I’ve been having fun commenting over at Yapping About YA, which is a new blog on the YA blog scene. They’ve got lots of interesting things to say and some cool author interviews lined up, so you should probably check it out. Right now, most of the posts centre around edgy YA, which is a topic near and dear to my heart because I’ve been told I write it (I also like to read it). I think I’ve probably said more about the young adult genre over there, in the comments, than I do in my own blog and that’s sad. For MY blog, I mean.
I should probably work on that.
So how about them YA novels, huh?
I’ve been trying to start a chapter for the last four days. It’s been the most amazingly tedious non-writing writing I have ever done. The perfect sentence and then I can just go from there. That’s all I need, but my mind is completely blank. It is too full of David Hasselhoff, I guess. Meanwhile, I have discovered the music of Ingrid Michaelson. Maybe that will push The Hoff out a little, even though I will honestly be sad to see him go.
Anyway, I think Ingrid is just a little too precious as a singer but I am only basing this on two songs, one of which I listened to 93 times yesterday. I suspect her cloying voice and syrupy lyrics are partly preventing me from figuring out my opening sentence. I need to be listening to something a million more times unhappy than a song about a woman who buys their balding lover hair-growing shampoo in a gesture of love. Which I don’t really find romantic or loving, to be quite honest with you. And how does a romantic gesture like that go down, really? Like, HERE HONEY, FOR YOUR BALDNESS. DID YOU KNOW YOU ARE BALD? I CAN’T STAND IT. And then what would he say? THANKS FOR NOTICING, BABY. THAT’S SO ROMANTIC.
Then probably they’d have a fun time.
You know.
In the bedroom.
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publication date
Tuesday January 22nd, 2008 @ 6:44am
346 words, 28 sentencesmeta stuff
categories: music,teh internets,writing,young adult lit
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Your protagonist could always be listening to the music of Ingrid Michaelson and thinking about how precious she is as she writes a perspectives paper on current directions in young adult fiction for that teacher who shares a passing resemblance to David Hasselhoff.
Or, much more likely, is not doing any of those things :)
And given that baldness is related to a elevated testosterone level (in males) there is a good chance that there would be some action in the bedroom. And keep in mind that bald men save money on hair care, and can thus spend more on their lovers, if they stop being judgemental. She might want to think about that.
…
DAMON, THAT WAS THE BEST COMMENT EVER.
SERIOUSLY.
EVERY TIME I LOOK AT IT I SMILE.
Hi, Courtney! I hadn’t heard of Yapping about YA before, so I popped over there; very interesting stuff. I’ll be checking out your other links to see if I can find anymore gems. Thanks for posting this.
Courtney, you gotta give Ingrid another chance! Listen to December Baby and Far Away and Breakable. I just saw her perform in San Francisco last night and she’s great, plus she’s hilarious. She’s like a stand-up comedian too. She definitely had some great material in between her songs. And she did an awesome cover of Blister in the Sun and then covered I Can’t Help Falling in Love with You for her encore…
..Can’t wait to read your book
Becca: Hope you find something else that interests you in the links!! There’s a lot of great stuff out there–your blog included. :)
Daisy: Thanks! And you’ll be happy to know I’m warming to Ingrid in the sense that I have listened to her song Keep Breathing 222 times. I like Take Me the Way I am too–except for the Rogaine line which I still find a teensy bit cloying (although that hasn’t stopped me from listening to that song like… 180 times hah!!). AND, the other night I watched about a million videos of her on youtube playing live. So. Basically yes. I’ll probably be a fan in a week. A hard won victory. ;) I’m jealous of you seeing her live!! After all the videos I watched she seems very on & professional, very well-rehearsed!!
I’m like you–every time I sit down to draft a new book, I feel like I have to get the opening write to proceed. I don’t know what it is, but that first scene I need to get right before I feel comfortable just letting the joy of drafting take over. I guess I want to feel like I’m using the right set of directions for my road trip before I can relax and enjoy the scenery.
Keep plugging away–I’m sure you’ll get it! :-)
Thanks, Angela! It’s nice to know I’m not alone! When it’s really a struggle I go nuts trying to find another way to write but it’s just impossible. :) I guess we’re all stuck with our processes, eh?