YA Novels Today

If you're like me, you read a lot of dystopian novels. Probably too many. Alien invaders, plagues, corrupted governments, rebels--they seem to dominate the YA market. And of course, we can't forget the vampires, werewolves, and love triangles of YA fantasy. There sure seems to be a lot of that. But why?

Let's start with dystopia.

I think dystopia is a way of taking today's problems and thinking about how they might affect the future. Sure, I don't think we'll end up throwing a bunch of teenagers into a deadly arena and telling them to kill each other while everyone else sits at home and watches, but it seems just possible enough that it scares us. And many of us like to be scared. It's what pulls us into a novel. The feeling of "What if they all die? Oh, no--what if that happened to me? What would I do?" keeps us reading. Those are the kinds of dystopian novels that I like. I don't like it when dystopian novels--or really, novels in general--have unrealistic and unbelievable aspects. For example, Legend by Marie Lu. Overall, I enjoyed the novel. But there was something about the world that bothered me. When it was explained that the Earth had warmed up and the ice caps melted so that about half of the United States was submerged, I was confused. Why did the Earth warm up? And why did it cool back down again? I wanted the full explanation, but it wasn't there. Maybe that's just me being a picky science geek, but that's what bothered me about it.

Moving on to YA fantasy.

I love fantasy. I grew up on it, and it's my favorite genre to read and write. But once I grew out of middle grade fantasy and into YA fantasy, I was somewhat disappointed. I wanted a story with magic, an original plot, likeable characters, and maybe a touch of romance. Instead, I got bombarded with vampires, werewolves, and more romance than I had bargained for. And I haven't even read Twilight.
To be honest, it isn't always the vampires and werewolves that bother me. What really bothers me are the love triangles.
I don't like love triangles. They're annoying, and many times they get in the way of more important things in the plot. And many times they make me take sides. There's the first guy, introduced early in the novel or series, and I usually end up getting attached to him. Then the second guy comes around, usually with stunning good looks and a dashingly flirty personality. He's normally the guy who annoys me. I just want him to leave, so that the main character can get around to the bigger, more important things.
Then there are the love triangles that tear me in half. The ones in The Infernal Devices and The Frost Chronicles did this. I liked both the guys, and I wanted both of them to be happy. But of course, the main character could only choose one. These are the better love triangles, because you actually care what happens.

Characters--Enchanter

I love my characters. I love that they have minds of their own and their actions can completely change the story. True, they may complain or do things I don't want them to do--*cough*Theo*cough*--but I love them. So I've decided, since today (actually, the 5th of every month) is Come As Your Character Day (CAYCD) on NaNo's Young Writers Program, I will interview my characters on this blog. Today I'm going to do characters from my novel Enchanter, which I actually have not started writing yet.

First Interview: Leah Hunter

What is your name?
You...just wrote it. See. Right there. Leah Hunter.

Where do you live?
Not sure, since you still have to decide where to set this novel.

What is your favorite food?
Broccoli, believe it or not.

What is your ultimate goal in life?
Umm...To be a professional pianist and singer, I guess.

What is your deepest, darkest secret?
Okay, did you really just ask that? Maybe you should look at that again.



Second Interview: Connor Lewis

What is your name?
Baron Hans Johann Schumann von Herschberger.

Where do you live?
Nowhere, apparently. Get around to deciding on a setting, will you?

What is your favorite food?
Peanut butter. It's delicious.

What is your ultimate goal in life?
Is there any order to these questions? It went from favorite foods to life goals. Anyway. I guess my goal in life currently is to read the complete works of Shakespeare.

What is your deepest, darkest secret?
If I told you that, I'd have to kill you.


Third Interview: Nick Brighton

What is your name?
Nicholas Joseph Brighton, at your service.

Where do you live?
I currently live at an undefined point in space, but I'm originally from London.

What is your favorite food?
Does coffee count as food?

What is your ultimate goal in life?
To be the best person I can be.

What is your deepest, darkest secret?
You really want to know? Alright, then. Are you ready? Here it is: I don't like tea. I know, it's shocking.


Fourth Interview: Lana Brown

What is your name?
You know my name. I shouldn't have to tell you.

Where do you live?
Somewhere.

What is your favorite food?
Don't laugh--it's lollipops.

What is your ultimate goal in life?
To not die.

What is your deepest, darkest secret?
...I'm not even going to answer that.


Alright, folks, that's all for now. I hope you enjoyed, and may the odds be ever in your favor!

In Which I Explore the Secret Life of the Pineapple

I wrote this just yesterday. Don't ask me why. I was sitting in study hall in the period between the classes I take, and I just pulled out my iPod and started writing. I call it:
                                                            The Pineapple.

                                .....................................................................................

Pineapples. On the outside, they are spiky, odd-looking fruit that Hawaii is known for. But on the inside, not only are they sweet and juicy, but quite often bored.
Not that this bothers them. Most pineapples are content to hang from their trees all their lives, waiting to be plucked from the safety of their tree, to die at the hands of a backyard barbecuer making shish-kabobs. Such is the fate of the pineapple. Most have learned to accept it.
But somewhere in Hawaii, a pineapple hung in a tree. This may seem entirely ordinary, but this pineapple...well, this pineapple was different. This pineapple was not content with waiting in its tree to be shish-kabobed. No, this pineapple longed for adventure.
It would watch the birds flit in and out of the branches around it, and the farmers working below. "If only I was like them," the pineapple would think. "If only I was anything other than a pineapple. Except maybe a coconut. They don't seem to live very interesting lives either."
So our pineapple spent its days, yearning to move and be free, to see new places, instead of the same pineapple farm.
The pineapple never gave up hope of having an adventure. Never--until they came. They--the men with their gloves and their machines, to pluck every ripe pineapple from its supposedly safe tree, to take them to that dark place our pineapple had learned to fear--the supermarket.
And as a human hand, covered with a rough glove, reached for it, the pineapple cried out in despair,
"No! I did not live every day of my long, though boring, pineapple life sitting in this tree for nothing! I refuse to die without ever having accomplished anything! I will not be shish-kabobed!"
But, sadly, its cries fell on deaf ears. For you see, humans do not understand pineapple. In fact, they can't even hear it.
And so our pineapple died, just like its brethren....except that it was packed into a can, instead of shish-kabobed.


                            .....................................................................................

Yeah. I was that bored.

The ending actually made me sad, while I was writing it. I kinda liked that pineapple. I made it tragic because I realized I'd never written a tragic ending before, and I wanted to try it out. Maybe I should just stick to the happily ever afters.

The Art of the Character Conference

One of my favorite parts of writing is the characters. They can be witty, daring, evil, calm, crazy...the list goes on and on. Really, the possibilities are endless. Characters are one of the main things that will make someone want to read your story, so it's important to have good, relatable ones.
An important part of the writing process is character development. It's also, in my opinion, one of the most fun. Getting to know your characters makes the whole story easier to write, and more enjoyable.
One way I like to use to get to know my characters is the character conference. I first heard about them on NaNoWriMo's Young Writers Program site, but I can't remember who told me about them. Whoever it was, thanks a bunch. It's basically when you get all (or only some of) your characters together in your head and have a nice long talk with them. It sounds crazy, but it actually works.

I'm going to get my characters (Mira, Will, Theo, Lia, and Sid) from my novel Ingran's Assassin together to have a conference right now. We'll see how it goes:

ME: Okay, guys, conference time.
THEO: *groans* Again?
WILL: Is someone going to die?
ME: What? No! Well, not yet, anyway.
MIRA: Great. That's real reassuring.
ME: Oh, come on, guys. It's for my blog.
LIA: What's a blog?
ME: Never mind. Just listen. There are some big plot twists coming.
THEO: I hate plot twists.
LIA: Come on, Theo. Plot twists aren't necessarily bad.
WILL: Actually, they usually are.
MIRA: I guess you're going to tell us what these plot twists are, then?
ME: Well, no. You're going to have to figure it out for yourself.
MIRA: I had a feeling you might say that.
ME: Hey, Sid, why so quiet?
SID: Well, you guys are kind of all arguing, so...I thought I'd just wait until you were done.
THEO: Since when have you ever had qualms about interrupting an argument, Sid?
LIA: Since he met you, Theo.
ME: Guys, guys. I know you're kind of stressed out--
MIRA: That's an understatement. Theo and I just walked into Dr. Rashall's lair, and Lia and Sid are being held in who knows where--
WILL: And I'm not doing anything, apparently. Why haven't you written anything about me?
ME: I'll get to you, Will. Be patient.
THEO: Easy for you to say.
ME: Honestly, Theo. When did you become such a pessimist?
THEO: Since you put in all these plot twists. I'm not built for this.
MIRA: None of us are, actually. Why do you do this to us?
ME: I understand, guys, and I'm sorry. It's only the first draft.
THEO: You mean we have to go through more of this?
ME: You know what? I think this conference is officially over.


So. From reading that, you might think my characters are whiny and pessimistic, but trust me, they're not like this all the time. It's just a particularly stressful part of the novel. Normally, our conferences are far more lighthearted.

(Some of) My Favorite Books

One afternoon seven years ago, I sat on my bed holding a book. A novel, to be exact. It was Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. I sighed, wishing that, like my mom and older brother, I could read it. I opened the book, expecting the words to be a semi-incomprehensible jumble, as usual. But they weren't. To my amazement, I discovered I could read.
I was seven years old, and there was no going back. From that day forward, I was never far from a book or two. Or three. Or over a hundred, living in our house.
Here are some of my favorite books (of which there are too many to list in one blog post), listed in no particular order:

The Goose Girl, by Shannon Hale
Shannon Hale is undeniably one of my favorite authors. I've loved fairy tales for as long as I can remember, and I love it when I find a retelling that is as good or better than the original. Actually, my mom found this one. So thanks, Mom.
The Goose Girl is a retelling of the Grimm Brothers fairy tale called, well, The Goose Girl. It's about a princess, called Ani, who is sent away from her homeland of Kildenree because she has a strange gift. She can talk to birds and her horse, Falada. Her mother is afraid of her gift, and sends Ani to a neighboring country to be married off to the prince of that country. But on the journey there, Ani is betrayed. Stripped of her identity and everything she has, Ani has to prove that she is the true princess of Kildenree.
I devoured this book in a day. Trust me, it's awesome.

Pretty Much Anything by Rick Riordan
No, that isn't the title of a book. I mean literally pretty much anything by Rick Riordan. Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Kane Chronicles, Heroes of Olympus...I love them all. If you haven't read them, then what could you possibly be waiting for?

The Inkheart Series, by Cornelia Funke
I love Cornelia Funke. I love her writing style, her worlds, her characters. Inkheart just barely beats Reckless in my list of favorite books. It's about a girl named Meggie and her father, Mo, who discover the world of books in a completely different way. There are worlds inside books, worlds with dragons and magic and buried treasure. When Mo, called the 'Silvertongue', reads a book aloud, he can make characters come out of it. Unfortunately, someone must go into the book for each person who comes out. In the case of a book named Inkheart, it's Mo's wife, Meggie's mother.
I've read this book at least three times and enjoyed it more every time.

The Leviathan Series, by Scott Westerfeld
Yay, steampunk! That's what I thought the first time I saw these books, and it's what I thought while reading them. My brother recommended them to me, and I am forever grateful to him for it.
Leviathan takes place during an alternate World War I, when Alek, the prince of Austria, and Deryn, a British girl disguised as a boy working on an airship that happens to be giant flying whale, cross paths in a, as Deryn would say, most peculiar way. Though on opposite sides, Alek and Deryn have to work together to stop the war from destroying everything they know.
In this case, World War I + whale-airships + undercover royalty = possibly one of the best steampunk books ever.

That's all for now, folks! I hope you enjoyed it.

Greetings, Reader(s)!

Hello and welcome to my brand-new, hopefully successful blog! I'm Katie (or Katydid, as I'm sometimes called), a homeschooled writer, photographer, bird-watcher, singer/musician, and 9th grader. This blog, 'Bigger On The Inside', will be my blog for recording my thoughts on writing, books, movies, music, and life in general. But probably I'll mostly be posting about writing and books.
I have another blog that you might want to check out if you're into nature and photography and birds, or anything along those lines, really. Here's the link.
I am a participant in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and Camp NaNoWriMo, so I may blog about that, too. If you don't know what they are, I suggest you click both the links I posted. You won't regret it, I guarantee that. On NaNoWriMo's Young Writers Program site, I am known by the username Katie B.
I mostly write fantasy and science-fiction, but I enjoy other genres as well, especially historical fiction and steampunk. I've been writing since I was about 7 years old, but I've never finished a story, not even a short one. I recently cleaned out my nightstand drawers, and I found about six unfinished stories. I have a short attention span, as it turns out.
Before I finish this post, I'll answer a question you might have. Then again, you might not have it, but I'm going to answer it anyway. That question is: What's with the title?
I chose the title 'Bigger On The Inside' partly as a tribute to Doctor Who, which happens to be my favorite TV show, but it also has a slightly deeper meaning. Often when I get an idea for a story, I think, "Oh, I'll just write this for fun, as a break from my other novels." But then the story grows, the characters begin to write themselves, and I find myself getting really excited about it. The story, it turns out, is 'bigger on the inside'.

I hope you enjoy this humble blog of mine, and I'll do my best to maintain it. Thanks so much for checking it out!