Hello peoples! I was tagged by the insightful Faith over at The Writer’s Song for The Voices of YA tag! Thank you so much, Faith! :D ...

The Voices of YA tag

Alexa Mintah

10 Comments

Hello peoples! I was tagged by the insightful Faith over at The Writer’s Song for The Voices of YA tag! Thank you so much, Faith! :D

Original graphic

Ze Rules

1.   Thank the person who tagged you.

2.   Link to the original creator, Caitlin @ Quills and Coffee

3.   Answer the ten questions

4.   Tag at least 2 other YA writers/bloggers (but we all know I am bad at this, so I suppose we shall see)

5.   Share with hashtag #VoicesofYA

Ze Questions

About the Writers:

1) What Draws You to YA?

All kinds of things! But mostly, the voice, style, and relatability of the characters. Their inner issues and outer problems, they’re so immediate, and they’re often things that inspire me, wreck me, or both. They make me think, they make me love, and they help me to experience and understand situations I never could in my own life.

2) Describe Your Writing Process? Do You Like Outlines And Structure Or Just Seeing Where They Story Takes You?

LOL, process. You make me sound like I’ve got my life together.

A few very accurate pictures of me drafting:

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

via GIPHY

All of that to say, I am definitely a writer of the latter type: I begin with a character, plot idea, single sentence, or maybe a snippet of all of the above, and then I just write. Things start happening, characters blossom, plotlines run away with us all, and I keep writing until it seems like a good place to write “The End.”

Then I have to edit the mess. But this question isn’t about that.

3) How Long Have You Been Writing? Where Are You In The Journey?

I was 5 or 6 when I came up with my first story. I was playing with my paper dolls, worked out a storyline, and wrote it down later (fun fact: the book I’m trying to get published actually has a similar theme and idea behind it. I think 5-year-old me would love that 😉).

But to answer the question the way I think it was meant to be answered: I started writing seriously in the fall of 2011. So, for not-quite-six years. And I’m (hopefully) fast-approaching publication: gonna try for traditional, but I’m at the point where I’m willing to self-publish if that doesn’t work out.

4) What Do You Need To Write? Coffee? Music?

Technically, I need nothing but writing utensils: either a computer or pencil and paper. I’m a very straightforward, butt-in-chair-and-write type of person, so I don’t have to have any special tricks to get started.

Ideally though, coffee is very nice. As is music of absolutely any kind, depending on what I’m into that day. Up until yesterday afternoon it was epic and emotional soundtracks, but suddenly I’m also back into Taylor Swift and Peter Hollens. So, yeah.

5) If You Could Offer One Piece Of Advice To Another Writer (Other Than DON’T GIVE UP), What Would It Be?

Own your difference: some people aren’t going to like you’re story and they’re going to say nasty things about it. Unfortunately, that’s the reality of art, especially considering all the internet trolls. :p But, so long as you know you’ve said exactly what you mean to say and said it the absolute best that you can, own that difference. Own the things some people don’t agree with. It’s your story. Don’t you ever forget that.

Quick caveat though: this is not to say don’t take advice (see what I did there 😉). There’s a huge difference between owning the difference in your story and ignoring perfectly good advice. Bad advice stifles your difference; good advice makes your message clearer.

About the Books:

6) What Book Still Has You Reeling From The Plot Twist? (NO SPOILERS)

All I gotta say.

7) What Books Are You Most Anticipating This Year?

*chuckles nervously* About that… see there are a lot of reasons I’m actually a bad blogger; this is one of them: I have no idea what books are coming out this year, because frankly, I don’t care. I get books based on what looks interesting at my library, recommendations from other bloggers, releases from favorite authors, or review copies. There’s way more than enough in all of those categories to keep me very busy, but I don’t know of any new releases in those categories to answer this question.

So. I got an email from Goodreads the other day talking about a new Camp Half-Blood companion novel. So. That’s cool.

8) In Your Opinion, What YA Book/Series Has The Most Unique Premise?

I didn't love the execution of the concept for several reasons, but it’s an absolutely brilliant idea.

9) What Is Your All-Time Favorite Quote From YA Lit?

*collapses as usual because has no idea how to answer this question*

After collapsing though, I always look to Storyteller by Edward Myers:

Listen. For each of us, life is a story. There are characters, conflicts, plot developments, crises, interludes, twists, and resolutions. Sometimes the story makes sense; sometimes it doesn't. But there's still value in the story itself, even when you can't add up the parts and understand the whole. A good story can lead you toward insight—perhaps wisdom—regardless of whether or not you fully understand it. Maybe that's why storytelling has always been so important to me…

What matters most is that you live your own story to the fullest and that you tell it well. Make sure you fully develop your main character. Fill the tale with lots of other characters who tell their own stories... Then when the day is done, you can feel confident that your characters have been fulfilled, your craft mastered, your story well told.

Be off now. The world awaits you.

10) What Book Do You Most Hope Will Have A Movie Adaption?

And here is the struggle.

You see, there are many books that I would love to see as a movie. For instance, the Percy Jackson series (there is a movie that is called Percy Jackson and, while it is good in its own merits, it is not to be confused with the actual book series). But I am afraid that the movies will ruin the books or, at the very least, the movies will be good but not actually about the same things the books are about. Which would be annoying and require an unfair amount of self-control and self-denial for me to see them based on their own merits rather than comparing them to the books they supposedly came from.

However. Assuming it was an accurate adaption, I would really enjoy seeing The Tiger’s Curse series by Colleen Houck on the big screen (or my laptop one; I’m really not picky). Also, the Dragons in Our Midst series by Bryan Davis would be very cool.

***

That was a blast! Faith, thank you so much for tagging me!

So… I did say that I was bad a tagging, and I am. But today, I am going to be good at it and tag Shar and Shanti at Virtually Read and Victoria at Wanderer’s Pen. If anyone else is so inclined, please feel free to do the tag!

So what books would you like to see as not-ruined movies? Share a favorite writing quote with me! Can’t wait to hear from you, and I will see you in the comment section. 😊

You may also like