Writers' Chasm

The Magic and the Healing by Nick O'Donohoe BJ Vaughan is in her last year of vet school--and in the first year of mourning her mother's death. Her grades have slipped, and she wonders if she really is capable of working with animals after all. Then her mentor, Dr. Sugar Dobbs, asks if she will join a few other select students to treat some very unusual animals. They go offsite, to Crossroads, a world where the creatures of imagination live and breathe--and hurt. And where BJ, tending to centaurs and griffins and magical cats, will discover the joy of healing and the wonder of magic. This book could've been so much better than it was. The premise showed so much promise, but everything else was off. The vet parts were interesting, but felt like a fantasy-version of a James Herriot book and were weighted down with terminology. I almost stopped reading this one several times. The narrator, BJ, really got under my skin. She was so obsessed with the fact that she might ...

***Quick Note: I won't be participating in RTW this week because I'm currently at college orientation and won't be back until sometime late tonight.*** The need for adventure hits you. You pack your things, load up the car, and head off into the sunset. Some jerk flips you off while you try to get onto the highway. There's twelve miles of construction. Halfway there and your car blows a tire and you have to pull over and figure out how to change it. While you're standing on the side of the road wondering why you ever thought this was a good idea, families in minivans and guys in sportscars rush by. You find your courage and get back on the road. You get off at your exit, but there's a detour that takes you several miles out of your way. You finally into the parking lot of your hotel, rent a room, and collapse in bed, too exhausted to do anything else until you at least get a nap. The decision to take the trip is like getting an idea. It sounds fantastic at...

Ten Things We Did by Sarah Mlynowski 2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they ( definitely, maybe, probably ) shouldn't have. If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them. In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn t...

Guidelines for The Writer Do... Objectively discuss critique points. Wait a couple of days between reading the critique and doing anything besides thinking about it. Give it time to soak in first. If you have any ideas of how to fix some of the points addressed, jot them down so you don't forget, but do not start. Ask politely for clarification on a point Thank them for their time, even if you don't like some of the points they make Ask for a certain kind of critique if that's what you want. If you want someone to be gentle, ask them. If you want a through line-by-line critique, ask for it. Unless what you're looking for is just straight praise. Consider all advice and disregard what you don't agree with Do not... Get defensive after reading a critique Insult your beta reader's writing ability Ask a beta reader to read something of yours and then not listen to any of their points Email your beta and tell them exactly why they're wrong Use published books as ...

I cannot believe how fast this week went by. I managed to pick up a new show addiction: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Why did I wait so long to start watching this show?? I'm only on episode seven of season one (revisions got in the way), but I'm already in love with it. Especially Angel. Song of the Week: Play On -- Carrie Underwood Must Read: How to dig out of the Pit of Despair Adventures in Agentland: Everything you wanted to know about conferences and Natalie's NY trip BookEnds: Meeting an agent at a conference GLA: Advantages of keeping your day job Nathan Bransford: Five openings to avoid Queryshark: #205 -- commercial fiction Querytracker: Signing with the wrong agent Tea & Biscuits: What's in a name? Everyone have a great weekend and I'll see you on Monday!

After many days of speculation and waiting, J.K. Rowling has officially announced Pottermore ! The Pottermore site itself is finally open as well! The site doesn't actually open until October, but Rowling says there will be a chance for a lucky few to enter the site early. I don't know about you guys, but I know I'll be there on the 31st of July and, if I'm not lucky that day, definitely in October. I know there was a part of me that was seriously hoping for a new book (even though I had a feeling that wasn't going to be the news), but I'm excited about the Pottermore game too. What do you guys think?

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. This Week's Topic: The house is on fire and you've only got time to grab five things. What are they? I am operating under the assumption that my mom and all of my cats are out of the house. The first thing I would take is my Grandma's nativity scene. My grandma sculpted it out of clay and painted it by hand when I was young. A relative thought I should have it and gave it to me as a graduation present. My Stacy Westfall poster. A couple years ago, Stacy Westfall was at an event here in Michigan and I managed to talk my grandpa into driving three hours one-way to see her. While I was there, I got a poster of her famous bareback and bridleless performance. She wrote "Chase your dreams!" and signed it. ...