"Old" People Writing for Teens V

Happy birthday and welcome Rachel!

Congrats, Christabelle! That's really exciting, even though I'm still not sure exactly how pitmad works

Also, welcome Rachel

Sage, that's true... then again I have no idea how much people will want to read about the MC and his friend ordering pizza and then him showering in the first 5k, lol.

-just popping in-

Hi Race, good to see you .

Well, it's not so much saving the world, it's about the fact that pizza no longer seems like food. Or something.

Ugh - had to go to the dentist today and replace a troublesome filling plus add a couple more on neighboring tooth. $260, yay...

On writing hiatus while I'm awaiting the verdict from three beta readers om a WIP. Spending the free time beta-reading a, so far, fab YA

Thanks, guys. I really can't believe I got picked. Wow!! #TeamFizzy #greenteam

Ellaroni, sorry about your filling. I hate going to the dentist. It gives me such anxiety! Ugh.

I didn't get much work on my WIP done yesterday. I was following #PitchMadness, and kept getting distracted. I did start a make-out scene, which is kind of fun.

Sage said:

Team Fizzy is what I was on in 2013, yay!

Link to your entry? (because I'm lazy)

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That's too cool!

Here's my entry link: http://www.fizzygrrl.com/f-15-fall-pieces/#.VPSb3eHrfcs

parumpdragon said:

-just popping in-

Hi Race, good to see you .

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Parump! Holas!

Hapax Legomenon said:

Congrats, Christabelle! That's really exciting, even though I'm still not sure exactly how pitmad works

Also, welcome Rachel

Sage, that's true... then again I have no idea how much people will want to read about the MC and his friend ordering pizza and then him showering in the first 5k, lol.

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Could probably read back to learn more about this, but this sounds legit. My MC is talking to trees a lot in the first 5k, so pizza seems much better. At least he has friends?

Christabelle said:

Thanks, guys. I really can't believe I got picked. Wow!! #TeamFizzy #greenteam

Ellaroni, sorry about your filling. I hate going to the dentist. It gives me such anxiety! Ugh.

I didn't get much work on my WIP done yesterday. I was following #PitchMadness, and kept getting distracted. I did start a make-out scene, which is kind of fun.

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#TeamFizzy is the most epic team hashtag ever. Once again, I have no clue what is going on but this is still epic.

Welcome, Rachel! Sorry about the dentist woe, Ella. Congrats, Christabelle! (-:

Pizza will always be food! Hooza!

Nothing to report here. Getting antsy about getting locked in the castle Thursday night...but ready! (-:

CONGRATS, CHRISTABELLE! Yay!!!

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

And, Hap, it won't go on forever. You're just getting into the "new book" bugs. When I feel all creaky going into a new book, it's generally because I'm not sure I'm starting the book in the right place. Just keep writing. Things will shake out.

I am having a small pity party today. I just got an sign-up email for a workshop I participated in 2 years ago, and I'm realizing even if I could go, I wouldn't have anything new and polished enough to take. Sigh. (One of the chapters I read there was from the book that got my agent - you know, the one I'm still revising. The other chapter was from another book that I finished while I was pregnant, but agent doesn't think she can sell it. Not a strong enough hook for a debut, basically.)

On the positive side, I've been doing some freewriting, and I think I have my characters for my multiPOV SNI.

wampuscat said:

I am having a small pity party today. I just got an sign-up email for a workshop I participated in 2 years ago, and I'm realizing even if I could go, I wouldn't have anything new and polished enough to take. Sigh. (One of the chapters I read there was from the book that got my agent - you know, the one I'm still revising. The other chapter was from another book that I finished while I was pregnant, but agent doesn't think she can sell it. Not a strong enough hook for a debut, basically.)

On the positive side, I've been doing some freewriting, and I think I have my characters for my multiPOV SNI.

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Focus on the bright side. That's excellent progress, since characters are the whole reason we have books! Whoo that!

Rachel said:

Could probably read back to learn more about this, but this sounds legit. My MC is talking to trees a lot in the first 5k, so pizza seems much better. At least he has friends?

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But trees are great!

Well, not friends. Friend. Who he has not spoken to in nearly 2 years and called because he was getting out of a 72 hr psych hold and hers was the only phone number he remembered. And I guess pizza doesn't really seem like real food when you haven't eaten it in so long and you're part sea-monster...

But yes. New book bugs. Gotta shake out the new book bugs. Gotta keep working on Pink Journal. Whoosh.

Wampus, good luck on a multi-POV story. They're hard!

@Sage: That's kind of... weird, tbh. Isn't a contest about finding the best? o______O Then again, finding the best isn't actually how the real world works...

The great thing about that Shannon Hale post on school visits and "gendered" books is seeing how many people are coming out to talk about "boy books" versus "girl books." Kind of got a pick-me-up peeking at the #BoysReadGirls tag on Twitter this afternoon.

Also, Gayle Forman and Libba Bray with fake mustaches.

KTC said:

Nothing to report here. Getting antsy about getting locked in the castle Thursday night...but ready! (-:

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Is this a figurative castle or a literal castle?

I am just popping in to say hello. Wampus, you wrote something that got an agent, maybe share that and give it wheels...or inspiration for others. Although maybe you can't share it?

I really like this forum, even if I am often absent. I wouldn't know WTF is going on Twitter without you.

The_Ink_Goddess said:

I enjoyed it too. Found the photography beautiful and I've longed for a Midwestern horror in a long time, and it seems like perfectly Midwestern -lots of rolling highways and suburbs. The two creepiest moments for me were the old lady at the school and the girl in the kitchen. It's definitely a creepy grower, and the rules of the horror were very well thought out and surprising.

But I was a bit disappointed by how plot less it was, and I'm confused by all the people who think it's some bold statement on the teen experience. Seems like reading faaaaar too much into it (and I'm doing an English degree, okay, that stuff is my default setting). I didn't want to necessarily find out what It was, but there were just a lack of significant plot developments and the ones that happened - her sleeping with those two guys- were not discussed at all! They just happened. I think that knocks off points of its supposedly 'incredibly sensitive' portrayal of teen sexuality because they just...happened with very little preamble. I mean, if you were passing along a probably fatal-curse, wouldn't you want to talk about it?! It was also a total one-scare pony, but that didn't matter so much because its one scare was greatly effective.

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With you there on the English degree as I'm an English graduate myself (Southampton, 1987). While I haven't gone on to do anything academic, I still find myself trying to analyse a novel or story as I read it, even if only for enjoyment. Marked for life, I guess. I notice this when doing betas or writing-group crits - my approach is not always the same as those of others who are "just" readers.

Re It Follows, if it had been made thirty years ago, we'd be reading AIDS metaphors into it. Mr Mitchell has clearly been watching his classic 70s/80s horror - the moving camera and the use of the wide screen is very Halloween.

Happy birthday/nice to meet you, Race!

Yay Christabelle for getting into Pitchmadness. My agent is participating (and found 2 of my agent sisters/brothers that way last year)…and found me through the Twitter pitch #pitmad… so you just never know.

Ella, sorry about the dentist. I just went bc I was due for a cleaning (uh, overdue…oops), and found that I clench my teeth in my sleep and now need a nightguard. Gah! Then I was SO STRESSED about my teeth/needing a nightguard I made my jaw SOOOOOO tense. Oooof.

In some good news (besides castles…more on that, KTC?) I got into grad school to my top choice. Still waiting to hear from other places but yayyy!

Rachel - Literal castle, but Kevin will probably explain it when he pops in!

Feeling kind of dumpsy lately and not sure why. I'm excited I'm working on a new book, but I know it is a very rough diamond right now and having doubts I can polish it to what I want it to be. I received another request for I Have No Name from the agent of one of my fav authors, so super cool, but my writer's high for MS requests is so tempered by reality these days I don't even get all that excited. *sigh* Boo hoo me. Just kidding. No idea while I feel so down. Maybe it's the weather. But I have the next 5 hours to write, so I better get to it.

Congrats Smiley! (not about the teeth grinding thing) My 6 yo grinds his teeth SO bad at night if any of us sleep near him we are cringing in horror. Dentist says we can't do anything about ti now, but OMG!

I'm one of the few weird people who don't mind going to the dentist. I've never had a cavity, filling, bridge, cap, root canal or anything, so that may be why. I almost like getting my teeth cleaned. It's not nearly as wonderful as getting your hair done, or a massage of something of that nature, but I love being pampered.

Rachel said:

#TeamFizzy is the most epic team hashtag ever. Once again, I have no clue what is going on but this is still epic.

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Yeah, we've got the catchiest hashtag. Fizzygrrl is awesome!

And happy belated birthday!!

wampuscat said:

CONGRATS, CHRISTABELLE! Yay!!!
...
I am having a small pity party today. I just got an sign-up email for a workshop I participated in 2 years ago, and I'm realizing even if I could go, I wouldn't have anything new and polished enough to take. Sigh. (One of the chapters I read there was from the book that got my agent - you know, the one I'm still revising. The other chapter was from another book that I finished while I was pregnant, but agent doesn't think she can sell it. Not a strong enough hook for a debut, basically.)

On the positive side, I've been doing some freewriting, and I think I have my characters for my multiPOV SNI.

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Aww, Wampus I know the feeling. It sucks feeling stuck. How long have you been revising your book for your agent? Did you hit a snag, or is it all the other life stuff that's making it difficult to finish? I'm not at the revising for an agent stage, but I really did think February would give me a lot more time to revise and work on my WIP. It's hard with kids the age of ours. They can't entertain themselves yet, and they're too busy to sit in your lap while you work.

When Baby C was younger, he'd swing for hours, and I could write while he was swinging. Now, he wants to crawl around, climb up on things, get into everything, pull the dog's hair, and pound on my keyboard. I can't do any writing when he's awake, and he's a restless sleeper, especially since he's teething. We had a good weekend where he actually slept most of the night, but now he's getting his first upper tooth, and he's awake every few hours. I was so productive Sunday and yesterday evening after he fell asleep, but I won't be tonight after being up so much with him.

You can email me if you want to vent or brainstorm or anything!

Smiley0501 said:

Yay Christabelle for getting into Pitchmadness. My agent is participating (and found 2 of my agent sisters/brothers that way last year)…and found me through the Twitter pitch #pitmad… so you just never know.
...
In some good news (besides castles…more on that, KTC?) I got into grad school to my top choice. Still waiting to hear from other places but yayyy!

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That's very cool, Smiley. It's awesome that agents participate in these contests and there are success stories! *fingers crossed*

Congrats on getting into grad school! I saw you were on WWW last night. I didn't get to watch the whole thing, but it was cool to see someone I recognized from here on there!