Hello all,

I've been watching this tag corner all of my friends, and now it's my turn!

The wonderful Florid Sword @ A Writer's Song has tagged me for The Voices of YA tag. Thank you, dear friend! Check out her post here. She's got better answers than I do :).

The original author of this tag is Caitlin Lambert, and her blog is here. You should definitely go check it out, she has a lot of great articles for authors just beginning their journey.

Might as well get the rules out of the way...

1. Thank the person who tagged you. (Done!)
2. Link to the original creator. (Done!)
3. Answer the ten questions (getting there, be patient....)
4. Tag at least 2 YA writers/bloggers (at the bottom!)

Onward!



About the Writer:

1. What draws you to YA?

While I read middle-grade books for the longest time, I figured it was time to take the next step up when I was beginning college. Though I'm amazed at the amount of "bad books" that are called YA fiction. (#RebelliousWriting).

2. Describe your writing process. Do you prefer outlines and structure or seeing where the story takes you?

I'm a very weird blend of both.

A story idea initially takes me, but I can't write it out until the story is in a neat outline. My muse usually won't write the story in order though. Therefore I tend to write in a "vignette" kind of style - having a bunch of mini scenes and stitching them together.

3. How long have you been writing? Where are you in your writing journey?

My first written stories started appearing in middle school. I started writing seriously in high school and it's been an on-off relationship until fairly recently.

In terms of writing journey: I've not been published yet. I've shared a couple of short stories on The Rebelling Muse. I have 3 short story WIPs, and 3 active novel WIPs. I'm taking the next step by entering into some writing contests (Camp NaNo and Rooglewood) to get some more structured practice.

4. What do you need to write? Coffee, music?

Music is a must. Need to get my soundtrack together so I can get the right emotions on the paper.

Tea is a bonus. A ready supply of snacks is also rather useful.

And I need a cooperating muse. Which I don't get that often, apparently.

5. If you could offer a piece of advice to another writer (other than don't give up) what would it be?

Build yourself a network of like-minded authors/bloggers and continually build it. These writers provide a wonderful critique and support team all rolled into one.

One trick to build blog traffic and your network that my little sis taught me was to sign your comments with your name and your blogs URL. And the more comments you make, the more the network builds over time. I comment much more as Catherine from The Rebelling Muse than I do Farm Lassie from Frugally Fancy; and the sharp difference of the stats between the two blogs is astounding.

About the Books:

6. What book still has you reeling from it's plot twist? (No spoilers!)

I'll be totally honest.....I'm really really good at figuring out plots and how they're going to end up. I love clever plot twists though.

The last one that left me totally reeling wasn't one in a book, but one in a movie.


via GIPHY

YES, THIS ONE

I SWEAR I NEVER SAW THIS ONE COMING.

DISNEY, HOW CAN YOU BE SO CRUEL????


7. What books are you anticipating this year?

Any new clean and wholesome YA novel. LOL. I'm not up on the current trends yet. I need to raid a library....

8. In your opinion, which YA book had the most unique premise?

The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill

From Amazon.com Check out the Book Here

Let's put it this way, you don't normally find YA books that are centered around a YA author. And this one did a smashing job of portraying a young teenage writer breaking out onto the YA scene. This book really inspired me to get more serious with my writing, and the process involved in doing so.

9. What is your favorite quote from YA literature?

This one from Eragon by Christopher Paolini.


10. What book do you most hope that it will have a movie adaptation?

Kilmeny of the Orchard by Lucy Maud Montgomery

from Amazon.com Check out the Book Here

This book is a really really really really really sweet book!!!

I got introduced to this book via Librivox (a dramatic version), and it is now one of my favorite books.

The protagonist comes from a really hard household. She often escapes to an old orchard, where her violin becomes her voice. One day, a young schoolteacher comes wandering by...augh it is such a good book, can't tell you anymore for fear of spoilers.

That ends the Q&A!

The two bloggers I tag are Ivie @ Ivie Writes and Anna @ A World Through Her Heart
(Anna - I won't be offended if you wait till after Camp is over to tackle this one).

And now I'm off to do some last-minute blogging on Frugally Fancy before Camp NaNo swallows up all of my writing words.

Scribblingly yours,

Catherine

Hello all,

Sooo....you guys remember that "surprise" that I mentioned in my June BP?

Well, I now have permission to reveal it.

The #RebelliousWriting Movement is officially being moved to....

A website of it's own.

Also, the Team is starting up social media profiles!

ISN'T THIS AWESOME!!!!

I've been jumping for joy ever since the date was announced about...12 hours ago.

So while some of the social media has already been activated, the team is planning to release the website on...

National Book Lover's Day - August 9, 2017.



The #RebelliousWriting Team are all avid book lovers, and it is for love of God and clean books that we are even starting this movement in the first place. So, what better day, right???

Speaking of which...I need some help.

Part of my job on the Team is to put forth book recommendations. So far, the list that I've accumulated is a rather pitiful one....

So, I look to you, fellow readers.

Here are the criteria:

1. The book must be higher than middle-grade (most children's books are clean anyways)
2. There must be no swear words. Words such as crap, suck, screw, etc., are technically vulgar words as well though they are not considered swear words. Since we wish to advocate for clean literature, I would include a content warning with works containing these vulgar words as well.
3. If abuse (alcohol, drug, child, or domestic) is in the book, please determine that it is shown in a negative light. We don't wish to recommend books that would glorify that kind of stuff.
4. There must be no sexual scenes, or any impurity beyond mild kissing.
5. Image does not need to be included, but can if so desired.

You can stick the suggestions in the comments section (or send it via Pinterest if you are on there).

PLEASE send the word along!! Use the #RebelliousWriting (or if you are not a writer but still want to support us, feel free to use our sister hastag #RebelliousReading) on your social media, share our posts, follow us, whatever but do something!!!

Can't wait for August!!!

Scribblingly yours,

Catherine

P.S. Please follow our official Pinterest page!!!!

Hello y'all! 

Finally, finally, finally I get to this! I had fully intended that this post be at the end of the month, and my BP be in the middle of the month so everything was all spaced out...

That obviously didn't happen. *glares at Eirwen, who is quaking behind a dark wall right now* 

Anyways, I saw this game from Cordy's blog, promptly did it, and set it aside to work on "other things". It's time it is off the dashboard, so here we go! 




1. Would you rather summer at Abbey Mill Farm with the Martins or spend the winter in London with your aunt and uncle?

I LOVE LOVE LOVE being on a farm in summer. So Abbey Mill Farm it is!!! 

2. Would you rather be carried away in the moment and insult someone in company or be overcome by horrid imaginings and have to confess your thoughts to someone you admire?

I have done the former, and I felt like a total heel afterwards. I'd much rather have the second one (though that leaves me vulnerable to rejection...)

3. Would you rather marry Mr. Bingley or Robert Martin?

Mr. Bingley, for sure. Bingley is the cutest little teddy bear, even if he's a little sappy. I don't mind unswerving devotion.

4. Would you rather tour the lake country or visit the seaside?

Oooohhh toughie. 

I like both....

But I like the seaside better. There is nothing more surreal than seeing an ocean stretch out for thousands of miles. 

5. Would you rather entertain Miss Bates or Mr. Collins in conversations?

Ew. Another tough choice. 

I'm terrible at hiding emotions. I'm afraid I'd laugh in Mr. Collin's face or roll my eyes at Miss Bates. 

I could probably control myself better with Miss Bates though. 

6. Would you rather sing a musical piece at a gathering while hiccuping every other line or take a great tumble while dancing?

Both are rather mortifying, but I'd much rather take the tumble. I have the WORST sounding hiccups (and I've sang with them too - in front of friends no less!). At least when you tumble you can blame the floor, or your feet, and it looks accidental. Hiccups are just plain embarrassing. 

7. Would you rather be deceived by Willoughby or Wickham?

WICKHAM. 

Wickham lied (and consequently slandered Darcy). 

Willoughby is a mercanary, licentious, two-timing heartbreaker that produced an illegitimate child. 

Wickham at least would live, I'm not so sure about Willoughby. 

8. Would you rather fall head over heels in love with a man who turns out to be engaged or fall for a man too busy loving someone else to notice you?

The latter. I would feel really truly horrible when I found out the guy I loved was engaged. It would make my devotion seem rather...wrong. Whereas the latter is still free and I can "worship from afar" as much as I please. 

9. Would you rather ride in a carriage or upon a horse to an evening party?

GAH. Now you're messing with me. 

I love riding. With a passion. 

But I'll be in good clothes! Which I don't want to get *too* dirty. 

You know what I'll do? I'll stick on a riding habit over top of my good gown and go on horseback. There's going to be thirty million carriages at this party and only so many parking spots. I'm being smart. Never mind my catching a cold (or a fever...) because of it, I need the fresh air, thank you. 

10. Would you rather accept advice from Mrs. Weston or Elinor Dashwood?

Hmm. Another tough one. 

I'd have to say Elinor Dashwood though. I try to be like her when giving advice, being unbiased and practical. She would be a good person to go to when my head isn't screwed on straight. 

11. Would you rather have as a companion Jane Fairfax or Charlotte Lucas?

Charlotte Lucas. She's the sweetest thing ever. Jane seems a little cold to me. 

That's it! 

Please, please, please, go check out Cordy's game! I'd love to see your answers! 

Scribblingly yours, 

Catherine

Join the linkup here: http://paperfury.com/beautiful-people-25/

Hello all!

This month's Beautiful People post has been later than usual...mostly because I've been busy helping get a certain 'surprise' up and running (shush, don't tell.)

Anyways, for this month's BP, I've decided to introduce for the very first time, a character from my upcoming July Camp NaNoWriMo/Rooglewood's Five Poisoned Apples short story titled.....




Eirwen has only one desire for her life - to be a good queen to her kingdom of Glywysing. But innocence and kindness have no place in kingdom being torn apart by war, or in the scarred heart of the Queen-Consort. In spite of Eirwen's attempts to bring peace to Glywysing, an attempt on her life forces Eirwen to flee into a decaying orchard. Will she remain safe in the Perllan or will there yet be danger still?

For this BP, I'm introducing my protagonist, Eirwen. Her name is Welsh for "white as snow". Hey, you can't have a Snow White retelling without a name at least referencing snow, right? And this one really didn't sound like an obvious "snow" name either, which I really liked.


1. What’s their favourite place they’ve ever visited?

Hello all,

I apologize in advance, this is a rant.

You ever been in a new school, a new workplace? You meet a new group of peers every time you do.

It seems you gel very well. You think "This is a good group of people to be with".

Then someone says a bad word.

Then someone else makes a reference (and I don't mean a movie reference either).

Soon the conversation goes completely downhill. And soon they drag you into horrible activities such as Cards Against Humanity.

You sit there, totally embarrassed, trying your darnedest to get out of the situation discreetly. It feels like you are choking on a poisoned apple. You ask yourself "Why did you think that these people would be good to hang out with?", "Why did I trust these people?" You never regain that good relationship you had with them, and you try to distance yourself as best you can.

And this is now the new normal in groups of late teens and college age people.

This is why movements like the #RebelliousWriting and the #RebelliousReading are SO IMPORTANT.

If young people can joke about bedroom subjects, speak lightly of atrocious murder, and willingly break at least 4 of the 10 commandments in a single night, there is most assuredly a problem with our culture!!!!!

I'm sick of being burned by what should have been good company. I don't one hundred percent blame the people, I blame the culture. While it may not totally solve the problem, promoting clean and wholesome literature is a start at the very least.

We need to start speaking out. NOW.

Scribblingly yours,

Catherine

Hello all,

I hear the call, the trumpet's call, to a rebellion.......


I'm joining in solidarity with Gray Marie Cox and other young writers that wish to see the end of impurity, swearing, and general vileness in literature.

Those who have read my blog post 10 Things That Make Me Banish a Book, already know that I don't have a tolerance for that kind of stuff anyway. But it goes a little more deeper than just "I don't like that stuff".

In that post, Thing #5 outlined how some books had evil intentions or bad subliminal messages, which is a turnoff for me. Believe me, I've had enough college English and History courses to be able to pick them out. In those same courses, we often used novels and other works that help jump-start movements and revolutions.

Whether we like it or not, reading plants ideas into readers. Why do you think that plantation owners forbade teaching slaves to read?

Reading also is a product and a changer of culture. Reading popular books of a time period will give you an idea of the ideals that were held at that time period. What will people of the future think when they see our "popular" books of today? The dark, depressing, and evil-filled ones? The ones full of sex scenes, and bad language? I don't think that they'll judge our society very favorably, do you?

On the other hand, the classics of old, such as the Chronicles of Narnia, Chronicles of Avonlea, Little Women, and Lord of the Rings gave society higher, better ideals to reach for - the end of a goal, correcting a fault, strong family relationships, friendships, chaste romances.

That, in a tiny nutshell, is what I try to promote in my works. Quoting from my Sunshine Blogger Award post, "In all of my works, I try to present a Catholic/Christian worldview and present hidden Catholic themes, similar to great Catholic writers such as J.R.R. Tolkein, G.K. Chesterton and Flannery O'Connor. Writing for my own pleasure is good, but writing for the greater glory of God is better." 

In a sense, this is why I rebel in general from the world. As a Catholic, I'm called to be a living, breathing member of the Mystical Body of Christ, the Church, and a Temple of the Holy Ghost. Inside, outside, backwards and forwards. 

Therefore, I should use my talents and influence to promote what God wants in a society, not what the world, the flesh and Satan wants. 

But, you ask, shouldn't I be writing for an audience? To be popular? 

You know what I say?

FORGET THAT. 

Christians play by different rules. 

God wants clean language. Satan wants foul. God wants a chaste relationship, saving the sweet physically intimate behaviors for spouses. Satan wants the opposite - he likes to see people destroy their lives and their souls because that's one less soul belonging to God. 

The bottom line is....

YOU WRITE TO PLEASE GOD FIRST. 

Not the editor. Not the audience. Not even society. 

GOD - FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST. 

Period. 

Exclamation Mark. 

While other people may not agree with me, I think that the author's religious/personal beliefs have a lot of influence when they are presenting ideas in their writing, or just writing in general. This, I believe, is because our code of ethics influences how we interact with society.

Thus, as writers, we should not write what we would not tolerate in society unless we portray it in a negative light - show that it's bad.

Now, you see the power game?

We have the potential to change society's thinking!

And it is our duty to reorient it towards God!

But, we need to be careful of how we use this medium to present our ideas. If we overdo it, we could do more harm than good.

A lot of people tend to complain about the preachiness of a lot of Protestant Christian writing. Too often "Christian" or "clean" writing is bashed because of "Bible-thumping". Not that the Bible can't be quoted in a book at all (far from it!), but there is a time and place for it.  

Catholics on the other hand, tend to be really really sneaky. They veil their Christian messages into heavy metaphors. Flannery O'Connor, J.R.R. Tolkein, and William Shakespeare were masters at this. Theirs were so deep that unless you analyzed them deeper, you would miss a lot of them. Or worse, their true intent could be mistaken for something else - most of the time, something that wasn't good to start with *cough cough Romeo and Juliet cough cough*

As you can see, there are two different extremes here. What we need, is a balance. Use God's rubrics (10 Commandments, Holy Scriptures, Sacred Tradition, etc.) as your yardstick for your character's actions and thoughts. This will provide the best level of embedding subliminal idea advocation.

But that's getting really technical. We have better things to do than listen to me talk strategy.

What we need to do is start making our voices heard.

We've put up with the crappy literature long enough.

Let's get some fresh air to dispel the stench that we call Young Adult literature.

First things first: check out our fearless leader's post here.

Secondly, place the #RebelliousWriting image on your blog and link it to Gray's post (via an image gadget, it's really straightforward). Show your true colors with pride and stand with your brothers and sisters in Christ!

Thirdly, share the #RebelliousWriting image (and memes) on all of your social media. Pinterest, Google, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr. Anything that can support an image. Keep track of the reactions that you get, if you can.

Fourthly, start recommending clean books to your friends and ask your friends to do the same, if they haven't done so already.

Fiftly...writers start writing. Let's swamp the market with good literature and show these kids what they've been missing.

Sixthly, feel free to create and share memes for #RebelliousWriting! I've made some here:

Hello all!

I'm happy today...for a variety of reasons. First off, there is sun outside. Second, I have a few announcements to share!

1. I'm entering Camp NaNoWriMo in July! I really really really wanted to do this in April, but life said no. (shame on you life.) So, now that my life is a *little* slower, I can try it for the first time!

2. I'm seriously thinking of entering into the "Five Poisoned Apples" contest by Rooglewood. I think I'm going to use it as my Camp NaNo piece, but I have some other ideas as well. I have time still.

3. I think I'm going to table "Rose of Culmore", at least until Camp NaNo is over. I mentioned in my last post that I had a major block that I needed to work through. Well, my female MC has been subject to interrogation and she has revealed part of what her problem is...but she's so emotionally distraught that I can't do any more with her.
(Translated into writer-human language: I  think I found the plot device that I was missing, but it's one of the oldest cliches in the book and I need my own spin. That's going to take a while....and of course I need to 'pack' for Camp.)

Now to get on to what you really came for......



Melissa Gravitis tagged me for the Sunshine Blogger Award! If you haven't checked out this girl's blog, do so now. Seriously, go do it, she's awesome.

On to the questions!