Writer's Block: Why I Sometimes Hate Reading

I’m a bookworm and I am proud to call myself as such.  If it weren’t for reading, I would have failed almost every spelling test I got in the first and second grade, and I would not have my own sense of imagination. Reading helped me build wonderful things in my own head, and it kinda built my personality. So in short, it has made me the person I am today. But there will be times when reading will give me a horrible feeling. There will be small instances when I will feel distaste whenever I set my eyes on a book. Why is that? Well, if reading comes with good stuff, it can come with bad things too.

I will probably say the most obvious reasons as early as now. The first reason is simple; books are effin’ expensive. I hate how a simple joy in life called a book would cost as much as a Hipster graphic tee in H&M. That’s how crazy the economy is, nowadays, and that’s probably why Youtubers and celebrities suddenly have the burning passion for writing. Also, books have the ability to make my life look like a dull page, and I mostly read fiction. I read fantasy novels that have all the magic, the sci-fi, the dramatic heroes, the over-cliched romances, and the suspense. Most protagonists in high fantasy novels will disagree with me on this one but, their live are awesome. I would trade my soul just to have one simple adventure that involves dungeons and fairies (wait that somehow didn’t come out right). Unfortunately, in the end I will be slapped by reality and be reminded that there will never ever be a portal that will take me to an amazing fictitious world. But just once, I want my life to be like YA novel. I want to walk down in the hallways, meet a satyr telling me I’m an extraordinary demigod and I’m needed to save the world. It may sound like a heavy burden, but I would take this heavy burden over final exams. But again, no. I’m my own writer of my very own story. So I guess it’s up to me to make my lifetime extraordinary.

I sometimes hate reading because I know I will never get a satisfying ending and this happened half the time I’ve been a bookworm, which has been almost two decades. If I don’t get the ending I want, it’s either I have to wait for the sequel in a year or two or I don’t get a round two or three at all. That alone irks me. It sounds selfish that I’m being choosy when it comes to endings, but books are forms of entertainment. Therefore, they must entertain me. How can I enjoy knowing my favorite character died? How can I be happy not knowing things are going to be okay in the next book? Those thoughts tend to drive me nuts. Don’t even try judging me, I know you’ve been down this path too. Every reader goes through this. And if you haven’t, then let me warn you now; there will come a time when you’re reading a book and you won’t like where the plot is going at all. It’s pretty similar to watching the Game of Thrones, trust me.

In connection to storylines, I hate going on a book hiatus. This usually happens whenever I read book series. I have to wait at least year, if I want to know what happens next. The wait can be the definition of torment itself. It has made me detest waiting. Especially when the story is getting really good, but then it ends in a cliffhanger. I don’t know with you but it can be the worst feeling the world! Finishing a book with a cliffhanger is the equivalent of watching a horror film. It’s going to take time for you to get back to your regular sleeping pattern (assuming you have one), because you will be staying up all night coming up with theories and guesses on what’s going to happen next. Sometimes, I just can’t stand waiting and talking about it. I just cheat on this book series with another, and that doesn’t help at all because this other book likes bringing out cliff hangers, too and I still lose.

I also hate it when a book suddenly gets into the concept of death. It has become an insane trend in between novels lately. Whether it’s about a dystopian world or a kid who’s got an incurable disease, somebody has to die. What’s worse is that whoever dies is  someone  that we care about because the writers know that if they kill of an insignificant character, nobody will give a damn and quickly move on (well that’s what usually happens, anyway). It’s their sly tactic to make us savor their books so we can talk about it more, because this will create more buzz, then more people will be curious about it, which will make them buy the books until they cry about it, and the whole cycle goes on repeat. It’s basically an indirect marketing strategy, because thanks to our “feels”, we are promoting the books for the writers. Luckily most of the books celebrated are really good ones.

And there you have it. A fangirl explaining why she sometimes hates reading. If you can relate to anything that I just said, feel free to comment about your misgivings on reading on my Disqus (yay! I has Disqus) account, which will feature this very topic. That is it and till the next post~

The Problem With YA Fiction Today

Recently I watched a Youtube video created by CassJayTuck and I found myself agreeing with everything she said. She was talking about what she thinks is the problem with YA Fiction today, saying that the ideas in current YA novels are not as fresh or original. In other words, writers are simply recycling so much ideas to the point they forgot the whole point of writing.

I'd like not only to reiterate everything she said, but to add up to it, because I think this is definitely an opinion that needs to be heard among more hardcore bookworms out there. If you want to have a head start, you can take a quick look on Cass' video here:

Before I begin, I'd like to make one thing clear; I have nothing against the Dystopian or Romance Genre. I'm saying this because it is one of the most common genres we normally see in YA Fiction. That's the reason why I don't hate them, they are just genres. If a writer wants a Dystopia, then he/she has every right to write one. So if I have no problems with these, then what is the problem?

Cass mentioned in her video that most novels in YA lack this thing called, "world-building". One of the many joys in reading is that you get suck into a whole different world, that your reading experience becomes more or less surreal. YA Novels today, unfortunately, do not give that much world-building. It only focuses on a certain element that the writers think will excite their readers, as well as editors and publishing companies. And this is what happens when you pretty much recycle from a classic YA Novel. You end up focusing on things that you think will make your novel become a hit, but let's establish the fact that all novels are not similar and shouldn't be. You might as well stick to fanfiction writing if you intend to recreate something that's already there. The main challenge of a writer will always be the creative juice. A reader will be able to notice right away if you're trying to rip something off. I'm not saying that writers shouldn't draw their inspiration from other books. If they intend to base their ideas on previous published stories, might as well put a little bit more flare and not put other used ideas in one book. There's a difference, yes. That's why being a writer is not as easy as you think. You shouldn't be using other techniques or styles. Use your own. Basically, most writers are missing the fun part in writing. You get to create your own world. The time and effort must be focused on that, as well as in character development and in plot ideas. Not in just who ends up with who. So Cass is right, give your stories a little bit more love. This is my challenge for aspiring writers. Create stories wherein I can enjoy a whole new world. Follow the example of children's books. Please. Or maybe, you can take notes from Anime, because most anime shows do that very well.

Back on the genre issue... genre should never be an issue. It becomes an issue when a book fails to deliver a promise. For example, you want to create Dystopian novel (sorry if I constantly use this as an example, but it's the most common one at the moment), but you want to put a bit of romance. I've read tons of novels similar to this problem, and instead of focusing on the main problem, it concentrates on the love triangles. In other words, the secondary genre suddenly becomes much more important than the dominant genre. Then the story strays from what it originally was. Twilight is a perfect example of a novel that is able to deliver its promise. Stephenie Meyer made it clear from start to finish, that this whole saga will be a love story in between a huge vampire-politic problem. And it was a love story that was in the middle of a huge vampire-politic problem. I've read many books that imply that this is gonna be a story about a conflict two parties, but when I read it, the story is purely or mostly about romance and how the character is so awkward about puberty.

I also want to challenge writers about writing protagonists, because they can also be a YA issue. Main heroes and heroines now lack a bit of originality, nowadays. We always get the following:

1.) The person who doesn't want anything to do with the situation but gets into the situation anyway.
2.) The sassy or blunt person with a terrible or sad past, becomes very indifferent to almost everything but still gets loved by everyone
3.) The confused person who runs into a middle of a crossfire, and surprisingly becomes a major part of the crossfire.

As you can see, the similarities between the three are endless. I'd like future writers to come up with a whole new and realistic main character. I guess this is why I like the Insignia Series so much. Tom Raines had sass all over his body, but he didn't conform to any typical YA cliche I mentioned above. So the perspective was new, fresh, and absolutely interesting.

I would like to discuss another cliche. I know romance is something that any young adult can relate to, but I am sick of love being the driving force or main motivation for any YA character. There's more to life than relationships and all that shiz. I am starting to get tired of YA for creating characters who would just participate in a war or do something totally crazy for the sake of their significant other. I give kudos for The Hunger Games, for giving Katniss a whole new realistic motivation, which is her family. It made perfect sense for her character and for the world she was in. So perhaps another challenge? If writers cannot write a straight YA Fiction without inserting a few love stories here and there, make it subtle then? Give your characters different kinds of motivations? Give your readers a whole new thing to be inspired about?

That's all I have to say about YA for now. If you have other misgivings about the current situation on YA (which won't end right away), let me know on the comments. Also, you can share this so it will reach to more people, particularly to authors (aspiring ones, included). And I will see you till the next post~

The Scrambler's List: Top 10 Book Female Characters

Today I  would like to try something new. I know I've done the *insert number* reasons why or the *insert numbers* I am anticipating for the month (furthermore, they are not very consistent), but this time I shall make a list of my top ten favorites and in this case, I shall be talking about my top ten book female characters. Books will always be a part of my life. You may or may not agree with my list, since most of them will be characters that definitely influenced me growing up or they're just simply my favorites (after all, I doubt we would have the exactly same list of tastes and preferences). So without further adieu, I'd like to talk about my top 10 book characters!

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10.) Matilda Wormwood ("Matilda" by Roald Dahl)
A majority might be familiar with this character, since it has also been turned into a movie of the same title. Also she's played by the actress who completely dissed the 50 Shades of Grey trilogy. Pushing that aside, Matilda was basically the first bookworm character I came across with, and I love how devious she was! And trust me, for those who have only seen the film, she is ten times more crafty in the book. Basically, she managed to gather up her intelligence and eventually her telepathic ability just by simply reading all kinds of books and never getting close to the typical gadgets. She was able to use such abilities by messing around with the people who have been belittling her in this book. She may have these great abilities, but she's perceived as some abnormal freak who doesn't do what every other kid does. And for a young child, she knows better than to listen to them. If you're reading this and you have a daughter, I recommend that this should be the first pocket book for her because Matilda is an empowering character. Although she had her vengeful times, but in reality she's a swell person with a gentle personality. And what's good about her is her willingness to learn. Now how can that not be a good character?

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9.) Karou ("Daughter of Smoke and Bone" by Laini Taylor)
I'm not sure if you can consider Karou a girl or a human for that matter, because I'm still confused and I haven't read the last book yet. But Karou is this self-sufficient, introverted artist who does not easily put up with yo sh---. I know a lot of people say this but, for me, she's not your typical YA female lead who ends up looking needy in front of this hot male lead (and in this case, her hot male lead is a freakin' muscular archangel). Like most of the time, she was way too focused on herself, her adopted family of strange creatures, and other problems. I admire how independent she was in the bulk of the series so far, and I like how she manages her romantic feelings as well. Explaining the whole thing might end up with spoilers, but all I can say is that it was different. It felt different, because she doesn't really ask the guy for help even if the dude is willing to help her in any way.

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8.) Alaska Young ("Looking for Alaska" by John Green)
Honestly, Looking for Alaska is my favorite book of John Green's.  The twist was something I never expected and for the rest of the story I kept thinking "What now?" Alaska, for me, is a very relatable character. She's the epitome of what almost every teenage girl is like. Headstrong, wild, fun, opinionated, rebellious, loving, sensitive, considerate, thoughtful, problematic, tormented, and pretty messed-up. She's the girl you want to date, but at the same time, you may not want to date. She's the kind of best friend who will push you out of your comfort zone and make you this drunk crazy person for one night. And she's the student that not every teacher might not want to have in their class. She's the kind of girl that only a dumb mean girl can have the stupid guts to mess with (just for the sake to feel superior, of course. But in the end, I do not think you would want to be the enemy of Alaska Young considering the kinds of friends she has). The thing is, she kept most of her darkest and most secret thoughts to herself. That's what made her very human, to me. In the end, the book shows us that she is not this perfect girl, much less a goddess. She's just a person with problems. And I guess, that's pretty normal.

7.) Maryse Ligthwood ("The Mortal Instruments Series" by Cassandra Clare)
She doesn't get that much appearances in the series, but when she does, there would be times when she create this huge impact to me. She's a woman who makes sure she gets what she wants, when in reality, she's just a mother who wants her kids to be safe. What's even more touching is that not all of her children are hers. But seriously though, she's one of the most badass moms I've ever seen.

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6.) Zia ("The Kane Chronicles" by Rick Riordan)
If you've guys have read Rick's Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, then it's easy to say that Zia is like an Egyptian version of Annabeth Chase. But for those who haven't bothered to read it, then all I can tell is that Zia is a badass. She's one of those characters who grew up training to become a better fighter, completely disconnecting herself from the mundane world. And when you introduce her to something normal, the reaction is without a doubt, adorable. But what made me like Zia is how she interacts with Carter, the male lead in the series. She's actually a very pure person who just sees things for what they really are.

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5.) Hermione Granger ("Harry Potter Series" by J.K. Rowling)
....Do I have to explain why she's in the top five? She's smart, but not the humble kind of smart. I thought she was very arrogant when it came to her intelligence. I mean, how can you not be egotistical when you are regarded as the brightest witch of your age. But then again, she maybe seen as this snotty girl, but all she cared about was the rules and being an excellent student. Then you see her becoming this activist fighting for the rights of the elves (seriously, movie, how come that was not in the script?). I thought that's what defined Hermione in the entire series. Not her smarts, or the romances she had. And above all, I love her friendship with Harry Potter. Her intentions in almost every action she does is out of genuine love. Including the most painful ones. Again, must I further explain why she deserves to be in my list? Heck, how can you not like this girl?

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4.) Tessa Gray ("The Infernal Devices Trilogy" by Cassandra Clare)
I think The Infernal Devices will forever be my first love, when it comes to YA novels. The plot was great, the characters are well-written, and the twists are insane. Plus, I love the setting. Victorian Era of London. How posh is that? Tessa, however, is a foreigner in this series. Although she follows a lot of cliches of being a YA female character, I just thought she was an amazing character. Apart from her love for books, I appreciate how she is not afraid to snap at someone when she needs to. Plus, I can't really blame her for being really torn up in this love triangle, because it was really serious. Like, choosing between the two seemed very difficult, even if it was clear in Tessa's heart who she really wanted to be with. Putting that aside, I've never encountered a very conservative female lead before and Tessa was the very first. I enjoyed reading what she thought about certain situations, because some were pretty funny and relatable, in spite of the fact that this took place ages ago. And she may not be this empowering girl for most people, but she didn't really annoy me the slightest. Maybe it's because I had this connection with her. However, one thing we don't share is her string of suitors in this series. Tessa's choices were really hard.

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3.) Reyna *Can't say the surname because she hates it* ("The Heroes of Olympus" by Rick Riordan)
Two words. She's. Badass. Her leadership skills are amazing throughout the series, and she's one heck of a decision-maker. Most of the time, she knew what to do and she does it with no question. And she's probably one of the first few female characters who would boldly say, "I do not need a man to complete me." I mean, it's one thing to imply you don't need one, but another to really say it out loud.  But I appreciate that Rick delved into her character more, revealing her soft side and her darkest secrets. I wish I knew more, but the stories she revealed in the last book kind of made sense why she developed into such a hardcore person. But again, good job on showing her soft side. It was like a cherry on top for her entire personality. In other words, Reyna was a good balance of soft and hard.

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2.) Annabeth Chase ("Percy Jackson and the Olympians"/"Heroes of Olympus" by Rick Riordan)
Okay, I prefer Annabeth more than Reyna simply because I know her more than Reyna. They just gave away most of Reyna's character in the last minute. But I've read about Annabeth for the past ten books. So yeah, I think it would make sense if I have more attachment to her. Annabeth started out as this girl who can't trust easily. But meeting Percy Jackson eventually changes all of that. Basically, that's how I regarded her. This girl who had major trust issues, because she came across a lot of people who were ticked off by her for reasons she was not able to comprehend at first. But in the process, she becomes more lenient and more open. But what really made me like her was how her friendship with Percy blossomed into something deeper (can I hear Percabeth fans say "Yeaaah!"). Since the PJO series was written in Percy's point of view, I was only able to see this. And it was great. I saw Annabeth changing into a much better person. Then Heroes of Olympus came, and she became even more amazing. Her endurance is admirable and not to mention her as a girlfriend. Boys, if you are reading this, trust me. Girls like Annabeth are the real deal. You just need to be Percy Jackson in order to date her. Like wow. She makes a great girlfriend. She keeps you in line, and she's very very VERY loving. What more can you ask for? And yes, I think it is safe to say that her character does parallel easily to that of Hermione's. But Annabeth Chase is a rule-breaker. Like if she needs something, she will find a way. I'm not saying Hermione was not a resourceful person but she initially didn't want to break a few rules. But put her beside Annabeth, it would be classic because I can imagine them bantering about almost everything.

1.) Medusa ("Insignia Series" by S.J. Kincaid)
Just like the PJO series, Kincaid's books were written in protagonist's point of view. So I didn't get much Medusa scenes, like I hoped for. Now why would she better than Annabeth? First of all, she was this well-fashioned warrior admired by all. For Tom and probably most guys, it was like watching gamer girl crush slaying a few enemies here and there. That was Medusa in the first impression. Eventually, you wonder what she's really like, and Medusa turns out to be this girl that you didn't exactly picture. Again, I don't want to spoil much, but all I can say is that Medusa is just an alias. Her real name is and could be a major spoiler to the series. Yes. She's like the best present ready to be opened. But I can assure you, this girl is almost like Karou. Only, she's much more self-sufficient, a little more badass. Basically, just put all the girls I mentioned earlier, mix them all up, add a bit of chemical X and boom. You got Medusa. I can't say she's got everything because... well, reasons. Spoilers, duh. Is Medusa an ideal girl? Hmmm...maybe? Yes? If you're the kind of guy who likes playing video games all the time, then yes. I recommend her. You just need to be Tom Raines in order to date her. Also why doesn't she have a picture? Well two reasons. First, the series is not that popular. Second...she's that mysterious. Even her looks are a major spoiler. But I can assure you that she has...killer looks. Bam.

And that is it for my first Scrambler's List! If you have a list of your own, you may share it in the comments below.  Expect more in the future and I will see you in the next post~

Fangirl Moment! The Mortal Instruments as a TV Show

Yesterday was very tiring...

I studied my butt off for an intense exam the day before, so I lacked sleep. I studied again in the morning, tried my best not to feel tense and all, took the exam, pigged out, then I return home to my laptop and saw this announcement on my Facebook news feed. 

For source of photo, read more about the news here

That's right! The Mortal Instruments is going to be TV show (and hopefully, a series), which is awesome! 

I logged on to Twitter the other day and saw TMI fans across the globe going crazy over this announcement, bombarding Cassie Clare (the awesome author of the book series) with so many questions (including me) regarding it. 

I guess operation, "Turn The City of Ashes into a film"did not go so well, but hey, I do not know with you guys, but I think moving this to our personal TV screens is a better idea. Why? Here's why: 

1.) The script will most likely go by the book

According to the article I read, Constantin Film and Martin Moszkowicz said that TMI's plot will be further explored compared to that of movies. Let's be honest, a maximum of three hours is definitely not enough to show all the wonders of The City of Bones. Although the movie was very satisfactory for me, I have a good feeling that we will get to see a whole lot more when it turns into a series. Plus, they are most likely going to start the story from scratch, so they can definitely make up for minor inaccuracies shown in the film last year.

2.) Watching the series will feel like reading the book all over again.

I don't know with you guys but that's how I feel whenever I watch a series. Just watching an entire season is like reading the first book. The feels will get even more intense if you hear the words, "tune in next week" (but not for the Shadowhunter readers, because we all know how it officially ends), and you will be craving for more. Sure, series breaks can be very aggravating but they keep you excited about something, which is very effective. And watching an entire season is obviously longer (and better) than watching a film. 

3.) It will be relaunched as "High-end Drama series" 

Yeah...? YEAAAH? :> 

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Although the casting and network is still not yet official, I have my own opinions and options concerning these. 

In case they do a recasting, I honestly hope that Godfrey Gao (the actor who played Magnus), Kevin Zeger (who played Alec), and Lena Headey (who played Jocelyn--and yes, Cersei Lannister) to stay in the series. The rest can just go. Also they need to put Raphael in The City of Bones this time, he is not some insignificant character that you can just flick away. So let's hope the writers can put him in. Apart from that, I cannot say who I want specifically to play the rest of the characters because my expectations are just way too high. I'd love to describe how my ideal Izzy, Simon, Jordan, or whoever would be like but it would take an entire novel. Don't get me wrong, I appreciated Lily Collins, Jamie Bower, and the rest of the bunch. In fact, I think they did a great job, really. But at the end of the day, I am not so sure if they were the right fit for their roles. If they do intend to return then that's fine. But I still think a recast is a better idea. 

As for the network, I honestly want CW or HBO to take on the series. Yes, I choose them because my favorites series come from these networks and it would be really great to know that TMI will be featured in any of them. Just imagine it getting an Emmy Award for whatever. That would be give TMI fans across the globe a whole bowl of ecstasy. 

And yes, as a hardcore fan of the Shadowhunter series, I want The Infernal Devices to become a spin-off series. If you think about it, it would be really cool. Furthermore, it is my favorite Shadowhunter Series so far. But I still think they will have a hard time looking for the right Will Herondale. It simply can't be done. Even the ducks will agree with me. As for The Dark Artifices and The Last Hours, it is really hard to say because for one thing... Lady Midnight and Chain of Thorns are not even out yet (No kidding, Tama). I do imagine The Bane Chronicles being a mini-series, though. 

So yes, I am very excited about this whole thing. It makes me want to reread all the books of TMI. Hopefully this will push through and that the series won't flop. Go shadowhunters! 

Till the next post~

Read the original article here

Check out Cassandra Clare's website here 

Also check out her Tumblr 

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