How Bubbly Are You?

Posted on by scott

First: I have a new post up on YA for Obama, in which I discuss one of my favorite subjects: science! (Guess who’s being lame about it.)

And next: Speaking of science, below is a survey from academic Clare Snowball. She studying teens’ online activities, including you guys. This is all anonymous, by the way, so your answers won’t be used against you. They’ll only be used in the support of . . . science!

Here’s an introductory note from Clare:

I love Scott Westerfeld’s books, especially Uglies, Pretties and Specials. I live in Australia so I might have to wait a bit longer for Bogus to Bubbly, but I’m looking forward to it.

I’m a librarian and that’s how I discovered his books. I used to buy them for my library and read them before anyone else. But I don’t work in a library anymore; I’m doing a research project about teenagers and what they think of reading. Right now I’m writing my thesis, which is like a really long essay, 80,000 words, pretty much the size of a book.

I’ve been reading Westerblog for quite a while and when I noticed that some of you used names from Scott’s books when you posted and some of you added “–wa” and “–la” to your names, I thought that was very bubbly. Because I’m researching teenagers, I wanted to find out more about all of you. I’ve set up a survey that I’d like you to answer. The survey questions will be online for four weeks, so if you don’t read Westerblog every day, you’ll still be able to tell me just how bubbly you are.

I want to hear from people who comment on Scott’s Westerblog, people who don’t comment and just read Westerblog, and those who visit every day, or only visit every so often. Diversity is what makes the world bubbly.

I’m going to write about what I find out from your answers for an article in a magazine for librarians. So I can write about you as a group, I need a name for all of you. I thought of the Bubbly Army. I wondered if you really are an army, but I thought of it because you’re fighting (through non-violent action of course) to change all those non-thinking pretties of our world into thinking pretties or uglies or crumblies, and maybe even a few specials! What does everyone think of calling you the Bubbly Army? One of my questions asks this and if you don’t like it, you can tell me a better title for all you bubbly readers and commenters.

I’m pretty busy writing my thesis right now, so I won’t be able to write about your answers until next year, when I finish my thesis. When I do, the article for librarians might be a bit too bogus for you guys to read—if I use the words bubbly and bogus in it, the librarians probably won’t know what I’m talking about. So I’m going to write a version for you to read. When I’ve put it online Scott will blog about it, so you can all read it, and you might even read something that you wrote when you answered my survey questions.

Click here to do the survery.

Happy answering from the Chief Philosopher of the Bubby Army,
Clare Snowball

Enjoy.

77 thoughts on “How Bubbly Are You?”

  1. Clare’s thesis is 4,666 words shorter than the book I just finished writing. Sorry if that sounded brag-y. Totally not intended that way.
    This is the second survey in the last month for something I’m interested in. The other was for Avatar: The Last Airbender. Please don’t tell me I’m the only person here who watched that show! It was only the greatest show ever. Whatever, I’m getting off subject.
    Thankfully, this survey is waaaay shorter than the Avatar one. The other one said at the beginning that it would take 20-30 minutes and it ended up taking me, like, an hour.

    Audrey-sensei: thanks for visiting my blog. In case you haven’t checked it again, there are two versions of your chibbi idea to vote for. I hope anyone reading this will vote!

    by the way, for anyone who doesn’t know, my blog is dahliaseclecticmind.blogspot.com. 😀

  4. Hmm is it possible to have the Icy Army too? For us that would prefer to be colder… more like specials 🙂

  5. First things first: I’m poster 5.
    Second, they sold Bogus to Bubbly in the book fair at my school (including the whole Uglies series; which I already have.)
    And third: I bought it! 😀
    And it’s freakin’ amazing. I love the pictures.

  7. just to let everyone know Uglies series+bubble to bogus pwn twilight at my school bookfair ya thats right there are two favorive authors shelves uglies on the first one the twilight is on the second one a shelf lower than ugliesness YAY *does happy dance with other haters of twilight*
    Bre-la: exactly the name i was thinking

  8. i luv the bubbly army! teehee. i have this huge project due tomorrow and i’m only about a third of the way thru! ya, don’t ask me when we were assigned it (a month ago) or when i started on it (about three days ago…probably less). cuz that’s all unimportant…
    well, actually it sorta IS cause the term’s almost over, and this counts for a huge percentage of my grade.
    and to add to that i have homework stuff tonight, and a biology quiz, and a math quiz, and this huge latin quiz wednesday that counts for 40% of our grade. and a world lit. quiz on gilgamesh on monday. and an art quiz on monday (yup, we actually have quizzes on art. lame huh?). i needa get to my project but my sis is hogging the comp that i ALL my stuff is on, so i hafta wait for her highness to say that i can go onto the computer and email it to this sitnkin’ laptop. sigh. someitmes it stinks. life. the universe. everything. (to which the answer is 42)
    gtg and take the survey quick!

  9. It isn’t clear – can adults do this survey too? Should adults do it? And any good librarian, especially a teen librarian, had better understand the terms bubbly and bogus or they are seriously not doing their jobs. 🙂

  10. I did it and it was awsome! I can’t wait for the results. It was totally daylight, in a good-way. Im more of a Midnighters fan then an Uglies fan. We’re reading Uglies in after-school book club though! Its like my 4th time reading it!

  11. omg! this survey was awesome. i was laughing when it said “check the books by scott westerfeld that you have read” i was going down the list and was like “read it. read it. read it. read it. read it. read it. read it. read it. read it. read it. read it.”

  16. neat, a survey. i’ll probably take within the next four weeks. Bubbly Army sounds pretty cool.

    and what did happen about facing your fear, scott-la? you got a deadline coming up.

  17. I made an alternative suggestion: the Mind-Rain Militia. ^_^

    Can’t wait to read the thesis in a year or two. 😀

  18. fun survey! i love surveys! and yay for science! i loved the penicillin part…hehe.
    i’m going to be a special tomorrow! i hope i can make decent flash tattoos…*goes to look at pictures of previous specials*

  20. Haha, the Bubbly Army. Although I think calling us Rusties would be more appropriate (due to the lack of hover boards, sneak suits, SpagBol ect). I like to think of us as the Special Rusties. =)

    Whee, it’s my 16th birthday. I’m not turning pretty though, haha.

  22. *does survey*

    Don’t you just love vague statements about how our “money is being wasted by democrats” and the like? Because, you know, actually explaining things is so overrated.

  23. I took the survey. ^^ I actually gave a rather in-depth answer to the last question, and I’m quite proud of myself. Now if I could only answer the questions on my homework that easy….

    -is killing herself over Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Black Cat”- How in the world am I supposed to describe the description of the cat as “sagacious” contributing to the meaning of the story?
    -ponders- Hm.

    By the way, I can’t wait to get BTB. I can’t get it at the moment, because I have no money/giftcards, so I have to wait until Christmas/My Birthday. Ah well. I GUESS I can wait, if I have to.

  26. By the way Scott-la, do you have an e-mail address? There’s something I want to send you. I tried using the window that comes up when I click the “Contact Me” button, but it doesn’t work with my laptop. Thanks. ^^

  27. This is sooo cool. I can’t even put it in words. Good ones anyway.
    The bubbly army sounds cool.

    Just one thing, In Michigan (G-rap) Tonight theres this zombie walk where everyone is dressed up like a zombie, and they walk around. The zombies rise again!! Muahahahaha!!
    (thats like UNICORNS:0 Zombies: 80,000)
    ((takes survey))

  29. omg!i missed a post!GRR!
    so now i have to go read that too….
    YAY!29!IVE NEVER BEEN THAT ,UM, CLOSE?TO #1

    i love science too!YAY!

  31. omg! took the survey-so awesome, gonna be a special tommorow!! so excited! gtg buy face paint/pastels now!!(even though i only really need black) im gonna take tonz of pix!!

  35. dude. i *love* surveys! seriously, it sounds crazy, but i think they’re really fun.

    Bubbly Army? not so much. how about

    Rusty Mind Rain
    or
    Bubbly Movement?

    or or or…

    The Banishing Bogusness Society of the World? (okay maybe not the last two, but i’m kind of proud of myself for thinking up the first 2) 😉

  36. omg! Lady Dahlia! two new chibbies? that’s amazing. i will skip on over to your blog as soon as i finish reading the rest of the comments.

    (btw, i’m totally addicted to reading blogs, as long as they’re interesting and have new ideas. So if you want me to pay you a visit, i totally will…)

    Thank you Haddy-la! Twilight is overrated. *cowers from the anger of delusional wannabe vampires* Here is a question for you: Can vampires get AIDS? hmmm….

    Hoba-wa: Mind Rain Militia. THAT is cool. alliteration is always cool…

    Michelle, I have to disagree with you. Haven’t you read Bogus to Bubbly? SpagBol *does* already exist. So does instant-heated Indian Cuisine (just add water!) haha, my dad and brother brought it with them on a backpacking trip.

    BTW, Emma-la: it’s scott@scottwesterfeld.com i believe.

  38. That’s so weird! I was acctually just thinking the other day, if Stephenie Meyer fans are Twilighters/Twi-hards, Harry Potter fans are Dumbledore’s Army, and John Green fans are Nerdfighters, then what are we as Scott Westerfeld fans? It seems like we’ll find out soon enough…
    Now off to do the survey!

  41. Half of my short story for english is typed. So far it’s eight pages, double spaced. Size twelve font. I’m exhausted. But now I’ve gotta go do science homework…hopefully that will be done with soon….

  45. ATTENTION UGLIES FANS!!!
    Right now there is an injustice being commited. My friend, Dame Orchid, has a poll for Favorite Book on her blog. The candidates are Love You Kill You by Ally Carter, Kiki Strike by Kirsten Miller, Maximum Ride by James Patterson, and of course Uglies.
    Well, UGLIES DOESN’T HAVE ANY VOTES!!! How can you, the ones who say they are the most loyal, and are at this very moment thinking of a name for Scot Westerfeld’s fans, allow this to happen?
    If you wish to avenge Uglies, just visit hauntedorchid.blogspot.com and vote! For the love of all things Uglies, VOTE!

  50. I took the survey; well thought out!

    I would attatch a “-wa” to my name, but we already have an Allie-wa and a Tally-wa AND a Talli-wa, so I don’t want things to get confusing.

  51. weeee… i just bought my copy of Bogus To Bubbly…
    THANK YOU, SCOTT!!!!
    I was so excited when i opened it.
    I wanted to show the girl at the cashier,
    but I didn’t think she’d care….
    but yeah… weeeeeeee!!!

  53. You could like add a * or ~ or something to distinguish yourself???
    I’ve always used Julie-wa except a few times at first I used Aevia-la… Aevia is my main rp chara

  55. Wow! I am really glad a middle-pretty is taking time out to hear what we have to say. But if she publishes anything and says I wrote it ,it’s ALL LIES.I-I th-think I’m going…to….Get somethign from..my ..car now. *drives off* bye!!

    ahem.

    But seriously, we are very lucky. Not all writers are like Scott, some are mean and evil and patronising and-Wrong.YA is ………

    Oh, I think I’d better stop ranting now.

  58. GO AUSSIES!
    WE ROK!

    Survey done …

    I vote Uglies!
    But it is REALLY close
    cos Maximum Ride is good too!
    It is!
    Aww poll closed 🙁
    But Uglies won, muahahahahaha!

  63. I haven’t been on here in foorreverrr.

    I feel like an outsider now. XD

    I dont mind the term Bubbly Army, but I think I will always refer to myself as a Westerfan. It’s my favorite. c:
    The survey was pretty interesting and I cant wait to read the finished product..does that say she’s writing 2 completely different versions? I’d be fine reading the one just for the librarians, but..wow.

    [and is her last name really snowball?! awesomeness.]

  64. HALLOWEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!! I’m gonna go obsess over my costume for another few hours…lol….or maybe i’ll go check to see if provincial honor band audition material is on the website yet…even though it’s not supposed to come out til tomorrow….

  68. THAT SURVEY WAS FUN! I LIKE SURVEYS!!!! (SORRY FOR THE CAPS BUT IT’S JUST EASIER COZ I’M TYPING WITH ONE HAND, BUT I’M GETTING MUCH BETTER AND FASTER!! YAY!!!!) 🙂

  69. Audrey-Sensei —> thanks for commenting on my blog 😀 I responded, and just added another post if anyone is interested.
    My blog isn’t half as icy as Scott’s and I normally don’t stick to my blogs that I periodically create, but hopefully I’ll stick to this one.

  70. i just took the survey and i think i’m super bubbly i’m reading Bubbly to Bogas right now and i think it’s icy just becuase i like that word better

    i would of loved to be a Special for Halloween i will be one next year, or a stressed writer who has an impending deadline

  74. hi i am very bubbly cause i am writing my own novle currently i am a young adult i am 14 my friends say they like it but their friends they’ll tell you anything you want to hear i am reading pretties write and i love it it keeps me bubbly

  75. well i am posting agian exept now i am reading specials and i am ticked off scott i cant belive you made her a special thats so depessingT_T and what she does to zane is just mean and extras thats depressing to because i was hopeing it was about tally-wa but its not but i am still going to read it when i can some one should make a movie of the uglies series that would be awesome i would go see it every one of them! but i love these books scott-la but i am almost done with the series which is also depressingT_T but illjust have to keep myself bubbly which will be hard! oh and shay-la grrr….. she made tally a special i hate her so much and she is totally mean to tally-wa in specials some one should smack her lol jk well any way i am still writing my novel i havent wrote much lately trying to focus in school and all but i am still writing it well bye!!!!!!!!

  77. I know what you’re all thinking… is this REALLY Tally Youngblood responding to all of our posts? Well, to answer your thoughts, YES this is Tally Youngblood IN THE FLESH (not really cuz you can’t see me… but you know what I mean!!!)
    So anywayz, I’m getting off subject. I don’t like how Scott Westerfeld (the guy who totally created me! How happy-making!) SAID there was an “alternate ending” to the 3rd book in my series (Specials). I checked the website: BehindThePulse.com/specials and there was nothing about an alternate ending. Just, like, a copy of the last chapter of Specials and commentary on WHY he ended the book the way he did. How sad-making!!!!! Can you believe that?! If I WANTED to see the last chapter of Specials AGAIN I would’ve just read it again. I don’t need him SAYING that it’s an “ALTERNATE-ENDING” when it’s nothing but the book.
    And I KNOW that all of you want the books to be made into movies. SO DO I! I can’t WAIT to see if they make the movies cuz they were SUCH great books!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I finished the first three in a week. I know what you’re thinking… WHY would the main character of these fiction books read about HERSELF?! I know, what a bubble-head!
    I would LOVE to know what ever happened to Shay, FAUSTO, Peris, and DAVID! I wish the Specials book would’ve ended with me kissing David! That would’ve been so cute and a great ending! Cuz, you know how Tally (ME!) when she kissed Zane while she was a Special got all woozy and nearly threw up cuz she thought he wasn’t like special enough to make out with her. So since Tally (ME!) like rewired her brain all on her own she could’ve made out with David without it being a big deal. I really wish that could’ve happened…! 🙁

    So, I hope you all LOVED the books starring ME! I hope they become movies and I hope you love those TOO!

    Hope your lives are VERY happy-making,

    Tally-wa Youngblood

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