It's amazing how fast you can read when you're under pressure. I had, as previously mentioned, checked out a large number of books from the library recently and found last week, to my dismay, that I had three days to finish over 200 pages if I hoped to read it all before turning it in. Normally, this wouldn't distress me quite so much but this task required potentially taking time out of my homework and study time for the two tests I had coming up. Well, if nothing else, college teaches you to be resourceful, doesn't it? So, with a little determination and probably quite a few odd looks, I traversed campus for three days with my nose completely immersed in the novel, finishing it just as I walked into the library for work on the morning of the day it was due.
Happiness is not having to turn a book in without finishing it.
The novel I was reading was Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, a fantasy novel set in London somewhere in the 19th century. Now, after Twilight, I haven't been one for books like this so much mostly because I can be such a skeptic. That aside, I did manage to enjoy the book once I pushed myself through the somewhat uninteresting opening. As a YA book, its complexity is more developed that a middle grade story would be and it was something of a challenge for me to read YA and try to write MG at the same time, esp when my natural inclination is toward illustrative writing which is more prevalent in YA.
Class today was really interesting and helpful for me even though my MG story wasn't being work-shopped. It's amazing to me how much you can learn about character voice, strength, and consistency when discussing other's stories. Really, I'm grateful my classmates are willing to humor what I bet are opinionated and overly-vocal opinions and suggestions. Talking things out definitely helps to establish ideas and guidelines in my head.
I am excited because I only have about four pages left in my writing pad that I started using at the beginning of the semester which of course means I need to start using another one. There's just something so exciting about new notebooks and paper :)
Writing corner time! I'm not entirely satisfied with this, but considering it's a rough-rough draft I suppose that's alright, expected even.
A chair squeaked.
Startled, Ben looked up from the music he'd been so immersed in. He saw Lucy, awkwardly sitting halfway in one of the chairs towards the back of the room.
"What are you doing here?" It was probably the rudest thing Ben had ever said to anyone but he was so surprised to find that someone had intruded on the one place he considered to be his that it just slipped out.
"I'm sorry," Lucy said, barely loud enough for him to hear, her face flushing, "I didn't mean to bother you, I just got tired of standing," she gestured at the wall by the door, then began to speak very rapidly, "Mrs. Larson just asked me to tell you free time would be over in fifteen minutes because she thought you might forget, it being the first free day since before Christmas. But then I came in and heard you playing and it sounded so nice so I stayed to listen. I'm sorry, I'll go." She stood up and turned to leave.
"Wait," Ben called across the room and Lucy turned around uncertainly, "I'm sorry for what I said Lucy, it was rude."
Lucy shrugged her shoulders, "You wanted to be alone."
"You liked what I was playing?" Again, the question just escaped, though more from cautious curiosity than from surprise. Ben had never played for anyone before, never had anyone hear him plinking music out note by note.
I haven't read Cassandra Clare but I've heard good things about her. Illustrative writing is prevalent in YA but you can find it in MG too--I think your voice fits well in both age groups.
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