It's In Our Blood

Some of us have been writing ever since we were given a pencil and a notebook. Others were late bloomers. Either way, we were all destined to write.

That being said, before we were the writers we are today, we were...well, let's just say that we didn't start off as great writers. Don't worry though, no one starts out great at anything. That's a given in any aspect in life.

Writing well takes time and patience. Even the greatest writers still have things to learn. It doesn't matter if you are published or not, we all have a chance to grow as writers everyday.

This week, a few AWers shared their writing from when they were younger. I was scared to post any of my old work on the internet, because every time I look over it, I cringe.

But I've learned to look over my old work with pride. I am proud that I have grown as a writer. I am proud that I didn't give up and though I have never been able to finish a novel again, I can honestly say that if it wasn't for my writing from yesterday, I wouldn't be the aspiring novelist I am today.

As I said, not everyone starts out great. There are many steps to achieve greatness. Some may be big, some small, either way you have to climb them if you want to succeed, if you want to get better.

When you look over your work from when you were younger, don't cringe. Instead, look over your work with pride. Know that when you wrote that story or poem or book you took another step and another and another, and now you are where you are.

Embrace those stories from long ago. Love them, cherish them, thank them, for without them you would not be the writer you are today.

On my other blog, I posted an excerpt from a novel I wrote I was eleven. I loved that story at the time because it was my second novel and I had dreams of finishing it and getting it published. In one summer, I wrote about 50,000 words and the story is still not even finished. Mainly because I realized that I needed to improve my writing skills. I took time off, paid more attention in my English classes, read more, wrote more and now I am a better writer than I was four years ago.

The said novel was called Hazel. It's a Victorian-esque fantasy-romance about a girl named Katherin Hartley who lost her parents at a very young age. Her mother, who hated her, fell ill and her father supposedly committed suicide. With her family gone, she was sent to go live in an orphanage with people who she later finds out are her family on her mother's side. As time progresses, she finds out that she might be a princess of a magical world.

Hazel
Chapter 1

The air was dry as Erin dug through the wet snow to pick flowers for her mother. She could feel the tiny sharp pains piercing her skin as she touched the snow. Later that day, guests from the city were coming to visit them for two days. Even though they were her mother's guest, Erin wished they would get there before the frost got worse. She would hate for anyone to get hurt.
It was going to rain soon, but Erin didn´t care because she liked the rain. As the grey clouds blanketed the sky, she soon forgot about the lilies and climbed up the steep hill to her house. The first drop of rain fell onto her face like a soft caress. If only Miss Hilda hadn't been calling her, Erin would have let the rain embrace her. When Erin stepped into the house she took off her wet boots and threw them to the side. All day, Erin's father, Michael, had sat in his office in his big red chair reading a book. His face was long and cold for he looked tired. Dried up tears rested on his face to show he was stressed. Erin put down her pale of flowers and walked towards her father. He looked glad to see her and immediately hugged her.
" You did your morning exercise I see." Michael exclaimed
" Miss Hilda wanted these flowers picked for her guests. She wanted perfect ones but they've been wilted by the snow." Erin explained sighing
" They're beautiful. All they need is a little light and warm water." Michael suggested
" Well father, I'm going to show Miss Hilda before she has a cow waiting for me." Erin said, running upstairs to her mother's room
" What took you so long?" Hilda asked angrily
" It was very cold outside and........." Erin started
" Did poor Erin freeze her hands while picking flowers outside in the snow?" Hilda asked sarcastically
" I try not to complain about it but you took my gloves. So of course my hands were cold." Erin replied softly
As she talked, she felt a hard sting hit the side of her face. A tear welled up in Erin's eyes but it never fell. She would not show Miss Hilda she was afraid of her even though she feared her piercing, eyes.
" Erin, you are useless! I told you to pick flowers that or not wilted but you pick everything but that. My friends are coming and they'll be very disappointed to see my house isn't complete. Leave me to rest. I don't want to see your hideous face any longer." Hilda shouted angrily
" But Miss Hilda it's snowing outside and all the flowers are buried under snow so of course they're going to be wilted." Erin explained kindly
" I said leave!" Hilda shouted
Feeling like she once again failed her mother, Erin ran off to finish her chores. She tried to hold back her tears but they wouldn't stay in. Her father had seen her crying and ran to hug her.
" Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Michael asked sadly
" Miss Hilda is never going to approve of anything I do." Erin replied through her tears
" She just wants everything to be right for her friends." Michael explained sighing
" But the way she treats us is horrible Father! We should just leave her here to do things for herself." Erin said angrily
" Now dear, don't talk like that. Your mother loves you." Michael said closing his eyes
" Father, you know I'm right! That's why you close your eyes! I don't understand why you just don't make things right. She should be kind to you because you were kind enough to marry her! " Erin exclaimed, pouting
" Bless your heart Erin! You have shown nothing but kindness to your mother for these past thirteen years you've been on this earth. There's only one more thing I ask of you, darling." Michael said softly
" What? Anything!" Erin asked frowning
" When you have neither one of us with you, I want you to live a respectable life. I pray it will only get better for you." Michael replied, crying.

Okay, I've been rambling on and on about my stories. What about you? Do you have any stories from your childhood or from whenever you started writing, that you're proud of?

Come on, don't be shy, post them up on your blog!

Picture Prompts

Looking at pictures is a great way to remedy Writer's Block. If you ever heard the saying: Pictures are worth a thousand words (I think it goes like that), then you know what I'm talking about.

Go to Google or Photobucket or any other place that allows you to look at pictures and find ones that you think fit your WIP. Really, they don't even have to fit your story. Maybe you see a couple that you like and you just want to write a story to go with it. That's fine.

This whole process is designed so that you can write.

Since I'm talking about picture prompts. Here's a picture that you can write a story for.

You can write the story that occurred before the kiss, after the kiss, or maybe even during. And it doesn't have to be romantic. It can be a forced kiss or maybe the girl is kissing the guy to get information out of him. I don't know. Just look at it and get inspired.

There are words in this picture waiting to be deciphered. If you write a story and you want to share, post it on your blog or in the comment box.

~ Raven

Gender Bending

In today's post, I want to talk about the sex...no wait, no. Don't start getting all nervous and stuff, thinking you're going to relive the nightmares of having "the talk." No, I merely just want to talk about if the sex or gender (for those who still cringe at the word) of your main character depend on if you yourself are a male or a female?

Recently, I started writing a contemporary novel called Have Mercy. It's about a boy named Alden who has a lot of emotional/mental problems. He's a very raw character who pretends to have rough edges but on the inside he's smooth and just doesn't know who he's going to be in life or what he wants to do with his life, because his father is keeping him back.

I am a girl, in case you didn't notice. I have a lot of guy friends, but I don't have a lot of family members who are guys. So, really, I don't know how to get inside a guy's head. When I started writing this novel, all I had was a plot. I wasn't sure who I wanted the character to be. I didn't know if I wanted it to be a male or a female. I just started to write.

My first sentence is: My father had a gun.

You really can't tell what the sex of my character is, but you do know it's a boy, because I told you. Once I realized I wanted it to be a boy, I knew I had to put all that girly-girl stuff aside and find my inner male, so to speak.

A lot of writers tend to stick to their own gender when writing a book, because if it's a guy writing from a girl's perspective, they don't want her to come off as too manly or boyish, because she is a...girl. It's the same way for female writers.

To answer my own question, I'm going to say yes and no. Some people tend to stick to their own gender, others don't. I know that debut author Hannah Moskowitz prefers to write stories about boys. Famous authors like Scott Westerfeld and Stephenie Meyer gender bend as well. It's not a weird or strange thing. A lot of writers do it, but the question is, how?

How does a male find their inner girl? Hows a female find their inner boy?

For those of you who want to write a male MC in first person, but don't know how to go about doing it, I'm here to help. Okay, I'm not an expert because Alden is my first male MC. But I will share my little bit of knowledge about writing for the opposite sex.

1. Girls always say that they are smarter than boys. I will not say that because intelligence has nothing to do with your gender. But I will say that girls tend to look at details more than boys do. They describe things more elaborately, in a gentle, colorful, but strong way.

So when writing for boys you don't want them to go on and on at describing something. You should really never go on and on with describing something, but this rule holds true when you're writing from the perspective of a boy.

2. Write what you know. Study boys. Look at their mannerisms and pay attention to the way they handle certain situations. Okay, this might not work for a lot of people, to tell you truth. The boys at my school are nothing like Alden but he has a few of the qualities that high school boys tend to have. Like boys can be difficult. They try not to be too sympathetic or in other words, they act like nothing hurts them when deep down it does. They pretend to be hardened by past experiences, such as the death of a loved one or an abusive parent. Though there are a lot of smart responsible boys, a lot don't really like being in school and they just go to go. Maybe they have a mentor or something that they like to do. Music, sports.

You don't want to be cliche but you want to pay attention to boys, in a non-stalkerish kind of way. You want to try to visualize your character in them.

3. Know your male character. I mean, know him. Know what he looks like. What his favorite color is. If he likes books or not, and if so, what's his favorite book? What's his favorite movie, band? Does he have a girlfriend, is he gay? Does he have two parents? What kind of neighborhood does he live in? What's his personality?

There are a lot of character sheets on a web that you can check out to better understand your male character.

For example: Alden hates Indie Rock. He smokes every once in a while to calm his nerves. He likes being single and his favorite cuss word is "fuck"

4. They're people too. Boys, although they may seem like they come from Jupiter, they are human and humans feel. Figure out whether they're an outward emotional person or an inward one. In other words, when they're upset, angry, sad, do they keep it to themselves or do they go talk to somebody about how they feel.

5. Just have fun. Don't see writing from a boy's perspective as a hard thing. Sure it's challenging when you're a female, but he is a character like all the other characters and once you know him as well as the back of your own hand, just let everything fly. Boys are leaders. They like taking the steering wheel, so let him and before you know it you'll be enjoying the ride.

Figuring out what the gender of your character is, is hard. But don't be afraid to take risk and experiment. If your character is a boy he is a boy. If she is a girl she is a girl. Don't change it because you think you can't write from a boy's perspective or if you think you can't write from a girl's. It's just going to take a little bit more work to put that character on paper. Work that will be worth while once you get to know your character and develop their story.

I thank you for taking the time to read this. Please, feel free to leave a comment. I want to know what you think about gender bending. Do you do it yourself? Do you prefer reading books about girls or boys or both?

Love,

Raven

Following the Trend

The literary world is very much like school. You have to do your proper research, and sometimes you're competing for the perfect A(gent). But most importantly, everyone wants to fit in. You want to be popular. If the most popular girl in school is wearing a Coach purse, you want to wear one too.

Trends. They're everywhere. In school. In the stock markets. In stores.

In the literary world trends are easy to spot. Ever since Twilight hit the stands, more and more vamp books have been published. Now there's starting to be an abundance of Angel books out there as well.

I don't want to go on and on about the trends that are out there because I don't care about all of that. What I care about is, how you, as a writer, handle these trends?

For example, you may have been writing a vampire book way before Twilight came out. It's probably perfect and you probably love it to pieces. But you don't know if you should query it. Or maybe you are querying it but you only seem to be getting rejection after rejection.

One day you might sit down and say "I need to write something else because this is not getting me anywhere."

Or maybe you're just starting out. Maybe you want to write a story about elves, but you know that fairies are in right now. What do you do? Follow the trend or say "To hell with it, I'm writing my elf novel."

If you are in the first predicament, here is my advice to you. Screw the trend. If you're writing a vampire book and you think it's great, then just keep working on your query. There is nothing wrong with writing what you enjoy writing about. Just because Stephenie Meyer wrote a series that has skyrocketed doesn't mean she owns the creatures. Vampires have been around for years and if you feel passionate about your vamp novel then keep trying.

That goes for anybody who is writing a tale about a creature or an idea that has become victim to the millions of trends out there. Just keep trying.

As for me, I used be in the second predicament. I didn't know what to write because I was scared of the trends. I went from trying to write a fairy story to trying to write a vamp story until I realized that it wasn't for me. I don't want to be a follower. I want to be a leader. I will write what I want to write about and if it doesn't get me an agent then so be it.

Write because you love it not because you see that readers are eating it up. Or because you want to snag an agent quick. Believe me, I've been wanting to be published ever since I was a little kid. But I won't subject myself to trends just to get one.

If you follow the trend, it will be obvious. When people read books they can tell if the author is passionate about what they wrote, and if you're not passionate about what you write then your novel will suck.

Just as trends can be started, they can very well be ended. All you have to do is put your pen to the paper or your fingers to the keys and write what you want to write.

Those out there who are querying keep trying. There is always a way, even when the forecast is looking a bit cloudy.

Those out there who have agents and or on the road to publication, how did you deal with the trends? Did you care about them? Did you use them to your advantage somehow?

I hope everyone had a great day!

Love,

~ Raven

The O.R. Report

Good morning everyone!

Today is Monday, yes, I know. It's the most dreaded day of the week, but I hope to shine a little light on your day.

The O.R. Report is kind of like my own news show. It 'airs' every Monday sometime in the morning or whenever I can find the time to type everything up.

If you're interested in knowing what's going on out their in the YA world, then sit back and read.

THE CITY OF FALLEN ANGELS

In 2006, we were introduced to a world where vampires and werewolves were the result of a demonic disease. A world where people with Angel blood prowl the night, protecting humans from the Downworlders. I mean, who knew that warlocks held house parties and werewolves hung at clubs?

Cassandra Clare is the writer of the very popular and very great Mortal Instruments series. Everyone who has read the series, including me, was really upset that the series ended at the third book. And the prequels are not slated to come out until 2010?

I recently visited Miss Clare's blog and it says that there will be a fourth book in the series! Names and release dates are not set in stone but it will be about Simon.

To tell you the truth, I was kind of hoping to hear more about the sexy, the funny, beautiful *drools* Jace, but Simon is a great character and I think it's interesting that he's a vampire who can walk out into sunlight. So that will be something great to read.

If you want to find out more, just go on over to Cassandra Clare's blog.

UPCOMING RELEASES

Two books that I really want are coming out tomorrow!


The Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead is one of my favorites. If you haven't heard of it, the series follows the life of a dhampir Guardian-in-training named Rose Hathaway.

I was first introduced to the series a year ago by one of my friends. I was kind of tired of the whole vampire thing, but if you want to read a story about a snarky, bad-ass, fierce character. If you want to read a story filled with action, romance, and great dialogue, then go read these books now.

Blood Promise hits stores tomorrow, so don't forget to go get your copy!






Isn't this cover great? Well, a lot of people may not have heard of this author or this book, but I'm here with the 411.

This is teen author Hannah Moskowitz's debut novel. It's about a boy who is on a mission to break all of his bones. Crazy, right?

When I first heard about this story, I was really intrigued. I am a huge fan of contemporary novels. And I will bet you any money that you will enjoy this book. If you don't, you can egg my house. But that will not be necessary because when I say a book is going to be good, I mean it.

So go pick up your copy. I've heard it through the grapevine that it's already starting to show up now when it's release date is tomorrow. Hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on one, so that I can do a review.





CONTESTS

Everyone loves ARCs! I've never won one but I really want to win one someday soon. But I'm not completely competitive so, here's a couple of contest that are going around now, as we speak.



Coming 12/22/09 from Bloomsbury...

Nimira is a music-hall girl used to dancing for pennies. So when wealthy sorcerer Hollin Parry hires her to sing accompaniment to a mysterious piano-playing automaton, Nimira believes it will be the start of a better life. In Parry's world, long-buried secrets are about to stir. Unsettling rumors begin to swirl about ghosts, a madwoman roaming the halls, and Parry’s involvement in a group of corrupt sorcerers for whom the rules of the living and dead are meant to be broken for greater power. When Nimira discovers the spirit of a dashing fairy gentleman is trapped within the automaton, she is determined to break the curse. But even as the two fall into a love that seems hopeless, breaking the curse becomes a perilous race against time. Because it's not just the future of these star-crossed lovers that's at stake, but the fate of the entire magical world.

Want to win an ARC with original sketches from the author inside? See http://fabulousfrock.livejournal.com for details!

When I first heard about this book, I was blown away by not only the cover, but the plot as well. I am a huge fan of historical romances and fantasy is a genre that I am really starting to love. Put those two together, and wow. I can really tell that this going to be a hit when it comes out. Like I said, when I say something is going to be great, I'm usually always right. Don't mean to be miss-know-it-all, but you can ask anybody that knows me. I'm usually right on about this kind of things.




It is so awesome when authors and writers get together, especially when it's for a good cause.

Everyone thinks changing the world can only be done by doing something big, but even the greatest start small.

Living Your Five was founded by Kay Cassidy and together with three other great writers, they've created a website where you're free to join the movement.

I'm not really good at explaining things but check out their website at Living Your Five

They're holding a contest where you can get a chance to win ARCs of these authors upcoming books. I'm not telling you who they are, but if I were you, I'd go check it out.




Steph Su is holding a Hush, Hush contest which ENDS in FOUR DAYS so get yourselves over there and enter NOW!!!



















WRITING SITES

I am a member of YWS an online community for young writers. It recently got a complete make-over and it looks fabulous. I want to give a shout-out to the wonderful administrator and founder of a place I'm not afraid to call home, Nate Caldwell. Really, if it wasn't for that website my writing wouldn't have went anywhere today.

Also, if you're looking for a close-knit writing site, join AW or absolute write. Many famous authors frequent the website and the people there are so nice and helpful and I'm glad I'm apart of that place too.

You will be able to find links to these places in the sidebar sometime soon.

THE TENNERS

Since we're on the subject of shout-outs, I want to mention The Tenners. They are a group of writers whose books are coming out in 2010. I tell you, 2010 is going to be one of the best years for YA. Go see for yourself: The Tenners

ADIOS

I hope you guys enjoyed the first 'episode' of The O.R. Report because I enjoyed writing this. Please, leave any comments, questions, and I'll try to reply to them.

Have a wonderful wonderful day everyone, and I'll see you guys next Monday with more juicy news!

Story on a Sunday

Traditions are wonderful creations.
Sent forth by gods, manifested by their mortal patrons.

I decided that if this blog is every going to be well, a blog, I need a tradition. I mentioned that I liked to stalk blogs and one that I enjoy perusing from time to time is Merry Sisters of Fate. It is manned by three writers who are published and who write beautifully. So, if you're looking for free, well-written fiction to read, check it out, leave a comment.

Well anyways, I thought I'd do something like what they're doing here. I usually don't write short stories anymore but every Sunday I will churn out something that is inspired by a picture that I see. And if you want, you can join in too! The more the merrier.

This prompt is focused on Natasha, the main character of one of WIPs Under the Jeweled Sky

He doesn't have a heart.

I knew this before I stood before the Fates, and gave him my hand. I knew this when I first looked into his dark, perilous eyes.

The leaves, once vibrant reds and oranges and yellows are frosted over with snow. An ivory light from the moon shines down on the forest, blanketing the earth in diamonds. It is a beautiful night, and yet, I don't want it to be.

The day I married a heartless man should be filled with rain and gray clouds and thunder that rips through the sky like a herd of stampeding cattle. It should be hell, not blissful and beautiful, like heaven.

I pull the curtains close, and sink to the ground. The moonlight is enough to light a thousand galaxies, but I feel like I am drowning in darkness. I feel like it's gnawing at my bones, devouring every inch of my being.

A tear slides down my cheek.

I feel like I am gone. My body is still here on this earth, but I am gone. I am dead. I am destined to be an occupant of a place so empty, so cold.

Roman is my Fate. His heart is my prison.

Something soft and warm kisses my arm. Two emerald orbs stare at me, somehow understanding my anguish. I pulled Szeja close and let her murmur lullabies in my ear.

Her voice was the last sound I heard before I drifted off to sleep.

Hello world, hope you're listening

Forgive me if I'm young

For speaking out of turn

There's someone I've...

*looks around*

Oh hey there! If you have somehow stumbled across this blog, please stay! I swear to you I'm not a crazy teenage girl. Well, I admit, I am a writer. You know, those people who feed you lies, make you see things in your head. Yep, I'm one of them. But I'm also a reader. In fact, I love to read. Books are the key to knowledge and power. It's paradise in the form of page after page after page.

If you share my love for writing and books, then Obscured Reality is the 'write' place for you. Hehe, yeah I know I'm corny.

I have so many blogs, it's seriously not funny. When I'm not writing, reading, tripping over my own two feet, having a bad hair day, getting bullied by two year-olds or listening to music, I like to look at other people's blogs. Especially people who write, because they're amazingly awesome.

I never actually have the time to blog. But I want to be a blogger. I want people to comment on my blogs and I want to be able to share my love of reading and writing with the world. Sounds crazy, right? Well, I kinda gave up thinking I was normal a long long time ago.

There are a lot of things that I hope to go over here on this blog. I listen to a lot of music. I mean, without music, I think I would die. So, if I come across a song that I like to listen to when writing or if you're just looking for great songs, I'll keep my ears open for you.

Also, since I am a young adult, I read YA. This blog is mainly focused on young adult writers and young adult books. But I am a huge fan of literary fiction, you know, like Jane Eyre, Pride and Prejudice, all the books that English teachers assign that students usually hate. Yep, I told you I was weird.

If you're an adult with young children and you don't know what books out there that is appropriate for them to read, I'll recommend a book every once in a while. And if I'm lucky, I might be able to do interviews. Well, I'm not a lucky person so who knows? But I do happen to converse with a few awesome writers from time to time, so maybe they'll agree to letting me interrogate them.

I don't hope to win any awards for having a freakishly awesome blog, but I do hope that people will stop by, leave comments, opinions, etc. If you comment and I don't reply, it's not because I'm mean or anything, I just might not be able to get to it.

And if I know you either personally or virtually and you want to guest blog or something, I'll set up an email account where you can send me messages or whatever, just to let me know.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

* lyrics at the top of the page are to Come Home by OneRepublic.