New Year's Resolutions: The Power of Positive thinking.

It’s the new year and so a lot of people are thinking about those resolutions.  But I don’t. I haven’t made a resolution in several years actually. Now that’s not to say I don’t have goals for the upcoming year.  I do. But I’ve always felt that resolutions are too easily tossed aside, but goals aren’t so easily forgotten. At least to me.

For the past couple of years, my goals were publishing related.  Write 2 novels. Get an agent. Get a publishing contract, etc.  But this year on top of writing goals, I have another one that’s probably more important than any of those other ones.  It’s to be more positive.

I’ve always been a person who ended up seeing that glass as half-full, which does have some benefits.  Such as almost never being disappointed. If you always expect the worse, than when good things happen, it’s a surprise.  But it’s not where I want to be anymore. It’s entirely too stressful.  Plus it makes my DH angry when I’m always pessimistic.  LOL.

So my goal is to try to remain positive. No matter what.  If something bad happens, I try to look at the plus side.  There’s generally at least one! 

But it hasn’t been easy.  It’s like fate knows my goal and is throwing everything she can at me to see if I can do it.  But one of my favorite qualities about myself is my stubbornness (although I doubt my DH would agree it’s a quality. LOL.)  and I’m not going to give up on myself until it’s no longer a struggle to be a more positive person and to see the rainbow through the rain. 

So, QFU, what’s one of your goals/resolutions for the year?

J.A. Souders is the author of RENEGADE a YA dystopian that takes place in an underwater utopian society, coming Fall 2012 from Tor Teen.  For more information visit her blog or website.

Sleeping Beauty and it's many incarnations

My absolute favorite fairytale character is Sleeping Beauty.  My favorite movie for the longest was the Disney version. When I was a child I’d watch that and Beauty and the Beast over and over again until the tape wore out.

I knew the lines by heart.  The songs AND the actual dialogue.  When I was cleaning or playing by myself, I would dance around like Aurora does in the beginning where the owl is pretending to be her Prince and I’d just pretend I was her. I adored her. 

When my friends (both boys and girls) were over, I’d make them play Sleeping Beauty with me and truth be told, that’s PROBABLY how I got my first kiss, but since I was like 6, I’m not sure it counts.  LOL. 

Of course, I grew up and stopped watching and pretended I had no clue what people were talking about when they would talk about my obsession. 

 But still when my daughter was born, I don’t think anyone was all that surprised when I named her Aurora. (But honestly, it was because of the Northern lights—Aurora Borealis—not the princess, because I never even really knew her name was Aurora. Until then I thought her name was Briar Rose, and I hadn’t watched it since I was just a little girl, but now she’ll always be my little Sleeping Beauty—even though she doesn’t really ever sleep. )  

But now she’s into it like I was. Probably more so because it’s her name and she LOVES her name.  It’s really sweet when she sees something with Princess Aurora on it and she points to herself and goes, “That’s me. I’m Princess Aurora!”

But anyway, I’m not as in love with the Disney version as I was when I was little. I’ve grown up and I really don’t like how they portrayed her.  My absolute favorite is a more recent re-telling and that’s Alex Flinn’s A KISS IN TIME. 

It’s perfect for the romantic in us, but also doesn’t portray Aurora (Talia) as this weak female who needs rescuing from her prince.  It was the perfect mix for me. 

I also really enjoyed  A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan. It's the best of both worlds. My favorite genre (science fiction) and my favorite fairy tale.

And then, another of my favorite authors, Kendare Blake, wrote a short story revolving around the fairy tale and I love it!

ETA: check out Jay's post from yesterday to see what the ORIGINAL story behind Sleeping Beauty was.  I think I may have to change what my favorite fairy tale is now.  :P

It’s amazing how many different ways something can be seen.  

J.A. Souders is the author of RENEGADE a YA dystopian that takes place in an underwater utopian society, coming Fall 2012 from Tor Teen.  For more information visit her blog or website.

Character Interview with Evelyn Winters from RENEGADE

Hi y’all!  I’m super excited to do today’s post.  I have managed to snag a recording from an interview an unnamed reporter (the poor dear) did with my character Evelyn Winters. I have transcribed them below. While I’m not positive of the exact date, from certain things Evelyn says, I do believe this interview takes place just before the events of RENEGADE. 

In fact, I’m fairly certain this interview takes place the day before RENEGADE starts. 

Happy reading!

<recording start>

REPORTER:  Thank you so much, Ms. Winters, for agreeing to do this interview with me and, of course, to Mother for allowing it.  We all know this wouldn’t be happening with out Mother’s…er…graciousness.  How are you today?

EVELYN:  My life is just about perfect.

Reporter: Um…okay, then.  I’ll just be asking some basic questions about you and your life here. Is that all right?

EVELYN:  Of course.  I am here to serve. *smiles, smoothes skirt over knees*

REPORTER: Evelyn--do you prefer Evelyn?--tell me a little about yourself.

EVELYN: It is a pleasure to meet you.  Actually, most Citizens refer to me as Miss Evelyn, which is as Mother likes it.  However, I much prefer Evie for some reason. Even though I don't ever recall anybody actually ever calling me by that name

...hmm...how very odd.

I don't suppose it matters.

Anyway, I am the Daughter of the People in our wonderful city of Elysium.  Mother hand chose me to be the heir to her position as Governess.  It is both a privilege and an honor to serve our city so completely.

REPORTER: Elysium?  Where is that, Greece?

EVELYN:  Greece?  That was a Surface city. Before The War, right?...Are you a Surface Dweller? *looks around for Mother* How did you get down here?  How did you get passed the turrets?! SDs are strictly forbidden.  You had better leave before Mother finds out what you are and sends an Enforcer.

REPORTER: Umm...no.  No, everything's fine.  No need for...Enforcers, did you

say?  Never mind all that.  Why don't we talk a little more about you?

What are you into?

EVELYN:  Into? *frowns, looks down* It's just a dress. The same as all female Citizens. You don't wear dresses? That’s against the dress code.  Are you sure that you aren't a Surface Dweller?  

Well, I suppose it IS a pretty dress. Mother had the dressmaker sew it just for me.  Do you like it?

REPORTER: Your dress?  Oh yes, it's nice.  But I was wondering about your interests.  What do you like to do?  You know, what kind of music do you like?  What's your favorite movie?  That sort of thing.

EVELYN:  Oh, I apologize for misunderstanding. I had never heard of that word “into” used like that before. 

I like the music that plays in my gardens. Father had them built for me, you know.  It relaxes the mind and spirit and, of course, I enjoy the classics.  Mozart. Beethoven.  It is very rewarding to play them on my violin.  I do not get to the Cineplex very often, so I do not have a favorite movie, I’m afraid.  I am much too busy with my duties and learning how to rule this city.

REPORTER: Ohhhh-kaaaay.  So, you're like, the princess, huh?  What do you have to do?

EVELYN:  Oh...um...well, I...I am in charge of request day!  It is a VERY important task to make sure the Citizens have everything they require to lead full and productive lives, so they may serve our city completely.

REPORTER: Okay, maybe we should move on.  Tell me about Elysium.  Where is it?

EVELYN: You are very strange.  Are you SURE you're not a Surface Dweller?  Why are you so concerned with where we live?  *sigh* Well, I don't suppose it would hurt to tell you.

Elysium is a fully self-sustained city located on the ocean floor and nestled cozily in a volcanic trench to best use the natural resources provided to us by the geothermal energy of the volcanic tubes.

*Smiles* Since I know what your next question will be, let me just continue.

The city is spilt into several Sectors that are separate, but connected to each other through various glass tube walkways. This is in case of a leak. Each Sector can be separated from the rest of the city until Maintenance personnel can locate and repair the problem. Each Sector designates a different function needed by the city.  Medical, engineering, science, etc.

In turn, they are all filled with Citizens who've been Sorted into their Designations by their genetics to ensure only the very best are servicing our city in the most suitable way possible.

REPORTER:  *blinks*  Oh.  Right.  Bottom of the ocean.  I...forgot.  So, um, let's get back to you.  Do you have a boyfriend?

EVELYN:  *blushes* yes I suppose that is the common term.  As Daughter of the People, and a designated Breeder, my MOST important duty, now that I'm 16, is to provide Mother with another heir after me.

Only the most suitable young men have been chosen to be my suitors and I have narrowed the list to one young man in particular.

*smiles* His name is Timothy and he's a metal worker from Sector Three.  His genetics are a perfect match for me.

*leans forward and whispers* Between you and me, we're supposed to be meeting each other later.  I have a feeling he's going to ask me to Couple with him.  Isn’t that fantastic? *big sappy smile*

REPORTER:  *mutters* Yeah, that's not creepy. *clears throat* So, uh...tell me more about these...what do you call them?  Surface Dwellers?  You don't seem to like them much.

EVELYN: According to Mother, Surface Dwellers are beasts who live on The Surface.  Surface Dwellers are forbidden. The War has corrupted and turned them into savages.  Surface Dwellers are contemptible.  Nothing more than heathens who'd just as soon kill you as look at you. They will taint our city with their hate and violent ways and should be shot on sight.  *frowns*  Are you sure you're not one?

*door slams open* *sound of multiple feet rushing into the room*

REPORTER:  Hey!  What are you doing? That’s my equipment. Who are you people?

*sound of a gun shot, then a body hitting the floor*

Another woman’s voice, presumably Mother:  Come along, Evelyn.  Let the Enforcers clean up.  Dr. Friar says you missed your appointment again.  You know how much I detest when you don’t keep appointments. 

<End recording>

J.A. Souders is the author of RENEGADE a YA dystopian that takes place in an underwater utopian society, coming Fall 2012 from Tor Teen.  For more information visit her blog or website.

 Photo Credit: Jessica Grimm Photography

Writing: Real job or Imaginary?

Saying you always wanted to be a writer seems like it’s synonomous with actually being a writer.  I can probably count on one hand how many people I know who are writers who kinda fell into it, instead of it being a passion from an early age.

For me, I honestly don’t know when I had that magical that’s-what-I want-to-be-when-I grow-up moment, but it was pretty young.  I always enjoyed the times in school where we were allowed to make up stories and write them down.  I even think my parents still have the books, plays, and poems. But it wasn’t until sixth grade, when my teacher loved a story I’d written for an assignment so much that she entered it into a contest and it won that I even thought about it being a profession.

I’ll always remember this teacher, unfortunately I can’t remember her name, because not only did she take the time to send that short story off to that contest, but then she took time after school to help me write better.  She encouraged me in a way no teacher—or person--had before or since. 

She even helped me write a letter to Jonathan Brandis asking if he’d let me do an autogiography on him!  Of course, I never got a reply back, but the fact that as silly as that was, she didn’t laugh and researched on her own time, what to write and who to contact to see if some silly little starry eyed redheaded 6^th grader could become his biographer is something I’ll never forget and I’ll always be grateful for.

But my parents were insistent that I focused on getting a “real” job. That is was okay to write as a hobby, but being a writer wasn’t something you did for a job.   And so, that’s what I did. I changed my choice of “real” jobs several hundred times (I wanted to be a teacher, a doctor, a marine biologist, etc.   I think I even wanted to be a cowboy astronaut ballerina at some point in there.  LOL.  Sadly there is no call for cowboy astronaut ballerinas.), but while I secretly dreamed of being a writer, I was a good girl and focused my studies on becoming a marine biologist.

I never did become a marine biologist and ended u doing a handful of different jobs, but I never felt like it was the “right one.”  It wasn’t until a little over two years ago—when I was worried to death over my youngest’s illness--that I realized life was too short for could’ve, should’ve would’ves and regrets.  So, I spent every free minute writing (which wasn’t much considering I have a special needs kid—she has Systemic JRA)  and I found what had been missing.  Writing felt right, like no other “real job” had.

And I’ve decided that if it isn’t a “real job” than I don’t want a real one.  Imaginary works just fine for me, especially since I write fiction.  :P

 

 

 

J.A. Souders is the author of RENEGADE a YA dystopian that takes place in an underwater utopian society, coming Fall 2012 from Tor Teen.  For more information visit her blog or website.

She also secretly regrets never pursuing a degree in cowboy astronaut ballerina-ing. 

The Never-Ending Story (I.E revisions)

Revisions!  Yes, I’m excited about today’s topic.  Or this week’s topic really.  Anyway, I’m one of those strange authors who actually LIKES revisions.  To me, it’s where all the magic happens. 

No matter how much I enjoy writing the story and what surprises me while I’m writing the story, the best parts always come when I’m revising and I get to go, “Oh! So THAT’s why that happened in chapter 1 scene 5, or whatever.

Then again, it’s also the longest part of the entire process. It’s almost never done.  Even now, when I’m at the stage of, if I ever have to see this manuscript again, I’m going to puke!  Of course, that won’t be true and of course I’ll have to see it again. And again. And again.  J

Anyway, now that I’ve bored y’all to death, I’ll tell you a wee bit about my revision process.  First I try to crank out my manuscript as fast as possible—when I’m in “the zone.” Otherwise, I’ll start second guessing myself and I’ll get writer’s block.

But this first draft is really, really rough and very bare bones.  So I go back in immediately after I’m finished and add in the detail work. The world building, back story, character descriptions, etc.  (I’m learned this little trick from Nora Roberts—not personally of course.  She also taught me that if my story is lacking a little in size, that I should go and kill of a character.  Surprisingly, this works PERFECTLY! Mwahahaha!)

Then I send it off to my trusted CPs (I have 3), who know I’m sending them something that’s basically fresh off the presses of my mind (i.e. Sucks with a capital S) and they go in looking for the big picture stuff and there’s always little stuff they catch along the way, too.

BTW, these girls are RUTHLESS!  LOL.  They will not let me get away with anything.  J

Anyway, after they’re finished, that’s when I go into my revision cave with rock music blasting through the speakers (DH bought a surround sound system just for that reason—so he says…) copious amounts of caffeine (usually iced coffee with caramel—nummy, nummy, nummy), and a comfy place to sit.

And then I tear the shiz out of that MS.  By the time I’m done, I’ve usually cut out at least 10,000 words and added in another 20,000. So yes, my “finished” MSs are WAY bigger than the original drafts.

And hopefully, when I’m finished, I’ll have an MS that is reasonably good enough to show my agent.  (BTW, she JUST got married!  Go see her gorgeous wedding pics here and wish her congratulations, would ya?  :P)

J.A. Souders is the author of RENEGADE a YA dystopian that takes place in an underwater utopian society, coming Fall 2012 from Tor Teen.  For more information visit her blog or website.

She is greatly saddened to announce she is no longer a Fischie as her agent went and got herself married.  She is now know as a Lackie.  This, of course, causes a disturbance in the Force, as she will now have to order all new buttons with Lackie printed on them.

School: Why we are who we are.

Hmm, back to school time.  My favorite time of year as a parent.  I’ll even put it out there that I actually kinda liked it as a kid, too.  I know.  NERD ALERT! as my son would say.

But I will say as much as I enjoyed school and enjoy the time my kids are in school, I’ve never actually had any of my YA characters IN school.  And this is especially true in RENEGADE where school (as we know it, anyway) doesn’t exist at all. 

And even though we never see her actually in “school”, or doing any of the normal school things someone would do in a non-dystopian setting, Evelyn’s education is a HUGE plot point in the story (as it is in almost every YA.  Even if it doesn’t seem like it), and makes her who she is, despite the fact she doesn’t even realize every decision she makes is completely dependant on that education.  Even as twisted and warped as that education was…

But…isn’t that the way it is for all of us?  The teenage years are the years each person really forms who he or she is. It’s pretty much the glue that will bond us on our life path. And we spend the majority of the days in those years in school.  So is it really that surprising that school and our experiences in school shape who we are and what decisions (good or bad) we make in the future.

J.A. Souders is the author of RENEGADE a YA dystopian that takes place in an underwater utopian society, coming Fall 2012 from Tor Teen.  For more information visit her blog or website.