Writability: 2016

Showing posts with label 2016. Show all posts

End of Year Countdown: 5 Top Fives of 2016

Photo credit: Vicky Brock on Flickr

It's the last post of 2016! Which is a very strange and surreal thing to write, but also means it's time for Writability's annual tradition. Without further ado, here are my top fives of 2016. :)

Top 5 Most Popular Posts (On Writability)

I actually finally figured out a way to use Google Analytics to show the most popular posts for this year, rather than the most popular posts of all time, which don't change much. Interestingly, none of the most popular posts of this year were written this year either. Also the kissing post got a huge boost this year for reasons unknown. Cool. :)

Top 5 Most Active Commenters

As explained every year, I use Disqus’s very nice widget on my sidebar to keep track of how many comments every lovely commenter makes. The system isn’t perfect and only keeps track of accounts, so if you comment on multiple accounts, it thinks you’re more than one person, but regardless, these five fabulous readers are the most active commenters of the Writability community—thank you!

Note: Those with one asterisk were on the top five list last year, three asterisks have been on the top five list for three years, and those with four asterisks were on the top five list the year before that! Thanks for being part of the Writability community, everyone!

Top 5 Favorite (Writerly) Tumblr Blogs of the Year

I really love tumblr. I've learned so much from so many incredible people over there, and it also remains a great place to just find nice—and nerdy—awesomeness.

These are my top five favorite writerly and bookish tumblr blogs, calculated by tumblr off which blogs I reblog and like the most.

Top 5 Favorite Books of the Year

I've read a lot of really incredible books this year, and these especially stuck with me and earned their place in my favorites list.

Strong Signal by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell
A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab
Saga Deluxe Edition, Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Illuminae by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman

Top 5 Favorite Twitter Accounts

I spend too much time on Twitter, but there are some pretty amazing people there. This favorite list has taken a political emphasis for obvious reasons—the following accounts are mostly all excellently writerly and political with a great balance between the two, except Judd Legum, who is just a great reporter. In no particular order, you should follow these amazing people:

So those are my top fives of 2016—do you have any favorites of the year you'd like to share?

Happy New Year, everyone!

Twitter-sized bites:

Writer @Ava_Jae shares her top fives of 2016—what are some of your favorite writing resources of 2016? (Click to tweet)

2016 Year in Review

Photo credit: Dru! on Flickr

So back in 2014, I started my annual tradition of reviewing all the things that happened over the past year, which I continued last year. 2016's been one prolonged garbage fire, but some pretty big positive things did happen for me. So let's take a look at 2016!

January was a pretty quiet month. I started my last semester of college while silently gearing up for the impending release of my debut two months later. I took both a fantasy and a kidlit class which was truly the perfect way to tie off my college experience.

February I had my birthday and the best birthday present ever: I got my author copies. It was a really amazing moment that I thankfully had the foresight to capture on camera so I could turn it into a happy vlog.

Then March! March was an enormous month. Beyond the Red published and shortly thereafter I flew off to Maryland to speak at SCBWI MD/DE/WV and do a mini-book tour with some lovely fellow Sweet Sixteeners. We had an amazing time and I did my first ever book signings and school visits and did so many panels and all in all it really was a blast. It was the perfect way to welcome my debut to the world and step into Professional Author shoes in an undeniable way. All the while I was working on a secret project which became important a few months later.

April then was finals time. I finished up my last semester of college and graduated with high distinction, in the top 10% of my graduating class. So that was really exciting and felt pretty amazing. I also launched my freelance editing services, which was thankfully welcomed with open arms.

May and June were pretty quiet. I first drafted a manuscript, plotted another, Beyond the Red went into its second printing (yay!) and I also got some fantastic bookish news I couldn't talk about, which meant sitting on my hands until I could talk about it and in the meantime continue working on that secret project. Come to think of it, I guess those months weren't so quiet after all. :)

Then in July I finally got the go ahead to announce my amazing news: Beyond the Red is getting not one, but two sequels! And the first will publish next year! I was over the moon happy about the news, and I finished first drafting Into the Black, a book I'm already very proud of.

August was another quiet month. I started revising Into the Black and joined the Pokémon GO craze, which was fun and actually got me out of my writer cave from time to time. It was, however, a pretty bad month health-wise, so that was unfortunate—and a sign to my doctor and I that I need to move to a stronger treatment regimen.

September and October were full of revisions and multiple rounds of critique partners and sensitivity readers while preparing for NaNoWriMo. At the end of the month I sent Into the Black off to my agent, applied for—and landed—a seasonal part time job, and then...

NaNoWriMo! I mean, November! November was an especially rough month, but the good part is I started and finished my NaNo novel before declaring myself exhausted and swearing not to write for the rest of the year. I'd never first drafted three manuscripts and revised one in the same year before and it was tiring but also really gratifying.

And now, December. This month I've (so far) kept to my not-writing promise while trying to catch up on my Goodreads reading challenge, which I am currently three books away from completing and totally determined to manage it, even if two of those books are comics. I also got the laptop I've been saving for forever, and I sent in an application to grad school for a program of my dreams, so I've got my fingers crossed while awaiting the new year. And that's all I'm gonna say about that. :)

How was your 2016?

Twitter-sized bite:

.@Ava_Jae shares her 2016 year in review. Did you have any big moments this year? (Click to tweet)

What Diverse Fall 2016 Books Are You Excited About?

So last November I did this post where I talked about diverse 2016 books I was excited about. I was initially going to write another of just books in general I was excited about, then realized 8/10 had diverse casts and it wasn't exactly difficult to replace the two that didn't with others that did so here we are.

More 2016 books I'm psyched for! Because as good as this year has been for books, there's so much more goodness to come!

Photo credit: Goodreads

As I Descended by Robin Talley (September 6)

YA Contemporary
(f/f)

Goodreads summary:

"Maria Lyon and Lily Boiten are their school’s ultimate power couple—even if no one knows it but them.

Only one thing stands between them and their perfect future: campus superstar Delilah Dufrey.

Golden child Delilah is a legend at the exclusive Acheron Academy, and the presumptive winner of the distinguished Cawdor Kingsley Prize. She runs the school, and if she chose, she could blow up Maria and Lily’s whole world with a pointed look, or a carefully placed word.

But what Delilah doesn’t know is that Lily and Maria are willing to do anything—absolutely anything—to make their dreams come true. And the first step is unseating Delilah for the Kingsley Prize. The full scholarship, awarded to Maria, will lock in her attendance at Stanford―and four more years in a shared dorm room with Lily.

Maria and Lily will stop at nothing to ensure their victory—including harnessing the dark power long rumored to be present on the former plantation that houses their school.
But when feuds turn to fatalities, and madness begins to blur the distinction between what’s real and what is imagined, the girls must decide where they draw the line."

Photo credit: Goodreads

Into White by Randi Pink (September 13)
YA Contemporary
(black protagonist)

Goodreads summary:

"Sixteen-year-old Latoya Williams, who is black, attends a mostly white high school in the Bible Belt. In a moment of desperation, she prays for the power to change her race and wakes up white."

Photo credit: Goodreads

Overexposed by Megan Erickson (September 20)

NA Contemporary
(m/m)

Goodreads summary:

"Levi Grainger needs a break. As a reality show star, he’s had enough of the spotlight and being edited into a walking stereotype. When he returns home after the last season of Trip League, he expects to spend time with his family, only to learn his sister is coming back from her deployment in a flag-draped casket. Devastated, Levi decides the best way to grieve will be to go off grid and hike the Appalachian Trail—a trip he'd planned to do with his sister.

His solitary existence on the trail is interrupted when he meets Thad, a quiet man with a hard body and intense eyes. Their connection is stronger than anything Levi has ever experienced. But when Levi discovers the truth about what Thad is hiking to escape, their future together looks uncertain, and uncertainty is the last thing Levi needs..."

Photo credit: Goodreads

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (September 27)

YA Fantasy
(Disabled protag, m/m couple, and characters of color)

Goodreads summary:

"Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world."

Photo credit: Goodreads

Last Seen Leaving by Caleb Roehrig (October 4)

YA Thriller
(m/m)

Goodreads summary:

"Flynn's girlfriend has disappeared. How can he uncover her secrets without revealing his own?

Flynn's girlfriend, January, is missing. The cops are asking questions he can't answer, and her friends are telling stories that don't add up. All eyes are on Flynn—as January's boyfriend, he must know something.

But Flynn has a secret of his own. And as he struggles to uncover the truth about January's disappearance, he must also face the truth about himself. "

Photo credit: Goodreads

When the Moon was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore (October 4)

YA Magical Realism
(Latina protag and South East Asian trans boy love interest)

"When the Moon Was Ours follows two characters through a story that has multicultural elements and magical realism, but also has central LGBT themes—a transgender boy, the best friend he’s falling in love with, and both of them deciding how they want to define themselves.

To everyone who knows them, best friends Miel and Sam are as strange as they are inseparable. Roses grow out of Miel’s wrist, and rumors say that she spilled out of a water tower when she was five. Sam is known for the moons he paints and hangs in the trees, and for how little anyone knows about his life before he and his mother moved to town.

But as odd as everyone considers Miel and Sam, even they stay away from the Bonner girls, four beautiful sisters rumored to be witches. Now they want the roses that grow from Miel’s skin, convinced that their scent can make anyone fall in love. And they’re willing to use every secret Miel has fought to protect to make sure she gives them up. "

Photo credit: Goodreads

A Darkly Beating Heart by Lindsay Smith (October 25)

YA Fantasy
(Biracial Japanese bisexual protag)

Goodreads summary:

"A time-travel story that alternates between modern day and 19th century Japan as one girl confronts the darkness lurking in her soul.

No one knows what to do with Reiko. She is full of hatred. All she can think about is how to best hurt herself and the people closest to her. After a failed suicide attempt, Reiko’s parents send her from their Seattle home to spend the summer with family in Japan to learn to control her emotions. But while visiting Kuramagi, a historic village preserved to reflect the nineteenth-century Edo period, Reiko finds herself slipping back in time into the life of Miyu, a young woman even more bent on revenge than Reiko herself. Reiko loves being Miyu, until she discovers the secret of Kuramagi village, and must face down Miyu’s demons as well as her own."

Photo credit: Goodreads

Timekeeper by Tara Sim (November 1)
YA Fantasy
(m/m)

Goodreads summary:

"Every city in the world is run by a clock tower. If one breaks, time stops. It’s a truth that seventeen-year-old Danny knows well; his father has been trapped in a town east of London for three years. Despite being a clock mechanic prodigy who can repair not only clockwork, but time itself, Danny has been unable to free his father.

Danny’s assigned to a damaged clock tower in the small town of Enfield. The boy he mistakes for his apprentice is odd, but that’s to be expected when he’s the clock spirit who controls Enfield’s time. Although Danny and the spirit are drawn to each other’s loneliness, falling in love with a clock spirit is forbidden, no matter how cute his smiles are.

But when someone plants bombs in nearby towers, cities are in danger of becoming trapped in time—and Enfield is one of them.

Danny must discover who’s stopping time and prevent it from happening to Enfield, or else he’ll lose not only his father, but the boy he loves, forever."

Photo credit: Goodreads

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst (November 22)

YA Fantasy

(f/f)

"Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden.

Now, Denna must learn the ways of her new home while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria’s formidable warhorses before her coronation—and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine (called Mare), sister of her betrothed.

When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two work together, each discovers there’s more to the other than she thought. Mare is surprised by Denna’s intelligence and bravery, while Denna is drawn to Mare’s independent streak. Soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more.

But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms—and each other. "

(no cover yet)

Bad Boy by Elliot Finley Wake (December 6)
NA Contemporary
(trans guy protag and knowing Wake's novels, probably much more rep in the cast)

No current Goodreads summary but I've loved his previous books (written under Leah Raeder: Unteachable, Black Iris and Cam Girl) so I'm psyched.

What Fall 2016 books with diverse representation are you looking forward to?

Twitter-sized bites:

What diverse Fall 2016 books are you excited about? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)

Want more books to add to your TBR y/y? Check out 10 Fall 2016 books @Ava_Jae is psyched about. (Click to tweet)

2016 YA Cover Trends

So back in 2015 when the 2016 covers first started hitting the web, I thought it'd be fun to do a cover trend post. At the time there weren't quite enough covers out for me to do a comprehensive post, but now we're roughly halfway through 2016, so most of the books releasing this year have had their cover reveals.

Which means I can finally do this post.

Cover trends are always fun to look at—from the pretty girls in dresses, to the hands and feet trends of previous years, I've always thought it was interesting to see just how many books fit into any given trend.

For 2016 I noticed five main trends:

Water

Silhouettes

Big Text Down the Middle

People's Backs

Black Background

I'm not exactly sure why or how cover trends happen every year, but they're certainly fun to look at.

What other cover trends have you noticed this year?

Twitter-sized bite:

What 2016 YA cover trends have you noticed? @Ava_Jae breaks some down. (Click to tweet)

Vlog: On Writer Resolutions

It's a new year! Which means, among other things, many people are solidifying their 2016 resolutions. So today I'm talking about making healthy writing-related resolutions.

RELATED LINKS:

What writing-related resolutions have you made for 2016?

Twitter-sized bites:

Do your writer resolutions rely on external factors? @Ava_Jae vlogs about why this isn't the best option. (Click to tweet)

Finalizing your 2016 writer resolutions? @Ava_Jae vlogs about choosing resolutions you can control. #writetip (Click to tweet)

Vlog: 2016 YA Debuts I'm Excited About

2016 is nearly here! And there are a LOT of awesome YA debuts releasing next year, so I'm talking about five I'm extra excited for. Are these on your TBR list?

RELATED LINKS:

This is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp (1/5/16)
Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin (2/2/16)
The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig (2/16/16)
Burning Glass by Kathryn Purdie (3/1/16)
Timekeeper by Tara Sim (Fall 2016)
Beyond the Red by me (March 2016)
All About Beyond the Red (Part 1) (vlog)
Top 5 TBR Books (vlog)

What debut 2016 releases are on your TBR list?

Twitter-sized bites:

Looking for great 2016 YA releases to add to your TBR list? @Ava_Jae vlogs about 5 YA debuts she's excited about. (Click to tweet)

What debut 2016 releases are on your TBR list? Join the discussion on @Ava_Jae's blog. (Click to tweet)