When your MC turns up on TV...(Waterloo Road, to be precise)

This post might get a bit Brit-focused for my American readers, but keep reading anyway!

One of my favourite TV serial dramas is WATERLOO ROAD. A fictional, failing school in a rough area of Manchester (I think) and now Scotland, it's this rather soap-opera-ish yet brilliant programme all about the teachers and students, and tackles issues like rape, domestic violence, alcoholism, homophobia, incest, teacher/pupil relationships, young love, and friendship (had to add the last two not to put anyone off!).

I was happily watching all the angst and excitement when suddenly, into shot walked my protagonist. I mentioned in a previous post that the troubled bully-turned-heartbroken and unstable-social-outcast Luke would have to be played by George Mackay, but I've changed my mind. He's not blond, and he's got a Scottish accent instead of an English one, but Shane O'Meara (aka Waterloo Road's Connor) is the perfect Luke.

He's got such melancholy eyes *Amy realises that she's sounding a bit stalker-ish and weird so posts picture to cover embarrassment*

AND THEN IN WALKED HIS DEAD BEST FRIEND. Benjamin Gur was the actor I've always wanted to play Noah, the cruel charmer whose death started the whole plot of THE BRIGHTEST FELL, and his character in Waterloo Road is so similar to Noah in personality (and looks) that it's like watching Noah on screen.

(I'm not mad, these characters are just very real to me in my head)...

(Benjamin Gur/ Noah is the one on the left with the smug expression!).


Has anyone else had a moment like this, seeing the perfect actor for your MC and then greedily watching the programme to get your fill of character awesomeness?

Are there any Waterloo Road fans here?

And finally, do you like my actors? Anyone who's read this post, do you think they would be perfect for the roles or what?

Look out for my Waiting On Wednesday post in a few days!

Brilliantly Bleak Covers

So this is a Cover Love Tuesday with a difference. For one, it's a Thursday. Two, usually I do posts about pretty-pretty covers that make me want to paint (I'm a typical cliche art student, FWIW).

Today, however, I'm going to post some covers that are really effective and brilliant because they're bleak. Plain, melancholy, and beautiful in my opinion.

Click the links to check them out on Goodreads!

 

OUT OF REACH by Carrie Arcos

 

Who'd have thought three words and a girl lying in a road could be so effective? I'd love a cover like this, especially seeing as the MMC of The Brightest Fell does start the book lying unconscious in the middle of a road...

 

BIRTHDAY BLUES by Anne Cassidy

 

I have fond memories of this one, because it was the first modern (aka not from a jumble sale) YA I ever read. I borrowed it from my school library, and I always remembered the cover had a little rabbit on it, even though I forgot the name. And then I found it again in a second-hand book shop (yays!). Not as bleak as OUT OF REACH, but the blue and the abandoned toy are kind of haunting.

 

TAKE ME THERE by Carolee Dean

 

Yes, another lying-in-road one (obviously these teens didn't watch the road-safety hedgehog videos in primary school - anyone remember those?) but aren't the mountains in the mist bleak and totally cool?

 

FREEFALL by Mindi Scott

 

Is that ice? Porcelain? Glass? Whatever it is, it's so effective. And I love it when a title ties in with the cover, unlike some books.

 

Finally, a book that sounds so good I might even read it despite there being zombies in it, and me having a massive issue with anything remotely gory or horror-like.

Check out those blood-stains on the blue background!

 

THIS IS NOT A TEST by Courtney Summers

 

 

Which of these books float your boat? Do you like minimalistic covers, or are you more into pretty fonts and detailed images?

And are there any books anyone can recommend with cool bleak covers?

 

[Ooh, and as a side note, does anyone know of any good contemporary YA with unreliable/lying protags? Just a bit of next-WIP prep...] 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I'm Baaaaack! (And a bit of Absolute Write love)

 

If there's anyone actually still reading this blog, good on you for sticking with me! I've been crazy-busy over the summer - a job + WIP + University stresses = me being a lazy blogger.

But, good news, the uni application stuff is totally (hopefully) sorted, and the WIP first and second drafts are finished. Yay!

I'm stressing out about both, because the WIP is 1st person POV and it's got a lot of grief in it, something I struggle to write well. I prefer angst when the character is the one who created it, but this story kinda spoke to me if that doesn't sound cheesy (okay it totally does). So it's out with betas and I'm just stressing out about uni now - all those new people!

I'm going to study Publishing, which makes me happy :)

But I want to say a big thank you to the writing site that kept me sane over the summer, because this WIP was troublesome and I so nearly gave up so many times. I didn't, because of the Absolute Write Water Cooler (www.absolutewritewatercooler.com ). If you're a writer who hasn't joined that site, SERIOUSLY DO IT NOW RIGHT NOW. As well as all the help, support, and critiquing pages, discussions about aspects of YA/Horror/Literary/MG/anything else you can think of, it's great being part of such a community.

I'm going to stop this post because I'm gushing, and because it's not exactly the most thrilling of reading material.

But I will be back with more posts while I wait for my *amazing* betas to get back to me (and after), so keep checking back, folks!