Opportunity for writers 18 and older

Happy Saturday everyone! Stephanie here. I'm jetting off the soccer fields in a bit (I've entered the Soccer Mom phase of life. Very scary.) but wanted to let those of you who are 18 and older know about a writing opportunity.


United Way is looking for some writers who can offer a teen perspective in their articles, and after checking out Go Teen Writers, they thought some of you might be interested. They offer a $10 payment per 300 word article, so this would be a paid gig and something you can add to your writer's bio. Your articles would live at this site.



I asked Juliana, the woman who reached out to me, if she could provide me with a few more details. Here's what she said:

The requirements are very loose -- they can submit as little as one article or as many as they like from a list of assignments that we provide on our site, and can stop contributing at any time. They will be paid every two weeks through PayPal for any published pieces and can track how their articles are doing through their Skyword account.

This is the link where they can find out more information about the United Way program and sign up (Teen writers should check off Kids Corner as the category they'll be covering.)

Once their application is reviewed and accepted, they will be assigned an editor and given instructions about the submission process. We've made it extremely intuitive and they can always ask their program manager or me if they need help.

If you have questions, you can contact Juliana at: JCasale(at)skyword.com, and just tell her you learned about the opportunity on Go Teen Writers.

Again, this is for writers 18 and older.

Describing Through Character's Interests

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books for teens in lots of weird genres like, fantasy (Blood of Kings trilogy), science fiction (Replication), and dystopian (The Safe Lands trilogy). Find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or on her author website.

In my last few posts, I talked about different ways to describe. This isn't your typical description, but a way of getting deeper through writing scenes in different ways. I talked about writing scenes with different overall emotions for your main character, and I talked about writing scenes from different points of views. 

Today I want to take the point of view angle a little further. Who your point of view character is will affect how he or she describes things. This is not a new concept. But I think it's one of those concepts that we know, but don't usually find a lot of time to put into practice. So here are some ways to get into your character's head and see what he sees.

What does he own? What's on his desk? Under his bed? In his closet? If he has his own bathroom, what's on the counter? Is he neat or messy?

What thrills him? Hobbies? Interests? Addictions? Favorite foods or movies or video games?

What about his moods? What does he do when he's happy? Sad? Does he eat food when he's sad? Does he dress in certain clothes when he's feeling lazy? Any strange habits?

Now, take all this knowledge and send him to a house he's never been to before. As he looks around the place, what does he notice first? What do his eyes linger on? These things tell the reader a lot about who he is. This is getting deep.

For an example, I'll use two brothers from Captives and how each described the office of the task director general.

Omar: The rectangular room had a shiny wooden floor, sparse chrome and red suede furniture, and floor-to-ceiling windows on three walls. Clean, sharp, simple — minimalist design. This was another reason the Safe Lands intrigued him. So much beauty and architecture. There was none of this in Glenrock. Until Omar had visited the Safe Lands, he’d never seen anything from the Old art books Levi had given him.

Mason: Mason pushed open the door and entered what felt like a modern palace. The room was furnished in black and red, with hardwood floors and windows that wrapped around three walls, exposing a vast view of the valley below. Mason felt like he was walking among the clouds.


Omar, a guy who's obsessed with riches and art, spends more time looking around. He notices color and design. He likes what he sees. Mason is thinking about other things. He notices the room, of course, but ends on how it makes him feel.

And there are more differences about these two brothers. If Omar and Mason walked into my house, Omar would notice the movie shelf right away, and the video games. He'd be looking to entertain himself. Mason would notice the mess. The clutter. He might hope no one in my family had a dust allergy. And he would probably start asking questions about the electric muscle stimulator sitting on out kitchen table. We borrowed it from a friend when my husband pulled a muscle in his back.

So, try this with your characters. What types of things do they notice when they enter a new place or meet a new person (as this works with describing people too). What do their eyes linger on? What intrigues them?

Be sure and hop over to the Playlist blog, where Stephanie is giving away a copy of the Go Teen Writers book at the end of her super cool interview with Rachel, who won the "Respect Your Dream" essay contest, and Rachel's writing partner, Keely.

Winners from the second 100 for 100 challenge

by Stephanie Morrill

Stephanie writes young adult contemporary novels and is the creator of GoTeenWriters.com. Her novels include The Reinvention of Skylar Hoyt series (Revell) and the newly released The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet (Playlist). You can connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and check out samples of her work on her author website.

Beginning February 1st, many of you embraced the 100 for 100 writing challenge, where you agreed to try writing 100 words for 100 days. There were 70 awesome writers who completed the challenge, and many more who tried it but for various reasons had to bow out early. I'm crazy impressed by how well you all did.

Yesterday I spent some quality time with the word tracking spreadsheet and my calculator. Here are a few things I learned:

1. Those involved in the challenge want to talk to each other. Many of you used the spreadsheet to encourage each other, which really warmed my heart. I was very isolated as a teen writer, and I longed for someone to talk about writing with. I adore this community of teen writers, and I love seeing the way you encourage and challenge each other.

Because of this, when we do the next 100 for 100 challenge (still working out the dates) I'm going to figure out a way to better facilitate conversation among the participants.

2. Many who took place in the first 100 for 100 challenge (Fall 2012) found this one more difficult.  I think I'm at least partially to blame for this. With releasing/promoting two titles this spring, I wasn't nearly as diligent about encouraging you guys. My husband pointed out that I hardly ever (maybe never?) mentioned it on the blog and that he forgot it was even going on. So I apologize for my part in the difficulty, and I promise to do better next time.

Here are the 70 writers who worked hard and were faithful to the end of the 100 for 100 challenge:

Aaron W.

Adriana Lister

Aidyl Ewoh 

Alex M.

Ally S

Alyson Schroll

Anna Schaeffer

Arlette G.

Bailey B.

Bethany Baldwin

Bruno Silva

Cait D

Caitlin Hensley

Deborah Rocheleaua

Destany T

Diana Fourall

Ely Gyrate

Emily Dakin

Emma K 

Erin Daly

Georgina

Hannah C. J.

Hannah Elise

Heather Manning

Heather S.

Imogen Elvis

Jacinta Swindell

Jalyn Ely

Jenna C.

Jessi Roberts 

Jordan Hart

Kara Suderman

Katia Kozachok

Katie Bucklein

Katie Scherzinger

Kendra E. Ardnek

Kristian Beverly

Langston Jenkins

Lauren Welch

Lily Jenness

Lydia H. D.

Mariah DeGisi

Marlene E. Schuler

Matthew Schroll

Meaghan Ward

Megan M.

Meghan Gorecki

Michaela M.

Mime D

Mindy Butler

Rachelle Rea

Rebecca Wall

Robin Rani

Robyn Hoode

Rosie W.

Samuel L

Sara H.

Sarah Sackett

Sarah F.

Sarah Faulkner

Sarah R

Sarah Z.

Sierra Abrams

Sierra Bennett

Tamra C.

Terah Jones

Tonya L 

V. Kathie Ardnek 

Vlada L.

Zara Hoffman

(If you completed the challenge and your name is missing from this list, please let me know so I can add it!)


For fun, I looked up who wrote the most in each of the categories. Virtual high-fives go to:

Age 12 and under: Emily Dakin

Ages 13, 14, and 15: Mime D.

For ages 16, 17, and 18: Heather Manning

For ages 19, 20, and 21: Cait D.

For the Old Fogies (22+): Tonya LaCourse

The age group who had the most members complete the challenge: 16-18 with 27.

The age group who had the most words per person: 19-21 with an average of 47,734 words per writer.

And now for the prizes!

We're giving way 250 Go Teen Writers store points to five random writers who completed the challenge. The winners are:

Lauren Welch

Heather Manning

Sarah F.

V. Kathie Ardnek

Heather S.

The 5,000 word critique (a prize eligible to all writers in the 19-21 category for having the highest average word count among the competitors) goes to: Arlette G.

The 10,000 word critique (a prize eligible to all writers who completed the challenge) goes to: Jacinta Swindell

Congratulations to everyone who respected their dream by participating in the 100 for 100 challenge!

Journey with Gillian: Reading as a Writer

Gillian Adams blogs over at Of Battles, Dragons, and Swords of Adamant where she writes about anything relating to books, fantasy, villains, and costumes. Her book Out of Darkness Rising will be published fall 2013. She loves interacting with other writers and readers on her blog or facebook page.

The number one writing tip most authors will give you is to first, write a lot, and second, read a lot.

It sounds somewhat obvious, but it’s very true. Though I’m afraid I take the second one far too literally.

I go to the library frequently, because—let’s be frank—as much as I try to support authors by buying their books, I have yet to discover a secret pirate treasure buried in my backyard. (Though I have looked!) And my “help a starving bookworm fund” never took off like I anticipated.

So, each time I go to the library, I stagger out with a stack of at least ten books tucked under my chin. And that’s in addition to the books I do buy or get free for reviewing.

Needless to say, I read a lot.

When I started studying the writing craft, I was afraid that I wouldn’t be able to enjoy books anymore. But I found that it’s just the opposite.

Sure I may notice more of the imperfections, and now I can actually pinpoint why I don’t particularly like a certain book, but as a writer, I can appreciate books on a much deeper level than I could before.

I understand the blood, sweat, and tears that goes into crafting a novel. I know what it's like to write a three or four hundred page book. I understand the writing process, so I can be more patient when I have to wait a year for the next book in the series. (Um, so that might be stretching the truth a bit.)

But most of all, I can learn from all the incredible writers who’ve gone before me. And sometimes, even learn from the mistakes they've made as well.

When I read, I try to keep a notebook handy to keep track of the things I love about the story. Whether it is the author’s writing style, character development, voice, or just the way the plot keeps me guessing, I’ll take note of it so I know what I want to emulate in my novels.

Not exactly imitate, since I do want to maintain my own distinct voice and style, of course. But there's nothing wrong with intentionally honing my craft through learning from other authors' strengths and weaknesses. It's the best way to learn.

Here are just a couple of the novels I've taken notes from in the past:

The Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson

I love his humorous, simplistic style. Where else can you read about “the Nameless Evil (named Gnag)” and the “Fangs of Dang.” The themes of his novels aren’t lightweight, though. And his novels aren’t afraid to wander through the darkest caves, yet the light is never absent.

 The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet by Stephanie Morrill

I just read this one, so it’s a new favorite! Ellie’s voice is so clear and unique and witty. And somehow Stephanie managed to make me root for both guys at once … which was a first for me. I still don’t know how she did that.

The Mistborn Trilogy and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Sanderson is an expert at crafting complex fantasy worlds and plots that are deep and full of surprises. He is also great at keeping you completely in the character’s head so that you’re often just as confused as they are about what’s really going on—it makes the story that much more real and exciting!

Starflower by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Beautiful writing—I think that’s the first thing that struck me when I opened Starflower and started reading. Other than that, Anne Elisabeth Stengl is quite adept at penning unique dialogue from the POV of otherworldly creatures and nonhuman narrators.

The New Recruit, by Jill Williamson

If you’ve read this, then you know that Spencer’s voice is awesome. He sounds so real. Like you could just bump into him one day at school. Also, Jill is an expert at crafting novels that keep my attention glued to the page.

With each element that I note, I try to figure out the principle behind it and apply that principle to my writing in a unique way. So, although I enjoyed Spencer's voice in The New Recruit, I'm not going to try and write a Spencer-esque character in my next novel. I may however, experiment with ways to create a character with a voice as clear and realistic as Spencer's.

Likewise, I love the way Brandon Sanderson constructs such elaborate fantasy worlds that the reader becomes wholly immersed in the culture, setting, and mindset of the characters. But rather than trying to create Sanderson-esque (or Tolkien-esque) fantasy worlds, I hope to figure out unique ways to deepen my own fantasy world until it is just as real and believable as Sanderson's.

Of course, you can learn from poorly written books, too. Whenever I have a hard time getting into a novel, or even when I discover a difficult passage in a novel I really like, I try to dissect it and indentify what it was that distracted me from the story and caused my attention to wander.

It’s a great way to learn what not to do. And sometimes learning what not to do is just as helpful as learning what you should do.

What are some books/authors you’ve learned from in the past? (The lovely Gillian Adams is out of town, but Jill and I are excited to chat with you all about great books!)

Describing Through Point of View

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books for teens in lots of weird genres like, fantasy (Blood of Kings trilogy), science fiction (Replication), and dystopian (The Safe Lands trilogy). Find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or on her author website.

First, this week, my little blogging group, Team Novel Teen, is doing a blog tour for Stephanie's new book The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet. Almost everyone is giving away a copy of the ebook, and I (Jill) am giving away a copy of the paperback, which is coming soon. Here is the link to my blog post for the tour. At the bottom you can find the links to the other bloggers posts if you'f like to go and enter all the contests.

http://www.jillwilliamson.com/2013/05/tnt-blog-tour-the-revised-life-of-ellie-sweet-by-stephanie-morrill-giveaway/

Now, last Friday I talked about how you could rewrite a scene with an overriding character emotion. Today I want to talk about how you can rewrite scenes from different points of view. This allows you to describe things in a different way but also to see a scene through another set of eyes, which might teach you something about your minor characters that you weren’t expecting to learn.

SPENCER

I’m not going to write out Spencer’s point of view again. Click here if you'd like to read his points of view from Friday’s post.

GRACE

“GO, FIGHT, WIN!” Grace yelled with the rest of the cheer squad, finishing the motions and ending with a toe-touch front hurdler jump. The bruise on her arm was still tight. She locked her fingers and lifted her hands above her head, as if stretching would do any good.

“Spencer!”

Grace looked across the gym. Jasmine was running toward the door. And, sure enough, there stood Spencer. Right on time.

Grace could not figure out that boy.

She pretended not to see him, moving through the motions of the last cheer again, counting to herself as she did, acting like she was so terribly focused, but all the time she was fully aware that Jasmine had hugged Spencer and was flirting with him. Grace couldn’t hear what they were saying. Those two had gone to homecoming together, but Jasmine had said that Spencer had only asked her as a friend so he could keep an eye on Grace.

So weird.

“Grace, your boyfriend’s here!” Jasmine yelled.

Grace stiffened, feeling the stares of her teammates. The gawking.

She heard Kate whisper, “More like 'stalker’s' here.”

The girls had nicknamed Spencer “stalker” since he followed Grace around so much.

“Gracie Lou Who,” Jaz sang, grinning like she was so very clever, “your boyfriend’s here for you!”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Grace mumbled. Boys were trouble, and while she and Spencer had been friendly ever since coming home from Okinawa, she didn’t trust him.

She didn’t trust any member of the opposite sex.

“Let’s work on jumps,” Coach announced.

Really? Jumps? With Spencer watching?

So embarrassing.

So for the next ten minutes, Grace worked on jump sequences, focusing on landing nice and tight, hoping she didn’t look stupid and trying to ignore her uninvited audience. But he was pacing now. Why was he pacing?

When Coach finally called it quits for the day, Grace figured she’d better go see what her stalker wanted. She crossed the gym, posture straight, trying to look like she really didn’t care that he was here.

But when she reached him, she remembered how cute he was. He had pale skin covered in freckles, orange hair, and bright blue eyes, which he’d fixed on her, frowning like she’d done something wrong. A protective older brother. She just couldn’t stay mad at him no matter how much he annoyed her.

“Hey, stalker,” Grace said.

His eyes flitted over her face and shoulders. He was beyond tall. Six-foot-four, she’d last heard him say. He’d been strong when Grace had met him last spring, but since then, with his hopes of playing NCAA basketball, he must have moved into the weight room because his arms were huge now.

Very intimidating to a ninety-three pound, five-foot-one cheerleader.

“Hey, tumbelina,” he finally said, towering over her. “You missed class this morning.”

She fought a smile at his calling her “tumbelina,” not wanting to encourage him. He had a host of endearing nicknames for her. Tumbelina was her favorite. “Checking up on me again, huh?”

“Naw, I just wanted to say hey.” He shifted, looking behind her.

She turned to see if someone was standing there. Nope. She sighed and spun back to him. “Spencer, look. I like you. But I’m not ready for a boyfriend right now. I’m just … there’s a lot going on …” If he only knew. But there was a thought. Maybe she could tell him. Someone his size could help her put that infuriating man in his place.

No. That wasn’t right. Forgive me, Lord, for thinking such a thing.

“I don’t want to be your boyfriend.” Spencer’s cheeks flushed pink. “Just your friend.”

Oh-kay … “Spencer, even my best friends don’t show up at my cheer practices.”

“Well, you didn't come to class this morning, so I was worried about you.”

She folded her arms. “Why are you always worried about me? I might not be able to bench my own body weight like you, but do I look like an invalid?”

“No.” He looked around them, as if trying to make sure that no one could overhear them. Then he inched closer, leaned down. “Okay, this will probably sound weird. But ...”

JASMINE

Halfway through the cheer, Jasmine saw Spencer enter the gym. His presence sped up her heartbeat and stole her breath. Of course he wasn’t here to see her. He’d be looking for Grace, as usual.

Spencer Garmond, why do you torture me?

“Spencer!” she yelled, wanting his attention if only for a moment. She ran over and slid her arms around his waist, pressing against him in what she hoped was an alluring hug. His muscular torso felt strong, solid.

“Hey, Jaz,” he said, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was looking at Grace.

So Jasmine poked him in the abs, hoping to make those blue eyes focus on her again. “Why haven’t you texted me lately?”

He stepped away from her. “You want me to text you?” he said, not even looking her way.

Ug. Enough of this. “Yee-ah.” She slapped his chest and yelled, “Grace, your boyfriend’s here!” hoping it would at least embarrass him.

He spun around, his forehead wrinkled, his cheeks pink. So cute. “Don’t do that,” he whispered.

Jasmine giggled and sang, “Gracie Lou Who, your boyfriend’s here for you!”

Across the gym Grace mumbled, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Spencer sighed, stuck his hands in his pockets, and slouched away.

See? Jasmine wanted to say. She doesn’t love you like I do. But he was too far away now, headed to the end of the gym where he could be closer to Grace.

The dumb stalker, anyway. Wish he would stalk me.

Have you ever tried writing in a different point of view? One that you had no intention of actually using in your story? Did you find it helpful? If so, how?

And if you’ve never tried this exercise, I encourage you to give it a go.

An update on the Go Teen Writers store

Stephanie here. The 100 for 100 writing challenge finished up on Saturday, so I'm in the middle of crunching numbers and determining winners and all that fun stuff.

I wanted to give you all an update about the Go Teen Writers store. After much discussion between me and Jill ("You cool with doing this?" "Sure." "Okay, great.") we've decided that we'll be opening up the Go Teen Writers store periodically throughout the year. This means, if you do a few things now, and a few things this fall when the story re-opens, you'll be able to combine your points to purchase a critique.

We've been amazed by the creativity we've seen in your promotions! You guys are going to be great when the time comes to market your own books. The store is open for 21 more days, so make the most of it! We've compiled a list of links that might help be helpful for you.

Also, those of you who have been asking about a paperback copy of The Revised Life of Ellie Sweet, I have a green light on that, so it should be available in the next couple weeks!

Have a great Monday, everyone!

Describing Through Emotion

Jill Williamson is a chocolate loving, daydreaming, creator of kingdoms. She writes weird books for teens in lots of weird genres like, fantasy (Blood of Kings trilogy), science fiction (Replication), and dystopian (The Safe Lands trilogy). Find Jill on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or on her author website.

When you're working on description, don't forget the use of emotion. How your character feels will influence his words, thoughts, and actions. Have you ever been happy and went outside and noticed the lovely weather? Somehow everything is so much more beautiful. “Hello, beautiful sun! Hello, cute little deer in my yard!” But if you're angry ... “Stupid sun is going to give me a sunburn. Stupid deer are going to poo all over my yard and I'm going to have to clean it up.”

Am I right?

I've written the following scene from my current work in process, Abuscade (Mission League Mini-Mission 2.5) using three different emotions for Spencer: worried, angry, and happy. Check it out. Doing this is one way to help you get deeper into the scene, and, if you're not sure if the scene is working, it can help you see if from some other angles.

*                                   *                                   *                                   *

WORRIED

There was no afternoon League today because of finals, so I ran over to Pilot Point High to check on Grace. I stepped into the old gym and was greeted by sneakers squeaking on wood and girls' chanting voices. 

Hey! Hey! Let’s do it again!

Everybody yell, GO FIGHT WIN!

Go, Fight, Win! Do it again!

Go, Fight, Win! GO, FIGHT, WIN!

The loud sounds put me more on edge. Please let her be here. Please. I scanned the gym and spotted Grace on the far left. She seemed okay. She was jumping and doing all the motions along with everyone else. 

“Spencer!” Jasmine Jacobs ran up to me and gave me a hug that smelled like the middle of Macy’s.

“Hey, Jas,” I said, but I kept my eyes on Grace. Was that a limp or had she just stumbled? 

Jasmine poked me in the ribs, which kind of tickled. “Why haven’t you texted me lately?”

I stepped away from her, not wanting to be distracted until I knew Grace was okay. “You want me to text you?” I had no idea what to say to that. Why wouldn't she just go away?

“Yee-ah.” She slapped my chest and yelled, “Grace, your boyfriend’s here!”

That got my attention. “Don’t do that,” I whispered, but Jasmine just giggled and yelled again. “Gracie Lou Who, your boyfriend’s here for you!”

Across the gym I heard Grace mumble, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

I sighed. Story of my life, really. But at least nothing had injured Grace's tongue.

I paced there for ten minutes, wearing a groove into the floor before Grace finally came over.

She had that look on her face, like I was some stray dog she couldn't figure out how to lose. “Hey, stalker,” she said.

“Hey, tumbelina. You missed class this morning.” I couldn't tell if she was wearing more makeup than normal.

“Checking up on me again, huh?”

“Naw, I just wanted to say hey.” And see if there were any bruises on your face. I shifted to get a better look at the back of her neck. I didn't see any, but the lighting in here was pretty bad.

“Spencer, look. I like you. But I’m not ready for a boyfriend right now. I’m just … there’s a lot going on …”

Oh, come on. My face got all hot. She didn't understand. She thought I was just trying to hook up. “I don’t want to be your boyfriend. Just your friend.” And keep you from getting hurt.

“Spencer, even my best friends don’t show up at my cheer practices.”

Point taken. “Well, you didn't come to class this morning, so I was worried about you.”

She folded her arms. “Why are you always worried about me? I might not be able to bench my own body weight like you, but do I look like an invalid?”

“No.” I supposed it was time to tell her. Spill my guts and hope I didn't look like more of a freak than she already thought I was. “Okay, this will probably sound weird. But ...”

*                                   *                                   *                                   *

ANGRY

There was no afternoon League today because of finals, so I stormed over to Pilot Point High to talk to Grace. I barged into the old gym and was greeted by sneakers squeaking on wood and girl’s chanting voices. 

Hey! Hey! Let’s do it again!

Everybody yell, GO FIGHT WIN!

Go, Fight, Win! Do it again!

Go, Fight, Win! GO, FIGHT, WIN!

The loud sounds only fueled my anger. Where was the little Skipper doll, anyway? I scanned the gym and spotted Grace on the front left of the floor. She seemed fine to me. She was jumping and doing all the motions along with everyone else.

“Spencer!” Jasmine Jacobs ran up to me and gave me a hug that smelled like the middle of Macy’s.

I didn't answer. Just kept my eyes on Grace, willing her to look over here and notice me and feel guilty for being such a bad friend.

“Why haven’t you texted me lately?” Jasmine asked. She poked me in the ribs, which sent fire up my spine. 

I grabbed her wrist and pushed it aside. “Don't touch me.” I walked away from her, down to the end of the gym where Grace wouldn't be able to miss me.

“Grace, your boyfriend’s here!” Jasmine yelled.

I whipped around and glared at her. “Don’t do that.”

Jasmine just giggled and yelled in a singsong voice, “Gracie Lou Who, your boyfriend’s here for you!”

Across the gym I heard Grace mumble, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Good thing, too, or I'd really have a reason to give her heck. I walked right out onto the court, weaving between cheerleaders. I grabbed Grace's arm and pulled her after me. “Can I talk to you right now? Great.”

She jerked away from my hold. “Why are you here?” she asked. “Are you stalking me?”

“You missed class this morning, tumbelina.” I couldn't tell if she was wearing more makeup than normal.

“So you're checking up on me again, is that it?”

“If you would go to class and return texts like a normal person, I wouldn't have to check up on you.” Was that a bruise on her face? I shifted to get a better look. The lighting in here was pretty bad.

“Spencer, look. I like you. But I’m not ready for a boyfriend right now. I’m just … there’s a lot going on …”

“Oh, come on.” My face got all hot. “You think I'm just trying to hook up with you? That's not what this is about. Why didn't you come to class this morning?” I lowered my voice and glanced away. “I was worried about you.”

She folded her arms. “Why are you always worried about me? I might not be able to bench my own body weight like you, but do I look like an invalid?”

I gritted my teeth. “No.” But maybe it was time to tell her. Spill my guts and hope I didn't look like more of a freak than she already thought I was. “Okay, this will probably sound insane. But ...”

*                                   *                                   *                                   *

HAPPY

There was no afternoon League today because of finals, so I ran over to Pilot Point High to check on Grace. I stepped into the old gym and was greeted by sneakers squeaking on wood and girl’s chanting voices. 

Hey! Hey! Let’s do it again!

Everybody yell, GO FIGHT WIN!

Go, Fight, Win! Do it again!

Go, Fight, Win! GO, FIGHT, WIN!

I scanned the gym and spotted Grace on the front left of the floor. She seemed okay. She was jumping and doing all the motions along with everyone else. I smiled, happy to see her. The girls' cheer gave me strength and fortified my resolve. I could do this. I would tell her right now. And she'd be so thankful, she'd give me a dazzling smile and— 

“Spencer!” Jasmine Jacobs ran up to me and gave me a hug that smelled like the middle of Macy’s.

“What’s up, Jas?” I asked, distracted by her pretty hair. 

Jasmine poked me in the ribs, which kind of tickled. “Why haven’t you texted me lately?”

I had no idea what to say to that. “You want me to text you?” I would never understand girls, but I sure did like it when they were being nice to me.

“Yee-ah.” She slapped my chest and yelled, “Grace, your boyfriend’s here!”

I grabbed Jasmine's waist and tried to cover her mouth with my hand. “Shh! Don’t do that.” 

But the girl squirmed away, giggling, and yelled again. “Gracie Lou Who, your boyfriend’s here for you!”

Across the gym I heard Grace mumble, “He’s not my boyfriend.”

Story of my life, really. But I wasn’t giving up yet.

I went and sat on the floor by the wall, watching the practice. It was really hard work too, watching cheerleaders. Then her coach got them all together for a few minutes, and Grace finally came over.

“Hey, stalker,” she said.

“Hey, tumbelina." I flashed my most charming grin. “Missed you in class this morning.”

“Checking up on me again, huh?”

“Always.” I didn't see any bruises on her face. She was perfect as always.

“Spencer, look. I like you. But I’m not ready for a boyfriend right now. I’m just … there’s a lot going on …”

My face got all hot, but I brushed off her accusation as duty. “I don’t want to be your boyfriend, Grace. But you're on Alpha team, and I have to make sure you're alive and everything.”

She folded her arms. “Why you?”

“Why not me?” But maybe it was finally time to tell her. I was feeling good today. Might as well give it a try, right? “Okay, well, this will probably sound weird. But ...”

*                                   *                                   *                                   *

Now it's your turn! Find a scene that you can play with and rewrite it from three different emotions. Look to change your character's thoughts, observations, dialogue, actions, and descriptive words. How does the scene change? What did you notice?