Writers' Chasm

When it comes to writing, stepping outside of your comfort zone can be a good thing. It will make you a better writer by stretching your writing muscles. Sometimes those stories that we feel least able to write will be our best works.

In the beginning, it's best to try all types of writing styles, points of view, tenses, characters, and genres. You'll never know what you like best and what you're the best at if you don't try a lot of different things.

This is especially true because different stories require different things. Some stories are best written in third person, others are better in first. Some stories are better in present tense, others in past. Multiple points of view.

If you get an idea for something new, don't be afraid to give it a try. Write a short story to give a new idea a test run. NaNoWriMo is also a great time to try new things, as well. Use prompts to stretch yourself and experiments with things.

Midterm week is upon me once again. It's also the week before spring break so I'm wandering around with a severe lack of motivation. Here are some tips on how to get through one of the busiest weeks of the semester.

Keep strict track of all due dates and exam dates. 
I'm keeping a running list in an Excel document of each day next week and the work that I have to have done before that day. This includes exams, assignments, assigned chapters, and essay due dates. It keeps everything in the same place and shows which days are the busiest.

Don't leave papers until the night before. 
If you have an essay or research paper due during midterms, start it early. Leaving it off until the last minute can put a lot of pressure on time that you might need to study for another exam. 

Start studying for exams well in advance. 
A few days before an exam, start studying instead of waiting to cram the night before. Your brain will retain the information better and it will take away some …

Mind Games by Kiersten White Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways… or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

In college, you'll probably be giving a lot of presentations. My freshman year alone, I had to make four or five of them. Some of them were as a group, but others were alone. Here are a few tips on how to make nice presentations. Most presentations will require visuals (I usually use Powerpoints), but some won't. This advice mostly caters toward presentations with visuals.

Don't put all of the information on the slides. 
You don't need to put everything in your presentation on the slides. Use bullets to jot down the main points. This will also help keep you on track throughout the presentation. Too much text is hard to read and looks cluttered.

If using videos, add and test links. 
If you intend to use extra material in your presentation, such as YouTube videos, add the links to your presentation and test them before giving the presentation. This will prevent any technical difficulties on presentation day.

Pick professional, attention-attracting backgrounds. 
Don't …

It's Valentine's Day and I thought I would talk about a few of my favorite romantic YA novels.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Boy Meets Boy  by David Levithan
Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
What are some of your favorite romantic YA reads? 

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question that begs to be answered. In the comments, you can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

Next week:  It's (the day before) Valentine's Day! Let's jumpstart the lovefest by blogging about what you love most about writing (and/or reading)!
The thing I love most about writing (besides the feeling of triumph after finishing a first draft) is the characters. I love getting to see all of these characters and letting them come to life. Sometimes I feel like I'm just writing down their story, rather than creating them. It's fascinating watching them grow and change and take courses of action that I don't agree with.

I love the feeling of a particularly good writing day when the words are just flying onto the page almost faster than I can type them. The way the rest of the world just disappea…

Pivot Point by Kasie West Pivot Point #1 Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a mur…