two zero one four

Happy New Year! Okay, yeah, we're kinda at that point in the month where you're not really supposed to be saying that anymore, but hey, I want your new year to be happy so I'm saying it!

There's much to catch up on so this is going to be kind of a crazy mix of topics, but I wanted to get up to speed with the blog to get back into some good blogging habits :)

There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to in 2014 and as far as books and pop culture go, I will be doing a separate post sometime soon listing my top things to be excited about in 2014, but on a personal level, one of the biggest is that my family will be growing in July with the addition of another baby Studer. Yeah, anything else that's going on this year kinda can't compare to that news, but that's why it gets a mention here and everything else will get a separate post. I know it's no excuse, but this pregnancy has definitely contributed to my lack of posting. I've been pretty tired between work and chasing a toddler around, plus I've had a cold that materialized sometime in mid-December and still doesn't seem to want to leave completely. I blame the frigid weather. And the lowered immune system. It's kind of a perfect storm of badness. But I am trying to focus on the good things on the horizon. Like spring coming...eventually. Have winters always been this long? Or this cold? I miss the sun.

I've also been feeling like I'm in a huge holding pattern. Yes, I'm technically in a literal holding pattern as I wait for my internal tenant to be big enough to vacate the premises, but things on the submission front have been unsettlingly quiet. I think the entire publishing industry is going through a fairly slow phase right now where the rapid fire deals of the past are fewer and farther between than ever. But I remain optimistic and while I'm waiting for word on the books that are in the can, I'm settling into the first draft of my next book, a YA contemporary mystery. It's my first experience writing a contemporary novel so it's been a really interesting and educational experience so far. I hope to have something of that to share on the blog here soon. And maybe a bit more of the books I've finished, to give you guys a better taste of what they're all about too.

So that's almost all for now, except for one topic I want to touch on... my little PLLer heart is kinda broken right now, guys. With the new season of Pretty Little Liars already under way, I'm going to be doing a recap soon, but for now, I want to quickly address the fact that Hot Caleb is off in Ravenswood and the dreaded Haleb break-up has happened. I knew this was coming. But it still super sucks. I'll share my thoughts on Ravenswood in my recap too, but the topline is that this is like Angel and Buffy all over again. Except this time, I don't see the potential for the spin-off to get better. More on that soon.

I hope your January is off to a good start! I am hoping to incorporate a little more variety into this blog in 2014. Have you made any resolutions (unofficial or otherwise) for the new year? I'd love to hear about them in the comments.

Until next time, bloggies!

the writer's arsenal: the fly on the wall

Let your reader be a fly on the wall

Write what you know. It's one of the most common pieces of advice that writers are given. And no, it's not just meant to save you time on research. That's important too. Write what you know doesn't necessarily mean write your life story (though for some people it does, and those stories can be quite compelling). Authors write about all kinds of things that have never happened to them personally, but that doesn't mean they aren't writing with an authenticity that keeps the reader believing they could have. Write what you know simply means don't stray too far from yourself when you're writing. That thing everyone talks about called voice? That's actually just you. That's the authenticity you can bring to a story by putting a piece of yourself in the writing. The one thing you have as a writer that nobody else has is your unique perspective based on your lifetime of experiences. That's your advantage and it should be a part of everything you write. That's writing what you know. 

Regardless of how fantastical your plot may be, you want your reader to feel like a fly on a very real wall. You want them to feel like they're not just reading a story, they're stepping into a rich, colorful, fully-developed world and are spying on it for a while, if not stepping right into the shoes of your protagonist. I'm not a vampire, or an astronaut, or a twelve-year-old boy, and simply outlining what those beings are like isn't enough to grab my attention. What does is the magic that mixes our world and the other--the voice that connects "I know nothing about this" with "But I'd like to learn more" and "There's something about this that I can relate to". If an author doesn't put a piece of their own humanity into their story, doesn't "write what they know", it'll show and the story will be weaker for it. The plot will be there, but the life behind it will fall flat, lacking in the kind of compelling voice that engages us to keep turning the pages. There's nothing wrong with being inspired by other authors, but make sure your writing always comes from a place that's authentically you. Giving your story a real voice is the best thing you can do.

friday5 for November 8, 2013

Hello my bloggies! Welcome to November. November?!? Yes, November. I don't know how we got here either, but we need to accept it and move on. That said, there are a few snowflakes in the air toady and I'm kind of in denial about that... It's weird because I like Christmas and I like the first snowfall of the season, but then that's about it. Come January 1st I'm done with the whole winter thing and that's what I'm already not looking forward to. But there are lots of things to be excited about this week so let's get friday5ing:

1. I haven't blogged since Allegiant came out so I figure I really ought to say something about it. The truth is, I haven't finished reading it, but I do know what happens. I've started reading it slowly, but the husband and I listed to the first two books on audiobook together when we're in the car and I feel like I should experience the third one with him, even if I also read it on the side a bit. As for the ending, I'm reserving judgement until I actually read it. Despite my  best efforts to avoid spoilers, the ending was posted somewhere I wouldn't have expected to see it and I was kind of blindsided by the reveal. I won't ever know how I would have felt about the book without knowing the ending ahead of time, but I'm going to try and keep an open mind. I will probably share more thoughts down the road.

2. Speaking of books and book series that are headed for the big screen (which Allegiant eventually will), my fav go-to news site, Hypable, has compiled a great list of hot upcoming book to film adaptations so you can make sure you check out the books before you see the stories play out in the big screen. I for one am currently about halfway through my re-read of Catching Fire (my 4th read overall) and I'm loving it every bit as much as I did the first time. I'm definitely finding that for the most part I remember the plot and didn't need to re-read to enjoy the movie, but I like to re-read so that I can pick up on the little things that the movie might not capture. Not in an effort to then complain about it. I don't have unreasonable expectations when it comes to adaptations, but just so that I can fill in the gaps in my brain as I watch.

3. Maybe bit's just my highly sensitive Veronica Mars radar going off, but Rob Thomas is showing up all over the place these days. Most recently with the news that he'll be producing a new zombie series for the CW called iZombie. It's Rob Thomas so I kind of have to assume this will be amazing, even if the concept it a little out there. As much as I enjoyed Warm Bodies, both the book and the film, the concept of sentient zombies isn't one I have a lot of faith in, but if iZombie turns out to be anything--anything--like Veronica Mars then I'm on board.

And speaking of Veronica Mars, did you see this? If you're a fan, I promise you'll LoVe it :)

4.A Hunger Games theme park? It worked for Harry Potter. Looks like it's at least being discussed, but can we talk about the fact that there's a very big difference between a magical Wizarding World and the depressing post-apocalyptic setting of the Hunger Games? I could get behind this, but can we please stay away from rides that involve starving to death or having to throw knives at your enemies?

5. For this week's Noteworthy YA I want to take a look at Marie Lu's Champion. I'm yet to read any of the books in Marie's Legend series, but I've heard wonderful things and now that the trilogy is out in its entirely, it seems like a good time to give them a look:

He is a Legend.
She is a Prodigy.
Who will be Champion?

June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion.(Summary from Goodreads.com)

I've never been a fan of the covers for this series. I think they're appropriate for the genre, but they don't blow me away. The stories on the other hand sound pretty compelling. Obviously, if this is your sort of thing, you should go back to the beginning and start with Legend, but the good news is, when book 1 leaves you salivating for more, there's no waiting for books 2 and 3. Gotta love that.

Happy weekend!

the nature of grief

This was meant to be little more than a bullet-point on today's Friday5, but I found I had so many thoughts about it that it was worth a post on its own. So in lieu of today's Friday5, I want to take this opportunity to be a bit serious and weepy about a show that's usually quite silly, on a blog that's usually lighthearted.

This both is and isn't a post about Glee and Cory Monteith and the tribute the former paid to the latter this week. It is about that because of obvious reasons, but it's not totally about that because I don't consider myself to be a huge fan of the show and it really doesn't mean much to me in the grand scheme of things so it's not like you have to be a fan to read this and hopefully relate.

For a little context, I remember watching the pilot for Glee online before it aired on TV. I thought it was good. It was fresh and original and yes, there's a place in my fangirly heart where musicals go to soar. Seeing Spring Awakening live on stage (though without Lea Michelle I should add, since we are talking a bit about Glee here) was one of the most stirring experiences I've ever had as a consumer of art. I just love the way music adds layers of emotion to story. It hits me in the gut every time. But I digress... I've watched Glee ever since, even though my interest in it has waned over the years. I don't even know or like much of the music that's featured on that show, but it's still easy to enjoy if you don't take it too seriously. It's popcorn entertainment. Something you can easily watch while you're also trying to fold laundry or manage any other task. So that's me and Glee. I watch, but I could just as easily not. It's not must-see-TV for me.

When I first heard of Cory's death, I was shocked, as I think many people were. He was so young. Sure he looked even younger than he was, but still, he was young. And I liked his character on Glee. He was definitely one of my favourites. There were moments when he felt like the only real person on that show, surrounded by caricatures who were constantly making bad decisions. Yes, he made bad decisions too, but they felt natural and real. And he was so very sweet. Plus, Cory was Canadian, something I've always noted with actors, being Canadian myself. He was very much so the boy next door.

Everything I knew about him from watching him on Glee seemed so distant from the news that he struggled with addiction. It seemed impossible. And then, even though I really had no specific/heavy attachment to him, the news broke that he'd died and I felt kinda heartbroken. Moreso than I would have thought, given my casual feelings about Glee. It was just so tragic. And there was just something about Cory. It didn't seem fair that someone who was working hard to better his life, both for himself and his loved ones--someone who had been to rehab and seemed to really be trying to turn things around--would have to die because of a bad choice he made one night. It wasn't an accident. Not really. Not in the car accident kinda way. But I guess in the way that I'm sure he was just trying to relax and have a fun night. He didn't know he was going to die. He should have realized. It makes me mad that he didn't. It was a sickness, but not in the way where you can tell someone's time is coming. If only he hadn't... yeah, it's easy to say that, but of course, he was struggling. And he lost. But I still find myself thinking about the what ifs and if onlys... because it feels like this shouldn't have happened. And that's what gets me. I think that's what gets a lot of people when someone young dies tragically. It hurts us, whether we know the person or not, because there's such a strong feeling of injustice that goes along with it. It shouldn't have happened. It didn't have to happen. And whether or not you actually know someone doesn't change the fact that a death such as this one makes you realize how unfair the world is. And that can be haunting.

When Cory died I didn't write about it here on the blog. I was taking a bit of a summer break from blogging and though it was big news, I just didn't know what to say about it. I was still sorting out my own grief I guess, which sounds silly because a) I didn't know him and b) again with the whole not a diehard Glee fan thing. But deaths of pop culture icons mean something to us because we feel like we do know them. And now that we've seen the show's tribute to their quarterback, I feel it's time to write about it. I didn't think I'd cry watching the show because I'm historically not a big crier. That's changed a bit since my daughter was born (hormones maybe or perhaps just the emotions of caring about someone else so ridiculously much more than you care about yourself), but in general, I don't cry much at fiction. I'm usually more thoughtful about it. I think on it and come close to crying, but don't weep. Glee's tribute episode had me crying at times. Finn's mother had me balling. I don't know if that's a mother thing or not. But I can tell you that the very thought of losing a child--of losing my child--is the worst kind of torture I can imagine. It makes me feel like I can't breathe. Like I have no control over anything and in the moment I consider it, I hate the world for even having the potential to take her from me. The place where a parent loses a child is a very, very dark place. Every news story I read about a parent's tragic loss makes me want to throw up and then hug my daughter in a way that would somehow shield her from the world forever. So yeah, there was that.

But the part I find myself musing on the most is the fact that it still feels unreal. While watching the episode, I kept finding myself convinced that it was a plot device, a ratings stunt, a "character building moment" for everyone else. That Finn was dead, but Cory wasn't. But at the same time, I really wasn't convinced because shows like Glee don't kill off characters like Finn. Finn was an endgame character. You could put him through a lot, but you couldn't kill him. Not unless you absolutely had to... which of course, they did. So it was this weird back and forth where it felt like dreamed-up fiction, but then I'd see the extreme grief on the faces of his castmates--the people who loved him terribly and miss him fiercely--and it would hit me. Yeah, he's gone. He's actually gone. And I'd look at his picture on the screen and try to see some sign that he knew this was coming. Because even though it's basically impossible, I want people to know if their time is short so they can live life to the fullest. But of course he didn't know. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to leave his loved ones behind. My heart breaks for Lea. And his family. It's not that I can't imagine, it's that I don't want to. My heart also breaks for the rest of us, because this whole thing is so tragic and sad and it really highlights all the things that make life both precious and terrifying.

Goodbye Cory. You are missed.

Photo credit: FOX

friday5 for October 4, 2013

1. Let's kick off this edition of the Friday5 with some match-made-in-heaven news--Nathan Fillion is going to guest star on Community! I can't think of any possible scenario in which that isn't going to be epic. Fandoms collide and my fangirl heart may not be able to take it. Dare we dream he become a recurring character (in my fantasy world where we get #sixseasonsandamovie)??

2. Last week, anticipation building up to the Breaking Bad finale was evident everywhere you looked. This week? It seems to be mostly sighs of content (and maybe some cheering). I watched the series in a very condensed amount of time so I'm not sure that I can fully grasp the gravity of the journey longtime fans have been on, but I greatly appreciated what a satisfying conclusion the series was given and I have nothing but praise for Vince Gilligan and his team for treating us to such a masterfully crafted series. (Oh, and for all the work he did on The X-Files too! Man, what a career!)

3. I recently started listening to a few of Kevin Smith's podcasts. Not sure what took me so long since I've always admired Kevin for his storytelling ability. Regardless of how you feel about his vulgarity, he's a smart guy with a lot of heart and man, does he ever spin a good tale! Anyway, this week I found myself absolutely immersed listening to him interview a young filmmaker (and fellow Canadian), Matt Johnson about his film, The Dirties, which tackles the issue of bullying in a realistic and effective light. I officially need to see this film. It sounds fantastic by any measure, but hearing Kevin and Matt talk about it, I couldn't imagine anyone not wanting to check it out. If you don't have time to listen to the interview, at least check out the trailer. This is one you probably shouldn't miss (despite the screenshot, this is not a "sexy" film--I think that was chosen solely for YouTube hits...):

4. And while we're viewing things, let's talk about the trailer for Ravenswood, which didn't come out this week, but I haven't mentioned it since it came out and I'm still trying to decide how I feel about it, so here we go.

Sigh... I know. Hot Caleb, right? How can I say no to Hot Caleb? And yet, I feel like this is Angel all over again. Yes, I grew to love Angel, but I was not cool with one of my fav TV couples being split up for the sake of a spinoff! I've voiced my Haleb worries on here before in the Pretty Little Recap and I have to say, the pretty new girls in this trailer have me more worried than ever. How can Haleb survive this? They won't. Maybe I just need to accept that. And maybe I just need to accept that being on Team Hot Caleb isn't as good as Team Haleb, but it's better than nothing. Am I the only one with concerns? (...and yet am still totally planning on watching Ravenswood?)

5. Slight change to this section of the Friday5--The YA book rec of the week will henceforth be known as....Noteworthy YA (because rec implies I've already read all of these books but most of them are still on my to-read list and accuracy is important!). This week, I'm taking a look at Unbreakable by Kami Garcia, the first in her new series, The Legion.

Supernatural meets The Da Vinci Code in this action-packed paranormal thriller, the first book in a new series from New York Times bestselling author Kami Garcia.

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.(Summary from Goodreads.com)

 I'm actually kind of on the fence with this cover. It's creepy for sure, but it almost seems more horror-ish than paranormal/fantasy. That said, the plot sounds twisty and chilling and I'm intrigued to see how Garcia reads as a solo author.

Happy weekend!