Back From The Other Side (Of The World)

I just got back yesterday, after a month of travel, to Montreal and Israel and Istanbul and Oman and Bahrain; so I haven't really had a chance to go through my photos properly or think about blogging or writing in any real clear way. Being away is good for some things: learning, experiencing, inspiring, but horrible for others: mainly actually getting things done. I feel like it'll take me a little while to get back into things. And that's okay. Sometimes I think we forget that we all deserve a break. Even though I know I'll have to work extra hard on school-related stuff now, even though I missed my boyfriend and my bed and my apartment, the experiences and memories I have are irreplaceable.

I stopped writing this post to find one photo to share. Just one. A single photo to sum up the last month. Nearly an hour later, I have nothing. A photo, even if it is worth a thousand words, is still not enough.

Still, I keep coming back to this moment, as I touched the Western Wall in Jerusalem for the first time:

Just one moment, but what a memorable one it was. I am so incredibly lucky.

The Next Big Thing: The Promise Ring

After seeing this writing meme around lots and loving the opportunity to learn about what people are working on, somebody actually tagged me. Twice. So thanks to Q and Kelsey, you get to learn a bit more about the novel I'm currently revising, THE PROMISE RING. 

What is the working title of your book?
THE PROMISE RING. Honestly, it's pretty self-evident why, but it's not exactly a title I'm in love with. With my first novel, SICKGIRL, the title was something that I really connected to and it was sorta intuitive. With this one, it just sorta seemed to do the job. But I still feel like it's good enough, and so until I can think of something better, it stays. Besides, it's sorta growing on me a bit over time. 

Where did the idea come from for the book? 
This idea really stems– probably not a huge surprise here– from the concept of promise rings. I went to a Catholic high school, and knew at least one girl who had one. The words written across it, "True Love Waits" always stuck in my mind. One day when trying to sleep, I had this image of a girl wearing this delicate ring that felt so heavy, because of the implications attached to it. When I first wrote those first two lines on a post-it note I promptly lost, I had no idea it was going to be in verse. SICKGIRL, my first completed novel, wasn't. But when I went to write THE PROMISE RING, it was like I knew instantly this was how it was meant to be. Now I just have to hope I wasn't wrong.

What genre does your book fall under?  
It's definitely YA contemporary and it's probably a bit darker than you would expect.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? 
I honestly really hate these questions. I don't mind reading about other peoples' dream casts, but my brain doesn't work that way, and I just get a little frustrated thinking about it. Maybe at some point I'll feel more comfortable answering, but for now, if you want to know what my characters are like, then you'll have to read my book!

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
One sentence? Really? No matter how many times I see other writers answer this, I'm always impressed they've managed to condense their book into one sentence. And most of them have novels much, much, longer than mine. So anyway, I'm sure this is going to suck, but here it goes:

Eden made a promise to her dad to remain pure until marriage but then he dies, and she meets Mason, who finally makes her feel alive again but her desire for him may cause her to forget the one thing she promised her dad.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency? 
An agency I hope! I think an agent is crucial to making sure it's sold to the right place. I'm also thinking about a career, not just this one book. If I can't get an agent with THE PROMISE RING, well there's always my next book! Or, uhh, my previous book, if I ever finish rewriting SICKGIRL.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? 
Fifteen days. Keep in mind, however, that it's only 25,000 words long, so it's not as impressive as it sounds. That said, it was a pretty amazing feeling to realize that when those two weeks were over, I had a brand new novel on my hands. Now I just have to get the inspiration for my next novel, and start writing!

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? 
I feel compelled to limit my genre to YA in verse, rather than YA contemporary, which would also qualify, and because of that my options are pretty limited. When I think about these for querying, I always come back to Lisa Schroeder as well as EXPOSED by Kimberly Marcus.

Who or What inspired you to write this book?
Pretty sure I already covered this, but basically I gave up on a novel that had some unfortunate similarities to one that's going to be published next year and was looking for a project. I mentioned my post-it idea to a writing buddy, and she was really supportive and I decided to give it a try. I'm glad I did.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
It has kissing, but it's not a romance.

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Now I have the opportunity to tag other writers, which would be great, if I knew any! It seems like most have already done this, but if you haven't– I TAG YOU.

Here are the rules:

• Use this format for your post
• Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress)
• Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them. (Include the link of who tagged you and this explanation for the people you have tagged.)

Planning A Trip To The Other Side Of The World

So back in September I applied, along with my twin sister and younger brother, for a Birthright Trip to Israel. It's a really incredible opportunity for young Jews to visit, and it's the sort of chance I probably never would have had otherwise. All three of us were accepted and are taking that trip together. It just so happens that we're leaving in less than three weeks.

Unfortunately, because of a lot of political stuff and unrest I do not want to talk about, I wasn't really sure if the trip was still going to happen or not, so I held off on a lot of planning. The entire ten days we get to spend in Israel are completely organized for us, but I wanted to stay longer and visit a neighbouring country or too, and take full advantage of my plane ticket to the other side of the world. I didn't actually book the extension though, until earlier this week.

We were supposed to come back January 6th 2013, but while my siblings are, I'm not coming back until the 20th. Instead, I'm taking a detour to Istanbul, Bahrain, and hopefully Dubai and Oman (though those last two haven't had plane tickets booked yet). I bought my Turkish Air tickets today after I got confirmation that my extension on my Israel ticket had been confirmed. So now I'm all set to go. Except for the fact that I haven't planned anything.

Luckily, my best friend Laala happens to live in Bahrain, which is my reason for visiting, and I can rely on her for lots of organization and ideas. She also spent five days in Istanbul earlier this year, so she's already recommended a hostel and I plan to get as much information out of her as I can. Still, this is the first time I've ever taken such a massive trip, and the fact that I'll be traveling for nearly a month is both nerve-wracking and exciting. So while there probably won't be any blog updates while I'm away, I can promise lots and lots of photos when I get back.

Oh, and just to quell any jealousy you might feel, my current journey home (from the 19th to the 20th of January) looks like this:

Bahrain -> Istanbul -> Tel Aviv -> Toronto -> Halifax

And as excited as I am, I'm tired just looking at that two day journey. Traveling to the other side of the world is incredible, but I wish there were a way to orb myself home. It's the wrong kind of science for me, but somebody should definitely get on it.