It’s 6-something AM, and I’m blogging from my hotel room. How geeky is that?
Very.
But there’s a couple of interesting things. An interview with me in Children’s Bookshelf, which is part of Publishers Weekly. And a review/interview of Peeps in the Brisbane Courier Mail.
Argh. Jetlag and exhaustion sweep over me again, but I will say this: The Alps are pretty from above.
What’s almost as geeky is waking up at 7:30AM and having the first thing you do is check Scott Westerfeld, your favorite author’s blog. But let the geeks take flight.
I liked how you described teenagers in your first interview. Most of the time we get a bad rap, you know, the whole “dumb teenager” thing. But in my experience I agree, teens do tend to read and write more and be more…intuitive. I don’t hear adults discuss books in the same way, with the same excitement, as alot of adults. But I’m almost 18 so do I still count as the YA genre? I hope so!
“They literalise what we all suspect: that we’re only one infection away from our lives changing completely.” That’s a great quote. Creepy and oh so true. I can’t wait for the kind-of-sort-of sequel to Peeps. Do you have any idea on a release date for that?
Good luck on the Jet Lag and say to Justine for me.
-Hannah
Is checking your blog every day geeky?
Good interveiw- for some reason the second one wouldn’t load on my computer.
i agree with hannah, and though i didnt wake up at seven thirty to check ur blog, i did wake up at nine and checked it before my own email (its spring break, i reserve my rights to sleep in)! Yea, if that makes me a geek, at least im having fun being one! lol. But i did like that first article, especially the part when u were talking about wordplay and creativity, i found ur description very accurate. Good job once again scott!
Mine either, the not load thing. But I thought it was cool that you have a writing riticual.
When I travel, the only time I can keep up with my blog is early in the morning or late at night. It’s not so much geeky as necessary, I think.
Scott, I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed Uglies. I just posted a review to my blog, which is about promoting the love of books by children, and the continuing reading of children’s books by adults (I should mention young adult books in there explicitly, I guess, because I do find that I’m gravitating more towards the YA end of the spectrum). I also just picked up Pretties (and Justine’s Magic or Madness) at the bookstore yesterday. Keep up the great work, and have a great trip!
The headline, “Mystery bugs captivate!” makes me picture superpowered insects wearing capes and shouting, like Wonder Twins and the activation of powers.
Peeps makes me happy because of the kitties!
Bonus points for using the phrase “more linguistically interesting.”
Ah, the alps from above… I remember it well.
No, wait, that was my cat.
Still, cool..
I really need to read peeps. Read all the other YA books though. Specials is still driving me crazy, I want to know if she’ll be a special forever. See I’m off topic I’m so worried.
hotel isn’t THAT bad. it could be worse, like the bathroom at the airpot-that would be bad.
Jeez. I just finished reading Blue Noon.
I hope ur next signing goes well scott!
BRISBANE?! As in California?! I only live a few miles away! Shame I missed it x.x
Nice to know you’re around the area though!
Okay, so this being my first time posting on your blog, I just want to say how much I love your writing. Your writing style is one of my favorites, and it makes you my favorite author. And I love all the ideas and plots in your stories. They’re all so amazing to read, I just get stuck in them until I’m finished with the book. A couple of my friends have started the Uglies series, and they love it as far as they’ve read, which is towards the end of Pretties. We all can’t wait until Specials come out.
I just finished Blue Noon, and I loved that book too. Though out of all of your books, I would still have to say that Peeps is my favorite. I love the story-line in that book, though it’s hard to decide if it is my absolute favorite, with all of the other great books you’ve written. All I can really say is that I love them all.
Also, as a thirteen year old reading your interview, I’d have to say you hit the nail on the head with describing teenagers. Good job, and keep writing!
–Courtney
yea courtney! I hope im the first to say, welcome to the blog (its like the best place on the internet in my opinion)! I totally agree with you, and although i have not read peeps YET, i hear that it is incredible. Hope to see you one here more! ~korbe
Wow Scott.
You’re such a geek.
You geek.
Geeky, geek…geek.
Geek-o. Gee-ek.
😛
Just kiddin’.
that was really random Bailey…..and yes welcome Courtney! this is a fun place to be, and i like it, i do. and i rpmis you, you’ll like it too. (wow i rhymed!!….well I’M excited, i can never rhyme)
good job amy! ur a poet and u didnt know it! Woo hoo! i rhymed too!
wow!!! you r a poet too!! we are all lerning so much about ourselves!!
Just finished peeps. It was pretty good, and I can see why lots of people like it, but I think it’s my second favorite of Scott’s books after So Yesterday.
so yesterday ROCKED! kaylen did u read uglies or midnighters? cause those are my favorite! if you havent, go to a book store right away! you havent lived until u read the series!
Name: Patrick
Dear Tyler,
Hey! Do you remember that one time when you fell through the ice? Well, I know something that kind of resembles that. It is not exactly like the ice thing, and it might be just a little bit strange, but I’m pretty sure you’ll enjoy it.
Last year, James got one of the biggest dares of his life. This happened because James, Michelle, and I were trying to have some fun in the Gulf of Mexico. So we were thinking together, and Michelle had an idea that someone should do a dare. We played the game Not I, and James ended up loosing after two turns out of three. So James was now the person who is given the dare that was to take place. Then came the chance to come up with a good dare to give him, but I couldn’t come up with a good one, so Michelle came up with one. After a couple minutes of thinking, she came up with the dare of having to scream shark in the Gulf area we were in.
James had to do what was said, so he soon acted upon it. He didn’t really desire to do the dare at first, but then we gave him the reasons why to do it. Here they were: it was his dare to do, he was already dared to carry it out, and we were bored. Then we also told him the commands to follow to make the dare creditable. We told him he needed to go into the water where he sank the most, and then had to start screaming while he was running out. James headed toward the water, and started to go under the surface. That’s when we knew it was going to happen. This also was going to be the start of something really funny, or was it?
James suddenly looked back with a scared look on his face, and gave us the a-okay signal. Next he started sprinting as fast as he could in the water, and water was splattering all over the place. Michelle and I couldn’t take it; we were laughing so hard just watching him run through the water, basically making a gigantic wave, just like the ride Flash Flood in Wisconsin Dells. He started to shriek shark, and you’ll never believe what happened. I personally saw two or three people scamper out of the water. They looked like they were newlyweds with a baby that looked about a year old. At first, we felt sorry for them running away, but then I laughed at James.
So, isn’t that kind of like your little incident at the lake? If you don’t get how, I’ll tell you. You were afraid when you fell through the ice, right? Well, these people that James scared were afraid that a shark was coming, and they were afraid of getting hurt, just like you. Do you get it now? Well, I hope that you enjoyed it, because I know that I sure did. I also now know that it wasn’t a very good dare, because I never realized what the dare would’ve come out to be.
Sincerely,
Patrick
My sister just finished Pretties. Everybody I know hates the end! Why did you have to make Tally a (Won’t spoil it for others)? Why?
um did i miss something patrick? cause i dont see any tylers on this thread, and definately nothing about ice or falling through it…so if you could clarify, that would be great. thanks
And please don’t go calling people retards. I’m so mad right now, that’s the worst word ever. And anyone noticed that now it’s getting replaced with gay?
Patrick your a creep
Oops I meant you are, not your. Having all sorts of spelling mistakes tonight. Everyone be on your guard, it’s April’s fools day! And yeah, I’ve read all of Scott’s YA books. I think I just like So Yesterday b/c of the facts (like the parasite facts too though) and that’s the ending I liked best. I love all of his books, just some more than others. I would like midnighters more if the ending wasn’t so bitter sweet, and I would like uglies ( 2nd book of scotts i read, so yesterday was the first, maybe a bias?) more if tally didn’t turn into a you-know-what at the end. Though I don’t think it spoils the books for anyone, because the titles give it away, Ugly, Pretty, Special. Pretty obvious.
So yesterday was also the one story that could have happened in our world (more likely than a parasite that makes you a vampire).
I was just reading the interview/review link, and is partner just a term used a lot in australia, because I thought scott and justine were married?
Um, Kaylen…
you write a lot.
Which is good.
Yeah, what’s Patrick talking about? Just randomness I suppose.
Scott Westerfeld ROX! (like we haven’t realised that)
Yea, um patrick, im going to ask you nicely to please not call people names, its definately not cool and we dont apreciate it. And yea kaylen i did realize that, (the being replaced with g*y thing) and i dont like it at all. I happen to volunteer with the mentally challenged and physically disabled, and to call things retarded like that is definately not going to happen here. I personally will not tolerate it, so I ask you kindly for one last time to not get into the habit. (sorry if i sound like a mediator for the blog, i really dont mean to, its just a habit, Im a mentor for 6th graders, i have to do that alot)
Speaking of peoms and poets, I came upon this poem based and inspired by the Uglies series!
http://quizilla.com/cgi-bin/result/result.pl
It’s not anything perfect, and I the author mentions that it isn’t like the books exactly,, but it works =) She also knows that it isn’t that great and wishes to have some help altering it, and who better than the author to the books and his fans =D
Plus I really love the last verse!
You are Special,
To never again be,
The way you always were,
Ugly and free.
It’d be really cool if it could be altered into the tag for the cover of specials.
It is probably too late, but I the author gives you my her permission to, if it’s not too late and if you still need one =)
oh…I thought strikeouts worked on here…well the “I” before the author’s were crossed out XD
And that link didn’t work… maybe this will…
http://quizilla.com/users/unknownseriphem10/quizzes/Pretties%2C%20Uglies%2C%20Specials%20(pictures%20included)/
Gr….fine be that way XD I’ll just paste the whole thing on here.
You are Ugly,
Deal with it.
You just can’t wait,
To get out of that pit.
You are Ugly,
Just a few days,
They will think you’re lovely,
In very many ways.
You are Ugly,
Your time has come.
Under the knife,
A new life has begun.
You are Pretty,
In New Pretty City,
All is at peace,
Thinking that your fun,
Shall never dare cease.
You are Pretty,
Living the life,
But then you remember,
Some suspicions before ,
The all perfect knife.
You are Pretty,
And you know more than you should.
You wish to fight back,
And you would if you could.
Now there you are,
Onward again,
A powerful life,
Never to end.
They know all about you,
And you know what they do,
Only one way to end your strife,
So again they force you,
Under the knife.
Now you are special,
So beautiful;strong
So perfect;irregular
And Inhumanly wrong.
Now you are special,
And special indeed,
Inside your head,
Implanted a seed.
You are Special,
To never again be,
The way you always were,
Ugly and free.
Sorry I’m such a sucky poet XD Well alter it in any which way if you want to help me =)…I mean the author….
Whoa! that totally rocked! i love it! i only wish i was half as creative as you, then maybe my painting would be finished. lol. Never say that u are a bad poet i think u rock!
Oh, yeah sorry about all the posts. Kept on thinking of new things to say, and it was a little late at night. Cool poem
really!?! Whoa, I was expecting criticism. thanks =D *is really happy* My day just improved a whole lot!XD
Kit, I think it’s simple and thoughtful. I suppose its simplicity gives it a special effect? Pfft, don’t ask me, I am no poetry critic. More into music as self expression. :]
I am obsessed with this site. Does that make me sad? Lol.
*grin* Music and self-expression ROCKS. I just get ored a lot.
Sad? Not in the slightest.
typos will concer the earth someday…. there is a reason my eamail was typophsyco….
ored is supposed to be bored
…and my spleling too….. *conquer
lol kit! that totally rocks
O_O I just realized something. Oh no.Hhey is it legal for me to write that without the authors permission?
My, this comment thread has been busy.
I think Patrick’s mysterious insults and long story must have bounced over from some other set of comments. But that’s the interweb for you. I’ve removed the most annoying bits.
Thanks for the poem, Kit. It’s great! As far as I know, you can write all the poetry you want about your reactions to other people’s characters. (And if you don’t profit from it, I reckon fan-fic’s okay too.) In any case, you guys should never let copyright law govern your creative impulses. It exists to regulate commerce, not your mind!
Also, Kirri: Brisbane as in Australia. (Sorry.)
I do believe that your blog has become more popular in the last several months Scott, just think, who knows how many people might come to the Westerblog: The words of an author, and his beloved fans! lol. ^.^
heh I know I’m new =)