yay
Showing posts with label yay. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yay. Show all posts


(EDIT: This is apparently my 150th post! How exciting and strangely fitting.)

(This is my second time doing a Fiction Friday on a Saturday, because I have the most terrible timing.)

I have some crazy amazing news for you all (but mostly for me). Some of you heard it on Twitter this week:
(The link in the tweet leads to the official winner announcement made by the Freshman Fifteens themselves. The info there sounds much more coherent and logical and nicely laid out, so head there if you're interested in a formal rundown of what's happening. If you'd like my disorganized version, stick with me.)

So, what does this "winner" thing mean?

It means I'll be part of a frighteningly cool group of teen writers who will be mentored by the Freshman Fifteens, a group of 2015 debut YA authors who have so generously extended this opportunity to us.

It means I specifically will be mentored by the amazing Kim Liggett, whose debut novel Blood and Salt will be out in 2015 from Putnam. I will even get to read said debut. (Psst. Add it to your TBR because it sounds so, so great. Seriously. GIVE ME ALL THE WITCHCRAFT. *cackles*)

It means my short story "Destinata" will be included in a collection of short stories by the aforementioned amazing teen writers and published as a whole on Wattpad.

Wait, how did this happen?

Back in July, I heard about this almost too-good-to-be-true contest opportunity for teen writers ages 13-19. I remembered a little belatedly that I was age 13-19. I messed around on a Google Doc, trying to get an idea for a short story. I dug up an old flash fiction contest entry that I wrote for Figment and then took down a few months ago. I tried to extend it. For a very, very long time, I failed.

Then, in the last two or three days before the deadline, I pounded out nearly three thousand words of story. And then I wrote a pitch on pure willpower. I even tweeted about it.
And then I uploaded "Destinata" and tried to push it out of my brain, because getting my hopes up wasn't going to be good for me. (Although I did do a little bit of tweet-gloating about the fact that I actually managed to get it in.)
But who am I kidding? I, along with many other teen Wattpadders, anxiously awaited the results of the contest.
And when I was contacted about being a winner, I did a not-so-little happy dance in my bedroom.

What's the story about, anyway?

 "Destinata" is a contemporary fantasy about Evie Lancaster, a girl who has to fight off a pretty debilitating curse. Here's part of the pitch (the rest is over on Wattpad):
Sixteen-year-old Evie is a Lancaster girl, cursed by her lineage to drive herself mad and drown if she ever kisses her true love. Until now, she's obeyed her overprotective mother; she's never given herself the chance to meet this love, wherever he or she is. Until now, she's been uncatchable. But when Elliot Morgan - the boy she's been crushing on from afar for five years - asks her if she'd like to have dinner with him, Evie says yes before she can stop herself.
And how about the other winners? You seem to be talking an awful lot about yourself right now.

 That's where the "Fiction Friday" part of this post comes in. I'd like to take a moment to highlight all of the other winning entries, because they all sound fabulous and so creative. I can't wait to read them when the collection is released in January, so I've included my favorite sentence from each of their entries.

"Soulless" by Rachel W., username Chandelier:
But I guess this is where the saying 'expect the unexpected' comes in, because I definitely did not anticipate the earth shattering catalyst in my life to be a roll of Charmin Ultra Strong. 
"Locked Out" by GracieWacie, username GracieWacie:
That wouldn't be too bad, if there wasn't a murderer on the loose.
"Violet" by Anne Lutz, username AnneLutz:
But there wasn't anything to say that would end his anger or Violet's pain.
"Mixed Messages" by Make Me Swoon, username MakeMeSwoon:
Alyssa Singh has never gotten over her first love; maybe it was because of how he simply smiled off her confession as his family drove away. 
"A Poisoned Pear" by Arminius, username Arminius:
When speaking of Johannes Skathi, the words lazy, worthless, and pay the damn rent get thrown around with alarming frequency. 
"The Married Tree" by Antara, username _coralsky_:
He was eternal and I was his bride. 
"Attachment" by Julia, username ceilingflower:
The wind stung like a warning on the tip of her tongue.
"Imagine" by Aisha, username Metaphorphosis:
But there's something about standing face to face with reality right in front of you that makes you think twice.
"Honestly" by Anne Brees, username AnneBrees:
Other people lie and steal for noble reasons: to feed their families or to keep warm at night.
"Leave the Light On" by Ashley, username ashjellison:
You have to find out who, or what is in your house, before it's too late. 
"The Voices in My Head" by Katie Spektor, username KatieSpektor:
And if everything is a lie, there is just one question: Is she really insane?
"Babysitting Grandma" by Coralie, username terryco:
What is it like to watch over someone who should be watching over you?
"A Thousand Stars" by Britton, username CutieFlutie:
"Someday," she would pause to smack her lips, "we'll all be dead, and if we were, at one point in time, star dust, then won't we all be star dust again at another point in time?"
"Library of an Old Ghost" by Shelly, username shellyzev:
Rachel knows that Jay is not the most trustworthy person but unable to resist his smug smiles, she agrees to help him on his adventure, if only to wipe that stupid smile off his face.
So, that wraps up this super long and happy and writerly post. I'd like to thank the Freshman Fifteens for this experience in advance, because I know it'll be awesome (literally awe-inspiring). I hope you all are excited to get into the Common Room, because I know I'm pumped to see how it looks when it's finished!
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*ahem* I'm in love.

Let me reiterate from the post title: No, not like that. (What, did you think I actually developed a crush on someone NOT fictional or famous?)

I'm in love and you could be too. Oh yeah. Actually, I'm pretty sure you will be. *tap dances*

I've talked about Kimberly (the queen Karalius, obviously) on this blog before - she's one of the Figment friends who so kindly supported me when I first joined the site and continues to support me even now. In fact, she is one of the most popular writers on Figment, so I was a little starstruck when we first started interacting. Kimberly's a wonderful person, and I love talking about writing, books, films, and whatever else might come to mind with her around the Internet. She's very, very kind, insightful, and creative, and I'm so lucky to know her. And her writing reflects her whimsical, curious spirit in every way, featuring a trademark style of magical realism that turns even the most ordinary places and people into little treasures. Girls who can command a hive of bees? Check. Boys small enough to live in dollhouses? Check. Mothers who shapeshift into human hearts to save their sons' lives? You got it.

However, whenever we started talking about publishing, Kimberly said she hadn't had any luck snagging an agent or a publisher for any of her works. I was shocked, almost outraged, because she's an absolutely brilliant writer. I thought, "The publishing world sure is missing a lot if it won't take notice of Kim."

Well, that changes today. Kimberly Karalius is getting published.

 *squee*

Here's a blurb of the book, for all your grabby hands:
Love is real in the town of Grimbaud and Fallon Dupree has dreamed of attending high school there for years. After all, generations of Dupree’s have successfully followed the (100% accurate!) love fortunes from Zita’s famous Love Charms Shop to happily marry their high school sweethearts. It’s a tradition. So she is both stunned and devastated when her fortune states that she will NEVER find love. Fortunately, Fallon isn’t the only student with a terrible love fortune, and a rebellion is brewing. Fallon is determined to take control of her own fate—even if it means working with a notorious heartbreaker like Sebastian. Will Fallon and Sebastian be able to overthrow Zita’s tyranny and fall in love?
Yes, that is every bit as awesome as it sounds. And the boy I was referencing in my post title is indeed Sebastian. He ran off with my heart, the knave. 

That shows how much I'm willing to give for Kim and her story - I am never using the word knave in a blog post again. Or casual conversation. Or... anything, really.

I mean, Sebastian is the knave. It just so happens that I am perfectly and totally okay with that. But I digress. 

I was lucky enough to read the manuscript of Love Fortunes and Other Disasters (originally titled We Could Fall in Love), and let me tell you, it is one of the most glorious books ever to book. (Book is both a noun and a verb now. Roll with it.) Which is why, when Kim submitted it to Swoon Reads back in April, I was absolutely sure they would select it for publication.

Swoon Reads is a YA/NA romance imprint of Macmillan that takes open submissions through an online community. The manuscripts submitted are then voted on over a rating period, and some of the top-rated manuscripts are looked at by the publishing team at Swoon Reads. Then three manuscripts are picked to become actual BOOKS. It's an innovative and really wonderful publication model, and a huge step forward for the publishing world.

After enthusiastically doing my best to support Kim in both the writing and the promotion of her manuscript as much as I could, I was overjoyed to see that it had made it to the top ten manuscripts on the entire website. And now Kimberly Karalius has been chosen for publication of her novel.

My first thought upon reading the announcement was YES. JUSTICE HAS FINALLY BEEN SERVED. VICTORY IS MINE.

That was before I dissolved into incoherent squealing.

Everyone go give her some love, okay? She's worked incredibly hard on her journey towards being a published author and I'm so, so proud of her.

(That makes me sound really stuffy and pretentious. But honestly the only thing I'm stuffed with is pride and sheer happiness.)

The book releases on June 9, 2015, and without spoiling anything, I'll tell you a few things about it: it's got ships (the definition that involves kissing). It has magic. It has color and wonder and life. IT HAS A SUPPORTING CHARACTER NAMED BEAR (yes, you read that right, and no, he isn't an actual bear). I, for one, plan on going for it the moment it comes up for preorder.

THE NINTH OF JUNE, EVERYONE. Mark your calendars now. I can't wait to hold Love Fortunes and Other Disasters in my hands and give it a huge bookish hug. And trust me, you'll want to as well.

Please do congratulate Kim on her blog or Twitter. She deserves it ten times over.

(By the way - because I'm a complete dimwit and forgot to link while I was fangirling - the info link for Love Fortunes and Other Disasters is right here. And OH MY GOODNESS but Swoon Reads decided to quote me in the "Praise" section. Look for the gushing of a certain Christina near the bottom of the page.)
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I have two bits of very exciting news.

Remember when I was freaking out about my regional gold key in the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards?

Some background taken from the website:
The Scholastic Art & Writing Awards has an impressive legacy dating back to 1923. Over the years, the Awards have grown to become the longest-running, most prestigious recognition program for creative teens in the U.S., and the nation’s largest source of scholarships for creative young artists and writers. A noteworthy roster of past winners includes Andy Warhol, Sylvia Plath, Truman Capote, Richard Avedon, Robert Redford, Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, John Updike, and many more.
Yeah, okay, pretty darn big, right?

I was pretty happy with my gold key at the regional level. I got a pretty pin in the mail and a nice letter and good feelings - what's not to love? I was hoping for an additional award, but I was also preparing myself to be disappointed. After all, apparently less than 1% of all submissions receive higher honors.

I'm telling you right now - I have a national gold medal for my short story "Service or Steel", in the Science Fiction/Fantasy category. Also, I have a national silver medal for On the Midnight Streets!

National. Gold. And silver.

*waitwhatslowdown*

The National Awards Ceremony is at Carnegie Hall on June 6, and my family's saying that we'll probably be able to go. This is very cool. I've never been to New York.

Also I am freaking out. I will be freaking out for a very long time. *exercises restraint in the freaking out* *fails*

(PS: If you go to my features page, it's been updated with these very shiny awards!)


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[ image via tumblr ]
My breath is venturing out into the air with a wispy white coat on, and everyone walks around with a twinkle in their eye. Lately, I go to school each day telling myself firmly that I'll never be too old to wear mittens. I get curious stares from passerby nonetheless when they see me with a pair of them on. Carols that I've known by heart for years come barging into the radio again. Roads freeze over. Hot cups of tea become a staple of my diet. Particularly eccentric teachers at school deliver rants about "non-denominational winter holidays".

It's the holiday season here where I am, that fabled most wonderful time of the year - and it's also the time here at this blog when I take a moment to thank all of my readers. Near or far or in whatever place you may be right now, I'm ridiculously grateful that you use some time in your day to read and support my thoughts. 2013 is my second year of blogging and has been an incredible revelation to me all the way through. And those of you who have stuck with me in this crazy year are perfect brilliant people. Thank you.

Bundle up - or if you're in the southern hemisphere, you should be summer-ing down, I suppose - and do enjoy your holidays! Know that I'm wishing everyone well no matter what you celebrate or who you're celebrating with. Smile, if only because the world needs more of you smiling. Give this season a smile, a laugh, a day worth keeping forever.

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Hello again, everyone! It seems most of my latest posts have been about publication, which is terribly exciting, in all honesty.

First up is Foxglove Hymnal. The piece that's going in there is called "Finger Bones", and it's a little flash fiction I wrote when I was angsting about a big upcoming piano competition. (Which I ended up placing second in, hahaha.) Obviously, it centers around a piano, and it has some horror/macabre-ish elements. The reason this achievement is doubly cool for me is that "Finger Bones" was my first attempt at that genre.

Foxglove Hymnal is a relatively new publication. It's a quarterly mag focusing on fantasy and horror, and my piece will be in its first issue, tentatively slated for release sometime this winter or perhaps early spring. (Not totally sure on that front.) But apparently there are going to be illustrations and everything, so it's pretty exciting, plus each issue will be free to read online.

You can go to their website at http://foxglovehymnal.com/ for more info about this ~ :)

Next is Hogglepot. I first discovered this bi-weekly journal when I went looking for a story by Kimberly Karalius (I've mentioned her before, I hope - she's awesome) called "The Mattress Pea". It's still in their archives, by the way, if you do some digging around.

This piece, called "The Silence", was written for a contest hosted by the Figment group The Imaginarium, which I've mentioned before as well. The prompt was to use the concept of a time-left-to-live countdown (like the movie In Time) as the center of a story. I took an old idea - revolving around a violinist, aliens, and figurative fire - and spruced it up a little, ended up winning the Imaginarium contest, and submitted it to Hogglepot after a few edits.

Hogglepot has been around for a while and accepts science fiction, fantasy, the works. It's also got stories by a few other writers I admire, like LiAnn Yim, so I was really excited to get this acceptance. "The Silence" is planned to go live somewhere near the end of January, free online.

Their website is at http://hogglepot.com/, and the link to the piece will obviously be coming your way when it exists.

Lastly, there's The Plum Collection. It's a bi-monthly zine made up of submissions from 13-19-year-olds, describing itself as believing in the power of teens to make a change in art/literature and define what being young truly is. Lightly subversive, you know?

My piece in there is called "The Lexicon of Winter". It was written a little strangely - a story told in the format of "dictionary definitions". Still, I enjoyed writing it and it was a nice, fresh break from the other recent stuff that's been deeply rooted in the fantastical.

They operate out of Tumblr, so here is http://theplumcollection.tumblr.com/ - with the issue I appear in being released in January.

So that's that! Exciting publication news is always nice; remember to check out my "Pubs, Etc." page for a full list!

EDIT (January 19, 2014): "The Silence" is up! http://hogglepot.com/reading.php?date=20140119&vol=2014vol1

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