Summer Reading

I had so many posts planned for today. I wanted to finally give you a recap of my trip to New York. I wanted to write a response to Stephanie Morrill's post about wether or not teen writers should have a blog. I wanted to review the amazing and perplexing book The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards by Kristopher Jansma. But as I was staring at my newly re-arranged bookshelves, and at the stacks of books still littering my floor, I realized that there was only one post I could write today, and it's largely  for myself. I hope you find it mildly interesting, and I promise to have at least one of the aforementioned posts up by the end of the week. Here, without further ado, is the list of books I want to read this summer.*

1. When a Crocodile Eats the Sun by Peter Godwin (required summer reading)

2. The Magicians by Lev Grossman

3. Ready, Okay! by Adam Cadre

4. You Are One of Them by Elliot Holt

5. The Disappointment Artist by Jonathan Lethem (started)

6. A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor

7. Seabuiscut by Laura Hillenbrand

8. Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald

9. Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall by Kazuo Ishiguro

10. The Starboard Sea by Amber Dermont

11. Birds of a Lesser Paradise by Megan Mayhew Bergman

* It is completely possible that I will not finish all of these before mid-august, but I'm going to try! 

What books are you reading this summer? No, really. I'd like to know. 

Also, side note: How freaking awesome is it that I actually have time to read anything? I love summer. 

Just Breathe

I leave for New York City in less than a week. LESS THAN A WEEK. In fact I leave next Wednesday. It's been hard not to let that thought worm its way into my brain during every waking moment the past couple of days. To say I'm excited would be a massive understatement. (O_O) But we're going to keep this civilized. Hopefully this post won't devolve into me screaming excitedly from the floor, "I'm going to New York! I'm going to Carnegie Hall! I'm going to NEW YORK!" Right. Deep breaths, Laura.

Recently my twitter feed has been caught in a deluge of tweets from authors saying they are going to be at BEA (BookExpoAmerica, for the uninitiated) in New York City. I just assumed that this huge literary convention would not be happening at the same time as the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, because who would want to make my dreams come true all at once, really? But surprisingly, I was dead wrong. BEA is happening at the SAME TIME that I will be in New York. What's that? You mean all of Laura's favorite authors are going to be descending on the very city that she's visiting at the same time that she's visiting it? That's right. And you bet I'll be looking for them.

But! Before this turns into a creep fest, I actually have a direction for this post! Since so many fantastic writers and book lovers and award winning teens are going to be traveling next week, I thought I'd share a few tips on how to get the most of your experience in any new place:

1. Bring a notebook. I don't care if you don't think you're a writer, or if you've never carried one in your life. Bring it, and write in it. It doesn't have to be big or fancy. You don't have to write a lot. Just write down whatever feels most important. A picture of the Statue of Liberty is one thing, but with iconic features like that you can't truly relive that moment unless you write it down.

2. Resist the urge to share every moment on social media. I know it's tempting, and the occasional tweet, instagram, or facebook update is fine, but you're on vacation! The experiences you have are a million times more meaningful than any Facebook status, no matter how many likes it gets.

3. Don't get distracted by your own ideas. When I'm in a new place it can feel like the neurons in my brain are firing at full speed. Sometimes I'll get several shiny new ideas related to where I am or what I'm working on, and I won't be able to stop thinking about them. But the truth is, those nuggets of genius are a result of your surroundings, and thus probably won't seem so perfect once you're back home. How much can I really know about New York subway tunnels after five days in the city? Certainly not enough to base my new idea for a spy novel off of them, even though it might seem  brilliant while I'm rocketing around underground. (Disclaimer, I'm not actually writing a spy novel.)

4. Instead, just breathe it all in. Don't take away from the experience by trying to create stories around it; just experience it. Write things down not for the sake of writing but for the sake of remembering. There's a great quote that I found recently that applies to this idea: "Observe the wonders as they occur around you. Don't claim them. Feel the artistry move through you and be silent." -Kahlil Gibran

I plan to be as silent possible while in New York, unless of course I happen to spot Neil Gaiman, in which case I'll run up to him and demand that we have coffee and chat about writing or art or something. Fool proof plan, right?

Quote of the Day: The Page

So, I'm writing this from my phone. I'm not sure if that makes me more or less professional... Needless to say I will be thoroughly checking for typos when this is finished, and I apologize for any weird autocorrect problems.

It seems only fitting that after a short hiatus we start at the beginning again. We start with the blank page. I recently ran across this absolutely stunning quote from Annie Dillard's The Writing Life:

"Who will teach me to write? a reader wanted to know. The page, the page, that eternal blankness, the blankness of eternity which you cover slowly, affirming time's scrawl as a right and your daring as necessity; the page, which you cover woodenly, ruining it, but asserting your freedom and power to act, acknowledging that you ruin everything you touch but touching it nevertheless, because acting is better than being here in mere opacity..."

I think writers struggle with the blank page for much the same reason we struggle with uncertainty. That's what it is, isn't it? The uncertainty of not knowing what to write, or if it will be good. The sheer terror of knowing that you are creating something from thin filaments of thought that may not hold up on their own. Everyone has felt dread like a weight in their stomach. Everyone knows what it is to be alone and unsure, staring if not into a blank whiteness, then into a blue sky or a pair of eyes that don't answer back. When I first read this quote, I thought "the page" sounded like a cruel teacher. But then, what is life if not the same thing?

But there is one crucial difference between life and the page. Between all the uncertainty and mystery they both hold, the page is permanent. That is something that life will never be, and maybe that's for the best. I love what Dillard says about ruining everything you touch but touching it anyway. Making art is the act of ruining, of marring something that was once clear and white and beautiful, and only when the ruin turns into beauty can we call it art. I used to get so frustrated when my teachers would pose the "What is art?" question, usually citing one of Duchamp's ready-mades as an example of something that was questionable. I used to think, aren't we done with this question? Haven't we figured this out by now? And what's more, if everyone's interpretation of art is different, then why bother to ask? I still think that "what is art?" is a poor question. I think we can do better than that. I think we should assess our own ideas about art and ruin, about uncertainty and permanence. We should come up with our own questions that have answers that belong only to us. And this leads me to my favorite part of the Annie Dillard quote, which is that she is asking us to choose action over uncertainty, to say yes to ruin. This is the part that I'm still working on. For some reason I've grown comfortable with the uncertainty and the doubt, and I think if I just hold out long enough it will fade to the background. And then, when I do act, I discover again how wonderful it is, and how much better it is than staring at a blank page. This is all still a work in progress, but I'm beginning to be okay with that. I'm beginning to understand that writing is work and that it doesn't always come like it is now, straight from my fingers into this tiny phone keyboard. And yeah, most of what we touch is ruined. But there's always an exception to the rule.

Putting Advice into Practice

I was looking at the tags on my posts the other day, and I realized that it has been a VERY long time since I actually talked about writing in any kind of helpful, organized way. There's also the fact that the tag "life" pops up more than "writing in general," which bothers me a little bit since, well, this blog is supposed to have at least some useful information on it. So, without further ado, here's some advice... about taking advice.

For the record, I LOVE advice. I'm the one who is constantly wasting time I could be using to write (or, you know, do homework) by looking up writing advice. But of course the one caveat of knowing how to write well, is that you actually have to put that advice into practice. In order to help you do this, I've gathered up a few of the most generic writing tips on the internet and am giving you my own perspective on what they mean.

Write Every Day
Ah yes, this seems to be the standard piece of writing advice. It 's simple. You want to write? Well then, what are you waiting for! But if you're anything like me, just being told to write isn't enough. I need details. How long should my writing sessions be? Should I set a word count goal? How do I write everyday without severely jeopardizing my grades? What if I only write two sentences every day for a week? What happens if I skip a day? Two? Three? You get the gist. Now, this is going to seem a little counter intuitive, but let's just forget about the whole "write every day" thing for a minute. Sure, setting a schedule for yourself is great, but you really only need to write every day if just getting yourself into your desk chair is a struggle. If you're more confident with your writing, you start to feel guilty after you've gone a long time without writing anything. Hopefully the urge to write will naturally occur. That doesn't necessarily mean you should write only when you feel like it. Use your time wisely; if you have a small stretch of time where you would normally watch Youtube videos, try writing instead. By using whatever available time you have and also freeing yourself from the cycle of guilt that is trying to write every day and failing miserably, you are going to be a lot happier with yourself and with the result of your efforts.

Show don't Tell
You've heard this one a million times, I know. In describing this technique most people use an example like this:

Showing: Julie was getting angry when James walked through the door.

Telling: Julie's face turned beet red. He eyes bulged and an insult was already forming on her lips when James walked through the door.

Even when I'm given an example, I have a really hard time showing instead of telling. While first drafts will always be riddled with places where telling is rampant, one thing I've noticed that has helped me learn the difference is taking time to notice things. If you make a conscious effort to observe the details of your life, then writing them will be a lot easier. Pay attention to the way people act when they're happy, angry, sad, tired. Pay attention to the way the first day of summer smells, or the feeling your get when you're sitting in an empty movie theatre waiting for the film to start. As you do this you will discover that you are more inclined to include the details of your character's emotions rather than just telling your readers their state of mind.

Write What You Know
There is a lot of truth to this phrase. Where would we be if Anne Frank or Louisa May Alcott or Harper Lee had decided not to write what they know? However, when I first tried to follow this advice I couldn't think of anything in my life that would be worth putting into a story (obviously I got over that and started a blog). What I've realized is that writing what you know doesn't mean you have to write a memoir about your life, or that you can't work in a fantasy or sci-fi genre. It just means that, whenever possible, you should ground your stories in a reality that you know something about. Why have a character who is a genius chess player if you've never played a game of chess in your life? Sure, you can acquaint yourself with the world of chess by teaching yourself how to play, attending chess tournaments, etc, but wouldn't be nice (and a lot less work) to have your main character love the same thing you love? This also serves as a good rule for writing about things you can't possibly "know". Say you've set your story in New Orleans during the 1920's. If you want your story world to be authentic, you need to know as much about that place and time as if you were actually living it.

Well, that's all I have time for today. Since I don't do very many of these writing advice posts, I'd love to hear if you thought this was helpful or not. Feel free to leave questions, comments, and constructive criticism in the comments!

From a Writer's Notebook (New Orleans) + The #ThankAWriter Project

Unfortunately the surprise giveaway items are not quite ready, so that will have to wait until my next post, but in the meantime I thought I'd share a few more thoughts from my trip to New Orleans. Here, in case you are interested, are excerpts from my notebook:

"We started the day with beignets. Cafe Du Monde was understandably crowded, people jostling for space at the tiny round tables on the sprawling patio. The beignets themselves were buried under snowy mountains of powdered sugar. We sipped coffee quietly, trying not to breathe when we bit into them, for fear of blowing powdered sugar at each other."

"Faulkner House Books is almost unnoticeable from the outside. It blends in to the alleyway, and has only a small sign and a historical marker as advertisement. Inside the books go all the way up to the ceiling. On the walls that aren't covered in bookshelves there are autographed portraits and letters from writers like Hemingway,  Flannery O'Connor, even Harper Lee. Standing here, where William Faulkner lived for ten months while he wrote his first novel, feels a little like standing on sacred ground. I try to imagine the French Quarter of the 1920's, and my mind can almost conjure the image. But then I step back out onto the street, into the chilly shade of the alleyway, and I am once again faced with the New Orleans of today."

I hope you enjoyed those! The next thing I want to talk about is Nathan Bransford's #ThankAWriter project, in which you write a hand-written letter to the author (or authors) who made a difference in your life. I've always been a huge proponent of thanking the authors who inspired you in some way, which is why I absolutely LOVE this idea. And the thing is, it's not a new concept. People have been writing letters to their favorite authors for as long as books and hand-written communication have been a prominent part of society. These days conventional fan mail is dying out and being replaced by quick  notes on author's twitter or Facebook accounts. While electronic methods are convenient, they don't begin to match the weight that receiving a real letter has. Authors deserve to recognized for their hard work, and even more, they deserve to know that they've touched someone in some way. Over the next few weeks I hope to write several letters to authors who have inspired me, and I hope you will, too. Details on the project can be found by clicking here.

If you've written your own letters I'd love it if you would share them in the comments, or simply spread the word about this initiative. Also, stay tuned for more giveaway news!

New Orleans, Friendship, YA authors, and Secrets

It's been one amazing week. I know I said I was going to blog during my trip to New Orleans...but that didn't really happen, so you'll just have to deal with a shorter recap. There are too many pictures to fit in the small space of a post, but I will be attempting to weave them throughout. Enjoy!

My first glimpse of the skyline

Part I: New Orleans

Pirate's Alley

New Orleans was amazing. No, seriously. We (myself, my mom, and my dad) wandered through the french quarter and visited two bookshops: Faulkner House Books and Dauphine Street Books. We ate beignets and savored cappuccinos. We rode the street cars, visited cemeteries, and drove leisurely through the Garden District. We tapped our feet to the rhythm of the city, helped of course, by numerous street musicians. I tried my first raw oyster. (I don't really see the appeal) It was a little chillier than we expected, but we just used the colder weather as an excuse to walk on the sunny side of the streets. Mardi Gras beads still hung in the trees. The city filled me up in ways I hadn't expected, and I let myself breathe it all in. Even on our last day, when we ended up eating breakfast at the mall version of Cafe Du Monde, I savored the empty, echo-y surroundings, and swayed to the elevator music coming down from the speakers. New Orleans taught me to continue tapping along to life's beat, and to love its eccentricities. Also, note to self: Don't wear black when you know you will be consuming powdered sugar.

          

Part II: Friendship

The past couple of days that I haven't been in New Orleans were spent reconnecting with friends. Because we spend so much of our lives doing schoolwork and/or theatre, it sometimes feels like we spend a lot of time supporting each other through the ever present stress, which is important of course, but not the best way to spend time with friends. On Friday we were finally able to get together and have some fun shopping for prom dresses. (Everyone is going to look beautiful, by the way!) It was so nice to be able to relax (mentally, not physically- shopping is strenuous!) and get back in touch with the foundation of our friendship, which was built on so much more than school. I am so grateful to have such amazing, supportive, talented friends, and I really could not ask for anything more. 

I also got to see the movie Life of Pi with a friend who I recently got back in touch with. It was so much fun, and Life of Pi was awesome. If you haven't already, go see it. Now.

So I guess the lesson in all of this is to keep in touch with your friends. They are the people who will always be there to make you laugh or to support you when the going gets tough. And besides, you could have a really, really great time.

Part III: YA Authors

Guess who I got to meet yesterday? Victoria Schwab!  She was on a panel with two equally awesome YA writers: Beth Revis and Carrie Ryan at Blue Willow Bookshop. They were all so happy and enthusiastic and they answered our questions with much laughter and a little bit of teasing. There was a lot of talk about short fiction, which was interesting because I feel like it doesn't come up enough in most author events (especially for novelists). I got my copy of Victoria's book, The Archived, signed (in silver!!), and a picture with her (Yay!):

I'm only a few pages in, but I'm loving it already. If you'd like to learn more about Victoria (And you should, because I'm convinced she's just about the most adorable person on the planet), here are a few links:

Blog (Inspiring posts on everything from fan fiction to wanderlust)

Youtube Channel (Check out her Making History series!)

Part IV: Secrets!

Okay, so admittedly this won't be a secret for long since I'm about to tell you what it is, but you have to admit it's a better section title. Ready? Here we go...

Friday morning I got an e-mail from the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards and...

I GOT A SILVER AWARD for my writing portfolio! 

That means I'm going to New York City, my friends, and I could not be more excited! I'll have more news as the ceremony date gets closer, but until then I plan to let this whole thing sink in for a while. I still can't believe it's actually happening!

Part V: Actual Secrets + A Hint!

You didn't see that coming, did you? I am planning to do an epic giveaway on The Blank Page, and you're invited! What am I giving away? Well, that's a secret. But here's a hint:

Well, I hope that makes up for this long, rambling post! Stay tuned for giveaway news in the near future. You don't want to miss this!

Self Image 2013 + New Year's Resolution Check In

First of all, can you believe it's already March? What about all the inspirational New Year's posts I was going to write? Well, I thought since we're embarking on the first I mean third month of the new year I'd give you a little 2013 update to hopefully inspire you to refresh your new year spirit.

Let's start with my self image 2013, inspired by this Youtube video.


Laura Mills, 18. Writer. Reader. Daughter. Dog lover.

I still don't know where I'm going to college, but I'm hoping that will change soon.

I'm currently a little too addicted to Youtube. Part of me wants to join their realm and become a video blogger and the other part of me wants to run away and hide at the thought.

I have the most supportive family, friends, and teachers in the entire world. I am grateful for them every. single. day.

I'm a sometimes traveler and an always observer. A book-binder and a lover of old things.

My favorite poem at the moment is "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver. My favorite book is and always will be The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale.

I'm a twitter newbie, a blogger veteran, and a tumblrer never.

Hopefully, this will be the year I write a novel.

I'm Laura, and it's 2013.


Next, I'm going to take a look at my New Year's Resolutions:

1. Write a Novel: This summer, it's happening. THIS. SUMMER.
2. Take a walk every morning: Hahaha! Yeah, that hasn't happened.
3. Read 30 books: Four down, twenty-six to go!
4. Spend more time with friends: Went to a concert with friend #1 on Friday, hung out at the Waffle Bus with friend #2 on Saturday, and going to a concert with friend #3 on Wednesday. (Note: Numbers do not correspond to "friendship status" or anything, just the order they happen to fall in the schedule of events!)
5. Post a new blog post every Sunday (morning): Haven't really been sticking to this schedule, but I am posting fairly regularly, which is good enough for me!

Well, there you have it. Thank you to those who commented on my last post! Your feedback/thoughts really mean a lot to me! In the comments below I'd love to hear your self image in 2013 and/or how your New Year's Resolutions are holding up.

ps. Spring break is almost upon us! My family and I are taking a three day trip to New Orleans, and I plan to write at least one blog post while I'm there. Stay tuned for pictures and stories :)