A Bit of YA Inspiration

I thought I’d do a little blog post on my writing progress, as it’s a subject I haven’t touched on much since NaNoWriMo! So far I’ve found the editing stage to be quite frustrating, which isn’t helped by the fact I really struggle with opening sentences and paragraphs. I wanted to go through and edit my NaNo novel chapter by chapter, but so far chapter one just isn’t sounding how I’d like it yet. In the mean time I’ve started a few other stories, when bursts of inspiration hit me! These include a story about a teenager with M.E, something I’ve wanted to write about for a long time. Also, I’ve recently started a young adult supernatural story, something I never thought I’d write about, but having branched out into the young adult urban fantasy genre in my reading during the past year or so, I felt inspired to dive in there myself!

I’ll own up, with no shame, to being a huge fan of YA fiction. I honestly think it’s some of the best written fiction out there, from the plot to the humour, plus with my health problems I find the writing style a lot more accessible and comfortable to read. I don’t think an “easy-read” has to be a slight, or an insult on a novel. I’m not a book snob, I’ll read pretty much anything, but I find contemporary and teen fiction a lot easier on my tired brain, and a lot of the time more enjoyable, too. This is probably the reason that when I started writing, I immediately wanted to write for that genre. It’s my comfort zone, and I figured I might as well start writing from a teenager’s point of view whilst I can still remember being one!

Here’s a selection of YA urban fantasy/supernatural novels I’ve read over the past year, along with a plot description and my rating from Goodreads (http://www.goodreads.com/thatsizgirl). I’d highly recommend them all!


Dreaming of Amelia by Jaclyn Moriarty – My rating: 4*

 Amelia and Riley have transferred to Ashbury for their final year of school, and everyone is completely obsessed with them. Glamorous, talented and totally devoted to one another, the two of them drift through school in their own world. But there's more to the couple than meets the eye - they have secrets. And some of them are dangerous to share. As Riley starts to lose his grip on Amelia, the repercussions affect everyone around them.

A spellbinding story about ghosts, secrets, madness, passion, locked doors, femme fatales, and that terrifying moment in the final year of high school when you realise that the future's coming to get you.


The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong – My rating: 5*

All Chloe Saunders wants is a life like any normal teenager – the chance to get through school, make friends, and maybe meet a boy. But when she starts seeing ghosts, she knows that life will never be the same again.
Soon the ghosts are everywhere, demanding her attention. When Chloe finally breaks down, she’s admitted to a group home for disturbed kids. At first Lyle House seems okay, but as she gets to know the other patients – charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a 'thing' for fire – Chloe begins to realise that something strange and sinister binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual ‘problem kid’ behaviour.

And they’re about to discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home, either...


City of Bones by Cassandra Clare – My rating: 4*

'It's after dark in New York City, and Clary Fray is seeing things. The best looking guy in the nightclub just stabbed a boy to death - but the victim has vanished into thin air. Her mother has disappeared, and a hideous monster is lurking in her apartment. With her life spiralling into darkness, Clary realizes that she has stumbled into an invisible war between ancient demonic forces and the secretive Shadowhunters - a war in which she has a fateful role to play...





The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson – My rating: 5*

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon “Rippermania” takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.


You can find my full reviews of these books on my Goodreads page (note: I tend to keep my reviews short and sweet, honest and personal!). Currently I'm reading An Abundance of Katherines by John Green, another YA author whose books I'm discovering a love for! My "thing worth sharing" would simply be The Fault In Our Stars by John Green, go get your hands on a copy :) You won't regret it!

Until next time,

Sarah x

Snow!

Ok, so when it comes to snow I turn into a six year old and get majorly excited! Most of this excitement is when the snow is falling, and I can't help but sit by my window and take in the view. I honestly think falling snow is one of the most beautiful things to look at <3 But when it comes to going out in it, I have to take advantage because there have been times where I just wasn't well enough, and it feels like I'll never make up for those torturous years where all I could do was look upon the snow from afar and not go out and play in it.

The past few years we have had more than our fair share of snow, and I was starting to fear that this would be a rare snow-less winter, but yesterday the snow just didn't stop falling and by evening it was pretty thick. I've been out a few times, which has resulted in very tired legs and a very tired Sarah so I think I've had my fill for now. But this is yet another thing that has made me happy this week!

Now if it could just disappear before I have to go out for my CAB appointment tomorrow that would be great ;) Shaky legs on icy ground isn't a good combination!

Wherever you are, stay warm and stay safe!

Until next time,

Sarah x

Why So Serious?

Recently I've been coming to post blogs on here, writing them up and then saving them as drafts, never to see the light of day. I've figured out the main reason behind this is because I wanted this to be a serious blog, with proper topics and well argued points, but frankly I just don't have the energy right now ;) I'm just getting over a cold (which are hell when you have M.E!) and I'm just about to start my DLA appeal (many attempted blogs ranting about the government, but I can't justify posting a blog post that is 100% RAGE) so I want to focus my mind on happier things ;) Here are some things that have made me happy this week :)

1. The Hunger Games trailer got released this week! A brand new shiny one. I loved The Hunger Games when I read the series last year, and since then friends of mine have read it and everyone seems to be hooked. I honestly can't wait for the film!

2. Charity shop bargains! Recently St Leonard's Hospice opened a charity shop near where I live, and so I popped in for the first time this week. The shop is lovely, and had a great selections of things, especially books! I'm a huge bookworm but due to previously mentioned DLA appeal don't have the opportunity to buy every book I would like at the moment. But when I went in I managed to find a load of books that interested me, for 50p each! And I'm supporting charity :) why not stop by your local charity shop?

3. My volunteer job! Back in December I started a new volunteer job for AYME who I've been volunteering for for over a year now. I love it, and it's a great way to build my skills and keep me busy whilst I'm still to unwell for paid work :)

4. A Storm of Swords: Steel and Snow. I got the Song of Ice and Fire box set for Christmas, and am currently on the third book in the series :) they're pretty big books but I'm struggling to put this one down at the moment, so gripping!

5. F.R.I.E.N.D.S. So the show may have finished years ago but this show is my pick-me-up, no matter how many times I've seen the episodes, they still have me crying with laughter! There is something funnier than Friends, though. That's right - Friends bloopers!

That's all for now, but I'll try and do more posts like this in future <3

Until next time,

Sarah x

Awareness Video

I've posted an M.E Awareness video by the lovely Daisy before on this blog, and she has made another brilliant one so here it is!

I find it hard to express just how much this video resonates with me, because I literally feel everything written on those tiny slips of paper, and often struggle to put into words the things which this video says. I'm so grateful to Daisy for all the great work she does raising awareness, because she often says exactly the things I want to but in a way I never could! This part especially -

M.E makes you feel like the world wasn't designed for you

This is so true, and is something I've been thinking about a lot recently. Last week I was at the hospital and as usual, I stopped by the shop there to pick up a few magazines. One of them is a well-known women's mag which I read regularly, usually when I need change and have to break into a fiver/tenner to get it! But I enjoy reading it each time. Only this time, I was reading this magazine and it really struck me just how irrelevant to my life it is. I'll explain.

Most women read these sorts of magazines because you can relate to them, and I have been able relate to them in the past. But when you don't live the life of an average woman because illness is holding you back, you suddenly realise just how different your life is. Let's take a look at the average topics covered in a women's magazine -

Career- well I can't work, as is the reality for many other sick and disabled people. Tips on how to boost your career or make the most of your office hours really don't apply to me. I would love to work, but it's just not possible with my health problems, and so reading about where I should be in my life or how empowering a job can be is only going to get me down.

Fashion and beauty - I like buying clothes, don't get me wrong. But right now my outfit choices are 99% based on what will be comfortable for whatever task I'm doing that day, or more frequently what is the warmest outfit I own so that I don't freeze and end up in even more pain with my joints? Add to the fact that I'm living on pretty much no money at the moment because the benefits system is a joke, then it is very rare I get to spend money on pretty lovely clothes. As for beauty, I barely have the energy to bathe and brush my teeth as it is. I can't spent hours primping and preening and wasting valuable energy on the many stages I should be going through to maintain perfect skin.

Relationships - M.E is a very isolating illness, meaning meeting new people can become difficult, and most of your time is spent alone or with family. I know plenty of people with M.E who are in relationships and so this isn't a blanket thing, more a personal one. But relationships for me have to come pretty low down the list of daily worries.

Fitness and exercise - I've actually become a lot more body conscious since getting ill, but there is really very little I can do about it. I cannot exercise, I can't join a gym or go jogging or swimming or whatever else they're advising. I really wish I could.

So I sit there thinking to myself, when did women's magazines become escapism? Surely they're designed to be the opposite; to be relevant to every day life.

This is just one example. Another thing I used to struggle with was listening to the radio. Especially stations aimed at a younger audience. I'd listen to shows where people were ringing in, worrying about exam results and uni, thinking "that should be me". People would talk about going out on the weekend, and again that's something I can't do.

Everywhere you hit brick walls where your life doesn't permit you to join in with the rest of the world. From not being in education, to not being able to get into your favourite shop because it doesn't have a disabled ramp and you can't face asking them to go and get the portable one. But we muddle on because we have no choice, this is our life and we're stuck with it.

This is probably a bit rambly and I'm not sure I've gotten across everything in the way I hoped, but I just wanted to get it out there.

Until next time,

Sarah x



2012

First post for 2012! My little blog is over a year old, I feel so proud. I really am an awful parent to it, though ;) But I am back, and hoping to blog again more reguarly once I can get my inspiration back. 2012 will see a new M.E Awareness week, and so I should really start coming up with plans for what I'm going to do!

The start of the year is going well so far, with me settling into a new volunteer role and trying to back into a routine after Christmas, and the year ahead is shaping up to be a good one, so hopefully I'll have a chance to blog about all of my experiences along the way.

So hopefully I'll be posting again soon, please bear with me if I don't post for a while, health comes first and my brainfog has been an obstacle lately ;) so maybe shorter more frequent posts on more topics I'm really passionate about is the way to go! We shall see :)

Here's a "thing worth sharing" to echo the one in my first post, DJ Earworm's 2011 mash-up :)

Until next time,

Sarah x

M.E In The News

I woke up today (after sleeping in late, something which has been creeping back into my habits lately!) to find that there is an M.E story doing the rounds on the web, and so I thought I should blog for the occasion! The article can be found on the BBC website via the link below, please take a read.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome "affects one in 100 pupils"

"A study following 2,855 pupils at three schools, published in the online journal BMJ Open, found 28 missed school with chronic fatigue syndrome."

"The researchers looked at every pupil between the age of 11 and 16 at three secondary schools in Bath. The 461 pupils who were absent for at least a day a week in a six-week term were investigated further."

We already know that M.E/CFS affects around 25,000 young people in the UK, which works out at around one student per secondary school. This is something that doesn't come as a surprise to me, and from my own personal experience I've found myself being someone who attends a school where somebody else suffers from M.E/CFS as well as myself, and through speaking to teachers I became aware of previous students that had attended the school who had suffered from the illness, too.

As for the figures about students who are absent from school - again, I'm not surprised. After all, that was me 5 years ago. Attending school whilst having M.E is one of the most difficult things I had to do in my life and one of the toughest periods of my illness so far. Many students who have M.E will be unable to attend full time; I myself went through several attempts at part time schooling, the most being 2 hours per day and the least being 5 hours per week. Of course there were times where attending school at all was completely impossible, and so there were months, literally, where I wasn't in school at all. Eventually in Year 11 I was given a home tutor to complete my education as attending school became too much for me.

Battling the symptoms of M.E every day is hard enough, but school presents all kinds of issues on top of that. The daily symptoms of crippling fatigue, muscle weakness and pain, joint pain, headaches and sore throats are combined with the struggles of keeping up with peers, in an attempt to live a "normal" life. With M.E sufferers missing large chunks of school through illness then it is easy to get behind, meaning time spent at school has to be subsidised with catching up on all the work you've already missed, as well as battling to stay on top of the current workload. On top of that, schools are a hotbed of germs and bugs, and with many people with M.E suffering from low immune systems, one cold caught from a schoolmate can be enough to set you back weeks if not months. For me, walking around the school building became increasingly difficult, and during my time at 6th form I would often find myself coming home only for my legs to give way from underneath me after a mere hour at school.

So much more research needs to be done into this illness, as more and more people become aware of the wide reaching consequences living with M.E comes with. Missing out on school during your teenage years can have a huge effect on people, not only from an educational point of view but a social one as well. School is where we make friends, or where we see out existing friends on a regular basis. M.E is an extremely isolating condition, with many sufferers becoming housebound and at worst bedbound. This is no existence for a teenager, and I hope people will see the news today and realise that we need to be doing more to help these people - not cutting funding and leaving sufferers to deal with their illness on their own. On top of that, in light of these figures then I hope schools themselves will look into this illness more and put in place plans of action for M.E patients. Teachers and school nurses should be educated and fellow students need to be supportive.

I'd urge anyone who is struggling with school whilst living with M.E to contact the Association of Young People with M.E for help and support - details can be found at http://www.ayme.org.uk/

Thank you,

Sarah x

Winning

Today marked the first day of officially validating your NaNoWriMo word count, so I can now post this as an officially verified winner! They even added an extra ten words to my word count once I'd validated, cheers all round. So now I've printed out my winner's certificate and added a winner's t-shirt to my Christmas list, what does the future hold? Have I caught the writing bug? Will I be signing up next year?

I can safely say that I enjoyed the experience, which was probably down to the fact I went in with such low expectations and came out with a 50k novel. I've dabbled in writing before now, but never to this extent and it certainly made me consider doing more writing in the future. It also reassured me about going on to study English someday in the future which has become an ambition of mine recently. Plus, I've already started planning out the sequel to this story, as well as beginning the editing process of my NaNo novel. Oh and I've started an entirely new story, too! So it's been a positive experience overall.

Of course I have the advantage of not having an awful lot going on in my life at the moment, so who knows whether I'll have the time/energy/opportunity to be as successful next year, but I'll certainly be giving it a go!

Writing is a mind field of a profession where if I'm to take it seriously, then I have to prepare myself for disappointment. But for now I'm just going to enjoy writing as a hobby and enjoy crafting something I can be proud of at the end of the process. Already I'm proud of the characters I have created, the story that ended up just how I wanted and the amount of words on the page. And I've done all this whilst battling M.E symptoms which makes the achievement all the more staggering for me.

If you haven't validated your word count yet then do it now! :) just go to the "edit your novel" option and click the link.

I can't think of a thing worth sharing right now so I might edit one in later, shh ;)

Until next time,

Sarah x