Bev Writes!

young adult and juvenile author

[bevjamesauthor]

Define your characters

HHey guys, I received so many responses to my query about what you’re working on, that I thought I would offer some help. Your stories sound amazing and I can’t wait to read them. But, I want you to do me a favor: Work on making your characters -- especially your main character -- 3 dimensional. Make them jump off the page as a real person with quirky habits, bad and good traits, interesting features. To help you get started, I suggest you actually interview your character. Here are 10 things to ask:

1. What’s your favorite food, color, clothing?

2. Who are your best friends and why?

3. Who are your enemies and why?

4. What is your relationship with your parents and siblings? Are you an only child?

5. Have you ever lost someone you love (boy, girl, pet, grandparent, etc.)?

6. Do you ever feel unsafe? When?

7. Where do you feel you belong and fit in best?

8. Have you ever been hurt by someone you trusted? How did it feel?

9. Did you ever hurt someone who trusted you? Why? What was the result of the betrayal? Was it by accident or on purpose?

10. Where do you want to be five years from now?

Fill out the questionnaire after you interview your character and work on one scene. I will edit one scene from the first five people who send them to me at [email protected]. Happy writing!!!

[bevjamesauthor]

Guess the movie

[bevjamesauthor]

No gravity...

Had a dream last night that the Earth's gravity was gone. People had to hold onto metal objects to keep from flying into the sky. Weird.

[thewritewire]

I’m at the 90% mark based on this lol

[bevjamesauthor]

At the 60% mark on my latest project. Ugh.

[bevjamesauthor]

[bevjamesauthor]

FINDING ANA CARR

Aye dios mio, but I would never forget the look on the man’s face when he landed on my windshield. The keys jangling in the shattered windshield, the blood, the debris, it all faded into the background. But he was bathed in light, and his face looked like the painting of Jesus in my living room. His expression was almost one of bliss. Even as I prayed that he lived, I hoped that he died. Oh shit! If I got caught there goes a quincenera, never mind a Sweet Sixteen party.

I wanted to turn back the clock and start the night over, heck, start my life over. But it was too late.

________________________________________

First day of spring semester and Sylvia and her crew were already starting shit. It’s like she could smell how bad I wanted to be down and was just as determined to make sure I never entered the inner circle. I was standing near my orange locker with Lisette and Rosie when she walked over with her girls, trying to act like they were feeling us and just wanting to say hi. But I knew the deal; I knew the cracks would start sooner rather than later. Still, no matter how much I prepared myself, the put-downs always felt like a sharp, stinging slap in the face. I knew today would be no different, even with the new outfit from The Gap, the new sneakers, and the visit to the hair salon.

“Oh snap, look y’all, Ana got that hair straightened for the first day of school! You go girl, getting those naps out the kitchen so you can represent!”

Sylvia’s little gang of witches laughed and looked at my hair like they were expecting it to talk back or something.

“Yeah, I may have a relaxer in my hair, but at least it doesn’t affect my brain, seeing as how I’m in the right grade. Hey, Sylvia, why don’t you go somewhere and learn how to read English?”

She sucked in a hard breath and stepped toward me. Her girls stopped laughing and looked a little scared, like something might actually break out between us. Raising a finger in my face, Sylvia offered a tight smile. I was terrified that she might actually hit me. Hard.

“At least I know how to speak Spanish, and at least I look Spanish. Not like some morena trying to pass herself off as Latina with a head full of nappy hair and that black skin. You better go join your people and quit trying to be something you’re not, Ana Carr.”

I stumbled back from the full force of her words, wanting to spit in her face to show her I could hate as hard as her. But Rosie stepped in before I could react.

[bevjamesauthor]

And I will!

[canthinkofaurl-deactivated20221]

Other recs: YA Contemporary | YA in Verse | YA with Fat Characters & No Weight Loss Focus | Eating Disorders in YA  |  YA with Mentally Ill Characters

If I Stay - Gayle Forman

Flat-Out Love - Jessica Park

If He Had Been With Me - Laura Nowlin

The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen

Please Ignore Vera Dietz - A.S. King

Twenty Boy Summer -  Sarah Ockler

Love Letters to the Dead - Ava Dellaira

Amy’s and Roger’s Epic Detour - Morgan Matson

Someone Else’s Life - Katie Dale

more book recommendations on my blog The Bookavid

all recs by genre/topic

[tarotattwilight]

If He Had Been With Me fucked me up. So I gave it to a friend to read and she threw it at me when she was done.

[bevjamesauthor]

"Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass," "The Crossover," "Copper Sun," "November Blues," "Burn Baby, Burn."

[lesbiangaara-deactivated2017052]

hey kids if ur parents are abusive, dont be surprised if they suddenly change all their behaviors when u finally move out, if they start acting very nice and never even allude to all those times Before when they were treating u bad. this is a form of gaslighting and if u plan to keep distant from them as an adult, this may well be the defining characteristics of ur interaction w/ them. it’s tough to navigate this, because u will almost definitely wonder: was i abused? listen… when u sit in ur own home someday, maybe w/ a loved one, and things feel good, and the past feels far away, ur abuse was not made up. ur parents really did those things, and whether or not u want to keep them out of ur life or form a new dynamic w/ them, that’s up to u. but never let them make u believe they were always good to u.

[sovietshopaholic]

Holy fuck, this

[bevjamesauthor]

Don't let anyone, mother, father, sister, brother, grandparent, ANYONE gaslight you about past abuse.

[bevjamesauthor]

Happy Valentines Day (yes, I'm single).

[ntsexton619-deactivated20190130]

THAT’S ABOUT RIGHT.

[bevjamesauthor]

So true! But I get and take notes

[bevjamesauthor]

Short writer

I see posts about trimming your writing. I have the opposite problem: I write too short. I have a journalism background and that is evident in my writing. Any suggestions on how to fix this?

[ntsexton619-deactivated20190130]

I had a period where I thought I might not be good enough to publish. Stephen King

*NEVER GIVE UP!

[writing-prompt-s]

Rather than forgetfulness, the elderly truly dread remembering their past with perfect detail

[neoriots]

@white feminists: stop telling brown girls they’re “harming” feminism when they shave their body hair and conform to beauty standards. It’s much harder for brown women to pull off not conforming than white women. There’s a very harsh double standard when it comes to body hair and beauty standards in general on brown girls. (if ur white maybe reblog this to support ur brown sisters)

[sisact]

Remember kids, feminism means people do what they feel is best for themselves. Sometimes that means the decision to conform for the sake of protection. Protect your more vulnerable sisters instead of criticizing how they aren’t doing what you feel is best for YOU.

[bevjamesauthor]

Yaaasss!

[uponthepages]

a lunch for champs p.s. chimamanda ngozi adichie has to be one of my favorite authors of 2017

[bevjamesauthor]

Absolutely love this book and this author.

[bevjamesauthor]