Writing! Books! Stories! Oh my!

Saturday, May 13, 2017
I'm back from my one-week blog break! :P This is my first time doing something writing related since Camp NaNoWriMo ended. Apparently "taking writing slower" ended up translating to, "not writing at all." Oops. xD

More on the break and writing thoughts another week.
My mind is a pile of slush, so I'm going to do a simple lil' tag and work on a more brain/mind/thinking post another time. ;)

(I copied and pasted this tag from some blog... but... now I can't remember which one. (proof that my mind is slush xD) Do let me know who I can give proper credit to. *nodnod*)




WHAT DRAWS YOU TO YA?

I think a lot of it is the fact that I'm a young adult myself! (which sounds weird to say, because I usually refer to myself as a teen) I can relate to the struggles and the thoughts and the circumstances the YA characters are in.

... kind of. Actually, I often can't relate a lot of the time, because they're fighting battles and slaying dragons. Or drinking. Or kissing. Heh. Let's just say that I can occasionally relate to their emotions and thought processes. xP

Plus teens are just awesome. It's a confusing time of life, filled with decisions and the unknown, but together we can help each other not feel quite so alone. The journey to other worlds is always nice, and meeting other fellow bookworms. ^.^

DESCRIBE YOUR WRITING PROCESS.


I've explained this in previous posts of mine. Obviously my process changes with each draft, but here's an overall rundown I wrote last year, and this post is about my first time plotting a novel.


There's a short answer for you. :P

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN WRITING? WHERE ARE YOU IN YOUR JOURNEY?

Three years and four months! Writing has done wonders, man. <3

Ha. Is there even an easy way to tell where one is in the writing journey? I'm at the stage of, "crafting art for pure enjoyment." Yes, publishing is a goal, but even more important than that is appreciating the process and not losing the joy in the journey.

I'm not even sure if that answers the question, but I plan on expanding this for a post, so I'll just leave it at that. ;)

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO WRITE? COFFEE? MUSIC?

Ahem. Well. Firstly, I need air. I find that attempting to pen the words is rather difficult without oxygen and feeling like my lungs are about to burst.

Secondly, I need a brain. For the first couple hours after I wake up, I lack this thing called "thinking," which is unfortunate. I am required to wait until the afternoon -- preferably late evening -- until my brain cells have developed into their full potential.

I also need something to write on, whether it be paper, a computer, a phone, tablet, my bedroom wall, etc... It isn't writing until you actually write. 

There. My literal needs. :P

IF YOU COULD OFFER ONE PIECE OF ADVICE TO ANOTHER WRITER, WHAT WOULD IT BE?


Ahh, this dreaded question. I've been asked this a lot, and I'm never quite sure how to answer, because there's not one piece of advice that I view more helpful than another. Becoming a better writer is gathering all the knowledge and tips you can get. It's being open to feedback, staying determined, motivated, and sitting your butt down in the chair to write the thing.

If I had to choose one... maybe be willing to have someone else look over your work. It's a scary step -- for sure -- but that first time I let another writer critique my first couple pages opened my eyes to major improvements I could make. 



[and now for questions about YA books:]

WHAT BOOK STILL HAS YOU REELING FROM IT'S PLOT TWIST?

(spoiler free, don't worry)

OOH. I had to consult Goodreads to help my snail-like memory, here are three:


Firefight by Brandon Sanderson
We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

The plot twists in these books were the, "oh my goodness my jaw is dropping, my eyes are wide, I'm gasping and have no air to breath, what the heck is even going on," kind of plot twists. If only I could experience them for the first time again... <3 


WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU MOST ANTICIPATING FOR THIS YEAR?

Bless the person for writing these questions -- thank you for saying books. Plural. xD

There are many I'm looking forward to, but if I had to narrow it down to a couple, I'm most looking forward to The Evaporation of Sofi Snow and Renegades. I have both of them preordered and CANNOT WAIT.


[covers lead to Goodreads]

WHAT IS YOUR ALL-TIME FAVORITE QUOTE FROM YA LIT?

All right. CONFESSION TIME. (here's what I got. #hamiltonreference) I don't track quotes in books. I didn't even realize that it was a thing that readers did until I discovered people writing down quotes on Goodreads.

I mean... it makes sense! Sometimes I do think, "wow, that was a great line." But since I read so quickly, I... just... don't pay as close attention to those individual words as I maybe should. Oops. Don't hate me, fellow bookworms. :P

WHAT BOOK DO YOU MOST HOPE WILL HAVE A MOVIE ADAPTION?


Hmm, another hard question to answer. I know that some bookworms are against having their favorite books being made into movies because of the fear that they'll be terrible.. but I can easily just ignore the movie failures if that's the case. For me, I'd be more afraid watching the battles and the aliens and the murder mysteries on screen. xD

One series I'd really like to see adapted is the Lunar Chronicles. Most would agree on that, yeah? <3



On another bookish related note... I'M SO BEHIND ON MY GOODREADS CHALLENGE. ...Seventeen books behind. But I went to the library a couple days ago, so I'm stocked up and ready to read all the things. (especially since school is almost done!!) So if you're interested in seeing all my bookish updates... let's be friends on Goodreads. *nodnod*

<3,
katie grace

what book(s) are you anticipating this year?

77 comments :

  1. I loved reading your answers! I would also love to see an adaption of The Lunar Chronicles..I think it could really be a awesome adaption :-)

    Thanks for the writing advice! I have trouble with showing my writing to others, which is really something that I should probably work on.

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    1. Showing your work to other people is SO. SCARY. It's one of the hardest things for me to do... but yet it's unfortunately so important. :P Make sure to give it to a trusted friend that will tell the truth but still be encouraging. *nodnod*

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  2. Oh, the Lunar Chronicles would be so cool as a movie! I just discovered that series and I'm a bit over halfway done with Winter now. *sobs* *screams*

    And I would love to be friends on Goodreads. :)

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    1. NOOO it's always sad when you near the end of a series. :'(

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  3. YES MOVIE LUNAR CHRONICLES. We neeeeeeds it, precious.

    *cough* *clears throat* Anyway. I don't know, fighting battles and slaying dragons and all that could be a pretty good metaphor for teenage life. And goodness knows most teenagers do have to think about stuff like drinking (unless they're homeschooled) and romance (sometimes even if they are homeschooled). Plus it's a lot easier to deal with your problems if you can think "Well, storm it all, if Cinder can escape from prison, kidnap an emperor to save him from her stepmother, and then lead a rebellion to reclaim her rightful throne from that stepmother, I can probably survive this busy week." So, relatable.

    Also, RENEGADES HAS A COVER!!!!! I somehow missed that and now I'm quire excited.

    Anyway, awesome post!

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    1. YESSS.

      Ha, very true. XD It makes our problems seem rather insignificant, doesn't it? I like that view of things. :P

      RIGHT? I think it just released a couple of days ago. I'm so pumped. :D

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  4. Lunar Chronicles movie! Yessssss!!!!! Please do that, someone. I want to see that. (Although some of Scarlet might be kind of nasty :P)
    Hahaha, I NEED all of that to write too!
    This was a great post! Thanks for doing it!

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    1. So, I dunno who you are, but you have an awesome name. The reference is gotten. 😊

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    2. *whisper* I'm not sure if I know this reference... o.O

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  5. Ah, yes. Firefight's plot twist was... Yeah. That was a good one. 😶
    I haven't read Heartless, but so far, to me, Marissa Myers' books have been very... Predictable. 😓 Maybe I just read too much fantasy.
    Now, there were a couple points in A Time to Rise when I had to clap a hand over my grin to keep from gasping at a new revelation.

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    1. *nod* Yeah... I think they were also predictable since they were, you know, fairytales and all. :P I just enjoyed them because of the characters. <3

      Yeess. Nadine has some pretty epic ones as well. Awhh, now I feel like I need to reread those again. xD

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  6. YES we need to see a Lunar Chronicles movie series 0.o mainly because thorne, ammiright?

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  7. LUNAR CHRONICLES MOVIE. SOMEONE GET ON THIS.

    Also, I have been so behind in my writing schedule, and I am procrastinating by reading all the blogs I've been trying to catch up on. How does it feel being a tool in my procrastination? XD

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    1. MWAHAHA I FEEL SO EVIL. :P But the human/writer side of me feels bad because I know how awful procrastination and distractions are. XD *reaches into your computer and closes out all the tabs*

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  8. Honestly, I think Lunar Chronicles would work better as a TV show, because there's sooooo much stuff that happens, and they would have to cut so much out.

    Also I want to hear your thoughts on An Ember In The Ashes because I low-key hated that book, which definitely puts me in the minority, and I wanna see where you stand.

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    1. Oooh yaas that would be pretty sweet as well. I agree.

      Well... technically I'll be starting it for the second time, cause I couldn't get through it the first. So I'll be trying again because I want to at least read it before I meet Sabaa. :P

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  9. I HAVEN'T READ THE LUNAR CHRONICLES YET....😭 My friend offered to let me borrow them, but I had too many other books to read, so I turned down her offer.

    Anyways, what books am I anticipating this year?.................I have no idea. I know it's already out, but I do want to get Martin Hospitality.

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    1. READ MARTIN HOSPITALITY.
      You should just buy it cuz if you wait until you can borrow it from me it might be awhile cuz there's a list of people who want to read it xD

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    2. I WANT TO BUY IT SOOOOOO BAAAAAAAAD. but I'm also broke (not really, I just like using the excuse. XD ), and I don't have time for another book right now....but we'll see.

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    3. NOOO YOU NEED TO READ THEM.

      Ooh, yes! And do you and Eliza know each other in person? o.O

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    4. Yeah, I'm going to read the things as soon as I get the time. 😜

      And yah, we're in the same homeschooling group. She was also the first person I did a Word War with. :D

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    5. Hehe yep. We know each other. In person :P

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  10. Eeep! You did the Voices of YA tag! I don't know where you found it, but Caitlin is the original creator :)

    I totally get the thing about not completely relating to YA characters. That's what I like about writing YA myself -- I can relate to the characters more because I chose their emotions/actions xD

    audrey caylin

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    1. YES OKAY I KNEW IT WAS THIS TAG. xD My brain is apparently also slush though because I was like "Wait I saw this tag on Audrey's blog I think but I don't remember what it was called or anything about it"

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    2. Oooh thank you!! That site looks familiar, so I bet I got it from there. You're the best, Audrey. XD

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  11. I would really, really love the Lunar Chronicles as a movie, my goodness. So long as they did it right. That's actually the series I was going to suggest, too, since I got tagged in this tag. XD

    I'm probably anticipating... ergh. I dunno. It's hard for me to anticipate books because theres so many other books I haven't read yet that are already out. XD
    jeniquablog.wordpress.com

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    1. OOOH DO IT. I look forward to reading your tag. *nod*

      I knowww. The struggle is so real. I keep discovering old books that I want to read, but more books keep coming out, and my reading time keeps diminishing... :P

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  12. I don't know book quotes either! Excepting Jane Austen books, because, you just have to quote those.

    I'm really excited for The Door Before by N.D. Wilson! It's a prequel to both the 100 Cupboards series, and the Ashtown Burials series.

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    1. Ooh, really? I used to read some of his books when I was younger. Awhh, that would be such a trip back to memory lane. <3

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  13. I like so many of your library picks, mostly because they are on my TBR pile too :)

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    1. Eep, yay! Then we can tell each other what we think of them. :D

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  14. Ooh, I am so looking forward to Renegades! The Evaporation of Sofi Snow looks neat too, though I'll have to look into it more.

    I unfortunately don't really keep up with all the upcoming YA releases because I research books so thoroughly before comitting to buying them, and before the release dates, there are no reviews. xD A day will come when I will pick up a book and read it. But it is not this day. :P

    Also, I need book recommendations. xD Preferably relatively clean books? I recently finished The Lunar Chronicles and was super impressed with how clean they were kept, seeing how typical YA isn't that tame. Anyway!! Recommendations! Throw them at me! (anything you want, really... since I always research before buying. xD)

    Also, your photos are always so pretty. I have a love for looking at bookish pictures that only bookworms understand. xD

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    1. Maze Runner by James Dashner is pretty clean. They use their own form of "bad words" though it's fairly easy to tell what the words were originally. The other books in the series have some language, but I've read the first four and there was no sex related content aside from maybe one or two kisses.

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    2. Ahh, that makes sense. Yeah, I rarely buy a book without reading it first, but since I've adored Marissa's books so much... it's an exception. xD (especially since the preorder price is often cheaper than usual)

      OOH RECOMMENDATIONS. *scurries to Goodreads*

      Neal Shusterman's books are surprisingly clean -- about the level of Marissa's books. He deals with heavier issues, but they really make you think and he's just a genius. :P

      Heartless, if you haven't read that yet. *nod*

      If you want to explore a graphic novel... READ NIMONA. Ugh. That book. <3 <3 <3

      Any of Shannon Hale's books. They're light, fluffy fantasy that I adore. The Books of Bayern, and Princess Academy especially.

      Wolf by Wolf was good! And clean, from what I remember. I don't often read alternate history, so that was fun.

      THE RECKONERS TRILOGY. And the Rithmatist. Both by Brandon Sanderson and both have minimal content.

      The Leviathan trilogy are awesome steampunk books. The content is very clean, except I feel like there were some evolution issues? But they weren't talked about much.

      Those are what I can think of so far. *nod*

      And I agree with the Maze Runner suggestions. They are pretty clean as well. (though they weren't my favorite)

      AWH THANK YOU. I spend too much time taking bookish pictures, probably, but it's so much fun. xD

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    3. My sister read and quite liked The Maze Runner, but unfortunately they don't hold much appeal to me. I'll probably try them eventually, though. :P

      I've been looking into Neal Shusterman! The Unwind Dystology looks amazing. O.o

      AND THE RECKONERS. I started it but had to commit fully to schoolwork, so it still lays unfinished. It's been so long that I'll have to start over, but I'm excited to try that series again! And Brandon Sanderson' Stormlight Archive, because lets be honest, those ones look epic.

      Ooh, I've heard of those other ones but have forgotten completely about them! I will look into them, especially Leviathan. :)

      Thank you for the recommendations! xD

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    4. YAS READ UNWIND!! It's amazing and it is definitely a little disturbing but it really makes you think and also has some great plot twists. :)

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  15. I'm looking forward to reading Suit and Suitability by Kelsey Bryant :)

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    1. What's it about, Eliza? I've never heard of it...

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    2. It just released yesterday. It's a 1930s retelling of Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility.

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    3. I've never read any of Jane Austen's work, which is something I need to fix....someday.

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    4. Oooh, sounds interesting. I'm not much of a Jane Austen person, but it's a neat idea!

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    5. Of course you are, m'dear. ;)

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  16. AH OKAY.
    I died when I saw the cover for RENEGADES. ITS SO PRETTY. I NEED TO PREORDER.
    And I steal this that xD if you find the creator, could you let me know? (Or I'll just be a pirate)
    And the Evaporation of Sofi Snow. Gosh that cover. I died with that one too. Bookshelves are going to be beautiful this year.
    AND A LUNAR CHRONICLES MOVIE YES YES YES.

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    1. YESS PRE-ORDER THE BOOK. <3 <3

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    2. Oh yeah, and totally take the tag! Just make sure to link to wherever you take it from, whether it be my blog or someone else's to give proper credit. (which is what I'm working on as well shame on me :P)

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  17. GAAAAAAAAAASP. I NEED AIR AND A BRAIN AND SOMETHING TO WRITE WITH TOOOOOOO. XDD And omg the plot twist in We Were Liars was so SHOCKING. Like ahgahghahgahgh. *mind is blown* And AGH Renegades is so pretty! I'm super excited, because MM is one of my favorite authors and it seems very much like my style of writing/reading! Plus that cover is so pretty. <3

    Ooh, all those library books look really good! Caraval is something I've been meaning to read and HAHA I have Vicious checked out as well! Have you read VE Schwab's any other books?

    May @ Forever and Everly

    PS I'm planning on making my Goodreads account after exams are over (because I'm 90% I will procrastinate on it instead of studying), so I'll be sure to friend you then!

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    1. And I forgot to say: YAS HAMILTONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN. <3

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    2. YESSS WE WERE LIARS. It was such a quick read and I totally didn't expect that. I want to reread it this summer, now. o.O

      Marissa Meyerrr. She's so incredible and amazing. <3

      YES! I've read the first one in the Darker Shade of Magic books... I liked it, but not enough to read the others. I really liked The Archived and This Savage Song by her. :D (and her titles. Dang. They're all so amazing.)

      YESS TOTALLY FRIEND ME!! <3

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    3. Is We Were Liars somewhat clean? I want to read it, but because I can never find out much about it, it's hard to tell.

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    4. I can never remember content in books. :P But I looked up some reviews and the main problem is the heavy language. I think there's some kissing (nothing beyond that), but... yeah... a lot of language. :/ So it's hard for me to recommend it because of that, but I love the story.

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    5. Okay, thanks for letting me know. You've been super helpful. 😊

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  18. Good post, :) I definitely agree the Lunar chronicles would make an interesting movie, I'm not sure if I'd like it though.
    As for books I'm anticipating...well, I don't really know any books being released this year! I tend to read a series after the entire series has been released, so then I can binge read and not worry about pining after the next book. :)
    This is my first comment on your blog, Katie, but I've been reading it for ages, love it a lot!

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    1. Yeah, I hope they would do the books justice. There's always the fear that it would turn out horrible with casting and directing and such. xD

      Oooh, that's actually a smart idea. If I don't do that, I usually begin to forget the book's plot. :P

      Awhh, thanks, Chelsea! I hope to see you around. <3

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  19. Ya know, I am way behind on my Goodreads goal too. *sigh* Maybe we could challenge each other???

    Also, The Lunar Chronicles would make an epic movie series one day. I would be a true fan!

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    1. MWAHAHA WE COULD. Turn it into a competition. xD How many books are you shooting for?

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  20. Hope you enjoyed your writing break! I've never seen this tag before, but it was super fun to read.

    Hailey
    www.haileyhudson.wordpress.com

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  21. I don't read a ton of YA, so I can't think of any upcoming books I'm looking forward to off the top of my head right now. I need to read The Lunar Chronicles. Anyway, I'm glad you had a good break!

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    1. Yess you totally do! I hope you like them. *nod*

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  22. Well done! As a freelance editor, I know just how important it is for us writers to let others look over our work. Not only does it keep me employed (though there's that), it allows us to "see" what we can't really see in our writing without someone else pointing it to us. It's necessary, though it can be painful to open ourselves up to critique, for sure.

    I also don't track quotes in books I'm reading, so don't feel alone in that. :)

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    1. Ahh, that's so cool! Freelance editing seems like a neat job. How many manuscripts do you edit a year?

      YAY! Glad I'm not the only one xD

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  23. Hi Katie, it's definitely my dream job. I love helping writers become authors by polishing their pages until readers clamor for more. :) I average between 15-40 large projects/manuscripts each year at the moment. It's fun!

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    1. Oh my goodness, that's awesome. (and quite a few manuscripts. o.O) Thanks for sharing -- if you ever write any posts about the process of editing a manuscript, I would love to see them. :)

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    2. Ooo, there's an idea, Katie Grace. I haven't yet but will soon now! :)

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  24. I was anticipating Wing Jones and Forever Geek this year but I don't know if I'll be able to get more books that I'm anticipating :P

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    1. Ooh, I haven't heard of those yet. I'll have to check them out!

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  25. Feeling you on the whole brain being slush thing, haha. (Mine is courtesy of a cold. *sigh*)

    Yay for library visits! I have, like, five library books to read sitting on my bookshelf.

    I just finished reading Winter and can I say a Lunar Chronicles movie would be amazing! Especially Princess Winter being a messed-up hallucinating, sweetheart.

    I can't wait to read Always & Forever Lara Jean by Jenny Han + The Lost Girl of Astor Street by Stephanie Morrill + The Someday Birds by Sally J Pla! Marissa Meyer's new book looks exciting, too!

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    1. Booo for colds. I hope you feel better soon! <3

      Saaame. I love library visits, but I always take more than I can read. It's like piling up more food than able to fit in your stomach. :P

      OOH YES. I would love to see how they'd do that on screen. If done correctly that could be super cool.

      Lost Girl of Astor Street! I definitely recommend that one. :D

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  26. I want to read ALL THE THINGS THIS YEAR *glances at the tbr, which is growing at a nerve-wracking rate*. But especially Renegades, The Girl Who Could See, and The Evaporation Of Sofi Snow, because I've been waiting for those three for SO LONG. I can't wait!

    ~ Savannah
    scattered-scribblings.blogspot.com

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  27. Way to go, Katie Grace! It looks like you're on a great track just by having this blog. I'm a mom of a teen now, but I remember the angst of the teen life so well. Praying a lot and writing helped me get through those tumultuous years and my journal helped me to develop my writing style.

    Well, it was nice to "meet" you, and I hope you'll visit my blog at www.sweetgumlife.com Today I posted the beginning of a suspense story. I'm not even sure how it's going to turn out or how long it will be, but hope I get some good, constructive criticism from readers such as you.

    Blessings,
    Stephanie

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  28. I love when you have photos of you on your blog, your so pretty!

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  29. I clicked on Renegades's cover cuz it looked so gorges' and now I wanna read it too, it seems SOOOOO GOOOOD!!!!!!

    Oh my, I was thinking about it recently, the whole 'slaying-dragons-and-saving-the-world-at-sixteen' kinda deal XD Like we relate to them but we don't at the same time (as in, we like to think we'd react the same way the MCs do, but truly we would ball and cry our lives away)

    Also, I cannot think of a novel whose plot twist shocked me to death (safe mysteries, cuz I never see the actual criminal coming). How pathetic! X)

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