Microsoft OneNote - An Author's Best Friend

As a writer, I'm constantly coming up with new worlds, new characters and new storylines to fill the novels that I write. I find it can be somewhat difficult keeping a good mental picture of some of my characters - especially minor ones, and setting can be difficult to keep straight too, considering I make most of my locations up and I don't always have all of the details of those settings sketched out before I begin writing about them.

To start with, for years now I've had a bookshelf full to the brim of folders full of individual character profiles, including bio sheets and magazine cutouts of people who I think resemble some of my characters. Overall the notebooks are fun to put together, but I'd rather have something of a more convenient reference, especially since I'm on the computer 100% of the time I'm working on a novel. I also wanted some of my bookshelf space back to display all of the books I'm behind on reading.

So I've been on the hunt for a while now for a program that could give me a visual cornucopia of reference options. I found one or two programs - most made by indie developers - but they either weren't worth the money or they were just too convoluted and confusing that they would be too much hassle to learn to use.

Then I stumbled on Microsoft OneNote. This handy little gem has everything I could possibly want in a writer's assistant.

*A side note - all images you see in my screenshots are copyright their respective creators. I am simply showing the screenshots as an example of what I am able to do with Microsoft OneNote.*

To start with, on the left side you have notebooks. You can create as many notebooks as you like, color them whatever color you'd like, title them whatever you'd like.


















Then each notebook is separated into sections (I call them tabs). Again, these tabs can be colored whatever color you like, titled whatever you want.

















Inside of each tab, you can create pages. You can even create subpages branching under these pages.

I use Microsoft OneNote for all sorts of nifty writerly things. I create notebooks for each of my writing projects. Then I create tabs. Say I'm in a notebook regarding a novel I'm working on. I'll create tabs for characters, setting, research, etc.Then under these tabs, I'll create pages.

For example, for a novel I currently have on the back burner, Dark Horizons, I have a tab for characters. Under the character tab, I have a page for Carrie Green.

Now, it's the pages that bring it all together. I'm able to drag and drop pretty much anything I want into the page itself. When you start typing text, it creates a text box that you can move around anywhere within the page. You can drop images from the internet, your computer, etc. You can resize these pictures and move them wherever you want.

You can even drop documents - and audio - into the page - like I did with the Word doc of Carrie's character profile above or like what I did on this page of future projects that need to be worked on. All I have to do is click on the icon and it will open the appropriate document on my computer.

Aside from characters, I also like to use OneNote for  
novel research -

Creature creation -

Setting reference-

And I can even outline with it - just to keep all the elements of the novel together.

Having all these visual references have really helped me craft my novel more easily. I'm able to copy images from the internet so I can see what I want my characters to be wearing. I can drop documents for easy reference. I can craft my text boxes in a creative way to add to my own presentation of the applicable materials.

All in all, OneNote has become a very useful tool in my writer arsenal, giving me many of the things I need to craft my stories and work on my marketing, without all the hassle of confusing applications.

For more information on Microsoft OneNote, follow this link to Microsoft's official page on it. When crafting this post, OneNote 2010 was only $79.99 and it is a standalone Office product, meaning you can purchase it separate from the other Microsoft Office programs like Excel and Word. Keep in mind that Microsoft OneNote 2007 was used for these screenshots, so major/minor improvements may have been made since.

33 A.D. (Bachyir, Book 1) by David McAfee

*Giveaway Bonus*

The giveaway contest is closed! The winner of the signed, print copy of 33 A.D. is Lane Mahnke. 

I hope you enjoy the review and check the book out.

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When former Enforcer Ephraim breaks the laws of his people to follow another, the Council sends Theron after him - not only to kill Ephraim, since the Bachyir don't believe in mercy when it comes to betrayals, but to figure out who could have made an Enforcer as loyal as Ephraim stop working for them.

After a fairly quick massacre, Theron reports back to the Council that Jesus of Nazareth was the one who Ephraim betrayed them for. Just as Theron expected, the Council orders him to take Jesus out. However, when Theron goes to the Garden of Gethsemane, he learns the task won't be as easy as he thought. The glow of faith around Jesus is so strong that he can't even get close to him. Plus, Jesus has hundreds of followers. To fully satisfy the Council, he'll have to put a lot more thought into how he'll murder Jesus.

Meanwhile, the bodies of the two guards Theron recklessly murdered on his way to report back to the Council about Ephraim has the city in a stir. The guard he beheaded, Didius, turns out to be the beloved brother of Marcus, the intelligent and powerful centurion who works right under Pontius Pilate. Pilate's order to take out the murderer who killed the guards becomes much more personal.

33 A.D. has multiple sub-plots and POV switches. Taras, Marcus's best friend and a secret assassin who is just a regular legionary (soldier) as far as everyone else knows, is determined to marry Mary, even though a Jewish woman is not allowed to marry a Roman man and her father hates him. But, before Taras can really consider starting a new life with Mary, he wants to show his loyalty to Rome one last time by helping Marcus uncover and hunt down the murderer of Didius. Taras was probably my most favorite character of this story with Marcus following closely behind.

Marcus and Taras are convinced that Theron is a follower of Jesus and that Jesus played a part in the murders, so, just like that, Jesus ends up being hunted by both Theron and Marcus. Theron's purpose is to brutally take out Jesus for the Council and make it look like zealots did it, as well as take out anyone that Jesus may have revealed the vampire secret to.

Basically, there is a lot going on.

There are four parts. At the beginning of part four, I was a bit nervous that all of the sub-plots would become too much, but I don't think they overwhelmed the author and they didn't overwhelm me. I feel like everything was tied up and handled as they should have been. For a story dealing with something as intense as the massacre of Jesus (albeit before they knew just how powerful Jesus could be), I liked the feeling of the plot also being large and intense to compensate.

If anything, Theron has a knack for killing the wrong character at the wrong time, and this story is definitely a tragedy with a large death count. Theron was perhaps my least favorite character - not so much because he is a bad guy who is ruthless about killing, but because, in spite of how intelligent and powerful he seemed, he was also rather reckless. Like in most tragedy stories, most of his undoing was unknowingly at his own hands.

Overall, I liked the story and would recommend it to anyone who has grown tired of flowery vampires. Plus, it has vampires trying to take out Jesus. I mean, come on, something that crazy and unexpected is too interesting to pass up.

Author David McAfee

Find David McAfee

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33 A.D. on Kindle

33 A.D. (Print) on Amazon

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33 A.D. on Nook
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Tamed by Douglas Brown

*Giveaway Bonus*

And the giveaway contest is closed! The winner of a bookmark and either a print copy of Tamed by Douglas Brown or Legends Reborn (The Light of Epertase, Book One) by Douglas Brown is Lilian!

I hope you enjoy the review. ^_^

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It all started in 1993 when Bernard, a young, ambitious CEO, brought a team of mercenaries to a small village with only one goal in mind - bring back one male and kill everyone else.



Eighteen years later, Bernard's merciless massacre has made him a billionaire. The one male he brought back was all he needed to start a whole farm of werewolves, or wergs, that he could sell to the public as pets or guard dogs. The werepets are on commercials, discussed on late night shows, and in people's homes. They're more powerful than a dog, yet less beastly than a werewolf...well, at least when they've been trained and reprogrammed, and being trained doesn't always mean they'll remain domesticated.

The public has no idea that the wergs are humans.

Christine, a devoted paramedic for the fire station who originally wants no involvement with werepets whatsoever, soon finds out the hard way about all of the WereHouse's lies when she is attacked by a rogue werg on what she and her partner figured was just a routine EMS call. Though the werewolf didn't bite her, enough of its blood mixes with hers for her to feel all the tell-tale changes of transformation.

The day she transforms, her world changes. It's up to her and her new rogue hunter companion to put an end to Bernard's crimes and bring those crimes to the light, but Bernard is forever the survivor. The goal will be far from an easy one.

When I do book reviews, the stars don't really mean anything to me. I generally give all my reviews a 4-star because I generally like all the books I review. If I don't like the book, I'll give it a 3-star. I've just never been a 1-2 star person because I haven't read many stories that I feel are that terrible. Plus, I'd rather people focus on my review and not the stars. Anyway, what I'm getting at is that I haven't clicked 5-stars in a while, but I knew I'd give this book 5-stars when I was about 50 pages from the end.

Tamed is a story that jumps between four interconnecting POVs. It's a good balance that serves the purpose of showing the story from a variety of different angles. We get to see the rogue hunter lifestyle, the training and reprogramming lifestyle, the mastermind's lifestyle, and the lifestyle of a normal, hard-working woman who gets dragged into the conflict by chance. When POV switches are well-done, all the plots foreshadow and complement each other until, at the very end, they've all matched up and ended. These POV switches were masterfully done.

I despised, yet even felt sorry at points, for the characters that Douglas wanted the readers to despise. I cheered for the protagonists, my favorite being rogue hunter Aiden. He became one of my favorite characters soon after he was introduced. I don't know what it is with rogue hunter characters and me, but ever since Pip became my favorite character in the Hellsing OVA, I've just had a soft spot for these rough hunters whose lives only revolve around murdering their targets even though they would like something more. My second favorite character was Billy, Christine's humorous partner.

The whole story was wonderful throughout, but the climax and ending was awesome! I loved how the villain was taken care of. As much as I disliked Bernard, I had to give him kudos for being such a damn smart survivor. I'm tired of stupid villains. Sure, I want them to get what they deserve, but I love it when the protagonists have one hell of a job getting him down. Oh, speaking of protagonists having one hell of a job....

Douglas Brown was not afraid to harm his characters, both mentally and physically. That's also an extremely refreshing sight. I felt genuinely like the protagonists' adventure and journey was an arduous, deadly one and I respect them all the more for getting through such an ordeal.

In fact, I've come to respect Brown's skill as a storyteller altogether. I will definitely be reading his other books, that's for sure.

Douglas's 95 lb. Doberman, Eko. Also, his inspiration for Tamed.

Find Douglas Brown

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Write What You Know: Lights, Camera… Setting?

We’ve all heard it before. Setting is as vital to any story as its characters. It can drive motivation, entire scenes, even the plot itself. But we’ve also heard the old adage write what you know. Don’t let that fool you into playing it safe. Writing what you know doesn’t mean every story you write takes place in your hometown or the city you currently live in. Writing what you know, in terms of setting, means you take an atmosphere and insert it seamlessly into the story without having to draw every detail from real-life experiences.

For instance, Die for Me (Amy Plum) is a book that centers its protagonists in Paris, France. The main character is an American who is forced by tragedy to relocate to the (in my opinion, STUFFY) European city. It’s uncommon enough that to describe it for its intended audience (young Americans) presents an opportunity to provide them with an unconventional place that gives off the atmosphere of wonder. It suits the purposes of the novel well. However, I can guarantee you that, if you want to place your story in Paris, it isn’t necessary for you to take a trip there and explore every corner of the place, first-hand, and transpose your experience into the book.

It’s all about balance. A clever mix of imagination and reality can blend finely to accentuate the world-building of your book with a few easy tricks. 

1. Take your novel to a place no one’s ever been before. This is a tricky one that usually involves a lot of time dedicated to building your world—as in, continent, globe, atmosphere, whatever the story encompasses—and giving it its own depth. Good examples of this are Under the Never Sky (Veronica Rossi), The Lord of the Rings (J. R. R. Tolkien) and Homeland (R. A. Salvatore). They individually construct a whole universe from scratch and the details within that make it complete. This method is especially popular with high fantasy books. 

2. This place looks familiar, but there’s something different here. This technique draws directly from writing what you know and adds a twist on it, in terms of specific areas of the city or country. Authors who use this approach are often very in-tune with the setting, i.e. the city, and give it a flare that’s important to the book. For good examples, note the City of Bones in City of Bones (Cassandra Clare), which the main characters access in Brooklyn, New York (the author’s city of residence, as well as the protagonists’). It is stated by one of the characters that the City of Bones has many entrances, one of which just so happens to be in New York, and the City of Bones itself is integral to the progression of the novel. Another good example lies within Little Brother (Cory Doctorow), where the main characters are involved in an Alternate Reality Game called Harajuku Madness, and they meet up at a café in San Francisco that drives the entire premise for the rest of the novel. The city is specific and the author demonstrates obvious intimate familiarity with it, but he inserted the café in the city where the characters encounter something that changes their lives forever. 

3. Something feels different? Make it the norm. Because I don’t have any insight on any authors who have taken this approach for their books, I can’t provide examples, but I can say that another way of straying from using strictly what you know and only what you know is using what you happened across once. Maybe it was an unusually cold and foggy day in the middle of fall when that kind of weather for your town is reserved for early spring. Maybe the summer temperatures were an all-new high this year and that’s extremely uncommon, a record, in fact. Use that! Place your characters in a strange situation and either instate it in a common, well-known city or make it its own city with that very characteristic as a normal thing. In Threshold (Bill Myers), it’s an extremely hot summer that isn’t lost on the story’s main characters, to whom this fact becomes integral in their discoveries of their fates as the novel progresses. 

4. Three words: Compile it all. Use a street from your old neighborhood, a nearby construction zone from a vacation house you spent the summer in when you were 7, the distance of your high school and the cramped quarters of your first apartment with a roommate to develop the block on which your character lives. Make it believable enough to flesh out. It’s like Cobb says in Inception: “Use details, a stop sign, a lamp post, never entire areas. It’s the easiest way to lose your grip on what’s real and what isn’t.” …Not an exact quote haha. But it gets the point across. Maybe not the second part, but the first part for sure.

If you’ve never been to Oregon AND have no. freakin. clue. what it’s like there, but it’s important to the characters and story that events transpire there, Option 1, Option 2 and Option 3 are probably not the best choices for you. If your world grew up on its own and is meant to not resemble anything like our current world, Option 2, Option 3 and Option 4 are probably not gonna be your friend. Point is, find a medium, get your angle and work it. You’re not going to convince a reader who has lived in Amsterdam for three-fourths of their life that your character has too if you’re going for the raw details-of-the-environment approach and it rings more true to the tune of Michigan than Amsterdam.

At the very least, do your damned research. Characters are meant to be propelled by their environment. They need a place to be with enough life, reality and stamina to sustain their propulsion. Don’t embarrass yourself, but don’t be afraid to explore either.

Spur of the Moment by Candace Bowen Early

*Giveaway Bonus*

The contest is CLOSED! The winner of both a signed copy of A Knight of Silence and a signed copy of Spur of the Moment along with signed bookmarks is Heather. Enjoy the review!

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Bronwyn Chase is a popular historical romance writer whose books have consistently made the New York Times bestseller list. Women of various ages love her work, but all the attention Bronwyn receives does little more than overwhelm her. When the story begins, Bronwyn is a young woman who doesn't really live life so much as lets it happen. She's on a plane to New York City, even though she hates planes and would rather stay at home to write, largely due to the demands of her controlling agent.

Throughout her rough childhood, writing was the only thing that brought her peace. All those stories about the medieval world and knights in shining armor came so naturally to her that she often felt more like she belonged in that time period than the 21st century...

Well, as it turns out, that trip to New York City that Bronwyn dreaded so much ends up being exactly what she needed. There she learns that she DOES belong in the 12th century.

First she meets Albert, a chauffeur who quickly becomes one of her closest friends. When she agrees to explore the town with him, she and Albert notice that a beautiful woman wearing a dress from the middle ages keeps popping up everywhere they go and eerily watching from afar, but Albert and Brownyn ignore and soon forget about her as the night goes on.

As soon as Bronwyn is alone, the woman asks a favor of Brownyn that will forever change her life: Can you save my son by winning his heart? However, there's a major problem. Beside having to go back to the 12th century, she has to win the heart of a man who is being bewitched by a sick, powerful wicce...in less than four days.

When it comes to stories that take place in more than one timeline and country and it's well done, I always want to take my hat off to the writer. Candace Bowen Early must've put so much research and time into getting all the facts straight within this story. Of course, having not done the research myself, I can't be certain if the facts are straight, but it's at least straight enough to never knock me out of the story.

I loved when Bronwyn's modern day English threw the people in the 12th century off. The moments of miscommunication and confusion made me smile. I also really liked how Early foreshadowed so many plot points that would prove to be important later. That spur that got Bronwyn to the 12th century? Don't forget it. The power of belief? Don't forget it.

Because I haven't really been a big fan of romance novels since middle school, I'm not sure how much values this holds coming from me, but at some points I felt the romance was too much, almost like I was being force fed how much Bronwyn and Euric loved each other. But I think that was the only problem I really had with the story, and it's a subjective problem anyway.

Early tied the story up really well, so when I read that there would be a sequal - Wicked Embers - I was wondering how that could work. Then I learned that it would be told from the point of view of a minor character introduced near the end of this book. I love when authors do that. It makes the story's world seem so much larger, and I know I'm excited to give the second book a try.

An extra shot at the Spur of the Moment photo shoot

Find Candace Bowen Early

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Rhemalda Publishing
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Seven Realms Publishing



　

Modern Horror: Creepypasta and ARG

    The core art of storytelling has always remained the same, even though it's constantly refined through modern media. Even before cave drawings, we told stories around campfires. People have retold these stories time and time again, and they slowly evolved, becoming more fantastic with each telling due to the “Chinese Whispers“ effect. While authors have become more inventive and systematic over time, it was this earliest form of storytelling that widened mankind’s imagination and began the tradition. The methods have changed, but word of mouth has given rise to rumors, ghost stories, urban legends, and even the basis for religion. All fantastic stories, all inspiring belief. This practice is still very much alive.

    The creepypasta: a bastardization of the term “copypasta,” derived from "copy/paste" and referring to a message copied and pasted en masse. The creepypasta began the same way: short horror stories of varying length, posted on various websites and forums throughout the internet, and often passed off as fact to spark up a scare. You’ve likely seen them before; most people have. “DON’T READ THIS.” Sound familiar? Posts like this plague the internet every day, especially the comments sections of video streaming sites.

     Creepypastas started as a minor annoyance with the superstitious backing of old-fashioned chain mail. They have been largely ignored, disregarded as trolling, or spammed and hidden, but they certainly haven’t gone unheard. In fact, they’ve become quite the popular phenomenon over the years. As any Facebook friend of mine would know, these stories have been my personal fascination for some time now. They‘re addicting, and a lot like pizza: good or bad, it’s still creepypasta, and I still love it.

    A large part of any urban legend’s mystique is that the origin and author of the story tends to fade into obscurity over time. After a while, it comes into question whether or not there was ever an original author. Some even begin to entertain the idea that the story is true, and that is when the story reaches the height of its art. That is how we ended up with tales like Bloody Mary, La Llarona, and The Amityville Horror. This remains true of the creepypasta, and it has spawned such stories as “smile.dog,” “Pokemon Black,” and “Ben drowned.” These tales of cursed image files and haunted video games strike fear at the very heart of modern media.

smile.dog

      Many websites have been dedicated to these stories, including compilations, submission forums, and even analysis discussions, such as the Creepypasta Wiki. Another notable collection/submission website is the Creepypasta Index. After visiting this site, I became inspired to try my hand at writing one. One of my works is featured there, as well, entitled “The Hidden Things.” Shameless plugging, I know. But that is essentially the purpose of a blog, isn't it?

     After so many of these stories came into circulation, Youtube has hosted several channels by enthusiastic readers, and the best of them bring these stories to life. One of the channels that introduced me to the fascination belongs to MrCreepyPasta. His channel is updated regularly and has built a respectable following. I would recommend it as a starting point for any curious readers. He takes requests, and he has touched on some of the most popular, and chilling, to be found so far.

Perhaps the most notorious of all creepypasta stories began with a single image:

    This image was a contest entry at SomethingAwful.com, a contest for doctored photographs depicting supernatural phenomena, eventually used to stage hoaxes on paranormal message boards. This image made its rounds, and it quickly spawned stories of a “slender man” who haunts and abducts children. Inspired by these stories, independent film director Troy Wagner created a long running and still active independent film series known as “Marble Hornets,” told through two separate channels on Youtube. These films fleshed out the Slender Man myth in graphic and immersive detail, and they gave the myth more dimension and momentum than ever before.

    Since its debut on June 20th, 2009, Marble Hornets has gained a massive cult following and inspired many fan-made spin-offs. Series of particular interest have been Youtube channels TribeTwelve, EverymanHYBID and CompileTRUTH. Popular blogs have included “Dreams in Darkness,” “Watch This City Burn,” and “Just Another Fool.” All of these fan-created works, among many others, have added to the Slender Man mythos in many ways. They have all masqueraded as reality, and all promoted its popularity until it eventually became a common meme all its own.

    The mythos reached its true potential when these stories started to meld and cooperate. Channels began to reference one another, frequently cameo each others’ key characters and concepts, and actively drive each others’ plots all while maintaining their realistic facades. This trend continues even now, and while it may not be the first instance of such a thing, it has become part of a new and revolutionary form of storytelling: the ARG.

    The ARG (Alternate Reality Game) allows an engrossing experience that was not possible until the internet united the world. It is a large, collaborative effort forming a web that spans far and wide. The reader (or audience, if you like) is no longer bound by a fourth wall and limited to a vicarious experience. The story is happening now, all around you, and you are placed at the eye of storm. You are encouraged to follow the detective trail. The more you investigate, the more you find. The more you find, the more connections you make for yourself, the more theories you form. You begin to find yourself personally involved with the story even if you choose not to participate.

    Beyond the Slender Man mythos, I have heard of few others that have taken this approach. However, I hope this method grows and becomes a modern standard. Not only is it interesting to follow, but it is inspiring in many ways. It reminds us of just how creative people can really be, and what great things can be accomplished through cooperation and common interest.

    Writers, especially, can learn from these stories. We know that life experience and empathy for our characters is the key to everything. In these stories, the experience is brought right to your doorstep, inviting you to step inside. As I am still an amateur myself, far be it from me to give advice for success. Even still, I can tell you that my fascination with these stories has done wonders for my personal inspiration and drive. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Pleasant nightmares,

~Aaron






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Links:

The Creepypasta Wiki -- creepypasta.wikia.com/wiki/Creepypasta_Wiki
The Creepypasta Index -- www.creepypastaindex.com
MrCreepyPasta -- www.youtube.com/user/MrCreepyPasta
Marble Hornets - www.youtube.com/user/MarbleHornets
Tribe Twelve - www.youtube.com/user/TribeTwelve
Everyman HYBRID - www.youtube.com/user/EverymanHYBRID
Compile TRUTH - www.youtube.com/user/compileTRUTH
   

   
   

Icarus by J.S. Chancellor

Jessica Slate is a kindred covenant. In other words, she's a high-ranking vampire and assassin who is as sassy as she is revered for her strength. Part of what makes her one of the best assassins is her willingness to kill any target without ever asking why. She's perfectly content thinking that the male voice she often hears in her mind is just a figment of her imagination. She doesn't question why she has no other choice but to be an assassin and take Icarus, an injection from the Powers That Be that keeps her alive.


This all changes when she's sent on an odd mission. Usually she's required to assassinate vampires who've committed treason against the High Coven, but this time the higher ups want her only to retrieve the target. When she finds him and roughs him up a little, he's adamant on letting her know that everything she knows is a lie.


As much as she doesn't want to believe it, a series of events quickly forces Jessica to understand that everything she thought she knew IS a lie, leaving her with lots of overwhelming questions and answers. What role does her mentor and on/off again lover Tristan play in the grand scheme of things? Who is Jacelynd and why does she feel like he's familiar?


While it's important that Jessica regains her memory for her own sake, she also must do so for the sake of humanity. Only if she remembers can she stop the apocalypse...for now.


The moment I started Icarus, I knew it was a book J.S. Chancellor had fun writing. The book starts with a cool introduction that lets readers peak into Chancellor's mind and learn more about the story's creation. Then there's a small paragraph that summarizes what Icarus is in Greek Mythology. Last, but not least, each chapter title is also the title of a song, so J.S. Chancellor notes in the beginning which song the chapter gets its title from. That way, when reading the chapter, you can listen to the corresponding song on the playlist. I thought that was a nice idea.


I really liked how genre savvy Jessica was. In the beginning, she jokes around about cliches that run rampant in vampire fiction and tries to say that vampirism, in reality, is actually not like that stuff at all. For the most part, this is essentially a love triangle story. At some points, the relationship stuff made my heart soar, but other times I felt it could be a bit sappy. I loved how the characters at the end of the story definitely felt different from the characters at the beginning. The conflict nicely built up and came to a good close.


It's not a good idea to read this for the apocalypse part of the storyline, since that is something that is mostly only happening in the background. While at the same time it seems like Jessica cares about what happens to humanity, it also seems like the love triangle and Jessica regaining her memories is more important.


I really did like this book, namely because it's fun. Though there are very serious moments, I still feel like this book's purpose was never meant to be some literary masterpiece or a book that would be seen as entirely unique to other supernatural books. I smiled at the witty conversations and felt all warm and tingly at the moments of pure love. And hey, maybe that was Chancellor's purpose all along.

The Wild and Fictional World of Teenagers

Fake may be dazzling, but fake is also false.
Not everything that glitters is gold, kids.

Let me preface this post by first saying, Hi! I'm Sierra, an aspiring author and editor, and I'm new here! That's all. Now to tackle the issue of dazzlingly fictitious lives of teenagers, more often than not as portrayed at the fingertips of--you guessed it, not REAL teenagers, but ADULTS.

Some of the most popular titles in 2011 explored an overwhelmingly teenaged female protagonist (sometimes even fast-forwarded by some means into motherhood). Twilight saga? Check. Hunger Games trilogy? Check. Hush, Hush series? Check. Etc., etc. Take a look into the crazily inhabited Young Adult fiction world and you'll find tons of young girls falling in love with men that usually sweep them off their feet... from their seats in school.

These girls are nice girls. They're boring or, if they're interesting, only a few people know it, and they're the ones who count. They're nice enough that they don't get picked on too much. And they are, without exception, the most virginally chaste group of people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying all teenagers are horny drug-abusers with criminal backgrounds and relatively peaceful home lives. But some are.

The kids I went to school with, my friends, even I MYSELF, have never really laid eyes on the likes of these girls who fall so deeply and madly in love with (usually) superhuman men of their dreams. The kids I knew in school cursed. They fought. They thought they were tough shit. They worked their butts off for their education. They didn't get hand-outs. Their relationships were rocky, but not deadly. Their jobs sometimes interfered with their education. Some wanted to join the military. Some wanted to be a dancer. Some couldn't care less about school and dragged along in advanced classes with Cs and Ds, barely passing. Some played sports, and for some that meant more than health class, though for others it was merely a past time or a good way to keep in shape, even still for others it was pushed on them by controlling parents. Some went home at midnight. Some went home directly after school. Some had chores to complete, and some wasted away in front of the computer for hours on end. Some had cars, some had to take the bus and some lived within walking distance of the school whereas others caught rides. Some had sisters, some had brothers, some had parents who went to the same school and had the same teachers. They were real.

But it's those people that I never read about, ever. It is my personal belief that, if the characters have to spend time at school, at least make it dynamic. Because, after all, isn't that what fiction is all about? Taking everyone on a ride that changes this person you've created to change for the better, or sometimes for the worse? What's the use if the backdrop is too meaningless to convey any palpable message?

My point is, Write what you know. If high school is pivotal in your book, make it pivotal, not a cardboard cut-out of Student Council Presidents and Evil Cheerleaders.

But my REAL point is, There's nothing wrong with a scarred heart falling in love, for real this time. Girls who knows nothing of love, and have never tried to, or have never given it any thought, or have never attempted to give anything of themselves to anyone else and failed... don't have to hog all the whimsical desperation that is "true love." Trust me, True Love is not alone reserved for virgins who have never been kissed. Love doesn't have to be in the shape of a triangle. Love doesn't have to blindside you. Love doesn't have to be a choice between life or death. And love doesn't have to be real, 100%, all the time. It can fracture. It can scar. It can happen to anyone. Not just these nice, boring girls.

And that's food for thought, kids.

Big 2012 Giveaway Winners!

For a month, I held a big contest here at Reader's Den with the following prizes:

• 1st Place: Choose any 7 books from the giveaway list. I will also edit 10,000 words of your novel/short story.
• 2nd Place: Choose any 5 books. I will also edit 5000 words of your novel/short story.
• 3rd place: Choose any 3 books. I will also edit 1000 words.

Now it's time to announce the winners!

1st Place:
Cindy R.

2nd Place:
Kathryn H.

3rd Place:
Nancye E. D.

Speaking of giveaways and prizes, tomorrow is the last day to enter into the giveaway for David Alderman's novel "Black Earth: End of the Innocence." All you have to do is comment for the chance to win a digital copy of the book.

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