“Human” by Ethel Veva King Inspires Anne

Human Behavior

Naveera never felt more alive than during nighttime in Manhattan. Her boyfriend, Damien, gripped her hand tight, as he led her past lampposts and tourists on Fashion Avenue. One of the design firms held a by-invitation-only rave for tonight only. Damien scored the invite because he knew a girl who worked there. It gave Naveera a funny feeling that Damien always knew a girl, like falling from a height or getting high.

From across the street, strobe lights pulsed on one of the upper floors. Shadows flickered past the windows, followed by the familiar trails of glow sticks. She let herself be pulled toward the stone building, past the line of clubbers, and right up to the side door. The bouncer barely looked in her direction as he nodded Damien through.

After spending nearly $350 on a fake ID that she didn’t get the chance to use, Naveera gritted her teeth. The guy that printed it promised it would pass scanners and black light tests with a money-back guarantee. She wanted to test the theory. The only thing he couldn’t promise was her seventeen-ass self would pass for twenty-two. Naveera eyed her wardrobe: short skirt, tight top, and a push-up bra. So much skin, and the damn bouncer glossed her over!

A thick girl, with piercings Naveera envied, waved them further into the building. “I’m so glad you made it!” the girl’s lip ring cooed. “The rest of your band’s not here yet.”

“Oh,” Damien said. He didn’t match the other girl’s smile. Warm relief flooded through Naveera. “It’s early.”

She watched the girl’s pierced eyebrow raised when Damien introduced her as his girlfriend. Naveera shook the other girl’s hand, secretly feeling sorry for disappointing her. Clearly, she thought Damien was available. Clearly, Damien let her think it.

Audrey’s Cimmerian Tales Book Club

A couple months ago, I was scouring through the YA section of my annual library book sale when I discovered Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway. Obviously I had to have it because how often do you find a book with your name in the title? If your name were Audrey, then your answer would be pretty much never. Anyways, I loved the book and I hope you’ll give it a read as well.

About the book:

Audrey, Wait! is the story of 16 year old Audrey Cuttler who dumps her musician boyfriend and then has to deal with the embarrassing, hilarious, and crazy fame inducing consequences when her ex’s song about their break-up becomes a worldwide phenomenon. Paparazzi, reporters, and high school drama plague Audrey but she’ll do whatever it takes to get her life back.

My Comments:

I thought the book was charming and funny with an original story idea. I enjoyed the characters a lot, especially Audrey at her most sarcastic and James at his most adorkable. I thought Robin did a great job writing a YA novel and staying current without trying too hard to sound like she was writing for teens. I actually did laugh out loud (reminded me of the humor of Sophie Kinsella – who I also love).  The pacing was really perfect. At the beginning of every chapter, Robin put a quote from a song. I haven’t done it yet but I think it would be fun to make a playlist of those songs and read the book with the music. The chapters are fairly short so I think it would work. Let me know if you’ve tried this.

About the Author:

Robin Benway is the author of Audrey, Wait!, The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June, and the Also Known As series. Her newest book, Going Rogue (AKA series) came out yesterday. You can find out all about her on her blog robinbenway.com, but she loves making paper snowflakes like me, which is pretty awesome.

My Favorite Quote:

“He looked like someone’s proud grandparent. “Audrey, this is Mr. Farris.” When I didn’t say anything, Ron continued. “He’s the regional sales manager for all the Scooper Doopers across the country. You know, Mr. Farris?”

I don’t know about you, but if I ever became a regional sales manager for the Scooper Dooper franchise, I’d try to pinpoint where my life went so wrong.”

Jen’s No Rules Friday

Happy Friday everyone! Today I would like to give you all the gift of music. National Novel Writing Month is creeping up on us, and it is important to stockpile a few solid playlists to get us through thousands of words.  The following are some of my favorite writing jams.

1. Lights, by Ellie Goulding, the Bassnectar Remix.  Caution: This is Dubstep, and I probably wrote the back half of my completes manuscript to this song. It’s a lot of bass and the feel of falling, and perfect for in-the-zone writing.

2. I Was Wrong, by Sleeperstar. Our lovely Anne introduced me to the band and I think I asked her 17 times how to loop it on youtube to use for writing. Thankfully she obliged because this song on repeat is so pretty that you won’t be able to stop.

3. Rain, by Klaypex. Loud and messy and pretty. Great for fast paced moments.

4. Boy with a Coin, by Iron and Wine. This song makes me so nostalgic sometimes I can’t stand it, but its consistent and pretty and a little exotic somehow. Perfect for concentration when a scene demands quiet.

5. Between Two Points, by The Glitch Mob. The vocals in this are full of wanting, great for writing kisses.

6. Smarter, by Eisley. This vocals in this gem are the kind that look back. It’s clever and complex and has really nice imagery that goes along with conflict nicely. It’s the aftermath, the rebuild.

7. Future, by Paramore. Not only are the vocals soft and sure and gorgeous, the instrumental build is perfect for powering through words.

8. Dark Come Soon, by Tegan and Sara. Good for the dark and twisty parts.

9. My Love, by Sia. I doubt this needs explanation. Use it for the squishy heart writing. Is that a thing? I made it a thing.

10. Let it Be, by Blackmill.  This is my current favorite to stick on repeat with a good pair of headphones. Perfect balance of strong, soft vocals with a electronic foundation. It’s all heavy and wandering. I could listen to it forever.

My top ten is full of bass and lyrics that want. The key to good writing music is power, whether it’s heavy or light. I would love to know what your favorite writing songs are. I hope these can inspire and get you through those next thousand words over and over again.