Old People Writing for Teens, IV

Stuck In Kansas · Jul 22, 2012

Hey, you guys have just inspired me by saying absolutely nothing! Brilliant! (I kid, of course). Actually, what happened was I hit my head on a book-shelf and either have a concussion or a light-bulb flickering above me. Haven't decided which, yet. Let me wipe the blood away...

Okay. Zombie book. If I go YA, it's gonna' be a poignant and (I would hope, moving) love story. If I go adult, it's gonna' be a blood-bath, balls to the wall (vulgarity! Apologies!) horror tale.

I thought to myself (selves, actually, because I'm seeing double), why not try both? See what happens?

Now, it seems like a really cool idea. Tomorrow? I might wake up (in the hospital) and realize how dumb it is and I'd get way burnt out on the same subject matter, characters, plot, etc. for two books. Still...my spidey senses are tingling! (Or am I lapsing into a coma?).

Smiley0501 · Jul 22, 2012

Kansas: Speaking of YA zombie books (go write it!)- Have you read C0urtney $ummer$' TH1S 1S N0T A T3ST. It is a zombie YA. I think you'd enjoy it.

As for anime/manga, I don't watch much of it either. *shifts eyes* I swear. I got into 2 shows because a friend recommended them (okay, and I ended up enjoying them). And then 1 anime I got into bc a boy I liked in HS watched it (didn't really like that one). :Shrug:

And omg I think your daughter and I must be the same age because when I was younger, Pokemon/Sailor Moon was all the rage.

I really do think you should write your zombie story. You could always test it out with an adult character and then also write it in the voice of a YA character. Just a suggestion. Test which one you like best or you "hear" the most of & go with it.

Stuck In Kansas · Jul 22, 2012

Thanks for the advice, Smiley! And, um, thanks for "aging" me. You kids today...grumble, grumble.

Thanks for the rec on THIS IS NOT A TEST! I'll check it out. Lookin' forward to it.

Seems really weird to even comtemplate a YA Zombie book. But I think I'm a'gonnna' do it.

JKRowley · Jul 22, 2012

Sailor Moon! I missed that stage, but always loved that name.

Smiley, I love how untechnoligical you are. (Yeah, I know that isn't a word). I heard on NPR today that we have absorbed a bunch of new technology in the last ten years (ereaders, smart phones, Facebook, iCloud, etc....) Things we never dreamed of before. One of the downfalls is "time sickness," and I have noticed time gets away from me on any of these devices.

It is cool to me to avoid them, although I have an ereader. I don't have a Mac, but did download some books to Kindle for the PC. I was able to transfer them to an actual Kindle when I bought one.

Goodreads question, how do you become a Goodreads author? They don't automatically do that when the book hits the market, do they?

lisalulu09 · Jul 23, 2012

Hello!

Smiley0501 · Jul 23, 2012

LOL Yeah, Jill, all my friends make fun of me: "You're the biggest reader out of all of us and *you* don't have an e-reader?" (I also don't have an iPhone. I do have a Macbook. And a phone that was $15.)

I think w/Goodreads, you have to find someone who is a GR Librarian and have them add it for you? I'm not too sure how that works...

:hi:

Lisa!

lisalulu09 · Jul 23, 2012

I have a Kindle, but...

BOOKS. THE SMELL. THE FEEL. EVERYTHING. OMG THE LOVES.

Sage · Jul 23, 2012

Stuck In Kansas said:
Okay. I know what y'all are thinkin'. I'M NOT A PERVERT! When Sage said I'm not the only SM lovin' 50-year old out there, I automatically thought I don't want me in the neighborhood. Signs of the times and paranoia. I watched it with my then-young (now, apparently, porn-watching) daughter and enjoyed the story-telling. And I've read about Japan's businessmen's...obsession(?)...with schoolgirls.

Oh, no,I'm talking legitimate anime fans here. Guys who run conventions and never give me a pervert vibe. Roomie's dad is very into shojo anime. Because it's adorable, not because of skeevy-ness.

Stuck In Kansas said:
Sage: When you switched it up from adult to YA, was it that easy? I'm trying to dabble in both worlds and find it WAY different and not that interchangable without rewriting the entire gig.

It was easier than it probably should have been. I didn't seem to do it very well, lol. One of the complaints was that some of the issues (focus on the MC's job, for example) were more adult than teen.

JKRowley said:
Goodreads question, how do you become a Goodreads author? They don't automatically do that when the book hits the market, do they?

You can add your book as soon as you have an ISBN, and then I think I messaged them that the book was mine so they would connect my account to the book (I think that info is all there in some section about being an author).

motley_muse · Jul 23, 2012

Hi y'all, can I join this club?

I'm an old people. Writing for young folk.

lisalulu09 · Jul 23, 2012

Trying to think of a plot/title for the Valentine's Day book in the CC series is hard...

They'll all be:

Charlie's Christmas Wish
Charlie's Valentine ...
Charlie's Easter ...
Charlie's Halloween ... (WILL HAVE GHOSTS!)

Dorothy · Jul 23, 2012

So my cover reveal is up: http://bookalicious.org/2012/07/two-covers-to-reveal-introduction-to-month-9-books-and-giveaway/

I'm really excited about it!

Stiger05 · Jul 23, 2012

lisalulu09 said:
I have a Kindle, but...

BOOKS. THE SMELL. THE FEEL. EVERYTHING. OMG THE LOVES.

Ditto.

I devoted my Saturday afternoon to writing and worked out some snags. Now I have to fix my climax. For some reason, the climax, specifically the final confrontation between the protag and antag, is always the hardest for me to write.

How is everyone else doing this morning?

lisalulu09 · Jul 23, 2012

It's pretty!

TV, BBQ, then Invincible stuff!

bertrigby · Jul 23, 2012

...whistles

Stiger05 · Jul 23, 2012

Whatever! I love it! The colors are great, and the shadowy reaper on the top step is fantastic! I don't get an 80s vibe from it. So many covers today are static, with the character just standing somewhere, but with yours I get a sense of action, and movement.

Dorothy · Jul 23, 2012

*wipes tears away*

Thanks, everyone. You're the best. *group hug*

Sage · Jul 23, 2012

Dorothy said:
<snipped>

What makes a way someone's standing a year? Ridiculous. The cover looks great. Also, yay cover!

lisalulu09 said:
I have a Kindle, but...

BOOKS. THE SMELL. THE FEEL. EVERYTHING. OMG THE LOVES.

I love real books, but I have to admit I get very spoiled by the Kindle. If you multi-task like me (reading while eating, reading while doing certain tasks at work), the page turn at a press of a button is really handy. It's nice to switch to my iPhone if I unexpectedly get a moment to read (I always have my iPhone on me, not so books or Kindles), I like the font and I can adjust the size to my preferences. The one I have doesn't have a lit screen, but I have a book light that sits in the cover and is way easier to use than any clip-on book light I've ever had for physical books.

I go through phases between physical books and Kindle, but I'm on a Kindle phase right now.

motley_muse said:
Hi y'all, can I join this club?

I'm an old people. Writing for young folk.

motley!

What kind of YA do you write?

lisalulu09 · Jul 23, 2012

Sage! Just the person I wanted (you write kidlit too, so yeah...)

What's your view of romance in MG? What sort does it have to be? And how could it work in terms of an adventure series?

(the last question is because i like to bounce ideas around)

the bbq needs to hurry up.

yellowhammer · Jul 23, 2012

Dorothy is AWESOME!

yellowhammer · Jul 23, 2012

I'm coming out of hibernation! Only one more week of summer classes (BAD IDEA) and I have three glorious weeks of freedom! *In my Braveheart voice, "FREEEEEEEDOM!"

Smiley0501 · Jul 23, 2012

Dorothy, I LOVE your cover! I love the little details - the splotches of blood, the reaper way down the hallway. And LOL - how does that pose look like 1989? *shifts eyes* Not that I was really aware of how people stood then...too busy figuring out how to eat. I love love, love love love your cover! I CAN'T WAIT to read it now!!

Also

motley!

And :snoopy:

Yay Yellowhammer! Three weeks of freedom sounds great. Good luck with your summer classes.

lisalulu09 · Jul 23, 2012

Right, I shall be back later.

Dorothy · Jul 23, 2012

Smiley0501 said:
Dorothy, I LOVE your cover! I love the little details - the splotches of blood, the reaper way down the hallway. I love love, love love love your cover! I CAN'T WAIT to read it now!!

Thank you so much, you've made me smile (and laugh). :Hug2:

Dorothy · Jul 23, 2012

yellowhammer said:
Dearest Dorothy,

Looks amazing and don't think otherwise.

Thanks!!

Periwinkle · Jul 23, 2012

motley_muse said:
Hi y'all, can I join this club?

I'm an old people. Writing for young folk.

motley_muse! You've come to the right place. Jump right in.

I don't own a Kindle yet. Some day. Right now it's a luxury even though the price of e-readers is going down.

Old People Writing for Teens, IV

Stuck In Kansas

Smiley0501

Lurker, now activated. :-)

Stuck In Kansas

JKRowley

lisalulu09

Potterhead Gleek

Smiley0501

Lurker, now activated. :-)

lisalulu09

Potterhead Gleek

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

motley_muse

forever jumping in with both feet

lisalulu09

Potterhead Gleek

Dorothy

Stiger05

lisalulu09

Potterhead Gleek

bertrigby

Dysfunctional dystopian

Stiger05

Dorothy

Sage

Our Lady of Parentheticals

lisalulu09

Potterhead Gleek

yellowhammer

yellowhammer

Smiley0501

Lurker, now activated. :-)

lisalulu09

Potterhead Gleek

Dorothy

Dorothy

Periwinkle