So You Want to Write a Novel

This has bandied about twitter lately, but just in case you haven't seen it:

Monday Cheer

Okay so it isn't even Monday yet, and I'm already dreading it. Plus, this is the Monday before Thanksgiving, and even though I'm not hosting it this year, turkey day requires some prep. I need to expand my stomach's capabilities by gorging on ridiculous amounts of chips and salsa (oh. wait. check). I need to bake possibly two cheesecakes. I might venture into the land of pumpkin bread (or maybe the pumpin bread pudding Bobby Flay made on that Throwdown. MMMMMMMmmmmmMMMMmmm. Insert Homer Simpson drool). Plus, I should probably do my laundry and clean the house. So yeah, Monday.

But, Monday happens every week people! We can beat this thing! With a little know-how, some pluck and common-sense determination we can and will rise above the muck that is Monday and turn it into...Tuesday? Really, I've got no idea. But here:


That helped the Monday blues, didn't it?

(btw, I found it here).

How to Use Nostalgia

I haven't blogged about a commercial for a bit. But, I was feeling ill and watching a little bit more tv than normal, and I happened across a Macy's commercial. And yeah, I've seen it before. But I'm not going to lie: it works on me everytime.

When I was a kid I spent quite a bit of time with my paternal grandparents. To say that my grandma had disdain for any media produced after 1960 wouldn't be overstating things. She hated modern sitcoms, movies music...and as a result, I watched a LOT of old musicals at her house. Lots of "I Love Lucy." When I see Bob Hope's face flash across the screen, I'm back in my grandparents's living room. Safe. Warm. Happy.

So when I see this commercial, it isn't about a department store. It isn't a crass attempt to get me to spend my hard-earned money (except, of course, it is). It's a reminder of who I am--who we were. And a subtle hint that we can get there again. Back to the good old days. If only we shop at Macy's.



What do you think? Does this commercial work on you, or is it just more noise?

Cliche is as cliche does

I rolled my eyes when I read this topic for this week's post over at YA Highway. I mean, cliches? Then, I bit my lip and started to mull over the possibilities. Perhaps this post would end up being more than I bargained for. Literally, I wanted, in the worst way, to make this post stand out from the crowd, but then the topic is...cliches? How would I survive?

I'm no stranger to cliche. Honest. And, I love a good, well-written cliche (because, IMO, it is possible. Obviously not by me, but possible nonetheless). Favorite YA hero of all time? Gilbert Blythe. Boy-next-door, AND friend-she-won't-admit-she-loves. But, seriously, swoon. 


As for my favorite cliche? I like the romantic ones. The, oooh-this-is-going-to-be-good ones. If I had to narrow it down, I'd probably go with Chanelle fan of the perennially popular love triangle.

Love triangles have had some bad press lately. And yeah, throwing a rival in just for fun, so your readers can divide into "teams" and make tshirts announcing their respective choices is probably not the best way to approach plotting your novel. However, for my money (you're loving how I'm doing this, aren't you?) part of the greatness of a YA romance, or any romance, is how it allows you to live vicariously through the heroine. It allows you to experience a fantasy that would, in real life, be completely miserable. In real life I couldn't date two people at once, the stress would've killed me. But, in a novel--I love jealousy. I love confusion. I love conflict. Love triangles provide all of those things. And, it allows you to explore more than one kind of hero. Win!

That's it. Now you know. I may go hide my head in shame for having admitted this deep, dark secret. But only because the truth hurts, especially on dark and stormy nights.

Sugar Rush

I was going to blog today, but then I thought better of it. Perhaps I should wait until the sugar wears off a bit?

*waits*

Good enough!

I would like to pause our regularly scheduled blogging (what? schedule? theme?) to get on a soapbox. You're surprised, I can tell.

I am going to start listening to Christmas music, BEFORE Thanksgiving. Yes. I AM.

Because there is NOT enough time for all the Christmass-y goodness between Thanksgiving and Christmas. And on that note: perhaps we should rethink the timing of our holidays. I realize it would be, you know, an international incident to MOVE Christmas, but most scholars are completely aware that it wasn't so much because anyone thought Christ was actually born on December 25th. It's more of a symbolic day to celebrate. And I'm fine with that. I think the season is wonderful, and at the blackest, bleakest time of year what is better than focusing on love and faith?
For me though, although I know the shortest day of the year is December, the longest month is definitely January. I mean, aren't you just so done with winter by mid-January?

But, all this is beside the point. Christmas isn't changing. So, my vote is we join Canada and celebrate Thanksgiving in October. It would be fun! It would be very harvest appropriate. AND, it would mean all you scrooge types who yell at me for turning up my holiday cheer starting November 1 wouldn't have anything to complain about anymore.

I feel compelled to admit I'll probably wait a week or two to break out the holiday cheer. I am clinging to fall with all my might. Christmas music means I've accepted winter's inevitable approach. I'm still nursing my denial.