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Tour Almost Over + Gorgeous Art
Today (yesterday) I had my last school events of the Liar tour at Joliet West High School and Glenbard South High School in the outer suburbs of Chicago, Illinois. The students at both schools were amazing and asked many smart, engaged, funny questions. It was a total pleasure to meet you all. Thank you. In other news Cristina Hernadez posted her midterm project for her painting class on her blog and I was so impressed I asked if I could share it with you here. Remember, Cristina? She's the one who photoshopped a very disturbing version of Maureen Johnson's Suite Scarlett. Here's her midterm painting: Wow, huh? Cristina also had to write an essay about the painting and I ...Posted by Justine at 3:10, November 5th, 2009 under Book tour, Ideas, Liar, Love is Hell, Praising, Writing process | 5 Comments »
The Book You Thought You Were Going to Write
When I first got the idea for Liar I thought it would be a comedy. I thought it would be a goofy, screwball comedy with a protag who was lying about herself out of boredom and insecurity and that as the layers of her lies were peeled away chapter by chapter---"Actually, I'm fourteen, not seventeen, but that's only three years diff. Not that big of a lie, right?"---through a series of misunderstandings and misadventures she would learn to like herself and lose the need to lie so much. It would be heartwarming, they'd all hug it out, and everyone would learn and grow. You know only funny. Really funny. The finished Liar turned out somewhat differently. Less with the funny. This happens ...Posted by Justine at 12:01, October 30th, 2009 under Ideas, Liar, Writing process | 13 Comments »
Literary Influences
Posted by Justine at 14:45, June 14th, 2009 under How To Ditch Your Fairy, Ideas, Liar, Vainglory, Writing life, Writing process | 7 Comments »
JWAM reader request no. 3: How to get unstuck
There are a number of requests that touch on the same theme of getting stuck: Jonathan says: I’d be very interested in the pushing a dead plot post, since that’s where my novel is at. On the other hand, I sort of know the answer already---stop reading blogs, sit down, and write. Sylvia_rachel says: I second the request for a pushing-through-a-dead-plot post (or perhaps a figuring-out-who-the-villain-is post). My writing projects tend to start with a strongly felt character/voice or scene, and then I have to go looking for a plot — sometimes easily found, sometimes … not. Quiz question: Lois McMaster Bujold has said that the way she finds plots for character-driven novels is (I’m paraphrasing) to figure out what’s the worst thing she ...Posted by Justine at 19:57, January 5th, 2009 under Ideas, Magic or Madness trilogy, Scott's books, Writing process | 15 Comments »
JWAM reader request no. 2: Generating ideas
Posted by Justine at 1:01, January 3rd, 2009 under Ideas, Writing process | 9 Comments »
Questions authors always get asked
Posted by Justine at 0:00, October 13th, 2008 under Cons & Other Gatherings, Ideas, Writing life | 7 Comments »
Ideas are Free, Part the Millionth
Posted by Justine at 8:13, May 8th, 2008 under Ideas, State of the World | 7 Comments »
Maureen Johnson has a big idea
Posted by Justine at 12:56, May 6th, 2008 under Bloggery, Ideas, Young Adult literature | Comments Off
The Non-infringability of Plot and/or Ideas
Posted by Justine at 13:19, January 28th, 2008 under Ideas, Praising, Publishing business, Ranting, Zombies | 37 Comments »
Where do you get your ideas?
Posted by Justine at 0:00, January 15th, 2008 under Frippery, How To Ditch Your Fairy, Ideas, Writing life | 11 Comments »
Sleep and dreams
Posted by Justine at 21:31, October 23rd, 2007 under Ideas, Science | 35 Comments »
Inspiration
Posted by Justine at 10:49, May 9th, 2007 under How To Ditch Your Fairy, Ideas | 32 Comments »
RW7: Inspiration
Posted by Justine at 10:26, February 1st, 2007 under Bloggery, Ideas, Magic or Madness trilogy | 10 Comments »
Ideas, like butterflies, are free
Posted by Justine at 11:02, February 20th, 2006 under Bloggery, Ideas, Magic or Madness trilogy, New York City/USA, Praising, Publishing business, Ranting, Reading, State of the World, Sydney/Australia | 18 Comments »

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