Holly Schindler Writes...

Holly Schindler is the author of A Blue So Dark.

Sypnosis of A Blue So Dark:

Fifteen-year-old Aura Ambrose has been hiding a secret. Her mother, a talented artist and art teacher, is slowly being consumed by schizophrenia, and Aura has been her sole caretaker ever since Aura's dad left them. Convinced that “creative” equals crazy, Aura shuns her own artistic talent. But as her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet draws Aura toward the depths of her imagination. Just as desperation threatens to swallow her whole, Aura discovers that art, love, and family are profoundly linked—and together may offer an escape from her fears.

Today, I have a guest blog, on a very fitting topic, by Holly.

Getting Out Of A (Reading OR Writing) Slump

It can happen to any of us…our once-insatiable appetite for literature drops, with no explanation. Whether it’s a reading or writing passion, if it disappears, it can leave you feeling…kind of…guilty. Like you’re completely slacking.

I say, get RID of the guilt. In my book, a slump is a sign that you’ve grown.

Yup, that’s right. You’ve grown—because you’re no longer challenged. You’re stagnating. A slump means it’s time to expand those borders.

Do not—I repeat—do NOT decide you need a break. Instead, get yourself to the library. And head STRAIGHT for the genre section you never approached before. Maybe romance. Or sci-fi. Or literary classics. Whatever you once avoided like the plague, ATTACK it. Immerse yourself. You’ll soon find yourself rejuvenated. I promise. Because a new genre means you’ve been thrown into a brand-new world.

And if you’re a writer, the same applies—finding it hard to get motivated? Put aside your current project—not for forever, just for a while. Again, do NOT take a break. Stay in the rhythm of writing…but write something (say, a short story) in a genre you once thought you’d never master. (Even try your hand at poetry!) Once you’ve written a short piece—just for fun—you’ll find yourself ready to head back to tackle your current WIP.

This bit of advice actually helped me find my way to the subject of my sophomore novel, PLAYING HURT, due out in 2011…My debut (A BLUE SO DARK) is a literary problem novel. PLAYING HURT is a romance.

Yep, genre hopping. I’m pretty sure it’s the spice of life…

If you would like to find out more about Holly or her books, you can visit her website or her blog!

Alisa Libby Visits...

As a from of The King's Rose tour for Traveling to Teens, I have a guest blog from Alisa Libby.

Experiences from a Teen Writer

Some of my experiences as a teen writer – scary! I think I was considered the “weird poet girl” of my year in high school. It's a title I'm pretty proud of now, but it's not always an easy road. I was teased (and rightly so) for using the word “verisimilitude” in a rhyming poem about vampires for English class. I was also working on an epic vampire poem entitled “Requiem” that involved a castle and wolves.

In the midst of all of this gothic poetry writing (most of it quite horrible, I assure you) I read about Countess Bathory, this creepy 16th century Countess who believed that bathing in the blood of virgins would keep her beautiful for eternity. I was completely riveted by this story—and utterly horrified. I was a wimp at heart; by the time I finished reading I wanted to physically hide from that book, as if it may open it's covers and bite me in my sleep. 

The thought did not occur to me then: this will be my first novel, The Blood Confession, and I will write it in the point of view of the blood-bathing countess, and I will write it for teenagers. But I think that the things that frighten us leave their impression—especially if it's something we experience as a teenager. I remember feeling things very deeply at that time. This is probably why I find young adult characters so fascinating to write, and why it's such a wonderful, receptive audience.