#2020 YA Book Releases
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I keep seeing posts talking about the WGA/Sag-Aftra strike, which yes, good, but in all this "support writers" sentiment I'm seeing no one talk about book writers, which I think is something people should know more about right now.
We are at an all-time high for book bans, namely targeting queer & PoC-authored books. This means that a lot of schools and libraries are no longer stocking diverse YA books, and if you're not in publishing, you may not realize this but school & libraries are by far one of the biggest markets for diverse YA books.
This means that in 2023, YA book sales are down. This is also in part because Barnes & Noble (the largest physical book retailer in the U.S.) is no longer really stocking YA hardcovers. This means that marginalized authors and debut authors are struggling to sell books.
But it's a LOT worse than that. In the past couple of years, marginalized authors are *really* struggling to get new book deals. Most books are acquired by a publisher about 2 years before they release to the public, so this isn't all that noticeable yet, but a LOT of marginalized authors I've spoken to (myself included) have been unable to sell a new YA book since 2020. So while I had a book out last year, even if I sell one right now, you won't see it until 2025-2026. That's three to four years without a new release or the income I get from publishing those books.
On top of that, Big 5 publishers have started closing imprints (namely their diverse imprints) and have started telling their marginalized YA authors to just go. I've had multiple authors tell me their publisher basically said, "eh, we don't care to put in the work for you anymore. You can just go somewhere else". Of the authors who *are* getting offered new contracts, we're being offered pay far below the cost of living and we're being handed contracts that split our payments 4 or 5 ways and require we sign over our work to be used to train AI so they can replace us a few years down the road.
Authors are freelancers who own our IPs, which means we can't unionize the way Hollywood writers can, and despite authors showing up in droves to support HarperCollins employees when they went on strike for fair wages, we're being hung out to dry when it comes to our own rights.
If you enjoy diverse books, especially diverse YA, please understand that many of the authors you loved over the past 3-5 years are being forced out of the industry. We're being exploited, and we have no way to defend ourselves. Our books sales are drying up thanks to anti-queer legislation, our rights are being eaten up by AI, and our publishers are degrading us while profiting of us and refusing to share those profits with us.
Within the publishing industry, we've all been watching this decline happen over the last decade, but outside of it, I know most people have no idea what's going on so please spread the word. And if you care about diverse books especially in YA, please support marginalized authors in any way you can. The industry needs to be reminded that it needs us before we're all eliminated from it.
#Books#diverse books#author#publishing#sag aftra#writers strike#writers#labor rights#workers rights#wga strike
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The Deck of Omens by C.L. Herman (Review)
Title: The Deck of Omens
Author: Christine Lynn Herman
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Horror
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Date published: April 21, 2020
A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
The teenagers of Four Paths must save their home.
Though the Beast is seemingly subdued for now, a new threat looms in…
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#2020 book#2020 books#2020 release#2020 releases#book#book blog#book blogger#book review#book review blog#book reviews#books#C.L. Herman#horror#horror book#horror books#horror YA#paranormal#paranormal series#paranormal YA#the devouring gray#ya book#YA horror#YA paranormal#young adult#young adult book
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I don’t think there’s a single book BookTok has promoted in the last couple years that’s turned out to be an actually good “you cannot miss this read” which now makes me and so many others I know avoid it as a whole.
A lot of BookTok books seem to be specific for very young or very new readers who haven’t cut their teeth on fanfic or haven’t been reading from a young age. The writing style is either a really profound Instagram metaphorical caption kinda overwrought and over flowery language, or it’s trying so hard to be edgy and sardonic and ends up being completely tell and almost zero show. This Is How You Lose The Time War is a PERFECT example of this - where the flowery and poetic language actually takes AWAY from a scene and distracts you from it rather than adding anything to it in the moment, and for those who do like poetic fiction this will be up their alley but if you don’t and you pick it up because of badly marketed hype when you normally wouldn’t, it’s gonna turn you off reading in general!
There’s nothing wrong with starter fiction to help get readers engaged and then find their way into actually good books, but my gripe is that it’s never ever marketed as that and as if it it’s just generically good fiction. Nothing Colleen Hoover has ever written is objectively good - the writing style is mediocre and she romanticises taboo topics which will seem spicy to the average population who doesn’t READ. And yet she takes up every bookshelf which I promise you will end up turning many readers who ARENT on booktok away from reading altogether.
YA is another genre that has declined a lot in recent years because it’s full of marketers trying to fit all the buzzword tropes into their books and getting young readers to buy it because it’s “enemies to lovers pirate cyberpunk found family” or whatever - and it feels more like focus group fiction rather than actual writing. I LOVE YA but nothing that’s been released post 2020 has had any depth, plot, character development or any style to it.
A great example is Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros - i tried reading 2 chapters as a sample and it was shocking to see how illogical, overdramatic, overedgy and exceptionally “this happened then this then this then that” it was. There was absolutely zero nuance and it felt so “I’m telling you all this but I’m not gonna prove any of it”. And yet it’s rated either 5 stars or 1 star. I’m sure it’s a great starter middle grade/teen book but it is definitely not deserving to be on the same pedestal as other YA books like Hunger Games or Six of Crows. I used to think that perhaps I’ve just outgrown YA but considering I can pick up YA from 2018 that I haven’t read before with no problems, it’s so specific to BOOKTOK YA.
It’s getting to the point that if I see a book that’s being overpromoted on tiktok, I’m more likely to believe the bad reviews because there hasn’t been a SINGLE book where I’ve disagreed with them, and then go find a different book in the same genre that hasn’t been on booktok - it’s getting hilarious actually that the books that are actually incredible get zero screen time and traction on booktok because they aren’t just cheap easy airport reads. Once again - nothing wrong with an easy airport CH book or YA book, but we aren’t going around parading a Lee Child book as peak literature no matter how enjoyable they are.
I don’t even have a conclusion to this entire rant - I’m sick of books like Babel getting steamrolled because it was “too sad or too hard” in favour of the latest SJM book, and getting even more sick of the decline of media literacy due to books getting easier and more spoonfeedy. When they aren’t? They mistake flowery metaphors for complexity and depth.
#booktok#books#bookblr#Rebecca yarros#fourth wing#colleen hoover#this is how you lose the time war#Babel#rf kuang
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David as Benedick in Much Ado About Nothing (the first time he did it, that is!)
David Tennant fans are aware of 2011's brilliant Much Ado About Nothing, in which DT starred as Benedick, alongside Catherine Tate as Beatrice. Filmed at the Wyndham's Theatre in London and directed by Josie Rourke, the production was recorded and offered on Digital Theatre.
But did you know David had played Benedick before?
Yep - he sure has!
It was in 2001, a full decade before his production with Catherine.
Beginning in 1999, BBC Radio 3 launched Shakespeare For The Millennium, an ambitious project to dramatize seventeen Shakespeare productions in four years.
The project was done in collaboration with BBC Worldwide, which emphasized it wanted to take a contemporary, innovative approach to the Bard. It launched on 12 September 1999 with a Shakespeare discussion panel, and a new production of Hamlet -- starring none other than Michael Sheen as the Dane!
On 23 September 2001, BBC Radio 3 broadcast a new production of Much Ado About Nothing as the Sunday Play, with David in the lead role as Benedick and Samantha Spiro as Beatrice. Adapted by Sally Avens, it featured an introduction (as had all the previous productions in the Shakespeare For The Millennium series) by Richard Eyre, the former Director of the Royal National Theatre.
The production also starred a few other recognizable names. There was Chiwetel Ejiofor as Claudio, Emilia Fox as Hero, David Swift as Leonato, Julian Rhind-Tutt as Don John, and David Haig as Dogberry.
All original music was composed and performed by Simon Oakes and Adam Wolters.
Radio listings and announcements, and promo photos of David and Samantha Spiro
Here's a review of the prodcuction!
Much Ado About Nothing was commercially released by BBC Worldwide as part of the BBC Radio collection series in 2001.
The sleeve notes of cassettes and CDs of the production include a scene-by-scene synopsis, a full character analysis, and an essay on interpretation from the director Sally Avens.
Almost four years later, in November 2005, BBC One broadcast a television series called ShakespeaRe-Told, a set of four adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. Each play was adapted by a different writer, and all were relocated to the present day.
The first to be broadcast - on 7 November 2005 - was a modern-day version of Much Ado About Nothing starring Sarah Parrish and Damien Lewis...and Billie Piper and Nina Sosanya and Olivia Colman!
You can watch it here:
youtube
Six days after this television broadcast - on 13 November 2005 at 7:15 pm - BBC Radio 3 re-broadcast the audio version starring David and Samantha in its 'Drama On 3' slot.
Fast forward to August 2020.
The BBC released a set of four BBC Radio Shakespeare collections: Histories, Comedies, Tragedies, and Roman Plays. Much Ado About Nothing was included in the collection of Comedies, and became available as an Audible digital download.
If you want to listen, you can find this collection a lot of places. It might be at your local library or on Overdrive, on Google Play, or as an Amazon Audible book.
Or, ya know, just go here:
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I knew I wasn't going to be able to draw for a while after surgery, but I didn't expect to not be able to TYPE for this long. I have a manuscript I want to get moving on, but I can only work on it like the little dippy bird on your grandparents' mantel.
In lieu of anything else, here's a collection of character drawings from my first trilogy.
Book 1, Woodwalker: A disgraced ranger must lead an exiled queen on a dangerous quest to reclaim her throne.
Book 2, Ashes to Fire: A desperate queen will do whatever it takes to secure the throne that was stolen from her---even if it means allying with the unlikeliest of enemies.
Book 3, Creatures of Light: With the Eastern World collapsing into war, one lonely queen harbors a great secret that could bring peace---at the risk of losing everything herself.
Bonus promo image from Christmas 2020 that sums everything up:
These books released in 2015-2017 from Harper Collins and should still be able to be found through most retailers or requested from your library (or order from one of my regional indies for signed copies!). All are nature-nerd fantasy adventures for readers 14+---technically they're not YA because the characters are adults, but there's no graphic content in them besides a bit of language and garden variety fight scenes that would make them unsuitable for teen readers.
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I just ordered all of Jodie's era on DVD (I'm a physical media lover) and can I say how wonderful and ironic it is to see the thousands of top star reviews for her merchandise and how stuff like certain figurines and her TARDIS figurine are either totally sold out or priced up hundreds of pounds when the haters say she's unpopular and doesn't sell. I mean she even has her officially licensed scarf and everything lol. People love her Doctor.
People seem to take the downward trend of spending during the pandemic as some sort of indictment that 13/Jodie doesn't sell, when in fact in 2018/9 there was a ton of merch that sold just like all Doctor Who merch does, we got the 10inch doll, a barbie, action figures, her sonic, her series 11 funko pop set, 3 novels with matching audio books, 5 YA/Kids books, Comics, games, eaglemoss figures... and thats just off the top of my head and doesn't even include all the generic DW merch... then 2020 came... 13 era merch seemed to vanish... gee I wonder what happened that year that heavily effected the economy, the workforce and businesses, not to mention peoples LIVES? People were losing their jobs, hoping not to get sick, dealing with having sick loved ones and trying to make sure they had enough toilet paper somehow I don't think any shows merch was top of peoples minds, and businesses that were essential to making merch were losing money, making it harder to make things!
I don't believe there has ever been a problem with 13/Jodie selling, unfortunately during her tenure one of the most disruptive events in our generation happened and merch wasn't a priority and even made for fans to buy during that time due to the conditions, restrictions, and economy to know if it wouldn't sell, so its a ridiculous argument.
But as you said theres also a number of items of her merch that are not only expensive if you want one now but you'll be lucky if they even come up for sale because clearly people want to keep them.
For example... 13 Build a Bear, 13 Blush bear from Children in Need, the 2018 SDCC 13 Pop, the 1/5 signature edition Big Chief Studios figure.
You want any of these not only will you have to wait who knows how long for one to come up to buy but expect to be paying a small fortune... However you want a 10th Doctor Build a Bear? They are on Ebay now, more pricey then buying originally from Build a Bear but no where near as much as a 13 Bear when it comes up I've seen 2 come up in 12 months. You want one of the other Doctor Chidlen in Need bears that were release? Yeah you can get them pretty regularly on Ebay too and a pretty good price, head over there now and you'll find them, never seen a 13 one for sale, Big Chief Studios figure? You can find most all the other Doctors, 13 I've seen it come up twice in the last 12 months on Ebay, and only 1 was in its original condition so good luck, and hopefully you have a weeks salary you don't need to buy it if you wanted it they are so expensive, you can still find listings for the 2018 SDCC 13 Pop but you got a spare 250+ pounds to pick it up? Haven't seen any other Doctor pops cost that much if you want to get one.
If Jodie was soooooo unpopular why is she one of the most expensive and elusive Doctors to be able to get merch for when she is technically the most recent Doctor with merch you should just be easily able to pick up.
Jodie also recently had prints of an image she painted sold for charity they were not cheap! There was only 50, they were gone in under 1 day.
Haters are just gonna make things up because the truth doesn't fit their narrative.
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mean girls (2024)
fine. FINE. it is time to discuss mean girls (2024) bc i can't stop thinking about it and i had a severe mean girls the musical phase in 2018 and 2020 two separate times. and also i took notes watching the movie last night. so now you are all subject to hearing them. spoilers, obvi. (under the cut, of course)
i think it should be noted here that i also have Thoughts and Feelings on the bway musical. so if anyone wants to know those... moving on.
it's a movie-musical adapted from the stage musical adapted from the 2004 movie adapted from a BOOK called Queen Bees and Wannabes released in 2002. now that that's out of the way:
the good:
the sets are so much fun in the movie. the musical is like. a few desks and tables and a bed that all move and then. screens. i missed real sets. so much
opening the musical with janis and damien recording the video in the garage and having their narration work like that worked sooooo well. and then of course ending in the garage was very fun.
speaking of janis and damien, these are my favorite versions of janis and damien. auli'i and jaquel KILL IT as janis and damien.
angourie's cady (acting-wise) is really good. really cute and naïve and it feels authentic as a transition from new kid cady to plastic cady.
i also don't mind the changes to apex predator. i think auli'i and jaquel killed it and i think it works! i like the choreo too where everyone is acting animalistic (re: this is Girl World in the og movie) except regina.
avantika and bebe wood are also really great as gretchen and karen. this might be my favorite version of karen. ily karen shetty.
LOVE this version of someone gets hurt. i love regina controlling the atmospehere around her and literally becoming the apex predator. the partygoers don't move unless she allows it, and even planning cady's reaction (which is. gayer than expected) is so good.
CONTROVERSIAL TAKE? i prefer the story behind the pyro-lez thing. i never liked the space dyke story in the musical and i thought it was weird (though i prefer them calling her a space dyke because it's supposed to be mean. ya know)
im saving this for this bullet point bc every other bullet point would've been about but i've been a fan of renee's regina for forever now, so being able to see it outside of broadway and outside of shaky bootlegs is a blessing.
after regina eats shit at the talent show, during the social media montage, you can briefly hear the intrumental version of world burn, and i think thats cool.
SOMEONE GETS HURT (REPRISE) you will always be famous. i am so sorry they didn't put you on the soundtrack
damien on the jazzy will forever be funny. it's better than the og movie. i will stand by this.
also the background/looming beat of world burn like a second after janis gets done singing + the looming threat of regina's revenge is very cool.
OH world burn is very awesome in this bc. duh. of course it is. but what really stands out to me is that it's like apex predator again where everyone is acting like animals and reginas above it all (bc she did this lmao). another thing is the transition between one of the high notes to regina fake crying in mr duvalls office. that was so slay.
the reginald joke is my fave in the whole musical and im so glad they kept it. it makes me giggle every time.
canon lesbian janis imi'ike i love you.
the bad:
i miss all of the songs. give me back It Roars, Where Do You Belong, the entirety of Meet the Plastics, the What's Wrong with Me reprise, FEARLESS! and Whose House is This, More is Better, and Do This Thing!! GIVE THEM BACK TO ME!!! PLEASE!!! OH my god and Stop. jaquel would've blown this out of the water i just know it.
i miss the jokes about mrs george and her boob job. that shit was hilarious.
i don't care for cady's pov in revenge party in this one. those who have seen it Know.
i also miss the "NO! THEY'RE BOTH IN THE COSTUME!" that shit killed me. absolutely hilarious.
the musical (bway edition) actually did cut some of the iconic scenes from the movie, but i think this movie would've benefitted from adding them back in. give me the "we should totally just stab caesar!" line.
i hate Rockin Around The Pole. so fucking much. i hate it in the broadway version and i hated it in this. i hate this song so fucking much.
chris briney. that's all. he's got about as much personality as a wet piece of paper. get a different aaron.
even the broadway musical is like, actually mean. it still pales in comparison to the og movie. this movie could have done a little more to stand out from the actual musical and the og movie. idk. it could've said something. but if you walked into this movie and expected it to say something then that's on you. sorry.
this isn't something that needs to be categorized but i miss cady's inner monologue. it's very obvious in the movie but she's even got these cute little asides in the musical that i WISH they would've kept. like: "it seems kinda bad to spy on someone, but they're the first friends i've got, and i don't want to have none." is so much fun and gives cady so much character and i love it so much. erika henningsen is my favorite variation of cady. she's believable as both nerdy cady and plastic cady. also she's so, so funny. (honestly i think they should've brought her back for cady's songs in this musical. sawry. i don't think they should've replaced angourie bc i really like her cady But.)
another cute and quirky thing that i like from the musical that isn't in the movie (because it would be really hard to pull off) is that mrs heron/mrs george/mrs norbury are all played by the same actress.
anyway that's all i have to say about mean girls (2024). in my (completely unprofessional) opinion, they should've literally just adapted the actual musical script if they wanted to make this so bad. or released a pro-shot with renee as regina and this cast or something. they should've gone all out campy musical with this one instead of trying to market it as a remake bc it's not Really a remake. like it Is but it's Not.
if u read this whole thing thank you. if you saw this post and went "jesus christ" im sorry. i wish i could stop thinking about it, too.
#mean girls#mean girls 2024#mean girls 2024 spoilers#just my 2 cents.#i didn't include the touring production changes bc i did not like the touring production changes. they changed a part of It Roars#and Fearless and i did Not care for that shit at all#next week's category: beetlejuice the musical#just kidding#but yeah. there's my thoughts on that. sorry everyone.#for more thoughts on things you don't care about please feel free to follow my letterboxd <3
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Hi! Can you explain the part where cockles lived together when they were shooting spn? Where does that come from? I thought it was just an old rumor but apparently it's real????
Hi anon! Im unfortunately the worst person to ask for any evidence for anything because I have ADHD and am in stage of constant memory fog but I'll try my best here!
I think the first time I heard about Cockles living together it was in a post by @livebloggingmydecentintomadness. I tried looking for the post but couldn't find it (hi tumblr fix your search!!) but it was basically talking about how some fans got their hand on a utility bill in both Jensen & Misha's name for a Vancouver apartment. I don't know if there were ever photos of the said bill, I know people tried not to have it circulate too much, I assume bc that would have doxxed them both. This was around 2017-2018 I think?
I also believe that during one of the panels during that time period Misha said Vicky helped him recently move in with a "model friend" and well, we all know who his model friend is.
I think it was after Misha's poetry book was released in 2021 that it became evident the split between Misha & Vicky had happened a while ago and around the time Vicky helped him move in with a friend.
This all happened before my time aka 2020. What I personally was here for was the blankygate of 2021 when Misha sent out this text:
Which kind of solidified everyone's belief that Misha and Jensen lived together before pandemic.
For me personally there are other things that support this. Things like Misha saying Jensen is neat. You would never say something like this about someone you have not shared your personal space with! Or that Misha would pick Jensen (out of him and Jared) because Jensen is handy around the house and likes to fix things! Oh and sharing clothes of course!
I think this is all I've got for ya, anon. Here's a handy run doen what these two were up to during the period they lived together. I'm sure I'm missed some stuff, so people are very welcome to add to this.
Of course none of this is 100% proof of anything, especially not the romantic nature of their relationship. And nothing ever could be unless they state that yes they shared an apartment or yes they were/are together. Generally looking for "proof" in things like this is unrealistic, and makes me feel a bit uneasy (who am I? homophobic police??) and takes way from the real fun of rpf which is speculation.
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do you have any tips on writing an au? normal fics i can usually handle but i’m working on a kunichuu grease au and i’m finding it quite difficult.
hiya! thanks for asking :3 also good luck with that, that seems like so much fun omg; feel free to send when you start releasing, i'd love to check it out!
ill be using splinters as my example here purely because thats closer to what you're trying to do (movie/musical as reference)
this is going to be long as fuck because i tend to ramble and go into detail, so im adding a read-more. i sincerely hope this helps because i know its a LOT (potential spoilers for splinters included)
1. The Foundation
when i first started working on splinters, it started with a lot of idea bouncing. who would suit what role? why would that role work for them? originally, i had looked at dazai as jd and chuuya as veronica, or dazai as veronica with fyodor as his jd.
then, i also started thinking about story 'beats'. to be clear about what that means, i like to think of different parts/scenes that i need/want to hit, and kind of the order if possible. this usually intertwines with the original story-- in your case, grease.
all this starts falling into the next step:
2. Research
it may not be entirely apparent, but i did (and still do) a FUCK TON of research for splinters. by choosing to have multiple source materials to base your work off (both bsd AND grease), depending on how close/accurate you want to be, you're going to want to get in touch with the material.
you've mentioned grease-- i'm assuming you're doing this based off the movie (love the movie. need to rewatch). what i personally do with heathers the movie is that i watched it the entire way through first to refresh myself with the material. it might help you to take notes about different characters, ideas, plot lines. i found a copy of both scripts online in case i wanted to see about throwing an iconic line in during an important scene without diving through the whole movie to find it.
i dont know HOW historically accurate you want to go with your fic--you may be choosing to explore the concept of grease rather than the actual setting itself-- but grease takes place in the late 50s, TECHNICALLY early 60s (movie itself came out in the late 70s) (my mom LOVED it when it came out). so, you may want to do some basic research: fashions/trends of the time (this has gotten harder to search online, you may want to even run to the library and find some books if possible)? societal norms? what did normal teens do during that time? did they have arcades, did they go to restaurants, what was the average place they hung out at?
a lot of times, i have to double-check if some of the stuff in splinters is period accurate. each decade has different lingo, slang, and general information that was normal during it. hell, looking back at the 2010s versus 2020s, if you were to write a story during, saying, 2011, and have your characters saying "slay" and "yas queen" and "road work ahead, uh yeah i sure hope it does", i regret to inform you that that will NOT be accurate, as those phrases are more late 2010s + that vine came out in 2016. now, could you quote/potentially reference these things? absolutely! but you have to be more strategic about it.
ALSO. look up fun trivia about your source material! you know where i got my title from? its the english translation of the italian name for heathers. im not even kidding. also, mix and match material! hell, even throw references in to other material! i had my mean girls reference in there! because its bsd, i like to throw in authors i like from time to time where they fit!
another silly one: what music came out around that time, playing on the radio? HOW did they listen to music? i specifically listen to a 1989 top hits playlist when im trying to figure out what songs might be playing on the radio while my characters are driving-- and even THEN i still will look up specifically when that song came out, because i made the choice to be horribly specific with my timeline.
on that note:
3. If you can, DON'T SET A SPECIFIC MONTH/DAY/ETC.
i made my choices. do i regret them? YES. is it still fun to work with? absolutely, but also the heathers timeline is lowkey a mess and you could simultaneously claim it takes place in 2 months or several.
honestly, avoid specifics. having to keep track of a timeline is an absolute bitch, and it's going to make your life a lot harder, because then, you HAVE to make sure it all matches up. if i say that kunikida went and got his glasses in march, i cant say that his glasses are brand new in may (this is a hypothetical example).
timelines suck. unless you think you can dedicate the time and energy to keeping with one, don't do it.
4. OUTLINES.
i've been writing fanfics for years, which is wild to me. i was writing fanfics in single digits (didn't even know what fanfics were). one thing that i have especially found useful with splinters is to make outlines for where you want the story to go.
let me break it down for you:
you're gonna have MULTIPLE outlines, and they are NOT set in stone. they are guidelines for you to use so that you're not sitting there going "shit i don't know what to do next". they may be scenes you want to have in the fic. they may be important plot points. they may be absolutely stupid shit that youre like "if i dont get this in here i will cry" (diarrheazai is a threat that i intend to keep)
FIRSTLY. try making a general outline for your whole fic. you don't need super specifics, but think of what events occur during grease. in it, danny and sandy meet in the summer before their senior year. sandy meets and joins the pink ladies. there's a dance competition. danny and sandy fly off in a car into the sunset. etc. TO BE CLEAR, you don't have to keep all the details! it is your story, and what you want to do with it! having that structure can be helpful when you start though.
THEN. once you have that general outline? start trying to plan out chapters. you dont have to make outlines for them all at once. more often than not, i'll sit there before i start a new chapter just trying to outline what'll happen in it. this helps a LOT on multiple levels. i'll provide an example of what that can look like below (SPOILERS IF YOU'RE NOT UP-TO-DATE WITH SPLINTERS):
(the blacked out bit is spoilers, everything else should be clear to see)
a quick explanation: i dedicate a small document to outlines for each chapter. as you can see, with chapter beats, i have diff things i want to try to hit. the stuff highlighted in green is stuff that i come back post-chapter to confirm i hit. sometimes, if it's not EXACTLY in there, i'll leave a note in bold (ex: WAS MENTIONED).
but you can kind of see what im talking about here. i have some things that im trying to knock out per chapter.
other things in my doc to outline:
yes i talk to myself in my notes.
i highlight different scenes according to their relevance to certain characters sometimes; i add scenes in where i need to, and then ofc as you see ill go into detail about specific scenes. and AGAIN these are not set in stone. for example:
as you can see, shit changes over time. that boiler room make-out scene during the homecoming pep rally appeared in ch 11. i did not make this sequence fyodor's pov.
sometimes? i just dont have the time or energy to write shit/dont think its relevant to the plot. good bye, corn maze. you'll be remembered in my thoughts and my outline
also try to have fun while outlining. it doesnt need to be something serious. literally my outlines are a mix of dialogue, scenes, my own thoughts, etc. get silly with it. this is supposed to be fun and enjoyable!
ANOTHER THING:
5. LOOP SOMEONE INTO OBSESSING OVER THIS WITH YOU.
i was inspired by ardeidae to write splinters, and i have successfully trapped them in splinters world for almost an entire year now. by both of us loving it, we can keep ourselves focused on it.
what also helps is bouncing ideas off other people. me and lu have had conversation after conversation after conversation about different plot lines, scenes, etc. sometimes, i don't know what to do and i will ask lu (or other people) for advice about the progression.
you may have also heard of the engineering rubber duck method. if you're unfamiliar, engineers will sit there with a rubber ducky by them and talk to it about what they're working on until they figure out what they need to do. sometimes, just ranting about the fic is enough to help you spawn ideas about what to do next.
OH also
6. If you do end up making a timeline? Have a calendar on hand.
this is no longer 100% accurate to the progression of splinters and the chapters, but it helped a LOT. laying it out like this can make one hell of a difference. im a visual person, so doing this helped. also, can help you keep track of holidays and shit. if you want to give your characters a day off from classes, check a school calendar for holidays. be like "uhhhherrrr yeah they're taking, uhhhh veteran's day off" yk
7. Write, but don't force it.
splinters doesn't have an actual updating schedule because i work on it at my own pace, and update once i finish a chapter. now, i usually finish chapters after a month, but i don't say it updates on x day. don't box yourself in unless you truly think you can handle it. some people are very good about schedules. i am horrible at them, bc ykw? LIFE HAPPENS.
when im in the mood, i write. i will sit for HOURS and just write. grab some snacks, maybe pop on some music, get a buddy to sit with you, but just go for it. sometimes, i'll pull a 25-10 method-- 25 minutes of writing with ten minutes of relaxing and bullshitting--and that helps me not burn out as quickly. but honestly, you cant always brute force it.
have i had to brute force it sometimes? yes. you will get stuck. it naturally happens. sometimes, a scene fucking sucks and you're like "i hate this scene but it HAS to be in there" (if it doesnt fuck that shit. throw it out. blegh) sometimes, you need to mix things up to make it more appealing to you, because i am of the belief that the readers can tell when you're not invested in a scene. if im writing a scene and its going slowly and i just want to get it done? the quality's going to go down, and i KNOW it. so, i evaluate. what do i need to do for this scene to work? can i add something to help? do i need to just rewrite the bastard and call it a day?
and sometimes? you can just go ahead and put a little "<'scene'>" in and move on. depending on how much your fic relies on that scene, that won't always work, but sometimes, you just gotta leave it and come back to it. you can also do that with certain dialogue/details. if you're trying to get your characters from point A to point B, don't shove them there if they run out of gas. make a detour, and see what happens.
eerrrrrrr yeah, i THINK that's the majority of the advice i can give? sorry that that's a lot, but uhhh hope it helps! :')
#wild that people would want advice from me but hopefully itll help#good luck with your fic anon! it seems like fun!
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Reawakening Our Ancestor’s Lines and Other AIYLA Titles
When I was in the library the other day, a book cover caught my eye. Somehow I had missed out on this book that was released in 2017. I’m sure I saw the list when it was honored by The American Indian Library Association back in 2020, but I never got my hands on Reawakening Our Ancestors’ Lines: Revitalizing Inuit Traditional Tattooing until this week. It’s a gorgeous book that features Inuit women who are reviving the traditional art of tattooing. The author, Angela Hovak Johnston, learned how to tattoo herself and others and the book shares that journey with others.
For thousands of years, Inuit women practiced the traditional art of tattooing. Created with bone needles and caribou sinew soaked in seal oil or soot, these tattoos were an important tradition for many women, symbols stitched in their skin that connected them to their families and communities.But with the rise of missionaries and residential schools in the North, the tradition of tattooing was almost lost. In 2005, when Angela Hovak Johnston heard that the last Inuk woman tattooed in the traditional way had died, she set out to tattoo herself and learn how to tattoo others. What was at first a personal quest became a project to bring the art of traditional tattooing back to Inuit women across Nunavut, starting in the community of Kugluktuk. Collected in this beautiful book are moving photos and stories from more than two dozen women who participated in Johnston’s project. Together, these women are reawakening their ancestors’ lines and sharing this knowledge with future generations. [publisher summary]
This book is just one of the many that have won or been honored over the years. In case you’ve missed any of the titles, here are a few other YA books that have made the American Indian Youth Literature Award lists:
Apple Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth (Onandoga)
The term “Apple” is a slur in Native communities across the country. It’s for someone supposedly “red on the outside, white on the inside.” Eric Gansworth is telling his story in Apple (Skin to the Core). The story of his family, of Onondaga among Tuscaroras, of Native folks everywhere. From the horrible legacy of the government boarding schools, to a boy watching his siblings leave and return and leave again, to a young man fighting to be an artist who balances multiple worlds. Eric shatters that slur and reclaims it in verse and prose and imagery that truly lives up to the word heartbreaking.
Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley (Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians)
As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in—both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When her family is struck by tragedy, Daunis puts her dreams on hold to care for her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother’s hockey team.
After Daunis witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, she agrees to go undercover. But the deceptions—and deaths—keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home. How far will she go to protect her community if it means tearing apart the only world she’s ever known?
Soldiers Unknown by Chag Lowry (Yurok, Maidu and Achumawi)
The graphic novel Soldiers Unknown is a historically accurate World War One story told from the perspective of Native Yurok soldiers. The novel is based on extensive military research and on oral interviews of family members of Yurok WW1 veterans from throughout Humboldt and Del Norte counties. The author Chag Lowry is of Yurok, Maidu, and Achumawi ancestry, and the illustrator Rahsan Ekedal was raised in southern Humboldt. Soldiers Unknown takes place during the battle of the Meuse-Argonne in France in 1918, which is the largest battle in American Army history.
Marrow Thieves and the sequel Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline (Metis Nation of Ontario)
Marrow Thieves – Just when you think you have nothing left to lose, they come for your dreams.
Humanity has nearly destroyed its world through global warming, but now an even greater evil lurks. The Indigenous people of North America are being hunted and harvested for their bone marrow, which carries the key to recovering something the rest of the population has lost: the ability to dream. In this dark world, Frenchie and his companions struggle to survive as they make their way up north to the old lands. For now, survival means staying hidden – but what they don”t know is that one of them holds the secret to defeating the marrow thieves.
Notable Native People: 50 Indigenous Leaders, Dreamers, and Changemakers from Past and Present by Adrienne Keene (Cherokee Nation) and illustrated by Ciara Sana (Chamoru)
An accessible and educational illustrated book profiling 50 notable American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian people, from NBA star Kyrie Irving of the Standing Rock Lakota to Wilma Mankiller, the first female principal chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Celebrate the lives, stories, and contributions of Indigenous artists, activists, scientists, athletes, and other changemakers in this beautifully illustrated collection. From luminaries of the past, like nineteenth-century sculptor Edmonia Lewis--the first Black and Native American female artist to achieve international fame--to contemporary figures like linguist jessie little doe baird, who revived the Wampanoag language, Notable Native People highlights the vital impact Indigenous dreamers and leaders have made on the world.
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (Lipan Apache Tribe)
Elatsoe—Ellie for short—lives in an alternate contemporary America shaped by the ancestral magics and knowledge of its Indigenous and immigrant groups. She can raise the spirits of dead animals—most importantly, her ghost dog Kirby. When her beloved cousin dies, all signs point to a car crash, but his ghost tells her otherwise: He was murdered. Who killed him and how did he die? With the help of her family, her best friend Jay, and the memory great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother, Elatsoe, must track down the killer and unravel the mystery of this creepy town and it’s dark past. But will the nefarious townsfolk and a mysterious Doctor stop her before she gets started? A breathtaking debut novel featuring an asexual, Apache teen protagonist, Elatsoe combines mystery, horror, noir, ancestral knowledge, haunting illustrations, fantasy elements, and is one of the most-talked about debuts of the year.
An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People adapted by Debbie Reese (Nambé Owingeh) and Jean Mendoza from the adult book by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz
Spanning more than 400 years, this classic bottom-up history examines the legacy of Indigenous peoples' resistance, resilience, and steadfast fight against imperialism.
Going beyond the story of America as a country "discovered" by a few brave men in the "New World," Indigenous human rights advocate Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz reveals the roles that settler colonialism and policies of American Indian genocide played in forming our national identity.
The original academic text is fully adapted by renowned curriculum experts Debbie Reese and Jean Mendoza, for middle-grade and young adult readers to include discussion topics, archival images, original maps, recommendations for further reading, and other materials to encourage students, teachers, and general readers to think critically about their own place in history.
Surviving the City written by Tasha Spillet (Nehiyaw-Trinidadian) and illustrated by Natasha Donovan (Métis Nation of British Columbia)
Tasha Spillett's graphic novel debut, Surviving the City, is a story about womanhood, friendship, colonialism, and the anguish of a missing loved one. Miikwan and Dez are best friends. Miikwan is Anishinaabe; Dez is Inninew. Together, the teens navigate the challenges of growing up in an urban landscape - they're so close, they even completed their Berry Fast together. However, when Dez's grandmother becomes too sick, Dez is told she can't stay with her anymore. With the threat of a group home looming, Dez can't bring herself to go home and disappears. Miikwan is devastated, and the wound of her missing mother resurfaces. Will Dez's community find her before it's too late? Will Miikwan be able to cope if they don't?
To learn about even more books that have received this award, be sure to check out the AILA page.
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Hi! My agent said they would never sub MG and YA at the same time because it’s seen as bad practice. If that’s true, why do I see some authors coming out with MG and YA books in the same year?
I'd tend to agree with your agent -- there's just a LOT of crossover between MG and YA editors/imprints, and while there could be some unusual situations in which it would be OK -- (like for a random made-up example, if you already publish MG, and you are just sending the MG to your current MG editor, and they have said specifically that they don't want YA, and you are only sending the YA to totally unaffiliated YA imprints) -- generally speaking, yeah, it would be kinda weird and confusing and Not Best Practices to try and send a MG and YA out widely simultaneously. I'd want to figure out where the one was landing, and THEN deal with the next one, working around the first one's schedule -- just cleaner logistically.
As for the question part, well, uh... time? There's a lot of time in between when something sells and when it comes out. Rarely, a year. Generally, at least 18 months. For some projects, two years, or more. For many illustrated projects, possibly three years or more. (Sometimes LOTS more!)
Just because two projects are coming out in the same year, doesn't mean they were necessarily SOLD at the same time!
For example: Between October 2022 and October 2023, my client Kate Messner had FIVE books come out from five different publishers. Not unusual for her, she's quite prolific. All of these books came out in the same year -- but none of them sold at the same time.
ONLY THE BEST - picture book - released 10/2022 - sold 5/2016
ONCE UPON A BOOK - picture book - released 2/2023 - sold 12/2019
FERGUS & ZEKE FOR PRESIDENT - early reader - released 5/2023, sold 2/2020
HISTORY SMASHERS: COLUMBUS - mg nf - released 8/2023, sold 8/2021
SCARIEST CAT IN THE WORLD - picture book - released 8/2023, sold 4/2021
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The Electric Heir by Victoria Lee (Review)
Title: The Electric Heir
Author: Victoria Lee
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, LGBTQ+
Publisher: Skyscape
Published: March 17, 2020
A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Thomas Allen & Son in exchange for an honest review.
In the sequel to The Fever King, Noam Álvaro seeks to end tyranny before he becomes a tyrant himself.
Six months after Noam Álvaro…
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#2020 book#2020 release#book#book blog#book blogger#book review#book review blog#book reviews#books#sci-fi#science fiction#skyscape#the electric heir#the fever king#victoria lee#YA#ya book#ya books#YA reads#YA science fiction#young adult#young adult book#young adult books#young adult reads#young adult science fiction
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the hunger games is one of the earlier progenitors of the mainstream ya dystopian era, but imo it's also probably the best the genre got. ive read a LOT of ya dystopia in my time, but i still find the hunger games' depictions of class and revolution, its societal critique, its characters, plot and worldbuilding, to be basically unparalleled in the genre.
it is by no means perfect. it in fact has a myriad of glaring flaws that make it much worse than it could be. turns out trying to make a critique of capitalism based in the struggles of marginalized groups using the symbolic metaphor of speculative fiction whilst simultaneously trying to make this enigmatic and technically difficult concept appealing to the general public, super mainstream, and targeted at teenage girls; kind of inherently a not super well thought out idea. but id be lying if i said that it hasn't had a huge impact on me and many others
when *ballad* released in 2020, i was nervous ngl. it seemed like a cashgrab, and im, that wasnt an unfounded belief: a prequel released ten years after an über popular series has ostensibly concluded and the author has publicly stated they are leaving the world behind seems like it's not going to be the height of literature. but then... i read the book, and to this day it is potentially my favorite of the hunger games novels. in the ten years since *Mockingjay* Suzanne Collins grew a lot as a writer, and though it's been years now since I read it, its impact still weighs on me. all this to say- im incredibly excited to get to see this movie.
but as everyone flocks to theatres to see the new hunger games movie, i fear us as a culture beginning to look on the era of ya dystopia with rose tinted glasses and romanticizing it. absolutely enjoy the film, but also remember that this is some of the best the genre has to offer. let's appreciate the good in ya dystopia, but remain unafraid to criticize it, and most of all, let's not forget the litany of really shitty series that make up its bulk.
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MAKEUP THE BREAK UP
Park Jimin | Chapter 4
SERIES MASTERLIST
Pairing: Park Jimin x OC
Synopsis: What happens when Park Jimin's biggest what if comes back into his life? His friendly neighbor, childhood best friend, high school lover, and now his makeup artist?! Amidst the 2020 outbreak, the last thing he needed was Seong Areum making his heart skip a beat and fill his stomach with air. What will he do when unspoken words threaten to slip past his tongue? Would he take the chance of ruining a healing past? Or would he let her slip away once more and let himself get lost in the lights?
Note/Warning: Messy Timeline with real events (once again), not beta read, chapters are going to get shorter now since I’m only writing a few chapters ahead from the ones getting released. I’m posting the next chapter on weekends to slow it down and give me time to finish more chapters :))
Word Count: 2.3k words
A Welcomed Fever Dream
Behind The Scenes of BigHit’s Group Photo
(For better context on the events happening in the following chapters, please refer to the link above)
[2020] Late January
“Everything can change at any moment, suddenly and forever.” - Paul Auster
That was a quote I read from a book Namjoon left unattended on the desk of the BTS waiting room.
I was growing fidgety as I waited for the other members. Most of us had barely slept last night just from the excitement for today’s photoshoot, though it was also partly due to remnants of jetlag and our bodies refusing to rest after extensive Map of The Soul: 7 promotions.
We were all working hard to achieve the goals we had set for the album, though we still wanted to do it moderately and planned to work harder in the last weeks of January to compensate for a break for a late celebration of the Lunar New Year in February. We all had planned personal trips for that week just to spend mentally healing and perhaps fit in a trip back to Busan.
Cue the 5th of February 2020 and it would be BigHit Entertainment’s 15th anniversary, a milestone worth celebrating as the company managed to reach for the stars despite everything it had gone through. It was also time to celebrate the newest addition to our small yet happy company family since TXT was only over a month away from their one-year anniversary since their debut, and from what we can tell they were doing great.
So it was decided for us to do a cute family photo shoot with all BTS and TXT members and the oldest of BigHit artists, Lee Hyun. We also planned on going for dinner after the photo shoot, but we hadn’t confirmed if the rest of the artists and staff were free for the rest of the day.
I stood up from my seat at the corner of the room as a few staff members looked in my direction though I only took my phone to place inside my front pocket before taking steps to leave the waiting room.
“Ya, where are you going?” Namjoon asked as I turned back to look at him sitting beside Hobi with makeup artist noonas touching up their hair.
“I’ll just check up on Lee Hyun Hyung’s waiting room.”
“Wait for me—“
Jin added though I already took a step out of the room as soon as I explained my leave. I laughed and looked back at Jin groaning at me before I went through the hallways of the warehouse in which our photoshoot was taking place.
We had three sets for the day so we expected it to go through smoothly despite the volume of members in the photoshoot. We were always used to just being the seven of us, but now we had Lee Hyun hyung and five TXT members that had to all cooperate for the shoot. Yet at the same time, I was filled with excitement as this is time spent getting to know old and new artists. Lee Hyun hyung has always been a good friend of ours since before our debut and we’d met TXT around the studio and backstage of our tours in the past year, so it wasn’t at all going to be awkward.
I opened a door that had Lee Hyun’s name on it and went through a small corridor as a cameraman followed behind me. I could see a glimpse of the solo artist standing in the center of his room with a staff member fixing his clothes whilst simultaneously adding more pieces of clothing over his black turtleneck.
“Wow! You look so…”
I didn’t finish my statement as I couldn’t stop my cheeks from rising. Lee Hyun greeted me with a handshake as I took a look around his waiting room. It was only a little smaller than ours but a lot more spacious considering a soloist doesn’t have members and their own makeup artists working around.
“I’m not even fully dressed yet! You can’t judge my look right now!” Lee Hyun had a smile on his face though I made no move to leave the room and wait for him to get fully dressed.
As far as I can tell, he still had a white button-up to put on and a dark gray suit jacket on top of his turtleneck and jewelry. His clothes were hung on a rack to make sure no wrinkles appeared before he wore them and there was a box of glasses and jewelry sitting on the sofa, similar to the boxes staff gave me to choose my jewelry. However, I opted to go for a cleaner look for the first set.
I wore a fully black attire. Chelsea boots, fitted pants, a fully buttoned-up suit jacket with a black button-up as my undershirt, and a sparkly black tie that I thought of putting on at the last minute as it caught my eye as soon as the staff brought in options that could spice up our planned outfits. My neck, hands, and wrist were bare, and the only jewelry I had was the earrings I had on my ears. Like I said I wanted to be clean, and my full black attire puts emphasis on my blonde shadow roots.
I sat backward on one of the empty chairs in front of the mirror before watching Lee Hyun get suited up.
“I’ve never seen you dressed like this. It’s amazing and weird.” I teased with a smile on my face as it was meant in goodwill. Lee Hyun was just someone I wasn’t used to wearing such formally dark attires.
“Why? Is it like looking into a mirror?” He teased back and I couldn’t help but laugh.
It has been a long time since I’ve seen the artist, though we regularly kept in touch. He is one of the few artists I can tease and not feel as though I have disrespected them in any way. That is just on how much we’ve known each other and gained respect towards each other through the years.
“Are you going to put some glasses on?” I asked as both our eyes settled on the box of glasses on the sofa.
“I don’t know yet… I don’t think glasses will fit me.”
“Try them out! You just need to find glasses that will fit your head shape.”
I walked towards the box and picked out a few that I thought Lee Hyun would fit the most, though I wasn’t forcing him to wear them for the photoshoot.
I set the glasses aside beside him before going back to the chair I sat on and we continued exchanging jokes and jumped from topic to topic.
“Didn’t you have much longer hair?” I said just in time as Jin walked into the room with his unfinished attire.
I knew he wouldn’t be able to wait to join us. After all, Lee Hyun was Jin’s fishing buddy. Most probably his only fishing buddy considering none of us willingly went on a fishing trip with him.
“Ooh, are you a composer? More like a conductor. You look stunning.” Jin teased.
“Composer or Conductor?”
The more I thought about it, Lee Hyun did look like someone who would lead all BigHit members to perform a choir or something like that.
“It’s like I’m wearing my dad’s clothes.” Lee Hyun looked at himself in the mirror as Jin fiddled with something in his ear.
“Is that a clip-on?” I asked as a metallic ring looped around his Conch.
“Yeah.” Lee Hyun nodded.
Maybe I should get a conch ring.
“Ah hyung, are you free tonight?” I asked as I was reminded of the dinner we planned.
“Why? Are you taking me out on a date?” Lee Hyun joked as we laughed along with the staff letting out a chuckle under their masks.
“Seriously though.”
“Yeah, I am. Why?”
“We were planning on going out for dinner after this. With TXT and the staff.” Jin explained as the eldest formed an o shape with his mouth before nodding.
“You know, I’ve never properly met them before. Dinner would be nice.” Lee Hyun smiled.
“Let’s not get too drunk though? We need to act professional.”
“We are professional, Jin ah.”
We chuckled as we knew deep down that we were most definitely not the most professional people out there.
“Ten minutes.” A man spoke at the doorway of the waiting room.
“You look professional though. Clothes really do make a man.” I said while I stood up after seeing a makeup artist point to me before gesturing for me to come to the BTS waiting room.
“I’m not sure if that’s a compliment.” Lee Hyun said before we laughed and parted ways.
It always felt great reconnecting and talking about light subjects that weren't heavily focused on work.
I walked on our first set of the day. It was an all-white floor and background with white steps and shapes for us to lean or sit on. It wasn’t anything special though it definitely made our black attires pop out from the white backdrop.
The five TXT members were already on set lined up as if they were about to formally greet us like they did the first time we met, though thankfully that didn’t happen and only bows and words of greetings happened.
I leaned on one of the white center block pieces, only a few paces away from Hobi, Taehyung, Yoongi, and Namjoon as the TXT members mostly stayed on the other side of the set. We were now only waiting for three other members to start the shoot.
Jungkook was still waiting for his shoes to arrive. Apparently, he called for his pair of Prada Chunky Sole Combat Boots instead of the planned more formal look of Oxford shoes, Loafers, or my personal favorite… Chelsea boots. But we’ll let him do whatever he wishes.
Jin and Lee Hyun were most probably still busy chatting and getting the layers of their attire all sorted, so we still had a few minutes to touch up our makeup and get a feel of the set, or as much of a feel as we could get as the set was filled with staff, cameramen, security, stylists, and makeup artists.
However, once everyone was ready and on set, everything was bound to be smooth sailing.
Except for a few bumps and loose hats…
After a slight camera adjustment we were forced to pose with a look to the side and I might've not seen it happen but when a manager called to stop the photoshoot for a touch-up, I couldn’t help but look around for the person who needed it especially in the middle of the shoot.
Jungkook to my right was ducking in his position to tie up a loosened lace of his boots. Hobi to my left was fixing his suit jacket and cleaning up a piece of lint he saw. TXT’s Taehyun to the left behind me was comfortably resting his hand in his pocket whilst sparring a glimpse at Beomgyu behind to the right of me.
“Can someone pin Beomgyu’s hat to his head properly?” The camera director sounded a bit annoyed as his momentum of photos had to stop abruptly as I turned to look at Beomgyu behind the space in between me and Jungkook.
He was crouched down on the floor to pick up his black Brenton Sailor hat that had seemingly fallen off his head during the shoot. He stood up straight with a cringed smile on his face though sending apologies to us and the staff.
I smiled at him to reassure him that it was no problem at all before I turned back to face the camera. Little did I know that what I was about to see would make me believe in that quote Paul Auster wrote.
It was her.
Not once had she crossed my mind in the seven years we had split. Perhaps being an idol left no room for such thoughts.
She was different, but I know her eyes when I see them.
Doe dark brown eyes that always shined and made my insides curl more than the workout I’ve done in my debut days.
She carried a packet of black hairpins as I removed my legs from her path in between the props to reach the TXT member behind me. Another makeup artist followed behind her with an unplugged though already heated straightening iron.
She had her dark hair kept in one big braid that ran behind her neck to her back and a striped white and blue sweater over a pair of dark jeans. She wore a thin white mask though it was a bit too big for her face so it laid lower down her nose and made the mole right on the side of her nose bridge visible to confirm that it really was her.
Why did I feel the need to take note of every detail about her? I don’t know.
But her walking past me with a scent so unfamiliar yet similar felt surreal. Like a fever dream that wasn’t unwelcomed though uncalled for.
“The pins don’t hurt, do they?”
I can hear her faint voice speak to the younger member before getting drowned out by the chatter around us. I’ve never wanted to yell shut up to a whole room before, but I shouldn’t, it was unreasonable.
I clearly hadn’t expected this. I mean, who would?
The last time I heard of her name was when my parents informed me that she and her whole family had moved to the States. It wasn’t as if it was that big of a deal before either. I merely shrugged at my parents before replying something along the lines of “good for her” before I excused myself since I didn’t particularly feel like eating dinner when it was already closing into my debut and abs were needed to perform a routine.
I hadn’t thought much of it. The news even came as a relief to me.
At least, we broke up face-to-face instead of having a long-distance relationship. I don’t think 17-year-old me would do well in that. I’d probably hurt her more than I already did by prioritizing my passion over her. The fact that we were bound to break up anyway comforted me through all these years.
So the question lies on what the hell was she doing here?!
#bts#Makeup The Break Up#bts jimin#bts rm#bts jin#bts suga#bts jhope#bts v#bts jungkook#park jimin#kim namjoon#kim seokjin#min yoongi#jung hoseok#kim taehyung#jeon jungkook#bangtan#bangtan fanfic#bangtan fluff#bts angst#bts army#bts fanfic#bts fluff#park jimin x oc
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Since when do you like THG/TBOSAS? Tell me your fandom story 😊
Have you read or watched all the books/movies?
Thank you.
@curiousnonny
Hi! Thanks for the question! Okay, storytime! 😀
As for my own history, I got into the series when I was 16 back in 2012 right around the time the first film was being advertised and about to come out very soon in theaters. I was in 9th grade in high school and I just turned 16 back in February, so it was about a month after my birthday when the first film was coming out. I saw the trailers for the film on TV, noticed in the trailers that it was based off a book, and I was very interested in what the story was about. I was actually under the impression that the series took place in the past like the Great Depression or World War 2 based on how everyone was dressed in District 12 during the Reaping and how poor District 12 was until I saw that there was very futuristic/modern technology and got the gist of the concept behind the Games and seeing The Capitol, so I had to take the historical fiction idea out of my head and learned that it was YA dystopia (which was a genre I hadn't read that much as a teen during that time).
I decided to pick up the whole trilogy and read the first book before going out to see the film in theaters. I got hooked into the book, loved it, and decided to see the film, which I really enjoyed a lot. I continued to repeat the process and read both Catching Fire and Mockingjay afterwards and then saw Catching Fire and both Mockingjay films in theaters on the first day they were released and I've been such a huge fan of the series ever since.
As for Ballad, I was super excited after finding out the news about a new book in the series back in 2019 a month after I had graduated from college and returning home. I remember that day when I was scrolling on my phone on Facebook, I suddenly saw the Scholastic post announcing the "Untitled Panem Novel" with that black cover with the white feather and release date of May 19th, 2020. My entire world spun around and I was just in complete hype mood because I couldn't believe were were getting a fourth book in the series and I was non-stop excited to speculate what it was gonna be about/waiting each day for its release. I also thought it was gonna be special to me because the release date for it was exactly one year after I had graduated from college. Then, after learning it was going to be a prequel set 64 years before the first book and centered on Snow when he was 18, I was very fascinated by that idea and the general synopsis of the plot and I fully trusted Suzanne with this book.
However, I actually ended up not getting towards reading the book until late December 2021 since I was very busy with graduate school in between 2019-2021 (and I was dealing with personal issues during September 2021 with a loss in the family). I ended up loving the book and it stands as my second favorite in the series only behind Catching Fire!
And of course I've read all the books and seen all the films multiple times. I've seen Ballad twice in theaters, which was great and also loved it (also stands as my second favorite film in the series similarly for the books), and thought it was a solid adaptation but just like the other films, I do have my own criticisms for sure and would have wanted other aspects from the book incorporated into the film, but overall, I think it did it justice in bringing the book to life.
......................Plus, Ballad introduced my absolute favorite character of the series: My best friend, my District 2 golden boy, my love: Sejanus Plinth, so Ballad also gets a +1 for me ❤️
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Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry - Historical Fiction (Listening to Audio Book)
Mildred D. Taylor
Originally Published 1967 by Scholastic Inc.
Author Mildred D. Taylor released the historical fiction middle grade book Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry in 1976 and it continues to enrich young readers to this day. I read it initially when I was in middle school over a decade ago and, like many other books I read growing up, I felt I should revisit it and find appreciation for such a stunning book that I didn’t fully recognize when I was younger.
This Newbery Medal winning novel takes place in a country adjusting to the new United States after the civil war, racial tensions still high and potent in the south. We focus on the Logan family and follow along specifically with the daughter Cassie as we witness life and happenings surrounding her family and community over a very turbulent year. We see how the school district treats her and other black students with no buses and poor conditions books passed down until they “weren’t good enough” for white children anymore. We watch as Cassie and her siblings deal with troublesome children in the community as well as adults. We see how far a community will go to get “justice” on a black person who has done them wrong.
In a way, this reminds me a little of Ernest Hemingway’s novel The Sun Also Rises. As his title suggests, and how I find some connection between the two, is that they highlight the going ons of everyday life for a time, place, and people. That this is just how life is in this moment, even if unfair and unrewarding as a reader or someone looking for a just and satisfactory ending to their story. Sometimes, that isn’t how it is.
As this novel was introduced to me as a reading in middle school, I can find myself keeping it somewhere between YA and JUV categories in a collection. This transitional period can be hard to place for people and reading materials so perhaps I would work a “middle” category into my catalog and collection to mark transitional pieces for young readers. There are some difficult matters and language addressed in it that make me hesitant for a children’s collection even if put in a higher reading level area so maybe a YA or Middle grade space with proper labeling.
For me, someone reading this in the wake of the height of the Black Lives Matter movement, it feels very potent and disturbing that these feelings and actions towards people of color persist to this day; how people are being brought up and raised in a way to perpetuate an unjust hatred. Considering I have seen this on banned books lists, the prejudice doesn’t surprise me but disappoints me; the company it shares in these thoughts is revealing.
Speaking of Banned Books, I could definitely see Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry joining a display of banned materials recorded by the ALA. In a library that I currently work at, a number of the front line books on this display also come with interests in the form of book marks educating readers on why this material has been contested and recognizing the general history of it and its author. I can see Taylor’s novel taking up valuable space with other stunning and notable works in a Banned Books Display. Let’s also not forget when we highlight pride and appreciation of communities, we could also use it as representation for Black History month in February and recommend it as a quick read considering the page count.
I remember having no complaints about this book in Middle school and I definitely don’t now. It is a beautiful book, though sad. I recommend readers take their time with this one considering what happens to the Logan family and their community, especially in the novel’s conclusion. Be well.
- Ray
11/10/2023
Anonymous. (2020, February 20). Banned & Challenged books. Advocacy, Legislation & Issues. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks
Taylor, M. D. (2004). Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry. Puffin
Books.Taylor, M. D. (n.d.). Roll of thunder, hear my cry (Logans, #4). Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/310459.Roll_of_Thunder_Hear_My_Cry
#book blog#books#literature#ya#mildred d taylor#puffin modern classics#classics#middle grade#newbery medal#roll of thunder#hear my cry#roll of thunder here my cry#own voices#black author#black books#historical fiction#fiction#banned books
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