerker read: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

5. most beautiful story: A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

6. delicious rainy day comfort read: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

7. adrenalin-fuelled, unputdownable award: Stolen by Lucy Christopher

8. the beautiful prose award: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

9. most atmospheric and vivid setting: A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly

10. i-so-want-to-go-there award: The Museum of Mary Child by Cassandra Golds

11. most original and imaginative: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

12. best under-appreciated, hidden gem book: Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar

13. i-had-no-idea-i-would-love this-so award: Divergent by Veronica Roth

14. most haunting story: Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

15. outside my comfort zone but gosh how i loved it: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

16. series that i’m loving: Wildefire by Karsten Knight

17. always recommending this book award: The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

18. completely awesome premise award: The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer

19. would make the best movie: Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

20. want to re-read already: Good Oil by Laura Buzo

What are some of your book highlights?

Throwing out some book love.

2011-12-08T01:00:00.000+11:00

I did a post recently where I asked for some good book recommendations. I'm happy to say that I've recently read several really awesome books which I thought I'd share. (Click on the book's name to go to its Goodreads page.)

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

One of the best books I've ever read. Yes, ever. So utterly different and gut-wrenchingly beautiful. The final page undid me completely. Love to the power of infinity.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

Such a poignant and powerful tale. It's an emotional heavy-hitter, but definitely worth all the tears. I wish I could write like this.

Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Why did I wait so long to read this? WHY? I laughed, I cried, I wished desperately that I had friends like Francesca's when I was in high school. Such fabulous characters.

The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

A companion novel to Saving Francesca, it deals with a lot of similar themes (friendship, love, loss) but it a totally different way. It also has a great example of a good-boy-behaving-badly as well as lots of new yet fabulous characters.

Divergent by Veronica Roth

I'm not usually a fan of dystopian stories, but I really enjoyed this book. Brilliant characters and frighteningly high stakes combine to make it a tense read. And it didn't hurt that Four is my kind of leading man.

Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver

A story that is as beautiful as it is powerful. So impressed with this book!

I'm always up for more recommendations, so if you've read anything awesome lately, don't keep it to yourself. Share!

I also plan to spread some more book love by participating in this later in the month! It combines books, lists, and questionnaires! My three great loves!

I'M BACK!

2011-11-30T01:30:00.000+11:00

This is how I feel, post-editing

I am officially done with editing* (for now) and I'm equally relieved and stressed, wondering if I've gotten it right. Basically I'm crazy on a stick right now.

It is not a pleasant sensation.

Despite all the craziness, I am making a timid return to the blogosphere. I didn't post much (well, at all) during most of the editing, mainly because my posts would have been something like this: I HATE UR FACE, EDITS! But that is done with (for now) and I will be back sometime next week after I take a trip to Melbourne. And then recover from said trip.

I wish I could say that my future posts will be filled with nuggets of editing knowledge that I gleaned during my epic stay in the editing cave, but alas, there are none. Editing Jade resembles a muppet with no sense of direction and who doesn't speak the local language.

Yeah, there was a lot of arm flailing.

During my editing break, I also plan to return to my much neglected WiP, The Children Most Foul. I currently have a grand total of 5781 words which is rather pitiful if I do say so. I'd like to at least 6000 before 2011 ends.

I'm not sure if I've mention this book before, but knowing me, probably not. So before I fall into another blogging abyss, here's some images from my inspiration file:

What has everyone else been up? Who is surviving NaNo? Who is in a corner rocking back and forth? Who is cursing the day they decided writing might be fun?

* For those who aren't aware, I have been busy killing my remaining brain cells in a mammoth edit of my book, The Silagree.

You need friends.

2011-11-08T00:30:00.000+11:00

… because standing in a fountain in front of the Eiffel Tower isn't fun if you're by yourself.

The quantity (and, let's be honest, quality) of posts has been lacking of late. This is because I'm in Week 5 (but who's counting?) of a massive revision of The Silagree. Any extra energy I have at the end of the day has to be used to open the liquor cabinet, so blogging has fallen by the wayside.

But this isn't a post about blogging guilt. It's about appreciating those wonderful creatures who respond to texts such as, "I AM STARTING A PIG FARM!!!" or reply to emails you've written drunk and/or mildly panicked.

They're called friends.

I am so so so so so so so grateful for mine.

The last couple of weeks have been rough. I've reached a point where I hate my ms so much that I might have given up on it if it wasn't for these lovely ladies. Not only do they let me send them crazy texts/emails/pics/Tweets, but they also humour me when I start talking about the aforementioned pig farm. They distract me when I'm losing my mind (which is at least once an hour) and offer me so much advice they could write a self-help book or two.

For reals.

But more than that, it's the enthusiasm and belief in my book, especially when I don't have any. It's all the nice things they say to talk me off the ledge. It's the willing offers to read and critique my work.

Did I mention I was grateful?

When I consider my current crazed mental-state, I can only shudder to think what I'd be like if I didn't have my writing friends.* It's highly possible I would have given up. Or I'd be living in a cave. Referring to myself in the third person. ("Jade haz the nice cave.")

If I'm ever lucky enough to get published, my acknowledgements will be a novel in itself.

Who else is grateful for their writing friends?

* Don't get me wrong, non-writing friends are great, but they don't really understand your attachment to the Optima font.

Throw some books at me.

2011-10-28T10:37:00.003+11:00

I'm still currently locked in my editing hole, but I foresee an escape in my near future. When I escape, I plan to catch up on all the things that have fallen by the wayside in the last month. This will involve watching some tv shows that have been recommended to me and also reading ALL OF THE BOOKS.

This is where you come in. It's been awhile since I read an AMAZING book. Some have been good, others meh. It's been too long since I've read a book I CANNOT PUT DOWN. So please, please, please throw some book recommendations at me. I don't care what genre they are, if they're adult or YA, if they're recent or classics. THROW THEM AT ME.

I like to feel something when I read a book, and I'm always up for something new. Unless it's filled with very descriptive and senseless gore. This is the only line I draw. I'm up for anything else.

Let me have it.

Pushing through the pain.

2011-10-23T10:04:00.003+11:00

How do you push through when all you want to do is give up?

I remind myself I would not have done this if I didn't, at some point, believe in my story. I hang onto the one thing I truly love about it, even if I can't feel it anymore. Even though I can only see the individual words on the page, I remind myself that they add up to a story I care about.

At some point, I'll reach the other side, and it will all be worth it.

I hope.

Commiserations to anyone else struggling through.

How to NOT edit your book, Jade-style

2011-10-22T00:04:00.000+11:00

1. Wake up with a hang-over. What? You had really bad day at work. Don't judge.

2. Feel sorry for yourself. Now you have a sucky job AND a hang-over. Could life get any worse?

3. Listen to Jay-Z's 99 Problems. He's right. You might have a lot of problems but a bitch aint one.

4. Try to recall all the drunk emails you *may* have sent your writer friend. Remember, DON'T JUDGE.

5. Spend three hours at the hairdresser's. You may not have a readable book, but your hair looks damn fine.

6. Try to come up with a new story which you can write the cute boy from hairdresser's into. Because you really need ANOTHER story idea.

7. Stare at freshly printed manuscript. This is scientifically proven to reduce the number of pages.

8. Select a pen and highlighter for editing purposes. Change said pen and highlighter at least twelve times.

9. Write random lines from book on your leg in biro. This makes you look edgy and hot.

10. Play Jay-Z's 99 Problems again. Wonder what he and Beyonce will name their kid.

11. Wonder about this some more.

12. Google: pregnant Beyonce. Study pictures for scientific purposes.

13. Stare at untouched manuscript. REMEMBER, this is the only way to decrease the number of pages.

14. Let the pit of despair swallow you. At least your hair looks good.

15. Write a blog post about all the things you did today. Notice that "edit the shiz out of book" is not one of them.

16. Weep like only a writer can.

Let's all get inspired!

2011-10-07T00:30:00.000+11:00

I'm currently locked in my editing hole. Things have been going well for the most part, but there have been a few meltdowns. Nine or fifteen. Who's counting? Not me.

But this got me thinking. Everyone has their own way of drafting and editing, so it figures that everyone has their own way of coping with the rough patches.

Now I'm not just talking about the hip flasks you hide in your pyjama pocket or the emergency chocolate bar you have taped to the underside of your desk. I'm talking about what you hit a wall and you have no idea what to do.

Some people probably make lists. Some might record themselves as they ponder their story. Others might have very dramatic breakdowns on Twitter.

Cough.

So what's my coping mechanism? Post-it notes.

Exhibit A: my editing hole as it appears today.

The first thing you're probably thinking is, Wow, that's a lot of crap. The second thought might be, Dude, what's on the Post-its?

My answers would be: I know, and lots of things.

Some of them state things I should know, but sometimes forget. Such as JUST WRITE! and YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE! (Exclamation points are essential to Post-it note writing!)

Others contain ideas that I'm meant to be working on, like specific changes I'm making to this draft. I also have my character cards stuck up and some notes are on basic editing advice. Also, there's one that say, It's a mad world, but I can't remember why I put it that up.

But, for the most part, the Post-it notes contain quotes or inspirational advice. Examples include:

Failure is the condiment that gives success it's flavor. -- Truman Capote

If my doctor told me I had only six minutes to live, I wouldn't brood. I'd type a little faster. -- Isaac Asimov

Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint on broken glass. -- Anton Chekhov

I don't know what it is about inspirational quotes, but whenever I'm having a mild panic attack, they always soothe me. Plus, you look intellectual if you can quote dead people.

(Interesting side-note: I have different quotes up depending on the project I'm working on.)

(Sorry if that interesting side-note wasn't actually interesting.)

Also, if you've popped over here before, you'll know I have a deep and all-consuming passion for visual stimulation. This means that I have a rather extraordinary collection of quotes and inspiring/ridiculous advice saved on my computer. I thought I'd share some with you in the hope they might reach you in your writing cave/editing hole and touch your heart.

Or not. Because that would be weird.

And if all else fails, I always fall back on this sound advice:

Hoe do YOU survive your crazy writing meltdowns?

Second sight.

2011-10-04T01:25:00.001+11:00

This place tastes of fear. It has seeped into the walls, and with every breath, it fills me.

Bad things have happened here.

Bad things to bad people.

Less than a week after I dragged myself out of the writing cave, I was pulled into my editing hole.

It's dark and lonely in here.

Please send help.

Just kidding. Everything is fine and dandy. Kind of. I'm actually excited to be editing again because I much prefer it to drafting. Usually. But these revisions are hard.

If you've been following this blog for awhile, you may remember one of the books I wrote last year, which is called The Silagree. The idea for the book came to me suddenly at the end of August, and I wrote it in two big bursts, finishing it at the end of the year.

Now, I love this story, but it's already been through several rounds of edits, and I really want to get it right this time. While the story will remain pretty much the same, I'm making some big changes, which is always hard.

I had no idea where to start.

Thankfully, a friend recently sent me this:

Cheryl Klein is the senior editor at Arthur A. Levine Books, and from what I can gather, this book is a collection of blog posts and conference talks about editing/revising pulled together in one handy location.

It's been a lifesaver.

Sure, a lot of it I already kind of know, but clear, reaffirmation always helps.

One of the things I was struggling with before I began these edits, was how to further develop the emotional core of the story and really push the relationships to a higher level. There was one section in Second Sight (Muddles, Morals, and Making it Through) which discussed character worksheets.

Now, I've never been a big fan of these, but this one was simple: write down what your character LOVES, HATES, NEEDS, WANTS, FEARS, and then, for each category, answer the question WHY?

It was really interesting--not to mention helpful--to get these details in writing. I always knew what they were, but I wasn't thinking about them enough.

Another section that jumped out at me was this: ...stories should always start with and are driven by characters. You may not be able to fill the values chart out from the very beginning -- usually you will discover those things about your characters as you're writing along. But once you have a first draft, you might use the chart to better define who your character is and where you want him/her to go.

And this is so true for me. I never really know my characters until I've at least got the first draft down. With the characters of The Silagree, I feel like, only now that I'm really digging deep, am I beginning to understand them. Once I worked out who my characters really were, the solutions to the plot problems were obvious.

Which was such a relief.

I still have a lot of work to do, but I feel like I'm finally pushing ahead in the right direction.

Hopefully.

As for Second Sight, my copy is already filled with highlighted passages and post-it notes. If you're someone looking for some editing help, I can't recommend it enough!

Back to the editing hole!

Loving Lola (and other books)!

2011-09-30T22:35:00.000+10:00

Is it just me or was this one heck of a release week? So many amazing YA books came out, including one of my absolute favourites.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins.

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit - more sparkly, more fun, more wild - the better. But even though Lola's style is outrageous, she's a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.

When the family returns and Cricket - a gifted inventor and engineer - steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

You might remember that I fell madly in love with Steph's first book, Anna and the French Kiss. So I had high expectations. But I wasn't worried. I had complete faith that Lola would rock as much as Anna.

And it so, so, so does.

I was so incredibly lucky to receive an ARC of Lola back in July. I have fond memories of reading Lola at 2am when everyone else in the house was sleeping. And then later during a summer storm as we drove from North Carolina to Georgia. I finished it in a colourful laundromat in Savannah, Georgia.

I cried and laughed and fell in love.

So madly in love.

As someone who is drawn to character driven stories, I was completely captivated by the complicated and sometimes painful relationships. The characters were so real, so flawed, that I couldn't help but swept up in the story.

What's more, I could relate to Lola. I got her. She's the girl I wanted to be when I was a teenager. She struggled with some of the issues I struggled with. That I still struggle with.

But there's also so much more to this book: the setting of San Fransisco--made even more fabulous by my recent trip there. Her family and friends. Her outfits. Cricket. Oh, sweet heavens, CRICKET. The kissing.

Steph is still queen of the kiss scenes!

So to wrap up: Lola. LOVE. Cricket. Kisses.

You should totally check it this fabulous book!

Another TOTALLY AMAZING book that came out this week is this one:

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Everyone has been raving about this book and with good reason. Put simply, it is BRILLIANT. If you like fantasy, if you like epic romances, if you like lyrical writing, you will love this book.

I was also lucky enough to score an ARC of this (thanks, Tere!) which I read from New Orleans to Arizona, but I can't wait for my own copy to arrive to read it all again.

Also out this week:

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. My copy arrived today and I can't wait to get reading!

And last, this debut novel was also released:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. I have been waiting for this book to come out ever since it sold last year. It sounds. So. Awesome.

What about you guys? Have you read or are you planning to read any of these books?

The End. Again.

2011-09-25T10:20:00.001+10:00

I did it! The book is finished!!!

Every time I write THE END, I'm amazed by the fact I've managed to write a book. (Although, I use the word "book" in the loosest possible way, since my first drafts are notoriously bad.) And this one was definitely the hardest.

By a long shot.

Sure, I wrote the entire 70 000 words in 5 weeks, and yes I gushed about how much fun I was having, but it was also hard. I think Friday was the most painful writing day I've ever had. There were several instances where, if you had of checked in on me, you would've found me sobbing over my keyboard.

For reals.

I'm sure I'll have lots of things to say about this book once my brain is fully recovered, but for now, I'll give you the barest details. It's called The Opposite of Dead*, it's YA (duh!), and it's the most character driven book I've ever written.

And that scares me. A lot.

It's also about art and tattoos and roof-walking and prophecies and (if the title didn't give it away) life and death.

It's also about all of these things:

* If the title sounds familiar to some of you, there is good reason for it. I'll explain it all when I get over my brain-strain.

Love hurt brain.

2011-09-19T23:30:00.000+10:00

This quote basically sums up my entire book.

It's been so long that I think I've forgotten how to do this. Oh, that's right. I just babble incoherently and then hit "post."

Easy.

So I have been AWOL from the Blogosphere (but not from Twitterverse) and I've been putting my time to good use. I've been writing.

LIKE A FIEND.

I hit 60k on the weekend and I'm thisclose to being finished with this awful, messy draft. And I need to be done because it's eating my soul and consuming my life. I would quite like to have my life back. It can keep my soul.

If all goes to plan, I should be finished in a couple of weeks and then I'll be back with lots of stories to tell. I'm secretly hoping to finish it this week, but since my brain feels like it's been defrosted in the microwave and then left out in the sun for a few days, it's probably unlikely.

But I love this book so much that it hurts. Which is a lot. It might turn out to be nothing, but I'm hoping it will be something. I guess only time will tell.

Some of you might be wondering what the book is about, so I'll show you.

It has some of this:

And this:

Lots of this:

And a bit of this:

Okay, maybe not the last one.

SEE YOU SOON!

Let the words flood forth.

2011-08-30T21:12:00.003+10:00

Do you remember that time I complained about not being inspired to write? And do you also remember that time I wrote 20k in 8 days?

Man, that was fun.

So that's where I've been. In my writing cave. I'm in that all-consuming, crazy writing phase where I can't think about anything but the book. No food. No sleep. No oxygen.

Or is that me?

See you on the other side.

Lie to me.

2011-08-19T09:34:00.000+10:00

Writers are liars.

I'm not talking about the fact that we write fiction, I'm saying that we lie. To ourselves. All the time. Or is that just me?

For example, when I was writing the first draft of The Silagree, I regularly told myself that if I could JUST FINISH this draft, all would be well. Drafting is so hard and editing is much more enjoyable.

That was a lie.

When I was editing the ninety-billionth draft of The Silagree, I told myself that once this book was finally done, I could get back to drafting. Which would be awesome because I much prefer drafting.

That was a lie.

When I was working on The Silagree, I reassured myself with the knowledge that no book would EVER be this hard again. If I just make it all shiny and perfect, all would be good. Everything I write after The Silagree will be a breeze.

That was a lie.

When I discovered that I usually need to take a break midway through a first draft to work on something else, I told myself that was fine. As long as I finish the book eventually, it doesn't matter. I wouldn't stress out if my focus wandered on future books.

That was a lie.

Everything is going really well right now. I'm super focused and not at all freaking out because I have NO IDEA what I'm doing. All is well.

That was also a lie.

When things get hard.

2011-08-11T11:56:00.000+10:00

I would like to be here.

Unfortunately I am here.

I haven't blogged a lot lately* because I've been rather sick and miserable. No one wants to read a post like this: WAH WAH CRY SOB PUNCH PUNCH FIST WAH SADFACE.

Oops. I apologise.

But it's more than just having a throat infection that WON'T LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE that's made me quiet on the blog front. Some of you may have notice that this is a writing blog, and um, there hasn't been a whole lot of writing-related posts of late.

I'll wait while you check.

See? Told you.

That's because the writing thing? Really hard right now. Like diamond-encrusted-titanium-steel-hard. And it's not from a lack of ideas, or a lack of inspiration. I have way more of both then I'll ever need. The truth is, I feel restless. I feel like I'm drifting--like I can't focus.

The thing I'm beginning to realise, is that this will never end. Every time I reach a new phase in my writing, there will be distractions and confusions and heart-ache. I realise it's not ever going to get easy. I can only hope that I will learn some way to manage it all.

I'm not there yet. But I will.

I hope.

For example, I've accepted that the days of writing several thousand words are probably long over. And this is undoubtedly a good thing. A first draft written in a month is a mess for a reason. I'll happily take writing slower if it means my writing is better.

Hells yes, will I take that.

I've also accepted that the writing process for different books will be, well, different. I spent so long trying to work out what my process is. I thought if I knew that, then everything else would be easy.

Oh, how I laugh.

The book I'm writing now is really hard and really slow. I find myself staring at the computer a lot. Just staring. Admiring my nails. Staring some more. One day I got so frustrated that I picked up a notebook and went outside in the sun. And you know what? The story flowed from pen to paper. FLOWED. And this has never ever happened before. I have always typed. Instead of stressing out about WHAT THIS MEANS I just went with it. They're words if they're typed on my laptop or scrawled on paper.

Enjoying the weak winter sun.

My new story, typed on the computer. (Yes, I ran this image through special effects app. Because I'm that cool.)

While I try and figure out this particular point in my life, I'll keep writing and being inspired. I'll keep trying. That's all anyone can ask for.

Here are some things that have been inspiring me lately. Maybe they'll inspire you to.

Photo credits: 1, 5, 6, 7

*Not that I ever blog regularly. But whatever.

Imaginary summer.

2011-08-04T09:24:00.001+10:00

Yesterday I discovered this awesome thing called the August Break. Basically, it involves taking pictures for the month of August and putting them on your blog. Now we all know how much I love putting shiny things on my blog, not only because it's pretty, but it also distracts you all from the lack of real content.

Wait. What?

*Ahem* The aim of the August Break is to take the pictures yourself, but since I'm sick and it's cold outside, I stole today's pictures from the interwebs. It's practically the same thing anyway.

And since my body is still struggling to adapt to this awful thing called winter, I thought I'd have an imaginary summer. I feel better already.

This is me in real life:

I am cold and alone. Also, I am pink. YAY PINK!

This is me in my imaginary summer:

I am so pretty and stylish and sunshine-y!

This is me with my soul-mate. We are adorable.

This is my summer cave. It is made of water and sunshine.

In summer, all I eat is love. And ice-cream.

My soul-mate and I like to make-out underwater. It's the best.

These are my summer fishes. They are made of rainbows.

I only surf in my imaginary summer. In real life I have balance issues.

I hope you enjoyed my imaginary summer. Or perhaps you are in a real summer and thought it was overrated. That must be nice. I have forgotten what real summer feels like. *hugs heater*

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

* Also, you should totally read this post because I am in it. Yes, I am famous. Did you not get the memo?

America: the last few photos.

2011-08-01T23:50:00.000+10:00

Now that I'm home, I think it's time to move on from my USA trip and focus on my writing. But before I do that, a few more photos. I think these pics capture the last couple of weeks quite well.

The view from the Top of the Rock, NYC

Showing Britney some moves in NYC.

In the middle of nowhere, Alabama.

Harry Potter World, Orlando, Florida.

How excited are you to be at Harry Potter World, Jade?

THIS MUCH!

Don't let Fluffy play here. (Unless you don't like Fluffy!) New Mexico.

The view from our room on our last night in the USA. The desert, Arizona.

It's cold, I'm back at work, but there's still no place like home! We had such an amazing time in the US, and I can't wait for my next visit.

What's with all the corn, Nebraska?

2011-07-20T07:50:00.000+10:00

Somewhere in Nebraska.

It's been awhile since my last post. Like a month. Don't hold that against me, though. I mean, I've been super busy having an AWESOME TIME in America. But now that my trip is drawing to a close, I figured I should blog a bit more before the entire thing becomes a hazy blur of Denny's, Applebees, and Subway.

(I will not miss any of those places. Trust me.)

When we left off, I was in the beginning stages of the week-long drive that took us from San Francisco to Boston. When we told people we were doing that, they looked at us like we were crazy. Turns out, we were.

If you're wondering what driving from San Fran to Boston is like, it involves a lot of this:

Is that...is that more corn?

And so much of this:

Road, won't you please end.

Even though there was a lot of corn (Nebraska, I'm looking at YOU!), there were also lots of pretties. Exhibit A:

Utah, not far out of SLC.

The green grass of Wyoming. And a mountain.

Despite the beautiful scenery, I was pretty relieved to hit Boston. Also, Boston is pretty awesome. Humid, but awesome. I really, really enjoyed my time there. Lots of history, lots of cool buildings, but unfortunately, no Matt Damon.

The Boston Commons.

One of many old cemeteries we saw while walking the Freedom trail.

Old meets new in Boston.

Random cool guy I stumbled on in a garden somewhere in Boston.

A pig on a stick, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

On leaving Boston, we drove through what I refer to as Gilmore girls country, before hitting New York, New York. As soon as I have time, I'll blog about why you shouldn't stay in Manhattan on the July 4th long weekend. The people! Oh, the people! But for now, I will enjoy my second-last night in the States!

Road tripping.

2011-06-22T16:11:00.000+10:00

America is awesome, guys! Seriously, I'm having such a fabulous time. And so much has happened. Do you want to know what's happened? What's that? You don't? Great. Let me start at the beginning...

L.A. was crazy. Disneyland was wonderful. Vegas was shiny. And full of cocktails. While we were there, we took a helicopter ride into the Grand Canyon. (And if you're wondering, no, helicopters are not fun. They are bumpy and fly through the sky!) But look at the pretty:

After Vegas we drove to Sonora, CA. I expected the drive to be boring. It was not. We passed prisons and brothels and scary you-do-not-want-to-stop-here towns. And the scenery. Oh, man was it beautiful! Crossing over the Sonora Pass was amazing. And there was snow. SNOW! Look:

While in Sonora, we went to Yosemite National Park. On the way in, I saw a bear! A BEAR! I am still excited about this. We do not have bears in Australia. We do have a lot of very deadly snakes and spiders, but it's not really the same. Yosemite is also beautiful:

The next stop was San Francisco, and it was fantastic! I LOVE, LOVE that city. Except for the hills. I do not love the hills. But the buildings?

Love them!

We hired bikes and rode along the water to the Golden Gate bridge. Words cannot express how glorious this was. We also went to the Six Flags where I got to hang out with the very awesome Kat! We went on the baby roller-coaster while the boys went on the I-have-a-death-wish coaster.

I was really sad to leave.

From San Fran, it was a 12 hour drive to Salt Lake City, which is where I currently am. I thought the drive would be desert, desert, and yet more desert, but it was anything but. Once again, America has impressed me with her beauty.

Salt Lake City is beautifully situated, and a very chilled town. I also got to hang out with the lovely Natalie in an awesome indie bookstore (How am I going to get all these books back to Australia!), so this place gets two thumbs up for me!

Tomorrow we head for Denver. Onwards!