Dissecting Genre: Dystopian Edition

This segment we're discussing genres and why we love the ones we do. And my post probably won't be quite as elegantly said as Danielle's. I'll probably just ramble about my love for dystopian stories, so forgive me for that!

All in all, I love just about any out there in the YA world. If it's well written, has engaging characters that I care about, and a great plot then it doesn't really matter what genre, to be honest.

But there are some stories that I have a soft spot for. Give me Greek mythology or mermaids or a falsely perfect world/completely ruined world and I'll probably like it. A lot.

And that's why I read and love dystopian. I know it's a trend that's fading out, but I'm not sure I'll ever tire of it. One of the main staples in dystopian is the world/society being broken in some way. Usually there's either an imperfect world that tries to hide the flaws or it's an openly broken world.

I love the societies that are set up as being supremely perfect when really they're a mess. A terrible ruined mess. I like seeing the characters either struggle to learn the truth or watch them figure out how to deal with already seeing behind the curtain of lies.

Or the other way around, where the world is already destroyed and there's no hiding that. I love how those characters have to learn to survive this damaged world where the rules of society no longer exist.

In either scenario, there's this huge obstacle that's not always tangible that they have to overcome. Sometimes it's a controlling government or a fracture lawless society, or something else, but these things put a lot of pressure on the character to measure up to that obstacle. And that's why I think I'll always be a fan of a good dystopian book. You might start out with a weak character, but in the end they usually come out strong. The characters change where their society can't. They grow, evolve, and define themselves in a new way despite the stagnant and destroyed worlds they live in.

And not only that, they change--for good or bad--the world they are in. Like a ripple effect. Sometimes it's just the characters around them and sometimes it is the whole world they live in that they alter. It's the characters and how they change themselves and their world by overcoming these huge obstacles that I love reading about in dystopian stories.

So, if you also like dystopian stories, what is it that you love? What makes you come back again and again to them? I only touched on a few aspects of this genre. I know there's a lot more that could be said about it, but I didn't want to ramble too much! So if you have another reason, shout it out!

And if you don't like them, why not? I'd love to hear your thoughts too!

Also, a little side note: I grew up on sci-fi and while dystopian isn't usually considered quite that (I like to think of them as siblings), it still has that futuristic feel to me that I like about sci-fi, so one more little reason for me to love it. :)

And also! Some recommendations! Can't forget those!

Christina's: Matched by Ally Condie

Lindsay's: Divergent by Veronica Roth

Danielle's: The Dead Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

Cindy's: Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Patricia: Follow Me Through Darkness (the MS of our very own Danielle! Sorry guys, you'll have to wait for this awesomeness!)

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Books to Tangle With: Part 2!

There were SO many books I wanted to read this summer. SO MANY. I might not have gotten to all of the ones I wanted, but I did read a few amazing books that I wanted to share with all of you. I'm not going to do as many as Danielle though, just a couple because I really didn't read many books this summer. :( But I had a great and busy summer nonetheless! :)

First up is Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols. This book is about a girl that has a less than stellar life and one escape from it all: flying little airplanes at the airport next to her trailer park. But when the owner--also her flight instructor--dies, Leah is left dealing with his two sons and hoping they don't close the business and take away the one thing she loves and works hard for.

This is one of those contemporary books (like Anna & the French kiss) that makes me

strive to write better with my contemporary. THIS kind of book is what pulls me back to contemps again and again. I like contemporary books anyway, but there are very few that make me stop and say 'this is how I want to write a book.' It was the way I related to the characters, the way you see them struggle and work past those struggles. This is one of those books that I found to be beautiful and tragic and sweet. I hope that if you read it, you'll love it as much as I did.

The next book I loved was Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. It's a fantasy

novel which isn't *usually* my cup of tea. However, I kept hearing people talk about this book

on twitter and decided, what the heck! This was when I had that reading funk where no book was keeping my attention enough for me to finish it. Not this one! I LOVED this book.

Throne of Glass is about a girl that's been raised as an assassin. The book starts out with her in a work prison--mining salt--when the prince gives her a proposition: be his champi

on in exchange for her eventual freedom. Celeana (the MC) has to compete in a contest to win the role of the King's royal assassin. While dealing with court life, dueling against other champion's and growing closer to the Prince--despite the way Captain Westfall seems to understand her better--something dark and dangerous starts killing the champions one by one. But Celeana's investigation leads her into more and more danger.

The reason I really loved this book is because the world was so well written and Celeana, although prickly and a bit violent sometimes, was someone I'd want to know. Because even though she leaned toward violence as a general defense mechanism, she was still a character that pulled you in. It was her brokeness that made her beautiful to me.

All that along with the mystery of who or what is killing the champions left me turning the page and got me out of my reading funk. I didn't want to put this book down. In fact, I bought all the little novella's on my kindle as soon as I finished and when I finally get some free time again I plan to devour those as well!

Monday Check-In

Welcome to another installment of the Monday Check-In! Every Monday we'll post small updates on what we've accomplished in the past week with writing. If we've gotten a lot done, or accomplished some of our goals, we cheer each other on. If we've not gotten enough done, or are in  writing slump, we still cheer each other on. Sometimes you just need someone to remind you that you really can do it, right? 

So without further adieu, here is our check-in for this week:

Danielle's Check-In: NaNoWriMo is going well! I've written 10K in 5 days. I'm very excited with how everything is moving. I did discover a problem with my timeline in the story, but I'm plotting it out on the wall with post-its and hoping to figure that out so I can move forward without issues. But I'm loving writing so far this month. I missed being in that place where it's all you can think about and the consumption is a great feeling!!

Christina's Check-In: I finished one chapter this week. I was hoping to get two done, but this was a pretty long chapter, so I'm okay with it. I'm not doing NaNoWriMo, but I'm hoping to get lots written this month. This week I plan on fixing my plot outline and writing another chapter or two.

Cindy's Check-In: I'm also not doing NaNoWriMo because I'm trying to finish up revisions to my rewrite. I lost power for a few days due to the crazy October snowstorm that took a million people out of electricity last week. It kind of sucked not having internet or really having a good place to write when our generator could only power up so many things at one time, but it was also kind of nice to have some space from it. I had lots of time to think about where this story really needs to go and have been unable to stop thinking about the things that need fixing. Over the days that I did have power, I got a good amount of revisions done and I'm actually thinking (HOPING!) I'll be done with this round of revisions by Sunday night. 

What about you? We'd love to hear how your last week in writing went. Please leave us a comment to let us know.

Inspiring Wednesdays

Inspiration on a Wednesday!

We all have a love/hate relationship with our WIPs, don't we? At some point you feel frustrated or stuck with it, or maybe you're distracted by a shiny new idea like Patricia mentioned yesterday in her post

For me, I'm at a point where I'm starting to diverge a little from my outline. This happens to me with every WIP, so I'm used to it. But that doesn't mean I like it. It makes me feel scattered. That's the best word for me to describe me and my writing life right now. I still LOVE my WIP. I mean really love it. But I feel scattered deviating from the outline, even though it's really not by much. It makes me write slower, get frustrated easier, and think that maybe everything I'm writing actually is crap. I end up feeling like I'm missing something in that chapter(s). Not a good feeling.

So what do you do when/if you feel like this?

I can tell you what I do. First, I share my chapter(s) that are giving me trouble with my beta reader and crit partners. They encourage me and point out things I miss. I have two amazing crit partners, Danielle here is one (she's a bit busy with school right now & hasn't seen much of my current WIP) My other crit partner is equally amazing and really helped me tonight. She pointed out exactly what my last chapter was missing. I think it's so important to have good writing partners and friends!

But what I also do (which yes, I'm tying this all into the topic of inspiration) is really delve into music and photos and anything else that will draw me into the world of my WiP and into my character's head. So without further rambling, here are some my inspirations (which have really help me this week)


(I've been listening to a lot of Manchester Orchestra lately. The general mood & feel of this song always makes me want to work on my WIP. The lyrics aren't completely in-tune with my WIP but at the same time they still work too. [ps-this is the 1st time I've seen the video for this song and kudos to anyone who thought, 'Are you my mummy?' at all while watching this.])

And here are some photos that remind me of my WIP
(Why yes, my WIP might be a little creepy, why do you ask? You can check out a taste of the creepiness on this teaser post if you want)


So how about you guys? Any of you in slumps and use different types of inspiration to help out? Any of you just have an amazing piece of inspiration that you found/used this week and want to share?

Inspiration on Wednesday!

So for this inspiration post, I thought I'd post a few pictures that I just think are pretty awesome in general. Hope something in them inspires you to write or create art in some way!

(How amazing is this?! I thought it was a b/w photo at first glance!)





I can just imagine an old masquerade dance gone wrong with these photos. What about you?

Insipiration

You know what's amazing about inspiration? There are so many many different things can make you feel inspired! For me music is a key component for me when writing. Usually I get music that has the same feel of what I'm writing or a specific playlist for my WiP that I listen to over and over again! (Seriously! My last WiP has one song that I ended up listening to around 600 times!)

So here is a song from my current playlist that I love listening to while writing.


And since I talked about how there are so many different things that can be an inspiration, here's a photo that reminds me of my main character. I love getting a photo album together for a WiP. Having those visual reminders can make me want to write even when I feel like I'm in a funk!



What inspires you?

Character Love

There are characters out there that you simply love and then there are characters that you love to hate too, right? Well, I want to tell you all about a character that I both love and hate.

Cole from Everneath by Brodi Ashton (Jan.2012)


Meet Cole:
'I had been in his arms, but I hadn't seen his face for a century. It was the same. His blond hair framed dark eyes--eyes that were wide open in surprise. His gaze roved over my face, my body.'

And here's why I 'hate' him:
'"Why? YOu wanted to know what happens at the Shop-N-Go. Let's find out, shall we?" He forced me closer to the window.'

And here's why I love him:
"Sometimes..." He pauses and squeezes his eyes shut. "Sometimes our hearts...crack a little."

Yes, I love and hate Cole. I think he's an amazing character for this too. He's layered so well that throughout the book I rooted for him, I couldn't stand him, and then all of a sudden I liked him again. He shows so much about himself piece by stubborn piece throughout the book. All of his faults and his little endearing bits kept me going and wanting more of him! I think it takes an excellent, well-written character (and amazing author, of course) to do that.

So what about you guys? Any characters out there that you love to hate?

Interview with Kristi Cook! (Author of Haven)

I had the awesome opportunity to interview the amazing Kristi Cook. She was so nice to do this interview for me and I want to thank her for that! (my very first author interview!)

Kristi is the author the of the awesome novel, Haven:



One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future...





Doesn't that sound awesome? (I absolutely LOVED this book!) For a full description from Goodreads, click on the cover image. Now, for the interview with the lovely Kristi Cook.

1. When did you start writing?

As far back as I can remember, I was writing! Even as far back as kindergarten, I was writing/drawing little picture books. In sixth grade, I wrote the first two chapters of a sequel to GONE WITH THE WIND (early fan-fic, I guess?). In college, I took a creative writing class where I wrote several short stories. But I didn’t attempt to write for publication till after the birth of my second daughter—I was at home with a one year old and a two-and-a-half year old, and figured, why not give it a try?! Writing that first book was what kept me sane!

2. What is your favorite part about writing?
I love that sense of control! I mean, let’s face it, there’s so much in our lives that’s just totally beyond our control. But when I’m writing, it’s all on me—the characters, the set-up, and the events that take place. Also, like most readers, I love to “fall” into an imaginary world—it’s really the same for me when I’m writing. I love getting lost in my own imagination, “hanging out,” so to speak, in the world and with the cast of characters I’ve created.

3. If you ever get stuck, do you have anything specific that you do that helps?

Listening to music! Finding a song that really fits the mood of the scene I’m writing can be a big help getting me unstuck. Otherwise, it’s generally a sign that I need to get to know my characters better (in my mind) before I can press forward.

4. Is there anything about the writing process that surprised you when you first started?
Other than how hard it is, LOL?! Because yeah…writing an entire book is exhausting!

5. Have you ever had to do a lot of research for any of your writing?

Oh, yeah! Before I wrote YA fiction, I wrote historical romance set in Regency and Edwardian England. Lots and lots of research—everything from history to social issues to clothing to transportation. You should my office bookshelves! I majored in history in college and graduate school, so historical research is fun and familiar for me. I really enjoyed delving into those eras.

For HAVEN, I did a lot of research on psychic powers, another topic that really interests me.

6. What does your writing process look like? (ie-do you plot, do characters or story come first, ect.)

Unfortunately, I’m not much of a plotter. Characters definitely come to me first—they draw me into “learning” their stories. Now that I’m writing a multi-book series, plotting is becoming more and more important, though I’d say I’m still a character-driven writer. At times, it’s really a struggle for me to find the plot with which to structure my characters’ story around (if that makes any sense!).

As a 'Thank You' to Kristi Cook for doing this interview (and because, seriously, I really did love this book) I want to share it with you guys. So, here another contest! One winner will receive a copy of Haven! Yay!

Rules and Info:
To enter, please leave a comment letting us know your name, a way to contact you, and how many points you got (see below).
U.S. Contest only

You can earn extra points by:
+1 if you follow @TangledUpNWords on Twitter.

+1 if you follow our blog!

+2 if you tweet/blog about this interview! (Leave links in comment)

And if you don't win, don't worry! You can order a copy of HAVEN at Amazon! And don't forget the second book in the series, MIRAGE, is set to come out summer 2012!

Get to know Christina

If you could be any item on Mexican restaurant menu, what would you be and why?
Flautas, because I just like how the word sounds. It's fun to say.


If you were an item of clothing what would you be and why?
The missing sock. It's a constant game of hide and seek.


When's your birthday?
Feb. 11


What quote inspires you most?
I don't really have any quotes that I can remember that inspire me. But I do often see things that other people write that inspire me--I just can't ever remember them off the top of my head.

What's a pet peeve you have?
Water rings. They're the reason that the whole top surface of my coffee table is made of cork.

Something about you that no one would know just by looking at you?
I'm seriously and irrationally afraid of choking to death on a slug. They're just terrifying and disgusting. Both Slither and Harry Potter back this fear up. Slugs + Mouths = Terrible Things!



Who's your favorite princess and why?
Ariel, because I've always wanted her hair.

Why do you want to write within the YA genre?
I love how everything is new to the characters in YA. It's all about their first love, fights, experiences and so on.

Which YA book character are you most like? Explain.
Um...Ash from Wildefire? Because I'm secretly a volcano goddess. Shhhh...don't tell anyone. But really, umm we both play with fire. Although she's a lot more hot-tempered and spunkier than me. So, I guess it's not much of a similarity.


Plotter or Panster?
I'm mostly a 'panster.' Kind of. Haha. I usually end up plotting half a novel and then not the other half when I write. And it's different for each novel. I've plotted just the first half of a novel before, then for another just the end, and for another I had no plotting done at all. Each work is just different for me.

What do you like to do when you get stuck while writing to help work through it?
I like to go driving and let my mind wander while listening to music.


Was there a specific book you read that inspired you to start writing?
If I had to pick a book I'd have to say that Twilight is what originally got me into the YA world because I didn't start reading or wanting to write until those books, but all the amazing YA books that I continue to read only inspire me more and more. There are so many beautifully written and well thought out books out there.

What is your single most favorite thing (feel free to be as vague as you like) about you're current WIP?
Scary action.


What book from childhood do you most wish you had written? What book from the past year?
The Giver by Lois Lowry from my childhood and recently, Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Two truths and one lie about yourself.
I have a twin.
I have 2 brothers.
I have 6 sisters.