5 Things I Learned About Writing in 2012

(Note: This post is a response to "5 Things I Learned about Writing this Year" by Stephanie Morrill over at Go Teen Writers.)

When I read this post over at Go Teen Writers, something about it struck a chord. I've always been the kind of person who prefers to look forwards rather than back, so thinking about what I've learned about writing over the course of this year never really occurred to me. However, now that I think about it, reassessing your progress can be a valuable technique. It's important to remember that it's not just about the face-level accomplishments. It's not about how many words you've written, or the number of short stories you finished, or the novel still languishing in your drawer. It's about the changes your writing has undergone, and how it has changed you as a person. Keeping that in mind, here are 5 things I've learned about writing in 2012:

1. The importance of community: This summer I attended the Iowa Young Writer's Studio. The group of other teenage writers that I met there changed my life. We keep in touch through Facebook and I now have an active community of writers all over the world who I can turn to to find advice and inspiration. Not only that, but I've been lucky enough to find a group of friends at my school who are also passionate about writing, and together we've done so many great things. Oh, and joining Twitter* was probably the best thing that's happened to me on the social media front, besides starting this blog, of course. :) 

2. Time will always be a limiting factor-so work around it: This year more than ever has been extremely busy: from getting through the second semester of my junior year, to all the traveling I did during the summer, and not to mention the two or three months I spent on college applications. If you want to work on the projects that mean the most to you, you have to make time for them. Don't wait for your schedule to clear up, because chances are, it won't.

3. Trust your instincts: I learned this mostly from all the college application essays I had to write, but it applies to all writing (and life in general, for that matter). If something you've written doesn't feel right, don't give up and call it a day because you're tired or you tell yourself it's "good enough." For a while I thought the first draft of my Common Application essay was fine as is, but in the end I chose to re-write it completely and the finished result was ten times better than the original. The same rule applies the other way around, too. If someone wants you to change something about your work and you disagree with them, by all means consider it, but if you still come to the conclusion that it is not the best thing for your story or poem, then don't do it. After all, it's your work, and you have to satisfy yourself first. 

4. Be concise and to the point: Another lesson learned from writing application essays. When you only have 300 words to showcase a piece of yourself, you don't have room to ramble. The same goes for other types of writing: If you can say the same thing in fewer words, do it.

5. Don't forget to live a little: Writing is hard, and no matter what you think, staring at a blank screen all day most likely isn't going to break your writer's block. Get up, get moving, and take a break from writing if you need one. You'll come back to your computer refreshed and hopefully brimming with ideas. (Also, if you're worried about missing inspiration when you're out and about, consider carrying a purse sized notebook wherever you go and write in it when you see something that might be useful. Oh! and read this beautiful essay: On Keeping a Notebook by Joan Didion.)

What have you learned about writing this year?


*If you'd like to follow me, my Twitter handle is @laurapoet33

Review: Paper Towns

I finished Paper Towns by John Green last night at 12:15 am. This is the first John Green book I've read, and you should know I came to this book with several already formed expectations:
1. It would be funny. Some of the funniest scenes were (somewhat) spoiled by my friends when I happened to be around while they were talking about the book.
2. It would be well written. I don't know if you've yet stumbled upon the phenomenon that is John Green. If you haven't, know that he is pretty much the equivalent of a YA superstar. His books have won numerous awards and have pretty much all been on the best-seller list at one point or another. Needless to say, I was expecting to be blown away.
3. It would be very John-like. One thing that is the most unique about John Green is his online presence. He is one half (the other half is his brother, Hank Green) of the extremely successful Youtube channel: Vlogbrothers. And after watching so many of his videos, I started wondering wether or not the John Green I saw on Youtube would be the same John Green that I saw (heard?) while reading this book.

Before I tell you wether my expectations were lived up to, here's the jacket copy of Paper Towns: 
"Who is the real Margo? Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs into his life- dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge- he follows. After their all-nighter ends, and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover than Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues- and they're for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees the girl he thought he knew..."

And now for wether or not Paper Towns lived up to my expectations:

1. It is funny. No, it's hilarious. I can't remember the last time a book made me laugh this much. Every other chapter I was doubled over, and even when the stakes are raised Green manages to slip in several more hilarious scenes. The dialogue is sharp and witty and the cadence of teenage speech is spot on. The perspective is decidedly male, and there is no shortage bodily function jokes running throughout. Even for someone who's not necessarily a fan of that kind of humor, it's impossible not to laugh when you're in the grasp of John Green's deliciously funny prose.

2. It is well written. At the beginning I was somewhat skeptical of this fact. The writing wasn't extraordinary, but it wasn't bad either. And as I read on, my doubts disappeared one by one. The book isn't filled with flowery language, but it doesn't need to be. Instead, Green's style is both frank and profound. He has a strong grasp of what he is trying to say and he says it well. All of the characters felt genuine, even the adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman, who the reader doesn't fully understand until the end. He captures high school friendships beautifully: the main character's two best friends get along most of the time, but also get on each other's nerves. There is also a philosophical side to the story, which ties in with Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself."As well as metaphors about paper towns and strings and the things that hold us together and make us see and understand each other for who we are. These are the parts that most remind me of the "Youtube John Green," which leads to the final section of this blog post.

3. It is very John-like. Of course, I don't pretend to know John Green personally. I base this solely on the version of him that I've seen from watching his Youtube videos. But while reading this book, I couldn't help hearing his voice. It is his humor and his philosophies and his heart. If you watch John's videos, you can't help feeling like you know the author of this book, and that makes it an even more worthwhile read.

Overall this was a genuine and beautifully written book. If you haven't read it (even if you're an adult and don't normally read YA) I highly recommend it. If you have read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

It seems fitting to end this post the same way John Green would: Don't Forget to be Awesome!

Inspiration: Jane Eyre

Something unusual happened to me last weekend. I was inspired...by a movie. In our household this should not be an uncommon occurrence. My parents are documentary filmmakers. Our DVD collection takes up two shelves in our bookcase, stacked. I doubt we could survive for long without Netflix. And yet, few movies have affected me in the way that the 2011 version of Jane Eyre did. I can list my favorite films (that's for another post), but its harder to think of films that have actually inspired me to go out and make something. I think I can say that Jane Eyre was one of these films.

(Note: This post is not a movie review. I will not be evaluating the casting, storyline, or the adaptation of the book. I should also say that I haven't seen any other adaptations of Jane Eyre-to date-and I am only part way through the book, which I am enjoying.)

Lighting/Cinematography

Basically every scene in this movie has the same effect on the viewer as a Vermeer painting. The lighting is so beautiful, especially natural light that comes in through the large windows. The whole time I was watching, I kept thinking: "If only I could capture this atmosphere in words." Story aside, just the feel of this movie is enough to make me love it.

Music
As you probably know by now, I've always been a lover of movie music. I have a whole playlist dedicated to it on my ipod. But until now I never thought I could write with a movie soundtrack in the background. In the past when I've done so, the music is too engrained in the film, and I can't separate them. I'll start immediately visualizing scenes from the film in my head, or worse, writing them down. The music becomes the words, not the guiding force behind them. 

Unlike some of my favorite soundtracks, I did not consciously notice the music while watching the film, which often happens if a score is particularly beautiful. However when I listened to the Jane Eyre soundtrack on its own I realized just how emotional, raw, and eerie the music is. Even better, my mind's eye was not overrun with scenes from the film. All that was left was the feel of the film, which was what drew me to it in the first place. I still have some experimenting to do, but I think this is one soundtrack that I will be able to write to.

If you would like to hear a sample, click here.

Other Notes
It's hard to pin down why we are inspired by some things and not by others. Something just has to speak to us at the core of our being, like a silent understanding. The list above talks about two main reasons I love this film, and as for the third, it's hard to say. There is just a feeling, an atmosphere, to this film that I can't quite put my finger on, but I know that I love the vibe that it gives off. Jane Eyre made me want to write. It made me want to travel to England and wander the moors. It made me see light differently.

I encourage you to see this movie if you haven't already, and if you have, I'd love to hear your thoughts. What other films have you been inspired by recently? 

Also, expect a review of Jane Eyre (the book) soon!

The People Who Rock My World

This post is going to be long, but simple. What follows is a list of the people who have shaped my world in the past year. Most are people I've never met, but that's all the more reason thank them for giving me inspiration, for unknowingly providing much needed encouragement, for making me work harder for my dreams. These, in no particular order, are the people who rock my world.

Maria Popova 

I discovered Maria's website a couple months ago and I've been hooked ever since. It's called Brain Pickings. Every time I visit the site I am reminded why I want to be a creative person. Filled with inspiration for writers, philosophers, artists, and scientists, it never fails to teach me something new. I suggest you sign up for their mailing list right now. You won't be disappointed.

The Vlogbrothers

I made a Youtube account a few weeks ago and the Vlogbrothers were the first channel that I subscribed to. It is made up of the YA author John Green and his brother Hank, and has a following of 823,843 devoted fans (and counting). Hank and John are always funny and insightful and they totally deserve their tremendous success. These are two people who are living life to the fullest, doing what makes them happy, and sharing their awesomeness with the world. I have yet to read a John Green book, but Paper Towns is next up on my list. Plus, I can now proudly call myself a Nerdfighter. DFTBA! 

Rachel Coker

Rachel Coker is the 17-year-old author (I hope I'm right about her age! Sorry if I messed it up!) of Interrupted and the soon-to-be-released Chasing Jupiter. Her blog is full of posts about writing and funny stories from her life, and it never fails to pick me up when I'm feeling down. I hope I get to meet her someday because I have this weird feeling that we'd get along!

Shannon Hale

This was the year I finally got to meet my writing idol, Shannon Hale. I could write whole posts on what a cool person she is and how good her books are, but I'll save the space. I just feel so grateful that I got to meet her at the Texas Library Association Conference, and that she gave me a hug, and that she signed my copies of her books. It was only about five minutes of my life, but I'll remember it forever. Also, you can check out her awesome blog, here.

The note is a reference to the fact that I sent her an e-mail full of restaurants to eat at while she was here.

Kristan Hoffman

I've been following Kristan's blog for about a year now. She writes about everything, from television shows to encouraging quotes. This post in particular got to me. I admire her so much for going after her dreams no matter what. Also it's her birthday today! Hope it's a good one! :D

Victoria Schwab

I only recently discovered this author, but I'm SO glad I did. I haven't read any of her books yet (all of which have very intriguing premises), but I've watched almost all of her Youtube videos and am subscribed to her blog. Her recent post on inspiration had me itching to write, and the adorable video of her signing the last forty copies of her first book made me want to be an author even more. (I always wondered how lefties signed books!) All in all, I can't wait to read her newest release, The Archived, and I wish her all the best!

And finally, because I'm in the spirit of thanking people, I just want to send a shout out to all the people who have encouraged/inspired me in real life. A HUGE thank-you to:

-Ms. Harris, my amazing English/Creative Writing teacher who always brings sunshine to my day. I don't know what I'm going to do without her when I go off to college!

-Indigo, my best friend, who reads my work, listens to my ideas, participates wholeheartedly in all our random conversations, and never fails to be an inspiration :) You can read her blog, here!

-My Family, who also reads my work, and has never wavered in their encouragement and support.

Well, I'm off to a birthday party in a couple hours and then it's Turkey day! Writing this blog post has been a rewarding experience in itself because it made me think about all the people who have had an impact on me. I've been so lucky to not only have wonderful, creative people in my life, but also a well of inspiration to draw from on the inter-webs. Thanks again for reading, and I hope that in the coming days you'll go out and thank your favorite creators, too. They deserve it.

The Best Fireside Reads

Since winter is kind of a joke where I live, people have to make up ways of knowing when it's actually here. For some, it's pulling out boots and scarves (many of which are more decorative than they are warm), and for some it's the moment they start selling the pumpkin lattes at Starbucks. In our house we know it's not the holiday season until there is a blazing fire in our fireplace.

So, in honor of our first warm, toasty fire, I've compiled a list of great fireside reads. Get some logs going, curl up in an armchair, and enjoy any of these on a wintry night.

1. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Reason: This book is perfect for any time you want to lose yourself in a simpler time. The characters are sweet, the descriptions are delicious, and the book itself is a beautiful testament to enjoying the little things in life.
Quote: "The weary mole also was glad to turn in without delay, and soon he had his head on his pillow, in great joy and contentment. But ere he closed his eyes he let them wander round his old room, mellow in the glow of the firelight that played or rested on familiar and friendly things which had long been unconsciously part of him, and now smilingly received him back, without rancor." 

2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Reason: This book has it all: humor, tragedy, love, family, scenes of decadence and of poverty.  Being surrounded by the four March girls was like being around the sisters I never had. If books could have hearts, Little Women would have a big one.
Quote: "On Christmas night, a dozen girls piled onto the bed which was the dress circle, and sat before the blue and yellow chintz curtains in a most flattering state of expectancy. There was a good deal of rustling and whispering behind the curtain, a trifle of lamp smoke, and an occasional giggle from Amy, who was apt to get hysterical in the excitement of the moment. Presently a bell sounded, the curtains flew apart, and the Operatic Tragedy began."

3. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Reason: I love this book. Seriously. I can't recommend it enough. It's mysterious, atmospheric, and beautiful in a ghostly way. Perfect for a dark and stormy night.
Quote: "All children mythologize their birth. It is a universal trait. You want to know someone? Heart, mind, and soul? Ask him to tell you about when he was born. What you get won't be the truth; it will be a story. And nothing is more telling than a story."

4. Enna Burning by Shannon Hale
Reason: If you've followed this blog for any length of time, you'll know that Shannon Hale is one of my favorite authors. This book is the second in The Books of Bayern, a series set in the same world as The Goose Girl. I promise, after reading this book, you won't look at fire the same way again.
Quote: "She was aware of all the living around her. She could feel its heat- the trees, the sleeping animals in their arms or in holes in the ground. Even the frozen grass was still alive at its root, still emanating tiny strings of heat. Her sense of it was much stronger than at first, and she knew she could draw on it at any moment."

5. The Tales of Beedle and the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Reason: Actually any of the Harry Potter books would be a great fireside read, but I chose this one because of its format. These are strange and beautiful stories that deserve to be savored, especially for those who want to disappear into the world of Harry Potter without re-reading the lengthy books.
Quote: "'Now you are healed and will know true love!' cried the maiden, and she embraced him. The touch of her soft white arms, the sound of her breath in his ear, the scent of her heavy gold hair: All pierced the newly awakened heart like spears. But it had grown strange during its long exile, blind and savage in the darkness to which it had been condemned, and its appetites had grown powerful and perverse."

6. Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Reason: This is another book that I absolutely love. It is whimsical and lighthearted, but it also has a thread of sadness running through it that I can't quite explain. Overall, its more beautiful and fascinating and complicated than I ever imagined it would be, and I highly recommend it.
Quote: "Of course the Neverlands vary a good deal. John's, for instance, had a lagoon with flamingos flying over it at which John was shooting, while Michael, who was very small, had a flamingo with lagoons flying over it. John lived in a boat turned upside down on the sands, Michael in a wigwam, and Wendy in a house of leaves deftly sewn together. John had no friends, Michael had friends at night, Wendy had a pet wolf forsaken by its parents; but on the whole the Neverlands have a family resemblance, and if they stood still in a row you could say of them that they have each other's nose and so forth. On these magic shores children at play are for ever beaching their coracles. We too have been there; we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more."

A few more recommendations:
-Hitty: Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field
-The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
-Andersen's Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Anderson
-Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
- Anything by Edgar Allen Poe

Well there you have it. I hope you enjoyed my list and if you have anything to add I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

ps. Stay tuned for more! For the next five days that I'm off from school I will be doing a blog post a day. Tomorrow's post: People Who Rock My World

Why You Should Keep Everything You Write

So it's been a long time since I've written any kind of "writerly wisdom" posts, mostly because I don't feel qualified yet to give advice on a lot of things. However, the subject of this post is something I feel strongly about, and something I think a lot of budding writers (especially if you start young like I did) don't think about. So here it is, my little piece of advice:

Save. Everything.

Take everything you write and put it in a drawer somewhere. Make a binder. Have a folder on your computer (and back it up!). Whatever system you come up with, make sure you have a secure place to keep your writing. Even if you think your work sucks. Even if you know it sucks. Save it. 

Why? Because it's yours. Because your life is finite and so are your memories. One day you will wonder about that story that you wrote when you were thirteen. You will try and try to remember it but you will only be able to recall the edges of it, the feeling of it, and maybe not even that. Maybe you won't remember it at all. And chances are, that story you wrote when you were thirteen probably won't be any good. If you did save it, you'll always be able to go back and cringe at your shallow characters and silly dialogue. But it's more than that. That story is a piece of you. It has you-from-the-past stamped on each and every word. Reading it won't turn back time, but it'll be close. In fact it's as close as your future self will ever be to being thirteen again. 

One of the first writing books I ever owned was Writing Magic by Gail Carson Levine. She talks briefly about this in the first chapter and I think she puts it eloquently:

"When you become a teenager, you step onto a bridge. You may already be on it. The opposite shore is adulthood. Childhood lies behind. The bridge is made of wood. As you cross, it burns behind you."

She goes on to say that if you keep your writing...

"You'll be able to see yourself in that lost country. You'll be able to wave to yourself across that wide river."

Obviously the moral of this story is to keep the writing you do as a young person, but what if you've already lost a lot of what you've written? Don't worry. Instead of dwelling on the past, look to the future. Start saving everything you write, even those seemingly meaningless paragraphs you compulsively delete. Save it, make a new document, and keep writing. You'll be so glad you did.

From a Writer's Notebook: Justin Cronin on Writing

As many of you know, I was in Austin last weekend for the Texas Book Festival. I'll be giving you a full recap soon, but for now I wanted to tell you about one of the best events that we went to: A Talk with Justin Cronin.

For those of you who haven't heard of Justin, here's a quick bio (from Goodreads): Justin Cronin is an American novelist. Awards he's won for his fiction include the PEN/Hemingway Award, the Stephen Crane Prize, and the Whiting Writer's Award.
Born and raised in New England, Cronin is a graduate of Harvard University and the Iowa Writers’ Workshop. He currently lives with his wife and children in Houston, Texas where he is Professor of English at Rice University.

His newest and most popular books are The Passage and The Twelve, which most of the audience members had already read.

Me reading while waiting for Justin to arrive

We arrived outside of the House Chamber forty-five minutes before the start of the session and the line was already out the door, down the hall, and snaking around the balcony of the rotunda. My dad and I chatted with a nice elderly lady about books, e-readers, and the digital age, before heading in to find our seats. I was a little worried all the good ones would be taken, but thankfully we were still able to find some near the front.

After another long wait made less boring by the one book I let myself buy at the $5 dollar book tent (more on that later), Justin Cronin and the moderator, Owen Egerton, finally took the stage. Hearing Justin Cronin speak is like listening to a really inspiring teacher. From the moment he began talking I could tell that was passionate about writing, generous with knowledge, and all around an extremely intelligent person. His words were captivating. From the excerpt that he read from his new novel, The Twelve, to his jokes about being a literary nerd, I couldn't help but notice his talent for roping the audience in with a good story.

Left to Right: Justin Cronin, Owen Egerton 

One of the best things about Justin's talk (aside from the surprisingly firm: "Sit down!" he gave to a questioner from the audience who accidentally let slip a spoiler), was his abundant advice about writing. His eloquently stated tips were sprinkled throughout the session, and I found myself compulsively taking notes. Here are just the ones I managed to jot down:

• In response to a question about his own literary influences, he said, "Don't pretend for a second that you are inventing the novel." He mentioned the importance of reading and also talked about the literary references in both The Passage and The Twelve.
• Developing a story is like playing jazz riffs. The music may veer off and become almost unrecognizable, but there is always some hint of the central melody that leads the listener through the song.  In the same way, novels can be large and all encompassing, but they should have a main story arc that is always present.
• On creating characters: "Know the one thing they are not telling anyone else."
• When asked wether or not he keeps the market in mind while writing, he said that the most important thing is to be as interesting as possible. You can only write so many autobiographical stories before readers start to get bored.
• On titles: "If you don't know your title, you don't know your book." He also mentioned that he likes titles that have multiple meanings in the context of the story.
• Finally, the most profound piece of advice (for me) was his words on failure: "Most writing is failure, so by all means, be willing to write an interesting failure."

Overall the Texas Books Festival was a great experience, and Justin Cronin was the highlight of my weekend. I hope to do a more expansive recap soon, but until then, happy writing!