Hi! I'm Brooke, and I'm an author. I love writing; I always have, and I love anything that has to do with words and poems and reading. I also like to sing, act, swim, and laugh (a lot.)
After reading and falling in love with The Book Thief (read my review), I saw the movie in theaters. I thought it was brilliant, to say the least.
This is what I loved:
CAST
The actors/actresses in the movie were the characters. At least, I thought the characters were really brought to life on screen, and were exactly as I’d imagined them.
In the book, the characters are well-developed and have layered personalities. Leisel is both strong and vulnerable. Rosa Hubermann is both callous and caring.
So I was so pleased to see that this movie preserved the nuances of personality and the overall originality of each character.
SET
I looked forward to every scene which took place in the basement of the Hubermann household. I enjoyed watching Leisel’s dictionary of words grow throughout the movie.
ALSO…
Death’s narration was stunning.
I thought the subtle passage of time was really well done.
If you’ve read the book but haven’t seen the movie, SEE IT. If you’ve seen the movie but haven’t read the book, READ IT.
The new year has arrived, and I have big plans for the blog. I’m excited about everything I put into motion last year, including book reviews and author interviews, which I’d really like to continue.
I also plan to post much more consistently. While I attempted to post twice a week in the past, I failed to follow through.
I’ve decided to set a six-month goal, because come July/August I will be preparing for college (WHAT?!) and I’ll most likely need to reassess at that point.
January – June
Posts – goal of 40 (posts twice a week – every Monday and Thursday) Interviews – goal of 5 Book Reviews – goal of 20
Of course, there is more to look forward to in 2014, and so I give you my ANTICIPATED BOOK ARRIVALS! These are books which will be published sometime this year, and a majority of the books listed are books in a series.
Looking back, I’m proud of what I’ve done with the blog in 2013. Of course, there’s much to be improved, but I think I’ve laid the groundwork for future changes to be made in 2014. So – taking stock of the past year!
I wrote 42 total blog posts.
I posted 13 book reviews (which can also be found on Goodreads!)
This was the first year I participated in the Teens Can Write, Too! blog chains. I took part in the chain in May, June, July, and December during 2013.
In November, I took part in NaNoWriMo. This was my first attempt to seriously write 50,000 words in a month, and while I was not a NaNo “winner” I’m glad I tried.
In an upcoming post, I’ll catalog my goals for the blog in 2014 and will share my anticipated book arrivals.
It’s been a great year – I read 47 great books, but unfortunately did not meet my reading goal of 50. (2014, maybe?) Below I’ve listed (in no particular order) the best books I read in 2013. Click on the links to read my review of the book.
*Several of the books on this list were published in years prior to 2013, but are included merely because I read them for the first time this year.
Which fictional world would you most like to be a part of, and what role do you think you would fulfill within it?
For the past year or so, I’ve been really into dystopian novels (Hunger Games, Divergent, Matched, Legend) which all feature extremely unique story-worlds. And while the story-worlds are a large part of what keeps me engaged, it occurred to me when I read this prompt that I would NOT enjoy living in any of them.
Dystopian novels are about societies which were intended to be utopian, or perfect, but are instead extremely flawed. As an indecisive person, it would drive me crazy to choose a faction in which to spend the rest of my life, and to conform to one personality trait like the characters in Divergent. As for the districts in the Hunger Games, I don’t think anybody would willingly choose to live in poverty. (But the Capital? I’ll think on that).
So I’ve narrowed it down to two story-worlds I think I’d genuinely enjoy being a part of it. (They’re on completely different ends of the spectrum, but never mind that).
The world of Harry Potter is so, so fascinating to me. (Who isn’t fascinated by the wizarding world?!) I would give anything to be able to perform magic. And every day I go to school I wish I were going to classes half as interesting as the classes Harry, Ron, and Hermione take. And let me clarify: I’d like to live in a post-Voldemort world.
I’m also obsessed with spies and spy novels, so to study at the Gallagher Girls Academy would be a dream come true. Ally Carter’s Gallagher Girls novels are about teens training to become operatives. Of course, these girls often face danger, and I’m not much for danger, but not everyone is cut out to be a field agent. I’d be a lot like Liz, I think. (Except I’m not a genius.) Cool gadgets, interesting classes, classified missions – and the truth about all government secrets and conspiracies. (I’m smiling devilishly as I write this).
Why am I so enamored by two schools?
Anyway, I’m excited to read what everyone else in the blog chain has to say about fictional story-worlds. Be sure to check out the other participating blogs!
Do you want to be a productive writer? I know I do, but I have so many excuses. I have too much homework. I have a job. I’ve been so busy, I deserve a break. It’s Thursday night and time to watch White Collar.
So, naturally, I wasn’t getting much done when it came to my writing life. And I felt guilty for it.
Take my commitment to NaNoWriMo, for instance. For the first fourteen days (which are crucial, by the way) I wrote hardly anything at all. I think, in that moment, I might have given up. Oh, I’ll try again next year. Unfortunately, I knew this wasn’t an option, because I’d told my critique partner I’d do it and how embarrassing would that have been to tell her I’d quit??
Quite.
Which brings me to the crux of today’s post: accountability. Every writer (I don’t care who you are) needs accountability. You won’t always be able to do it by yourself. It’s important to have someone holding you accountable, someone who will accept nothing but your best work and whom you can thank later after they’ve whipped you into shape. (Because, let’s be honest, sometimes it’s painful.)
My critique partner asked me about my NaNo progress. I didn’t reply for several days. (The shame, oh the shame). When I realized I couldn’t wait any longer, I responded with an honest answer.
She later sent me the most motivational email, with tips and an inspirational photo, quote, and video clip. Her thoughtful email gave me the push I needed to jump back in.
It really makes all the difference, knowing someone cares and wants you to succeed just as much as you do. You should find someone to hold you accountable, whether it be a friend, a sibling, a parent, a mentor, a teacher, a coach, a critique partner, or your Twitter friends.
Meet Amy Zhang, YA author of a debut novel to be published in fall 2014 by Greenwillow/HarperCollins. Amy’s blog A Story of a Dreamerchronicles her journey to publication after scoring an agent, and I’ve enjoyed learning her story. Amy is also on Twitter!
Could you give us a brief synopsis of your as-yet-untitled debut novel?
Liz Emerson is very good at hurting people and very bad at Physics. She lies and cheats and spreads rumors and she’s ruined a lot of lives, and the only way she knows how to stop is by ending her own. She plans her suicide carefully—an accident, a crash, and she will die and be forgotten.
Only, she failed Physics so badly that she couldn’t even crash her car right.
Narrated by her abandoned imaginary friend and told in terms of Newton’s Laws of Motion, the book tells not only Liz’s story, but the stories of those who taught her that every word, every move, and every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
How does it feel to be publishing your debut novel with your dream publisher, HarperCollins?
Sometimes I wonder if it’s really sunk in yet. Greenwillow is an imprint that I had grown up loving—the one I loved before I ever thought about writing a book. I was obsessed with Amelia Bedelia when I was little. Megan Whalen Turner and Rae Carson wrote some of the books that inspired me to write. When I started this book during NaNoWriMo, I actually fantasized about signing with HarperCollins, thinking they would be the perfect for this.
And then one day my agent called to say that HarperCollins thought so, too, and I hyperventilated (like, seriously–during that phone call, my agent repeated asked if I needed a paper bag).
So basically, I’m saying that it feels like drinking unicorn tears every single day.
What have you learned about the publishing world thus far that you might not have known before?
It doesn’t get easier. Which isn’t a bad thing! Not at all. But when I started writing, I thought, “Oh, I just have to find an agent, and everything will be flowers and sunshine.” Nope. You still have to sell the book. I thought, “Oh, I just have to find an editor who loves it.” Nope. The book I queried ended up hooking an editor, but it didn’t make it past the acquisitions board. I thought, “Oh, I just need a contract PLEEEEEEEASE.” Nope. People still have to, you know, buy the book—there’s marketing and publicity and blog tours and fun things and not-so-fun things. But it’s an encouraging thought, isn’t it? There’s always room to grow.
What is your greatest challenge while writing, and how do you overcome it?
I’d have to say focusing. Finding the time, enough time, to sit down and forget about emails and homework and sports and just write. Usually, I turn off my Wi-Fi and stick a chair under my doorknob and sing the barricade song from Les Miserables until my family gets the message: DO NOT DISTURB.
Fun fact: I wrote my fastest draft ever in a bathtub. I filled it with pillows and blankets, locked the door, turned off the lights, plopped my laptop on my knees, and wrote. 70K in fourteen days (the 70K, though? Not. Good. But that’s what revisions are for).
When are you most productive? What is your writing process like (plotter, or pantser?)
I’m most productive late at night or early in the morning. For me, drafting is a lonely process–I have to be somewhere quiet, somewhere dim. I need to tell myself that I can’t be distracted, that I won’t be distracted until I hit my word count goal (but usually I’m not very convincing. Write or Die is, though. Sometimes I have nightmares about Kamikaze Mode).
I tell myself that I’m a plotter, which is half true–I always start plotting my novels, and around the halfway mark, I get lazy and decide to pants the other half. It works well for me, actually. I always write the second half more quickly than the first, but it’s hard for me to start a new novel without an outline.
Are you a fan of sharing what you’ve written during the “early stages,” and asking for advice? If so, who has the privilege of reading your first drafts?
Again, I’m very solitary when it comes to drafting. I’m shy with first drafts. Usually, I send it to my agent and critique partners after an initial revision, along with a frantic, “Here take this make it better what do I do is it decent is it sellable is it GOOD?”
I have an absolutely fantastic writing group that puts up with all of my neuroticisms. We do group chats and writing sprints together, we critique each other, we call to patch up plot holes or to celebrate or cry or exchange publishing gossip. Honestly, I don’t know what I’d do without them.
What would you say to teen writers who struggle with completing their drafts?
Huh. What a coincidence. I’m having the same issue right now.
I think every author struggles with this. You love your characters and you’ve promised to tell their stories, but at some point or the other, the characters and their stupid friends and the story and the world and the imagery and the foreshadowing are all going to be very uncooperative, and of course there are always (very insistent) shiny new ideas demanding to be written.
Remember–it’s okay to take a break. Take a breath. Take a step back. Take a nap. Do some character development exercises or make a map or talk to a critique partner. Remember why you fell in love with this story in the first place. Find that passion again and remember that no one in the world can tell this story but you.
Why did you begin blogging? What, do you believe, is the purpose of your blog, and what do you typically blog about?
I began blogging in March of 2012, just after I signed with my agent. I wanted to start building a platform, and blogging seemed to be…what everyone else was doing, so I kind of jumped on the bandwagon and found that I really enjoyed it. I talk about my experiences with publishing, the mistakes I’ve made, the things I’ve done right. I blog about manuscripts and frustrations and how I want to kick a particular character in the shins.
What is next for Amy Zhang?
Well, tomorrow, I’m going to get up and spend a good half an hour trying to get out of bed…and that’s about as far as I’ve planned.
Writing-wise, I’m playing with a few ideas right now: MEMENTO MORI, which is about a girl named Mori Lee Monroe, who is trying to find the perfect grave site before she dies of AIDS. It features ice cream water gun fights and paradoxes and letters to the dead. THE BLACK SWAN THEORY (working title) is also told in letters, this time written by August Carter as he struggles to overcome cognitive biases and high school and the memory of what happened after their stupid winter dance, all addressed to his unrequited love, Janie Vivian. THE STORYWEAVER, a fantasy about a castle on a waterfall and a war and a kind of magic made possible through the sacrifice of memories.
Oh, and after I get out of bed, I might have some pie for breakfast.
November, as many writers are aware, is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo for short). Many aspiring novelists attempt to write a 50,000 word novel in 30 days.
This is the first year I’ve committed to NaNoWriMo. I’m really going to do this, but it is turning out to be much more of a challenge than I thought. And it’s only Day 7.
This is my problem: The plot of my novel is eluding me. Plot is, arguably, the most important aspect of a novel. Several times I thought I had it nailed down, only to discover I had many exciting plot twists (i.e. – “The villain is actually your MOM” and “That guy is actually your BROTHER”) but not an actual plot.
Yes, I should have worked this out during the month of October so I was ready to go come November 1. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed.
I know I’m close. Know the feeling? Here’s what I have rounded up in regard to plot:
The most challenging pieces I’ve written are usually the pieces I am most proud of.
This is because I’ve dedicated my “blood, sweat, and tears” to these pieces.
I’ve realized, looking back now, that I enjoy the challenge of writing something I may not necessarily have wanted to write. It’s a pain, of course, but in every instance I grew as a writer. I’m talking about assignments, including school essays and also articles for my school newspaper.
At first, it’s difficult to translate my ideas into cohesive sentences. I grow frustrated. I write. I rewrite. I rewrite again.
And when I’ve produced a finished product, and compare it to the original, I’m amazed. And proud. It’s like the satisfaction of getting a good grade after working really hard, because you earned it.
So I challenge you: write something outside of your comfort zone. Poem, short story, a play. It will challenge you in ways you might not have predicted. Overcoming these obstacles, in turn, will allow you to grow as a writer.
It’s important to always be learning something new. You are never going to stop learning – learn from others, learn from your failures, learn from your success.
*Btw, NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is one month away. This is definitely something which will push me out of my comfort zone. Are you going to participate?
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak was an extremely touching novel. There are many reasons I completely fell in love with this book, but I’ll give you my top three.
1. The book is narrated by Death.
Death personified makes for a fascinating read. Death has such an eloquent way of describing things. Everything is a color. He foreshadows but also flashes back. He frequently makes interesting side notes. He tells Leisel Meminger’s story through his own lens.
2. Leisel Meminger, book thief, protagonist of the novel.
Leisel is a little bit of everything. She is loyal, she is sensitive, she is strong, she is smart, she is stubborn, she is eager. She has a fierce love of words.
3. Time period – WWII, Nazi Germany.
I just don’t think this book would be the same if it didn’t take place during WWII. Leisel Meminger’s story is special, because she formed a special relationship with a Jew who hid in her basement. Leisel saw and experienced many things a young girl should never see or experience.
This book was such a beautiful (yet somewhat tragic) tale about friendship and love and the power of words.
After reading and falling in love with The Book Thief (read my review), I saw the movie in theaters. I thought it was brilliant, to say the least.
