Will Grayson, Will Grayson

I don't write reviews. I find it hard to explain the story without giving away too much, but I couldn't not write something about this book.

Instead of writing what the book was about, I'd rather write about how it made me feel. Not as in the book made me: happy, sad, etc., but literally how it made me FEEL for the characters. How do you know great writing is great? When you feel that same pain in your stomach as the character is feeling, when you cry when the characters cry, when you feel sick to your stomach over the character's nerves.

I don't care if you don't know a single person of the gay persuasion or you grew up a hermit in a cave in northwest bumblefuck, everyone can find something to relate to in this story. I found enough to make me feel slightly uncomfortable even (did John Green find my secret diary?).

It's an outstanding tale and both Mr. Green & Mr. Levithan did an amazing job with their respective Will Graysons. Please be sure to put any prejudices behind you and pick up this book. You might be surprised at how much you have in common with some of these characters.

Finally I have to conclude with these words: My name is not Will Grayson, but I appreciate you Tiny Cooper.

Sneak Peak Friday

So in case you didn't notice, there was no Teaser Tuesday this week. I wasn't feeling it, so I did a post on writing habits instead. Since I feel a little sad I didn't deliver earlier this week, I've deemed today Sneak Peak Friday! Why Sneak Peak? Welp, yesterday I finally finished the rough draft of Red Dust; my 105k+ word soft sci-fi monster I've been battling with. It's now sitting in the drawer, or technically on the hard drive, for a week or so before I start the editing process. My muse was so happy with the completion of that story that she jumped up and down and all around inspiring me to start work on another idea that has been brewing for a while. I did some research and made some decisions and the beginning just came to me. I don't think I've ever had an opening flow as smoothly as this one has. That's why I want to share it with you. Give you a sneak peak into the start of what I'm tentatively titling: Heavyweight.

This story will have a whole set of firsts for me: first time writing in first person, first time writing from a male POV, first time writing about a sport, first time writing about a gay relationship. I'm really excited to work on it and see what becomes of it. I hope this peek into it excites you guys into wanting to read more. Please let me know what you think!

Some might think that a locker room full of half naked teenaged athletes would be any gay boy’s dream but, I assure you, it’s not. It’s actually more of a nightmare. Especially when no one knows that you’re gay. While I’m not planning on outing myself anytime soon, you never know what’s going to happen. If word got out that I prefer guys over chicks…well, I could just hear it now:

“He slapped my ass in the locker room!”

“I swear he was checking me out at the urinals.”

“Dude, he got hard when we were changing into our singlets. “ “You looked?!” “Hard to miss it in those uniforms…”

Uhh yeah…that last one is true. What can I say? I’m a 17 year old guy with raging hormones, just like every other guy in my school. Sometimes I can’t help but peek. Luckily I can play it off by saying Big Willie has a mind of his own. Typically the guys just nod knowingly and then launch into their embarrassing boner stories. Crisis averted.

Anyway, I’m pretty shy by nature so I try to avert my eyes when guys are changing and I keep my hands to myself, except when I’m taking someone down on the mat. Hard to be a wrestler and not touch someone. The guys made jokes about my shyness for a while, but they’ve gotten used to it over the years. They even tell the new guys not to flash me, which is kind of them yet disappointing at the same time.

Habits

Today's post is on habits. Now I'm not talking biting your nails or how you have to drink your morning OJ before brushing your teeth (the other way around is quite gross I assure you). I'm talking, of course, of your writing habits. I'm always interested to see how other writers work.

Do you need to have complete silence to write or do you work with a soundtrack?

Is morning the best time for your creative juices to flow or does the darkness of night inspire you?

Do you lock yourself away from the world in order to get into your story or do you take to the public areas for your background?

What about outlining before writing or do you just dive right in?

How about rituals? Sacrificing small animals to the God of Words or merely pleading with your muse to be more helpful for a change?

Maybe I need to adopt some more habits myself. I prefer to write in public but can also do so at home. Music is most welcome unless I'm having a particularly hard time with a scene. As for the time of day? It's more about when the ideas/inspiration hit me. I don't advocate the sacrificing of small animals, but my muse could stand to kick it up a notch.

What say you, fellow writers? How do you get through it? What are the habits, rituals and fail safes that keep you going? The world of aspiring authors want to know!

Follow up...

Oops! Almost forgot to give answers to last week's creative writer award. Here goes!

1. The only two articles I ever wrote for my high school newspaper ended up in the yearbook. - TRUE I was never officially on the paper staff, but my senior year English teacher asked me to write a couple articles. How they ended up in the yearbook I'll never know.

2. I write Smurf erotica under a pen name. (It's hard when there's only one female smurf!!) - FALSE It would be hard though and I think you'd all understand why a pen name would be needed...

3. I spent the night in Amsterdam's Red Light district. - FALSE While I did visit in the evening, I did not spend the night there. It was a little creepy being a woman there when the alleyways are so narrow. Ew for horny guys rubbing up against you just to walk by.

4. I speak two other languages (conversationally) besides English. They are Spanish and Japanese. - TRUE This has to do with my undergrad degree in comp. lit & languages. I was one class short of a minor in Japanese. I can get by with either language if need be.

5. When I went to Vegas three years ago, I got married but had it annulled the following day. - FALSE Considering who I was dating three years ago, Thank God this is false.

6. I'm hard on cars. I've gone through six of them in the past four years. - FALSE I've had my current car for about 10 years now. It's been hit by many people/things, but it keeps on going! It's a trooper.

7. I climbed Mt. Fuji on a dare. - FALSE It is a dream of mine to climb it one day.

8. At the age of 27, I tried out for American Idol, but didn't make the cut. - FALSE I did have an ex who wanted me to try out though. I probably should have just to be able to say I did.

Books Read in 2010 - March

I seem to have outdone myself this month with over 30 books. I'm a little concerned it may mean I need an intervention, but it's so worth it.
So without further ado, I give you my book list for the month of March:

Moon Called – Patricia Briggs
Blood Bound – Patricia Briggs
Iron Kissed – Patricia Briggs
Bone Crossed – Patricia Briggs
Mercy Thompson – Homecoming – Patricia Briggs
From Dead to Worse – Charlaine Harris (re-read)
Dead and Gone – Charlaine Harris (re-read)
Captivate – Carrie Jones
Storm Glass – Maria V. Snyder
Sea Glass – Maria V. Snyder
Some Girls Are – Courtney Summers
My Soul to Take – Rachel Vincent
My Soul to Save – Rachel Vincent
The Maze Runner – James Dashner
The Bermudez Triangle – Maureen Johnson
Girl at Sea – Maureen Johnson
13 Little Blue Envelopes – Maureen Johnson
Devilish – Maureen Johnson
Fire – Kristin Cashore
Leviathan – Scott Westerfeld
Chasing Brooklyn – Lisa Schroeder
Wake – Lisa McMann
Fade – Lisa McMann
Gone – Lisa McMann
Cry Wolf – Patricia Briggs
Stray – Rachel Vincent
Rogue – Rachel Vincent
Prey – Rachel Vincent
Pride – Rachel Vincent
Wondrous Strange – Lesley Livingston
The Faerie Path - Frewin Jones
Wicked Lovely – Melissa Marr (re-read)
Ink Exchange – Melissa Marr (re-read)
Fragile Eternity – Melissa Marr (re-read)
Shiver – Maggie Stiefvater
Scarlett Fever – Maureen Johnson
The Iron King – Julie Kagawa

Another Award?

Mizzez Melly Mel, another aspiring author, blogger and twitter friend has kindly graced me with an award!


As an author, we have to be creative, yet keep things believable, no? So the rules to accept this award are as follows: I have to make eight statements about myself. Two of them will be truths while the other six will be...not so true, although they might be based on dreams and wishes! You get to guess which are true. I'll post which two are true later in the week.

1. The only two articles I ever wrote for my high school newspaper ended up in the yearbook.

2. I write Smurf erotica under a pen name. (It's hard when there's only one female smurf!!)

3. I spent the night in Amsterdam's Red Light district.

4. I speak two other languages (conversationally) besides English. They are Spanish and Japanese.

5. When I went to Vegas three years ago, I got married but had it annulled the following day.

6. I'm hard on cars. I've gone through six of them in the past four years.

7. I climbed Mt. Fuji on a dare.

8. At the age of 27, I tried out for American Idol, but didn't make the cut.

Teaser Tuesday

Kirin glanced at Ryan’s profile and anger surged through him again. He abruptly stood up. Saven looked up questioningly at him. They exchanged a couple of words in their own language before Kirin left the home. Ryan looked at Saven inquisitively. The Felinian flushed and looked embarrassed.

“He uhh…he said he can’t stand to be in the same room with you and that he had to get out and do something to work off his anger.”

“I see,” commented Ryan. “Nice to know I made a new enemy today.”

“He’s not a bad person,” Saven explained to Ryan, “but he’s got a bit of an anger issue…not to mention a hero complex…” Again Ryan gave a quizzically look. Saven sighed.

“A hero complex is when one feels compelled to help others and make all right with the world. While it’s not an awful thing to be, it makes him put everyone else before himself, not caring if he gets hurt or killed in the process. Honestly, it’s amazing he’s still alive. He was always a reckless kitten and has had more broken bones and injuries than any other I know. Our mother must have rolled over in her grave a million times over his antics.”

“Your mother?” questioned Ryan. Saven nodded his head with a small smile.

“He is my younger brother,” Saven explained.

“You don’t really…” Ryan trailed off.

“Look alike?” Saven asked. Ryan nodded, feeling embarrassed, but the two really did not look similar. Saven was a ginger color with cream colored markings, almost like a tiger’s stripes. His eyes were a deep green color and he was on the short side, shorter than Ryan’s 5’10” anyhow. Kirin, on the other hand, was gray with black markings, if Ryan had to classify him as a type, he would call him a tabby. His eyes were a piercing bright yellow and he was tall and muscular. He had a very serious look about him. Ryan wondered if he always looked like that or if it was just because of the current situation.

“We have the same mother, but different fathers,” said Saven. “It’s not uncommon here as men tend to outnumber the women but in this case, my father was killed and my mother sought comfort from his best friend. They ended up marrying and he became Kirin’s father.”

“I’m sorry,” Ryan said knowing the pain of losing a parent. Saven gave him a sad smile.

“Thank you, but I was very young when he passed and I don’t remember him much. Kirin’s father Samus, has always treated me well and took me in as his own son. It was much harder when our mother passed away.”

“When was that?” asked Ryan. Saven sighed.

“Let’s see. I was 13 and Kirin was 11 so about 9 years ago. That was when Kirin’s hero complex kicked in.”

“Why is that?” questioned Ryan although he had an idea of the answer he was going to hear.

“As you can see, our valley here is very green and lush with vegetation. It’s due to the way the water collects here when it rains. There have been many occasions over the years where the river has flooded. Sometimes it comes up quickly, without much warning. The currents then are very strong…” Saven trailed off for a moment, lost in his thoughts. “Our mother and Kirin were down on the river bank. Kirin was fishing while our mother was cleaning some clothing. She was standing in the water, her dress hiked up and tied as to not get wet. She was beating the clothes against a large rock. The flood appeared in the blink of an eye and she was swept off her feet. Kirin dropped his pole and raced to save her. He waded in the water as far as he dared while holding onto a tree branch that hung over the river. He grabbed our mother’s hand and tried to hold onto her and bring her to the shore, but he was only 11. Just a child who’s strength was no match for that of an angry swollen river. She slipped from his grasp and continued down the river. She must have hit her head on a rock in the process and drown. Kirin has never forgiven himself.”

“But…he was just a child!” Ryan exclaimed.

“I know, but understand that this is just how he is. He will always carry the burden and guilt in his heart. Many of us have explained to him over the years that there was nothing more he could have done and that he was lucky to be alive, but he always says it should have been him and not her. Now he feels compelled to save everyone and everything. I guess he’s trying to make up for not being able to save our mother, but I’m afraid he’s going to get killed in the process.”