Playlists

Music can define us. It can inspire us. Music inspires my writing greatly–I even have a few pieces based solely on music videos or one line in a song–so of course I have playlists for my longer works! Below is my playlist for my current work, The Girl Next Door.

Do I Make You Wanna – Billy Currington

Jamie struggles to be herself, but Ryan brings her out of her shell. He makes her want to do everything she never dreamed of doing.

If I Told You – Darius Rucker

When Ryan discovered her past, Jamie thought that Ryan would walk away. She didn’t know what her feelings for him were, but she wanted to know where it would go. Jamie just needed him to stay long enough to find out.

Closer, Faster – Against the Current

This is Jamie and Ryan’s song. It perfectly describes their first date, when Ryan takes her to the beach to watch the fireworks on the Fourth of July.

Guessing – Against the Current

Against the Current was a big influence on this playlist. This song is reserved for the eventual breakup between Ryan and Jamie. Ryan struggles with the choices that Jamie made, making him second guess his own choices.

Waiting for Superman – Daughtry

This song describes Jamie and Cam’s relationship, though it does not end up romantic. When Jamie was in trouble, Cam came running. He turned out to be Jamie’s Superman. Without him, she may not have survived her suicide attempt.

Habits – Tove Lo

After Jamie and Ryan split, Jamie spirals out of control. She loses touch with reality. In order to get Ryan off her mind, she drinks and smokes pot constantly.

Thinking Out Loud – Ed Sheeran

This song is the perfect ending to The Girl Next Door. Jamie’s near-rape eventually brings her and Ryan back together, where they discover that they will never lose their love for one another.

My Favorite First Lines

It all starts with a single sentence.

So I will start this blog with a Top 10 List of Favorite First Lines from YA Novels. In no particular order:

1. Twilight – Stephanie Meyer: I had never given much thought to how I would die–though I’d had reason enough in the last few months–but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

I loved these books in middle school, and sometimes I still watch the movies as a guilty pleasure. And these kinds of opening lines, where they speak to the end of the novel, are my favorite kind.

2. Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins: When I wake up, the other side of the bed is cold.

The beginning sentence is so simple. Sometimes simple can it difficult to continue reading, but this sentence made me want to read on and figure out why the other side of the bed was cold.

3. The Mortal Instruments – Cassandra Clare: “You’ve got to be kidding me,” the bouncer said, folding his arms across his massive chest.

I don’t generally like to start my own work with dialogue, but this opening sentence set the scene for the first book of my favorite series.

4. Vampire Academy – Richelle Mead: I felt her fear before I heard her screams.

This opening sentence made me wonder how in the world this main character could feel this girl’s fear before she heard her screams. From the beginning, I knew the book had to be about something supernatural, so there had to be a supernatural explanation behind it, right?

5. Just Listen – Sarah Dessen: I taped the commercial back in April, before anything had happened, and promptly forgot about it.

This is my favorite Sarah Dessen book, so of course I had to include this first sentence! Like many of the other first sentences, it sets the stage for the book. It also gives us a look into the main character’s personality and possible career.

6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – JK Rowling: Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four Privet Drive, were proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very much.

For every Potterhead, this is an iconic sentence. I love how “snooty” the narrator appears to be when talking about the Dursleys. It creates an air around the characters that sets the stage for Harry and his character.

7. 13 Reasons Why – Jay Asher: A shoebox-sized package is propped against the front door at an angle.

The entirety of this book is centered around this package, so having the opening sentence immediately introduce this object is terrific. I love when books jump right into the action.

8. The Fault in Our Stars – John Green: Late in the winter of my seventeenth year, my mother decided I was depressed, presumably because I rarely left the house, spent quite a lot of time in bed, read the same book over and over, ate infrequently, and devoted quite a bit of my abundant free time to thinking about death.

This is another of my favorite books. The main character comes on as strong, independent, and sarcastic. I love first sentences that display who the character is as a person.

9. Divergent – Veronica Roth: There is one mirror in my house.

This first sentence creates suspense and mystery. For instance, why does this character only have one mirror in her house? The question is semi-answeed in the following sentences, but as the world is introduced and expanded on, we get more of an answer to this great first line.

10. It’s Kind of a Funny Story – Ned Vizzini: It’s so hard to talk when you want to kill yourself.

This has to be my favorite first sentence on this entire list. It introduces a complex character and situation, both of which ultimately make for a great book.