Megan

Mar 23

Truth, by Julia Karr

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

Summary: This sequel picks up where XVI left off. Ed is dead. The B.O.S.S. is hanging around Nina’s family, asking questions. Sal is constantly off on NonCon missions. And Nina is trying to figure out how to get by now that she is a Sex-teen. As Nina’s life begins crumbling around her, she joins up with an organization of girls secretly working alongside the Resistance in hopes of showing the world that women can be just as powerful as men. As Nina fights to save her family and help all the nameless girls whose lives have been ruined by the GC, will she remember to step back and take the time to help herself? Or will revealing the truth cause Nina to lose everything?

I was really excited to read this book, mostly because I absolutely loved the premise behind XVI, but also because I saw promise in XVI for the sequel to be stellar. Unfortunately, I was left feeling a bit lukewarm.

Many of the things I loved about XVI were missing from Truth. Whereas I felt very invested in the success of the characters in XVI, they seemed a bit hollow in Truth and their actions often seemed a bit forced and, sometimes completely out of left field. It felt like a lot of characters were thrown is as fillers and characters we met in the first book seemed, more often than not, to lose the multi-dimensional nature they had in XVI.

XVI felt very real and gritty, and that reality, and definitely the grittiness, were missing from this book. In fact, Nina spent a large portion of the book wishing she could be as pretty and stylish as the upper-tier girls. While this desire was present in XVI, it was much less of a focus. I thought this, alone, took away from the world and from Nina as a character. Although I can understand her desire to want to be like others, it seemed to deviate from her character as it was set up in XVI.

Unfortunately, it seems that Truth suffers from something a lot of seconds suffer from – feeling like a filler.

All of that being said, Truth was not a bad book, by any means. It just has the misfortune of following in the footsteps of a book I happened to absolutely love. Karr continued to expand upon the world she built in XVI and it was clear that she has a very solid understanding of the inner workings of this world, a must for a successful dystopian. Despite my reservations, I still finished the book in 3 days, a sign that it was at least able to keep me engaged. If you were a fan of XVI, you should definitely read this, and if you haven’t read the series yet, I would recommend checking it out.

Mar 19

Today is my first day as a full-time writer. Only, there has not been much writing. Instead I have spent the majority of my day trying to get internet (thanks Comcast), dealing with the broken radiator in the bedroom, and researching solutions for storing shampoo in a claw foot tub (suggestions welcome). Sigh.

In retrospect, it was probably a bit ambitious to think I would start my new job just 2 days after moving across the country. Even though today was supposed to be the start of my new life, I think I will just call it a wash and finish up as much house stuff as possible so that tomorrow I can get up and start my new job with zero distractions.

Mar 16

Today was the big cross-country move. Instead of sitting in my new apartment in San Francisco, I’m still in Boston, sitting in an airport bar, waiting for my flight. But the way I see it, it wouldn’t be a writer’s big step towards being a proper writer without a bit of drama. And if the past 3 days have been anything, they’ve been drama filled.

It was supposed to be very straightforward – quit work Tuesday, prepare the house Wednesday, supervise the movers Thursday and then catch a plane early Friday. While I did go to the airport this morning, it was sans bags. And the apartment was a mess. And there were no movers because we were without power for 3 days, meaning no light to pack by and no electricity for the freight elevator.

Instead of my nice, tidy plan, disaster struck in the form of a transformer exploding three blocks from my apartment, blanketing the city in blackness and pandemonium. Between the police sirens and loud-speaker announcements, the power company tearing the streets up to install new cables, and the constant hum of diesel generators, I felt like I was in the middle of a disaster zone.

While this was the worst timing, it was a bit fortuitous for this happen to a dystopian writer. Talk about great inspiration!

Even though the move was not as smooth as I would have liked, and even though it’s not even over, at least there is a silver lining. And who knows, maybe I’ll be able to use some of the scenes I witnessed these past couple of days, not to mention learning to cope without power, in a future book that will make me millions. And hey, what kind of writer would I be if I didn’t relish a bit of drama in my life?

Mar 04

In 2 weeks, I will be trading in the full-time job and guaranteed paycheck to try my hand at being a full-time writer. While it’s scary, I’m incredibly excited. Of course, there’s one extra challenge that comes along with this switch – moving across the country to California.

In preparing for this transition, finding an apartment in San Francisco that would provide me with a positive working environment was key. Even though it meant sacrificing luxury, finding an apartment with a separate office was non-negotiable. In my current apartment, there are two large rooms – a bedroom/office combo and a dining room/living room/office. The lack of dedicated writing space makes it very hard for me to focus and, while I like the apartment from a living perspective, it is not always the best from a working perspective. When your home is going to become your office, these are important distinctions.

Luckily, my fiance agreed with the importance of a designated space for me, and so we agreed to sacrifice some living comforts, like an open floor plan, a good-sized kitchen, and even a dishwasher (sigh) so that we could afford a two bedroom apartment to provide me with my own writing space.

As I wait to take this next step in my writing career, I cannot stop planning out the most efficient space for writing, which has also distracted me from writing because it means I’ve spent many hours online searching through magazine photos and store catalogs. But I would rather have the distractions now than when I get there.

Stay tuned for more updates on taking the leap, quitting my day job, and making my writing dreams come true. Have you taken the leap? Have you thought about it?

Feb 22

Imagery plays a vital role in the success of dystopian, fantasy, and science fiction books. Because these books are usually set in make-believe worlds or alternate worlds different from our present, worlds that live in the mind of the writer, it is essential to the success of these books for the reader to see the visuals the way the writer sees them. The world must find a way to live outside of the writer’s mind.

Visualizing my Imaginary World

When writing imagery, I often will see if I can find visual aids that support the images in my head. I find it easier to richly describe a scene/setting if I have a visual – the visual helps me see the rest of the details that my brain may have overlooked.

Ordering my Visual World

In the past, I bookmarked. A lot. Now I use Pinterest, a relatively new tool that allows you to “pin” images to a virtual pin board. By organizing my boards, I can create a collage of images for a specific WIP, a chapter, even a scene. The great thing about this is that it allows me to easily organize the images. Plus, I can view them all at once, on the same page, allowing the imagery to really flow together, creating a succinct visual of what I’m imagining.

Of course, the one flaw with Pinterest is that it is a superb procrastination tool. So you have to be careful with the amount of time you spend on it.

Do you use Pinterest to help with your writing? How do you use it? What do you think of it as a tool for writers?

I’m only just getting started on Pinterest, but if you want to see how I am using it, check out my writing inspiration board. And stay tuned for my chapter-by-chapters boards which should arrive shortly.

Jan 16

It’s a new year, and I’m hoping 2012 will be a year of good things to come. With that in mind, I settled down today to retackle my work-in-progress, and I’ve got to say, I was actually excited to read it. With my last rendition, which I am more or less completely rewriting, I was bored to tears. I didn’t care what happened. I wasn’t excited to follow the storyline. But with the current draft, I wanted to know what would happen, which is saying something since I wrote it and should know what happens.

In the past, I’ve berated myself for not having a published manuscript, for not yet achieving my lifelong goal of publishing a novel. Please insert laughter and snide remarks here, since by lifelong I really mean my dream of 28.5 years, assuming this dream started when I was an infant. When I’ve read about the unpublished novels published writers have tucked away in drawers, I always said that wouldn’t be me. But I currently have 2 more or less completed novels that will probably never see the inside of a publishing house. But out of those experiences, I am learning how to be a better writer, how to create engaging content and engaging characters. My failures are not actually failures. They are just test runs.

My fiance’s brother works for a video game company, and when he got the job, his father made a joke about how all of the hours he spent playing video games, he was actually interning for his current job. I’d like to think that my unpublishable books have all been part of an internship. And hopefully those efforts will pay off with the final prize, the right to legitimately call myself a writer.

Nov 16

The internet has been buzzing all week. The Hunger Games movie trailer is finally here.

I’ve watched the trailer a few times and I’m left with mixed feelings. The gritty scenes don’t seem to be living up to my imagination – they feel a bit too clean – but the glamour of the Capitol is working for me. The actor choices could work, but I need to see more to be completely sold. Of course, it’s hard to tell much from a preview. One thing I will say for this trailer is that it did not give away the movie for those who haven’t read the books. What do you think about the trailer? Did it get you excited for the movie, or were you left feeling a bit blase?

Nov 14

I’ve watched the first three episodes of ABC’s Once Upon a Time, and I’ve got to say, I’m really loving it. It’s a lovely combo of real life meets fairy tale with a dash of dystopian. Based off of the growing interest in reworked fairy tales and the continued popularity in dystopian fiction, it’s a pretty clever mix.

If you haven’t seen it, Once Upon a Time takes all of the fairy tale characters we know and love and, due to a curse meant to take away their happy endings, they are transported to Storybrook, Maine, where they are locked in a prison of mundane lives.

What I love about this show

First, have you ever been to Maine in the winter? I cannot think of a more perfect place to to send people if you want them to live out miserable lives. Not to say I’ve got anything against Maine, but even the most die hard Maine fan has to admit, it’s desolate and down right scary in the winter.

The second thing I love about it is that it takes the story of Snow White and mixes it up. As the story progresses through the episodes, we are shown pieces from before the curse juxtaposed with scenes from post-curse. Think Lost, which, since Once Upon a Time was created by two of the writers from Lost, makes sense.

Reworking Fairy Tales

Reworked fairy tales, when they work, are wonderful. There is comfort in already knowing the main characters, but there is also an added interest in not knowing how the events will play out. And I’ve got to say, so far the reworking and expansion of this fairy tale is proving to be quite successful. I cannot wait to see more.

Nov 11

Photo by: Jon McGovern, http://www.flickr.com/photos/jonmcgovern/

I’m sure few people would disagree that dystopian is huge right now. And it’s not just the Hunger Games trilogy that is drawing readers to this genre. But why do people like reading dystopian? What’s the appeal?

Dystopian What?

For those of you that do not know what dystopian books are all about, here’s a quick primer. Basically, dystopian fiction depict dystopian society (the opposite of a utopia). These books often have elements of science fiction and usually also fall into the parameters of speculative fiction. Some classics include Huxley’s Brave New World, or, one of my favorites, Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four.

More recent dystopians include The Hunger Games, The Maze Runner, The Uglies, Matched, and XVI. For a list of additional dystopians, check out the Goodreads Dystopian List and the Dystopian Book Club list from the Teach 8 YA Book Blog.

Why Dystopia?

I’m sure everyone has their own reasons for why they love dystopian fiction. For me, I have several. While it comes off sounding a bit glass half-empty, seeing how much worse life could get actually makes me feel more optimistic and hopeful. If things could always get worse, maybe any troubles in my life aren’t as bad as I think.

Then there is the sci-fi element. I enjoy sci-fi, but only when it doesn’t go too far. Most of the dystopians I enjoy, and the ones I’m currently writing, have elements of sci-fi but they keep them vague. They give just enough. I like to refer to this as casual sci-fi.

And then there is the alternate history or the possible future, which I think of as reverse history. In my 9-5 life, I think a lot about history. I’m a trained archaeologist, after all. Most of the successful dystopians I’ve read have a good grasp on history and sociology. They ask what-if and then take it to the next level, exploring what could actually happen were the what if to come to fruition. The realism behind most dystopians is extremely appealing.

To me, dystopians are the ultimate sociological experiment. But the writers also tell good stories full of all of the plot elements we have come to expect from any good book, regardless of genre. So if you like a good story but also enjoy those make-you-think moments that dystopians are so good at inducing, then dystopian fiction may be for you.

If you haven’t read a dystopian novel, go ahead and give one a shot. The worst that could happen is that you end up not liking it. Or you could discover an entire genre you never knew you loved.

If you already are a dsytopian fan, why do you like them? What’s your favorite dystopian novel?

Nov 10

As a follow-up to my previous blog post, I am reimaging my blog for my intended book audience, YA dystopian fans. Before this decision, the blog was a bit of a mess, with zero consistency and no real targeted audience.

Why should you care?

If you do not like dystopian YA, you may no longer be interested in the blog content. If you do like dystopian YA, then this blog is for you. If you know anyone who likes dystopian ya, then you may want to recommend this blog. And if you have no clue what dystopian YA is, you just may learn something.

This change doesn’t mean that I won’t still share posts about my writing process or industry trends, but as much as possible, the blog will have a dystopian YA focus.

I hope you enjoy the changes. And for those of you who have no clue what I’m talking about, stay tuned for my next blog post, The Dystopian Appeal.

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Page 6

Return of Book Review Fridays – Truth

Diving in, or taking Baby steps

A healthy dose of drama

Take the leap – Countdown to becoming a full-time writer

Pinterest as a tool for writers – keeping track of your inspiration

Visualizing my Imaginary World

Ordering my Visual World

2012: The Year of the Novel

The Hunger Games Movie Trailer – Thoughts?

Crushing on Once Upon a Time

What I love about this show

Reworking Fairy Tales

The Dystopian Appeal

Dystopian What?

Why Dystopia?

A New Direction: Reimaging my blog for a YA dystopian audience

Why should you care?