“If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” ― Toni Morrison
The Twilight series is something I have been wanting to talk about for some time now, but lacked the courage to do so. It is potentially one of the most openly hated books to come out of the 21st century (a position only recently overtaken by 50 Shades of Grey) and is still mocked to… Continue reading What the Backlash of “Twilight” Taught Me
I read the book 13 Reasons Why in high school before this Netflix series came out and it's always stuck with me. From what I've read on social media, it would seem that the TV show has had the same effect and it's become a hit amongst teens and adults alike. However, like any good show, it… Continue reading The “13 Reasons Why” Controversy
For those of you who aren't familiar with what a Mary Sue is, it's essentially a female character that is too perfect. A character that is always morally correct no matter what, has all the male protagonists drooling themselves over her even though she would describe herself as plain, and is special without having to… Continue reading Why Do People Write Mary Sues?
When I was a child I daydreamed all the time about talking to my favorite writers. While I was toiling for hours over my own horrible manuscripts, I would wonder to myself what wisdom they would impart onto me if I ever mustered up the courage to write to them. Writers back then were these… Continue reading Social Media Killed My Curiosity About Authors
A few years ago, my novel writing class had a high-profile guest speaker talk to us: the award-winning author of a YA book we had been assigned to read about a week prior. I was pretty jazzed about it considering how much I'd enjoyed the story. I've had predominately good experiences with meeting published authors… Continue reading When a Writer You Admire is a Jerk
If you have perused a YA section of a bookstore in the last three years, then you've likely come across the cover of a fairytale reimagining. Perhaps one book tells the story of Cinderella, a valiant warrior, who loses her magical boot in the middle of a battle and an infatuated warlord must return it… Continue reading Are Fairytale Reimaginings Becoming Unimaginative?
The Crooked Pen 