Happy Endings?

                Obligatory "Sorry I haven't done a proper post in forever" explanation ahead. Long, boring story short: school and work are the greedy friends who monopolize my time and refuse to share me with anyone else. So don't blame me, blame them. Unsurprisingly, most of what I think about revolves around my classes. We just finished Oedipus Rex in AP Literature and as if I didn't have enough homework and lack of sleep to brighten my day, the play's resolution is heartbreaking. Another long story short: there is one less pair of eyes by the end of the play.

                This got me thinking; I've never read a Young Adult novel with a tragic ending. I didn't find the Hunger Games trilogy ending all that happy and The Fault in Our Stars wasn't full of kittens and rainbows, but did they give me the same rip-out-my-heart-so-I-can-just-die-already feeling that Oedipus Rex or the Great Gatsby did. If Young Adult novels are bitter at all, they are bitter sweet. So my question is, would a completely tragic ending in a book written for teenagers work?

                A lot of YA deals in escapism, allowing teenagers to forget about the stress of the real world for a few chapters. The stories may have fear, pain, and danger, but they don't launch the reader into a world more hopeless than their own. That's not to make YA literature sound shallow. It deals with unbelievably hard topics, from eating disorders to death and suicide. Only the characters are meant to serve as inspiration, to show that these problems can be overcome. But would a book with no light at the end of the tunnel still be a good read? Would it sell? I don't know the answer, but if anyone has any examples of this, feel free to comment.

P.S. I'm now on Twitter @EmmaSchmidtke

The Making of a Cover

     My friend Maggie, an ammeter photographer, came over around noon today, camera in tow. We walked down a trail to a nearby lake and roamed until Maggie found a spot without a branch or a weed out of place. I crawled through what was very likely poison ivy-infested grass to get to a pile of rocks that looked like it was placed there for us.
     I stood there, looking out at the lake, imagining that I was the main character of my novel. I told myself that my best friend had just died and now I had to look out at the world and somehow make sense of it all, alone. Maggie was taking pictures of me from behind, so my acting probably did no good, but we managed to get two or three acceptable shots.
     Then we figured there was little left to do except photoshop my hair red, like my main character's. Being as inexperienced in graphic design as we were photoshop, this took about three hours and four cans of soda. Eventually, we achieved the shade I had envisioned and picked a font somewhere in between mystery novel and chic-lit.
     It turned out amazing and has only gotten me more excited for this whole process. I'm planning on publishing my novel through Amazon within the next few weeks and will probably charge somewhere around $2.99 for it. Here's the cover:

Summer Reading, Had Me a Blast: Beautiful

         Beautiful by Amy Reed is the story of Cassie's Go Ask Alice style transformation from a normal, small town teenager into an acid-taking, boy-hunting wild child. She is in a whirlpool of drugs, sex, and sociopaths that is threatening to drown her, all in the pursuit of being labelled beautiful.

         This book makes for an uncomfortable, often painful read. But that's the point. The writing is ugly, dwelling on every scab, barf, and dirty bed sheet Cassie's downward sweeps across. This isn't the sit-by-the-pool, candy-coated read you may be looking for this summer, but this book is fascinating. Cassie learns a few lessons along the way and there is a bright spot in her friend, Sarah, who is one of the few supporting characters that is not completely villainous. Even if you have to wait till the summer is over and the weather is dark and dreary enough to put you in the right mindset, pick up this book.

Next up on my summer reading list: Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen

P.S.: Read Go Ask Alice first. That book is amazing.

Summer Reading, Had Me a Blast: My Boyfriends' Dogs

         The first official book of the Summer! My Boyfriends' Dogs by Dandi Daley Mackall takes the reader through Bailey Daley's misguided dating life, involving three perfect dogs and three less-than-perfect boyfriends. With each relationship, Bailey attempts to change herself to find the happily ever after with her man, only to find out that the boy is never worth it. Through it all, she learns that love should be like pet ownership, your companion should love you just the way you are.
         The whole book I was screaming "He's not worth it!" But Bailey's blind love is relatable to anyone who has ever been a teenager. And she learns from her mistakes. She has the quirkiness of a side character, which is why I love that Mackall gave her the development of a main character. The writing is sometimes cliché (She just wants to be a gecko!) and some of the other important characters are pretty static, such as Bailey's best friend and her mom, but the message is sound. Don't change yourself for the one you're with. Also, dogs are always better than boys. I can agree with that.
         Next up on Emma's Summer Reading list: Vegan Virgin Valentine by Carolyn Mackler.



         It would be unfair to talk about fictional dogs without showing you a picture of my puppy:

Introductions are Lame

         Introductions are lame. Oh wait...I already said that in the title...Um...Uh.... *breathes heavily and looks down at feet* Hi and welcome to my blog. My name is Emma. *laughs nervously. Drops laptop.* Oh geez, I'm sorry. I'll just go.
         But in all seriousness, introductions are horribly awkward, even over the internet. All I wanted to say is: hi, I'm Emma and I'm an aspiring author. I created this blog because what better way to spend a beautiful summer than sitting in inside and blogging about reading and writing? *Drops laptop again* Oh god.