Making tough decisions

I've recently received some valuable feedback regarding the plot of Shadow Embraced, so I've been in major revision mode. But, along the way I've had to make decisions as to what to change and what I really want to keep.

During my edits, I've had to be very selective about which advice I follow. So, what I learnt during this process is:

Writing, and reading, is very subjective. One person may hate something, some element of the story, while another may love it. I have learnt this by being a part of a critique group. Not everyone is going to love the story.

So, how do you make the tough decisions when it comes to writing? Do you have anyone reading the story before it's complete?

Why I've been missing... and back now...

That above picture explains it all. I've had my final stretch of uni wrapping up (as well as a new class starting), not to mention work finally kicking into top gear, so I haven't had time for much lately.

What I got done:

• 8 weeks of readings I'd fallen behind in and posted a comment on the forum (in 2 classes)
• 2 essays & 1 research project on how children learn
• Working over 30 hours (while still studying)
• Doing a Shakespeare test without having read the material (boy, that was fun)
• 30,000 word (so far) major edit to Shadow Embraced, thanks to some fantastic feedback I received for it.

That's my previous couple of weeks. I'm now back (with only 1 course to go until I graduate), and I'm not going anywhere.

So, what has everyone been up to?

Review:Divergent

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis (From Goodreads): Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

Veronica Roth has created an interesting world in Divergent where everyone is divided into five distinct factions based on five personality traits (brave, selfless, intelligent, honest and peaceful). When Beatrice is put through the standard test to identify which faction she must "choose", she discovers that she's a Divergent. She is one person that has the ability to choose from a number of factions, she also is told that if anyone were to learn her life could be in danger. When it comes time to choose her faction, she has to decide between her Abnegation family (selfless) and that of Dauntless (brave). What she chooses suprises everyone. She chooses Dauntless.

As the initiation starts, Beatrice (who decides to change her name to Tris) has to prove that she is as brave and strong as the others who only sees her as a Abnegation stiff. She soon learns that being a Divergent helps her succeed in the trials, but she has to learn why being a Divergent is so dangerous and who, if they found out what she was, will stop at nothing to kill her.

Divergent is a compelling debut that shows a structured dystopian world and the power struggle that could play out if one group would be given all the power. Tris and all the other characters all come alive. Just like the different factions, she is strong, brave and selfless (even though she doesn't think she is). Four is also a strong character who, even though he does things to pick on and make Tris stand out, really cares for her, and their rollercoaster relationship is  compelling.

The faction of Dauntless, there's no other word but, wow... the scenery Roth has painted inside the mountain and the actions, mostly which include jumping on and off speeding trains and jumping off cliffsides, really provided a thrilling read. Put that with the dangerous mystery of what Divergent really means, and why those who have been named it often are found dead, makes Veronica Roth's Divergent a page turning thriller. Anyone who loves Dystopian novels will definately love the atmosphere that Roth creates. I look forward to the next in this new trillogy.

Source: Audible

2011 YA Reading Challenge: #26 of 50
2011 Debut Author Challenge: #12 of 20

Campaigner Challenge #1

Rachel at Rach Writes has posted the first challenge of the campaigner challenge. The goal is to write a flash story of 200 words or less using the opening phrase of "the door swung open". I've decided to challenge myself extra hard and (a big surprise) my story came up at exactly 200 words.

The child
The door swung open, revealing a small silhouette standing on the doorstep. A small girl in a white dress stepped forward. Rain dripped from her chestnut braids.

“Are you okay?” Danielle asked. A flash of lightning illuminated the sky. There were no cars or any sign of how this small girl ended up here at this hour. “Are you lost?”

The girl walked straight past Danielle. Her bare feet left wet footprints behind her. “It’s coming,” the girl whispered in a barely audible voice.

“What?” Danielle followed the girl down the hall. A crack of thunder echoed around the corridor, making her jump. “Do you want me to get you some help?”

“It’s coming.” The girl stopped in front of a closed door. Her small hands, turning the knob with ease, pushed it open. “You can’t hide.”

Danielle flicked on the light and looked into her room. Nothing out of the ordinary.

The girl moved over to the mirror.

Danielle couldn’t take her eyes off the reflection. The rotted flesh hung from the white bone of the skull. Sunken sockets, with no eyes, stared back.

“I’m coming!” the girl whispered as the lights flicked off and the door swung shut.

Top 100 YA Novels

This is a list that is making its way around the blogs at the moment. I found it at Becky's Barmy Book Blog and thought it would be fun to see which books I have actually read.

1. Alex Finn – Beastly *
2. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
3. Ally Carter – Callagher Girls (1*, 2, 3, 4)
4. Ally Condie – Matched *
5. Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
6. Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills *
7. Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
8. Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
9. Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
10. Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
11. Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)
12. Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1*, 2)
13. Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
14. Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
15. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1*, 2, 3, 4)
16. Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3)
17. Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1*, 2*, 3*, 4)
18. Christopher Paolini – Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
19. Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
20. Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
21. Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
22. Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
23. Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1*, 2*, 3*, 4*, 5, 6, 7)
24. Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1*, 2*, 3)
26. Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
27. Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
28. Holly Black – Tithe (1*, 2, 3)
29. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
30. James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1*, 2)
31. James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
32. Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why
33. Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
34. Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
35. John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
36. John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
37. John Green – Looking for Alaska
38. John Green – Paper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
41. Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3*)
42. Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
43. Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3)
44. Lemony Snicket – Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
45. Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1*, 2*, 3*)
46. Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
47. Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10
48. M.T. Anderson – Feed *
49. Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
50. Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
51. Maria V. Snyder – Study (1*, 2, 3)
52. Markus Zusak – The Book Thief *
53. Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
54. Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time *
55. Mary Ting – Crossroads
56. Maureen Johnson – Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
57. Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)
58. Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
59. Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
60. Meg Rosoff – How I live now
61. Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
62. Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)
63. Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road *
64. Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
65. Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1*, 2, 3, 4, 5)
66. Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2*, 3*, 4*)
67. Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
68. Neal Shusterman – Unwind *
69. Neil Gaiman – Coraline
70. Neil Gaiman – Stardust
71. Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5*, 6*, 7*, 8*)
73. Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
74. Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
76. Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
77. Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1*, 2, 3, 4, 5)
78. Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
79. S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
81. Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride
82. Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key
83. Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
84. Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
85. Scott Westerfeld – Leviathan (1, 2)
86. Scott Westerfeld – Uglies (1, 2, 3)
87. Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
88. Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
89. Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
91. Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
92. Stephanie Meyer – The Host
93. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
94. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
96. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
97. Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
98. Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
99. Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)
100. Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

* On my bookshelf, just waiting for me to get around to reading.

Okay, so I have more on my bookshelf than I've read. I've really got to get around to reading all the TBR pile that keeps growing and growing and growing. I think they need to stop putting out new, fantastic books so I can catch up.

So, how many books have you read from the list? Which books are you dying to read but just haven't gotten around to?