So, as you can see, I don't blog often. Almost never, statistically. But I would love for Pitch Wars mentors and mentees to get to know me better! So here is my saga, abridged, but really the abridged saga of PALE YELLOW DISC IN A PALE BLUE SKY.
This novel is YA Science Fiction, a book influenced strongly by my college years. Back then I was a Biology major, headed for med school, when in junior year I realized I wanted to write stories more than I wanted to write research papers about the degeneration pathways of diseases affecting the basal ganglia. (Not that I didn't love Neuroscience; it was my favorite elective!)
That Neuroscience course is what inspired a good part of this novel's preoccupation with the brain in general and logic vs. emotion. Also, looove Spock.
Anyway, I then stunned Biology professors and ROTC officers alike when I chose to go to graduate school for creative writing instead of join the Army and become a doctor. Ultimately, I'm glad I followed my passion, no matter what other people thought about it. Can't compromise your goals because others think they're implausible or laughable. You are you, and you need to keep it that way. ;-)
As my blog header states, I'm a crocheter and a tea snob. The latter comes primarily from BBC's Sherlock.
I love all things BBC: Downton Abbey, WALLANDER (that show is amazing, although I thought the last season was weaker than the others), The Great British Baking Show, The Paradise, Worricker, Endeavor, Inspector Lewis, Grantchester... I could go on. It's safe to say that British drama/mystery has had a big influence on my writing; I take the subtle avenue rather than the shock value one in character relationships and plot points alike.
Some books that have influenced my writing of this novel:
Jeff VanderMeer's Southern Reach Trilogy. These books are smart, compelling, and deftly crafted. Don't read them before bedtime. (Biggest mistake I ever made, in my entire life.)
Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner's THESE BROKEN STARS. I loved the structure of this book, Tarver's sarcasm, Lilac's femininity+badassery, and Majors that were eighteen. Yesss to high-ranking military officers that are also teenagers. Such great built-in conflict right there.
Jen Brooks' IN A WORLD JUST RIGHT. If I can write something as simultaneously precise, poignant, and brilliantly structured as this book is, I will have accomplished everything. Her writing is so excellent, and the story so well-orchestrated.
Rainbow Rowell's FANGIRL. I wish I had this book to read in college, because it would have completely validated my life. Anyway, FANGIRL was perfect in a lot of ways. It had just the kind of romance I wanted to see more of in YA: the quieter kind, the kind that builds slowly and steadily. One that just gets its legs by the end of the book and shows the potential of the relationship rather than the apex of it. I think our high school/teenage years are when we discover how profoundly we can love someone, whether in romance or in friendship or in family relationships; they provide the first taste of how deeply the rivers of our feelings can run. Books that explore love this way are my faves.
Other books that I've enjoyed (and have inspired me to improve):
ILLUMINAE, Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
BONE GAP, Laura Ruby
SIX OF CROWS, Leigh Bardugo
CONVICTION, Kelly Loy Gilbert
AN EMBER IN THE ASHES, Sabaa Tahir
THE DISTANCE BETWEEN LOST AND FOUND, Kathryn Holmes
THE GAME OF LOVE AND DEATH, Martha Brockenbrough
CODE NAME VERITY, Elizabeth Wein ("Kiss me, Hardy!" I sobbed. For a long time.)
Other influences on my life/this book: video games. I used to play a lot of them, practically anything with a good story and cool weapons or magic. Metroid, Fire Emblem, Zelda, Baten Kaitos, Assassin's Creed, Halo. Lately, reading and writing has all but consumed my life, but getting back into the game (haha) is something I hope to do one day soon! Especially when I have money just lying around....
In any case, PALE YELLOW DISC IN A PALE BLUE SKY has some science, a little bit of romance, and a ton of heart. It's about love, freedom, and what makes us human, but ultimately, it's about Douglas, who's just trying to live and love and feel ok in a very screwed up world. I adore these characters and I can't wait to work with a mentor who loves them, too, if I'm deemed so lucky!
If you choose me as your mentee, you can expect dedication to the tenth degree and an enthusiastic response to your critique. Two years of MFA workshops, a visit to the Rutgers University Council on Children's Literature One-on-One Conference in 2015, and a week-long intensive at the Highlights Foundation with the fabulous Laura Ruby and Anne Ursu this past May have taught me well on that front, and I'd be happy to bust my butt on this two-month journey of improvement. No pain, no gain, as I learned during many a ruck march and PT test. So, bring on the revisions! I'm ready to lance through this manuscript's problems, just like Titania here.
I'll add that if anyone wants to talk about Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance and its superiority to Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn, find me on Twitter (@AlexScholls). Or, if you want to talk about books, science, writing, or anything else, I'm open to those subjects, too. :)
