Do you ever decide to write a book, then at some point during the revisions, look at it and say, wow, I made this really hard on myself?
Jandy Nelson
The Best YA (For People Who “Don’t Like YA”)
I’ve decided Fridays are good days for book posts. So that is where they shall be from now unto eternity (or at least, until I change my mind again.)
MK’s Book Reviews: I’ll Give You The Sun
Today I’m going to be talking about Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You The Sun.
You have to read this book.
Why?
Learning from the Masters: Kissing Scenes
So in my contemporary YA work in progress, I’m finally finally at the point where the people I want to kiss, do.
Yay!
I wrote a draft of that scene. And then reread it. And it was … meh.
I wanted the literary equivalent to fireworks, only less clichéd. I did not produce that. And though I know that great things are rarely achieved on the first try, I knew I needed help before having another go.
Whenever I get stuck on writing something, from kissing to opening lines to closing lines, I go back and consult the work of the experts that came before me.
Otherwise known as re-reading my favorite novels. It’s a rough part of the process, but so necessary.
So! Here I present some of the best kissing scenes I’ve come across. I’ve removed character names so as not to spoil anything for anyone–you must read all the stuff leading up to the kiss in order to really appreciate it!–but I’ve included links out to where each scene is from at the bottom.
Friday Things
I’m a bit behind on the blogging due to a last-minute re-vacation to St. John (pictured above), where I devoured these novels. But I am back now, in full-on getting-ready-for-spring mode. In NYC the snow is melting and I am back to writing and attempting to move my life to where I want it to be, one day at a time.
Here are three things that improved my week:
1. I have a music discoverability problem in that I’m too lazy to discover new music so just listen to the same stuff over and over until I’m sick of it. I found this article on Medium and I’m going to start taking these suggestions to heart.
2. I started adding a dash of cinnamon to my coffee before it brews and it makes such a difference.
3. My “real” job (the one for which I get paid, unlike writing) is in the beauty industry. I never write about beauty because I am surrounded by it 40+ hours per week and that is enough, to be honest. However, people are always asking me for skincare advice. And honestly, the best one I can give you? Drink massive amounts of water. Especially in winter. Especially after a vacation of binge-drinking painkillers and rum punch. 10 glasses every day makes a remarkable difference in your skin. Trust me.
I’m also adding a reading/watching/ (and hopefully listening to, eventually, when I discover more music) section to these posts because I love those:
Watching: I’ve been called snobby, but isn’t that just another word for having discerning taste? So in the midst of complaining that I hadn’t seen a great movie in ages, I stumbled on this trio of films. I know I’m a few years (or decades) late, but if you’ve never seen them, they’re the anti-blockbuster: beautiful, poignant, largely plotless, and amazing.
Reading: I’ll Give You the Sun. If you read blogs about books, you’ve seen this title everywhere. It’s so worth the hype.
MK Pagano 