Voices of YA Tag

Tag, you’re it! 

 

I was tagged in by my lovely friend Claerie Kavanaugh (@claeriekauthor) on Twitter, and since you all know how much I love Twitter games, I just had to play!

So here’s the game. It’s an online tag designed by the lovely @CaitlinALambert of Quills and Coffee, and a great way to get to know more writerly folk! So, here are the rules.

RULES:

1. Thank the person who tagged you
2. Link to the original creator
3. Answer the ten questions
4. Tag at LEAST two other YA writers/bloggers

Now let’s play! 😀

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ABOUT THE WRITERS:

What draws you to YA?

Mostly the fact that I’m a big kid at heart. Although society forced me to start the adulting thing, it can be rough! I love being able to escape in the fantastic world of YA that are filled with magic, hope, and love.

Describe your writing process. Do you like outlines and structure, or seeing where the story takes you?

Process is such a strong word. LOL. I don’t know that I have so much a process as a method that seems to be working. I’m sure a few years from now I’ll realize I’ve been doing it all wrong, but for now ‘plantsing’ is the story of my life. I’m not a die-hard planner, but I also don’t like writing by the seat of my pants so my writing style is a mix of the two. I give myself enough of a plan up front to keep myself structured along the way, and then I jump in!

How long have you been writing? Where are you in your journey?

I love to write, but it’s only been about a year since I made it something that I am actively pursuing. And ALICE is all to blame. 🙂 After I got the idea for ALICE, I knew I had to write it, so I made the decision I was going to write.this.book. It was rough, and some days I thought I was never going to make it, but the feeling I got after finishing that first draft was so amazing, like an ‘AHA! I really can do this!’ From that point on, I was hooked. I knew this was what I wanted to keep doing forever.

What do you need to write? Coffee? Music?

Yes. 😉 I can’t function without the coffee, and I can’t focus without the music.

If you could offer one piece of advice to another writer (OTHER THAN “don’t give up”), what would it be?

Be kind to yourself! I think more often than not the reason we writers feel the need to give up is because we beat up on ourselves so often! Having an inner critic can be good to help stretch your work and yourself, but don’t give the nasty little guy so much reign that he completely derails you. Just remember, someone needs your words. To get them out there you have to write them!

ABOUT THE BOOKS:

What book still has you reeling from its plot twist? (*no spoilers please*)

Something Beautiful, by Amanda Hanson. There was a part where I was reading where I literally yelled OUT LOUD. It was something that was so unexpected and so…. *agh!* That I still can’t get over it. (So good!)

What books are you most anticipating for this year?

Well, of course, ALICE’s release is particularly exciting for me, but shameless promotion aside, PenName Publishing has an AMAZING lineup this year. I’ve gotten to read ARCs for several of them (Something Beautiful, Chasing Eveline, Tobacco Sun), and I have to say, these are definitely books that should be added to your TBR pile!

In your opinion, which YA book/series has the most unique premise?

One series that will forever stick with me (and millions of others I’m sure), is Harry Potter. Not only is it an incredible story, but it was something completely and totally unique when it came out. Since it is so good, I don’t think there is any book that if it tries a similar story/setting will ever hold a candle to it, which keeps it in a place all of it’s own (and that’s the way it should be).

What is your all-time favorite quote from YA lit (I know, I’m cruel)?

That IS cruel. So I’m going to be naughty and pick a line from Alice. AND I’m not going to tell you what it is yet. 😉 What I will say is that the promo #AlwaysProtectYourQueen definitely plays on it, but you’ll have to read to find out more!  Part of the reason I love it so much is that because even though Alice is NOT a love story in the slightest, I have to say, it captures some pretty great feels.

What book do you most hope will have a movie adaption?

I would love to see a film adaptation of Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles or Julie Kagawa’s Immortal Rules  series. I think the fantasy and action in the books would be awesome to see on screen.

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Who did I catch?!

If you wanna play along, comment below with the link to your tag!                                 I’d love to read it!