June Bugs!

Bugs, bugs, ewwwww, bugs!

Welcome to my June IWSG report. Summer is here! I love the writing time, and I'm getting a lot done already! But I hate the bugs...

WARNING - THINGS ARE ABOUT TO GET GROSS!

One of the reasons I didn't want to move back to Florida was the exorbitant amount of bugs! 

For fun, I made a list of frequent flyers (haha) and crawlers:

Ants - oh so many varieties and big biters

Beetles just creepy

Bees & Wasps - I leave them alone, they leave me alone, right? 

Butterflies - the prettiest bugs =) 

Loud Cicadas lend to the tropical vibe. 

Love Bugs - tons this year, all over my car!

Leggy Bugs - centipedes, millipedes, eww!

Hoppers & Crickets - typical, no harm. 

Dragonflies - which are actually my favorite, they're pretty cool

Then there are the smaller and most annoying creepies: Mosquitos, Flies, Gnats, and No-See-Ums... I do like spiders and lizards who eat lots of buggies. Yay!

Back in Ohio, we could tell the month by the bugs:

May Flies, June Bugs, July Fireflies (some prefer Lightning Bugs) ooo pretty!, August Horseflies, September Ladybugs & Stinkbugs, October Spiders -- Then we were free from bugs for a good six months, as it should be.

All in all, it's not that bad down here, as long as we stay inside and keep up with the monthly pest control. We also have to be careful on our nightly walks. We find that sliver of time just before dusk when the sun is still in the sky, but the temp and humidity are going down. Too soon and we run into clouds of gnats, too late and beware the mosquitos!

Oh, but wasn't this supposed to be a WRITING post? Well, you know I'm going to tie it all together. I've been in a book club and so far, only one of the books has wow'ed me. I don't know about you, but as a writer, I tend to judge published writers more harshly. I've always been a picky reader, but I know good writing, and I have some really awesome writer friends. So when I read sub-par books from published authors, it's very annoying! 

So here are some things that BUG me about my recent reads and book club:

• predictability - I've always been good at this, but when I know who's going to die and who dun it in the first chapter, it's pretty sad
• too many tropes - sleepwalking, fake amnesia, hidden items in the floorboard, bratty kids
• characters I can't root for - hardly any of the characters have any redeeming qualities anymore. if I was in the book, I'd shoot all of them, but then I'd feel bad about it (redeeming quality, haha)
• everyone sleeps around - seriously, no one has any fidelity? at all?
• slow starts - where's the initial incident/hook?
• repetition - how many times are you going to say you don't remember what happened that night?

It's hard to pick a book for a group of friends to agree on, and I'm usually outbid... But if they pick another book about writers, I'm done! Egadz!

Well, I've gone over my time, so I'll wrap it up with the only book I enjoyed so far: It's Not Her by Mary Kubica - great twists and surprises - hard to predict! Did not disappoint. I recommend it.

Would love to hear any recos from you!!

On my own, I also read Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. If you like sci-fi, this is a fantastic book - an amazing story, endearing characters, and brilliant imagination! (now a movie, of course. can't wait to see what they do with it)

Happy June! Happy Reading & Writing!

via GIPHY

10 Terrible YA Stereotypes and How to avoid them

I've been dealing with my own  teens and teaching teenagers at school for over twenty years...

My 2nd son's prom group

*granny voice* Back in my day... our phones had cords, and our parents couldn't trace us. Heh, heh!

Ahem. Yes, that made me feel really OLD. Even though I often act like a kid more than my kids do! It's funny how technology changes, but kids and their growing pains don't.

So, I feel qualified to say, I know teens. And after reading some good and some bad YA, I'm here to tell you what works and what doesn't (IMHO) And some other avenues to try...

10 Terrible YA Stereotypes -

1. They hate their parents
2. They think parents and teachers are clueless
3. They hate school and authority
4. They all want to drink and smoke pot
5. Jocks and Cheerleaders are dumb
6. Smart teens are weak and shy
7. They have no direction
8. They like to show off
9. They're all promiscuous
10. They're all reckless drivers

Now, sadly some teens do fit a few of these stereotypical behaviors. Some of us remember acting this way when we were young, eh? But these overused images need to be broken. Sure, you can have a supporting role with one or two, but to give these traits to a main character? Stop yourself write there! You can do better.

Hints and Suggestions on Avoiding the Teen Tropes -

• Many of today's teens are under tremendous stress - their schedules are usually overloaded with extracurricular activities, sports, and jobs in addition to their homework and social life. They don't get a lot of sleep and they really need it. This could be a major cause of their snarkiness. And many of them know exactly what they want to do in life.
• Being so busy and responsible, many teens avoid bad behaviors that could get them fired or keep them from getting scholarships. But there will always those who like to break the rules, too - or think they know better - or try to work around the rules...
• Most teens love their families, but seem to take them for granted for meals and necessities. They like spending time with the parentals, but prefer the company of those their own age going through similar stuff. And those conversations can run deep.
• Give characters unexpected characteristics, the tall kid loves chess not basketball, the chubby girl is the most popular of the group, the fullback is a great babysitter, and the nerdy girl drives a Harley. Twist it up!
• And if you must use a stereotype, show the reader there is a reason for it. Don't assign a characteristic and walk away - like, that's just how she is. Make them own it. Then they can face it and fix it (character arc!)
• One trope that holds true and carries over to adults is Phone Addiction - so many of us walk around checking our phones every few seconds! Go ahead and use this one. But if you want a twist, write a character who doesn't have a phone or quits cold turkey - that would make a great story!

Now, bear in mind, these are all my opinions based on my experiences and observations, no collected data or researched stats. Being a teen is exciting and excruciating all at once. If you can tap that emotional roller coaster, you're golden.

And someone else who knows about teens is my Shout Out of the week:

Elizabeth Arroyo!

We're just in time for Elizabeth's new release and giveaway!

BEFORE DAWN
by Elizabeth Arroyo
Dystopian, Science Fiction, Young Adult

Survival Rule Number One: Eat before being hunted.

Too bad sixteen-year-old Zoe is an expert at breaking rules. With abilities she can't explain, Zoe has survived a world infected by violent hybrids. She's also had help from an unexpected ally, Morph--part of the Arcane: an elite force of teenagers from an Alliance of space stations.

After the Arcane are destroyed in an explosion, Morph is sent on a new mission: to capture a dangerous hybrid, but is torn between duty and his attraction to Zoe. With threats to the planet, Morph knows Zoe’s chances are limited. Trying to save her, he could betray the Alliance.

When Zoe recovers memories of her past, she realizes Morph might be the real enemy. For Morph and Zoe, the world is more dangerous than ever. And trusting each other is the key to them living to see another day.

Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ B&N ~ Kobo ~ Smashwords

Elizabeth spent most of her younger years as an avid reader with a wild imagination which led her to write her first manuscript at the age of fourteen. Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her family, listening to music, and binge watching her favorite shows. Influenced by the gamers in her household and her love of action adventure, Elizabeth delved into the realm of science fiction and wrote her first full-length science fiction/dystopian YA novel—BEFORE DAWN. Elizabeth is also the author of THE SECOND SIGN and THE SECOND SHADOW, a dark YA paranormal romance series, and DARKNESS, a YA paranormal thriller.

Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Goodreads

Personally, I've been friends with Elizabeth for ages. One of my first blog friends and so glad we still are. We've come along way in this supportive community! And make sure you enter Elizabeth's Giveaway!

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Not to mention, my Beastly Summer Fun Giveaway. So much free stuff is awesome!

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Thanks for stopping by & Have a great week!