 |
| The fact that I live by this picture probably says a lot about me... |
Today is Friday the 13th, and I decided to start a new blog. Today also marks the day I finished editing INEVITABLE, my YA thriller (and second novel), and sent it to betas/CPs for feedback. So yes, I’m fully anticipating a bunch of responses of: “What are you doing? This is horrible.”
In the meantime, I’m starting this blog. It will be weird.
It will be random. It will have plenty of angst.
My goal is for this blog to appeal to both YA writers and YA readers. I’ll have interviews with some awesome YA authors, giveaways (I’m crossing my fingers for some ARC giveaways, too!), rants about problems in the genre, random cover gawking, writing contests, agent/editor interviews, probable critiques, and most importantly, a lot of ANGST, in all forms of the word. But really, what would YA be without angst?
I probably won’t do real book reviews here, but I’ll have posts recommending certain YA books and also some others where I scream at no one in particular about how much I want “X” book that comes out in an entire year and since I’m not a real reviewer, I can’t get my grubby paws on an ARC. I know, I know, major first world pains right there. I’m sorta-kinda basing this blog off YA Highway, one of my favorite blogs ever, except I hope to make it a little more reader focused. I might make the occasional post about my own writing, too, but since I know no one cares about the Woes of an Unpublished/Unagented Writer, that will be kept to a minimum. For your own sake, believe me. You haven’t seen angst until you hear me talk about my writing…
As for me, I’m John. I’m am opinionated high school student who likes to think he knows what he’s doing. And yes, I’ll tell you my exact age as soon as I get published (i.e. 20 years from now). I used to have a very life threatening case of Golden Words Syndrome, and I’ve officially been cured. Ask anyone who follows me online; I don’t exactly love everything I write… (*cough* I hate hate hate literally everything I write *cough*). Now I have some awesome CPs, betas, and writing cheerleaders on Twitter who keep me going everyday (you guys rock!), and after blabbering on with Leigh Ann Kopans about how angsty romance is so much fun to write, I decided to start this blog. Which is also why it’s named "YA Angst."
I read and write YA a bit too obsessively, I naturally
dislike preachy books in the genre, I’m an abuser of exclamation points, caps
lock and commas, and I’m a proud ranter. I also dislike censorship in YA, so if
you’re still convinced that YA is full of roses and purity and teenagers dancing
and kissing in fields of total happiness, you should probably leave this blog
before I squash your dreams. I do that a lot, believe me. And somehow, a few non-profit magazines have published my short stories/poems and want me to submit other pieces in the future. Don't worry, I don't understand it either. Also, there's this: "There's a
line between killing your characters out of necessity and killing them for
pleasure. I tend to cross it." (I should totally copyright that...)
So after all that, why should you listen to me? To be honest, you probably shouldn’t, as I can’t imagine it’s good for your health, but I also give out tons of cyber cookies and free books. So.
P.S. Anyone who follows and comments on this blog wins a cookie. And some chocolate. And maybe even my complete and utter friendship, if you’re lucky.
P.P.S. When I become rich and famous in a twenty years (because we all know that’s going to happen…), I will look back on this post and laugh at its stupidity. Well, actually, I’m laughing at its stupidity right now. But I’m not rich and famous yet. So.
