I had an interesting email from a publisher the other day. They really love my verse novel and are thinking of publishing it. As usual (welcome to my life) there is one caveat. There’s a plot point in this novel that concerns the use of the , ahem  C word.  Now, in nowhere in the … More Profanity in YA – how many f-bombs are too many?

Many of my fellow writers are engaging in this folly that is NaNoWriMo. This is my first year. It’s true that NaNoWriMo writing is often crap. Some even see that as the whole point of the exercise. I don’t expect great things; I would just like to finish a book for a change. In many ways … More NaNoWriMo – Week One – word count 14,589

Speaking of dark YA books, I met Jeyn Roberts last night at the Vancouver book launch for her first novel DARK INSIDE. Since Jeyn lives in Vancouver, it was a fun launch populated by her friends and family, who asked jokey questions and praised the book and Jeyn in general. Fun atmosphere! Many of the attending, being … More Jeyn Roberts – DARK INSIDE

There are countless writers I admire, and some with whom I’d love to trade places even for a day. Some of them just seem to have darn exciting lives. Some of them are so #@$&ing talented that maybe inhabiting their brain for a day or so would rub off on me. Some are just cute … More 5 Writers I’m Glad Not to Be

I’ve been reading through the blogs participating in the blog fest. I’m about halfway through and so far, no one has mentioned Unwind by Neal Shusterman. ARE YOU FREAKING KIDDING ME? This is such a dark and messed up premise that only Neal Shusterman could pull it off. I could not put this book down. … More Dark YA II – Neal Shusterman’s UNWIND

I know every second blog-fester here is going to think The Hunger Games, and to be honest, that was my first instinct too. But being a woman “of age” and from a time when the 21st Century villains of recent dark YA (intelligent computers, media bloodlust, social network bullies etc.) were barely imagined, and vampires … More My favorite Dark YA book – The Chrysalids

Further to my previous post, I’ll be participating in this blogfest this month. See you every Wednesday for my thoughts on dark YA books, why they sell, why they’re fun to write, the whole deal. really this is just a way to keep me from going mad from NaNoWriMo. Oh well.

Moira Young makes some good points here. Her basic thesis is that kids like reading about dystopias because they’re exciting. Stuff happens in dystopian worlds. More importantly, stuff happens to teenagers. And teenagers like to read about other teenager who do stuff. Sounds obvious of course, but raises an interesting point. For all the blood … More Why is dystopia so appealing to young adults?

This story about the new Young People’s Laureate in just confirms what I’ve always believed- that all the best stuff happens in Wales. But seriously, we can’t encourage young people enough to read and to write creatively and a young people’s laureate is just the thing. Childhood and the teen years is when lifelong reading habits … More Wales, writing and other negotiations